From jackd@netcom.com Wed Jun 23 13:31:54 1993 Received: from netcom3.netcom.com by wookumz.gnu.ai.mit.edu (5.65/4.0) with SMTP id ; Wed, 23 Jun 93 13:31:54 -0400 Received: by netcom3.netcom.com (5.65/SMI-4.1/Netcom) id AA19262; Wed, 23 Jun 93 10:32:27 -0700 From: jackd@netcom.com (jack decker) Message-Id: <9306231732.AA19262@netcom3.netcom.com> Subject: Any Robyn MIDI Files Available? To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu Date: Wed, 23 Jun 93 10:32:21 PDT X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11] Does anyone have any Robyn MIDI files in their possession? I've started Glass Hotel but it's slow going for one as musically challenged as myself. -- From ruppen@QAL.Berkeley.Edu Wed Jun 23 19:29:39 1993 Received: from nettlerash.Berkeley.EDU by wookumz.gnu.ai.mit.edu (5.65/4.0) with SMTP id ; Wed, 23 Jun 93 19:29:39 -0400 Received: from snowy.QAL.Berkeley.EDU by nettlerash.berkeley.edu (5.67.1/1.34.6) id AA12705; Wed, 23 Jun 93 16:27:56 -0700 Received: from henry.qal.berkeley.edu by snowy.qal.berkeley.edu (4.1/SMI-3.0DEV3.10) id AA16978; Wed, 23 Jun 93 16:20:25 PDT Date: Wed, 23 Jun 93 16:20:25 PDT From: ruppen@QAL.Berkeley.Edu (Andy Ruppenstein) Message-Id: <9306232320.AA16978@snowy.qal.berkeley.edu> To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu Subject: album sales Just out of morbid curiousity I decided to call A&M and see just how well Robyn does in sales. After setting a personal record of 5 transfers, and then being told they'd call me back, which to my surprise they actually did...here's the scoop. Laura Swanson of A&M's publicity dept. says the latest sales figures they have are this: Globe of Frogs: 120,000 Queen Elvis: 105,000 Perspex Island: 105,000 Respect: 50,000 I didn't ask, but presumably these are A&M sales only - I don't think they include whatever label he's on elsewhere (e.g. the UK). She didn't have figures for the two promo-only albums Live Death and Spectre, but when pressed said that 5-10K would be in the ballpark for those, but with around 5K being much likelier. She also volunteered that while the above sales weren't hits, they were something a label could be satisfied with, given that Robyn didn't need much studio time and had relatively low production costs. Another example on A&M she cited as having similar relatively sales figures but also successful because of low production costs was the group Blues Traveler. Don't think we could get the sales figure from Midnight/Glass Fish or Relativity (or Albion or Line or whatever BSDR is on), but Rykodisc's sales on the reissues should be available. yr. humble servant, Andy From Jemiah.Levon.Jefferson@altosax.reed.edu Wed Jun 23 22:50:41 1993 Received: from dharma.reed.edu by wookumz.gnu.ai.mit.edu (5.65/4.0) with SMTP id ; Wed, 23 Jun 93 14:43:56 -0400 Received: from 134.10.2.28 by dharma.reed.edu (/\==/\ Smail3.1.25.1 #25.21) id ; Wed, 23 Jun 93 11:43 PDT Message-Id: <15954@altosax.reed.edu> Date: 23 Jun 93 11:33:19 PDT From: Jemiah.Levon.Jefferson@altosax.reed.edu (Jemiah Levon Jefferson) Subject: private mystery...? To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu (society of dark birds) Thanks to all... That's funny, we have all those Robyn's that you listed. Hmmm. Must have been a deluded reviewer, then. oh well. eeyore From ruppen@QAL.Berkeley.Edu Wed Jun 23 23:03:27 1993 Received: from nettlerash.Berkeley.EDU by wookumz.gnu.ai.mit.edu (5.65/4.0) with SMTP id ; Wed, 23 Jun 93 14:36:57 -0400 Received: from snowy.QAL.Berkeley.EDU by nettlerash.berkeley.edu (5.67.1/1.34.6) id AA07426; Wed, 23 Jun 93 11:35:06 -0700 Received: from henry.qal.berkeley.edu by snowy.qal.berkeley.edu (4.1/SMI-3.0DEV3.10) id AA15702; Wed, 23 Jun 93 11:27:33 PDT Date: Wed, 23 Jun 93 11:27:33 PDT From: ruppen@QAL.Berkeley.Edu (Andy Ruppenstein) Message-Id: <9306231827.AA15702@snowy.qal.berkeley.edu> To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu, rewoicc@FLIC.erenj.com Subject: Re: private mystery >>20) Live Death, (1992)(promo-only) >if you mention this, you might as well mention _spectre_ as well (a promo >version of _respect_ with interviews and such throughout). OK, I'll mention Spectre now. Spectre. The reason I included Live Death as an album is because the songs are all new versions (all live), whereas on Spectre the amount of new musical material is trivial - Spectre has all of Respect, plus the spoken introductory explanations to each song. Musically, the only new material is different Driving Aloud (which is really the same take but a different vocal track), and a different mix of When I was Dead. In other words, to me one was a completely new album, whereas Spectre is pretty much near Respect. But this is quibbling, and both belong in a complete discography. Just to speculate for a moment... So this upcoming Soft Boy compilation by Rykodisc has been scheduled for a while. I mean, the stuff was recorded eons ago, so the recording isn't the problem. And the same basic number of track has been thrown around since January - 39. Which means, I suppose that it's fairly certain now which tracks are going to appear. Anyone know what's holding it up? My guess is that it's merely marketing. That is, Rykodisc probably didn't want to release it too close to the release of Respect for fear of saturating the market. But that's just a guess. My other theory is that the timing is Robyn's decision. Further speculation: he's said he wants some time off from music. Perhaps now that the tour's over (it is, isn't it?), he'll just go home and do his thing, meanwhile having Ryko issue the SB compilation partway into his break. And then further speculation, perhaps A&M issues some kind of compilation album (b-sides? hits?) also just to keep new material in the market while he's on sabbatical. I know the latter sounds more like my wish rather than any solid plan, but if they were going to do such a thing, the timing is right for them to do such. Anyone else read anything? Andy