Why aren't the Stones hitting the talk show circuit like other bands to promote their cd. If they want their cd to sell shouldn't they be performing on TV showing America and the rest of the world how good this cd is? Shows like Jay Leno, Dave Letterman, Conan, Ellen and Saturday Night Live are great ways to get exposure on new material. I thought that was just basic promotion 101 information. Is it b/c Keith is probably too grumpy to go on those sort of shows?
You know damn well that if they performed 2 songs on Conan it would boost their sales. For God's sake, U2 was able to be the only guest on Conan once, and McCartney was the only guest on Jay once. I'm 100% certain that the Stones could take over an entire show of Ellen, Letterman or something and it would not only be good exposure for them in general, but for their music. Even performing on SNL would be cool. They could be like U2 and get to play 3 songs. They could do like She Saw Me Coming, then Streets of Love then at the end do Bitch with the SNL band. How cool would that be?

They probably feel they're too good.

Rain Fall Down at the AMA's (live satellite feed from the Salt Lake City show).

they have a new cd?

also, what about award shows? I know they probalby won't get nominated for anythign at this year's VMA's, but even performing would there would be cool. They did a great job at the '95 ones I think, maybe it was '94. Regardless, doing like She Saw Me coming at this show would be awesome exposure and a lot of young ppl would dig it. I just turned 22 a few weeks ago and I know my friends would think it's cool to see the Stones perform at the VMAs, it would be a highlight.

The Stones have lost their marketing prowess and probably do think they are too good to perform on TV...which is sad, because in doing so, whole new generations could not give a rats-ass about them. But its the Stones fault for being lazy and ignorant about marketing their product.

A simulcast Concert appearance on TV during an award show is not good enough to promote anything, much less encourage album sales.

If they just want to coast on a few meager album sales and just do concerts, then thats all right. But if the Rolling Stones ever want to sale big commerically again, they need to GET OFF THEIR LAZY ASS AND PROMOTE THEIR ALBUM on radio and TV...and the internet.

#......Go ahead....Bite the Big Apple....Don't mind the Maggots.....Uh Huh...#

NFL Preview show
Constant plugging through NFL season
AMA awards
a Soap Opera
Katrina Victims concert
Super Bowl Halftime
Rio Copacabana entire show
Buenos Aries broadcast, most of the show....

That is a LOT of TV exposure... And sales still sucked!

Ross

=====NFL Preview show
Constant plugging through NFL season
AMA awards
a Soap Opera
Katrina Victims concert
Super Bowl Halftime
Rio Copacabana entire show
Buenos Aries broadcast, most of the show.... ======


Sales still sucked because these are extremely poor and lousy ways to promote your product....

....and most of the above involved the Stones getting paid thru Sweetheart deals such as the catastrophe of Days of Our Lives....And like it or not, "Rough Justice" never gelled as a NFL football anthem with its fans.

#......Go ahead....Bite the Big Apple....Don't mind the Maggots.....Uh Huh...#

maybe the product just wasn't that good to begin with? (sorry - someone had to say it....)

Superbowl halftime was more exposure than Leno, Letterman, Conan, SNL could ever give them, although I would like to see them on any of those shows.
As was mentioned here recently, profits come from touring and merchandise, not so much from album sales, so as long as they're raking the money from tickets and t-shirts, I'm sure they're not too worried about how well their current CD is selling, especially since most of their back catalog of CD's sell well consistently year after year.

=====maybe the product just wasn't that good to begin with? (sorry - someone had to say it....)======

Hey, T&A, I've always thought that. ABB would have made a good EP (antique term, I know). Maybe 6 or 7 songs, but thats it...The rest could have been unreleased in the vault somewhere, As far as I'm concerned.

#......Go ahead....Bite the Big Apple....Don't mind the Maggots.....Uh Huh...#

it's almost as though the Stones have to apologize to play songs off of it. I've said from the beginning that I believe the boys only put this thing out to somehow legitimize another tour. Having done that they are clearly now trying to distance themselves from it...seems pretty evident to me.

