Family discussing Jackson tribute show: promoter

(LONDON, MICHAEL, JACKSON, FAMILY, PHILLIPS, BEFORE)

By Mike Collett-White
LONDON (Reuters) - The promoter of Michael Jackson`s planned run of 50 concerts in London wants his family to stage an all-star show in his memory and said on Tuesday he had discussed the idea with them.
Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live, also said Jackson appeared to be fit and ready to perform the day before he died last Thursday, aged 50, after suffering cardiac arrest.
"At some point the world needs to see this production, and I would imagine if we could do it, it would be done as a tribute with the family ... but also other stars who loved Michael and were influenced by him," Phillips told Sky News.
"But the world needs to see this production, and it`s done," he said, referring to the spectacular that Jackson and AEG Live created for the run of shows at London`s O2 Arena which had been scheduled to open on July 13.
"We`re discussing that with the family and obviously the sooner the better."
Countering suggestions that Jackson was in poor health and should not have been pushed to rehearse for a series of physically demanding concerts, Phillips said he had spoken to the star the day before he died.
"He gave me a hug and whispered into my ear: `Now I know I can do this`, he was that engaged."
Photographer Kevin Mazur told Reuters earlier that Jackson had been "full of energy" at rehearsals in Los Angeles.
"A picture tells a story," he said, referring to images he took in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 23, two days before Jackson`s death. They were released to the media this week.
"He was just the same old Michael and when he hit the stage he was full of energy, happy, very upbeat, having fun."
Phillips said AEG Live was considering releasing footage of Jackson rehearsing in order to prove this point.
FINANCIAL FALLOUT
Insurance experts have said AEG Live, which has offered full refunds to the 750,000 people who snapped up tickets to the Jackson shows, faced sizeable financial losses. Phillips conceded that hiring Jackson had been a risk.
"When you`re in business like we are, you take risks all the time and in the case of Michael Jackson ... we thought it was an acceptable risk.
"We had (insurance) coverage and stuff like that. We probably will be fine financially from this but, right now, we`re trying to do the best thing for the estate."  Continued...
Original article

Related articles:
Family discussing Jackson tribute show: promoter

Family discussing Jackson tribute show: promoter

(LONDON, MICHAEL, JACKSON, FAMILY, PHILLIPS, BEFORE)

By Mike Collett-White
LONDON (Reuters) - The promoter of Michael Jackson`s planned run of 50 concerts in London wants his family to stage an all-star show in his memory and said on Tuesday he had discussed the idea with them.
Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live, also said Jackson appeared to be fit and ready to perform the day before he died last Thursday, aged 50, after suffering cardiac arrest.
"At some point the world needs to see this production, and I would imagine if we could do it, it would be done as a tribute with the family ... but also other stars who loved Michael and were influenced by him," Phillips told Sky News.
"But the world needs to see this production, and it`s done," he said, referring to the spectacular that Jackson and AEG Live created for the run of shows at London`s O2 Arena which had been scheduled to open on July 13.
"We`re discussing that with the family and obviously the sooner the better."
Countering suggestions that Jackson was in poor health and should not have been pushed to rehearse for a series of physically demanding concerts, Phillips said he had spoken to the star the day before he died.
"He gave me a hug and whispered into my ear: `Now I know I can do this`, he was that engaged."
Photographer Kevin Mazur told Reuters earlier that Jackson had been "full of energy" at rehearsals in Los Angeles.
"A picture tells a story," he said, referring to images he took in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 23, two days before Jackson`s death. They were released to the media this week.
"He was just the same old Michael and when he hit the stage he was full of energy, happy, very upbeat, having fun."
Phillips said AEG Live was considering releasing footage of Jackson rehearsing in order to prove this point.
FINANCIAL FALLOUT
Insurance experts have said AEG Live, which has offered full refunds to the 750,000 people who snapped up tickets to the Jackson shows, faced sizeable financial losses. Phillips conceded that hiring Jackson had been a risk.
"When you`re in business like we are, you take risks all the time and in the case of Michael Jackson ... we thought it was an acceptable risk.
"We had (insurance) coverage and stuff like that. We probably will be fine financially from this but, right now, we`re trying to do the best thing for the estate."  Continued...
Original article

