Bush Asked to Stop Using 'Still the One'

1 hour, 59 minutes ago

By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The songwriter who helped pen the 1970s hit, "Still the
One," is demanding that President Bush stop using the tune at campaign
events, arguing that he's no fan of the Republican incumbent and the
campaign never got permission to use the song.

John Hall, a former Democratic county legislator in upstate New York,
co-wrote "Still the One" and recorded it with his band Orleans in
1976. The cheery pop tune was played at Bush events Thursday and again
Friday to open and close a rally for the president in New Hampshire.

"I was watching TV, and there all of a sudden was my song, my guitar
playing, my voice coming out of the speakers," said the 56-year-old
Hall, still a working musician.

Hall wrote "Still the One" with his then-wife, Johanna D. Hall. The
two as well as surviving members of the band are supporters of
Democratic Sen. John Kerry and don't want their work used to promote
Bush's re-election, Hall said.

"I'm not just some guy that's stoned out and happened to write a song,
and even if I were, it would still be a problem, because you should
always ask permission to use the work," Hall said.

Hall's lawyers are drafting a formal letter of complaint to the Bush
campaign. A spokesman for the Republican did not immediately return
calls for comment.

"If you have protectable copyrights to a song and someone is using it
without permission, and especially if they know they're using it
without permission, there is some sort of legal liability there and it
may be that they could be required to pay royalties at the very
least," said Daniel Healy, an intellectual property lawyer at the firm
Anderson, Kill & Olick.

Among Hall's concerns is that political use of the song could hurt its
commercial appeal, scaring away advertisers. "Still the One" has been
used by Appleby's, Burger King and the ABC network, according to Hall.

Hall, who lives in Dutchess County about 90 miles north of New York
City, said his band recently declined an offer of $10,000 to perform
at a fund-raiser for Maryland Republicans.