Simon Cowell has offered Jon and Tracy Morter jobs at his record company after losing the race for the Christmas #1.
The Morters were behind the Facebook campaign to get Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name’ to the top spot ahead of the latest X-Factor winner.On Saturday, before Cowell’s X-Factor winner Joe McElderry came in second, he called the couple to congratulate them.
He told The Daily Mail, “I offered them jobs at my record company. It could be in marketing or even running the company!
“I wanted them to come and work for us. I was deadly serious but they haven't taken me up on the offer.”
He also told the paper that he has “taken too much for granted” and accepts that the X-Factor isn’t for everyone.
"It says more about the spontaneous action taken by young people throughout the UK to topple this very sterile pop monopoly and less about the song and the band,” Rage Against The Machine singer Zach De La Rocha told BBC6.
"We are very proud to have had the song chosen as the vehicle by which to do this."
Rage Against The Machine are planning to donate a “large portion” of the proceeds to the homeless charity Shelter, which the Facebook campaign was also raising money for.
They have also pledged to do a free concert in London some time in 2010.
Sony Records are likely to be the least concerned with who won, with 450,000 copies of McElderry’s single sold, and 500,000 copies of ‘Killing In The Name’, Sony completely dominated music sales in the U.K. last week.
However, this should serve as a very strong lesson to the major record companies, who have long been accused of being out of touch with music. Marketing can be done with a minimal budget and without resorting to dirty tricks if you know your audience.
Let it also be a lesson to any potential X-Factor or Idol contestants. This campaign has been a bout between Rage Against The Machine and Simon Cowell. In a year’s time, are you going to remember who the X-Factor winner was?
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