| CMU Daily - on the inside Monday 10th March |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- MMF chair claims eBay owes artists ten million
- Joseph promoted to Universal UK CEO role
- Lisa Marie Presley sues Mail over fat claims
- Oxygene owner sues over covermount
- Spears senior to dispute custody legal fees
- Eminem discoverers sue over Shady royalty deductions
- Deadline set for Snoop Priority dispute
- Mother hits out at Yayo book tour
- China tighten controls following Bjork's outburst
- Bjork enters Exit, possibly
- Art Brut part company with EMI
- Charlatans album goes like hot cakes
- Usher album details
- Whitney to release new album
- Madonna on Timberlake collaboration
- Tellier to represent France in Eurovision
- V Festival sold out
- Kasabian headline Creamfields
- Flaming Lips for Lovebox
- Brazilian girl crashes Dylan's set
- BSP back Arctic expedition
- Squire: no, Led Zep, stop now
- Single review: Utah Saints - Something Good 08
- Anti-piracy stuff
- Fnac planning London store
- Chart update
- Sub.tv playlist
- Total Rock world album chart
- Student Radio Chart
- Leigh Francis on Craig David
- Mayer tells ex that it's time to let him go
- Yorke's partner not ready for the music
- Adele would like to form Brits School supergroup
- Williams: they'll all say I'm mental
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TOP BIT
Friday's front page (well, on the first edition of the London Evening Standard)was running the news that Paul McCartney had given the go ahead for the Beatles catalogue to be sold via iTunes, a move, the tabs said, that will help fund Macca's multi-million divorce settlement with Heather Mills, was interesting. I'm tempted to say it was the biggest 'no story' of the music world so far this year, but then Apple and Apple will probably make a big announcement tomorrow making me look foolish - though it looks very unlikely that they will.
As much previously reported, there has been speculation for literally years that the long awaited arrival of the Beatles catalogue to legit download platforms like iTunes was just around the corner, though it's been no secret for much of the last year that we were now talking about 'when' rather than 'if'. The February 2007 settlement of the long running trademark feud between Apple Computers and Beatles company Apple Corps paved the way for iTunes' involvement in any Beatles digital release, and Apple Corps admitted at the time of that settlement that remastering was already under way in preparation for a digital release of the Fab Four's music. It was with that in mind that when EMI announced a press conference to make a big digital announcement in April last year many expected some kind of Beatles news, and not that the major was dropping DRM off its digital catalogue.
But, despite all the Apple/Apple feuding, it has actually been the Apple Corps/EMI legal shenanigans that have really delayed the arrival of the Beatles online for so long, certainly more so than any resistance to the concept of a digital release on the part of Macca or fellow surviving Beatle Ringo Starr, or the estates of George Harrison or John Lennon. Long running royalty disputes had to be ironed out before Apple Corps would work with the major on the next widescale re-release of the Beatles oeuvre, and that's taken quite some time. But EMI insiders have been becoming ever more hopeful of late that a deal could finally be done allowing a 2008 release, though some of EMI's legal team still look tired and emotional whenever the Fab Four are mentioned, and suggest 2008 may still be a little too optimistic. Apple Corps remain non-committal on the issue.
Either way, it seems unlikely there was any seismic shift last week in ongoing royalty negotiations that will allow a timeline for release to be finalised - certainly EMI and Apple Corps are pleading ignorance regarding the Standard led reports that some kind of agreement had taken place, and if you read the Standard and other reports closely, they too are quite hazy on what Macca has agreed to and when he agreed to it and why he, over all of the other parties involved in this one, was making the ultimate decisions.
What seems most likely is that someone has put together the rumours that the Beatles are seeking a £200 million advance for their digital catalogue - which would equal £50 million per Beatle - with the rumour that the judge considering the Macca/Mills divorce case will award McCartney's bitter ex £50 million, and seen a mathematically pleasing angle to this story. But, while it would be nice for Macca to pay his divorce settlement in whole with a digital advance, given McCartney is estimated to be worth £600 million it is unlikely he'd let such things influence his decision making regarding the digital Beatles release. And that's before you consider whether or not the £200 million advance rumour has any truth in it - it seems unlikely iTunes would be paying any such advance, as some have suggested, given [a] they're not prone to such excessive pay outs and [b] as Silicon Alley Insider points out, they'd need to sell 1.8 billion Beatles songs just to recoup.
Still, all the buzz that any mention of the Beatles going digital creates makes it likely that when they do finally go online - and despite a sneaky bit of me hoping that, by holding off for so long, the Fab Four would suffer as a result of everyone having gotten their Beatles MP3s from illegal sources - it's going to be big news, which could well see the band dominate the singles chart once again, and could, on the up side, provide a more general boost for the digital music sector, bringing new consumers to the legit download table. Whether that will happen anytime soon, and whether a certain Ms Mills will be once of the beneficiaries, remains to be seen.
