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Clive Palmer's comeback hits bad note with '80s metal band

American rock band Twisted Sister has threatened Clive Palmer with legal action over using one of their songs in a United Australia Party commercial.

Twisted Sister say Clive Palmer used their hit 'We're Not Gonna Take It' as  inspiration for the song used in a television ad for his political party
Twisted Sister say Clive Palmer used their hit 'We're Not Gonna Take It' as inspiration for the song used in a television ad for his political party Source: SBS

Clive Palmer's political comeback has hit a nerve with an American rock band, who have accused the former MP of using one of their songs without permission.

Twisted Sister say Mr Palmer used their 1980s hit 'We're Not Gonna Take It' as inspiration for the song used in a television advertisement for his recently registered United Australia Party.

"We are contacting our legal team to address this and if that doesn't work... I'LL BE DOWN UNDER IN THREE WEEKS TO DEAL WITH IT MYSELF!" the band's frontman Dee Snider tweeted.

Twisted Sister's guitarist Jay Jay French also took to Twitter to disassociate the band from the United Australia Party.

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In United Australia Party's advertisements - which are being circulated on television, Facebook and Youtube - a vocalist sings:

"Australia ain't gonna cop it, no Australia's not gonna cop it, Aussies not gonna cop it any more."

In the Twisted Sister's original song, lead singer Dee Snider sings:

"Oh we're not gonna take it, no we ain't gonna take it, oh we're not gonna take it any more."

Clive Palmer told the ABC via text message that he “wrote the words” and that Twisted Sister was an “Old Rocker who cannot sell enough tickets to their last gig (and) needed publicity”.

Mr Palmer was the federal member for Fairfax from 2013-2016 under the Palmer United Party.

The Australian Electoral Commission has approved the controversial businessman's application to go by the United Australia Party at the next federal election.


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