- Title: ISRAEL/ FRANCE: ISRAELI SINGER CLAIMS THAT THE SPICE GIRLS STOLE ONE OF HER SONGS
- Date: 17th December 1996
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 16, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) SPICE GIRLS ARRIVING IN PARIS, WALKING TO CAR SPICE GIRLS GETTING INTO CAR JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) ASKING HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GETTING SUED THEN? SPICE GIRLS (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) SAYING NO COMMENT, GIVING THUMBS UP AND WINKING
- Embargoed: 1st January 1997 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL AND PARIS, FRANCE
- City:
- Country: Israel France
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVAA2Q6CQK2WKIX3QZZ69I35YT6Z
- Story Text: A 19-year-old Israeli soldier has said she may call in the lawyers over similarities between a song she wrote and the Spice Girls' hit single "Say You'll Be There." But the chart-topping UK group says its never heard of the Israeli tune.
Idit Schectman claims her song, "Come To Me", written two years ago, has similarities to "Say You'll Be There", a former number one hit.
The lyricist and composer is pursuing her claim through the Israeli copyright authorities and says she may sue.
"A lawyer from the Composer's Rights Organisation is doing their work on this and maybe we will sue, I don't know," Schectman said.
However, the British pop group's solicitor, Gerrard Tyrrell, issued a statement saying: "The first the Spice Girls knew of this matter was earlier today." "Little information is available concerning the other song (which we understand contains lyrics written in Hebrew - a language not spoken by any of the Spice Girls) but what is quite clear is that the Spice Girls have never heard of either the artist or the song." Schectman claims the translation of her Hebrew lyrics, as well as the tune, is similar to the Spice Girls hit.
"Come To Me", released only in Israel, is enjoying a new lease of life and is being heard all over again in that country because of the controversy.
The Spice Girls themselves seemed unconcerned by the claims.
Arriving in Paris on Tuesday to promote their new single, they declined to comment on the possibility of legal action.
The Spice Girls' latest record, "2 Become 1", was released on Monday (December 16) and seems set to zoom straight to Christmas number one when it hits the charts this weekend.
Idit, meanwhile, hopes to resume her singing career once her national service is over. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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