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The guy who wrote the main guitar part to ‘My Girl’ never got royalties

Who wrote the main guitar part to ‘My Girl’ by T...
''"'"''""
  01/08/25
tons of stories like this. the wrecking crew was on hundreds...
UhOh
  01/08/25
did you see that Muscle Shoals documentary? great film. als...
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
  01/08/25
haven't seen the shoals doc, but have seen the linked one wi...
UhOh
  01/08/25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKmGUIM1uAI
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
  01/08/25
that was a good film, tyft
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
  01/09/25
meanwhile marvin gay's greedy grandkids sue anything that so...
tentacle rape
  01/08/25
MY feel MY sound MY vibe
Metal Up Your Ass
  01/08/25
tbf they prevailed in their lawsuit against Robin Thicke for...
''"'"''""
  01/08/25
They were 100% right to sue Thicke
jaray
  01/08/25
a lot of copyright experts think that the Blurred Lines resu...
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
  01/08/25
It literally comes down entirely to venue. Cmon this is a la...
MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp
  01/09/25
i get it about the venue. the court of appeals is where sani...
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
  01/09/25
also, the case is not notable because of the jury verdict, b...
Anti-H1B Chatblog Elects Turdskin Best Poaster
  01/09/25
Ok rate the sanity of the southern district of California ap...
MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp
  01/09/25
it's the 9th cir court of appeals. it's a federal court. ...
Anti-H1B Chatblog Elects Turdskin Best Poaster
  01/09/25
It's a tough one and I could see it going both ways. Looks l...
MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp
  01/09/25
I'm ignorant of what copyright law actually says, but as a p...
Kenneth Play
  01/09/25
Agree with this. That being said it sounded a fuckton like M...
MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp
  01/09/25
...
jaray
  01/08/25
Yeah it doesn’t usually work that way
John Cocke
  01/08/25
yes it does
hank_scorpio
  01/08/25
I mean the way op seems to have been expecting it worked
John Cocke
  01/08/25
ok, although if he had been in the band that would have been...
hank_scorpio
  01/08/25
There is nothing immoral about paying a guy an hourly fee to...
MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp
  01/09/25
that's just how session work has always gone and still does,...
hank_scorpio
  01/08/25
It's all just risk/reward. Some people don't want to be part...
MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp
  01/09/25
Yes others have pointed out here there are probably like a h...
GNOME CHOMSKY
  01/09/25
Some chick wrote the entire rhythm guitar part to Purple Rai...
MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp
  01/09/25
correct
Kenneth Play
  01/09/25
Billy Corgan doesn't get royalties for Celebrity Skin
cowjob
  01/09/25
He’s explicitly credited on several songs, including M...
Alabama Jones
  01/09/25
He got compensated with pussy for that one
''"'"''""
  01/09/25
crazy. do you have any theories as to who was behind these t...
Bill DaWall
  01/09/25
(The guy who wrote the main guitar part to ‘My Girl&rs...
fire diaper
  01/09/25


Poast new message in this thread



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 2:47 PM
Author: ''"'"''""

Who wrote the main guitar part to ‘My Girl’ by The Temptations?

The main guitar part for “My Girl” by The Temptations was written and performed by Robert White, a member of Motown’s legendary house band, The Funk Brothers. His iconic riff is one of the most recognizable intros in music history.

Did he receive royalties for his work on the song?

No, Robert White did not receive royalties for his work on “My Girl” or other Motown recordings. Like most session musicians at Motown during that era, White was paid a flat fee for his studio time but did not share in the royalties or songwriting credits. The royalties for “My Girl” primarily went to the songwriters Smokey Robinson and Ronald White (no relation to Robert White), who were credited for composing the song.

This lack of royalties for session musicians was a common industry practice at the time and led to financial struggles for many talented players despite their contributions to some of the most iconic music ever recorded.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48532326)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 2:49 PM
Author: UhOh

tons of stories like this. the wrecking crew was on hundreds of top hits and never saw anything more than their hourly rate. same for the a team nashville guys.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48532333)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 2:56 PM
Author: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


did you see that Muscle Shoals documentary? great film. also, this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWyUJcA8Zfo

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48532366)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 3:10 PM
Author: UhOh

haven't seen the shoals doc, but have seen the linked one with the woman who did gimme shelter at 2am in one take while pregnant for like $50. pretty much sums it up.

this one is great too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BabX8k1myTc

the liberty devito story is lame af.

other examples are guys like josh freese and jeff pecaro playing drums on thousands of records for hire.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48532420)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 10:57 PM
Author: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKmGUIM1uAI

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534257)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 12:42 AM
Author: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


that was a good film, tyft

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534604)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 2:57 PM
Author: tentacle rape

meanwhile marvin gay's greedy grandkids sue anything that sounds .001% like his music

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48532376)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 3:00 PM
Author: Metal Up Your Ass

MY feel MY sound MY vibe

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48532386)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 3:08 PM
Author: ''"'"''""

tbf they prevailed in their lawsuit against Robin Thicke for Blurred Lines

That Ed Sheeran shit was bullshit though

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48532416)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 11:29 PM
Author: jaray

They were 100% right to sue Thicke

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534422)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 11:36 PM
Author: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


a lot of copyright experts think that the Blurred Lines result was awful. i have no views or expertise myself.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534439)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 1:23 AM
Author: MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp

It literally comes down entirely to venue. Cmon this is a lawbort. Sad you people don't know much about torts.

