Ask 411 Music 1.26.12: Hendrix/Monkees, Who Owns "Happy Birthday," & More

Posted by Ron Martin on 01.26.2012

Did Jimi Hendrix really open for the Monkees? Why do the Byrds have an album named (untitled)? Does someone really own the copyright for "Happy Birthday?" All this and more in this week's edition of Ask 411 Music!

It's that time again, kids. Time for another weekly edition of Ask 411 Music. A little time killer in the office perhaps, or maybe something to read while you dine on dinner. If anyone reads this just before or just after sex -- these are the things that I need to know.


One great thing about being the host city for the Super Bowl? Free concerts. In the next week acts such as BIG HEAD TODD, UMPHREY'S MCGEE, EN VOGUE, EDWIN MCCAIN, BRET MICHAELS and most importantly to me, HERE COME THE MUMMIES will be playing downtown for free for anyone who wants to fight the cold weather to see them. It's not exactly the lineup for the GRAMMYS, but it's a good time nonetheless!






EDDIE VAN HALEN of VAN HALEN turns 57 years old today…





ANITA BAKER turns 54 today…





TOM KEIFER, lead singer for CINDERELLA turns 51 today…









IT CAME FROM MY IPOD


As I mentioned above, the Super Bowl is in my hometown this week. As it will probably never return to Indianapolis, I decided I should volunteer my services just to experience it. If the Super Bowl is in your town, I recommend you do the same. Even though this section of the column is usually about things I've already experienced, today it's going to be five songs from my iPod about what I expect to experience this weekend as I volunteer at the NFL Experience.


1."Hey Ladies" by The Beastie Boys
2."Carnal Carnival" by Here Come the Mummies
3."Give It Away" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers
4."I Ran" by Flock of Seagulls
5."No Rest For the Wicked" by The Bloodhound Gang






Really? It's time for…

THE QUESTIONS

Did Jimi Hendrix really open for the Monkees?


Yep, but it didn't go well.


By mid-1967, THE MONKEES were sort of doing their own thing and no longer just belting out vocals for kiddie pop tunes. That doesn't mean that their audience had changed that much. JIMI HENDRIX was just about to hit big nationally. Several members of The Monkees had seen Jimi play and wanted to add him to their tour even though he didn't really fit in with the other acts. They simply wanted to watch him play every night.




Hendrix didn't necessarily return the love as he is on record as wondering who would listen to the Monkees. However, The Monkees were selling out wherever they went. Hendrix couldn't turn down the offer to play in front of hundreds of thousands of teenagers, even if they were mostly girls pining over DAVEY JONES.


When Hendrix hit the stage, it went just about like you would have guessed. His music was over the heads of the pop crazed teen girls and was mostly drowned out by chants of "We Want the Monkees." Teen girls don't usually have the best taste in music. I think time has proven that.




The partnership last just a few dates as Hendrix finally got fed up with the chants and the Monkee loving crowd in New York. He flipped them off and walked off stage. Hendrix and the Monkees amicably dissolved the contract, Hendrix started to hit big in America just after that and the rest as they say, is history.





Who owns the copyrights to "Happy Birthday."


It's a huge running joke just about anywhere that if you want to sing the "Happy Birthday" song to someone, you got to pay royalties. That's actually true. Kind of.


Here's the "Happy Birthday" song's origin story.


It started life with two sisters in KENTUCKY, MILDRED and PATTY HILL. Both were elementary school teachers and came up with the "Happy Birthday" melody, but for greeting their classes. The original song was as such: "Good morning to you/good morning to you/good morning dear students/good morning to you." Whether or not the second chorus of "You smell like a zoo" was added at this time is not known. The song was published in 1893 in the book Song Stories for Kindergarten.


The song went through a couple of incarnations before being published as the "Happy Birthday" song we all know and love in 1924. The song instantly became popular. A third Hill sister, JESSICA HILL gained copyrights to the song for her sisters and their estate. The song was effectively published and copyrighted in 1935. Under copyright laws of the time, it would have become public domain in 1991. However, copyright acts in both 1976 and 1998 ensure the Hills have copyrights to the song until 2030.



Does this mean everyone who has ever had a birthday party should be paying royalties? Of course not. Royalties for the song should be paid only if the song is part of a production intended for profit -- that being a concert, movie, commercial use, stage use, etc.My birthday is exactly one month from today. You can feel safe singing me the "Happy Birthday" song.




Why doe the Byrds have an album entitled (untitled)?


It was a mistake.


Up to this point, while successful, the lineup of THE BYRDS had been volatile to say the least. With the addition of SKIP BATTIN in 1969, the band wanted the new album's title to reflect the stability of the new lineup. Titles like Pheonix and The First Byrds Album were tossed around but never solidified.



Two stories are tossed around for the eventual title (untitled). One states that COLUMBIA RECORDS called the band's manager, TERRY MELCHER, looking for a title. Melcher responded the album was "as of yet untitled," so the record company went with that. Melcher claims he wrote "untitled" on a label copy sheet and sent it to the record company because the band hadn't agreed to a title yet. Before anyone knew what was happening, the album was pressed as (untitled) erroneously. That'll teach them to take their time picking out an album name!





That's all for this week, peoples. As always, you don't like the questions, submit some. They can be left here in the COMMENTS section or dropped in my email box. Either way, they'll get answered.



I must leave you now.