– that George Clinton owns “Bow wow wow yippie yo yippie yeah,” thanks to Atomic Dog
It seems that a rap group on the Universal label had a song about a dog that used the phrase from “Atomic Dog,” and the Sixth Circuit held this to be copyright infringement.
Bridgeport claims that “D.O.G. in Me” infringed its copyright on Clinton’s “Atomic Dog” based on the use of the phrase “Bow wow wow, yippie yo, yippie yea” (the “Bow Wow refrain”), as well as use repetition of the word “dog” in a low tone of voice at regular intervals and the sound of rhythmic panting in “D.O.G. in Me.”
The Sixth Circuit opinion briefly describes the recording of the original, cowriten by David Spradley, Garry Shider, and George Clinton. It was “composed spontaneously”–
Spradley recorded the initial tracks in the studio and recalled that “when George arrived he had been partying pretty heavily so he was, you know, feeling pretty good,” and was unsteady at the microphone. Spradley and Garry Shider “got on either side of him. We just kind of kept him in front of the microphone” while Clinton recorded the vocal tracks that same night.
Somehow I’m not surprised. I like the phrase “composed spontaneously.” To quote another P-Funk song, “ain’t nuthin’ but a party.” Expert testimony described the song “an anthem of the funk era, one of the most famous pieces from that whole era . . . one of the most famous songs of the whole repertoire of funk and R&B.”
the Bow Wow refrain “is one ofthe most memorable parts of the song” and is often licensed by itself.
Woof! Woof!
h/y Will Bardwell’s blog.
Keith Richards awakened from a party and found he created and recorded a song he didn’t recall doing. Satisfaction. One of these guys looks like Link, from the Mod Squad. Nice video. Guess partying puts em in the mood for creative music writting.
Didn’t Keith just wake and put down the riff?
George wasn’t high, he was funked up.
I always thought (in rap/hip-hop) that using a line or phrase from someone else’s song was a show of respect to that other artist…to give props, if I may.
I recall him [Richards] saying in an interview that it was in fact after getting out of bed he began playing the prior night’s recordings to find the riff near the end of a tape, it being a small part, ” the riff ”
What a morning. Two folks were let off with warnings in our local court. The SECOND ONE FIRST. Although I had agreed to pay the I’m not wearing a seat-belt fine. I was asked to appear so OK it was thrown out with a lite warning. Right after. The FIRST ONE. A two hour battle on a very small amount of marijuana.
The DA was hell bent for conviction. But the defense would have no part. After the stop and arrest was explained the assumming per started getting objected to. The allege weed, maryjane, refer. In this case green stuff Was not tested by the lab. Thus no real proof. So between the DA’s request to have the officer tell his life story of how he just knew it was Marijuana and the objections that caused with the judge’s call to chambers, where everyone counted to ten took a deep breath then returned.
The judge seem to favor the state and defense knew it but stuck to her position. The DA’s last ditch attempt to make meaningful talk went sour to the facts and ended with victory for the defense. It didn’t matter what,where,or when the officer knew or thought he knew. He failed to prove what that green stuff was. The judge seem angered and dismiss with a not so lite warning. citing supreme court rulings. What a battle. What a defense. Of course I had to compliment her when she passed by. But hey, at least I wasn’t asking for a card like everyone else.
“Bridgeport claims that “D.O.G. in Me” infringed its copyright ”
Sounds like David Kimbrough might want to get in on some of this copyright litigation against this Universal rap group as well.