RUMOR MILL
Following Access Industries’ failed attempt to buy EMI, industry observers are asking whether the company should now be viewed as the new Terra Firma, and Len Blavatnik the new Guy Hands.
Friday, January 13, 2012
I.B. BAD'S 2012 PREVIEW
Our Industry Insider Singles Out the Artists
and Execs to Watch as 2012 Kicks Into Gear
and Execs to Watch as 2012 Kicks Into Gear
GAME ON: As the music business gears up for 2012, hoping to build on its 2011 turnaround, the ultimate question is, who will own the year? Among those acts who are rolling into the new year with major momentum are Nonesuch/WB rock saviors the Black Keys (470k after five weeks), who came out of the starting gates like gangbusters last month and could become the first big sales story of 2012; provocative Interscope newcomer Lana Del Rey, an American who’s already breaking in the U.K. and Europe; and Australian indie artist Gotye, who was signed to Universal Republic by Monte Lipman and Rob Stevenson. Both Gotye and Del Rey are riding hot singles, with albums hitting Jan. 31. Additionally, it appears that Daniel Glass’ Midas touch may continue with rapper Childish Gambino, whose album, released in November, is at 100k in its seventh week, with the single starting to cross to Pop. Which once again begs the question, why hasn’t any major made Glass an offer he can’t refuse?…
The Grammys are just five weeks away, but the Ken Ehrlich-procured talent lineup remains a mystery, apart from Thursday’s initial teaser (see item below), leading to all kinds of speculation. Rumors are circulating about possible performances by Van Halen (whose first Interscope LP hits during Grammy week on Feb. 7, with expectations of a 200k debut) and MusiCares honoree Paul McCartney (whose Hear Music/Concord album of standards streets the same day). Among the first confirmed performers are Cash Money/Universal Republic’s Nicki Minaj (with first-week projections ranging as high as 600k for the Feb. 14 release) and Album of the Year nominees Foo Fighters. As for the main event, sources say Adele will be recovered from her recent throat surgery in time to perform on the show, in what will stand as the crowning moment of her astounding year. The album will be well past 6 million in the U.S. by then; how many more millions in album sales will her Grammy appearance generate?…
On the “TV is the new radio” front, American Idol returns to Fox on Jan. 18 in the second season for Jimmy Iovine and his team, who mentored Scotty McCreery (now nearing 900k) on their first go-round. NBC’s surprise hit The Voice will have its second-season premiere following the Super Bowl on Feb. 5. Insiders predict that Christina Aguilera will have her revitalizing moment this season, as fellow coach Adam Levine did on the show’s inaugural run. Aguilera’s upcoming RCA album is generating a strong early buzz, thanks to the infectious uptempo track she recorded with hitmaker Max Martin. Will The Voice be used as a platform to break the single before going to radio, a la “Moves Like Jagger”? On the same subject, will the first season of The X Factor in the U.S. yield any career artists? It will be up to L.A. Reid and his new Epic team to bring out the potential star power of winner Melanie Amaro and finalists Chris Rene and Astro, as Simon Cowell puts his faith in Reid’s vaunted A&R expertise. Meanwhile, Sylvia Rhone’s arrival at Sony Music is supposedly imminent, with her imprint said to be going through Reid’s Epic…
Following Access Industries’ failed attempt to buy EMI, industry observers are asking whether Warner Music’s parent company should now be viewed as the new Terra Firma, and Len Blavatnik the new Guy Hands. Music companies run by non-music executives have historically done poorly, exemplified by EMI and BMG, and with all his faults, Edgar Bronfman probably would have been more effective at running Warner than either Blavatnik or CEO Stephen Cooper. This tenuous situation is said to have some key WMG executives, including Atlantic Co-Chairman/COO Craig Kallman and the team he’s built—EVP A&R/Elektra Co-President Mike Caren and Fueled by Ramen founder/Elektra Co-President John Janick—considering other options as their deals come up for renewal…
Moving to the biggest story of 2011, which is carrying over into 2012, how long will the UMG-EMI merger take to close, and does Vivendi have enough juice with the European Union to ram the deal through regulatory? It’s likely that BMG, Sony, WMG and Impala will do what they can to disrupt a smooth ride, each having its own reasons for upsetting the applecart. Whatever they turn out to be, those assets should sell for far below market value in a buyers’ market…
How many key EMI executives agreed to take sizable bonuses last year in exchange for staying on through the sale of the company? These bonuses are said to range from six months to two years of base salary. When will the checks be cashed?…
Names in the rumor mill: Burnstein-Mensch, Rob Light, Michael Guido, Simon Fuller, Mark Shimmel, David Joseph and Jim Urie.
