Dear Bruno Mars

[cabanafrau]

My bad. You're right -- duns instead of dings.

Duns? Dings? There's a difference?

I clearly have an issue, because those songs have melded into one for me when I think about them in my own head. No wonder I don't get what the OP is talking about.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

My bad. You're right -- duns instead of dings.

No I'm thinking that you were right. I believe that Vanilla Ice actually said it was different because of the "ding".

Oh gosh. Found a clip of the interview.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoArTZNA5F8

 

[Princess Dolly]

And I find there is something very sexy about him. Not your "typical" good looks. Did you see him on Saturday Night Live? Great comedic timing too! In a strange way he reminds me of Justin Timberlake -- all around kind of performer.

The Pandora sketch was the best!!!

 

[PrincessKsMom]

The Pandora sketch was the best!!!

He was having such a hard time keeping a straight face.

 

[snapppyd]

Does anyone have a Michael Jackson glove??

 

[Princess Dolly]

Who the hell skips Billie Jean?

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Does anyone have a Michael Jackson glove??

You know I LOVED when he did BJA, right?

Who the hell skips Billie Jean?

I was the only one awake in my house the night his show aired and I thought they were going to get up and kill me. At some points I was laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face. Haven't laughed at SNL like that in a looooooooong time.

 

[Micca]

I read somewhere (maybe Rolling Stone) where Bruno was asked about the similarities to the Police and he said he certainly was influenced by the Police.

My exposure to Mars is limited, but from what I've seen he's very talented. The comparison to Timberlake may be apt.

Other entertainers are also influenced by the police with less desirable results (Lil Wayne, Lindsey Lohan I'm lookin' at you!)

 

[cheerful chickadee]

I love me some Bruno Mars. He does write most of his song with his team. After seeing him on SNL I would love to see him and his band live, they put on a great show, very entertaining. I didn't know he could act, he did great on the SNL, it was one of the funniest of this season. The Pandora sketch was awesome.

The only correlation to me between the Police/Sting is a slight melody but it happens in music, sometimes a piece(s) of an original is even used in newer songs to make a new beat/melody, it's called sampling.

Not that wikipedia is the most trusted source but I thought this might help:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locked_Out_of_Heaven

 

[SaraJayne]

You may call it a stretch, but I hear it. I just felt it would be nice for something original. It is not really meant as a mean spirited comment just an observation.

Here is the hook where I hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-fA-gBCkj0

listen from :44

Then go to the Police

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbXWrmQW-OE

listen from :33

"I'll send an SOS to the world"

I definitely hear a call back to "Talking in your Sleep". That's my story and I am sticking to it!

I like Bruno Mars and I agree with you.

 

[Rylee]

I LOVE Bruno Mars!

I love his voice.

 

[Rylee]

Who the hell skips Billie Jean?

I want to watch it again.

 

[Gorechick]

When I first heard the song I thought "Holy New Wave 1981! Who's doing that?" Never suspected Bruno Mars, think of him as that whiny crooner of Grenade (can't stand that one) and Beautiful. I hear the similarity to the Police and other Wavers but he's done it in a fresh new way.

 

[KristaTX]

I thought of the Police, as well. Then I listened to the lyrics and turned that crap off.

I agree. I think Bruno Mars has some catchy songs. However, he needs to be a little more subtle in his lyrics. As they are, I don't want to listen to them!

I so agree. What ever happened to subtlety AND creativity with song lyrics? Why do almost all songs now have to have such simplistic lyrics and have to be about boy/girl (or boy/boy or girl/girl) relationships?

I'll even take the weirdness of "All that sweet green icing flowing down" of "MacArthur Park" over that crap any day.

I miss the beauty of poetic lyrics and creative sounds.

 

[nemofans]

This is so funny! Every time I hear Bruno Mars, it makes me think of the Police too. I mentioned this to my DH & he didn't agree. I thought I was the only one.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I so agree. What ever happened to subtlety AND creativity with song lyrics? Why do almost all songs now have to have such simplistic lyrics and have to be about boy/girl (or boy/boy or girl/girl) relationships?

