MySpace allows Edwyn Collins to share his own music

After the publicity started to stir around MySpace's refusal to allow Edwyn Collins to give away his own music, things have changed. Grace Maxwell has posted an update:

After 30 odd fruitless emails, A Girl Like You is now available in full on the myspace player! So, todays lesson is simple:

THE MOST POWERFUL DEPARTMENT IN ANY ORGANISATION IS THE PRESS OFFICE.

The whole sad world runs scared of bad publicity, especially from a righteous source like Edwyn Collins.

Warner Music Group has no connection with Edwyn whatsoever and yet they are still corporately arrogant enough to steal Edwyn's copyright and God knows what else from others. A guy from myspace advised me to treat their copyright department with kid gloves if I wanted a result. It didn't work. If the shoe was on the other foot they'd have been down on us like a ton of bricks. The next time a major tries to take ANYONE to court for copyright infringment, I'm volunteering my services as a witness for the defense. What's sauce for the goose....

So, a happy ending. Although the record companies flogging the tracks they don't own is still outstanding...

[Thanks to Francis for sharing the update in comments]

Grace Maxwell talks strokes

It's Stroke Awareness Week this week, and Grace Maxwell - Edwyn Collins' wife, who knows what she's talking about - gives an interview to the Daily Record about his illness, to promote a "it's not easy, but it's not the end" attitude:

"We could really do with more understanding of aphasia [ the communication disability]," said Edwyn's wife, Grace Maxwell, who has helped him battle back to health. "People think that if you have it you are stupid but it is not that at all. There is a breakdown between the connection of your thoughts and your language, so the frustration is immense.

"It would be good if people could understand it better because they tend to think you are daft but it is not an expression of what is going on inside your brain.

Edwyn has emerged with his intellect and his judgment intact."

There is, of course, a bunch of websites and phone numbers associated with the week - UKConnect.org provides support for people with aphasia; the Stroke Association has nationwide branches and activities.