Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

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Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 9:09am

And I mean NOTE for NOTE, not in the same style.

Two that came to mind are Shaiman and Wittman. The first part of "Mama I'm A Big Girl Now" from "Stop telling me" to "give it a rest" was actually the intro to a song from "Get Over It." And it works, too, because it's supposed to be a spoof on campy pop songs.

And something that pops up in nearly every Shaiman and Wittman song is THEY ALWAYS MODULATE UP A HALF STEP MORE THAN ONCE. Weird.

"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 9:16am

Somwhere Thats Green(little shop of horrors) and Part of your World(Little Mermaid) are the same song.

I Wish... Madeline Kahn could have played the Witch in Into the Woods. She would have rocked!

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 9:35am

Seriously...I think many composers do this...sometimes by choice and sometimes by chance. I think it is very common and perhaps adds to the way a composer has a "style" with the listening audience. Even great classical masters did the same thing.

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 9:39am

Wow, you're so right about the Little Shop thing! THat's why it always sounded familiar to me.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:22am

I do love me some Andrew Lloyd Webber, but I have to say he's the king of this, though you wouldn't really know unless you're familiar with some of his more obscure stuff.

"The Heart Is Slow To Learn" from his Phantom of the Opera sequel became "Our Kind Of Love" from The Beautiful Game...the bridge from "Half a Moment" (By Jeeves) became the bridge to "As If We Never Said Goodbye" (Sunset Boulevard)...there's also some distinct motifs from Whistle Down The Wind (such as "Safe Haven") that became motifs in Woman In White.

Ahrens/Flaherty: In A Man Of No Importance, the tap break in "Art" is exactly the same music for "Havin' a Hunch" from Seussical.

Wildhorn: ...yeah.

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:29am

SOMEWHERE THAT'S GREEN and PART OF YOUR WORLD are not exactly the same song, if we're talking note for note.

I believe Cy Coleman recycled the Coney Island music from SWEET CHARITY to use as "Love Makes Such Fools" in BARNUM.

When I saw THE RED SHOES, I noticed Jule Styne recycled "I, Yes, Me. That's Who" from LOOK TO THE LILLIES in the entr'act for Act 2.

"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:44am

Josh... Get Over It is one of my favorite movies. Which song are you talking about?

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:45am

They're not note for note the same throughout, but the actual phrase Somewhere thats green and Part of your world are the same and I believe it was done intentionally.

I Wish... Madeline Kahn could have played the Witch in Into the Woods. She would have rocked!

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:46am

Its pretty common for composers to steal from themselves. If anyone is a fan of Ahrens and Flaherty teh song "Gliding" from Ragtime is almost identical to "Opposite You" found on Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley's CD.

Happy...Everything! Kaye Thompson

#10

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:59am

Stephen Schwartz

Children of Eden and Wicked

#11

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:02am

How can we forget the ultimate...

parts of "Could I Leave You" from FOLLIES and "The Last Midnight" from INTO THE WOODS

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

#12

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:03am

I can't hear Part Of Your World and Somewhere that's Green as the same, even in just those phrases. I think sort of similar but not the same.

"This ocean runs more dark and deep than you may think you know...I'll be the fear of the fire at sea." -Marie Christine

Updated On: 4/13/06 at 11:03 AM

#13

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:04am

Munk, add "Is this what you call love" to that:)

"This ocean runs more dark and deep than you may think you know...I'll be the fear of the fire at sea." -Marie Christine

#14

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:07am

This is a stupid thread, because it leads to people listing songs that souns similar but AREN'T. Somewhere That's Green and Part of Your World are not the same, and they're not even really very close. The end of the phrase in Somwhere That's Green, in terms of solfege, is "re-do-ti-do." Part of Your World is "sol-do-ti-do." This is closest part between the songs, but it's the resolution of the melody, and you'll find thousands of songs that end the same.

This also ignores how different songs feel different, even if their melodies are the same. For instance, the notes on the words "You are complete, George" from We Do Not Belong Together are exactly the same as The Ladies Who Lunch, but I would never claim that Sondheim had ripped himself off. These songs are light years apart, and Sondheim uses that little melodic motif to brilliant effect in both of them. There are other times when the feel is less different (like Our Little World and No More, on the lyrics "Our little world is perfect" and "Running away, let's do it) but the similarities are, in my opinion, irrelevant.

#15

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:10am

No one said they were bad, no one said they were good, no one said they were relevant, no one said they were irrelevant. Just pointing things out. Nothing threatening.

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

#16

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:12am

Funny thing is I have always noticed that the vamp at the begining of All That Jazz and the opening to the Manson Trio in Pippin sound very similar even though they are obviously by different men.

I got rid of my teeth at a young age because... I'm straight. Teeth are for gay people. That's why fairies come and get them

#17

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:16am

The opening vamp of ROXIE is the same as MAYBE THIS TIME.

And, at the end of THIS IS THE MOMENT on the studio CR (Anthony Warlow), while he holds the last note you can hear the opening of "At the End of the Day" from Les Mis. On Broadway, it seems, that was changed to another Les Mis musical theme.

#18

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:17am

The vamp of ROXIE is absolutely nothing like anything from CABARET, let alone "Maybe This Time"...

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

#19

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:23am

Actually, the bridge from "Half a Moment" from JEEVES was written before the bridge from "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from POTO, which was written before the bridge from "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from SUNSET BOULEVARD.

Nonetheless, they are all the same notes...or at least the same intervals.

Updated On: 4/13/06 at 11:23 AM

#20

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:27am

MUNK - I dunno why I wrote Roxie. Actually, I do. Because Anne Mandrella has been on my mind.

But I meant ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE (MAYZIE'S REPRISE) from Seussical. For about 2 seconds (on the CR).

(Though it seems the revival Maybe This Time is a little different...the opening vamp. Meh.)

Updated On: 4/13/06 at 11:27 AM

#21

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:36am

I love that cut song, A Man With a Plan, from Subways are for Sleeping that goes:
"Buy her a shoe- maybe two!
Buy her a roof, showerproof!
Buy her a floor and a door!
Buy her a rose- twelve of those!
Buy her a ring, simple thing!
Buy her a bed when we're wed!"

that became the really enthralling part of Don't Rain on My Parade:
"..I'm gonna live and live now!
Get what I want, I know how!
One roll for the whole shebang,
One throw, that bell will go clang,
Eye on the target--and wham--
One shot, one gun shot, and bam!"

[title of show] on Broadway. it's time. believe.

#22

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:52am

Another ALW - The song "English Girls" from "Song and Dance" is oh so similar to "Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts" from "Whistle Down The Wind." They have very different tones, but if you listen to both themes, you can immediately pick up on the same melodies often.

#23

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 12:06pm

Jule Styne used the same melody for a song from the TV musical, RUGGLES OF RED GAP and then again in GYPSY. A tune from Styne's FADE OUT-FADE was repeated in HALLELUJAH, BABY and Styne's RED SHOES re-used dance music from GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES. You name the selections

Updated On: 4/13/06 at 12:06 PM

#24

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 12:30pm

Its Ok to do Josh . My favorite Beethoven did it all the time. Mozart etc.

#25

re: Composers who copy melodies they had already written before

Posted: 4/13/06 at 12:48pm

"Musicals are not written, they're re-written"
-Great quote, unfortunately I don't remember who said it.

Arghh! Grammar pet peeve #1: your vs you're. "Your" is a possessive pronoun. "You're" is the contraction of "you are." <<

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