goodguy’s blog - work blog

Went to see Usher last night at The Indig02 for the SonyEricsson.

He is certainly back on form and I'm looking forward to the full show proper.

The album is out next week and I'm expecting good things. It's hard to believe I've been working with him since he was 13.

Check out the new video for the next single "Moving Mountains"

I'm again, so sorry I've been off the radar but "stuff" seems to have taken over my life.

Anyhow, I'm here now to give you all a little pointer. I came across this guy the other day as I was speaking on a panel at The House of Commons - as one does. It was a panel for a great initiative called  

www.makeyourmarkinmusic.org

The idea is to encourage young people who are embarking on a career in music either as an artist or in the business of music. One guy presented a fantastic idea to me which I thought some of you might make use of. It's called www.hearmyspace.com What it is is a price comparison web site for artists. It has info on the most attractive suppliers etc well worth a visit.

As for me its back to the grind stone as we prepare to showcase a host of new signings to the label at a special RCA event I am putting together in April.

Back soon, I promise.

GG

I have been really bad at this lately  but I promise to do better. 

So have all the targets you set yourself on January 1st any closer to being realised?

I know mine are not. I still have a number of projects, both workwise and in my personal life, that are still happening but I had thought that they would be further along by now. Time to move those delivery dates!

As Rakim said "It been a long time", anyhow what a weekend I've had. It strated like most weekends revolving around deals and football. Got a contact from a friend of mine that has secured intrest in a mojor project we are doing that will be launched shortly.

Watched Man U beat City and then watched as Chelski only managed a draw with Rasenal to give Man U the title. What I found funny about all this is that it was only a couple of weeks ago Henry was banging on about the fact that the Tottenham fans were going crazy having just drawn with them. Well a couple of points here, we beat Chelski at our place and they haven't beaten Chelski for 5 years and Saturdays game they only had 1 shot on goal.It's a funny 'ol game isn't it?

Went down to Charlton on Monday to watch Spurs send Charlton into The Championship. Some great omens here, got a couple of tickets from Darren Bent - what does that mean?

Saw Berbatov destroy them with a flick of a foot. Roll on next year and forget about the gossip as that is all it is.

If Shevchenko is worth £30 Million with 4 goals this eason how much is Berbatov worth with 22?

On Tuesday I was lucky enough to be invited to The House of Lords into the Lord Chancellor's River Room to check out the much talked about wall paper. The event was in fact a celebration of June Sarpong's MBE. June used to be my assitant, mamy years ago now but we are still very close and we have lots of mutual friends. The event was hosted my Lord Ali and Baroness Amos - Leader of The House of Lords. All the great and the good were there  as well as Ged and I. Cherie Blair was in attendence as well as david Milliband and Koffi Anan. I must say we were all so very proud of her and this recognition was well deserved.

We celebrated most of the day - I took a days holiday as I know waht June is like. We ended the eveing with 26 of us having dinner at Teman-gan in town.

We were joined by Preeya from Bombay Dreams, Sam Sarpong - June's brother who hosts a show on MTV in the US as well as being the new face of Louis Vitton, having just completed similar work for Tommy Hilfiger.

Preeya

Sam

What was funny about all this as it was a celebration for June but on the next table was Robbie Keen and Michael Dawson who had just come back from seeing the new kit at the Puma studio. What a small world. They had watched Wags Boutique and paid compliment to Junes award and left to rest for the crucial game on Thursday against Blackburn.

Come on you Spurs.

Sorry, it's been a little while but tonnes going on.

Craig is away in Las Vegas and you know what they say, when the cats away. Don't worry Craig nothing like the myspace party that happened the other day in Newcastle. News - Arrest after MySpace house party

Or the "Everything Must Go" sale in the US where on returning home owners find te front door taken. No Craig nothing like that at all.

No the heat is finally being felt for Ross Copperman www.rcalabelgroup.co.uk/artist_spotlight/ross_copperman/ with the video being #2on The Box Breakers yesterday.

Amerie, single moved up to the A List at Radio 1 yesterday and the Beyonce & Shakira single trending at #1 in the sales chart this week.

Wev are very close to sclosing deals left right and centre and a huge project I've been working on is about to raise its head above the parapit. More to come on thes eones in the coming weeks.

I thought it appropiate at this time to thank all of you setting up your Vox pages it's been a real blast to check out your music, some of which we are monitoring closely. Keep them coming in but don't expect immediate feed back. Some of you I have sent notes back and will continue to as and when time allows. That doesn't mean we haven't checked you out.

On another subject that is close to my heart...foootball. Did you hear about the campaign for Premier League players to offer one days salery to nurses.... that lasted all of one week with not too many players taking part. Funny that, funny that is not ha ha. The other not so funny thing is trying to get one player from each club to go around the schools to tell the kids about the issues carrying a knife causes. Well, well I was thinking what other social/economic problems we could ask footballers to get involved in. Maybe playing winter matches with miners helmets (you know the ones with the lights on it) might go some way towards our energy saving targets what do you think?   

Flew off to "Hotlanta" on Friday. Usher was throwing a party for his mother's 50th. The banquet was held at a very smart intercontinental Hotel in Buckhead. Buckhead is a rapidly growing area that is the playground of the up-market "Hotlantians". Those who are often seen in the most upmarket haunts include; Dallas Austin and Jemaine Dupri. Jermaine, of course, was at the party as he has been working on the new material for Usher's forthcoming album due in October.

Jonnetta Patton

It was fitting to give Ms. Patton who announced to me her engagement as well, a gift becoming of her status in the Buckhead community. I gave here a 24carat mobile phone which had been refurbished by  www.amosu.co.uk/  Alex founded R&B Ringtones which made him his first million. He has since gone onto setting up a company that makes mobile applications, one of which has certaintly caught my eye. Its a language application that he has done for lastminute.com. Unlike most phrase books it speaks so you never have to utter a word!

Anyhow Usher, as most of you know has also just announced his engagement to Tameka Foster who he has know for quite some time as she is a well known stylist in Atlanta. Usher had taken care of everything down to the live band who opened. You know they had to be good and they were, mind you it was Maze featuring Frankie Beverley. They opened with "Southeren Girl" for Jonnetta and pretty much held the floor from that moment on.

Frankie Beverley

Overall it was a very good evening and very much worthwhile. 

The following morning it wasn't my wife who woke me up but our head of digital marketing to find out if I was already at Stamford Bridge for the game. Alas I wasn't but I had the hotel find me a great Irish pub "Fado" where I had breakfast lunch and and a snackwhile watching my beloved Spurs go down to Chelski, 'Rasenal get turned over by West Ham and Pompey do United. I've never seen so much football back to back in one day, when's the next trip?

By the way I'm reading a really good book at the moment called "Freakanomics" a very good read if you fancy political/social issues. A number of blogs are already going about some of the subject matters it covers from the KKK, Sumo wrestling, cheating teachers and children's names.

I have never been a advocate of multiculturalism, I’m not sure it works. When in Rome….has always been the way I believe we should live. That said I was taken aback from the Outlandish show last night at the Electric Ballroom in Camden. It should be no secret that these guys have religion as their background, they are also quite political without being in your face - it’s funny somebody in the office yesterday was playing Steel Pulse from their iPod.  It made me recall the days of the Anti Nazi rallies way back when in Harlow and the like. They too had a similar way of getting a political message across. Anyhow, back to the point I was making, the audience last night was really quite remarkable. There were dreads dancing with girls in hijabs, white liberals, Latinos, Moroccans, Palestinians, old, young and very young, a real mixture of inner London life. This must have been what Madeline Bell had sung about. Whatever, it made me feel good, proud and most of all underlined how powerful music can be if it has meaning. 

Check this out too for further reference: www.musicwithmeaning.co.uk

Football can be cruel sometimes, ask and Spurs fan and they will tell you tales that would make even the stongest of us feel we have been victims to cruel injustices. The other ingredient that makes football what it is, is irony. Picture this West Ham on a cold Sunday afternoon. Spurs are feeeling good about themselves after three good wins and ten goals for the better. West Ham are fighting for their Premiership survival amidst a dressing room rebelion, tabloid stories - my view planted by the club, and talk of their new manager being shown the dooor after a handful of games. 

Just got back from White Hart Lane, the true home of beautiful football. In the tradition of Hoddle, Gascoine and Ginola, I really think the next Tottenham hero has arrived. Dimitar Berbatov is one of the best players I have seen at The Lane for many a year. A true assasin with class in abundance.