| CMU Daily - on the inside 9 Oct 2002 |
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In today's CMU Daily:
• Billboard Survey Reckons Ads Won’t Stop Downloads,
• Morrissey Dates Announced,
• Nirvana Best Of Track Listing Out,
• Review: Princess Superstar ft Kool Keith – Keith N Me,
• Pulp Slowdown,
• Webcasters Make Royalty Deals,
• Soft Cell Tour Postponed As Almond Taken Ill,
• Houston Faces Lawsuit From Her Father,
• Review: Koop - Waltz For Koop (DJ Patife Remixes),
• Jagger Makes Another Donation For Music School,
• Ministry Announces New Year Plans,
• EMI Make US Commitments For Robbie, Tabloid Bits
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Who said: “Anyone that walks can sing”?
Answer tomorrow
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BILLBOARD SURVEY RECKONS ADS WON’T STOP DOWNLOADS
In a Billboard survey 61% of people interviewed said they don’t think the pleas of millionaire artists like Britney Spears, Eminem, Brian Wilson, Shakira, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Vanessa Carlton, and Elton John will discourage music fans from downloading tracks. The RIAA have been using the artists in a print and TV ad campaign in the US to try and educate young people out of illegally swapping music online. Just 2% of those surveyed said that hearing the collective pleas of the varied list of artists would change their minds about file sharing. Another 23% said their musical taste’s are different from the mainstream artists in the ads - for this group favourite artists have been supporting online file sharing.
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MORRISSEY DATES ANNOUNCED
Former Smiths man Morrissey has announced a five date tour after the success of his Albert Hall gigs last month. The dates are:
30 Oct: Birmingham Academy
31 Oct: Bradford St Georges Hall
2 Nov: Blackburn King Georges Hall
3 Nov: Glasgow Barrowlands
5 Nov: London Brixton Academy
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NIRVANA BEST OF TRACK LISTING OUT
The good news, a tracklisting for the forthcoming Nirvana best of has appeared on Amazon who are preparing to sell the album that is sure to storm the charts later this year. Alongside the obvious are the band’s cover of David Bowie's 'The Man Who Sold The World' which they performed on their 'MTV Unplugged' show, and 'You Know You're Right', the previously unreleased track which has been getting much radio play (initially unofficial, now official) since it surfaced on the internet last month.
The tracklisting is:
You Know You're Right, About A Girl, Been A Son, Sliver, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are, Lithium, In Bloom, Heart-Shaped Box, Pennyroyal Tea, Rape Me, Dumb, All Apologies, The Man Who Sold The World.
The bad news – the NME has heard that the long awaited box set featuring various Nirvana rarities, which many hoped would now get a release, will most probably not hit the shops until 2004.
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REVIEW: Princess Superstar ft Kool Keith – Keith N Me (K7/Rapster)
Cilla would be more than a little happy if she had hooked up these two perverts. As twisted and sexually charged as each other this is a match made in bed: Keith’s worrying sexual fantasies and realities perfectly compliment Princess’s self-sex rudeness, and the beats are rugged and rude like they should be – wicked. The B-side, ‘You Get Mad At Napster’ is a worthy flip, with strings/vocal chorus that sound like David Holmes’ ‘Don’t Die Just Yet’ and rhymes that are just as tight and lot more cuss-ij to the line – wicked. An absolutely solid 12” that deserves to be huge.
Release date: 28 Nov
Press contact: Smash [all]
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PULP SLOWDOWN
The release of a Greatest Hits album always starts rumours of a forthcoming split, and Pulp, whose best of is out on 18 Nov, haven’t done much to quash the rumours by admitting the band has "no plans to return to the studio in the foreseeable future". Though, in a statement on their website, they add that: "Pulp aren't technically splitting up". The news follows the band’s departure from label Universal Island. That band explained that decision came when the label, unable to afford the option of a fifth album on existing contract rates, asked to renegotiate, and the band said “no ta” and walked away.
Whatever all this means, there is always the best of to look forward to which, as we said yesterday, will feature new track ‘The Last Day's of the Miners Strike’ – which was recorded last month. Full tracklisting is:
Babies, Razzmatazz, Lipgloss, Do You Remember the First Time?, Common People, Underwear, Sorted for E's and Wizz, Disco 2000, Something Changed, Help The Aged, This is Hardcore, A Little Soul, Party Hard, The Trees, Bad Cover Version, Sunrise, The Last Day of the Miners' Strike.
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WEBCASTERS MAKE ROYALTY DEALS
Deals are being made in the UK and the US with regards royalty payments for internet radio stations. Webcasters have been suffering as they wait for broadband internet access to spread – existing royalty obligations have made it difficult for many to continue. Now a trial scheme will allow globally-based internet radio stations to play more than 200 artists on independent UK labels - including Tom Jones, Badly Drawn Boy and Paul Oakenfold – at a much more affordable rate. Negotiated by the Association of Independent Music internet radio stations will pay a share of their own profits in return for access to the collective label’s catalogues. It is hoped the deal will help gain more exposure for UK music. British web stations are already on board and AIM hope to get interest around the world.
AIM’s Sam Shemtob explained: "We have consulted with internet radio stations before coming out with the system, so we are pretty confident that the webcast industry in the US and beyond will be very willing to participate in this." Keith Harris, president of the UK's Music Managers' Forum, has leant his support for the scheme, telling the BBC: "With traditional radio saturated virtually everywhere, webcasting is vital. This deal, provided there is adequate provision for artist payments, makes it easy for us to be played and paid and will help propel UK artists internationally." The webcasters now need to tackle the tricky task of a deal with the major labels.
In the US the matter has been discussed in the House of Representatives where smaller Webcasters claimed existing fees – which amounted to 70 cents per 1000 listeners per track – would put them out of business. The new bill, like the UK deal, means webcasters whose gross revenues are less than $1 million a year will pay a percentage of profits rather than a per listener fee. However the deal will require webcasters to make back payments of profits since 1998 – though the required percentage will be smaller for past years.
The bill was passed yesterday after final wranglings between the RIAA and artist groups were resolved. Artists argued royalties from webcasting should come straight to them, not via the record labels. The RIAA agreed to this providing non-profit making royalty collecting companies (their equivalent to our PRS) could take a fee to cover the costs of their work.
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SOFT CELL TOUR POSTPONED AS ALMOND TAKEN ILL
Soft Cell have been forced to postpone their forthcoming tour, due to start next week, because front man Marc Almond has been taken severely ill with an aggravated hernia - it is thought he will require an immediate operation. The UK and European tour will now be rescheduled for the New Year. The band’s manager told reporters: "This is a very unfortunate event particularly considering the fantastic reception the band's recent live shows and new album have received. We are very disappointed that Soft Cell will miss the opportunity to play to their European fans but it is impossible that Marc could perform effectively in his current condition. We are confident that Marc will be able to perform on the band's American tour in November as planned and will be fully fit for rescheduled dates in the New Year."
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HOUSTON FACES LAWSUIT FROM HER FATHER
Whitney Houston is being sued for $100 million by her father's company, and it's not clear whose side the elder Houston is taking. John Houston Entertainment, which filed the breach of contract lawsuit in the New Jersey Superior Court last August, is seeking unpaid fees for management services, including sorting out legal entanglements when Whitney was found in possession of 15 grams of dope, and negotiating her $100 million contract with Arista. Though John Houston himself isn't named in the suit, the company’s president Kevin Skinner says he is one of the plaintiffs and that he fully supports the suit. Company spokeswoman Sonia Johnson seemed to confirm Skinner’s claims when she read out a statement attributed to Mr Houston: "I am stating for the record that I am 100% behind the lawsuit against my daughter Whitney and am ashamed at my daughter's staff ... because they want to weasel out of paying my company ... I will not rest until this is over, and I plan to see it through to the end."
However, longtime Whitney Houston representative Nancy Seltzer disputes that the statement is actually from the singer's father. "When I spoke to John a week and a half ago he said, 'It's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of. I couldn't do anything like that, and I didn't.' I asked him if he wanted that to be his statement, and he said yes.”
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REVIEW: Koop - Waltz for Koop (DJ Patife remixes) (Stimulus Records)
Stockholm outfit Koop are downtempo dukes Simonsson and Zingmark. The
original ‘Waltz For Koop’ was a laid back waltz affair with breathy dreamy vocals from Celia Stalin, delivered in a Bjorkish fashion. But now DJ Patife - the d&b wizard from Sao Paulo - takes the tune to new levels adding his sunkissed latin jazz style and his fast paced yet mellowish breakbeat, using shades of the vocal to good effect to creat a dancefloor winner. Sheer Braziliance from 'The Rascal.' PV
Release date: 14 Oct
Press Contact: Relentless IH [all]
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JAGGER MAKES ANOTHER DONATION FOR MUSIC SCHOOL
Mick Jagger has donated £100,000 to his former school - Dartford Grammar School, in Kent - in the hope of encouraging more children to start making music at an early age. The donations comes two and half years after the star opened the school’s Mick Jagger Centre with a £500,000 grant. In a statement Jagger said: "I was really impressed with the facilities and the staff when I first visited the centre and I hope that my contribution will help this great work continue and allow even more children to experience the thrill of making their own music. It is so important that they have somewhere like this where they can share their musical ideas and vision and be able to practise for as long as they like."
The school's head teacher Tony Smith told reporters: "We are deeply involved in the arts within the community and with Mick Jagger's act of kindness we will be able to change the lives of local children and adults. This project will fill a vacuum, making serious music opportunities available at a very early stage of education and providing instruments free."
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MINISTRY ANNOUNCES NEW YEAR PLANS
Ministry of Sound have announced details of this year’s New Years Eve party at the dome – a fifteen-hour clubbing marathon billed as ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’. The third year the company has taken over the dome for New Years they are promising “the best in beats, a spectacular pyrotechnic show blasting clubbers into the New Year with a bang and a spectacle of breath-taking stunts, aerobatics and circus performances from a troupe of hand picked performers.” The event will feature five different arenas: Trance and House on the Main Stage, UK Garage and R'n'B in the Smoove Arena, Drum & Bass old and new in the World Dance Arena, US house in the Rulin' Arena and some leftfield sounds in the Bacardi Bbar. 50 DJs and MCs are expected to take part.
Talking about the event Ministry of Sound Director, Mark Rodol told us: “In the last two years the Dome has been awe-inspiring. Once again massive sound, light and production come together in one of the world's most spectacular buildings. Last year's fireworks were one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. This year they'll be even bigger, better and louder - at midnight the whole place will erupt! The Dome this New Years Eve will be the world's biggest indoor party with 50 DJ's performing in five arenas to 50,000 people. I can't imagine anywhere else I'd rather be on New Years Eve. It's even got its own train station!"
Press information from Angharad Davies at Capitalize on 020 7326 9100.
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EMI MAKE US COMMITMENTS FOR ROBBIE
EMI chiefs are putting their necks on the line promising Robbie Williams a real marketing push in the US as part of his new record breaking contract. The label will have the top marketing people at its US based Capitol division on call to get Williams the kind of US following Radiohead, Coldplay and The Vines have enjoyed in recent times. Industry insiders reckon it might just work.
Billboards Jonathan Cohen told the NME: "He has appeal. He's a personality. He suffered here because he didn't have enough exposure before. 'Rock DJ' had the potential to start him in the right direction. It was a good song, had a good video, but after that there was nothing else, no momentum. Remember, he has sold less than 700,000 albums to date here. His label has got to support him, get him out on tour, get him on radio and on TV. Capitol have a great track record here. They've done it forColdplay, forRadiohead, The Vines and, to a certain extent, Doves. As far as him being a multi-multi platinum star right from the off, it's unlikely, but there's nothing really to stop him working towards it now."
But marketers have reminded label bosses they’ll need to storming track to back up their campaign. ‘Can't Get You Out Of My Head' is credited with helping Kylie become a hit in the States and they reckon Robbie will need a similarly popular track to be big in the US.
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TABLOID BITS
Former Steps members H and Claire are to quit their jobs presenting ITV Saturday morning kids show SMTV so they can concentrate on their "music commitments". Jonathan Wilkes will continue as guest presenter. A spokesperson for the duo told reporters: "It's hard work juggling both, there just aren't enough hours in the week. We love the show and will be back from time to time."
Pop idol Darius Danesh, meanwhile, is reported to be sleeping on a friend's floor while he is in London recording his debut album. He has refused to stay in a hotel and prefers to stay at his friend Venetia Hibbert's flat. She told the Daily Record: "Darius is an excellent housemate and is very tidy.”
And finally, Mel B's ex-husband Jimmy Gulzar has gone on trial charged with assaulting a 3 year-old autistic boy who pushed over a girl Gulzar was looking after. The boy's mother claims that Gulzar roared in anger before hitting her son hard. Defence lawyers claim she is exaggerating what happened to make money, saying she only approached to police after she had spoken to the press who, she admits, paid £1000 for the story.
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Answer to Tuesday’s pop quiz:
Why was the 1970 Kinks track 'Lola' initially denied radio airplay - and how did they overcome the problem?
Because it contained the words ‘Coca Cola’ which radio stations considered to be product endorsement. The band changed the line to ‘Cherry Cola’ to get airplay.