Viva La Vida - A Copy of a Copy?

April 24, 2009 2:28 PM

Did "Auto-Tune the News" guy accidentally write Coldplay's Viva La Vida?Michael Gregory, aka Auto-Tune the News guy (previously) talks about how his shower singing was turned into something eerily similar to Viva La Vida.

The Creaky Boards claim their song was plagiarized by Coldplay; Michael claims to have been plagiarized by the Creaky Boards.

posted by spaceboy86 (46 comments total)

This is our generation's Iran Contra.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 2:32 PM on April 24 [15 favorites]

It's all rather terrible, though.
posted by Burhanistan at 2:35 PM on April 24

But in other news...James Brown's Night Train!
posted by humannaire at 2:40 PM on April 24 [3 favorites]

Huh? That video is seriously confusing. The songs don't even seem all that similar.

Also, these people don't seem to understand how copyright works. Copyright is automatic as soon as it's written down or recorded. You don't have to actually do anything. Of course, if you actually wanted to sue someone, you would have to be able to prove when it was recorded.
posted by delmoi at 2:41 PM on April 24

what
posted by tristeza at 2:42 PM on April 24

I thought Viva La Vida was a copy of Joe Satriani which was a copy of Enanitos Verdes which was a copy of Cat Stevens.

Can we just agree that Viva La Vida is a copy of 437,873,102,826 songs that preceded it, each a copy of the one that was before it, with the chain ending with something Cro-Magnon hummed before he was eaten by a Tyrannosaurus.
posted by ALongDecember at 2:43 PM on April 24 [8 favorites]

What I threw away as a genre misfit became their smash hit, and I forgot to copyright it
...
Andrew: Is it copywritten yet?
Me: No

How does someone who apparently aspires (and actively attempts?) to make a living through music and video have no fucking idea whatsoever what copyright is and how it works?
posted by dersins at 2:43 PM on April 24

The lyrics in the shower singing link are fucking hilarious. Seems pretty clear this is a parody/injoke, and it's pretty funny.
posted by peep at 2:44 PM on April 24 [3 favorites]

Look - it's me making them laugh by suggesting they play Gaza. The Arabic on my tshirt being the impetus for the stupid exchange.
posted by gman at 2:45 PM on April 24

Can't help but post this link to a chapter of the recent NFB documentary "Rip: A Remix Manifesto." The chapter is only 7 min. long but the best part starts around 4:00.
posted by pantsonsteven at 2:45 PM on April 24

Seriously guys, did you watch all the videos in their entirety and read all the subtitles? How could you come away not knowing it was a joke?
posted by peep at 2:46 PM on April 24 [4 favorites]

So wait, he downloaded the logos from other sites...then he claimed they copied the logos from him after he sold the logos to unsuspecting clients?
posted by Xoebe at 2:46 PM on April 24 [4 favorites]

Er, okay. if you watch the last link first it makes a bit more sense. But still, I'm pretty sure it's a joke...
posted by delmoi at 2:46 PM on April 24

Can we just agree that Viva La Vida is a copy of 437,873,102,826 songs that preceded it, each a copy of the one that was before it, with the chain ending with something Cro-Magnon hummed before he was eaten by a Tyrannosaurus.

No. The Neanderthals had long since wiped out the Tyrannosaurus before Cro Magnon appeared on the scene.
posted by Devils Rancher at 2:47 PM on April 24 [2 favorites]

Thanks for the correction, maybe it was a Diplodocus then.
posted by ALongDecember at 2:49 PM on April 24

Also. If I had a song stolen by Coldplay, I doubt I'd cop to it, for fear of everyone realizing how much I sucked, too.
posted by Devils Rancher at 2:49 PM on April 24 [1 favorite]

Dude's shower singing voice is better than 99% of the crap I hear on the radio, and his own auto-tuned sound.
posted by WolfDaddy at 2:49 PM on April 24

Humour so dry that it loses funniness.
posted by GuyZero at 2:53 PM on April 24

Thanks for the correction, maybe it was a Diplodocus then.

Again with the fallacy. They were herbivorous, docile and easy to hunt. I suggest the reverse scenario. Your timeless hummer most likely had Diplodocus for dinner, whilest humming the latest Coldplay number.
posted by Devils Rancher at 2:54 PM on April 24 [1 favorite]

But auto-tune the news was hilarious. Holy crap that's some good stuff there.
posted by GuyZero at 2:57 PM on April 24

Humour so dry that it loses funniness.

I dunno. I've had to recalibrate my dry-humor meter ever since Adult Swim started showing Look Around You.
posted by blenderfish at 3:03 PM on April 24 [3 favorites]

Auto Tune the News is the best thing ever. I don't care if this is a joke or not a joke. The dude can go on to do nothing funny or musical for the rest of his life. He's already achieved super awesomeness in my books.

