Pribek

UK-based clothing retailer Sainsbury has worked a deal with E.M.I. to license classic song lyrics for a clothing line. From Billboard….

EMI Music Publishing will license lyrics from classic songs in its more than 1.3 million song catalog to a clothing line operated by the 545-unit UK-based retailer Sainsbury. The merchant’s Tu Clothing division, which is featured in 281 of the chain’s store’s, is launching a new collection for men, woman and children and will feature words from classic songs such as “My Girl,” “ABC,” “(Theme From) The Monkees,” Wild Thing,” and “Dancing In The Street.”

“(Theme From) The Monkees”!!?? Hunh?

“Classic songs are part of the fabric of everybody’s lives, and we’re delighted that people will now be able to wear their favorite songs through this deal,” said EMI’s head of media licensing Steve Hills said in a statement.

The fabric of everybody’s lives…these marketing cats are just too clever.

Lyrics as fashion statement…people get that marketable instant recognition when they hear the words in the musical context. But, they don’t carry the same weight standing alone. Great lyrics often make for crappy poetry. Will they work as fashion? Will people buy this stuff?

“The people at Sainsbury’s and Tu Clothing really understand the importance of music and its legacy, and we’re looking forward to bringing lyrics to life through what will hopefully be a long partnership.”

Well, it’s just more of the, trying to cash in on something that was created previously, sort of stuff that is rampant. That doesn’t mean I’m against it. Probably be some songwriters somewhere, that haven’t taken a buy out, that will be making a buck.

Plus, we can play the “What lyric would you like to see on a garment?” game.

My choice would be yellow lettering on a shiny, purple, wife-beater sleeveless T that has this emblazoned on the front…

Since you’ve gone it’s a losing battle
Stampeding cattle
They rattle the walls

Rick Danko was always a snappy dresser.

As always, make sure you are buttoned correctly then, press pause on the music player located in the side bar before playing the YouTube.

Coldplay is knocking ‘em dead at the box office. From Billboard.

Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends” (Capitol) locks the top spot with 721,000 sold, and bows atop the U.S. chart while holding No. 1 for a second week in its native U.K.

Wowness! 721 Grrrrrr…and the week before, Lil’ Wayne busted a Million. You don’t see that all the time, do ya?

The handoff from Cash Money/Universal Motown’s Lil Wayne to Coldplay also represents just the second time in Nielsen SoundScan history that two albums start with sums greater than 700,000 in back-to-back weeks. The last time it happened was May 2000, when Britney Spears’ “Oops! … I Did It Again,” followed by Eminem’s “The Marshall Mathers LP” each broke the million milestone in successive frames, the former with 1.8 million, and Spears’ with 1.3 million.

And the Coldplay lovefest continues…..from Variety.

Coldplay is the biggest pop-rock band in the world today — and XM Radio knows it. Beginning July 15, the satellite radio company will devote a month-long channel to the band’s music. Fans can tune in and hear songs from all of Coldplay’s studio albums as well as rarities, import-only tracks, interviews, and exclusive concert broadcasts from their forthcoming Viva La Vida North American tour. If you’re a fan of big, swooning, mid-tempo rock music this station should provide you with a more-than-adequate fix.

Who doesn’t like big, swooning, mid-tempo rock music?

Swooning. I picture Eno on the studio talk back mic. “I’m afraid it’s just not cutting it fellas’. It’s just not swooning enough. Swoon, I tell ya’, SWOON DAMMIT!”

Anyway, all this good news and happy talk, the music biz must be O.K. after all, right?

Wrong.

Coldplay’s label, E.M.I., has decided to start giving pink slips simultaneously.

The Daily Swarm is leading with this cheerful headline; “EMI bloodbath begins…major layoffs start at Blue Note, Caroline…”

You can say what you want about Guy Hands, that he is a corporate wonk, doesn’t have a clue about how to run a record company but, you can’t question his timing.

Nice one, Guy!

Today is Friday the 13th but, fear not, the Dutch Centre for Insurance Statistics have released the results of a study that shows that the 13th is actually safer than a normal Friday.

“I find it hard to believe that it is because people are preventatively more careful or just stay home, but statistically speaking, driving is a little bit safer on Friday 13th,” CVS statistician Alex Hoen told the Verzekerd insurance magazine.

In the last two years, Dutch insurers received reports of an average 7,800 traffic accidents each Friday, the CVS study said. But the average figure when the 13th fell on a Friday was just 7,500.

There were also fewer incidents of fire and theft, although the average value of losses on Fridays 13th was slightly higher.

I’ve never noticed an inordinate amount of bad luck on Friday the 13ths, how about you?

Coldplay is knocking them dead in Britain.

British retailers are admitting their sales estimates for Coldplay’s new album were too conservative after the album shifted a staggering 125,000 albums on its first day on sale yesterday.

“This rate of sales exceeds even our optimistic forecasts, and shows how massively popular a band Coldplay remain despite having been away for the best part of three years,” comments Gennaro Castaldo, spokesman for market-leading retailer HMV. Castaldo notes that the album has also been selling “large quantities” from HMV’s Web site, both in CD and download formats.

I think “admitting” is an odd choice of words there, “admitting their sales estimates for Coldplay’s new album were too conservative”. Does that mean that retailers were all set for the thing to stiff? This news comes on the heels of a couple of weeks of constant commentary speculating about shake ups, questionable decisions and the possible demise of EMI. I’ll say this, 125,000 in a day is a big number so, this one at least, looks good for EMI. Release in the U.S. is on the 17th.

I’m listening to Buddahead’s new record “Ashes” which is also scheduled for a June 17 release. You can listen to “Ashes” here. I’m not familiar with Buddahead, I’ve heard about them and saw a press release about the new record this morning and I’m on the first listen now. Raman Kia has an extraordinary voice; sounds like he can effortlessly go where he wants to vocally. I like they way the record sounds on first run through, a bit more of a live room sound than a lot of the modernmelodicpoprock.