Court to decide if SIMC is plagiarism
Written by roxeteer on December 30, 2001 to Roxette.
STOCKHOLM (UPDATED) - The British High Court of Justice will decide whether or not Roxette’s 1994 hit “Sleeping In My Car” is plagiarism. Swedish songwriter Stephan Malmstedt living in London says that SIMC is a copy of his song “Jenny and I” which was sent to EMI on a demo cassette. Niklas Strömstedt, Per’s close friend, also received a copy of the cassette”.
Malmstedt started his fight against Per and EMI in 1994, but the Swedish court decided not to prosecute. The decision from the British court is expected in October 2002.
“I’m not fighting for the money,” Malmstedt said to Svenska Dagbladet’s reporter. “I’m fighting for justice.”
Update: In Aftonbladet’s report about the case, they reveal that Per’s lawyers have tried to stop the legal process because Malmstedt has not complied with the court’s order to pay 1,850 British pounds (3,033 euros) after an unsuccessful trial in which Malmstedt tried to stop distribution of “Sleeping In My Car”. However, this was not deemed a reason big enough to stop the process. Aftonbladet also listed other cases where Per has been accused of plagiarism: “Listen To Your Heart” and “What About Love” by Heart, “The Look” and “U Got The Look” by Prince, and “Dressed For Success” and “Wild Thing” by Troggs.
It also seems that Stephan Malmstedt has appeared on at least two records with Per and Marie: “Radio Parlophone - andra sändningen” (Malmstedt performed “It’s Gonna Take A Long Time” with Marie on backing vocals, also included songs by Gyllene Tider and Per Gessle) and “Hi Fidelity” (Malmstedt with “The Red Light”, included songs by Gyllene Tider and Marie), both released in 1983.
Mari, Tia, Darya and Laura contributed to this article.
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- Roxette live in Kazan: a promising start to the World Tour (March 1, 2011)
44 comments
n_e_1 said on December 31, 2001 04:51:
Hey Stephan Malmstedt :
All that you love, all that you need, you came in for Kix.
-Gee- said on December 31, 2001 04:56:
PUNCH HIM IN DA BALLS, PER!!! >;)))
well all songs that are “”“”“stolen”“”” are U.S. #1’s....or at least vewwy suxessful rox-songs.
so that Malmstedt sucker’s after the money (man, he wasn’t even able to pay the 3033 € back in EIGHT years....so that dude seems to be permanently outta work/money!!!!)
...even poor i cud pay that back in that long time!!!
Surrealistic69 said on December 31, 2001 05:43:
Per is a great composer... he doesn’t need to steal anyone’s songs.... that dude can kiss my ass!
RoxiRoxt said on December 31, 2001 05:48:
And everyone believe this guy!!! Haha, can´t stop laughing!!!
PerFanatic said on December 31, 2001 06:14:
Yes, this is a prime example of the following fact: those who are on top can expect unfounded challenges abound, in order to try and knock them down.
Per, you are the world’s greatest song writer. So, I guess some people are just too jealous of that and have to make up crap like this to make them feel better. Sad, but they’ll get what they deserve in the end...
Can you imagine, someone like Per, able to write hit singles practically at will, even entertaining the thought of stealing a song from some lacky like this? That is truly the definition of ludicrousness!
big-little-girl said on December 31, 2001 11:35:
Hahahahahahaha!!!
It took a long long time from 1994 !?!
Anyway, if this guy has success, Per should sue Robbie Williams for ANGELS where you can recognize WISH YOU THE BEST in the instrumental middle part of it (“... and I walk around this smalltown...”); and also Celine Dion for THAT’S THE WAY IT IS which is very similar to RUN TO YOU!!!
GREETINGS & A ROXFUL 2002 TO
KIRSTEN, CONNY, KATJA, NINA, BANKE & DANI!!!
Angie_Perrault said on December 31, 2001 12:35:
Hey- if “Dressed for Sucess” could be considered “Wild Thing” then there are probably 1,000’s of other cases out there. There are only so many notes! A B C D E F G and only so much one can do with them. Anyone ever heard this “Jenny and I”? Per probably never did.
