After music lovers noted similarities between his hit single ‘Stay With Me‘ and Tom Petty‘s ‘I Won’t Back Down‘, Sam Smith has been forced to cough up a percentage of all royalties earned from the love song.
Full report below…
A source close to the case told The Sun:
When Sam’s track was originally released, it was clear to a lot of musicians that there were notable similarities between the tracks. After it was pointed out to Sam’s camp, they didn’t try to fight it and amicably dished out royalties. It wasn’t a deliberate thing, musicians are just inspired by other artists and Sam and his team were quick to hold up their hand when it was officially flagged.
The song’s credits have now been amended to include Petty and ‘Down‘s composer Jeff Lynne, who can now look forward to earning from the Grammy-nominated number which has sold almost 4 million units worldwide since it was pulled from Smith’s critically acclaimed album ‘In the Lonely Hour.’
Smith isn’t the first entertainer to face “song stealing” allegations.
In 1990, Madonna was accused of using Malcolm McLaren‘s ‘Deep in Vogue’ to create her iconic number ‘Vogue‘, blasted by critics who claimed she’d stolen his melodies, harmonies and theme to create what many believe is an original song.
Then, in 2006, a woman named Jennifer Armour found herself on the receiving end of heat from Beyonce’s fan base when she accused the star of using her original song ‘Got a Little Bit of Love for You‘ to build her ‘Dangerously in Love’ single ‘Baby Boy.’
USA Today reported:
A federal judge has dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit a Minneapolis singer-songwriter filed against Beyonce, ruling the songs were “substantially dissimilar.”Jennifer Armour sued the R&B star last year, claiming that the 2003 hit song Baby Boy, from Beyonce Knowles’ Grammy-winning album Dangerously in Love, took lyrics from her own song, Got a Little Bit of Love For You.
Armour said her former manager submitted demo recordings of her song to various studios including Columbia Records and Atlantic Recording Corporations, record labels for Knowles and Sean Paul, who is featured in the song.
However, the court did a side-by-side comparison of the two songs to look for substantial similarity — a key component of copyright infringement — and found they were “substantially dissimilar.”
“It’s unfortunate that lawsuits such as this one occur, but I am grateful and relieved to have this behind me and I am eager to move on,” Knowles, a Houston native, said in a statement issued by Music World Entertainment, the music management company her manager father founded.
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Thiefyonce could learn from him
He could also probably teach HEara a thing or two about femininity
Lmao!
I died!!
cardiac arrest——–
Poor Sam.
Maybe Sam could take pointers from rip off copycat thief beyonce
Howard Stern: Sam Smith is an ugly,fat effeminate one hit wonder.
I see no lies.
He is Boy George 2.0, without the talent, longevity, or beginning, good looks.
I find Sam, really boring, like milk toast. Ed Sheeran, and Emile Sande, are the only two recent talents from the UK, that excite me..
Boy George lmao… The shade writes itself. I won’t write about how generic your other 2 artists are.
If you think any of the three artists I brought up are generic, you have no credibility, of taste in music. Point. Blank. Period..
yall comin for Bey but Gaga and Sam even RIHANNA (s&m video art)seems ripped right from other sources sources. this is saying a lot about the industry as a whole that original ideas or even evolution of ideas is at a stalemate at large.
Thank you! Beyonce isn’t the only thief. Most of these popular entertainers are rip offs and steal songwriting credits but Beyonce is the only one getting attacked for it. If u really think Gaga, Katy Perry, Beyonce or Taylor Swift actually write their own music then ur intellectually deficient. Just because someone claims to be a songwriter doesn’t mean anything…
Well tehre are a few real cowriters out there, like Mariah Carey, Gaga, Alicia Keys, Adele…
The Queen’s impact. Yesss!!!!!!
#BeyInspired kiii
Yep Rihanna sure was!
You can vote up your own comments all you want, B***** is a serial thief. She has 244238679443 copyright infringement lawsuits since going solo. And as for KR, well, I like her, and you need to stay in your lane. Now sit and enjoy the rest of the show.
Who F8ck is KR?
What lane? Talent lane? Cos Kelly has more of that than R****** so Im sitting comfortably.
K.
http://media20.giphy.com/media/g3dd9TeFnEevS/giphy.gif?w=640
Whatever makes you sleep at night. 😀 😀 😀
Oh honey I sleep at night, I wonder about you though, up on this blog since 5 AM!
I see Beyonce runs your life… all ur comments are about her. Your probably that thiefs biggest stan.
Rihann would know a lot about BeyInspired #WestburtRdEnt
Y’all trying to come for Hey, when Madonna has been stealing for decades! She still thinks she orginated voguing, never credited the black gays that taught her.
Imma need to see the receipts of the lies you just wrote here…
Just heard Tom Petty‘s ‘I Won’t Back Down‘ and yes the melody of the first verse is in fact the same as stay with me verse.
He’ll still win “Album of the Year” at the Grammys. I love his music. He was such a breath of fresh air.
People come across so juvenille. Plagiarism is more common in the industry and has been going on for DECADES before Beyonce was even born. She is by far not the most notorious plagiarist artist. But that just shows how ignorant these children whose knowledge of music doesn’t go back further than the 1980s. And lets not act like your faves have not been accused of stealing anyway.
Beyonce is one of the most notorious thieves in the music industry. She has stolen from, used and manipulated so many people during her career. Karma will get her someday.
Nope she is not. Does she steal? Yes. But people have done much worse, but like I said you children don’t know much that goes beyond Pop tart stan wars and 90-00s music.
