Two more co-writers have been given credit for one of 2014's biggest hits, "Stay With Me." Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, of Electric Light Orchestra, were added to the list of song creators after similarities were spotted between the Sam Smith ballad and "I Won't Back Down." Representatives for the young singer admitted to hearing similarities, but they want to make it clear that it is all just a big coincidence, Rolling Stone noted. Furthermore, Petty is not eligible for a Grammy.
Publishers of "I Won't Back Down" contacted Smith's people to point out the similarities, particularly in the choruses, between the two tracks. Smith, who co-wrote "Stay With Me" with James Napier and William Phillips, said his people had to look up the Petty song since they were not familiar with it.
"Although the likeness was a complete coincidence, all involved came to an immediate and amicable agreement in which Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne are now credited as co-writers of 'Stay With Me' along with Sam Smith, James Napier and William Phillips," a Smith rep added.
Petty and Lynne have yet to respond. Now that they own a 12.5 percent writing credit each on the monster hit, any response is bound to be positive. There is no information on whether the pair will receive a cut from what the song has already earned or strictly future royalties.
Just because the rockers are credited as writers on the tune does not mean they will take home a Grammy award if the song wins. Vice president of awards for the Grammys, Bill Freimuth, spoke to the Wall Street Journal to clear up that issue.
"Since Lynne and Petty did not do any new writing for this work, we are considering their original work to have been interpolated by Napier, Phillips and Smith for 'Stay with Me,'" he said.
They will receive some acknowledgement in the form of a certificate, in addition to those fat royalty checks.
