CDs and Tours

[nbc@INFORMATICS.RUTHERFORD.AC.UK]

> Subject: ALL KATE BUSH CDs WILL SELF-DESTRUCT!!!
> From: Vulture of Light <trainor@CS.UCLA.EDU>

> In article <15793@mirror.TMC.COM> jrp@prism.TMC.COM (John R.
> Petersen) writes:
>> Source : WEEI News Radio - Boston Mass.  Wednesday June 29, 1988
>>   According to a report on the above mentioned station, "Every
>> Compact Disc ever made will deteriorate within 8 years." The report
>> stated that "the ink used to label compact discs chemically reacts
>> with the plastic and after appox. 8 years will reach the metal
>> recorded surface." Also, an undisclosed source was quoted as saying
>> that nothing could be done to protect CD's that have not
>> deteriorated yet because the reaction is already in progress.

The Guardian newspaper reported that Nimbus, the biggest manufacturer
of CDs in GB, had discovered design faults which could cause the
aluminium reflector to oxidise and destroy sound reproduction.

Sony said that manufacturers were supposed to abide by a "red book"
code of specifications, but a spokesman stated that "it does not go
into the finest details of the manufacturing process and this is where
problems can arise; producers can cut corners and still meet the
specifications."

Sony and Phillips insisted that they had found no problems with their
own CDs, but "80% of the CDs we test made by others do not come up to
our specifications." Most of these faults were insignificant, and they
estimated that less than 1% of CDs would "self-destruct" within 8
years as predicted by Nimbus.

But Sony attacked the record companies for creating a commercial
climate where corner-cutting on quality was inevitable. "They are
making a huge profit by keeping CD prices high while using
overcapacity to squeeze the margins of the independent pressers."

Nimbus's commercial director said his company had overcome earlier
difficulties and had kept standards high.  Nimbus, which won a Queen's
Award for Technology last year, would produce test results this autumn
showing a wide range of faults in existing CDs made by other firms.

Corrosive printing inks on disc surfaces had been a problem but cracks
in the protective lacquer which stops the aluminium reflector from
oxidising had also been uncovered.

Sources in the record industry claim that Nimbus and the American firm
Mobile Fidelity were eager to cast doubt on aluminium because they had
invested in new and more expensive gold and silver discs.

But EMI said that it, too, had conducted tests on a wide range of CDs
and had found problems. Early discs had developed oxidisation of the
aluminium layer because the metal extended to the outer edge of the
disc, but an EMI spokesman could not comment on Nimbus's claim that
some printing inks were so corrosive they had eaten through protective
layers and attacked the aluminium. No problems had been found with its
own discs made in Swindon.

Sony reported that its switchboard had been jammed by anxious CD
owners and this concern was reflected in record shops.

> From: IED0DXM%UCLAMVS.BITNET@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject: KT News, mailbag

>     If _that's_ not a strong indicator that Kate plans to mount a
> TOUR OF LIFE II, IED doesn't know what is.

>      [	Come, come now, IED!  We all know that Kate will never ever
>	again do a live tour and that hoping and planning for one will
>	lead to nothing other than depair and the shattering of all of
>	one's hopes and dreams.  On the other hand, if Kate should
>	perchance ever just happen to do another tour, won't it be a
>	pleasant little surpise? -- |>oug ]

I would expect that Kate will never do a tour in the sense of doing
about 50 venues over a period of 3 months like a lot of rock groups.
Rather, she is likely to do say a week at Wembley, or Birmingham NEC.
That way she does not have to keep packing and unpacking her stage
show. She could set everything up to perfection in one place (which
can handle thousands of punters) and then concentrate on the
performance. Whether she would feel like taking this show abroad is
perhaps less likely and might well depend on how the album was
received. Watch out for LIVE DATES in the Spring.

>> Does anyone know of a forthcoming collaborative project featuring
>> Kate? ... the only other name I heard was Dave Wakelin

>Sounds pretty straightforward: _She's_Having_a_Baby_ is being released
>in the U.K., and you heard an announcement about the soundtrack album.

Yea, that must have been what it was about. I'll try and set you a
tougher one next time IED! I have not seen any mention of the film
over here yet. However, "Maybe Baby" (with Molly R.) has just opened
so perhaps SHAB is not far behind. Who knows we may even get to hear
"This Woman's Work" on this side of the Atlantic.

Be seeing you.