where to get multitrack versions of popular music

[psychwardmedia]

ok, so this old guy contacted me today, wanting to leave a legacy to his grand kids...he plays the drums and wants them to have a piece of him to remember. Cute huh? The question I have here is how to fulfill his request, of recording some ac/dc and similar bands, just the drums and using the rest of the music. He's asking me if it's possible. I know it's TECHNICALLY possible, but I'm trying to determine if it's feasible. He doesn't want to perform his music, sell it, or otherwise distribute. The morality and legality of the whole thing is sound, but I need to find some place that has the multitrack version of some of his songs available. Where can I find this? Is there a place that I CAN find it? For cheap?
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Psych Ward Media - The asylumn of sound

[Gregg Juke]

Not so fast, Quicks-draw... Morality may be sound in the ear of the beholder; legality is something else entirely. There _are_ a lot of "digital-dubs" of classic/heritage multi-track masters popping up out there; you might be able to source the songs that you want by the original artists and "just add water." But don't just assume that your derivative works of classic material (that are owned by major labels, publishers, and artist/songwriters) will be free for the picking simply because grandpa doesn't want to sell copies... there are legal factors at play, and the right to copy and distribute (even amongst family) and re-mix/create derivative works is not available on an "open season" basis...

Still not foolproof, but a better plan might be to just record completely new versions (at least one layer of copyright would be skirted, that of the master license). Plus, more session time for you on the clock. If you really want to be official (and legal), than you should contact Harry Fox or the publishers' directly to see if grandpa can pay for a limited license of some kind.

GJ

[Snarl 12/8]

I think it would be a million times cooler if pops drummed along to the songs on the headphones and then just burned his plain drum tracks to a CD. Then, his descendants could learn the songs on the other instruments and rock along with him until his cryogenically frozen head can be thawed and implanted on a robot body. I believe that can happen in 2039 or somesuch.
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Carl Keil

[Gregg Juke]

Yes!!!!

Walt Disney's head can play bass!

GJ

[vvv]

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vlayman; THD; blog; TFP

[Nick Sevilla]

Even better.

Have some session musicians learn the songs this guy wants to play on drums.

Then do a live session, videotape and record the audio as well.

Much better than just leaving some drum recordings.

Cheers
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The Song. Nothing else really matters.

[Tragibigzanda]

Just want to add that whatever approach you decide on, Harry Fox has a great function on their website where you can license well-known music for very limited release; the cost varies depending on what arrangements the artist and publisher have worked out, but you might find it to be surprisingly cheap depending on the song.
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Alex C. McKenzie

Producer & Engineer
New York, NY
alex.c.mckenzie@gmail.com

[goose134]

There was a series of records put out years ago called music minus one. Mostly they were vocal records that had an orchestra playing and included sheet music to sing along. But they did have records that excluded other instruments as well. Not too sure about drums, but you could look into it.
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I make a living as an electrician, not recording in the basement.