DanJKroll said on December 31, 2001 14:42:
I am familiar with the Heart song “What About Love” and I can’t see where they get the idea that it sounds like “Listen To Your Heart.”
Can anyone possibly point out what the point of contention might have been?
DaN
ditroia said on December 31, 2001 21:53:
No ones actually sued per for plagarism for Dressed for success or listen to your heart etc, they’re saying the songs are similar It’s A case of Tall poppy Syndrome, this guy has started soemthing and everyones jumping on it. First of all if people say per plagariesed songs like wild thing then you could say the Beatles Plagarised Chuck Berry. Per was a Record Freak and Listened to a lot of bands tha trubbed off o nhim and how he wrote songs, but it’s not plagarism.
As for the SIMC case, I would like to hear this guys song. Personally I think it;s a load of crap. On a postitive note cos this case is in the british courts, once per wins the case again thsu could bring some international exposure.
HNY
Dave
-Gee- said on January 1, 2002 04:37:
yea what about love indeedy doesnt sound like LTYH...but ....look at the cover backside of the CRASH BOOM LIVE video....
“all songs JFM except LTYH published by EMI/ATV/Rondor music london Ltc.”
..does anyone here know what’s the record label name of Heart?
tevensso (moderator) said on January 1, 2002 06:22:
On the Swedish talk show “Adam” they actually played this song back in ’94 to compare, and sure they have similar chords, but the melody is way different.
It was Aftonbladet’s Lasse Anrell who accused Per (and MP) of stealing Heart’s song. Prince himself claimed that U Got the Look and The Look are similar, I can’t hear that myself.
Per was also accused of stealing Fading Like a Flower by some other Swedish composers (Bobby Almquist and someone else) writing at that time for Erika (anyone who remembers her??), former wife of Yngwie Malmsteen. Anyways, Per was once again cleared of all charges.
TheBiggerTheBetter said on January 1, 2002 06:43:
It is Tall Poppy! PPL are jealouse of Roxette and their fame!!! Anything to bring them down!!!
And good on the writer and his book!! Would love to read it when done!!!
Inspiration keeps the world turning and remember everything’s been done before...
j_karlsson2 said on January 1, 2002 11:56:
Dressed for success and Wild thing????
Hmmm....is there even one tune in those songs that are simular to eachother???
arnie said on January 2, 2002 06:44:
How I Hate this Guy (Stephan Malmstedt)
He wants to be famous and probably he recorded his demo after the release of SIMC ...
I hate him... and Carola too!
NancyBoy said on January 2, 2002 08:13:
About Plagiarism...........
The ”bonus track” on The World Acoording To Gessle, the funny version of Kix, is used by Bon Jovi as an intro for the song One Wild Night on their album Crush.
Same instruments, same melody (exactly). Anyone heard anything about that?
Ferdan said on January 3, 2002 00:55:
Or the string part in I dont want to miss a thing by Aerosmith is really seemed to the string part of I want you to know.
detanovernu-in-... said on January 3, 2002 07:10:
well if you start at “grape rock” then add “gyllene tider”, “modern times”, “per gessle”, “peter pop and the helicopters”, “roxette”, “the lonley boys” and “gessle” and dont forget the outtakes it equals A SHITLOAD!! So why would such a writing machine like per hakan gessle need to steel demos of a poor guy like him?!? I hope Per drags his ass back into the court room when he is found not guilty for wasting his song writing time!!!! this makes me sick all the time this is taking Per could be recording new demos to present to emi svenska so we can hear a follow up to “room service” so dont blame emi for the next delay fans!!! blame this poor money-hungry guy! - Brad
TheBitterOne said on January 3, 2002 09:12:
Well, okay. Here’s the truth: All songs Roxette ever published, are publishing and will publish are written by me. But I’ve always hidden in the dark. Now that this Malmwhatever has started his battle against Per I should get over to Stephan’s But side, shouldn’t I?
