This site is announcing Bryan's next single as a double A side of 'Midnight Train' and 'Johnny and Mary'. Good choice if true.

http://www.music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?nItemID=88736

Thanks for the news, Manifesto!

Would have been a lot happier with One Night Stand / Johnny & Mary

So, in a world where digital downloads and "streaming" dominates how music is disseminated to the masses, what does it mean that an artist is "releasing a single"?

Is there anyway that single song is actually available in some discreet format (like an old school 45 or a "cd-single") where someone can purchase it as a "single" song (perhaps with a B-side)?

Go to iTunes, or Amazon, or wherever and it seems EVERY song is available as a single download (hence the demise of The Album). So what makes the "release of a new single" meaningful in this commercial context?

Just wondering...

I'm wondering the same...

But there have been 12" vinyl releases of some tracks from the Olympia album. Other than that I really don't know anymore what it means to speak of a single release.

It's bad enough that so few 'singles' are released in a physical format anymore, but it seems record companies can't even be bothered with a decent digital package either - no single artwork / ep / b side even. It's just invariably a case of download the album track. Lazy and sloppy.
On the plus side, 'Midnight Train' is on the Radio 2 playlist.

I hoped Bryan might have used his website to market and sell physical single releases including extras and artwork. There isn't a big market but thought there might be enough to cover costs and to keep us all engaged.

I think his record label are using single 'releases' for profile raising - air play, column inches - to generate tour sales and maybe album sales too. Changing times for music and no clear picture of the future yet.