Karaoke Forums

We really wish that we could offer better song titles, but unfortunately that isn't in the cards just yet. Fourth quarter should be better for us but it still won't be what our competitors are able to offer. For those of you who remember us from the early days of Top Hits Monthly (no not the trademark infringing Panorama Records THM) you might recall our ability to pick hits was uncanny and we were miles ahead of our competitors. Back then the complaints were similar in that many of the songs on the disc were unrecognized but for much different reasons. Our customers had come to realize that almost ALL of the songs on the disc would soon be charting (the percentage for which was in the high 90s). Our customers would buy our discs knowing that even though they hadn't heard those songs yet that they would be first to have them once they did begin to chart.

The mechanism for picking hits within the company still exists but things have changed dramatically since then, and the current publishing model no longer allows for that kind of speculation. However, that is mostly an aside and is not the real problem we are currently facing, and while I'm unable to share the details at this time the heart of the problem for us is our inability to secure the necessary licenses for the songs that we would like to release. As a US producer the problem is by no means unique to us, but is just more problematic in our case for reasons which I am not at liberty to publicly disclose (our competitors read these things as well).

We have lost a large portion of our customer base and as we continue to hemorrhage we are not sitting idly by and simply watching our business suffer. You can rest assured that we will find a way to bring strong titles back into our lineups and hopefully regain our customers. In the meantime, we all understand your frustration and also understand your loss of patronage and can't say we blame anyone for taking your purchases elsewhere. After all most of you are in business just like us, and you should be spending your money wisely and on products that your customers demand. We only pray that when the time comes when we are able to provide you the titles that your customers request, that you give us a second look.

Bummer, i'd be more inclined to purchase from you guys if there was a disc option.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I would also prefer a custom disc option as well.

Tom, I am really looking forward to when that day comes (and I truly hope it does).

I have to say ..nic statement

I have a couple of those original THM discs from 96.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I have all of those THMs, starting from October '95 (when they first came out). Something I'm not sure of... Was Pop Hits Today part of THM/PHM? I have all of those (from August 1998 all the way thru to the 15th month of 1999).

They all came out about the same time, it seems that PHT continued where the original THM left off, but at the same time Panaorama THM came on scene & PHM came out when PHT stopped.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Exactly. When Panorama came out with THM, Stellar Records had issue with them. It took a little while, but then Stellar came out with PHM. That's why I asked about PHT (it seems to fall within part of the THM to PHM gap (and I'm still trying to find out what the names of the 13th, 14th, and 15th months of 1999 are )).

I do remember Tom answering this when he first got here. I found the thread.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=24520&start=20

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I have slowly managed to get my hands on some of those old THM discs. I have about 1/2 of the THM95 thru THM96 discs now. I am a couple discs short of having 3 full sets of the Pop Hits Today discs.

It is always a blast from the past when I find them on eBay or in bulk buys because I remember seeing them when the KJ's used them so long ago when I started doing karaoke.


-Chris

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-Chris

Thanks Lonnie. Now, about the 13th, 14th and 15th month of 1999.....

I have always felt that it was the publishers tying the hands of the US karaoke companies and not a lack of business sense that has caused any problems of not being able to keep up. And if you look at the past few months, even All Star has had more current country hits than pop hits which seem to have fallen off with them. Their last emails of "Just Added" songs have been mostly oldies. We are all really feeling the pinch, especially those who might feel uncomfortable with imports.

When I checked the last Party Tyme discs they were right on as far as what songs to put on them. It is just that I've had those songs for months. I think that Digitrax's new songs have also been ones that people would sing. The only area where they fall off is due to the no fly list and people being able to get those hits from offshore.