Roots Archives Forum

regarding what Ernie B was saying about how so many selectors worldwide are buying reggae on 7"

One thing i can not understand...

if that is the case- and assuming they all APPRECIATE a very good roots flavored track - then that means ALBOROSIE "Kingston Town" or PRESSURE's "Ghetto Life" must have easily sold over 10,000 on 7" ....

Is that indeed the case???? ....

Wondering!

I think it simply comes down to the fact that reggae collectors are still buying and collecting vinyl, but most DJ's in all forms of music, hip hop, dance etc. and reggae, are moving away from playing vinyl.

So vinyl is dying in the dance. Of course it won't die out with those who love the music and love vinyl that will always continue.

bless,

rez
http://www.worriesouternational.com

DonDigital wrote:Maxi,

hey since don pop up whole roots section went down, i dont rate Don Corleon at all doing so called roots tunes, pure sell out. so since he get ALL promotion Kiana riddim never get none, Livity Nuh Nice neva get promotion, Pow pow get the promotion instead, Corleon, people weh rich ANYWAY already, ghetto people come as usual too damn short in this time while THEY produce the REAL music still, nuttn bout sell out an ting. so it a guan nowdays.

I think Don Corleon and Ward 21 really shook things in in early 2000s, but they seem to have lost their way.

I agree that Don Corleon's roots productions are lame.

yea alborosie and pressure are good selling rite now. but people still buy nuff other tunes.


yo maxi, ward21 left jmmys & pop down. but corleon still there him sell nuff tune still

Sometimes I get the feeling if a tune is not a RASTA ROOTS track, many of the folks here just don't rate a tune.

The recent productions from King Jammy's sons as well as Don Corleon are wicked, no matter HOW/WHO you wanna compare them to.

Don, it's in your interest to claim that Vinyl is still strong inna retail... but I have it from THE horses mouth here in the UK that vinyl is all but killed in Jamdown, alongside the USA and the UK in reference to file trading and illegal downloads. Audiomaxx being the biggest killer of all!
We'll all see some of our favourite shops selling fresh records go the way of the Dodo in the next couple of years, mark mi wordz.

Its because the djs are lazy and dont want the carry heavy records. im on the ball and when an artist comes out with a tune i know their not ghetto trying to convince me that they are, and dont have to wait 5-6 years to find out they have sold out.
I must say the quality of ragga tunes and riddims over the past 4 years has been terrible. get the mad ants back.so have the roots tune been terriable over the past 4 years.alto ego riddim 2004 is what i called a bad riddim
peace

bmd wrote:vinyl is all but killed in Jamdown, alongside the USA and the UK in reference to file trading and illegal downloads. Audiomaxx being the biggest killer of all!

If this is true, the reson behind it is NOT Audiomaxx. I have never heard of this site before I started coming to the Roots Archives forums?!? I'm in touch with the latest software and computer tech, and I do d/l music and movies, and the big thing right now is TORRENTS. Sites like Pirate Bay, Demonoid, etc. Its seems like this maxx site is being promoted on this site or something...

And d/l ain't gonna affect vinyl sales. CD sales but not vinyl sales; people that d/l music are not the same that buy vinyl. People don't buy vinyl just to hear a tune, they buy it also for collectibility, wanting it in vinyl format, etc. Downloaders just want to hear the track, and they're previous options would have been cds or cd singles.

My 2 cents,
Matt

This is all an interesting read.
One point I would like to make is that to the best of my knowledge Jamaican 'consumers' have never been a particularly significant music purchasing 'market'. I have read repeatedly that for all the records released throughout the 60s and 70s the numbers sold domestically was rarely a huge number - the reason being that not many people had a record player to play records on. So they heard music at the dance. The Sound System operators, often the producers of the records made the money from the bar! The DJs, toasters, selectas often made little or no money and did it for the love of the music, the local hero fame factor and the good vibes of a night of music.
A lot of people are involved in this and other kinds of music for the same reasons. And will be for years to come.

When records did start producing revenue for JA producers was when they started distributing and selling directly a foreign.
Reggae is really an export industry and my understanding is that there has never been a strong domestic market in JA. Probably late 60s on.
As long as people want to buy Jamaican vinyl I'm sure the Jamaicans will continue pressing the records.
Ernie Bs is doing a roaring trade by his own account and isn't this really to do with his having embraced and mastered the internet marketplace? Where others either haven't or have not been able to do so successfully?
Not that I've bought any vinyl for a few years (not choice, poverty!) but when I do have a few $$$ I'd like to buy from a small specialist record shop such as Jammyland in NY. It's just a more enjoyable way to do it. For me.

Ordering on line you still do get the physical disk but it is not quite the same.
Downloading, apart from the valid audio quality debate really deprives the music buyer of the 'experience' of buying music the old fashioned way. However, there are millions who couldn't care less about this aspect. what is one supposed to do? Preach to them - tell them what they are missing? Some might understand, most would probably shrug and say I like downloading, it's easy. And they are right too.

I too like downloading for its convenience, but there is a palpable emptiness to the transaction.

Long live vinyl, lossless digital, high quality mp3s and whatever is the next format.

Cassette tapes I can do without!

Even if you had $$$ to spend... guess you couldnt spend it at JammyLand since they closed now.