U2NEWS: November 15, 1998 Part III


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Sun, 15 Nov 1998 13:33:35 -0600


firm will also distribute many of Icon's studio titles, including
actor/director Robert Redford's "The Legend of Bagger Vance," which
DreamWorks
is distributing domestically, and Gibson's next directing assignment,
"Fahrenheit 451," which Warner Bros. has domestically. Icon has production
deals with both WB and Paramount. Davey said the establishment of the
distribution wing was an opportune move for Icon at a time when the U.K.
market is notoriously short of well-capitalized buyers. "Although there are
a
lot of uncertainties, it's an interesting time (to go in)," he told Daily
Variety. "And we know what's going on as we've been on the other end of the

stick." The studios aside, the dominant independent distributor in the U.K.
is
Entertainment Film Distributors. But with the closure of First Independent
earlier this year, and the uncertainty surrounding Polygram, many
high-profile
films remain unsold to the territory. The U.K. is the biggest
English-speaking
market outside the U.S., and roughly the fifth biggest market overall
(after
the U.S., Japan, Germany and France). The territory combines heavy
marketing
costs with one of the lowest film rental retention rates in the world (the
typical exhibitor/distributor split is around 70/30). Those are challenging

conditions for independent distributors, and tough ones even for studios.
Davey is unmoved. "We've done our feasibility study, and we believe in the
films that we've got, otherwise we wouldn't be doing it," he said. He and
Icon
Entertainment chief executive Ralph Kamp have tapped Nick Hill, previously
managing director of distribution at Pathe, to run Icon Film Distribution.
Hill will report to an Icon Film Distribution board of directors, which
comprises attorney William Hinshelwood, Kamp and Davey, who is chairman.
All
the execs were quick to point out that the creation of the distribution arm

was not the result of a lack of interest from U.K. distributors in Icon
product. Rather, they said, it was a natural move by a company strongly
committed to U.K. production in a market where there is room for a new
player.
Icon Film Distribution will begin active distribution next fall. Details of

its start-up slate are as follows: - "The Legend of Bagger Vance."
Producers,
Robert Redford, Jake Eberts; director, Redford; cast, Redford. - "Greenwich

Mean Time." Producer, Taylor Hackford; director, John Strickland. - "The
Million Dollar Hotel." Producers, Deepak Nayar, Bono, Nicholas Klein, Wim
Wenders, Davey; director, Wenders; cast, Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich,
Gibson. - "Felicia's Journey." Producer, Davey; director, Atom Egoyan;
cast,
Bob Hoskins. - "An Ordinary Decent Criminal." Producer, Jonathan Cavendish;

director, Thaddeus O'Sullivan; cast, Kevin Spacey. - "Fahrenheit 451."
Director, Gibson. Reuters/Variety ^REUTERS@
-------------
>From Jam :

Oh Mother, U2 start a dance label

By RICHARD JOHN -- Jam! Showbiz

 Some bands just don't quit. Not even two weeks after releasing a greatest
hits album, U2 were found launching a new record label last night in
Dublin,
reports the NME.

 The label, Kitchen Recordings, was launched appropriately enough at The
Kitchen, a club owned by the band in the basement of The Clarence Hotel in
an
area of Dublin known as the Temple Bar district.

 Two of the label's acts - Rob Rowland and Basic - performed live sets.
Rowland's 'Ground Zero' will be the label's debut release.

 U2 are taking a hands-off approach with the label. Instead, long time
friend
Reggie Manuel will run the label with help and assistance from Howie B.

 "Myself and BONO are hoping that the club is gonna keep us tuned into
what's
happening in our dotage," THE EDGE told NME. "We won't have to worry about
keeping our finger on the pulse. So rather than us feeling that we're going
to
change the world of dance music, we're happy just to let Reg do it. We're
gonna listen to tapes and be involved, but really it's his baby."

 When asked about the label's impression on Ireland's youth culture, Bono
told
NME, "I'm not sure if Irish people can dance."

 This isn't the first vanity label for the band. In the mid-80s they formed

Mother Records. The Mother stable featured Irish band Hothouse Flowers.

 Details on the distribution deals outside of Ireland for Kitchen were not
disclosed.
-------------
Thanks to des for the following:

U2: SMELLS LIKE CUISINE SPIRIT

 U2 launched their new dance label Kitchen Recordings in Dublin last night
appropriately enough at The Kitchen, the club owned by the band in the
basement of The Clarence Hotel in the city's Temple Bar district.

ROB ROWLAND and BASIC, two of the label's acts, performed live sets' Dublin

techno artist Rowland's 'Ground ~Zero' will be the label's first release.

The band are not overseeing the project; long time friend REGGIE MANUEL
will
run the label with advice and assistance from U2 collaborator HOWIE B's
Pussyfoot label.

"Myself and BONO are hoping that the club is gonna keep us tuned into
what's
happening in our dotage," THE EDGE told NME. "We won't have to worry about
keeping our finger on the pulse. So rather than us feeling that we're going
to
change the world of dance music, we're happy just to let Reg do it. We're
gonna listen to tapes and be involved, but really it's his baby."

We asked Bono if he thought the label could express a more dance -conscious

aspect of Irish youth culture.

"I'm not sure if Irish people can dance," he said. "Except for The Edge,
that
is, who is our own funky chicken. But what I like about the scene her is
that
it's wide open and there's not so much poise. It's raw, and you'll see
that,
which in a funny way is where we were coming from in the 80s. We were
making
ecstatic music in the 80s. But we met Paul Oakenfold and he said 'Do you
know
they're playing 'With Or Without You' at these big open air raves?' So
maybe
that's what's happening here, on a DJ level. People are being a bit less
guarded."
-------------
>From Rolling Stone:

Rattling and Humming
Is U2 set to shove off of Island's shores?

Are U2 still looking for what they haven't found...in a record label?

While the American office of Island Records was unable to comment, rumors
have been flying that Irish superstars U2 are poised to leave their
longtime
home at Island Records for Interscope's stable as soon as all the dust
settles on the massive restructuring of Polygram and Universal music groups

into the largest music company in the world. A Billboard Bulletin report
published Friday morning (Nov. 13) quotes a senior PolyGram executive as
saying the transfer has not been finalized, but that "it has essentially
been agreed."
The Seagram Co., which owns both labels, began plans to integrate their
myriad interests under one umbrella, called Universal Music, in hopes of
saving the company hundreds of million of dollars. According to a report in

the L.A. Times, "some of the nation's best known record labels, including
Motown, Geffen, A&M and Mercury are expected to undergo significant
downsizing as Seagram attempts to transform itself into the largest and
leanest music conglomerate in the world." The reorganization will be under
the aegis of some of the more powerful forces in the industry, including
Interscope's Jimmy Iovine and Def Jam Records' Lyor Cohen. These changes
could prove significant for U2, as Iovine produced the band's Rattle and
Hum
and Under A Blood Red Sky, and still maintains a warm relationship with the

band." In fact, it was Iovine who reportedly approached U2's lead singer,
Bono, about appearing on the new album by Interscope gospel star Kirk
Franklin.

"This has been talked about for some time," revealed an industry source
close to the eye of the storm. "The band has a great relationship with
Jimmy, so it's a natural evolution for U2." Another source notes that the
band feels it needs a stronger marketing and promotion campaign on its next

studio album, and that Interscope can deliver that push better than Island.

Iovine is said to have warned his foot soldiers that they would be
inundated
by calls about this new alliance, but at press time Interscope would not
make any comment if and when the transfer would take place.

A report out of London revealed that U2, who have been with the label
started by Chris Blackwell since 1980, at one point had a stake in the
company until it was acquired by Polygram.

No word whether this new alleged deal would include U2's new dance imprint,

Kitchen Records. U2 launched the label with a splashy soiree at the Kitchen

(the club owned by the band and located in the basement of their Clarence
Hotel in Dublin) on Thursday night (Nov. 12). The label would be run by
their long-time associate Reggie Manuel with spiritual guidance from U2
mixer and pal Howie B, who owns the Pussyfoot label in the U.K. According
to
a report in NME, U2 will not have much day-to-day contact with the running
of the label. "Rather than us feeling that we're going to change the world
of dance music, we're happy just to let Reg do it. We're going to listen to

tapes and be involved, but really it's his baby," said the Edge.

