Heart issues cease-and-desist against Palin

[ratatoskK]

This morning over the radio I heard people being interviewed at the Republican convension with the song “Barracuda” by Heart was playing in the background. And I wondered what was going on in the Wilsons’ minds.

Well hurray, this says
http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/blog/2008/09/barracuda_cease_and_desist.html

Sarah Palin earned the nickname “barracuda” as a HS basketball player, because she was thought to be so tough/mean/driven. It has stuck with her, and last night the song “Barracuda” by Heart blared out over Xcel’s speakers.

Today: The Hollywood Insider blog reports that Heart’s Nancy Wilson has asked the campaign to stop:

“Sarah Palin’s views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song ‘Barracuda’ no longer be used to promote her image. The song ‘Barracuda’ was written in the late 70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The ‘barracuda’ represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there’s irony in Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it there.”

Issues of song use have been a persistent problem for the McCain campaign – it ain’t easy to put on a show when you’re the campaign less favored by the cool and the hip…

Yay Heart!!

[Baldwin]

Reminds me of Rush Limbaugh using that great intro to “My City Was Gone”, in spite of the Pretenders’ wishes.

And I remember George H.W. Bush, in '88 or '92, using “This Land is Your Land”, which is basically an anti-people-like-George-Bush song. No sense of irony.

[beckwall]

Good for Heart, those girls can rock AND rumble!

[JRDelirious]

@Baldwin

Reminds me of Rush Limbaugh using that great intro to “My City Was Gone”, in spite of the Pretenders’ wishes.

And I remember George H.W. Bush, in '88 or '92, using “This Land is Your Land”, which is basically an anti-people-like-George-Bush song. No sense of irony.

And in the case of Barracuda, never mind irony – the most cursory listen to the lyrics makes it clear that the allusion is meant to be NEGATIVE. It’s not saying to the unnamed addressee “oh, yeah, go, you’re fierce!”, it’s saying “damn, you’re a dangerous cold-blooded predator!”.

Then again some people like to be seen that way.

[Guinastasia]

Reagan had that problem twice-both Bruce Springsteen and John Mellancamp refused to let him use their songs, because his campaign misinterpreted both-
“Born in the U.S.A” (about homeless Vietnam vets, IIRC), and “Little Pink Houses”, respectively.

[headshok]

@Baldwin

Reminds me of Rush Limbaugh using that great intro to “My City Was Gone”, in spite of the Pretenders’ wishes.

According to this Rolling Stone article, they eventually struck a deal on that song. So now Rush can use the song as long as he donates the royalties to PETA!

Didn’t Ronald Reagan use Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” during one of his campaigns? Not exactly a hopeful, upbeat anthem.

[xenophon41]

@Baldwin

Reminds me of Rush Limbaugh using that great intro to “My City Was Gone”, in spite of the Pretenders’ wishes.

And I remember George H.W. Bush, in '88 or '92, using “This Land is Your Land”, which is basically an anti-people-like-George-Bush song. No sense of irony.

I had really hoped G. W. Bush’ campaign would pick “Fortunate Son”, but they never did…

[jayjay]

McCain has run into this problem AT LEAST 5 times since 2004.

John Hall of Orleans (who is now a US Rep. from NY) dinged him for using “Still the One” without permission.

Jackson Browne actually SUED him for using “Running on Empty” without permission.

John Mellencamp dinged him for using “Our Country” and “Pink Houses” without permission.

Van Halen dinged him for using “Right Now” without permission.

and now Heart dinged him for using “Barracuda” without permission.

He’s also gotten in trouble with Warner Music Group for using Four Seasons songs in his web videos without permission.

And Warner Entertainment had an altercation with him over using footage of the SNL “Wayne’s World” segment in a web video.

So are the Republicans idiots when it comes to copyright and intellectual property issues, or do they just think the law doesn’t apply to them?

[threemae]

Too bad they’ve licensed their songs out on ASCAP such that it really doesn’t matter what they think.

Well, I guess you can do it for art, or you can do it for money, but to do it for both simultaneously is rather tricky.

http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?mode=search
Title code: 320221541

[Guinastasia]

@headshok

Didn’t Ronald Reagan use Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” during one of his campaigns? Not exactly a hopeful, upbeat anthem.

Simulpost!

Reagan tried, but Springsteen turned him down, commenting that obviously Reagan hadn’t paid attention to the lyrics, or something like that.

[silenus]

@threemae

Too bad they’ve licensed their songs out on ASCAP such that it really doesn’t matter what they think.

I believe you are mistaken. The song is being used for commercial purposes, there Heart has a definite say in whether or not it is used. If McCain wanted to serenade Palin with it, then he could pay the royalty and do so. But once it starts getting used as a campaign song, the rules change.

[RyJae]

@silenus

I believe you are mistaken. The song is being used for commercial purposes, there Heart has a definite say in whether or not it is used. If McCain wanted to serenade Palin with it, then he could pay the royalty and do so. But once it starts getting used as a campaign song, the rules change.

Does the McCain campaign have to stop playing Heart's "Barracuda"?

In this case, the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., would be the holder, but a representative tells the Explainer that the venue’s ASCAP license applies only to sporting events for the Minnesota Wild and the Minnesota Swarm, the professional hockey and lacrosse teams, respectively; otherwise, it’s up to the people who use the premises to get their own. A spokesperson for the Republican Convention said the event did have an ASCAP license separate from the one for sports.

Not sure if that is correct or not but overall the whole article was a decent read for those of us (ME) that didn’t understand just what ASCAP was to be begin with.

[Subway_Prophet]

@jayjay

He’s also gotten in trouble with Warner Music Group for using Four Seasons songs in his web videos without permission.

Wait - what? WMG has a lock on Vivaldi?

My google-fu is in the shop. (The mechanic said I blew a seal.) Got a link?

ETA - ah. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Durr.

[jayjay]

@Subway_Prophet

Wait - what? WMG has a lock on Vivaldi?

My google-fu is in the shop. (The mechanic said I blew a seal.) Got a link?

ETA - ah. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Durr.

I really would have clarified if the idea that there would be confusion on that had ever occurred to me. :smack:

[Otto]

Still doesn’t beat GHWBush using “The Best of Times Is Now” from the gay musical La Cage Aux Folles at the 1992 culture war convention.

[JRDelirious]

@jayjay

So are the Republicans idiots when it comes to copyright and intellectual property issues, or do they just think the law doesn’t apply to them?

If only Sony Bono still lived, he could set them straight…
(Maybe they are under the impression that author’s right to object to the use in promotional materials is only for commercial and not for political use)