The widow of Larry Clinton claimed that "Memory" was based on Clinton's "Bolero in Blue", which in turn was based on Maurice Ravel's "Boléro". Musicologist John Snelson dismissed this claim however, noting the difference in the phrasing between "Boléro" and "Memory": the former is long and continuous, while the latter is centered on a repeated tone and a "turnlike figure" to emphasize said tone. Snelson further argues that the chord progression (I-vi-IV-iii) and time signature () in "Memory" are more akin to popular music of the time, suggesting a completely different origin than "Boléro".