Sam Smith Accused of Stealing ‘Stay With Me’ – Again!

Sam Smith Accused of Stealing 'Stay With Me' - Again!

Not again! Newcomer Sam Smith is under fire again after man named Mark Harper came out and stated that Sam Smith stole his hit song “Stay With Me,” from Harper. Harper claims that he recorded a demo in 1986 of a song titled “Don’t Throw Our Love Away,” which he says begins with the “phraseology and significant phrase, ‘stay with me.” Because of this, Harper believes that Sam Smith stole the song idea from him, and he wants to be repaid…I’m sorry?

It gets better. Harper’s lawsuit is not filed against Sam Smith, rather he is suing the various labels involved with the release of “Stay With Me.” In addition to the money, Harper is asking for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to reward him with a Grammy award. This guy must have lost his mind.

Sam Smith was recently hit with plagiarism accusations by singer Tom Petty, who found similarities between his song “I Won’t Back Down,” and “Stay With Me.” If you slow down the track and adjust the pitch a little bit, there is a slight similarity in the choruses of both of these songs. Believe it or not, Petty won the lawsuit and is now listed among the “Stay With Me” songwriting team, in addition to the co-writer of “I Won’t Back Down,” Jeff Lynne.

In Petty’s case however, he was not eligible to win a Grammy for the song “Stay With Me.” Of this matter, Bill Freimuth, Senior Vice President of Awards, told the Wall Street Journal, “Since Lynne and Petty did not do any new writing for this work, we are considering their original work to have been interpolated by Napier, Phillips, and Smith for ‘Stay With Me.’ Lynne and Petty will not be considered nominees nor will they be considered Grammy recipients, should the song win. Rather, they would be given certificates to honor their participation in the work, just as any other writers of sampled or interpolated work.”

According to that, even if Mark Harper’s outrageous claims are found to be true, it doesn’t seem possible that he will be rewarded with a Grammy. What do you think? Do artists have to be more careful when writing songs, or is it impossible, after so many years of music, to write content that is 100% unique and original?


FameFlynet: Sam Smith