More about: Muse
Bad hit back at Charles Bolfrass' claim song 'Exogenesis' was stolen from him
Muse have hit back at their claim they stole their song 'Exogenesis' from an unknown rock-opera in 2009.
The band, whose record label Warners was hit with the suit last week, have called the case 'complete nonsense' in a statement released last night (Sept 11).
Speaking about Charles Bolfrass' claims, Muse state: "The claim is complete nonsense, and is categorically denied. It appears to be based on a 'screenplay' which the band never received or saw, produced by someone the band has never heard of. It speaks volumes that the album in question was released a full 3 years ago, and yet this is the first that has been heard of these groundless allegations".
The tracks under scrutiny are ‘Exogenesis I’, ‘Exogenesis II’ and ‘Exogenesis III’, all of which are from Muse’s 2009 album The Resistance.
Bolfrass claims that he had contacted the band along with two others back in 2005, with the idea to write a futuristic rock type opera concerning space travel, and Armageddon like ideas. He claims that the ideas he had put forward were also titled ‘Exogenesis'. The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Manhattan last week according to Courthouse News. Bolfrass also claims that Muse had rejected his ideas, but then still went ahead and passed his work and ideas of as their own four years later.
The Devon trio have also been accused of copying the entire image and cover art of The Resistance from Balfrass’s storyboards of his rock opera. Warner Music is being sued for copyright infringement, unfair trade practises and unfair competition.
Watch Muse's new single 'Madness' below
Below: 20 facts about Muse's Origin Of Symmetry album
Muse have stated that they will perform the whole of 'Origin of Symmetry' at Reading and Leeds Festival to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the album. A special set is being designed specifically for the occasion.
Matt Bellamy told NME magazine that their Reading & Leeds performances ‘could go either way, we may decide, 'You know what? That's nothing like what we want to be doing now', or it might remind us of how we got started and inspire us.’
‘Origin Of Symmetry’ was Muse's second album and was released on July 17, 2001 by Taste Records. In the UK it reached #3 and was certified platinum.
The title for the album comes from a concept put forward by Michio Kaku in his book ‘Hyperspace’.
Recording took place at Ridge Farm Studios in Surrey and Real World Studio in Wiltshire, and additional recordings were made at David Gilmour's Astoria Studios, Richmond Studios and Abbey Road Studios in London and Sawmills Studio in Fowey, Cornwall.
‘Origin of Symmetry’ was produced by David Bottrill and John Leckie – who had previously worked on the band’s first album, ‘Showbiz’ – as well as the band themselves. The album was mixed at Sawmills and mastered at Sony Music Studios in London.
In 2006 ‘Origin Of Symmetry’ earned the spot of 74 on Q Magazine's 100 Greatest Albums of All Time. Later in February 2008 Q Magazine placed the album in #28 of the Best British Albums of all time.
Maverick Records, who previously released ‘Showbiz’ in the USA, asked the band to remove the falsetto vocals for the album's release, claiming that their presence would discourage radio play. Muse's refusal saw them part ways with the label, meaning that the album was not released in the US until 2005.
As a result of parting ways with Maverick Records the album did not chart on the Billboard 200 until February 2010, when it ‘debuted’ at number 161.
Matt Bellamy used a pipe organ when recording ‘Megalomania’. Because of the requirement of a pipe organ, this song is rarely played live by Muse. The most notable occasions have been at Muse's charity gig at the Royal Albert Hall and during the recorded 'Hullabaloo' concert in Paris.
Nestlé attempted to use Muse's song ‘Feeling Good’ in a coffee commercial, though the band refused to give the company permission to do so. After Nestlé used the song without their permission, the band successfully sued Nestlé for £500,000 and donated the proceeds to Oxfam.
Muse's song 'New Born' has been used in the film Haute Tension and a remix by Paul Oakenfold was used in Dominic Sena's film Swordfish.
‘Feeling Good’ is a cover version of the original song written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse from the 1965 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd. Bellamy decided to include it in the album because Nina Simone's version of the song is a favourite of his mother's.
'Feeling Good' was used to advertise Eden, a new channel launched in January 2009, that was previously known as UKTV Documentary. It was also included as on the soundtrack for the 2008 film Seven Pounds.
Parts of the song ‘New Born’ have been used in an advert for Oxfam. The advert uses part of the piano intro and the main guitar riff. 'New Born' was also used in an advert for the Lloyds TSB in 2008.
‘Plug In Baby’ is a playable track in Guitar Hero 5. Matt Bellamy provided motion capture on the song and appears as a guest musician whenever it is played in Career Mode.
Part of the song 'Micro Cuts' has been used for the Italian version of the advert for a Roberto Cavalli perfume in 2003, which featured Spanish model Nuria de la Fuente.
Their song 'Space Dementia' was used for the advert for the fragrance Midnight Poison by Christian Dior, released in 2007. The advert features Bond girl Eva Green, and was directed by Wong Kar-wai.
American Idol finalist Adam Lambert covered ‘Feeling Good’ during the 2009 series’ live shows, replicating the arrangement of Muse's cover version.
Muse's drummer Dominic Howard has said that 'Origin Of Symmetry' is the band's ‘favourite out of all of them’ and they are hoping to give it the ‘production it deserves’ at Reading & Leeds.
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More about: Muse
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