Rock Slide History of Rock
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ROCK SLIDE Atlantic will attempt to reverse a steady sales decline with Kid Rock's new album. At right, his performance on The Billboard 200. Longtime collaborator UNCLE KRACKER, left, gave KID ROCK a hand on the songwriting side. "They kind of start setting dates," he says. "Like, 'Y'know, a separate video for the Internet -will begin in August around you're gonna miss this and this. These opportunities are gonna the same time the single is shipped to rock radio. Atlantic plans U.S. Sales According To Nielsen Soundsos: 100,000 14,000 4,000 be gone.' I need that -otherwise I would've worked on it for to ride that song for a while, but Tortella says, "We'll bring other another year." The Billboard songs to other formats a little later on." The company also plans 200 Pear Atlantic professes to be more than satisfied with the album to be "really aggressive in the mobile space" with ringtones and The 801hoar1200 Peak Dale it has, and the label is particularly happy with the setup time ringbacks -an area in which Rock is actively involved. Weeks On(hart: ' ...Sandwiches "Oe M1PPYa -r hlw.' "kellY "Tkrr`B "albe" Rock has afforded the company to plan a campaign "He has creative ideas about things he wants to do there," fui Breaktnsr Ndrr AranYP H!' dledr. "I think Bob has only needed a record that got played on the Tortella says. "He's coming up with 20 million things, so we're lgye wnP 2000 2001 2003 2006 radio," Atlantic GM /VP of marketing and creative media Livia talking to a lot of carriers with different ideas," Tortella says. " People know who he is, and now more than ever Rock and Atlantic are also planning to provide customized HISTORY OF ROCK people want to play stars. The industry needs that right now. extra content for retailers. Wal -Mart will sell its first double - Rare multiformat success -on seven key singles charts. He's fitting a particular point in time, and more importantly pack that features DVD content from MTV, VH 1 and CMT. At- he has a record reflecting that." lantic is in talks with Best Buy about a Rhapsody Originals 1998 °l AmThe Buligod" PEAK POSITION 31 There are, of course, some challenges performance from Rock, while Target may be involved in a con- facing this particular Kid Rock album. cert ticket presale. Kmart and Amazon will have extra content, "Bawitdaba" 1999 11 Chief among those is the four -year gap but not iTunes at this point. 10 and the attendant extra -musical public- Atlantic will also issue a music video interactive edition of ity since " Kid Rock," which have created the album that will unlock special Web -based content. a need to remind the world that music Warner Music Group initiated the new format wth Linkin 1999 is what made Rock famous in the first Park's "Minutes to Midnight" May 15. Since then, the Rush place when he broke through with "Devil album " Snakes & Arrows," which initially came out May 1, was Without a Cause" and the hits " Bawitd- reissued June 26 in a limited- edition MVI version. Kid Rock aba," "Cowboy" and "Only God Knows and the Flaming Lips are next in line for the premium- priced "Only God Knows Why" Why." "The icon can overshadow him," format, which comes in DVD with a version of the album 1999 Tortella says. playable on computers and an M P3 version that can be down- Rock agrees. "You never want loaded and burned to CD. In Linkin Park's case, it also came Modern Mil something to overshadow what with a making- the -video feature, wallpaper, a Rock EMI PDF booklet and your real talent is." the ability to make a ringtone using Urtone software Hot Country 2000 Songs To that end, Tortella says, At- To support the album, Rock is planning a promo tour, which Mainstream lantic's plan will "be about the will include radio events, prior to the release. There will also Rock music and how good it is. He be a series of theater and club dates to promote the album, with (HR/ hasn't had that in a long time." a full -scale tour planned for 2008. 2000 "Wasting Time" 35 Top 40 A few things are already con- "Kid Rock has been such a big arena artist for so many years, The Billboard III Hot 100 firmed, including an appearance getting to see him would be the hardest ticket in town," At- 2001 Adult on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" the lantic's Greenwald says. "Imagine being in a 1,000 -seat venue Top 40 week of release and a perform- and being that close to Kid Rock again. We can do so much with "Lonely Road Adult ance on Larry the Cable Guy's that as a promotion and a fan experience. 2002 of Faith" 15 Contemporary just Christmas special for VH1, which "He's so proud of this album, and he wants to work," Green- 2002 "You Never Met A Mother("'er Quite Like Me" 32 will tape Aug. 8 in Las Vegas and air in wald adds. "He's in such a great space, and he's so open. He re- December. Rock hopes to film a video for ally wants to be engaged. He's totally, `Come on, let's go!' For "So Hot " -a "pure evil" rocker whose cho- us, the best artists to work with are the ones who want to work rus ( "I don't wanna be your friend /I as hard as us." 2002 "Pleture "creaturing Sheryl Crow) wanna fuck you like I'm never gonna see Kallman is confident that despite the sales sag, Rock's pro- you again ") will be sanitized for commer- file is still a strong asset for the album. "He's a career artist," cial outlets- around the same time. ESPN will also Kallman says. "He's a one -of-a -kind, charismatic personal- use "So Hot" for its "Ultimate Highlights" show dur- ity. He's larger than life, and he's built a fiercely loyal follow- "Feel Like Makin' Love" 2003 33 ing September. ing. So it's about attacking the many areas that we can for Tortella says the label is talking to the WWE about exposure with a record that I believe can have a life on mul- 2004 "Jackson, Mississippi" 14 its Aug. 22 SummerSlam event in New York, produc- tiple formats." ers of the MTV Music Video Awards and the American Rock, however, feels that what's in the grooves -or bits - 2004 "Cold and Empty" 20 Music Awards, and with the NFL for Rock to perform will determine the album's ultimate success. at halftime of the Detroit Lions' annual Thanksgiving "What it comes down to is I'm only going to be as good as 2004 "Single Father" 50 Day game. the record is," he says. "It'll be as good as I perform it, as good Rock's Web site is being spruced up for the new as I go out and work it, all that stuff. I will do whatever it takes "I Am" 2004 28 album, and a viral campaign for "So Hot " -including to get this heard." AUGUST 4, 2007 www.billboard.biz 23 www.americanradiohistory.com.