Why was Get Ready a relative flop in the UK?

August 2001: the wait is finally over: Get Ready is released. One snag: CD format only. No vinyl version for those of us Northern fans who, given the choice, prefer to luxuriate on big shiny black plastic as an alternative. Remember Blue Monday? It wasn't the biggest selling 12" in history for nothing you know!! Due to vinyl drought (I think record company London are the swines behind this fiasco - as I was told the vinyl was either indefinitely delayed (WHY? HOW?) or not coming out altogether - what a swizz), Get Ready's first week sales appears to suffer: worst fears confirmed as it limps into the UK charts at #6 (#6!!! I ask you!!) below fucking Slipknot, The Strokes, the execrable Five, Woah Nelly (who-she?) and Staind (eh?!?!) and drops out of the top 50 altogether after only THREE weeks! Is this some sort of conspiracy on the part of Warners/London to sabotage the career of one of their bigger acts or something? Because it doesn't make sense to me. Even though I got the CD version on the day of release, I still haven't got hold of the vinyl yet - no bastard shops in Manchester seem willing to stock it. maybe those bastards at London Records should send me one free to compensate. Any other fans out there who feel as cheated as I do? What a bloody pisser. Thanks a million Warners...... I won't be lining your big fat capitalist pockets again if I can help it.

No U.K. vinyl? Damn, that's bad news as the new album will apparently also be available over here in the States on CD only. I thought Warners was supposed to be a bit "hipper" than the other companies. Damn these merging entertainment conglomerations.

Sorry for the double posting; too much going on at one time.

I may be piised at this point on a saturday night,but I'm fairly certain that Piccadilly Records in Manchester have the vinyl version sitting on their shelves as I type. By the way it was a fucking brilliant gig last night, kids, for those of you who were there wasn't the temptation/true faith bit the dog's bollocks! I'm not ashamed to say I was pogoing much to my friends amusement.

Originally posted by gary price I may be piised at this point on a saturday night,but I'm fairly certain that Piccadilly Records in Manchester have the vinyl version sitting on their shelves as I type. By the way it was a fucking brilliant gig last night, kids, for those of you who were there wasn't the temptation/true faith bit the dog's bollocks! I'm not ashamed to say I was pogoing much to my friends amusement.

I've seen the Vinyl in my local record shop too! I'm sure if they had brought it out the same week as the CD it would have been snapped up by all the Vinyl Junkies out there, and may have gone higher up the charts. But hey these record compnay bigwigs are less useful than a packet of Chocolate Hob Nobs.

i was actually quite surprised by get readys lacklustre chart performance, particularly considering the album is one of the bands more commercial efforts. recently though ive heard from several sources(not particularly reliable ones,i have to admit) that the album has already sold "well over a million copies worldwide".i find this a bit doubtful considering the uk is probably their biggest market...but id like to be surprised...

I have a feeling that if they release 'Close Range' as a single before Xmas it will do the album sales no harm, cuz I think that song may get a lot airplay (perhaps more than 60 mph will).

Close Range? Can't see it.

60mph & Turn My Way are the obvious candidates, with the possible wild card being Here to Stay with the Chems.

Anyway, you can't go writing off their album sales just yet.. Decent sales and airplay for any of the remaining singles will give the album chart momentum. It's far too early to be so dismissive.

BTW I have my doubts about the Superman Lovers remixing 60mph. If it comes out as anything like their hit single, we're in for a warm French house style makeover.. Not my preferred option for the Order.

what possessed them to release 60mph as a single? its pretty awful imo, and i reckon its more likely to put people off NO than draw them to the band. as for radio play, well radio 1 are unlikely to playlist it(although they did a-list u2s elevation, which is without doubt one of the crappest things ive heard in ages), virgin radio and radio 2 didnt even playlist crystal, so the odds arent looking too good for 60 mph....

Thanks for your views everybody - I was beginning to think that I was the only fan who seemed to give a fuck about the album not doing well here in UK due to the cock up courtesy of Warners/London. But despite what the fan from Australia says I still reckon NO have shot their collective commercial bolt: "60 miles per hour" is a dodgy second single and - as one of you pointed out - will almost certainly be a stiff due to the inevitable crap trancey remixes (can these bastards think of anything ORIGINAL to do with remixing songs for Christsakes?) not withstanding the lack of any playlisting by that all-so-discerning-yardstick-of-good-taste Radio fucking One. I don't think any further singles should be lifted from this LP as none of them will help push Get Ready back in to the Top 60. (Republic was milked dry for lacklustre singles: the reason that LP did so well was because it was so fucking bland!! "Regret" being the only decent track on it!! )
Remember the good old days when NO didn't have to rely on singles lifted from LPs or "follow-ups" (yeeeuuch!) eg: Thieves Like Us/Touched BTHOG/True Faith? Why not finish the much-anticipated Chemical Brothers collaboration and release that instead? (Here To Stay - where did you get to hear that one, Aussie correspondent??) Where's the rest of those rumoured 17 new songs if they didn't finish up on Get Ready?

Originally posted by velocity girl what possessed them to release 60mph as a single? its pretty awful imo, and i reckon its more likely to put people off NO than draw them to the band. as for radio play, well radio 1 are unlikely to playlist it(although they did a-list u2s elevation, which is without doubt one of the crappest things ive heard in ages), virgin radio and radio 2 didnt even playlist crystal, so the odds arent looking too good for 60 mph....

I quite like 60 mph.I was humming the tune whilst in the bath,getting nice and clean for wednesday's Brixton gig. Does anybody actually listen to Virgin?,as for radical Radio 2 I'm still wating for a N.O retrospective.They did Spandau Ballet on Saturday night.Must be desperate for listeners.

I think that 60mph could be a good single getting far more airplay thancristal has but what I am wondering about is why the heck is London Records waiting till the 22 nd of November to release it? Is that piece of news true?

Originally posted by Huber I think that 60mph could be a good single getting far more airplay thancristal has but what I am wondering about is why the heck is London Records waiting till the 22 nd of November to release it? Is that piece of news true?

I thought the release date was 22nd October,info courtesy of the news section of this website. As for Seb using my signature,tut tut...;)

Well, here in the States I don't see Get Ready breaking the monopoly of rap-rock and rap-pop that seems to have taken over. There's definitely not a lot of promotion for the album as far as I can tell. Probably Warners figures they can cut their losses by targeting the known audience for New Order (club kids, etc.). In other words, I don't think Barney and Hooky'll be popping up on TRL, but that's not a bad thing. I don't know if it'll be on the charts much, but it's hard to tell.

I thought the release date was 22nd October,info courtesy of the news section of this website. As for Seb using my signature,tut tut...;)

Cheers, mate. That sounds more likely. I had read the bit about the 22nd in a "national newspaper". That will teach me not to get my New Order info from sources other than the Digital Republic.

I would disagree with most of the posts and say that 60mph is a pretty obvious choice of 2nd single. It is more immediate than most on the album, and the general public are only likely to hear it once or twice.

I'm personally not too fussed about the chart position of Get Ready. I like it, the majority of NO fans seem to like it. The last thing I would want to happen is for the album to have been as bland as the Travis's,Dido's, Coldplay's, David Gray's and other mega-succesful albums

Here, here Seb!

60mph isn't a patch on "Close Range" though. With its ChemicalBrothers-Block-Rockin-Beatsy intro (so did the Chems collab on this track too?? Who knows?), and its Electronic-like verses and chorus, it has better potential than the dubiously half-baked 60mph. But then what the fuck do I know......Or anyone else for that matter??

Originally posted by Seb Briggs I would disagree with most of the posts and say that 60mph is a pretty obvious choice of 2nd single. It is more immediate than most on the album, and the general public are only likely to hear it once or twice.I'm personally not too fussed about the chart position of Get Ready. I like it, the majority of NO fans seem to like it. The last thing I would want to happen is for the album to have been as bland as the Travis's,Dido's, Coldplay's, David Gray's and other mega-succesful albums

When I look at the characteristics of a typical top 40 album, I'm quite relieved that Get Ready isn't on that list. Of course I do want the band to be successful. But most Top 40 stuff is all booty-rap-pop-hip-rock-watered-down-shit-punk. (Thats the actual terminology)

Yeah, quite - one only has to look at what the kids are all wearing around town today to see just where it's at:
why proclaim your love for David Gray or Noah Fellatio when you can proudly show off your fuckin' SLAPNUT t-shirt (ooh, bet that hurt....I don't think!!)

Originally posted by Jason When I look at the characteristics of a typical top 40 album, I'm quite relieved that Get Ready isn't on that list. Of course I do want the band to be successful. But most Top 40 stuff is all booty-rap-pop-hip-rock-watered-down-shit-punk. (Thats the actual terminology)

There are a few viable artists out there (David Gray, Coldplay---despite everyone and their mother loving both those two, I saw 'em first--, Radiohead, Travis, etc etc), but for the most part, Top 40 in the states is little boys who never grew up, who come from privilaged backgrounds but swear their parents abused them, thus excusing their *awful* attempts at songwriting. A friend of mine who should know better was playing a cd by Disturbed in his car one day when we were hanging out. The singer kept making animal noises and whining about his mom no loving him, and I just thought to myself, "I'm sorry, I'm not dumb enough for this." Top 40 sucks, and the less affected New Order are by it the better

David Gray.....nice enough bloke, fair play to him for his mega-success, etc....but honestly, If you or I kept waggling your head from side to side like he does when he sings I'll be throwing up all over the floor....geeuuuugghh! As for Coldplay - sorry but that guitar riff"Yellow" is such a blatant rip-off of Doves' damn fine "Cedar Room" the latter should sue.

Originally posted by Taboo # 7 There are a few viable artists out there (David Gray, Coldplay---despite everyone and their mother loving both those two, I saw 'em first--,

Well back when I first heard both of 'em (back before the beginning of time, i.e. Jan/Feb 2001, or possibly earlier) I liked both right off the bat but didn't have the dough to pick up either cd. Now that both are starting to get huge, I'd feel like a poseur though by rights I should be the first in line. Oh well, worrying about my image again....

Yeah, if I tried to wobble my head ala David Gray (or Thom Yorke, ftm), I'd be puking, my head would ache, and little stars would be popping around. But that's why I'm not David Gray

Fair enough, but have you tried to dance like Michael Stipe yet???

Originally posted by Taboo # 7 Yeah, if I tried to wobble my head ala David Gray (or Thom Yorke, ftm), I'd be puking, my head would ache, and little stars would be popping around. But that's why I'm not David Gray

His style's similar to Ian's, just not as frantic. I've actually been working on a style that encompasses both Michael's and Ian's techniques, I'll let you know how it works out.....