$5.95 (U.S.), $6.95 (CAN.), £4.95 (U.K.), Y2,500 (JAPAN) IN MUSIC NEWS EWSPAPER EL286 YM NONUA 1NOOW IT* AVM WVIllIM 00 4,1 30VdONY ANO1 LtOT 61 96680 TOO 619 08113 119001M0bINOV£LZ96t Z96 11910-E ******* HAD3NXIgt WB's Van Halen Bows With New Lead Singer PAGE 15 S ADVERTISEMENT Brit Awards Sony's Varied Units Add Up To One Strong Firm Global Focus, Recent Label Realignments Paying Off Should Elevate • BY MELINDA NEWMAN Celine Dion's "Let's Talk About Love" cess is very broad-based," says (550 Music) stands at No. 3. Thomas D. Mottola, president/C00 of Verve, Others NEW YORK—Think globally, act Among the other Sony acts experi- Sony Music Entertainment. "These locally. That popular bumper sticker releases represent five different gen- • BY DOMINIC PRIDE LONDON—The Verve's interna- tional career is poised for another boost with the band's triple win at SONY" this year's Brit Awards, held Feb. 9 at the POLLY ANTHONY GELB MOTTOLA IENNER GLEW London Arena. Girl foursome could be the slogan for Sony Music res and come from new, developing, All Saints will Entertainment. The tremendous suc- and established artists." BILLBOARD EXCLUSIVE also consolidate their formidable cess many divisions of the company Sony executives say the seeds of the domestic position thanks to the are experiencing is the result of sev- current success were planted in 1993, show, watched by more than 10% eral years of development and, more encing success on The Billboard 200 when Mottola added president/C00 of of the British population. recently, realignments at many of the include Savage Garden (Columbia) at Sony Music Entertainment (SME) to Virgin U.K. president Paul Con- labels. No. 8, Will Smith (Columbia) at No. 10, his title, putting him in charge of the roy, who chairs the British Phono- This issue, Sony claims the top three Mariah Carey (Columbia) at No. 18, music division's worldwide operations. graphic Industry's Brits commit- positions on The Billboard 200 for the and Barbra Streisand (Columbia) at (He retained his title of president of (Continued on page 16) first time since January 1994. The No. 31. Sony Music, the U.S. division of SME.) "Titanic" soundtrack (Sony Classical "It's incredible having the No. 1, No. (Continued on page 75) /Sony Music Soundtrax) remains at No. 2, and No. 3positions and five of the 1for the fifth week in arow, while Pearl top 10 records in America, but what's New Gun-Control Jam's "Yield" (Epic) debuts at No. 2and even more gratifying is that our suc - Local Approach Organization Wins Boosts Bottom WB Expects Madonna To Industry Support Line At P'Gram BY JEFF CLARK-MEADS • BY PAUL VERNA 'Light ' Up Intl Markets NEW YORK—Motivated by the plight MI BY LARRY FLICK teamed with techno pioneer William LONDON—A greater emphasis oil of gun-violence victims—including his Orbit for a collection that sews local repertoire is hying cited hy Poly- own brother, who was wounded in a NEW YOI(K—Is the \‘orld ready for intense, soul-searching words into highly publicized incident atop the aspiritually enlightened edgy electronic/dance Time Warner's Music Arm Posts Madonna? The numerous instrumentals. The result Sharply Lower Earnings ... Page 5 pre-release radio and is abrave, visionary effort FAX Internet leaks of with the commercial Gram as one reason for its increased "Frozen," the lead single potency needed to finally sales and profits in 1997. Company GOOD WORKS from the pop chameleon's elevate electronica president/CEO Main Levy says that new Maverick/Warner beyond its current status (Continued on page 84) Bros. album, "Ray Of as alimited hipster move- Empire State Building ayear ago— Light," certainly hint that ment into atrue mass- Daniel Gross has joined with partner she may be embarking on MADONNA appeal attraction. RETAIL TRACK Talmage Cooley to form PAX, anon- her most successful mu- "My intention was to profit organization devoted to ending sical voyage to date. make arecord that I'd enjoy listen- Alliance Still Has gun violence. Furthermore, they're With its worldwide release slated ing to," Madonna says of her first stu- actively seeking the support of the for March 3, the album is unarguably dio set since 1994's "Bedtime Sto - ANumber Of Options entertainment and fashion industries her most adventurous. She has (Continued on page 83) PAGE 56 4. (Continued on page 83) 'HEATSEEKERS Lil' Man's Queen Pen Keeps Her Lock On Top ei PAGE 20 $5.95 US $.95 CANADA 08 > Charge It 2Da Game o 74808 02 552 7 ADVERTISEMENT N1G POP IS PR B IZ1 AN ADAM' , .2 (PRS) JULIE ANDREA'. S STEVE Vu ASE ..INDSEY BUCKINGHAM M ICEITY CLOUDS OF jai' CHILDRENS THE W A LE rOW E -IE NoToittot SMALLFOWN POETS 'FUE LAIIEFEACNS (PRS) .10' N DENVER DON W A', rur 3).A.Do‘ - SOUNC.,SOF BLACKNESS FiTivrv, m Alt! GurtiRIE Ku-rt .G.Er %Rs Titiar, DAY SHAVi.N, C(iI.