i was reading an article about Cook and i read towards the bottom of the article that Archie and Cook were gonna release both albums on the same day....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20080805/en_music_eo/22141

i think this isnt a good idea because its just gonna be a compettition again.
but if this is true im still gonna buy both.

Well, if they do, then oh well. lol I hope both of them do well. Of course, those dates are never set in concrete and could always get moved again. Season 5 is a prime example of that.

Im so mad at this... It just pisses me off!!

I don't know why if Cook was the winner they keep getting all the attention on Archie!! I don't think it's fair!!!

I have nothing against Archie (he's a talented boy with an awsome voice) but he didn't win the contest and he's every were with David Cook!! And even their cd is gonna be out the same day!!!

In previous seasons this didn't happen... so I don't think that's fair with Cook and all the fans who voted for him!

that's okay. kelly clarkson's new cd is supposedly coming out mid-November also. It's going to be idol mania at the record store, but hey, at least it makes it easy for one-stop shopping. :-)

The article is ridiculous. They said there is no release date for Cook's album. Then they say DC and AC will release on the same day. Wait you don't know the date of either release. GRRRRRR! The columnist just pulled this out his ***. He has no idea. Disregard this dribble

IF that's the case then Archie is yet again riding DC's coattails...

That is not true. Taylor won season 5 and didn't release his CD first. Pickler did. Those release dates aren't set in stone at this point anyways.

Clay released his album before Ruben did and he didn't win S2, but a joint release date was planned. Their respective fanbases are still fighting over who TPTB really wanted to win.

I suspect it will be the same for D2 as well. And Kristy Lee gets her album out before anybody.

I don't see any reason to be upset if they release albums on the same day. It removes any question of preferential treatment and leaves a week until Kelly gets her album out. That way, 19 makes lots of money and the ArchAngels/Word Nerds can duke it out on the charts. Getting two fanatical fanbases to buy as many albums as possible is a no-lose scenario in the eyes of TPTB.

Now this part I agree with. Why all the angst in here? I honestly don't get it. It might end up being a good marketing strategy for both in other words win-win.

I can't imagine why TPTB would release the records at the same time. You would think they'd rather spread the publicity over at least a couple of weeks. If this does happen, I am sure it is someone's idea of a marketing ploy.

I don't think Archie's record sales will impact DC's at all. I think their fan groups are definitely different people. There may be some cross over, but not a whole lot, mostly in the younger age group.

Actually, it makes sense that TPTB market both Davids heavily as they were both popular with many millions of votes cast. TPTB want to make money on both of them. Why have one when you can have two?

Since DC and DA have steadfastly supported one another, and seemed to like being together on programs; I don't have a problem with it. DC and DA have done more to diffuse the fan wars than one would think possible.

When I saw the Elvis Duran video when CRush debuted, Archie looked so nervous; I wished DC was there with him. Poor guy. Fortunately, the guy that interviewed him was fairly kind.

Honestly, I really don't think it's anything to be upset over.

I agree 100%. It would seem a little crazy to some but yeah, it wouldn't definitely be a marketing ploy. I don't think Archie's sales will impact DC's either. They aren't being marketed to the same groups in all honesty. You better believe they want to make money off of both! This was their dream finale this year!

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I don't agree at all. I think Cookie should have his CD out first. But remember we're talking about our David. To him it's not a competition or who sells more records. He just wants to put out the best record he can.

Personally, as a fan, I would loved to have seen that happen, but that isn't going to be the case with Kristy's coming out early next month but as I said before, this is almost like season 5. The winner didn't release first that year either. I know it seems backwards and doesn't make much sense but we can't change it. As was said before, even if Archie's were to come out before Cookies, it won't hurt him IMO since they are being marketed to totally different demographics.

ummm why is this thread still alive?

