Oddity Archive: Episode 28 - Record Ripoffs

[@BenCossette]

All songs done by The Original Aritsts. Not the groups who originally did this song, but a cover band named "The Original Artists".

[@deeyosh]

How original, artists.

[@robfriedrich2822]

They have tricks. A record mixed cover and original versions and credited artists and songs separately. So they never claimed about a song to be the original version, but crediting the song and its original artist (who sung another song) leads to confusion. Another cover/original mix was creative to name the bands of the cover versions - it was mend to confuse grand parents.

[@FernieCanto]

For some reason, I just keep coming back to the episodes from this series over and over again. There's something completely surreal about these records: I guess the idea that it's cheaper to hire a band and record a song from scratch, rather than license the original recording; and the fact that there were these greasy, sleazy people willing to prey on unsuspecting people and offer them such awful recordings in return for their hard earned money. What an abhorrent idea... but at least it yielded us moments of laughter thanks to the Oddity Archive. So, yay?

[@riceboy1701e]

Fernie Canto I'll give it a yay!

[@SteveCarras]

@Fernie Canto A BIG YAY from me.

[@SagaSagaVGM]

I need the full version of that "Total Eclipse of the Heart" cover in my life. For reasons.

[@georgeprice4212]

On the Original Artist remakes, a lot of that is due to licensing issues. For example, Badfinger, their sole remaining (and now only) surviving member had to go in and recut their hits just to get them on CD, as neither Apple, EMI nor Capitol would license the masters to Rhino Records for use in a Best Of compilation. When Mike Gibbins (who has since passed away, due to cancer) and the estates of both Pete Ham and Tom Evans found out, they all approached Apple to see if they could stop it, which they couldn’t, as per US Copyright Laws.

[@vonculver9625]

There were a few cases where the "no-name" studio performers went on to great fame. Elton John, in 1969-71, performed on a LOT of these, and they've been compiled and re-released multiple times on CD. Back in 2000, I stumbled on one of these, called "Reg Dwight's Piano Goes Pop" and I still occasionally listen to it. I believe some of these tracks are available on Amazon Prime Music.

[@yulanottenfwicke7578]

Von Culver Ran into one of those last year. Title escapes me. That album wasn't cheapo covers of hits. It was demo versions of songs meant to be passed around between producers until they found the right artist to cut the real thing. Sir Elton did a lot of that. Wild to hear him singing "United We Stand" for somebody else to make a hit.

[@lyricrogersofficial]

His version of Bridge Over Troubled Water that he did for Pickwick makes me cry every time... it's just so good!

[@bdaddyn678]

Sound alike music is also used when any company (TV show, movie, etc.) is not able to pay the often expensive royalty fees to use the original music with the original artist as it was heard when said item (TV show, movie, etc.) was originally released.

[@newstarcadefan]

True, that's why it's ultra expensive now for TV stations (on their own anyway) to Rerun WKRP in Cincinnati.

[@PenguinVideoStore]

Oh man, I was already losing it at that "Dream On" cover when "HIT THE DECK, HE'S GONNA BLOW!" appeared on screen. That "Scarborough Fair" hellfire cover is some sort of nightmare on tape, though.

[@DriveInFreak]

That sounds like Lou Reed ripping HIMSELF off @1:40. He started out doing soundalike/ripoff/dime store records (Pickwick), so it's quite possible it is him.

[@TackyRackyComixNEO]

Good lord, the cover of "Let it Be" I made as a teenager with just my guitar, horribly unpracticed singing, and Audacity is better than that version on that album. I refuse to believe in 1970 it was that hard to find a guitarist who could play and not sound like he's having a stroke while playing, even for a company making records so cheaply.

[@pd3331]

Incandescent Light Quartet. Fucking golden.

[@js4032yt]

ILQ is like an alternate reality if the group was a barbershop quartet in the early 1900s or 1910s that sung such songs as Mr. Orange Sun*. (*Which doesn't exist IRL), instead of the famous rock group ELO known for Mr. Blue Sky.

[@timdub70]

I remember all those sucky commercials for those Sound Effects (the name of the group doing them). I did get duped into buying an 8-track tape in 1974 of something called "Dolikes: Rock Hits". When my family got an 8-track recorder, I taped over that.

[@soonerterp]

5:07 Meatwad's dad? I keep coming back to the music episodes of OA in general and these are among my very favourites of the entire series.

