Tuesday 29 June 2010, 12:24 | By CMU Editorial

Francis Dreyfus dies

Business News Obituaries

French producer, label owner and music publisher Francis Dreyfus has died, aged 69.

Through his record and publishing companies, Dreyfus worked with the likes of David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Cat Stevens, and produced albums by big French artists like Alain Bashung and Christophe. Since the early nineties he concentrated on jazz releases, and worked with the likes of Marcus Miller, Steve Grossman, Richard Galliano and Alan Stivell. He also helped set up SPPF, the French independent labels collecting society.

But Dreyfus is probably best known for his long association with Jean-Michel Jarre. He published Jarre’s seminal album ‘Oxygene’, and worked with the electronica icon of a range of recording and concert projects.

Paying tribute to Dreyfus yesterday, SPPF Director General Jerome Roger said, according to Billboard: “Way before anyone, [Dreyfus] had a global vision of the work of a music producer”.

Quarrymen co-founder dies

Obituaries

Ken Brown, a guitarist on the Liverpool music scene in the early sixties, has died aged 70. Brown didn’t enjoy a huge amount of success as a musician, but retains a place in rock n roll history for being an original member of The Quarrymen, the band that became The Beatles.

Brown was originally in a band with George Harrison, but when that outfit fell apart with a gig already booked to be played at Liverpool club the Casbah Coffee Club, they asked John Lennon and Paul McCartney to make up a new four piece which went by the name The Quarrymen.

It was a short lived musical collaboration because Brown broke his leg and couldn’t play. Legend has it that when Brown’s bandmates discovered the owner of the Casbah, one Mona Best, had paid him for a gig he hadn’t played (as a result of his leg) arguments ensued and the guitarist was kicked out of the band.

Brown formed another short lived band with Mona’s son Pete , but when The Beatles were offered a residency in Hamburg they invited Best Junior to join them, leaving Brown without a band. He subsequently moved to London and made a life outside of music, though in his later years posted a few songs to his website, and started to write a book about his time with the band that became The Beatles.

He had been suffered from emphysema, and it is thought that caused his death.

Too soon to say regarding future of Slipknot

Artist News

Slipknot’s Jim Root has said it is too soon to say what will happen to the metal band moving forward following the sudden death of bassist Paul Gray last month, admitting that at the moment it’s still a case of “if” the band perform together again, rather than “when”.

He has been speaking to the website of the Sonisphere Festival because his other band Stone Sour are playing a number of the European dates of the metal fest this summer. He told the site: “There’s going to be a big healing process that needs to happen before we even think about whether or not Slipknot will continue. And right now that’s the furthest thing from our mind”.

He continued: “Right now we are just grieving or trying to find time to grieve anyway for the fact that our bro’s gone. It’s weird because some days I don’t even think it’s real, so that one’s not going to make sense for a while”.

New West album due in September

Releases

Kanye West has announced that his next album will be called ‘Good Ass Job’ and will be released in September. The US release date is 14 Sep, so presumably it will be out in the UK the day before. Production talent on the new long player includes Q-Tip, Pete Rock and Wu Tang Clan’s RZA.

Tony Christie to make West End debut

Artist News

Tony Christie is to make his West End debut when he joins the cast of jukebox musical ‘Dreamboats And Petticoats’ on 5 Jul. The crooner will play the role of Older Bobby and Phil, Bobby’s father. Christie says: “I saw the show’s original opening night in London almost a year ago and just loved the story. And of course the music is incredible – The Platters, Phil Spector, Roy Orbison, Marty Wilde – all artists I grew up listening to. As soon as I saw it I’ve been searching for a gap in my diary to join the show”. The show was first staged in London at the Savoy Theatre following a UK tour, but has been playing at the Playhouse Theatre since January.

Mumford & Sons tour

Gigs & Festivals

I thought Mumford & Sons’ Glastonbury set this weekend was jolly nice, so as a prize I’m going to type in the Autumn tour dates they have just announced. People who buy tickets for one of these gigs via the Mumford & Sons website will get a new EP from the band called ‘Volume 1’, which is actually credited to The Wedding Band for some strange reason I don’t understand.

Here are the tour dates.

1 Oct: Glasgow, Academy
2 Oct: Manchester, Apollo
4 Oct: Brighton, Dome
5 Oct: Nottingham, Rocky City
6 Oct: Bristol, Academy
8 Oct: London, Hammersmith Apollo

Festival line-up update – 29 Jun 2010

Artist News Festival Line-Up Update Gigs & Festivals

BARN ON THE FARM, Over Farm, Gloucester, 23 – 25 Jul: Matthew & The Atlas have been announced as headliners for this brand new Gloucester-based festival, with the likes of Frank Hamilton, Thom Stone, Lindsay West and Adelaide’s Cape also confirmed to play. www.barnonthefarm.moonfruit.com

SOUTH WEST FOUR WEEKENDER, Clapham Common, London, 28 – 29 Aug: Uffie, Alex Metric and Chris Lake are amongst the latest acts to be added to the South West Four line-up, joining the previously announced Fatboy Slim, Salt N Pepa, Erol Alkan, Skream & Benga and Boys Noize. www.southwestfour.com

INgrooves sign up more labels

Business News Deals Labels & Publishers

Digital distribution types INgrooves has just announced new deals with a number of UK labels, including San City High, Upside Records, Genepool, Prime Direct Distribution and Groove Groove Melody. The addition of the UK record companies to the INgrooves roster of labels follows a similar deal with US indie Vagrant Records.

