UK NEWS

WILD MAN OF ROCK'S FEARS FOR HIS PENSION

Eddie (centre) with his bandmates

Sunday May 27,2007

By Jason Groves

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WITH his wild reputation, heavy metal legend “Fast” Eddie Clarke might seem unlikely to live long enough to get a pension – let alone worry about one.

But the ex-Motorhead guitarist has revealed in a letter to his MP that even the hardest rocker can find himself fearing impending old age.

The co-writer of rock classic Ace Of Spades – with the lyrics “I don’t want to live for ever” – is worried his royalties will dry up in later life unless the Government extends copyright on music recordings.

Unlikely as it seems, the hell-raising star of hits Stone Dead Forever and Go To Hell, is allying himself with family entertainer Cliff Richard who first raised the problem last year.

At present copyright for authors extends for 70 years after their deaths. But copyright on music recordings lasts for just 50 years from the day they were made.

Those musicians who survive the sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll lifestyle could face hard times in their old age if their most successful recordings were made in their early years.

Eddie is now 56, despite living the rock-and-roll lifestyle to the full in the Seventies and Eighties along with fellow bandmates Lemmy Kilmister and Phil Taylor.

But as he wrote to his MP, Tory John Whittingdale: “You may think that as a rock musician I should not expect to live until 80. I can assure you that I did not think this was going to happen but... my royalties will be my pension and something to pass on to my family, so to learn they will be stripped away before my 80th birthday is frankly unacceptable.”

Eddie’s first Motorhead album was recorded in 1977 and will be out of copyright when he is 77.

Mr Whittingdale, chairman of the Commons culture committee, said many former stars were facing the prospect of financial difficulties in later life because of the copyright rules.

While some big stars have made enough money to be financially secure, said the MP for Maldon and East Chelmsford, many other lesser known performers could face penury.

Mr Whittingdale said: “When ministers consider the matter, they should bear in mind that the beneficiaries of a copyright extension will not only be friends of the Prime Minister, such as Cliff Richard and the Bee Gees, but thousands of musicians.

“They should especially bear in mind the remarks of Fast Eddie Clarke.”

Mr Whittingdale’s committee recently called on ministers to back the copyright extension but a separate report for the Government said it was not justified.

Culture minister Shaun Woodward said extending copyright would “rarely benefit musicians” directly and he warned it could leave Britain’s trade balance in deficit as foreign stars would also benefit.