Eric Carmen, RIP

[GA Russell]

Eric Carmen has died at 74.  RIP.

Eric Carmen, 'All By Myself' singer and frontman of the Raspberries, dies at 74 (msn.com)

[soulpope]

R.I.P   ....

[Hardbopjazz]

All by myself. RIP.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

RIP Eric. I read a few years ago that he had contracted "long covid" and that he wasn't doing well.

[T.D.]

R.I.P. Among classical music fans, All by Myself is famous for repurposing a Rachmaninoff melody.

[Teasing the Korean]

33 minutes ago, T.D. said:

R.I.P. Among classical music fans, All by Myself is famous for repurposing a Rachmaninoff melody.

And his other hit ripped off another Rachmaninoff piece.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

In 1975, when Carmen's debut LP was recorded, Rachmaninoff's works were in the public domain, so "ripped off" is the wrong word. In fact, his use of those melodies is exactly how public domain is supposed to work.

[Teasing the Korean]

5 minutes ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

In 1975, when Carmen's debut LP was recorded, Rachmaninoff's works were in the public domain, so "ripped off" is the wrong word. In fact, his use of those melodies is exactly how public domain is supposed to work.

Ripping off, or "repurposing," the same composer twice for your two biggest hits causes me to raise an eyebrow in a Spock-like fashion.  YMMV.

[Tom 1960]

Could have done without the sappy solo stuff. Loved when he fronted The Raspberries. R.I.P.

[Teasing the Korean]

Just now, Tom 1960 said:

Could have done without the sappy solo stuff. Loved when he fronted The Raspberries. R.I.P.

I played the 45 of "Go All the Way" non-stop when it was a hit. 

[T.D.]

30 minutes ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

In 1975, when Carmen's debut LP was recorded, Rachmaninoff's works were in the public domain, so "ripped off" is the wrong word. In fact, his use of those melodies is exactly how public domain is supposed to work.

According to Wikipedia, the works were not PD outside the USA and he paid royalties to the Rachmaninoff estate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_by_Myself

According to Carmen, he first wrote the solo part of the song, writing four bars at a time, eventually completed the interlude after two months.^[7] He needed to put this into a song, and after listening to Rachmaninoff's 2nd piano concerto, a piece famously used to underscore the 1945 British film Brief Encounter, he adapted the melody of its second movement to write the verse.^[7] Rachmaninoff's music was in the public domain in the United States at that time, so Carmen thought no copyright existed on it, but it was still protected outside the U.S. subsequent to the release of the album. He was later contacted by the Rachmaninoff estate and informed that it was protected.^[8] An agreement was reached in which the estate would receive 12 percent of the royalties from "All by Myself" as well as from "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", which was based on the third movement from Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2.^[9][10]

Edited March 12, 2024 by T.D.

[Milestones]

I'm sure that the number of songs clearly "borrowing" melodies from Classical music (in or out of public domain) is well into the hundreds.  Maybe the number has broken 1,000 by now.

 

 

[T.D.]

Of course it's common. But it always seems funny when the "borrowers" make loads of dosh.

Andrew Lloyd Webber (most notably Puccini) comes to mind.

[Teasing the Korean]

30 minutes ago, Milestones said:

I'm sure that the number of songs clearly "borrowing" melodies from Classical music (in or out of public domain) is well into the hundreds.  Maybe the number has broken 1,000 by now.

I'm sure you recognize this lovely melody "A Stranger in Paradise."  But did you know that the original theme is from the Polovtsian Dance #2 by Borodin?

 

[Ken Dryden]

29 minutes ago, Teasing the Korean said:

I'm sure you recognize this lovely melody "A Stranger in Paradise."  But did you know that the original theme is from the Polovtsian Dance #2 by Borodin?

 

I was thinking about this commercial when I saw this thread, even before opening it! That gives away my age bracket!

[Teasing the Korean]

7 minutes ago, Ken Dryden said:

I was thinking about this commercial when I saw this thread, even before opening it! That gives away my age bracket!

Now if only I could find the 70s Louis Prima ad for the Greatest Italian Hits collection!

[Teasing the Korean]

55 minutes ago, Ken Dryden said:

I was thinking about this commercial when I saw this thread, even before opening it! That gives away my age bracket!

Also, I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I've seen this collection over the years at thrift stores, flea markets, and yard sales.  It was obviously a big seller!

[Kevin Bresnahan]

6 hours ago, T.D. said:

According to Wikipedia, the works were not PD outside the USA and he paid royalties to the Rachmaninoff estate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_by_Myself

According to Carmen, he first wrote the solo part of the song, writing four bars at a time, eventually completed the interlude after two months.^[7] He needed to put this into a song, and after listening to Rachmaninoff's 2nd piano concerto, a piece famously used to underscore the 1945 British film Brief Encounter, he adapted the melody of its second movement to write the verse.^[7] Rachmaninoff's music was in the public domain in the United States at that time, so Carmen thought no copyright existed on it, but it was still protected outside the U.S. subsequent to the release of the album. He was later contacted by the Rachmaninoff estate and informed that it was protected.^[8] An agreement was reached in which the estate would receive 12 percent of the royalties from "All by Myself" as well as from "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", which was based on the third movement from Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2.^[9][10]

I find it rather bizarre that due to Mickey Mouse, the US has flipped a 180 on public domain from the rest of the world. In 1975, they were the Andorra of the copyright world.