| CMU Daily - on the inside 1 Oct 2002 |
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In today's CMU Daily:
• Universal Love Legal Battle Over,
• MTV Europe Nominees Announced,
• Chart Anniversary Celebrations Planned,
• Mobo Success Expected For Dynamite,
• Hearsay Is They’re No More,
• Review: Sugarman 3 - Pure Cane Sugar,
• Musicians Need More Support,
• Next White Stripes LP Complete,
• Charity Album Line Up Announced,
• Review: Nada Surf - The Way You Wear Your Head,
• Boxing Day Party In Godskitchen,
• RI:SE Continues To FA:LL
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The charts are 50 years old next month - who was the first male, female and group to have number ones?
Answer tomorrow
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UNIVERSAL LOVE LEGAL BATTLE OVER
Following her claims during an interview last week that “her other legal wranglings were solved” Universal Music have officially confirmed they have reached a settlement with Courtney Love, meaning the last hurdle towards a Nirvana best of and rarities album has been crossed. The dispute between Universal and Love centred on her band Hole’s record contract. In 2000 Universal sued Love for failing to deliver five of the seven albums Hole were contracted to record. Love countersued a year later, claiming hers and other seven-year contracts were unfair. She complicated matters further by later claiming ownership of the Nirvana tapes, saying Geffen’s contract with Cobain no longer stood after the label was acquired by the Universal group.
This truce sees Love getting out of her contract commitments, though Universal will receive a share of any royalties from future Hole releases. More importantly they now have the green light to release a Nirvana greatest hits and rarities album – especially since Love cleared up her other disagreements with former Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic last week. Label bosses now expect to have a basic best of album out in the US on 12 Nov, including the unreleased track ‘You Know You’re Right’ which was played by Xfm and Radio 1 after surfacing on the internet last week. Other Nirvana releases should follow.
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MTV EUROPE NOMINEES ANNOUNCED
Nominations for the MTV Europe Awards were announced yesterday, and P Diddy was confirmed as presenter for the event that will take place in Barcelona in November. Robbie Williams, Enrique Iglesias, Pink, Wyclef Jean And Coldplay have all been confirmed to play at the event, the former debuting his new single there.
Kylie, Eminem, Coldplay, Shakira, Royksopp, Pink & Enrique each have four nominations, plus there is a new category for Best Hard Rock. (Best Romanian Act has also been added to the regional award categories).
Announcing the nominations in London yesterday P Diddy said: "I think we're going to have a big old party. I don't think there's going to be a dull… I know for a fact there's not going to be a dull moment. I really don't think it gets no sexier than this.”
Those nominations:
Best group: Coldplay, Linkin Park, No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2
Best song: Hero - Enrique Iglesias, Hot in Herre – Nelly, How You Remind Me – Nickelback, Get the Party Started – Pink, Whenever, Wherever - Shakira
Best female act: Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue, Pink, Shakira
Best male act: Eminem, Enrique Iglesias, Lenny Kravitz, Nelly, Robbie Williams
Best hip-hop: Busta Rhymes, Eminem, Ja Rule, Nelly, Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs
Best new act: Avril Lavigne, The Calling, Royksopp, Shakira, The Strokes
Best R&B: Ashanti, Alicia Keys, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige
Best album: A Rush of Blood to the Head – Coldplay, The Eminem Show – Eminem, Fever - Kylie Minogue, Rock Steady - No Doubt, M!ssundaztood - Pink
Best dance act: DB Boulevard, Kylie Minogue, Moby, Royksopp, Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Best rock act: Bon Jovi, Coldplay, Nickelback, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2
Best hard rock act: Korn, Linkin Park, POD, Puddle Of Mudd, System Of A Down
Best live act: Depeche Mode, Korn, Lenny Kravitz, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2
Best pop act: Anastacia, Enrique Iglesias, Kylie Minogue, Pink, Shakira
Best video: Where's Your Head At? - Basement Jaxx, Without Me – Eminem, Miss Lucifer - Primal Scream, Remind Me – Royksopp, Fell in Love With a Girl - The White Stripes
The Web award: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, David Bowie, Linkin Park, Moby, U2
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CHART ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS PLANNED
The Official UK Chart will celebrate its 50th anniversary on 14 Nov, and you’ll find it hard to avoid the celebrations. Channel 4 will stage a three-hour special (16 Nov, 9-12 pm) counting down the top selling 100 singles of all time. There will be a book published by NME/Chrysalis and a double CD released through EMI/ Virgin and Universal. Radio 1’s Mark Goodier will present his final chart run-down on 17 Nov, which will be followed by an hour-long behind the scenes special. BBC1 will broadcast a special programme in December, featuring contemporary acts performing number ones from the last 50 years, and Paul Gambaccini will host three weekly Radio 2 documentaries starting 5 Nov. On 9 Nov Richard Allinson will host a countdown of listeners favourite numbers ones on Radio 2.
Elsewhere the National Sound Archive will be hosting an interactive exhibition at the British Library (from 11 Oct to 7 Jan) where visitors will be able to hear every number one and HMV will run an exhibition at its flagship Oxford Street store in November. Oh yes, and the Official Charts Company will publish an Icons calendar featuring the biggest acts of the past five decades.
As we said yesterday, with Elvis at number one in the album charts, and a Beatles/Elvis cover double-a side at number one in the singles chart, you’d be forgiven for wondering which end of chart history we’re at.
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MOBO SUCCESS EXPECTED FOR DYNAMITE
The Mercury Music Prize winning Ms Dynamite is expected to scoop more awards at the MOBO awards in London tonight, where she leads the way with six nominees.
The rise and rise of Ms Dynamite sees various collaboration rumours doing the rounds. Word is she performs on a track on Robbie’s new album, and that Justin Timberlake has approached her regarding working together on a track. Her record label would just say there was “some truth” in the rumours.
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HEARSAY IS THEY’RE NO MORE
As ITV’s Popstars The Rivals hots up, and with the two Pop Idols at number one, word is Hearsay have quit, allegedly because they’re tired of public abuse.
Speaking to the Sun Danny said: "We have had enough. The public make or break you. It started off so big. Everyone knows us - that brought a unique set of pressures. Singing and performing is what it's cracked up to be. But all the other stuff that goes along with it is not so good. Two months ago we were held up by a gunman and the next day people thought we had made it up as a publicity stunt. What kind of people think we would make that up? We were traveling three hours to a roadshow only to get booed. We knew it was time to call it a day. There is nothing in the contract that said we were going to last forever. People move on and their tastes change. We have always been honest with the public so that's why we're being honest about splitting up."
Suzanne added: "You have got to know when to give up. I'm going to miss it, I think we're all going to miss it. We want to go out on a high. We want to go out while we're still on top."
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DIE ANOTHER DAY
Madonna’s theme for the next James Bond film made it onto US radio last weekend, a week before its official radio launch. The track got into circulation so quickly, presumably via the internet, that Warners decided to give stations official permission to play the track – by the end of the weekend 55 stations had! Once actually released there will be four remixes of the track available from Dirty Vegas, Thunderpuss, Felix Da Housecat and Deepsky. The soundtrack for ‘Die Another Day’ is released on 12 Nov, while the film opens in the UK and US on 22 Nov.
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REVIEW: Sugarman 3 - Pure Cane Sugar (Daptone Records)
Neal Sugarman leads his band into another rugged funk extravaganza, featuring the talents of Lee Fields, Naomi Davis and none other than Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie who through his work with James Brown became famous in his own right and released the much-sampled ‘Soul Drums’. It is so utterly refreshing to know that there are still bands making funk that sounds like it belongs in the early seventies/late sixties: rugged, gritty, not over-produced and so rammed with soul. To the naked ear Sugarman’s third album sounds like a collection of dusty 45s – and herein lies the beauty. Even relatively independent and underground acts have such lush and slick production that something of the spontaneity and reality is lost. Bands like the Breakestra, the Daptones and the Sugarman 3 have managed to emulate the production values of the late 60’s with tough loud drums, muffled wah-wah, 60-a-day soul vocals, and a punchy horn section. This is a perfect nugget of funk: brand new your retro. JG
Release date: 14 Oct
Press contact: Zzonked [all]
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MUSICIANS NEED MORE SUPPORT
Musicians may not be getting all the lessons they need through music schools and courses around the UK. According to a report published by the Higher Education Funding Council and Youth Music yesterday musicians who have a formal music education are not sufficiently trained in ‘life and business skills’ to prepare them for the chaotic career paths that beckon most musicians.
At a debate at the National Film Theatre in London music education professionals also agreed:
- Music performance needs to become a bigger part of primary and secondary education, and the primary sector in particular needs to get government support in achieving this.
