It's August 27, 2025, 02:36:38 PM
fugees sampled it of enya
Enya "Boadicea"
Enya takes on The Fugees THAT best-selling, new age superstar from Donegal -- Enya -- has made a temporary peace with the New Jerseybased hip-hoppers The Fugees, agreeing no to sue the backbeats out of them after she was assured they weren't 'gangstas.'This column had mentioned the problem briefly in the past: Enya and her people were furious upon discovering (A) there was a band called The Fugees which (B) stole without permission the music from one of Enya's songs.Last week, Enya's management spoke publicly about the theft, which manager Nicky Ryan described as "one of the worst cases ever of copyright infringement."We would have to agree. A very familiar synthesized part of Enya's 'Song of Boadicea' can be heard loud and clear as the introduction and underlying melody in the Fugees' hit single, 'Ready or Not.' Sony Records now admits it never sought permission to use the Enya sample. This would seem to be a major hanging-offense of an oversight."We were in Sidney, Australia, on the last leg of a 15-country promo trip for the Memory of Trees album, when I got a phone call," explains Ryan. "[The caller] said she'd heard [Enya's] music being used on a track from The Fugees album, The Score."I contacted The Fugees label, Sony, in the U.S. and they Fed-Exed me a copy of the record. They were just breaking into the high end of the U.S. charts at the time and [the album] was not available in Australia yet. I played The Score and there it was -- Enya's piece."Ryan continued, "There were absolutely no credits referring to Enya, the recording engineer, producer, etc. The track was lifted right off Enya CD. No permission was sought and obviously none was given for the use of the music. I informed both our London and American lawyers who agreed that it was an open and shut case, one that would cost The Fugees dearly, as it would be heard in the States."As Ryan tells it, Enya's management and record company were insisting that Sony remove the offending track. Correctly predicting the radio-friendliness of 'Ready or Not,' Sony were loathe to do so. Fortunately for Sony Enya personally okayed the release of 'Ready or Not' as is, as soon as she made sure The Fugees were not 'gansta' rappers."From a management point of view, we had our own worries." said Ryan "For example, was this band of the pro-crime/drugs/gangsta variety so prevalent at the time in the States, and would Enya's fans react to hearing her music on such an album?"("Pro-crime" bands? A genre is borne! -- Ed.)"My daughter Ebony informed me that, as far as she knew, The Fugees were anti-crime and drugs and their message was quite positive," Ryan continued. "I explained the whole situation to Enya and she immediately asked that we find a way and that a more amicable solution should be hammered out. Those talks are now taking place, and thanks to Enya, I think I can safely say that an agreement is inminent."Make no mistake," he continued. "If Enya had not intervened. The Fugees would have been in one of the biggest lawsuits in the business. I want her to have full credit for saving these people from disaster."Sony agreed to all sticker all existing copies of The Score with the words, "We are very grateful to Enya for her kindness and consideration in allowing us of her track 'Song for Boadicea,' from her album The Celts, which appears on the title 'Ready or Not,' witch was used initially without her permission."Despite the stickers and despite the lack of gangstas, Ryan said The Fugees would not get off Enya's hook so easy."I can say that the settlement will cost dearly, but nothing like the havoc a court case would have wreaked on them," said Ryan, of The Fugees. "Besides, the main issue here is to show we mean business, and this kind of blatant infringement will not be tolerated."All of which begs the question, which of the following is more surprising? That The Fugees listen to Enya? Or that Enya doesn't like gangsta rap?
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