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Pete Townshend Not Suing One Direction For Song Theft

08/20/2013
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(Gibson) One Direction fans, relax. Pete Townshend has issued a statement denying rumors The Who were contemplating action over the fact that the boy band's new single, "Best Song Ever," sounds like The Who's "Baba O'Riley."

Responding to the Twitter storm that erupted last week, Townshend says: "No! I like the single. I like One Direction. The chords I used and the chords they used are the same three chords we've all been using in basic pop music since Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry made it clear that fancy chords don't mean great music�not always. I'm still writing songs that sound like 'Baba O'Riley'�or I'm trying to!"

He added: "It's a part of my life and a part of pop's lineage. One Direction are in my business, with a million fans, and I'm happy to think they may have been influenced a little bit by The Who. I'm just relieved they're all not wearing boiler suits and Doc Martens, or Union Jack jackets.

"The funniest thing is that in Canada this year I met with Randy Bachman, once the leader of The Guess Who, who told me that he not only copied 'Baba O'Riley' for [Bachman-Turner Overdrive's] hit 'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet', but he even called his band after us. Why would I not be happy about this kind of tribute?" more on this story

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