Artists ripping themselves off.

[Rizla]

Inspired by Satchmo's thread about dissimilar number ones by the same writer, what about when the record company has obviously said "look Mike, you've got a big bill to pay these Exegenesis cunts so you'd better come up with another hit, you mad fucker!" And Mike duly comes up with this bowl of old dog's toffee - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmcJCIHXlCg Crime of Fashion, more like, eh readers?

Identical lyrical theme, tempo and meter, he's even rehashed the guitar solo. Except Moonlight Shadow had a nice pretty girl in a hat singing it, and a cosy video set in a nice warm cottage, whereas this is sung by some moonfaced wrong'un and the video is set inside one of Mike's many childhood nightmares. Number 61 in the charts. "Fuck it" thinks Mike, "Tubular Bells part 2 it is". Etc.

Any other examples of what we may call "self-Rutling"?

[purlieu]

Fucking hell, he's had way too many. 'The Man in the Rain' is the biggest Moonlight Shadow Part 2 in his career - although as a song, I have to admit I actually prefer it as a song. It was originally written around the same time, so is slightly more excusable.
He did Tubular Bells way more times than a cursory glance at his discography would suggest. The title track of Crises opens and closes with an intentional major key interpolation of it - on the tenth anniversary of the album that started his career, it seems somewhat reasonable. Islands's side-long instrumental, 'The Wind Chimes', ends with a blatant rip of the end of TB side 1. Obviously then came Tubular Bells II in 1992, which I always thought was at least, in part, a 'fuck you' to Virgin who were trying to get him to release one for years, only for him to do it as the first album after he left the label (his relationship with them was very poor by the time he left, evidenced by the last few seconds of his last Virgin album, Heaven's Open, with a quiet section of him laughing and shouting "fuck off"). That said, it's basically just the original with a few notes changed around, with some very nasty early '90s production. Then came Tubular Bells III in 1998, which actually reinterprets some themes from the original into very different pieces, as well as some new tracks, plus 'The Man in the Rain' from above'. The re-recording of the album in 2003 is a fucking atrocity. His first 'classical' album, 2008's Music of the Spheres, is very heavily indebted to Tubular Bells as well, opening with a section that clearly references the Exorcist piano section, with the closing part again referencing the end of Tubular Bells Part 1.

He is currently recording Tubular Bells IV.

[thecuriousorange]

REM ripped themselves off with "Bad Day".

[Pauline Walnuts]

Oasis died when they started ripping themselves off, they were doing fine when they just ripped of T.Rex and that Coke song.

[Pauline Walnuts]

He is currently recording Tubular Bells IV.

IV?

[Natnar]

Peter Gabriel basically let Sledgehammer & Big Time have a baby together and called it Steam.

[idunnosomename]

King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man/Pictures of a City
Metallica - Enter Sandman/King Nothing (shape of riff and structure regardless of lyrical nod at end)
Blue Öyster Cult - Burnin' For You/Dancin' in the Ruins (funnily enough they played them back to back when I saw them last year. V cheeky. Loved it)

[imitationleather]

I could never respect musicians who would do this.

My favourite band ever are Rednex.

[Rizla]

It's funny, I'm sure I remember Sniff 'n' the Tears doing a follow up to  Driver's Seat called "Passenger Seat" but I can't find it anywhere, this could WELL be a Mandela effects.

[non capisco]

REM ripped themselves off with "Bad Day".

It's worse than that. 'Bad Day' was the original song they scrapped in the 80s and then reworked into 'It's The End Of The World As We Know It'. They then resurrected and recorded the scrapped song when they were a flailing moribund band with no decent ideas.

[Nowhere Man]

It's worse than that. 'Bad Day' was the original song they scrapped in the 80s and then reworked into 'It's The End Of The World As We Know It'. They then resurrected and recorded the scrapped song when they were a flailing moribund band with no decent ideas.

and yet was still one of the better singles they did in the 21st century. How they limped on until 2011 is quite mind boggling

[DrGreggles]

How they limped on until 2011 is quite mind boggling

Contract fulfilment

[Bennett Brauer]

Fucking hell, he's had way too many. 'The Man in the Rain' is the biggest Moonlight Shadow Part 2 in his career - although as a song, I have to admit I actually prefer it as a song. It was originally written around the same time, so is slightly more excusable.
He did Tubular Bells way more times than a cursory glance at his discography would suggest. The title track of Crises opens and closes with an intentional major key interpolation of it - on the tenth anniversary of the album that started his career, it seems somewhat reasonable. Islands's side-long instrumental, 'The Wind Chimes', ends with a blatant rip of the end of TB side 1. Obviously then came Tubular Bells II in 1992, which I always thought was at least, in part, a 'fuck you' to Virgin who were trying to get him to release one for years, only for him to do it as the first album after he left the label (his relationship with them was very poor by the time he left, evidenced by the last few seconds of his last Virgin album, Heaven's Open, with a quiet section of him laughing and shouting "fuck off"). That said, it's basically just the original with a few notes changed around, with some very nasty early '90s production. Then came Tubular Bells III in 1998, which actually reinterprets some themes from the original into very different pieces, as well as some new tracks, plus 'The Man in the Rain' from above'. The re-recording of the album in 2003 is a fucking atrocity. His first 'classical' album, 2008's Music of the Spheres, is very heavily indebted to Tubular Bells as well, opening with a section that clearly references the Exorcist piano section, with the closing part again referencing the end of Tubular Bells Part 1.

He is currently recording Tubular Bells IV.

I still haven't listened to his Ommadawn follow-up - I mean, it's not going to come close, is it?

He once said he thought Incantations was shit, which might explain why he isn't reinterpreting that.

