It’s Just Business

Bodysnatchers, written by Colin Charles Greenwood,
Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Edward John O’Brien, Philip James Selway, and Thomas Edward York; performed by Radiohead (2007)

This weeks song, Bodysnatchers by Radiohead, serves as the key witness to the distrust and angst that arose between the music publishing companies and recording artists. On the one hand were executives who paid out big money for exclusive recording deals and demanded that artists fulfill their contracts. On the other there were hard working artists who, after spending months or even years on concert tours, felt that the constant demand placed on them for something new was too great. The overall tone of Bodysnatchers meets the listener head on with hard-edged, overdriven, sonically angry sound. The premise recalls the days of early Sci-Fi, when terror engulfed the town, as no one could be trusted. Aliens had taken control of neighbors and no one knew who would be next. As an artist being pressured to compose and record music that doesn’t come from as artistic expression but from corporate pressure takes on these feelings of being evicted from ones own body.

Radiohead released the album on the Internet, allowing people to pay what they wanted for it. The average price people paid was $2.26. This direct release to the public garnered the group $2.7 million in direct profits. Later that year the group turned down a multi-million dollar contract from a major label. Though they were not the only group to eschew big business in lieu of retaining creative rights, the song, album and year of release (2007) represent a significant turning point in the relationship between artist and music company. Bodysnatchers embodies the long time struggle with the freedom of expression and corporate interests.