Re: Why TRS Is Not A Success

[chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (chris williams)]

In article <Cp7sLw.Ht8@infi.net> you write:
>Fiona McQuarrie (fmcquarr@upei.ca) wrote:    
>: is way better than lots of what's on the charts. So why has it
>: plummeted? Here's my reasons:
>: - Rotten promotion. I'm sorry, but I don't think the record cos. have done
>: a very good job at all of getting the word out. And I'm afraid at least
>: some portion of the blame here has to be placed on the shoulders of the
>: Goddess herself. A restricted number of interviews and a few personal
>: appearances are not going to do it, no matter how valid the reasons for
>: the limits.
>X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
>
>It has been clear from the start that promoters in the US have little
>interest in promoting Kate Bush. They didn't mind distributing a few 
>copies of her stuff, but get it hot on the charts? No way. It was only as
>demand increased from dedicated KB fans spreading the word that there was
>much in the way of promotion. 

    You make some valid points, but Kate herself must take part of the
blame. When she was in New York promoting _Hounds Of Love_ she blew off
an appearance on "Late Night With David Letterman." When she was
recently in New York to promote _The Red Shoes_ she blew off MTV's
"120 Minutes." She has never bothered to travel to LA to do any record
promotion. Record shills have a limited interest in promoting records
without the active participation of the artist involved.

    I know that the "Tori vs. Kate" thing has been way over done, but it
is a good comparison of marketing. 

   Tori tours extensively.

   Kate has toured once, 14 years ago.


   Tori makes extensive contact with industry people all over the world.

   Kate deals with a few long-time associates as much as possible.


   Tori handles several interviews a day giving thoughtful answers.

   Kate gives "exclusive" interviews to several reporters at once, in
   a time honored technique known in the business as the "Mongolian
   Cluster Fuck." Even in one-on-one interviews she gives almost exactly
   the same answer time and time again. Editors *do* read other
   magazines, to help decide who to interview. Kate has become a very
   dull interview subject.

   There are other comparisons, but basically Tori takes an active
interest in making sure that as many poeple as possible have the
opportunity to hear her music. The way to do that by helping the
record weasels do the job that they are paid to do. I have seen her
in action; she makes a point of talking to every single person in the
room. Anyone who has any interest in selling her records, from a
vice-president of the label to buyers from a local store has had a
personal contact with her. These people leave motivated to sell her
records. She doesn't limit this to industry. When Tori did an in-store
signing at Rose Records here in Chicago, she started signing at 7:30
PM. She didn't leave until every single person in line got an autograph.
She finally left at 1:30 AM.

   In the end, Kate can have as much success as she wants. She does
not need to have gold records in order to continue making music. She
could maintain she her career with sales of 150,000 copies of each
record. She wouldn't get much record company support for that sort of
goal, but with the level of promotion that she is willing to do, that
is the sort of salesthat she will have to accept.


                          Chris Williams of
                             Chris'n'Vickie of Chicago
                               chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (his)
                                 vickie@njin.rutgers.edu      (hers)