Music Week articles from November 2008

Music Week archives from November 2008

Birt slams pre-Terra EMI regime.
November 1, 2008... EMI Group made losses of #757m, the company reported last Friday, when its annual review for the year ended March 31 2008 was finally published. That is a loss amounting to more than #166,000 for every employee. In his comments summarising...

Our destiny calling.
November 1, 2008... UK Music's Sharkey exhorts industry to "control our own destiny" By Robert Ashton UK Music opens its doors today with a promise to deliver big, radical ideas by launching a music manifesto to help the industry regain control of its...

JOINED-UP THINKING UK MUSIC ISSUES P2P RESPONSE.
November 1, 2008... UK Music passed its first real test with flying colours after corralling its members last week and persuading them to produce an 11th- hour joint industry response to illicit filesharing. The move comes as the deadline for the BERR...

THE PLAYLIST: 01.11.08.
November 1, 2008... KANYE WEST Love Lockdown Mercury Defying the restrictions of genre, Kanye West has delivered one of the year's most innovative moments in pop. (single, December 1) FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE Dog Days Are Over Moshi...

SIGN HERE: 01.11.08.
November 1, 2008... Hockey have signed a recording deal with Capitol in the US, and will be released by Virgin in the UK. They are the first signing by the new A&R team headed up by Nick Gatfield and LA-based Steven Melrose. Full Time Hobby has signed School...

AC/DC lead rock's physical revival.
November 1, 2008... Columbia ships 4.7m units for AC/DC album Black Ice... with Guns N' Roses album to follow By Stuart Clarke Columbia has delivered en masse for one of 2008's biggest albums, clocking up a phenomenal worldwide ship of 4,706,201 physical...

Digital sales help slow UK music market decline.
November 1, 2008... A 45% increase in digital sales has helped slow the decline in the UK music market to just 4% in the first half of the year. New interim trade delivery figures from the IFPI show that of the top five music territories, the UK was the best...

Azoff in the frame.
November 1, 2008... Ticketmaster lines up new boss By Gordon Masson Artist manager Irving Azoff is being lined up as the new boss of Ticketmaster after the world's leading ticketing company announced a deal to acquire a controlling interest in his Front...

Gut lives on as it rises from Phoenix's flame.
November 1, 2008... The Gut name will live on, after Phoenix Music International bought the assets of the label from administrator BN Jackson Norton. Phoenix specialises in buying musical rights from companies that have gone into administration or liquidation....

Music's newest organisation limbers up for action.
November 1, 2008... Editorial Paul Williams Whoever wins next week's US presidential election will no doubt, post- inauguration in January, come under the usual media scrutiny of what they manage to achieve in their first 100 days in office. If a similar...

An all-time High.
November 1, 2008... High School Musical 3 sales outstrip predecessors By Ben Cardew The success of Disney's High School Musical brand appears to be gathering momentum, with the latest album in the teen-pop series outstripping the sales of both its...

NEWS IN BRIEF: HMV next-generation store.
November 1, 2008... HMV is to open its first "next-generation" store in London this Thursday, when London Mayor Boris Johnson cuts the ribbon on the new Westfield Shopping Centre in White City. The 7,500 sq ft HMV store places a strong emphasis on technology and...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Robin Millar's elevation.
November 1, 2008... Promoter Harvey Goldsmith, musician and broadcaster Tom Robinson, manager Peter Jenner and producer Steve Levine are among around 200 names who have now lined up to support Robin Millar's elevation to the House of Lords. Copyright: CMP...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Association of Independent Music.
November 1, 2008... The Association of Independent Music annual members' survey has shown indies are bearing up well in the credit crunch. Chairman and chief executive Alison Wenham says that of around 300 companies, which responded, some 75% of them have reported...

NEWS IN BRIEF: The Pressure Point.
November 1, 2008... The prospect of Brighton music venue and pub The Pressure Point being sold to retail or residential developers has come a step closer after owners decided to sell their freehold on the business. The 150-capacity venue had previously been...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Music Producers Guild Awards.
November 1, 2008... Nominations for the inaugural Music Producers Guild Awards have opened. Anyone wanting to nominate a recording professional for an award in any of the categories - they include awards for engineers, mixers, re- mixers and programmers - can do...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Southbank Centre.
November 1, 2008... The Southbank Centre, home to the Royal Festival Hall, has appointed Alan Bishop as its new chief executive. Bishop is chief executive of the Central Office of Information (COI) and former chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi International. ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Woolworths.
November 1, 2008... Woolworths has announced a management shake-up, with the appointment of new chief financial officer. Robert McDonald, previously group finance director of Punch Tavern, replaces Stephen East. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Ambassador role for Grainge.
November 1, 2008... The Government is calling on Lucian Grainge to help shape its thinking - as well as the global creative economy. The Universal Music Group International chairman and CEO has been appointed as an "ambassador" alongside a number of other very...

