Articles

You've already seen Coldplay frontman Chris Martin mixing it up with a photographer the other day as Martin took his famous wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, out of a New York hospital where she’d gone for some tests.   Threatened violence isn’t always applauded, and the photographer, naturally, feels he wasn’t doing anything wrong. But posters at TMZ and other blog sites are giving Chris high marks for “acting out” and protecting his wife. Even some of the most rabid lovers of gossip have had it with inva

The new owner of record label EMI is enforcing tight restrictions on new artist signings and marketing budgets in a bid to get the firm back on track.   There are also fears that job losses could happen among the 5500 workforce at EMI, which is home to artists including Kylie Minogue, Lily Allen and Coldplay.   Guy Hands' private equity firm Terra Firma completed the takeover of the record label for £4 billion including debt in August. In the same month as the takeover first-quarter revenues had

Nick Clegg today unveiled Roxy Music star Brian Eno as an advisor – and immediately bombed as he tried to show off his pop credentials.   Despite becoming, at 40, the youngest leader of the three main political parties, new Liberal Democrat chief proved he knows little about youth culture, making two embarrassing gaffes in as many days.   During his victory tour of broadcasting studios in the hours after being crowned yesterday, Mr Clegg was asked for his views on the hot topic obsessing pop fa

Career-defining albums are both a blessing and a curse.   No artist would turn down the opportunity to put out a mega hit. But there is no denying many long-lived careers have come to be characterized by one recording. Nothing that follows will ever be as good, as important, or as meaningful to as many as "the big one" was. That can damn your inspiration, even as the money keeps rolling in, particularly if you peak on album No. 1. We look at other albums that reached the same pinnacle -- studiou

In 2004...   Paul McCartney, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Robbie Williams, Keane, Snow Patrol, Travis, The Darkness and others took part in the recording of a new version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” A highlight of the session was U2’s Bono reprising his immortal line, “Tonight thank God it’s them instead of you.”   Bono, Paul McCartney and George Michael were the only artists from the original Band Aid who had been asked back to lend their voices to Band Aid 20. There was a reported dispute ov

Solo girl Nicole Scherzinger [pictured] is praying Chris Martin can complete a holy trinity of Brits writing songs for her, report the Daily Star.   The Pussycat Doll has already worked with Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, 31, and Keane’s Tim Rice-Oxley, 31, since going it alone. Now she wants the Coldplay singer, 30, to finish the set. Nicole, 29, said: “I just need to work with Chris Martin to complete my British songwriting mission. That would be amazing.”   Nic recorded Lightbody’s gorgeous so

The new issue of Rolling Stone (issue 1039) features a Chris Martin interview, where he talks about the future of releasing music, and who to look out for in the world of music producers. Find out where he thinks Coldplay will be in 10-15 years time!   How has new technology helped music? I don't know if "democratizing" is the right word, but its definately levelling the playing field regarding who can hear what.   Has it changed your approach to how you release your music? We think it's all abo

Compilations, covers and live tracks can often make for cringe worthy, unadventurous and nostalgia fuelled listening and all three elements rolled into a double CD containing 40 tracks is a potential marathon yawn inducing shocker that could have you scrambling for the off button.   But following on from the success of ‘Live Lounge: Volume 1’ is ‘Volume 2’ and Radio 1 have got it pretty much bang on.   But it’s with the cover versions that the most fun can be had. But there are some tracks that

He may be accustomed to the luxuries afforded to millionaire rock stars, but Chris Martin left behind five star comforts during a recent trip to Scotland.   The exhausted Coldplay frontman was seen sleeping on the deck of a ferry travelling back from the funeral of his uncle Angus Fleming, 55, in Arran.   Wearing a thick black jumper, and a scarf wrapped around his trademark curly hair to protect him from the elements, a clearly exhausted Martin slept on the deck of the ferry between Brodick an

Alessandro Copetti is a veteran of the London paparazzi scene and is always on the lookout for a picture that could earn him up to £20,000 for a few seconds' work.   Mr Copetti, 37, who works for the Matrix picture agency, is rarely far away from the thick of the action when it comes to snatching a photograph of the rich and famous at play.   Born in Tolmezzo, a town in north-east Italy, he has been a photojournalist for 17 years. He moved to Britain in 1998 and married a Scottish woman, but the

In October 1979, photographer Anton Corbijn, the son of a rural Dutch Protestant minister, set out for England in pursuit of Unknown Pleasures. That was the title of the dark, expansive debut album from the Manchester post-punk band Joy Division, and to Corbijn it was an artistic clarion call.   "I thought, 'I want to be where that music comes from,' " says Corbijn, now 52. "It was my mission to photograph Joy Division." Within two weeks he took an iconic picture of the band that showed singer a

EMI Music inked a deal with PlayPhone Inc. to allow the mobile entertainment company to distribute ringtones from its catalog. Artist from the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones to Joss Stone, Norah Jones and Coldplay can now be heard in cell phone renditions that PlayPhone customers can customize.   “The team at PlayPhone has the know-how and technology to ensure consumer-friendly download experience,” says Lauren Berkowitz, senior vice president of EMI Music’s newly beefed up digital team.   Th

Idol’s resident hunk Mark Da Costa was booted from the talent show last night after deviating from the niche he had carved for himself as the show’s rocker.   Idol watchers claim his demise was also connected to his recent sleazy antics at a Sydney nightclub where he reportedly spent the evening name-dropping himself in an attempt to pick up women. Viewers voted the 28-year-old out of the show after panning his blues arrangement of Coldplay’s hit ballad “Yellow” on Sunday’s acoustic themed show.