% IN M ,::C.ILITCPEON S.Nurii Rids VAN SHELTON No Dot .IIT ALTERNATIVE BJ ORK (STI E.' BAI.ANI) BRIAN W HITE HANSON SPOKEN WORD Ulf Lm :RI W HITE JEWEL CHEMIC-o. ANGELOL BROTHERS :PR NiAx ELL COUNTRY CARE:, J(1( I' PRODIGY (PR,' T IE ROLLING STONES GARTH BROOKS LATIN LTA EINEY RADIOILEAD 1.nsa 1,12S) DEANA CARTER Los FABILLOSOS CADILLAt S CARIA SIMON JOHNNY CASH (SADIAC) MUSICAL SWIM W .KBRA STREISAND R&B DIAMOND Rio CAFE TAC UBA (S,A CM LYNN A`L-ZENS t.1ES T ‘A LoR Ay. YET ALAN JACKSON ENRIQUE IGLESIAS LES IF BICCUSSE ( Pl- sl G R0%1* R W ASH IN -.; TON, ERN SAFI B.ADU THE K INLEYS JULO IGLES IAS(SGAE) CY C.01.ENTA BLACKSTILEET BOB MCDILL LA M AFIA ST UV I F W ON-MS Su I P.-LIN FLAHERTY NtsRY J. BIAGI RICK REBIN MOLOTOV IRA ......t/t -,MAN 1-1ETER CITER,- GEORGE STRAIT O LGA TAON FRA,7..K W ILL-MOEN DANCE "Purry - Co N- BS -- RANDY THOMAS D AIT PUNK D R. D RE TRISHA YEARWOOD BLUES Gr.i,A G (ApRA) SmniEN HAGIr Boz Scac-iGs COMPOSING CHi.UNCEY H ANNIBAL ALAN PROADRENT MoRoDul NEW AGE W HITNEY HOUSTON BOB )RI .7•(:i; Pur Slum, Boys pits) ENIGMA (GEMA) FOLK SITtlE J. JAMES \ .rom HOWARD \ Si,mmuR M IKE O LDFIELD (PRS)' GUY CLARK JABORNE JAMAL BOB M iNrzER VANGELIS (BUMA) IRIS DEM ENT CI-LAN*, K HAN' CEDRIC G RADUS SAMSON ROCK JO- EL-SONNIER RON AI D LARKIN.; (SAMR0) AER( •SMI ITI JAZZ Ki-NNY LATTIMORE DIAN1E \‘'AREEN Fi c)N Di E D EE BRIDGEWATER NiAtcoi_n4 mc LAR REGGAE GABRUI. YARED (SACEM', THE CADMIC AI BLTDDY DI FRANCO NR, pRIC E ASWAD (Pits: BRC.TII ER -• ( i'as) GIOVANNI H IDALGO U - lip BURNING SPEAR (PRS) .,1A.KOP l)‘1-% ARRANGING THE B ILL HOLLMAN BAND ZIGGY M ARLEY AND -(» Ni'! N -- JOHN CLAYTON FLEE .iNvool) M •t( PATRICE RL-SHEN THE M ELODY M AKERS Rum( ROBERT FAEINON Jor IN FOGERT1 G ROVER W ASHINGTON, JR. ST EEL PIT'St. (PRS) t SLILR SLIDE HAMPTON. (SAŒM) THE GLIMMER IA\INS .t . FR VANDROSS (PRS) 'BILL H otmAN KORN GOSPEL WORLD MUSIC VIN CE M ENDOZA M ATCHBOX RAP TRACE ADKINS GIPSY iNus (sAcEel) MIKE RENZI ANOINTED M ILTON N ASCIMENTO DON SFBESKY ABRA M OORI- THE BROOKLYN BABATUNDE O LATUNJI TABERNACLE CHOIR JOHN M ELLEN( .\MP ALBUM NOTES GARY CHAPMAN N INE INC H NAil S POLKA JOHN LigE , A NDR.iE CROUCH THE ROLLING STONE , FRANK VA NKC.VIC D AVID E CARO:. ('1 MBALA (PRS) FRIE>.as PETER SIAMPFEI 1111- ( 11 ii R VOCAL JOE SATR1ANI BILLY VERA .LET EvE II PArn Siirii ERIC VON Sc ILMIDT \RN HINIs II ,_.,,._ At 65, Jewel's Ready For Retirement 131toed Music Group ITWON'T BE LONG before LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I askit on "Saturday Night Live" is now an ingrained pa Live" (Curb) is the longest-running single for titles cur- of American culture, and the latest incarnation of the fra1 AN UPDATE ON BI3NIG EVENTS & HAPPENINGS rently on the Hot 100. Slipping 3-4, it's in its 36th chart chise is the film "Blues Brothers 2000" and its soundtrack, , week. But that makes it amere youngster compared with which debuts on The Billboard 200 at No. 27. The first the senior title on the list. Jewel sets anew high-water Blues Brothers album, "Briefcase Full Of Blues," was No.: mark, as her two-sided hit, "Foolish Games"/"You Were 1in 1979, and the soundtrack to the first Blues Brothers Music & Media Expands Meant For Me" (Atlantic), falls 42-47 in its 65th chart movie peaked at No. 13 in 1980. The current album is the week. The single, which has been on the Hot 100 without first Blues Brothers release to appear on Universal; all Role In London Music Week interruption since 1996, shattered previous albums were issued by At- the longevity record four weeks ago. lantic. Music & Media is to present the form for European talent to be It is now dangerously close to ending International Pavilion at U.K. trade exposed to music and radio profes- its unprecedented run, as records LOOKING FOR A NEW HIT: In a fair London Music Week '98, re- sionals in the U.K. Part of M&M's that have been on the chart longer reversal of the Blues Brothers' label fleeting the magazine's increasing brief over the years has been—and than 20 weeks are removed when fortunes, Jody Watley has gone from commitment to the international continues to be—to identify, sup- CHART they fall below No.