EGYPT STATION
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Nancy R wrote:
illwobble wrote:
Bruce M. wrote:
So, now that we've all had some time to process, what's everyone's favorite song?
Hi all! Not posted for quite a while! I've only had new album a few days. I was slightly disappointed first listen but it's grown on me a lot since then.
I think DESPITE REPEATED WARNINGS has to be my favourite. Echoes of some of my faves like Uncle Albert or The Pound Is Sinking and it's fun. I can't help wondering too whether Paul had Brexit in mind when he wrote it!!
No, he said he wrote it well before Brexit and that it was about Trump.
Wow, he actually SAID that!? That it WAS about Trump? I'm surprised.... Thanks Nancy!
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Here's an article where Paul talks about the captain in "Despite Repeated Warnings" being Trump.
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Bruce M. wrote:
Here's an article where Paul talks about the captain in "Despite Repeated Warnings" being Trump.
Thanks Bruce. I couldn’t recall where I’d read it, but that was it!
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Nancy R wrote:
Bruce M. wrote:
Here's an article where Paul talks about the captain in "Despite Repeated Warnings" being Trump.
Thanks Bruce. I couldn’t recall where I’d read it, but that was it!
I found his response to the question on Twitter where he said "No, it was written before Brexit! It's about climate change denial. So I made up a captain sailing a boat into disaster, despite repeated warnings!"
So it's about climate deniers generally more than about Trump, especially as Trump didn't get elected till several months AFTER the Brexit vote.
Even in the article above what it says is "When asked if the track was taking aim at anyone in particular, he replied: “Obviously it’s Trump but there’s plenty of them about. He’s not the only one.”
I reckon if it was written before Brexit it was unlikely to have been originally inspired by Trump.
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Here’s how it started:
https://www.beatlesbible.com/people/paul-mccartney/songs/despite-repeated-warnings/
But Trump was running for POTUS before Brexit, so the song probably evolved over time and Paul then had Trump in mind.
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stuartshire wrote:
Bruce M. wrote:
stuartshire wrote:
No 1 for a 2nd week ?! Fantastic
Thinking about this great achievment it would be great to come on here and not have Pauls 76 year old voice being dissected.
In response to an earlier poster, for me it is "just fine " actually. My 10 year old son feels exactly the same . he often remarks how great a singer Paul is - now . He doesn't feel the need to make constant comparrisons to his earlier career vocals.
It's easy to be an expert about vocal health , but no one on here actually knows what Paul does to care for his voice, except for maybe not drinking enough water !
Yeah he smoked- show me a rock star that didn't ....
He also had to suffer around 7 years of singing without monitors , and half that time was in front of an audience which George Martin described as the same as a jet airliner taking off.
My band didn't have monitors for years, and I could barely speak the next morning.
Then take into account that hes been a proper working - live performing musician for the best part of 60 years. He's not like many of his conteporaries who dip their toe into the odd live appearance in between semi retirement stints.
On that basis i think he should be cut some slack on how he looks after himself!
I can honestly say hand on heart I love how his voice sounds both live and on the new album . To me , it does sound "just fine". I know he's not 25 and pampered, and I'm fine with that.
If the way Paul sounds now , is actually ruining some peoples experience of listening to his album (which is beyond me personally) then theres an easy solution ...
I looked at The Billboard chart today and felt the world was imediatley a better place. Truly inspiring.
I'm so grateful that upwords of 150 000 people don't seem to have a problem with Pauls voice.
I hate to spoil the party but no, Egypt Station is not no. 1 for a second week, it dropped to no. 8. Entirely expected for an older artist, but at least it's still in the top 10.
I’ve just seen someone on a Paul forum on Facebook congratulating Paul on his 2nd week at no 1!
Seems im not the only one who was confused by the chart listings !
What no is he at week 3 ?
Can‘t believe ES dropped out of the Billboard 200 in its 3rd week already ?!?! Just checked - seems like a mistake. It was still in the top 20 on hitsdailydouble building album sales chart for the week.
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Frank wrote:
stuartshire wrote:
Bruce M. wrote:
stuartshire wrote:
No 1 for a 2nd week ?! Fantastic
Thinking about this great achievment it would be great to come on here and not have Pauls 76 year old voice being dissected.
