| CMU Daily - on the inside Monday 17th March |
|
In today's CMU Daily:
- Sharkey calls on ISPs to re-engage with music firms
- Macca divorce settlement expected today
- New article makes more allegations re Tupac shooting
- Warren Harry dies
- Hospital staff to lose jobs over Britney?
- Foundations founder jailed over child abuse charges
- Six people charged over fake IOW tickets
- The Game faces lawsuit over basketball game dispute
- Garvey on Elbow album dedication
- James artwork banned
- Roni Size reissue
- Keane working on being less cool
- Reed says fans should demand better quality downloads
- Winehouse pulls show
- Glasto demand down
- Ozzfest could have UK date this year
- Single review: The Whitest Boy Alive - Golden Cage
- Napster goes mobile in UK with O2
- Digital music service launches for Blackberrys
- Music publishing training programme returns
- UTV radio chief defends DAB
- Bam Bam resurfaces on the Beeb
- Party gets out of hand after Tong shout out
- Pensioners complain about Cowell show
- Chart update
- Sub.tv playlist
- Total Rock world album chart
- West denies marriage reports
- Quincy Jones blames God for Thriller
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TOP BIT
One last reminder on this, before I head up to Scotland and miss it. The next edition of the CMU Recommended MusicTank Think Tank series which will be tackling that big issue of secondary ticketing.
The story so far - the growth of online ticket touting, resentment among the artist management and tour promotion community that punters are making money by reselling their artists/gigs tickets, concern among political types that consumers are losing out, outrage in all sorts of circles when punters profit from reselling tickets to charity gigs and resistance among the companies that are making money by providing the auction facilities to pass a cut of the profits back to the artist community.
There'll be lots to talk about, and among those doing the talking will be Marc Marot of the Resale Rights Society, that artist management founded body that is proposing giving auction websites legitimacy in return for them paying a levy back to music types.
Said auction sites aren't so keen on those proposals, so it will be interesting to hear from the boss of one of them - Viagogo's Eric Baker - who will also be talking. The tour promoters are now officially supportive of RSS, so it will also be interesting to hear from promoter Carl Leighton-Pope. And as for the political types, well, I'm sure John Whittingdale MP, chair of the cultural select committee, can tell us what they think. All in all, a very interesting line up.
This all takes place at the PRS-MCPS offices in London tomorrow, Tuesday 18 Mar - info at http://www.musictank.co.uk/
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JOBS N STUFF
CHERRY RED RECORDS
Cherry Red Records - a West London based independent record label - have a vacancy for a role which includes running the publishing division, helping with business affairs, and putting together new catalogue release projects. Previous publishing experience is essential as is a good knowledge of the 80s, 90s, and contemporary music scene. Candidates should also have a good initiative and be able to come up with projects ideas. Please send CV and covering letter to [email protected]
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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 later this week 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 and Busy P (Ed Banger) 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. And on top of all that CMU is hosting the VIP room, with the all new CMU:DJs on the decks.
It all takes place this Thursday, 20 Mar, book your tickets here:
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&
query=detail&event=252490&interface=
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: ARTHUR DELANEY
I'd never heard of this kid and I'd be shocked if many people have. I mean, when you get CDs in the mail saying that there's a new singer/songwriter to check out who's only 18 years old, there's a tendency to feel concerned because there's a chance that it'll be awful. But, as I popped in this sampler it was clear that Arthur Delaney isn't part of that pack; in fact, he's absolutely brilliant. Unsigned and unknown at the moment, I believe Arthur will explode once his debut album, 'The Theatre of Seraphin', is released. He's got a unique psychedelic folk sound, layered with worldly overtones that take your mind to every place you could possibly imagine. Indeed, some of it actually had a bit of a Dave Matthews vibe about it. Definitely a talent that will soon be discovered by the mainsteam, you need to visit the link below, trust me!
www.myspace.com/arthurdelaneymusic
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SHARKEY CALLS ON ISPS TO RE-ENGAGE WITH MUSIC FIRMS
That Feargal Sharkey fella, this time in his guise as CEO of music publishing trade body British Music Rights, has taken to the stage at the annual awards bash of the Internet Service Providers Association and called on those present to get "back on track" with their talks with the music business regarding the battle against illegal file sharing. He was quite brave to do so, given that another music industry trade body, the BPI, was up for the Villain Of The Year prize at the awards show because of its "heavy handed approach" in the whole P2P domain.
