U.K. PRS Charges 11V, BBC Abuse Society Seeks Protection of Writers Mended That the Government Intro- Supported by the Assn
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
U.K. PRS Charges 11V, BBC Abuse Society Seeks Protection Of Writers mended that the Government intro- supported by the Assn. of Profes- BY NIGEL HUNTER duce certain legislative safeguards. sional Composers; the British Acad- LONDON The Performing Right Guidelines were adopted by the emy of Songwriters, Composers, Society is proposing amendments to Independent Broadcasting Author- and Authors; the Composers Guild its rules as a consequence of con- ity, under which independent TV of Great Britain; and the Assn. of cern about alleged pressure on writ- producers were expected not to fol- Background Music Producers, ap- ers of TV themes and background low the practice of requiring the proached the Home Office earlier music to publish their work through composers commissioned to write this year to urge legislation prohib- companies associated with the TV music for their programs to grant iting TV companies in the future stations commissioning the work. publishing rights to a publishing from controlling the music publish- The issue of these alleged coer- company partly or wholly owned or ing rights in any of the music in- cive practices was raised in the open otherwise controlled by the pro- cluded in their productions or in forum at the PRS Annual General gram contractor. those of other TV companies. Meeting last year. It was again a Freegard observes that the im- Freegard adds that the PRS has main topic in this year's open forum pression has persisted over the also pointed out to the Home Office at the AGM held July 10. years that these guidelines were not the high proportion of ITV royalties In a letter dated June 9, PRS CEO being followed. One of the largest distributed by the society for works Michael Freegard told all full and ITV program contractors has ap- controlled by publishers associated East Meets Easton. MCA Records artist Sheena Easton appears as an award associate members of the society parently told the IBA that, in the with ITV contractors and included presenter at Tokyo's 18th Music Festival. Pictured, from left, are Tokugen that the allegations were not new. new "free- for -all" climate of broad- in programs produced by them. It Yamamoto, president, Warner- Pioneer; Easton; and Danny O'Donovan, Music Representations were made to the casting reflected in the govern- asked the Government to consider Festival judge. (Photo: Bill Hersey) Annan Committee on The Future of ment's white paper "Broadcasting again legislative safeguards Broadcasting, which in 1977 recom- In the 90s: Competition, Choice and against possible abuses by TV com- Quality," it will no longer follow the panies. IBA guidelines. There have been Following last year's AGM, a spe- 14th North Sea Jazz Fest Attracts Record -Breaking Crowds charges recently that the BBC is cial study group was formed by the adopting a similar attitude. writers' organizations and the Mu- Dutch Gathering An International Treat PRS member Trevor Lyttleton, (Continued on page 66) exotic formations like the Master Dirty Dozen Band, and the Rebirth BY MIKE HENNESSEY Drummers of Burundi, the percus- Jazz Band. There was, however, a THE HAGUE, Netherlands The vi- sion orchestra of Doudou N'Diaye strong presence of younger genera- tality and rich diversity of rhythmic Rose (both from Senegal), jazz bag- tion music, including Generations Chrysalis' Fox Is Tops; improvised music was abundantly piper Rufus Harley, and the phe- (with Roy Hargrove, Ralph Moore, reflected in the 14th North Sea Jazz nomenal 8- year -old scat singer of and Geoff Keezer), Kenny G, Tuck Festival here July 14 -16. Admissions Tunisian descent, Emily Haddad. & Patti, and Michael Franks. Pogues Play `Misty' For Us over the three days totaled a record Among major vocal acts appear- Other highlights included a stun- 55,000, with all tickets for the Satur- ing at the festival were Manhattan ning performance of original music No STOPPING ME: Chrysalis dates. Meanwhile, teenybop idols day and Sunday concerts sold out. Transfer, the Drifters, Chaka Khan, by the 10 -piece Brass Project forma- Records' Sonia Fox is topping the Bros release their first single as a The festival, organized by Paul Etta James, Betty Carter, Lou tion, led by British baritone saxo- U.K. charts with "You'll Never duo, "Too Much" on CBS. Dare, Acket with JVC as one of the major Rawls, Joe Williams, Screamin' Jay phonist and Bird award -winner Stop Me Loving You" and, apart currently on the road, has a new sponsors, presented 150 different Hawkins, and Astrud Gilberto. John Surman; a hard -hitting set of from being the latest Stock, Aitken, single, "Abandon," from its