Storm Lee Gardner has launched authorized motion in opposition to Purple Disco Machine and Sophie and the Giants alleging they’ve copied a bit of his hit track I Got here Right here To Dance.
The authorized declare states the refrain of Purple Disco Machine’s In The Darkish relies on Storm Lee’s single taken from his 2008 album Soulfillapopkilla.
Launched in January this 12 months, In The Darkish has charted throughout Europe and has amassed greater than 53 million performs on Spotify. It has additionally been seen over 20 million occasions on YouTube.
Storm Lee – who left Edinburgh aged 16 to forge a music profession within the States – has now employed Leisure Edinburgh lawyer Joe Boyd to pursue the copyright declare in opposition to file labels Sweat It Out Music and EMI.
The Grammy-nominated Scot – who memorably clashed on display with Simon Cowell – made it to the ultimate phases of the X Issue in 2010 whereas being mentored by decide Louis Walsh.
He was extensively praised for his performances of the Weapons N Roses traditional Candy Little one of Mine and the U2 favorite With Or With out You earlier than finally being voted off the present in Week 2 of the stay finals.
Storm Lee, 49, mentioned he was “shocked” on first listening to the Purple Disco Machine track whereas standing in a grocery store queue.
He mentioned: “I wrote I Got here Right here To Dance whereas recording my album Soulfillapopkilla in 2008.
“It’s a track that’s actually near my coronary heart and I put lots of effort into it and was actually happy when it grew to become an underground hit within the US.
“So you’ll be able to think about my shock when earlier this 12 months I used to be ready in line in my native grocery store and this dance track got here on.
“I used to be subconsciously swaying alongside to it considering ‘that is actually acquainted’ when it hit me that the refrain was precisely like my I Got here Right here To Dance.
“Over the subsequent few days I obtained a number of calls and texts from buddies saying ‘have you ever heard this Purple Disco Machine track?’ – the refrain is similar to your track.
“I used to be just lately again house in Scotland and I handed the places of work of Leisure Edinburgh and thought I’d pop in and communicate to them about how I might go about all of it.
“The agency had been implausible and I made a decision to make use of them to contact the file firms regarding my copyright points.
“We’re on the early phases however I simply felt I needed to do one thing about it as I put my coronary heart and soul into that track and it doesn’t appear honest somebody can come alongside and simply copy it.”
Lawyer Joe Boyd, of Leisure Edinburgh, mentioned his agency “intimated a declare for copyright infringement” in opposition to the 2 file firms final week.
He added: “We might be able to make additional touch upon behalf of our shopper after we’ve got obtained a response from the file labels involved.”
Sweat It Out Music and EMI have been contacted for remark.
Following his X Issue look Storm Lee has gone on to carve out a profitable profession as a session singer and was a vocalist in six seasons of the hit TV present Glee.
He labored with Tom Cruise on the film Rock of Ages, carried out in Meryl Streep’s The Promenade and has labored with stars together with Meatloaf, Debbie Harry and Annie Lennox.
The previous furnishings upholsterer, from the Capital’s Canongate, was additionally nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2004.
