performance permission

nprime · Post by **nprime** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 7:12 pm

Does anyone know what kind of hoops you have to jump through to get permission to record and release someone else's song?

I've developed a treatment of the old Beatle's chestnut, Eleanor Rigby, and I want to be able to post it, so I know I will need permission from the publisher (Michael Jackson, I suppose).

Any info would be very helpful.

R

paulrmartin · Post by **paulrmartin** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 8:43 pm

This is where you want to go:
http://www.cmrra.ca/default.html

Good luck

blazesboylan · Post by **blazesboylan** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 9:50 pm

If you release it for free then you have a very very slim chance of getting permission. The problem is that you'll probably never even track down the right person to get permission from, unless you have serious connections "in the industry".

If you're releasing it for money, good luck to you...!

EDIT: This isn't true for smaller acts. A few years back I got permission from (country singer) Kasey Chambers to do a cover of "We're All Gonna Die Some Day". Her manager's email address was right on her website!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: blazesboylan on 2004-09-10 22:52 ]</font>

nprime · Post by **nprime** » Sat Sep 11, 2004 11:04 am

A musician friend of mine says just go ahead and use it. If anyone picks it up and wants to publish it they will get the permission, or, as he puts it, if they hear about it because it is successful then they will get a hold of you! Or rather their lawyers will...

So I'm just gonna go ahead and live dangerously and use it. After all, Michael's lawyers are pretty busy these days...

Not to mention that the treatment is pretty extreme, maybe they won't recognize it?

R

nprime · Post by **nprime** » Sat Sep 11, 2004 11:07 am

On 2004-09-10 21:43, paulrmartin wrote:
This is where you want to go:
http://www.cmrra.ca/default.html

Good luck

Thanks Paul for the answer! Is that hurricane pushing any nasty weather up your way?

R

paulrmartin · Post by **paulrmartin** » Sat Sep 11, 2004 11:12 am

Big Rain on thursday, but today, saturday, is a beauuuuuuuutiful day!

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 5:37 am

reminds me on that Danish DJ who made club remixes based on Bob Marley songs.

He started this for fun live in some Ibiza clubs and since the crowd liked it a lot he finally released some records with uncleared material.

That stuff was extremely popular in Europe and not only scored top in the charts but started a huge 'Reggae revival', specially for original Marley songs.
Nevertheless the Marley clan's attorneys insisted on their legal rights and offered not to sue if all revenues were transferred...

The dude stated in an interview 'well, all in all I've done it for free...'

It can also go the other way round as the unrequested 'Sing it back' remix by Boris Dlugosh shows. It finally started the commercial success for Molokko and made them a top act. They considered this work a creative activity and appreciated it's advantages for both parties...

cheers, Tom