INgrooves’ Dave Zierler told CMU: “We are looking forward to working releases with all of our newest content partners and extending their consumer reach around the world. Each of their catalogues feature some extraordinary artists, and we’ve got a number of excellent titles lined up for the remainder of 2010”.

Galaxy DJs launch iPhone app

Digital

Gatecrasher and Galaxy FM DJs Riley & Durrant will launch an iPhone app next week which will come with a free thirty minute mix that can only be obtained via the mobile widget.

The app will mainly plug radio and clubbing projects involving the two presenters, Nick Riley and Andi Durrant, but will also make streams of other remixed tracks available with a click through sell through to iTunes. The app has been developed by a company called Scribble, who also built an app for the dance-industry orientated International Music Summit last month.

Global to rationalise the Gold network

Media

Radio Today has confirmed what is happening to Global Radio’s network of Gold stations, the golden oldies channel that operates on the AM frequencies that once belonged to local radio stations like Southern Sound and Invicta Radio.

As previously reported, the FM frequencies of those stations now operate under the Heart brand and, thanks to new local radio rules introduced by the Digital Economy Act, Global is streamlining the Heart network so that regions that used to have their own local programming will now share said programmes with neighbouring areas.

As predicted, the same rule change is affecting the Gold network of stations, all of which used to carry four hours of local programming a day (actually around lunch time and not breakfast, as we previously said). Those local shows can now be axed, meaning that all the Gold stations in England will carry the same programmes 24/7 oblivious of locality.

According to Radio Today, the Welsh Gold stations will have a different middle-of-the-day output, while Gold stations in the Midlands, which are operated under licence by Orion Media, will also have some of their own programmes.

In related news, The Guardian has just reported that the Smooth Radio network is planning a similar streamlining of its output, cutting local programmes and axing 60 jobs in the process. And given Smooth is owned by The Guardian’s radio company, they should know.

Poison frontman in the frame for Cowell’s job on Idol

Media

Rumour has it Poison frontman Bret Michaels, back performing despite nearly dying from a brain haemorrhage earlier this year, might be in the frame to take over from Simon Cowell as a judge on ‘American Idol’. As previously reported, Cowell is due to leave the popular US TV show to head up the launch of rival programme ‘X-Factor’ in America.

Michaels recently appeared on the finale of ‘Idol’ and has now told Parade.com, “We have a meeting in LA in a couple weeks and we’re going to sit down and talk. They did a poll and I think it was Madonna, P. Diddy, Howard Stern and myself, and I took 50 per cent or 60 per cent of the vote and that’s tremendous. I would love to be a judge on ‘American Idol’. I think I would bring a lot to the table”.

He continued: “I’m not built exactly like Simon Cowell, but, at the same time, I respect what he did. I would have to bring my own personality. I think if they have someone in there to try to imitate Simon, it would be a mistake; he’s an original. Bring Bret Michaels in to be original… Bring someone who can bring a little grit, true grit, back to the show”.

Total Rock World Album Chart – w/c 28 Jun 2010

Artist News

It’s this week’s Total Rock World Album Chart, as counted down on Total Rock last weekend – www.totalrock.com. New entries and re-entries marked with a *.

1. AC/DC – Iron Man 2 (Sony) (pictured)
2. Rolling Stones – Exile On Main Street (Universal)
3. Slash – Slash (Warner/Roadrunner)
4. Muse – The Resistance (Warner Bros)
5. Godsmack – The Oracle (Universal/Republic)
6. Train – Save Me, San Francisco (Sony/Columbia)
7. Nickelback – Dark Horse (Warner/Roadrunner)
8. Against Me – White Crosses (Warner Bros)*
9. Stone Temple Pilots – Stone Temple Pilots (Warner/Atantic)
10. Bullet For My Valentine – Fever (Sony)
11. Journey – Greatest Hits (Sony)*
12. Deftones – Diamond Eyes (Warner Bros)
13. Nevermore – The Obsidian Conspiracy (Century Media)*
14. Foo Fighters – Greatest Hits (Roswell)
15. Kiss – Sonic Boom (Warner/Roadrunner)
16. Shinedown – The Sound Of Madness (Warner/Atlantic)
17. Guns n Roses – Greatest Hits (Universal/Geffen)
18. As I Lay Dying – The Powerless Rise (Metal Blade)
19. Queen – Absolute Greatest (EMI)*
20. Free/Bad Company – The Very Best Of (Warner/Rhino)

Bieber’s mum not considering Playboy shoot

And Finally

The Bieber camp would like it to be known that Justin’s mum is not considering posing for Playboy and, more to the point, the top shelf magazine has not offered her fifty grand to do so. A spokesman for the tedious pop tyke and his manager mother Pattie Mallette said that rumours Playboy had made such an offer, and especially chatter that it was being seriously considered by Mrs Bieber, were “utterly erroneous”.

The official statement runs thus: “The rumours that Pattie Mallette is in talks with Playboy magazine to appear in an upcoming issue are completely false. She has never been approached by Playboy magazine nor has she approached Playboy. This story is utterly erroneous, without a shred of truth. Consider this denial the final word on the matter”.

