6 August

Pick a Day

6 AUGUST

In Music History

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2012 Composer/conductor Marvin Hamlisch dies from complications after a kidney transplant at age 68 in Los Angeles, California. He wrote the music for "The Way We Were."

2005 Carlo Little (The Rolling Stones' original drummer) dies of lung cancer at age 66 in Cleadon, Tyne and Wear, England.

2004 R&B superstar Rick James dies from a culmination of health problems - including heart issues, diabetes and stroke - at age 56 in Los Angeles, California.

1998 Jazz performer Nat Gonella, founder of the big band The Georgians, dies in Gosport, Hampshire, England at age 90.

1997 In a Spinal Tap moment, U2's giant lemon they are supposed to emerge from onstage doesn't open at a show in Oslo.

1994 Singer/actor Domenico Modugno dies of a heart attack at age 66 in Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy.

1993 31-year-old Sheryl Crow releases her first album, Tuesday Night Music Club. It takes about a year to catch on, but eventually sells over 7 million copies.

1989 With their song "F--k tha Police" causing an uproar, Detroit police stop N.W.A's performance before they can perform the song, and escort them back to their hotel. No charges are filed, and officers tell the rappers that they just "wanted to show the kids that you can't say 'F--k the police' in Detroit."

1988 More than a year after it was released, Guns N' Roses' debut album, Appetite For Destruction, goes to #1 in America.

1988 Thanks to its inclusion on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, the Contours' 1962 hit "Do You Love Me" makes another chart run, peaking at #11.

1984 Eric Roberts (bassist for Gym Class Heroes) is born in Edmeston, New York.

1981 Travis "Travie" McCoy (lead singer of Gym Class Heroes) is born in Geneva, New York.

1972 Geri Halliwell (The Spice Girls' "Ginger Spice") is born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England.

1972 Procol Harum records "Conquistador" (live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra).

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Nike Responds To Beatles Lawsuit

1987

Nike takes out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times responding to the controversy over their use of The Beatles song "Revolution" in a commercial.


After the commercial began airing on March 26, Beatles fans blasted the company for appropriating the group's music. Paul McCartney made it clear he was not pleased, but he had no recourse: Michael Jackson controlled the publishing rights to the song after outbidding him for the catalog of 251 Beatles tunes in 1985, and EMI/Capitol Records owned the rights to the actual recording. The sticky wicket in the deal was John Lennon's vocal, since a company generally needs permission from a song's singer before putting their voice in a commercial. But apparently, Yoko Ono granted that permission. The Beatles (along with Yoko), sued, claiming their "personna and goodwill" had been exploited. This created a PR problem for Nike, which had sunk millions into the ad and had no intention of pulling it. Their response reads: Can we talk? You may have heard that Nike is being sued by the Beatles. That's not exactly true. Nike, along with our ad agency and EMI Capitol Records, is being sued by Apple Records. The fact is, we negotiated and paid for all of the legal rights to use "Revolution" in our ads. And we did so with the active support of Yoko Ono Lennon. We also believe we've shown a good deal of sensitivity and respect in our use of "Revolution" and in how we've conducted the entire campaign. So why are we being sued? We believe it's because we make good press. "Beatles Sue Nike" is a much stronger headline than "Apple Sues EMI-America for the Third Time." Frankly, we feel we're a publicity pawn in a long-standing legal battle between two record companies. The lawsuit is later settled, and the ad continues to run. The ordeal does get Yoko and the remaining Beatles on the same page when it comes to use of their songs in commercials, and also scares away any companies considering a hostile takeover - original Beatles songs are never again used in ads.

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