Some shocking lawsuit. The man who wrote the popular Newfoundland song "Some Shocking Good" is suing the group that made it famous.

Call Lloyd Candow an ideas man, with a sense of humour. Twelve years ago he a had a GREAT idea - for a song. He liked it so much he tried to get Simani to record it. "They were reluctant to do it because they never did outside work," says Candow, "In other words, they didn't do work written and composed by outsiders. But once they got a copy of my work and music, they were enthused about it to the point where they agreed to produce it for me. For a price of course."

He says he paid Simani $500 to record the song and make 500 records -- the old 45 r.p.m. type. He's got one worse-for-wear copy left.

Lloyd Candow

Then Simani put the song on their own record. And on a cassette. It was about that time that Candow figured he'd better copyright Some Shocking Good. And he says Simani agreed not to use the song anymore.

Then, out it came again, this time on CD. That's when he sued. "There's no question about their ability and talent," says Candow. "They are as good as we have in Newfoundland. That's why I selected them over other groups. But I didn't think my work would be taken and used for their benefit and not mine."

Of course, Simani have other big songs as well. Bud Davidge of the group doesn't want to comment until the court case next month. But in court documents he says they put the song on their album as a favour to Lloyd Candow. And he says Simani have done nothing wrong.

Still, Candow wants Simani to pay him for his song. And he says, he wants to make a point: "It's a common practice for musicians to take, use, plagiarize the work of others. And I think this is a very unfair thing to be going on. And I would just like to expose one particular group for what they've done to me, so there'll be a lesson to others to stay away and respect the work and authorship of other performing artists."