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Thread started 04/13/21 6:50am

emesem

Sony's marketing for W2A >>> WBs for all the reissues

Amazing what a well placed 60mins piece can do. How is it that WB didnt do this for the Sign of the Time reissue?

I mean seriously buckets of unreleased tracks from Prince's peak and only hard core fans got excited about it and meanwhile I have had scores of random people coming to me about W2A as if its some lost vault gem.

Imagine if WB would have released a Dream Factory as a single album release along with with the box set? (not unlike what they did for Beach Boys Smile).

Sometimes the obvious thing is the best thing.

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Reply #1 posted 04/13/21 7:00am

jfenster

Maybe they figured sign was already big enough they didn't need to promote it as much
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Reply #2 posted 04/13/21 8:02am

ufoclub

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Or they did try, but the bigger shows like 60 minutes were full at the time of marketing SOTT. "We're good"

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Reply #3 posted 04/13/21 11:21am

christobole

emesem said:

Amazing what a well placed 60mins piece can do. How is it that WB didnt do this for the Sign of the Time reissue?

I mean seriously buckets of unreleased tracks from Prince's peak and only hard core fans got excited about it and meanwhile I have had scores of random people coming to me about W2A as if its some lost vault gem.

Imagine if WB would have released a Dream Factory as a single album release along with with the box set? (not unlike what they did for Beach Boys Smile).

Sometimes the obvious thing is the best thing.

Because the powers that be have understood, how tying Prince's struggle against the machine, to the context of race-relations post-George Floyd / 2020, can arouse a certain interest and TV airtime. To some extent, this was already attempted with Sign O The Times, but given the nature of it being a re-release, no amount of outtakes could've persuaded the masses to take a closer look. How much W2A sells in the end, remains to be seen. Remember, there's quite a few fans (who understand the reasons for his 80s material's superiority), who won't give this too much attention.

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Reply #4 posted 04/13/21 11:48am

laytonian

The 60 Minutes piece was a one-shot. You can't get that for every release; this was brilliant marketing to (1) select W2A as the next release and (2) tie it into today's events.

SOTT is timely if you translate the space shuttlem AIDS and Star Wars missile defense to the 2020s.
W2A is a bit more generic and everything specific is timely.

They will have to use another news magazine to publicize the next big event.

Welcome to "the org", laytonian… come bathe with me.
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Reply #5 posted 04/13/21 11:53am

laytonian

christobole" "How much W2A sells in the end, remains to be seen. Remember, there's quite a few fans (who understand the reasons for his 80s material's superiority), who won't give this too much attention."


I don't see the 60 Minutes marketing as aimed at US. Rather, it's an introduction/reintroduction to the masses, generating new interest. That's how you build a legacy. We are already here. We don't need to be sold.

Welcome to "the org", laytonian… come bathe with me.
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Reply #6 posted 04/13/21 12:02pm

Chappers72

Why wait till July to release ?
Especially RIGHT NOW if they released it this Friday this new enthusiasm would increase sales.
Unless there are multiple campaigns over the coming months.
Who knows.

Right now, July seems a long way off
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Reply #7 posted 04/13/21 12:30pm

LILpoundCAKE

Chappers72 said:

Why wait till July to release ? Especially RIGHT NOW if they released it this Friday this new enthusiasm would increase sales. Unless there are multiple campaigns over the coming months. Who knows. Right now, July seems a long way off


I have a suspicion they might hold a trump card yet and there will be a full video that prince shot for one of the songs (we know he shots many vids for songs he never released as well) and they will put out another single and then go live with that video.

However, july IS a very long way away still. We are all so hyped up NOW.

Another good strategy would have been to release a b-side with every single they pull from this LP.
the dreamer/welcome 2 america live one is good but unreleased songs would be better. something from this era that didn't make the album or any other album THEY know of.

Those singles could then all be limited pressings or discs even selling for a premium like 12 dollars each or whatever so they could still make their money and we would have MORE music and MORE excitement and build up.


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Reply #8 posted 04/13/21 1:59pm

lastdecember

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But what I constantly keep telling people with reissues they are far different than some new uncovered album never released songs etc....Sign o the times reissue was great to those who had it already not for a new legion of fans ho don't know prince, you don't pick up fans with reissues and you really don't have to market them just do a few spots because reissues in part are money losses because of the work put into them and they basically sell about a fraction of what the original did. A new album or whatever is someth8ng you can market more because maybe you get some new fans but probably not but maybe you get more locals than ever. I was buying the sign o the times reissue regardless of an ad, because I wanted the book and it was a great piece of work putting it together, another reason why people who say physical copies aren't needed are u kidding me.


