Sugababes

[Bleach Blonde Stereotype]

@Dax Diameter During Flatline's (minimal) promo, the girls always said that the album was coming out in early 2014. So with that on top of Too In Love's backing track being given away to James Arthur by the end of 2013 (and presumably resulting in it being scrapped), am I right to say this was a really early release plan? Obviously it never came to fruition, but what you've said makes it sound like they had it planned out pretty well for it all to have gone tits up by the time they finally got to releasing Flatline. The release date changing constantly made it seem like the label didn't have much faith in the first place.

[Poison ivy]

19 hours ago, Bleach Blonde Stereotype said:

@Dax Diameter During Flatline's (minimal) promo, the girls always said that the album was coming out in early 2014. So with that on top of Too In Love's backing track being given away to James Arthur by the end of 2013 (and presumably resulting in it being scrapped), am I right to say this was a really early release plan? Obviously it never came to fruition, but what you've said makes it sound like they had it planned out pretty well for it all to have gone tits up by the time they finally got to releasing Flatline. The release date changing constantly made it seem like the label didn't have much faith in the first place.

That was the album as of late August 2013. 

Almost a year previously Sony had messed up by not taking advantage of the momentum generated behind Amelia Lily’s debut single (this had been noted by industry). Sony had waited, her subsequent singles flopped and they came to regret not having her album primed and scheduled when her initial single was Hot.

Across town, Polydor believed it was not even possible that the lead track from a new studio album from Sugababes (in all but name), would do anything other than hit Top 5, off the back of that Alan Carr “Chatty Man”, “Flatline” performance. 

The abject failure of it in missing the Top 40 completely was simply not something considered to be even remotely possible. The shock of that chart reveal sent many experienced industry professionals in to a complete tailspin. 

Polydor executives panicked and within that panic fractures of opinion and miscommunication occurred between different departments, with each one internally blaming the other for the MKS project failure and placing the entire project rollout into complete free fall.  

Those in Promotions, who were the interactive point in the company structure whom the girls (at that stage) liaised directly with - were in possession of previous data pertaining to an obsolete draft of the album rollout strategy regarding a Spring 2014 rollout of the initial, standard edition of the album.  

It should be noted Promotions were not aware of or informed that the reason the album moved was in direct consequence of “Flatline” being brought forward in the release schedule.

However, it had already been decided in direct communication between Polydor A&R (and a higher ranking executive who ultimately has the final say on the green lighting of and subsequent release date of product) - that as soon as “Flatline” made Top 5, the release date of the first, standard iteration of the album would be brought forward from the Spring of 2014, as profit levels that atypically pertain to album sales in the fourth quarter (off the back of a hit single), were too tempting to pass up on!

It was was anticipated that once “Flatline” smashed, this would be an opportunity for decision makers at executive level in Polydor to learn from strategic errors observed previously by rivals Sony in an Amelia Lily ‘Pop’ rollout almost a year before (this time having the album primed and ‘good-to-go’ whilst the lead single was still relatively Hot and still fresh in people’s minds).

Nothing was actually worth filtering down to the girls until singles chart data was received. Data that (in the end) was so far of the mark of what anyone involved in the MKS project even anticipated as a worst case scenario (which was a Top 20). Hence the project entering free fall and all plans being delayed until after more unanticipated studio sessions could be scheduled to take place. There was no advance warning, ‘mid-week’, figures in this specific case which made the final chart position all the more shocking!

As I explained previously sometimes a publishing “hold” by an outside writer, on an unused/ withheld track will be stipulated to expire if the context the track in question was intended to be used in becomes no longer viable as soon as that becomes clear. 

“Too In Love” was a song where the contractual “hold” expired as soon as a decision was taken to put the album back into development (which was an automatic inevitability after the “Flatline” chart reveal of Sept 8th).

Mojam were legally entitled to present Sony with the “Too In Love” backing track during the third week of September and James Arthur’s re-version “Get Down” was complete by the end of November.

