I know this may be a strange subject for this forum, but here goes...

What is the difference between a CD (eg Daryll Hall and John Oates Greatest Hits) released on the groups own label at full price , eg £15

and a very similar greatest hits compilation released on a cheapo label (eg spectrum music, camden,) for about half the price?

It just seems bizarre, is the cheaper one inferior or is it just a marketing stunt?

Some CDS contain more tracks & most recent CDS are more readily available.
With the internet now around you can order back catalogue more conveniently too.
Some Websites have the same CD & prices can vary quite dramatically.

George Michael's Ladies & Gentlemen 2 CD is £7.49 with free Delivery on a site I know but its a lot dearer than that elsewhere.

The Very Best of Peggy Lee is £13.99 on one site & £5.99 on another & the same company owns them.

Some CDS are dramatically cheaper than on a website that are well known to be cheaper & you could easily go into HMV & buy a CD for £16.99 & it could be in a Virgin sale across the road.
Best thing to do is keep your eyes peeled & make sure you ain't been conned.
Also keep away from the Prism £2.99 Cds which could have the manager of Woolworths singing rather than the artist.

Just like to add I have a few Camden CDS & the Qualitys fine.

Checkout the Harry Nilsson CD As Time Goes by [The Complete Schmilsson in the night. Class CD.

I bought from a shop which was buy 2 get one free or £5.99 each a couple of years back.

Some budget labels are excellent quality & occassionally you can get a 2 CD Tales from New York Simon & Garfunkel collection for £7.49 free delivery which isn't a budget label.

Camden was originally the budget-price label for RCA re-issues, so being part of the same group (BMG) their material should be fairly kosher.

The problem with a lot of cheapo compilations is that they may have proclaim to have the "original artists" but - if you read the small print - it usually says something along the lines of "in order to ensure the highest possible quality, tracks may have been re-recorded by the original artist/group, or members of the group". Avoid these like the plague.

Another possibility with cheap CDs is that it might be the actual artist or 'original' group line-up, but the album contains live material - usually from US TV specials. USeful for the 'trainspotters' who like to have everything recorded by a particular artist, but otherwise not of any real merit.

I don't really see the point in 'budget' labels though. Why don't RCA just re-release their material?

Also of annoyance to me is when a greatest hits released by a big label like RCA contains 'altered' versions of the well knwon songs, ie album versions or remixes.

To me it just smacks of profiteering - getting you to buy yet another album to get the version you want

Smacks of profiteering when

A. Greatest Hits albums are released at full price - they've made plenty from them already

B. The endless compilation cd's like Reloaded

C. Very old albums reissued on CD 20+ years on for full price