New record club formed from Alliance Music and Premier/Word Record Club split

ALLIANCE MUSIC, one of Britain's major Christian music companies, has announced its departure from Premier/Word Record Club. As from April 1st no Alliance products will be available through Premier. Instead Alliance Direct will be launching its own record club. The extensive Alliance catalogue, which includes Iona, DC Talk, World Wide Message Tribe, Newsboys, Carman, Steven Curtis Chapman, Graham Kendrick, Raze, Hillsongs, Vineyard, BeBe and CeCe Winans and dba, has been available through Premier for three and a half years. The reason for the split was described by Ian Hamilton, managing director of Alliance, as "an inability to agree terms." It was Hamilton who originally started the Word Record Club in 1975. About Alliance's plans to launch their own record club Hamilton told Cross Rhythms, "We plan to keep it very simple and straightforward, with the emphasis on best possible terms and service. We're not going to charge for postage and packing, so that's going to mean quite a saving to our customers."

Said Hamilton, "Apart from the post free terms it will operate like any record club. The initial offer will be two CDs or cassettes for the price of one. All we ask in return is that the customer buys two further recordings in the first year. We'll send a new release magazine around every six weeks or eight times a year. The magazine will be full of new releases and interesting pieces of news. Every time a customer buys a full price CD or cassette they can choose another at half price - that'll be another unique feature of Alliance Direct. In addition for every three full price purchases customers can then take another free, so it's going to be heavily customer friendly - mainly through the terms offered and free postage. We'll save by not producing an elaborate magazine and pass the savings to our customers."

For more information contact Alliance Direct, Waterside House, Woodley Headland, Peartree Bridge, Milton Keynes MK6 3BY or fax 01908 677760 or e-mail music@alliancemusic.co.uk CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.