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WorldBeat

The Brits Awards Honor England's Best; Tibet House Unites Artists for Common Goals; `Coldplay' Plans for World Domination

Aired March 4, 2001 - 0:00 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

GARY IMLACH, HOST: Hi, I'm Gary Imlach with WORLDBEAT, Brooke Alexander is off this week, so we're bringing you the show from swinging London, although these days it doesn't actually swing so much as gently rotate. And this is the reason why: the B.A. London Eye (ph), which allows you to see the sights of the capitol without actually having to experience the weather that goes with them. Anyway, before we annoy the producers of "Hot Spots" by straying any further into travel show territory, here's a look at what we've got for you this week.

(MUSIC)

IMLACH: Coming up: from L.A. to London, the Brits answer the Grammys.

(MUSIC)

IMLACH: The inside track on Britain's hottest band, Coldplay.

(MUSIC)

IMLACH: And Tibet unites East and West at Carnegie Hall.

The way things are going, there will soon be a music awards ceremony for every man, woman and child on the planet. You'll be able to nominate yourself, feign surprise as you pull your own name from the winners name from the winner's envelope and finish off by thanking yourself in a tearful speech.

Mind you, there wasn't much for the British to get emotional about at last week's Grammy awards in Los Angeles; only a handful of wins, led by Radiohead, Sting and the classical conductor Sir Simon Rattle (ph). In fact, it's been increasingly difficult for new British acts to get into the U.S. charts; but with the likes of Dido, David Gray, and Coldplay all breaking through in the last year, there was no shortage of homegrown talent at Britain's answer to the Grammys, the Brits.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IMLACH (voice-over): The first big losers of the night were the photographers -- the weather forcing even serial exhibitionists straight inside without stopping. (Robbie Williams, "Rock DJ")

IMLACH: On stage, things kicked off with Robbie Williams, but as the evening turned out, he might as well have stayed up there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Best British video -- tell them, Jane.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's Robbie Williams!

IMLACH: The former Take That (ph) star also picked up best single and best British male solo artist, making him not just the biggest winner of the night, but in Brits' history, too, with a grand total of 12. By the end, he was running out of people to thank.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS, SINGER: I'd like to dedicate this one to my nephew, Freddy Roberts (ph), who's now five months old; and your mom can play this videotape back to you Freddy when your uncle was famous. Thank you.

IMLACH: Losing out to Robbie Williams in all three categories was Craig David, who also came up empty in three more to go home as the night's surprise loser.

WILLIAMS: It is astonishing, because I personally think he's brilliant, he's amazing -- yes I do, I do. I love -- he seems like a really decent bloke. His songs (UNINTELLIGIBLE), he sings really well and, you know, I can't say enough good things about him so I -- that's just the way it goes this year, do you know what I mean? But I'm not putting out an album next year, so...

(Coldplay, "Trouble")

IMLACH: Talking of albums, Coldplay confirmed their status as a major force with a best album win for "Parachutes" as well as the award for best British band.

GUY BERRYMAN, COLDPLAY: It's kind of a dichotomy because we're not in it to win awards, but at the same time, if we didn't get nominated and stuff for awards then we'd feel left out, so you just got to sort of go with it.

(Sonique, "I Put a Spell on You")

IMLACH: Sonique might not have much in common with Coldplay, except, perhaps, a British diffidence about awards after she was voted best British female artist.

SONIQUE, SINGER: I don't want to be too emotional because I'll look like that's all I waited for in my life; it's just not the truth, you know. There's other things in life besides getting an award. But it does touch you in a big way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This award is voted by the fans. I'd like to say this is for the fans. Thank you very much; see you next year.

IMLACH: The evening's boy band quota was comfortably filled with WestLife picking up best pop act, and Day One voted best British newcomers.

(Fatboy Slim, "Right Here Right Now")

IMLACH: Best dance act, though, belonged to a new dad: Fatboy Slim.

NORMAN COOK, FATBOY SLIM: The best thing about one of these is that after this I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I'm going to leave it everywhere. It'll never get micked (ph) because it's got me name on it.

IMLACH: The foreign contingent was led by Eminem, with a storming performance of "The Real Slim Shady." And he was voted best international male solo artist.

His female counterpart was Madonna, picking up her first ever Brit, unless you count her husband, of course.

And although they weren't nominated for anything, Destiny's Child did a fine job of reprising their Grammys wardrobe.

Which just left the final award of the evening for outstanding contribution to music. It went to a group who'd already picked up the best international band award.

(U2, "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of")

NOEL GALLAGHER, MUSICIAN: I'm standing to show some respect for U2.

BONO, U2: First I want to thank the Brits for giving this to an Irish band. I have to mention Brian Eno and Steve Lillywhite, Chris Blackwell, he's a vampire. The Enemy (ph), Q (ph), Radio One (ph), The Beatles. The Beatles were -- three of them were Irish, weren't they? Oasis -- no two of them were Irish.

IMLACH: All in all, then, a great evening for the Brits, the Irish and anyone else lucky enough to be invited.

