After releasing one of, if not the biggest song of 2014 and 2015, going on to selling over 6.1 million copies and claiming a solid fourth place on YouTube’s most watched videos of all time, it looks like it may have all simply been too good to be true. Ever since the dynamic duo of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars dropped funky throwback track Uptown Funk, the pair have been battling copyright infringements ever since, most notably with The Gap Band, who ended up being awarded a writing credit thanks to the obvious similarities with their track Oops Upside Your Head. Now though, it looks like the pair are set to face their most damaging lawsuit yet.
The pair stated that Uptown Funk was influenced by early 80s Minneapolis electro-funk and soul music, and it turns out one of these 80s Minneapolis groups Collage agree. They are claiming that the tune is an “obvious, strikingly and/or substantially similar copy” of their 1983 single Young Girls. This goes on the basis that “many of the main instrumental attributes and themes… are deliberately and clearly copied, including, but not limited to, the distinct funky specifically noted and timed consistent guitar riffs…virtually if not identical bass notes and sequence, rhythm, structure, crescendo of horns and synthesizers rendering the compositions almost indistinguishable if played over each other and strikingly similar if played in consecutively.”
With that being said, sonically as an everyday listener, the two tracks do definitely have fairly clear comparisons. However, the fact that the pair have been constantly bombarded with lawsuits for the past two years makes it clear that it’s increasingly harder to make tracks which clearly reference the old. Who knows, perhaps Bruno’s latest g-funk 24K Magic is next?
Take a listen to the two tracks below and let us know what you think!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfTr_fgQpvg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPf0YbXqDm0
Image: Singersroom
Suicide Squad looks set to be the must-watch movie of the American Summer blockbusters. Not because it’s going to be good (who knows if it will be?), but because of its stunning soundtrack. The movie has already produced the phenomenal Purple Lamborghini from Skrillex and Rick Ross as well as a haunting track from Kehlani, Gangsta exploring the torrid romance between The Joker and Harley Quinn, and the rest of the track listing of the soundtrack is studded with musical heavyweights. The latest peek into the album has come from Mark Ronson, who has previewed the track he made with Action Bronson and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys fame.
The track, called Standing In The Rain, is a reimagining of a 70s song of the same name. It’s a pretty soulful tune, but also has that classic funk that Ronson is known for. This is the third collaboration between Bronson and Ronson and the pair seem to be developing a very nice chemistry.
The preview came via Zane Lowe’s World Record radio show on Apple Radio. After playing a short clip of the song, he brought Mark Ronson on air to discuss the track and the collaboration behind it. Ronson toasted praise of both Bronson and Auerbach’s voices, stating that Dan had one of the most soulful voices in rock at the moment.
Standing In The Rain will be released in full with the rest of the Suicide Squad soundtrack this Friday, August 5, same day as the movie. The track list of the whole soundtrack is below, and if you can tear yourself away from Boys Don’t Cry for a few hours, you can go see the visuals to go with it.
1. Purple Lamborghini – Skrillex & Rick Ross
2. Sucker For Pain – Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons (with Logic, Ty Dolla $ign & X Ambassadors)
3. Heathens – Twenty One Pilots
4. Standing In The Rain – Action Bronson & Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys) (ft. Mark Ronson)
5. Gangsta – Kehlani
6. Know Better – Kevin Gates
7. You Don’t Own Me – Grace (ft. G-Eazy)
8. Without Me – Eminem
9. Wreak Havoc – Skylar Grey
10. Medieval Warfare – Grimes
11. Bohemian Rhapsody – Panic! At The Disco
12. Slippin’ Into Darkness – War
13. Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival
14. I Started A Joke– ConfidentialMX (feat. Becky Hanson)
Image: Ace Showbiz
The results are in, and the most watched video of 2015 goes to Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, which has been viewed over one billion times. Obviously, garnering this amount of views is no simple feat. Ronson and Mars beat out many heavyweight artists, including but not limited to Maroon 5, Adele and Taylor Swift (yay), the latter of which had three singles in the top ten- this is truly a victory for all.
It’s not surprising that the duo managed to make this feat, since it’s 2014 release Uptown Funk has been almost inescapable. Despite it being released last year, it seems that time has not been a boundary for the track- it’s also become the number one most downloaded song on iTunes this year, as well as Michelle Obama’s pick for her favourite song of the year.
