2014/02/26/David Byrne Covered 'Just a Friend' So Biz Markie Can Get Paid

title/short::David Byrne Covered 'Just a Friend' So Biz Markie Can Get Paid Arguments about copyright law don't get much more life-affirming than this. Earlier this week, David Byrne announced in his email newsletter that he'd be performing Biz Markie's enduring, endearing novelty hit "Just a Friend" in an event at New York's Le Poisson Rouge on February 25. And that's exactly what he did at the rally for the Content Creators Coalition, a new advocacy group. And, as you can see from the fan video above, it was oddly sublime, an overalls-wearing Byrne reading the 1989 song's rap verses from a sheet, replacing Markie's affectingly plainspoken warble with his own tremulous sing-speak.
 * when: when posted::2014/02/26
 * author: author::
 * source: site::Spin
 * topics: topic::Content Creators Coalition topic::David Byrne
 * keywords
 * link: URL::http://www.spin.com/articles/david-byrne-biz-markie-just-a-friend-video-cover-royalties-copyright/
 * title: title::David Byrne Covered 'Just a Friend' So Biz Markie Can Get Paid
 * summary: Talking Heads frontman performs for Content Creators Coalition, a new royalties advocacy group

The Talking Heads leader's jubilant cover came at a show called Artists' Pay for Radio Play, where the Content Creators Coalition was calling attention to the fact that the United States is a rare place where performers don't get royalties for radio airplay. "Mr. Markie didn't write that tune (although he did probably write the rap)," Byrne wrote in the February 24 email newsletter. "The drum and keyboard loop was lifted from a Freddie Scott recording, but the song was written by Gamble and Huff, the great songwriting team that wrote for The O'Jays and The Spinners. So chances are Biz Markie didn't see any royalties from all the radio play that song got."