The Grammys are just five weeks away, but the Ken Ehrlich-procured talent lineup remains a mystery, apart from Thursday’s initial teaser (see item below), leading to all kinds of speculation. Rumors are circulating about possible performances by Van Halen (whose first Interscope LP hits during Grammy week on Feb. 7, with expectations of a 200k debut) and MusiCares honoree Paul McCartney (whose Hear Music/Concord album of standards streets the same day). Among the first confirmed performers are Cash Money/Universal Republic’s Nicki Minaj (with first-week projections ranging as high as 600k for the Feb. 14 release) and Album of the Year nominees Foo Fighters. As for the main event, sources say Adele will be recovered from her recent throat surgery in time to perform on the show, in what will stand as the crowning moment of her astounding year. The album will be well past 6 million in the U.S. by then; how many more millions in album sales will her Grammy appearance generate?…
On the “TV is the new radio” front, American Idol returns to Fox on Jan. 18 in the second season for Jimmy Iovine and his team, who mentored Scotty McCreery (now nearing 900k) on their first go-round. NBC’s surprise hit The Voice will have its second-season premiere following the Super Bowl on Feb. 5. Insiders predict that Christina Aguilera will have her revitalizing moment this season, as fellow coach Adam Levine did on the show’s inaugural run. Aguilera’s upcoming RCA album is generating a strong early buzz, thanks to the infectious uptempo track she recorded with hitmaker Max Martin. Will The Voice be used as a platform to break the single before going to radio, a la “Moves Like Jagger”? On the same subject, will the first season of The X Factor in the U.S. yield any career artists? It will be up to L.A. Reid and his new Epic team to bring out the potential star power of winner Melanie Amaro and finalists Chris Rene and Astro, as Simon Cowell puts his faith in Reid’s vaunted A&R expertise. Meanwhile, Sylvia Rhone’s arrival at Sony Music is supposedly imminent, with her imprint said to be going through Reid’s Epic…
Following Access Industries’ failed attempt to buy EMI, industry observers are asking whether Warner Music’s parent company should now be viewed as the new Terra Firma, and Len Blavatnik the new Guy Hands. Music companies run by non-music executives have historically done poorly, exemplified by EMI and BMG, and with all his faults, Edgar Bronfman probably would have been more effective at running Warner than either Blavatnik or CEO Stephen Cooper. This tenuous situation is said to have some key WMG executives, including Atlantic Co-Chairman/COO Craig Kallman and the team he’s built—EVP A&R/Elektra Co-President Mike Caren and Fueled by Ramen founder/Elektra Co-President John Janick—considering other options as their deals come up for renewal…
Moving to the biggest story of 2011, which is carrying over into 2012, how long will the UMG-EMI merger take to close, and does Vivendi have enough juice with the European Union to ram the deal through regulatory? It’s likely that BMG, Sony, WMG and Impala will do what they can to disrupt a smooth ride, each having its own reasons for upsetting the applecart. Whatever they turn out to be, those assets should sell for far below market value in a buyers’ market…
How many key EMI executives agreed to take sizable bonuses last year in exchange for staying on through the sale of the company? These bonuses are said to range from six months to two years of base salary. When will the checks be cashed?…
Names in the rumor mill: Burnstein-Mensch, Rob Light, Michael Guido, Simon Fuller, Mark Shimmel, David Joseph and Jim Urie.
