Justin Hawkins Recalls The Darkness’ Disagreement With Bridget Jones Moviemakers

The use of rock music in movies has long been a popular way to add an extra layer of emotion to a film’s score. From classic rock anthems to more recent indie hits, the right song can help to underscore a character’s feelings or add a sense of nostalgia to a scene. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, the lead vocalist of the Darkness, Justin Hawkins, recalled a disagreement he had with the music supervisors of the hit movie ‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.’

“In the case of that Bridget Jones [movie], I remember being summoned to a meeting with the music supervisor,” recalled the rocker when asked about the intervention rights musicians have after they allow movies to use their tracks. “Usually, a music supervisor will try to source songs that they want to synchronize to make the score of the movie or to augment the score of the movie. And this particular guy was really cool, and he asked us to come in.”

Hawkins then disclosed a specific disagreement he had with the music supervisor, saying, “I remember, there was a scene where two people were fighting over the protagonist. And I was saying to him, ‘Why do you want to use ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love?’ You should use Get Your Hands Off My Woman,’ that would be more apt, wouldn’t it?’ In terms of lyrics and everything.”

He continued, “And we also had a re-recorded version that we did with Roy Thomas Baker that was ready, and I thought, ‘Use that.’ I was trying to get him to use that, but they weren’t interested in that. They just wanted to use the hit,’ and they used the hit, and they paid us some money to use the hit. We do get ongoing royalties every time somebody watches that scene.”

It seems clear from Justin Hawkins’ words that while artists may approve of the use of their songs within movies, they do not always have a say in which songs and how they are ultimately used. In this case, the moviemakers went with ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ despite the singer’s suggestions. Justin’s experience seems to highlight the complex nature of the relationship between artists and the film industry when it comes to the use of their music in movies.