I’m not sure anyone really believed the pop teen’s mother would consider a Playboy deal even if one was on the table, but it was a fun rumour while it lasted. Presumably rumours about Bieber himself being offered similar deals by gay top shelf mags will have to wait a couple of years until he’s legal. Or, given the sixteen year old currently looks about 12, perhaps until he’s in his mid-twenties.

Approved: Dry The River

CMU Approved

I’ve been meaning to mention these guys ever since I saw them a few weeks back supporting Johnny Flynn at the Electric Ballroom. I wasn’t paying much attention when they first arrived on stage, me and my brother were putting most of our energy into finding a good spot from which to watch JF.

But once they started playing, their music – full of sweet lyrics and even sweeter melodies – made me stop and listen. Counting Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and Paul Simon as influences, the melodies are fattened out with a build up of harmonies and delivered conspicuously by frontman Peter Liddle. I remember particularly liking his hand movemements.

The London alt-country quintet have only been together since last year and have already supported Port O’Brien, as well as Johnny Flynn, and released two EPs – ‘The Chambers & The Valves’ and ‘Bible Belt’ – both self-released and available to buy via the band’s MySpace page. They’ve got plenty of upcoming gigs over the summer including festival appearances at Standon Calling and Big Chill, so there are lots of chances to check them out.

www.myspace.com/drytherivermusic.

Q&A: Knaan

Artist Interviews

Born Keinan Abdi Warsame, K’Naan is a Somali-Canadian poet, rapper and singer-songwriter. Born in Somalia, he moved to New York when he was 13, and then onto Toronto where he began rapping. Through his friendship with Canadian hip hop label man Sol Guy, K’Naan got to perform at the UN’s 50th anniversary concert in 1999, and there he came to the attention of Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour, who invited the young rapper to contribute to his 2001 album ‘Building Bridges’.

As interest in K’Naan grew, he released his own debut album -‘The Dusty Foot Philosopher’ – in Canada in 2005, and subsequently toured with the likes of Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Despite enjoying plenty of success and winning lots of awards in North America over the years, it is via his hit single ‘Wavin Flag’, which was used in Coke’s World Cup advertising campaign, that he has come to global attention. With that in mind, his 2009 album ‘Troubadour’ is this week re-released in the form of a ‘Champions Edition’. We caught up with the man himself to ask the Same Six..

Q1 How did you start out making music?
I guess my first songs were written just after I learned the English language, and they were written for personal reasons, mainly to retrack my life and rewrite the stories that had happened, in rhythm, in melody.

Q2 What inspired your latest album?
The usual, you know, humanity, day to day things, life, mum, Somalia.

Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
There isn’t a process as such. Other than paying attention to whatever is happening at the moment. Sometimes I will come up with a melody first, but sometimes it will be chords before the melody, or even just a sentence, or a phrase. I’ll be like “this phrase is beautiful” and then want to unravel that and write a song about it.

Q4 Which artists influence your work?
Plenty of artists influence my work but none outright. There’s not really anybody I listen to and say “oh, okay, I’m going to write a song because I listened to so-and-so”. But there are quite a few artists who I just love and respect, from Nina Simone to Bob Dylan to Fela Cuti to Mos Def.

Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
I would say play it loud, and I would prefer it if you listen to it through headphones, but if you can’t then play it in the car. I prefer the headphones because I think it’s nice that it should be in your head. When you use headphones you bring the music close to you, so you get to feel something more from that experience. When you are driving, because of the motion, it makes music more of an experience too.

Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
I’m trying to write the best music I’ve ever written, and then write music better than that. That’s kind of my ambition.

MORE>> www.knaanmusic.com

Eddy Says: Random thoughts from the arm chair

Eddy Says

So, you’ve all been watching the World Cup, right? I say that like it’s obligatory, most of Team CMU haven’t watched any of it. We’re very good at keeping up with all things music, less good with all things football.

However, this time round we’ve been able to keep track of the main developments via Twitter, largely through Eddy’s impassioned outbursts, which I’m sure many of you have seen. Through him, we’ve got all the ups, all the downs, and some of the casual xenophobia thrown in too.

But it’s all come with a spirit of global friendship, and has, actually, made Eddy even more internationally minded than normal; and acutely aware of how our desire to support the underdog comes to the fore at times like this. Especially when your own team is doing so badly.

So, this week Eddy considers the bad and the good of World Cup fever.

The past fortnight week I have been mostly making bold, sweeping statements loosely based on racial stereotypes, and offending people in the process.

This is something, that, in all seriousness, I’m becoming increasingly aware of during the World Cup. I’m not preaching here, more trying to show self-awareness. I have a terrible habit of grand sweeping statements and watching the World Cup brings out the worst in me. Of course it all spills out onto Twitter, so apologies if you’ve been offended, and biggups if you’ve got in to this peculiar spirit and enjoyed the daily tongue-lashings.

I’ll confess to loving the catastrophic situation which the French team found themselves in, just because of every moody bastard waiter that was rude to me and my girlfriend in Paris earlier this year. As the ball swished against the netting, I found myself swearing in particular at one specific son-of-a-bitch who put a menu in front of his face and actually had the fucking gall (or is that ‘Gaul’) to make rude gestures at us, via the next door table, when we ordered some duck ‘a bit pink’.

