I've remained silent because it is very well done but I've become increasingly annoyed the more I hear it by the total and absolute rip off in style, composition and everything.

It's so copy Queen and Freddie.

And this has annoyed me about so many other "new" music stars... Scissor Sisters ripping off Bee Gees and others, echoes of photocopy in Franz F and Lily A and Sandi T and almost everyone.

Is it just me getting older (with larger areas of reference) or is it getting harder to be original or is it a symptom of A&R panic (we must break them FAST due to bottom lines)?

And could it explain collapsing music sales?

We've heard it before.

So we're happy to steal it but BUY it with hard earned cash?

Sorry, not good enough.

JK2006 wrote:
I've remained silent because it is very well done but I've become increasingly annoyed the more I hear it by the total and absolute rip off in style, composition and everything.

It's so copy Queen and Freddie.

And this has annoyed me about so many other "new" music stars... Scissor Sisters ripping off Bee Gees and others, echoes of photocopy in Franz F and Lily A and Sandi T and almost everyone.

Is it just me getting older (with larger areas of reference) or is it getting harder to be original or is it a symptom of A&R panic (we must break them FAST due to bottom lines)?

And could it explain collapsing music sales?

We've heard it before.

So we're happy to steal it but BUY it with hard earned cash?

Sorry, not good enough.
I think you're right, actually. The age issue is only that it's easier to spot the original. I had the same feeling with a lot of House, which is still deep down disco with dressing.

What surprises me is the public and/or media acceptance of this. I'm working on a project and our competition is an outfit that takes well-known songs and floats new melodies over the top. There's less to be made in authors' rights, but meanwhile they are picking up the production cheques. Hmmm. Where's that vinyl of Disco Inferno again?

Well I don't suppose anything is brand new, there has to be an evolution process after all. I do agree though that artists, labels, management etc. seem to think along the lines of genres and other artists. I guess it's always happened though, how many clones did Elvis spawn, or The Beatles etc. etc. etc.

But you hit the nail on the head Den... "How many Elvis or Beatles clones....?"

That's my point - Queen were clones of NOBODY.

Neither even, dare I say it, was Jonathan King.
Or even the smallest one hit wonders - I'm sure nobody could accuse The Piglets of being modelled on any existing project!
We were the original models.

Later on, so were Prince and Madonna and Michael Jackson...

Even Damon turning Blur into Gorillaz was original.

But the new "stars" of this century all seems to be photocopies.

I'm sure Queen had their influances and there were probably bands around at the time who sounded similar, but as they grew so they're style evolved.

From your example I would say that Prince was a rip off of Michael Jackson in the early days and Madonna wasn't exactly unique, she evolved.

But I know what you're saying, Justin Timberlake is a copy, Jojo is a copy etc. Gnarls Barkley sounds pretty original though and there must be more artists who have their own sound.

Sometimes I agree with you JK...this time I dont.

Sure Mika owes 99.9% of his career to Queen, but the album is still a great pop regard regardless. Lollipop and Big Girls are well written tunes.


The top 40 has always had strong reference points whereas those who try something different are always on the margins...personally MIA is doing something amazing at the moment and before her So Solid Crew's debut album IMHO is probabably the album i'd choose to represent 21st century Britain, sadly they didnt follow it up tho

Alex

This time I agree with JK wholeheartedly. The problem is that acts are encouraged by producers, who are in turn pushed by the record company, to pastisch a sound, famous act, hit record etc to make sure that the audience "get it". Any originality that might have been there gets sucked away in the quest to break things on a fast burn. And then it doesn't last.

Again, back to lack of development. Again I hark back to seeing Queen on their first ever headline gig...boos, jeers and off stage within half an hour.

Anyone care to suggest that a label would keep pushing an act in the current era given a gig like that?

It was being played tonight and I'm sure I caught Mika singing the words "like Freddie", so I wonder if there's an intentional tribute in there.

I visited the Mika website and he has a few good songs. The only one that really sounds like Queen is the current single.

Definetly an intentional tribute, in fact it verges on parody, I absolutely adore it, Mika has this years "Gnarls" award for me.

It goes back to the fact that, increasingly, in this instant-gratification age, the public love being fed re-hashed versions of something they've heard before. That warm familiar feeling always wins out amongst the masses over the feeling of having discovered something really original which rocks your world in a different way to which it has ever been rocked before, so to speak.

I don't understand it. "Play something we know!". It's akin to walking into the Volkswagen design department and shouting "design me a car I know!" or strutting into the editor's office at The Independent and hollering "write me some news I've read before!".

It's ignorance, and it's only going to get worse as time goes on. Music is becoming a background scree, a convenience rather than a passion. Where are the heroes of tomorrow?

In their bedrooms or playing empty venues because people are too scared to put their money behind something different that the public might not "get".

That's where.

Indeed, but Red,with all due respect, Mika has poked industry comments,made to him, back straight in their face, and made them money.(not sure about himself yet..)

Were the claimed, well broadcast critiscms of his work, clever A+R and developement or not?hmm

"Grace Kelly" track is two years in the writing and creating and has seven different publishers credited.

This excellent record is a prime example of time taken to create a timeless track and timing of release.

I can`t rate it enough, it has it`s deserved place in history.

Everybody loves songs that remind them of 'last summer'... just with this song, they're getting reminders of Summer 85 onwards

A reggae gal I worked has been playing under the name of Mika for over ten years. She's not sure whether she enjoys the interest in the name.

I told her to grab all the extra visitors to her sites that she can:

www.myspace.com/mikadubvibes and www.mika-reggae.com/

M

I think it may well be time to change the name Michael!

oh, I don't know Mart...I'd go for the full on blag. Everyone elese is at it so why not?

By the way, what sort of national costume have you bought to gyrate to the Global Yodal? I'm going for the Morris Man bit myself.

I shall stand at the back Big End with "Blatant A+R" written on my forehead, by an indelible inked marker pen!