ATTN: Malcolm Perlman, President:
Sunrise
Records
4069
Gordon Baker Road
Scarborough
Ontario M1W 2P3
Tel:
(416) 498 - 6601, Fax: (416) 494 - 8467
E-mail: malcolm@sunriserecords.com Web
Site: http://www.sunriserecords.com/
Mr. Perlman,
Perchance, when I was
looking at your: http://www.sunriserecords.com/ Web Site, I
found out that your store had vinyl LP's: Pink Floyd: Dark Side Of the Moon
recordings. Normally, I would be ecstatic and would rush to purchase the LP.
Interesting that you and your store now realise that CD's are not 'perfect' but
I thank you that your rude attitude and the music industry b.s. turned me off
of pre-recorded music forever. In addition, belated thanks for getting rid of
that chintzy 'Become A VIP' logo on
your web site. To clarify when I was trying to obtain a position at Sunrise
Records, I followed that up with a call confirming if you read these extensive
documents as follows:
_______________________________________________________________________________
My
apologies for the lack of e-mail attachments, I was having problems on a
particular computer. Hopefully, this e-mail is precise.
Attached
to this lengthy e-mail are a Cover letter/2-page résumé and my marketing
portfolios for a position of Marketing & Research Administrator for you and
Sunrise Records' profitable consideration.
To
clarify a possible misconception, I am not simply looking for a ‘job’ and/or a
‘position’ for its own sake but to use my charitable organization based
marketing skills and 10 years + experience in a used record store chain
(Private) to benefit Sunrise Records despite my disgust with the major 'record'
label corporations. My personal satisfaction (both financial and ethical) is on
a premise that “a music and audio knowledgeable mind should not go to waste”
and that basis, I know that I will be able to help in the direction of this
company.
Perhaps,
Sunrise Records' marketing concepts may need to be refined and even improved
because I am aware that overall sales of CD's in North America are down.
Realising
that this is a lengthy e-mail, please read this carefully and objectively
because I have some solutions that will help in the future.
Here
are my perceptions of the problems and possible consequences pertaining to
overall music retail sales in point form:
1. It’s not only free music downloading from
certain MP3 type websites and Apple iPods that are the main problem. A case in
point, when vinyl LP’s and 45’s were available before 1990, music lovers could
‘download’ from FM Stereo stations, reel to reel tapes, and from cassettes but
most music copiers didn’t use downloads for their main software to keep
permanently. Most people copied music to eventually buy the software from a
record store and some eventually were motivated to upgrade their record
turntables. (There is even a perception that from baby boomers that it seems to
be less fun shopping in CD music stores then it was in LP record stores).
2. It isn’t the cost factor because a case in
point, if a record chain store had 50,000 copies of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of
the Moon” on Japanese Import Harvest Label Vinyl LP for $35.00 or even $40.00
(£19) for sale; it would possible sell out within a month! Another case in
point: Gerard Rejskind: Editor of Ultra Hi-Fi wrote in 1992, limited addition
vinyl (200 grams) of the “Beatles - Live at the BBC” sold out in England within
2 weeks! Even though profits were made, the record executives were horrified -
not pleased! It took persistent whining and complaining from the music software
retail stores to have this record company re-issue the limited edition vinyl.
3. Not many people are aware of this but audiophile
magazines such as Ultra Hi-Fi - Ultra High Fidelity (Issue No. 26) in July
1992, recorded selected various (rock to classical) music excerpts from a
$2,600.00 CD player and a $2,000.00 LP record turntable on to a high quality
hi-fi stereo videocassette recorder at maximum speed (comparable to
reel-to-reel tape decks running at 7½” per second). The magazine staff asked a
selected audience of 10 people (some were musicians) of which format that they
prefer in a blind listening test. Unknowingly, 67% of the audience (6 out of 9,
one was undecided) picked the LP turntable as their preference! The recording
and the blind listening tests were monitored, approved, and legally verified by
independent lawyers hired by the magazine. (Arcam Delta 170 CD transport/”Black
Box” Digital-Analog Converter verses Linn Basik Turntable/Bryston .5B
Preamplifier). The LP turntable without phono cartridge was approximately
$700.00 out of the box!
4. A considerable number of music software
consumers feel conned by the major CD recording companies insofar that in 1988,
the major record labels spent millions of dollars buying the copyrights to the
original master recordings to switch the format from analog vinyl to digital
CD’s despite the fact that there was still a healthy market for vinyl. A case
in point, in the mid 1980's, CD sales were so bleak, the format was near death.
This was deliberately a planned manipulatively obsolescent move by the music
industry. For example, in 1990, Sam The Record Man executives (Jason
Sniderman?) changed their LP's stock to CD’s within 9 months - not years!
5. Eventually, the same audiophile magazine (Ultra
Hi-Fi - Ultra High Fidelity) reviewers tested a $20,000.00 Linn Sondek CD12
player and said that they finally got it right but complained of hearing
rumours that CD’s could be made prematurely obsolete by multi-channel Super
Audio Compact Discs (SACDs) (remember 4-channel Quadraphonic stereo?) and/or
audio-only DVD’s by the recording industry. Linn Products of Scotland, in
collaboration with Sony, has produced a combination CD/SACD/DVD etc. Unidisk
1.1 player with its ESS’s Vibratto™ DVD chip (approximately $16,000.00
Canadian). ‘Another planned music software obsolescence could again cause a
major marketing and public relations nightmare for Sunrise Records and other
music distributors.
6. More and more consumers feel fed up and are
going to live concerts rather than spend money for CD’s. Sometimes, they don't
know why. In addition, some major artists are touring on the road and selling
accessories (such as artist logo t-shirts, custom coffee mugs etc.) to make
money rather than going the usual route, relying on music software sales to
generate profits for their music. This scenario could be problematic in the near
future.
7. Finally, most people admit that they have ‘tin
ears’ but the study of psychoacoustics show that even ‘tin ears’ can
unknowingly perceive which is superbly sounding pre-recorded music. For
example, on the previously mentioned $2600.00 CD converter and transport
system, on the bass line of a jazz recording, the audience was commenting that
this sounded great but were immobile and just placidly sitting while listening
to the music. On the $2000.00 record LP turntable and preamplifier recording of
the same jazz tune, the audience was saying, “wow”, “awesome”, and tapping
their feet to the bass line!
Mr.
Pearlman, I have some verbal, written proposals, and researched photocopies
that may have some of the solutions to the above-mentioned problems.
If there is a seriousness about further company growth and direction, we
need to get together for an appointment with you and/or Mr. Perry Woodman,
Sales & Store Operations to discuss this further because there is a
necessitate to take some of the possible misconceptions of B.S. out of
marketing.
We
have to go beyond spending some money in marketing in trying to manipulate
consumers on ‘what they want to hear’. We need to honestly inform and/or
perceive the consumer on what they want to hear on their own terms.
Thank
you for reading my e-mail with attachments.
________________________________________________________________________________
I
find a hypocritical double standard of you in giving generous donations to the
Tsunami Fund and yet being officious to a would-be potential employee.
Insofar
as the technical aspects of pre-recorded music, I know more than you.
I
am seriously thinking of creating a blog or even a comical web site satirising
your business because I know you will not do the ethical thing and profusely
apologize to me with compensation.
Admittedly,
I had some fun composing this and I know that you will not ethically apologize.
Mke
Researcher
Mike Researcher
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