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Other groups inspired by our beloved band?

36 replies

vtech101 said on September 20, 2006 22:02:

Not too long ago I went on the Savage Garden website and read that they were inspired by Roxette and their arrangements. Has anyone else read this at other musicians websites??? Any American bands that you know of or even European bands from the past or even in the present????

NickNL74 said on :

Didn’t Savage Garden split up like some 2 or 3 years ago?

Sparvogamarie said on :

I heard an interview with Darren and Daniel and they said they were NOT inspired by Rox and didn’t even like them that much. It was only the song “I want you” that everyone thought sounded like The Look and that’s where the comparisons started.

Roxwriter said on :

Absolute rubbish and nonsense!

For the 8th millionth time, Savage Garden did NOT nor have they ever have referred to Roxette as a source of inspiration.

Savage Garden grew up on Duran Duran and more early new wave 80’s pop. NOT Roxette.

Can we just drop this topic? Take it from TWO Aussie who live in the country and refuted this statement, Savage Garden have NO interest in Roxette.

Repeat, Savage Garden were not influenced by Roxette.

RobS said on :

Yeah i heard the same thing, that they were never inspired by Roxette, or even like them for that matter.

Which website were you looking at? It can’t have been the official one (if they still have one).

rox-kuryliw said on :

i never liked savage cabbage, but yes they did copy roxette style slightly in my opinion. nothing wrong with that people/groups been doing it for years and years.

n-Somnia said on :

There were also comparisons of how the ending of “To the Moon and Back” sounded similar to LTYH, because of the violins, etc.

ditroia said on :

get over it mate they were inspired by roxette. My Borther thought IWY was a new roxette song, and he hears a lot of their music. Plus the first time I heard To The moon and back i thought it sounded Roxettish. Plus in several interviews they’ve mimicked per’s voice.

Dave

coyboyusa said on :

bah savage garden = gay relationship annuled :)

Roxwriter said on :

Where do you get off Dave basing SG’s inspiration based on your brothers opinion (who cares) vs. what comes out of Darren & Daniels mouth???

I’ve taped the interview from 2Day FM where they were quizzed about it, they list their heroes, they scoffed at Roxette.

Tweren’t influenced by them at all! Why do you want it to be so true??

EmEx said on :

look what i found here
http://www.mp3.com/albums/390581/summary.html

“Savage Garden managed to slip underneath everyone’s radar and go multi-platinum with their 1997 debut. The Australian duo wasn’t hip enough to warrant coverage in the music press, even after they had a series of hit singles, largely because they traded in the least-respected rock genre: soft rock. Like any soft-rock group, they were a product of their times. In the early ’80s, that meant adding some lite-country influences to the melodic pop base. In the late ’90s, it meant adding mild dance-club beats, even on the ballads. Roxette sort of pioneered this in the late ’80s, and Savage Garden really picked up the torch for this dance-inflected soft rock, whether they want to admit it or not.”

They were influence because they copied their style doesnt mean they like Roxette....

Grasi said on :

I remember an interview when they DID say they used to listen to Roxette´s songs; but of course they wouldn´t like to be compared to them all the time!

And YES I do think they were a littble influenced by Rox, but not only by them. And I don´t know why one can´t agree this. There´s no problem saying a band was influenced by another one...No one said here they copied Roxette.
Anyway, SG is over now.

Roxwriter said on :

Directly out of Darren and Daniels mouth [they said] that they were never influenced/inspired by Roxette and were stunned to be compared to them, but then did the polite PR thing and said it was a compliment because of their success and then went on to quote other 80’s acts that inspired/influenced them such as Duran Duran....

But I guess that’s still not good enough.... now that I think about it... maybe Roxette inspired Metallica or maybe even Coldplay too? Hey let’s throw Frank Sinatra in the mix too...why not...

roxtexanet said on :

SG and their fans can deny that they were influenced by Roxette all that they want. The fact of the matter is that *MANY* people heard the trademark Roxette sound in “I Want You” - both Roxette fans and critics alike - and *MANY* people still think that song is a Roxette song. The comparisons are obvious and many. I’m not going to argue that they were intentionally trying to sound like Roxette but the end result is the same - they did. Take the bass line from the verses of “Dance Away” and add in the basic ideas from “The Look” and you’ve got “I Want You.” Take “Vulnerable” and make it even cheesier and you’ve got “Truly, Madly, Deeply.” It could all be a complete coincidence but it’s silly to deny the similarities. Rather than scoffing at being compared to a band that was far more successful than they could have ever dreamed of being, SG should have been flattered by the comparisons.

ditroia said on :

Roxwriter, if it looks like a duck, talks like a duck and walks like a duck, it is a duck.

In one way or another Roxette was one of their influences.

Dave

Santi said on :

And if Roxette is an influence of their producer and not of the band?
That would explain why they “sound similar”. The responsible for the sound is the producer...

