Futurama Has Teen Spirit!

[on:]

As a newbie I don't know whether this has come up before, but I hope it hasn't. As a loyal Futurama and Nirvana fan it has come to my attention that the opening theme of Futurama bares a resemblance the opening bars to Nirvana's great song 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. 
Has Christopher Tyng done this on purpose, and if so has The David Geffen Company taken legal action against him? 
And has anyone else noticed the resemblance?

btw, this is my first post so please be nice 

[Reply #1 on:]

Hi and welcome. I'm pretty new too and everyones really friendly.

Do you know, know that you mention it, there is a striking similarity. Have you listened to the two side by side?

[Reply #2 on:]

The opening tune is based on the song "Psyché Rock" (ofcourse masterly retouched by Tyng) by Pierre Henri and Michel Colombier. It has been remixed by FatBoy Slim. It once appeared in a Coca Cola comercial as well.

Welcome to PEEL, The Professie. Enjoy it here.

[Reply #3 on:]

I rember when Futurama premiered a local morning DJ said it sounded very much like "Wild Thing".

[Reply #4 on:]

You know, I can see where you're coming from with the resemblance, I haven't thought of that before. But it doesn’t sound similar enough for anyone to take legal action. If it did, I think a lot more people would have noticed...

[Reply #5 on:]

Yeah, I have noticed it before too.
And you cannot take legal action over a song sounding similar or having the same progression as another, because you can just claim it is coincidence, unless of course they have just taken the orignal recording and stuck it on or named the song the same.
Besides this version has several different note changes and the speed  is way different.

[Reply #6 on:]

yeah that is what happened with Queen and Vanilla Ice if you remember, Vanilla Ice's song "Ice Ice Baby" had a similar sound to Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure" and nothing really happened.

The only way that a case like that would work is if you can prove that if someone stole a music sheet off your desk and just used it, lol.

well whatever. And so that is my first post. To think you can only have one first time

[Reply #7 on:]

 

Originally posted by Levitate_Me:
yeah that is what happened with Queen and Vanilla Ice if you remember, Vanilla Ice's song "Ice Ice Baby" had a similar sound to Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure" and nothing really happened.

Similar?  Ha!  It's exactly the same.

Of course that's how all rap music is made: by stealing sampling music from other sources.

[Reply #8 on:]

I think its actually to do with the chords and chord progression, there very over used in many songs.so it sounds like wild thing or louie louie (sorry if I complety misspeled that)

[Reply #9 on:]

similar, tho not good enough for a lawsuit.

[Reply #10 on:]

Yeah, actually the rumour is that Psyche rock was intentionally based on Louie Louie.  Same chord progression, uh, A D E D.  I think it's the same, anyway, and the Futurama theme's progression is identical to Psyche Rock.  "Teen Spirit" is E A G C, which is sort of different.  But these are both such simple progressions I don't think either could ever be the basis for legal action.  "We invented I-IV-V!"

[Reply #11 on:]

 

Originally posted by Levitate_Me:

yeah that is what happened with Queen and Vanilla Ice if you remember, Vanilla Ice's song "Ice Ice Baby" had a similar sound to Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure" and nothing really happened.

Acctully i think i heard somewhere that they did sue Vanilla Ice over the song.  Dont know wat became of it tho.

[Reply #12 on:]

Uh...*showing geekiness* I've never heard of any of these songs... I do somewhat recall the similarities of the theme song with...something, but I can't remember...    

[Reply #13 on:]

Yeah the chord progression is kind of the basis for oasis' career.

[Reply #14 on:]

 

Originally posted by Cloud 9:
Uh...*showing geekiness* I've never heard of any of these songs... I do somewhat recall the similarities of the theme song with...something, but I can't remember...     

really? well obviously otherwise you wouldnt have said it, but im shocked. i think it does sound like smells like team spirit but if it was based on it im sure chris tyng would have said in the commentary

[Reply #15 on:]

Perhaps he was afraid of being sued... But, they have enough $$$ to pay celebrities for voices, so I wouldn't think anyone would try a lawsuit... 

[Reply #16 on:]

Cool!  I love Nirvana!  They're my all-time favorite band!  Too bad the Futurama theme wasn't based on Smells like Teen Spirit!  That's why a part of my screen name here is Kurt!  Because of Nirvana of course.  As for the 'Pikachu' I thought it would be cool for me to have a Pokemon name, too. 

[Reply #17 on:]

 

Originally posted by Cloud 9:
Uh...*showing geekiness* I've never heard of any of these songs... I do somewhat recall the similarities of the theme song with...something, but I can't remember...     

You have almost certainly heard smells like teen spirit even if you don't know it.  I'm sure if someone played it to you you would instantly recognise it.

[Reply #18 on:]

 

Originally posted by KurtPikachu2001:
Too bad the Futurama theme wasn't based on Smells like Teen Spirit!

 Why is too bad? "Teen Spirit" is hardly one of the most futuristic songs around. Not to start slagging it off or anything but "Psyche Rock" is a far more appropriate choice, surely?

[Reply #19 on:]

Gotta agree with MOV there.  My friend walked in the room the other day when I was playing it & thought it was some sort of Remix of the Futurama theme.