[@newstarcadefan]

+timekiller_s Same, I keep coming on back for episodes 1-5. Though, the Dream on cover...that was an interesting running joke.

[@lmntcrnstn4970]

I bought a CD from Edward R. Hamilton, Bookseller that was supposed to be Gregorian chant versions of Simon and Garfunkel hits, but they just seemed to be easy listening versions -- not a capella.

[@rodneykingston6420]

Totally remember the commercials for these knock offs running during the after school reruns on our local TV stations in the 70s. The square kids, who didn't know any better, would ask their parents for these records, and get them for their birthdays. Most of us knew they were rip offs.

[@bdaddyn678]

Crying babies in the Simon and Garfunkel cover song. The babies must be crying probably because of the LOUSY performance of that said. I would even cry to that song, and I am an adult. (Born in the 1970s).

[@MomLAU]

LOL--I just posted something like this before I read your message.

[@XaneMyers]

All I can think: Oh my, why are the babies so compressed-sounding? They couldn't get a higher-quality crying sample or something? It's jarringly lower quality than the song! It...creeps me out!

[@transcendental-nuke]

It sounded like something out of a fucked up snuff film. Creeps me the hell out!

[@robfriedrich2822]

I think, the recording man had his last day, was so "amazed" by the music he added the baby crying.

[@IVR02]

That "Dream On" cover was horrifying.

[@newstarcadefan]

Could be worse. You could have listened to the Morning Train rendition on the Mini Pops record.

[@chrisjamesr77]

Trivia about Ocean (heard at 3:44): their bass player, Jeff Jones was the original bassist/singer for Rush....for about 3 months, I think.

[@ZakkandtheJ]

chrisjamesr77 he now plays bass for Tom Cochrane and Red Rider

[@ebenezerscrewbendover8908]

At 19:26 (Total Eclipse Of The Heart), I have that same version of that song, I forgot what album was that (it was in-line with Love Songs cassette series) but I certainly know that was from Alpha Records Philippines. Thank God I destroyed them when I was a kid.

[@robynstopped]

That last song was terrifying. I heard the end of days. I heard the sounds of men laminating, women screaming, and the gnashing of teeth. I am scared.

[@SnabbKassa]

These soundalike covers have become a staple on Spotify, where certain artists refuse to have their music, so somebody else records a version to get plays from people who are searching.

[@curtchase3730]

That "Let it Be" would have been spot on if they recorded all the vocals on one channel, and the tune on the other! LOL. I wish I had kept all those phoney hacked up records I bought back then.

[@Clay3613]

Some big artists like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton secretly did covers for these type of albums in the 70's. Guess their solo-careers weren't paying well enough. Drews Famous did short-lived video compilations featuring music or scary sounds backing some of the most boring looking pumpkins ever.

[@pgj1997]

5:11 Spotify in a nutshell.

[@channelname4238]

I could've lived my whole life without knowing that somewhere in the world there's a cover record with baby dolls over a botched Simon and Garfunkel outtake.

[@newstarcadefan]

Yes, I think we all did.

[@kensims4086]

I always hated when it said not sold in stores but every store had them for sale. Surprised not to see the fonzie lp in there...

[@SonicAndOKKOFanatic]

4:40 - To be honest, one of my record sets from the Columbia Musical Treasury has this recording of Venus by Frankie Avalon.

[@daftoptimist]

19:58 THATS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE JUST A SCREAM!!! If you listen to the actual song, he's shifting from G6 to G#6 for about six beats out of the two measures before they do the chorus again! It sounds like a rock and roll scream, but it's still a phrase that is SUNG with proper breath control, not SCREAMED. Did any of these studio artists actually listen to the songs they were covering? You'd kind of think that would be required.

[@thatonedude9744]

Right notes, but I believe it’s a G5, as a G6 would probably sound like a whistle

[@daftoptimist]

That One Dude Pfft, absolutely correct. My bad. Steven Tyler is cool but I dunno if he’s got a whistle in him.

[@thatonedude9744]

daftoptimist He does actually! He goes up to some crazy note (I think an E6) at the end of Crazy

[@Fuzy2K]

An Italian dance record that doesn't have Prisencolinensinainciusol? It's a sin...

[@olpappers3991]

Ladies and Gentlemen, the one true homie.

[@lyricrogersofficial]

I wish it did...

