4 Obie blast 22 Tough guys 26 Big 27 Hitman 3 PolyGram chairman Artist managers The Marquee club Polydor MD dons nails critics of are uniting to rocks to the sound disguise for I 11111 "high -price" CDs combat gripes of staff bands cameo role 9 770265 1 54015 i sicwtire For Everyone in the Business of Music ek 19 SEPTEMBER 1992 £2.65 111/ wins Brits show in Dickins shake-up The Brit Awards will be broad- tries there is and that should cast by ITV for the first time be reflected." next year under a new deal Dickins says the Brit sealed with Carlton Television Awards Committee wanted to late last week. try a fresh approach for the The split with BBC Televi- 1993 show. "Malcolm Gerrie is sion - which has broadcast new, I am new, and the gen- the show for the past 15 years eral feeling was to try some- - is part of a massive Brits thing different," he says. shake-up just weeks after Rob BPI executive producer for Dickins' appointment as Brits the event Lisa Anderson says Primal Scream singer Bobby Gillespie committee chairman. Brit masterminds: Gerrie, Dickins, Anderson discussionsarecontinuing was the only one of the group's 15 - The changes include: since 1987. tazz and Wired - takes over with Radio 1FM over its cover- strong contingent not to invade the The show, produced by In- The programmewillbe from Jonathan King as the age of the Brits. stageattheMercury MusicPrize broadcast across the ITV net-executive producer of the TV The station will continue to itial TV, being fronted by a awardslastweek.Followingthe presenter for the first time in work between 8pm and show. support the event and its lis- three years. 9.30pm on Wednesday, Febru- "We want to try to loosenteners will still vote for best band's victory,theirlabelissued a Both the awards show and ary 17, the day after the event. the show up a little bit," he single. statement declaring them to be "to mu- gala dinner to be staged under Initial TV managing direc-says. "The music business is Anderson is meeting Bard to sic what George Best was to football: one roof - London's Alexan- tor Malcolm Gerrie - former probablyoneof themost discuss point -of -sale material beautiful, sexy, talented, dangerous." dra Palace - for the first time producer of The Tube, Razzma- youthful and energetic indus- on Wednesday. See story p3. BPI draws list [y[u.s[t Nu[o[N LES for samplers Starmanagers The BPI is to compile a list of artists who are opposed to 11111 their works being sampled as a guide for A&R executivesjoin IMF meet and remixers. The list, suggested at the An unprecedented line-up ofrounds record contracts, BPI/Theodore Goddard sam- 250 of the industry's leadingRashman was planningto pling seminar last week, is in- managers was gathering in make the Simply Red contract [huh tended to help samplers avoidManchester yesterday (Sun- available to other managers at the legal pitfalls that delay or day) for the inaugural meeting the meeting. "It is important even prevent the release ofof the International Managers' to share knowledge," he says. ten 95 some songs. Forum. Rashmanrejectssugges- BPI legal director Sara John Managers of top bands in- tions that the formation of the says, "Samplers could try tocluding theRollingStones, IMF amounts to a calculated get clearance in extraordinary DireStraits,SimplyRed, attack on record companies. circumstances, but such a listINXS, Status Quo, The Cure "We are not out to declare war t,EL,Li lilChit wouldapplyforeverydayand Right Said Fred were set on record companies," he says. uses." to attend the curtainraiser to "We simply want to create a iigai 55 The Jimi Hendrix estate isthe In The City convention. consultative body, which en- clamping down on use of the The meeting was due to besures that the artist's interests ve late guitarist's material andchairedbyformerSimple are taken into account." John says many artists are Minds manager Bruce The meeting takesplace completely opposed to sam- Findlay. against the background of in- pling, she adds. Simply Red co -manager creasing anxiety on the part of "even flow", The scheme, which couldElliot Rashman, one of the record companies about what even include a run-down ofpeople behind the new IMF, they see as unreasonable resis- those willing for their work to says, "The response has been tance from managers and pub- "jeremy" Li ,1 UPA be sampled, will be discussed overwhelming. lishers to reduced mechanical as part of the BPI's talks on In a break withthe royalties for DCC and MiniDisc. Flin't SLR 1 MUSIC 01.4'.11/;1101. 1EL: LI:"..k2U the subject with MCPS. traditional secrecy which sur- See managers feature, p22. AMAGICALC@fr\Fi/NIATI@A i/vPLEFAAJ70 Tf.