Following reports that THE RUNAWAYS' former members Joan Jett and Cherie Currie have filed a lawsuit to try to stop the June 28th release of a Main man Records tribute album, Take It Or Leave It: A Tribute To The Queens Of Noise, the label has issued the following statement:

"Thirty six bands have donated their recordings of songs to this project, partly in tribute to a band that has influenced and entertained them all, but also with the hope of raising funds for cancer research. The American Institute for Cancer Research are in full support of our efforts and Main Man Records will be donating our net proceeds in memory of Sandy West who lost her battle with the disease in 2006.

There are more than one hundred artists in total involved in this tribute; a project that was made with the best of intentions.

As with Main Man Records' previous tribute releases, the writers of all the songs will be paid as the publishing has been appropriately secured.

It is true that several people at Main Man have worked for, performed with and counted as friends, members of The Runaways, which only added to our dedication to the integrity of this tribute. Our presentation of the project has not focused on anyone in particular, but the excellence of the band as a whole.

We find it terribly sad that a great, charitable record of rock songs honoring five legends could be deemed as possibly sullying anyone's image, and hope that the record will be received by music fans in the spirit in which it was intended.

Main Man Records has not been contacted, served with a complaint or any legal papers and are not in a position to address these claims, but we will vigorously defend ourselves in this matter."

Following is the original Associated Press report, filed by Jennifer Peltz:

Joan Jett loves rock and roll, but not on a tribute album she says an ex-employee put together without her permission.

The 'I Love Rock N' Roll' singer-guitarist and 1970s bandmate Cherie Currie sued Thursday (June 9th) to try to stop the June 28th release of Take It Or Leave It: A Tribute To The Queens Of Noise, an intended homage to The Runaways, the punk band that launched their careers and helped light a path for other brash, hard-edged female rock groups.

The two-disc album features Runaways songs covered by artists ranging from the all-woman Japanese pop-punk band SHONEN KNIFE to David Johansen, of the 1970s glam-rock pacesetters THE NEW YORK DOLLS, according to the website of the label releasing it, Main Man Records. The group was best known for such tracks as 'Cherry Bomb' and 'Queens Of Noise'.

But the lawsuit says the independent Main Man Records label used their names to promote the album without their say-so and that a Main Man staffer who once worked at Jett's record label used that connection to imply the project had her blessing.

While the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, Jett and Currie ultimately just "want them to stop," said their lawyer, Oren J. Warshavsky. "This isn't about money. This is strictly about preserving reputation and quality that both Joan and Cherie are known for."

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