A&R WORLDWIDE - Newsletter CCXLIII

GRAMMY AWARDS 2010 HIGHLIGHTS

A new standard was set during the Grammy Awards Sunday night at Staples Center as Beyonce became the first female artist to take hone six statuettes in a single evening. But her record-breaking accomplishment was just the start of an evening that provided a comprehensive look into the sounds of today.

The four main awards were split between genres, with Beyonce garnering Song of the Year for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” while Taylor Swift took home Album of the Year with Fearless, Kings of Leon won Record of the Year for “Use Somebody” and the Zac Brown Band earned Best New Artist. In addition, French rockers Phoenix won Best Alternative Album for Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

But as usual, the performances trumped the hardware. Lady Gaga opened the show with her ubiquitous “Poker Face” and was joined by Elton John, while Green Day shared the stage with the Broadway cast of the upcoming “American Idiot” show. Pink brought a taste of her “Funhouse” tour to the Grammy stage, soaring above the crowd while she sang her tune “Glitter in the Air,” while opera star Andrea Bocelli was joined by Mary J. Blige for a powerful rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” to highlight Haitian relief efforts. In addition there were the usual cross-generational pairings, with Leon Russell joining the Zac Brown Band, Maxwell and Roberta Flack teaming for “Where is the Love” and Stevie Nicks pairing with Taylor Swift for “You Belong to Me” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon.” But the true highlights of the evening were in tribute to a pair of deceased legends: Jeff Beck paid tribute to Les Paul, while Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, Usher, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson teamed to honor the memory of Michael Jackson in a special 3-D segment. All in all, a spectacular evening at the Staples Center!

STEIN AND GOTTEHRER ANNOUNCE RELAUNCH OF BLUE HORIZON

Sire Records Founders Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer announced last week in Cannes, France that they would re-launch the Blue Horizon label, which has been dormant since the Sixties. Stein told A&R Worldwide during a private dinner in France last week that the label would act as a home for emerging artists from across the globe. Stein stated that initially the signed artists will be distributed via The Orchard, which Gottehrer founded back in 1997, and then have the possibility of being upstreamed to Warner Music Group.

Gottehrer stated that Blue Horizon will bring together a strong sense of tradition with a forward-looking business perspective. “Blue Horizon brings the experience and tradition that was the music business forward,” he explained. “The ability that Warner has and we have acquired from our experience with The Orchard.”

“Blue Horizon is a respected trademark--something that people remember,” Stein said of the label that released albums from bands including Fleetwood Mac and Chicken Shack in the Sixties.

As well as music, Blue Horizon may also become involved in merchandise, according to Gottehrer. “Warner has a merchandise division. There is a possibility if artists felt comfortable we would offer that service,” he said. But he ruled out getting involved in the live business, calling the 360-degree model “nonsense”.

“I feel there is another breakthrough coming in internet music,” stated Stein. “It doesn’t matter what the language is, there is music coming from all over Europe, Asia, India--even China.”

EUROPE FOCUSES ON REALITY NOT VIRTUALITY

The recent MIDEM event in Cannes, France showcased a much more positive and vibrant mood about the overall health and focus of the future of the music industry than what we experienced across the globe in 2009. The general mood was optimistic about the opportunities for the growth and development of the new music business, which continues to take shape across the globe.

One of the defining consensus’ that A&R Worldwide sensed overall was that too much emphasis has been put on technology and the virtual world being a golden wand to fix the many problems our industry has weathered over the past decade. However, this year it seems that more focus is being poured into focusing on building a new business based on a “reality world” versus “virtual world.” Music is a people business and is community- and experience-based; a quick fix online is okay, but to build a better experience for artists, fans and industry alike (a common theme emphasized at One Movement MUSEXPO Asia Pacific last year), we have to engage face to face more often and not be so dependent on the virtual world.

So in short, 2010 looks to be a much more vibrant, optimistic and pertinent year for those who have a long-term vision for music and have the experience, relationships and knowledge that are so essential.

Here’s a pictorial overview of some the human interaction at this year’s MIDEM in Cannes, France.


TWO MINDS ARE GREATER THAN ONE: The legendary Harvey Goldsmith, Founder Harvey Goldsmith Presents (left), brainstorms about the future of music with Fred Goldring, Partner Goldring Hertz & Lichtenstein.	SOUNDS OF SOUTH AFRICA: Discussing the burgeoning South African music scene (l-r) are Monte Malone (Sr. Director, A&R Worldwide), Greg Carlin (Zebra & Giraffe), Andre Recke (Sr. Vice President A&R, EMI Continental Europe) and Karl Anderson (Managing Director, Just Music, South Africa).


