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He’s So Fine by The Chiffons
He’s So Fine by Jody Miller
Oh Happy Day by The Edwin Hawkins Singers
This Song by George Harrison
George Harrison inadvertently got himself into a bit of hot water over his song My Sweet Lord.
In 1971, a few months after the record’s release, George was sued for copyright infringement by the publisher of He’s So Fine, Bright Tines. The song was written by Ronnie Mack and had been a hit for the Chiffons in 1963. A version was also released in 1971 by American country singer Jody Miller, incorporating Harrison’s My Sweet Lord slide-guitar riffs.
“I wasn’t consciously aware of the similarity to He’s So Fine,” Harrison reflected in the biography I Me Mine. “When I wrote the song it was more improvised and not fixed.”
George admits to having thought “Why didn’t I realise?” when others started pointing out the similarity between the two songs.
What followed was one of the longest running legal battles ever to be litigated in the United States.
George had been found to have subconsciously copied He’s So Fine and, in February 1981, was ordered to pay US$587,000 in damages.
It was finally all over in 1998 with George emerging as the rights owner of He’s So Fine in the UK and North America.
In 1976, after George lost the case but before the protracted damages portion ended, he released the satirical This Song about his legal and courtroom experience.
George said that in writing My Sweet Lord, he was actually influenced by the Edwin Hawkins Singers’ rendition of an eighteenth-century Christian hymn, Oh Happy Day.
More details about the My Sweet Lord copyright infringement suit HERE
My Sweet Lord by George Harrison on Bang a Gong HERE
Songs below:
He’s So Fine by The Chiffons – entered the Kent charts in Australia on 13 April 1963 and peaked at #34.
He’s So Fine by Jody Miller – entered the Kent charts in Australia on 20 September 1971 and peaked at #28.
Oh Happy Day by the Edwin Hawkins Singers – entered the Kent charts in Australia on 31 May 1969 and peaked at #19.
This Song by George Harrison – entered Australia’s Kent Music Report on 20 December 1976 and peaked at #50.
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