| CMU Daily - on the inside 24 Mar 2003 |
|
In today's CMU Daily:
• 3D cleared of child porn allegations
• Madonna tweaks anti-war video
• Anti-war latest
• Review: The Strike Boys – Music's In The Air
• More on Move Manchester
• Radiohead donate track to Samaritan's MTV competition
• Evans' agent in the dock
• Marr keen on current rockers
• Industry association confident legit download sites will prevail
• Review: Pressure Drop – Food Of Love
• Reality pop update
• Bass by name...Nysnc news
------------------------------------------------
CMU POP QUIZ
Win a free 12 month subscription to Xfm's new monthly music magazine X-Ray, keep the answers to our cover version related questions each day this week and find out how to enter on Friday.
Q1: Which two Simon Cowell managed acts have covered 'Unchained Melody'’?
Answers to last week’s pop quiz and the winners at the bottom of today's Daily.
------------------------------------------------
OUT TODAY – RECOMMENDED RELEASES
Singles: Athlete - El Salvador (EMI/Parlophone); Hot Hot Heat - Bandages (Subpop); Coldplay – Clocks (EMI/Parlophone); Richard X vs Liberty X – Being Nobody (V2)
Albums: Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes For Cash (Warp); Grandpopo FC – Shampoo Victims (BMG); Swag - No Such Thing (Primitive); Themroc - Beyond These Things (Wall Of Sound); Various - Junior Label Compilation (Junior); Kaskade – It’s You It’s Me (Om Records); Advertising The Invisible – Hiding In the Spotlight (Evil Genius); DJ Format – Music For The Mature B-Boy (Genuine); Linkin Park - Meteora (Warners); Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts (Virgin); The Cardigans - Long Gone Before Daylight (Universal/Stockholm); OK Go –- OK Go (EMI/Parlophone)
------------------------------------------------
CHART REPORT
So, no surprise that Gareth Gates and the Kumars remain at number on in this week's singles chart with their Comic Relief rendition of 'Spirit in the Sky'. Equally no surprise that the Top 10 is filled with new entries - Mis-Teeq's 'Scandalous' at 2, Richard X v Liberty X's 'Being Nobody' at 3, Blue's 'U Make Me Wanna' at 5 and the new Simply Red track at 7.
In fact lot's of new entries in the singles chart this week - the more welcome ones appearing lower down - Linkin Park's 'Somewhere I Belong' enters at 10, while you'll find NERD with 'Provider/Lapdancer' at 20, Something Corporated with 'Punk Rock Princesses' at 33, and Saint Etinne with 'Soft Like Me' at 40. All in all a good chart this week - and Junior Senior hang on in there still at number five - making it all the better!
Albums wise no one can shift Norah Jones off the top spot, despite a commendable effort by Coldplay who are at number 2. Perhaps the single release of Coldplay's 'Clocks' today will give them a sales push so they can reclaim the top spot - though personally I'm sick to death of that song (especially since the Freeview campaign on the BBC) so it's release wouldn't send me down to Woolworths for the album.
Elsewhere in the album chart new entries for Paul McCartney with the UK release of his live album, which enters at 5. A Boyzone's Ballads compilation goes straight in at 6 (what Boyzone song wasn't a ballad? And who'd want to buy a Boyzone compliation who hasn't already got their best of?). Danni Minouge goes in at 8 and Evan Dando (opinion split on him round here) enters the chart at 30 with 'Baby I'm Bored'.
------------------------------------------------
3D CLEARED OF CHILD PORN ALLEGATIONS
The police have confirmed that no charges will be made against Massive Attack's 3D. They arrested him last month alleging he had bought child porn on the internet. But they have now returned computer equipment they seized and have informed his management no action will be taken. In a statement police told reporters: "A man in his 30s from Bristol, who was arrested on Tuesday February 25, has been released without charge in relation to internet pornography offences due to insufficient evidence. He is still on police bail in relation to allegations of possession of a controlled drug."
3D, currently on tour with Massive Attack, said at the time of his arrest: "I have never looked at child pornography in my life. I am fully cooperating with the police and I would ask everyone not to judge me prematurely. I have total faith in the justice system."
