I have witnessed this quite a bit and I think it's obnoxious. I used to be able to buy multiple import versions of an album to get these rare tracks on them that our domestic versions don't have. Now that I'm older and I have bills to pay...well, I can't keep up. And you can't always find them online.
Now quite a few bands release compliation albums with rare tracks so you can eventually catch up, but sometimes that's not for years down the road.
So what is the rationale behind putting these tracks on versions we can't easily get our hands on here? Is it rewarding the foreign listener, punishing the domestic listener, both or neither?
Thanks, jmike. :)
2007-10-19 04:45:06 · 9 answers · asked by Sookie 6 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music ➔ Rock and Pop
Well, there is a legitimate reason for this practice, especially in Japan.
It would be much cheaper for the Japanese consumer to purchase a US "import" version due to the economics involved with the dollar and the yen. That's why the Japanese versions are usually released first and come with all the extra bells and whistles... it's simply to encourage the Japanese consumer to spend their money within their own country.
Although it wasn't that way in the past, it is quickly becoming the norm for Europe because the Euro is much stronger than the dollar.
NP: "Only the Good Die Young" - Iron Maiden
Oh, and you're welcome.
***No sh*t guys... this is the reason they do it. It's a common practice in the music business and the artists can't really do anything about it. The only time I can think of a band really affecting the process was when Journey released their Arrival album. The Japanese bonus tracks were uptempo, guitar driven rockers, and the U.S. fans pitched a fit until the band stepped in and made the label adjust which tracks wouldn't be on the U.S. version. The Japanese bonus tracks ended up being a couple of sappy (and mediocre) ballads.
2007-10-19 04:59:45 · answer #1 · answered by Mike AKA Mike 5 · 6⤊ 0⤋
When Pearl Jam started putting out CD singles back in the 90's, there were all of these imports with extra stuff on them that I had to scour the local record shops for (no eBay, no internet)... then I remember the band stopped allowing extras to go overseas. One of my singles, I think it was for Dissident (VS) is stickered "Not to be confused with the more expensive (Identical) import version".
I think it's a ploy by the record companies to get the diehard fans to purchase more than one copy of a single or album. They have taken this even farther recently by releasing albums with the same music but different album covers (because some collectors have to have them all)... and releasing albums with slightly varied tracklists at different outlets - like Best Buy will have 10 tracks and 3 bonus tracks, and Target will have different bonus tracks.
2007-10-19 05:54:14 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I couldn't agree more. It's completely obnoxious and unnecessary. Not sure if it's meant as reward or punishment. It almost seems like a clever way to try to make an album release into some sort of collector's item. But it's nothing more than a slap in the face to the fans. I never go out of my way for any of these albums. No band is good enough for that nonsense.
2007-10-19 04:58:33 · answer #3 · answered by Rckets 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
You have to market the albums more to the foreign audience who doesn't get to see the band live as often. Extra tracks are a good way to do this. The Clash put extra tracks on the US release of their first album too.
Plus the domestic audience, which usually consists of more devout fans, are more likely to buy the rare/re-released material when it's packaged as a new album.
I like JMike's economic perspective as well.
2007-10-19 05:00:39 · answer #4 · answered by Master C 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I know how you feel, it's frustrating for me to. It seems the U.S. has almost completely done away with singles, so we have to resort to buying imports. I think it's because they can charge you more. American singles would only cost anywhere from $1 to $5, but import singles usually cost $10. Even more if you buy it from some place like Sam Goody. I suppose it's also possible that foreign listeners are more dedicated fans and will tend to buy unreleased tracks. But most Americans (myself not included) tend to just gobble up whatever is on the radio. It's hard enough to get them to listen to everything on the album let alone unreleased tracks.
2007-10-19 04:54:13 · answer #5 · answered by GK Dub 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
We have the same problem here in the UK.
As a late-coming Stevie Nicks fan, I was very disapointed to find that the rare b-sides to singles were only out in the US, and that only the Japanese album releases get extra tracks.
I think it may be the record label's way of making more money in the foreign market.
2007-10-19 04:56:56 · answer #6 · answered by Lady Silver Rose * Wolf 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
The Beatles are the only band to be waiting to end this. From the type hearted Please Please Me to the floor breaking Sgt. Peppers to the masterpiece Abbey street, each and every of the Beatle albums have been wonderful. that's why they're the main powerful band of all time. Led Zeppelin and The Stones had some notably solid albums too, yet a number of their stuff replaced into crap.
2016-10-04 04:02:44 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes.....I hate this.....its just another way that record companies are reinforcing and justifying your Amazonholicism .......... damn them.
With iTunes.....the strain is a little less, but I figure that they plan that the American market who wants the imported material and will pay for it. They want their money.
Yes, definitely agree with Jmike's point........most of the imported stuff I have bought has been from Japan.....and Austrailia
2007-10-19 04:57:13 · answer #8 · answered by Dani G 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
i know i hate it the uk does not deserve songs we dont have from people we love lol
2007-10-19 04:48:18 · answer #9 · answered by me 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