Dublin techo maestro Rob Rowland's Ground Zero disc will be the label's
first release. As for U2, they have been logging their own studio time with

producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois for a new studio album. Their U2:
Best
Of 1980-1990 was released on Nov. 3, the first in a trilogy of "best of
albums" that the band will release over the next two years as part of their

reported $50 million deal with Island Records.
-------------
>From Addicted To Noise:

Among producer Steve Lillywhite's greatest achievements is helping U2 break

through with their masterpiece, War.

U2, Dave Matthews Producer Reflects On 20 Years Of Hits

Studio-veteran Steve Lillywhite gives lowdown on guiding some of the
biggest
albums of the past 20 years.

Contributing Editor Colin Devenish reports:

Not everyone could boast about being behind recordings from some of the
biggest rock stars of the past 20 years, but producer Steve Lillywhite can.

Despite his major role in developing high-profile artists such as U2, Dave
Matthews, Peter Gabriel, Phish and the Rolling Stones, the veteran
sessions-
producer knows his place in the recording studio.

"I am not a songwriter. ... The musicians I work with build this ship, and
it's my job to steer the ship into port. I'm the captain," Lillywhite said
Monday in an online SonicNet/Yahoo chat.

"You can't say in words what attitude really is, but he [Keith Richards]
passes on a rock 'n' roll attitude." -- Steve Lillywhite, record producer

"On some records I have a lot to do with arrangements and others not so
much.
XTC had spot-on arrangements, whereas early U2 albums needed guidance. So
we
worked together on making them what they were."

What they were ultimately proved to be albums by some of the biggest names
in
rock, such as U2, the Stones, Peter Gabriel, the Talking Heads, Phish and
the
Dave Matthews Band. Most recently Lillywhite took the helm for the
recording
of the Dave Matthews Band's latest multi-platinum offering, Before These
Crowded Streets.

While he's modest about his work, Lillywhite was thrilled and proud about
his
association with these modern-day jam-rockers. "When I heard 'Remember Two
Things,' I thought, 'this is a band I must produce,' " he recalled.

Lillywhite described the different approaches they took in recording each
album.

Among the three CDs, he said, there were three sounds and three ways of
recording. "On the first album, the basic tracks were done with Dave
[Matthews] and guitar player Tim Reynolds panned left and right. And that
was
pretty much it. There were no electrics on that record.

"Tim would overdub more acoustics. Dave never does a guitar overdub. When
it
came to Crash, we kept them acoustic and miked them up through amps."

For Before These Crowded Streets, which included such songs as "Don't Drink

the Water" (RealAudio excerpt), he said that he and the band went back to
just
acoustics but then did a fair amount of electric overdubbing with Reynolds.

Violin and saxophone were much the same on each album, he said, explaining
that he adds reverbs and choruses post-recording.

"Dave's grown up a lot ... lost some innocence, but gained something else.
Experience, I suppose," he concluded.

With this host of production credits to his name, Lillywhite should have
little trouble finding new acts for his own Gobstopper Records label, which

the producer said he hopes to have up and running by May.

Lillywhite also was instrumental in getting U2's career launched, working
on
two of the Irish-rock superstar-band's biggest records, War (1983) and
Joshua
Tree (1987), considered by some to be two of rock's greatest pieces of
work.
He remembered Bono as the most attentive in the studio, urging the band to
come up with a tighter and tougher sound.

As he remembers it, U2 became more experimental in their recording as their

albums became increasingly successful.

"They were serious on the first albums. As success came, they loosened up
more
and more," said Lillywhite, who worked behind the boards for U2's first
three
LPs. "And as they grew up they became more confident."

Lillywhite cited "With or Without You" (RealAudio excerpt) from Joshua Tree
as
his favorite U2 track.

"I sort-of molded that song and really enjoyed putting that together," he
said. "Even though at the time it was really intense stuff, I just look
back
and remember it being fun."

Lillywhite also worked with jam-icons Phish on Billy Breathes (1996).
During
his time with the Phish, he said, he helped them to develop a singular
sound
and allowed them to develop their musicianship rather than fret over
production.

"I really enjoyed that album, certainly; the second half of that album is
one
of my favorite pieces of music I've ever done, just because of the way it
flows," he said.

While Lillywhite, who cited U2's Achtung Baby and Radiohead's OK Computer
as
his favorite albums of this decade, has helped guide so many artists to
success, he has not been above picking up a tip or two along the way from
rock
veterans such as Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, whom he produced
on
the band's Dirty Work (1986) album.

In fact, he said, it's what he learned from such veterans that helped him
develop his style.

"It's attitudes. You can't say in words what attitude really is, but he
[Keith
Richards] passes on a rock 'n' roll attitude. ... I'll give you an example.

The way he plays the guitar, it goes out of tune very easily," Lillywhite
said.

"So towards the end of a song it would go sour," he continued. "And I would

turn down the guitar sound, but he said. 'Turn it up,' and somehow it
sounded
right. That's what I learned -- even if it sounds wrong, turn it up loud
and
it'll sound right. But if you are intimidated and turn it down, people know

it's a mistake."

"I learned a lot from them, more so than they learned from me."
-------------
The Maria McKee - Lone Justice album has been delayed until
further notice. A new release date will be announced shortly.
-------------
The Best of debuts at #1 in Canada
-------------
Condensed from Billboard:

In a week of strong tallies, four other albums bow in the
top 10: U2's "The Best Of 1980-1990/The B-Sides"
(Island), at No. 2 with 237,500 units sold.

Condensed from Addicted To Noise:

Coming in behind Morissette at #2 this week were Irish-rockers
U2's Best Of: 1980 to 1990. The set, which features a new version
of the B-side "The Sweetest Thing," sold 237,000 copies in its first
week of release.
-------------
>From AllStar:

Alanis And U2 Take The Gold And Silver On The
Billboard 200

Alanis Morissette has taken the first step in her
daunting quest to follow up the record- setting
success of her last album, Jagged Little Pill, which
sold more than 16 million copies in the U.S. and 28
million worldwide.

First-week sales of Morissette's second U.S. album
(and fourth overall, counting the two pop records
released in Canada), Supposed Former Infatuation
Junkie, total 469,000 copies, according to her
spokespeople, giving her the No. 1 spot on next week's
chart of The Billboard 200.

Junkie's total breaks Lauryn Hill's record for
first-week sales by a female artist (she sold more
than 422,000 at the end of August), and is second this
year only to the 681,000 first-week copies of Hello
Nasty that the Beastie Boys sold in July.

Far behind in the runner-up position is U2, whose new
double- length retrospective, The Best of 1980-1990/
The B-Sides, sold only about half that of Morissette.
The latest from rapper Jay-Z, Vol. 2... Hard Knock
Life, falls this week from No. 1 to third place,
according to sources.
-------------
>From MTV:

Sinead O'Connor, U2, Enya for Benefit Album

 A special Sinead O'Connor remake of Abba's "Chiquitita" is one
of the main highlights of a new charity album being issued for the
benefit of the bombing victims in Omagh, Ireland. The previously
quiet town of Omagh saw twenty-nine people die and hundreds
more injured in a car bomb attack initiated by a group of Irish
Republican Army dissidents last summer.

British music trade publication Dot Music reports that the album,
titled "Across the Bridge of Hope," will also feature tracks from
other Irish bands including U2, Boyzone, The Corrs, Ash and Enya.
The record also sees input from the Omagh Community Children's
Choir and the Ulster Youth Orchestra on the title song. The project
will be released in the UK on November 30 and will include a video
for the O'Connor track.

According to Dot, the organizers are also looking at the idea of an
American version also to support the victims of the August 15
bombing.

We'll keep you posted.
-------------
Condensed from Wall of Sound:

Alanis Dominates Charts

 Alanis Morissette lived up to the expectation borne of the
steamroller success of Jagged Little Pill. Her Supposed Former
Infatuation Junkie will make a solid No. 1 debut this Friday when the
SoundScan charts are published, selling just over 469,000 copies in
its first week, effectively dislodging rapper Jay-Z from a five-week run
at the top. U2's Best of U2�1980-90 was her closest running mate, with
roughly 237,000 copies sold.
-------------
Condensed from Rolling Stone:

U2 score with "Best Of" collection; Alanis record breaks record

 The pill, apparently, isn't so bitter after all. As expected, Alanis
Morissette has returned to rule the charts. The Canadian-born
singer's new album, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, the
follow-up to her historically successful Jagged Little Pill, debuts
at No. 1 for the week ending Nov. 8. The highly anticipated album
sold 469,000 copies, according to SoundScan. That's good
enough to set the new SoundScan mark for most albums sold in
one week by a solo female artist, and it's the third time this year the
record has been set. (Madonna did it with Ray of Light, and then
Lauryn Hill bettered it with The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.) In the
process, Morissette bounced rapper Jay-Z from the No 1. spot,
after his Vol II: Hard Knock Life had set his own SoundScan
record -- the first rap album to hold the top spot for four straight
weeks.

Overall, it was a frantic week in record stores, as a truckload of
superstar releases arrived in preparation for the big holiday
shopping season. Most of those dominated the Top Ten, with U2's
first of three greatest hits packages, Best of U2: 1980-1990, coming
in at a strong No. 2, selling 237,000 copies. (The fact that the
package included a limited-edition, one-week-only second CD of
B-sides at little extra cost to fans no doubt boosted sales.)

>From the top, it was Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, followed
by The Best of U2: 1980-1990; Jay-Z's Vol. II: Hard Knock Life
(selling 168,000 copies); These Are Special Times (126,000); the
soundtrack to Belly (118,000); 'N Sync (106,000); Mia X's Mama
Drama (99,000); Dru Hill's Enter the Dru (98,000); Shania Twain's
Come On Over (97,000) and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (85,000).

ERIC BOEHLERT
-------------
The Ultimate Band List site is advertising that next week they
will have exclusive retrospective career footage of U2.

The site to watch is:

                                    http://content.ubl.com/cca/u2/
-------------
>From MTV:

Alanis Comes Out Strong, But Doesn't Eclipse Beasties' Mark

Alanis Morissette came out of the gate strong in her first week in
stores, but didn't pull the record-breaking numbers that many had
predicted for her "Jagged Little Pill" follow-up.

According to sales figures released by SoundScan on Wednesday
morning, Morissette's "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie," sold
just over 469,000 copies in its first week in stores, planting it firmly at

number one on next week's "Billboard" album chart.

The release far outpaced the competition, as U2 landed the number
two spot after selling more than 237,000 copies of its "Best Of: 1980
to 1990" in its first week out.

The strong debuts from Morissette and U2 spell the end of rapper
Jay-Z's five-week run at the top of the album chart as his "Vol. 2...
Hard Knock Life" falls to number three after selling another
168,000 copies.

Alanis' first week sales are good, but not as good as industry buzz
had indicated they might be. Early this week, rumors abounded that
the Canadian singer would top the Beastie Boys 1998 first week
sales record of 681,572. Some even speculated that Morissette
would top the million copies needed to attain platinum sales status
in one week. Alanis did manage to grab one record; the 469,054
copies of "Junkie" sold marks the highest first week sales ever
or a female solo artist.
-------------
Condensed from Jam:

Alanis, U2 have big first week but...

By JOHN SAKAMOTO Executive Producer, JAM!

In a twist that even Alanis Morissette might characterize as ironic,
the highly anticipated new album by the Canadian singer easily
captured the top spot on the U.S. charts -- but had to settle for the
runner-up spot back home.

Morissette's "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" sold a
noteworthy 71,235 copies across Canada in its first week of
release, far behind the new best-of collection by modern-rock
veterans U2, SoundScan Canada reports. The Irish band's
limited-edition double-CD -- the first 175,000 copies in Canada include
a second disc of B-sides, after which it reverts to a single CD --
moved a surprisingly robust 86,210 copies to debut in the No. 1
spot in this country.

South of the border, the positions were reversed. Morissette
sailed straight to the top of the U.S. album charts with a whopping
469,000 copies sold in its first seven days. U2 settled for No. 2
on sales of 237,400 copies.

Though sales of the two titles in both countries were exceptional,
they still fell well short of projections by both retailers and industry
insiders. Many observers were predicting that Morissette would
break the half-million mark in the U.S. and the 100,000 level in
Canada.

To put the first-week performances in context, the record for first-
week sales on the SoundScan Canada charts is held by Celine
Dion's "Let's Talk About Love". That album debuted with
astounding sales of 230,000 copies in this country, more
than three-times the sales of Morissette's "Infatuation Junkie".

Nonetheless, both Morissette and U2 are expected to sell
strongly through the six-week period leading up to Christmas.
-------------

-- 
Prarit....

[email protected] U2 news: http://www.members.home.net/u2-news/u2.html



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