The Hives accused ofplagiarism

Fri 31st Oct, 2008 in International News

Los Angeles-based musician Jason Shapiro is set to sue Falls Festival headliners The Hives for alleged song theft. Having consulted “a musicologist”, Shapiro is claiming his dittie Why You? – which he first recorded with The Roofies in 1997 – was pillaged on the Swedes’ 2007 single Tick Tick Boom.

”[The musicologist] said the part in question – the main riff and vocal melody – was very similar and its uniqueness led him to believe it wasn’t just a coincidence,” Shapiro told the LA Times. “He also runs it through a background test seeing if any charts from previous songs are close and we were clear on that front.”

He may be itching to get litigious, but Shapiro is still a fan. “I absolutely love The Hives and don’t feel great about suing a band I love,” he admitted. “But I also feel credit is due where it is due if you borrow a riff.”

To see if the man has a case, have a listen to both songs below.

Jason Shapiro and The Roofies – Why You?

The Hives – Tick Tick Boom