As much previously reported, the record labels want internet service providers to take on a more proactive role in policing the illegal distribution of unlicensed content on the internet, and for ISPs to monitor content distribution, to issue warnings to their customers who upload or download unlicensed music, and to ultimately cut off those customers who do not heed those warnings. While such activity may not be hugely welcomed by those ISP customers who enjoy accessing free but illegal content sources, such monitoring and warnings are surely better, the record labels argue, than music owners taking thousands of individual file-sharers to court, as has happened elsewhere.
The record labels aren't the only part of the music business calling on the ISPs to act - U2 manager Paul McGuinness made similar demands of the net firms at music industry convention Midem back in January. And the whole thing has been getting political support, with government ministers saying that if no voluntary agreement between the music business and ISPs can be reached regarding policing P2P by the start of next year, then they'll introduce new laws forcing the internet firms to act.
Despite all this, the internet service providers remain resistant to taking on the role proposed by the record labels. They most often cite customer privacy issues, though the cost of running such a monitoring system and the tricky PR involved in cutting off customers who are paying their bills on time no doubt also play a role. Tech chiefs at the ISPs may also doubt the reliability of the technology available to do this kind of monitoring - technology which serial file-sharers will no doubt learn to side-step, while, given that all technology is prone to hiccups, legit customers will probably find their internet access being hindered.
With neither side in this argument all that keen on budging, and given those commitments from the government, some in the music industry have resolved themselves to holding on for a year and then waiting for new laws to force the ISPs to act. Some in the internet firms, meanwhile, prefer the idea of lobbying politicians to write lukewarm legislation that obligates them to little rather than negotiating with the record companies.
But talks do continue, and Sharkey reckons that both sides should make it their business to get a voluntary agreement up and running asap, arguing that relying on government legislation is in no one's interest. Suggesting to the audience of ISP execs that there was definitely room for negotiation on this issue, Billboard report the former Undertones man thus: "Surely the bright and brilliant minds in this room can help figure this out. Because at the moment, the options on the table are as limited as they are unpalatable. Personally, and the vast majority of the music industry is behind me here, I see no value in any policy that disconnects broadband subscribers from the internet. If you do that, how can they buy anything? As a former regulator of the radio industry, I can tell you from experience, that the most unpalatable choice of all will be legislation".
He continued: "Together we have the power to truly unlock the potential of digital music and we have a real window of opportunity to do it. I come here tonight with a challenge, a challenge for those that are brave of heart, those of great minds, those who are courageous, those who are bold, those who are decisive. Move with the music industry, move from the opinions of the past; move to a future where music can - and I know will - unlock an incredible value to your business".
Whether enough people in the music industry and ISP sector share Sharkey's passion for a voluntary agreement to make it happen remains to be seen. If it's any help, the ISPA judges decided the tax man was a bigger villain than the BPI giving the Villain Of The Year prize to the Inland Revenue, which could be interpreted as a suggestion that the ISPs would actually rather spend time with record label types than government officials.
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MACCA DIVORCE SETTLEMENT EXPECTED TODAY
The judge overseeing the Paul McCartney/Heather Mills divorce case is expected to tell the couple later today how much the former will have to give the latter in hard cash. As previously reported, experts reckon Mills could get a record divorce pay out of up to £60 million. Though, as also previously reported, we may never know how much Macca has to pay. The couple and/or Mr Justice Bennet may decide to make the settlement public, though they are not obligated to do so, meaning the whole thing may never be revealed, unless either side appeals - an appeal hearing would be held in public.
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NEW ARTICLE MAKES MORE ALLEGATIONS RE TUPAC SHOOTING
A new article on the 1994 shooting of Tupac Shakur will implicate two associates of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, and claim the Bad Boy hip hop mogul had advance warning of the attack on Shakur. It's not the first time Combs has been linked to the shooting, of course, but the article in the LA Times could refocus attention on Diddy's role in the hip hop tensions of the mid-nineties which later led to the still unsolved murders of both Shakur and Diddy collaborator Notorious BIG.
The article's author, Chuck Phillips, has told AllHipHop.com that he believes allegations made by Shakur against rival hip hoppers after and in relation to the shooting were, in the main, accurate. He also says that Combs, Czar Entertainment chief Jimmy Rosemond and various of their associates were at the Quad Recording Studio in New York near where Shakur was shot on the night of the shooting, and he reckons people there were involved in setting up the shooting, while others, while not actively involved in ordering or implementing the attack on Tupac, were aware of it.
