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Scene View member profile	27th October 2020, 09:55 AM Post #1
Baby Reindeer Joined: 9 March 2008 Posts: 13,310 User: 5,567	Here is a thread dedicated to both the singles and albums that never saw the light of day, either due to label politics, poor commercial success or just a series of unfortunate events. The following list contains the cases I'm aware of. Feel free to add any I've missed.


Scene View member profile	27th October 2020, 10:02 AM Post #2
Baby Reindeer Joined: 9 March 2008 Posts: 13,310 User: 5,567	Albums 1. Alesha Dixon – Fired Up (2006) A year before storming to victory on Strictly Come Dancing, and two years before finding commercial success as a soloist, Alesha was days away from releasing her debut album in the autumn of 2006. Led by top 20 hit ‘Lipstick’ and ‘Knockdown’ which missed the top 40 altogether, Alesha was dropped from Polydor and the album was postponed indefinitely. It finally saw the light of day… in JAPAN in 2008 with a reworked tracklist and different artwork. It was also available as merchandise on Alesha’s The Alesha Show tour. 2. Green Day – Cigarettes and Valentines (2003) Now this is a sad and frustrating story. Green Day had nearly finished the follow-up to their 2000 album Warning when their master tapes were stolen from the studio. The band decided against rerecording the entire album and instead chose to start from scratch. That decision paid off as it gave the world American Idiot. 3. Victoria Beckham – Open Your Eyes / Come Together (2004) In a rather unconventional case, Victoria was working on not one but two albums around the same time with neither getting an eventual release. Signed to Telstar Records, Victoria began working on an electro-pop album (Open Your Eyes) with ‘Let Your Head Go’ planned as the lead single. Disappointed with the final product, Victoria wanted to record an R&B-influenced album with producer Damon Dash, thus creating Come Together. ‘Let Your Head Go’ and ‘This Groove’ were released together as a Double A-Side single to determine which sound the public wanted from VB. If the former song was the most favoured then Open Your Eyes would be released, otherwise Come Together would get the green light if This Groove gained more traction. In the end, label bankruptcy and Victoria’s fashion career were reasons enough to abandon her music career altogether. 4. Nicole Scherzinger – Her Name Is Nicole (2007) This one is no secret. After the huge success of the Pussycat Doll’s debut album PCD, Nicole wanted to embark on a solo career – planning to release her debut album in late summer 2007. Several singles were released prior to the album’s intended release, including ‘Baby Love’ and ‘Puakenikeni’, and all failed to find any success in the US (although ‘Baby Love’ found top 20 success in the UK). After several pushbacks, and at Nicole’s request, Her Name Is Nicole was shelved indefinitely and her focus returned to the Pussycat Dolls and their second album Doll Domination. The first two singles from their sophomore album, ‘When I Grow Up’ and ‘I Hate This Part’, were actually originally planned to be on Nicole’s solo debut. Needless to say, Nicole later released a successful solo album in 2011, titled Killer Love.


Scene View member profile	27th October 2020, 10:10 AM Post #3
Baby Reindeer Joined: 9 March 2008 Posts: 13,310 User: 5,567	Singles 1. Britney Spears – Outrageous (2004) I guess this was one is very well known. Originally planned as the fourth single from In The Zone and the follow-up to megahit ‘Everytime’, the release of ‘Outrageous’ was scrapped after Britney injured herself while making the video. Rumour has it Britney was not a fan of the song so perhaps injuring herself was a blessing in disguise lol. ‘Breathe On Me’ was also planned as the album’s fifth single but, again due to the injury, the entire album cycle was cut short. 2. Christina Aguilera – Impossible (2003) Christina wanted ‘Impossible’ to serve as the album’s fifth and final single but her record label favoured ‘The Voice Within’ instead. Thank God as I am a huge fan of the latter and it gave Xtina her fifth consecutive top 10 hit from the album. 3. Lady Gaga – Beautiful Dirty Rich (2009) Originally planned as The Fame’s second single, it was only after ‘Just Dance’ exploded on the charts that the label decided it was best to follow it up with a single similar in sound. Looking back it is crazy to think ‘Poker Face’ wasn’t always intended to be the second single! 4. Girls Aloud – Wicked Game (2005) Now this is a strange one. Back in the summer of 2005 the band recorded a cover of Chris Isaak’s incredible single ‘Wicked Game’ and announced it as the lead single from their third album Chemistry. Thankfully this idea was aborted and we were treated instead to ‘Long Hot Summer’. It isn’t clear why the lead single was changed or, more importantly, why releasing the cover to lead an album campaign was even on the cards in the first place, but the change in plan certainly paid off for the group. Granted, ‘Long Hot Summer’ became the group’s lowest charting single to date at that point but can you imagine the consequences of them releasing ‘Wicked Game’? 5. Atomic Kitten – You Are (2001) Wasted potential. After scoring back-to-back number ones earlier in the year with ‘Whole Again’ and ‘Eternal Flame’, the Kittens were on a roll that should have been capitalised on. ‘You Are’ was planned as the follow-up to their Bangles cover and intended to represent them in the race for 2001’s Christmas Number One but due to a lack of success internationally, the release was scrapped and the song only ever charted on imports… at #91. Mess.


