What's the deal with all the songs that AREN'T available for purchase?

[grampi]

It seems like MOST of the songs I try to purchase and download aren't available for purchase. Most of the music I'm interested in are studio recordings from 60s thru 80s artists, and it's usually their most popular songs. However, they seem unwilling to make these songs available for purchase. I use Imesh for my downloads and in almost every instance when I try to download a song, the option to buy the song is unavailable. For example, when I look up "Draggin the Line" by Tommy James, the song comes up several times, but none of the studio recroded versions of this song are available for purchase. Only the live recordings are for sale. I'm trying to figure out the reasoning behind this refusal to make these songs available. Do these artists actually think people are going to spend the money to purchase an entire commercially recorded CD in order to get the one and only song they're interested in? This ridiculous!!!!!!! Who in their right mind would pay for an entire CD to get just one song? I think these artists are hurting themselves by doing this. Why not make EVERY song available individually? I guess that just makes too much sense.

Once the law was passed a few years ago that mandated all music must be purchased before it can be burned onto a CD, I actually thought this was a good thing because I thought it would make ALL music available. If anything, it's done just the opposite. I don't mind paying for music IF I CAN GET IT, but it's clear that music was much easier to download and burn when it was free and illegal. This whole process we have now sucks donkey dongs!!!!!!!!!

[mc4100]

was free and illegal. (?)
It's certainly available, just, well, not for purchasing.

I, too, buy what I can (using Amazon's client: which, BTW, I have reported many bugs and typo's to and still isn't updated). But some stuff, like the Beatles, just isn't available, except through other channels ... which I think is fine (just buy the CD when you've got the chance).

[grampi]

It's certainly available, just, well, not for purchasing.

I, too, buy what I can (using Amazon's client: which, BTW, I have reported many bugs and typo's to and still isn't updated). But some stuff, like the Beatles, just isn't available, except through other channels ... which I think is fine (just buy the CD when you've got the chance).

The Beatles are one thing; it's pretty tough to buy one of their CDs where there's only one good song on it, but I'm supposed to be expected to buy an entire CD of songs by Jennifer Warnes when the only good song she ever had was "It's the right time of the night?" That's just ridiculous.

[I-75]

It seems like MOST of the songs I try to purchase and download aren't available for purchase. Most of the music I'm interested in are studio recordings from 60s thru 80s artists, and it's usually their most popular songs. However, they seem unwilling to make these songs available for purchase. I use Imesh for my downloads and in almost every instance when I try to download a song, the option to buy the song is unavailable. For example, when I look up "Draggin the Line" by Tommy James, the song comes up several times, but none of the studio recroded versions of this song are available for purchase. Only the live recordings are for sale. I'm trying to figure out the reasoning behind this refusal to make these songs available. Do these artists actually think people are going to spend the money to purchase an entire commercially recorded CD in order to get the one and only song they're interested in? This ridiculous!!!!!!! Who in their right mind would pay for an entire CD to get just one song? I think these artists are hurting themselves by doing this. Why not make EVERY song available individually? I guess that just makes too much sense.

Once the law was passed a few years ago that mandated all music must be purchased before it can be burned onto a CD, I actually thought this was a good thing because I thought it would make ALL music available. If anything, it's done just the opposite. I don't mind paying for music IF I CAN GET IT, but it's clear that music was much easier to download and burn when it was free and illegal. This whole process we have now sucks donkey dongs!!!!!!!!!


I know exactly what you mean, the amount of re-records ( not original recordings) on digital downloads and (in some cases) even on CD by labels such as Madacy is criminal (in my opinion).

Not only are people being charged 99 cents a tunes for the digital downloads for a "bogus" (in my opinion) re-record "new stereo recording".

But also some CD compilations are all "bogus" non original recordings....like Madacy.

The solution? Buy the original vinyl on E-bay (expensive) and then convert to MP3 (time consuming). That is what I had to do with some songs like "That same old feeling" by the Fortunes which the original hit version was nowhere to be found except on the vinyl original 45.

I had to do the same thing when I wanted the radio version of "Are you ready" by PG&E 2:40 edit version. It wasn't available anywhere on digital download, and no CD collections had the original "radio edit". That one..., I got a great deal on it for like $2 for the original promo.

Another original version unavailable on digital download is "Love takes time" by Orleans, all that is available is a inferior (IMO) studio re-record. Same goes for "Moonlight Feels Right" by Starbuck. Both were very popular songs on the radio at the time.

