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All the Truth About Jamiroquai

C

Cerio

Apr 7, 2006
191
385
Spain
#1
Have you ever heard someone saying that Jamiroquai is no more than a ordinary copy of so many tunes from the 70s?

Here's the response to this dilemma:

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I've included two complete Jamiroquai's tunes (and excerpts) and two other tunes in which the first ones are "inspired". Just listen and judge yourself...

Notes: Idris Muhammad's "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" appears on his 1977 album "Turn This Mutha Out", not edited on CD, but availiable on many compilations; Johnny Hammond's "Los Conquistadores Chocolate" appears on his 1975 album "Gears"; There's no reference on this on Jamiroquai's albums: Jay Kay claims to be the author...
:hiding:
 
#3
Cerio said:
Jay Kay claims to be the author...
:hiding:
Click to expand...

I think you are making a mistake about what "writing a tune" actually is...:hmm:

So - you cannot copyright bass riffs or chord sequences - this is the basis of a a lot of Jazz, where musicians took existing chord sequences like "I Got Rhythm" or patterns and wrote their own melody over the top.

Copyrighting a tune is the melody and lyrics - only! So if Jay Kay writes lyrics and melody over a copied bass line /chord sequence, then he is correct to claim authorship of the tune - that's how it works!
 
#4
Cerio said:
Johnny Hammond's "Los Conquistadores Chocolate" appears on his 1975 album "Gears"
Click to expand...

I have this track on a CD called "Definitive Jazz Funk Mastercuts Volume 1" and it sounds nothing like Jamiroquai - there is no vocal melody at all and the bass line/chord sequence sounds very similar to hundreds of others that I heard in the 70s! (Nice feel and playing though)

And as I said - you can't copyright a chord sequence !
 
#5
Bruce Lindfield said:
I think you are making a mistake about what "writing a tune" actually is...:hmm:

So - you cannot copyright bass riffs or chord sequences - this is the basis of a a lot of Jazz, where musicians took existing chord sequences like "I Got Rhythm" or patterns and wrote their own melody over the top.
Click to expand...

Having worked a lot as a music transcriber (and as a jazz musician btw) I must say that you're absolutely right...from a legal viewpoint.
As a musician, however, I'll hardly claim the song's authorship in one case like this. It just a matter of ethics, IMHO :)
 
#7
Yes... these are so very close.

I don't think that there is the 'freedom' of jazz in this kind of music, so to me, the influences are worn a bit too heavily on the sleeve for a claim of originality.

The feel is similar, just at a slightly different tempo.
 
#8
I don't think Jamiroquai have ever claimed to be original and what's new in music - there are only so many chords...:eyebrow:?

They just make funky, good-time music with catchy choruses - their first hit was clearly influenced by Stevie Wonder and they have never denied it.

What was unique about Jamiroquai was actually playing this stuff live when most people at the time were just sampling those records! :hmm:
 

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