"We went where our music was appreciated, and that was everywhere but the USA, we knew we had fans, but there is only so much of the world you can play at once" Magne F
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Reply #9 posted 04/13/21 3:58pm

lustmealways

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LILpoundCAKE said:

I have a suspicion they might hold a trump card yet and there will be a full video that prince shot for one of the songs (we know he shots many vids for songs he never released as well) and they will put out another single and then go live with that video.

However, july IS a very long way away still. We are all so hyped up NOW.

Another good strategy would have been to release a b-side with every single they pull from this LP.
the dreamer/welcome 2 america live one is good but unreleased songs would be better. something from this era that didn't make the album or any other album THEY know of.

Those singles could then all be limited pressings or discs even selling for a premium like 12 dollars each or whatever so they could still make their money and we would have MORE music and MORE excitement and build up.


DAMN i like the way you think. slapping up a 10-15 dollar 7" every month until release with a b-side would've been brilliant. only using up like 3 vault tracks and probably many, many, many people who would buy all three. i'm no music industry guru, but sometimes i think these people aren't thinking outside the box in terms of fleecing the most money from the consumer, i think i could do a better job.

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Reply #10 posted 04/13/21 4:07pm

emesem

Yes but what if they would have released Dream Factory and worked with the revolution on the art work, sequencing, single choices used photos from that era.



lastdecember said:

But what I constantly keep telling people with reissues they are far different than some new uncovered album never released songs etc....Sign o the times reissue was great to those who had it already not for a new legion of fans ho don't know prince, you don't pick up fans with reissues and you really don't have to market them just do a few spots because reissues in part are money losses because of the work put into them and they basically sell about a fraction of what the original did. A new album or whatever is someth8ng you can market more because maybe you get some new fans but probably not but maybe you get more locals than ever. I was buying the sign o the times reissue regardless of an ad, because I wanted the book and it was a great piece of work putting it together, another reason why people who say physical copies aren't needed are u kidding me.

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Reply #11 posted 04/13/21 5:09pm

ChocolateBox31
21

avatar

Prince(r.i.p.) Advance Album Sales Soar After “60 Minutes” Feature, “Welcome 2 America” Hits NUMBER 2 on Amazon 14 Weeks Before Release

This makes me SO HAPPY! Prince(r.i.p.) can possibly have another number#1 album with this one.

All The estate needs to do is release the live version lead single as a video.

"That mountain top situation is not really what it's all cracked up 2 B when eye was doing the Purple Rain tour eye had a lot of people who eye knew eye'll never c again @ the concerts.just screamin n places they thought they was suppose 2 scream."prince
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Reply #12 posted 04/13/21 5:45pm

lastdecember

avatar

emesem said:

Yes but what if they would have released Dream Factory and worked with the revolution on the art work, sequencing, single choices used photos from that era. lastdecember said:

But what I constantly keep telling people with reissues they are far different than some new uncovered album never released songs etc....Sign o the times reissue was great to those who had it already not for a new legion of fans ho don't know prince, you don't pick up fans with reissues and you really don't have to market them just do a few spots because reissues in part are money losses because of the work put into them and they basically sell about a fraction of what the original did. A new album or whatever is someth8ng you can market more because maybe you get some new fans but probably not but maybe you get more locals than ever. I was buying the sign o the times reissue regardless of an ad, because I wanted the book and it was a great piece of work putting it together, another reason why people who say physical copies aren't needed are u kidding me.


it still wouldn't be a new record, it's marketing would be about here is what he did then but didn't release and instead he released this and that. Now that could be the argument with W2A that it's old and he held it back etc... but it is fresher to the memory of Prince, it's not releasing stuff that has been sitting for over thirty years regardless if it got reworked by the revolution. The discussion in its promotion would be "this is Princes recordings from thirty something years ago etc..." it just doesn't carry the same weight as W2A. It's like the whole concert talk, would a recording of Piano and A Microphone be more appealing with the billing of his final shows, or would A never before released concert from say the Purple Rain era or something in that time period gain more attention, hands down it would Piano and Microphone.


"We went where our music was appreciated, and that was everywhere but the USA, we knew we had fans, but there is only so much of the world you can play at once" Magne F
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Reply #13 posted 04/14/21 12:30am

RODSERLING

ChocolateBox3121 said:

Prince(r.i.p.) Advance Album Sales Soar After “60 Minutes” Feature, “Welcome 2 America” Hits NUMBER 2 on Amazon 14 Weeks Before Release



This makes me SO HAPPY! Prince(r.i.p.) can possibly have another number#1 album with this one.