U2 launch world tour in Barcelona on giant stage

(BARCELONA, MILLION, WHICH, SHARPLY, UNITED, STATES)

By Ben Harding
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Irish rock group U2 kick off their first tour in three years on Tuesday, playing to 90,000 fans in Barcelona on one of the biggest concert stages ever built.
Over the next four months U2 will perform to an estimated three million fans in 31 cities across Europe and North America, with more dates expected to be announced next year.
The " U2 360 Tour" lives up to its name with a round stage which fans will surround inside FC Barcelona`s Nou Camp stadium.
Around 500 ticket holders slept outside the venue on Monday night hoping to grab a spot right by the stage when the doors open, local media reported.
That will be easier this time around, organizers say, with the new stage concept giving more fans a clearer view as well as allowing for more people, meaning lower ticket prices during the recession.
The U2 360 Tour is reported to be the group`s most expensive to date, costing an estimated $100 million, but industry experts suggest it could be money well spent.
Live performance is becoming an increasingly important source of revenue for major acts like U2 as sales of physical CDs declines sharply and online piracy remains rampant.
Billboard, an authoritative music industry publication, believes the U2 360 Tour could become one of the highest grossing ever, possibly eclipsing its 2005-6 Vertigo tour which earned the band $389 million.
GRAND STATEMENT
The stage, which takes 120 trucks to transport, is another grand statement from the four rockers who have won more Grammy awards than any other band.
On the Zoo TV tour, huge video screens overloaded fans with flashing images of pop culture. On the PopMart tour lead singer Bono appeared from inside a 12 meter glitterball shaped like a lemon.
The abiding visual memory on this tour is sure to be the "Claw," a four-legged "monster" that towers 50 meters over the band`s heads and on which the sound system is mounted.
Bono, plus guitarists The Edge and Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr on drums will be showcasing their 12th studio album, "No Line on the Horizon."
Reviews of the record, which mixes trademark atmospheric guitars with more eclectic sounds from Morocco where it was partly recorded, were generally good, and it went straight to No. 1 in 30 countries including the United States and Britain.
Early sales in the United States, however, were sharply down on those for U2`s previous album "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," released in 2004.
(Editing by Mike Collett-White and Paul Casciato)
Original article

Jackson`s mother wins temporary control of estate

(ANGELES, JACKSON, KATHERINE, CHILDREN, ESTATE, COURT)

