Help: How do you prove?

Subject: RE: Help: How do you prove?
From: MMario
Date: 30 Mar 00 - 04:58 PM

on the other hand, bob dylan on his 1962 album said it was traditional....

and quoted this:

From No Direction Home, by Robert Shelton; pg. 122:

Alan Lomax first recorded what he called a "modern Southern white song" in 1937 in Middlesborough, Kentucky. Lomax traced it to some other older bawdy English songs, the melody with the classic "Little Musgrave And Lady Barnard" ("Child Ballad 81") and its American variant, "Little Mathy Groves." This lament of a woman dragged into prostitution has been recorded by Josh, Gooding, Guthrie, Seeger, and others. At this time [recording of Bob Dylan], Carolyn Hester was singing a highly dramatic version, while Van Ronk had a roughhewn, laconic interpretation. Dylan said: "I always knew this song, but never really knew it until Dave van Ronk sang it."

Subject: RE: Help: How do you prove?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 30 Mar 00 - 04:53 PM

Hi Dave, it CAN be a bit of a dilemma. So very many apparently traditional songs have been copyrighted by artists who recorded them. Silly mistakes are constantly made, even by folks who should no better. I was credited by the CBC (Canadian Brocasting Corporation) with writing "John Henry"! (no joke) Funny, I don't feel black or 200 years old.

Rick

Subject: RE: Help: How do you prove?
From: SeanM
Date: 30 Mar 00 - 04:50 PM

The problem you're probably running into is lyrics being PD, but arrangements being copywritten. You'll probably run into the same problem with "Sloop John B" and a few others.

Unfortunately, there may not be much you can do with a webhost. The best I can think of is for you to find some reputable source (BMI may be of help) that lists the lyrics as "traditional", and have your arrangement be something obviously different than the copywritten one.

Of course, someone else out in 'cat land will probably have better ideas... I'm just giving opinion.

M

Subject: RE: Help: How do you prove?
From: MMario
Date: 30 Mar 00 - 04:47 PM

see this site:http://www.pdinfo.com/

or click here

They have a whole long section on what documentation you need re: public domain.

Subject: How do you prove?
From:
Date: 30 Mar 00 - 04:41 PM

How do you go about proving that a song is traditional/folk. I.E 'House of the risin sun' I'm running into problems with my webhost "crosswinds.net" allowing me to put an MP3 of me playing that song. I said-"it's public domain" they said "How do you figure?-Prove it" So here I am.

Any help would help a heap.

Dave [e-mail]