------------------------------------------------
MADONNA TWEAKS ANTI-WAR VIDEO
Madonna is backtracking slightly with regards the video to forthcoming track 'American Life'. The video was designed to communicate an anti-war message, featuring footage depicting the catastrophic repercussions and horror of war. Now America is actually dropping bombs on Iraq Madonna's people feel the video needs to be tweaked a little so as not to offend those with friends or family fighting in the Middle East. But her management are denying a complete overhaul.
Madonna's US spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg told the New York Post the video is simply being "fine tuned" in the light of current events: "Madonna is being sensitive to what's going on in the world right now. There will be some minor alterations. What might have looked right two weeks ago might not look that way now. But she's not re-doing the whole video, and it will still be out the first week of April."
'American Life' is released here on 14 Apr – the album of the same name will appear the following week.
----------------------------------------------
ANTI-WAR LATEST
Following another weekend of anti-war protests around the world more artists are working on anti-war music, with some following the Beastie Boys lead and making their anti-war music available via the internet so as to have immediate impact.
Former Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zack de la Rocha has collaborated with DJ Shadow to produce 'March of Death' which can be downloaded at http://marchofdeath.com, while Sony artist John Mellancamp has written an anti-war track called 'To Washington' which you can download at http://www.mellencamp.com. And former Clash guitarist Mick Jones has recorded his first material in ten years to make an anti-war statement – the track, 'Why Do Men Fight?', is a collaboration with former Generation X and Sigu Sigue Sputnik member Tony James and is available on the Poptones website – http://www.poptones.co.uk.
Word is Lou Reed also has been in the studio to record an updated version of 'Walk on the Wild Side' which has been reworked as a commentary on the war. Meanwhile hip hop moguls P. Diddy and Russell Simmons have promised the hip hop community are putting together some anti-war releases.
Whether radio stations will play the tracks remains to be seen. All radio stations have instructed presenters to respect worldwide events in their programming, which probably means the black lists of tracks deemed insensitive during war are back in operation –- whether black lists will include the plethora of anti-war tracks appearing, mainly on the internet, remains to be seen. Though in an interview in this week's NME Audioslave's Tom Morello (formerly of Rage Against The Machine) reminds readers US based radio conglomerate Clear Channel banned their entire back catalogue, as well as John Lennon’s 'Imagine', in the week's following September 11th because of their political message.
Elsewhere in the world of anti-wardom, Robbie Williams has said that while he isn't pro-war he is supporting the British army fighting in Iraq, and that the b-side on his next single -– called 'Happy Easter (War Is Coming)' is not a direct statement on the current conflict. He says the song was written long before the schedule for the current war became clear. Probably just as well because by the time the single is released on 14 Apr the Lennon track on which it is based will probably be more accurate (ie 'War is Over').
Finally in the anti-war section of today's Daily, Matchbox Twenty are the latest American band to postpone a European tour, due to start in Germany this week, in reaction to the war. Frontman Rob Thomas said in a statement: "Our concern is not only for the safety of our band and our crew, but, more importantly, for the well-being of our fans, whom we certainly do not want to put at risk just by coming out to see us play." Still not sure why these Americans think Islamic fundamentalists are more likely to target the clearly anti-war European mainland rather than the American cities where the war is being run from, but there you go.
---------------------------------------------
REVIEW: The Strike Boys –- Music's In The Air (Stereo Deluxe)
The Strike Boys have a steadily growing rep as stalwart house producers, and this 12" short help to solidify that. The original is in itself a great downtempo house track with a classic house-style male soul refrain, rising strings, a big fat grinding bassline, and an endearing reggae rhythm intro and breakdown. The 'Megablast Remix ft Hubert Tubbs' is a dirty broken beat cut with Hubert Tubbs adding his own heartfelt vocals to great effect (Although not that repetitive, the cut needs a peak; but still personal fave mix). The 'Strike Boys Dub Mix' is a massive nu-skool breaks come UK garage track, with filthy aggressive synth stabs and a skippy 2 step rhythm – then the bass kicks in like the first time you heard 187 Lockdown or Dead Dred's Dred Bass. With it's garage beats and Roots Manuva-style echoing and delay this is a great dub inspired dub – if that makes sense. JG
Release date: 21 Apr
Press contact: Zzonked
----------------------------------------------
MORE ON MOVE MANCHESTER
The Manic Street Preachers and The Charlatans have been added to the bill of the Manchester Move festival which takes place at the city's Lancashire Cricket Ground from 10 –- 13 July. They join Super Furry Animals, Feeder, REM, Badly Drawn Boy and Idlewild who have already been confirmed to play.
