Sheesh... let's wish fury the best of luck.

GoldenGlove said:

It's not eligible yet as a physical single has not been released.

Moonbeam said:

Can it not chart based on downloads?

As far as I know only the 12" vinyl was released this week.
Not many people buy them.

GoldenGlove said:

I guess not until a physical format is released.

Moonbeam said:

Correct..

The chart rules state

* Digital Singles without a physical variant will not be eligible
* Digital variants of a physical single will be eligible for the Official Singles Chart at the point the physical formats are released.

But I think it's eligible for the Download chart only for now.


See it here Official Chart Rules

Spayne
[Edited 2/26/06 13:09pm]

There is also one thing that could stop "Black Sweat" from entering even the download chart: "Black Sweat" is not available on iTunes UK. I tried out all the local iTunes stores and the UK and Germany stores are the only ones not selling "Black Sweat".... I also tried searching 7digital.com (which, incidentally, started selling "Te Amo Corazon" almost a day before
NPGMC) and "Black Sweat" is not on that site either. I don't get why the song is available for download all over the world EXCEPT at the major UK download sites....
[Edited 2/26/06 13:37pm]

You guys are missing the point....



So, when the official physical single of 'Black Sweat' is released (I heard it will be released the week after 3121 comes out), then all the downloads of Black Sweat up to that point will count towards the sales. So we can expect a high charting for sure.

Militant said:

If that is true it will chart SERIOUSLY high!

Kind of makes it difficult to chart - if it's not available in the UK nor is it fullfilling the rules to be valid for the charts!

Incidently, GoldenGlove, you are going to be so shocked when Prince releases some ballad as the follow upto Black Sweat and not Fury as you insist! Prince rarely does the obvious. Back when he was promoting Rave, he peformed Baby Knows and Partyman more than actual single The Greatest Romance - and didn't release either as singles!

Militant said:

The chart is based on sales that week, not cumulative sales. I don't think previous sales will count. But I'm not an expert on all the complicated rules!

I think that this is going to be the way of P singles. The albums are always better in this case. It's about the book, bay-bee!!!

purplehippieonthe1 said:

Maybe it's Universals strategy. They'll probably make it available for download at Itunes when the physical single hits the stores. That could have a much stronger impact on the charts. And don't come with the argument, that all the fans already bought it elsewhere (npgmc, other digital stores). It's not about the hardcore fans, it's about the mainstream listener.
And it makes sense that it's not yet available in the UK and germany, because these two countries are besides the USA and Japan the biggest markets in the world. If the single debuts high in these countries, it has a much bigger impact in the rest of the world. You can promote the product much better if it's a hit "where it really counts", than if it's only a hit in a small country.

ludwig said:

That would make sense, but surely it would have been simpler to just put out a physical single at the same time all over the world, that way hardcore fans and mainstream listeners would buy it together and push it up the charts. They've had long enough notice to make one and distribute it in the UK and Germany. What they waiting for?

i swear people make things up cos they're so desperate for prince to chart!
black sweat isn't out until March 13th! Has anybody actually reported being able to download it from a UK site? No. Does anyone have a CD single? No. So why on earth is anyone expecting it to chart?

March 13th!!!! That's when we need to get it!

softandwet said:

It has not been released in the UK yet.

Mr7 said:

I think we've covered that now lol

softandwet said:

Totally correct. I do wonder though why you release video and singles on different dates - kind of takes the steam out of the whole thing, no`?

Lets all calm down!!

Its not released yet...

UK chart rules state that the single has to be physically released for downloads to count. Downloads sold in previous weeks wont count so thats probably why its not on any UK download stores yet.

Gorillaz got around this new rule by releasing a single in limited edition vinyl to stores which made the downloads chart eligible - single charted at around 20/21 for a couple of weeks on the strength of download sales only. When the 'proper' physical release happened, the single shot Top3 straight away.

But Gorillaz are a big current band so even if P was to go this route it wouldnt work - there are too few of us around to bother enough!!

Saving up the downloads and physical sales to happen on the same week seems to make a lot of sense to me if they want a high chart position.

I'm sure it will chart as I've already heard it a couple times on Radio 1 and seen it on some Music Video channels as "tune of the week".

I'd bet Top10 - let's say No.7.

Anyone else fancy a wager?

MattUK said:

No. 27

There's just not been enough promotion of the actual single for it to make a big dent, I reckon.

metalorange said:

#20