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Sound-alike
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A sound-alike is a recording intended to imitate the sound of a popular record, the style of a popular recording artist, or a current musical trend; the term also refers to the artists who perform on such recordings.
Sound-alikes are usually made as budget copies or "knockoffs" of popular recordings, since the cost of covering a popular song is usually cheaper than that of licensing the original recording, or to make listeners believe a particular artist is performing a given song, to spare the expense of engaging that artist.
Sound-alike recordings have been used in movie soundtracks and radio and television commercials since their origin, while sound-alike artists have long recorded jingles and other musical material for commercial use. In the 1990s, guitarist Carlos Santana sued over a commercial music bed that closely imitated his playing and arranging style.
Sound-alike albums have also long been issued by small record companies, to cash in on the popularity of artists, movies or show tunes from hit plays. Lou Reed began his recording career working for one such company, Pickwick Records, but years later became a star in his own right, as an original performer.