‘Ghost Town Grab?’: Jagger and Co accused of pandemic plagiarism by Madrid musician

THE Rolling Stones are being dragged into a rock ‘n’ roll legal row after a Spanish singer claimed the legendary band stole two of his songs to create their 2020 lockdown record Living in a Ghost Town.

Sergio Garcia Fernandez, frontman of Madrid-based band Angelslang, has launched a plagiarism lawsuit in Spain, accusing Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of lifting key elements from his tracks So Sorry (2006) and Seed of God (2007) – and turning them into the Stones’ eerie, reggae-tinged pandemic anthem.

“They took my music, gave it a polish, and called it their own,” blasted Fernandez, who claims the track was “Frankensteined together” from his songs.

The legal bombshell comes after an earlier attempt to sue the band in New Orleans was thrown out by a US judge due to ‘lack of jurisdiction’.

Now, the case has landed squarely in the lap of a Madrid commercial court, where Fernandez says justice might finally be served.

In a bizarre twist worthy of a Netflix docuseries, Fernandez claims he gave a demo CD to Chris Jagger (Mick’s brother) at a Madrid gig in 2013. 

According to emails Fernandez now cites in court, Chris told him the music was ‘something The Rolling Stones would be interested in using’.

He alleges there were follow-up emails between himself and the Stones camp, even swapping thoughts on lyrics.

Now he’s accusing the world’s most enduring rock band of helping themselves to the ‘recognisable and key protected elements’ of his songs – including the melody, tempo, harmonica lines and chord progression.

Music experts hired by the Spanish musician say the similarities are no coincidence. They’ve even claimed there’s evidence of ‘fragmented plagiarism’ – a term used when distinct pieces of a song are copied and repackaged.

But some critics argue it’s a stretch. After all, the Stones have been influencing bands for over half a century – not the other way round.

“It’s a bit rich to say the Stones copied Angelslang,” said one industry insider. “Their sound is the blueprint, not the copy.”

Yet Fernandez isn’t backing down – and he’s even floated a wild theory that the Stones used AI to blend his songs and create Ghost Town. Legal experts have rubbished that claim, noting that AI music tech was still in its infancy in 2020.

The Rolling Stones – who played to packed-out crowds on their ‘Hackney Diamonds‘ tour this summer – have yet to publicly comment.

But Fernandez insists their own legal filings admit to similarities between the songs and that the band requested the case be moved to Spain – a detail that’s raised eyebrows.

In a dramatic twist, the singer claims he’s been harassed online, had his emails hacked, and is now suffering from health issues linked to the stress. He’s even written a will, fearing something may happen to him before the case concludes.

Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.