Sam Smith Wins Four Grammy Awards, Including Song Of The Year

[aggiesal]

Source: NPR

Sam Smith, the British singer whose debut album, In the Lonely Hour, was one of only two albums released in 2014 to go platinum, won four Grammys, including Record and Song of the year, as well as Best New Artist.

In a moment that seemed to catch most of the audience by surprise, Beck's Morning Phase won Album of the Year, keeping Smith from sweeping the top categories. Beck's album of subdued, string-laden folk songs was critically favored, but it felt like an underdog against nominations by pop stars Smith, Pharrell Williams, Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran.

Even so, it was Smith's night. "Stay With Me," the song that won Record and Song of the year, has been on the Billboard Hot 100 for 43 weeks, and In the Lonely Hour sold 1.2 million copies last year, more than any other album released in 2014 except Taylor Swift's 1989, which was released after the Grammy eligibility period for the year ended. Midway through the ceremony, Smith performed a subdued but confident version of the song with Mary J. Blige, backed by strings and a choir.

. . .

Read more: http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2015/02/08/384830761/2015-grammy-award-winners

---

I just have one question to ask;
How do you win a Grammy for Song & Record Of The Year,
when the song was written years ago by Tom Petty (I won't back down)

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/sam-smith--tom-petty-settlement-20150126
Sam Smith has to pay Tom Petty 12.5% from the royalties of Stay With Me.

You be the judge
Tom Petty - I Won't Back Down

Sam Smith - Stay With Me

Grammys got it wrong and should re-award.

[BainsBane]

1. No, it's not the same

Not anymore than lots of songs are similar to one another.

[herding cats]

4. Smith is paying Petty royalties

Which I think means they're similar enough that they knew they'd lose in court. It also doesn't mean it was an intentional copyright infringement, which they claim it wasn't.

Sam Smith to pay Tom Petty royalties on 'Stay With Me'

[BainsBane]

9. huh, interesting

Shows what I know. I'm always hearing songs that sound like old ones, but I guess it's what the article says about the similarity going on too long.

[herding cats]

10. I wouldn't have noticed it myself.

The vocals are too different, as are the instruments, but it was close enough they felt better making a deal and not taking it to court. I can't say I fault them their decision.

[rocktivity]

2. "You be the judge" is exactly what Tom Petty threatened to SAY to a judge

He took Smith to court, got co-writer credit, and is earning royalty payments.

More


rocktivity

[SunSeeker]

6. Petty didn't "win" before a judge. It was amicably settled out of court.

See my post #5 below.

[rocktivity]

7. Amicable only in the sense that going before a judge was the alternative

and the Smith camp evidently feared losing. But I've moderated my post accordingly -- WE have just made an amicable settlement!

But that's the Grammys for you -- I haven't paid much attention to them since they year they introduced the Soul Gospel category.


rocktivity

[davidpdx]

12. Petty sings to the judge

I won't back down

[DonCoquixote]

31. From Tom's own mouth, in RS

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-petty-on-sam-smith-settlement-no-hard-feelings-these-things-happen-20150129

"About the Sam Smith thing. Let me say I have never had any hard feelings toward Sam," Petty wrote. "All my years of songwriting have shown me these things can happen. Most times you catch it before it gets out the studio door but in this case it got by. Sam's people were very understanding of our predicament and we easily came to an agreement.

"The word lawsuit was never even said and was never my intention. And no more was to be said about it," Petty continued. "How it got out to the press is beyond Sam or myself. Sam did the right thing and I have thought no more about this. A musical accident no more no less. In these times we live in this is hardly news. I wish Sam all the best for his ongoing career. Peace and love to all."

[KT2000]

3. Never got how Smith's song

is taken from Tom Petty's. Also - it is a very different song.
Anyway - Sam Smith has a good song and he can hit the notes which is more than can be said about many of the singers. He introduced something new with his musical style.

[SunSeeker]

5. Nope, I don't buy it. Sam Smith's song is different.

The initial chord progression may be similar to Won't Back Down, but it is hardly a unique chord progression. The tempo and chorus sections are markedly different, as is the instrumentation. It shows how much class Sam Smith has that he chose not to fight Petty, instead agreeing to give him a cut of the royalties. Pop songs have always been built on one another anyway. He was probably flattered that Petty wanted to claim ownership.

