Universal’s BMB opportunity

[Mike]

If reissuing all the HA & TJB CD’s causes a stir in the music world – it would be nice if Universal wises up and follows suit by issuing re-masters of all the BMB albums on CD. I suppose this falls into the “to good to be true” category, but it doesn’t hurt to hope and dream.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Hey, who knows....if the entire Sergio Mendes catalog can be released, then anything is possible.

I have always wondered how much the BMB sold compared to the TJB. Half as much? A tenth as much? I would guess reissues would probably sell about the same percentage of what TJB reissues will sell.

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I dunno...the BMB only had one major hit, and that was in 1964. COMIN' IN THE BACK DOOR made it almost to the top 40; but if Pippin didn't get a renewed interest in the BMB, well...

And, some collections were made available shortly after Julius' untimely death...I'm afraid the market might be saturated. It would be nice to have them, though.


Dan

 

[thetijuanataxi]

They had to have sold at least as much as Claudine Longet and Chris Montez. And now since it's common knowledge that Julius Wechter played on all the Tijuana Brass recordings, I'm sure there would be some additional curiosity there. I bet they'd do better than many think.

David,
thinking that soon he will actually have a reason to shop for CDs.....

 

[daveK]

I can't imagine that Universal would take much interest in reissuing product such as BMB that doesn't appeal to the masses. However, I can certainly see them liscensing the material to an oldies oriented company like Collector's Choice (who has already issued some BMB material and may have the rights to do more) or Collectables. Both of those labels are famous for their "two-fer" series and have done reissues on much more obscure artists. I think BMB two-fers would work out nicely. Since Collector's Choice makes no bones about how much they like to have their customers make suggestions for stuff to reissue, maybe it wouldn't hurt if all the BMB fans at the forum dropped them a line letting them know how much we loved the BMB compilation that they did and request some more.

 

[jimac51]

During the existence of the Verve message board,the powers that be let everyone know that there was only one key to get into the vaults of Universal-$$$! Looking through Collectables catalog,it is rare(if at all) that a Universal collection comes under their name. Collectables seems to have deep relations with BMG and Sony(now together,as of today's merger-Bony) for their MOR artists and occasional forays into Atlantic's jazz holdings(odd,rarely anything else from Warner). And their relationship with EMI seems good-they have a "Priceless Music" series with a lot of Capitol artists. Collector's Choice,hosever,has more than a few Universal numbers under their label. What bothers me is that the BMB CD seems to always be on sale-they probably don't have the right to clear it out if it really is as slow a mover as I suspect. And,yeah,it is a shame,Universal(and Polygram at the time) missed out on the "lounge" fad big time-a great time for these wonderfully different recordings to have seen the light of day. Mac

 

[Rudy]

The only nod UMG gave to "lounge" were those ill-conceived various artists discs...basically, parts of it were music that should have stayed in the vaults. And I remember the one collection I had with a BMB song chose "Cast Your Fate To The Wind." Darn shame--there were far better BMB songs in the vault to choose, penned by Wechter or one of his bandmates, than a weak cover version of a song that was Vince Guaraldi's signature tune.

A big label like UMG is never going to release BMB product. If anything, the most we'd ever see is a compilation. (And that's already proven not to happen, since Collector's Choice already has a comp, as does Timeless Music.) The old problem of money. Their songs just don't get played much anymore, anywhere. Even the TJB songs show up in the occasional movie. The public has probably at least HEARD of the TJB before, where the BMB is probably all but forgotten except for longtime fans, and people who bought music in the 60s.

 

[DAN BOLTON]

CAST YOUT FATE TO THE WIND was one of my favorite BMB tunes...Which compilation was that, Neil? Is it still available? The only stereo copy I have of the song is a very poorly recorded file on my computer...love the piano, though, always thought it was Leon Russell...


Dan

 

[Harry]

Dan, that compilation with "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" by the Baja Marimba Band was called LOUNGE MUSIC GOES LATIN, one of a series of comps that PolyGram put out in the '90s. It's still available at amazon.com. Click on the picture to go there:


The other one I have is called BACHELOR PAD PLEASURES which has "Georgy Girl" by the BMB. Both of these comps have a few other tracks by A&M artists: Sergio, Chris Montez, etc.

Harry
...pointing the way, online...

 

[daveK]

It should be noted though, since Amazon doesn't list the artist's name next to the track "Surfin' Senorita" that it's not Herb's version, but a cover by The Mexicans. Still good though.

 

[Mr Bill]

The Mondo Lounge series was actually a Polygram release, prior to Uni's acqisition of the PG group... There are 3 CDs in the series, the two mentioned here and the third, a Christmas Disc... All three are still available, BTW.

--Mr Bill

 

[DAN BOLTON]

Dan, that compilation with "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" by the Baja Marimba Band was called LOUNGE MUSIC GOES LATIN, one of a series of comps that PolyGram put out in the '90s. It's still available at amazon.com. Click on the picture to go there:




Harry
...pointing the way, online...

Thanks, Harry. I just ordered it.


Dan

 

[Mike]

It’s a real shame that the BMB albums will probably never see the light of day as CD ‘s. Compilations are fine but are definitely no substitute for an original album. I’ve got ten A&M released BMB LP’s that I’ve transferred to CD and no compilation is ever going to come close to representing them. If the BMB recordings were some kind of borderline garbage it would be understandable, but their LP’s are some really good stuff. This is a frustrating situation…

There is no end to the albums that were reissued as CD’s that shouldn’t have been. Unlike the BMB, some recordings never should be let out of the vault. Maybe we should start a new topic: Reissues that never should have happened.