Discuss La La Land

It seems that the La La Land theme song's melody is quite similar ( if not the same) with a song of Greek singer Dimitra Galani. I'm posting here both songs and I would like to read your opinion.

The La La Land theme song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqV19zSl_Ik

Dimitra's Galani An (What If) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTfiwgKcQLo

And here is a video from a radio producer who bothered to put them together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eln7DvbPB_I

10 replies (on page 1 of 1)

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I guess someone will sue for breach of copyright.

In this day and age, nothing is original.

@JarekReanimated said:

Good composers borrow, great composers steal. - Igor Stravinsky

😂 Honestly, I don't believe this!

I saw your Stravinsky quote, immediately thought of John Williams, went off to YouTube to find that Star Wars Vs Kings Row video, came back here to reply to your post, then noticed your quote was actually a link - I clicked on it and it takes me straight back to the same video on YouTube! Unbelievable 😀

@The Midi-chlorian Count said:

@JarekReanimated said:

Good composers borrow, great composers steal. - Igor Stravinsky

😂 Honestly, I don't believe this!

I saw your Stravinsky quote, immediately thought of John Williams, went off to YouTube to find that Star Wars Vs Kings Row video, came back here to reply to your post, then noticed your quote was actually a link - I clicked on it and it takes me straight back to the same video on YouTube! Unbelievable 😀

There was a spat a few years ago between Huey Lewis and Ray Parker jr because Lewis accused the other of stealing the riff from Ghostbusters from him. It turns out that both borrowed a riff from a song dating back to the 1960s.

Sorry, I don't even see (hear) the resemblence. Both songs are as different as the average charts hits (which means yes, we've heard it before but all in the boundries of contemporary "originality" yum ).

@Will Barks said:

Sorry, I don't even see (hear) the resemblence. Both songs are as different as the average charts hits (which means yes, we've heard it before but all in the boundries of contemporary "originality" yum ).

The music theme melody of the movie is the same with the main melody of the song. What is different is that the Greek song is orchestrated and has lyrics too, while the movie theme expands with some motifs of the rest of the music score. In any case if the melody is the same, there is a copyright infringement. The matter is not about just a few notes or a very commonly used riff.

Now... The film won among other awards a Golden Globe for Best Original Score and I don't know what will happen if the composer of the Greek song sues the composer of the film for the intellectual rights issue. In case he wins the case, something that is quite possible, then the movie will lose the award that got for the Original Score.

@breakrules said:

@Will Barks said:

Sorry, I don't even see (hear) the resemblence. Both songs are as different as the average charts hits (which means yes, we've heard it before but all in the boundries of contemporary "originality" yum ).

The music theme melody of the movie is the same with the main melody of the song. What is different is that the Greek song is orchestrated and has lyrics too, while the movie theme expands with some motifs of the rest of the music score. In any case if the melody is the same, there is a copyright infringement. The matter is not about just a few notes or a very commonly used riff.

Now... The film won among other awards a Golden Globe for Best Original Score and I don't know what will happen if the composer of the Greek song sues the composer of the film for the intellectual rights issue. In case he wins the case, something that is quite possible, then the movie will lose the award that got for the Original Score.

Probably but the likelihood is, it will be deemed to be unintentional copying.

The same thing happen with the theme tune of Chariots of Fire.

Unintentional copying exists when the artist of the song that was published first isn't that well known. Dimitra Galani ( the singer of the Greek song) is quite famous in Greece and abroad and she has published her work in collaboration with the majority of international record companies like EMI, Sony BMG, Universal Music etc. Below is her discography to get an idea. She has published 116 albums from 1969 up to now.

http://www.galani.gr/nonflash/disco.asp?lang=en

I'm not sure the the composer of the movie score will be able to prove easily that he had never heard of her before. Anyway. It is up to her and the composer of the song to sue for intellectual property infringement. My opinion is the movie song is almost a copy of her song and that if the case goes to the courts there are good chances to win it.

My Greek friends are going to love this!

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