Manics picking singles from early album tracks

[everlasting]

I was just thinking the other day, most Manics singles are on the first half of their albums, mostly in the first 3/4 tracks on a lot of them (I know there's a few like Faster that is track 9 I think on the Holy Bible and Autumnsong is track 7 on SATT).
Also I was wondering, you notice how on their last few appearances on Jools Holland they've played tracks from the opening few songs on that particular years album release and most of those songs have gone on to be singles? Wonder if that means that indeed Postcards and SKON will be the next two singles from this album? Just a thought.

[Takk]

Postcards would be a good choice....so would I think I found it.

[Kieslowski]

Bands tend to know which songs will be singles before the album is even out, often having the videos filmed long in advance as well, so when they go on TV programmes, they do tend to play the forthcoming singles.

I've assumed SKON and Postcards were going to be the next singles ever since I heard they would be the ones they played on Jools Holland, to the extent that I have been quite baffled by threads asking which songs people think will be the next singles - I'd be extremely surprised if they weren't singles.

Although it does beg the question: was 1985 ever actually touted as a third single for Lifeblood, or was that just everyone thinking it was the obvious choice? After all, A Song For A Departure was the other song they played on Jools Holland in 2004.

[everlasting]

Aye, A Song For Departure should have been a single I reckon, I always thought it would have been after being played on Jools, the band themselves have said they like it a lot. I'd love to see it performed live but it'll never happen.

[Takk]

I'm not sure the fact they've played them live necessarily means they are going to be singles. From previous albums, I don't think the band does know which singles are going to come out at the point of album release.

[MSPKYE]

Jools is hardly an indicator, they played Small Black Flowers in 1996 and great as it is that was never single material

[deadmartyr]

I thought that Nicky mentioned 1985 as being the next single interview on radio after Empty Souls was released. Or perhaps in an interview on radio during the PPF tour Nicky said it was going to the third single.

[nexberry]

I was sure that SKON will be the next single, but after I saw that home video of Postcards, I don't know, it could easily be single No. 2. Anyway, I always thought that both songs have great potential to be singles. We'll see.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by everlasting

Wonder if that means that indeed Postcards and SKON will be the next two singles from this album? Just a thought.

Well according to the fans who were at the Jools recording and talked to the band afterwards the second single is either SKON or Postcards, and the third single is probably the remainer.

Originally Posted by Kieslowski

Although it does beg the question: was 1985 ever actually touted as a third single for Lifeblood, or was that just everyone thinking it was the obvious choice? After all, A Song For A Departure was the other song they played on Jools Holland in 2004.

I can't remember what the band talked about at the time but in the fan interviews in the more recent years Nicky's been mentioning that I Live to Fall Asleep was a big single candidate for the 3rd single.

[mr bowlase]

Originally Posted by Flint

I can't remember what the band talked about at the time but in the fan interviews in the more recent years Nicky's been mentioning that I Live to Fall Asleep was a big single candidate for the 3rd single.

Makes sense as it got played on Jools whereas 1985 didnt.

[Aestivate]

Originally Posted by everlasting

I was just thinking the other day, most Manics singles are on the first half of their albums, mostly in the first 3/4 tracks on a lot of them (I know there's a few like Faster that is track 9 I think on the Holy Bible and Autumnsong is track 7 on SATT).
Also I was wondering, you notice how on their last few appearances on Jools Holland they've played tracks from the opening few songs on that particular years album release and most of those songs have gone on to be singles? Wonder if that means that indeed Postcards and SKON will be the next two singles from this album? Just a thought.

It's a characteristic of lists that we look at things at the top & at the bottom, but pay less attention to the middle. Someone picking a CD up quickly in a supermarket will impulse buy if they recognise tracks at the top or bottom. When they release the 5CD 100 Hits of Manic Street Preachers you'll see the A-listers at the top and bottom with KYE and Lifeblood tracks filling the middle.

[Jayseph]

In terms of tracklisting, it makes sense (to me anyway) to have the more immediate, single-material tracks at the start, to better draw the listener into the album. I think that's the approach the Manics tend to take anyway, judging by the number of singles released from the first halves of their albums.

[Kieslowski]

Originally Posted by Aestivate

It's a characteristic of lists that we look at things at the top & at the bottom, but pay less attention to the middle. Someone picking a CD up quickly in a supermarket will impulse buy if they recognise tracks at the top or bottom. When they release the 5CD 100 Hits of Manic Street Preachers you'll see the A-listers at the top and bottom with KYE and Lifeblood tracks filling the middle.

The Manics putting tracks from Lifeblood on a compilation album?

No chance.

[Beat Poet]

I believe you will almost always find three singles within the first five tracks on any pop/rock album.

[Aestivate]

Originally Posted by Beat Poet

I believe you will almost always find three singles within the first five tracks on any pop/rock album.

In the days of vinyl/cassette you could almost guarantee that the 1st track on side A and 1st track on side B would be singles. This would make Golden Platitudes the next single as it opens side B on Postcards