British rockers Coldplay and guitar maestro Joe Satriani’s war over who came up with the tune to Coldplay’s hit single “Viva La Vida” took an interesting turn yesterday, as Cat Stevens let his opinion be known.
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“There’s been this argument about Coldplay stealing this melody from Joe Satriani,” Stevens told the Sun, “but, if you listen to it, it’s mine! It’s the “Foreigner Suite,” it is!”
Stevens, aka Yusuf Islam, says his 18 minute-plus track from the 1973 album Foreigner is the basis for the melody upon which Coldplay’s single and, by extension, Satriani’s 2004 instrumental “If I Could Fly” are based. Satriani is suing Coldplay for incorporating “substantial original portions” of his song and is seeking “any and all profits” from “Vida La Vida” in return.
Islam doesn’t seem overly concerned. He’s already opening the doors for a possible “Mixer-gate”:
“I used Coldplay’s mixer, “Michael H Brauer” on Roadsinger, he’s brilliant. He won a Grammy for their record.”
“My son brought it to my attention and said: ‘Doesn’t that sound like ‘Foreigner Suite?'” Islam explained in interview with Reuters.
“The song definitely sounds like it,” he said of his song. “It has such logical chords and the melody has to be what it is…”
Roadsinger, Islam’s latest studio album, comes out today on A&M Records.
The irony of pop-music people suing each other over originality is mind-boggling.
The whole POINT is that it’s all been done. You have no right to claim the usage of western harmony as your sole domain.
Oh, and this is some allah-awful music here…
rok rok AUN!