MUMBAI: Veteran rocker Gary Lawyer, famous for covering some of pop’s greatest artists works along with his originals believes that rendering versions or covers not only pays tribute to the original artists but also keeps their legacies alive.
While, globally, there are copyright laws that must be adhered to by artists and labels, when they cover works of other artists, India’s lax and confused laws and regulations, often makes it difficult to shift through the legalities. Even if an artist is ready to pay for covering a song, the infrastructure is not in place.
“I don’t know how we can handle the issue. We have to look into it practically. If the infrastructure is there, by all means pay the copyright fees. But how are you going to control it? In India, it’s only bollywood that has things under control- only because the industry is controlled by 10-15 people. But internationally, there are millions of songwriters and artists and so many radio stations playing their songs,” points out Lawyer whose repertoire includes songs by Elvis Presley to The Doors.
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Lawyer highlights that on stage, when he renders a song, especially a lesser known song of a well-known artist or a deep cut, the excitement and interest it generates among the audience on learning about the song helps artist to go a long way in popularizing Western music and keeping legacies alive.
“When we artists sing the songs of the greats, we are rekindling the songs and their legacies. In that light, I say the singer brings back the song and the memories back to life. Forget Indian music, in Western music, Frank Sinatra and other greats are getting back their sense of importance thanks to exposure on the internet.”