Sony also had a vested interest in dismantling and clawing whatever component parts they could from the MKS project as they had previously paid out and lost big when they mistakenly believed the keys to the future lay with HAJ and Crown.

If you want to blame someone, blame Emeli Sande for her initial decision to take the intended lead track back causing the whole project to go out of sync and in doing so causing a ripple effect that negatively impacted on the rest of the project rollout, a stupid selfish decision that in the end caused so many years of heartache and frustration for everyone else involved!

Edited November 22, 2022 by Dax Diameter
Grammar

[Poison ivy]

On 11/18/2022 at 2:10 PM, Heartbreak Anthem said:

Does anyone actually have these songs, by change?

Not sure what you mean as the only version hardcore myopic Sugababes stans want us to know about (and be distracted by) is linked to in the below thread (that you have posted under) and are therefore already aware of?

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Dax Diameter
Syntax

[Heartbreak Anthem]

9 hours ago, Dax Diameter said:

Not sure what you mean as the only version hardcore myopic Sugababes stans want us to know about (and be distracted by) is linked to in the below thread (that you have posted under) and are therefore already aware of?

 

LOL. My only excuse is insomnia and substantial lack of sleep.

[Poison ivy]

15 hours ago, Heartbreak Anthem said:

LOL. My only excuse is insomnia and substantial lack of sleep.

There is another preferable version containing all 60+ MKS tracks (including the Google+ sessions) that has been fully volume levelled and sonically EQ’d (equalised) done about 18 months ago by someone known as “Evan R” (on Facebook) and “Evan749” (on Popjustice). 

He is a moderator of the wholly MKS myopic Facebook group where many of the leaks originally went through. However even junior members in that wider Facebook group are not aware the digital remaster exists (as it was only shared in a smaller invite only Facebook group chat) within the larger group.

I do not have it but I’m sure I’m not the only person who would like to.  A few months ago one of the members had a YouTube channel called “Pop Anthology” that had meticulously uploaded about 70% of the digitally remastered versions.

The comments were full of people who had noticed the improvements in audio quality (which the uploader completely ignored), however they suddenly got taken down and that particular YouTube channel does not appear to exist anymore.

The individuals in the inner sanctum of ‘that Facebook group’ (as it is sometimes referred to) will not admit the digital remaster even exists and will hardcore gaslight anyone not in their inner sanctum who discovers otherwise. They instead attempt to throw people of the scent by saying “only a few were done” but it’s not true. They absolutely will not share them and there is nothing they will not do to stop them from getting beyond the inner sanctum of ‘that Facebook group’.

Years ago they enjoyed a sense of temporary exclusivity over the leaks (whilst they were still leaking) and by keeping the digital remaster to themselves they get to prolong that sense of exclusivity and feel like a special ‘elite’ group of fans.

Their problem is, they are completely inept when it comes to sequencing the unused tracks, (let alone how many volumes to assemble them in), they believe they simply “don’t fit together” as an old non numeric, alphabetic, un-split song-list posted on Popjustice almost a decade ago remains their guide to everything (as they never realised the individual who posted the original list removed all numerical metadata prefixes prior to posting then placed almost everything into only one folder).

They believed that in remastering all the tracks using specialist software - that process would reveal hidden sonic layers in the songs and make up for their inability to find the master sequences and as such will never truly be able to enjoy the tracks as they incorrectly assumed the remastering process was key to unlocking sonic Easter eggs the tracks contain (when in actual fact remastering is only one significant yet small part of a wider whole).

They made this video to “Overload” a couple of years ago with the intention of it going viral, (it didn’t happen).

 

Edited November 24, 2022 by Dax Diameter
Syntax

[Poison ivy]

Keisha’s latest vlog:

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Dax Diameter

[Heartbreak Anthem]

17 hours ago, Dax Diameter said:

There is another preferable version containing all 60+ MKS tracks (including the Google+ sessions) that has been fully volume levelled and sonically EQ’d (equalised) done about 18 months ago by someone known as “Evan R” (on Facebook) and “Evan749” (on Popjustice). 

