| Whatinthewhatthe? 14.07.2004 12:46 |
I know this came out on PAL VHS and laserdisc only, but there's a big question: was it meant to be promotional only? I know this was Queen's first release on the new label (Capitol) but the marketing ploy that went with this release was pretty slick. Queen were already well-established in the music world by 1984 -- why all the attention to The Works? |
| Penetration_Guru 14.07.2004 12:49 |
1. A new record company looking to maximise sales. 2. Coming off a year off, important to have high profile. 3. VHS retail market developing. 4. With Queen's history, an obvious medium to use (see also the choice of DVD used to show off DVD players when that came on the scene). |
| Whatinthewhatthe? 14.07.2004 21:50 |
I was working for Capitol Records that year and they were really pushing the new release, almost as much power as a new Beatles album. Elektra never did anything similar, even with the first album (playing cards maybe? LOL). Lots of promotional material, numbered promo LPs, "the works"! (What a name for an album!! Heeheehee!) (They did the same with Thomas Dolby's first album, releasing a 12" EP and 8" laserdisc and mega-promotional material.) |
| inu-liger 14.07.2004 21:53 |
Penetration_Guru wrote: 4. With Queen's history, an obvious medium to use (see also the choice of DVD used to show off DVD players when that came on the scene).Ah yeah, remember the Greatest Flix I & II DVD that came out in Germany? That was a promotional "tool", if you will, to get both new consumers and Queen fans to buy the DVD players. |
| inu-liger 14.07.2004 21:54 |
There was an NTSC LaserDisc release in the USA too, Lisa. It wasn't limited to PAL countries only. Even Japan had an NTSC release. Back then, LaserDisc was still a little bit relatively new, having been out for 6 years by that point, almost. And speaking of LaserDiscs, I'm so happy today! I got 5 Urusei Yatsura anime LaserDiscs via UPS today from AnimEigo (a US-based anime dubbing/subbing company) Only thing is, I don't have my laserdisc player with me here in Ontario, so I have to wait until I get back to Edmonton on Aug. 23 to watch them :( |
| Whatinthewhatthe? 14.07.2004 22:02 |
I just got a new copy in the mail (still sealed after 20 years, never been played till last night!) courtesy of Ebay. It's as good as my old one, surprisingly -- but that one cost $14.95 new, and the "new/old" one cost $52! The sound is SO much better than the videos on the DVDs (I got the splitter for the home theatre today and it definitely makes a HUGE difference, tired of switching manually). I have a soft spot for the laserdiscs, they really had the technology but the format was too bulky and reminiscent of vinyl LPs. Plus you had to deal with possible laser rot down the road (as I did with Disc One of Magic Years, and it was Japanese). Not sure how DVDs will hold up -- indefinitely, I hope!! |
| inu-liger 15.07.2004 08:18 |
Lisa J Goodrich wrote: I got the splitter for the home theatre today and it definitely makes a HUGE difference, tired of switching manuallyWhat's a splitter? |
| inu-liger 15.07.2004 08:20 |
Hey, so do you have two copies of the Works EP on LaserDisc now? Just curious... And $15 is cheap for a laserdisc. The 5 laserdiscs I got cost $10 US each, along with $10 US shipping to Canada, so I got them even cheaper in value! :) |
| Penis - Vagina 15.07.2004 08:32 |
Lisa J Goodrich wrote: I just got a new copy in the mailAhh, that would explain the fake topic and opening post, when you supposedly worked for Capitol and could easily answer your own question. Why not just start off with the brag rather than creating a pointless question about whether it was promotional? |
| inu-liger 15.07.2004 08:39 |
Oooh, save it for later, DF darling. I just got up and I don't need to hear some bickering first thing in the morning. Btw. I myself love the crystal clear sound quality of LD's. Another thing that got me into LD's is the fact that they can have either DTS or Dolby Digital. |
| Whatinthewhatthe? 15.07.2004 09:11 |
"Ahh, that would explain the fake topic and opening post, when you supposedly worked for Capitol and could easily answer your own question. Why not just start off with the brag rather than creating a pointless question about whether it was promotional?" The Works Video EP was NOT a promotional item. It was a legitimate release. I tried to get a copy but no promos were available. I just wanted to get an opinion WHY it wasn't! The only promo material one could get were album cover flats, posters, banners and LPs. |
| Whatinthewhatthe? 15.07.2004 09:14 |
"What's a splitter?" It's a little box to split audio signals from different sources. I was really tired of unplugging the leads from the home theatre from the DVD player to the LD player, so now I can just flip a switch when I want to play either format. Nice and headache-free now!! |
