Saturday Deluxe / 21 March 2015
It’s the weekend! In a new feature, SDE makes itself a bacon sandwich and kicks back with some stories and updates from the past week, along with gossip and news from the weeks to come…
Record Store Day
We’re a month away from Record Store Day (18 April) and there appears to be a surprising consensus amongst fans that it’s really not that great for collectors. The regular occurrence of the collectibles appearing on eBay hours after the items go on sale, is both predictable and depressing. And of course you need to have a record store near you for the day to really ‘work’. I’m all for popping along to a local record shop and joining the queue at 7am and chatting to fellow enthusiasts, but count me out if I have to travel for an hour or more to a ‘major’ indie and camp out half the night to grab a seven inch single for £15.
I guess we should not forget that Record Store Day was primarily set-up to support independent record stores and I doubt many here would take issue with that particular goal. This year there is plenty of product conveniently supporting major label reissues, including OMD‘s Julia’s Song (Dub Version) (not on the deluxe of Junk Culture, but let’s not go there), a seven-inch picture disc of Simple Minds‘ Waterfront and a ten-inch vinyl of Roxy Music‘s Ladytron / The Numberer, with both of those songs being given a 2015 Steven Wilson stereo remix and Ladytron being an unreleased version, a full three minutes longer than the original. By the way, Tears For Fears‘s RSD 12-inch of extended versions of Shout and Everybody Wants To Rule The World has been cancelled.
A-ha
Rhino is releasing a seven-inch picture disc of a-ha‘s classic UK number two Take On Me for RSD, but the big news is that the band will be holding a press conference next Wednesday at the Norwegian Embassy in Berlin. This ‘media event by invitation only’ (your correspondent hasn’t been invited!) is probably to announce the Hunting High and Low super deluxe edition box set and officially launch the LP reissues and deluxe editions. Although maybe the band are getting back together, who knows?
Pet Shop Boys
SDE revealed a while back that a Pet Shop Boys ‘reissues project’ was on the cards. I did some digging but couldn’t find out anything more at this stage, however a month later Rhino are putting a PSB rarity on CD in the shape of the Ian Levine’s remix of the Suburbia B-side Paninaro. Rhino is of course Warner’s reissue imprint and Warners ended up with Parlophone (PSB’s label for decades) after Universal bought EMI. It seems unlikely that someone has pulled the tapes for this rare remix and mastered it for CD especially for this new budget compilation without it being part of a wider remastering PSB project. Having said that it’s a weird thing to do to ‘give away’ (okay, it’s £6.99 for 3CDs) a key Pet Shop Boys Please-era rarity when you are planning an anniversary box set of said album (okay, that’s not confirmed, but it’s what I think is happening).
Bjork
As you may have read the Björk Anniversary vinyl turned out to be rather disappointing with thin vinyl records and terrible artwork reproduction on some sleeves, notably 1993’s Debut. One Little Indian responded to a request from SDE for a comment and had the following to say:
One Little Indian: “We’re really sorry that some people have been disappointed with the quality of the Debut sleeve – all the sleeves on the recent limited edition coloured vinyl are as the original runs, all printed on 300gsm card. They are not the deluxe versions, but historically the same as the originals, using the original printers.”
Deal Alerts
If you haven’t signed up for the SDE Deal Alert email service, then you probably should. Yesterday’s deal was the splendid Roxy Music 10CD Complete Albums Collection box for just £35 but it was gone in about 5 or 10 minutes!! Thankfully, many deals last much longer than that, but an alert hitting your inbox means you should normally have time to grab it – assuming you’re interested of course. It’s very easy to sign-up and you can switch them off again, whenever you wish. Click here and follow the instructions.
Deals for the weekend
All deals correct at the time of writing, but the nature of the beast is that the prices can change, so if you see a higher price than listed here that’s exactly what has happened! Use Google Chrome to automatically translate foreign language sites.
James: Laid / Wah Wah box set – £36 on Amazon Germany
Sly and the Family Stone: Higher! 4CD box – £23 on Amazon Italy
John Lennon: 11CD Signature Box – £47 on Amazon Italy
Pat Travers: 4CD Feelin’ Right set – £8 on Amazon Canada
SuperDeluxeEdition.com helps fans around the world discover physical music and discuss releases. To keep the site free, SDE participates in various affiliate programs, including Amazon and earns from qualifying purchases.
Related Content
33 Comments
33 thoughts on “Saturday Deluxe / 21 March 2015”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Asked in the local shop in Switzerland who’s listed as partner ticipiant on the record store day who to get the items I would like to have. Answer: No chance. They dislike the RSD, because in the last years, the rarely got what they ordered and the items are often overpriced. So they are disappointed too.
All you whiners crying about RSD seemingly don’t understand that it is targeted at a different market than yourselves. Similar to the auto market, there are many different consumer profiles to target and there often isn’t intersection between those profiles. You’re sounding like a horsepower addict whining about lane assist and radar cruise control.
