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Battle Over The Artist's 1999 Album Continues


http://www.cyberstones.co...nment.html



By Tim Casady

Stoned Reporter

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October 22, 1999. For months, Warner Brothers and the Artist Formerly Known As Prince have disputed over the legal rights to the Prince album "1999." Though Warner Brothers holds the rights to license, manufacture, and distribute this album, it announced on Friday that it was pulling the "1999" album off of the market. "The title song '1999' was not year 2000 compliant," explains an anonymous insider at Warner Brothers. "The song contained hard-coded references to the twentieth century."
Music retailers have had mixed reactions to Warner Brothers' announcement. "The announcement is probably just hype," says Randall Horton, manager of Muse's Music in Chicago, IL. "They'll probably do a major re-release of the album close to New Year's Eve."



On the other hand, Cory Robbins, manager of the Amazing Music Shop in Detroit, MI, says, "Our store is serious about Y2K compliance, and we don't want to sell any albums with potential Y2K problems. We are promoting Y2K-compliant music only. This is a good time to stock up on Kenny G. music!"



"This is nothing but an attempt by Warner Brothers 2 discredit the Artist's music," the Artist said in a statement. "Ever since the Artist left the Warner Brothers label in 1996, they have fought against the Artist."



Suzanne Warren, representative for Warner Brothers says, "Warner Brothers' decision to take this album off the market has nothing to do with either Y2K problems or with an attempt to discredit the Artist. But since the title song is about 1999, this album will soon sound outdated, like an old calendar."



Warner Brothers have not yet announced whether the rights to the "1999" album would revert to the Artist so that he could re-release the album on his own NRG Records label. "1999 is the song 4 the new millennium!" the Artist says. "It is the song that should be played across the nation on the evening of December 31, 1999."



We tried to contact the Artist for a full-length interview. However, the Artist said, "The Artist cannot be reached for comment."