h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Amen to that, Websailor. Think of Kate Smith.

I would if I could think who she is

Websailor

Now fancy that, all the songs are familiar, including one of my favourites, but the name wasn't, and still isn't so I have learnt something. There are certainly some parallels there, not only in looks. You are right!

Websailor

Funny, the only song I could find of her on youtube was God bless America.

I only meant the titles on W*k*

Websailor

Kate Smith was most famous for introducing 'God Bless America', which a lot of people think should be the national anthem. It's easier to sing, and less bellicose than the rockets thingy.

Here she is with an old Stephen Foster favourite:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJRnLnGYWtk

Dmitri, your honerey streak is showing.

The old recordings of Kate Smith are nostalgic, indeed. My mother loved her. And Rosie Clooney. But I think her favorite was Lena Horne, who was of course beautiful as well as talented.

I'm on a nostalgia trip on youtube: all the songs my parents had on records and I grew up with.

And they are so o9ld, Sony Music Entertainment didn't exist, so they can't block them for me.

Bel, that's really an unfortunate situation with Sony. I don't blame you for being annoyed.

Cheers, Hyp.

What I don't understand, is that apparently it's only blocked in Germany, and I wonder why. We pay for their products just like everybody else does.

Perhaps they've paid off a high ranking politician or two. Who knows. Copyright laws get pretty complicated sometimes. I have to by licenses to show films at the library. We aren't selling the films or even charging admission. We're a library, for goodness sake. Not a for profit business. But it doesn't matter.

Yeah. I don't understand that territorial thing.

Lena Horne was just amazing, as well - and one of the most beautiful women in film. Hypatia, do you remember the name of that musical film based on 'Faust' which she was in?

She made a great temptress, stealing the fella away from Ethel Waters (another wonderful singer). But couldn't she have done better than Eddie Anderson? (Cute little actor, but no, say, Sidney Poitier.)

Cabin in the Sky?

Yes, copyright is weird at best.

That was it. Thanks. 'Cabin in the Sky'. Wonderful film.

Louis Armstrong with little horns on his head, heh-heh... I started watching this, no idea what it was about, three minutes in, I'm thinking, oh, no, 'Faust'...

Much more fun than my aged German professor's weekly question: 'Was sind die Muetter?' ('What are The Mothers?')

We had to come up with a new answer each week.

Lena as temptress:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-_OW7oNBsA

ahem (-alert):

lou reed is a legend on the avantgarde music scene, has been for decades and very rightly so as he is very intelligent and creative

that does not mean you have to like his w*rk - at all

susan boyle's intelligence i have no idea about - and it is far beyond the point anyway. she has a lovely voice and knows how to use it and i love the way she won that talent show a few years back. not only because she is good, but because she won in spite of having absolutely no stylist. it did my heart good to see, that for once you didn't have to be young, good looking, sexy, hald naked and able to dance to be voted a good - singer...

i have no idea why SoBo was not allowed to sing the particular song in question on that show, but as for copyright: if we didn't have copyright how should composers and songwriters make a living? if everybody just copied their w*rk from the internet and nobody bought their albums where would we be?

ticket sales from concerts? some of the tours cost more than they bring home

the pirating of music w*rk is a threat not only to big established corporations like sony, but also to smart and gifted young musicians and - in the end - us

*steps down from soap box - for now*

She didn't win the talent show iirc. She came second or so.

But this can't really be about copyright, because according to a few websites, she was allowed to sing it in GB, just not in the USA. If it is copyright, then it is copyright, no matter which country.

I have no idea how intelligence came into this now?

I can't judge either Lou Reed's, nor Susan Boyle's intelligence. However, it seems that Mr Reed's emotional intelligence goes towards zero.

As I said before, there is a way to ensure that artists, musicians, and composers are paid for their work. It is called BMI and ASCAP. You pay your fee, they get paid. Simple.

If you are about to play a record on your radio broadcast, you don't have to call the singer and ask if it's okay. You just pay the fee, and get on with it.

Of course I'm interested in people being paid. I'm trying to make a living, same as everyone else.

This works both ways: When people illegitimately extend copyrights, or buy up copyrights of items that should be in public domain - the work 'Happy Birthday' is a horrible case in point - they should be deeply ashamed, and should be prevented wherever possible.

Putting a coat of paint on an antique does not make you Chippindale.

Anybody else want the soapbox?

re 37:

i stand corrected, i thought she won. 'bout that

intelligence came in because no-one so far had defended lou reed and besides being creatibe he is also intelligent and i think he deserves credits for that. and i pointed out expressly that boyles intelligence had nothing to do with this. it's beside the point

and no, copyright is not just copyright. as far as i know the copyright laws in the US are not the same as the european. it is indeed very complicated. i believe reed has no way of preventing boyle from singing whatever she wants outside the borders of the US

plus we don't know mr. reeds personal stand on this whatsoever. he has agents w*rking for him

he *may* have banned boyle from singing his song. he *may* have done this because he thinks this song is not suited for a singer like her. but i have *absolutely* no idea. until otherwise proven i believe neither has he

re 38:

BMI, ASCAP and stuff like that is okay, but it is *not* that simple - even sony will tell you that

you probably get paid every time your song is aired on the wireless - which is good, but once stuff is copied via internet or otherwise you will lose a *lot* of income which is rightfully yours

back in time - before the age og vinyl, tape, cd and what have you - musicians were dependent on royalty and the like: the only ones able to afford a symphony orchestra for example

imagine i could just photocopy an armchair in 3D - wood and leather instead of paper - maybe then a cabinet-maker would understand the predicament musicians find themselves in these days?