Like many of U....I 2 believe that GOLD EXP. was among P's best efforts of the 1990's. We all know that Warner did a SHIT job at marketing and promoting the album
(granted P was in a major dispute w/ WB at the time but STILL..this album could've sold MUCH more and might have eased some of the tension)...so my question is.....How would've U promoted this album??? Picture yourself as a Warner label exec and plan the "roll out" of this great effort....

Mine

1-Service both "Billy Jack B!tch" and "P. Control" to their respective clubs at least 2 months prior to album's release"
-----NOTE: If "Days of Wild" was still in the album...this would've been a great start on R&B/Urban radio-----

(Like the 1-2 punch of D&P:"Gett Off" & "Cream"...I would've done the same with GOLD)

2-Service "Endorphinmachine" (AKA "Best Arena Rock PRINCE Anthem of the 1990's" and like "Gett Off"-very aggresive P song...but more rocking) to Rock/Top 40 radio.

3-Service "Dolphin" (one of P's best crafted pop songs in the 90's like "Cream") to Rock/Top 40 radio while at the same time releasing a clean version of "Billy Jack B!tch" to Urban radio

4-Service "I Hate U" to both Pop and R&B for 3rd single

5-Service "Shhh.." to R&B radio & "319" to pop radio for final single...

-----

Granted..this is just how I would've promoted this album..but I can be sure that this promotion campain would've sold more copies of GOLD than the 350,000 that actually sold back in '95....It would at least gone near-platinum in SALES (not just units SHIPPED).....

It saddens me that Warner was still willing to lose $$$ on such a commercial album by straight up SABOTOGE

Not that I ONLY like to see P topping the charts (these days the charts SUCK...no real music) but back in the day....It might have resolved AT LEAST some of the ugly mess between P and WB (even though much of this dispute went as far back as Lovesexy).....

UGHHH.....I just hate to see the potential of such a strong album go to waste....


Peace out...
[This message was edited Wed Apr 24 3:27:48 PDT 2002 by VANITYSprisonBYTCH]

i would re-do the mix or put a live version of the album instead...

in my point of view, good songs but poor miw. live versions are 1000 times more better than studio ones...

?
[This message was edited Tue Feb 25 23:41:51 PST 2003 by IstenSzek]

Easy. I'd just bring Pussy control out as the first single. That would help it sell a few million copies on it's own.

This would have been my strategy...


***RELEASE A VIDEO FOR "I HATE U"!!!---The first single "I Hate U" did reasonably well on the charts and got alot of radio airplay on R&B stations.The problem was,there was no video! Prince filmed a video,but refused to hand it over.That song could have done MUCH better with a video.

***RELEASE "319" or "Now" as the second single---Since the first single was a ballad,the second single should have been a club-ready dance track.The raunchy "319" is a fine choice,as is "Now".Release a killer video,some cool remixes and aim these songs at the clubs.

***TOUR!!!---In the fall of '95,Prince was too busy complaining about Warner Bros,when he should have had his ass on the road.He should have launched an extensive U.S. tour,just as the album was beiing released.

***Release "Gold" as the next single---It was a huge mistake to release this song as the second single,right after another ballad ("I Hate U").That's two ballad singles in a row! No,"Gold" should have been saved as the third or fourth single,and the video should have been a live concert performance (this song had the potential to become a new concert-closing classic ala "Purple Rain",but Prince ruined that opportunity).


But,you know,when you really think about it,there is NO way you can effectively market and promote an album when the artist is "at war" with the label that is releasing it! Both parties have to work together,with the same goal in mind.Clearly,Prince wasn't willing to do that.
[This message was edited Wed Apr 24 4:50:17 PDT 2002 by DavidEye]
[This message was edited Wed Apr 24 4:51:11 PDT 2002 by DavidEye]

Sometimes Prince is his own worse enemy. I believe he got so involved with his fight with Warner Bros that he forgot to get out there and make sure his music hit the people.
This was indeed a strong album....but Prince at times fails to release the right single from his albums.
Billy Jack Bitch was a smokin funk jam and should have been released first.Next should have been 319 or NOW. Pussy Control became an underground hit. And I believe he sometimes skimped on his videos...it would be nice to see one really excellent produced video.

The "Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic" CD was ok...a couple decent songs. The Greatest Romance single could have been a bonified hit. The remix with Eve was smokin. Then you see the video and that version is just the album version...BIG mistake.

Why would U want WB to make even more money, surey the whole point of being an artist isn't how much cash rolls in, but who listens to your words.

I think there was a couple of good songs on the album, but TMBGITW was the only "single" you could release from it.
The other "good" tracks were better live !

Dolphin - "If I came back as a dolphin...would you let me be your friend..". Could you really imagine people singing along to it on the radio ?
People like songs with lyrics they can relate to, not this nonsense !

james said:[quote]"I think there was a couple of good songs on the album, but TMBGITW was the only "single" you could release from it.
The other "good" tracks were better live!"



I disagree.That album was filled with catchy, radio-friendly songs."319" could have been another "Cream",a catchy pop/rock track that could have been all over MTV."Now" could have been a huge hit on R&B radio.Even "Shy" had hit potential.

james said:

How will you know if I'm even in the right key,
If you make me stop before I start.

Come on james, be a little more open minded. People like all sorts of songs and lyrics.