Best Spacemen 3 Album (POLL Ends 4th May)

this is surprising

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C93Yyh1XUAAy_uO.jpg:large

There's a thread on the Spiritualized forum which Palmer posted on a couple of weeks ago:

Just been alerted to this thread by one of the ex SP3 band members…..as an ardent supporter of an individual's right to free speech I (Gerald Palmer) wish to make a comment on this piece of “fake news”.

I assume that as a matter of due diligence you fan boys have all fact checked the veracity of your claims? What’s your source?.....a Donald Trump tweet perhaps?......a disgruntled ex-band member making a post on the Spiritualized forum erroneously alleging they get paid ‘zero’ royalties?......which, unsurprisingly, I might add, gets disseminated further, with everyone feeling as though they should add their own unsubstantiated take on the story but hey ho, that’s the internet for you.

As a general rule I ordinarily choose not to air dirty laundry on social media but to quote Mia Wallace, “when you little scamps get together you're worse than a sewing circle”, so whilst writing please allow me to pose a question you may wish to consider; if these releases are purported to be “bootleg” recordings then why has no other label (excepting only Space Age Recordings) pressed or sold these recordings since the expiration of the licenses to Fire Records, RCA / BMG and subsequently Taang! Records in the U.S.A. in the 90’s?

For the record I've been working with the members of Spacemen 3 continually since 1987.These albums are owned and controlled by me for life of copyright and Space Age Recordings has exclusively manufactured, distributed and sold these records on a worldwide basis for approximately the last 20 years. All the ex-members of Spacemen 3 continue to be accounted to and paid artist royalties on a bi-annual basis as they have been for the last 30 years, with the total sum paid out in royalties running into substantial six figure sums.

All claims that these reissues are "bootlegs” and that the band's members are not being paid royalties are both strenuously denied and completely refuted.

I’m also guessing that all of you lurking on the forum here are as passionate about the integrity of the Spacemen 3 name as I am and so will have read the Erik Morse biography on the band?.....if so you’re probably also aware that it was written with extensive help and input from Pete Kember who ok’d it before publication? If so, I suggest that now might be a good time to go back for a re-read if it’s “alternative facts” you’re after; as they say, there’s always two sides to every story.

No further comment.

Gerald Palmer

note upthread is from Spiritualized's official twitter account, as of 5 hrs ago: https://twitter.com/officialSpzd/status/855077875430686720
and the fact that it's signed by both Pierce and Kember is def notable imo

They could have said this a month ago before independent shops paid for their orders

I love this band more than almost any other, but the idea that they're fighting over some piddling royalties at this point is just insanely sad. Seriously, how much money are we talking about. Very little, yes. Again, great band, needs to get a job at Starbucks or something.

Palmer says upthread their royalties are annually 6 figures. I dont make 6 figures a year, do you?

Eh i might be misreading that maybe its not annual. But still, six figures!

it says total sum in six figures over 30 years.

Well, yes, but that's besides the point. Do you seriously think that they're selling that many albums a year. We're not stupid here. 100,000/20=5000 albums sold per year, divided among the group, per their legal rights. Nobody is getting super rich here. Do you think that 5000 people bought Spacemen 3 albums last year. I freaking love the band, but I think that's batshit insane.

One of the things I had to come to terms with is that ALL THE BANDS I LOVED IN THE 80S AND 90S MADE ESSENTIALLY NOTHING. Repeat, ESSENTIALLY NOTHING.

One of the things I had to come to terms with is that ALL THE BANDS I LOVED IN THE 80S AND 90S MADE ESSENTIALLY NOTHING. Repeat, ESSENTIALLY NOTHING.

The entire indie rock revolution was essentially people selling 1000 albums to the same 1000 dumbasses (like me). It's sort of crazy, in terms of the cultural impact vs. the financial impact.

Palmer has Spacemen 3 trademarked all the way out to 2025 so this is going to be a very expensive and long cold war. Don't expect a box set, remasters, etc. anytime soon.
https://www.ipo.gov.uk/tmcase/Results/1/UK00003098575

I think the only Space Age product I have is the Forged Prescription comp, which has liner notes by Sonic and came out way before these allegations started getting slung around

compreissue

ALL THE BANDS I LOVED IN THE 80S AND 90S MADE ESSENTIALLY NOTHING. Repeat, ESSENTIALLY NOTHING.

not sure who you loved but it's probably not accurate to say ALL. Most? Yeah, most indie rock bands didn't make much. I have no idea what S3 sales are/were/are going to be tbh.

I remember that Jason said to me that he made more money from the Volkswagen ad than any of LAG's sales.

That's not so surprising, considering that Jason blew so much money on recording and packaging for those 90's SPZ albums.

Plus placement fees were way higher back then, in the days before indie rock was a music-for-commercials-n-films cottage industry

ooookay http://pitchfork.com/news/73146-spacemen-3-take-down-request-asking-fans-not-to-buy-reissues/?mbid=homepage-more-latest-and-video

one of the ex-members of the band who illegally authorised the license of a Spacemen 3 recording behind our back (to which the other band members were denied any royalties or advance)

any idea what this was? I did sort of do a double-take when I recently saw/heard some ad that used a song that *sampled* "Big City" but that probably isn't it.

er, not "Big City", "I Love You" from Recurring

maybe this?

https://www.discogs.com/Spacemen-3-Live-At-The-New-Morning-Geneva-Switzerland-18051989/release/8340890

read the second comment and follow the link.