Music Week articles from January 2007

Music Week archives from January 2007

New era for chart arrives.
January 6, 2007... Now all downloads will count to rundown, as OCC updates rules by Paul Williams The UK singles chart will this week usher in the New Year with one of the most significant changes in its 54-year history. From this week the Official...

Rule change to boost Lady Sov.
January 6, 2007... Island's Lady Sovereign is to become one of the first artists to take advantage of the relaxation in chart rules to allow all downloads to count towards the singles chart, irrespective of physical release. Island is to release a new...

UK charts enter the download age.
January 6, 2007... In one of the most significant changes in its history, the Official Charts Company has axed all restrictions on digital sales for the weekly rundown by Paul Williams Welcome to a new world. As The Official UK Charts Company began...

COUNTDOWN TO DIGITAL IN THE CHART.
January 6, 2007... January 2004: MyCoke Music brings the first significant download service to the UK. June 2004: iTunes Music Store launches in the UK, Apple's first digital store outside the US. September 2004: Official UK download chart launched. ...

Music gets you talking.
January 6, 2007... Steve Beckett, managing director, Warp Records "Steve Reich's Music For 18 Musicians is the only piece of music that has managed to stand repeated listens for the past 10 years. Joy Division were one of the best bands on the planet, making...

New rule extends life cycle of a song.
January 6, 2007... Introducing digital data to the singles chart has one positive side- effect - it has helped slow down a countdown which had long been criticised for its relentless speed. With the pattern of sales for a download typically spread over a...

IN BRIEF: Guardian group acquires Saga.
January 6, 2007... Guardian Media Group has bought Saga Radio in a bid to strengthen the Group's radio offering among an older demographic. Saga Radio has three analogue services in the UK, with the East Midlands, West Midlands and Glasgow, with a fourth due to...

IN BRIEF: Excellent year for British artists.
January 6, 2007... An excellent year for British artists in the US has been underlined by the appearance of two UK-signed acts in the Top 10 of the American year- end singles chart. James Blunt's You're Beautiful is at number four, followed by Natasha...

IN BRIEF: Radar showing shortlisted videos.
January 6, 2007... Music video festival Radar will be showing shortlisted videos in Apple's Regent Street shop in London from January 12-18. Festival winners will be announced at the event's awards ceremony on January 19. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: Xfm recruit Alex Zane.
January 6, 2007... Xfm has recruited Alex Zane to present a Friday breakfast show in London. Zane will be returning to the station after taking a break to present Popworld on Channel 4. His new show starts on January 5. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: BBC Music magazine announce nominations.
January 6, 2007... BBC Music magazine has announced the nominations for its 2007 awards for classical recording excellence. The 18 nominations for the six categories open to public voting are published in its January issue, and are also available online at...

IN BRIEF: Warner buys into Roadrunner.
January 6, 2007... Warner Music Group has acquired a 73.5% stake in heavy metal label Roadrunner Music. The deal will see Nickelback, Slipknot, Stone Sour, Trivium, Theory Of A Deadman and Killswitch Engage join Warner's roster, for around $73.5m (#37.6m). The...

IN BRIEF: State of Play conference.
January 6, 2007... The Music Manifesto has organised young people, teachers, musicians, music creators and producers to come together for the State of Play conference at London's Roundhouse from January 16 to 17. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: JazzDUP to be launched.
January 6, 2007... Scottish University Abertay Dundee is to launch its own download store, JazzDUP, offering music, interviews and images to jazz fans. The service will be hosted by Media Web, with funding from Scottish Enterprise Tayside. The site will launch in...

IN BRIEF: Apple Computer delay publication of annual report.
January 6, 2007... Apple Computer has delayed the publication of its annual report, adding that it will be forced to restate its financial results owing to an internal investigation into "backdating". The move comes two months after the iPod manufacturer said it...

IN BRIEF: Peer-to-peer music promotion service.
January 6, 2007... V2 Music and Quibus have launched a peer-to-peer music promotion service, supported by advertising. The new Quibus service combines search, content, and broadcasting in web music on-demand, attracting file-sharing users worldwide. The service...

IN BRIEF: Dance music benefiting from singles sales.
January 6, 2007... Dance music is benefiting the most from the increase in singles sales, helped by the booming download market. According to BPI figures, dance singles - including downloads - are up 50.1% for the first three quarters of 2006, against an overall...

IN BRIEF: MTV launches media group division.
January 6, 2007... MTV has launched a media group division to develop mobile content for ringtones and videoclips. The Mobile Media Group will be responsible for the development of mobile content across the company's global network. Copyright: CMP...

IN BRIEF: Amazon declining to comment.
January 6, 2007... Amazon is declining to comment on speculation that it will be entering the digital music market next year. The online retailer is reported to have held talks with all the majors with a view to pushing the button on a digital music service in...

IN BRIEF: Ticking time bomb for songwriters.
January 6, 2007... Lawyers acting on behalf of Procol Harum singer Gary Brooker say the legal decision to award organist Matthew Fisher 40% of the copyright for A Whiter Shade Of Pale "creates a ticking time bomb" for songwriters. Copyright: CMP Information...

IN BRIEF: Concord revives Stax Records.
January 6, 2007... Concord Music Group is to revive Stax Records, to celebrate the legendary soul label's 50th anniversary. New signings to the label include Isaac Hayes and Angie Stone and the first release will be Interpretations, a tribute to Earth, Wind &...

IN BRIEF: Bertlesmann receives #1.1bn.
January 6, 2007... Bertlesmann has received Euros1.63bn (#1.1bn) for the proposed sale of BMG Music Publishing to Vivendi Universal. The two companies reached agreement of the deal in September and are now working towards obtaining anti-trust clearance from the...

IN BRIEF: Newly-relaunched CBS Records.
January 6, 2007... CBS is to use the newly-relaunched CBS Records to provide music for programmes on the company's television network, including the successful crime drama CSI, shown on Five in the UK. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: Music loses the Godfather of Soul.
January 6, 2007... James Brown has died from heart failure aged 73, after being admitted to hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, suffering with pneumonia. The soul legend started his professional career in 1953 and only last November performed at the UK Music Hall Of...

IN BRIEF: Awards for contribution to music.
January 6, 2007... Bono and music promoter Vince Power have each received awards recognising their contribution to music. Power has received an honorary Commander of the British Empire (CBE) from culture secretary Tessa Jowell for services to the music industry,...

IN BRIEF: Nordoff-Robbins promotion.
January 6, 2007... Nordoff-Robbins has promoted Nicky Weller - sister of songwriter Paul - to fundraising manager and appointed Fiona Haycock as producer of the Silver Clef lunch, one of the charity's flagship events. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

THE PLAYLIST Best of 2006.
January 6, 2007... GNARLS BARKLEY Crazy (Warner Bros) Without question, a song that will stand the test of time. We first featured this track in 2005, while the band were unsigned. AMY WINEHOUSE Rehab (Island) After hearing some of the new...

Christmas sales down on last year.
January 6, 2007... High street retailers assess damage, as official figures reveal disappointing festive sales by Martin Talbot The music industry enters the New Year hoping to bounce back from a Christmas season which appeared to fulfil all the fears of...

Who came out on top over the Christmas period?
January 6, 2007... The act which won Christmas was Polydor's Take That, who steamrollered through the month to rack up 1.040m album sales in just four weeks, including 430,000 in Christmas week itself. Despite being pipped by Westlife's The Love Album for...

Live lobby bashes visa rules.
January 6, 2007... Harvey Goldsmith is spearheading a campaign to persuade the government to reconsider changes to the work permit system, which he says could lead to a seven-fold increase in visa costs for overseas bands wishing to tour the UK. The changes...

Slew of classic tracks fall out of copyright.
January 6, 2007... Elvis Presley's first RCA recordings have this week fallen out of copyright in the UK and across the EC after surpassing the 50-year protection limit. The legendary singer's debut single for the label, Heartbreak Hotel, which became his...

ROSTERWATCH 2006: Companies bear fruit from mainstream appeal.
January 6, 2007... Commercial signings led the way, says Stuart Clark, who presents MW's Rosterwatch - the annual listing of the new acts signed by the UK's key labels and publishers over the past 12 months Approximately 180 artists were signed to key UK...

ROSTERWATCH 2006: Key publishing deals in 2006.
January 6, 2007... Alberts The Answer, Breed 77, Dallas Crane, Beasts Of Bourbon, Acidtone (Digital Only), Antiproduct (digital only), Thunder (digital only), The Itch BDi Music Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Unforscene Productions Big Life...

ROSTERWATCH 2006: Rosterwatch - key signings in 2006.
January 6, 2007... 14th Floor Biffy Clyro, Ray LaMontagne, Nerina Pallot 1965 The View, Ripchord 4AD Emma Pollock, Wolf & Cub 679 Dead Disco Abeano I Was A Cub Scout, To My Boy A&M The Hours, The Horrors...

Singles to face more challenges.
January 6, 2007... Dirt cheap prices will continue to threaten the single - and all music - in 2007 At the beginning of 2007, the physical single, as we know and love it, stands at a crucial point in its history. This week, for the first time, the chart...

Don't be duped by the copyright evangelists.
January 6, 2007... Of the many frightening and depressing views put forward lately, the most chilling was this extract from Vic Keegan's Guardian article:"The new digital giants, Google, YouTube, MySpace, Bebo, Flickr and the rest, are operating in a different...

UPFRONT - 07.01.06: BPI AWARDS.
January 6, 2007... ALBUMS Beyonce - B'Day (platinum) Jarvis Cocker - Jarvis (silver) Paolo Nutini - These Streets (double platinum) The Kooks - Inside In/Inside Out (4 x platinum) Angelis - Angelis (platinum) Il Divo - Siempre (double platinum)...

Jamie T panic prevention (virgin).
January 6, 2007... Virgin aims to build organically on Jamie T's fanbase in the run-up to his debut album Jamie T has been reaching out to fans through grassroots marketing, free downloads and club nights throughout 2006 - and, in the run-up to his debut...

Upfront - 07.01.06: In-store next week.
January 6, 2007... ASDA Instore - Ultimate NRG 2, Huge Hits 60s & 70s BORDERS Instore - Gwen Stefani, The Beatles, U2,Oasis, Scissor Sisters, Madaleine Peyroux,Damien Rice, Bob Dylan HMV Instore - Nick Cannon, Ciara, Ginuwine, Robots In...

Upfront - 07.01.06: Radio playlists.
January 6, 2007... Radio 1 A list Akon feat. Eminem Smack That; Amy Winehouse & Ghostface You Know I'm Good; Booty Luv Boogie 2Nite; Eric Prydz Vs Floyd Proper Education; Jamelia Beware Of The Dog; James Morrison The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore; Jay-Z Show...

Lazy Town chart high after label targets supermarket shoppers.
January 6, 2007... Lazy Town's debut single, Big Bang (Time To Dance), hit the UK charts at number four last month. The debut was the end result of a diverse and innovative marketing campaign that saw the group's label, Gut TV, teaming up with marketing company...

TV Airplay Chart - 06.01.07: Eric Prydz.
January 6, 2007... There's a definite preference among TV stations for monochrome promos at the moment, with a black and white promo triumphing at the top of the chart for the 11th week in a row. Justin Timberlake was number one for eight weeks with My Love and...

TV Airplay Chart - 06.01.07: Gwen Stefani.
January 6, 2007... Radio was never a big supporter of Gwen Stefani's current single Wind It Up, which got to 32 on the radio airplay chart but has now descended to 118. The record is reliant for much of its exposure on TV, where the video is getting a great deal...

TV AIRPLAY CHART - 06.01.07: ON THE BOX THIS WEEK.
January 6, 2007... BBC1 Friday Night With Jonathan Ross - Jarvis Cocker & G4 (Fri) The Electric Proms - The Good The Bad & The Queen (Damon Albarn) (Sun) ITV Yoko Ono's Playlist (Weds) Parkinson: All Time Greatest Entertainers (Thurs) ...

Airplay Radio - 06.01.07: Take That.
January 6, 2007... Although its support is in decline, Take That's Patience actually increases its lead at the top of the airplay chart, with an audience of 47.10m from 2,156 plays proving to be 6m more than any other track in the current chart, but the lowest...

Airplay Radio - 06.01.07: Scissor Sisters.
January 6, 2007... Christmas is always an odd time for the airplay chart, with the annual mass migration into the list of seasonal favourites, followed closely by a revival of the year's biggest hits. In the latter category, The Scissor Sisters' I Don't Feel Like...

Airplay Radio - 06.01.07: Leona Lewis.
January 6, 2007... X Factor winner Leona Lewis is heading the right way with A Moment Like This, which jumps from debut position of 56 to 31, with 882 plays on 72 stations earning it an audience of 16.11m. It would be much higher but for the lack of support from...

Airplay Radio - 06.01.07: Chris Cornell.
January 6, 2007... Recovering 10-9 on its fourth week in the singles sales chart, You Know My Name by Chris Cornell is close to breaking into the airplay chart Top 50. The theme from the blockbusting new James Bond film Casino Royale, it climbs 96-58 after...

AIRPLAY RADIO - 06.01.07: ON THE RADIO THIS WEEK.
January 6, 2007... Radio one Zane Lowe - presented by Ricky and Nick from Kaiser Chiefs (Tues), The Editors (Weds) RADIO 2 Inspirational Bowie with Mark Radcliffe (Sat) Record of the Week - Keane: A Bad Dream Album of the Week - no album of...

Upfront Reviews - 15.01.07: SINGLE of the week 1.
January 6, 2007... The View Same Jeans 1965 OLIVECD015 It may bear a passing resemblance to Brimful Of Asha and it may leave fans scratching their heads as to why wearing the same pair of jeans for four days is unusual, but The View's third single...

Upfront Reviews - 15.01.07: SINGLE of the week 2.
January 6, 2007... The Good, The Bad And The Queen Kingdom Of Doom Parlophone CDR6732 Like previous single Herculean, Kingdom Of Doom is a real grower; an ethereal ballad featuring Damon Albarn crooning over a typically dreamy, ambient landscape,...

Upfront Reviews - 15.01.07: Singles.
January 6, 2007... Bobby Cook Gone So Far (Slogan SLOSE008) Coldplay are to blame for a lot of things, not least an alarming rise in the signing of overly sensitive men with acoustic guitars. But, happily, in Bobby Cook someone has unearthed a...

Upfront Reviews - 15.01.07: Albums.
January 6, 2007... A Touch Of Class Still Sucks (A Touch Of Class ATOC9003) Behind the self-deprecating title lies a smart collection of dubby disco remixes from New York duo A Touch Of Class, overhauling artists as diverse as The Gossip, Le Tigre and...

New releases - 08.01.07: REVIEWS Catalogue.(Sound recording review)
January 6, 2007... Tony Orlando Halfway To Paradise - The Complete Epic Masters 1961-1964 (Ace CDCHD 1137) Best known in the UK (if at all) as the moustachioed male lead vocalist of cheesy Seventies popsters Dawn, Tony Orlando had a previous and more...

Singles - 06.01.07: Leona Lewis.
January 6, 2007... After enjoying the highest first-week sales to date for a debut single by a female solo artist (beating Britney Spears' 1999 bow... Baby One More Time, which opened with sales of 463,722), The X Factor winner Leona Lewis' debut single A Moment...

Singles - 06.01.07: Iron Maiden.
January 6, 2007... With seven-inch picture disc, CD and DVD editions all featuring exclusive live tracks, Iron Maiden celebrate the success of their tour in support of latest album A Matter Of Life And Death with the single Different World. Debuting at number...

Singles - 06.01.07: Justin Timberlake.
January 6, 2007... Year-end round-ups on TV and radio have helped many of 2006's biggest singles and albums to reclaim lost ground this week, but no-one has benefited more than Justin Timberlake, who rebounds 18-14 with latest single My Love and 53-30 with...

Singles - 06.01.07: David Gilmour.
January 6, 2007... Some 39 years after Syd Barrett's song See Emily Play earned Pink Floyd their first chart hit, peaking at number 20, ex-member David Gilmour's live recordings of the song - recorded as a salute and tribute to Barrett, who died six months ago -...

Albums - 06.01.07: Take That.
January 6, 2007... After surging to the second highest weekly sale of the 21st Century and their own personal best of 443,070 in the week ending December 23, Take That's Beautiful World sold a less stellar, but still significant, 104,302 copies last week to take...

Albums - 06.01.07: Snow Patrol.
January 6, 2007... Despite the enormous sales turned in by Take That in the past few weeks, Snow Patrol's Eyes Open is the runaway number one album of 2006. Having secured its highest weekly sale of 156,694 in the week before Christmas, it sold a further 60,931...

Albums - 06.01.07: The Beatles.
January 6, 2007... Never likely to challenge the success of their 2000 hits blockbuster 1, let alone their all-time piledriver Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles' "mash-up" set Love has nevertheless performed admirably so far. A tie-in with Cirque...

Albums - 06.01.07: Kasabian.
January 6, 2007... With fewer seemingly attractive bargains available this sale season, the usual mass influx of old albums to the chart has not materialised. Of the albums that did lift their game because of discounting, the most successful was Kasabian's...

Disaster Zone for music.
January 13, 2007... Music Zone collapse leaves debts By Ben Cardew Record companies are this week battling to recover millions of pounds of debts, after the dramatic collapse of Music Zone. The 104-strong chain, which just one year ago became the UK's...

Brits beckon for Bailey Rae.
January 13, 2007... Corinne Bailey Rae is readying herself for a busy February when she will fly back from attending the Grammy Awards in LA, where she has three nominations, to perform at the Brits. The Leeds-born EMI artist, who ended 2006 with more than...

IN BRIEF: IFPI warms to German premier.
January 13, 2007... The IFPI has welcomed calls from German Chancellor Angela Merkel for increased harmonisation between Europe and the US over intellectual property law. An IFPI Europe spokeswoman says, "The huge gap in term protection between the EU and the US...

IN BRIEF: US court rejects moves by Apple.
January 13, 2007... A US court has rejected moves by Apple to dismiss a lawsuit which alleges it has a restrictive business model that is anti-competitive. The federal lawsuit, launched last July, alleges that Apple's iPod and iTunes software is restrictive and...

IN BRIEF: Allofmp3.com hits back.
January 13, 2007... Russian download store Allofmp3.com has hit back at the US labels that have filed a lawsuit against the company, in which they claim that it is selling songs without permission. In a statement, Allofmp3.com said, "This suit is unjustified as...

IN BRIEF: XtraBass back in March.
January 13, 2007... 1Xtra is bringing its annual drum & bass week XtraBass back in March, broadcasting 16 hours of live drum & bass and also introducing the first XtraBass awards. The week will run from March 5 to 11, with a launch event in Oxford featuring 1Xtra...

IN BRIEF: Virgin closes US download store.
January 13, 2007... Virgin Retail has closed its US download store. The company emailed those signed up to its subscription service over the Christmas period, telling them that it would be shutting down and encouraging them to switch to rival service Napster. The...

