Music Week articles from May 2008

Music Week archives from May 2008

Curran in at number two at Sony BMG.
May 3, 2008... New Sony BMG chief operating officer has aspirations for the major to become number one in the industry Former BMG Publishing chief Paul Curran is making a spectacular return to the frontline of the music industry as Sony BMG UK's number...

THE PLAYLIST: 03.05.08.
May 3, 2008... Florence And The Machine Kiss With A Fist (Moshi Moshi) She stole the show at Camden Crawl last weekend and has delivered one of the catchiest two-minute pop songs of 2008. Lovely. (single, June 9) Fighting With Wire All For...

In The Studio: 03.05.08.
May 3, 2008... Kaiser Chiefs have completed additional recording sessions with Elliott James (Noah & The Whale) and Mark Ronson, who are co-producing a number of tracks of the group's new album. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Expanding London Calling takes 360-degree approach.
May 3, 2008... Influential industry figures to speak at June's music trade show A number of the most influential figures in the ever-changing music industry are set to take to the stage at this year's London Calling, with Blackberry head of music...

New EMI setup targets Coldplay.
May 3, 2008... EMI begins the roll-out of the media campaign for Coldplay's fourth studio album this week as the major gears up for the first significant release under its new A&R structure. EMI will hold listening sessions for the album Viva La Vida Or...

Sony BMG follows Universal's lead and signs up for Nokia downloads.
May 3, 2008... Nokia seeks to give the consumer what they want with one year's unlimited access to major label content Nokia's global head of music believes that her company's Comes With Music service can be a "major change agent" for the music industry,...

Ups And Downs: 03.05.08.
May 3, 2008... UPS Paul Curran nabs second in command at Sony BMG. It couldn't have happened to a nicer man Comes With Music signs up the world's second biggest record label, offering a way forward for the industry The Music Producers Guild...

IN BRIEF: Universal Publishing takes on Big Life in worldwide deal.
May 3, 2008... Universal Music Publishing Group has bought Big Life Music, taking in a worldwide publishing deal with Snow Patrol for past and future works. Founded in 1987 by Jazz Summers and Tim Parry, Big Life Music has a catalogue of more than 2,000...

IN BRIEF: Ofcom rejects GMG's format changes.
May 3, 2008... Ofcom has rejected GMG's format changes to Smooth Radio in London and Smooth Radio in the North West, saying it cannot link consideration of a change to analogue radio services to a proposed change in DAB services. However, GMG has announced...

IN BRIEF: NME teaming up with Coldplay.
May 3, 2008... NME is teaming up with Coldplay to give away a collectable seven-inch vinyl of the band's comeback single Violet Hill. The vinyl covermount will, according to the magazine, be the only physical format of the track available before the band's...

IN BRIEF: Microsoft will no longer furnish authorisation keys.
May 3, 2008... Microsoft has said that it will no longer furnish authorisation keys for songs purchased from the now defunct MSN Music service, meaning former customers of the service will only be able to shift music to different computers until August 31....

IN BRIEF: Snoop Dogg to produce series for Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
May 3, 2008... Snoop Dogg is to executive produce an urban music series for Extreme Music, the production music unit of Sony/ATV Music Publishing. The multi-CD "G Series" will include styles billed as "Smoking Grooves, Gangster Party and Slow Jams". ...

IN BRIEF: Music to hear the human brain.
May 3, 2008... A piece of music which will allow listeners to hear the human brain at work has won the PRS Foundation New Music Award 2008. The #50,000 prize was handed to sound artist Jane Grant, musician and physicist John Matthias and Bafta winning...

IN BRIEF: 02 consolidates its position.
May 3, 2008... The O2 has consolidated its position as the world's most popular arena, with the latest Pollstar figures showing that the London venue sold almost half a million tickets in the first three months of 2008. The O2 sold 471,489 tickets in the...

