Music Week articles from March 2006

Music Week archives from March 2006

Time for action: as the debate on term of copyright reaches a crucial stage, Music Week launches a major new campaign calling for the Government to take action and protect creators' interests.
March 4, 2006... Music Week this week launches a major campaign, calling on the UK Government to lead the call for the extension of the term of copyright in sound recordings. Over the coming weeks and months, Music Week will launch a series of initiatives...

Last call for the MW Awards.(Bottom line)
March 4, 2006... Alan McGee, Napster, Creative and the BPI are combining to help make this Thursday's Music Week Awards, at London Grosvenor House Hotel, one of the best to date. Napster and Creative have teamed tip to give away a top-of-the range Creative Zen...

Sanctuary Group.(Bottom line)
March 4, 2006... Sanctuary Group last Tuesday confirmed it had posted to shareholders a prospectus for its placing and open offer, which aims to raise around 110m[pounds sterling]. The group plans to issue around 219m new ordinary shares at 50p each, while the...

British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.(Bottom line)
March 4, 2006... British Academy of Composers and Songwriters chairman David Ferguson has met with EC Commissioner Charlie McCreevy to discuss the future of authors' rights and collective management in the digital environment. The meeting, as part of a...

Commercial radio sector.(Bottom line)
March 4, 2006... A single trade body is being created to represent the commercial radio sector. Based at the Radio Centre in London's Shaftesbury Avenue, the organisation will support the responsibilities of the Commercial Radio Companies Association and RAB...

Asda.(Bottom line)
March 4, 2006... Asda is to open more of its Asda Living non-food outlets this year, as part of an expansion programme that will see it open at least 25 new stores.

Coldplay's Speed Of Sound has become the one billionth song downloaded from iTunes.(Bottom line)
March 4, 2006... Coldplay's Speed Of Sound has become the one billionth song downloaded from iTunes. The track was last Thursday purchased as part of the band's X&Y album by Alex Ostrovsky from Michigan.

Piracy.(Bottom line)
March 4, 2006... A man who ran a piracy operation in the west of Scotland has been handed a nine-month jail sentence.

IFPI.(Bottom line)
March 4, 2006... The IFPI has welcomed the closure of Swiss/Belgian P2P network Razorback2. Police in Belgium and Switzerland closed down the service last week in a joint operation.

NME Awards hail Arctic Monkeys.(Exposure)
March 4, 2006... Arctic Monkeys dominated the NME Awards, picking up awards for best British band, best track and best newcomer. Among the other winners, Kaiser Chiefs took best album and Ian Brown won the Godlike Genius Award.

O2 Wireless Festival.(Exposure)
March 4, 2006... O2 Wireless Festival organisers have confimled the Hyde Park leg will run for five consecutive days, with The Strokes confirmed as headliners for the opening day on June 21.

Rough Trade.(Exposure)
March 4, 2006... Music retailer Rough Trade is to launch a download store in September in collaboration with Bleep.com.

Creamfields Festival.(Exposure)
March 4, 2006... Cream is looking for a new site for the Creamfields Festival. Organisers have held meetings with Halton Borough Council, the police and the emergency services about relocating the event to the Daresbury estate in the borough of Halton.

T In The Park.(Exposure)
March 4, 2006... Richard Ashcroft and Danlian Marley have been added to the bill for T In The Park. Other acts appearing at the festival include The Who, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Arctic Monkeys.

Radio Three World Music Awards.(Exposure)
March 4, 2006... Malian duo Amadou and Mariam won two gongs at the 2006 Radio Three World Music Awards, picking up best album and the Africa awards. Other winners at the event, which was held at London's Bar Darbucka, included Ry Cooder and Nitin Sawhney

Magic 105.4.(Exposure)
March 4, 2006... Magic 105.4 is to air a 6,000[pounds sterling]-a-day giveaway promotion on Neil Fox's More Music Breakfast Show throughout March, supported by a six figure marketing campaign.

Ofcom.(Exposure)
March 4, 2006... Ofcom upheld 55 complaints it received about swearing and offensive language by Madonna, Razorlight, Green Day and Snoop Dogg in the BBC's TV coverage of Live 8.

Orange Evolution festival.(Exposure)
March 4, 2006... Hard-Fi are to headline the 2006 Orange Evolution festival which takes place in Newcastle and Gateshead in May. The festival will feature more than 30 indoor gigs in six venues over 10 days.

Hi:Fi.(Exposure)
March 4, 2006... A new festival called Hi:Fi is launching over the final Bank Holiday weekend in May, with simultaneous legs near Newcastle and Winchester, and acts including Inn Brown, Hard-Fi and Maximo Park. It will combine bands with DJ sets.

Parky to host Classical Brits.(People)
March 4, 2006... Michael Parkinson is to host the Classical Brits for the first time. The veteran chat show presenter will make his debut at the annual event at London's Royal Albert Hall on Thursday, May 4, in a ceremony which will include Placido Domingo...

Tax.(People)
March 4, 2006... Author Nick Hornby, who immortalised music-obsessed record shop owners in his book High Fidelity, has written to the Forum of Private Business to support its campaign to protect independent record shops by closing a tax loophole, whereby goods...

V2.(People)
March 4, 2006... V2 has appointed Ben Wardle as A&R manager. Wardle joins V2 after six years out of A&R and sees him reunited with head of A&R Charlie Pinder, who he worked with at East West.

Decca Music.(People)
March 4, 2006... Bogdan Roscic has been appointed managing director of Decca Music with immediate effect. Roscic assumes responsibility for the classical music label from Costa Pilavachi.

Linda Valentine.(People)
March 4, 2006... * Universal Classics & Jazz bead of press Linda Valentine is leaving the major after six years to start her own PR company. While at Universal she worked with artists including Jamie Cullunl, Katherine Jenkins and Madeleine Peyroux.

Ordinary Boys switch to Polydor.(Sign here)
March 4, 2006... B-Unique has signed a long-term partnership deal with Polydor for The Ordinary Boys. Universal, which already works with B-Unique acts Kaiser Chiefs and The Automatic, will handle the band's marketing, sales and distribution, which, until now,...

EMI Music Publishing.(Sign here)
March 4, 2006... Albert Productions has signed a worldwide administration agreement with EMI Music Publishing. The deal will see the EMI creative and sync teams working with two of the label/publisher's key development acts, The Answer and Breed 77.

MPA/IPA Synchronisation Licence For Music In Commercials.(Sign here)
March 4, 2006... The Music Publishers Association and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising have teamed up to create a new synchronisation licence. The MPA/IPA Synchronisation Licence For Music In Commercials is designed to streamline the process of...

Switches.(Sign here)
March 4, 2006... Atlantic's head of A&R Steve Sasse has signed the highly sought Switches. Published by Chrysalis Music, the band will have a first album mid-2006.

Rob Bowkett.(Sign here)
March 4, 2006... Writer/producer Rob Bowkett, who has co-writes on Corinne Bailey Rae's forthcoming self-titled debut album, has signed a long-term worldwide publishing deal with Dalmatian Songs.

Popkomm 2006.(Sign here)
March 4, 2006... Brazil is to be the partner country for Popkomm 2006, becoming the first non-European country to partner the event. The agreement will include 15 Brazilian showcases at Popkomm, which takes place in Berlin from September 20 to 22.

Oxegen festival.(Sign here)
March 4, 2006... MTV has revealed the line up for this year's Oxegen festival and confirmed that it will be TV partner. The Who and The Red Hot Chili Peppers will headline the event, which takes place at Punchestown in Ireland on July 8 to 9.

Gut Records.(Sign here)
March 4, 2006... Gut Records has teamed up with West Midlands-based Kerrang! Radio for New Breed, an initiative giving new acts the chance to win a one-off digital singles deal as well as have 500 copies of the track pressed up on CD.