By Jill Serjeant
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson`s mother Katherine on Monday won temporary guardianship of the late singer`s children and control of his estate as a legal battle over his kids, money and belongings began to take shape.
Katherine Jackson won the first round in what could become a protracted fight over an estate that could be valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. It is unclear if Jackson drew up a will before he died.
Questions about the singer`s health prior to his death resurfaced Monday when Celebrity Website TMZ.com reported that Los Angeles County coroner officials returned to Jackson`s rented home looking for more medication.
Four days after the singer`s death from cardiac arrest, his father, Joe Jackson said the family was awaiting results of a second, private autopsy, and he expected to get details "real soon." He said funeral arrangements had not been made.
"We don`t have a timeframe for that (the funeral) because I want to see how this autopsy is coming out," Jackson said after a family meeting at his home in suburban Los Angeles.
Two autopsies have been carried out on Jackson`s body, one by the coroner`s office and a second by a private pathologist. Speculation about what caused Jackson`s heart to stop has centered on his prescription drug use, but toxicology tests are expected to take several more weeks.
The pop star died on Thursday at his rented Los Angeles home, days before kicking off a string of concerts in London that were designed to revive a career grounded by his 2005 trial and acquittal on child molestation charges.
On Monday, promoters AEG Live released pictures from a dress rehearsal two days before Jackson`s death. Jackson looks thin, but much like his typical singing and dancing self. AEG Live declined to comment on reports it had video footage of the rehearsals that could be released on DVD.
JACKSON`S MOM WINS TEMPORARY CONTROL
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday approved the appointment of Katherine Jackson as temporary guardian of Prince Michael, 12, Paris Katherine, 11, and Prince Michael II, 7, pending a hearing next week.
Katherine Jackson was also named "special administrator" of her son`s estate until a July 6 hearing, but the court order stipulated that she was not to take possession of money or property, except as permitted by the court.
In her court filing, Katherine Jackson said she was seeking control of funds "for the exclusive use of the decedent`s children" and was concerned about bank accounts controlled by unnamed "third parties."
Jackson was reported to be as much as $500 million in debt when he died, but his estate has been estimated at $1 billion or more and is likely to rise following his death. Court papers list the value of the estate as "unknown."
His two eldest children were from his marriage to Debbie Rowe and the third is from an unidentified surrogate mother. In court papers, Katherine Jackson said the children had "no relationship with their biological mother," and it was unclear whether Rowe would also seek custody of the kids.
"Whoever has ultimate custody of these children, who are probably going to be the beneficiaries of his estate, will get control of his money to care for the children. So to that extent, whoever the permanent guardian will be will have tremendous sums of money to take care of the children," entertainment attorney Jerry Reisman told Reuters.  Continued...
Original article

Michael Jackson autopsy `permissible` says top Russian Muslim

(JACKSON, MICHAEL, THEIR, 50, DEATH, GIZATULLIN, WORLD)

Pop icon Michael Jackson dies at 50
Michael Jackson sets London concerts
Talk Of TheTown: Jackson on top
Michael Jackson turns 50
MOSCOW, June 26 (RIA Novosti) - Performing autopsies on famous Muslims such as Michael Jackson is acceptable in order to establish their cause of death, a senior Russian mufti told RIA Novosti on Friday.
"He was a great world figure who worked for the sake of love and peace. His work belongs to the entire world community. And now doctors and specialists must have their say," said Damir Gizatullin, the deputy head of the Council of Russian Muftis.
Jackson, who died in Los Angeles on Thursday of a heart attack at the age of 50, is believed to have accepted Islam in 2007.
Gizatullin added that Jackson`s millions of fans had to be sure of the cause of death, so as to avoid "rumors and worry."
While Islamic tradition dictates that a believer must be buried before sundown on the day of his or her death, Gizatullin said that, "In today`s global world, Muslims live in different parts of the planet, and it is very difficult to bury a person on the same day. This is very tough and this requirement is not always fulfilled."
Jackson, born near Chicago in Gary, Indiana, spent almost his entire life in the public eye, shooting to stardom in the 1970s with the Jackson 5, a pre-teen Michael and brothers stunning the U.S. with their vocals and synchronized dance routines. The group, who recorded for Motown, was the first to see their four debut singles reach the top of the U.S. charts.
As an adult, his Thriller album sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, making it the best selling album of all time. However, his later career was hit by allegations of child abuse and financial difficulties.
 
Original article

`King of pop` Michael Jackson dies at 50

(JACKSON, MICHAEL, 50, US, THEIR, BROTHER, ALBUM)

Pop icon Michael Jackson dies at 50
Michael Jackson sets London concerts
Talk Of TheTown: Jackson on top
Michael Jackson turns 50
MOSCOW, June 26 (RIA Novosti) - Michael Jackson, the U.S. pop star whose career spanned five decades, has died of a heart attack in Los Angeles. He was 50.
Emergency services were called to his Beverly Hills home at 12.21 p.m. on Thursday (19.21 GMT), the TMZ.com website said. He was pronounced dead some three hours later at the UCLA medical centre.
His death came shortly before he was about to take part in series of comeback concerts in London.
His brother, Jermaine, told journalists that doctors had attempted to revive the singer for more than an hour.
"The family request that the media please respect our privacy during this tough time," he added.
Jackson, born in Gary, Indiana, near Chicago spent almost his entire life in the public eye, shooting to stardom in the 1970s with the Jackson 5, a pre-teen Michael and brothers stunning the U.S. with their vocals and synchronized dance routines. The group, who recorded for Motown, was the first to see their four debut singles reach the top of the U.S. charts.
As an adult, his Thriller album sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, making it the best selling album of all time.
His later career was hit by allegations of child abuse and financial difficulties.
"Today, the world has lost one of the most influential and iconic figures in the music industry. From his performances with the Jackson 5, to the premiere of the `moonwalk` and `Thriller,` Michael was a pop phenomenon who never stopped pushing the envelope of creativity," California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement.
 
