[jdeegan]

jdeegan has more than _____ covers of this song each by a different artist in mp3 format. What is the name of the song? How many does jdeegan have?

The winners will receive a prize consisting of a copy of each song, a total of ____ different versions.

If no one guesses correctly, I will post hints until someone gets it.

jdeegan

[pbleighton]

I am not going to hazard a guess as to your library, but according to the ever-useful Wikipedia:

"Paul McCartney's Yesterday is the most covered song in the world with over three thousand different versions."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_version...t_covered_songs

Peter

[Sigi_BC84]

Great idea, jdeegan!

I assume it is "Summertime", the Jazz classic.

--Sigi

[jdeegan]

pbleighton, on Jun 27 2006, 10:23 PM, said:

I am not going to hazard a guess as to your library, but according to the ever-useful Wikipedia:

"Paul McCartney's Yesterday is the most covered song in the world with over three thousand different versions."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_version...t_covered_songs

Peter

Ever useful, but also ever bogus. Three thousand covers, really now! The source of this is a database that is currently unavailable, being updated so they say. The one available source from Germany found 163 covers of 'Yesterday'.

[jdeegan]

I dunno what the most covered pop song might be, but one important aspect, at least in the U.S., is copyright protection. Noncopyrighted songs get more coverage. "My' particular song was an old American folk dirge called "House of the Rising Sun". It proved its marketability with the Animals hit in the '60's.

It has been a staple album filler song for hundreds of groups. I used the free download systems like Napster and Limewire to find 214 different recordings. These include some of the worst renditions imaginable, including a totally stoned bunch of goofing around by the Beatles. My personal favorite bad version is from the album Svein Sings the Hits. Who was that guy anyway?

[Sigi_BC84]

jdeegan, on Jul 1 2006, 04:49 AM, said:

I used the free download systems like Napster and Limewire to find 214 different recordings.

I somehow like your relaxed attitude towards piracy ;-).

[jdeegan]

Sigi_BC84, on Jul 1 2006, 08:51 PM, said:

jdeegan, on Jul 1 2006, 04:49 AM, said:

I used the free download systems like Napster and Limewire to find 214 different recordings.

I somehow like your relaxed attitude towards piracy ;-).

At the time I gathered these mp3 files a few years ago, I think a 'relaxed' attitude was just what was needed. The internet was drastically altering the economics of audio and this was an obvious precursor to coming changes in video (the really, really big market). The changing economics dictated a change in the legal framework, and the only way to see where things ought to end up was to let things go freely for a while. I speak of this as a doctor of economics with a specialty in government regulation of business.

The paradox of intellectual property rights like patents and copyrights is that they do what is normally a BAD THING (i.e. creating a monopoly) in the service of doing a GOOD THING (i.e. providing an economic incentive for artistic and scientific innovation). The trick is to find the correct middle ground that leaves little or no innovation undone for lack of financial incentives without creating a stifling monopoly power that sabotages the very things you want to encourage.

My favorite story about intellectual property in the music business is the story of the trial of John Fogerty. Fogerty was, for all intents and purposes, the 60's group Creedence Clearwater Revival. He did not keep ownership of his classic rock songs of that era. In the 1980's he recorded some of his distinctive 'bayou rock' sound (e.g. Proud Mary, Suzie Q, et.al.) for a TV commercial. The owners of the copyrights of his classic songs sued him for breach of copyright. Fogerty's defense was that all of his music sounds the same (lots of truth to that). The jury bought it and found for Fogerty. The point is artists can be intimidated and restricted in their music for fear of being sued.

My daughter is an executive for Disney in L.A. and her friends are mostly industry business people who work in Westwood - i.e. 'suits' not 'talent'. Their attitude is exactly what you would expect - they hate the idea of pirates. Artists, however, don't agree. The attitudes are not much different from those in other industries where some aspect of government regulation is important.