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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Wanting to Smack Tom Petty for being a Playground Bully.

48 replies

KKCupCake · 25/02/2015 22:00

First the Eli Young Band, Then Sam Smith. Is the man not rich enough, does he have to sue every up and coming artist who has loved his music and gets a hit by being influenced by him? Serve him right if no one ever creatively references his music again for fear of being sued. Grrr Sorry. Rant over. AIBU? Probably, but I really like TP and feel really let down by his very unhippy money grabby tendencies Sad

OP posts:
TakeMeUpTheNorthMountain · 25/02/2015 22:05

Sorry but the stay with me song is a complete rip, I wouldn't blame him tbh. .and didn't dam Smith say he didn't know the tom petty song?

limitedperiodonly · 25/02/2015 22:06

You don't know how it feels to be me.

GettingFiggyWithIt · 25/02/2015 22:07

YABU
Not only was Tom Petty very gracious about the whole thing I am not even sure it was his idea to sue but the song is a total rip off. Will find a quote in a sec.

Koalafications · 25/02/2015 22:08

No idea who Tom Petty is! Blush

BiancaDelRio · 25/02/2015 22:10

YABU.

He should stand his ground. And he won't back down.

GettingFiggyWithIt · 25/02/2015 22:10

I can't cut and paste or link on kindle but google tom petty sam smithand the second link is Petty's website. His statement is what I read on the guardian and he sounds like a really solid decent chap. According to him lawsuit was never mentioned.

MrsTawdry · 25/02/2015 22:11

Good God YABU!

Artists can't take credit for other artist's work!

glenthebattleostrich · 25/02/2015 22:11

Wasn't it his management who pointed out stay with me is a total rip off and TP said he didn't give a shit, or words to that effect?

GettingFiggyWithIt · 25/02/2015 22:12

Tom Petty did many great songs but full moon fever is awesome album...
I won't back down
Freefallin
Learning to fly
Yer so bad

glenthebattleostrich · 25/02/2015 22:13

Biamco Grin

GettingFiggyWithIt · 25/02/2015 22:15

Pretty much.He said as a songwriter he totally understood that these things happen and wished Sam every future success and also alluded to other writerseg Chuck Berry where similar occurred.
This isn't loke the Verve and Stones where Bitter Sweet sounded nothing like Last time. This is more Fugees nicking Enya without asking.

flipchart · 25/02/2015 22:18

Tom petty has let a lot of tuff go in the past. Dani Calafonia by RHCP is a blatant rip off of Mary Jane's Last Dance and Petty wasn't bothered and didn't sue

From interview with the Rolling Stone magazine:
“I seriously doubt that there is any negative intent there. And a lot of rock ‘n’ roll songs sound alike. Ask Chuck Berry. The Strokes took ‘American Girl’ [for their song 'Last Nite'], and I saw an interview with them where they actually admitted it. That made me laugh out loud. I was like, ‘OK, good for you’ … If someone took my song note for note and stole it maliciously, then maybe [I'd sue]. But I don’t believe in lawsuits much. I think there are enough frivolous law suits in this country without people fighting over pop songs.”

MrsTawdry · 25/02/2015 22:18
Jellytussle · 25/02/2015 22:22

It's almost certainly his publishers that are suing, not Petty himself. Happens a lot.

The Verve/Stones thing was a different matter, it wasn't because the songs were similar but because they sampled part of the backing track from an album of Rolling Stones orchestral arrangements, and used more of it than they had paid for.

OnIlkelyMoorBahtat · 25/02/2015 22:24

I thought Tom Petty had been extremely gracious about it, and can't see any problem with him being paid for some one using his stuff!

colleysmill · 25/02/2015 22:27

I love tom petty . He always seems just so dammed cool.

flipchart · 25/02/2015 22:29

Oh, I forgot to add to my post YABU.
Tom Petty is lovely!

petal2008 · 25/02/2015 22:41

YABVU Tom Petty is awesome and that Smith song is pretty much a complete copy of the Petty/Lynne track.

molyholy · 25/02/2015 22:46

Yabu. Tom Petty didn't even want the sam smith rip off stuff to come out. Certainly alot more gracious than others would be.

LongDistanceLove · 25/02/2015 22:53

Yabu there's a difference in being influenced by a musician and totally ripping them off.

HugoBear · 25/02/2015 23:32

Yabvvvvu for calling Tom Petty a "playground bully". Shame on you.

wriggletto · 25/02/2015 23:32

YABU. Tom Petty isn't a playground bully, he's someone who's had his homework copied badly.

MargotLovedTom · 25/02/2015 23:38

GettingFiggy glad you mentioned Yer So Bad - it's one of my favourite ever songs. I can't not dance when I hear it!

YvesJutteau · 25/02/2015 23:39

"About the Sam Smith thing. Let me say I have never had any hard feelings toward Sam. All my years of songwriting have shown me these things can happen. Most times you catch it before it gets out the studio door but in this case it got by. Sam’s people were very understanding of our predicament and we easily came to an agreement. The word lawsuit was never even said and was never my intention. And no more was to be said about it. How it got out to the press is beyond Sam or myself. Sam did the right thing and I have thought no more about this. A musical accident no more no less. In these times we live in this is hardly news. I wish Sam all the best for his ongoing career. Peace and love to all."

That's not precisely reeking of "playground bully", is it?

JintyandtheJs · 26/02/2015 00:44

Yabvu.My understanding is that there was never intention to sue just that when the"similarities" we're pointed out TP and JL were credited as co-writers ( not surprising as it's the same tune!) and were therefore entitled to a share of the royalties.