| CMU Daily - on the inside Wednesday 23rd April |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- SonyBMG sign up to Comes With Music
- Nokia open music store in Australia
- Sony Corp buy Gracenote
- Altamont Angel sues over biking TV show
- Bon Jovi man pleads no contest to DUI charges
- Paul Davis dies
- Al Wilson dies
- Bruce Kapp dies
- Babyshambler urges Londoners to block BNP
- Policeman questioned over Lang escort
- Shakira backs Gordon Brown
- Tong loves MySpace
- Bright Eyes man goes solo again
- Stone Temple Pilots talk tour and new material
- Lily writes song for comedy star
- Cocker plans new solo album
- Peter Bjorn and John go instrumental
- Joss Stone signs up to Princes' soldier benefit
- My Bloody Valentine curate ATP New York
- More acts announced for Get Loaded
- Ibiza Rocks news
- The Music dates
- Pet Shop Boys one off
- Media reports of snags in EMI downsize plans
- CBS appoint former XBox marketer as Last.fm CMO
- Music producers guild to launch awards
- Collins Long merge with Benedicts
- German collecting society sees revenues fall
- ITV bring shows to iTunes
- Weller slams Glastonbury
- Signed marriage licence seemingly filed for Beyonce and Jay-Z
- Opik to marry Cheeky Girl
- Kanye West splits with fiance
- Elvis's secret visit to England
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TOP BIT
So, we are now getting very very close to the CMU Recommended INDY Music Awards, which, as much previously mentioned, take place at the London Forum this Friday.
These are the awards that celebrate brand new music talent, and which use the independent gig promoters of the UK as a way of discovering that new talent. Said promoters put forward bands for awards, fans then get to vote in a bid to identify shortlists in each category, and then industry and media types (including CMU) select the overall winners.
You can go and check and find out about all the finalists in every category at this here URL:
http://www.indyawards.co.uk/2008/artist_finalists.php
The overall winners will be announced and celebrated at a special show at London's Forum this Friday, 25 Apr. And it's going to be special for many reasons. Among the shortlisted bands set to play at the event are Dawn Kinnard, Thee Vicars, Shuffle, Vimala, Little Fish and The Penny Black Remedy, who will provide support to the established artists who will headline the show - which are Starsailor and The Buzzcocks, the latter of which will be presented with a new INDY Inspiration Award.
Tickets for the awards show are just a tenner and can be bought right now at this here URL: http://www.wegottickets.com. Press types looking to attend should get in touch with Burt Greener asap - [email protected].
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JOBS N STUFF
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SONYBMG SIGN UP TO COMES WITH MUSIC
SonyBMG yesterday announced it had signed up to Nokia's Comes With Music venture, the thing where special Nokia phones come 'pre-loaded' with a one year subscription that gives the device's owner free access to music via their mobile.
As I understand it, consumers can download tracks for free from the Comes With Music platform, to their mobile or PC, for a year after first buying their phone. Unlike, say, a Napster subscription, the customer can keep the songs at the end of the year, though they are DRM encrypted so will only work on Nokia devices. While that last bit is a bit limiting, the phone firm says customers will be able to transfer their Comes With Music track collection over to any new Nokia device they buy, so they won't completely lose the tunes when they get a new phone, providing the new phone is a Nokia.
The package launched last year but only Universal Music is currently participating (although EMI have reportedly expressed an interest in getting involved). SonyBMG's participation, announced in London yesterday, will considerably expand the catalogue of music available to Comes With Music users.
Confirming SonyBMG's involvement, Nokia Exec VP and Head Of Entertainment, Tero Ojanperä, told CMU: "As one of the leading major music companies in the world, our collaboration with SonyBMG means we can offer a huge range of fantastic music from both international and local artists via Comes With Music. It's great to have them on board as we move forward with bringing our unlimited music bundle to the market".
SonyBMG's digital chief Thomas Hesse added: "This initiative represents a critical new way of gaining access to music, through which fans will be able to explore SonyBMG's vast catalogue of recordings for an entire year. We think this business model will encourage users to sample a wide range of material, expand their musical tastes, and listen to more music than ever before. In the process, we think it will provide new opportunities to artists from every genre of music, and increase demand for music overall".
