Thursday, December 26, 2024

Case Against Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams Over “Blurred Lines” Can Go to Trial: Musicologists Cite Similarities to Marvin Gaye Song

Marvin Gaye’s family got the go ahead to proceed to a trial over “Blurred Lines.” The judge, named Kronstadt, rhymes with Ronstadt, made the ruling against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams. The Gaye family says they nicked “Got to Give It Up” to make their song. Practically anyone who’s heard both songs knows the story. But Thicke and Williams will fight it to the end. Thicke has nicked a lot of Marvin Gaye songs over the years including “Trouble Man” (paid for a license for his “Million Dolla Baby”) and “Love After War,” which is also named in the suit. That song rips off Gaye’s “After the Dance.” Thicke should be explaining some of his other songs, too. His “Cloud 9” rips off the lyrics of the 1969 Temptations hit, for example. It just goes on and on. What is with this guy?

Two out of three major musicologists cited all kinds of similarities between Thicke’s songs and Gaye’s, as you can read here.

Here’s the judge’s ruling:

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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