Famous Artists
That Covered
Someone Else's
Song
CAUTION
License Needed
Licensing A Song
• There are many examples of artists
that have used another artist’s song
and made it their own. This is 100%
legal as long as the proper steps are
taken.
• The new artist must get permission
from the original artist and get the
proper license to perform that song.
This is called a public performance
license.
• The new artist must also receive a
special license, called a mechanical
license, from the copyright owner,
which is usually held by the artist
and publisher.
Famous Cover Songs
Original Artist: Nine Inch Nails
• Johnny Cash played and
recorded a cover of the Nine
Inch Nails’ song “Hurt” in 2002.
• Johnny Cash revised the song,
changed some of the words, and
played it acoustically in his own
unique style.
• He needed a mechanical license
to record it.
‘I Love Rock & Roll’
• If you have ever listened to a classic rock
radio station or grew up in the 80’s, you
have heard this epic rock anthem.
• Truth is, it was not originally written by
Joan Jett!
• Joan Jett recorded the new version of this
anthem in 1981.
Original Artist: Arrows
(A 70’s British Rock Band)
Hey Joe, I Took Your Song!
• Everyone has heard the song “Hey Joe” by
Jimi Hendrix. He recorded it in 1966 for his
iconic album, The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
• But has anyone heard the song “Hey Joe”
by the original artist, The Leaves?
• The earliest known recording was done in
1965 by The Leaves, but made famous and
iconic by Jimi Hendrix.
Original Artist: The Leaves
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
• The world famous song, “RESPECT” by
Aretha Franklin, is actually not her
original song.
• “Respect” was actually written and
recorded by Otis Redding in 1965.
• Two years later in 1967, Aretha
Franklin licensed the song and made
it famous.
Original Artist: Otis Redding
And I, Will Always Love You…
• Whitney Houston’s EPIC ballad from
the movie soundtrack, The
Bodyguard, was actually not her
original song.
• It was originally recorded as a
country song by Dolly Parton in
1974.
• Whitney Houston’s version of the
ballad was released in 1992.
Original Artist: Dolly Parton
“Girls Just Want To Have Fun” • If you were a young girl growing
up in the early 80’s, you probably
remember dancing to this
American hit single.
• However, this ‘rock chick’ anthem
was actually written by a man!
• Robert Hazard is the original
artist of this American girl
anthem, as he recorded it in 1979.
Original Artist: Robert Hazard
Contact Us
Phone: +44 (0) 207 592 1710
Website: www.ricall.com
Ricall, one of the world’s
largest internet-based music
licensing and research
platforms, was created in
1998. There mission is to
remove the hassle from
licensing music for
productions of any size.
Johnny Cash Image: Page 3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johnny-
Cash_1972.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47686431@
N04/4399081211
Joan Jett Image: Page 4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jett_Rock
s.jpg
Jimi Hendrix Image: Page 5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jimi_hen
dryx_experience_1968.JPG
Aretha Franklin Image: Page 6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aretha_Fr
anklin.png
Image Attribution Whitney Houston Image: Page 7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:
Whitney_Houston_Welcome_Ho
me_Heroes_1_cropped.jpg
Cindy Lauper Image: Page 8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:C
yndi_Lauper2_cropped.jpg http://www.flickr.com/photos/469833
48@N00/2577828111
https://creativecommons.org/licenses
/by-sa/2.0/