HMV’s 200-plus stores throughout the UK and Ireland report that pre-orders of the
album, which is released this coming Monday, 23rd January, are the highest for any
debut rock act since the release of Oasis’ ‘Definitely Maybe’ more than ten years
ago, in August 1994.
It looks certain, however, that The Arctic Monkeys’ first-week sales will dwarf even
that landmark Oasis release, with anything up to 200,000 copies of ‘Whatever You Say
That I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ predicted to be sold in the first seven days.
Indeed, it could be that The Arctic Monkeys have the fastest first-week sales of any
debut rock album in the UK.
This level of demand, fuelled by huge media interest, is prompting HMV to open its
Sheffield store at midnight this coming Sunday so that the band’s hometown fans will
be the first to own the album. HMV’s main high street stores in the UK’s major
cities will open their doors at 8.00am – earlier than normal – on Monday morning so
that fans can buy copies on their way to work or college.
This trend is supported by thousands of customer orders on HMV’s online store -
HMV.co.uk – which are the most taken for any debut act since the website first went
live in 1997. In fact HMV.co.uk started receiving orders as far back as late
October, before the album even had a title.
Says Gennaro Castaldo, head of HMV Press & PR: “We might be entering the Chinese
Year of the Dog, but as far as the Music Industry is concerned 2006 is very much the
‘Year of the Monkey’. We haven’t seen this level of excitement for a new artist
since the Britpop-heralding arrival of Oasis more than ten years ago.
“There has been a great vibe around the Arctic Monkeys for quite a few months now,
but it usually takes much longer for a band to develop mainstream appeal and the
commercial success that comes with it. The Arctic Monkeys seem to have managed this
in just one leap – it’s amazing how much impact they have had in such a short time.”
The Arctic Monkeys this week look set to secure their second UK number one single in
as many releases with ‘When the Sun Goes Down’.
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Contact: Gennaro Castaldo HMV Head of Press & PR (UK & Ireland) Film House, 142 Wardour Street, London W1F 8LN D: ++44(0) 20 74322033 / M: ++44(0)780 1194139 E-Mail: gennaro.castaldo@hmv.co.uk
