Joan Jett and Cherie Currie are suing over the release of a Runaways tribute album, which they say was put together without their permission.
It’s been alleged that an ex-staffer of Joan Jett’s record label Blackheart Records was involved with the development of the 2 disc album and used her connection to Jett to imply the project had the Runaways’ blessings.
The album, Take It or Leave It: A Tribute to the Queens of Noise is due for release on June 28 through Main Man records and features performances by The Donnas, The Bebe Buell Band, Shonen Knife, The Dandy Warhols, David Johansen and loads more.
While Jett and Currie are suing for unspecified damages, they have said that money is not the main motivation, but they’re trying to stop the CD from being released because of the way it has been developed, marketed and promoted using their names and image without their permission.
Jett and Currie’s lawyer Oren J Warshavsky has said: “This isn’t about money. This is strictly about preserving reputation and quality that both Joan and Cherie are known for.”
Main Man Records have said this in a statement responding to the lawsuit – “We find it terribly sad that a great, charitable record of rock songs honoring five legends could be deemed possibly sullying anyone’s image, and hope that the record will be received by music fans in the spirit in which it was intended”. The statement goes on to explain that proceeds from the sale of the album will go to a charity for cancer research in honour of the Runaways drummer Sandy West, who died of lung cancer in 2006.
The Runaways were best known for such songs as Cherry Bomb and Queens of Noise before Joan Jett went on to receive massive fame with her hits I Love Rock N’ Roll and Bad Reputation. Last year, Jett produced a film based on the band’s career, The Runaways, which starred Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, which she said was dedicated to West.