Anglo Plugging.(Sign here)
March 4, 2006... Anglo Plugging handles both national and regional radio promotion for the Kaiser Chiefs and not as incorrectly stated in last week's issue. KT Tunstall's Suddenly I See and Another Place To Fall were promoted by both Relentless and Pivotal PR...

Music Week online poll.(Digest)
March 4, 2006... Welcome to the Music Week poll. This week we ask: Is Richard Park flogging a dead horse trying to breathe new life into the UK selection process for Eurovision? a. Yes b. No Last week, we asked: Will the forthcoming ban on...

Parlophone's acclaimed A&R signing plans to boost Regal.(News)
March 4, 2006... Parlophone has appointed Nigel Coxon as its new head of A&R. In the role, Coxon will take charge of the entire A&R function at Parlophone, while Jamie Nelson will retain his title of A&R executive, splitting his time between the Innocent...

C4 and Vodafone link for live event; media partners gear up for summer of outdoor shows on TV, mobile, radio and the internet.(Digital)
March 4, 2006... The UK's first televised awards ceremony for live music is being launched by Channel 4 in the autumn, preceded by a summer of specially organised outdoor live events. Delivered as a project by Vodafone and Channel 4, and with the backing...

The Music Week playlist.(News)
March 4, 2006... PET SHOP BOYS The Sodom & Gomorrrah Show (Parlophone) Second track from Trevor Horn-produced album is a pop gem that charms on first listen (from album, May 22) GNARLS BARKLEY Crazy (Warner Bros.) Now added to the Radio One C-list...

Minister moves fast to placate industry; James Purnell appoints Sharkey and Nicoli to steering group after industry voices concern over being snubbed.(Government)
March 4, 2006... Creative Minister James Purnell has reacted quickly to concerns that the music business has been snubbed as a vital component of his creative economy programme (CEP), by unveiling a top-level body comprising two industry representatives. ...

Wembley delay derails gigs.(News)
March 4, 2006... AEG and SJM are engaged in tangled negotiations with Wembley Stadium's operators because of the reluctance of developers to give a firm date for the venue's completion. The promoters, who are behind tours by Bon Jovi and Take That...

The Concretes.(SNAP SHOT)(Sound recording review)
March 4, 2006... The Concretes have teamed up with The Magic Numbers to kick off a campaign EMI believes can see the Swedish octet replicate the crossover success of their labelmates with their forthcoming second album. As well as contributing a vocal to...

UK dance label secures US distribution deal.(News)
March 4, 2006... Dance label Global Underground is to make a renewed push in the US market after signing a deal with Universal-owned Fontana Distribution. Fontana was formed in March last year and uses the assets of Universal Music & Video Distribution to...

More venues to go live as Licensing Act takes effect.(News)
March 4, 2006... A third more pubs, bars and clubs could be putting on live music this year, as premises begin to apply to vary their terms of trade following the introduction of last year's Licensing Act. New figures from local councils suggest that around...

Supermarkets eat into indies market; survey confirms supermarkets' rise as another indie retailer closes.(Retail)
March 4, 2006... Renowned indie retailer Massive Records fell into administration last week, just as a new study further underlined the tightening grip of the supermarkets on the CD market. The owner of the Oxford-based store, which won the Independent...

British invaders set for hard work in US; the latest wave of UK artists keen to make their marks on North America need determination to succeed.(GOING GLOBAL)
March 4, 2006... When the second British Invasion was starting to take shape across the Atlantic in the early Eighties, about the last thing the UK music industry would have dreamed of doing was asking Margaret Thatcher's Tory Government for a helping hand. ...

Government must hear music's voice.(Extend The Term Campaign)
March 4, 2006... This week, Andrew Gowers officially kicks off a review of intellectual property which will shape the way businesses invest and innovate over the next 50 years. That at least, is the official, political line. For musicians across the...

