new archive blog

[redbull]

It's almost summertime here in Chicago! I want to give you your weekly update from the archives. I'm very glad to see that there is a lot of excitement in the air since I announced that we are going to a fan club model instead of a $300 subscription service. We're looking at all the different aspects at what the 'fan club' will entail. We don't just want it to be like every other band's fan clubs. This is going to be very special and unique. We also want the fan club and archive releases to be a great value too. Value is important these days. I just saw that Prince announced a new box set. The box set contains a purple iPod Touch loaded with a 40-minute movie and 15 audio tracks from his 21 Nights concerts. The price is $2,100. They're offering a limited edition iPod as the main draw of the package. We're going to focus on content. We are looking to try to give you the best value possible, versus what else is out there. This is a journey that we are going on with all of you. This isn't about the music business; this is about the band having a relationship with the hardcore fans.

I've been getting a lot of comments from fans that are interested in digital releases for the archives. We are going to put out releases in limited edition physical forms, but we are also exploring digital options too. If we release a show in MP3 form, we may only put up the best tracks from that show. In that scenario, if you want the complete show, you can buy the physical release. The sales trends on digital MP3 releases show that people pick and choose the tracks they want to listen to. There are a lot more people who buy individual tracks of an album or a show, than the people who buy the complete MP3 version of a release. Another reason why we might do this is that it would give the fans who buy the physical releases a bonus by having the complete show. We are also exploring the option to have a compilation of these tracks available to other music stores like iTunes. This would also give you the ultimate choice on what you want to buy. Let's say we put out a show from '89, and you were only interested in hearing an early version of Rhinoceros. That track could be available in MP3 format, and you can purchase that track instead of buying the whole show. This would also save the shipping costs for international fans who only want certain tracks. What are your thoughts on this?

We are in the process of compiling band photos for these archival releases. When we put up an announcement last year asking for photos and materials from the Gish era, we didn't get too many responses. We are still interested in what you have from the Gish era, 1988-1992. If you have photos of the band, please contact me. We are interested in any negatives that you may have. We will even pay you $500 if we use it! My e-mail is at the bottom of the page. There is a lot of work going into the fan club and the archival releases. You're going to see unreleased pictures and footage from the very beginning of the band.

I want to touch on the eBay idea that I mentioned in the blog last week. We are in the process of clearing out some of the old materials from the band. There is going to be a wide variety of material available for sale. The idea is to provide fans a chance to get authentic SP memorabilia. Taking a quick glance on eBay, there are quite a few fake autographs, passes, and other merchandise. There will be very unique items too, like furniture from the old Pumpkinland. I'll keep you all updated in our progress on that. Keep your comments rolling in, and I'm especially interested in working out a nice balance regarding the topic of digital releases.

Frank
frank@smashingpumpkins.com

are they fucking retarded? they're going to release partial mp3 versions of shit they're putting out on cd? Is it 2001 again?

[Elvis The Fat Years]

furniture on ebay, huh?

for fucks sake.

[My Blue Heaven]

OMG THEY CANT B SERIUS BOWT ANY DIS

OMG OMG

[Elvis The Fat Years]

is your caps lock broken, my blue heaven?

[Brute Squad]

b0lly must be hard up for cash if he's resorting to ebay

[Cool As Ice Cream]

I don't understand why they think it's better to only make incomplete things available in mp3. Why not put the whole thing up for sale?
And then the people who aren't interested in the full set can still buy just the mp3s they want. And other people can buy the whole set in mp3, instead of being forced to buy the cd they don't want, or to download the thing illegally, with the excuse that they'd pay for it if it was available.

[Sebastian]

Originally Posted by Cool As Ice Cream

I don't understand why they think it's better to only make incomplete things available in mp3. Why not put the whole thing up for sale?
And then the people who aren't interested in the full set can still buy just the mp3s they want. And other people can buy the whole set in mp3, instead of being forced to buy the cd they don't want, or to download the thing illegally, with the excuse that they'd pay for it if it was available.

