Foo Fighters Blast McCain

saltwn · #1 (**permalink**) 10-11-2008, 02:38 AM

Boil and bubble; toil and trouble...

Quote:

October 8, 2008 11:28 AM
The McCain campaign has been using the the Foo Fighters classic "My Hero" during rallies without seeking permission from the band, its management or label. In response, the band has told him to quit that shit. A statement from the Foos reads:

"This isn't the first time the McCain campaign has used a song without making any attempt to get approval or permission from the artist. It's infuriating that someone who claims to speak for the American people would repeatedly show such little respect for creativity and intellectual property. The saddest thing about this is that 'My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential. To have it approved without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song. We hope the McCain campaign will do the right thing and stop using our song--and start asking artists' permission in general!"
Suck on that, Johnny!

Foo Fighters Blast McCain : Rolling Stone

What is with these people? College kids who put on a school play know you gotta get rights to do some body elses material.
Usually it's no big. Artists are glad to get the exposure. As long as there's no sales or money changing hands.
I can only assume (1) The campaign managers are stupid beyond belief.
Or (2) They blatantly don't give a rat's __s about copyright infringement.
Which is it?

cnredd · #2 (**permalink**) 10-11-2008, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

Boil and bubble; toil and trouble...

Foo Fighters Blast McCain : Rolling Stone

What is with these people? College kids who put on a school play know you gotta get rights to do some body elses material.
Usually it's no big. Artists are glad to get the exposure. As long as there's no sales or money changing hands.
I can only assume (1) The campaign managers are stupid beyond belief.
Or (2) They blatantly don't give a rat's __s about copyright infringement.
Which is it?

neither, because you don't understand how the industry is run...

Unless otherwise specified, the record COMPANIES own the music...NOT the musicians (How else do you think Micahel Jackson was able to buy the Beatles' catalog without McCartney's permission?)...

McCain buys the rights from the company (irrelevant of the musician's opinion) and everything is copasetic whether the musician cries like a four year old or not...

Simple question...

Would you be on the musician's side if he (they) were anti-semetic and didn't want their song(s) to be played at Jewish weddings?...

I would HOPE not...

Kizzume · #3 (**permalink**) 10-11-2008, 06:13 AM

Your main argument all depends on what kind of record deal the artist has.

saltwn · #4 (**permalink**) 10-11-2008, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

neither, because you don't understand how the industry is run...

Unless otherwise specified, the record COMPANIES own the music...NOT the musicians (How else do you think Micahel Jackson was able to buy the Beatles' catalog without McCartney's permission?)...

McCain buys the rights from the company (irrelevant of the musician's opinion) and everything is copasetic whether the musician cries like a four year old or not...

Simple question...

Would you be on the musician's side if he (they) were anti-semetic and didn't want their song(s) to be played at Jewish weddings?...

I would HOPE not...

Quote:

The McCain campaign has been using the the Foo Fighters classic "My Hero" during rallies without seeking permission from the band, its management or label.

How's that grab ya? I'm waiting...

cnredd · #5 (**permalink**) 10-11-2008, 04:28 PM

Quote:

The McCain campaign has been using the the Foo Fighters classic "My Hero" during rallies without seeking permission from the band, its management or label.

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

How's that grab ya? I'm waiting...

It doesn't grab me at all...

ASCAP "blanket covers" 99.99999% of all public songs...The ones on the short list of songs not covered are songs that are requested by musicians to not give out AT ALL...Not just for whatever the hell they feel like according to their beliefs at the moment...

It would be a courtesy to ask "the band, its management or label", but not required...If the song is covered under ASCAP, it open for discussion...

AND...

John McCain, No ‘Hero’ to Foo Fighters

Quote:

Grohl’s complaint is only the latest in an increasing string of rockers who object to their music being used by stumping politicians. Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart objected to the McCain campaign’s playing “Barracuda,” in reference to Sarah Palin. Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp have also objected to the use of their songs on the trail. But lest you think this is just a problem confronted by Republican candidates, think again. According to the above-cited AP story, Soul legend Sam Moore also has asked the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to stop using “Soul Man.”

But back to McCain and the Fighters of Foo. Perhaps the best things to come out of these kerfuffles are the rather, well, self-important statements the bands make about the songs. “The saddest thing about this is that `My Hero’ was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential,” the Foo Fighters said in a statement. “To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song.”

(Equally indignant was Heart’s Ann Wilson during the band’s dustup with the McCain campaign: [”‘Barracuda’] was written in the late ’70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. . . . There’s irony in Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it there.”)

In any event, here’s what the McCain-Palin campaign had to say about it all: “The McCain-Palin campaign respects copyright. Accordingly, this campaign has obtained and paid for licenses from performing rights organizations, giving us permission to play millions of different songs, including `My Hero.’”

In other words, the campaign (anyone can do this) pays ASCAP one large fee and gets access to whatever's in the catalog...

And if "My Hero" is one of the millions of songs in the catalog, then that means that the Foo Fighters, their management, or their label AGREED to make that song available for public use at some point through ASCAP...

faithful_servant · #6 (**permalink**) 10-14-2008, 03:41 PM

You do not have to have permission to play or perform someone else's music in a public venue, just to reproduce it. Musicians have been covering each other's songs in concert for decades with no requirements for permission from the orginal artist. It's only when you start recording the material that it becomes an issue.

saltwn · #7 (**permalink**) 10-14-2008, 07:09 PM

Finally McCain finds an artist who approves of using his music for the campaign!

Hank Williams Jr.

Yeah right , Senator that's gonna get you those main stream younger voters!

faithful_servant · #8 (**permalink**) 10-14-2008, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

Finally McCain finds an artist who approves of using his music for the campaign!

Hank Williams Jr.

Yeah right , Senator that's gonna get you those main stream younger voters!

Nice of you to think that just because someone is young that they don't Hank Jr. Sounds like you may be one of the kind of people that Sen. Obama was talking TO when he made his "guns and religion" comment. You know the type - narrow-minded, prejudiced, elitists who think that they have everyone tucked nice and neatly into little boxes with names and traits on them....

cnredd · #9 (**permalink**) 10-14-2008, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithful_servant

Nice of you to think that just because someone is young that they don't Hank Jr. Sounds like you may be one of the kind of people that Sen. Obama was talking TO when he made his "guns and religion" comment. You know the type - narrow-minded, prejudiced, elitists who think that they have everyone tucked nice and neatly into little boxes with names and traits on them....

"elitist" was the word I thought of, too...

saltwn · #10 (**permalink**) 10-14-2008, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithful_servant

Nice of you to think that just because someone is young that they don't Hank Jr. Sounds like you may be one of the kind of people that Sen. Obama was talking TO when he made his "guns and religion" comment. You know the type - narrow-minded, prejudiced, elitists who think that they have everyone tucked nice and neatly into little boxes with names and traits on them....

O puleez, Weezie! If you can't speak with intelligence on the matter, just go do some shoppong.

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