********************

​There are Now Two Versions of Light the Lanterns

1. Original Version (circa 1968-69)

• https://youtu.be/TbiRn12vBEg
• This link is to the most original version of LTL -- a year 2000, MP3 rip of the Los Angeles mono cassette tape first uploaded in Sept 2019 by Windows to Sky.

• Many other copies-of-copies are widely available on YouTube of varying qualities. Some versions have been doctored (NOT remastered) in failed attempts at improvement. But this link above is exactly as it first came to the internet in Sept 2019, before various amateurs started messing with it. It is the most authentic version that exists -- the most true to the original recording.

• LTL is known as an "orphan work", since the composer is unknown and 6 years of "diligent search" have found her to be untraceable.​
• It is currently listed "in the system" as: Light the Lanterns. Writer Unknown. Artists Unknown, Date of Publishing Unknown.
• The original version is not formally registered with any Digital Music Distribution Service, as only the composer can register it, and therefore it lacks a registered audio "Digital Fingerprint."

• Copyright Status: Technically, all public instances of this old version are copyright infringements because, according to US Music Copyright Law, any musical composition is automatically the Intellectual Property of its author (ie, copyrighted to) from its first writing down or recording for up to 95 years after the writer's death -- even if it is left in a box in an LA office for 55 years.
• Royalty Status: Previously, as an unregistered orphan song, royalties could not be collected on behalf of its author or performers. But now, due to my declaring it as the original source of my own licensed digitally remastered cover version, royalties to its unknown composer are set aside every time my new version is streamed, or downloaded, or broadcast.
• However, no royalties have even been collected through any playing of the original version, nor will they ever be until the composer proves song ownership and registers it. All the YouTube copies and listens to them are technically musical piracy.
• Present-day royalties for the composer are now accrued in an annonymous holding account managed by The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), in accordance with the Music Modernization Act. These funds are held for a minimum of 3 years before they are subject to redistribution to the broader music industry if the author remains untraced.

2. The New 2025 Cover Version

• ​https://youtu.be/_CkZ2VVI42o
• This is a fully professional, 16 track into stereo, MP3 digital master recording (7.5MB), replicating the original 1969 recording note for note. ​ A broadcast quality Master WAV File (60MB) for Digital Music Distributor Services, Aggregators and Radio Station Airplay is available upon request.
• It is "in the system" as: Light the Lanterns (Mystery Song). 2025 Digital Remaster. Writer Unknown. Various Artists. Date of Publishing Dec 2025.​
• Copyright Status: This version is a Registered and Mechanical Licensed Recorded Cover of the original. As such it has an ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) and an audio "Digital Fingerprint". And as such,​ users can stream, download, and share links to it.​
• Users cannot re-upload it to any online music service (like YouTube, Spotify, TikTok, etc.), post it on any website, copy it to friends, download it from YouTube, or use it in a video, podcast, or public project without my permission, as this would breach my registered sound recording copyright ℗, plus rob the songwriter of their rightful royalties ©. Leglly, I am not even entitled give it away for free, except as a limited-usage copy, due to breaching the unknown songwriter's copyright.  
• Clarification on Rights​:
  Sound Recording ℗ -- I own the 2025 Remaster Recording. I can issue takedowns for re-uploads of my audio ... not that I feel inclined to do so. But if people abuse and exploit my generosity to this cause, I will.
  Composition © -- I do not own the song itself. I cannot stop others from recording their own covers of "Light the Lanterns" or using the original 1960s audio, as I do not represent the unknown author's estate.
• Royalty Status: As a licensed cover version, each time it is streamed, or downloaded, or air-played, a percentage of "my" royalties is diverted into the songwriter's escrow holding account. But money was never my intention. I do not intend to make a cent from this new recording. I am going to put aside my own royalties in case the songwriter ever surfaces.

* * * *

​Aim and Motives

​My sole motive to make this new recording is to flush out identification of the singer through vocal recognition through greater distribution. The new licensed cover version allows for links to the song to be spread legally wherever desired.

One problem for 6 years has been the cultish Lostwave Communuty's "stab-and-hope" mentality. "That sounds like so-and-so". "Oooh, I hope we can find them". These attitudes have proved useless.

Another problem has been the poor, quality of the YouTube copies. No radio station will play them.

​My strategy is to get people to spread this high quality version and encourage far wider distribution to potentially catch the songwriter or a descendant/associate of them. For tactics, see Page 6 - Finding the Singer: How You Can Help.

Copyright and Troll Issues (for me)

There are two aspects I had to be careful of to create this new recording. The first was the future possibility of being sued by the original songwriter -- or one of their descendents in the next 95 years -- for willful copyright infringement. Yes, even despite them neglecting their little demo tape in an L.A. office for 55 years. It's a maximum statutory fine of $150,000; plus forfeiture of any earnings made off their song; plus legal costs of course. 

But my protection is,

• (a) the 6 years of collective diligent searching done to find the author (which I have archived as proof);
• (b) my good faith to ensure the songwriter's royalties are collected by registering my own version and indirectly bringing theirs into the royalties system;
• (c) holding aside my own due royalties just in case they ever initiate a claim against me.

So I feel a clear conscience about it all.  

The other issue is trolls, ie false claimants to authorship. But that won't ever be my problem. I can just say -- " Well, prove it to the Escrow Account Copyright Lawyers". Real or otherwise, any claimants will have to show watertight evidence in court for writing the song 60 years ago. Not my problem. 

* * * *

The Making of the New Version

The new 2025 version of LTL was made by partially using original source elements and partially re-recorded ones. This is because cleaning up all parts of the original muddy and distorted recording for 2025 distribution was deemed impossible.

​The project involved paying 3 professional musicians and a sound engineer for 2 days work to remake LTL so the final outcome is note-for-note identical to the original.

These are the original elements we cleaned and kept:

• ​The primary singer's voice was kept entirely. It was scrupilously cleaned up, digitally, bar by bar where needed, and made fit for remastering.​
• The original fretless bass lines were cleaned up and made fit for remastering.​
• The best and most appropriate sliding guitar licks from the original were cleaned up and most were re-used. Our new player (Stu) perfectly added some bits that were degraded in the background of the original mushy version. His replacement licks confirmed that what sounded like synth strings was actually the effect of the swell pedal upon the slide guitar.

​New elements re-recorded/added:

• ​The rhythm guitar was freshly re-recorded, chord for chord by Stu.
• Beautiful second harmonies were newly added by Bea, because the originals were weakly sung and badly lost in the original's mushy sound.​
• Clay the drummer was hired to copy the original drums hit for hit, providing a new-but-old drum sound.​
• No Yamaha CP80 pianist or synth strings keyboardist were invited ... because there never were any! (See Page 8 for the joke).
• Stu then tirelessly re-mastered the lot to best imitate the INTENDED original mix, tones, and feel. Well done Stu.

​The end result is close to what the original once was, but of better quality, sounding like a great 3 minute 10 second commercial hit song.

* * * *

Round Up of Pages 1 - 5

Now that you've explored the researched meaning, history, geography and dating parameters for LTL, and gotten informed about the new recording, only one thing remains -- TO IDENTIFY THAT GIRL!

Using the new recording, plus spreading around the most pertinent info from this website, you're ready to join in "The Campaign" on Page 6.