Practical MIDI

As I scoured the web for song ideas for my act, it occurred to me that we might be running out of original ideas for song titles. It also occurred to me that some contemporary songwriters have obviously taken inspiration from other songwriters’ existing titles. Case in point: What do you think of when you hear, “Stairway To Heaven?” Probably most people would say Led Zepplin from the 70s. But did you know there was another song more than ten years earlier with the same title written and sung by Neil Sedaka? Sure enough. Check it out. Despite the same title, they are as different as night and day.

With the release of Chicago’s second album in 1971 we were introduced to a lovely ballad titled, “Colour My World.” Go back four years to 1967 and you can hear Petula Clark’s “Color My World.” Again, same title, completely different songs. She also sang an up-tempo song called, “My Love” while Paul McCartney’s “My Love” was a slow ballad.

This happens more often that you might think in the song business. For instance, in 1967 The Mamas and the Papas charted with, “Words Of Love” but a decade earlier, so did Buddy Holly. Again, different songs completely. If you mention, “For Your Love,” personally I’d think of The Yardbirds’ 1965 rocker and not the 1958 Ed Townsend belly-rubber by the same title.

Mention “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You,” and most folks would think of Rod Stewart. Ricky Nelson had a song by the same title but with a different melody back in 1957. Who knew? Getting back to Chicago, their third album featured a single called, “Lowdown,” but then again so did Boz Scaggs’ album. Three different artists charted with three different songs by the same title. Duane Eddy, Elvis Presley and Bread all had hits with the title, "Guitar Man."

Just a year apart in 1973 and 1972 Aretha Franklin and Rod Stewart each recorded a tune, each with a different melody and lyrics called, “Angel.” Fifteen years separated The Dave Clark Five’s version of “Any Way You Want It” from Journey’s 1980 hit by the same name while only eight years after Nat King Cole released “Ask Me” Elvis recorded a single by the same title.

When someone mentions, “Baby Come Back” I think of the band, Player and their 1978 hit. You could just as easily think of the 1968 song by the same title recorded by The Equals. Fourteen years before Freda Payne charted with her version of, “Band Of Gold,” Don Cherry sang his completely different song with the same title. Listen to The Dave Clark Five’s “Because” and then listen to “Because” on the Abbey Road album. No comparison, except for the title.

I’m sure there are hundreds more examples, but you get the idea. Usually a song title cannot be copyrighted unless it is so unique as to apply to only the song it was written for. What that means is that you will not see another song with a different melody and lyrics using Ray Stevens’ title, “Jeremiah Peabody’s Poly-Unsaturated Quick-Dissolving Fast-Acting Pleasant-Tasting Green & Purple Pills.”

©2007 Bill Bernico for CYBERMIDI.com Downwind Publications