Ratt 1983 EP remaster, anyone?

With all the praise behind Rock Candy, is anyone interested in maybe petitioning to them to release the Ratt 1983 EP remastered? That is one release I'd really love to have. We should let them know there's interest for it.

Absolutely.

I got lucky and got this one for free a number of years ago (gift from an ex gf) and I love it. I still have on it cassette too but it plays pretty horribly. I would love to see a re release, but like I whined about before unless it offers something I don't already have I am not buying. This past weekend I was in Princeton Records and had the Rock Candy remaster of QR 1988 in hand it was only 7.99 but I put it back as I wouldn't be gaining anything by doubling up. Hopefully this does get a re release and maybe some live stuff from that era or demos of songs that came later on Cellar or Invasion.

I keep hoping that I come across it in the used bins but that seems to be a pipe dream so re-mastered/re-release is about the best route to hope for.

That would be great, but I assume there is more to it than Rock Candy (or any other reissue label) not wanting to do it. I don't know who hold the rights, but I assume whoever does probably doesn't care if it's available or not, else it would've been reissued a while ago.

Around a year or two ago, I came across a file for the RATT E.P. Since the C.D has been out of print for many years and the only C.D's which can be found are at absurd prices, I downloaded the E.P. Outside of the many live shows I've downloaded, there have been only a couple of official releases that I've downloaded and that was due to the aforementioned reason. I would be the first to buy this, if and when it ever comes out, but until then... Anyways, below is the title of the file. If anyone wants the link, just PM me.

Ratt (1983) Ratt (EP) [Japan 1st Press, 28XD-706, 1987] {ikebana}

It's a rights issue. Time Coast Communications still owns the copyright and majority publishing while Atlantic holds distribution. I'm sure Rock Candy has interest in this as much as the remaining catalog but it would be a mess to go that route.

My honest take is F*ck the CD. It's simply worth a lot as a collector's item, nothing more and nothing less. Plus the mix is terrible compared to the vinyl as Atlantic went and screwed with it on the remaster. If you have a turntable, pick up the vinyl for cheap. No turntable, go for a torrent. For completists, save money. A few months ago I saw it on eBay for 60 bucks, about the allotment of my monthly allowance, and nearly bit the bait, but then thought nah, the vinyl copy I have is just fine.

I got the RATT EP on CD for nothin' a few years back from a lady @ work -- she let me pick thru a big bag of her no good ex boyfriend's CDs that he'd left behind at her place after they broke up. I had no idea it was such a collectible till I got it home that night and I saw what it was going for on eBay. I think I may have cackled. Hell hath no fury indeed!

I have the cd and two copies on vinyl.  Ha ha suckers!

I do hope it gets reissued as it's a very good EP.

I figured it had something to do with the rights. I couldn't care less about the mix , I still would love that baby on CD (not paying that kind of cash for it though).

Fat Freddy wrote:

I got the RATT EP on CD for nothin' a few years back from a lady @ work -- she let me pick thru a big bag of her no good ex boyfriend's CDs that he'd left behind at her place after they broke up. I had no idea it was such a collectible till I got it home that night and I saw what it was going for on eBay. I think I may have cackled. Hell hath no fury indeed!

Witchfinder wrote:

I have the cd and two copies on vinyl.  Ha ha suckers!

I do hope it gets reissued as it's a very good EP.

You guys suck !

I have a bootleg version of it, and its a good little EP

I, like many of the cd's I have, was fortunate enough to find this in a pawn shop many years back for cheap cheap almost free and like many here was not familiar with the collectable nature of the disc until then. Played the tape into the dirt back in the day so I am glad for the cd in my collection as already mentioned it is a great EP regardless of the "mix".

corplhicks wrote:

It's a rights issue. Time Coast Communications still owns the copyright and majority publishing while Atlantic holds distribution. I'm sure Rock Candy has interest in this as much as the remaining catalog but it would be a mess to go that route.

I kinda figured their must be some rea$on why this hasn't been re-issued yet. I'm sure Rock Candy or someone else would do it in a heartbeat if they could.

