joyinrepetition said:

It doesn't matter if Prince had put out Dream Factory, Camille, Crystal Ball, or SOTT. If Warners Bros. put their full effort of the machine behind Prince like they did with Purple Rain, Batman, and Diamonds and Pearls, any one of the 86/87 albums would have been hits. It was all about the record companies putting the big push behind whatever artist they felt was hot at the time.

SOTT could have been much more heralded than it was had Prince not felt disrespected when told to trim it down and WB not feeling forced to accept anything Prince put out. Both parties were pissed at each other and put forth a half ass effort.

WB didn't trust Prince after Cherry Moon flopped and they let him know it and Prince felt like WB didn't have his back anymore. It's a wonder SOTT turned out as great as it did.

Respectfully, this post is.... complete and utter nonsense.

Are you seriously suggesting that Warner Brothers intentionally promoted Prince's biggest-sellers more than his lesser sellers, and that all WB had to do was 'promote' more and any record would have been huge?

First of all, double and triple albums weren't as enticing to young people in the "album era", for obvious reasons -- they're big and expensive.

Second, big-sellers like Purple Rain and Batman were in part big sellers because of movie tie-ins, or in the former's case a once-in-a-lifetime moment of synergy between (recently re-integrated) pop radio, film, and MTV.

Third, hit singles are obviously hugely significant with the album promotion for any mainstream artists (esp. back then!) -- hence why Diamonds & Pearls did well commercially. The early versions of the Dream Factory / Crystal Ball albums, as others on this thread have noted, were not really replete with what seem to be hit singles. (The biggest hit from Sign was actually the last song recorded, at the 11th hour.)

Third, touring is incredibly important to extend the commercial shelf-life of a hit album. Sign O' The Times eventually spun off THREE US top-10 singles... and Prince chose not to tour the US, even though he hadn't done so since the 1984-85 tour and the fanbase was more than ready. Had Prince toured the US in autumn 1987 (or even into 1988), Sign would have sold a lot more and would have stayed in the public's consciousness much longer.


Warner Brothers did probably decide to promote certain Prince releases more than others, but a lot of that would have to do with Prince's level of return committment. If Prince tells WB beforehand that he's not going to tour the USA after putting out a double album, it's quite understandable if Warners decided to put a little less money into him and a little more into another hit artist who is touring and is doing the media legwork Stateside. But to suggest that it's all down to promotion is just wrong.

At the end of the day, if there are no radio-friendly singles and if the artist doesn't tour (and there aren't special circumstances like hit-movie tie-ins), then it ain't sellin' much.

[Edited 10/6/20 23:01pm]

SoulAlive said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

by July 1987 the SOTT era was basically over

Not at all in fact,at that point,the album was really starting to take off."U Got The Look" reached Number two on the charts in September and the next single "ICNTTPOYM" followed it into the Top 10.By this time,album tracks like "Adore" and "Hot Thing" were getting massive airplay on R&B stations.We also got the concert film in November.

But Prince was basically over SOTT. Radio stations playing music isn't technically Prince promoting it. Albums took momentum as they did in the 80s.
He didn't tour the States, and had to prepare for the release of the SOTT movie in theaters.
Completion of Paisly Park studios which officially opened in September.

.

And I suspect Prince had an obligation to put out a few more singles from the album.
In a sense, him releasing ICNTTPOYM Nov 3rd 1987(He was already onto the Black album) as well as the same month Madhouse 16 was released, is similar to releasing Irresistable Bitch(1999 album B side) yet already moved onto Purple Rain.
.
In September he did the MTV awards show doing SOTT and Play In the Sunshine but outside of that show, and Ruperts club a few days before. there were no other shows performing SOTT music, definately not 'promoting' it.
.
In July he was recording If I Love U 2Night, The Sex of It, Time Waits 4 No One,
The beginnings of the 'Graffiti Bridge' movie was in preperation and started creating music for it

It seems Jill Jones album career was being pushed more by August
Eternity(Sheena Easton) Baby Go Go(Nona Hendrix)
Taja Sevelle album release Wouldn't You Love To Love Me? * If I Could Get Your Attention *
10 single released

agreed & proof that WB were often correct AND that P, when pushed could be a good editor!...imagine if WB were in charge of Emancipation!

