Can We Make Costandinos CD's Exsist For Real????

[Jimmy-Michaels]

I have an idea if anyone could know how....lol

From what I understand, Alec R Costandinos CD reissues do not exsist at his own request. I dont think he knows how much people stil admire his music and that its not just the people from back in the time. Im 26 years old and know of all his work and went through hell tracking down all his LPs on vinyl(still going after a few). I think if he knew, maybe he'd reconcider. Personaly I think the Sumeria album could chart the recent Bilboard album charts today (because something like that people wernt ready for yet back then). If it was relesed now untouched and un remixed even, I think "Cosmic traveler" and "Golden Tears" could withhold large club play with the kids of today. Thats just a for instance. he could be making a bundule of cash for just siting back and doing nothing except relesing old matirial. I think we should all be able to have a confrence on line/voice chat with him to let him know. What do you all think and how could we make this happen??

[Outsider]

First of all, who currently owns the original master tapes? Contacting whoever does would be a start. Also, does Alec currently own the rights to his songs? And is there a way of contacting him personally (assuming that he's still alive)? I assume that he has an e-mail address (if he's not deceased), but what is it, and how could we find out? Does he have his own website?

Could anyone tell me if these are all things to consider if his albums were to be re-released? I think so. I have to admit that I'm not that familiar with his work (I did hear a tiny bit of "Romeo and Juliet" once), but he definitely sounds like someone worth listening to.

[BrunoRepublic]

On 2002-05-07 09:39, DJ Jimmy M wrote:
Personaly I think the Sumeria album could chart the recent Bilboard album charts today (because something like that people wernt ready for yet back then).

Sorry, but I have to disagree -- and I *love* that album.

WARNING: LONG RANT AHEAD (I have a lot to say on this matter, and it's hard to sort it all out, so I apologize if this is somewhat disjointed and incoherent).

First of all, the vast majority of people have bad taste, or worse yet, no taste at all. Most people cannot appreciate intricate arrangements, decent chord structures, or anything else that doesn't fit into the standard pop song format.

People have been reduced to 10-second soundbite attention spans, and won't pay attention to anything but the drums, bass, and basic melody... which is why mainstream music has eroded to nothing more than 909 kick drums, 303 bass lines, and sampled shrieks and squeals of whatever diva-of-the-moment is around. Anything that deviates from this formula -- especially something with some imagination -- is usually greeted with universal derision. When I put on the Sumeria album for others, they usually laugh their heads off because it's a disco concept album about a woman who elopes with an alien being. They don't care about how gorgeous the melodies and vocals are, how pretty and delightful the production is, or anything else. All they hear is some silly disco sounds. And the odd time that they might say "hey, that's kinda nice!", well, they still wouldn't seek it out, much less actually buy any of it.

A lot of people will not bother to listen to anything that takes more than 10 seconds to determine whether you like it or not. Every time I go to "Play De Record" (which for some reason is the hippest DJ-oriented record store in my city), and they're playing the 909/303/shriek release of the minute, they *never* leave the needle in the same place for more than a few seconds. Just drop it, hear a couple of beats, move it ahead, wait two seconds, move it ahead, done. Hey, if it didn't sink in from that, it can't be good, right?

Secondly, and much more sinister, is how the North American music industry is almost completely controlled by a handful of people and companies. If it's not on TV or the radio, it doesn't exist. If it's not on a major label, it will never even get into the record stores. Half of all CDs and books in North America are sold at Wal-Mart, fer gawd's sake. Almost all of the radio stations are owned by a few corporations, who have created strict "formats" based on what can gain the most advertising revenue. They have no interest in promoting music that is new, different, or challenging in any way -- in fact, it's against their interests to do so. Advertisers don't want people turned off with weird freaky music that people don't know the words to. This is why you turn on the radio and you'll hear "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" as often now as you did when it was a hit back in '82. Once cutting-edge, the song is now format fodder. The same cannot be said for anything by Monsieur Constandinos, who's material never entered the mainstream culture to begin with.

If it was relesed now untouched and un remixed even, I think "Cosmic traveler" and "Golden Tears" could withhold large club play with the kids of today. Thats just a for instance.

The kids of today simply accept that one must be stoned to enjoy dance music. As a result, they really don't care what they listen to -- which also explains why the dance music scene is so completely stagnant today.

he could be making a bundule of cash for just siting back and doing nothing except relesing old matirial.

Well, it didn't happen to Boris Midney when all of his stuff got reissued, so I can't see how it would happen to Alec. The simple fact is that this music is enjoyed by an enlightened few, and not the masses.

[originalbigm]

[originalbigm]

You're absolute right Graham.Today's dancemusic scene is "what's the flavour of the day that can sell".The disco era was a fluid and dynamic time for music.A lot of creativity and experimentation from artists and producers.Couldn't agree with you more.

[ruoffended]

SAD BUT TRUE, exactly right, people of my generation are exactly as you described them, but i dont care my friends and i , like to dig more in interresting dance stuff , we have enough of the same dance music arranged and played with the same software.....RU

[Jimmy-Michaels]

Come to reconcider, I guess you may be right. But in the same sence as what i was saying, people who like this bullshit music of today might not be abel to handle that. However, the Sumeria album I did play for my now x - wife and she listens to some of the most SHITTY music of today I can think of (the teeny bopper bullshit and the hip hop/more non volgar rap/top 40) and she fell in love with this album! She even had me burn a copy to cd for her(and listens to it almost every day). Plus, she loves most of Alec's music thanks to me introducing it to her. Maybe cause she's a little older she was abel to appriciate it? I dont know. Just wanted to share that. As for Alec being dead????????????? I hope not. I dont think so anyway from what Bernie has said before. Boris Midney didnt make any kind of comeback because thats all it was was reissues. No rerelesed singles, videos, etc... Plus, dont get me wrong, I love Midney's stuff but, its not as advanced and creative and diverse as Alec. Midney basicly carried the same tune throughout most of his music (except for the Empire Strikes Back deal kinda way out doing Meco's rock/pop version). Anyway, how can we contact Alec?

[Paulo]

Your words about the music industry are precise and accurate Graham... You should write for a musical newspaper!!
Congratulations
Paulo

[Blaxman]

Graham,

you're 200% right! I dont listen radio of today. It's disgusting.

Blaxman

[Jeff H]

Graham--

You are so right, on all counts.

And I never feel as old, cranky and hopelessly un-hip as when I stop in at Play De Record. I want to scream, "You call THIS music??!" and/or "Turn it down!"

And I always get the feeling that records are not the only thing that's being sold there, if you get my drift.