The Devil Went Down To Guitar Hero III
Not everyone likes Guitar Hero. Charlie Daniels, for one, is pissed that his iconic song "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" shows up in Guitar Hero III. As NME reports:
He has publicly stated that he would have refused permission for the song to be used if he had the power, claiming that the "very essence" of the song had been "violated."
That's right, they didn't get his permission. Then, doesn't look like they needed to...
Via NME:
Daniels, who wrote the song in 1979 while a member of The Charlie Daniels Band, lost the rights to the song in a past settlement.
He explained on his blog: "The song, 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia', which I wrote, is supposed to be a lighthearted novelty about a fiddling contest between a country boy and the devil and the devil always loses."
"I would never grant permission for some company to create a video game version of a song I wrote in which the devil wins a contest."
Expressing his upset at the devil character who challenges players in the game, he added: "I'm sorely disappointed with the company who owns the copyright for not policing the situation. As it is they have allowed these people to violate the very essence of the song.
"At this time I don't know if I have any legal recourse, probably not, but I wanted you folks to know that I vehemently disagree with what has been done to a piece of my work."
"And I would like to pass along a little advice to parents of young children. This game looks innocent enough but if you have a child who is playing it, take the time to sit with him or her while they're playing along and take a serious look at the images on the screen."
We feel bad for the dude, but the bigger issue to emerge from all of this: Charlie Daniels has a blog? Yup. Welcome aboard, big guy. Just make sure you read this.
Posted at 1:03 PM in Video Games
Tags: Charlie Daniels | Guitar Hero
Way to go in terms of totally misunderstanding the fact that that particular point in the game is a reverential, if not literal homage to the song & your old fart self, Charlie! It's people like Charlie Daniels that make me want to shelter my future children from mentions of the word "Devil" & "Hell" - it all start there and goes downhill and turns into cartoon depections of Satan and dexterity-building video games. For shame, Activision!
Score = 0
That, or he can't beat the final level. Arthritis: 1, Charlie Daniels: 0.
Score = 8
Oh man... he's actually offended by cartoon devils in the game. He reminds me of these crazed fundamentalist Christian groups who "expose" the "Satanic agenda" of the mainstream media by claiming that the show Viva La Bam or the band Tenacious D promote satanism.
Score = 1
Didn't this game come out like a long time ago?
And the devil only won once when I played it, I won the other times.
Score = 2
Probably got his ass kicked in the game and now he's all bitter.
Score = 3
Wait a minute - they think anyone wants to hear that song, let alone play along with it? Shocking.
Score = -1
It's his fucking song, therefore his bitterness is justified if for no reason other than that.
Then again art (whatever) becomes something more than the artist (whatever) itself when it undegoes mass production/consumption so the best thing for that person to do is to just sit back and watch it unfold even if its not what you've planned, which is usually the case. But please, there's no sense in kicking an old man when he's down...grow up.
Score = 3
He's not justified if it was done as an homage to him, his song and the spirit thereof. There's no ill will on Activision/Red Octane/whoever else's part. They're simply building upon the popularity of the song and allowing the song's legacy to expand over more than one medium. C.D. deserves all of our piddly comments on a blog for whining about something he doesn't even own the rights to anymore, making it much a less part of him than other artists who still fully retain their music's rights. (I'll sympathize with him on losing those rights in court, though.)
Score = 1
Go listen to the song "Simple Man" and you may just loose any respect you ever had for this guy.
Score = -2
what does a skynyrd song have to do with Chuck Daniels?
Score = 2
Let me see if I get this straight - Charlie's upset because a song he described as a "lighthearted novelty" is used in a video game that could easily be described as a lighthearted novelty"?
What "essence" of the song is being violated exactly? It's not exactly "Imagine" now is it?
Score = 4
now i could understand if his song was jacked and its on tv every second of every day selling mcdonalds. but this is guitar hero, a game for fun that's brought tons of people back to the idea of playing a guitar again. sorry charlie, you sound like a no fun grandpa...and if he would have rejected the song for the game i think i'd be happier cause that song sucks anyways.
Score = 2
Wait...Guitar Hero brought people back to actually playing guitar? Funny, I thought it did the exact opposite.
Score = 3
Charlie Daniels, I hate to break it to you, but God, Jesus, and Satan are all fictional characters.
Score = 0
I don't understand how the Devil lost in the original song anyway. His solo was much better...
Score = 3
I am going to say this, probably to my detriment, but here it goes...
Daniels probably wrote this after getting harassed by his 60-year-old fans who started sending hate mail to his front door.
The guy probably isn't that bad, after all he is still touring. You would think he would have thicker skin. He was a fixture on the stages at Sturgis, so you know he has seen worse than this.
Maybe this is simply a PR move.
And to the last guy who commented, the Devil's solo was not better than Johnny's. The Devil's was just full of reverb and distortion, I would have thought he could have played a better lick. Johnny's was much more catchy and it had a great pop sensibility. I have to disagree with you, and now I wonder if you have even heard the song.
Go Charlie!
Score = -1
Erc the Destroyer you are a fucking dumbass shut the fuck up and i dont exzactly agree with mr charlie daniels who i shall thank for the song it is a good song he does have a good point though but there is allways to points to one story so i hope we can see something about this later...!!!!!1
Score = 0
Erc the Destroyer you are a fucking dumbass shut the fuck up and i dont exzactly agree with mr charlie daniels who i shall thank for the song it is a good song he does have a good point though but there is allways to points to one story so i hope we can see something about this later...!!!!!1
Score = 0
Erc the Destroyer you are a fucking dumbass shut the fuck up and i dont exzactly agree with mr charlie daniels who i shall thank for the song it is a good song he does have a good point though but there is allways to points to one story so i hope we can see something about this later...!!!!!1
Score = 0
Erc the Destroyer you are a fucking dumbass shut the fuck up and i dont exzactly agree with mr charlie daniels who i shall thank for the song it is a good song he does have a good point though but there is allways to points to one story so i hope we can see something about this later...!!!!!!!
Score = 0
Erc the Destroyer you are a fucking dumbass shut the fuck up and i dont exzactly agree with mr charlie daniels who i shall thank for the song it is a good song he does have a good point though but there is allways to points to one story so i hope we can see something about this later...!!!!!!!
Score = 0
anyone who knows anything about publishing knows Charlie Daniels is full of shit. song publishing is split in to two pieces... the publisher's share and the songwriter's share. even if someone else owns the publishing side... Charlie is still getting paid the songwriter side. as a songwriter you have joint approval with the publisher of all uses of the song. The old story about songwriters losing control of their songs or not getting paid the songwriter's share is bullshit. it's easy to say that so you don't look like you sold out to a commercial or in this case, a video game. Charlie is cashing some big checks.
Score = 1
I'd have more respect and sympathy for him if he didn't come over as a right-wing Xian fundy idiot on his blog...and yes he doesn't own the rights (how did he lose them anyway?) so he doesn't need to be asked...
Score = 0