Is the recording of the song "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition"
as performed by the Merry Macs, public domain or is it still under
copyright?  If it's under copyright, who holds that copyright and how
do I contact them?

The song was recorded inthe 1940's and I'm wanting to use it in an
independent documentary.

---

Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 16 Oct 2006 15:23 PDT

campea...

The version by the Merry Macs is still being sold on this
compilation titled, 'The Harmonious Hits of the Merry Macs'.
All the songs are from Decca Records, which has long been
absorbed by other labels. See Wikipedia for that information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decca_Records

However, the Merry Macs are not listed under the List of 
Artists under the Decca Records Label:
http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-artists-under-the-decca-records-label

The album is still being sold on Amazon and Artists Direct:
http://www.amazon.com/Harmonious-Hits-Merry-Macs/dp/B00000395V

http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,252202,00.html


The sheet music was copyrighted in 1942 by Famous Music Corp:
http://my.execpc.com/~dschaaf/praise.html

Frank Loesser, the composer, died of cancer in 1969:
http://www.emusic.com/artist/10556/10556736.html


While I can't speak directly for the version sung by the Merry
Macs, whose version has the men in the group singing the words,
"praise the lord and pass the ammunition", I have found another
version by an unnamed group, in which the women sing those lyrics,
having been used in a video created by michael the tubthumper in
his blog:
http://thumpingthetub.blogspot.com/2006/04/here-it-is.html#comments

...also available on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dryBNYaj1sA&mode=related&search=

In the comments, he is asked where he found the song, and notes
that he found it having been used in the closing credits of a
documentary titled, 'We Interrupt This Empire...':
http://videoactivism.org/empire.html

Though the song is played in this video as the closing credits
roll, the song itself is not listed in the movie's credits:
http://www.videoactivism.org/empire.credits.html

Presumably, this means that at least this version is free of
copyright restrictions - either that, or no one has noticed.

This version sounds like Kay Kyser's version, and can be found
on mp3.com on the compilation, 'The Best of Kay Kyser & His
Orchestra':
http://www.mp3.com/albums/407169/summary.html

Since this information may be helpful, though inconclusive,
I won't yet post it as an answer until you've confirmed
that it satisfies your interests.

Let me know where this takes you...

sublime1-ga

According to ASCAP's database of works restored to copyright
protection (known as the ACE database), the song you asked about is
indeed copyright protected:


http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=460066928&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1


and the rights are administered by:


    FAMOUS MUSIC LLC 
    10635 SANTA MONICA BLVD 
    SUITE 300 
    LOS ANGELES , CA, 90025
    Tel. (310) 441-1300



You should contact Famous Music directly for information about using
the song in your film.


Please note that rights might be held by several entities, such as the
songwriter as well as the performer.  Famous Music should be able to
let you know whether there is anyone else you would need to secure
rights from for this particular piece of music.


Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you on this one.


pafalafa-ga


search strategy -- Used bookmarked link to ASCAP.