One ardent fan of Taylor Hicks tonight went on a mad font killing frenzy. I mean that she completely scares the living sanity out of me, (I kid) and yet she's allowed to run Wild and Free on several websites. Folks sit and settle in and count your luck stars that you are not she (nor Taylor Hicks).
Last night she wrote, in regard to a question asked concerning sales numbers on his CD's
"I think Taylor answered that last one over and over again. I remember him saying…and this is not a quote. His emphasis was on touring being the success. He also implied that he was not in that “scene” where he would be flavor of the month but in it for the long haul. There were many other things…and he did say that he sold a MILLION PLUS and he sold plenty more after this as in Asia. I used to get into it with a particular person…ugh…that thought that soundscan figures were the bible. Soundscan only reports from certain stores. Retail types of stores. ALL of the stores that were not connected to Soundscan DID NOT report. That is a fact. Also…when we found out what soundscan does…it blew us away. They have targeted stores…*not Target* but certain picked stores that they *soundscan* use and take their figures and double, triple and even count one sold ten times fold. That is their way of saying…OK…we made up the difference for those that were not counted for the stores that don’t report to us. That my friend, is BULLSHIT! It is not actual figures. Let me say this too…I want to get this right…and If I am not mistaken, Jeanni can correct…but, the board at Soundscan is run by record labels and mogels. SO….now think about this…when they PICK the stores to pump up the sales of a cd sold…making one CD sold turn into TEN CDs sold…which stores do you think they picked? They won’t tell. If they told…supposedly, all of the fans of a certain artist…would run and buy the CD there. To establish a huge inflation of sales. Now…this is where it gets really bad. The stores that are chosen…knowing the record moguls control…if they were to promote…”DAUGHTRY”…well, what sort of people buy his CDs…where do they shop…??? What kinds of stores are attracted to ROCK music? It could easily have been manipulated to be that they picked stores in Malls…or Record Stores…not stores like Walmart. These kids want to go and hear loud music playing in the store…having a larger selection to choose from…the atmosphere…and IMO…those were the stores that were chosen. WHY? When a band like Chris’ band…does not sell tickets to concerts that are huge…like the GA Dome…or Stadium…and have to rely on other performers to bring in the fans and fill the seats…if you sold Millions of CDs…and actually DID sell MILLIONS…you could fill those places UP…and not be playing fairs. That is my point. IMO…Taylor sold lots more than what was said and he even said it and I don’t ever think he would lie…not ever. From his OWN lips…in an interview that was videod…that he sold a million plus. He gets paid, right? That means he knows how many f’ing records he has sold. However, if the numbers are inflated…thru Soundscans system…which is NOT exact nor should it be legal…then WHOOPS…just like I said a long time ago…Here is the church…Here is the steeple…open the door…where are all the people? To me…Taylor’s tour SHOWED and PROVED that he was a success big time. He made more money than Daughtry. Proven. Stats available. Why is that? Because he sold his cd’s out…and they never replaced them with new ones…never put his cd on sale…did not have it exhibited out where anyone could see it…did not promote it…but still millions bought them and went to his concerts. The other fellow, was paid appropriately…less money and I actually felt a bit sorry for him…cause they used him too. He is stuck in a deep contract. They have fulfilled their promotion of him. He does what they say…plays where they tell him and with whom. Taylor is free. Now that he is free…he can rock and roll and his money making is going to skyrocket. He has all the time in the world…he is not the flavor of the month…he is here to stay. Legends are made of what Taylor Hicks is made of. Look at his fansites…look at the google alerts…who is the MOST searched musician…forget where…was it google? Anyway…it was TAYLOR HICKS. Those assholes that he got away from that robbed him of millions of sales of more cds…for instance…in ASIA…I was talking to several ladies from the Asian soul patrol…Taylor’s CD was not in the stores until 6 months after release. They ordered thru Amazon because they wanted them so bad…still took a month to get it. This is all in the past now…and all those obstacles that other AI contestants, and winners have had to indure…that are caught in that WE OWN YOU phase…I feel for them. Ruthless and heartless money hungry bastards. Sorry chill…had to say it…they are.
As anyone might grasp from reading that weirdness, that chick is off her rocker. I'd like to know too, how she got hold of dear Mr. Hicks' balance sheets to know how much money he has really made. She's a mystery wrapped in a banana peel.
Details I discovered on Nielsen Soundscan. Anyone selling a music product with its own unique UPC or ISRC code may register that product to be tracked by Nielsen SoundScan. Registration is free and simply requires that a Title Addition Sheet be filled out and sent back. Registration takes approximately 10-15 business days, so it is recommended that the form be submitted at least 3 weeks prior to the product's release date. Therefore, no 'evil' record mogul is sitting in their dark, dank office plotting how to foil an artist, or ramp up the sales.
Who owns SoundScan you might wonder? A company called VNU Marketing started by A.C. Neilson. What all does VNU Marketing do? Click here. Now concerning speculation that some record companies are running or own Soundscan, I think we might all be assured this not the case. Google is your friend.
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How sad! Crazy people killed Taylor's career. Let's see, will Taylor pick up new fans after reading that absolute SHIT, fantasy, made-up story? Why can't these crazy people realize the harm they've done to supposingly someone they are a fan of?
ReplyDeleteIt wore me out just trying to read all of it and make sense of it. ha. Really, it is funny in a strange way.
ReplyDeleteWeird how according to LoonTunes, how Taylor's CD after Idol wasn't in stores for six months after the release.
ReplyDeleteI went to my local Barnes and Nobles and bought Taylor's CD, Taylor Hicks the day it was released. I feel like I need a rabies shot after reading that Sunny. And aspirin.
'66, she specifies that in Asia the stores lagged by 6 months. This isn't uncommon that CD's from any artist have differ entry time periods for display upon release. Although the 6 month figure seems a bit long. Who knows for sure?
ReplyDeleteanonymous, I don't think you can blame the nutters for killing his career. Of course, he's not out of the picture altogether, so that fat lady hasn't sung yet for him. Just have to see if he puts out that DVD ever and that promised CD.
ReplyDeleteI have a headache over my eye from reading that.
ReplyDeleteThe blathering just goes on and on and on and...
Wonder what it's like to have a real life convo with that one. *shudder*
The conspiracy theory, however, is amusing.
That DVD is not coming out. It's been almost two years after the concert. That's unheard of. I have feeling he finally realized the potential to lose tons of money and canned the whole project.
ReplyDeleteIf Taylor is such a successful superstar who has been sabotaged, why can't he sell more than 2300 cd's? Lack of promotion? No, if he was that much a success he wouldn't need the promotion. Sorry but if Daughtry was selling an album of his earlier works i can assure you he would be selling more than 2300 without promotion.
ReplyDeleteTaylor won AI. He didn't win in the real world. That is the truth. It's sad and delusional that this woman thinks this man would never lie. I feel sorry for her and people like her. He's a better liar than he is a singer. That's saying quite a bit. I think the disaster that if left of his fan base is entirely his fault. He has misled his fans from day one. Misled who he was and has lied and lied and lied. Nothing he has said has panned out. NOTHING. Back in the AI days he promised a great big website that was interactive. We have HQ. He promised a DVD. We have nothing. He promised a new CD in the fall. Sure. He promised to change music. Uh huh. He said he's got 30 songs. Then he says he's writing. He tells people he toured in Asia. You're kidding me right? He's a liar.
The only reason his fans angst so much is because they are starting to realize that he really is going nowhere. Talent is not enough. A head screwed on straight, honesty and being TRUE and REAL is what it takes. He doesn't have any of that.
He's already proven it. Time and time again.
