Reader Kayleigh Reid wrote to let me know that Katy Perry’s California Gurls” sounds an awful lot like Kesha’s TiK ToK. A quick listen to both songs left little doubt about their similarity (especially the intro).

We’re not the first two to notice, either. Mash2Mix put together an awesome mashup of the two songs that I’m sharing here:

I also learned (via the New York Post) that both songs were produced by the same production team, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Benny Blanco. It’s hard to call reusing your own material “stealing”, but it certainly is lazy.

Thanks again to Kayleigh for suggesting this sound-alike! I’ve got quite a few other emails to work through & post, so keep ‘em coming.

Related Sound-A-Likes:

1. Royksopp’s Eple sounds like Bob James’ You’re as Right as Rain
2. Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m gonna leave you” sounds like Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″
3. Green Day’s “Warning” sounds like The Kinks’s “Picture Book”

Warren Zevon (along with LeRoy Marinell &Waddy Wachtel) had his only top 40 hit with Werewolves Of London. The theme & title were inspired by the 1935 Stanley Bergerman film “Werewolf of London”, and the music, it seems, inspired by Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama“.

Sure, it’s a common enough progression. But to be written four or so years after such a chart buster as “Sweet Home Alabama” is sorta ballsy.

Take a listen & let me know what you think.

Related Sound-A-Likes:

1. Royksopp’s Eple sounds like Bob James’ You’re as Right as Rain
2. Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m gonna leave you” sounds like Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″
3. Green Day’s “Warning” sounds like The Kinks’s “Picture Book”

I figure my first post in months should feature an ultra-rare comparison. I can’t a nibble of information comparing these two songs. In fact, I can’t even find good information about the Furys in general. It’s possible that Dexys Midnight Riders understood the value of what they had heard the Furys’ “I’m Satisfied with You”: a tune with a great hook that hardly anyone cared about.

I’ll admit, I’m skeptical that this is indeed a ripoff. Upon first listen I thought the string melody in the intro to “I’m Satisfied with You” was identical to the string sections in “Come on Eileen”.

Then I critically listened to “Come On Eileen“, and found the similarities I was expecting to be identical to be much more subtle. Oh well. I still think there’s an interesting comparison to be made by claiming that the Furys’ “I’m Satisfied with You” sounds like “Come on Eileen”.

HINT: The most tangible connection is between the strings in “I’m Satisfied with You” and the jangly piano in “Come on Eileen“. Interested to hear your thoughts. Am I way off, or is there something here?

Related Sound-A-Likes:

1. Stone Temple Pilot’s “Interstate Love Song” sounds like Jim Croce’s “I Got a Name”
2. Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m gonna leave you” sounds like Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″
3. Green Day’s “Warning” sounds like The Kinks’s “Picture Book”

Related Sound-A-Likes:

1. The Offspring’s “Why don’t you get a Job?” sounds like The Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”
2. Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m gonna leave you” sounds like Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″
3. Green Day’s “Warning” sounds like The Kinks’s “Picture Book”

The Beatles’ released “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da” partly as a tribute to reggae’s growing popularity in Britain during 1968. The Offspring released “Why don’t you get a Job?” as a ska/punk tune from their 1998 album ‘Americana’.

I see the Offspring tune “Why Don’t You Get A Job?” more as a tribute to the Beatles’ hit than as a ripoff. The song is clearly inspired by the vocal melody. It’s even in the same key CORRECTION: Lord Zall has informed me that the Beatles tune is in B-Flat, and the Offspring’s tune is in F-natural. The Offspring made such a little attempt to change the song that I see “Why don’t you get a Job?” as a humble nod to their musical superiors, The Beatles.

Since these songs are the same key and similar tempo, this sound-a-like is the perfect candidate for a Sounds Just Like first: Mashup! Listen to the second audio sample to hear The Offspring and The Beatles mashed together.

“Why don’t you get a Job?” was released as the second single from Americana, right after “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)”. I can understand the view that this was a dishonorable move by The Offspring. What do you think?

