No more physical singles from Mercury UK

[George]

From the @U2 board, as posted by "Falling At Your Feet":

NME reports that Mercury records are ceasing the release of physical CD & Vinyl singles for all their acts which include U2, Arcade Fire and The Killers.

http://www.nme.com/news/u2/55685

This is sad news for us collectors.

Perhaps, though, U2 being the fan-oriented operation that they are, will produce physical singles in-house and make them available on their website, with a thank-you discount for fanclub members.

[hmtmkmkm]

I know nothing about the industry or the business other than some passing knowledge that CDs are apparently a lost cause nowadays but this has made me incredibly sad. I took pride in my collection, even though my parameters for collecting don't include every single CD. But now what? Our collections resort to digital files on a computer? A little icon in a folder? Ugh.

[God, Part II]

It's a subject I can hardly discuss rationally.  I loathe digital-only downloads with every fiber of my soul and think this is an exceedingly bleak step in the evolution of the music industry.

[Brad]

I'm just as unhappy with the end of the CD single, but there is at least some work being done on high-resolution audio downloads, and Interscope boss Jimmy Iovine is a big proponent.

As one of the few people, it seems, that invested in SACD and DVD-A, I am happy to see someone making a run at lossless, high-resolution audio again. The Rolling Stones already have some of their albums available at hdtracks.com.

[MartinTexas]

It's very sad  I know that latest U2 singles were not perfect but B-Sides like NLOTH 2 or some mixes are worth of buing them. Also physical mediums give much more fun when buying than simply downloading only selected files, most time lossy.

In music shops there are almost no singles, but luckily U2 singles were available. Now we will have to search for poor files over web shops.
Other thing is that the iTunes and other web stories aren't available in all countries - like in Poland there's no iTunes.

They could stay in Island.....    But I think that also other music companies do the same shortly.

[slaneman]

Perhaps, though, U2 being the fan-oriented operation that they are, will produce physical singles in-house and make them available on their website, with a thank-you discount for fanclub members.

And pigs will fly! That's some top-notch sarcasm, young man. Post of the year nominee!

But it's an awesome idea which of course means they'd never do it. I mean, how could U2.com (a division of Live Nation and Deals With The Devil, Inc.) possibly afford doing something like that with the paltry guaranteed millions they rake in every year.

I'm not much of a collector but I did enjoy acquiring the few U2 singles I have.. Always love the cover work and the process of getting them.

And what's dem acronyms you talkin' bout...DVD-A, SACD, etc. Do they make toast? (LOL)

[morgan1098]

SO depressed. 

[Brad]

And what's dem acronyms you talkin' bout...DVD-A, SACD, etc. Do they make toast? (LOL)

My Denon combo player just might. It did everything else back in the day. 

[Aaron]

i'm sad in a way, but in the positive column, one less place to try to scrounge up cds from lol.

last album the UK had already pretty much stopped doing CD singles - Magnificent there was a set planned which were cancelled and they did a 7" vinyl instead...

and is it indeed just the UK branch?  We still see singles being produced for Europe, and with the last album even got some singles from the US again...so perhaps there will be singles to be had, may just be a case of where you import them from...

[morgan1098]

Yeah, the CD single market died off a lot sooner in the US than it did in Europe, so it's strange that the US got no singles for ATYCLB or HTDAAB, and then suddenly we got TWO maxi-CDs for NLOTH.  I took that as an encouraging sign, but really, we have to face the fact that CDs are dying, whether they're singles or full-length albums. 

[Z000]

...but really, we have to face the fact that CDs are dying, whether they're singles or full-length albums. 

I DON'T HAVE TO FACE ANY SUCH FACT IF I DON'T WANT TO!!

::covers ears and sings loudly::