| CMU Daily - on the inside Monday 13th February |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- SonyBMG confirm job swap at top
- Doherty / Shambles update
- Busta Rhymes issues statement about bodyguard's death
- J Dilla dies
- Godzilla composer dies
- Radio DJ Denning jailed for child abuse
- Ash's Wheeler to release solo single
- Mortiis working on new album
- Futureheads finish their album rather quickly
- J Lo makes bone marrow plea to US Hispanics
- Kanye West update
- Academics say music choices swayed by peers
- Joy Division film cast finally announced
- US network plan Eurovision style contest
- Electric Picnic a hit with music fans
- RHCP confirm UK dates
- Gypsy Kings announce UK tour
- Gates remains optimistic about Microsoft's digital music future
- US senate may look into payola
- Now the executive tensions are at Warner
- Virgin announce senior appointments
- Latest on Chinese Democracy
- Chart update
- This week's Student Radio Chart
- Subshot playlist
- CMU Radio Show playlist
- Blunt still on the US rise
- Wilson set to boycott Brit party
- Pete Burns announces engagement
- Katona cautioned by police
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TOP BIT: CMU RADIO SHOW LAUNCHES TODAY>>
Now, surely we all, at some point, have asked ourselves, I wonder what the CMU Daily would sound like? Well, wonder no more, because as of today you can listen to CMU as well as read it - see, the world's not as depressing as you thought it was is it? Yep, from lunch time you will be able to surf on over to http://www.thebeatsbar.co.uk/cmuradio and listen to the CMU Radio Show. The new weekly two hour show includes a not-at-all-rambling round up of the main music stories of the last seven days, plus a stack of great music from the artists we've been raving about here in the Daily in recent weeks (maybe months, occasionally years) - a full playlist is included in the 'charts and lists' section of today's CMU Daily. You can listen to the CMU Radio Show at anytime in the next seven days, providing you have a PC, internet connection and Windows Media Player (the first two are kind of essential to receive the Daily in the first place, so we reckon most of your should be sorted). Just go to http://www.thebeatsbar.co.uk/cmuradio, click on the 'listen to the latest edition' button, and the radio show should start streaming through your computer. A new edition will go live next Monday lunchtime. All this is possible thanks to totallyradio.com - the UK's leading radio-on-demand people. There's a load more great shows for you to listen to in a similarly simple fashion at http://www.totallyradio.com, and if you become a subscriber you can access 4,500 archive shows, including the not-at-all-shambolic pilot editions of the CMU Radio Show. So happy listening - and do let us know what you think ([email protected]). Obviously you'll all want to write about it in your own media, so we've put a press release online at:
http://cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/pressroom/cmuradio
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SONYBMG CONFIRM JOB SWAP AT TOP
SonyBMG confirmed on Friday their much rumoured plans for Non-executive Chairman Rolf Schmidt-Holtz and Chief Executive Andy Lack to swap jobs.
The move follows months of speculation (well, in the CMU Daily, anyway) regarding tension at the top of the merged record company, where BMG executives, who make up half of the group's board, were said to be increasingly frustrated with Lack's day to day management. As previously reported, those tensions seemingly increased last summer when former BMG man Michael Smellie announced his intention to resign from the SonyBMG COO role, reducing the BMG influence at the top of the merged company.
Bosses of the major label's two parent companies - Sony Corp and Bertelsmann - have reportedly been in talks for some time to find a way to overcome the tensions, with the latter saying it would block the renewal of Andy Lack's contract, due next month. There was talk of Lack being pushed out completely, or of him being promoted out of SonyBMG to a higher position in Sony Corp, but the job swap option has seemed the most likely since the New Year.
The final deal will see former BMG boss Schmidt-Holtz take on the day to day running of SonyBMG, with Lack appointed Chairman with responsibility for 'public policy strategies' and the company's fledgling film unit.
Michael Smellie is expected to be replaced in the COO role by Tim Bowen, another former BMG man, though one who spent some of his earlier career working for Sony Music and, perhaps more importantly, was crucial in developing BMG and then SonyBMG's relationship with Simon Cowell's SyCo company.