I doubt that they will end up releasing on the same day; Cook will release last, most likely. This is indeed shaping up to be like Season 5. Who would have thought that when Cookie won? Not me, certainly.
It is really quite simple. You can call it speculation, pessimism, whatever you want. My concern here is Cookie's future so what people think about me is irrelevant.
Archie has a single out from his album with some huge radio promotion; Cook still has TOML, not a representation of his album. Archie's promo is just beginning; Cook's (Skechers notwithstanding) is dying down. If their albums are being released so close together, there should be at least some word on a single for Cook (even if they skip the promo). I can hear it now: Jive and RCA operate differently. That is undoubtedly a true statement. Just keep in mind that the last runner up to release a new single while on tour was Clay (his label was then and is now RCA, just saying).
Just a few things that have been posted that I feel should be cleared up simply because I think some people have the wrong information. These are some things that have been mentioned as unique to Cook and proof that he has the utmost support (I believe he has support, just not as much as some others seem to think).
1.) TOML was used on the ESPYs. - Yes, but so was Just To Feel That Way by Taylor Hicks (last year, in the same category: Best Moment).
2.) Cook has a Grammy winning producer for his album. - True, but Matt Serletic, the Grammy winning producer of Matchbox 20 and Rob Thomas fame, produced Taylor's album.
3.) Cook provided a wish list of people he wanted to work with and RCA delivered. - Again, true, and Arista did the same thing for Blake Lewis last year.
4.) The number of fans on this board alone is a guarantee of Cook's success. - Completely and utterly false. At the time of his win, Taylor's fan board had three times as many members and still does.
5.) Daughtry couldn't get a lot of airplay on Z100. - Au contraire. It's Not Over was their #3 most played song of 2007, Home was in their top 10 and Over You got a major debut there.
6.) Cook appearing on Leno again to perform so soon is a first for a winner. - No, Taylor did that too as well as the GMA Summer Concert Series in August when the AI tour was in New York.
7.) Several finalists within one season can have varying degrees of success. - True. But the winner must have the biggest sales or they lose their major label deal (period).
8.) Archie's single being released now is just because he didn't have one at the end of the season. - Someone please tell Justin Guarini and Blake Lewis how badly they were cheated. This is a single from the album, folks, not an AI song. And it was #1 tonight on Z100's 9@9, so the Archies are definitely doing their thing.
9.) The Skechers deal - Taylor's Ford commercials (on TV, in print and on radio), People magazine cover and book deal

I am not saying that Cook does not have label support as TOML would not have lasted as long as it has without it. TOML is not going to sell a rock album on planet Earth. We have yet to see the evidence of support towards selling the album (not saying it isn't there, just that we haven't seen it yet). My personal hope is that it is outstanding. We know that Archie has some huge support behind him; let's hope the support for Cook is just as great.
And, no, it doesn't really matter when the albums are released (although it makes the voters for AI essentially meaningless and I can't figure out why people continue to vote - this is the first time I voted for the winner, and he isn't exactly getting the winner's treatment, so I won't be bothering to vote again, if I even watch at all). The media will be all over it if Archie releases first with S2 and S5 comparisons that would be hurtful to Cook (just speculation, right? Yes, until it happens.). But none of that will matter if Cook blows the doors off the place with his sales when his album is released (the media will change their tune faster than a hooker changes underwear and line up to kiss his feet - an exaggeration, but you get the idea). If his sales are not higher than everyone else's from this season (this is where the competition does still exist to a degree, whether you like it or not), forget about it; it will be done and over with. His major label deal would be history and he would go back to making music independently.

Absolutely nothing of this post is speculation; it is pure fact. I have not once said that Cook has no support or that he is doomed (because I don't believe that he is). There are two possibilities:
1.) The promotional attention can be diverted (as it has been recently or this thread would not exist) and Cookie gets overlooked in the shuffle (oh, yes, it can happen).
2.) The label and management support and promote the hell out of him and he sells the units that are expected of him (read: the most of his season).

