Pet Shop Boys Community

I have to say I'm a little concerned over Minimal. Not because it "only" managed to get to 19, but the fact that places like Woolworths just didn't stock it.

I normally buy the PSBs singles from Woolworths and it just didn't appear in their chart at all, which means you couldn't buy it. What this basically means is that the shops can manipulate the charts (I also tried to buy it from Tesco but their top 30 also failed to include it).

So my question is, have these shops finally decided that it is not in their interest to stock PSBs singles or was this just a one off? If this is the case, how long before albums suffer the same fate?

I think it's more a case of the single being a dying format. Single sales are in decline everywhere, which makes shops more wary in ordering them – which of course means that they'll sell even less.

I'm thinking it's a blip. Would like to know what on earth went wrong though in terms of c***-up or distribution problems??? I mean, this is the first time ever that one can't find a PSB single in store... But nope, no word at all re this issue (from PSB/management?).


PS: It's like Minimal wasn't even given a chance... and it's such a great song!

I actually think it's an incident. Minimal still made a satisfactory #9 in the physical sales chart. Not bad when you take the distribution problems into consideration.

The distribution seems to have been nonexistent. I still haven't received my singles, despite having ordered them on the day of release from the usually very reliable Action Records.

So does it look like the shops weren't stocking it through choice or simply because they didn't receive any?

I really hope its the latter, but it is utterly ridiculous if that is the case.

Woolworths won't stock any single they think will miss the top 20. They obviously thought Minimal wouldn't chart well, hence why they didn't stock it. Their predictions are often wildly inaccurate, of course - they didn't stock Snow Patrol's current single either despite the fact it has actually climbed the UK chart and is currently #10. And they thought the Captain single 'Glorious' would make the top 10; it actually charted at #30.

It's not the first time it has happened with PSB, incidentally - they didn't stock Drunk or I Get Along either.

But it wasn't just Woolworths was it? I mean even Amazon had problems supplying, makes it seem more of a 'generalised' problem.

Rent wrote:But it wasn't just Woolworths was it? I mean even Amazon had problems supplying, makes it seem more of a 'generalised' problem.

And Action Records too - although I just finally got the singles from them, after a three-week wait. Considering that I usually get my orders in about 3-5 days, this is clearly EMI's fault and not theirs.

It's just such a darn shame. I got mine end of last week for crying out loud.

I wish there was some sort of explanation (apology?) from these *censored* at EMI. They 'killed' Minimal before it had a decent chance. Why the hell did that happen!?

I'm still waiting for the ltd edition 7" which apparently came out the week after the single's original release, and that was ordered through therecordstrore who are the PSB's official on-line retailers.

Has anybody else got the 7" yet? I hope it's worth the wait...

Rent wrote:It's just such a darn shame. I got mine end of last week for crying out loud.

I wish there was some sort of explanation (apology?) from these *censored* at EMI. They 'killed' Minimal before it had a decent chance. Why the hell did that happen!?

They've been killing the single format for years, so to kill off a PSB single - a dieing breed if ever there was one - is logical. Why bother losing money in selling a few cheapo £2.99 singles to 15,000 people when you can flog a new compilation of re-issues, remixes, or live show songs to the same 15,000 for £20?

As for the notion that the shops are manipulating the charts, well, the radio stations have been doing it for years. Besides, there's something a bit demeaning about putting the brand spanking new PSB single into a basket of baked beans, Kelloggs' Corn Flakes, Whiskas cat food, and, in the Ridgester's case, The National Enquirer.

Drico.

who killed Minimal? honestly speaking, the radio edit did it, IMO. compared to the original and a couple of the remixes, it was awful.