Launch has picked up on the Santana copyright "issue"...



Prince Wonders About Santana/Larry Graham 'Copyright
Infringement' edited by Craig Rosen



(8/16/00, 7 a.m. ET) - Prince has decided to take his fight
for artist's rights and control of their music in a new
direction. A post at npgonlineltd.com asks the question,
"Would this b copyright infringement?," then features a bit
of the song "Calling" from Santana's 1999 album Supernatural,
followed by an incredibly-similar sounding piece of music
called "People" from Larry Graham's 1973 album Graham
Central Station.



Three months ago today (August 16), Prince was in a
seemingly better mood about this subject when he said,
"Carlos Santana has a song of Larry Graham's on his album.
It's called 'The Calling.' He didn't give Larry credit for
that. Now, they're both brothers of mine, and they've both
inspired me a great deal, so I'm in the middle of it,
'cause I'm, you know. . . we all sit together in a room; we
talk, we hang out, and we play. Now, this is no dis on
Carlos, because Carlos has acknowledged that that song's on
there. He hasn't done it publicly yet, but I'm helpin' him
along right here today. And again, you know, I love Carlos
like a brother."



Santana's management was unaware of the issue at press time
and declined to comment.



-- Bruce Simon, New York