Alan McGee Is Not A Fan Of Aurora's Cover Of Oasis' 'Half The World Away'

Former Oasis manager Alan McGee has dismissed the cover version of the band's single 'Half The World Away', used on a John Lewis advert, as "rubbish".

Little-known Norwegian singer Aurora was picked to cover the 1994 B-side for the annual Christmas advertising campaign.

However, McGee is not impressed and told Gigwise that he hopes the retailer paid Noel Gallagher a substantial fee for the rights to the song. “I think it’s rubbish," McGee said. "I don’t know what anybody else thinks of it, though. I’m pleased for Noel that he got his royalties, I hope they gave him a million quid but I thought actually it was rubbish."

McGee went on to say that he's still good friends with Noel Gallagher and is still a fan of his music: "You know as much as me. I don’t really talk to him much about what he’s doing with music. I buy the records and I go to the concerts and I’m friends with him. I met him in London in a club, he was on great form. We were talking about our children."

Interest in the John Lewis adverts has grown in recent years with contemporary artists covering older material in a stripped-back fashion. Last year, Tom Odell recorded 'Real Love' by John Lennon, while Lily Allen's cover of Keane's 'Somewhere Only We Know' was a hit in 2013.

The John Lewis advert cover-version trend took off in 2010 when Ellie Goulding's cover of 'Your Song' by Elton John hit Number One. However, the first John Lewis advert song came the year before with a folk cover of Guns N' Roses' 'Sweet Child O' Mine'.

Source: www.nme.com

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Oasis' 'Half The World Away' To Feature In John Lewis 2015 Christmas Advert?

Retailers John Lewis have declined to comment on reports that their Christmas 2015 advertising campaign will be soundtracked by an Oasis song.

Interest in the John Lewis adverts has increasingly grown in recent years with contemporary artists covering older material in a stripped-back fashion. Last year saw Tom Odell doing 'Real Love' by John Lennon while Lily Allen's cover of Keane's 'Somewhere Only We Know' was a hit in 2013.

Marketing Magazine reports that Oasis song 'Half The World Away', better known as the theme tune to BBC comedy The Royle Family is "in the running" for this year's advert. The advertising campaign traditionally kicks off in early November, meaning any song choices would likely have been made by this point in October.

However, a spokesperson for John Lewis said that "a number [of tracks are] still under consideration", adding: "Speculation about every element of our Christmas advert happens every year. However, we can confirm that at this point in time, neither the track nor the artist have been confirmed."

The John Lewis advert trend took off in 2010 when Ellie Goulding's cover of 'Your Song' by Elton John hit Number One. However, the first John Lewis advert song came the year before with a folk cover of Guns N' Roses' 'Sweet Child Of Mine'.

Source: www.nme.com

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Oasis, ABBA And Guns N' Roses Are Bands Fans Most Want To Reunite

ABBA is the group we’d most like to make a comeback.

The Swedish icons of 70s and 80s pop took 28% of a poll, with second place going to Guns N’ Roses. Oasis were third. A survey of 1,000 people was carried out by Samsung after Kate Bush’s long- awaited return to the stage.

When it came to previous comeback artists that people most regretted not going to see during their return performances, one in 10 people wished they had not missed the Rolling Stones followed by Kate Bush and Take That.

Whilst the nation had to wait 35 years to see the talents of Kate Bush back on stage , the singer’s comeback this week has also resulted in an increase in music streams on Deezer.

The Samsung partner recorded an increase of 120% in the number of streams of her biggest hits the day after Kate Bush’s comeback was first announced in March, whilst there was a 701% increase the Saturday prior to her first comeback gig last Tuesday when compared with her stream count from the same time last month.

Of the performers no longer with us, the flamboyant front man of Queen, Freddy Mercury (22%) was the act people most wished they had been able to see perform live in concert beating the hip swinging, Elvis Presley (14%) and ‘Smooth Criminal,’ Michael Jackson (12%).

Samsung’s Robert King said: “It’s great to see that music from previous decades still remains popular across all generations today.”

Source: www.irishmirror.ie

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Rock Stars Are 'Extinct' Says Noel Gallagher

Rock superstars have died out because the music industry no longer makes them enough money, Noel Gallagher has claimed.

The Oasis star, feels artists such as Michael Jackson and Guns n’ Roses enjoyed the best years, benefitting from huge record company advances.

Gallagher, 45, said his ­finest work was now behind him. He was at his most creative while pushing to make the Britpop band he formed with brother Liam, 39, a success.

He said: “Rock stardom will die because nobody will make enough money any more to be rock stars.

“Everybody will be jobbing musicians. It’s unbelievable. The music industry has changed beyond all recognition. The music business we signed in to does not exist any more.

“What is fascinating about that is that there was a way of making money and selling records that got happened upon in the Sixties and it worked for 30-odd years then all of a sudden, in under a decade, it’s gone, never to return.

“It used to be about the A&R man going to see gigs, demos and people going into record labels saying ‘give us a chance’ and it’s not like that any more.”

Gallagher also feels his millionaire lifestyle has detached him from his ­audience.

He said: “You can’t be a hypocrite and write songs about the plight of the working man when you are sipping champagne at eight in the morning in the South of France with a supermodel.”

Oasis shot to stardom thanks to hits like Live ­Forever and Cigarettes & Alcohol.

Their second album, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, sold 23 million copies worldwide.

Source: www.express.co.uk