Covers: Unoriginal?
October 17, 2008
Covers: Unoriginal?
According to Cusic, “The definition of a “cover” song is one that has been recorded before” (Cusic, 2005, p.174). This is not to be confused with a cover record, a common misconception, “which has come to mean a recording exactly like the original, or first, recording except sung by a different singer and played by different musicians” (Cusic, 2005, p.174), which would attribute to the connotation of cover songs as being unoriginal. However, this can be disputed by the legal requirements for a cover song, “An important aspect of the compulsory license is that it allows the licensee to create his own sound recording of the original work, but it does not permit the licensee to copy the original recording” (Castanaro, 2008, p.1293). This insists a degree of originality must be incorporated to make it differ from the initial version.
Arguing for cover songs, Cusic states their value as a creative practice, “In today’s world, cover songs and cover recordings are a lost art. By demanding that singers write their own songs, the public is “cheated” of hearing great singers and musicians interpret a great song” (Cusic, 2005, p.176). Although the singing abilities of Taiwanese boyband, JVKV (formerly known as F4), are debatable, they are an example of the “many legitimate reasons for “making a new version”” (Plasketes, 2005, p.149).
JVKV, formerly known as F4
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