Songwriting credits on the new album

[redfire]

Didnt mike sign everything away in 2004 ?

I thought I remembered hearing this back in 04-05 after the tour fell apart. Mike said he has to sign away his writing rights.

Also, just because a song was never recorded doesn't mean Van Halen didn't copyright it. In fact I would assume they would copyright all the songs they write and record (as demos).

[academic punk]

Back in Elvis's heydey, he used to get a co-songwriting credit on some of the tunes he recorded.

He never had anything to do with writing the songs, but the argument was - "if Elvis records it, it is gonna sell way more than it ever would otherwise", hence the writers were only too happy to give up a share of the writing credit to Elvis.

You listen to a song like 'Hound Dog' - Elvis never wrote it, and it was also recorded before by others, so his version is not even the first one - but he just owns it. What he brings to it, just makes it so much better than it was.

Yup - and of course the example of payola - radio DJs like Alan Freed getting songwriting credits for songs that they had NOTHING to do with writing, but there they are with 50% of the credit.

Why? Because if Chuck Berry wanted Maybelline to get any airplay - read, to find an audience - then you're going to have to pay for the dance. Mr. Freed is happy to promote your song - so long as it was his song too.

[Bill Lumbergh]

Let me be the first to say. WHO GIVES A FUCK?

Yep!!