Huey Lewis Ghostbusters
Monday, July 14th, 2008
Sure, Huey Lewis was the man of choice for back to the Future. But did you know he and his band were almost also responsible for the theme song to Ghostbusters, as well?
It’s true. Apparently Huey Lewis & The News were offered the opportunity to write the song for the now-hit movie. They turned down the offer, however, and the spot went to Ray Parker Jr. instead.
And that’s where the controversy begins. Upon hearing the resulting theme, Lewis and his band mates exclaimed loudly that Parker had ripped off one of their earlier songs, “I Want A New Drug”. Lewis threatened Parker with a lawsuit and they eventually settled out of court.
But it doesn’t end there. After admitting that the popularity of Ghostbusters is probably what led the band to make the theme for Back to the Future, Lewis made another comment about the debacle - one that saw Parker counter-suing Lewis for breach of a confidentiality agreement. This case is ongoing.
Whether he outright copied the song or not, Parker’s theme certainly does bear an incredible resemblance to “I Want A New Drug”.