Jon Bon Jovi to John McCain: Don't play my music!
Hey, Republicans! Stop using our music!
Jon Bon Jovi just released a statement about Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin using his band's song -- "Who Says You Can't Go Home" -- during her rallies this week.
Bon Jovi, it should be noted, hosted a big well-publicized fund-raising dinner for Barack Obama at his house. So it's not like John McCain's camp didn't know better.
Bon Jovi's statement to TMZ reads: "We are surprised to hear that our song, "Who Says You Can't Go Home" was used by the McCain campaign at rallies yesterday and today. We wrote this song as a thank you to those who have supported us over the past twenty-five years. The song has since become a banner for our home state of New Jersey and the defacto theme song for our partnerships around the country to build homes and rebuild communities. Although we have not asked, we do not approve of their use of 'Home.' "
Bon Jovi's not alone. Other musicians who have complained about McCain's campaign using their songs include Heart, the Foo Fighters, John Mellencamp and Jackson Browne.
Do you think politicians should get permission before using musicians' music to provide a soundtrack for their campaign rallies?
Shouldn't there be a law against this?
It's way worse than bootlegging or downloading for free, seems to me.
Photo: Jon Bon Jovi at the Philadelphia Soul Championship Parade in July 2008
WireImage
If they have paid the royalties to use the song.. then they should be able to use the song. T^hey are not stealing the song.
Yes, don't play Bon Jovi, that music reeks!
Yeah, baby - smack-em, jack-em!
You fail to point out that in somes cases, the McCain campaign got permission months ago to use some of these songs. At the very least, the artists should be honest. Did they get paid, and now have the nerve to complain? They can't have it both ways.
It's obvious that the McCain campaign feels that copyright laws (at least) don't apply to them. Their repeated unauthorized use of music, as well as their recent (failed) attempt to get an exception to DMCA takedown notices from YouTube, is enough evidence to establish that fact. When viewed in the larger picture, including McCain's association with the Keating Five and Palin's flagrant abuse of power in Alaska, and it should be clear that McCain-Palin would be no better than Bush-Cheney and probably far worse.
I'm not an expert on this kind of thing, but artists _do_ have control over public performance of their works, including forbidding it altogether.
Bon Jovi may be out of luck, though, because presumably he signed a contract with ASCAP and/or BMI to license his music (including "Who Says You Can't Go Home") to license his music to anyone who pays the standard fees. If that's the case he has only himself to blame if he has remorse now.
Its all a joke because Bon Jovi and any other artist will be paid royalities on the use of their song. And let's be honest, the money is what really matters.
Bon Jovi is Living on a Prayer that he is being dissed here. He's a Cowboy on a Steel Horse, so be cool and cash the check!
Call William Moriss and ASCAP or BMI and fill out the form and grab the cash!
As long as one pays the associated royalty fees for public use anyone can use any song they wish at a wedding, a huge event or however one chooses. It's that 'freedom' thing. That being said B.J. has the right to complain
because it 'bothers' him in a political sense but he can't prevent
it. It's absolutely their ( like anyone's ) right to use it.
it.
As long as one pays the associated royalty fees for public use anyone can use any song they wish at a wedding, a huge event or however one chooses. It's that 'freedom' thing. That being said B.J. has the right to complain
because it 'bothers' him in a political sense but he can't prevent
it. It's absolutely their ( like anyone's ) right to use it.
it.
Maybe Republicans should stop buying music from these musicians. Maybe they can live on half of the record sales and royalties. I don't think that Anne Wilson could get by on only half of the Twinkies that she appears to consume. If I hurt anybodys feeling...Good you friggin deserve it.