T Boy View member profile	27th October 2020, 10:32 AM Post #4
Radical Pink Troll Joined: 11 March 2006 Posts: 26,605 User: 177	I remember a video for You Are and wondering why it never charted. It could easily have gone top 10 over the Christmas period, although back in those days, lots of artists released during that time. One single I remember being cancelled was Ben Moody and Anastacia’s Everything Burns from the Fantastic Four movie. It could have helped give Ana a little more longevity as she hasn’t charted top 40 since it’s cancellation.


Cremey View member profile	27th October 2020, 10:38 AM Post #5
on a bench in coney island Joined: 9 August 2007 Posts: 17,594 User: 4,089	Britney’s 'Original Doll' is always the one that comes to mind when I think about lost/cancelled releases. The fact the first single 'Mona Lisa' was played on the radio (introduced by Britney herself) but then never released or sent to radio, and then the whole album was denied by her label...so strange.


Cremey View member profile	27th October 2020, 10:40 AM Post #6
on a bench in coney island Joined: 9 August 2007 Posts: 17,594 User: 4,089	I remember 'Her Name is Nicole' was 'coming soon' for SO long. Glad she managed to get solo success after all.


Juranamo View member profile	27th October 2020, 10:42 AM Post #7
"Everything seems different the second time around." Joined: 10 April 2008 Posts: 8,682 User: 5,830	QUOTE(Scene @ Oct 27 2020, 10:02 AM) 1. Alesha Dixon – Fired Up (2006) A year before storming to victory on Strictly Come Dancing, and two years before finding commercial success as a soloist, Alesha was days away from releasing her debut album in the autumn of 2006. Led by top 20 hit ‘Lipstick’ and ‘Knockdown’ which missed the top 40 altogether, Alesha was dropped from Polydor and the album was postponed indefinitely. It finally saw the light of day… in JAPAN in 2008 with a reworked tracklist and different artwork. It was also available as merchandise on Alesha’s The Alesha Show tour. Only just now realised this is actually on streaming (Apple Music, at least)!


Scene View member profile	27th October 2020, 12:16 PM Post #8
Baby Reindeer Joined: 9 March 2008 Posts: 13,310 User: 5,567	QUOTE(Cremey @ Oct 27 2020, 11:38 AM) Britney’s 'Original Doll' is always the one that comes to mind when I think about lost/cancelled releases. The fact the first single 'Mona Lisa' was played on the radio (introduced by Britney herself) but then never released or sent to radio, and then the whole album was denied by her label...so strange. Yes I forgot that one! I wonder what went on there. Was that due in late 2004 or 2005? QUOTE(Juranamo @ Oct 27 2020, 11:42 AM) Only just now realised this is actually on streaming (Apple Music, at least)! I just checked and it's on Spotify actually. I forgot how much I enjoyed 'Knockdown'. It's reminiscent of Kelis' 'Trick Me'... the intro at least.


pippa View member profile	28th October 2020, 12:40 AM Post #9
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 11 June 2011 Posts: 23,993 User: 14,031	Atomic Kitten should have fully released You Are. Great song that would have achieved another Top 10 hit for them.


Chemistry View member profile	28th October 2020, 03:24 PM Post #10
BuzzJack Gold Member Joined: 20 May 2020 Posts: 2,270 User: 106,588	Omg, I had seriously NO idea Girls Aloud were supposed to cover Wicked Games and to have that lead the Chemistry campaign. That would have been so dreadful, could you imagine the reactions. Wow, so happy we got Long Hot Summer instead! You Are was always such a random choice not to fully release, the fact it charted on imports alone says enough. And poor Outrageous! Or more, poor Britney at that time. It seems like there were a lot of album in those years that never got released, but I can't think of anyone specific now. I do think Rachel Stevens' Nothing Good About This Goodbye was teased as the fourth single and till this day, I am still super upset this modern classic never got it's moment.