So, there you go. As previously reported, there has been much speculation as to how much money Universal has been receiving per handset as part of their Comes With Music deal with Nokia. Gossipers at one point suggested Nokia was foregoing its whole profit margin on the devices in order to get the music deal off the ground, while more recently it was speculated that Universal was getting $35 per phone sold, though Nokia have denied that, and remain tight lipped on their deals with the record companies regarding Comes With Music.
There is not, as yet, any timescale for EMI's catalogue being added to the mix, despite them have expressed an interest in participating. Asked about other label deals yesterday, Ojanpera told Billboard that there was no news on any other deals, but that "we've seen a lot of interest with bigger and smaller labels".
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NOKIA OPEN MUSIC STORE IN AUSTRALIA
More Nokia for you now, and the phone firm's a la carte download offer, the Nokia Music Store, has launched in Australia, meaning the mobile and online digital music service is now operating in the UK, Germany, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands and down under. Universal, SonyBMG and EMI are all signed up to the service.
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SONY CORP BUY GRACENOTE
And more Sony news for you, though parent company Sony Corp this time. The US division of the entertainments conglom has bought Gracenote, the music identification resource we all tap each time we put a new album into iTunes. Gracenote operates a number of music recognition and lyric services, including providing music ID for home and car audio systems and mobile music players, as well as identifying albums and track names when they are played on a PC via things like iTunes. Sony Corp US says Gracenote will continue to operate as an independent concern within the group, though other Sony businesses will look at how they can use Gracenote's expertise to enhance their own services.
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ALTAMONT ANGEL SUES OVER BIKING TV SHOW
So, if you wonder why Hells Angels veteran Sonny Barger counts as music news, well, he earned himself a mention in rock history by being involved in overseeing the biker group's disastrous policing of the 1969 Rolling Stones headlined Altamont Speedway Free Festival. He's also one of the better known Hells Angels because he appears in Hunter S Thompson's book on the group. Anyway, he's suing US TV channel HBO and the producers of a motorcycle themed drama pilot made for the network, claiming the drama, about a fictional motorcycle club, stole his ideas. He says he collaborated on the original pitch for the drama with writer/producer Michael Tolkin, but that once HBO had commissioned the pilot he was cut out of the project. He also alleges that one of the characters in the show is too similar to his own persona. He is looking for compensatory damages and for a stake in the script.
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BON JOVI MAN PLEADS NO CONTEST TO DUI CHARGES
Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora has pleaded no contest to those previously reported DUI charges. As previously reported, Sambora was done for drink driving late last month after being pulled over by police after they saw him driving "erratically". The case against him was possibly worse because he was driving his ten year old daughter and one of her friends at the time. He has been placed on three years probation, and will not be allowed to drink at all during that time, which seems quite severe. He will also pay $1600 in a fine and legal costs, and attend an alcohol education course.
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PAUL DAVIS DIES
Singer-songwriter Paul Davis has died from a heart attack at the age of 60. The musician passed away yesterday at the Rush Foundation Hospital in his home town of Meridian, Mississippi. Probably most famous for his soft rock ballad 'I Go Crazy', which spent weeks in the US charts in 1977/78, Davis had a long and varied career in which he explored genres as diverse as soul, country and pop.
Born and raised in Meridian, he began his career in the sixties as a member of a local group, Six Soul Survivors, and later another group, Endless Chain. He also worked for Malaco Records in Jackson (also in Mississippi) alongside songwriting partner George Soule. At the end of the decade, he was signed as a solo artist to Bang Records, and released his first album, 'A Little Bit Of Paul Davis', in 1970. His first major hit, however, was the aforementioned single 'I Go Crazy', some years later. Subsequent hits included '65 Love Affair', 'Cool Night', Marie Osmond duet 'You're Still New To Me' and Tanya Tucker collaboration 'I Won't Take Less Than Your Love'.
Tommy Couch, president of Malaco Records, has paid tribute to the artist, telling reporters: "He was a super, super talented commercial songwriter and artist. Anytime you go in a big box store like Best Buy, you hear his songs playing some 25 years later". He added that "he was sort of a private person. Nobody has really heard from him lately".
