From: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org (precious-things-digest) To: precious-things-digest@smoe.org Subject: precious-things-digest V7 #52 Reply-To: precious-things@smoe.org Sender: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "precious-things-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. precious-things-digest Friday, March 8 2002 Volume 07 : Number 052 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Promote Tori's next album--how? [Richard Handal ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2002 00:01:52 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Handal Subject: Promote Tori's next album--how? Greetings, So, I've been wondering: Tori is hoping to get more airplay and promotional push with her new label. How are they supposed to be able to get her more airplay? I can understand Tori not wanting to go through the cookie-cutter promotional circuit involving TRL on MTV, or risk enduring improbable situations arising such as the bizarre duet with that MTV flavor-of-the-month four years ago , but what exactly is her new record company supposed to do to promote her to people who've either not heard or not liked her music in the past? Tori knows darn well she's anchovies rather than potato chips. Operating (for the sake of this conversation) under the presumption that her new material continues not to be potato chips and, once again, is more anchovies, how the heck can *any* record label get her music played on the radio with any frequency? She's too strong a flavor for radio. Too many people hear one of her songs come on and change the station. Radio stations don't *care* if 30% of their listeners think an artist is the best thing to come along since sliced bread if a different 30% are changing to another station; they aspire not to offend anyone's sensibilities so everyone keeps listening through the next commercial. That's why classical music stations play JS Bach's Brandenburg Concertos and Vivaldi's Four Seasons all the time, and steer clear of Philip Glass and Arvo Part. Unless Tori can somehow put out music that rubs fewer people the wrong way than has been the norm so far in her career, I can't see how this is supposed to work--and I don't see her compromising the music for the sake of the greater exposure she craves. (I realize that some people believe she sold out years ago but I am not one of them. To those of you who feel that way, that approach has not exactly met with huge success, has it? If there were a formula for that, why wouldn't hundreds of artists employ it? You're the same people who believe in improbable conspiracy theories.) So: does anybody here have any bright ideas as to how she can get more airplay with the coming album? I'd be most interested to hear anyone's specific ideas to address this situation. Pretend you work in the promotion department of her new label. What do you think needs to be done? How can anyone sell anchovies to the masses? I think it's impossible. She's said she's a medium-size vineyard. I think for the most part she needs to learn to accept that and move on. Hundreds of thousands of us appreciate the craftsmanship and quality. That's not such a bad place to be. I want someone to show why I'm wrong. Thanks. Be seeing you, Richard Handal, H.G. ------------------------------ End of precious-things-digest V7 #52 ************************************