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The Spectacle Blog
For some reason, I had Rush drummer Neil Peart on the brain this morning. I’m not sure why. I haven’t listened to any Rush music in ages.
Then lo and behold, I saw Daniel Flynn’s article about Rush demanding that Rush Limbaugh stop using their songs as bumper music, specifically “Spirit of the Radio”:
It would be a shame if Rush’s musical boycott of Rush’s broadcasts leads to listeners of Rush (the AM talker) ceasing to be listeners of Rush (the FM rockers). “Red Barchetta”, “Subdivisions”, “The Pass”, and “Tom Sawyer” remain on the radio decades after we first heard them for good reason. The same is true of Rush Limbaugh.
Rush, like Rush, are very good at what they do. A boycott for a boycott leaves the whole world broke.
I would add “New World Man” and “Distant Early Warning” to that list.
Now I can understand Rush not wanting Rush to use their music. Imagine if you’re a country artist who is a conservative. You might not appreciate it if you hear your song being played by Rachel Maddow after she calls Dan Savage a genius for orchestrating a campaign to savage Rick Santorum’s name on Google. On the other hand, artists have no control over who might like their music. So it’s entirely possible for Rush Limbaugh to like Rush’s music even he doesn’t agree with their political views.
The Canadian progressive rock trio isn’t the only musical act to demand Limbaugh stop using their music following his crude comments against Georgetown Law School student Sandra Fluke for which he has since apologized. Peter Gabriel and Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds have also demanded that Limbaugh stop using their music as well. Limbaugh has used both Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” and The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ “Tuff Enuff” (both of which were big hits in the fall of 1986.)
Of course, we’ve seen this stuff on the campaign trail. During the 2008 campaign, Heart went crazy on Sarah Palin for playing “Barracuda” (a song that was associated with her long before she entered politics) during the 2008 campaign. In 2012, Tom Petty lived up to his name when he asked Michele Bachmann to stop playing “American Girl” at her rallies while Newt Gingrich was sued for his homage to Rocky III when he played “Eye of the Tiger” at his rallies and at other events prior to his presidential campaign. Now Newt uses Rick Derringer’s “I am a Real American” as he did following Super Tuesday. Am I the only one to notice a Hulk Hogan theme in Newt’s musical tastes?
It is worth noting attorney Larry Iser (who went to court to stop John McCain from playing Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty”) doesn’t think Rush has a case against Rush because radio stations are permitted to play any music from a publishing catalogue. So when Rush plays a snippet of a Rush song, Geddy Lee and company get paid. Iser adds that if an artist doesn’t want a program to pay their song, the program can always play another song. But that could mean another cease and desist letter.
Perhaps the best thing Rush and conservative politicians can do is to hire musicians to write material for them. They could take a page from JFK’s book and have Frank Sinatra ask Sammy Cahn re-write the lyrics of “High Hopes” and Jack Kennedy gets elected to the White House. Surely we can find our Sammy Cahns?
View all comments (37) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/03/09/when-liberal-musicians-dont-li
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gg| 3.9.12 @ 11:55AM
Funny ... any time I've heard the Limbaugh show I've wondered about this. I guarantee Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders HATES him. But their song is the intro song. One wonders if royalties are involved ...
diskojoe| 3.9.12 @ 1:37PM
Here's the story about "My City Is Gone" & Rush's use of it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_City_Was_Gone
tonypal| 3.9.12 @ 4:47PM
She's a lefty, but she's cool with it.
Bob Grant| 3.9.12 @ 11:57AM
RUSH (the band) needs to understand where their bread gets buttered.
Liberals DO NOT listen to RUSH (the band). They despise RUSH (the band).
Don't you think it's odd why RUSH never made it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Liberal rock journalists vote on who goes and who stays out.
They hate RUSH (the band) because of their Ayn Rand and objectivist messages in their songs. The mainstream media hates Rush for those very same reasons.
If RUSH (the band) was smart they'd just stay out of this debate and quietly collect whatever checks they receive from Excellence in Broadcasting.
Stupid Musicians!!!!!!!!!!!
Teflon93| 3.9.12 @ 2:19PM
This is what makes their stance so ironic. It is the same with metal bands---liberals don't support heavy metal music and never have.
Simon Templar| 3.9.12 @ 12:06PM
Are you braindead or what?
