| CMU Daily - on the inside 10 Jun 2003 |
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In today's CMU Daily:
• New Electric six line-up
• One True Voice to split
• Review: Minus 8 feat Ras Charmer – Brave and Bold
• Linkin Park singer better
• Chemical collaborations for 'Best Of'
• Man dies at Chilli Peppers gig
• MCA merges with Geffen
• Henry Kelly's mysterious disappearance
• Marley family trying to cash in?
• Madonna and Missy in new GAP ad
• Mickie Most funeral
• Review: Various – Greg Edwards Presents: Waxin' Lyrical
• Apple offer indies online opportunities
• Bugged Out!'s back
• Kylie is fit shocker
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NEW ELECTRIC SIX LINE-UP
According to the NME the Electric Six have split and reformed and will continue their current tour with a new line-up. With second single 'Gay Bar' sitting at number five, the Detroit five-piece have said goodbye to guitarists Rock and Roll Indian, Surge Joebot and bassist Disco, and welcome in Johnny Na$hinal, The Colonel and Frank Lloyd Bonaventure - singer Dick Valentine and drummer M will remain.
A statement from the band said: "This decision was made by all of the previous incarnation of the band on the eve of their last UK tour but has been kept under wraps until now. After fulfilling all their remaining commitments, Rock'n'Roll Indian, Surge Joebot and Disco have departed. The current band is fully comprised of residents of Detroit City and already out on the road."
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ONE TRUE VOICE TO SPLIT
When we said yesterday not to expect longevity from Popstar boyband One True Voice even we didn't expect split rumours to start quite so soon. But according to the Sun one of the five, Daniel Pearce, is walking out after their second single 'Shakespeare's (Way With) Words' entered the charts at No10. The single – on Jive- only sold 10,000 copies and is apparently losing money.
A friend of Daniel's told the Sun: "The placing of the single was the last straw. He knows they are never going to have a fair crack of the whip so sees no point in continuing as a band. There's no way back for them now."
Band member Matt Johnson denied the rumours, telling GMTV that they were "a complete pile of rubbish. Basically, it is just all rumours, rumours, rumours. We are not splitting."
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REVIEW: Minus 8 feat Ras Charmer – Brave and Bold (Compost)
Ragga has never been in German future jazz label Compost's remit, but with Minus 8's 'Brave & Bold' 12" the toasting shows a strange aptitude to the style, and with the help of some wicked remixes the track will no doubt find itself on some new territory for Compost records. The Original features the classic Barry White 'I'm Gonna Love You a Little More Baby' break with some nice bass, tight toasting and a laid back feel. Max Fresh's 'Hidden Agenda Mix' has that broken beat stunted rhythm and some nice noises, but is sadly lacking. Dubversive Soundsystem offer up a nice vocal dub with 303 bass and melodica. The killer tune is Minus 8's 'Plus 8 Drum & Bass Mix': a massive 'Amen' break driven jump-up junglke tune of the kind that filled South London's jungle floors in 1996/7. JG
Release date: 23 Jun
Press Contact: Zzonked [all]
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LINKIN PARK SINGER BETTER
Good news from the Linkin Park camp - singer Chester Bennington has been discharged from the LA Hospital he was rushed to last week after complaining of intense back and abdominal pain. Doctors have ascertained that the cause was probably due to a parasite or an intestinal disorder.
Vocalist Mike Shinoda told reporters: "[Bennington] will probably need surgery once the exact cause of his illness is pinpointed." Doctors had trouble diagnosing his symptoms, since the lower abdomen is a problematic area. "They can put cameras to check your stomach. They can check your lower areas, but that lower abdomen is a place where they can't really send anything in there, so they have to just do these scans and tests."
Although a number of European tour dates have been cancelled between 7 Jun and 23 Jun, Bennington is expected to be well enough to perform at the Summer Sanitarium Tour launch on 4 Jul in Michigan.
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CHEMICAL COLLABORATIONS FOR BEST OF
The Chemical Brothers have just completed work with The Flaming Lips on a new track for the dance duo's forthcoming 'Best of…' – a track described by Chemical Brother Tom Rowlands as "psychedelic, up-tempo and emotional widescreen".
Ed Simons added: "Wayne Coyne is really infectious. He makes you feel really excited about the music. What he's done for us, the words, the song he's grafted on to our music, it's the next level of Chemical Brothers music - it's just really good." The track is called 'The Golden Path'.
The Chems have also been working with CMU favourite, Canadian singer/MC K-Os on an as yet untitled track for the aforementioned best of - 'The Singles:1993-03' - due out in Sep.
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MAN DIES AT CHILLI PEPPERS GIG
26-year-old Ashley Faris was killed by an electric shock that he suffered on the stairs at a Snoop & Chilli Peppers gig in North Carolina on Friday. The newlywed and soon-to-be graduate stepped onto the wet stairway that had metal edging and died immediately, a friend who tried to help him was also being treated for electric shock. The incident took place at the beginning of Snoop's set at 9:30, and the show continued with no public announcement being made.
