Momma Shannon
Proud Member
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen. Wipes sleep outta eyes - ok lets find out what's new in the world of Michael Jackson.
Some lil tidbits anyway...
Caterham man stuns X-Factor judges with his Michael Jackson "tribute"
jueves, septiembre 25, 2008, 00:00
I'm bad, you know it: X Factor contestant Alan Penfold Photo No: RSMkw220908-e-60 by Keith Walter.
As millions of open-mouthed viewers watched his Michael Jackson "tribute" on national television, a pizza delivery man was busy taking two large meat feasts to the wrong address.
Caterham resident and Michael Jackson fanatic Alan Penfold, 43, missed his own performance on ITV's pop reality contest, X Factor, as he was halfway through his evening shift for the Caterham branch of Dominos.
Approximately 9.7million viewers tuned in to see Alan's version of Jackson's number one hit Black or White, released in October 1991.
Alan, single, is praying Saturday's energetic cameo will help him fulfil his dream of becoming a TV presenter.
He said: "I see my future in the entertainment industry now. I'm so sick of delivering pizzas.
"I love watching Paul O'Grady and it is my dream to have my own show. I really feel as though I can make it in TV as I've loved it all my life.
"I really enjoyed the experience. However, I didn't think it was fair when the judges started laughing halfway through my performance. That was disrespectful."
Alan, who has seen his idol Michael Jackson on three world tours, already has a number of local fans having performed karaoke at The Victoria Club, Lingfield for the past 10 years.
Having failed in an attempt to get on reality show Big Brother three years ago, he couldn't believe his luck when he got through X Factor's preliminary auditions four months ago at the O2 Arena.
He said: "I never expected it really. You have to go through three auditions before you get to perform in front of Simon Cowell."
Halfway through our breakfast at a Caterham café, a group of middle-aged women interrupted our interview to ask Alan for his autograph.
He said: "It's really quite strange getting recognised like this. Generally, people have been really kind as well.
"It's so crazy at the moment. Everyone seems to be calling me up. I could get quite used to it actually."
Alan said he was devastated when celebrity judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Danni Minogue and Cheryl Cole voted against him entering the next round of auditions.
He said: "I was really disappointed as I came really close to not going through with it.
"There was a gap of about five minutes on the day when I really felt like walking out."
Francis Penfold, Alan's mother, added: "I'm so pleased he did it, even if he didn't get through.
"He's always wanted to do something musical. When he told me that he got through I thought 'Oh yeah, pull the other one'.
"I can't believe he got as far as he did."
http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/...on-tribute/article-351358-detail/article.html
(This next one might already be on the board - I'll look in a few...)
Motown Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Sound That Changed America
Posted : Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:02:07 GMTAuthor : Universal Music Enterprises
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 25 CA-UnivrslMusic-Motwn
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- As an irresistible force of
social and cultural change,
Berry Gordy's legendary Motown Records made its
mark not just on the music industry, but society at large, with a sound that
that has become one of the most significant musical accomplishments and
stunning success stories of the 20th century.
Diana Ross & The Supremes,
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles,
Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Four Tops,
Marvin Gaye,
Michael Jackson & The Jackson 5,
Lionel Richie & The Commodores,
The Marvelettes,
Martha Reeves and The Vandellas,
Gladys Knight & The Pips,
their music communicated and brought together a racially divided country and
segregated society, around the world, touching all people of all ages and
race. No other record company in history has exerted such an enormous
influence on both the style and substance of popular music and culture. With
more than 180 No. 1 hit songs worldwide and counting, that influence is still
being felt today, from pop to hip-hop, Motown celebrates the 50th anniversary
of the company's founding.