You are advocating people who sell products and services in a capitalistic market start deciding that they will only sell to those consumers who share their political views and world view and there standards and definitions of what is right and wrong. This is for consumers to decide, not producers. Maybe we should favor a different price structure, liberals could get a 30 percent discount! We could have all companies and producers line up and identify themselves politically, warning labels could be put on these products, not for sale to conservatives. We could have voter registration and political identification cards. Sorry, can't sell you those diapers for your kid, we do not associate our products with you conservative racist rabble.
You can understand why Rush does not want to sell to Rush? Start hiring our "own" musicians?
This is not as funny as you think it is, and your glib attitude about it all is telling.
Aaron Goldstein| 3.9.12 @ 1:08PM
Once again Squishy Simon displays his remarkable talent for missing the point.
Yes, I do understand Rush not wanting Rush Limbaugh to play their music. Just as I understand Sam Moore of Sam & Dave not wanting President Obama to play "Hold On, I'm Coming".
To suggest that I am advocating a system by which recording artists restrict the sale of their music is utter balderdash. Apparently you didn't get to the part where I wrote "artists have no control over who might like their music." Tom Petty has no control over whether Michele Bachmann likes his music. Didn't I say Tom Petty was living up to his name when he denied Michele Bachmann permission to use his material?
So yes, if recording artists are unwilling to let conservative politicians and figures use their material then what's wrong with commissioning a musician to write songs? If we don't like what's being put out there on film and TV by liberal Hollywood then let's make our own films and TV programs and the same applies to music.
Simon Templar| 3.9.12 @ 2:29PM
You wrote,
To suggest that I am advocating a system by which recording artists restrict the sale of their music is utter balderdash. Apparently you didn't get to the part where I wrote "artists have no control over who might like their music."
They are indeed restricting that sale and you accept it and understand it. You just said so.
What does 'an artist has no control over who likes their music' have to do with anything?
Yeah, and they should not be restricting who can buy it either. Yes, they have a right to copyright but that does not entitle them to discriminate as to who can buy it.
I happen to believe in freedom and the idea that no one should be restricted in their access to products and services in a free market capitalist system and this applies to the sale of music as well as homes, educations, or whatever.
I also believe that as consumers of those movies, Hollywood, and TV that they have every write to confront, demand, not like what they produce, and actively pursue them to provide what they want as any other consumer of any other companies products and services. Have you ever taken a marketing course? They do not teach people to make products and shove them unto the public and if you do not like them, tough, go somewhere else or start your own company. They do not say to people, 'hey, I will not sell that to you, get out of here.'
You have a remarkable talent in refusing any sort of criticism or alternate point of view.
Something they teach in communication colleges..the burden of communication is on the sender. You should think before you write, the ideas and positions you take have ramnifications in the real world.
Squishy Simon, that is cute. Just more glib and childishness.
Simon Templar| 3.9.12 @ 2:44PM
By the way I never said it was not ok to commission anyone for anything. Let alone music.
This is testimony to the fact that YOU do not read my post, nor get a single point of any of it.
Your typical response is to dismiss as gibberish, that is it. If you can not handle feedback then turn your comment section off.
Funny thing. Your readers seem to understand me and agree with me more often then they agree with you, as of late.
Al Adab| 3.9.12 @ 12:17PM
What happened to Charlotte Churchs' sales after she called President Bush a t**t? Christians were her biggest fans.
squalis| 3.9.12 @ 12:24PM
So disheatened to learn that Peter Gabriel has joined the ridiculous battle of musicians vs. politics. As a getting longer in the tooth ultimate fan of the Gabriel / Banks / Rutherford / Hackett / Collins line-up of Genesis, I have been a huge fan of PG's solo career. He has had an obvious gravitation towards the causes of "social justice", but the great music, often with quite the comic edge, kept coming (Sledgehammer, Kiss That Frog, Big Time, I Have the Touch, and Kiss of Life to name a few). His love "ballads" (Secret World, Lay Your Hands on Me, In Your Eyes) have always been far more stirring than the usual inane love songs one hears.
I wish he would keep the perspective of D.I.Y. a bit more often, because, I am afraid that if we keep hurtling down our current path, one day (and I think it's soon) we will look around us with nothing left to say but "Lord, Here Comes the Flood."
