Monthly Archives: March, 2012

MAR 9, 2012 - Fender Musical Instruments Inc., makers of some of the top guitars in Rock and Roll history, have filed for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the filing they said, "We have a portfolio of some of the most recognized global music lifestyle brands and products. Our brands are used by many of the world’s best known musicians and groups, both current and historical. We believe that the use of our products by these professional musicians, whose popularity and actions often influence consumers, establishes the authenticity of our brands so consumers aspire to own our products and are inspired to create their own music using our products." Read the filing here.   (photo credit: Bearfaced/Flickr)

MAR 7, 2012 - The Canadian rock trio Rush, whose songs were being used by talk show host Rush Limbaugh as "bumpers" for his show, has received a letter from Rush's management demanding that Limbaugh immediately stop using any of the band's music in his show. The letter points out how using their music in a political show is a copyright infringement, and more importantly the band does not want people to assume that the band endorses or supports the hateful rhetoric Limbaugh engages in.  (photo credit: Enrico Frangi/Wiki)

Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart have dabbled in activism over the years. They helped raise money during Canada's SARS outbreak in 2003, and donated money to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. Geddy Lee, being a huge baseball fan, donated baseballs signed by legendary black baseball players to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The guitarist, Alex Lifeson, developed a line of amplifiers stating that a donation would be made to UNICEF for every amp sold. Also, they are very involved with Grapes for Humanity Canada, where they help tragedy victims around the world, and "helping these victims become self-sufficient citizens of the world".

Here is the letter that was sent to Rush Limbaugh:

The Rush Limbaugh Show
1270 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Ladies & Gentlemen:

I am the attorney for Rush, their management company, S.R.O. Management Inc., their music publishing company, Core Music Publishing and their record company, The Anthem Entertainment Group Inc.

According to media reports, Rush Limbaugh, Premiere Radio Networks and The Rush Limbaugh Show have been using Rush’s recorded music as part of what is essentially a political broadcast.

The use of Rush’s music in this way is an infringement of Rush’s copyrights and trademarks. The public performance of Rush’s music is not licensed for political purposes and any such use is in breach of public performance licenses and constitutes copyright infringement. There are civil and criminal remedies for copyright infringement, including statutory damages and fines.

In addition, the use of Rush’s music in this manner implies an endorsement of the views expressed and products advertised on the show, and is in breach of not only copyright and trademark rights, but also, of section 51 of the New York Civil Rights Law (excerpt attached). Accordingly, we hereby demand that you immediately stop all use of Rush’s music and confirm that you will do so.

Yours very truly,
Robert A. Farmer
Director of Legal Affairs
S.R.O. Management Inc., Core Music Publishing
The Anthem Entertainment Group Inc.

(Full and original text here)

Here is Rush at the SARS benefit concert in 2003:

MAR 6, 2012 - Peter Gabriel was shocked to learn that his song "Sledgehammer" was in the background playing when conservative talk radio personality Rush Limbaugh was attacking Georgetown University law student and activist Sandra Fluke for speaking out on the need for her to use contraceptives for ovarian cyst prevention, and the need for that medicine to be available for all women as medicine covered by their insurance plans. Peter Gabriel has been a musical activist for years, from speaking out about human rights and peace, and working with Amnesty International. In 1980 he wrote a song for Steve Biko, an anti-apartheid activist that was beaten and killed by South African police. He has recently gave his support for a campaign to release an Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who was sentenced to death by Iranian courts for adultery.

In a statement on his Facebook Page, a spokesperson said, "Peter was appalled to learn that his music was linked to Rush Limbaugh's extraordinary attack on Sandra Flute. It is obvious from anyone that knows Peter's work that he would never approve such a use. He has asked his representatives to make sure his music is withdrawn and especially from these unfair aggressive and ignorant comments.”

Connect with JTMP and Peter Gabriel on Facebook, and below is a powerful live version of his song, "Biko" from the 1986 Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope Tour.
(Photo credit zarabeatriz/Flickr)

MAR 5, 2012 - Laura Clawson over at Daily Kos has a great review and article about Bruce Springsteen's new album, "Wrecking Ball", and how he has cranked up his musical activism recently, and has really captured the Occupy movement in song and prose.

Laura wrote, "[Wrecking Ball] contains some of the most political music he's written. It is also, in places, deeply gospel-inflected, with the political and spiritual knitting into a moral argument. We may be lost, individually or as a society, we may be oppressed and barely clinging to hope. But we can't believe either that it's good enough for things to be better in the next world (there's no "you'll get pie in the sky when you die" on Wrecking Ball) or that the fight for something better in the here and now is anything but a fight for our souls and the soul of the nation." Bruce's 17th album "Wrecking Ball" will be out tomrrow, March 6. Check out the article over at Daily Kos here, and listen to the track "Death To My Hometown" from the upcoming album  below.   (Photo credit Lord_Henry/Flickr)

MAR 5, 2012 - Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta have launched the "Born This Way Foundation", a non-profit based out of Harvard University with a mission to stop bullying against the LBGT community in our schools and society. In a statement Lady Gaga said, "My mother and I have initiated a passion project. We call it the Born This Way Foundation. Together we hope to establish a standard of Bravery and Kindness, as well as a community worldwide that protects and nurtures others in the face of bullying and abandonment."

A "Born To Be Brave" bus will follow her current North American tour, to help spread awareness on this issue. A kick-off event was held on February 29, 2012, and along with Lady Gaga speaking, there was Oprah and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and others. Connect on Facebook with JTMP and Born This Way, and watch the video below of the event.