Motown, of course, stands for more than just the historic music. The label
and its remarkable legacy is a reflection of the hard work of dedicated
individuals overcoming incredible obstacles to achieve great success. Nearly a
half-century ago, on January 12, 1959, to be exact, a young African-American
songwriter named
Berry Gordy founded
Tamla Records with a loan of $800 from
his family, marking the birth of the "Motown Records Corporation." A man of
vision, drive, talent and determination,
Berry Gordy was also a producer,
innovative entrepreneur, and teacher. The phenomenal success of Motown Records
is a tribute to all that he embodies and all the talent that he brought out in
others. Under his leadership, and through determination and support of the
Motown family of artists, Gordy forged new grounds for minorities and made the
"Motown Sound" a worldwide phenomenon beloved by millions.
Berry Gordy always learned from all his experiences and applied them to
his business. He put the tedious time he spent working on the assembly line at
Detroit's Lincoln-Mercury automobile plant to good use: "Every day I watched
how a bare metal frame, rolling down the line would come off the other end, a
spanking brand new car. What a great idea! Maybe, I could do the same thing
with my music. Create a place where a kid off the street could walk in one
door, an unknown, go through a process, and come out another door, a star."
That little thought that came to him while running up and down that assembly
line became a reality we now know as "Motown."
When Motown was housed in its famed "Hitsville U.S.A." offices at 2648
West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, it was not just a location; history would be
made there. In fact,
Berry Gordy created a twenty-four hour hit-making and
artist development factory, nurturing the artistic talent of the singers,
writers, producers, as well as, corporate executives. Today, Motown is not
only the greatest pop music hit factory ever heard, but an institution, a
state of mind, a way of life, a style, the "Sound of
Young America." The
distinctive, upbeat and uplifting music brought together pop and soul, white
and black, old and young, like never before and continues to this day.
Regardless of race or social background, teenage girls admired
Diana Ross and
teenage boys pretended to be
Smokey Robinson. Motown became the heartbeat of
American pop music. With multi-platinum artists ranging from The Miracles, The
Temptations, The Four Tops and The Supremes to
Marvin Gaye,
Stevie Wonder, and
The Jackson 5, the House That Gordy Built had and has no rival. Motown defined
the term "crossover" not only on record and stage, but also behind the scenes.
After breaking down barriers and having pop radio embrace Motown artists,
Berry Gordy set his sights on television. He booked his artists on popular
shows such as American Bandstand and the Ed Sullivan Show, making history as
the first African-American artists on these shows. After captivating national
audiences with repeat performances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Supremes were
the first R&B act to play the country's most prestigious night club, New
York's Copacabana, which paved the way for other R&B acts into the top cabaret
circuits around the world.
Motown was first African-American-owned record label to reach widespread
national acclaim, Motown broke down racial prejudice by becoming the most
successful independent record company in history and the most successful
African-American owned business in America.
After Gordy purchased that first Detroit property, he converted the garage
into a small recording studio and the kitchen into the control room. The
company's first signing was The Miracles, led by
Smokey Robinson, and its
first release was
Marv Johnson's "Come to Me," January 21, 1959. But its first
major hit was
Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)," a song co-written
by Gordy himself, which reached #2 on Billboard's R&B chart in 1960. A year
later, The Miracles would score the company's first million seller with "Shop
Around." That same year, teen girl group The Marvelettes landed the company's
first pop No. 1, "Please Mr. Postman," while the label signed two young
groups, The Supremes and The Temptations. Within three years, those two groups
would lead Motown into the mainstream, when The Supremes launched an
unprecedented string of five consecutive No. 1 hits, starting with "Where Did
Our Love Go," while The Temptations released the eternal Motown classic, "My
Girl." In 1968 the company had five records out of the Top 10 on Billboard's
Hot 100 chart and accomplished another unprecedented feat by seizing the top
three spots for a full month.
Upon his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, Motown's
founder was given the following tribute: "Gordy endeavored to reach across the
racial divide with music that could touch all people, regardless of the color
of their skin. Under his tutelage, Motown became a model of black capitalism,
pride and self-expression and a repository for some of the greatest talent
ever assembled at one company... Motown's stable of singers, songwriters,
producers and musicians took the concept of simple, catchy pop songs to a
whole new level of sophistication and, thanks to the music's roots in gospel
and blues, visceral intensity... After Motown, black popular music would never
again be dismissed as a minority taste... Aesthetically no less than
commercially, Motown's achievements will likely remain unrivaled and
untoppable."
