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1234chainsaw
1234chainsaw
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I Wanna Be . . . (Or, Flaunt The Influence)

Posted over 2 years ago
This is my six-month MOGiversary. It's been a truly wonderful time. I've discovered a fair amount of great new music, but more importantly I've found many really cool, smart, thoughtful, and fun people here and learned many interesting things about their passions for music. But since I like to get those C fibres firing in our brains, it comes naturally to me to express my appreciation of you as a challenge: Come up with a pair of songs such that one adapts a substantial part of the other. By 'adapt' I don't mean a mash-up, let alone a sample. I mean a significant portion of a song, such as the lyrics or the composition of a verse, bridge, or chorus, in a new context. (I'll let you make the rules on whether the way the intro to “Last Night” bites “American Girl” is extensive enough to count.) Here's one to get things started:Sleater-Kinney: "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone" (live at CBGB's, 1997):[I'm also taking this opportunity to note that Carrie Brownstein has become even more cool since those days.]Cansei De Ser Sexy: "I Wanna Be Your JLo" (live at Leftfield Show, BBC Radio 1, 2007):[I'm blissfully bracketing the fact that the other song that CSS are borrowing, in large parts of the song simultaneously, is "Jenny From The Block."]
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Comments (21)

  1. kristiana
    kristiana says "(I’ll let you make the rules on whether the way the intro to “Last Night” bites “American Girl” is extensive enough to count.)" Sure, I'd say so. A challenge, cool. Have to think about this for a little while. Oh, and so glad you're still around.
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  2. Dale
    Dale says 808 State's "Contrique" completely bites the bass line from Joy Division's "She's Lost Control" and puts it in a house context.
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  3. kristiana
    kristiana says woah, good one Dale. ;)
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  4. Dale
    Dale says For those unfamiliar, here's the 808 State song. And thanks, k!
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  5. kristiana
    kristiana says Ok, so your challenge has made the morning more interesting. I've gone back and listened to Sonic Youth's Rather Ripped, which I haven't actually listened to much since getting it...but I remembered that upon first listen I felt there were influences I was hearing but not recognizing right away. These might be seen as a stretch, and maybe I'm just crazy, but I'm used to that reaction, so here it goes. Between James Runs Free and Incinerate I hear Smashing Pumpkins' 1979. I also hear a Ramones influence on What A Waste, and maybe even Springsteen's The Promised Land being invoked in Do You Believe In Rapture? Of course, these aren't really obvious (or maybe non-existent to anyone but me, lol), but then again, it's Sonic Youth. If their influences were shining through, I wouldn't expect it to happen in an obvious way.
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  6. kristiana
    kristiana says Oh - and because it just happened to come on, doesn't that riff from Meat Puppets Violet Eyes kinda sound like the riff from Rocket Queen?
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  7. jenny
    jenny says I love the way Jimi Hendrix slips a little bit of "Strangers in the Night" into his cover of "Wild Thing." Also, there's a Dirtbombs song called "No Expectations" (it's on If You Don't Already Have a Look) that liberally quotes both "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Hey Jude". But I don't really have to tell you about the Dirtbombs, do I? jenny
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  8. goodmusiconly
    goodmusiconly says This may not be as exacting as you're looking for, but Jeff Buckley's _Dream Brother_ has a strong Cocteau Twins influence. It's in the sound of the guitars (and dulcimer maybe?), especially at the point when the song builds to crescendo ... I've been unable to peg it to just one song, but it's there.
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  9. mktackabery
    mktackabery says I can't find the right vids to illustrate what I want to comment on, I'll have to look later when I have time to kill, but what immediately came to mind for me was the numerous times Sting has checked himself and the Police on songs, such as "woke up in my clothes again this morning" from Shadows in the Rain and "it's a big enough umbrella, but it's always me that ends up getting wet" from Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, which he has popped into numerous other love songs he has written and I can't bloody find right now. Nothing ever really dies, it just comes back in a rock and roll song, I guess.
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  10. thill
    thill says ugggh..since i read this yesterday i keep trying to dig in the deep recesses of my brain and i have yet to pull up something. it is killing me.
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  11. Anna
    Anna says Happy MOGniversary. It's a pleasure to have met you here :) Tricky - Overcome Massive Attack feat. Tricky - Karmacome The lyrics are almost the same; not to mention Tricky songs that contain lyrics from other Tricky songs. (I hope I'm not off topic here...)
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  12. 1234chainsaw
    1234chainsaw says No worries, Anna, you're right on topic. In fact, the adaptation in your entry is so extensive as to be quite rare. Ditto for my Sleater-Kinney/CSS pairing. Interesting suggestions from everyone else as well, thanks! Teresa, let us know what you’ve hit upon.
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  13. ivylander
