HMV To Boycott Alanis Morissette

Published: 2005-06-13

This week, Canada's largest music retailer HMV will remove the entire Alanis Morissette catalogue from their shelves. The music retailer is not happy with Morissette over the deal that her label, Maverick Records, struck with coffee company Starbucks. The deal calls for Morissette's most recent release, an acoustic version of her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill, to be sold only in the company's coffee outlets. The agreement is for six weeks, after which all music stores may sell the album.

Morissette defends her position, saying decisions about how to share music are up to the artists. Other music retailers, not just in Canada but also in the US, are also threatening to not stock the album when it becomes available.

Morissette will be on tour this summer to support the acoustic disc, which celebrates the ten-year anniversary of her breakthrough album.

Writer: Trent McMartin

HMV can kiss my Canadian Butt. Morissette should be able to sell her album where ever she wants. Last time I checked this was still a free country? But maybe this will anger Morissette and she will write another great song? Go Alanis!

Posted by: Shayne on June 13, 2005

Hmmm...would HMV keep carrying her albums if nobody bought them? Why should she be held to a higher expectation of loyalty? Sigh...nothing worse than capitalists whining about losing the market game.

Posted by: csetzer on June 14, 2005

Kudos to Alanis for sticking to her guns! That a corporation is trying to tell an artist how to present her work is just ridiculous. HMV has basically transformed from a respectable company into a big whiny child. I was going to wait until the album came to retailers in a few weeks, as I am not at all a coffee drinker, but all the whining and crying and stamping of feet of past weeks prompted me to get it at Starbucks yesterday, and it is *phenomenal*, I must say. It would have been worth the wait...oh well! GO ALANIS!

Posted by: Anonymous on June 14, 2005

Alanis is a sellout. "I am not going to write any new original music, but rather record something I did, screw the outlet chains that sold my stuff to get me where I am, and then I'm going to tour and ream my fans with more overpriced tickets to make them feel special". yeah, whatever.

Posted by: Anonymous on June 14, 2005

Dang rights. Alanis should sue HMV

Posted by: Anonymous on June 14, 2005

I don't think that'll hurt Alanis sales. It will hurt the stores sales they could've made. If they're not selling it, people will find a place that is and go there to buy it.

Posted by: Anonymous on June 27, 2005

The only thing worse than HMV whining is that people think that her venture with the behemoth coffee corporation is a rebellious (and noble) maneuver. The individual who chastises HMV for "trying to tell an artist how to present her work" should explain then how Starbucks does not do that as well. Why did Starbucks balk on their deal with Bruce Springsteenís latest album? Isnít that Ironic, Don't you think? It was very Magnanimous of Alanis to make this deal (I am sure we can assume it was not motivated by money) and rerecord the same music that was already a hit 10 years ago (we do love the fresh new music), so that she could have a tour for this "new" album and sell lots of fair priced tickets, and fortunately, still give us a greatest hits album following all of this.

Posted by: Anonymous on June 29, 2005

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