SPIDER-MAN CASTS COMPLEX WEB

The eagerly awaited Sam Raimi-directed movie, which hits theaters on May 3, celebrates the classic Marvel Comics character’s 40th anniversary. Peter Parker—played by Tobey Maguire—is a newspaper photographer for the Daily Bugle who turns into a reluctant crime-fighter when he’s bitten by a genetically altered spider and assumes superhuman strength and agility…not to mention the ability to spin a mean web.

And while the film will be released by Sony’s Columbia Pictures, the album, featuring "music from and inspired by" the film, is a real group effort, bearing the logos of four labels—Roadrunner, IDJ, Sony Music Soundtrax and releasing label Columbia.

From the Island Records/ IDJ roster comes the debut single, Sum 41’s "What We’re All About (Original Version)," with a guitar solo by Slayer’s Kerry King, which impacts this week. Roadrunner/IDJ’s "Hero," with Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger and featuring Saliva’s Josey Scott, goes for adds next week. The singles are coming out on—you got it—Island and Roadrunner, respectively. "What We’re All About" will be worked at Active and PoMo radio by the IDJ promotion department, while Roadrunner promo will take "Hero" to Active, PoMo and, with the help of IDJ, Top 40, for a May 6 add date.

Island Def Jam VP Promotion "Et" Stu "Brute" Bergen slipped into a phone booth to change into his cape and tights to rave, "This will be a huge, culturally significant event, with two amazing songs driving the project, two very distinct tracks that target complementary, yet not duplicate, audiences. Hey, has anybody seen my web-slinger?"

Roadrunner Sr. VP Promotion Dave "How Now" Loncao, explains that "Hero" was left over from Nickelback’s Silver Side Up sessions, but the band decided it wasn’t right for the album. "This opportunity was just too tremendous to pass up," says Loncau. "By the time we go to Top 40, the song is going to be familiar to everyone from all the TV spots."

The soundtrack also includes portions of the Danny Elfman score and Aerosmith’s "Theme From Spider-Man," as well as tracks from Alien Ant Farm, Black Lab, Bleu, Default, Corey Taylor, Greenwheel, The Strokes, The Hives, Theory of a Dead Man, Pete Yorn, Macy Gray, Injected and Jerry Cantrell.

"The music unites artists who have been inspired by the Spider-Man character," commented Sony Music Soundtrax President Glen Brunman in the middle of his cucumber facial. "The film is a timeless classic that will be remembered for years to come."

• The first million copies of the CD feature a special 3-D cover.
• When the CD is placed into a computer CD-ROM drive, users can log onto the Spider-Man website, where streaming versions of the first two music videos, including behind-the-scenes footage from "Hero" and the making of the Sum 41 clip, can be viewed.
• MTV just added Sum 41, while the making-of documentary began airing this week.