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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 16, 2023 12:59:35 GMT
I am very happy to announce that my new album with Chaz Jankel will be released on Friday 19th January 2024  Shine On Michael    |
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 16, 2023 13:22:13 GMT
For those not aware of Chaz's work....
Chaz Jankel was the musical director, co-writer & co-founder of 'Ian Dury & the Blockheads' and he’s the man who put the funk into punk! Having written 17 film scores and among others, hit record ‘Ai No Corrida’ for Quincy Jones, Chaz is a multi talented musician and a major artist in his own right.
Shine On
Michael
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Post by bonzo on Sept 16, 2023 13:33:33 GMT
What format(s) did you decide on Michael?
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 16, 2023 14:27:07 GMT
John, Having talked to and tried to negotiate with various record labels/companies in recent months, who in most cases do very little these days as they rely on the artists to do their job for them, we decided to release the album on my own label, Knife Edge Records. We have worldwide distribution through the UK's leading independent distributor, Proper Music Distribution, so it's really not much different to being with a label, except we pay all manufacturing and promotional costs up front, which is what record label advances used to be.
It will initially be released on CD and of course all streaming and download platforms. We will see how it goes and only manufacture vinyl LPs if it looks like we can sell enough to make it worthwhile. Manufacturing LPs is brutally expensive and totally impractical to take on the road. I know that some people like them, but that initial outlay has to come from somewhere.
Leading up to the summer tour dates with Mitra I needed to have product to sell at the venues, and everyone in the industry and the media advised me not to waste my time on CDs and to get LPs manufactured. For the reasons stated above I decided to go with CDs and we sold hundreds of them. So much so that I was worried we might run out. Yesterday I was talking to a friend who is in his 20s and plays with an upcoming indie rock band, and throughout the summer playing at festivals and venues around the UK and Europe, CDs outsold vinyl by more than twenty to one. Another friend of mine recently touring in the summer lost more than a hundred LPs because they warped in the heat in their van.
I have come to the conclusion that quite a few of the artists selling their albums on vinyl format are doing so for the vanity of it, because it cannot be viable for them.
So while we are not in any way against manufacturing and selling LPs, AKA vinyl, we are treading cautiously because of the expense involved in producing them.
Shine On
Michael
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Post by bonzo on Sept 16, 2023 14:53:16 GMT
Thanks for the information Michael, congratulations on the completion of a project that you have worked so hard on 👏👏.
When do we get a taster and pre order form!
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Post by mitchfit on Sept 16, 2023 16:42:40 GMT
MM,
[IMO]
good call on the CD vs vinyl. have heard the idea promoted that a new LP will have better fidelity than a CD.
how many times that would be true depends on a super quality, well set up and maintained turn table.
a larger consideration would surely be well maintained vinyl.
might be true about the superior absolute fidelity, speculated the kid who doesn't have the electro/mechanical means to compare analog reproduction wave forms with a 48kHz sampling rate.
another consideration is--how many would-be customers have the big dollar stereo equipment at home that can utilize and/or the speakers that can faithfully reproduce the higher quality signal difference?
please post where and who to buy CDs from,
mitchfit
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 16, 2023 17:07:31 GMT
John, Thank you for your kind words. There will be tasters! Between now and the 27th October there will be two singles released on social media, pushed out to the media, and of course on here. These will be tracks from the album that are used for what I call promotional purposes. The first will be in a couple of weeks from now. Then on the 27th, day of album release, we release a focus track and video, which is what you and I call a single. That will be pushed everywhere and placed into numerous playlists on streaming platforms, Spotify, Apple Music...etc. Meanwhile there's lots to do because six weeks is not far away.
As for pre-orders - Yes I guess we should set that up so they are mailed out to arrive on the 27th October.
Meanwhile, I had better get my act together as there's a lot going on!
Shine On
Michael
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 16, 2023 17:15:43 GMT
Mitch, I agree with what you are saying about needing good equipment to hear LPs properly. I feel the same about CDs and have always enjoyed listening to really good hifi systems. The main thing is that people listen to music, whether it's on a portable player, their phone and a bluetooth speaker, the car...etc, just as long as they listen to music.
The album will be available direct from me via my website, and also through all major online music stores and many independent stores. It will be released on your side of the pond, but that may not happen on the 27th October.
Shine On
Michael
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Post by bonzo on Sept 16, 2023 17:17:07 GMT
Good stuff 👏 👍, you're obviously well excited.
I think my system could handle the vinyl album if one did turn up!
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 16, 2023 17:22:00 GMT
John, This is my eleventh album and it is still an exciting process because finally after all that work, the music has a life of its own and goes out into the world.
Shine On
Michael
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Post by ken1953clark on Sept 16, 2023 20:11:22 GMT
So, should be some copies at Pocklington?
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 16, 2023 20:23:07 GMT
So, should be some copies at Pocklington? Definitely. You won't be allowed to leave without one! Shine On Michael |
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Post by jono1uk on Sept 17, 2023 0:19:09 GMT
Good stuff 👏 👍, you're obviously well excited. I think my system could handle the vinyl album if one did turn up! so there is 2 copies of vinyl needed! |
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Post by leeophonic on Sept 17, 2023 11:33:30 GMT
Good to hear that some new product is out there, I will take what ever is available, eight track videodisc beta max. My preferred choice is vinyl however a cd will suffice for now. A couple of coincidences is whilst lapping up the sun in Corfu this summer I was finishing off the Ian Dury biography and the references to Chas come thick and fast, he is really a Funk man from what I can make out so it will be interesting to see who influenced who with regards the new album. When I finished the book I left it in the hotel lobby where there was a sort of book exchange to see if there were any other musos who may take the bait, sure enough it was gone after several days, so who when and where it is now who knows. Just checking my existing back catalogue of Michaels I do have some existing Vinyl 1988 Diving Duck release on PT records, also most of everything else on CD, even the collaborations with Ted Hawkins and some promo stuff for Guitar magazines which was with a young Pete Webber??? I must confess though the Mitra is not my thing so have not contributed to the success of that but who knows never say never. Must brush my teeth or is it just awaiting with baited breath..... Lee Old Promo poster from the archives  |
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Post by slide496 on Sept 18, 2023 20:32:47 GMT
Congratulations on the Album moving forward!
H
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