His cousin James Edwards confirmed that Davis had returned to Meridian to retire, following moves to Jackson and New York during the course of his career. "He was living life at the slow pace that suited him" Edwards said "He was doing a lot of fishing. I'm still getting calls from family trying to figure out how we're going to handle the memorial."
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AL WILSON DIES
Soul singer Al Wilson has died from kidney failure at the age of 68. His son, Tony Wilson, confirmed that he passed away on Monday at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Centre in Fontana, California.
Wilson was born in Meridian, Mississippi (don't wish to be flippant about death, but yes, just like Paul Davis in the previous obit, which is an interesting coincidence) and began singing from an early age with his local church choir, as well as forming his own 'spiritual' quartet. His first professional engagement was touring with Johnny 'Legs' Harris and the Statesmen, but following that he enlisted with the US Navy. After two years in the military, he moved to LA and played with The Jewels and their subsequent group The Rollers. Spotted by manager Marc Gordon in 1966, he was signed to Johnny Rivers' Soul City label and released a first hit single in 1968, 'The Snake' - which, incidentally, has lately been featured on a Lambrini advert in the UK. Subsequent hits included 'Do What You Gotta Do', 'Show And Tell' and and "I've Got a Feeling (We'll Be Seeing Each Other Again)".
His son, the aforementioned Tony Wilson says: "He was always singing. He would call me in the middle of the night with a new song that he had written."
Wilson is survived by his wife, Patricia, his son, two daughters and thirteen grandchildren.
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BRUCE KAPP DIES
Bruce Kapp, who worked in the live music industry for forty years, has died at the age of 57 from a suspected heart attack at his home in Los Angeles. Kapp, who served as senior VP of touring at Live Nation, is credited with helping to develop the concept of national touring. Born in Chicago, Kapp started working with bands whilst still at school and after studying marketing at university, launched his own talent agency, booking artists throughout the US Midwest. In the seventies he formed concert promotion company Celebration Concerts and over the years worked with acts as diverse as The Who, Emerson Lake & Palmer, REO Speedwagon, Fleetwood Mac, Janet Jackson, and NWA. More recently, with Live Nation, he had helped to oversee tours by the likes of Aerosmith, Def Leppard and Van Halen.
Live Nation president/CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement: "Bruce was not only one of the brightest stars in the Live Nation family, his passion and spirit inspired everyone who ever had the pleasure of meeting him. He was one of the most genuine and warm people in the music business and he will be very much missed."
He is survived by his wife and one daughter.
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BABYSHAMBLER URGES LONDONERS TO BLOCK BNP
Babyshambles bassist Drew McConnell has urged London residents to vote in the upcoming local elections on 1 May, in order to block BNP members from winning seats in the London Assembly. As you Londoners may well know, as well as voting for Boris or Ken or Brian or Sian on election day, you also to get to vote for who sits in that slightly mysterious and generally anonymous thing they call the London Assembly.
Speaking to the NME, he said: "The London Assembly elections happen every four years, and last time the BNP were just 5,000 votes off getting a seat. That might not sound like a lot, but 5,000 votes is actually just 0.1 per cent! The polls are predicting the BNP to win two seats this year, which would be disastrous. As I understand it each elected member is given an office, £400,000 a year funding and, most terrifyingly in the case of the BNP, legitimacy and a platform from which to spout their vile hatred right into the heart of our nation's capital".
These comments coincide with the 'Love Music Hate Racism' carnival, which takes place this Sunday in London's Victoria Park. McConnell will appear at the event as part of a new band featuring Reverend And The Makers' Jon McClure and former Arctic Monkeys Andy Nicholson.
"Hopefully the LMHR carnival will go some way to stopping [the BNP winning seats]. We know we're only musicians, and we can't change the world armed only with guitars and bad haircuts. But there's nothing wrong with having a go, eh? If 100,000 people turn up to our event, they might just go and vote on 1 May, too. We won't get fooled again!"
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POLICEMAN QUESTIONED OVER LANG ESCORT
An on-duty policeman who provided kd lang with a motorcycle escort in Melbourne on Sunday is now being questioned by his superiors. Arrangements for the escort were made after lang's flight from Perth was delayed, causing her to run late for a TV appearance. This was, perhaps unsurprisingly, branded a complete waste of taxpayer's money after the TV show's host Rove McManus joked about the escort on air. The city's Police Commissioner has now said he will investigate the incident personally.