====Having done that they are clearly now trying to distance themselves from it...====

Yeah, especially with such a poor choice for a single. I think DGA is right...they are happy to coast on souvineer sales and outragous ticket prices...music product doesn't seem to matter anymore.

yeah they shoulda done snl or letterman/leno...even if just for a walk on and talk...
hate to sound cynical...but in the face of ticket prices etc...
mebbe they just don't wanna work for scale...
and maybe to present themselves properly with gear and personnel and trucking and stuff isn't worth the time...
those shows are promotional outlets and not abb...a bigger bank...

r any of the vids in rotation on mtv or vh1??...don't watch...don't know...
deathly afraid i'd see ashlee simpson and have to kill myself...

they WERE nominated for grammy...but were on tour and elsewhere i suppose...

i expect they'd have enough $$ for radio payola...
so it's a good question...
maybe the label promo dept. is incompetent...??
or...maybe more 'exclusivity' for the pricey show tix...where the real $$ is...

i mean ashlee simpson cd sells more than the stones???
oh no not her again...
ohboy... look what 'rock' industry has come to...

mebbe they 'owe' the label two tons of advance money on the album/vids etc...
bet glims charged the label a fortune for recording...even when in mick's house...you know ol' barney...
and just don't frankly care that much about volume sales in the face of 500 kazillion dollars from the tour and merchandise...which the label CANNOT recoup...
just a thought

I think, they don't really stand behind their product (AB. IMO ABB is not a very good album. A handful of songs are good, the rest is crap or mediocre crap. It's an alarming sign when they don't even promote their single SOL (Again, no wonder since it is such an utter shite) but it shows clearly that they know that ABB sucks. Another thing is, that the majority don't give a f*ck about a new Stones record whether it's promoted or not. Nobody, except the die hard fans want to hear any new Stones material. People go to the shows to hear the warhorses. That's it. As long as the people go to the shows there's no need to promote an album that sucks.

gut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> =====NFL Preview show
> Constant plugging through NFL season
> AMA awards
> a Soap Opera
> Katrina Victims concert
> Super Bowl Halftime
> Rio Copacabana entire show
> Buenos Aries broadcast, most of the show....
> ======
>
>
> Sales still sucked because these are extremely
> poor and lousy ways to promote your product....
>

That was my point. Keep in mind that The Stones have always gotten plenty of exposure...and album sales continue to diminish with each release. To T&A's point, it's the product. Not that I think ABB is bad...I personally love it! But...the general music-buying public has moved on. There is a limited market for new Stones material that sounds just like old Stones material. Conversely, there is not much of a market for new Stones material that DOESN'T sound like old Stones material (hence Babylon). Pushing their stuff on TV isn't going to change that much at this point.

What sells for them now is the warhorses! The live "warhorse" act is selling quite well, and I beleive the recent release of Jump Back in the US outsold ABB!

But still, selling 500,000 units in the US is no small feat. I hope they keep releasing records until they drop...even if I am the only one that buys them!

Ross

They are coasting by relying on history and reputation, instead of actually working hard at creative new product.

That may not work very much longer in cd sales. Why should a record company waste their time on someone who won't properly promote their product.

Most of it is Jagger's fault since he is a CEO-wannabe. His goal is to make as much money with as little effort as possible. That is why these "Promotional Efforts" (if they can be labeled as such) such as the Super Bowl and Days of Our Lives have great financial rewards for the Stones and so little effect on sales.

RE: Super Bowl - I'm sorry to say this but most footbal fans just wanted them to get over with so the game would be back on. Sad, but true.

#......Go ahead....Bite the Big Apple....Don't mind the Maggots.....Uh Huh...#

------I hope they keep releasing records until they drop...even if I am the only one that buys them!------

Yep, I will too. I bought 3 new Stones products last year...ABB, Rarities, and ABB w/ DVD. All mediocre products but I'll get them just the same....but the Stones need to be taught there aren't that many of us hardcore suckers as there once was to keep buying their stuff.



#......Go ahead....Bite the Big Apple....Don't mind the Maggots.....Uh Huh...#

jumpinjackgreg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why aren't the Stones hitting the talk show
> circuit like other bands to promote their cd. If
> they want their cd to sell shouldn't they be
> performing on TV showing America and the rest of
> the world how good this cd is? Shows like Jay
> Leno, Dave Letterman, Conan, Ellen and Saturday
> Night Live are great ways to get exposure on new
> material. I thought that was just basic promotion
> 101 information. Is it b/c Keith is probably too
> grumpy to go on those sort of shows?

> You know damn well that if they performed 2 songs
> on Conan it would boost their sales. For God's
> sake, U2 was able to be the only guest on Conan
> once, and McCartney was the only guest on Jay
> once. I'm 100% certain that the Stones could take
> over an entire show of Ellen, Letterman or
> something and it would not only be good exposure
> for them in general, but for their music. Even
> performing on SNL would be cool. They could be
> like U2 and get to play 3 songs. They could do
> like She Saw Me Coming, then Streets of Love then
> at the end do Bitch with the SNL band. How cool
> would that be?



The Stones dont do talk shows and never have done. Plus, they dont actually like Leno or Letterman anyway.

The trend in all of the tours in the post-1989 era has been to play some music awards show (theres always plenty in the last quarter of the year, and in most cases they can usually do it as a feed from a concert without having to turn up)

I dont think its to do with Keith. Mick has never performed on Leno, Letterman or Conan either.

