If you were around in the 80's (and 90's I guess) you remember the rock groups banding together for causes...There was Live AID, Band Aid, and USA for Africa to name a few. Now in 2007, many bands are again uniting for a common cause. The latest cause: Global warming. The name of the concert: Live Earth, the concerts for a climate in crisis.

  Now I'm not sure what this concert can do other than raise awareness, but it is definitely worth marking your calendar for. The date is easy to remember : 07-07-07. It will be a 24 hour event broadcast around the world. For more info go to http://liveearth.msn.com/ I'm sure this will gain more traction, so check back for more details!

Previously I posted about Paris Hilton and UB40, comparing a song by each. After writing that article, it reminded me of another case quite a few years ago. I never really took the time to follow it then, but now that I revisit it, I indeed see the similarity.

The year is 1984, and the 80’s are rockin’. You’ve got Prince, Nena, Billy Idol, Eurythmics, and many more hitting the charts. And among those on the charts are Ray Parker Jr. and Huey Lewis and the News.

Now what could those 2 possibly have in common? The answer is a little bit buried. It seems Huey Lewis thought that Ray Parker’s song ‘Ghostbusters’ was a little too similar to his song ‘I want a new drug’.

I listened to both songs and was a bit confused. So I dug a little deeper (The internet is a wonderful thing!) and found out just what was going on….Listen to both songs.

I want a new drug

Ghostbusters

Did you hear the guitar riff running through both? That is where the dispute resided. Now what exactly the outcome was may never be revealed as the case was settled for an unspecified sum of money and both parties were bound not to discuss the case beyond the press releases. So I leave this to you, what do you think?

I think I read somewhere there are only 8 notes to use in music. 8. Think about that. All the music from the beginning of time using the same notes, differing only in arrangement, duration, and such. now considering that how could you possibly come up with original music? Yet artists continue to churn out new and unique music everyday.

How can we tell when an artist has stolen music from another? Given the notes to be used, it seems plausible, but consider the staggering odds of the first note being the same, the first AND the second, you get the idea. With that said I would invite you all to go to youtube ( www.youtube.com) and tell me if you believe there is any infringement involved in the two songs.

1. Paris Hilton -The Stars are Blind

2. UB40 - Kingston Town

Let me know your thoughts....
(Reprinted with permission from www.80sweb.com)

i see now all my music links are shot....that kinda sucks. I'll have to reconsider the content if this happens.

One of my favorite groups is Roxette. Like many groups, they have their hits and, well, non hits. I thought i'd pop up one of their ballads...maybe you've heard it, maybe you haven't.....