Lol. No wonder Karma b takin forever . Its been 18 years. #TryAgain
Thieving a**
It’s funny to me. Sam loves Beyonce and now they have something in common. LOL
Yeah, they both have talent…something that Rihanna doesn’t acquire
You can vote up your own comments all you want, B***** is a serial thief. She has 244238679443 copyright infringement lawsuits since going solo. And as for KR, well, I like her, and you need to stay in your lane. Now sit and enjoy the rest of the show.
Your obsession with BEYONCE is unreal! Get a life! Why are 90% of your comments about her? She stays on your conscious too much.
Another Beyonce comment… how surprising. #Beyobsessed
The irony of the stolen song’s title, and how quick, Sam and his crew threw up their hands, in guilt..
#YouBettaBackDown
#BeforeYouGetSmackedDown
You don’t get far in this devils game playing fair! That is the truth.
If he wins AOY it will be clear that R&B artists of color don’t get enough respect at the Grammys. It will further solidify the pattern of white artists who record albums incorporating soul or hip hop music garnering much better accolades than black artists who do the same. Lauryn Hill was the last African American woman to win and now Beyonce clearly deserve it but I wouldn’t be surprised if she were passed over for Sam and his monotonous so called blue-eyed soul despite his copy cat admission and much lower critical acclaim. We’ll see.
Black crybabies
If we are, its because our WHITE oppressors made us this way.
@Anne Bravo!! When the reductive ones like Sam and Adele can do this, I will be impressed…
http://youtu.be/1Cw1ng75KP0
http://youtu.be/7qFaIf6yvcg
How do you steal from a living rock and roll legend and think that’s gonna sit? Lmao.
*Now Playing ‘Free Fallin’
Black folks are always saying the created EVERYTHING and that everybody else sole it from them. Nope.
No, they are saying they created certain genres of music that white man use and claim. Which is nothing but the truth.
thank you TGJ for posting the real receipts – no one ever proved on court that Beyoncé stole their songs.
as for Sam Smith… I don’t get it. how could such a gifted vocalist make such a crappy album?
Call Beyonce what you will, but at least she isn’t like Elvis ass. Now that was a f*****’ plagiarizing thief. He stole every thing from blacks , including Little Richard and Chuck Berry.
That Beyonce influence is taking over the industry i see…
Artists steal from others all the time. This has been going on for ever. Bey is the only one getting attacked for it cause she’s a big name in music. Everything she does becomes a scandal. Lol.
poor Sam tho. Good luck to him.
“Stay With Me” is still my jam!!
I respect someone who is willing to step up and admit to their mistakes, did he mean to borrow from the other song…NO but he is man enough to admit the similarities.
Thats what having respect for yourself and other artists gets you.
#morepowertoya
Obviously his attorneys advised him that the odds were not in his favor. He wanted to minimize public scrutiny. Let’s be realistic and not pretend like he deserves to be praised for not prolonging the inevitable to his own further detriment.
IDK why people are going off on each other… NONE of our favs are that original and like 99.8% of them have been in some type of plagiarism law suit. It’s simply a generation gap. IE. Lady Gaga wouldn’t be without Madonna, but Madonna wouldn’t be without Marlene Dietrich… my princess Ariana Grande wouldn’t be without Mariah Carey, but Mariah wouldn’t be without Whitney Houston and Whitney wouldn’t be without Aretha. It just is the way it is set up. I love Sam’s music, stolen or original.
I wonder if this will affect his grammy. Who wants to bet it doesn’t.
Of course it won’t. He has the COMPLECTION. For the PROTECTION. To get the COLLECTION.
Can’t wait for the Grammies to be here! It’s a shame Taylor’s album wasn’t eligible for being nominated, because her album has slayed all of the others.
Style is coming, Taylor’s 3rd single:)
Slayed all the others at what? Statistics? Grammys isn’t about numbers. I know you’re not talking about quality. But she’s got next year. Let’s just hope Adele releases in the final quarter.
Umm Taylor’s album is a great pop album, and I think people people buy quality music, in their eyes don’t they? People don’t go out and buy rubbish… So whether you don’t like the album or think it’s quality, many others do.
She won’t win next year, think a newer album will be more in the public eye, still what counts more above Grammys of course is how many of the public buy your album, and well Taylor’s won on that.
‘People don’t go out and buy rubbish’
Hmmm no I can counter argue that. People buy trash all the time. The charts often look abysmal. And they buy trash in general. A lot of real quality music goes a miss because it’s doesn’t fit today’s generic standard. I never said her album wasn’t a good pop album, but it doesn’t ‘slay’ the others in terms of quality. Sorry it’s the truth. Sam Smith, Beyonce, Ed Sheerans bodies of work in terms of quality>>>>Taylor’s.
And the Grammies are not about ‘who is the public eye’ either. A lot of small acts win album year without half the exposure.
“The charts often look Abysmal” “and they buy trash in general” both of these statements are a matter of opinion though… One mans rubbish is another mans gold and all that…
People buy music they love, so seeing as Taylor’s music Is selling so well, shows that she’s connected to many fans.
Again to say, that other artists have better quality albums is a matter of opinion, but you’re right it’s not a matter of sales, but Taylor’s album has had the biggest impact.
Oh honey come on now. Are you going to sit her say songs by PSY are quality just because people buy them? Catchy =\= Quality. And all this comes down to is you shouldn’t be basing your ‘slay’ off statistics/impact when it comes to Grammies. Which is what you originally did without realizing.
I still like him and wish him all the best at the Grammjes. His music is good.
I heard both and neither sound alike. They are bullying this young man just to gain money. If I was him I would’ve taken them to court.
Its a dam shame John Legend son “all of me” did not nominated for song of the year