In response to an earlier poster, for me it is "just fine " actually. My 10 year old son feels exactly the same . he often remarks how great a singer Paul is - now . He doesn't feel the need to make constant comparrisons to his earlier career vocals.
It's easy to be an expert about vocal health , but no one on here actually knows what Paul does to care for his voice, except for maybe not drinking enough water !
Yeah he smoked- show me a rock star that didn't ....
He also had to suffer around 7 years of singing without monitors , and half that time was in front of an audience which George Martin described as the same as a jet airliner taking off.
My band didn't have monitors for years, and I could barely speak the next morning.
Then take into account that hes been a proper working - live performing musician for the best part of 60 years. He's not like many of his conteporaries who dip their toe into the odd live appearance in between semi retirement stints.
On that basis i think he should be cut some slack on how he looks after himself!
I can honestly say hand on heart I love how his voice sounds both live and on the new album . To me , it does sound "just fine". I know he's not 25 and pampered, and I'm fine with that.
If the way Paul sounds now , is actually ruining some peoples experience of listening to his album (which is beyond me personally) then theres an easy solution ...
I looked at The Billboard chart today and felt the world was imediatley a better place. Truly inspiring.
I'm so grateful that upwords of 150 000 people don't seem to have a problem with Pauls voice.
I hate to spoil the party but no, Egypt Station is not no. 1 for a second week, it dropped to no. 8. Entirely expected for an older artist, but at least it's still in the top 10.
I’ve just seen someone on a Paul forum on Facebook congratulating Paul on his 2nd week at no 1!
Seems im not the only one who was confused by the chart listings !
What no is he at week 3 ?
Can‘t believe ES dropped out of the Billboard 200 in its 3rd week already ?!?! Just checked - seems like a mistake. It was still in the top 20 on hitsdailydouble building album sales chart for the week.
Ok - checked again and it was an oversight. ES hangs in at 55 on Billboard. according to HDD it’s No.10 in sales. Guess no one is streaming ES.
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Frank wrote:
Frank wrote:
stuartshire wrote:
Bruce M. wrote:
stuartshire wrote:
No 1 for a 2nd week ?! Fantastic
Thinking about this great achievment it would be great to come on here and not have Pauls 76 year old voice being dissected.
In response to an earlier poster, for me it is "just fine " actually. My 10 year old son feels exactly the same . he often remarks how great a singer Paul is - now . He doesn't feel the need to make constant comparrisons to his earlier career vocals.
It's easy to be an expert about vocal health , but no one on here actually knows what Paul does to care for his voice, except for maybe not drinking enough water !
Yeah he smoked- show me a rock star that didn't ....
He also had to suffer around 7 years of singing without monitors , and half that time was in front of an audience which George Martin described as the same as a jet airliner taking off.
My band didn't have monitors for years, and I could barely speak the next morning.
Then take into account that hes been a proper working - live performing musician for the best part of 60 years. He's not like many of his conteporaries who dip their toe into the odd live appearance in between semi retirement stints.
On that basis i think he should be cut some slack on how he looks after himself!
I can honestly say hand on heart I love how his voice sounds both live and on the new album . To me , it does sound "just fine". I know he's not 25 and pampered, and I'm fine with that.
If the way Paul sounds now , is actually ruining some peoples experience of listening to his album (which is beyond me personally) then theres an easy solution ...
I looked at The Billboard chart today and felt the world was imediatley a better place. Truly inspiring.
I'm so grateful that upwords of 150 000 people don't seem to have a problem with Pauls voice.
I hate to spoil the party but no, Egypt Station is not no. 1 for a second week, it dropped to no. 8. Entirely expected for an older artist, but at least it's still in the top 10.
I’ve just seen someone on a Paul forum on Facebook congratulating Paul on his 2nd week at no 1!
Seems im not the only one who was confused by the chart listings !
What no is he at week 3 ?
Can‘t believe ES dropped out of the Billboard 200 in its 3rd week already ?!?! Just checked - seems like a mistake. It was still in the top 20 on hitsdailydouble building album sales chart for the week.
Ok - checked again and it was an oversight. ES hangs in at 55 on Billboard. according to HDD it’s No.10 in sales. Guess no one is streaming ES.
This has been the pattern for most McCartney solo albums for many years, they make a pretty good showing the first week of release and then drop pretty quickly. That being said, he still made it to #1 and that is wonderful achievement !!
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I just posted this on Steve Hoffman's board and it seems relevant here:
To be precise, Billboard has ES dropping to no. 55 this week, way lower than either version of the HitsDailyDouble chart. That said, the post-60 Minutes rebound on the Amazon chart continues: still at no. 4 on CD/vinyl as of just now (after dropping into the teens last week) and in the mid-40s on Digital Albums (after having dropped off that chart entirely), so this seems to portend at least a modest revival next week.
On the airplay charts, Billboard's AC chart has Come On To Me holding at no. 13, but gaining in performance. I'm pretty sure that's Paul's best performance on that chart since at least Freedom in 2001. And Mediabase shows Come On To Me at no. 11, still picking up spins at a rapid clip, with Ceasar Rock starting to get some pickup on Triple A.
So the thing isn't dead yet, commercially, but it will take another TV appearance to keep up the momentum.
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Bruce M. wrote:
I just posted this on Steve Hoffman's board and it seems relevant here:
To be precise, Billboard has ES dropping to no. 55 this week, way lower than either version of the HitsDailyDouble chart. That said, the post-60 Minutes rebound on the Amazon chart continues: still at no. 4 on CD/vinyl as of just now (after dropping into the teens last week) and in the mid-40s on Digital Albums (after having dropped off that chart entirely), so this seems to portend at least a modest revival next week.
On the airplay charts, Billboard's AC chart has Come On To Me holding at no. 13, but gaining in performance. I'm pretty sure that's Paul's best performance on that chart since at least Freedom in 2001. And Mediabase shows Come On To Me at no. 11, still picking up spins at a rapid clip, with Ceasar Rock starting to get some pickup on Triple A.
So the thing isn't dead yet, commercially, but it will take another TV appearance to keep up the momentum.
Bruce...I'm sure you've seen this but it has leaked that Emma Stone will be appearing in a new music video for Paul. It doesn't appear that the specific ES song has been announced yet but I'm hoping that we might get another Double A single. Here are my choices:
"Who Cares" - this would be my first choice. It rocks with a great melody and the lyrics are timely. I and a few others here thought that this song should have been the first single anyway.
"Caesar Rock" - While there are other "better" choices, I would probably go with this because it again is an up-tempo rocker and the music is very infectious.
Other songs that would make a really good 3rd single down the road would be:
"Dominoes" - this would be my 3rd "single" first choice. I just heard it at Panera Bread on their music playlist and it sounded real good. Definitely one of the most "commercial" sounding tracks on ES.
"Happy With You" - would be a good choice for the other side of Dominoes.
Can't wait to see the video and Emma Stone!
Anyway, Paul needs to release another "single" right now as ES is going down on the Billboard charts. That is why Paul and his team needs to make the best "single" choice.
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B J Conlee wrote...
Bruce...I'm sure you've seen this but it has leaked that Emma Stone will be appearing in a new music video for Paul. It doesn't appear that the specific ES song has been announced yet but I'm hoping that we might get another Double A single. Here are my choices:
"Who Cares" - this would be my first choice. It rocks with a great melody and the lyrics are timely. I and a few others here thought that this song should have been the first single anyway.
"Caesar Rock" - While there are other "better" choices, I would probably go with this because it again is an up-tempo rocker and the music is very infectious.
Other songs that would make a really good 3rd single down the road would be:
"Dominoes" - this would be my 3rd "single" first choice. I just heard it at Panera Bread on their music playlist and it sounded real good. Definitely one of the most "commercial" sounding tracks on ES.
"Happy With You" - would be a good choice for the other side of Dominoes.
Can't wait to see the video and Emma Stone!
Anyway, Paul needs to release another "single" right now as ES is going down on the Billboard charts. That is why Paul and his team needs to make the best "single" choice.
I'd like to see a video or a single released for the bonus song Nothing For Free or Hunt You Down/Naked/C-Link.
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Yankeefan2 wrote:
Frank wrote:
Frank wrote:
stuartshire wrote:
Bruce M. wrote:
stuartshire wrote:
No 1 for a 2nd week ?! Fantastic
Thinking about this great achievment it would be great to come on here and not have Pauls 76 year old voice being dissected.
In response to an earlier poster, for me it is "just fine " actually. My 10 year old son feels exactly the same . he often remarks how great a singer Paul is - now . He doesn't feel the need to make constant comparrisons to his earlier career vocals.
It's easy to be an expert about vocal health , but no one on here actually knows what Paul does to care for his voice, except for maybe not drinking enough water !
Yeah he smoked- show me a rock star that didn't ....
He also had to suffer around 7 years of singing without monitors , and half that time was in front of an audience which George Martin described as the same as a jet airliner taking off.
My band didn't have monitors for years, and I could barely speak the next morning.
Then take into account that hes been a proper working - live performing musician for the best part of 60 years. He's not like many of his conteporaries who dip their toe into the odd live appearance in between semi retirement stints.
On that basis i think he should be cut some slack on how he looks after himself!
I can honestly say hand on heart I love how his voice sounds both live and on the new album . To me , it does sound "just fine". I know he's not 25 and pampered, and I'm fine with that.
If the way Paul sounds now , is actually ruining some peoples experience of listening to his album (which is beyond me personally) then theres an easy solution ...
I looked at The Billboard chart today and felt the world was imediatley a better place. Truly inspiring.
I'm so grateful that upwords of 150 000 people don't seem to have a problem with Pauls voice.
I hate to spoil the party but no, Egypt Station is not no. 1 for a second week, it dropped to no. 8. Entirely expected for an older artist, but at least it's still in the top 10.
I’ve just seen someone on a Paul forum on Facebook congratulating Paul on his 2nd week at no 1!
Seems im not the only one who was confused by the chart listings !
What no is he at week 3 ?
Can‘t believe ES dropped out of the Billboard 200 in its 3rd week already ?!?! Just checked - seems like a mistake. It was still in the top 20 on hitsdailydouble building album sales chart for the week.
Ok - checked again and it was an oversight. ES hangs in at 55 on Billboard. according to HDD it’s No.10 in sales. Guess no one is streaming ES.
This has been the pattern for most McCartney solo albums for many years, they make a pretty good showing the first week of release and then drop pretty quickly. That being said, he still made it to #1 and that is wonderful achievement !!
It's only the way he sounds on "Confidante." Why? Because we know from the rest of the album what it could and should have sounded like......we have to conclude that he showed up at the studio with a voice that wasn't even close to being ready to lay down a vocal. So, why didn't he wait? It's that frustration that irritates people. The majority of the album sounds great. "Happy With You" is lovely. "Confidante" could have been equally so. He chose to settle for less.
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B J Conlee wrote:
Bruce M. wrote:
I just posted this on Steve Hoffman's board and it seems relevant here:
To be precise, Billboard has ES dropping to no. 55 this week, way lower than either version of the HitsDailyDouble chart. That said, the post-60 Minutes rebound on the Amazon chart continues: still at no. 4 on CD/vinyl as of just now (after dropping into the teens last week) and in the mid-40s on Digital Albums (after having dropped off that chart entirely), so this seems to portend at least a modest revival next week.
On the airplay charts, Billboard's AC chart has Come On To Me holding at no. 13, but gaining in performance. I'm pretty sure that's Paul's best performance on that chart since at least Freedom in 2001. And Mediabase shows Come On To Me at no. 11, still picking up spins at a rapid clip, with Ceasar Rock starting to get some pickup on Triple A.
So the thing isn't dead yet, commercially, but it will take another TV appearance to keep up the momentum.
Bruce...I'm sure you've seen this but it has leaked that Emma Stone will be appearing in a new music video for Paul. It doesn't appear that the specific ES song has been announced yet but I'm hoping that we might get another Double A single. Here are my choices:
"Who Cares" - this would be my first choice. It rocks with a great melody and the lyrics are timely. I and a few others here thought that this song should have been the first single anyway.
