Spanish band accuses The Rolling Stones of plagiarism over lockdown song 'Living in a Ghost Town'

The Rolling Stones are successful problem pinch Spanish group Angelslang. The band's frontman, Sergio García Fernández, has sued nan seasoned British rockers claiming they utilized 2 of his tracks to create their apocalyptic opus 'Living successful a Ghost Town', a azygous they released successful 2020 during nan COVID-19 pandemic.

Sergio García Fernández, an Argentinian musician based successful Madrid, has revenge nan copyright infringement title successful Madrid's 19th Commercial Court which alleges that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards utilized elements of 2 songs by Angelslang.

'Living successful a Ghost Town', a reggae-influenced blues-rock way accompanied by a pandemic-inspired video, reached number 3 connected nan Hot Rock & Alternative Songs floor plan successful May 2020.

At nan clip of its release, Stones frontman Mick Jagger said: "The Stones were signaling caller worldly successful nan workplace earlier nan quarantine and location was 1 opus that we thought had a typical resonance fixed nan circumstances we're surviving in. We worked connected it successful isolation." And present it is, it's called 'Living successful Ghost Town', I dream you for illustration it".

"We recorded nan opus a twelvemonth agone successful Los Angeles for our caller album, a task we're still moving on, past nan crap deed nan instrumentality and Mick and I decided that nan opus should beryllium retired now and present it is: 'Living successful a Ghost Town'", added Keith Richards.

Plagiarism pursued successful Spain aft US tribunal refusal

The lawsuit was primitively revenge successful national tribunal successful New Orleans erstwhile Sergio García Fernández's lawyer's pleaded: "The defendants ne'er paid nan plaintiff aliases obtained support to usage [the songs]."

However, nan judge ruled that nan Louisiana national tribunal lacked jurisdiction complete Fernández's case. He noted that Jagger and Richards are British, Fernández lives successful Spain and nan Rolling Stones "have only performed successful New Orleans 4 times".

Now, nan suit has been transferred to Madrid "following nan definitive wish of their Satanic Majesties that nan lawsuit beryllium tried successful Spain, arsenic they alleged successful their appeals to nan New Orleans court, accepting successful turn, nan beingness of similarities betwixt nan songs involved", nan composer explained to nan Spanish regular ABC.

Jagger's emails astir Angelslang songs

Fernández maintains that they "misappropriated galore of nan recognisable and cardinal protected elements" of his 2006 opus 'So Sorry', arsenic good arsenic his 2007 way 'Seed of God'.

But really apt is it that nan Stones were inspired by Angelslang's songs? Were they fans of nan Spanish band? Fernández allegedly sent a CD demo of nan tracks to Mick's relative Chris Jagger,** whom he met astatine a gig successful Madrid successful 2013.

Later, Chris reportedly wrote him an email expressing that his songs and style were a sound that "The Rolling Stones would beryllium willing successful using", explains nan plaintiff, who besides has different emails successful which Jagger and nan Angelslang lyricist shared impressions of nan opus texts.

Have nan Rolling Stones plagiarised aliases was Angelslang's style already based connected that of nan Brits?

The Stones, 1 of nan world's astir successful acts, person influenced countless musicians. But while it is existent that nan compositions of Fernández's set and 'Living successful a Ghost Town' are similar, it is very difficult to discern which came first: possibly nan Spaniards were inspired by their Satanic Majesties aliases vice-versa.

Fernández claims that location are a multitude of coincidences betwixt his compositions and 'Living successful a Ghost Town', mentioning similarities successful vocal melody, chord progressions, percussion patterns, harmonica parts, tempo, etc. The Argentinean composer's defence has provided an master study by a musicologist which, according to them, shows that location has been "fragmented plagiarism", that is, nan copying of recognisable parts of Angelslang's song.

Fernández suggests that "perhaps nan Stones merged nan 2 songs pinch AI, produced a hybrid and played complete it". A mentation that seems to deficiency a beardown basis,** because though artificial intelligence existed successful 2020 , it was not arsenic advanced arsenic it is today and its usage was experimental.

Fernández besides claims to now person wellness problems aft being hacked and harassed done societal media networks. In response, Fernández adds that he has prepared a past will and testament successful lawsuit thing should hap to him during nan process.