Greatest Hits

Anything Alice Cooper or AC band related goes here

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rgallie
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Greatest Hits

Post by rgallie » Sun May 02, 2021 7:37 pm

Is this the only official compilation released as part of any record deal?

In my CD collecting days I always assumed Classicks was also the one Sony compilation that wasn't a bit of a knock off.

Working my way through buying all the official release vinyl and Greatest Hits seems to be the only one given a shout.

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Si
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Re: Greatest Hits

Post by Si » Sun May 02, 2021 11:11 pm

rgallie wrote:
Sun May 02, 2021 7:37 pm
Is this the only official compilation released as part of any record deal?

In my CD collecting days I always assumed Classicks was also the one Sony compilation that wasn't a bit of a knock off.

Working my way through buying all the official release vinyl and Greatest Hits seems to be the only one given a shout.
Monsters And Mascara is meant to be an update to the original Greatest Hits, if that's what you mean. Plus the Life And Crimes box set as well.
Not quite sure what you are looking for. Record deals no longer work quite the same as the did in the seventies, and I don't *think* Alice has been signed to a company for a specific number (ie more then one) of albums since maybe Epic, if it was even true then.

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scotty
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Re: Greatest Hits

Post by scotty » Mon May 03, 2021 6:16 am

The prince of darkness compilation would seem to be a legit release from his MCA years,with a then unreleased live billion dollar babies.

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Si
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Re: Greatest Hits

Post by Si » Mon May 03, 2021 7:48 am

scotty wrote:
Mon May 03, 2021 6:16 am
The prince of darkness compilation would seem to be a legit release from his MCA years,with a then unreleased live billion dollar babies.
It's legit in as much as it's not a bootleg, but I *think* what rgallie is looking for is albums that would have been included as part of a record deal, not compilations legally released later on.

[I'm sure you know this but this is as I understand it]
Bands used to be signed to record companies for multi-album deals, and those deals would often include a certain number of live/compilation albums as part of the total number of albums "owed" to the label. It's why you would often get a live or compilation album before a change of label. It was an easy way to finish out the contract without giving the label any new songs. You want to save those for your sparkly new label, who you hope will push them more then a label you have effectively already left and don't really care about you anymore.

Of course after a contact is completed and the artist has moved on, the original label often still owns the rights to the material recorded under the contract, and so can release more compilations which is what MCA and especially Epic have done with all those compilations, either themselves or licensing the tracks to anyone who will pay.

After Epic I think AC specifically works a little differently with single album deals, and if the company does good then you would give the next album too them (ie Spitfire) - if you're not happy with what they did for you, you try someone else the next time.

After Spitfire *I think* things changed (as the whole industry model was changing), and AC/Shep recorded the albums before getting a deal to release them, which allowed them to keep the rights to that material themselves.

Since W2MN it's a little different again, as everything comes under Bob Ezrin's company (forget the name) I think, and is effectively licensed to Earmusic. This means AC and co effective own the material themselves, unlike say the Epic albums where Epic still own all the recordings, not Alice, and they can do what they want with it - hence al the endless Epic based compilations.

Anyone with more knowledge of the ins and outs is welcome to correct any of the above. I'm not a expert and I'm sure someone knows more, but I thnk that's all basically correct.

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Re: Greatest Hits

Post by rgallie » Mon May 03, 2021 3:57 pm

Si wrote:
Mon May 03, 2021 7:48 am
It's legit in as much as it's not a bootleg, but I *think* what rgallie is looking for is albums that would have been included as part of a record deal, not compilations legally released later on.
Exactly what I am after, just to make sure my vinyl collection is complete on all official releases (not sure if official is the best word or not).

I assume Greatest Hits is the only thing that comes close to this?

I had a look at the discography here and Classicks seems to be just after Alice left Epic. I may still include Classicks though since as this site states, Alice suggested the name, so I guess it's an endorsement in some ways.

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patrick
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Re: Greatest Hits

Post by patrick » Mon May 03, 2021 4:38 pm

wouldn't the Definitive Alice Cooper from 2000 fit in here as well?
(btw Si : clicking on "more information" on e.g. Freedom for Frankenstein " doesn't seem to work. ) ( a compilation btw with not only the classic AC songs..)
you really wouldn't understand..

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Si
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Re: Greatest Hits

Post by Si » Mon May 03, 2021 5:23 pm

patrick wrote:
Mon May 03, 2021 4:38 pm
(btw Si : clicking on "more information" on e.g. Freedom for Frankenstein " doesn't seem to work.
Should be fixed now. I'd duplicated the info ID, and it was opening the wrong album info further up the page haha

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