Long calls for black recruitment.
November 1, 2008... The UK music industry needs to recruit more black employees if it is to continue to serve black British artists, according to one leading executive. Westbury Music's director Paulette Long became the first black person to sit on the PRS...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Apple.
November 1, 2008... Apple has posted strong third-quarter results thanks to booming iPhone sales, although the technology giant warned of gloomy economic times ahead. In the three months to September 27, the company made a net profit of $1.14bn (#683m), compared...

NEWS IN BRIEF: The Merlin Music Company.
November 1, 2008... Sports to TV management company Merlin Elite has created a new dedicated music wing, The Merlin Music Company. The company is headed by managing director Giles Baxendale, who has worked with acts such as U2 and Bush. Merlin Music's clients...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Divison.
November 1, 2008... Revenue at Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, home to both Xbox and Zune, fell in the company's first fiscal quarter. Revenue fell to $1.81bn (#1.14bn) from $1.93bn (#1.22bn) last year, the company announced. Microsoft's income as...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Andrew Lloyd Webber.
November 1, 2008... Andrew Lloyd Webber is to write the UK's entry for the next Eurovision Song Contest. The composer will audition six singers before writing the song: candidates have until November 21 to post their auditions on to the BBC website and the...

Island to mark 5oth year with festival in London.
November 1, 2008... Activity next May to be organised with Island founder Chris Blackwell By Ben Cardew Island is to mark its 50th anniversary next year with a London festival staged in collaboration with record company founder Chris Blackwell. ...

ANALYSIS: Singles booming but without physical help.
November 1, 2008... PHYSICAL SINGLES SALES JUMPED by 48% two weeks ago to reach their highest level for five weeks, yet it seems little more than a blip in the sector's painful decline. While both seven- and 12-inch vinyl sales slipped in week 42, CD sales...

Sony/ATV signs Brit producer.
November 1, 2008... Sony/ATV Music Publishing has concluded a landmark deal with the British producer Mike Spencer, in an agreement in which the publisher will represent the future songwriting interests of Spencer and his production company. As a producer...

Manett turns to Mama for ideas.
November 1, 2008... The head of Mama Group and Nettwerk Music Group's new music publishing venture, Manett Publishing, is looking to tap into Mama's myriad interests - from venues to artist and producer management - to build up the new business. Joint-venture...

Album focus: Sugababes.(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2008... In approaching Sugababes' sixth studio album, Island co-president and A&R for the trio Darcus Beese made a conscious decision to reduce the number of writers and producers involved, instead looking for a handful of names that would bring a...

MUSIC STORES OPT FOR DUFFY.
November 1, 2008... Duffy's hit Mercy has been playing its own role in helping stores try to fight off the high street economic downturn, finishing as the most- played song in retail shops for the period April to June this year. PRS research reveals the song,...

EMI Publishing signs Priests in bid for Christmas success story.
November 1, 2008... EMI Music Publishing is aiming for a Christmas success story after penning a deal with Sony BMG fourth-quarter priorities The Priests. The tie-up with father Martin O'Hagan, his brother Eugene and their one- time school friend David Delargy...

Low pound boosts MCPS-PRS.
November 1, 2008... The MCPS-PRS Alliance is cashing in on sterling's declining value abroad with rising overseas income helping to make up the shortfall from falling physical music sales. While physical product is set to slip by year's end to being only the...

AIF action plan aims to combat festival thieves.
November 1, 2008... Task force to share intelligence on criminal gangs By Gordon Masson A specialised security task force is being put together to help eliminate tent theft and other crime from festivals. The idea is the brainchild of the...

Monkey set for journey to west (and east).
November 1, 2008... Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's project to go on the road after requests flood in Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's latest project, Monkey: Journey To The West, will take up residency in a tent adjacent to The O2 in London next month...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Michael Eavis to receive award.
November 1, 2008... * Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis is to receive the outstanding contribution award at this year's UK Festival Awards as organiser Virtual Festivals.com pays tribute to "the godfather of the UK festival industry". The ceremony takes...

NEWS IN BRIEF: A Greener Festival.
November 1, 2008... The Big Chill, Bestival and the Electric Picnic were among the latest eco-friendly events named by A Greener Festival in its programme for 2008.The accolades, which recognise environmentally friendly music festivals, are based on a survey that...

NEWS IN BRIEF: ASTA welcomes closure of paperticket.co.uk.
November 1, 2008... The Association of Secondary Ticket Agents (ASTA) has welcomed the closure of www.paperticket.co.uk by the Metropolitan Police. The website was taken down on October 16 after concerns about low ticket prices. A message on the site now reads:...

Redevelopment may sink Ginglik.
November 1, 2008... THE OWNERS OF GINGLIK, ONE OF LONDON'S most unusual venues, are stepping up their campaign to save it from extinction, as the redevelopment of its parkland setting next year could see this much- loved club encased in a concrete tomb. The...

GuilFest survives, as AEG backs out.
November 1, 2008... A Facebook group set up to "Save GuilFest" is celebrating victory after a rival promoter's plans to take over the outdoor venue were shelved. The pressure group sprang up on the social networking site at the end of September when news...

Humbug for Top Of The Pops as Christmas show is axed.
November 1, 2008... BBC to focus on TOTP2 brand during Christmas 2008 Television By Ben Cardew POP MUSIC FANS WILL FACE disappointing Christmas TV viewing this year, after the BBC pulled the plug on its traditional festive edition of Top Of The Pops....

AIRPLAY ANALYSIS with Alan Jones.
November 1, 2008... Girls Aloud simultaneously score their fourth sales chart number one and second radio airplay number one with The Promise. While debuting atop the sales chart, the track completes a 37-35-30-6-2-1 airplay chart rise. Although previous...

Radio Two opens The Great British Songbook.
November 1, 2008... Live London event to showcase new music initiative Radio Two is to use a multi-artist showcase event in London next month as the launch platform for a new initiative celebrating great UK songwriters from the past five decades. The BBC...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Take That.
November 1, 2008... Take That are to give their new single The Greatest its live premiere at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards. The show takes place at the Liverpool Echo Arena on November 6 and will be broadcast live. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Avtar Lit.
November 1, 2008... South London music and local news stations Time 106.8 and South London Radio 107.3 are being put up for sale by owner Avtar Lit. Signs on both the stations' websites tout the operations to potential buyers saying, "Our current owners operate...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Electric Proms.
November 1, 2008... Pulse Films has won the rights to film Electric Proms shows at London's Koko, Proud Galleries and Freedom Studios venues to be shown online and via the BBC's red button service. The third Electric Proms finished yesterday (Sunday). ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Mobile phone operator 3.
November 1, 2008... Mobile phone operator 3 has signed a deal with Nokia to launch Comes With Music on its network. While 3 users have been able to access Comes With Music since its UK launch earlier this month - Nokia sells unchipped Comes With Music handsets...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Stuart Taylor.
November 1, 2008... GMG Radio deputy chief executive Stuart Taylor is to succeed the group's current CEO John Myers in April 2009. Myers, who launched GMG Radio 10 years ago, will continue to advise the business on areas such as regulation and the future of DAB....

MUSIC WEEK UNEARTHED: 01.11.08.
November 1, 2008... A major publishing deal has set the wheels in motion for thecocknbullkid's (aka Anita Blay) progress THECOCKNBULLKID A publishing deal via Empire Management's joint venture with Sony/ATV has provided thecocknbullkid, aka Anita Blay,...

FEATURE: How to win friends and influence people.
November 1, 2008... New organisation UK Music has brought diverse strands of the music industry under one umbrella, with the aim of improving communication with government and enabling its members to further their interests Of all the industries in the UK, it...

CONSENUS: VIEWS FROM UK MUSIC'S MEMBERS.
November 1, 2008... "While we've spoken about forming such a group in the past, it's gratifying that we have finally taken this initiative to form one body to represent all the major players in the music industry. I hope that the existence of UK Music will make it...

UNVEILED: A LOOK AT PAST UNSIGNED TALENT WINNERS.
November 1, 2008... EOGHAN COLGAN: O2 Undiscovered Colgan won the O2 Undiscovered search in 2007; his victory awarded by a panel of experts including Kilimanjaro chief executive Stuart Galbraith, Jordan Jay and Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn....

FEATURE: THE NEW BRAND TALENT.
November 1, 2008... A wealth of today's youth-oriented brands are dedicated to discovering and breaking new unsigned talent. And, despite negligible success with previous discoveries, that commitment is on the increase By Stuart Clarke DESPITE THE ONGOING...

