Music Week articles from April 2003

Music Week archives from April 2003

Burger departs Sony in global restructure.
April 5, 2003... Sony Music Europe chief Paul Burger has become the highest-profile international casualty of the major's ongoing restructuring with the news that he is to leave the company after 26 years. Sony last week confirmed his departure alongside...

Zomba to retain own UK identity.
April 5, 2003... BMG has confirmed that Zomba's record and publishing units in the US and UK are to remain as separate "independent" operations with their own identities under the integration plan finalised following the major's $2.74bn (1.75bn [pounds...

HMV shocked by Pryde's sudden departure.
April 5, 2003... HMV is vowing it is firmly "business as usual", despite being rocked by the sudden departure of Europe managing director David Pryde. Staff are still coming to terms with the unexpected news that Pryde had resigned for what is being...

Capitol is promising "higher than ever visibility" for Radiohead with extensive touring surrounding the release of their sixth album, the 14-track Nigel Godrich-produced Hail To The Thief, on June 9.
April 5, 2003... Capitol is promising "higher than ever visibility" for Radiohead (pictured) with extensive touring surrounding the release of their sixth album, the 14-track Nigel Godrich-produced Hail To The Thief, on June 9. First single There There, which...

Massive Attack's Del Naja cleared of porn allegations. (news file).
April 5, 2003... Detectives dropped an internet porn inquiry into Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja (pictured) last week. Del Naja was arrested last month as part of Operation Ore, the crackdown on child porn. Avon & Somerset Police announced on March 21...

Radio One commissions Somethin' Else for six weekly shows. (news file).
April 5, 2003... Somethin' Else is partially filling the gap left by Wise Buddah Broadcast's demise last year after winning commissions for six weekly Radio One shows. The independent production company, which already produces the station's weekly Gilles...

Musicians appeased by Bill amendments. (news file).
April 5, 2003... Musicians were encouraged by another amendment to the Licensing Bill last week that will exempt pianists or other performers from playing unadvertised gigs in places such as restaurants or hotel lobbies. The Second Reading of the Bill in the...

Music Choice Europe unveils financial results. (news file).
April 5, 2003... Music Choice Europe's preliminary results for the year ended December 31, 2002 revealed an operating loss of 8.2m [pounds sterling], compared with a loss of 15.3m [pounds sterling] the previous year. The digital audio broadcaster reported a 22%...

Polydor to release OST of Lloyd Webber's tell me on a Sunday show. (news file).
April 5, 2003... Polydor is renewing its relationship with Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Records with the release (pictured) of a new recording of the musical Tell Me On A Sunday featuring Denise Van Outen in the starring role. The album will come out on...

Boosey & Hawkes sale `weeks' away. (news file).
April 5, 2003... Boosey & Hawkes could be sold "within weeks" after sealed bids for the group were tendered by Hg Capital, Music Sales and EMI last week. There is expected to be a further round of due diligence, but Boosey chief executive Richard Holland says...

Aim and Radio One consult Indies over playlist fears. (news file).
April 5, 2003... Aim and Radio One are set to hold talks today (Monday) following protests from independent labels and pluggers about changes to the playlist system which they fear will reduce their access to mainstream producers. Aim CEO Alison Wenham and...

MW playlist. (News).
April 5, 2003... THE CRIMEA--White Russian Galaxy (Double Dragon/unsigned) Just one of many excellent songs already penned by these newcomers, who are already attracting interest from some of the best ears around (single, May 12) LEE CABRERA: Shake It...

PPL rewards Bishop with promotion to new position. (News).
April 5, 2003... PPL has promoted its director of member and performer services Clive Bishop in recognition of his success at reuniting performers with their money. Bishop is taking on the newly-created job of director of operations at the collection...

Commercial radio powers ahead in Sony Awards list. (News).
April 5, 2003... Emap-owned Kiss 100 and Capital's Xfm are powering commercial radio to one of its best music showings yet at the Sony Radio Awards. The two London stations claim three nods apiece in this year's six music categories, as ILR lifts its total...

Music and DVDs help to reposition Woolworths. (News).
April 5, 2003... Music and DVD products are playing a key role in efforts by Woolworths to reposition itself on the High Street following its demerger from Kingfisher nearly two years ago. For the year ended February 1 the entertainment division, which...

