FROM NOW TO THEN....AND BACK AGAIN

Big celebrations this week from the folks behind the long-running "Now That's What I Call Music" series of hits compilations as it reaches its 30th birthday. The brash and unruly child has now entered adulthood for real and despite all the changes since 1983, it still manages to sell more than 100,000 copies of each release. In these days of rapidly changing positions in the singles charts and a number 1 release rarely sitting on top of the heap for more than a week or two, it's good to see some degree of continuity at play.

The First Edition of Now That's What I Call Music

When that first edition hit the record stores it started a bit of a revolution. Unlike previous "hits" packages, this one was unique - it was backed by both EMI and Virgin and thus meant that a far wider choice of chart hits could be licensed for inclusion. More than that, most of the songs chosen had been big hits - and recent hits too, thus providing a cost-effective way for charts fans to acquire all their favourite songs. It did make for some odd bedfellows as bands such as The Smiths jostled for space alongside Genesis, Tina Turner and Kajagoogoo, but it did seem to be a pretty fair reflection of the charts. Now That's What I Call Music #1 had 11 number 1 hits across its four sides of vinyl - and as the months went by, future editions saw that proportion increase even more. Sales increased rapidly and  the series soon became a vital part of the UK music industry.  

As the format was such a winner, it gradually spread to other parts of the EMI/Virgin empire. Parallel series have now run successfully in many countries and, oddly enough for a British concept, performed very well indeed in the USA. The main series kicked off there in 1998 and this months' release (#48) features all the likely suspects such as Lady Gaga, Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey and Miley Cyrus.  

But whilst the Now series may be a key aspect of the music business, the idea of hit compilations is far from new. Indeed, compilations, be they hits or themes or "best ofs" have been a staple of the charts for many a year. To give a comprehensive view of the compilation story would take up more time and space than I have right now, but some key themes are worthy of a little exploration.

Top Of The Pops Volume #15 (1971) 

The UK precursor to Now was the Top Of The Pops series of LPs which first appeared on the Hallmark label in 1968. They were usually a single LP of hit songs, but it wasn't until buyers had got their record home that it became obvious that they were anonymous cover versions of their favourite hits. The LP cover highlighted just the names of the songs, usually assisted by a scantily clad model, and made no mention of the artists who knocked out the songs themselves. A house-band of sessions musicians provided most of the musical accompaniment with (then) young and unknown singers providing the vocals. Tina Charles, Trevor Horn and a certain Elton John were key contributors - and for some years, the format proved to be successful - especially as the LPs were sold at budget prices in chain stores such as Woolworths. The series finally came to an end in 1985, but many a dusty copy can still be found lurking in charity shops up and down the land. 

Island Sampler 1968
"You Can All Join In"

The late 60s also saw the flowering of a number of new, growing, independent record labels such as Island, Transatlantic and Vertigo. They hit on the idea of promoting their roster of bands through the release of compilation "samplers", single or double albums full of representative songs and sold at a discount price. Two of the most distinctive came from Island Records - 1968's "You Can All Join In" (which sold for the equivalent of 72p and featured tracks from Jethro Tull, Free, Traffic and Fairport Convention amongst others) and then in 1971, a fascinating double-album with the amusing title of "El Pea" and a cover which featured, obviously, a huge garden pea. This sold for £1.99 at a time when a typical double LP would have been £3.00 or more.

Island Records Sampler 1971
"El Pea"

These "samplers" served to promote the bands on a record label, the labels expecting to recoup the possible loss on income with increased sales of the albums "proper". Some years into a band's career, the label would seek to promote the band some more with a Greatest Hits release, even if the band was largely an albums act and the word "hit" might have passed them by. Sometimes, the issue of a Greatest Hits compilation was the sign that a band had jumped ship and joined a new label. The label wanted one more bite of the cherry before the hit-making money machine was out of their hands. Such is the case with The Rolling Stones when they left Decca Records in 1969 to start their own label with distribution backing from EMI. Numerous "Hits Packages" and compilations followed from Decca for most of the 1970s and until recent years, fans looking to buy a comprehensive Stones "Best Of" release would have found it nigh on impossible. It was only with the release of "Forty Licks" in 2002 that their whole career was brought together, such an achievement brought about by Decca and EMI/Virgin now being distributed by the Universal Group. 

