Here Today... Gone To Hell!

VELVET REVOLVER Settles Plagiarism Claim Out Of Court, Awards UK Songwriter Share Of Hit - Aug. 20, 2008

Tony Newton, the bass player and chief songwriter of UK rock band VOODOO SIX, has been awarded a share of VELVET REVOLVER's song "Dirty Little Thing", which appeared on VR's debut album "Contraband". Following a claim brought by Newton's publishers Universal Music, VELVET REVOLVER has now signed over 20% of all royalties on the record since its release on the album in 2004 and as a U.S. single in 2005. The claim alleged that the melody and core guitar riff from the VELVET REVOLVER track was an unmistakable copy of Newton's track "Cyber Babe", which was released in 1999 on the album "Real World" by Newton's former band DIRTY DEEDS. The agreement between the parties covers all commercial uses of the record including live performances and video plays as well as digital and physical album and single sales worldwide.

DIRTY DEEDS - "Cyber Babe": Audio
VELVET REVOLVER - "Dirty Little Thing": Audio

"It was all a bit surreal, really," stated Tony Newton. "A couple of years back, a mate of mine in L.A. called me to say he'd heard what he thought was my song on the radio, and that he had been a bit shocked when he realized it was VELVET REVOLVER. When I checked it out myself, I genuinely couldn't believe it, because it wasn't as if it was close... it was basically the same riff. Anyway, I called my publishers to check whether they knew anything ? which, of course, they didn't ? and then basically left it with them. I never really expected to hear any more about it and was as surprised as anyone when I heard that Universal had settled with VELVET REVOLVER."

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=103190

I am having a hard time hearing the audio of Dirty Deeds song Cyber Baby.  From the posts it sounds nothing like Dirty Lil Thing.

That riff sounds similar, same as the drum stop-and-go stuff after it. But I doubt it's been intentional.. there are tons of songs out there similar.

DLT also has credits by Keith Nelson from Buckcherry, while Crazy Bitch has been worked on by the guys from VR when they were all jamming together in 2002.

And "Do It For The Kids" apparently was Izzy's idea....



/jarmo

Where did you hear that?

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?topic=51267.msg1065665#msg1065665




/jarmo

Izzy brought a riff/song to the Project when jamming with them in 2002, they used it for Do It For The Kids (which at first according to Slash was slower and had a middle eastern vibe) and then Izzy brought the same to his own band and it became 'Bomb' on Like A Dog.  But this sitation is a bit different then with Dirty Little Thing.

I just downloaded the full mp3 version of Cyberbabe, it sounds less the same then I originally thought after hearing the Amazone sample. The riff is lightly different and everything else in the song besides the riff is completely different. Maybe one of the guys heard it back then '99 and subconsiously remembered this piece? The riff is not 100% the same but the drum arrangement is the same also after the riff, I don't think this is merely a coincident, but I don't think it's intentional either.

Wow, wonder what Izzy thought of that.

Are you serieus? Izzy doesn't give a shit about that.. they are his friends.

That Toney Newton character must've been running low on money or something, just pathetic really.

I KNEW slash was a plager!  ;D

Pathetic that he didn't want to let someone away with ripping off something he wrote? Yeah thats really pathetic  ::)

From Rolling Stone...

Velvet Revolver Settle Plagiarism Case, Pay Another Band?s Bassist Lead Singer-Worthy Money

8/20/08

We don?t know who the next singer of Velvet Revolver will be, but he or she may want to avoid putting the Contraband song ?Pretty Little Thing? on future set lists. The band has reportedly settled a plagiarism case with U.K. rocker Tony Newton, bassist of the band Voodoo Six, that alleged VR stole the riff and melody of ?Dirty Little Thing? from Newton?s own ?Cyber Babe,? which he wrote for his previous band Dirty Deeds.

?A couple of years back, a mate of mine in L.A. called me to say he?d heard what he thought was my song on the radio, and that he had been a bit shocked when he realized it was Velvet Revolver,? says Newton. ?When I checked it out myself, I genuinely couldn?t believe it, because it wasn?t as if it was close? it was basically the same riff. Anyway, I called my publishers to check whether they knew anything ? which, of course, they didn?t ? and then basically left it with them. I never really expected to hear any more about it and was as surprised as anyone when I heard that Universal had settled with Velvet Revolver.?

And what a settlement it was: Newton will receive 20 percent of all royalties from Contraband and the single dating back to 2004, plus all future royalties on the song from commercial uses, live performances, digital sales, etc. He?s essentially being paid like he?s a member of the band, even though he never picked up an instrument for them.

Can someone post the link?  its a pretty basic riff any of us could have played many times by accident.

Hey! Don't feel bad!


Slash loves stealing!