Elsewhere, when Nigeria lost you could find me complaining that we’d all be getting harsh parking tickets as a result. When England played that shocker against Algeria, I got more retweets than anything I’ve ever put out there, when I pointed out that I could have “filled my motorcycle helmet full of bees and sat in front of a freshly painted wall” for pretty much the same experience.

I offended a nice Uraguayan by pointing out, after that ludicrous decision to disallow England’s second goal against Germany on Sunday, that loads of Germans had moved to South America in the mid to late 40s, and that the referee’s Grandad may have been the proud owner of an Iron Cross. It was just a mixture of historical fact and humorous conjecture, not meant to offend at all…

Cheeky stereotypes aren’t the only thing that come out during times like this. I always say to friends “never play football during The World Cup”. Because of the beneath-the-surface tension, people are too keen, too excitable, and tackles are made far too hard, leading to many more injuries than a normal week. Lord Fader, of The Loose Cannons, is painfully aware of this, as his last Sunday afternoon kickabout left him on crutches.

But these, and the other negative manifestations of the World Cup are, for me, far outweighed by the positivity, the unbridled joy, and the generosity of spirit. For example, I saw an Italian football fan hug a Kiwi after their match, when I watched the highlights on the iPlayer. Has a Spurs fan *ever* hugged an Arsenal fan throughout history? Has a Celtic fan ever eyeballed a Rangers fan and given them a great big man-hug when the team have drawn in a cup competition?

Just as I thought I was drowning in my own bileousness, I realised something. In the middle of a ten hour journey back home from a Losers live gig in Aberystwyth earlier this month, it dawned on me that there was, as with all things, a positive side to World Cup Fever.

New Zealand, my newly adopted side because England were performing so awfully at the time, were facing the World Champions, Italy. As our ‘tourbus’ sliced through the Brecon Beacons, the Kiwis went 1-0 up against the might of The Roman Empire. As I was punching the roof of the transit minibus, I realised that the World Cup is more about the positive things, the underdogs having their day. I’m forever showing love for ‘losers’. Always cheering for the African side to triumph, or the amateur team to kill the giant. That’s the real beauty of this competition, having a snapshot at the lives and cultures of little nations and showing them heartfelt, unfettered love and support.

The Losers ethos is perfectly reflected in The World Cup – underdogs championed, unsung heroes sung loud and proud. When Mexico beat France, in emerald green, I thought of all the t-shirts currently being worn by every Irish man or woman on planet earth, that reads ‘Anyone But France’, and felt my one sixteenth of Irish jump for joy. When the Kiwis scared Italy shitless I remembered that Maoris have fifty different words for ‘family’ and are among the kindest most noble people I have ever met.

As I cheered Ghana on, I remembered that one of the nicest people I’ve ever met is Ghanean, and I remembered my accountant is from a Ghanean family too, I got in touch with both of them to big them up and wish them luck, and was overwhwlmed with the positivity that the World Cup was instilling in me.

So this week, aside from the thinly veiled racism, nationalism and xenophobia, I shall also be practicing openess, unity, internationalism, harmony, generosity of spirit and the embracing of foreign culture. The vuvuzelas shall cease to be the source of annoying sounds that kill the match vibe, in my mind from now on they will be a dvice for creating a glorious and unique atmosphere, an aural barometre of the collective crowd’s emotion…

I shall be enjoying, and getting involved with my every pore, a competition which demonstrates, literally, that despite the fact we all look different, think and act different, wear different clothes and like different music, we are the same. Vive La Difference (as those French twats would say – haha, see what I did there ;). Enjoy the rest of this wonderful competition and maybe see you on Twitter during one of the games.

Now I’m going to call an old German friend and congratulate them, and catch up and roar with happy laughter.

Eddy xx

Click here to see this edition of the Eddy Says e-bulletin in full

Five Day Forecast – w/c 28 June 2010

CMU Planner

Well there you go people, that’s Glastonbury done and dusted for another year, and with a shameful lack of mud for what was meant to be a 40th anniversary celebration. One third of you were there (and probably still are, now wondering just how you get off Worthy Farm), another third of you were probably glued to the BBC’s red button coverage (and are now wondering just how you get off your sofa), while the other third of you just won’t care, so I won’t waste any time listing the highlights.

I could mention Thom Yorke, The Edge and Kylie and their surprise appearances (not that Kylie guesting with the Scissor Sisters was much of a surprise), Dizzee Rascal’s typically brilliant offering, Gorillaz’s lacklustre headline set that was only topped by the football in terms of disappointment, and Stevie Wonder totally stealing the show, by all accounts. But then you’d probably say “stop being so focused on the big names Mr CMU”, and “how dare you not mention the Mystical Light Of Stolen Ice Cream Flim Flam Oooojamaflip Tent, right down there at the back, next to the Circle Of Steam”, or some such. And you’d almost certainly be right to do so.

Still, I’m currently in France, so what you going to do about it? How about you just sit there and let me do more listing, though this time in a forward looking fashion? Here’s your Five Day Forecast.

