haha there’s another one. The very beginning sounds like Mary Had a Little Lamb haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybjH7qRT37k
Here’s one that was always my “argument”. It takes it a few secs to get into but you’ll hear it too. The feet walking even make me think of the RGB ghost walking 
The bassline sounds a little more like GB to me than Want a New Drug
Damn Zack that sounds really close. I actually like that song the more I hear it now. Thanks!
“Every team needs an all-star. Football teams have their star quarterback, (I forget the second part of the line), The News has Huey Lewis!”
Dr. Venkman - “Ghostbuster of the Year”
I butchered that, but you get the idea.
Apparently Ray Parker Jr. should have hired us as his defense team.
“Do you like Huey Lewis and the News?”
Seriously though…I can see the similarities, but I definitely don’t think it was worth a lawsuit…
exactly its a standard funk/soul/ and r&b guitar riff that can be found in variations everywhere.. .
Lionbush it really doesn’t work that way
If it did Sir Coxon Dodd could be suing every Ska artists that has played upbeats since 1950 something.
To me its a situation where the bully got lucky.
If you can prove that the song in question sounds has been deliberatly copied from your song then you have a case. Here is an excerpt from an ABC.net article about Coldplay and their pending suit brought about.
Copyright Lawyer Michael Easton from Brett Oaten Solicitors explains how damages might be assessed in the Coldplay case.
“[You need to assess if] there’s any kind of culpability on the defendant’s part. So if it’s agreed that they subconsciously infringed then that might be something that reduces damages,” he said.
"But you’d also look at things like the extent to which the market for the original work’s been affected and what kind of profits the defendant made as a result of the infringement.
“Another aspect which is often significant in these cases is looking at the likelihood that the writer, the defendant, was exposed to the original song. So the question might come down to a case of whether [singer] Chris Martin has a Joe Satriani album in his collection.”
Sorry, but RPjr’s Ghostbusters song sounds very much like the Hugey Lewis song and I suggest that they had means to prove that which is why it was settled out of court and and non disclosure signed. The big part is proving if you knowingly ripped of another song or whether it was by chance you made the song sound the same. For example if you went and made a song using the guitar riff from the GB theme, then there is a pretty good chance that they would be able to prove you knowing copied it.
They just mentioned the whole deal with a guest on the Bob and Tom tv show..First time I heard of it.
Yes thanks for not making any actual points but just posting links
Here let me break it down for you
The guitar riff is similar to a degree; but on a whole the rhythm is different.
Huey Lewis: One e and a 2 and 3 and 4 and: One e and a 2 and 3 and 4
Ray Parker: One and 2 3 4
So besides the 3 and 4 its fundamentally a different variation on a similar idea, that’s what composition is all about.
Melody: different all together
The vocal lines just don’t match up in any significant way.
Harmony; Similar but different phrasing, chording structure, color, and tone.
Groove: Even the groove doesn’t stay the same. Huey Lewis stays more square and straight
Ray Parker adds a little funk.
Sorry spooky they aere the same. I hate huey lewis and the news but I can’t say anything otherwise than the Ghostbusters song is a copy.
Just because RPjr’s song is at a faster BPM doesn’t mean it’s not! There is a reason why they settled out of court you know. It’s not bully boy tactics or luck either…
Funny I didn’t mention that
But only by like 4 clicks…its irrelevent
To those of you saying Huey Lewis’ song, “I want a new drug” never amounted to anything…that’s just sour grapes…and wrong.
“I Want a New Drug” hit #6 on the billboard chart and was part of Huey Lewis & The News’ hugely popular “Sports” album.
Don’t be bitter…it’s a good song.
And RPJ and Lewis settled for a reason…RPJ sampled “I Want a New Drug”. It’s just that simple.
This is nothing new though. Musicians do it all of the time. Ray Parker Jr. just got caught…and he paid for it.
holy thread necro batman!
Okay.
Ray Parker Junior’s Ghostbusters, one of the most popular 80s/pop tunes of all time even in light of the lawsuit.
I want a new drug, almost never played, and probably little heard of by the general public. It’s an ‘alright’ song, but there’s nothing memorable about it.
The sour grapes are soley the property of Mr. Lewis, Xander.
Why are we arguing with the random Heuy Lewis fan that stopped by to tilt at windmills?
He’s thinks it was “sampling”, for pete’s sake!
Someone nail a stake into this thing, it’s trying to bite me!
I played music for a few years back in the day (kinda wish I never stopped but anyway). Reading down this thread it’s nice to see someone do a breakdown. Rather then “it’s different” or “it isn’t”. The rythm is different for sure.
Huey: Daa dede dadaa daa, Daa dede dadaa daa
Ray: Dada dededa daa daa, Dada dededa daa daa
Only “3 and 4” are simular. But I think what induces them to sound more alike then they really are is because both of these melodies/loops are in four counts. But that’s a silly thing to sew someone over. Music is always in counts of four. So their arch starts and ends in the same amount of beats (four), and they end with a simular sound. So they don’t have a lot of ground for a law suit. All songs and melodies are in counts of four, so you can’t sew for both songs having a melody/loop that is only four counts. It just leaves the last two beats that are the same in the riff. Meh. Kind of a joke to bother.
I think MC Hammer had a lawsuit with Rick James with a simular argument. For “Can’t touch this” and “Super Freak”.
Super Freak- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYHxGBH6o4M
Can’t touch this- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c4L4CPfQY8
Now this is a little more tricky. Because the melody is simular, while the percussion is the defining difference. Which leads to a stronger arguement imho. The hilarious part is in the MC Hammer song he even says “This is a beat they can’t touch.” In other words it’s almost like he’s aware that his song is simular but says “my beat is different, then theirs!” Haha
***listen to how they say “soulfinger!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KamT6QmXbA
so then why didn’t the Bar-Kays sue this guy?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FabM1RJTkrY
and in turn, why didn’t that guy sue Huey Lewis?
This is all wrong. We all know Ghostbusters was stolen from Mistah Fab’s “Ghost Ride It”
Besides, I can’t think of Soulfinger without thinking…
“You want some coffee?”
I think the whole lawsuit was “Hey, GB made a lot of money, let’s sue.”
I LOVE Huey, but the songs aren’t the same.