When you've got enough money to last this lifetime and the next few as well, and when you've still got something that people would normally pay for, what's the decent thing to do? George Michael thinks you should give that 'something' away. In his case that 'something' is his music. He's going to release all future recordings on the Internet for free download - though users will be given the option of making a donation to charity if they wish. A very large round of applause to Georgie boy. Frankly more artists should be doing this. How can they possibly need the money any more and surely this is the ultimate way of saying thank you to those who supported them through the early years of their careers. Not to mention the swift kick up the backside it provides to the recording industry as a whole. For the record, I've never bought (or downloaded) a George Michael song in my life.
Posted by Joe at March 12, 2004 11:18 AMJoe, well done and I agree with it all.
Except the part about the artists' wealth. As you know, more than a few of them have been trapped by record company contracts that make them pay and pay and pay. No less a successful artist than Toni Braxton, for example, has been forced to declare bankruptcy.
Read all about it:
http://dir.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/06/14/love/index.html
Posted by: DJ at March 12, 2004 03:53 PMPoint taken on artists lower down the food chain, but I was thinking of the 'big' boys and girls - the likes of Bowie, the Stones, Madonna et al. What will the accumulation of more wealth bring them exactly? Less Karma perhaps!
Posted by: Joe at March 12, 2004 05:00 PMCome on, Mr. Bloggs, squeeze yourself out of your closet and declare to the world that, in fact, you have the complete works by Wham and George Michael!
Posted by: martin at March 12, 2004 08:11 PMTaken a peek at my collection of 80s Greatest Hits have you? ;+)
Posted by: Joe at March 13, 2004 10:26 PMI guess I'm the eternal sceptic, but I would have been more impressed with the declaration if it wasn't "after this million-selling album I'll give it all away for free - honest". It smacks of opportunism to me for some reason...
Posted by: Lisa at March 15, 2004 05:16 PMI hadn't realised he'd just released an album. Yes, maybe he could have kept that 'news' after he'd actually got his next album ready for release on the net.
Posted by: Joe at March 16, 2004 12:43 PM