Another thing, TAYLOR killed his own career. Not his fans. He did it all by himself. You can only pretend to be someone you are not for only so long. Pretty soon the world figures it out. The media has never liked Taylor, I used to wonder why. I realized it's because the media can smell phonies from miles away.
ReplyDeletePerhaps that is what was meant by the DVD is in 'the can'. I hope that's not the case for his sake.
ReplyDeleteAs difficult as it is to admit, yes, if Mr. Hicks had massive following the "EW" Cd would be showing in more markets and have bigger sales.
I was reminded about David Cook this past Idol season. He had a CD prior to the show for sale on amazon.com. As soon as fans got wind of it sales blew up so big he had to pull it off the site.
I am still curious regarding Mr. Hicks' CD leaving the amazon.com site like it did.
It never ceases to amaze how delusional this mans fans are. They can't accept that he is not a mega-star. It seems that they think if he fails, THEY failed. Well, if that's the case, then they did fail.
ReplyDeleteFans haven't failed Mr. Hicks, "anonymous", it isn't their job to carry him to success really now is it? I mean fans can't take credit for anything positive regarding coverage, so why should we take the fall for the lack of it, either.
ReplyDeleteHe's not done for, he's still out there working, but if he doesn't come through with some of the promises he's made, that will ice the cake for him.
It's true there is a fair share of delusional in some of the fans and their prognostications for him. Read where one 'ardent' fan was slamming Daughtry for performing at Fairs. Hell, another performer at that venue was Toby Keith. Too Daughtry had some of the biggest numbers for crowd attendance at that Fair.
Now what will be said when Mr. Hicks performs at another function such as a Fair (hey didn't he pull a little BBQ outing?) and the draw isn't half what Mr. D hauled in? I think before we as fans criticize another artist and their methods, we need think about the whole picture.
I think all those fans he had after he won AI got caught up in the hype. As soon as the hype subsided (when the Idols Live tour ended), I think most of the so-called fans realized, Taylor is full of gimmicks and probably didn't even bother buying his CD. Are the gimmicks used to cover up the fact that maybe Taylor is not all that talented? I don't know.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, Taylor should have been working on his CD during the Idols tour, instead of playing after-gigs with a bar band that you can find in any city in America - as a result, the CD was released TOO late - Daughtry and Kellie Pickler released their CDs well before him. By that time, people had already lost interest in Taylor Hicks. Having a single released after a couple of months of the CD release, spells disaster. Also take into consideration your typical Idol fan is fickle - they might be fans until the new season rolls around and then they are fans of new Idols.
I still remember Taylor telling the press that he is a "serious musician". Where was that serious musician because I sure did not see it. All I saw was "soul patrol" cheesiness. Taylor will NEVER get new fans, unless he drops the soul patrol. If I could give him one bit of advice, it's to put the emphasis on your MUSIC, not on your FANBASE. Lose the cheesiness and you might have a chance.
Quite simply - Taylor failed to deliver on MANY issues!
Sunny, success in music is a numbers game. The more people you have buying your music, the more successful you will be.
ReplyDeleteTaylor's music, as a whole, has failed to latch on to the masses, however, a good song that makes it radio can turn things around for him.
Wow, you have targeted some very valid points. Timing is everything.
ReplyDeleteWhat I thought back when Taylor's post-Idol CD came out was, "Wait, what is this?". I heard a few tracks on Gray's site. Gray tried to post ambiguous opinions, but I don't think it was what he expected either. First time he spoke of the CD his descriptor was, 'layers'.
Regarding the single issue - that was sheer stupidity. He kept selecting (or whoever was guiding him) the wrong freaking tracks. I do hear "Just to Feel that Way" while out shopping sometimes. Never liked that tune much, it's pure Pop.
Why not "The Right Place"? That would have been definitive if that is who he really is and a great option. "The Maze" another excellent choice.
It was boring, while promoting the CD and running the show circuits, he only performed that "Run Around" track. It was an okay tune, but he'd been better off with "The Right Place". Ah, but past is past. Would've, Could've, Should've as fans doesn't alter anything done.
I hated "The Right Place". I thought the melody and lyrics were very insipid. The only good thing about the song is that Taylor sings it with a lot of feelings, but other than that, I thought the song itself was awful.
ReplyDeleteThis is off-topic, but I have to remark on David Archuleta's remarkable debut of "Crush". What other proof does anybody need - teens will always rule the pop music scene. Even though I have not heard it on the radio yet, I'm sure that's coming.
ReplyDeleteChart guru, Fred Bronson, of Billboard devotes this week’s Chart Beat column to David Archuleta’s remarkable Hot Shot Debut at #2 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100. I posted some general stats yesterday. Here are his list of official Billboard stats:
The highest new entry on the Hot 100 of 2008.
The highest debut ever on the Hot 100 for an American Idol song not performed on the series.
The highest-debuting single on the Hot 100 since the No. 2 bow of Fall Out Boy’s “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” the week of Feb. 3, 2007.
Archie’s peak position to date on the Hot 100 is higher than the winner, David Cook. Bronson says, that although the record may be temporary, Archie is only the “second runner-up to outperform the “Idol” winner from the same season. The first was Clay Aiken, who went to No. 1 in 2003 with ‘This Is the Night’ while second season champ Ruben Studdard peaked at No. 2 with ‘Flying Without Wings.’” Cook’s coronation single, “Time of My Life” peaked at #3 on the Hot 100.
“Crush,” which debuts at No. 1 on Hot Digital Songs, is the fourth entry for Archie on the Hot 100. His first three all debuted the week of June 7 and spent one week each on the chart: his version of John Lennon’s “Imagine” at No. 36, Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” at No. 58 and “In This Moment” at No. 60.
“Crush” is the seventh single to debut inside the top 10 of the Hot 100 in 2008, including Taylor Swift’s “Change,” which enters this week at No. 10. Bronson posts a summary: No. 2: “Crush,” David Archuleta (Aug. 30) No. 3: “The Time of My Life,” David Cook (June 7) No. 5: “Burnin’ Up,” Jonas Brothers (July 12) No. 8: “Tonight,” Jonas Brothers (Aug. 16) No. 9: “New Soul,” Yael Naim (Feb. 16)No. 9: “Forever,” Chris Brown (May 10) No. 10: “Change,” Taylor Swift (Aug. 30)
"The Right Place", besides "The Maze" and Hicks' originals were the least insipid tunes on that CD, this directed to the 'anonymous', above Archie-Fan.
ReplyDeleteThe most insipid tune(s) were all the others. I absolutely despise that self-absorbed vain-glorious tune, "Where Ever I Lay My Hat" and that disco duck crap, inserted into a faulty mixer called, "Give Me Tonight". "Dream Myself Awake" another Pop pablum tune that never needed to be done by anyone, much less Taylor Hicks.
Oh, post script, the tune "The Right Place" was a Ray Charles tune, or was suppose to be; Hicks was honored to do it since Ray never got the chance.
ReplyDeleteHad Ray Charles lived to record The Right Place, it still would have done NOTHING on the charts.
ReplyDeleteSunny, was Ray Charles' music popular at the time of his death? The answer is NO. His music was popular 50-60 years ago.
What Ray Charles had was the respect built from his time and input he instilled in music and his music career. No, he wasn't putting number one hits on the charts but then I don't like Little Wayne either.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a matter of that, it's a matter of the respect and integrity of the musician. Ray may have had his rough spells, his questionable activities in his real life but he never put his music in dire integrity. He loved his music.
In answer to 'was Ray's music popular at the time of his death' I say Ray Charles was timeless. If you don't get that then you need not even worry yourself one step further, here. This just ain't your thing, man, this isn't your venue. You aren't here to talk Taylor Hicks, you're just here to talk some inconsequential popularity contest in the music world. That's not what it's about. It's not what I'm talking about.
To come clean here once and for all - my biggest beef with Taylor Hicks is that he may have made up this whole Ray Charles thing as a Lie. He doesn't feel the "Ray", never did and never will. That's what would make him a lie to me.
Not the girlfriend shit, not the no hit on the chart shit. The copying the "Ray" bit and toting that frikking doll around and doing the "Ray" schitck, as an attention getting shill, that would turn me off. To think he's used Ray Charles as his ticket to win Idol, to try and garner a music career on that man's name and history, that would completely turn me off of him. That would be it for me.
That's what I seek, was it real or was it play? The fact Taylor did not put that song out made me question him, considering his Ray Charles 'devotion'.
Sunny, I think you are on to something. I hate to say it but I am starting to think that Ray shtick was also a ruse. It seems like Taylor concocted this personality (with likes and dislikes) and almost played that character where he doesn't even know fact from fiction. Nothing this man does shows someone that was all about the music. Nothing. He is all talk. Even doing Grease and trying so badly to remain FAMOUS is very telling.
ReplyDeleteRay had his ups and down but he was not embarrassed about who he really was. He did not mislead his fans and pretend to be this "good guy" just so people would like him.
There was a time where I thought Taylor would be turning things around. I really don't think so anymore.
Sunny, the reason The Right Place was not a single is because it's not a very good song and definitely NOT radio friendly - it's as simple as that and there's NO other reason, except that.
ReplyDeleteOf course, you still have every right to like the song - I just find it extremely bland. I will give kudos to Taylor for singing it with passion, but that still did not save the song, IMHO.
As far as questioning Taylor's sincerity in his admiration of Ray Charles - I don't question that at all. I believe that Taylor is a true fan of Ray Charles. However, I think Taylor needs to find his own niche in the music world and stop with the cheap imitations. You can borrow from the icons, but you CANNOT be the icon.
Ray Charles music is timeless?? I guess I don't know about that - maybe some of it does, but most of it just sounds OLD. Just like Elvis' music from the 50's sounds OLD and DATED. Sorry Sunny, but it does.
ReplyDeleteI guess it is a matter of perspective and musical tastes. But yeah, most folks would agree Ray Charles has a timeless imprint in music.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Copying an icon, I agree he needs stop that schtick. That bend over ruse is just borderline tacky and seems so faux.
I really like what this 'anonymous' had to say:
"Sunny, I think you are on to something. I hate to say it but I am starting to think that Ray shtick was also a ruse. It seems like Taylor concocted this personality (with likes and dislikes) and almost played that character where he doesn't even know fact from fiction. Nothing this man does shows someone that was all about the music. Nothing. He is all talk. Even doing Grease and trying so badly to remain FAMOUS is very telling.
Ray had his ups and down but he was not embarrassed about who he really was. He did not mislead his fans and pretend to be this "good guy" just so people would like him.
There was a time where I thought Taylor would be turning things around. I really don't think so anymore.
That summation in a nutshell is what drew me to appreciate and love Ray Charles. He did not give a shit what folks thought, he was who he was. He went through women and drugs, learned and came out the other side for the better and just kept on keepin' on. No excuses. No ruse. He was brazenly real.
Sunny you and I like lots of music but you know I'm not a big Ray Charles fan. I like alternative rock and all that. I understand what you are saying about this with Taylor and Ray Charles. That would be the ultimate lie that Taylor could make to just be using that whole leaning to the side thing and all. I saw this photo posted with him in the Grease suit and he was doing the Ray lean thing and I thought that looked so fake. Girl, I'm just saying I get the point. I'm not a big old Ray fan though.
ReplyDeleteChecked one of your favorite sites SunBuns and they're trying to find any bit of gossip and rag news to discredit Soundscan. Like that will somehow help out Taylor. Funny little people.
ReplyDelete