Promo is promo and anything is welcome to boost sales. I live in hope it will recover next week.

A climb of any type would be wonderful this week after the shocking fall of last week. It does appear to look that Three will sell less than Garys Since I Saw You Last album, no many would have seen that happening, myself included. I am starting to think Three will miss double platinum status by the outlook of how it stands now.

 

I don't think anyone expected sales of below 600,000 when the new album was released. All three albums post 2005 have sold over 2 million. The sales drop is staggering and I don't fully understand where the fans have gone?

 

Robbie has hinted at another album next year and it will be interesting to compare sales. In recent years TT have extensively outsold Robbie in the UK market. It's now possible that trend will be reversed. It doesn't appear that TT have benefitted long term from the return of Robbie , whereas he has regained some momentum.

 

Rob's return was a mistake in my opinion because he was never going to commit long term. If Jay had left the gap wouldn't have been so obvious , but going from 5 down to 3 is very, very noticeable. If Gary releases another solo album I'm not expecting anywhere near the sales of SISYL and I can't see how the band can re connect with the larger buying public. As I've said before the only chance they have of recovering to anywhere near their 2006 popularity is to produce an album along the lines of BW and commit to extensive promotion together with a cohesive singles campaign.

I feel bad for saying it again but perhaps it was the tax thing or them going down from 5 to 3 meaning an anti climax from such a big record and Rob/Jason fans leaving. A 4 year gap between albums nearly the length of their whole career first time around is a long time also to wait for new material.

 

It could also have been like this with just the four of them but we'd never know. Nothing lasts forever, the tour may bump the album up yet.

 

It was inevitable that there was going to be a huge drop in sales but agree I expected at least 1 million as long as it goes 2x platinum it'll equal Nobody Else and so won't be their worst performing studio album.

 

I've said it before the second Greatest Hits needs to come out to remind everyone how good they have been post 2005 and will introduce others to the III material or the singles at least unless just These Days is the only track representing on a greatest hits vol 2.

 

I'm not convinced Rob would come back again soon it served his purpose and now his solo career is continuing on. I think it was right for Rob to come back at that time as they couldn't keep playing that mystery card it needed to happen otherwise people wouldn't care as much. Commercially it was the right choice but like you say has perhaps hindered TT in the long run but it's out of the way and done now. I think Jason appeal has been perhaps under estimated as a lot of their appeal is connecting to the individual personalities as well as musical attributes.

 

The best would be for Greatest Hits Vol 2 2006 - present comes out with a lead single with Rob on it. One single isn't a big commitment and the video could be another Never Forget montage possibly. Will Rob join them though if he sees them as tainted?

 

Maybe if they repeated BW it would do something but I think the vast general public need reminding of the good Take That and that is the songs. They have had to run for cover as they are in a losing situation where they get battered every time they are on TV or an article on them positive or otherwise appears.

Edited March 24, 201510 yr by nirvanamusic

I don't think anyone expected sales of below 600,000 when the new album was released. All three albums post 2005 have sold over 2 million. The sales drop is staggering and I don't fully understand where the fans have gone?

 

Robbie has hinted at another album next year and it will be interesting to compare sales. In recent years TT have extensively outsold Robbie in the UK market. It's now possible that trend will be reversed. It doesn't appear that TT have benefitted long term from the return of Robbie , whereas he has regained some momentum.

 

Rob's return was a mistake in my opinion because he was never going to commit long term. If Jay had left the gap wouldn't have been so obvious , but going from 5 down to 3 is very, very noticeable. If Gary releases another solo album I'm not expecting anywhere near the sales of SISYL and I can't see how the band can re connect with the larger buying public. As I've said before the only chance they have of recovering to anywhere near their 2006 popularity is to produce an album along the lines of BW and commit to extensive promotion together with a cohesive singles campaign.

 

Not only his return didn't benefit them, I could go as far as to say it damaged them. Many fans didn't take to the new sound and to Robbie's antics during the tour.

 

I think fans could be more open to Gary's solo offerings than to TT's - at least going by the constant sales of SISYL and by the fact that Gary's new musical sold £500,000 of tickets in just 24 hours. People know what kind of sound to expect from Gary. whereas TT have experimented too much with Progress and put some fans off.

It will be interesting to see what the future has in store for them.

Personally, I don't think they'll ever have the success of their previous albums again, but I think the fanbase has stabilised somehow and the fans who stuck by them so far will continue to support them and allow them to put out music, which is all that matters for me.

I hope you're wrong and Robbie doesn't outsell them. I don't think the quality of his material has been good over the past years and I doubt it will improve.