Which makes me wonder, Why hold onto the rights of something if you're not going to do anything with the product ? What purpose does that serve just sitting on it? Basically everybody loses in that scenario, more or less.

007 wrote:

Which makes me wonder, Why hold onto the rights of something if you're not going to do anything with the product ? What purpose does that serve just sitting on it? Basically everybody loses in that scenario, more or less.

Could be something as simple as a big company can't be bothered wasting their resources with something they see as trivial. Sorting out all the legal stuff takes time and money and they've got bigger fish to fry, so-to-speak. So they'll just let the files sit and collect dust in their basement.

I've got 2 on cd and would totally trade it for the hellbastard "natural order" cd.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

007 wrote:

Which makes me wonder, Why hold onto the rights of something if you're not going to do anything with the product ? What purpose does that serve just sitting on it? Basically everybody loses in that scenario, more or less.

Could be something as simple as a big company can't be bothered wasting their resources with something they see as trivial. Sorting out all the legal stuff takes time and money and they've got bigger fish to fry, so-to-speak. So they'll just let the files sit and collect dust in their basement.

That's how I've always looked at it too. Stormspell would know the ins and outs of it all.

These huge corporations aren't going to reissue something unless they can see a significant financial return.  Often they have a sales threshold and if an album isn't going to sell at least...say 5000 to 10,000 copies...they aren't going to waste their time reprinting it.  (that could be a low estimate too, the threshold could be much higher).

It's similar to movie studios and television networks, there are hundreds and hundreds of movies and TV shows that have never been reissued, never released on DVD and likely never will be, because there just isn't enough financial incentive for them to bother with it.

This is complicated if there are any rights issues involved, hell, a lot of TV shows and movies don't get released because they no longer have the rights to the soundtrack...for example:  when they initially got the rights to the music it was for theatrical and TV use only, but those rights did not extend to technologies that didn't exist yet (home video, streaming, etc).  If a soundtrack contains music from a lot of different artists that's a big expenditure to either re-license the music (possibly from multiple rights holders) or replace the music entirely, which takes investment in post-production.  Many times they'll look at these expenses, realize the financial cost is higher than what profit they were likely going to make from a reissue and they'll decide to just let it sit in the vault instead.

What about the possibility of an on demand creation like they do for DVD sets of tv shows from years past? Or, maybe some sort of a pledge or kickstarter where maybe 2-3 thousand people pay an amount that helps cover the costst and makes a profit for the reissuing company? I agree with what S.D. said about the big companies aren't going to reissue something unless they can see a significant financial return; but maybe a smaller one would. Just a thought.

That's why labels often hand off reissues to outside companies like Rock Candy, Rhino, Mosaic, etc. Atlantic isn't going to be bothered with reissuing a King's X album, but if Rock Candy or some other reissue label can afford the licensing fee they'll let them reissue it. Then the question becomes is the licensing fee affordable compared to the profit potential of the reissue?

If there are any hangups during the process though (rights issues, master tapes cannot be located, etc) the label can come back at any time and say no, we changed out minds.

The problem with so many metal albums from the 80s is often it was a smaller independent label that secured a distribution deal through a major label which complicates the reissue process and severely increases the cost for licensing.

If it does get re-issued, I hope it is without bonus tracks.  I would be willing to bet they would include the Mickey Ratt/Jake E Lee stuff, which is horrid and a waste of time.

I just read that there is a 7 track version from Music for Nations that includes You're in Trouble. Anyone got this?

the sentinel wrote:

I just read that there is a 7 track version from Music for Nations that includes You're in Trouble. Anyone got this?

From my understanding that was just a UK vinyl pressing. The only CD versions of the EP were issued by Atlantic/Time Coast in the mid-80's and again in the 90's with the release of Ratt n' Roll 81-91.

Shawn is right, the profitability here is low. When the first CD pressing happened Ratt was a hot name. With the greatest hits comp (one of the better comps of that era, I might add) it was an added bonus, although only a handful of copies were pressed.

What I find ironic is that Ratt's compilation "Tell the World" doesn't actually include the song in question, which was from this EP. :shrug: