Radiohead And Navarro Involved In Telemarketing Scheme

"Can you hold for a sec? I've got Dave Navarro on the other line..."

It seems that Capitol Records (EMI Music Canada) is taking a fairly innovative route to marketing the hell out of two of their recently released albums, Radiohead's Amnesiac and rock veteran Dave Navarro's debut, Trust No One. The label has just launched a program where people owning mobile phones that are capable of text messaging, PDAs (Palm Pilot or other hand held devices) and two-way pagers can receive voice and text messages about these artists.

But if you're looking forward to getting voicemail from the former Jane's addict, you'll have to sign up for the service. Both Navarro and Radiohead's sign up lists (that allow users to receive news on tour dates, contests, TV appearances and online chats) are accessible only through upoc.com.

Radiohead already have that wacky Googly Minotaur pimping their wares, so they can be forgiven for not offering anything other than a lame text messaging service to keep their fans in the know. Navarro, on the other hand, has gone that proverbial extra step: he's been leaving personal voicemail messages to his fans.

In the days leading up to the release of Trust No One, he left daily descriptions of the songs and what they meant to him. Now that he's about to start touring with Perry Farrell and the reformed Jane's Addiction (his own solo gigs will begin after the tour's completion), he vows the calls will continue.

"Hi, it's Dave Navarro, former lead guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the artist behind the current hit single, 'Rexall.' I was just wondering: is your fridge running? [pause] Then I guess you'd better go catch it! Ah-hahahahahahahaha!" [click]

Mr. Navarro, by the by, will also be on ABC's Politically Incorrect late tonight (early tomorrow morning?) at 12:05 EST. Tune in and watch him hobnob with a veritable bevy of television actors and Capitol Hill lobbyists, discussing a variety of "hot" topics. Maybe he'll call you up later and ask what you thought of the show...