How Stupid is Sony Music HK?
Posted by SpikeMar 17
The rights to Jimi Hendrix’s albums have changed hands every few years, each time resulting in a new set of reissues. With those rights changing hands again recently, the albums are now distributed by Sony and they are “celebrating” the 40th anniversary of his death by pushing out new deluxe editions of 4 albums and straight reissues of 2 or 3 others as well as releasing a new collection of studio outtakes. I’ll say this – the remastered debut album, Are You Experienced, sounds fabulous.
Electric Ladyland for me is the ultimate Hendrix album and one of my all time favorite albums. It’s the one CD that I’ve bought each time it’s been reissued, hoping for sonic nirvana. Will the new release finally do it? I’ll give it a listen tomorrow.
Brought it home, tore off the shrink wrap and then I noticed something. I put the shrink wrap back on as best I could for this photo.

Can you see it? Okay, here’s a close-up shot:
That’s right. They can’t spell the name of their own artist. (Rest assured, this is not a pirate copy.)
Okay, granted, most of the people who work there were probably born long after Hendrix died and don’t know his music. But no one saw this there? Someone did up the art work, someone approved it, someone printed it, someone approved the printing and then they stuck this label on the, I don’t know, hundred or so legitimate copies that will be sold in the SAR and no one noticed?
Here’s something I received in an email from the HKAA today, a promotion trying to upsell me from my annual membership to a lifetime membership.
“Exclusive Welcome Gift For Newly Jioned Member.” I didn’t know that my member was recently jioned. It looks the same to me.
Seriously. No one proofread this before it went out?





8 comments
Comment by Cat Cat on March 17, 2010 at 1:56 am
Oh wow… Me and my friend were just talking about Jimi Hendrix over lunch yesterday… I have no idea who Hendrix was but going to google it.
Comment by Spike on March 17, 2010 at 3:11 am
Two places to do some initial reading on Hendrix:
Wikipedia “He is often considered to be the greatest electric guitarist in the history of rock music by other musicians and commentators in the industry, and one of the most important and influential musicians of his era across a range of genres”
All Music Guide “In his brief four-year reign as a superstar, Jimi Hendrix expanded the vocabulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before or since.”
Comment by Hung on March 17, 2010 at 3:42 pm
On the other hand, it would be nice if those westerne companies doing business in HK and China could try to proofread their Chinese things a bit more.
If you could see the crap that you lot put out! I would try to explain some of them but it’s too complicated for you – even for the western ones who have lived here for decades (but still can’t read a word of Chinese.)
Comment by Spike on March 17, 2010 at 3:59 pm
It doesn’t surprise me at all!
Comment by Cat Cat on March 17, 2010 at 11:45 pm
I read the whole thing about him on Wiki… Didn’t know he came from a broken family. I’m telling you, poverty is one of the main reason why some people are so racism towards the other. Agree?
Comment by Spike on March 18, 2010 at 12:07 am
Poverty is just one of many reasons but at the core of all of them lies stupidity in my opinion.
Comment by Virgil Tibbs on March 18, 2010 at 11:47 am
Hung, I would love to know what proportion of Chinese copy in HK is incorrect, because I’m sure it doesn’t come anywhere close to the proportion of English copy that’s incorrect!
And I bet that the mistake-riddled Chinese that you refer to was actually written by you lot – i.e. other Hongkies.
Comment by Spike on March 18, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Do they call you MISTER Tibbs?