My nearest Matalan shop used to have these awful covers - I think recently they got rid of them.
I do think they are pretty obvious, most of the singers are not very good.
One of the worst was a guy doing a very very poor imitation of Adam Levine for one of the pop(py) Maroon 5 songs. It didn't work...at all.
It comes down to licensing and whether a company or shop wants to pay for a license to broadcast music or alternatively play royalty free music which doesn't require a license. I used to be a rep for entertainment uk that supplied HMV, Zavvi, Woolworths ect with their music and in those stores they played original "off the shelf" cd's. Any shop that does this (or anybody for that matter) has to have a licence... I don't know if said shops got discounted rates on the grounds that they were playing music for promotional purposes? But I do know for a fact that they played original music. AFAIK a license only covers a premises, so big companies would need multiple licenses for each of their stores... which is probably why the likes of Matalan ect don't play originals because they can bypass the license fee in doing so... no other reason to play sound alikes other than to save money.
My Tesco store does, though they seem to play a compilation CD on loop for a few weeks (I work there). The most recent one was a Live Lounge one I think. Now it's one with Celine Dion and Sugababes on.
I always find Tesco to be playing a CD from their CD aisle. Usually a new release.
A friend of mine told me that when you go into a shop, if you listen very closely to their piped music, you'll usually find it isn't actually sung by the original artists.
Ever since then, whenever I've been in shops I've listened more intently to their music and found it's true. They are very good replications, but nonetheless definelty copies once you know about it.
Before my friend told me, I used to only ever notice it in Matalan, JJB Sports and WH Smith for some reason (maybe their copies were the worst lol). But now, I realise it's every shop that's doing this.
It's amazing really how so many people go shopping and hear the piped music, yet so few people know it's not the real artists.
Really?. I presumed that everyone knew that they were cheap covers. The music in Sports Direct sounds as though it's the staff singing on the records!
Really?. I presumed that everyone knew that they were cheap covers. The music in Sports Direct sounds as though it's the staff singing on the records!
The music in Sports Direct is AWFUL!! Poundland and the 99p store play some awful shitty music too. Usually some dreary indie stuff (I like some indie music) which is just out of place with the good spell of weather we have had or some 10th rate Britney/Taylor Swift wannabee.
I believe back in the 70's Top of the Pops used to bring out a Now That's What I Call Music style compilation of the year's hits and all the songs would be sound alike covers
Though they were before my time, I've heard of those "Top of the Pops" cover albums too.
Apparently they had nothing to do with the TV series nor the BBC itself, though- the Wikipedia article claims the makers were able to use the name because it wasn't trademarked (though unless the law was different back then, I'd have thought the BBC would still have been able to claim it as a non-registered trademark?!)
Edit; This clip might (or might not!) be interesting.
A lot of shops now have their own radio stations piped to all stores and, in between the adverts for their goods, the music isn't that bad. Like listening to Heart or Smooth radio.
Comments
e.g. http://www.captivemusic.co.uk/?p=7&pagenum=2
Note how this company says reproductions are a cheaper option.
I do think they are pretty obvious, most of the singers are not very good.
One of the worst was a guy doing a very very poor imitation of Adam Levine for one of the pop(py) Maroon 5 songs. It didn't work...at all.
I always find Tesco to be playing a CD from their CD aisle. Usually a new release.
The music in Sports Direct is AWFUL!! Poundland and the 99p store play some awful shitty music too. Usually some dreary indie stuff (I like some indie music) which is just out of place with the good spell of weather we have had or some 10th rate Britney/Taylor Swift wannabee.
Though they were before my time, I've heard of those "Top of the Pops" cover albums too.
Apparently they had nothing to do with the TV series nor the BBC itself, though- the Wikipedia article claims the makers were able to use the name because it wasn't trademarked (though unless the law was different back then, I'd have thought the BBC would still have been able to claim it as a non-registered trademark?!)
Edit; This clip might (or might not!) be interesting.