“After it was pointed out to Sam’s camp, they didn’t try to fight it and amicably dished out royalties. It wasn’t a deliberate thing, musicians are just inspired by other artists and Sam and his team were quick to hold up their hand when it was officially flagged.”

http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/01/tom-petty-awarded-songwriting-royalties-for-sam-smiths-stay-with-me/

[alcina]

8. The first time I heard Sam Smith's song

I thought it was some sort of tribute to Tom Petty, kind of like Kid Rock's tip of the hat to Warren Zevon in "All Summer Long." Seems quite a few other people heard the resemblance, given the online comments and youtube mashups, eg:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sam+smith+tom+petty+mashup

Given my reference to Warren Zevon, it's probably no surprise that I prefer Tom Petty's "version."

But kudos to all the parties for being gracious about the situation.

[chillfactor]

11. no idea who Sam Smith is....

and I really despise award shows............

[KeepItReal]

15. This Grammys had some nice performances

Lots of references to "Hands up, don't shoot" and Ferguson, MO. so the messages were positive.

Opened with AC/DC performing and closed with John Legend and Common performing their song from the movie "Selma".

[lovemydog]

13. Sounds like the same song to me.

Different lyrics & arrangement but same chord progressions.

[wolfie001]

14. I wanted Chandelier for SOTY....boo hoo

Oh well.

[KeepItReal]

16. Yeah, I wanted Chandelier, also.

Oh well...

[underpants]

17. Metal Performane WINNER : Tenacious D

[Strat54]

18. Plaigairism plain as day!

For those of you who don't know....

The only 5 things you can copyright on a song are:

1) The melody.
Not the chord changes. Not the little guitar lines. Not any Ostenato figure. Just the melody.

2) The lyrics.

3) An arrangement, provided that you have permission to use the melody and lyrics.

4) A performance. Known as "Mechanicals". Por Exemplo...
Whitney Houston's performance of the Star Spangled Banner, provided that she has permission to use it.

5) A collection, or what we would call, an Album or a Box Set. Again, assuming the person has permission to use the songs within.

These have been the rules for almost a century, with a slight modification in 1977. (Sorry John Lee Hooker! You got ripped off while ZZTop profited.)

The melody to Stay With Me is note for note, all 13 notes, exactly the same as the melody to, "I Won't Back Down". Same rhythm. Same notes over more than 4 measures =.It's the same melody.

It's a no brainer.

San Smith is a lyricist. He doesn't write the music, just the lyrics. He's just an old fashioned crooner, once again, imitating Black Soul and Gospel and selling it to white, suburban audiences.

Tom Petty co-wrote that song (Won't Back Down) with Jeff Lynne (of ELO) who produced Tom's first few albums.

ELO's first few albums were ghost produced by Sir Paul McCartney. As usual, everything at the Grammys is circular.

Amazing that Jeff Lynne was there, but Sam Smith's producer (who was at least negligent if not outright plagiaristic) did NOT give verbal credit to Petty and Lynne after winning SOTY for what is clearly Petty and Lynne's melody. Sam Smith's producer-writer is a douchebag.

Smith settled because he would obviously lose if it went to court. Petty and Lynne were very gracious and non-punitive. Smith gets to keep his Hit.

Not so lucky was George Harrison ( My Sweet Lord vs She's So Fine)

Those are the rules.
We all knew about them before we even decided to become musicians.

There is no "Aw Shucks" moment here.
It was plagiarism, plain as day.

[brentspeak]

23. "ELO's first few albums were ghost produced by Sir Paul McCartney."

You'll have to explain that one to us.

[Maedhros]

26. Yeah, but he can still sing. [n/t]

[underpants]

28. I thought it was a remake of a Motown song

I had no idea of the Petty connection but then I'm not a musician.

Thanks for the info.

Also - Hewie Lewis got a settlement from "Ghostbusters" (artist?) because it is "I want a new drug". Lewis mentioned the settlement in an interview but it was supposed to be a secret agreement. Not sure how that turned out.

