[78-L] 78-L Digest, Vol 51, Issue 22 -" Everybody loves Somebody"

[Nigel Burlinson]

John:

Here's the answer:

SAME OLD SONG: A New York music company is asking a Superior Court judge in 
Los Angeles to review a 47-year-old case and declare that the wife of 
composer Sam Coslow is no longer entitled to royalties from the 1960s Dean 
Martin hit "Everybody Loves Somebody."

Coslow, who died in 1982, got his start on Tin Pan Alley, and some of his 
songs became well-known standards for such artists as Bing Crosby, Billie 
Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington and Spike Jones. He even won an 
Academy Award as the producer of a short film featuring Groucho Marx and 
Carmen Miranda.

At issue is an agreement reached between Coslow and two lyricists in 1950 to 
split royalties from "Everybody Loves Somebody." A court fight determined 
that Coslow wrote the melody during the 1920s, only he called his song 
"Midnight Moon." Ken Land and Irving Taylor penned the now-familiar lyrics.

Sands Music Corp., which according to the suit obtained "Everybody Loves 
Somebody" from Sinatra Songs Inc., claims that the copyright to "Midnight 
Moon" expired on Dec. 31, 1995. Therefore, the company no longer wants to 
pay royalties to Coslow's heirs.

But the copyright held by the two lyricists still has years to go, and 
Coslow's daughter thinks it's unfair that two men who slapped some words 
onto her father's song should receive all the royalties.

But fair or unfair, "that's the way we interpreted the agreement," said 
Sands' lawyer, David S. Olson. "We're just asking the court to tell us what 
to do."

Coslow's daughter, Cara, says the copyright's clock should have started 
ticking for everyone in 1950--when they signed the agreement splitting the 
royalties.

"They took a song and attached different lyrics to it," Coslow said. "I 
could add lyrics to 'Rhapsody in Blue' tomorrow and it would still be 
'Rhapsody in Blue.' "

Coslow, who is director of casting at Carsey-Werner in Studio City, insisted 
that everyone is still singing the same old song. "I can give you all our 
records,' she said. "I'll show you the sheet music. I'll even hum a few bars 
for you."

As for "Everybody Loves Somebody," its latest incarnation was as a jingle 
for Western Union commercials. The lyrics went something like this: 
"Everybody needs some money sometime." Try singing that to "Rhapsody in 
Blue."



(taken from "The Los Angeles Times"" August 3 1997)



I found no recordings of "Midnight Moon" and it's not listed on his ASCAP 
file!

Nigel Burlinson (burlinson at orange.fr)



> Message: 14
> Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2012 20:04:58 +1100
> From: "John Rogers" <johnhrogers at optusnet.com.au>
> Subject: [78-L] Everybody Loves Somebody question
> To: <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> Message-ID: <000001cddc35$9a81fd00$cf85f700$@com.au>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Everybody Loves Somebody (Sometime) was published in 1947 and recorded by
> Frank Sinatra.  It was successfully revived by Dean Martin in 1964 and was
> used as the theme of Martin's television series.
>
>
>
> Sheet music from 1947 and 1964 shows words by Irving Taylor and music by 
> Ken
> Lane.  However, a number of internet sites including the ASCAP database
> credit Sam Coslow as co-lyricist.
>
>
>
> I would appreciate it if anyone can explain how Coslow was added to the
> lyric credits.
>
>
>
> TIA
>
>
>
> John Rogers
>
>
>
>
>*****