Prince angers retailers with free album

[Chantel]

Prince angers retailers with free album
Sunday Jul 15 10:45 AEST

US rock star Prince gave his latest album, Planet Earth, away free on Sunday with a British tabloid, to the fury of music retailers.

The Minneapolis maverick, renowned for his run-ins with the music establishment, will also give away copies of Planet Earth at a series of London concerts starting next month.

Paul Quirk, co-chairman of the Entertainment Retailers Association, said Prince's decision to give away the album, which is not scheduled to go on sale until July 24, with copies of The Mail on Sunday "beggared belief".

"The Artist Formerly Known as Prince should know that with behaviour like this he will soon be the Artist Formerly Available in Record Stores," said Quirk in reference to the 1990s when the star stopped using his name.

"It's an insult to all those record stores who have supported Prince throughout his career," he said.

The innovative funk artist, who has sold 80 million albums worldwide with ground-breaking works like Purple Rain, is unrepentant.

"It's direct marketing and I don't have to be in the speculation business of the record industry which is going through a lot of tumultuous times right now," he said when asked why he was giving his music away.

A spokesman for the singer told The Mail on Sunday: "Prince's only aim is to get music direct to those who want to hear it."

"Prince feels that charts are just music industry constructions and have little or no relevance to fans or even artists today."

In an interview with Reuters last month, Mail on Sunday managing director Stephen Miron said: "No one has ever done this before. We have given away CDs and DVDs but this is just setting a new level."

British retailer HMV clearly felt it was case of "If you can't beat them, join them" - it is offering The Mail on Sunday for sale at its stores.

The News of The World, one of the Mail on Sunday's arch rivals in the competitive tabloid market, was not to be outdone.

In what it billed as a world exclusive, the newspaper offered to give away 1000 copies of Purple Rain in a mobile phone text competition.

[Hitman]

Yeah, I read about this.

Good on him...

[BJN]

Prince rules!

[Hitman]

Concur...

[craigwardo]

I'd fuck him in the arse with my cock.

[gr_cunt_eg]

"Prince feels that charts are just music industry constructions and have little or no relevance to fans or even artists today."

this is a load of shit I reckon.
He gave his last CD away free with concert tickets in such a way that it contributed to album sales and got the record to number one on the charts.

This sounds like a very similar stunt to me.

[depressed goth]

Bmg (Prince's record label) have decided not to release the cd at this stage in the UK!!

Planet Earth-Prince
Is this the soundtrack to Purple Rain 2? Our hero is back in the clubs he claimed two decades ago,returning to his roots,smoky jazz numbers followed by good-times pop rock with guitar solos to die for.Oh yeah the way Prince solos is still sexy as hell.When he's not showing Pharrell how to seduce with a soulful falsetto(Somewhere Here On Earth ),he teams with wendy and Lisa on bar-room rocker The One You Wanna C.
Like early albums, Prince throws everything into the mix.A massive return to form.
The Daily Telegraph 19/07/2007
*cool review*