Original article

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BET Awards pay tribute to Michael Jackson

Jackson`s final hours puzzle doctor, family

By Mary Milliken and Alex Dobuzinskis
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The personal physician at Michael Jackson`s side when he died told police he did not inject the singer with painkillers that friends say might be behind the King of Pop`s death on the brink of a comeback bid.
A lawyer for Dr. Conrad Murray told Reuters on Sunday that the cardiologist found Jackson, 50, unconscious in his rented mansion on Thursday and tried to revive him.
"The doctor was surprised when this happened. He didn`t know why Jackson stopped breathing," said Edward Chernoff, the attorney who accompanied Murray during three hours of police questioning on Saturday.
Los Angeles police said after questioning Murray that they do not consider him a suspect, and law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times the meeting revealed "no red flag" of criminal activity.
As the case remains shrouded in mystery, the entertainment world geared up for its first big tribute to the pop star at the BET awards on Sunday. Top performers rushed to Los Angeles to appear at the show, modified at the last minute to honor Jackson.
The Jackson family holed up in their L.A. compound making plans for a funeral that could take place on Wednesday, possibly at the pop star`s famous Neverland estate in California, family friend Stacy Brown said.
Brown told Reuters that a family source said Jackson had received an injection of the narcotic painkiller Demerol shortly before paramedics were called to the mansion.
`FAMILY HAS QUESTIONS`
"They have been concerned about his addiction to medicines for years," said Brown, who co-wrote the book "Michael Jackson: The Man Behind the Mask."
"It`s been no family secret that they`ve been trying to get him help for his addiction," she said.
Chernoff said Murray "never prescribed nor administered Demerol to Michael Jackson," adding that Murray was paid by concert promoter AEG Live in the lead-up to the singer`s long-awaited comeback concert series.
The family carried out its own autopsy on Saturday after the Los Angeles Coroner said it would need four to six more weeks to determine the exact cause of death.
Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader who was with the Jackson family last week, told People magazine that the family had questions.
"There is a concern about what happened the last 12 hours of Michael`s life," said Jackson, who is not related to the family. "The doctor has shown some bizarre behavior."
Chernoff said Murray was unaware of any underlying health problems that could have led to the singer`s death.  Continued...
Original article