Phillips especially asks questions about a man called Sabatino, the son of a reputed captain in a Colombo crime family, who he says was the person who informed Combs of the planned attack on Shakur while at the Quad studios that night. Sabatino, Phillips says, later became a close associate of Combs, working for his Bad Boy company until his imprisonment on unrelated charges years later. That said, he admits that Combs may not have been aware of the extent of the planned attack on Tupac.
He says: "I don't believe that Puffy set Tupac up [to be shot]. According to these people I have interviewed and according to these documents, he knew about it. But he didn't know they [Shakur and his associates] were going to get shot. They knew he was going to get beat up. Then it kind of went haywire when it all happened".
On the significance of the 1994 shooting in later hip hop traumas, Phillips concludes: "Tupac's shooting at the Quad was really a catalyst for everything that happened afterwards including his own death and including the death of Biggie. It started the whole thing off and if you lay it out in a timeline which I do, you can just see; it's obvious and kind of sad for two guys to be this talented. I ended up with a much larger story than I imagined".
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WARREN HARRY DIES
Songwriter Warren Harry - also known as Warren Bacall - has died at the age of 54. His death on 9 Mar was unexpected, despite years of poor health, the result of a pulmonary embolism following an asthma attack. The musician had his own band in the seventies, and subsequently wrote songs for Bucks Fizz, John Otway and Anthony Newley. He had recently finished a new solo album.
His funeral will be held today in West Glamorgan, where he lived with his partner Annie Whittaker, and a memorial will take place at Granborough Church on Thursday, and his ashes will be interred at Aylesbury Cemetery, beside his mother and father. Family have asked for no flowers, but donations to the Performing Right Society Members Fund would be gratefully received.
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HOSPITAL STAFF TO LOSE JOBS OVER BRITNEY?
According to reports, a number of staff at the UCLA medical centre are to get the push after apparently taking a look at Britney Spears' confidential files following her recent confinement at the hospital's psychiatric facility. Associated Press say that the hospital's head of HR, Jeri Simpson, confirmed the news, saying "it's very frustrating and it's very disappointing".
The hospital would not confirm how many of the workers will lose their jobs, but the LA Times claims that thirteen people are going to get the sack, and a further twelve will be disciplined for accessing the computer records. There's no reason to believe that the staff in question leaked or sold any information, but it's not the first time it's happened - several staff members were fired for accessing the star's medical records following the birth of her first son Sean Preston back in September 2005. Simpson says: "We feel horrible that it happened again," and explains that many celebs pass through the hospital but it's only Britney that attracts the unwelcome snoopers. "I don't know what it is about this particular person, I don't know what it is about her", she adds.
Elsewhere in Britney news, erstwhile friend and manager Sam Lutfi has agreed with the conservators of Spears' estate to stay away from the singer for another month, in an attempt to prevent the restraining order against him from becoming permanent. A judge was expected to approve the agreement today.
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FOUNDATIONS FOUNDER JAILED OVER CHILD ABUSE CHARGES
Peter MacBeth, a member of sixties band The Foundations, probably best know for their hit 'Build Me Up Buttercup', has been jailed for child sex offences, after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a young girl on four occasions over a six year period, and of downloading child porn from the internet. He has been jailed for six years, but could die in prison because he has terminal cancer.
MacBeth originally denied the allegations of sexual assault, and claimed he had downloaded the pictures while researching a book about a young boy who was abused. But by the time of his trial his defence seemed more keen to use his age - he is 71 - and his condition, initially saying he was unfit to face trial, and once the trial went ahead pushing for a more lenient sentence because of his circumstances.
A founder member and bass player for The Foundations, who had a worldwide hit with 'Build Me Up Buttercup' in 1968, after his music career ended MacBeth spent sometime in corporate publishing, producing literature for golf tournaments. He later worked as a bus driver, falling ill in 2001.
He was accused of assaulting the girl in question on four occasions, when she was seven and eight, and later when she was 12 and 13, the final assault being in 2005. The judge hearing the case said he had taken MacBeth's condition into account before sentencing, but added "that factor has very little weight compared to the damage you have done".
