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The Stolen Riff Challenge

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MichaelA:
This idea for a songwriter challenge seemed to get a bit of interest on last night's Friday Zoom call.

I recently heard an interview where a member of New Order confessed that they stole the famous riff for their best known song 'Blue Monday' after watching spaghetti westerns in between recording sessions. In particular the riff they lifted was from 'For a Few Dollars More', starring Clint Eastwood, a theme tune written by soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone.

Listening to the similarities, it seems incredible that they got away with this at the time...or since! Especially as it is such an emblematic riff that's won them many accolades and much commercial success. Have a listen...



This led to the idea for a forum Songwriting Challenge, if anyone is interested. Let us know here if you're in.

For this one you have to select a riff from any well known song that takes your fancy. The song can be from any era, any genre. Then you have to utilise the riff in a completely different song of your own, so that the casual listener wouldn't necessarily realise that the riff is stolen. You have to 'get away with it', just like New Order did for all these years. So you can flip the riff into a different genre maybe, or change the tempo, choice of instruments, whatever you want. Just as long as it's sneaky enough for you to get away with the cunning disguise.

Deadline is mid March, so about a six week challenge. Post your songs in Finished Songs if you are hoping for a reasonable number of comments. Plus post a link to the riff you stole by the original artist, so we can all have a smile.

So...who is in?  ;)

Well...list of entrants so far:

@pompeyjazz

@ChrisPrice

@Wicked Deeds

@MichaelA

@PeteS

pompeyjazz:
Count me in @MichaelA But shouldn't this be called The Riff Off challenge?

ChrisPrice:
Yeah, Count me in. It didn't stop Led Zeppelin all those years back who blatantly stole riffs for at least two of their songs that I can think of. Whole Lotta Love was a Small Faces song called You Need Love - they even stole part of the vocal! And I believe there was a Willie Dixon song the title of which escapes me. I'm not a huge Zeppelin fan so I'd have no qualms about stealing one of their riffs!! :)

MichaelA:
Great to see two early participants in @pompeyjazz and @ChrisPrice. I didn’t know that about Led Zep, Chris, sounds like the music biz was maybe a bit less litigious back then.

Yeah John, it could have been called the Riff Off Challenge, but I have engraved the trophy now.  ::)

I suppose it could be AKA Riff Off Challenge. Especially for the residents of the Independent People’s Republic of Portsmouth.  ;D

Anyway, roll up, roll up folks, don’t be shy! Join our Stolen Riff/Aka Riff Off Challenge!

ChrisPrice:
@MichaelA  Yup..there were others from that genre/period too. Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale - brilliant but it was JS Bach all over. Deep Purple was another band that got away with murder more than once. Rod Stewart, when he was part of The Faces, used to perform a song called Three Button Hand Me Down..a great song but it was lifted from a Soul Brothers Six track called Some Kind Of Wonderful. I'm sure it's happened a good deal more than we know over the decades across all genres. I've alerted my lawyer!! ;D

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