OH GOD... FINALLY THERE...

Hello to all surviving pinkpiggers!

Still someone out there?

Blame on me (for the bad things and also for the good ones), but it was no easy. It seems that you can get into a relapse once you thought you were cured. But, as we all know, you never get cured enough.

I won't enter in personal details for the good of all of us. I could not take care of the Pink Pig Update anymore as life put me in a situation were priorities changed dramatically. But I'm still here: if things turn hard you gotta be double hard.

Alright. On last September I decided to work on the finishing of the remaining songs out of the usual procedures: I contacted everybody who was writing to get involved in the project along this almost three year abscence (of mine) and get everything done. I wanted to be sure this time everything would be ready once I raised piggy's voice again.

You know... On the original project nobody believed it could be possible and it was done, with dignity and more. So people started to believe. I deserved that. But life is a labyrinth and you can get lost easily. And then loose the belief you built with your work. I understand most of those who know what Pink Pig is may have lost their faith, even their interest in the project. But I have a compromise with myself to get this finished as the idea and the old work deserve. And I'm here for doing so, finally.

All songs are reserved, 90% recorded, 80% delivered (details at the bottom of this post). Almost everybody involved in the new phase is updated. I am getting back in touch with the other few ones over the next couple of days. We have to check the recordings info for the new pages of the set. A pre-mastering work is being done, final mastering will take place in February. March we go into print and manufacturing. May will be time for delivering the sets.

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY AND HOW I AM FINANCING THIS NEW -AND FINAL- PHASE

When Flor (who was a volunteer deserter, more life and people reaction and water under the bridge) and I gave the original Pink Pig Atlases to the Dream Tour line-up there was something that I have never forgotten. Because it was not a very happy intervention. When I gave Perry his set, he looked into my eyes and asked: "where did you get the money for this?" You know, you can ask this with no malice at all, but I felt really uncomfortable at that time. I felt the question had a hidden intention, a not very innocent one. A few hours before we were mistreated by Daryl Bamonte and I intuitively linked that with Perry's interest in knowing about money matters. You are receiving a flattering present from the fans of "your" band, a present with no precedent in history of rock and pop, a good idea materialized in a high standard, and you just ask the guy who was working the hell out of him for a whole year about the money... My answer was the pure truth: "I used my lifelong savings". Pure truth. Only the enthusiasm of a child could have the enough force to put an idea like Pink Pig into the real world. I did not care about anything beyond doing it. I put all my money there, and I am not a millionaire. And I wasn't. And probably I will never be one (unfortunately: I never cared enough about money). I put many thousandos of dollars, all what I had. Everything. I did not care. And that was the most uninteresting and less valuable thing of all what I put into the project. Understand, Perry?

I made an estimation of the strict cost of manufacturing it all and I did it as if I was one who was going to buy it, not the one working his head and health out for making it happen. I wanted it the cheapest (with the highest quality). I did not want a single person thinking that I was doing that with a profit purpose. Chris White contacted me via e-mail the next day the project was launched telling me that, naturally, on the Cure quarters were asking themselves what was there and who could be behind that mad project. Chris knew my name for long as I was subscribed to the Cure Information Service since the late eighties. Porl (this beautiful guy and soul who saved my life once in 1992 without having a clue that he was doin' so) also knew who I was. So I guess they let us go on. Brilliant.

Anyway... Back to Perry unhappy moment... And to my estimation of the cost. I cannot remember now (anyone out there could help my memory) but I guess cost was named 43 or 47 us dollars. I never counted my work nor my time as part of the cost. And I miscalculated the material, printing, mastering, manufacturing, etc. That was evident. For God's sake: a handmade/assembled book with 14 CDs (pressed CDs in full colour pictures disc, no CD-Rs, no shit at all) for that price. I am sure I was wrong now! Anyway, the procedure was: you pre-order your set so we know how many to press. 480 sets were pre-ordered so we decided it will be a numbered 500 luxury edition. Very few people sent their money when pre-order the set. Most of them just waited until de thing was done. And the thing was done with all my savings. And in perfect time. And beautifully. The most lovely compliment I received was from Porl who e-mailed me once he received his set at home (boxed as Robert's: Porl was the emotional inspiration of it all, and Robert is the mastermind known as The Cure)

As any grown man could have predicted, a good part of the people who pre-ordered the thing never sent their money. They simply melt away. But the project was being done by an infant. So, 100 sets were there (and are still here), "un-sold", abandonned by the people who said they wanted it. I could not believe this fact: more than 500 people got involved into the recording of the 204 songs. But only 400 truly wanted to get the thing. And the price was not an explanation to this nor an excuse for the deserters. Anyway: I still have those 100 at home, in boxes, silent witnesses of my erratic life, rambling years.

And now is Update time, the promise to myself, here and now. The book was written, the info on the recordings is being checked and pages are being designed as well as the prints on the discs. Work is advanced beyond the point of no return. And now it's time to have some money to make it real. I have a few savings to do so, but I've lost my innocence. The world (and some people "working" there) is always making efforts to make you loose your innocence. I'm in my fourties and I could manage to keep my innocence. In fact I do in many aspects of life. But not in things related to Pink Pig. Sorry, not me the one to blame for that. Not Robert, not Simon, not Jason. Not Porl!

So I told myself: let's offer to those interested out there the 100 remaining original Pink Pig Atlases. They pay for them through paypal, then they get them by registered post quickly and I get the money to pay for the Update. Yes, at the end of it I will be making it happen with my money once again, but not with "fresh" one: I rescue the lost money of the unwanted Atlases (is Atlases right as a plural for Atlas or I should write "Atlas"?) and I put it on the pressing of the Update. The Rope is Long Enough, anyway. And a note: I am not moaning about putting my money, I am being strictly descripting, I am telling it like it was. The mad idea was mine and I am the one who has to make it happen as I did and as I do. That was simply a little bit of chatarsis. Sorry.

So, this is it: postage for the 14 CD Atlas Book (by registered air mail) is 30 us dollars for a set. And the cost of each set is 100. Consider the following: 12 years have passed, I originally put a lower cost to the real one then, paypal make me a considerable discount as comission for each payment you will be making and I need a determined amount of money to be able to make the Update real. I think is fair. For everyone. So, if you are interested in having one of the Original Pink Pig Atlas, that wonderful and luxurious 14 CD set, you just have to e-mail me to g_erman@yahoo.com or to germanbordagaray@yahoo.com.ar and let me know you want one. Then I will give you the paypal address where to make the total payment of 130 us dollars (registered air mail included), give me your full postal address and then I will be shipping it to you immediately (providing the tracking number of the parcel to you, so it cannot get lost).