Copyright extension is essential; this Thursday's debate on intellectual property rights brings issue into sharp focus.(EDITORIAL)
March 4, 2006... For those who have long argued against Government intervention into a commercially driven sector such as music, these must be tough times indeed. As the industry readies itself for this Thursday's first open debate of Andrew Gowers' review...

This century's home taping poses modern problems.(VIEWPOINT)
March 4, 2006... This year marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of the BPI campaign Home Taping Is Killing Music. The slogan proved extremely unpopular with the press, which challenged the record industry to demonstrate that it really was killing record...

Should the government aid music industry to crack US?(The big question)
March 4, 2006... Next week the Government is hosting a briefing outlining its plans to help the UK record industry export to the US more successfully. Is this a job for Government and, if so, what should it be doing? Stephen Navin, Music Publishers...

Quickfire: with new hit TV show Just The Two Of Us getting the UK talking, Music Week spoke to executive producer Karen Smith about the power of duets.(Forum)
March 4, 2006... There are a lot of musical competition TV shows at the moment--how is Just The Two Of Us different? Duets: the power of two people working together as a team and having to perform. They have to create a relationship on stage, they have to...

Cribsheet.(Forum)
March 4, 2006... This Saturday, the nation will be tuned into Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up 2006, as six hopefuls line up to win a place in the Eurovision final in Athens on May 21. So, that's just Making Your Mind Up 2005 one year on isn't it? Actually,...

Ready for long good Thursday.(DOOLEY'S DIARY)
March 4, 2006... Remember where you heard it: Industry execs might be best off getting an all-day ticket for the Department of Trade and Industry Conference in SW1 this Thursday. The conference is hosting the seminar on Gowers' IP review in the morning, then in...

She launched her recording career with A Moment Like This, but since then those special moments have just kept coming for Kelly Clarkson.(Diary)
March 4, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: She launched her recording career with A Moment Like This, but since then those special moments have just kept coming for Kelly Clarkson. Just a couple of weeks after picking up a couple of gongs at the...

Fast chart.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service: Week 08)
March 4, 2006... SINGLES NUMBER ONE MADONNA SORRY Warner Bros. The 1,029th number one in chart history is only the third to have "sorry" in its title, following Connie Francis' Who's Sorry Now (1958), and Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word by...

Singles hold up while albums fall.(The Market)
March 4, 2006... With the effect of The Brits waning, Valentine's Day behind us and cold weather affecting much of the country, sales of albums dipped by 20.8% to 2,341,112 last week, marginally ahead of the year's lowest tally and exactly 3% down on the same...

Key indicators.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service: Week 08)
March 4, 2006... SINGLES Sales versus last week: -33.9% Year to date versus last year: 40.8% MARKET SHARES Warner 25.1% EMI 20.2% Universal 20.4% Sony BMG 17.9% Other 16.4% ALBUMS Sales versus last...

The schedule.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service: Week 08)
March 4, 2006... ALBUMS THIS WEEK Celebration Celebration (4AD): Mclusky Mcluskyism (Too Pure); Friday Hill Times Like These (Longside); Ne-Yo In My Own... (Mercury): OK Go Oh No (Capitol); Corinne Bailey Rae Corinne Bailey Rae (EMI) MARCH 6 ...

Pet Shop Boys will release their anticipated new album Fundamental on May 22 on Parlophone.(NEW ADDITION)
March 4, 2006... Pet Shop Boys will release their anticipated new album Fundamental on May 22 on Parlophone. The set has been produced by Trevor Horn (Seal, The Frames, Grace Jones) and is the follow-up to Release which was released in April 2002 and peaked at...

Fightstar set for huge push; former Busted star prepares for release of debut album with acoustic show and multi-format single.(The Plot)
March 4, 2006... FIGHTSTAR GRAND UNIFICATION (SANDWICH LEG/ISLAND) Fightstar are following a strategy of relentless gigging in support of their debut album, Grand Unification, which is released on March 13 on their own label Sandwich Leg through Universal....

