Features

Saturday Deluxe / on 13 January 2018

By Paul Sinclair

Comments

43

Wham!

Morning pop pickers!

Here is an interesting update to last year’s ‘Christmas Deluxe‘ which described how Wham!‘s Last Christmas failed to make it to the 2017 UK Christmas number one spot, after a reasonably high profile campaign.

Andrew Ridgeley yesterday tweeted a comment in which he thanked fans for their support but also explained why he hadn’t been more gung-ho, when it came to the bid to make the song number one for the first time. He says the reason he couldn’t publicly support it was due to “GM family sensitivities” but assures fans that George would have been ‘touched’ by the ‘desire 2 give tribute’.

David Bowie / Bowie Legacy

David Bowie

In other news, Warner Music boss Dan Chalmers spoke to Music Week recently and revealed that the label agreed a four year reissue plan with David Bowie in 2015. So as Chalmers told the industry publication, “we’re kind of midway through”.

There was no hints of future products, but the article revealed some interesting sales figures. For example the seemingly superfluous Legacy compilation of 2016 (it had only been two years since Nothing Has Changed, after all) still sold 138,000 copies in 2017, which rather vindicates the decision to release it, I guess.

SDE comments

Some of you may have noticed that the comments on this blog have been changed so that the latest appear at the top. I have implemented this change as a result of receiving feedback from SDE readers who are frustrated at having to scroll down a long way every time they wish to check to see latest comments. This issue is particularly frustrating for those who read SDE on mobile devices. The trick now, when you return to the comments section, is to scroll down only a short way until you get to recent comments you haven’t read and then work your way ‘up’ to the most recent comment, which will be at the very top. This is an interim measure, because doing a proper upgrade of comments functionality and presentation is high up on the list for 2018. I would welcome feedback which can be put in the suggestion box for this planned upgrade.

The SDE Shop

If you aren’t aware, this blog has a companion online shop, ShopSuperDeluxe.com. The ethos behind the shop is to offer a fairly small, but hopefully interesting, selection of limited edition, out-of-print and occasionally signed items that will appeal to music fans who read SDE. I’m making a concerted effort this year to offer more stock and have a wider selection of products, within that overall ethos. Recent additions include a special pink vinyl edition of Gaz Coombes’ forthcoming album that is only available in ‘indie’ stores (the SDE shop qualifies), the two-CD deluxe of the Manic Street Preachers’ Resistance is Futile and a vinyl picture disc of Guardians of the Galaxy!

It’s virtually impossible to compete with the likes of Amazon on price, which is why most of the stock won’t be available on Amazon. The Manics set is now actually on Amazon in the UK and is priced at £15 compared to £16 on the SDE shop. Obviously, it’s natural to gravitate towards the best deal, but the thing to consider is that if you value this blog and enjoy your daily dose of SDE – which is still FREE for everyone after seven years (and isn’t clogged up with advertising) – then if all things are more or less equal, buying via the shop is obviously a good way of supporting SDE. All the fulfilment is done ‘in-house’ and it’s sometimes a family affair (such as the time I got my two daughters to unwrap 500 Sam Brown box sets – carefully preserving the label on the shrink-wrap – so we could get the booklets out for Sam to sign!). You don’t get that love and attention at a massive distribution centre in the middle of nowhere! By the way, I have some fairly rare items coming to the shop quite soon. These won’t be cheap, but they will be desirable.

 

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43 Comments

43 thoughts on “Saturday Deluxe / on 13 January 2018”

  1. “we’re kind of midway through [Bowie reissues]” – Have to confess that it is going to be a difficult sell going forward. I might shell out £150 for Low/Heroes/Lodger/Scary Monsters vinyl in a box with some associated material, but if the next box has the Tin Machine LPs (including the live one) then I can give it a wide berth. Even from Black Tie to Reality, there isn’t the urge to get these on vinyl and definitely not on CD.
    My personal preference would be for Recall LPs to be separately released though I fear the Bowie singles boxsets may be on the way.

