Using audio samples in music (1 Viewer)

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Hello everyone.

I'm determined to use a recording of a Bukowski interview in my music. The clip I want is here:


- but of course there are copyright issues involved before I can just publish his voice on my music and try to sell CDs / MP3s.

Can any of you experts help me find the source / rights holder of this interview?

And more generally - can you think of anyone else who's tried to use Bukowski's speech in their music works?

Thanks in advance!

Rhodri D
 
can you think of anyone else who's tried to use Bukowski's speech in their music works?
No, I think you're the first.



Oh, wait - I just remembered that there are about a thousand others. But you'll be the first after them.

What you've got there is an excerpt from The Bukowski Tapes. Find that, or find a picture of the box, that will lead you to someone to ask about permissions. But ultimately I think you'll find the permissions lie with the filmmaker, Barbet Schroeder.
 
Personally I would love to hear your music. Send us a sample-we promise not to sample it in our own music-that would be the act of a…..
 
Thanks for your great internet responses, great mix of sarcasm and useful information. Just what forums were intended for.

So I've been in touch with Linda (Charles' wife) and Barbet but they're a little bit unresponsive.

Can you point me in the direction of the other musical artists who've used Bukowski samples so I can ask them if and how they got the copyright holders to agree.

Looking forward to your replies!
 
Do we get mentioned in the liner notes if we help? I mean, Pitchfork album of the year...

You've contacted who you need to contact. Being impatient is not a virtue when you're dealing with these kinds of people. If you're in a big hurry, you're probably out of luck.
 
Can you point me in the direction of the other musical artists who've used Bukowski samples so I can ask them if and how they got the copyright holders to agree.
quite a few have shown up here and were not exactly well received. hence the sarcasm.

i think it's generally considered - around here anyway - unoriginal and uncreative for an "artist" to attach another's work to their own.

especially one that's so highly regarded and proven.
 
Thanks for your advice about being patient.

I thought I WAS being patient - just continuing a convo here about Bukowski's influence on music in the meantime if you don't mind. Seems like the right forum for it...

Do you think Doom got official clearance :


- life advice and music links appreciated.
 
You will likely need both Linda and Barbet to sign off. Since you asked them, the only thing to do is wait. I know that a lot of people just put out music without getting rights. Those folks are risking being sued. I believe that John Melcher may have released a cd and paid for rights, but he would have only had to work with one copyright owner. Either one could say "no" and both could ask for a fee. It could get expensive.

Still, I would never chance being sued by releasing without rights.

Bill
 
Just saying... I realize that you have put in a lot of energy into your project but I also would like to mention that many musicians have done something similar with hip hop and electronica. I have heard many versions that sound somewhat like yours.
 
I don't like that Doom track either.

I get the impression the written word / poetry is deemed as a higher art form than music on this forum (- it is a forum celebrating a writers work, so that's fair enough I guess). That would explain the animosity towards musicians

Poetry is very pure form of art - but I think most forms of art are valid!

Thanks Bill for the sincerity, and sorry Black Swan - but that track isn't mine.

From what I gather - John Melcher didn't use audio samples, but got some other dudes to read Bukowski's work over his music...

- except this one : [No, no and hell no. -ed.]

Interesting listen - but not really my thing though. Melcher MUST have got permission to use the work that explicitly, I'll try to contact him too!
 
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If u wanna learn about bukowskis influence on music maybe read some bukowski and then make some music?

just spitballin here

If you want to do a record involving a mix of music and poetry, then meet a poet and propose a collaboration.

Again, just spitballing.

legal concerns aside, the likelihood of somebody who makes electronic music doing justice to bukowski is very near to zero in my opinion. Making songs and telling people they are inspired by bukowski, or having them be about bukowski - thats one thing. Lots of people have done good work taking pictures of bukowski, or making paintings 'of him' or inspired by his works, or writing poems/stories that are about him in some way.

but trying to make songs that appropriate/integrate bukowski and/or his work is another thing, and will *most likely* end up demeaning both him and you. especially if your music isn't music that he would even have liked. Unless your name is Wagner or The B, your chances would have been pretty slim

Either way you might notice that there are a gazillion posts about music around here. Heck one guy has a podcast that is awesome and basically ALL ABOUT MUSIC lol .. So yeah asking for peoples help and then putting words into their mouths isn't the kind of patience that maybe will serve you well. I thought people were nice to ya - return the favor
 
That would explain the animosity towards musicians
You are not "musicians," you are you. You do not represent all musicians, or any musicians, you represent yourself. If you are feeling animosity here, it is directed toward you and your specific ideas or statements, not your hobby.

