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We planned our Wednesday celebration of Dark Side of the Moon's 37th anniversary months ago. Pink Floyd evidently had plans of its own as well. And so does The Flaming Lips.
The day after Dark Side's anniversary, British judge Andrew Morritt ordered the legend's label EMI to stop selling singles from its brilliant concept albums and more on iTunes. Welcome to the machine, EMI!
After making noise over the practice, Pink Floyd has slightly shifted the battlefield terrain in the digital age back from the single to the album. It has also added its name to the increasing list of EMI artists dissatisfied with the label's trajectory after being sold to Guy Hands' private equity group Terra Firma in 2007.
Hands is evidently unhappy himself. According to Bloomberg, Hands is suing Terra Firma's creditor Citigroup, who he claims tricked him into buying EMI for $6 billion during the buyout boom. That's some seriously expensive buyer's remorse.
But there is nevertheless good news to be had on The Dark Side of the Moon. The Flaming Lips is performing the immortal concept album in its entirety on tour throughout April. It's also releasing its previously digital-only tribute on vinyl April 17, as part of the national Record Store Day celebration. A disc version follows on May 4.
Image courtesy Warner Bros.
See Also:
- Pink Floyd's Dark Side Eclipses Concept Album Classics
- Pink Floyd Beats EMI in Creativity Flap
- Pink Floyd, EMI Brawl Over iTunes Royalties
- May 12, 1967: Pink Floyd Astounds With Sound in the Round
- Pink Floyd's Echoes = Space Baby?
- RIP: Pink Floyd's Richard Wright
- Pink Floyd Wins A Polar! Wait, What's A Polar?
