From: owner-jewel-digest@smoe.org (jewel-digest) To: jewel-digest@smoe.org Subject: jewel-digest V7 #167 Reply-To: jewel@smoe.org Sender: owner-jewel-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-jewel-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk jewel-digest Sunday, April 21 2002 Volume 07 : Number 167 * If you ever wish to unsubscribe from this digest, send an email to * jewel-digest-request@smoe.org with ONLY the word * unsubscribe in the BODY of the email * . * For the latest news on what Jewel is up to, go to * the OFFICIAL Jewel web site at http://www.jeweljk.com * and click on "calendar" * . * PLEASE :) when you reply to this digest to send a post TO the list, * change the subject to reflect what your post is about. A subject * of Re: jewel-digest V7 #___ gives fellow list readers * no clue as to what your message is about. Today's Subjects: ----------------- [EDA] Re: singles [Fredsteve@aol.com] Re: [EDA] Break Me - big trouble [Mirko Serkovic ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2002 19:06:25 EDT From: Fredsteve@aol.com Subject: [EDA] Re: singles Almost no established artists release singles in the US anymore. It's basically a dead market - nobody buys them period. Many people blame online trading of music for the death of the singles market. Steve > How come they rarely release Jewel singles for purchass in the US. We are > always hearing how this single and this single and this single by Jewel is > being released in Europe and Japan and all that, and hey, throw on some > live > tracks too! So when people in the US want one, they have to pay $20 for it > cause its an import? What are they thinking at atlantic? Maybe if people > could actually but her singles they might do better. > > Just a thought! > Buh bye! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2002 20:56:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Mirko Serkovic Subject: Re: [EDA] Break Me - big trouble Hi, I don't see why people think an upbeat single will do well in the radio... just because it's upbeat. The fact that they release a slow song (even if Break Me is the slowest in the CD, and if you think about it, it isn't that slow compared to previous singles like Foolish Games) doesn't mean that it will not do well. And doing a remix of the song so that it appears to be more "playable" is even more ridiculous. That way, you are changing completely the nature of the song. Did you see Sarah McLachlan making a remix to change completely her song ANGEL? No... It was a slow song, but it did well... Did you see Jack Johnson making a remix of Flake? Or adding more instrumentation to the song? No... it remained acoustic as it was... and I think it is really lifting his CD sales. What about Dave Matthews Band? They've released several slow songs as singles (i.e. Crush, The Space Between) throughout their career and managed to have constant album sales. All of their albums have sold basically the same. What I'm trying to say that "beatness" or "instrumentation layers" don't make a good single. A good song, nice melody (regardless of beat) MAKE IT. The song HAS TO BE GOOD. Remixes usually ruin songs... ... and I feel Jewel is trying to compete in an area she doesn't belong (mainstream). Maybe if she released songs that resemble more her previous style, radio stations WILL play them... 'cause it's Jewel. The instrumentation now is not special... it doesn't add to Jewel's music or style... it doesn't add to her voice... ... perhaps if she released a more acoustic version of Break Me (the beautiful one that most people connect to) or a version that emphasises the song as a BALLAD (cause that is what it is), by perhaps trying to generate more emotion by the voice and light instrumentation (instead of a version that tries to give beatness to a song that is, in essence, a ballad... and actually makes it have nothing special... "not quite a ballad, but doesn't have much beatness" type of thing), the situation might have been different. Perhaps it is time of not calling radio stations EXCESSIVELY and trying to lift up sales and save Jewel... and accept the single as a flop... or just let it follow its course and see what happens to it... Let's not praise or try to save Jewel of the thing she does that we don't agree with... If the single doesn't do well, perhaps it's because most people don't like it... so DON'T try to reverse or lessen that. Let Atlantic and Jewel accept their mistakes (if Break Me ever gets to be one)... and perhaps things will change. Thanks for reading, Mirko Yahoo! Games - play chess, backgammon, pool and more http://games.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ End of jewel-digest V7 #167 ***************************