September 12, 2000

6:40 AM

Smashing Pumpkins encourage piracy"The Smashing Pumpkins printed just 25 copies of their new album - but they've asked fans to make MP3s, please. Reportedy they're flipping the bird at their label, Virgin"
posted by dilok (10 comments total)

I downloaded the entire thing from a Web site this weekend -- the recording industry should think seriously about shutting down the entire Web after they shut down Napster.

Some of it is pretty good, though there are 26 songs on it, including a few duplicates of the same song in different styles.

If the album comes out in six months on CD and sells well despite the fact that it's being traded like mad on Napster and the Web, it will be a good example of how P2P file sharing has helped an artist. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing is a publicity stunt.
posted by rcade at 10:59 AM on September 12, 2000

They aren't encouraging piracy.

Almost all the media coverage of this includes the word 'piracy' in it which gets more and more aggrivating every time I see it.

Piracy is theft. This is not theft, this is the Pumpkins sharing their music with their fans, for free.

The band chose to release the album to the world through the Internet. They encouraged the select few lucky enough to get a copy of it to share it with everyone else.

Yes, they're doing it to piss off Virgin, but they're only pissing off Virgin because this album is going to be a massive success and be heard all around the world, without Virgin being involved.

rcade: I agree with your suspicions. But not only is it a publicity stunt, it's a brilliant one. If the album does come out on CD I'll probably end up buying it just to support what they're doing.

I hope to God they're somehow able to release the album on CD without Virgin's (or any other major distributor) help, and have it still be a success.

Even if they don't release it in 6 months, 2 years down the line after the Pumpkins break up (if they do, which still seems to be up in the air) they can release the album to CD and get a nice little influx of cash. :-)
posted by cCranium at 11:23 AM on September 12, 2000

I have nothing to add to this discussion other than mention than I took D'arcy out on a couple of dates, and did not get her hooked on dope. Mostly I'm just bragging about taking her out tho, she's hot.
posted by thirteen at 11:34 AM on September 12, 2000

"Just to clear up any possible confusion, this is the final album from the band," the note reads. "There are 25 copies. There will not be a CD pressing." -- as reported by Sonicnet.
posted by prettyliar at 3:44 PM on September 12, 2000

Ah, thank you for the confirmation prettyliar.

Although reunions of bands thought to never reunite are possible.

Heck, it'd be awful simple for the Pumpkins to release this album as a CD (or other physical media) in 10 years or so to warm the waters for them getting back together. (Maybe that drummer chap finally gets out of rehab. :-)
posted by cCranium at 5:12 PM on September 12, 2000

Smashing who?
posted by Karl at 7:14 PM on September 12, 2000

cCranium, the original drummer, Jimmy Chamberlain, has been back with the band for over a year now! Get with it! i just saw Weezer =)
posted by Satapher at 9:59 PM on September 12, 2000

Oh, and where was this website ?
posted by Satapher at 10:01 PM on September 12, 2000

Satapher: yeah, I know, I just don't think he'll last, that's all. :-)


posted by cCranium at 3:06 AM on September 13, 2000

Satapher: If that question was for me, the web site was removed by the time I posted that note. I found out about it by reading Usenet postings about the group.
posted by rcade at 8:01 AM on September 13, 2000