LONDON, Tuesday 19th April 2011: The Ivor Novello Awards celebrate honour and reward excellence in British and Irish music writing. They have been presented and judged by the songwriting and composing community for over fifty five years.

Now in their 6th decade, the list of previous award winners reads like a who’s who of the British music industry and includes Sir Paul McCartney, Oasis, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Chris Martin, Damon Albarn, Amy Winehouse, Gary Barlow, Mick Jagger, Robbie Williams and Annie Lennox.

The Ivors will take place on Thursday 19th May 2011 at Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel.

Nominations for the 56th Ivor Novello Awards are for the year 2010 are….

Best Song Musically and Lyrically

Song: Becoming a Jackal
Songwriter: Conor O’Brien
Performed by: Villagers
UK Publisher: Domino Publishing Company

Song: MY KZ, UR BF
Songwriters: Jonathan Higgs / Jeremy Pritchard / Alexander Robertshaw / Michael Spearman
Performed by: Everything Everything
UK Publisher: Universal Music Publishing

Song: Spanish Sahara
Songwriters: Jack Bevan / Edwin Congreave / Walter Gervers / Yannis Philippakis / James Smith
Performed by: Foals
UK Publisher: Universal Music Publishing

Best Contemporary Song

Song: Islands
Songwriters: Romy Madley Croft / Baria Qureshi / Oliver Sim / James Smith
Performed by: The XX
UK Publisher: Universal Music Publishing

Song: Katy on a Mission
Songwriters: Benga / Katy B / Geeneus
Performed by: Katy B
UK Publisher: EMI Music Publishing

Song: Pass Out
Songwriters: Timothy McKenzie / Patrick Okogwu / Marc Williams
Performed by: Tinie Tempah
UK Publisher: EMI Music Publishing / Stellar Songs Ltd

Album Award

Album: Flaws
Songwriter:Jack Steadman
Performed by:Bombay Bicycle Club
UK Publisher:Imagem Music

Album: Man Alive
Songwriters: Jonathan Higgs / Jeremy Pritchard / Alexander Robertshaw / Michael Spearman
Performed by: Everything Everything
UK Publisher: Universal Music Publishing

Album: The Defamation of Strickland Banks
Songwriter: Benjamin Drew
Performed by: Plan B
UK Publisher: Universal Music Publishing

PRS for Music Most Performed Work

Song: All the Lovers
Songwriters:Jim Eliot / Mima Stilwell
Performed by:Kylie Minogue
UK Publisher:Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Song: She Said
Songwriters:Eric Appapoulay / Richard Cassell / Benjamin Drew / Tom Wright-Goss
Performed by:Plan B
UK Publishers:Sony/ATV Music Publishing / Universal Music Publishing

Song: This Ain’t A Love Song
Songwriter: Roy Stride
Performed by: Scouting for Girls
UK Publisher: EMI Music Publishing

Best Television Soundtrack

Broadcast: Agatha Christie’s Marple, Series V
Composer:Dominik Scherrer
UK Publisher:EMI Music Publishing

Broadcast:Any Human Heart
Composer:Dan Jones
UK Publishers:Faber Music Ltd / Universal Music Publishing

Broadcast: Going Postal
Composer: John Lunn
UK Publisher: SATV Publishing

Best Original Film Score

Film: How To Train Your Dragon
Composer: John Powell
UK Publisher: BMG Chrysalis

Film: Monsters
Composer: Jon Hopkins
UK Publishers: Domino Publishing Company / Vertigo Music Publishing Ltd

Film: Unstoppable
Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams
UK Publisher: EMI Music Publishing

Best Original Video Game Score

Game: Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Composer: Nitin Sawhney
Developer: Ninja Theory
UK Publisher: Namco Bandai Games SAS

Game:James Bond 007: Blood Stone
Composer:Richard Jacques
Developer:Bizarre Creations
UK Publisher:Activision

