Where have all the labels gone?
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ReggaeFire
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 4:29 pm
Re: Where have all the labels gone?
They've been out of print for a couple years now actually, ever since the Universal buyout. The existing new stock is probably mostly sold out just about anywhere online. I think I've got all but a couple of them, and the ones I haven't yet gotten are pretty scarce.
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Funky Punk
Re: Where have all the labels gone?
Amazon UK still seems to have quite a few of them in stock - though looking last night, I noticed that some releases I purchased for £4.99 three months ago are no longer available on the main site and are now going for £19.99 minimum from the Marketplace sellers. I guess that it took them a while from the time of the buyout for them to sell off their remaining copies.ReggaeFire wrote:They've been out of print for a couple years now actually, ever since the Universal buyout. The existing new stock is probably mostly sold out just about anywhere online. I think I've got all but a couple of them, and the ones I haven't yet gotten are pretty scarce.
Based on what Universal have done with the Trojan 'imprint' (as it is now) over the past couple of years, I think it's fair to say that Universal don't give a crap about reggae, unless it's the stuff that's historically been popular with a white demographic.
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Karl (NZ)
Re: Where have all the labels gone?
Funky Punk is not wrong as far as i can see Universal are just not that into Reggae unless its the same old compilation's with the same material recycled over & over. I have trouble getting the titles i want for a reasonable price myself and am still missing a few of the double disc artist comps thay put out in the early part of this century.I am still wanting a few of the better ones like i cant find a cheap copy of the Reggae Girl Tennors and freinds its just to pricey and thats if i can find a copy a lot of places i have tried just cant get it for a reasonable price.And as i am one of the rare people who dont own a credit card hence i am not in debt it is hard having to rely on importers here in NZ.
With heartbeat i havent seen anything from them since the Niney/Dennis Brown comps last year and also the Studio One Dub comp which i do like but nothing so far this year. Same goes for Shannachie the Peter Tosh & Augustus Pablo Box sets are realy good with some awsome mixes on the Tosh one but again nothing so far this year. Does anyone have a clue as to why this would be? I must say that VP/17 North parade are putting some good material out for consumption but not enough as far as i am concerned. Someone needs to light a firecracker under the backsides of the Universal bigwigs from the Reggae consumers community to let them know that the buisness model they are using at the moment IE none isnt working.We want more music more often and of course not the same music all the time.
Lick it Back Man!
With heartbeat i havent seen anything from them since the Niney/Dennis Brown comps last year and also the Studio One Dub comp which i do like but nothing so far this year. Same goes for Shannachie the Peter Tosh & Augustus Pablo Box sets are realy good with some awsome mixes on the Tosh one but again nothing so far this year. Does anyone have a clue as to why this would be? I must say that VP/17 North parade are putting some good material out for consumption but not enough as far as i am concerned. Someone needs to light a firecracker under the backsides of the Universal bigwigs from the Reggae consumers community to let them know that the buisness model they are using at the moment IE none isnt working.We want more music more often and of course not the same music all the time.
Lick it Back Man!
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selecta bing
- Posts: 861
- Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:04 am
Re: Where have all the labels gone?
Karl you can get a DEBIT/CREDIT card with most banks now and if you buy enough CDs from DUB STORE you can get them wholesale ..you need to spend 100 000 yen.
but that is easily done...six cds.
but that is easily done...six cds.
Lick it back Selecta!
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Karl (NZ)
Re: Where have all the labels gone?
Cheers Selecta,
Sounds like the way to go have thought about it for a while now. Man i spent a good part of last couple of days looking through that site awsome selection i must say.I dare say i would get wholesale discount with the first order the amount of stuffs i wanted when i did go through the cat on offer.I generally use the service through work open to me which is just AEC (WebAMI) in the USA and local suppliers. Means waiting a little but i tend to get a little cheaper. Problem is not enough coming out to slake the thirst for unbelievable sounds.
P.S: I didnt realise that our call sighns where almost exactly the same do you want i to stop with mine?
Lick it Back Man!
Sounds like the way to go have thought about it for a while now. Man i spent a good part of last couple of days looking through that site awsome selection i must say.I dare say i would get wholesale discount with the first order the amount of stuffs i wanted when i did go through the cat on offer.I generally use the service through work open to me which is just AEC (WebAMI) in the USA and local suppliers. Means waiting a little but i tend to get a little cheaper. Problem is not enough coming out to slake the thirst for unbelievable sounds.
P.S: I didnt realise that our call sighns where almost exactly the same do you want i to stop with mine?
Lick it Back Man!
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Funky Punk
Re: Where have all the labels gone?
In the case of the smaller, independent labels, I think it's probably just due to the current financial situation. Funds are tight and no-one wants to spend not-inconsiderable amounts of money putting new releases of fairly-obscure, niche-interest, never-get-played-on-the-radio stuff together with the market being depressed and people not having as much money to spend and all.
It's probably not an exaggeration to say that a couple of releases that tank badly could end up sinking the company. This is the case (overtly stated on their websites at one point) with a couple of the small punk rock labels that I'm familiar with too.
