Music Week articles from January 2006

Music Week archives from January 2006

Delays ready for Midem showcase.
January 7, 2006... Rough Trade act Delays have been selected to headline main stage at the British Music At Midem showcases in Cannes this month. The group, who recently completed their new album, You See Colours, will join Goldie Lookin' Chain, King Biscuit...

Sales end on high: 2005's festive sales beat 2003 and 2004, as shoppers make late surge.(Retail)
January 7, 2006... The UK music trade continued to flourish last week, after a late spending spree helped salvage Christmas for retailers across the country. A week-on-week increase in business of almost 40% in pre-Christmas week saw a record 10.6m albums...

Climate change show scheduled.(Exposure)
January 7, 2006... * Super Furry Animals, Manic Street Preachers, The Strokes and The Darkness are to top the bill for The One Earth Concert, which takes place at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on January 28 and will be broadcast worldwide via television and the...

The Brit Awards Album 2006.(Exposure)
January 7, 2006... The Brit Awards Album 2006 will be released by Sony BMG in Dual-Disc format, in what will be a first for TV compilation albums. The album will comprise an audio CD and a DVD of the accompanying videos. It will be released to mark the best of...

Sanctuary looks to address debt.(Bottom line)
January 7, 2006... * The Sanctuary board staged two general meetings the week before Christmas to discuss measures to address its current debts. The company passed three resolutions relating to its current borrowings and future borrowing strategy.

WEA Corp.(Bottom line)
January 7, 2006... WEA Corp, Warner Music's sales and distribution arm, has been strategically re-organised to account for the growth of digital delivery. The division has been separated into four units, each of which will report to WEA president and CEO John...

Ingenious Media.(Bottom line)
January 7, 2006... Ingenious Media has denied reports that it is lining up a flotation on the Alternative Investment Market in January. Reports suggested that bankers would be appointed to raise between 150m [pounds sterling] to 200m [pounds sterling] ahead of a...

Deluxe Media Services.(Bottom line)
January 7, 2006... Deluxe Media Services, the CD and DVD manufacturing company, remains up for sale following parent group Rank's disposal of the Deluxe Film subsidiary. DMS operates a plant in Blackburn which was recently used to manufacture the Christmas smash...

Music Tank.(Bottom line)
January 7, 2006... Digital Rights Management will be the subject of the next Music Tank debate, which takes place on January 18 at Bertorelli's in London's Soho.

Warner Music.(Bottom line)
January 7, 2006... New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer has subpoenaed each of the four major label groups in the US over collusion over the prices set for digital downloads. Warner Music confirmed before Christmas that it had received the subpoena and is...

KCRW director holds round table.(People)
January 7, 2006... The BPI is organising a "music masterclass" with Nic Harcourt, the British-born DJ who is now music director at Los Angeles radio station KCRW. The aim is to bring representatives from the majors and leading independent labels round a table...

New Year Honours list.(People)
January 7, 2006... A string of veteran music performers were among the individuals recognised in the New Year Honours list. Tom Jones and Johnny Dankworth were both knighted, while a former BBC head of radio Liz Forgan became a dame. In turn, the Beverley Sisters...

Derek Bailey.(People)
January 7, 2006... Improvisational guitarist Derek Bailey has died aged 75 following complications from motor neurone disease. Bailey emerged as a studio musician with dance bands in the early Fifties and went on to perform with a diverse variety of acts, from a...

BMG Music Publishing International.(People)
January 7, 2006... BMG Music Publishing International has promoted Steve Levy from head of global marketing to director of global marketing in preparation for a number of new initiatives this year. Levy will coordinate local marketing initiatives through the...

Monstermob in Russian deal.(Sign here)
January 7, 2006... Mobile content supplier and retailer Monstermob has acquired Russian counterpart Mobicon for 15.6m [pounds sterling] in a deal that will be payable predominantly in Monstermob shares. It establishes Monstermob--a provider of downloads,...

Warner Music Group.(Sign here)
January 7, 2006... The Warner Music Group board of directors have announced a quarterly dividend of $19.3m (11.2m [pounds sterling]), equivalent to $0.13 (7p) per share. It will be paid on February 17. The company plans to pay regular quarterly dividends on its...

