I'm old and I frickin LOVE THE VERVE!!!!
/pancakes
//off my lawn


BOOOBIES

We were only freshmen.

/is that the right band?

cameroncrazy1984: We were only freshmen.

/is that the right band?

ya.

Caeldan: cameroncrazy1984: We were only freshmen.

/is that the right band?

ya.

Nope that's a different band, all together

I was thinking of Bittersweet Symphony.

Was that the Verve Pipe?

shubai33: Caeldan: cameroncrazy1984: We were only freshmen.

/is that the right band?

ya.

Nope that's a different band, all together

Oh shiat, now I'm all confused...

Didn't they get sued for bittersweet symphony because they stole one measure from some other song and had it repeat ad infinum?

Talon: Didn't they get sued for bittersweet symphony because they stole one measure from some other song and had it repeat ad infinum?

Ripped off the Rolling Stones. You don't do that; the Stones have better lawyers than you.

The Verve != The Verve Pipe

jbuist: The Verve != The Verve Pipe

Yeah, for starters, The Verve didn't suck ass - Urban Hymns was one of the best albums of the late 90s.

Whereas "Freshman" was one of the most annoying, pretentiously P.O.S. songs ever (and, unfortunately, came out the year I was a college Freshman, which meant everyone in the dorms liked to pretend it was actually meaningful).

cameroncrazy1984: We were only freshmen.

/is that the right band?

for the life of me, I cannot remember.

jbuist: The Verve != The Verve Pipe

it's annoying when people ruin jokes.

I guess Verve Pipe being confused for The Verve is better than the other way around.

come on people, its not THAT hard. The VERVE is the one with the smack-addled singer with a face like a dried raisin:

What could I say? They drove a dump truck full of money up to my house!!

PseudoNic: Talon: Didn't they get sued for bittersweet symphony because they stole one measure from some other song and had it repeat ad infinum?

Ripped off the Rolling Stones. You don't do that; the Stones have better lawyers than you.

Still, it was a great song. Possibly partly because they ripped off the Stones.

SphericalTime: PseudoNic: Talon: Didn't they get sued for bittersweet symphony because they stole one measure from some other song and had it repeat ad infinum?

Ripped off the Rolling Stones. You don't do that; the Stones have better lawyers than you.

Still, it was a great song. Possibly partly because they ripped off the Stones.

They made a deal to split the royalties with the Stones. When the song was released, the Stones decided they should take all of the money instead of just part of it.

Chariset: SphericalTime: PseudoNic:

Ripped off the Rolling Stones. You don't do that; the Stones have better lawyers than you.

Still, it was a great song. Possibly partly because they ripped off the Stones.

They made a deal to split the royalties with the Stones. When the song was released, the Stones decided they should take all of the money instead of just part of it.


The Stones were probably just jealous; Bittersweet Symphony is a better song than anything the Rolling Stones have put out since before I was born (1978).

The Verve was hot in the 90's. You shut up subby. And screw all you guys getting The Verve and The Verve Pipe confused. I was sure I knew who this was talking about until you guys started with that shiat, then I forgot who was who.

kmmontandon: jbuist: The Verve != The Verve Pipe

Yeah, for starters, The Verve didn't suck ass - Urban Hymns was one of the best albums of the late 90s.

THIS

Also, Bittersweet Symphony - We don't need no stinkin' Stones version (new window)

Starts about 35 seconds in.

PseudoNic: shubai33: Caeldan: cameroncrazy1984: We were only freshmen.
/is that the right band?
ya.
Nope that's a different band, all together
Oh shiat, now I'm all confused...

that's understandable, since they were both on the same label.

Thank you, mods!

After watching the Bittersweet Symphony video, I thought it would be a good reality tv skit to see how far people could make it down a busy sidewalk keeping to a straight line and bumping people out of the way. They could have distance records for various cities around the world. Anything over 32 feet in NY and they win.

I really liked their first EP. Back in the early 90's. Really trippy, shoegazer kind of stuff. Urban Hymns didn't really strike a chord with me though.

mark71: I really liked their first EP. Back in the early 90's. Really trippy, shoegazer kind of stuff. Urban Hymns didn't really strike a chord with me though.

Agreed. Anything past their first EP is of the pretentious Britpop variety. A Storm In Heaven is quality

WTF was the "freshman" song, from Verve Pipe about, anyway? I just remember being in 9th grade when hearing it and couldn't get away from it. Yeargh.

