White Stripes Sued By Former Radio-Canada Talk Show Host

BY Adam BemmaPublished Feb 6, 2008

A ten-second sample used in "Jumble, Jumble," a White Stripes track released eight years ago has put the Motor City duo in hot Canadian water. The song, from 2000's De Stijl, used an excerpt from a Quebec teen radio call-in show, which violates the province's privacy laws.

The excerpt in question is of a French-speaking radio host talking to an unknown young girl about one of her first experiences. The former host of the Radio-Canada program 275-Allo/Ados-Radio, Dominique Payette claims that her voice is identifiable and being used without permission. She learned of the song last year when a familiar listener informed her of the likeness.

"I didn't believe the listener at first. I thought he was mistaken," Payette explained in an interview. "But when I heard the song, it was easy to recognise. I have a very distinctive voice."

Payette's problem more so lies in the band's use of the child's voice. "We talk about the first time when we're talking about sexuality," she said, "and I didn't like hearing that from the mouth of a child with this slightly risque aspect."

Payette, a lecturer at University of Laval in Quebec, is now suing for $70,000 and looking for a court injunction against the White Stripes to halt sales and yank the record from store shelves.

The White Stripes "Jumble Jumble"

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