    1. I am pretty sure that Tin Machine albums will be approached separately when it comes to the reissue program box sets. No TM tracks appeared on the Nothing Has Changed compilation, nor on the Legacy compilation; this is for me a sign that TM is about to be treated apart.

  2. Regarding the Bowie reissue program, my dream scenario for 2018, is not one, not two but three SDE sets. (I posted this under the 2018 article, but I am afraid got lost in the middle of 350+ replies).

    My reasoning is to approach separately the 80’s albums and singles, the 80’s mixes and the Tin Machine / Sound & Vision era, as follows:

    1.”Loving The Alien [1983-1988]”: a box set similar to the 2015, 2016 and 2017 sets, combining studio and live albums, including Re:Call 4, and available in two forms: LP box set and CD box set.
    2.”Let’s Dance [The Mixes 1983-1988]”: reissues of the classic 12inches in their original artwork, available in two forms: 12inch box set and CDsingles box set.
    3.”You Belong In Rock’n’Roll [1989-1992]”: a box set similar to the 2015, 2016 and 2017 sets, combining studio and live albums, including Re:Call 5, and available in two forms: LP box set and CD box set.

    Loving The Alien [1983-1988]
    Let’s Dance (remaster) LP / CD
    Serious Moonlight (remaster) 2xLP / (2x)CD
    Tonight (remaster) LP / CD
    Never Let Me Down (remaster) LP / CD
    Never Let Me Down (2018 MM Remix) LP / CD
    Glass Spider 3xLP / 2xCD
    Re:Call 4 3xLP / 2xCD

    Let’s Dance [The Mixes 1983-1988]
    Let’s Dance 12” / CDsingle
    China Girl 12” / CDsingle
    Modern Love 12” / CDsingle
    Blue Jean 12” / CDsingle
    Tonight 12” / CDsingle
    This Is Not America 12” / CDsingle
    Loving The Alien 12” / CDsingle
    Dancing In The Street 12” / CDsingle
    Absolute Beginners 12” / CDsingle
    Underground 12” / CDsingle
    Magic Dance 12” / CDsingle
    When The Wind Blows 12” / CDsingle
    Day-In Day-Out 12” / CDsingle
    Time Will Crawl 12” / CDsingle
    Never Let Me Down 12” / CDsingle

    You Belong In Rock’n’Roll [1989-1992]
    Tin Machine: Tin Machine (remaster) LP / CD
    David Bowie: Fame 90 EP (remaster) 12” / CD
    David Bowie: Sound + Vision Tour 2xLP / 2xCD
    Tin Machine: Tin Machine II (remaster) LP / CD
    Tin Machine: Live Oy Vey Baby (remaster) LP / CD
    Tin Machine: Live Oy Vey Baby (2018 version) 2xLP / 2xCD
    Tin Machine / David Bowie: Re:Call 5 LP / CD

    “Never Let Me Down (2018 MM Remix)” is a newly remixed version of the album, by the same artist who did the MM Remix version of ‘Time Will Crawl’.

    “Re:Call 4” includes single/short/edit/7inch versions of all period A-sides and B-sides, as well as all DB tracks from the Underground and Absolute Beginners OSTs. It stretches until 1998 by including the live version of Tonight with Tina Turner.

    The “Let’s Dance” 12inch/CD single include a new alternative long version by Nile Rodgers.

    The “China Girl”, “Modern Love” and “This Is Not America” 12inch/CD singles include a new ‘So80s Reconstruction’ long version made by Blank & Jones.

    “Re:Call 5” includes single/short/edit/7inch versions of all Tin Machine singles, as well as the sort versions from the Fame 90 single, and the 1991 versions from the Sound & Vision track.

    “Live Oy Vey Baby (2018 version)” includes a full setlist rather than the original 8-track selection.

    1. @bertielego

      I’d be in for those three boxes if they became a reality. Very comprehensive – thank you. I don’t see how they can hope to deal with all the period remixes and extended cuts unless they in a separate set.