Zane Lowe move to R1 confirmed. (News).
April 5, 2003... Radio One has finally confirmed Zane Lowe's move from London's Capital-owned Xfm, signing him to the key Evening Session replacement slot following months of speculation. Lowe will helm the Tuesday to Thursday 8-10pm slots following the...

Sky challenges Emap and MTV with new interactive channels. (News).
April 5, 2003... Sky has both Emap Performance and MTV firmly in its sights as it prepares for the launch of its three music channels in two weeks' time. The Murdoch-owned broadcaster's offering, which enables viewers to select videos from a pick list of...

Influential clothes designer Fee Doran aka Mrs Jones, who styled Kylie Minogue's iconic Can't Get You Out of My Head video, has lent her support to the campaign for Mute Records act Goldfrapp's forthcoming single Train. (News).
April 5, 2003... Influential clothes designer Fee Doran aka Mrs Jones, who styled Kylie Minogue's iconic Can't Get You Out of My Head video, has lent her support to the campaign for Mute Records act Goldfrapp's (pictured) forthcoming single Train. The video for...

Exclusive cuts drive plot for War Child charity CD. (News).
April 5, 2003... The music industry's response to the war in Iraq reaches its own D-Day today (Monday) when plugging outfit The Partnership services the humanitarian record Hope to TV and radio stations across the country. The effort to help raise a target...

Publishers in dispute over Spirit In The Sky. (News).
April 5, 2003... A dispute has broken out over the biggest-selling single of the year to date with both Warner/Chappell and Westminster Music claiming they own the publishing rights to Gareth Gates' remake of Spirit In The Sky. The track, which was a...

BPI urges universities to block illegal online music downloads. (News).
April 5, 2003... The record Industry took its fight against piracy to the doors of universities this week, contacting hundreds of academic institutions with guidelines on how to "avoid the risks" of copyright theft on their computer networks. The BPI...

Dance is dead--long live dance. (comment).
April 5, 2003... If dance is dead, then what is Room 5 doing at number one? Yes, the track has been rocket-powered to the top of the singles chart by the Lynx ad (ad agency BBH does it again), but its success shows that there is life in the old dog yet. In...

Nashville provides creative spark for Matthews' post-Catatonia debut set. (Talent).
April 5, 2003... Of the many talents which emerged from the Brit-guitar fever of the Nineties, few were so warmly embraced by the British public as Cerys Matthews. And, chances are, few will produce as personal and affecting a record as the first solo...

Success not too complicated for The Matrix. (Talent).
April 5, 2003... As the creators of all of Avril Lavigne's hits to date--Complicated, Sk8er Boi and new single I'm With You (released this week)--the two-thirds British writing and production team The Matrix are quickly finding themselves thrust into a new...

Simply Red and Universal sign deal for activity beyond Europe. (International).
April 5, 2003... Simplyred.com is plotting the roll-out of its mould-breaking project beyond Europe after inking a licensing deal with Universal Music International. The self-financed Simply Red album Home, which bypasses the usual route of an artist...

US majors turn on to UK act Virginia. (International).
April 5, 2003... Unsigned UK band Virginia have sparked the attention of two major Stateside labels on the back of growing interest for their single Carry Me Home at US radio. The trio, whose debut album, First Bite, was issued via online label Warmfuzz,...

Gut secures deal to handle Tommy Boy in UK & Ireland. (International).
April 5, 2003... Gut Records has signed a second deal with a US label after agreeing to handle Tommy Boy's releases in the UK and Ireland. Under the deal, Gut--which at the end of last year joined forces with US-based Artistdirect to look after UK...

Island's UK-signed Norwegian rockers Span have been preparing for the June release of their single Found and as-yet-untitled debut album in September with a string of live dates last week around the UK. (International).
April 5, 2003... Island's UK-signed Norwegian rockers Span (pictured) have been preparing for the June release of their single Found and as-yet-untitled debut album in September with a string of live dates last week around the UK. The band, whose Gil...

Graham departs London office for fresh BMI role in New York. (International).
April 5, 2003... BMI London office chief Phil Graham is leaving the UK after 17 years following his elevation at the performing rights group to a newly-created job in New York. Graham is one of two senior executives being moved up at BMI following last...

