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crapfromthepast
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| Posted: 13 July 2010 at 6:55am | IP Logged
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I was looking through my 1977 stuff, and noticed that these two singles were released so close together that they peaked in the top ten within one week of each other in December, 1977. That's really unusual.
Does anyone know/remember why Asylum released these two songs so close to each other?
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KentT
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| Posted: 13 July 2010 at 9:39am | IP Logged
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Blue Bayou was aimed at AC and Country stations. It's So Easy aimed at Top 40 radio. Done by Asylum to help boost chart placing and LP sales of "Simple Dreams"
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EdisonLite
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| Posted: 13 July 2010 at 2:45pm | IP Logged
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I remember when both songs were climbing the pop charts together and wondered the same thing, too. Linda was reaching superstar status then and I always wondered why this was done exactly. I guess because the 2 songs were so different they figured they wouldn't compete with each other on the pop charts, and it worked. Does any radio guy here know the details of what Asylum was thinking? It could have backfired. Shortly thereafter, in 1978, as Barry Manilow's "Even Now" began climbing the chart, Arista released "Copacabana" (again, 2 songs in completely different styles & genres - ballad & disco), but just as "Even Now" was moving up in its 3rd or 4th week (at #19), "Copa" took over and killed the chances of "Even Now" getting higher than that position. I wonder where it would have peaked if Arista hadn't released "Copa" a couple weeks after "Even Now."
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crapfromthepast
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| Posted: 13 July 2010 at 4:52pm | IP Logged
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I asked the same thing on the Steve Hoffman board, and got this great answer from Tim Neely:
Quote:
Asylum had done the same thing with one of Linda's prior albums, Prisoner in Disguise.
The first single released was her version of Neil Young's "Love Is a Rose" backed with "Silver Blue" (Asylum E-45271). It debuted on the pop charts on September 6, 1975 and on the country charts on September 13, 1975, on which it eventually peaked at #5.
Two weeks after "Love Is a Rose" was released, Asylum issued Ronstadt's remake of "Heat Wave" (Asylum E-45282). The label deleted 45271 and put "Love Is a Rose" on the B-side of the new 45. On the September 20, 1975 Billboard Hot 100, "Heat Wave" was listed as the A-side of the now double-sided hit.
Capitol had set a precedent of sorts with the prior album, Heart Like a Wheel. It serviced "You're No Good" to Top 40 radio and its B-side, "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" to country radio. The former hit #1 on the pop charts; the latter peaked at #2 country.
The difference with "Blue Bayou" and "It's So Easy" was that Asylum didn't combine the 45s this time. They kept them as separate releases. |
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AndrewChouffi
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| Posted: 14 July 2010 at 8:56pm | IP Logged
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This singles strategy is not reserved only for Ms. Ronstadt.
Epic released "Beat It" less than a month after "Billie Jean".
LaFace previewed the latest Usher album 'Raymond v Raymond' with the R&B hit "Papers".
When the album was released the label worked four(!) tracks at *pretty much* the same time to the R&B, Rhythmic & Top-40 formats: "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)", "Lil' Freak", "There Goes My Baby" & "OMG".
All four were chart hits on at least two formats!
Andy
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Top 40 Music on Compact Disc : Chat Board
Topic: Linda Ronstadt - It’s So Easy, Blue Bayou