Game: Napoleon: Total War
Composers: Richard Beddow / Richard Birdsall / Ian Livingstone
Developer: The Creative Assembly
UK Publisher: SEGA

The Ivors also honour individuals with awards recognising their contribution to British music. These awards are in the gift of BASCA, approved by The Ivors Committee.The following `Gift of the Academy’ Awards will be presented on the day:

International Achievement
Outstanding Song Collection
PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music
PRS for Music Special International Award
Songwriter(s) of the Year
The Ivors Classical Music Award
The Ivors Inspiration Award

One Love Peace Festival, the UK’s number one reggae event, returns in spectacular fashion to celebrate their landmark 20 year anniversary, transforming London’s Wembley Arena into a tropical fairground as reggae heavyweights from around the world unite under one roof on Sunday 31^st July.

Legendary rap star and global icon Busta Rhymes will headline the event in a UK festival exclusive, bringing a Hip-Hop climax to the Caribbean infused concert, performing explosive hits from an animated career that has spanned over two decades. Busta will be joined by Grammy-award-winning superstars Shaggy and Sean Paul and man of the moment Gyptian, as well as roots royalty Aswad, in an unprecedented music showcase this summer.

Busta Rhymes said: “I can’t wait to get back to the UK!  It’s been three years since I last performed here so I’m dying to tear the roof off Wembley Arena at The One Love Peace Festival with some old school joints and brand new bangers.   When I’m done, you’re gonna remember it for a long time to come.  Get ready because it’s about to go down!”

Waving the British flag on the day will be a roster of the UK’s most vibrant urban acts including Grime stalwart Skepta with further UK acts to be announced. Other artists performing at the all-day festival include the Godfather of Lover’s Rock John Holt, reggae five-piece Third World, conscious newcomer Natty King, Jamaican born DJ Trinity, roots-soul songstress Etana and prolific vocalist Wayne Wade appearing in the UK for the first time.

In light of the ongoing ‘Broken Britain’ crisis, organisers of the 2011 One Love Peace Festival aim to reaffirm their ‘Throw away your Guns, Throw away your Knives’ initiative by echoing the sentiments of Jamaica’s original One Love Peace Concert where headliner Bob Marley famously united opposing leaders on stage to bring an end to the country’s political civil war.

The event marks 30 years since the passing of Bob Marley and will celebrate the life and times of the King of Reggae with a series of themed sets including a tribute from his son Ky Mani Marley who will be performing a selection of his father’s greatest hits including No Woman, No Cry and One Love.

Ky-Mani Marley said:  “I feel blessed to be part of The One Love Peace Festival.  It is with great pride that I will pay homage to my father, Bob Marley, with some of his best loved songs. The festival’s message of peace is a noble cause that I hold very dear to my heart and one that my father would have applauded. It is in giving truthfully of oneself, selflessly to benefit others that the soul finds satisfaction and great delight. London I’m coming to give you all that I’ve got with my music…past to present…it is my Destiny. The festival will be unforgettable to all of us who are present… Mystical proportions. 30 years after my father’s passing and his legacy still lives on.  One Love.”

Since its inception in the UK, the One Love Peace Festival has grown from strength to strength with the staging of a number of large and highly successful events around the country. The last of these events took place at the West London Stadium (now renamed the Linford Christie Stadium) in 1991 and was attended by 25,000 peaceful revelers who turned up in their droves to see the likes of The Wailers, Gregory Isaacs, Freddie McGregor and Barrington Levy.

Event organiser Dexter Ricketts commented: “We are honoured to be staging another One Love Peace Festival in a landmark year which marks both our 20^th anniversary and 30 years since the passing of Reggae legend Bob Marley. For us the event is all about raising multi-cultural awareness and tolerance through the powerful medium of music.  We hope that the One Love Peace Festival will act as a catalyst for change in Broken Britain by filling the capital with good vibes.”