      1. Indeed. And if not, I am afraid we’ll end up with only a selection of these period (re)mixes…

        Furthermore, I could well imagine the Black Tie White Noise album being part of the first box set in my list. Since it is co-produced with Nile Rodgers, it would nicely round up the set that starts with Let’s Dance.

  3. Why not let each user decide the sort order on a per-device basis? Add a selection control so people can choose ascending or descending date order for comments, and save that control’s value to a cookie so the site can re-use the selection for subsequent visits.

    1. Yeah, +1 to that idea. I also feel the pain that Frank Huntley described. I think the issue is that recent-at-top is the lesser of two evils on mobile, but on desktop, getting to the end of the page (and then scrolling up scanning for the first unread) is easy. Even better would be keeping the oldest-at-top sorting, but provide a control to jump to first unread (which would work in either case).

      But, to Paul’s point, if there is something better coming soon, then I can wait. This site has been much too useful (and appreciated) to fixate on these temporary inconveniences. I’ll find a way to read it no matter what…

  4. I’m not liking the reverse order at all. We read from top to bottom. So now we have to read an item, jump up 2 items, read 1 item, jump up 2 items, … It’s much slower to have to keep searching for the top of an item 2 items above. It is very painful.

    1. Paul, I have to agree with Frank this reverse order is very confusing especially as you have entries coming after each other that arent in date order. Can we not revert back to the old scroll down style, far easier to keep up with.

  6. Nice idea with the comments section, unfortunately it isn’t working at all. Just on this page, I’m seeing comments from the 13th at 14:25, then 14:19, then 14:26. Later, 13:23 followed by 12:55, then back to 13:17. Towards the bottom, a post made at 16:56 is bookended by comments from 12:54 & 12:53. Seems to get worse with articles that have a lot of comments; the discussion for the 2018 preview is virtually unreadable. Your (awesome) site is read by people worldwide, could this glitch have anything to do with posts coming from multiple time zones?

    1. It’s not a glitch. The comments that you are seeing apparently out of sequence are replies to previous comments. They obviously have to stay with (underneath) the original comments. It would not make sense for them to go to the top as ‘new’ comments. If a comment doesn’t have a line above it, it is a response to a previous comment. Obviously a response could come days later. I know it could be clearer (indents etc.) but please just bear with me because rather than constantly tweak something that is a bit flawed anyway, I’d rather just spend time/energy deploying something vastly better (which I’m going to do). JUST KEEP AN EYE ON THE LINES. A line means ‘end of that thread/discusion’ here’s another comment (which may developed into another thread). The next line will indicate the end of that discussion and so on…

  7. I just have a feeling that we will get a deluxe Lets Dance (remix, tour rehearsals, demos, outtakes n a DVD) but no 80s box. Bowie wasn’t backwards in saying that he hated that period so perhaps he didn’t want it celebrated or treated in the same way.

    My guess is Buddha, Outside & Earthling will get expanded releases but 80s will be mostly skipped.

    1. Can’t see a miss for the 80’s element of the release schedule as it would leave a significant gap which would make no sense. I agree we could see Let’s Dance as a special es separate release

      1. No I think they will carry on the vinyl n CD reissues but just drop the box set idea and do deluxe sets for selected titles like double up Heathen with the Toy Sessions, the Leon Sessions with Outside and Earthling with live cuts from the tour. I just think an 80s box is of more limited appeal than the three so far.

        I could be wrong but I’d much rather they concentrate on unreleased studio material or unbooted live stuff

    2. The 80’s were his commercially most successful period. It would be absurd to not give the fans what they want because in hindsight Bowie doesn’t really like that part of his catalogue. It made him a global superstar. I definitely want the 80’s stuff including ALL the remixes.