Morning Runner caught in tight spot for visually arresting video.(Promo focus)
March 4, 2006... Dark water in an enclosed space and the bodies of four men who have suffered a horrible end--and that's just the start of the video for Morning Runner's Burning Beaches (Parlophone). It becomes apparent that the space is a lift which has slowly...

Tastemakers tips.(Upfront)
March 4, 2006... The Fratellis Creeping Up The Backstairs (Island) JIM LAHAT, HEAD OF MUSIC, BBC LONDON "The Fratellis (Italian for brothers) are a three-piece from Glasgow, who might be compared to The Arctic Monkeys in sound, but there is a lot more...

Kerrang!(THE INSIDER)
March 4, 2006... Just as magazines covering rock have recently been enjoying rising ABC figures, growing mainstream interest in the genre has also had specialist radio stations reaping the benefits. Among them is Emap's West Midlands-based Kerrang! 105.2 which,...

Radio playlists.(Upfront)
March 4, 2006... RADIO 1 A LIST Arctic Monkeys When The Sun Goes Down; Charlotte Church Moodswings (To Come At Me Like That); Chris Brown Run It!; Corinne Bailey Rae Put Your Records On; Fall Out Boy Sugar, Were Goin' Down; Hi_Tack (Waiting 4 U) Say...

BPI awards.(Upfront)
March 4, 2006... ALBUMS The Kooks--Inside In/Inside Out (silver). We Are Scientists--With Love And Squalor (silver). Johnny Mathis--The Very Best Of (gold). Sugababes--Taller In More Ways (two times platinum). Take That--Never Forget--The Ultimate...

In-store next week.(Upfront)
March 4, 2006... Instore--Andrea Bocelli, Davod Essex, David Gilmour, Delays, Leo Sayer, Morning Runner, Little Willies, Mystery Jets, Shakira, Van Morrison, Clubland Xtreme Hardcore 2, My First Party Album, Relaxing Songs, Dancing On Ice; Album of the...

Also out this week.(Upfront)
March 4, 2006... SINGLES Foo Fighters: No Way Back (Sony BMG); Kano: Brown Eyes (679); Zero 7: Futures (Atlantic) ALBUMS Layo & Bushwacka!: Feels Closer (Olmeto); Stephin Merritt: Showtunes (Nonesuch); Roachford: Word of Mouth (Peppermint Jam)

Massive Attack feat. Terry Callier: Live With Me.
March 4, 2006... SINGLE OF THE WEEK Massive Attack feat. Terry Callier Live With Me Virgin VSCD1912 This single marks a welcome return to the classic Massive Attack sound, with a strong soulful vocal and melody. Backed with a hugely powerful...

Graham Coxon: Love Travels At Illegal Speeds.
March 4, 2006... ALBUM OF THE WEEK Graham Coxon Love Travels At Illegal Speeds Parlophone 3445272 The erstwhile Blur member's sixth solo album is as musically focused as his 1998 debut was shambolic. Coxon delivers a succession of shockingly good...

The Black Eyed Peas: Pump It.
March 4, 2006... The Black Eyed Peas Pump It (A&M 9852003) This is the fourth single from the Back Eyed Peas' Monkey Business album, which has shifted almost 750,000 copies in the UK. Sampling Dick Dale's Miserlou, Pump It sees the Peas at their quirky,...

James Blunt: Wisemen.
March 4, 2006... James Blunt Wisemen (Atlantic AT0236CD) With Back To Bedlam still in the Top Five some 2.6m sales down the line, added to his current US success, it looks like the Blunt bandwagon has some extra mileage in it yet. This smooth track is a...

Kelly Clarkson: Walk Away.
March 4, 2006... Kelly Clarkson Walk Away (Sony BMG 82876809832) Over the course of 12 months, Kelly Clarkson has won the hearts of the UK public, and this sixth single arrives on the back of a particularly productive period for the one-time American Idol...

Jamie Cullum: Photograph.
March 4, 2006... Jamie Cullum Photograph (UCJ 9877498) This third single from Cullum's gold-awarded album Catching Tales captures the best and the worst of the singer/pianist. Beautiful, sentimental verses join gently with swelling piano lines, but the...