IN BRIEF: Madonna to headline Big Weekend event.
May 3, 2008... Madonna is to headline this summer's Radio One Big Weekend event, alongside Usher, The Kooks and Nelly. The artist will headline the main stage on the first day of the event, which takes place at Mote Park in Maidstone on Saturday, May 10 and...

WOTYA bows out to make way for new award not determined by sex.
May 3, 2008... The newly created Outstanding Contribution Awards will honour both men and women working behind the scenes in the music industry and related media The Women Of The Year Awards for the music industry and related media has been scrapped in...

Live from Abbey Road enjoys international success.
May 3, 2008... The producers of Live From Abbey Road have signed a deal with the iTunes Video Store in the US, as the show rides a wave of international interest ahead of its series two premiere. iTunes US will sell a bundle of 25 live performances from...

Nokia's download initiative could challenge monopoly.
May 3, 2008... Comes With Music may be one way forward for the industry to tempt fans away from illegal filesharing The shift to digital has presented the music industry with innumerable conundrums, but here are three: some music fans now never spend a...

eBay cracks down on secondary sales.
May 3, 2008... Live industry labels Government's stand on the resale of tickets online "wishy-washy" and "misunderstood" Auction site eBay has prohibited the resale of tickets to Radio One's Big Weekend event for the first time, as the debate over...

IN BRIEF: Pro Sound News to sponsor MPG Awards next year.
May 3, 2008... The Music Producers Guild (UK) is to hold its first Awards ceremony in London next year. The event will take place on February 12 at the Cafe de Paris in Piccadilly, with Music Week sister title Pro Sound News Europe confirmed as the first...

IN BRIEF: Apple results.
May 3, 2008... Apple has posted revenue of $7.51bn (#3.78bn) and net quarterly profit of $1.05bn (#0.53bn) for its second fiscal quarter of 2008, an increase on the same period last year. The company sold 10.64m iPods and 1.70m iPhones during the quarter. ...

IN BRIEF: Beggars Group stepping up activity at 4AD.
May 3, 2008... The Beggars Group is stepping up activity at 4AD, increasing staff levels and the label's artist roster. 4AD is now headed by managing director Simon Halliday, who came to the group from Warp US at the end of 2007. Working with Halliday will be...

IN BRIEF: HMV to luanch MP3 download store.
May 3, 2008... HMV is to launch an MP3 download store this summer, replacing its current WMA-based service. The store will be fully integrated into hmv.com and link to the retailer's forthcoming social network site, which should soft launch around the same...

IN BRIEF: Six-month turnoverup 132% for bit Mama.
May 3, 2008... Mama Group's turnover increased 132% in the six months to January 31, with group revenues totalling #12.72m. Profit before interest, tax and exceptional items was #1.095m. Since January 2007 assets held by the group, whose interests include the...

IN BRIEF: Starbucks hands over day-to-day running of Hear Music.
May 3, 2008... Starbucks has handed over the day-to-day running of its record label Hear Music to joint venture partner Concord Music Group in an attempt to focus on its core coffee retailing business only a year after launching the label. Starbucks...

IN BRIEF: 4Radio appointment.
May 3, 2008... EMI Publishing senior vice president of A&R Alex Jones-Donelly is set to join Channel 4's 4Radio. Donelly will work across all of 4 Radio's national digital radio stations including Pure4, working with Channel 4 director of radio Bob Shennan to...

IN BRIEF: New three-hour networked show to be broadcast.
May 3, 2008... A new three-hour networked show will be broadcast across GCap's 42- station One Network, including Capital 95.8, Red Dragon and BRMB. The change mirrors a network rescheduling at Global's Heart and Galaxy stations. Global is in the process of...

IN BRIEF: Boosey & Hawkes launches classical digital radio station.
May 3, 2008... Classical music publisher Boosey & Hawkes has launched www.BooseyRadio.com, an internet radio service, which aims to introduce classical music to a wider audience by putting listeners in control of their own playlists. Stations can be selected...

