Music Week articles from June 2006

Music Week archives from June 2006

Sanctuary founder departs; Presland in as board removes Taylor.(Companies)
June 3, 2006... Sanctuary Group's newly-appointed group chief executive Frank Presland says he is taking up the role with mixed emotions after his predecessor Andy Taylor was fired last week. Taylor was "removed as a director of the company" last Thursday...

Countdown begins to B-Day.
June 3, 2006... Representatives from UK media, radio and television were treated to a preview of Beyonce's forthcoming studio album B-Day last Friday. Max Gousse, VP of A&R for Mathew Knowles' World Music Entertainment company, flew in for the lunchtime...

Warner deletes Crazy single.(Bottom line)
June 3, 2006... Warner Bros Records has deleted the physical version of smash hit single Crazy by Gnarls Barkley. The company believes the track could overshadow other releases from the album, and wants it to disappear from the charts so it can release second...

EMI Music Publishing.(Bottom line)
June 3, 2006... EMI Music Publishing has taken top honours at both the Ascap and BMT Publisher Of The Year Awards in the US. The Ascap Awards in Los Angeles saw EMI Music Publishing named publisher of the year, a week after claiming the same accolade at the...

7 Digital.(Bottom line)
June 3, 2006... 7 Digital has launched a digital DIY service sitting between MySpace and iTunes, enabling upcoming or veteran artists the chance to build an online community and to sell their music. The service, called indiestore.com, enables artists to build...

Loudeye.(Bottom line)
June 3, 2006... Digital aggregator Loudeye has undertaken a reverse split of its common stock, weeks after it sold two of its divisions to concentrate solely on its distribution platform founded in the UK as OD2.

Mobile Entertainment Awards.(Bottom line)
June 3, 2006... The Mobile Entertainment Forum announced the winners of its third annual Mobile Entertainment Awards last week. Among the winners were Digital Chocolate, Warner Music, Bango, France Telecom, 3UK and Yospace, Chooz Active Content and Nokia. The...

Polar Music Prize.(Bottom line)
June 3, 2006... Led Zeppelin and Russian conductor Valery Gergiev won Sweden's Polar Music Prize at a ceremony at Stockholm's Concert Hall last week.

Yahoo! Search.(Bottom line)
June 3, 2006... Yahoo! Search regional vice president Stephen Taylor has been named as the keynote speaker for the first day of the Online Marketing Show, which takes place on June 7-8 at London's Royal Horticultural Halls. Other speakers will include...

Parr Street studios.(Bottom line)
June 3, 2006... Liverpool's famous Parr Street studios look poised to close this Thursday after its owner Hit & Run, which is partly-owned by the members of Genesis, decided to sell the building for re-development.

Illegal file-sharing.(Bottom line)
June 3, 2006... The biggest single action against illegal file-sharing was undertaken in Germany last week as 3,500 file-sharers faced criminal prosecution for allegedly uploading large amounts of copyrighted material.

Radio One and Two have "badly bruised" the commercial radio sector, according to a report from influential media think-tank the European Media Forum.(Bottom line)
June 3, 2006... Radio One and Two have "badly bruised" the commercial radio sector, according to a report from influential media think-tank the European Media Forum. The report suggests that the licence payer would be better served by the sale of the two...

Silver Clef acts announced.(Exposure)
June 3, 2006... The Eagles, Girls Aloud, Kaiser Chiefs, Bryn Terfel, Editors and Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne have been confirmed among the artists who will appear at the O2 Nordoff Robbins Silver Clef lunch, which is scheduled for June 16. Tickets are running out...

The Rolling Stones.(Exposure)
June 3, 2006... The Rolling Stones have confirmed the postponement of the first 15 dates of the Bigger Bang European tour, as Keith Richards continues his recovery. As expected, the concerts, which were due to have started last Saturday in Barcelona up to and...

Ibiza Rocks.(Exposure)
June 3, 2006... The line-up for this year's Ibiza Rocks series of one-off gigs has been announced, with Dirty Pretty Things, Editors and We Are Scientists set to make appearances.