Girls Aloud: Whole Lotta History.
March 4, 2006... Girls Aloud Whole Lotta History (Polydor 9877402) It may not have been chosen as their Christmas single, but this is the best ballad from Girls Aloud's superb current album. With the band away on promotional duties in Australia, it may not...

Beverley Knight: Piece Of My Heart.
March 4, 2006... Beverley Knight Piece Of My Heart (Parlophone CDR6684) This respectable Janis Joplin cover comes ahead of Britain's first lady of soul's hits album, Voice--The Best Of Beverley Knight, spanning her career from the 1995 club classic Flava Of...

Joey Negro: Make A Move On Me.
March 4, 2006... Joey Negro Make A Move On Me (Data DATA82CD) Dave Lee has spent more than a decade occasionally surfacing with a huge crossover hit under one of his many pseudonyms, and this unstoppable disco-tinged house monster looks set to be next....

The Open: We Can Never Say Goodbye.
March 4, 2006... The Open We Can Never Say Goodbye (Polydor STATUES4) This first single from new album Statues sees The Open finally deliver on the initial promise their debut hinted at--a gorgeous, widescreen soundscape with a skyscraping chorus that...

Claire Sproule: Wondering.
March 4, 2006... Claire Sproule Wondering (Parlophone CDR6686) Taken from the Irish-born singer-songwriter's eponymous debut album from last year, Wondering sits squarely in Carole King-inspired territory, while Sproule's gentle vocals and thoughtful lyrics...

KT Tunstall: Another Place To Fall.
March 4, 2006... KT Tunstall Another Place To Fall (Relentless RELCD24) Tunstall is on form with this blues/rock track that tells the sorry tale of a broken friendship. As the buzz around the singer gathers force across the Atlantic ahead of SXSW, together...

The Rifles: Repeated Offender.
March 4, 2006... The Rifles Repeated Offender (Right Hook 82876786922) The London punks have been working with producer Ian Broudie on this follow-up to first single Local Boy; which reached number 36 last October. Repeated Offender, with its snappy' indie...

Mark Ronson feat. Alex Greenwald: Just.
March 4, 2006... Mark Ronson feat. Alex Greenwald Just (BBE LC07306) New York DJ Ronson's jaunty hip-hop take on Radiohead's 1995 single works well enough, full of blaring horns and funky guitar lines, with Phantom Planet singer Alex Greenwald mimicing Thom...

Ambulance Ltd: New English.
March 4, 2006... Ambulance Ltd New English (TVT TVT27812) This New York outfit's debut album, LP, released last year, was a power-pop gem, critically lauded but otherwise neglected. This mini-album is a stop-gap before the full follow-up later this year,...

The Concretes: The Concretes In Colour.
March 4, 2006... The Concretes The Concretes In Colour (EMI LFCD020) The second album from the Swedish eight-piece is a distinct step on from the Nico-esque icy fragility of their debut, packed as it is with hugely addictive pop tunes with a more muscular...

The Cuban Brothers: A To Z.
March 4, 2006... The Cuban Brothers A To Z (Sunday Best SBESTCD10) Latin lotharios The Cuban Brothers mark their recording debut with this alphabet-themed romp through funky classics and two of their own tracks. While it might not quite capture the heights...

Fightstar: Grand Unification.
March 4, 2006... Fightstar Grand Unification (Island CLD8165) This is the album Charlie Simpson always wanted to make: an authentic emo set, produced by Colin Richardson, with no concessions to the fame game. Well done Charlie, but, unfortunately for him...

Vittorio Grigolo: In The Hands Of Love.
March 4, 2006... Vittorio Grigolo In The Hands Of Love (Polydor 9874521) On the face of it, this 28-year-old Italian tenor has it all--the looks, the voice and some beautiful songs, not least of which his opening number Tu Sei. Some will balk at the covers...