UK Record Producer News: Ian Broudie, Bacon & Quarmby, Dave Bascombe, Mike Crossey, Chris Sheldon, Ali Staton, Louis Read, Sam Williams, Cenzo Townshend

Ian Broudie (Lightening Seeds) will see his production skills on the Virgin Records UK debut from songwriter Laura Marling (did you know her first gig ever was only 1 year ago?). Bacon & Quarmby are currently busy with King Creosote (679 Records), Tiken (Universal) and accomplished singer Beth Rowley (Universal). Dave Bascombe is mixing like crazy for Frenchi David Hallyday (Universal) and Brit emo kids Funeral For A Friend (Atlantic). Mike Crossey is co-producing the 2nd album from Arctic Monkeys in addition to solo work on the next Aeroplanes record. Producer Chris Sheldon is lending his ear to the Motorettes (Kitchenware/SonyBMG). Madonna colleague Ali Staton is recording with Daniel Bedingfield. Louis Read and Sam Williams are working on a solo record for Keane singer Tom Chaplan. Williams is also assisting jazz girl Ruth Galliers (Sony/ATV publishing) with her studio production. Cenzo Townshend is a mixing madman with tons of current credits (Snow Patrol, Klaxons, Bloc Party, Jamie T, Guillemots, Maccabees, Mumm Ra, Tiny Dancers).

Is The Killers, New Order, Joy Division, Cure, Interpol Sound Still Hot?

These Essex UK indie youths have got the ears of Kitchenware, Virgin UK and the trendsetting Fierce Panda label. Is the The Killers, New Order, Joy Division, Cure, Interpol sound still hot or is it the end of the “Nu New Wave”? Download the full MP3.

London Songwriter Chopper Harris Signs To Parlophone/EMI This Week

Brit songwriter Chopper Harris signed to the Parlophone/EMI label this week. There were rumors floating about that he was collaborating with writer Gregg Alexander (New Radicals, Ronan Keating, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Santana).

Passenger, The Next James Blunt?

Previously featured indie UK act Passenger finally makes it onto Hit Sheet’s latest compilation CD. Our pick of the week (again..hint hint!).

Brit Band Delays Signed With Fiction/Polydor

Delays signed a new deal with Fiction Records (UK) one month ago moving on from original label Rough Trade. Fiction labelmates include Snow Patrol, newbies Alberta Cross, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ian Brown (Stone Roses), The Maccabees and Ireland’s Humanzi. Chris Parry founded Fiction almost 30 years ago to promote The Cure. I interned at the NYC label office sometime back in the 1990s….

Record Producer News: Joe Barresi, Ed Buller, John Fields, Jeff Saltzman

In February 2007 record producer Joe Barresi (Tool, Queens of the Stone Age) hits the studio with Bad Religion beginning work on their new album. Former Psychedelic Furs keyboardist Ed Buller (Suede, Pulp, Stabbing Westward) is currently producing and co-writing the next album by Brit band The Departure (Parlophone/EMI). John Fields (Switchfoot, Pink, Clay Aiken) is currently producing L.A. indie poppers Rooney. Jeff Saltzman (The Killers) is doing production for NY electro act Fischerspooner.

“In The City Of New York” – New Music Festival From In The City UK Creators

In cooperation with AEG Live, Music business veterans Yvette Livesey and Anthony Wilson (Factory Records) are curating In The City of New York, a music seminar and festival set to take place June 13-14 of this year. Based in Manhattan, the gathering will be modeled after the Manchester UK industry event “In The City”. Headquartered at the W Hotel (Union Square) with 500 high level tastemakers expected to attend, In The City of New York will utilize Nokia Theatre, Times Square for evening performances by breaking and buzzing UK artists as well as several unsigned prospects imported from the Manchester sister conference this past fall.

To answer the Brit music invasion, In The City of New York will feature a “U.S. Revenge” segment which plans to tout a handful of emerging American bands that will showcase their wares on the Lower East Side club circuit.

Billboard, R&R, Hollywood Reporter Parent Company VNU Changes Name To “Nielsen Co.”

After being purchased by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Carlyle Group, Thomas H. Lee, Hellman & Friedman, Blackstone Group and AlpInvest Partners late last year, VNU became a privately held operation. The company will now be titled Nielsen Co. Among its many interests are Nielsen Media Research/Soundscan, Radio & Records, Billboard, Adweek, Hollywood Reporter, Clio Awards and Scarborough Research. 4000 layoffs are scheduled for 2007. You may recall Nielsen Co. stakeholder Thomas H. Lee is one of the major entities that took over Clear Channel recently.

Brit Awards, Snow Patrol Nominated For “Best British Group” And “Best Single – Chasing Cars”

At the Brit Awards February 14 in London, Snow Patrol will compete against Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian
and Razorlight for “Best British Group”.

Back in the U.S., Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” has also been nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Rock Song” category.

Brit Songwriter Remi Nicole Signs to Island/Universal UK

The previously mentioned Remi Nicole has signed to Island Records/Universal UK after picking up management with Wildlife Entertainment (Travis, Craig David). Her demo was produced by producer/writer Johnny Douglas whose credits range from Chris Brown to John Legend to George Michael to Kylie Minogue.

Music Industry Signings

Babyshambles commits long term to Parlophone/EMI UK following an EP release. Isn’t Pete Doherty and “long term” an oxymoron?

Canadians Faber Drive previously signed to Chad Kroeger’s 604/Universal Canada and Universal/Republic U.S. Production by Brian Howes and Joey Moi. U.S. release due in May.

Stage 3 Publishing (Aerosmith, Macy Gray, ZZ Top) has signed Bernard Butler (Suede) and Colin Meloy (The Decemberists).

The Black Crowes To Sign With Sony-BMG or Sanctuary?

Currently in an L.A. studio with producer/musician Paul Stacey (The Kooks, Oasis), The Black Crowes are rumored to be in discussions with the Sanctuary Records Group and Sony-BMG family. It’s not clear whether the potential deal structure will be a distribution agreement or direct signing.

Guitar Center Buys Percentage of TuneCore

TuneCore.com is the online digital music distributor that takes an upfront fee from artists but no backend. Guitar Center, the national chain, has purchased an interest in TuneCore’s operations. To save an artist the time and trouble of signing up with online retail directly, the TuneCore digital agent, for example, charges $7.95 (yearly fee) + .99 cents per song uploaded + .99 cents on every additional digital store opted for outside of the first one free. So to just put your band’s ten song CD on iTunes U.S. = $17.85. Of course if you add Rhapsody to this it’ll be $18.84 and so on. In contrast, a competitor like Iodalliance.com (IODA) takes no money upfront, posts your music on 250 digital stores, and takes 15% of all revenue.

How The Counting Crows Were Signed To Geffen Records in 1992 – A&R Flashback

A bio posted at Sing365.com indicates that following a San Francisco Paradise Lounge showcase in 1992, the Counting Crows

had offers from nine labels, which, after investigation, was whittled to three: Elektra, A&M, and DGC.

Recently former A&M exec Mark Mazzetti wrote me an email sharing his experience back then:

You know, I was in the running to sign Counting Crows way back when…and A&M (even with Jerry Moss intimately involved) came in 2nd to Geffen…But Adam [Duritz] was such a class act…He called Moss..endorsed me as a legit A&R man they would have worked with but Gary [Gersh] and Geffen won out…having had a long relationship with Gary prior to our entrance into the deal process..I hate missing great artists!

Mazzetti currently operates R&M Artist Records, an indie label based in L.A reportedly using Ken Antonelli’s ICON Music Entertainment Services distribution. His first signing there is National Product produced by James Paul Wisner (Dashboard Confessional, The Academy Is).

Hinder, $4,000 Bar Tab Got Them Signed To Universal Records

A Pollstar article on new rockstars Hinder mentions they spent $45,000 recording a demo with producer/writer Brian Howes (Daughtry, DDT, Closure). Writer Deborah Speer goes on to say that the music found its way into the hands of Nickelback tour manager Kevin Zaruk which in turn passed it along to Roadrunner Records (Nickelback’s record label). It appeared a signing was imminent, but then labels like Atlantic Records and Universal A&R guy Tom Mackay (3 Doors Down) did fly-ins to the band’s hometown of Oklahoma City. With regard to Tom Mackay witnessing their live show, Hinder frontman Austin Winkler is quoted (I assume facetiously) as saying,

We probably spent about $4,000 on his bar tab.

About a year ago, the very same Tom Mackay called me up asking for a meeting. As a Universal VP, he was looking for a “content provider” and wanted to discuss the potential alliance between myself and Universal in an A&R capacity. He remarked to me,

You’re the man, your reputation precedes you.

Did I ever actually work for Universal? Haha…stay tuned to find out. Incidentally when I corresponded with Brian Howes two years ago on March 15, 2005, I had asked him if he was working on anything new. Sure enough he was referring to Hinder’s big signing with his response,

Hi Gary, we just did a deal for one of our bands. I will let you know all the details next week. Lots of stuff happening. -BH