For more information please visit www.originalonelove.com

LONDON, Wednesday 9^th March 2011: The world famous Abbey Road Studios today launches a worldwide competition to find original, unsigned and undiscovered composers through a global anthem competition in celebration of the studios 80th anniversary.

The initiative will give composers of all ages and abilities the chance to record their anthem at Abbey Road Studios with the internationally regarded London Symphony Orchestra and some of the UK’s finest singers, conducted by renowned composer Eric Whitacre. Any anthem may be submitted as long as it hasn’t been published or recorded for commercial release.

The winning anthems will be recorded in the studio’s legendary Studio One, home to the recording of many of the greatest anthems of all time, from Land of Hope and Glory to the Star Wars title sequence and The Beatles’ All You Need Is Love.

An esteemed jury of professional composers including industry legends Eric Whitacre, Harry Christophers, George Fenton and Rob Mathes will choose the winning anthems. If required winners will receive assistance from leading arrangers to ensure the competition is accessible to composers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds and then recorded by Abbey Road Studios engineers using world-class microphones and equipment.

Jonathan Smith, General Manager of Abbey Road Studios, said, “This competition will give composers an opportunity to have their work performed and recorded to the very highest standard. Sir Edward Elgar opened Abbey Road Studios 80 years ago with a great anthem, Land of Hope and Glory, performed then by the London Symphony Orchestra. All composers will have the chance to record their anthems in the same studio with the same world-class orchestra. It’s a thrilling prospect and a wonderful way to celebrate Abbey Road Studios 80^th anniversary.”

Eric Whitacre said, “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate 80 years of excellence at the world’s most famous recording studios than creating new music, giving everyone the chance to participate.   Elgar to Radiohead, Abbey Road has hosted the very best.  We want to find the great anthems of our time.  It is an honor to be involved in the selection process and to record the winning entries.  I encourage all writers/composers to submit their music; inspire us.”

The competition runs from 9th March 2011 until 15th July 2011, the closing date for entries being 15th July 2011. Entries will not be accepted as eligible after midnight on this closing date.

Competition rules and full terms and conditions apply. www.abbeyroad.com/anthem

LONDON: Wednesday 2nd March 2011: Lovebox, London’s most intriguing and authentic music festival, will once again be returning to the Victoria Park with an inspired and, as ever, eclectic choice of artists for the 2011 offering taking place in July.

Snoop Dogg, Scissor Sisters, 2 Many DJs, The Wombats, Blondie, Robyn and The Drums and many more will be playing across the three days in the capital’s most creative and socially dynamic quarters.  With tickets available from £28.50 a day, Lovebox also represents the best value Festival anywhere in the UK.

Snoop Dogg & Tha Pound will play Lovebox – featuring Warren G, Kurupt and Daz Dillinger and banging out hit after hit from the legendary Doggystyle album, this will be a festival appearance not to be missed.  The Doggystyle album has hit quadruple platinum selling status and spawned several hit singles including ‘What’s My Name’ and  ‘Gin & Juice’, featuring many guests from the Death Row Label. Lovebox will be reuniting the Death Row heavy weights on stage for what is set to be the festival collaboration of the entire 2011 season. The Dogg will be performing his critically acclaimed album once again with his cousins for the first time in years where Lovebox fans will be privy to the lazy drawl and rhythmically complex-lyric delivery which the seminal album is renowned for.

In addition to Snoop’s musical feast, Loveboxers can expect to see groundbreaking singer songwriter Katy B, fresh off the back of her tour with dubstep pioneers Chase & Status, Swedish dance sensation, Robyn, the wildly flamboyant Scissor Sisters, New York based indie four piece The Drums, mixing maestros 2 Many DJs, music and style icons Blondie, scouse rockers The Wombats, Sweden’s “Queen of Chic” Lykke Li, London rapper Example, electronic pop band Metronomy, young brits Fenech-Soler, ex Soft Cell front man Marc Almond, R&B star Kelis, and UK Beatbox Champion Beardyman.

