Dave
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Post by Dave on Nov 30, 2009 17:45:08 GMT
Hi Martin, They seem to go partly on prerelease performance and partly on the sales of the previous release. This time, prerelease information indicated that she should chart but based on River of Dreams, she would not. HMV has gone with the pre-sales figures; supermarkets have not. Unfortunately, Hayley always sold more through supermarkets in the past, by a large margin. In Faryl's case, both indicators were positive, so they are stocking her CD. But never mind, I now expect to see Winter Magic climb the chart at Amazon as many fans realise that she isn't being stocked locally and, of course, HMV will sell more 'Hayley' than usual in the towns where they have a presence, and online. CDs seem to be a dying breed anyway... even Susan Boyle got nowhere near this week's DVD no. 1, which sold 250,000 copies more than Susan, in the UK! Live concerts and other performances are, clearly, the way for Hayley to (continue) to go. Dave
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Post by roger on Nov 30, 2009 19:04:59 GMT
Hi Dave, The results of my expedition in Horsham are pretty much consistent with those reported from elsewhere by other members, ie disappointing. HMV has Hayley at #55 (£10.99) with at least six copies available. Faryl doesn't appear in their chart but Wonderland is very prominently displayed in their New Releases section (£9.99). I bought one of each! Sainsburys have Faryl at #54 (out of 100) but Hayley is nowhere to be seen. My local W H Smith doesn't even even sell CDs any more. As expected, I never got to Tescos which is in the opposite direction to everything else. I may be able to get there tomorrow if you want me to. Roger
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Post by milewalker on Nov 30, 2009 20:53:32 GMT
Live concerts and other performances are, clearly, the way for Hayley to (continue) to go. Dave Hi Dave, I agree with your statement as far as it goes - however, if I may use an econmic analogy, concert sales are sometimes a trailing indicator. Jon
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Post by Sing on Nov 30, 2009 22:50:29 GMT
my mum went to our local tesco today to try to find Winter Magic ...she knew i wanted it anyway but especially to cheer me up because I have a terrible ear infection and cold and as a result feel rather down , as i can't go to school or do anything much, because my ears are sooo sore i can't even put my hearing aids in, so feel pretty much deaf- :'(so one may ask why was she bothering to look as it's debatable whether i'd hear much - off topic sorry, anyway, she went to look but couldn't find it at all ...i really think this album is not being promoted enough, especially as Christmas is such a competitive time of year for artists ... Faryl's at Number 38 in the charts .. .she didn't get that as I've asked for it for Christmas. ..but she got me Westlife's new album instead which is nice of her and I like it but it doesn't have quite the same magic as Winter Magic...I have the Japanese version of WM but desperately want the UK version for the Ronan Keating duet...i think i'm going to cry.. .i won't be able to go and look for it before the weekend, as i'm ill and my mum's about to have an operation ...still i have the Japanese version to keep me going best wishes Sing
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Post by martindn on Nov 30, 2009 23:32:44 GMT
Hi Sing,
Yes, I too will buy the UK version if i ever see it. But I am beginning to despair that I ever will. Today, which should have been a day of joy at the release of a beautiful new Hayley album, has just made me feel sick. I feel inclined to never the darken the doors of those establishments again, but these days it is hard not to if you want to eat. Such is their dominance.
Perhaps it is the X Factor generation, that believes that any singer who doesn't sound like a fifth rate clone of Aretha Franklin isn't worth listening too. They are just missing so much, but it is like explaining a sunset to a person blind from birth, they will never get it.
I have long understood that the vast majority of the human race is spiritually dead. If anyone reading this doesn't understand what I am saying, then I say wake up and smell the coffee. But most of you will be Hayley fans, and most of those I am sure well appreciate the wonderful sprituality of her music.
Sorry about this rant, but i have to say what I feel.
Martin
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Nov 30, 2009 23:48:55 GMT
Hi Sing! Sorry to read that you've not been well...hope you feel better soon. And best wishes to your mum as well! Hayley's music will lift your spirits. Joe
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Post by BenCMitchell on Dec 1, 2009 0:32:04 GMT
I'm sorry to hear that you're not feeling well Sing - I'm sure some Magic will help your recovery! Martin - I see exactly what you're saying. Hayley does not have anywhere near the recognition that she deserves. Almost all the people I know at uni have no clue who Hayley Westenra is! That saddens and disappoints me. The current female singers getting all the attention and publicity are usually flauting themselves around in clothes that wouldn't even be seen on a catwalk sometimes! Young girls now look to these singers as role models, and this worries me as well. The one exception to this is Susan Boyle, whom I think is a good role model, if ever anyone sees her as one. If Hayley ever did get the kind of publicity that she deserves, she would be a perfect role model to young kids. Watching all the kids flocking around Hayley at Banbury was nice to see! I hope that those kids see Hayley as a role model and don't get tempted by the other female artists around that are getting all the attention. Sorry mods, this is quite far off topic! Cheers, Ben
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Dec 1, 2009 1:12:09 GMT
Hello Martindn,
I share your frustration. Looks like amazon is the best bet...their CD sales are booming, while sales in CD shops in the high street and shopping centers dwindle.
