Christmas number one

[MarkC]

I hope it is this years' "anti X factor" track, 4'33" by Cage against the machine.

 

There's something appealing about the prospect of this particular piece being at the top of the charts at Christmas, wonder how much airplay it will get if it is though!

[Jen]

Surely no radio DJ would be able to resist talking over the top of it!

[iff]

 

sure they always talk over the start and end of tracks anyway

[My Friend Jack]

Well, apparently some 14,000 people went to the trouble of buying the John Cage track, which made the dizzy heights of #21. Sorry, that's probably 2,000 people with more money than sense who downloaded it from each legal site they could get to. The X factor record sold 439,000, and the Trashmen's Surfin' Bird, at #3, shifted 68,000. Cowell must be ROTFPHL.

[David]

Cowell must be ROTFPHL.

I suspect he pays someone to do that for him...

[MarkC]

Well, apparently some 14,000 people went to the trouble of buying the John Cage track, which made the dizzy heights of #21.

 

15,716, according to George Ergatoudis, Head Of Music for BBC Radio 1 in an email I received today from the BBC today (I complained about the fact that they only played 30" of it on the chart show, so now I can say I've complained to the BBC about something ).

 

I was one of them and didn't mind spending the requisite 47p. I've spent more money in more frivolous ways in my life.

[My Friend Jack]

15,716, according to George Ergatoudis, Head Of Music for BBC Radio 1 in an email I received today from the BBC today (I complained about the fact that they only played 30" of it on the chart show, so now I can say I've complained to the BBC about something ).

 

How did the BBC justify this? I'm pretty sure they played the full version of the Poppy Day record last month, which had a very similar chorus.

 

I wonder what they will do if the record currently at #66 makes the Top 40 this week...?

[MarkC]

How did the BBC justify this? I'm pretty sure they played the full version of the Poppy Day record last month, which had a very similar chorus.

 

Here is the email I received in response to my complaint:

 

Thanks for your correspondence regarding Cage Against The Machine’s version of John Cage’s '4' 33"'.

 

We raised your concerns with George Ergatoudis, Head Of Music for BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. He replied as follows:

 

“Please let me assure you that we did carefully consider the option to play the track in full at a production meeting last week. The final decision was that if the track entered the Top 20 we would play it unedited, however it entered at No. 21 and as a result a short extract was played instead.

 

Please note that we do not guarantee to play each song in the Top 40 in full and we retain the right to make appropriate editorial decisions. In reality only 15,716 people actually paid for the track compared to the audience for the Official Chart Show which is at least 1.4 million. We decided that while most of them would like to know where the single charted they would be significantly less interested in hearing 4 minutes and 33 seconds of near silence. I completely understand your frustration, but in this case the decision was about pleasing the majority of BBC Radio 1's listeners rather than a minority.

 

Thank you again for contacting us and while you may disagree with our decision, I hope you continue to enjoy the majority of our output.”

 

 

I wonder what they will do if the record currently at #66 makes the Top 40 this week...?

 

You spotted that one as well then!

[My Friend Jack]

Yes, I even listened to an unedited 30-second preview on Amazon. Truly awful, its only redeeming feature is the foul language.