I was looking through Entertainment Weekly and saw a review for the latest edition, which mentioned that "Float On" was one of the songs covered on there. It got me wondering if artists have any choice in keeping their music off something like this - I guess it just didn't seem like Modest Mouse would want their song remade by a chorus of kids. Do the record companies own the songs and just allow their use for extra cash? Does anyone know? Just curious.

Some do, some don't. If they don't get it in their contracts right away, then I imagine it's hard to get later.

Some people like covers, some don't. Some may like the idea of helping kids enjoy music. With school music programs being gutted like fish, I'll take any help they can get.

I don't have an answer to your question, but for what it's worth, the Kidz Bop'd version of "Float On" is unabashedly gleeful and really, really freakin' great. It makes me want to check out some of their other more unusual covers.

SOme of their choices are just plain odd, though. Or thoroughly disconcerting. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "Since U Been Gone"... It's just wrong. And hearing children sing Bowling For Soup's "1985" is hilarious, seeing how none of them were even alive at the time.

Wow. This is patently awful.

BTW the new version seems to be Vol. 8 which has "Take Me Out".

Why do kids need to hear kids in choruses to enjoy this music???

whats odd is they don't really change the lyrics around too much

I hear "1985" on Radio Disney, and the lyrics are definitely changed on there. "One Prozac a day" is "one workout a day". "She was gonna shake her ass" is "she was gonna shake it right". I'm guessing this is another one of those contract things. The studio had the power to make the song available for different types of media, including ones aimed at kids, and that pretty much forced Soup to record alternate lyrics. Weird.

I haven't heard the Kidz Bop version, but I'll bet they don't sing about Prozac and asses there either.

I'm not 100% sure how it works, but I think anyone can pretty much cover a song. They will owe royalties, of course. I think it's a loophole that allows cheapie CD companies to release CDs with no-name artists doing covers of hit songs.

About Kidz Bop... I laughed when I saw they did Uncle Kracker's "Follow Me" or Usher's "U Remind Me".

or
I know they change the lyrics a bit in some songs, but the original nature/theme of those songs is pretty mature in nature.

But we always hear about DVD releases having to obtain the rights to use songs that were featured on the original TV airings, so it seems like there must be some control over who gets to use the songs.

I'm fairly certain there's no set rule. Some allow covers, some don't. I once remember reading some artist saying he'd never allow his songs to be covered, and would in fact allow the originals to be used in commercials before he allowed a cover.

Can't remember who, it might be Thom Yorke of Radiohead, but I don't want to say that for certain and start a war.

BECAUSE when you use a song in a movie, you're buying the rights to the PERFORMANCE and the performer has to give approval. You're using their voice, their instruments, etc.

To do a cover version, you're buying the rights to the MELODY and LYRICS... you're buying the sheet music. You're paying the publishing company that that song is registered to. If the artist who originally sang it didn't write it, they're not part of this equation and have no business being involved.

That makes sense - I can see where they draw the line. Thanks for the explanation.

I think this is true. I was looking at the website for Richard Cheese, who does lounge music versions of popular songs, mostly alternative and hip-hop. They have a FAQ and one of them is: Milo Bloom, are you sure it was Thom Yorke who wouldn't allow a cover? Richard Cheese has done a cover of "Creep."

No, that's why I really tapdanced around it

Though I think my next question might start something: I've heard that Radioheard won't perform Creep in concert because it's from another era, even though it's the song that made them big. Perhaps if Yorke doesn't like it, he may have allowed a cover?

[/wild internet speculation]

They did Creep on their last tour. Crowd went wild.

Target in sight... and .... blam! Theory shot to hell!

That's good actually, I can't stand bands that get that attitude.

To further hijack the thread, I'm surprised no one's mentioned Christopher O'Riley who does the all-instrumental piano-only albums. And I think I've seen a "Symphonic Tribute to..." album as well.

holy crap i just saw an ad for Kidz Bop 8. I had no idea such a thing existed. Nothing like hearing a song of self loathing and disallusionment sung by a chorus of 7 year olds! I saw Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand was on there, just awful.

Kidz Bop 9 is out now!

Disc 1
01 Behind These Hazel Eyes | Kidz Bop Kids
02 Beverly Hills | Kidz Bop Kids
03 Don't Lie | Kidz Bop Kids
04 Wake Me Up When September Ends | Kidz Bop Kids
05 Listen To Your Heart | Kidz Bop Kids
06 Just The Girl | Kidz Bop Kids
07 Pon De Replay | Kidz Bop Kids
08 Cool | Kidz Bop Kids
09 Photograph | Kidz Bop Kids
10 These Words | Kidz Bop Kids
11 You And Me | Kidz Bop Kids
12 Feel Good, Inc. | Kidz Bop Kids
13 Chariot | Kidz Bop Kids
14 Boyfriend | Kidz Bop Kids
15 Speed of Sound | Kidz Bop Kids
16 We Belong Together | Kidz Bop Kids
17 Wake Up | Kidz Bop Kids
18 Axel F | Kidz Bop Kids

How do you sing an instrumental?

Did that even have lyrics?

Edit: an infidel beat me to it.

Duff or Fire?

I'm waiting for the kidz bop cover of my humps!~

Maybe it's the Crazy Frog version of "Axel F". That has "lyrics".

so wrong

its scary thinking of kids singing an anti war song