No Cover Versions!

[Boris the Bull]

Saying that cover songs are NOT creative, is like saying that your version of spaghetti sauce is not "yours."

A song is simply an individual expression of creativity. When someone comes along and executes a cover in their own, unique style, putting innovation and their own signature creative twists into it, it becomes something new and fresh. A whole new creative solution to a "question" already posed.

I learned to play Beatles, Sabbath, and Floyd songs at an early age. I played them to death. Over and over. But it wasn't until one day that I realized, "Hey, I can play Got To Get You Into My Life a completely different way!"

I use the example of the song With a Little Help From My Friends by Joe Cocker. Hopefully you'll see what I mean by that.

In regard to the licensing issue, it's a no-brainer. Do the cover songs at a party or for your own personal collection, but don't try to "sell" them commercially. I wouldn't want someone covering one of my crappy songs and making it better that I did - then making a bundle off of it! Yikes!

Anyhow, thanks for the topic. Best wishes to all!

Boris

[Guest]

Fingers...

You should probably have a word with DAGREEKHITMAN about his 'The Doves Fly Tonight' track. Check it out, I think you will hear what I mean.

Sorry for teeling tales but I would hate for one track to get the whole thing shut down (if that's possible).

[rcandrews]

hey richie,
what if say i wanted to do a take on say a song that is under the royalty free catagory or i have permission to use?

just curious. does anybody know a solid resource for searching out royalty free music?

i know a lot of gospel songs are and christmas songs are but it would be great to know for sure.

im hoping to post a christmas song this season.

hey rich theres an idea.
macIDOL christmas album

[ifingers]

hey richie,
what if say i wanted to do a take on say a song that is under the royalty free catagory or i have permission to use?

just curious. does anybody know a solid resource for searching out royalty free music?

i know a lot of gospel songs are and christmas songs are but it would be great to know for sure.

im hoping to post a christmas song this season.

hey rich theres an idea.
macIDOL christmas album

There are a lot of songs in the public domain - House of the rising sun - being a great example. (Thanks to Mary Plummer's <a href="http://www.macidol.com/review.php?id=9">GarageBand book</a> for that tip)

Strangely enough I have been looking into this myself - I haven't found a great site yet - but i am still looking...

Christmas in June... is that a Southern thing too? LOL

Yeah sounds like a good idea the MacIDOL Christmas meltdown... My daughter Jasmine would love to add her vocal talents I am sure....

[rcandrews]

hey richie,
it is in july LOL

but seriously i was thinking if you started the process now it could be in all the record stores by christmas

[kilroydegeek]

Christmas in June... is that a Southern thing too? LOL

Yeh, it's called Oz Mass. Popular with homesick ex-pat pommies who find Christmas in summer a bit hard on the adjustment organ.

But seriously, most Christmas releases are planned in January in the mainstream recording industry. You gotta get in early.

[rcandrews]

hey kilroy, couldn't agree more if we were actually gonna and try to compete with all the other commercial releases.

i didn't realize macIDOL had mass marketing. silly me

but i would think as far as putting a collection of tunes from macIDOL out on the site would be a start. just thought it would be cool to do a christmas in july thing, no prizes. just solid submissions of xmas songs.

macIDOL's xmas cd (OSXmas 2004) hehe

if nothing else we submitted it to Finer Music Corp

and or put it in the store and make it a download, how exspensive is that?

but you are 100% correct in the start date.

[kilroydegeek]

Bags I Rolf Harris' "6 White Boomers" (Oh rats, it'd be a royaltied cover, bugger.)

[kilroydegeek]

Please see "Covers Cop" topic in this forum.

[maybeso]

name me a few MAINSTREAM covers that are as good as the original. Ones that I'm likely to have heard of, because apart from the infamous U2 one, the only ones I know are the ones mimed by the boy bands and that is where my opinion has been formed from.

How about "Along the Watchtower"? Jimi covered this Dylan (Bob, not Thomas!) tune and it still stands as a great work. I believe Hendrix is not a "boy band". I could go on, but I won't.

No offense intended - just answering a question.

[kilroydegeek]

The covers ban is not artistically motivated, it just comes down to this...

Rich "Fingers", our illustrious host and founder, does this site out of the goodness of his heart, and depth of his pocket. Neither Rich, nor the rest of us has the resources to fight a legal action if MacIDOL were sued for hosting an unauthorised cover, so for the sake of the wider MacIDOL community, we agreed to Rich's request to not post covers.

[rcandrews]

never was into doing cover tunes, mainly cuz i suck.

im glad its an all original site, personally. besides its mo fun. imho

[toots]

Actually, I've been listening more to the original Bob Dylan version of "All Along the Watchtower" and I have to say it totally slays the Hendrix version. Hendrix is like a God to me, I wore out the grooves in Electric Ladyland, but Dylan had some real verbal poetry that Jimi is missing in his version. Point being, it's sort of subjective. It's fun to hear new stuff for which there's no point of reference but one's own imagination. MacIdol is one of the most fun sites around for music, IMHO. That's enough for me...

[rcandrews]

Dylan had some real verbal poetry

damn near the best. imho!! "blood in my eyes" nuff said.

remind me toots to send ya somethin i wrote in honor of dylan's works.

[maybeso]

Actually, I've been listening more to the original Bob Dylan version of "All Along the Watchtower" and I have to say it totally slays the Hendrix version. Hendrix is like a God to me, I wore out the grooves in Electric Ladyland, but Dylan had some real verbal poetry that Jimi is missing in his version. Point being, it's sort of subjective.

...SNIP...

I agree all art is subjective, but my only point is that more people know jimi's version, and it changed the texture of the song. Plus, I grew up playing dylan tunes (a child of the sixties), and Dylan was demystified for me. I do a great Bob Dylan imitation. Just ask my wife!!!

Later,
maybeso