Virgin Reluctant to Back New Cracker Release

On July 28th in the UK, alt rock / folk band Cracker will release a CD of 9 songs, including a Springsteen cover called "Sinaloa Cowboys." Virgin withdrew support of the record, stating that it did not meet "commercial expectations"

Frontman Dave Lowery stated that "It's not a funny record, it's not supposed to be. It's kind of become something else now...It's like a record about, it's just kind of about America...

We went from being sort of a benevolent nation, a nation that had the sympathy of the world as a result of these terrorist attacks... We were seen as this great beacon of democracy and multiculturalism that had been attacked by this evil power. And, ya know, I just wanted so much for my country not to turn into the yahoo, sort of redneck cowboys again that we seem to every 20 years or so.

...And playing these songs sort of took on more meaning, to me. It was really good that we did this, I feel like, in a way, we took a little snapshot, a little portrait, of what this country is, and it's not necessarily flattering. Some of it is, and some of it isn't, but it's not the picture that most people want to see."

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  • 1 - Jim Carruthers

    Jul 10, 2003 at 2:53 pm

    Actually Virgin didn't just withdraw support, they dropped the band (how they can claim they are virgins with pulling it out in time is beyond me).

    Of course, I can't wait to hear Cracker's side of the story in the song "It Ain't Gonna Suck Itself" .

    From those nice people at Cooking Vinyl:


    And then there was the personal drama. Virgin Records, the band's label since 1987, fell under new management and soon after that it became clear to the band that the new regime did not understand Cracker's particular genius. Virgin understood Countrysides even less. Virgin bought the band's contract out but the band vowed to continue working on the record without Virgin's support. During the sessions after the split, keeping in the spirit of the record, David penned the funniest record company kiss-off song ever, It Ain't Gonna Suck Itself.


    Billboard would be a more interesting read if they stopped burying the led.

  • 2 - jacky

    Jul 11, 2003 at 10:49 am

    very interesting, thanks

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