Heh.
Apparently the Republicans have gotten into the habit of blaring Heart’s “Barracuda” — which I rock on in Guitar Hero, btw — in reference to Sarah Palin. This is a problem for the girls of Heart, who basically hate everything Sarah Palin stands for.
They emailed the McCain/Palin campaign on Thursday afternoon, asking that they no longer use their song, but then it was played again on Thursday night.
“The Republican campaign did not ask for permission to use the song, nor would they have been granted that permission,” said their initial email to the campaign. When it was still played, Nancy Wilson called Entertainment Weekly to vent. “I think it’s completely unfair to be so misrepresented. I feel completely fucked over,” she said. She and her sister Ann then emailed this statement to EW.com: “Sarah Palin’s views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song ‘Barracuda’ no longer be used to promote her image. The song ‘Barracuda’ was written in the late ’70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The ‘barracuda’ represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there’s irony in Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it there.”
Ouch.
What they’re saying is no one can play their song without their permission. So if I wanted to play Heart music at a party, I would have to have their permission? These idiots and their music are making public spectacles of themselves by whining about this. Heart should be happy anyone under the age of 40 knows who they are.
I’m pretty sure the Heart girls are Canadians anyways. So they probably need to lighten up a bit.
I noticed that “Barracuda” was playing after McCain’s speech last night, and I idly wondered whether Heart would be cool with that. Question answered, wow.
@ veronica. In the music business you cannot take a song WITHOUT permission. Now, this may be confusing, but listening to a song vs. taking a song and using for “gain” i.e., promos, commercials, conventions, etc., is illegal without the permission of artists. A party i.e. kegs, smoking, apps, etc., are not copyright violations. Anyone under 40 comment is rude and lame because the song is on Guitar Hero in which people under 40 play (my sons under 8) and they use the song for an auto commercial. No fault to Gov. Palin, but it’s not legal. That is (music) copyright, show business 101.
In case anyone was wondering, there is an actual reason why the Republican Party has chosen to play this song at the convention, and it’s not even a political one. Apparently Sarah Palin used to play a bunch of sports when she was in school and her nickname at that time, that her teammates gave her, was “Sarah Barracuda”, thus the song choice.
not the first time the GOP has appropriated a song without permission. i believe it was either reagan or bush, sr. who used “born in the USA” at the convention and was issued a cease & desist notice from springsteen. pesky copyright laws…who needs ’em?
i heart heart.
Blah… Beet, everyone can rock Barracuda on gh, now if you FC the hell out of the song, do all the right paths, and then get 100%… Ok, I’ve seriously have got to stop playing gh.
not cool, I wouldn’t want to be associated with that ticket either, team Heart!
Sorry Showdown, the Heart girls aren’t Canadian. They only lived in Canada for a while in the 70s so the guys in their band wouldn’t get drafted by the US army. They’re originally from Seattle.
@ quirkygirlkitten: LOL! Is that true? Isn’t “Born in the USA” about Vietnam Vets who were betrayed by America?
@ jemms, good for you for pointing out that Veronica is retarded and cannot comprehend what she reads. The article mentions nothing about copyright violations but rather the owners’ disagreement with what Palin stands for. Didn’t they test you in like the 5th grade for this sort of thing Veronica?
ew, republicans just suck at life.
I actually blogged about this this morning because I loved that they played this song at the end of the convention.. I was thinking.. wow, they are rockin’ it out. And as I was blogging ran across the article that Heart was upset about it…
Im thinking.. wow, just be happy someone thought enough of your music to play it.. and in a huge forum of folks. How could they have known before hand their political preference. geez.
Politics and entertainment are always tricky. As has already been pointed out, this is not the first time a Republican candidate or the RNC has used a song presuming that the artist would be ok with it. The Wilson sisters as the writers of their song have the right to deceide what is appropriate us of their music. It is the beauty of our laws.
Heart hardly needs the extra support, so those of you that think they must be desperate for attention need to realize that you need to learn more about music. And since when to Canadians need to lighten up!!
quirkykitten, they indeed do that to Springsteen as well as John Mellencamp.. “Little Pink Houses” study the laws before you take song for anykind of commercial/monatary gain/promos… you will get sued.
I’d say at 17 I’m a wee bit below 40 and as it happens I know heart.
IMHO, the RNC’s use of Sarah’s basketball moniker of barracuda is indeed political… They want to promote the image that she is cool and a rebel. Actually it is a more appropriate metaphor than I think the RNC intended… Sarah Palin strikes me as pretty ruthless.
Did anyone see Palin on the cover of People Magazine? I am ashamed of myself for being so petty, but they used a very unflattering photograph, which showed a puffy jawline, and gave me a happy moment.