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SHAKIRA BACKS GORDON BROWN
His popularity amongst the British public may not be so high just now, but Prime Minister Gordon Brown can rest assured that if these things were decided by Columbian pop stars, he'd probably be safe at the next General Election.
Brown and Shakira (who is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador) were both involved in a conference call hosted by the Global Campaign For Education, which seeks to meet a UN pledge of international benchmarks in schooling by 2015. Afterwards Shakira said: "I applaud [Gordon Brown's] work and applaud the fact that he is brave enough to talk to celebrities like me. I think we are all on the same boat trying to get to the same shore, and trying to provide education for all children in the world".
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TONG LOVES MYSPACE
DJ Pete Tong has been declaring his love for MySpace, and opined that the site is now a fundamental part of the music industry. He said: "On the web, fashion dominates and MySpace was hot and then Bebo was hot for a minute and then Facebook is now hot and I think the great thing about MySpace is, almost like a great restaurant or a great club, it's past its fashionable phase and now I think it's really finding its feet. I think as a music application it's really, really strong again. I don't think it ever lost it but I think the interest after people have looked at everything else and they've kind of gone back to MySpace. As Amazon is to books MySpace is to music".
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BRIGHT EYES MAN GOES SOLO AGAIN
Bright Eyes man Conor Oberst is to release his first solo album for 13 years in August. It will also, excitingly, be the first of his solo albums to be released on any format other than cassette. The eponymous album was recorded in Mexico earlier this year with Andy LeMaster of Now It's Overhead and "special band" The Mystic Valley Band.
'Conor Oberst' will be released on 4 Aug and Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band will perform at this year's Carling Weekend on 22 and 24 Aug in Leeds and Reading respectively.
Here's a tracklist:
Cape Canaveral
Sausalito
Get-Well-Cards
Lenders In The Temple
Danny Callahan
I Don't Want to Die (In The Hospital)
Eagle On A Pole
Moab
NYC - Gone, Gone
Valle Mistico (Ruben's Song)
Souled Out!!!
Milk Thistle
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STONE TEMPLE PILOTS TALK TOUR AND NEW MATERIAL
Stone Temple Pilots bassist Robert DeLeo has been talking to Billboard about the newly reformed band's upcoming four month long US tour and has hinted that they may record new material later in the year too.
"I think new material will come probably after this tour," he said. "I think the whole thing now is kind of getting back and re-acclimating ourselves to the songs that we know. I think that's gonna make for a better atmosphere and better performances instead of doing a new record. Then, after this tour finishes, I think we're gonna be in a position where we've gotten to know each other again, and I think it's gonna be time to hit the studio".
As previously reported, Stone Temple Pilots confirmed their reunion after frontman Scott Weiland's acrimonious split from Velvet Revolver. DeLeo said that he would be approaching this new tour with an "open attitude," hinting that there may be unresolved issues amongst this band's members, too. He said: "In our prime we didn't get through four months of touring. It's a pretty big bite, but I think there's a lot more clarity this time around and a lot more wisdom to go along with the music itself".
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LILY WRITES SONG FOR COMEDY STAR
Lily Allen has written a song for 'Gavin And Stacey' writer James Corden. The singer was apparently unable to attend the BAFTA Awards ceremony on Sunday night, where Corden picked up two awards. So, instead she sent him the lyrics to the song, entitled 'From Barry To Billericay,' or so says The Daily Star. This follows the two new demos, which, as we reported yesterday, the singer recently made available on her MySpace page.
In other Lily Allen news, 'Strictly Come Dancing' winner Alesha Dixon reports that Allen is keep to take part in the next series of the show. "Lily told me that she wanted to do it," she said. "I don't know whether she has been advised not to, but she would be fantastic".
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COCKER PLANS NEW SOLO ALBUM
Ah, but which Cocker, I hear you ask. Or maybe I was the only one who thought of Joe Cocker first. Anyway, it's not him. Former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker has been speaking about his previously unannounced second solo album. Well, he said he's got two new songs written - 'Girls Like It Too' and 'The Usual'. "I've got vague ideas," he said. "I'd like to do another [album] before the end of the year". So, er, the big news here is that a musician wants to record an album.
