DS Forums

 
 

Adele-A Million Years Ago- sounds familiar?


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 21-11-2015, 16:10
ashtray88
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,512

I heard Adele singing this song on the BBC yesterday. It's a great song but it just sounds really familiar. I'm not sure if it's a sample of something. It does kind of sound like "My All" by Mariah Carey but I think there is another song which it sounds even more similar too.

Of course, not necessarily saying Adele ripped off another song, I was just curious if anyone else felt similar after hearing it?
ashtray88 is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 21-11-2015, 16:12
Hitstastic
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 4,744
Parts of the melody are similar to Phantom Of The Opera.
Hitstastic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 16:18
konebyvax
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Ignoringtrollsville
Posts: 7,875
First time I heard it I thought it resembled another song from the past but unfortunately I haven't found it yet.
konebyvax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 16:24
Billy_Value
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 18,889
Well there is only 8 notes in an octave and once you get out of that you go an octave up that's when you'll find that sometimes a chord sequence is enough to make you think you've heard it before, how there has been so few writs about plagiarism when so many songs have been written is staggering, yet somehow they still do it.
Billy_Value is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 16:48
ashtray88
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,512
Parts of the melody are similar to Phantom Of The Opera.
Yes! That is the song. I have been listening to it recently. Thanks.
ashtray88 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 16:50
ashtray88
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,512
Well there is only 8 notes in an octave and once you get out of that you go an octave up that's when you'll find that sometimes a chord sequence is enough to make you think you've heard it before, how there has been so few writs about plagiarism when so many songs have been written is staggering, yet somehow they still do it.
I suppose it's kind of like with DNA, how only four different base pairs can make so many different sequences..although there is a lot more DNA in a person than notes in a song.
ashtray88 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 16:58
Puterkid
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,931
It sounds almost identical to this, not sure how she can get away with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIhI23gBBPQ
Puterkid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 16:59
nancyboy
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 822
Parts of it are virtually identical to Yesterday When I Was Young by Charles Aznavour. Plus the fact that the lyric includes the phrase "when I was young" won't help much if this gets to court.
nancyboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 17:04
my name is joe
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: In England
Posts: 4,349
It sounds almost identical to this, not sure how she can get away with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIhI23gBBPQ
hardly. An echo of that but no more.

I think it's the Spanish guitar that gives it that old time familiar feel, bit of windmills of your mind, bit of girl from ipanema, bit of a lot of things
my name is joe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 17:06
my name is joe
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: In England
Posts: 4,349
Parts of it are virtually identical to Yesterday When I Was Young by Charles Aznavour. Plus the fact that the lyric includes the phrase "when I was young" won't help much if this gets to court.
close thematically, not so much the melody
my name is joe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 17:11
ashtray88
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,512
hardly. An echo of that but no more.

I think it's the Spanish guitar that gives it that old time familiar feel, bit of windmills of your mind, bit of girl from ipanema, bit of a lot of things
I agree, that is probably it. The Spanish guitar is very distinctive.
ashtray88 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 17:32
shadesofblack
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,936
This killed me trying to figure it out. I think I cracked it. Or at least one song that sounds very familiar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKV9bK-CBXo
shadesofblack is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 17:38
konebyvax
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Ignoringtrollsville
Posts: 7,875
This killed me trying to figure it out. I think I cracked it. Or at least one song that sounds very familiar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKV9bK-CBXo

THAT'S IT!! But it was the Noel Harrison (son of Rex) version I was familiar with growing up (I'm old )

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WEhS9Y9HYjU
konebyvax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 17:38
Puterkid
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,931
I think it's a French guitar.
Puterkid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 18:16
topcat2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,979
It's got an echo of autumn leaves too.

It's my favourite new song of hers
topcat2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 18:26
GeorginaPL
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 172
I knew/know it reminds me something very much and that for me it's East European. Probably more than one thing too. But the one I found closest so far is probably unknow to all of you. Listen to the chorus. Here it's a bit more up tempo, but still.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAhPa7GtS-M
GeorginaPL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 20:19
mgvsmith
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Belfast
Posts: 7,287
A million years sounds a bit like a lot of songs, most of which are listed above. I thought it sounded a bit like Ne Me Quitte Pas by Jacques Brel as performed by Alison Moyet.
The Dusty Springfield version of 'Yesterday When We Were Young' is similar. And I can hear elements of 'Phantom' and 'My All'.

