musicwe For Everyone in the Business of Music 22 JUNE 1996 £3. THISWEEK Virgin grows footieto Gazza joy for 5system New tposa uns on ail fronts for mdies by Catherine Eadc Inserts in The Guardian on Saturday dancing Virgin Our Price bas received a mas- ketingfiagged initiative the beginning for Virgin of a nichewhich mar- has i Worldwide shareholdersive vote of confidenceWH Smith front with its mainthe beenVirgin in development Entertainment for 10Direcfs months. génér- announcement of an accelerated expan- al manager John Hind, who joined the MillCréation Hillbilly willsion seeof its the music opening retail of business 80 new Virginwhich theProject aim in isJanuary to target from spécifieOur Price, group says The expansion will roll out over the withunder separate, the umbrella glossy of "lapsedmagazine-style buyers" reviewnext three by WHyears Smith and follows which a identifies stratégie brochures.The first magazine, Composa, targets nessesVirgin Ourof the Price £2,689m-tumover as one of the core group. busi- high-eamingexplores the genres 18-to-35-year-olds of ambient, Africai an ' New génération Virgin stores will acid jazz and arias, with in-depth art 10 Afresh withgradually up to replace70 being Our closed, Price although stores, keydes artistson each within inforraing each the genre. reader A secon aboi startfor VOP has reafilrmed its long term com- atmagazine, young gay Crash maies, Bang will beWallop, launched aime £ Cathy Dennis consequenceings, Virgin Ourof the Price larger trad st GayTwo Pride other in July.magazines are already i willgiving increase the chain overall around by 130 23,250 stores sq with m, developmentmagazines upwith andplans runningto have siby moreVOP than managing 67,518 sq mdirector of trading Simon"space. Christmas.Customers will be able to order CD chiefBurke executive says the Billmove Cockburn by WH Smithis an videos,items stocked T-shirts in and,Virgin eventually, Megastores othi 1 ovcrwhelming endorsement of the suc- phone, fax or e-mail, 24 hours a da negotiaiionsSupergrass have wnh enten Sieven Spielberg's cess"Ifs of thegood music lo see retail we're opération. being support- DreamWorks aboul a TV sérias based on the ment,ed wrth polioy. such Thean aggressivenew Virgin develop- store band's expériences on the road, but co- formats have been very successful hnd managerat a very early Chris stage. Hufford He stresses says, They that thingsare very art foritedthe mfyority ahead of of Virgin budget. outlets Long have term per- our wrappedChristmas, Virgin ofiering products. free deli interested in doing a TV sériés with the band. prospectsNews of are the very expansion good." coincidessays Burke. with mailthe launch service, of VirginVirgin Our Entertainment Price's direct Bottomleytomeet topindustrynames Survey cites Oasis as BottomleyHéritage is secretaryto host a réceptionVirginia to canvasstion of the the îndustry's opinions of key a cross décision sec- the people'sfavourite demonstratesmakers, in a movethe élévation which further of the theOasis UK's are most challenging popular actThe of Bea: ail time. UKThe music informai business party, at Westminster. to be held at and record-buying habits of 15- to-45- âge groups. Bottomley'sexpected to beoffice attended on Julyby around 8, is year-oldsemerge ovenvhelmingly in seven British as cities.the UK Oasis pub- Birmingham,The report, basedLeeds, on surveysGlasgow, in 50 record Company personnel, pub- lic'sAround favourite 20% act. of the 1,017 people sur- Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester and theirveyed current named favourite the Création - well bandahead asof alsorecord names shop overallHMV as - thethe chain most waspopular pre- i she recognises the huge cul- bysecond-placed 8%. And when Blur people who werewere favouredasked to Virginferred byon 35% 31%. of The respondents, figures highlight ahead of ."She w to fïndcernsofthc 01 ly twice as many said Oasis than The buyersHMWs popularity- alongside among Woolworths, female record the enthusiasmsmusic industry, and whattheir sheideas can and de Beatlestopped the - althoughpoil among the over-25s. latter act still addressto help." the BPIBottomley agm on Julywill 3. aise ducedThe byCultural North GlasgowTrends survey,Collège pro-and • Full détails, see analysis, p8 ^ ^ EMIMUSIC'SSUCCESSC0ULDDETERBIDDERS-p3^ ► ► ► NEWSDESK: 0171 921 5990 or NEWSFILE EMI's success 'could deter bidders' Kiss jubilant after Yorkshire eculation, week showed pre-tax profits for the trade at around £13.60. The dance industry is celebrating the Radio Authority's city analysts,o-be-demergcd î bclicve the success ERU of byycar 27.3% ending to £539.1m, March assisted31 increasing by the Final demerger proposais will bc décision to award the larges! régional radio licence ta Group now makes a bid unlikcly. eighth consécutive set of record fig- withissued approvalto shareholders anticipated on July on22 YorkshireKiss FM. The licence, station, will which