I absolutely agree the information SHOULD be available, or preferably the downloads should be available permanently on the basis they're still selling the sets, but unfortunately that's not the situation that exists.
I think we have a misunderstanding. I was asking for those who actually own this set, what does the download card say about an expiration date? Or does it not say? Thanks
It’s really not that hard to dig a little and figure these things out... That said, here you go: When I enter my code it says "Invalid" or 'Expired". This is straight from the FAQ for McCartney’s site. “Dropcards typically expire after 2 years.” I also did an image search for ‘Flowers in the dirt download card’ and found images of the actual cards. No expiration date printed on them.
Months later... I have finally been able to get a copy of the 2LP version. But... I have a couple of questions and would very much appreciate your help: My copy doesn't have any booklet or download code, just the two coloured inner sleeves. Can this be? No info on the players, nothing? Also, codes in the deadwax have been erased. Is this a thing? What have I got in my hands, a dangerous artefact of some kind? Jokes aside, I would appreciate some feedback and help, because I think I really need to take it back.
Answering my own question here: I returned the copy and bought a new one from a different seller. Lo and behold, everything is as it should be. Numbers in the deadwax still erased. Weird!
Sooooo. this it rather baffling, but I'll pass this along: a friend recommended I get this Deluxe set for the Mac/Costello tracks but warned me about the infuriating b-sides and rarities being downloads in an otherwise physical set (he knows I HATE downloads). Anyway, I look on Amazon and it's $299.99, too rich for me. Then, I casually drop by Paul's official web page, click on "store," then the drop-down choice "music store," and the in the upper right corner there were two choices: Releases and Formats. Don't click Formats; under CDs it just has the basic 1 and 2-disc versions. Instead I clicked on Releases and it brought up ALL his albums. I scroll down to Flowers, and the Deluxe set is ... $149.98. I thought, this HAS to be a mistake, but it didn't say "sold out." This was on 2/28. I immediately ordered it — with tax and shipping, $168.39 — and got a confirmation that my order was due to ship on March 3rd, and sure enough, on March 7th, it was at my post office. And the download card works. WAV files, downloads very fast. No expiration date listed. Some of the other Deluxe sets are available, like Wild Life, same price which is much more than Amazon's current $112.07, ... but, Flowers is here. Get it while you can: Flowers In The Dirt – Paul McCartney Official Store
Thanks. I may do that. I hate the price, but it's better than other prices that I have seen. I like this album a lot and typically not into the extras of these sets, but wanted this one. I would like Flaming Pie too, but even on that site, it's insane.
I always wonder why the new interview in London (with Paul & Elvis) was not used during the FITD boxed set release. It didn't come as scheduled nor was it used as material in the set itself. I always thought that it would have been fun to see them recollect about the songs and moments during the songwriting and recording of the set.
Perhaps what they said during the new interview did not add anything of great value to the older quotes and it was considered redundant. It's also possible that a couple of decades after the sessions their recollections were imprecise and contradictory and so they chose to stick to the earlier, fresher memories.
Always a possibility. But I would think that they knew what they had when they scheduled it on the promotion schedule
I’m listening to the acoustic McCartney/Costello demo of “You Want Her Too,” and this song is a great example of that moment Paul’s older voice has slowly started to creep in, but he still has full control of his voice. The way he’s gently harshing his voice to match Costello’s in some parts is great.
I decided to pull this box set out again last night and read the book and throw the DVD in. That 21-min segment of studio footage with Elvis is amazing. I absolutely love it. I find it so cool that we have footage of these Elvis studio versions that never even saw the light of day until this box. The same goes for the Pipes of Peace DVD where we got footage of Paul recording “It’s Not On.” There must be so much other studio footage that’s never been released. Hopefully we’ll get a lot more in the future. I enjoyed some of the band performances on this DVD more than the 1988 band demos we got in the set. Don’t get me wrong, I like those, but “My Brave Face” seems to have been attempted in many different tempos, and I’d like one of the faster ones. I’d even take one with Elvis singing lead by himself, which happened multiple times in this video segment. Anyway, this is great stuff. I’m gonna give the album and bonus tracks some love today.
Just happened to be watching it yesterday on YT and yes it's great to have all that footage 30 years down the road. They had used some snippets for "Put it There", Costello singing MBF comes to mind. Interesting to see Kevin Armstrong playing pretty "loud" and getting some "looks" from Paul, while Hamish Stuart was just happy to be in the background. He can't have been that surprised when Paul told him "No need to come in on Monday" after one of the recordings according to Luca ;-) I wonder if he's on any of the "1988 demos", probably not.
My Flowers Playlist. And version as described when searching for song. 1988 demo are band demos. My Brave Face (1988 Demo) Distractions (Demo version) Put It There Tommy's Coming Home (1988 Demo) Twenty Fine Fingers (Original Demo) So Like Candy (1988 Demo) Back On My Feet The Lovers That Never Were (1988 Demo) Playboy To a Man (1988 Demo) Love Come Tumbling Down We Got Married (Alternate Version) For me that is a masterpiece. Had McCartney gone with those songs and with a more stripped back sound it would be my 2nd favourite post Beatles album by McCartney. As Flowers sounds very overproduced and has a few songs I'm not keen on. It's actually near the bottom of my rankings!
While in the subject of our dream Flowers in the Dirt sequences, I've always felt that Flowers in the Dirt should be two separate albums: one should be a solo Paul McCartney record with songs such as Figure of Eight, This One, Rough Ride, etc. While the second is a full-on collaboration between McCartney and Costello. The fourteen songs they wrote together presented as an album. So far, I've only gotten to do one of them, collecting the demos for the fourteen songs Costello and McCartney wrote together. You can find it in a blog post over at The Reconstructor: PAUL McCARTNEY & ELVIS COSTELLO - FLOWERS IN THE DIRT (1987) The Lovers That Never Were (Flowers in the Dirt) Veronica (Spike) Tommy's Coming Home (Flowers in the Dirt) Twenty Fine Fingers (Flowers in the Dirt) So Like Candy (Flowers in the Dirt) You Want Her Too (Flowers in the Dirt) Shallow Grave (Flowers in the Dirt) - Mistress and Maid (Flowers in the Dirt) I Don't Want to Confess (Flowers in the Dirt) That Day is Done (Flowers in the Dirt) Don't Be Careless Love (Flowers in the Dirt) My Brave Face (Flowers in the Dirt) Pads, Paws and Claws (Spike) From a Playboy to a Man (Flowers in the Dirt)
This reminds me of something really dumb with the Flowers in the Dirt Archive set—they used the *mono* soundtrack of the Put It There special rather than the stereo soundtrack which was broadcast on cable TV.
and they edited it to remove Paul's Jimmy Savile impression. I'm sure we could have coped had it been left in.
Interesting project, not the best choice of pictures for the cover since Costello is the one who (unfortunately) convinced Paul to dig out the the Hofner and it's "mushy" sound :-(
Yes, although the VHS would have also had a mono soundtrack to be compatible with older VCR’s. DTS and Dolby Surround, too, would have been available on the DVD and possibly the Laserdisk.
