Are music rights different from TV shows & movies. (1 Viewer)

[Don_Limey]

I always wondered this question especially reading about the Quantum Leap Season Two & Married with Children music cuts. I think it really sucks. But can they alter music on movies like they can on TV show sets.

 

[Adam_ME]

It does happen with some films. Two DVDs in my collection that have altered soundtracks due to rights issues are Gone in 60 Seconds(1974) and The Last American Virgin.

 

[EricSchulz]

There were some John Hughes films that had altered soundtracks due to rights issues...pretty sure that "Sixteen Candles" was one of them.

 

[Mark To]

For years Slapshot was only available without the original songs until the DVD release restored all of them.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Someone familiar with the situation needs to weigh in, but wasn't there a more recent version of Sixteen Candles that had the original music restored?

 

[Jason-D]

My copy of Sixteen Candles (from High School Reunion collection) states "Remastered with the original motion picture music! Featuring David Bowie, Billy Idol, Spandau Ballet, Prince and more!" in a blurb on the back cover, so I'd assume that all of the songs have been restored. It is probably a good sign that the original music credits are intact at the end of the film. On the subject of replaced music in films on DVD, I understand that the new release of "Happy Birthday To Me" has most of the songs replaced.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Thanks, Jason. I need to pick up a copy.

 

[EricSchulz]

Yes, that's correct. Sorry I didn't make that clear in my original post. The High School Reunion Edition (released in '04, IIRC) restored all the origianl music that the first version had replaced. I am hoping that as we move forward this becomes less of an issue as the studios incorporate a music right clause for a DVD release when the movie gets made.

 

[JohnAP]

I imagine one of the problems is that studios have been anticipating home video releases of films for much longer than they have with tv shows. A few years ago, there was no reason for more of the tv shows budget to go to music clearances for home video down the road

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

There has been a market for movies on home video for far longer than there has been for TV shows - and therefore more of an incentive for the studios to make music rights for home video releases (on various media) an item they go after as a matter of course for theatrical films. TV on DVD as a recognized, viable consumer market - as oppposed to a possibly-short-lived fad - is about three or four years old. Movies have been a serious rental and sell-through item on VHS, laserdisc and DVD for over twenty-five years. So for twenty-one or -two of those years movies were a big deal, TV shows were ignored. There was no reason for the studios to pay extra for home video rights they would never be able to exploit and never make their money back on.

Regards,

Joe

 

[John*P]

Yeah, until early this year, the only copies of Sixteen Candles and Weird Science available on DVD and VHS had some music altered from the theatrical versions. This was remedied with the "High School Reunion" DVDs.