Sparvogamarie said on :

“get over it mate they were inspired by roxette.”

Just because something is similar doesn’t mean it was stolen or influenced. Yes, IWY was similar to The Look with the chanting lyrics but other than that I never thought they sounded like Roxette. Darren and Daniel specifically SAID they didn’t like Roxette, and yes, they were influenced more by Duran Duran and those type of bands. They are a pop rock band just like Rox so there are some similarities...but then you can make the same to the Eurythmics and we don’t accuse Rox of ripping them off.

Roxwriter said on :

A duck analogy now huh?

For the record SG annoy me to tears so I’m no fan, I’m just someone who’s [not interested in]forcing Roxette onto other bands.

As Sparvoga said, I think Eurythmics Fans can accuse of Roxette downright stealing with the star logo, the look, the duo, the short hair the sound. Everything. But they dont. Because Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart fans know it’s not true.

[Some of your opinions on this seem] deluded.

Do you get some weird excitement convincing yourself that SG copied Roxette? Take comfort from Roxette’s MANY other achievements mate and don’t take comfort from delusion....you’ll go blind you know.

Sparvogamarie said on :

When I first saw Roxette, I thought they WERE the Eurythmics. I thought they decided Eurythmics was too hard to spell, and changed their name to something easy (I was ten at the time). At 11 I fell in love with Marie (not like that you sickos, I was ELEVEN) and realised that the lead singer of Euryhtmics (it IS hard to spell) was Annie Lennox and she was not the same person as Marie. But - their look was identical down to the leather jackets, their music was very similar, and even today I see Eurthymics on the TV and jump for a second thinking it’s Rox. My point is, they’re 2 very similar bands, and even though M&P say they like the Eurythmics, they do not list them among their influences. Same deal with SG.

Roxwriter said on :

Sparvoga????

Why would you use logic, common sense and rationale in this thread?

Please lock this topic now LOL

Great post...let’s hope your gentle approach works :)

japeke said on :

Cool :-D Some people do even get set up here when the holy ’Savage Garden’ is named on this forum!

kielroxer said on :

hey roxwriter
if people disagree with you, they are not neccesarily stupid. they just have different opinion. in a discussion it´s all about respect for the different opinion. otherwise a discussion would not make any sense.
and by the way: i was never a sg fan, but i liked the music. just because it had a similiar sound to roxette. don´t know if they wanted to sound like roxette, but i don´t care - they DID sound like roxette. no one can tell me that they did not sound like roxette.

roxtexanet said on :

It’s amazing to me that someone who uses “They said they’re not influenced by Roxette so they’re not” and “I should know because I’m Australian” as lines of reasoning would have the audacity to sneer at someone else’s logic.

Let’s try this superior form of reasoning out in another arena, shall we? Michael Jackson says he’s not a pedophile, therefore, he is not a pedophile. And I should know because I am American, just like Michael Jackson.

But what do we know - we’re idiots.

Behaviour is influenced by all sorts of factors, some of which we are aware and many of which we are not. Just because I say that I am in no way influenced by my parents’ beliefs and politics, or by media portrayals of the ideal body type, or by what others say, think, or do doesn’t make it so. And just because I like to believe that I would wear blue jeans even if everyone else in the world stopped wearing them doesn’t make that so either.

It is quite possible that SG were unconsciously influenced by Roxette’s sound in forming their own, just as it is entirely possible that it’s all just a coincidence. But it doesn’t make us “deluded” to speculate about the source of the similarities.
Now, can we try this discussion again without condescending on the people who don’t share our opinion?

Santi said on :

I’m telling you, producers some times have to stay away from bands while mixing stuff because to get inspired they listen to other records they think should be similar, and those bands would be offended if they got to know about such comparisons! :D
As producers are the main responsible for the sound of a band, it’s perfectly possible that they sound like something they don’t even like!

roxtexanet said on :

@sparvoga: I agree, there are definite similarities between Roxette’s look in the early 90s and the Eurythmics’ look, but I have *never* been able to find similarities in the music! But I know that there are a lot of people who like both bands (and Annie is an unbelievably good singer), so I won’t deny that there are any. But I really don’t like most of the Eurythmics’ music (“Here Comes The Rain Again” and “Sweet Dreams” are played so often here you’d think they were current singles - if I never hear them again it will be too soon), so for me it’s hard to understand how their music could be similar!

roxtexanet said on :

@Santi: I think you’re absolutely right about that. I think you only have to compare Per’s demos to the finished product to see that the producer has a HUGE influence on the Roxette sound (although the strong melodies, catchy courses, and simple lyrics are always there somewhere no matter what happens in the final mix). A great example is Mutt Lange - half the time when I’m listening to an old Def Leppard song, I think I’m listening to Bryan Adams!

