Rolling Stones Finally Give Richard Ashcroft Songwriting Credit on “Bitter Sweet Symphony”
The battle around the royalties to The Verve‘s 1997 hit “Bitter Sweet Symphony” is bitter no more.
Per The Guardian, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards has given Verve singer Richard Ashcroft all future royalties on “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” which samples an orchestral cover of the Rolling Stones‘ 1965 hit “The Last Time.” The copyright to “The Last Time” was owned by ABKCO Records head Allen Klein, who then sued Ashcroft back in the ’90s which resulted in Jagger and Richards in receiving a song credit on “Bitter Sweet Symphony” and 100 percent of the song’s royalties.
Ashcroft has released the following statement regarding the royalty change:
“It gives me great pleasure to announce as of last month Mick Jagger and Keith Richards agreed to give me their share of the song Bitter Sweet Symphony. This remarkable and life-affirming turn of events was made possible by a kind and magnanimous gesture from Mick and Keith, who have also agreed that they are happy for the writing credit to exclude their names and all their royalties derived from the song they will now pass to me.
I would like to thank the main players in this, my management Steve Kutner and John Kennedy, the Stones manager Joyce Smyth and Jody Klein (for actually taking the call) lastly a huge unreserved heartfelt thanks and respect to Mick and Keith.
Music is power.”
Erica Banas is rock/classic rock news blogger that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.
