Ace of Base Return to World Pop/Dance Scene in 2002

Ace of Base are making a 2002 comeback with an all new album.

According to a press release at the band’s official website the first single off of the new album is scheduled to be released in July, 2002 to European radio stations. The album is set for European release in Europe in September, 2002.

Following the European releases, the promotional effort for the new album will spread across the world.

The band’s manager, Lasse Karlsson, reports that Ace of Base have thus far worked with German producers Torsten Brötzmann, Axel Breitung and David Brunner, Swedish producers Harry Sommerdahl, Jonas von der Burg, Pontus Soderqvist, Martin Hedstrom and Nick Nice.

At least twelve new tracks will be on the album and the band has already completed a photoshoot for promotional materials.For additional information and continuing updates on the new Ace of Base album log on to www.AceOfBase.info

Fantasize Aloud With Appleton

My favourite pop sisters, the wicked ex-All Saints’ Nicole and Natalie Appleton are to release their debut single in September.

Named ‘Fantasy’, the track has been described as somewhat similar to the kind of stuff the girls did when they were in All Saints.

A couple of months back, Pop-Music.com reported that the girls were simply just too lazy to work since they kept postponing recording sessions. Also besides demanding GBP2 million, their new songs weren’t exactly good, according to studio officials at Warner, their former label. Polydor must be keeping them real happy.

The girls, who will go under the name Appleton, will take all their songs to Polydor, making it their first album together, entitled ‘Aloud’. “We created the album ourselves off our own backs so there was no need to change any elements when we signed our new deal” said Natalie. “It has just been mixed since we signed to Polydor.”

The sisters say they are definitely planning to pick up where All Saints left off and don’t want to change their sound. “We love our All Saints fans and hope we can also attract new fans as our music has developed” say the duo. “We’ve been enjoying playing around with new ideas in the studio with no limits and it’s a new beginning for us.”

Since the All Saints split in 2001, fellow bandmate Melanie Blatt has teamed up with Artful Dodger for the Top 20 hit, ‘Twentyfourseven’, while Shaznay Lewis is still working on new material and can be seen in the hit film ‘Bend It Like Beckham’.

Beverley Luggage Knight-mare

Bright-eyed Beverley Knight had a traumatic trip from Milan to London before leaping onto the star-filled stage at Hyde Park.

After touching down in London, the sultry crooner found out that her luggage had gone missing. Beverley told the press “In essense, it was a disaster. I had the outfits I was going to wear in my suitcase as well as all my make-up. And you know, I feel I look a sight without any face paint on. But then what happened was I got on my phone, reached my stylist who then reassured me she’ll be on her way with a fab outfit and lots of make-up, which she did.”

Beverley, you know what, it just goes to show you that your luggage wasn’t needed at all because you looked like an absolute doll on stage.

Pint-Sized Star Moby Talks Booze

He may have admitted to liking the party life in recent interviews but it wasn’t always that way for Moby, the guy who gave us the recent hit ‘We Are All Made Of Stars’.

The mighty mouse of pop has divulged that his first encounters with alcohol weren’t exactly exhilarating affairs.

The bald-headed star told a magazine that he didn’t enjoy his first taste of liquor “We drank whatever liquor we could steal from our parents, mostly creme de menthe, and threw up all over on each other” he said. “It was so miserable, but no one would admit it. I pretty much stopped at 13 because I was scared.”

Goo Goo Dolls Goes Disney

The Goo Goo Dolls have had some of their most successful songs come out of movies, so it’s not a big leap to see frontman John Rzeznik writing children’s music for an upcoming Disney film.

John wrote two songs for the animated film ‘Treasure Planet’.

“It was really interesting to watch them put together this really elaborate, animated thing. And then put your two cents into it. It was a lot of fun. I was really proud that I got to do it”.

“It’s a little bit different. It’s not as show-tuney as that. But they’re songs for kids” John said.

Sugababes With Dirty Faces

Sugababes have announced the details of their next single, ‘Round Round’, and eagerly-anticipated second album, ‘Angels With Dirty Faces’.

‘Round Round’, which has been described as sounding like a melancholy Bananarama track, has been produced by remixers Xenomania and will hit the racks on the 12th of August. The single is set to be followed by the trio’s second album, ‘Angels With Dirty Faces’, out in record stores on the 26th of August that will also feature their No. 1 single, ‘Freak Like Me’.