Exactly. On the one hand Frank is talking about how this is all about the hardcore fans and on the other hand they're going to only sell individual tracks online. That doesn't add up. And what about the FLACs?

[wHATcOLOR]

this is like amateur hour, except it's a weekly thing. Frank "Rat Bastard" Quinto, quintessential b-teamer

[Shallowed]

Not sure why people are kicking up a stink about only a selection of songs from each show being available for download. If you want the whole thing, you get a CD with it. Doesn't sound too shabby to me. My guess is nearly everyone here would want entire shows anyways.

Obviously they're very open to suggestions, otherwise we wouldn't have gone from $300/200 songs to $40/fan club membership. I suggested that those who buy the CD can download the whole show for free while they wait for their cd(s) to arrive in the mail.

[Cool As Ice Cream]

the biggest criers for digital downloads aren't the people who only want one or two songs. they want the whole thing, but they don't care about cds, since they only listen to music on their mp3 player or whatever. so they prefer downloads over cds, because cds are redundant for them and only make the whole thing more expensive.
"if you want the whole thing, you get a cd with it" isn't going to convince them at all.

if i were one of them, and i heard about the cunning plan to leave out some stuff from the digital releases, i'd say fuck it, and decide to download everything illegally, but complete.

[Mo]

This is getting worse and worse.

[Shallowed]

Like I said, I'm guessing that most of you guys would buy the whole shows with the CDs anyway. Either I was wrong about saying that, or you guys are passionately sticking up for the little guys who just want to download the whole show.

[Mo]

Don't guess.

[Shallowed]

No point guessing the unpredictable..

[Luke de Spa]

maybe you should just stop posting

[Cool As Ice Cream]

DING DING DING!

[T&T]

my theory:
they'll only print cd's if ~100 people pay up and buy the cd, in which case they'll get the 2500$ it costs to master it, knowing it'll get ripped and shared online. otherwise the cd is never gonna get mastered & printed.
the "sample" mp3's are probably just to get feelers out so people can demand and pay for entire shows.

my numbers are just guesses.
but you can extrapolate the business plan. uke:

[Shallowed]

Originally Posted by Luke de Spa

maybe you should just stop posting

Maybe?

I thought you were more certain about your feelings on that matter.

[Sebastian]

Originally Posted by Pasta of Muppet

Not sure why people are kicking up a stink about only a selection of songs from each show being available for download. If you want the whole thing, you get a CD with it. Doesn't sound too shabby to me. My guess is nearly everyone here would want entire shows anyways.

Right, but I'd actually prefer FLAC downloads over CDs as I fear CDs would be more expensive than a download (especially if you add shipping costs). Since I'm hoping for quite a number of releases, that price difference could soon add up to a huge amount of $$$.

[Shallowed]

Again, Quinto is open to suggestions, it says it right there at the bottom of the newsletter.

[Slurpee]

Originally Posted by Pasta of Muppet

Not sure why people are kicking up a stink...

Obviously they're very open to suggestions,

Obviously you just don't understand the internet.

[Hypocaust]

Originally posted by quinto:


A few things to talk about.

When I talked about doing physical releases only, a large amount of you spoke up about wanting to buy digital releases/not wanting to pay shipping costs overseas, etc. From our perspective, we have to look at if we offer digital tracks, will that cut down on the number of people who would buy physical releases? We are getting into the business of selling physical relesaes. I'm talking with 3rd party companies to set that up. When I mention that we're looking at unique and special things, I mean that the releases will have special packaging. We're not going to sell you an iPod pre-loaded with 15 tracks. The CD's will be priced within reason. Pretty competetive with other artists, but they won't be cheap CD-R's either. You'll get a good value with these. We're not going to cut corners. Also, the releases will be professionally mixed/mastered with respect to the quality of the tapes. Some releases won't sound the best, but they'll be released because of historical significance.

Think of these as volumes in the ultimate SP box set.

As for the eBay thing. That won't be part of the fan club/archival releases. It is part of my job as the band's archivist to go through and sort that out. I'm being open about that, and letting you know the details because I know there is a group of fans that are interested in it.