Jeff Bhasker, a songwriter who helped produce the track spoke with LA weekly about the makings of a hit, stating that “we really studied the mechanisms of what makes a hit song, and one of our mentors, Steve Lindsey, really pounded that into us. The term “hit song” implies a successful song, but you can also think about it as, like, a song that hits you. To get your point across and to get people to understand a concept clearly within a three- to four-minute time frame takes songcraft, and making it very clear and interesting to listen to, almost like you’ve heard the song already.”
It’s unclear at this point whether this track’s popularity will ever slow down, it’s already lasted a year- let’s see how it fares in 2016.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPf0YbXqDm0&w=560&h=315]
The fourth annual Global Spin Awards will be taking place in New York next month on November 27, and is once again set to celebrate and honour DJ culture, and the best in the biz. Awards and recognition is dished out to those who deserve it most – and this year, two production heavyweights, legends in their own fields, will be honoured with some pretty outstanding awards.
Hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa is set to receive a Lifetime Achievement award for his contributions to, and influence of the very foundations of hip-hop production and DJ culture. One of the most loved, not to mention important names in the entire umbrella genre, he was a founding father of a then-new type of music. His style, skill and outlook has influenced every single existing genre of rap, including more specific aspects like instrumental hip-hop, sampling, scratching, rhythm work and incorporating funk and electro elements into rap. “Yeah, I think you could consider Bambaataa somewhat of the Elvis Presley or Little Richard – one of those people who helped bring the culture into the mainstream,” said Shawn Prez, event organiser. “And then you have the descendants of their great work, which are the Justin Timberlakes of the world who now benefit from the doors that those guys helped open.”
In response, 58-year-old Bambaataa, aka Kevin Donovan himself replied, “I wouldn’t say I was the Elvis Presley, but I can tell you I was the Sly Stone or the George Clinton.”
On the dancier side of the production spectrum, Mark Ronson will be presented with the Breaking Barriers award. According to event organiser Shawn Prez, this is attributed to “his skill set and talent beyond the turntables and outside the world of DJing.”
A masterful producer, both of his music and other artists, Ronson has produced albums for some of the world’s greatest, including Amy Winehouse, Adele, Paul McCartney and recently, Action Bronson. His own album Uptown Special blew us all away earlier this year – and those who caught him during his recent Australian tour knows exactly how great it was live.
Mark Ronson has pulled out all the stops for his slot at Glastonbury, calling on some serious star power for his featured vocalist heavy back catalogue.
From the opening track Ooh Wee with Theophilus London (a tribute to the late Nate Dogg), followed by MNDR performing Bang Bang Bang, Daniel Merriweather performing The Smiths’ Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before, Kyle Falconer of The View for The Bike Song and Keyone Starr for I Can’t Lose, things were off to a massive start.
Kevin Parker from Tame Impala was also present, performing his parts on Daffodils and Leaving Loz Feliz, with Ronson introducing him by saying, “He’s in my favourite rock band. Period.”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYbmts3BQnM&w=560&h=315]
And that’s not all. After Parker left the stage, Miike Snow‘s Andrew Wyatt appeared to perform not only his own band’s song, Animal, but Somebody To Love Me. It was here he was joined by none other than Boy George, who also stayed on for Culture Club’s Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?
In an especially poignant moment of his set, Ronson performed the Amy Winehouse collaboration Valerie, which the band played along to her original vocals. “I know we all wish Amy was here tonight,” he said, urging the crowd to “Sing along, sing to the heavens.”
Finally, to wrap things up and that was guaranteed to be a festival highlight, Mark Ronson brought on Mary J. Blige, George Clinton (whom he has described as “the forefather of Uptown Funk”) and Grandmaster Flash to support him during the final performance of his set with his worldwide hit Uptown Funk.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3y361HfpSE&w=560&h=315]
Ronson will be headed to Australia at the end of next month for Splendour In The Grass, as well as a few sideshows. It’s safe to say we are more than just a bit excited to see what else the super producer has in store!
I’ve never been a huge Duran Duran fan by any means. I mean, I’ve spent many a night drunkenly getting down to Girls On Film and Hungry Like The Wolf. Also, A View To A Kill might have been the worst James Bond movie ever until Die Another Day took a Madonna-scented spite shit all over the franchise, but its Duran Duran-helmed theme song was hittin’.
