Posted on 10/29/2004 11:07:27 AM PDT by Jenya
Bush Asked to Stop Using 'Still the One'
WASHINGTON (AP) - The songwriter who helped pen the 1970s hit, "Still the One," is demanding that President Bush stop using the tune at campaign events, arguing that he's no fan of the Republican incumbent and the campaign never got permission to use the song.
John Hall, a former Democratic county legislator in upstate New York, co-wrote "Still the One" and recorded it with his band Orleans in 1976. The cheery pop tune was played at Bush events Thursday and again Friday to open and close a rally for the president in New Hampshire.
"I was watching TV, and there all of a sudden was my song, my guitar playing, my voice coming out of the speakers," said the 56-year-old Hall, still a working musician.
Hall wrote "Still the One" with his then-wife, Johanna D. Hall. The two as well as surviving members of the band are supporters of Democratic Sen. John Kerry and don't want their work used to promote Bush's re-election, Hall said.
"I'm not just some guy that's stoned out and happened to write a song, and even if I were, it would still be a problem, because you should always ask permission to use the work," Hall said.
Hall's lawyers are drafting a formal letter of complaint to the Bush campaign. A spokesman for the Republican did not immediately return calls for comment.
"If you have protectable copyrights to a song and someone is using it without permission, and especially if they know they're using it without permission, there is some sort of legal liability there and it may be that they could be required to pay royalties at the very least," said Daniel Healy, an intellectual property lawyer at the firm Anderson, Kill & Olick.
Among Hall's concerns is that political use of the song could hurt its commercial appeal, scaring away advertisers. "Still the One" has been used by Appleby's, Burger King and the ABC network, according to Hall.
Hall, who lives in Dutchess County about 90 miles north of New York City, said his band recently declined an offer of $10,000 to perform at a fund-raiser for Maryland Republicans.
I always thought music was public property.
Get over it. There's no law against playing it in public.
Be happy it's being played at all you one hit wonder loser.
Can you say Napster or ASCAP?
Yeah, he's a special guy that was stoned out.
Soy un perdedor I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me?
John Hall. JUST STFU!
This has-been, one-hit wonder should be honored that our President used his music.
That's what everyone at Napster told me.
This guy doesn't seem to know the basics of copyright law. Usually, big organizations pay a big flat fee to both ASCAP and BMI, and then take from their catalogs freely. Those two companies have their own methods for determining who gets a royalty for what. As long as the GOP is squared with ASCAP and BMI, they can use the song. That's my understanding, anyway.
I may be wrong but I don't think the Bush campaign needs his permission. As long as they pay the ASCAP or BMI fees they can play it whenever they want.
Hmmmm. Apparently, the song is no longer operative. Maybe he could change the title to, "Were the One".
I say they should play it more now, just for kicks!
I think I'll sing it all day on November 2nd!
"You're still the one that can scratch my itch.
You're still the one that I wouldn't switch!
We're still havin' fun,
and you're still the one!"
Another John that is going to need to put some ice on it.
Capitalist pig. No, wait, he's a Democrat? Never mind.
Playing a song is not the same as sharing or distributing a copy of it. If they play a song, they only have to do what conventioneers do all over the country all the time. Pay a flat rate to the two big publishing firms, ASCAP and BMI, and then use songs from that catalog. They can't SELL them, but they can use them.
Wasn't there something about Ronald Reagan wanting to play "Little Pink Houses" during his campaign and John Cougar Mellencamp refusing?
I'm not sure if it's illegal (I thought it was public, too), but maybe they didn't use it because they knew that the singer would speak out.
How can we contact John Hall and send back cd's to him?
Oh all right... We'll stop using it. Yup... It's on the to-do list. First thing next Wednesday; call the guys and tell 'em to stop using that song.
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