We all complain about how London Records basically regards NO as a unprofitable act, and considering that they never give any band releases a chance anyways, they get proven right. Considering the neglect they have suffered since signing with London, should New Order consider trying to end their contract with London? I think a strong case could be made that London did not do all they could to promote New Order, or at least that their efforts were haphazard at best, and New Order might as well try to get a better deal somewhere else....
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Should NO and London Records part ways?
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This is an archived legacy thread. Replies are closed, but the discussion is preserved.
Should New Order leave London Records and seek a better deal with another company?
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Yes 14 (82%)
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No 3 (18%)
17 votes · voting closed
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I vote No because if NO were to go to a small independant record label chances are there would be no US DVD'd and stuff like that. Like it or not, NO moving to another label would probably spell the end for the US.
Originally posted by Wolfmann I vote No because if NO were to go to a small independant record label chances are there would be no US DVD'd and stuff like that. Like it or not, NO moving to another label would probably spell the end for the US.
I suppose so, it can be argued that New Order may not have had much of a choice in 1992 after Factory shut down. I don't know the specifics of what deals were going around at the time, but I would be willing to bet other record companies wanted NO on their label at the time. Now, with their age a concern ("Will the Britney fans respond well to Barney's paunch?") and unjustly viewed through the fact that Get Ready didn't light a fire under the ass of the American consumer, their chances for a good deal are slim. I just thought it'd make a good poll, and I also believe they should at least consider looking for something where their records are given a chance to succeed.
Originally posted by Tout est devenu vert I vote YES and hope they'll go with Mr Baker's new label WHACKED records.
That could be good... except I don't want to see all their stuff remixed for clubs and raves. I am a huge fan of original mixes and 12's. I think 85.7% of remixes are lame! I love BM88 way better than the origial and I love BLT extended dance, but you can take the majority of the rest and tuck them away somewhere dark.
Would a move to a new label allow them to feel they can stop doing "record company" things like playing the same set every night and having to do Blue Monday ? If so, then yes.
Originally posted by Benny's Cobweb Eyes Would a move to a new label allow them to feel they can stop doing "record company" things like playing the same set every night and having to do Blue Monday ? If so, then yes.
Has NO said that the record company is the reason they are playing the same set every night? Maybe NO is doing that because they don't have enough brain cells left for lots of change. I don't think changing record companies will change them playing live.
Originally posted by Benny's Cobweb Eyes Would a move to a new label allow them to feel they can stop doing "record company" things like playing the same set every night and having to do Blue Monday ? If so, then yes.
intersting thoughts benny...do you think that a record company can dictate what live sets they play???
i reckon they just do it to piss jarvo off!!!
but on a serious note...surely its just bone idleness
If any company was really interested in selling DVDs in every market where there was demand for it there is a simple way they could do it: make their DVDs non-region-coded so they can be played in any DVD player anywhere in the world. I don't know who thought up the idea of putting region codes on DVDs and DVD players but I'm sure it was thought up to get more money out of customers by stopping them buying DVDs in the country where they are cheapest and making it easier to charge higher prices in different countries. Besides, in the UK (which is in region 2) region coding is becoming increasingly irrelevant because multi-region DVD players are widely available, some Region 2 DVD players can play discs from other regions if you know the code to switch off the region lock or you can get software which allows you to play discs from any region on PS2s and people who can play them are buying DVDs from other regions over the Internet (which is legal provided you do not sell them and they do not contain material which is obscene under UK law).
If New Order were to leave London Records they may want to sign for another record company but the only major that I think would sign them would be EMI which I think would be a good move for the band and their fans. I'm sure there are indie labels that would like to sign them but I doubt the band would sign for any indie other than Mute (which is closely linked with EMI now anyway). They may want to set up their own record company but if they did they would almost certainly still have to distribute their music through one of the existing distribution companies only some of which distribute to all music retailers (so if the band chose the wrong distributor fans in large urban areas would still be able to buy their music from a nearby retailer but fans in one horse towns wouldn't).
