LOS ANGELES – Legendary Rock Band Spinal Tap Launches the Ultimate File-Sharing
Service. Timed to co-opt media attention on the high profile ruling on music-
sharing Web site Napster, England’s loudest heavy metal band Spinal Tap has
announced the launch of its new music sharing
service Tapster. The Tapster service launches today (http://www.tapster.com)
with a
free download by one of rock’s formative and most influential artists, Spinal
Tap. Tapster, a highly sophisticated file-sharing program, is launching to
promote Tap’s never-before-heard track, “Back From The Dead.” Prior to being
traded through other peer-to-peer applications, “Back From The Dead” will be
exclusively available on Tapster.com.
“This will be far more controversial than Napster, really,” said Tap’s
Nigel Tufnel. Bassist Derek Smalls added, “We’re not unnecessarily concerned
about intellectual property — this isn’t about Harvard, Yale or
Oxford.”
The launch of Tapster and the release of “Back From The Dead” coincides
with a full blown marketing campaign in support of the re-release of the
classic rockumentary, “This Is Spinal Tap.” Arriving on September 12, “This
Is Spinal Tap” will be re-released in theaters and on special edition DVD/VHS
by MGM Home Entertainment, in association with European film studio
STUDIOCANAL. “There’s a fine line between exploitation and opportunism,” said
singer David St. Hubbins in commenting on the timing of Tapster’s
launch.
“Napster’s a bit complicated, really, what with all of the songs
available,” Tufnel continued. “One of the brilliant things about Tapster is
that there’s only one song to choose from.” Analysts agree, commenting that
Tapster will likely replace Napster almost immediately. “All you do is
replace the N with a T,” said a UK-based source who requested anonymity.
“To say that Tapster is revolutionary is an understatement: I see it as
one of the most significant developments in technology since the mousetrap,”
said Ian Clarke, heralded developer of Freenet. “I have been using Tapster
since the early sixties, and it is as good now as it ever was.”
Plans call for ARTISTdirect to create an online store to sell Spinal Tap
merchandise, music
and videos, in companion to the official Spinal Tap website,
http://www.spinaltap.com.
In the meantime, Napster is asking their users to make a special commitment to
artists who
have had the courage to embrace file sharing despite record company
opposition. Napster will publish (and continually update) on their website a
list of artists who speak out in support of Napster, urging Napster users to
specifically target these artists when buying CDs.
“We know that many, many people in the music industry — artists, labels,
and music industry professionals — understand the benefits of file sharing in
promoting music,” said Hank Barry, CEO of Napster. “Many of these people,
including artists like Chuck D, Marianne Faithful, Elwood and DJ Spooky, and
bands like Limp Bizkit, the Offspring and Ben Folds Five, have already
contacted us asking what they can do to help. Others, unfortunately, are not
able to speak out publicly for fear of their jobs. Nevertheless, the numbers
are on our side. We feel confident that when all of this is over, the
overwhelming consensus among artists, the industry and the fans will be that
file sharing is a great new way for us to all enjoy more music, and that all
of us will benefit from this.”
Napster is also asking its users to fax and email the heads of the major
record companies, telling them that Napster users are their best customers –
that they are loyal and active music fans — and asking them to not kill
Napster.
The list of artists being targeted during the “Napster Buy-cott Weekend”
include: Chuck D, Limp Bizkit, The Offspring, Ben Folds Five, Radiohead,
Marianne Faithfull, Mix Master Mike, DJ Spooky, Sunny Day Real Estate, Social
Distortion, Face to Face, Get Up Kids, The Grateful Dead, Less Than Jake,
Nextmen, The Coup, Cypress Hill, Dr. Octagon, Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins),
DJ Keoki, Elwood, Danielle Howle, The Pilfers, Anti-pop Consortium, Eve 6,
Super Drag, Nada Surf, Princess Superstar, DJ Assault, Problem Addict, 3rd
House of Beef and Hush.