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PETER BJORN AND JOHN GO INSTRUMENTAL
Having burrowed through your skull with some infectious whistling, Peter Bjorn And John are letting up with their new LP, having removed vocals entirely from the mix and gone instrumental. Peter Moren (he's the one who isn't Bjorn or John) told Billboard, "Some songs are African/Brazilian music, then there are a couple of kraut/punk, and some are lounge songs".
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JOSS STONE SIGNS UP TO PRINCES' SOLDIER BENEFIT
Joss Stone has agreed to perform at a benefit concert in aid of soldiers injured in Iraq, currently being organised by Princes William and Harry. The City Salute gala will take place later this year and funds will go to the City Salute Appeal.
Speaking about her involvement in the event, Stone said: "I think the way the government treats our soldiers is really fucked up. They can go to war, but if they get their leg blown off they come back and are delaying with the NHS. They should have a right to private treatment paid for by the government. I'm doing [this concert] because I support the cause and because [William and Harry] are good friends".
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MY BLOODY VALENTINE CURATE ATP NEW YORK
My Bloody Valentine are set to headline and curate a new All Tomorrow's Parties event in New York state in September. According to reports, the event will be held at the Kutshers Country Club in Monticello, about a hundred miles north of NYC, from 19-21 Sep, and will feature four acts - Built To Spill, Tortoise, The Meat Puppets, and Thurston Moore - performing classic albums in their entirety. Also appearing are the likes of Shellac, Mogwai, Fuck Buttons, The Drones and Low. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
It's not the first ATP event to hit US shores, of course. Their first events took place in LA and Long Beach in 2003 and 2004, but the brand stayed away for a couple of years until returning last summer to host 'Don't Look Back' events (the entire-classic-album-in its-entirety strand) at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.
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MORE ACTS ANNOUNCED FOR GET LOADED
More acts have been announced for this year's Get Loaded In The Park, and amongst them are Supergrass, Gogol Bordello, Reverend & The Makers, The Holloways, Soulwax, Kate Nash, The Hives and The Gossip. As previously reported, the Clapham Common event, headlined by Iggy & The Stooges takes place on 24 Aug, tickets on sale now info from www.getloadedinthepark.com.
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IBIZA ROCKS NEWS
Ibiza Rocks have announced their line-up for this year and it's looking pretty good, a couple of my favourites in there, look, here are the thus-far confirmed acts:
31 May: The Enemy + Underground Heroes plus Rob Da Bank - Ibiza Rocks Hotel launch
17 Jun: The Pigeon Detectives + Support
1 Jul: The Wombats + Support
8 Jul: The Fratellis + Support
22 Jul: We Are Scientists + Support
12 Aug: Reverend and the Makers + Support
26 Aug: Soulwax Nite Versions/2 Many DJ's
9 Sep: Pendulum Live + Guests
Andy McKay, Ibiza Rocks Promoter says this: "We're now in our fourth year and Ibiza Rocks is well established but this year there is an extra layer of energy and excitement. The opening of the Ibiza Rocks Hotel means we can offer live bands every night of the week. In addition, we have our new stage, our amazing selection of outdoor venues for the gigs and a talent list that keeps Ibiza both cutting edge and current - we are feeling quietly confident that the festival bar is going to be raised again."
Tickets go on sale from 11am next Wed from http://www.ibizarocks.com.
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THE MUSIC DATES
The Music have announced an extensive UK tour surrounding the release of their third album 'Strength In Numbers', on 16 Jun. Here are the dates:
13 May: London ULU
14 May: Leeds Metropolitan University
16 May: Manchester Academy 2
17 May: Glasgow QMU
15 Jun: Isle Of Wight Festival
16 Jun: Cardiff University
18 Jun: Liverpool Academy
19 Jun: Newcastle University
20 Jun: Sheffield Leadmill
22 Jun: Bristol Bierkeller
23 Jun: Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
25 Jun: Norwich Waterfront
26 Jun: Cambridge Junction
27 Jun: Oxford Academy
1 Jul: Manchester Academy
2 Jul: Leeds Town Hall
4 Jul: London Astoria
5 Jul: Glasgow ABC
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PET SHOP BOYS ONE OFF
The Pet Shop Boys are to play a one-off gig in London next month in tribute to their former assistant Dainton Connell, who died in a car crash last year in Moscow. The show will take place on 2 May featuring a collaboration with Madness members Suggs and Carl, and is part of a wider event, Can You Bear It?, featuring DJs such as Danny Rampling, Judge Jules, Terry Farley, Nicky Holloway, Brandon Block, Dave Dorrell and Tall Paul. Proceeds from the event are to go to Connell's family.
