4 MusicWeek 20.04.12 NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF
IVOR NOVELLOS: The shortlist has been announced for this year’s songwriters’ awards, with a more populist feel than 2011’s event. Adele, Florence + The Machine and Ed Sheeran efforts will go head-to-head for Best Song Musically & Lyrically, whilst Nero, James Blake and Lana Del Rey tracks are up for Best Contemporary Song. The Album Award is an all-female battle between PJ Harvey, Kate Bush and Adele.
RADIO 2 A-LIST STILL NO PROBLEM AFTER 12 ALBUMS WITH ABSOLUTE
No looking back for Carrack after dumping trad labels
TALENT BY TOM PAKINKIS
F
SEX PISTOLS: Nearly 35 years to the day since its original release, Universal Music has confirmed that it will re- release the Sex Pistols’ alternative national anthem God Save The Queen on May 28. SECRET 7”: 700 record sleeves have gone on display at the Idea Generation Gallery in East London. The exhibition showcases work created by artists in response to a challenge from Universal UK and the Teenage Cancer Trust. Each is available for a minimum donation of £40 to the TCT. (
www.Secret-7.com) ROUGH TRADE RETAIL: The group will launch its biggest store in New York later this year. SPOTIFY: The Red Hot Chili Peppers' entire music catalogue has been added to the streaming site’s library. MUSICIANS’ UNION: The MU has urged its members not to work for free at events connected to the London 2012 Olympics. GLOBAL PUBLISHING: The firm’s Tracie London secured the first major UK commercial for LMFAO. The PlusNet ad uses a version of Party Rock Anthem, re-recorded with a brass band. The track has been licensed for a year in the UK. WAYNE ALLEN: The former manager of Ainley’s Records in Leicester died on April 10 following a three-year battle with lung cancer. He was 57. A funeral will take place on Wednesday, April 25 at 11.30, St Michaels Church, Cosby.
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ormer Mike + The Mechanics vocalist Paul Carrack has said his long
career is now “coming together” after ditching traditional record deals and opting to self-release with Absolute Marketing. Carrack was the number one
played artist on Smooth Radio last year and claimed five A-list records on Radio 2. Meanwhile, his single Good
Feelin’ About It was the highest climber on Nielsen’s airplay chart last month and also landed on Radio 2’s A-list. The musician told Music
Week: “I don’t know what deals [major labels] are doing now and I don’t really care because I’ve got my own little groove and I love it.” Carrack has put out 12 albums
with the help of Absolute over the same number of years, turning his back on the traditional route to market after a “new agenda” emerged at his old label EMI. “I did an album called Blue
Views, which did well for me on a solo level,” he said. “Clive Black at EMI said, ‘You should be a core artist here. Don’t hang about, let’s have a new album.’” Carrack set to work Beautiful World but returned to a different
environment upon the requested album’s completion. “The whole set-up at EMI
had changed,” he said. “Clive Black and Jean Francois-Cecillon had gone. They’d all gone. “I waltzed in with my new
album and I could tell within five seconds that no one wanted to know. They obviously had a new agenda, they wanted to sign their own acts and they just weren’t interested. It was gutting actually.” Carrack began releasing solo
works himself, with Absolute taking on manufacture and distribution responsibilities. Aside from his success at
radio, Carrack recently completed a 44-date UK tour playing to sold-out theatres. Would he have achieved so
much if he had persevered with the traditional route to market? “No I don’t think so,” said the musician. “Basically you’re at the mercy
of the record company, how they view things and what potential they think a record might have. “They’ve got everything tied
up in terms of TV and the rest of it but fair enough, they’re welcome to it,” he added. “I’m in a sweet spot at the
moment in that I’ve had a long and varied career and it’s kind of coming together at this stage. I’m establishing myself as an entity through graft and hard work.”
Breakout gets international feel in May
Music Week’s monthly Breakout night will return on Wednesday, May 9 – boasting a decidedly international flavour. The evening will welcome Catalan culture and language promoters Institut Ramon Llull, who will also be the lead international partner for the 2012 Great Escape festival. The group will bring the Catalan stylings of a trio of acts - Maika Makovski (pictured), Amics del Bosc and Seward – to the Breakout stages at Proud Galleries,
Camden. They will be joined by
Swedish pop artist Dante –a 24-year old former drummer for The Concretes – as well as California rockers We Barbarians, who have already garnered comparisons to early U2 and The Clash. Other acts performing
include Belgian act School is Cool, harmony-driven group Die Mason Die and Ria Ritchie from Lowestoft, Suffolk – who has scored over 10 million views and 35k subscribers on YouTube. “We are looking forward
to a wonderfully mixed crowd on May 9,” said Ben James from Breakout promoter All
Night Long. April’s event saw standout
performances from Danish band The Rumour Said Fire, Hudson Taylor, Jess Hall Band and Ryan Keen. There were also turns from Kate Bush-like vocalist Saint Saviour and YouTube sensation Danny Shah. Pledge Music returned to curate the acoustic stable element of the event. The firm’s Paul Barton said: “We were very happy to have been part of another hugely successful Breakout. There was a fantastic industry and public turnout and all acts were brilliant. We look forward to working on Breakout again soon.”
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