-----------------------------------------------
RADIOHEAD DONATE TRACK TO SAMARITAN'S MTV COMPETITION
Radiohead have donated a track for a competition being run by MTV as part of the Samaritan's Need To Talk campaign. MTV are inviting wannabe film makers to make a 30 -– 60 second film or animation based on the phrase 'need to talk' -– the film will be set to Radiohead's 'Meeting In The Aisle', a track recorded during the 'OK Computer' sessions.
Radiohead have supported the Samaritan's on a number of projects –- with drummer Phil Selway helping to man their phones – he explains: "When the biggest killer of young men in the UK is themselves, anything the band can do to draw attention to the issue of emotional health is worthwhile."
Talking about the band's involvement in the competition MTV marketing director James Scroggs told reporters: "Radiohead have been generously supportive in offering an exclusive track, and their endorsement will both inspire the film-makers and help bring the issue of discussing emotional issues to the fore."
Filmmakers wanting to submit films can find full info and download the Radiohead soundtrack at http://www.mtv.co.uk/needtotalk. The deadline for entries is 25 Apr.
-----------------------------------------------
EVANS' AGENT IN THE DOCK
As the Evans / Virgin Radio trial continued, Evan's agent Michael Foster was accused of deliberately misleading Virgin Radio chief executive John Pearson about the whereabouts of Mr Evans after the DJ failed to turn up to present his breakfast show on 1 May 2001. Geoffrey Vos QC, representing Virgin Radio's parent company Scottish Media Group, claimed Foster waited until Evans and then bride-to-be Billie Piper were safely on an aeroplane bound for LA before he contacted Pearson.
"By 5 o'clock in the evening you knew Mr Evans was in the air and yet you phoned Mr Pearson and didn't tell him. That was not a responsible thing to do. Mr Evans told you the right day that he was getting married, Sunday May 6, and you told Mr Pearson the wrong day, Monday May 7."
Foster agreed holding back on the news Evans was bound for US was irresponsible, but he denied supplying misleading information, claiming he did not know Evan's exact plans for his time in America. Foster went on to back Evan's claims that he took time off from the breakfast show because of mental stress caused by the break up of his breakfast show team and pressures put on him by SMG management –- and not because he wanted a drunken binge.
He told how he had gone to Evan's home and found "Chris sitting on the sofa and in anybody's parlance he was a wreck. He couldn't speak to me for 20 minutes, he was crying and sobbing." Denying these were the symptoms of a hungover Evans, he said: "I could see a man I had known since 1990 was jelly, he was crying and couldn't coherently stand, not because he was drunk."
"The reason Chris went away, as he has said, is that he was in shock, in a mess, he didn't know how to face the team and he couldn't go into the building," he said.
The case continues today -– Evans is suing for SMG for £8.6million in share options he reckons he is owed after Virgin Radio fired him nearly two years ago.
-----------------------------------------------
MARR KEEN ON CURRENT ROCKERS
Ex- Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has been telling the Independent about his current musical preferences -– saying he rates The Vines, The White Stripes, Electric Six and garage rockers The Kills. "What I like about these new bands is their energy factor. To be 15 or 16 years old and hear The White Stripes must be a real revelation and I think the The Vines have got something going on too."
-----------------------------------------------
INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION CONFIDENT LEGIT DOWNLOAD SITES WILL PREVAIL
Jonathan Potter of the Digital Media Association, a US trade group representing companies that market music and video over the Internet, has told a Memphis based newspaper that he believes the legit music download sites will eventually gain dominances over their illegal counterparts.
"Record companies have gone through an emotional state of resistance trying to control their own destiny. They've given up and have to meet the consumer in the marketplace," he says. "But they can gain the upper ground now by offering online services that guarantee quality and functionality, by investing in technology that offers portability, and by developing schemes which build customer loyalty."
Potter also believes the ongoing legal campaign against music pirates has a key role to play: "What stopped cable theft was when your neighbour did the 'perp walk' with silver handcuffs. Well-publicized arrests with images of perpetrators being hustled into squad cars are an effective attention-getter".
