Three valuable vinyl records stolen
From professional experience, I know that a lot more vinyl gets stolen in record stores than one might expect. In March, three records were stolen from the „33 1/3“ record store in Duisburg (one of them being a box set). What may not sound particularly exciting at first glance is, upon closer examination, quite painful for owner Frank Oberpichler, as their combined selling price exceeds 1000€. The albums stolen were ‚Splinter‘ by Gary Newman, an LP by Still Life from 1971 and the Phil Collins box set „Take A Look At Me Now“. Someone must have known exactly which records to take.
Beyoncé’s new album: 5 songs missing on the vinyl edition
While it’s not uncommon for the tracklists of CD and vinyl editions of an album to differ, having several songs missing is more of an exception. After the release of Beyoncé’s new album „Cowboy Carter“, many buyers took to social media to complain that the CD and LP versions are missing 5 songs compared to the digital version. And indeed, when comparing the tracklists on Discogs, there are more songs available on Spotify and other digital platforms than on the record. Some fans are already demanding refunds online. Others suspect that there were changes to the tracklist after the order was already sent to the pressing plant. Whether there will be a vinyl edition with all the songs soon is unknown.
Billie Eilish criticizes the development of the vinyl business
In an interview with Billboard, which largely revolves around the topic of sustainability, Billie Eilish criticized musicians and bands for flooding the market with dozens of different vinyl editions simply because „it boosts sales and numbers, allowing them to make more money.“ As someone who values a sustainable lifestyle greatly, she finds it frustrating that „some of the biggest stars on the planet seem to release 40 different vinyl editions just so fans can buy more.“ She would love to see limits, like no more than four colours. After all, vinyl records are not necessarily known for their good environmental footprint, even though there is an increasing availability of eco-vinyl made from recycled materials.
Addendum: After facing considerable criticism for the interview, Billie Eilish clarified that she wasn’t targeting any specific individual and included herself in the criticism. The problem, she stated, is industry-wide, not specific to individual musicians or bands.
German Record Store Prize in the near future?
Apparently, there will be a new german music award in 2024. According to a report from Musikwoche, the Minister of State for Culture is planning to introduce a Record Store Prize, which will be named Emil. This has not been officially confirmed yet, so there are no concrete details about the award’s structure. According to Musikwoche, there was a job posting from the „Association of Independent Music Entrepreneurs“ (VUT) titled „Project Management – EMIL – The German Prize for Record Stores,“ which is no longer available online. It seems that the Record Store Prize will premiere in Leipzig in November 2024. One can only wait with anticipation!
Rough Trade store in Liverpool to open on April 18
In January Vinyl Fantasy reported that Rough Trade was planning to open the largest record store in the UK in Liverpool. Now, the opening date has been confirmed: the doors of the new store will open on April 18, two days before Record Store Day. It will be Rough Trade’s sixth store in the UK. For those paying attention to the date: on the same day, the first Rough Trade store on the European mainland will also open its doors – in the trendy Berlin district of Neukölln.