Pet Shop Boys Community

From the Sheffield Star (English regional newspaper)


Doctor's World Cup song tribute is ruled off-side
A WANNABE pop star from Sheffield is begging record company bosses to have a heart after they refused him permission to use a Pet Shop Boys sample on his charity CD.

Ash Suhail recorded his World Cup Charity single Unleash Them on the Pitch which features a sample of the Pet Shop Boys' number one hit Heart - but EMI have banned him from releasing it.
Ash, whose stage name is The Doctor, said: "I am doing this all for charity and they are just being killjoys. This is to support the England team at the World Cup - it might also have helped the Pet Shop Boys."
Ash, who works as a GP at Greasbrough Health Centre in Rotherham when he isn't making music, wrote the song in half an hour on the way home from work.
'I am doing this all for charity and they are just being killjoys'
Ash Suhail
He said: "I'm a fan of the Pet Shop boys and I always thought it was such a catchy riff. It just all came together, everything fell in to place."
The 33-year-old travelled down to a studio in central London and recorded the track at his own expense.
He had planned to split the proceeds from the sale of the single between Rotherham District General Hospital, Rotherham United, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Weston Park Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital.
He said: "I was going to make 1,000 copies and send it out to radio stations. I had planned to release it in May but it's all on hold now."
Ash, from the Charltonbrook Estate, High Green, said: "If it was a classic track by Elvis or George Michael I could understand it but it isn't, it's not even a karaoke track."
A representative from EMI confirmed they had been contacted about the use of the Pet Shop Boys track.
She said: "I can confirm the request was denied."

Maybe PSB didn't like the record.

psb have done this twice lately.

They don't need the money.
I would turn down 'football-singles' too given te oppertunity.

Darkmoon wrote:They don't need the money.

Well apparently they liked the money offered by Danske Bank (largest Danish Bank who have just about nothing in common with what PSB usually stand for) for using West End Girls in their TV commercials. I don't think there's any need to put them on a high horse...

But I agree, they probably just didn't like the song.

The decision is not up to us. So what? I wouldn't give everyone permission concerning my lyrics and tunes, too.

The Doctor wrote:"If it was a classic track by Elvis or George Michael I could understand it but it isn't, it's not even a karaoke track."

And he wonders why they turned him down? Chancer.

Drico.

Joemoz wrote:

Darkmoon wrote:They don't need the money.

Well apparently they liked the money offered by Danske Bank (largest Danish Bank who have just about nothing in common with what PSB usually stand for) for using West End Girls in their TV commercials. I don't think there's any need to put them on a high horse....

Well, it could also be Bobby O needing money when West End girls is involved

rabagast wrote:

Joemoz wrote:

Darkmoon wrote:They don't need the money.

Well apparently they liked the money offered by Danske Bank (largest Danish Bank who have just about nothing in common with what PSB usually stand for) for using West End Girls in their TV commercials. I don't think there's any need to put them on a high horse....

Well, it could also be Bobby O needing money when West End girls is involved

I can see why you would say that

In this case, however, it's the Stephen Hague version so it must have been properly authorized. A friend of mine who works there was told that it was "very costly" but handled by the advertising agency.

cant see why myself they let west end girls do a whole album off there stuff but not one guy do a sample of heart - no one would have even noticed it was there probably!

You don't need permission to do a cover version, but you do to sample something and then place it in the context of your own work.

Actually, you do need permission to release a cover version. Just try recording and releasing a Rolling Stones track without hearing from their management, and getting clamped down on.

I see no reason to be condeming PSB - they must get lots of requests to sample or cover their stuff. You can bet this guy's football single was bad, and that's why it got turned down.

If you read the thread about the other recent refusal at viewtopic.php?t=9437&highlight=blaknoisewhitesoul you'll see that was pretty much an attempt to piggy-back the Pet Shop Boys' fame to get publicity - especially when you consider that the re-recorded version still mentions PSB in the song title, and still uses elements of the 'West End Girls' lyrics to make up the entirety of its lyrics.

TwizzleUK wrote:Actually, you do need permission to release a cover version. Just try recording and releasing a Rolling Stones track without hearing from their management, and getting clamped down on.

no you don't, as long as credit is rightly given. The Rolling Stones are cmoney grabbing, corporate whores so it's no wonder they or their management try and intimidate people

TwizzleUK wrote: and still uses elements of the 'West End Girls' lyrics to make up the entirety of its lyrics.

how can you use 'elements' of lyrics to make up the 'entirety' of lyrics

paninaro28 wrote:psb have done this twice lately.

what were other times?