Latest on MJJC

Is Sony hurting MJ's rep as an artist?

  • Thread starter Dangerous Incorporated
  • Start date

Dangerous Incorporated

Guests
Is Sony hurting MJ's reputation as an artist by re-re-releases and multiple compilations of the same material? To me it would seem that the average Joe would see all these compilations and think that Mike is just living off his past and cant come up with any new material. In fact Ive heard comments along those lines before. Of course we know new material is coming but Sony and are going to release another Greatest Hits of songs of our choosing (which if Im choosing then there shouldnt be one!!) and this to me is also too close to MJs new album coming out along with T25 already been released this year. I know it gets MJs name out there but personally I feel that instead of re-re-releasing CDs, Sony should be releasing the multiple of DVDs that could be made. You look at Madonna and Prince (plus many other artists) and they have plenty of concerts and music video DVDs to keep their fans happy and the biggest artist in the world who has made wonderful videos like Captain Eo, Moonwalker (not released on DVD in US), Ghosts plus concerts from all eras and none of this is available? Why doesnt MJ who owns half of Sony realize this and force them to release this material?
 
Dangerous Incorporated said:
Is Sony hurting MJ's reputation as an artist by re-re-releases and multiple compilations of the same material? To me it would seem that the average Joe would see all these compilations and think that Mike is just living off his past and cant come up with any new material. In fact Ive heard comments along those lines before. Of course we know new material is coming but Sony and are going to release another Greatest Hits of songs of our choosing (which if Im choosing then there shouldnt be one!!) and this to me is also too close to MJs new album coming out along with T25 already been released this year. I know it gets MJs name out there but personally I feel that instead of re-re-releasing CDs, Sony should be releasing the multiple of DVDs that could be made. You look at Madonna and Prince (plus many other artists) and they have plenty of concerts and music video DVDs to keep their fans happy and the biggest artist in the world who has made wonderful videos like Captain Eo, Moonwalker (not released on DVD in US), Ghosts plus concerts from all eras and none of this is available? Why doesnt MJ who owns half of Sony realize this and force them to release this material?
Click to expand...

:clapping: Wholeheartedly agree, specially on the bolded parts.
 
I agree Dangerous. They should have been encouraging and promoting his NEW material just as much. It is a shame that they didn't promote or invest in Vince more....
 
I completely agree, there's no need for all these greatest hits and re-released greatest hits packages. It wouldn't bother me if Sony were releasing rare and unreleased tracks, but everyone has already heard all these songs before. They need to promote the new stuff, and leave the old stuff alone.
 
Exactly.

Release some DVDs, ya morons!

Like the BAD TOUR!!!
 
I agree! it's beyond ridiculous how many remixes and re-releases they've released
 
constant re-release of music is very stupid in a PR standpoint.. All Sony is looking out for is $$$$$..

But they don't want to pay attention to the fact if they do some good PR for Michael, they will make more $$$$...

You can re-release things all day.. There will be SOMEONE to buy it. But it destroys it's value..

Take this for an example.. If there was not all ready multiple 'Best Of's' and 're-releases'.. THRILLER 25 would have sold much more..

So as a short term goal, re-releases are benificial, but in the long run, it does only negitive.. Because the BIG projects take a lag for it.

And the BIG projects are the things that get looked at, and determine peoples acceptance towards an artist. NOT a 'best of' one of many..

Instead of taking the time and energy to create another 'best of's' they should be spending the time and energy to be releasing Michaels NEW album..

They should be thinking of more creative ways to promote MICHAEL as an artist..

They should be doing the ground work while Michael is preparing the album.. Instead, I see MICHAEL doing it all..

The amount a 'best of' will make them is SO little compared to the various benfits that would come from PROMOTING Michael as an artist..

And once MJ is being promoting MJ as an artist, people will forget about MJ as the medias image..

The stronger the artists WORK is the lesser the impact the media has.. That is not just the quality of work.. But the FOCUS towards that artist, is his/her work.. Not who he/she slept with, where they ate, where they got drunk.. If the record label FOCUSES on the WORK.. The media has less effect. And when the media has less effect, the artists does better, and sells better... SONY would end up winning that way anyways.

There are a lot of artists that continue doing bad things, but they just get quickly mentioned because the label and manegement is doing a good job straying there attention to the artists work.. And not by giving them more of what they have..

That's by creating NEW things to talk about.. (WORK WISE)

I mean because of MJ's work he's doing.. we get rumors like..

* MJ plans tour
* MJ releases album in Augest
* J5 reunion

Now if SONY would create an artistic stur... They would create more talk about his WORK.. not his LIFE.. That's just the way it works.. It wont STOP rumors, but it will divert them to be more positive, and end up working FOR the artist and record label.
 
I was at a CD store yesterday and The Essentials Collection, Number Ones and all the Special Editions were being sold for $10 (where the average album is sold for $30 here in Oz) @ more than one store! MJ's music has been devalued. Before the releases of Thriller, Thriller was selling for $30 20 years later because it was MJs biggest selling album still and Sony could the money for it.
 
Last edited:
sony doesn't care it's cheap to constantly rerelase stuff the more they sell it cheaper the more copies they sell to jane and joe blow.
 
Creating more 'Best Of's' destroy the value of a song....

It becomes like a handy down... the more it's re-released in 'Best Of's' the worth of that song becomes that much less valuable..

PLUS, I personally want people to buy THRILLER to get the songs on there.. Buy BAD to get the songs on there.. etc... Help there sales, and promote THOSE albums.. Not take pieces of them, and scatter them throughout different albums for cheap profit.

It's like taking a master piece and sticking your finger in it..

Like taking 5 great paintings.. They are all great, but what happens if you take, the hand from painting #1 and put it with painting #2's arm, and #3's body..

That masterpiece has now been disfigured.. Has many essentials from great pieces, but lacking the essential pieces to create the real picture..
 
Dangerous Incorporated said:
Is Sony hurting MJ's reputation as an artist by re-re-releases and multiple compilations of the same material?
Click to expand...

I don't think they are hurting his reputation. If anything, they are providing variety for consumers (as each compilation is slightly different) and this sort of thing is done with other artists as well. It's really not that unusual to see this, imo. I have 3 different Best of compilations of the Bee Gees and 2 of them are double disc sets. I actually discovered songs I wasn't very familiar with due to me buying songs I WAS familiar with. If anything, I think it just opens up the options to people who are finding their way to MJ now. New fans are being created all the time. They have a choice about what they want to buy and which group of songs appeal to them. I don't think they expect us diehards who own whole albums to run out and buy each of these things. In that respect, I don't think they are hurting his reputation. I sorta kinda disagree with you on that particular point, altho I can see HOW you and others would think it's harmful and cheapens his brand.

To me it would seem that the average Joe would see all these compilations and think that Mike is just living off his past and cant come up with any new material. In fact Ive heard comments along those lines before.
Click to expand...

There's not much you can do about ignorance. Anyone who thinks that just doesn't understand marketing and business. I've never heard this about any of the other artists who put out umpteen copies of Best Of and Greatest Hits material and they haven't put out anything new in decades or more. Michael has been putting out new material along with his Best of collections. The only reason the gap is so big between new releases now is the trial. Anyone with any sense of compassion and understanding, I think, would realize it's taking a while for a reason and these things simply fill the gap for "some". And Michael himself has said he's working on something new. So, I feel anyone still thinking he's living off his past work and can't come up with new material is just ignorant. Can't really say much more to that in a nicer way....imho, of course.

Of course we know new material is coming but Sony and are going to release another Greatest Hits of songs of our choosing (which if Im choosing then there shouldnt be one!!) and this to me is also too close to MJs new album coming out along with T25 already been released this year.
Click to expand...

Well, I don't think people are going to choose one over the other. If the new music is fantastic, a compilation of old songs isn't going stop people from buying new stuff. If anything, when they go out to buy the new stuff, they'll pick up something old at the same time. And they have a variety of options to pick from. Imo, I don't think the older stuff has any bearing on the new. The new stuff will have to hold up on its own. I could see if he was flooding the market with NEW product like a lot of artists release new albums almost every year and you actually get sick of hearing them, even if the music is good (overexposure) but I think becuz there's been nothing new (unless you count remixes) Michael doesn't have to worry about competing with himself in THAT way. However, I can see how you think there would be a conflict with all the different "oldie" products. At the same time, if you aren't interested in the product, just don't buy it. I don't think it's right to tell a company not to bother cuz you aren't interested. Someone else might be. I don't think it's fair to deny another consumer another option. Just look at how Number Ones shot up the charts along with T25. People like options. I say let them have it.

