Comments on: Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby

By: josh folsom

josh folsom — Sat, 05 May 2018 19:39:34 +0000

using the title, the chorus, the hook and a verse from a song is much more than borrowing or basing on, it is copying the same song regardless of the differences. i can’t believe a judge sided with perkins on this, it’s a miscarriage of justice.

By: Slipper of the Yard

Slipper of the Yard — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 23:10:36 +0000

As Bowie said, It’s not who comes first but who comes second who often matters most.

By: Slipper of the Yard

Slipper of the Yard — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 23:06:27 +0000

A bit like what Robert Plant did with Led Zeppelin songs ?

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 09:36:56 +0000

I believe it came from Ian MacDonald’s Revolution In The Head, which attributed the tambourine to John. I agree, it’s more likely to have been Ringo, unless someone else can chime in with evidence to the contrary. I’ll change it now.

By: carlos

carlos — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 16:50:47 +0000

Beautiful website ! What source did you check to claim that John played tambourine in this one? Wasn´t Ringo the percussionist in the band ? I mean, we all know how competent the fab four were (each one of them) to experience with a range of instruments. But up to “Beatles for Sale” recording and so, I believe Ringo kept his percussionist post. I will appreciate an answer to my question.

By: Jonas Svensson, Sweden

Jonas Svensson, Sweden — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 17:32:02 +0000

Copyright infringement or inspirational use of parts from other people´s works is a cause of concern forever.
I am not going to make comments to all of this, just a few bits. 1) Chuck Berry did not sue John Lennon, the company that owed the publishing rights to You can´t catch me did. 2) I come to think of the lady who served McCartney with the French words to Michelle. She were happy to have some cash for it, never asked for any more nor sued him to claim co-composer credits. I think she could have done it if , and that is IF- it had been agreed upon when the translation was done, as he asked for it specifically. But then Paul might have discarded the idea altogether and…
3) As for Everybody´s trying to be my baby, I have two recordings of it by Carl Perkins. One with the “pauses”, and one that just bops along with slightly different lyrics. Both are absolutely great.
4) What I can hear from the Rex Griffin recordings is a huge influence by Jimmie Rodgers who had passed away a few years before Griffin did the “Everybody´s…” record., including copying the Rodgers´ way of yodeling and all.
His song is similar in lyrics, and definitely before Perkins´ recording, but the arrangement of the music is very different. This is not the only such case in music history, but the rights to the songs are very difficult to change after such long time.

By: Semolina Pilchard

Semolina Pilchard — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 13:01:11 +0000

I take it the one “borrowed” from determines whether it is a “theft” or “homage.” Chuck Berry has always been cash and carry after concerts, about everything, notoriously cheap with credits -look at Chuck’s lifelong disrespectful treatment of the great Johnnie Johnson! So Lennon (in his mind) pays homage to “You Can’t Catch Me” in “Come Together” and Berry sues them. Yet, several years later, when Lennon finally met Chuck on the “Mike Douglas” show, he had no bitterness, said he finally realized how everyone else felt when they met Lennon himself in a restaurant or such. “I saw him and I was in awe. I just couldn’t stop staring. Its like The Mummy or something – you see the guy, you’ve seen him a thousand times in the paper or magazines, but when he is right there, its ‘It talks?!’ How cool is that?” Chuck sued him for the unauthorized use of those five little words, and settled when Lennon agreed to record some of Chuck’s songs for his oldies album. Lennon likely would have recorded the songs anyway. But for Chuck, everything is about the money.

The Beatles copped the entire drum sequence for “I Feel Fine” from “What’d I say?” and to my knowledge, Ray Charles never sued anyone. In fact, from reading, one of the reasons settled on their friend Ringo as Best’s replacement was his talent and style in being able to play “What’d I say?”

Lennon said during a DJ stint in September 1974 (when he just showed up at a station “on a rainy Saturday afternoon here in NYC with some of my favorite tracks”) that he copped the “Hey Baby” harmonica lick by the great Bruce Channel for “Love Me Do.”

Everything is derivative. Whether someone can make it their own, develop mass appeal and then continually build on it makes the difference. Der Bingel never sued Sinatra who never sued Elvis who, with the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly and his Crickets, Little Richard, Arthur Alexander etc never sued the Bealtes, who never sued the Stones et cetera.

