The Stones reveal: Mick Jagger and the band were not involved in the release of the “Melania” documentary.
The Rolling Stones reject statements made by film producer Mark Beckman regarding the use of their song “Gimme Shelter”. Beckman had publicly announced that Mick Jagger had personally approved the use of the song for the “Melania” documentary and actively supported the use of the song. According to the band spokesman, this representation does not correspond to the facts.
Dispute over music rights
The documentary follows the current First Lady Melania Trump in the context of the political return of her husband Donald Trump. Among other things, the Stones song “Gimme Shelter” was used for the soundtrack. Beckman had described the release in interviews as a personal decision by Jagger – the Stones have now expressly distanced themselves from this representation.
A spokesperson clarified that no band member was directly involved in the licensing agreement. The approval was given exclusively by ABKCO Music & Records, the company that manages the rights to the band’s early recordings and independently decides on corresponding requests. The musicians themselves were not involved in this process. The band thus contradicts the claim that Mick Jagger actively authorized the use.
Other artists distance themselves
The discussion about the soundtrack apparently extends beyond the Stones. Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is also said to have objected to his music being used in the film. He reportedly requested that his compositions not be used in connection with the project.
In addition, several acts refused to give their consent: Guns N’ Roses and Grace Jones are said to have refused approval. According to information from the production environment, Prince’s estate management positioned itself particularly clearly – representatives of the estate expressly objected to the use of the late artist’s music.
The cancellations are said to have different reasons. In addition to political reservations, questions of artistic integrity and contextualization of the content probably also played a central role.
“Melania” received mostly bad reviews and is considered a flop in many media. There are also reports and speculations that unusual patterns in ticket sales have been bought up to simulate real demand.