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JOBS N STUFF
!K7 LABEL GROUP SEEKS UK LABEL & EVENT MANAGER
!K7 Label Group is an international music company based in Berlin comprising 5 record labels, publishing company, booking agency and fledgling events business.
!K7 is looking for a UK Label Manager to oversee all aspects of the record label and events business within the UK. The successful candidate will have experience running imaginative press, radio and marketing campaigns for releases across a variety of musical genres and a sound knowledge of the UK digital and physical marketplace. They will also have the contacts and expertise to set up a number of profit-making !K7 events. Based in the english-speaking Berlin office with frequent travel to London. Salary negotiable.
Please send all applications in writing to Nicola Agunwa by no later than March 31st: [email protected] or Nicola Agunwa, !K7 Records GmbH, Heidestrasse 52, 10557 Berlin, Germany
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GO ONLINE WITH CMU...
Splitloop on how they got started: "We actually met on a bus to a Prodigy concert; I'd been making tunes for a few months, we were both into breaks and started from there. Original gear was a Commodore Amiga running Octamed. Who needs 16 bit stereo?"
Splitloop answers CMU's Same Six Questions online this week - www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk
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CMU RECOMMENDED
REMIX ALL-NIGHTER - PLUS SPECIAL OFFER FOR STUDENTS
The next CMU recommended Remix All-Nighter takes over the seOne Club at London Bridge next month for a brilliant pre-Easter party.
There'll be three rooms of fun. In the Remix room you'll get live sets from The Whip and Vitalic, plus Remix chief Eddy TM on the decks and VJ Fay Buzzard doing visual stuff. Next up will be a room hosted by Orbital co-founder and general dance music pioneer Phil Hartnoll, named for and showcasing his new venture Long Range. And then, to top off all that, there will be a whole room of all things Ninja Tune, featuring no less than DJ Food & DK, Coldcut (Jon Moore DJ Set), Bonobo, Daedelus, The Qemists and VJ Mox. Oh, and they've just added Busy P (Ed Banger) to the bill too. This night is going to be storming.
It all takes place on 20 Mar. Full info from: http://www.myspace.com/theremix
SPREAD THE WORD! SPECIAL STUDENT DISCOUNT FROM CMU
CMU and Remix All-nighter promoters have teamed up to offer students a special price for the night of just £7. To get the discount you need a special code for when you order your tickets, and you can get the code by emailing your name and university name to [email protected] But do it quick - there are a limited number of discounted tickets available.
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SNAP OF THE DAY: LYKKE LI
The Moshi Moshi released single 'Little Bit' is a brilliant taster of this Scandinavian alt-popster, who has been widely name-dropped by tastemakers, tipsters and A&R men over the past few months, with plenty of hype crossing over from her fellow countrymen in Sweden. Comparison-wise she's been referenced next to the modern folk of Peter, Bjorn and John (possible because she shares the same producer), the haunting balladry of Cat Power and Icelandic nutbag Bjork, which is always a good thing in my book. Still unsigned as yet, expect much more name dropping this week as she heads to Austin for SxSW where she has a few shows booked in, no doubt building on her already blistering live reputation. If you're not going to make it to Austin this week, go here instead...
http://www.myspace.com/lykkeli
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MMF CHAIR CLAIMS EBAY OWES ARTISTS TEN MILLION
The Chairman of the Music Managers Forum and co-founder of Big Life management says that eBay owe the artist community £10 million.
That claim follows eBay's announcement last week that it will force people who resell tickets to charity shows via the auction website to pass at least 20% of their profit back to whatever cause the show was set up to support. Jazz Summers says that he reckons ticket touts made £50 million by reselling tickets on eBay last year, and if the auction website now admits that the beneficiary of a concert should be due a fifth of the profit, the beneficiary of the non-charity events - ie the artists and promoters - should also get their cut. Do the math and you get the £10 million figure.
Summers is quoted by Music Week thus: "I note that eBay has been shamed into action on charity tickets. But by our reckoning eBay generated around £50m worth of business in re-selling non-charity concert tickets last year. If, as they seem to be saying, 20% is a fair rate, then that means they owe artists and musicians £10m. They should pay up".
As much previously reported, the MMF has proposed a Resale Rights Society which would offer ticket auction sites legitimacy in return for a commitment to pass a cut of any touting profits back to the artist and promoter community - though it's a proposal that few in the secondary ticketing market have been especially enthusiastic about.
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JOSEPH PROMOTED TO UNIVERSAL UK CEO ROLE
Universal Music has announced the promotion of Polydor co-President David Joseph to the role of CEO for Universal Music UK, reporting to Universal Music Group International boss Lucian Grainge.
Grainge himself as fulfilled the UK chief role in addition to his job as CEO of UMGI since 2005, so Joseph's job is essentially a new one. The chiefs of Universal's UK divisions, including Island, Mercury, Polydor and UCJ, will now report to Joseph. He will also retain his role as co-President of Polydor, meaning he'll be reporting to himself some of the time.
Confirming the appointment, Grainge told CMU: "David is a gifted music executive with exceptional creative instincts and a reputation for uncomplicated thinking and for honour. He has played a central role in building Polydor's UK market supremacy, developing a talented team which has continued to fuel this creative powerhouse".
He continued: "Universal Music UK benefited when David took additional responsibilities two years ago as President of Universal Music Operations. Today, the strength of the UK team and all our labels allows me to spend more time on international strategy. With David now advancing to UK Chairman, I will - as mandated by Universal Music Group Chairman/CEO Doug Morris - be able to concentrate more than ever on our international creative growth and A&R focus, and our overall business development".
Joseph added: "I'm inheriting a company which is full of optimism. There is creativity and success coming out of every team across Universal Music UK, and I am very flattered to be asked to work with all of them".
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LISA MARIE PRESLEY SUES MAIL OVER FAT CLAIMS
Busy day in the legal news department, and two stories involving Associated Newspapers. First up Lisa Marie Presley is suing the Daily Mail for libel over an article that claimed she was putting on the weight like her late father.
The article apparently claimed Presley Junior had an "unhealthy appetite" and is "growing like her dad". It was true that Lisa Marie was putting on the pounds, but that was because she was pregnant. Her lawyers say the Mail article, which was picked up by newspapers and websites worldwide (not us, I might add), not only left her "deeply upset and offended", but forced her to reveal her pregnancy before she had wished to.
Calling the press reports "disgusting", she wrote on her MySpace page: "Once they got a glimpse of my expanding physique a few days ago, they have been like a pack of coyotes circling their prey whilst eerily howling with delight. I have had to show my cards and announce under the gun and under vicious personal attack that I am in fact pregnant".
Addressing the female of the species, she continued: "You know if you were pregnant and you felt you were expanding uncontrollably by the moment as a result, and the worldwide media started badgering and harassing you for it, plastering you everywhere in an unflattering light, you would be mortified as well".
Presumably the libel action will centre on the Mail's implications that Presley's weight gain was due to greed. The newspaper is yet to comment.
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OXYGENE OWNER SUES OVER COVERMOUNT
More litigation against Associated Newspapers, this time relating to the Mail On Sunday and one of their pesky covermounts. This one centres on the originality, or not, of the 30th anniversary edition of Jean Michel Jarre's 'Oxygene', released by EMI last year and then licensed by the major to the Mail for a covermount give away earlier this year.
The CD given away by the Mail On Sunday was billed as being the "original score re-recorded and mixed by Jean Michel Jarre", but Francis Dreyfus, who owns half the publishing on the album and who claims to own the original recording, claims the Mail CD actually featured a remastered version of the original recording and therefore its release breached his copyright.
He has hired Web Sheriff to represent his interests in the dispute, and they have told Music Week legal action against both EMI and the Mail On Sunday will follow in due course. Web Sheriff MD John Giacobbi says he has a musicologist comparing the Mail CD to the original in preparation for a lawsuit although, he adds, experts have already backed their claims.
It's not entirely clear if Dreyfus is claiming that both the EMI retail release and the covermount are in breach of his copyright on the original, or just the covermount. Either way, EMI are saying they are confident both used a brand new recording of the classic album, while Mail On Sunday MD Stephen Miron has told Music Week that his company licensed the recording in good faith from a major record company, and therefore any claim against the paper is "tenuous and laughable".
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SPEARS SENIOR TO DISPUTE CUSTODY LEGAL FEES
More legal type news, and Britney Spears' dad Jamie has hit out at the level of legal fees his daughter has been charged in relation to the long running custody battle between the popstress and ex-husband Kevin Federline over their two sons.
As much previously reported, Spears Senior is currently in charge of his daughter's affairs after the courts appointed him as Britney's conservator after she went a bit loopy. He is apparently outraged at his daughter being billed £300,000 by her lawyers in relation to the custody battle, and another £250,000 by Federline's lawyers who she is expected to fund.
According to TMZ.com, Mr Spears will challenge the invoice in court this week, presumably claiming the two legal firms took advantage of his daughter's instable state in order to gain clearance for such high legal bills.
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EMINEM DISCOVERERS SUE OVER SHADY ROYALTY DEDUCTIONS
More from the pop courts, and Mark and Jeff Bass, the brothers who were in part responsible for unleashing Eminem on the world, are suing Universal divisions Aftermath and Interscope, and Dr Dre's Ary Inc company, claiming they are owed millions in royalties relating to Slim Shady's music.
The Bass brothers' company FBT Productions signed Eminem in 1995, and engineered his deal with the Dr Dre founded Aftermath Entertainment three years later. They claim that their deal with Aftermath gave their company a cut of future Slim Shady recording revenues, as well as setting out the relationship between FTB, Aftermath, Eminem and a third company, Em2M, a company owned by one Joel Martin, who also runs Mathers' publishing company 8 Mile Style.
The legal dispute is over certain costs and expenses which FTB and Em2M say should have been charged to Eminem's people under that deal, but which were charged to them and deducted from royalty payments. Said costs and expenses add up to millions, and it is those monies plus damages that the Bass brothers, and Martin's Em2M, are suing for.
Universal, Dre and, for that matter, Eminem himself, are yet to comment.
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DEADLINE SET FOR SNOOP PRIORITY DISPUTE
An LA judge has set a deadline for Snoop Dogg and EMI US's Priority Records to reach a settlement on their ongoing royalty dispute, or the case will have to go to court.
Snoop sued the EMI division in 2006 claiming he was owed over a million in royalties plus a £475,000 advance from his 2000 album 'Tha Last Meal' and some kind of compensation for a greatest hits collection the label released without the rapper's consent. Since that, the litigation talks between Snoop's people and the major have been continuing, and insiders say they expect an out of court settlement to be reached, but the judge overseeing the case is getting restless and said last week that the two sides needed to reach an agreement by 26 Mar or proceed to court.
Neither Snoop nor EMI have responded to the judge's request.
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MOTHER HITS OUT AT YAYO BOOK TOUR
The mother of the teenage son of Czar Entertainment boss Jimmy Rosemond has hit out at the community service planned for rapper Tony Yayo, who was accused of roughing up her son during an altercation in New York last year.
As previously reported, Yayo, real name Marvin Bernard, got off relatively lightly in relation to the incident by accepting a plea bargain. As part of his community service sentence Yayo will take part in a book tour designed to promote teen literacy in the US and run by the Book Bank Foundation.
But the victim's mother, Cynthia Reed, says that is inappropriate, because it sets Yayo up as a role model to the teenagers the book campaign is targeting, something Reed believes is wrong given the hip hopper's admission that he harassed her fourteen year old son. And I think she might be right.
In an open letter to the Book Bank Foundation's founder Glenn Toby, Reed said this weekend: "Shame on you Glenn Toby for letting Marvin Bernard's punishment look like willful charity. Crimes against children should never be legitimised just because a person is an entertainer. A public apology is appropriate at this time, not only from Tony Yayo but from 50 Cent for denying this event ever happened".
Reed will protest outside the New York dates of the tour this week.
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CHINA TIGHTEN CONTROLS FOLLOWING BJORK'S OUTBURST
According to reports, China is planning to tighten the rules over performances by foreign music stars, following that previously reported incident in which Bjork apparently shouted "Tibet, Tibet" following a performance of her track 'Declare Independence'. A spokesperson for China's Ministry Of Culture explained that her actions "broke Chinese law and hurt Chinese people's feelings".
The statement continued "We will further tighten controls on foreign artists performing in China in order to prevent similar cases from happening in the future. We shall never tolerate any attempt to separate Tibet from China and will no longer welcome any artists who deliberately do this". The statement added that "no country admits that Tibet is an independent country", which I'm not sure is exactly true, but then, we are talking about the Chinese government, here, and they are, after all, the body that invaded and annexed the country back in 1950.
Anyway, here's what Bjork says about the incident, and the song in question, via her website: "I would like to put importance on that I am not a politician, I am first and last a musician and as such I feel my duty to try to express the whole range of human emotions. This song was written more with the personal in mind. But the fact that it has translated to its broadest meaning, the struggle of a suppressed nation, gives me much pleasure".
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BJORK ENTERS EXIT, POSSIBLY
More political Bjork shenanigans now. Following that previously reported kerfuffle surrounding Bjork's appearance at Serbia's Exit festival, the singer has been 're-invited' to perform.
As you'll remember, the singer claimed to have been dropped from the line up after she dedicated the aforementioned song 'Declare Independence' to the state of Kosovo, a move which possibly wouldn't go down too well with any listening Serbs. Exit's Bojan Boscovic initially denied that Bjork had ever been on the bill, but Bjork's people claimed that he'd actually sent an email saying she was no longer welcome, and now Boscovic has admitted that she was scheduled to appear, and that he did email Bjork's people, but implies that he sent the email in a personal capacity because he was a bit concerned about the ramifications of her getting political at his event.
Here's what he says now: "That email was not an official EXIT statement. It was my email sent showing my great concern about what is going on. Two weeks later I have a different opinion about it. We do want to see her at EXIT. We're trying to see with management now if this is the best time to have her. There is an open invitation".
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ART BRUT PART COMPANY WITH EMI
What I think is Art Brut's official website has announced that the CMU favourites have parted company with EMI, not all that long after they started working with the major. The statement follows that previously reported story, also coming from http://www.artbrut.org.uk, that the band hadn't been consulted about a recent digital release by EMI of the band's single 'Pump Up The Volume'.
The new posting reads thus: "Dearest Internet, it looks like our much loved adventurers just couldn't work it out with EMI after all. That's right, after staying up well into the night talking it over, they have both decided it best if they see other people. The spark just wasn't there anymore. The reasons, you ask? There were many. Maybe the age difference, maybe the mounting work commitments. It just looks as if they both needed some space. And hey, maybe they both need to play the field a little more before settling down. They promise to remain close friends and lunch whenever they can. Good luck to all involved!"
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CHARLATANS ALBUM GOES LIKE HOT CAKES
The fact that The Charlatans' new album is being downloaded like hot cakes (not sure you can download a hot cake, but there you go) might have something to do with the fact that it's been given away. But the point is, it's doing really well, and the band are really pleased that 30,000 downloads have been made, meaning that if it were eligible, 'You Cross My Path' would be sitting at number two in the UK albums chart.
The band's Tim Burgess says this: "When [Charlatans' manager] Alan McGee and I had this idea 18 months ago, we never imagined that it could be this successful. It's a tribute to people's belief in us and if we were in the shops, 20 years after The Charlatans started, we would be the number two most popular group in the country this week - going free was the best thing for us. Thanks to everyone that has downloaded the record".
The aforementioned McGee added, "I feel we are totally vindicated with the philosophy that if you go free and make a great record, you can exceed your dreams. No longer does music have to work in the traditional major-label dominated way".
The album, which, as previously reported, was digitally released via Xfm's website last week, will also be released as a double CD, single CD and vinyl record on 12 May.
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USHER ALBUM DETAILS
Usher has announced that his fifth studio album is to be called 'Here I Stand', and that it will be released in June. A first single from the long player, 'Love In This Club', has already been no. 1 in the US.
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WHITNEY TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM
Whitney Houston is to release an album this year, according to BMG US CEO Clive Davis. Billboard quote the industry exec as saying: "We're on track for a holiday release. We're not going to compromise who she is to fit into today's hip-hop radio market. The public wants Whitney material".
The singer, who has of course, suffered from drug problems in the past, has apparently been working with the likes of Akon and will.i.am on tracks for the new LP.
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MADONNA ON TIMBERLAKE COLLABORATION
Madonna has spoken to Interview magazine about how well she got on with Justin Timberlake when working on material for her upcoming new album. "I really enjoy writing with Justin" she said. "We had psychoanalytic sessions whenever we wrote songs first. We'd sit down and we'd start talking about situations. And then we'd start talking about issues or problems or relationships with people. That was the only way, because you know, writing together with somebody is very intimate....that was fun, because he's open and he's got talent. He's a songwriter. I haven't worked with a lot of songwriters where I'm instantly connected and start riffing and playing with the rhythm of the words. He's as interested in the rhythm of the words as the meaning of the words".
The singer, who is to be inducted into the US Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame today, also discussed her controversial adoption of little Malawian boy David Banda. She explained that the boy "wouldn't have lived" if she'd left him where he was, and also went on to speak about how her own daughter Lourdes had rolled up her sleeves and helped out for several weeks at orphanages in Malawi. She's quoted as saying: "She so came into her own and was so responsible and stayed for eight hours every day and worked tirelessly. I thought, why am I babying her so much? She's capable of so much more. We don't let kids do anything. We think, Oh, they're kids - they can't take care of other kids; they can't do this; they can't do that. And after you go to Africa, you drop all that silliness".
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TELLIER TO REPRESENT FRANCE IN EUROVISION
Ah, and I was all set to support Ireland's turkey puppet entrant in this year's Eurovision, and now I hear France are only going and entering a totally credible performer who I now feel I ought to give my support to. Yep, Sebastian Tellier will be representing France in the big Song Contest in Belgrade in May. He will sing his song 'Divine' which appears on his latest album 'Sexuality'. A good performer with a good song - I think the Turkey has more chance of winning.
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V FESTIVAL SOLD OUT
Tickets for this year's V festival sold out in an hour and a half when they went on sale on Friday. Festival directors Simon Moran and Bob Angus say they're chuffed. Look: "We're chuffed to bits to sell out in just 90 minutes".
As previously reported, the likes of Muse, Amy Winehouse, Ian Brown, The Prodigy, Kaiser Chiefs, Chemical Brothers, Travis, Alanis Morissette, Sugababes and The Pogues are all set to appear at the event, which takes place on 16 and 17 Aug at Hylands Park in Chelmsford, and Weston Park, Staffordshire.
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KASABIAN HEADLINE CREAMFIELDS
Kasabian are to headline this year's Creamfields in the UK. The band's Tom Meighan said: "We have heard great things about the festival over the years and it is an honour to be asked to headline on its 10th anniversary. It will be great to bring our sound to a fresh northern crowd." The event, as you probably already know, takes place in Daresbury, Cheshire from 23-24 Aug.
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FLAMING LIPS FOR LOVEBOX
The Flaming Lips are to play Groove Armada's Lovebox Weekender when it takes place this year on 19 and 20 Jul in London's Victoria Park. They join the likes of Goldfrapp, The Human League, Young Knives and Lightspeed Champion on the bill for the event, which I'd be most looking forward to, if I thought I could go.
