Inspired/borrowed/lifted from Alice

[Toronto Bob]

Just came across this tune by The Flaming Lips and thought it's pretty effen cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yYzVafDypE

What other songs are out there that are lifted from Alice's catalog? I know AC did their fair share of borrowing too, but I'd like this thread to focus on artists borrowing from Alice/ACG

[recoop]

Good thread TB-wonder if AC credited or need to be- if you have a search around you will find the Beastie Boys sampled(correct term?) an Alice song-Its Hot Tonight I think-you will have to do a bit of searching but should find name

[Si]

There are actually quite a few rap/dance songs that sample bits of AC songs. I first discovered some when searching the BMI songwriters directory which showed ones that had correctly credited Alice Cooper although I couldn`t name them now (they were all pretty forgettable) and I'm sure there are many more that haven`t credited correctly.
As Recoup says I think the Beastie Boys one is the most "famous" although I'm sure there are many more.

If anyone wants to do the research and put together a list of songs using AC samples I will happily add it to the site. To be honest I can't face listening to that stuff. It's almost universally awful! haha

[concolz]

The Flaming Lips song is from their 1987 album 'Oh My Gawd'. Incidentally, TFL are releasing their cover of the whole 'Sgt Pepper' album soon, complete with 'guests'. (Is everybody in the world doing a covers album?!)

The Beastie Boys sampled AC's 'It's Hot Tonight', for 'What Comes Around', on their 1989 album 'Paul's Boutique'. Other bits pinched, include the 'Billion Dollar Babies' drum intro for Entombed's 'Blood Song', and parts of 'Second Coming' for 'Hell Is Getting Hotter' by Loose Cannons.

One of the most blatant steals is the 'Killer' organ motif, for 'Trippy' by Kid Cuddy.

http://youtu.be/u2uQxPAghEo

And, one of the most fascinating is 'Waterloo', by Swedish mock-metal group Black Ingvars. Here they graft the 'School's Out' riff onto Abba, then add Purple's 'Child In Time' into the mix. Brilliant! (There must be a ton of credits!!)

http://youtu.be/pZGC07aSIy4

Finally, there's UK punk band Eater, who did a bit more than borrow for their 'Fifteen' track - from 'Live At The Roxy' which made #24 on the charts here in '77. (ACG got full credits!)

http://youtu.be/eji7_L2jWK8

[Si]

Those links are interesting in that it kinda raises another question.
While the first is obviously sampled, which is the sort of thing I was refering to earlier, the other two aren`t as easily classified.

The Black Ingvars is listed as a cover of Abba, but only the words and vocal lines are from that. There's as much SO in there as Abba. It's more of a 'mash up' of three songs.

The Eaters track is closer to a cover in that just a few words changed, but the music is completely different so is it really a cover. Maybe a tribute?

So for something to be a "cover" are the lyric more important then the music? Personally the music is the key thing but I'm probably in the minority.

When does a cover stop bring a cover and become something else? A sample is pretty easy to categorise, but these others are more complicated.

Do we have to call them anything at all? Perfectly probably not, but when talking about such things we do kinda need a point of reference?

[Swinger]

Black Ingvars whole thing is taking non-rock songs (pop songs, childrens songs, religious songs etc.) and cover them by mashing them together with rock/metal songs. But they don't generally credit the rock/metal artists. I remember owning their album with childrens songs as a kid and then only later as teen realising that they actually used parts of existing rock songs.

There's a song called "Sex Kabin" by norwegian band Euroboys which riff also sounds a lot like "Levity Ball". (not sampled but likely inspired by)
The song itself isn't on youtube but the whole album is, "Sex Kabin" is at 27:40.

[concolz]

Those links are interesting in that it kinda raises another question.

When does a cover stop bring a cover and become something else? A sample is pretty easy to categorise, but these others are more complicated.

Do we have to call them anything at all? Perfectly probably not, but when talking about such things we do kinda need a point of reference?

As you say, Kid Cuddy is an obvious 'sample', whilst I'd describe Eater's track as a 'reinterpretation'. IMO, the Black Ingvars mash-up is, by far, the more interesting. It's basically a lovingly crafted 'homage'. (I'm really, really hoping Alice's covers album is going to pull out all the stops where creativity and inventiveness are concerned!)

Here's one that resulted in an out-of-court settlement. It does seem a tad familiar!

http://youtu.be/yHAHDxwNWA0

[Si]

Here's one that resulted in an out-of-court settlement. It does seem a tad familiar!

http://youtu.be/yHAHDxwNWA0

Yeah that one is hard to fathom. It's hard to believe that Stanley et al didn't notice the similarity, but on the other hand I can`t think they purposely copied such a well known song thinking no one would notice. Releasing it seems an odd decision.
And of course it isn`t the only AC influenced thing on the album although certainly the most obvious.

