sony vs bmg

[KPM]

No, I don't care about making new fans, that is people choice.

I'm talking about expose Elvis music beyond his very commercial image and greatest hits to a broader audience that merely the elite of his fans.
That in order to: 1 preserve his legacy (something that as you said is not in the interest of the label being that a mere business) but no. 2 to boost the sales of his record by bringing in a substantial increase on the population that might be potential buyers, rather than relaying and just brutally exploiting a specie on extinction (that might be on the interest of the label cause in the end will mean, another 50 years of money making on this property of them).

I understand what you are saying-I just think it has been tried.... perhaps not as often as you or I like-but it has been done.
The labels are going to pick and choose how they push the lesser unknown album cuts but it has been done.

Sonys just released Legacy 2 disc set of From Elvis in Memphis is an example of this but not the only example as this ALLMUSIC review of the new set points out:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p...0:gifuxztald6e
One of the undisputed classic LPs of the rock & roll era, From Elvis in Memphis certainly deserves a deluxe expanded reissue — and in a sense it received it more than once. Released in June of 1969, the 12-track From Elvis in Memphis received a sequel almost immediately when a full LP of material from the same sessions appeared as half of From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis, a double-LP set released a mere five months after From Elvis, commemorating both the inauguration of Presley's historic four-week stand at the International Hotel in Las Vegas and the success of the album itself. That second album was released individually as Back in Memphis a year later, marking the first recycling of sessions that were repackaged numerous times, most of them enjoyable, two of them quite exceptional: 1987's double-LP The Memphis Record, which collected highlights from the sessions, and 1999's Suspicious Minds, which presented them in full, complete with alternate takes. With all these releases on the market, a deluxe edition wasn't necessarily needed — all the sessions were available, no bonus tracks seemed to exist — but when the double-disc, 36-track Legacy Edition appeared on the 40th anniversary of the album's 1969 release, it was welcome. It's a handsomely produced package, graced with very good liner notes by Robert Gordon and Tara McAdams and featuring plenty of photos, but the chief attraction of this Legacy Edition is its sequencing. Of all the reissues of these 1969 sessions, this is the most compulsively listenable, presenting the From Elvis in Memphis album in its entirety on the first disc followed by four bonus tracks (including "I'll Be There" and "Hey Jude"), leaving the second disc devoted to Back in Memphis and the ten singles released from this session — including "In the Ghetto," "Any Day Now," "Suspicious Minds," "Rubberneckin'," and "Kentucky Rain" — in their original mono masters. There's nothing new, nothing surprising, just Elvis' arguably best recordings in a definitive reissue, which is reason enough to have this music reissued again.

[Raised on Rock]

I think after Elvis died and in the 80's and 90's it wasn't a good time to be an Elvis fan but in 2002 The animated film Lilo and Stitch came out with several Elvis songs and references of him that along with the remix of A Little less conversation, 30#1 hits, and the 2002 t.v. special Elvis lives certainly helped his image as it became a much better time to be an Elvis fan compared to the 80's and 90's..

Are you kidding, back in the 90's I had quite a few decent releases to hold on in front of people, Cd's that where material prove that Elvis was good stuff.

Then with the Lilo and Stitch, I felt like hiding underground every time the dam movie was brought on mockery to any music conversation.

JXL at least gave Elvis name a bit of exposure, same with the #30 1 hits, but the that exposure do was followed up with nothing of substance, hitstory? wasted opportunity from my point of view.

[Raised on Rock]

I understand what you are saying-I just think it has been tried.... perhaps not as often as you or I like-but it has been done.
The labels are going to pick and choose how they push the lesser unknown album cuts but it has been done.

Sonys just released Legacy 2 disc set of From Elvis in Memphis is an example of this but not the only example as this ALLMUSIC review of the new set points out:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p...0:gifuxztald6e
One of the undisputed classic LPs of the rock & roll era, From Elvis in Memphis certainly deserves a deluxe expanded reissue — and in a sense it received it more than once. Released in June of 1969, the 12-track From Elvis in Memphis received a sequel almost immediately when a full LP of material from the same sessions appeared as half of From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis, a double-LP set released a mere five months after From Elvis, commemorating both the inauguration of Presley's historic four-week stand at the International Hotel in Las Vegas and the success of the album itself. That second album was released individually as Back in Memphis a year later, marking the first recycling of sessions that were repackaged numerous times, most of them enjoyable, two of them quite exceptional: 1987's double-LP The Memphis Record, which collected highlights from the sessions, and 1999's Suspicious Minds, which presented them in full, complete with alternate takes. With all these releases on the market, a deluxe edition wasn't necessarily needed — all the sessions were available, no bonus tracks seemed to exist — but when the double-disc, 36-track Legacy Edition appeared on the 40th anniversary of the album's 1969 release, it was welcome. It's a handsomely produced package, graced with very good liner notes by Robert Gordon and Tara McAdams and featuring plenty of photos, but the chief attraction of this Legacy Edition is its sequencing. Of all the reissues of these 1969 sessions, this is the most compulsively listenable, presenting the From Elvis in Memphis album in its entirety on the first disc followed by four bonus tracks (including "I'll Be There" and "Hey Jude"), leaving the second disc devoted to Back in Memphis and the ten singles released from this session — including "In the Ghetto," "Any Day Now," "Suspicious Minds," "Rubberneckin'," and "Kentucky Rain" — in their original mono masters. There's nothing new, nothing surprising, just Elvis' arguably best recordings in a definitive reissue, which is reason enough to have this music reissued again.

Yep and I've already praised that release on a previous post, and as I said, 90's BMG tended much more to those type of releases, Sony when over the top and damaging Elvis with tones of nonsense releases that where not of the benefit of Elvis image, just for they bank accounts. With From Elvis in Memphis and the Elvis '75, the seem to be doing a good job.

Maybe the clue would be just to cut away all the nonsense releases, and to make and event of just one Elvis project per year or every two years, or else its happening what happened with the camden releases back in the 70's, confusing the public and taking away sales from the actual new Elvis albums.

[KPM]

Yep and I've already praised that release on a previous post, and as I said, 90's BMG tended much more to those type of releases, Sony when over the top and damaging Elvis with tones of nonsense releases that where not of the benefit of Elvis image, just for they bank accounts. With From Elvis in Memphis and the Elvis '75, the seem to be doing a good job.

Maybe the clue would be just to cut away all the nonsense releases, and to make and event of just one Elvis project per year or every two years, or else its happening what happened with the camden releases back in the 70's, confusing the public and taking away sales from the actual new Elvis albums.

The trouble with that is-all these releases (going all the way back to Camden) is they are selling well enough that it sustains the continuation of them.
Someone is buying them-be it casual fans, long term fans or others-they sell.
I think they may feel that always having some "new album" coming out-reminds the public at large of him.
I agree that many of them are just money making properties-but if the public were not buying them-they would not produce them.

Its like the complaint about selling Elvis potholders, watches, radios, beach towels etc.........if they did not sell.....problem solved they would not make them.

[Jungleroom76]

With From Elvis in Memphis and the Elvis '75, the seem to be doing a good job.

Let's just hope this trend continues!!!

TCB!
Mike

[KPM]

Let's just hope this trend continues!!!

TCB!
Mike

Sony has only been in charge of Elvis music since 2004-and perhaps they are learning............RCA/BMG had Elvis for years after his death and only in he mid 90s did they seem to be more selective in their releases.

[Jungleroom76]

Sony has only been in charge of Elvis music since 2004-and perhaps they are learning............RCA/BMG had Elvis for years after his death and only in he mid 90s did they seem to be more selective in their releases.

How truly sad is that?? Elvis' own record company didn't even know how to properly market him and it seems like Sony has it figured out after only a couple of years of having control of the catalog!

Oh well, as I said, let's hope this is a positive trend...

TCB!
Mike

[Raised on Rock]

The trouble with that is-all these releases (going all the way back to Camden) is they are selling well enough that it sustains the continuation of them.
Someone is buying them-be it casual fans, long term fans or others-they sell.
I think they may feel that always having some "new album" coming out-reminds the public at large of him.
I agree that many of them are just money making properties-but if the public were not buying them-they would not produce them.

Its like the complaint about selling Elvis potholders, watches, radios, beach towels etc.........if they did not sell.....problem solved they would not make them.

I know, it was the same with the movies, to me (and most fans) '64 was time to stop with the formula, but hey, Harum Sacrum was a box office success and so was the soundtrack, its terrible from my point of view, but yes, its just the way it is, if it sells, let's make tons of that for another 10 years, guess that its just the way it is, and although its clear how post '64 movies and soundtracks damaged Elvis career, how those camden releases did damage the sales of Elvis proper new albums, and how those hundreds of nonsense Elvis Cd's compilations releases had contributed to nothing, were talking business here right?

