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July 23, 2009
Jackson Browne Prevails In McCain Campaign Lawsuit
As some may recall, veteran rocker Jackson Browne was none-too-pleased when then-Presidential candidate John McCain’s campaign aired a television commercial that featured Browne’s hit song “Running on Empty.” The use of that particular song was presumably intended to suggest that McCain’s Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, was touting energy policies that lacked substance.
There were other rockers crying foul during that time, including the Wilson sisters of Heart, Boston’s Tom Scholz, Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters and even – believe it or not – Survivor of “Eye of The Tiger” fame. None of them wanted their music associated with John McCain and his campaign for President.
Much of the hubbub was a result of music that was selected to be played inside large convention-style venues where the McCain campaign held rallies and other events. Although letters of protest were written and public statements were made regarding the use of material written by certain performers, using material at a campaign event does not appear to be as serious as using it for a television commercial. And Jackson Browne (and his lawyers) have the check to prove it.
The McCain campaign recently decided to settle the lawsuit filed by Browne when someone inside the McCain campaign organization decided that using Browne’s material for the commercial without his consent was OK. Maybe they looked at it as a calculated risk. One that was not calculated too carefully it seems.
As is normally the case in these situations, the dollar amount of the settlement is not being disclosed. We do know, however, that McCain and the Republican Party issued apologies to Browne as well as a promise to refrain from using Browne’s material in the future.
It appears that McCain’s legal team ran out of options after several unsuccessful attempts to have the case dismissed. I guess they didn’t feel too good about their chances taking it all the way to a trial and decided to offer a settlement to Browne to close the case and cut their losses.
At this point the legal scorecard appears to read: Rockers 1, politicians 0.
February 2, 2009
New Interview With Heart’s Nancy Wilson
A recent interview with Nancy Wilson of Heart began with the topic of politics. Probably something that a lot of us have heard enough of for a while, but Wilson seemed willing to talk about the well-publicized flap regarding the McCain campaign’s use of Heart’s hit song “Barracuda” when asked.
Although at the time there seemed to be some uncertainly about whether they had the right to use the song at a campaign event, Wilson admits that “…it’s in the rule books they’re allowed to do that. We just thought we’d have our say because it’s America and we can do that here.”
She also makes the point that they (not sure if she meant herself and sister Ann or the entire group) are well-read and keep abreast of important issues that relate to the country. “…we’re not your average doofus entertainers,” she adds.
There is also talk of the group’s evolution through the years, and how they have embraced different styles and 
eventually realized that what they really needed to do was to “get back to the basics and remember why we wanted to pay music in the first place after the ’80s.”
One of the more interesting things Wilson mentioned was that they are now working on a new album of all original material which, she says, they plan to take their time on and do some touring as well. No word on whether they’ll go down the Wal-Mart route, although that would seem an unlikely choice for the Wilson sisters. She did add that they will be trying to figure out how to market the new album digitally.
When asked why Led Zeppelin has not been in touch with sister Ann Wilson as a possible stand-in for Robert Plant, Wilson replies, “It might be too challenging for the boys’ club. There’s a sailor scene, the old-fashioned idea that the women are bad luck for the ship.”
Heart is well-known for their fondness for covering Led Zeppelin tunes and Wilson admits that it’s the Led Zeppelin covers that remain stuck in her head after a performance.
The good news for Heart fans is that there seems to be no sign that they are thinking about calling it quits, and are instead continuing to make plans for the future.
Read the entire interview at AZCentral.com.
November 21, 2008
With Campaign Behind Us, Jackson Browne-John McCain Battle Continues
Of all the left-leaning classic rockers that took offence to the McCain campaigns use of their material, Jackson Browne appears to be the only real pit bull in the pack, and is not giving up easily in his efforts to punish McCain for the use of his hit song “Running on Empty” as part of a television ad during the long, and often nasty campaign.
In response to Browne’s lawsuit for the “violation of his publicity rights, copyright infringement and a false endorsement,” the McCain camp is firing back with some legal action of their own.
McCain’s legal team has filed two motions including a motion to dismiss the case on grounds that the use of Browne’s 
material was protected by the fair use provisions that are part of federal copyright law.
McCain is also deflecting blame away from his campaign by claiming that the commercial in question was actually created by the Ohio Republican Party.
In addition to the motion to dismiss the case, McCain is also seeking seeking to recover attorney’s fees and court costs that resulted from having to defend himself in what he refers to as a "frivolous" action.
In some comments that may be reminiscent of the jabs that he and President-elect Obama exchanged during the campaign for the highest office in the land, McCain said that Browne’s motive for suing him was due to Browne being “…desperate for publicity to boost his career.” McCain also indicated that the publicity surrounding this case would probably provide a boost in popularity for the 1978 hit.
Although the McCain-Browne dust-up is the only one that seems to be outlasting the campaign itself, other notable rockers who were reportedly unhappy with the McCain campaign’s use of their music include Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Bon Jovi, John Mellencamp, and Foo Fighters. So far, no word of any lawsuits from other angry artists has surfaced.
October 31, 2008
Classic Rock Briefs For October 31, 2008
Halloween Song From Bruce Springsteen Available Online
Embracing the spirit of Halloween, and applying his songwriting talent for the benefit of his fans on this spookiest day of the year, Bruce Springsteen has written a Halloween song that has been posted on his website for visitors to download.
Being a Jersey boy, Springsteen grew up hearing the legend of the “Jersey Devil,” which inspired him to entitle this new track “A Night With The Jersey Devil.” There’s also a video available on the site which features Springsteen hamming it up a bit for the occasion.
Springsteen recently announced that he and his wife have decided to cancel their annual display of Halloween decorations at their Rumson, NJ home this year due to safety concerns for the large crowd that typically shows up to check it out. Maybe they will decide to decorate big for Christmas this year. Check out Bruce Springsteen’s website to access the Halloween song and video.
AC/DC ‘overwhelmed’ by CD’s success
It appears that the phenomenal success of their latest album, Black Ice, has taken the Australian hard rockers by surprise. Frontman Brian Johnson was quoted as saying, “It’s overwhelming, and quite hard to take in.” He then added, “Even an old dog like me has a few more surprises in life, I guess.”
Black Ice is the number two debut album of the year, just behind Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III. With over 780,000 copies sold in the U.S. so far, and two months left to the year, I think Black Ice may have a shot at matching Lil Wayne’s 1 million copies or perhaps even beating that number. Full Story.
Aerosmith’s Joe Perry Supporting McCain for President
Since we have heard so much lately about certain well-known classic rockers getting upset by the McCain campaign’s use of their music during events and for TV commercials, I thought we’d offer up a little pro-McCain news to help balance things out a bit.
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry says he and his band mates typically steer clear of the political scene, but this time he decided to speak up after he learned that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had endorsed McCain.
“I’ve been a hardcore Republican my whole life. My mother and father drilled into me from the very start that if you work hard and be positive, you’ll get what you’re working for. I guess I’m living proof of that,” Perry said. Full Story.
September 2, 2008
Sammy Hagar Not Bothered By McCain Camp’s Use of Van Halen Tune
Sammy Hagar was the frontman for veteran rockers Van Halen when the group’s 1991 single "Right Now" was hitting the airwaves for the first time. Since then, the song has been used more than a few times during TV commercials and various sporting events.
Most recently, however, the use of the song by Presidential Candidate John McCain during the announcement of his running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Plain is what’s making news.
The reaction from the current Van Halen line-up was not a positive one, although a publicist basically said that the group does not intend to use their celebrity status to
promote either the Republican or Democratic candidate for President.
For his part, former VH member Sammy Hagar seems to have no problem at all with the use of the song by McCain’s organization. Hagar wrote the lyrics to the song, although it was a collaboration between himself and Eddie Van Halen that gave birth to the finished product.
Hagar is quoted as saying, "When I wrote the lyrics to ‘Right Now’ I intended them to inspire people to not sit around and wait for something they believed in but to go out and get it — to make a change however they needed to. Whether it was McCain who used the song or if Obama had chosen to use the song, with the current political climate, the lyrics still have the same meaning, and we all need to do something to make a difference, every action counts."
Considering the fact that Hagar entertained some Republicans at a party associated with the Republican National Convention a few nights ago, I guess it should not come as a surprise that he was fine with the use of "Right Now" during the McCain event.
Hagar is known to be a contributor to both President Bush and Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of California. Judging by the reaction of Hagar’s former VH band mates, it may be safe to assume they do not share his enthusiasm for the Republican Party.
Making this story even more interesting is word that the newly-chosen Republican Vice Presidential contender named one of her children in honor of the very group whose feathers seem to be ruffled a bit over the use of their music during her big time political coming out party.
Born in April, Trig Paxson Van Palin is said to have been named in the group’s honor. Now whether the Palin family intended to honor only the group that was known as Van Halen during the Hagar days, or the current line-up is not clear. Perhaps they did not intend to make a distinction at all, in which case, they may be re-thinking that decision right now. (No pun intended).
Perhaps Trig Van Hagar Palin would have been a better choice. Heck, I couldn’t figure out how the "Paxson" came into play anyway.
