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| From | "Jaimie Vernon" <bullseyecanada@hotmail.com> |
| Subject | Re: Reissue, repackage, repackage... |
| Date | Mon, 05 Jan 2004 21:50:36 -0500 |
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As a record label that's in business to sell CDs, I'm all for anything that
will give a recording continued shelf life.
Last year we lost our Canadian distribution deal....half our releases got
lost in limbo -- either sitting in warehouses, or on the racks of stores
that were no longer willing to promote it because they weren't accountable
to our lapsed distributor.
We've now regained our legs at retail again and the new distributor needs an
"angle" to promote what essentially are stale goods. We've gone back and
repackaged a number of our titles...not only for the distributor's sake, but
to help salvage the investment made in these acts and their product. And
whatdya know...we're selling CDs again.
I understand the frustration from fans who feel they've been "had"...but in
my case, the fans never even got a chance to buy the record in the first
place.
Secondly, we've just opened a distribution deal in the US....the chances of
us selling exclusively Canadian acts down there -- particularly our *new*
acts -- is remote. We're assembling and creating USA-specific repackages of
some product just to capitolize on a very large market. You're not going to
be able to find these titles in Canada because they're designed to attract a
NEW audience stateside. The same may happen with a Japanese importer we've
now aligned ourselves with. To compete at the retail level now we have to
offer things territorially that are exclusive.
Of note is the long-delayed Beatles tribute project that both distributors
on either side of the border want customized for maximum effect -- putting a
bunch of unknown US pop-acts on a compilation going to Moosenee, Ontario
will most probably sit and collect dust. Put 100% bone-fide Canadian rock on
that disc and it will fly off the shelves. Similarly, no store in Boston,
MA will care a flying fig about some a cappella duo from Trois-Rivieres,
Quebec...but they'll probably jump on a line-up of pure pop from acts found
on Jam and Not Lame.
I don't know that this is the same thing that the majors (or major indies
like Aimee Mann) are thinking when they repackage stuff. My cynical side as
a fine is similar to many here in thinking that this is just a cash grab
from dedicated fans....but, as a business man, re-issue and repackage maybe
our only means to survive in this climate.
Jaimie Vernon,
Bullseye
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