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How the XL artist became 2011’s biggest seller globally

How Coldplay teamed up with Rihanna Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has told Music Week how he took almost a year to approach Rihanna to duet with him on forthcoming single Princess Of China - despite having written the track especially for her.

Even though news of the duet only emerged this week, Martin revealed he flew to Los Angeles more than a year ago to perform the song on piano to the R&B star. “I actually sort of wrote it for Rihanna and then I liked it too much. Then it became clear [the album] was like a sort of back and forth between a couple, so it took about a year to pluck up the courage, but eventually I asked her and she was not unwilling.”

The band revealed the shock collaboration was almost abandoned after Rihanna had collaborated with so many other artists since the idea was first mooted and other vocalists considered.

Bassist Guy Berryman added: “But then we just decided that if we’re going to get somebody on to sing a song with us it might as well be someone that’s amazing, so we decided to just go for it. I also feel that it’s kind of so far removed from anything that people would expect us to do, it’s almost so far beyond anyone’s imagination, that it’s actually quite an amazing thing to have done.”

Coldplay have spoken to Music Week at length about the writing and recording of their new album Mylo Xyloto due for release on October 24 – and how, with the format under threat, they have deliberately set about to produce a concept album with a narrative threading through it. See next week’s issue for the full interview.

AFTER YEARS OF LOBBYING, INDUSTRY REWARDED WITH NEW COPYRIGHT LEGISLATION

Industry celebrates landmark victory as copyright term extended to 70 years

LEGISLATION n BY ROBERT ASHTON

AnextraordinarymonthofUKandBrusselslegislativereformimpactingthemusicindustrywascappedthisweekwiththeeCextendingcopyrightprotectionforperformersto70years.

Just two days earlier – as exclusively revealed on musicweek.com – the British Government unveiled its latest consultation to unburden live music from the bureaucracy and costs imposed by the Licensing act.

these latest moves follow the Government’s recent response to the Hargreaves review of iP, which delivered a raft of packages relating to the digital economy act and also backed a digital Copyright exchange.

But it was Monday’s events in Brussels which saw the champagne cracked open, because for once it united the industry from session musicians to record labels.

it has also been a long time coming. the industry – backed by Music Week’s extend the term campaign – has waged a skilful, but difficult lobbying exercise, to first persuade the UK Government of the merits and economic benefits of copyright term extension, and then push the legislators in Brussels in the right direction. and all the while the UK music industry, the biggest net exporter of music in europe, remained at the mercy of politicians from Sweden to Portugal.

there have been numerous false dawns (many thought term was within reach in 2009 when the european Parliament adopted the directive) and several times when the issue looked dead in the water (the anti-extension 2006 Gowers review almost buried it).

BPi chief executive Geoff taylor said that after the Hargreaves review there was no guarantee that the Government would stick with supporting term extension in Brussels. But it did. “everyone worked well together,” taylor said, who believed term extension had come just in the nick of time to protect “an exceptional period of British musical genius”.

PPL director of government relations dominic McGonigal, who was at the heart of lobbying efforts in Westminster and Brussels long before – and after – andrew Gowers delivered his devastating assessment of copyright term, added: “it has been a good couple of months – with the copyright term directive, changes to the Licensing act, improvements to the notification appeals process and a broadly sensible response to the Hargreaves report. the Government does seem to want us to flourish. My hope now is that they develop a better understanding of the economics of creative businesses.”

However, once the champagne corks have stopped popping the music industry will have to work with the Government to press on with incorporating the directive into UK law, because every year that passes will see more hits from the Sixties lost to public domain. although Brussels has suggested member states should incorporate the new provisions into their national legislation within two years there is no definitive implementation date.

the industry also has some work to ensure the measures put in place to protect featured artists and session musicians – namely the session fund, use-it-or-lose-it and clean slate provisions – are workable in practice and genuinely worthwhile to performers, not just record companies.

MMF chief executive Jon Webster said: “We welcome extension and look forward to incorporating it into UK law, but we must ensure artists are realistic beneficiaries (see pages 4 and 5 for more on what happens next with the Licensing act and Copyright term).  robert.ashton@intentmedia.co.uk

BREAKOUT: Charlie Simpson to headline at Proud Galleries in Camden on October 12. See musicweek.com for more details