I forgot about Jedward. I've never felt like their drive has come from within themselves though, more like someone else is the driving force and they're happy to go along for the ride. 1D work like crazy, for instance, but Simon's clearly the driving force behind them. Jedward do seem to have fallen off the radar somewhat since Louis stopped managing them.

They're still working, insanely hard, they're writing their fourth album, and they're still out travelling around doing promo, making videos e.t.c..

In fact, that's one thing they could teach Nicky, how to effectively use social media to promote yourself!

They're the ultimate fan girls though, so they just do what they'd like..

Yeah, I quite like Sam, and agree he'll be successful and become well known. I wouldn't have thought it would be in music either, but if Jedward have a fourth album coming out (really? I mean, really? I had no idea) then anything could happen

My real hope is that RCA put lot of work into a second album for Nicky (he did seem fairly certain abut going back to XF in November so that would be good publicity for it) and get new songs written for his voice, in the meantime he builds up experience, develops a better media strategy and continues to develop vocally.

Where was this mentioned A_Smith? I'd like Nicky to get a performance slot on X Factor 2014. He's proved on the tour that he can command a stage and he oozes confidence when performing.

I THINK it was the stv interview at the time of the HMV signing - the internet in my hotel is hideously slow tonight, or I'd check for you

I hope so too!

I think he really needs to shed this image of him as some boring ballad singer too, he's got so much personality, people are so unaware of it!

No, it wasn't the HMV thing. Might have been the Chart Show TV interview though, but I can't check that as it's on Sky Plus at home. I'm almost completely sure I'm haven't made it up It sounded plausible, because won't SamB be having her baby around that time?

Her publicity baby, you mean?

I still haven't got around to watching that Chart Show interview. I'll try and remember to watch it tomorrow.

I do hope you're right (and Nicky's right for that matter - Given his shoddy treatment on the show to aid others I thought a return to the XF stage would be unlikely to be on the cards) and that the second album is definitely happening. He deserves committed development.

...but we got Answerphone which really isn't a direction Nicky should be venturing into. Otherwise more songs like this, and I'm sadly confident that it'd be curtains for his music career.

I do admire Nicky and some of the things he posts on Twitter. Things like "i live, i learn, i make mistake, but i'm only human" so it does seem like he's definitely learning, and continuing to learn which is surely a positive thing.

I just wish there was someone at RCA taking a genuine interest in Nicky, and guiding him up the right path. If it were up to me, I'd take Nicky up a route similar to what Beyonce did back in 2006/7. Nicky excels when he sings ballads, that's when you hear his pure tone. Not the screeching awkward off key singing that he seems to showcase when singing Answerphone acoustically. That's not the Nicky I liked on X Factor.

Anyways, back to my point ( ) Beyonce had Freemasons remix all her singles in 2006/7. That's a sort of route I'd go with. Let Nicky sing ballads, and pop songs similar to Smile, and covers like When The Stars Go Blue (where his voice is just so natural and warm). Then get a decent DJ/producer to remix all of Nicky's singles. If people then buy the single version AND the remix on iTunes that's two sales towards one song. More sales = higher chart position. I should be working in the music industry tbh. Sometimes I feel like I understand the industry better than the "experts".

LOL

Have to admit, when I first read about this I instantly thought "genius publicity stunt". The timing of the announcement BEFORE the album release couldn't have made it seem so obvious (OMG, an actual MOTHER was #1 in the charts on Mothers Day **shock horror**).

FACEPALM

Had Sam broke the news around now AFTER the album release it wouldn't have seemed so media manipulated.

^ Just to confirm, my Caps Lock key wasn't getting stuck just then. The use of capitals in that post were intended to emphasise my point.

In the Press today:

X Factor star Nicholas McDonald proves a smash hit as he drops in on local nursery
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/sc...donald-3391494

X Factor's Nicholas McDonald is supporting SCIAF Wee Box appeal
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/lo...orting-3384428

I don't want to rain on your parade but I'm pretty certain it doesn't work like that anymore. Sales of the remix will only count towards the remix's chart position as a separate thing from the main version. The rules were changed at some point (possibly after Trevor Horn kept Frankie Goes To Hollywood at Number 1 for 9 weeks with a staggered release of an insane amount of remixes of Two Tribes).

I wanted to dedicate my 18,000 post on DS to Nicky but forgot, so now it's on a thread about cock pictures ...

Ah well, I wish I wasn't working till 6 or I'd have entered his little competition!

Not at all. When Robyn hit #1 in 2007 with With Every Heartbeat, there were about 14 different versions/remixes of the same song all available to download on iTunes. If one person bought all 14 remixes individually (not as a digital bundle) that meant 14 sales counting towards the same song. Also eg; when Adele went to #1 with Someone Like You (Brit Awards live performance), the album version was top 5 at the same time. All the sales counted towards one chart position. The album and live versions didn't chart separately.

I might be wrong but I think sales will only be separated if specified by the record company.

What the book says:

Rules for Chart Eligibility - Singles - April 2013

http://c0903002.cdn.cloudfiles.racks...april-2013.pdf

... 4.0 Combining Formats for Singles Chart DIGITAL
The following digital formats may be combined for chart placing.

d. i) Digital Audio Track Permanent Digital Download Unlimited digital variants or alternative versions of featured song may be combined for chart placing.

e. ii) Digital Single Bundle Permanent Digital Download Maximum of 3 digital bundles may be combined for chart placing

... 4.1 f - Note: The featured song across all formats of a single need not be identical for their sales to be combined, but should be substantially the same - that is, an identical OR extended OR remixed OR live OR alternative version of the basic song.4.1

Rules for Chart Eligibility - Albums - April 2013

http://c0903002.cdn.cloudfiles.racks...april-2013.pdf

... 4.4 Remix and Live Albums
Sales of remix or live albums will not be combined with sales of the original studio version.

Midweek charts - albums
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/updatealbums

7 Sam B
Nicky no longer in TOP 40 (may still be in TOP 100)

Hmm. Guess I have it wrong then. I could have sworn rules were changed at some point. Maybe they were but changed back. Maybe it was a format thing (pre-digital dominance). Or maybe I just imagined it

Still, sales of Answerphone on the album weren't combined with the sales of the single for the single's chart placing, were they? The charts used to be so much more straight forward. They're so fragmented now. I guess it will get even more difficult when streaming gets factored in.

Anyway, to prove I'm not a complete idiot, I've discovered a way to get a cleaner extraction of the vocal from Answerphone, which gives more flexibility in my remix. I've had a day off today and done a bit of tinkering. Might try and get a rough mix of the whole thing up and running this eve in which case I'll post my progress for ridicule

I wonder if Nicky will understand my cryptic tweet was a sly dig at RCA and not aimed at him..

What was your cryptic tweet?

He tweeted something about hard work, and I was like, yeah but sometimes you need a helping hand too..

Ah ok. I've not been on twitter much the last few days. There doesn't seem much point when Nicky's not tweeting much Just been on now and the layout seems to have gone ALL KINDS OF HORRIBLE.

I like the new profiles.

He's been tweeting on and off.

I'd have thought he'd have been a bit busier tbh..

AND the website's still moribund. At least the 'thank you for getting me to xf final' is gone now, so at least they know they HAVE a website.....

Strikes me it would be good at the very least to have one place for fans to go to for info about gigs etc., and not leave them having to search around on Google.

I got a ticket for Young Scot after all. Never been to an awards show before, so I thought why not? Nicky is due on around 9.30 ish, and I'm possibly more excited than he is very little detail about it on Twitter etc