From Voyageurs National Park on FB: Called “Catamaran” by locals, Bert Upton is among the strangest of historical characters on area waters. He lived in a hut built over a dug-out at Squirrel Narrows. Found frozen to death in the 1930s by Kettle Falls pioneer Oliver Knox; Upton was perched lifeless in the snow just a half-mile from his home. Shunning civilization, Upton defined the word hermit. First spotted rowing his crude log raft on Namakan, no one knows how he got there. Upton’s accent implied an English heritage but any personal inquiries brought a stony silence. Some suspected him a man fleeing the law; others saw a bizarre outcast; everyone knew he was peculiar. Just five feet tall and wildly unkempt, Catamaran wore hacked-off pants and walked barefoot with a stick. Winter demanded shoes but no socks, a cast-off Mackinaw, and a trailing cap made from the leg of old underwear. He was oddly religious, and suspicious of being poisoned. Surviving on snared rabbits and fish, he ofte...
I had assumed the "Stay With Me" guy had the rights to do this, kind of like the Coldplay song that was based on Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" a few years ago. I guess not.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that this is revelation to anybody blows my mind. I recognized the melody the first time I heard it, and I know tons of others did too.
ReplyDeleteI swear Abby listens to this song all the freakin' time and I would listen, frown, decide I hated this kid's voice, and ignore it. But I can totally see how people would be listening to the new version and start singing "Won't Back Down."
ReplyDeleteI think I did exactly that when I first heard it at a Panera or similar.
ReplyDeleteNow I've watched five Tom Petty videos on YouTube.
ReplyDeleteI am not a huge Petty fan, but I do like "You Got Lucky", and not just because it has a postapoc video.
ReplyDeleteThis kinda stuff happens all the time - whether it's a blatant rip-off or a mere coincidence. I don't think they sound that much alike - just the chorus has the same rhythm. no big deal. That picture is creepy though.
ReplyDeleteWell, another way to look at: There are like what? 4 chords for rock n' roll? And even if you use ALL the "Acceptable" and "musical" sounding music theory movements...you know chord changes and voicing...you are dealing in a very limited set. Then, pop and rock only use an even smaller set of voicing and transition.
ReplyDeleteHell, even when you don't use the same chords...your chord movements will let you put Let it be, Wagonwheel, and Party in the USA in the same key.
The yearly You-tube pop mashups can illustrate what I'm talking about. Once the DJ key-shifts all the songs, and then syncs them...they fit like legos.
The melody is identical, though.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, it's pretty much same from my pov as well.
ReplyDeletein this case he's getting a co writing credit and some royalties. but petty's got a history of not making a big deal out of this sort of thing.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.vulture.com/2015/01/tom-petty-sam-smith-plagiarism.html
That's both kind of cool and strange at the same time...
ReplyDeleteObligatory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM
ReplyDeleteHalf a Tom Petty is still 50 times better than any current popular music artists these days. (HurshTurg: gitoffmahlawn)
ReplyDeleteLet us not forget that Tom Petty is the Mayor of Bridge Town. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I3OPPO-7-_o/UHreDq6kdeI/AAAAAAAABo8/GuzdvMEQzmg/s1600/postmanB.jpg
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