Wisconsin May Drop Song Over Resemblance

MADISON, Wis. – Imitation might be a form of flattery, but a little resemblance might be too much of a good thing.

The state tourism agency may scrap the jingle composed for its new ad campaign because it sounds too much like a 1995 song by a British group.

Composer John Tanner has acknowledged similarities, which he said were unintentional, and offered to write new music, says Jim Holperin, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

“If he’s having second thoughts and would rather redo it, we may take him up on it,” Holperin said Monday.

Tanner was paid about $22,000 to compose original music for the $2.2 million campaign with a slogan of “Wisconsin – Life’s so Good.”

The Milwaukee-based musician agreed Monday his music closely resembled the tune “Alright” by Supergrass – a band some say is derivative itself of earlier groups all the way back to the Rolling Stones.

“It turns out it was way, way – even I think now, listening to them side by side – too close to Supergrass,” Tanner told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel from New Haven, Conn., where he is composing a score for a Yale University performance of Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors.”

Holperin said a staffer in his agency pointed out the resemblance to “Alright” several weeks ago, but at the time Tanner assured the department there would be no problem, Holperin said.

The state has not been contacted by any representative of Supergrass, said Jerry Huffman, communications director for the tourism department.