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| From | Not Lame <popmusic@notlame.com> |
| Subject | Reissues, label side of things..... |
| Date | Tue, 06 Jan 2004 07:03:18 -0700 |
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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.
First off, Jaime---I think it's a fabulous idea to customize the Beatles
tribute as you are doing above.......difficult to do, but smart and I think
it will be beneificial to everyone involved---bands, label, distributors,
music buying public.
As reissues relate to troubles labels have, Jaime brings up a very, very
good point of view for folks on the business side of things......many
times, when a CD that has been reissued re-appears after being out of sight
for a few years, it *appears* it's a shallow re-packaging, opportunistic
land/money grab by the label.
Many times it is, of course......but other times, it's for reasons Jaime
outlines, importantly, above: a label, whether the previous one releasing
the CD or the new one, has some business issues(usually revolving around
distribution) that take them down.....and they lose inventory inside the
vagaries of a bad or uncontrollable business circumstance.
So they choose to recover, wipe their wounds clean and begin anew. Or
another label does, in their wake because they WANT to keep the music in
print and alive because they believe the release OR the artist.
And these motives can not be discerned by 99% of music fans buying the
release(as they don't need to be, either). But the point is, sometimes a
reissue of a reissue has a story behind it and is not a money grab.
Btw, my feeling is that after the Ryko Costello reissues from the early
90's, when Rhino had a chance to do them(and let's face it, there is no one
better to handle such a task, in the world for such an extensive reissue
campaign), Gary Stewart, their head A&R guy, jumped at it.
Why? Because he's the world's biggest Elvis freak-oid, self-admitted. He
did it for fans like him(and me) who don¹t mind getting as much as possible
of one of their favorite artists.
W/ artists w/ a catalog like a Costello, I say...done right, bring it on.
Again.
And again.
This stuff is my all-absorbing personal passion----I love the opportunity to
say 'no' or 'yes' to hearing as much music from my faves as possible.
Peace on,
Bruce
@ Not Lame
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