//\]@,/ iApi.E /40- T4 -/z "/@, 1Apiz M/14 (4F-ACT(4kE-ki 3(477pLyii\JGALL FW1ATS MAYKN G RECODS 071-92166 I NEWS COMMENT Arista plea for Sonia's Euro song Arista managing director support it," she says. Dadswell says Sonia was se- Diana Graham has appealed Publishers and songwriters lected in a bid to attract a for the industry to support shouldeither submit songs younger audience to Song For Sonia in her bid to win Euro- through Basca or directly to Europe and Eurovision, which vision next year. Arista so the label can pass will bel3roadcast by the BBC Graham, formerly vice them on, she adds. Songs are in March and May respective- president international at due in by the first week of De- ly. BMG Music Publishing, says cember. "The family audience is the sheisalready approaching Graham says a producer will Eurovision audience, but one writers to compose songs for not be appointed untilthe of our objectives was to get some of the young people more her artist to perform in the songs are chosen, but itis The Mercury Music Prize competition. understoodthattheBBC, interested," says Dadswell. "Soniaisa contemporary was a triumph. Few "Eurovision is a wonderful MPA and Basca are keen for new events go entirely to medium for promotion of the Sonia's producer Nigel Wright star who has a very good chart record. We're sure she will doplan, but Jon Webster and artist. I would like to return to be involved. the team behind the prize to the days when we used to Sonia: Eurovision hope MPA secretary Peter a good job for us." managed to deliver exactly what they promised -a strong promotional platform Virgin adds for the industry at the quietest time of the year. It was certainly Epos muscle disappointing that Primal win lifts Monday's well -organised to CIN charts presentation evening failed to score the media profile it Gallup has further increased deserved. the accuracy of its charts with Some newspapers' Virgin Retail's entire mega - coverage was plain store chain joining the sam- derisory. But it will grow in pling system using the newly time, for all the essentials adopted American JDA Epos Mercury profileare in place - BPI support, system. Bard support and most Today'scharts mark the Primal Scream's hotly -tipped important of all, the first time any stores in the DEALERS WANT MORE COVERAGE support of the artists. Virgin chain - which has a Screamadelica carried off the first Mercury Music Prize last As for the eventual market share of 4% - have fed Retailers expecting a sales boost of CDs. winner. chart return information to week. from Primal Scream's win were But Dominic Jones, Pinnacle's The winner of the £20,000 If you haven't heard Gallup. thwarted for two days last week head of label management, Screamadelica yet, maybe prize was announced to an ran Gallup chart director Gra- when distributor Pinnacle shrugs off what he describes as you should buy it - after all ham Dossett says Gallup now audience of 396 at London's out of CD copies of Screamadelica. a temporary hitch. Savoy Hotel on Tuesday, in a are that's exactly what the samples more than 60% of the AnHMVspokeswoman says Overallretailers enthu- Mercury is all about. total market. The number of ceremony which was broadcast that the majority of the chain's siastic about the Mercury indie retailers reporting sales live on Radio One. stores reported a two or three- award, they suggestitwould The evening, compered by nother venture which have increased by 30% in the foldincreaseinsalesof the have benefited from more media seems to have taken off television presenter Richard coverage. last year, from 480 to 620. album - until Pinnacle ran out beyond the initial Talks are currently continu- Jobson, featured performances fromactsincludingAlison expectations of its devisors ing with Boots, which accounts is the international for 2% of the market, he says, Moyet and cellist Steven Isser- lis. George Martin presented Managers' Forum which and a deal should be concluded was due to take place in the new year. trophies to the nominees. "We're very happy," says yesterday in Manchester. Dick Green, co-founder of Pri- With 250 confirmed to mal Scream's label, Creation. attend by Friday, the hopes Classical sales "We won't know for a week or of the organisers that out of so how it will affect sales, but it may come a fully-fledged slide continues we're expecting a big boost." organisation with the Virgin International man- power to meet the BPI and The value of the classical mar- aging director Jon Webster - MPA on equal terms may ket fell for the fifth successive the man who devised the idea yet come to fruition. quarter between April and of the awards 18 months agoCompere Jobson and Martin at the Mercury ceremony The row over DCC June,slumping 20% year -- says, "I'm very happy with royalties has led some on -year to £10.9m, accordingit - the night went very well." have liked," he says."Thethe award's most important record executives to see the toBPI tradedeliveryfig- But Webster reveals he isqualities have covered it, butachievement was in uniting formation of the IMF as ures.