US Fundamental release: tiny Rhino.

[Deschanel]

From arjanwrites.com:

>>Some disconcerting news for American Pet Shop Boys fans this Tuesday morning. There is still a chance the new Pet Shop Boys album "Fundamental" will not be released in the United States. I corresponded this morning with their main p.r. rep in London who wrote "if it is released in the US it will be through Rhino." He provided the name of a possible label, but also kept the door open to speculation with the meaningful "if."  And you know that p.r. people are in the business of picking their words carefully. It sounds like a distribution deal with Rhino still needs to be ironed out. To be continued. <<

Rhino is a small specialty label. If PSB cannot get a major label release here after twenty years , it's a major fall from grace. After "Release" sat on shelves unbought, no one wants to sell PSB anymore here. Done in the US, perhaps.

Then again, who cares- i will def buy the import- "Fundamentalism" I look forward to especially- but it's a bit of the end of an era too. Neil was always so proud of going No. 1 in the US.

Rhino are actually quite good- hi quality but tiny. Arjan btw has always been a big PSB supporter too, he's well informed and his site is worthwhile for new music.

[Naughty Zoot]

Now ... now ... let's not run headlong to our scary place.

I do agree that, at this late juncture, not having a US distribution deal in place looks bad but == there is still hope.
Nightlife didn't exactly fill Warner's pockets but it did give them some bragging rights to New York city boy as a Dance Chart hit. And, Release didn't have a US distributor, unless it was Sanctuary - which is even smaller than Rhino & was certainly not a Commercial success here either. Then again, there have been several other Dance Chart Hits in the interim.
So, as The US Music Powers That Be might put it:
Show me the money.
Now ___ I'm with stupid is being served up in the UK as a BIG COMMERCIAL & Artistic HIT. And, considering Bush's increasingly sour poll #s, it might even have Trans-Atlantic legs ( IMHO, it does, but then I'm quite biased ). Plus, the advance buzz about Fundamental is very strong. Heck, even throw in the Nostalgia factor and ....
This leads me to believe that this whole project is still viable in the US. Maybe not in May. But later in the year - provided N&C can follow up I'm with stupid with a 2nd BIG Hit by the time they tour the US this Autumn. This will give them (Financial) credibility & some label will distribute them.
Be it Rhino. Or Razor & Tie. Or .....
I think it'll still happen

[Propertius]

Rhino wouldn't be so bad at all. Isn't New Order on Rhino? I'm not sure whether Waiting for the Sirens' Call was on the label, but I know that the double-dvd release of NewOrderStory and the videos collection was, as was the box set a few years ago. Rhino has treated NO fans well, and I'd expect similarly good (i.e. reasonably comprehensive) Rhino releases from PSB.

And Rhino is part of Warner's -- an intelligent part of Warner's -- so it's not really a minor label at all, though it is something of a boutique imprint. Rhino's distribution is just fine, which is what matters; I don't think Americans expect to see heavy promotion of PSB from any company.

[boyjohn]

What would be realy nice is if they were to get signed to Rhino, is for EMI, as part of their new contract, to work out some licensing deal where Rhino would get their whole catalog in the US.

The early stuff was all on Capitol, which is part of EMI. Bilingual and Nightlife I believe were both on warner labels (atlantic and sire), so Rhino should be able to get them pretty easily, since they are out of print in the US anyway. Which leaves only sanctuary, which i'm sure could be bought off with a small cash payment (since they are drowning in debt).

ok, i can dream can't I?

[Kirk Mack]

I would hardly call Rhino a tiny label. As evidenced above, they are bigger than one may think. Rhino has much better distribution than other smaller labels and are much better known that Sire/London and Sanctuary. While they may be more of a specialty label, they were also instrumental in re-issuing a lot of long-lost classics, as well as being a label for a number of once-top bands that were getting back into the biz.

I suppose that that last statement may not be THAT much of an endorsement, but, really, it is.

And I'll just throw out that while I do really like I'm with Stupid, I really don't think it has what it takes to be a true American hit. If it doesn't involve bragging about body parts, alcohol and drugs, or instantly make 13 year old girls cry, it ain't selling.....

[Kirk Mack]

And I'm sorry, but isn't that the same source that was writing a whole bunch of junk in the past about how EMI/Parlophone are thinking about not releasing it in the US, when everybody (should) know that Parlo is strictly UK and that EMI hasn't distributed PSB in the US for over a decade?

I'd still argue that he's not a reliable source and is making this stuff up. Does he also go by "nickname"?

