Magenta aim at the UK top 40

[Lambsie]

Hi All

I hope you don’t mind me posting this here. This is a slightly unusual one!

Magenta will celebrate their move to a new label Tigermoth records, with the release of a single Speechless on March 19th. This is song that opened their live set at the end of last year. The song is a slice of exuberant, infectious prog with a great hook and a strong contemporary feel. It will be issued as both a CD single and as a download, and we plan to get this single into the UK charts.

A few years ago this would have been an over optimistic assumption for a band on a independent label, however the huge changes in the way that the UK charts are compiled – with the increasing influence of downloads against physical CD sales – means that if any band can organise its fan base to download their single within the first week of release, it can chart, as several artists like John Otway, Marillion and Koopa have shown.

Here’s what Rob Reed has to say: “People may be surprised with Speechless – it shows a side of the band that not many have heard. However, we feel it’s a very strong song, and the perfect vehicle to increase the profile of progressive rock in the UK as well as benefit the profile of the band, so you won’t just be doing it for us, you’ll be promoting prog.

We’d like as many people as possible in the UK to download the single during the first week of release, or buy it the CD from a major UK chain. There will be two versions of the song, plus a new version of “Anger” from our second album Seven, so please buy as many of these as you can afford as they all count towards the chart placing. If everyone pulls together, a UK top 40 is a real possibility.”

The band have shot a video to go with the single and a short clip is already online at a special mini-site that the label have set up for the single at www.magentasingle.com Both CD and download versions also include a superb new full-band arrangement of Anger that was also showcased at the bands live shows towards the end of last year.

You can read more about the campaign at www.magenta-web.com and we are also after volunteers to help with our street and e-campaigns. Fans who live outside the UK can still buy the single and download, but sadly these don’t count towards the chart. However, you can still help

The tracks for download will be:

Speechless 7”
Speechless 12”
Anger – 2007 mix

The CD single will contain the following tracks:

Speechless 7”
Speechless 12”
Anger – 2007 mix
Speechless video

For further information, email magentasingle@btinternet.com

[Rick and Roll]

This is an interesting topic. I was able to hear an excerpt of the song on myspace. I have some honest opinions on it. And I'm glad you posted it here.

On the surface, it's contradictory to have a prog song aimed at sales. Please bear in mind I don't share that view - but you will get your "sell out" emails, etc. Not really caring about any of that (who am I to deny an artist the right or opportunity to sell product), I gave it a listen.

I find it somewhat forced. The "Broken" single a few years back was impressive - a tight, 4-minute powerful song. This seems more bombastic, sort of like "here's a single and it's packed with everything you need". It's the same issue I have with a band like Jadis. Great songs, just too polished, a tad overdone, and formulaic.

The strength of Magenta in my eyes is the use of famous bands' themes (Yes, Genesis) and updating the sound. They're truly a great band, both live and studio. Rob Reed is an awesome songwriter. But this song doesn't seem to flow. I'll have to hear it all to form a final opinion.

So it will sell millions lol!

[RogorMortis]

I do mind in a way as I had posted this in our news section but OK for discussion.

But I personally don't think it will work as I and many others can't influence things being outside UK. And I can't think what big difference it would make anyway. I would target getting on TV and I don't think the chart will help and Magenta are not "Top of the Pops" material.

[Rick and Roll]

Originally Posted by RogorMortis

I do mind in a way as I had posted this in our news section but OK for discussion.

But I personally don't think it will work as I and many others can't influence things being outside UK. And I can't think what big difference it would make anyway. I would target getting on TV and I don't think the chart will help and Magenta are not "Top of the Pops" material.

I agree with your entire 2nd paragragh, Rogor, entirely.

I didn't reply to this under the news section because the comments scroll off the screen, due to the many news postings you do so well. I had a comment about the Salem Hill DVD post (I had more current information from an email) but those comments do not stay relevant for long. So I'm glad this was reposted here.

[Lambsie]

For those of you that are interested in the progress of the single campaign, here's a news update....

Firstly, we are delighted to say that the CD single is now available as an exclusive pre-order from https://www.townsend-records.co.uk/a...artist=Magenta price £2.99 plus p and p ( the standard retail price is £3.99). All purchases from a UK address will count towards the chart placing, so get ordering!

Secondly, the entire video for Speechless is now online at the Speechless Mini site, at www.magentasingle.com. You can also see it at our Myspace page www.myspace.com/magentauk or using this link to google video http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?...70778450725853 . We hope you enjoy it. Details of the download will follow soon.

Finally, we’ve just launched a new Official Forum at http://magenta.informe.com