That is all.
posted by chunking express at 3:20 PM on April 24 [3 favorites]

But yeah, this has got to be a joke. Also, this line is awesome: She wanted to ride the bone roller coaster.
posted by chunking express at 3:28 PM on April 24

this line is awesome: She wanted to ride the bone roller coaster.

It's awesome because it's from an awesome movie. Too bad Mike Judge forgot to copyright his joke.
posted by dersins at 3:34 PM on April 24

There are only so many combinations of 12 notes.
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 3:34 PM on April 24

I think Michael Gregory may be one of my new favorite people. I spent this afternoon going through his youtube stuff and it's freaking hilarious. This is no exception.

delmoi: Huh? That video is seriously confusing. The songs don't even seem all that similar.

*makes whooshing noise while swiping hand over head*
posted by Baby_Balrog at 3:35 PM on April 24 [1 favorite]

I wrote "Viva La Vida" and so did my wife!
posted by Joey Michaels at 4:00 PM on April 24 [1 favorite]

I would like to hear more about this, but only if Katie Couric sings it. Or Winston Churchill.
posted by DU at 5:17 PM on April 24

Again with the fallacy. They were herbivorous, docile and easy to hunt.

Another fucking Diplodocus apologist I see. That's just what those bastards want you to think, but first time you turn your back to them and BAM!, you're a Brontoburger, man!
posted by Pollomacho at 5:25 PM on April 24 [2 favorites]

Yeah, I have to say - from his Remixing the News to the video of him doing a Tupac/Akon melody, I think this guy is a @#%@#% genius. Get him together with MC Chris right now and put their asses on tour. First stop; MY HOUSE.
posted by Bageena at 5:26 PM on April 24

Similarly eerie, maybe, but not eerily similar.
posted by The Deej at 5:40 PM on April 24

Adult Swim started showing Look Around You.

Whoa, they did? That's awesome.
posted by DU at 5:45 PM on April 24

Yes, but who did Coldplay steal "Yellow" from?
posted by blucevalo at 5:47 PM on April 24

Can we just agree that Viva La Vida is a copy of 437,873,102,826 songs that preceded it, each a copy of the one that was before it, with the chain ending with something Cro-Magnon hummed before he was eaten by a Tyrannosaurus.

This does seem to be the answer. It's too bad. It's not really the kind of music that usually floats my boat, but I did like Coldplay's version of the Cro-Magnon era music and now with all the controversy it never seems to see airplay. Satriani plays well, but to my ear lacks something. It is as if a computer is playing. Very precise, very skilled, very cold. When computers can do this, then AI will have arrived.
posted by caddis at 5:56 PM on April 24

What? This is a joke? So is this guy somehow defending Coldplay for spreading their cheeks and goatsing my ears? Unbefuckinglievable.
posted by Elmore at 6:22 PM on April 24

Elmore is the big man now!
posted by caddis at 6:27 PM on April 24

wait, ColdPlay is covering the Cro-Mags?
posted by geos at 6:41 PM on April 24

This is pretty funny, but the commenters here that believed it made it hilarious.
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 6:58 PM on April 24

I would like to hear more about this, but only if Katie Couric sings it. Or Winston Churchill.

Katie Couric wrote this song about her relationship with Winston Church hill, and then the vocoder guy stole it and then the cmj guy stole it, and then the douche with a kid named Apple stole it!
posted by orville sash at 7:48 PM on April 24

Humour so dry that it loses funniness.
Or satire so finely honed most people miss the point.
posted by Floydd at 9:06 PM on April 24

At least it's not copywritten.
posted by The Deej at 10:11 PM on April 24

This is funny stuff (Michael Gregory is one of my new favorite people too) but his claim to comedic greatness has to be the Churchill video. I have listened to it over and over again since I first came across it in the previous Michael Gregory thread (apparently this is the 5th FPP about him... he's turning into the new Oolong). What a brilliant, beautiful thing.
posted by Kattullus at 10:19 PM on April 24 [2 favorites]

When computers can do this, then AI will have arrived.

We still lack the wide-lapel technology. (that video is awesome)
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:35 AM on April 25

Hi! I'm a copywriter!

What can I do for you today!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 11:19 AM on April 25

MP3s for downloading! Churchill, MLK and Autotune the News 2.
posted by Kattullus at 1:49 PM on April 26

THANK YOU KATTULLUS. Now I just need to find a copy of his 'Blasting out of the Atmosphere' or whatever he's calling his version of the Coldplay. I can't wait to ride that bone rollercoaster all over my ipod. Holy crap, that's gross.
posted by Bageena at 2:54 PM on April 27