I know it gets MJs name out there but personally I feel that instead of re-re-releasing CDs, Sony should be releasing the multiple of DVDs that could be made. You look at Madonna and Prince (plus many other artists) and they have plenty of concerts and music video DVDs to keep their fans happy and the biggest artist in the world who has made wonderful videos like Captain Eo, Moonwalker (not released on DVD in US), Ghosts plus concerts from all eras and none of this is available? Why doesnt MJ who owns half of Sony realize this and force them to release this material?
Click to expand...

This is only point I completely agree with you on. I think there's a lot of things that aren't being offered that could/should be. However, we don't know the reasons those things aren't. There could be reasons involving ownership and/rights. Michael's music is his. He can pretty much approve for it to be released in any way, shape or form he wants for as many times as he likes. BUT when you're dealing with footage/videos/concerts/ those things may be a little more tricky. If he doesn't own it outright, he has to get the proper permissions to release those things. And who knows if he's tried and has been denied or things have been made rather difficult and/or expensive for him to do so. What other reason could it be? As you mentioned, other artists seem to release these things with ease. He's the biggest artist in the world, (that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it) so MAYBE Michael is having a harder time. Otherwise, I agree with you, it doesn't make sense WHY it hasn't happened thus far. We are definitely suffering in the official DVDs department. :weeping:
 
Last edited:
not at all MJ controls MJ and he allows what gets put out period. MJ can do what he wants if he wants to.

labels are designed to milk you anyway they can period. it's the deal you sign and Sony ain't even did MJ half the way that motown did.
 
^ Michael is not in control of what is put out.. He's in control of what he promotes..

best of's are released all the time without the artist even knowing about it.. an artist can try to fight it from being released, but not much can be done from the label making it's money...

Do you think MJ really was thinking about releasing Essencials?? just 2 or so weeks after the trial ended??? NO!! Sony wanted to make profit of MJ being in the spotlight..

It takes a lot of time for an artist to even have the right to chose what type of music they do, and have creative control over there image... let alone when a album is released.. A "Best Of's" at that.
 
Last edited:
KOPV said:
^ Michael is not in control of what is put out.. He's in control of what he promotes..

best of's are released all the time without the artist even knowing about it.. an artist can try to fight it from being released, but not much can be done from the label making it's money...

Do you think MJ really was thinking about releasing Essencials?? just 2 or so weeks after the trial ended??? NO!! Sony wanted to make profit of MJ being in the spotlight..

It takes a lot of time for an artist to even have the right to chose what type of music they do, and have creative control over there image... let alone when a album is released.. A "Best Of's" at that.
Click to expand...

KOPV, do you have a copy of Essentials with you? If anyone has a copy, can they flip it over and see who Executive Produced it or if there's any credits on that CD? :unsure: Thanks.

And MJ did release The Ultimate Collection DURING the trial. I'm not sure what he would think about something being released after he was acquitted.
 
Last edited:
^ I never baught it Essencials...

but I can do some research..

I'll be back
 
ULTIMATE COLLECTION came out before the trial.. The trial began Jan. 2005... And it was released because MICHAEL had to release 6 album deal.. meaning he needed to release 6 pieces of work with new material before his contract expired..

Those 6 albums with new material within the 15 year contract 1991-2006 are:

Dangerous
HIStory
Blood On The Dance Floor
Invincible
Number Ones
Ultimate Collection

He was obligated to do SOMETHING with SONY, and at the time he did not want to be with SONY.. So before the trial got started, he got that last project out of the way...



Essentials is a album SERIES that sony does.. There one for several artists..
I could not find the credits for it.. But it's something SONY does..
 
Last edited:
KOPV said:
ULTIMATE COLLECTION came out before the trial.. The trial began Jan. 2005... And it was released because MICHAEL had to release 6 album deal.. meaning he needed to release 6 pieces of work with new material before his contract expired..