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SIX PEOPLE CHARGED OVER FAKE IOW TICKETS
Six people have been charged with 'conspiracy to defraud' over allegations that they have been selling fake tickets and wristbands for the Isle Of Wight Festival since its revival in 2002. The six people - which includes three from Southend-On-Sea in Essex, one from West London and two from the Isle Of Wight - have been bailed and are due to appear at the Isle Of Wight Magistrates Court tomorrow.
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THE GAME FACES LAWSUIT OVER BASKETBALL GAME DISPUTE
Rapper The Game may have got off with serving just nine of his sixty day jail sentence in relation to that incident in LA last year when the rapper threatened another man after a basketball game, but the whole thing could still cost him dearly, because the man who he attacked has launched civil proceedings against him. According to TMZ.com, Shannon Rodrick claims The Game, real name Jayceon Taylor, "sucker-punched" him in a dispute after the basketball game, and then went to his vehicle to get a gun declaring "I'm going to blast this fool". The lawsuit alleges assault, battery, a civil rights violation and negligence, and seeks unspecified damages.
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GARVEY ON ELBOW ALBUM DEDICATION
Elbow's Guy Garvey has explained that his band's new album 'The Seldom Seen Kid' is both inspired by, and dedicated to, late Mancunian songwriter Bryan Clancy, who died in 2006.
Garvey explains: "Bryan was an extraordinary bloke and when he died the whole city mourned him. He was best man for seven people, including singer songwriter David Gray. He was friends with homeless dudes who walked the streets and was friends with millionaire rock stars. His funeral was the biggest the Jewish cemetery had ever seen. The title is just a gentle way of dedicating the record to him but it's more about celebrating life than mourning death. If you lose a friend it makes you appreciate all the others".
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JAMES ARTWORK BANNED
The artwork for the new James album has been banned from being used in promotional images by the Advertising Standards Authority because it features a picture of a baby with a gun. The band aren't going to change it, though, as they feel the point they're making with the image is an important one.
The band's Larry Gott told Xfm: "We talked at length about hitting a problem with the Advertising Standards Authority, but it's such a strong image we decided it go with it anyway. The scale of the reaction has been a surprise, but we kind of expected there'd be some ripples. We were looking at lots of ideas with the designers and they came up with an image of a baby and a gun that related to a story in America of a ten month old child that had been issued a firearms certificate. Firearms are dangerous, they're not to be taken lightly, and we as a society are becoming over familiarised with the image of gun and gun culture".
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RONI SIZE REISSUE
Roni Size is to release a new reworked version of 'New Forms', his d&b outfit Reprazent's 1997 Mercury Music Prize winning debut. Dubbed 'New Forms2', it will feature three bonus tracks, and is out on 7 Apr. Size says of the LP: "The generation of those who missed it will be able to appreciate the album with the new coat of armour I have added to the original tracks. I think fans of the original album always appreciate what we did with the technology of the day. This latest version shows what is possible now".
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KEANE WORKING ON BEING LESS COOL
Keane are currently in Berlin, and hard at work on a new album, which is being produced by the almost legendary Stuart Price. However, the band's Tim Rice-Oxley took some time out to explain to fans via the band's website that they're trying to make the music as uncool as possible. Some would say that's not hard, for Keane, but that's not my opinion, and I couldn't possibly comment.
The keyboardist wrote: "The more tasteless and uncool we can make our music the better, and that only when you lose the fear of breaking the unwritten rules of musical etiquette can you make a really great album."
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REED SAYS FANS SHOULD DEMAND BETTER QUALITY DOWNLOADS
Lou Reed says that he fears the digital revolution is taking us backwards in terms of the sound quality of recordings. Speaking at South By Southwest last week he called on music fans to demand better quality downloads, arguing that the standards put in place by the labels and download firms just aren't good enough.
He told the convention: "You have a lot available to you [but] it all sounds bad. People have got to demand a higher standard. [It's getting so] people who like good sound are gonna be looked at like some kind of zoo animal. It's like technology is taking us backwards".
Reed not only delivered a keynote speech at SxSW, he also screened his concert movie 'Lou Reed's Berlin', and even took to the stage at a Lou Reed Tribute Show, joining Moby on stage for what was apparently a rather good rendition of 'Walk On The Wild Side'.
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WINEHOUSE PULLS SHOW
Amy Winehouse cancelled a performance last week, claiming to be unwell. Hope she's not back up to her old tricks. The singer was scheduled to play a short set for industry high-ups at a Universal Music event in Hertfordshire, but failed to show up. The gossips claim that it was a telephone argument with banged-up hubby Blake Fielder Civil, not ill health, that caused the no-show.
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GLASTO DEMAND DOWN
The number of people registering for tickets to this year's Glastonbury is apparently down on last year - though it will still probably sell out in about nine seconds. The slight decline in demand for Glasto tickets may be a sign that the ever crowded festival market is reaching saturation point, that Glasto is losing its status as the real music fan's fest, or that people are so pessimistic about the chance of getting tickets they just don't bother. Or, according to Glasto chief Michael Eavis, it might be because this year's headliners are a bit mediocre. Well, he didn't use the word "mediocre" - he said "middle range", and means middle range in terms of fame rather than quality. Kings Of Leon, The Verve and Jay-Z will headline this year.
Speaking to the BBC, Eavis said: "There's not as many [ticket registrations] as last year because we haven't got the super, big, big, big sort of headlining act anymore. We've gone for something middle range, although Jay-Z is huge in America. It's going to be absolutely brilliant. But it's not like a Radiohead or a Muse or a Coldplay or an Oasis is it?"
Registration for this year's Glasto has now closed, and tickets go on sale on 6 Apr.
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OZZFEST COULD HAVE UK DATE THIS YEAR
Rumour has it that Ozzfest will return to the UK this year. Gossipers are saying that the Osbournes organised rock fest - that tours the US each year and which last had a UK date as part of the Download Festival in 2005 - will have a UK date at The O2 this July. Ozzy Osbourne would headline, while the rumoured line up includes Killswitch Engage, Alice In Chains, Serj Tankin, Dimmu Borgir and Lacuna Coil.
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SINGLE REVIEW: The Whitest Boy Alive - Golden Cage (Modular)
Like the rest of their acclaimed debut album 'Dreams', this single was recorded live without any post-production faffing about, but the minimalism on show doesn't equate to any lack of soul. Beautifully understated, the snappy post punk bassline and some mournful guitar blend dreamily with the sweet, mellifluous vocal of Erlend Oye. Ridiculously simple, but too charming to ever be inconsequential. Meanwhile, the accompanying remix by Fred Falke is even better, ditching the guitars for technicolour Italo-disco synths to produce something with a bit more bite than the original, without ever losing its innate sadness (think a very melancholy Daft Punk). Ultimately though, both versions work equally well on their own terms, really. MS
Release date: 17 Mar
Press contact: Bang On [all]
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NAPSTER GOES MOBILE IN UK WITH O2
Not satisfied with being the official provider of the iPhone in the UK, O2 has just done a deal with the other early bird of the download market, Napster, which will give their customers access to the digital music platform's five million plus catalogue of tracks. The deal brings Napster's mobile service to the UK for the first time - it has been available via O2 in Ireland since 2006. The Napster Mobile service is an a-la-carte download set up selling individual tracks for 99p and bundles of five tracks for £4. An Ericsson phone will be launched to specifically work with the Napster Mobile UK platform.
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DIGITAL MUSIC SERVICE LAUNCHES FOR BLACKBERRYS
A Toronto based company called Puretracks announced a new digital music service accessible via the business man's digital gadget of choice the Blackberry at SxSW last week. The new service, due to properly launch on 1 Apr, will make music downloads available over the air to Blackberry users. At SxSW Puretracks was handing out promotional cards which gave Blackberry users access to free tracks. The new service has been created by a partnership between Puretracks and Blackberry makers Research In Motion.
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MUSIC PUBLISHING TRAINING PROGRAMME RETURNS
The Music Publishers Association and Music Manager's Forum has announced that its joint Professional Development Programme in Music Publishing will run again this year, with the first two sessions due to take place on 7 and 8 Apr. Among the topics to be covered are where publishing fits into the industry, publishing agreements, publishing in audio-visual media, live music and collecting societies. You'll find more info at this here URL:
http://www.mpaonline.org.uk/Events/Music_Publishing_
Professional_Development_Programme_2008.html
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UTV RADIO CHIEF DEFENDS DAB
The MD of UTV Radio, Scott Taunton, spoke up in favour of digital audio broadcasting last week, as his company published financials showing a 6% rise in revenues in 2007. He was responding to recent speculation that DAB is doomed, speculation that followed the announcement by the CEO of GCap Radio, Fru Hazlitt, that she planned to take her company out of the medium, and rumours that there is dissent within Channel 4 about the prospects of their yet to launch national DAB service Channel 4 Radio.
