Norman West, a songwriter who has written songs with Aretha Franklin for over twenty years, is suing her publishing company, Springtime Publications, Inc., after they failed to sign a royalty agreement on one of their songs.
That song is Put It Back Together Again which appears on Franklin's new album, Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love. The pair has another song on the album, New Day, which does have an existing agreement and is not at issue in the lawsuit.
According to West, he tried to get the agreement signed through private means but, when he wasn't successful, he felt he had to resort to the legal process. He has asked the court to order Springtime to sign the agreement.
A second part of the suit claims copyright infringement over an earlier song, Watch My Back.
West's attorney, Jeffrey Thennisch, said "These are two parties that have a long-standing working collaboration. Mr. West has the utmost respect for Springtime and everyone associated with it. Mr. West has told me that he owes much of his career to Aretha Franklin and that he views her as both a mentor and a guiding force in his career."
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