$5.95 (U.S.), $6.95 (CAN.), £4.95 (U.K.), Y2,500 (JAPAN) _ lllnllnlnlllululnllulnlllnu.lllulll #BXNCCVR 3-DIGIT 908 #90807GEE374EM002#- BLBD 778 A06 B0136 001 033002 2 MONTY GREENLY 3740 ELM AVE # A LONG BEACH CA 90807 -3402 THE INTERNATIONAL NEWSWEEKLY OF MUSIC, VIDEO, AND HOMEv ENTERTAINMENT'¿ r APRIL 7, 2001 CROONS To Reverse Decline, WMG TIM McGRAW New Capitol CEO Slater Aims Restructures, Downsizes AMERICANA TUNE ON CURB To Bolster Label's U.S. A &R BY ED CHRISTMAN BY DEBORAH EVANS PRICE bum, A Place in the Sun, bowed at BY MELINDA NEWMAN and MELINDA NEWMAN NASHVILLE -For an artist who No. l simultaneously on both charts. LOS ANGELES -When new Capitol Records The latest restructuring of Warner Music Group laughingly confesses that his first Needless to say, expectations are CEO/president Andy Slater officially assumes his (WMG) is designed to help the once mighty compa- album didn't even go "wood," never high for McGraw's Set This Circus post May 1 in Los Angeles, his first order of busi- ny reverse its market -share decline mind gold or plat- Down, due April 24 ness will be to steady the label's and improve profitability. inum, Tim McGraw from Curb Records. course for the future. On March 27, WMG closed three rebounded with a McGraw's "about "I think there's a perception that WEA sales offices and downsized the vengeance. the closest thing we Capitol drifted a bit during the [failed distributor by about 80 people. The The five albums that have to a star right EMI /Warner Music Group] merger following day, it began implementing followed each debuted, now, and we need period," says EMI Recorded Music layoffs on with and spent multiple stars," says WSM- president/CEO Ken Berry, to whom SLATER MOUNT the label side, further cuts at Warner Bros. Records. weeks, at No. l on Bill- FM Nashville PD Slater will report. 'And it's been hard Worldwide, the company was ex- board's Top Country Tim Murphy. "He for everyone in the interim" since the wea pected to reduce its head count by 600 Albums chart. Not a kind of snuck up on negotiations began with Slater late people, of which about 500 were said Moment Too Soon McG RAW people. Nobody was last year. "We've been anxious to get Andy free to be choosing an early- retirement buyout package. spent 29 weeks at the summit in 1994 out running around saying he was and clear to just get on running the business. (Continued on page 105) and also logged two weeks at No. 1 the next great savior of the for - (Continued on page 106) on The Billboard 200. His 1999 al- (Contin red on page 113) Dualtone Sets Dual Goals: Mock & Roll latest Debut Conyers Is In Artists' Corner Profitable But Artist -friendly Of Yet Another Latin Label BY BILL HOLLAND Judiciary's Copyright Subcommit- BY PHYLLIS STARK WASHINGTON, D.C. -There is tee, now titled the Subcommittee BY LEILA COBO NASHVILLE -The founders of a new Nashville -based no member of Congress who has on Courts, the Internet, and Intel- MIAMI -In what is turning out to be an increasingly label hope to establish it as an artist -friendly home for a been more vocal about the treat- lectual Property. diverse playing field, another new Latin label has opened diverse roster of acts who prefer to work outside the ment of musicians than Conyers is considered a shop and is slated to put out its first release -an album major -label system. 