Identity crisis

The real Arena, 2019.

kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 If an artist or group has a common or generic name, chances are someone else will have it too. Before the internet, that was the case. If one makes it big, the other may contact their solicitors and settle out of court. I wrote a similar post years ago on our sister retail blog. In recent years, when I try to look up some people, I find mp3s from the wrong ones, who may not realise that the "real" one even exist. Spinoffs and disputes over use of the name by former members isn't exactly what I mean since that's a different post entirely. These are the ones I know off hand, but there are tonnes more out there.

Asia (my Asia settled with lesser known mid-West band and lesser knowns come up for mp3s)

Duran Duran (there are an obscure band called Duran Duran Duran)

Fish (can even be confused with Phish)

Tony Banks (once found an unknown artist with same name)

Ray Wilson (same)

Justin Hayward (there's also a DJ)

Brian May (Queen guitarist and late Australian film composer)

Roger Taylor (drummers for Queen and Duran Duran, which would probably have caused issues back at EMI)

Rush (even the boys have some chancers that are really fly by night calling themselves that, as well as Big Time Rush [please!], Mahogany Rush [also Cancon], Tom Rush, Jennifer Rush, films called Rush)

Savoy (can also get mixed up with Savoy Brown with late Oswego County resident Kim Simmonds)

Jim Diamond (was once a Diamond Jim out there)

PhD (his duo had to contend with a hip-hop one)

Bandit (his earlier band with AC/DCs Cliff Williams and Kate Bush's husband Danny McIntosh)

Status Quo (not to be confused with hip hop artist Stat Quo or song from High School Musical)

IQ (you have to have one to know who the real one are)

Jadis (even them, but could even get conflated with character on The Walking Dead)

Pallas (founder Graeme Murray originally called his band Rainbow, but that's in the same boat)

Magnum (I recently got a CD from the wrong Magnum, which I got rid of)

INXS (was once a shop in the Mohawk Valley)

Visage (was spa run by my doctor likely stopped by Steve Stranges estate if not the state)

Genesis (was once obscure band in the US at the same of the one I know being formed and another in Colombia, and also the late Genesis P-Orridge)

Alan Williams (because of others with the name, the one I used to know used the name Al Chantrey)

Toyah (not to be confused with Toya)

Slaughter (Clark County and Canadian bands)

X (US and Japan)

The Beat (Paul Collins's Beat and The English Beat)

Earth, Wind & Fire (not to be confused with Earth Fire, who Boris wants me to find)

Cinema (short-lived Yes spinoff settled with other Cinemas after becoming Yes proper again)

Tony Kaye (original Yes member and fellow UK pat and director)

Jon Anderson (not to be confused with country artist John Anderson)

Michael Jackson (even the King of Pop had two others with the same name)

Joe Jackson (his dad and the pop/jazz artist)

Paul Young (solo artist and late Sad Café/Mike & the Mechanics vocalist)

Rainbow (Ritchie Blackmores band; original name for Pallas; Sissy Spacek once recorded as Rainbo)

Velvet Underground (band with SU's own Lou Reed; early band with AC/DCs Malcolm Young)

Vanessa Williams (SU alum, Melrose Place co-star [both did Soul Food], and gospel artist)

Bush (UK and Canadian bands)

Arena (pictured; UK band and over a dozen or so different artists with that name)

Hootenanny Singers (Swedish folk band with ABBAs Björn Ulvæus and obscure US band)

amazon.com

amazons Headquarters in the Seattle-Tacoma-Vancouver area

 amazon.com needs no introduction, yet they don't really really have everything that I'm looking for.  Some things aren't even almost out yet, are digital only (like Boy Georges latest solo album), or aren't even available through the megasite. For the wishlist, there used to be a feature where one could add an idea if that were the case, but not anymore.  It may not have been used enough, or they don't want you going somewhere else (close rivals Walmart are having trouble, but more because they were nicked and burgled).  I have to wait a while before adding the new Yes and solo Morten Harket releases, while Fish would rather sell his new live albums direct or (because of post-Brexit VAT) through an EU-based indie distributor (and can you blame him, given his past troubles?).  I've gotten pro-CD-Rs of Al Chantrey (né MIA Alan Williams), Alan Reed (now back in Pallas) and the late Ray Thomas (from during a Moodies hiatus), even though I was expecting real CDs of the latter two.  I can't stream Genesis' new boxed set BBC Broadcasts on amazon Music, Spotify or even the pirate site to save money buying it.

The rare Katy Perry CD I mentioned last time (née Katy Hudson) I couldn't sell there because I'd have to start a whole sellers account and have other items, which is not an option for me, which is why I brought her to another competitor, eBay.  amazon, meanwhile, recently opened a sorting office or two in my area, and I only wish they'd also open an amazon Fresh and/or Whole Foods too (more on that at the sister blog, of course).  I bought the new Rick Wakeman on amazon and found that the local place had it too, which they don't always have, yet I earn my points on Bing religiously.  I also go online if the edition I want isn't here in person.  If I can't get it with Prime, I know of a few third party sellers in the UK and EU.

Compared to most people, I don't really spend that much on amazon.  Can't really afford to.  Too easy anyway.  One can get carried away, which isn't good with the economy right now, you know.

amazon.com Pro CD-Rs

Alan Reed in 2011

 We all know amazon.com these days, yet sometimes, when you order a CD from them, either direct or a third-party seller, it may be on a pro CD-R.  It's an authorised, licenced product, but you look underneath, it looks like the kind of thing you'd burn yourself twenty years ago (yes, it's been that long!).  I just bought the second solo album from the late Ray Thomas of the Moody Blues, Hopes, Wishes and Dreams.  It has been approved by his estate and label, and it may be a way to make product available, and this was done well before the current COVID supply chain catastrophe made it an issue.  Even Alan Reed (pictured), late of Pallas, had his début full length solo release, First in a Field of One, sent this way when I ordered my copy, and he insisted that I order his CDs through the Merch Desk instead (can't always order directly outside the US).  Even his former day job at the BBC (news producer) hasn't covered this lesser known practise of pro CD-Rs, I bet.  MIA indie artist Al Chantrey (né Alan Williams) had some of his DIY releases available through here, but are now as scarce as hens teeth, having had less trouble finding Robbie Williams and Take That in my area, but anyway.  Even Procol Harum have one. Can't come up with others, but they are out there.

I have, however, told you before about a similar scheme called The Disk Kiosk, which drew heavily on Universals catalogue. That unceremoniously went into obscurity along with some of their titles.

Maybe if some artists did allow their CDs to be pressed on pro CD-R, then regular ones, new or used, wouldn't be so rare and/or expensive.  I need most of Jadis's CDs as that's my new thing this year.  I guess if I'm desperate enough, I'll get the albums on CD-R if it's all I can afford and it's what's offered.

eMusic

Current logo.

eMusic is where I go for independent artists on official mp3.  Doesn't mean it's all there.  One artist says he didn't get too much return (Spotify pays even less) and a label head in LA says it's a ripoff.  I managed to find a number of albums for over a decade.  They even had major label releases for a period before going back to their indie roots.  I truly would rather have everything on both LP and CD when I can.  Also there isn't always something there not at the other place.  What I do find I put on that site later.  I can only suspend my account twice a year and I won't cancel as something comes up eventually if I look for people I know.  My credits usually refresh when I pay my subscription for internet, so I'm able to download by then.

UPDATE: I have cancelled my account as this is a lost cause.

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