MADGE’S TWO ON THE AISLE: Madonna’s Interscope album, MDNA, which debuted at #1, racking up a year-best 358k first-week sales, benefited from a Ticketmaster bundling with concert tour tickets that added up to almost half of the total, according to theN.Y. Post. Those additional “sales” were the difference in finishing ahead of Lionel Richie who scored his best first week of theSoundScan era with nearly 200k for his country collaboration, Tuskegee. While SoundScan had made an “opt-in” offer for an album when purchasing a concert ticket mandatory to count “sales” in the wake of a previous Prince promotion, insiders insist that the consumer choosing to use a supplied redemption code satisfied that requirement. Other sources claimed the consumer being offered the option of either a “digital” or “physical” copy was sufficient. An inside source told the Post: “While the public may view it as free, [the album is] actually bundled into the price of the ticket.” (4/4p)

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FROM BILLBOARD.BIZ

Of Madonna's 359,000 sold, trusted sources tell Billboard that somewhere in the area of 185,000 came from the bundle/redemption

lionel 199k

mdna 174k

[Edited 4/4/12 13:36pm]

[Edited 4/4/12 13:38pm]

Whatever happened to that Commodores reunion album Lionel was talking about a few years ago?

MickyDolenz said:

Whatever happened to that Commodores reunion album Lionel was talking about a few years ago?

That's the album I'd like to see him do. Sadly, it probably won't happen.

purplethunder3121 said:

MickyDolenz said:

Whatever happened to that Commodores reunion album Lionel was talking about a few years ago?

That's the album I'd like to see him do. Sadly, it probably won't happen.

Would JD Nicholas still be in the group? There's 5 (of 6) original members alive, and only 2 currently in The Commodres.

Yeah, because folks who are putting out $$$ to buy Madonna concert tickets (i.e. her die-hard fans) would never be expected to purchase the album if it wasn't coming in the mail to them.

NoVideo said:

Yeah, because folks who are putting out $$$ to buy Madonna concert tickets (i.e. her die-hard fans) would never be expected to purchase the album if it wasn't coming in the mail to them.

Prince did the same thing but i never considered them sales prince was in the top 5 for seven months it hasnt happened since 1984 those were never real sales

MickyDolenz said:

purplethunder3121 said:

That's the album I'd like to see him do. Sadly, it probably won't happen.

Would JD Nicholas still be in the group? There's 5 (of 6) original members alive, and only 2 currently in The Commodres.

I don't know, but I'd like to see all the remaining menbers get together again. But it ain't likely with the clash of egos involved. Still, more surprising things have happened. Lionel can only recycle his own hits so many times.

[Edited 4/4/12 13:09pm]

Madonna is one clever broad. But kudo's for Lional. Because of his vigourous promotion in europe, it's a big hit there, which is quite a feat considering its "countryfied" Lional covers. Lional and Phil Collins should tour LOL.

Dont forget there was massive pre-order promotion and countdown clock on the itunes front page for 7 weeks. That probably increased her total by 20-25k.

HC did 280k with a hit with justin

mdna did 180k without any hits clould have done 20-25k lower without superbowl pre-sales itunes promotion

[Edited 4/4/12 13:12pm]

thesexofit said:

Madonna is one clever broad. But kudo's for Lional. Because of his vigourous promotion in europe, it's a big hit there, which is quite a feat considering its "countryfied" Lional covers. Lional and Phil Collins should tour LOL.

That actually might work!

purplethunder3121 said:

MickyDolenz said:

Would JD Nicholas still be in the group? There's 5 (of 6) original members alive, and only 2 currently in The Commodres.

I don't know, but I'd like to see all the remaining menbers get together again. But it ain't likely with the clash of egos involved. Still, more surprising things have happened. Lionel can only recycle his own hits so many times.

Lionel did start performing Brick House, even though he wasn't the lead on the record. Usually he only performed the ballads from the Commodores days.

I thought Phil was retired because of health reasons.

MickyDolenz said:

purplethunder3121 said:

I don't know, but I'd like to see all the remaining menbers get together again. But it ain't likely with the clash of egos involved. Still, more surprising things have happened. Lionel can only recycle his own hits so many times.

Lionel did start performing Brick House, even though he wasn't the lead on the record. Usually he only performed the ballads from the Commodores days.

He probably would't tour with them unless the billing was Lionel Ritchie & the Commodores.

purplethunder3121 said:

MickyDolenz said:

Lionel did start performing Brick House, even though he wasn't the lead on the record. Usually he only performed the ballads from the Commodores days.

He probably would't tour with them unless the billing was Lionel Ritchie & the Commodores.

The others will be dancing on the ceiling with that idea.

MickyDolenz said:

I thought Phil was retired because of health reasons.

