Music Replacement In Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place (2 Viewers)

[Ethan Riley]

So...now you're saying that the GOVERNMENT is censoring music on Melrose Place dvds?? Come on...all kidding aside, and this goes for you too, George--this is NOT about censorship. This is about economics. It's TOO DAMN EXPENSIVE to secure music rights for all those songs. That's all this is about. Case in point: the American Dreams dvd set came out with most (not all) of its classic 60s songs intact. The set cost about $90 full retail. It didn't sell. Season two never came out, because season one didn't sell. In a case like that, everybody loses. Now MP and 90210 and other shows don't have nearly as much music as did American Dreams (which was a show ABOUT music, after all), but the principle is the same--the sets would cost too much, nobody would be able to afford them, no further sets would come out, and everybody would end up unhappy.

Music replacement is just a necessary evil in tv dvds. That's just the way things are. That's the reality of this hobby. Plus, you have to give credit to the dvd producers that they'll make tasteful and responsible substitutions in the music. The Roswell producers did a wonderful job with the music replacement. There are still complaints from purists, but life goes on, Christmas is still coming, and so are these "adulterated" 90210 dvds, whether you like them or not. And no, I don't like music substitution, but there are worse things in the world, now aren't there? At this point, music substitution is a necessary evil that I've learned to live with.

And George, I think people weren't trying to censor you, I think they just wanted you to stay on topic. You already know that, though.

 

[TravisR]

I'm the only one who mentioned government censorship and I was just kidding around.

 

[JamesTaylor]

Well, I think in another thread we established that it's being released on the same day as Melrose Place and Beverly Hills, 90210. Don't know if that isn't true, or if the info has changed, but that's what I heard. Hate the music replacement. Hopefully Sex Bomb is in it at least once.
-James

 

[ChrisCAB]

I understand the economics of the situation (direct your anger at the strong-arm tactics of the recording industry) yet I can't help but be sorely disappointed at this. To me it's akin to someone erasing portions of the photos in a photo album. I realize I don't own the photo album but that doesn't stop me from taking it personally - these shows were a part of my young adult life.

I hope whoever owns the rights to John Sebastian's "Welcome Back Kotter" doesn't put up too much of a fuss. I can't imagine watching that show without hearing the themesong.

 

[Bob Hug]

Chris, you have nothing to worry about with "Welcome Back Kotter." Warner has already released a single disc, six episode compilation under their "Television Favorites" line and John Sebastian's opening and closing theme is intact. However, it remains to be seen whether Warner will follow-up this release with full season releases of the show.

 

[Matt_Troop]

Yeah but thats doesn't make it definate, we can all remeber the Married With Children fiasco

 

[Stephen Wight]

Wouldn't John Sebastian own the rights to "Welcome Back"?

 

[Stephen Wight]

I believe Warners was asked about season sets of Welcome Back Kotter,at the last chat.They said something like "they're looking into it" or "under consideration".Of course,that doesn't mean we'll definitely get season sets.

 

[Garysb]

Or you can blame the producers for not obtaining all rights to the songs when they negotiated the rights to use the music when the shows first aired.
If the cost of all rights were too expensive then the songs should not have been used in the first place. If the songs were not used , then we would not have this problem now.

The cost of music has always been very costly which is why you see half hour versions of the Carol Burnett Show and Flip Wilson show on TVland instead of the full hour. Actually in those cases since the music was done live, the members of the band need to be paid.

 

[Dan Keefe]

I don't think this is true...if you are talking about 150k per song thats 600K for 4 songs...Hard to turn a profit that way...


As long as Losing my Religion makes it in and all the bands that performed on the show make it in...I don't think many will have a big problem with this.

I have had the pilot for well over a year now and all the music seems to be there so if it isn't I didn't notice.


I'm just happy its coming out. I would guess the majority(85-90%) do not miss the music unless it is absolutely glaring. I saw people complaining about the club music in the background of Miami Vice was different. Quite frankly, I don't know how or why people can remember this stuff, but I can't...so I guess in this case I lucked out because I am super happy this show is coming out... Mywife and I named our kids Brandon, Dylan and Kelly bevcause we love this show so much.