Here are Hayley's current rankings on Amazon.com... #23 in Music > Classical #35 in Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday > Opera & Vocal #92 in Music > Pop > Vocal Pop
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 1, 2009 3:47:44 GMT
Hi Dave, I agree with your statement as far as it goes - however, if I may use an econmic analogy, concert sales are sometimes a trailing indicator.Jon Hi Jon, I know what you mean but this time, the record company had every opportunity to achieve a significant increase in sales of a Hayley album - and (this has to be said) they messed it up. It is not the first time they have done this to Hayley (the first example being the UK special edition of "Pure"). If there was any doubt whatsoever about the UK supermarkets possibly not stocking this album at the end of November, it should have been released the week after Hayley's high profile performance at Festival of Remembrance (and associated TV appearances). That week, 9 November, they would have stocked it - the competition was less intense, there were the TV appearances, and a much lower level of sales would be needed to enter the main charts. On 3 November, I said the following in this very thread: ...23 or 30 november would normally be ideal... IF Decca can persuade the supermarkets to give Winter Magic (UK) a good position on their shelves. But what we didn't know back in August is that Hayley would be appearing at the Festival of Remembrance (and possibly take some part in Children in Need Night the week after?) and that may have altered the thinking. But they've moved the release date back and not forward, as I'd have expected so now, I am confused. I think we'll just have to assume that Decca know what they are doing this time and have the necessary promotional plans in place to support a 23 or 30 November release date... Well, they don't seem to have known what they were doing, as I feared. I am certain that Decca could have "sold" a 9 November release date to the supermarket buyers, with all that TV promotion. I was puzzled then why they didn't and now, I am livid. The worst possible thing they could have done is to set a release date (any date) and change it at short notice unless they had an agreement for it to be stocked on the new date. This moved it further away from the TV appearances - which in the absence of an agreement is crazy. Amazon UK for example then dropped it from their "pre-release" listings by date, and never put it back for the 30th. Supermarkets probably plan their Christmas stocks many weeks ahead, and it now looks like they are reluctant to change, once this is done. Hayley's pre-orders at Amazon (and perhaps HMV too) appear to have matched or exceeded those of Camilla Kerslake, Faryl Smith and even Ronan Keating at times, throughout November - and all three are, or will be, in the supermarkets and chart. So it wasn't a lack of interest in Hayley that caused the problem, it was a(nother) record company mess-up in my opinion and it's a disgrace. There, I've said it. G'night all. Dave
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Post by stevemacdonald on Dec 1, 2009 4:04:24 GMT
... I have long understood that the vast majority of the human race is spiritually dead.... Martin, I beg to differ. Humankind is alive with spirit and we're all doing our part to keep it that way by enjoying Hayley's music and spreading it whenever, wherever we can. I know I was mightily transformed the first time I heard Hayley sing. It really was a religious experience to hear someone with such a heavenly voice sing so gloriously. I respect your exasperation with those who reject spirit or seek out the most corrupt forms of it, but let's not write off the majority of humankind. Our species is alive and well with spirit.... maybe not in ways you personally can recognise, but trust me, we all have it to varying degrees, even those who identify as atheistic, agnostic and pagan. Hayley's music is loved by all kinds of folk. My Wiccan pals especially love the title "Winter Magic" and for all the right reasons.
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Post by Ross on Dec 1, 2009 6:14:35 GMT
The situation in New Zealand doesn't seem to much better than in the UK. Marbecks and the Warehouse has the album hidden in the Christmas album section or in the classical section and not in the New release section like the other new albums. Borders doesn't even have the album. Although there must be a TV advert (Dori has seen it) I haven't seen it yet but I have seen heaps of Susan Boyle and The Priests.
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Post by milewalker on Dec 1, 2009 6:18:11 GMT
Hi Dave
Once again I agree with most everything you said.....however, my concern is perception. If the album is perceived to have underachieved this may be more important over time than the reason why,
Jon
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Post by comet on Dec 1, 2009 10:59:55 GMT
What i really want to say about the incompetence of the promoters of this album would be deleted by the mods, so just assume I have used all the words you can think of and then some. (Hi Paul - I just have here. Martin ) There is a certain pleasure in saying the Japanese piece of this as a chant and pointing ones fingers towards DECCA Maybe this is a good time for a polite e mail campaign to all the radio stations you think might play and might have the promos for Winter Magic. Have promos been sent out ?Martin, From a new e mail address, might be a good idea ! Try asking for the Ronan Keating song It's only Christmas. I am not suggesting you make phone calls to radio stations as the results may just cause more negativity. I am beginning to think Decca are working for EMI
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Jillian
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Post by Jillian on Dec 1, 2009 13:11:12 GMT
Good news from New Zealand! Christmas Magic has risen from #28 to #22.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 1, 2009 17:54:11 GMT
Hi Jillian, glad to seee it's climbed in NZ, in spite of the restricted availabiity. The UK situation is strange indeed and I'm still inclined to think that the altered release date (possibly due to concerns over a clash with Ronan's Winter Songs album) was a Decca mistake, and may be responsible for the supermarkets dropping it. There is no other obvious reason, it is still doing as well at Amazon UK as its original rivals (Camilla and Faryl, who are/will be charting) and is getting some promotion at HMV. The Music Week charts expert seems to be surprised too, as he specifically mentions Hayley in today's midweek chart commentary: As we know (but he may not have noticed) the problem has been caused by Hayley's absence from the supermarkets. But all may yet not be lost... the bar for Hayley is now lower and any kind of top 200 entry would now be a success, a top 75 entry would be astonishing. I think the Music Week guy has seen Hayley in his Top 200 list and has remarked on it because he expected her to be in the top 40. By the way, Faryl isn't in there either... but no mention of her at all. Just seen your post Roger, I went to my local Tesco Exra last night and they don't have it either, so obviously, none of them do. There is nowhere within 10 miles of my town that I can buy this album. So yes, a big blow has been struck but all is not lost. Cheers, Dave
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