Long-time fans need a paid-for-that-music-already club. Here's why.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/ginnie-graham-long-time-fans-need-a-paid-for-that/article_367a0a02-990b-11e3-b5b6-001a4bcf6878.html

Long-time fans need a paid-for-that-music-already club. Here’s why.

For the fourth time, I paid for a Van Halen track. No more new formats or at least give long-time fans a break. Please

Posted: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 5:30 am
By GINNIE GRAHAM, News Columnist

With the click of the mouse, I purchased Van Halen’s “Jamie’s Cryin’” for at least the fourth time.

First was an actual album, an LP, in the 80s.

It eventually scratched to the point of unlistenable.

Then, I upgraded to a cassette tape to play super loud while cruising our town square.

I was that cool, especially when “Running with the Devil” came on.

That led to a compact disc purchase, which was lost to too many college moves.

In running down an iTunes gift card and in a memory-lane mood, I safely downloaded the track into all my iStuff.

By my estimate that song has cost me about $40, plus I saw the band in concert for a ticket of at least $90.

This is not an argument for free music. Not at all.

But, when the next format arrives, can I get credit for the past investment?

Is there a way to sign up for the been-there, paid-that fan club?

Artists not riding on extreme fame and, at least at some point, fortune, are not necessarily on this ball field.

For the mega-stars, you guys have our money, multiple times over.

Looking down my list of iSongs, Queen has racked up only about $30 because I never saw them in concert or purchased merchandise.

The Replacements are a bit higher at about $150, if you include Paul Westerberg’s solo work.

Duran Duran, I love you, but I’m in for more than $600 going back to 1982 – songs, t-shirts, posters, albums, tapes, CDs and finally a concert.

R.E.M. has probably about $500 of my money, and U2 is slightly less.

Springsteen has me for about $400, but I know fans into the E Street Band for well into the thousands.

I’m scared to look at my Beatles portfolio.

Whenever someone like Lars Ulrich from Metallica wants to complain about digital music, I’d like to know how much a 45-year-old fan since age 12 has spent so far on the heavy metal uber-band.