FROM FINLAND, UK TO JAPAN: Showing their truly international colors at the Music Export Finland and A&R Worldwide-hosted “Finn-Asian” dinner in Cannes (l-r) are Aki Morishita (Vice President Creative, EMI Music Publishing, Japan), Tom Frisk (A&R Director, Warner-Chappell, Finland) and Reynold D’Silva (Managing Director, Silva Screen, UK).	DOUBLE THE SPICE IN FRANCE: Warner-Chappell Finland’s A&R Director Tom Frisk (left) enjoys a spicy music conversation with Amarpal S. Gaind (Head of Operations, UK & Europe, Saregama), Atul Churamani (Vice President A&R, Publishing & Digital, Saregama, India) and Andrew Chernov (Director, Sunset Events & One Movement for Music Perth).


WILD TIMES ON THE CROISETTE IN CANNES: Having a bit too much fun with co-hosts of the Finnish-Asian dinner in France Paulina Ahokas, Director Music Export Finland (fourth from the left) and Sat Bisla (Founder/President, A&R Worldwide and MUSEXPO, third from the left) are guests from Finland, Japan, India, South Korea and US.	STAYING BARELY LEGAL IN FRANCE (l-r) are A&R Worldwide’s Sat Bisla, Kai Robøle (Manging Director, Waterfall, Norway), Richard Baskind (attorney, Edge Legal, UK) and Brandon Friesen (President, Arbor Records, Canada).


AMONGST GOOD FRIENDS: Enjoying a festive musical time together (l-r) are Olivier Robert-Murphy (Vice President International at Universal Music Group International), Kyle Hopkins (Head of Music Supervision/Microsoft Media Acquisitions, Xbox), Sat Bisla, Jens-Markus Wegener (Managing Director, AMV-Talpa, Germany) and Safta Jaffrey (Managing Director, Taste Media, UK).	A KIWI AND AUSSIE AFFAIR: Sharing some Australasian musical bliss (l-r) are Brendan Smyth (Director, NZ On Air), Teresa Patterson (Partner, CRS Management, New Zealand) and Andre Calman (Inertia, Australia).


FONTANA DISTRIBUTION AND A&R WORLDWIDE NETWORKING IN FRANCE: Ron Spaulding, President Fontana Distribution (far left), Bryan Mead, Vice President Fontana Distribution (far right) and A&R Worldwide’s Sat Bisla (third from right) co-hosted an international networking soiree in Cannes last week and were joined by over a hundred guests from across the globe, including some in this snapshot.	IT’S ALL SMILES IN FRANCE: Enjoying some smiles after a productive meeting and some real croissants are Jasper Donat (Co-Founder, Music Matters, Hong Kong) and Sat Bisla (Founder, A&R Worldwide/MUSEXPO).


WHERE ARE MY SCOTCH EGGS?: Waiting for some Scotch eggs at the Palais in Cannes are Monte Malone, Sr. Director A&R Worldwide, and Shaun Arnold (Director, Go North!, Scotland)	ALL FANS OF IMOGEN HEAP: Sharing their love for the brilliantly talented Imogen Heap are (l-r) Mark Wood (worldwide manager Imogen Heap), Bjoern Teske (A&R Director, Sony Music Germany) and A&R Worldwide’s Sat Bisla.


THE THREE MUSICAL MUSKETEERS: Sharing some good musical vibrations (l-r) are David Vodicka (Founder, Media Arts Lawyers, Australia), Bryan Mead (Vice President, Fontana Distribution) and Manfred Zähringer (Managing Director, Iceberg Records, Denmark)	A FRIENDLY INTERNATIONAL MIXER courtesy of Fontana Distribution and A&R Worldwide united over a hundred key executives from across the globe last week in Cannes, France.

HOLLYWOOD RECORDS SIGNING CAPRA ENJOYS EARLY SUCCESS

Recently signed to Hollywood Records, Los Angeles-based band Capra is already enjoying some very early success even without a completed album in the marketplace. The quintet, who were assisted by A&R Worldwide for a couple of years prior to signing with Hollywood Records (including A&R Worldwide helping the band secure worldwide management with Boo Management [Hilary Duff], as well as securing a worldwide publishing deal), are off to a strong start even without a formal release of their debut album.

Capra has already secured three key synch opportunities, including the worldwide Expedia advertisement for their single “Low Day.” The track has also recently made its way on to the Guitar Hero 5 video game and as one of the theme songs for the movie Sky Runners, which stars Capra lead singer Kelly Blatz. Since its release just under two months ago, the single “Low Day” has already sold 33,000 downloads on the iTunes store alone.

The band is currently in the studio completing work on their forthcoming debut album for Hollywood Records with Matt Harris, A&R Director for the Burbank, CA-based label. Capra is poised to be a major priority for Hollywood Records and Disney worldwide. For more information on Capra, log on to www.capramusic.com.