He is a moderator of the wholly MKS myopic Facebook group where many of the leaks originally went through. However even junior members in that wider Facebook group are not aware the digital remaster exists (as it was only shared in a smaller invite only Facebook group chat) within the larger group.

I do not have it but I’m sure I’m not the only person who would like to.  A few months ago one of the members had a YouTube channel called “Pop Anthology” that had meticulously uploaded about 70% of the digitally remastered versions.

We want. We need. We deserve. Haha. I wonder if other forums somehow have them. Dman. SHARE PEOPLE SHARE!

[Poison ivy]

29 minutes ago, Heartbreak Anthem said:

We want. We need. We deserve. Haha. I wonder if other forums somehow have them. Dman. SHARE PEOPLE SHARE!

I’m pretty convinced one individual here on PHF has them and though they log in regularly they have never actually posted in this thread, seemingly preferring to observe. Whilst I am tempted to out them, ultimately I don’t think it’s tactful and merely hope they one day have a change of heart and mend the error of their ways.

[Heartbreak Anthem]

1 hour ago, Dax Diameter said:

I’m pretty convinced one individual here on PHF has them and though they log in regularly they have never actually posted in this thread, seemingly preferring to observe. Whilst I am tempted to out them, ultimately I don’t think it’s tactful and merely hope they one day have a change of heart and mend the error of their ways.

Us at them:

[Poison ivy]

Whilst that tomfoolery quietly peculates in the background, does anyone have the alternate RnB version of “Only You”? (apparently MKS experimented by taking it to Larrance Dopson, who produced a second version).

He may also have been responsible for a later version of “Romantic Call” (different from the one that leaked).

Apparently both were circulating on Soul Seek at one point, though the RnB version of “Only You” was ultimately rejected (and the backing track later re-purposed on the track “Boo’d Up” by Ella Mai).

Also does anyone have the Siobhan solo tracks “When Silence Breaks” and “Cold Calculation” (from the “Ghosts” sessions) to share? Some people apparently have them both.

Edited November 27, 2022 by Dax Diameter

[metalsnake25]

2 hours ago, Dax Diameter said:

Whilst that tomfoolery quietly peculates in the background, does anyone have the alternate RnB version of “Only You”? (apparently MKS experimented by taking it to Larrance Dopson, who produced a second version).

He may also have been responsible for a later version of “Romantic Call” (different from the one that leaked).

Apparently both were circulating on Soul Seek at one point, though the RnB version of “Only You” was ultimately rejected (and the backing track later re-purposed on the track “Boo’d Up” by Ella Mai).

Also does anyone have the Siobhan solo tracks “When Silence Breaks” and “Cold Calculation” (from the “Ghosts” sessions) to share? Some people apparently have them both.

Interesting!! Didn't Keisha shared a snippet of that version of Only You at one point?

[Poison ivy]

18 minutes ago, metalsnake25 said:

Interesting!! Didn't Keisha shared a snippet of that version of Only You at one point?

Yes, I believe she did.  The full version and an alternate version of “Romantic Call” were apparently being exchanged on Soulseek (in 2020).  They were perceived (then) as having value amongst certain traders. As it’s now almost 2023 I am surprised they have yet to leak fully and still appear to be in limited circulation.  (Particularly as nothing indicates they are better than the versions we already have).

Edited November 28, 2022 by Dax Diameter

[Poison ivy]

If anyone has the original image in HQ (with the grey background) please upload.

[Main Pop Girl]

2 hours ago, Dax Diameter said:

If anyone has the original image in HQ (with the grey background) please upload.

If they aren't going to release an album any time soon, I want a live DVD of this concert please!

[Heartbreak Anthem]