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Angry note over BNP music sales
28.05.09
A group of top musicians including members of Blur and Pink Floyd are demanding that the British National Party stop selling their music to raise campaign funds.
The far-right party is selling a range of folk albums on its website, but many of the musicians featured claim they are powerless to stop their work financing the party.
Billy Bragg, drummers Dave Rowntree from Blur and Nick Mason from Pink Floyd have teamed up with the Musicians' Union and Featured Artists' Coalition, saying they object to the BNP's "politics and morals".
In a letter published in today's Times newspaper, the group said: "In the lead up to the European elections, it has come to our attention that the BNP is selling compilation CDs through its website in order to raise funds for campaigning.
"Many of the musicians featured on these... have no legal right to object to their music being used in this way.
"We would, on behalf of our joint membership of over 31,000 members, like to have our opposition to the BNP's politics and morals formally noted."
The BNP's commercial partner, Excalibur, sells a range of compilation CDs with titles such as Proud Heritage, Rule Britannia and The White Cliffs of Dover.
An album called West Wind, written by party leader Nick Griffin and featuring songs including Nothing Bloody Works and Colour, is also among those being sold.
One of the artists featured on a CD of Irish folk music, Paddy Gordon from Ulster band Brier, said he was furious to find that some of his music was on the site.
He said: "I got an email from a friend saying, 'Have you seen where your music is for sale?' My initial reaction was shock, now I am very angry."
Mr Gordon said the songs, included on A Feast of Irish Folk, were love songs with no political links.
A BNP spokesman said the party had no plans to remove any of the music.
He said: "They've already made their money haven't they? Once that music's gone through a distributor. They're politicising themselves to a high degree by doing this and we wouldn't really be concerned by that. It's up to us what we sell - we're not changing.
"There's no suggestion through this that artists support the BNP or otherwise. They're barking up the wrong tree to be honest."
Reader views (11)
Craig have you noticed all the puff about the BNP and every yarn simply adds support for them. In the land of the free we will always have extremists, do the papers run down the Muslims, no because they are terrified so they opt for a soft object driven by the political panic that people have had enough of politics in this country. Even Screaming Lord Sutch, would stand a chance of getting elected. I wish I was anywhere in the world apart from this mess of a country how's Australia looking?
- Ge, Republic of Cornwall
to call the noise that billy bragg makes music is stretching things a bit far.anyone buying it should go to a psychiatrist.
- John Mckim, glasgow.uk
These musicians overrate their own importance! Do they really think that people's voting intentions are influenced by buying a CD? In the seventies punks made people question the system? Aging MOR artists do not.
- Man U Fan, London
Good Luck Next Week!
- Vince, London, West London
have the musicians union ever criticised buju banton or shabba ranks, or criticised respect raising money through cd' sales
- Jack, essex
Whatever your views about the BNP, they are a legimate political party and I find the rank hypocrisy of Bragg et al astounding. Why should they choose who to censor? They came for the Jews and I said nothing.....
- Craig, Ex-pat, Sydney, Australia
31,000 members and their opinions are all absolutely identical. That must be a psephalogical phenomenon. Are they cloned?
- Adam H, Islington, UK
Get real I doubt the 31,000 members are buying Billy Braggs music. One would surprise me. Yet more good advertising for BNP not really going to bother amazon now are they.
I would have prefered it had the story pointed the fact scum like this are allowed to abuse music like Rule Britannia and make ordinary white guys feel bad playing it and making it impossible for us to display our national flag
- Gary, brentwood
I assume they won't be selling any soul or reggae CD, then?
- Napoleon Blownaparte, London
These 'moralistic' artists have already sold out. They are in no position to preach or dictate politics to others.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
I'd like to see these spoilt 'artistes' take this to a court of Law.
Once they've produced their material and sold it to the public, they have no right to say how it is used - and misused.
- Cap, London