begin beat broadeasting 12 other bidders from Leeds for the expectations,Strong rcsults, and anwell associated ahead 5pof ures from EMI Music, which régis- August 16. Trading in the new com- next February, with a format based on that used by ils rise in Thorn EMI's share price to teredThe profits figures up showed23.8% to £365.2m.HMV also Newpany's Yorkshares stock on the exchanges London andis sister services in London and Manchester. Kiss 102 mcan£18.43p prospective last Wednesday bidders (June will hold 12), £19.6mincreasing on saies its upprofits, 53% toby £771.2m. 40% to expectedAddressing to begin analysts on August on Friday, 19. theprogramme dance format controller on commercial Mike Gray radio. says it "The is a triumphdance for untiloff from at least making Christmas, a move theyon EMIsay. companiesA sériés ofranging rumours from suggesting Sony to FifleldEMI Groupsaid one president/ceo of the company's Jim scene is so alive, but ifs not properly reflected on inSome the nowforcseeable suggest futu a bid is unlikely areDisney interested to MCA in biddingand Dreamworks have con- Anthologykey rcleascs 3, thethis finalautumn part willof The be Thorn EMI figurest of p unveiled by Thorntinued toEMI push shares. up the The price City of paniedBeatles bycompilation the video séries,release accom- of the Farbman moves to Windham Hili chainnan Sir Colin Southgate last expects the new EMI shares to 10-part Beatles télévision history. international,Nancy Farbman, is returningBMG UK's ta vice-president the US to become of head of companyinternational Windham at BMG-owned Hill. jazz and new âge Its 'Arise Sir George' as LIPA goes £4ni into the red Thered afterLiverpool building Institute costs of massively Performing exceeded Arts is £4m in the says,"lt'sexpectations. a dream Chief and executive a nightmare. Mark The Feafherstone-Witty dream is what music scoops honours we've got here -the nightmare is how much it costs." ~ has a CBEj.as a father figure DanceNetwork indie Networkinks deal Records with has Avex signed a deal to ft absolutelyindustïyT^He's wonderful a real ambass;he has re Legendary Irish singer songwriter licence its Six By Six imprint through Avex UK. Avex :ognition. I think everyone will be Van Morrison was the people's choice in saysDO's thedirector move of may international help Avex businessUK branch Harry into KanekoR&B and industry figures. r delightedson," he says. - George is a much-loved per- theafter new fans honours wrote tolist, the eaming Department his QBE of hip hop. In a separate move, Avex A&R manager chairmanBeatles Martinproducer was theand most Air high-pro- Studios byingDeacon for asays knighthood the industry for Martinhas been since lob- DeaconNational says Héritage Morrison's in honourhis support.- which Lindsay Wesker is leaving the company. file new Knight in the list announced on his 70th birthday two years ago. "Ifs is particularly timely as his song, Days Great rock'n'roll schedule vices to the recording industry. He was workingsomething hard that for, buteverybody ifs difficult has to getbeen a NortherLike This, has been adopted by the The North American ieg of the Sex Pistols' Filthy Lucre joinedHarvey in Goldsmith the industry - who roll gets of honoura CEE forby highknighthood award whenalready," someone has received a rsing TV ac iually, it ecially Tourplayed is revistingon their infamous three of the 1978 eight US tour. cities The the reformed punk band lp QBE for tus GoldsmithIt has long would been get predicted récognition that Harvey for his tion"The of his fact 30 it years is for ofmusic music-making. is important. I outfit are lining up 19 dates, starting July 31 in Denver. in Live /;r, particularlyand his groun his thinknomie we'veimportance been getting of pop across music the and éco- I Gabrielle wins court case over Dreams newbreaking audience project in Hyde to bring Park. Pava This year he turalthink importance we are now too." getting across the cul- Gabrielle and herco-writerTim Laws have won their BPI director général John Deacon finally gets it in the shape of a CBE. Deacon stresses there has been a gén- songwrmngcase in the High crédits Court to againstthe 1993 Victor hit Dreams, Trim over ending the a ysthink the ifslist certainlyis the best by yet far for the pop best music. list "Harveynised for thehas work probably he has also done been for what recog- is éral move towardsrs. more "I think récognition there have for three-year dispute. e'ver pop ever music, had. and Ifs probablyrare we get the a best knight- list now the National Music Festival," says ndustry hs Record entries for Mercury Prize >od, and for George particularly I think worked"Over treraendously the past four hard years to build he it hasup, Entries for the Mercury Music Prize outstripped last year'sdeadline total closed by 30, at with midnight 140 albums last Friday received (7). The as the final two Zombawinsnewdeal judges will be confîrmed this week.