Ebay Thread

[vgonis]

Thank you for this new perspective Pottel! Too bad cases like the one of Dylan are few, because artists are not that famous or are long dead. If the artists were more thay would probab;y join forces with their audience...

[twm]

In 1973, Clive Davis, head of Columbia Records, reached a deal with Dylan for two albums plus a film soundtrack. One feature of this deal was that Dylan could get the rights to his back catalogue after 5 years, one album at a time, as each new album was released. Thus, an album released in 1963 would revert to him in 1978, five years after the 1973 deal was struck.

Then Davis was fired and Columbia backed away from the deal. Columbia did agree to release the film soundtrack album, as it was so imminent, but Dylan went to sign for Asylum Records. Columbia then released the album entitled DYLAN which was made up of what Dylan called "warm up material" (or some such). Some time later, Dylan re-signed with  Columbia and I have often wondered whether the reversion of the old masters element was ever included in subsequent contracts.

What I can say is that, in my opinion, nothing that Sony Columbia now releases in Dylan's name is done without the agreement of Dylan or his agents

[Pottel]

..in your opinion, which, in Bob's case, is not necesarrily worth anything?

[vgonis]

Well, Pottel, I believe that twm explains this very well. Dylan and his agents might have agreed on a release, and Sony might have tricked them by rush releasing this limited  edition of 100 and download as well. Sony can later justify it by saying that they no longer believe in physical releases, or that they had to try it first in a semi promo format, before the printed expensive editions. Of course in a corporate world, this would seem rather weird, but we can only speculate without inside info.

[Pottel]

i mean no disrespect to twm, at all. i just doubt anyone really knows what's going on on planet dylan, xcept maybe for people like Knopfler and Barron.

[twm]

I said that it is my "opinion" - no more and no less - and I put it no higher than that. It is, however, based on many years (decades, in fact) observing and writing about Dylan and building up and maintaining many contacts. Some of those were directly employed in the music business and others were closely involved if not actually employed. 

To be more precise, though, past experience does suggest that Dylan's people have less "control" over what is released outside of the USA. This may or may not be contractually-based but, irrespective of that aspect, the principals involved (that is, in Dylan's office and in Sony) will likely have social as well as business dealings, not to mention social occasions that derive from the business activities - something that happens in many business sectors. In short, the principals know one another personally. These relationships, built up over months and years, will make it difficult for the record company to release something against the wishes of the artist and his representatives. My point is that, as far as Dylan and Sony are concerned, such relationships will be strongest in the USA.

The other thing to bear in mind is that, these days, Dylan does not record in Sony-owned studios and hasn't done so for years. This means that Dylan and his people will have greater control over the masters and the basic tracks.

[dmg]

i mean no disrespect to twm, at all. i just doubt anyone really knows what's going on on planet dylan, xcept maybe for people like Knopfler and Barron.

  
I'm sure it's just a coincidence he signed for Asylum Records!   Sorry if that's a bit black for your taste.

[vgonis]

It's Elektra/Asylum for you dmg!  Soon to be sold for a high profit from the free man in Paris!
Anyway, I was reading a nice biography by Barry Miles, about Frank Zappa and I saw the Dylan's first choice for producing Infidels was Zappa! But his cut has dimmed too high and Dylan then tried Elvis Costello! And when Costello refused due to other obligations, he turned to David Bowie! And only after Bowie's inability to put it in his schedule, did he turn to MK!!! And then MK had to leave for a tour! I only wonder what this album would have sounded with each one of them! And I guess if MK was around for the final selection the album would have been in Dylan's top ten! Now it is top 20, but the position is not fixed yet!
(Blonde on blonde, John Wesley Harding, Oh Mercy, Blood on the tracks, The Freewheelin', Highway 61 revisited, Slow train coming, Desire, Street legal, Bringing it all back home, The Basement tapes, Time out of mind, INFIDELS...)

And a nicely peculiar Dylan site! http://howtolistentodylan.com/square-one.html

[twm]

A headline at the time, as I recall, referred to Dylan seeking Asylum but it was as in the sense of "refuge" rather than the meaning to which you allude, dmg.

I was recently reading a biography of David Geffen, who founded Asylum Records, and it has a section on how Geffen wooed Dylan to his label, partly through Robbie Robertson. And, of course, he cosied up to Robertson first, one of the ploys being an all-expenses paid holiday in Paris for Robertson, Robertson's wife, himself and Joni Mitchell, who composed "Free Man In Paris" (for/about Geffen) during this trip.

The genesis of INFIDELS was what I was covering in those extracts from a newsletter I once wrote.

[Jules]

I didnt know that this "Guitar Stories" promo dvd

http://www.ebay.es/itm/261148673939?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1426.l2649

I wonder if its a dvd-r copy or is it really a promo thing...

[dmg]

I didnt know that this "Guitar Stories" promo dvd

http://www.ebay.es/itm/261148673939?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1426.l2649

I wonder if its a dvd-r copy or is it really a promo thing...

From memory that's the Sky Arts official logo on it, but they could have downloaded that of course. 

Six bidders so far!

[twm]

The question raised is whether this Sky Arts DVD is genuine. The short answer is that I don't know but the longer answer would be more nuanced.

I have been "involved" in two television programmes to do with Dylan and, in both cases, I was provided with a copy on DVD and neither was a commercial product but a limited edition copy made for those involved in the programme. In both cases, my understanding was that it wasn't a one-off production, just because I'd asked, either but a short production run for others as well as me. Thus, I would not be at all surprised if DVD copies of the programme were made by Sky Arts and, to a limited extent, circulated.

Television companies sometimes make DVDs for other purposes as well, such as trying to sell the programme to other broadcasters or showing prospective subjects of later episodes what the programmes in a series "look like".

This item is described on eBay as a "promo" but this does not mean that it must be, for example, the trailer for the programme. As indicated, it is more likely to be the whole programme. If anyone is interested in bidding, a question to the seller should be able to confirm this.

Talking of the seller, jbaent has it taken off the Spanish eBay site. I assume it's listed on the  UK site, too.

I'm no expert and, on balance, it seems to me to be a genuine item.

[vgonis]

Apart from ebay and discogs there are other sites as well, but fixed prices only, like this one!
http://www.cdandlp.com/item/2/0-1105-0-1-0/115520183/dire-straits-advance-cd-dire-straits-sultans-of-swing-16-titres.html

or this one

http://www.gemm.com/c/search.pl?field=ARTIST+OR+TITLE&wild=dire+straits

[knopflerized]

Anyone could help and report this item?? ("Signaler l'objet" in French )


http://www.ebay.fr/itm/2dvd-Mark-Knopfler-live-zenith-Lille-5-juin-2005-/200896879010?pt=FR_SK_DVDetCinema_dvd&hash=item2ec66319a2

It's was made by POUPYSTAR ! It's A free DVD and musn't be sold ! PLEASE HELP ELIAN !!!

Thanks For him !

[dmg]

Thought this might be of interest to (especially) the techie folk around here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1985-DIRE-STRAITS-MARK-KNOPFLER-STAGE-SET-UP-DIAGRAM-INFORMATION-ARTICLE-/321175093383?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item4ac7870087

and sheet music for Alchemy?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dire-Straits-Alchemy-Live-sheet-music-book-Songbook-Rare-mark-knopfler-guitar-/190868697376?pt=UK_Music_SheetMusic_RL&hash=item2c70a93120