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THE FAMILY OF a co-writer of Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On is suing Ed Sheeran, claiming the British singer-songwriter’s hit, Thinking Out Loud, sounds too much like the soul classic.
The lawsuit filed by the family of Ed Townsend claims Sheeran copied the “heart” of Let’s Get It On and repeated it continuously throughout Thinking Out Loud.
It says Sheeran continued to perform the song even after he was notified of the copyright infringement claim last year.
The family is demanding a jury trial and compensation for damages.
Sheeran’s song spent over a year inside the UK top 40 chart and is his most successful song in North America, peaking at number 2 in the US chart and winning two Grammy Awards.
The lawsuit also names Thinking Out Loud co-writer Amy Wadge, producer Jake Gosling and a number of record companies.
Wadge has responded to the lawsuit with a tweet.
This latest lawsuit is the second Sheeran is facing in a number of months.
In June, two songwriters lodged a claim that a knowing infringement took place when Sheeran copied their song Amazing for his release Photograph.
Amazing was released on the debut album of X Factor winner Matt Cardle.
Sheeran’s representatives didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment over this latest lawsuit.
- With reporting by Rónán Duffy
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marvin gaye’s family, even taking their claim at its height, have still done a lot less than Sheerin to deserve the cash
Will somebody tell these people that Marvin (or his co-writers) didn’t originate everything.. they sound nothing alike.
Marvin Gaye would be spinning in his grave at the blatant money grabbing from this. It is just plain wrong
After listening briefly to each they are as similar as chalk and cheese€
Congratulations! You’ve passed the tone deaf test.
Chorus to that song Amazing does sound very like the chorus to Photograph in fairness.
Alleluia by Leona Lewis sounds very like a Jeff Buckley song that sounds like a Leonard Cohen song that sounds like a John Cale song.
Go compare them on YouTube if you don’t believe me.
You heard it here first.
Remarkable similarity.
Yes but Jeff Buckley wins hands down.
The fact that the plonker sometimes incorporated some of Gaye’s lyrics into his live performances of this track could come back to haunt him.
This world is a big lie! I say nothing is real :)
I agree since I started researching quantum physics. Its all spooky, bizzare and fascinating all at the same time.
Beginning to think you are right. When pearl jam said 20 yrs ago, “is nothing as it seems” I now know what they were taking about
These young British singers have a bit of a thing for stealing from other singers. First Sam Smith and now Ed Sheeran. It must be the English in them coming out.
The whole world should be allowed to sue ed sheeran for his crimes against music..along with Sam Smith and beyonce hehe
Someone should show them The Axis Of Awesome. Many different sings from many different artists with the same 4 chords. If he covered the song and didn’t give credit, then that’s a different story, but otherwise they should whisht.
And he absolutely butchered All along the watchtower.
Just listened to it there , an awful attempt to be fair ..
I just listened to that too. Awful!
Didn’t robbie Williams do it as well. With angels. Some irish chap tried to claim.??
nope, that was the Irish guy wrote the majority of “angels”, played it to Robbie and Robbie went off and got his musician (Chambers) to play it in a different key and voila! a cash cow with no copyright infringement.
I knew it sounded familiar
No smoke and all that!
Tempo is the Same ? But the angement I’s Miles apart and the Chord Structure goes down a different road .Where’s theirs a Will theirs a Law Suit
With there being millions of pop songs over the years it’s inevitable that some will sound alike. When I first heard “Thinking Out Loud” I did think it sounded like something Marvin Gaye would have done put I didn’t liken it to any particular one song of his. Like someone already said, it’s just the family of a music icon who is dead over 30 years trying to make a fast buck.
put it another way, can you picture Marvin Gaye singing “thinking out loud” without sounding like ed sheeran? now imagine, i.e. Leonard Cohen doing a cover of Buckley’s cover of hallelujah… it would sound all Cohen. This family are just the apple of the copyright world, and on their way to being the next Alan Klein (who ensured than three sets of songwriters were screwed over a few dissimilar notes)
Is eds golden bubble finally starting to burst??
Not sure about Marcin Gaye, but I always thought it reminded me of Van Morrison’s “Have I Told You Lately?”
that shower that ruined our younger days writing audio pollution for Kylie and others lifted tunes from classical music composed hundreds of years previously
where does it all end?
You should be so lucky :-)
out of interest, the music for “i should be so lucky” was based on pachelbel’s canon (no copyright problems there). it’s how you recognise the tube, but the words make it “pop”
lol sloop
and there you have it alien8
the biggest problem is that i knew what both of you were referring too
sooner the better we can format brain space and remove any knowledge of such dross
dross? Gee you must be educated to use a word like that.
the only benefit of this action is that i now have the title of another song i wouldn’t be bothered listening to
Ah now Laws, you don’t know what you’re missing. If you want to enrich your musical taste take a listen to the Best of Marvin Gaye. Absolute classic soul music.
i like it a bit of soul. the tune of my life story is dock of the bay
and there’s nothing like a little northern soul to keep things real
nothing wrong with a younger musician taking some influence from a soul legend. If they allow this will it mean all past musical influences must be forgotten for fear of being sued?
Good point there Dave. Unfortunately, like I said earlier, it’s the relatives of this long gone but not forgotten music icon who are trying to benefit from this. Perhaps if Marvin Gaye was still alive he would be flattered that he could influence a modern day pop star.
The Matt Cardle one is going to cost him but not so sure about this one.
I honestly don’t get the appeal with Ed Sheeran.
He is manufactured so hes loved.
No. Four chords in the same order and tempo does not make a plagiarised song, when they are that common. Here’s a similar example expertly deconstructed by the comedy music group axis of awesome. https://youtu.be/PgFrVqUXS8I
Will he please get a hair cut. Style my A**e.
I was thinking these sound nothing a like, bit then noticed the drum beats are quite similar but that’s about it.
have your say