After the release of the Nike 'Revolution' commercial in 1987, Nike found itself tangled up in a mess of red tape. The surviving members of the Beatles demonstrated outright contempt for the use of their song in the Nike commercial, and Apple Corp., which had not been included in the commercial licensing process, filed a lawsuit against the sneaker company.
Although Nike stopped running the Revolution advertisement in 1987, it was provided with another song by an unlikely donor.
Indeed, Yoko Ono proved to be a powerful ally for Nike. She has been quoted as supporting the release of Beatles' music in television advertising, claiming that it allows new generations to obtain access to her late husbands legacy.
While Nike could no longer use the master recording of Revolution, Ono granted it a license for Instant Karma, one of Lennon's solo songs, in 1992. Since all of Lennon's solo rights - both master and publishing - had passed to Ono when John was assassinated, she alone was in control of his catalog.
Showing posts with label nike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nike. Show all posts
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Nike Rights, Revolution
Nike
- Song: Revolution
o Recorded at EMI studios in London, 10-12 July 1968.
o Album: Hey Jude – released U.S. 26 February 1970.
o Written by lennon, credited as a lennon/mccartney composition
• The first version of "Revolution" to be released (though the last to be recorded) was the B-side of the "Hey Jude" single, released in late August 1968. The single, as a stand-alone, reached #12 in the U.S.
• A product of the recording sessions for The Beatles (aka The White Album), "Revolution" featured distorted guitars and an electric piano solo by session musician Nicky Hopkins. This track is said to be one of the loudest and most aggressive Beatles songs; it begins abruptly with a loud, overdriven electric guitar played by John Lennon, a thundering, compressed drum beat from Ringo Starr and a ferocious scream from Lennon (the scream was an overdub added when Lennon double tracked his vocal. Paul McCartney performed the scream on the semi-live performance for the promotional film because Lennon could not deliver the scream and catch his breath again in time to launch into the first verse).
- Rights:
o Published by Northern Songs
o 1987: MJ holds publishing rights as owner of ATV music
o (Original?) Recording company: Capitol Records
o Apple Corp – in charge of beatles interests
o Sold to Nike for reported $250,000.
• Clearance for Nike granted by ono on basis that Lennon wrote the song (she owned the master rights). Following that, Jackson agreed to issue a license and capital records, not wanting to oppose Ono, agreed to allow the use of the beatles original version of the song.
• Unfortunately, neither Capitol nor Ono had bothered to alert or ask Apple, the company which represented Beatles and their business interests, which Ono was obliged to do under the terms of Apple board which required unanimous agreement of all directors.
• Apple’s opposition might have been enough, in normal circumstances, to persuade capitol from withholding the original recording. As it was, apple sued capitol and nike for $15 million, but nike continued to run the ad for another year while the law suit was pending.
• Speaking nearly 10 years after the original nike commercial, MJs attorney said Yoko liked it. (southall, 191)
• McCartney and Harrison very upset about it. 191
• In 1988, Nike switched to instant karma, to which ono owned the publishing and masters rights, while apple, emi, and capitol agreed that no beatles version of any lennon & mccartney song would ever agan be used to sell products. 191
Southall, Brian and Perry, Rupert. Northern Songs: The True Story of The Beatles Song Publishing Empire. London: Omnibus Press, 2007.
- Song: Revolution
o Recorded at EMI studios in London, 10-12 July 1968.
o Album: Hey Jude – released U.S. 26 February 1970.
o Written by lennon, credited as a lennon/mccartney composition
• The first version of "Revolution" to be released (though the last to be recorded) was the B-side of the "Hey Jude" single, released in late August 1968. The single, as a stand-alone, reached #12 in the U.S.
• A product of the recording sessions for The Beatles (aka The White Album), "Revolution" featured distorted guitars and an electric piano solo by session musician Nicky Hopkins. This track is said to be one of the loudest and most aggressive Beatles songs; it begins abruptly with a loud, overdriven electric guitar played by John Lennon, a thundering, compressed drum beat from Ringo Starr and a ferocious scream from Lennon (the scream was an overdub added when Lennon double tracked his vocal. Paul McCartney performed the scream on the semi-live performance for the promotional film because Lennon could not deliver the scream and catch his breath again in time to launch into the first verse).
- Rights:
o Published by Northern Songs
o 1987: MJ holds publishing rights as owner of ATV music
o (Original?) Recording company: Capitol Records
o Apple Corp – in charge of beatles interests
o Sold to Nike for reported $250,000.
• Clearance for Nike granted by ono on basis that Lennon wrote the song (she owned the master rights). Following that, Jackson agreed to issue a license and capital records, not wanting to oppose Ono, agreed to allow the use of the beatles original version of the song.
• Unfortunately, neither Capitol nor Ono had bothered to alert or ask Apple, the company which represented Beatles and their business interests, which Ono was obliged to do under the terms of Apple board which required unanimous agreement of all directors.
• Apple’s opposition might have been enough, in normal circumstances, to persuade capitol from withholding the original recording. As it was, apple sued capitol and nike for $15 million, but nike continued to run the ad for another year while the law suit was pending.
• Speaking nearly 10 years after the original nike commercial, MJs attorney said Yoko liked it. (southall, 191)
• McCartney and Harrison very upset about it. 191
• In 1988, Nike switched to instant karma, to which ono owned the publishing and masters rights, while apple, emi, and capitol agreed that no beatles version of any lennon & mccartney song would ever agan be used to sell products. 191
Southall, Brian and Perry, Rupert. Northern Songs: The True Story of The Beatles Song Publishing Empire. London: Omnibus Press, 2007.
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