I'll even take the weirdness of "All that sweet green icing flowing down" of "MacArthur Park" over that crap any day.

I miss the beauty of poetic lyrics and creative sounds.

Your post reminds me of something my mom had said. Her first time ever in a bar, she walked in with my dad and heard Jimmy Buffet's Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw" She said that she found herself wondering when music switched from I Wanna Hold Your Hand to that. Oh, and it took years to get her back in a bar.

It did surprise me that the same artist that gave us Just the Way You Are came up with lines such as "Your sex takes me to paradise."

 

[design_mom]

It did surprise me that the same artist that gave us Just the Way You Are came up with lines such as "Your sex takes me to paradise."

From what I've heard, it sounds like "Just the Way You Are" is more of the exception. I like that one... and "Marry You" quite a bit. But this one, and it's repeated lyric of, "Your sex takes me to paradise" doesn't sit well with me. "Your love..." would be okay. Not creative, exactly, but at least more subtle! I can't have my 8yo walking around the house singing "Your sex takes me to paradise" and a lot of his songs are catchy enough (melody-wise) that they do get stuck in your head!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

He does have a sort of early police sound. But other than repeating the same line more than once in a row, there are no similarities to Message in a bottle.

Speaking of The Police, it's a shame they broke up. But when you have to record an album in separate sessions because you can't stand each other, it's time to break up.

 

[bookgirl]

Sampling of music has been prevelent for at least 15 years probably closer to 20 expecially in rap and pop. People do it all the time. As long as it is short then it's free to use, longer pieces do have to be 'footnoted' so to speak. Believe me if he uses too long of a piece, sting and the romantics will be right there demanding thier cut.

The ability to sample free goes on the premise that there are only so many phrases/words/musical combinations in the language and there are going to be things that sound similar, or an artist just wants to give a shout out to something he likes but doesn't use so much that the work is ENTIRELY dependant of the prior musical piece.

Frankly I love hearing samples when they are done well, it's kinda a blast from the past for those of us who have a long and eclectic history with music. I've got everything from LMFAO to Barry Manilow on my playlists and everything in between, sampling or in the style of types of songs are everywhere and I like them, it's just that much more to add to the collection.

Bruno Mars is great at using prior music or music style to do things with a new and inventive twists. He's not my favorite singer but I've got 3 or 4 songs that he's done on my playlists. Lighters is one of my favorites of his (colaboration with Eminem and another young rapper) and is Runaway and The Lazy Song.

I have never thought of him as copying or unoriginal or simplistic. I just think he's a good singer.

One of my favorite user's of sampled music. Pitbull.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Sampling of music has been prevelent for at least 15 years probably closer to 20 expecially in rap and pop. People do it all the time. As long as it is short then it's free to use, longer pieces do have to be 'footnoted' so to speak. Believe me if he uses too long of a piece, sting and the romantics will be right there demanding thier cut.

The ability to sample free goes on the premise that there are only so many phrases/words/musical combinations in the language and there are going to be things that sound similar, or an artist just wants to give a shout out to something he likes but doesn't use so much that the work is ENTIRELY dependant of the prior musical piece.

Frankly I love hearing samples when they are done well, it's kinda a blast from the past for those of us who have a long and eclectic history with music. I've got everything from LMFAO to Barry Manilow on my playlists and everything in between, sampling or in the style of types of songs are everywhere and I like them, it's just that much more to add to the collection.

Bruno Mars is great at using prior music or music style to do things with a new and inventive twists. He's not my favorite singer but I've got 3 or 4 songs that he's done on my playlists. Lighters is one of my favorites of his (colaboration with Eminem and another young rapper) and is Runaway and The Lazy Song.

I have never thought of him as copying or unoriginal or simplistic. I just think he's a good singer.

One of my favorite user's of sampled music. Pitbull.

Run DMC and the Beastie Boys.