He told reporters: "There's absolutely no problem with DAB at all. It works very well for us and for the rest of the industry. The only reason this has become an issue is because of Fru Hazlitt. People say it's going to be the Betamax of radio - that's rubbish. There's more danger of it being like On Digital - if the commercial radio does not get its act together, the BBC will step in and make it the Freeview of tomorrow. What the Channel 4 consortium is doing is very positive for the industry".
UTV are part of that consortium, and responding to rumours of growing pessimism in the Channel 4 Radio camp, he continued: "The issue at the moment is, because of Fru's actions, the Channel 4 consortium and the digital operators as a whole need to take a step back and see what's happening with Digital One - is it appropriate to launch the 4 Digital multiplex in July? Do we use existing transmitters? Can we do it in a way using the available capacity that exists? But there's no issue with the business plan, the product or the costs. It makes sense for the industry and makes sense for us, and Channel 4 see radio as an opportunity to grow their business".
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BAM BAM RESURFACES ON THE BEEB
Bam Bam is back on London radio. The former Kiss 100 breakfast show host, who left his successful show for the station after earning them a record breaking OfCom fine, had a short spell at Capital Radio, but was axed from the schedules when recently appointed MD Paul Jackson undertook a revamp. He has now resurfaced on BBC London, filling in for Danny Baker. He is due back on the BBC station this week, though it's not clear if he's getting a regular show all of his own. The presenter, real name Peter Poulton, told his BBC London listeners that he now wanted to be known as just Bam. According to Radio Today, he said: "Bam Bam felt like a good idea as a name when I was 24 years old and working for dance music radio stations. It all worked, it all fitted. I'm 38, nearly 40 years old, I have children and a house now, I am stuck with a nickname that doesn't fit anymore but I can't shake it off".
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PARTY GETS OUT OF HAND AFTER TONG SHOUT OUT
Elsewhere at the BBC, bosses are trying to defend Pete Tong after a 'shout-out' he did for a party in Devon led to the private house party being invaded by 2000 gatecrashers, who promptly destroyed the place. The shout out was for an 18th birthday party taking place at a Grade II listed house in Bovey Tracey, on the edge of Dartmoor. 100 friends of the birthday girl had been invited to the party, which had its own bouncers, but neither they nor the party's organisers could cope when 2000 wannabe partiers also showed up. In the end police had to use dogs to disperse the gatecrashers, some of whom went on to go and smash up the rest of the small village.
The house's owner, Rebecca Brooks, told the BBC: "I blame the BBC for this. We are considering our options. It was terrifying, absolutely terrifying. The droves of people coming towards the house was frightening, it looked like we had a rock festival here. They left a complete mess, with broken glass everywhere and pictures off the wall and broken - it was a rave situation".
Responding, a BBC spokesman told reporters: "Pete [Tong] did not specify the name or address of the venue, but read out details of a mansion party taking place in Bovey Tracey sent in by a listener. He gives shout outs on his show every week, listeners are familiar with this format, and he would never knowingly give an identifiable address for a private party".
Still, it must be good news for Radio 1 that so many party-going kids still take their party leads from 47 year old Tong.
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PENSIONERS COMPLAIN ABOUT COWELL SHOW
Talking of old people, a group of singing pensioners who auditioned for Simon Cowell's 'Britain's Got Talent' have complained about the way they were treated. The Ebbw Vale Male Voice Choir, whose members are all aged between 60 and 93, were apparently invited to try out for the show, and they spent £250 on travelling to Cardiff to sing for judges Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden.
Chairman David Jenkins told The Daily Star: "It was a nightmare. We were made to queue for hours and kept in a holding room packed full of people. Luckily I had told everyone to bring food and drink. If it wasn't for our supplies we would have been keeling over. There weren't even enough seats".
He continued: "We had an absolutely horrible time. This sort of thing is not something we would usually do but we were invited, so we went along. The worst part was when Simon told our pianist, who is 72 and has been our accompanist all her life - that she looked like she was going to go through the piano because he thought she was too loud. It was like we were set up as comedy entertainment on this. If we are invited on TV again, we will definitely not go".
I can believe it. That they were set up to be comedy, not that that they won't go on TV. Although I can believe that too.
