Conference marvin::uk_music

    I also object to having to pay between eight and sixteen pounds for the
    privalige of owning a better version of a Cd single.
    
    Rich.

I've never heard that CD singles come out in 'better' versions in the US.
Something else to feel resentful about, where true.

I do quite like the CD single format. It costs very little more than a 12"
vinyl single (itself a very satisfactory format) but seems often to offer
more tracks - although five versions of one song is not necessarily better 
than one version of one song.


Rod

    I dont mean that here are the track listings for the five live e.p.

    	UK cd1			UK cd2			USA cd
    
    	Somebody to love -	Somebody to love -	Somebody to love -
       	George Michael		George Michael  	George Michael
    
    	Killer/Papa was a       Killer/Papa was a	Killer
    	rolling stone           rolling stone           George Michael
    	George Michael		(PM Dawn Remix) -
    		          	George Michael         
    
    	Those were the days     Those were the days   	Papa was a rolling
    	of our lives            of our lives            stone.
    	G M + Lisa Stansfield   G M + Lisa Stansfield   George Michael
    
    	Calling you					Those were the days
    	G M                                             of our lives
                                                        G M + Lisa Stansfield
    
    							Calling you
    							G M
    
    							Dear Friends
    							Queen.
    
    
    You see, there is an extra track, plus the songs Killer, and Papa ...
    are seperated, not mixed to oblivion or cut shorter than Chesney
    Hawkes' career. This is not uncommon. There are usually different
    mixes, with extra tracks as well, on most import Cd singles. If you
    want to know the prices ( in Virgin records ) both the UK singles were
    �3.99, the Us import was �16.99 (why?????). Luckily I found the import
    at a record fair for �7. Can anybody tell me the price of US Cd
    singles, (and possibly translate into real money!).
    
    Rich.

    CD singles in the US are not very expensive as I recall, usually around
    the 2.99 pounds mark I think.  Yes, you do often get different mixes n
    longer versions n stuff on import singles.  I think I have some KLF
    singles with loads of different stuff on.  Try looking in the mail
    order sections of the Music Press, or get an American pen pal!
    
    Mikef
    
    PS
    It seems easy to pick up CD singles cheaply when they have fallen out
    of the charts.  Shops like Woolies often sell them  for 1.99, even Asda
    has often had some cheapo goodies!  Although I am still looking for the
    limited edition of the last New Order single (World), the one in the
    cardboard box if anyone has seen it?

Re .3:  I understood your point perfectly well. I was making a different
point. But maybe I was just importing bad EF-type ratholing practices into
this file.


Rod

    I took a look in Record Town last time I was out there (August?). I saw
    a KLF CD single much nicer than the UK version (details forgotten, but
    what happened to the story about all KLF back catalogue being
    deleted).
    
    I *bought* a Todd Rundgren "Anthology" double CD. Old stuff, but it had
    a lot of stuff not on the UK equivalent (same name, different track
    list, on Castle in the UK). Price was $26 or so I think.
    
    While we're mentioning Todd, I've accidentally just bought the latest
    Todd full-length CD, on US import at �16 from my local shop (don't ask
    how). The music's crap, but it is CD-I (whatever that might mean?).
    
    regards
    john

    re. CD-I
    	I think this means CD-Interactive. With the correct audio equipment
    you are able to re-mix the songs. There is a note in either MUSIC or
    RADIO_RADIO that talks about the CD-I technology, and someone had seen
    Todd Rundgren demonstrate it at a CD shop. I also bought the new TR CD,
    I did not care for it initially. However, after playing it several
    times I have begun to enjoy it. I do think they should change the CD's
    title to "Rundgren Raps" ;^)
    
    	fred deady

    I read that one of the reasons for US CD singles having more tracks on
    them is that the US culture of music buying is more 'album' based.  The
    enticement of extra tracks is to try to encourage more purchases of
    singles.  Also there is restriction in the UK that in order to be
    called a 'single' the Cd must not contain more than 4 tracks.  Some
    artists get round this by including non-named tracks, or by merging 2
    tracks together, so that they appear as 1.
    
    IMHO I would have thought that less tracks of George Michael and Lisa
    stansfield would have been a BONUS :-) :-)...but I need to put this in,
    otherwise people would think that Im capable of writing a serious note
    !!
    
