| CMU Daily - on the inside Tuesday 19th June |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- NUS to launch new college music circuit
- Counter-bid for Sanctuary rumoured
- Motley Crue sue Lee manager
- Jackson settles Prescient case out of court
- Contempt: Spector trial update
- Mojo honours announced
- Saxophonist collapses at Bonnaroo
- Underworld cancel festival set due to riot
- New Oasis album news
- James Blunt album
- Radiohead vid on YouTube
- Ryan Adams on drugs and stuff
- The Wu Tang plan
- Team go Sub Pop in the US
- Doherty covers, Barat reunion?
- The Wurzels pull out of Glasto
- Album Review: New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom
- Wembley complex join lights out project
- Former EMI chief got multi-million pay off
- Eco-friendly CD packs to go on sale in Asda
- Glover joins Compact
- Rowntree says sensible things
- Yahoo! appointments
- Potts' got talent, apparently
- Britney told off by Mrs S
- Doherty four months early for court review
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TOP BIT: JOIN THE TEAM>>
Well, it's that time of year again when we start looking for new college correspondents - what, with some of our existing correspondents doing that graduating thing on us. But what, I hear you say, is a CMU college correspondent? Well, let me explain. CMU has long utilized the college music community as a way of keeping in touch with what is happening in the grass roots music world in towns and cities all over the country. Our correspondents are our primary contacts in each college town.
The positions are voluntary, but offer media students, or anyone involved in their student media, with a great chance to pick up new media skills, to make new contacts in the music world, and to get a bigger platform for their work. Every correspondent is also a member of the CMU review team - providing reviews for this here CMU Daily - so being a correspondent also gives you access to a whole load of great new music.
If you are interested in becoming a college correspondent for the next academic year, September 2007 to May 2008, then go to the URL below, fill out an application form, email it back, and we'll be in touch.
http://www.collegemedianetwork.co.uk/cmu
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CLASSIFIEDS>>
INTERESTED IN SELLING YOUR RECORD LABEL?
Music Gain is acquiring catalogue and merging with record labels. If you are thinking of selling, or are interested in a merger with a long term capital partner, please contact us. Introduction and spotters fees also paid. Please visit us - http://www.musicgain.com
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JOBS N STUFF>>
REGIONAL PRESS OFFICER - WARNER MUSIC
Warner Music is seeking a Regional Press Officer to work a diverse roster of acts. Candidates must have a minimum of two years Regional PR experience. The successful candidate will be highly efficient with strong writing skills, flawless spelling and grammar, and a passion for music. Computer literacy, including confidence with Microsoft Office, is essential. Please send a covering letter and CV to [email protected]
Advertise your vacancies in the CMU Daily for just £80 for five days. To book your space email [email protected].
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BEBO OF THE DAY: THE THRILLS
So, the lovely Thrills, as we call them (no, really, we do) are back with a brand new album, out on 23 Jul. Excited about that prospect, and having missed their intimate Tiscali Session, I eagerly checked out their set at the O2 Wireless Festival on Thursday, keen both to hear some of the new material and to catch some of the classics because, as a result of some embarrassing oversight on my part, I'd never previously seen these guys live. Unfortunately it seemed like every single person at the festival was also eager to see these guys and the Xfm tent quickly filled up to capacity, leaving a long queue outside trying to get in (they really should have put them on the main stage). Given that I was at the back by one of the blocked entrances this meant I got rather distracted by all the festival-goers arguing with security about not being let in and, in particular, by one said festival-goer being manhandled out of the tent after sneaking in a side exit. Not wishing to be seen to side with the establishment, but I have to say those security types have a nightmare job in those circumstances - trying to explain that letting in "just one more person" isn't the way to run a safe festival. But I'm getting distracted from the point here, which is the point, actually, because as a result of the arguing hordes I kind of got distracted from The Thrills new material. But the good news is that two very fine new songs have been posted here on the band's Bebo page. Actually, they are on the band's MySpace too, but we've never had a Bebo Of The Day before, so I thought I'd go with that. Plus there's a third new track available in video form on Bebo. Though there's a long list of tour dates and a link to a free download on the MySpace. Heck, we'll list both, you take your pick, and make sure you check it out. The new album is called 'Teenager' and, as I say, is out on 23 Jul. And hurrah to that.
http://www.bebo.com/thethrills
http://www.myspace.com/thethrillsofficial
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NUS TO LAUNCH NEW COLLEGE MUSIC CIRCUIT
NUS Services, the commercial division of the National Union Of Students, is hoping to give the often erratic but potentially very effective university live music circuit something of a boost through the launch of uLive, a new live music network involving fifteen students' unions around the UK. In a bid to overcome the aforementioned erratic-ness of the college network, all the venues in the uLive network will be booked centrally, and will be promoted nationally under the uLive brand.