PURPLEIZED3121 said:

agreed & proof that WB were often correct AND that P, when pushed could be a good editor!...imagine if WB were in charge of Emancipation!

then there would have been no Emancipation

PURPLEIZED3121 said:

agreed & proof that WB were often correct AND that P, when pushed could be a good editor!...imagine if WB were in charge of Emancipation!

Good point. That gives me an idea for a new thread. What if Emancipation was one disc?

emesem said:

SquirrelMeat said:

PURPLEIZED3121 said:

agreed & proof that WB were often correct AND that P, when pushed could be a good editor!...imagine if WB were in charge of Emancipation!

Good point. That gives me an idea for a new thread. What if Emancipation was one disc?

That album, instead of sparking excitement, actually caused me to feel anxiety and tired when I saw the amount of song.

SquirrelMeat said:

PURPLEIZED3121 said:

agreed & proof that WB were often correct AND that P, when pushed could be a good editor!...imagine if WB were in charge of Emancipation!

Good point. That gives me an idea for a new thread. What if Emancipation was one disc?

Which song is 'Wendy'?

jorge said:

joyinrepetition said:

It doesn't matter if Prince had put out Dream Factory, Camille, Crystal Ball, or SOTT. If Warners Bros. put their full effort of the machine behind Prince like they did with Purple Rain, Batman, and Diamonds and Pearls, any one of the 86/87 albums would have been hits. It was all about the record companies putting the big push behind whatever artist they felt was hot at the time.

SOTT could have been much more heralded than it was had Prince not felt disrespected when told to trim it down and WB not feeling forced to accept anything Prince put out. Both parties were pissed at each other and put forth a half ass effort.

WB didn't trust Prince after Cherry Moon flopped and they let him know it and Prince felt like WB didn't have his back anymore. It's a wonder SOTT turned out as great as it did.

BINGO!!!!!

People don't understand.

For example look at SOTT the single and U Got The Look both stall on the charts at 3 & 2. Both stayed at those positions while other songs leaped over them to the Number one spots yet they were played on the radio non stop.
Warners could have easily did what Epic/CBS did with MJ but no promotion.

ThePanther said:

joyinrepetition said:

It doesn't matter if Prince had put out Dream Factory, Camille, Crystal Ball, or SOTT. If Warners Bros. put their full effort of the machine behind Prince like they did with Purple Rain, Batman, and Diamonds and Pearls, any one of the 86/87 albums would have been hits. It was all about the record companies putting the big push behind whatever artist they felt was hot at the time.

SOTT could have been much more heralded than it was had Prince not felt disrespected when told to trim it down and WB not feeling forced to accept anything Prince put out. Both parties were pissed at each other and put forth a half ass effort.

WB didn't trust Prince after Cherry Moon flopped and they let him know it and Prince felt like WB didn't have his back anymore. It's a wonder SOTT turned out as great as it did.

Respectfully, this post is.... complete and utter nonsense.

Are you seriously suggesting that Warner Brothers intentionally promoted Prince's biggest-sellers more than his lesser sellers, and that all WB had to do was 'promote' more and any record would have been huge?

First of all, double and triple albums weren't as enticing to young people in the "album era", for obvious reasons -- they're big and expensive.

Second, big-sellers like Purple Rain and Batman were in part big sellers because of movie tie-ins, or in the former's case a once-in-a-lifetime moment of synergy between (recently re-integrated) pop radio, film, and MTV.

Third, hit singles are obviously hugely significant with the album promotion for any mainstream artists (esp. back then!) -- hence why Diamonds & Pearls did well commercially. The early versions of the Dream Factory / Crystal Ball albums, as others on this thread have noted, were not really replete with what seem to be hit singles. (The biggest hit from Sign was actually the last song recorded, at the 11th hour.)

