Why GNR covered C. Manson ?

[Mattman]

What's the deal with Axl and Charles Manson?  I saw an old concert pic where Axl is wearing a t-shirt with Manson's face on it.  Then there's the addition of "Look At Your Game Girl", which Manson wrote, on the end of TSI.  What gives?  I think Axl just put that on TSI to create contraversy, but that plus the t-shirt is something else.  Does anybody know what Axl said about all of this?

[jarmo]

As far as I remember, Axl heard Look At Your Game Girl because his brother played it for him. He could relate to the song and wanted to cover it. I don't think he knew who it was by at first, he liked the song and then his brother told him it was by Manson.

Another thing, the royalties from the song went to the victims families (or at least one of them).



/jarmo

[Madcap]

as for the shirt..i think it was a joke..charlie don't surf..one of the beach boys promised manson a record deal...when he didn't come through with the promise manson went crazy...many believe that why he started what he started

[tHeElEcTrIcSiNtAr]

In an interview he did in '94, he said that he wore the shirt to show that he wasnt a bad guy, that this guy was really a bad guy. He said that he also liked the humor in the line "Charlie Dont Surf." For the song, he said that they didnt know for sure if the song was by Charles, they heard it was by this other guy, the name I cant remember, but he said they were giving all the money they made off that song to the  one of the victim's family. As Jarmo said.

[Layne420]

Just for anyone intrested Manson got  $66,000 from it...

[KeVoRkIaN]

as for the shirt..i think it was a joke..charlie don't surf..one of the beach boys promised manson a record deal...when he didn't come through with the promise manson went crazy...many believe that why he started what he started

I'm not sure it drove him to anything - but yes, Manson was almost in the Monkees, at least Manson says so - others think is was an urban legend - hard to say.... he lived with Brian Wilson of the beach Boys for a while, however sources say Manson was in prison during the auditions.
Otherwise the Charlie Don't Surf reference in Apocalypse Now is kind of funny

[Will]

Just for anyone intrested Manson got  $66,000 from it...

Is there any way we could verify that information? I never heard of that...

[Izzy]

GNR gave Manson royalties? Thats sick

[John Daniels]

why not? It is Manson's song..he did very bad things but still it's Manson's song.

[Layne420]

I read an article in a latest music book under song writing and they had mention in a high lighted box saying that Manson recieve $ 66,000 from his song "look at the game girl" when guns n rose use it on the cd. As far the as book it was just giving examples how song writers can hit big when a huge artisit like gnr uses it on a cd. The book had nothing to do with manson story just stating facts about song writiers. Now  that I have look more into each site  about this they each have alittle different account. but I would say atleast somewhere to $60,000 to $66,000...  The reason why he got the money his b/c he was a song writer way before he did the crime so therefore he still has right to do that. Also I think gnr didn't do much of a search to find out who really song the song therefore when it was put out it was too late. Im sure they would have scap it if they knew it was a manson song. ... The song is off from one of his 1970 record...

Intrested stuff when it comes to things like this

[John Daniels]

I may be wrong, but I think that they knew very well that it was Manson song. It don't happen like "ooh this is a good song, (don't know who has done it and don't care to find out) but let's put it on the Guns and Roses record"

[Mattman]

I may be wrong, but I think that they knew very well that it was Manson song. It don't happen like "ooh this is a good song, (don't know who has done it and don't care to find out) but let's put it on the Guns and Roses record"

I agree with you 100% on that, Funkenstein.  I think it was a deliberate ploy to create contraversy.  What are the chances that somebody would be listening to a song totally at random and find that it's by Charles Manson?

I've never liked those "hidden" tracks on the end of albums, because they usually suck and provide a boring finish.  The only exception is that piano bit on the end of U2's "All I Want Is You", which is better than the song.

[GnR1988]

Im just wondering why like the never ending "One In a Million" saga...that "Look At Your Game Girl" is going to be deleted from future pressings of TSI? I mean yeah Charles Manson wrote it 25 years ago or whatever, but they knew that when TSI was recorded, I mean yeah its a "hidden" track but do any of you actually know what the song means, other than it was written by Charles Manson? Personally, if anything was going to be done it should have been done in 93' when TSI came out, why make such a big deal about it now??

[misterID]

Charles Manson was getting royalties from it. But I think Sharon Tates family gets a huge percentage from any income he gets from a civil lawsuit. But He still gets paid from every TSI? cd that's sold.

[Ignatius]

Nothing wrong with the song...just the writer of such song happened to tortured and killed a dime of people just because he believed he had "a cause". Why delete that song now? well, it's never too late, he should've never covered it to begin with.

[Layne420]

Charles Manson was getting royalties from it. But I think Sharon Tates family gets a huge percentage from any income he gets from a civil lawsuit. But He still gets paid from every TSI? cd that's sold.

Yeah just wanted to add that under no circumstance does Manson keep the money from anything that is being put out by someone. I don't know what's the deal with it being removed when  other bands have used his material.

[GnR1988]

Yeah, I remember hearing about the royalties thing butI also remember an interview where Gilby or Matta or someone asked Axl what that song meant...does anyone actually know the story about that song?

[Dizzy]

It isn't Sharon Tate's family that gets royalties, it's the son of one of the other victims.  Can't remember his name off the top of my head.

There was a segment on the "Secret History of Rock n Roll" dedicated to this topic.

[misterID]

I'm pretty sure the Tate family gets something from it too.

I actually like the song. The only meaning of it that I get is its about a girl who likes to manipulate.

Charles isn't a bad singer or songwriter. I've heard his album before.

[Izzy]

It's a very average song, if they want to remove it so be it, it added nothing to the album.