In a news that’s not stylin’ nor particularly hot, collaborators Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars have found themselves in an ice cold situation and may soon have to face court.
A Minneapolis electro-funk band called Collage has filed a lawsuit against Ronson and Mars, claiming that their 2014 chart-topping smash hit “Uptown Funk” is a rip-off from the band’s 1983 song, “Young Girls”.
The complaint, obtained by Pitchfork, details the following similarities between the 2 tracks:
“Upon information and belief, many of the main instrumental attributes and themes of ‘Uptown Funk’ are deliberately and clearly copied from ‘Young Girls’, including, but not limited to, the distinct funky specifically noted and timed consistent guitar riffs present throughout the compositions, virtually if not identical bass notes and sequence, rhythm, structure, crescendo of horns and synthesizers rendering the compositions almost indistinguishable if played over each other and strikingly similar if played in consecutively.”
Besides alleging that “Uptown Funk” is “a dead-on copy in rhythm, harmony, melody and structure” of “Young Girls”, the lawsuit also argues that the 2 hit makers themselves have previously confessed to being inspired by the styles of 1980s electro-funk soul music.
Although Larry White is Collage’s only surviving member, the lawsuit also listed the 2 deceased group members, Grady Wilkins and Lee Peters, as defendants. Collage is currently seeking an unspecified sum of damages and profits.
In case you’re curious, listen to the comparison below:
This isn’t the first time where both Ronson and Mars have found themselves in hot water. They were previously accused of copyright infringement by another band named The Sequence, who claimed that “Uptown Funk” copied their 1979 track “Funk You Up”.
What do y’all think of the 2 songs above? Is it a rip-off or just similar sounding?
Sources: Pedestrian, Toggle.
