How would you have handled 'Harmonium'?

[Martin.]

if you were in charge of the handling of 'Harmonium', in terms of the single choices, how would you have handled it? what songs would you have released (and more importantly, which single would you pick to lead the album) and at what time of the year?

[HarmySandwhich]

I feel as if White Houses was the best choice to be released first as a single and I never understood why exactly it didn't do so well - possibly because of "label doing a crap job promoting it", getting banned on MTV, but I think it really is the hallmark of the album. If I didn't pick White Houses as the lead single, I probably would have picked Afterglow because it's very radio friendly. Perhaps Private Radio would be a good first single too but I fear the negative criticism going for a more ironic direction.

If it were my choice, Summer would be a good time to release the single.

[Martin.]

i'm stuck between "white houses" or "private radio" to lead the album. i think "private radio" is very radio-friendly and the majority of people i've come across that have heard it, like it. "white houses" is very different though and kinda sums up the album really well.

1. white houses (lead the album)
2. who's to say
3. private radio
4. afterglow (close the album)

^^ something like that would have worked nicely, i think.

i think there was promotional problems as to why "white houses" and her album bombed. i also think the MTV and VH1 thing didn't help either.

such a shame.

[reveng_desire]

Who's To Say would have made a REALLY good music video, but I'm not sure about radio play.

[itsthefiveofus]

I like that who's to say vid idea. I think I would have released White Houses first. Than Private Radio and than just go from there.

[reveng_desire]

I always envision Vanessa in a convertible with her b/f or whatever and she's all screaming "who's to saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay *hits a bird*"

LOL jk. Well, I envision that only she doesn't hit a bird.

[IfICouldFall]

I always envision Vanessa in a convertible with her b/f or whatever and she's all screaming "who's to saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay *hits a bird*"

LOL jk. Well, I envision that only she doesn't hit a bird.

Haha that made me laugh! But I really like the driving away in a convertible, maybe on a highway next to the ocean and the sun setting, like an "Afterglow" feel.

[reveng_desire]

It could be, like, a giant vulture.

or a palm tree.

[ordinaryday6]

i would have done basically what irv is doing now.. release white houses (nolita fairytale) but have a backup plan - private radio (hands on me), in case it doesn't take.

but see, the discussion really doesn't matter, because the whole reason white houses/harmonium as a whole didn't do well, is because nobody cared enough to handle the album in the first place. had there not been label problems, it would have been handled, and it would have done better.. there would have at least been a second freaking single.

but yeah.. private radio would have been a fantastic single.

just like hands on me would be.

[NoelleNC]

I never thought White Houses was a good single idea. The first verse's super high-pitch is odd and hard to get used to. Idk, I think only maybe Tori Amos can make such weird pitches and lyrics that popular mainstream, and even she still has more of an underground following. I don't think Private Radio would have done well either. It's catchy, but borderline cheesy (sorry, but Badada gotta get a little? lol). Afterglow would have been a disaster, even less popular than Pretty Baby. . .Of course this is all my opinion. . . I think if V were more widely accepted Who's To Say would have done moderately well as a single and maybe followed up by San Francisco. I don't really think any of the other tracks could have been singles.

[itsthefiveofus]

why were there problems at the label anyways? what caused them to not care!?!

[portions.for.foxes]

why were there problems at the label anyways? what caused them to not care!?!

Harmonium only sold about 30,000 copies during its first week, and it didn't even chart during the second week of it's release. The record company most likely decided to cut its losses and scrap any more promotion efforts for what they considered a failed record.

Record companies also focus on and pump most of their money into debuting acts/brand new artists as well, and tend to leave already established artists on their label the short end of the stick in terms of promotion efforts. That's just the way things work in the industry.

Interscope also heavily relied on the fact that Vanessa penned "A Thousand Miles" to sell Harmonium too, not only did they rely on "A Thousand Miles" to sell Be Not Nobody, they relied on it to sell Harmonium as well. I mean, it was pretty obvious what their strategy was when they played "A Thousand Miles" at the begining of the Target promo commercial and then cut to footage of the White Houses video. Come on, give me a break.

Vanessa needs to distance herself from "A Thousand Miles" this time around. Otherwise she'll only be remembered as a one hit wonder, which  many already consider her to be.  :? That song has been a blessing but also an extreme burden for her.

[Will]

I liked Harmonium, but I don't think it was really that radio-friendly. White Houses was the closest there was to a possible hit single.

[itsthefiveofus]

thats true. But thats because most songs are just deep and not kean to most people's style of music these days.

[PutYourHandsOnMe101]

I think that White Houses was a good lead single but it received little radio play and not many people even know of it...Harmonium and White Houses were not promoted enough. Private Radio would have been the best choice I think for the second single and I could see that doing well. Who's To Say should have been a single also because I think it is so moving and I think people would like it. Afterglow should have been the last single. Besides singles though, the album NEEDED to have been released earlier since it leaked so long before the release date and that killed the hype for the album. Harmonium was such a risky and artistic album that it NEEDED to be promoted to catch on and it wasn't so it didn't but it is still my favorite album ever. After Harmonium there is no possible way that Heroes and Thieves could do worse... It's only looking up from here! :blob: