PolyGram Regional Chiefs Ponder Universal Offers

Key members of PolyGram's worldwide management team are being pressed by Universal Music to commit this week to accepting posts at the merged company and to sign new contracts accordingly. They include the three presidents of PolyGram's Continental Europe, Latin America, and Far East regions, who are, respectively, Rick Dobbis, Manolo Diaz, and Norman Cheng. "It's naturally time," says an executive close to the situation, of Universal's need to firm up those specific posts. Another source claims that two of the "three wise men" are almost certain to commit but that Dobbis' decision is too close to call. He is said to be mulling a competitor's offer.

Meanwhile, Universal is confident it can retain the heads of PolyGram operating companies in major European territories, where there has been speculation about such executives as Wolf-D. Gramatke (Germany), John Kennedy (the U.K.), and Stefano Senardi (Italy).

Universal Music International president Jorgen Larsen is back at his London HQ this week, following a round of visits to UMI and PolyGram companies worldwide. Accompanying him was Universal Music Group president Zach Horowitz and Universal Studios executive VP/CFO Bruce Hack.

-Adam White, London


RIAA Seeks To Stop Sale Of Portable MP3 Player

The RIAA has filed in Federal District Court for preliminary and permanent injunctions against San Jose, Calif.-based Diamond Multimedia systems in an effort to prevent the company from selling its portable MP3 player, the Rio (Billboard, Sept. 19). The device, which is capable of playing authorized and unauthorized music files posted on the Internet, is slated to be sold online and through retailers such as Best Buy and Electronics Boutique in the first week of November.

Ken Wirt, VP of corporate marketing for Diamond, said in a conference call that the company is going ahead with its efforts to sell the Rio. "[The RIAA] is really trying to maintain control of music distribution and prevent artists who don't have recording contracts from getting broad distribution of their music," he says.

However, RIAA president/CEO Hilary Rosen tells Bulletin, "This is not just the music industry trying to preserve the status quo of music distribution. This has a much bigger impact on online distribution and for many different kinds of companies."

A hearing on the case is set for Friday in L.A.

-Doug Reece, L.A.



Radio 1 Focusing On New Music, Women

Flagship BBC national top-40 station Radio 1 has revamped its playlist policy to help break new acts and increase its female audience. The station has reduced the number of A-list tracks to make way for daytime spins of new music from the B list; new music making its way up the playlist will be featured more frequently.

In a statement, the station promises to "refine the mainstream policy to ensure it appeals as strongly to young women as to young men." The move is part of a trend in Europe: Such stations as U.K. top 40/dance outlet Atlantic 252 and Swedish top 40 network P3 are tweaking their output to attract female listeners. According to the British Phonographic Industry, 60% of pop records in the U.K. were bought by women in 1997, and 46% of dance records are sold to females aged 15-24.

-Mike McGeever, Music & Media


Virgin Nash Signings

Virgin Records Nashville has signed former Capitol Nashville quintet River Road and singer Julie Reeves, whose debut is due in the spring with production by label president/CEO Scott Hendricks.


Pearl Jam Live Set Due In November

Epic Records will issue a live Pearl Jam album for the holiday season. According to sources within Sony Music, Epic and Pearl Jam are working toward a single album of 15 of the band's best-known songs. Current thinking is that the album will carry a $16.98 list price, in line with the band's philosophy of keeping prices reasonable. Nov. 24 is the target street date.

-Ed Christman, N.Y.


George Jones Gets Asylum Label Deal

George Jones, who was dropped in July from MCA Nashville, has signed to Asylum Records. He was a client of Asylum president Evelyn Shriver's former publicity firm. His last top-10 record, "A Few Ole Country Boys," was in 1990.

-Phyllis Stark, Airplay Monitor


Artist Developments

The original lineup of Cypress Hill will play a brief run of dates starting Oct. 29 in Philadelphia. Other stops are Boston; New York; Washington, D.C.; Detroit; and Chicago.


Springsteen Testifies About Former Managers

In written evidence to London's High Court on Friday, Bruce Springsteen claimed that he had been assured at the beginning of his dealings with his onetime co-managers Jim Cretecos and Mike Appel that none of his recordings would be released without his consent. Testifying in his case against Masquerade Music over that company's attempt to release some of his early recordings in the U.K., Springsteen said, "I am sure that Cretecos knows now, as he did then, that none of the tracks on the infringing CD were ever intended to be released to the public without permission."

Of the CD at the center of the dispute, Springsteen said, "I can confirm that the songs contained on the infringing CD are songs the words and lyrics of which were written by me and are original." He added that they were early unfinished songs consisting of a combination of either studio outtakes of his first two CBS albums or early demos made in order to obtain cover recordings of his songs by other artists.

The hearing continues.

-Roger Pearson, London


Pop Supergroup Benefit

The Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, and Aaron Carter are among the artists contributing vocals to a new single being released Nov. 3 in the U.S. by Edel America Records to benefit the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Foundation. "Let The Music Heal Your Soul" was written by Alex Christensen and Frank Peterson and recorded by a pop supergroup dubbed the Bravo All Stars. The single has been a top-10 hit in Germany, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland; according to Edel, it was the most-requested song on WKTU New York when introduced recently.


VH1 To Honor Madonna

Madonna will perform at the 1998 VH1 Fashion Awards, as expected (Bulletin, Aug. 20). She will also receive the Gianni Versace Award, given to a person who "best represents the energy and creativity" of the late designer. The awards will be taped Oct. 23 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York and will premiere Oct. 27 on VH1. Other performers will be Janet Jackson, Iggy Pop, Lenny Kravitz, and the Smashing Pumpkins.


New Thump Imprint

Universal-distributed label Thump Records has formed an imprint, Thump Street. Rick Aaron has been named VP of A&R; he last held that title at indie Menez Records. Aaron reports to Bill Walker and Alberto Lopez, who founded Thump in 1990.

The first album from Pomona, Calif.-based Thump Street, the self-titled set by rap artist Ghostt, is due tomorrow.


Steely Dan Reissues

A comprehensive reissue program by MCA Records for Steely Dan will begin with the band's first two albums, 1972's "Can't Buy A Thrill" and 1973's "Countdown To Ecstacy." The titles, digitally remastered by the group's Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, hit stores Nov. 17. They contain such hits as "Do It Again," "Reelin' In The Years," and "My Old School."


U.S. Releases This Week

Celine Dion's fourth French-language studio album, "S'il Suffisait D'aimer" (550) reunites her with songwriter/producer Jean-Jacques Goldman, with whom she worked on 1995's "Deux," the top-selling French album ever. The new set has sold more than 2 million units outside the U.S., according to Sony.

On the two-CD set "Spirit Trail" (RCA), Bruce Hornsby tackles issues of race, religion, and bigotry with a wealth of musical styles. "This is a very Southern record to me," says the Virginia native. "Its influence runs from gospel to blues to R&B to folk."

Atlantic's "The Civil War: The Nashville Sessions," tied to the Broadway-bound musical, features Trisha Yearwood, Deana Carter, Tracy Lawrence, Travis Tritt, and others.

The Clean Slate/Work soundtrack to "Pleasantville" includes Fiona Apple's cover of "Across The Universe."

Other key titles: Mike Peters' "Rise" (Velvel); Love And Rockets' "Lift" (Red Ant).