'Johnny B Goode' official message Warner USA

ElvisMatters contacted Tom Lucas, VP Marketing manager of Warner USA, and asked for an explanation. The moment Warner decided to release a restored version for ‘Elvis On Tour’, they contacted all the composers and publishers for the songs that are included in the movie. In the case of ‘Johnny B Goode’, they never received any reaction from composer Chuck Berry or his publisher. Warner tried to contact them for a very long time, but never received any reply or contract. It is not the case that Warner did not want to pay enough money to include the song, they simply did not receive an offer to pay for it.

This response is simply not credible.

If there's one thing Chuck Berry values is a buck.

If there was never "any reaction," why not send a certified letter informing them the film will be released, intact and If they want compensation, they better reply?

As for the "substitution" -- whoever made that decision is a complete and utter HACK.

It's 2010, and Elvis is still being treated like ****.

Amazing.

So true DJC!

So let me get this right. Berry's people answered the phone when asked if they could include 'Promised Land' and 'Too Much Monkey Business' in 'This is Elvis', they answered the phone when they wanted permission to include 'Johnny B Goode' in 'Aloha', they answered the phone to put 'Johnny B Goode' in the 'Elvis Lives' video but they could not answer the phone, an e mail, a text, a tweet, a visit to their offices when Warner tried to get 'Johnny B' in Elvis On Tour?

So true and such B/S...like the Doc said...this is 2010 and Elvis is still being treated like sh*t...
Friggin' amazing
PEP

I don't believe Warner's in the slightest.

No publisher and to a lessor extent, no artist, would ignore a contact from a huge force like Warner

I haven't said it in a while but right on (this time), Doc.

Your other classic line on the main EOT thread says:

If that's the new intro, Tom Parker has risen from the dead and worked on the DVD.

What a shame "Elvis On Tour" Director Robert Abel (died September 23rd, 2001) and producer Pierre Adidge (died November 10th, 1974) aren't around anymore. You'd think their families would be a bit miffed if notified.



I'm still getting the damned DVD and apparently kissing someone's ass...

And you'll be at the cinema tonight, right? Same here.

I really don't care!
As soon as I get my copy of "Elvis On Tour" on DVD, I'll replace "Don't Be Cruel" with an edited version of "Johnny B. Goode" from "Elvis On Tour - The Rehearsals" (FTD) and problem solved
By the way, that "Don't Be Cruel" intro is even insulting... just plain ridiculous!

Last edited by JimmyCool on Thu Jul 29, 2010 11:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.

This infuriates the hell out of me!

I am curious wha the law is for permission to use when the copyright holder does not replay to requests. In some contexts, silence can be taken as consent.

Perhaps, as I've said before on this board, if sales are good and WB finally gets feedback from Berry's company we'll get the original remastered film plus bonuses for the 40th anniversary. Let us hope that happens and they do the same thing with the performances they did with TTWII SE and work with Sony/BMG to use the original multi-track tapes to restore the sound and Johnny B. Goode, the "real" "2001", etc.

Now wait a minute. Haven't we got enough grief now with the substitution of a bit of music that was in the original movie?

I can't understand why they can broadcast this movie on TCM with the Johnny B intro.
Ones should think that since the material is the same as the original movie, they don't have to ask for permission again..

How is this an "official response from Warner"? Again, no sources and no original dialogue listed. Waste of time.

I guess there is going to a stampede out of cinemas 87 seconds into the movie today

I can't understand why they can broadcast this movie on TCM with the Johnny B intro.
Ones should think that since the material is the same as the original movie, they don't have to ask for permission again..

It comes under the new use rule. DVD is a new use not accounted for in original contracts.

Maybe this is just Chucks way of being able to continue with the black person mantra that Elvis never gave black people their due?

That would probably be a good bet!

Maybe this is just Chucks way of being able to continue with the black person mantra that Elvis never gave black people their due?

That would probably be a good bet!

I doubt that. Chuck likes money more than he dislikes Elvis.

Just for the recod, I once wrote an email about something on Chuck's official site to the admin of his message board (iirc this was his staus). Turned out it was his son (who also plays guitar in his band) who wrote me an email back. Just sayin'.....


Oh, and he's called Chuck Berry, not Burry. Maybe that's why they didn't reach him....

They should ask Chuck's cousin, Marvin Berry, about his location... Or ask permission to Marty McFly!

I would suspect that the Warners publishing, copyrights and lawyers staff would amount to hundreds of staff.

What was there to stop one of suits hopping into a taxi and knocking on the publishing house door!

It's 2010, and Elvis is still being treated like ****.

He's treated much better by bootleggers than he is any official label or company.

I would suspect that the Warners publishing, copyrights and lawyers staff would amount to hundreds of staff.

What was there to stop one of suits hopping into a taxi and knocking on the publishing house door!

Right, or just release the damn track and during the court case.. show all the tremendous efforts to contact the publishing company.
A reasonable deal could have been done afterwards.

EPE is partially to blame for the Don't be cruel failure by the way.
They must have approved using the audio track, right? EPE should have steered Warner in the right direction.

Ignorant sob's..

It's 2010, and Elvis is still being treated like ****.

He's treated much better by bootleggers than he is any official label or company.

Well, we must make an exception for the official collector's label, Follow That Dream.

It's 2010, and Elvis is still being treated like ****.

He's treated much better by bootleggers than he is any official label or company.

Well, we must make an exception for the official collector's label, Follow That Dream.

So true!

I don't believe Warner's in the slightest.

No publisher and to a lessor extent, no artist, would ignore a contact from a huge force like Warner

Warner could have simply contacted EPE who was apparently successful in reaching publishing agreements for Chuck Berry songs for inclusion in their videos so they must have had established business contacts. Or why not disclose the holdup to the public so it gets resolved? What's most disappointing to me here is the public stance Warner has been taking in all of this. They first go out and promise the fans a DVD/Blu-ray release featuring the complete movie "as presented in its original format" fully knowing that this was apparently not really the truth. Surely a lot of people placed pre-orders based on Warner's messaging here and are now being let down.

I really don't care!
As soon as I get my copy of "Elvis On Tour" on DVD, I'll replace "Don't Be Cruel" with an edited version of "Johnny B. Goode" from "Elvis On Tour - The Rehearsals" (FTD) and problem solved
By the way, that "Don't Be Cruel" intro is even insulting... just plain ridiculous!

Interesting. The JBG intro and credits are longer than the new DBC intro. Will that make any difference with your edit? Or are you just making a joke here with your comment. 2 hours to go and I will be in my seat ready for the show.

I really don't care!
As soon as I get my copy of "Elvis On Tour" on DVD, I'll replace "Don't Be Cruel" with an edited version of "Johnny B. Goode" from "Elvis On Tour - The Rehearsals" (FTD) and problem solved
By the way, that "Don't Be Cruel" intro is even insulting... just plain ridiculous!

Interesting. The JBG intro and credits are longer than the new DBC intro. Will that make any difference with your edit? Or are you just making a joke here with your comment. 2 hours to go and I will be in my seat ready for the show.

No, I mean it... I can do it without losing quality... I didn't notice it was shorter, in that case I'll have to use bits from my bootleg DVD.
I'll upload my version when it's done...

Maybe this is just Chucks way of being able to continue with the black person mantra that Elvis never gave black people their due?

That would probably be a good bet!

If we were talking about Ray Charles or Bo Diddley perhaps, but I've never heard Chuck say anything particularly negative about Elvis.


As for this JBG explanation, it sounds ridiculous.