The important thing is that 'A Million Years ago' is similar to these older songs and Adele sounds a bit like Dusty and Alison. It would be great if people were to rediscover some of these older songs because of Adele. It would also be good if some fans would get perspective and realise there is very little original about Adele either.
mgvsmith is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 20:37
shadesofblack
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,936
A million years sounds a bit like a lot of songs, most of which are listed above. I thought it sounded a bit like Ne Me Quitte Pas by Jacques Brel as performed by Alison Moyet.
The Dusty Springfield version of 'Yesterday When We Were Young' is similar. And I can hear elements of 'Phantom' and 'My All'.

The important thing is that 'A Million Years ago' is similar to these older songs and Adele sounds a bit like Dusty and Alison. It would be great if people were to rediscover some of these older songs because of Adele. It would also be good if some fans would get perspective and realise there is very little original about Adele either.
Im a huge Alison Moyet fan. Saw her when I was a kid and then just last year again. Midnight from the Yaz days is still a classic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOZ3XUj1jg0

I will disagree with the very little original about Adele. There are only so many keys you know. Actually, in todays pop music scene, I'd say that Adele was one of the most original things out there at the moment.
shadesofblack is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 20:46
mgvsmith
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Belfast
Posts: 7,287
Im a huge Alison Moyet fan. Saw her when I was a kid and then just last year again. Midnight from the Yaz days is still a classic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOZ3XUj1jg0

I will disagree with the very little original about Adele. There are only so many keys you know. Actually, in todays pop music scene, I'd say that Adele was one of the most original things out there at the moment.
Adele sounds original compared to her popular contemporaries but she doesn't sound as original compared to her predecessors. Dusty Springfield did a lot of this performance style in the 60s.

If you are thinking musically original then try Julia Holter or Julianna Barwick or Joanna Newsome perhaps?
mgvsmith is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 21:06
shadesofblack
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,936
Adele sounds original compared to her popular contemporaries but she doesn't sound as original compared to her predecessors. Dusty Springfield did a lot of this performance style in the 60s.

If you are thinking musically original then try Julia Holter or Julianna Barwick or Joanna Newsome perhaps?
Just because it's original doesn't mean its always good.
You should check out Elizaveta. Think you may like her. Really good live. Plays a hell of a piano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFvzv1h3UHk

As for Adele, I'm actually thinking original from a scale of being able to reach millions of people. You won't be seeing Katy or Taylor or hell, even Kelly singing Million Years Ago. Only Adele can make that a single on top 40 radio.
shadesofblack is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 21:13
peter_s
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: St Helens
Posts: 379
When i heard the song, i thought of this:

Theme from the television series M*A*S*H

Adele


But then i am tone deaf
peter_s is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 21:20
shadesofblack
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,936
When i heard the song, i thought of this:

Theme from the television series M*A*S*H

But then i am tone deaf
Lol! I can see it. I think its that 60s and early 70s vibe.
shadesofblack is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 21:28
peter_s
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: St Helens
Posts: 379
Lol! I can see it. I think its that 60s and early 70s vibe.

That i'm tone deaf?
peter_s is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 21:30
mgvsmith
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Belfast
Posts: 7,287
Just because it's original doesn't mean its always good.
You should check out Elizaveta. Think you may like her. Really good live. Plays a hell of a piano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFvzv1h3UHk

As for Adele, I'm actually thinking original from a scale of being able to reach millions of people. You won't be seeing Katy or Taylor or hell, even Kelly singing Million Years Ago. Only Adele can make that a single on top 40 radio.
Adele's image and musical style is a definite contrast from those you mention.
Although I have heard Demi Lovato do 'Hello' and it wasn't bad at all. Adele may well be an influence on others and I like her latest songs. I listen to a lot of Van Morrison and he is always doing the nostalgia thing.

The Elizaveta song is great. I rather like Janelle Monae though by way of contrast.
mgvsmith is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 21:37
njp
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 21,646
When i heard the song, i thought of this:

Theme from the television series M*A*S*H

But then i am tone deaf
Actually, that's the theme from the film, which preceded the TV series. The TV series used an instrumental version. Or versions.

The angst-laden lyrics were penned by 14 year-old Mike Altman, and earned him vastly more than his father got for directing the film.
njp is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 16:04.