In February 1971, just months after the single’s release, Harrison was accused of plagiarism by the Bright Tunes Music Corporation.
Launched in 1970, My Sweet Lord became one of the biggest hits of his solo career. George Harrison. The song was the first single by a former Beatle to reach the top of the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom, which established the guitarist as a solo artist global. However, behind its success, the hit was the target of a long and controversial legal battle that marked Harrison’s trajectory and raised debates about musical originality.
In February 1971, just a few months after the single’s release, Harrison was accused of plagiarism by Bright Tunes Music Corporationwhich held the rights to He’s So Finerecorded by the group The Chiffons in 1963. The lawsuit alleged that My Sweet Lord presented significant similarities with the melody of He’s So Fine. During the trial in the United States, Harrison admitted that he knew the song, but stated that his inspiration had been the gospel song. Oh Happy Day.
After years of wrangling, in 1976 a court ruled that Harrison was guilty of “subconscious plagiarism,” and acknowledged that he had not intentionally copied the melody, but that the similarities could not be ignored. The initial compensation of US$1.5 million was reduced to US$587 thousand due to the involvement of Allen KleinHarrison’s former manager, who tried to manipulate the situation by buying the rights to Bright Tunes.
As the case dragged on — with its final proceedings only ending in 1998 — Harrison publicly reflected on the impact of the controversy. THE Rolling Stonehe opened up about the difficulties in continuing to compose:
It’s hard to start writing again when you’ve been through all that. To this day, when I turn on the radio, every song I hear sounds like something else.
However, in 1976, The Chiffons released a cover of My Sweet Lordtaking advantage of the notoriety of the case. Despite this, Harrison highlighted the positive impact of the song, stating that it saved many lives, especially those of people in situations of addiction.
In his autobiography, the musician regretted not having changed notes that could have avoided the problem:
I wasn’t aware of the similarity. [A música] it was improvised, but I know that the reason it was composed goes far beyond the legal problem.
Additionally, the song was re-released in 2002 as a tribute following Harrison’s death.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