In "Old Gods Almost Dead" (great book) Stephen Davis has several examples of Keith Richards stopping songs from going on albums because he couldn't remember where he came up with the song. He was afraid that he might have plagiarized something while wasted. In 1997 Jagger wrote a song, "Anybody Seen My Baby?". Keith later heard the song in the radio and his kids and their friends started singing along but with other lyrics. Turns out it was exactly the same song as KD Lang's "Constant Craving". She is now credited as one of the writers on subsequent releases of the Stones Bridges to Babylon record.

[giftedgirl77]

19. Good for him, Sam's awesome & has had some great songs.

For those of you that want to hate on him, or just don't get his music. Go pop in your 8track player with some Peter, Paul, & Mary or some other crap & let those of us in this generation enjoy our music.

[Strat54]

20. We get that he plaigiarized the melody from a 30 year old song.

Go listen to your distorted, brickwalled iTunes.
You probably can't hear the difference after all that distortion fries your ears anyhow.

Learn about music law!

Other than that, it was a nice little "Leave Britney Alone" defense of Sam Smith.

If you think he is the best this generation has to offer, then you need to change your Pandora station.

I can think of at least 5 new artists who are more original and more creative than Sam Smith.

Lamar Kendrick being just one.

I'm not saying that Smith sucks. He can obviously sing (in an era where everyone else is autotuned to death.)

I'm only saying that Smith's co-writer violated copyright, got busted, settled out of court (leniently), yet continues to act like he wrote something original that is clearly NOT original.

[giftedgirl77]

21. Actually it's Kendrick Lamar there spanky....

Sam is a whole other genre, most of my music is rap, hip hop & r&b dating back to NWA so your presumptuous post is really quite dumb. J Cole just dropped his best album by far but a majority of DU would scream where's Bob Dylan when you need him.

Sam Smith is far from my favorite but that doesn't discount the fact that he still makes some really good songs.

[Maedhros]

27. A little advice: don't insult posters to try and make yourself look smart. [n/t]

[aggiesal]

24. I'm not saying that I hate Sam's music, ...

I just don't believe a song written 30 years ago should
have won Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year.

I had never heard of Sam Smith until I watched the Grammys last night.

When I heard "Stay with me" for the first time, I asked my daughter
"How can you be nominated for Song & Record of the year singing a cover song?"

She kept telling me that it was not a cover song.

A little research shows the it wasn't a cover song, but I had heard it before
in Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down".

The fact that Sam Smith now has to pay 12.5% to the original song writers
says a lot. And that it should have been disqualified from any grammy consideration,
unless there is a category for Best Song written from a Previous Song.

One last note:
What does it say about current music when a song that was written 30 years ago
and didn't win any awards, wins 2 of the biggest awards this year?
Could it be that the music was that much better 30 years ago?

Again, I say that the Grammy Committee should revoke the 2 awards and re-issue
them to whomever came in second place in both categories.

Just my opinion!!!

[giftedgirl77]

25. So are you just mad that he did it better or

that he got an award for it? Bruno Mars does cover songs all the time as have countless other artists throughout the years to include Johnny Cash who has done some outstanding ones. It's a great song get over it.

[Egnever]

29. Nothing wrong with doing covers

It's when you do covers and pretend they are originals it becomes a problem.

Winner best cover maybe...

[giftedgirl77]

30. Touche', maybe they should make that a category.

Hell, hollywood can't come up with an original movie to save their lives. 90% of the movies they do are remakes of stuff that came out when I was a kid.

[aggiesal]

32. I'm not mad at all ...

I don't have a problem with any artist covering a song, and most
covers are not as good as the original, but some are really good, and sometimes better.

My issue is that they win awards claiming it's theirs when in fact it isn't.

Winning a Grammy should mean more then what happened last night.
A winning song should be original and exceptional that it merits winning a Grammy.

The fact that the first time I heard his song, I immediately knew I had heard it
before, and because Sam Smith is paying Tom Petty and Jeff Lynn (the original writers)
a pretty big percentage of the royalties, proves that his song is not original,
and I wouldn't even call it exceptional because it's not original.

It lowers the standard of what Grammy is supposed to represent.

[wilt the stilt]

22. Grammys blow as usual

this is by and large brutally boring music. My friend is a true studio musician and has played with everyone and has been on tour with everyone including the Stones and Clapton. He will be conducting at the Kennedy center. his buddy was the drummer on 'blood on the Tracks" and he passed away this year. In the industry he was one of the great drummers. No mention of him in the section of "In memoriam".