Music Week articles from November 2004

Music Week archives from November 2004

Brits expands TV show: half hour added to prime-time slot.(Awards)
November 6, 2004... The Brit Awards has secured its most extensive TV platform yet with a two-and-half-hour broadcast to cover the event's silver anniversary show. As the first element of a new three-year deal, ITV1 has agreed to give the annual spectacular...

John Peel: the tributes flood in.
November 6, 2004... Radio One says it has been overwhelmed by the response from listeners following the death last week of John Peel. By the end of the week the station had received around 30,000 tributes to the 65-year-old presenter, while another 30,000...

BPI prepares warning letters.(Bottom line)
November 6, 2004... * The BPI is drawing up a series of warning letters to post to the serial uploaders it identified last month. Twenty-six letters are being sent out by the music body after various ISPs gave up the identities of their users. The disclosure of...

Music Managers Forum.(Bottom line)
November 6, 2004... * The Music Managers Forum is hoping to have submitted its response to the issue of copyright extension directly to the EC by today (Monday). Although the MMF is one of many music industry bodies to have added its weight to a broad Music...

EMI Music Publishing.(Bottom line)
November 6, 2004... * EMI Music Publishing set a new benchmark on singles in quarter three after capturing 36.0% of the market. EMI Music's dominance of the singles market helped to increase its lead on the combined singles and albums table to 10 percentage points...

Robbie Williams.(Bottom line)
November 6, 2004... * Robbie Williams' Greatest Hits album has replicated its runaway UK success across a number of territories. The EMI album has clocked up first chart-toppers in France and Italy and reached number one in Australia, Switzerland, Austria,...

Chris Moyles.(Bottom line)
November 6, 2004... * Radio One DJ Chris Moyles has achieved the highest sales yet for a number one on the official download chart with his Goldie Lookin' Chain parody Dogz Don't Kill People Wabbits Do by his band Mouldy Lookin Stain selling more than 7,000 units....

Rod Stewart.(Bottom line)
November 6, 2004... * Rod Stewart is celebrating his first US number one album in more than a quarter of a century after his latest set of standards debuted at the top. Stardust... The Great American Songbook Vol 3 opened with an unbeatable 240,000...

Damon Gough.(Bottom line)
November 6, 2004... * Damon Gough aka Badly Drawn Boy has issued a High Court claim against former label XL Recordings, seeking payment of almost 300,000 [pounds sterling] in alleged owed royalties. Gough, who is managed by Jazz Summers and Tim Parry at Big Life...

Universal and Warner Music in the US have linked up with software group Exigen Group and venture capitalist Lightspeed Venture Partners to create Royalty Services LP.(Bottom line)
November 6, 2004... * Universal and Warner Music in the US have linked up with software group Exigen Group and venture capitalist Lightspeed Venture Partners to create Royalty Services LP. This will process royalty transactions for both groups and also offer its...

20GB iPod.(Bottom line)
November 6, 2004... * Apple, Island Records and U2 last week confirmed details of the U2-branded 20GB iPod and various extras. The black U2 iPod, which will retail at $349 (190 [pounds sterling]), will be accompanied by a voucher worth $50 (27 [pounds sterling])...

New Music Award.(Bottom line)
November 6, 2004... * The PRS Foundation has launched an award that offers 50,000 [pounds sterling] to enable a UK act to create a groundbreaking piece of music. The first New Music Award will be made in 2005 and is open to any UK-based artist or group operating...

eDonkey.(Bottom line)
November 6, 2004... * The Halifax and NatWest have removed unauthorised online advertisements for their products from peer-to-peer platform eDonkey.

Bedingfield to play small gig.(Exposure)
November 6, 2004... * Daniel Bedingfield is playing the first of a series of intimate live music events being staged by Capital FM across London. The Polydor artist is lined up to perform the station's first Face To Face With... gig on November 17 at a location...

Gramophone.(Exposure)
November 6, 2004... * Classical music magazine Gramophone has unveiled a new look for its November issue, which went on sale last week, reverting to calling itself The Gramophone for the first time since 1969. The changes include a new masthead and the...

Green Day.(Exposure)
November 6, 2004... * Green Day will play their biggest UK live show to date next June in front of 60,000 people at Milton Keynes National Bowl. The show will follow a UK tour earlier in 2005.

1Xtra.(Exposure)
November 6, 2004... * BBC digital radio station 1Xtra is turning a whole weekend of programming over to the UK's street music scene in its third annual Homegrown Weekend broadcast, starting on November 12.

Pop City Live.(Exposure)
November 6, 2004... * Channel Five is devoting a whole afternoon to pop on November 14 in a special one-oft show live from Hackney's Ocean. Pop City Live, produced by Phil Mount and Andy Ward at Initial, will feature acts including Natasha Bedingfield, Blue, and...

Ticketmaster.(Exposure)
November 6, 2004... * Manchester Evening News Arena has installed a new system designed by Ticketmaster to streamline its ticketing process and fight counterfeiting and fraud. Ticketmaster's ticket authentication system, AccessManager, enables the indoor concert...

OD2 in link-up with Wanadoo.(Sign here)
November 6, 2004... * OD2 has struck a pan-European digital music deal with ISP Wanadoo. As part of the tie-up Wanadoo will expand its OD2-powered online Music Club, which currently operates in the UK and France, into Spain and the Netherlands next month. Wanadoo...

High street retailer Borders has teamed up with Amazon.co.uk to launch a new dedicated website, www.borders.co.uk.(Sign here)
November 6, 2004... * High street retailer Borders has teamed up with Amazon.co.uk to launch a new dedicated website, www.borders.co.uk. Under the multiyear agreement Amazon will provide Borders with e-commerce support.

EMI and Warner have sold their jointly-owned Australian CD manufacturing plant Data to Summit Technology for an undisclosed sum.(Sign here)
November 6, 2004... * EMI and Warner have sold their jointly-owned Australian CD manufacturing plant Data to Summit Technology for an undisclosed sum. Data will continue to supply EMI and Warner with CDs and DVDs.

Wise Buddah.(Sign here)
November 6, 2004... * Independent production company Wise Buddah has struck deals with Scottish Radio Holdings' Vibe FM and Capital-owned Beat 106 to supply station sound packages. The Beat deal covers Funboy & Flash in the morning programme.

MTV Europe Music Awards.(Sign here)
November 6, 2004... * Replay Jeans is sponsoring the MTV Europe Music Awards, which takes place in Rome next month. The clothing company will launch a special range of clothing for the event.

Emap changes its radio team.(People)
November 6, 2004... * Emap Performance has reshuffled its senior radio management team as speculation mounts about a possible move for Scottish Radio Holdings. Shaun Gregory, formerly director of development, has been made managing director of its national brands,...

Robert Plant has been secured as the keynote speaker for next year's South By SouthWest Music and Media Conference.(People)
November 6, 2004... * Robert Plant has been secured as the keynote speaker for next year's South By SouthWest Music And Media Conference. The Led Zeppelin frontman will address the event, held in Austin Texas at a morning session on March 17, and will also...

Priscilla Presley will attend the closing ceremony for the UK's Music Hall Of Fame ceremony and accept an award on behalf of her ex-husband.(People)
November 6, 2004... * Priscilla Presley will attend the closing ceremony for the UK's Music Hall Of Fame ceremony and accept an award on behalf of her ex-husband. The event takes place on November 11 at London's Hackney Empire.

Women of the Year.(People)
November 6, 2004... * The Women Of the Year organisers have unveiled the shortlist for its special achievement award. The nominees are Capital Radio's Rachel Ash, Mondo Management's Bernadette Barrett, Outside Organisation's Sarah Bedford, Sarah Coates of Rima...

Sir Cliff Richard has lent his name to the UK music industry's campaign to lobby the EC to review the copyright laws.(Digest)
November 6, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Sir Cliff Richard has lent his name to the UK music industry's campaign to lobby the EC to review the copyright laws. Sir Cliff, who began recording in 1958 and whose first hit Move it is due to fall out of...

Brit Art star joins Brit pop stars for new Band Aid record.(News)
November 6, 2004... UK artist Damien Hirst has been commissioned to design the sleeve artwork for the 2004 version of Band Aid's Do They Know Its Christmas?. The artist's involvement will add a further element of demand for the single, which was last Friday...

Defiant BBC defends its services: corporation comes out fighting after commercial radio bosses' call for greater regulation.(Radio)
November 6, 2004... BBC music radio executives have put up a robust defence of their services after commercial radio bosses accused the Corporation of exploiting its position. In a public seminar on the BBC Charter review, leading ILR figures, including GWR...

The MW playlist.(News)
November 6, 2004... THE 411 Between The Sheets (Sony) With few quality pop albums around, this classy debut should have plenty of room to shine (album Nov 29) KEANE This Is The Last Time (Island) Originally their second Fierce Panda release last year,...

John Peel's all-time festive 50.
November 6, 2004... (Compiled in 1999) 1. Joy Division--Atmosphere (Factory) 2. The Undertones--Teenage Kicks (Good Vibrations) 3. Joy Division--Love Will Tear Us Apart (Factory) 4. The Sex Pistols--Anarchy in The UK (EMI) 5. The...

Humble hero of UK music: former colleague Paul Gambaccini pays tribute to a 'mentor and hero'.
November 6, 2004... The first time I set foot in Radio One was as a university student in 1972 to interview John Peel for the British edition of Rolling Stone. His producer John Waiters sat in and one year later invited me to present a weekly talk on a new show...

Peel: a lifetime of teenage kicks: John Peel's legacy will be the generations of musicians and label founders which he broadcast, supported and inspired.(Radio)
November 6, 2004... John Peel did not pretend to be anything more than a DJ, but unlike most of his record-spinning colleagues his legacy extends far beyond a set of turntables and into the heart of the music business and British culture. Peel--whose death...

Radio One loses 'foundation stone'.
November 6, 2004... Out of the near two dozen mostly suited presenters famously photographed on the steps of Broadcasting House for Radio One's launch, it would have been hard to have imagined back in 1967 that John Peel would be the one there three decades later....

Man who put music first: figures from across the industry honour a hugely influential figure.
November 6, 2004... "It's so easy to play safe and release or play music that you know people like because you want brownie points, money or because of ego. John never had any of those. I can't think of anyone else in the music industry like that. It's so...

Festive 50 number ones.
November 6, 2004... 1976 Led Zeppelin--Stairway To Heaven 1977 The Motors--Dancing the Night Away 1978 Sex Pistols--Anarchy in the UK 1979 Sex Pistols--Anarchy in the UK 1980 Sex Pistols--Anarchy in the UK 1983 New Order--Blue Monday ...

Home truths: Peel in his own words: in an interview started at Barcelona's Sonar festival in June this year and then continued back in London, John Peel talked to Ben Osborne about his career, his musical outlook and his other passions.
November 6, 2004... What memories do you have of Radio Caroline? "I was on from midnight until 2am for the three or four months before it shut down. I realised that during that time nobody in the office or on the ship was listening, so I did away with the...

HMV to close final US store: CEO Giles blames series of poor real estate deals for failure in the States.(News)
November 6, 2004... HMV's American dream will be finally confined to history this weekend as the door closes for the last time on New York's Fifth Avenue on its last remaining US store. But group CEO Alan Giles says he will not be shedding any tears as HMV...

The Bravery.(Snapshot)
November 6, 2004... New York buzz band The Bravery begin their assault on the UK this week and look on course to become the latest in the ever growing line of US acts--The Killers, The Strokes and White Stripes to name a few--to break in the UK ahead of their home...

Subscriptions are key to download success: delegates agree technology still needs to improve.(Conferences)
November 6, 2004... Online music subscription services will not properly take off until the internet has fully transformed the industry, according to a panel of experts at this year's MusicWorks conference. They argued at last week's event in Glasgow that the...

Microsoft launches rival to iTunes: interoperability tops agenda, as Microsoft embraces partners for new download platform.(Downloads)
November 6, 2004... In many respects the launch of MSN Music--Microsoft's long-awaited challenge to iTunes--seemed a strangely muted affair. Much of this could be attributed to headlines elsewhere. As Bill Gates introduced the new service in Los Angeles last...

Top 20 ringtones.(Digital)
November 6, 2004... Reflecting a resurgence in the physical singles chart, Eric Prydz claims the top spot with Call On Me in the ringtones rundown as Khia's My Neck. My Back romps ahead 37 places to reach number two. R Kelly's Happy People also zooms...

Radio One must continue Peel legacy: ultimately, it is the comments and messages from the listeners which speak the loudest.(Editorial)
November 6, 2004... John Peel has quite rightly been eulogised by friends and colleagues all week, but it is the tens of thousands of messages that are still flooding in from his listeners that say the most. Their sheer volume is unprecedented, their content...

Success without big radio support broke the mould.(Viewpoint)
November 6, 2004... When you've got people calling you that you haven't heard from in 10 years, that's when you know you're having real success, which was the case last week when Rod's Stardust... The Great American Songbook:Volume III became his first US number...

Was it right for U2 to lend their name to a new iPod?(The big question)
November 6, 2004... U2 have very publicly got into bed with the Apple iPod by starring in a TV commercial and putting their name to a new iPod. But have they made the right move? Bob James, Asylum Management "It is a phenomenal opportunity for both...

Quickfire: Peter Gabriel reflects on being honoured at the Mits dinner tonight (Monday) and a career that has taken him from Genesis to the online music revolution.(Forum)
November 6, 2004... You're involved in the industry in a number of capacities. Do you still principally define yourself as an artist? I try and avoid defining myself and that's what I've always done. I just do the things that inspire me. What was your...

Dedicated to the cause.(Dooley's Diary)
November 6, 2004... Remember where you heard it: The week was dominated by reminiscences about the astonishing life and times of John Peel. Among the thousands of tributes flooding in, one-time Radio One boss Matthew Bannister further shedded light on just how...

It was definitely a case of days of future passed for Moody Blues frontman Justin Hayward and MCPS chairman Tom Bradley at Bacs' Gold Badge Awards last Wednesday when they found themselves sharing a stage for not the first time in their careers.(Diary)
November 6, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: It was definitely a case of days of future passed for Moody Blues frontman Justin Hayward (pictured, centre) and MCPS chairman Tom Bradley (left) at Bacs' Gold Badge Awards last Wednesday when they found...

Key releases.(Datafile)
November 6, 2004... ALBUMS THIS WEEK Tina Turner All The Best (Parlophone); Busted A Ticket For Everyone (Island); Manic Street Preachers Lifeblood (Sony); Travis Travis: Singles (Independiente); Bee Gees Number Ones (Polydor); Il Divo Il Divo (BMG) ...

Boost for singles.(The Market)
November 6, 2004... Helped by the half term holidays and the arrival often new entries in the Top 20, the singles market registers a week-on-week increase of 13.9%, though to a still low tally of 457,143 sales. Eric Prydz's Call On Me, which has been number one...

Market indicators.(Datafile)
November 6, 2004... MARKET INDICATORS SINGLES Sales versus last week: +13.9% Year to date versus last year: -13.6% Market shares Virgin 14.8% Polydor 11.7% Mercury 11.1% MoS 10.6% Sony ...

Fast chart.(Datafile)
November 6, 2004... SINGLES NUMBER ONE JA RULE feat. R. KELLY & ASHANTI WONDERFUL Def Jam Arguably the youngest artist yet to have a number one hit, Ja Rule had his seventh birthday earlier this year--but it is actually a consequence of the fact he...

New brand gets party started: new kids compilation brand Pop Party, which is still on the chart after launching last year, delivers its follow up.(The Plot)
November 6, 2004... VARIOUS POP PARTY 2 (EMI VIRGIN/UMTV) Last autumn saw new compilation brand Pop Party come from nowhere to establish itself as one of the biggest titles in the children's market after selling more than 750,000 copies. Last week saw the...

Breed 77.(Snapshot)
November 6, 2004... UK-based Gibraltarian rock act Breed 77 are preparing for a mainstream push of their current album Cultura, following strong support across the rock media and close to 20,000 UK sales to date. The band's label Albert Productions is targeting a...

Tipsters: a selection of UK tastemakers select their favourite upcoming releases.(Upfront)
November 6, 2004... Jamie Scott, daytime producer, Capital FM KYLIE MINOGUE I BELIEVE IN YOU (PARLOPHONE) "This track is awesome and sounds like Daft Punk and New Order in a studio with Tim Booth's lyrics; the result is fantastically melancholy. I loved...

Radio playlists.(Upfront)
November 6, 2004... RADIO 1 A LIST Britney Spears My Prerogative; Daniel Bedingfield Nothing Hurts Like Love; Deep Dish Flashdanee; Destiny's Child Lose My Breath; Embrace Ashes; Eminem Just Lose It; Eric Prydz Call On Me; Estelle Free; Franz Ferdinand...

Top 10 radio growers.(Upfront)
November 6, 2004... Adds BIG CITY 2Play feat. Thomas Jules-Stock Careless Whisper; GALAXY Nas Bridge; Red Carpet Alright; KISS FM 3rd Wish Obsession (Si Es Amor); Gwen Stefani What You Waiting For; Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell Drop It Like...

TV airplay chart: Eminem comfortably retains his lead, while Christina Aguilera is in second and third place with Nelly and Missy respectively.(TV)
November 6, 2004... 2. Nelly feat. Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera remains at two but with a different song and partner to the last two weeks. Her promo for Missy Elliott collaboration Car Wash has been two for a fortnight but slips to three this week,...

The UK radio airplay chart: Daniel Bedingfield edges the Scissor Sisters into second place at the top of the radio airplay chart, while lower down Lemar, Kylie and Keane make strong progress.(Radio)
November 6, 2004... 15. Lemar If There's Any Justice is single of the week in Music Week this week, and we're not the only ones impressed by the first track from the Fame Academy graduate's upcoming second album. Time To Grow. Radio loves it too, and it's the...

Pedro.(Snapshot)
November 6, 2004... Musician James Rutledge (aka Pedro) is the latest name from the UK underground scene to be embraced by advertising community. Car manufacturer Nissan has commissioned the artist to write the music for a string of adverts to be shown in Japan....

In-store next week.(Cued up)
November 6, 2004... ASDA Single--Blue; Album--Britney Spears; Compilation--Hall of Fame; Music DVD--Live Aid; In-store--Daniel Bedingfield, Def Leppard, Il Divo, Phil Collins, Elton John, Perfect Love, Travis BORDERS In-store--Powerballads Vol. 3,...

The tastemaker: John Peel.(Cued up)
November 6, 2004... Playlist for the last Radio One show John Peel presented, on October 14 2004 DETROIT COBRAS I WANNA HOLLER (BUT THE TOWN'S TOO SMALL) (ROUGH TRADE) JIMMY REED HUSH HUSH (CHARLY) ANDREW THOMAS HUSHHH EP (KOMPAKT) DJ PREACH...

TV listings.(Cued up)
November 6, 2004... CD:UK Blue Curtain Falls; Delta Goodrem Out Of The Blue; Destiny's Child; Girls Aloud; Jamelia Stop; Stereogram Walkie Talkie Man; V You Stood Up GMTV Blue Curtain Falls (Fri); Blue (Thur); Delta Goodrem Out Of The Blue (Wed);...

Radio listings.(Cued up)
November 6, 2004... RADIO ONE Lamacq Live Manic Street Preachers/ Black Velvet in session (Mon) Mike Davies Flogging Molly in session (Tue) Jo Whiley JoJo in the Live Lounge (Wed) Annie Nightingale Christian Jay guest mix (Thur) RADIO TWO ...

Store breaks new ground.(Retail Insider)
November 6, 2004... Located near the London's British Museum, two minutes' walk from Tottenham Court Road and Holborn tube stations, Silverback Records distances itself both physically and musically from the majority of London's specialist dance shops, the bulk of...

Also out this week.
November 6, 2004... SINGLES Faithless: Miss You Less See You More (Arista); I Dream: Dreaming (Polydor); Micah P Hinson: Beneath The Rose EP (Sketchbook) ALBUMS Gonzales: Solo Piano (No Format); Billy Joel: Piano Man--The Very Best Of (Sony) Smith &...

Lemar: If There's Any Justice.
November 6, 2004... Lemar If There's Any Justice Sony 6756076 A symphonic string-laden arrangement provides the backdrop for this Brian Rawlings-produced track, and a perfect setting for Lemar's vocal. Radio clearly thinks it works: this first offering...

Eminem: Encore.
November 6, 2004... Eminem Encore Interscope 9864884 Up until last week, this new album was shrouded in secrecy in a bid to avoid internet piracy. However, one of the album's tracks titled Mash was "leaked" onto the internet causing a blaze of publicity...

