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That Was Yesterday, And Yesterday's Gone
November 10, 2006
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"You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new."
-- Apple's head honcho, Steve JobsIt was a big news week indeed.
Forget about all the political action here at home (haven't we had just about enough of all that?), because what took over all the tabloid and talk shows was the news that Britney Spears finally awoke from whatever coma she was in the past few years, evaluated the drain on her bank account and her emotions, and dumped freeloading hubby (and real-life cartoon) K-Fed.
The Democrats took control of the House and Senate (so now we can blame them for our problems over the next two years), Britney rids herself of a loser, and I guess these are signs there is still some intelligent life left here in the good ol' USA. I guess it also means that there's hope for us all. Now, down to business.
Things always move at light speed out here in cyberspace. News, information, entertainment options, social networking and all the rest seem to fly at us so fast that we are all developing what I call "IDD," Internet Deficit Disorder. It's just all too much to remember where we went yesterday (i.e., what URL) when today something new pops up and it's even better. In very short time, the old websites we had listed in our "Favorites" are being deleted and new ones added, and it seems like many of us are doing this at an ever-increasing speed.
I don't think it's news to anybody anymore that the Internet is now the primary media of choice for tens of millions of people. Newspaper circulation is down again this year across the board in almost every city in the country. The major television networks continue to see ratings erode, and several now offer some of their prime shows online in their entirety. (Online exposure = ancillary advertising revenues.) Music radio stations find themselves wondering what role they will play next week, and next year, as satellite subscriptions increase, HD Radio rolls out, Internet radio picks up steam, and millions of others still swap files and have their iPods seemingly glued to their ears or plugged into their car radios.
What's certain is, things are changing so fast that existing technology and many online destinations have (to paraphrase Sun Microsystems Chairman Scott McNealy) the shelf life of the bananas you buy at the grocery store.
Of course with all change and innovation come unforeseen opportunities. I don't think anyone would have projected how dramatically the sales of online music would increase. (Last year, according to the RIAA, income from digital sales of singles in the U.S. alone were $366 million, a 163% increase from the year before, and sales of digital albums were $135 million, an increase of 198%.)
Yesterday's gone. But there's no reason to fear what's down the road. As Scarlett O'Hara said at the end of "Gone With The Wind," After all, tomorrow is another day."
Preview The New Beatles Album, 'LOVE'
I've already mentioned in the newsletter previously that if you plan on visiting Las Vegas, seeing the new Cirque Du Soleil show that celebrates The Beatles music, LOVE, is a "must see."
I also mentioned that Capitol is releasing a new CD featuring 26 songs used in the show. As Music Directors for LOVE, Sir George Martin and son Giles Martin are at the epicenter of a revolution in the musical legacy of The Beatles. Using the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios, the Martins spent the last two years constructing the music for LOVE by combining every facet of The Beatles' recordings.
For a sample of the songs the Martins remixed and did many magical things with (see if you can recognize all the different Beatles songs they've mixed in with others!), go to www.beatles.com and listen to the four tracks they have on the site for your listening pleasure. You have to register with your e-mail address, but it's free and well worth it.
The tracks you can listen to in their entirety are "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Lady Madonna," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Octopus's Garden." And if you're a Beatles fan, listening to these will be pure joy. After listening to these tracks for the past few days, I can't wait to get the LOVE CD.
For even more great stuff on The Beatles website, click on the ONE album link under "The Sites" listing on the home page, then when the CD cover comes up, scroll across the song titles at top to select one, click on it and watch great video clips of The Beatles as well.
Read more about it by clicking here. And listen to the tracks at: www.beatles.com.
Better ROI From YouTube Video Than Super Bowl Spot
CINCINNATI (AdAge.com) -- Think Dove's "Campaign for Real Beauty" generated a ton of buzz for relatively little expense? You haven't seen anything yet.