[@banjoplayingbison2275]

Also Giorgio Moroder!!!

[@lyricrogersofficial]

and Raffaella Carrà!

[@NicDoesDumbThings]

When will we get an MP3 of Ben singing Payphone?

[@setsers1]

Ay

[@russellhltn1396]

Maybe I've got tin ears, but I thought one of the "tricks" they used was to license an alternate take. Original song/original artist, but not the version that went up the charts. A number of artists have gone back into the studio to re-record their hits because the contracts back then took all the money from them. They're hoping to get some money off the re-recording.

[@akguzman]

In my college years when i didnt know what napster was..i bought a handful of soundalike cds when i couldnt afford the "now thats what i call music" cds... some got the job done..some were surprisingly great sometimes even better than the real thing.other times i felt like i wasted very hard earned money...i stopped when kmart hiked up the prices which equaled and sometimes surpassed the prices of actual original cds..when nobody was buying them (it seems only i did buy them) they took out that rack away..

[@catholiccontriversy]

Years later they moved onto the children's market with kids bop, because kids will buy anything.

[@mr.bobcyndaquil4214]

20:52 Whoever approved this needs to be crucified on a cross of fire.

[@morelenmir]

If nothing else these tracks me you realize how good the actual artists were... Most of the time. That Aerosmith cover is one of the worst I have ever heard - perhaps because it actually comes pretty close. The more similar the sound-alikes are the more the wrongness comes through. Its like an auditory uncanny valley.

[@goldylover1000]

Why did they butchered dream on out of all songs to ruin why did they butchered one of the best songs of the 70s I don't care if they want to make a quick buck just why did they ruin that awesome song if they did ruin Bohemian rhapsody than screw this world.

[@nathanstout8063]

There was a 49 minute ad on this video... So I let the whole thing play. Take that KZbin!

[@nathanstout8063]

I had to go look up Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep after seeing that on the Top of the Pops album cover. There's an episode of Father Ted called Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep and so I know why. Didn't know that was a play on the name of a song.

[@riceboy1701e]

Ben: as a DJ, I TRULY appreciate your bringing these AWFUL songs(?) to life (they should remain DEAD). I actually have a two-CD collection of ripoffs thay, fortunately, I have never played. I prefer the original, full-length versions by the original artists. When a radio station or a certain satellite radio network airs these same songs, they are heavily edited (murdered) and often time-crunched (think credits at the end of a TV show) and sound little like the artist intended. Thus, what we have here! Anyway, I LOVE your channel! I have subscibed! And I am not po'ed...yet.

[@beyondbeyond1965]

My god that Bridge over troubled water ripoff was worse than I thought conceivably possible

[@adrienfourniercom]

the question remains: how do they deal with the royalties and copyrights?

[@riceboy1701e]

Now, instead of K-tel, we have Kidz Bop. :-(

[@NoNickNoKick]

Top of the Pops always with those 60/70's calendar naughty gals :'D Yep, I have some of thoses, just for the covers :P

[@DontFearTheHuckster]

I would pay good money to hear that full Bonnie Tyler cover. That was painful.

[@robfriedrich2822]

In Germany, the normal LPs did costs 4 times of the single price - but cover LPs the same as a single

[@bob7872]

Very funny!! I like your "Buchanan-esque" comedy (Buchanan & Goodman of course.)

[@sirmojo4537]

These are even worse than when artists do re-records of their own hits! Kenny Rogers was notorious for that.

[@MrJohndoakes]

Let me guess, K-Tel complained.

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

WTF with that Scarborough Faire?!? I'd love to know why they thought that was a good idea.

[@newstarcadefan]

Yup...somebody who was "naturally" stoned.

[@JL-sm6cg]

Going on a second binge of your show, I fully realize that not only was this the first record rip-offs episode, but this is the first episode with your main set settled.

[@SonicYM2612]

22:22 Now available at (blablabla)....and also, at Eckerd Drugs. DAMN RIGHT it's gonna be available there considering these things are basically (on) drugs! XDD

[@FragglevisionReturns]

a few of the covers, mostly Sweet City Woman and Dream On sound like Jerry Nelson singing... but that's silly, it couldn't have been him really, right???

[@JohnCran]

I'm starting to think I'm a masochist because I keep rewatching these vids and enjoying it.😁

[@JL-sm6cg]

You and me both, pal.

