The biggest royalty stitch up in recent memory has been resolved. The Rolling Stones have relinquished the royalties and rights from ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ to The Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft.
The 1997 single featured a four-second sample of Angre Loog Oldham’s orchestral recording from The Rolling Stones’ track ‘The Last Time.’
Whilst permission was initially granted for Ashcroft to use the sample in recording, he failed to receive full clearance. Ultimately he was forced to give up his rights and royalties to the track after forme Stones manager Allen Klein and his ABKCO Music & Records Inc., pursued legal action against him.
As COS notes, last year Ashcroft addressed the controversy surrounding the track on Kyle Meredith With…, claiming that he was “coming for my money, man.” And he was successful.
Ashcroft shared a statement today confirming that he had regained the rights to the track. Instead of getting involved in a legal debacle with ABCKO, Ashcroft appealed to Jagger and Richards directly, who “unhesitatingly and unconditionally” agreed to get Ashcroft his song back.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce as of last month Mick Jagger and Keith Richards agreed to give me their share of the song ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’,” the statement reads. “This remarkable and life-affirming turn of events was made possible by a kind and magnanimous gesture from Mick and Keith, who have also agreed that they are happy for the writing credit to exclude their names and all their royalties derived from the song they will now pass to me.”
“I would like to thank the main players in this, my management Steve Kutner and John Kennedy, the Stones manager Joyce Smyth and Jody Klein (for actually taking the call) lastly a huge unreserved heartfelt thanks and respect to Mick and Keith.
Music is power.”
Check out ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ by The Verve below
