A dance music drama broke out earlier this week when John Summit publicly accused Pete Tong of stealing his unreleased remix of “Missing” by Everything But the Girl.
July 8 on X, Summit posted “Hey @petetong thanks for promising to release my missing remix with u (while doing nothing in terms of production) then jacking my remix to release with franky rizardo release class act you are. to think i actually looked up to u too.[sic]”
Summit posted screenshots of texts he exchanged with Tong regarding an orchestral remix of the song they were working on together. Summit then posted on X that he’d spoken with Dutch DJ Rizardo “on the phone and he had no idea about all of this to be clear.”
Later that day, Rizardo posted on X that “After learning more today about the background surrounding this release, I’ve come to the conclusion that it no longer feels right for me to be part of it.”
On Friday (July 10), Tong and his team have responded to these allegations. In an interview posted on Friday between Tong and Alex Tripi, the CEO of the Pete Tong DJ Academy, Tong explains his side of the story, saying that he and Summit “had positive conversations on text about making a new version of his remix, and at the same time I was talking to Franky about doing a new version of his remix… It’s quite normal when releasing a song to have different versions of the same song, or in this case it would have been a cover version, so there could have been a Pete Tong orchestral version, a version with Franky Rizardo and a version with John Summit.”
Tong continues, explaining that he was preparing this orchestral rendition of “Missing” for the upcoming winter leg of his Ibiza Classics tour, in which he plays classic dance songs with a live orchestra. He claims he requested permission from Everything But The Girl members Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt to perform the rendition, which they agreed to. Tong claims he also asked the duo for their permission to arrange a remix of “Missing” with Summit and Rizardo; they agreed.
“So that’s what we did,” Tong says in the interview. “I started the conversation with both [Summit and Rizardo]. I got to it quickly with John because he was particularly interested in the orchestra, because he wanted to perform the song with an orchestra himself, and I handed it over to my management team and label.”
The video posted on Friday shows a screenshot of this alleged proposal, dated May 13, 2026, and states that “Our provisional plan is to release the Franky mix in the next six weeks. Franky’s version will have very minimal orchestral elements and the vocal will be a straight replay of the original. For John’s mix, we would like to release this later in the summer (although totally open to discussing timelines with you guys of course).”
Another screenshot, dated May 23, shows a message from Summit’s team noting that they hadn’t yet had a chance to discuss the project with him. Tong says his own team pursued a response through mid-June but did not receive a follow-up, adding: “We never received a session from John.”
A statement provided to Billboard by Tong’s team expands on these explanations: “This week John publicly accused Pete of having copied or stolen his remix. Those allegations are simply not supported by the facts,” it reads.
The statement continues that the Rizardo edit, which was played in Rizardo’s June 20 Essential Mix on BBC Radio, is a “newly recorded production created with Pete Tong and his label, with all musical elements re-recorded, including the vocal.” The statement also says that Tong and his team tried contacting Summit and his team regarding the situation but have not yet received a response.
In the video Tong says “I’m disappointed. I don’t like being accused of things that aren’t true. If you’ve got a problem, pick up the phone. That’s certainly what I would preach. I’ve tried to call John, I’ve tried to text him; he’s chosen to not respond — And that’s why I’m here today, to make sure everyone has the context of how we got to this point.” Read the complete statement below.
Meanwhile, “Missing” has been a staple in Summit’s sets over the last several months, and he seems to be preparing his own orchestral version for his sold-out Tofte Manor show this weekend, July 11-12. Billboard has reached out to Summit’s team for comment.
Tong, a key dance world figure since the 1990s, played the inaugural edition of Summit’s Experts Only festival on Randall’s Island in New York last September.
Complete statement from the team of Pete Tong:
“Over the last week there has been a lot of discussion online regarding Pete Tong, ‘Missing’ by Everything But The Girl, and comments made by John Summit. Because social media rarely allows enough space for context, we want to set out the facts as clearly as possible.
“Pete has long wanted to include a version of ‘Missing in Ibiza Classics,’ which returns for a UK arena tour this December. As part of that process, Pete became aware of two separate club versions of the track that were being played by DJs: one associated with Franky Rizardo and another associated with John Summit. Like many contemporary DJ versions of classic records, these were based around existing elements of the original recording and reflected the continuing popularity of an iconic song.
“Before pursuing any commercial release, Pete contacted the representatives of Everything But The Girl to understand Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn’s position regarding new interpretations and remixes of the song. Pete also spoke directly with both Franky Rizardo and John Summit about the possibility of creating newly recorded versions that would comply with the guidance provided.
“A version was subsequently developed with Franky Rizardo. Importantly, this was not a release of an existing DJ remix. It was a newly recorded production created with Pete Tong and his label, with all musical elements re-recorded, including the vocal. The arrangement reflected the style of the version Franky had created and been playing in his sets, but did not contain orchestral elements and did not use John Summit’s work.
“At the same time, Pete and John Summit discussed a separate concept involving an orchestral interpretation of ‘Missing’ for Ibiza Classics. Those conversations were positive but ultimately did not progress beyond an initial exchange of ideas. By mid-May we were informed that John’s team had been unable to engage him further on the project, and the discussions effectively came to a halt.
“This week John publicly accused Pete of having copied or stolen his remix. Those allegations are simply not supported by the facts. The Franky Rizardo recording was developed independently, through a process that was openly communicated to the relevant parties. The communications between Pete’s label and John Summit’s management team document that process and show that discussions regarding potential versions of the song were taking place transparently and in good faith.
“Unfortunately, the reaction that followed the social media posts created significant controversy around the release. As a result, Franky Rizardo chose to withdraw his version. Pete and his team have attempted to speak directly with John to clarify the situation and correct misunderstandings. To date, those efforts have not resulted in a response from John.
“Pete has spent more than three decades championing electronic music, supporting artists, helping break new talent and building trusted relationships throughout the global dance community. The suggestion that he would knowingly appropriate another artist’s work is inconsistent with both the facts of this situation and the reputation he has built over many years.
“We understand that social media can amplify accusations far more quickly than explanations. However, it is important that the record reflects what actually happened: discussions were held openly, permissions and guidance were sought, separate versions were developed, and no release was created using John Summit’s remix or work product.
“Looking ahead, we hope that Franky Rizardo will eventually feel comfortable enough for his recording to be heard. We also continue to look forward to performing an orchestral version of ‘Missing’ with the Essential Orchestra during the Ibiza Classics arena tour later this year. String sessions for that production have already taken place, and we remain excited about celebrating one of the most beloved songs of the past three decades in a way that honours both the original recording and its creators.
“We hope this additional context helps clarify the situation.”
