Sam Smith confirms Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne writing credit
British singer Sam Smith has given Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne a co-writing credit on his single Stay With Me but insists similarities to their 1989 song I Won't Back Down are "a complete coincidence".
The track was released in April (14) and the rockers alerted their publishers to similarities between Smith's single and their song, which was performed by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.
According to Britain's The Sun newspaper, both parties settled the
copyright dispute out of court in October (14) and a representative
for Smith has now confirmed the news.
He says, "Recently the publishers for the song I Won't Back Down,
written by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, contacted the publishers for
Stay With Me, written by Sam Smith, James Napier and William
Phillips, about similarities heard in the melodies of the choruses
of the two compositions.
"Not previously familiar with the 1989 Petty/Lynne song, the
writers of Stay With Me listened to I Won't Back Down and
acknowledged the similarity... Although the likeness was a complete
coincidence, all involved came to an immediate and amicable
agreement."
The spokesman did not confirm if Petty and Lynne will receive
royalties for the track.
Bill Freimuth from The Recording Company, which hosts the Grammy
Awards, said the rockers will not be considered nominees for Stay
With Me, which is up for three awards, because they "did not do any
new writing" for the single.
He adds, "Rather, they would be given certificates to honour their
participation in the work, just as any other writers of sampled or
interpolated work (if the song wins)."