Perusing some Yardbirds tracks yesterday, I came across this track I'd never heard before. Written by Mike Hugg, "Sweet Music" different lyrics, but it's the Servicemen "Sweet Magic'!! How the hell did he hear that tune to rip off!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYPjLq6NqBI

Edited June 13, 201114 yr by Trevski

Shouldn't it be 'Servicemen! Same as The Yardbirds!' ?

oh dear thank god for the servicemen!

Well, according to Wikipedia Mike Hugg's still alive and if you check out the Manfreds website, he should be one of those smiling faces on the home page - https://www.themanfreds.com/. Personally, I'm not curious enough to ask where/how he heard the Servicemen way back then, but do feel freeif anyone else feels like it anddo let us all know. LOL

Best

The Yardbirds track is on the 'For Your Love' LP, released in the US only, June 1965.

Anyone know the release date of the Servicemen record? Info I can find online says 1966...

soul harmony singles also says '66 for the servicemen

So perhaps the Servicemen stole the Yardbirds tune! Could be, as it was US only LP!

Makes a change from black artists being ripped off by white groups!

Edited June 13, 201114 yr by Trevski

So perhaps the Servicemen stole the Yardbirds tune! Could be, as it was US only LP!

Makes a change from black artists being ripped off by white groups!

You beat me to it Trev. I wonder if there's any other examples of poor white Englishmen being ripped-off by avaricious U.S. soul groups?

Ian D

a certain major lance recorded this tune in 1964..

a certain major lance recorded this tune in 1964..

Ha ha! Excellent!

In fact the Yardbirds version credits Lance/Cobbs/Bowie as writers.

The Servicemen 'version' appears to be written by Jim Mitchell.

Luckily I don't know anything about Major Lance, so don't feel too embarrassed that I didn't recognise it!

Ive heard worse at certain soul nights

Ha ha! Excellent!

Luckily I don't know anything about Major Lance, so don't feel too embarrassed that I didn't recognise it!

no prob, its on the flipside of "Um,Um,Um". One of the best 45s 10 - 20 UKP can buy you

no prob, its on the flipside of "Um,Um,Um". One of the best 45s 10 - 20 UKP can buy you

Even more embarrassing - I've got a copy, then!

Mmm. Interesting that no one spotted the Major Lance/Servicemen connection before then?

Typical that it came as a result of a Yardbirds record!

Ian D

Ive heard worse at certain soul nights

:D ...................give it a spin!!!

Is it just me that thinks there's a similarity between Servicemen's "Sweet Magic" and The Volumes " Just Can't Help Myself" ? I played them one after the other when out dj'ing years ago and it hit me there and then.....

no ? just me then. ah well, I'll get my coat.....

So let me get this right then - the Yardbirds rip off Major Lance, and they in turn get ripped off by The Servicemen.

I dont know if "ripped off" is the accurate phrase. Jut like 99 % of the English R&B bands of the early and mid Sixties the Yardbirds covered a whole lot of originally black American R&B (and Soul). By doing so they were responsible for the acceptance of these original black sounds in England and elsewhere in Europe on a brider and wider scale.

Many black artists were given a chance to tour Engalnd and Europe later on just because of the sucess of these sounds. So logically they were thankfull for the Beat bands covering their music. Berry Gordy for example once said there wouldnt have been a Motown tour thru England if there wouldnt have been the Beatles ...mmmh ?!

Back to your question..my bet would be the Servicemen did not even know the Yardbirds but went full on the Major Lande record which was massive in 1964/65 (mainly for its a side of course).

Edited June 14, 201114 yr by Marc Forrest

I think they're quite different to one another - only the 'Sweet Music' bit is similar. Sweet Magic uses more chords than this.

I agree Byrney, Yardbirds is a version of Major Lance. Servicemen is a different tune to these ears!

The comparison is interesting because it's like an early example of sampling. Both tunes use the same opening chords, but in the Major Lance one these are repeated just as a build up to "Sweet Music" being sung whereas the Servicemen give prominence to these chords, singing "Sweet Magic" to them and using them for the instrumental break.

Apart from the Servicemen pinching these chords, the songs are quite different.

Alan

So let me get this right then - the Yardbirds rip off Major Lance

Well, no. The Yardbirds played a cover version, credited to the correct writers. How is that 'ripping off' Major Lance?

Theres loads of examples and some very suprising uk covers

The Dynamics-Misery reworked by the High Numbers as Zoot Suit/the b side Im The Face reworked Slim Harpos Got Love If You Want It.From Guy Stevens collection and mod slang by Peter Meaden.

The Manfreds covered Garnet Mimms Look Away

The T Bones covered an obscure Mongo Santamaria track called Get The Money

Loads for The Yardbirds, Got Love by Slim Harpo,A Certain Girl-Billy Boy Arnold,Smokestack Lightning-Howlin Wolf

Small Faces-Plum Nellie (Booker T),Shake (Sam Cooke),Every Little Bit Hurts (Brenda Holloway), You Need Lovin (a cover of a Willie Dixon Blues.Led Zepp covered it and changed the lyrics to a Whole Lotta Love and were sued by Dixon)

The Action-Hey Shaloney (Mickey Lee Lane),Shadows and Reflections (Lonely Crowde),Harlem Shuffle and the Sissy (Bob and Earl)

The Creation- Cool Jerk (The Capitols),For All That I Am (The Tokens)

Brian Auger-Green Onions(Booker T),Red Beans And Rice (Booker T),Foolkiller (sure it's Mose Allison),Bumpin On Sunset (Wes Montgomery)

The Who-Daddy Rollin Stone (Derak Martin) UK Sue Guy Stevens connection and the entire James Brown Catalogue. Eyesight To The Blind (On Tommy)-Mose Allison

Edited June 14, 201114 yr by wiggyflat