Snohomish group’s loathing tribute to bin Laden ‘too risky’ for MP3.com
By Leslie Moriarty
Herald Writer
SNOHOMISH — Music has always been a way to express feelings and emotions — just as long as the title of the song is acceptable.
At least that’s what the Snohomish band Phreeworld is learning.
The band of four mid-40s aging rockers has been together for more than 20 years playing concerts in and around the Seattle area. As an independent band, not aligned with any record company, they often use the Internet as a way to get their songs before the public.
The music Web site MP3.com, for independent musicians, is the main place where Phreeworld posts its songs. And in early November, it posted its most-recent creation, an instrumental song titled "Bin Laden Goes to Hell."
Online audio
Bin Laden Goes to Hell
Written and performed by Phreeworld Listen to the song:
Visit Phreeworld’s Web site.
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Within a day, the song had so many hits that it became one of MP3’s Top 40. That was when the band decided to try to get its song a higher profile place on the Web site.
"We bid for the song to be posted on MP3.com’s welcome message e-mail, and we won the auction," guitarist Dave Wheeler said.
The band paid $1,000 to have a link to its song appear on MP3.com’s homepage in hopes that it would get even more hits and earn the band more exposure and more money. The band is paid for each time someone listens to one of its songs on the Web site.
But after winning the bid, the band says MP3.com reneged on the deal, saying the song was "too risky of an exposure for the company at this time."
The company sent the message by e-mail, and returned the money, but it won’t talk to band members about the decision.
"Apparently they don’t think freedom of speech, commerce and willingness to stand and be counted for being against terrorism matters," Wheeler said.
MP3.com officials did not respond to requests for an interview.
Wheeler said the song is an instrumental and the only thing, other than the title, that might be offensive are the sounds of screaming voices in the background.
He said the song’s music is avant-garde and obviously angry. It symbolizes terrorist Bin Laden’s trip to Hell, which is where the band members believe he belongs.
"We all have family members who are either in the military or who are in the medical rescue fields," Wheeler said. "The song is a tribute to them and the service they are giving to this country."
The band members — Wheeler, drummer Don Freeborn and guitarists-keyboardists brothers Brian and Mark Phraner — are all part-time musicians. Among their credits is a performance at the opening of the Experience Music Project in Seattle.
Because they have other jobs, they don’t have a lot of time to promote their music and sought out MP3.Com for exposure.
Now that this song won’t be getting top billing at MP3.Com, they are trying other ways of getting airtime for the song.
"We’ve made some CD samples of it, and we’re sending it to some local radio stations," Wheeler said. "We have a pretty big fan base, and we’re just hoping for the best."
As a technology consultant for AT&T Wireless, Wheeler feels it was unnecessary for MP3.com to pull the song off its top list.
"We feel it was rather cowardice of them," Wheeler said. "They are basically denying the song’s popularity with the American public."
You can call Herald Writer Leslie Moriarty at 425-339-3436
or send e-mail to moriarty@heraldnet.com.
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