With not a penny of paid media and in less than a month, "Dove Evolution," a 75-second viral film created by Ogilvy & Mather, Toronto, for the Unilever brand has reaped more than 1.7 million views on YouTube and has gotten significant play on TV talk shows "Ellen" and "The View" as well as on "Entertainment Tonight." It's also brought the biggest-ever traffic spike to CampaignForRealBeauty.com, three times more than Dove's Super Bowl ad and resulting publicity last year, according to Alexa.com.
Read more about it by clicking here.
AOL, Microsoft Seek Indie-rock Credibility
AOL and Microsoft are wooing indie-rock fans to help solidify their digital music strategies. Corporations seeking indie cred are nothing new. But both bids come at critical times for the technology giants.
AOL, in the midst of shifting from an Internet service provider model to an advertising-driven business, aims to expand its audience at the margins by stretching beyond the pop crowd with new programming aimed at hipsters. Microsoft, meanwhile, is trying to make inroads with its new Zune digital media player by winning over the same group of tastemakers that first embraced Apple Computer's iPod.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Best Invention 2006: YouTube
Meet Peter. Peter is a 79-year-old English retiree. Back in WWII he served as a radar technician. He is now an international star.
One year ago, this would not have been possible, but the world has changed. In the past 12 months, thousands of ordinary people have become famous. Famous people have been embarrassed. Huge sums of money have changed hands. Lots and lots of Mentos have been dropped into Diet Coke. The rules are different now, and one website changed them: YouTube.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Apple iPod Shuffle (2nd Generation)
The second-generation iPod shuffle is impressively small, and the built-in clip makes it ideal for working out, running, or just casual listening. Its lack of a screen or any extras like an FM tuner -- or even support for many iPod accessories -- is countered by its impressively diminutive size and low price.
Read more about it by clicking here.
HD Radio Boosts Distribution, Marketing
U.S. radio operators on Monday said sales of its high-definition radios will expand to Circuit City, and stations are set to air some 75,000 ads a week pushing HD digital radio, in an effort to defend its turf against satellite radio and iPods.
In the latest phase of a $200 million marketing push, timed to take advantage of the holiday season, the radio industry starting November 13 will also cut prices, bringing some automotive units to around $150, according to the HD Digital Radio Alliance, a group of broadcasters hoping to speed consumer adoption of HD digital radio.
Along with its arrival at "big box" retailer Circuit City, the radios will also be found in additional Radio Shack locations, where they had been selling in selected regions.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Microsoft Xbox to Join the Battle for Video Downloading
Owners of Microsoft's Xbox 360 game console will soon be able to watch science fiction epics as well as play them. Microsoft said last night that it would offer movies and episodes of television shows for downloading through its Xbox Live online service in the United States, starting Nov. 22.
With the new offerings, Microsoft is joining cable giants and Internet start-ups on the long list of companies hoping to profit from video downloading. But Internet-based services have had trouble getting traction because it can be complex to send a downloaded film to a television screen and frustrating to watch it on the small screen of a computer. Owners of the Xbox have already connected it to a TV and, in most cases, the Internet.
"What makes this big is that there's no PC in the middle," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Niche-Targeted Social Networks Find Audiences
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Tanner Stransky, a 23-year-old editorial assistant living in Manhattan, has been a devotee of Facebook since college and has been on MySpace for the past few years as well. But recently he joined a third network, LinkedIn, which aims to be a career-oriented social-networking service for professionals.
More and more, multi-social networkers like him are becoming the norm, as the social-networking space, after being carried the past year and half on the shoulders of sites such as MySpace and Facebook, gets far more diversified. And whether the talk about an exodus from MySpace and Facebook is just a seasonal slowdown or truly indicates a trend, there's a host of niche-targeted social networks just waiting to catch the defectors.
Read more about it by clicking here.
(Early) Predictions for 2007
From MediaPost.comMediaPost's Cory Treffeltti talks about the following for 2007: Archive television catalogues will go online with burn-to-order biz models; copyright and user-generated content; social networks will embrace the long tail; personal start pages will rise in importance again (with behavioral targeting); and more.
