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Beyond that, why would anybody use Smashing Pumpkins or Soul Asylum as case studies to argue the beauty of a record company’s promo policies [Letters, January 6]? The Pumpkins’ album debuted in the top 5 and stayed in the top 20 for quite a while–the kind of action usually associated with bands that have built up a large, loyal fan base through touring. If you think some genius record creatures broke this album with their slick marketing plan, I’ve got a Fleetwood Mac song for you to cover. Bill’s use of Soul Asylum is even stranger. Their label virtually ignored them for a year until the group’s constant touring schedule broke the record. Very little of what either label did had anything to do with both bands selling a lot of records.
I certainly do appreciate Bill’s mention of Dick Holliday and my salad days in the 80s. Who says show biz doesn’t remember? But something Bill wrote–“the surefire hit”–really kick-started my memory cells. That phrase was on a list of bullshit terms we used to hear record people use all the time, right next to “The check’s in the mail” and “Boston’s not a big college town.” Boffo, Bill, really boffo.
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