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From: andrew@grkermi.UUCP (Andrew W. Rogers)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Stevie Wonder on CD
Message-ID: <598@grkermi.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Sep-85 12:55:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: grkermi.598
Posted: Tue Sep  3 12:55:50 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 5-Sep-85 02:27:39 EDT
References: <1164@ihlpg.UUCP>
Reply-To: andrew@grkermi.UUCP (Andrew W. Rogers)
Distribution: net
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 28
Summary: 

In article <1164@ihlpg.UUCP> hardy@ihlpg.UUCP (Hardy) writes:
>It seems that *all* of the Stevie Wonder CD's which I've happened
>across in the record stores were double albums (Songs in the Key
>of the Secret Life of Plants, Musiquarium, etc.)  The prices were
>a little hard to accept, especially when the LP version of
>Life of Plants was selling on the opposite end of the store for
>$1.99.  Although I haven't done the arithmetic, you would think
>that some of these albums could be squeezed onto a single disk by
>discarding a few of the clinkers...

You could probably fit all of "Songs" (but not the bonus record) on a
single CD... but Motown would charge the same as a 2-CD set anyway!
(Just look at what they're asking for their 25-track anthologies of
stuff they've already reissued a million times!)

As far as "squeezing out clinkers" goes, though... the contract SW signed with
Motown in the early 70's gives him complete control over what they do or don't
release.  I think he would resent any implication that some of his songs are
expendable (even though I could easily think of several that are.)

AWR

P.S.: Highly recommended:  "The Jackie Wilson Story" on Epic, a 2-record 
(24 tracks, ~65 minutes) set on a single CD which sells for only a modest
premium above most single-record CD's.  Great performances, most of them
rising far above the passable-minus to passable-plus material (you *have*
to hear "Danny Boy"); very nice mastering, too (especially considering
that half the tracks were recorded at least 25 years ago).