Alcohol_Prone

Not too keen on Matt's song, or any of the campaign songs, but would have to say Matt, seeing as Trashmen or Cage wouldn't chart otherwise. I say again, how can anyone expect to get the No.1 if record companies don't deliver the product or the promotion, and having basically chickened out of competing with the X Factor every year since the show began?

Why couldn't the artists involved just give their backing to the original campaign rather than recording a new version which will confuse people as to which version (this or John Cage's) they should be buying, and whilst it's all in aid of charity, it defeats the purpose and will only split sales.

Was going to say that surely people realize that the same song recorded by two different artists doesn't mean that sales will be combined?!! Found out that it's for charity, but it's a bad idea to be releasing it when so many people will be downloading the version that won't contribute to charity.

Not all rock songs are swearing and screaming, just as not all pop songs are ballads with a choir and a key change at the end - exactly what X Factor was like with ALL its previous winner's singles. That's the point - it was the SAME type of single EVERY year, and every year it coasted to the top spot, due to the stranglehold that the show has on the British public and the retailers. The race for Xmas No.1 was always exciting and unpredictable before X Factor came along, so why should one show take away that because of it being the only single available in supermarkets and getting mainstream exposure that week?

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The X Factor winner's single!

Wonderful Christmas Time by Paul McCartney. Terrible.

Tony Christie - Avenues And Alleyways (The Protectors) #37, 1973 + #26, 2005 Highly Likely - Whatever Happened To You (Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads) #35, 1973 Jim Diamond - Hi Ho Silver (Boon) #5, 1986 Lynne Hamilton - On The Inside (Prisoner Cell Block H) #3, 1989 Mighty Morph'n' Power Rangers - Power Rangers #3, 1994

The only campaign I can see charting (but not necessarily working) is Bird Is The Word, because it will get support from Radio 1. After RATM last year the novelty has worn off, and I cannot see people spending the same amount of money downloading a track multiple times as before. Also, the thousands of campaigns that have been started since last year haven't worked because the people who start them don't take them seriously enough or don't have a clue as to how much work is actually involved. Very few people seem to realize that one of the reasons that X Factor breezes past the opposition year after year is because the winner's single is available in all the major retailers, but realistically ANY of the singles released and made available in HMV that week COULD battle it out for the top spot, providing of course that they get some sort of promotion on Facebook or wherever and people go out and buy them as well as downloading them. It doesn't have to be a "power to the people" type of single, but as long as it is promoted correctly and people know there IS another single out there to buy then it has a chance.

Would love TOTP back - it's badly missed. Maybe there could be more focus on the album chart, so artists that don't feature regularly (or at all) in the singles chart but sell big in the albums (i.e. Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart, Iron Maiden, etc) would get exposure, and the show would attract fans of these artists as well.

http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?section...1043161&c=1 Motorhead's new album will be sold exclusively through Classic Rock magazine on December 14th, and the standard CD will be released January 17th.

Will be The Trashmen if not the X Factor, but that's a big if. Pulp, Metallica, Electric Six are there as Facebook campaigns - Common People beaten by Cowell-backed Robson and Jerome last time, Metallica because someone wants another rock track at No.1, and Electric Six's Gay Bar for Gay Pride.

New Motorhead album 'The World Is Yours' released on December 13th. http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=522220

Shayne Ward - Stand By Me: 14-28-43-56-OUT G4 - Bohemian Rhapsody: 9-24-38-45-53-72-OUT Andy Abraham/Michael Underwood - December Brings Me Back To You: 18-26-OUT

Don't know why Mr Morter thinks the John Cage campaign is the only one that has a chance of succeeding, especially when the BITW group has ten times the membership AND the backing of Radio 1. Maybe it's something to do with Scott Mills (who had an on-air hissy fit last year about RATM) and "the establishment" that makes him want to support Cage instead? Every time I read what Morter has to say, he comes across more and more as being very up himself, and enjoys hogging the limelight for what essentially was a one-off that HASN'T changed the music industry one bit, because radio stations still play it safe. It may have convinced Cowell to think about releasing a different kind of winner's song this year, but the ball is still in his court whatever is released, as the X Factor single is the ONLY available single to buy in all the supermarkets, given pride of place in HMV, whereas other artists are extremely limited. Anyway, the Cage campaign has played its hand first, and despite the early promise, it hasn't taken off, because everybody has seen right through the cynicism, and won't waste their money downloading the "song". Unfortunately, we will all just have to enjoy the Xmas chart for whatever surprises crop up, but there won't be a non-XF No.1 unless someone releases a great brand new song and gets all the major distributors on board to realistically compete.

Now 170k in the main group. Even it if reaches a million the majority of people still aren't going to download, and I can't see as much of the multi-buying going on as last year. The Radio 1 coverage should keep it in the public eye and it will probably get to No.2.

Don't think this will work TBH, as per the hundreds of campaigns that have been started since last year, with only two or three succeeding. Any No.1 contender has to be a new song without an angle or to avoid being labelled a copycat campaign, and be able to compete with the physical sales of the XF. Very hard to do nowadays with the physical single being virtually dead, but I don't think an old song (Christmassy or otherwise) will work, and Christmas songs seem to have died off since they started entering the charts again.

In The Army Now is being re-released for the Help For Heroes and The British Forces Foundation charities. The video was shown in full after Simply Red on ITV1 last night. Quo don't seem to have any more promo coming up this week, so the single will have to rely on word of mouth to chart well. Radio 2 the only ones playing it, which is a bit disappointing.

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At one time the same station would play all types of music. With no alternatives available, those interested in pop music had no choice but to listen to the rock singles, some of which were liked and bought. These days there are so many stations around and rock music is played only by dedicated rock stations catering for a niche market. With very few shops selling singles there is no money to be made from releasing a physical single that the majority of rock fans prefer. No TOTP or Saturday morning kids shows anymore, so no platform to promote it either. Most artists are giving away free downloads instead of releasing singles - touring is where the money is to be made.

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Those wanting a TOTP or CD:UK may get their wish with Channel 5 revamping its schedule. ;) The market is very much aimed at youths, and with HMV being the only ones selling singles nowadays then the singles chart won't reflect the tastes of a more mature audience, who otherwise would have bought singles in their local supermarket, WHSmith, etc. Their input is more or less reflected in the albums chart. Most radio stations tend to stick to the Top 40 and only take a chance on regional artists so that won't affect the charts, and with more niche stations around nowadays rather than years ago when one big station would play all kinds of music the influence on the charts is limited. That and older more established artists not bothering with singles anymore because they don't a have a platform to promote. I don't know what the answer is, because radio bosses won't decide to shut down all the niche stations and supermarkets won't start selling singles again. I would like to see a chart show back on TV, but it'll only strengthen the urban dominance on the charts. Perhaps an album-orientated show would work?

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