Kingdom melodies / B4 Copyright/JW`s stealing melodies/anyone remember this ?

smiddy

I can recall sometime ago in the 60`s 70`s or theirabouts,it when they first printed their own songbook must have been before the org.copyrighted their material,and the reason they did that is because some brothers were stealing the tunes ? maybe modifying them and passing them off as their own for commercial gain? ( I know some of you are going to say WTF ? watchtower compositions for commercial gain ? you gotta be kidding me .,but no I`m serious,this happened way back then .)

Can anybody remember anything about this ?

smiddy

Azazel

Not sure about that smiddy but im only 41 so before my time.

What i do remember one of my friends used to have a musical skit he would play at weddings etc .

if you remember the Song 65 - Meeting in Unity.

goes along like

How pleasant to see brothers all dwell in unity who truely love each.. blah blah blah

Anyway play this song fast and its the theme from Looney Tunes , used to get people laughing .

I will try an remember some more examples.

Az

Broken Promises

My Dad worked in sound and had all the original KM (pink songbook) recordings (about 50 records' worth) but I don't remember him mentioning any copyright scandal.

Old Goat

The first song book published by Zion's Watch Tower was Songs of the Bride, edited by W. I. Mann and published in 1879. The songs were adapted from standard religious songbooks. What you're thinking of is the 1950 song book. It contained "Kingdom Songs" written to "worldly" music, including Hark the Herald Angels Sing and some classical works. There are some similarities between some Witness hymns and "worldly" music that mighty make you wonder about influences.

I don't know about any scandals over the music. It is funny that the 1925 song book has Christmas music in it.

cantleave

There was definitely a plagarism issue with one of the song from "Singing and Accompanying yourselves - with music in your hearts".

They even acknowledged this in the Watchtower, where they discussed the "new" songbook (1984?) saying that it may have been possible that when the writer was composing the music he may have been influenced, inadvertantly, by something he had heard years before.

I am sure someone like blondie can find the quote.

Alfred

i've never heard of any JWs trying to peddle off a "Kingdom re-mix" album, but the Society always made money with "Kingdom Melodies"...

The Society has available a quantity of orchestral recordings of the music from the 1966 songbook “SingingandAccompanyingYourselvesWithMusicinYourHearts.” This set of ten long-playing stereophonic records (P1-P10) is available at a reduced cost of $6.00 per set for publishers; $5.00 per set for pioneers. -Kindom Ministry July, 1987 p. 3

AnnOMaly

Is this what you're looking for?

*** w86 10/15 p. 23 Praising Jehovah With Music ***

Two new melodies were composed for favorite words because it was learned that the melodies previously used had not been composed by Witnesses. How could that have happened? A composer may hear a little-known tune. When it later comes to his mind, he might imagine that he composed it.

AnnOMaly

Ahh! An older thread will provide more info. And Blondie has some more relevant WTS quotes on it - http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/188328/1/George-Benson-Friends-Sing-Praises-to-Jehovah

ScenicViewer

@ AnnOMaly,

Nice work finding that quote.

A composer may hear a little-known tune. When it later comes to his mind, he might imagine that he composed it.

Right. If anyone else had done that Watchtower would have no problem calling it what it is, plagiarism.

blondie

I can see jws having composed songs to be used in the WTS songbooks then falling away and the WTS not having proper copyright privileges and being sued by these ex-jws.

Kingdom melodies / B4 Copyright/JW`s stealing melodies/anyone remember this ?

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