Third, touring is incredibly important to extend the commercial shelf-life of a hit album. Sign O' The Times eventually spun off THREE US top-10 singles... and Prince chose not to tour the US, even though he hadn't done so since the 1984-85 tour and the fanbase was more than ready. Had Prince toured the US in autumn 1987 (or even into 1988), Sign would have sold a lot more and would have stayed in the public's consciousness much longer.


Warner Brothers did probably decide to promote certain Prince releases more than others, but a lot of that would have to do with Prince's level of return committment. If Prince tells WB beforehand that he's not going to tour the USA after putting out a double album, it's quite understandable if Warners decided to put a little less money into him and a little more into another hit artist who is touring and is doing the media legwork Stateside. But to suggest that it's all down to promotion is just wrong.

At the end of the day, if there are no radio-friendly singles and if the artist doesn't tour (and there aren't special circumstances like hit-movie tie-ins), then it ain't sellin' much.

[Edited 10/6/20 23:01pm]

You obviously really don't know how the record business works my friend. It doesn't matter who the artist is, Prince in WBs eyes was reeling at the time and they were luke warm about putting their full efforts into pushing SOTT especially since he didn't full out tour the U.S. since Purple Rain and Cherry Moon flopped. It was a risk WB wasn't willing to take at the moment. Diamond and Pearls was the perfect example of the Machine pushing the artist. Another example was The Most Beautiful Girl single. Belmark, a little independent label put all their efforts and money into that single and gave Prince a huge hit wereas WB barely pushed Gold and look at the results.

muleFunk said:

joyinrepetition said:

It doesn't matter if Prince had put out Dream Factory, Camille, Crystal Ball, or SOTT. If Warners Bros. put their full effort of the machine behind Prince like they did with Purple Rain, Batman, and Diamonds and Pearls, any one of the 86/87 albums would have been hits. It was all about the record companies putting the big push behind whatever artist they felt was hot at the time.

SOTT could have been much more heralded than it was had Prince not felt disrespected when told to trim it down and WB not feeling forced to accept anything Prince put out. Both parties were pissed at each other and put forth a half ass effort.

WB didn't trust Prince after Cherry Moon flopped and they let him know it and Prince felt like WB didn't have his back anymore. It's a wonder SOTT turned out as great as it did.

BINGO!!!!!

People don't understand.

For example look at SOTT the single and U Got The Look both stall on the charts at 3 & 2. Both stayed at those positions while other songs leaped over them to the Number one spots yet they were played on the radio non stop.
Warners could have easily did what Epic/CBS did with MJ but no promotion.

interestingly,the song that kept "U Got The Look" from the Number One position is "Lost In Emotion" by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam I love that song,too.I was happy to see both songs doing well.

I agree.A US tour in the fall/winter of '87 would have been HUGE.The demand was there.

ThePanther said:

Touring is incredibly important to extend the commercial shelf-life of a hit album. Sign O' The Times eventually spun off THREE US top-10 singles... and Prince chose not to tour the US, even though he hadn't done so since the 1984-85 tour and the fanbase was more than ready. Had Prince toured the US in autumn 1987 (or even into 1988), Sign would have sold a lot more and would have stayed in the public's consciousness much longer.

joyinrepetition said:

It doesn't matter if Prince had put out Dream Factory, Camille, Crystal Ball, or SOTT. If Warners Bros. put their full effort of the machine behind Prince like they did with Purple Rain, Batman, and Diamonds and Pearls, any one of the 86/87 albums would have been hits. It was all about the record companies putting the big push behind whatever artist they felt was hot at the time.

SOTT could have been much more heralded than it was had Prince not felt disrespected when told to trim it down and WB not feeling forced to accept anything Prince put out. Both parties were pissed at each other and put forth a half ass effort.

WB didn't trust Prince after Cherry Moon flopped and they let him know it and Prince felt like WB didn't have his back anymore. It's a wonder SOTT turned out as great as it did.

I agree.