Song Comparisons - Colonel Abrams - Trapped & Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up

These two songs have virtually identical basslines.
Trapped is by Colonel Abrams and was released in August 1985 and produced by Richard Burgess.
Never Gonna Give You Up is by Rick Astley and was released in August 1987 and produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman. It was recorded in March 1987.
Colonel Abrams' Trapped came first and Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up was released exactly two years later, so Stock, Aitken & Waterman were influenced by Trapped.

[@afroblack1000]

Right from the 1st time I heard Rick Ashley's "never gonna give you up" back in 1987, I figured out so quickly that it had an identical baseline with Colonel Abrams "Trapped"

[@secularargument]

I bet you’re pretty old lol

[@nigelcottingham5741]

Same here, I was 13 at the time. The hi-hat pattern and Latin drums on the drum machine we're also similar. Cracking result though you can't argue!!

[@Fernando-mf2ph]

Interview of Mike sock: " Anyway, for Rick Astley’s song I didn’t want it to sound like Kylie or Bananarama so I looked at the Colonel Abrams track Trapped and recreated that syncopated bassline in a way that suited our song. It gave it the extra dimension that made it successful."

[@effyiew7318]

If you've ever read the book "From the factory floor" which was written by a guy who worked for Stock, Aitken, Waterman as a mixer - he says in the book flat out that they ripped off the bassline and matched it note for note because they wanted specifically to steal the groove from "Trapped". That they had "Trapped" on another track on the tape and they went through it really slow and lined up every note until they matched it perfectly.

[@hardcorehouse]

The British producers mentioned that like others they went to the center of the dance world NYC, grabbed hot records and that was that...the white Colonel Abrams was born! Just as house music in Chicago was inspired by those same NYC Colonel/Boyd Jarvis records at Imports Etc. and other Chicago record stores and as heard on Chi radio and club mixes.

[@MixmstrStel]

RIP Colonel Abrams. Ben Liebrand made a minimix/mashup using both of these songs back in 1987 and took full advantage of this.

[@russellbosanko6271]

Amazes me to this day how SAW got away with this without paying royalties. Kind of sad when you consider how the Colonel died... RIP to him and the totally original Trapped is still a cool tune after all these years....

[@greggmitchell2392]

In fact, Peter Waterman admits they borrowed the bassline from Trapped for Rick's track in a Guardian interview, quoted here: "Anyway, for Rick Astley’s song I didn’t want it to sound like Kylie or Bananarama so I looked at the Colonel Abrams track Trapped and recreated that syncopated bassline in a way that suited our song. It gave it the extra dimension that made it successful."

[@jocelynemmamuganda2413]

Long time ago wow it's amazing we enjoyed our time together 😘

[@DjHousefromChicago]

For many years i wamted to mix these 2 songs at parties but relaxing in my yard i heard the and I said that's why. Wow!!

[@trooper_long]

Stock, Aitken and Waterman copied not only the baseline, but also the rhythmic sequence of what sounds like congas in the percussion track. The Stock, Aitken and Waterman production dialed back the percussion a bit so their signature synth sound could float over the beat. The Abrams track features congas higher up in the mix, which made the track very popular as an underground garage classic.

[@chucke.cheese2212]

Let Rick AND Mr. Abrams (R.I.P.) be great yall. 😔

[@artisticfreedomltd]

i was thinking it was "i'm not gonna let" --- either way, colonel abrams is at the root 💯

[@garryfield5319]

it's there.

[@nigelcottingham5741]

*were

[@Sethmotley]

Straight rip off

[@DistantCousin]

I hear only a vague similarity...

[@martenlynch8239]

From the moment rick came out, i knew it was stolen. But did Abraham heard it to? 🤔

[@jd49631]

Colonel Abrams passed away recently, unfortunately.

[@RocStarr913]

He had to have. Astley’s song was a way bigger hit single all over the world.

[@jimipurple123]

Almost copied