Heart Wants McCain/Palin To Stop Using Barracuda

Boston Globe:

The rock group Heart has sent a message to John McCain and Sarah "Barracuda'' Palin: quit playing our 1977 hit ''Barracuda.''

Soon after the presidential nominee finished his acceptance speech late Thursday and running-mate Palin joined him on the Republican National Convention stage in St. Paul, the sound system pumped the throbbing introductory guitar licks to "Barracuda.''

It seemed the cleverest musical choice of both conventions. Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson, like Alaska Governor Palin, are outspoken products of the Pacific Northwest, and the sisters's tune also could refer to Palin's Dazed-and-Confused-Era nickname of Sarah Barracuda, given for her intense high-school basketball play.

But the Wilsons condemned the usage, adding that Universal Music Publishing and Sony BMG have sent a cease-and-desist notice to the McCain-Palin campaign, according to CNN. "We have asked the Republican campaign publicly not to use our music,'' the group said in a statement.

Read the whole story: Boston Globe

Comments

[chitown8]

Someone called this last night. Good pick up.

[Yesnik]

Why didn't they use Dancing Queen !!!
That's McCain's favorite song.

Maybe ABBA doesn't like him either.

[nanoscare]

They don't and told him to stop using THEIR music months ago.

[GrainOSand]

It's a thin line between love and hate Mr. McCain and you have crossed it.

[craigary]

Sorry, Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders don't want him using that song either. ;-)

[deezerd]

Oh Jesus, just imagine Chrissie's reaction if he did ... I'd head for the bomb shelter!

[surfcitysteven]

Rush Limbaush ruined "Ohio" for me permanently.

[JackNasty]

There might have been no complaint. had the GOP played another Heart song, Crazy on You

[mvpeli10]

Hearing "Barracuda" after the speech last night was a great moment of ironic brilliance.

It is widely known that before making it big, Heart moved from Seattle to Vancouver in the early 70s so their male members could avoid the Vietnam War draft. They didn't move back to the US until Jimmy Carter granted draft dodgers amnesty in 1977.

[BigLib]

Wonder if they are still digitizing the videos to make one of the lead singers look thinner on video. At one point she got so big they were hiding her behind trees.

heh.

[Grunty1]

Your response to theft is not startling.

Republicans support criminals.

[dRwOOD]

thatz funny, especially since the repubs are hiding savior Palin in Alaska - but don't worry the "elitest" media can follow her up there you know

[Moka11]

Why don't the Republicans just play it safe and find a Charlie Daniels song and put it on a loop?
The RNC doesn't understand that just about any independent, non-fearful, critical thinking, artist is anything else but a Republican.

[Grunty1]

Only when Mc'Cain flies into Georgia :-)

[RememberTheAlamo]

Hi All,

Old people . . . with old music . . . long ago irrelevant . . . and I am talking about Heart.

Am guessing they think they actually are important . . .

. . . and they now sound like the rest of the big city elite.

. . . guess this will stop their comeback career . . . LOL

Couldn't be more amused.

[furpants]

Hey, Remember the Smell,
I actually think you could be more amused. I have a sand box in my back yards that my dog craps in. I bet you could stay busy for days.

[RememberTheAlamo]

huh?

[soupson52]

So remember, you are a typical repug, right? It's ok if copyright laws are violated IF it's for your team.

[RememberTheAlamo]

Hi soupson52,

Last I remember, Heart had turned to religious tunes . . . being marketed to the same folks supporting McCain-Palin . . . it is somebody else who "owns" their rock label . . . which creates the amusing paradox.

The object of the "news release" is to annoy the Palin brand . . . and sure, paying fees and damages would be appropriate (I don't disagree) . . . but, this news release, if it is for real . . . will damage the comeback effort . . . and the singers will be hurt by the news release . . . not the few sound bytes of an old song.

Do feel for Heart . . . being brought down by the zealousness of an elite record label . . . with the disingenuous claim of doing it on their behalf.

Quess Hillary won't be the only one destroyed in this rush to the top.

One can only laugh . . .

[MajorKong]

I can think of some more appropriate music for the RNC:

Sympathy for the Devil - Rolling Stones
Under my Thumb - Rolling Stones
War Pigs - Black Sabbath
Money - Pink Floyd
Career of Evil - Blue Oyster Cult

[WTEffington]

I think all musicians who don't want to be associated with them should file cease and desist letters.

[Grunty1]

Then begin to sue.

[GerryS]

I hope Earth, Wind and Fire is upset too- I was very dissapointed to hear their music used by the GOPhers. Lord, that music isn't his era, Guy Lombardo is Pappy's era-

[barackobama4prez]

Oh good grief....she was called that as a nickname in high school. this is really silly.

[fignozzle]

will they never learn??

[JiminNC]

They are all about protecting business unless it isn't "their" business.

[jupitor]

this is so SAD! No one wants to be connected to John mccain!

[chronic5]

Shameless thieves and knowing lawbreakers. At this point it's completely willful defiance of the law and I can only assume that this theft and resultant fines are written into their campaign budget. How many have they done this to so far?

[surfcitysteven]

Amazing isn't it? When the first riff of the song started up, I knew they didn't have permission and they would be hearing from Ann and Nancy. Shameless.

[billkarwin]

I count Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, and now Heart.

It fits with the Republican style of the past eight years -- laws don't apply to them, in their mind.

[molsongrrrl]

Van Halen too right?

[ldjfm]

Don't forget about Van Halen and I just heard today that John Cougar Mellenkamp was upset with McCain as well. So, that totals at least 5.

Just goes to show "us friends" that if McCain doesn't follow the laws when it comes to people who have a lot of money, what is he going to do to the rest of us?

[Malaki33]

Your kidding right?

How many tunes have you downloaded to your IPOD from the net illegally

[Grunty1]

How many television programs have you used illegal music on?

[PoliJunkie]

The thing here is no one is playing what they downloaded on their IPOD's for the PUBLIC to hear. There are FCC laws to protect that, right, you understand the law, right???

[sacrebleu]

None. How many have you?