Lars-Erik_Olson (moderator) said on :

Dear Readers: Please don’t take away from otherwise very well-written additions to a discussion by including anything that comes even CLOSE to being a “flame” or sounding “not nice” towards another participant in the discussion. If I (or any of the other editors or moderators) have some time to spend in the TDR newsroom... I surely DON’T want it to be wasted having to keep SmallTalk running the way we want it to. PLEASE COOPERATE! (and take a look at the rules we’re trying to all agree on in the TDR Discussions area).

Stay FAR AWAY from writing anything that sounds like you’re “attacking” (for lack of a better word) another reader/participant. You can disagree with what someone else said and still be completely respectful at the same time.

Ferdan said on :

wheter they admit it, deny it, like or dislike Roxette. Their song has a lot of similarities to The Look, made councisiously(sp?) or unconscisiously (sp?)... a
nyone paying a little attention to the arrangements of both songs can notice it.

vtech101 said on :

I owe you guys an apology! You are RIGHT! It wasn’t Savage Garden it was Matchbox Twenty’s webpage. It’s my big oops. And I do remember a lot of people thought “I Want You” was Roxette (which a friend of mine who’s a DJ asked me years ago–I knew it wasn’t Per’s voice, but very close.) My apologizes again. Peace.

Sparvogamarie said on :

vtech: Really? Matchbox20 said they’re inspired by Roxette? That’s actually pretty cool!!!

Regarding SG vs Roxette: There’s only so many music styles in the world and sooner or later someone will write a song that sounds like someone else. There are a lot of artists that are similar to others, whether deliberately or not. Of course it’s entirely possible Darren heard The Look and subconciously it was in his mind when he was writing IWY, but he’s actively said he doesn’t like Roxette and I honestly don’t think IWY sounds enough like The Look to say it was “inspired.” It’s just the chanting verses and Darren’s husky voice that are similar.

AddeColciago said on :

I think IWY is more simoular with Fireworks, than The Look..

ditroia said on :

Aussie fans know that Roxette is untrendy in Australia, and I think that’s why they totally deny any influence by roxette, as it would have perhaps cost them some credibility. I’m not trying to force the opinion that Roxette was their main or only influence, but they did influence them in some way, in the production of their songs. Now maybe it was just the producer, and both guys aren’t fans, but there is a denfinate, tangible link.

Cheers

Dave

Roxwriter said on :

David;

How can you claim there is a definite tangible link when you’re basing your whole arguement on “what your brother thought”?

The dude who started this thread got it wrong, admitted it. Was referring to M20. Darren & Daniel denied on radio several times they weren’t influenced by Roxette. I have an interview with Molly Meldrum where they denied it and were even surprised by the comparison.

And yet... you are so determined to think otherwise. Why? Why is this so important to you? Roxette sh*t all over Savage Garden! So why is it so important to you that need to believe this false and proven-false statement? What kind of satisfaction do you get? Roxette are my favourites and yours too, very under-rated... but dont delude yourself into thinking they’re anything more in the greater scheme of things. You even were quoted as saying that history will judge Roxette as the better band than ABBA? I mean David... mate... surely you’re a comedian? Your unbias approach to roxette, based purely on your ABBA comment suggests we take your Savage Garden arguement with a pinch of salt.

If you think Savage sound like Roxette, then fair enough. But to say they were inspired/influenced is completely wrong.

Let it go mate. It’s done. Waste of a thread. This whole arguement started from someone who can’t tell the difference between Rob Thomas and Darren Hayes... not the kind of thread or people you wanna be discussing these things with.

Sparvogamarie said on :

The only people who really know are Darren and Daniel and maybe the producer if Roxette had any involvement in “inspiring”. I doubt it was deliberate, Roxette were already totally out of fashion when SG came along so why copy an unpopular band?

I once wrote a song when I was 8 or 9 that was almost exactly Roxette’s “Try just a little bit harder”. I hadn’t heard of Roxette at the time, and Per sure never heard my song! It can happen, trust me!

Roxwriter said on :

And for the record Sparvoga, you’re version of the original “Try” was a lot better than what Per & Marie recorded for the Room Service album ;-)

Although even you have to admit that your vocals were a bit munchkin like ;-p

Now I know why I married you... ;-p

(I’m so gonna pay for that last comment aren’t I sugar-plum?) lol

ditroia said on :

Chill dude, It’s obviously very important to you. I’m just stating my point of view, not forcing a dogmatic position.

Finally I’m a Roxette fan and that’s why I’m here, and I think Roxette’s better than ABBA, If I thought likewise why would I be here?

Anyway man I’ll leave it from here, feel free to reply, I’ll yield the last word to you.

Cheers

Dave

Sparvogamarie said on :

We’re married Roxwriter?? Goodness, you meet a dude for pizza in Darling Harbour once, and suddenly you’re married!

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