The Violent Femmes News on Yahoo! Music

Violent Femmes embroiled in NY lawsuit

08/16/2007 6:54 AM, AP
Larry Neumeister

Fresh off their latest tour, 1980s folk-punk favorites the Violent Femmes are headed for a surprise gig in federal court.

Bassist Brian Ritchie sued lead vocalist Gordon Gano on Wednesday, saying he was deprived of credit for some of the group's songs and a proper accounting of its earnings.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, also accuses Gano of trashing the band's reputation by allowing its signature hit, "Blister in the Sun," to be used in a Wendy's commercial.

Gano, reached by telephone at his Manhattan home, called the lawsuit "a complete surprise" — especially since the band still regularly performs and just returned from a tour in South Africa.

"We just played a really, really good tour," he said. "Since the early '80s, everything's really good. We're playing better than ever."

In the suit, Ritchie claims he founded the band in 1980, taking on drummer Victor DeLorenzo that year and Gano in 1981.

After releasing a self-titled debut album, "Violent Femmes," in 1983, the band gained fame with hits including "Blister in the Sun," "Add It Up" and "Special." It recorded at least 10 albums and toured the world at least a dozen times, the lawsuit said.

"This action is the unfortunate culmination of an ongoing intra-band dispute between Ritchie and Gano over Gano's misappropriation and misadministration of Ritchie's interests in the jointly owned songs and assets of the band, misappropriation of assets solely owned by Ritchie, improper accounting and nonpayment of royalties," the lawsuit said.

The Wendy's deal was a buzz-kill for the band's fan base, the suit says, causing one fan to comment in an online blog that after hearing "Blister in the Sun" in a commercial, "My ears perked up. Then my jaw dropped. Then my heart sank."

The suit seeks a ruling declaring Ritchie half owner of the band's songs and an accounting of past and future royalties and unspecified damages.

Gano declined to respond to the claims in detail, except to say he wrote the band's songs with one or two exceptions.

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Here's a spoiler for you: Chinese Democracy is shit

that cunt drummer from the smiths makes me sick.

Mike Joyce? Are you Morrissey himself?

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Here's a spoiler for you: Chinese Democracy is shit

He bugs me too.

But it was really annoying when they put Blister In The Sun in that commercial. I went camping with some friends and was playing Blister In The Sun on the guitar and they were all like "That's the Wendy's song" and I stormed off because of how retarded they were being.

I wonder if this suit was inspired by the one against Manson?

Doesn't it seem kind of late to be suing for royalties? Weird.

That's usually my reaction.

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Breathe in, come out

But is Wendys really worse than that Grosse Pointe Blank movie or whatever else that song has been in? I swear I have heard that song in all kinds of tacky places.

I'd say it's worse.

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Breathe in, come out

I suppose. Wendys is trying to sell you burgers and other shit that is really bad for you. That movie is just trying to sell you John Cusack, who is just REALLY annoying.

I could also be immune to the idea of the commercial because I don't really listen to radio and I don't watch a lot of TV...so commercials rarely offend me.

I think those turtles that Comcast uses are cute though.

The end.

yeah, that wendy's commercial definitely killed it. it was like when nick drake- pink moon (i think.. maybe place to be) or le tigre- deceptacon was used in a commercial. it ruins the song because it becomes part of the advertisement and then most people, minus the fans, think of the store or car or whatever it was selling when they hear it.

at least with grosse point blank it was just on the soundtrack. more respect for films than commercials, for sure.

but anyway, it's strange that gano was completely unaware about any of it. you'd think ritchie might have brought it up persistantly if he weren't getting his fair share or unhappy with wendy's using their song.

I know...I was thinking that. I think those Wendy's commercials came out a while back, and their biggest album came out in 1983. So I was thinking that maybe they had some time to work that stuff out???

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Here's a spoiler for you: Chinese Democracy is shit

Oh No, This Makes Me Sad

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you'll go to hell for what your dirty mind is thinking

For real. I think that is really the weirdest thing about all of this.

Oh dear. I'm quite glad I don't live in America and only know what Wendy's is thanks to this thread, let alone have seen the advert.

I like Grosse Point Blank, but that might just be because I have a big crush on John Cusack. I sat through the torturous America's Sweethearts (note the s, though America's Sweetheart is also pretty painful) just for the shots of him when I was in the depths of my obsession.

Anyway, rubbish news.