Audio mashup presented in Gaye vs Thicke infringement case

The children of Marvin Gaye have presented an audio mash-up in a California Federal court to serve as a “concrete musical illustrations of the substantial similarities” between Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and Gaye’s “Got to Give it Up.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nona Gaye, Frankie Gaye and Marvin Gaye III have now filed their summary judgment papers in a lawsuit over “Blurred Lines” and are pointing the judge to recorded depositions and media interviews given by producer Pharrell Williams and singer Robin Thicke, along with the mash-up.

The audio mash-up, possibly the first to be presented to a court in order to prove copyright infringement, has the vocals of “Blurred Lines” playing over the instrumental backing of Gaye’s “Got to Give it Up” and vice versa.

Along with the aforementioned recordings, two musicology experts have been called upon by the Gayes to pinpoint several substantial similarities, including “the signature phrase in the main vocal melodies; the hooks; the hooks with backup vocals; the core theme in ’Blurred Lines’ and backup hook in ’Got to Give it Up’; the backup hooks; the bass melodies; the keyboard parts; and the unusual percussion choices.”

The outcome of the case is expected in the coming months, with a jury trial scheduled for February. 10, 2015.