by Andre Paine, London | July 06, 2010 8:05 EDT

Prince has given what has been billed as his first U.K. newspaper interview in a decade as part of a deal for his new album, "20Ten."

The Daily Mirror will give the album away July 10 as a free CD with the paper, while European deals have also been struck with Rolling Stone Germany and a Belgian newspaper.

In the interview, Prince outlines his anti-Internet stance. Naturally his comments have been widely circulated via the Internet.

"The Internet is completely over," Prince told the Mirror. "I don't see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won't pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can't get it."

He added: "The Internet's like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated."

Prince is not a fan of digital devices, either. "All these computers and digital gadgets are no good," he said. "They just fill your head with numbers and that cant be good for you."

Prince does not intend "20Ten" to get a download release in addition to the free CD distribution with newspapers and magazines. He has also shut down his official website and does not plan to license new music to download stores or subscription services.

A U.S. distribution deal for the album has yet to be confirmed. The record has been linked with Warner Bros.

Billboard.com







Internet

Al Gore was quick to respond, in a press conference this afternoon where he, inexplicably, was wearing only a towel. "God damn it, Prince! I brought the Internet into this world, and if I need to I'll take it out again!!!"

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Who said that?

What does this person do for a living?

Talk about projection on a massive, egocentric scale. His career was over... what 20 years ago maybe? 15 possibly?

Why does he want iTunes or Amazon to give him an advance? They're not record companies. Does he even know what the hell he's talking about?

Man, Groucho, I was convinced you were going to make a crack at Prince shrugging off the Internet as 'over' but is giving away his CD through newspapers.

I think Prince is right on the money, but Al Gore needed to be taken down a notch -- so why not in this thread?

Prince had his era of fame and fortune but for a long time I've thought the man was wacked, now I'm sure of it. -kd5-

The funny thing is that his new album will get an internet distribution; he just won't be making any money off of it. But what do I care? If he wants to distribute his CD free via magazines and newspapers and make his millions off of touring, so be it.

When asked to clarify his statements on the death of the internet, Prince reponded, "'It's 3 in the morning in Minnesota. I really need a camel."

When questioned about his reaction to insinuations that he has lost his mind and has debased himself into a culturally irrelevant has-been, Prince calmly rattled off the list of women he slept with between 1982 and 1987.

wow, what a complete out of touch with reality tool.....unbelievable

He's a lot of things, but I don't think a tool is one of them.

When you are as talented as Prince "the Internet" doesn't even exist....

He still does, to be honest.

"All these computers and digital gadgets are no good," he said. "They just fill your head with numbers and that cant be good for you."

why Prince why?! He predicted the blue screen of death afterall

"shoot the J, computer blue"

I love Prince, and he still puts on an amazing live show (and 3121 is fucking brilliant), but he is most definitely living in a world of his own.

Seeing him this Saturday.
Don't like him, but like his music.

This is Prince we're talking about. He self-identifies as a Seventh-Day Adventist, even though it contradicts everything about his life and music. He's not exactly a reasonable guy.

I see things are still the same in Princeland.

He's a Jehovah's Witness, not a Seventh-Day Adventist. Big difference.

The internet better move its big ass round this way so Prince can work on that zipper, baby.

All right, he's a former Seventh Day Adventist who converted to the Jehovah's Witnesses. That's not a ringing endorsement of his powers of reason.

This just in: "Prince is over," declares the Internet.