We don’t know how this works, but Gotye is losing 45 percent of his “Somebody That I Used To Know” profits to a South American artist who died 10 years ago.
Back when Gotye was an aspiring musician and virtually unknown, he struck up a deal with the estate of South American musician Luiz Bonfa, which is now costing him a pretty penny.
According to the Courier Mail:
In a deal brokered well before the song topped charts around the world and earned millions of dollars, it’s understood Gotye (real name Wally DeBacker) agreed to split royalties 55/45 with the estate of deceased South American musician Luiz Bonfa who, despite having died 10 years ago, received a co-writer credit on the tune.
DeBacker inked the back-end deal after sampling the guitar hook from Bonfa’s “Seville” (released in 1967), which can be heard at the beginning and occasionally throughout the song.
So far, Gotye has paid out a little over $1 million to Luiz Bonfa’s estate.
Since its release, “Somebody That I Used To Know” has grossed $13 million in revenue. Luckily for Gotye, “Somebody That I Used To Know” was a smash hit, and quite frankly, the Australian singer could probably spare $1 million.
What are your thoughts on Gotye’s 55/45 deal? Crazy, or the right thing to do?
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SOURCE: Courier Mail
