From cd101.com (UK) today:

*****

We are sorry to announce that the title you ordered

PRINCE - MUSICOLOGY CD single

has been pulled from the release schedule by Sony, who have apparently
decided against it's release as a single. To the best of our knowledge
there will be no singles from the 'Musicology' album, although we will
let
you know if any firther information we get says different.

Your card was not charged for this order, our apologies for not being
able
to supply the title you ordered.

PurpleCharm said:

co-

Wtf ?????

WTF? No singles at all?

I did wonder about this, as airplay of Musicology the single has been very lacking this week (when it was supposed to be released).

Singles are loss leaders anyway and any serious Prince fan already has the album (it is top3 after all), so Sony have probably made a "sound" financial decision for the short term.

It remains to be seen whether the album can last very long without single releases though.

MattUK said:

There's the problem.

Toldja the old school joint would flop.. Sony had better pull the purple plug fast.

this seems rather suspect to me. I can't see Sony canceling the single and sending out notice saying "there will be no single from this album"

endorphin74 said:

Well, the single was due for release in the UK this week but it ain't on the shelves.

I have it! Could it be I have a future collector's item on my hands here??

Cloudbuster said:

this just would be such a bad plan, specially with the video getting such heavy play (at least in the US)

In a year of P's moves making sense this just would be silly

hmmmmm.....

RomeoMustDie said:

But it's not flopping. They just won't release it. They're prematurely pulling the purple plug.

I think songs will only be sent out to radio stations as promos,but not actually released in stores?

Oh it's probably just drama...Sony and Viacom realizing that 2 people high up in their orgs never talked to anybody in the field to make it work.

And, what a tease....this is what I was afraid of with a major distributor. Sony is not just a music company. The entire company has figures to hit. And the beancounters do not care. And unless someone does a Prince Video...hmmm...

Could be too that Sony just messed up when Viacom has 5 cable channels and a zillion TV channels around the world. Channel 2 and 9 are in LA. And I recently saw Gattica on Ch 2 a couple of weeks ago, then also on Ch 9 the following week.

It's called buying something you can use over, and over , and over again.

There are a lot of suits involved in this...including whoever's producing the DVD (which I hope I am on!)

Another take is that with all the other 80s bands touring: Madonna is actually playing the Forum June 3 while Prince is at Staples. Van Halen's touring. David Bowie. This keeps us interestd. And the public too because most people don't believe how good he looks.

Rave... Un2 The Joy F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C.
*ahem*

Its not all that important whether or not the song has an official single. Songs can chart now, as long as they are getting airplay. "Don't Speak" by No Doubt was a huge hit, and it never had a single outside of the promos sent to radio stations. The song is already getting airplay, so this really won't make much of a difference.

Let's be honest, the single market in the UK is miniscule, therefore it is totally irrelevent for an international artist if they release singles here. Bear in mind that singles are meant as a promotional tool for the album, and the album has already sold more in the UK than any Prince album since God knows when, and it is obvious that there is no point in releasing a single, just to lose money.

I know that singles often lose money in themselves - but they make up for it in promotion for the associated albums.

There's been a lot of tv promotion in the states, but we don't get to see all that in the rest of the world and we need the video and single to be played to promote the album as much as posters and advertising.

I bet they lose money on putting posters up - but they still do it!

Other artists release singles AND sell albums and make money just fine so I don't see what the problem is in releasing at least one single?

If the single is just going to have two album cuts on it, I say good ridence that it is cancelled. What ever happend to extended versions (NOT techno remixes) and non-lp b-sides??? When labels started getting so cheap as to only have album cuts on singles, people how collect the MUSIC (as opposed to people who collect the STUFF) stopped buying them (who needs more then one copy of the exact same song? especially at the over-inflated prices singles sell for...)

The single is in stores in Spain since a couple of weeks.

this is sketchy, at best. how would a merchant know what sony has planned for an entire record? they only know what's on their release sheet now.

and the mispelling of further makes me think it is someone's idea of a joke.

If anyone wants me to forward the e-mail to prove its authenticity then just orgnote me.

If it is a hoax then it is one that has originated from cd101.com, not me.

I just want to know where my single is.

I agree it should be pulled...Lets face it, I wouldn't buy it for ON THE COUCH and Musicology!
Whats the point, I have the album!

Now if there was remixes, I'd buy!
That would be the hook!

So I think its time for a new video..Mtv seems to not be showing MUSICOLOGY as much now that the album has been released!

I see the same HOOBASTANK, JESSICA SIMPSON, and The Jets, plus USHER AND MARIO WINANS everyday!

Where is PRINCE...?
Bring out another video...perhaps "Marrying Kind/If I was the man in your life"
It would definitely give another boost to sales!

www.newpowerdetroit.com
BIG PRINCE PARTY

RomeoMustDie said:

Oh yeah--it's a flop. So quick to say something negative just because U don't like something. Do your research.
http://www.radioandrecord...c_Home.htm

singles only detract from album sales... i can promise you this sony has not dropped the ball they know what they are doing, they want to sell albums not singles..

Just called HMV record store.
It Is Cancelled!!

NPD313 said:

Co-Sign!

stu241273 said:

This whole thing just stinks of fraud. Either that, or whoever they hired to send out their notices had failed English class in grade school.