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Oasis · S2 E4
Shakermaker
Second single, first lawsuit. The New Seekers hear a familiar melody and reach for their lawyers. Welcome to the music business.
A letter arrives at Creation Records from a law firm representing the writers of a 1971 Coca-Cola jingle. Oasis's second single has been out for two weeks, and the band is about to learn that melodies have owners.
Oasis, Shakermaker (1994). The second single, the first lawsuit. Listen to the verse melody and see if you can place where you've heard it before.
Shakermaker, Oasis (1994)
Released June 13, 1994, Shakermaker peaked at number 11 in the UK, a big step up from Supersonic's 31. The verse melody borrows heavily from 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing,' the 1971 New Seekers hit that Coca-Cola turned into the most famous jingle in advertising history. Noel didn't hide the lift, and the original lyrics literally opened with the words of the Coke jingle before lawyers forced a rewrite. Listen for the melody underneath Liam's vocal and try not to hear the ad.
Sources
Shakermaker, Wikipedia
Songfacts
The Owners
The songwriters of 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing' are Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, Bill Backer, and Billy Davis. Their song sold almost a million copies in the UK alone and became one of the most recognizable melodies of the 1970s. When they hear Shakermaker on the radio, they reach for their lawyers. Oasis's second single becomes their first legal education.
Sources
Songfacts
WhoSampled
“We just did the same thing but kept some of the same lyrics in. Now we drink Pepsi.”
— Noel Gallagher, on the Shakermaker lawsuit, Songfacts
TAP TO REVEAL: What were the original opening lyrics of Shakermaker?
The Bill
The case reportedly costs Oasis a settlement of AU$500,000, a staggering sum for a band that hasn't even released their debut album yet. For Noel, it's an expensive crash course in intellectual property. He'll continue wearing his influences on his sleeve throughout his career, but he'll learn to be more careful about the lyrics. The music business, it turns out, has rules.
Sources
Far Out Magazine
Above the Law, 2017
What did Noel have to do with the 'Whatever' single after the Shakermaker lawsuit?
Headshrinker, Oasis (1995)
Pure aggression, zero melody borrowing. Headshrinker is Oasis at their most punk: fast, loud, and completely original. After the Shakermaker lawsuit, this is the sound of a band that doesn't need anyone else's songs to hit hard.
Headshrinker, Oasis (1995)
'The world around you makes me feel so small.' Noel at his most unfiltered: no borrowed melodies, just noise, speed, and a band learning to fight on its own terms.
Shakermaker: The File
The lawsuits and the controversy don't slow them down. Kurt Cobain is dead, Britpop needs an answer to grunge's despair, and Noel Gallagher has just written a song called 'Live Forever.'
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