What does the BBC actually have in its archive Queen-wise?
I know Hammersmith 75 was an Whistle Test gig, and so does the Beeb own the rights?
Then of course there is the oft' discussed BBC sessions of which only a part has been officially released.
What else?
I ask because I found this on the Music Week site:
"BBC Worldwide has confirmed reports it is looking to set up a streaming and download service using the Beeb?s extensive musical archive.
The proposed site would allow visitors to stream for free BBC recordings of material from the likes of radio and TV sessions, while charging for tracks to be downloaded permanently. However, insiders are playing down suggestions it will be a rival to iTunes as it will only offer BBC versions of tracks, rather than the original studio recordings.
BBC Worldwide has already struck a deal with EMI to use the Corporation?s archive of recordings by the major?s artists and it is understood to be in talks with the other three majors about reaching similar agreements.
A BBC spokesman confirms to Musicweek.com, ?We?re looking at setting up in the direct-to-consumer arena a website which utilises the BBC music archive, but at this point no such launch has been approved.?
For a site like this to launch it will need the backing of the BBC Worldwide board with a source suggesting the earliest it could launch would be January next year."
Hooray! What a cracking idea!
I'd be disappointed to not be able to have a physical "product" (ie from the shops and on ly shelf), but this would be the next best thing IMO.
However, The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, The Small Faces, Free, Led Zeppelin, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Fairport COnvention etc etc have all had official sets released already - you have to wonder whether there would be much of a wider demand to make this viable. The good thing about it, of course, id that the BBC don't have to spend any money on getting the product; they already have it, just getting it available. So there are limited cost implications for them. It would work, I guess, in the same way that Wolfgang's Vault does.........perhaps that inspired them?
Excellent idea though - let's hope that they follow it through.
Benn wrote: Hooray! What a cracking idea!
I'd be disappointed to not be able to have a physical "product" (ie from the shops and on ly shelf), but this would be the next best thing IMO.
However, The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, The Small Faces, Free, Led Zeppelin, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Fairport COnvention etc etc have all had official sets released already - you have to wonder whether there would be much of a wider demand to make this viable. The good thing about it, of course, id that the BBC don't have to spend any money on getting the product; they already have it, just getting it available. So there are limited cost implications for them. It would work, I guess, in the same way that Wolfgang's Vault does.........perhaps that inspired them?
Excellent idea though - let's hope that they follow it through.
Absolutely - I agree; physical product is superior, but as long as QP keeps us waiting on something really interesting, this will definately do!
Although Wolfgang's Vault has been limited on the Queen front, some of the other stuff they have there is really great, so if the BBC have stuff even half as interesting I'll be there will bells on!
Sir GH wrote: Indeed, this sounds promising...
But the streaming music at the Wolfgang's Vault site is a sham... it's all from well-known bootlegs.
A sham it may be, but at least it puts all that information in one place and allows you to listen, if not download for free.
I only really bother actually owning Queen bootlegs, so to be able to listen to Genesis and loads of other brilliant bands on there is a welcome thing.
Fair enough.. !
But I just don't agree with the way they're trying to lure people into believing that the actual vault contained these "brand new and previously unheard recordings"...
That said, the recordings are often incomplete, and easy to find elsewhere, often in better quality, at places like Dime, Traders' Den, etc.
Sir GH,
The bootlegs originally came from people within the BGP organisation - it's no co-incidence that the material is partially incomplete on the site as they are, presumably, protecting elements of it in the hope that they can make some money out of them in the future should the releant permissions be granted.
I think it's a great little place to find some good material - where else can you find all that so readily without having to wait for it to download?
Interesting thing to do, of course (and this has been suggested on many occasions to the powers that be, but they refuse to listen) is for Queen themselves to run a site dedicated, soley, to streaming their music.
The technology is there and is *relatively* cheap to set up, run and maintain. Dependant on what kind of return they want on it, of course, but they would be able to air their masters as streams and then give those people interested the opportunity to purchase a high quality download...........
Win-win I believe.