Songs that are clever rewrites of other songs

The various threads about great sixties songs and 45s got me thinking that 'Happy Together' by The Turtles is basically a clever rewrite of 'Runaway' by Del Shannon. The choruses are different, but both use the same lift from minor to major into the chorus having followed the same chord sequence for the verses.

Are there any other sneakily disguised rip-offs?

'My Sweet Lord' by George Harrison is a well known example, but I think it sticks a bit too close to 'He's So Fine' to be considered sneaky!

 

Does it count when it's the same group? The Turtles Eleanor (though I'm not sure what came first) sounds like a Happy Together rewrite.

And of course there is Mr. Ray Davies...

 

I've heard somewhere that 'Last Train to Clarksville' was 'Paperback writer' in
disguise.

 

Oh yes...they'll count.

Plus there were all of those soundalike Motown follow ups. 'The Same Old Song' quite literally!

 

Many speculate that "September Gurls" is a re-configuration of the production and arrangement of "Nowhere Man," but with a new melody. Listen and decide for yourself.

 

"Bitch" = "Get Ready"
"Under My Thumb" = "It's the Same Old Song"
"I Got You Babe" = "Catch the Wind"
"As Tears Go By" = "Je ne suis là pour personne" (Françoise Hardy)
"Fourth Time Around" = "Norwegian Wood"

Half of Chuck Berry's songs = the other half of Chuck Berry's song (all of which are great)

 

McCartney's VANILLA SKY sounds very much like his BIKER LIKE AN ICON to me. I don't care for either song.

 

That one is very clever and obvious once you know.

I'm sure there was a Whitney Houston song that had elements of 'If You Could Read My Mind' by Gordon Lightfoot.

'Life On Mars' by David Bowie has more than a dash of 'My Way' about it.

 

Jethro Tull "We Used To Know" = Eagles "Hotel California"

Stephen

 

Tommy James & The Shondells - I Think We're Alone Now and Mirage.

According to Songfacts:

This came about as the result of a studio mistake. Producer Bo Gentry inadvertently put the tape of their previous hit, "I Think We're Alone Now," on the player backwards. The group started listening to the chord progression as they played the reversed tape, and band member Ritchie Cordell wrote the lyrics to it.

 

Radiohead's 'Creep' borrowed heavily from 'The Air That I Breath' by The Hollies.

 

Dee Dee Sharp "Mashed Potato Time" = The Marvelettes "Please Mr. Postman"

Len Barry's "1-2-3" = The Supremes "Ask Any Girl"

Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" = Huey Lewis & The News "I Want A New Drug"

 

Last night I was listening to an LP by The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, "New Orleans, Volume I". One track entitled "Joe Avery", which is listed as a traditional jazz tune, especially caught my attention. It reminded me of "Rock Around The Clock".

Perhaps someone else can comment on this.

 

Two words: Surfin' U.S.A.

 

Buffalo Springfield's Mr Soul is a deliberate nod to the Stones' (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.

 

I Can't Explain by The Who = All Day And All Of The Night by The Kinks

 

And The Equals borrowed that riff for 'Softly Softly' as well.

 

The Seeds had a song that followed the same melody of the Jerry Lieber-Artie Butler song "Down Home Girl". Can't think of the title right now.

Of course no writer has had more of their work borrowed from than the writer known as "Trad.":

Dylan's "Masters of War" uses the melody from the old English song "Nottamun Town"

Richard Thompson's "Farewell Farewell" uses the melody from "Willy O'Winsbury"

Richard & Mimi Farina's "Quiet Joys of Brotherhood" was borrowed from "My Lagan Love"

Paul Simon's "Kathy's Song" was borrowed from "Lord Franklin"

 

The Police's "O My G--" borrowed a line from "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"-"It's a big enough umbrella,but it's always me that ends up getting wet" Michael Boyce

 

We won't even get into "Golden Slumbers" which had a new melody and some new words to an old standard

 

I always thought that one sounded too authentically Olde English to be a new tune. Beautiful song.

 

I Stand corrected-that song was recorded by another singer.

 

Don't hear the Radiohead connection...

 

"Bad Day" by REM is exactly the same as their own "It's the End of the World As We Know It", transposed to a higher key and with the melody slighty changed.

 

The verses have a very similar chord sequence.