Didn't you read his book?

20 percent of the whole album? that can't be right.

its only 1 of 13 songs

thats the price of  cheating.

I wonder if they will make any kind of statement...although I don't know what they would say.  Some are starting to have a little fun with this...

From musicradar.com

For Newton, it's a pretty sweet settlement: He will receive 20 percent of all royalties from the first Velvet Revolver album, Contraband, and the single dating back to 2004, plus all future royalties on the song from commercial uses, live performances, digital sales, etc.

With this in mind, the staff of MusicRadar has a compilation of tunes it wishes to send Velvet Revolver. Who knows? There might be something on it they might like.

its gotta be a mistake.

20 percent of royalties on the song, maybe

well they got their hand caught in the cookie jar. they should pay. I don't know about the whole 20 %for the album that seem a little high to me.

Kind of like when Izzy stole Don't Cry?  Oh yeah, he didn't... There are only so many notes and it happens. 

Yeah it's gotta be 20% of royalties from the song.  It's not like "Dirty Little Thing" was the reason people bought Contraband.

It continues to be reported...

Bassist wins big in Velvet Revolver plagiarism suit

By WENN world entertainment news

Rock supergroup Velvet Revolver have agreed to hand over a fifth of all the royalties from their 2004 album Contraband after learning the riff to their Pretty Little Thing hit was stolen.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/wenn/20080821/ten-bassist-wins-big-in-velvet-revolver-c60bd6d.html

I'm guessing that you didn't even bother to listen to the entire song...

and going by your logic Scott should've sued Newton's ass since that cyber babe song resembles Sex type thing  ::)

That's odd, by giving this other band royalties, it's like VR are admitting that they did intentionally steal the riff from them... so did they?

I don't think they did and even if it was intentional I think it was that guy from buckcherry who actually wrote the song...

voodoo six sucks. their frontman should leave them and join Kid Ego full time, far better band and image, instead of sharing between the two.

Voodoo six has old men in the band literally. The singer (henry something) is young and in his 20s and very good, some of the other members are like 40 something. Kid ego are all young people late teens early 20s, much more relevant, cant wait for there new album.

You think age defines how relevant someone is?

Guns n Roses and even Axl Rose himself have settled court cases before they went to trial-(see Erin Everly, Gilby Clarke, Stephanie Seymore), so it's not that big of a deal-and Duff himself has talked about Izzy's song idea for Do it for the Kids.

Lol at "Pretty Little Thing"

How much did Guns N Roses settle for the Don't Cry case years back?  Was it similar?

I think it's a pretty big deal if they do indeed have to give up 20% of Contraband's royalties (I still don't see how that's possible).  But that would probably be the best payday in that bands (Voodoo Six) history.

I would think that that 20% award would have to (in part) take into consideration album sales since the song is obviously part of the album so some compensation would be factored into the award.

I didn't catch that...I guess adding insult to injury. :D

Lucky they used it on Contraband and not Libertad for old mate $$$$$$  :-X :-X :-X :hihi:

Well, I'm sure sales have slowed down enough after four years that he won't be getting much cash anyway. Though the riff doesn't sound similar, the vocal melody wasn't  close and that was the only similarity I heard.

This is gonna happen a lot in music because ideas eventually run out.

Take the Chili Peppers and Tom Petty thing. I don't think John Frusiciante sit down and intentionally said "Im gonna steal a tom petty riff"

Shit happens.

considering how similar dirty little things riff is to sex type things, i guess we could see that newton bloke being sued by STP soon...

it is pathetic.

there are only so many chord progressions you can use. GnR have many riffs which were in other songs, including paradise city. i doubt it was intentional then and i doubt it is intentional now.

In light of this case, this excerpt from an interview with Slash back in March of this year makes interesting re-reading.

Slash: I was talking with Robert Plant the other night and he was casually naming certain Zeppelin songs and then in the same breath who it was ripped off from.

Ewing: Did Guns N?Roses ever get taken to court for allegedly ripping anyone off?

Slash: No. One of the things about myself and the other members of Guns N? Roses, with the exception of maybe Izzy [Stradlin'], cos he was maybe a bit more freeform, was that we were huge sticklers for anything that sounded like anything else. Straight off the bat if you played a few chords and it really reminded you of something else we scrapped it. It?s very different with Velvet Revolver. Even though myself and Duff are the same way, and Matt, Scott will rip something. We?ll be like ?No, we can?t do that? and he?ll be like ?Oh, go on, let?s do it? and we?ll do it.

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?topic=51237.0

I am not 100% sure but I thought that I read that he would be claiming 20% of all royalties past to present, could be mistaken though.

I never knew that.  DIFTK is probably my 3rd fav from Contraband