There really is a story behind this. My sister Dana turned me on to CH last year and because of her, I saw them in Atlanta last fall and, subsequently, became a HUGE fan myself. (I was lucky enough to go backstage with 'frenz' I met at the show, Mike and Janette - Janette was enthusiastically waving her Aussie flag during the gig and spoke with Nick about voting from overseas afterwards - and, as it turns out,
Nick and I have a mutual friend in a Dublin bass player named Malone!) Anyway, my sister has NEVER seen CH live, despite having been a massive fan for years! Fortuitously, May 11, the day of the second Chicago gig, is her b-day - so I bought tickets and arranged for us to spend the weekend celebrating! It would just make Dana's b-day all the more special if Neil and the guys sang Happy Birthday to her! Probably a long shot to ask, but I'd forever regret it if I didn't try........

You should send a paper airplane up with your request then--on the off chance Neil doesn't read this in the meanwhile...

Unfortunately, "Happy Birthday" is a copyrighted song and playing it at a venue in which tickets were sold would require Neil and the band to pay the royalities.

http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/birthday.asp

Don't think that would stop them Songwriter!

Could also try handing a note to the guitar tech. John Walsh and ask him to leave it on Neil's amp - its worked before!

quote:

Originally posted by Songwriter:
Unfortunately, "Happy Birthday" is a copyrighted song and playing it at a venue in which tickets were sold would require Neil and the band to pay the royalities.

http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/birthday.asp

Does that mean every live cover they do, they have to pay royalties?
Actually I can probabbly answer my own question - I once applied for a job that was to go to gigs and write setlists of the act that was playing, so that if any covers were played the original act would get the royalties. The gigs in question were small and I ended up not doing the job 'cos I thought it was unfair for the struggling acts to have to pay royalties, and I didnt want a part of it. I felt that I would be squealing on them

quote:

Originally posted by Songwriter:
Unfortunately, "Happy Birthday" is a copyrighted song and playing it at a venue in which tickets were sold would require Neil and the band to pay the royalities.

http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/birthday.asp

I don't know if you're joking or not but I'm cracking up here! HAHAHHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!

quote:

I don't know if you're joking or not but I'm cracking up here! HAHAHHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!

No, I am not joking. I know of no other song that is so throughly checked for violations either.

Could we at least have the Beatles' "Birthday" instead? I mean, if you're going to have to pay royalties, surely we can do better than "Happy Birthday."

I sort of have the sense that if Neil and co wanted to sing happy birthday to someone in the midst of a public concert, he/they would just go for it--royalties be damned!

It's certainly not stopped him/them from performing copywritten protected works before.

Maybe they can sing Happy Birthday by Altered Images.

May 11th also happens to be my godson's birthday (OMG, he's turning 14!) as well as the awesome Gryphon's birthday! An auspicious day.

Actually, my understanding is this:

Any music venue is required to have a contract with whoever it is that collects royalties. Somehow (and I don't know how) the venue pays a fee (monthly or annual?) that gives them and the performers they higher the right to play any music covered by the agency they have the contract with. It's the same sort of contract that gives the venue the right to play house music of it's choice.

Therefore, Crowded House is free to sing any song they want. Their butts are covered by the venue. If, however, they wanted to sell the recording on a CD they would then have to pay royalties.

Paināporo,

Royality collection companies like the Harry Fox Agency collect royalities for the songwriter. And yes, the venue does pay the fee, not the band. However, what happens in the real world is....



*shhhhhhhh*

You didn't hear this from ME!


*Whipsers* "Payolla"


The venues may from time to time direct in some manner the content of what is performed as to favor a publisher or writer and in return receive some "benefit" as payment.


*SHHHHHHHH******


You REALLY don't think that the songs sung on American Idol are all picked at random - that's why AI lies to use portfolio songwriters and "themes".

You can bet a fat catalog on it and win every time.

Perhaps you don't prevent Happy Birthday from being sung so much as to allow other material to take precedence.

It happens!

Mildred and Patty Hill? It took two people to write Happy Birthday?!

quote:

Originally posted by Songwriter:
Unfortunately, "Happy Birthday" is a copyrighted song and playing it at a venue in which tickets were sold would require Neil and the band to pay the royalities.

Hey!!! Songwriter is back!!!

quote:

Hey!!! Songwriter is back!!!

Rox,

I never left. I just have been very busy. Work has been a killer lately and I have been polishing my latest tune and writing it out in Finale.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeffcoop:
Could we at least have the Beatles' "Birthday" instead? I mean, if you're going to have to pay royalties, surely we can do better than "Happy Birthday."

Reserved for Peter Green only

I still have amazing memories of that Neil Finn super group playing the Beatles 'Birthday' for me....no birthday after that could ever compete.

So many May 11th (I'm sure they are all stunningly good looking and smart!) (:

Maybe a plane with all May 11th people on it! (:
(well not ALL worldwide just us few!)
Gryph

Thanks, everyone, for all your suggestions - a note to John Walsh, paper airplanes, etc. I have a feeling that something good will happen!

We both get into Chicago tomorrow afternoon and I have many birthday surprises in store for her over the course of the weekend!