Vital pockets mobile contract: deal with major operators boosts exposure for more than 100 labels.(Digest)
January 7, 2006... Vital: PIAS Digital has expanded its mobile offering by finalising a series of partnership deals with three mobile content providers. The 100-plus labels distributed by Vital:PIAS Digital--including Skint, Defected, Peace Frog and Full Time...

Sales bounce back in bumper Xmas; single by X-Factor winner spearheads healthy seasonal run on shops for Christmas product.(Retail)
January 7, 2006... The pre-Christmas success of albums by Eminem, James Blunt and Robbie Williams and a storming X-Factor single from Shayne Ward helped transform a December sales period for the business. Sales for the four weeks leading up to Christmas...

Music Zone's MVC buy-out on hold as auditors assess price.(News)
January 7, 2006... Music Zone's bid to step up into the premier league of music specialist retailing hangs in the balance after former Woolworths-owned chain MVC was thrown into administration. Before Christmas, Music Zone announced its plans to acquire 40...

Best of the Music Week playlist 2005.(News)(Sound Recording Review)
January 7, 2006... CORINNE BAILEY RAE Put Your Records On (EMI) Second single from MW-tipped Bailey Rae's forthcoming debut album. (single, February 20) GORILLAZ Feel Good Inc (Parlophone) The song that kicked off round two for Damon Albarn and his...

Visa proposals split industry: 'US-style' immigration shake-up could make it harder for overseas acts to tour in the UK.(Work Permits)
January 7, 2006... As a new year begins, many people fear that a new era is also dawning for those looking to help talent cross borders. Proposed changes to the UK's work permit system for acts coming in from overseas have prompted contrasting reactions from...

Britain plans to follow America's stance.(News)
January 7, 2006... The visa system proposed by the UK Government would make the situation in this country far more akin to that experienced by UK bands looking to tour the US--and some feel the proposals are justified as a result of this. Any UK act looking...

Diversity became the key to success in 2005: Music Week's Rosterwatch highlights the new artists picked up by the UK's key labels and publishers over the past 12 months, revealing a strong year for the indies.(Rosterwatch 2005)
January 7, 2006... If 2004 was a period of great change in the UK music industry, 2005 was a year of consolidation. It was a year when a newly merged Sony BMG became highly active on the A&R front again, EMI and Warner joined them in attempting to compete with...

Festive joy masks high-street peril; huge sales in the run-up to Christmas were welcomed, but casualties could still emerge.(Editorial)
January 7, 2006... A few weeks ago, with a matter of days to go before Christmas Day, the upbeat, end-of-term optimism remained in the shadow of continuing concern over the festive market. With less than a week to Christmas, many in the business of selling...

What are your hopes and aspirations for 2006?(THE BIG QUESTION)
January 7, 2006... Peter Tudor, National Arenas Association "Maybe this is the year the live music industry gets the credit it deserves. With another busy indoor and outdoor gig calendar rapidly building up for 2006 and renewed government interest in...

Crib sheet.(Forum)(Interview)
January 7, 2006... The One Earth Concert is taking place on January 28 at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium with the aim of raising awareness of climate change around the world. But despite its ambitions and global reach, this is not simply a "Live 8 for the...

Fast chart.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service Week 52)
January 7, 2006... SINGLES NUMBER ONE SHAYNE WARD THAT'S MY GOAL (SyCo Music) With 11-day sales of 874,444, Shayne Ward's debut single is well on the way to becoming the UK's latest million-selling single and remains comfortably number one, with a...

New Year brings good sales news.(The Market)
January 7, 2006... After spectacular pre-Christmas trading, which saw a record 10,581,571 albums sold in the week ending on Christmas Eve--beating the previous best ever sales tally of 10,298,132 set in the same week in 2000--sales were naturally more subdued...

Key indicators.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service Week 52)
January 7, 2006... SINGLES Sales versus last week: -39.4% Year to date versus last year: +57.0% MARKET SHARES Sony BMG 31.9% Universal 24.1% Warner 16.3% EMI 8.6% Others 19.0% ALBUMS Sales versus...

