How Deee-Lite's Lady Miss Kier Attempted To Sue Sega

Deee-Lite's 'Groove is in the Heart' is a classic track you will have heard countless times - featuring Q-Tip, and samples of the main bassline from Herbie Hancock's "Bring Down the Birds" as well as the drum track from Vernon Burch's "Get Up. The iconic look of the band (notably the lead singer Lady Miss Kier) goes hand in hand with the vibrancy of the track, and subsequent album 'World Clique' - a look which ended up being a contested issue in court, years later. Said track below:

Here we have the story of how the band tried to sue Sega, the billion-dollar multinational video game giant, based on the visuals and one particular character in their 2000-era 'Space Channel 5' Dreamcast game - dubious trailer below. What the video doesn't say is that after the lawsuit, "Groove Is in the Heart" was licensed for use in Sega's 2008 Wii port of Samba de Amigo, used in a section of the game where the Ulala character appears. Perhaps that was part of the deal. 

Here's more.. 

Deee-Lite's meteoric rise and devastating collapse remains one of the most surreal chapters in 90s dance music history. This week, we explore the chaotic journey of Lady Miss Kier, Super DJ Dmitry, and Towa Tei, the trio who conquered the world with "Groove Is in the Heart" before self-destructing amid a toxic romantic breakup and a disastrous shift into political activism. We'll uncover how the band's internal friction led to the commercial failure of Infinity Within, Towa Tei's abrupt departure, and the infamous $600,000 legal battle between Lady Miss Kier and Sega over the video game Space Channel 5. From their psychedelic fashion to their groundbreaking use of funk samples, we break down how one of the era's most promising acts vanished as quickly as they arrived. Kindly like and subscribe - it really helps this channel a lot. I do appreciate it!

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