Taking place on the intersection of London’s most fashionable boroughs, fans can expect to see the likes of Vogue, Grazia and Dazed trend spotting, with the city’s summer fashionistas bringing a touch of glamour to London’s hippest summer hangout. Taking place over three days each day will have a distinct musical identity.

Kicking off the weekend’s music programme and getting the party started will be Lovebox’s boisterous younger sibling, Bang The Box. Bang The Box will be showcasing a speaker-melting hybrid of cutting edge sounds, with a heavyduty underground feel. Featuring the first London Festival appearances from local hero’s Rinse FM who will be hosting an Arena showcasing the very best from the dubstep/grime scene over which they reign, and from France, those coolest of cool Parisian cats, Ed BANGER Records, will both be ensuring the party is fully in swing as Friday night gets off to a flyer…

Saturday will be a Music Safari encompassing an eclectic line-up, a strong party vibe and of course international mega stars, hipper than thou rockers and underground club collectives.

Closing the weekend with decadence and style, Sunday’s Out and Out Fierce programme will be a collection of the weird, wonderful, and fantastically fabulous; showing diversity, and being a true reflection of our wild, polychromatic, polysexual capital. A welcome return to the Pink summer diary, for the pioneering mirror ball massive, Hoxton fashion acuteness, ringleaders of queer culture, and in addition to the main stage heavy weights, Lovebox fans can once again expect to see a mixture of the fiercest all night parties, ballrooms, gay discos, cabarets, and bingo halls galore, mixing it with recycled couture.  Showing the festival how it’s done will include drag queen du jour Jodie Harsh, the Queen of London’s drag scene, bringing her infamous Circus parties out of the warehouses and into the park, Jonny Woo, and dedicated to the industry of human happiness and one popular mixture of disco and drag; DJ collective Horse Meat Disco. Subversive artist/designer/stylist and Vogue favourite Dr Noki will bring a convincing level of fashion credibility to an eclectic array of entertainment.

In addition to this musical feast and the real beauty of Lovebox, is that you can quite easily escape from the main stage and still have an unforgettable, deafening, furtive and special experience. With hidden soundsystems, secret corners within the trees, random acts of weirdness, a Farmer’s Market to feed even the capital foodies wildest expectations, street artists, fringe cabaret, cirque, comedy, roaming performance, there will be surprises at every turn defining Lovebox as a true festival experience in the heart of London.

Elsewhere in the park, Gaymers Cider will return for their fourth year, hosting the Second Stage featuring a series of bands on an original stage setting like no other. In a UK festival exclusive, The Drums will perform on the Gaymers Stage, alongside Robyn, Kelis, The Wombats, Example, Metronomy, Beardyman, Lykke Li and Dry The River.

The Relentless Energy Drink Stage also makes a welcome return to Lovebox, with high energy acts playing epic sets throughout the festival, brought to you by Ed BANGER and Hospitality. Ed Banger head honcho Busy P will be teaming up with graphic designer and illustrator, So Me to form Busy Pictionary. So Me will be creating live artwork on stage whilst Busy P spins the decks.  Electro artist SebastiAn, French house music duo Cassius, DJ superteam Carte Blanche and underground electronic artist, Uffie are also confirmed to perform.  This is set to be a monumental first ever festival appearance for Ed Banger.

Fresh from sell out shows all over the UK, Independent Drum & Bass label Hospital Records will be bringing Hospitality to the proceedings for their first ever London festival appearance, including DJ and producer, High Contrast, influential reggae DJ David Rodigan, live collaborative act London Elektricty (featuring Elsa Esmerelda), DJ, producer and musician Danny Byrd, new wave Drum & Bass producer Netsky, pioneers of jungle Drum & Bass Shy FX, Austrian Drum & Bass duo Camo + Krooked, hard-edged grunk composer Starkey, prolific Drum & Bass producer Logistics, highly respected producers, Nu:tone (featuring Natalie Williams), Drum & Bass DJs and producers Sigma and definitive label Wah Wah 45’s Soundsystem. Hosts include drum & bass, dubstep and hip hop MC‘s Wrec, Dynamite, Stamina, A.D. and SP:MC.