    ivylander says To me, the most clever appropriation and recontexting (I know, I know, it's not a word) of a song comes courtesy of Elvis Costello. "Tramp The Dirt Down" from "Spike" is a none-too-oblique broadside at Ms. Thatcher ("When England was the whore of the world, Margaret was her madam") that borrows the bright, cheery melody of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely?" and places it in a bleak, angry musical context in recognition of its enraging, unlovely subject.
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  14. kristiana
    kristiana says The person who introduced me to Red House Painters told me the story of Kozelek's sorta epiphany the first time hearing Neil Young. I hear Neil all over in his music. One that stands out at the moment is Make Like Paper - reminds me of Out On the Weekend, with J. Mascis-type guitar doodling and even that little app. 6 note? lift at the end of the phrase (am I using the right phrase...?) sounds like it could be straight out of a specific Dinosaur Jr. song I think - but not sure. Gonna have to dig through my milk crate of cassettes. this is fun. great idea for a post. "Out On The Weekend" Think Ill pack it in and buy a pick-up Take it down to l.a. Find a place to call my own and try to fix up. Start a brand new day. The woman Im thinking of, she loved me all up But Im so down today Shes so fine, shes in my mind. I hear her callin. See the lonely boy, out on the weekend Trying to make it pay. Cant relate to joy, he tries to speak and Cant begin to say. She got pictures on the wall, they make me look up From her big brass bed. Now I'm running down the road trying to stay up Somewhere in her head. The woman I'm thinking of, she loved me all up But I'm so down today She's so fine she's in my mind. I hear her callin. See the lonely boy, out on the weekend Trying to make it pay. Cant relate to joy, he tries to speak and Cant begin to say. "Make Like Paper" halloween in new york on the way home from london eight weeks on tonight still but all the other winter's i spent she lived in a house where mission street bends she slept in a room where i didn't feel welcome leaves are turning brown all over the ground leaves make like paper make like paper sounds way back, back then i considered you my best friend but the last time i saw you i knew i'd never see you again you lived in a place off the chamblee-dunwoody way i took up his space when they took your father away leaves are turning round all over the ground leaves make like paper make like paper sounds
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  15. etcvisitor
    etcvisitor says isnt there an aquaduct song that is entirely made up of quotes from the princess bride? i actually quote the entire first verse of david bowie's moonage daydream to end one of my songs when i play it live. but i have a good reason and im very upfront about it.
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  16. chucky
    chucky says Shit, I have no idea - but happy mogiversary.
    Permalink posted 03/26/2007
  17. Mike the Knife
    Mike the Knife says Yeah. 'saw. Valued citizen of the MOG-iverse. O.K. What about the way the Stephen Stills quotes his Buffalo Springfield song "Questions" as the bridge to his Crosby, Stills and Nash song "Carry On"?
    Permalink posted 03/27/2007
  18. Jammy Jeff
    Jammy Jeff says Happy mogiversary Chainsaw. I'm thinking Pop/Dance records right now that incorporate another song, and yet it's not a cover. George Michael's "Fast Love" from 1996 completely stole from the song "Forget Me Nots" by Patrice Rushen.
    Permalink posted 03/27/2007
  19. Jammy Jeff
    Jammy Jeff says And, my mindless confession of guilty pleasure is that I like 'em both.
    Permalink posted 03/27/2007
  20. etcvisitor
    etcvisitor says isnt there some connection between the misfits and the smiths and the hitler youth slogan "where eagles dare"?
    Permalink posted 03/27/2007
  21. thill
    thill says these two seem too close to be totally unrelated to each other. Mirah: La Familia Hey friends don't you think you better cool it down You're always gettin' curious and leavin' town You know i like it being in your family I wonder what would happen if nobody left We'd all stick around if we'd all stick around And here's a question that's been tested: Tell me, if we sleep together Would it make it any better? If we sleep together Would you be my friend forever? If we sleep together Would it make it any better? If we sleep together Would you be my friend? Hey friend listen up their playing our song On the radio, do you have to go? I really like it, this rock and roll Makes me want a little sugar in my bowl It's like the glory days, it's like a fortune sold And here's a question that's been tested: Tell me, if we sleep together Would it make it any better? If we sleep together Would you be my friend forever? If we sleep together Would it make it any better? If we sleep together Would you be my friend? Let's none of us forget about who we are So choose a path and follow it Take a pill and swallow it None of us forget about who we are It's not forever we can fool around in the dark If we sleep together Would it make it any better? If we sleep together Would you be my friend forever? If we sleep together Would it make it any better? If we sleep together Would you be my friend forever? Forever (x8) Romeo Void: Never Say Never If time itself was his demeanor There’d be no sunlight or a glimmer Of sunlight landin on the street Sunsuit girls must be discreet Sunsuit girls must be discreet Nursing their fathers locked inside They masqueraded as his bride I might like you better If we slept together But there’s somethin In your eyes that says Maybe that’s never Never say never The slump by the courthouse With windburn skin That man could give a fuck About the grin on your face As you walk by, randy as a goat He's sleepin on papers When he'd be warm in your coat I might like you better If we slept together But there’s somethin In your eyes that says Maybe that’s never Never say never There’s no easy way to lose your sight On the street, on the stairs Who's on your flight Old couple walks by, as ugly as sin But he’s got her and she’s got him Never say never what about that 80's song: Major Tom by Peter Schelling as a follow-up of Bowie's Space Oddity?
    Permalink posted 03/29/2007

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