Xfm's Hall Of Fame.(Exposure)
June 3, 2006... Radiohead, The Clash, Muse, Oasis and Nirvana have made it to the shortlist to become inaugural inductees to Xfm's Hall Of Fame. The bands were voted for by Xfm listeners and an online poll will now decide which act should go forward to the...

The BBC Radio Two Cambridge Folk Festival.(Exposure)
June 3, 2006... The BBC Radio Two Cambridge Folk Festival, featuring acts such as Emmylou Harris, Richard Thompson, Amadou & Mariam, Capercaillie and the Broken Family Band, has sold out.

MyFestival.(Exposure)
June 3, 2006... MySpace is staging MyFestival, which will see 50 acts perform in five cities over five nights across the UK and Ireland. Acts including Fields, Jim Noir, The Automatic, Crimea and Dirty Pretty Things have been booked to play the series of...

Mojo Honours List.(Exposure)
June 3, 2006... Nominations for this year's Mojo Honours List have been announced in anticipation of the 2006 Mojo Awards ceremony at Shoreditch Town Hall next Monday. The late Johnny Cash has received most nominations, while other nominees include Kate Bush,...

American Idol.(Exposure)
June 3, 2006... A total of 64m votes were cast for the American Idol final, which was won by 29-year-old singer Taylor Hicks. The singer beat off competition from 22-year-old Katherine McPhee.

City Showcase.(Exposure)
June 3, 2006... Organisers of this year's City Showcase event have confirmed that Nate James will play alongside Seth Lakeman and Jane Taylor on its singer-songwriter night. The event takes place at a variety of London venues from June 5-9.

WMI joins forces with Johncom.(Sign here)
June 3, 2006... Warner Music International (WMD and Johnnic Communications (Johncom) have announced a joint venture to create Warner Music Gallo Africa (WMGA), a new music-based content company. The deal will see WMI uniting with South African-based media and...

Ricall, sponsor of Music Week's Music & Brands conference, has struck a deal with Five to provide the TV network with its online music search and licensing engine.(Sign here)
June 3, 2006... Ricall, sponsor of Music Week's Music & Brands conference, has struck a deal with Five to provide the TV network with its online music search and licensing engine. Five's Creative Services department will gain access to the Ricall database of...

BareAll06 campaign.(Sign here)
June 3, 2006... Radio One, MTV and Durex have formed a partnership to launch an online safer sex campaign. The BareAll06 campaign will see both broadcasters running activities this month, aimed at raising awareness of sexual health issues for young people.

Capital Radio.(Sign here)
June 3, 2006... Capital Radio has secured online bank smile.co.uk as the first sponsor of its Breakfast, Flirty and Richard Bacon podcasts in a two-month online-only deal.

Garrity loses fight for life.(People)
June 3, 2006... Freddie Garrity, who with The Dreamers was one of the first UK acts to top the US chart in the Sixties, has died after a long illness. He had been unable to work since 2001 because of emphysema and died on May 19 aged 65 in a hospital in north...

Desmond Dekker.(People)
June 3, 2006... Jamaican ska legend and reggae pioneer Desmond Dekker has died from a heart attack at his UK home, aged 64. Dekker scored the UK's first reggae number one with Israelites.

Warner/Chappell.(People)
June 3, 2006... Former Warner/Chappell chairman and CEO Les Bider has joined private equity firm Elevation Partners, which numbers Bono as one of its founders. Bider takes up the role of executive-in-residence, in which he will help the firm identify possible...

George Michael.(People)
June 3, 2006... George Michael is set to release a new single through Aegean/Sony BMG on June 19 entitled An Easier Affair. The single, which is designed to coincide with his sell-out 25 Live Tour, will be released as a download on June 19, before it wins a...

Ofcom.(People)
June 3, 2006... Ofcom boss Stephen Carter is to step down as CEO in October. Carter will continue to lead on all operational and financial matters until that date, but from August 1 will not be party to Ofcom's policy decisions.

Emap Magic 105.4.(People)
June 3, 2006... Emap Magic 105.4 has recruited GCap marketing executive Alison Finch to become its first commercial director. Previously head of commercial marketing at GCap, Finch will join Magic 105.4 next Monday.

Music Week online poll.(Digest)
June 3, 2006... Welcome to the Music Week poll. To vote, simply visit our website at musicweek.com and click on the poll link. This week we ask: Is a new CEO enough to reverse the fortunes of Sanctuary? a. Yes b. No. Last week we asked: Can Thom...

Bertelsmann puts publisher on block; industry eyes publishing gems, as Bertelsmann ends speculation and announces sell-off.(Publishing)
June 3, 2006... BMG Music Publishing Worldwide chairman and CEO Nicholas Firth has declared his interest in partnering with bidders for his company in a management buyout, after Bertelsmann put it up for sale last week. Bertelsmann ended weeks of...

Buoyant EMI makes strong case for new Warner bid.(News)
June 3, 2006... EMI and Eric Nicoli delivered the best ad for an acquisition of Warner Music last week, with a financial performance which saw both recorded music and publishing operations outstrip the global market in the past 12 months. With pre-tax...

The playlist.(News)(Sound recording review)
June 3, 2006... KASABIAN Empire (Columbia) The Jim Abbiss-produced first single from Kasabian's second album is an attitude-charged affair that marks a strong return. (single, Aug 21) GNARLS BARKLEY Smiley Faces (Warner Bros) With Crazy...

PPL predicts merger will open floodgates; collection society benefits from merger and investment.(Royalties)
June 3, 2006... PPL is predicting that annual international income of less than 3m [pounds sterling] will quickly top double figures thanks to its approved merger with Aura and Pamra. Figures for 2005 announced by the society last week revealed that, of...

Fashion Rocks back in London.(News)
June 3, 2006... Fashion Rocks is returning to the UK this autumn, with organisers promising a spectacular event at London's Royal Albert Hall featuring some of the world's biggest musical names. The event, which combines live performances from around a...

The Fratellis.(SNAP SHOT)
June 3, 2006... An online community a la My Space is giving fans of Scottish act The Fratellis an opportunity to communicate with each other through a special section on the band's website. The free members section of the website allows fans to build a...

Directors go head to head at Cads show.(News)
June 3, 2006... The 2006 Cads Music Vision Awards is lining up a "music video director clash" as part of a renewed focus on creativity at the event. A select number of music video directors will be invited to use Pioneer DVJ equipment and archive footage...

2006 Ivor Novello Awards winners.(News)
June 3, 2006... Best song musically & lyrically: Suddenly I See by Tunstall (Sony-ATV) PRS most performed work: You're Beautiful by Blunt, Ghost, Skarbek (EMI/Bucks/ Universal) Best television soundtrack: Elizabeth I by Lane (Bucks) Outstanding...

Blunt looks to second album after winning brace of Ivors.(News)
June 3, 2006... James Blunt is following his two Ivor Novello wins by putting aside time in his crowded diary this summer to focus on penning material for a second album. The EMI Music Publishing songwriter last Thursday picked up the PRS most-performed...

New York's JayMay has been enjoying a rising tide of awareness since first being featured in Music Week earlier this year.(News)
June 3, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: New York's JayMay has been enjoying a rising tide of awareness since first being featured in Music Week earlier this year. The unsigned female singer-songwriter's Gray Or Blue was included in MWs The...

Guinness brand inks compilations link-up.(News)
June 3, 2006... The Guinness British Hit Singles & Albums team could end up making the chart as well as documenting it, after linking with Sony BMG to produce a series of compilations. In the first move of its kind, the brand has paired with the major to...

Radio groups remain upbeat: leading ILR stations predict better times ahead for the commercial sector.(Radio)
June 3, 2006... GCap says it is drawing a line under an "awful" first trading year, as it joins its two main rivals in predicting better times ahead for the commercial radio sector. Amid what has been an extremely difficult advertising sector, the three...

Paul Simon delved into a rich catalogue spanning five decades last Thursday for an intimate performance for Radio Two to herald the arrival of Surprise, his first solo album in more than five years.(Radio)
June 3, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Paul Simon delved into a rich catalogue spanning five decades last Thursday for an intimate performance for Radio Two to herald the arrival of Surprise, his first solo album in more than five years. The...

Industry backs Rajar testing move.(Radio)
June 3, 2006... The radio industry has reacted overwhelmingly positively to Rajar's decision not to rush into the introduction of electronic technology for monitoring audience listening figures. The organisation last week issued three new two-year...

Snow Patrol heard by 40m TV viewers in US: tracks feature in finales of two top-rated programmes.(International)
June 3, 2006... Snow Patrol's music has reached more than 40m prime-time US TV viewers after featuring in the season finales of two top-rated shows. More than 22m viewers tuned in on May 15 to watch the final episode of a two-part second season finale of...

Small set for US deal following Oprah show.(International)
June 3, 2006... Heather Small is on the verge of signing a new record deal with a US major after Oprah Winfrey led a surge of Stateside media interest in the former M People frontwoman. Small has been enjoying a growing profile in the States since last...

Brits make a splash at first Berlin event: British Music Week proves busy and hugely profitable.(International)
June 3, 2006... With UK acts accounting for a healthy one in five tracks played on German radio last year, it is little wonder the BPI opted for capital city Berlin as the destination for its first ever British Music Week. The local reaction to a packed...

Pluggers switch on to changing TV landscape: Adam Benzine reports on the changing role of music pluggers, and how they are adapting to the threats and opportunities presented by the growing number of TV and online outlets.(Plugging & PR)
June 3, 2006... MTV's European launch of its online, on-demand Overdrive service last month signalled a significant change in focus for the world's biggest music broadcaster. Overdrive gives the viewer control about what they watch and when they watch it, by...

Scots cry foul over BBC theme.(Classical)
June 3, 2006... World Cup fever appears to have boiled over north of the border, thanks to the choice of Carl Davis's reworking of Handel's See The Conquering Hero Comes for the BBC's football tournament theme music. The tune, familiar to many as the hymn...

Haydn: Orlando Palladino.
June 3, 2006... Haydn Orlando Palladino. Petibon, Gerharer, Schade, etc., Concentus Musicus Wien/Harnoncourt. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 82876733702 (2CD)) Haydn may be known today as the "father of the symphony" and for his late choral works, but for much of...

Schubert: Winterreise.
June 3, 2006... Schubert Winterreise. Schafer, Schneider. (Onyx ONYX401O) German lyric soprano Christine Schafer and pianist Eric Schneider manage to step away from the mainstream of performance tradition in their reading of Schubert's late masterpiece,...

Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 14.
June 3, 2006... Shostakovich Symphonies Nos.1 & 14. Mattila, Quasthoff; Berlin Philharmonic/ Rattle (EMI Classics 3580772 (2CD)) Wars of nationalism and imperial expansion directly inspired the poetry chosen by Shostakovich for his Fourteenth Symphony,...

Crequillon: Missa Mort m'a prive; Motets & Chansons.
June 3, 2006... Crequillon Missa Mort m'a prive; Motets & Chansons. Brabant Ensemble/Rice. (Hyperion CDA67596) Stephen Rice established the Brabant Ensemble in the late Nineties as a vehicle for the performance of works by composers close to its...

Placido Domingo: Italia Ti Amo.
June 3, 2006... Placido Domingo Italia Ti Amo. Italian and Neapolitan songs. Domingo; Budapest Philharmonic/Kohn (Deutsche Grammophon 002894775565) Some of the credit for the present classical music feelgood factor rests with Placido Domingo, whose...

Brahms/Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2/Piano Sonata in C minor Op.111.
June 3, 2006... Brahms/Beethoven Piano Concerto No.2/Piano Sonata in C minor Op.111. Ogdon; Halle/Barbirolli (BBC Legends BBCL41832) Schizophrenia finally isolated John Ogdon from the emotional world he inhabited so powerfully during his playing career....

Nicola Benedetti: Works by Mendelssohn, MacMillan, Mozart, Schubert.
June 3, 2006... Nicola Benedetti Works by Mendelssohn, MacMillan, Mozart, Schubert. Benedetti; ASMF/MacMillan (Deutsche Grammophon 4763159) Scottish fiddler Nicola Benedetti proves mature beyond her 18 years with a searching reading of Mendelssohn's Violin...

Britten: War Requiem.
June 3, 2006... Britten War Requiem. Brewer, Griffey, Finley; LPO & Choir/Masur (LP00010 (2CD)) Kurt Masur's connection with this work runs deep, not least through his experiences as a 17-year-old conscript in the German army and as a prisoner of war. "We...

R Panufnik: Beastly Tales.
June 3, 2006... R Panufnik Beastly Tales. Rozario, etc; City of London Sinfonia/Edwards (EMI Classics 3566922) Roxanna Panufnik's three settings of Vikram Seth's Beastly Tales for solo voices and orchestra shine out for their intelligence, wit and, above...

Various: Classic FM At The Movies.
June 3, 2006... ALBUM OF THE WEEK Various Classic FM At The Movies OSTs by Barry, Williams, Horner, Steiner, E Bernstein etc. including Harry Potter, Star Wars, Dances With Wolves etc. (Classic FM CFMCD46 (3 CD)) Released to coincide with Classic...

BMG sale will leave its mark: the sale of Bertelsmann's BMG Publishing will have an impact on future deals for others.(EDITORIAL)
June 3, 2006... Some announcements are almost uncannily perfect in their timing. Rarely has this been more true than Bertlesmann's confirmation last Thursday that it was selling its BMG publishing operation--announced as lounge suits were being buttoned...

Eurovision can become the leading European showcase.(VIEWPOINT)
June 3, 2006... Thanks to the Kraken-esque Lordi, perhaps 2007 will be the year the UK record industry finally grasps the full potential of Eurovision--the sleeping giant of British TV. For the first time in years, other broadcasters put up what looked...

Who is most likely to buy BMG Music Publishing?(The big question)
June 3, 2006... Who is likely to buy BMG Music Publishing now that Bertelsmann has put it up for sale? David Ferguson, Bacs "One of the most likely outcomes is that a management buyout will take place, probably backed with cash from venture...

Quickfire: as he takes the helm of Sanctuary Group, Frank Presland talks about the challenges ahead.(Forum)
June 3, 2006... Congratulations on the new position. This is clearly an exciting role to be taking on, but a challenging one too. I am excited by the challenge of the job. I want to do the best I can for the business and for the investors and employees....

Crib sheet.(Forum)
June 3, 2006... Ibiza Rocks is returning for a second year, but this time it's not just fun in the sun, but also an important promotional vehicle, also spinning off into a television show. It will be coming to a television screen near you. A second year?...

Cliche count goes through the roof.(DOOLEY'S DIARY)
June 3, 2006... Remember where you heard it: It took Bond music man David Arnold to lighten the mood at last Thursday's Ivors after classical award winner Sir Harrison Birtwistle had kindly suggested the audience might be "brain dead" because of all the...

The outstanding contribution prize at last week's Ivors went to Ray Davies, who revealed the musical history of The Kinks could have turned out very differently after their direction initially saw them recording a song by none other than Ivor Novelle himself.(Forum)
June 3, 2006... The outstanding contribution prize at last week's Ivors went to Ray Davies, who revealed the musical history of The Kinks could have turned out very differently after their direction initially saw them recording a song by none other than Ivor...

Fast chart.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service: Week 21)
June 3, 2006... SINGLES NUMBER ONE GNARLS BARKLEY CRAZY (Warner Bros) Now the longest running number one for Warner Music since it entered the UK market 46 years ago, Crazy enjoys a ninth week at the top. Warner's previous best number-one runs (seven...

Gnarls shift focus to next single.(The Market)
June 3, 2006... Claiming the number one position on the singles chart for the ninth week in a row, Crazy by Gnarls Barkley saw its sales slip just 6% last week to 37,682, beating off a challenge from new runner-up Sandi Thom's I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With...

Key indicators.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service: Week 21)
June 3, 2006... SINGLES Sales versus last week: -2.8% Year to date versus last year: +97.6% MARKET SHARES Universal 45.4% Sony BMG 22.8% Warner 18.2% EMI 6.5% Others 3.1%...