Sales decline by 15% across US. (US chartfile).
April 5, 2003... Retailers across the US reported a slump in business last week as the Iraqi war got under way, and the record industry was hit as hard as any, with sales of the Top 200 albums sliding by 15% week-on-week. Even 50 Cent's Get Rich Or Die Tryin'...

Sony targets crossover for Mulligan. (Classical news).
April 5, 2003... Simon Mulligan, who can list such luminaries of the classical music world as Yehudi Menuhin, Alexis Weissenberg and Lynn Harrell among his mentors, could be on the verge of a successful crossover career with the release of his debut solo album...

Classical Brits scheduled for May. (Classical news).
April 5, 2003... Although this year's Classical Brit Awards have yet to secure a corporate sponsor, the annual event appears well placed to deliver a strong show at the Royal Albert Hall on May 22. Universal acts Andrea Bocelli and Bryn Terfel have...

Rutter: Requiem; Arise, Shine; Come Down, O Love Divine; Musica Dei Donum; Two Blessings; Two Organ Pieces. Choir of Clare College, Cambridge/Brown (Naxos 8.557130).
April 5, 2003... Naxos appears set for strong sales with the release of this disc of familiar and recent works by master tunesmith John Rutter. The budget label's parent company Select did excellent business last year as distributor of a compilation of...

Ponchielli: La Gioconda. Domingo, Urmana; Munich Radio Orchestra/Viotti (EMI Classics 5 57451 2 (3CD)).
April 5, 2003... Hamilcare Ponchielli's opera has served as an impressive vehicle for the great divas of the recording age, not least Maria Callas, while all too often falling flat in performance on disc. This new recording from EMI Classics may not have all...

German: Welsh Rhapsody; Coronation March and Hymn; Three Dances from Nell Gwyn, etc. Band of the Welsh Guards/Shannon. Specialist Recording Company SRC 104).
April 5, 2003... Impressions of a lost age of Empire, unshadowed by the First World War's destruction, are strongly present in this attractive compilation of arrangements and pieces for military band by Edward German, one of the most popular composers to emerge...

Handel: Rinaldo. Freiburger Barockorchester/ Jacobs (Harmonia Mundi HMC 901796.98 (3CD)).
April 5, 2003... Recorded last August following performances in Innsbruck and elsewhere, this Rinaldo comes fresh from the stage to the recording studio and registers a thrilling impact as a result. Rene Jacobs encourages his young cast to heighten the opera's...

Blur: Out of Time (Parlophone CDR6606).
April 5, 2003... Blur's post-Coxon/Gorillaz material has been the subject of much speculation of late, but wisely they have opted for a concise, fluid ballad which capitalises on Damon Albarn's knack for writing memorable singles. A satisfying whiff of...

Madonna: American Life (Maverick/Warner 9362426142).
April 5, 2003... "This type of modern life is not for me," sings Madonna on this first single from her new album of the same name. Production from Music man Mirwais cleverly blends stuttering digital sounds with acoustic guitar and a radio-friendly chorus....

Lisa Maffia: All Over (Independiente ISOM69MS).
April 5, 2003... [RECOMMENDED] One of the shining lights from the So Solid Crew arrives in solo mode with a single that makes little compromise to pop trances. Maffia has gone to her core audience with a UK garage track boasting great hooks ant strong...

D-Side: Speechless (Blacklist/Edel/WEA WEA366CD1).
April 5, 2003... Irish boy band D-Side have already been whipping teenage fans into a frenzy after scooping the best new act tour slot on the Smash Flits tour last year. They now deliver a slick, uptempo pop number for their debut single--written by the team...

Andrea Doria: Bucci Bag (Southern Fried ECB38CDS).
April 5, 2003... Norman Cook's label Southern Fried has won the A&R race to sign this slice of electro-house. With a camp vocal based around designer brands and a massive drum roll, its across-the board club appeal will be boosted by a bass-heavy remix from...

Robbie Williams: Come Undone (Chrysalis CDCHS5151).
April 5, 2003... [RECOMMENDED] Feel's failure to hit number one was identified by some as the beginning of the end for Robbie, and then Escapology promptly sold more copies in five weeks than any other record managed all year. It is hard to sell singles...

