Inspired by Nigel T’s All Things Must Pass thread.
Given that it’s lyrics include the wonderful “Music’s for free”, I’ll start the ball rolling with a deluxe, 33-disc reissue of David Crosby’s 1971 magnum opus If I could only remember my name.
In addition to the original album, the reissue includes 12 CDs of outtakes and live shows, plus 20 discs of stoned chats from the recording session and various live shows with and without Graham Nash and/or CSN around that time.
The set’s real selling point will be a 1cm-square piece of the US flag which Cros rolled into the shape of a gun and held to his head on the inside cover photo. First 100 buyers will also get a glassine weed bag containing a 1cm-long piece of the fringe from our Dave’s iconic early 70s buckskin jacket.
Excellent idea, although I think you have committed a schoolboy error by including a piece of the actual fringe, rather than a faithful reproduction of the original.
Also contains a facsimile sheet of paper on which Crosby had written
Daevid Crosbie
Davvid crombie
Danvid Crumble
Dolphin Clumby
Dorphid cloombee
Continues for 200 more tries as Crosby tries to remember his name after a mammoth stoner session.
Plus one genuine moustache hair.
*or nose hair , subject to availability
@ernietothecentreoftheearth
Well spotted, E, as a mark of my appreciation, a free copy of the rules of mumbleypeg (as played by David and Graham on A very stoney evening) is in the post to you as i write
It would be interesting to know the number of sales of these packages that get the project to break-even point.
In the original picture of the George Harrison gnomes that went around yesterday, the box said it was number 1816 of 3430. Now assuming some of those 3430 sets of gnomes are for purely promotional purposes, let’s say there’s 3000 sets left to go with the Uber deluxe All Things Must Pass box. The retail is $1000 on that set. The box also has D2C on the barcode, which means direct-to-consumer, i.e. mail order, i.e. only available online through the George Harrison store. So, 3,000 worldwide D2C sales of a $1,000 box is not impossible to imagine and generates a $3million gross. So the Uber box is helping to fund the whole thing, in a way.
That might just be the most depressing “fact” I have ever read
They won’t sell 3,000 at that price is my view.
It’s a Fabs product – there are still plenty of Beatle nut in the US, for one. And, being boomers, they are absolutely stinking rich.
But it isn’t actually “The Beatles”. Solo Beatles will sell much less than the stuff from the band. I think those who buy this will choose less expensive options. We shall see, anyway we all have choices.
It is a great album
For some reason I think of ATMP as being closer to being a Beatles album than Plastic Ono Band or McCartney. Maybe it’s Phil’s OTT production, or its richness and bigness.
Will this sell? Of course it will.
Has anyone ever heard of one of these Super-Duper Limited sets not selling? They’re all out of print – even the Beach Boys “Smile Sessions-with-actual-surfboard-autographed-by-Brian” edition was gone immediately.
Disclaimer: I own the “Complete Chuck Berry Recordings” limited 16-CD-box-in-a-custom-Gibson-Guitar-case edition. (And it gets played regularly.
Macca’s “Uber” deluxe super bloated version of Flaming Pie is still available (as well as all other versions). They seem to make about 10K of the regular SDEs.
All Things Must Pass is a (much) better album though. Content looks a bit underwhelming though but I am interested in hearing the remix. Surround sound is nice but not worth the extra 100 bucks to get that along with the other stuff.
There was also a ridiculously expensive Guns n Roses set that was much discounted. So, no, they don’t always sell out. Depends on quantity naturally
Flaming Pie versus ATMP? Hmm.
Beatle collectors would want both one might assume. For these “Uber” box sets is the musical content relevant?
The rather expensive “Flaming Pie” box set wasn’t one of those “Uber” editions – it’s just the regular multi-disc-plus-books edition in McCartney’s Archive Collection series (a widely overpriced one, compared to previous ones). The real silly one from McCartney is “Egypt Station” which was available in various “limited” editions with lots of gimmicks (prints, souvenirs, a suitcase… probably marbles, too).
How about a 15 disk Collector version of 4’33” by John Cage? Includes the original release, a mono remix, a Stephen Wilson stereo remix and quadrophonic mix plus 10 discs of live versions, although some of the latter are bootleg-quality audience recordings. Also includes 3 discs of outtakes including the famous version where the oboe player came in too early (renamed as 4’31”). The set comes with a hardbound book of lyrics illustrated with photos, all of which have an exposure time of 4’33”.
Oh, and it costs $433.
