![]() Update – January 29th: Petty has issued a statement addressing the settlement: ![]() “Although the likeness was a complete coincidence, all involved came to an immediate and amicable agreement in which Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne are now credited as co-writers of ‘Stay With Me’ along with Sam Smith, James Napier and William Phillips.” ![]() 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.” “After it was pointed out to Sam’s camp, they didn’t try to fight it and amicably dished out royalties. Said one source close to the case, “When Sam’s track was originally released, it was clear to a lot of musicians that there were notable similarities between the tracks,” referring specifically to melodies of the respective choruses. The song’s credit on ASCAP - that’s the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers - now lists Smith, Petty, Lynne, and Jimmy Napes as the chief songwriters. The settlement reportedly included a 12.5% writing credit to both Petty and singer-composer Jeff Lynne (of ELO fame). ![]() As it turns out, Petty’s lawyers also took notice, and the UK crooner has since agreed to pay songwriting royalties.Īccording to The Sun, Smith and Petty actually settled out of court back in October, but details only emerged just this weekend. Upon the release of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” in April 2014, a number of listeners were quick to note the distinct resemblance to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1989 classic “I Won’t Back Down”.
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