MCLACHLAN WANTS SONG REMOVED FROM CONTROVERSIAL VIDEO
On Columbine Tragedy "Training Tape"
The $25 tape sets to music footage copied from surveillance cameras and firefighters' helicopters.
McLachlan and the victims' families were shocked when authorities on Wednesday released a "training tape" from last year's Columbine High School massacre—which includes a soundtrack featuring McLachlan's tune.
The song accompanies grisly footage of the school's library, where Eric Harris and Dyland Klebold killed 10 students and one teacher before committing suicide.
The singer-songwriter is demanding the song be pulled from the tape, saying officials from the Littleton, CO, Fire Department had no right to use her material.
"Neither Sarah McLachlan nor Arista Records were ever approached for the usage of her music or image within the video being released," the record company said in a statement. "In fact, we are demanding that her song...be removed from this exploitative videotape."
The 10-minute videotape was reportedly made by a Littleton firefighter, who put the footage and music together for a police and fire training video. And authorities are now selling the tape for $25, after a judge ordered Columbine footage be released to the public.
Also included on the tape is "Friend of Mine (Columbine)" written by students Jonathon and Stephen Cohen, and folk singer Cheryl Wheeler's "If It Were Up To Me."
"It's pretty appalling, and the effect of [the video] was dramatic, to say the least," said Tony Gottlieb, manager for Wheeler, who also issued a cease and desist letter to Jefferson County attorneys.