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MEDIA REPORTS OF SNAGS IN EMI DOWNSIZE PLANS
There is increasing chatter about just when the drastic part of Guy Hands' planned EMI revamp will take place. Obviously there has been quite a bit of restructuring and senior executive changes going on at the major since Hands' Terra Firma bought the London based music firm last year, and especially since he announced his plans for the company in January. But those plans included the abrupt axing of 2000 jobs, and while some people have gone since the revamp began the expected big overnight cull is yet to occur.
Some EMI insiders assure us the restructuring (and therefore downsizing) plans are all on schedule, but Billboard and Reuters have reported that actually plans for the major job cuts have hit various snags, mainly because of clauses in either employee contracts that offer overly favourable pay offs even if someone's job just changes, or in artists contracts which change the label/artist relationship if a certain exec is sacked. Whether there's any truth in any of that we don't know. Given all this restructuring was meant to be completed before the summer, presumably we'll find out quite soon whether things are really on schedule.
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CBS APPOINT FORMER XBOX MARKETER AS LAST.FM CMO
CBS has hired a former Microsoft exec to oversee the US marketing of music recommendation whatnot Last.fm. Orlena Yeung previously oversaw Xbox's global marketing, and will become Exec VP and Chief Marketing Officer for last.fm. The music service's co-founder, Felix Miller, says this: "Last.fm's tremendous growth over the past few months makes her arrival perfectly timed as we look to build our already significant user base".
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MUSIC PRODUCERS GUILD TO LAUNCH AWARDS
Aren't I always saying that producers are the unsung heroes of music? Well, consider them sung, because the Music Producers Guild have announced they will stage their first ever awards event next year. Remixers, mixers, programmers, studios, engineers and all kinds of sound wizards will be celebrated at the London awards bash on 12 Feb 2009. Music Week quote MPG founder Robin Millar thus: "Recording professionals are vital to the success of the entire music industry. I hope these awards will send out a clear signal, particularly to A&R staff, that production values mean something".
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COLLINS LONG MERGE WITH BENEDICTS
Entertainment legal firm Collins Long has announced that music legal outfit Benedicts LLP, run by John Benedict, has merged with them. I know this because the Collins of Collins Long, James, has just told me. Look: "I am delighted with the merger. We have been approached by other firms who wanted to join us - but John is one of the very few people we would have done this with".
Elsewhere at the legal company, Olivia Bedell-Pearce, whose background is in the finance and banking sectors, has joined the company as an Assistant Solicitor to help strengthen the firm's commercial finance team. The company says: "Collins Long is undertaking more and more the complex venture capital and finance deals offered to artists and entertainers by record companies and private investors. We were looking to find someone to assist with these transactions and Olivia was looking to become a music and entertainment lawyer so the future is looking bright for all involved".
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GERMAN COLLECTING SOCIETY SEES REVENUES FALL
Everything is good in the world of music publishing yes? Well, who knows, but the news that German publishing collecting society GEMA has just announced a fall in revenues of 24.8 million euros last year can't be that good news, though, I suppose, while 2007 revenues were down 2.83% on 2006, that was a record breaking year, operating at levels that possibly couldn't be expected to be maintained. Mechanical right revenues from record labels were down, perhaps unsurprisingly given the state of German record sales, though collections from TV and radio were down too. GEMA chairman Dr Harald Heker told reporters: "The music industry in Germany again had to live with a distinct decline of the turnover. In general GEMA also expects for the business-year 2008 a further distinct decline of income". So, that's nice.
