May 24, 2013

Downsizing: RCA Folds J, Jive and Arista Labels

rca records logo

*Oh how the mighty have fallen. In one more sign that the music industry is not what it used to be, RCA Records is announcing that the company is shuttering its Arista, Jive and J labels, and that all of the artists currently signed to those imprints will be folded into the RCA Records roster. [...]




Video: Usher Facing Copyright Lawsuit over ‘Burn’

Usher watches warmups before the game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles at the Georgia Dome on Sept. 18, 2011 in Atlanta

*Usher is in a legal dispute over allegations he stole material for his No. 1 single, “Burn,” from a songwriter named Ernest Lee Straughter, reports Billboard. [Scroll down to compare and contrast songs.] Last month, a California federal judge found there to be sufficient possibility that Usher and co-defendants who produced the song had access [...]




Whitney’s Debut Album Getting CD/DVD Rerelease

WhitneyHoustonAlbum

*Arista Records/Legacy Recordings will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Whitney Houston’s career-establishing debut album, “Whitney Houston,” with a special CD/DVD package, reports Billboard.com. A remastered version of the original 1985 album — which spent 14 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 – will be available along with the anniversary package featuring five [...]