Most Un-Original Broadway Song- Page 2

[CastAlbumFan]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 10:44pm

Please! I can think of two or three Stephen Schwartz songs "Defying Gravity" sounds like. ("Up to His Old Tricks" and "West End Avenue" come immediately to mind.) Also, "On the Right Track" from PIPPIN sounds a lot like "Turn Back, O Man" from GODSPELL.


Jule Styne once pointed out that "Why God, Why" from MISS SAIGON stole some of its melody from "There's a Small Hotel" from ON YOUR TOES.

[msutton]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 11:58pm

Guys, what you are referring to with Wicked and ALW is "STYLE". They have unique, easily recognizable styles. Just like Sondheim. That doesn't make any of the three any less 'original'. All three are brilliant, they work in different ways and create vastly different types of projects, but each excell at what they do. If you elitists are going to bash ALW and Schwartz (or, at least, Wicked) then be fair and throw Sondheim in too. FOR THE RECORD, I don't think there is anything wrong with any of these composers. I love sondheim. I'm not saying he's un-original. I'm saying that what you all call 'un-original' in the cases of wicked and phantom are merely the styles of their composers coming through, just like is the case in every sondheim show, except even more strongly.

[LaeloftheLakes]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 1:06am

As much as I love the song, I believe "Bring Him Home" was "borrowed" from some Puccini melody.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 1:14am

There's a part in 'Into the Woods' in the opening of act two (the "Never been happier" section) that sounds exactly like the quartet in 'Sweeney Todd'. Well, the piano part at least.

[phantom_tenor]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 1:36am

"Make 'em Laugh" from "Singin' in the Rain" is stolen almost note for note from one of cole porter's lesser known songs "Be a Clown"

And, as much as i love ALW's music, the tune of Angel of Music from Phantom sounds exactly like an orchestral underscore from Turandot by Puccini.

But i think it's generally acknowledged that portions of the scores of Phantom and Les Mis are watered-down Puccini.

And for whoever said that All i Ask and Music of the night sound the same, although the chord progression is very similar, and they're in the same key, the melodies are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.


And Kismet deserves a mention too, having had almost the entire score taken from Russian Composer Alexander Borodin's music, and admittedly so. Still one of the best musicals ever produced though.

[LaeloftheLakes]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 1:42am

Hey, I was watching DeLovely today, and "Be a Clown" reminded me so strongly of "Make 'em Laugh"...totally should have mentioned that...

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 2:09am

If you want to boil it all down...no one's REALLY original. It's all been done before for the most part. Composers are influenced by other composers. Leonard bernstein said that every great composer steals from every other great composer. Now that being said...Webber just recently got sued by the Puccini estate because of his outright theft. And ya know what? The Puccini Estate won. Now THAT is un-original.

[Falsettoland]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 3:10am

I thought they blatantly admitted that "Make 'Em Laugh" was a rewrite of "Be A Clown"?

Posted: 3/7/05 at 10:39am

They wanted a song like "Be a Clown" and asked the composers to write a song "Just like that." Success.

Nad, hey, hate Wicked all you want, but it's score is not derivative or a copy o anything I can think of. I think we could start a thread called "You know your Wicked hatred is dominating your life when..."

And hey, BONUS Wicked Hating Points to whoever "proves" Wicked is un-original by comparing two songs fromn OTHER Scwartz musicals.

[Sant]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 10:57am

"Fortune favors the Brave" (AIDA) borrows a lot of its verse from Elton John's own hit song "I'm Still Standing".

[Jon]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 2:29pm

There a section of "You Gotta Die Sometime" from FALSETTOS thatt's identical to a piece in CHESS. I don't know the Chess lyrics (I think the song is called "How Many People?"), but the Falsettos line is:

"That's it - that's the ballgame".

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 3:35pm

cathywellerstein is correct. Other than the first six notes, there is nothing else in common between No One is Alone and The Candy Man. Before anyone uses the term "note for note", they should try checking each and every note from start to finish. For example, what part of No One is Alone sounds EXACTLY like this phrase "note for note":

"The Candy Man can
'Cause he mixes it with love
And make the world taste good"

The answer: Absolutely nothing

Jon - The song you're thinking of is Florence Quits (aka How Many Women OBC). The original matching lyrics are:

"How can such a flower..." and "Wind up as a nursemaid..."

JoeKv99 - I've always been equally baffled by those who describe Wicked as sounding like everything else by Schwartz, yet they NEVER provide any examples to back up this claim. Which score are they talking about? Pippin? The Baker's Wife? Godspell? The Magic Show? I don't think it sounds like any of those.

[chess12]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 3:47pm

Although it's been a long time, I remember listening to Puccini's LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST (THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST) and thinking of one particular passage "That sounds exactly like something in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA."

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 4:20pm

CastAlbumFan - Defying Gravity sound like West End Avenue and Up to His Old Tricks? How so? What parts? I don't hear the similarities at all.

[Loge]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 4:53pm

"Bring Him Home" sounds a lot like "The Humming Chorus" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

Chess12, you are right. There is a note for note passage from "The Music of the Night" lifted from Puccini's The Girl of the Golden West. Due to Lloyd Webber's lifting of material from Puccini's works for The Phantom of the Opera, every time POTO makes a buck part of it goes to the Puccini estate. They sued ALW after POTO opened in London.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 7:30pm

It isn't stollen...it's using another song to convey a message.

Les Mis has a lot of that. It's so complex they use other music from other shows to better get the message across...

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 8:24pm

All Andrew Llyod Webber Scores

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 8:50pm

"All Andrew Llyod Webber Scores "

ALL? Really? Every song from Jesus Christ Superstar or Evita is unoriginal? That's truly amazing! I would love to know where each and every melody came from originally. Please tell us.

[cotter]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 8:59pm

HELLO!!! have we heard of Music Man Goodnight My Someone is the exact same notes and rhythmas 76 trombones the only difference is that 76 trombones is in cut time while goodnight remains ina slow four.

[Justice]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 9:05pm

Anything written by Andrew Lloyd Webber

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 9:21pm

LOL

Thanks for elaborating, Justice.

*sigh*

cotter - Goodnight My Someone is supposed to sound like 76 Trombones. That was Wilson's intent and why they work so well together in the reprise duet near the end of Act 2. They are two variations of one song split between the two main characters. Wilson's score is genius.

And Lloyd Webber has written original material.

[Jon]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 9:28pm

cotter - DUHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Gee - you think that's why in Act 2, the two songs are sung together?


You people are effin' brilliant. I suppose next you're going to reveal that "It Sucks to Be Me" and "For Now" have similar melodies!


Mater of self-plagiarism: Jerry Herman

"Because we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute..."

equals

"Oh yes it takes a woman
a dainty woman..."

[babygiraffeboots]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 9:33pm

do "No One is Alone" and "Not While I'm Around" sound similar or am I tone deaf? It would make sense especialyl since they were for similar moments in both shows.

[Jon]

Posted: 3/7/05 at 9:39pm

I've always said "no one is alone" is "not while I'm around" played sideways.

[Justice]

Posted: 3/8/05 at 2:20pm

There's Me from Starlight Distress and Think of Me from POTO are similiar.

"I've come home at last" from Sunset Bullsh*tvard is similiar to "Why can't the Past Just Die" from POTO

The whole score of Aspects of Love is heard within the first three songs.

Just a few examples...