Gaye lawsuit was in LA county, dumb jury, rigged Cali courts. SPS jurisprudence. It's like trying a case in Idiocracy. You just come out like President Camacho and claim a racism was performed and money printer go brrr for cslg.

Meanwhile Sheeran was able to do it in New York where whatever remains of human sanity on the East Coast was able to dig into the facts and rule on the merits.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534683)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 8:25 AM
Author: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


i get it about the venue. the court of appeals is where sanity should have been restored.

and, technically, it wasn't a tort claim in LA County. it was a statutory claim in the Central District of California.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48535089)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 9:18 AM
Author: Anti-H1B Chatblog Elects Turdskin Best Poaster (gunneratttt)

also, the case is not notable because of the jury verdict, but because of the appellate court opinion. wacky jury verdicts don't change the law.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48535190)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 9:50 AM
Author: MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp

Ok rate the sanity of the southern district of California appellate court

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48535273)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 9:55 AM
Author: Anti-H1B Chatblog Elects Turdskin Best Poaster (gunneratttt)

it's the 9th cir court of appeals. it's a federal court.

one of the least sane courts and the origin of the hawaii judge meme. i'm not versed enough in copyright to have an opinion but from what i've heard from colleagues their opinion on it is mixed. i've heard the opinion is fairly narrow. ultimately, if it didn't get appealed to SCOTUS, it's probably nbd. afaik it's not considered a circuit splitting case.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48535297)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 10:08 AM
Author: MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp

It's a tough one and I could see it going both ways. Looks like the 9th circuit upheld it predominantly on the merits. Ultimately, the two songs sound similar. It's subjective whether that violates copyright infringement. But I guess it's not some crazy decision to say look the two songs sound the same and therefore it's copyright infringement. You can disagree that they sound alike but the law isn't a radical departure here.

Pharrell's argument was that Gaye's estate tried to copyright an entire genre. But I don't think it applies here. I'm sure they didn't set out to steal Gaye's work but the end result is not song that's incredibly similar.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48535355)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 1:58 PM
Author: Kenneth Play

I'm ignorant of what copyright law actually says, but as a policy matter, I've got to think the better approach is to allow new art to be made unless it's such a copy of the original work that it could stand as a substitute good. So my sympathy is with Pharrell here

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48536439)



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Date: January 9th, 2025 2:02 PM
Author: MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp

Agree with this. That being said it sounded a fuckton like Marvin Gaye.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48536465)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 11:29 PM
Author: jaray



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534419)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 11:02 PM
Author: John Cocke

Yeah it doesn’t usually work that way

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534272)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 11:04 PM
Author: hank_scorpio

yes it does

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534283)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 11:05 PM
Author: John Cocke

I mean the way op seems to have been expecting it worked

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534295)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 8th, 2025 11:26 PM
Author: hank_scorpio

ok, although if he had been in the band that would have been bullshit

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534412)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 1:28 AM
Author: MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp

There is nothing immoral about paying a guy an hourly fee to be creative for work they don't own. Any one of these session players could have written and produced their own songs. No one forced them to take a salary. It's not like it was some big contractual gimmick.

What does it matter if they're in the band or not? A lot of "bands" are just touring members with the original founder/songwriter. And many use different musicians on the record. The whole idea of a band is gone. You're just a songwriter who collaborates with whomever they want and then you go on tour with some hired guns.

I could pay you hank scorpio fifty bucks to write me a guitar part that I own. What I do with it is my business. You don't have to agree to the contract but if you sign on the dotted line and take the money you no longer own whatever you created. These people don't have to take the money but they do because they don't want to cut out and be their own artist for whatever reason.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534692)



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Date: January 8th, 2025 11:04 PM
Author: hank_scorpio

that's just how session work has always gone and still does, nothing special about this one

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534280)



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Date: January 9th, 2025 1:43 AM
Author: MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp

It's all just risk/reward. Some people don't want to be partners in a firm, they'd rather get paid in cash upfront. 99% of the time what a session man makes is nearly worthless. They had no way to know that was the day they would make history.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534720)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 1:38 AM
Author: GNOME CHOMSKY

Yes others have pointed out here there are probably like a hundred or more such examples where session players basically made the song with a riff.. maybe the best example is Pink Floyd's great gig in the sky from their fantastic Dark Side of the Moon album.. where a female singer was hired to come in and do something and she basically did the whole song with her voice.. basically making the song.. she finally got songwriting credit decades later

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534707)



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Date: January 9th, 2025 1:41 AM
Author: MASE's Historic MPM Meltdown tp

Some chick wrote the entire rhythm guitar part to Purple Rain and never got anything for it

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534716)



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Date: January 9th, 2025 2:01 PM
Author: Kenneth Play

correct

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48536454)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 1:59 AM
Author: cowjob

Billy Corgan doesn't get royalties for Celebrity Skin

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48534741)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 8:21 AM
Author: Alabama Jones

He’s explicitly credited on several songs, including Malibu

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48535082)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 1:03 PM
Author: ''"'"''""

He got compensated with pussy for that one

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48536160)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 8:22 AM
Author: Bill DaWall

crazy. do you have any theories as to who was behind these types of contracts?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48535086)



Reply Favorite

Date: January 9th, 2025 8:33 AM
Author: fire diaper

(The guy who wrote the main guitar part to ‘My Girl’ and never got royalties)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5660946&forum_id=2Elisa#48535100)