debut groups, ranging from the conven- The traditional segment of the performances by the new Harper Waterman hit signing, she is also A &M album, "Out Of The Silence." tional jazz of Cab Calloway, Oscar jazz spectrum was represented by Brothers group; and the pyrotechni- the first female solo singer from The disk was produced by Julian Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Bla- such established acts as Harold De- cal trumpet playing of Cuba's Ar- Liverpool to top the charts since Mendelsohn, known for his work key, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, jan's Olympia Brass Band, Louis turo Sandoval. Cilla Black back in the Beatles era. with the Pet Shop Boys and Level George Benson, and Stan Getz to Nelson's European All- Stars, the There were also memorable per- Fox was signed by Peter Waterman 42. Johnny Spurling, the voice be- formances by the original Chico after she sang live on his local radio hind Babakoto, who attracted atten- Hamilton Quintet (with John Pisano program in Liverpool, and subse- tion with the single "Just To Get substituting for Jim Hall), the Ah- quently appeared on "The Hitman" By," releases his debut solo single, mad Jamal Trio, and James Blood TV pop program, which Waterman "Timewaster," on Nightingale Re- Ulmer's Blues Experience. also hosted. She was signed up by cords through BMG. Babakoto es- MTY Hits Jamaica for More evidence of the heightened the dynamic tablished a rep- interest in jazz and its associated production/ utation on the musical idioms was provided by the songwriting live London cir- A `funky Reggae Party' fact the festival's souvenir program trio and "You'll cuit before the Five Freddie while he was in Ja- had a substantial amount of record Never Stop Me members went BY MAUREEN SHERIDAN maica, supports Longobardo's company advertising-a reflection Loving You" their separate MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica The view that reggae's time has come of the vastly improved jazz sales of has climbed to UK` ways. blue skies and good vibes of Negril on MTV because there is an audi- the last couple of years. The mini the chart pinna- and Montego Bay provided the per- ence for it. jazz "boom" was also mirrored in cle in five by Chris White FUTURE fect backdrop for the recent taping The MTV crew was based at Ne- the brisk business done by the rec- weeks. She has, however, a long Product: Wet Wet Wet is currently of MTV's "Funky Reggae Party." gril's Hedonism Hotel, where most ord stalls in the basement of The way to go before emulating Black's completing its next album, which Devised by producer Vinnie Lon - of the interviews took place. Mon- Hague Congress Center. chart tally of 19 hit singles. should be preceded by a single in gobardo, who joined forces with tego Bay's Pier One was the other For the first time, the festival de- August. Curiosity Killed The Cat, MTV rap producer Ted Demmo, location used. voted an entire evening at one of its NO PRODUCT DROUGHT: The which has been missing from the the show will be screened in late "We hope that `Funky Reggae 14 concert locations to music from ongoing heat wave here may pre- chart limelight for two years, is in July or early August. It is hosted Party' will have broad appeal," one country: a British Best night sent the U.K. with drought prob- the mixing stages with its long- by Fab Five Freddie, and features says Longobardo. "There is a fine showcased the jazz of four leading lems, but there's no question of that awaited album. Many industry ob- performance clips, videos, and in- line between not alienating the groups from the U.K.: the Steve happening in the record market- servers see the new disk as being terviews with such leading reggae real reggae fan and crossing over Williamson Quintet, the Tommy place even though summer is tradi- crucial in the career of the band acts as Sly and Robbie, Ziggy Mar- to a pop audience, but we believe Chace Band, the Tommy Smith tionally a slow time for new re- which, until the arrival of Bros, was ley & the Melody Makers, Steel we can do it. We felt it was impor- Quartet, and the Andy Sheppard leases. The Primitives, currently the teenybops' idol. Pulse, Shinehead, Marcia Grif- tant to tape the show in Jamaica, Sextet. working on a new album and plan- fiths, and Half Pint. A tribute to where the roots of the music are, And, almost certainly, another ning live dates, have a new single, COMEBACK TRAIL: Sixties fa- Bob Marley, whose song provided but we are adding interviews done first for any festival anywhere was "Sick Of It," while The Pogues re- vorites The Troggs, who topped the the show's title, and Peter Tosh is in New York with groups like that the audience had to pay to turn with their fourth album, U.S. Billboard chart with "Wild also featured.