the perils of retro-pastiche, part 234

Or, "it's a thin line between love and theft"

"... The songwriting credits for Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk have been expanded. It is now attributed to 11 different writers. The new credits have been given to the writers of the Gap Band’s Oops Up Side Your Head: group members Ronnie Wilson, Charles Wilson and Robert Wilson, plus producers Rudolph Taylor and Lonnie Simmons. They join the six writers already credited: Ronson, singer Bruno Mars, producers Jeff Bhasker and Philip Lawrence, plus Nicholas Williams (Trinidad James) and Devon Gallaspy, who received credits for the use of a sample of Trinidad James’s All Gold Everything." (The Guardian) 

11 writers! A sort of coalition of "inspiration"

"The credits followed a claim by the publisher Minder Music, reports Billboard. The claim, rather than being sent to Ronson’s label or publisher, was filed with YouTube’s content management system in February. The Oops writers are believed to be taking a 17% share of the song."

I thought the Marvin Gaye estate was trying it on big-time re. "Blurred Lines" - different melody, you can't copyright a vibe -  but can't help feeling  "good for the Gap boys" since Ronson's whole career is recycling-based, Bruno really doesn't need the money (and is also a serial recycler and retro-nuevo "renovator"), and the Gap Band deserve more.... everything, really.   Love, respect, collective-memory-share, and $$$$. If not inventors, they were prime exponents of the Downstroke Snare-Thwack. Started many, many a party. And had a great look. 

Earlier thoughts on "Uptown Funk"