November 10, 1978 Rod Stewart released her single “Da’ Ya’ Think I’m Sexy”, the first single from her ninth studio album, Blondes Have More Fun. Although the track became a hit and reached the top of the Hot 100, Stewart was criticized due to similarities between his song and two compositions: the melody of “Taj Mahal” by the Brazilian Jorge Ben Jor and the string arrangement of “(If You Want My Love) Put Something Down On It” by Bobby Womack.
Of course, the South American sued Stewart and emerged victorious from that legal bid, so, after losing, the Englishman decided to donate the royalties from the song to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Additionally, he performed the track at the Music Concert for UNICEF at the United Nations General Assembly in January 1979. In his 2012 autobiography, He admitted having “unconsciously plagiarized” the Ben Jor song, which he heard at the Rio Carnival in 1978..
At the same time, acknowledged that he had consciously borrowed the signature synth riff from “(If You Want My Love) Put Something Down On It.” “The melody had lodged in my memory and then resurfaced when I was trying to find a line that fit the chords,” he noted in an interview years after the lawsuit. “It was unconscious plagiarism, plain and simple. I handed over the royalties”.