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BRAZILIAN GIRL CRASHES DYLAN'S SET
A Brazilian woman crashed the stage at Bob Dylan's gig in Sao Paulo last week and attempted to hug and kiss him, and steal his hat before being dragged away by bouncers. "It was all over in a matter of seconds," said a fan who knew exactly what happened, if not the name of the song he was singing at the time: "He was singing either 'Thunder On The Mountain' or 'Blowin' In tThe Wind'", they added.
When his encore was over, Dylan told his audience that he'd like to meet the woman, and give her the hat she had tried to steal. It's not clear whether they did. Unlikely, one presumes.
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BSP BACK ARCTIC EXPEDITION
British Sea Power are marketing a range of merchandise to raise cash for an 'arctic race' that is in turn set to raise money for Polar Bear International Research and the NSPCC. One of the teams, led by geologist BSP fan Gareth Ellis, will be named British Sea Power Team 2008 and will compete with others along a four hundred mile stretch over Polar Bear Pass, a bear migration route north. T shirts and patches are available here: http://apple.clickandbuild.com/cnb/shop/britishseapower.
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SQUIRE: NO, LED ZEP, STOP NOW
Former Stone Rose John Squire has said that he thinks that Led Zeppelin shouldn't reform for a big tour, they should rest on their laurels following their successful reunion at London's O2 in December. As previously reported, the latest news is that the band's Robert Plant has turned down a £100m offer to reform, in any case.
Anyway, Squire says this: "I went to see Led Zeppelin (and) I was blown away. The Clash in 1977 were probably the only ones who have topped that. I know it's selfish on my part but I would like that moment at the O2 Arena to be crystallised. I don't want to read reviews of mediocre Led Zeppelin gigs".
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SINGLE REVIEW: Utah Saints - Something Good 08 (Ministry/Data Records)
"Utah Saints U-U-U Utah Saints!" Remember them? All of those rave-tastic hits back in the early 90s, sampling the likes of Phil Oakey and Kate Bush along the way? Well, as regular readers will surely already know due to our fine reportage on the matter, after a 15 year hiatus from the charts, they're back, back, BACK with a remix of one of their best known tunes, courtesy of Modular's Van She, who actually keeps the spirit of the original fairly intact; this is a subtle reworking rather than a complete reboot. There are about a million accompanying remixes of course, all of which sound exactly the same, except from Bart B More's effort, which leaves the melodic pianos and string pads back at the club, before driving off rashly in a noisy minimal techno vehicle that repeatedly crashes into things. Best of the mixes is probably by High Contrast, who do very little actually, other then ensure the euphoric hands-in-the-air-ness is abetted by some nice frenetic breakbeats. MS
Release date: 17 Mar
Press contact: Alchemy [all]
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ANTI-PIRACY STUFF
Four pirate CD traders have been convicted for importing bootleg CDs into the UK from the Czech Republic. Record label trade body the BPI reckons several 100,000 CDs were sold in the South East supplied by the four pirates, who were prosecuted by the Fraud Prosecution Service. Two of the four had already pleaded guilty, while the other two were found guilty after a jury trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court. The guilty pirates were Wasim Mir, Ayaz Qureshi, Farhat Nissa and Mohammed Shaikh.
Welcoming the convictions, BPI anti-piracy man David Wood told CMU: "These types of counterfeits can fetch significant sums, but none of those involved in creating the music received a penny for their work. We're delighted the FPS chose to take on this case and hope that this successful outcome will serve as a deterrent to others. Brokers have a responsibility to ensure that they only deal in legitimate product and that they take precautions to ensure that they do so".
Elsewhere in anti-piracy news, the Canadian Recording Industry Association claims a police raid in Winnipeg last week resulted in the biggest piracy bust in Canadian history. Canadian officers found more than 200,000 bootleg CDs and DVDs and 100,000s more blank CDRs when they raided the offices of a company called Audiomaxx. Four people were arrested as part of the raids, and have been released pending further investigations. Graham Henderson, the boss of the Canadian Recording Industry Association, thanked the authorities for acting against Audiomaxx, saying it sent a clear signal that music counterfeiting will not be tolerated in Canada.
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FNAC PLANNING LONDON STORE
French entertainment retailer Fnac is reported to be considering launching in the UK. According to Retail Week, reps from the French chain were in London recently looking at possible units for its first UK store. The retail trade mag says: "Fnac is understood to be working with property agency Harper Dennis Hobbs, which has been responsible for bringing several overseas retailers to the UK. The retailer may take some time to secure a central London site because of Fnac's store size requirements. Its search is focusing on central London for the time being".