I saw Heart perform not long ago, and they still have it. Wonderful classic rock band. Heart is much loved by my generation, but those of us in our 50s were in the minority – the audience was a sea of kids under 40.
I am sure when that song was heard people didn’t go, “oh $hit, Heart’s gone Republican”. Seriously. For what that song stands for, it is sad that those two old bags can’t appreciate another woman’s climb up in a male dominated industry. I was going to buy that album but because they can’t separate politics from their own selfishness, forget it.
Well, I knew this would happen and GOOD for them! I wouldn’t want to be associated with that nasty ass ticket if my life depended on it.
p.s. @ jinxi: are you kidding me?
hee hee hee… p.s. @ jinxi: what you said!
politics aside, it looked like a huge party with balloons, good music and tons o’ people… I wonder if they had any booze there?!? besides, ever notice how it’s harder for some folks to not be blinded by there political leanings and just plain dislike others because of theirs?
I love Heart, and Im waay under 40, so does everyone else I know. Stop making up reasons to degrade them just because they dont want their music, that they worked so hard on, to be associated with these crappy people, who didnt even care enough to ask permission.
The Wilson sisters are not the sole writers of Barracuda. The other members of Heart, who are listed as co-writers of the song, have stated they are fine with the Republican party using the song, and consider it good publicity.
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=91
Not-for-profits aren’t required to get permission to play recorded music anyway, as long as it’s something they’re not charging admission for.
if it were ann wilson doing all the complaining you could just do what everyone does to make her happy about it; throw the fat whale a couple dozen dead fish. anyone that even listens to heart at this time and date needs to get out more. same with springsteen. it ain’t 1980 anymore guys!
censorthis, heed thy own call, eh?
If the alternative to listening to the down right REAL rock of Heart is, oh, Avril or Good Charlotte or Fall Out Boy or imitation R & B, ala Timberfake and Rihanna, I’d rather just stay inside and pretend there’s some fucking real musicians being promoted instead of the crap out there now. Fashion Rocks, my ass. Vocoder, ass, and mucho payola, and ya got the current crop of successful “artists”. I saw Heart a month ago and Ann can sing all of them under the table and Nancy can out play just about any of these wannabes.
Please…it boggles the mind….
As to politics, the “normal” average person WOULD think Heart approved…it’s a given. I can see why they don’t want to be associated. The musicians may have helped write it, but Annie Wilson’s VOICE makes it memorable as HEART. Just the facts, m’am.
Peace!
To censorthis Says: Um, apparently it is YOU that needs to get out more, as Journey, Heart & Cheap Trick have sold out just about every venue they have played this summer and are considered one of the hot summer tours. The way you trashed Ann Wilson with your mean words speaks volumes about what kind of person you are anyway.
They should be excited someone has played one of their songs in the past 10 years. Their old news.
to independantvoter: hee, hee…you actually admit that you would still go see journey, heart or cheap trick? especially cheap trick? hoowee!! if they’re the hottest summer tours it’s because people like you are still listening to cassette tapes. if you’re a male, i bet you still wear leisure suits. if you’re a woman, i bet you still have your mum from your high school prom. for those of us that have moved on to ipods and downloads, i’m just thankful that i don’t have to endure your concerts, as i’m sure the sight of you aging rockers ‘getting down’ and doing the gator and shit is something your kids, and those of your peers that actually advanced, would be ashamed to watch. rock on!! and i actually feel for ann wilson. vut for a short time, she was always the ugly one and had to live in the shadow of the totally hot sister. i guarantee you if this band had been two fat women…they wouldn’t have been near as popular. for you oldsters, just look at the mamas and the poppas…two mama cass’s would have sunk that ship too. lesson in life..you always gotta have a pretty one in the group to make it big. oh yeah, i hear rod stewarts touring! better get in line for that too.
Anon, are you serious? That specific song has been used in at least two major movie soundtracks in the last ten years.
I would totally go see Journey, Heart, and Cheap Trick. And I started listening to them in the past two years. So stop making fun of my cassettes, beeeyooootch.
And I’m pretty much in love with Mark Knopfler. (Except for the old, creepy-looking thing he has going on.)
@ quirkygirlkitten and Lah-Dee-Dah It was reagan who used Born in the USA, I’m actually old enough to remember it. Springsteen actually said how ironic it was (reagan never went to war) and that he doubted Reagan had ever listened to the song
Reagan was in the military for more than 8 years, and because of vision problems (this was decades before eye surgery and well before contacts) was not given a combat rating.
The greatest irony is labeling corporations soulless when they have no power to FORCE anyone to do ANYTHING. How utterly *STUPID* and *IGNORANT*. If Heart had a single brain cell among them they would defend corporations and rally against the only social institution that CONTROLS people – Government. Yet no liberal dares face reality.