[Toronto Bob]

concolz - those links were kick-ass. Never heard of any of them and all pretty damn creative in their own way.

[concolz]

Looks like Ken Hensley was paying attention to 'Only Women Bleed' - from 1975 as well!

http://youtu.be/4AfUE7oPaNs

I recently stumbled across 'Thousands On A Raft' by Pete Brown (composer of many Cream songs) and did a double take. The similarities to 'OWB', in places, are uncanny; yet it's from 1970!

http://youtu.be/g38hwULRohI

[recoop]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz2J6qm_XAI

worth listening to all of it but about 1min 58 secs onwards a few seconds of Schools Out riff by the Sweet in Hellraiser

[Babysquid]

Regarding samples wasn't public animal no.9 included on some DJ breakbeats lp?

[steven_crayn]

last year I noticed on the PRS database an 'Alice Cooper' song called 'Fall In Love' which turned out to be a composite of samples from 'Shoe Salesman' which was used by Slum Village.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n74rnB8aRI

This got me researching all the samples of Alice Cooper tunes and i posted a load on Facebook some of which have been mentioned.

Here are some more

Akira The Don feat Bashy sampled Clones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGBgQHDl9w8

Silva Hounds Photo Finish sampled Raped and Freezin'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTopZcubIqM

Joe Budden sampled Go To Hell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJeLWhyEBu4

[steven_crayn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz2J6qm_XAI

worth listening to all of it but about 1min 58 secs onwards a few seconds of Schools Out riff by the Sweet in Hellraiser

Remember when I first heard Hellraiser all those years ago thinking that riff was influenced by School's Out great song and the B side Burning was a kick ass tune too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0hG3Gib-Is

[steven_crayn]

At 1 minute and 40 seconds there is a reference to the Poison riff in Gaia by Valensia released in 1993.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7pGnnxzQk4

Of course Poison itself was a reworking of the John McCurry riff on John Waites' 'Encirled', with McCurry playing it on Poison too.
The clever thing on Poison was how they alternated the backing chords under the riff from D major to B flat but kept the Encircled riff more or less the same giving new life to the old riff.
It always amazes me how when Poison came out that Encircled wasn't mentioned seeing as it was only 2 years before.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc9rgn-PI5Q

[Dannorama]

Am I the only one here who hates these "songs?" I certainly hope our boys got paid for this.

[recoop]

Yep Steven, "Burning" by Sweet very good-cant remember hearing before so thanks-shades of Immigrant Song By Led Zep as someone said underneath- Sweet defo underrated rock band

[alan1958]

Just came across this tune by The Flaming Lips and thought it's pretty effen cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yYzVafDypE

Well , thanks for posting this TB !

As a massive fan of the FLAMING LIPS , and having seen them live on various occasions , you've now answered the only question I've ever wanted to ask frontman Wayne Coyne ...." Are you an Alice fan ?"

So often during a Flaming Lips gig does my mind flash to Alice .... It's usually something visually or musically subtle , but when they end their magnificent bonkers shows by throwing balloons out into the audience , well , that was the clincher ...

If anyone on here doesn't have their masterpiece THE SOFT BULLETIN , get on Amazon RIGHT NOW ......

I'll expect at least a thank you





I've just googled it ( why didn't I think of that before ? ) , and found this answer


To Wayne Coyne of Flaming Lips



So what was the first show that you ever went to?

The first rock show I ever went to was Alice Cooper.


Alice Cooper! Kinda of appropo, considering his theatricality.


But I have to say it wasn't very good. I was expecting the Alice Cooper that made the Killer record and the Love It To Death record. But he was beginning to do his Welcome to My Nightmare tour where he no longer had the group.

It was kind of a big theatrical thing and I was horribly disappointed even though I was only 16 years old.

[philouze]

Good thread TB-wonder if AC credited or need to be- if you have a search around you will find the Beastie Boys sampled(correct term?) an Alice song-Its Hot Tonight I think-you will have to do a bit of searching but should find name

The song is What Comes Around, off the Paul's Boutique album. Great band. RIP Adam.

[Swinger]

Not exactly on topic since this is a song Alice reworked rather than the other way around but since the Poison/Encircled connection has already been mentioned and I'd never heard it before I thought it was fun to bring it up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoUbKREwnLo