It's Rimes Times Six At Billboard Music Awards

LeAnn Rimes walked away with the lion's share of honors at the 1997
Billboard Music Awards, held last night in Las Vegas. The young country
star received awards for artist of the year and album artist of the year,
while also dominating the country music categories, winning as top country
artist, country album, country album artist, and country singles artist.
Also receiving multiple honors were Toni Braxton, who won five awards,
including R&B artist of the year; the Spice Girls, who nabbed four
awards, including top album, new artist, and Hot 100 Singles group; and
Elton John, who won four times, including top single for "Candle In
The Wind 1997/Something About The Way You Look Tonight," which also
garnered John and co-writer Bernie Taupin a special award for biggest selling
single of all time. In the R&B and rap categories, Dru Hill received
four awards, including top R&B single and R&B artist; and Puff
Daddy won three honors, including top rap artist and rap track. Other winners
included Sublime (top modern rock artist), Kenny G (top contemporary jazz
artist and album), and Tony Bennett (top jazz artist and album).

In addition, Chet Atkins received Billboard's Century Award, and Garth
Brooks received the Artist Achievement Award.


BMG Asia Debuts Online Order System For Retailers

BMG Music Asia yesterday launched a new Internet-based ordering system
for music retailers in Hong Kong, which BMG plans to roll out into other
Asian territories. First client is HMV, which has committed to place all
of its orders electronically. BMG hopes that negotiations with other major
chains in the territory, notably Tower Records and KPS Stores, will soon
yield similar agreements. The record company has spent $30,000 developing
the project in conjunction with AT&T's Internet service provider in
Hong Kong, which hosts the system. It claims that orders for locally available
product received by noon will be delivered the same day, while other stock
will be provided from its warehouse in Gutersloh, Germany, within seven
to 10 days.

BMG hopes the system will help counter retailers' claims that difficulty
in sourcing the company's product locally has forced them to go to foreign
suppliers-a practice banned in Hong Kong since June by new copyright legislation
(Bulletin, June 26). BMG will launch the service in Singapore next week,
in Malaysia and Taiwan in January, and in Korea and Thailand a month later.

-Geoff Burpee, Hong Kong


DJ Buys Branson's Virgin Rock Station

British DJ Chris Evans has bought Richard Branson's U.K. national album
rock station Virgin AM and London service Virgin FM for a reported £80
million ($135 million). Branson had accepted a £65 million ($110
million) offer from London rival Capital Radio in May, but a government
antitrust investigation put that bid on ice (Bulletin, Aug. 4).

-Mark Solomons, London


Retailers React To Prodigy Controversy

Though Wal-Mart and Kmart have pulled the album, Blockbuster, Musicland,
and Tower will continue to sell Prodigy's "The Fat Of The Land,"
which contains the band's controversial new single, "Smack My Bitch
Up." The National Organization for Women has come out against the
song, saying it glorifies violence against women (Bulletin, Dec. 5). "Wal-Mart
and Kmart have a right to decide what they want to have in their stores.
It's the same right they had when the album was first released," says
Bob Merlis, Warner Bros. senior VP, worldwide corporate communications.
The album was released in July by Mute/Maverick/Warner Bros.

-Carla Hay, L.A.


Mellencamp Signs To William Morris

John Mellencamp has signed with the William Morris Agency. A team of
agents, led by agency president Arnold Rifkin, will represent Mellencamp
as follows: Michael Gruber, Lisa Wong, and Randi Michel (films); John Kimble
(television), John Mass (corporate); and Peter Grosslight, John Marks,
and Joel Roman (music).


Carla Hay Joins Bulletin Staff

The staff of Billboard Bulletin has expanded with the addition of Carla
Hay as assistant editor. Hay, who also will serve as music video editor
of Billboard, is based in Los Angeles, but will transfer to the New York
office early in 1998. She comes to Bulletin from Music Connection, the
L.A.-based biweekly trade publication, where she covered music publishing.


Artist Developments

Goldie's new double-CD "Saturnzreturn," due Jan. 27 from London/ffrr,
features guest performances by rapper KRS-One and Oasis' Noel Gallagher.

-Craig Rosen, L.A.


High Court Ruling Could Impact Parallel Imports

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday on Quality King Distributors
Inc. v. L'Anza Research International, a major copyright case that involves
the legality of parallel imports and gray-market goods. The case will require
the court to choose between two sections of the copyright law, one that
prevents unauthorized imports and another which may allow them.
The case involves the distribution of hair care products, but has wide-ranging
implications for all copyrighted U.S. products sold abroad at a discount,
including sound recordings. The case could also affect Clinton Administration
trade agreements.

The RIAA and other members of the International Intellectual Property
Alliance, along with the Justice Department, have filed amicus briefs in
support of L'Anza's position against the unauthorized imports.
A reversal of an earlier ruling in L'Anza's favor, they say, could cause
havoc in the domestic retail marketplace, and embarrass the administration,
which has five pending international agreements calling for rules that
block unauthorized importation.

-Bill Holland, Washington, D.C.


Japan's DVD Sales Fall Short

Total domestic shipments of DVD players in Japan are expected to reach
300,000 to 400,000 units by the end of March, compared with initial predictions
of 500,000 to 600,000 units, said Toshiba Corp. president Taizo Nishimuro
on Friday after the first general meeting of the DVD Forum. Nishimuro reported
that the Forum-which comprises 122 manufacturing, software, and media companies-remains
optimistic about the format's future, despite the lower-than-expected early
sales of DVD hardware.

-Steve McClure, Tokyo


Bands Unite For Xmas Single

Pearl Jam and R.E.M. have joined forces, contributing a side each to
a holiday single that is available only through their respective fan clubs.
R.E.M.'s track "Live For Today" was recorded with drummer Bill
Berry prior to his decision to exit the band, and Pearl Jam's track "When
I'm Crying" was written by the band's newest member, Jack Irons.

-Craig Rosen, L.A.


DirecTV, Warners Plan Music Series

Satellite provider DirecTV has entered into a deal with Warner Bros.
TV to launch a new music series, set to premiere on DirecTV in February.
The new half-hour weekly program, produced by Tri-Crown Productions, will
feature rock, pop, and country music artists in a magazine-style format.
DirecTV subscribers will receive the program at no extra charge.

-Carla Hay, L.A.


Lineup Expanded For UNICEF Show

Shania Twain, Usher, Salt-N-Pepa, Boyz II Men (in a pre-taped performance),
Duncan Sheik, and Taylor Dayne have been added to the UNICEF Gift of Song
concert, set for tomorrow at the Beacon Theatre in New York. They join
the previously announced Mariah Carey, Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Aaron
Neville, Aaliyah, Simply Red, the Bacon Brothers, Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin
Carpenter, and Wyclef Jean.


Warner International Confirms Wong Post

Warner Music International (WMI) has confirmed the appointment of Calvin
Wong as VP, marketing, Southeast Asia at Warner Music Asia-Pacific in Hong
Kong (Bulletin, Nov. 4). Wong, who will report to Warner senior VP Brian
Harris, assumes the post just three months after relocating to Hong Kong
from his native Malaysia to become VP, marketing/A&R, at EMI (Bulletin,
Sept. 3). He succeeds David Gilchrist, who is relocating to a new WMI position
(to be announced) in his home country of Australia.

-Geoff Burpee, Hong Kong


Ray Charles Manager Busted

Police in Nagoya, Japan, arrested Carl Edward Hunter, manager of Ray
Charles, Friday night on suspicion of marijuana possession, according to
local news reports. A Nagoya airport customs officer reportedly found some
3.2 grams of marijuana in Hunter's shirt pocket. Hunter, 40, had flown
in from Portland, Ore., in advance of Charles' Japanese tour, which is
due to start Dec. 14 in Tokyo.-Steve McClure, Tokyo