However, there is another possibility: they could distribute their own music digitally through a website. I know that digital music distribution is in its infancy and a lot of the music that is distributed digitally is distributed illegally without the copyright holders receiving any payment but these are technical problems which can be solved by people with enough technical knowledge. However, distributing your own music digitally gives you control over how your music is treated and released so if you don't like your music being remixed by people you don't know and released on multiple CD, 12" vinyl and DVD single formats you don't have to do it. You release what you want to release and distribute it directly to anyone with a computer and Internet access who wants it anywhere in the world, cutting out the middle men and women in the record companies and distribution companies.
it´s time to leave the egos behind. I live in a country that always was outside the great bands´ tours. but nevertheless we had our editions. new order items were always hard-to-find but still you eventually found them. what I mean is that we don´t necessary NEED london records to bring us NO items. if we´d need london then explain to me why reprise only edited crystal out of get ready in the usa. any label could edit on other countries on partnership with the original label. if not then why do I have argentinian NO vinyls that were edited only days after its original release? they´re NOT the original but still I could listen to the music. that´s the most important thing. despite all that I don´t think NO would become a ghost in terms of editions. not now. not after 25 years of career. so don´t worry about that. what I do know is that london is not an indie and never will. and because of that it has the usual vices of a great label. it´ll try everything in order to SELL you things (the bonus cd and dvd?). and will try the band to do whatever they have to do in order to SELL you things (NO signing copies?). and if the band don´t do that it´d end up the contract or start legal actions against them for not fulfilling their part of the contract. simply as that. you can´t feel or work free in that environment, can you? too much pressure.
Originally posted by PAUL TROWELL > Originally posted by Benny's Cobweb Eyes> Would a move to a new label allow them to feel they can stop doing "record company" things like playing the same set every night and having to do Blue Monday ? If so, then yes.
intersting thoughts benny...do you think that a record company can dictate what live sets they play???
i reckon they just do it to piss jarvo off!!!
but on a serious note...surely its just bone idleness
It only started when they switched record companies......though to be fair the Technique set was getting a bit samey at times. Good, but samey. Personally (and I hope that someone will confirm this), I suspect the same set policy may be to do with expectations from London Records given the technology constraints (ridiculous to say so in light of technological advancements, but you know what I mean - they have acquired new gear since playing most stuff live) and less to do with their not wishing to vary things. I think that's what they meant by "more professional", but I stand corrected.
Originally posted by Taboo # 7 We all complain about how London Records basically regards NO as a unprofitable act, and considering that they never give any band releases a chance anyways, they get proven right. Considering the neglect they have suffered since signing with London, should New Order consider trying to end their contract with London? I think a strong case could be made that London did not do all they could to promote New Order, or at least that their efforts were haphazard at best, and New Order might as well try to get a better deal somewhere else....
You've got the wrong end of the stick there Taboo, (that means you are Pete Tong, quite aptly!. Sorry, lame joke) London does not consider NO an unprofitable act, if it were so NO had better start shopping for a new deal elsewhere because London would drop them without a single tear being shed.
London considers NO to be hugely profitable, only not worth investing in. They are a cash cow who is there to be milked dry and as such they do not merit any investment whatsoever. Precious promotional funds are to be spend in rising star products who are likely to give huge returns in the future. With New Order only ever diminishing returns are to be expected so London will only go through the motions promotions wise.
Still, with that in view there is an even stronger case to be made for NO changing horses. Being the main act of a small independent would mean not only getting the lion's share of budget promotions (only that budget would be smaller than with London) but also the undivided attention of management, which they are certainly not getting now.
Only problem is that the lads share in London's views. Except for Hooky, who is full of vim and vigour I frankly cannot see Barney or Steve starting their own label. Maybe ten years ago but not now. They are interested in making music, having their CD's released and having some gigs every year, not many and not too strenuous.
To sum it up: Do I want them to change label/start their own. Yes. And if they do I shall send them my CV, quit my job and work for them for peanuts. Do I consider that likely?. No, not bloody likely.
They are very much mainstream now in the UK, not the case in the 80's however as when i first got into their music they were classed much more as a niche band and information on them and their material was scarce to say the least.
However they now appear with some regularity in the national press, tabloid celeb columns often namedrop Hooky or Bernard and they appear with their pearls of retrospective wisdom on these 100 Greatest whatevers or The Year 19...
So they may well be not as prominant or as popular in other countries but i can assure you Britain's proud of them!!! 