Today, the label is part of the Universal Music Group, with its classic
recorded music catalog managed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). The
timeless songs from Motown between 1959 and 1985 are represented by EMI Music
Publishing.
From late 2008 to the end of 2009, Universal Music Group and EMI Music
Publishing will mark the historic Detroit label's musical achievements with a
series of initiatives. Notably, Universal Music Enterprises will issue monthly
music releases in both physical and digital formats, with bonus tracks
enhancing these packages. Details will be announced as each new package
approaches.
Also upcoming throughout the celebration are releases of classic Motown
Television specials in a series of DVD collections and INSIDE MOTOWN, a
multi-part documentary on how the company was built.
SOURCE Universal Music Enterprises http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/...f-the-sound-that-changed-america,555147.shtml
MySpace finally rolls out music site with all labels
Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:29pm EDT
By Yinka Adegoke
NEW YORK (Reuters) - News Corp's MySpace, the world's largest social networking site, on Wednesday unveiled a long-expected joint venture with all four major music companies in a bid to compete with Apple Inc's market-leading iTunes store.
MySpace Music is designed to win fans with a mix of unlimited free music, comprehensive music catalogs, concert tickets, merchandising and other entertainment features.
The launch of the new service had been dogged by speculation on the start date and the ongoing search for a chief executive.
But the biggest challenge for the new venture was signing a deal with the fourth-largest music company EMI Music, which had held out until just hours before the announcement of the service's launch.
MySpace Music also signed late licensing deals with The Orchard, a large distributor of independent music from hundreds of small labels and music publisher Sony/ATV, a joint venture between Sony Corp and pop star Michael Jackson.
In April, MySpace confirmed it agreed to create a joint venture with Vivendi's Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group
The majors agreed to take small equity stakes in the new business at a ratio which approximately reflects their respective market shares. This would mean Universal would have the largest stake and EMI the smallest.
The labels, who are struggling with shrinking recorded-music sales, are keen to benefit from the overall diversified revenues of MySpace Music -- making money from premium advertising, music download sales via Amazon.com, ringtones and eventually concert tickets and merchandising.
MySpace itself sees driving premium advertising through its service by understanding users' interests and has signed major advertising deals with McDonald's, Toyota and State Farm Insurance.
"We see ourselves as a social port where we filter information based on what's of interest to you," MySpace COO Amit Kapur told Reuters in an interview.
APPLE DOMINANCE
The music industry has become frustrated with the dominance of Apple in the music business through both iTunes and popular iPod music player.
Music executives have said the refusal of iTunes to agree to variable pricing, rather than pricing every song at 99 cents or selling all albums as individual songs, has harmed sales and their bottomline.
One executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the labels will try strategies such as giving exclusive album releases first to MySpace to help support the new service in which they now all have a vested interest in helping to succeed.
"MySpace Music gives fans a reason to buy music on somewhere other than iTunes," said the executive. "ITunes is a very static proposition and doesn't aid discovery of new music like a MySpace community."
Since its beginning, music has been one of the strongest attractions of MySpace, particularly for up and coming artists. In the last few years, major name artists have also taken to promoting their songs and albums through the site's artist pages.
But until the creation of MySpace Music, there had been few avenues for artists to sell their songs or other related music services.
(Editing by Vinu Pilakkott)
http://www.reuters.com/article/tech...WO20080925?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0
Smooth criminals steal affections
By: Jordan Axt
Issue date: 9/25/08
Media Credit: Jessie Tang
Michael Jackson tribute band
Even though the King of Pop is no longer performing, it's comforting to know that his legacy lives on.
Who's Bad, a Michael Jackson tribute band based in Chapel Hill, has been playing together and touring the country for more than four years. Friday, they returned home for a performance at the Cat's Cradle.