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ITV BRING SHOWS TO ITUNES
ITV is to make more than 260 hours of archive programmes available for sale via iTunes, including shows like 'Brideshead Revisited', 'Cold Feet' and 'Captain Scarlet'. Shows will be available for £1.89 per episode, or viewers can buy a whole series. New programmes are also expected to be added in due course, though not until 30 days after they air on the commercial broadcaster. Confirming the arrival of the network's shows to iTunes, ITV exec Dawn Airey told reporters: "[We want to] give viewers the opportunity to watch their favourite shows wherever they are. ITV has thousands of hours of classic content in the archive which we are bringing to a whole new audience".
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WELLER SLAMS GLASTONBURY
More Glastonbury ranting, anybody? It's the latest thing, you know. Hating Glastonbury is the new black. Today it's the turn of Paul Weller to get shirty. The former Jam frontman marked out his comments from the rest by not only being down on the festival but everyone who goes to it as well.
Speaking on BBC 6Music, he said: "The difference between doing it in 94 and doing it last year was that most of the audience knew the greatest hits, whereas in 94 they were music fans. You didn't just have to do the greatest hits, that was very noticeable to me. [And] the conditions are disgusting aren't they? I don't know how people can... I mean, you'd have to be off your box to stay there for three days wouldn't you?"
"I'm not a big lover of festivals at the best of times," he concluded, somewhat unnecessarily. "I like proper gigs... and it's just really corporate now isn't it?"
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SIGNED MARRIAGE LICENCE SEEMINGLY FILED FOR BEYONCE AND JAY-Z
A village clerk in Scarsdale, a Northern suburb of New York, has reportedly told local media that Jay-Z and Beyonce have filed a marriage licence which, needless to say, is adding to speculation that the power couple of hip hop/R&B have, indeed, got married. As previously reported, there were reports that the couple had obtained a licence at the start of the month, and then a lavish party took place at Jay-Z's Manhattan home on 4 Apr, shortly after a minister was reportedly seen arriving at the hip hopper's property. Despite all that, neither Jay nor Beyonce's people have officially commented one way or another on any wedding. However, the latest report is that the licence, signed by the person who officiated at the wedding, has now arrived with officials. If the couple are now married it isn't clear why they'd want to keep it secret after the fact - unless Jay is planning on announcing it while among his biggest fans and closest friends at Glastonbury later this year of course.
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OPIK TO MARRY CHEEKY GIRL
Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik is to marry Cheeky Girl Gabriela Irimia. The MP for Montgomeryshire in Wales revealed in an interview with Hello! Magazine that he proposed in Rome last week, next to the Trevi Fountain. As I'm sure you'll remember, Opik left his previous fiancee, weather presenter Sian Lloyd, in favour of the pop star in 2006. Opik says they plan to wed either next year or in 2010.
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KANYE WEST SPLITS WITH FIANCE
Sticking with pop engagements, here's one that's not going so well. Or not going at all, in fact. Kanye West and his fiancee Alexis Phifer have announced that they have split up. They will remain friends, though, Phifer told People Magazine. She said: "It's always sad when things like this end. I wish him the best in his future and all of his endeavours. He's one of the most talented people I've ever met".
The couple announced their engagement last year and had planned to marry last Christmas, but the death of West's mother put plans on hold. Phifer attributed the rapper's busy tour schedule to their split.
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ELVIS'S SECRET VISIT TO ENGLAND
It's time to re-write the musical history books, folks - Elvis Presley did visit England. It has always been thought that his only stopover in the UK was a brief landing for his plane to refuel at Prestwich Airport in Scotland in 1960. However, theatre producer Bill Kenwright let slip in an interview for BBC Radio 2 that The King once came to London for a sightseeing tour with fellow singer Tommy Steele (who was then billed as the "British Elvis").
Speaking on Ken Bruce's 'Tracks Of My Years', Kenwright revealed that the trip took place in 1958, when Elvis was 23, and the two singers, with Presley's then soon-to-be-wife Priscilla, took in the Houses Of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. "It's quite something, isn't it - the thought of them wandering around London together", he later told the Daily Mail. "But the impression I got was that they never got out of the car. It was more like, 'There's Buckingham Palace... there's the Houses of Parliament'".
Asked to confirm the meeting, Steele, now 71, said "What actually happened many years ago is something secret and memorable. It was an event shared by two young men sharing the same love of their music and the same thrill of achieving something unimaginable. I swore never to divulge publicly what took place and I regret that it has found some way of 'getting into the light'. I can only hope [Elvis] can forgive me".