The other solution is look for legitimate CD collections like the "Time Life" collections, Billboard, Collectible records, Super hits of the 70's Have a Nice Day series, also major labels releases compilations like those by Motown, Warner, Columbia/Sony. Even if these are out of print, you might find these on E-bay in good condition.

Check pawn shops, flea markets for these collections. Now might be the time to get what you want, especially the way the economy is now. Another thing to look for on Vinyl is the WCBS-FM and WOR-FM vinyl compilation albums which have the original versions. These might be kind of pricey now, but worth it if you are looking for the original versions.

Another thing I noticed on XM satellite radio channel 7 ...the seventies channel, some of the original radio versions are not the real deal. I heard a version of "The boys are back in town" by Thin Lizzy that wasn't the original 45 version...which ran at 3:11. It sounded like someone took the album version and "hacked it to make it smaller. Good thing I never threw out my original vinyl.

Digital legal download is not all that it is cracked up to be. it leaves a lot to be be desired. Justlike the group "Badfinger", all that is available on Legal digital downloads are the inferior (IMO) re-records which sound nothing like the original. In that case you can find the real Badfinger greatest hits on Apple on CD for around $11, or get the original vinyl 45's for around $4 each on E-Bay.

[grampi]

I-75

What's the point of all these re-records? Why don't they just make the original recordings available? I mean for years all we heard was biching and griping from the recording artists about how they were getting ripped off by all the free download sites because they weren't getting paid for their material. Now a law gets passed that MANDATES paying for ALL music before it can be burned onto a CD, and now the artists won't make the music available to buy. NOW THEY HAVE A LAW THAT GIVES THEM WHAT THEY WANTED, BUT NOW THEY WON'T SELL THEIR MUSIC. Does that make any sense to you? It sure doesn't make any sense to me.

[I-75]

I-75

What's the point of all these re-records? Why don't they just make the original recordings available? I mean for years all we heard was biching and griping from the recording artists about how they were getting ripped off by all the free download sites because they weren't getting paid for their material. Now a law gets passed that MANDATES paying for ALL music before it can be burned onto a CD, and now the artists won't make the music available to buy. NOW THEY HAVE A LAW THAT GIVES THEM WHAT THEY WANTED, BUT NOW THEY WON'T SELL THEIR MUSIC. Does that make any sense to you? It sure doesn't make any sense to me.

I am in agreement with you.

Some have said that the re-records "new stereo recordings" (like Badfinger) was because members of the group didn't have rights to their songs anymore and wanted to re-record their songs to make money again from them.


Whatever the case, the music fan is the ultimate loser from all of this. And in my opinion anyone paying for the song that is misrepresented as the real deal...should be able to get their money back.

There are a lot of great deals now on E-Bay, flea markets, swap meets, yard sales, pawn shops and resale shops that chances of getting some great deals on original vinyl and legit CD collections,..are better than ever.

[grampi]

I am in agreement with you.

Some have said that the re-records "new stereo recordings" (like Badfinger) was because members of the group didn't have rights to their songs anymore and wanted to re-record their songs to make money again from them.

Wouldn't it make sense for whomever owns the music rights to make the recordings of that music available for sale? I mean what's the point in owning music rights if you're not going to sell recordings of that music? It's completely useless to own the rights otherwise.

[I-75]

Wouldn't it make sense for whomever owns the music rights to make the recordings of that music available for sale? I mean what's the point in owning music rights if you're not going to sell recordings of that music? It's completely useless to own the rights otherwise.

While the original recordings by Badfinger can be bought legitimately, there are only for sale on CD only (or used vinyl). They are not available for digital download because Apple which owns all the rights to Badfinger's original music refuses to license the songs for digital download.

This is the reason why "new stereo recordings" (re-records) are only available on digital download. IMO, because of business decisions ..the public is the ultimate loser.

Badfinger is not the only one, Mary Hopkin's original recordings (another Apple artist is not available on digital download), neither is Billy Preston's Apple session recordings.

The Beatles, AC/DC, Tool and some others still do not sell their tunes on digital download but CD only..which in my opinion is a dying format.

Yes, we want to play by the rules and do the right thing. But the rules are not always in our favor. Used vinyl is a way around the "re-record" problems.

[grampi]

I still don't understand the refusal of music rights owners to sell original recordings through downloads. What are they accomplishing by doing this? All I can see that they're doing is depriving themselves of another avenue for sales, and depriving consumers of the music.