| CMU Daily - on the inside 7 Oct 2002 |
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In today's CMU Daily:
• Chart Update,
• Download Legislation Unclear,
• Review: Sugarman 3 - Pure Cane Sugar,
• Ice Cube On His Next Film Project,
• Will Robbie Lose His Chambers Support?,
• Poptones Attempt A Turnround,
• Royal Opera House Opens Doors To Rock,
• Review: Nothing Is Real – Radar,
• New Beatles Pics Found,
• Lil' Romeo To Appear As His Shakespearean Namesake,
• Paxo Turns on Youthful TV Stars,
• Extra Pulp Track On Best Of,
• Strictly Rhythm No More,
• Stop Pushing Terrestrial Digital TV Report Says
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Which rock star said: “I don’t know anything about music. In my line you don’t have to”?
Answer Tuesday
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RECOMMENDED RELEASES: OUT TODAY
Singles: Cinematic Orchestra - Horizon (Ninja Tune), Parva - Hessles (Mantra), Tippi - It's A Phase (Tiptop), Nada Surf - The Way You Wear Your Head (EMI/Heavenly), Richard Ashcroft - Check The Meaning (Virgin/Hut), DJ Shadow - 6 Days (Universal/Island), Big Brothaz - Nu Flow (Sony/Epic), Luke Slater - I Can Complete You (Mute), The Vines - Outtatheway (EMI/Heavenly), Add N To X - Take Me To Your Leader (Mute)
Albums: Danny Krivit – Expansions (NRK), Various - Big Beach Boutique Mixed By Norm (Southern Fried), Michael J Sheeney - No Longer My Concern (Beggars), Moreno +2 - Music Typewriter (Palm Pictures), The Datsuns - The Datsuns (V2), Various - Grooverider Fabric Live (Fabric)
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CHART UPDATE
With Will and Gareth’s Beatles cover (‘The Long & Winding Road’) still at the top of the singles chart and the Elvis number ones compilation at the top of the albums chart, the most interesting chart news this week is probably the return of cult musician John Otway. He first entered the charts in 1977 with the single ‘(Cor Baby That's) Really Free’. He was immediately snapped up by Polydor, but his second single ‘Geneve’ did little and he disappeared, albeit with a cult fanbase. Those fans, who have more recently started to communicate online, asked Otway what he wanted for his 50th birthday this year, and he said a second hit single. And so, thanks to an web-based push, ‘Bunsen Burner’ has made it to number nine this week. Now that’s viral marketing at work!
Tabloid favourite Holly Valance failed to beat the pop idols going in at number two with ‘Down Boy’. Further down the chart ‘Irv Gotti presents - Down 4 U’ went in at four, ‘Jakatta feat. Seal - My Vision’ at six, Feeder’s return with ‘Come Back Around’ enters at 14, Dirty Vegas’ ‘Days Go By’ at 16, JJ72 ‘Formulae’ at 28 and The Libertines’ ‘Up the Bracket’ at 29.
Albums wise the Rolling Stones best of went straight in at number two, beaten only by the Elvis compilation (which will no doubt kick around the top ten right the way through the Christmas shopping period). The excellent Supergrass go in at number nine with ‘Life On Other Planets’ at number nine, while Aqualung cashes in further on the success of ‘Strange and Beautiful’ with their eponymously titled album going in at 15. Suede’s new album is a new entry at 24.
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DOWNLOAD LEGISLATION UNCLEAR
The judge hearing the landmark case between the Recording Industry Association of America and US ISP Verizon has said the law governing the trading of music files over the internet is unclear. The RIAA want Verizon to release the contact details of one of their users who is illegally swapping large amounts of copyright music. Verizon claim that according to current law they only have to act if the pirated tracks are stored in a website on their servers. But the record companies claim that, although this particular user does not have a website containing copyright music, s/he uses Verizon’s internet access to email pirated tracks, so Verizon are, in fact, liable.
District Judge John D Bates said there were ambiguities in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. “Congress could have made this statute clearer," he said, "this statute is not organised as being consistent with the argument for either side." He went on to say he would, nevertheless, try to make a quick ruling on the case, though lawyers on both sides could not estimate when a decision might arrive.
Analysts say the judge's ruling, when it comes, could determine how much help record labels can expect from internet service providers as they try to stop online song-swapping.
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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 Sugraman’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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ICE CUBE ON HIS NEXT FILM PROJECT
After the huge success of ‘Barbershop’, Ice Cube has been talking about his next film project. He is set to appear in 'Torque', a motorbike gang film. He told MTV: "It's a lot of speed, big chase, you know, villains, good guys, bad guys - with a lot of action in between. I'm one of the bad guys. I play a guy named Trey, he's the leader of a motorcycle gang called the Reapers, out of Inglewood. He kinda gets after the lead character when he thinks that he has something to do with his brother's death. So I'm kinda after him half the movie." The movie should hit cinemas next year.
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WILL ROBBIE LOSE HIS CHAMBERS SUPPORT?
While Robbie has signed his massive four album deal with EMI, it is unclear if William’s songwriting partnership with Guy Chambers is guaranteed. Guy is behind many of Robbie’s big hits, and some insiders credit him with success of Robbie’s solo career musically. Although Guy has co-written 12 tracks on the new album ‘Escapology’ no contract has been signed for future projects, and rumour has it Chambers is looking to spend more time working with new artists. What this would mean for Robbie’s future pop success remains to be seen.
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POPTONES ATTEMPT A TURNROUND
Alan McGee's Poptones record label is reported to have turned round its financial fortunes after a period of severe cost cutting earlier this year, though it is still making losses. In March 2001, the public company announced losses of £1.1m for a six-month period on a turnover of just £175,000. Following cut backs on workforce and admin expenditure the company operating losses were down to £364,000 for the year to 30 Jun, down from £1m the previous year.
As well as cost cutting, the label benefited from two joint ventures with Telstar which included the UK release of The Hives album ‘Your New Favourite Band’. The joint ventures see Poptones and Telstar investing 50/50 in new acts, taking an equal split of profits. While The Hives got all the press the label is confident other artists involved in the partnership deal will also have successes.
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ROYAL OPERA HOUSE OPENS DOORS TO ROCK
Joe Strummer will be the first rock star to play London’s Royal Opera House next month in a charity show to raise money for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Strummer will appear with his band The Mescaleos, alongside Bryan Adams and Bryan May. Actors Jeremy Irons, Terence Stamp and Monty Python star Michael Palin will give readings at the event.
The venue, home to the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet, is hoping to overcome its ‘stuffy’ image by staging more mainstream musical events – Elton John is due to appear there in December.
The charity show is in aid of the conservation charity named after its founder who started campaigning for gorilla preservation in the 1960s. She was murdered in 1985, but her work came to public attention when her book 'Gorillas In The Mist' was turned into a film starring Sigourney Weaver in 1988.
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REVIEW: Radar - Nothing is Real (Bar De Lune)
Showcasing the North African vibe, the French duo Christopher Goze and Francis Peyrat have formed Radar and this is their debut. Downtempo bordering on ambient, Radar have a real middle eastern feel: both in the vocals and the use of Arabian instruments. This album only catches a tad of it though, coming across as mainly non-descript lounge music. Passable tracks include 'In My Mind' and 'Your Song' which captures the French African fusion relatively well, complete with ethnic vocals. The pan piped muzak of Goze solo in 'Sirocco' is rather dull, and the Yiddish feel 'Yep Yep' gets slightly on the wick. A different take on downtempo, but they really could have done with a couple of pacier bits thrown in to detract from the monotony. PV
Release date: 21 Oct
Press contact: Cutting Edge PR [all]
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NEW BEATLES PICS FOUND
5OO unpublished photographs of the Beatles at the height of their sixties fame have been discovered in the archives at Dundee University. They were found on Saturday - the 4Oth anniversary of the Beatles first single release, ‘Love Me Do’. Plans are now afoot to put the pictures on display, and local tourist authorities are expecting thousands of Beatles fans to flock to the city to see them.
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LIL' ROMEO TO APPEAR AS HIS SHAKESPEAREAN NAMESAKE
13 year rapper Lil' Romeo is set to star in a radical remake of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Produced by Lil’ Romeo’s father, rap mogul Master P, for MGM Pictures, the Shakespeare remake is being described as "a cutting-edge, multi-ethnic style representative of today's youth." Mark Canton (producer of Courtney Love's Trapped and Jennifer Lopez's Angel Eyes) will co-produce, and Dallas Jackson will write the script. A director and female lead are still being recruited.
The Shakespeare isn’t Romeo’s only film project - he's currently shooting ‘Honey’, about a dancer who becomes a successful music video choreographer, in Toronto, and recently finished a television pilot, ‘Pieces of the Puzzle’, which is touted as an updated version of The Partridge Family. On the recording front his next album ‘Game Time’ has a 17 Dec US release date on his father’s No Limit Records.
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PAXO TURNS ON YOUTHFUL TV STARS
Jeremey Paxman has told Newsnight viewers he is starting a campaign to "buck the ludicrous obsession that television has to cater for the 16-34 demographic group at the expense of all others" in one of his daily emails. The remark followed an interview on Wednesday last week with the 85-year-old historian, Eric Hobsbawm. Describing the interview as “fascinating” he joked his programme needed “more 80-year-olds," criticising TV’s obsession with youth programming like Big Brother.
Although the comments were slightly tongue in cheek he is representing the opinions of a growing group in the media who see the obsession with youth TV as detrimental for the medium. Channel 5 news boss, Chris Shaw told the Edinburgh TV Festival that TV executives too easily forget the value of experience and wisdom over youthful good looks. Word is Shaw is courting experienced correspondents such as Kate Adie, BBC diplomatic editor, Brian Hanrahan, and the former ITN political editor, Michael Brunson, in an effort to redress the balance.
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EXTRA PULP TRACK ON BEST OF
Pulp’s Greatest Hits album will hit the stores on 18 Nov and will feature that now obligatory new track. According to the band’s fan club website the extra track will be ‘The Last Day Of The Miner's Strike’
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STRICTLY RHYTHM NO MORE
Billboard has reported that New York based dance label Strictly Rhythm (and imprints Groovilicious and G2), which has provided a launch pad for artists like Ultra Naté, Barbara Tucker, Roger Sanchez, and Armand Van Helden, has closed its doors. The news means it is likely the UK side of a worldwide joint venture struck up between Strictly and Warner Music Group will also cease trading. No word yet on the reasons behind the decision.
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STOP PUSHING TERRESTRIAL DIGITAL TV, REPORT SAYS
A new report has criticised governments for artificially speeding up the take up of digital TV, saying they should stop forcing digital terrestrial TV on consumers and instead allow market forces and commercial providers of cable and satellite services to dictate the speed of digital take-up.
In the report Forrester Research say: "Making money from digital terrestrial looks as hard as milking a stone and forcing consumers to take it just won't work. Governments should recall digital audio broadcasting - another technology that has never found its market - and stop pushing the inherently flawed DTT.” They predicted that any enforced ‘switch-off’ of analogy TV would cause "consumer uproar".
Earlier this year, Forrester forecast digital terrestrial TV would be available in just 11% of European households by 2007. It now reckons even this statistic is optimistic after the collapse of ITV Digital in the UK and the Quiero Television digital network in Spain. They say terrestrial digital TV operators will never be able to make profits because those consumers who want multi-channel TV would rather take a satellite or cable option which offers many more channels for a monthly subscription not much higher than terrestrial TV networks.
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Answer to Friday’s pop quiz:
On VH1’s Top 100 Women (airing this week) Courtney Love was referred to as a “great singer and great actress”. But can you actually name six movies she’s been in?
‘Sid and Nancy’ in 1986, ‘Straight To Hell’ in 1987, ‘Basquiat’ in 1995, ‘The People Vs Larry Flynt’ (1996), ‘Feeling Minnesota’ (1996), ‘Man On The Moon’ (1999).