What began as a collection of UNC students who wanted to play original funk music with the occasional Jackson cover, Who's Bad slowly began to play more and more of Jackson's music and soon headed in a different direction.
"Eventually, we asked ourselves, 'Why don't we just be all Michael Jackson?'" said Vamsi Tadepalli, the band's cofounder and saxophonist.
Four years (and five singers) later, Who's Bad has perfected its act into a high-energy, non-stop celebration of pop music's most productive and enigmatic figure. In a performance that lasted more than two hours this weekend, the band impressed audience members with their mastery of Jackson's music and elaborate choreographed dance sessions.
"They were unbelievable," senior Jamie Chu said. "They did a great job of impersonating Michael Jackson. I especially liked the synchronized dancing. They did it really well, and it was hilarious."
Of course, the star of the show was undoubtedly vocalist Joseph Bell, a compelling performer and impeccable Jackson impersonator. Showing meticulous attention to detail, Bell replicated Jackson's dance moves and style, complete with the iconic white glove and red leather jacket. In a surprise and as the highlight of the performance, Bell disappeared for a few minutes only to return dressed in an Afro and bellbottoms, ready to cover Michael's work with the Jackson Five.
"The Afro was pretty cool when he came out as little Michael," said Dave Ranzenhofer, Trinity '07.
Ending on a high note, Who's Bad concluded their set with an exhausting "Bille Jean/Beat It/Thriller" medley that left concertgoers pleading for at least one more song.
With such a crowd-pleasing performance, it would be easy for Who's Bad to simply settle on their current playlist. But the saxophonist promised the band would continue to explore all of Jackson's music.
"There's a certain level of sophistication in Michael's music that's not in a lot of other pop musician's work," Tadepalli said. "We've just barely touched his repertoire."
In the end, it didn't matter whether you were black or white, Who's Bad put on an unforgettable show.
http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/...ooth.Criminals.Steal.Affections-3452325.shtml
2000 - Janet Jackson's single "Doesn't Really Matter" was certified Gold by the RIAA.
Some lil tidbits anyway...
Caterham man stuns X-Factor judges with his Michael Jackson "tribute"
jueves, septiembre 25, 2008, 00:00
As millions of open-mouthed viewers watched his Michael Jackson "tribute" on national television, a pizza delivery man was busy taking two large meat feasts to the wrong address.
Caterham resident and Michael Jackson fanatic Alan Penfold, 43, missed his own performance on ITV's pop reality contest, X Factor, as he was halfway through his evening shift for the Caterham branch of Dominos.
Approximately 9.7million viewers tuned in to see Alan's version of Jackson's number one hit Black or White, released in October 1991.
Alan, single, is praying Saturday's energetic cameo will help him fulfil his dream of becoming a TV presenter.
He said: "I see my future in the entertainment industry now. I'm so sick of delivering pizzas.
"I love watching Paul O'Grady and it is my dream to have my own show. I really feel as though I can make it in TV as I've loved it all my life.
"I really enjoyed the experience. However, I didn't think it was fair when the judges started laughing halfway through my performance. That was disrespectful."
Alan, who has seen his idol Michael Jackson on three world tours, already has a number of local fans having performed karaoke at The Victoria Club, Lingfield for the past 10 years.
Having failed in an attempt to get on reality show Big Brother three years ago, he couldn't believe his luck when he got through X Factor's preliminary auditions four months ago at the O2 Arena.
He said: "I never expected it really. You have to go through three auditions before you get to perform in front of Simon Cowell."
Halfway through our breakfast at a Caterham café, a group of middle-aged women interrupted our interview to ask Alan for his autograph.
He said: "It's really quite strange getting recognised like this. Generally, people have been really kind as well.
"It's so crazy at the moment. Everyone seems to be calling me up. I could get quite used to it actually."
Alan said he was devastated when celebrity judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Danni Minogue and Cheryl Cole voted against him entering the next round of auditions.
He said: "I was really disappointed as I came really close to not going through with it.