Read more about it by clicking here.
THIS WEEK'S 'WHO CARES?' NEWS ITEMS
ITEM #1: Rap star Kanye West was named Best Hip Hop artist but still came off as a sore loser at the MTV Europe Music Awards. West apparently was so disappointed at not winning for Best Video that he crashed the stage Thursday in Copenhagen when the award was being presented to Justice and Simian for "We Are Your Friends." In a tirade riddled with expletives, Kanye said he should have won the prize for his video "Touch The Sky" because it "cost a million dollars, Pamela Anderson was in it. I was jumping across canyons. If I don't win, the awards show loses credibility," West said. Yo, Kanye, nobody cares how much your video cost, who was in it, or what you did in it. Next time just stay home.
ITEM #2: Neil Patrick Harris (who played Doogie Howser) confirmed to People magazine that he's gay, two days after his publicist issued a statement saying, "He's not of that persuasion." At this point, it might be more interesting for some celebrities to reveal they're actually straight.
ITEM #3: Busta Rhymes was ticketed lat week for talking on his cell phone while driving in Manhattan. Not the kind of news a gangsta rapper wants out there in the public. Now if he had a concealed weapon on him at the time, that would fit the image.
CONGRATS
CONGRATS #1 TO: Shakira, who dominated the Latin Grammys with a total of four wins, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
CONGRATS #2 TO: Marianne Faithfull, who is making a full recovery from breast cancer and planning to resume her world tour in Budapest in March.
CONGRATS #3, #4 & #5 TO: Brooks & Dunn, who took home their 14th trophy in the Duo of the Year category, along with three other statuettes, at the 40th Annual CMAs, making them the evening's top winners; Keith Urban, who won Male Vocalist of the Year; and "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood, who won Female Vocalist of the Year and the CMA's Horizon Award.
CONGRATS #6 TO: YouTube, which has been selected as Time magazine's Invention of the Year.
THIS WEEK'S "GEE, WHAT BIG SURPRISE ... NOT!" ITEM
As mentioned in my commentary above, Britney Spears, finally waking up from a nightmare, filed for divorce from her wannabe, no-talent rapper husband, Kevin Federline, citing "irreconcilable differences." In her petition, Spears asks for both legal and physical custody of the couple's two children, 1-year-old Sean Preston and 2-month-old Jayden James, with Federline getting reasonable visitation rights. Britney allegedly has an "iron clad" pre-nup, so K-Fed's hi-rolling party days might be over. K-Fed has filed for sole custody as well. Well, sure, he wants the child-support money.
HERE COMES THE RATINGS JUGGERNAUT AGAIN
"American Idol" is returning for its sixth season with a two-night, four-hour premiere January 16 and 17 on Fox.
MS. JONES RETURNS
Grammy-winning artist Norah Jones will release her new album, "Not Too Late," in January: For the first time, she has written or co-written all of the album's 13 songs.
GENESIS REDUX
Genesis will reunite next year for a "Turn It on Again" tour of Europe, their first tour in 15 years. The 20-date stadium tour, announced Tuesday, will open in Helsinki, Finland on June 11 and end with a free concert in front of the Coliseum in Rome on July 14.
WHEN IN DOUBT, ALWAYS GO WITH YOUR HITS
Michael Jackson is scheduled to perform "Thriller" at the World Music Awards on November 15, where he will also receive the Diamond Award.
WHY ANYONE THOUGHT THIS WOULD WORK IS MIND-BOGGLING
"The Times They Are A-Changin," the Broadway musical featuring the tunes of Bob Dylan and choreography by Twyla Tharp, is closing November 19 after 28 performances, 35 previews and many negative reviews. I don't ever recall anyone ever wanting to dance to Bob Dylan's music, no matter how much they loved it.
OKAY, BUT WHERE'S YOUR ALBUM?
"American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks is set to sing the National Anthem before the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Ford 400 on November 19 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.
IT'S A NICE DAY FOR A WAX WEDDING, YEAH
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt will tie the knot in Las Vegas on Nov. 15, with George Clooney serving as best man. Well, at least their wax figures are. Madame Tussaud's Las Vegas will hold a waxen wedding for the star duo on that date. Hey, it's Vegas, folks.
2006 Industry Conferences
Date Name Location Miami Digital Music Conference November 16-17 Miami, FL
Quotes of the week
"Our relationship is strong. We are going to last a long time."
-- Kevin Federline, to People magazine, November 2006. Oops, obviously it wasn't as strong as you thought K-Fed, who now gets the new name "Fed-Ex.""Hey, I see a lot of fine ladies in here. You know I'm a free man, right, ladies? You wanna dance with a pimp?"
-- An apparently delusional K-Fed at his Chicago House of Blues show this Wednesday."I would like to meet the fearless anti-Jew warrior, Melvin Gibson. We agree with his comments that the Jews started all wars. We also have proof that they were responsible for killing off all the dinosaurs. And Hurricane Katrina -- they did it."
-- Borat, a.k.a. Sacha Baron Cohen."I was getting this bikini wax, and the waxer looks down at me, and she says, 'This is a lovely area.' And I have to admit I was really taken aback. And then she said, 'Yes, the trees, the houses, the weather.' She was talking about Beverly Hills."
-- Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Us magazine."Apple has done a great job of owning that sense of isolation, if you will. We're quite the opposite. We're about friends, we're about sharing, and we're about social."
-- Chris Stephenson, Microsoft's GM of Global Marketing for Zune, on AdAge.com. You'll have to be "social" Chris, there are already 80 million iPods out there. Good luck playing catch-up."I think a relationship with a partner is intensely personal, and I prefer to keep it that way."
-- Paul McCartney, commenting on his divorce goings-on as reported everywhere in the press. Now if only his ex-wife, Heather, felt the same way."You know, they've updated the New York City Marathon this year. In addition to the prize money, listen to this: The winner is also adopted by Madonna."
-- David Letterman"Saddam Hussein was found guilty in Iraq and sentenced to death. Saddam should have taken my advice. I told him to get a good Jewish lawyer, but he wouldn't listen."
-- Jay Leno
The B-Side - 'Blips'
WELL, NOW WE KNOW WHY THEY CALL IT 'THE WHOPPER': ALBUQUERQUE -- Two New Mexico police officers have sued Miami-based Burger King Corp., alleging personal injury, negligence, battery and violation of fair practices after they were served hamburgers that had been sprinkled with marijuana.
The civil lawsuit was filed in state District Court in Bernalillo County by Mark Landavazo and Henry Gabaldon, officers for the Isleta Pueblo tribal police. The lawsuit says the officers were in uniform and riding in a marked patrol car when they purchased meals through the drive-through lane Oct. 8 at a Burger King restaurant in Los Lunas, NM.
The officers ate about half of their burgers before discovering marijuana on the meat. They used a field test kit to confirm the substance was pot, then went to a hospital for medical evaluations.
Three Burger King employees were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and aggravated battery on an officer, a felony. They subsequently were indicted.
Officials at Burger King declined comment, citing a company policy against discussing pending litigation.
Want More Music News? Check These Sites Out...
The Blogs
Check out a great blog by Jerry Del Colliano, the Director Executive Programs, Clinical Professor Music Industry & Recording Arts, at the Thornton School of Music,University of Southern California, by clicking here: http://www.insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com.
The Charts
Check out the weekly top album and singles charts from around the world at: http://top40-charts.com.
TinyURL
Check out www.tinyurl.com where you can make a smaller URL that will work for any webpage you wish to link to or reference. (As you can see, I'm using it in my news stories above!)
Box Office
Check The Daily & Weekly Box Office (and more film info) at: www.boxofficemojo.com.
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