The man whose song was sampled on Daft Punk’s 2000 hit “One More Time” could finally get his share of royalties.
Eddie Johns was 28 when he recorded “More Spell on You” in 1979. The disco track, which was recorded in Paris and released in Europe, was sampled by Daft Punk.
Johns, who is now 70, has never received a dime – or a songwriting credit – for the use of his music in a song that was a big hit for Daft Punk around the world.
August Brown of The Los Angeles Times spoke to Johns, who has battled homelessness in Los Angeles since a stroke a decade ago that left him unable to work.
“I just hope I can get some credit, you know?,” Johns said. “I’d like to have something to give to my daughter.”
According to the Times, Daft Punk has properly paid twice-yearly royalties to the producer and owner of “More Spell on You.” A rep for the duo, which retired earlier this year, said “it is the duty of the producer of ‘More Spell on You’ to pay (part of such) semiannual payments to Eddie Johns.”
The rights to Johns’ song were acquired by French label and music publisher GM Musicpro in 1995. Georges Mary told Brown the company has been looking for Johns.
“We have tried to do research on him, but without any result,” he wrote, in an email. “We are going to study his file and do the accounts to his credit. We will get back to him immediately on this subject, at the same time as we will inform him of his rights.”
It’s not clear how much Johns is entitled to, or when he will get a cheque. For now, the song remains credited only to Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter as well as the late Anthony Moore (aka Romanthony), whose vocals are heard on the track.
Listen to both songs below: