| CMU Daily - on the inside 19 Sep 2002 |
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Who is the youngest UK artist to have got a Top 10 album in the US?
Answer tomorrow
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CAPITAL BREAKFAST RUMBLINGS
There are reports that Capital Radio is sounding out Neil Fox and Radio 5 presenter Caroline Feraday as a ‘dream ticket’ double act to take over the station’s breakfast show when Chris Tarrant leaves later this year. Fox is generally seen as the favourite insider for the shift, and he has been given fill-in duties when Tarrant is away to test him out. Now Feraday, who co-presents on Matthew Bannister's Radio 5 show, is understood to have had meetings at the station, where she began her career as a travel presenter.
But Feraday's agent, Nigel Forsyth of MPC, has been candid: "Caroline is contracted to Radio 5 and is very happy there. She has been to the Capital building recently because she has a lot of friends there. But it would be absolutely wrong to say she has done a deal with them." But insiders seem to agree Fox would need a younger woman co-presenter to keep younger listeners, and many see Feraday as the prime candidate.
Last weekend Tarrant gave the strongest indication that he plans to leave the show. “There are 12th hour attempts by Capital to negotiate some sort of completely revised contract and I'm groaning: 'I've made up my mind now'," he said. If and when he leaves breakfast a weekend show syndicated over the Capital network is likely. Analysts have become more optimistic of a post-Tarrant breakfast show – although they admit an initial slump in listeners and advertisers is likely, they think long term things will improve pointing out that Tarrant’s audience, while still the biggest in London, is getting smaller, older and less attractive to advertisers.
Meanwhile the Chrysalis Radio Group have admitted they hope their London station Heart 106.2 can steel the breakfast show crown while Capital is in its post-Tarrant struggle by staging an offensive marketing campaign for its flagship show hosted by Jono Coleman and Emma Forbes. "There is a big opportunity in six to 12 months' time, if and when Chris Tarrant leaves Capital, for us to continue to increase our share when people reassess their choice of breakfast shows," Chrysalis Chief Exec Richard Huntingford admitted. "We've got a very good show with Jono and Emma and want to make sure that when Chris Tarrant goes and people move their radio dials that they alight on us, with the help of excellent programming and sustained marketing."
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BEACH PARTY DEATH AN ACCIDENT
An inquest has said the death of party-goer Karen Manders at Fatboy Slim’s Brighton beach party earlier this year was an accident. She had taken a cocktail of drink and drugs before she fell from a wall on the Lower Promenade. She died at Brighton's Royal Sussex County Hospital on 16 Jul. Pathologist Dr Neera Patel told the inquest Manders had drunk enough to put her twice over the drink-drive limit and had also taken MDMA, or ecstasy. "It is likely that she would have been disorientated, in terms of not knowing who she was or where she was. It could have made her agitated. In my opinion, this level of MDMA, together with the alcohol would have affected her behaviour."
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P DIDDY’S MULTI-MILLION COMPENSATION BILL
A US judge has ordered Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs to pay $2.45 million (£1.6 million) in damages to a one Cedrick Bobby Lemon, who claims he was beaten at a Winston-Salem concert in 1995 by two bodyguards Combs had hired to protect Mary J Blige. Judge William Z Wood ordered the payment on 10 Sep because Combs didn't answer the allegations in Lemon's lawsuit against him within a 30-day time limit prescribed by state law. Combs has residences in New York and Los Angeles, but Lemon's attorney, Herman Stephens, said Tuesday that he could not find Combs and his associates to present them with his client's lawsuit. The courts claim Combs declined to accept a civil summons from a Forsyth County deputy when he appeared at the Greensboro Coliseum June 21 to perform in a concert.
Nathalie Moar, a spokeswoman for Combs, told reporters: "We have just learned of this lawsuit. As it has no merit whatsoever, we intend to take all necessary steps to have it dismissed." Lemon claims he was working at the Joel Coliseum as a limousine driver when Blige performed there. He was wearing an identification badge that permitted him to stand backstage. As Blige’s bodyguards cleared the back stage area ready for her to leave the building they confronted Lemon. They then allegedly punched him – Lemon stumbled and grabbed one of the guards, accidentally pulling him to the floor. At that point, the guards kicked Lemon in the back as he tried to shield his head with his hands and arms. Lemon alleges that he suffered emotional and mental distress after the attack.
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BOWIE - FASHIONABLE AND INTIMATE PERFORMANCES
David Bowie, Pink and Santana are among the acts confirmed to be playing at the 2002 VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards in New York next month. Among the awards to be made on the evening are Visionary Video Award which sees Moby's ‘We Are All Made of Stars’ against the White Stripes' ‘Fell in Love with a Girl’ and Shakira's ‘Objection (Tango)’. ‘Will & Grace’ star Debra Messing will MC – details of other performers and presenters are expected soon.
Meanwhile Bowie performed an exclusive gig for an intimate audience of less than 200 people at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios in a recording for BBC Radio 2. With Jonathan Ross, Ricky Gervais, David Baddiel and BBC Chairman Gavyn Davies among the audience he performed a number of mainly new tracks but found time for some classics, including the first ever performance of ‘Bewlay Brothers’ which appeared on his 1971 album 'Hunky Dory'. Such an unusual event he had to use a lyric sheet - "there are more words in this than War and Peace,” he told the crowd. The gig will be aired on Radio 2 on 5 Oct. Bowie was also videoing the performance to show to his two-year-old daughter Alexandria back in New York. "This is just to show my daughter exactly what sort of person I associate with," he said, focusing his lens on the fans.
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JAMES BROWN FACES LAWSUIT FROM HIS FAMILY
James Brown's daughters are suing their father for $1 million in back royalties and damages for 25 songs they claim they co-wrote in their childhood. Deanna Brown Thomas, who works at a South Carolina radio station, and Dr Yamma Brown Lumar, a Texas physician, say Brown has withheld royalties because of a family grudge that came about in 1998 when Thomas had her father committed to a psychiatric hospital to be treated for addiction to painkillers. The daughter’s lawyer Gregory Reed told reporters: "This is a sad scenario. They didn't want to handle it this way. After his release [from hospital] Brown vowed to the media that his daughters will never get a dime from him. He has kept his word." Reed went on to say he had a letter from Brown’s lawyer Leon Friedman admitting the girls were owed $66,000, but that Brown would pay them $198,000 it they signed over the copyrights on the songs. Neither Brown or Friedman have commented on the lawsuit as yet.
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ALBARN'S ANTI-WAR STANCE (EVEN WITH THE GALLAGHERS)
Damon Albarn and Massive Attacks’ 3D are among the signatories on a letter against military action in Iraq delivered to Downing Street yesterday. The two are key players in the ‘Stop The War’ coalition and have funded anti-war ads in the NME. Brian Eno, Mark Lamarr and Mark Thomas were also signatories on the letter which read: "Under the present circumstances we believe an invasion of Iraq would be unjustifiable and could have potentially horrific ramifications. It would open a Pandora’s box which may be impossible to close. Nations across the Middle East as well as many of our European neighbours have indicated their opposition to an attack on Iraq, which presents terrible dangers to the region and the world. We urge the British government to announce that it will not support any military assault being planned by the USA and will listen to both world opinion and the clear views of its own electorate.” The coalition will stage a ‘Don’t Attack Iraq’ demonstration in London on 28 Sep.
Elsewhere in the world of Albarn, Noel Gallagher has been rekindling past rivalries by championing the case of Graham Coxon, who is rumoured to be leaving Blur after falling out with the band’s frontman. Noel has told NME.com that he recently met up with Graham, who he believes simply "snapped" at Damon's attitude towards Blur. “In Damon Albarn's last couple of interviews he was saying that Blur should be grateful to have him in and it's good for them that he's in Gorillaz and stuff like that, well it's only gonna go one way, innit?,” Noel said. “You can't be saying things like that to your bandmates you've grown up with. Saying 'well, now that I've done all these things I'm doing you a favour being in this band'." Liam added: "They should've split up a long time ago. Are they gonna get another guitarist?" Albarn is yet to comment on the Gallagher's latest rantings, and is still very vague when questioned about Coxon.
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WALLER'S DIET TROUBLES
Pop idol contender Rik Waller has been told he must lose weight or face dying at 40. Taking part in the dreadful sounding new ITV show ‘Celebrity Fit Club’ the singer has been told he needs to shed 17 stone. "I haven't stood on the scales for years and I didn't know how much I weighed," he told the Sun. "A bit of me has always wanted to diet for health reasons but if I'd have known what it involved I don't think I'd have been too enthusiastic. It has been difficult."
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WILLIAMS WILL DEBUT NEW SINGLE AT MTV EURO AWARDS
Robbie Williams will perform his new single 'Feel' at the MTV Europe Awards in Barcelona on 14 Nov. The single, the first from album ‘Escapology’, will be released the following week. Nominations for the MTV Europe Awards will be announced on October 3rd.
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FISCHERSPOONER LIVE
Electroclash favourites Fischerspooner are taking their lavish live show on the road this Autumn. Dates as follows:
5 Nov: Brighton Concorde
7 Nov: Bristol Old Fire Station
8 Nov: Stoke Lomax
9 Nov: Liverpool Lomax
10 Nov: London Shepard’s Bush Empire
12 Nov: Manchester University
13 Nov: Glasgow Old Fruit Market
14 Nov: Newcastle Northumbria University
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PS: A quick correction to yesterday's tour update on Deadly Avenger. DA’s real name, is of course, Damon Baxter. Thanks to Xfm’s Eddy Temple Morris for pointing this out - and he should know, Deadly Avenger supports Dirty Vegas at the Remix Night tonight at Cargo - doors open 7.30pm.
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Answer to Tuesday’s pop quiz:
Gabrielle’s single ‘Rise’ famously makes use of a sample of Bob Dylan’s ‘Knocking On Heavens Door’ – but what sample was used in the original version of the song and why was it changed?
Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ – but she wouldn’t let them use it.