- The music schools and university music departments need to communicate more among themselves, and with community music groups, to properly support all budding musicians.
- Information about the skills required to pursue a career in music need to made available to those within, and outwith, the formal music training sector.
- Musicians needed to be encouraged to consider dedicating some of their time to training the next generation – especially in schools.
It is hoped the Funding Council will now be able to bring together key players in music education to discuss ways of extending opportunities to musicians of all backgrounds and all genres. For details on the report contact Youth Music on 020 7902 1085 or for press info contact Vail & Associates on 020 7738 0722.
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NEXT WHITE STRIPES LP COMPLETE
The White Stripes will play a free show in New York's Union Square later today as part of a series of ‘guerilla concerts’ sponsored by Nissan. Jack White, meanwhile, has confirmed the new album is more or less done. In a posting on the band’s website he says: "We have finished the making, mixing and mastering of ‘Elephant’ but won't let it out of its cage just yet. It needs to graze on the plains for a minute. Perhaps it's not what Meg and I think it is. Perhaps it's the worst album we've ever made. Or perhaps we'll all be surprised. We'll see, I suppose, but at the time it was a good feeling, and it may come back and roost forever." Neither of their labels, V2 in the US and XL in the UK, will be drawn on a release date just yet.
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CHARITY ALBUM LINE UP ANNOUNCED
NME have announced the line up for their '1 Love' album which will feature a string of current acts recording a cover version of their choice. The album has been compiled in aid of War Child, a worldwide network of organizations helping to support children affected by wars. Prodigy get a double appearance – covering and being covered – they do a version of the Special’s ‘Ghost Town, while Jimmy Eat World do a version of their track ‘Firestarter’. The full line up is as follows (original artists and release date in brackets):
All or Nothing - Starsailor (Small Faces, 1966)
The Power of Love - Feeder (Frankie Goes To Hollywood, 1984)
Killer - Sugababes (Adamski, 1990)
House of the Rising Son - the Muse (the Animals, 1964)
Nothing Compares 2 U - Stereophonics (Sinead O' Connor, 1990)
Dub Be Good 2 Me - Faithless/Dido (Beats International, 1990)
Merry Xmas Everybody - Oasis (Slade, 1973)
Something in the Air - Elbow (Thunderclap Newman, 1969)
Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) - Ms. Dynamite (Soul II Soul, 1989)
Out Of Time - Manic Street Preachers (Chris Farlowe, 1966)
Come on Eileen - Badly Drawn Boy (Dexy's Midnight Runners, 1982)
Ghost Town - Prodigy (the Specials, 1981)
Firestarter - Jimmy Eat World (Prodigy, 1996)
Back for Good - McAlmont and Butler (Take That, 1995)
Pretty Flamingo - Darius (Manfred Mann, 1966)
Dreams - More Fire Crew (Gabrielle, 1993)
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REVIEW: Nada Surf - The Way You Wear Your Head (EMI / Heavenly)
Anyone who listened to the American institution of College Radio back in (gulp) 1996 will probably rank Nada Surf's single 'Popular' amongst their favourite tracks of the era. Never had one man sounded so bitter with respect to so few, the jocks and cheerleaders who blighted a typical high-school existence. With this in mind, fast-forward to 2002 to Nada Surf's relaunched career in these shores and frankly, it's nothing to write home about. Mediocre XFM-lite peddled by people capable of so much much better. LA
Release date: 7 Oct
Press contact: EMI IH [CR, CP, RR, NP, NR] APB [RP]
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BOXING DAY PARTY IN GODSKITCHEN
Godskitchen have announced they will stage a Boxing Day party at Code in Birmingham. Running from 3pm to 3am it will feature quite a line up including: Fergie, Tiesto, Judge Jules, Tall Paul, Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten and Scot Project. Full line up and ticket details still to be announced.
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RI:SE CONTINUES TO FA:LL
Struggling Channel 4 breakfast show RI:SE has a new crisis on its hands after the producer appointed to rescue the show has quit less than six months after she took the post. Deborah Turness, the former deputy editor of Channel 5 News, will return to ITN as deputy editor of ITV News. The departure of Turness, who took over the series producer job at RI:SE just days after the programme launched, is the latest crisis to hit the show which has failed to impress viewers or critics with its clumsy mix of news and entertainment. Last Monday, 'Make Way for Noddy' had 400,000 viewers on Channel 5 at 7.30am while RI:SE drew just 200,000.