Sony BMG has ripped up its UK contract to release Prince's (pictured) new album, Planet Earth, after it emerged that his management company has agreed a deal to give it away as a free covermount with The Mail On Sunday.


The newspaper’s Stephen Miron confirmed to Music Week today that the album will be offered to all readers, even before it ships to retailers in the UK. "The first time anyone will be able to hear Planet Earth will be exclusively through The Mail On Sunday," he said. "No artist has ever given away a new album by launching it free with a newspaper and clearly the music retailers will be up in arms."


Explaining the decision to renege on the deal, a spokesman for Sony BMG says, "Before the deal [to release his album through Columbia in the UK] was set in place, [Prince and his management] had a number of other deals in place, including the deal to give away the album to people attending his shows at the O2 in London.


"At that time the Mail On Sunday deal was not something that we were aware of - that came to light a few days ago. With that in mind it, we decided it was ridiculous to have a UK deal when 2m albums are going out free with papers. We don't want to muck around our retail partners, so out of respect for them we're not going to release the album over here."


"It doesn't change the fact that we're delighted to be working with him though," the spokesman adds, "and the global deal remains unaffected; this is a UK-only exemption."


News of the initiative caused widespread anger among many music industry executives at today’s London Calling conference in London.


Entertainment Retailers Association co-chairman Paul Quirk says, "It would be an insult to all those record stores who have supported Prince throughout his career. It would be yet another example of the damaging covermount culture which is destroying any perception of value around recorded music."


Quirk also hinted that record stores may now boycott Prince’s back catalogue, quipping, "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince should know that with behaviour like this he will soon be the Artist Formerly Available in Record Stores."
http://www.musicweek.com/...wsid=14705

They do NOT control Prince's career or his output.
They will SOON learn that fact.

That means a leak is days away!

I always wonder if he has all these plans staged out in advance (in his mind) to see how he affects the industry when they come to light.

There wont be any special cover on the free covermount version or any hidden tracks.

i feel like i could see him releasing it in the UK under the symbol out of humor

Oh Prince

On average, a third of covermounts get thrown away. What a waste!
[Edited 6/28/07 14:29pm]

blacksweat said:

Well shoot! I want one...

...will this be on next sunday (07/01/07)?

If HMV get pissy about this, then they may need reminding that they've been selling a bootleg DVD of Prince videos for some weeks now - hardly supporting the artist there now, are they?

I wonder how many non prince fans will toss the cds in the trash

mplsmike said:

Hehe...most of them. Especially, if the opener is a typical prince song like PE.

imagine all the thieves who will jack up the price on ebay

luvsexy4all said:

Well, if people are stupid enough to pay high prices rather than just wait a couple of weeks/week/day for the album, then good luck to the thieves, I say.

Are they still gonna give these away at teh shows then?

tainacher said:

Or if they see the album cover

Hehe...Seems Prince is goin out with a BANG!!!
Newsagents will have shiploads left behind.

whats amazing is that no matter how many times Prince negotiates in bad faith with them, the labels keep coming back for more. And is not like they make any money off him anyway since he probably pockets a nice advance for his troubles.

I dont think a label has made money on Prince since D&P.

DO they just sign him up to get tickets to the show?

emesem said:

I see where you're coming from. I mean, even now, Sony are saying that they're happy to work with him in other countries. Surely if he's pissed the company off, they're going to go off him as a whole? Then again, they know they'll be making money off him in other territories.
I wonder if this is just one great big publicity stunt on both sides?

emesem said:

I guess it shows how much money is really being made, even with a big cut in percentage they still stand to make bundles.

morningsong said:

Prince will make loads from the covermounts.

The mere fact that he's screwing over sony makes this one of his best decisions ever.

I fucking love this concept, its a massive to the music retail industry who have been ripping us all off for a long time now, it makes me wonder how many other artists will follow suit

Cyra said:

Roll on Sunday July 8th....

I don't care I live in the US.

Graycap23 said:

I read this from a Fan friend (another french forum) .....and i think he's right 100%...and i try to translate what he said about all this shit!



"we can consider that Prince can make a stipe on the albums of quality and to be satisfied from now on with a Prince “grocer” who sells his music thru the Tabloids? Prince formerly placed its Music at the top of all, a divine inspiration, a curse even, today he sells off his “children” with the merchants. A trick with the mode, quickly listened to-quickly forgotten, disposable like a resumption of an old bad tube , in the style of fast-food music . Next stage? an album for portable telephones, probably… We all knew the Prince multiple personalities, the Accountant seems to dominate lately. Bootleggers friends, fortunately you are there."

.....hope you understend my Fucking English !
[Edited 6/29/07 3:05am]

love2thenines2003 said:[quote]

Graycap23 said:

you sound a little too familiar darling.

scandalousalan said:

I totally agree!!!!
%#@* the capitalists.

Jochem said:

As if Prince isn't one and isn't still getting paid for the whole deal.