IN BRIEF: MTV re-focusing music front page.
May 3, 2008... MTV UK is re-focusing its music front page at www.mtv.co.uk/music. From Thursday the front page will showcase the depth of music content available on the site, offering an improved user experience including an embedded media player offering...

FEARGAL SHARKEY: The ambitious undertones of the man who would be king.
May 3, 2008... Feargal Sharkey's first 90 days as CEO of British Music Rights have seen the former Undertones singer champion the organisation as a voice for the music industry. But the Derryman's sights are set higher still as he aims for greater dialogue...

DAVE CLARK FIVE: A music revolutionary before the revolution.
May 3, 2008... With 21st-century artists wrestling control of their business interests from record companies, Sixties legend Dave Clark is entitled to greet the new "revolution" with a knowing smile. After all, the founder and drummer of the Dave Clark Five...

Music Upfront - 03.05.08.
May 3, 2008... Out this week Singles Death Cab For Cutie I Will Possess Your Heart (Atlantic) previous single: I Will Follow You Into The Dark (chart peak: 66) Hadouken! Declaration Of War (Atlantic) previous single: Get Smashed...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 03.05.08: Album of the week.
May 3, 2008... Madonna Hard Candy (Warner Bros) Having made chart history with current number one single 4 Minutes - the pop queen's 13th UK chart topper - it is all systems go for the album campaign. Last week Vodafone made a different album track...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 03.05.08: Single of the week.
May 3, 2008... Santogold LES Artistes (Atlantic) This is Santogold's first general-release single, although LES Artistes was released as a strictly limited 12-inch last autumn to huge critical acclaim. And, with her debut self-titled album (May 12)...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 03.05.08: Catalogue reviews.
May 3, 2008... Jethro Tull: This Was (Chrysalis 2064972) The iconic rock band's debut album gets the deluxe 2CD treatment to mark its 40th birthday, with mono and a new stereo mix of the original album supplemented by early singles tracks and nine BBC...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 03.05.08: The Panel.
May 3, 2008... Dom Lawson (Metal Hammer) Sacred Mother Tongue: Two Thousand Eight Hundred/The Suffering (Transcend) A blistering blend of fret-melting thrash, sharp metalcore dynamics and dark, soulful melodies worthy of Alter Bridge. Smart, potent...

FUTURE RELEASE: Feeder.
May 3, 2008... Feeder Silent Cry (Echo) Feeder's new studio album will be the first release from Echo Records following Chrysalis's decision to halt talks with potential buy-out partners earlier this month. The Chrysalis-owned label will release...

FUTURE RELEASE: Paul Weller.
May 3, 2008... Paul Weller 22 Dreams (Island) Paul Weller's first album since returning to Island Records will be released on June 2 and the company is hoping to make a big impression with the set as it looks to capitalise on the singer's 50th birthday...

DATAFILE EXPOSURE: 03.05.08.
May 3, 2008... Don't Stop The Music, the fourth single from Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad album, moves up to second place in the year-to-date airplay rankings, trailing only Duffy's Mercy. It eases past The Feeling's I Thought It Was Over this week but it...

Instore: 03.05.08.
May 3, 2008... Asda Instore Display: Def Leppard, Hadouken!, Jack McManus, The Delays, Willie Nelson Borders Instore Display: Def Leppard, Jack Mcmanus, Scooter, The Delays Window Display: Portishead CWNN Album of the week: Martha...

CLUB CHARTS: 03.05.08.
May 3, 2008... Kylie Minogue becomes the first artist to have two number one hits on the Upfront and Commercial Pop club charts in 2008, rocketing to the top of both charts with In My Arms, 11 weeks after her last single, Wow, did likewise. On the Upfront...

Madonna adds another 4 Minutes to her 27 weeks spent at chart summit.
May 3, 2008... Half of Madonna's 12 previous number one singles spent a single week at number one but 4 Minutes has no intention of surrendering its title yet, and on its second week at the chart summit it moves further ahead of the chasing pack, securing...

DATAFILE SINGLES - 03.05.08: Wiley.
May 3, 2008... Previously charting in 2004 with Wot Do U Call It (number 31) and Pies (number 45), Wiley debuts at number four with Wearing My Rolex on sales of 25,220 downloads. The 29-year-old Bow boy is one of the grime movement's leading lights but admits...

DATAFILE SINGLES - 03.05.08: will.i.am.
May 3, 2008... As a member of Black Eyed Peas, solo and in collaborations with artists like Busta Rhymes, Pussycat Dolls and Nas, 33-year-old William Adams has clocked up 18 Top 75 entries. He is, of course, better known as will.i.am, under which name he...

DATAFILE SINGLES - 03.05.08: Pendulum.
May 3, 2008... Joining fellow Aussies Sam Sparro, Gabriella Cilmi and Kylie Minogue in the Top 75, Perth's drum and bass giants Pendulum have their highest charting single to date with Propane Nightmares debuting at number 16 on sales of 8,217. Now UK...

DATAFILE SINGLES - 03.05.08: Adele.
May 3, 2008... With seven-inch, 12-inch and CD supplementing the already released download, Adele's Cold Shoulder jumps 53-18 on sales of 8,026. Clearly falling short of her debut hit Chasing Pavements, which entered at number two on downloads alone, Cold...

Turner and Kane's Last Shadow Puppets wrestle top spot from Kooks.
May 3, 2008... For the third time already in 2008, there is an indie release at number one on the artist albums chart. In January, the Beggars Group's XL Recordings label topped the chart with Radiohead's In Rainbows. The following month, the same...

DATAFILE ALBUMS - 03.05.08: Whitesnake.
May 3, 2008... German label SPV scores its highest-charting album since Bush's Razorblade Suitcase got to number four in 2001, courtesy of British rock veterans Whitesnake, whose Good To Be Bad debuts at number seven on sales of 13,613. Whitesnake's first...

DATAFILE ALBUMS - 03.05.08: Chris de Burgh.
May 3, 2008... Cherrypicking singles and other highlights from the 17 studio albums he has made in the past 33 years, Chris De Burgh's new compilation, Now And Then, debuts at number 12 on sales of 8,714 copies. The album is De Burgh's highest-charting set...

DATAFILE ALBUMS - 03.05.08: BPI Awards.
May 3, 2008... Albums Various Artists Step Up 2 The Streets OST (silver) The Smiths Best II (gold) Radiohead In Rainbows (gold) Mariah Carey E=MC2 (gold) Green Day Bullet In A Bible (platinum) BPI Awards are made on combined unit sales of CDs,...

DATAFILE ALBUMS - 03.05.08: Britney Spears.
May 3, 2008... Break The Ice, the third single from Britney Spears' Blackout album, looks like being the lowest-charting single of her 21-hit career but there is slight cheer for Spears in the news that the album itself has perked up recently, and sold its...

DATAFILE ALBUMS - 03.05.08: The Hoosiers.
May 3, 2008... Cops And Robbers is the third single from The Hoosiers' album The Trick Of Life, and climbs 64-35 following its release on CD. Considering previous Hoosiers singles Worried About Ray and Goodbye Mr A peaked at five and four respectively, it...

Newspaper in Macca coup.
May 10, 2008... The Mail On Sunday agrees deal to give away Paul McCartney's Memory Almost Full and promises more to come The Mail On Sunday has concluded an attention-grabbing deal with Paul McCartney to give away the former Beatle's most recent studio...

THE PLAYLIST: 10.05.08.
May 10, 2008... The Fratellis Mistress Mabel (Fallout) This marks an ambitious return for the Brits winners, with a radio- friendly chorus that has taken the edge off their bedroom sound. (single, May 26) DJ Disciple feat. Dawn Tallman Work...

Sign Here: 10.05.08.
May 10, 2008... * Raw Power Management artists In Case Of Fire recently signed recording and publishing deals within hours of each other. The group put pen to paper with Martin Dodds at Columbia before signing with Daniel Lloyd-Jones at EMI Publishing later...

All-conquering Auntie defends radio dominance.
May 10, 2008... The BBC rejects accusations that it prevents plurality in the radio industry after Q1 2008 Rajar figures reveal a record lead over its commercial rivals The BBC has defended its dominance of the radio market, after recording its highest...

Tings can only get better as Columbia act lands iPod ad in the US.
May 10, 2008... The Ting Tings' first album will not reach UK stores for another two weeks, but they are already winning coast-to-coast exposure in the US after landing the latest iPod ad there. The Manchester-based act's track Shut Up And Let Me Go...

Clarity call for digital model.
May 10, 2008... Key players in the online music market have suggested that an optimum business model for digital music is still far from clear, despite a raft of new digital start-ups. We7 last week launched its embedded-advertising streaming service...

Ups And Downs: 10.05.08.
May 10, 2008... UPS Coldplay download policy proves a massive success Classic FM's new initiative British Music Week championing UK classical talent The Ting Tings nab iPod ad in the US DOWNS Geffen is to release new singles from The...

Rajar figures out new pilot scheme.
May 10, 2008... Rajar has high hopes for its pilot of a new online audience measurement strategy, after it announced it was to abandon its trial of an electronic alternative to its diary-based ratings log-book. The industry body says the new system will...

IN BRIEF: Arvato becomes UK's lead distributor with Universal deal.
May 10, 2008... Universal has confirmed that it has outsourced its distribution arm to Arvato, in a move that creates the UK's largest distribution operation. Arvato took over Universal UK's 16,500m2 distribution operation at Milton Keynes on May 1. The site's...

IN BRIEF: Chris Gannett promotion.
May 10, 2008... Chris Gannett has been promoted in the US to vice president of strategic marketing for Sony BMG's commercial music group, while reports suggest that Ivan Gavin has been appointed COO of the BMG Label Group. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: Datz.com redesigns site.
May 10, 2008... Download store Datz.com has redesigned its site to offer what it describes as "a user-generated, community-orientated website". The site, www.datz.com, includes an interactive environment which encourages users to generate content, including...

IN BRIEF: BPI backing global campaign.
May 10, 2008... The BPI is backing a global campaign by children's internet charity Childnet to promote safe and legal music downloading among young people by providing guidance to parents and teachers. The pocket-sized guide, entitled Young People, Music And...

IN BRIEF: Classic FM holding its how British Music Week.
May 10, 2008... Classic FM is holding its own British Music Week, which aims to turn the spotlight on the UK's classical talent. The week, which started last Saturday (May 3), coincides with the Classical Brit Awards ceremony, which takes place this Thursday....

IN BRIEF: ie:music takes stake in This is Music.
May 10, 2008... ie:music has taken an equity stake in fellow management company This is Music. The companies say they will work closely together to exploit new commercial models for artists that are both fair and transparent. Copyright: CMP Information...

IN BRIEF: GMG to broadcast "innovative and creative" commissions.
May 10, 2008... GMG Radio has commissioned a first wave of independent productions in an initiative designed to bring innovation and creativity to the commercial radio sector. A range of programmes has been selected for broadcast on GMG's Smooth, Real, Century...

IN BRIEF: NME to unveil raft of changes.
May 10, 2008... NME is to unveil a raft of content and design changes with this week's issue, designed to focus on the title's "authority, expert opinion and wealth of information". New features include Roots, My Music and guest columns. Meanwhile, IPC Ignite...

IN BRIEF: Scale of radio listening remains strong.
May 10, 2008... The scale of radio listening remains strong among young people despite the wealth of different media available, according to research by the Radio Centre. Nearly 90% of 15- to 24-year-olds tune in to radio every week, with 72% claiming...

IN BRIEF: Nominations announced for Jazz Awards.
May 10, 2008... Nominations have been announced for this year's All Party Parliamentary Jazz Awards, organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group. Dennis Rollins, Liane Carroll and Winston Clifford will go head to head for the jazz musician...

IN BRIEF: BMI to bring monthly showcase to Brighton.
May 10, 2008... US performing rights organisation BMI is to bring its monthly showcase The BMI Sessions to Brighton festival The Great Escape. BMI's London office will present two gigs: the BMI Sessions Rock Brighton on May 15 at Po Na Na and the BMI Acoustic...

Hard luck for Madonna as Tesco two-for-one sales disqualified.
May 10, 2008... Retail giant's album offer deemed chart-ineligible by OCC as healthy sales push four Madonna catalogue releases back into the albums rundown Madonna has been denied a spectacular chart quintuple, after the Official Charts Company took the...

QUICKFIRE: `We don't want the climate issue to simmer down'.
May 10, 2008... Reflecting the global nature of climate change, Live Earth saw 150 artists perform on nine stages across seven continents. Yet, despite this success and being honoured with the inaugural Green Award at Midem, the event's founder Kevin Wall...

Fan hysteria and huge sales? That'll be the gaming industry.
May 10, 2008... Last week's Grand Theft Auto IV release is a reminder of what the music industry is currently missing There were midnight openings, queues around the block and predictions of 6m sales in its first week of release globally. All this, of...

Coldplay plan summer of big surprises.
May 10, 2008... Last week's phenomenally successful free single download just the start, claim Coldplay management and label Coldplay have not finished with surprises in the run-up to the release of Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, with a...

OBITUARY: Fond farewell to radio's great man of jazz.(Obituary)
May 10, 2008... Humphrey Lyttelton, the iconic star of British broadcasting, died last week at the age of 86. While probably best known among the British public for his work on Radio Four's comedy show I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, Lyttelton was also a renowned...

Which festivals will you be attending this year and why?
May 10, 2008... Rich Walker, 4AD "In chronological order: ATP Vs Pitchfork to see Jay Reatard, Deerhunter and Times New Viking, Glastonbury to see Shakin' Stevens and Jay-Z, Primavera if I can afford it, Latitude to see The Breeders, Sigur Ros, The Mars...

A new syncing feeling.
May 10, 2008... Once considered the scourge of any self-respecting artist, a well- placed TV or film sync is now considered not only a necessity in getting noticed in the marketplace, but a potentially lucrative revenue stream for major and independent labels...

A breath of fresh air for the UK festival industry.(Company overview)
May 10, 2008... The recently-published Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report made for a sobering read, with research claiming the live industry is by far the biggest contributor to the music industry's carbon foortprint. However, a wealth of music festival...

Classical music rallies to television's flag.
May 10, 2008... Extending the influence of the classical music genre is the key aim of the Classical Brit awards this year. With the TV show Britain's Got Talent having helped broaden the appeal of classical music - and the approaching Classical Brits set to...

Watson finding his voice again.
May 10, 2008... A complex three-hour operation, radiotherapy and the best of medical science gave Russell Watson more than a fighting chance of beating his second brain tumour last October. Even the most optimistic among the 41- year-old tenor's fans, however,...

MTV's damn good Spanking.
May 10, 2008... A year on from its fifth birthday celebrations in Bristol, MTV's Spanking New strand has spread its wings to include a six-city UK tour featuring new matieral from acts including The Fratellis, The Zutons and CSS while showcasing fledgling acts...

MTV: Austin's Powers.
May 10, 2008... Music Week and MTV proudly present this week's free CD, featuring a selection of the very best acts to appear at Austin, Texas festival South by Southwest this year Now the dust has settled on South by Southwest for another year, Music...

Music Upfront - 10.05.08.
May 10, 2008... Out this week Singles Celine Dion Alone (Epic) previous single: Taking Chances (chart peak: 40) Coldplay Violet Hill (Parlophone) Previous single: Talk (10) Hot Chip One Pure Thought (EMI) previous single: Ready...