Connery blasts BBC at Edinburgh film awards ceremony

By Ian MacKenzie
EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Actor Sean Connery lashed out at the BBC for its coverage of the awards ceremony at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) on Sunday when he handed out the prizes.
The EIFF award for the best new British feature film went to Moon, a "creepy, poignant and funny" sci-fi film directed by Duncan Jones. The film, which received a prize of 20,000 pounds, stars Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey.
Connery, a festival patron who gained worldwide fame for his portrayal of British secret agent James Bond, told a packed audience on the final day of the EIFF that the BBC had 300 technicians at the current Glastonbury pop and folk festival in southwest England.
"Not one (technician) at the Edinburgh International Film Festival," he said.
"It affects us all, it certainly affects me, and I think we should do something about it."
The BBC said in response: "BBC news outlets covered the Edinburgh International Film Festival on radio, TV and online. Obviously Glastonbury is a huge live music, arts and performance event and cannot be compared as like for like."
It said the BBC would cover the Edinburgh international arts festival and T in the Park pop concert later this summer.
In Moon, Rockwell`s character has almost ended his three-year solitary posting mining fuel for earth on the moon with thoughts of returning to the planet and his family.
But as his return date approaches, life on his self-contained world takes a startling turn. The jury praised Moon for its "singular vision and remarkably assured direction"
The award for best performance in a British feature film went to Katie Jarvis for her role as 15-year-old Mia in Fish Tank, "an intense and surprising story of love, lust and family."
Jarvis turned 18 last week and said this was her best birthday gift.
Easier With Practice, directed by American Kyle Patrick Alvarez took the best new international feature award featuring sex, love and loneliness over the phone.
Best documentary award was taken by Aliona Van der Horst of The Netherlands with a lament for cult Russian poet Boris Ryzhy, who committed suicide in 2001 aged 26.
American director and writer Cary Jojo Fukunaga won the new director award for Sin Nombre centered on Honduran teenager Sayra and her involvement with a dangerous gang member on the run.
The Edinburgh film festival, which opened on June 17, has as one of its major aims discovering and promoting new talent in the industry.  Continued...
Original article

Jackson leaves hefty debts, unrealized comeback

By Nichola Groom and Yinka Adegoke
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Along with a vast musical legacy and legions of adoring fans, pop superstar Michael Jackson leaves behind a mountain of debt and an unfulfilled comeback many hoped would rake in millions and erase his financial troubles.
The King of Pop died suddenly on Thursday at the age of 50, after a career spanning 40 years that included the biggest-selling pop album of all time, "Thriller."
Despite taking in hundreds of millions of dollars as one of the most successful pop musicians of all time, Jackson racked up about $500 million of debt, according to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal earlier this month.
His top assets, however, including copyrights to his own songs and a stake in the Beatles` song catalog, are worth more than $1 billion, according to a music industry source.
Jackson`s career and image were tarnished by his mounting financial and legal troubles in recent years [ID:nN25299926].
Known for huge shopping sprees for toys and antiques, Jackson was accused by an accountant during his 2005 trial on child molestation charges of spending $20 million to $30 million more than he was bringing in per year.
The lavish lifestyle was made possible in part by a $200 million loan secured by his stake in the Beatles catalog. Jackson owned the music in a joint venture with Sony Corp known as Sony/ATV. Jackson refinanced those loans in 2006 in a bid to stave off insolvency.
In addition, Jackson last November had to hand over the title on his Neverland estate in California to a company made up of himself and Los Angeles-based real estate investment trust Colony Capital LLC, the firm that holds his $23 million loan on the property.
Colony Capital has been sprucing up the ranch and planned to sell it, according to the Journal. Colony Chief Executive Tom Barrack told the newspaper last month the estate could fetch $70 million to $80 million, or more if Jackson`s career were revitalized.
In a statement on Thursday, Barrack said he was "deeply saddened" by Jackson`s death, but did not comment on the impact on Colony`s business.
PLANNED BIG COMEBACK
To help turn around his financial fortunes, Jackson was planning a major comeback in London this summer, 12 years since his last tour.
AEG Live, which was promoting the 50-concert run at the 02 Arena, stands to lose as much as $40 million if its insurance is not substantial enough to cover what it has already spent on the production, Billboard reported, and one attorney said the company would not be able to recover any of those costs from Jackson`s estate.
"The concert promoters can`t sue the estate," said Bob Rasmussen, dean of the Gould Law School at the University of Southern California. "Once he dies, he doesn`t have any obligation to perform."
AEG, wholly owned by privately held Anschutz Co, will also certainly miss out on the $400 million the company estimated it could raise through a 3 1/2-year plan to work with Jackson.  Continued...
Original article