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CHART UPDATE
So, Duffy is still number one, despite Leona Lewis warbling in aid of that Sports Relief charity thing. Yes, 'Mercy' is still number one in the UK singles chart, while Lewis' 'Better In Time/Footprints In The Sand' goes in at 2, Other new entries this week come from Panic At The Disco with 'Nine In The Afternoon' at 13, Elbow with 'Grounds For Divorce' at 19, Hard-Fi with 'I Shall Overcome' at 35.
Duffy is still top in the albums chart too, there stopping highest new entry 'Dreaming Out Loud' from Onerepublic from going top. Other new entries on that chart include Tempations' 'Classic Soul Hits' at 8, MGMT's 'Oracular Spectacular' at 12, Clannad's 'Celtic Themes - Best Of' at 20, Young Knives' 'Superabundance' at 28, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly's 'Searching For The Hows And Whys' at 30 and Hercules & Love Affair's eponymous LP at 31.
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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
Born Ruffians - Hummingbird (Warp)
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - We Are Rockstars (EMI/Virgin)
Doug Walker - The Mystery (Warner)
The Enemy - This Song (Live from Union Chapel) (Warner)*
Estelle feat. Kanye West - American Boy (Warner/Atlantic)
The Futureheads - The Beginning Of The Twist (Nul)
Gnarls Barkley - Run (Warner)*
Guillemots - Get Over It (Universal/Polydor)
The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be (EMI/Virgin)
Jimmy Eat World - Always Be (Universal/Polydor)
Mariah Carey - Touch My Body (Universal/Mercury)*
Mystery Jets Feat. Laura Marling - Young Love (Warner/sixsevennine)
Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon (Fueled By Ramen)
Scouting For Girls - Heartbeat (SonyBMG/Epic)*
The Ting Tings - Great DJ (SonyBMG/Columbia)
We Are Scientists - After Hours (EMI/Virgin)
B-List
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)
Fragma - Toca's Miracle 2008 (EMI/Positiva)
Ida Maria - Stella (SonyBMG/Nesna)
Johnny Flynn - Leftovers (Universal/Vertigo)
Kids In Glass Houses - Easy Tiger (Warner/Roadrunner)
Kill Hannah - Lips Like Morphine (Warner/Roadrunner)*
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement (Domino)*
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)
The Xcerts - Do You Feel Safe? (Mannequin Republic)*
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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. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (SonyBMG)
2. Bullet For My Valentine - Scream Aim Fire (SonyBMG)
3. Led Zeppelin - Mothership (Swan Song)
4. Simple Plan - Simple Plan (Warner/Atlantic)
5. Linkin Park - Minutes To Midnight (Warner Bros)
6. Nickelback - All The Right Reasons (Warner/Roadrunner)
7. Eagles - Long Road Out Of Eden (Universal)
8. Daughtry - Daughtry (SonyBMG)
9. The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath (Universal)
10. Bon Jovi - Lost Highway (Universal/Mercury)
11. Buckcherry - 15 (Eleven Seven Music)
12. Bruce Springsteen - Magic (SonyBMG/Columbia)
13. Paramore - Riot! (Warner/Atlantic)
14. Queen - Greatest Hits Vols. 1, 2, 3 (EMI)
15. Airbourne - Runnin Wild (Warner/Roadrunner)
16. Kid Rock - Rock - N Toll Jesus (Warner/Atlantic)*
17. Godsmack - Good Times, Bad Times - Ten Years Of Godsmack (Republic)*
18. Guns n Roses - Greatest Hits (Universal/Geffen)*
19. Muse - Black Holes & Revelations (Warner Bros)
20. Serj Tankian - Elect The Dead (Serjical Strike)*
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WEST DENIES MARRIAGE REPORTS
Well, I'd just like to point out before we go any further that our item on this in Friday's daily was entitled 'Kanye West secretly wed?'. Note the question mark. Our report had a distinctly sceptical tone, too. Anyway, the hip hopper has denied reports that he's secretly married long term girlfriend Alexis Phifer, a rep insisting that the reports aren't true. Of course, the rep could be lying. See, always sceptical, us. About everything.
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QUINCY JONES BLAMES GOD FOR THRILLER
Quincy Jones says that the reason Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' was so good was because God made it, not him. He told Interview magazine, "People kill me when they say, 'How do you sit down and plan to do an album like Thriller?' Give me a break. You have to let go and let God deal with things. As I get older, I realise, about music or whatever, how little we have to do with anything. You write the script and then God comes and rewrites it".
Yeah, right. See, I told you we were sceptical.