Whether Fnac would just look for a London store, or whether it would be the start of UK-wide expansion, remains to be seen. Any widespread move into the UK market would put them into direct competition with HMV and Zavvi, who are already suffering in face of increased competition from the supermarkets and online operations. That said, some reckon that while Fnac have been successful elsewhere in Europe, they may struggle to compete full on in the UK market. Retail Week quote one expert thus: "Fnac is a very Latin concept and appeals culturally to the characteristics of the French or Spanish and Italians. In the 1990s, Fnac entered the German market. The concept didn't work and it had to retreat".
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CHART UPDATE
So, that Duffy chick is still number one in the UK singles chart, and H Two O are still two and Nickelback are still three, which is a bit newsy given that's been the Top 3 for three consecutive weeks now. For a new entry this week we have to go down to 15 where we find the actually-I-like-them-more-than-I-remember We Are Scientists with 'After Hours'. Then it goes Futureheads with 'I Thought It Was Over' at 30, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly with 'Find The Time' at 33, Sugababes with 'Denial' at 34, Doug Walker with 'The Mystery' at 36, Jimmy Eat World with 'Always Be' at 37 and Hercules & Love Affair with 'Blind' at 40. Hurrah.
Albums wise, and more success for Duffy whose debut album 'Rockferry' goes straight in at the top of the album chart, pushing Amy Winehouse back into second place. The actually rather brilliant 'Dig Lazurus Dig' from Nick Cave goes in at 4, and that's it new entry wise until 32 where there's a Cardigans best of and 33 where you get Billy Bragg and 'Mr Love & Justice'.
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SUB.TV PLAYLIST
Here they are again, the videos being played this week on the Sub.tv video screen network in students' unions all over the UK. New entries marked with a *.
A-List
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - We Are Rockstars (EMI/Virgin)
Doug Walker - The Mystery (Warner)
Editors - Push Your Head Towards The Air (SonyBMG/Kitchenware)
Estelle Feat. Kanye West - American Boy (Warner/Atlantic)
The Futureheads - The Beginning Of The Twist (Nul)
Guillemots - Get Over It (Universal/Polydor)
Hercules And Love Affair - Blind (EMI/DFA)
The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be (EMI/Virgin)
Jimmy Eat World - Always Be (Universal/Polydor)
KT Tunstall - If Only (EMI/Relentless)
Madina Lake - House Of Cards (Warner/Roadrunner)
Mystery Jets Feat. Laura Marling - Young Love (Warner/Sixsevennine)
Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon (Fueled By Ramen)
The Ting Tings - Great DJ (SonyBMG/Columbia)
Vampire Weekend - A Punk (XL)
We Are Scientists - After Hours (EMI/Virgin)
B-List
Born Ruffians - Hummingbird (Warp)
Boy Kill Boy - Promises (Universal/Vertigo)
Cage The Elephant - In One Ear (EMI/Relentless)*
The Count And Sinden Feat. Kid Sister - Beeper (Domino)*
Elbow - Grounds For Divorce (Universal/Fiction)
Example - Me And Mandy (All The Chats)*
Flo Rida Feat. T-Pain - Low (Warner/Atlantic)
Fragma - Toca's Miracle 2008 (EMI/Positiva)*
Flyleaf - I'm So Sick (Universal/Octone)
Ida Maria - Stella (SonyBMG/RCA)*
Johnny Flynn - Leftovers (Universal/Vertigo)
Kids In Glass Houses - Easy Tiger (Warner/Roadrunner)
Look See Proof - Do You Think It's Right (Weekender)*
The Metros - Education Part 2 (SonyBMG/1965)
My Federation - Don't Wanna Die (Eye Industries)*
The Rushes - Corners (Universal/Island)*
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TOTAL ROCK WORLD ALBUM CHART
It's this week's Total Rock World Album Chart, as counted down on Total Rock over the weekend - http://www.totalrock.com. New entries and re-entries marked with a *.
1. Bullet For My Valentine - Scream Aim Fire (SonyBMG)
2. Nickelback - All The Right Reasons (Warner/Roadrunner)
3. Eagles - Long Road Out Of Eden (Universal)
4. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (SonyBMG)
5. Led Zeppelin - Mothership (Swan Song)
6. Linkin Park - Minutes To Midnight (Warner Bros)
7. Daughtry - Daughtry (SonyBMG)
8. The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath (Universal)
9. Bruce Springsteen - Magic (SonyBMG/Columbia)
10. Paramore - Riot! (Warner/Atlantic)
11. Buckcherry - 15 (Eleven Seven Music)
12. Queen - Greatest Hits Vols. 1, 2, 3 (EMI)
13. Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High (Universal/Mercury)
14. Bon Jovi - Lost Highway (Universal/Mercury)
15. Airbourne - Runnin Wild (Warner/Roadrunner)
16. Simple Plan - Simple Plan (Warner/Atlantic) - new entry
17. Muse - Black Holes & Revelations (Warner Bros)*
18. Billy Talent - Billy Talent II (Warner/Atlantic)*
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium (Warner Bros)*
20. Evanescence - The Open Door (Wind-Up)*
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STUDENT RADIO CHART
As played out live on air on 12 student radio stations this Sunday at 3pm, it's the official Student Radio Chart from the Student Radio Association. This is the last Student Radio Chart before the Easter break. The chart will return in four weeks. Meanwhile, more info at http://www.studentradiochart.com.
1. [2] Foals - Cassius
2. [1] Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor
3. [6] Kylie Minogue - Wow
4. [4] Mystery Jets Ft Laura Marling - Young Love
5. [8] Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon
6. [3] We Are Scientists - After Hours
7. [5] The Futureheads - The Beginning Of The Twist
8. [14] Alphabeat - Fascination
9. [New] Timbaland Ft. Nicole Scherzinger - Scream
10. [15] Jimmy Eat World - Always Be
11. [13] The Ting Tings - Great Dj
12. [18] Gnarls Barkley - Run
13. [9] The Feeling - I Thought It Was Over
14. [Re] Kate Nash - Merry Happy
15. [Re] Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig!
16. [New] Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
17. [11] The Wombats - Moving To New York
18. [New] Santagold - Les Artistes
19. [New] The Kooks - Always Where
20. [New] Supergrass - Bad Blood
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LEIGH FRANCIS ON CRAIG DAVID
Bo Selecta star Leigh Francis has been responding to reports over Christmas that Craig David had criticised him for being a "one-trick pony" and admitted that he found Leigh's fake-head depiction of him hard to cope with. I kind of feel sorry for him, actually. But there you go.
Anyway, Francis told The Daily Record: "Craig David was slagging me off in the press over Christmas. It was bizarre, because he gave me free publicity every time he did it. They didn't even use a picture of him, they used a picture of me in a mask. So I thought 'everytime you talk about me being rubbish then I'm going to do you'. He always harps on about 'proper' comedians like Ricky Gervais. He said I was damaging what he did. But I didn't write his songs, did I? What I was doing was the kid from the film Kes with Craig David's name and a daft voice. That's all".
He continued: "I think 'If you keep saying bad things about me, then I'll say what I think about you'. I never said anything bad about him before. I actually liked him. The weird thing about it all is now we've stopped making Bo Selecta, he still harps on about it".
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MAYER TELLS EX THAT IT'S TIME TO LET HIM GO
Singer John Mayer has left a quite harshly worded message on his website for an ex, prompting no small amount of speculation that it might be aimed at former girlfriend Jessica Simpson, despite the fact that they split back in May of last year, and the fact that he has had at least one other relationship in the intervening time.
He writes, "Dear Ex Lover, Perhaps you didn't understand the last time I told you to stop contacting me, so I'll do my best to spell it out for you. I do not wish to have you in my life anymore. I don't know how much more clear I can be about it. It would serve you best to move on with your life and find someone who can put up with you, because I'm done trying. I hope this is enough closure for you".
Yikes. That's them told. Whoever they are.
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YORKE'S PARTNER NOT READY FOR THE MUSIC
Thom Yorke's partner Rachel Owen apparently has yet to listen to the new Radiohead album 'In Rainbows', and he admits it's because he's difficult during the music making process. Yorke told Rolling Stone: "I think my missus isn't ready to hear it yet. Having seen me go through the mill making it. It's a difficult thing for her to watch me go through the whole process. She doesn't like it. So she's not exactly ready to listen to the music".
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ADELE WOULD LIKE TO FORM BRITS SCHOOL SUPERGROUP
Buzz girl Adele says she'd like to form a band with fellow former Brits-Schoolers Amy Winehouse, Katie Melua, Lily Allen and Kate Nash, and thinks it would be dead good. The best band, ever in fact. As opposed to a huge clash of hormones, hair and drugs habits.
Here's what she says: "Amy, Katie, Lily, Kate and me all come from the same school. If we were in a band I think it would be the best band ever. We're not afraid to speak our minds. I think everyone is entitled to an opinion whether it is good or horrible. All of us represent most women in the world. You don't need to be a doll with tanned legs, blonde hair, big boobs and good lips. I really don't think you have to be like that any more".
Hmm, possibly. Can't help thinking that barbies still win in the US, however.
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WILLIAMS: THEY'LL ALL SAY I'M MENTAL
Robbie Williams is mental. He says he wouldn't mind abandoning his pop career in order to investigate aliens. Interviewed by Joss Stone for a radio show he says: "Seriously, I want to go out and investigate these things. I'm stopping being a pop star and becoming a full-time ufologist". Trying to persuade her to join him, he added: "We could be like Mulder and Scully in real life. You're always mega-busy but I've got nothing on at the minute".
Williams, who claims to have experienced strange alien happenings on at least three occasions, went on to say: "People will think, 'This geezer's been in rehab, he's off his head.' How mental are they going to make me out in the papers".
You know what? He's not wrong about that last bit.