[@riceboy1701e]

I actually had to stop the clip at 1:48 because I was LAUGHING...SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.........HARD!

[@drbpony]

Bwahahahaha!!!! I'd forgotten about mixing in those babies crying sounds in that shitty Simon & Garfunkel cover. You take the junk I post and make it into a piece of art. Thanks for the entertainment :)

[@TimelordR]

drbpony I guess they thought the voice-over mentioning Vietnam War references would have made the song seem dated.

[@MomLAU]

I think the babies were crying because the recording was so bad. Then again, it's hard to tell--with all that squalling, you can hardly hear the song. lol

[@darkangel2347]

Sound a like music is used on DVDset if an old TV show does not get permission to use original music as aired on TV or of first run versions on TV.

[@randompendragon9215]

That one lyric was right, it is working for "the man"

[@darkangel2347]

I have brought some "sound alike" CD compliations. But they have served to get recordings from the original artists later.

[@visaman]

The Frankie Avalon cut sounds really groovy (get it, I sad groovy, I crack myself up!)

[@lyricrogersofficial]

I laughed at "lookin' for a job in the city" in "Proud Mary" LMAO

[@MichaelHansenFUN]

cover versions started in the 60's by the tons but by the time the end of the 60's these became "SoundAlike records" (even ELton John had to sing cover versions) but it gained MORE STEAM (including covers and sound alikes) up till the 1980's-try CLASSICALGASEMISSIONS blogspot

[@dominicmgm]

I want an MP3 of Indifferent Towards You by Heart(attack)

[@peanutbutterjeff5364]

I’ve never really been to sensitive to sound, but that K Tel record was low quality by my very low standards.

[@robfriedrich2822]

It runs 30 and more minutes per side. So they have to cut frequencies below 80 Hz and also they cut above 12 kHz.

[@DesmondShannon87]

What's even worse is they still sell and promote them in infomercials to this day! SMH!

[@WammyGiveaway]

4:58 - 4:59 - One second shade of Chespirito.

[@prfo5554]

Are you ever going to review the RCA Camden "Living" series records, like the Living Marimbas or Living Voices series for example?

[@mrmorbidlives]

Nice to know there are freaks like me out there

[@ThisGuyFrritz]

7:48 Sounds like that Sesame Street muppet named El Mo!

[@secondbestsull7541]

Or Tutter from Bear In The Big Blue House.

[@CJODell12]

3:16. “I’m not gonna lie to you. These things really do piss me off.”

[@DriveInFreak]

lMAO... that "SUPER HITS' tape is a standard stereo 8-track in a Q8 (quad) cartridge.

[@nicholsjoshua15]

At least girls singing the cover of "Making Our Dreams Come True" have real sounding New York accents.

[@girlscanbedrummers5449]

Joshua As a Laverne and Shirley fan, I'm going to a crisis right now.

[@davidjames666]

@0:30 I thought that song was sung by R. Kelly

[@danehlers9989]

Thanks so much for this. I was continually tortured as a child by my cousin who insisted that these were the actual versions of said songs and I knew even at the age of 9 years old that they were not. It was only cuz she sounded exactly as horrible while singing along to these olden moldies, so she thought. I could do nothing while being held captive by her during weekend babysitting romps that I call torture sessions. Thanks for the memories mom. My therapist understands....😮 😅 😵‍💫🙉

[@digitalcasanova]

Make me fart a dollar!

[@cqmorrell]

Baby, baby, jump into the feeble plow!

[@HandlebarOrionX]

And here I thought Steve Winwood was the only man in history to knock himself off. (search Valerie by Steve Winwood and you'll see what I mean.)

[@Moneytane1976]

You know the British had mountains of these and the covers were as hilarious as the songs. Yet some were pretty good too.

[@RickinBaltimore]

20:52 What the hell happened?

[@SRMkay]

No wonder Eckerd went out of business.

[@TimelordR]

SRMkay The only retailer in that TV ad left standing (barely) would be Sears.

[@hulavaultboy5935]

+SRMkay Leaving them prey fer RiteAid tae swoop in an' scoop em' up.

[@cb._]

the fiber one version of total eclipse of the heart was better than the record ripoff

[@your_local_questerian]

10:25 song?

[@collectingonthecheap56353]

Drew's Party Hits would continue the tradition in the 90s and early 2000s.

