Search Results for: RCA Records

When the record industry announced in June that it would begin filing individual lawsuits against hundreds of illegal file-swappers, it was not just a bad PR move, it was a signal that the music business is more desperate than ever. Halfway through 2003, sales continue to slump, down eight percent from the first six months of last year. Three of the ten best-selling albums so far this year were actually released in 2002, and only three artists – 50 Cent, Norah Jones and Linkin Park – managed to sell more than 2 million copies between January and June. 50 Cent,… Read more »

New York’s finest new rock acts will be anthologized on “YES New York,” a 15-track collection due June 3 from Wolfgang Morden, the soundtrack imprint of Vice Records. The album kicks off with a previously unreleased live version of the Strokes’ “New York City Cops” recorded in Iceland, and concludes with an acoustic version of “Our Time” performed by Unitard, a side project of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. “As transplants to New York, we had spent a decade watching the New York rock scene kinda suck with too many Heartbreaker wannabes and noisy sound-alikes,” executive producers Chris White and Brian… Read more »

Bertelsmann Music Group has completed its Jive lessons. The major label group said Tuesday it has closed its acquisition of Zomba Music Group, home to teen-pop label Jive Records, paying more than $2.74 billion to acquire the stakes in the closely held group it didn’t already own. BMG already held 20% of Zomba’s record labels and 25% of its music-publishing portfolio. The deal, which got rolling in June after Zomba owner Clive Calder triggered a long-standing “put” option to sell his interest, gives BMG full access to Jive’s roster of pop megastars, including ‘N Sync, Britney Spears and the Backstreet… Read more »

A California lawmaker investigating record company accounting heard one sad song after another on Tuesday as high-profile musicians from the Backstreet Boys to Bing Crosby’s widow accused labels of robbing them of past royalty payments. At a state hearing in Los Angeles, the musicians said they had sold millions of songs or albums only to receive sparse royalties or to be told they actually owed their respective record labels money to recoup advances. State Sen. Kevin Murray, who called the hearing along with fellow Democrat Sen. Martha Escutia, called it a fact-finding event but chided record companies for not making… Read more »

Music fans weren’t quite ready to vacate “Nellyville” this week, as the sophomore album from St. Louis rapper Nelly stood strong against a heady debut from funk-punk foursome the Red Hot Chili Peppers and held on to the top spot for the third week running. Sales of “Nellyville” (Universal) slipped 24% to 340,000 units, according to data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan, but the album still managed to top 1.5 million in total sales after less than a month out. Fresh off that success, the hip-hop star is said to be planning a move into the TV world, starring in his… Read more »

The Transplants, a punk supergroup composed of drummer Travis Barker of Blink-182 and singer-guitarist Tim Armstrong and bassist Matt Freeman of Rancid, will release their debut album in September on Hellcat Records. “I got a call from Tim and he said, ‘What’s up? You’re my favorite drummer,’” says Barker. “I said, ‘Really? Amazing!’ Originally I thought I was going to come in and do some drum tracks, but they were like, ‘We want you to be in our band.’” The sixteen-song album features vocals from Armstrong’s wife Brody – of the punk band the Distillers – on a pair of… Read more »

Canadian rock outfit Cowboy Junkies has lined up a 26-date spring tour and finalized details for its first DVD, a companion to last year’s Zoe Records release “Open.” The tour kicks off May 9 in Detroit and wraps Aug. 7 in Peterborough, Ontario. A couple of low-key dates at California wineries are sprinkled throughout, as well as a number of festival appearances. The DVD, entitled “Open Road,” is culled from the first leg of the band’s 2001 tour. The three-hour long video will feature an eight-song live performance filmed for a Canadian television special at the Quebec City Summer Festival,… Read more »

They represented the anti-establishment, so it was a bit odd to see the Ramones so happy to become part of the music establishment as members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But for the remaining members of the punk rock originators – whose lead singer, Joey Ramone, died last year – Monday night’s induction at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel represented long-overdue respect for the band that helped revolutionize rock with their rapid-fire, guitar-heavy songs. “I’d like to congratulate myself, and thank myself, and give myself a big pat on the back,” joked Dee Dee Ramone. “Thank you Dee Dee,… Read more »

The following is a complete list of winners at the 44th annual Grammy Awards, which took place at the Staples Center on Wednesday. Categories marked with an asterisk were handed out during the main, televised ceremony. * RECORD OF THE YEAR “Walk On” – U2 * ALBUM OF THE YEAR “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” – various artists * SONG OF THE YEAR “Fallin”‘ – Alicia Keys, songwriter (Alicia Keys) * NEW ARTIST Alicia Keys * FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE “I’m Like a Bird” – Nelly Furtado MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” – James Taylor… Read more »

Recipients of the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award and Trustees Awards were announced today by Michael Greene, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. Pianist and band leader Count Basie and recording artists Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, Al Green, and Joni Mitchell will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards. Engineer/producer Tom Dowd and original rock disc jockey Alan Freed will be honored with Trustees Awards. Formal acknowledgment of the awards will be made in conjunction with the 44th Annual GRAMMY ® Awards ceremony, which willbe held at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Wednesday, Feb. 27. The show will be a prime-time television special on… Read more »