By: jennifur Sun

jennifur Sun — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 09:21:01 +0000

loved the sound of that guitar. always liked hearing George play Carls songs, or songs he recorded

By: metzgermeister77

metzgermeister77 — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 05:58:49 +0000

Scott actually tried to take Paul to court over Ob-la-di Ob-la-da but the court ruled that he had no claim on the song. Scott may have introduced Paul to the phrase, but it existed before he ever said it.

By: appmanga

appmanga — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 17:48:07 +0000

As a songwriter, I understand both sides of the coin as far as what may be borrowing and what may be stealing. It’s long been a point of controvesy as to how people like Perkins and even Led Zeppelin have used old material from others and claimed it as their invention. The reality is it’s very hard to prove this type of plagerism in court. I’ve long felt that John gave into Morris Levy (re: “You Can’t Catch Me”) because he didn’t need the headache of a lawsuit from a person known to be extremely litigious and allegedly “mobbed up”. Typically, using a line from a previously written song doesn’t rise to the level of plagerism. The “My Sweet Lord” incident certainly is a better example of two songs being very similar. I also believe Paul paid a few bucks to Jimmie Scott.

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 23:46:41 +0000

On top of that, Perkins’ self-penned Sun recordings were originally published by Sun’s in-house publishing companies (Hi-Lo Music and Knox Music), which were maintained by Sun’s owner, Sam Phillips, so the discrepancy would lie with Sam, not Carl.
Sam Cooke took lyrics from “Matchbox” & stuck them in the middle of “Somebody Have Mercy”, yet I don’t hear anyone complaining about that…

Just to stir things up, if Carl’s a thief, then so is John for putting lyrics from “Baby, Let’s Play House” into “Run For Your Life” & lifting the intro from “Some Other Guy” for “Instant Karma”. It depends on how ridiculous you wanna get about it. “Here come ol’ flattop” anybody? How ’bout “My Sweet Lord”???

One more of these… Let’s give co-writer’s credits to Jimmies Nichol & Scott for “Getting Better” & “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”. Run that one by Paul & Yoko & see if they’ll go for it. Ok, I’m off the soapbox now…

By: Michael Taliaferro

Michael Taliaferro — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 23:55:48 +0000

I agree with with Trorine, maybe not on the joke part, but definitely on the thief part. I know for a fact that the song was stolen from Rex and it’s a shame that the Perkins family is so greedy they wont won’t give the true writer credit.

By: Carl Savich

Carl Savich — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 00:15:17 +0000

The major point here is that Carl Perkins wrote completely new music for the song. Lyrically, the two songs are similar but musically they are not. My guess is that Carl Perkins did not have the sheet music for the song and did not remember the music so he just wrote and created new music for it in the style of “Blue Suede Shoes”. He did the same thing with “Matchbox” which does borrow lyrics from an older blues song but which has totally new music. I think if you compare the music to the Carl Perkins song and the Rex Griffin song you will find that they are different. This is why a lawsuit would fail. The music is different. The Carl Perkins song is more blues-based and is closer to “Blue Suede Shoes” musically.

By: Sergey

Sergey — Fri, 20 May 2011 11:32:21 +0000

Everett:
“Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby”:
1. Drums, bass, John’s Jumbo
2. George’s Country Gent
3. George’s vocal with heavy STEED
4. George’s doubled vocal for chorus and tambourine

By: Joseph Brush

Joseph Brush — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:10:51 +0000

Since you brought up this subject, anybody who has heard both versions will notice that the Beatles recorded Carl Perkin’s adaption of this song.

By: mr. Sun king coming together

mr. Sun king coming together — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:37:14 +0000

Then what is the status of your attempts currently?

By: Trorine Richoux

Trorine Richoux — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:46:23 +0000

We have, and will not give up!
Trorine Richoux

By: mr. Sun king coming together

mr. Sun king coming together — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:34:15 +0000

How Come Your Family hasn’t applied for Royalties or credits for this Song

By: Trorine Richoux

Trorine Richoux — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 06:30:04 +0000

I have no problem replying to your comments !!
My name is Trorine Richoux, and very proud to be the grand daughter of Rex Griffin !!
You said, Carl Perkins reconstructed the song and altered its theme as well. “You belive what you like” Maybe take a look at the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The Griffin family has had over 50 years to fight for their claim to this song but apparently they have not. “Apparently, You are wrong again”
I really don’t know how Carl Perkins and now the Perkins Estate can still live with there self,
So I have the right to call a man like Carl Perkins and the estate a joke and a thief?
Trorine Richoux
Anyone can contact me @
rexgriffinmusic@aol.com

By: yoko

yoko — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:24:21 +0000

dude the lead guitar riff is the exact same as “what goes on”