[@akguzman]

THANK YOU!! Ive been trying to remember the name of that brand..ive had a couple of those cds back in the day..the better ones were the dance remix editions of those albums..

[@Maarcis12]

what was the song used for "Inglewood Crack- Screams" joke?

[@newstarcadefan]

It was the ripoff of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac in the joke.

[@Maarcis12]

thanks, mate

[@Sabrina79]

newstarcadefan that one made me cringe; I love Fleetwood Mac.

[@Moneytane1976]

3.03 WTF!You make me feel like dancing - that was hilarious. My mothers collection had heaps of this crap, all this soundlaike crap. And we have 20 Solid gold hits here, cheep records, songs faded out before the end, 2 or 3 hits that were flops and even some soundalikes inserted as the real thing.

[@waterandafter]

None are as bad as kidz bop. Check out their cover of feelgood inc. Comp albums would've been a great idea. It's not like you could make a mixed tape off the radio back in the 70s.

[@goldylover1000]

Kids bop better not ruin Clint Eastwood another gorillaz song if they do I'm gonna blow up there headquarters.

[@waterandafter]

No. They've moved on to making Nikki Minaj better.

[@Horizions]

0:43 whats that song.

[@daftoptimist]

Also I want to slap the person who came up with 20:57 onward. With a guitar.

[@robfriedrich2822]

17:35 Scissors in the sun

[@MichaelHansenFUN]

5:24 didn't Jan get into the car wreck BUT WAS ABLE TO RECOVER and I guess that DEAN did both on the re recordings here is where you can buy www.discogs.com/Jan-Dean-The-Jan-Dean-Story/release/2440221

[@PlayerFiveVids]

19:54 ♪ *Duck!* And _Co_-ver!♪

[@dorourke105]

Oh you also forgot Love is a Warzone by Pam Benatar and Lovely Home Georgia by Dynyrd Fynard

[@ApoplecticDialectics]

I AM VERY UPSET.

[@wintercrow8136]

well there's 20 minutes of my life I will never get back.....and all those years of therapy shot.

[@lyricrogersofficial]

Good lord; I have the Muskrat Love foursider. And it's so bad it's good! My mom used to have it as a kid but she threw it away; she was pissed off because the recordings weren't by the original artists 🤣🤣🤣

[@ZoeThePirate]

Of course they used the crappy guitar solo from the single version of Let It Be, and not the amazing one from the full album. Can't have too much of a good thing!

[@TimelordR]

And people wonder why i never discuss my growing up in the 70's, because i voluntarily blacked out all traces of my memories of that wretched decade. I blame the crap music of that era.

[@AudraBurgess]

My mom is the same way.

[@RyanSellman1]

The rock music of that era was pretty good.

[@Desmaad]

I dunno, there was some genuinely good music from that era (even if it didn't regularly make the Top 40).

[@secondbestsull7541]

2:45 Prank VHS/DVD Openings in a nutshell; Dead meme nowadays.

[@emptyspotlight]

7:49 sounds like the Bee Gees singing

[@vassilisgonis]

Nice one! Thank you so much! Some of them weren't that bad. I much prefer them over the artful renditions of the talented, yet dry of inspiration, modern youth (from the 80ies onward). And given what they were paid, to cover these songs, my guess is that they deliberately slaughtered them, just for revenge. I have some of these albums, as well, one of the first outings of Samantha Fox, on the cover, before she started singing!

[@rickm.2956]

I thought it sounded fine on my Magnetbox record player.

[@NPGLAMB]

That Frankie Avalon disco song didn’t sound too bad

[@jb888888888]

Like 35 years ago my mother bought me a cassette called "DANCING GREATEST HITS" featuring several popular songs of the day, such as "Billie Jean" and such. 100% sound-similar covers. Oh, I just remembered; I also bought a couple of records the Star Wars Soundtrack by the "Electric Moog Orchestra" and the Rocky soundtrack, I don't remember who by.

[@OddityArchive]

For what it's worth, "Dancing Greatest Hits" is covered on Volume 6.

[@jb888888888]

@@OddityArchive Neat.

[@Fluteboy]

@@OddityArchive I looked up that *Electric Moog Orchestra* title, and it was recorded at *Minot Sound.* So close!

[@kaelandin]

Where's episode 27?

[@OddityArchive]

Assuming it isn't blocked, it's on the "OALostEpisodes" channel.