| CMU Daily - on the inside 27 Mar 2003 |
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In today's CMU Daily:
• Def Jam boss found liable for fraud
• Lowe announces Xfm departure
• More anti-war tracks go online
• Sony Awards nominations announced
• Virgin add classic pop to new compilation series
• Download additions
• BBC Sky argument continues
• Review: Dr Rubberfunk – Latin Player
• Senator leads download debate
• Capital warn of further revenue falls
• Cave adds extra date
• Homelands partner with Burn It Blue
• Cheeky Girls cash in
• Guns ‘n’ Roses get legal with Offspring
• Stones postpone Hong Kong dates because of flu risk
• Timberlake tour to go ahead
• Review: Cosmovitelli – Clean (12” Robot Soul)
• MTV extends Chinese operation
• Liberty X rated fans
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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.
Q4: Which country star said of which diva "it’s her song now" after the latter topped the charts with a cover of a song penned by the former?
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DEF JAM BOSS FOUND LIABLE FOR FRAUD
The wind didn't blow in the favour of Island Def Jam boss Lyor Cohen in the New York federal court yesterday – he was found liable for fraud, willful copyright infringement and wrongful interference with a contract after a lawsuit was filed against his company by TVT Records. The legal wranglings all center on Cash Money Click (CMC), the hip hop combo made up of Ja Rule, 0-1 and Chris Black. They signed to TVT back in the mid-nineties and released a couple of singles. But then Black went to prison and the project was put on hold. During this time TVT released Ja Rule from his contract so he could sign to Def Jam owned label Murder Inc, run by Irv Gotti.
Once Black was out of prison the three members of CMC, including Ja Rule, wanted to work together again, so TVT brokered a deal with Gotti whichallowed Rule to work on one CMC album to be released by TVT. Work began on the album but TVT alleges that Cohen conspired to halt the LP'sproduction. And yesterday the courts agreed with them. Commenting on the court's decision TVT’s legal spokesman told reporters: "The verdict against Mr. Cohen, personally, for fraud shows that there are some very serious problems confronting Def Jam and [parent company] Universal Music Group."The jury hearing the lawsuit will reconvene on 28 Apr to decide on what compensation to award TVT.
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LOWE ANNOUNCES XFM DEPARTURE
Xfm have confirmed Zane Lowe will leave the station at the end of the week. As previously reported Lowe was recruited by Radio 1 to replace Steve Lamacq on their early evening new music slot last Autumn, but the Capital Group wouldn't release him from his contract with Xfm. Former Northern Ireland Session presenter Colin Murray has been filling in on the Evening Session slot since Christmas and will continue to present the show until July when Lowe will take over.
Commenting on his new job Zane told reporters: "This is a great opportunity for me to continue doing what I love but now it is going to be on a national platform". Xfm veteran Ian Camfield will take over Lowe's early evening slot at Xfm. Camfield's lunchtime show will be taken over by Iain Baker, who currently presents late night and Friday Drive for Xfm. Richard Bacon, who hosts a Sunday afternoon show on Xfm, will present the station's Friday drive time.
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MORE ANTI-WAR TRACKS GO ONLINE
More anti-war songs have gone online. Firstly Lenny Kravitz has teamed up popular Iraqi singer Kadim Al Sahir to record 'We Want Peace', which will be distributed via the website of the US Rock The Vote movement at http://www.rockthevote.org. Talking about his decision to work with the Rock The Vote group on the track he told reporters: "They seemed to be the right partners because of their strong stance with young people as defenders of free expression."
Green Day meanwhile have recorded a track called 'Life During Wartime' whichhas been posted at http://www.greenday.com. Alongside the track is a message from the band’s Mike Dirnt which reads: "First of all, stop this war since it is not my war and it is not your war. I am not going to watch on TV, none of us are. We are not going to support it in any way, shape or form. We are just going to concentrate on our musicand try and put something positive in the world outside anything thing that is distracting us. Everybody out there do what you do, have fun doing it and try and live your lives. Don't support this crap going on in the world. Just keep doing what you do and we will talk to you soon".
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SONY AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
The nominations for the Sony Awards – the main awards ceremony in the UK radio industry year – were announced yesterday. And the most hotly contended award is likely to be best entertainment presenter where Xfm's Ricky Gervais and Christian O'Connell face competition from Jonathan Ross for his Radio 2 show and Stephen Fry for his programme on Classic FM.
