Tusk singles

[tabruns]

I've been listening to Tusk a lot lately and I'm wondering if WB gave up on promoting the album too quickly back in the day. Granted it wasn't Rumours II and so everyone was reacting to that, but hearing some of these songs now it seems like they could have been singles:

"Brown Eyes" (edited)
"Storms"
"I Know I'm Not Wrong"
"Beautiful Child"
"Angel"
"Honey Hi" <--I used to basically hate this song, but I've come to love it listening to it on the Tusk remastered CD

What do you all think?

[vivfox]

I agree. There were a ton of single possibilities. The only singles were Tusk, Think About Me and Sister's of the Moon. Tusk was the only single that did well. Think About Me did receive airplay but I wouldn't consider it a hit for them and Sister's basicly bombed. I thought it was gonna be a huge hit for Stevie. Sadly I was very wrong.
Though the album sold well the industry considered it a failure when it didn't sell as many copies of Rumours.

[tabruns]

Originally Posted by vivfox

I agree. There were a ton of single possibilities. The only singles were Tusk, Think About Me and Sister's of the Moon. Tusk was the only single that did well. Think About Me did receive airplay but I wouldn't consider it a hit for them and Sister's basicly bombed. I thought it was gonna be a huge hit for Stevie. Sadly I was very wrong.
Though the album sold well the industry considered it a failure when it didn't sell as many copies of Rumours.

True....although you forgot "Sara", that was a sizable hit for them along with "Tusk". I wonder if the extended version of "Sisters of the Moon" would have done better?

I agree that Tusk was actually a hit....it was just that in comparison to Rumours it was a "flop".

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by tabruns

True....although you forgot "Sara", that was a sizable hit for them along with "Tusk". I wonder if the extended version of "Sisters of the Moon" would have done better?

I agree that Tusk was actually a hit....it was just that in comparison to Rumours it was a "flop".

OMG how in the world could I have forgotten SARA!!!???!!! Yes, yes, yes that was a HUGE hit for them. The video was shown a lot on several tv shows back then(pre MTV).

[Justin Reach]

Originally Posted by vivfox

I agree. There were a ton of single possibilities. The only singles were Tusk, Think About Me and Sister's of the Moon. Tusk was the only single that did well. Think About Me did receive airplay but I wouldn't consider it a hit for them and Sister's basicly bombed. I thought it was gonna be a huge hit for Stevie. Sadly I was very wrong.
Though the album sold well the industry considered it a failure when it didn't sell as many copies of Rumours.

Here in the UK we got "Not That Funny" released as the 3rd Tusk Single instead of "Think About Me", which in turn ended up as the 4th single. We didn't get "Sisters" as a single at all.

I do wonder if the album would have sold better if Sara had been the lead single instead of Tusk.

PS. I know i'm asking this in the wrong section but does anyone here have the single edit of In The Back Of My Mind? i can't seem to find it anywhere.

[drzubritsky]

Originally Posted by tabruns

I've been listening to Tusk a lot lately and I'm wondering if WB gave up on promoting the album too quickly back in the day. Granted it wasn't Rumours II and so everyone was reacting to that, but hearing some of these songs now it seems like they could have been singles:

"Brown Eyes" (edited)
"Storms"
"I Know I'm Not Wrong"
"Beautiful Child"
"Angel"
"Honey Hi" <--I used to basically hate this song, but I've come to love it listening to it on the Tusk remastered CD

What do you all think?

Hmmm, I don't know. I'm trying to put myself into a 1980 frame of mind and thinking about what would be radio-friendly at that time. I don't think anything from the list above would have had hit potential at that time...they all lack strong enough hooks for Top 40 ("Angel" probably comes the closest but the chorus doesn't quite achieve a hit-level hook).

While it's certainly true that the title track was an unconventional choice and very different than anything on the radio, it was likely carried on the radio and charts by built-up anticipation for a new Fleetwood Mac song.

With more commercial production and arrangements, it's possible that "Over & Over", "Never Forget" or even "The Ledge" could have been singles.

I really don't hear any hit singles on Tusk, apart from the first three that all made the Top 40. That's not to say there aren't numerous top-notch tracks, just not many with hit single potential.

[MacShadowsBall]

If Tusk were to have another hit single, wouldn't it be one of Christine's, since she was the one who typically had the "hit" singles.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by MacShadowsBall

If Tusk were to have another hit single, wouldn't it be one of Christine's, since she was the one who typically had the "hit" singles.

Agreed, although Angel is a great pick for a single... It almost sounds like Christine wrote it.

[UndoingTheLaces]

I'm surprised that Think About Me didn't do better. Although I think it had more of a 70's sound. It might have done a lot better in 78 or 79.

Every time I hear The Ledge and it gets to that middle part with the voices going in and out I always picture them in a big room with one mic and they're all just sort of running up to the mic and away again, like The Cure does with the camera in the Why Can't I Be You video.

Have you guys heard Camper Van Beethoven's full album cover of Tusk. I absolutely love their cover of Honey Hi. They sing it in Spanish and there's all these street sounds like they're playing it on a street corner with people and cars going by. It's really cool.

[MacShadowsBall]

According to wikipedia, Think About Me got up to #20 in US. That's pretty good, actually.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tusk_(album)

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by UndoingTheLaces

Have you guys heard Camper Van Beethoven's full album cover of Tusk?

This record is a must have for all the Tusk album die hards. My favorite song is their version of the title track.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by drzubritsky

"Never Forget" or even "The Ledge" could have been singles.

In 1980 I felt that these two songs would have made hit singles. I thought the same about SOTM though and look how that turned out.

[MrStevie]

Originally Posted by vivfox

In 1980 I felt that these two songs would have made hit singles. I thought the same about SOTM though and look how that turned out.

Ditto on the Ledge.

[David]

Originally Posted by drzubritsky

Hmmm, I don't know. I'm trying to put myself into a 1980 frame of mind and thinking about what would be radio-friendly at that time. I don't think anything from the list above would have had hit potential at that time...they all lack strong enough hooks for Top 40 ("Angel" probably comes the closest but the chorus doesn't quite achieve a hit-level hook).

I really don't hear any hit singles on Tusk, apart from the first three that all made the Top 40. That's not to say there aren't numerous top-notch tracks, just not many with hit single potential.

Your comments are always so spot on, drzubritsky.

Look at some of the big hits that year:

"Rock With You" Michael Jackson
"Escape" Rupert Holmes
"Ride Like the Wind" Christopher Cross (who opened for Fleetwood Mac)
"The Long Run" & "Heartache Tonight" the Eagles
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" Queen
"Longer" Dan Fogelberg
"Call Me" Blondie
"Don't Fall in Love With a Dreamer" Kenny Rogers & Kim Carnes
"Another Brick in the Wall" Pink Floyd
"Against the Wind" Bob Seger

You had the first wave of British synth pop on American charts by Gary Numan ("Cars") & Devo.

And you had a whole lot of syrup from people like Air Supply, Robbie Dupree, Olivia Newton-John, Christopher Cross, Kenny Rogers, Captain & Tennille, Cliff Richard, Diana Ross, Dan Fogelberg, Ambrosia, Stephanie Mills, Leo Sayer, ad nauseam.

In my high school, they were listening to Devo, Pat Benatar, Pink Floyd, & the usual slew of headbangers.

I'm surprised that Fleetwood Mac's "Sara" captured the attention it did. But there wasn't anything else on "Tusk" that was going to do that.

[MacShadowsBall]

So when they were making Tusk, did they think about what hit singles could be on the album? With a double-album you would think there would be room for more that just Tusk and Sara.