Is a Tuesday release necessary?

[gnrgoblue]

I'm skeptical of all the rumored release dates because all available evidence (which is to say there is none) indicates that the album is a long way off. I like a good conspiracy theory, though, so I'm mildly interested in all this talk of a massive coverup with no plausable motive (I've never heard of anything selling better because the product wasn't marketed and I can think of a million examples of products fared poorly because they were underexposed or wrongly marketed) aimed to keep everyone in the dark about a November or December release.

But we have all these theories and rumors anyway, and they're fun. So, playing along, I'm wondering if there's precedent in the record industry of an album being released in the U.S. on a day other than a Tuesday. Movies, for example, are generally released on Wednesdays and Fridays. When a particularly big movie launches it's not uncommon for it to release on a Tuesday or a Thursday, particularly when the studio is hoping to earn headlines by breaking some weekend record.

Anyone here with knowledge of the industry (doesn't count if your ex-brother in law worked at a Sam Goody in high school) ever heard of this happening? If it's possible, our range of potential release dates expands substantially.

Just a thought.

There's my twice-yearly post.

[bigbri]

Cds have been released on days other than Tuesday before. Eminem and 50 Cent I think released CDs on Friday because they had leaked.

[Lesty]

Releasing a movie in a theater and releasing CD to retail are two totally different things.
There's several reasons why CDs are released on Tuesday of every week. Mostly, it has to do with shipping and promotion, as well as charts and tracking sales. Plus, the shelves and promo materials at a record store are easier to reset once a week, rather than several times a week.
Of course it's possible to schedule a release date that's not on a Tuesday.
Logistically, you're at a disadvantage, and it's probably more expensive too.

But the fact remains, if this CD is to arrive within the next 4-5 weeks, it will have to be something unique because they clearly aren't going through the normal steps of readying a new release.

[novemberparadise23]

cd's are always on tuesdays

[Eclipsed107]

Lesty hit the nail on the head.  There are good reasons why cds are always released on tuesday, and usually the only way they're going to break that is if a leak happens, and that's still VERY rare.

[cybercurves]

CD's and DVD's are usually released Tuesdays, but the DVD of MI3 came out on a Monday last week.  They promoted it as a Monday release.  So perhaps anything is possible.

[Eclipsed107]

^ yeah I was wondering why that was released on a monday as well.

I think the fact that the quote is "there's only 13 tuesdays left in 2006" (well 7 now) leads us to believe that it'll be released on the obvious tuesday.. but then again when have we ever been told the truth before?

[kunzerd]

cd releases are regulated, the rules around them extremely strict. albums breaking the regulations could lead to fines and penalties on the parties involved.


   :: managed music stores for transworld entertainment: currently work for bestbuy::

[gnrgoblue]

Releasing a movie in a theater and releasing CD to retail are two totally different things.
There's several reasons why CDs are released on Tuesday of every week. Mostly, it has to do with shipping and promotion, as well as charts and tracking sales. Plus, the shelves and promo materials at a record store are easier to reset once a week, rather than several times a week.
Of course it's possible to schedule a release date that's not on a Tuesday.
Logistically, you're at a disadvantage, and it's probably more expensive too.

But the fact remains, if this CD is to arrive within the next 4-5 weeks, it will have to be something unique because they clearly aren't going through the normal steps of readying a new release.

Doesn't the movie industry have to deal with all this? And the DVD business? (Incidentally, I recall that, like Mission: Impossible 3, Shrek 2 was released on an unusual day, like a Friday.)

Anyway, my point is that if we accept the premise that there's going to be something wildly unusual about the approach to this release (like several million copies of the album being printed, shipped and sitting in boxes in stores for at least a couple of days without a soul somewhere along the line spilling the beans) why don't we consider other, similarly viable, breaches of protocol?

This discussion is merely academic; we won't know unless and until the album ever comes out and it won't matter after that. I'm just curious.

[grog mug]

It'll be out on a Tuesday this year...we'll just have to wait and see and that's all there is to it.