| inu-liger 15.07.2004 09:20 |
OIC |
| Queenland 15.07.2004 09:43 |
It was released on Betamax format too. |
| inu-liger 15.07.2004 11:47 |
Hey Lisa, is the Works EP LD in CLV or CAV format? |
| inu-liger 15.07.2004 13:19 |
Oh! If you're wondering what laserdiscs I got Lisa, I got 5 Urusei Yatsura movies (Only You, Remember My Love, Lum The Forever, The Final Chapter, Always My Darling). This adds to my other two laserdiscs back at home (The Lion King, Urusei Yatsura - Final Chapter; yes, I know I have two copies of the latter - the last one has laser rot), as well as my Toshiba demo LD, so that makes a total of 8 LD's I have. Not bad :) |
| Penis - Vagina 15.07.2004 14:17 |
I had 50 laserdiscs at best back when I was trying to collect them 10 years ago. New movie releases were usually $39.99 so it wasn't quite as tempting to have a big collection. You kids today with your $15 DVDs have no idea how good you've got it. :-P With a little patience, I've pretty much acquired everything I had or wanted on laser in DVD format so I'm not missing them as much as I used to. I had a Pioneer CLD-D501 with side changing but no digital effects so CLV discs weren't much fun. |
| inu-liger 15.07.2004 14:21 |
Do you still have that player, DF? |
| inu-liger 15.07.2004 14:23 |
And actually, the average cost of DVD's in Canada range from $21.99 to $29.99 in Canadian dollars. On the other hand, single CD's are usually $16.99 or lower in CDN so we probably have it off better than past generations. And not to mention eBay has helped so many of us find the most expensive things cheap! It's certainly helped me more than once in the past when there have been things I wanted but could not afford at full price. |
| Penis - Vagina 15.07.2004 14:30 |
I sold the player and discs back in 1997/1998 to buy my first computer and get online :) Oh, and to pay off a huge phone sex bill so I could have a phone line turned back on for the computer. |
| inu-liger 15.07.2004 14:35 |
Oh :( I need a new player bad. My LD player won't flip on CLV discs (but will for CAV discs, which is odd), and it doesn't have any ways of skipping chapters other than fast forwarding or rewinding on the jog wheel :( |
| Penis - Vagina 15.07.2004 14:35 |
The Queen discs I had were: Greatest Flix (U.S. version), We Will Rock You, Live in Rio, Magic Years, Greatest Flix II (Japan), Greatest Karaoke Flix (Japan). I think that's all. My favourite laser was the Signature Collection "Jaws" set with the movie in CAV, soundtrack, book and a 2 hour documentary that the bastards edited down to 1 hour for the DVD. |
| Penis - Vagina 15.07.2004 14:39 |
That sucks... I see the players real cheap on Ebay, but the shipping charge is always outrageous. |
| inu-liger 15.07.2004 14:56 |
But you also remember that I don't work for McDonald's anymore also, right? Until I get a job, I can't even afford a fucking DVD from now until then. |
| goinback 15.07.2004 18:23 |
Lisa what did you do in the music industry, and are you still in it? |
| Whatinthewhatthe? 15.07.2004 21:49 |
I got out in 1988. I started in warehousing/distribution and then became an A & R rep for Capitol Records for two years, taking stuff to record stores and helping with in-store album signings, doing live radio interview setups, going to endless concerts with talent reps, but really wanted to become a recording engineer and was laughed at for my aspirations. Women were *not* recording engineers, it was a man's world then and probably still is in that field. Dreams shattered, I said goodbye to the music business and hello to the medical industry. I'm a specialty surgery consultant now. |
| inu-liger 15.07.2004 21:51 |
That's too bad your dreams were shattered. |
| Whatinthewhatthe? 15.07.2004 22:05 |
I wanted to be a female Eddie Kramer!! *sigh* |
| Penis - Vagina 15.07.2004 23:21 |
There are a few women engineers. Susan Rogers who worked with Prince quite a bit but really made a name for herself by adding a looped drumbeat and a few piano notes to 'Body Language' for Hollywood's 1991 'remix'. And there's that woman Elton John married. She was his engineer for Too Low For Zero. Shame you didn't make it, but you claim to not even know how to make an MP3 so I'm not surprised. |
| Brian_Mays_Wig 16.07.2004 09:10 |
Queenland wrote: It was released on Betamax format too.Yes, I have it on Betamax!!! Never played, because I cant play it!! Had it given to me about 10 years ago! |
| Whatinthewhatthe? 16.07.2004 14:08 |
"Shame you didn't make it, but you claim to not even know how to make an MP3 so I'm not surprised." I can do that. I've got too many of them! |