For me though, beyond that Simon Le Bon and co. are largely forgettable. And don’t even get me started on their reprehensible and devoid-of-all-irony cover of Public Enemy‘s 911 Is A Joke.
Forgive me for thinking that they went to their musical grave with the end of the 80s. Apparently not, they’re back in 2015 with a newie:
That’s… not bad. Not bad at all. Not really crazy on Simon Le Bon’s voice or general presence much, but if you’re listening to the heaping loads of pure funk that are permeating this song and thinking that it sounds familiar, it’s because Pressure Off features the funkadelical musical talents of both the seminal Nile Rodgers and the production of Mark Ronson. You may also hear a familiar voice in Janelle Monae working away in the background there.
Like the aforementioned Girls On Film, I could definitely see myself inebriatedly slithering around a dancefloor to this. The more funk in everybody’s lives, the better.
It’s an eclectic mash up of artists that serves as the prologue to Duran Duran’s comeback album of 2015. Hopefully it’s more like this and less like whatever they’ve spent the last 20-odd years doing.
Headlining Splendour in the Grass 2015, international artist and producer wunderkind Mark Ronson has enlisted a stellar crew of guest artists on his upcoming tour to bring the whole Motown-inspired Uptown Special experience to Australia in July.
“I’ve got the best band I’ve ever put together,” he announced on Friday afternoon, speaking to Triple J. And his assertions are justified, with an ensemble that includes not only a complete brass band, but also famed vocalists Andrew Wyatt (of Swedish indie pop trio Miike Snow), Daniel Merriweather, Theophilus London, and Tame Impala’s very own Kevin Parker.
Speaking about Kevin Parker, Ronson added, “I wasn’t going to come to Australia and do shows if he couldn’t come do shows with us. So that’s massive, the fact that we’re going to be able to Daffodils, Leaving Los Feliz, and Summer Breaking for the first time”.
“I’m about to go into the studio and rehearse for…a month for these shows.”
We have no doubt that Ronson will bring a slew of absolutely killer shows, especially with such exciting collaborations. Catch him at Splendour on the Friday, or check out his sideshows dates below. Click right here for our full rundown of Splendour sideshows.
In the meantime, get groovin’ to the ever-funky Uptown Funk:
Mark Ronson has always had his own artistic flare not only when it comes to his music, but his music videos as well, and Feel Right, featuring Mystikal, is no exception.
In what could be his funkiest endeavour ever, the video sees a young boy absolutely destroy the competition at the drab ‘Sunnydale High’ talent show. Before his performance, a geriatric old teacher reads rather comically from a note given to her.
“This performance is dedicated to all the player-hating teachers that won’t let a little gangsta shine,” she reads. “I don’t know what that means.”
Doing a very convincing (albeit pint-sized) James Brown impersonation, the boy cavorts around stage with more energy and pizazz than most fully grown adults. Hell, he even gets g-ed up after drinking some milk.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ognnZ3r2qyQ]
Featuring cameos from Bruno Mars, Mystikal and Mark Ronson himself, as the judging panel, the boy scores a unanimous 10 across the entire board.
Feel Right is the second single off Ronson’s fourth studio album, the genre defying Uptown Special, the follow up to his global smash hit Uptown Funk featuring Bruno Mars, which came 6th in the Triple J’s Hottest 100. Ronson will of course be in the country for Splendour In The Grass this July, as well as a couple of sideshows! Check our photos from his one off show last year here, and get on those tickets already!
Action Bronson is gearing up for his upcoming second album (but first on a major label) Mr Wonderful. Baby Blue is the fourth single we’ve heard so far, out of a total 13 tracks. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s noticed how different, and excellent, each track has been thus far. I am SO excited for this album.
Once again, we’re drawn into Bronson’s oily flow and his funny, at times vulgar train of thought lyrics. He’s always shown a knack for gorgeous backing loops, but this one’s been produced by Mark Ronson, so it’s one of his best ever. The simply, bluesy music creates a smooth atmosphere – the perfect antidote to Bronson’s harshly worded one-liner-heavy drawl.
Chance The Rapper‘s raspy choruses and guest verse are stellar, as always. And then there’s that trumpet bridge, oh my!
Mr Wonderful comes out on March 24 via Atlantic Records / Vice Records