SIR ELTON JOHN, MUSICIAN: This is the best Brit awards ever; the way it's produced, the excitement. I mean there (UNINTELLIGIBLE) just keep playing. I mean, everyone who's performed tonight has performed brilliantly. I was at the Grammys last week, and it's much more showbizzy, and it's more, you know, cut up in different awards and things. And there were some great performances at the Grammy, too; but as a show, I think this really -- I'm very proud of Britain tonight. I'm not big on award shows, but this has been a really exciting night. I mean, Coldplay, Eminem, U2, Destiny's Child -- I think everyone who performed tonight in every genre did a great job.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

IMALCH: We'll have more on one of Britain's most successful exports, Colplay, later on in the show.

Bow, though, here's Luke Crampton's (ph) roundup of the new releases in "The Fresh Cuts." (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(American Hi-Fi, "American Hi-Fi")

LUKE CRAMPTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Led by alternative rock veteran Stacy Jones (ph), Boston-based newcomers American Hi-Fi take an energetic, no-nonsense approach on their eponymous debut album: 13 tracks of rewarding straight-ahead melodic modern rock driven by the catchy lead-off single "Flavor of the Week."

(American Hi-Fi, "Flavor of the Week")

(Mirwais, "Production")

CRAMPTON: Recently anointed by Madonna as musical genius du jour, French composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist Mirwais is catching global attention with his new "Production." At once both groundbreaking and retro, this electronic album is a fearless flight onto the dance floor filled with pumping beats and ambient treats.

(Duncan Sheik, "Phantom Moon")

CRAMPTON: On his third outing, "Phantom Moon," singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik sets suitably mood-filled melodies to playwrite Steven Slater's (ph) eloquent lyrics. The results: a highly engaging, mostly acoustic, and ultimately seductive aural pleasure.

I'm Luke Crampton; those are "The Fresh Cuts."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

IMLACH: When we return we'll be heading for New York, where Tibet was the issue which drew a diverse gathering of stars to a packed Carnegie Hall.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Top Ten:

10. Robbie Williams, "Sing When You're Winning" 9. U2, "All That You Can't Leave Behind" 8. Madonna, "Music" 7. Anastacia, "Not that Kind" 6. Lenny Kravitz, "Greatest Hits" 5. Dido, "No Angel" 4. Limp Bizkit, "Chocolate Starfish & the Hotdog Flavored Water" 3. Jennifer Lopez, "J.Lo" 2. Eminem, "The Marshall Mathers LP" 1. The Beatles, "1"

(The Beatles, Hard Day's Night")

(The Beatles, "I Want to Hold Your Hand")

IMLACH: The pioneers of the British invasion still topping WORLDBEAT'S exclusive global album charts and still pulling in the tourists to the most photographed pedestrian crossing. I haven't seen any bare feet today, though; perhaps a bit early in the year.

Anyway, we're off to New York Now, where Andrea Mineo has news of this week's big concert for Tibet.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA MINEO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The plight of Tibet has been a high-profile issue in recent years, kept in the popular eye and ear by both music and movies. Composer Philip Glass combined the two in his acclaimed score for Kundan (ph), about the early life of the Dalai Lama. Glass is also the driving force behind the annual Tibet House concert, uniting artists from both East and West in a cultural collaboration of music with a mission.

(Monks of Drepung Gomang, unidentified song)

PHILIP GLASS, VICE PRESIDENT, TIBET HOUSE: There was an invasion and occupation of Tibet by China in the early '50s, which is still going on; and part of it, with the Cultural Revolution was destroying a lot of the culture. And Tibetan culture was really almost -- it's kind of like the rain forest. I mean, we talk about endangered species in an endangered environment, but an endangered culture is just as fragile and can be just as heartbreaking to lose.

(Natalie Merchant, "Three Wishes")

GLASS: Natalie Merchant has done it numerous times. In fact, she is connected with Tibet House in a more formal way now. And so we have people who have become familiar with it, first of all through the cultural mission; but second of all, it's become a place -- the concerts, I should say -- where collaborations and encounters with other musicians can happen.

(Dave Matthews, "The Stone")

EMMYLOU HARRIS, MUSICIAN: When I was recording my album, I had a song that I had written that is a conversation between a man and a woman, and so I needed a leading man; and Dave and I had done some work and also (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and we did some singing together. And it seemed to me that this sort of romantic quality in his voice and the wonderful range he has would work in the song that I had written if he would be willing to do it, and he very graciously agreed.

(Emmylou Harris and Dave Matthews, "My Antonia")

(Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, unidentified song)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Well, my all performance in my life were really important; but this is very important, the reason being we are supporting the cause of (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(Moby with Martha Mooke, "Porcelain")

MOBY, MUSICIAN: Philip Glass had asked me to do the concert, and he had also asked David to do the concert, and David lives across the street from me. So he called me up and said, hey, rather than perform separately, why don't we just perform together and, you know, I think David Bowie is probably the most remarkable musician of the latter half of the 20th century; so if he wants to collaborate, who am I to say no?