The schedule.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service: Week 21)
June 3, 2006... ALBUMS THIS WEEK Orson Bright Idea (Mercury); The Futureheads News And Tributes (WEA); Herbert Scale (!K7); Boards Df Canada Trans Canada Highway EP (Warp); The Spinto Band Nice And Nicely Done (Virgin); System Of A Down Vicinity Of...

Former Mis-Teeq frontwoman Alesha Dixon will release her debut solo album this October through Polydor.(NEW ADDITION)
June 3, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Former Mis-Teeq frontwoman Alesha Dixon will release her debut solo album this October through Polydor. The album, titled Fired Up will be preceded by lead single Lipstick, which has featured in the Music...

Time to praise the Lordi: other-world, costume-metal Eurovision winners Lordi come back to earth with their debut album.(The Plot)
June 3, 2006... LORDI THE AROCKALYPSE (SONY BMG) Finnish metal act Lordi are fast shaping up as one of the year's surprise success stories, as Sony BMG'S commercial division looks to capitalise on the exposure gained through their Eurovision win last...

Relentless to provide the tools for Lakeman to reach a wider audience.(Campaign focus)
June 3, 2006... Ahead of a new link-up with Relentless, Seth Lakeman has been building himself an impressive UK following over the past 12 months. Since its release last year, Lakeman's Mercury Prize nominated debut Kitty Jay has sold 20,000 albums on his...

Tastemakers tips.(Upfront)
June 3, 2006... Winter Kids I'm Not Used To You (Little House) IAN ABRAHAM, ONES TO WATCH EDITOR, THE FLY "Thanks to Brandon Flowers and chums, the synth is de rigueur, to the point of exhaustion, possibly. So it comes as a surprise to find one being...

The Hits.(THE INSIDER)
June 3, 2006... Although launched less than three years ago, Emap-owned The Hits has quickly expanded to become the UK's most listened-to digital-only radio station. The station is essentially a melting pot of the highlights from across Emap's Big City...

Radio playlists.(Upfront)
June 3, 2006... RADIO1 A LIST BeatFreakz Somebody's Watching Me; Christina Milian feat. Young Jeezy Say I; Corinne Bailey Rae Trouble Sleeping; Jack Johnson Upside Down; Keane Is It Any Wonder?; LL Cool J feat. Jennifer Lopez Control Myself; Nelly...

BPI awards.(Upfront)
June 3, 2006... ALBUMS Nerina Pallot--Fires silver

In-store next week.(Upfront)
June 3, 2006... ASDA Instore--Sergio Mendes, Embrace, LeAnn Rimes, Manfred Man, Oakenfold, Paul Simon, Primal Scream, Ronan Keating, Sandi Thorn, The Byrds, The Feeling, Best Pub Album, Bez Manchester Anthems, Dad Rocks, DIY Songs, Essential R&B Summer,...

Also out this week.
June 3, 2006... SINGLES Bimbo Jones: Harlem One Stop (Columbia); M Craft: You Are The Music (679); The On Offs: Wrong Upstairs (Regal); Billy Talent: Devil In A Midnight Mass (Atlantic); Armand Van Helden: My My My (Southern Fried) ALBUMS Goo Goo...

TI: Why You Wanna.
June 3, 2006... SINGLE OF THE WEEK TI Why You Wanna Atlantic AT0244CD Atlanta tapper TI--aka Clifford "Tip" Harris--is set to echo his US success on this side of the Atlantic with this infectious outing. Based around excerpts from Crystal...

Keane: Under The Iron Sea.(Sound recording review)
June 3, 2006... ALBUM OF THE WEEK Keane Under The Iron Sea Island CID8167 Keane's second album, the follow-up to the multi-million selling Hopes And Fears, sees the band making huge leaps in songwriting, production and performance. Sounding...

AFI: Miss Murder.
June 3, 2006... AFI Miss Murder (Polydor 9859439) The first single from AFI's album Decemberunderground is a contagious slab of guitar-driven rock-pop that will elevate the band to new levels of recognition in the UK. Built around a cool guitar...