Springsteen calls Wal-Mart deal a mistake

[RiverStone]

Source: Yahoo News (AP)

The Boss is owning up to a mistake.

In an interview with Sunday's New York Times, Bruce Springsteen says he shouldn't have made a deal with Wal-Mart. This month, the store started exclusively selling a Springsteen greatest hits CD.

Some fans were critical because Springsteen has been a longtime supporter of worker's rights, and Wal-Mart has faced criticism for its labor practices.

Springsteen told the Times that his team didn't vet the issue as closely as he should have, and that he "dropped the ball on it."

Springsteen went on to say: "It was a mistake. Our batting average is usually very good, but we missed that one. Fans will call you on that stuff, as it should be." Springsteen released his new CD "Working on a Dream" this week and is performing the halftime show at the Super Bowl.


Read more: http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12176684

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Bruce, I totally dig your music but on the ball you "dropped" --- I'd say it was more like you (or your company) did not even look at who the players were. Wal-Mart? Everybody who pays attention knows of their horrendous labor practices.

It's a good thing that you owned the mistake. Hopefully, folks will buy your music, just not at the BIG BOX :hi:

[tbyg52]

1. That is one huge ball he dropped, there. nt

[Berry Cool]

2. At least he admits it.

I respect that.

[Rage for Order]

3. "It was a mistake, but I'm still going to cash the checks" n/t

[WriteDown]

6. Bingo nt

[marshall]

30. And he's crying all the way to the bank

When he donates the proceeds from this CD, even a portion if nothing else, to organizations that support the workers then and only then will I sit up and take notice of his dedication.

[happygoluckytoyou]

4. BOSS REPENT..... SEND ANY PROFITS TO A GOOD PRO-UNION FUND!!!!!!!! @@@@

[RiverStone]

7. Great idea and it seems an obvious solution!

To an incredibly obvious mistake.

Bruce could earn much good will back with a decision like this! :)

[KoKo]

5. Disgusting! He had to know Better...unless it's the "Obama Crossover"

that we need to get "Walmarters" on our DEM SIDE. :puke:

[HopeHoops]

8. ANY deal with WalMart is a mistake - like a purchase for example.

[bluedigger]

9. Bruce screwed up.

And he has admitted it. He has a long record of service to progressive causes, and I trust him to make amends. He deserves that much.

[JeanGrey]

10. Oh pullleeeeze. You mean Springsteen was just fine with it

until somebody made it public and squawked. Now he has to wipe the egg off his face.

[hardtravelin]

15. Word...

The rich and elite are all the same. They want their ivory towers and moats to repulse the peasants (us). How much money has his "conscience" earned him, after he found it, financially, to be politically relevant.

I have so much more respect for artists who don't double-back in their middle age so that they can sleep easy at night in their gilded cages.

[Dreamer Tatum]

20. You called it.

Lesson: even revered people are greedy and full of shit sometimes.

[Hannah Bell]

21. yes. he - & his "people" - know better. & he didn't need the deal, he's plenty rich.

even the best of these jackasses won't put their money where their mouth is.

walmart controls something like 20% of all music sales already; springsteen has an established fan base; he didn't need the deal.

[ldf]

11. it just goes to show

the rich, no matter how good their intentions, don't live in the same world the rest of us do.

i don't understand how some of them can be so clueless. but bruce has at least expressed remorse.

[xchrom]

12. i'm a huge springsteen fan -- but -- wow! what a boner. nt

[Abq_Sarah]

13. I'm pretty sure the ball wasn't "dropped"

Until he realized his fans were pissed off. Otherwise, he'd be more than happy to take their money.

[cobalt1999]

14. "didn't vet the issue as closely as he should have"?

What vetting is needed? It's fucking Walmart! What more vetting is needed?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

16. Bet he still cashes those checks.

[MrsBrady]

17. Anderson Merchandisers supplies books and music for Wal-Mart...

Whoever put his distribution deal together would have known that.

Anderson is Wal-mart's bitch. Everybody in the music business knows that.

There is only one reason to put music in Wal-mart. money.
and there is only ONE thing you have to have in order to put it there in the first place.

The MONEY to put 250k copies UP FRONT to even stock it for all of their stores. (that's just for the US stores)

I used to work for a national account executive for a major music label. and I worked on the Anderson account with her.

I'm not saying anything bad about Bruce...but he would have known.

