THE VERVE - STONES MANAGER KNOCKS THE VERVE

STONES MANAGER KNOCKS THE VERVE

Andrew Loog Oldham has ribbed THE VERVE over their use of a ROLLING STONES sample in their hit Bitter Sweet Symphony.

The Wigan band's 1997 song uses an Andrew Oldham Orchestra recording of The Last Time as its main hook – which was legally challenged by the Stones after its release.

Loog Oldham, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have since received all of the royalty payments from the song, after it was ruled that Richard Ashcroft's band used "too much" of the sample.

Speaking to Uncut magazine, Loog Oldham joked that the royalties from the song have afforded him the odd luxury.

"They [Mick Jagger and Keith Richards] have the watch and I have a pretty presentable watch strap. That's my little piece," he said.

On the subject of Ashcroft, he added: "Songwriters have learned to call songs their children, and he thinks he wrote something. He didn't. I hope he's got over it. It takes a while."