    Paul

    Well so much for the party political broadcasts, and back to the base
    topic.....
    
    re -1  I read that whatever George Michael earnt from a sale, Sony made
    SIX TIMES that amount, not the 3 times in previous note... nice
    business to be in, eh ?
    
    Paul

    Back to the original point, and tying in with the last one. I wonder
    how the money is split on an import Cd single such as the Five Live,
    that costs �15.99 ? I have a feeling that most of it goes into Virgins
    pockets. Lets see. If a single costs roughtly �2.99 to buy in the US
    then it is probably around �1.50 at cost, then again, companies like
    Virgin probably get them cheaper again. Then they have to get shipped.
    I doubt if there is much of a cost there, and anyway, some imports can
    go for as low as �5 so I would say a maximum of �1 shipping. That
    makes the cost so far, around �2.50, but it is probably lower. At my
    reconing that makes a minimum 539.6% markup. Is this legal ?
    
    Rich.

    From the legality point of view I would have thought that they can
    charge what they want, it's just they wont charge too much because you
    the consumer will not buy it. I belive this is called Supply and
    Demand, but being a techy I dont know too much about business.
    
    They have been lobbying in the UK to lower CD prices, but the record
    compaies are laughing cos people are still buying them, they may feel
    that they are getting a raw deal, but if you think it's such a raw deal
    then you are not going to buy it really are you....
    
    I reckon that if people in the UK are going to get a cut in CD prices,
    they ought to stop buying them....
    
    
    
    
    			Linsey

.10>>    re -1  I read that whatever George Michael earnt from a sale, Sony made
   >>    SIX TIMES that amount, not the 3 times in previous note...
        
            The following chart was printed in the Sunday Times:
        
           "Who Gets What on CD Sales" (Source: industry estimates)

        Pressing			�1.00
        Packaging & distribution	�1.13
	Publisher/writer		   64p
        Singer				   69p
        SONY				�3.38
        Retail Gross Margin		�4.70
        VAT				�2.45
					=====
                                        �13.99

        It seems that the largest slice goes to the shops. I know of two 
        places that sell chart CD albums at between �9.99 and �10.45, and 
        singles at �1.99. The only requirement is that you join their
        free 'club' and produce your membership card whenever you buy.
        I suspect (or at least hope) that more such shops will spring up.

        Ian.

    Ah yes, we are talking albums here, but justify charging �15.99 for the
    privalige of owning what everone else is owning in America ?
    
    Rich
    

    Who wants to own what everyone in America owns ????????
  
    As stated earlier re supply and demand, if you want it, and you'll pay
    for it, they'll charge what they can get away with.
    
    its up to you....pay �13 for a cd in HMV, Virgin etc, or pay less by
    searching and finding cheaper outlets.  My local indie store charges
    �10.49 per single 'album' CD, the same CD's are �12.99-�13.99 in
    Smiths and Woolies in the same town.  For every 4 CD's I buy, I save
    enough to buy another one by 'shopping around'.
    
    There are quite a few reasonably priced mail order companies in the Uk
    also eg Adrians.  You can also mail order from the States eg
    Noteworthy, but you can occassionally get hit with import tax.
    
    Paul
    
    

    In answer to .-1 anyone know anywhere cheap to by CD's in Reading then
    ?
    
    
    
    Linsey

The ONLY independent CD stockist in Reading (centre, anyway) is in the Bristol 
& West Arcade - Green River it's called, I think. Not sure about prices, but I 
know Trev Warwick used to shop there, so they won't be high!!

grahame

Well, having read this note I thought I might have hit on a unique idea 
for christmas gifts for my nieces back in the UK. So, I've been checking out 
CD stores looking for bargain CD's with more that four tracks. It seems that 
not all stores stack CD singles and those that do stock a wider selection of 
cassette singles. The prices seem to vary from $5.49 to $6.99 and most only
have two or three tracks listed. $6.99 in MA meands $6.99 plus 5% tax so that's
$7.34. The exchange rate has been somewhere in the region of $1.50 recently so
that works out to about 4.89 pounds.

The packaging seems to vary too from the basic 2 track CD in a cardbord sleeve to
the more expensive CD's in a proper plastic CD case.

The CD club I use for most of my purchases are real cheap. I think they 
manufacture the CD's under license and they never seem to have the newer stuff,
but as I'm mostly buying the stuff from my youth I guess it doesn't matter.
It's difficult to see how much I pay because the offers are different each month
but it works out cheaper that the store specials.