Are you aware of this ?
https://mutebank.co.uk/products/various-artists-stumm433-limited-edition-deluxe-5-x-vinyl-box-set
Candles with the scent of silence – absolute genius
Damn! All my good ideas!
Sadly Coldplay dallied too long and have lost the, um, window of opportunity for easy access to candles for supplying to their box sets…..
“Window of opportunity” – hur hur hur
@retropath
When it comes to Coldplay records, I find a near-empty can of lighter fluid and a cheap Bic lighter to be every bit as effective
Roger Waters – The Glory Years
Contains cd, vinyl and blu-ray versions of all his solo albums plus six cds of concerts from various tours with all Barrett, Gilmour, Mason and Wright composing credits personal crossed out by Rog using his special angry green pen.
Bonus 20 cds of Waters moaning about Gilmour in every interview he’s done since 1983.
No marbles. (He lost them long ago.)
Don’t forget that every one of these boxes must contain a coffee-table book worth at least £90
Filled with open letters to artists and figures he doesn’t like.
Contains “signed” bricks to be built into a Wall that once erected will distance yourself from your family members, an extra 3 grand. Once dismantled please use the genuine RW saliva lovingly collected and sealed in accompanying sachets that can be used to spit at them (only supplied to fully vaccinated fans).
I thought I’d create some wildly elaborate idea for a Howard Jones box set. It turns out someone has already done it for me… Although I still think there’s room for more. Maybe a Howard Jones wig and a Jed dance along DVD with wrist, ankle and mental chains….
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/howard-jones-dream-into-action-super-deluxe-box-set-edition-3cd-2dvd-1lp/
The Farmyard Sessions?
Grunt…howl….grunt….howl
New version of Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space by Spiritualized, Jeff Bezos’ all-time favourite LP.
Four copies (Jeff & his brother are going free, the massive liggers) to be produced, each containing a ticket for the first Earth orbital flight by Blue Origin. Non Fungible Token auction to take place at a date TBA.
Your LP will of course be delivered the next day.
Giant hand-painted Abbey Road scale model wooden dolls house, complete with 2 sets of cast bronze figurines of John, Paul, George & Ringo (Moptopped and Sgt. Pepper style) plus Geoff Emerick and George Martin.
Take off the roof and all of the albums, EPs and Singles are racked inside. Both volumes of Mark Lewisohn’s book stashed in the roof with a space for the next volume if it ever gets completed.
Numbered limited edition of 1,000.
….and a packet of twenty Everest.
I’d be happy with a teenage fanclub b-side box. Could be 5 or 6 records easy. Don’t ask for more. Blow a few months vinyl budget on that. Some bands need to exploit themselves more to balance the weight. Don’t need the other stuff though. I’d listen to it!
Nobody needs the “other stuff”. They just think they do.
I am sure Apple will be preparing the 30th Anniversary* Box Set Edition of The Anthology I-III next year. Each box will feature a 5.1 surround sound mix of the original Anthology tracks, as remixed by Giles Martin, stepping up to rightfully assume the Martin mantle given his old man didn’t want anything to do with it.
Bonus discs will include definitive extended versions of “Paul’s Broken A Glass, A Glass” and “We Were Four Guys, You Know”
A new 400 word essay by Paul Morley, entitled “Ob La Di Ob La Da Da Da” will accompany the box set as well as a newly commissioned set of poems by David Hepworth.
The new box will also feature outtakes from the original outtakes, remixed by Jeff Lynne augmented with newly recorded harmonies from Julian Lennon, Dhani Harrison and James McCartney. The outtakes from these overdub sessions will further be available on a special collector’s edition box available in a hand-tooled replica of an original Abbey Road tape box and … [CUT]
*almost the 30th
*Badge Winner^
Actually, I do like the idea of a boxed set which includes an IKEA coffee table on which to place it. If they’re doing ‘Tusk’ though it might be one of those sets that it actually takes longer to listen to than it did to record. Reconstruction bathroom and velvet under-the-mixing-desk bag only with the elite, ultimate golden straw version.
Includes phone number of That Man In Bogota and a one-off code word. Gets you an XL bag of top-quality “inspiration powder” and tabletop mirror by return of post.
Not forgetting the US$50 off septum repair discount coupon from “plastic surgeon to the stars!” Pedro’s Of Tijuana*
* Licence to practice pending since 2006
Norman Mailer’s “Moonfire” book came in a limited edition that includes a moon rock and a table.
https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/decorative-objects/boxes/norman-mailer-moonfire-lunar-rock-edition-no-1969/id-f_763382/
Brilliant thread, Jay.