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I Don't Like Mondays: Geldof fesses up, Fingers vindicated


skankdelvar

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Geldof Caves In: Payday for Fingers

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Johnny Fingers and Bob Gobshïte in happier days

The world reeled on Friday as the longstanding cash-driven feud between Britain's Favourite IrishmanTM Bob Geldof and formerly pyjama-clad pianist Johnny Fingers (real name John Moylett) came to an end in a welter of grudging agreement.

Fingers has long claimed that elements of the Boomtown Rats' hit record 'I Don't Like Mondays' were of his composition, unsurprising since the song is more or less an extended piano solo with occasional instrumental stabs. By contrast, the world's whiffiest pop star has resisted requests to share in the deriving financial bounty, having insisted that the excessively pessimistic ballad formed entirely within his own head. The mordant yet ultimately meaningless lyrics certainly carry the authentic Sir Bob Geldof stamp of saying nothing very much in a loud, hectoring voice.

Mr Fingers - long since accustomed to wearing normal daywear - has lived in Japan for some time and it was from the land of the rising sun that the spurned ivory tinkler launched his High Court bid to wrest sole composing credit from Mr Geldof. Eventually the matter was settled out of court and Mr Finger's name will be added to the copyright.

Some might assert that authorship of the drab, overblown ditty which did as much as anything else to drive a stake through Punk's heart is nothing to be proud of; they would miss the point. It's all about the money.
 

Edited by skankdelvar
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Harking back to a similar period, and covered in the Anthony Reynolds book Japan - A Foreign Place, somehow or another 80% of Japan were coersed into signing away writing credits to have David Sylvian as sole composer on everything.

In a roundabout way, this is telling us why Rob Dean relocated to Costa Rica and does birdwatching tours and Mick Karn, who died riddled with cancer while trying to crowdfund money for treatment, was pretty much penniless at the time of his death. 

Meanwhile, Mr Batt continues to reap the 100% rewards from his pre-solo career.

 

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3 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

Harking back to a similar period, and covered in the Anthony Reynolds book Japan - A Foreign Place, somehow or another 80% of Japan were coersed into signing away writing credits to have David Sylvian as sole composer on everything.

In a roundabout way, this is telling us why Rob Dean relocated to Costa Rica and does birdwatching tours and Mick Karn, who died riddled with cancer while trying to crowdfund money for treatment, was pretty much penniless at the time of his death. 

Meanwhile, Mr Batt continues to reap the 100% rewards from his pre-solo career.

 

Outrageous isn't it? Japan's music would have been, I hesitate to say 'nothing' but you know what I mean, without Karn's extraordinary and imaginative bass work. Imagine 'Visions Of China' with just ploddy root notes. Exactly.

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15 minutes ago, spongebob said:

Talking of credit (or lack of it!), been reading this week about Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake, and the whole Ozzy and Sharon thing. Apparently Lee lost everything in the court case. 

Neither Ozzy or Sharon come out of it very well..... 

Because they'd re-recorded the drum and bass. stinky poos trick if there ever was one. Ozzy was never more than the people behind him. Whether it's Geezer Butlers lyrics or Randy Rhodes relaunching his career. If it wasn't for them, he'd just be sitting in a Wetherspoons.

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Royalties is a mine field because the songwriting credits are based on the lyrics and the melody line so you get situations where a guitar lick makes a song like  the Police's Every breath You Take but Andy Summers gets no royalty at all and to make matters worse when Puff Daddy sampled the riff Sting got all the royalties.

Andy Summers has every right to be p*ssed off I reckon

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I wanted songwriting credits on a song we recorded years ago because my bass riff was the most recognisable riff in the song.

Guitard said that you can't copyright a bassline, a bassline does not make a song

 

I replied with Pink Floyd's Money. Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side,  Sir Paul's Silly Love Songs...........

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4 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

Royalties is a mine field because the songwriting credits are based on the lyrics and the melody line so you get situations where a guitar lick makes a song like  the Police's Every breath You Take but Andy Summers gets no royalty at all and to make matters worse when Puff Daddy sampled the riff Sting got all the royalties.

Andy Summers has every right to be p*ssed off I reckon

U2's system of simply splitting it four ways has a lot to be said for it.

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