Here's something you might be interested in.
With the new year, we heard a lot about new laws that passed. It's the cell phone while driving, that ticks me off. I can do it. I shouldn't be punished for all you idiots that can't.
But, for two days, I kept hearing about this "Creedence Clearwater Revival Bill" as the radio hosts were calling it.
It basically stated, that if a band was going to use a name...The Platters, The Coasters, The Tokens, whatever -- they had to have AT LEAST one original member of that band.
I know. That sounds like a given. But all the bands listed have toured, with none of the original members. Somebody that was a nephew owned the rights, and got a bunch of younger guys, wearing tuxedoes, that belted out The Lion Sleeps Tonight, to a bunch of fans at an Indian casino. That always seemed to be the story.
That's why sometimes you'd see bands, like the Coaster's, with the original singers name in front of it, so you would know it had him (one of my favorite 50s bands, by the way).
My favorite story about bands doing these things, involves Steppenwolf (on a side note, their song MONSTER is as good an epic as Stairway to Heaven).
They toured without original singer/songwriter John Kay. That lasted a few years. And, lawsuits were filed. They worked out a deal where the band could use the name Steppenwolf, even without Kay, but he got all the royalties from future "album sales." The band figured that was a great deal. Who else was going to buy albums. It was the mid 70s, and everyone already owned Born to Be Wild and Magic Carpet Ride.
But a funny thing happened on the tour stop at the Forum (or, at the little biker bars they played). CDs were invented. And, 60s bands started selling. A lot. Especially compilation/greatest hits discs. And, Born to Be Wild was used in over 80 movies and commercials.
And people stopped seeing the band, once they realized John Kay wasn't fronting them. He made millions and millions, for owning all the rights. The band asked him to change the deal. He said no.
But back to Creedence Clearwater Revival. It's odd that they are being talked about as a band that toured without their original guys. Sure, they don't have John Fogerty, but before his brother (and original CCR member) died, he was with them. They had two key original members. And, they called themselves Creedence Clearwater REVISITED (a slightly different name, with the same initials).
The new bill says bands have to bill themselves as tribute bands, if they don't have an original member. Again, this doesn't affect CCR. They still have two.
And they still play the casinos and fairs, while Forgerty plays the bigger halls.
They both play songs from the CCR catalog.
And I'm sure, in the future, more lawsuits will be filed.
With the new year, we heard a lot about new laws that passed. It's the cell phone while driving, that ticks me off. I can do it. I shouldn't be punished for all you idiots that can't.
But, for two days, I kept hearing about this "Creedence Clearwater Revival Bill" as the radio hosts were calling it.
It basically stated, that if a band was going to use a name...The Platters, The Coasters, The Tokens, whatever -- they had to have AT LEAST one original member of that band.
I know. That sounds like a given. But all the bands listed have toured, with none of the original members. Somebody that was a nephew owned the rights, and got a bunch of younger guys, wearing tuxedoes, that belted out The Lion Sleeps Tonight, to a bunch of fans at an Indian casino. That always seemed to be the story.
That's why sometimes you'd see bands, like the Coaster's, with the original singers name in front of it, so you would know it had him (one of my favorite 50s bands, by the way).
My favorite story about bands doing these things, involves Steppenwolf (on a side note, their song MONSTER is as good an epic as Stairway to Heaven).
They toured without original singer/songwriter John Kay. That lasted a few years. And, lawsuits were filed. They worked out a deal where the band could use the name Steppenwolf, even without Kay, but he got all the royalties from future "album sales." The band figured that was a great deal. Who else was going to buy albums. It was the mid 70s, and everyone already owned Born to Be Wild and Magic Carpet Ride.
But a funny thing happened on the tour stop at the Forum (or, at the little biker bars they played). CDs were invented. And, 60s bands started selling. A lot. Especially compilation/greatest hits discs. And, Born to Be Wild was used in over 80 movies and commercials.
And people stopped seeing the band, once they realized John Kay wasn't fronting them. He made millions and millions, for owning all the rights. The band asked him to change the deal. He said no.
But back to Creedence Clearwater Revival. It's odd that they are being talked about as a band that toured without their original guys. Sure, they don't have John Fogerty, but before his brother (and original CCR member) died, he was with them. They had two key original members. And, they called themselves Creedence Clearwater REVISITED (a slightly different name, with the same initials).
The new bill says bands have to bill themselves as tribute bands, if they don't have an original member. Again, this doesn't affect CCR. They still have two.
And they still play the casinos and fairs, while Forgerty plays the bigger halls.
They both play songs from the CCR catalog.
And I'm sure, in the future, more lawsuits will be filed.