The Rolling Stones - Forty Licks
The first comprehensive whole-career compilation of Rolling Stones hits

We've seen hit packages, samplers and band compilations so far -  and next on our list is another interesting phenomenon. This is the licensed compilation as released by music magazines and, occasionally, record store themselves. Some might see them as yet another way to squeeze cash from the consumer, but often, with intelligent curators at work, the releases added variety and interest to the market. Long-lost tracks and bands were rediscovered, new music was more widely promoted - and (it has to be said) the record stores and magazines saw their sales hold-up too. HMV, for example, produced a long-running series of CDs promoting new music and bands called "Playlist". They sold for £2.99 - free if a CD featuring one of the tracks was also bought -  and for a while

HMV's Playlist

managed to achieve their aim of bringing regular punters into HMV shops. Their frequency of issue started to decline though as downloading became more popular and the series was quietly dropped. The music press - as I've noted in previous blogs - has taken to producing cover-mounted CDs, some based on a thematic idea ("The Blues Routes of Led Zeppelin") whilst others have taken a similar approach as HMV's Playlist by promoting new music. I'm not sure how long these will survive in the download and You Tube era: the licensed tracks all seem to be the same as those that appear on that self-same You Tube or are offered at a discount (or indeed, for free) via Amazon or iTunes.  

The NME charity release
"Sgt Pepper Kmew My Father"

Finally for now, we shouldn't forget another related strand of musical compilation - the tribute album. This is worthy of a blog in its own right, but for now, we'll take a brief overview of some key aspects of them. Possibly the first widely known release was one produced by The New Musical Express back in 1988 in support of the Child Line charity. Released on vinyl it was a complete reworking of the Beatles' Sgt Pepper album called "Sgt Pepper Knew My Father". Bands such as Wet, Wet, Wet, The Christians, Sonic Youth and The Fall all added their take on those iconic songs and it sold very well indeed. More recently, artists have done their own tribute albums to bands that were part of their musical education, interesting examples including Canadian prog-rockers Rush with "Feedback" (covering amongst others, The Who, Cream, Love and The Yardbirds) and in the past 8 years, Matthew Sweet and

Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs
"Under The Covers Vol. 3 (2013)

one-time Bangles lead singer Susanna Hoffs have released three volumes of Under The Covers. It's a chance, I guess, for artists to name-check their influences, but it's a fine line to tread between the virtuous approach of tribute and the more cynical route of copyist. Indeed, some argue that artists resort to these tributes and covers compilations because they've run out of their own ideas and energy and it's an "easy" way to keep the income rolling. Perhaps there is something in that - and we'll certainly be turning to the whole idea of covers and tributes in a future blog.

In the meantime though, it's a Happy Birthday to the Now series and although it's often de rigeur to wish the recipient a further 30 years of success, I'm not so sure that this will necessarily be the case. Music purchase and distribution will continue to splinter and change and the whole idea of hundreds of thousands of people buying a fixed-format set of "hit" songs every four or five months does seem to me to be just a little passé.

But, I'll help in blowing the candles out - just as long as I can have my cake and eat it.

Alan Dorey

30th November 2013

     

ROUGH TRADE HITS NEW YORK AS UK 1000th ALBUM #1 IMMINENT

These are interesting times on both sides of the Atlantic.

This week sees not only the likely announcement of the 1000th #1 UK Album since the charts started in 1956, but also the opening of a 15,000 square foot Rough Trade record store in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. For those who are quick to denounce albums and record stores as passé, this might comes as surprising news. Whilst it's true that the days of nationwide record store chains and million selling albums are largely over, there is a growing renaissance for the better aspects of these long-standing features of the music industry. Recent blogs have covered the rebirth of HMV (Back To The Future For HMV) and the huge increase in vinyl album sales (Vinyl Sales Explode) and so it's only fitting we explore this phenomenon a little further.

58 Years And Counting

The UK's first #1 Album - July 1956

The UK album charts first appeared in 1956 when a grand total of five albums achieved inclusion on 28th July. The long playing record was still a relatively new beast: sales were reliant upon a British public, freshly emerged from the end of war-time rationing and having spare cash to not only buy albums but also the equipment to play them on. The first number one was a landmark release from Frank Sinatra, "Songs For Swinging Lovers", an album that continued his productive working relationship with Nelson Riddle. It stayed in the top spot for three weeks being replace by the Carousel sound-track in August. Increasingly, when albums hit number 1, they tended to stay there for a few weeks - and it wasn't unknown for a release to climb back up the charts and reoccupy that top spot. Indeed, it wasn't until the autumn of 1971 that the 100th different LP achieved number 1 status - this was John Lennon's second solo album after leaving The Beatles, "Imagine". That's a fifteen year gap and meaning an average occupancy at number 1 for each release of nearly 8 weeks.

