Harry Styles

ICBM

First solo single - Sign Of The Times. No, not a Prince cover…

I will be honest and admit I quite like it - I've probably been conditioned by my daughter's enthusiasm for One Direction which I've picked up on to some extent - but it's definitely quite a departure from the predictable ex-1D stuff the others have done so far and easily the most interesting.

But something keeps nagging at me - I think it's ripped off something. But what?!! I keep nearly being able to put my finger on it, but not quite. Bowie? Elton John? Lennon? Something else from that period? Or maybe it isn't quite, but just hints at it closely enough to make you think it is, like one of those annoying deliberately copyright-avoiding ad tracks…

I'm probably losing my mind, I know.

Flink_Poyd

A quick listen and it sounds do generic it's probably playing tricks on your ears. I hear very little that reminds me of any particular song along with hearing every slow song ever. 

Moe_Zambeek

A quick listen and I got Rihanna : stay, a little bit of Lionel Ritchie's Hello, one line that sounded like 'you can't wear the door when you're in the sky' and lots of very strong general eau-d'Adele.

It does sound like he can sing though.

proggy

ICBM said:

First solo single - Sign Of The Times. No, not a Prince cover…

I will be honest and admit I quite like it - I've probably been conditioned by my daughter's enthusiasm for One Direction which I've picked up on to some extent - but it's definitely quite a departure from the predictable ex-1D stuff the others have done so far and easily the most interesting.

But something keeps nagging at me - I think it's ripped off something. But what?!! I keep nearly being able to put my finger on it, but not quite. Bowie? Elton John? Lennon? Something else from that period? Or maybe it isn't quite, but just hints at it closely enough to make you think it is, like one of those annoying deliberately copyright-avoiding ad tracks…

I'm probably losing my mind, I know.

Badfinger - Baby Blue.

Philly_Q

proggy said:

Badfinger - Baby Blue.

How fucking cool does Kenny Rogers look at the start of that clip?

SidNewton

proggy said:

ICBM said:

First solo single - Sign Of The Times. No, not a Prince cover…

I will be honest and admit I quite like it - I've probably been conditioned by my daughter's enthusiasm for One Direction which I've picked up on to some extent - but it's definitely quite a departure from the predictable ex-1D stuff the others have done so far and easily the most interesting.

But something keeps nagging at me - I think it's ripped off something. But what?!! I keep nearly being able to put my finger on it, but not quite. Bowie? Elton John? Lennon? Something else from that period? Or maybe it isn't quite, but just hints at it closely enough to make you think it is, like one of those annoying deliberately copyright-avoiding ad tracks…

I'm probably losing my mind, I know.

Badfinger - Baby Blue.

It's not the current single that sounds like Badfingers Baby Blue, it's another turgid effort called Ever Since New York.

jimkehoe

Reminded me at the beginning of Jack Savoretti - Catapult.

ICBM

proggy said:

Badfinger - Baby Blue.

Definitely not, but thank you for reminding me that my music collection is lacking any Badfinger, and that needs to be remedied…

jimkehoe said:

Reminded me at the beginning of Jack Savoretti - Catapult.

No, it's something much older than that I think.

Keep the suggestions coming!

vasselmeyer

I heard the same thing. I think the first line is very similar to Adele's "Someone Like You".

ICBM

It's not the first line, it's something in the chorus I think. The slidy guitar part might have something to do with it, but I'm not quite sure.

It's a little similar to another Badfinger song, much better known from the Harry Nilsson version - Without You. I'm still not sure that's quite it though. It's bugging my wife too, she thinks it's Lennon but can't say exactly which song...

BloodEagle

The verse sounds somehwat like Cat Power ''The Greatest'

richardhomer

I listened to it to see if I could place it - but after 30 seconds I wanted to die.

What a dismal piece of music....

Teetonetal

Yeah, it's familiar. It's a bland song trying hard to be interesting.

spark240

Elton Rocket man...

Christophe

ICBM said:

First solo single - Sign Of The Times. No, not a Prince cover…

I will be honest and admit I quite like it - I've probably been conditioned by my daughter's enthusiasm for One Direction which I've picked up on to some extent - but it's definitely quite a departure from the predictable ex-1D stuff the others have done so far and easily the most interesting.

But something keeps nagging at me - I think it's ripped off something. But what?!! I keep nearly being able to put my finger on it, but not quite. Bowie? Elton John? Lennon? Something else from that period? Or maybe it isn't quite, but just hints at it closely enough to make you think it is, like one of those annoying deliberately copyright-avoiding ad tracks…

I'm probably losing my mind, I know.

Yeah, heard it without knowing who it was and thought it was great. Quite a big sound and nice production imo. Can't quite put my finger on what it sounds like tho...

JezWynd

spark240 said:

Elton Rocket man...

There's that musical cue at the start that's straight from Rocket Man, but I don't hear it in the melody. It's annoyingly familiar, couldn't be Jackson Brown, Running on empty era? He's cute and harmless (Styles that is).

Bellycaster

I think it's a great track as well, at first I thought it had a bit of a Pink Floyd vibe with some of the Guitar work, but after more listens, it does seem to have a bit of a lot of stuff I can't put my finger on. Maybe even some 70's Hollies or Alan Parsons Project as well. Damn good track anyway.

ICBM

Wife is at least partly right (of course) - John Lennon, Isolation. I admit I didn't really get it until I listened to them back to back.

I think there's also an element of Bowie's Life On Mars in there somewhere, which I hadn't picked up on before. 

Heartfeltdawn

It sounds like fucking Embrace. It's the musical equivalent of looking at the water bottle fridge of Foxtons in London. 

Christophe

Heartfeltdawn said:

It sounds like fucking Embrace. It's the musical equivalent of looking at the water bottle fridge of Foxtons in London. 

Ahhh, yes Embrace. Fucking love them

ICBM

Christophe said:

Heartfeltdawn said:

It sounds like fucking Embrace. It's the musical equivalent of looking at the water bottle fridge of Foxtons in London.

Ahhh, yes Embrace.

I'd forgotten about them. The fact that I didn't instantly hate the Harry Styles song probably means the resemblance is only slight...