Edited March 24, 201510 yr by milly

I heard talk that they could be doing an ITV show before the tour. If they do then hopefully we'd see Let in the Sun re-peak, and the album gets a boost. I think it'll definitely get to 500k, which is still very good. Hopefully double platinum won't be too far away if they promote properly

 

Do you know where the rumour of a TV show came from? I really hope it's true but it would be a strange time for one , just before a tour. They've always done TV promo just before or just following the release of an album. So late after it's launch strikes me as rather odd timing.

 

Regarding the Robbie situation I don't specifically blame him for the sound. I can't imagine Gary and the others sitting back and agreeing to the music if they didn't endorse it. Gary wrote most of the music for Progress very early in the process. I admit to hating that album, aside from one or two songs, and much preferred Progressed. It's the only album I never listen to and I dearly hope that there are more songs from lll than Progress on this tour.

 

I think Robbie was very, very canny with the reunion tour. He ensured a solo section and was thrust back into the limelight only to jump ship again when his confidence returned. It's only conjecture on my part but Jay seemed distant on the Progress tour and I don't think he wanted Rob's return. The documentary was telling in my view and Jay didn't appear altogether happy around Rob and I remember people commenting on it at the time. I know that this has been disputed but the body language was difficult to disguise. Contrast that with the Circus tour when Jay appeared completely involved and engaged - something happened in the years leading up to Progress or during Progress itself.

A tv show in the style of an audience with is exactly what they need right now and i hope something comes from the rumour. I don't know what has exactly happened with the downturn in sales, its most likely a combination of everything and the tax scandal has definitely had an effect. Its a valid point that on the last album we had 5 members and now we have 3 which could also have an effect but for me the album itself is better than progress and while its only my opinion i thought these days was a fantastic choice of lead single. While selling 500,000 copies of an album and going number 1 in both the singles and album chart is incredible at this stage of their career i certainly didnt think the album would ever struggle to reach double platinum. I knew it would never sell like the previous three studio offerings but i thought it would easily sell a million copies so im surprised by its performance to date. Im even more surprised that there is a chance the live circus album will have achieved higher sales than three.

 

Its hard to say what they need to do, the established acts in general are all suffering a decline in sales and in comparison to performances from acts like Madonna Take That are doing fantastic, i do think they need a big ballad as its there best chance to recapture some lost sales, another Rule The World type song would be ideal. I agree that releasing an updated Greatest Hits would do no harm as i believe it would sell well and remind people of their excellent back catalogue. The ultimate collection has sold amazingly well so the new greatest hits should include material since they reformed right up to now only, the big ballad to lead the release would be ideal and a new studio album on the back of a very successful greatest hits could turn their fortunes around.

Regarding the Robbie situation I don't specifically blame him for the sound. I can't imagine Gary and the others sitting back and agreeing to the music if they didn't endorse it. Gary wrote most of the music for Progress very early in the process. I admit to hating that album, aside from one or two songs, and much preferred Progressed. It's the only album I never listen to and I dearly hope that there are more songs from lll than Progress on this tour.

 

I think Robbie was very, very canny with the reunion tour. He ensured a solo section and was thrust back into the limelight only to jump ship again when his confidence returned. It's only conjecture on my part but Jay seemed distant on the Progress tour and I don't think he wanted Rob's return. The documentary was telling in my view and Jay didn't appear altogether happy around Rob and I remember people commenting on it at the time. I know that this has been disputed but the body language was difficult to disguise. Contrast that with the Circus tour when Jay appeared completely involved and engaged - something happened in the years leading up to Progress or during Progress itself.

 

I don't blame Robbie either for the sound, I know that's all down to Gary. But I think most people, who aren't aware of how the album was written, put it down to Rob. I've read more times than I can count that The Flood was written entirely by Robbie, which is telling to how people perceive things. And the stupid journalists have always put the sound of Progress down to Robbie, as a praise. If they had known it was all Gary, they would have torn him to pieces.

 

I agree. Jason didn't seem comfortable at all on the documentary or during interviews. I don't know if it was because of the cameras or because of Robbie, but something was definitely going on.

 

I hope the rumours are true and there is a show. The boys need some promotion, it's about time. I don't think they've ever had so little promotion, it makes me think it was intentional.

Gary wrote the music to the flood and all the other songs as per Look Back Don't Stare and then they all wrote the lyrics together. I don't mind Progress, but it probably was the weakest of the 4 post 2006 records.

 

Agree with These Days however, for me it's the best song on III and one of my favourite TT songs

Edited March 25, 201510 yr by jay727

For me too, Progress is the less listenable TT album. While I can appreciate what they were trying to do, I just can't enjoy it - well, for me, the vocals are very important and I missed Gary's voice a lot on Progress, so I'm a bit biased. Plus, there was just too much electronic distortion of the voices.

III for me is their best album, right there with Beautiful World and just a little behind Since I Saw You Last.