There’s a good chance the people that line up to buy an RSD 7″ for $20 are not going to be buying both the mono and stereo Beach Boy vinyl reissues. Get over yourselves and be happy the market is healthy enough to offer selections for different wants.
So, Record Store Day is after the kind of customers that never normally go to (small) music stores, and will have no interest in going to them on any other day of the year? Just the one annual visit to pick up overpriced, straight-onto-eBay novelties?
Seems a funny way to reinvigorate the concept of (music) stores, and build up a regular relationship and connection with people who still pay for physical products.
A-ha is getting back together. Norwegian media reports already. All three members have committed themselves to a two year contract, and they have already recorded new tracks.
Magne said: When Morten and Pål started talking about working together I had three options: I could refuse completely, let them do it without me, or join.
To refuse did not feel right…
Pål wanted to test a couple of songs with Morten, the thought was to create an “Idea-box” for different occasions. One thing leads to another.
I think RSD became just a way for record companies to gain money. Most of the (limited) releases are not musically interesting for the serious music lover. All those reissues, releases with new covers, picture discs, releases with out takes or alternate takes. What is the meaning of RSD?
RSD has put an end to quite a few of my collections (some amassed over decades). I live in the sticks with the nearest outlets being 25 miles away in Leeds so it’s difficult to pick up anything.
I don’t know about other people but the importance of keeping collections up to date has now gone for me (and I won’t/can’t pay silly money on Ebay for items). So well done labels it’s alienated a lot of buyers….just my own thoughts on the matter.
RSD is awesome. Always find cool things at it. and this year won’t be any different. bring it on.
later
-1
Is RSD greedish? Maybe elitist?
For example, I do find some of the super deluxe [style] box sets really greedish. Do people really need a box set that contains a video on both Blu-ray and DVD editions plus LPs and CDs [and probably downloadable MP3s or FLACs].
Look at some of the box sets that have been released. Wouldn’t touch Mark Knopfler’s Tracker box set. Not worth what’s in there is you looked just at the media [CD, DVD, etc.]. The same goes for other recent box sets such as Queen’s Rainbow ’74.
RSD has always been pointless for me. As a dedicated CD buyer who helped keep these shops open until the ‘vinyl revival’ saved them, there seems to be rarely any releases on CD.
RSD is pointless now. My local shop is about a mile away but the owner is classed as small fry and gets very few of the headline releases.
It has become a promotional say for either remastered editions, band relaunches et.
As for Ebay don’t get me started!
RSD gives me pains every time I hear about it. All those wonderful collectibles that won’t be available to me and will be scalped by on eBay and I just won’t go there.
Yes the OLI reply to Debut is just plain rubbish!
Looking at this year’s releases, RSD product seems to be aimed almost exclusively at people who want to pick up collector’s items that will largely remain unplayed. That’s fair enough for those that enjoy that sort of thing. I can’t see that it achieves much in terms of attracting a music fan ( not necessarily the same as a collector) who has got out of the habit of visiting a shop.
For example, I might well be tempted to go if I thought I would be able get one of the Topic albums being re-released. But the shop can’t tell me whether they will have one or whether I would get one. I can’t afford to take the morning off work and spend two hours on public transport on that basis. So I will wait until it gets a general release and/or buy it on ebay. This makes record shops look worse than they did i the 70s.
The way I think RSD should work is that regular record shop customers get a loyalty card that is stamped throughout the year and that gives you priority queue jump and / or can be exchanged for a discount. Surely that’s simple enough to administer and get product to the people who support independent shops throughout the year, not just one day a year?
That’s a good idea!
*tap tap* is this thing on?
Sorry, I was working backwards and saw Ian’s comment first, but YES, it’s still a good idea :) and YES the One Little Indian comment was a bit bland and not really credible.
I’ve been to a couple of stores on RSD and it’s a great buzz. I am not saying it is without flaws, there are plenty, but for at least one day a year the stores get some deserved publicity. No one is forcing you to go and buy if you don’t want to!
May stay home again this RSD and have a bacon sandwich (recipe please, Paul).
Excited years one and two – so many freebies and samplers. Last I went to, the record store manager was shouting to everyone: One copy only!
Last item that I was able to get in the store on RSD that I wanted was the live R.E.M. Green CD EP.
The Elvis single on Jack White’s Third Man looks cool this year.
Have enjoyed chatting up fellow music fans in the line also.
Paul, that answer to your Bjork complaint is just rubbish isn’t it? I’ve seen the rear cover of an original Debut UK pressing and it looks nothing like the mess you describe
I’ve had all sorts of discussions about RSD as in how to make it good for record shops the rest of the year.
One idea was a “loyalty card” that got stamped or swiped whenever you spent more than £10 in a participating shop each calendar month. This allows the holder early access on RSD when shop opens and rest have to wait.
Labels doing exclusive releases just via indie shops or special gig tickets via prize draws via these retailers.
There has to be some more interesting way of promoting record shops than this one day a year cash grab. Plus it might not cripple the world’s vinyl pressing plants
Robert sums up my relationship with RSD…it’s the one day of the year that I actively AVOID going to the small music shops that I frequent.