You miss my point LOL. I was just hypothetically saying they should tour, as both did surprisenly good business on what were basically covers albums, meaing they are still in demand. They also have similar audiences and are still big worldwide.

MickyDolenz said:

purplethunder3121 said:

He probably would't tour with them unless the billing was Lionel Ritchie & the Commodores.

The others will be dancing on the ceiling with that idea.

No doubt.

thesexofit said:

MickyDolenz said:

I thought Phil was retired because of health reasons.

You miss my point LOL. I was just hypothetically saying they should tour, as both did surprisenly good business on what were basically covers albums, meaing they are still in demand. They also have similar audiences and are still big worldwide.

Then he should do a show with Rod Stewart, Tony Bennett, & Michael McDonald.

MickyDolenz said:

thesexofit said:

You miss my point LOL. I was just hypothetically saying they should tour, as both did surprisenly good business on what were basically covers albums, meaing they are still in demand. They also have similar audiences and are still big worldwide.

Then he should do a show with Rod Stewart, Tony Bennett, & Michael McDonald.

To my knowledge, Bennett and inparticular McDonald, are not big worldwide. Rod is even more MOR then Lional and Phil now, but yes, he would fit LOL.

MickyDolenz said:

thesexofit said:

You miss my point LOL. I was just hypothetically saying they should tour, as both did surprisenly good business on what were basically covers albums, meaing they are still in demand. They also have similar audiences and are still big worldwide.

Then he should do a show with Rod Stewart, Tony Bennett, & Michael McDonald.

I wouldn't be surprised if Lionel's next project wouldn't be a full on country album. I think this album was a test to see how he would be accepted. He's gettting a lot of great feedback, so don't be surprised if you hear that Lionel, Kenny Rogers and Blake Shelton all do a tour together.

FROM BILLBOARD.BIZ

Of Madonna's 359,000 sold, trusted sources tell Billboard that somewhere in the area of 185,000 came from the bundle/redemption

daPrettyman said:

MickyDolenz said:

Then he should do a show with Rod Stewart, Tony Bennett, & Michael McDonald.

I wouldn't be surprised if Lionel's next project wouldn't be a full on country album. I think this album was a test to see how he would be accepted. He's gettting a lot of great feedback, so don't be surprised if you hear that Lionel, Kenny Rogers and Blake Shelton all do a tour together.

A duet with Dolly Parton could be an idea.

[Edited 4/4/12 13:36pm]

^^Dolly did do a duet with Smokey Robinson once.

Would you stop? Madonna is #1. She did nothing illegal. She did not cheat. It was a smart move and she won.

DEAL WITH IT.

MickyDolenz said:

^^Dolly did do a duet with Smokey Robinson once.

Yep, I have it. Written by Boy Meets Girl duo and Dean "footloose" Pitchard. It's cheesy as hell, but I love the very 80's polished production.

asg said:

NoVideo said:

Yeah, because folks who are putting out $$$ to buy Madonna concert tickets (i.e. her die-hard fans) would never be expected to purchase the album if it wasn't coming in the mail to them.

Prince did the same thing but i never considered them sales prince was in the top 5 for seven months it hasnt happened since 1984 those were never real sales

Do you consider what Madonna did real sales? She bundled and Lionel didn't, and he did really well with considerably less promotion/fanfare then Madonna. I am not mad at anybody's hustle, especially the older artists, you got to do what you got to do to make it work.

Also, i am kind of confused by the bolded statement above, what exactly hasn't Prince had since 1984?

thesexofit said:

MickyDolenz said:

^^Dolly did do a duet with Smokey Robinson once.

Yep, I have it. Written by Boy Meets Girl duo and Dean "footloose" Pitchard. It's cheesy as hell, but I love the very 80's polished production.

If Lionel & Dolly get a 3rd singer, they can remake What About Me? by Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, & Kim Karnes.

MickyDolenz said:

thesexofit said:

Yep, I have it. Written by Boy Meets Girl duo and Dean "footloose" Pitchard. It's cheesy as hell, but I love the very 80's polished production.

If Lionel & Dolly get a 3rd singer, they can remake What About Me? by Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, & Kim Karnes.

LOL. I never liked that song much. One of David Foster's weakest offerings production wise from his heyday. It would be ironic though, as Lional Richie, along with Barbra Streisand, turned the song down.

thesexofit said:

MickyDolenz said:

If Lionel & Dolly get a 3rd singer, they can remake What About Me? by Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, & Kim Karnes.

LOL. I never liked that song much. One of David Foster's weakest offerings production wise from his heyday. It would be ironic though, as Lional Richie, along with Barbra Streisand, turned the song down.

I didn't know the song was offered to them. James is another who started with a funk background, but became famous for adult contemporary.