RE: Ramblin down the road

["Tyra, John" <John_Tyra@xxxxxxxx>]

Have to agree with you Eddie....Atlantic will never release all available
Led Zeppelin Board shows and would never release audience shows as it is not
economically feasible. 

There is a small percentage of fans, i.e. this list, who would care to own
all of these complete shows. Much more feasible would be the box set
retrospective spanning Zeps career that Jimmy has hinted at. 

While we would love to have these shows, warts and all, the average music
fan would not appreciate and purchase shows which were not pristine
performances and sound quality. I base this on my experiences of having
played boots of various bands for many of my friends at parties over the
years. In the case of board shows I have gotten negative comments on
performance quality, i.e. Chicago 73 when Robert was croaking, while I loved
the rawness of the rest of the band. And forget about audience shows! Most
people couldn't bear to listen to a marginal audio quality audience show in
mono we are all happy to just have available. 

Sad to say but I think the average fan prefers the studio overdubbed, pieced
together from multiple song version Frankenstein live crap which Major
labels pass off as Live releases...................

A Band website selling scheme makes much more sense since the shows can be
printed in small quantities and still make money without the high cost of
advertising and distribution a label like Atlantic is saddled with.

I love the Doors and Hendrix website releases and would love to see Zep do
the same...Won't hold my breath though..Unfortunately I don't think the
majority of the good stuff will be released until the boys are dead and gone
and someone with no connection to the performances releases them to make a
fast buck.............

all the above is IMHO for what it is worth

In the meantime I will continue to listen to the raw boots of my favourite
performers which haven't been edited, chopped and ruined with overdubbing
etc................. 


- -----Original Message-----
From: Eddie Lombardi [mailto:eddie_lombardi@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2001 8:44 AM
To: zeppelin@xxxxxxxx
Subject: re: Ramblin down the road



Just a few thoughts on your comments:

>From: Jeremy Mixer <mixer@xxxxxxxx>
>Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2001 20:03:47 +0000 (/etc/localtime)
>
>That is a valid point, and I will elaborate a little more on what I am
>saying- maybe it will make sense to you, maybe it won't, but I AM
>interested on hearing (reading) your reaction.
>Now, if Atlantic turned around and released at once every live Zeppelin
>show that was in the vaults (assuming Robert actually let them) would this
>be profitable? I'd think that even us- the hardcore Led Zeppelin fans,
>would, in this case, only buy what we are interested in. A CD is an
>investment, usually $15-$20, more for a double CD. Money doesn't just grow

True but even they were allowed to they would stagger releases of the shows 
to maximise profits.  So you get one or 2 shows.  However, if we ever did 
get live shows I think it may be more in the form of what the Doors and the 
Hendrix family are doing.  Selling only over the net.  NOT through the 
official label.  I think Atlantic doesn't want anything to do with fan type 
live shows.  They would want to release a proper live album with a good live

sound not some good audience or raw soundboard.  IMO.

>I'd say that won't happen for at least anbother 4-5 years. Because they
>care about money. The longer they make us wait, the bigger it will  be. If
>they wait 7-10 years to release more live zep material it is going to sell
>better then if they released something next month.
>

I don't think this is right.  The best time to release a live album would be

when P&P were touring as interest would be huge.  Then in 10 years time 
release another if interest in Zep is at its peak.  They wouldn't gamble on 
what the interest in Zep would be in the future.  If everyone is talking 
about Zep again and record sales are up again then hit the market with a 
live show because it will sell NOW.  10 years time, who knows what the 
interest will be.

>>
>FOUR YEARS after the last and most recent studio outtake came out on Box
>Set II (Baby Come On Hom) Atlantic releases BBC sessions.

I'm not sure about this but I believe that all BBC sessions are owned by the

BBC.  I'm not sure of the legality of it all but I think that if an artist 
wanted to release they're BBC sessions they would have to get the permission

from the BBC.  I think this is accross the board.  Also, I've seen lots of 
BBC session releases out there that aren't on the artists original label.  
Again, I'm not sure of this.

>However, it is
>CUT DOEWN dfrom it's original version because they could not get the
>RIGHTS to include some of the song snippets. Is it really an issue of the 
>rights? Or is an an issue of them not wanting to spend too much money?

I think it was also because it would've been 4 cds long.  Which isn't cost 
effective.  Besides most people who bought that probably didn't even know 
that a bootleg version exists.

>
>I still say tyey only csaare about money, and that is why they are so
>quick not to jump the gun.
>

I think that they would love to release a live album now and capitalise on 
the current Zep success.  It makes no sense for them to wait 10 years.  In 
this case I don't think its good business practice profits wise.  You make 
as much money as you can as fast as you can.  10 years time the board of 
directors will be different, managers different who cares about 10 years 
when you are being judged on your current performance.  No ones going to 
come back to those directors in 10 years time and say here's an extra bonus 
for a job well done 10 years agao.


>They probably have people researching what the best release would be. As I
>said, I GGUARENTEE YOU that there are people from Atlantic Records
>monitoring this list right now. Monitoring the tape trees. Monitoring

Although there is a chance that they are monitoring this list I don't think 
they are researching what would be the best show to release.  i think that 
would be left to the band abviously with consultation with Atlantic.  But I 
don't think they would go upto Jimmy and say here's a list of what we think 
you should release.


As a final comment I would say the record labels in general probably don't 
want to get into fan type live shows as its not worth the hassle.  Its not 
about making money but how much can we make.  If they make money thats fine 
but they have a certain level they need to achieve that they probably can't 
achieve with bootlegs type shows.

I think that they would just clear they way for the band to do it 
themsleves.  Kind of like the Hendrix family setting up Dagger Records and 
releases live shows with reasonable quality.  Its much better that way.  It 
appeals to a small number of fans really.  If it had the potential to go 
gold or better then ya I think they might want to release it.  However, I 
don't think this would happen with Zep mainly due to Robert.

However, if I were Robert I would be less concerned about how I sounded 
singing as how much of a dumbass I sounded with all my comments.  My current

favorite is his musical journey comment from Earls Court.  Man that guy 
could talk alot of garbage.  I guess thats why Bonham said to him "Listen, 
your job is to stand up there and look good.  Let us take care of the 
music."

Eddie