What all this means for the future of SonyBMG remains to be seen. Schmidt-Holtz has quite a different management style to Lack, but then again, as Sony Corp have been keen to point out throughout this whole debacle, Lack's leadership, while not always popular internally, has scored a number of commercial successes, so no major changes in direction may be necessary. Nevertheless, the investment community will continue to watch the major closely - many still not convinced the company can exist long term while both parent companies have an equal share.
Confirming the job switch, Sony Corp chairman Howard Stringer told reporters this weekend: "With this management change Rolf and Andy are now aligned in positions that will take advantage of the significant progress the company has already made, as well as their formidable business skills and respective management experiences".
Lack added: "I am extremely pleased to take on this new leadership role with the company and to continue to help SonyBMG accelerate its tremendous growth and performance. Rolf and I are fortunate to have a roster of extraordinary artists and a top-notch team of creative executives around the world."
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DOHERTY / SHAMBLES UPDATE
Well, if you read The Guardian on Saturday, you may have read Pete Doherty's 'prison diary', which he was not, repeat, not, paid for. "The Guardian is making a donation to the Prison Reform Trust," it says at the bottom of the article. If you missed it, you can probably find it on the Guardian website or find further stuff at http://www.balachadha.com.
The basic gist of the diary was 'I'm in prison and I'm not happy about it', but he also revealed he had a TV in his cell, seemed to be saying that he genuinely wanted to get off the drugs, and made a reference to Ms Moss - "I see my true love on a Rimmel advert".
He's also done an interview with Channel 4 News, in which he says that this time he really, really is going to get off the drugs. "It's not going to be easy but I'm getting an anti-heroin implant," he said, "I've just been helped. I'm not going to make light of the fact that I've been given a great chance, and take crack and heroin."
He added: "If I was not famous, then I would not have the extremes, the corruptness and fortune that led me there in the first place."
Elsewhere, Babyshambles, who played an impromptu and unbilled set at the London edition of Club NME on Friday night, have been swift to reschedule those UK tour dates which unfortunately coincided with Doherty's stay in the klink. Tickets for the original shows are valid for the new dates, and some extras are available.
20 Feb: London Shepherds Bush Empire
21 Feb: Bristol Academy
22 Feb: Newcastle Academy
24 Feb: Glasgow Barrowlands
25 Feb: Leeds University
26 Feb: Manchester Academy
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BUSTA RHYMES ISSUES STATEMENT ABOUT BODYGUARD'S DEATH
Hip-Hop star Busta Rhymes has issued a statement regarding what happened in that previously reported shooting that took place outside the star's recent video shoot and which resulted in the death of bodyguard Israel Ramirez.
It's now believed by authorities that while the pop promo was being filmed a row between Ruff Ryders' President Swizz Beatz and Tony Yayo of G-Unit spilled out onto the street where shots were fired from two different guns. Ramirez, 29, was struck once and was of course fatally wounded.
The statement, issued by Rhymes' attorney Robert I Kalina called Ramirez "one of the rare friends that you come across that you can trust with your life," going on to say "The conversations I have had with Izzy's wife have all been focused on comforting her and helping her get through this. To that end, I've assured her that I will be taking responsibility in making sure that my friend, a devoted husband and a loving father, is laid to rest in a proper fashion."
Two wakes were held for Ramirez in New York on 8 and 9 Feb. Rhymes was criticised for not attending the first, but did appear at the second day of services accompanied by four bodyguards. The statement went on to explain his absence from the first day: "Out of respect for the family's desire for, and right to, privacy during this mourning period I made the decision to attend Izzy's wake on the second day rather than the first, knowing that my presence would have brought unnecessary media attention to a personal and private time of grieving."
Meanwhile, police are still attempting to make sense of the case; more than five hundred people were on the set of the video-shoot, but witnesses are reluctant to come forward to speak to police, who believe that the gunman may be an associate of the aforementioned Tony Yayo. They also call into question Rhymes' claim that he was inside the studio when the shooting took place, because witnesses say that the rapper was only feet away from Ramirez when the incident occurred. Some reports have suggested that Rhymes was in fact attempting to diffuse the situation between Yayo and Swizz Beatz; though Rhymes has refused to comment further on the altercation.
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J DILLA DIES
US hip-hop producer, J Dilla, aka Jay Dee, real name James Yancey, has died at the age of 32, just days after the release of a new solo album 'Donuts'. He was suffering from Lupus, a disease which causes the body's immune system to turn on itself.
Over the years, Dilla worked with artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, De La Soul, The Roots, D'Angelo and Erykah Badu, as well as being one third of hip-hop trio Slum Village. Pharrell Williams named him as his favourite producer in an interview two years ago, whilst Rolling Stone recently called him "a top-ranked architect of soulful hip-hop" and "one of the nicest and most unique producers in the game."
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GODZILLA COMPOSER DIES
Japanese musician Akira Ifikube has died at the age of 91. The composer, who wrote the theme to the original 1954 Godzilla movie, died of multiple organ failure. Ifikube, born in 1914 in Hokkaido, taught himself music as a teenager, but began his career rather differently, working as a forestry officer until after World War Two. His first success came in 1935, when he won a competition promoted by Russian composer Alexander Nikolayevich Tcherepnin, going on to produce more than 300 musical pieces during his career, as well as receiving one of Japan's highest honours, A Person Of Cultural Merit Award, in 2003.
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RADIO DJ DENNING JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE
A Former Radio 1 DJ, Chris Denning, has been jailed for four years after he pleaded guilty at Kingston Crown Court to five charges of indecent assault on boys under sixteen. All charges relate to incidents which took place in the seventies and eighties. Denning, 64, who has served time for similar offences in the Czech Republic, was arrested at Heathrow Airport on 18 August last year as he returned to the UK from Austria. Police had previously failed in their attempts to extradite Denning from the Czech Republic back in 2001.
He was investigated as part of the same inquiry that saw Jonathan King convicted of child abuse. Detective Inspector Jo Sidaway said: "This has been a long and complex investigation. The crimes Christopher Denning committed some decades ago have had a lasting effect on his victims and I hope this development will go some way to helping them cope with the appalling way in which they were treated."
Denning worked for the BBC during the 1960s, and was one of the Radio 1 launch team.
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ASH'S WHEELER TO RELEASE SOLO SINGLE
Ash singer Tim Wheeler is to release a solo single, a collaboration with legendary producer Arthur Baker. The track, which has been doing the rounds for quite a while now and goes by the name of 'Glow', is out on 20 Mar.
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MORTIIS WORKING ON NEW ALBUM
That scary Norwegian Mortiis has been working on a new album, and he's got something to say about it. Surprisingly, what he has to say isn't that scary. Look: "On the new songs, we are focusing more on what I think got a bit lost last time, which is songwriting and continuity. Last time I was trying to make a really angry and abusive record, and I wanted to do everything at the same time because I wanted all this noisy stuff to happen. The distorted noise, electronics, and samples are still there, but these songs are more focused and have a more coherent interaction between the programmed and the organic. They are definitely a lot more organic, and I am putting a lot of weight on guitars this time."
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FUTUREHEADS FINISH THEIR ALBUM RATHER QUICKLY
According to NME.com, The Futureheads are nearly finished recording their second album, after just five or so weeks in the studio with producer Ben Hillier. The new LP, entitled 'News And Tributes' is set for a May release. Bassist Jaff says of the new album: "It's a progression, things are slightly different. For me it's the singing, the accents and attitude are the same but it's a lot less cluttered."
On the isolated location of the studio on the North Yorkshire moors, frontman Barry Hyde commented: "It was remote, but not far away from civilisation. We were in this amazing farmhouse in the hills. No mobile reception or anything. It had different weather, it had its own eco-system! It was cold though, no central heating, just a coal fire."
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J LO MAKES BONE MARROW PLEA TO US HISPANICS
Jennifer Lopez has urged America's Hispanic population to become bone marrow donors in a bid to save the life of a woman dying from blood cancer.
One Janet Ovalles desperately needs the transplant, but has failed to find a suitable donor from within her family, or from the 10 million possible donors on the worldwide bone marrow register. Experts say a possible donor is most likely to be found in someone from a similar ethnic background to Ovalles, hence the Lopez public appeal.
J Lo, herself of Puerto Rican origin, told reporters last week: "I am a young Hispanic woman, so is Janet. I could empathise with her situation so much. These things just make you realise that we're all interconnected and depend on one another".
Katharina Harf of the centre caring for Ovalles told reporters: "It's been very hard to recruit Hispanic bone marrow donors, but with Jennifer's help we really feel we can get the Hispanic community on board".
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KANYE WEST UPDATE
That Kanye West's a joker. He's clearly on a mission to piss off as many people as possible, not least the bible belt, judging on recent comments implying that he ought to appear in the bible. Not with a crown of thorns, however, as recently pictured, but in the role of a 'griot' (a West African storyteller, apparently) in an up to date version of the Good Book. He says: "I bring up historical subjects in a way that makes kids want to learn about them. I'm an inspirational speaker. I changed the sound of music more than one time. For all those reasons, I'd be a part of the Bible. I'm definitely in the history books already."
Elsewhere in Kanye West news, the hip-hop star has explained why he wasn't angry to not win the Album Of The Year Grammy after declaring, "If I don't win Album of the Year, I'm gonna really have a problem with that." Well, according to MTV he explained: "I would have been more disappointed if I didn't have a good performance and I had won Album of the Year. The performance, that's what it's about, the entertainment and people having a good time. I just want to see the black colleges right now. I just want to go onto MySpace right now and see what people are saying."
West, who thinks the main reason he didn't get the best album gong was because the 'urban vote' got split between him and Mariah Carey, benefiting U2, only has good things to say about the guy that beat him to it, saying: "But that is my boy, Bono. He has taught me a lot about carrying the fame with grace. And the first thing I thought is, 'Let's go back to the studio, let's go.' It's good for me, I'm happy, because I have accomplished so much in the last two years...this has inspired me. I want to top this last album. I want to do better. I'm inspired, I'm ready to write. I've been on the road for a long time, I'm ready to get back into the studio."
Nearly there. It seems West has caused a little disillusionment in the Brandon Flowers camp. Hope this doesn't start another ongoing Killers-and-some-other-artist feud. Here's what Flowers said in that recent Rolling Stone interview: "He makes me ill. I wanted to love him so much when he first came out. He has this sweet voice, and there's a cuteness to it. And then you see him in interviews and he's like a lion. It just ruined the whole package for me."
And finally, Kanye West is on tour in the UK this month. Dates, in case you've forgotten, as follows:
16 Feb: Manchester MEN
17 Feb: Glasgow SECC
19, 20, 21 Feb: London Hammersmith Apollo
22 Feb: Cardiff Arena
26 Feb: Theatre Royal
28 Feb: Birmingham NEC
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ACADEMICS SAY MUSIC CHOICES SWAYED BY PEERS
Well, it might be something of a no-brainer, but academics at Columbia University say they have confirmed it: people are more likely to like a song if they think that other people like it.
The study examined the behaviour of 14,000 people, who were asked to visit a site featuring 48 songs by unknown artists, rate them and decide whether or not they'd like to download them. The academics found that the prevalent group opinion would affect individual's preferences - with participants giving higher ratings to tracks which others had already said they would download.
The subjects were divided into eight groups, and were only able to see the choices of the other members of their groups. Researchers found that it was not the same songs that made it to the top of every group's chart, in fact, a song that topped one group's chart was only at number 40 out of 48 in another group's chart.
Sociologist Matthew Salganik, said the findings dispel the notion that "music executives can create stars at will", adding: "It also suggests that even if an act creates high quality music, you might not be successful." Which is depressing. But, as we all know, very true.
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JOY DIVISION FILM CAST FINALLY ANNOUNCED
Speculation over who would get to play Ian Curtis in the film of his life is at an end, with the announcement that the Joy Division singer is to be played by newcomer Sam Riley. German actress Alexandra Maria Lara is to play his lover Annik Honore, whilst the role of his wife Deborah will be played by Samantha Morton.
The film entitled 'Control' is based on the book 'Touching From A Distance', by the aforementioned Deborah Curtis, and is to be directed by Anton Corbijn. As previously reported, New Order are to record new tracks as well as re-recording some Joy Division songs for the film's soundtrack.
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US NETWORK PLAN EUROVISION STYLE CONTEST
US TV network NBC are planning a Eurovision style song contest in an attempt to challenge ratings giant American Idol, screened by rival network Fox. The contest will work along similar lines to Eurovision, with competitions being held for each state to find a representative to go to a grand final, with the winner, to be decided by public vote, landing a recording contract.
Ben Silverman, chairman of series producers Reveille, said: "Eurovision is the granddaddy of all talent shows, and the superbowl of singing." Er, has he been watching the same Eurovision that I have?
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ELECTRIC PICNIC A HIT WITH MUSIC FANS
Irish music festival Electric Picnic has been voted 'Love If The Year 2005' in a poll run by Hot Press, Ireland's top-selling music magazine. Other music events in the top ten included U2's Meteor award winning shows at Croke Park at number 2, the Oxegen festival at number 6 and Live 8 at number 9.
The widely praised Electric Picnic is back, as previously reported, for its third year in 2006, and is to be extended to a three day event, set to take place from 1- 3 Sep.
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RHCP CONFIRM UK DATES
As expected, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced details of a UK tour which will kick off at the end of June. Dates as follows, support from !!!, tickets on sale from Friday via http://www.getlive.com.
30 Jun: Ipswich Portman Road
2 Jul: Coventry Ricoh Arena
3 Jul: Reading Madejski Stadium
5 Jul: Derby Pride Park Stadium
6 Jul: Sheffield Don Valley Stadium
11 Jul: Manchester Men Arena
12 Jul: Manchester Men Arena
14 Jul: London Earls Court
15 Jul: London Earls Court
17 Jul: London Earls Court
18 Jul: London Earls Court
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GYPSY KINGS ANNOUNCE UK TOUR
Gypsy Kings have announced a UK tour. Er, that's it. Wanna go? I do. Here are the dates, tickets went on sale Friday:
26 May: Manchester Apollo
27 May: Birmingham NIA
28 May: Edinburgh Playhouse
30 May: Brighton Centre
31 May: London Hammersmith Apollo
1 Jun: Cardiff International Arena
For more info see http://www.gipsykings.net
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GATES REMAINS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT MICROSOFT'S DIGITAL MUSIC FUTURE
Bill Gates has admitted the market share for Microsoft compatible digital music players is smaller than he would like, but added that he was confident that his company had an important part to play in the future of digital music.
Gates was complimentary about Apple's iTunes Music Store, which is getting ready to sell its one billionth download, and admitted that the 20% market share held by Microsoft based players was a "lower figure" than he would like. However, he said that the software giant and its partners had many plans for the coming years, implying that Apple's hold on the digital music space would not last forever.
Speaking to a group of students in the US, Gates said: "I don't think what's out on the market today is the final answer. Between us and our partners, you can expect some pretty hot products coming out over the next few years."
Microsoft remains committed to its strategy of making its digital music technology available to all hardware manufacturers and download platforms - a policy it says is more consumer friendly that Apple's proprietary system. That said, there have been reports in the IT press of Microsoft launching its own digital music player in a bid to take on the iPod, although neither Gates nor Microsoft have yet commented on those rumours.
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US SENATE MAY LOOK INTO PAYOLA
With New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer ready to expand his investigations into the use of payola in the US music industry, a US Senator has recommended that the Senate Commerce Committee consider the issue.
As previously reported, Spitzer has been investigating allegations that record labels and their agents have been bribing radio executives to playlist their music. Both SonyBMG and Warner have admitted some of their marketing execs have used inappropriate techniques for getting radio play in recent years, and Spitzer is now reportedly going after the radio stations who have accepted the bribes.
Now Senator Russ Feingold, who has lobbied for sometime for more clarity in the relationships between record labels and radio stations, has called for a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on payola, starting off with a testimony from Spitzer. Feingold says that the issue should be considered at an upcoming hearing on 'FCC oversight', but also at a separate bespoke hearing.
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NOW THE EXECUTIVE TENSIONS ARE AT WARNER
With those executive tensions over at SonyBMG having possibly reached some kind of closure, US industry website HitsDailyDouble has turned its attention to stresses at the top of Warner Music. It claims that the London based Warner Music International chief Paul-Rene Albertini has been fired in a dispute with over all Warner Music Group boss Lyor Cohen, despite the international division doing really rather well in the last year (so much so Albertini was paid a reported $4 million dollar bonus).
The website says the Albertini/Cohen dispute might have something to do with one James Blunt. He's doing rather well internationally at the moment (as you'll see a few stories down), and HDD say Cohen is trying his best to take credit for that success. This is despite the fact that Blunt was originally signed by former Warner exec Sylvia Rhone, then running Warner division Elektra. Cohen and Warner top man Edgar Bronfman Jnr fired Rhone and closed down Elektra, and apparently dropped Blunt at the same time. He was then later signed by the UK bit of Warner's Atlantic Records and, with the help of Albertini's International division, the rest is history. Which is possibly why certain Warner execs won't appreciate Cohen claiming too much credit for the James Blunt success story.
Either way, the Albertini fallout is likely to further stresses at the top of Warner in the US where the well respected chief of the group's Warner Bros Records division, Tom Whalley, is said to be losing patience with Cohen, and Bronfman's continuing support for him. Interesting times ahead, perhaps.
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VIRGIN ANNOUNCE SENIOR APPOINTMENTS
Happier news over at EMI's Virgin Records UK division, where Mark Terry has been appointed General Manager, reporting to Ferdy Unger-Hamilton, who became MD at the division last month. Terry, formerly Marketing And Creative Director for the label, will be working closely with Unger-Hamilton to develop the Virgin roster. Elsewhere at the label, Tim Crouch has been promoted to the position of VP Operations.
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LATEST ON CHINESE DEMOCRACY
The latest in the ongoing 'when is Axl Rose finally going to finish that album' saga, with the news that Slash has said that 'Chinese Democracy' is finished and it will be out in March. Speaking on Virgin Radio, former GnR guitarist Slash told Christian O'Connell: "Yeah it's going to happen, I've been made aware it's been heard. I'm really excited, it's been a long time waiting to see what the next step around the corner was going to be for him, we know where everybody else is, but we were wondering what he was going to be doing. It's coming out in March and apparently it sounds great."
The pair have, of course, not spoken in ten years, but Slash says: "I've always been supportive over that thing, even though it's been turned in to a big controversial blah blah blah thing. When I left I was pretty pissed off for having to leave in the first place. After a while all the brou-haha that was stirred and all the negative press, sort of went in his direction, so I'm just waiting for the record to come out, so I'm glad where it's got to the point that that's happening."
Let's hope that after ten years work, it doesn't turn out to be rubbish.
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CHART UPDATE
It's been a bit of a quiet week singles wise, but let's not use that fact to knock the achievement of the young Mr Leo Sayer, who goes straight in at number one on this week's singles chart courtesy of that Meck remix of 'Thunder In My Heart Again'. It's his first number one for 29 years, so well done him.
The other new entries in this week's singles chart run thus: the Source ft Candi Staton's 'You Got The Love' re-release at 7, Fall Out Boy's 'Sugar We're Goin Down' at 8, Kubb's 'Grow' at 18, Antony Costa's 'Do You Ever Think Of Me' at 19, Alarm MMVI's 'Superchannel' at 24, Bullet For My Valentine's 'All These Things I Hate' at 29, Three 6 Mafia's 'Stay Fly' at 33 and El Presidente's 'Turn This Thing Around' at 39.
Albums wise, also a bit of quiet week, though those Arctic Monkeys don't seem to want to release their grip on the number one slot, while James Blunt and Richard Ashcroft swap places just below the top spot, the former now at 2, the latter at 3.
The lovely new album from Belle & Sebastian - 'The Life Pursuit' - goes in at 8, Chris Brown's eponymous album goes in at 28, while Take That and Elvis hits albums, and Kanye West's 'Late Registration' all reenter the Top 40, possibly because of a sale somewhere on the high street.
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THIS WEEK'S STUDENT RADIO CHART
1. [19] The Strokes - Heart in a Cage (Rough Trade)
2. [5] The Go! Team - Ladyflash (Memphis Industries)
3. [1] Arctic Monkeys - When the Sun Goes Down (Domino)
4. [3] Maximo Park - I Want You to Stay (Warp)
5. [14] Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - In this Home on Ice (Wichita)
6. [12] Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On (EMI)
7. [28] We Are Scientists - It's A Hit (EMI/Virgin)
8. [6] Fall Out Boy - Sugar We're Going Down (Universal/Mercury)
9. [NE] The Feeling - Sewn (Universal/Island)
10. [RE] Jose Gonzales - Heartbeats (Peacefrog)
11. [2] Goldfrapp - Ride a White Horse (EMI/Mute)
12. [17] El Presidente - Turn This Thing Around (SonyBMG)
13. [18] Graham Coxon - Standing on my Own Again (EMI/Parlophone)
14. [NE] The Darkness - Is It Just Me (Warner/Atlantic)
15. [11] Mystery Jets - The Boy Who Ran Away (679)
16. [NE] Alkaline Trio - Burn (Vagrant)
17. [15] Belle & Sebastian - Funny Little Frog (Rough Trade)
18. [NE] The Rakes - All Too Human (V2)
19. [6] The Kooks - You Don't Love Me (EMI/Virgin)
20. [8] Kubb - Grow (Universal/Mercury)
21. [30] Bell X1 - Flame (Universal/Island)
22. [7] Editors - Munich (SonyBMG/Kitchenware)
23. [NE] Madonna - Sorry (Warner/Maverick)
24. [24] The Concretes - Chosen One (Licking Fingers)
25. [NE] Delays - Valentine (Rough Trade)
26. [NE] Hot Chip - Over And Over (EMI)
27. [NE] Placebo - Because I Want You (EMI/Elevator)
28. [NE] Kanye West - Touch the Sky (Universal/Roc A Fella)
29. [NE] Death Cab For Cutie - Crooked Teeth (Warner/Atlantic)
30. [20] Saucy Monkey - I Touch Myself (Measured Records)
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SUBSHOT PLAYLIST
The videos being played over there on SUBtv, via screens in students' unions all over the UK. New entries marked with one of your ** things.
A LIST
Arctic Monkeys - When The Sun Goes Down (Domino)
Belle & Sebastian - Funny Little Frog (Rough Trade)
Beyonce - Check It On (SonyBMG/Columbia)
Chris Brown - Run It (SonyBMG/RCA)
El Presidente - Turn This Thing Around (SonyBMG/Columbia)
Fall Out Boy - Sugar, We're Going Down (Universal/Mercury)
Freemasons Ft. Amanda Wilson - Watchin (Loaded)
Maximo Park - I Want You To Stay (Warp)
Delays - Valentine (Rough Trade)
The Go! Team - Ladyflash (Memphis Industries)
B LIST
Absentee - Something To Bang (Memphis Industries)
Alkaline Trio - Burn (Vagrant)
**BellX1 - Flame (Universal/Island)
Boy Kill Boy - Back Again (Universal/Island)
**Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins - Rise Up With Fists (Rough Trade)
Living Things - Bom Bom Bom (Red Ink)
Mew - Why Are You Looking Grave (SonyBMG/Columbia)
Regina Spektor - Us (Transgressive)
The Mystery Jets - Boy Who Ran Away (679)
The Noisettes - Iwe (Transgressive)
**The Rakes - All Too Human (V2)
**The Rifles - Repeated Offender (Red Ink)
The Upper Room - All Over This Town (SonyBMG/Columbia)
Three 6 Mafia - Stay Fly (SonyBMG/Columbia)
Ying Yang Twins Feat. Pitbull - Shake (TVT)
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CMU RADIO SHOW PLAYLIST
Tracks played on this week's CMU Radio Show, which you can listen to from lunchtime today at http://www.thebeatsbar.co.uk/cmuradio.
Bell X1 - Flame (Universal/Island)
Mystery Jets - You Can't Fool Me Dennis (679)
Four Day Hombre - The First Word Is The Hardest (Alamo)
The Crimea - Baby Boom (Warner)
Thee Comrades - Over And Over (Unsigned - off Fopp Unsigned Bands CD)
The Strokes - Electricity-scape (Rough Trade)
Delays - Valentine (Rough Trade)
Belle & Sebastian - Funny Little Frog (Rough Trade)
Go Home Productions (ft Queen, David Bowie, Michael Jackson and Robbie Williams) - Robbie (Over) Jacko (Under) Pressure (www.gohomeproductions.co.uk)
Dean Gray Presents American Edit (ft Green Day) - Boulevard Of Broken Songs (www.americanedit.net)
The Doors - Hello I Love You (Adam Freeland Mix) (Marine Parade)
Dogtown Clash - West London's Burning (Westway Records)
Akira The Don - Clones (Genepool)
Freelance Hellraiser - Pound For Pound (SonyBMG)
The Go! Team - Ladyflash (Memphis Industries)
Superthriller - Mary Mary (Mint)
Barefoot - Born Slippy (OneTwo Records)
Ben Folds - Landed (SonyBMG)
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BLUNT STILL ON THE US RISE
James Blunt is set to become the most successful British music star of the century on the American charts, with his seemingly unstoppable single 'You're Beautiful'. Admittedly, the century has only been going for about five years.
Anyway, it went up to number two last week on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the highest placed British act on the US chart since Elton John's 'Candle In The Wind' back in 1997. If he makes number one, he'll be the first Brit to do it this century. Meanwhile 'Back To Bedlam' is still in the albums top ten, following a 47 percent week on week rise in sales to over 70,000 copies.
Crikey. Paul Weller must be spinning in his, er, bath.
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WILSON SET TO BOYCOTT BRIT PARTY
To avoid the aforementioned Weller, perhaps? Because the word is that Chief Kaiser Ricky Wilson has called the Modfather a 'fuddy-duddy', in response, of course, to Wellers' previously reported jabs at fellow artists such as James Blunt, Freddie Mercury, Bono, and David Bowie. Wilson says "Paul's a bit of an old fuddy-duddy for slagging those people off...you shouldn't just slag people off just because you don't like their music, when you don't even know them or when you'll bump into them next week." He continued, however: "I'd definitely be starstruck if I met Paul. His music is great."
Anyway, Wilson says he is planning avoid the Brit Awards party and throw his own post-show bash instead. He told The Star: "In my experience these parties are usually very disappointing and full of people looking around to see if there are people to talk to more famous than you, so I don't think I'll be attending any of them. We'll have our own party. I'll get some invitations made and hand them out to a few select people." So, we'll expect an invite then, as we're very select.
On his band's nominations Wilson continued: "It's nice the categories we've been nominated in are the categories I'd like to win. Best Album and Best Live are the most important to me because they're so important to what we do."
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PETE BURNS ANNOUNCES ENGAGEMENT
Pete Burns announced last week that he has become engaged to boyfriend Michael Simpson. The Dead Or Alive singer, who recently divorced his wife Lynne after twenty years, appeared on Richard & Judy with Simpson and said "We've been together in a former life. I lost him a lifetime ago and I've been looking for him."
The pair showed off their skull engagement rings, which, said Burns "symbolises that underneath all this there is bone and underneath that is soul". Ahem.
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KATONA CAUTIONED BY POLICE
Not sure if this really constitutes music news anymore; this isn't the Iceland Daily, after all. Ah well, she used to be a pop star. Kerry Katona, former Atomic Kitten and ex-Mrs Brian McFadden of Westlife fame has been cautioned by police following her arrest last Saturday after she got involved in a brawl at Panama Jacks nightclub in Warrington.
A spokeswoman for the Cheshire constabulary said: "A 25 year old woman from Warrington was today arrested and administered a formal adult caution for common assault in relation to an incident that occurred at Panama Jacks on the night of Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 Feb."