Radiohead have said they accept that former label EMI made a "genuine error" after it was revealed that the major had used the Google Ads system to direct fans looking for the band's new 'In Rainbows' boxset to a website selling EMI's previously reported Radiohead back catalogue boxset.
As previously reported, EMI will release the back catalogue box set next month, just as the band mail out the 'In Rainbows' boxset which could be ordered via the Radiohead website during the much hyped 'pay what you want' download promotion tied to the new long player. Some are speculating that EMI have timed the back catalogue release to piss off the band because they themselves are pissed off that Thom Yorke et al chose to work with Beggars' XL label on the physical release of 'In Rainbows' rather than working with them. The band, it should be noted, haven't commented on the back catalogue release one way or the other.
However, they have commented on the Google scam. It turns out that last week when you typed 'Radiohead' into Google the ads box at the top provided the headline "Radiohead - New Album 'In Rainbows' now available as boxset" with a link not to the band's 'In Rainbows' website, but to the EMI site promoting the back catalogue release.
The link was set up by EMI's Parolphone using the Google ads system where you can pick what combination of searches cause your website to be listed, and what listing appears above your link. The label has since removed the link, and said it was set up by mistake, though from what I know about Google ads I'm not quite sure how, but whatever. A spokesman told The Guardian: "Parlophone were aware of the data source glitch and removed the link immediately".
Asked for their thoughts on the Google con by the NME, a spokesman for the band said they would forgive their former label, explaining that "we accept that it was a genuine error and that it has been rectified".