The 70-year-old mastermind of Parliament Funkadelic, George Clinton, is heading to Australia this year to bring the funk for Golden Plains Lucky Seven ticket holders at the beautiful surrounds of the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, as well as three special sideshows in early March, but the master of groovy ceremonies has gotten the short straw in a recent legal battle.
According to TMZ, Clinton has been forced to give up the rights to four of his famous recordings to help pay off unpaid debts to a US law firm, Hendricks & Lewis, who won a $1.5 million lawsuit against the Parliament Funkadelic leader in 2010 over unpaid legal fees.
On November 12, a federal judge granted the copyright to four of Clinton’s tracks – ‘Hardcore Jollies’, ‘The Electric Spanking Of War Babies’, ‘Uncle Jam Wants You’, and the legendary funk anthem, ‘One Nation Under A Groove’ – to Hendricks & Lewis so that the royalties and earnings of the tracks will help pay off the unpaid legal debts.
Clinton had paid back $340,000 worth of what he was owed to the legal partners when they represented him from 2005 to 2008, but with Hendricks & Lewis now in possession of the rights to the four songs. While in possession of the rights, the legal company is permitted to use and profit from the music however they see fit, including marketing and exploiting the tunes, with the rights returning to Clinton once the rest of his debt is repaid in full.
Clinton has responded by filing a motion to reverse the direction, which is no surprise considering the ramifications of the court ruling. The P-Funk master takes his music very seriously, having settled a court case in May, 2011 against the Black Eyed Peas for the pop group’s unsolicited sampling of his 1979 track ‘(Not Just) Knee Deep for their 2003 hit, ‘Shut Up’.
Still, if you start seeing ‘One Nation Under A Groove’ and those other booty shaking cuts appearing in commercials, you’ll know who’s to blame…
Meanwhile, Clinton and crew will be heading our way in march, performing at Golden Plains Lucky 7 on the weekend of March 9 – 11, along with a lineup that includes Dinosaur Jr, Cat Power, Tallest Man On Earth, Purity Ring, Flume, and many more; as well as sideshows in Fremantle, Sydney, and Melbourne.
George Clinton 2013 Australian Tour
Thursday 7th March 2013, Metropolis Fremantle
www.metropolisfremantle.com.au
Tix: www.oztix.com.au
Friday 8th March 2013, The Hi Fi, Sydney
www.thehifi.com.au
Tix:1300 438 849 / www.moshtix.com.au
Saturday 9th March 2013, Billboard The Venue, Melbourne
www.billboardthevenue.com.au
Tix132 849 / www.ticketek.com.au
1300 438 849 / www.moshtix.com.au
Golden Plains 2013 Lineup
CAT POWER / DINOSAUR JR / TALLEST MAN ON EARTH / GEORGE CLINTON AND PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC / THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION / PURITY RING / FLUME / MOODYMANN / THE MARK OF CAIN / TORO Y MOI / WILD NOTHING / PSARANTONIS / NAYSAYER AND GILSUN / SIX FT HICK / MULATU ASTATKE / JULIO BASHMORE / MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA / CLIENT LIAISON / DICK DIVER / KEB DARGE / BUSHWALKING / OPOSSOM / CHRIS RUSSELL’S CHICKEN WALK / BARRY DICKINS / NO ZU / ZANZIBAR CHANEL / POST PERCY / REDD KROSS
Golden Plains 2013 Dates & Tickets
Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre
March 9 – 11, 2013
Tickets via ballot at www.goldenplains.com.au