But in the same feature Philip Trenary of the Memphis Music Commission was less optimistic, and less forgiving of the label’s records in this are: "It's been coming for years. There was a false period of prosperity for the major record labels. It looks like they rested on their laurels in a high-margin business and missed the opportunity to be on the cutting edge."
-----------------------------------------------
REVIEW: Pressure Drop – Food Of Love (One Eye)
Pressure Drop have been around for as long as dance racks in record shops have been around. And 12 May sees them 'drop' there latest LP, 'Food Of Love'. The album continues to draw on the influences of rare groove, dub, funk, soul and afro to create another longplayer of multi-tempo dance grooves and urban poetry. The album also features 11 remixes, including work from Richard Dorfmeister, Adam Freeland, Black Grass and Paul Daley. As one might expect, the remixes offer a more dancefloor-friendly array of interpretations with twisted disco 4/4 (Maddslinky and Dorfmeister), dark tech house/breakbeat (Adam Freeland) and deep head nod hiphop (Black Grass). A solid album, with some blinding remixes. JG
Release date: 12 May
Press contact: Rocketscience [all]
-----------------------------------------------
REALITY POP UPDATE
Pop based reality TV news - first up Gina G is the second act voted out of the 'Reborn in the USA' show. She and Elkie Brooks were put up for viewer voted eviction by gig goers in Philadelphia. After another gig in Detroit Elkie Brooks is again up for eviction, alongside Tony Hadley.
Elsewhere in reality TV land ITV2's The Club reached a ratings high last week when a quarter of a million tuned in to see the ongoing attempts of Dean Gaffney, Samantha Fox and Richard Blackwood to run rival bars in a London nightclub. Although the show has a weekly edition on ITV1, nightly coverage of the competition goes out on ITV's digital station. ITV bosses say the show has been matching or exceeding similar shows that have aired in that slot on ITV2.
-----------------------------------------------
BASS BY NAME...NYSNC NEWS
Despite Mr Timberlake's "I'm fecking everywhere" status just now, fellow Nsyncer Lance Bass is confident the boy band will be back in the studio early next year. "We've already started writing about a month ago," he told reporters at a pre-Oscar party last week. "JC and Justin have been writing a lot and are going to have stuff that didn't make their albums that's more 'NSYNC-style, so I don't know what direction this will go, it will definitely be interesting."
On his other band mates he reported Joey Fatone is planning a 'comedy album' - "He's going to do a Weird Al Yankovic-type funny album, all parodies. You'll hear some Justin songs on there and all kinds of stuff. I'm pretty sure 'Cry Me a River,' something about a liver. He'll have fun with it."
Chris Kirkpatrick meanwhile is taking on the management guise - he had just signed on to manage the Dallas band Ohno – while working on his own solo material.
Bass is working on TV projects as well as sitting on the judging panel of NBC's dreadful sounding 'The Search for the Most Talented Kid in America'. When asked about possible solo projects he told reporters: "I'm a bass singer. No bass singers have solo albums."
------------------------------------------------
CMU POP QUIZ ANSWERS
The answers to last week's pop quiz –- which films' soundtracks did the following appear on:
Q1: Blur 'Coffee & TV', The Verve 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' and Fatboy Slim 'Praise You' - Cruel Intentions
Q2: Prefab Sprout's 'King of Rock 'n' Roll, Nina Simone's 'My Baby Just Cares For Me' and Queen's 'You're My Best Friend' - Peter's Friends
Q3: Leftfield's 'Snakeblood', Underworld's '8 Ball' and All Saints' 'Pure Shores' - The Beach
Q4: Pulp's 'Mile End' and Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day' - Trainspotting
Q5: Hot Chocolate's 'You Sexy Thing'’, Nene's '99 Red Balloons' and Rick Springfield's 'Jessie’s Girl' - Boogie Nights
Well, that last one stumped many people - mainly because although Nene's '99 Red Balloons' is on the soundtrack to the movie, it doesn't appear on either of the Boogie Nights soundtrack albums that were released. But no fooling some of you - those names went in a hat and JC at Wicked DJ was picked out and will be getting a 12 month subscription to Xfm's mag X-Ray. Another X-Ray subscription courtesy of Xfm to win this week – so keep an eye on those questions.