It's like history come to life! Thank you, Dr Stephens, for giving us the historically accurate lowdown that Ken Burns doesn't want us to know. Now I must return to my own research into how E. Jean Carroll leaked atomic secrets to Stalin.
Everyone sees the obvious use by Ray Charles, but Sam Cooke also used it for Ain’t That Good News? Soul came from gospel singers going into secular music
'Ray' has been playing a few times this week on Bounce and on TruReal networks. I also wondered what B meant. I grew up in the church and had never heard any song that sounded remotely close to 'I got a woman'. But in the days of Google we can pretty much find out anything... So here I am! Lol. There's also a song by Bill Broonzy called 'Living on Easy Street' that he combined as well
I am not sure what is worse. He points fingers and says, "Religious rock and roll is of the devil." Yet, a few years later he is found with prostitutes, cheating on his wife. He then has a tendency to point the finger and blames others instead of taking responsibility and blame himself.
I love Ray, but that's not just inspiration; it's plagiarism. The original writer(s) should have been credited for the music he stole. When Weird Al writes a parody (which "I Got A Woman" essentially is), Al gives credit to the composer of the melody. Of course, I still prefer Ray's version over the original in the same way I prefer the redone versions of those songs Led Zeppelin stole. (Actually, I kinda prefer Elvis and The Beatles' versions of "I Got A Woman".)
The definition of plagiarism would actually mean that he took the lyrics and copied them, which he did not. The chord structure form and tune is what he used from that song.
@@detroitmusicman You couldn't be more wrong. (Well, you could, but this comes pretty close.) Whoever told you that plagiarism was only the act of stealing words was probably talking in a non-musical literary context. Like lyrics, melodies can also be plagiarized. In fact, not only has it happened many times where it went to court, most plagiarism cases are about melodies, not lyrics. People 'subconsciously plagiarize' melodies all the time (like when George Harrison took the melody of "He's So Fine" for "My Sweet Lord"). Sometimes, when you're writing a song, you get so lost in the creation process, you don't even notice what you've done. Other times, there are acts of 'parallel thinking' where someone manages to 'write' a melody that someone already wrote and probably recorded. But as innocent as these acts may seem, they are still examples of plagiarism and can easily get a fledgling (or established) songwriter dragged into court. Ray was lucky he didn't.
@@JR-xn6yu Deep Purple's "Hush" might SEEM like it was plagiarized by The Charlatans UK for their single "The Only One I Know", but the British band from the 90s didn't actually take any proprietary elements from the Joe South-penned 'Purple hit of the 60s. They merely created a "pastiche", which, in music, is when you create a song that "sounds like" (reminds you of) another song without stealing any of the actual lyrics or melodies.
Of course, "I Got A Woman" was covered by Elvis, but I didn't realize that Peter, Paul & Mary also covered it....although their version is decidedly folky and takes after the lyrics of the Southern Tones. It's titled "King of Names." Thanks for posting. Let me know what you think of the other versions. Catchy tune no matter what the lyrics or rhythm.
