 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Millennium fever hits the music industry
With just 14 days to go before the year 2000 dawns, record companies in the West have joined the millennium frenzy, issuing countless compilations of yesterday’s hits, brought up to date by putting the magic word on the cover.
Shelves in music stores are groaning under the weight of all these "millennium’’ products, ranging from specially packaged collections of old favourites to so-called "millennium versions" of yesteryear’s top ten.
Even Nicole, the only German ever to win the Eurovision song contest, has re-issued her 1982 winner, Ein bisschen frieden (A little peace) as an updated remix. Ex-Take That singer Robbie Williams has often been called the founder of the millennium trend in the music industry.
But other musicians before him recognised the value of the buzzword in song or CD titles. A band that called itself Millennium appeared on the scene as early as 1995 with a single called Millennium house.
In 1996, a group called Outkast issued a song called Millennium, while the band Apollo 440 hit the charts with Millennium fever a year later.
Unfortunately for them, these groups were too early to cash in on the trend, which kicked in late.
Way back in 1982, the Artist formerly known as Prince had predicted that people would "party like it’s 1999." He may have been ahead of his time. Millennium hype reached fever pitch this year, and references started coming thick and fast.
A mere song is not enough for some artists: everyone from the Backstreet boys to soul singer Gregory Isaacs have millennial CDs on the market.
But many a pop artist is all too happy to spend new
year on stage - and earn a tidy sum at the same time. Many big names are
performing in Las Vegas on December 31, including Barbra Streisand, Elton
John, Rod Stewart and Tina Turner.
