Posted on 06/28/2011 12:46:04 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
Among the many traditions for presidential candidates on the campaign trail are kissing babies and getting kiss-offs from rock musicians over unwanted use of their songs. A day into her campaign for the White House, Michele Bachmann is already facing the latter custom.
Tom Petty has sent the Minnesota congresswoman a cease-and-desist order after she used his 1977 classic "American Girl" as background music at her kickoff rally Monday in Waterloo, Iowa, a source close to the singer has confirmed.
This is not the first time Petty has sent out such an order: George W. Bush's team also received one in 2000 when the future president used "I Won't Back Down" at campaign stops. Nor is it the first time a candidate has used "American Girl:" Hillary Clinton also spun it at many of her presidential campaign rallies in 2008, without any complaint from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer -- who is otherwise relatively apolitical in his music and public life.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Because they wrote the song and own the rights?
How dare those artists and writers try to control what they own, right?
I buy the rights, I can play it. The artists have their money...they can bug off.
Did Bachmann buy the rights?
A political candidate generally doesn't "buy" the rights. They may buy permission or access to the song, but that's it. There are different rights associated with music. Publishing, broadcasting, performance, etc. Depending on who wrote the song and how their deals are structured, they can and do control where it is played. It's theirs to do with as they like.
They can and do deny the right to play their songs.
They can and do say when and where the song can be played.
Music and publishing rights are valuable property. I don't respect politicians who don't respect property rights.
Why do you?
Here is an article about using songs by The Beatles: http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2008/01/03/Beatles-music-to-be-used-in-commercials/UPI-60551199417019/ Sony exerts very strict control over how the Beatles catalog can be used. This is the same thing.
It isn't as simple as "it's out there, so it's okay to use. It's much more complicated. What is simple is this: Ignorance is no excuse and stealing someone's material is always wrong.
You would think Petty would like the extra income from royalities to buy more acid and cocaine.
Dougie Maclean’s “The Gael”
Nice tune. Now we just need some good lyrics!
I’m not sure she needs his acquiescence. Rush Limbaugh went through this with Chrissy Hyndes a few years back when she tried to forbid his use of “My City Was Gone.” He won, as you can hear at the beginning of every hour of his show. I could see Michele saying, “Hey, if it was good enough for Hilary Clinton, then it’s good enough for me.”
Something like that crossed my mind.
Regardless of his politics he’s stupid (sorry, I know that’s redundant) because it put’s his music back out there in front of over half the American public. So by my understanding Mr Petty is saying he doesn’t want Republicans listening to, or buying his music, in which case I’ll be happy to oblige him.
Rock on!
And to answer my own post, I popped over to Tom’s website to convey that very message, and there were a lot of posts on his community message board saying the same things as us.
Hey Tom, you just pi$$ed off half of America. What do you want to do for an encore?
Let’s see how those record sales go for the next recording?
He did, however, have a problem trying to use Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down" in the 2000 campaign.
If they pay the small royalty, does he even have a say?
Just like Tom Petty. Can't sing, just like that other great overrated musician of the 1980s, Bruce Springsteen.
I don’t know exactly how it all works....
Anyone here know if paying the proper royalty would negate the objection of the writer?
As Rush tells this story, when Chrissie Hynde first found out he was using the song she wanted it stopped. Then her manager showed her how much she was getting a year in royalties.
She changed her mind. Also, her mother loves Rush and told he so!
That’s sad but it would have been a better idea to think something like this out. Its a distraction why can’t somebody just use Yankee Doodle or something. Hey - its almost 4th of July why not just play an endless loop of Stars and Stripes Forever those artists/composers are long dead and we all own those pieces of Americana.
Its sad that someone needs to ask permission for something like this but its the right thing to do if that someone is still alive
How bout we give Candidate Bachman some workable theme music? So much fun doncha think?!!!
no dought, I forgot the sarc tag
In a conservative political campaign, I think rousing patriotic music would beat consumerist stuff hands-down. Patriotic music appeals to basic, positive commonalities in a people, enabling them to make common cause in necessary, difficult, concrete tasks. Consumerist music is largely a gimmick meant to be passively absorbed, and gimmickry is a liberal’s territory to begin with — indirect, shadowy, manipulative. I would think that the astute conservative campaign strategist would emphasize the patriotic spirit and not try to out-Bernays Bernays.
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