AFAIK, this is also what eventually did for Blood and Fire (though obviously before the 'credit crunch'). Someone mentioned that they'd be getting tens of thousands of CDs pressed but only selling hundreds, having misjudged the potential buyer interest. I'm not sure which titles in particular - but I suspect that very few people actually bought the 'Satta Massagana' and 'Fisherman' one-riddim comps. Even as a reggae fan, I don't think that I could actually listen to either of those all the way through in one sitting without feeling that I was being beaten into submission or getting a headache.
It's probably not an exaggeration to say that a couple of releases that tank badly could end up sinking the company. This is the case (overtly stated on their websites at one point) with a couple of the small punk rock labels that I'm familiar with too.
AFAIK, this is also what eventually did for Blood and Fire (though obviously before the 'credit crunch'). Someone mentioned that they'd be getting tens of thousands of CDs pressed but only selling hundreds, having misjudged the potential buyer interest. I'm not sure which titles in particular - but I suspect that very few people actually bought the 'Satta Massagana' and 'Fisherman' one-riddim comps. Even as a reggae fan, I don't think that I could actually listen to either of those all the way through in one sitting without feeling that I was being beaten into submission or getting a headache.
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selecta bing
- Posts: 861
- Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:04 am
Re: Where have all the labels gone?
LICK IT BACK KARL .....keep it, it is cool!
( just register with Dub Store before you shop )
check BEST OF STUDIO ONE box set ..4 discs of amazing music.
I worked for JB Hi Fi(nance) for 3 years trying to build a Reggae section,
but they keep spreading it thru Rock N Pop.
All stores are different but usually they have Reggae comps in the WORLD MUSIC section and Artists in R'n'P.
That doesn't work... Reggae buyers also like to pick things up as they browse,
not just go the the "B" section.
I have about 1000 Reggae Cds and some vinyl built up over 30 years. But have been getting back into the FUNK N SOUL lately via JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON ( check him ),
SLY STONE, AL GREEN , the IMPRESSION, The TEMPTATIONS etc.
All heavily influenced the Jamaicans.
( just register with Dub Store before you shop )
check BEST OF STUDIO ONE box set ..4 discs of amazing music.
I worked for JB Hi Fi(nance) for 3 years trying to build a Reggae section,
but they keep spreading it thru Rock N Pop.
All stores are different but usually they have Reggae comps in the WORLD MUSIC section and Artists in R'n'P.
That doesn't work... Reggae buyers also like to pick things up as they browse,
not just go the the "B" section.
I have about 1000 Reggae Cds and some vinyl built up over 30 years. But have been getting back into the FUNK N SOUL lately via JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON ( check him ),
SLY STONE, AL GREEN , the IMPRESSION, The TEMPTATIONS etc.
All heavily influenced the Jamaicans.
Lick it back Selecta!
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Karl (NZ)
Re: Where have all the labels gone?
Selecta Bing,
It's great to find i kindred soul so close to home. I have been with my company for just over a year and am also a relative newbee to collecting Reggae about 4-5 years of being totaly reggaefiled but in that time have managed to collect about the same number of CD's as yourself not for want of trying to get more i can tell you. The company i work for has had a shop with a wicked selection as far as NZ goes for a while but its funny every shop i go into i have almost all whats on offer from them except when it comes to the secondhand stuffs which is what i seem to be more after of late. For me Pete Holdsworth and the Pressure sounds guys are as far as i am concerned the label of the day. It was the Derrick Morgan Red Bumb Ball comp that turned me onto collecting before that i had just a few heartbeat and Trojan comps but was hooked from then on those Viceroys numbers on that one just sublime to listen to.The main reason for the thread i have started is for answers to the big question are we going to be able to keep getting what we want. As you can tell i am a bit of a technophobe when it comes to downloads and the like as i just realy enjoy holding the music in hand with liner notes and all that comes with .I just hope we are able to do this with new stuff in say 5-10 years from now.I do hope that this is not the end of an era.
Music just sounds better when its solid.
Lick it Back Man!
It's great to find i kindred soul so close to home. I have been with my company for just over a year and am also a relative newbee to collecting Reggae about 4-5 years of being totaly reggaefiled but in that time have managed to collect about the same number of CD's as yourself not for want of trying to get more i can tell you. The company i work for has had a shop with a wicked selection as far as NZ goes for a while but its funny every shop i go into i have almost all whats on offer from them except when it comes to the secondhand stuffs which is what i seem to be more after of late. For me Pete Holdsworth and the Pressure sounds guys are as far as i am concerned the label of the day. It was the Derrick Morgan Red Bumb Ball comp that turned me onto collecting before that i had just a few heartbeat and Trojan comps but was hooked from then on those Viceroys numbers on that one just sublime to listen to.The main reason for the thread i have started is for answers to the big question are we going to be able to keep getting what we want. As you can tell i am a bit of a technophobe when it comes to downloads and the like as i just realy enjoy holding the music in hand with liner notes and all that comes with .I just hope we are able to do this with new stuff in say 5-10 years from now.I do hope that this is not the end of an era.
Music just sounds better when its solid.
Lick it Back Man!