With the average capacity of the uLive venues around 500, the NUS hope the network will be used by promoters and labels looking to break new artists in the student market, as well as by established acts looking for an efficient way of reaching the college audience. Artists playing at uLive venues will also receive promotion through national and local advertising, a bespoke uLive website, viral activity by participating unions and a partnership with the SUBtv network. There are also plans to build relationships between uLive and the US and Canadian college music network, promoting new UK talent to North American college gig bookers.
uLive will have its industry launch at the London Calling event at Earls Court at the end of next week. The network will properly launch to the student market in September. In the meantime, for more information contact NUS Services Entertainments Manager Luke Fitzmaurice at [email protected].
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COUNTER-BID FOR SANCTUARY RUMOURED
A private equity firm called Crosby Capital Partners (one of my favourite private equity firms) are reportedly considering making a counter offer for London based cross-sector music company Sanctuary following the announcement last week that the firm's board was backing a 20 pence per share takeover offer from the Universal Music Group. Which might mean we have a major record company trying to gazump a private equity record label takeover (Warner staging a counter-bid to Terra Firma's offer on EMI), and a private equity firm trying to gazump a major record company record label takeover (Crosby Capital staging a counter-bid to Universal's offer for Sanctuary). Which is great news - hostile takeovers are so much more fun. Except for everyone involved in them, but they're more fun for us.
Anyway, back to Crosby. Sanctuary's board are known to have entered into takeover talks with a number of parties in recent months, including private equity outfits and major record companies. Crosby recently bought over a million shares in the struggling music firm through its subsidiary Silk Route Investments. That may have been simply to capitalise on the rapid increase in Sanctuary's share price that has occurred since Universal went public with its takeover offer, but some reckon it was a stepping stone towards making a counter-offer for the music firm, with some saying they will offer up to 25 pence per share.
As previously reported, Universal made its takeover offer through one of its UK subsidiaries, Centenary Music Holdings Ltd, and insiders there say that it intends to keep the Group in one piece, operating as an autonomous unit within the Universal Music Group under existing CEO Frank Presland.
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MOTLEY CRUE SUE LEE MANAGER
Motley Crue have filed a lawsuit in LA against one of their managers, Carl Stubner, the CEO of Sanctuary Artist Management, who specifically manages the career of the metal band's drummer Tommy Lee.
The lawsuit claims that Stubner has mismanaged Lee's career, and that that has had a detrimental effect on the wider Motley Crue brand. The legal papers make reference to certain projects, including reality TV projects, that the band claim Stubner arranged for Lee and which had a detrimental effect, both by damaging Lee's credibility and by making him unavailable for high-grossing Motley Crue tours. The band also claim Stubner breached fiduciary duties by "devising and implementing a self-serving scheme".
The litigation is looking for compensatory damages in excess of $20 million to cover lost earnings, lost profits and diminished brand value. Stubner's own company, Stubner Productions Inc, is also named on the lawsuit, as are Sanctuary Artist Management and the Sanctuary Group. The band's other managers, Allen Kovac and Bert Stein, are not listed as defendants.
Stubner is yet to comment on the litigation.
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JACKSON SETTLES PRESCIENT CASE OUT OF COURT
Elsewhere in the pop courts, or not, as the case may be, Michael Jackson's lawyers yesterday reached an out of court settlement with Prescient Acquisition, who have been pursuing the singer for some time over $48 million they claimed they were owed for assistance they provided with regard to refinancing a $272 million bank loan and rearranging Jacko's stake in the Sony/ATV publishing catalogue.
Jackson claimed to have never heard of the claimants or to remember the agreement on which they were suing, but presumably someone remembered something, because as the jury was about to be selected so the case could finally go to court, Jacko's lawyers offered some kind of undisclosed financial settlement. As previously reported, the whole Prescient v Jackson dispute was delayed somewhat because the lawyers originally representing Jacko dropped the case because they too were owed money by the singer.
