example "Gone"

- most likely no video
- radio can pick any song of the album to play
- if its Itunes only, you might as well download the track from the album directly (via Itunes)


so.....whats the point?

p.s. i think Gone is a bad choice anyways, if they really wanted to do something cool they should have had Wasted Reprise as a 3rd

Single : on store shelves for 4.99
someone buys it / likes it / requests it / drives up album sales...

thats about the only reason to a single... its cheaper then the album gives people a taste to intrigue them to buy the single.

What I never understood, is when a band releases half the album as singles... (Audioslaves first album had what, 6 or 7 singles off it)

but thats the thing...this last album, all singles were download only.

I know I'm beatin' a dead horse here, but the only point for a 3rd single would be if it was "Come Back" and "Come Back" only. Otherwise, they're just gonna tread water with "Gone."

A label releasing and pushing a single to radio keeps stations from thinking that the album is done and over, and it keeps the record/songs name around. When the label stops working singles, the album slowly fades in other areas (press, television, etc). It's sort of like touring...you go on tour and more people get exposed to the new songs, but you also get the bonus of the newspaper articles the day after.

they're not even releasing physical singles
what the fuck is the point? just buy the album

It's all about promotion, team.

If there ain't b-sides, it is a non-issue for me.

really today it seems a single needs a video...and a video that can be enjoyed by a majority of people...i.e. the shit on mtv...

when does MTV play videos?

Videos don't really matter anymore unless they're on TRL - and even that show's influence has plummetted in recent years ever since the Backstreet Boys went the way of the dinosaur.

So the question becomes: what are the effective, existing promotional tools left?

I still say the band should look to Bruce for ideas. Seeger Sessions are doing incredibly well, and The Rising sold a few million copies, but neither had a radio hit or a lot of video play. Devils and Dust he didn't even really try to promote, and it didn't do as well. So looking at the other two...

The Rising, of course, saw the band playing on every television show in the world, as well as doing about fifty trillion interviews. While the album debuted high, it also hung around on the charts for months upon months, because even four months later Bruce was on Letterman playing Lonesome Day.

Seeger Sessions had something really interesting, though...that documentary of the sessions. That thing was genius, and here's why: it wasn't on a big network. It was on that country network, which gets like 1/3 as many viewers as VH-1. So first of all, a name as big as Bruce is going to get a lot more airplay on that channel than he might on VH-1, because VH-1 has all sorts of other shows while the country channel is usually stuck with second-rate country stars. That documentary got played a LOT. And Seeger Sessions is just countryish enough to interest those country fans. So now Bruce has the attention of bored channel-flippers ("Wasn't that Bruce Springsteen? Go back..."), country music fans, as well as his built-in fanbase. I knew 1/2 the songs on the album before it even came out, because of that.

Of course, Bruce Springsteen isn't coming off of ten years worth of albums that people thought were wierd, experimental, and boring, so his work isn't as hard a sell. But like I said, neither of those albums had much of a radio hit, and by the time it's over I'm sure they'll both be multiplatinum.

so how would you continue to promote Avocado then?


How much of a say does an artist/celebrity have in getting on shows like Letterman? Who contacts who?

I'd try to get two more TV appearances, minimum, in soon after releasing the next single, and I would definately try to play the Grammys.

Managers usually contact shows about playing, but with a band like Pearl Jam it wouldn't be a matter of if they'll say yes, but how far in advanced the show books.

exactly

I think they should just let a dead horse lie and begin focusing on their next album.

More likely publicist will be in contact with TV shows. J may have their own National Press/Television person or that may be contracted out to a third party who specialises. The band and management will be involved in planning overall strategy but the label will have the responsibility of booking and kissing ass.

It is possible Letterman would approach the band and for some guests they probably do - but more often than not I would guess it happens through publicists.

Singles dont even get you airplay...

you have to slip "THE MAN" a lil sumpin sumpin under the table...
then suddenly youre Green Day

Yup, my bad. I was blending positions.

I'm really curious as to what's going to happen with the third single. They can't be thinking of just tossing it out there, not after Life Wasted failed to measure up. I'm sure the band would be okay with that, but you'd figure the label would want at least a television appearance or something.

Life Wasted has actually done pretty well (especially on VH1 and MTV2). They can't all be #1 singles. Releasing two hard hitting and catchy rock songs to the public was exactly what they needed to do. The fact that they both were top ten hits is great. Now they release the ballad, and hope that it does what most of their other ballads have done. I wish it was gonna be Come Back, but maybe Gone is the better choice.