MR. Laptop Punk - Can you Please read the verdict in the Case of RHCP vs. Tom Petty

Interesting track showed up on the MTown message boards this weekend.  Laptop punk has solved the recent controversy regarding the Red Hot Chili Pepper's latest single 'Dani California' ripping off Tom Petty's 'Mary Jane's Last Dance'.  Laptop has this to say about the track:

"According to Digital Spy, rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers have been accused of plagiarism by a radio station in the US.
Station WGMD based in Delaware has produced compelling evidence that the band’s new single “Dani California” is a rip-off of the Tom Petty track “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”

OK,The tempo is about 10bpm different between the two, the key is also *slightly* different but other than that it's the same. This mix was made in about 3 hours and involved making an acapella of the Petty track and taking the bass/drums/guitar parts from the first verse of 'dani california' and a snippet of the guitar which sounded very similar to the harmonica part on Petty's original. A few problems with the timing of the two and syncing them but its pretty much there. This remixed version is much smoother than the first mix I did of it! Enjoy"

Well you be the judge.  Take a listen to 'Last Dance with Dani" and I bet you wouldn't think this was a Mashup.  RHCP - guilty as charged!

Laptop Punk AKA Mashlock Holmes – Last Dance with Dani

The new version with an extra helping of Chili vocals mixed in HERE .  Mr. Laptop had this to say: "added some chili vocals in there. I'm even more convinced that it's a direct lift now. Wasn't too sure before but have a listen to the first verse!"  Props to Mr. Laptop once again - this is a great Mashup.

Laptop Punk AKA Mashlock Holmes – Last Dance with Dani (Remixed with Chili vocals J

Comments

[rob]

I listned and didn't keep it becuase it doesn't sound like a mashup! Good, but no mashup quality to it! I agree. Guilty!

[jd]

It's about time someone called the Peppers on this. I remember my girlfriend and I were pointing out the similarity six weeks ago.

I understand what the artist was trying to achieve with this mix. But I'm hoping someone else comes along and has a bit more fun with the two tracks. You could easily do a call-and-response with the chorus of Dani and Tom's "weee-ooooh, woo-woo" cat-call...

[Anon]

Its hard to not see the similiarities , but do you guys think RHCP intentionally ripped off the song? I think the Chilli Peppers are big enough to not need to use someone else's beat without asking for permission.

[aw]

No of course we don't think they intentionally ripped off the song. We're just busting balls.

[EchoMike]

I'm kind of like everyone else, I guess. I've been looking for a great mashup of these two tracks, but now that I've heard it...they're both so identical that there's nothing to it. I guess if there were vocals from both tunes, it might feel more like an actual mashup, but I don't know.

RHCP HAD to hear the similarities when they were putting "DC" together, or someone would've pointed it out to them before it was released. Tom Petty has a valid case, but really he should just ask them to admit the similarities. Lawsuits are overdone.

[mashlock holmes]

Hey in response to the comments above I really tried to keep the feel of the original petty track as it's one of my favourites. A few people have asked for more chili vocal and I'm working on a chili'd up version now. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks all @ mashuptown for putting this out. Might have to change my name now!

[Fries with Gravy]

It's a tough one. Like they say, there are no new creative ideas (just reiterations of great ones from the past) and music, for the most part, is very formulaic.

I'd argue you could take just about any new rock artist single and mash it up over something from the past. As a music fan, this doesn't bother me. What pisses me off is when a successful band (definted by record sales in this case)generates a formula for their hit singles (i.e. Nickelback).

[Tucker Gilmore]

i really don't think they saw the similarities while recording.

1. Chad Smith, along with 2 of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers (Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell) are essentially in another band together on the new Dixie Chicks record, recorded at the same time as SA.

2. Rick Rubin produced BOTH TRACKS. Last Dance WIth Mary Jane was recorded and produced during the album sessions for Tom Petty's album "Wallflowers". I can't believe no one has mentioned this yet.

these people all know each other. the only way the issue didn't come up is that it never occurred to any of them.

[tim]

Whenever I heard the opening drums to Dani come on the radio, I was always expecting, and eventually started to sing, "She grew up in an Indiana town..." and everyone was like "what the hell are you talking about?" - but now, hahaha! I am right! I've been looking for this mashup everywhere, good work.

But in the case of them "Ripping off" Petty....like that dude said up there, in rock and roll nowadays theres nothing new out...Hell, I bet that even "Mary Jane" was probably a ripoff from some old Robert Johnson track or something.

Even the stones' classics are taken from Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, other old-school blues recordings.

Nothings new anymore, and heck yes, HECK YES to that guy who referenced Nickelback for having a formula to their hit singles. Some of that has to be the most god-awful stuff I've ever heard...especially that one song about putting his car into fifth and having some chick squeeze on him....That's probably the lamest lyric i've ever heard.

[patrick]

I caught that the first time I heard it... Rip off, pure and simple.

[patrick]

and then there is the Indiana reference.. yep.. plagerism