The Prescient case is just one of many centring on Jackson's finances, of course, with the consensus still seemingly that Jacko remains in a financial mess after years of lavish living, surviving in the main because of the value of his music publishing assets. Well, I say the mess is due to lavish living, in papers relating to the Prescient case acquired by the New York Daily News the singer himself seemingly blamed friends and family for all his financial problems. He apparently accuses various associates of filtering away his cash, making reference to one Don Stabler, a close associate of his brother Randy, who, he alleges, once tried to get him to sign a deal that would have lost him a large part of his fortune. Jackson says in the document: "I vehemently told them, 'No, I am not signing this.' And I just remember how angry, the intensity of the anger in the room. And so they marched out".
The legal papers also include Jacko's assessment of the music industry: "It's full of sharks, charlatans and impostors. Because there's a lot of money involved, there's a bunch of schmucks in there".
Still, I think the lavish living must have played a part.
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CONTEMPT: SPECTOR TRIAL UPDATE
Well, we knew it was going to be entertaining, but even I didn't think it was going to be this entertaining. Judge Larry Paul Fidler has thrown a former attorney of Phil Spector's in jail for refusing to testify against him. Well, I say he's thrown her in jail, he's giving her a week to appeal the ruling before she actually gets chucked into the slammer, but nevertheless, the whole trial is taking on a whole new dimension over and above all the lurid tales of Spector's loony moments with guns and the grim circumstances in which the body of former actress Lana Clarkson was found slumped over a blood splattered chair at the legendary producer's Beverly Hills castle in February 2003. And the new dimension is more constitutional than homicidal.
As previously reported, Sara Caplan, a former member of Spector's defence team, came to attention following allegations by the prosecution that a forensics expert hired by the defence - the already pretty prominent Henry Lee - had removed what might have been a vital piece of evidence from the crime scene shortly after police officers had finished their search of Spector's home. There was some confusion as to what was found by whom and when, and Spector's new defence team and Lee both denied any such evidence ever existed, but in a private hearing sans-jury the prosecution presented two of Spector's former defence team whose testimonies seemed to back their claims.
One of those former defence attorneys was Caplan, who claimed she had seen Lee pick up a small white object from the floor of the room where Clarkson was shot and put it into a vial. The prosecution reckon that small white object may have been a missing bit of fingernail which may, or may not, had it ever existed, have provided forensic evidence that there had been a struggle between Spector and Clarkson before she was shot. Had the fingernail existed, and had it been used to suggest a struggle, then that would favour the prosecution's claims that Spector shot Clarkson rather than his claims that the actress shot herself.
But, despite earlier recalling the small white object incident in court, and being deemed a "completely credible witness" by Fidler, Caplan has subsequently backtracked somewhat, claiming the prosecution have twisted her words. More importantly she has refused to make any more statements about the defence's crime scene investigations, especially in front of the jury, because, she claims, to do so would violate the client attorney confidentiality privilege.
Fidler has said from the word go that he doesn't buy the client attorney privilege claims and that he would hold Caplan as being in contempt of court if she refused to testify. To be fair, he put off making a ruling for as long as possible, seemingly hoping a deal could be reached outside the court room that would see both sides in the case agreeing to not actually call Caplan, thus saving her the constitutional trauma of having to testify about her former client's legal affairs. But the prosecution wouldn't play ball, and so the whole dispute went back into court yesterday, again sans-jury. Again a tearful Caplan refused to testify, again citing attorney-client privilege and constitutional reasons, and again Fidler ruled said privilege and reasons were not sufficient to refuse.
He told the court: "I can admire what she's doing and what she's going through. I cannot allow it and I cannot find it to be an adequate explanation or a basis for a refusal to testify". Caplan was held in contempt and will go to jail on Friday unless she can successfully appeal the ruling in the meantime, or if she finally agrees to testify. Fidler's ruling had two elements to it. His ruling that client attorney privilege could not be used as grounds for not testifying in this case will no doubt be of much debate in American legal and constitutional circles, though he strengthened the grounds for his ruling somewhat by adding that Caplan had already discussed the Spector defence's investigations at two previous court hearings so that, even if Caplan had previously benefited from the privilege, she had waived it as soon as she voluntarily discussed the case in court.
Prosecutor Alan Jackson told reporters yesterday that he thought he might now be able to use Caplan's previous testimony, given in a private hearing, in front of the jury, assuming Caplan loses her appeal, because she will then be in jail and will be declared "unavailable to testify" in person. If that's the case then Caplan would probably be better off testifying in person anyway. Which all means it will be interesting to see what decisions the former defence lawyer makes this week.
Which is all rather interesting, though arguably all this constitutional wrangling over what might be a non-existence or insignificant piece of evidence is possibly getting in the way of the real issue at hand. Which is, erm... actually I don't' remember. Was someone shot? Something like that. I seem to remember a wall of sound being involved somewhere along the lines also.
The case continues.
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MOJO HONOURS ANNOUNCED
So, it was the Mojo Honours List awards in London last night, and here is the winners list. I hope you take a good long look at it, I had to cut and paste it from the awards website and it brought loads of logos and irrelevant copy with it which I have diligently removed for your convenience. That's your convenience, not mine. Frankly, it's a sign of how much we rate these awards that we went to the effort. Anyway, enough about me and my formatting, how about a quote from Mojo Chief Editor Phil Alexander? Here goes. "There are icons and there is Ozzy Osbourne. Long may he continue to reign". Which I guess gives away the winner of the Icon Award. Ah well, here's the full list. Well formatted, don't you think?
Song Of The Year: Amy Winehouse
Compilation Of The Year: White Bicycles: Making Music In The 1960s - The Joe Boyd Story (Fledgling)
Best Live Act: Arcade Fire
Breakthrough Act: Seasick Steve
The Mojo Best Album: The Good, The Bad And The Queen by Simon Tong, Tony Allen, Paul Simonon And Damon Albarn
Inspiration Award: Bjork
Classic Album Award: Exodus by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Hall Of Fame Award: The Doors
Icon Award: Ozzy Osbourne
Hero Award: Alice Cooper
Catalogue Release Of The Year: Various - The Complete Motown Singles Vol 6. 1966 Les Paul Award: Peter Green
Cult Hero Award: The Only Ones
Innovation In Sound: Suicide
Outstanding Contribution To Music: Joy Division
Mojo Legend: Ike Turner
Lifetime Achievement Award: The Stooges
Mojo Maverick: Echo & The Bunnymen
Mojo Medal: Jac Holzman
Vision Award: Slade In Flame
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SAXOPHONIST COLLAPSES AT BONNAROO
Jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman collapsed due to heatstroke at US festival Bonnaroo last weekend, according to reports. The 77 year old musician fell ill on stage and was taken to hospital in Manchester, Tenessee. Coleman, who released his first album back in 1958 and has collaborated with the likes of Pat Metheny and Jerry Garcia, received a lifetime achievement award at this year's Grammys. It's not clear if his plans to embark on a European tour next month will be affected by his collapse.
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UNDERWORLD CANCEL FESTIVAL SET DUE TO RIOT
Crikey. Underworld were forced to cancel their set at the Ejekt Festival in Athens at the weekend because of a riot. Yes, a riot. According to the band, thirty masked anarchists stormed the event's venue armed with CS gas, iron bars and baseball bats during a performance by the Beastie Boys. Underworld's Rick Smith was amongst several people injured in the fracas and taken to a nearby hospital; all the other festival goers were subsequently evacuated.
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NEW OASIS ALBUM NEWS
Noel Gallagher says that work will begin on a new Oasis album next month, with a view to a releasing something next summer - although he does admit that the time scale might be a bit ambitious. He told the BBC: "The songs are written... but don't hold your breath because the last album took three-and-half-years and three goes. It would be great if it was done by the end of the year and we could get out on the road by next summer, but that's insane wishful thinking".
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JAMES BLUNT ALBUM
I can hear people all over the country thanking the Lord for the news that James Blunt has announced details of his new album, which is entitled 'All The Lost Souls'. It's out 18 Sep and will be preceded by the release of a single '1973' on 23 Jul. The new LP's been recorded in LA and produced by Tom Rothrock and features tracks that Blunt's already road tested at recent live dates.
The singer recently told Billboard: "I think on the first album I wrote really on my own or with my stuff in mind. But I wrote very much thinking of myself as a singer/songwriter with a guitar and piano. Now I know that I have a chance of working with my band so with that in mind, I can hear things definitely [like] how a band may come in as I'm writing a song. It adds a little diversity".