19 -term Congressman friend of the record indus- by Panamanian rapper El General -as early as May 1, Dualtone Music Group has been created by former John Conyers Jr., the try, but on issues where he Billboard has learned. Arista Austin executives Dan Herrington and Scott ranking Democratic mem- feels artists themselves Miami -based Mock & Roll is an alliance among Robinson, who serve as co- partners in the label. Among ber of the House Judicia- are being unfairly treated, Venezuelan indie label Líderes, the Cisneros the first releases will be ry Committee. he speaks out, as he did Group, Telefónica de Es- DUALTON E projects from veteran At 72, Conyers is the in 1998 against a contro- paña, and former BMG U.S. BILLBOARD Nashville artist /writers second-most senior mem- versial bankruptcy amend- Latin managing director EXCLUSIVE M U S I C G R O U P Radney Foster and Jim ber in the House of Rep- CON PERS ment involving recording Francisco Villanueva, who Lauderdale, as well as a resentatives and a founding mem- artists; last year, he spoke in favor will run the label. Product quirky bluegrass album of AC /DC covers. ber of the Congressional Black of repealing the work- for -hire will be distributed by Líderes, which, in the U.S., Both Foster and Lauderdale agree with Robinson Caucus. He has long served on the (Continued on page 104) is carried by Universal. when he says the deals that the label strikes "are Villanueva envisions the label as a vertically inte- completely artist -friendly" and allow the artists to DON HENLEY TO TESTIFY ON CAPITOL HILL: SEE PAGE '106 grated operation that will develop, manage, and retain control of their own careers. While some record artists. "This is a label dedicated to signing artists are signed to the label outright, others, like and exploiting talent," he says. "And I have the part- Foster, licensed their completed albums to the label kk ners to do that." but retain ownership of the masters. The Cisneros Group is a media conglomerate that has Lauderdale says that, after meeting with Herrington BILLBOARD SPOTLIGHTS THE DIGITAL MUSIC REVOLUTION' interests in, among other things, HTV, Venevision (Continued on page 112) (Continued on page 105) D E L U X E BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS CATCH A FIRE A unique 2 -CD set featuring the original UK remixed and overdubbed album that was released to the public) os well os the original previously unreleased version recorded in Jamaica in 1972. Includes two songs not available on the other album, "High Tide Or Low Tide" and "All Day All Night," 5.95 US $6.95 CANADA as well as such classics as "Stir It Up," "Concrete Jun gle," "Kinky Reggae" and "Slave Driver." 4> Packaged in a deluxe digipak version of the original classic ZIPPO lighter sleeve and features new essay, complete credits, new photos and lyrics. TIPP* urn ELAND A UNIVERSAL MUSIC CO M PAN ©2N1 Uni eersd Muss c........ n d UMG ìwco,örwas tr¢ a 74808 02552 7 ADVERTISEMENT www.americanradiohistory.com ED ABBOTT LATOYA ABNEY LOUIE ACUNA V MONICA ADAMS BRIAN ADLER ED AGUDELO ELIZABETH MCCRANK GREG MCCULLOUGH DARYL MCDANIEL RICHARD MCFALLS KARIN MARIO AGUILAR GRAHAM ALBERT SHELLY ALFORD DAVID ALMADA MICHAEL ALTIZER MCGEAGH MARLA MCHATTON CHRISTEL MCLEAN