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So I'm in this band, right, and we're just a local band but we are to the point where we can sell albums at our shows and such. So we have access to some nice recording equipment and have done a lot of covers, but we want our upcoming CD to be entirely original material because the other guys think that we have to have permission from the original artist to re-record their song(s) and sell it. And I think that's bull****.

I see covers done on albums all the time, and sometimes by obscure artists whom I can't imagine have any way of contacting the big band who's song they covered. Plus, there's Weird Al, and he does covers all the time. He says that he gets permission for all the covers and parodies he does, but that he doesn't have to. I also remember watching something on television ages ago about some guy taking a flute measure or something from a Beattles song and them suing over it but him winning the case because of new copyright laws at the time.

So I think that we can cover and sell songs if we want. Yet they don't. And I need to be sure. So, do you know for sure, and can you cite any sources that will confirm?

You can record all the covers you want for non-commercial use. However, if you want to make money from your cover (as in you intend on selling the cover). That is to say if you're only giving this CD away you're fine. However, the instant you make money off of it you owe royalties, and if I recall correctly need a license for your product.

I'd like a source of information that can tell me this, if anyone knows of one.

This is a site for music not personal information regarding copyright. Use Google.