The American Idol competition is over and for whatever it is worth, Cook won. But to say that Cook and Archie are no longer in competition is naive. Maybe Archie isn't because as runner up, if he gets a couple hit singles and at least a gold album, he will get a second album. The Archies are certainly doing their thing to help him get there and they don't seem to think the competition is over by a long shot. But, for Cook, the competition does continue, whether you want to look at it that way or not. He must produce hit singles and the best-selling album from S7 to get that second album. Then, when that second album is guaranteed, the competition IS over. Remember finale night? When you would do anything to make sure he got that title? He will need you more than ever before (more than he ever will again) when the album single is released but most especially when the album comes out. I will most definitely be doing my part to help him get there. I would suggest that all other Cook fans who want more than one kick-*** album from our boy do the same. If you don't believe that any of that matters and somehow Cook will be fine no matter what, go ahead and carry on as usual (but don't complain later or say you didn't know).

I feel like a cheerleader (with a little politician on the side). None of this is meant to upset or discourage anyone (on the contrary, this is more like a call to arms for the talented, humble and damn sexy David Cook). But I am serious as a heart attack and every word is true.

i think it is useless to complain about the release date of Archie and Cookie's album.. for me, i just want to know that the album is coming this year and that he is currently doing a lot of stuff to make the album great with the help of a lot of great people

even if they release both album on the same date.. i will only buy DC's album and maybe just download a few songs from Archie's.. i believe both singers will be successful though i predict a more international success to Cookie coz on the other part of the world we don't really bother about Archie..

Well said! I agree 100%!

hehe why bother with Archie anyways?

Dustin- I agree! Archie, has sellability, but he wouldn't do as well in Europe as DC, his music is more rock for the UK...and pop is kinda going out in the UK at the moment!

But time will tell!! As I've said before David just wants to release a record he is proud of...

That article is made up of odd and bob floating around the net, and the final paragraph actually doesn't make any sense at all.

Archie's single is due quite soon, as it's already ready to go I'd imagine within a couple of weeks of the tour ending, with him free to do the promotional rounds - so if the single is out around Mid to end of September, and the single is a taster for the album to get people interested in buying it, I cant see TPTB then leaving it a full six weeks minimum, bringing us up to mid November, David's expected release date, to release the album. Archie's album will follow swiftly on it's heals, I'd imagine at this point it's nearly done - remember he hasn't written it, all the songs will have already been there, probably mid October to capitalize on the buzz around the single.

It actually doesn't really matter who releases what when, David and Archie's demographics are completely different, the music press interested in them will vary wildly. For example, Archie will get Tigerbeat (apologies I'm from the UK and that's the only tween/teen based American mag that I know of), David is more likely to get Rolling Stone/Q (I'm presuming you have that). Neither will have much impact on the other, apart from the daily media.

And TLR makes a very, very good point. Simon Fuller isn't a fool, he knows that David will sell in bucketloads in Europe, Archie is very much less likely to make any impact, the trend for male singers in the UK at the moment is far more towards David's style then Archie's.

My sentiments exactly, Dustin.

It's not really worth agonizing over the release dates of their debut albums - it's totally apples and oranges altogether. Besides, while Archie's fanbase seem to cover only a certain part of the globe (as far as I figured, his international fans seemed to have moved on), David's fanbase has spread far and wide, and global at that.

That is true. Also there is more of an age variety.

A little depressing but SO true!
Thank you for this.

I also agree with both you and Polly. Very sensible posts indeed. As mj pointed out on her blog earlier, during season 5 it was reported that Picker, Taylor, and Kat were going to release their CD's on the same day and of course that didn't happen. So the likelihood of this I think is slim but if it happens so what.

slw321,

The Sketchers deal lasts until late next year. Where is your evidence that it is dying down? All you are saying is nothing more than just speculation with nothing to back it up. Just because you don't see anything there doesn't mean something isn't happening. If you can prove to me he has less support than the others, then you need to post a link to back your info up because so far that is BS. So far, there have been a total of 3 Mediabase ads produced for TOML since it was released and those ads aren't cheap by any means. um did you know that? TOML was featured twice last week on SYTYCD which helped boost the sales of the song. If RCA wanted David to sink, that wouldn't have happened and he wouldn't have been provided with the top song writers and producers that he has for his album. NO, there are no guarantees of success with any of these idols that are signed, but the handwringing with no evidence just irritates me.

