+ February '01 +

October: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31]

October 19, 2000 - source: Billboard Online

Spice Girls Unveil New Album Tracklist

 

The Spice Girls have revealed the tracklist for their third album "Forever," due Nov. 7 on Virgin and a day earlier internationally. The 11-track album will be preceded by the double single "Holler" b/w "Let Love Lead The Way," which will be released Monday (Oct. 23) in the U.K. and to North American radio the following day.

Group members are participating in a series of Web chats via the Spice Girls' official Web site; Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham will chat with fans Wednesday (Oct. 25) at 6 p.m. U.K. time. Fans can submit questions via the site.

"Forever" is the group's first effort since 1997's "Spiceworld," which peaked at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 and has been certified quadruple platinum (4 million units shipped) by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA).

In the time since, Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell exited the group, while both Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown and Melanie "Sporty Spice" Chisholm released solo albums. Melanie B brand new "Hot"(Virgin) entered the U.K. chart this week at a disappointing No. 28, three places lower than the current standing for Melanie C's "Northern Star" (Virgin), which is in its 48th week on that chart.

Here is the tracklist for the Spice Girls' "Forever":

-- Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y

October 5, 2000 - source: Reuters @ yahoo

Time Warner-EMI Deal Bites the Dust

Madonna won't be dueting with the Spice Girls--at least not anytime soon.

In the face of tough scrutiny from European antitrust regulators, the labels for the singing ladies, EMI Group and Time Warner, scuttled plans for a $20 billion merger that would have created the world's largest record company, the music giants said Thursday.

The companies said they were still going to try to find a solution that satisfies regulators in Europe and the U.S.

"The withdrawal of our application allows additional time to reassess regulators' concerns and to pursue solutions simultaneously in Europe and the U.S.," EMI's top honcho, chairman Eric Nicoli, said in a statement. "We have been, and will continue to be, flexible in responding to the European Commission's concerns."

While bad for Time Warner's music biz, there is a silver lining for the company. The decision is likely to help America Online in its negotiations with regulators over its proposed $150 billion purchase of Time Warner.

Regulators were apparently troubled that the combined music companies, on top of the AOL deal, would create a monopolitic force in the burgeoning online music biz, in addition to being the 800-pound gorilla of the recording industry.

The proposed Warner EMI Music would have shrunk the number of major record companies from five to four and brought together a star-studded roster of artists and catalogs in a 50-50 joint venture, teaming Warner's Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Phil Collins and Madonna with EMI's Beatles, Rolling Stones, Garth Brooks and Spice Girls.

The two companies had been working to spin off various components--most notably the Warner Chapell music publishing arm and the EMI-controlled Virgin Records--in hopes of passing regulatory muster. But, insiders say that the loss of those assets would potentially be too upsetting to EMI investors.

With the deal now derailed, other companies are now circling vulture-like over EMI. Germany's BMG is still interested (although it would face similar regulatory hurdles), as are the Walt Disney Co. and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

But execs at both Warner and EMI stress they are still looking for ways to make a merger work. However, Nicoli said, "any concessions that are ultimately made must be consistent with our shareholder value objectives."

Meanwhile, his counterpart at Time Warner, company president Richard Parsons, said in a statement: "Our proposed joint venture with EMI would bring together two of the most creative and complementary organizations in the worldwide music industry. We will continue to explore ways to structure a combination that will make sense for the two companies and be acceptable to the Commission."

And then, maybe Madonna will spice up her life, after all.

 

October 4, 2000 - source: Reuters @ yahoo

Jive says interested in Virgin

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Jive Records, home to Britney Spears, said Wednesday it was interested in Virgin Records, reportedly being offered for sale by EMI Group Plc in order to accommodate regulators who are scrutinizing its planned merger with media giant Time Warner Inc.

``We are watching developments with the European Commission insofar as its' review of the proposed Warner/EMI merger is concerned,'' Jive said in a statement.

``If as a result of this Virgin Records or in fact any other assets of Warner/EMI are put up for sale, we would be interested in purchasing these, subject of course to our evaluation of their value to us,'' the company said.

``We have worked closely with management of Virgin Records in many countries for the past four years and we are confident that the cultures of our two companies could be a perfect fit,'' it said, adding, that "financing these acquisitions, if they become a reality, would not be a problem for us.''

Jive has had a tremendous couple of years, largely due to its popular teen acts like Britney Spears and 'N Sync.

Richard Branson, who originally founded Virgin Records, home to the Rolling Stones and the Spice Girls, has also said his Virgin Group airline and music retailing conglomerate might be interested in buying the label that he sold for $1 billion in 1992.

Reuters/Variety REUTERS

October 2, 2000 - source: Wall of Sound

Geri Flick Still Kicking

GeriDespite reports to the contrary published on Sunday, ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell's new film project, Therapy, is still slated to begin production in spring 2001. Thank goodness.

Yesterday, the Sunday edition of U.K. tabloid the Daily Express quoted an unnamed source from the project's production company, September Films, as saying there had been "no progress" on the flick, which had reportedly failed to raise its $15 million budget.

Balderdash, shot back director David Green today, calling the rumors "fallacious" in an interview with BBC Online. "We have the money and Geri is 101 percent behind the film," he insisted. "The film is fully funded and we have $15 million in place."

Halliwell, who made her big-screen bow in 1997's Spice World, is on deck to star as Amy, a young Londoner who seeks assistance in sorting out her troubled love life, only to discover that her therapist has become smitten with her.

Green, whose credits include the Phil Collins vehicle Buster, said casting for the movie's two male leads would begin shortly, and that he was shocked by the rumors. However, he admitted that the project had encountered a bump or two already: "We did have some problems with the script, but after a major rewrite, everybody is very happy with it."

Halliwell is currently in the studio working on her second solo album, which will feature several songs written specifically for the movie; she is also producing a separate soundtrack album.

In the meantime, Halliwell-fixated cinéastes can abate their appetites by checking out the animated Rugrats in Paris, in theaters Nov. 17, which features Halliwell's cover of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walking." The soundtrack — which also features TLC vocalist Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins' solo single "My Getaway" — will be released Nov. 7 on Maverick.

 

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