PseudoNic: Talon: Didn't they get sued for bittersweet symphony because they stole one measure from some other song and had it repeat ad infinum?

Ripped off the Rolling Stones. You don't do that; the Stones have better lawyers than you.

Its all quite silly, really. They ripped off the Andrew Oldham Orchestra's version of "The Last Time". But Oldham's version sounds nothing like the Stones' version at all. So by the time the Verve sampled it, there is essentially no resemblance to the RS cut. And yes, the RS do have better lawyers, haha - they got 100% of the song's royalties after originally only demanding 50%.

Artmageddon
WTF was the "freshman" song, from Verve Pipe about, anyway? I just remember being in 9th grade when hearing it and couldn't get away from it. Yeargh.

According to my girlfriend at the time, it was about doubting forty cents, but I'm fairly sure it was actually about dying for these sins.

/And according to her little brother, it was by a band called The Faunching Vegetables. He was eight, I have no idea where he got that.
//you only wish that "Stop a baby's breath and a show full of rice" was a misheard lyric, but no, that's actually the lyric

Ohh typo, it's not "show full of rice" it's "shoe full of rice."

BuckyFellini: PseudoNic: Talon: Didn't they get sued for bittersweet symphony because they stole one measure from some other song and had it repeat ad infinum?

Ripped off the Rolling Stones. You don't do that; the Stones have better lawyers than you.

Its all quite silly, really. They ripped off the Andrew Oldham Orchestra's version of "The Last Time". But Oldham's version sounds nothing like the Stones' version at all. So by the time the Verve sampled it, there is essentially no resemblance to the RS cut. And yes, the RS do have better lawyers, haha - they got 100% of the song's royalties after originally only demanding 50%.

I didn't think that sounded right, as I had heard the Stones got writing credit, but some of the Stones former managers and labels sued for money as well. Looks like the Stones got writing credit, with the copyright going to the old record label Bittersweet Symphony Wikipedia (new window)

I just wish this sort of thing hit Jay-Z or Puff Daddy around the same time frame. For a while, every other rap video on TV (Remember when videos were played on TV?) had a sample of some kind. Sting deserved every last penny of Puff Daddy's money from that one career starting song.

Azz: mark71: I really liked their first EP. Back in the early 90's. Really trippy, shoegazer kind of stuff. Urban Hymns didn't really strike a chord with me though.

Agreed. Anything past their first EP is of the pretentious Britpop variety. A Storm In Heaven is quality

not too familiar with their post-Storm in Heaven (outside Bittersweet Symphony, obviously), but Storm in Heaven is really good. I like how they wanted to be Spiritualized so much that Richard Aschcroft stole Kate Radley.

Is it irony when someone makes fun of a band for not being well-known, while submitting their clever jab to Fark knowing full-well that if it were a truly unknown band, the story would be unworthy of fark?

/ not a verve fan
// just think it's a stupid way to write a headline.

HappyHarryHardOn: come on people, its not THAT hard. The VERVE is the one with the smack-addled singer with a face like a dried raisin:

So contrary to his song, The Drugs DID Work?

/Ben Harper does a very nice cover of that too.

jicon
I just wish this sort of thing hit Jay-Z or Puff Daddy around the same time frame. For a while, every other rap video on TV (Remember when videos were played on TV?) had a sample of some kind. Sting deserved every last penny of Puff Daddy's money from that one career starting song.

I'll agree with Puff Daddy, but Jay-Z, with the exception of his singles which I think suck some hairy balls, is really awesome.

/but his singles suck real bad, it took me so long to take him seriously

Wow, somebody besides me has A Storm In Heaven. Really, really good, & an awesome cover.

mdbuff12: HappyHarryHardOn: come on people, its not THAT hard. The VERVE is the one with the smack-addled singer with a face like a dried raisin:

So contrary to his song, The Drugs DID Work?

/Ben Harper does a very nice cover of that too.

Beat me to this. All of it.

/Verve kicks ass

Artmageddon: WTF was the "freshman" song, from Verve Pipe about, anyway? I just remember being in 9th grade when hearing it and couldn't get away from it. Yeargh.

I saw an interview with them once where they said it was based on a conversation they overheard at a diner. I don't know how true it is since people who suck often lie.

Fantastic group The Verve. If anyone is interesting in what 90s psychedelic rock sounds like, get one of their albums. Urban Hymns is without a a shadow of a doubt, one of the best experimental albums of the 90s. All the other bands were trying to copy Pearl Jam, but The Verve made great songs out of ambient guitar work. Very exciting they are back and making a new album.

