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How long does it take to get a stamp in the US?
News of some band suing some other band over an uncleared sample isn't unusual. What isn't common is for it to take two decades for the band to get round to bringing the legal action.
That's what's happened with The Knack, though, who have suddenly realised the guts of It's Tricky by Run DMC is My Sharona. Or, rather, their Sharona.
If it's not ridiculous enough that they've filed this after twenty years, the list of names on the lawsuit is even more absurd.
As well as suing Run DMC, The Knack are suing Rick Rubin. And Arista Records.
Oh, and Rush Groove Music and Rush Communications.
Yahoo, Napster, iTunes... you get the idea. If you've ever whistled the tune in the street, you'll probably be on there.
Oh, and it's not merely that The Knack are claiming they should have been paid for the sample. Oh, no, that's only the start of their misfortunes:
The document asserts that, because of Run-DMC's sampling of "My Sharona," Fieger and Averre have "suffered actual damages, including lost profits, lost opportunities, loss of goodwill, lost publicity, attorneys' fees and interest."
What "lost opportunities" do they think they've missed out on? Signing to DefJam? Hanging out with the Beastie Boys? Free tennis shoes from Addidas?
The key question, of course, is if they've been suffering so much since 1986, why is it only now that they've brought the legal action?
Unbelievably, The Knack's Doug Fieger and Berton Averre reckon they'd never heard the Run DMC before last year.
The legal document doesn't suggest they've been living on the International Space Station, but we look forward to seeing how they've managed to miss one of the most famous rap songs for all this time.
3 comments:
I always enjoy postings like this, in a perverse sort of way - astonishing how many absolutely stupid, arrogant people there are in the music industry.
I love the idea that (if you actually for some utterly bizarre reason believe any of the rubbish the band are claiming) they've not been listening to popular music for the last twenty years and just spent their time sitting around saying "hey, berton", "yeah doug?", "you ever wonder why we're not making money, not getting any good will and never getting any attention any more?", "no but come to think of it I do feel some actual damage occuring in my vicinity!"
I've never heard the Run DMC track in question mind you.
Perhaps the guys from the Knack just can't stand rap music? That's my excuse.
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