Why The Rolling Stones took on The Verve: The dispute explained as Richard Ashcroft stars in John Lewis ad

• Richard Ashcroft is once again a talking point as the voice behind the 2024 John Lewis Christmas advert.
• The Britpop musician saw his former band, The Verve, break through into the music scene after the release of 1997’s ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony.’
• But for two decades, Ashcroft received no royalties or song writing credits for the smash hit - we explore why.

The John Lewis 2024 Christmas advert has arrived and finally dispelled speculation of what this year’s cover song would be - the answer, as we discovered, was it wasn’t a cover. 

Instead, with lyrics befitting the sentiments the retailer often conveys with their now essential seasonal watch, it would be Richard Ashcroft performing an acoustic version of ‘Sonnet,’ featured on his album ‘Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1.”

I know - more Britpop to close out 2024 with. Wasn’t Oasis and Shed Seven enough?

But it worked, with those who chose to record a cover of the song on TikTok possibly earning the chance to record the song with Ashcroft for use on a Christmas Day 2024 screening of the advert. 

It’s also brought about a discussion about The Verve and their output, from their haunting UK number one hit, ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ to the more euphoric sounds of ‘Lucky Man.’ But there is one song in particular that many would point to and argue ‘this’ was what helped Ashcroft and company breakthrough into the mainstream echelons of the UK music scene.

That song, of course, was ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony,’ with its now iconic, often parodied music video showing Ashcroft walking down a busy street, barging into people who wouldn’t get out of his way and, at one point, walking over the top of a car bonnet that didn’t stop properly at a zebra crossing.

Which we’ve all wanted to do, either before the video came out or certainly after it came out.

But for all the success and use of the song as it permeated British culture, it became a bit of a controversy after the iconic sweeping orchestral melody that you’re probably humming to yourself was embroiled in a copyright row.

So what led to The Rolling Stones and The Verve’s contentious issue regarding copyright, fair use and how did the issue ultimately become resolved - in Ashcroft’s favour nonetheless?

Bitter Sweet Sampling

That now iconic orchestral sweep (that you’re still humming) actually originated from an earlier recording by The Rolling Stones; that being their song ‘The Last Time’ back in 1965. That song itself was reimagined as a symphonic arrangement by the former manager of The Rolling Stones, Andrew Oldham, with The Andrew Oldham Orchestra. 

Initially, Ashcroft and company looked to gain permission to use the orchestral recording from ABKCO Records, who owned the rights at the time to The Rolling Stones music, and in doing so, secured a licence for a short sample. Though the agreement stipulated that the sample should not exceed a few bars and be used in a limited capacity.

However, it would transpire that the amount of the sample used was much larger than ABKCO anticipated, creating the basis for a legal challenge between The Rolling Stones’ team and The Verve.

ABKCO Records would initiate a lawsuit in 1997, claiming that the length of the sample used exceeded the ‘scope of the licence’ and demanding not only full copyright control over ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ but also that both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards receive song writing credits and 100% of the royalties from The Verve’s breakout hit. 

Shortly before the case would go to court though, The Verve settled the case to avoid what would amount to a prolonged legal proceeding, transferring full songwriting credits and all future royalties to both Jagger and Richards, while Ashcroft’s songwriting credit for ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ was, at the time, completely stripped. 

Overly harsh in the face of good faith

The outcome of the dispute led once again to criticism within the music industry about sampling and what is considered licensing in good faith. 

Though the song continued to achieve critical and commercial success, a sect of the music-loving public felt that it was unfair that Jagger and Richards would have significant financial gains from the breakthrough hit, despite not having contributed to the composition of the orchestral arrangement itself.

However, things worked out for Ashcroft ultimately, despite taking two decades to find a happy resolution. After more than two decades, a resolution was reached. In 2019, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards returned the song rights to Richard Ashcroft, relinquishing their financial claims to Bitter Sweet Symphony. 

Ashcroft, stunned by the move, announced in a statement shortly after the resolution: "This remarkable and life-affirming turn of events was made possible by a kind and magnanimous gesture from Mick and Keith."

The resolution was met with widespread approval, especially among musicians who viewed it as a long-overdue acknowledgment of Ashcroft’s creativity and rightful ownership and underscored evolving perspectives on sampling and intellectual property rights within the music industry.

While The Verve’s legal defeat underscored the dangers of ambiguous sampling agreements, the eventual resolution marked a victory for artistic recognition. The case remains a significant reference point for discussions around fair use, sampling ethics, and the control of creative content within the music industry - which still continues to this day.

Did you think the legal challenge between The Verve and The Rolling Stones’ licence holders was fair, or do you think that the length of the sample justified the out-of-court settlement? Let us know your thoughts - while still humming this song - by leaving a comment down below.