Donna Summer’s Widower on Suing Kanye West for ‘I Feel Love’ Sample

'NOT ABOUT MONEY'
Donna Summer’s Widower on Suing Kanye West for ‘I Feel Love’ Sample: ‘Wrong Is Still Wrong’

Bruce Sudano said he thought West and Ty Dolla $ign's usage of the iconic Summer song for "Good [[Don't Die)" was "just not the right fit"

BY TOMÁS MIER

MAY 3, 2024

Donna Summer‘s widower Bruce Sudano is reflecting on his legal back-and-forth with Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign over the usage of Summer’s Seventies classic “I Feel Love.”

In a new interview with Billboard, Sudano revealed that West’s team had reached out to Summer’s estate to use “I Feel Love” for “Good [[Don’t Die),” and that he ultimately turned them down. West ended up still using the sample, though with another person’s voice and different lyrics. The Summer estate ended up suing the rapper for “blatant theft” in late February.

“Kanye’s people sent me an mp3 and I decided, ‘No, this is not a good fit,’” Sudano told the outlet. “I go back to them and say no, then, ‘How much do you want?’ It’s not about the money. It’s just not a good fit.”

“Then it comes out and it’s no longer Donna singing and he’s changed the lyric and has somebody sing the same melody — now it’s ‘Ooh, I’m alive I’m alive I’m alive I’m alive,’ and I say this is copyright infringement,” he continued. “And once it’s out, it’s out. So I brought a complaint and we’ll see where that road leads. I respect Kanye as an artist, but this is just wrong.”

The Summer estate sued West and Ty Dolla $ign, accusing the duo of “shamelessly” stealing the hook from the disco classic for the Vultures track. “In the face of this rejection, defendants arrogantly and unilaterally decided they would simply steal “I Feel Love” and use it without permission,” the lawsuit read.

Sudano told Billboard that he’s been open to musicians sampling Summer’s work in the past and that Beyoncé even insisted on playing the sample on “Summer Renaissance” in person for him to approve it.

“It’s a very unfortunate situation,” said Sudano. “All of these things are very subjective. I try to view it through Donna’s lens and how she would protect her catalog in the right way. Kanye is a great artist, but wrong is still wrong.”

Sudano explained that there is “a lot of thievery that still goes on” but that he felt like he needed to “take a stand” against the usage of the song for “all those other people as well.”

Before he filed the lawsuit, Sudano posted about the dispute on social media and said he was assessing his legal options. “I intend to protect to Donna’s copyright,” he told Rolling Stone in a phone interview.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/m...Y8C1KpTf_sWLe4

In the late 60s and early 70s Motown signed several well established acts but then sort of took their eye off the ball resulting in frustration. True that a lot was happening at once with the move to LA and entering the film industry with "Lady Sings The Blues". Nevertheless there were some fantastic tracks from artists such as Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Bobby Darin and to a lesser extent Sammy Davis Jr and Lesley Gore.

Thankfully, in the case of Bobby Darin, material that had long been vaulted has been made available over the years - mainly thanks to Joe Marchesse & co [[e.g. Andy Skurrow) who've made it possible for these tracks to see release on CD. The Real Gone CDs have wonderful liner notes as well and are well worth looking up. In particular, "Another Song On My Mind" includes a great resume of Darin's Motown career - much of this can still be seen on the Real Gone website -

https://theseconddisc.com/2011/02/16...-motown-years/

You can see the full CD artwork here -

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cookep...57668721459480

And here are the covers for Darin's Motown albums / CDs

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cookep...in/dateposted/

Please advise of any errors

BOBBY DARIN MOTOWN DISCOGRAPHY

Recorded - 6 February 1971 Live at The Desert Inn [[Renamed “Finally” but still unreleased at the time)

M1183 – 17 April 1971
A Melodie
B Someday We'll Be Together

M1193 – November 1971
A Simple Song Of Freedom
B I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

M1203 – 2 June 1972
A Sail Away
B Hard Headed Woman

M753 ALBUM AUGUST 1972 – Bobby Darin

M1212 – Promo 3 November 1972 [[withdrawn)
A Average People [[mono)
B Average People [[stereo)

M1212 – 3 November 1972 [[probably a bootleg)
A Average People
B Something In Her Love

M1217 – 20 November 1972
A Happy [[Love Theme From "Lady Sings The Blues")
B Something In Her Love

Bobby Darin died 20 December 1973

M813 ALBUM February 1974 – Darin 1936-1973

PR4 [[PROMO EP) - 1974
A1 If I Were A Carpenter
A2 Moritat [[Mack The Knife)
B1 Blue Monday
B2 Happy [[Love Theme From "Lady Sings The Blues")

MW3014 – 1974 [[UK & EU)
A Blue Monday
B Moritat [[Mack The Knife)

M5185 ALBUM July 1981 – Darin 1936–1973 re-issued with 5 tracks having different mixes.

MCD09070MD CD 1987 – Live At The Desert Inn [[first ever issue)

MOTD -5185 CD 1989 – Darin 1936–1973 first issue on CD.

3746351852 CD 1991 – Darin 1936-1973 CD re-issue

NTD-6509-2 CD 2005 – Live At The Desert Inn [[re-issue / remaster / 2 extra tracks “Work Song” and “Beyond The Sea”.

RGM-0440 2xCD 6 May 2016 – Another Song On My Mind [[Real Gone Music)

RGM-0714 CD 13 July 2018 – Go Ahead And Back Up [[Real one Music)

Info from Sun Records:

Looking back on the career of a living legend - Let Me Down Easy: Bettye LaVette in Memphis - captures the recordings she made in the 1960s for Silver Fox Records, part of the Sun Records family celebrating 70 years. Blending her northern R&B with southern soul, this remastered retrospective includes tracks like the rocking, "He Made a Woman Out of Me," her explosive cover of "Piece of My Heart," and "Let Me Down Easy," which was recently featured by the electronic duo ODESZA.

Tracklist
1. He Made A Woman Out Of Me
2. At The Mercy Of A Man
3. I'm In Love
4. My Train's Coming In
5. Nearer To You
6. Do Your Duty
7. Let Me Down Easy
8. Games People Play
9. Piece Of My Heart
10. We Got To Slip Around
11. Easier To Say Than Do
12. Love's Made A Fool Out Of Me


Bettye LaVette - Let Me Down Easy: Bettye LaVette in Memphis [Sun Records 70th / Remastered 2022] - Amazon.com Music

In looking through my old 45's, a much later box I have I came across this 45 "Your Love Is So Good For Me" by Diana Ross. Written by K. Peterson, produced by Richard Perry!!It says from the LP "Baby Its Me" the flip side is "Baby its Me" .written by D.Dunn-C.Smith Stone Diamond BMI. Maybe this is why Marthas LP produced by Richard Perry didn;t click?Strange.Weird
webs are woven

Hello all. I know she is not from the classic period but does anyone know if Vanity’s 2 Motown albums, Wild Animal and Skin on Skin were ever officially released on CD anywhere in the world? They are not even available for download or streaming. Did she purchase or buy back the masters when she became a minister?

“This is huge” is the name of the YouTube video posted by Wings of Pegasus.

In the video, he does a computer analysis of Don Henley’s “live” vocal to demonstrate it is not live. In fact, it was recorded in a studio to sound live. Don Henley has been using this exact same vocal recording for years in his concerts.

I can only imagine how many other older artists are doing the same.