Along with the vintage wave, vinyl records have been trendy for a few years, but on a small scale, customers generally being the most purist form of music lovers, or collectors. Many artists today release their albums on CDs, digital download and it became a smart move to release a vinyl edition too. That's exactly what Iron Maiden has done last week. The band, which hasn't produced a new album since The Final Frontier in 2010, just released their 16th studio album (and their first studio double album), 'The Book of Souls'. That's the LP Tesco has chosen to sell.
"In the last year we began selling record decks in our largest stores and initial sales are very encouraging so giving our customers some new vinyl to play on those decks seems like the logical next step" said Michael Mulligan, Tesco's Music Buyer. Selling Iron Maiden's last record in vinyl (along with the CD version, of course) is a test, and this makes Tesco the first UK supermarket chain to retail LPs.
Michael Mulligan explains why Iron Maiden was picked: "There can be no better way to launch this trial than working with one of rock music’s most iconic bands and their eagerly anticipated new album. We are anticipating demand for The Book Of Souls to be high as Iron Maiden’s last album was the band’s most successful to date, reaching number one in 28 countries including the UK."
The triple LP format of 'The Book of Souls' has been available since last Friday in 55 Tesco Extra Stores at £24, while the 2 CDs format can be purchased for £9 in 850 Tesco's locations, as well as online at Tesco Direct. If the sales are convincing enough, Tesco will consider offering a larger vinyl department in its stores in the near future. The supermarket also offers a discount on Trooper, Iron Maiden's beer brand: when buying the band's album (LP or CD) in an Extra Store, fans can get a 500ml bottle of Trooper for £1 instead of the usual £1.99 price tag.
*Photo: Tesco
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