East London radio station Rinse FM’s dubstep/grime night, FWD Rinse, will be also be making their debut at LOVEBOX  2011 as arena hosts, returning to their home turf of Hackney and Tower Hamlets, where their widely acclaimed station first came to prominence. Artists confirmed for the FWD Rinse stage include dubstep producer and member of dubstep supergroup Magnetic Man, Skream, grime and dubstep producer Plastician, award-winning UK garage star Ms Dynamite, London-based grime music collective, Roll Deep, dupstep DJ Zinc and MC Tippa, electronic music artist, DJ, and owner of the Hyperdub record label, Kode9, garage DJ Roska with rising star of the UK garage scene Jamie George and emerging grime MC P Money.

Tom Findlay, Lovebox founder and one half of Groove Armada “Last year’s three day Lovebox was so damn good people said we couldn’t  top it, but with this line up we will! Friday’s Bang the Box delivers bang for your buck – Ed Banger, Skream and The Wombats on a Friday night for only £28. Saturday, Snoop Dogg will turn Victoria Park into an East London block party playing seminal debut album Doggystyle on a UK exclusive, gin and juice available at the bar. I’ll be there as well with the launch of new GA project ‘Red Light’. Sunday is ‘Out and Out Fierce’ and if you were there last year you’ll know that’s no exaggeration. A full throttle dance off between 2 Many DJs, Scissor Sisters, Blondie, Robyn, and Kelis. Bring your party poppers. Lovebox is London’s only authentic festival. 15-17th July, 3 whole days of summer loving…in Hackney.”

The shaded bass-fest under the trees and the thumping euphoric enclosure from the larger festival is altogether the perfect atmosphere for a soundtrack ranging from carnival to old school. 65,000 beautiful people en-masse will be paying pilgrimage for what is ultimately an adult playground that brings out the inner child in everyone for three days a year.  Rock n Roll Chaos, unifying themes, a hedonistic wonderland, and genuinely innovative spirit, Lovebox has something for everyone and is one of summer’s truly essential shindigs.

Tickets are available from www.lovebox.net as well as from Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.co.uk) or by calling 08448472436.

LOVEBOX POP UP @ VILLAGE UNDERGROUND

Across the 21^st, 22^nd and 23^rd April, Lovebox will stage a three day takeover of the East End’s hottest creative space, Village Underground, incorporating live music, club events, film, fashion and art. Saturday’s event, Out & Out Fierce, features a lineup of DJs from Andy Butler’s Mr. INTL label including Hercules and Love Affair diva Kim Ann Foxman, plus DJ and club promoter JIM STANTON & disco house DJ SEVERINO, Dan Beaumont, founding member of the Disco Bloodbath collective and owener of East London’s much feted Dalston Superstore and Dave Kendrick, part of Shoreditch’s Macho City and stalwart of the Manchester dance music scene.

BANG THE BOX

On Saturday 5^th March, Lovebox’s occasional heavy-duty party, Bang the Box will hold their infamous underground dance party at XOYO, Shoreditch, continuing their collaboration of friends and partners from around the globe, to deliver an uncompromising zest for breaking new acts alongside innovative local crews. Leading the charge are Night Slugs, one of 2010′s most celebrated labels. After riding high in FACT’s ‘Best Record Labels of 2010’ end of year chart, they’ve previously released dance floor gems by Greena, Jam City and Girl Unit.  With an on-the-pulse taste in grass-roots talent, which they regularly share on their Rinse FM show, Night Slugs will be joining Bang the Box to showcase London’s unique sound system heritage with a back to back DJ set from Bok Bok and L-Vis alongside Egyptrixx (Live). LOVEBOX residents Hot Blood and FACT DJs will provide the sounds in room 2. Adv Tix £10.00

www.ticketweb.co.uk | www.hmvtickets.com | www.residentadvisor.net

For Lovebox press enquiries: lovebox@taylorherring.com

Notes to Editors

Lovebox 2011 will be the ninth annual Lovebox festival following its conception in 2003.  In 2010 the sell-out festival was attended by 65,000 people watching numerous acts on eight stages across three days.