Floetry: Floetic (Dreamworks/Polydor 4507752).
April 5, 2003... These two Brit school alumini, who have written for Jacko, release their first single from their Grammy-nominated debut album, which has already been in the Top 20 in the US. Their heats are wonderfully lazy and their lyrics are articulate, but...

Aaliyah: Don't Know What to Tell Ya Blackground/Independiente ISOM73MS).
April 5, 2003... Taken from the greatest hits album I Care 4 U, this sounds a bit like work in progress. That said, it is still head and shoulders above most other R&B releases out there, and is B-listed at Radio One. Timbaland, as ever, supplies the edgy...

Malachi: Just Say You Love Me (Mercury 0779072).
April 5, 2003... The Fame Academy finalist's vocal quality is firmly in evidence on this ballad from his debut album. Unfortunately, the song is bland and burdened with over-slick production. His album (released on April 28) contains a range of covers from U2...

Lionel Richie Feat. Enrique Iglesias: to Love a Woman (Mercury 7790822).
April 5, 2003... This potentially lucrative collaboration between two generations of love gods falls far short of its A-list billing. A meandering MOR offering with more than a nod to Elton and Blue's recent hit, To Love A Woman is C-listed at Radio Two but is...

Interpol: Say Hello to the Angels/NYC (Matador OLE5822).
April 5, 2003... [RECOMMENDED] This double A-sided single is the second via Matador, and includes two standout tracks from the NY-based act's critically-acclaimed debut album Turn On The Bright Lights. Whether it is their gifted lyrics, stern vocals or...

Plummet: Damaged (Serious/Mercury 0772782).
April 5, 2003... A well-produced yet ultimately formulaic pop-trance offering, Damaged has won extended exposure on the UK's dance radio shows, as well as a healthy MW Club Chart placing and an A-listing on Radio One--sufficient exposure to ensure a Top 10 hit...

Venus Hum: Big Beautiful Sky (BMG VHUM009).
April 5, 2003... Hailing from Nashville and tipped by some quarters of the industry, Venus Hum's wide-eyed take on electro-pop is more reminiscent of early Nineties rave than the future of dance. The follow their support slots for Mew and Gus Gus with a 15-date...

Jay-Z: Excuse Me Miss (Roc-A-Fella/Mercury 779119).
April 5, 2003... Produced by The Neptunes and featuring Pharrell Williams vocals, this will be another hit for the Jigga Man, even if not as big as his recent duet with his now ex-girlfriend. It is C-listed at Radio One.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Date with the Night (Dress Up/Polydor 0657442).
April 5, 2003... [RECOMMENDED] This is the third UK single from the New York three-piece, who emerged as one of the buzz acts of 2002. Mixed by Alan Moulder, Date With The Night is a gritty pop-punk beast, which stomps and struts impressively thanks to...

Run-DMC: Greatest Hits (Arista 74321980602).
April 5, 2003... Delayed due to the untimely death of Jam Master Jay, this best of from the Queens rap act shows their pioneering place in hip-hop history. Breaking into the mainstream with Walk This Way, they have continued to score hits thanks to remixers...

Goldfrapp: Train (Mute CDMUTE 291).
April 5, 2003... [RECOMMENDED] This is the first new material from Goldfrapp since the success of Felt Mountain. Train reveals a darker side to the duo, with a seductive chorus wrapped in dirty electro squelches. Remixes from Ewan Pearson and T...

The Kills: Fried My Little Brains (Domino RUG154CD).
April 5, 2003... This is not the choicest track from The Kills' Keep On Your Mean Side, an album which seems to have excited music critics more than music buyers so far. However, this male/female duo might change that with this taut and brooding slice of...

Brendan Benson: Metarie! (V2 VVR5021793).
April 5, 2003... Taken from Benson's Lapalco album, but given a new twist by Fred De Faye's mix, this wistful tale of unrequited love instantly gets stuck inside the listener's head. Benson embarks on a UK tour in April.

Ian McCulloch: Sliding (Cooking Vinyl FRYCD148).
April 5, 2003... The Echo & The Bunnymen/ Electrafixion frontman returns to the solo arena, this being the first solo outing without musical partner Will Sergeant for more than 10 years. This heartfelt track precedes album Slideling and seems tailor-made for...