Those 6 albums with new material within the 15 year contract 1991-2006 are:

Dangerous
HIStory
Blood On The Dance Floor
Invincible
Number Ones
Ultimate Collection

He was obligated to do SOMETHING with SONY, and at the time he did not want to be with SONY.. So before the trial got started, he got that last project out of the way...



Essentials is a album SERIES that sony does.. There one for several artists..
I could not find the credits for it.. But it's something SONY does..
Click to expand...


TUC still came out during the allegations. The trial didn't officially start til 2005, but Michael was arrested in 2003. 2004 was no walk in the park with all the pre-trial reports and whatnot floating around. He had all sorts of issues to deal with, including his fight with Debbie about the kids.

I missed mistermaxx's post earlier, but I have to agree. I think it depends on the type of deal Michael has with Sony. I don't think any of his music could be released without a smidgen of his permission "somewhere". Now, Motown can do what they like without his permission becuz Michael had no rights there. He owned nothing. He did no writing, no producing, nothing. They owned everything. I choose to believe someone who understands music publishing enough to purchase the ATV catalog would not sign a contract with a company that allowed them more control over his music than he had. The Jacksons were well aware of how important it was to have control over their own stuff which is why they left Motown to begin with. Has Michael ever said to anyone that something was released without his permission...other than singles. I know record companies DO have control over which singles are released, but entire compilations of a "songwriter/executive producer's" work, I dunno. Then again, I am clueless about all this. It just doesn't sound right to me UNLESS that is the sort of deal he signed...that Sony can forever and ever release his work without his permission in as many formats and languages as they want and he has no say-so and *ahem* doesn't make a dime. I just don't see it. It's highway robbery, if true.
 
To a degree, yes they are but it's like he's a nostalgia artist to the general public now. He ain't put out an album in seven years so immediately people wonder if he's done with it all. It won't stop until Mike finally opens the press junket with the new album.
 
that might be true if he was like any other nostalgia artist and his music was like any other nostalgia music, but it's not.
 
Last edited:
I've been thinking about this for a while myself.....I don't find it good publicity at all.

Just recently, my uncle brought me the Essential MJ (he knows I'm a big fan), and for some reason, I just stood there, looking at it, with no reaction at all. I just couldn't help thinking: "I've already bought these songs 1 million times before :mello: " He was a little surprised that I didn't start jumping around like I usually did when he gave me MJ merchandise, lol, but now it just gave me the feeling that I was playing along with Sony's plans...

I do hope MJ's NEW album will be out sometime soon, I long to hear new music and to see him up there in the charts again :(
 
this happenes with every artist and it will happen even more when you are the most successful. i dont know why fans think it such a big deal go in any record shop and see all the G.H's. aslong as theres a market then albums will be released.and there will always be a market for mjs music.if it makes one person go out and buy mj records off the back of buying a G.Hts then its a good thing.
 
MJ owns the publishing rights of his music, so I think he has to agree to any project. He's just as much to blame. And Sony can't release any new music without MJ delivering and he ain't delivering, so this will not stop.
 
a recent qoute from my Dad: " MJ is tired now and he just want to make money, look at all your cd's how many songs there repeat themselves, you're wasting your money, boy"
 
cryingangel said:
I've been thinking about this for a while myself.....I don't find it good publicity at all.

Just recently, my uncle brought me the Essential MJ (he knows I'm a big fan), and for some reason, I just stood there, looking at it, with no reaction at all. I just couldn't help thinking: "I've already bought these songs 1 million times before :mello: " He was a little surprised that I didn't start jumping around like I usually did when he gave me MJ merchandise, lol, but now it just gave me the feeling that I was playing along with Sony's plans...

I do hope MJ's NEW album will be out sometime soon, I long to hear new music and to see him up there in the charts again :(
Click to expand...
If you have got the songs already, then the album is not for you. There are many young people growing up that have never had the album. I have 2 J5 compilation. I bought them both even thought they are very similar because each of them have different songs that I like very much. It gives people who want to buy the album a choice. MJ fans who have the album needn't go out and buy it again. Let the new comers buy the albium.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top