01: The final CMU music business seminar before the summer. This one is particularly good, even if we do say so ourselves. It’s called Making Money Out Of Music, and is all about business models; ie the ways music companies have traditionally monetised music, the issues that now surround those traditional systems, and the new business models that are emerging in the digital age. We look at the changing relationship between the artist and their corporate partners, and at the future of music investment. Perfect for, well, anyone who still wants to be working in music in five years time. We still have a few places available for just £75, so email events@unlimitedmedia.co.uk to secure your place.

02: AIM AGM. This Thursday the Association Of Independent Music meets for its Annual General Meeting, which is doubly exciting because Jarvis Cocker is giving this year’s keynote speech. There are already mutterings that he might have some big 6music-related news. That’s yet to be seen, but his 25 minutes on stage are likely to be entertaining whatever he says. The day before, AIM will also hold its annual digital music networking event, Music Connected. Both events take place at Glaziers Hall in London Bridge.

03: War Child’s Army Of You. One of our very favourite charities is staging what has now become an annual new-band-championing fund-raising bash, called Army Of You. Taking place on Thursday, playing this year are Mercury-nominated The Invisible and O.Children and Becoming Real, with DJ sets from Friendly Fires, Casper C and Erol Alkan. There’s a BBQ for early arrivals, and the fun goes on till midnight. Tickets are a tenner from www.wegottickets.com. Brilliant night for a brilliant cause.

04: New releases. Having ensured that all eyes were on them at Glastonbury by bringing out Kylie Minogue, Scissor Sisters are holding that gaze this week with the release of their third album, ‘Night Work’. Also big on our radar this week are The Morning Benders‘ second album, ‘Big Echo’, and Blondes‘ debut EP, ‘Touched’, both of which are sublime in different ways.

05: Gigs. For those of you not still smarting from Glastonbury (or Hard Rock Calling), there are some gigs you might like to go to this week. They’re good ones. Kele Okereke kicks off his first solo tour on Thursday, while Blondes play the UK for the first time with a tour starting on Wednesday (I say tour, of the five shows, only one is outside London). Also, Mike Doughty and Scarlet Soho will be in London on Tuesday and Ólafur Arnalds will be performing his amazing new album in full at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on Thursday. As well as that, who could head over to Hyde Park for the Serpentine Sessions, where Grizzly Bear, Patti Smith and Laura Marling will be playing over three days with some impressive support acts.

That should be enough to be getting on with. Enjoy your week and I will see you again in this Friday’s CMU Weekly.

Andy Malt
Editor, CMU Daily

Jackson Senior files wrongful death lawsuit against doc

Jacksons v AEG Timeline Legal Top Stories

As expected, Michael Jackson’s father Joe has sued Conrad Murray for wrongful death in relation to the medic’s treatment of his son, and the allegations the doc was negligent to administer the shot of propofol that killed the late king of pop.

Jackson Senior has been preparing his litigation for a while now, but actually filed his legal papers with the LA courts last week, perhaps aware the news media would be hungry for Jacko-related stories as the first anniversary of his death came around, thus ensuring his action got the biggest possible coverage.

According to reports, the lawsuit accuses Murray, who also faces criminal charges in relation to his treatment of Jacko, of poor training, professional negligence and unwarranted secrecy. The latter accusation relates to claims Murray tried to hide the fact he had given Jacko the propofol shot in the hours and days after the singer’s death, possibly aware that administering such a strong drug in a domestic environment as a cure for insomnia was highly unusual.

Interestingly, Joe Jackson’s estranged wife Katherine and Jacko’s three children are also listed as ‘nominal plaintiffs’ on the lawsuit, despite it being widely known the Jackson patriarch’s litigation isn’t backed by any other members of the family. Katherine Jackson’s lawyer confirmed to TMZ on Friday she was not formally linked to the lawsuit in anyway, saying: “Mrs Jackson has no interest in Conrad Murray other than seeing that justice is done in the criminal courts. She certainly would never tap [Joe Jackson’s lawyer] Brian Oxman for the job of filing any kind of lawsuit for her or the kids”.

Murray, of course, is pleading not guilty to the criminal charges against him, claiming there was nothing about the drugs he gave Jacko, nor the way he administered them, that should have caused the singer’s death, even if did. The medic’s legal people confirmed on Friday that they would fight Joe Jackson’s lawsuit, with the lawyer specifically looking after the case, Charles Peckham, telling reporters: “We believe Dr Murray’s innocence will be proved”.

Elsewhere in Jacko news, Randy Jackson has hit out at a charity set up to fund a Jackson family museum in their home town of Gary, Indiana, and at a fund-raiser they hosted this weekend on the first anniversary of his brother’s death. Joe Jackson is seemingly involved in the foundation and Katherine Jackson is listed as its Vice-Chair, but Randy says he suspects the whole operation is a fraud. The so called Jackson Family Foundation held a tribute evening called ‘Forever Michael’ in LA on Saturday.

Writing on Twitter, he said this weekend: “Let me be clear, there’s no legitimate ‘Jackson Family Foundation’ that my brothers & sisters are aware of. As far as I am concerned, tonight’s event is a fraud. I know my parents would not be involved if they really knew the characters they have aligned themselves with… I am doing my best to get my parents to understand who the people are around them”.

He continued: “How can you raise money for a foundation that has not been legally formed? It is disrespectful to this family & an insult [to] the public & fans. I am sick of people trying to exploit & take advantage of my parents and then letting our family take the blame. I don’t mean to be negative all the time but please understand my bro shouldn’t be dead & I get protective when people try 2 exploit us, esp now”.

There is, of course, a lot of money to be made out of the Michael Jackson legacy, as figures circulating last week relating to deals done by the Jacko estate demonstrated. Meanwhile, this weekend at an auction staged in Las Vegas by Julien’s Auctions, a crystal-studded glove that was worn by Jackson during his 1984 Victory tour was sold for $190,000.

The glove was the biggest sale of the night, though a lot of other Jacko tat – or “exclusive memorabilia” – went for big money, most of it considerably more than expected. As Darren Julien told the Las Vegas Review Journal: “It just shows you Michael Jackson is the most sought after and most collectible celebrity of all time. It was just phenomenal. People flew in from Asia, Russia, all over. Now that he’s gone, we now realise the true legend we lost”.

Carey denies vet’s unpaid bills claim

Legal

Mariah Carey’s lawyer has dismissed a lawsuit filed with the New York court last week over allegedly unpaid vet bills.

A vet called Cindy Bressler says the singer owes her nearly $30,000 in unpaid fees relating to some very expensive sounding treatment received by the diva’s dogs. Her legal man told the New York press his client had “provided lifesaving, round-the-clock medical care to Mariah Carey’s puppy” and that “this was a serious medical matter that required professional care by a veterinarian and veterinary nurses”.

But Carey’s attorney Orin Snyder called the lawsuit “baseless” and “a crass publicity stunt”, vowing that the singer will fight the litigation. He told reporters on Friday: “This abusive lawsuit appears to be a crass publicity stunt. As a matter of principle, Mariah intends to fight this baseless case and is confident that it will be dismissed”.

Top Indonesian pop star arrested over sex tape

Legal

One of Indonesia’s top pop stars has been charged under the country’s anti-pornography laws over allegations he made and distributed sex tapes featuring himself and other celebrities.

Singer Nazril ‘Ariel’ Irham denies involvement in the sex tapes, as do TV presenter Luna Maya and soapstar Cut Tari. Nevertheless, charges have been pressed and the c’lebs could face up to 12 years in prison if found guilty.

It is thought all three of the accused may be jailed this week, though partly for their own safety. The sex tape scandal has rocked parts of the devoutly Muslim country, with some of the more extreme religious groups there calling for the pop star to be publicly punished.

If the case goes to court it will be the first high profile test of anti-porn laws that were introduced in the country in 2008. Despite appealing to some of the country’s religious groups, the new laws have been criticised for being too vague, and for allowing judges to dish out far too harsh penalties.

Fred Anderson dies

Obituaries

Jazz man Fred Anderson has died aged 81. According to the LA Times, he suffered a heart attack on 14 Jun, his sons Eugene and Michael confirmed this weekend.

Born in Louisiana in 1929, Anderson was a tenor saxophonist, and worked as a jobbing musician for years, before coming to wider attention more as a club owner. He opened the Velvet Lounge in Chicago in 1982, the name based on a review of his own saxophone playing, which described his sound as being “velvety smooth”.

The club became a key institution in the Chicago jazz scene, and became particularly known for its championing of contemporary jazz and new talent, many of whom were personally coached by Anderson, who also oversaw the management of the venue on a day-to-day basis, even as far as manning the bar on occasion.

Anderson became better known as a musician in his own right in the 1990s when recordings of his performances started to be released. As a result, he became a regular on the jazz festival circuit.

Known for his innovative style and passion for more cutting edge jazz – a passion which arguably commercially hindered his own career in the early days – veteran alto saxophonist Jimmy Ellis told The Chicago Tribune newspaper last week that Anderson was “the essence of music in Chicago”, while jazz guitarist George Freeman said: “Fred has always been different. He was doing his own thing, he did it his way”.

Kinks bassist dies

Obituaries

Kinks co-founder Pete Quaife has died aged 66. Although the exact cause of his death has not been announced, he had been undergoing kidney dialysis since 1998 after suffering renal failure.

Quaife co-founded the classic British sixties group in 1962 with the Davies brothers, Ray and Dave, and drummer Mick Avory. He played bass. He briefly quit the band in 1966 because a car accident meant he was unable to play, though it wasn’t until 1969 that he properly left the outfit, being replaced by John Dalton.

Post-Kinks he set up another band called Mapleoak, before quitting music and pursuing a career as an author and graphic artist. He occasionally returned to the stage with the rest of the Kinks, most recently when they were inducted into the US Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990, though when he was approached by Ray Davies about a reunion in 2008 he declined to get involved, instead announcing his intent give up performing in public for good.

Davies paid tribute to his former bandmate while playing at Glastonbury this weekend, telling his audience: “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him”.

Chris Brown attempts Jacko-inspired comeback at BET Awards

Awards

It was the BET Awards this weekend, the annual awards bash celebrating music and entertainment emanating from and influenced by the American black community.

And that Chris Brown fella stole the show with a timely Michael Jackson tribute introduced by Jacko’s brother Jermaine. Brown seemingly wowed the crowd with his rendition of ‘Billie Jean’, complete with Jacko-style dress and dance moves, though broke down while attempting to sing ‘Man In The Mirror’.

Brown, who would most likely have been part of last year’s official Michael Jackson tribute show had he not beaten his girlfriend Rihanna unconscious a few months earlier, also won the so called Fandemonium Award at the event, and told the audience “I let you all down before, but I won’t do it again. I promise you”. Whether that’s the wife-beater’s rehabilitation as a chart topping pop star complete, I’m not sure.

Awards wise, Beyonce took Best Video for her collaboration with Lady Gaga, ‘Video Phone’, while her other half Jay-Z got Best Collaboration for his song with Alicia Keys, ‘Empire State Of Mind. Dizzee Rascal won the International prize.

In fact, have a full list of winners why don’t you:

Best Female R&B Artist: Alicia Keys
Best Male R&B Artist: Trey Songz
Best Female Hip Hop Artist: Nicki Minaj
Best Male Hip Hop Artist: Drake
Best New Artist: Nicki Minaj
Best Gospel: Marvin Sapp
Best Group: Young Money
Best International Act: Dizzee Rascal (UK)
Best Collaboration: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind

Best Actress: Mo’Nique
Best Actor: Idris Elba
Best Movie: “Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire”
Youngstars Award: Keke Palmer
Sportswoman of the Year: Serena Williams
Sportsman of the Year: LeBron James

Video of the Year: Beyonce Knowles (featuring Lady GaGa) – Video Phone
Viewer’s Choice: Rihanna (featuring Young Jeezy) – “Hard”
Centric Award: Monica
Fandemonium Award: Chris Brown

Jacko sells over four million units in year since death

Artist News

A little more Jackson for you, and the Official Charts Company confirmed on Friday that the late king of pop has sold more albums in the UK than any other act in the year since his death. Music fans bought some 2.77 million Jacko albums since last June, in addition to 1.54 million singles. The biggest selling track was ‘Man In The Mirror’, while ‘The Essential’ greatest hits collection was the best selling long player.

Commenting, Charts Co top man Martin Talbot told CMU: “The UK was one of Michael Jackson’s favourite countries in the world and he had a massive fanbase here, as these figures clearly demonstrate. They came out and bought his music in massive numbers after his untimely death last summer – and will no doubt do so again, over the coming days and weeks, as they commemorate this month’s anniversary”.

For fans of lists, here are the Official Charts Company’s Most Sold Michael Jackson Records Since He Snuffed It Charts…

Biggest tracks…
1. Man In The Mirror
2. Billie Jean
3. Thriller
4. Smooth Criminal
5. Beat It
6. Dirty Diana
7. Black Or White
8. They Don’t Care About Us
9. You Are Not Alone
10. The Way You Make Me Feel

Biggest albums…
1. The Essential
2. This Is It
3. Bad
4. Thriller
5. Off The Wall
6. Number Ones –
7. The Very Best Of (also featuring Jackson Five)
8. The Motown Years (also featuring Jackson Five)
9. Dangerous
10. King Of Pop

Fergie not leaving Peas

Artist News

Will.i.am has denied rumours that Fergie is about to quit the Black Eyed Peas, though he didn’t comment on rumours she has been charging dodgy business men for introductions to Prince Andrew or that she’s been talking to Wayne Rooney about all the pressure in the England football camp. Gets around this Fergie. But regarding the Peas split rumours, Will.i.am tweeted this weekend: “Don’t believe gossip about Fergie leaving the group (we are never breaking up) it’s all lies!!!”

Tokio Hotel writers sign to Kobalt

Business News Deals Labels & Publishers

Songwriters and producers David Jost, Dave Roth and Pat Benzner, most notable for their work with uber-successful German pop outfit Tokio Hotel, have signed a publishing deal with Kobalt Music Group. The deal will see Kobalt administer and market the trio’s sync rights, and look after the administration on the existing Tokio Hotel catalogue and any future musical creations.

Kobalt top man Willard Ahdritz told reporters on Friday: “We are thrilled to be able to welcome David, Dave and Pat to our roster of renowned songwriters and producers. Kobalt will be offering them not only a unique central administration platform but also the service of a global team of experienced industry professionals”.

Live UK Summit to undergo revamp

Business News Education & Events Live Business

Organisers of the LIVE UK Summit, a conference for the live music industry, have announced details of their 2010 event, which will be bigger than in past years. The conference strand will be revamped, there will be more networking opportunities, including a Thames riverboat cruise, and a new awards bash for live music types will be slipped into the proceedings.

Confirming the changes, The Summit’s Exec Producer Steve Parker told reporters last week: “As the live industry seems to be weathering the economic downturn with a combination of caution and its usual enthusiasm for making things happen, we decided to shake up the whole event this year, with new production, set changes and the launch of the awards”.

The Summit will take palce from 6-7 Oct at the Radisson Blu Portman Hotel in London’s West End. The awards will take place on the evening of 7 Oct.

Is talk of the death of the US live sector exaggerated?

Business News Live Business

Various business hacks and music biz bloggers in the US have recently noted the number of tour cancellations that have taken place this year, with some concluding that the bubble is finally about to burst on the recently booming live sector. Others have added that the big boys of the industry, most notably the now very large Live Nation Ticketmaster, could be the biggest losers of any live business slump.