Inme: Neptune (Music for Nations CDKUT201).
April 5, 2003... Following the Top 20 success: of their debut album Overgrown Eden early in the year, the Essex trio are sure to continue to make inroads with this, their fourth single, which is C-listed at Radio One. The band's Astoria gig this month is...

Cam'ron Presents the Diplomats: Diplomatic Immunity (Roc-A-Fella/Mercury 632112).
April 5, 2003... After featuring on Mariah Carey's latest offering Oh Boy, Cam'ron returns with his crew and their furious lyrical stylings on The Diplomats' debut album. Harlem's finest do some dubious gangsta posturing and make allusions to Ground Zero,...

Vic Chesnutt: Silver Lake (New West NW6044).
April 5, 2003... Silver Lake is the ninth album from Chesnutt and his biggest production since The Salesman And Bernadette, the 1998 collaboration with Lambchop. The patronage of everyone from REM to Madonna to Hootie & The Blowfish has done little for...

Aidan Smith: at Home with Aidan Smith (Twisted Nerve TN049CD).
April 5, 2003... This is an introduction to the weird and wonderful world of Twisted Nerve's latest signing. His style is witty, ramshackle, endearing and refreshingly eclectic, with Casio keyboards running rampant over toy drums and warmly humorous lyrics.

Scooter: the Stadium Techno Experience (Sheffield Tunes/Edel 0147102STU).
April 5, 2003... Subtlety and credibility fly out the window once more as the German popcore trio release their 11th album. Featuring some bizarre musical twists alongside the familiar synths and helium vocals, it will keep the crowd hyped thanks to HP's...

Swag: No Such Thing (Version VERSIONCD02).
April 5, 2003... Those who were seduced by Swag's acclaimed debut Felony Funk will not be disappointed by this follow-up. Tight funky programming and a sprightly flit between the sometimes staid genres of techno, house, jazz and funk make this an album from the...

Themroc: Beyond These Things (Wall Of Sound WALLCD 030).
April 5, 2003... The recent tabloid furore surrounding Dan Peppe has brought this dance duo far more attention than they otherwise would have expected. Their debut is a competent brew of epic tech-house and post big beat breakdowns, but lacks the individuality...

Various: Mob Deep Vol. 1 (Mob MOBCD9002).
April 5, 2003... Showcasing the breaks-driven label which has broken acts such as Stanton Warriors and Freq Nasty, this energetic 16-track set shows that there is plenty of life left within the scene. High-octane cuts from acts such as Beber & Tamra, NuBreed...

Nicolai Dunger: Tranquil Isolation (Virgin CDVIR182).
April 5, 2003... This Swedish former footballer's first ex-Scandinavian release was recorded with Will Oldham and his brother Paul in their home town of Louisville, Kentucky. More upbeat than most of Oldham's own output, parts of Tranquil Isolation have an easy...

All the charts: exposure.
April 5, 2003... [CD UK] Performances: You Said No Busted; Nans Song Robbie Williams; Cry Kym Marsh; Boy (I Need You) Mariah Carey; Move Your Feet Junior Senior; Faint Linkin Park; Make Luv Room 5 Video: No Good Advice Girls Aloud. Final line-up 6/4/2003 ...

The official UK airplay charts top 50.
April 5, 2003... AIRPLAY COMMENTARY After five weeks at the top of the airplay chart, Christina Aguilera's Beautiful is toppled. A week after posting its best-ever audience of 106.76m, Beautiful suffers a major reversal, shedding 18% of its listeners in a...

The official UK singles chart top 75.
April 5, 2003... SINGLES COMMENTARY Proving that dance music is still very much alive and kicking, Room 5's Make Luv single sold more than 111,000 copies last week to debut at number one with a handsome 71% lead over Gareth Gates feat. The Kumars' Spirit...

The official UK albums chart top 75.
April 5, 2003... ALBUMS COMMENTARY A combination of new albums by Linkin Park, Simply Red and Celine Dion and Mother's Day gift-buying boosted the albums market by 47% last week to a year's best tally of 3,249,000, of which artist albums accounted for...

The official UK charts: specialist.
April 5, 2003... MIDPRICE This Last Title Artist Label (Distributor) 1 3 SONGS IN A MINOR Alicia Keys J 74321928892 (BMG) 2 2 THE MAN WHO Travis Independiente ...

SNV music. (Store Of The Week).
April 5, 2003... "We still stock chart material though we don't carry anywhere close to the amount we used to, given the competition in the pop area from the supermarkets. That said we obviously stock chart material that fits our customer base. Linkin Park and...

In-store next week: from 7/4/03. (Frontline).
April 5, 2003... Andys RECORDS Press ads--Bach, Atomic Kitten, Richard X Vs Liberty X; In-store--Athlete, Pink Floyd, Atomic Kitten, Richard X vs Liberty X, NERD, David Bowie, Celine Dion, Placebo, Room 5, Bach, Whitesnake, OK Go, Paul McCartney, Bangles,...

Sales watch: Boyzone. (Frontline).
April 5, 2003... BOYZONE: BALLADS--THE LOVE SONG COLLECTION (UNIVERSAL TV) LW Chart position: 6, Pie charts show sales by Retailer type and geographical region respectively, for sales week to the end of March 23, 2003. Source: Official Charts Company. ...

New release countdown. (Frontline).
April 5, 2003... ALBUMS This week Ruby Amanfu Smoke & Honey (Polydor); Des'ree Dream Soldier (S2); Mis-Teeq Eye Candy (Telstar); Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon--30th Anniversary Edition (EMI); The White Stripes Elephant (XL) April 7 Athlete...

Diary. (Jazz).
April 5, 2003... Pianist and composer Andrew Hill embarks on a major UK tour in May. Creator of celebrated album Point Of Departure, arguably one of the best jazz records of the Sixties, Hill will tour with an Anglo-American band featuring Gregory Tardy, Ron...

Crusaders end 13-year hiatus with new album. (Jazz).
April 5, 2003... Joe Sample, Wilton Felder and Stix Hooper of veteran jazz-funkers The Crusaders have re-united for their first studio album since the band split in the early-Eighties. The initial break-up in itself came several years after the departure of...

Steve Lacy/Anthony Cox/Daniel Humair: Work (Sketch SKE333028).
April 5, 2003... This is a trio record par excellence. On Work, the centrifugal force of the ensemble determines just about everything that is played. And what an incredible group of players is present: soprano sax giant Steve Lacy, one of Europe's great...

Reissues. (Jazz).
April 5, 2003... Universal has a superlative batch of LPR catalogue titles this month, led by saxophonist Archie Shepp's classic Attica Blues and Albert Ayler's Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe. The former is a politically-charged classic that has...

Omar Sosa/Gustavo Ovalles: Ayaguna (Ota OTA1010).
April 5, 2003... Barcelona-based Cuban pianist Omar Sosa is one of the most important new voices in globally-inflected jazz; the term Latin jazz is too limiting to describe him as his music is greatly coloured by African and North African rhythms too. He made...

Laurent De Wilde: Stories (Warner 0927497322).
April 5, 2003... The Franco-American pianist's last album was the grandly-titled Time For Change and marked the former neo-bopper's entry into the world of electronics and state-of-the-art production. It had some OKish moments, but the record's rather...

Taylor Haskin: Wake Up Call (Fresh Sound FSNT145 CD).
April 5, 2003... Haskins has played with lesser-known musicians, which may well count for his relative obscurity, but this breathtaking debut should soon put paid to that. Built around Haskins' deeply emotive, at times mournful writing and vivid trumpet...

Playlist. (Jazz).
April 5, 2003... OMAR SOSA/GUSTAVO OVALES--Trip In The White Scarf (Ota). Enchanting piano and percussion duet that sounds like Lee Perry putting Chucho Valdes through the echo chamber. TAYLOR HASKINS--Wake Up Call (Fresh Sound). Blinding and individual...

New releases--for week starting 7 April 2003.
April 5, 2003... RECOMMENDED CATALOGUE NEW RELEASES MEAT LOAF: Bat Out Of Hell 25th Anniversary Edition (Epic/Cleveland International/Legacy 5086533). One of the biggest-selling albums of all time, Bat Out Of Hell will be 25 years old this year. To mark the...

Teamwork not egos: the key to my success running BMG UK. (Off The Record).
April 5, 2003... When I came to BMG UK three years ego, I was pretty certain that the company I was going to work for was responsible for not breaking my Swedish artists. I soon realised that it wasn't BMG, not even the industry, but the attitude of the whole...