Related Sound-A-Likes:

1. Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” sounds like the Jayhawk’s “Waiting for the Sun”
2. The Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA” sounds like Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen”
3. The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony sounds like the Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time”

Here’s a sound-a-like that came in number two on Rolling Stone’s Twenty Craziest Sound-a-like Songs list: Fergalicious vs. Supersonic.

Great, so we found where the vocal melody came from. How about those strings? Well, those are also a sample taken from the Afro Rican’s “Give it All you Got”. Will.i.am is definitely good at what he does. I’m not trying to detract from the skillful arrangement and production of a pop song; only trying to point out the sources. However, I do prefer the lyrics from Mathmiticious.

Related Sound-A-Likes:

1. Royksopp’s Eple sounds like Bob James’ You’re as Right as Rain
2. The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony sounds like the Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time”
3. Will Smith’s “Switch” sounds like Fats Domino’s “I’m Walkin’”

Yes, Royksopp’s use of Bob James’ melody line is clearly a sample. I’d prefer to keep the content on Sounds Just Like focused on similar sounding songs, not obvious samples. However, this particular case is important.

Royksopp’s hit “Eple” is based entirely from a 5 second portion of jazz great Bob James’ “Your as Right as Rain”. James’ version itself is a jazzy take on the Stylistics tune by the same name. In addition to the boldness of the move by Royksopp, there is also something to admire in the beauty of their execution. I heard “Eple” first, and was instantly hooked. It’s a catchy riff. Royksopp recognized the potential of 10 notes from a mid seventies jazz number and did their best to make a techno hit. I admire it.

Bob James is no stranger to sampling. Wikipedia claims that a few of James’ tunes “are among the most sampled in hip hop history“.

So take a listen. Enjoy. Decide for yourself: is Eple a creative collage worthy of it’s own praise or a mere piggyback ride? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Related Sound-A-Likes:

1. The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony sounds like the Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time”
2. Fergie’s Fergalicious sounds like JJ Fad’s Supersonic
3. Walt Disney’s “Spoonful of Sugar” sounds like John William’s “Imperial March”

Of all the bands to leave a melodic fingerprint on Regina Spector’s memory, The Partridge Family seems as likely as any. The similarity is brief but once heard, impossible to ignore.

Listen carefully during Regina Spektor’s phrase “That statue, that statue of baby Jesus, in a window, in a window of a 99 cent store…” and compare it to The Partridge Family’s phrase “I’m sleeping, I’m right in the middle of a good dream, like all at once I wake up, from something that keeps…”

The Partridge Family: “I think I love you” (1970)
Regina Spektor: “Baby Jesus” (2007)

Related Sound-A-Likes:

1. Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” sounds like the Jayhawk’s “Waiting for the Sun”
2. The Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA” sounds like Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen”
3. The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony sounds like the Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time”

Talk about obscure! My (then) girlfriend and I were spending a lovely evening jammin’ to Fats Domino in 2007 when we noticed that “I’m Walkin’” begins with an infectious kick drum fill.

Perhaps Will Smith’s producer (is it still Jazzy Jeff?!) thought so too. Naturally, the modern version has a lot more low-end – but it’s also surprisingly slower.

Also surprising, “I’m Walkin’” made it to Number 4 on the US Charts, while “Switch” only reached number 7. You just don’t mess with Fats Domino.

Related Sound-A-Likes:

1. The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony sounds like the Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time”
2. Fergie’s Fergalicious sounds like JJ Fad’s Supersonic
3. Royksopp’s Eple sounds like Bob James’ You’re as Right as Rain

Although the Jayhawks never brought plagiarism charges against Tom Petty for this soundalike, the similarities are unmistakable. Oh, and I should add the Jayhawks opened for Tom Petty during 1992, and Petty heard “Waiting for the Sun” every night.

Jayhawk’s “Waiting for the Sun” (1992)
versus
Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance (1993)

Related Sound-A-Likes:

1. The Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA” sounds like Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen”
2. The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony sounds like the Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time”
3. Green Day’s “Warning” sounds like The Kinks’s “Picture Book”