Michael Jackson`s death hits tour promoter, ticket holders

By Mike Collett-White
LONDON (Reuters) - Michael Jackson`s sudden death could prove a major blow to AEG Live, promoter of his eagerly awaited run of 50 London concerts, as well as to fans who paid well over the odds to get hold of coveted tickets.
The residency at the O2 Arena had been due to begin on July 13, and organizers have yet to decide exactly how they handle refunding tickets bought directly from themselves or authorized dealers, not to mention tickets bought from unauthorized dealers, online auction sites and ticket touts.
AEG Live`s British website issued a brief statement on Jackson`s death and added: "A further announcement for ticket holders will be made in due course."
Paying back the face value of some of the estimated 750,000 tickets sold is unlikely to be AEG Live`s only headache.
The company is reported to have invested $20-30 million on the production already, not including any advance to Jackson.
And the O2 Arena, which appears on AEG`s list of sites it owns or operates, is now faced with 50 empty nights, some of which it will struggle to fill at such short notice.
AEG Live`s financial exposure will depend partly on how well insured it was for the 50-concert run.
According to industry experts, the concert promoter, a subsidiary of Anschutz Entertainment Group, initially found demand among insurers when the concerts were announced in March.
"I think what happened was that when AEG Live`s broker started going to the market to cover the original 10 dates, the appetite was there," said Jonathan Swift, editor of the specialist Post publication.
"But when the tour started escalating into more dates, people were not so keen."
HEATH CONCERNS
Doubts were voiced in March about Jackson`s ability to perform a long residency amid concerns over his health, and they persisted until his sudden death Thursday.
In March, AEG Live chief executive Randy Phillips was quoted by the Telegraph newspaper as saying the company would be prepared to self-insure.
At the time of the announcement, he told Reuters that Jackson had passed a four-and-a-half hour physical examination by independent doctors. He also said Jackson could gross "well over $400 million" under a long-term deal with AEG.
Media reports have estimated AEG Live`s potential liability from the concerts at up to 300 million pounds, although company representatives in Europe could not be reached for comment.  Continued...
Original article

King of Pop Michael Jackson is dead: official

By Bob Tourtellotte
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson, the child star turned King of Pop who set the world dancing but whose musical genius was overshadowed by a bizarre lifestyle and sex scandals, died on Thursday. He was 50.
Jackson was pronounced dead at about 2:26 p.m. PDT (5:26 EDT) after arriving at a Los Angeles hospital in full cardiac arrest, said Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Coroner`s office. The cause of death was not known and an autopsy would likely take place on Friday, he said.
Jackson`s sudden death had been reported earlier by U.S. media, which said he was taken ill at his home and rushed to the hospital by paramedics who found him not breathing when they arrived.
Known as the "King of Pop," for hits that included "Thriller" and "Billie Jean," Jackson`s dramatic, one-gloved stage presence and innovative dance moves were imitated by legions of fans around the world.
He transformed music videos and his lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, made him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.
But Jackson`s belief that "I am Peter Pan in my heart", his preference for the company of children, his friendship with a chimp, his high-pitched voice and numerous plastic surgeries also earned him critics and the nickname "Wacko Jacko."
Jackson, who had lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation, had been scheduled to launch a comeback tour from London next month.
Quincy Jones, who helped arrange the music on the album "Thriller" and produced the "Off the Wall" album, told MSNBC: "I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news."
"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don`t have the words. I`ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."
SOLD-OUT SHOWS
Jackson had been due to start a series of concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months. The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.
"Rarely has the world received a gift with the magnitude of artistry, talent, and vision as Michael Jackson," said Neil Portnow, president and CEO of The Recording Academy in a statement.
"He was a true musical icon whose identifiable voice, innovative dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and sheer star power carried him from childhood to worldwide acclaim."
There were concerns about Jackson`s health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.
Outside the hospital in Los Angeles about 200 fans and reporters gathered on Thursday, waiting for confirmation of Jackson`s death or condition.  Continued...
Original article

Rock band Sugar Ray back in the ring as indie act

By David J. PrinceNEW YORK (Billboard) - Mark McGrath, the lead singer of Sugar Ray and former host of the celebrity news show "Extra," has often employed an old political tactic for his career: Set expectations low so success seems all the sweeter.
The self-deprecating attitude served him and his band well. He has joked about his looks, voice, penis and fleeting fame -- one album was called "14:59," just short of the 15 minutes Andy Warhol famously described -- while the band's steady stream of reggae-tinged mid-'90s radio hits sold more than 5 million albums, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and made McGrath a star.
So when the band announced in April that it regrouped in a Los Angeles recording studio, made a new album ("Music for Cougars") and was ready to head back out on the road for another turn in the spotlight, McGrath was quick to acknowledge that many would wonder why. "I know people aren't sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for a Sugar Ray record," he says. "But that wasn't the point."
Contrary to popular perception, Sugar Ray never broke up. The band's original lineup of childhood friends from Newport Beach, California, moved from rap-punk to power-pop and from broke unknowns to wealthy platinum-sellers over the course of five albums on Atlantic.
But by 2003, the writing was on the wall for bands like Sugar Ray, and that year the group's "In the Pursuit of Leisure" album -- an attempted reinvention that included several songs produced by the Neptunes -- flopped. McGrath took the TV job, and the rest of the guys went back to the beach. They would reconvene every year for a few corporate gigs, state-fair-type concerts and an occasional soundtrack song, but Sugar Ray was on the back burner. Atlantic dropped the act in 2006.
When McGrath's contract with "Extra" was about to expire, he, the band and longtime manager Chip Quigley quietly began plotting Sugar Ray's return. Jason Bernard, a music producer and longtime friend of the band's whose Pulse Studios encompasses a recording studio, publishing company and record label with a distribution deal through Fontana, was eager to cut a deal.
"We realized there are bands out there in the world that major labels were turning their heads on," says Bernard, who last year brought alternative rock band Filter out of retirement. "We can make world-class records for pennies on the dollar with our sweat equity."
The resulting "Cougars" marks a return to the tried-and-true formula that made 1997's "Fly" a radio staple. The first single, "Boardwalk," is a straight-down-the-center, sunny, unmistakably Sugar Ray song. Other cuts on the album include the uptempo dance track "She's Got The ... (Woo-Hoo)," the midtempo romancer "Love Is the Answer" and the reggae-influenced remake of Eddie Hodges' "(Girls Girls Girls Are) Made to Love" featuring Collie Buddz.
"We were part of a business where you had a hit single and you sold 3 million records, but it's different now," Quigley says. "The real core of our business is the live arena, and for that you need songs on the radio. So we're really going to try and get the song on radio and go out there touring this summer and show folks we're still a great live band."
(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)

Source: Reuters

Woodstock rarities unearthed on boxed set

By Gary Graff
DETROIT (Billboard) - Thirty-eight previously unreleased recordings from groups such as the Who, the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Jefferson Airplane will be included on a boxed set commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock festival.
The six-CD, 77-song collection, "Woodstock -- 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm," will be released by Rhino on August 18.
Among the highlights are a 19-minute rendition of the Dead's "Dark Star," "Amazing Journey" and "Pinball Wizard" by the Who, "Feelin' Alright" by Joe Cocker, CCR's "Bad Moon Rising," Blood Sweat and Tears' "You've Made Me So Very Happy" and tracks from Sweetwater, Bert Sommer, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Joan Baez, Melanie, Country Joe & the Fish, Sha Na Na, the Butterfield Blues Band and Johnny Winter.
The set, whose retail list price is $79.98, also restores full-length performances of Canned Heat's "Woodstock Boogie" (to a whopping 30 minutes) and the Who's "We're Not Gonna Take It," and it includes the never-released Woodstock performances of Arlo Guthrie's "Coming Into Los Angeles" and Mountain's "Theme for an Imaginary Western," which were replaced by better-sounding recordings from other concerts for the original "Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music" soundtrack.
The track lineup reflects the actual performance order of the legendary 1969 festival, and it includes stage announcements (you still need to avoid the brown acid, apparently), Wavy Gravy's announcement of "breakfast in bed" for the crowd estimated at 500,000, Max Yasgur's famous speech to the audience and audio of Abbie Hoffman's encounter with Who guitarist Pete Townshend.
"This will be the most comprehensive collection of Woodstock music yet," Rhino vice president of A&R Cheryl Pawelski told Billboard.com. "The goal was to make it as real as possible ... as authentic an experience as possible. It feels like dirt. It feels like a field. We wanted to take you there. We worked very hard to make it a true document of that time."
Co-producers Andy Zax and Mason Williams compiled "Woodstock -- 40 Years On" from the original multitrack tapes recorded during the festival.
One performance is conspicuously absent; Pawelski says Ten Years After would not clear the use of its performance -- including its epic version of "Goin' Home" -- for the boxed set. The Band and Keef Hartley were the only other acts that opted out of the set.
"Woodstock -- 40 Years On" follows Rhino's re-release earlier this week of "Music From the Original Soundtrack and More: Woodstock" and "Woodstock 2." A new Woodstock.com Web site also launched this week, and a new DVD edition of "Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music -- The Director's Cut" comes out Tuesday.
On June 30, Legacy adds to the onslaught with "Woodstock Experience" editions of seminal albums by five of the festival's acts -- the Jefferson Airplane's "Volunteers," Janis Joplin's "I Got Dem 'Ol Kozmic Blues Again Mama!," Santana's debut album, Sly & the Family Stone's "Stand!" and Johnny Winter's self-titled effort -- each with a second CD featuring the act's complete Woodstock performances, on disc for the first time.
(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)

Source: Reuters

Guns and drugs? Some rappers inflate hustler image

By Christine KearneyNEW YORK (Reuters) - Rick Ross sold hit albums rapping about selling crack cocaine but a revelation that he once worked as a prison guard threatened to end his career.
For a rapper cultivating a bad-boy image, a uniform put him on the wrong side of the law.
U.S. rappers often sell songs about drugs and guns based on "real-life" stories, but increasingly some of those stories are being exposed as embellishments aimed at helping them build successful careers, experts say.
"Some of the stories are fabricated and some of it is reality, and what they are doing is mixing the two," music executive Devyne Stephens said. "When you say you shot and killed somebody and you put it on a CD, nine times out of 10, you really didn't shoot and kill anybody."
Ross is a bearded, burly Miami rapper who brags of a cash-fueled, drug-boss life. His real name is William Leonard Roberts II but he takes his stage name from a drug trafficker.
So he was publicly humiliated when pictures surfaced of him last year through The Smoking Gun website looking clean-cut in a correctional officer's uniform.
Ross at first denied his past, then admitted it but maintained his drug-dealing tales of the street were true.
His third album, released in April and featuring titles such as "Rich off Cocaine," still sold well.
HUSTLING TO ST. TROPEZ
Stephens, who has been hailed as an image branding king and has worked with artists including Mary J. Blige, Usher, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Nelly, said many rappers mix lines in their songs that aren't literally true but draw from real experiences or stories they have heard.
He says "probably 85 per cent" of rappers embellish stories in songs and calls the current trend "reality music" which, like reality television, is something of a misnomer.
Stephens helped groom another successful U.S. rapper, Akon, who has had hits like "Locked Up" and "Ghetto." Akon was ridiculed last year and accused of dramatically enhancing claims of belonging to a car theft ring and having served prison time.
The new crop of rappers want to emulate the success of rappers-turned-moguls like former New York drug dealers Jay-Z and 50 Cent, who both sold albums based on their transformations from street hustling to popping champagne.
"You formulate that story to make it just as interesting as the Jay-Z story," Stephens said, describing an outline of: "I am a hustler, I came from nothing and turned it into something and now I am on yachts in St. Tropez."
Jay-Z, married to superstar Beyonce Knowles, is now one of the world's wealthiest musicians, having signed a deal reportedly worth $150 million with concert promoter Live Nation. Continued...
Source: Reuters