"Caesar Rock" - While there are other "better" choices, I would probably go with this because it again is an up-tempo rocker and the music is very infectious.
Other songs that would make a really good 3rd single down the road would be:
"Dominoes" - this would be my 3rd "single" first choice. I just heard it at Panera Bread on their music playlist and it sounded real good. Definitely one of the most "commercial" sounding tracks on ES.
"Happy With You" - would be a good choice for the other side of Dominoes.
Can't wait to see the video and Emma Stone!
Anyway, Paul needs to release another "single" right now as ES is going down on the Billboard charts. That is why Paul and his team needs to make the best "single" choice.
A new single is unlikely right now. Caesar Rock (already out as a radio single) is starting to gain pickup on Triple A radio. Come On To Me is still gaining ground on Adult Contemporary (you need to create an account to access those charts, but it's free). Those are the only formats that play Paul these days in the U.S. (I can't speak to other countries), so a new single would just undercut what's out there. A more logical move would be a video, which I'm guessing is probably for Caesar Rock, to stimulate interest.
An even better move would be more media appearances. When Paul did the 60 Minutes interview, Egypt Station jumped from no. 11 on the Amazon.com CD/vinyl chart to no. 4, where it's been holding all week -- and that's with only a brief mention of the new album on the show. But if Amazon sales are any indication, it seems likely to rise at least a few notches next week. I'll bet somewhere in the mid-40s, but I have no crystal ball.
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I think we should just be happy with the Number One!
Great effort!
Anything else is just a bonus.
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Bruce M. wrote:
B J Conlee wrote:
Bruce M. wrote:
I just posted this on Steve Hoffman's board and it seems relevant here:
To be precise, Billboard has ES dropping to no. 55 this week, way lower than either version of the HitsDailyDouble chart. That said, the post-60 Minutes rebound on the Amazon chart continues: still at no. 4 on CD/vinyl as of just now (after dropping into the teens last week) and in the mid-40s on Digital Albums (after having dropped off that chart entirely), so this seems to portend at least a modest revival next week.
On the airplay charts, Billboard's AC chart has Come On To Me holding at no. 13, but gaining in performance. I'm pretty sure that's Paul's best performance on that chart since at least Freedom in 2001. And Mediabase shows Come On To Me at no. 11, still picking up spins at a rapid clip, with Ceasar Rock starting to get some pickup on Triple A.
So the thing isn't dead yet, commercially, but it will take another TV appearance to keep up the momentum.
Bruce...I'm sure you've seen this but it has leaked that Emma Stone will be appearing in a new music video for Paul. It doesn't appear that the specific ES song has been announced yet but I'm hoping that we might get another Double A single. Here are my choices:
"Who Cares" - this would be my first choice. It rocks with a great melody and the lyrics are timely. I and a few others here thought that this song should have been the first single anyway.
"Caesar Rock" - While there are other "better" choices, I would probably go with this because it again is an up-tempo rocker and the music is very infectious.
Other songs that would make a really good 3rd single down the road would be:
"Dominoes" - this would be my 3rd "single" first choice. I just heard it at Panera Bread on their music playlist and it sounded real good. Definitely one of the most "commercial" sounding tracks on ES.
"Happy With You" - would be a good choice for the other side of Dominoes.
Can't wait to see the video and Emma Stone!
Anyway, Paul needs to release another "single" right now as ES is going down on the Billboard charts. That is why Paul and his team needs to make the best "single" choice.
A new single is unlikely right now. Caesar Rock (already out as a radio single) is starting to gain pickup on Triple A radio. Come On To Me is still gaining ground on Adult Contemporary (you need to create an account to access those charts, but it's free). Those are the only formats that play Paul these days in the U.S. (I can't speak to other countries), so a new single would just undercut what's out there. A more logical move would be a video, which I'm guessing is probably for Caesar Rock, to stimulate interest.
An even better move would be more media appearances. When Paul did the 60 Minutes interview, Egypt Station jumped from no. 11 on the Amazon.com CD/vinyl chart to no. 4, where it's been holding all week -- and that's with only a brief mention of the new album on the show. But if Amazon sales are any indication, it seems likely to rise at least a few notches next week. I'll bet somewhere in the mid-40s, but I have no crystal ball.
