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MotherJones.com: When Donald Trump strode on to the stage at Trump Tower on Tuesday to announce that he would enter the Republican race for president, a rock and roll anthem blared: Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World. It was an odd choice, given that the 1989 song seemed to slam a Republican administration for not giving a damn about the poor...(Young's) longtime manager...issued...(a) statement...

Donald Trump's use of Rockin' in the Free World was not authorized. Mr. Young is a longtime supporter of Bernie Sanders.

I think it first happened around 1984 when the Ronald Reagan campaign was told by Bruce Springsteen to stop using Born in the USA. They switched to John Mellencamp's Little Pink Houses, and HE got pissed. Since then, rock bands having their songs borrowed by politicians without permission has become as much a part of the American election process as red, white, and blue confetti!

HuffingtonPost: Dropkick Murphys is not happy with Wisconsin governor Scott Walker...who used the band's song I'm Shipping Up to Boston...(They) tweeted.."Please stop using our music in any way...we literally hate you!!!"

...(I)n 2012...Dropkick Murphys lashed out at...Jeff Fitzgerald...for using the same song..."The stupidity and irony of this is laughable...A Wisconsin Republican...using a Dropkick Murphys song...is like a white supremacist coming out to gangsta rap!"

New York Times: Jackson Browne...won an undisclosed cash settlement and a public apology from John McCain and the Ohio Republican Party for using his hit Running on Empty...(to) attack...the energy policies of Barack Obama...

Ann and Nancy Wilson, the core of Heart, formally complained that Sarah Palin was using their hit Barracuda as a theme song without their permission...

Tom Petty forced Representative Michele Bachmann to quit using his song American Girl at her events by sending her a (cease-and-desist) letter...

In 2010 Don Henley...won a copyright lawsuit against Chuck DeVore...(who) had used satirical lyrics set to the backing tracks of...Boys of Summer (and) All She Wants to Do Is Dance to attack his opponent...

Xfinity.com: David Byrne hit...Charlie Crist with a million-dollar lawsuit for using Road to Nowhere without permission...Crist filmed a 90-second apology that aired on YouTube...

In early 2000, (Tom) Petty’s publishers sent a cease-and-desist letter to then-Texas governor George W. Bush after the latter used the song I Won’t Back Down during his presidential campaign...

After the McCain campaign began playing Our Country and Pink Houses at rallies during the 2008 presidential race, Mellencamp began quietly, and then not-so-quietly, requesting that they stop...

In 2004, the Bush campaign often spiced up public events with the 1976 Orleans’ hit Still the One. That sparked the ire of the song’s co-writer, John Hall, who later became a New York congressman...John McCain repeated the mistake at a 2008 campaign stop...

Dave Grohl and company were upset to learn presidential candidate John McCain had been using their hit My Hero as his campaign theme songs...

At the conclusion of the rally at which he announced Sarah Palin as his running mate, John McCain cranked up the volume on Van Halen hit Right Now. Little did he know that Eddie and Alex Van Halen were Obama supporters...

Jon Bon Jovi lashed out at Sarah Palin for using his band’s song Who Says You Can't Go Home during a 2008 rally – Bon Jovi had thrown a $30,000 per plate fundraiser for Obama the month before.

Last but not least is political radio show host Rush Limbaugh. He was asked by Chrissie Hynde to stop using My City Was Gone, while Rush the band told Rush the radio host to stop using Tom Sawyer and Spirit of The Radio (which includes the lyrics "but glittering prizes and endless compromises/shatter the illusion of integrity.")

And these are only the ROCK bands -- that's enough for a double compilation album, LOL! And I guess that having your music used by a politician you don't like is now as much as part of achieving superstardom as selling a zillion records!

P.S. Was Palin aware that Barracuda was written in response to rumors that Ann and Nancy Wilson was carrying on an incestuous lesbian relationship?

[rocknation]

MTV:

Tom Scholz, the founder and guitarist of (the) classic rock group Boston...(sent a) letter asking...Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee...to quit using More Than a Feeling in his presidential campaign...

Huckabee performed covers of the Boston hit and invited former Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau...to play with him...(W)rote Scholz: “Your claim that this was ’the guy who originally did it’ is a bit mystifying, since he never played on that recording, nor has he been ’of Boston’ since he left...over a quarter century ago after performing with us for only three years.”

Scholz goes on to say that his band has never endorsed a political candidate, “and with all due respect, would not start by endorsing a candidate who is the polar opposite of most everything Boston stands for. In fact, although I’m impressed you learned my bass guitar part on ’More Than a Feeling,’ I am an Obama supporter.

“...By using my song, and my band’s name...you have taken something of mine and used it to promote ideas to which I am opposed. In other words, I think I’ve been ripped off, dude!”

Rolling Stone:

Silversun Pickups have told Mitt Romney to stop using their song Panic Switch at campaign events, sending a cease-and-desist order to the Republican presidential hopeful.

