Pet Shop Boys Community

Adding a bassline to a song, interestingly, wouldn’t usually translate into a songwriting credit.

Dog wrote: Tue 01 Jun 2021, 10:04 pm Adding a bassline to a song, interestingly, wouldn’t usually translate into a songwriting credit.

That's correct. the bassline is part of the arrangement and not of the writing.
To get writing credits you have to:

collaborate to the harmony of the track, i.e. chord sequence
collaborate to the melody, sequence of notes that identify sung or instrumental parts
collaborate to the lyrics

A bass line usually is a rythmic repetition with more or less variations on the root note of the chord.
It couldn't be copyrighted too. So is the drum/rythmic part-track.

KLF's "The Manual" explains all this stuff really well... a fun read as well.

Greetings,

onzio wrote: Thu 03 Jun 2021, 9:02 am It couldn't be copyrighted too. So is the drum/rythmic part-track.

So, if someone wanted... they could totally rip off the drum pattern and bassline from say, Blue Monday or West-End Girls, and that's totally allowable?

Retro.

retrofuturist wrote: Fri 04 Jun 2021, 6:43 am Greetings,

onzio wrote: Thu 03 Jun 2021, 9:02 am It couldn't be copyrighted too. So is the drum/rythmic part-track.

So, if someone wanted... they could totally rip off the drum pattern and bassline from say, Blue Monday or West-End Girls, and that's totally allowable?

Retro.

Well the bass can play the melody as well. I think Onzio refers to an underlying bassline which doesn't perform the melody.
It's understandable that Chris didn't receive writing credit but why didn't he get a performing credit?

telys wrote:

retrofuturist wrote: Fri 04 Jun 2021, 6:43 am Greetings,

onzio wrote: Thu 03 Jun 2021, 9:02 am It couldn't be copyrighted too. So is the drum/rythmic part-track.

So, if someone wanted... they could totally rip off the drum pattern and bassline from say, Blue Monday or West-End Girls, and that's totally allowable?

Retro.

Well the bass can play the melody as well. I think Onzio refers to an underlying bassline which doesn't perform the melody.
It's understandable that Chris didn't receive writing credit but why didn't he get a performing credit?

Maybe he didn’t play it on the record. Presumably it was programmed.

Dissapointed
I listen to this song more often than others. I do not know why. An absolutely unique effect. You can listen to it constantly. Without Tennant, this song would be just a pass.

Parkol wrote: Fri 04 Jun 2021, 9:39 am Dissapointed
I listen to this song more often than others. I do not know why. An absolutely unique effect. You can listen to it constantly. Without Tennant, this song would be just a pass.

I think it's one of the most gorgeous, dreamy, summery songs of all time. From the lyrics to the instrumentation and arrangement, it's just perfection. I mean, just listen to those harmonies!

retrofuturist wrote: Fri 04 Jun 2021, 6:43 am Greetings,

onzio wrote: Thu 03 Jun 2021, 9:02 am It couldn't be copyrighted too. So is the drum/rythmic part-track.

So, if someone wanted... they could totally rip off the drum pattern and bassline from say, Blue Monday or West-End Girls, and that's totally allowable?

Retro.

It is very borderline, that is what courts and judges are for.
If it is recognizable probably you can get into trouble.
For the drum track the problem is when you sample it without permission. If you recreate it with your legitimate samples it is almost impossible to be charged with plagiarism.
The West End girls bassline is very peculiar, and probably could be considered a melody line. The Blue Monday one has been used on many records and no one credited NO. Oh also a chord sequence couldn't be copyrighted, if not together with its melody.

Parkol wrote: Fri 04 Jun 2021, 9:39 am Dissapointed
I listen to this song more often than others. I do not know why. An absolutely unique effect. You can listen to it constantly. Without Tennant, this song would be just a pass.

It really is a fantastic song. Hopeful that one day PSB will play it on tour.

Has there ever been a good quality recording of electronic live? Everything I've found has pretty much been very bad audience bootlegs.

I recently uploaded the documentation "Pet Shop Boys - A popumentary" from MTV Europe in 1993. There is also a part where Electronic is interviewed: https://youtu.be/Vu6RmGzuaFw?t=732&si=f5vwg_Zin2m3a5EO.
In the end, Bernard Sumner says: "In fact I suggested, that they brought Chris down. They bringt Chris down. And: Bummer, bummer."

Since I am not a native speaker, I had problems understanding this part and give a proper German translation. Asking Google Translate or Deepl regarding "bringing sth./somebody down" I get the impression that it means that Chris should not be part of the collaboration (as Neil initially asked for it). So it was bad luck for him.
But in the next sequence, Chris says that they have a great sense of humor.

Or does "to bring Chris down" mean in this context, that he is also brought down to the studio and it is "bad luck" for Neil that Electronic also wanted Chris to take part in the collaboration? After the comment of Chris, Stephen Hague says that "Neil is Neil", "He is a special kind of person" etc.

They mean "bring Chris along". The last part is a bit odd because I'm not sure if Bernard is saying they DID bring Chris or that they did not. Not sure "Bummer Bummer" is the actual right words said by Bernard there either but could be. "Bummer" is usually a word for being sad or casually upset - some use the word "Downer".

It is all a bit strange in that interview, but Bernard does say some obtuse things from time to time too, usually quite tongue in cheek.

JK1974 wrote: Thu 29 Aug 2024, 2:25 pm I recently uploaded the documentation "Pet Shop Boys - A popumentary" from MTV Europe in 1993. There is also a part where Electronic is interviewed: https://youtu.be/Vu6RmGzuaFw?t=732&si=f5vwg_Zin2m3a5EO.
In the end, Bernard Sumner says: "In fact I suggested, that they brought Chris down. They bringt Chris down. And: Bummer, bummer."

Yeah, I think it's a mistake. The whole transcript is having trouble keeping up with the disparate accents.* It's hard to hear because of the music but it doesn't sound as though Bernard IS bummed out by having Chris come along. If anything, it sounds more like... "Whammo bammo"...? Which would be a good thing? He's definitely smiling at the end of it.

Thanks for pointing this out - great documentary! I'm laughing at the way they keep spinning around and sneaking awkward looks at what the other is doing.

* ETA: For example, "flight on the water bridge" at 15.02 should read "fly on the wall approach"!

Interesting now I have watched it through.

Agree it's "Whammo bammo!"

Chris stuff about U2 and a Berlin album was, umm, Interesting, considering Hotspot and Elysium. Never say never I guess.