At the turn of the new millennium, Tom and Andy aka dance gurus Groove Armada decided that they wanted to develop a winning formula for great parties with that extra special something. Out of their love for the many different types of music that feed in to dance culture LOVEBOX was created with the intent of bringing fresh exciting sounds along with genius classic artists to people’s ears and feet. To this day, LOVEBOX has grown from this humble concept into the capitals most innovative and exciting music festival.

LOVEBOX continues to be lovingly put together by a growing team of enthusiasts who live and breathe the music scene in its many variations. The result is an annual event that stays true to the origins of fantastic music festivals the world over.

LONDON, Friday 28th January 2011: Genuine vintage microphones used by the British Royal Family and dating back to 1923 were retrieved from Abbey Road Studios’ vaults to ensure a totally authentic sound for the speeches in the OSCAR nominated film The Kings Speech.

The score to The King’s Speech was composed by Alexandre Desplat, and recorded, mixed and mastered at Abbey Road Studios.

Senior recording engineer Peter Cobbin recorded the sessions, assisted by Sam Okell and John Barrett. But this was no ordinary recording project. Instead of using contemporary equipment to record the score, Peter was able to employ vintage royal microphones that were actually used by the British Royal Family, including King George VI himself.

Peter Cobbin reveals the story behind the recording:

“I was thrilled when Alexandre Desplat called to ask if I could record his score for an upcoming film, The King’s Speech. What I knew, but couldn’t let on then, was that many years ago on a mission to seek out vintage Abbey Road recording equipment, I had noticed some microphones held at the EMI archives which had been used by the British Royal Family. These microphones were made by EMI dating back to 1923, and were used by the Royal Family for speeches on significant occasions.

It was exciting to know we had the very microphone used by King George VI, the central character of this film, and I thought how appropriate and inspiring it would be to have the microphones present at our recording sessions. The royal microphones are works of highly skilled craftsmanship. They are aesthetically pleasing and iconic, built with unsurpassed gilt, silver and chrome details, bearing royal coats of arms and other individual insignia.

The EMI Archive Trust kindly granted permission for five microphones to be taken to Abbey Road where one of our senior technicians, Lester Smith, was able to restore three of these to good working condition. I adapted a classic recording technique (Decca tree) and took pleasure in making our own ‘royal family tree’ by using microphones built for HM King George V, HM King George V1 and HM Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother).

As an experiment which proved to be a bonus, I managed to re-record the speeches that are heard in the film through these microphones, adding a wonderful authenticity to the natural filtering and tone to the actors’ voices. In addition, my colleague and fellow engineer at Abbey Road, Andrew Dudman, recorded the classical source music with these microphones in the same manner.

It was a rare opportunity for us to deliver the music and sound with such a unified audio concept, and of course this wonderful project enabled us to draw on the unique historic resources of Abbey Road Studios and the EMI Archive trust.”

The King’s Speech has been awarded the People’s Choice Award at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, and is nominated for Best Sound Mixing and Best Original Score at the 2011 OSCARS. The film is now showing in UK cinemas nationwide.

For further information contact adrian.lee@taylorherring.com

National Television Awards host Dermot O’Leary has the ride of his life, hitching a lift in the tardis with Matt Smith’s Dr Who in a spectacular opening to tonight’s National Television Awards live on ITV1 TONIGHT at 7.30pm.

