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Sat, 14 Nov 1998 07:30:44 EST
Zucchero Reaches For Anglo Audience
BY MARK DEZZANI
MILAN -- A duet with Sin�ad O'Connor and live U.K. and U.S. dates next year
are among the tools Polydor is using to reintroduce Zucchero "Sugar"
Fornaciari to Anglo audiences.
Zucchero's new album, "Bluesugar" (Polydor), released here Nov. 5, marks a new
direction in the Italian singer/songwriter's music. It's his ninth album in a
15-year recording career, with more than 10 million albums sold worldwide.
Zucchero says "Bluesugar" has a more international sound, with British rock
influences.
However, in the U.K., Polydor U.K. will concentrate first on releasing a
customized version of "The Best Of Zucchero" in March 1999, tying in with
several live U.K. dates. A new recording of Zucchero's 1997 Continental hit, a
version of Giuseppe Verdi's operatic aria "Va Pensiero," will be released in
the U.K. in February as a duet with O'Connor.
"England is a very specific market, which makes it difficult for Continental
artists to break there. It's difficult even for American artists,"
acknowledges Zucchero, adding that he has experienced success there. "Senza
Una Donna" (Without A Woman) with Paul Young went to No. 2 on the U.K. singles
chart in 1991, while "Miserere," with operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti and
U2's Bono, charted in the U.K. two years afterward. Both songs, in revised
versions, will be included on the U.K. best-of package.
Zucchero will also be including U.S. dates in his world tour, which starts
Feb. 12, 1999, in Italy, although plans for promotion and releases in the U.S.
are still to be fixed. Last year, Zucchero sold out four consecutive nights at
House of Blues in Los Angeles.
"It was fantastic to play in a shrine to the blues," Zucchero says. "We were
booked for two nights and sold out a further two evenings. There were a lot of
Italians in the crowd, but the majority were Americans. On the first night,
[actors/Blues Brothers cohorts] Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, and John Goodman
introduced me as a soul brother from Italy, complete with the Blues Brothers
outfit and dance. And the crowd went crazy."
In the rest of the world, Zucchero has begun promoting the new "Bluesugar"
album with showcases, radio, print, and TV promotion in Europe. The world
tour, in which Zucchero will play Asia and Australia for the first time, is
set to continue through December 1999.
"The new album is different because it's more international than American,"
Zucchero says. "I used to have a lot of Delta blues, gospel, and Memphis
influences. This album is more British in its feel and includes influences
from Robert Johnson to Radiohead, passing through Italian melodic song."
The leadoff single, "Blue," a classic Zucchero blues-style ballad, was
released to radio Oct. 1 in Italian and English versions; the lyrics to the
English version were written by U2's Bono.
Another guest, Steve Winwood, plays Hammond organ on the haunting "Bluesugar"
ballad "Arcord."
Zucchero's longstanding producer Corrado Rustici plays electric and acoustic
guitars on the album, which mixes slow ballads like "I Tempi Cambieranno" (The
Times Will Change), which closes the album, with rockers like "You Make Me
Feel Loved," which opens the set and features Mark Feltham on harmonica.
THREE-PRONGED MARKETING PLAN
Elena Zannoni, international exploitation manager at PolyGram Italy, says the
label has set a three-stage global marketing strategy for Zucchero.
"Our first target is to maintain his established success in continental
Europe, where sales of his last album ["The Best Of Zucchero"] exceeded 3
million sales," she says. "Next February, we will target Spain and Latin
America with a Spanish version of the 'Blue' single recorded as a duet with
Spanish star Rosana Arbelo."
Adds Zannoni, "Although Zucchero has made a mark in the Hispanic markets, he
has still to conquer Spain and Latin America. So we are focusing on those
markets separately, with the album set for release in March 1999. Next year,
we will also be looking to build on Scandinavia, where the greatest-hits album
charted in Sweden and Finland, and then Japan and Asia, where he will be
touring for the first time."
Zucchero's management -- Henry Padovani, who deals with Europe, and Miles
Copeland, who handles the rest of the world -- considered delaying the release
of "Bluesugar" due to uncertainty over PolyGram's buyout by Universal parent
Seagram. However, they went ahead following assurances that the PolyGram team
handling the release would stay in place during the crucial release and
promotional phases.
Of the changes, Zucchero says, "This is something that is bigger than the
artist. I hope that the good people who were so helpful for my career in the
past three or four years remain. If the owner changes, it doesn't affect my
career.
"Many people think the music business is only numbers, but I can say that
behind the numbers there are the people that have to respect you as an
artist," he adds. "They need to be convinced. They have to be proud working
for you. They have to love your music. For now, everything is going well, and
the whole team is still there."
**
Thanks to Frank for the following
'U2's Best of': Highest Greatest Hits Debut by any Band in the History of
Soundscan(r)
PRNewswire
13-NOV-98
NEW YORK, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/-- "U2 The Best of 1980-1990," which instored
last Tuesday, November 3, sold 237,434 units over the counter last week,
making the two-disc set the highest selling greatest hits collection by any
band in its first week of release since the industry has been able to
accurately monitor sales on a weekly basis. The album has already qualified
for Double Platinum status.
"We couldn't be happier with the first week's sales," said Island Records
President John Barbis. "We knew this would be huge, but the first week number
is a testament to the enduring loyalty of U2's fans."
The two-disc collection entered the charts at Number One in 17 countries
including Canada, U.K., France, Australia and Japan. A single disc version of
the collection, minus a b-sides disc, was released on Tuesday, November 10.
"The consumer has spoken: 'U2 The Best of 1980-1990' is the definitive must
have for Christmas!" said Gary Arnold, Senior Vice President of Merchandising
for Best Buy.
"The U2 sales for the week were absolutely spectacular," said Jim Litwak,
Executive Vice President of Merchandising for Transworld Entertainment.
"Obviously U2 is one of the greatest bands of all time and they certainly
proved it once again with the latest release. We're very pleased and looking
forward to having a terrific holiday season with this album."
The esteemed Baltimore Sun critic J.D. Considine summed it up best when he
recently wrote: "U2's strengths were common knowledge for anyone who listened
to the radio during the '80s. But just how great the band could be doesn't
become fully apparent until those moments are laid end-to-end, as they are on
'The Best of 1980-1990.'"
des
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