Fans of 70s band Badfinger accuse Harry Styles of ripping off track - listen and compare
Fans of British band Badfinger have accused Harry Styles of ripping off one of their tracks on his new single.
The former One Direction star released his solo single, Ever Since New York, this week and following his performance on Saturday Night Live, Badfinger fans drew comparisons with a guitar riff on the band's 1971 song, Baby Blue.
Badfinger had a troubled existence with frontman Pete Ham, who wrote Baby Blue, dying by suicide at the age of 27 after the band were left penniless following a bad contract negotiated by their American manager Stan Polley.
He left a note for his pregnant wife and her son saying, “I will not be allowed to love and trust everybody. This is better. Pete. PS Stan Polley is a soulless bastard. I will take him with me.”
Fans are understandably protective of the band's music and many took to Twitter to express their upset at the alleged rip off.
@Pizzawitjo wrote, "I get extra defensive about Badfinger. Putting a Pete Ham credit on that Harry Styles song is VERY important."
@enzosly tweeted, "#HarryStyles did you listen to #babyblue from #Badfinger before you wrote #Eversincenewyork??Wow I mean at least change the riff dude!"
It's the latest in a long line of artists who have been forced to address comparisons between their work and previous releases.
Ed Sheeran recently reached a deal to end a €20m lawsuit over his hit Photograph which was accused of 'note-for-note' copying from Matt Cardle's 2012 track Amazing.
@Harry_Styles Do the right thing, Harry. Badfinger has already been screwed over enough. @Badfinger_Offcl @BadfingerJoey @toddrundgren https://t.co/QEU1eR9MOU
— gnanse nelson (@gnanse) April 19, 2017
I feel @Harry_Styles's ever since new york has a similar music to Baby Blue by badfinger at times 🤔🤔 #SNL #HarryStylesOnSNL #music
— Harsh Sharma (@thatmanutdlad) April 17, 2017
#HarryStyles did you listen to #babyblue from #Badfinger before you wrote #Eversincenewyork??Wow I mean at least change the riff dude! #tmz
— Sylvester Films (@enzosly) April 16, 2017
@Harry_Styles any thoughts on the riff from "Ever Since New York" being a note-for-note copy of the riff from Badfinger's Baby Blue? #music
— Travis Grant (@sturgeon_slayer) April 16, 2017
That 8 note bassline in that Harry Styles song sounds lifted from Badfinger's Baby Blue.
— Laura Thorpe (@LauraK412) April 16, 2017
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