"We don't like people going behind our backs, using our music without asking, and we don't like the Romney campaign," singer and guitarist Brian Aubert said in a statement..."We're nice, approachable people. We won't bite. Unless you're Mitt Romney!"

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ConsequenceOfSound.net:

...Donald Trump’s presidential campaign kicked off...in front of a crowd (that included) paid supporters to Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World...Beyond the fact that the song is actually a critique of Republican...social policies...Young never gave him permission...

Trump’s camp claimed they paid both ASCAP and BMI for rights to the song...Young said in a statement that Trump was not authorized...“Neil Young, a Canadian citizen, is a supporter of Bernie Sanders for President of the United States of America.”

Sanders...walked out to the track at a rally in Denver (Colorado) attended by an overflow audience of 4,500 people...(A)s far as we know, none of them were paid to be there...

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KATC.com:

Buckwheat Zydeco...is not pleased that his music was played at Gov. Bobby Jindal's presidential announcement event.

Buckwheat's music was among several songs that played...before Jindal and his supporters took the stage...The zydeco musician replied...on...Twitter...that Bobby Jindal using the music of Buckwheat and his band is "not cool at all."

He had much kinder words for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who strutted on stage to launch his presidential bid with Buckwheat's Make A Change playing in the background. He said Sanders' use of the song was "tres bien."

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DailyDot.com:

When Kentucky clerk Kim Davis was released from jail...she was met with a crowd of supporters that included two Republican presidential candidates.

As Davis walked out on stage...the 1982 Survivor hit Eye of The Tiger blared from the speakers. There's just one problem: The guys who wrote the song are horrified.

...Survivor lead guitarist Frankie Sullivan...said firmly that he did not grant anyone the rights to use the anthem at the rally. "I would not grant her the rights to use Charmin (toilet paper)," (he) added...

Davis was jailed because she says her religious beliefs didn't allow her to issue same-sex marriage licenses. However:

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OccupyDemocrats.com:

When Donald Trump appeared at a pro-war with Iran rally...he walked on to the R.E.M song The End Of The World As We Know It, a very unsubtle message...R.E.M was...not pleased...

“Personally, I think the Orange Clown will do anything for attention. I hate giving it to him,” (tweeted) founding member Mike Mills...

(L)ead singer...Michael Stipe sent this email...“Go f*ck yourselves, the lot of you—you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men. Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign!"

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Yahoo.com:

Dina LaPolt...an attorney for...Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler...sent a cease-and-desist letter to the GOP presidential frontrunner’s campaign (for) the second time...

“Trump for President does not have our client’s permission to use Dream On or any of our client’s other music in connection with the Campaign because it gives the false impression that he is connected with or endorses Mr. Trump’s presidential bid...In response, we sent the Previous Letter, respectfully explaining that such usage of Dream On was impermissible, and that our client does not consent to same.”

Tyler is a registered Republican and attended the GOP debate in August...“This is not a political nor personal issue...Steven works tirelessly with both Republicans and Democrats regarding copyright reform, and his position has always been consistent regarding copyright and intellectual property,” LaPolt said.

[rocknation]

Statement From Joe Walsh (Facebook 4/20/16)

It was my understanding that I was playing a concert which was a non-partisan event to benefit the families of American veterans on Monday, July 18 in Cleveland. The ad(vertisement) I approved said this specifically.

Today it was announced that this event is, in fact, a launch for the Republican National Convention. In addition, my name is to be used to raise sponsorship dollars for convention-related purposes. Therefore, I must humbly withdraw my participation in this event with apologies to any fans or veterans and their families that I might disappoint.

I am very concerned about the rampant vitriol, fear-mongering and bullying coming from the current Republican campaigns. It is both isolationist and spiteful. I cannot in good conscience endorse the Republican party in any way. I will look at doing a veteran related benefit concert later this year.

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AceShowbiz:

"The Rolling Stones have never given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs and have requested that they cease all use immediately," (they say) in a statement. In response, the presidential candidate tells CNBC, "I have no problem with that. I like Mick Jagger."

Jagger and his bandmates join Adele, Neil Young and R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe to ban Trump from playing their music at his rallies. Aerosmith's Steven Tyler also sent the Republican politician a cease-and-desist letter to stop him from using the band's "Dream On".

[rocknation]

QUEEN's BRIAN MAY Does Not Approve Of DONALD TRUMP's Use Of We Are The Champions

"I've had an avalanche of complaints...about Donald Trump using our We Are The Champions track as his 'theme'..." Queen guitarist Brian May wrote on his web site. "...I can confirm that permission to use the track was neither sought nor given. We are taking advice on what steps we can take to ensure this use does not continue...(I)t has always been against our policy to allow QUEEN music to be used as a political campaigning tool...I will make sure we take what steps we can to dissociate ourselves from Donald Trump's unsavoury campaign."