Eric Burdon Latest Rock Legend to Denounce Use of Music at Trump Rally
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Eric Burdon (at R) with the Animals
Eric Burdon has become the latest rock legend to denounce the use of his music at a rally for President Trump. The former frontman of the Animals took to his social platforms on Saturday (September 5) to decry the campaign’s recent use of the British Invasion band’s 1964 classic rock hit, “The House of the Rising Sun” without his permission.
Burdon, who turned 79 on May 11, wrote, in part: “A tale of sin and misery set in a brothel suits him so perfectly!” (See his complete statement below.)
The campaign has used the Animals’ version of the song in the past.
The song was the biggest chart hit ever by the Animals, eventually hitting #1 on both the British and American pop charts. But the credits on the single brought longstanding strife to the band.
As a public domain folk blues song (i.e., never originally copyrighted), artists could take an arrangement credit when they recorded it and receive songwriter royalties.
When the single was released in the U.S. on July 25, 1964, on MGM Records, the only name credited as “writer” was that of keyboard player Alan Price.
“This is my answer #vote #saveourdemocracy”
Burdon’s statement comes after several other public denouncements towards the Trump 2020 Presidential campaign. On June 20, Tom Petty’s family published a terse response to the unauthorized use of the musician’s “I Won’t Back Down” and issued a cease and desist notice. “Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate,” said the letter.
On August 4, Neil Young filed a lawsuit against the President’s 2020 campaign for copyright infringement for the public performance of his copyrighted musical compositions.
Burdon’s complete statement: “Even though nobody asked my permission, I wasn’t surprised to learn that #Trump #864511320 used #Houseof theRisingSun for his rally the other day…A tale of sin and misery set in a brothel suits him so perfectly! Far more appropriate for this time in our history might be” #WeGottaGetOutofThisPlace.
This is my answer #vote #saveourdemocracy #bidenharris2020
5 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationThis hatred for the ONLY President to make sure they got paid for their music online! As usual, hypocrites!
Nice try, but none of them have been paid.
He’s never paid a dime to any of the artists that wrote the songs he steals to play for the horde of his disgusting followers. He’s is despised for the way he has brought the level of discourse within America to the lowest and meanest in our history. History will not be kind to DJT.
Nice try Jeff, but playing the songs with a ASCAP license is ok. They do get paid every time it plays unless they sold the rights. In fact house of the rising sun is a folk song, So its not Burdoins to own.
Another example of the lies spouted by the Trump campaign.