Singer Reveals Poison Paid Large Sum to Conceal Plagiarism Scandal

Zinny Zan, former Easy Action singer, recently shared insights on the plagiarism controversy involving Poison’s hit song “I Want Action” and Easy Action’s “We Go Rocking” in an interview with The Hair Metal Guru. The focus was on the striking similarities between the choruses of both songs.

Zan recounted how he first became aware of the issue through a friend who noticed the resemblances. Upon hearing Poison’s song, Zan was taken aback by the resemblance to Easy Action’s track. He promptly contacted Warner Records, who represented both bands at the time. Despite acknowledging the issue, progress towards a resolution was slow.

Upon relocating to Los Angeles, Zan encountered Rick, a producer associated with Poison, who had a chance encounter with Easy Action’s music in Sweden and shared it with the band. Warner Records intervened, freezing Poison’s accounts to expedite negotiations for a settlement. The exact settlement amount remains undisclosed due to the terms of the agreement.

The legal dispute presents a significant moment in glam metal history, pitting two bands at different career stages against each other. Easy Action’s original work preceded Poison’s commercial success, with Poison’s “I Want Action” from 1986 emerging as a notable hit.

Easy Action, a Swedish glam metal band, had released “We Go Rocking” in 1983, predating Poison’s track by three years. Poison’s breakthrough album, “Look What the Cat Dragged In,” in which “I Want Action” was featured, established the band in the glam metal scene.

Following the legal victory, Easy Action regrouped for live performances and released a new album in 2008. Despite lineup changes, the band retained a strong presence in the Swedish rock scene. Zinny Zan carried forth with a solo career and continued involvement in various musical ventures within the Scandinavian rock and metal scenes.

The plagiarism controversy serves as a testament to the potential copyright issues that can arise between bands signed to the same label during glam metal’s pinnacle in the 1980s. It underscores the importance of protecting original music and artists’ rights in the music industry.