Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A group of former London schoolchildren who sang on Pink Floyd’s 1979 classic Another Brick In The Wall have lodged a claim for unpaid royalties. Twenty three students from Islington Green School secretly recorded vocals for the track, which became an anthem for children with the chorus We don’t need no education.
The headmistress banned the pupils from appearing on television or video — leaving them no evidence and making it harder for them to claim royalties.
The album sold over 12 million copies and the single became number one in Britain and America.
Royalties expert Peter Rowan told Reuters he was appealing to a music royalties society on behalf of one former pupil and was working with other members of the class. He said he was still trying to contact the majority of the group.
Music teacher Alun Renshaw took the schoolchildren to a nearby recording studio without the permission of the headmistress after being approached by the band’s management.
The lyrics — We don’t need no education, we don’t need no thought control, no dark sarcasm in the classroom — teachers leave them kids alone — were described by the Inner London Education Authority as scandalous.
The school was paid 1,000 pounds ($1,860) and later given a platinum record of the song but the pupils were paid nothing.
Rowan said the money would come from a music royalties society and not Pink Floyd. He expected the 23 pupils to receive about 200 pounds each. — Reuters