Blue To Train To Be Thin And Face Band Name Lawsuit

Record chiefs have told Blue to shape up. They have told the band they are getting fat and fear that their extravagant lifestyles could eventually leave them unattractive to fans.

Lee, Duncan, Antony and Simon are all regular showbiz partygoers, prompting execs at their label Innocent to draft in a personal trainer.

The lads made a dramatic entrance at Sunday’s Party In The Park as they were hoisted onto the stage on wires.

The trainer will enforce a strict regime of healthy eating and daily exercise on the boys. A close friend of the band told the papers “Blue are supposed to be heartthrobs but their management were worried fans will lose interest if they turn chubby. Plus, their bosses reckoned all those booze sessions and late nights were beginning to take their toll” added the source.

As you would’ve probably heard already, Blue are not the first boyband to face enforced physical regimes in order to be thin.Westlife recently spent a portion of a million pounds to be thin, especially Bryan McFadden who apparently has been training to be skinny after Simon Cowell told him he was too fat.

In other Blue-related news, Blue is facing legal action from another band labeled as Blue, which claims that the name-based confusion is ruining its recording career.

Members of the lesser-known Scottish band Blue, made up of Hugh Nicholson and Ian MacMillan, along with their record company The Record Label, have launched a High Court action against the London-based Blue as well as their recording label, Virgin Records and parent company EMI Records.

The action seeks to prevent London-based Blue from using the name Blue for the purpose of records and recording. It also claims damages from the members of the band for using the name previously.

Hugh and Ian formed the Scottish Blue in the 1970s and it’s said the band still records.

Christina May Have LP Delayed, Plus Seen Snogging Spider-Man

Christina Aguilera may have her next album delayed as she is allegedly battling her record company RCA at the moment.

Christina considers herself older, and hence wants a more mature sound to her songs. However, RCA are reluctant to let Christina give up on her teenage pop and turn to a more rock based sound.

Meanwhile, Christina has been secretly dating Spider-Man movie star Tobey Maguire, according to reports last week.

The singer and Tobey have supposedly been seeing each other in secret for several weeks, but went “public” at Tobey’s 27th birthday celebrations in Hollywood.

A chummy friend of the popstar said “They’re really in love. They couldn’t be more different but you know what they say about opposites attracting.”

The unusual pair-up is the latest in a string of romances for Christina. She was freshly linked with Foo Fighters frontman David Grohl just a while back so am thinking that didn’t go down too well.

Tobey Maguire and Christina Aguilera announced their romance to Hollywood partygoers, including Justin Timberlake and British actress Minnie Driver.

The ‘Come On Over’ vocalistress spent the night snogging her man, and eventually serenaded him with a Monroe-esque rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’. A close friend of Tobey’s also said “He has gone head-over-heels for Christina. She’s unlike any girl he has ever met and he’s totally intrigued.”

Holly Valance P***ed Off Her Soap Co-Stars

Holly Valance’s decision to become a fully-fledged popstar didn’t go down as well with her cast. It seems her ‘Neighbours’ co-stars weren’t quite so happy when they found out she was planning to quit, once and for all.

According to Stephen Hunt, who plays Matt in the Australian soap, Holly kept her musical plans secret from the rest of the cast and only told them about her desire to pursue a full-time pop career when she revealed to her bosses that she was quitting the soap.

Telling Sneak magazine, Stephen said “A lot of people in ‘Neighbours’ got really p***ed off. I reckon Holly wanted to keep it a secret from the producers because she didn’t get on with them. It’s a close-knit family and they would have expected her to be a bit more forthcoming about what she was doing so they could share the excitement with her.”

Holly is set to follow-up her No. 1 Bollywood-ish single, ‘Kiss Kiss’, with the release of ‘Down Boy’ on 23rd of September.

George Michael’s Single No.2 Snubbed By Radio

BBC Radio 1 have decided not to playlist George Michael’s new single, which I think is brilliant, named ‘Shoot The Dog’. London’s Capital Radio and Heart FM have also snubbed the single making its chances of hitting the Top 20 very slim.

George’s controversial single attacks the relationship between PM Tony Blair and US President George Bush. American audiences have seen it as an attack on America and radio stations across the US have refused to play the single although it is not scheduled for a US release.

The chosen singles on Radio 1’s A List are played at least 30 times a week. Songs on the B list are aired at least 15 times with C list records being played at least 5 times a week. So far, Radio 1 has played George’s track just 2 times.

Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman said “George is trying to be too trendy. He should go back to songs like Careless Whisper.”