Presidential Campaign Songs and President Barack Obama Slow Jams to NewsMy Nguyen April 25, 2012
It was just announced earlier today that presidential candidate Newt Gingrich will be suspending his campaign next week. But the throwing in of the hypothetical towel from the presidential contender does not seem unprecedented. His campaign has faced fierce opposition, and not just from the opposing candidates.
According to The Guardian, Gingrich has been receiving a lot of heat over his use of the song, Eye of the Tiger, co-written by Frankie Sullivan, owner of the production company Rude Music. Gingrich’s use of the Rocky III theme song has landed him in court earlier this year.
But Gingrich isn’t the first to use popular songs of the day for his campaign rallies. Last year, Republican and Tea Party representative, Michele Bachmann was told by Tom Petty’s lawyers to stop using his song, American Girl, reports The Guardian.
But even more recently Slate has made it a point to configure into this year’s French presidential election race with the ongoing use of popular songs for campaign purposes. According to Pitchfork, Socialist candidate Francois Hollande is using the Jay-Z/Kanye West anthem Niggas in Paris in one of his ads.
On the American political forefront, President Barack Obama’s televised appearance on the “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” last night showed that the President could very well write and perform his own campaign song, considering he can carry a tune and well. Pitchfork reports that Obama traded verses with Jimmy Fallon and Roots’ Black Thought on the show Tuesday night. The President slow jams to what also happens to be on his presidential agenda for the new term – to prevent Congress from raising costs of federal student loans.
Obama first revealed his talent for singing/performing in his remarkable rendition of Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together for New York’s Apollo Theatre audience back in January.
His rendition went on to bolster the online sales of Al Green’s 1970s hit.
“I was thrilled that the President even mentioned my name,” Green told TMZ, “And if the President can get the economy going again and get everything going that he wants to, then we’ll all be together.”
Photo courtesy of Mystifyme Concert Photography via Flickr