John Lennon - Imagine - 1971

In the forty years since Imagine, several things have changed the focus within the album charts. Firstly, sales became more diverse with fans buying releases from a wider range of artists. Secondly, competing pressures from  TV and videos saw a different focus on what fans wanted. And thirdly, the CD revolution saw back catalogues becoming increasingly available in a handy format. This all led to much more volatility in the charts and, for example, the next 18 years saw 300 different albums at number 1, the average stay being cut to little more than 3 weeks. And, for the record, that 400th number one was Erasure's "Wild". By the time of the 700th (The Coral's "Magic & Medicine") in 2003, that stay had fallen to barely two weeks and we were witnessing the start of a new facet of chart structure. 

Jake Bugg "Shangrio La" - The UK's 1000th
#1 album?

Download sales had started  having an effect and the concept of "buying an album" was gradually being replaced by fans cherry-picking selected tracks and buying those individually. The net effect was that for a band to hit number 1, far fewer actual sales were now needed and this allowed a much wider range of acts to have their moment in the sun. The last 10 years has been a real roller-coaster ride and now, 10 years on from the 700th album, we are likely to see the 1000th this weekend. For the record, that release will have an average occupancy in the top slot of 1.7 weeks, the lowest figure yet. In 2012, UK album sales declined by over 11% and whilst that still means significant numbers are sold, it is a continuing downward trend. Vinyl is the success story, as we have seen, and in some ways, I liken the current state of the charts to -beer sales in the past 40 years. Here, a situation where a handful of huge breweries produced most of the UK's beer requirements has been replaced by one in which the big breweries are struggling and a vast range of 800 or more small, local breweries have sprung up providing craft ales that serve a discerning niche market. Sound familiar?

So, I'll raise a glass to the 1000th different album to hit number 1, be it Jake Bugg and his second album "Shangri La" or the current favourite, timed for the festive market, Stoke's very own Robbie Williams and "Swings Both Ways". 

Rough Trade New York

Rough Trade NYC - Getting Ready For Opening

I don't imagine that the 1000th UK number 1 album will be bothering the owners of Rough Trade, an iconic record label, management company and increasingly niche record store operator. Their expansion into the USA looks like a savvy move. Their New York store - handily placed in Brooklyn at the epicentre of a lively music scene - has taken their successful UK template and applied it to the Big Apple. They describe the store as a "Cultural Hub" and emphasise that it's "not about the price" (on-line is cheaper) but that "it's about the experience". This is clearly underlined by that UK template which means a funky store (a converted warehouse) with 15,000 square feet of space, a performance area with room for 250 spectators, a cafe and coffee area - and plenty of racks of vinyl, CD and associated musical wares. Rough Trade will never aspire to become a chain store with a downtown site in every city, but they will become a destination for music enthusiasts, backed up by an eclectic and effective website. 

Rough Trade Interior

I've said before that Rough Trade's Brick Lane store in London has caught the zeitgeist, so much so in fact that HMV's re-opening of their original flagship store on Oxford Street has adopted a similar pattern, albeit in a more diverse shopping area than the uber-cool Brick Lane. I truly hope that Rough Trade NYC works for the US market and unless music trends charge forward faster than Rough Trade can adapt, I see no reason why it won't. Vinyl sales - the icing on the cake in the sweet shop window - will prove an attraction and with many hip bands these days issuing their releases on vinyl, CD and download, there'll be a wide range of stock on hand. And whisper it quietly, vinyl is often sold at a premium price in view of its shorter production runs and higher manufacturing costs - so who wouldn't want to try and sell it whilst the fans are still interested?

Spinnaker Records on Main Street, Hyannis
A good small-town store

The rest of the USA may look on with interest, but unless something in addition to the popular annual Record Store Day is developed, the remaining record stores must surely have a precarious existence: their numbers have declined by over 35% in the last five years alone. Enthusiasts and fans will always ensure that selected niche stores survive, but when even the big-ticket chains are ditching music, there must be some cause for concern. Perhaps the right small-town model is a combination of new and used music, knowledge and service - all backed up with the "experience" you just can't get on line.

It'll be very interesting to see what happens next year.

((Post Script - 24th November: Needless to say my usual skills at predicting chart hits continued to fail me as the 1000th UK Album Chart #1 has turned out to be Robbie Williams, rather then my preferred choice, Jake Bugg. No doubt his bank manager will be a little happier now)).

