The Wicker Man And Priest's Running Wild

T

That Girl

Invader
I just got "Hell Bent For Leather" a few weeks ago, and the opening for "Running Wild" and "The Wicker Man" are pretty much identical- same key, almost same speed. Do you think Maiden is paying tribute to Priest, or is it just pure coincidence?
 
Definitely coincidence...that riff is as much "standard riff" as you can get... it's also used (more or less) in "22 Acacia Avenue", "Futureal", "Invaders" ... the rest of the song is COMPLETELY different.
 
Yeah, but still, if you play them at the same time, you can't tell the difference there for a second. I guess that's why I'm a drummer and not guitar player! Also, in "Running Free" Paul sings "Get out my way!" as does Rob in "Running Wild". Another coincidence? ::
 
Ii had mentioned this in a topic a while back, and someone shot me down, too. But I agree with you! The openings sound identical to me.
 
I never said they didn't sound alike... I said it think it is coincidence that they do... because there are hundreds of similar riffs in other songs/Metal songs in general.
 
Even the mother of all guitar riffs, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones bears some similarity to "The Wicker Man".
 
And I don't think they have to rip off old Priest songs that are well-known... we're talking about Adrian Smith here, Ladies and Gentlemen [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/wink.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\";)\" border=\"0\" alt=\"wink.gif\" /]
 
They do sound a like but I don't think this is a tribute to Priest or anything...
Bands "rip off" each other all of the time, it is especially more notable with famous bands like Priest, Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Black Sabbath etc. Basically all thrash metal all sounds the same to me anyway [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\":p\" border=\"0\" alt=\"tongue.gif\" /]

Edit: I just saw Perun's post and wtf ::
 
[!--quoteo(post=129462:date=Feb 22 2006, 05:21 AM:name=Perun)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Perun @ Feb 22 2006, 05:21 AM) [snapback]129462[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
Even the mother of all guitar riffs, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones bears some similarity to "The Wicker Man".
[/quote]
Huh??? Excuse me??? What have you been smoking?!?!?

[!--quoteo(post=129515:date=Feb 22 2006, 10:13 AM:name=Conor)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Conor @ Feb 22 2006, 10:13 AM) [snapback]129515[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
Edit: I just saw Perun's post and wtf ::
[/quote]
Obviously, I concur. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

The following facts are absolutely true:
1. "The Wicker Man" and "Running Wild" begin with the exact same guitar riff. They quickly diverge in different directions, but they begin identically.
2. There are many guitar riffs which sound highly similar to each other.
3. "The Wicker Man" and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" have zero similarity. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
4. Perun needs a new set of ears. [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\":p\" border=\"0\" alt=\"tongue.gif\" /]
 
I said "bears some similarity". Speaking in pictures, the Mona Lisa bears some similarity to a portrait of the Federal President of the FRG.
 
@that girl: I agree completely. I know Priest's music pretty well and I think that every dedicated Priest fan with a bit of brain and memory should have heard the resemblance after hearing The Wicker Man for the first time.

People who don't know Priest that well often say that there are thousands of such riffs. Well: this is simply not true. 22 Acacia Avenue is very different.

Still it could be a coincidence, of course. I guess H never heard Running Wild and if he did, then he must have forgotten it.
 
[!--quoteo(post=129615:date=Feb 23 2006, 04:17 PM:name=Forostar)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Forostar @ Feb 23 2006, 04:17 PM) [snapback]129615[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
People who don't know Priest that well often say that there are thousands of such riffs. Well: this is simply not true. 22 Acacia Avenue is very different.

Still it could be a coincidence, of course. I guess H never heard Running Wild and if he did, then he must have forgotten it.
[/quote]

But there ARE thousands of similar riffs ::

If you listen to a live version of 22AA, you'll hear that Adrian is playing the intro a bit different, namely with an open E string to give the riff more groove... it sounds similar.

And some fan asked Adrian in the Q&A with the band in 2002 (I think) if he had heard Priests Running Wild, and he answered that he heard it after he wrote The Wicker Man (someone had told him about the similarity).
 
I knew someday this would happen, I mean, time passes by and probably the ideas repeat, without having any influence it just happens.
 
Pff, I remember thinking up a melody for some lyrics I wrote and shortly afterwards heard a song that had a similar melody, so there... We only have a limited number of notes, you know.
 
Since it's open season to pour some salt on old musical wounds, has anyone ever listened to "power & the glory" by Saxon just before switching to "2 minutes to midnite" from you know who, but from 1984. simply listen to the intro. Now, that's what I call similarity, even if there are always slight variations in the opening riff. But so true!, only seven notes so far and so many songs written.
 
However, I don't think bands do that on purpose, like we know, it just happens, but what makes a band great, is their ability to use the 7 notes in order to always sound fresh and new.
 
[!--quoteo(post=129654:date=Feb 24 2006, 09:39 AM:name=Perun)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Perun @ Feb 24 2006, 09:39 AM) [snapback]129654[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
Pff, I remember thinking up a melody for some lyrics I wrote and shortly afterwards heard a song that had a similar melody, so there... We only have a limited number of notes, you know.
[/quote]
Are you in a band? I have always thought of you as a groupie type instead [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\":p\" border=\"0\" alt=\"tongue.gif\" /]
 
[!--quoteo(post=129673:date=Feb 24 2006, 06:09 PM:name=Conor)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Conor @ Feb 24 2006, 06:09 PM) [snapback]129673[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
Are you in a band? I have always thought of you as a groupie type instead [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\":p\" border=\"0\" alt=\"tongue.gif\" /]
[/quote]

Neither. I just like to write lyrics [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/wink.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\";)\" border=\"0\" alt=\"wink.gif\" /]
 
I'm really new. The Maiden BB kicked me out cos i like them too much.
I'm from another country, so excuse my English.
 
[!--quoteo(post=129958:date=Feb 27 2006, 11:18 PM:name=queysoft)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(queysoft @ Feb 27 2006, 11:18 PM) [snapback]129958[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
The Maiden BB kicked me out
[/quote]

That's always a good premise. I suppose this has happened to half the people here [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/wink.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\";)\" border=\"0\" alt=\"wink.gif\" /]
 
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