Remembering When One of the Biggest Movie Songs of the 80s Triggered a Plagiarism Lawsuit in 1984

“Who you gonna call?” Anyone who lived through the 80s and doesn’t shout back the reply “Ghostbusters” to that question must have been enforcing a serious pop culture fast at the time. The song from the film of the same name ruled the roost on the radio.

Behind the scenes, however, turbulence was brewing. A lawsuit claimed plagiarism. That lawsuit gained notoriety many years later when the original plaintiff became the defendant.

Parker’s Last-Minute Assignment

Ghostbusters, a combination of clever concept and elite comedy talent both in front of and behind the camera, captivated the public in 1984. The movie’s theme, also titled “Ghostbusters”, made a sudden pop star out of R&B veteran Ray Parker Jr.

According to Parker, he was chosen to contribute the song at the last minute. Several other artists failed at the task. Struggling for a way to make it work, Parker stumbled upon a late-night commercial for a local exterminator. That’s when he had the idea to come at the lyrics from the perspective of an advertisement.

Because he had so little time to compose the music, Parker claimed that he essentially looped a few main musical sections over and over to fill out four minutes. But problems arose when one of the top pop musicians of the day heard the song, specifically the bassline, and noticed a resemblance he couldn’t ignore.

Huey Objects

In 1983, Huey Lewis And The News released “I Want A New Drug” as the second single from their multiplatinum smash album Sports. Not long after, Lewis was asked to contribute the theme song to Ghostbusters. He declined, citing a similar commitment he’d made to the filmmakers of the upcoming Back To The Future.

When Lewis heard “Ghostbusters”, he immediately noticed a striking resemblance to “I Want A New Drug”. In later years, it was revealed that the producers had been using “I Want A New Drug” as temporary music for the film, strengthening the case that the similarity between the two songs was intentional.

Perhaps that’s why the folks behind the film settled the lawsuit out of court with Lewis for an undisclosed amount. One stipulation was that the case wouldn’t be discussed by Lewis going forward. But some years down the road, Lewis’ loose lips cost him some money.

Lawsuit #2

When taping an episode of Behind The Music in 2001, Lewis expressed his frustration about the “Ghostbusters” debacle. Without much delay, he was faced with his own lawsuit for reneging on his original agreement. He ended up paying, you guessed it, an undisclosed sum for his transgression.

For his part, Ray Parker Jr. claimed that he wasn’t really involved in either of those lawsuits. Lawyers representing the movie handled it all. “Ghostbusters” remains the most recognizable song he’s recorded in an impressive career.

When you listen to the two songs back-to-back, the similarities will likely become apparent to you. The next time you hear “Ghostbusters”, consider all the serious legal wrangling that surrounded one of the most fun songs of its era.

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