[ryanmuegge]

18. Bruce's stage persona is mainly a schtick. I wouldn't feel insulted by this.

His persona is obviously just a character. It's kind of funny that people feel personally insulted that he cashed in and (seemingly) betrayed his stage persona's "blue collar" principles. Personally, I don't care what a musician does or stands for, so long as their music doesn't suck. Good for him for cashing in, as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure he believes what he sings about, but he's going to do what's going to make him the most cash at the end of the day, just like most of us.

His music is pretty middle of the road and adult contemporary (a full-time saxophonist in his backing band, and that's rock and roll?), so is it really not that surprising that he signed an exclusive distribution deal with the most unhip retailer. I'm personally not a fan of his music, obviously, but I don't fault him for doing what's best for business.

[Hannah Bell]

22. who feels "insulted"? more like "disgusted".

[TheCML]

31. Youre mistaken

His music is more "rock and roll" than 99% of the crap released today. And Nebraska although not a rock album is probably one of the best Americana albums of the last 40 years. If you dont think a saxophonist can be in a rock and roll band maybe you should listen to a little James Brown. Rock and Roll isnt Nickelback and Creed, this generation of music fans drives me nuts sometimes.

[No Elephants]

19. Did not vet closely? Is he kidding? Got google?

[Vinca]

23. In the end, they all go for the money. Disgusting. nt

[underpants]

24. eh Bruce signed a $50 million deal before this

he doesn't need the money

[Vinca]

25. Walmart = slave labor. Any dolt knows it. If it wasn't money, it's even worse. nt

[Blandocyte]

26. Eff The Boss

"You're born with nothing,
and better off that way,
Soon as you've got something they send
someone to try and take it away"

From Springsteen's "Something In The Night"

Just another greedy bastich corporowhore after all. And to think he was Joe Piscopo's hero...

[MicaelS]

27. He's an entertainer, they're all idiots

They live in their own little parallel universe that somewhat co-exists with our own. They spend their time in a world based on art, and the interpretation and expression of it. Their struggle is to maintain their creativity, their "muse" and to be able to "work", to perform. They think the whole world revolves around them and their art. Why do you think so many artist become Scientologists? Scientology tell them that creative people are on a higher plane than non-creative people. They simply don't understand the daily struggles that the average person goes through because they can't relate to it, especially once they've "made it." When you understand that, and simply appreciate the art and forget about anything else the artist does, especially related to politics, you'll be better off.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MicaelS]

29. "Sensitivity to the human condition?"

Spare me. :grr: Their "sensitivity to the human condition" doesn't prevent them from raking in the really big bucks does it?

[sendero]

32. Give the boss a break..

.... he's done more for our side that 99% of entertainers.

God, around here one "aw shit" and a backlog of millions of "atta boys" is wiped out instantaneously.

[Orsino]

33. This aw-shit is largely symbolic...

...but it's hugely, awesomely symbolic of creeping corporatization and the criminalization of the American worker.

As has already been noted, he could turn this fuck-up (I won't let him dismiss it as a mistake just yet) into a success by routing his profits into unionizing the country, and by letting it be known exactly why he's doing so. It's an obvious step; if he doesn't take it, then I'll return to questioning his pose as the working man's hero.

[w4rma]

34. Agreed, sendero. This makes him look better in my eyes. But, too many people jump on apologies.

I can see why some won't make an apology when all it does cause more grief.

[Hannah Bell]

36. he's done stuff for the democratic party.

an exclusive deal with walmart is a big "ah shit". walmart already controls about 20% of music sales. springsteen is plenty rich, he didn't need the deal, & it aids wm's monopoly position. more tellingly, springsteen's music rails against the wal-mart business model - & now he's making money from the same source. he's too smart, & reportedly too hands-on, not to have known exactly what he was doing.

muhammed ali visited a (very white) mill town i used to live in & wrote a check on the spot for some sad story he happened to hear while he was there. it was a very big check. ali is not so rich.

frank sinatra sent my aunt a big check back in the 60s when she wrote him a letter asking for an autograph for a tiny church (about 100 people) fundraiser. They normally sold homemade doughnuts, & were trying something different. Sinatra's check alone was more than they ever made with their doughnuts.

sinatra was a mafioso, but gave away a lot of money without a lot of publicity.

ali, if i can believe the anecdotes i've heard, is a saint walking the earth - but you rarely hear anything of his generosity in the media, just through word of mouth.

[latebloomer]

35. God, that's disappointing.

He had to have known better.

How much money does he need, anyway?

"Poor man wanna be rich
Rich man wanna be king
And a king ain't satisfied till he rules everything."

form "Badlamds"