Will Shania Twain's multi-flavored 'Up!' start a trend? (1 Viewer)

[Zane Charron]

I have absolutely 0% interest in her cheesy written-by-committee music, but seeing as how her dual/tri flavored album has done so well, do you think we'll see more of this multi-disc cross marketing in the future?
As far as I know, this hasn't been done before. I know in the 40's & 50's record companies would have several singers record a song and go with the one that played the best to the general audiences. But having one artist of this 'stature' release 3 different mixes of the same album must be a first.
Musical globalizaton? Creative bankruptcy? Or just clever marketing? What do you guys think?
I personally see it as a natural step on the evolutionary pop ladder. So much of today's pop music is a bland reworking of other stuff (including many covers) that making the same music to straddle several pop music markets seem the natural thing to do to sell another couple million albums.
When is the Hip-Hop version being released?

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Musical globalizaton? Creative bankruptcy? Or just clever marketing? What do you guys think?

I sort of like it for the variety, but knowing the music biz like I do, I think it exists for clever marketing and being able to cross-sell to several different format radio stations to drive sales: Top 40, country, etc.
When done well and with genuine intent, I am fine and appreciate the variation.

 

[Rick_Brown]

I'd like to take this further - develop the technology to the point where I can do my own mix from multi-tracks! The artist can put out one or more "approved" mixes, but let me make my own. Well..at least I can dream...

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Okay, I guess I'm out of the loop, as I have no idea what different releases Shania Twain made of her new album. (She's a babe, but I don't care for her music.) What are the various editions?

 

[Zane Charron]

Colin, try this link to her official page:
http://www.shaniatwain.com/music-audio.asp

 

[Angelo.M]

I also could care less about Shania Twains latest album, but I think that you will continue to see more and more of these 'special edition' CD releases, either with a bonus CD or DVD. This past year, DVD sales destroyed CD sales (a big DVD release can sell more in its first day than an album will sell for months), and the CD manufacturers are going to have to do something to lure customers in.

 

[JerryIII]

"...CD manufacturers are going to have to do something to lure customers in."

They could start by lowering the price.


Jerry

 

[Zane Charron]

They may very well have to lower the price of CDs in the near future. With DVD sales outpacing CD sales and the constant threat of piracy and downloads, lowering the price a bit may help them in a big way.
It would certainly help me.

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

I can't stand it when a country song crosses over to pop and I hear it on one of my radio presets (which don't include country stations). If I wanted to hear a frickin chip kickin cow tippin twangity twang twang country song I'd listen to the frickin country station!
Okay, I'm just slightly more tolerant than that. I can see that every now and then a particular song will cross over. I can accept it when it happens spontaneously and is not premeditated. But a whole album premixed for pop crossover? Hell no! Git back in yer barn, Shania Twain! Git!
I guess I'm saying I hope it doesn't start a trend. How long until hip hop artists do country premixes?

 

[Angelo.M]

I seriously doubt that CD prices will fall substantially anytime soon; I base this on nothing but intuition, and of course I hope that I'm wrong.

I think what you'll see is that 'special edition' releases will become the norm, with a CD packaged along with a 'bonus' CD or DVD. As music is so readily available for free, it is becoming increasingly absurd to justify something in the neighborhood of twelve to fifteen dollars for ten or twelve songs, particulary for unestablished artists.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I both like the new Shania album (both versions) and think it is a brilliant marketing strategy. She makes no bones about wanting to please a diverse audience, and is far from being a "country only" star.

I do not think multiple versions will become the norm simply because of the costs involved. Also, not every artist can write material that will translate this well, or is married to a world class producer who can handle the diversity competently.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I actually now own the Blue album version of UP! and it's a rather bizarre sounding album with the upbeat sound that's been mixed into the songs. I think she even recorded different vocal tracks for the blue album mix (I could be wrong, but the vocals sound different to me on some of the songs and I haven't done a side-by-side comparison because I only have one DVD/CD player hooked up in my system currently).

 

[Zane Charron]

Angelo, I think CDs have a good chance of falling in price in the near future. After all, what's the difference between spending the extra money on a supplemental CD/DVD and lowering the price a few dollars?

Jeff, you're probably right that not too many artists have that crossover ability, but I think a handful do. Certainly someone like Faith Hill or Leann Rimes has that ability to crossover into pop and has already shown it to a small degree, among others that I can't think of right now. And I could easily see some hip-hop artists crossing over into more pop territory.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Can you imagine a hip hop act crossing over into country/western? I think that would be a hoot and shake some things up.

 

[Zane Charron]

Sure would, Patrick. I can see it being done, by someone like Lauryn Hill or Jamiroquai. Hell, Beck has almost done it already, I think.

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

Can you imagine a hip hop act crossing over into country/western?

No, but I have heard a hillbilly cover of "Gin & Juice". It's a real chipkicker.

 

[Nigel McN]

yeah The Gourds did a great Gin & Juice cover

 

[Angelo.M]

Zane:

Of course I hope that you're correct. I simply don't see it happening. I remember buying my very first CD in the 80's, and paying around $22 for it (Sting's 'dream of the blue turtles' to be specific). Over the course of the last 20 years, the prices have fallen, but there are still plenty of retail outlets selling new, single CDs for $17.99.

I suspect, but don't know for certain, that there is a big difference on the profit side in terms of lowering CD prices versus including a bonus CD or DVD. My guess is that there's more profit in maintaining the price while including the bonus. Were the opposite the case, I think we would already be seeing more dramatic price reductions, as CD sales have slipped precipitously in the last 24 months. DVD prices have fallen, certainly, but their sales numbers have skyrocketed.

Personally, I'd rather see the prices fall, so new artists will have a better shot at your entertainment dollar. As much as I hate the 'big-box' retailers, I applaud them when they offer new artist CDs at rock-bottom prices, typically $6.99 to 9.99 in my area.

While we're on the topic, I'll weigh in with this: I'm no angel (despite my name), but I don't download copyrighted material from file-sharing services like Morpheus. However, I don't believe that this type of sharing is alone responsible for dying CD sales. It seems to me like the people I know who voraciously download copyrighted MP3s are the same people who buy large numbers of CDs on a regular basis.

--AM

 

[MickeS]

Almost every artist these days releases singles in different mixes, so they can reach out to a larger audience. I heard a horrible dance mix of Dixie Chicks' cover of "Landslide" the other day for example.
Shania is just taking it one step further by releasing a whole album in 3 different mixes. I think more people will do it, and I must say I enjoy it. TO me it's similar to getting an extended version/director's cut of a movie when you buy the DVD. You can always choose not listen/watch one version if you want.
Speaking of that, I initially liked the Green version of "Up!" the best, but now I like the Red version better.
Oh, and hip-hop artists doing country: Kid Rock started out doing hip-hop, right? He did that duett with someone at a country music award show, and recorded a very country-tinted duet with Sheryl Crow. They didn't have any of his usual style in them though.

 

[Zane Charron]

I think the $10 (not retail) barrier would be a great one to cross. If CD's could drop to $8.99 or $9.99 on a regular basis, I think people would be snatching them up left and right.