MICHAEL MCLEOD DIANA v1CMAHON ROD ALVAR BIL_I. AMBROSE CHRISTIAN AMBROSE DENNY ANDERSON LORI ANDERSON MARY BETH MCNALLY BRYAN MEAD JOHN MEADOR DAVID MECHEM SHARON MEECE ZACHARY ANTCZAK SUZANNE ARAIU FRANK ARIGO RANDY ARONSON JUAN ARRAZOLA GINGER MEHAFFEY OLGA MEDIA DON MENCKE LARA MERCER JAY MIGGIFJS KAREN MATT ASHLEY PAUL AUDINO CHRIS AYEARS JANET BAGLEY LISA BAILEY GARY BAKER MIKA KERRY MILES ROD MILLER JANIE MILLER NEDRA MILLER MARK MILLS TAMI DAVID BAKULA KEN BANCROFT WINSTON BARKER QUAN BARKSDALE ANI BASDEIIAN MILLSPAUGH FRANK MITCHELL DARREN MONROE RON MOODY DONZIT MOORE TAMEKA MICHAEL BASSETT SUSAN BAUER DIANE BEALL ALICIA BEAM TOM BEAVER DAVID MOORE AUBREY MOORE STACEY MORDEN DOLORES MORENO BOB MORGANO DIANE BELOTE BRUCE BENCH MITCHEL BERGER CRAIG BERGSTEIN PATRICE BERNARD EMIL .Y MORRIS BRENDAN MORRIS CHRIS MORRISON MIGUEL MOSQUERA TODD MCIJNTAIN BERNHAUSER LAURA BERRY DANNY BEVERLY MUNDY TONY MLSCATO BERRY TRESSA BEYER SANDY BIDINGER KARENA NAESTAD SRIDHAR NARAYAN DULCIMER BIESANZ PAUL BILEK HIROSHI NARITA RON NEGRETE LfND` ELIZABETH BISHOP THERESA BLACK NEHLS ANDY NELSON ISRAEL NELSON GINGER BLACK EDDIE BLACK L.ANIEF2 RYAN NEUMAN MAIJRICE NEWTON BLANKS JAMIE BLOOD CECE BOGART STEVE NIEMCZAK GRETA NCDAR JON MICHELE BONILLA WES BONNER ROBERT NOLEN CINDY NOWT HCOT_ -SMITH BOOKATZ SYLVIA BORDEN JERRY L.ASHAWN NORTONV CHRISTINE NOTARO BOSENEILER LISA BOI.JTTE MICHELLE V1ICHELLE NUNES NEIL INUNZIATO BOYER DANA BRADLEY ANNETTE CHRISTINA NYE MITCH O'BRIEN GREG BRENNEMAN ANGELA BROWN ASHLEY OCL..ON ED O'DONNEL..L_ K.ALIRNI ODURO BROWN MIKE BROWN TIM BRUNETTE NANCY OLIVER TOM O'MALLEY MARK MEREDITH BRUNSWICK HEAIHE BRYAN OMANN JARRETT O'NEAL AMY O'NEILL CHRISTINA BUCK JEFF BUGBEE SHARYN JENNIFER ORR CLIFF O'SULLIiAN DOUG BURKS VINCENT BURLESON GABBY BOTEL IOSWANDEL KATHY PACKARD SANDRA ANGELA BUTLER MARCELLA BUZZELL PAINE MARY PALAZZOLO BUDDY PARKER MARY CAPOZZI JOHN CARL BECKY JENNIFER PARKER LAURA PASTORI7_A CARROLL. VINCENT CARTE DIRK CARTER STEVE PECHTER DEBORAH PERLIS SUE W. GINA CARTER ANDY CASS CRISTINA 'A_RL.OFF ROB PERNA SCOT PERRY CASTILLO LUIS CASTRO BEN CHEAVES ERIKA PETERSON TIFFANY PHILLIPS GARY CHEK BRAD CHELSTROM HENRY JOHN PIEDR.AI-IITA BETH PLEVY CHIN ROGER CHRISTIAN GEORGINA MICHELLE POINDEXTER CHRIS POTEAT CHRONES MICHAEL CIESLIK ABRAM VT ITCH POWERS KIMBERLY PRATT FRED CLAIBORNE ALICIA CLARK NEAL CLEMENS P 1ELLBERG MARK PRICE GFEG PRINK BETSY CLICK DAVID CLINE STEPHANIE ROGER PULIDO MICHELLE QJPDRACC COHEN OLIVER COKE TAW COLBY HARRY _ARRY QUINN ALBERTO QJINONEZ COLE EVEY COLLINS BOB COLOSI NANETTE RAMIREZ STEVEN RANDOLPH JENNIFER COMAN JANETTE COOK MELISSA RASH EDDIE RAY LISA CHARLES COSIN NICOLE COSMEN ROCCO IREDDICK KATIA REED LINDA COVELLA STEPHANIE CRAMER KATES REICHENBACH PAT REID TO3Y RESNICK MARK CRAVEN LAURIE CRIST CHUCK JIM REYMANN MARK REYNOLDS CROSSEN LEIGH CROSSER JESSICA MICHAEL RIBA.K MIESHA RICE LINDA GOLDEN MANDI GOODWIN JAY GORE-7_ RICHARDS JILL ROST SUSAN ROBERTS TOM GOSNEY THOMAS GRABARES GENE GEORGE ROBERTSON MARY ROBSON GRADY ROBERT GRECO SHARON GREEN SHANNON ROJAS ROBERT ROMEAN MIKE GREENE MATT GREENE 2001 RICH STEVE ROOD FRANCISCO ROSAL TS LISA GROBECKER ROBERT GROSS ERIC IRDSE JUDIE ROSS SCOTT ROSS GENE GRUFMAN HAROLD GUILFOIL SCOTT GUY RDSTALSKI CARRIE ROTHWELI_ JOD JAMIE GLIZZ..ALDO KEVIN HADDOX MICHAEL.