347:, which included "Ah! Leah!", was recorded for and originally released by Midwest Records, before the band signed to MCA. Iris and Avsec denied Alton's claims and, after they protested their innocence and refused to settle, the case went to a jury trial which cleared them of any infringement. Although they won their case, Iris and Avsec lost the royalties they gained from the song in attorneys' fees, amounting to approximately $ 120,000. The lawsuit inspired Avsec to embark on a career as an intellectual property attorney in the 1990s and he graduated from the
1403:
342:
In 1981, Mark Alton, a part-time songwriter from
Detroit, claimed that the chorus of "Ah! Leah" was nearly identical to his song "Here I Go Again" and filed a $ 2 million lawsuit for copyright infringement. Alton claimed he gave a representative of MCA Records, Rodney Linnum, a demo tape of his song
595:
31:
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292:. And somehow, Mark came up with 'ah, Leah' as just a chant. It wasn't a chick's name, or a certain person or individual in particular. I said, 'You know what, Mark? That's a chick's name.' So that's how we named it 'Ah, Leah.'
287:
and I wrote that together in my basement, around the piano, Mark originally had the idea of an anti-war song. And in the background, we wanted to have a hook, or a chorus, or a tune, that sounded almost like a
299:
years ago. She was a very pretty girl, and I had always loved her name. So, instead of an anti-war tune, which we messed around with but couldn't find anything in, it just turned into a love song. Isn't that
249:
Eight musicians appeared in early live performances of the song, including lead singer Iris, a drummer, three guitar players, a keyboard player and at least two backing vocalists, one female and one male.
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approximately eight months before "Ah! Leah!" was released. Linnum disputed the possibility that Iris and Avsec could have heard Alton's demo tape as Iris' debut album
322:
just before The
Jaggerz hit it big, and got confirmation from Iris himself after Iris's girlfriend by chance became friends with Frankford's daughter through Iris's
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The song has become the unofficial anthem of the city of
Pittsburgh and remains a staple on local radio stations alongside Iris's other hit songs such as
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The title of the song has been referred to in the form of puns on a few of Iris's later albums—the 2009
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It just so happens that there was a girl by the name of Leah who had dated one of the guys in
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by the time the song came out, and always noticed many girls at her two daughters
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848:(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 149.
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756:"Bon Jovi, Donnie Iris and Copyright Law: A Conversation with Mark Avsec"
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It was released as a single in late 1980 and reached number 29 on the US
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20th
Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Donnie Iris
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651:"The Popdose Guide to Donnie Iris and the Cruisers: It's a Rough World"
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chart, and was most popular in Canada, where it became a Top 10 hit.
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697:"Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper : Songwriter Interviews"
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30:
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revealed that the Leah in question was Leah
Frankford of
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Joel
Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012
1188:
King Cool: Ah! History of Donnie Iris and the
Cruisers
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1455:
238:, as well the unofficial anthem of the city of
994:"Donnie Iris, “Ah! Leah!” (1981): Almost Hits"
955:"Final track listing for Mimicry and Memories"
1438:
1019:
1138:You Can't Really Miss Me If I Never Go Away
782:"Mark Avsec: Rock star now shines in court"
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1026:
1012:
29:
523:. It has also made appearances involving
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723:"Songwriter's suit claims tune 'lifted'"
234:. The song has been described as Iris's
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939:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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326:business. Frankford had moved back to
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695:Wiser, Carl (10 September 2006).
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349:Cleveland–Marshall College of Law
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876:. Record Research. p. 410.
846:Australian Chart Book 1970–1992
818:. 21 March 1981. Archived from
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312:Chippewa Township, Pennsylvania
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1:
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228:from the latter's 1980 album
1479:Songs written by Donnie Iris
1417:. You can help Knowledge by
1092:Footsoldier in the Moonlight
7:
1474:Songs written by Mark Avsec
1262:Injured in the Game of Love
732:. 22 April 1981. p. 14
10:
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1381:(Cellarful of Noise, 1988)
1375:(Cellarful of Noise, 1985)
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18:1980 single by Donnie Iris
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550:NBC Sunday Night Football
525:Pittsburgh's sports teams
372:Top 100 and 19 on the US
318:. Frankford had moved to
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1156:Live! At Nick's Fat City
580:Live! At Nick's Fat City
314:near Iris's hometown of
1248:The High and the Mighty
1064:The High and the Mighty
334:games also named Leah.
307:The Beaver County Times
1413:–related article is a
786:CSU Alumni Association
302:
1494:1980s rock song stubs
1379:Magnificent Obsession
1315:Scott Alan Williamson
729:The Indianapolis Star
281:
888:"Top 100 1981-03-28"
630:Mimicry and Memories
244:Western Pennsylvania
1489:MCA Records singles
1227:Love Is Like a Rock
1050:Back on the Streets
682:"Ah-ha! It's Leah!"
564:Back on the Streets
545:Pittsburgh Steelers
527:, including by the
520:Love is Like a Rock
345:Back on the Streets
231:Back on the Streets
52:Back on the Streets
1469:1980 debut singles
1373:Cellarful of Noise
1340:Cellarful of Noise
1173:Video/DVD releases
1000:, 12 February 2013
529:Pittsburgh Pirates
507:In popular culture
176:singles chronology
128:Midwest National,
1464:Donnie Iris songs
1426:
1425:
1388:
1387:
1297:Albritton McClain
1078:No Muss...No Fuss
591:, 1999 (acoustic)
557:Album appearances
503:
502:
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495:
469:
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407:Kent Music Report
355:Chart performance
304:A 2008 report by
210:
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1292:Marty Lee Hoenes
1213:I Can't Hear You
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917:. Archived from
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893:Cashbox Magazine
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395:Chart (1980–81)
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198:I Can't Hear You
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1311:Kevin Valentine
1301:Steve McConnell
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1255:Do You Compute?
