So I was just driving back from dropping my daughter off at my inlaws place and I was listening to the radio, and a song from Metallica(Enter Sandman) came on, and I remembered that Metallica(the Black Album) was one of the first CDs that I ever owned. Then I remembered how I came to own that CD......the Columbia House "8 CDs for a penny!" deal. I started thinking about the music I own and listen to now, and remembered the 8 albums that I acquired for that "deal" (that got me grounded for 3 weeks because my Dad had to spring for the CDs I forgot to return so that my 11 year old credit report wouldnt look bad ).

 

Metallica - Metallica

 

Metallica - Master of Puppets

 

Van Halen - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge

 

U2 - Zooropa

 

Depeche Mode - Violator

 

Jesus Jones - Right Here Right Now

 

Temple of the Dog

 

and the one total headscratcher, now and then, Color Me Badd - C.M.B

 

 

 

 

I know you guys did it too. Everyone I know did the same damn thing, we all got in trouble because we were all like 11 years old and none of us knew that it was a scam to basically force you to buy albums, and none of us could pay for the albums when the bill came and eventually, the bill collector called and talked to Dad or Mom.

 

Im not going to say these albums define me and what I listen to(especially C.M.B., well, maybe not....), but looking at them and thinking about the kind of music I listen to now, it kind of makes sense to me in a strange way that these albums were the very beginning of how music shaped my brain, more or less.

 

Im just interested to hear any Columbia House/BMG Music stories and first purchases.

 

 

*on a side note, the first album I had sent to me after my CDs came(and I didnt cancel the monthly sending of the CDs) was Red Hot Chili Peppers "What? hits"

I actually never did the Columbia House thing, but my brother did, and yeah, it's a long-term commitment.

They just never had enough current music that I liked, and would have to buy eventually, to justify grabbing some back catalog for a penny.

 

But I do remember the first three albums (YES, albums, you whippersnappers) I bought with my own money.

 

Kiss Alive

Van Halen debut album

Cheap Trick At Budokan (import double-album....at Sears....for 25 bucks in 1978!)

Edited October 10, 200916 yr by The Critic

I thought this was another "ahem" thread. Big disappointment. Never joined the Columbia club. My sister went down that path ahead of me so I already knew the problems.

I thought this was another "ahem" thread. Big disappointment. Never joined the Columbia club. My sister went down that path ahead of me so I already knew the problems.

 

 

pffffft to you

 

 

 

I was the oldest child, so I was the guinea pig. My brother still fell for it too

Edited October 10, 200916 yr by KyYlE23

pffffft to you

 

 

 

I was the oldest child, so I was the guinea pig. My brother still fell for it too

 

Honors student, eh?

Pretty sure I got Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" that way.

 

Read whatever you want in to that.

Among others I believe there was the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack next to Rumours. I'm guessing there was some ELO, Eagles, and Chicago in there as well. But, not only did I join once to get all the albums (yes kids, albums) I joined again when I was starting my CD collection. The first CD I bought was the Eagles Greatest Hits.

 

Great thread idea!

I actually never did the Columbia House thing, but my brother did, and yeah, it's a long-term commitment.

They just never had enough current music that I liked, and would have to buy eventually, to justify grabbing some back catalog for a penny.

 

But I do remember the first three albums (YES, albums, you whippersnappers) I bought with my own money.

 

Kiss Alive

Van Halen debut album

Cheap Trick At Budokan (import double-album....at Sears....for 25 bucks in 1978!)

 

Is that the one with the really famous version of I Want You To Want Me? The one with all of the Japanese girls singing every verse in the background and all?

Edited October 10, 200916 yr by Milkman delivers

Among others I believe there was the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack next to Rumours. I'm guessing there was some ELO, Eagles, and Chicago in there as well. But, not only did I join once to get all the albums (yes kids, albums) I joined again when I was starting my CD collection. The first CD I bought was the Eagles Greatest Hits.

 

Great thread idea!

That's too much! I joined more than once too and also got the Saturday Night Fever album among others. A loooong time ago I joined a similar club which I believed was called the Record Club of America. I liked it better because it had a better variety of albums (more record labels) and for a time you could even get 45's.

I also got 2 free albums when I subscribed to Rolling Stone. I remember one of them was Volunteers by Jefferson Airplane.

When I subscribed to Creem Magazine (which I liked even better than Rolling Stone) I got A Boy Howdy T shirt.

John Lennon wearing Boy Howdy T-shirt

Is that the one with the really famous version of I Want You To Want Me? The one with all of the Japanese girls singing every verse in the background and all?