All The estate needs to do is release the live version lead single as a video.




Everytime a New Pf
Rince album can be ordered, it s #1 on Amazon France.
Then, in the true album charts, it s like #15.
W2A deluxe was #1 too, I highly doubt it makes top 10 in France.
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Reply #14 posted 04/14/21 2:15am

Rimshottbob

Chappers72 said:

Why wait till July to release ? Especially RIGHT NOW if they released it this Friday this new enthusiasm would increase sales. Unless there are multiple campaigns over the coming months. Who knows. Right now, July seems a long way off

Because a BIG part of their release is the vinyl - aimed at nostalgia factor... those who love Prince will tie in a lot with those who love vinyl..... and vinyl production is suffering months of backlog at the moment due to increased demand, COVID and other factors.... so they're waiting til the vinyl is manufactured.... otherwise they'd have a split release, CD/digital now and streaming later, which would dilute the release, so they're playing the long game, hoping they can keep interest bubbling until end of July.

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Reply #15 posted 04/14/21 12:25pm

ChocolateBox31
21

avatar

RODSERLING said:

ChocolateBox3121 said:

Prince(r.i.p.) Advance Album Sales Soar After “60 Minutes” Feature, “Welcome 2 America” Hits NUMBER 2 on Amazon 14 Weeks Before Release

This makes me SO HAPPY! Prince(r.i.p.) can possibly have another number#1 album with this one.

All The estate needs to do is release the live version lead single as a video.

Everytime a New Pf Rince album can be ordered, it s #1 on Amazon France. Then, in the true album charts, it s like #15. W2A deluxe was #1 too, I highly doubt it makes top 10 in France.

The U.S. Billboard charts it will hit Number#1. The subject matter is right on time. As usual Prince(r.i.p.) is ahead of his time.

"That mountain top situation is not really what it's all cracked up 2 B when eye was doing the Purple Rain tour eye had a lot of people who eye knew eye'll never c again @ the concerts.just screamin n places they thought they was suppose 2 scream."prince
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Reply #16 posted 04/14/21 1:04pm

homesquid

avatar

Chappers72 said:

Why wait till July to release ? Especially RIGHT NOW if they released it this Friday this new enthusiasm would increase sales. Unless there are multiple campaigns over the coming months. Who knows. Right now, July seems a long way off

Yep. Sure there's lots of pre-orders from the hype but how many will stick by July 30th? I doubt there will be anything more than "singles" every 6 weeks.

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Reply #17 posted 04/14/21 1:04pm

funkbabyandthe
babysitters

ahead of his time?! wtf. people are nuts.

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Reply #18 posted 04/14/21 1:15pm

homesquid

avatar

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

ahead of his time?! wtf. people are nuts.

True. Prince was ahead of his time up until 1992 musically but mentally? Not a chance. His socio-political and spiritual opinions were embarrassingly shallow and/or simplistic and self-referential

[Edited 4/14/21 13:16pm]

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Reply #19 posted 04/14/21 4:16pm

RODSERLING

ChocolateBox3121 said:



RODSERLING said:


ChocolateBox3121 said:

Prince(r.i.p.) Advance Album Sales Soar After “60 Minutes” Feature, “Welcome 2 America” Hits NUMBER 2 on Amazon 14 Weeks Before Release



This makes me SO HAPPY! Prince(r.i.p.) can possibly have another number#1 album with this one.


All The estate needs to do is release the live version lead single as a video.




Everytime a New Pf Rince album can be ordered, it s #1 on Amazon France. Then, in the true album charts, it s like #15. W2A deluxe was #1 too, I highly doubt it makes top 10 in France.

The U.S. Billboard charts it will hit Number#1. The subject matter is right on time. As usual Prince(r.i.p.) is ahead of his time.



It will surely be #1 in sales, with about 30.000 copies.
But overall, with streaming added, not a chance. He will need like 200.000 streaming converted in sales more.
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Reply #20 posted 04/14/21 6:47pm

ChocolateBox31
21

avatar

RODSERLING said:

ChocolateBox3121 said:

The U.S. Billboard charts it will hit Number#1. The subject matter is right on time. As usual Prince(r.i.p.) is ahead of his time.

