Quantcast
The marketing/media reception and radio and video response are unprecedented for a Dave Matthews Band album.
——Hugh Surratt, RCA Sr. VP Marketing/Artist Development

DMB'S "EVERYDAY" TAKES
WINDING ROAD TO TOP

Album Blowing Out In First-Day Sales, Looks To Top 500k
Can the Dave Matthews Band take rock back from the teeny-poppers?

RCA Records is betting on the veteran group. They put 1.8 million copies of the band's new album, "Everyday," in the streets for this week's (2/27) release, looking to top the 425k seven-day total of their last studio album, "Before These Crowded Streets." And just as that record knocked "Titanic" off the top of the charts three years ago, the new one is set to bump Shaggy from the top spot.

Across the board, first-day sales of the album were brisk at retail. Hastings' Mike Fuller said his midnight sales were five times what each of the last two DMB albums did. "My feeling is this could be their biggest album ever."

The label's Sr. VP A&R/ Artist Development Bruce "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's" Flohr explains that the new album is actually the second the group recorded. They abandoned the first one, produced by Steve Lillywhite, replacing him with Glen Ballard: "The most exciting thing about this record is the band proved its true greatness by not succumbing to the pressure of just rushing a record into the marketplace. They challenged themselves to raise the bar and make a record that is not only a great Dave Matthews Band record, but a great album. And we got to recoup the cost of all the pizzas they ate doing the first record."

Added newly named RCA President Jack Rovner when we told him we were calling for Marc Rich: "No, I won't pardon you, but you can have a Lou Bega promotional T-shirt."

The band's marketing plan includes a concentrated effort at TV, the Internet, radio and retail, with the full cooperation of Matthews and his bandmates.

—The group appeared on "SNL" last weekend, David Letterman on Monday and MTV's "TRL" on the day of release, with a half-hour live special on the network. An AOL listening party also took place Feb. 27.

—"I Did It," the first single, is now Top Five at both PoMo and Adult PoMo, while the video is #1 Most Played at MTV and has scored in the Top 10 at "TRL." The band stirred interest in the track by releasing it to Napster earlier this year.

—A comprehensive pre-order campaign involved both online and terrestrial retail accounts, while an e-mail database was accumulated during the band's summer tour last year.

—Matthews himself will undertake a radio promotional tour in March, before the band launches its summer tour April 21 in their hometown of Charlottesville, VA. The jaunt will include stops at Dodgers Stadium and Giants Stadium.

—A print, TV and radio advertising campaign is being launched, including co-op network spots with Lycos.

Said Sr. VP Marketing/Artist Development Hugh Surratt, who says the label intends to put a major international push on the album so he can pick up some frequent-flier miles: "This is the best setup for a Dave Matthews Band release ever. The group is so into the record, they want to make sure everybody knows about it. The marketing/media reception and radio and video response are unprecedented for a Dave Matthews Band album. In fact, the last time I can remember a reaction like this was for Taco's ‘Putting On The Ritz.'"

UMG BROADENS SPOTIFY OFFERINGS
Sir Lucian and Daniel are in harmony. (3/28a)
THE COUNT: COLDPLAY IS HOT, COUNTRY'S COOKIN' IN THE U.K.
The latest tidbits from the bustling live sector (3/28a)
YTD MARKET SHARE
Zeroing in on the elite teams (3/28a)
TRUST IN THE TOP 20
Hip-hop is no longer hibernating. (3/28a)
SONG REVENUE:
A STYLISTIC STEW
MC, divas and singer-songwriters rub elbows. (3/28a)
THE NEW UMG
Gosh, we hope there are more press releases.
TIKTOK BANNED!
Unless the Senate manages to make this whole thing go away, that is.
THE NEW HUGE COUNTRY ACT
No, not that one.
TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN PLAYLIST
Now 100% unlicensed!
 Email

 First Name

 Last Name

 Company

 Country
CAPTCHA code
Captcha: (type the characters above)