e I am)@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA> (12/04/84)
Bernie:
Don't take an uncharitable view of "remakes" -- even if they are a direct
copy of the arrangement, with just a replacement of the singer and/or backup
group, they do pay the original songwriter and composer the appropriate
royalties. [True, this wasn't always the case, esp. when a white artist did
a version of black-written material, but these days that kind of financial
ripoff doesn't occur much anymore. Some folks might feel that it's an artistic
ripoff, but that's a separate issue...]
As you mention, PP&M were critical to Bob Dylan's success (they did one
of his songs on almost every album in their early years) and popularity. They
also, in effect, paid some of his bills during those early years, helping him
to survive and keep writing. About a decade ago, I was talking with the late
Steve Goodman, and asked him how he felt about the version of "City of New
Orleans" that Arlo Guthrie had just released, and which was getting a lot of
airplay and purchases. His response was, quite simply, "It pays the bills."
Frankly, Steve was a better musician and writer than Arlo, and knew it . . .
but he was also fighting off the early stages of leukemia, and if Arlo's ver-
sion of his song was going to help pay some of those costs, he wasn't stupid
(or proud) enough to turn it down.
--Dave