Why did 'Take A Bow' flop in the UK?

[Cerro de Casa]

I am still a bit surprised. It's interesting how during the height of the backlash she still did okay with hitting the top 10 with ease ('Bad Girl' was a brush though )

It seemed to me that 'I'll Remember' did more at rebuilding her commercial brand in the US than it did in the UK though - which is odd because that mid tempo synthy thing was definitely more Euro-friendly to me than US.

Anyway then 'Secret' and Bedtime Stories came. I do remember feeling alarmed when 'Secret' fell to 10 from 5 on its 2nd week. I do remember Bedtime Stories also not getting rave reviews in the UK - was it partly the R&B thing?

Anyway then yes of course releasing 'Take A Bow' for Christmas was probably not the best idea - even though it's actually quite a nice ballad with potential Christmassy feels. Still, I remember the shock when it entered at 17 and then only went up to 16 the next week while Power Rangers and all that stuff were in the top 10.

14-year-old Suedey might have cried!

 

[lolly]

Was it the NME which LOVED Bedtime Stories? I remember not many critics liking it, and it coming from an unlikely place.

 

[RJN]

How much was its usage in Friends part of it being so big in America? Maybe the timing was different

 

[Inner Smile]

It's quite boring x

 

[Cerro de Casa]

It's quite boring x

Okay now you'r starting to irritate me.
Stop trolling please.

 

[Inner Smile]

Suedey

 

[POP!]

How much was its usage in Friends part of it being so big in America? Maybe the timing was different

That episode aired in May 1995. It would have peaked before then. I won’t say it’s particularly well remembered though for being a 7 week #1. In terms of the 90s ballads, I always heard “I’ll Remember” more.

 

[Inner Smile]

Which Friends scene?

 

[Penelope]

I just feel like as a nation we never really TOOK to Babyface

Our loss of course though. Simply sublime, would definitely make my Marge top 15

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

I don’t know how it did charts wise here but both Take a Bow and Secret got a lot of airplay when they were released whereas Bedtime Story and Human Nature never got any.

 

[Sheena]

Lots of reasons- Christmas rush, no promo, the UK was fed up of her and the singles packages themselves were absolute shit.

 

[dmlaw]

Which Friends scene?

Final moments of the final episode of the first series. Rachel has learned that Ross is in love with her and has gone to meet him at the airport, where he is getting off the plane with another woman.

 

[Cerro de Casa]

Lots of reasons- Christmas rush, no promo, the UK was fed up of her and the singles packages themselves were absolute shit.

OMG yes I forgot about that! Worst!

 

[lolly]

What was on the CD singles?

 

[Sheena]

What was on the CD singles?

Fuck all! Album version, radio edit, instrumental. If I remember, both CDs were the same but one had a calendar with it.

 

[Sheena]

The US got remixes, but I’m guessing they weren’t ready by the time of the UK release.

 

[Cerro de Casa]

What was on the CD singles?

Radio edit, album version and instrumental!!!

 

[BoysForSeles]

Most of what our Shee said plus it (for me) lacked a little bit of bite or personality that even her top ballads had and which she found again on her next ballad release ‘You’ll See’.

 

[Vicky the Vole]

I do remember it came out during Christmas '94 when there were a LOT of good singles around. That said, I was still surprised how badly it did over here when it did so well in the US.

 

[Mike(y) W]

I was in America for a few weeks when it was released as a single and it seemed to always be played on the radio. It's one of three songs that remind me of that particular trip to the States because I heard it so often. The other two being Ace of Base's 'Living In Danger' and Janet's 'You Want This', which were similarly everywhere at the time.

I loved 'Take A Bow' back then, but it became forever associated with my lovely friend Darrell who had requested it as the final song at his celebration of life memorial service and I could never bring myself to listen to it by choice after that.