| CMU Daily - on the inside 27 Jun 2002 |
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One from the sixties - which former Cavern cloakroom girl followed resident band The Beatles to top the charts?
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NAPSTER WINS APPROVAL OF $5.1 MILLION DEBTOR-IN-POSSESSION LOAN
Napster has won approval for bankruptcy protection against a $5 million loan from shareholder BMG. It means Napster can use the money to fund business operations and a key employee retention plan, without the company's £11 million of debtors grabbing the cash. Napster was unable to win approval, however, for complicated bid procedures in connection with the proposed sale of all its assets to Bertelsmann in a deal valued at $92m. If the sale is approved Napster expects to have as much as $10.3m in cash to go to unsecured creditors, meaning a 93% pay back. But BMG say if said procedures aren't cleared the sale may not go ahead.
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CHRISTINA AGUILERA & ALICIA KEYS
Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera are said to be teaming up for a track on the latter’s album. Keys has promised to deliver "pimped-out vocals" for Aguilera’s ‘Impossible’, a track she co-produced for Aguilera's upcoming album. Aguilera was ready to get down to business and finish the track, which was being produced by the Crucial Keys team of Alicia and her partner, Kerry Brothers. "I like the piano," said Aguilera of the slow, chord-driven track Keys devised to complement her big voice. The duo have been wanting to work together for a while, Keys said. A tentative Sep 17 US release date has been set for Aguilera's still-untitled album, which is the proper follow-up to her 1999 self-titled debut.
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HMV MOVES INTO THE BLACK
Music retailers HMV have moved back into the blackthanks to a reord breaking year for its European business. Full-year pre-tax profits of £48.6 million compare with a loss of £17.8 m last time. Actual sales increased by 7.2% to £1.65bn in the year to 27 Apr. Bosses warned that the World Cup and, to a lesser extent, the Jubilee celebrations had impacted on sales in June, but that trading has recovered at both HMV UK and Waterstone's since England's defeat last Friday.
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WAYNE'S WORLD DIRECTOR TO MAKE FILM ABOUT SEX PISTOLS
Wayne's World director Penelope Spheeris is to make a film about the life of the Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten (aka John Lydon). The film is to be based on Lydon's autobiography ‘Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs’. It will focus on the birth of punk rock in the UK. Spheeris told reporters that he wants to set the record straight: he feels Rotten has never received the credit he is due for his role in the band and the whole punk phenomenon. As yet there is no word as to who will be playing any of the roles.
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2ND BET AWARDS: KNIGHT & SNOOP BRING THE RUCKUS
Rapper Snoop Dogg's posse and Death Row Records chief Suge Knight were not left out of the ruckus at Tuesday night’s 2nd Annual BET Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood where an altercation between the two camps erupted in the audience. The incident naturally wasn't televised, but it resulted in both sides being restrained from each other. What set off this specific beef was unknown at press time, but the feud between the two camps goes way back. Spokespersons from both sides had nothing to say on the matter.
As for the show, awards were as evenly distributed as possible as Alicia Keys, Will Smith, OutKast, and Usher were just a few of the artists who scored a win each in their respective categories. Alicia Keys took home the Best New Artist award, Will Smith scored for Best Actor for his role in Ali, OutKast grabbed the Best Group accolade, and Usher took the Best Male R&B award. Aaliyah, who topped the nominees list didn't receive any awards. The lack of multiple winners might seem slightly strange, and a tad on the rigged side. Who can tell?
Here is the full list of winners:
Best Female R&B Artist: India.Arie
Best Male R&B Artist: Usher
Best Group: OutKast
Best New Artist: Alicia Keys
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist: Missy Elliott
Best Male Hip-Hop Artist: Ja Rule
Best Gospel Artist: Yolanda Adams
Best Actress: Halle Berry, Monster's Ball
Best Actor: Will Smith, Ali
Best Female Athlete: Laila Ali
Best Male Athlete: Kobe Bryant
Best Video of the Year: Busta Rhymes featuring P. Diddy, pass the Courvoisier, Part II"
Viewer's Choice: B2K, "Uh Huh"
Lifetime Achievement Award : Earth, Wind & Fire
Humanitarian Award: Muhammad Ali
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NICKELBACK'S KROEGER FORMS OWN LABEL
Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger has formed his own label, 604 Records. Formed with Kroeger's longtime attorney Jonathan Simkin, the imprint will be distributed in the United States by Nickelback's label, Roadrunner Records. The goal of the label will be to "seek out and develop undiscovered talent in the music world not only in North America, but globally." In addition to the success he's had with his own band in the past year, Kroeger co-produced and co-wrote much of 'The Fallout' the 2001 debut by fellow Canadians Default. Word is the first act to be signed to 604 -- named for the area code in Nickelback's hometown of Vancouver -- is Theory Of A Dead Man, with whom Kroeger has also collaborated.
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Answer to Wednesday's CMU pop quiz:
Two of the acts in this week’s top ten have got something in common when it comes to names. Which two acts, and what’s the connection?
Both JXL and Liberty X have had to change their names. More commonly known as Junkie XL, the beatmeister had to change his name at the request of the Elvis estate. Liberty discovered that a little known funk band called Liberty had been around longer, and they subsequently (and relunctantly) added an X.