The schedule.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service Week 52)
January 7, 2006... ALBUMS THIS WEEK The Strokes First Impressions Of Earth (Rough Trade) JANUARY 9 Team LG The Way We Do It (Kennington Recordings) JANUARY 16 Regina Spector Mary Anne Meets The Gravediggers... (WEA); Fiona Apple...

Virgin will release the debut album from hotly tipped US seven-piece the Spinto Band in June 2006.(NEW ADDITION)
January 7, 2006... Virgin will release the debut album from hotly tipped US seven-piece the Spinto Band in June 2006. The major won a hotly contested battle to sign the band for the world outside North America. The album, entitled Nice & Nicely Done will be...

BPI awards.(Upfront)
January 7, 2006... ALBUMS Peter Kay--Best Of (silver); Trivium--Ascendancy (silver); Sigur Ros--Takk (silver); Various--The Best Club Anthems (gold); Various--The Best Of The Best Air Guitar (gold); Various--I Love 60s (gold); Blondie--Greatest Hits (gold);...

Barefoot reach out to clubbers; mainstream radio warms to Barefoot's jazzy covers of Underworld, Run DMC and others.(The Plot)
January 7, 2006... BAREFOOT BAREFOOT (ENTERPRISE) Enterprise Records has launched its marketing drive for the debut album by jazz covers act Barefoot, following a series of live performances at the Hyde Park Corner Pizza Express in November. The five-date...

Melua calls on music video talent to raise profile of her new single.(Promo focus)
January 7, 2006... The promo for Katie Melua's new single I Cried For You stretches the boundaries of what is possible in music videos to the very limit and makes use of an innovative effect never before used on film. In the promo, which was directed by Kevin...

In-store next week.(Upfront)
January 7, 2006... Instore--The Strokes, Ja Rule, Clubbers Guide 2006, No. 1 Old Skool Album Windows--Robbie Williams, Il Divo; Instore--James Blunt, Robbie Williams, Eminem, Katie Melua Windows--Sale, Brits Nominations, Best of 2005; Instore--Incubus,...

Radio playlists.(Upfront)
January 7, 2006... RADIO 1 A LIST Arctic Monkeys When The Sun Goes Down; Braund Reynolds Rocket; Coldplay Talk; Eminem When I'm Gone; Foe Fighters Resolve; Franz Ferdinand Walk Away; Gorillaz Dirty Harry; Hard-Fi Cash Machine; Herd & Fitz feat. Abigail...

TV airplay chart: Black Eyed Peas finally claim the top spot, while new tracks by Pharrell, Coldplay and DHT make inroads into the Top 10.(Airplay)
January 7, 2006... 1. Black Eyed Peas Fergie's celebration of her most outstanding assets provide a slightly belated TV airplay number one for Black Eyed Peas this week. The track has made unusually erratic progress to the top of the chart, moving...

The UK radio airplay chart: while Coldplay and Madonna swap places at the top, the highest Top 50 climber is Hi_Track's Michael Jackson-sampling Say Say Say, which is shaping up to hang around.(Airplay: Radio)
January 7, 2006... 1. Coldplay After eight weeks atop the airplay chart, Madonna's Hung Up is finally overhauled. Her conquerors are Coldplay, whose Talk squeezes ahead of Hung Up by a tiny 0.47% margin. It does so despite the fact that on Radio One it is Hung Up...

Arctic Monkeys: When the Sun Goes Down.
January 7, 2006... Arctic Monkeys When The Sun Goes Down Domino RUG216CD After their massive number one hit debut, Arctic Monkeys return with a single that is arguably a lot better, if maybe less commercial, dealing as it does with prostitutes and pimps. As...

The Greenhornes: Sewed Soles.(Sound Recording Review)
January 7, 2006... The Greenhornes Sewed Soles V2 VVR1036012 Fresh from supporting The White Stripes on their recent European tour, Cincinnati trio The Greenhornes release a UK debut album that couples earlier US tracks with new material produced by Brendan...

Bedouin Soundclash: New Year's Day.
January 7, 2006... Bedouin Soundclash New Year's Day (B-Unique BEDOTUN2) Bedouin Soundclash's second single comes in the form of this feel-good reggae cover of U2's famous track, which was originally a hit in 1983. It is an ambitious task to better a classic...

Belle & Sebastian: Funny Little Frog.
January 7, 2006... Belle & Sebastian Funny Little Frog (Rough Trade RTRADSCD283) This is the first single to be taken from the band's seventh album and fans will love it. Funny Little Frog shares the piano and positive feel of The Boy With The Arab Strap, but...

Beyonce: Check on It.
January 7, 2006... Beyonce Check On It (Sony BMG 82876772532) For those who have found themselves missing Destiny's Child, this single--already C-listed at Radio One--will be a welcome return of their feisty pop stylings. Over a pounding Swizz Beatz...

Tina Dico: Warm Sand.
January 7, 2006... Tina Dico Warm Sand (Finest Gramophone FINESTOPCD) Dane singer Dico, who has been on the UK circuit for more than three years, has had a rocky ride, having already been signed and dropped by a major label. However, this track--a mainstream...

Dino: Call Me.
January 7, 2006... Dino Call Me (Free2Air) As with house music 15 years ago, it takes an Italian to show his UK counterparts how to deliver the goods. This piece of humorous, stylish and cool pop is worth a thousand no-wave synth-pop singles and, with a...

Felix Da Housecat Feat. P Diddy: Jack U.
January 7, 2006... Felix Da Housecat Feat. P Diddy Jack U (Rude Photo RP002) P Diddy continues his rather confusing dance music flirtations with this track, which combines a below-average Felix Da Housecat production with insipid lyrics screeched over the...

Hi_Tack: Say Say Say (Waiting For You).
January 7, 2006... Hi_Tack Say Say Say (Waiting For You) (Gut CDGUS26) A-listed un Radio well before Christmas, this thumping club track has massive potential to crossover to a mass audience, with its sampling of Michael Jackson's vocals from the original Say...

Merz: Postcard From a Dark Star.
January 7, 2006... Merz Postcard From A Dark Star (Gronland 7GRON32) This enchanting, piano-led track is taken from Merz's second album Loveheart, which was released in the autumn and picked up consistently favourable reviews from across the printed press....

The Notorious BIG Feat. Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge & Avery Storm: Nasty Girl.
January 7, 2006... The Notorious BIG Feat. Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge & Avery Storm Nasty Girl (Bad Boy ATO229CDX) Nearly nine years have passed and BIG is about to soar back into the charts. This is as polished a remix as you're likely to hear, which is...

Protocol: Where's the Pleasure?
January 7, 2006... Protocol Where's The Pleasure? (Polydor 9876559) Protocol will have to do better than this piece of sub-Bravery posing if they want to reach their ambition of being "pop's ambassadors"--at present they come across as all style but little...

Sol Seppy: Move.
January 7, 2006... Sol Seppy Move (Gronland 7GRON28) A brief stint recording and performing with Sparklehorse has encouraged 23-year-old Seppy, a classically-trained pianist and cellist, to release her own material. It's standard issue in the sense that it...

Son of Dork: Eddie's Song.
January 7, 2006... Son Of Dork Eddie's Song (Mercury 9876651) This second single from James Bourne's 50,000-selling debut Welcome To Loserville is a tight, jaunty slice of speedy rock that should go down well with a youth market in thrall to Green Day....

The Sunshine Underground: Commercial Breakdown.
January 7, 2006... The Sunshine Underground Commercial Breakdown (City Rockers ROCKERS32CD) The Leeds four-piece were praised for their energetic performance at this year's In The City and this pacy, rift-laden second single has already been named "hottest...

Sway: Little Derek.
January 7, 2006... Sway Little Derek (DCYPHA ACMOO17CDS) Currently championed as one of the rising stars of UK hip hop, Sway will benefit from recent Mobo and Urban Music accolades that have brought him to the attention of press and radio. However, the R&B...

Fiona Apple: Extraordinary Machine.
January 7, 2006... Fiona Apple Extraordinary Machine (Clean Slate/Epic/Sony BMG 82876736362) Leaked onto the net following a stand-off with Epic, Apple's third album looks set to be this year's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Now rerecorded with Mike Elizondo (Jon...

The Beautiful New Born Children: Hey People!
January 7, 2006... The Beautiful New Born Children Hey People! (Domino WIGCD170) Domino slip this enigmatic quartet's debut out amid the label's Arctic Monkeys madness, but it shouldn't have any problem finding its own voice. These nine slabs of high-octane,...

Clearlake: Amber.
January 7, 2006... Clearlake Amber (Domino WIGCD152) This is the third album from the Brighton-based act, who opened their account with Lido in 2001. Unlike their debut and the 2003 follow-up Cedars, Amber is a more complex affair, showing how Clearlake have...

Mazarin: We're Already There.
January 7, 2006... Mazarin We're Already There (Bella Union BELLACD109) We're Already There is an impressive collection of joyous pop melodies from creators previously concerned with making songs out of amp noises, not songwriting. Mazarin have clearly seen...

Various: The Caribbean.
January 7, 2006... Various The Caribbean (Putumayo PUTU245) As always, Pntumayo has delivered another wonderfully crafted compilation that comprehensively covers all ages and genres of music from one of the world's most fecund musical regions. From the...

Various: Drum & Bass Arena--The Classics.
January 7, 2006... Various Drum & Bass Arena--The Classics (Ministry Of Sound DABA01) Billed as a definitive history of drum & bass from 1996 to 2006, this compilation neatly rounds up the various strands of the genre over the years, from Reprazent's jazzy...

Various: Fabric 26 Mixed By Global Communication.(Sound Recording Review)
January 7, 2006... Various Fabric 26 Mixed By Global Communication (Fabric FABRIC51) The latest instalment in Fabric's consistently excellent series of mix CDs reunites Nineties ambient legends Global Communication for a mix that winds from hip hop to broken...

Various: Soul Jazz Records Presents New York Noise 2.
January 7, 2006... Various Soul Jazz Records Presents New York Noise 2 (Soul Jazz SJRCD126) Dependable as ever, Soul Jazz picks up on yet another part of musical history that is ripe for reissue, this time the Eighties New York No Wave scene that has...

Various: The Work of Director series.
January 7, 2006... Various The Work Of Director series: Mark Romanek (Palm Pictures DIRDVD 4), Jonathan Glazer (DIRDVD 5), Anton Corbijn (DIRDVD 6), Stephane Sednaoui (DIRDVD 7) The latest releases in Palm Pictures' influential series celebrating the work of...

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers: Sound Stage--Special Edition.
January 7, 2006... Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Sound Stage--Special Edition (Warner Home Video D 099190) The absolute highlight of the TV special America: A Tribute To Heroes screened in the dark days after 911 was a slightly grizzled Tom Petty performing...

New releases.
January 7, 2006... Albums FRONTLINE RELEASES DANCE [ ] CURTIN, DAN WE ARE THE ONES Headspace (CD HS 019CD) C Techno [ ] GLIM AERIAL VIEW OF MODEL Karate Joe (CD KJ 019) ...

The official UK singles chart.(Top 75)
January 7, 2006... The Official UK Singles Chart ARTIST TITLE Weeks (Producer) This Last in Publisher Label CD Week Week Chart (Writer) ...

The official UK albums chart.(Top 75)
January 7, 2006... ARTISTS A-Z 50 CENT & G UNIT 66 ABBA 50 ANASTACIA 29 ANDREA BOCELLI 48 BARBRA STREISAND 31 BLINK 182 42 BLONDIE 67 BRYAN ADAMS 35 BRYN TERFEL 53 CHARLOTTE CHURCH 73 CLIFF RICHARD 65 ...

The official UK singles chart: there is no change at the top, with X-Factor winner Shayne Ward's That's My Goal continuing to dominate. Meanwhile, Hard-Fi register the only new entry, debuting at 14.(Top 75)
January 7, 2006... 1. Shayne Ward After an astonishing opening which saw it sell 742,180 copies in just four days, X-Factor winner Shayne Ward's debut single That's My Goal remains number one, despite enduring a week-on-week dip in sales of 82.2% to 132,284....

The official UK albums chart: one-third of this week's Top 75 is made up of re-entries, reflecting the power of the new year sales. Meanwhile, Eminem still heads the pack, but only just.(Top 75)
January 7, 2006... 1. Eminem Matching his own 2002 album The Eminem Show--the previous record holder for most weeks at number one for a rap album--Eminem's Curtain Call: The Hits registers its fifth straight week at the chart summit, with sales of 58,369...

