Intrada Soundtrack Forum

A very interesting read that should be a sticky thread on this message board. It should also be included in every email Intrada sends out to us. I'm stumped when it comes to the limiting of these CD's too. I, on the other hand, have nothing to lose. I always have a little guessing game (with myself) on which CD's will sell out first, the fastest or not at all, and I have rarely been right.
Predicting the "proper" amount of CD's in a limited run is a job I am glad I do not have. You guys do a damn fine job if I do say so myself. Keep up the great work.

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Chris

It must be tough being a label and secondguessing what the customers will buy or not...
About what Doug said about Fielding and releasing more of his titles and then there isn´t that demand that previous Fielding (or other composer name) releases had and his bigger titles like Straw Dogs etc are still in print can depend on alot of reasons.
I think many people buy CDs only because the title is limited and a 1000 release sells out because many collects it and are afraid they will miss out on it on the regular price of 20$ and the ebay sharks knows that too...
It becomes an evil circle where peole buys up stock only because a title is released in a smaller amount and this is the Fielding releases a good example off.
I dont say I´m right, but this is a likely scenario.
When big titles like 48hrs (5000ex) or First Blood & Rocky IV (both MAF releases) doesnt sell big fast enough, it may depend on that people do not prioritys them as they will likely not sell out soon or fast enough.
Then we have titles like Predator ,Link and Space Camp that had previous releases that fetched high prices on e-bay that sparks peoples interest too...
What I´m trying to say is, many collects a title for collectings sake, some buys it purely because of the music and some buys a title because of the composer. This makes us different types of people and noone can secondguess how a title will sell, not Doug, not Roger and especially not US, so we will let Intrada continue to make the decision and we have to live with it. Atleast the titles is out there even if it sells out in 5 minutes and we have a chance to get it one way or another...

OK ramblers, lets get rambling

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I´VE COME HERE TO DRINK COCONUTS AND *censour*...AND I´M ALL OUT OF COCONUTS...

I´m a dirt merchant and a figure of your imagination

Of course they should also judge that these days, they are also in a monthly competition of releases from other labels, and not everybody can afford to buy everything, so even if a title may have been a big seller six years ago, now it may sit no matter how bad fans may want it.
FSM, Quartet, Kritzerland (often more than once a month), La La Land -- all releasing one or more a month.

Then you got infrequent labels, like Prometheus, the new FSM offshoot label that released that one score recently (was was the label name?), Beat, BuySoundtrax, Perserverence.

Then every three to four months, the Varese Club batch hits. And, basically when ever the hell Varese feels like it (contrary to the original statement), those special limits that come every once in a while, like "Passchendale".


MMM, and did I miss any others?


That's a lot of competition. Then you have regular releases every month from various labels, and older stuff one still wants to get, but not I find myself unsure whether to get certain older stuff, 'cause what if a month later someone like LLLR releases a complete, remastered edition?


Saturation. And not the good buttery kind.

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"Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself"
"Unlike me, many of you have accepted the situation of your imprisonment and will die here like rotten cabbages."
"Everyone votes for a dictator."
THE PRISONER

I believe the economic downturn has had an impact on peoples buying habits. Certainly I'm only buying a fraction of what I used to when cash was more abundant, and I can't be the only one. There are numerous CDs I would have ordered instantly a few years ago that I'm either waiting on, or passing altogether - and if they sell out, so be it. There are several Intrada, FSM, Kritzerland, Varese AND LaLa titles on my queue to buy, and several CDs that have sold out in the interim. C'est la vie.

That's really interesting & should be read by every customer. I think the big surprise on this one was there was so little interest in it once the clues came up, either here or on the FSM board, apathy really, & then, bang, it's gone in record time. As you say, you just never know.

"People begged us for years to find a way to make 48 HRS. a reality... until we finally managed it. Then the audience turned out to be a lot smaller than we predicted. Yet when we did the same composer's lower profile project JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN, we moved more copies of it in a week than the former blockbuster has sold in months."