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RADIOHEAD VID ON YOUTUBE
A video featuring clips of a variety of new Radiohead songs has been posted online. It's only a minute long, but it's apparently bits from six different tracks expected to appear on the band's upcoming album. The accompanying blurb calls it "bits of tape which have been chopped out of the mixes when they were edited".
So there you go. No news on when the new material will see a release.
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RYAN ADAMS ON DRUGS AND STUFF
Ryan Adams has been talking to the New York Times about stuff, and has freely admitted to his formerly heavy drug habit. Of that period in his life, he explained: "There was intense loneliness, end-of-the-world stuff going on in my mind, bottomless depression. Without exaggerating, it is a miracle I did not die. I snorted heroin a lot - with coke. I did speedballs every day for years. And took pills. And then drank. And I don't mean a little bit. I always outdid everybody".
Apparently his lady, Jessica Joffe, helped him straighten himself out, and now he's been 'clean' for more than a year.
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THE WU TANG PLAN
The Wu Tang Clan have revealed plans for the release of their new album, which will be called 'The 8 Diagrams'. It's the collective's first new material since the release of 'Iron Flag' in 2001, and will feature collaborations with the likes of Marley Marl and Q-Tip.
The group's RZA says: "This isn't a comeback. We never went anywhere in the first place, we were just working on various different projects and this is the first group album in six years and the first European Wu Tang tour featuring all members".
RZA also told NME what it's like working without late clan member ODB : "We still miss him every day... It's like you lost an arm or a leg, you feel incomplete. He was a very special person, like a very rare diamond. You know, it's like you wake up one day and they're saying: 'There are not diamonds in the world anymore, just cubic zirconia'".
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TEAM GO SUB POP IN THE US
Following the news that Memphis Industries are working with Vital's marketing support outfit Integral on the UK release of the new The Go Team album, rather than forging an alliance with a major, as with the re-release of the band's 2004 debut, news now that the band have signed with indie Sub Pop for the US release of the new long player, rather than renewing their relationship with SonyBMG's Columbia division there. So, now you know.
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DOHERTY COVERS, BARAT REUNION?
Singer-songwriter Tim Arnold is releasing an album of Pete Doherty covers in a bid to convince his cynical friends that the Babyshambler is a high calibre songwriter. Yeah, good luck with that Tim. Ah, that's unfair, Doherty has his moments. Normally when writing with Carl Barat, but moments nonetheless.
Talking of Doherty and Barat, rumour has it the duo are planning to reunite again at Glastonbury this weekend. Both will be on site with their respective bands, and word has it they are hoping to get a slot in the acoustic tent to perform together, following Barat's appearance at one of those Hackney shows Doherty did recently. The rumours come from the Mirror who quote an insider thus: "The lads have been talking about it for months. Although they've got their own bands now, neither has had anything like the acclaim The Libertines had. Pete and Carl are still arguing about what they're going to perform - but whatever they settle on it will be incredible". Could be good, it has to be said.
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THE WURZELS PULL OUT OF GLASTO
Talking of Glastonbury, which may well be a wash out, by the way, so take a hat and some sturdy boots, those loveable Wurzels have pulled out of the festival, because they were booked to play the bandstand meaning they couldn't have their own sound engineers. You also get the impression the band wanted a better slot. The band's Tommy Banner and Pete Budd told reporters: "We would have loved to play but we don't feel it's right. Other novelty acts like Rolf Harris have been on better stages and we think we deserve it". Glasto's Emily Eavis said she would have liked to have found the band a slot they were happy with, but that at this late stage it was too late to move things around, telling reporters: "Unfortunately at this late stage every other stage is choc-a-bloc and it's a shame as they're a bit of an institution round here but we'll have to get them back next year". Personally I can't help thinking The Wurzels are the kind of band who would consult long term weather forecasts, and can't help thinking an aversion to mud might have been behind their decision.
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ALBUM REVIEW: New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom (Modular)
First things first - this isn't nu-rave. If anything, it's new wave (the influence of Talking Heads spreads far and wide on the album), but I'm gonna settle for disco-punk without the punk, which is a good thing, obv. In fact, NYPC just make pop music, and great pop to boot. The guitars are crisp, the beats tight and the synths pristine enough to come from New Order circa 1983. The vocals meanwhile are imbued with a fine deadpan drawl from Tabitha, who manages to make everything sound thrilling despite sounding like she's utterly bored. 'Hiding On The Staircase' piles on the carnival rhythms and handclaps which generally add to the feeling that this is a hot and sweaty (in a good way) summer album. And then there's the innuendo-laden and soon-to-be-re-released 'Ice Cream', which is still their best track by far, a cool slice of angular pop perfection. (Only 'Grey' is a tad misjudged. It's not a poor track at all, it's just that it's hard to keep a straight face and not think of the same-titled song from New Romantic spoof act Gary Le Strange). Overall though, it's a consistent listening experience and as good a summer album you'll get. MS
Release date: 9 Jul
Press contact: Bang On [all]
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WEMBLEY COMPLEX JOIN LIGHTS OUT PROJECT
I thought the National Grid weren't too keen on these 'let's all turn our lights off at the same time' gimmicks, but presumably this one has got the go ahead form the powers that be, because Mayor Ken is backing it, and one would hope he'd check no dangerous power surges are likely before supporting it. Anyway, the Wembley Arena complex has said it will turn off all of its lights at 9pm on Thursday night as part of a campaign being staged by Capital Radio, that aims to raise awareness of global warming, and to give some of the capital's more incompetent burglars a head start, presumably.
The 'Lights Out Campaign' is urging London households and businesses to join in a massive energy-saving initiative, and the lights on numerous London landmarks, including Buckingham Palace, the Houses Of Parliament and the BT Tower, will be turned off as part of it. Owners of the Wembley complex have said they will also participate in the scheme, turning off all but emergency lighting around the Arena and conference halls on the site, including on the complex's Square Of Fame in front of the main Arena.
Confirming their involvement in the scheme, Nick Shattock, Deputy CEO of Quintain, the company who own the site, told reporters yesterday: "We look forward to playing a part in creating awareness of a low carbon footprint for all. We aim to create a sustainable, zero-carbon Wembley and this campaign gives us the opportunity to show our commitment to that aim".
We here at CMU HQ will also be shutting down all our power supplies at 9pm on Thursday night. Oh, hang on, there's a 'Doc Martin' repeat on ITV3 at 9 - scratch that, I mean global warming is important and all, but I'm not going to miss some classic Clunes.
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FORMER EMI CHIEF GOT MULTI-MILLION PAY OFF
Well, that former EMI Music chief Alain Levy did rather well out of being fired. In fact, I think my new ambition in life is to fuck up a major record company. Clearly there's good money in it. According to EMI's annual report the former recorded music boss received a £2.5 million loss of employment compensation package after being kicked out of his job, in addition to a £1.1 million "incentive remuneration", 20 million share options and a one year retirement package. Which tells you one thing. He was a damn site better at negotiating employment contracts than running a record company, albeit one that was already seeing a sales decline when he took over in 2001.
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ECO-FRIENDLY CD PACKS TO GO ON SALE IN ASDA
Universal will make 42 titles from its '20th Century Masters - The Millennium' range available in more eco-friendly packaging via Asda - Asda being keen on eco-friendly initiatives, green being their corporate colour and all. The new Ecopac packaging is made by a company called Shorewood Packaging and is made from 100% recycled and recyclable materials with paperfoam trays and no booklet - supporting copy is provided on a tie in website.
Commenting on the new eco-friendly CD range, Asda Music Buyer Andy Powell said: "Reducing packaging is one of Asda's key objectives, and we are considering every option to achieve this goal. The new packaging ensures that CDs are protected and yet can easily be recycled, helping to reduce the UK's environmental footprint".
No word from Powell as to why the turkey I bought from Asda at the weekend was so tasteless. Nor why you can no longer get turkey from the deli counter and have to buy it pre-packed from the fridges. That hardly reduces packaging. It's possible I'm on a slight tangent here, but I think these are important issues that need to be dealt with. Let's see if Universal Music Catalogue Marketing Director Silvia Montello can throw any light on the turkey situation. "Universal Music takes environmental issues very seriously and we want to make our products as environmentally sound as possible. The Ecopac range is an important step in that process". Nope, that's no help whatsoever.
