2004

The members of Creed have confirmed that they will split after almost a decade together. The announcement comes three months after Creed songwriter/singer Scott Stapp told Billboard that his bandmates would take a break.

In a statement issued today (June 4) and posted on the band’s official Web site, Stapp says, “Creed was one of the most amazing journeys through music and friendship I am blessed to say I was a part of.”

Source billboard.com.

Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson has wrapped his solo debut, “Paper,” . Due Aug. 24 via Key Hole Records, the 14-track album features guest spots from former Crowes keyboardist Eddie Harsch and BR5-49 fiddle/lap steel player Donnie Herron, according to Robinson’s official Web site.

For the first time in his career, Robinson handled all of the vocal duties. “I named the album ‘Paper’ because this is all a blank sheet of paper to me; it’s fragile and new,” he says. “For 15 years I wrote for [Crowes frontman] Chris [Robinson’s]’ voice, but this is for me.”

Tracks set for inclusion are the psychedelic rocker “Places,” the dulcimer-tinged “When You Will,” the mid-tempo ballad “Forgiven Song” and such Crowes-inspired numbers as “Yesterday I Saw You” and “Enemy.” Robinson will also create the album’s cover art from one of his own oil paintings.

Robinson will unveil material from “Paper” during a three-week, three-city residency. He will play New York’s Knitting Factory Tap Bar on Tuesdays beginning June 29, Philadelphia’s Tin Angel on Wednesdays beginning June 30 and Cambridge, Mass.’ Brother Jimmy’s Barbecue on Thursdays beginning July 1.

Source billboard.com.

More than a thousand employees got pink slips from the new Warner Music Group in March; now the company plans to drop almost half of its 170 artists. At press time, final decisions had not been made. Sources say the Breeders and Third Eye Blind may be among the first victims, and Stereolab have already been dropped. “Artists deserve a deep commitment from their labels,” says WMG head Lyor Cohen. “If that commitment doesn’t exist, they should be given the freedom to pursue it elsewhere. The goal is to nurture artistic creativity and create successful careers.”
In February, a group of private investors, including former Universal Music Group tycoon Edgar Bronfman Jr., bought the label group from Time Warner for $2.6 billion. In an effort to save more than $200 million, operations for Elektra, Atlantic and Lava Records were combined.

“We were told that our services are going to be dispensed with,” says Martin Pike, manager of the electronic-pop group Stereolab. “We’ve been with Elektra since 1993. That company doesn’t exist anymore.”

According to one label executive, the decisions about who to cut are being based in large part on profitability. Stereolab have sold only 40,000 copies of their recent album, Margerine Eclipse. The Breeders’ last CD, Title TK, moved barely 45,000 units. Third Eye Blind, whose 1997 debut sold 6 million copies, didn’t reach gold with 2003’s Out of the Vein. Also vulnerable are developing bands such as Socialburn and Apartment 26, whose CDs will not likely earn back the money it cost to record and promote them.

Artists who survived the cuts — including the Darkness, Jason Mraz, Jet, the Donnas and Kid Rock — will probably be forced to work with smaller budgets in the future. But, says Donnas manager Molly Neuman, “I’m getting the sense that a leaner roster will be to our advantage, because we’ll have greater access to the senior executives.”

Not everyone is so optimistic: Paula Cole’s contract is up in June, and she says she may not renew even if she’s asked to. “I want to be at a place where there’s enthusiasm for me and for music,” she says. “The people I trusted and loved there are all gone. It’s scary, because I have a kid and I want to make a living.”

Meanwhile, Metallica have jumped ship from Elektra to its sister company Warner Bros. A source at WMG says that the band was devastated when virtually all of the people it worked with at Elektra were laid off. The band reportedly has only one album left in its contract.

“These cuts had to happen,” says a WMG executive. “We had gotten fat and bloated, and we were releasing way too many records. If this means we put all of our efforts and resources behind what we actually do release, that’s a good thing.”

Source rollingstone.com.

Original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward has come aboard for this summer’s Black Sabbath reunion, despite a prior announcement that Mike Bordin would be filling his slot on the Ozzfest tour.

In a statement issued two weeks ago, Ward said he’d been offered “a proposal which allowed no room for negotiation. It was a cul-de-sac proposal in my opinion, where the only answer was yes or no. I was asked to respond by Friday, May 14th. I wrote a brief letter of decline on Thursday, May 13th. I answered directly at the proposal, and left out any personal comments, other than I was sad to have to decline.”

