Pet Shop Boys Community

Maybe there are very obvious answers to this and I'm about the get 'you bloody idiot, don't you realise that ...'-type responses, BUT:

If one aim of releasing singles like Numb, which seem to have a wider appeal than say, Minimal, is to stimulate sales of Fundamental, then why isn't Fundamental mentioned at all on the packaging for the single?

Maybe the record company assumes that everyone who buys Numb has already bought Fundamental, in which case the aim of releasing Numb must either be to generate more cash (but that might be difficult given that the cost of producing and distributing Numb may not be offset by a one-week Top 40 sale) or of course as a loss leader to trail the Concrete, Life in Pop and Catalogue products.

And where is Fundamental now anyway in sales terms?

More evidence that the Numb exercise is a complete mess!

I thought this also.

On top of thinking the release of Numb was a very strange choice we have 2 CD's with the same cover.. Wrong tracklisting.. and the official site who ask you to tell them where you can't buy the single and when you tell them they send you an email with the unit where you've told them you can't buy it as a unit where you can buy...

This is the only thing by the Boys I have not ordered on Amazon as soon as it is released. Gee, I would have bought even the Night I fell in love if it was released, there was at least some humour in it. When I think about Numb I just go numb and nothing stimulates me to buy it. I am feeling a little bit ashamed, as if stabbing the Boys at their back...

But the song is a sodomy. I will probably buy it...but after a little while...actually after people forget about it...forget that Boys released some dread which not only has nothing to do with them in musical or philosophical or attitudinal terms but also is pretty bad on its own even if it was released by Westlife, Justin or forgettables crowding the market.

I actually think it is a bliss that the Fundamental was not mentioned on the sleeve. less people connect Numb to Fundamental, higher the chances that the album's and Boys' integrity is maintained at a pretty descent level.

I thought it was odd that Numb's covers were identical, which made it a bit confusing the way Amazon portrayed them (one of them was blank and had an incorrect tracklisting).

The Numb thing is a real shame as I was beginning to like at least the album version and I think the video is superb.

wirral39 wrote:If one aim of releasing singles like Numb, which seem to have a wider appeal than say, Minimal, is to stimulate sales of Fundamental, then why isn't Fundamental mentioned at all on the packaging for the single?

Because they don't wanna scare people away. If they wanted to sell Fundamentals they ought to have a sticker saying:

"The album Fundamental out now! We assure you that nothing else on the album sounds even remotely like "Numb". Please buy it, it's dead good. Seriously, it is!".

BlueSwan wrote:

wirral39 wrote:If one aim of releasing singles like Numb, which seem to have a wider appeal than say, Minimal, is to stimulate sales of Fundamental, then why isn't Fundamental mentioned at all on the packaging for the single?

Because they don't wanna scare people away. If they wanted to sell Fundamentals they ought to have a sticker saying:

"The album Fundamental out now! We assure you that nothing else on the album sounds even remotely like "Numb". Please buy it, it's dead good. Seriously, it is!".

LMAO

I'm certain that Numb was released purely to 'promote' Concrete et al. Why else release a single when you're not in the country to promote it?

btw, what was the last single released when they were out of the UK? Was it It's alright? I assume there must have been later singles but that sticks in the mind because of Literally.

This is different already but I was wondering that the cover photo was taken in November 2003 and Chris had long hair at the time but on the photo you can´t see it... Ok. I know now everyone says, that yeah, it was a wig....

Janet Street-Porter wrote:I'm certain that Numb was released purely to 'promote' Concrete et al.

that was the answer! 100%

TheGardner wrote:

Janet Street-Porter wrote:I'm certain that Numb was released purely to 'promote' Concrete et al.

that was the answer! 100%

Common sense really - you need a single to get people talking about an album, Concrete would have dropped like, well, concrete, I guess. It might still do!

btw: the printing on the cd <b>is</b> in the style of fundamental...

Janet Street-Porter wrote:I'm certain that Numb was released purely to 'promote' Concrete et al. Why else release a single when you're not in the country to promote it?

btw, what was the last single released when they were out of the UK? Was it It's alright? I assume there must have been later singles but that sticks in the mind because of Literally.

I recall them being on the US leg of the Performance tour when Where The Streets Have No Name was top five in the UK.

Drico.

[quote="BlueSwan]"The album Fundamental out now! We assure you that nothing else on the album sounds even remotely like "Numb". Please buy it, it's dead good. Seriously, it is!".[/quote]

That is an excellent idea. I agree.