[Chriddof]

It's worse than that. 'Bad Day' was the original song they scrapped in the 80s and then reworked into 'It's The End Of The World As We Know It'. They then resurrected and recorded the scrapped song when they were a flailing moribund band with no decent ideas.

To be fair, they were pretty up-front about the nature of the song and it being so old. Although that was promptly turned into an advertising ploy...

[phantom_power]

And to be fairer it was just an extra track on a best-of compilation. There are examples of their songs sounding similar but I forget what they are and imagine they were unintentional.

[purlieu]

I still haven't listened to his Ommadawn follow-up - I mean, it's not going to come close, is it?

It's decent. Not a patch on the original, but taken as a 'classic' longform Oldfield album it's actually quite enjoyable. The links to the first are limited to a few vocal samples anyway.

When it comes to R.E.M., the one that always gets me is the similarity between 'Driver 8' and 'Imitation of Life'. Whenever I listen to one it always merges into the other in my head.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Happy When it Rains sounds a lot like a cleaned up Something's Wrong in places. Good though.

[poodlefaker]

Nancy Sinatra: These Boots Were Made for Walking /  How Does That Grab You Darlin?
Harry Nillson:  Everybody's Talking / I Guess The Lord Must Be in New York City
Rod Stewart: Maggie May / You Wear It Well

[PaulTMA]

The Beautiful South's 'Closer Than Most' is just a pathetic rewrite of 'Perfect 10', from what was their previous album.  The chorus is about the laziest, cop-out excuse for a chorus I've ever heard.  It was like they wanted a lead-off single but they really could not be arsed in the slightest.  They went down the dumper immediately and deservedly so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzIn1eozbVQ

The chorus of Suede's 'Electricity' was a bit 'Trash II'.  With 'Obsessions' they even managed a 'Trash III'.  By then their days were clearly numbered.

[mrpupkin]

Enduring favourite Michael Jackson had a few stock song formats that he kept wheeling out to everyone's delight, usually modelled on an initial hit (listed first):

'Scary' songs toying with Jackson as monster:
-Thriller
-Ghosts
-Is It Scary
-Threatened
-Monster

Self-empowerment with a gospel choir and key changes:
-Man in the Mirror
-Keep the Faith
-HIStory (sort of)
-What More Can I Give (arguably a crossover with the next category)

A fey messiah demands non-specific philanthropy:
-We Are the World
-Heal the World
-Earth Song
-Cry
-We've Had Enough

The rock one with a guitar dude on it:
-Beat It
-State of Shock (by the Jacksons but written by MJ)
-Dirty Diana
-Give in to Me
-D.S.
-Morphine

Hate being famous stop winding me up (more a lyrical theme than a song type but fuck off):
-Leave Me Alone
-Why You Wanna Trip On Me
-Scream
-Tabloid Junkie
-Privacy
-Breaking News
-Xscape

Ballad from a batshit musical about an alien or something:
-Someone in the Dark
-Gone Too Soon
-Childhood
-Little Susie
-Speechless
-The Lost Children

I've spent fucking ages writing this

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

The Beautiful South's 'Closer Than Most' is just a pathetic rewrite of 'Perfect 10', from what was their previous album.  The chorus is about the laziest, cop-out excuse for a chorus I've ever heard.  It was like they wanted a lead-off single but they really could not be arsed in the slightest.  They went down the dumper immediately and deservedly so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzIn1eozbVQ

God that was awful

[Sebastian Cobb]

The Beautiful South's 'Closer Than Most' is just a pathetic rewrite of 'Perfect 10', from what was their previous album.  The chorus is about the laziest, cop-out excuse for a chorus I've ever heard.  It was like they wanted a lead-off single but they really could not be arsed in the slightest.  They went down the dumper immediately and deservedly so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzIn1eozbVQ

The chorus of Suede's 'Electricity' was a bit 'Trash II'.  With 'Obsessions' they even managed a 'Trash III'.  By then their days were clearly numbered.

Bird and Grey Jacket really phoning it in there.

[Uncle TechTip]

I could never respect musicians who would do this.

My favourite band ever are Rednex.

Just to reassure you, this was my first thought as well.

I recall Scatman John did it around the same time, in fact his follow up sounded like the notes of the first hit played in reverse order.

[idunnosomename]

always a bit sad when things like old pop in an oak and scatman's world got to 12 and 10 respectively and the chart show didnt even show more than a brief clip of the video lol

that said both were part of albums that must have been written and recorded by the time the first single came out. i think it was more them just being a bit shit rather than rehashing their big hit

[purlieu]

Just to reassure you, this was my first thought as well.

I recall Scatman John did it around the same time, in fact his follow up sounded like the notes of the first hit played in reverse order.

'Scatman's World' was at least in a major key, which was something of a change.
Much like 'Don't Stop' by ATB, which was almost literally just '9PM (Till I Come)' transposed into major.

[Chriddof]

"Scatman's World" has always sounded more like Scatman John ripping off "Go West" to me. Specifically, using the Pet Shop Boys version to build most of the song out of. (And someone's done a mix of the two!)

[thecuriousorange]

And to be fairer it was just an extra track on a best-of compilation.

That they released as a single and was a large hit. Lazy and cheap move, Stipey.

[BlodwynPig]

The Beatles

[thecuriousorange]

Stop Crying Your Heart Out is very similar to Cast No Shadow.

The Day That Never Comes by Metallica is just a poor retread of One.

Old Pop in an Oak is just Cotton Eyed Joe.

[idunnosomename]

The Day That Never Comes by Metallica is just a poor retread of One.

yes

also worth pointing out that One was the song that made them MASSIVE. They were huge before the Black Album came out in 91 and it was mostly off the back of that video launching their critical approval for Puppets into the mainstream. Arguably that song is their HIT.