::scr hacking in life

[Chris Heathcote]

on 5/2/02 5:33 pm, Simon Wistow wrote:

> Didn't the KLF do it for cheaper than that? ;)

Well, yeah, but they'd made enough attempts that didn't stick before
Doctorin' the Tardis.

> Seriously though, I'm interested, how would you do it?

Product - probably a boy band given the current situation. Music would be
some kind of pop trance. With RnB breakdown. The Manual is actually quite
good for general pop musicality, even if times have changed and you do have
to go faster than 120 bpm.

Placement - first off, hire a good plugger. Scott Piering is very good, even
if I've disagreed with him in the past. You need the radio to play the
record, and you need the tele programmes. Make the band seem big enough, and
they'll happily play your record. Payola doesn't exist. Bribe the right
people.

Write a story. Has to include loads of photo opportunities, scandals, and
tabloid fodder. The better looking they are, and the more minor celebrities
they get involved with, the better. This may involve the actors pretending
to break away and have their own voice. They must understand this is all
planned.

Once the record is in heavy rotation (and fire your plugger if it isn't),
and the tabloids are building a sense of history, you plan the release.
Traditionally there have been a number of ways of getting the record out to
stores and customers cheaper than they should be - buy one get two free on
wholesale, a 1p price tag with some kind of free gift (as perfected by
Jonathan King)... they have tightened up - but it's still pretty free
knowledge which are chart stores. You can't just go in and buy twenty - you
need to get a variety of people going in and buying a copy. Not hard to do.
Do all HMVs and Virgins (and v shops), plus the bigger independents. Drive
people round with vans. Give them used 5 pound notes.

It should be released in Jan/Feb, July/August, November. Make sure nothing
worthwhile is coming out the same week.

c.

Of course the other way is to have a TV programme and *then* form a band out
of that. Worked for S Club 7. Therefore it works for me.