 

[RoryR]

Oh yeah, because way back in the 90s, Aaron Spelling really missed the boat on DVD releases ... he should have seen it coming and bought all the music!

He could have passed the cost to Fox, who would have added more commercials, and right now we'd be getting ready to buy 32 minute episodes of BH90210 ... with all music intact! Yay!

 

[RoryR]

I don't think most people do notice ... a select few who know the show well, or have websites on it will notice and then a wave of propoganda spreads over the internet ... by Mother Nature herself, George Kaplan, quickly people are complaining about 20 seconds of changed music which they don't remember or missed because they couldn't get to the bathroom during the commercial break.

 

[george kaplan]

I'm sure you wouldn't notice if Beethoven's 7th was replaced by I Wanna Be Sedated.

 

[RoryR]

Perhaps those who choose to watch TV on DVD instead of a night at the Opera, really don't care about Beethoven? Perhaps they also don't really care about music?

Music: like a TV Show, but without: a real story, video and characters. - sounds like fun!

 

[Ethan Riley]

I think it's a matter of choosing your poison; music replacement is not going away, therefore, we must learn to live with it. There have been instances of bad music replacement and instances of good music replacement. If we need something to bitch about, I'd say we nag the studios to the point where they well understand that if they must replace music, they'd better do a good job. I think they've already got that message. I have little doubt that 90210 and Melrose will be good dvds, with or without music replacement. Paramount knows full well that 90210 is one of the most anticipated tv dvds, ever. They know full well that if they want to keep releasing the other 9 seasons, they'd better do a good job on the first season. This will not be another "Dawson's Creek" craparama.

As I said, music replacement is here to stay; there's nothing anyone can do about it. The only other alternative is to not have tv on dvd at all. So choose your poison--music replacement or no dvds.

 

[Jay_B!]

what about those who are hard of hearing and couldn't tell the difference between Slayer and Kenny G? will you forgive those people and give them the "okay" to buy a TV-DVD with replaced music? I mean, deaf people watch tv too and I don't think they'd notice.

 

[Andy_Bu]

Count me in as someone who is fine with the replacement, especially when companies are up front about it. Yes I would rather have the original music but not at a huge price increase in the sets.

My wife was extremely worried about the music replacement in Northern Exposure, as she was a big fan, but even she admits that she can not figure out which ones have been replaced and which ones haven't.

Andy

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

As long as the Flaming Lips are still playing their own song at the Peach Pit on the 90210 fifth season set, they can replace whatever other music they need to.

Regards,

 

[TravisR]

I know you're joking but that brings up a point. It's not like they would replace Kenny G with Slayer or Beethoven with The Ramones (even if The Ramones are better). I've never seen a music substitution where they did anything but replace one song with a song from the same genre. And I doubt you will ever be able to find such an extreme example.

 

[Linda Thompson]

First...I agree with the point which you're attempting to make.

But, in the same breath, I do feel the need to bring up the replacements in Quantum Leap. Some of the replacement muzak-crap-tracks are almost as out-of-genre ludicrous as the extremes in your examples. (The "Georgia On My Mind" scene in MIA being the most notorious example, of course. Plus, the wholesale editing of many other songs referred to in dialogue, etc. Ridiculous.)

That fact, coupled with the infamous interviews from around the time of the Season 2 release, in which Universal reps actually noted a desire to rush the DVDs to market as one of the factors for the music replacements, resulted in my first (and only, so far) decision to bypass a show which I absolutely loved SOLELY because of music replacement.

I firmly believe that more of an effort could have, should have, and WOULD HAVE been made, if they just hadn't been in such a hurry. Yes, money was a factor also, but, by their own admission, it wasn't the only one, or even the most important one.

That kind of sloppiness, and admitted disregard for the fanbase in general, I simply cannot bring myself to reward.

As I said above, this is the only show with which I've taken such a stance. I love 21 Jump Street too (just to cite an example of another series which suffered major music replacements), and all 5 releases are sitting on my shelf as I type this. The reasons may have been exactly the same, but at least Cannell and company didn't feel the need to rub my nose in it.