FEATURE: THAWING ICELANDIC RELATIONS.
November 1, 2008... The most eruptive economic events in memory have failed to extinguish Iceland's hotbed of musical energy. Music Week travelled north for the You Are In Control conference and into a wealth of debate By Christopher Barrett DIPLOMATIC...

PROFILE JEFF WAYNE: WAYNE'S WORLD.
November 1, 2008... It may have been considered to be a "bonkers" project at the time, but The War Of The Worlds has reached its 30th anniversary and with a successful live show and reissue behind it, the unique musical still captures the imagination in the same...

PROFILE JEFF WAYNE: PATCHWORK PROFESSION.
November 1, 2008... Jeff Wayne describes his career as "like a patchwork quilt" - were you to spread it out you would see patches of fascinating but unrelated artists and projects. Born in Forest Hills, New York, Wayne grew up with twin passions for music and...

PROFILE JEFF WAYNE: JWMG: "A Joy to work with".
November 1, 2008... The Jeff Wayne Music Group is the oldest part of Jeff Wayne's professional patchwork, a 40-years-young production, research and licensing specialist. "I started my company because I remember my dad, who was a very successful singer and...

PROFILE JEFF WAYNE: TIMELINE 40 YEARS YOUNG.(Chronology)
November 1, 2008... A SELECT PORTFOLIO OF THE JEFF WAYNE MUSIC GROUP 1968 JWM Creation of Jeff Wayne Music Group 1969 FORD CAPRI UK Launch 1970 McDOUGALLS Flour So Fine 1972 SANDEMANS PORT 1975 CARLING BLACK LABEL 1977...

KEY RELEASES: 01.11.08.
November 1, 2008... Out this week Singles * Adele Make You Feel My Love (XL) Previous single (chart peak): Hometown Glory (19) * Anastacia I Can Feel You (Mercury) Previous single: Pieces Of A Dream (48) * Dido Don't Believe In Love...

KEY RELEASES - 01.11.08: The panel.
November 1, 2008... MistaJam (BBC 1Xtra) The Soda Boys: Everybody Cha Cha (Mum's The Word) I've been a fan since Uche from the 1Xtra production team forwarded me an early rough instrumental MP3 of this. It is a brilliant fusion of electro, house and hip...

KEY RELEASES - 01.11.08: Single of the week.
November 1, 2008... Dido Don't Believe In Love (RCA) Dido's first single in four years sees the Brit winner in fine fettle, and sounding more sultry than ever. A precursor to album Safe Trip Home (November 17), Don't Believe In Love has everything in place;...

KEY RELEASES - 01.11.08: Album of the week.
November 1, 2008... Pink Funhouse (LaFace) Funhouse looks set to be a Q4 highlight for Sony, and is released off the back of Pink's three-week reign atop the Singles Chart with lead single So What. Ubiquitous at radio and popping up on the Download, Real...

ANALYSIS: Nineties revival in full swing in danceland.
November 1, 2008... The Upfront club chart has had a very retro feel to it recently, and the theme continues, with new mixes of Tony Di Bart's 1994 chart-topper The Real Thing - from Whelan & Di Scala, The Wideboys and The Fugitives - making it the fifth revival...

PREDICTIVE - CAMPAIGN FOCUS: SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS.
November 1, 2008... Leading independent Full Time Hobby is planning a two-tier release strategy for the critically-acclaimed debut from Brooklyn natives School Of Seven Bells, as it looks to grow their British audience over the next 12 months. A musical...

ANALYSIS: Human race sees Killers edge ahead.
November 1, 2008... MTV has judged the sleeve of the new Killers album, Day & Age, as the best ever but it is likely that the music it contains rather than any aesthetic beauty is what has earned it top billing on the pre-release sales charts of Amazon, HMV and...

KEY RELEASES - 01.11.08: Catalogue reviews.
November 1, 2008... THE SMITHS: The Sound Of The Smiths (Rhino 2564693709) Rhino must be doing something right, as they received the approval of Smiths mainman and legendary curmudgeon Morrissey, who gave this collection its name, and his former foil Johnny...

CHARTS ANALYSIS: AC/DC don't mind the gap after 28 years.
November 1, 2008... Solo acts need not apply for a number one album at the moment, as veteran hard rock band AC/DC are elevated to the summit to extend to nine the number of consecutive chart-toppers by groups, in a sequence stretching back 14 weeks. That's the...

Shock greets Douglas exit.
November 8, 2008... Industry counts the cost as Radio Two controller falls on her sword over Ross/Brand row By Paul Williams Leading industry executivES have spoken of their shock about the departure of Radio Two chief Lesley Douglas, amid fears the...

