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'Boston' to Huckabee: Stop Playing Our Song!

It's not often you can feel genuine sympathy for rock stars that made truckloads of cash polluting the world with their catchy, but crappy songs. But given the above performance by Mike Huckabee's cover band Capitol Offense, it's easy to understand Boston founder and songwriter Tom Scholz's deep, unending shame for the artistic transgressions of his youth, lucrative though they were. Huckabee's recreation of the band's 1976 oh-my-god-please-make-Clear-Channel-stop-playing-that hit "More Than a Feeling" at an Iowa campaign stop—which featured a guest appearance by one-time Boston lead guitarist Barry Goudreau, a Huckabee supporter—invites, no, begs for all the mockery one can muster. Turns out, though, that Schulz's problem with the performance (aside from that it sucked) was Huckabee's use of the song to promote his presidential candidacy. Scholz, who alleges that the Huckabee campaign has continued to use the song since the ill-considered performance in Iowa, wrote a letter to the presidential contender yesterday, explaining his troubled mind:

Boston 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.

Um, what, you ask, does Boston stand for? Personally, I thought it was slick studio over-production and a period of my life, around the 6th grade, when I had yet to kiss a girl or shave my peach fuzz, and my musical tastes were still recovering from Stryper and Ratt. But I digress... Scholz's letter continued:

By using my song, and my band’s name Boston, 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!

Yes, he wrote the word "dude." For their part, Huckabee's people couldn't care less what Scholz thinks. His New Hampshire campaign manager responded to the letter:

Governor Huckabee plays "Sweet Home Alabama." Does that mean that Lynyrd Skynyrd is endorsing him? He plays "Louie Louie." Does that mean that the Kingsmen are endorsing him? To me, it's ridiculous. Never once has he said, "The band Boston endorses me."

Of course, rock 'n' roll has an illustrious history when it comes to political campaigns. Bill Clinton rocked out to Fleetwood Mac. Obama jams to U2, and Hillary has a thing for Celine Dion (one can only imagine why she thinks that might help her chances at winning the White House). And until last week, McCain had a soft spot for the populist, Red-American icon John Mellencamp. But when the Indiana rocker complained about the misappropriation of hit songs "Pink Houses" and "Our Country" by the Republican candidate, McCain agreed to remove the songs from rotation.

Comments

McCain did the right thing. If someone asks you not to use their song (for whatever reason) the right thing to do is stop playing the song.

Huckabee is a classless act if he refuses the request.

Posted by: capt on 02/15/08 at 1:35 PM Respond

"If you're listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you're a bigger moron than they are.
Why are we rock stars? Because we're morons.
We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal."
--Alice Cooper-- 2004

Once you take the money and publish your song, anyone, and I mean ANYONE who wants to pay the royalties is free to play it in public.
Julio Iglesius,
Alice Cooper,
David Tobias,
Weird Al,

ANYONE!

There's not a G.D. thing you can do about it.
Whether you don't like their musical style, despise their politics or choke on their bad breath, it's not your call any more.

Every professional knows this when they take the money and publish their music.

Posted by: Alice Cooper on 02/15/08 at 1:48 PM Respond

Alice Cooper.....gotta love him. No classless act there!

Posted by: silverlucie on 02/15/08 at 2:08 PM Respond

Is Huckabee paying royalties to play the song?

Posted by: capt on 02/15/08 at 2:12 PM Respond

If he isn't, then he's in violation of copyright laws by performing it in public, and open to a lawsuit.

Since a letter of complaint is all he got, I'd say he's most probably abiding by the law.

Posted by: Alice Cooper on 02/15/08 at 2:34 PM Respond

Ummm....not to evade the question, but who is the author to insult Boston? So he says he was in the 6th grade during Boston's prime time, well, I guess that explains his vitriolic comments. Huckabee? He's not worth the print.

Posted by: Truthpeeler on 02/15/08 at 3:00 PM Respond

I loved the Band Boston. Their first album was fresh and rocked. (maybe a little over-engineered)I heard them live and they did not have the same sound as in studio.

If Huckabee IS paying royalties he has the right to use it. I wonder if Huck is paying the record company or distributor. That would mean Tom (Boston) needs to take it up with them legally.

I know if an artist asked me not to use their art I would respect the request.

Posted by: capt on 02/15/08 at 3:09 PM Respond

Dude, lighten up on Rock you Ass Hat.

Posted by: Hey on 02/15/08 at 5:55 PM Respond

Ozzy had bush pegged ahead of the main stream media.

Posted by: Court of Progressive Justice on 02/15/08 at 9:21 PM Respond

Alice is probably correct. But I wish when writing a snotty, opinionated blog about someone not wanting his name/song associated with a jerk he would use the right words. It's "Huckabee's people *COULDN'T* care less, not could. :-)

Posted by: Beuu on 02/16/08 at 7:32 AM Respond

Touché, Beuu. Edit made.

Posted by: Bruce Falconer on 02/16/08 at 8:54 AM Respond

Is that Huck playing bass? He's a total poser. At about 2:40 in the video you can see him [?] flipping through papers...he doesn't even know the song!

Posted by: Paul the Pirate on 02/16/08 at 3:52 PM Respond

If he isn't, then he's in violation of copyright laws by performing it in public, and open to a lawsuit.

Posted by: kale kasa on 02/18/08 at 3:13 AM Respond

Thanks.. good

Posted by: bedava program on 02/18/08 at 3:14 AM Respond

thankss so much

Posted by: ilahiler on 06/29/08 at 1:22 AM Respond

Very nice article! Thanks for this!

Posted by: 中古ビデオ on 10/23/08 at 11:37 PM Respond