Oh my GOD!!! Hope you understand my irony mixed with sarcasm. To my mind now this freak just wants to get the attention he has missed all his life. Poor guy! Such a great composer and nobody’s ever noticed! But now he’s going to strike back! But watch out for the abyss, Malmy. Falling and hitting the ground always hurts...
Alienista said on January 4, 2002 01:25:
This man is just another loser who dreams about Roxette’s success but can’t do anything but this.
Plagiarism... Ha!
I don’t know him, who is Malmstedt ?
Is this case a chance for him to become famous?
roxtexanet said on January 4, 2002 11:28:
Wow... I just listened to “Jenny & I” and it’s AMAZING how much the song DOESN’T sound like “Sleeping In My Car”! If Malmstedt can win this, I think Per should sue Savage Garden for plagiarising “The Look” in “I Want You.” Actually, not to worry - Malmstedt will win this only if the jury is deaf (:
Ferdan said on January 4, 2002 16:14:
I just hear the song..... well, couldnt find any similarity to SIMC. And......... oh god, that guy cant sing at all.... he’s horrible.... he seems to bark instead of sing
Galning said on January 6, 2002 02:47:
Well, we all know that Per Gessle stole some melodie parts sometimes. come on, everyone knows it.... did you ever listen to Tom Petty´s “A higher place”? It´s the similar melodie like Jefferson.... I´m also a songwriter and sometimes it happens that you take a melodie from someone else. He didn´t want to take this melodie and he didn´t knew maybe that it´s not his melodie... Listen to your heart is really stolen from the group Heart! I have the song “what about love” somewhere on LP and it´s similar....
Well, even if SIMC is similar to “Jenny and I” it was NOT INTENTIONAL that Gessle stole the melodie...
Does someone have this song as mp3? I really would like to listen to it!!! Many people are saying it doesn´t sound like SIMC. I´m musican and I would be very interested......
Galning said on January 6, 2002 02:48:
Well, we all know that Per Gessle stole some melodie parts sometimes. come on, everyone knows it.... did you ever listen to Tom Petty´s “A higher place”? It´s the similar melodie like Jefferson.... I´m also a songwriter and sometimes it happens that you take a melodie from someone else. He didn´t want to take this melodie and he didn´t knew maybe that it´s not his melodie... Listen to your heart is really stolen from the group Heart! I have the song “what about love” somewhere on LP and it´s similar....
Well, even if SIMC is similar to “Jenny and I” it was NOT INTENTIONAL that Gessle stole the melodie...
Does someone have this song as mp3? I really would like to listen to it!!! Many people are saying it doesn´t sound like SIMC. I´m musican and I would be very interested......
My eMail is: [email protected]
EDITOR’S NOTE: There’s a link to the song that accompanies this article.
Fernandinha said on January 8, 2002 13:51:
C´mon. This guy is crazy he whant Pers money. Wake up friend Per is the best and you are the rest.
Fernanda from BRazil
Fernandinha said on January 8, 2002 13:53:
C´mon. This guy is crazy. He want Pers money.
Wake up friend Per is the best and you are the rest.
Fernanda from BRAZIL!!
gesslefan_no1 said on January 21, 2002 06:21:
bah.......what a joke!! I´ve listen to “Jenny and I” several times now and yes, I do hear some very, very small similarity with SIMC.
But hey, try to make a song which has no similarity with no other... It don´t work all songs has it, less or more.
But in this case, I really had to concentrate hard to hear it at all. So I don´t think Stephan Malmstedt will have that much sucess in court...
I think it´s stupid to sue people for this sort of thing (I mean, there are songs which is VERY similar to other, but thats another thing, now we talk about so minimal similarity that it´s almost none at all). I really belive that the British High Court have LOTS of more important cases to decide about, don´t you?
shama said on December 31, 2001 00:11:
Howgh!
Though I’m Rox’ fan since 1992, I’ve never heard about this guy and about this case. But I don’t belive and I will never do that Per could have made plagiarism. Firstly Roxette were too famous then and had to much to loose; it wouldn’t have been worth to risk. But first of all and above all he’s a wonderful composer and doesn’t have to use other people’s songs.