Bouncing Off Clouds Video Confirmed

Fabz writes to let us know that the video for “Bouncing Off Clouds” has appeared on the MTV BRAND:NEW playlist. You can’t link to it directly but if you select Tori Amos from the “artista” drop-down and click on “:cerca”, you will see all the times that MTV Italy has played the video. So it exists. Unfortunately, though, the video is not viewable on that site nor on MTV.it.

Bouncing Off Clouds Video on MTV Italia

Fabz reports that several members of the Italian Tori forum have seen a “Bouncing Off Clouds” video on MTV Italia". It’s said that the video is similar to the one for Big Wheel though with some different photographs. If anyone can provide additional information, it would be appreciated!

The American Doll Posse Songbook

Mike M points out that Amazon.com has added a listing for the American Doll Posse songbook. The collection will be available starting October 7th.

Update: Amazon is saying October 1st now.

Seeking New Recruits: The Big Wheel Video Contest

The rumors about a green screen contest are true!

Well, sorta… ToriAmos.com has announced a contest to create a video for “Big Wheel”. At that page you will find multiple-angle performance footage and other “digital assets” which you can use (or not) to create a video for the song. Completed videos should be uploaded to YouTube and submitted to Epic. The winning video will be posted on ToriAmos.com and its director will be flown, with a friend, to one of the concerts on Tori’s upcoming US tour. (As you might guess from the prize, the full contest rules indicate that only US citizens residing within the country are eligible.) The contest ends June 14th.

Tori Question On "Ask Billboard"

The following question from a Toriphile was in Ask Billboard (May 4th, 2007):

Hi Keith,

Being something of an obsessive fan of Tori Amos, I’ve always wondered why I keep hearing vague mutterings that her 1996 “Boys for Pele” album (my personal favorite) is her highest seller in the U.S. I find this surprising, considering the anecdotal evidence I keep hearing of people preferring her somewhat less obscure earlier albums (“Little Earthquakes” and “Under the Pink”).

Since she’ll presumably be back in the upper reaches of the Billboard 200 next week with “American Doll Posse,” I was wondering if you could let me know sales figures for her albums to date.

Thanks,
Roozi Araghi
Canberra, ACT, Australia

Hello Roozi,

Those mutterings you’re hearing are all wrong. “Boys for Pele” is Amos’ third-best seller in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. It has sold 1 million units in America, while “Little Earthquakes” (1.9 million) and “Under the Pink” (1.4 million) are tops.

Amos’ new album, “American Doll Posse,” is on track to become her sixth top 10 album on The Billboard 200 when it debuts next week. (Note: This column was written on May 4.)

Thanks, Ivan!

Mini Video Interview On EuroNews

Philippe M told us that EuroNews.net has a short video interview with Tori up on their website. The sound is a bit garbled, but Tori is far more relaxed than she is in most interviews. But … are they really interviewing her in a … is that a … parking lot?

Tori Featured In "Borders Monthly" For May

Jessika noticed the following in the May edition of Borders Monthly:

A Notorius Doll

Go ahead: Call Tori Amos a “Cornflake Girl.” Say she’s lost her edge and that 15 years have softened her and made her more willing to play by the rules. She dares you. Her newest offering, American Doll Posse, proves that instead of diminishing her, 15 years have only fed Amos’s fire. Now, instead of one, there are five — five personae, that is, all fragments of Amos’s feminine whole — each character embodying an archetypal quality that is so completely developed that she has her own voice, her own songs, and even her own blog. Amos has never been short on ambition, and this conceptual art-pop masterpiece show she’s not slowing down. The Borders-exclusive edition of this CD comes with instructions for downloading an additional track.

Tori On The Charts (May 9, 2007)

Here are the debut chart positions for American Doll Posse....

Billboard Top 200: #5
Billboard Top Internet: #3
Billboard Top Rock Albums: #2
Billboard Top Digital Albums: #3
Billboard Comprehensive Albums: #5
ARIA (Australia): #20
IRMA (Ireland): #28
FIMI (Italy): #18
Netherlands: #5
UK: #50
Finland: #7
Ultratop Alt. Albums (Belgium): #42
Ultratop 50 (Belgium): #23
Sweden: #24
RIANZ Top 10 Heatseekers (NZ): #2
IFOP (France): #48
Canadian Top 100: #15
Canadian Alt. Album Top 50: #4

From Billboard News
— Tori Amos’ “American Doll Posse” (Epic) debuts at No. 5 with 54,000, her sixth top 10 record. The artist’s last album, 2005’s “The Beekeeper,” also entered at No. 5 but with 83,000.

And you know the story behind the poor UK ranking.

Meanwhile on radio, “Big Wheel” goes up to #11 on the Radio&Records AAA chart and up to #12 on the Mediabase AAA chart.

Thanks to Jesse, AlexanderUkraine, Andrew B., - Alex – , Fabz, christian, ian, ron, Mathew, matt e., matthew, Ivan, Andrew, Armen, Alex, Chris, Rodney, Mr. Zebra, Cristophe, Gabriel, and Clément.

Tori Sa-Sa-Sacrifices Higher UK Chart Rank

From Everythingtori.com:

We’ve had a lot of people asking so we thought we would take the opportunity to clarify something. According to the UK Chart Regulations, the limited edition special package of American Doll Posse has been disqualified from the UK Charts. Apparently offering the fans 5 postcards is considered too much of a gift, and sales of the CD are ineligible. Tori made the decision not to compromise the packaging so the UK fans would receive the same presentation as the rest of the world. We appreciate your interest and concern for the situation.

“Too much of a gift”? The sales of all the limited edition copies in the UK aren’t going to be counted because of what basically amounts to some extra album artwork? That seems pretty ridiculous to us. Come on, UK chart rulemaking people, these are copies of the ALBUM and they were SOLD. Count them, ferchrissakes.

Update: for interest, under the very short section on “Permitted Free Gifts,” the official UK chart rules state:

“Cards” to a maximum of 4. Card(s) must be contained within the format packaging and be 2 sided with no folds. Card(s) maybe printed on both sides. Maximum card size is dictated by the dimensions of the packaging they are to be contained within.

( Randy tells us they disqualified Beck’s last album too, because of stickers. Our jaws are on the floor.)

Whomever came up with those rules needs to get to a proctologist immediately. The Undented Doctor diagnoses severe anal retentiveness in need of urgent emergency treatment.

Sirius Seriously Awesome

I was lucky enough to attend the album release party Tuesday night in NYC at Spotlight, and it was AMAZING!!!! The venue was a large, 3-story night club filled with industry and press … and the lucky 100 fans who were able to get the coveted wristbands. We fans were allowed to sit in a small seated area on the floor immediately in front of Tori, while the press and others were made to sit back behind us at the raised bar and above us in the balconies. Both the piano and the Rhodes were on the small stage with Tori, and she opened with a teaser of “Bouncing Off Clouds — singing only a few lines repeatedly — and progressed into “Velvet Revolution,” followed by “Beauty Of Speed,” “Roosterspur Bridge,” “Almost Rosey,” and a chilling version of “Father’s Son.” Tori’s team has really mastered the reverb and vocal treatment during this song and it is haunting when played simultaneously on the Rhodes and Bösendorfer — GORGEOUS! It was one of the best solo performances I’ve seen Tori do.