Hi Mike:
There is some demand out there from fans and collectors, but it's for certain titles. So no one
should ever expect a completist reissue. I've discussed a dozen or so titles as part of a third box
set that would also encompass the rest of the 1990s CDs, and perhaps the Philips recordings made by
Mercury. I've also suggested a mono LP box set using titles that have already been issued on CD,
because the original mono covers are such kewl artifacts. Mono LPs are a trend right now, which is
why I thought soon would be a good time.
Regarding Mike Beil's reported conversation with David Hall, I'm glad he liked the 1990s mono CD
reissues. My mother did not want to get involved with those ancient tapes but once she got into it
and figured out how to make them sound half decent on a CD, she ended up with good results. They
never blew the barn doors off as far as sales, but as soon as Universal and Polygram merged -- only
a couple of years after the first mono CDs were issued -- some idiot consultant recommended taking
them out of print. They succeeded in getting the Kubelik "Pictures" taken out of print after only a
couple of years, which is why it didn't sell well (very limited availability). Other mono titles
that remained in print longer sold many more copies. But under the current business model, you have
to have enough widely-desired content in a box set so it can sell out quickly enough for retailers
to take on the inventory cost risk. This is just how it is, reality 2013.
-- Tom Fine
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gray, Mike" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2013 1:30 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] New MLP (Vol 2) box -Decca product info now live
> I'd love to see Merc monos issued on CD .... it might be a bit of a hard sell, though, since the
> Merc mono LPs didn't get near the
> promotion the stereo ones did in the High End press. Where is Bert Whyte when we need him ...?
>
>
>
> Mike Gray
>
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