According to a Twitter exchange today between: Paul Rickard & Dave Stewart
paulsnyder90: @DaveStewart when are we getting new Stevie music!?!
DaveStewart: @paulsnyder90 not till spring
Not surprising, and makes sense given the fact that Stevie likes to tour around the release of albums.
That date makes perfect sense considering the CD needs to be marketed by Warner Bros, and that's at least a 3-4 month project ONCE they receive the final reels. Factor in the holiday period, and that puts the release into early Spring, probably April.
ReplyDeleteAnd let's hope Warner Bros. doesn't tottaly screw up the release of Stevie's new CD, like they did with "Trouble In Shangri La" and "Say You Will". It would be so great if Stevie had a real hit song on the radio, and I hope her record company can actually help to make that happen.
ReplyDeleteI doubt Stevie will have a radio hit. Today's radio is programmed to only promote artists that are popular to the under-25 crowd. No major label is going to invest too much nowadays in an aging pop-rock artist, even one with her pedigree.
ReplyDeleteAlso, commercial radio is so much less relevant these days, especially since there is so much competition for music listeners- satellite, cable music channels, internet, iPods, YouTube, etc. And people over the age of 40, let alone the age of 60, are having a difficult time trying to get airplay. I think Stevie's album will probably follow the same arc as other veteran artists- a big first couple of weeks followed by a drastic decline. Unless Stevie can pull off some kind of media sensation, such as appearing on national prime time television, e.g., American Idol, or unless the album is the buzz surrounding the album is explosive, I have a hard time seeing how it could possibly have legs for the long haul.
ReplyDeleteI totally disagree with these comments. That is the way Warner Bros. felt when "The Dance" came out. They didn't think "Silver Springs" would be a hit, and already had "The Chain" ready as a second video for MTV & VH-1, just in case. But as we all know "Silver Springs" did in deed become a big radio and video hit. Don't get me wrong, I don't think a Stevie song would chart that high on top 40 radio. But on Adult Contemporary stations she would get a boatload of airplay. That of course depends on how well Warner's does with the release. They need to pick the best song (which their history of is horrible), and they need to film Stevie in a beautiful video, and they need to get her on some major TV shows to promote it. But it could happen ! ! !
ReplyDeleteSilver Springs WASN'T a hit. The Dance sold because Fleetwood Mac is a big name. And in 1997, people still bought CDs! How come no one bought TISL or Say You Will? Same reason why no one will buy Stevie's new album unless she gets some sort of Internet buzz. Appearing on talk shows doesn't do much of anything, either. If you want to live in denial, fine, but don't act like Stevie's got an easy road to hoe just because she's going to have a new album.
ReplyDeleteSilver Springs and Landslide received tremendous spins at Adult Contemporary and AAA formats, and they successfully went recurrent. Silver Springs was an enormous video hit on VH1. Collectively, they generated interest in the project. TISL debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 without the benefit of a hit single (Everyday was fleeting at AC radio. Planets did hit #1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart thanks to Illicit Vocal Dub, which was enormous worldwide at clubs from here to Ibiza.) The door is still open to her - just look at sales of James Taylor/Carole King's CD - but she needs the right song - one that even non-Stevie fans would like. Glenn Ballard co-producing is a positive commercial sign. This is the guy that produced Alanis Morrisette's 10 million-selling debut, as well as multi-platinum debuts from Paula Abdul & Wilson Phillips; produced VanHalen, Annie Lennox & Aerosmith; played the keyboards & synths for a little known album called Michael Jackson's Thriller. He knows what's commercial.
ReplyDeleteI think she'll get some airplay on AC radio, but that doesn't always make a hit single. However, if the album is a critical success, I could see her invited on "Idol" and doing some higher-profile appearances that could at least keep her in the public eye. Also, if it's a real strong CD, I can see the Grammy voters saying "it's her time."
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