Other nomination highlights include Radio 2's Terry Wogan, Xfm's Christian O'Connell (again), 2CR FM's Lloydie and Meryl, Metro's Brian Moore and Radio City's Kev Seed all competing for best breakfast show presenter. Radio 1's DJ Tim Westwood, Radio 2's Mark Lamarr and Paul Gambaccini, Kiss 100's Bam Bam and JK and Joel of Key 103 all compete for best music presenter, while Zane Lowe's Music:Response show on Xfm (RIP) competes with Radio 2's Johnnie Walker Show and Kiss 100's Free Radio Kiss for best daily music programme.
The awards will be presented on 8 May.
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VIRGIN ADD CLASSIC POP TO NEW COMPILATION SERIES
Virgin Records is hoping to educate teens in pop classics of old with a new compilation series being launched in the US. The 'Got Hits!' series will feature recent charts hits akin to the Now compilations but space will also be left for two classic pop tracks. Eighties hits on the first release next month are Paula Abdul's 'Straight Up' and Kylie's version of 'The Locomotion', which was one of the few early Kylie tracks to be a big hit in the States.
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DOWNLOAD ADDITIONS
More on the Download Festival. A will headline the Kerrang! / Radio 1 Stage alongside Sikth, Murder One, Funeral For A Friend, One Minute Silence, Raging Speedhorn and The Blood Broth. The main stage meanwhile will play host to, among others, Iron Maiden, Limp Bizkit, Marilyn Manson, Audioslave and Murderdolls.
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BBC SKY ARGUMENT CONTINUES
More on the negotiations between BBC and Sky with regards the Beeb's satellite output. As previously reported the BBC has decided to no longer scramble its satellite broadcasts, depriving Sky of the £85 million it wouldhave earned for administrating the distribution on 'descrambling cards' over the next five years. However the BBC said it would be making use of Sky's technology that means viewer's satellite receivers pick up the correct regional programming depending on where they live – a service for which they said they would "offer a fair price". But according to Broadcast magazine a meeting to discuss this failed to reach an agreement, merely deepening the growing rift between the two broadcasters who had, until recently, seemed to have become best friends. Sky sources told the magazine BBC representatives hadn't fully considered the technical implications of their requirements – and that they couldn't unscramble their broadcasts and still have the regional variations.
The Beeb meanwhile complained they had prepared for a full meeting with Sky only to be told time was short and they should write down their proposals. As previously reported Sky may bump the main two BBC channels out of the top two slots in their electronic programme guide. The official line is that if the Beeb unscramble their broadcasts it won't be possible to control their output in Ireland, where BBC services are currently barred by the Sky system, and where national broadcaster RTE have the top two channel spots. They say they would have to allocate the BBC channels not used in Ireland (ie around about channel 50). But some see the threats from Sky as being PR rather than technology based – they hope the Beeb will back down on its unscrambling decision if faced with losing its premium positions in the Sky electronic programme guide.
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REVIEW: Dr Rubberfunk – Latin Player (GPS Recordings)
This is one of those 12"s that can only be described by its parts, not in terms of existing genres, pigeonholes or brackets. Live-not-looped Latin guitar, funky mid-tempo hiphop breaks, a squelchy 303-style Norman Cook loop, a funky bassline, and nice strings. In many ways it sounds like MrScruff feeling esoteric and Mediterranean. The flip includes 'Come On In & Get Some', a heavy funk loop with wicked cutting and scratching interspersed with funky horn – like Cut Chemist and DJ Shadow getting frisky. JG
Release date: 31 Mar
Press contact: Zzonked [all]
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SENATOR LEADS DOWNLOAD DEBATE
Kevin Murray, the Californian senator who has been pursuing the rights of recording artists by attempting to pass legislation that would force record labels to more clearly account for record sales and royalty payments, and to bring to an end the standard seven year record contract period, is turning his attention to music downloading. He will chair an "informational hearing" on file-sharing, digital rights management and the peer-to-peer technology today, with representatives from download enemy number one KaZaA, plus a range of technology companies and music industry associations (including the Record Industry of America Association) expected to attend. Meanwhile legit download service MusicNow has completed new, nonexclusive licensing deals to carry music from Sony and BMG's catalogues. This deal means the service now has licenses for conditional or permanent downloads from all five major record companies.
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CAPITAL WARN OF FURTHER REVENUE FALLS
The Capital Radio Group is remaining cautious in its financial planning. They have forecast a 5% half-yearly fall in revenues, warning that the advertising market is likely to remain "under pressure" for the rest of the year. In a statement to investors the radio company explained: "The short term market is very uncertain and we remain cautious regarding future advertising demand."