Lastly, The reason why we're going through all the models with all of you is that we want this to work. I haven't even been here 2 months, and it's not like we can release something tomorrow. It takes a lot of planning to make this right. Just think that if we didn't go through the process of gathering feedback from all of you, and we announced that we're doing the $300 for 200 songs model. We wouldn't be very successful, and you wouldn't be very happy. I know that this is a tedious process, but just bear with us.

I think the quote is... "if we all work together..." something something. I forgot who said that quote, but it was a good one.

Well, at least the guy has a sense of humour.

[Villarelo]

Originally Posted by Sebastian

Right, but I'd actually prefer FLAC downloads over CDs as I fear CDs would be more expensive than a download (especially if you add shipping costs). Since I'm hoping for quite a number of releases, that price difference could soon add up to a huge amount of $$$.

agreed, every physical release should also be completly release in FLAC. Paying S&H costs for CDs or whatever will be unaffordable.

[mickyshambles]

Originally Posted by Sebastian

Exactly. On the one hand Frank is talking about how this is all about the hardcore fans and on the other hand they're going to only sell individual tracks online. That doesn't add up. And what about the FLACs?

bingo. listen up, quinto.

[mickyshambles]

Originally Posted by Pasta of Muppet

Again, Quinto is open to suggestions, it says it right there at the bottom of the newsletter.

that guy can stick my suggestion up his mum.

[Reyngel]

Why are they selling old furniture? Why not just give it away to fans in contests or something? I can understand the selling of music, but furniture? Furniture that the band never even cared about?

Maybe Billy really has reached the point where his money's starting to disappear. I'm not saying he's broke, but he probably isn't making the amount of money needed to satisfy the lifestyle he's grown accustomed to, like mansions, Ferraris, high-end equipment and plane tickets around the world. It seems like he's selling literally everything he can find that has any connection to the Pumpkins. Old backstage passes, autographs, door stops, napkins, old receipts, and maybe even old tampons from D'arcy.

[mickyshambles]

i don't think bill should just give his furniture away. maybe give james stuff away, but not bill's.

[suncrashesdown]

Originally Posted by Reyngel

Maybe Billy really has reached the point where his money's starting to disappear. I'm not saying he's broke, but he probably isn't making the amount of money needed to satisfy the lifestyle he's grown accustomed to, like mansions, Ferraris, high-end equipment and plane tickets around the world. It seems like he's selling literally everything he can find that has any connection to the Pumpkins. Old backstage passes, autographs, door stops, napkins, old receipts, and maybe even old tampons from D'arcy.

Yes, exactly. This is the point that people fail to understand about celebrity musicians and why they start to sell out. So many of them continue to subsist at a standard of living that matches what they had when they were at the peak of their popularity/income, and they start to feel entitled to it. It is a real shame that Corgan feels the need to begin to whore out the past and integrity of his once-great band just so he can keep his lifestyle. So many people are under the impression that once you've 'made it' you never have to worry about money again. But once you've bought a piece of the Gold Coast, a mansion in Lakeview, probably some sort of residence in LA, you're flying everywhere - and it's not 1995 anymore - things can get tight.

[wHATcOLOR]

Originally Posted by Reyngel

Why are they selling old furniture? Why not just give it away to fans in contests or something? I can understand the selling of music, but furniture? Furniture that the band never even cared about?

Maybe Billy really has reached the point where his money's starting to disappear. I'm not saying he's broke, but he probably isn't making the amount of money needed to satisfy the lifestyle he's grown accustomed to, like mansions, Ferraris, high-end equipment and plane tickets around the world. It seems like he's selling literally everything he can find that has any connection to the Pumpkins. Old backstage passes, autographs, door stops, napkins, old receipts, and maybe even old tampons from D'arcy.

someone tipped them off that monte doesn't pay rent, now everything is for sale

[RenewRevive]

they should support all options. i would prefer FLACs over physical CD, if the audio quality is no different, primarily for reasons of cost.

to be fair, quinto is throwing it out there and encouraging feedback.