At right members of Capra get a taste of England: A&R Worldwide supported act Capra enjoy dinner in the heart of London. Pictured are (l-r) Kelly Blatz (lead singer, Capra), Reynold D’Silva (Managing Director, Silva Screen, UK), Sat Bisla (President/Founder, A&R Worldwide), Adam Greenup (Head of Business Affairs, Silva Screen, UK) and Jeff Laliberte (guitarist, Capra).

GLOBAL NEWS UPDATES…

Nick Gatfield

Nick Gatfield, President New Music, EMI N. America & UK, tells A&R Worldwide that he has signed Toronto, Canada-based electro-pop singer Trish. The songstress and fashion queen blends Lady Gaga meets Grace Jones in her unique mix of music and style. She will begin recording her debut album for EMI in the coming weeks. Gatfield also recently signed Los Angeles-based teen sensation Sky Ferreira, who is currently recording songs for her debut album for EMI. Ferreira is managed by former Capitol Records Sr. Vice President A&R Ron Laffitte, who is now a part of Coran Capshaw’s (Dave Matthews Band) Red Light Management team.

Warner/Chappell has extended its worldwide publishing deal with multi-Platinum-selling singer Michael Bublé, while expanding a global agreement with his Musical Director Alan Chang. The renewed deal with Bublé includes songs co-written by Chang for his albums Michael Bublé, It’s Time and Call Me Irresponsible, while also taking in future works. The new deal will also include Bublé’s fourth studio album Crazy Love.

Adrian Karvinen, former A&R Director for Island Records Australia, has left the continent and moved to Scandinavia to work with one of Sweden’s leading independent labels Razzia Records. Karvinen will be based out of Razzia’s Stockholm, Sweden headquarters.

Nude Records founder Saul Galpern has announced the launch of a new music publishing company, Nude Music. Nude Music has inked a global administration agreement with Bucks Music Group and the company has made its first signing, acclaimed Scottish seven-piece band Broken Records. Broken Records, who are signed to 4AD Records, released their debut album, Until the Earth Begins, to critical acclaim in 2009.

Generator, one of the UK’s leading music development agencies, has been awarded a significant European Redevelopment Fund. The organization has been awarded £822,000 to be spent in helping businesses in the region working within the music industry.

Independent US publisher Primary Wave Music Publishing & Marketing has announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance with leading booking agency The Agency Group (the T.A.G. roster includes White Stripes, Noisettes, Dolly Parton, Muse and Paramore to name but a few). As a result of the partnership, The Agency Group will use Primary Wave’s strategic marketing, sponsorship sales and branding services. The two companies will also create a publishing and management joint venture under the Primary Wave umbrella

offering administration, co-publishing and management services to The Agency Group’s roster, while The Agency Group will help Primary Wave to book acts for its key tours. The Agency Group’s worldwide CEO Neil Warnock says, “The importance of the international reach this can have for both entities coming together for this partnership is massive.” Primary Wave CEO Lawrence Mestel added, “We couldn’t be happier to be partnering with The Agency Group. Ken and his team of professionals are a natural fit for us. Their roster of talent is among the best in the music business and we are looking forward to working to enhance the value of the services The Agency Group can provide their artists.”

Universal Music Group has joined forces with mobile publishing platform Netbiscuits to create a series of branded mobile websites for its artists. The sites will be compatible with phones running Windows, iPhone and Android operating systems and will facilitate in-site purchasing. Social elements will be incorporated into the artist sites to allow fans to interact with each other. The deal expands on Universal and Netbiscuits’ partnership to launch a mobile site for Bon Jovi back in November 2009.

MUSEXPO Europe 2010 will return to London, England this year. The event will take place June 14-15 at The Cumberland Hotel in the heart of London. For more information, log on to www.musexpo.net.

Michael Taylor, Managing Director Island Records Australia, has appointed Josh Kellett to his Sydney-based A&R team. Kellett will assume the position of A&R Assistant and Scout for Island Records Australia and report directly to Taylor.

BMG Rights has acquired the rights to the music catalog of Gérald De Palmas. The deal with BMG Rights Management France includes the acquisition of both De Palmas' music publishing catalog Sur La Route Editions and publishing rights of his new album Sortir released on AZ/Universal at the end of last year.

Broadcast Music, Inc. has promoted Richard A. Garza to Senior Director, Legal & Business Affairs, Performing Rights, it was announced by Gary F. Roth, Assistant Vice President, Legal & Business Affairs, Performing Rights.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Sunil D’Sa, Kai Robøle, Cecilia Ancker, David Foster, Matt Harris, Randy Lennox, Jason Magnus, Pete Ganbarg, Richard Griffiths, Gary Arnold, Ted Chung, Miles Leonard, Faithless, Chris Barton and R.I.P. Teddy Pendergrass.