"There was a gap of about five minutes on the day when I really felt like walking out."
Francis Penfold, Alan's mother, added: "I'm so pleased he did it, even if he didn't get through.
"He's always wanted to do something musical. When he told me that he got through I thought 'Oh yeah, pull the other one'.
"I can't believe he got as far as he did."
http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/...on-tribute/article-351358-detail/article.html
(This next one might already be on the board - I'll look in a few...)
Motown Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Sound That Changed America
Posted : Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:02:07 GMTAuthor : Universal Music Enterprises
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 25 CA-UnivrslMusic-Motwn
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- As an irresistible force of
social and cultural change,
Berry Gordy's legendary Motown Records made its
mark not just on the music industry, but society at large, with a sound that
that has become one of the most significant musical accomplishments and
stunning success stories of the 20th century.
Diana Ross & The Supremes,
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles,
Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Four Tops,
Marvin Gaye,
Michael Jackson & The Jackson 5,
Lionel Richie & The Commodores,
The Marvelettes,
Martha Reeves and The Vandellas,
Gladys Knight & The Pips,
their music communicated and brought together a racially divided country and
segregated society, around the world, touching all people of all ages and
race. No other record company in history has exerted such an enormous
influence on both the style and substance of popular music and culture. With
more than 180 No. 1 hit songs worldwide and counting, that influence is still
being felt today, from pop to hip-hop, Motown celebrates the 50th anniversary
of the company's founding.
Motown, of course, stands for more than just the historic music. The label
and its remarkable legacy is a reflection of the hard work of dedicated
individuals overcoming incredible obstacles to achieve great success. Nearly a
half-century ago, on January 12, 1959, to be exact, a young African-American
songwriter named
Berry Gordy founded
Tamla Records with a loan of $800 from
his family, marking the birth of the "Motown Records Corporation." A man of
vision, drive, talent and determination,
Berry Gordy was also a producer,
innovative entrepreneur, and teacher. The phenomenal success of Motown Records
is a tribute to all that he embodies and all the talent that he brought out in
others. Under his leadership, and through determination and support of the
Motown family of artists, Gordy forged new grounds for minorities and made the
"Motown Sound" a worldwide phenomenon beloved by millions.
Berry Gordy always learned from all his experiences and applied them to
his business. He put the tedious time he spent working on the assembly line at
Detroit's Lincoln-Mercury automobile plant to good use: "Every day I watched
how a bare metal frame, rolling down the line would come off the other end, a
spanking brand new car. What a great idea! Maybe, I could do the same thing
with my music. Create a place where a kid off the street could walk in one
door, an unknown, go through a process, and come out another door, a star."
That little thought that came to him while running up and down that assembly
line became a reality we now know as "Motown."
When Motown was housed in its famed "Hitsville U.S.A." offices at 2648
West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, it was not just a location; history would be
made there. In fact,
Berry Gordy created a twenty-four hour hit-making and
artist development factory, nurturing the artistic talent of the singers,
writers, producers, as well as, corporate executives. Today, Motown is not
only the greatest pop music hit factory ever heard, but an institution, a
state of mind, a way of life, a style, the "Sound of
Young America." The
distinctive, upbeat and uplifting music brought together pop and soul, white
and black, old and young, like never before and continues to this day.
Regardless of race or social background, teenage girls admired
Diana Ross and
teenage boys pretended to be
Smokey Robinson. Motown became the heartbeat of
American pop music. With multi-platinum artists ranging from The Miracles, The
Temptations, The Four Tops and The Supremes to
Marvin Gaye,
Stevie Wonder, and
The Jackson 5, the House That Gordy Built had and has no rival. Motown defined
the term "crossover" not only on record and stage, but also behind the scenes.
After breaking down barriers and having pop radio embrace Motown artists,
Berry Gordy set his sights on television. He booked his artists on popular
shows such as American Bandstand and the Ed Sullivan Show, making history as
the first African-American artists on these shows. After captivating national
audiences with repeat performances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Supremes were
the first R&B act to play the country's most prestigious night club, New
York's Copacabana, which paved the way for other R&B acts into the top cabaret
circuits around the world.
Motown was first African-American-owned record label to reach widespread
national acclaim, Motown broke down racial prejudice by becoming the most
successful independent record company in history and the most successful
African-American owned business in America.
After Gordy purchased that first Detroit property, he converted the garage
into a small recording studio and the kitchen into the control room. The
company's first signing was The Miracles, led by
Smokey Robinson, and its
first release was
Marv Johnson's "Come to Me," January 21, 1959. But its first
major hit was
Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)," a song co-written
by Gordy himself, which reached #2 on Billboard's R&B chart in 1960. A year
later, The Miracles would score the company's first million seller with "Shop
Around." That same year, teen girl group The Marvelettes landed the company's
first pop No. 1, "Please Mr. Postman," while the label signed two young
groups, The Supremes and The Temptations. Within three years, those two groups
would lead Motown into the mainstream, when The Supremes launched an
unprecedented string of five consecutive No. 1 hits, starting with "Where Did
Our Love Go," while The Temptations released the eternal Motown classic, "My
Girl." In 1968 the company had five records out of the Top 10 on Billboard's
Hot 100 chart and accomplished another unprecedented feat by seizing the top
three spots for a full month.
Upon his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, Motown's
founder was given the following tribute: "Gordy endeavored to reach across the
racial divide with music that could touch all people, regardless of the color
of their skin. Under his tutelage, Motown became a model of black capitalism,
pride and self-expression and a repository for some of the greatest talent
ever assembled at one company... Motown's stable of singers, songwriters,
producers and musicians took the concept of simple, catchy pop songs to a
whole new level of sophistication and, thanks to the music's roots in gospel
and blues, visceral intensity... After Motown, black popular music would never
again be dismissed as a minority taste... Aesthetically no less than
commercially, Motown's achievements will likely remain unrivaled and
untoppable."
Today, the label is part of the Universal Music Group, with its classic
recorded music catalog managed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). The
timeless songs from Motown between 1959 and 1985 are represented by EMI Music
Publishing.
From late 2008 to the end of 2009, Universal Music Group and EMI Music
Publishing will mark the historic Detroit label's musical achievements with a
series of initiatives. Notably, Universal Music Enterprises will issue monthly
music releases in both physical and digital formats, with bonus tracks
enhancing these packages. Details will be announced as each new package
approaches.
Also upcoming throughout the celebration are releases of classic Motown
Television specials in a series of DVD collections and INSIDE MOTOWN, a
multi-part documentary on how the company was built.
SOURCE Universal Music Enterprises http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/...f-the-sound-that-changed-america,555147.shtml
MySpace finally rolls out music site with all labels
Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:29pm EDT
By Yinka Adegoke
NEW YORK (Reuters) - News Corp's MySpace, the world's largest social networking site, on Wednesday unveiled a long-expected joint venture with all four major music companies in a bid to compete with Apple Inc's market-leading iTunes store.
MySpace Music is designed to win fans with a mix of unlimited free music, comprehensive music catalogs, concert tickets, merchandising and other entertainment features.
The launch of the new service had been dogged by speculation on the start date and the ongoing search for a chief executive.
But the biggest challenge for the new venture was signing a deal with the fourth-largest music company EMI Music, which had held out until just hours before the announcement of the service's launch.
MySpace Music also signed late licensing deals with The Orchard, a large distributor of independent music from hundreds of small labels and music publisher Sony/ATV, a joint venture between Sony Corp and pop star Michael Jackson.
In April, MySpace confirmed it agreed to create a joint venture with Vivendi's Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group
The majors agreed to take small equity stakes in the new business at a ratio which approximately reflects their respective market shares. This would mean Universal would have the largest stake and EMI the smallest.
The labels, who are struggling with shrinking recorded-music sales, are keen to benefit from the overall diversified revenues of MySpace Music -- making money from premium advertising, music download sales via Amazon.com, ringtones and eventually concert tickets and merchandising.
MySpace itself sees driving premium advertising through its service by understanding users' interests and has signed major advertising deals with McDonald's, Toyota and State Farm Insurance.
"We see ourselves as a social port where we filter information based on what's of interest to you," MySpace COO Amit Kapur told Reuters in an interview.
APPLE DOMINANCE
The music industry has become frustrated with the dominance of Apple in the music business through both iTunes and popular iPod music player.
Music executives have said the refusal of iTunes to agree to variable pricing, rather than pricing every song at 99 cents or selling all albums as individual songs, has harmed sales and their bottomline.
One executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the labels will try strategies such as giving exclusive album releases first to MySpace to help support the new service in which they now all have a vested interest in helping to succeed.
"MySpace Music gives fans a reason to buy music on somewhere other than iTunes," said the executive. "ITunes is a very static proposition and doesn't aid discovery of new music like a MySpace community."
Since its beginning, music has been one of the strongest attractions of MySpace, particularly for up and coming artists. In the last few years, major name artists have also taken to promoting their songs and albums through the site's artist pages.
But until the creation of MySpace Music, there had been few avenues for artists to sell their songs or other related music services.
(Editing by Vinu Pilakkott)
http://www.reuters.com/article/tech...WO20080925?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0
Smooth criminals steal affections
By: Jordan Axt
Issue date: 9/25/08
Michael Jackson tribute band
Even though the King of Pop is no longer performing, it's comforting to know that his legacy lives on.
Who's Bad, a Michael Jackson tribute band based in Chapel Hill, has been playing together and touring the country for more than four years. Friday, they returned home for a performance at the Cat's Cradle.
What began as a collection of UNC students who wanted to play original funk music with the occasional Jackson cover, Who's Bad slowly began to play more and more of Jackson's music and soon headed in a different direction.
"Eventually, we asked ourselves, 'Why don't we just be all Michael Jackson?'" said Vamsi Tadepalli, the band's cofounder and saxophonist.
Four years (and five singers) later, Who's Bad has perfected its act into a high-energy, non-stop celebration of pop music's most productive and enigmatic figure. In a performance that lasted more than two hours this weekend, the band impressed audience members with their mastery of Jackson's music and elaborate choreographed dance sessions.
"They were unbelievable," senior Jamie Chu said. "They did a great job of impersonating Michael Jackson. I especially liked the synchronized dancing. They did it really well, and it was hilarious."
Of course, the star of the show was undoubtedly vocalist Joseph Bell, a compelling performer and impeccable Jackson impersonator. Showing meticulous attention to detail, Bell replicated Jackson's dance moves and style, complete with the iconic white glove and red leather jacket. In a surprise and as the highlight of the performance, Bell disappeared for a few minutes only to return dressed in an Afro and bellbottoms, ready to cover Michael's work with the Jackson Five.
"The Afro was pretty cool when he came out as little Michael," said Dave Ranzenhofer, Trinity '07.
Ending on a high note, Who's Bad concluded their set with an exhausting "Bille Jean/Beat It/Thriller" medley that left concertgoers pleading for at least one more song.
With such a crowd-pleasing performance, it would be easy for Who's Bad to simply settle on their current playlist. But the saxophonist promised the band would continue to explore all of Jackson's music.
"There's a certain level of sophistication in Michael's music that's not in a lot of other pop musician's work," Tadepalli said. "We've just barely touched his repertoire."
In the end, it didn't matter whether you were black or white, Who's Bad put on an unforgettable show.
http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/...ooth.Criminals.Steal.Affections-3452325.shtml
Today in
Michael Jackson History
1995 - Miriah Carey's "Fantasy" became only the second single to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The first artist to accomplish this feat was Michael Jackson with "You Are Not Alone." Michael Jackson History
2000 - Janet Jackson's single "Doesn't Really Matter" was certified Gold by the RIAA.
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unk: Post 800!! 
