ThePensmith

Well that's lovely to hear! Hopefully they do find the right song soon. I'm seeing Aston on his next solo tour at Islington Academy in May.

I think looking back, the second album was a perfect storm of not having the same strength as the debut but also the gap between releases. If you compare it to Steps' "Steptacular" album, even though they were also in America at the same time touring with Britney, they consistently had a new single out once every three months. They remained present even when they couldn't always be readily available due to international commitments, and so by the time "Steptacular" did come out three singles "Tragedy", "Love's Got A Hold On My Heart" and "After The Love Has Gone" had already been. B*Witched left it six months between "... Weatherman" hitting number one and "Jesse Hold On" being released. Objectively I can see why "Jesse Hold On" went first, it was musically along the same line as "Rollercoaster" but took things a step forward. But realistically I'm not sure what else was obvious first single. "If It Don't Fit" would've been too big a step forward. I think whatever they did, because they had such a huge platform when they started of all those number ones, whatever they did wouldn't have been right. And don't forget as well they were on a development deal until "C'est La Vie" happened, so didn't get a chance to really fully cement their identity away from the spotlight.

So I saw them supporting Blue at The O2 last night. They were brilliant! As well as the old classics, they performed two new songs exclusively: "It's My Birthday" (which Lindsay informed the crowd is going to be their next single in March and that more news will be coming in the new year) and a song called "All The King's Horses". The former sounded a bit Katy Perry-esque whilst the latter is very much what B*Witched would sound like but in 2022 - obviously a bit of a nursery rhyme reference in there as well like with "C'est La Vie". Next year is incidentally the 25th anniversary since that came out so I'm secretly hoping we'll get a tour of their own to mark the occasion. Would be the perfect hook a la Steps for them to hang a new release off of!

Very exciting news. She's also touring again next year in November and December with the "Christmas K!tchen Disco" tour! @1598622880706666496

Nicola's dancing on the Christmas special of Strictly Come Dancing!

I'm in - got a pretty decent seat as well! I'm gonna stay overnight as well I think so I can really properly enjoy it this time. In your face Hammersmith!

I'm of the opinion that writing and producing this album with just one team (Jessica Agombar - who was in Parade! - and David Stewart) has done that. Most of his biggest and best singles in the past have come from working with Claude Kelly, Steve Robson, Ed Drewett etc. The lack of their input shows in the fact both singles so far are, in my opinion, way below the usual standard he has delivered. And when you're trying to sell albums off the back of two singles that haven't been well received, and you've not had a top 40 hit, let alone top 10 in about five years, then it's a problem. I dare say it probably will still be top 5, top 10 at least, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if this is the only album he does on EMI.

Does anyone have an idea of what ticket prices are?

I dare say their team probably noted the comments (myself included) about the fact certain venues on this tour just gone *cough*Hammersmith*cough* were overcapacity. So actually this is not a surprise in that sense. I am debating whether to try for this or not as I would like to see them again but properly this time!

I was gonna say it's hardly Balenciaga-gate :lol: And re: Amazon, I'd hardly take those positions as rote as to where it'll definitely end up. It's not the full story.

On the one hand I can't say I am surprised if they've done away with it altogether. I've struggled to sit through a Christmas Day episode in the last 5 years and despair on the facelessness of who they have on, not to mention it seems to be on earlier and earlier in the day than it used to be. On the other, this has always, for better or worse, been a corner stone of my Christmas TV viewing as someone who loves music and has followed the charts from the age of 7. It's almost as if the Beeb are intent on killing it off if they shunt it away on BBC Two.

Aah snap on "Back For Good"! I also chose "Never Forget" and "Greatest Day" :)

As 2023 will mark 30 years since Take That had their first number one with "Pray", BBC Radio 2 are marking the occasion and making New Year's Day as Take That Day. Cat Deeley will be hosting a special countdown of listener's favourite Take That songs called The Ultimate Take That Song, which you can vote for at https://www.bbc.co.uk/takethat until midnight on 14th December. More details here of that and other programmes that will air on that day: https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2022/radio-...t-listener-vote What's everyone voting for?

Just listened to this in full now. Once again I'm disappointed. He did a similar sort of theme lyrically to this on the second album with a song called "I Don't Love You Too". That at least was decent and sounded like an Olly song. This just sounds - and I'll be totally honest here - like it could be anybody random. Quite how it's been chosen as the second single is beyond me. I still say even based on the small snippets we've heard that "Go Ghost" and "Dancing On Cars" were far better options.

Yes, the guide I checked said new single so I'm assuming it will be! He's also just announced an intimate acoustic show with Banquet Records to launch the album which is happening next Thursday at 7pm at St John's Church in Kingston: https://www.banquetrecords.com/olly-murs/st...%2B%29/OM011222

He'll be on Graham Norton performing Friday after next (9th December) when the album charts. Kate Winslet, Lenny Henry, Jack Whitehall and Nadiya Hussain all on as well.

Second single - out this Friday - has just been confirmed as "I Hate You When You're Drunk". There's a small preview of it here along with several of the other album tracks: I'll be honest when I say "Go Ghost" and "Dancing On Cars" sound like the far better options even on just those snippets.

Olly is a guest on the new episode of Jamie Laing's podcast Private Parts. Quite emotional to listen to in parts, especially when they get onto talking about Caroline Flack. ZkJvgZbRqGU Also Hits Radio have uploaded videos of his performances of "Wrapped Up" and "Die Of A Broken Heart" from their Hits Radio Live event in Manchester the other week: HzWvie_webg FSOssB5uZTM

From Music Week: I did love Scissor Sisters when they first came out, their first album was one of my favourites of 2004. Hopefully some expanded vinyl reissues would be forthcoming cause I missed out on the half speed mastered vinyl they did a couple of years ago. Good that Peter Loraine is looking after them as legacy manager as well!

Just seen their Wembley Stadium show from the summer is gonna be on ITV1 tomorrow afternoon at 5:25pm!

One half of the album "You Know" was GH (cause he was contractually obliged to under Sony) and the other half "I Know" was a brand new album. And yeah residual sales came in for it over lockdown two years ago which saw it to being platinum. I've got to be honest I'm not fond of that album or the campaign for it looking back. It was totally the wrong move to saddle a brand new album with a greatest hits that he wasn't ready for yet. Not to mention they put it up against Muse and spoiled his run of number ones. No wonder he left Sony.

Five lots of HMV signings confirmed for release week. On sale at 10am tomorrow: @1592563877371576320 He's also one of the panellists on a special "Loose Men" edition of Loose Women on Friday.

A couple of bits of promo confirmed for next month that I've seen: - Performance in the Piano Room into Ken Bruce's show on BBC Radio 2, Thursday 8th December - Guest appearance on A Night With Luke Evans on BBC Two - no air date yet but week before Christmas it's scheduled for

I don't know if it's wishful thinking on my part, but I am so excited by this news and I so hope and am manifesting that we get a tour from Rachel off the back of this next year (chiefly because whilst I like the idea of doing Hoopla, after my experience at Sugababes at the Apollo the other week when it was overcrowded relative to actual venue capacity, I don't know that I like the idea of being in such a rammed environment on my own). She has more than enough material solo and an S Club medley to fill an hour and a half set. I don't care if it's small academy style venues and only four or six dates in the major cities like Natalie Imbruglia has just done - point is I am there and she can literally take my credit card! I was so invested in her solo career - "Come and Get It" in particular is one of my all time favourite albums - mainly because it was such brilliant music she made, and she never ever got the wider recognition or love she truly deserved. I just hope these performances at Hoopla will change all that and make her realise there's more love for her solo out there than she thinks there is. Anyway there's me putting my hopes and dreams out that probably won't be realised!

He's got a whole host of intimate shows and album signings booked in for his release week: @1591357764680704001 Bummer that I'm off that week but I'll be away on business when he's doing his signings at Chelmsford and Colchester - I would have gone otherwise!