Guided by the time-travelling Doctor, Dermot pays a flying visit to some of TV’s biggest names, including Bruce Forsyth,  Ant & Dec, Dot Branning en-route to the star-studded ceremony at London’s 02 arena. The evening sees Matt Smith nominated in the Most Popular Drama Performance category, with Doctor Who shortlisted for Most Popular Drama.

Tonight’s glittering event will also  showcase one of pop music’s most unlikely duets tonight – Happy Mondays legend Shaun Ryder and I’m A Celebrity winner Stacey Solomon. The performance is expected to include the indie anthem Step On.

X Factor winner Matt Cardle will also sing tonight, backed by a 40-piece orchestra. Chilean mine hero Luis Urzua, 54, has been flown in to present an award.

With Coronation Street currently celebrating its 50^th Anniversary and making headlines after that tram crash, the stars of Weatherfield will be hoping to repeat last year’s NTA success with another win in the Serial Drama category.  But as always EastEnders, who’ve just notched up their own 25^th Anniversary, will give them a run for their money.

As the massively popular X-Factor prepares to conquer America will it be the viewers’ choice again in the Talent Show Category?  Fierce rival Strictly Come Dancing has beaten it before and could waltz off with the prize again.  Simon Cowell has a second contender here with Britain’s Got Talent. Dancing on Ice completes the list of nominees.

Host Dermot O’Leary will be inviting one lucky audience member up on stage on the night to present an award.

You can vote for your TV favourites by phone on 0901 888 2011.  Calls cost no more than 26p per minute from a BT landline plus no more than a 12p connection charge. Calls should last no longer than 6 minutes. Calls from other networks may be higher and from mobiles will be considerably more.

Or you can vote free online at www.nationaltvawards.com New votes will be added to those submitted in the first round.

LONDON, Wednesday 22nd December 2010: The legendary recording studios today announce that their application to list the Abbey Road Zebra Crossing has been approved.

Following the Grade II listing of Abbey Road Studios in February 2010, Abbey Road Studios sought further protection of the Abbey Road Zebra Crossing. As the studios approach their 80^th anniversary year, they today announce that the listing has been approved.

The Abbey Road Zebra Crossing has been closely associated with the recording studios since the 1969 album by The Beatles of the same name. Some 41 years after, the zebra crossing continues to be a London must-see destination, attracting thousands of music fans from all over the world.

The famous and not so famous recreate the image daily; Seal, Starsailor, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Sugarland are just a few of the artists to have had their images captured on the Abbey Road Zebra Crossing. The Abbey Road Studios Facebook page is also where you can also see lots of fan photographs including some very unusual costumes and poses, and even a wedding reception.

Jonathan Smith, SVP EMI Studios, said of the campaign: “When the Department of Culture Media & Sport (DCMS) listed Abbey Road Studios, the iconic crossing was excluded from the listing. As an important cultural landmark and icon of British culture, we believed that the crossing should receive the same protection as the studios. We are delighted that this has been granted.”

The Studios’ webcam is directed towards the crossing where visitors can view themselves, friends or fans as they walk across the zebra crossing. Check it out at http://www.abbeyroad.com/visit/

Abbey Road Studios has been at the forefront of music recording and production since 1931.

For more information, please visit

www.abbeyroad.com

www.facebook.com/abbeyroad

www.twitter.com/abbeyroad

www.youtube.com/abbeyroad

Taylor Herring PR

A talent scout from the record company that propelled many of music’s most popular artists to superstardom overheard the decorating team singing during a tea break whilst working off Oxford Street in London’s West End.  Impressed by the performance they were invited to try out in front of executives from the label and were rewarded with a deal.

A year ago, old-school vocal group The Overtones formed painting and decorating company  ‘Classical Interiors UK Ltd’ so that they could earn money and rehearse together at the same time. The new deal could now make all that history and take their nostalgic sounding doo-wop songs to the top of the charts.