1193:
1181:Live at Blossom
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1143:
1125:
1085:Out of the Blue
1037:
1032:
975:
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915:"Archived copy"
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762:. 26 March 2012
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657:. 13 April 2010
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572:Out of the Blue
559:
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476:
474:Year-end charts
447:Mainstream Rock
399:
390:
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290:Gregorian chant
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264:Christmas album
216:" is a song by
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49:from the album
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1307:Mark Tirabassi
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1106:Together Alone
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998:Something Else
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973:External links
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921:on 27 May 2015
906:
879:
870:Whitburn, Joel
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822:on 27 May 2015
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742:Newspapers.com
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620:Cover versions
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588:Together Alone
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236:signature song
224:rock musician
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1323:Related bands
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1220:Sweet Merilee
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1042:Studio albums
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992:JC Mosquito,
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855:0-646-11917-6
851:
847:
843:
837:
821:
817:
816:
811:
810:"Top Singles"
805:
803:
787:
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698:
691:
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652:
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631:
627:
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623:
615:, 2009 (live)
614:
613:
609:
607:, 2004 (live)
606:
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593:
590:
589:
585:
583:, 1998 (live)
582:
581:
577:
574:
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569:
566:
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561:
560:
554:
552:
551:
546:
543:whenever the
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522:
521:
516:
515:
499:
491:
488:
487:
483:
481:Chart (1981)
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448:
445:
441:
440:
436:
434:
432:
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411:
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404:
403:
397:
394:
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388:Weekly charts
385:
384:
380:
378:
375:
371:
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365:
363:
352:
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335:
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329:
328:Beaver County
325:
321:
317:
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309:
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301:
298:
293:
291:
286:
280:
272:
270:
269:
265:
262:and the 2010
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139:
138:Songwriter(s)
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69:
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53:
47:
44:
40:
36:
32:
27:
22:
16:
1419:expanding it
1408:
1393:
1390:
1345:The Innocent
1283:Brice Foster
1272:The Cruisers
1205:
1186:
1179:
1161:
1154:
1136:
1120:Ah! Leluiah!
1118:
1113:Ellwood City
1111:
1104:
1097:
1090:
1083:
1076:
1069:
1062:
1055:
1048:
997:
958:. Retrieved
949:
923:. Retrieved
919:the original
909:
897:. Retrieved
891:
882:
873:
864:
845:
836:
824:. Retrieved
820:the original
813:
789:. Retrieved
785:
776:
764:. Retrieved
759:
750:
740:– via
734:. Retrieved
727:
716:
704:. Retrieved
700:
690:
659:. Retrieved
654:
645:
629:
626:Electric Six
610:
602:
594:
586:
578:
570:
562:
548:
537:bumper music
535:and used as
518:
512:
510:
497:
458:
443:
430:
418:
405:Australian (
373:
367:
366:, 22 on the
361:
358:
344:
341:
338:1981 lawsuit
316:Ellwood City
305:
303:
294:
282:
278:
268:Ah! Leluiah!
266:
257:
252:
248:
246:as a whole.
229:
213:
211:
188:
74:October 1980
50:
15:
1409:This 1980s
1368:Discography
1335:Wild Cherry
1330:The Jaggerz
1241:Tough World
1148:Live albums
1071:Fortune 410
1035:Donnie Iris
842:Kent, David
760:go.Jimmy.go
706:26 February
297:The Jaggerz
279:Iris said,
275:Composition
226:Donnie Iris
174:Donnie Iris
161:Producer(s)
151:Donnie Iris
130:MCA Records
43:Donnie Iris
24:"Ah! Leah!"
1484:1980 songs
1458:Categories
1362:The Rapper
1304:Tommy Rich
1279:Mark Avsec
661:17 October
637:References
514:The Rapper
377:Top Tracks
255:live album
240:Pittsburgh
218:Mark Avsec
167:Mark Avsec
147:Mark Avsec
1411:rock song
1287:Paul Goll
1206:Ah! Leah!
1163:Ah! Live!
1057:King Cool
826:30 August
701:Songfacts
612:Ah! Live!
484:Position
444:Billboard
431:Billboard
400:position
374:Billboard
362:Billboard
351:in 1994.
259:Ah! Live!
214:Ah! Leah!
189:Ah! Leah!
101:power pop
1099:Poletown
960:29 March
935:cite web
872:(2013).
844:(1993).
604:25 Years
547:play on
533:PNC Park
462:Top 100
459:Cash Box
369:Cash Box
332:softball
324:mortgage
222:American
97:new wave
79:Recorded
71:Released
66:"Joking"
1234:My Girl
1198:Singles
988:YouTube
791:3 March
766:3 March
736:3 March
655:Popdose
632:(2015).
489:Canada
433:Hot 100
417:Canada
364:Hot 100
320:Florida
300:weird?"
202:(1981)
193:(1980)
979:Lyrics
925:27 May
899:27 May
852:
599:, 2001
575:, 1992
567:, 1980
498:
107:Length
61:B-side
39:Single
1354:Other
984:Video
283:When
124:Label
88:Genre
1415:stub
962:2015
941:link
927:2015
901:2015
850:ISBN
828:2015
793:2024
768:2024
738:2024
708:2021
663:2016
517:and
398:Peak
285:Mark
242:and
220:and
93:Rock
82:1980
1130:EPs
986:on
815:RPM
541:NBC
539:by
531:at
492:53
465:22
456:US
451:19
442:US
437:29
428:US
419:RPM
412:34
41:by
1460::
996:,
937:}}
933:{{
890:.
812:.
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