UK midweeks: Skull top 30, SG top 40 (Entered 46 & 63)

[Johan de Witt]

Despite fresh b-sides and lack of airplay, Skull is top 30 in the Tuesday midweeks, which means it is likely to debut in the top 40 by Sunday.

Southpaw Grammar is the best-selling of the reissues and is set for a top 40 re-entry by Sunday.

 

[Maurice E]

Re: UK midweeks: Skull top 30, SG top 40

Despite fresh b-sides and lack of airplay, Skull is top 30 in the Tuesday midweeks, which means it is likely to debut in the top 40 by Sunday.

Southpaw Grammar is the best-selling of the reissues and is set for a top 40 re-entry by Sunday.

Good (if surprising) news about Skull. If it misses the top 40, Moz will be in a right strop for the UK dates!
The main aim of follow-up singles is obviously to reignite sales of the album so I wonder if YOR will re-enter the top 75. Doubt it will, unless the Xfm airplay has persuaded a few floating voters...

Would be v impressive if Southpaw Grammar makes the top 40, although perhaps not a big surprise. Many of us would've got it because it contained new songs unlike last year's Greatest Hits or the new single.

 

[CrookedLittleVein]

Any news on Skull midweek chart position?

I suspect most people are anticipating something of a flop but I'm feeling quite optimistic (a cup of tea and two slices of toast always seem to have that effect on me).

 

[Maurice E]

Re: Any news on Skull midweek chart position?

I suspect most people are anticipating something of a flop but I'm feeling quite optimistic (a cup of tea and two slices of toast always seem to have that effect on me).

Johan reported that it was in the top 30, so it should hopefully at least stick around in the top 40 by end of the week...

 

[spinelessswine]

Re: UK midweeks: Skull top 30, SG top 40

Has it really come to people thinking Top 30 would be good? It would be another flop if that song goes anything outside Top 20. Going Top 30 won't exactly pick up sales for YoR, he'd need top 10-20 and heavy rotation and TV appearances for that.

Usually an artist like Morrissey does his main sales in the first half of the week due to having a devoted core fanbase who'll buy any release on the first day. The weekend is essentially when 'the kids' have their say and that's when stuff changes a lot so it's quite possible that SISMS will miss out on the Top 40 altogether, who knows. Either way unless things pick up dramatically then i can't see this single being viewed as anything other than another flop.

Sorry to sound so negative and I really hope people don't think I'm stirring or anything, just trying to be as realistic as possible.

 

[Maurice E]

Re: UK midweeks: Skull top 30, SG top 40

Has it really come to people thinking Top 30 would be good? It would be another flop if that song goes anything outside Top 20. Going Top 30 won't exactly pick up sales for YoR, he'd need top 10-20 and heavy rotation and TV appearances for that.
Usually an artist like Morrissey does his main sales in the first half of the week due to having a devoted core fanbase who'll buy any release on the first day. The weekend is essentially when 'the kids' have their say and that's when stuff changes a lot so it's quite possible that SISMS will miss out on the Top 40 altogether, who knows. Either way unless things pick up dramatically then i can't see this single being viewed as anything other than another flop.
Sorry to sound so negative and I really hope people don't think I'm stirring or anything, just trying to be as realistic as possible.

It's all relative. Paris went in at 21, I think, and that was with lots of airplay (for Moz) and it being a new single before the album's release, and with two additional, brand new Morrissey/Whyte compositions.
Compare that with Skull; already on the album, no new b-sides, massively reduced airplay, and it will be a miracle if it goes top 30.

The only grounds for optimism are that Xfm seem to be playing it quite a bit so it could persuade some of the indie kids to go out and buy the album and there is a tiny chance the album could re-enter the top 75 (which would make the single a qualified success) but seems pretty unlikely.

 

[Vauxhall95]

Re: UK midweeks: Skull top 30, SG top 40

Despite fresh b-sides and lack of airplay, Skull is top 30 in the Tuesday midweeks, which means it is likely to debut in the top 40 by Sunday.

Southpaw Grammar is the best-selling of the reissues and is set for a top 40 re-entry by Sunday.

Maybe it's just me, but this outcome is obvious. "Southpaw Grammar" is a fantastic reissue in every way: sound quality, new songs, packaging (especially the booklet). I doubt "Maladjusted" will be received the same way: songs were pulled from it! While the "Maladjusted" b-sides (IMO) are among Morrissey's finest this release just feels like a money grab not a second chance to get it right like "Southpaw."

Back to the original point, with "Skull" charting so poorly I would imagine that will be the final single off YOR. Why continue to throw money at an album when the artist is at the completion of his contract? I know I am in the minority and most seem to attribute the lack of new b-sides on "Skull" to the passing of Jerry Finn, but "YOR" was completed and then its release delayed six months. Further, some b-sides were already recorded and instead of being spread out were placed all on the first single, why? Additionally, "Southpaw Grammar" songs can be produced (a decidedly back burner project but his most current and important album "Years of Refusal" b-sides cannot be made time for thus bolstering single sales?

I think the relationship between Moz and Decca is way over. Morrissey's new management is adept at getting albums out the door but the promotion of those albums is abysmal.

 

[Johan de Witt]

Re: UK midweeks: Skull top 30, SG top 40

Usually an artist like Morrissey does his main sales in the first half of the week due to having a devoted core fanbase who'll buy any release on the first day. The weekend is essentially when 'the kids' have their say and that's when stuff changes a lot so it's quite possible that SISMS will miss out on the Top 40 altogether, who knows. Either way unless things pick up dramatically then i can't see this single being viewed as anything other than another flop.