Al Adab| 3.9.12 @ 12:51PM
BTW: Many thanks to the Amspec webmasters who got the site back to normal after several weeks of security problems. We complained then, the least we can do now is say, "THANK YOU".
Dan Phillips| 3.9.12 @ 1:25PM
I had heard that Rush were libertarians/Randians. The lyrics to their song "The Trees" are quite commendable to both libertarians and conservatives.
http://www.sing365.com/music/L.....BF003287D4
There is unrest in the forest,
There is trouble with the trees,
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas.
The trouble with the maples,
(And they're quite convinced they're right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light.
But the oaks can't help their feelings
If they like the way they're made.
And they wonder why the maples
Can't be happy in their shade.
There is trouble in the forest,
And the creatures all have fled,
As the maples scream "Oppression!"
And the oaks just shake their heads
So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights.
"The oaks are just too greedy;
We will make them give us light."
Now there's no more oak oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw.
Jay| 3.9.12 @ 1:50PM
You didn't get the memo...they're musicians, AND they're Canadian, so they're obviously "liberal" leftists.
JimH| 3.9.12 @ 2:26PM
Last I heard they were fans of Rand if not actual Objectivists.
Simon Templar| 3.9.12 @ 2:35PM
Maybe they just might be opportunist and their manager thought it a great idea to create this stir and get some free international publicity as sales have been slumping lately and we need a boost. Maybe their manager thought, you know, this could work because I can always find some "opinion Journalist" out there stupid enough to run this story and fan this for his own motives and ego.
Ya think?
No. Impossible.....
fed1up| 3.15.12 @ 7:39PM
Sales slumping? Rush (the band) just made Billboard's list of top 40 income earners for this past year. That includes touring and album revenue. By the way, I'm a liberal and I listen to Rush. They praised Ayn Rand on an album recorded in 1976 - good chance they're over her by now.
Dan Phillips| 3.9.12 @ 3:13PM
Early in their career they were Randians. Whether they still are, I don't know. My vague recollection that they were Randians has been confirmed by Todd S in the comment section on the front page article. He goes through a whole history of it.
John Remelius| 3.15.12 @ 10:31PM
It's not "they," it's Neil Peart. Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson write music (instrumentals); Neil is the lyricist, with very few exceptions, and it was he who wrote such Rand-influenced songs as "Anthem" and "The Trees" (though in more recent years, he has described the lyrics for the latter song as "pretentious."
But to paraphrase Mr. Peart: he is no one's disciple. Libertarian, conservative, Randian, etc: he cannot be pigeonholed.
Teflon93| 3.9.12 @ 2:17PM
Maybe musicians ought to be just a little bit less precious.
There was a time not that long ago when Rush the band would have been---and probably were---grateful for the prominence and money the biggest radio star in the world would give them by playing their music on such a grand stage as a radio program listened to and loved by millions.
Rush the band has lost the thread.
All American American| 3.9.12 @ 2:40PM
I always thought (the band) Rush created overrated garbage music. Now to learn they're f@ggots too? Imagine that.
It's A Cunning Plan, Actually| 3.9.12 @ 2:46PM
As someone who is tired of politics being mixed with music & arrogant liberal musicians who don't know when they have it so good I've found myself listening more & more to jazz, classical, & spiritual music instead of a lot of the music I grew up with. I'd much rather hear an apolitical cd of Miles Davis' music than the latest by Rush, Heart, Tom Petty, & the rest of the leftists who make up today's popular music. Blues musicians tend to be apolitical as well. Most anyway. I've never been a fan of those who cannot separate their politics from the music they make. I want to be entertained, not preached to. This is what tools like Springscream, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, etc. cannot & will never get through their thick skulls. I've found the most talented musicians I enjoy don't waste their time dragging politics into their music. It's just a shame we can't return to the days of performers & entertainers who did just that. Performed & entertained. Anyone ever hear politics in Elvis' music? Ricky Nelson? The Everly Brothers? Dion & The Belmonts? I could go on & on. Want to hear great music that is politics free? Here are some great musicians/performers who keep their politics to themselves & always have: Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin, Nancy Wilson (the jazz singer, not the leftist wench from Heart), Billy Cobham, Peter Green (founder of Fleetwood Mac), Weather Report, John Coltrane, Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Christopher Parkening, The Crusaders, Paco DeLucia, Tommy Bolin, Stan Getz, George Benson, Joao & Astrud Gilberto, Jean-Luc Ponty, Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Pat Martino, Robin Trower, Steve Winwood, B.B. King, Bill Evans, Andres Segovia, John Williams (the guitarist), Julian Bream, Sarah Vaughan, Etta James, Leo Kottke, Jimmy Smith, Dave Swarbrick, The Hellecasters, Larry Coryell, Roy Buchanan, Boz Scaggs, Wes Montgomery, Duane Eddy, The Kinks (British politics may surface in their music occasionally, but not the left/right stuff), Fairport Convention, Albert Lee, Jimmy Bruno, Vladimir Horowitz, James Burton, Thin Lizzy, Casting Crowns, Randy Travis, Larry Carlton, Al DiMeola, Jethro Tull, Ryan Adams, The Pentangle, Glen Campbell, Rhonda Vincent, Chris LeDoux, Dave Brubeck, Vince Guaraldi, King Crimson, David Grisman, I could go on forever. The point is there is A LOT of great music out there that is politics free. Tune out the ideological musical preachers & explore the world of music in all of its different styles & you will find the radical, outspoken leftists who have to shove their political opinions in your face are the minority.