I also find it very funny that a talented British rock band that does not call themselves the Beatles or whine like Radiohead STILL gets hated on Fark. Lighten up...

happydude45: Wow, somebody besides me has A Storm In Heaven. Really, really good, & an awesome cover.

I have all their albums (so I'm really getting a kick out of these replies). They are one of my favourite bands. I feel embarrassed to tell people that sometimes, because all most people know of them is Bittersweet Symphony.

The bed ain't made
It's spilled full of hope
I've got skin full of dope

/best Verve song ever
//Richard Ashcroft has the voice of god

What, no love for A Northern Soul? That's my favorite: A Storm in Heaven is a little too one-chord-jam-with-vocals for my taste and Urban Hymns is a little too heavy on ballads for me.

They were awesome live the one time I saw them. I downloaded a BT of a recent show and was kinda underwhelmed, but I'll give the new album a spin.

Poorlytoldjoke: /best Verve song ever

Yep, love it. Great string arrangement...

I remember "Bittersweet Symphony" from back when I actually watched MTV! (does that make me old? Damn.) The video was awesome. Second best "walking around" video of the time period, next to Pharcyde's "Drop".

/the only road I've ever been down...
//let me take you down it

This is good news!!!
/Goes to dig out my Northern Soul album

I still remember when I first heard "Bittersweet Symphony," ironically enough, on the Nike commercial that Ashcroft and the band didn't appreciate a whole lot. Awesome stuff. Urban Hymns is a phenomenal album.

Favorite band to this day since seeing them at Lollapalooza I believe in '92. Own all their music including singles and B-sides and pre-ordered the new album Forth. It's a big deal to me and much anticipated.

You can here their new album in it's entirety here: Link (new window)

Still prefer their older tripped up/shoegaze sound though.

I rented/borrowed Richard's first solo album/cd from the library...
cuz i liked "Song for the Lovers" and it turns out that was the only song i liked on it [the only uptempo one it turns out, as well]... the rest were boring dirges/ballads/etc.
I haven't bothered with any of his solo output since...

but i keep forgetting to get "urban hymns"...

wasn't the string line/melody off of "Bittersweet Symphony" lifted from a "symphony plays The Rolling Stones" type record from the 60's?


anybody see any resemblance between Richard Ashcroft and that guy from Spiritualized?
looks wise? maybe even music wise?

i think i actually got them confused for a little bit / at some point like 8 years ago....

That new song they have - "Love is Noise" - is pretty farking good. It's no "Bittersweet Symphony" or "The Drugs Don't Work", but still a good song and I might just buy the new album.

/really, subby? stupid? more like spiffy.

The Verve lost their rights to Bittersweet Symphony because it was argued they used "too much" of "The Last Time" (as performed by the Andrew Oldham Orchestra) in their sample.

Also note: the suit didn't come from the Stones themselves, but from the company that owned the rights to their 60s catalog FWIW.

Keith Richards' thoughts on the controversy:

"I'm out of wack here, this is serious lawyer shiat. If The Verve can write a better song, they can keep the money."

I kinda liked Love Is Noise when I heard it on XM47. I just may give the new album a chance, although I strongly disagree with the idea that we somehow needed The Verve to reunite.

mofomisfit: /And according to her little brother, it was by a band called The Faunching Vegetables. He was eight, I have no idea where he got that.

I dunno, but that would actually be a pretty awesome name for a band.

Huge Verve fan here, have loved them since Storm in Heaven. I even have all the Ashcroft solo cds - some great tunes, some not so great, it seems he needs a band to reign him in occasionally.

Anyway, HATED Verve Pipe. Ug.

Looking forward to Forth.

Best Verve song is The Rolling People followed closely by The Sun, The Sea and This Is Music.

Baumer: Artmageddon: WTF was the "freshman" song, from Verve Pipe about, anyway? I just remember being in 9th grade when hearing it and couldn't get away from it. Yeargh.

I saw an interview with them once where they said it was based on a conversation they overheard at a diner. I don't know how true it is since people who suck often lie.

According to some history of rock type show I heard - the song was about an abortion...
So who knows - and sorry for getting them confused earlier in the thread, I always assumed they were the same band... just with a name change kinda like how Bush went to Bush X or something like that (at least in Canada). And wasn't it something like Butthole Surfers became the Rainbow Butt Monkeys? The 90s were weird for band names.