      It sounds promising that they are only half way with the reissues. Sounds like that 4th box is definitely coming. I only wish that the bonus material in those boxes was more comprehensive. Not even all the Ryko bonus tracks are on there. Everyone is in love with those boxsets (safe the sound issue on the last box) but I don’t understand why not more people are complaining about the lack of bonus material. As someeone who has all the Ryko stuff and the individually released 2 and 3cd’s of his albums, there is virtually no value in those boxes other than an updated sound and they couldn’t even do that right in the last box. The Ryko cd’s sound great and I am not going to buy those boxes because the bonus disc includes single mixes that are 10 seconds shorter than the album version. I guess the only value is the remixed albums but even those you could buy separately and aren’t all that different. At least they should have added all the Ryko bonus tracks to the box sets.

  8. A belated Happy 2018 to you Paul – just to say that the URL for your shop isn’t functioning as a direct link from here, perhaps because of the full stop. Don’t want you missing out on valuable sales in the future! If you click on it then it only brings up a fault.

    Keep up the very fine work here.

  10. If you can acquire around 100 copies of the Beatles Christmas fan club discs vinyl box, the one that never reached most record stores and was sold out by both Amazon and on the Beatles’ own website almost the day that it was announced, I think a lot of us would be most grateful (signed by Paul and Ringo would be even better, or am I asking too much here?). Apple seem to have only made around 1,500 available in the UK and I’m still waiting for a response from them as to whether they might press a few more.

  11. Happy New Year to Paul and Staff!,

    I like the newer comments on top . It shouldn’t be first come stays on top. I want to read the posts that offer deals and knowledge that I don’t have on rareities and mixes. Especially UK music not making it to NYC ever. I will buy your UK artists that I like on Shopsuperdeluxe. I read your updates all day. I know the time difference. Thanks as usual.
    Richard

  12. Comments reading upwards makes sense, Paul, but your replies read downwards. This is more confusing. One suggestion would be that replies are somehow nested/inset (as when you view e-mails by ‘conversation’). Worth a go?

    The other useful functionality would be somehow to cache read and unread messages. See the Steve Hoffman Forum: each time you return to a thread, it ‘knows’ where you’ve read up to and takes you to the furst unread message – even if that’s page 224 out of 361 or whatever. Could SDE do that?

    These are minor points, really. I love the site as it is.

  13. I like the new format for the comments section, thanks Paul! It’s going to be very helpful, especially when it’s a topic/thread that gets HUNDREDS of comments…

  14. Ooh this change will take a while to get used to! Would love to order from the shop but being in Canada, amazon uk is a much cheaper option giving they remove VAT and have extremely low shipping rates (they now also include pre pay of duty which is a mixed blessing).

  15. After buying the three David Bowie boxes, I am hoping they dont just trash that idea and start re-releasing again. WOuld be nice to see them conrinue with the boxes for the reissue campaign and wrap that whole thing up with an odds and sods box for the uncollected sides that have trickled out as bonus tracks elsewhere, guest shots and unreleased. Probably a pipe dream though!

  16. Is it not viable for you to do a ‘marketplace seller’ function in the shop and take 15/20% of the sale? Maybe you could restrict it to items of a certain value and above, if you don’t want it clogged up with “plays ok apart from the first six tracks” detritus. By the way, any truth in the rumour Bono is organising a benefit concert for your daughters!

  19. Paul, what happened to the Bert Mensch post that appeared briefly a few days ago?
    I saw the set on an online store and was hoping for a detailed description, but the post vanished.

  21. I am wondering what they are going to do next year. David Bowie’s album “David Bowie / Space Oddity” will celebrate its 50th Anniversary. In the following years all of his classic albums will celebrate their 50th Anniversary. Do you know if they have plans to release his albums as an expanded SDE ?

  22. I’ll also be making an effort to buy from you…I appreciate the site greatly. I would have bought the Gaz Coombes record but I’d already ordered direct from Mr coombes…

  23. If these rare desirable items are anything like the Frankie box you managed to secure then fantastic!

    You get great service and support the site when you buy from shopsuperdeluxe. I would always buy from there if they had what I wanted.

    2. Same here. Just stock up the shop, Paul, will you :) The Sam Brown and Steven Wilson signed releases have been such wonderful surprises! Thank you.

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