Alan Dorey

23rd November 2013

THE ART OF VINYL

Who would have thought that on the cusp of 2014, flattened lumps of black plastic vinyl would become cool once more? It's hardly cutting-edge technology and is fraught with danger when in use - and yet, here we are, with twelve-inch vinyl record sales burgeoning and becoming rather popular in the process. (See previous blog for some of the sales figures: Vinyl Sales Explode)

For me, it was always the complete package that was of interest. The album sleeve, preferably a gate-fold, a lyric sheet (sometimes) and the occasionally witty (and often relentlessly dull) sleeve notes all adding to the aural delights to be found on the LP itself. And it seems that the continued growth of sales has encouraged an increasing interest in those album sleeves and their artwork . This month sees the publication of the nominees for the Best Art Vinyl Award 2013, an award started in small circumstances back in 2005 and now sharing a rising profile in tandem with that increase in LP sales. 

Best Art Vinyl 2013 - Displays

The award - like so many - isn't completely altruistic as it was launched by the Art Vinyl Company, a business that manufactures bespoke and expensive wall-mounted frames so that you can better "display your vinyl treasures". Needless to say, they "protect" the album sleeve from dust (I use plastic LP sleeves) and once displayed, have a "quick release mechanism" so that you can easily switch albums over without "removing the frame from the wall". Starting prices are £51 (which buys me four or five new LPs) and with gift packs and all the rest, I'm sure it's a profitable business. 

Best Art Vinyl Display Frames

In reality, the frames do look quite stylish - and the Best Art Vinyl Award does seem to have struck a chord this year as several media outlets have covered it, so I shouldn't knock it.

The Temper Trap- 2012 Winners

Previous winners have included The Temper Traps, The Klaxons and The Fleet Foxes, each of which were striking and distinctive examples of the visual packaging of an album and so much better presented on the full majesty of a 12 inch LP rather than a cramped CD or worse, a thumbnail image on a download site. This year's nominees present a fascinating variety of styles and techniques and when all 50 are viewed, it does make the heart soar somewhat with the inventiveness and skill with which the artists present their work. It's almost album-cover porn, somewhat like flicking through the pages of one of those glossy Taschen album-cover retrospectives where overload sometimes detracts from the immediacy of each image. But, it's a Good Thing and yet another demonstration that vinyl will have a future and prove to be somewhat more than the musical cul-de-sac that many predicted when download sales rocketed.

Here are a few of my select choices from this year's nominees:

Atoms For Peace and "Judge, Jury Executioner"

I've always been a fan of artwork that shows strong contrasts, and there's not much stronger than the simple, stark lines of black and white as shown here. It's almost like a woodcut in its intensity and certainly makes it stand out. 

White Lies and "Big TV"

This is a very painterly approach, you can almost see the brush strokes and the combination of a modern day image (a hi-tech helmet) and such bright colours works really well. Again, it's a distinctive image and one that draws you in to explore the contents some more.

Van Dyke Parks and "Song Cycled"

A great lyricist is presented here with a punning piece of artwork: the bold use of primary colours with sun-bleaching overlays is a wonderful cover and although perhaps borrowing a little from the style of, say, Hockney's Californian period, it's a cover that stays in the memory.

The Leisure Society and "All Aboard The Ark"

This stylised image reminds me a little of the 1950s painted posters commissioned by what was then British Railways, posters showing landscapes and scenery from train destinations on their network. Here, simple colours and blocks work extremely well to make this cover stand out.

Paul McCartney and "New"

With his best album in some years, it's only fitting that Macca has a cover to match. It won't win, it is quite derivative, but the vertical and horizontal bars that imply the title of the album is a neat piece of design.

Gabrielle Aplin and "English Rain"

I remember seeing the music press adverts for this release by singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin. There was something intriguing about the washed out grey and white background and the stark contrast of the joyous colour figure running across the cover. Some fine photography.

Babyshambles and "Sequel To The Prequel"

From an indie band with its heart in the 1990s comes an album cover that suggests that era too, a cover echoing The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays and yet lively and vibrant at the same time.

You can catch the full set of nominees right here (Best Art Vinyl 2013) and judge the range of covers for yourselves. If you're so taken, you can also vote for your top three and submit them on-line and who knows, your input might just help push vinyl album sales up a little bit higher.

Ultimately, vinyl is not the future, but it is an interesting cultural sidetrack and one which is fully deserving of support. If this sort of award can play its part, then we shouldn't ignore it. And who knows, maybe the wider public will notice the vinyl revival and see something good in a medium that had almost been confined to the pages of musical history.  

Alan Dorey

17th November 2013