Christie - Russia

PLAGIARISM and piracy is alive and well in Russia, where copyright laws are just about non-existent. There have been two different Russian CD versions of Christie's first album, and both shamelessly use pictures, images and text downloaded from THIS SITE, without seeking permission or approval!
     The latest version has been released by a company called Some Wax, and features a booklet containing lyrics to the songs, all taken from this site. The pictures have been similarly pilfered, and because they were all low-resolution quality, appear blurry when used on the CD's sleeves. There is no doubt the images are from this site, because they all contain a photographic signature and watermark overlay that I have used for such identification purposes.
     Nevertheless, give credit where credit is due .. the package is very nicely presented, and the disc itself is attractive in that it contains a nice graphic on the non-playing side, and graphic text on the playing side.
     All 13 songs from the first album are included, but in different order. This set kicks off with possibly the four strongest songs on it, although, as we all know, every song on this album is of the highest calibre.

ANOTHER Russian company repackaged Christie's Yellow River album in 2001, possibly to cash in on Jeff's tour there.
     Presumably because there was a lack of publicity photos of Christie available, the company involved also chose instead to download and use many photos exclusively available only on this site, without permission.
     The pictures — used on the front and back, the inlays, and on the disc itself — were artistically stylised, perhaps to make them less easily identifiable by the owner — which, in this case, happens to be yours truly. You can see what the photos originally look like in the gallery.
     The order of the songs on the CD is also totally different to the listing on the original album. This product is nevertheless very well-packaged, and comes in a slipcase.

CHRISTIE/FOR ALL MANKIND
(2-in-1 CD, Russia, 2002)

A NEW CD product was released in Russia in 2002, which collects both Christie albums onto one CD.
     The item is very professionally packaged, and is an ideal CD for Christie fans who want to conveniently listen to both albums at one go.
     It is also a perfect barometer of Christie's progression from their pop roots to a heavier sound.
     The only flaw with this product is the graphic used on the actual disc itself.
     The manufacturers, perhaps unable to find photos of Jeff or the band, used a picture of a bespectacled man at the microphone! It's one extreme or the other .. either the Russians use images of the band obtained without permission, or they use photos of anonymous characters instead.