R.E.M. Guitarist Buck in Riff-Stealing Scandal!

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R.E.M. GUITARIST BUCK IN RIFF-STEALING SCANDAL!

It seems apparent that a riff in R.E.M.'s well-known 1985 song "Driver 8" from the Fables of the Reconstruction LP was quite possibly STOLEN. The riff in question occurs near the end of the chorus in said song and involves an E minor arpeggio in which the bass note (played on the low E string) moves step-wise from the tonic note E up to the third, G, and then back down.

The song from which this riff was APPARENTLY STOLEN is "Hummin' Happy" from the LP record Incense and Peppermints by the Strawberry Alarm Clock. ILM readers will note that:

1) Not only is it the same riff, but it occurs in a similar place in both songs. (In the R.E.M. song, the riff begins at the end of the chorus and continues as a musical link to the next section after the chorus' completion. In "Hummin' Happy," the riff begins directly upon the conclusion of the second and third verses and also serves as a link.)

2) Both songs are played in the key of E minor.

Noted record collector Peter Buck MAY WELL HAVE OWNED A COPY OF INCENSE AND PEPPERMINTS PRIOR TO 1985!!!

― Tim Ellison, Monday, 10 May 2004 19:04 (twenty-two years ago)

well didn't they cover a Strawberry Alarm Clock song later?

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I AM THE STRRRRRRRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK *wrestles with stewardess*

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:08 (twenty-two years ago)

whoops I guess I'm thinking of the Troggs song they did. Anyway, I think in interviews they've always mentioned their debt to the Strawberry Alarm Clark, but maybe they meant in a literal sense as well.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:09 (twenty-two years ago)

If that riff is copyrighted then bye bye emo.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Fuck it. I'm copyrighting that riff.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)

the riff is like E-B-D, F#-B-D, G-B-D, and back down again, right?

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Every man and woman owes Bo Diddley one million dollars

― sexyDancer, Monday, 10 May 2004 19:12 (twenty-two years ago)

One person's theft is another's homage.$

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:12 (twenty-two years ago)

And those that don't owe Bo Diddley are just ripping off "Secret Agent Man"...

Yeah, just like "Come As You Are".

― earlnash, Monday, 10 May 2004 19:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Hahahahao

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

LET IT GO. HE'S DEAD NOW.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:15 (twenty-two years ago)

the rogue letters are LEARNING!

― Aaron A., Monday, 10 May 2004 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" = "Godzilla" by B.O.C.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyone who mentions "More Than A Feeling" WILL be choked.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 10 May 2004 20:02 (twenty-two years ago)

The Pixies "Debaser" is totally just Merle Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee"

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Monday, 10 May 2004 20:03 (twenty-two years ago)

seam had a song called "something's burning" which was essentially a retread of the chorus of "more than a feeling". probably musical commentary but still.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 10 May 2004 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

for the other source of pretty much every guitar riff peter buck ever played, check out jackie deshannon's "don't turn your back on me."

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 10 May 2004 20:14 (twenty-two years ago)

In "Unwind with the Clock" from the same Strawberry Alarm Clock album, the guitarist blatantly steals a riff from Robby Krieger's solo in "Light My Fire" (assuming, of course, that the song was recorded after "Light My Fire" had been released--I'm guessing that this was so), so I guess it all balances out.

― Tim Ellison, Monday, 10 May 2004 21:03 (twenty-two years ago)

If R.E.M. can rip off the Everly Brothers ("Everybody Hurts"), Bob Dylan ("It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"), and the Butthole Surfers ("South Central Rain"), I guess that means they can rip off the Strawberry Alarm Clock, too!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 10 May 2004 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Whoa! What Butthole Surfers song does "So. Central Rain" rip off?

― Tim Ellison, Monday, 10 May 2004 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

"Hey" (on their first EP)

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 10 May 2004 21:36 (twenty-two years ago)

One person's theft is another's homage.$

I'd like to believe that dollar sign is there on purpose.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Monday, 10 May 2004 21:54 (twenty-two years ago)

kinda reminds me of this onion bit:
Microsoft Patents Ones, Zeroes
REDMOND, WA—In what CEO Bill Gates called "an unfortunate but necessary step to protect our intellectual property from theft and exploitation by competitors," the Microsoft Corporation patented...

― chris andrews (fraew), Monday, 10 May 2004 22:08 (twenty-two years ago)

what everly brothers song does "everybody hurts" rip off? (and please don't say "love hurts," since the only overlap is that both have the word "hurts" in the chorus.)

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 10 May 2004 22:11 (twenty-two years ago)

"All I Have to Do Is Dream"

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 10 May 2004 22:19 (twenty-two years ago)

And there's Stepehn Malkmus ripping off Buddy Holly...
("Silence Kidt" versus "Everyday")

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 10 May 2004 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Crooked Rain Crooked Rain rips off about 60,000 songs.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 10 May 2004 22:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Snrub, I don't see how "Everybody Hurts" rips of "All I Have to Do Is Dream."

― Tim Ellison, Monday, 10 May 2004 22:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Not any of the actual melodies, you understand. More of the kind of "feeling" or vibe, especially the vocals. I don't know. I guess I just hear the Everlys when I hear that song. I guess this IS too much of a stretch.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 10 May 2004 22:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I know where it is, actually. Think of the contour of the melody when Stipe sings "time to sing along." It's the same contour as the melisma on the first word ("Dream") in "All I Have to Do Is Dream."

― Tim Ellison, Monday, 10 May 2004 23:26 (twenty-two years ago)

hmmmmmm.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 01:15 (twenty-two years ago)

All REM songs 'need more cowbell'. Thieves.

― dave q, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 01:30 (twenty-two years ago)

a 'rip-off' has to be more than an 'evident strong influence'. like pavement sound like the fall, but they don't rip them off. although i seem to remember being outraged that 'jenny and the ess dog' by steven malkmus rips off an elliott smith song.

― mr glinka, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 01:36 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah i picked that too, it rips off 'say yes' blatantly.

― ipsofacto (ipsofacto), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 01:44 (twenty-two years ago)

like pavement sound like the fall, but they don't rip them off.

try making this statement again after listening to "Conduit for Sale" followed by "New Face in Hell."

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 02:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Im so fucking sick of that example.

― David Allen (David Allen), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

too bad.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

And by Wowee Zowee they sounded nothing like them at all.

― David Allen (David Allen), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

But being snide is fun even if it is retarded!

― David Allen (David Allen), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 02:11 (twenty-two years ago)

so fucking what? they still sounded like them at some point, so the comparison is valid. even malkmus isn't as much as a fucking crybaby about it.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 02:12 (twenty-two years ago)

And by Wowee Zowee they sounded nothing like them at all.

if you ignore the last song, yes.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 02:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, Tall Dwarfs and Swell Maps ring more resonantly as earlier Pavement ripoffees. ("Get Outta Tbe Garage" and "Harmony In Your Bathroom", respectively)

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 18:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Spiral and Bob co-wrote a few Tall Dwarfs songs on the 3 EPS release, in fact.. so that was more of a mutual appreciation thing, I think.

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 18:21 (twenty-two years ago)

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