From www.entertainmentwise.com Prince has attacked the record industry as three million copies of his album were given away free with the Mail On Sunday today. Prince’s decision to give away ‘Planet Earth’ as a covermount CD has proved controversial within the industry, but he characteristically brushed off the criticism. Explaining the move, he says, “It's direct marketing and I don't have to be in the speculation business of the record industry which is going through a lot of tumultuous times right now.” Mail On Sunday editor told the BBC, “Prince has done this because he makes most of his money these days as a performing artist. “He's got a fantastic series of concerts coming up at the O2 Dome and this is a way of telling people what he's doing."

I'd like to think it's Prince's way of thumbing his nose up at the money-hungry and excessively greedy music industry execs and the most horrid cinema group known as the MPAA.

Anyway - haven't heard the album yet - But it must be nice to live in the UK - could've had it for $3.00 along with (from what I've heard) a ridiculously senile "newspaper" LOL

Below is another article from the Associated Press I found about the CD give-away - Hope to have a review of the album soon!

Jacquii.
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By Jane Wardell, AP Business Writer
LONDON

Prince has angered the music industry and stirred up trouble among British retailers by giving away his new album with a tabloid newspaper this weekend.

Planet Earth will be packaged with the Mail on Sunday at a price of $2.80.

The giveaway has been roundly criticized as a major blow for an industry already facing rapidly declining CD sales. It has led Sony BMG U.K., Prince's local label, to pull the plug on its own sales release of the CD in Britain.

International sales launch for Planet Earth is July 16; the U.S. launch is July 24.

"The Artist formerly known as Prince should know that with behavior like this he will soon be the Artist Formerly Available in Record Stores," said Paul Quirk, co-chairman of the Entertainment Retailers Association, referring to a period in the 1990s when the singer famously stopped using his name to protest a binding record deal.

"It is an insult to all those record stores who have supported Prince throughout his career," Quirk added.

Also fueling retailers' ire is what they see as a traitorous move by one of their own. After initially harshly criticizing Prince and the deal, music and books retailer HMV, which doesn't normally sell newspapers, decided to sell the Mail on Sunday in its 400-plus stores across the country.

"Like it or not, selling the newspaper is the only way to make the Prince album available to our customers," HMV said.

Rival retailers were outraged.

"We're stunned that HMV has decided to take what appears to be a complete U-turn on their stance," said Simon Douglas, managing director of retail at Virgin Megastores. "It's not only retailers that suffer; the public will suffer in the long term by restricting choice on the high street."

The use of so-called "covermounts," where free CDs or DVDs are attached to the front of a newspaper to catch the buyer's eye, is widespread in Britain where many newspapers are struggling to retain readers who are turning to online news and entertainment.

Most of the giveaways are compilations of archive recordings or older films. Past giveaways by the Mail on Sunday include CDs by Duran Duran, Peter Gabriel and Dolly Parton. Prince's CD contains new tracks along with old hits such as Purple Rain.

Sony BMG U.K. said it decided it was "ridiculous" to go ahead with its own sales launch in light of the newspaper deal, but stood by its star singer, adding it remained "delighted" to be working with Prince.

The Mail on Sunday declined to say how much it paid to secure the deal or how many copies of Planet Earth it planned to sell. Its average circulation is 2.3 million copies.

Quirk said the deal was "yet another example of the damaging covermount culture which is destroying any perception of value around recorded music."

Beyond the covermounts, the value of recorded music is already under widespread threat from the rapid rise of digital downloads. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry estimated that overall music sales worldwide fell around 3% last year as a doubling in digital sales failed to compensate for falls in physical CD sales and digital piracy.

Prince also plans to give away a copy of Planet Earth with each ticket sold for his 21-date London concert later this summer.

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Here are just some of the comments made about The Mail on Sunday's brilliant coup and Prince's courageous move: Click Image To Enlarge 'Here at Time Out Towers, never in a million years did we imagine that we would print the words “The Mail on Sunday is right!” but, on this occasion, it is.' Time Out 'He's made his millions so all he cares about now is getting his music out to as many people as possible.' Stuart Williams, managing director of Q magazine 'He's not an official Royal, but Prince is generating more ink in the UK than anyone named William or Harry.' Rolling Stone 'It devalues the music and the losers will be new artists who are trying to come through . . . Consumers only have so much listening time in the week and if they receive the new album from Prince then they don't need to buy new music and will spend their money on something else.' Kim Bayley, director general, Entertainment Retailers Association 'It has been roundly criticised as a major blow for an industry already facing rapidly declining CD sales.' Los Angeles Times 'Already news of the alliance between the paper and Prince has featured on the BBC Six O'Clock News and in The New York Times.' The Guardian 'Sony BMG UK said it decided it was “ridiculous” to go ahead with its own sales launch in light of the newspaper deal, but stood by their star singer, adding they remained “delighted” to be working with him.' International Herald Tribune 'After initially criticising Prince and the deal, music and books retailer HMV, which doesn't normally sell newspapers, decided to sell The Mail on Sunday in its 400-plus stores. Rival retailers were outraged.' The Post And Courier, Charleston, USA 'Could this be the way of the future? Last year, fans acquired more than half their music from unpaid sources. So why keep charging for it?' Newsday, New York 'As Prince might say, a sign of the times.' BBC News Magazine