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Topic ClosedHotel California stolen from Jethro Tull?

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Skullhead View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Hotel California stolen from Jethro Tull?
    Posted: December 31 2014 at 18:08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXB6WcKrtdo

Tull's classic "We used to Know" vs Eagles "Hotel California"?


What do you think?


Edited by Skullhead - December 31 2014 at 18:11
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 31 2014 at 20:00
Same chord progression, both starting on a minor chord, although one is capoed up. Very similar, but Ian Anderson, who noted the similarities, doesn't care, and so I really don't either.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 31 2014 at 20:59
Don't care.

and I prefer Hotel California.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 31 2014 at 21:11
The Eagles used to be the opening act for Jethro Tull back in around 1970, when we used to play this. And a year or so later they came out with Hotel California. Martin noticed the fact that they were very similar. So, if the Eagles decide to give me the royalties from Hotel California, I want you to know I'm going to take you all out to dinner! What do you say? Heh? Good? Yeah, and what's more: we'll go somewhere nice! But somehow, the Eagles ain't going to be that f***ing stupid. They're not going to give me the royalties for that. They're going to take you out for dinner! You can tell them I said so. (laughing) - IA introducing 'We Used To Know'.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 31 2014 at 22:32
1. Hotel California is cool
2. I don't care.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 31 2014 at 22:54
Originally posted by addictedtoprog addictedtoprog wrote:

1. Hotel California is cool
2. I don't care.

yeah! and yet people are complaining on the Stairway to Heaven riff that was "stolen" from Spirit's instrumental Taurus. i don't care about that one either, and the former song's still cool nonetheless.


Edited by Michael678 - December 31 2014 at 22:55
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2015 at 04:23
A similar chord progression is in Camel's Stationary Traveller, too.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2015 at 08:09
It's interesting, but only as a bit of trivia, rather than scandal. Chord progressions get re-used all the time, they're not unique to any given song. Otherwise they would all have been used by now. All the ones that don't sound stupid, anyway.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2015 at 08:44
I've heard the progression before in a lot of things, I think I even wrote a song with it once, and as Anderson said they're in different keys, time signatures, and tempos. Both are great songs though, and I'm pretty sure Hotel California was written on the beach or something when the guitarist just started playing it, so if it was, it would have been subliminal. Does it really matter though? Just enjoy the damn songs! Tongue
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2015 at 10:22
Originally posted by HolyMoly HolyMoly wrote:

It's interesting, but only as a bit of trivia, rather than scandal. Chord progressions get re-used all the time, they're not unique to any given song.

Well said, and these were exactly my thoughts. Chords progressions are re-used all the time, and what makes the difference in a song is the melody, tempo, beat etc. So it's not a big deal, really.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2015 at 12:41
Originally posted by Barbu Barbu wrote:

The Eagles used to be the opening act for Jethro Tull back in around 1970, when we used to play this. And a year or so later they came out with Hotel California...  IA introducing 'We Used To Know'.
 

What year did Ian say that? I think his memory is failing him; I highly doubt they opened for Tull in 1970 and HC sure as hell did not come out in 1971/2. Chris Squire seems to have a better memory: he blames the Eagles for introducing him to cocaine when Yes toured with them in 1973.LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2015 at 13:52
Originally posted by zravkapt zravkapt wrote:

Originally posted by Barbu Barbu wrote:

The Eagles used to be the opening act for Jethro Tull back in around 1970, when we used to play this. And a year or so later they came out with Hotel California...  IA introducing 'We Used To Know'.
 

What year did Ian say that? I think his memory is failing him; I highly doubt they opened for Tull in 1970 and HC sure as hell did not come out in 1971/2. Chris Squire seems to have a better memory: he blames the Eagles for introducing him to cocaine when Yes toured with them in 1973.LOL


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2015 at 14:05
I think Ian is off also because Don Felder actually wrote the song.   He came into the band much later and wasn't on tour with the Eagles in their early days.  I think Felder is a great guitar player. 

It's however quite possible that Felder owned the album "Stand Up" and stole those chords and the progression either consciously or subconsciously.  Maybe the fact he got thrown out of the band is his Karmic debt getting played out!

I personally like The Eagles a lot because their song writing craft is fantastic.  They put the song ahead of ego's and chops.  I'm sure they could have gone prog, but chose to simply write great songs with heartfelt lyrics people can relate to. 

Hotel California is a much better song on every level than Tull's "We used to Know"
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2015 at 22:43
Of course that Hotel California is stolen from Jethro Tull.
And it's actually a sad fact that probably the best song from the famous country-rock band is the product originated from stealing other band's song ( from a completely different genre ).
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 02 2015 at 00:14
I don't know why this thread is in the "Polls" section but this topic has been discussed earlier this year...and it was a poll between the 2 songs.

http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=97714&KW=eagles&PID=4965293#4965293

We Used to Know won....you may want to change this if you like.

All the info that has ever been published discounts Tull ever playing We Used To Know in their set list when The Eagles supported them in 1972. We Used to Know was in Tull's set list in 1969 and 1970 but did not play it again until much later in their career.


Edited by BarryGlibb - January 02 2015 at 04:59
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 02 2015 at 01:43
They're similar but no plagiarism - only melody and lyrics here. 

Always thought that the opening arpeggio to Supper's Ready, allied with We Used To Know = Hotel California. No matter, three fine numbers.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 02 2015 at 02:37
I can definitely hear the simularity...

Never quite understood the adoration HC gets in some circles. To my ears it's painfully dull.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 02 2015 at 03:10
We used to know is average by tull standards. They have 200 better tracks
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 02 2015 at 03:15
Eagles owned it with Hotel California......not a contest regardless of plagiarism questionables...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 02 2015 at 04:52
Originally posted by dr prog dr prog wrote:

We used to know is average by tull standards. They have 200 better tracks


200 better tracks! We used to know is my all time favourite Tull track. What the hell is going on here?

I must have been listening to a different song over the past 45 years.
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