Inside Track

STONES GET ALL SOAPED UP

Few would question the Rolling Stones' credentials as chick magnets. So how do the ageless rockers attract the ladies' attention these days? One method could be a multifaceted tie-in with NBC soap opera "Days of Our Lives." On Oct. 18, "Streets of Love"—the new single and video from the Stones' new album, "A Bigger Bang"—just might find its way onto the show. Track would not be surprised if the song then becomes a recurring love theme for one of the show's story lines. This could pave the way to the Stones performing the song in an episode of the long-running soap; of course, this is pure dreaming on Track's part, but how major would that be?

"They understand it's a great way to hit women," Randy Miller, executive VP of marketing at Virgin Records, told a packed room Sept. 27 at "I'm With the Brand," a Yahoo Music/Billboard panel held during New York's Advertising Week. He was referring, naturally, to the soap's main demographic.

Is this the ultimate sellout for the Stones? No way, said panelist Cheryl Berman, chairwoman and chief creative officer for the Leo Burnett ad agency. "Selling out has changed," Berman said. "Selling out means you're doing bad creative."

On the other hand, developing acts need to be particularly careful with their partnerships. "You can really screw up young bands if you put them with the wrong product," Vector Management's Ken Levitan said. We are guessing it is too late to "screw up" the Stones.



THE POWER OF BEING BLUNT

Warner Music International chairman/CEO Paul-René Albertini along with Warner Music Group North America chairman/CEO Lyor Cohen were at an MTV Europe press event Sept. 27 in London. Both executives were there for the announcement of the MTV Europe Awards nominees and in support of one of their artists, James Blunt, a Custard/Atlantic Records signee.

The British troubadour, who is nominated in three MTV Europe Awards categories, was flown by helicopter from Paris to London for the event, where he performed two songs. Cohen, Albertini and other WMG executives headed to Manchester the following day for a two-day A&R seminar, as a prelude to the In The City conference, where Cohen was to give a keynote speech.



MOVE OVER CARRIE BRADSHAW

Remember that episode of "Sex and the City" in which Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw character tripped over her Manolos while sashaying down the catwalk? Well, that did not happen to Billboard co-executive editor Tamara Conniff, who effortlessly worked the runway during Yeohlee's spring 2006 collection presentation during the recent Fashion Week in New York.



SGZ GOES TO UNIVISION

According to sources, leading U.S. Latin label Univision Music Group has purchased SGZ Records, the indie label founded last year by former Warner Latina president George Zamora and producer Sergio George.



GOOD SHIP LOLLIPOP

Kaci Brown, Hope Partlow, b5 and Sabrina Bryan are graduates of Radio Disney's Incubator program. Now the 12-year-old unsigned DaHv is poised to follow in their footsteps—as she will be featured in the Incubator program. Already, college students have picked up on one of her songs, "Pass the Shirley Temple," which has become an underground drinking song for them. In fact, sources tell Track that DaHv is fielding requests from colleges for live performances. Of course, DaHv has also been contacted by conservative online community townhall.com, which wants to distribute a DaHv CD during the holiday season. Who said irony was dead?



GOOD CATCH FOR HATCH

The National Music Publishers' Assn. will present its President's Award for 2005 to longtime industry friend and songwriter Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, the former Judiciary Committee chairman. The award is given to an individual for outstanding contribution to the music publishing industry.



SAYING GOODBYE

The family of industry veteran and long-ago Billboard editorial staffer Harold Webman will unveil his memorial stone Oct. 9 at Pinelawn Memorial Grounds in Farmingdale, N.Y. Webman, who died Oct. 14, 2004, was a well-known figure at Billboard in the late 1940s.



Additional reporting by Leila Cobo, Bill Holland, Emmanuel Legrand and Ken Schlager.