Post by HARD ROCK UNIVERSE on Jan 19, 2006 10:40:38 GMT -5
LONDON (Hollywood Reporter) - More than 100,000 out-of-print European tracks recorded by such artists as Marianne Faithfull, Eddie & the Hot Rods, Nirvana and Chris de Burgh, will be made available exclusively via Internet digital download, Universal Music Group International said Wednesday.
The first group of 3,000 tracks, available from mid-February, will be recordings made over the past 40 years in the U.K., France and Germany. Other artists featured include Brian Auger & Julie Driscoll, Big Country, Jacques Brel, Nana Mouskouri, Eddy Mitchell and Brigitte Bardot.
"Over the next three to four years, we aim to reissue perhaps as many as 10,000 albums for downloading, which amounts to more than 100,000 tracks. This program will offer material that, in some cases, goes back to the early days of recorded music," said Barney Wragg, senior vp of UMGI's eLabs division, in a statement.
He said the program is open-ended and will involve "the excavation and digitization" of older, rare analog material.
"This 'digital archeology' program represents a serious commitment to go further into the past, and to begin to take advantage of the benefits for artists and for music fans of digital download technology," Wragg said. "Hopefully, the first round of recordings selected for this initiative will start to satisfy consumer demand, as more and more people buy their music online."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
The first group of 3,000 tracks, available from mid-February, will be recordings made over the past 40 years in the U.K., France and Germany. Other artists featured include Brian Auger & Julie Driscoll, Big Country, Jacques Brel, Nana Mouskouri, Eddy Mitchell and Brigitte Bardot.
"Over the next three to four years, we aim to reissue perhaps as many as 10,000 albums for downloading, which amounts to more than 100,000 tracks. This program will offer material that, in some cases, goes back to the early days of recorded music," said Barney Wragg, senior vp of UMGI's eLabs division, in a statement.
He said the program is open-ended and will involve "the excavation and digitization" of older, rare analog material.
"This 'digital archeology' program represents a serious commitment to go further into the past, and to begin to take advantage of the benefits for artists and for music fans of digital download technology," Wragg said. "Hopefully, the first round of recordings selected for this initiative will start to satisfy consumer demand, as more and more people buy their music online."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
