Jack White vs. The U.S. Air Force Reserve

Clashes between rock stars and the man are legendary, or at least they used to be. These days it’s difficult to tell. Car commercials have been using indie songs for a few years to push expensive cars on…kids who probably can’t afford them? Adults who are part of the hip crowd? Hell, I don’t know anymore. But if it’s good enough for Band of Horses (the Funeral), Lou Reed (Take a Walk on the Wild Side), Phoenix (1901), Silversun Pickups (Kissing Families), Modest Mouse (Gravity Rides Everything), and a few more, it’s good for Jack White, yeah?

Nope. Mr. White claims that an ad for the U.S. Air Force that ran during the Super Bowl was a blatant and completely unauthorized ripoff of their track “Fell In Love With a Girl”. Needless to say, the White Stripes/Raconteurs guitarist and Dead Weather drummer is pissed. He released this statement on his Third Man Records website:

“We believe our song was re-recorded and used without permission of the White Stripes, our publishers, label or management.

The White Stripes take strong insult and objection to the Air Force Reserve presenting this advertisement with the implication that we licensed one of our songs to encourage recruitment during a war that we do not support.

The White Stripes support this nation’s military, at home and during times when our country needs and depends on them. We simply don’t want to be a cog in the wheel of the current conflict, and hope for a safe and speedy return home for our troops.

We have not licensed this song to the Air Force Reserve and plan to take strong action to stop the ad containing this music.”

Well it appears as though there’s a few indie musicians who refuse to sell their material to advertising. Honestly, it’s not even like I blame them; as listeners we hardly consume whatsoever; downloading most of their music for free. If it takes a multi-national car company to pay the bills, I say go ape shit. I can’t find the Air Force Reserve ad, but here’s the video. Mainly added because I think it’s awesome.

There are also a few more areas such as this where I can’t figure out whether or not the songs are just ridiculously close sounding to the song or whether they changed the words and stole the melody. One is a McDonald’s radio ad that I heard a few days ago about chicken nuggets and stealing the beat and rhythm to “Technologic” by Daft Punk. Lift it, bite it, dip it…something like that. I was almost positive that they stole the shit out of it, but I cannot confirm nor deny it.

And of course we can’t forget the Outback Steakhouse Ad that forever branded “Wraith Pinned to Mist and Other Games” as the Outback song. I’m just wondering if these artists are getting paid for the blatant thievery and subsequent butchery of their music.

Tagged as: daft punk, fell in love with a girl, jack white, of montreal, super bowl, technologic, us air force, wraith pinned to mist and other games