However, both Mick and Keith as well as the Stones (as a band) have performed on SNL, so its a surprise in many ways that they havent played that show since that appearance in 1978. Especially also since theyve worked with Lorne Michaels on other projects such as "25 x 5".

Same applies in the UK. They havent guested on any TV show in the UK since they played Top of The Pops in 1971, and there are plenty of opportunities where they could take over a show for an evening as the only guest as U2 did in the examples youve given. (U2 did the same 3 songs here on the Jonathan Ross Show the same week that they did SNL). Similarly, the Stones have never received a lifetime achievement award at the Brits (whereas other acts like Paul Weller, The Spice Girls and The Eurythmics have done) - for the most likely reason that they only give you the 'honour' if you agree to perform at the event (in which case, theyve been just right at turning it down because such a stipulation totally cheapens the point of the award).

I guess theyve always felt they dont need to do TV to sell albums or tickets. Who knows, this year it might be different.

T&A Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> it's almost as though the Stones have to apologize
> to play songs off of it.

I know, I'm waiting for the day when they only play the first verse of Rough Justice.

I would love to see the stones on SNL - just like the good 'ol days. Mick has done well doing solo - why not come back slammin with the boys? Let them do 3 kick ass songs something new - something old - just please not stuff like Satisfaction. Yes, do Bitch with their horn section - now we're talkin'

Would love it but maybe those days are over. . . .

Not to boost sales, but I'm just selfish and want to see Mick look as cool as '78 but this time with full voice.

It's got my vote.


It won't take long to forget ya, it won't take long. . . . .

gut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
...
> RE: Super Bowl - I'm sorry to say this but most
> footbal fans just wanted them to get over with so
> the game would be back on. Sad, but true.
>

after those two bullsh*% ref calls in the first half, i could care less about the game...

i was mostly there for the stones anyway...was unbelievably excited...
after the stones, i never watched another play...

those black outfits and leaner meaner raw version, especially, for me, RJ...
totally satisfied...
agree with most, and grateful for, the thoughtful posts on this thread and learn much...as to cd releases, promo etc... showbiz shit under'insistent'westcoastpromoman $$ etc...

but when i think of that sunday...the stones really rocked my world...
and it was amazing... those old farts killed... i loved it...excited just to remember...guess that's the magic, mystique etc... they came through...sloppy as hell, but were they rough enough? whooooo, were they tough enough? whoooooo
come on babies......

"rich enough" too . . .

lol...u r corrrreccttt sir...

gut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RE: Super Bowl - I'm sorry to say this but most
> footbal fans just wanted them to get over with so
> the game would be back on. Sad, but true.

1. What makes you think that you can speak for "most footbal fans"?

2. The Superbowl is watched by millions of people who are not football fans, anyway.

Reviews of the performance were mixed, admittedly, but I don't think you're giving it sufficient credit, either as a performance or as a promotional vehicle. There IS no single greater publicity opportunity in the United States for a band than than to play the Superbowl halftime show.

(And I, for one, thought that the performance was great.)

maybe they are burnt out boring old farts.
maybe their new records suck.
maybe they have bad marketing strategies.
maybe they are money sucking vampires.
maybe the one guitarplayer was better than the other?
maybe their concerts mostly rely on songs that are
mostly 30 years old - or older.
but isn't it fine, that they are still around?

The Super Bowl got an audience of +90 million and ABB barely ranked on the top 200 the following week with sales of 6,118 copies. +90 million people and only 6,000 copies sold of the new album.
But what about the whole Stones catalog on the following week of the SB?
It scanned 35,200 copies, a great number but only 6k were of the new album.
Still, ABB has sold 506,000 copies to date in US. Not an impressive number, but not bad either.

not bad?

considering they were seen in concert by about 4 times that many people (who still managed to be able to pay an average ticket price of about $160, about ten times the retail price of the album) and their Superbowl performance was seen by 90 million people (one of the highest viewed events in the US in ANY year) I'd contend that 506,000 copies in 6 months is abysmal.

and 6,000 copies a week after the Superbowl isnt even close to an average week's sales for that album. jesus...90 million people saw them play the Superbowl and 6,000 bought their album the week after. I tried to work out the percentage but there were too many zeroes after the decimal point that it was almost depressing!

Last week Stevie Wonder was on American Idol coaching the contestants on how to perform his songs.

Then he got to perform one off his new album.

This program gets a huge music audience. It even got better ratings than the Grammys. It would probably be an excellent way for the Stones to promote A Bigger Bang. Would I like to see it?

Hell, no.

The 'Days of our lives' fiasco is the absolute low point in the Stones' career IMO.