The big break has lead to them recording their debut album entitled ‘Good Ol Fashioned Love’ due for release on October 18th.  The album showcases a series of both original pop songs and classic 50′s and 60′s covers. The first single Gambling Man will be released on October 11th and was written by the boys themselves.

The Overtones are Mark Franks (33 from Manchester), Lachie Chapman (29 from Sydney), Mike Crawshaw (30 from Bristol), Darren Everest (29 from Essex) and Timmy Matley (28 from County Cork).

Lead singer Timmy is still getting to terms with it all; “We have gone from our painting rags to musical riches. One minute we are trying to make ends meet wallpapering, the next we are signing a record deal with Warners – it’s a dream come true.”

Darren Everest, the falsetto vocalist of the group added: “We only started the painting and decorating as a way to make a bit of cash and have a chance to rehearse at the same time. We never dreamed that would be the way we would get spotted by a label.”

Conrad Withey, President of Warner Music Entertainment, said “The Overtones are the find of the year. I’ve described the boys as the Take That of Doo-Wop, which sets a pretty high bar but they are up to it both in terms of talent and looks. With the current vogue for 50s and 60s music and all things vintage this is perfect timing for the album and the start of their recording career.”

Kunita Hoole, who employed the boys to re-decorate the offices at Golly Slater said, “It’s amazing to think that one minute the boys were decorating my office and now they are going to be launched into pop stardom! I’m so pleased for them; they are such lovely, hard working guys so I know they will make it big!”

Lending their smooth vocal harmonies to classic repertoire and nostalgic sounding original songs, ‘The Overtones’ are the freshest ‘man’ band on the block.  They trace their musical heritage all the way back to the vocal harmony groups of the 30′s and 40′s like The Ink Spots, the stars of the doo-wop explosion of the late 50s and 60s including The Drifters, The Platters & Dion and The Belmonts right through to the recent performers like Billy Joel & Michael Buble.

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The agreement will see Laurie release a New Orleans blues album, to be recorded this summer and autumn, and distributed worldwide by Warner Bros Records. He will collaborate with a range of vocal and musical talent on the record with the goal of producing an album with mainstream, international appeal. Joe Henry, the acclaimed two-time Grammy Award winner, will produce the album. Henry has worked with diverse artists such as Teddy Thompson, Solomon Burke, Ani Di Franco, Aimee Mann, Loudon Wainwright III, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint. His work on film scores includes ‘I’m Not There’ and ‘Knocked Up’ and he has co-written songs for Madonna and Madeleine Peyroux, amongst others.

Laurie, who has played piano for much of his life, is predominantly self-taught (after creative differences with his childhood teacher) and has sung, performed and written music throughout his career. He is actively involved in the musical content used on ‘House’ and his character Gregory House has played blues piano and guitar regularly on the programme. Hugh is also keyboardist in the ‘Band From TV’ charity group and most recently contributed to a track on Meat Loaf’s latest album, produced by Rob Cavallo.

Hugh Laurie said “I am drunk with excitement at this opportunity. I know the history of actors making music is a checkered one, but I promise no one will get hurt. I am particularly thrilled to be working with Joe Henry, who has produced some of my favourite records of all time, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Joe Henry said “All musicians are actors to begin with – our jobs being to embody characters and articulate stories for three and four minutes at a time. I’ve been a great fan of Hugh’s work on screen, and believe purely that he is investing the same wit, intelligence and emotional generosity into his music.”

Conrad Withey, President, Warner Music Entertainment said “I am a huge fan of all Hugh’s work and have enjoyed his musicianship on ‘House’ and in many other shows over the years. The world already knows how wonderfully versatile and talented Hugh is so this first album is an exciting opportunity to put the spotlight on his passion for New Orleans blues.

Hugh is exactly the kind of artist that WME enjoys working with. We look forward to building on the incredible success Hugh has had in ‘House’ with a music project that will establish Hugh at the top of his game in a new artistic arena.”

Press enquiries: Taylor Herring PR