Wednesday, September 9, 1998
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TODAY'S TOP 4 HEADLINES:
News today that Irish juggernauts U2 have signed an exclusive deal with their label's parent company to release three "best-of" albums. The deal is reportedly worth $50 million U.S., and early speculation is that the majority of the money is payable to the band almost immediately. Not only is this deal unheard of (so much money for previously released material), it's an interesting little case given that U2's label is in the middle of an acquisition. Island Records is part of the PolyGram family, which was recently purchased outright by Seagram (owners of Universal Music). By the time the first of these U2 albums in available in stores, Island will be part of the Seagram family, not Philips (who sold PolyGram). Even more interesting is the knowledge that it will be Philips who is responsible for paying the $50 mil to U2, NOT Seagram. The Best Of U2 Volume One 1980 - 1990 (that's a tentative title, thank God) is scheduled for release November 2 in the U.K., and will probably be a simultaneous worldwide release. It will be accompanied by a second disc of B-sides according to Variety, which may be combined as one package in a limited edition 2CD release. It's expected that the next disc in the "best-of" series (1990 - present) could be in stores as soon as Christmas 1999. The band have already sold over 87 million albums worldwide...it's a safe bet they'll crack 100 with this series. Not bad news for Seagram, who stand to reap the benefits of a contract that cost them nothing (the $10 billion-plus acquisition of PolyGram was done when this deal was struck).
Bristol trip-hop collective Portishead will follow up their eponymous second album with a live record from a 1997 show in New York City. PNYC is due for release on November 20 in several formats, including a long-form video and CD-ROM of the July 24, 1997 concert. Portishead (essentially Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley) were joined by a 30-piece string section and five-piece horn section, as well as their usual live band, and the musicians set up in the round for a truly unique performance. Utley is the group's premier musician, and it was his task to arrange Portishead's material for strings. "It was a dream come true to write for strings," Utley told Rocktropolis recently. "We wanted to get that thick, Hollywood soundtrack feeling to it."
The PNYC album will be comprised of 16 songs from that New York show at the Roseland Ballroom (including "Cowboys", "All Mine", "Numb", "Wandering Star" and "Sour Times"), and two live songs from other shows on the band's ten-month tour. In addition, there will be footage of the Roseland rehearsals and backstage tidbits included on the video and CD-ROM releases. D.A.M.N. has seen the actual video of the show, and it's compelling stuff...no lightning-fast edits, no camera tricks, just a fluid shoot that captures the band as they interact with each other and the mesmerized audience.
Rapper MC Noreaga has turned himself in to Pennsylvania police and was subsequently released on $25,000 bail. The aggravated assault charge stemmed from an alleged beating of a teenage fan after a turbulent concert that was four hours late starting and lasted only one song. The show was held August 28 at a Harrisburg, PA venue, and police have been after the hardcore rapper since the following day. According to police, the crowd were upset at the late start, and Noreaga (real name Victor Santiago) left the stage almost immediately after berating the audience. Parts of the crowd followed Noreaga and his entourage into the venue's parking lot, where a bit of a confrontation ended with 16-year-old Colin Burns allegedly getting the beats by Noreaga and his bodyguard. Noreaga would not reveal the man's name to the court when he was arraigned yesterday, so police are on the lookout for a very large John Doe. Is this a bad time to mention that the 20-year-old Noreaga has done hard time in the past on an attempted murder charge?
Beloved pop group Stereloab are set to release yet another compilation album of B-sides, rarities and remixes early next month. The band are incredibly prolific, releasing more material in a calendar year than some others muster over an entire career, so it can be difficult to keep up with them. The forthcoming album Aluminium Tunes (Switched On Volume 3) will be available on October 5, and will contain 25 songs from various sources. These will incude some remixes by the likes of Luke Vibert and John McEntire (Tortoise), and songs that have previously been for sale only on 7-inch singles at Stereolab shows. This 2CD set will also be released on triple vinyl, and is a nice companion to the 'Lab's 1995 Refried Ectoplasm album which gathered early material that only the heartiest import shopper could claim to own.
CRUMBOX, DINOSAUR JR., FAT, ROGER HODGSON ONLINE
Tonight on JamTV, Crumbox (8:00pm) and Fat (9:15pm) perform live, with a backstage interview from Dinosaur Jr. wedged in between the two (8:45pm). Over on www.liveconcerts.com, former Supertramp vocalist Roger Hodgson is featured in a webcast beginning at 9:30pm. All times are EST.
JANET JACKSON, USHER, WYNONNA, NATALIE IMBRUGLIA, THE BANGLES, DAVE MATTHEWS ON THE TUBE
Today's Saturday Night Live repeats on the Comedy Network feature Janet Jackson and The Bangles (3:00pm and midnight respectively). MuchMusic puts Usher in the spotlight at 7:00pm (repeated at 11:30pm). Late night features Wynonna on Letterman (11:35pm, CBS), Natalie Imbruglia on Leno (11:35pm, NBC) and Dave Matthews is a guest on Politically Incorrect (12:05am, ABC). All times are EST. For the ultimate guide to rock, check out Rock on TV.
D.A.M.N. is compiled by Mike McCann most of the time.
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"Shut up! I'm playing. I've come 10,000 miles to give you my life story, so get into it. If you want to make a speech, go to a bingo hall."
-- Bernard Butler, former Suede guitarist, addresses an allegedly noisy audience member at a recent Los Angeles concert.
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