Venue owner Clear Channel Communications would not comment on the death, citing an ongoing investigation: "Unfortunately, Friday evening there was an incident at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater-Charlotte resulting in a death and an injury. We are working with local authorities and investigators to determine how the incident took place. The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater extends heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of the individuals involved in this unfortunate incident. The North Carolina Department of Labor will be looking to see if there was any faulty electrical wiring and will check to see if anyone knew about it and didn't do anything."
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MCA MERGES WITH GEFFEN
Although official announcements have yet to be made, Universal Music Group have put into action the previously reported merger of MCA Records into the Interscope Geffen A&M group. The move has been expected for some time..
IGA told reporters: "We have begun a restructuring process at MCA Records. Further details about the structure and staffing of the label will be announced shortly. We are grateful for the contributions made by the employees affected by these changes."
The inevitable lay-offs will hit the MCA staff hard, although insiders say that the combined MCA/Geffen operation will maintain a full-service A&R, marketing and promotion team.
A rosta trim is also expected.
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HENRY KELLY'S MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
The sudden disappearance of Classic FM's Henry Kelly from their breakfast show has confused and enraged listeners with many registering their disgust on the station's website - some have even written to the programme's sponsor in protest.
Kelly, who has been with the station since its launch 11 years ago, has been replaced without warning by Simon Bates. The move has surprised many given the praise that GWR, Classic FM's owner, has lavished upon the presenter in recent months. Not least for his help in helping the station achieve record numbers of listeners. GWR said: "In the past year Classic FM's breakfast show presented by Henry Kelly has moved to a new time of 7am."
One protesting listener posted: "If you want Classic FM to take any notice it is better to write to the sponsor of the show [National Savings and Investments] - it is they who pay the money and whom Classic FM will actually listen to."
The station has refused to confirm whether Kelly walked out of the station or he was ousted, but said that they were "talking to him about his future at the station. It's unfortunate and not how we would have wanted it but, once the news was out there, it became untenable for [Kelly] to carry on."
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MARLEY FAMILY TRYING TO CASH IN?
US trade mag Billboard have held a poll on how people feel about Bob Marley's family's plans to make an album based on enhanced versions of recently unearthed raw recordings.
Of 2,917 voters, 51% said "No".
34% said that the Marley family should release the recordings in their raw form.
17% said it was a moneymaking project that would taint his legacy.
26% said that previously unreleased Bob Marley music in any form should be released.
23% said that the family would probably do a great job of enhancing the music.
[For what it's worth, CMU reckons release it raw]
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MADONNA AND MISSY IN NEW GAP AD
Madonna and Missy Elliott are to perform a version of the former's first UK No 1, 'Into The Groove' ('85) for a new GAP ad.
Madonna has made a pretty penny from advertising and product endorsement, getting £4m for advertising Max Factor in 1999. The MediaGuardian reckon she'll be getting 'several million pounds' for this particular spree.
The clothing chain recently announced a huge rise in sales following its move to fashion basics - jeans, and
T-shirts etc – and not temporal fad accessories.
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MICKIE MOST FUNERAL
Lulu, Donovan and Chrissie Hynde and other pop-alumni yesterday joined the family of legendary pop producer Mickie Most, who died last week aged 64. Born Michael Peter Hayes, the man who produced some of the biggest pop acts in the 1960s and 70s, including Lulu, The Animals, Herman's Hermits and Suzi Quatro, died from cancer at home in Totteridge, north London on 30 May.
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REVIEW: Various – Greg Edwards Presents: Waxin' Lyrical (Obsessive)
Concept compilations are great. Collecting a bunch of tracks together to fall into a given brief: Bavarian Nose-Flute Anthems from MCA Records 74-75. etc. This is a great if not particularly original album and idea – collect hiphop tracks with particularly poignant lyrics. Simple. And for jazz/soul legend Greg Edwards, that means tracks from Treacherous Three, Gangstarr, Bootsy Collins an Kurtis Blow. Positive rhymes from a history of hiphop. A great compilation, with some real classics. JG
Release date: 23 Jun
Press Contact: Obsessive IH/Shilland PR
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APPLE OFFER INDIES ONLINE OPPORTUNITIES
Reports are circulating about an invitation-only meeting at Apple's Cupertino HQ, US in which boss Steve Jobs met with 150-odd reps from key indie labels in America.
Word is Jobs more or less offered the independents the same distribution deals as they have given the majors. If true that's quite a deal because for smaller labels a presence in the iTunes Music Store represents wider distribution than many could even hope to acheive.
Apparently the iTunes staff are also developing ways to steer people to lesser-known music they might like – which has to be a good thing.
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BUGGED OUT'S BACK
Tiga, Trash promoter Erol Alkan and FC Kahuna will be providing the music at Bugged Out!'s return to The End on 19 Jul.
The Full line-up is:
Main Room: Tiga, FC Kahuna, Chris Blue
The Lounge: Erol Alkan, The Glimmer Twins (Culture Club/Eskimo Recs.), Ivan Smagghe (Black Strobe)
Stuart Patterson, Nathan Detroit, Jonny Bain
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KYLIE IS FIT SHOCKER
The VH1 'sexiest music star' poll puts Kylie Minogue at the top taking a third of all votes, followed by Britney Spears. Emma Bunton was the highest-ranking British female.