Saturday, March 17, 2012

Jack Black rejects Courtney Love's claim that Muppets misused Nirvana

Singer's claim that Smells Like Teen Spirit cover in The Muppets 'raped' the memory of Kurt Cobain is absurd, says Black

Courtney Love's claim that The Muppets "raped" the memory of her late husband, Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain, in their new film has been branded "absurd" by star Jack Black.

A cover of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, one of Cobain's best-known songs, is featured prominently in The Muppets. Black appears in the scene, along with a Muppet barbershop quartet consisting of Beaker, Sam the Eagle, Rowlf the Dog and Link Hogthrob.

According to TMZ, Love claims she has absolute power over all commercial use of Nirvana songs and did not give permission for The Muppets to use Smells Like Teen Spirit. However, the site also pointed out she sold half of her rights to a company called Primary Wave Music, which is entitled to license the band's catalogue. Furthermore, the surviving members of Nirvana, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, gave their permission. Grohl even appears in the film.

Black told E! Online that Love's comments were "absurd, absurd, absurd". He said: "I personally hold no one in higher esteem in the world of rock. Kurt Cobain for me is at the top of the pyramid. He was the king … When he died it was sort of the end of rock."

Despite Love's reported opposition to the decision, TMZ says she and her daughter, Frances Bean, are likely to receive payment for the use of Smells Like Teen Spirit. The Muppets has so far taken more than £95m worldwide.


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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/mar/16/jack-black-courtney-love-muppets

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