Online retail giant Amazon.com has launched a DRM-free music store with 2 million songs from 180,000 artists and 20,000 labels.   The music is encoded in 256Kbit/s MP3 format, and Amazon says most songs are priced from US89 cents to US99 cents ($AU1.02 to $AU1.14), with more than 1 million of the 2 million songs priced at 89 cents.   The top 100 best-selling songs are 89 cents, while most albums are priced from $5.99 to $9.99 ($AU6.89 to $AU11.49). The top 100 best-selling albums are $8.99 ($A

29 September – Fans of Coldplay can get up close to a cracking tribute to Chris Martin and co, as Coldplace play to a packed crowd at the Subscription Rooms in Stroud.   Billing themselves as ‘the UK’s finest tribute to Coldplay’, cover band Coldplace have played to a 20,000-strong crowd at Liverpool’s Mathew Street Festival, have toured extensively in the UK and have headlined in Malta during the last three years.   And now the four guys (and a girl), will be bringing their uncannily similar s

After a three year long sabbatical, Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow is returning to her film career.   Paltrow had taken a long break from movies to look after her two children that she has from her husband British pop star Chris Martin. Having stayed away from limelight for so many years Paltrow is now on a comeback trail.   The 34-year-old actress has made a comeback with latest movie ‘The Good Night’, directed by her younger brother Jake. “I really stopped working for three years and I real

The head of the private equity owner of EMI, the home of Robbie Williams and Coldplay, yesterday unveiled his vision for turning around the famous music label amid challenging industry conditions.   Guy Hands, chief executive and founder of Terra Firma, vowed to retain the group's recorded music division and to invest in artists big and small to restore the company's fortunes following its £2.4bn buyout.   The deal ended months of speculation over the future of EMI - which had endured a rollerco

Rapper Kanye West is winning the chart battle with 50 Cent on both sides of the Atlantic, early sales figures show.   West's Graduation, which was released on the same day as his rival's third album, Curtis, could top the charts in both the UK and US. 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, has vowed that he will retire from making solo albums if he is outsold by West. According to record sales executives in the US, West's album is projected to shift up to 700,000 copies this week.   Meanwhile, West

Hollywood couple CHRIS MARTIN and GWYNETH PALTROW have chosen comedian SIMON PEGG to be godfather to their three-year-old daughter APPLE.   But the Shaun Of The Dead star has no intention of providing moral guidance to the celebrity offspring - and insists he wants his young charge to have fun. He says, “I’d like to think I’m a really great, fun godfather. “It’s much more interesting than trying to be a good influence on her. I’m a comedian - it’s what they expect.”   Source: ContactMusic

In a few short years, Simon Pegg has gone from jobbing stand-up to friend of the stars. The 37-year-old Shaun Of The Dead star is godfather to Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter Apple, report The Mirror.   You are now friends with the likes of Tom Cruise and Gwyneth Paltrow. Do you sometimes pinch yourself? It’s always surprising and I hope it continues. I am certainly very aware of how lucky I am and how much fun it is to work with these people. I dread the day when I am not impressed

EMI’s Chief Executive, Eric Nicoli, is to quit his position at the record label prior to the companies takeover next month.   As we previously reported, EMI agreed to a $2.4 million takeover by private equity firm Terra Firm earlier this month. Nicoli has agreed to step down from his position at the company prior to the completion of the deal - which is expected to be on September 18th when the company is de-listed from the London Stock Exchange.   Both Ashley Unwin and Chris Roling, managing

A 9-hour edition of the station's influential 'Morning Becomes Eclectic' on Labor Day will feature past hosts Tom Schnabel and Chris Douridas along with Nic Harcourt.   Singer-songwriter Gary Jules is something of a pilgrim as he walks unannounced into the state-of-the-art Santa Monica College studios of KCRW-FM (89.9), an offering in hand. Nic Harcourt, who is at the console from which he hosts the station's flagship music show, "Morning Becomes Eclectic," leaps to his feet; big grins are on bo

Wal-Mart said Tuesday it will begin offering MP3 tracks from its music download service through arrangements with labels EMI and Universal.   Tracks will be priced at 94 cents and albums at $9.22 USD. Artists at launch include The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, and Maroon 5, among others.   As a promotion, certain classic albums will be offered at a discounted price, including Slippery When Wet by Bon Jovi and Get Rich or Die Tryin' by 50 Cent at $5.88 per album, and Come Away With Me by Norah Jones

Kanye West’s 3rd album, Graduation is locked and loaded for a September 11, 2007 release on Hip-Hop Since 1978 / Roc-A-Fella Records. One of the most anticipated albums of the year, Graduation features the smash singles “Stronger” and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” accompanied by the groundbreaking videos co-directed by West and acclaimed director Hype Williams.   As “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” – the DJ Toomp banger featuring a newly remixed verse from Young Jeezy and an unlikely alternate video from com

LONDON - EMI Group PLC, the British music publisher whose roster includes The Beatles and Coldplay, said Friday its shares will no longer be listed for trading after Sept. 18 as it goes private.   EMI is being acquired for 2.4 billion pounds ($4.9 billion) by private equity group Terra Firma Capital Partners. As of Thursday, Terra Firma, run by financier Guy Hands, held 94 percent of EMI. EMI shares rose nearly 0.3 percent to close at 264 pence ($5.24) on the London Stock Exchange.   Terra Firma