Trump can’t always get what he wants as Rolling Stones threaten to sue over songs
● Band angry at president using tracks at his rallies
The Rolling Stones are threatening US president Donald Trump with legal action for using their songs at his campaign rallies despite ceaseand-desist directives.
The band said in a statement yesterday their legal team is working with music rights organisation BMI to stop use of their material in Mr Trump’s re-election campaign.
The Stones said: “The BMI have notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorised use of their songs will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement. If Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists, then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed.”
The Stones had complained during Mr Trump’s 2016 campaign about the use of their music to fire up his conservative base at rallies.
“The Rolling Stones do not endorse Donald Trump,” the band tweeted in 2016.
The band’s 1969 classic You Can’t Always Get What You Want was a popular song for Mr Trump’s events. It was played again at the close of his recent rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma – a large indoor event criticised for its potential to spread coronavirus.
The track, from the album Let It Bleed, was written by frontman Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, and was voted by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
Other artists have also complained about having their music associated with Mr Trump’s events.
The family of the late rock musician Tom Petty said it had issued a cease-and-desist order after Mr Trump used the song I Won’t Back Down in Tulsa.
In a statement the family said: “Trump was in no way authorised to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind.
“Both the late Tom Petty and his family firmly stand against racism and discrimination of any kind. Tom Petty would never want a song of his to be used in a campaign of hate. He liked to bring people together.”
Grammy Award-winning musician Neil Young lashed out at Mr Trump in 2018 after hearing one of his songs played against his wishes during the president’s pre-midterm election campaign rallies.
He admonished Mr Trump for using his 1990 single Rockin’ in the Free World in spite of earlier warnings.
Queen complained when Mr Trump walked on stage to their anthem, We Are The Champions, during a Republican party event in Cleveland, Ohio, in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.
Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, Aerosmith, Adele, Neil Young and the estate of late singer Prince have all hit out after the use of their songs at events for Mr Trump.
Singer Betty Buckley recently urged composer Andrew Lloyd Webber to stop the president from using the song Memory, from the musical Cats, at rallies. Buckley sang the song in the original 1980s Broadway production.
While America is still struggling to contain the coronavirus pandemic, campaigning for the November presidential election is expected to pick up over the coming weeks as Mr Trump prepares to face Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden.
“If Donald Trump persists, then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed”
ROLLING STONES