Cowell and co confident of holding out for best-selling Hero.
November 8, 2008... It may only be November, but executives such as Simon Cowell and HMV's music manager Melanie Armstrong are already confident that the market has seen the release of the year's biggest-selling single: Hero by X Factor Finalists 2008. The...

THE PLAYLIST: 08.11.08.
November 8, 2008... LADY GAGA Just Dance Interscope A thrilling debut from this new name in pop, who has already penned tracks for Pussycat Dolls and Britney Spears. (single, January 12) THE WOMBATS Is This Christmas 14th Floor The...

SIGN HERE: 08.11.08.
November 8, 2008... Universal Music Publishing has signed Irish rock group The Blizzards. The band signed to Universal in Ireland and worldwide. Their single, Trust Me I'm A Doctor, has been Top 10 for several weeks in Ireland and the associated album debuted at...

Datz goes for illegal downloading jugular.
November 8, 2008... The Datz Music Lounge service will offer unlimited DRM-free MP3s for #99.99 a year By Ben Cardew Datz Music Lounge is claiming to be the first legitimate music service that has been designed specifically to tackle illegal downloading...

Green research into CD packaging.
November 8, 2008... Environmental group Julie's Bicycle is about to undertake another major research project to help cut back the industry's carbon emissions. The new study will focus on the carbon emissions profiles of different types of CD packaging. ...

Union showdown on Licensing Act.
November 8, 2008... The Musicians' Union is beefing up its opposition to the Licensing Act in readiness for a showdown with the Culture Select Committee later this month. MU general secretary John Smith and assistant general secretary Horace Trubridge are due...

Celas reveals more digital deals for EMI.
November 8, 2008... CELAS, The organisation representing EMI Music Publishing's online and mobile rights, has revealed it now operates pan-European deals with around half a dozen digital groups following last week's link-up with RealNetworks. It has emerged...

Logo spells it out for legal MP3.
November 8, 2008... Seven of the largest music retailers in the UK are backing a new "MP3 compatible" logo from the Entertainment Retailers Association, which is designed to build consumer awareness about the compatibility of the format. 7digital.com,...

The Brand/Ross debacle has escalated out of all proportion.
November 8, 2008... Editorial Paul Williams The over-reaction to the prank calls that Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross made to Manuel actor Andrew Sachs has been so farcical that it could have fallen from the pages of a Fawlty Towers script. However, the whole...

Musexpo delivers fruitful forum for music chiefs.
November 8, 2008... As the music and media conference swung into London last week, the first time it has taken place in Europe, music industry insiders embraced an air of cautious optimism, focusing on exploring new revenue streams from digital By Ben Cardew...

NEWS IN BRIEF: The Pet Shop Boys.
November 8, 2008... The Pet Shop Boys are to receive the outstanding contribution to music award at the 2009 Brit awards, which takes place on February 18 at London's Earl's Court. The duo will also perform live. Previous recipients include Paul McCartney, Oasis...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Sony BMG.
November 8, 2008... Sony BMG lost $57m (#34.5m) in the three months to September 30, with sales down 11% year on year. Sales and operating revenue at the major were $762m (#461.3m) for the quarter, down from $851m (#515.1m) in the same quarter in 2007. ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Copyright Term.
November 8, 2008... The legal affairs committee of the European Parliament is opening its public hearing on copyright term tomorrow (Tuesday). The meeting takes place in the European Parliament and includes contributions from eight interested parties including...

NEWS IN BRIEF: One Movement Festival Perth.
November 8, 2008... A new international music festival is being launched in Perth, Australia next year. Between October 16-18 2009 Australia will become the centre of the global music industry with One Movement Festival Perth aiming to unite industry professionals...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Impala.
November 8, 2008... French Minister of Culture and Communication Christine Albanel has told European indie group Impala that the French government will almost immediately debate a Creation and Internet law proposal to examine how to deal with online piracy....

Live Nation tightens grip on concerts in Hyde Park.
November 8, 2008... Rival drops appeal against promoter's new contract By Gordon Masson Live Nation has retained the contract to stage large-scale music events in London's Hyde Park, after an appeal by a rival promoter over the deal was withdrawn. ...

Live audience enough for Show Of Hands.
November 8, 2008... Folk musicians prove that you can achieve success without a record label deal Steve Knightley and Phil Beer have been operating as Show Of Hands without label or publisher support for 20 years. Both musicians had previous experience of...