Musician responds to ‘Glee’ controversy around mellow ‘Baby Got Back’

Singer/songwriter Jonathan Coulton is fighting back.

“As much as their cover is exactly the same as my cover, my cover of their cover of my cover is the same as their cover of my cover.”

Got all that? Coulton is explaining the re-release of his original version of “Baby Got Back.” “It’s actually the same recording as my original version I just re-released it on iTunes with name “Baby Got Back” in the style of ‘Glee.'”

Coulton joined the The Luke Burbank Show to talk about the PR flap surrounding Glee’s direct steal of his arrangement of “Baby Got Back.”

“My jaw dropped open. As you’ve heard, it’s a note for note reproduction. If you sync them up, they line up perfectly. They’re the exact same tempo. They’re the exactly same key,” says Coulton.

In addition to re-releasing his own version with the smart aleck new title, he’s also donating the money he makes off it to the “It Gets Better” campaign, another nice dig at Glee, a show known for its pro-gay stance.

Coulton continues to explore his legal options as well. He’s on pretty solid legal ground if he can prove they actually used some of his audiotrack. But that will take a lot more digging.

But if “Glee” had come to him first?

“I don’t have any objection to the show or my music being on the show in general, the show is not to my taste, but I’m not anti-Glee,” Coulton says. “It’s hard to say right now how I would have felt under certain circumstances.”

Coulton still thinks “Glee” could easily turn this controversy into a PR win. “I think if they just approached it differently, and they said ‘Hey, we’re doing this. We’re super excited and we’re going to promote you. We’re going to give you a credit and we’re going to give you a $500 honorarium,’ I think they could turn it around.”