A 1980s funk band is suing Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson for allegedly copying parts of its song for use in their hit track “Uptown Funk.”
Collage’s lawsuit claims the Grammy Award–winning 2014 Mars/Ronson collaboration ― which has sold more than 6 million copies and garnered almost 2 billion YouTube views ― borrows heavily from its 1983 single “Young Girls.”
The complaint, which music website Pitchfork obtained on Saturday, alleges that “many of the main instrumental attributes and themes of ‘Uptown Funk’ are deliberately and clearly copied from ‘Young Girls.’”
Listen to Collage’s “Young Girls” here:
And compare it to “Uptown Funk” here:
Collage’s surviving member Larry White and the estates of its two late members, Grady Wilkins and Lee Peters, are listed as filing the lawsuit, reports the Independent.
It seeks both damages and profits from the Mars and Ronson song, claiming that the rhythm, harmony, melody and structure of the global smash are all virtually identical to that of their much lesser-known track.
See a segment of the complaint here:
“…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.”
Representatives for Ronson and Mars have not commented on the allegations, which also lists Sony Music Entertainment, Warner/Chappell Music, Atlantic Records and RCA Records among the defendants.
It’s the second copyright infringement claim filed against British musician Ronson and American singer-songwriter Mars over the song.
In May 2015, the duo awarded 17 percent of all publishing royalties and extra writing credits to The Gap Band’s members for lifting sections of their 1979 party anthem “Oops Upside Your Head.”
Female rap group The Sequence also allege that Ronson and Mars used their 1979 song “Funk You Up” as inspiration for the track, TMZ reported in February. The Sequence has yet to file a lawsuit, however.