The official UK charts.
January 7, 2006... SINGLES 1 1 SHAYNE WARD THAT'S MY GOAL Syco Music 2 2 NIZLOPI JCB SONG FDM 3 8 MADONNA HUNG UP Warner Brothers 4 5...

The Upfront Club Top 40.(Club Charts)
January 7, 2006... The Upfront Club Top 40 Weeks Last in ARTIST-TITLE Position Week Chart Producer Label 1 6 3 MYLO FEAT. FREEFORM FIVE ...

Mylo muscles into top spot.(Club Charts)
January 7, 2006... Mylo's Destroy Rock & Roll album spawns its fifth number one hit on the Upfront Club Chart this week, as Muscle Car--which also features Freeform Five--sprints to the top of the list. Mylo's most recent number one on the chart was Doctor...

New force hits retail top three; Music Zone absorbs 41 MVC stores.(Retail)
January 14, 2006... Music Zone is due to begin branding 41 newly-acquired MVC stores this week, as it moves into the premier league of specialist music retailing. After concluding a deal with administrator Kroll last week to take over the outlets, the chain...

Big guns line up for Brits 2006.
January 14, 2006... The Brit Awards is turning into a millionaires' parade, with four of the seven acts with million-selling albums last year set to perform at next month's ceremony. James Blunt and Coldplay, whose albums Back To Bedlam and X&Y were 2005's...

OK Computer tops Q albums.(Exposure)
January 14, 2006... Radiohead's OK Computer was the predictable winner of a Q readers' poll of the greatest albums of all time. The album was among three Radiohead albums in the Top 10, which featured only one by The Beatles, but two by Oasis.

BBC Four.(Exposure)
January 14, 2006... BBC Four is to screen a three-part documentary series on Britain's folk music tradition next month. Folk Britannia will trace the evolution of British folk music from the end of the Second World War up until the current day.

Rod Temperton.(Exposure)
January 14, 2006... The career of UK songwriter Rod Temperton, whose hits include the title track of Michael Jackson's Thriller album, is to be celebrated in a forthcoming Radio Two documentary. Quincy Jones, Siedah Garrett, George Benson, Patti Austin and...

50 Cent.(Exposure)
January 14, 2006... The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld 17 complaints objecting to a poster for the forthcoming 50 Cent film Get Rich Or Die Tryin' which features the rapper carrying a gun and holding a baby. The ASA ruled that the promotional poster...

Massive Attack.(Exposure)
January 14, 2006... Virgin will release a Massive Attack greatest hits on March 27, the first from the acclaimed outfit. The album, entitled Collected, will consist of two CDs, the first featuring tracks chosen by the band and the second, a new compilation of rare...

Brits album.(Exposure)
January 14, 2006... Sony BMG has unveiled the track listing for February's Brits album release, ahead of the nominations for the awards tomorrow (Tuesday). The dual-disc double album features 32 tracks from the likes of Girls Aloud, Sugababes, Britney Spears and...

Corinne Bailey Rae.(Exposure)
January 14, 2006... EMI-signed singer Corinne Bailey Rae has topped a list of "rising stars" in a poll on the BBC Sound Of 2006 website. The voting included contributions from more than 100 music industry executives and journalists who placed the singer at number...

Vital inks deal with Victory.(Sign here)
January 14, 2006... Vital Distribution has signed Victory Records in ah exclusive agreement which applies to the UK and Ireland only. The deal, which takes effect on February 1, will see acts such as Hawthorne Heights and Aiden handled by Vital.

Vigilante Music.(Sign here)
January 14, 2006... Former Assassination Music managing director Rupert Withers and A2 Records have launched Vigilante Music, a company designed to assist other labels in setting up and organising international marketing and distribution.

Edel Music Group.(Sign here)
January 14, 2006... German-based Edel Music Group has closed an international distribution deal with TVT Europe, the Berlin outpost of US hip hop and R&B indie label TVT Records. The new agreement covers Germany, Austria, Italy and Portugal. TVT Records counts...