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GLOVER JOINS COMPACT
Artist Manager John Glover has joined independent rights collection society Compact Collection, where he will be charged with the task of increasing revenues and representative opportunities for the agency's clients. Glover, of London based Blueprint Management, and an active and founder member of the Music Managers Forum, has worked in the royalty collecting domain before as Director Of Enforcement at performance royalty organisation AURA, which was recently absorbed into PPL, of course.
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ROWNTREE SAYS SENSIBLE THINGS
Oh look, it's that lovely Dave Rowntree from Blur speaking some sense during an interview on the podcast from e-legal mag OUT-LAW. He was asked about the way the record industry has responded to the arrival of the internet and P2P and all that jazz. Here's what he says: "If you turn back the clock when all this stuff was still on the horizon, the key realization to have made was that we had lost the war already. That's what I was going round telling everybody 10 years ago, saying 'the horse has bolted; there's no way of undoing what has been done already; the only thing you can do is to try and turn your business around so that you turn this into a plus rather than a minus. DRM was doomed to fail because the people who it was designed to stop, as in the counterfeiters or the mass file sharers or the people doing it for political reasons, could easily bypass it. But the people who were caught in the trap of DRM were the ordinary people who wanted to play their CDs on their computer as well as their CD recorder or who wanted to make a tape of it to put on in the car who were doing things that most people, regardless of the law, would regard as legitimate activities. They have become very much the establishment... By the time that the industry was starting to fight what they saw as the war against file sharing, they really weren't in anybody's good books any more; they didn't have the goodwill of the people whose behavior they were trying to control". He speaks sense you know.
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YAHOO! APPOINTMENTS
The Chairman of Yahoo!, Terry Semel, has ended his six year tenure as CEO for the web company, and will now hand over the reins to co-founder Jerry Yang, though he will stay on as a Non-exec Chairman. Yang has also appointed Susan Decker as President. So, there you go.
On more musical matters, but staying with Yahoo!, the web firm has announced it has promoted Shannon Ferguson to the role of European MD for Music & Entertainment, with Ventura Barba taking over Shannon's role of European GM for Music.
Here's what Yahoo! Regional VP Stephen Taylor has to say: "Shannon's strategic vision, sheer determination and drive have built Yahoo! Music over the last few years, making it the number one music site in Europe, an enormous accomplishment. We are very excited about this move, the wealth of experience Shannon brings to the role, and being able to watch her develop our entertainment products into an even stronger offering for our users and advertisers".
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POTTS' GOT TALENT, APPARENTLY
In case you're interested in these things, an opera-singing phone salesman called Paul Potts won the very first series of Simon Cowell's 'Britain's Got Talent' show on Sunday night, though if you are interested in these things I suspect you'd already know that. Potts beat six year old singing favourite Connie Talbot to win the £100,000 prize, a Royal Variety performance spot and a record deal with Cowell. CMU Caro says he deserved to win, but that Cowell should get him some serious voice training before recording the debut album. And obviously Cowell always consults Caro on these things, so that's all sorted.
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BRITNEY TOLD OFF BY MRS S
TV producer Aaron Spelling's widow Candy has written an open letter to Britney Spears castigating her for dressing like a hooker and playing to the media. Mrs S has previously written a similar letter to Britney's one time best buddy Paris 'jailbird' Hilton.
Spelling writes: "Dear Britney. Why, if you have to slither in and out of cars, do clumsy imitations of gymnasts and wear clothes that are just too tight, trashy or skimpy, do you have to pose in front of photographers all the time? We've seen the body parts, poses and clumsy attention-seeking tricks before. You're wearing out your welcome. Some people never can turn away from a train wreck, so who can blame the photographers for waiting for your next one? Do you really want captions such as TMZ's own 'Victim of Pap Smear' and 'Does Britney Change Clothes for Cash' to be your legacy? You can do much better".
Oohh, get her.
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DOHERTY FOUR MONTHS EARLY FOR COURT REVIEW
Favourite story of the month. Don't know if it's true, but like it all the same. Pete Doherty reportedly turned up to court four months early last week. Better known for arriving late, or not at all, the Babyshambler showed up a Thames Magistrates Court last week thinking he had one of those regular reviews of his ongoing court ordered rehab efforts. But when he got there officials sent him home, pointing out he isn't due back in court until October. The People reported on the incident, quoting one source thus: "With so many dates to remember, you almost have to sympathise". Whether that means he'll now be showing up for gigs he's not booked to play I don't know.