DAVID BOWIE, MUSICIAN: The little band I got together is fantastic; it's like an all-star band. I have my old, old, old producer Tony Bisconti (ph) playing bass; wonderful violinist and her cohorts, Martha Mooke and the quartet; I've got Moby on guitar and I've got -- Philip Glass is my pianist.

(David Bowie All Star Band, "Heroes")

BOWIE: I started reading and getting interested in Tibet around 1962 -- something like that. When I was a kid I went to the Bully (ph) Society in Eccleston Square in London and I met me first guru, a guy called Chimi Yung Dung Rim Po Shay (ph) and he became a good friend of mine for a few years. But told me, quite alarmingly, said stop thinking about being a Buddhist monk and continue being a musician. You might be right (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

IMLACH: Andrea Mineo in New York.

All right, time to catch up with some of the other stories making the music news headlines this week. Here's "The Beat."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(Bon Jovi, "It's My Life")

RIZ KAHN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before heading to Japan to kick off their world tour at the end of the month, Bon Jovi will make a brief stop in Australia for charity's sake. The March 24 show in Melbourne, billed as "The Universal Appeal" and sponsored by Universal Records Australia, will help raise money for those in the flood-ravaged territory of New South Wales. Bon Jovi will donate its services free of charge as a gesture of good faith to the only country in the world where every one of their albums has debuted at No. 1 in the charts.

(Newsboys, unidentified song)

KAHN: Australian group Newsboys announced their plans to headline this summer's Festival Con Dios, the first ever traveling Christian rock festival, making stops in some 30 U.S. cities.

(MUSIC)

KAHN: Their Lilith Fair-style tour will feature established faith-based artists such as Earthsuit, Lunar Halo and Tree 63, as well as nationally renowned speakers, emerging bands and a variety of attractions.

(Depeche Mode, "Enjoy the Silence")

KAHN: Rock photographer and video director Anton Corbijn, known for his work with bands such as Depeche Mode, U2 and Metallica opened an exhibit of his work in Dusseldorf, Germany. Two hundred photographs from the last 25 years of his career hang on the gallery walls. They depict his work on album covers, liner notes, and promotional shots of some of the most recognizable bands and musicians in the world.

I'm Riz Kahn, and that's "The Beat."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

IMLACH: The hottest band in Britain is the subject of this week's "Inside Track": Coldplay one minute from now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

IMLACH: Before the awards were even handed out at the Brits, Coldplay had an unrivaled presence, with nominations for best group, album, single, video, newcomer and female country vocalist -- all right, maybe not the last one. But with sales of 3 million for their chart-topping debut album, a Mercury Music Prize nomination and critical praise in bucketfuls, they're one of the few British groups to make an impression on the U.S. charts in recent years.

Before their North American tour ended in a bout of flu last week, Joanne Suh caught up with them in Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(Coldplay, "Shiver")

CHRIS MARTIN, COLDPLAY: We put a list of what we wanted to do; it was like: play first gig, release something, get record deal, et cetera -- like all these big things. And, you know, basically go on to rule the world.

JOANNE SUH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Storming the U.K. with a smash debut album, Coldplay are flying high, grabbing numerous award nominations, including Britain's prestigious Mercury Music prize.

"Parachutes," their acclaimed release, has launched the group onto the global music scene as well, landing them in the U.S. for the first time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we're damn sexy and we play good songs.

SUH: Playing a good song has earned Coldplay hot reviews from both sides of the Atlantic, including comparisons with Travis and Radiohead.

(Coldplay, "Spies") MARTIN: There are little ideas that don't get used because they're not great and they don't have that spark or that sort of zest to them. But I think we always know when we've got a good new song that we really like because we get excited about it.

SUH: Their seemingly meteoric rise began a couple years ago, when four college friends in London started playing gigs together with a borrowed name.

JONNY BUCKLAND, COLDPLAY: We tried everything; we just couldn't think of anything at all; our minds had gone blank. But our friend, who me and Chris lived with, a guy called Tamin (ph) was in lots of bands and he's change the name every couple of names. And so we just took one of his old names.

SUH: In less than two years' time, Coldplay had gone from fledgling foursome to crashing the U.K. charts at No. 1 with their dominating debut.

(Coldplay, "Yellow")

MARTIN: The day it came out it went to No. 1. We were in Catanyer (ph) in Sicily playing to a free festival with about 1,000 kids who'd never heard of us and were waiting for the metal band right afterwards. So it was -- it brought us down to earth.

SUH: Staking their success with their melodic, emotional songs, Coldplay hoped to take their craft across the globe. And with a recent visit to Australia, followed by another British and North American tour in April, they're heading in the right direction to do so.

MARTIN: This is our globe; and this is what we brought when we were in the studio in Liverpool just to light up this dingy room. But eventually we started using it live because it looked so nice; and then it became our album cover and it's become a big tour symbol. Our mascot. It just stuck as a sort of symbol of ambition and world domination.

BUCKLAND: But really it just helps us to know where we are.

(Coldplay, "Trouble")

(END VIDEOTAPE)

IMLACH: That's it for this edition of WORLDBEAT from London. Brooke Alexander will be back next week.

But for now, here's a final burst of British talent; not so much an invasion these days, more a mild insurrection.

(MUSIC)

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