A lot of people make that mistake, believing they are running into resistance because of the group or genre they believe they fit in to rather than strictly on the basis of their ideas or who they are. Well, it's not really a mistake, it's more of a lack of self awareness.

Your groundbreaking idea has been done to death, and it's usually done poorly, or shoehorned in to music that has nothing to do with the person whose voice you want to exploit. I would say what I always say, and what @yougetso just said, and that is, go find someone else to give voice to your thing, whatever it is. There are a million people out there you can collaborate with. Make something new. Stop borrowing and start creating.
 
If u wanna learn about bukowskis influence on music maybe read some bukowski and then make some music?
Done
If you want to do a record involving a mix of music and poetry, then meet a poet and propose a collaboration.
Done

I thought I was being nice too! Naive, maybe - but still nice! I'll search for the other threads - especially that podcast - looking forward to listen. Thanks.
quite a few have shown up here and were not exactly well received. hence the sarcasm.
I was referring to this quote here :
animosity towards musicians
If you must know, I'm working with other poets / rappers / musicians (- mostly alive) - for other ideas in other songs. I'm sure my idea has been done to death, but so far, I've only found two or three audio clips proving it (& none really have the same ideas). Would be great if you could post some artist names / links.

I'm reviewing my self-awerness situation too.

Thanks in advance!
 
...go find someone else to give voice to your thing, whatever it is.

or better yet, give your own voice to something. don't you have any original ideas or thoughts of your own?

interesting (ironic?) that you're choosing bukowski's work to appropriate, cause he was so about being an original.

i'm not sure why this thread - and you - are annoying me so much.
 
He's annoying to me because besides his acute lack of originality, he also keeps asking for others to do
his leg work. Dead horse.
 
I disagree! I believe I've done quite a bit of legwork thanks. Spent hours reading and listening to Mr B's work. Spent hours googling for other examples of his work in published music (of which I haven't found that much really, in contrast to mjp's 'thousands of others' ).

Been in touch / had lengthy conversations with Lex Recods (Doom's label), John Meltcher, Jared (who made Barbet's website), Barbet, Linda, and now the Bukowski estate's agent (not estate agent). I get the impression if it was up to you guys you wouldn't grant me permission - but luckily I'm not requesting permission from you (unless you're the agent or Linda, in which case - Hi!)

You're questioning my originality fair enough, out of the 14 songs, on the album, 13.75 are 100% original creations - with original multi-lingual spoken word poetry about toads, horizons, compliments, pockets, pantries etc - as well as melodies about life and all the highs and lows that come with it. Taking a 30 second audio sample is not raping a dead corpse. It's a more like a tribute / carefully select audio snippet to compliment the original conviction and compliment the music.

Here is one of my favourite example of someone doing something original with other people's audio samples (not Bukowski related):

[This video is unavailable.]

Hopefully I'll be in a position to share my track with you soon and get your feedback. The track is called Sweet Excess by the way.

Thanks for your feedback & patience.

RD
 
I really love the William S. Burroughs part of Ministry's "Just One Fix", so maybe the Bukowski part will work here. Certainly WSB and Ministry don;t seem like they would work together, but they do. I think that they make the song better.


Of course, WSB was still alive when this was made, so his wishes were that he be included. Maybe that is the difference.

Bill
 
Not really into Ministry music myself, but cool use of WSB's voice.

Here's a favourite poet of mine backed by some music


I like this one, but the music and the spoken word aren't intertwined very well - it's basically just backing music to a poem, still nice though.
 
Taking a 30 second audio sample is not raping a dead corpse.
Don't put words into our mouths. No one said anything like that.

to compliment the original conviction...
To "compliment" it in your mind, with your music. Something the original author conveniently has no say in, since he's dead. So in reality, every one of you who do this are doing it with complete disregard for him and his work.

What you are also doing, obviously, all of you, is using Bukowski to get people to listen to your music, which they otherwise wouldn't do. Call it a "tribute" if you'd like to wallow in that delusion. But you aren't well known enough to offer tribute. It's just more exploitation, and that's all it ever will be.
 
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