it wasn't a hit because he should have used a different voice than the stereotypical falsetto which youngsters make fun of on a first listen... also his style is off on the video, I think he looked more commercial in the Musicology video for today's world.

Should have had those Cali clown gang dancers get crazy in the video too... but not as clowns...

Black Sweat wasn't a hit because:

1) Prince put out TAC first...it diluted some of the excitement that naturally would go with a new release by releasing BS the way he did. There was kind of a "Wtf, another single?" aura surrounding it, almost confusing. Add to that releasing B,L&B, and now you're diluting your singles even further. At this stage of the game Prince can't afford to saturate the market like that...three songs from the same CD all released within weeks of each other, and MONTHS before the CD actually hits the stores. Focus ALL the attention on one song, one single.

2) The melody and chorus aren't instantly catchy enough...you gotta hear it like three or four times before you realize how good both really are. But by that time you're focusing too much on the dog whistle synth line. And you can't sing a falsetto on an entire single unless the melody and chorus are immediately catchy ("Kiss", "TMBGITW").

3) Prince played "Fury" on SNL and not "Black Sweat". Pretty much any excitement over "Black Sweat" was almost wiped out after seeing him perform Fury the way he did...it's all anyone talked about, even among his fans. Not to mention he didn't even perform Black Sweat as his second song on SNL, he performed BL&B instead. So that makes TAC, BL&B and Fury taking focus and interest away from Black Sweat, when that appearance should have been used to propel BS further...not good.

Byron said:

I kind of thought the idea of three singles - aimed at different Prince fans - was a good idea.

RodeoSchro said:

-----
I agree with what you are saying and the fact that Urban radio turns it back on
Black artist once they get over fourty.

It would be if there were more dance in the mix...like Love. That will be a club hit and Black Sweat (Dance Mix) could easily follow.
Everyone is talking about how Prince is doing the same thing but these are a new Prince. Some people need a sec to process that.

Byron said:

I don't think any of that mattered too much in the non-prince-fanatic world... just look at the perceptions of your average pop music buying youth for the answer... its' all about the sound of the single and the video. Most importantly the sound and impression of the single. Is it cool? Is it catchy? Does it vibe well at a party or in a crowd?

Falsetto stereotype of Prince kills it for many mainstream peeps!

But it is the best commercial single he's put out in a long time.

Electrostar said:

That's not a synth, silly. That's the white lady.

it wasn't a hit because of that god awful hissing synth line.

i mean, if you have to turn down the volume when a song comes on your ipod so you won't go deaf, there's something wrong.

Electrostar said:

that's what i'm talking about.

Byron said:

or most folk music.

Electrostar said:

let's face facts, people: Prince's time in the sun on the pop charts is done.

Had "Black Sweat" been released in 1986, it would have been a #1 single. The problem isn't the song.

Prince just isn't an artist that is going to get play at Top 40. That simply isn't where he is right now.

The problem is the definition of a "hit." "Black Sweat" is doing well on VH1 and is fairly recognizable. I was at a ski lodge this weekend with a group of 18 guys, and "Black Sweat" seemed to be very familiar to most everybody.

Do you measure a "hit" by it's position on the Billboard Hot 100? Or by whether or not people "know" the song and like it?

I think "Black Sweat" has done pretty well, all things considered. It's certainly as big a hit as anything P's done since "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." Yes, "I Hate U" made a bigger impact on the charts, but that was mostly due to sales of the commercial single, and the chart formula has changed a great deal since then.

I would suggest that "Black Sweat" has made a bigger impact now than "I Hate U" did at the time of its release, but "I Hate U" is the one with the higher chart position.

It's all relative. The song has done fairly well. Album sales are a much more important measure of success for an artist like Prince that Top 40 radio really isn't interested in playing.

Best Buy or Motorola needs to feature it in a tv ad.

Hell no, I never listened to any of those downer bands. I cannot name you one song by Morrissey or Tori Amos (other than I heard she butchered Purple Rain), and only one Cure song ("Here Comes the Rain"?). Why would I want to listen to something depressing?

RodeoSchro said:

Lets not bash Tori.

MikeMatronik said:

I will agree with you that rap, in its infancy, was fun. I could even handle rap with some social consciousness, but when they got around to killing cops, who cared any more? How could that possibly make the world better?

And look where THAT led us - a world of thugs and whores. Not for me, thanks.

Kurt Cobain was a loser. I'm sorry he blew his brains out. HIS life was a bitch, too bad. I guess he shouldn't take all the blame for ruining rock - it does take two to tango, and someone had to be buying his drivel. It's just a shame the poor guy couldn't try to inspire rather than depress people.

Life is tough, buddy. My life isn't perfect; no one's is. So why would I want to listen to music that only makes life seem even worse? What's the point of that?

I'll tell you who else ruined rock - that idiot Paul Reed Smith. I don't give a crap who plays his guitar, it's the worst thing to happen to rock since Kurt Cobain. PRS guitars are crap for hooks, that's why all rock songs now are nothing but distorted, inverted power chords. There isn't a player under 40 who's worthy to sniff the underwear of Joe Perry, Ted Nugent, Angus Young or even Ace Frehley, and don't try to tell me otherwise.

At least Cobain played a Strat, although that doesn't absolve him of blame.

dreamfactory313 said:

I'm not. I've never heard a single song she's ever done, so I really can't judge her music. I just took that "Guess he never listened to Tori Amos" remark to mean she's all about depressing songs. I apologize if that's an incorrect characterization.

RodeoSchro said:

"here comes the rain"? i think you mean eurythmics. i can see how you get them confused - they're very similar, except for the fact that the cure is a bunch of guys and eurythmics is a duo, and the lead singer of the cure is a dude and the lead singer of eurythmics is a woman, and one group has a psychadelic goth style and the other has a new wave soul sound. aside from those minor details, they could be the same band!

Anx said:

You're right, I was thinking of THE CULT'S song "Rain". So I think that means I've never heard a Cure song.

RodeoSchro said:

do you write for rolling stone?

Anx said:

ROFL, no and that was a helluva funny line!

Black Sweat, didn't hit, because it was the wrong emotion for the Brother to be focused upon.

thedoorkeeper said:

I love the cure! I guess you must think kid Rock is quality then.

emesem said:

"Black Sweat" needs to have more and more TV play because it is VERY very much his style, and us GenX-ers love this style with the classic Linn Drum sound.

I can't believe that Prince is trying to get us high again and people are passing up the opportunity!

3121 Baby!

Z7

Electrostar said:

There aren't different Prince fans, though...we don't each think one of the singles is aimed at us, we look at all three as aimed at us. So which one gets our focus?...This route might help CD sales, but as far as helping one indivudual single, it dilutes the focus.
[Edited 3/21/06 13:48pm]

ufoclub said:

Well, you also have to consider the "casual Prince fan" world...we sometimes forget that there's a middle ground between Prince fanatics and 16 year olds who think Mariah was the first one to do "The Beautiful Ones"...that middle ground needs to be focused on one single through focused promotion and marketing...so far the marketing has seemingly been all directed at CD sales, not singles charts success.

Also, there really isn't much of a retail market for singles in the US, with the possible exception of online sales. And the singles from 3121 have so far been a colossal waste of money. I mean, come on, $3.50 for TAC? for the ALBUM version no less? no b-side, no nothing. AND THEN re-release the single a month later with a DVD?

And besides, he says he got a brand new dance and doesn't even tell us the name?