 

Yes it is. Possibly the greatest live song of all time...that or Show Me the Way. Or something from Nirvana's Unplugged. Or Layla unplugged.

 

Yeah I'm bad at making these types of decisions.

My dad did this...I think I'm just in here to say that you guys are old.

I actually never did the Columbia House thing, but my brother did, and yeah, it's a long-term commitment.

They just never had enough current music that I liked, and would have to buy eventually, to justify grabbing some back catalog for a penny.

 

But I do remember the first three albums (YES, albums, you whippersnappers) I bought with my own money.

 

Kiss Alive

Van Halen debut album

Cheap Trick At Budokan (import double-album....at Sears....for 25 bucks in 1978!)

 

That's like $80 today.

My first CD I ever got was the Bulls' Hits Volume II (or whatever it was called). It was back in the mid '90s when Jock Jams was huge so the Bulls tried to cash in. In between songs they had audio from big games ("A shot on Ehlo, it's good! The Bulls win it, they win it!"). That was the best CD ever, shooting hoops in my driveway.

That's like $80 today.

You bet your bippy it is!

 

I tried this twice when I was 15 and both times they sent me a letter back basically saying no. I don't know why, maybe they saw my name and looked up my dad's credit report (he had just had a bankruptcy) or they just looked that I used my real birthday, 1997-1982 = 15 = too young for us to screw over.

Never got suckered into one of those CD deals 'cause I had older siblings to tell me it was a scam. I remember thinking it would be such a good deal.

 

Anyway, I can't remember exactly what my 1st CD was, but I think it was Jock Rock Vol. 2 (still have it). I then proceeded to get the next 3 Jock Jams CDs before moving on to real albums (a few years later I would just download illegally like the rest of the world). Thank god for the high-speed internet/music downloading craze of the early 2000s.

I did the BMG thing a few times. Remember that BMG had the deal where you had to buy only one CD at regular price. If you could remember to cancel the deal right away it was okay. The one time I did forget though...what a pain in the ass.

My Mother and Brother both went for these deals multiple times, and they ended up stuck wit with some cr@p auto selections for sure before they canceled. I never joined for the reason already stated, they didn't offer enough long-term selection of albums I would have wanted to buy. Bought tons of vinyl in my youth though, from approximately 6th grade through college as CDs finally took sway. Probably averaged a new record purchase every 1-2 weeks during that span. Now If I buy a handful of new music a year it's a lot.

 

My first music purchase was a teevee ad deal though, and I remember it vividly. Three Dog Friggin' Night's Greatest Hits. . . on 8-Track! Worst consumer audio medium ever, and I'm including foil and wax cylinders among the field in that determination.

With iTunes and mp3's available from many other sources, I'm sure CD purchases are way down. I haven't bought a CD in over a year. When you can buy and download a whole album for $9.99, why would you spend $11.99 (at least) plus taxes? I suppose that's why you don't see the Columbia House and BMG ads any more.

LMAO I totally forgot about Columbia House. My parents wouldnt let me get that just for that reason.

With iTunes and mp3's available from many other sources, I'm sure CD purchases are way down. I haven't bought a CD in over a year. When you can buy and download a whole album for $9.99, why would you spend $11.99 (at least) plus taxes? I suppose that's why you don't see the Columbia House and BMG ads any more.

 

 

After reading this I went to the Columbia House website to see if it was still an active company, low and behold the first thing I see on the site is "3 DVD's for 1 dollar!"

 

http://www.columbiahouse.com/

 

lol

I picked up the entire Ozzy collection with one of these scams. To be a stupid child.

I picked up the entire Ozzy collection with one of these scams. To be a stupid child.

 

"No More Tears" was also purchased by me(or my dad, whichever you choose) through Columbia House for my collection

For some reason...BMG kept sending me boxes of CD's. Never got a follow up about buying another CD. But in college, I must have received about 6 boxes full of CDs, around 10-15 in each box. At first, I thought someone was playing a joke on me, but it was mostly music I would listen to, not C.M.B...anyway, I never figured it out, but kept the CDs! Never showed up on credit report, never got a phone call, never got a bill. Oh well, their loss, my gain.

 

BTW, first two ALBUMS I got: The Stranger by Billy Joel and 21 at 33 by Elton John (both gifts)

First two CDs I got: Beatles White Album and Kenny G - you may judge me now.

I never got into it because I never had a stamp.

 

Although, I had a lady with Columbia House stay at my hotel and give me a whole box of CDs for free. I saved two or three and eBay-ed the rest.