Eddy Grant, the reggae musician best known for his hit “Electric Avenue,†is furious with Gorillaz leader Damon Albarn, claiming that one of the instrumental hooks from the group’s current single “Stylo†is lifted directly from his 1981 song “Time Warp.†Grant is especially aggravated by the fact that both he and Albarn are represented by EMI Publishing, and there was no apparent attempt to reach out to him for permission. Grant has said that he wants a formal apology from Gorillaz and full credit for the song. The latter demand is perhaps a bit unreasonable — though the “Time Warp†synth line is replicated in the Gorillaz track, there’s a lot more going on in the arrangement. You can judge for yourself after the jump, where we have clips of both songs.
Here’s Eddy Grant’s “Time Warpâ€:
And here’s Gorillaz’s “Styloâ€:
Gorillaz dropped into Time Warp, says Eddy Grant [Guardian UK]