| CMU Daily - on the inside 13 Aug 2002 |
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What did West End lyricist Tim Rice do three times between 1990 and 2000 which Elton John, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen only managed the once? Answer tomorrow
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BEGGARS BUY INTO MATADOR
The Beggars Group has finalised a 50% acquisition of US independent Matador Records. As part of the deal Beggars will move its US offices to Matador's Manhattan base. Matador, whose roster includes Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Guided By Voices, Mogwai, and Yo La Tengo, have relied on a couple deals with major labels in the past. EMI’s Capitol owned 49% of the company between 1996 and 1999, and prior to that the company had a distribution tie up with Atlantic. The Beggars deal should be more attractive for the Matador team however, leaving, as it does, existing bosses Chris Lombardi and Gerard Cosloy in charge.
Beggars CEO Lesley Bleakley told reporters: "It is going to be a great opportunity to be working with both the artists and the staff at Matador. I am looking forward to the upcoming challenge. The heart and soul of Matador parallels the core philosophy held at the Beggars Group, fiercely independent and artist friendly. I anticipate that the new company will be one of the strongest leading forces in the modern independent sector."
"We are thrilled to be working within such a terrific company," Matador’s Lombardi added. "All of us are looking forward to work side by side with Martin Mills (Beggars founder and chairman), Lesley, and the rest of the Beggars staff. Our ability to expand the scope of our distribution in Europe as well as to supplement our US catalogue through our Matador Direct retail department is truly exciting. It should be a very impressive line, making Matador Direct and the enhanced Beggars Group a force to reckon with."
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ADAM ANT PLEADS GUILTY
Adam Ant, real name Stuart Goddard, has pleaded guilty to affray, admitting he threatening pub customers who made fun of his ‘cowboy’ clothes. Today’s court hearing followed an incident back in January when the former pop star pulled out the gun in a Kentish Town pub, threatening to shoot customers if they didn't back up. Three further charges of criminal damage, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an imitation firearm were denied by Goddard and dropped by the prosecution. Pub customers apparently started humming the theme from the spaghetti western ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’, when Goddard walked in wearing a combat jacket and matching flat cap. After hearing the jokes, he left and returned armed with a starting pistol, the court had heard. Goddard's defence lawyer insisted that at the time of the attack his client "was suffering from a disease of the mind," and the judge said a new psychiatric report would be taken into consideration on deciding a sentence. After arrest Ant he was initially sectioned under the Mental Health Act in a North London hospital.
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TEENAGER ACQUIRES EMINEM' CAR
After an e-bay auction to sell the purple 1999 Ford Mustang convertible that Eminem purchased with his first royalty check, the car has found a new home in the garage of a twelve year old in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Courtney Wittenberns, who won’t be able to drive the car until 2006, was bought the car by here millionaire father for $27,900. She told reporters: "I'll just sit in the garage and listen to music in the car and wash it." The auction took place after Eminem traded the car in to buy a Russ Milne Ford. The dealership who acquired the car decided go the eBay route, promising to donate a portion of the profits to charity. Wittenberns’ father added: "We thought it would be a nice charitable contribution, plus it'll be a killer car for Courtney. I think Eminem's great. Especially in the last couple of albums - he's made himself a little bit more kid-friendly."
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ELVIS WEEK KICKS OFF
The CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises Jack Soden and RCA president Bob Jamison accepted a new batch of gold and platinum awards for the global success of ‘A Little Less Conversation’ this weekend, marking the start of the 25th Elvis Week, seven days of events to mark the anniversary of the King’s death. The success of ‘Conversation’ means the forthcoming collection of Presley number ones - Elvis 30 #1 – has been retitled Elvis 31 #1. Soden also confirmed that more song remixes may be on the way. "It was so successful that of course looking at other remix opportunities is on the table. But I think we all want to be careful not to go remix happy and just start remixing everything in sight."
Meanwhile, despite derided Elvis on the his 1989 anthem ‘Fight the Power’, Public Enemy’s Chuck D has spoken in favour of the King on a US documentary filmed for Elvis Week. Chuck says: "As a musicologist - and I consider myself one - there was always a great deal of respect for Elvis, especially during his Sun sessions. As a black people, we all knew that. My whole thing was the one-sidedness - like, Elvis' icon status in America made it like nobody else counted - my heroes came from someone else. My heroes came before him. My heroes were probably his heroes. As far as Elvis being 'The King,' I couldn't buy that." Talking about who might hold the title ‘the modern day Elvis’, Chuck responded: “Eminem is the new Elvis because, number one, he had the respect for black music that Elvis had. I think he's courteous and sympathetic to black music, though, unfortunately, he's more sympathetic to black music than many black artists themselves."
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MORE AALIYAH CONFLICTS
Nearly one year on from Aaliyah's tragic death the singer’s former label Virgin Records find themselves with more problems. Following lawsuits from the star’s family Virgin are now facing legal action for the funeral home that prepared and transported the bodies of the singer and her crew. Butler's Funeral Home claim they spent $68,000 in completing their work and that at the time former Virgin executives Ken and Nancy Berry agreed to cover all of the costs incurred. But since then the husband-and-wife team has left the company, and the bill has been ignored. "Because Aaliyah was, in their words, 'high profile,' they asked us to expedite things. So we were working over the weekend to get the bodies out as quickly as possible," a spokesperson for the funeral home told reporters. "The deal was all verbal, but the truth of the matter is, they knew they were obliged. They contacted all of the families themselves, sent us all of the necessary information and told us not to deal directly with the family members, that they would be responsible." The home claims they have endlessly tried to contact company executives, but to no avail. Although the funeral home is not currently pursuing legal action, they have forwarded their case to the New York attorney Robert Spragg, who is also representing Michael and Diane Haughton, Aaliyah's parents and the administrators of her estate in other legal matters regarding the accident. Virgin are yet to officially respond.
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BBC HAS TO WAIT A LITTLE LONGER FOR YOUTH CHANNEL GO AHEAD
The BBC has been told it must wait until September, at the earliest, to hear if the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will allow the rebranding of its digital channel BBC Choice to BBC3, taking it officially down the youth channel route. Some thought Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell would announce a decision at the TV Festival in Edinburgh later this month, but the minister has now confirmed she will not be attending the event, putting back any announcement to next month. The government worried BBC3 would pitch a licence funded station directly against commercial channels like E4, and that the station would therefore not fulfil a public service remit. But having added more programming for the older end of the youth market into their proposals, including more current affairs, coupled with the brownie points the BBC scored when it came to the rescue of terrestrial digital TV, most expect the new proposals to get the green light. Then again, as we’ve said before, with a three cube logo and heavy youth content, BBC Choice is pretty much the Beeb’s youth station already.
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GALLAGHER MOUTHS OFF AT US MUSIC INDUSTRY
Noel Gallagher has done his bit for the campaign to promote UK music in the States, by slagging off the American music industry! In an interview with the New York Post he said he would rather not have a US Number One album if it meant having to ingratiate himself with music industry executives. He said he often refuses to shake hands with record company bosses, marketing men and radio promoters - or their wives and families – when they came backstage after concerts. "For our music to be heard, I think that there's just too much politics to be dealing with," he said. He went on to slag off American music (saying there were only half a dozen decent bands coming out of America just now) and American music fans (describing US teenagers as "little immature idiots" who would "buy anything".)
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Answer to Monday’s pop quiz:
Five’s version of Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ got to number one in 2000. Why were they always going to do better in the charts than Queen’s original version of the song?
Despite being one of the band’s anthems, Queen never actually released it as a single. It appeared as a b-side to ‘We Are The Champions’ back in 1977