Coldplay Rip Off Controversy

Cat Stevens makes claim

Globe trotting British indie giants Coldplay have been hit by a new plagiarism claim, this time being made by Cat Stevens.

Cat Stevens was one of the most successful songwriters of the 70s, before finding faith in Islam and retreating from the music business. Stevens returned last year, but it seems that his influence extends beyond his initial career.

Coldplay released their album ‘Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends’ last year, catapulting them to international stardom. However no sooner than the charts had been conquered than plagiarism claims came flooding in.

American guitarist Joe Satriani claims the album’s title track is a rip off of a song composed by him. That case could now reach court, with the two sides embroiled in a war of words. Satriani had threatened to present the court papers to Coldplay at the Grammy Awards, but backed out.

Now it seems that Cat Stevens can hear a little of his song ‘Foreigner Suite’ in the band’s material.

“There’s been this argument about Coldplay stealing this melody from Joe Satriani,” he told The Sun. “But, if you listen to it, it’s mine! It’s the ‘Foreigner Suite’, it is!”

Stevens did not state if he would be taking legal action against Coldplay. All this litigation is perhaps why the group seem to be veering left field, with drummer Will Champion reportedly buying a drum machine to work on strange new material.

This is not the first time Cat Stevens has claimed a new group have copied his material. In 2003 a court case ended with Flaming Lips agreeing to split royalties from their song ‘Fight Test’ with Cat Stevens. Wayne Coyne & Co. were judged to have written a song similar to Stevens’ 1970 smash hit ‘Father And Son’.

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