As far as the album's release date, there are tons of dates that are floating around the net with nothing concrete yet. I won't believe this same day business until I see an official announcement from both camps.

I think there's nothing to be worried about.. David and Archie are so different from each other in terms of personality and music style! Same issue happened with Jason when his fans first heard the news that Archie will also sing "Crazy".. They were fuming mad, but the song came out differently from JC's version, so it all ended up well.

What is this constant comparison to Taylor Hicks? I just don't get it. I know this thread is up so that we can speculate and vent at leisure, so I am not criticizing anyone's comments, however, I can say I am confused by them.
First of all, Arista had a very hard time with airplay and promotion with Taylor because his genre was not exactly defined. Radio station's DJ's didn't find his single fit in many of their formats. The original single that he began promoting in December was not recieved well by fans, and had to be changed and another single was introduced, the end of January. Arista, finally addressed in various articles that Taylor had a great cd. that was moving slower because his target audience was adult contemporary and it just takes this group longer to buy their music and move cd units up the charts. Taylor, and Arista were hopefull that his full capacity gigs would translate into cd sales. It didn't, and it wasn't because of the lack of support from the show or the record company. Archie's single is out, with much promotion to his target audience. Good for him. Jive is is record company and does a good job promoting its young artists. Archie has a good voice, and is adorable, however, Cook has a good voice and is just as adored by his fans. RCA has alot riding on his success. Our support will be what gets Cook out there, if he is good, he will pick up new fans and be the success we are waiting for him to be.

I would agree this 100% and I have to say that the constant attempts to prove that David Cook is Taylor Hicks from a few particular posters is really souring the tone of this board. It makes me want to reverse my earlier desire to stay away from Archie's single and buy 100 copies of it when it comes out just to combat this stuff despite the fact that I feel tween rock is the death of the universe.

This kind of stuff - the defeatist attitude, the continuous attempt to fit everything into a conspiracy theory - will kill the traffic on this board and sway support away from David Cook more than anything else will. If new fans and lurkers are convinced that it is all over and that Cook's career is doomed, they'll lose interest and they won't want to come to what is most of the time a very fun board. The constant paranoia is doing more to kill Cook's support that any radio promotion that Jive could do for Archie ever could. I feel really bad for how much I've contributed to it, because most of the time I just want people to tell me to shut up because I'm being ridiculous. But that's no excuse.

Furthermore, I'd like to point something out. From the very beginning, David Cook said winning Idol did not guarantee him anything. He said that his goal was to make a great album and that if it wasn't commercially successful that was okay as long as he got to put out a great product. He's said time and time again that he's out to enjoy this experience and that his main goal in having a musical career is just to continue having one. He's gotten to play arenas. He is going to go on a nationwide and or/worldwide tour with one of his best friends. He's written songs with the people he idolized as a teenager. His album is being produced by the same guy who put together the album he learned to play guitar on.

If his album never sold a single copy, he already would have accomplished more than he could have dreamed of when he was a struggling musician back in Tulsa.

It seems that some people will never be happy when it comes to David Cook. It doesn't matter how happy *he* is, they will always be convinced that his career and his chances for success are doomed. It seems some people are so obsessed with Taylor that they are determined to make sure that Cook follows his path. I think the reason
I became paranoid in the first place is because I hung out on the scary boards too often and swallowed this stuff for way too long. I'm just sorry it took me so long to figure out it had nothing to do with David Cook, but with people who will just not let their Taylor issues go. I say take it to a Taylor board and hash it out there!

I never used to care who outsold who on the charts. In fact, I look at who's driving Top 40 radio now and I want to cry. Miley? The Jonas Brothers? Jordin? Please make it stop! I remember when I was a teenager in the '90s it was driven by real musicians. I feel that's where Cookie's heart is and he misses that time period because he still
worships all the bands that were popular ten years ago. That's why I loved him in the first place. I loved Jason and Brooke and Carly and MJ and Chikezie for the same reasons and had a lot of fun this year because the show had real musicians to its credit. Even Archie is probably not a tweener at heart and would rather be doing Josh Groban Jr tunes.

I think Cook probably doesn't care about this as much as we do and we should probably strive to be more like him. From now on, I'm going to try.

Who needs vaseline for the hand wringing fest?

You know what cracks me up? David is actually surpassing normal expectations winners have coming off AI, with the exception of Kelly he's getting more airplay and selling bigger with his coronation song than any other winner (and yes if you think RCA *didn't* push TOML I got a bridge to sell you), he's got guiding him on his album the guy responsible for some of the biggest rock albums of the last few years, he said they're going to try for a single as soon as possible. But of course he's royally screwed and will be the biggest bomb of a winner ever! The horror!!! If some want to make comparisons there are other people besides Taylor to compare to. This bizarre obsession with comparing everything to Taylor is mindboggling. Looks to me like even if we do get good news SOME will simply take it and twist it into something depressing. I'll lay money down right now and say if we got news of single tomorrow and got massive airplay off the bat people would complain, or if he sold some record breaking amount of CD's in a week, people would whine and complain because it's the only way they know how to think. It must be painful to read people who are actually anxious and looking forward to things to come if you constantly have to kill any joy that may be found. I'm not one to believe David will go on to be the next Daughtry or the next Taylor because frankly it's too soon to know ANYTHING whether it be good or bad. I'm in wait and see mode, but god some people are excited, let's just sour their mood.


Taylor's Ford commercials lasted through the summer, David has an 18 month deal with Skechers. Carrie Underwood did not even get that kind of deal off the bat. She was initially signed for a year and when her career started skyrocketing they extended her contract.

As for Z100, I don't blame them for giving Archie's song airplay off the bat because I do think it's catchy but be grateful they even have TOML on their playlist given how it's a coronation song. Z100 or any major market pop stations never touched Taylor or Blake's music with a ten foot poll.

slw321, I don't know what's dying down, but just this week TOML went up. In September David will be singing in show that will be broadcast by the 3 biggest networks on TV, who do you think got him there? Sketchers is not dying, it hasn't started yet. Was it Taylor or Carrie who got the Sketchers deal before? I think you know the right answer. You say there won't be a single, David already said there will be a single soon (September). There isn't buzz about him? even this week there were multiple articles everywhere about Rob beeing his producer. TOML is doing good, so why would he need a single now? Kelly and Carrie didn't need it in August too.
Why do you compare to Taylor instead of Daughtry? After all Taylor was not recording during the tour, Daughtry was, just like David is. Taylor's album was out in December, Daughtry's was in November, just like David. Daughtry also had a wishlist of co-writers. Daughtry had an old friend in his band, David has an old friend with him too. The show didn't want Taylor to win, they wanted Daughtry, just liked they wanted David C to win.
David is getting so much support, I don't see what's the problem. Did you expect Jive not to support David A? seriouslY? that Is naif. Both Davids were always the big deal this season, of course they would. Doesn't mean RCA won't do their job. DC will sell more albuns than DA, if anything they will fight in singles. But in albuns DC will kick ***. And the Amazon numbers are really showing that.

I'm going to say one last thing about the issue of believing he's screwed because there's nothing concrete about a single yet. This will be the last thing I say because I know the usual suspects will ignore it or turn it into some worst case scenario. Daughtry did not announce his first single until the first week in November. In fact he didn't even start mentioning how RCA was trying to decide on a single until the end of September and much time was spent trying to make the right choice. It wasn't until the first week in November Chris sent out a MySpace bulletin announcing the title and that week he premiered it on a North Carolina radio station, THREE weeks before his album dropped. Last I checked not having news of a single while the tour was still going on didn't hurt him.

