| CMU Daily - on the inside 16 Sep 2002 |
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Which boy-band chart topper from 1995 proved not to be true?
Answer tomorrow
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LAST CHANCE FOR NAPSTER – SORT OF…
Napster may well survive after all, though what gets swapped via the service might be quite different. The legendary music share site seemed to be finally dead earlier this month when the US courts blocked a complete takeover by BMG, who bought a share in the company when it first turned it’s attention to developing a legal way to exchange copyright music. With the BMG group already turning its attentions away from its online operations it seemed unlikely they’d fight to save the service, so much so its MD Konrad Hilbers laid off his staff and then resigned.
But now the company’s creditors are asking the US bankruptcy judge to delay the winding up process because it believes there may be buyers out there. Word is the Private Media Group, a Spanish online pornography company, has offered £1.5m for the Napster trademark and web address. But PMG aren’t interested in resurrecting the music share service: "Acquiring Napster is our way of entering the peer-to-peer marketplace for adult content in a closed environment," the companies CEO Charles Prast told Reuters. But it seems Private media aren’t the only people interested in acquiring the Napster name - Rick Antonoff, representing Napster's creditors, told reporters "two or three more" offers were expected.
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JACKO OUT OF POP
Following a disappointing album and a very public squabble with his record label, Micheal Jackson has told reporters he is taking time off from his music career to dabble in movies. Following a cameo role in ‘Men In Black II’, Jacko is now looking for other film roles. He told journalists: "I've always wanted to do film, but the tours got in the way. That's why I want to take several years off just doing film. I'd like to get six great movies behind me, and then I'll do a little bit of touring, then I'll do more filming." Rumour also has it that Jackson hopes to supersede Nsync’s Lance Bass in becoming the first pop star in space. According to the US based Gold magazine there is "some truth in" speculation he wanted to recreate his famous moonwalk on the moon. Bass’ space mission came to an end when he failed to pay the Russian Space Agency the money required for a seat on their next space flight.
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ICE CUBE’S BARBERSHOP NUMBER ONE
Ice Cube’s low budget movie ‘Barbershop’ has beaten Robin William’s new movie to top the US box office charts. The film cost $12 million to make, which was recouped in its first weekend. It has now grossed $US21m making it the third most successful movie opening in September in history. Ice Cube stars as the owner of a Chicago barbershop that is also the social centre of the community. He loses control of his shop after a bad business deal and trys to take back ownership. R'n'B star Eve also appears. No news on a UK release, though a sequel is already in discussion.
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NEW ORDER REMIXED
New Order will release a remix album on 14 Oct. ‘Here To Stay’ will bring together 12” mixes of their single releases, including: Ceremony, Blue Monday (original 12” mix), Confusion (Arthur Baker 12” Mix), Thieves Like Us, Perfect Kiss (original 12”), Shellshock, Bizarre Love Triangle (Shep Pettibone 12 “ Mix), True Faith (original 12” Mix), Touched By The Hand Of God (original 12” mix), Crystal, 60MPH and Here To Stay.
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NEW BEATLE TRACK TO BE RELEASED
According to yesterday’s Sunday Times, Paul McCartney will release a Beatles track which hasn't been heard for 35 years as the soundtrack to a film montage of pictures of the band taken by Paul’s late wife Linda. The track, ‘Carnival Of Light’, is apparently 14 minutes long, and largely instrumental featuring church organ music, the sound of gargling with water and John Lennon shouting "Barcelona". The track was recorded during sessions for the ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ album. Word is McCartney wanted to include the track on one of the ’Anthology’ CDs of Beatles rarities released in the 1990s, but the late George Harrison vetoed it as "too far out".
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AMERICAN HEAT
Not only have EMAP watched as a German competitor launches a Heat clone in New York, but now the celebrity magazine’s news editor Dan Wakeford is off to join the new title. "I've enjoyed working at Heat so much over the last two years that it would have to be a very special project to take me away," Wakeford told Media Guardian. Although the new magazine InTouch has definitely been inspired by the huge success of Heat in the UK, Wakefield stressed the new magazine would be quite a different product geared towards the US market. "Heat wouldn't work in America in the same way. Although the new magazine's content is showbiz and is aimed at readers of a similar age." The new title launches in the US at the end of the month.
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ULLMAN RETURNS TO MUSIC FOR MACCOLL TRIBUTE
Tracey Ullman is to briefly resume her music career nearly two decades after her last chart successes at a concert to celebrate the life of the late Kirsty MacColl. The comedienne will be joined by Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and ex-Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando at a tribute concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Although she began her career doing both comedy and music in the UK, Ullman’s big successes came in the US with the huge Tracy Ullman Show (from where the Simpson’s originated). More recently Ullman has been seen in sitcom Ally McBeal. MacColl was killed in December 2000 after a speedboat hit her as she was diving off the coast of Mexico. The tribute concert, on 23 September, will see a number of guests sing alongside a band led by MacColl's musical collaborators Pete Glenister and Dave Ruffy.
The show is part of a season of shows showcasing the art of songwriters called The Song's The Thing at the Royal Festival Hall.
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RICHARDS FURIOUS AT JAGGER’S HONOUR
Keith Richards has told Mojo magazine he went "berserk" when he heard Mick Jagger had accepted a knighthood. He was so angry he threatened to pull the Rolling Stones’ current anniversary tour. "It was enraging,” he told the magazine. “I threatened to pull out of the tour.” Stones drummer Charlie Watts felt Jagger deserved the title, but that Richards should have been knighted too. "If Paul McCartney got one [of those ‘medals’], Mick should have got one,” he said, “But if Mick got one, Keith should have been offered one, and that would have really been something else." But Richards is keen to stress his anger over Jagger’s award wasn’t jealousy - "I doubt they thought of offering me one because they know what I would've said. ... They knew I'd tell them where they could put it."
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THE VINES JOIN KYLIE IN AUSSEY BRIT NOMINATIONS
The shortlist for the Australian ARIA music awards were announced on Friday – Kylie getting due recognition in her home country with six nominations. Also on six short lists were Aussey acts Silverchair, Kasey Chambers and Alex Lloyd. But perhaps most interesting was the inclusion of The Vines on five short lists – the rock band were pretty much unknown this time last year. The latest Neighbours turned pop star Holly Vallance is also nominated. The awards take place in Sydney on 15 Oct – more info at www.ariaawards.com.
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BOLAN TRIBUTE
To mark the 25th anniversary of the death of Marc Bolan today a life sized bronze bust of the glam rock star has been unveiled just yards from where the former T Rex frontman was killed in a car crash. The bust, worth around £7000, was commissioned by the T Rex Action Group (TAG) which maintains the Memorial Gardens in Barnes as a shrine for Bolan fans. Bolan’s son Rolan, his brother Harry Feld and former T Rex bandmates Mickey Finn and Paul Fenton were present at the unveiling. "Bolan is an icon. It is amazing how many fans he still has and the influence he has had on music," TAG spokeswoman Fi Warner told reporters. "His songs still sound as good today as when they were released 30 years ago".
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SLASH LOOKS TO FIND NEW ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MOVEMENT
As Axl Rose tours the world with Guns n' Roses the band’s former guitarist Slash is about to form a new band. "I'm doing a fucking record with me, [bassist] Duff [McKagan] and [drummer] Matt Sorum," he told Rolling Stone at the San Diego Street Scene Festival, where he was paying tribute to Jimi Hendrix. "Dave Pusher is playing guitar right now, and we got the baddest fucking, be-all, end-all rock & roll band." All they need now is a singer: "When Billy Idol goes ballistic, that's the kind of singer I want all the time," Slash said. "There's nobody I've listened to since before Guns came out or anytime in the Eighties who's been like that, except for Billy. He's one guy who when he belts it out would be good at it."
But as soon as he finds that singer Slash has high ambitions for his new band: "I want to be the guy who spearheads the next rock & roll movement; I've done it before, so I want to do it again."
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OASIS ROCK MANCHESTER
Oasis rocked Manchester’s Old Trafford cricket ground yesterday in their first big concert in their home city for more than six years. Over 50,000 fans gave the band a rapturous welcome as they played new and classic material. Though one of the loudest cheers of the evening came when Man City fan Noel made comment on United’s loss to Leeds this weekend.
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Answer to Friday’s pop quiz:
With the final to the Mercury Music Prize on Tuesday – can you name five past Mercury Music Prize winning albums (and no looking at their website)?
You could have chosen from:
PJ Harvey – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (2001); Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour of Bewilderbeast (2000); Talvin Singh – OK (1999); Gomez – Bring It On (1998); Roni Size / Reprazent – New Forms (1997); Pulp – Different Class (1996); Portishead – Dummy (1995); M People – Elegant Slumming (1994); Suede – Suede (1993); Primal Scream – Screamadelica (1992)
And of course the Doves - ‘The Last Broadcast’ who are going to win tomorrow. (I’ve a long history of incorrectly predicting the winner of the Mercury Music Prize, so sorry to the Doves for ruining their chances, because they probably should win! CC)