It will surely be #1 in sales, with about 30.000 copies. But overall, with streaming added, not a chance. He will need like 200.000 streaming converted in sales more.

U are very negative. U suppose to put positivity into the universe. If the fans got together we could reach that goal easily.

"That mountain top situation is not really what it's all cracked up 2 B when eye was doing the Purple Rain tour eye had a lot of people who eye knew eye'll never c again @ the concerts.just screamin n places they thought they was suppose 2 scream."prince
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Reply #21 posted 04/15/21 6:36am

lastdecember

avatar

RODSERLING said:

ChocolateBox3121 said:

The U.S. Billboard charts it will hit Number#1. The subject matter is right on time. As usual Prince(r.i.p.) is ahead of his time.

It will surely be #1 in sales, with about 30.000 copies. But overall, with streaming added, not a chance. He will need like 200.000 streaming converted in sales more.

To me sales are more important. I get it Streaming is the way it is etc...BUT someone can play 60% of your record and thirty seconds of your songs and its a stream. Also the way things are factored is a little weird and shady with streaming, if you dont subscribe to their service it counts less, which is ODD and also shady because their service has nothing to do with the artist or the recording process. Streaming is the new radio basically but I think the accounting of it should be even more reduced. I discovered also how they talk about ROCK being a dead genre, and yet I watched the Album Sales chart for a month, and each week the number one selling album, vinyl, cd, even digital purchases, were all ROCK artists, the Foo Fighters for two weeks, The Pretty Reckless for one then Alice Cooper's latest.


"We went where our music was appreciated, and that was everywhere but the USA, we knew we had fans, but there is only so much of the world you can play at once" Magne F
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Reply #22 posted 04/15/21 6:51am

RODSERLING

lastdecember said:



RODSERLING said:


ChocolateBox3121 said:


The U.S. Billboard charts it will hit Number#1. The subject matter is right on time. As usual Prince(r.i.p.) is ahead of his time.



It will surely be #1 in sales, with about 30.000 copies. But overall, with streaming added, not a chance. He will need like 200.000 streaming converted in sales more.


To me sales are more important. I get it Streaming is the way it is etc...BUT someone can play 60% of your record and thirty seconds of your songs and its a stream. Also the way things are factored is a little weird and shady with streaming, if you dont subscribe to their service it counts less, which is ODD and also shady because their service has nothing to do with the artist or the recording process. Streaming is the new radio basically but I think the accounting of it should be even more reduced. I discovered also how they talk about ROCK being a dead genre, and yet I watched the Album Sales chart for a month, and each week the number one selling album, vinyl, cd, even digital purchases, were all ROCK artists, the Foo Fighters for two weeks, The Pretty Reckless for one then Alice Cooper's latest.



I agree with you, sales are more relevant than streaming.
But hey, that s how the Billboard 200 works since 2015, and we can't change anything about it.

To be number one nowadays means dozens of millions of people listening to your album, not "just" 30.000 people actually buying it.
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Reply #23 posted 04/15/21 8:13am

lastdecember

avatar

RODSERLING said:

lastdecember said:

To me sales are more important. I get it Streaming is the way it is etc...BUT someone can play 60% of your record and thirty seconds of your songs and its a stream. Also the way things are factored is a little weird and shady with streaming, if you dont subscribe to their service it counts less, which is ODD and also shady because their service has nothing to do with the artist or the recording process. Streaming is the new radio basically but I think the accounting of it should be even more reduced. I discovered also how they talk about ROCK being a dead genre, and yet I watched the Album Sales chart for a month, and each week the number one selling album, vinyl, cd, even digital purchases, were all ROCK artists, the Foo Fighters for two weeks, The Pretty Reckless for one then Alice Cooper's latest.

I agree with you, sales are more relevant than streaming. But hey, that s how the Billboard 200 works since 2015, and we can't change anything about it. To be number one nowadays means dozens of millions of people listening to your album, not "just" 30.000 people actually buying it.

Yeah thats all well and good, but it shows that streaming does not lead to sales to put that myth to bed, but also streaming is a system that is easily manipulated, SALES its a bit tougher, because you would have to have people paying for the product, not saying back before this wasnt done, this is why the whole scandal of the 49 cent cd single started with Mariah Carey. BUT with streaming you need thirty seconds, and thats it, set it to repeat on your phone or whatever and go to sleep and that artist just got a few hundred "Sales" of a single, or album


"We went where our music was appreciated, and that was everywhere but the USA, we knew we had fans, but there is only so much of the world you can play at once" Magne F
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