December 8, 2008 15:51
Paul McCartney denies stealing Blind Willie Johnson song
Fireman say they're in the clear reinterpreting traditional track
Photo Gallery: Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney's band The Fireman have denied accusations that they copied a song by bluesman Blind Willie Johnson without crediting it.
Reports at the weekend claimed that McCartney and collaborator Youth had taken elements of Johnson's 'Let Your Light Shine On Me' and used it on their new song 'Light From Your Lighthouse', despite McCartney acknowledging the older song had "inspired" his in the album's sleevenotes of recent album 'Electric Arguments'.
However, speaking to NME.COM, the duo explained they have done nothing wrong, because Johnson's song is based on a traditional composition and so there was no copyright breach.
"It's true that The Fireman used the Blind Willie Johnson track as inspiration for our own song," they said. "His is a traditional song and this is not the first time an artist has made their own version using such a traditional song."
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