But, as we’ve noted before, it’s felt like the over-priced mainstream-end of the US live industry was about to peak on numerous previous occasions, and it never has. And other commentators reckon that it ain’t gonna happen anytime soon either. Hits Daily Double last week noted that US research firm Thomas Weisel Partners is of the opinion there haven’t really been any more tour cancellations this year than normal, and that Live Nation is weathering the general economic downturn well, with its No-Service-Fee Wednesday promotion going down well.

Meanwhile, HDD also speculates that rumours that Live Nation has been suffering since its merger with Ticketmaster, and that there are tensions between the two merging companies’ top men Michael Rapino and Irving Azoff, who now share the top jobs at the merged firm, are actually being put around by their rivals AEG, and in particular the CEO of its AEG Live division Randy Phillips. HDD say Live Nation insiders have told them Rapino and Azoff are actually “joined at the hip”, are working very well together, and are both very optimistic about the near future for their live music megafirm.

Some MCPS stuff

Business News Labels & Publishers

The MD of music publisher Peermusic, Nigel Elderton, was last week re-elected unopposed to the role of Chairman of the Music Publishers Association at the trade body’s AGM in London.

He is also taking over as chairman of MCPS, the bit of the PRS For Music collecting society that deals with mechanical royalties, mainly by taking money off record companies for the song royalties due on the sale of sound recordings. In the latter role he replaces Tom Bradley, who is stepping down after six years, but who will stick around on the MCPS board for at least another year to advise.

Although a division of PRS on an operational level, MCPS is actually a subsidiary of the MPA. Nevertheless, PRS’s CEO Robert Ashcroft is also an exec director of the mechanicals collecting society, and he spoke at last week’s AGM. Ashcroft said that collaboration and consolidation was the future of royalty collection, referring not just to the alliance between PRS and MCPS, but also the increased collaboration between collecting societies and rights holders across Europe.

According to Billboard, he spoke about his vision of a “broad northern alliance” of European collecting societies, before discussing a new “strategic plan” which he is spearheading which “seeks to address the future of MCPS, the future of the alliance [between MCPS and PRS], and the future of the PRS in this newly competitive Europe”.

BBC Trust give Canvas all clear

Media

The BBC Trust has given BBC management the all clear to get involved in Project Canvas, the previously reported collaboration between the BBC, ITV and BT, and others, to develop a standard platform for providing video-on-demand services to Freeview and Freesat viewers.

The project has been criticised by some, most notably Sky and Virgin, who offer rival VoD platforms, who say that for so many broadcasters and net firms to collaborate is anti-competitive. But the Office Of Fair Trading recently announced it wouldn’t be investigating those anti-competition claims, and now the BBC regulator has given the all clear for the Beeb to collaborate with its commercial rivals on this project.

The OFT did previously step in when the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 tried to actually go into business together and launch a jointly owned VoD service (what eventually became the independently owned SeeSaw). But Project Canvas is just a technology-based collaboration, and not an actual VoD service that will utilise BBC, ITV and C4 content archives, which is presumably why both the OFT and BBC Trust have concluded that there is nothing wrong with the venture.

Project Canvas Director Richard Halton said he was “delighted” by the Trust’s decision, telling The Guardian: “This brings the benefits of next-generation TV to all consumers, including those who choose not to subscribe to pay-TV. We look forward to rising to that challenge”.

Sky and Virgin Media are sure to moan about the decision before the day is out.

Tuesday 29 June 2010, 12:24 | By CMU Editorial

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Monday 28 June 2010, 16:00 | By Eddy Temple-Morris

So, you’ve all been watching the World Cup, right? I say that like it’s obligatory, most of Team CMU haven’t watched any of it. We’re very good at keeping up with all things music, less good with all things football.

However, this time round we’ve been able to keep track of the main developments via Twitter, largely through Eddy’s impassioned outbursts, which I’m sure many of you have seen. Through him, we’ve got all the ups, all the downs, and some of the casual xenophobia thrown in too.

But it’s all come with a spirit of global friendship, and has, actually, made Eddy even more internationally minded than normal; and acutely aware of how our desire to support the underdog comes to the fore at times like this. Especially when your own team is doing so badly.

So, this week Eddy considers the bad and the good of World Cup fever.

READ MORE ABOUT: Eddy Temple Morris | The World Cup

Monday 28 June 2010, 11:45 | By Andy Malt

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Monday 28 June 2010, 11:38 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Conrad Murray | Joe Jackson | Michael Jackson

Monday 28 June 2010, 11:37 | By CMU Editorial

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Monday 28 June 2010, 11:33 | By CMU Editorial

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Monday 28 June 2010, 11:31 | By CMU Editorial

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Monday 28 June 2010, 11:29 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Pete Quaife | The Kinks

Monday 28 June 2010, 11:27 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: BET Awards | Chris Brown | Michael Jackson

Monday 28 June 2010, 11:26 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Michael Jackson | Official Charts Company

Monday 28 June 2010, 11:25 | By CMU Editorial

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Monday 28 June 2010, 11:21 | By CMU Editorial

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Monday 28 June 2010, 11:20 | By CMU Editorial

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Monday 28 June 2010, 11:19 | By CMU Editorial

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Monday 28 June 2010, 11:17 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: MCPS | Music Publishers Association (MPA) | PRS For Music

Monday 28 June 2010, 11:16 | By CMU Editorial

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