Yes, it's out of the top 30 already. Thursday midweeks placed it at being 30-40, so it will stuggle to make the top-40, if at all.
It's definitely going to be his worst performing (and selling) single of the decade.

 

[Frank's Wild Years]

Re: UK midweeks: Skull top 30, SG top 40

Not a Morrissey exclusive problem though. Despite plenty of radio play, the first single from REM's last album missed the top 40 and they sell more records than Morrissey. Depeche Mode's recent effort didn't even do as well as '..Paris' either, did it? Even U2 who traditionally get top 5 with anything couldn't go top 10.

 

[Maurice E]

Re: UK midweeks: Skull top 30, SG top 40

Not a Morrissey exclusive problem though. Despite plenty of radio play, the first single from REM's last album missed the top 40 and they sell more records than Morrissey. Depeche Mode's recent effort didn't even do as well as '..Paris' either, did it? Even U2 who traditionally get top 5 with anything couldn't go top 10.

Good point. However, chart positions aren't the key thing for singles off albums which have already been released. It's all about reigniting sales of the album. Take That and Girls Aloud both had poorly performing second singles off their current albums but they were great songs, got tons of airplay, and sent the albums soaring back into the top 10.
If YOR sails back into the top 75, even the lower end, the single will have succeeded.
Although Squeezing is a pretty strong song, it's got a really irritating shouty last 30 - 45 seconds which would have put radio stations off, especially Radio 2 who Moz relies extremely heavily on for airplay (didn't even make their C List).
It either shouldn't have been released as a single or the annoying shouty bit should have been edited out. Simple as that!

 

[TheBaines]

The latest single...

...looks as though has failed to make the UK Top 40. It wasnt for sale in HMV when I looked for it on Saturday. Bit of a shame, its good to hear Morrissey on radio 1 amongst the festering piss.

 

[Maurice E]

Re: The latest single...

...looks as though has failed to make the UK Top 40. It wasnt for sale in HMV when I looked for it on Saturday. Bit of a shame, its good to hear Morrissey on radio 1 amongst the festering piss.

it not being for sale in a specific HMV branch doesn't really mean anything.
but if anyone's been listening to the chart rundown, they'll know by now whether it scraped in the top 40. we get the full top 40 in 45 mins' time...

 

[Uncleskinny]

Re: The latest single...

If that's true, then it's a real shame. Skull is a whopper of a single, and would probably have fared better as the first off the album. My worry is that this performance means we can kiss goodbye to hearing the other songs from the Refusal sessions.

Peter

 

[lainey]

Re: The latest single...

it wasn't on sale in any of the major record shop in Liverpool on Saturday...why?
I always buy though the internet but he should in the record stores

 

[Maurice E]

Re: The latest single...

If that's true, then it's a real shame. Skull is a whopper of a single, and would probably have fared better as the first off the album. My worry is that this performance means we can kiss goodbye to hearing the other songs from the Refusal sessions.

Peter

it's a good song but the ending is pretty annoying and would/has put radio stations off playing it (Radio 2 at least).
can't see why he would put original b-sides on future singles if he didn't bother on Skull? my guess is he's saving them for some post YOR release or they weren't developed past the demo stage.
it's a shame though as they had some really intriguing song titles which (for Morrissey at least) is often an indication of a great song...

 

[Flax]

Re: The latest single...

Well... I preordered a long time ago on recordstore.co.uk and it I checked last week and the status was "prepending", whatever the hell that means.

I sent them an email and they said there was no payment attached to the order, even though I put my credit card info.

So I ordered again... the old order now says "pending", whatever the hell that means, and the new order says "prepending", whatever the bananas that means.

Then I checked the local stores and they don't have it. Therefore I still don't have it.

No wonder it won't make it to the top #10000...

Morrissey has wonderful music, incompetent management, meaningless distribution, horrible useless websites... ughhh

 

[Maurice E]

Re: UK midweeks: Skull top 30, SG top 40

uh-oh, it's official. he's missed the top 40.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles.shtml
remember how p***ed off he was when 'The Youngest' missed the top 10 back in 2006? imagine how he feels now?

it's the first single to miss the top 40 since the Maladjusted era. timing couldn't be much worse as he's just about to embark on the UK tour.
looks like Southpaw's missed the top 40 in the album chart too...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles.shtml

 

[Bournemoz]

Re: UK midweeks: Skull top 30, SG top 40

The whole release of this has sadly been a waste of time.There has been no excitement surrounding this release whatsoever. But then again, the singles chart is pretty dead nowadays isn't it?

"Youngest's" chart performance is fairly impressive in todays climate and came off the back of a top 3 single and number 1 album in Ringleader.

 

[jesuisbryony]

Re: UK midweeks: Skull top 30, SG top 40

"Youngest's" chart performance is fairly impressive in todays climate and came off the back of a top 3 single and number 1 album in Ringleader.

And excellent b-sides.

I've checked a few times and it doesn't seem to be in the top 100 either (week ending 02/05/09) ... oh dear.
http://www.theofficialcharts.com/top40_singles.php

 

[Maurice E]

Re: UK midweeks: Skull top 30, SG top 40

And excellent b-sides.

I've checked a few times and it doesn't seem to be in the top 100 either (week ending 02/05/09) ... oh dear.
http://www.theofficialcharts.com/top40_singles.php

wrong chart, dude; that's last week's!
was top 40 on Thurs so can't have dropped out of top 100. probably 40 something.
the main issue is whether it's managed to lift YOR back into the chart (75 or even 100).