Isn't there a statute of limitations for getting upset over a vaguely lifted sample? I guess not. The Knack -- wait, what have they been up to for the last 25 years? -- have crawled out of obscurity to sue Run DMC, arguing that the rap group stole the riff to "My Sharona" for "It's Tricky."
Keep in mind: "It's Tricky" was released in 1986. Twenty years ago. I was 12. Where have they been? The Knacksters, who I guess were too busy doing nothing all these years, claim they just heard the track recently... and they're steamed:
MY SHARONA; NOT YOURS!
80s rock band The Knack takes on Run DMC for unauthorized sampling
Los Angeles – September 15, 2006 - Members of the 80s rock band The Knack today filed a lawsuit against the members of Run DMC, and Run DMC’s producers, distributors, publishers and record companies, over Run DMC’s use of an unlicensed sample of The Knack ’s 1979 platinum hit “My Sharona” in Run DMC’s song, “It’s Tricky.”
The Knack’s Doug Fieger and Berton Averre filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Run DMC today in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The complaint alleges that members of Run DMC and their manager, producers, publishers, and record label unlawfully appropriated portions of “My Sharona,” including the song’s signature guitar riff, for use in “It’s Tricky,” which first appeared on Run DMC’s 1986 Raising Hell album. The suit also names several companies involved in the distribution of the allegedly infringing albums. Fieger and Averre wrote “My Sharona” and obtained a copyright registration for it in 1979. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and attorneys’ fees.
Fieger and Averre only recently learned that Run DMC’s smash hit from the mid-80s sampled the illustrious guitar riff from The Knack’s classic “My Sharona.” “That sound is not only the essence of ‘My Sharona,’ it is one of the most recognizable sounds in rock ‘n’ roll,” says Fieger, lead singer and front man of the band. Fieger and Averre are seeking damages for the alleged unauthorized use of “My Sharona” in numerous Run DMC albums that contain the song “It’s Tricky,” including albums released as far back as 1986. According to the complaint, each of the allegedly infringing albums containing the song “It’s Tricky” are still being sold and distributed.
I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find a riff on an even older song that "My Sharona" might have borrowed. Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up," perhaps?
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