I can`t answer for anyone else than me and my personal answer for this comes in one word: Priority. There are a lot of soundtracks that I would love to buy but I have to make a priority of which ones to buy first. Most of the time those not limited editions is overlooked just so I can get those limited editions. However sometimes even limited editions have to stay back for other limited editions. Even if you guys would love it we can`t afford to get every score out there so we (or at least this soundtrack collector) have to choose and for me I will sooner or later (probably later) get 48 HRS. That`s a promise.

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"Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself"
"Unlike me, many of you have accepted the situation of your imprisonment and will die here like rotten cabbages."
"Everyone votes for a dictator."
THE PRISONER

This is just my opinion, but I also think some of it has to do with presentation of the score and what company releases it. I wonder sometimes if Intrada was to have released Elmer Bernstein's SLIPSTREAM, which is STILL available from Perseverance Records at 3000 copies, would it have already sold out? To me it seemed that "long lost" score was an instant sell out. There are numerous brilliant titles at only 1000 copies from Kritzerland that I can't believe are still around, but I think might have sold out if Intrada released them. Like; PRESSURE POINT by Ernest Gold. 1000 copies of Intrada's A CHILD IS WAITING sold out in no time. Pino Donaggio's ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE which in a way reminds me a little of the un-used score for THE CHINA SYNDROME which was gone in a blink of an eye here at Intrada. Sure it's two completely different movies and composers, but similar in what I'm trying to explain. Bruce bumped THE COUNTERFEIT TRAITOR by Alfred Newman up to 1500 copies thinking there would not be enough at 1000 and still there it sits. Kritzerland also re-released THE WAY WEST along with another score (not on the Intrada release) THE UNFORGIVEN, and it is still available. I know Quartet Records is still somewhat of a new player in all this, but LES PIANOS MÉCANIQUES by Georges Delerue was only 500 copies and took a while to sell out at their website, and is STILL available at SAE!!!!! Here at Intrada it seems a Georges Delerue score sells out in a flash. Maybe I'm crazy thinking this, but I do. Why I think it happens? I have no idea. I feel all four companies have GREAT customer service and excellent products.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE understand that I personally have nothing against these three companies of which I'm speaking. Nor am I trying to toot Intarad's horn. I frequently by scores from all four. I just wonder sometimes, what would be if certain titles were released by different companies. For me I do not care who puts the music out. I'm just grateful for what all these companies are bringing to us and can't wait for the next batch!

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Chris

There was a time when every Varese Club 1000 copy release sold out in one day. Even Magic Fire for gods sake (an old 50's mono album of Wagner arranged by Korngold, I wonder how many plays that one gets?). These are tough times.

Kinda odd about The War Wagon, especially since it's got one of the most infectious movie songs EVER (it was an earworm in me for weeks on and off when it was released, even before I got the actual CD...)

Another thing about 48hrs , is that it was released directly after X-mas when all the label had thrown out their years bigger titles and people were spent on those and other x-mas presents...
That may have something to do with it. When people see the "1 limited/customer" or that people are over exited for a title, I think more of the people that normaly hesitates to buy it, goes ahead and makes a purchase just because...
If a title gets badmouthed in a thread, people stand back and wait to buy it and some people were harsh against 48hrs (dont know why thou)
In my opinion 48hrs is one of Intradas top 5 CDs ever released (Rocky IV is another), and one of Horners best (along with Star Trek II, Aliens, Braveheart and Commando)
It´s a true 80´s gem that should have been sold out as fast as Predator (that´s how good it is), but people obviously were stuffed by this kind of greatness and that is their loss as they misses out on Horner when he is at his best...

_________________
I´VE COME HERE TO DRINK COCONUTS AND *censour*...AND I´M ALL OUT OF COCONUTS...

I´m a dirt merchant and a figure of your imagination