While I love These Days, I have other songs on the album that give me goosebumps. But, in terms of singles, I agree that maybe These Days was the best choice.

I still hope we get a 3rd single, even if it flops.

Progress, an enjoyable listen, different offering from them, but the album is my least liked since their return. Nobody else is the album i like least overall, that said, Never Forget is classic. Progress was very electro in parts and i often think it was an extremely experimental album. The Flood, Eight Letters and Love Love are the highlights from the era and i have great affection for all three songs.

 

Three is a solid album, cohesive but lacks stand out singles with the exception of These Days. An enjoyable album but it is not as strong as Beautiful World and The Circus and both those albums had so many tracks to pick for singles which three suffers from. A re-packaged version and television show would be what is required to really put the album back on the map and drive sales, combined with a brand new single, promotion and the tour, the Three era could easily have legs left in it yet.

 

 

The Flood was a great first single but wasn't indicative of the album as a whole. The album was a critical success but everyone I know who bought the album hates it!!. There are some lovely songs in Progress/Progressed but I also find it difficult to listen to. The follow up single after The Flood should have been something like Eight Letters - predictable maybe, but a safer option that Kidz. I actually think the direction they took for Progress, regardless of sales figures, was the wrong one.

 

From my perspective Progress is the weakest of all four albums, without a shadow of a doubt. The strength of TT is their melodic sound and harmonies which was completely lost in the production process. It' actually one of the issues I have with them ; their albums are always over produced.

 

I distinctly remember leaving the Progress concert quite flat and the atmosphere throughout was undeniably different from The Ultimate tour, BW and the Circus. I can't quite put my finger on it but the crowd wasn't anywhere near as animated or involved , in spite of the massive production which actually left me cold. I went with a group of 6 and we all said it was the worst TT concert we'd been to.

 

 

 

Three is number 74 in the midweeks.

Edited March 25, 201510 yr by Aphrodite

Wonder if the mention and comparison of 1D to TT will help boost the album.

 

Funny how 20 years ago Robbie left, and in the exact same way TT said they would carry on (later revealed to be because of pressures of investment in their tour). Clearly a greatest hits will be out at xmas and they'll disband officially. Who wants to bet that Simon will have the groups category on XF this year! haha

While the Zayn situation may resemble when Robbie left Take That, it is important to remember Brian McFadden also left Westlife and they continued for a long time after his departure and remained successful.

 

It is likely One Direction will release a Greatest Hits as they would officially end the input from Zayn, and should they continue the contracts that surround income from albums would be easier to control. There is no doubt One Direction will be tied into tour contracts, and may just stay together to fulfill the contract and make the money from it. While the group remains massively popular their album sales have decline on each release and there more recent album has fallen well short of sales achieved from previous albums, maybe they will decide to split and go out on a high. Should they split Simon will be eager to get his hands on the next big boyband, but if he invested half as much into Little Mix as One Direction they too could have been huge.

 

I don't know if the situation is the same as when Robbie left, for the simple fact that people say that Zayn was the singer of the band, while Robbie...well, was not (and going by his most recent video of Bohemian Rhapsody, still isn't) :P In all seriousness, though, there doesn't seem to be the same hysteria with 1D as it was with TT.

But, if the comparison benefits the boys, I have no problem with it. I'm a bit bored of reading about 1D, but I guess it's normal that everyone talks about the group.

On Amazon and iTunes, there doesn't seem to be any change for III, though.

The coverage does appear less than when Robbie left Take That, but we most remember Robbie got huge tv coverage when departing as the internet was not thriving like it is today, i too would welcome the comparisons if Take That benefit.

 

The boys would learn a lot by talking to bands like Take That, Westlife etc who have gone through the same experience and learn from their knowledge and experience as i have no doubt One Direction will split, regardless if its sooner or later.

 

TT won't gain any sales from the ID situation. The only ways to address album sales is to promote as much as possible. There are some parallels between 1D and TT in terms of one member leaving close to or during a tour and both being ' boy bands'; but that's where the connection ends.

 

1D success was achieved with little or no effort, whereas TT worked extensively to build up a fan base. TT wrote and produced their songs from an early stage and although 1D apparently have song writing credits at the moment they don't have an equivalent Gary Barlow, although that may change as time goes on. Apart from their first single their efforts have been unmemorable and I genuinely do not know what their individual voices sound like - but then I don't fall within their fan demographic.

 

Their sounds it even more generic than TT's in my view. They haven't mastered the art of harmonizing and performance wise they fall far short of TT, in terms of their energy levels and commitment. They also fall short in terms of musicianship and in my view ID have been very, very lucky indeed.

I see the official charts will be moving to a Friday now in the summer, with new releases becoming available on a Friday rather than a Monday. Wonder if that'll impact future TT releases