The 411: Teardrops.
November 6, 2004... The 411 Teardrops (Sony 6754812) This ear-grabbing single from the UK female quartet is a skilfully performed, sleek hip-hop piece which is already enjoying radio support--the warm vocals and sassy lyrics sound like a winning mix. Their...

Anastacia: Welcome to My Truth.
November 6, 2004... Anastacia Welcome To My Truth (Epic 6754921) This third single from the US vocalist's multi-platinum eponymously named second album sees her laying down another anthem that is destined to stick around the charts for many weeks. Her songs...

Nick Cave: Breathless/There She Goes My Beautiful World.
November 6, 2004... Nick Cave Breathless/There She Goes My Beautiful World (Mute CDMUTE329) Riding high on acclaim for his album Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus, Cave releases perhaps the highlight from each of the two albums. Breathless is a heartwarming,...

Embrace: Ashes.
November 6, 2004... Embrace Ashes (Independiente ISOM89SMS) Left back to their own devices after the Coldplay-penned comeback Gravity, Embrace have reverted to blockbuster mode with Ashes, a relentlessly grandiose effort that sees little musical development...

Girls Aloud: I'll Stand By You.
November 6, 2004... Girls Aloud I'll Stand By You (Polydor 9869130) Having already delivered two of the best pop dance singles of the year with The Show and Love Machine, the girls slow down the pace for the single that precedes their second album. This...

JoJo feat. Bow Wow: Baby It's You.
November 6, 2004... JoJo feat. Bow Wow Baby It's You (Mercury 9869055) With previous hit Leave (Get Out) still clinging to radio playlists, teen sensation JoJo is back with her second single, which deals with familiar themes of boyfriends, true love and pocket...

Avril Lavigne: Nobody's Home.
November 6, 2004... Avril Lavigne Nobody's Home (Arista 82876663652) The third single from Lavigne's bestselling album Under My Skin confirms that the Canadian singer excels in teenage angst-ridden rock tunes. Depending on whether you're a fan or not, it is...

McFly: Room on the Third Floor.
November 6, 2004... McFly Room On The Third Floor (Island MCSVD40389) The release of the title track from McFly'S debut long-player should certainly help the album sail past the 300,000 sales mark, although they still have a long way to go to match their...

Nas & Olu Dara: Bridging the Gap.
November 6, 2004... Nas & Olu Dara Bridging The Gap (Sony 6754682) Currently B-listed at Radio Two, this collaboration between the hip-hop son and blues musician father is a clever attempt at blending genres. Nas's rant and Dara's contemplative voice work...

Nelly & Christina Aguilera: Tilt Ya Head Back.
November 6, 2004... Nelly & Christina Aguilera Tilt Ya Head Back (Universal MCSDT40395) This Nelly workout accompanied by the rampant Aguilera is another solid dancefloor filler from St Louis' finest. Boasting a neat hook, bouncing beats and featuring a...

Paul Weller: Thinking of You.
November 6, 2004... Paul Weller Thinking Of You (V2 VVRS028463) This fine reworking of the Rogers and Edwards classic is backed by two new tracks, and the DVD format features live footage from the recent invite-only Riverside Studios gig alongside a rare Beta...

The White Stripes: Jolene.
November 6, 2004... The White Stripes Jolene (XL XLS207CD) Released in tandem with the forthcoming DVD Live Under Blackpool Lights, this cover of Dolly Parton's 1976 Top 10 hit captures the duo at their theatrical best on stage. The CD and seven-inch formats...

Modest Mouse: Ocean Breathes Salty.
November 6, 2004... Modest Mouse Ocean Breathes Salty (Epic 6754932) This track appeared on Music Week's tipsters last week courtesy of Xfm's DJ Shaun Keaveny, and rightly so--Ocean Breathes Salty serves up quirky guitar pop, with interesting vocals and lyrics...

The Thrills: Not For All the Love in the World.
November 6, 2004... The Thrills Not For All The Love In The World (Virgin VSCDT1890) The latest single from The Thrills' album Let's Bottle Bohemia is a melancholic story, featuring a smooth rock tempo and Conor Deasy's wistful voice. Currently C-listed at...