albert constantine jr.| 3.10.12 @ 2:15PM
"Anyone ever hear politics in Elvis' music?"
"In the Ghetto" was kind of mildly political. I believe it was written by Mac Davis.
Also, Dion (post-Belmonts) had "Abraham, Martin and John".
Stan Redmond| 3.9.12 @ 3:33PM
Here is a solution. All talk show use off the shelf royalty free music used in 1970s porno movies and "PLEASE HOLD" music.
Mender| 3.10.12 @ 3:20PM
Hahahahahahahahahahaha!
Michael Medved's already got the mustache for that.
martin j smith| 3.9.12 @ 3:56PM
Look i will tell you something if a Business ( ;like a musical group- they are a business ) turns off their customers ( fans ) then lets go separate ways. That is called business even if it is the area of art.
Leon| 3.9.12 @ 5:58PM
There's a rock band named Rush.
Escaped my notice, I guess.
Dollface| 3.9.12 @ 6:23PM
I think the musicians should just shut up and sing. After all, when they publish a song, it becomes a sort of public accomodation and as long as they get paid, who uses it is none of their business. Walmart can't decide who to sell to based on their customer's politics. Motel 6 can't decide to not rent someone a room based on their politics either. These hollywood types need to wake up and smell the coffee. Nobody cares about their politics.
Mender| 3.10.12 @ 3:23PM
But it implies a connection. If Obama's campaign buys their coffee from Walmart that doesn't mean Walmart supports Obama. If Obama plays a song before he appears at a rally that implies a connection between the song and Obama. Same with Rush. Personally, if Rush played my song in between his mad ranting I'd worry people were getting the wrong idea about me.
WTF| 3.9.12 @ 7:27PM
We already have. Santorum has a now gone viral video out of a country song by 2 teen girls called "game on" to use on the stump for Rick; See here:
http://hotair.com/archives/201.....oes-viral/
Brendan| 3.9.12 @ 9:09PM
The demonrats stand for everything Rush sang against.
Suppose I'm glad I haven't downloaded their MP3s...
Nick| 3.10.12 @ 11:06AM
Peart certainly not a liberal. An Ayn Rand follower.
JJ| 3.10.12 @ 12:36PM
Here is an example where the left make no sense. Since they are collectivists, they should not get any copy-write protections on the music they channel. Its not Rush's music at all, it belongs to all of us.
Long Ben| 3.10.12 @ 4:16PM
Rush ( the rock band ) may be better than I know , but I've never been able to get past the vocals . Sounds to me like their singer may have had his Yarblockos in a vice at one time or the other !
Nick| 3.10.12 @ 7:17PM
No,his mind is not for rent
To any god or government
Libertarian lyrics if I ever heard them.
bluecollarbytes| 3.10.12 @ 8:14PM
There's no better place than Limbaugh's show for older musical acts to continue re-upping their cultural-relevance quotient, which helps drives sales of old material.
MarkJ| 3.11.12 @ 12:52PM
I'm still coming to grips with the fact that Alex Lifeson (turns 59 in August) has really porked out in the last few years. You'd also think a guy who's probably worth "north of $50m" could afford Rogaine treatments as well.