Similar sounding songs

[Petrafan4life79]

I can't find the post that I want, so I'm gonna start a new one.

Someone on here had a friend that was upset or something cause they thought Petra was copying Kiss on a song...I don't remember exactly..See why I want that post? LOL!

Anyway, while looking at something on the internet, I came across a song word for word by 2 different singers...male and female. Basically she took the song, but probably with permission. What I wanted to say is, even if Petra did have a song sounding like one of Kiss', if they have permission to do so it should be ok!? Or did they not have permission?

[Shell]

I remember the post you're thinking of, but I couldn't find it either.

You may be thinking about "God Gave Rock And Roll To You" which was done originally by Argent (I'm not gonna admit I remember them either, LOL) and by Kiss later. Basically, a band/artist can record any song they want as long as they get permission from whoever has the rights to it. Petra had to get permission to use that song. There are cover songs all over the place; it can hard to tell who did the song originally.

As for songs sounding similar, a lot of songs do; it would be hard to prove someone is deliberately stealing someone's song just because it sounds similar.

Next question: Which cover song is the most overdone? Hope I don't start any controversy here.

[Jonathan]

"Yesterday" by the Beatles irritates me personally, so any cover of that makes me pull my (and other people's) hair out. And I've heard bunch of them.

[separateunion]

Quite a few people have covered Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide." The Dixie Chicks, who have done the latest cover, absolutely botched the song.

Also, Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" seems somewhat popular. Jimi Hendrix has the best version of that song that I've heard thus far.

[ErioL]

The song I believe he is reffering to is actually Seen and Not Heard by Petra (of course) and Heavens on Fire by Kiss. Kiss actually filed a lawsuit against Petra because the choruses have the exact same riffs (with exception of timing, HoF is a bit slower I believe), but the judge excused Petra because they did not listen to Kiss and had no way of knowing. At least I believe thats how it went. Also interesting to note, if you listen closely on Last Daze, at the very end when it starts to fade out, Bob starts playing Purple Haze. I guess to go along with Last Daze

[Michael]

I don't remember hearing anything about any lawsuit... and I was definitely a Petra fan at the time.

[ErioL]

I'm just repeating what somebody, don't remember who, said a long time ago on the the old petra zone.

[monster machine]

I had also heard that because of this lawsuit, KISS covered God Gave Rock and Roll... even though it was an Argent song, Petra covered it and Kiss recorded it as sort of a slap in the face, given that Petra "ripped off" one of their riffs.

I always thought that given the number of bands and songs out there in this world, and given there are only so many notes and combinations or notes, eventually 2 people are gonna write the same melody or riff.

Monster Machine

[Michael]

Guys, I really think Petra is under KISS's radar. These days things would be different because CCM is much more mainstream, but in the 80's and most of the 90's, the mainstream marketplace didn't give a rip about any Christian artist but Amy Grant. And if KISS wanted to slap Petra in the face, don't you think they would have (1) chosen a song actually WRITTEN by Bob Hartman, and (2) done something REALLY naughty with it? I mean, aren't these the guys who wrote the song about groupies making plaster casts of their you-know-whats for use later?

This all looks like rumor and urban legend to me. If Petra had been sued by KISS for something on one of their top-selling CDs of all, it would have been all over CCM Magazine like the Jonathan David Brown thing was.

[Shell]

I wonder how this stuff gets started. Oh well. I think every band has its share of urban legends to contend with.

[ErioL]

Well according to the legend, the lawsuit never went anywhere and was turned down very fast because it was obviously not going anywhere. Of course I don't know if there ever WAS a lawsuit, just saying what I've heard.