In an age where similarities between songs can be the cause of multimillion-dollar lawsuits, you better make damn sure you get your samples cleared. The most recent case of alleged, or at least suggested, foul play was Jamie xx's "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)," which features a prominent sample of The Persuasions' 1972 hit "Good Times." Last week band member/manager Jimmy Hayes stated that the sample hadn't been cleared...but he was wrong.
"It doesn't bother me that they wanted to sample, but the thing is we have to sit down with management and make sure that everything is recognized and on the up-and-up," he said, defending the use of the sampling. "I don't want to think that these people just went on their own to sample our music without any notification to us."
Potential scandal was deferred when Hayes was informed that Jamie xx's team had, in fact, cleared it on the up-and-up.
Hayes had claimed that he was told about the sample when a friend heard the new song on the radio. Less than a few days after the initial claim had been made that xx failed to cover the sample, the Persuasions' member backtracked and took back his statement. "I was told about it but forgot," Hayes claimed.
It's an unfortunate mistake on his part. You can bet that performers will be covering their bases in light of the Robin Thicke/Pharrell Williams payout for "Blurred Lines"...almost to the point where claims such as Hayes' almost become "disparaging comments" on their own and potentially justify lawsuits. Hayes didn't have an air of litigation about him when he made his claims last week, but Marina Abramovic's statements about Jay Z were another thing altogether. She claimed the rapper had taken advantage of her and was "cruel" in his use of her previous work. Until he produced proof that he had in fact provided financial support to her cause.
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