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[Brakke]

From yesterday, surprised I can't find a thread.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/robin-thicke-admits-drug-abuse-732783

This thing is incredible. Dude concedes all Blurred Lines credit to Pharrell, talks about how he showed up to record it fucked up on Vicodin, confesses "I didn't do a single interview last year without being high". Fascinating episode in this saga.

Choice quotes.

Q: Were you present during the creation of 'Blurred Lines'?

Thicke: I was present. Obviously, I sang it. I had to be there.

Q: When the rhythm track was being created, were you there with Pharrell?

Thicke: To be honest, that's the only part where — I was high on Vicodin and alcohol when I showed up at the studio. So my recollection is when we made the song, I thought I wanted — I — I wanted to be more involved than I actually was by the time, nine months later, it became a huge hit and I wanted credit. So I started kind of convincing myself that I was a little more part of it than I was and I — because I didn't want him — I wanted some credit for this big hit. But the reality is, is that Pharrell had the beat and he wrote almost every single part of the song

Thicke says he was just "lucky enough to be in the room" when Williams wrote the song. Afterward, he gave interviews to outlets like Billboard where he repeated the false origin story surrounding "Blurred Lines" because he says he "thought it would help sell records."

In fact, when he appeared on Oprah Winfrey's show with his young son and talked about how weird it was to be in the midst of a legal battle with the family of a legendary soul singer who "inspires almost half of my music," Thicke admits he was drunk and taking Norco — "which is like two Vicodin in one pill," he says.

Pharrell also gave a deposition, there's some stuff from him, too.

Williams' own testimony also got off to a belligerent start. At one point during the examination, Williams says he can read music, but then is shown a transcription of a song, and is asked to identify notes and durations. "I'm not comfortable," Williams responds eight times as Busch presses to figure out whether he really can read music.

Pharrell: Because it's the white man singing soulfully and we, unfortunately, in this country don't get enough — we don't get to hear that as often, so we get excited by it when the mainstream gives that a shot. But there's a lot of incredibly talented white folk with really soulful vocals, so when we're able to give them a shot — and when I say 'we,' I mean like as in the public gives them a shot to be heard, then you hear the Justin Timberlakes and you hear the Christina Aguileras and you hear, you know, all of these masterful voices that have just been given, you know, an opportunity to be heard because they're doing something different.

"He also actually testified that he is not an honest person. This complete contempt for the judicial system, and their obligations to tell the truth, can best be summed up by Thicke’s ultimate admission, while under oath, that he '[does not] give a f—k' about this litigation."

 

[Slayven]

Paula got that boy legit shook.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

I didn't even know there was a court case about this song.

It's kind of a shitty song.

 

[BronsonLee]

I didn't even know there was a court case about this song.

It's kind of a shitty song.

It's all about the benjamins, though.

And the Beats Pill speakers

 

[Volimar]

I really like Pharell. Can't wait to here some incredibly disappointing fact about him.

 

[samus i am]

I really like Pharell. Can't wait to here some incredibly disappointing fact about him.

Well, it seems like he can't read sheet music.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

Wait I'm confused, why are they quizzing Pharrell with sheet music?

 

[Sir Blaming]

welp i guess the lines of the words were too blurry for him.

 

[AkuMifune]

Well, it seems like he can't read sheet music.

Also seems like bit of a blowhard.

But he's earned it.

Wait I'm confused, why are they quizzing Pharrell with sheet music?

They ripped off Marvin Gaye.

 

[xxracerxx]

Haha at Robin. My reaction (nsfw gif)

 

[MThanded]

This is a hot mess.

 

[commedieu]

I really like Pharell. Can't wait to here some incredibly disappointing fact about him.

I heard he uses the word oriental in the wrong context.

(i did not hear this)

 

[Angelus Errare]

Paula got that boy legit shook.

 

[braves01]

This is a hot mess.

 

[DrEvil]

Wait I'm confused, why are they quizzing Pharrell with sheet music?

to prove if he can write it?

 

[depths20XX]

I just want to know why Pharrell wears that stupid ass park ranger hat.

He seemed like a cool guy years ago.

 

[Bulbo Urethral Baggins]

Sounds a lot like Marvin Gaye's song, but I'm surprised it got this far in court.

 

[studyguy]

I really like Pharell. Can't wait to here some incredibly disappointing fact about him.

Dude looks like he's coming straight out of Harry Potter every time he has this hat on.
Maybe borrowed from the Curious George guy too.

 

[Purple Cheeto]

I really like Pharell. Can't wait to here some incredibly disappointing fact about him.

He's apparently really into horrorscopes!

 

[Jarnet87]

It's a blatant ripoff of a classic. There should be jail time involved for stealing such a great groove and then making such a shit song out of it.

 

[Brakke]

Wait I'm confused, why are they quizzing Pharrell with sheet music?

The whole Pharrell deposition is here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/custom/Documents/ESQ/pharrellwilliamsdepo.pdf.

I just took some of the same excerpts the Hollywood Reporter... not really interested in transcribing that PDF over this silly nonsense. You can check it out for yourself though, there's some more bonkers stuff in there.

Full Thicke deposition is here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/custom/Documents/ESQ/robinthickedepo.pdf.

 

[Ein Bear]

Sure is big of Thicke to admit he was wrong for taking credit for writing the song, and to say it was all Farell.

Y'know, after all that rape controversy and court cases.

 

[Kastrioti]

Prescription pain pills are a hell of a drug.

 

[Frog-fu]

I haven't been following this. Why is Thicke giving a deposition about a shitty song he was a part of?

 

[commedieu]

Prescription pain pills are a hell of a drug.

It really is, and he needs to get help if he hasn't curbed his pill addiction. Busted libido is another perk of pill addiction.