IN BRIEF: Ska band take issue with Coke.
January 13, 2007... London-based Ska band 7 Seconds Of Love are seeking legal advice against Coca-Cola, claiming the world's largest brand ignored complaints that its Ninja music video was cloned for an advert. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: Close to signing deal.
January 13, 2007... Commercial radio stations are close to signing a deal with royalty organisation PPL to allow them to play music in podcasts under a collective licence. Under the proposals, stations would pay a blanket fee of around #100,000 in exchange for...

IN BRIEF: Record deal with Island UK.
January 13, 2007... Terra Naomi, who first featured on the Music Week playlist last August has concluded a record deal with Island UK. Naomi signed a publishing deal with Universal last year. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: Radio network agree to pay.
January 13, 2007... America's second largest radio network Albany Entercom Communication Corp has agreed to pay $4.25m (#2.2m) to settle an Attorney General's payola charge. Entercom will make a $3.5m (#1.8m) payment for music education and appreciation...

IN BRIEF: Label operations merge.
January 13, 2007... Dance label Distinct'ive has merged label operations with record company MRC. The deal will allow Distinct'ive to benefit from MRC's expertise in digital delivery methods. In return, MRC will profit from Distinct'ive's track record in A&R, TV,...

IN BRIEF: Wall of Sound sign Sheffield group.
January 13, 2007... Wall Of Sound has signed Sheffield group Reverend And The Makers, the vehicle for singer/songwriter Jon McLure. The band are in Parr Street Studios in Liverpool recording their debut album, scheduled for release in June, with a first single...

IN BRIEF: Worldwide publishing deal.
January 13, 2007... Original Busted frontman Ki Fitzgerald has signed a worldwide publishing deal with MCS Music for his new band Eyes Wide Open. The deal was A&Red by former Bacs chairman Guy Fletcher. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: Universal poaches Sony BMG boss.
January 13, 2007... Universal Music TV has recruited Sharon Hardwick from Sony BMG to become marketing director for artists. She will head a new imprint at the division called The Universal Music Record Label which will handle artist projects as distinct from...

IN BRIEF: New presenters for Capital Radio.
January 13, 2007... Television presenters Dave Berry and Matt Brown are joining Capital Radio as part of a shake-up of the station's Saturday schedule. Berry will present a 2pm to 4pm show, while Brown will take over the 12 noon to 2pm slot. Copyright: CMP...

IN BRIEF: Personnel change for BPI.
January 13, 2007... David Martin has departed as director of the BPI's anti-piracy unit. He will be replaced by anti-piracy investigator David Wood on a temporary basis, with Wood reporting to BPI general counsel Roz Groome. Martin's departure was owing to...

IN BRIEF: Emap appointment.
January 13, 2007... Emap has appointed its former TFM Radio boss Cath Ellington to a new position in which she will head the Big City network's charity operations. Big City's North East regional managing director Sally Aitchison will take charge at TFM until a...

IN BRIEF: Martha Tilton dies.
January 13, 2007... Benny Goodman's legendary singer Martha Tilton has died at her home in Los Angeles. The singer is most famous for All The Angels Sing, her 1939 hit single with Goodman's orchestra. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: MTV Networks International appointment.
January 13, 2007... Viacom veteran Bob Bakish has been appointed president of MTV Networks International. Reporting to Bill Roedy, Bakish will take on management responsibility for MTVNI, including the local and regional operations across Europe, Latin America and...

IN BRIEF: Acts line up for Barcelona event.
January 13, 2007... Edgar Bronfman Jr and Jamelia are among a host of industry representatives confirmed to appear at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona next month. Jamelia will be one of a number of performers playing at the event, which takes place from...

IN BRIEF: South By South West interviews.
January 13, 2007... Gilberto Gil, Emmylou Harris and David Byrne are among a raft of names added to the line-up of artist interviews at this year's South By South West. They will be joined at the event by artists including Terry McBride, Ricki Lee Jones, Booker T...