THE LEBLANC NEWSLETTER - ISSUE #10 (Nov. 27, 2007) [EXCERPTS]

In this issue:

* Celine Bashing—Canada’s National Sport
* Anne Murray’s a Contender Again
* Rex Goudie & Sony BMG Canada Part
* Ian Gillan’s Moose Jaw Memory


QUICK TAKES

++ Canadian broadcaster Moses Znaimer will receive the 2008 Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the Juno Gala Dinner and Awards on Apr. 5 in Calgary, Alberta. He will further be honoured during a segment in the Juno Awards on Apr. 6, and televised nationally by CTV. The award is in recognition of an individual who has contributed to the growth and advancement of the Canadian music industry.

As well, Canadian country star Paul Brandt will receive the first Allan Waters Humanitarian Award at the Juno Gala Dinner. The award, made possible by funding from the CTV/CHUM Benefits package, recognizes Canadian artists who have enhanced the social fabric of Canada.

++ According to the report, "U.S. Music Forecast, 2007-2012”, from Jupiter Research, digital music sales will not offset declining CD sales in the next five years. Analysts predict that digital spending will increase but CD sales will continue to fall.

++ Toronto-based MapleCore has entered into a strategic alliance with Hamilton, Ontario-based Sonic Unyon Distribution. Under the agreement, effective immediately, Sonic Unyon Distribution is utilizing MapleCore’s backroom services and infrastructure, while still shipping directly to its independent retail accounts. Sonic Unyon Distribution, formed in 1997 by Mark Milne and Tim Potocic, continues to handle sales and marketing for its distributed labels.

++ Universal Music Canada has become Canadian distributor of Shout! Factory, effective Dec. 17. Additionally, Vivendi Visual Entertainment Canada, the video arm of UMC, has expanded its existing deal with Santa Monica, California-based Shout! Factory to include its entire video catalog.

++ Montreal label In2 Music has signed a new distribution deal with Koch Entertainment Canada. In2 Music has also signed exclusive label deals with two leading international dance labels, Defected and Star 69 Records. Its affiliated Cuba Cuba Music label recently signed the Afro Cuban All Stars.

++ R&B artists Massari and Ottawa-based urban label Capital Prophets Records have severed ties. Massari achieved a commercial breakthrough in Canada with his self-titled, debut album on CP Records in 2005.

++ Former I Mother Earth singer Edwin, former Our Lady Peace guitarist Mike Turner, former Tea Party drummer Jeff Burrows and bassist Amir Epstein of Zygote have been recording together.

++ Throughout December, a different New Pornographer member is hosting XM Satellite Radio's weekly Tuesday “XMU Artists in Residency Time” program on the XMU channel.

++ Open Road Recordings artist Johnny Reid will tour Canada March 17-30, opening for Martina McBride. His sophomore album, Kicking Stones, has been certified gold (50,000 units) in Canada. Not often that happens for a domestic country album.

RANDOM CHUCKLE:

++ On his website, Deep Purple lead singer Ian Gillan reminisces about his solo 2006 tour of Canada, blogging, “Occasionally we had the luxury of a hotel. I’ll never forget The Dream Land Motel in Moose Jaw strangely enough, and that’s in Saskatchewan.” On his DVD, Gillan’s Inn - The Deluxe Tour Edition, with footage from the tour, when asked about Moose Jaw, Gillan deadpans, “Moose Jaw…I hit an elk once, similar to a moose, heading from Stockholm to Narvik, Norway one time. He was spread all over the front of the car.”

True Fact: Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians.

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Journalist/broadcaster/researcher Larry LeBlanc has been a leading figure in Canadian music for four decades. He has been a regular music commentator on CTV’s “Canada A.M” for 35 years, and has been featured on numerous CBC-TV, CTV, YTV, Bravo! MuchMusic, MusiMax, and Newsworld programs in Canada; VH-1, and EEntertainment in the U.S.; and BBC in the U.K.

Larry was a co-founder of the late Canadian music trade, The Record; and, most recently, the Canadian bureau chief of Billboard for 16 years.

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To read more of this issue's The Leblanc Newsletter, email Larry at ljle@aol.com.

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