He has children, I hope he isn't going downhill for their sake. But addictions are addictions.

 

[Ingueferroque]

At least he's honest.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

to prove if he can write it?

I mean the melody in Blurred Lines is so basic, you can make that in a piano roll without any knowledge of music at all.

 

[JohnDoe]

I haven't been following this. Why is Thicke giving a deposition about a shitty song he was a part of?

You know... you could try reading the article.
Him and Pharrell are being sued for ripping off a Marvin Gaye song.

 

[teruterubozu]

He's basically saying "Pharell ripped off Marvin Gaye, not me."

 

[Brakke]

I haven't been following this. Why is Thicke giving a deposition about a shitty song he was a part of?

He has a writing credit on the shitty song. He gets like 20% of the royalties or something. He and Pharrell and Clifford "T.I." Harris Jr. preemptively filed against Marvin Gaye's family to make sure Marvin Gaye's family wouldn't sued them for ripping off Marvin Gaye. So the family countersued to actually make the complaint these goofballs didn't want them to bring in the first place? Or something. Laws are silly.

 

[Frog-fu]

You know... you could try reading the article.
Him and Pharrell are being sued for ripping off a Marvin Gaye song.

He has a writing credit on the shitty song. He gets like 20% of the royalties or something. He and Pharrell and Clifford "T.I." Harris Jr. preemptively filed against Marvin Gaye's family to make sure Marvin Gaye's family wouldn't sued them for ripping off Marvin Gaye. So the family countersued to actually make the complaint these goofballs didn't want them to bring in the first place? Or something. Laws are silly.

Well shieeet. Gaye is a legend. I despise Thicke and can barely tolerate Pharrell so I'm not exactly sympathetic.

 

[Raistlin]

Paula got that boy legit shook.

seriously ... dude is dropping a full-life mea culpa


Good for him though. Whether it gets her back or not, he'll probably be better for it in the long run. Self reflection is something few engage in.

 

[Catdaddy]

A musician recording drunk and high, what has this world come to.

 

[Hardline_Pro]

I used to like Pharrell, but if this is true then now I don't.

 

[Maddocks]

He's basically saying "Pharell ripped off Marvin Gaye, not me."

Yup, and hiding behind drug use. Pretty pathetic.

 

[Brakke]

A musician recording drunk and high, what has this world come to.

"musician"

Grantland's got some choice pulls, too:

As the representative for the Gayes plays a mash-up of the two songs purporting to line up their overlaps, Thicke fires back, with stuff he probably thought up in the car ride over: “It’s like nails on a fucking chalkboard. … This is [like] Stanley Kubrick’s movie Clockwork Orange. Where he has to sit there and watch. … Mozart would be rolling in his grave right now.

I wish I could take the credit for it. But my new album’s great, wait till you hear that one.

A: Every day I woke up, I would take a Vicodin to start the day and then I would fill up a water bottle with vodka and drink it before and during my interviews …
Q: A water bottle like the one in front of you right now …
A: Yeah, just about that same size … this is water, by the way.

This guy's such a damn clown I think I'm coming all the way around to almost feeling bad for him. Paula won though, shit.

At least he's honest.

Q: Do you consider yourself an honest person?
A: No. That’s why I’m separated.
Q: Do you make it a habit of being dishonest when giving interviews?
A: When I do — when I give interviews, I tell whatever I want to say to help sell records.

 

[SwiftDeath]

So if Pharrell can't read sheet music is it possible a third person actually wrote the song?

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

"musician"

Grantland's got some choice pulls, too:

This guy's such a damn clown I think I'm coming all the way around to almost feeling bad for him. Paula won though, shit.

Nice Clockwork Orange reference.

 

[WordAssassin]

to prove if he can write it?

I understand he's being accused of stealing the song but this proves absolutely fuck all. None of the Beatles knew how to read or write sheet music.

You don't need to be able to write sheet music to steal a song's sound.

So if Pharrell can't read sheet music is it possible a third person actually wrote the song?

Has nobody ever heard of "playing by ear"?

If you held a gun to my head and told me to read sheet music, I would die. But I can grab a guitar or sit down at a keyboard and listen to a song until I can play it.

 

[Halcyon]

So if Pharrell can't read sheet music is it possible a third person actually wrote the song?

I feel like if he can't read sheet music then he just knows how to play music by ear so well that he could always fake it. The other guy in neptunes probably did more of the technical stuff if that's the case. I'm making all of this up.

 

[shuri]

So if Pharrell can't read sheet music is it possible a third person actually wrote the song?

Pavarotti could read sheet music at all too

 

[nilbog21]

I still have no idea who this guy is besides that song

 

[Bubbavelli]

I really like Pharell. Can't wait to here some incredibly disappointing fact about him.

He's not actually happy

 

[DrFunk]

Paula fucked his mind up something good

 

[Hale-XF11]

Ummm, you don't have to know how to write sheet music in order to write a song.

 

[see5harp]

DAMN PHARRELL it's ALL COWS EAT GRASS!!

 

[Borgnine]

I didn't know about this so I just listened to the two songs. They both have similar percussion (I don't know what the instrument is, it's like someone tapping on a soup can) and both use a falsetto, that's about it. I don't think they should have bothered to sue first, no one would have noticed.

 

[teruterubozu]

So if Pharrell can't read sheet music is it possible a third person actually wrote the song?

Marvin Gaye. That's probably the direction of the questioning.

 

[AkuMifune]

He's not actually happy

Seems more uncomfortable.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Wait I'm confused, why are they quizzing Pharrell with sheet music?

Impeachment. He says he can do something, but then he's lying - that affects the veracity of his testimony.