[Raised on Rock]

How truly sad is that?? Elvis' own record company didn't even know how to properly market him and it seems like Sony has it figured out after only a couple of years of having control of the catalog!

Oh well, as I said, let's hope this is a positive trend...

TCB!
Mike

Let's hope so, also would be interesting to see 10 years from now, when FTD had nothing else to release and most they catalogue will be out of print and hrd to get, how all that material would be re-released little by little, maybe on some sony mainstream releases? An Elvis Country on a legacy release like the From Elvis in Memphis, plus outakes like in the FTD classic albums series?

[KPM]

I know, it was the same with the movies, to me (and most fans) '64 was time to stop with the formula, but hey, Harum Sacrum was a box office success and so was the soundtrack, its terrible from my point of view, but yes, its just the way it is, if it sells, let's make tons of that for another 10 years, guess that its just the way it is, and although its clear how post '64 movies and soundtracks damaged Elvis career, how those camden releases did damage the sales of Elvis proper new albums, and how those hundreds of nonsense Elvis Cd's compilations releases had contributed to nothing, were talking business here right?

Well the good news to me a fan of over 47 years is that Elvis is still selling..... period The fact that we are having this discussion about the proper marketing of Elvis-is a good sign-hes still marketable!
All the way back to 1955 people have thought the end was near (for whatever reason) to the career of Elvis Presley.
It is worth remembering that despite Col Parker and his 1960s ideas of career direction-despite the mid 60s movies which were less than stellar, despite an almost neglect of good songs in the 1960s, despite the drift in direction of his music and even his own death-he is still mentioned, still selling, still well known and loved by many.
I can name dozens of -at one time hot as a fire cracker artists-from 1955 up to the present.......who are not remembered at all.
Who have no label marketing the 2 or 3 hit albums they made when they were the one of the hottest acts going.
I have several times in the 47 years as a fan thought-what are they thinking when it came to how Elvis is treated and marketed.
I have faith in his talent and charisma to survive the bad ideas, the junk put out in his name....... because when you get down to the nitty gritty IMO that always survives.

[Jungleroom76]

Let's hope so, also would be interesting to see 10 years from now, when FTD had nothing else to release and most they catalogue will be out of print and hrd to get, how all that material would be re-released little by little, maybe on some sony mainstream releases? An Elvis Country on a legacy release like the From Elvis in Memphis, plus outakes like in the FTD classic albums series?

Hmmm...I don't know about that one...

It seems to me that Sony is trying to steer clear of releasing compilations with outtakes on them because they really don't attract the casual music buyers, only us die-hard fans. I do think an ELVIS COUNTRY release like the recent FEIM release would be a marketable release, but probably in a format similar to the FEIM release with bonus tracks, but no outtakes...

Just my opinion though....I could be wrong...

TCB!
Mike

[Jungleroom76]

Well the good news to me a fan of over 47 years is that Elvis is still selling..... period The fact that we are having this discussion about the proper marketing of Elvis-is a good sign-hes still marketable!
All the way back to 1955 people have thought the end was near (for whatever reason) to the career of Elvis Presley.
It is worth remembering that despite Col Parker and his 1960s ideas of career direction-despite the mid 60s movies which were less than stellar, despite an almost neglect of good songs in the 1960s, despite the drift in direction of his music and even his own death-he is still mentioned, still selling, still well known and loved by many.
I can name dozens of -at one time hot as a fire cracker artists-from 1955 up to the present.......who are not remembered at all.
Who have no label marketing the 2 or 3 hit albums they made when they were the one of the hottest acts going.
I have several times in the 47 years as a fan thought-what are they thinking when it came to how Elvis is treated and marketed.
I have faith in his talent and charisma to survive the bad ideas, the junk put out in his name....... because when you get down to the nitty gritty IMO that always survives.

AMEN KEN!!!!

TCB!
Mike

[Brian]

Are you kidding, back in the 90's I had quite a few decent releases to hold on in front of people, Cd's that where material prove that Elvis was good stuff.

Then with the Lilo and Stitch, I felt like hiding underground every time the dam movie was brought on mockery to any music conversation.

JXL at least gave Elvis name a bit of exposure, same with the #30 1 hits, but the that exposure do was followed up with nothing of substance, hitstory? wasted opportunity from my point of view.