It brings out the worst in people and in labels (overpriced tat) alike.
In the first, or maybe second, year of RSD, I got Chronic Town on blue vinyl. Considering I’m in Sydney, this was quite a coup. But I have never since been able to get anything I wanted. There are too many people in the queue and too few copies of the most desired releases get to Australia. It always seems to rain on RSD too, and getting soaked only to find the items you got soaked for are already long gone by the time you get inside the shop is no fun.
How much of the vinyl released for RSD is actually played?
And how much is actually playable? The quality of new vinyl is actually pretty hit and miss in my experience, and ‘new / exciting’ releases have to wait in the interminable RSD clogged up queue while pointless picture discs are pressed up. If the pressing plants laid off thousands of the old staff who new what they were doing, that may explain why they are struggling to produce quality wares now. Cutting vinyl from digital masters is another issue. It seems pointless to me on the face of it (though I’m admittedly no expert in this area). if I’m just getting a CD pressed on vinyl, just give me the CD. I’ve bought a few RSD items over the years, but nothing I wouldn’t have been happy to get on a ‘normal’ release basis, or on an ‘expanded’ CD (that version of ‘Ladytron’ looks like being the latest example). And the prices are ridiculous: often £20 odd for an LP / £10+ for a 7″).
Another point: we don’t owe record stores a living any more than any other retailer. I spent my formative years scouring local record stores (often staffed my rude / ‘superior’ / disinterested ageing hippies) – usually fruitlessly – for the records I wanted. My strike rate / record collection improved exponentially in the post internet era when I was able to contact like-minded fans / labels / suppliers world-wide. When are they gonna have a day for the customers (50% off day?). That might be worth getting out of bed for.
How much of the vinyl released for RSD s actually played?
And how much is actually playable? The quality of new vinyl is actually pretty hit and miss in my experience, and ‘new / exciting’ releases have to wait in the interminable RSD clogged up queue while pointless picture discs are pressed up. If the record industry laid off thousands of the old staff who new what they were doing, that may explain why they are strughling to produce quality wares now. Cutting vinyl from digital masters is another issue. It seems pointless to me on the face of it (though I’m admittedly no expert in this area). if I’m just getting a CD pressed on vinyl, just give me the CD. I’ve bought a few RSD items over the years, but nothing I wouldn’t have been happy to get on a ‘normal’ release basis, or on an ‘expanded’ CD (that version of ‘Ladytron’ looks like being the latest example). And the prices are ruduculous: often £20 odd for an LP / £10+ for a 7″).
Another point: we don’t owe record stores a living any more than any other retailer. I spent my formative years scouring local record stores (often staffed my rude / / ‘superior’ / disinterested ageing hippies) – usually fruitlessly – for the records I wanted. My strike rate / record collection improved exponentially in the post internet era when I was able to contact like-minded fans / labels / suppliers world-wide. When are they gonna have a day for the customers (50% off day?). That might be worth getting out of bed for.
In Ireland RSD has been ruined by chinstrokers and hipsters.
RSD, no matter what people think of it now, was created to bring people and publicity to indie record stores. My local store has a queue of 200 people by the time it opens and i remember it 10 years ago almost on it’s knees trying to sell CD’s and T-shirts with a few vinyl in the corner.
Now it’s thriving again, the t-shirts have all gone and cd’s are in a small corner.
If people try to make some money out of queuing 12 hours and selling stuff then so be it, RSD in my eyes has accomplished what it was meant to do.
Viva RSD
I have never been able to obtain a Record Store Day release that I wanted for the RRP. I expect it will be the same for this years Amon Tobin 12″. Cack.
because we all know how much more in need of promotion is OMD’s deluxe edition of Junk Culture.
I use to enjoy Record Store Day however now that the major labels have realized they can profit, the event is just not the same. Yes things change however since the early days of RSD, there have been some huge changes. Probably won’t be picking up anything this year however hope other collectors are able to get what they are looking for w/o paying inflated prices. If you can’t get out for whatever reason, there are plenty of places online that sell the leftovers for regular price.
Record Store day was ruined years ago.
Thats one of the few days I avoid going to the local shops.
I can dig the support of the local indie shops but its gotten pathetic how its gotten out of hand- most ends up on eBay and the endless ‘colored’ vinyl limited edition releases.
From the indie store perspective its both a blessing and a curse. They are expected to order a ton of stuff and much of it will sit and can’t be returned. Its totally a crapshoot .
I agree with what Mike says. Record Store Day really is a major league disappointment but I always go out to see what they have left after the initial rush.
I disagree, RSD promotes greed both on behalf or record labels and everyone who buys stuff to shove it on ebay seven seconds later. My local record shop actually detests RSD though they make reasonable money.
RSD Day if nothing else gives the general public ” a taste ” for collecting unusual and rare vinyl,whether a local record shop will survive into an online future is debatable,as for rarites ending up on E-bay that’s just part and parcel of 21st century music collecting,but at least it promotes what everybody likes to see,a buoyant vibrant and hopefully healthy music scene.