A new lawsuit alleges that members of the legendary progressive rock band Yes used a composition stolen from fellow prog-rock musician Riz Story as the basis for “Dare to Know,” the second single off Yes’ 2021 album The Quest.
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The copyright infringement complaint, filed in Los Angeles and obtained by Rolling Stone, alleges that Jon Davison, the lead singer of Yes since 2012, conspired with guitarist Steve Howe to pilfer protected portions from a song titled “Reunion,” featured in Story’s 2014 indie movie A Winter Rose.
Story, also known as Rudolph Zahler, claims Davison was familiar with his music as they met in 1990 through drummer Taylor Hawkins and have collaborated over the years. They even played together in the prog-rock band Anyone in their early twenties.
Zahler alleges that he assisted Davison in auditioning for Yes and was asked to co-write songs for the band in 2013. Despite Davison’s praise for Zahler’s music, including “Reunion” from A Winter Rose, Zahler was not given credit.
When Yes was producing The Quest, Zahler claims Davison secretly used “Reunion” for the album without permission, adding lyrics, renaming it “Dare to Know,” and crediting Howe as the sole songwriter, omitting Davison from the credits.
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In response, Caldwell stated that Story had to sue Howe and Davison due to their actions, trusting the legal system to bring justice.
An expert musicologist found a 96% pitch similarity between “Reunion” and “Dare to Know,” concluding that the songs share identical melodic and rhythmic patterns, indicating direct inspiration.
Reps for Davison, Howe, and Yes did not respond to requests for comment, with Sony Music Entertainment and Inside Out Music named as co-defendants in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and an injunction for Zahler to receive sole writing credit for the music in “Dare to Know,” similar to how credit was adjusted for “The Ice Bridge” on The Quest album.
FAQs
Q: What is the lawsuit alleging?
A: The lawsuit alleges that members of Yes used a stolen composition from Riz Story for their song “Dare to Know” without permission or credit.
Q: Who are the parties involved in the lawsuit?
A: The lawsuit involves Riz Story, Jon Davison, Steve Howe, Yes, Sony Music Entertainment, and Inside Out Music as co-defendants.
Q: What are the requested outcomes of the lawsuit?
A: The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and an injunction for Zahler to receive sole writing credit for the music in “Dare to Know.”
Credit: www.rollingstone.com