Bruce,
Always defer to you when it comes to the charts and singles. If you are right, it is a shame. Personally, I think "Who Cares" is a better song (and commercial too) than "Come On To Me". While I like both "Come On To Me" (great production) and "Caesar Rock" (great album cut), "Who Cares" is a classic with very meaningful lyrics. That is the song I want the masses to hear.
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I'd love "the masses" to hear ALL the songs on "Egypt Station," and believe there's a good chance it will win Album of the Year (it's a near-perfect gem) and at least get nominated for that honor. Paul's karma is good enough for that to happen, and the album is certainly worthy. This would spur a big rush on sales, again. I agree the time is appropriate for them to trot out a new video to elicit a new burst of interest in ES.
It will be fun to see which song Emma Stone dances to or acts out on the new video. She's an appealing performer. I can see why she was chosen. I saw some pictures of her and Paul hanging out together enjoying some nightlife, earlier this year.
I agree with BJ that "Dominoes" and "Happy With You" would make an excellent single; and "Who Cares" certainly would. What do the lyrics of "Dominoes" mean, do you think? I need to go back and listen again. Maybe mainly that he was in a good mood when he wrote it. It has that effect on the listener.
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Paul confirmed this morning that the new video and ES song with Emma Stone will be:
"Who Cares"
I'm thilled with the choice...one of the 2-3 best songs on ES (along with Despite Repeated Warnings, Dominoes) in my opinion. Hopefully, the video is out real soon as ES needs a boost right now to get more casual fans to buy this great album.
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Yes, the video is for Who Cares. What we don't know is when, and whether the track will be put out as a single at the same time. Since Capitol is still actively promoting Caesar Rock to Triple A radio, which is the only format likely to be open to Who Cares, it seems likely a new single isn't coming in the next week or two. But they did a Back in Brazil video without promoting the track as a single, so maybe that's the plan again. At least there's still active promotion going on. But Paul really needs to get on U.S. TV again -- the 60 Minutes interview produced a notable bump in Egypt Station's position on the Amazon CD/vinyl bestsellers chart, which lasted about 5 days. We'll see the impact of that on the Billboard 200 and other album sales charts that come out in a few days.
Interestingly, Come On To Me is a legit hit on Adult Contemporary radio -- at no. 10 and gaining fast, per Mediabase. This makes it Paul's biggest hit in that format since Hope of Deliverance in 1993 (Billboard's last chart had it at no. 13, but it will no doubt rise 2-3 notches when the new chart comes out). This is still nowhere near Katy Perry/Beyonce/Taylor Swift levels of radio airplay, but really good for a geezer act.
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Bruce M. wrote:
Yes, the video is for Who Cares. What we don't know is when, and whether the track will be put out as a single at the same time. Since Capitol is still actively promoting Caesar Rock to Triple A radio, which is the only format likely to be open to Who Cares, it seems likely a new single isn't coming in the next week or two. But they did a Back in Brazil video without promoting the track as a single, so maybe that's the plan again. At least there's still active promotion going on. But Paul really needs to get on U.S. TV again -- the 60 Minutes interview produced a notable bump in Egypt Station's position on the Amazon CD/vinyl bestsellers chart, which lasted about 5 days. We'll see the impact of that on the Billboard 200 and other album sales charts that come out in a few days.
Interestingly, Come On To Me is a legit hit on Adult Contemporary radio -- at no. 10 and gaining fast, per Mediabase. This makes it Paul's biggest hit in that format since Hope of Deliverance in 1993 (Billboard's last chart had it at no. 13, but it will no doubt rise 2-3 notches when the new chart comes out). This is still nowhere near Katy Perry/Beyonce/Taylor Swift levels of radio airplay, but really good for a geezer act.
Good information, Bruce.
I feel that if they really want to use this new video as a promotional push, they should pair a Who Cares digital single with one of the unreleased tracks left off Egypt Station. This would give his hard core fans a reason to buy the single. At the very least, make Get Started or Nothing for Free B sides on it. They deserve more exposure.
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In the UK album charts,ES is up three places from last weeks #35 to this weeks #32.