Entertainment For Lively Minds
Richard Thompson's sales figures; could we care less?
In his review of Walking on a Wire by Richard Thompson in the current issue, Andy Gill says that "Mirror Blue shifted some 150,000 copies while his most successful album, 1991's Rumour and Sigh sold around a quarter of a million."
Which made me wonder when the media/music and film industry first thought that sales figures were of any interest to the general public. The fact that a U2 or Coldplay record (who Gill says wouldn't get out of bed for Thompson's sales) has gone multi platinum doesn't make it any more of an attractive prospect to me. And I certianly don't give a stuff about a movie's opening weekend gross, (or how many people watched East Enders last Friday come to that).
I'm not criticising Gill at all, who uses the figures to make the point that Thompson is a "label mascot" used to attract other artists, but I think the assumption that what a record shifts or how many bums a film puts on seats has any bearing on its value, or is of interest to anyone but industry insiders is totally wrong and the sort of information that should stay on the press release.
Or am I wrong?
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Maybe it’s just me...
... but actually, I do take a mild interest in these kind of statistics, whether it’s how many copies an album or book has sold or how many people have watched a TV programme or film. I think it’s some kind of search for reassurance - wanting to know that lots of other people like the same sort of things that I like. I imagine that the sort of people who pride themselves in swimming against the popular tide take a similar pleasure in the fact that their favourites sell pathetically/are watched by one man and a dog.
There’s also a practical aspect to this. A band whose album doesn’t sell may not get a chance to record another one, and likewise, a TV show that hardly anyone watches is unlikely to get recommissioned, however brilliant I think it is. So again, good sales/viewing figures = reassurance that something I like is going to keep happening for a bit longer.
Exactly.
It also fascinates me how someone like RT kept his contract, especially during the darker days. I would love to know if a record that sold, say 50,000 copies in 1983 made the company any money. I'm thinking of albums by ex-Byrds, ex-fabs etc who released solo albums on major labels in the 70s and 80s. Did they pay their way or were the labels truly more artistic then and happy to have 'names' on their label?
All that kind of stuff I find very interesting.
It adds context to the piece
if Richard Thompson sold 250,000 copies of Rumour & Sigh it can't just be Word readers who own one. You learn something new every day.
Beat me to it, Simon
I'm amazed it sold a quarter of a million. I thought it would have been Retropath2 and a few of his mates. Maybe i've been wrong all along.
When working in a record store
I noticed that a "it does very well" usually helped costumers making their minds up when in doubt.
On the other hand I have friends who wouldn´t even consider listening to something that anyone else has ever bought.
Different strokes for different folks.
I was playing 'Small Town Romance' by RT....
in the bookshop I work in today, and suddenly heard a customer muttering "Hmmm... Richard Thompson" to himself. Naturally the opportunity to converse with another fan of the bearded and beret'd one was too good to turn down, and we exchanged a few knowing words, nods and winks.
I am interested in the figures too.
partly out of morbid curiosity but also as was said above to hopefully perpetuate the thing that you like. For example take this magazine - I havent tried lately but when I previously tried to find their circulation figures I couldnt get them. MOJO and Uncut were relatively easy to find. I assume this is because they are published by a conglomerate and Word isnt. However it would be reassuring to see that something more than the couple of hundred nutters who contribute to this site are readers and therefore know that I can look forward to the mag for many years to come.
Monthly sale of The Word
The scores on the doors for average monthly sales are as follows (rounded):
Mojo 101,000
Uncut 74,000
Word 34,000
This is copy sales rather than readership which will be higher as more than one reader will see a copy of a magazine. The industry standard is about 2.5 readers per copy
The majority of mainstream mags including our beloved have both their circulation and readership monitored by independent organisations.
These independently audited copy sale and readership figures and the demographic make-up of the readership allow advertising to be sold and bought comparatively - with the scale and relevance of your readership to a given advertiser determining the price per ad.
If Gordon
Brown had any sense, he would make RT albums available free on the National Health, so he would.
or even National Health albums free on the National Health
I was reading about Anthony Pappa
earlier, and it said , and I quote: "2008's "Moments" Mix album tour saw him play over 70 cities around the world and amass sales of over 10,000 copies. He will release "Moments 2" in 2009."
"Sales of over 10,000 copies'?
Isn't that a bit on the low side to be crowing about?
Is bargepole alone
in being left totally cold by Richard Thompson's work - and also that of other word sacred cow Robert Wyatt?
RT yes
Robert Wyatt No.
Though being left Cold by RT i'm not but i really don't see what all the fuss is about. I like the odd song but that's about it.Maybe it'll come with the passing of time.
Like listening to him speak though,seems an interesting bloke.
You and I,Bargepole, need to gang up to stay safe.
If bargpole is alone
it is most likely as a result of being left cold by Mssrs. Thompson and Wyatt.
ooh you wicked mare,
bargepole will nevertheless add nick lowe to that list - mimimal talent, massively overrated.