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Stevie's latest single "For What It's Worth" isn't looking too good at the moment on the AC Charts... In it's 3rd week on the chart (Billboard Magazine issue October 15th) the single has dropped to # 29 after debuting at # 25 and dropping to # 26 the second week. This was to be expected as there have been virtually no radio stations in the US in the month of September picking up the track for play... Too bad, it's a great track!
I'd suggest getting another single out there to radio, but at this late stage in the fall and with AC radio's slow building pattern, by the time anything begins to gain some traction it'll be Christmas and the onslot of holiday tunes on radio will be relentless... Remember what happened in the fall of 2003 when Thrown Down and Steal Your Heart Away were released from Say You Will?... Not a lot! Both radio singles were lost in the holiday shuffle...
15 comments:
annabel lee should have been the next single!
I quite like FWIW but it was never going to be a radio hit. It was much to low key. Annabel was the only option since it was signature SN/FM sounding. Even Twilight could work.
Since Warner Bros. Records once again totally screwed up both single releases from Stevie's album so far, whatever they do now will most probably also be a huge mistake. But I agree, an edited version of Annabel Lee would be the best choice. It is so sad that the morons at her record company have done her so wrong. She could have easily had a song on AC radio get plenty of airplay.
Plus they could have parlayed the publicity of her writing a song around an Edger Allen Poe poen and that would have gotten a lot of attention. Stupid, stupid, stupid ! ! !
Stevie chose her singles. Both singles were bad choices. Lets Moonlight, Italian Summer, In Your Dreams, You May Be the One, Wide Sargaso Sea.
For me, ITALIAN SUMMER was always the top AC choice. Problem is, she can't sing it live because without that expansive end-note the track doesn't work and we all know that even though Stevie has the vocal chops, she's afraid of taking certain risks live. Still, it's so beautiful and unusual and instantly memorable that a video and aggressive promotion might have done the trick. The potential is still there, but it needs the will and creative marketing - both doubtful at this point. I guess the next commercial goal-post is the release of the "making-of" video, but that's most likely going to be limited to die-hard fans. Oh, well...
Another problem with FWIW was that it didn't translate well live for the TV appearances. The hook is wrapped up in Stevie harmonizing with herself and she obviously couldn't do that onstage, so the track just didn't have the magical shimmer it does on the original recording. A couple of weeks ago I was in Palm Springs, found FWIW on a juke box at a bar (the TOOL SHED) and played it loud (I asked the bartender to turn it up). The audience recognized it as Stevie, hadn't heard it before and LOVED it. It's a shame how fouled-up the promotion of this record was. But I don't blame Stevie - she traveled all over the U.S. and Europe, showed up at record stores, did all kinds of TV appearances - but still, the people didn't get to hear the actual record. Very frustrating.
Stevie has done a ton of TV appearances, an avalanche of interviews, record signings, and she's touring. Every major, and plenty of minor, publications have reviewed the CD. There have been 3 music videos released, release parties/giveaways happened at clubs all over the country, etc., so Warner has done as much for this record as any other.
Most of the songs on In Your Dreams are far too long for singles, and trimming two minutes from Annabel Lee is never going to happen.
P.S. Warner tested single choices with focus groups/test audiences, and THEY chose Secret Love as their favorite. Single releases are not done randomly or on the whim of an artist, who has input, but today's business model sees the label retaining final choice of lead single.
Thanks for the very astute and well taken comments. Yes, WB does market research, but among the demographic that's "conceivably" Stevie's audience, not necessarily her actual one. They chose SECRET LOVE - okay - it was never going to go out to the demo that evaluated it in the 1st place - so what's the wisdom in that? Fact is, it didn't get played, nor is FWIW. As as long time Stevie fan, I was - at best - "perplexed" by SECRET LOVE's abrupt end. I didn't like it one bit. I found it confusing and annoying - someone actually compared it to the end-episode of THE SOPRANO's. I liked that the choice was bold, but I really saw no upside in it. And the results speak for themselves.
In all honesty, Stevie did pretty well with IYD considering how radio aims at kids, and kids are also the only age group that buys a lot of music these days. She sold to her older die-hards and that's all that matters. She's a legend and has nothing more to prove. "IYD is just icing on the cake!!! Charting 17 weeks on Billboard's album charts is not too shabby.
maybe it's not the publicity or promotion of these singles, maybe people at radio just aren't interested. Stevie has a legion of die-hard fans, but that doesn't necessarily means the general public wants to hear her new stuff on radio.
I am thrilled that Stevie made the decision to go back into the studio and record a new album. I'm also glad that she has done everything in her power to promote her best album since Bella Donna. I don't expect she will ever have a big smash hit again, but it hasn't kept her from releasing two singles along with three excellent new videos. She is doing everything she is suppose to upon releasing a new CD, and she has done it very well. She will never sell big like she use to, but she doesn't need to. Her new songs are excellent additions to an already legendary catalog. I'm very happy for Stevie Nicks, and I'm proud to be her fan.
Mark Heisler
Radio just doesn't play artists over 40 really, and Stevie has had a long, long career. For someone at her stage of career, IYD has done exceptionally well. I think both "Secret Love" and "For What It's Worth" are fine singles..."Secret Love" did very well, hitting the top 20 of AC, which is where Nicks has her hits nowadays. "For What It's Worth" did okay, peaking at #25 AC, but I'd hoped for better. Hopefully "Moonlight" will be single #3.
Actually what I would love to see is for Nicks to continue to promote and tour for this album, since it's showing some staying power by continually hopping back up on the Top 200. So many songs on the album could be singles: Moonlight, Annabel Lee, Italian Summer, Everybody Loves You, and New Orleans.
I don't think the new CD was about sales at all, but about exposure. Forget having a hit single (those days are over for artists over age 40), but she's been on more TV shows than ever before, and probably been seen by more people than have seen her since her heyday years of the 80s. Plus, she certainly can hold her head high, as most reviews were praise-worthy. She still might get a Grammy nod, too.
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