All Things Avril...and oh yeah, the Rubinoos too

Well, if you have been following the controversy involving the Rubinoos' accusations that Avril Lavigne's smash hit "Girlfriend" is actually a rip off of their 1978 song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", you might be wondering the same thing I was... Who are the Rubinoos? (Which actually gives credence to Avril's claims that she had never heard of the band, because honestly, I think even most people fairly knowledgeable of popular music were in that boat.) Perhaps, the silver lining in this legal mess is that a whole new generation of fans will get to hear some of the Rubinoos' music, because actually "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" is a pretty darn good song. So who are they? All Music Guide's Chris Woodstra is quoted at artistdirect.com: "For a brief moment, the Rubinoos seemed to be the last hope for pure pop music, carrying on the tradition of the Raspberries with an engaging blend of innocent bubblegum and power pop. The band was formed in 1973 by teenage friends Jon Rubin (vocals, guitar) and Tommy Dunbar (guitar, keyboards, vocals) along with Royse Adler (bass) and Donn Spindt (drums), but it wasn't until 1977 that they made their recording debut for Beserkley Records. The single, a cover of Tommy James' "I Think We're Alone Now," made an appearance in the lower reaches of the U.S. charts, giving the indie label their first hit. The same year, their self-titled debut LP received rave reviews all-around but failed commercially. Back to the Drawing Board (1979), another solid collection of bouncy pop songs, again went ignored despite its classic single "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend." The band effectively broke up the following year." More information is available at the Rubinoos website rubinoos.com.


The Rubinoos - I Want To Be Your Boyfriend posted by t9i9 at youtube:

Avril Lavigne and the Rubinoos go at it

Well, this issue of accusations of song stealing by the Rubinoos against Avril Lavigne is really fascinating me. I listen to the song one time, and say,"hmmm, no there are just similarities", and then I will listen a second time and think, "yeah, they are basicly the same song." This will be a difficult one to sort out. The latest side by side comparison I found at youtube sheds some light on this dilemma I'd say... Both songs have a similar theme, although Avril's take is more cynical, and the Rubinoos is more sentimental and optimistic...


Adding more intrigue to all of this is the coming to light, that a cover version of the Rubinoos song (now posted on their website www.rubinoos.com) by the band Lush sounds eerily similar to Avril's song. http://www.rubinoos.com/I_Wanna_B_Girl_rev.mov

And the plot thickens...



SEE ALSO:Avril Lavigne vs. 70s Punk Band
All Things Avril,...and oh yeah, the Rubinoos too

Avril Lavigne vs 70's punk band

According to the Toronto version of the National Post, Avril Lavigne is being accused of copying at least parts of her hit song "Girlfriend" from a 1970's punk band:

"This is not so much a Toronto-centric issue, but because Avril Lavigne often calls the city home and was born just two hours outside of it, we'll cut her a little slack.
Unfortunately for Ontario's pop princess, the 1970s band the Rubinoos are not as kind as PostedToronto. The U.S. songwriters behind the group allege Lavigne's hit single 'Girlfriend' is a ripoff of their 1979 track 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend'." Avril Lavigne and the Rubinoos
Youtube user bruman79 has posted a convenient side by side comparison of the two songs...





But don't both songs kind of sound like Ashley Simpson's "Boyfriend" off of her 2005 release "I Am Me"??



SEE ALSO:Avril Lavigne and the Rubinoos Go At It
All Things Avril,...and oh yeah, the Rubinoos too