Pam, you go girl! I've found it to be too tiring to continue trying to reason with these pessimistic speculators. Glad to see you're still carrying the torch.

I really loved both Lee and Trina's last couple of posts, but this part right here speaks volumes! Back in early January, Blake got airtime on Z100 during the noon hour with Shelly I believe it was for an interview and his single was not played even ONCE! Most of us have learned that if Z100 doesn't pick up your song, then you are really in trouble. He was on his 2nd single at that point. Usually, if Z100 picks up your song, then other stations will follow. That is sort of the rule of thumb and other stations closely watch what they do.

I for one was stunned that TOML got airplay on Z100. I hoped it would but I really didn't expect it to happen to be honest since it was the coronation song. I was sitting here in this chair and I clearly remember the first time they played it. There is a website called yes.com that monitors airplay of some of the Mediabase monitored and a few non-monitored stations. The first time I saw it was about 2 weeks after the finale. I was really excited to see it for the first time but I didn't want to get too jubilant at that point because I just wanted to see if it would pop up again, and eventually it did and then it continued and on June 17th, it showed up as an official add on the AllAccess.com site.

This week we only had one official add, but it came from Boston (#10) which was nice to see especially since it's been over 2 months now since the song first made it to their airwaves.

As far as DA goes, I knew when he was signed to Jive that if the right single was put out for him that he'd have a good fighting chance and I think they have hit a home run with Crush. I didn't doubt for one minute that they would support DA. The producers got the ideal finale this year with the top 2 and their intent is to make money off of BOTH of them!

Lee,

I have also seen the Amazon rankings of both DA and DC's albums. Those #'s will change from one hour to the next as most of us know, but you are correct, those rankings at the moment are very telling between those 2.

I know I am a little sad reading some of these pessimistic remarks.

Over the last couple of weeks, knowing that David is in the studio every chance he gets on his days off from the tour and the last couple of interviews in NY or even on the Blue Carpet on the TCAs - when the interviewer asked David how the album is going - you can hear the excitement in David's voice - talking about how well it is going, how much support he is getting from his producer, oh by the way the official press release that came out yesterday, 8/5 from RCA Label, how the album is targeted for mid-November. Over the last interview or two just over the last few days the excitement about a single coming out as soon as possible. The Sketcher marketing campaign does not even kick off until after the tour is over and this is in conjunction with marketing the album. There are so many good things going on with David right now I wish we would just concentrate on the positive and not compare him to idol scenarios from the past.

I just checked them out as I was sort of confused about whether Archie's album was even available for pre-order.
Currently Archie is #133, Cookie is #41, but of course these things change all the time. I would have thought Archie would have been *way* higher than that, frankly. And Amazon is currently having a 2-for-1 special for both of them, of course

KLC is nowhere to be found on Amazon except for her 2005 album. So much for 19 placing her as a priority. I think I will end up downloading her single out of pity.

I check them pretty much everyday... It really is not just the numbers from today that are very postive... but the numbers since the begining of pre-order.
For starters, Archie's album peaked at #4 for a couple of hours, Cook's peaked at #2 for more than a day. Cook has been out of top 100, but not that far from 100. Archie has been 300ish something. With the new single and the starting if re-orders it climbed to 100 ish/200ish. Cook's album has been top 50 for 2 weeks now, there have been re-orders.
Of course all of this doesn't mean much... but it does show that there is much more interest in Cook's album so far and there is buzz around Cook.

Another positive point - do any of us honestly think Simon Fuller would waste his time personally managing David if the record company wasn't 100000% behind him?

Once the single is ready, and the album about to launch, buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a glorious ride

Very true on that.

Can we just be optimistic a little, take this moment and live it out loud for this one?

Some people do.
like me.
That was kind of mean.