Canned Heat Had a Hit Record of on the Road Heat Session
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who worked out of Chicago in the late Thirties, whereby Wilson and Jones shared the credit-Wil- Forties, and Fifties. He never became particularly son having made a significant contribution to the well known because his activities were largely re- song-and Jones has received several thousand dol- stricted to Chicago. He formed his own company, lars in royalties. Previously, Carter says, Jones JOB Records, which distributed almost entirely to hadn't received anything. black outlets in Chicago. Oden wrote songs, some of A lawyer for United Artists couldn't recall the which were published, by coincidence, by Mel - case and referred me to Canned Heat, but the rose's Wabash Music and administered not by Hill group was in Australia at the time. Canned Heat's & Range this time, but by MCA Music in New Los Angeles management office hasn't returned York. One Oden song,Going Down Slow,was re- the calls. Alan Wilson died in 19-70. Probably Wil- corded in 1968 by Aretha Franklin and sold well. son had thought the song was a traditional one, in According. to Carter. the writer's share forGoing the public domain, and that Jones and he had both Down Slowwas about $10.000. "Oden was a mem- copyrighted their arrangements of it. ber of AGAC then, and he wrote me that he hadn't fhere are many aggravations to be found in pur- been paid. When we made overtures to Wabash suing this kind of story. One is that anyone con- Music and MCA, Melrose produced a document nected with music publishing can easily lose a lay- which purported that he owned the song. man between the copyright office and the third "The document was certainly open to question," licensing agreement with the fourth publisher. It adds Carter. "11 was a small piece of paper. a bill of does get hard to stick to the basic facts. Another sale for several songs, their names written across problem is that there are no absolute heroes and the top in pencil.Going Down Slowwas one of no absolute villains. Even the individual who seems these. Oden was paid less than $100 as a 'recording the most blameless has sinned someplace. Arthur fee' for the songs. After discussions. MCA con- Crudup exaggerated on the low side the amount he ceded that it was Jimmy Oden's tune and that the m, as paid 11) Lester Melrose: He claimed to have re- bill of sale probably wouldn't hold up in court. ceived nothing, but records show that he got Since then he's been paid directly by MCA... around $2,500. What is most annoying about this is $10,000 in royalties through 1968." A spokesman that in many cases the people who were, in essence, for MCA Music said he couldn't recall the docu- exploiting the ignorance of black musicians in the ment, but noted, "Rights flowed to us under assign- argument. Rights to ment from other parties, there was a dispute as to songswereoften signed over by musicians who those rights, Jimmy had his point of view, the should have known better. There is no law requir- people we were involved with had their point of ing music publishers to inform signees of their view, and in the end it went the way of all sensible rights. The excellent reference workThis Business things: Everybody agreed to agree." of Music(BillboardPublications, N.Y., N.Y.) Oden did manage to complicate his own case by states. "Unlike the typical book publisher's agree- selling rights toGoing Down Slowto several differ- ment. or the show music contract, the copyright on ent publishers, which he was not entitled to do, popular music is assigned to the publisher, and it' apparently hoping one of them would connect with the writer is not protected within the confines of the it. Carter says many bluesmen used to do this out of contract he has little chance to be safeguarded by sheer frustration. He feels the matter is now being custom in the industry." Ethical crimes can be so straightened out. much more infuriating than actual. legal ones. Floyd Jones, a guitarist working in Chicago, Says Carter: "There's a lot or material being used wrote a song calledOn the Road Again,and re- by some of the young rock groups, andsome of the corded it in 1953 for Oden's JOB Records. It was contemporary blues artists, that really is traceable distributed mainly in Chicago. One musician who back to a lot of fellows who are still living and who participated in the 1953 recording session was Sun- have never gotten paid for their works. They're nyland Slim, another familiar blues figure. The being claimed by firms who don't know where record went nowhere, but over the years Jones got these people are and do nothing about tryingto lo- along allright, and inthe mid -Sixties joined cate them. Ihaven't even scratched the surface AGAC. In 1968 the Los Angeles blues -rock band here, that's the sad thing about it. Thereare some Canned Heat had a hit record ofOn the Road firms who are just out and out screwing writers." Again,but watch: First it was credited to Jimmy Says Crudup, who is still waiting for contracts to Oden. but the publisher was listed as Metric Music, be drawn up so he can get his money: "I wouldn't Canned Heat's firm: then Alan Wilson, a member mind recording again, on one condition. That I get of Canned Heat, claimed he wrote it. According to something out of it. I don't want you to feel like I'm Carter, "At that time Canned Heat was saying they singing my songs to make you a million and I don't never heard the Jones record, until we found out get a little bit from it. I'd rather go on just like I am. that Sunnyland Slim also played in the Canned Just Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup, who wasonce a Heat session." A settlement was worked out blues singer: now he's dead and forgotten." 58 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE.