Sunday, May 27, 2012 — Partly Cloudy 18°C
Music

HMV shows Alanis their own angsty side

Posted by Tanja / June 13, 2005

10 Comments

june1305_alanis.jpg
Starbucks just made their newest enemy.

Today's news outta the city is that HMV is set to pull all Alanis material off the shelves to protest a deal that basically gives Starbucks the rights to sell Alanis Morissette's new album 6 weeks before the record giant.

This is no temporary boycott either. HMV is throwing a full out tantrum.

The company prez, Humphrey Kadaner, has said that, "HMV will be removing all Alanis products from our stores, consistent with the views of the majority of our customers, and will be returning all Alanis product to the record company."

The album in question, by the way, is an acoustic re-release of Alanis' Jagged Little Pill record.

At this point, there are just so many questions to ask...

- Why would the queen of angst get herself tied up in such a slick corportate-america album release deal in the first place? I know I slept in today, but has it suddenly become cool to be associated with Starbucks?

- Now that HMV has blown it's top (albeit for ok reasons), will others follow? Is Sam's going to start chucking cds from the rooftop? Sunrise? How about Wal-Mart? They are usually the ones caught up in boycotting artists... do they feel left out?

- Starbucks, when will you go away?

Should be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming week.

Discussion

10 Comments

Sort By Oldest First / Newest First

Subscribe

catherine / June 13, 2005 at 01:42 pm
user-pic
while we're at it, i'm also interested in knowing why she would go to all this trouble for THAT album? no one is going to buy it anyway!
i say, let them come off all shelves.
Reply
brokenengine / June 13, 2005 at 05:44 pm
user-pic
Isn't an acoustic version of Jagged Little Pill sort of anti-thesis to the whole reason the album made it big in the first place? Wasn't the album about angst and anger, etc?

RE: Starbucks: I hate them too. The seem to have patented a new type of water with an extra hydrogen molecule, keeping it flesh-stripping hot for hours.
Reply
Tanja / June 13, 2005 at 05:54 pm
user-pic
Totally... and she may be getting 'soft' now, but Starbucks is no way to end your career...
Reply
Jennn / June 13, 2005 at 08:46 pm
user-pic
Maybe her new marriage to Ryan Reynolds (aka Van Wilder) has clouded her judgement?

Although it seems rather childish, at least HMV had the sense to stand up against Starbucks favouritism.
Reply
hey / June 14, 2005 at 10:51 am
user-pic
Surely, Alanis gets a bigger cut of the sales from Starbucks than HMV and regular CD stores. Why else would she do the deal? Well, I suppose the CD is displayed to every coffee buyer.
Reply
tawny / June 15, 2005 at 01:13 pm
user-pic
I bought the album the moment it came out. I think it is a great cover of thie first. But I don't understand her giving into coporate america either. It seems to go against what she has preached all along. In any event, HMV has a understood right to boycott.
Reply
Tanja / June 15, 2005 at 01:30 pm
user-pic
I'm waiting for a response from Maverick at this point and have heard nothing. I'd like to think somsone at Maddy's label would have some kind of reply... weird.
Reply
lilydustbin / June 16, 2005 at 02:48 pm
user-pic
I agree with you all. This deal is so against everything I thought Alanis was about. It's makes me feel sad and this is the quote that bugs me the most: "When people walk into Starbucks--beyond the fact that they're focused on getting coffee--there's a real openness and a focus to behold and take in whatever may be on that counter, and I think this record is a special record."

It's the moment she went from an artist expressing herself to a corporate hack selling her brand.
Reply
Tanja / June 16, 2005 at 02:55 pm
user-pic
Ouch. I'm surprised to hear that one. I guess everything comes full circle, not that she's a little less ragey she's getting in touch with the Alanis that once went by only that name. I miss Miss M already! Bah.
Reply
lifeofone / July 22, 2005 at 04:05 am
user-pic
yah that hurts. thats how you want to reach out to your music fans , force them to buy your cd at a coffee house. your fans will support you if you let them and you can't do that by refusing to let them buy your stuff where they normally buy all their cds. grrr. and right on to hmv. boycotts are an everyday part of business, all companies do it at one or another, this is just making the news becuase it is tied to a popular name and face, thats all. its business and not childish as mentioned above. it happens everyday. its how things get done. look and you'll see it.
Reply

Add a Comment
Other Cities: Vancouver – Montreal