As you already know, Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke lost the highly publicized copyright infringement court case regarding their 2013 hit "Blurred Lines" earlier this year, forcing them to hand over $5.3 million of the song’s earnings to the children of Marvin Gaye.
Yesterday (Oct. 26), footage of the artists testifying in a deposition to the Gaye family lawyer Richard Busch was released by U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt. The footage was ordered to be kept under wraps to prevent it from influencing the jurors in the case.
The footage was played during the trial and shows a testy back-and-forth between Pharrell, Thicke and Busch.
Highlights of the of the taped testimonies include at one point, Busch probes Williams him on his knowledge of chords and music structure, to which Williams replied, "I'm not here to teach you music." The singer admitted that he can read musical notation, but is unable to write one. When asked to name two musical notes and their duration, he replied, "I'm not comfortable with this" and "I can't answer you at this time."
In another part, Williams said he never had the intention to copy Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up”. “I did not go in the studio with the intention of making anything feel like, or to sound like, Marvin Gaye.” The attorney further questioned the singer, "When you were creating 'Blurred Lines,' were you trying to pretend that you were Marvin Gaye?" Williams replied: "At that particular time, no. But as I look back, I feel that feeling."
In Thicke’s deposition footage, he admits to being under the influence during the promo interviews of the single. "With all due respect, I was high and drunk every time I did an interview last year." Busch also asked, “Were you drunk and on Vicodin when you did the Oprah show?" Thicke’s quick reply: "Yes."
Then perhaps the answer that swayed the jury to rule in the Gaye family’s favor: When Busch asked Thicke if he considers himself an honest person, Thicke replied “No.”
Check out some of the footage below:
