Double dipping on CDs due to retailer-specific exclusive tracks?! (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

Yes, this bothers me, but I guess it's no worse than when they release a CD in another country a few weeks after a CD is release in the USA and they wind up getting 2 or 3 extra songs--it's maddening. It just depends on where you're at at the time, and if you do any research before buying a CD--and then deciding, in some cases, which extra song you want!

This seems to be the delemma. It's bothersome and maddening and requires the consumer to do nuisance research...yet none of us can figure out a way to do anything about it. We could buy the CDs w/o the bonus tracks...but only end up screwing ourselves from the "bonus content". I suppose the only sane course of action would be to write letters to the record companies themselves asking them to stop the practice. But is it really "sane" to make noise in a forest if there is no one there to listen?

 

[kamyiu]

Even that has a similar problem (assuming we are talking about legal downloading)...there are "exclusive" (usually live/acoustic) songs on Napster AND iTunes that are not available on the competitors' site. I know that there are ways around the incompatability issues, but it's still a pain.

Sorry, I meant illegal downloading.

 

[WadeM]

Of course, it's not just songs. I saw the other day that Best Buy had Bob Dylan's new CD with an exclusive, supposedly "collectible" booklet. Luckily, I didn't care much for the contents of the booklet.. I think it was just of 100 Dylan CD covers or something like that...

 

[EricSchulz]

My god! I was in Target today and a HUGE chunk of today's new releases had SOMETHING unique about them at Target...except of course the new Scissor Sisters CD, "Ta-Dah!". I DID pick up the Tony Bennett "Duets" with FOUR exclusive tracks AND a DVD! Here's a rundown...

1. "I've Got The World On A String" with Diana Krall (Mike Frezon must be pulling his hair out by now!)

2. "Steppin' Out With My Baby" with Michael Buble

3. "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" with Judy Garland

4. "The Lady Is A Tramp" with Frank Sinatra

"Making Duets" DVD (20:52)

Here's the info on each track:

1. Recorded live Sept. 2000 (stereo, Tanglewood Music Festival)

2. Recorded June 2006

3. Recorded live July 1963 (mono, "The Judy Garland Show")

4. Recorded live Sept. 1988 (mono, Bally's Atlantic City)

 

[Mike Frezon]

The Target version of the Bennett release was already on my to-do list this week, Eric!
Am I being bad by supporting these damn exclusives?!

 

[EricSchulz]

OK, Mike....I thought I could stay out of this discussion since I no longer work for Target, but it looks like STARBUCKS is now getting into the game! On October 3rd, we are offering an exclusive Barenaked Ladies CD called "BNL Are Men" which only apparently has two of the tracks from the "mainstream" edition of the CD with same name but has TWELVE unreleased tracks that Starbucks has exclusive rights to through 02/07! At least you only "double-dip" on two tracks! More details as they become available....

Here's the scoop on this title: the exclusive edition is only available in Canadian stores. It will be available October 3rd for $18.95CDN.

 

[Mike Frezon]

So, Eric?! You gonna be able to hook up a brother?!
BTW, It's Barenaked Ladies Are Me."

 

[Greg_S_H]

OK, Mike....I thought I could stay out of this discussion since I no longer work for Target, but it looks like STARBUCKS is now getting into the game! On October 3rd, we are offering an exclusive Barenaked Ladies CD called "BNL Are Men" which only apparently has two of the tracks from the "mainstream" edition of the CD with same name but has TWELVE unreleased tracks that Starbucks has exclusive rights to through 02/07! At least you only "double-dip" on two tracks! More details as they become available....

That actually sounds like a good deal for fans. You can basically buy two new albums from the band instead of one, right?

 

[Mike Frezon]

BTW, picked my copy of the Bennett CD/DVD at Target tonight and have been listening to it while doing some computer work.
I gotta tell ya, if I was an uninformed consumer and purchased just:
a.) the CD-only release without bonus tracks, or
b.) the CD-only release with bonus tracks, or
c.) the CD/DVD release without bonus tracks (I don't even know if that exists)
instead of:
c.) the CD/DVD release with the bonus tracks
...I'd be one ticked-off music fan. Those bonus tracks are incredible. Even Frank sounds terrific (maybe Tony causes everyone to ratchet it up a notch). i'm actually a much bigger fan of Frank than Tony, I just wasn't expecting much from Frank from a 1988 performance. The live Bennett/Krall track is also one not to be missed.
But each one of those tracks is an absolute gem and should be included on each and every one of these CDs that's printed. All fans who don't get them are really missing out on some fine music. Those are the tracks I find myself going back to over and over.

 

[EricSchulz]

Mike,

I agree...this was a "blind buy" for me...unanimously excellent reviews, paired with many of my favorite "contemporary" artists and a nice song selection made it a "must buy", but the Target tracks made it even better. As you have probably seen by now, Target is a major sponsor of the TV special that's airing on Nov. 21st with MANY of the artists that recorded this CD. I would say it's pretty obvious why Target got the bonus tracks/DVD for this release, but it IS a shame that the "average" consumer is missing out on the extra songs.

 

[Dick]

I absolutely hate the concept of exclusives, and this is one of the worst.
Probably the worst recent example would be Paul McCartney's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. If you bought the album at Target, Best Buy, or Circuit City, you would get an exclusive download. Not a big deal, except that each store has a different song. The BB and CC ones can be bought on import singles, but the Target one is the Japan-only bonus track that costs $50 at Amazon.
I got the BB one and I'm pretty pissed...what's worst is that I bought the deluxe version which should theoretically include all the songs, but it doesn't.

This is why file sharing is so damn popular. CD companies are, I think, shooting themselves squarely in the feet in the long run...

 

[Mike Frezon]

Mike,
I agree...this was a "blind buy" for me...unanimously excellent reviews, paired with many of my favorite "contemporary" artists and a nice song selection made it a "must buy", but the Target tracks made it even better.
...but it IS a shame that the "average" consumer is missing out on the extra songs.

And, since my last post I've watched the bonus DVD featurette and it is pretty nicely done. I would like to have seen more (guess I'll have to tune in to that TV special in November). I wouldn't be surprised if a full-blown DVD release will also be forthcoming. Looks like they filmed most of the recording sessions.
Although a big fan of Sinatra's, I absolutely hated the execution of his Duets CDs. AFAIK, not a single one of those duets was recorded with the two artists in the room together...and it showed. These are very nicely done and produced. Am I thrilled with each track? No. I don't think anyone can be with this type of compilation. But there are enough terrific tracks to make it well worthwhile.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Wow. Here I am...thinking I'm a smart, informed consumer...and that I am way ahead of the game knowing that when the new Diana Krall CD was released on 9-19 I should purchase it at Target because they were going to have a bonus track of "My Shining Hour". For the past three weeks, I have been enjoying that CD like it's nobody's business.
And then....I'm in Best Buy last night...killing time while wife and daughter are doing some mall shopping. I wander down their main aisle with a short wall of new CD releases. I see the Krall CD with stickers that scream "BEST BUY EXCLUSIVE!". Yup. Best Buy has it's own bonus track: "Something's Gotta Give."
I am now pissed!

What are my options?
1.) Buy Best Buy disc...making for a $30 (approx) CD purchase?

2.) Don't buy the BB disc...meaning I don't have the full Krall canon.

Either way, I am left

This just sucks SO much. :frowning:
One thing I'm sure of, I WILL be sending off a dispatch to Verve letting them know my displeasure on this issue...for all the good it will do. I should probably find some way to send one to Krall.

 

[Mike Frezon]

The following has just left my e-mail box:

To: Verve Records
CC: Diana Krall c/o Macklam/Feldman Mgt.
Diana Krall Fan Club
Date: 10 October 2006
Diana Krall is one of my favorite recording artists.
I recently purchased her CD "From This Moment On" at Target...aware that I was fortunate to be getting a CD containing the bonus track of "My Shining Hour". I considered myself a smart shopper that I was aware of the Target exclusive track and was rewarded with full access to the Krall canon of music.
Imagine my displeasure when browsing through my local Best Buy store last night and discovered that Best Buy has its own exclusive track on the Krall CD, "Something's Gotta Give".
I do NOT understand how this practice of awarding EXCLUSIVE tracks to retailers is in the best interests of the fans or artist.
I am now left angry that I have to:
1.) Buy the "same" CD twice to secure the two separate exclusive tracks of my favorite artist. Or,
2.) NOT buy the Best Buy disc and not have access to the entire Krall canon of music.
How does this situation work to my best advantage as a fan?
It leaves me angry with the record company who manufactured this situation and extremely disappointed with the artist that she is compromising her musical integrity to engage in a marketing practice that disappoints her fans and leaves part of her music catalog unavailable to those who support her music through the purchase of her CDs and DVDs.
Would you please explain to me how I should access the right to listen to Diana Krall's track of "Something's Gotta Give"?
Thank you.
Mike Frezon

 

[AnthonyC]

Great email, Mike. I've said this in regards to DVD bonus discs; I've always disliked them but it's downright disrespectful for companies to allow different bonus content at different stores. And one of these days, it's going to backfire and people will just figure, eh, someone will put it up on YouTube, or I can go download the bonus track somewhere. (FWIW, I feel the same way regarding import CDs that contain extra tracks for certain markets; I realize that some in some countries imports tend to cost less and they want to add an incentive for their edition but it's still a bitch if you don't live there...but at least it's somewhat understandable).
Beck's new CD has different exclusive downloads at Best Buy and Target; I purchased the CD once and sorry, but I don't really see anything wrong with downloading the Target bonus track that I didn't get since there was no reason it couldn't have been included on the album itself or as a b-side on a single. I'd rather pay 99 cents at iTunes for a song than have to go through the trouble of deciding which "free" download I"d prefer.

 

[Tarkin The Ewok]

More news on the retailer-exclusive front: Keith Urban's Love, Pain, and the whole crazy thing will have a bonus track if you preorder it from iTunes. Who wants to bet that it won't ever show up on an official physical version of the CD?

 

[Mike Frezon]

The following has just left my e-mail box:

And more than a week later...not a single response from any of the three organizations to whom it was sent. Not even an auomated reply or form letter.
I thought, at least, Diana would have sent me a card....

 

[Malcolm R]

And then....I'm in Best Buy last night...killing time while wife and daughter are doing some mall shopping. I wander down their main aisle with a short wall of new CD releases. I see the Krall CD with stickers that scream "BEST BUY EXCLUSIVE!". Yup. Best Buy has it's own bonus track: "Something's Gotta Give."

Your life would be much more peaceful if you'd just stay away from Best Buy.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Your life would be much more peaceful if you'd just stay away from Best Buy.

 

[Darren Haycock]

For iTunes fans, they've got a video exclusive for those who pre-order the new Tenacious D album (I guess it's more like the soundtrack to Pick of Destiny). You get to see the first half of the video for free, and it cracked me up. I gave in, guess I'm a sucker, oh well. As a rule though, I'm not a fan of different music exclusives either...