[Dixielandjazz] Stolen changes

[alevy at alevy.com]

The most famous case I know was "Moody's Mood For Love."
King Pleasure put lyrics to James Moody's solo of 
"I'm In The Mood For Love" by Jimmy McHugh.
The judge couldn't hear chord changes and the case was thrown out.
To the best of my knowledge all of Charlie Parker's songs were
based on chords of other tunes. Ornithology = How High The Moon. etc.
I stole "Honeysuckle Rose" but reharmonized it/ changed the tune a bit
and called it "Fat Rose." My wife didn't like the name so it was renamed
Suzie Q and sold to CBS, Flat Fee. Hey! in 1958 $400.00 for a song.

original changes 
Gm7 C7 / Gm7 C7 / Gm7 C7 / etc -> F
my changes
Am7 Ab7 / Gm7 C7 / repeat 2 bars / Am7 D7b9 / Gm7 C7b9 / ......
no lyrics.
on the release I used Fat's chords but changed the melody to
descending scales in 8th notes instead of ascending in quarters.

Funny thing but that same year I "wrote" in protest to R&R the stupidest,
dumbest most idiotic piece of music. I copied Tequila but inverted the
melody. No intention of selling it. Actually Tequilla was nothing but what
we called the C7 Mambo. Used for ad lib Montunos, choruses, whatever.
Useful for weddings and the like. Good variation was GG F GG G FFF.
Meanhile an agent took my song, got a few high school kids to record it.
Bob Thiele produced, Steve Allen backed it and we made number 13 on
the charts. With 5c per air play (50 a day in just about every market in the
U.S. - for two solid months) + $25.00 PER STATION when televised +
3c for each record sold. The kids were on American Band Stand, Alan Freed,
Ed Sullivan, Steve Allen  + + + +... The song went to No.13 on the charts.

It didn't send my kids to college but it did provide a little extra coffee money.
All for 30 seconds work. No complaints. A great lesson though. I put the
sheet music (publihed by Southern Music) and the 45 in a frame and hung
it on my wall in the office as a reminder. It isn't always how good your work
is but who is out there selling it. Music is also a business.

Another irony. Morey Amsterdam lost the case as
composer of "Rum And Coca Cola" based on one diminished chord.

As a member of ASMA the American Society of Music Arrangers
I was one of the members the copyright committee. We went to Washington
and presented a case for arrangers being treated as co-composers.
Never happened. Arrangers, orchestraters to the best of my knowledge
still get a flat fee for writing. No royalties. I always got Fat Fees from ad
agengies that had clients such as Coca Cola, General Motors, Sylvania
but never residuals.

a gig is a gig is a gig is a gig
Cheers,
Al
Pianist, Composer, Arranger, Conductor, Teacher and Music Prep.
Please visit me at
http://alevy.com