RECORD STORE “WTF” TALES #1238:   “Help Me Get My CD!”

I do not “share” files.  If a random person emails and asks me to send them some music files, I will always say “no”.  Except in this case.  I didn’t know what else I could do to help this one angry customer.

The reasons I will not “share” files are many.  For one, I have good relations to many of the artists and labels that you read about here.  I enjoy being sent CDs for free.  I don’t want that to end, so I do not “share” what I have.  Besides, it’s not “sharing”, is it?  I don’t own the songs.  I don’t own the copyrights.  They are not mine to give away.  You can ask, but don’t expect anything from me except a lecture about “sharing”.  In most cases, I paid good money for those songs.  Why should I give away copies of what I bought?  Just because I have managed to acquire a song or an album doesn’t entitle someone else to a copy.  If you ask, I’ll say no.

Except in this one case.

A few years ago, I reviewed a new CD by a band I liked.  I got it directly from the band’s lead singer.   It was good; I gave it a positive review.  The singer appreciated it and I moved on to another project.

About three months after reviewing the album, I received the lengthy email below from a loyal reader.  I didn’t know this reader at all, and while I appreciated their patronage over the years, I found the email below rather baffling.

 

Hi Mike Ladano,

I’m a huge fan of your site and your influences on the sleaze/glam metal genre for years and years! Please don’t get offended, it’s not about you. It’s about the lead goof singer at [BAND]. I saw your review of his “attempt” to release all his band’s songs on [A CD]. And others’ reviews as well. I loved their music in the past. I was anxious to buy it period. One problem, [SINGER]. He’s a timewasting unreliable goof who will send you back random incoherent messages on Facebook (when you ask him over and over and over again to buy his CD), and actually try to discourage you from buying it! He then tells you he needs your home address to send an “invoice”. Then what happens? He continues to send random Facebook messages, trying to discourage your purchase and tells you “I find you asking me for my autograph on the item bizarre”. And then you never hear from this guy again. I tried to buy his CD for months now. I honestly don’t know how you and others who reviewed it were able to get the actual CD in your hands. Because this guy [SINGER] refuses to sell the fucking CD to you. He never sent me any “invoice” and he just disappeared forever. His “company” [DELETED] is a joke, just like his so called business acumen obviously.  I am very disappointed in him and the [BAND], as I have no way to buy this CD. I can see why there are none available anywhere on Earth. This guy refuses to actually sell the CD to anyone. I even tried to login to Facebook with another account and the goof did the same thing to me again. Again, I am disappointed in [BAND] and I can now see why they never got signed to any major label deals. If [SINGER] was in charge of business for the band, they would (and did) go absolutely nowhere commercially.  If you can help me get my [CD] compilation I would be very appreciative. Again, this is no attack on your awesome site and your own awesome personal reviews of amazing bands over the years.  Thanks.

 

There have been CDs that have been difficult and annoying to acquire over the years (see:  Scrap Metal, Helix).  I don’t know of any singer from any bands who outright refused to sell a CD.  There must be more to this story!  Was the singer somehow offended by the request to have the CD signed?  Many artists coordinate their sales via Facebook.  I have bought discs from Evil Elvis and Mitch Lafon on Facebook.  It’s usually a matter of payment, and making sure they have your mailing address.  Never an issue!

I’m not sure how this customer wanted me to intervene.  Did they want me to talk to the singer and say, “Hey, so-and-so wants you to send a CD, can you do that?”  I’d rather not get involved, especially since this story probably has more details that I am not privy to.  There has to be a reason why the singer was dismissive of the customer, if the story is indeed true.  Was the customer talking to a scam artist on Facebook?  Possibly.

So, I broke my own rule.  Not knowing how to help this reader, I offered to send them the files.

They never replied.

What a WTF situation!