Alternate choices for singles

[greendaze5]

As much as ‘Has Anyone Ever...’ is a fan favorite on stage, I always thought it was a odd choice for a single after ‘I Can’t Wait’. The song didn’t even chart. ‘If I Were You’ had far more commercial potential. Agree or disagree?

Ditto with ‘Sisters of the Moon’ – another fan fave but not for the public at large. Honestly, after ‘Tusk’, ‘Sara’ and ‘Think About Me’ I’m not sure what they should have released instead. Even with 20 songs, the album (as much as I love it) was lacking in obvious radio friendly hits after these three songs. Maybe ‘Angel’ for the 4th single instead of ‘Sisters’? Yes? No?

Roland

[HejiraNYC]

As much as ‘Has Anyone Ever...’ is a fan favorite on stage, I always thought it was a odd choice for a single after ‘I Can’t Wait’. The song didn’t even chart. ‘If I Were You’ had far more commercial potential. Agree or disagree?

Roland

It was a Top 40 hit, peaking at #40. I think it was a great single and I think it could have been bigger if she had shot a proper video to go along with it.

Of all the released singles, I have found "Nightbird" to be an odd choice. It's such an eclectic, intensely personal piece of work. I always thought the line "I wear boots all summer long" was rather silly. But over time it has taken on a new resonance with me. It so perfectly describes what "depression" means to me. The world changes. Seasons change. But I am so lost in my misery that I am oblivious to it. "It makes no difference at all."

[greendaze5]

HejiraNYC - thanks for the correction.

I agree about 'Nightbird'. It's probably my all time fave SN song, but not radio friendly enough.

Maybe 'Nothing Ever Changes' or 'Enchanted' instead for single #3?

Roland

[Richard B]

I remember when "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" was released as a single. I thought it was an odd choice, but I bought the 45 and loved it at the time. I loved everything back then. I do remember getting teased by friends over this single. A couple of my friends could not deal with the line "you know I'd rather be alone, than be without you". They thought it was dumb and nonsensical. Boy, did I ever get teased on that one. lol.

I agree with with you guys about Nightbird, it was an odd choice, but I love the song. Nothing Ever Changes and Enchanted would have been good choices for singles to follow If Anyone Falls. I did hear Nothing Ever Changes quite a bit on the radio though.

For Rock-A-Little, I would have loved to see The Nightmare (The special 12" version) or Sister Honey as a single.

Funny, when TOSOTM came out, I never heard a single other than Rooms On Fire, imo. Long Way To Go, Two Kinds Of Love and Whole Lotta Trouble are just too weird for singles.
I liked the b-side to Rooms On Fire, Alice much better than any other songs on that album.

Oh and I thought the single cover to Rooms On Fire was scary. The first time I saw it, I was like: WTF??? Scary.

http://rockalittle.com/roomslarge.jpg

[Travis]

It was a Top 40 hit, peaking at #40."


Has Anyone Ever Written ... was not a top 40 hit, it peaked at #60. Personally I think it was a fine choice, ballads can be hits too :-). It would have done better I think if there had been a video, however, probably not better than "Imperial Hotel", that had a decent amout of air play here in DC at the time - oddly enough it was the b-side.

Enchanted probably would have made a better single than Nightbird, (I think DC/101 did play that one too a few times - Enchanted that is) but again, if there had been a video, perhaps it would have done better.

Again, here in DC both Two Kinds Of Love and especially Long Way To Go received a good amount of airplay. LWTG I think in fact peaked at #11 on the Album Oriented Rock chart. TKOL got airplay on 106.7 at the time, it was kind of a rock station back then.

[HejiraNYC]

Has Anyone Ever Written ... was not a top 40 hit, it peaked at #60. Personally I think it was a fine choice, ballads can be hits too :-). It would have done better I think if there had been a video, however, probably not better than "Imperial Hotel", that had a decent amout of air play here in DC at the time - oddly enough it was the b-side.

Enchanted probably would have made a better single than Nightbird, (I think DC/101 did play that one too a few times - Enchanted that is) but again, if there had been a video, perhaps it would have done better.

Again, here in DC both Two Kinds Of Love and especially Long Way To Go received a good amount of airplay. LWTG I think in fact peaked at #11 on the Album Oriented Rock chart. TKOL got airplay on 106.7 at the time, it was kind of a rock station back then.

I shall look up the Billboard placing... I distinctly remember it briefly scraping the Top 40... or it must have been something else... not sure!

I don't remember hearing TKOL at all on the radio in DC at all. And 106.7 didn't play Stevie; in fact, they went all new age-y before turning into an all-talk format in the late 80's. Oddly enough, Christine's "Ask Anybody" often got played on 106.7 while they were new age.

[Travis]

I shall look up the Billboard placing... I distinctly remember it briefly scraping the Top 40... or it must have been something else... not sure!

I don't remember hearing TKOL at all on the radio in DC at all. And 106.7 didn't play Stevie; in fact, they went all new age-y before turning into an all-talk format in the late 80's. Oddly enough, Christine's "Ask Anybody" often got played on 106.7 while they were new age.

You will not find it in a top 40 book boo because, it didn’t make top 40, it peaked at #60. I don’t know everything Stevie but I know my chart positions. :D

Also, 106.7 did in fact play Two Kinds Of Love - not sure if it was during their new age era or what, but they were some kind of rock station before they went new age so I’m pretty certain it was before they went new age. I remember their rock phase didn’t last long but, they played it.

[drzubritsky]

Has Anyone Ever Written ... was not a top 40 hit, it peaked at #60. Personally I think it was a fine choice, ballads can be hits too :-). It would have done better I think if there had been a video, however, probably not better than "Imperial Hotel", that had a decent amout of air play here in DC at the time - oddly enough it was the b-side.

Enchanted probably would have made a better single than Nightbird, (I think DC/101 did play that one too a few times - Enchanted that is) but again, if there had been a video, perhaps it would have done better.

Again, here in DC both Two Kinds Of Love and especially Long Way To Go received a good amount of airplay. LWTG I think in fact peaked at #11 on the Album Oriented Rock chart. TKOL got airplay on 106.7 at the time, it was kind of a rock station back then.

"Has Anyone...": I used to read Billboard a lot back in that era, and in the weekly column where radio programmers would comment on new singles, one programmer predicted that HAEWAFY would be the biggest hit off of RAL because it showcased her voice so well. I remember thinking, "um, no, don't think so" and sure enough it sunk like a stone...too slow and mournful. I think I may have heard it on the radio once or twice. I'm sure they wanted to release a ballad for variety, but there weren't really any radio-friendly ballads on RAL. I'm not sure what I would have chosen as a 3rd single. "If I Were You", "Sister Honey", and "Some Become Strangers" had the most (then) commercial arrangements, but none of them sound that radio-made to me. "No Spoken Word" may have been a bit too hard edged, but might have made it as a single with a remix to soften it a bit.

"Enchanted": I remember thinking that this was an obvious single when I first listened to the album. But reflecting back, its late 70s, L.A. rock-style arrangement probably sounded too dated in 1983. This was the era when Kajagoogoo and Duran Duran were all the rage. "Nightbird" had that prominent drum machine; that element (along with its vaguely Mac feel) may have prompted its release as a single. I really don't think any of the other songs on Wild Heart were good singles candidates.

[Dodfather]

I'd have to agree that The Wild Heart was maybe lacking in singles. I really think Enchanted should have been a single after If Anyone Falls beuase those are the only 3 radio friendly tracks on there. The others, as has been noted, often veer between very intrictate, dark and inbteresting (Nightbird, Nothing Ever Changes) to really quite dull (Sable On Blonde).

For Rock A Little, surely Sister Honey would have made a GREAT single?? That chorus coming out of cars driven by guys in Miami Vice suits complete with highlights in the hair and mullets... genius!

Other Side Of The Mirror: God, I think Two Kinds of Love was a terrible choice of single - my God! Long Way To Go was better (isn't that what the UK got?) but in general I don't hear many singles other than Rooms On Fire, although perhaps Alice but I'm not totally convinced.

Street Angel: The 2 main contenders were released but if I had to pick a 3rd I'd go for Listen To The Rain.

Trouble In Shangri-La: This is the album that really suffered because of lack of promotion via singles. I think Fall From Grace would have been an incredible choice. It could have worked on the mainstream amd rock charts (lower reaches of the latter though) and could have had some really great remixes for the dance charts, bringing Stevie bang up to date. This would have been better than the Planets of the Universe release because everything about it was new rather than an older song that so many fans already knew in some form or another. It's also such a departure for Stevie in the last few years to have released such a straight out rock tune. Excellent.

I also think that Too Far From Texas could have been a sizeable country hit if it had been released and marketed properly.

but by far I think the biggest missed opportunity recently has been to not release Thrown Down and Everybody Finds Out as singles from SayYou Will. Thrown Down has the classic Mac sound yet keeps it fresh, whereas Everybody Finds Out is so crazy (the strings!) that it would have taken listeners by surprise on the radio in the best possible way. Then we would also have probably got to hear them live!!

[Dodfather]

I'd have to agree that The Wild Heart was maybe lacking in singles. I really think Enchanted should have been a single after If Anyone Falls beuase those are the only 3 radio friendly tracks on there. The others, as has been noted, often veer between very intrictate, dark and inbteresting (Nightbird, Nothing Ever Changes) to really quite dull (Sable On Blonde).

For Rock A Little, surely Sister Honey would have made a GREAT single?? That chorus coming out of cars driven by guys in Miami Vice suits complete with highlights in the hair and mullets... genius!

Other Side Of The Mirror: God, I think Two Kinds of Love was a terrible choice of single - my God! Long Way To Go was better (isn't that what the UK got?) but in general I don't hear many singles other than Rooms On Fire, although perhaps Alice but I'm not totally convinced.

Street Angel: The 2 main contenders were released but if I had to pick a 3rd I'd go for Listen To The Rain.

Trouble In Shangri-La: This is the album that really suffered because of lack of promotion via singles. I think Fall From Grace would have been an incredible choice. It could have worked on the mainstream amd rock charts (lower reaches of the latter though) and could have had some really great remixes for the dance charts, bringing Stevie bang up to date. This would have been better than the Planets of the Universe release because everything about it was new rather than an older song that so many fans already knew in some form or another. It's also such a departure for Stevie in the last few years to have released such a straight out rock tune. Excellent.

I also think that Too Far From Texas could have been a sizeable country hit if it had been released and marketed properly.

but by far I think the biggest missed opportunity recently has been to not release Thrown Down and Everybody Finds Out as singles from SayYou Will. Thrown Down has the classic Mac sound yet keeps it fresh, whereas Everybody Finds Out is so crazy (the strings!) that it would have taken listeners by surprise on the radio in the best possible way. Then we would also have probably got to hear them live!!

No-one sharing my thoughts on Fall From Grace? Awwww...

[greendaze5]

How about ‘Think About It’ instead of ‘After the Glitter Fades’?

Might've charted higher.

Roland

[HejiraNYC]

For Rock A Little, surely Sister Honey would have made a GREAT single?? That chorus coming out of cars driven by guys in Miami Vice suits complete with highlights in the hair and mullets... genius!


From the day it came out, I have had the theory that "Sister Honey" was Stevie's reaction to Madonna's "Holiday." Think about it. You can pretty much sing "Sister Honey" to the music track of "Holiday."

[Christopher]

I always thought of Sister Honey as Stevie's homage to the stylings of Prince, not Madonna.

"How Still My Love" or "Think About It" instead of ATGF.

"Nothing Ever Changes" as 3rd single makes more sense than Nightbird. Much more accesible...and more importantly blame should be directed at Stevie and management for dropping the ball several times by not making the critical 3rd video in THE 80's ERA of all thing video as the most important marketing tool.

"If I Were You", should have been the 3rd single with the aforementioned crucial video (TTM and ICW were played to death on MTV during their release).

"Rooms On Fire" was probably the most obvious 1st single for OSOTM, but I agree, The production on the whole CD was out of synch with 1989....she should have ditched Rupert Hines and followed Tom Petty's lead with something similiar to "Full Moon Fever". When I 1st heard this release I was very underwhelmed....especially coming off something as electric and hooky as her last solo outing RAL...and even more so after the great commercial comeback FM had with Tango!!!!
2nd single probably should have been "Ooh my Love" but I doubt it would have done much. This is where they needed a really good 2nd video, but they probably blew the budget w/ Room's on Fire" which was easily her best solo vid.

And "Thrown Down" screams the biggest error in judgement FM or Stevie ever made. That song has all the trimmings of vintage FM. It blends a mixture of Dreams and Gypsy for a new decade. Absolutely should have been the Lead Single from SYW!!!!

[GypsySorcerer]

"Stand Back" was the only good single choice for TWH. I hate "If Anyone Falls." "Nightbird" is lovely, but not very radio friendly.

Not sure about RAL.... maybe "Sister Honey?" Sounds perfect for the cheesy 80s era.

OSOTM: Again, not very many radio-friendly tunes.

TISL: "Every Day" was a lousy single....just so bland and generic. I agree with Dodfather that "Too Far From Texas" could have been a country hit.

[vivfox]

Stevie should always release the most rock-n-roll songs she has from every album as singles. After all, she always went around claiming that she was in a rock-n-roll band.

[belladonnadream]

Totally agree with If I Were You...sounds more commercial and I think it would have done better...besides, I just love that song! I think its my favorite from RAL