No, I'm not kidding

In the late 70's, 80's and 90's it was a bad time to be an Elvis fan because it was he was fat, drug addict, Thank you very much, he died on a toilet etc.

It seemed a lot of that subsided in 2002 with the release of 30#1 hits, JXL A Little less conversation, 30#1 hits, and Lilo and Stitch.
You won't like Lilo and Stitch because your an adult but it helped introduce a new generation of children to Elvis' music.

[Brian]

You bring up 2002- in 2002 none of the things which happened were truely planned in some grand coordinated scheme.
ALLC was not even sanctioned by the estate nor BMG until they saw it was picked up by the Soccer championships as it anthem and was getting worldwide airplay-the Dutch DJ who remixed it was not working for them in his remix efforts, the film was a Disney film which had been planned for years, the special was EPEs work and the 30#1s was in the works by BMG since the Beatles #1s had come out.
Each fed and helped the others.....not to mention the publicity which naturally came by it being the 25th anniversary year of the death of Elvis.

This was the "perfect storm" for Elvis's legacy but like any storm it was out of nowhere with a lot of things feeding it which just happened.

You will not see this type thing happen often.

I'm aware of all this just pointing out that it all worked to reverse a terrible trend.

[KPM]

No, I'm not kidding

In the late 70's, 80's and 90's it was a bad time to be an Elvis fan because it was he was fat, drug addict, Thank you very much, he died on a toilet etc.

It seemed a lot of that subsided in 2002 with the release of 30#1 hits, JXL A Little less conversation, 30#1 hits, and Lilo and Stitch.
You won't like Lilo and Stitch because your an adult but it helped introduce a new generation of children to Elvis' music.

I think you have a point-but perhaps its was not quite as bad as you express it.
I never heard anyone go quite to the extreme of negative comments that you have posted.
I think it depends on the type people you are speaking with-people of any age who have some level of maturity do not talk in those extremes-but immature people of any age will say anything.
I have only heard the type things you mention from immature people in the past. But the level of respect for Elvis does have a way to go with many.

[Brian]

I think you have a point-but perhaps its was not quite as bad as you express it.
I never heard anyone go quite to the extreme of negative comments that you have posted.
I think it depends on the type people you are speaking with-people of any age who have some level of maturity do not talk in those extremes-but immature people of any age will say anything.
I have only heard the type things you mention from immature people in the past. But the level of respect for Elvis does have a way to go with many.

I am speaking of the way Elvis was portrayed in the media.

The media helped fuel that perception that some people had or still have of Elvis.

[KPM]

I am speaking of the way Elvis was portrayed in the media.

The media helped fuel that perception that some people had or still have of Elvis.

Well I can honestly say I never heard a reporter say some of the things you mentioned in your post-nor read some of the things you mentioned.
Elvis was/is portrayed negatively in some ways-but he also gets his due.
The problem is that the negative is what always seems to make the impression on people-not just for Elvis but in general.
I actually thought the 80s were the worst time to be an Elvis fan since Elvis died-and while he was alive from 63 to 68 was bad.

[debtdbruno]

It's unfortunate that people remember him from the last couple of years of his life.
The amount of people who say to me............'good voice, but didn't he get fat?'
Poor bloke wasn't allowed to be normal, and he was only overweight the last couple of years.
This seems to overshadow his music.

[Brian]

I know, it was the same with the movies, to me (and most fans) '64 was time to stop with the formula, but hey, Harum Sacrum was a box office success and so was the soundtrack, its terrible from my point of view, but yes, its just the way it is, if it sells, let's make tons of that for another 10 years, guess that its just the way it is, and although its clear how post '64 movies and soundtracks damaged Elvis career, how those camden releases did damage the sales of Elvis proper new albums, and how those hundreds of nonsense Elvis Cd's compilations releases had contributed to nothing, were talking business here right?

I actually liked most of the budget albums except Burning Love and Separate ways because I thought most of them were of high unusual artistic quality with most of them reaching platinum or double platinum status.

[KPM]

I actually liked most of the budget albums except Burning Love and Separate ways because I thought most of them were of high unusual artistic quality with most of them reaching platinum or double platinum status.

Curious-what did you exactly find of "high unusual artistic quality"
Elvis sings hits from his movies
I Got Lucky
Lets Be Friends
Almost in Love
Elvis sings Flaming Star
Frankie and Johnny
etc....