[joeythecat]

Rhino is ok, it is a special market for Warner Bros in the USA designed to reissue the back catlog. A release on Rhino would beodd because I cannot think of a new release coming out on rhino. If it did it ensures that there will be no singles and the album will just be on the shelves wiht minor promotion. It is like making the album a reissue before it even comes out. Rhino is a nostalgia label on the most part. I love a lot of their releases, but it would not be proper to put the album out like that already, now for the nightlife reissue, Yes, it should come out on Rhino, Actually it is the only place it could really come out in the USA since they were on Sire. I think they PSB should just wait and prove themselves worldwide, if the album goes well, which it looks like it should, they could likely negotiate a lucrative deal with a major label like Sony, whom PSB have worked with in the past. Good music is good music, the hardcore USA fans will buy the Japanese or UK release anyway. As for everyone else, PSB are ripe for reassessment in the US market, most record buyers will be unaware of the albums existence without promotion, so a late release should not make a big difference either. A proper full September release would not be out of the question. … then again there is always Itunes.

[boyjohn]

One thing I noticed is that amazon.com changed the prices on the (emi intl) imports of fundamental today. They had them listed for the last few days at $15.99 and $18.49 but now the cheapest one is $31.99.

I am hoping that this means that there is an American release coming (crossing fingers)

[Kandu]

They should ask Madonna then

[a powerful friend]

For me, I don't really care who releases it as long as it gets released. And I don't really think that the Boys will be popular again in the States, no matter how much promotion they do.

On the other hand, they might try to ask for appearance as guest judges on American Idol and have contestants sing their hits. This will shamelessly guarantee them national exposure and maybe then, it might revive their US careers.

[Naughty Zoot]

[quote="a powerful friend"
On the other hand, they might try to ask for appearance as guest judges on American Idol and have contestants sing their hits. This will shamelessly guarantee them national exposure and maybe then, it might revive their US careers. [/quote]

You know, apf, you may have hit on something here. We've recently been treated to Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, Barry Manilow & (what's left of) Queen, so having " 80s Pop Stars Pet Shop Boys " isn't that crazy a notion.

But it'll never happen - N&C have been quite blunt in their distatste for these types of shows ( & I'm with them). Besides would you really want to hear glorified Karaoke versions of PSB songs? I'm shuddering as I type...

[Naughty Zoot]

To digress for a moment:

I just checked the Sirendisc site & see that they've added a Canadian release of Fundamental for US $22.99. No Canadian Fundamentalism, though ...

[Deschanel]

Just a thanks to NaughyZoot and Kirk Mack on this, they clearly know a lot about the business.

And Rhino really is a quality label, they've done some amazing stuff. I didn't mean to sound alarmist, it would maybe be better for PSB if they were working with Rhino..

thanks to the smart people about these things.

[themgnt]

Rhino is a highly respected label and treats it's artists well. They also put out quality product. Rhino is the first LABEL I became a fan of way back in the late 70s/early 80s. The other being ZTT some years later.

That Rhino got their start releasing novelty albums and 60s reissues did nothing to hurt them.

How many labels[/] can brag about having a fan base?

-paul
http://www.rhino.com/
Rhino Handmade - http://www.rhino.com/store/collectibles_store.lasso

[VinnyM27]

From arjanwrites.com:

>>Some disconcerting news for American Pet Shop Boys fans this Tuesday morning. There is still a chance the new Pet Shop Boys album "Fundamental" will not be released in the United States. I corresponded this morning with their main p.r. rep in London who wrote "if it is released in the US it will be through Rhino." He provided the name of a possible label, but also kept the door open to speculation with the meaningful "if."  And you know that p.r. people are in the business of picking their words carefully. It sounds like a distribution deal with Rhino still needs to be ironed out. To be continued. <<

Rhino is a small specialty label. If PSB cannot get a major label release here after twenty years , it's a major fall from grace. After "Release" sat on shelves unbought, no one wants to sell PSB anymore here. Done in the US, perhaps.

Then again, who cares- i will def buy the import- "Fundamentalism" I look forward to especially- but it's a bit of the end of an era too. Neil was always so proud of going No. 1 in the US.

Rhino are actually quite good- hi quality but tiny. Arjan btw has always been a big PSB supporter too, he's well informed and his site is worthwhile for new music.

Not sure that I agree with your comments about Rhino. I don't think they are that small (probably bigger than Santcuary) but not high quality. If Rhino is what I think it is, they do a lot of rereleases and often poorly assembled hits collections. I know they released a few videos from TV shows but this was before the full seasons on DVD started happening, so they were cut up episodes. I remember having a DVD of "Get A Life" but it only had a few episodes and cost way too much for that.