“Black Sabbath is, and always will be an important priority in my life,” he continued. “I support [bassist] Geezer [Butler]’s, [guitarist] Tony [Iommi]’s and [vocalist] Ozzy [Osbourne]’s decisions to move ahead into Ozzfest ’04 without me. I can appreciate they may not be overjoyed with the decision, and I’d really like to be with them. Nothing would please me more than to be a part of the show.

Ozzfest kicks off July 10 in Hartford, Conn., and will feature Sabbath, Priest, Slipknot, Slayer, Hatebreed and Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society, among others

Source Billboard.com.

Thirty-five years in the music business have taught Burning Spear that taking care of his own business is good business. The reggae legend (a.k.a. Winston Rodney) claims that he’s never seen any accounting for his record sales, so he recently took matters into his own hands and started his own label, Burning Spear Records.
“A lot of things encouraged me to start my label,” he says. “I think it’s very important for an artist to know how many records they’ve sold and where they’ve sold. I know that I have never been treated the way I’m supposed to be treated — like an artist. That’s why I do things for myself. I feel like I’m a free man.”

Having recently secured distribution through MRI/Ryko, Burning Spear has set about re-releasing the bulk of his back catalog, with Resistance (1984), People of the World (1986), Living Dub Volume 2 (1993) and Rasta Business (1995) already in stores, and Living Dub Volume 1 (1979), Live at Montreaux (2001) and Free Man (2003) set for release on August 31st.

In addition to the flurry of re-released material, Burning Spear is at work on a new album, which will likely include a song with the chorus of “come now people try again” that is now serving as his answering-machine message. He also plans to sign other artists to Burning Spear Records.

“You never can tell when you’re building something,” he says. “Anything can happen.”

Burning Spear’s summer tour kicks off next week in Cleveland and will continue through a September 19th gig in New York’s Central Park.

Burning Spear tour dates:

6/12: Cleveland, Peabody’s
6/13: Manchester, TN, Bonnaroo
6/16: Ithaca, NY, The Haunt
6/17: Northampton, MA, Pearl Street
6/19: Angels Camp, CA, Sierra Nevada World Music Festival
6/22: New Haven, CT, Toads Place
6/23: Providence, RI, Lupo’s
6/24: Brooklyn, NY, Celebrate Brooklyn
6/25: Seaside Park, NJ, The Green Room
6/26: Washington D.C., 9:30 Club
6/27: Farmingdale, NY, The Downtown
6/29: Milwaukee, WI, Summerfest
7/1: Toronto, York Event Theatre
7/3: Amagnsett, NY, Stephen Talkhouse
7/5: Nantucket, MA, The Muse
7/7: Oak Bluffs, MA, Atlantic Connection
7/8: Hyannis, MA, Pufferbellies
7/10: Masontown, WV, All Good Summer Festival
7/12: Albany, NY, Washington Park
7/13: Lewes, DE, AJ’s Brewing
7/14: Ocean City, MD, St. Mary’s
7/16: Pittsburgh, The World
7/17: Detroit, Concert of Colors
7/22: Norfolk, VA, The Norva
7/24: Union Grove, NC, Smilefest
7/25: Kill Devil, NC, The Pit
7/27: Tallahassee, FL, Beta Bar
7/28: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Culture Room
7/30: Jacksonville, FL, Freebird Cafe
7/31: St. Petersburg, FL, Jannus Landing
8/4: Taos, NM, El Taoseno
8/5: Bond, CO, State Bridge Lodge
8/6: Steamboat Springs, CO, Level Z
8//7: Denver, CO, Gothic Theatre
8/8: Ft. Collins, CO, Aggie Theater
8/9: Boulder, CO Fox Theater
8/11: Teton Village, WY, Mangy Moose Saloon
8/12: Sandpoint, ID, Panida Theatre
8/13: Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay
8/14: Park City, UT, The Forum at the Canyons
8/18: Scottsdale, AZ, The Venue of Scottsdale
8/19: Flagstaff, AZ, The Orpheum Theater
8/20: Anaheim, CA, House of Blues
8/21: Lake Tahoe, CA, Truckee
8/22: Los Angeles, House of Blues
8/24: Santa Barbara, CA, 634
8/25: San Diego, The Belly Up
8/26: Santa Cruz, CA, TBA
8/27: San Francisco, Slim’s
8/28: San Francisco, Slim’s
9/2: Portland, OR, Roseland Theater
9/3: Seattle, WA, Bumbershoot Festival
9/5: Victoria, BC, Centennial Square
9/6: Tofino, BC, The Legion
9/7: Whistler, BC, Buffalo Bill’s
9/8: Nelson, BC, Fluid Lounge
9/19: New York, Central Park Summerstage

Source rollingstone.com.