New Wave Outpost Forum

I used the word "steal" in the title, but what I am looking for are songs that have guitar riffs that are very similar to Levene's classic guitar riff from the song "Public Image." In my opinion it is the greatest guitar lick in music.

I know three songs that "borrowed" the lick. Any more?

U2 - "I Will Follow"
Flock Of Seagulls - "Space Age Love Song"
Human League - "The Lebanon"

Two songs that used the actual lick:

Robin Zander (of Cheap Trick) - "Jump Into The Fire" (Nilsson cover)
El Vez - "Feliz Navidad"

Right now, go and listen to "Up the Neck" by the Pretenders off their debut.

The two songs were released so close timewise, and I respected both Levine and James Honeyman Scott so much as a teen, that I alwaysjust thought of it as a nice coincidence.

Thanks.

Those Zander and El Vez songs use the Wobble bass line. Cool. Didn't know that was being done, but that's not Levene's lick.

The Pretenders song, yeah! There it is. So close I had to check dates of release for the two songs. Levene's was released a full year earlier. Honeyman-Scott is the thief!

Good to know,thanks for sharing.

http://www.rsvalley.com/

You are right, Public Image lists at 1978, Pretenders the year after.

Wow. What's really amazing is how quick everything happened in that era; I figured Pistols probably played last gigs in early 78, PiL would've started 79. No -- in 78 he was already releasing that album and 79 brought the wonderful metal box.

By '79 the world of post-punk was blown wide open, we had the 2-tone bands, etc etc. That time from '76 to '79 must have been moving at breakneck speed.

Interesting, compare to today, the age of instant information. Has music really changed that much from 2010 here in 2013??

I rest my case.

[quote][i]Originally posted by Crocodiles[/i]
<br>Thanks.

Those Zander and El Vez songs use the Wobble bass line. Cool. Didn't know that was being done, but that's not Levene's lick.

[/quote]

Ah, thought you were referring to the bass line...

As for the Levene lick, it's influence can be heard in a lot of Killing Joke songs (e.g., Fire Dances, Kings and Queens...)

[quote][i]Originally posted by bpdp3[/i]
That time from '76 to '79 must have been moving at breakneck speed.
[/quote]
Yeah, from Pistols '76 to what was happening in '79: Two-Tone, PIL, Liverpool psychedelia, Joy Division... Quite a leap.

There are actually a few big leaps like that in music. Look at The Clash. In 1977 they were releasing two chord punk like the simple song "1977," and just three years later in 1980 they were releasing "Sandinista"! Just compare "1977" to "The Call Up." They're like from two different universes.

However, the most mind-blowing leap in music is definitely The Beatles. In '63 they were singing the simple "I Want To Hold Your Hand," and then just three years later John was in the studio constructing "Strawberry Fields Forever"! Those two tunes are from two different galaxies. Pop music in '63 was not adventurous, artistic, or profound. The Beatles in just three short years changed the entire approach to what a pop/chart song could be.

The guitar riff is iconic, but the rhythm and bass groove are pure German motorik. The Cure later nicked this bassline for Just Like Heaven.