Blurred Lines hit at centre of Marvin Gaye claim

Singer and producer Pharrell is engaged in a battle with Marvin Gaye’s estate over Robin Thicke’s mega-hit Blurred Lines, but he wants to make one thing clear – he has incredible respect for the late soul legend.
Pharrell, full name Pharrell Williams, says hes fan of Gaye. Picture: GettyPharrell, full name Pharrell Williams, says hes fan of Gaye. Picture: Getty
Pharrell, full name Pharrell Williams, says hes fan of Gaye. Picture: Getty

“I’m a huge fan of Marvin Gaye. He is a genius. He is the patriarch,” Pharrell said. The hit-maker collaborated with Thicke on the No. 1 smash, which some have said sounds very similar to Gaye’s Got to Give it Up.

Last month, Pharrell, Thicke and the song’s other collaborator, T.I., filed a lawsuit asking a judge to determine that it does not copy Gaye’s song and a song by George Clinton. It was a pre-emptive strike against future claims from Gaye’s heirs that the song takes from Gaye’s composition without credit.

Pharrell said the two songs are not similar at all.

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Gaye “is the king of all kings, so let’s be clear about that, and we take our hats off to him”, he said. “But anybody that plays music and reads music, just simply go to the piano and 
play the two. One’s minor and one’s major. And not even in the same key.”