Burt on Air Supply's "Even the Nights Are Better"
Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2024 4:13 pm
I found this 1986 exchange between Bacharach and music journalist Michael Fremer interesting, regarding the 1982 Air Supply song "Even the Nights Are Better". I think what Fremer is getting at is the similarity between the Air Supply melody on the chorus of "Even the Nights" and Burt's melody on the verse sections of "Arthur's Theme". Maybe Burt was sanguine about the rip-off of "Arthur's Theme" because when writing "Arthur's Theme", he himself was borrowing the iconic chord progression from the "A" sections of Jerome Kern's "All The Things You Are" for his own song. (Though legally speaking, borrowing a chord progression is not usually considered plagiarism, while borrowing a melody is considered plagiarism.)
https://www.analogplanet.com/content/bu ... scinates-0MF:One question I meant to ask you, if I ever had a chance to interview you is, there's a song by "The Little River Band" that's a complete lift from the "Arthur" theme.
BB: Oh. I know the record you're talking about, its not The Little River Band, it was a group on Arista...
MF: It was Air Supply. "Even the Nights Are Better."
BB: Oh yea, that was like really....we thought about suing, but ah....
MF: I mean it was a complete lift.
BB: Yea, it was a complete liftoff, yea.
MF: But you held back and didn't sue.
BB: Yes. We didn't sue.
MF: I was annoyed for you when that came out!