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CAVE ADDS EXTRA DATE
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have added a third night to their Hammersmith Apollo dates after the 6 and 7 Jun gigs sold out. The third gig will take place on 8 Jun. The tour coincides with the double a-side single release of 'He Wants You / Babe I’m On Fire' through Mute on 2 Jun, both tracks coming from last year's 'Nocturama' album. Word is the South Bank Show are preparing a programme on Nick Cave to be aired in August. Filming will take place in May and June – some reckon clips from the Hammersmith shows will appear on it.
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HOMELANDS PARTNER WITH BURN IT BLUE
Drum & Bass website Burn it Blue will be media partners for this year's 'We Love… Homelands' (the new name for, erm, Homelands). They will run a microsite at http://www.burnitblue.com/homelands covering the latest news with regards the festival and interviewing acts playing there.
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CHEEKY GIRLS CASH IN
The Sun has reported the Cheeky Girls will each pocket £200,000 from the sales of 'The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)', while their mother, also credited as a writer of the song, will get a further £100,000. This is only really news because the duo were voted off the Popstars show last year, of course. And the tabloid reports with relish that Popstars winners Girls Aloud are unlikely to earn much at all from their Christmas number one – they don't have any songwriting credits so will get no royalties from that route, and much of the other income from record sales and radio play will go to cover their record label's costs.
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GUNS 'N' ROSES GET LEGAL WITH OFFSPRING
The latest word is lawyers representing Guns 'n' Roses have send a cease-and-desist letter to the Offspring after the band said they were going to call their upcoming album 'Chinese Democrazy (You Snooze You Lose)' – reference to Axl Rose's next album 'Chines Democracy' – eight years in development and still with no release date.
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STONES POSTPONE HONG KONG DATES BECAUSE OF FLU RISK
Despite reports earlier in the week that the Rolling Stones would continue with two dates in Hong Kong despite the outbreak of that dangerous flu like virus there, representatives of the band last night announced this weekend'sgigs would be postponed. "Increases in the number of cases of SARS [Asian flu] in Hong Kong and Southern China and continued concern over large gatherings have created apprehension among fans and concern for their safety," a statement from the band said. Crooner Andy Williams has also pushed back a Hong Kong concert, due to take place next month, into June as a result of the flu epidemic.
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TIMBERLAKE TOUR TO GO AHEAD
Justin Timberlake has denied reports he would cancel his UK tour because of concerns of safety during the war – he's told Radio 1 his May dates will go ahead as planned. Justin has been very vague when it comes to opinions on the war itself, though yesterday he said: "It's tough for me to really comment on that. I'venever been a big fan of politics. I think the thing that's most baffling for me is why we think we need war to have peace. I know it's a very general statement but at the same time, it's like, what do you say? There are some real monsters out there and unfortunately the rest of us have to suffer from it."
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REVIEW: Cosmovitelli – Clean (12" Robot Soul) (Virgin)
Canadian Benjamin Boguet is back, following up his Party Day 12" with a debut LP, which is apparently the work of three years. As well as being completely mad (see song titles 'We Don’t Need No Smurf Here', 'Don’t Eat Animals Anymore, Eat Children' and 'Be Kind To The Machines'), through no fault of his own he has created a style near to, though far superior than, electro clash and all that asymmetrical haircut shit: camp speed disco ballads with kitsch instruments like theramins and xylophones, postured electro pop mayhem, breathy ambient string ensembles playing convoluted ditties, and cinematic soundscapes reminiscent of Roy Budd's soundtrack to 'Get Carter'. The new 12" - 'Robot Soul' - falls into the first of these descriptive wanks, and is certain to become an underground classic. JG
Release date. 31 Mar (12" 17 Mar)
Press contact: Virgin IH
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MTV EXTENDS CHINESE OPERATION
MTV is reported to be launching a new 24 hour a day music channel in the Guangdong region of China which would reach about 1 million of China’s 100 million cable viewers. MTV's Chinese operations do not currently include a 24 hour a day operation. No word yet on whether the channel will be an extension of the MTV China service or something new.
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LIBERTY X RATED FANS
The Liberty X boys have told Radio 1 they keep getting put off their dance routines because girls in the audience keep flashing them. "We don't have a problem with it, as long as they're over a certain age. It was a bit disturbing cos this one was about 16. A few fans have sort of flashed their boobs at the gigs and stuff, and it's a bit shocking but nice all the same. So it's not a problem, but it is a problem if you're underage!"