September 2000 News
25th September
Record Breakers Again!
Congratulations to the lads for getting their 6th number one and once again becoming record breakers! As expected, there's a lot of news around saying that the guys are number one... if you want to see them all, click here and browse at your leisure! i would also like to say a massive congratulations to the lads - you deserve it!
If you heard the radio - Mark was speaking to Mark Goodier on Radio One while Nicky spoke to Dr. Fox on the Pepsi Chart. Both guys sounded really excited, and Mark wasn't too confident about their album being released on the same day as the Spice Girls. "I mean, it's the Spice Girls," he kept saying!
First Airing of "My Love"
If you were lucky enough to listen to Radio One's breakfast show this morning, you would have heard the worldwide premiere of thee lads new new single "My Love". Taken from the forthcoming album, "Coast to Coast" the single is a half ballad/half mid tempo and it a lovely tune. To hear a sneaky peek visit www.westlife.co.uk and listen and view to your hearts content! Keep your eyes open for the video, shown sometime this week! Eek! "My Love" is release 30th October.
20th September
Westlife to get to Number One?
Visit these pages to find out the stories circulating about the boys and their battle for number one... here
Westlife Beat Bon Jovi to track (source: worldpop)
"Westlife's forthcoming album, Coast To Coast, will include a mid-tempo rock song that was first considered by Bon Jovi.
The song, What Makes A Man, is described by Westlife member Kian Egan as a 'real rock ballad. It's got big rock guitars on it. I love it! Bon Jovi wanted it, that's how rocky it is.'
Bandmate Mark Feehily admitted the boy band's second album is to include several uptempo rock tracks following criticisms of their ballad-heavy debut LP. 'I'd like to think we're original, but we're never gonna be original. Every note has been used before, so there's no originality left. Unless we turn around and do a heavy metal song, we're not gonna be so different from any other boy band.'
However, Kian stopped short of agreeing that the boy band has to reinvent itself to equal the success of their debut album - five Number One singles. 'I don't think we're trying to come up with something unique, to be honest,' he argued. 'We do what we do and if it works it works. Our songs, there's nothing unique about them. They're great songs, but there's nothing to them that are so different to other bands songs. They're not. But people like them and that's what counts. If we try to be too unique it may not work.'
Westlife's duet with Mariah Carey, Against All Odds, is out now."
Kerry admits her and Bryan are an 'item' (thanks to worldpop)
At last! Those two lovebirds have admitted that they are, in fact, a couple. Here's the article worldpop did with Kerry...
"Atomic Kitten's Kerry Katona has been speaking exclusively to worldpop about her relationship with Bryan McFadden from Westlife.
Kerry Katona admitted to being 'gutted' after pictures of the couple holidaying together appeared in British tabloids, although she confessed that it was 'a relief' that the relationship was finally out in the open.
'It was dead funny really,' Katona revealed, 'because we joked about it before we knew. We stood outside the apartment posing and pretending that the paparazzi were watching!'
In fact, the only thing that really bothered Katona was the inaccuracy of the tabloid reports. 'It wasn't just me and Bryan on holiday,' she said. 'It was my mum, Bryan, Natasha, Tash's mum and dad and Tash's little sister. It was a big family thing. And,' she added, 'they said we stayed in a five star luxury apartment. You should have seen the state of it. There were cockroaches and everything!'
Katona insists she has not received any hate mail since her relationship with McFadden became public. 'A lot of the fans actually knew about me and Bryan from the start and they've been really supportive,' she said. 'The Westlife fans are fantastic and the Atomic Kitten fans are just as fantastic!'
Kerry Katona also revealed that she would consider appearing in OK! Magazine with Bryan and that her bandmate Natasha Hamilton gets on so well with Bryan that the two of them have a special dance to Britney Spears' Oops...I Did It Again!"
I say good luck to the two of them!
Westlife go pop in the Dome! (courtesy of dotmusic...not me!)
London's Millennium Dome is going pop crazy on Monday evening (September 25th) and you can join in the action courtesy of dotmusic. A host of pop luminaries will join Louise at the venue for a concert, which will be filmed for broadcast on Japanese TV.
Louise is inviting 200 lucky dotmusic users to see her perform alongside her pals Westlife, 5ive & Queen, Billie Piper, Point Break, Atomic Kitten and Lionel Ritchie.
To be in with a chance of winning simply answer the following question:
Q.
What is the name of Louise's next UK single? (click
here for a clue)
When you know the answer call us on 0207 940 8604
18th September
Details of new album... (taken from dotmusic and westlifeweb)
At last! The details of the boys next album, to be released on November 6th, has been released... It's going to be called "Coast to Coast" and it should be as good as the last album, but don't expect as many ballads...
"Kian explained why Coast To Coast was the natural name to choose:
'From the west of Ireland to the east of Ireland, we're coast to coast,'
he said. 'And the name even works in a broader perspective, from one
coast to another, worldwide. There's no title track,' Kian added, 'but
we do sing the words 'coast to coast' in one of the songs.'
"What's more, Mark revealed that the fivesome's
eagerly-awaited follow-up to Westlife will include their first ever
up-tempo songs. 'It's gonna be fun to check out what people think when
they hear the first proper up-tempo song from us,' he smiled, even
admitting, 'On the first album we left everything up to our record
company and perhaps there were too many ballads on there.'
"However, Kian defended the group's past single
choices. 'People always ask us why we do so many ballads but it's
because they're good songs,' he explained.
"Westlife have confirmed that Against All Odds will be
included on their new album as well as Mariah Carey's. 'I think we'll
stick I Have A Dream on there too cos it wasn't on the first album,'
Kian added. 'We're also talking about a third cover,' he continued, 'a
Brian McKnight hit, but I'm not sure whether it's gonna happen
yet.'"
As most of you know, the new album is going to be released on the same day as teh Spice Girls' new album and also Fatboy Slim's new one...
"Stephen Jones, Head of Universal Publishing (who are responsible for the Spice Girls) warned: "Westlife must be crazy. The Spice Girls have sold around 40 million records worldwide, compared to Westlife’s seven." But the boys' spokeswoman hit back. "We’re ready for them!" she boasted."
16th September
Bryan has a "Worst" life! (taken from dotmusic) sorry it's only put up!
Westlife singer Bryan McFadden has been complaining about his millionaire pop star lifestyle, saying he misses having "a regular life". McFadden, 20, reckons that constantly jetting around the world has left him so exhausted that he wishes he'd never joined the hugely successful Irish boyband.
The singer, who used to earn £150 per week at McDonalds and is now dating Atomic Kitten's Kerry Katona, is set for a £5 million pay packet next Monday September 18 with the release of the band's new single -a version of the Phil Collins hit 'Against All Odds' with Mariah Carey- which is expected to go straight in at Number One.
But McFadden, who had to pull out of an American tour months ago citing "exhaustion", is still not happy. He said: "There are times that I regret what we do, Sometimes you wish you'd never done this, you just want to go home."
"I Couldn't get a normal job in Ireland today because of our success. It would be impossible. I miss just having a regular life. Getting up at 8am and coming home again in the evening and being free to do what you want. Most people can take a day off, we can't. They can get out and get drunk on a Saturday night but we can't"
According to British tabloid the Daily Star McFadden's comments have caused outrage in the music industry, especially at a time when the UK is enduring a petrol crisis.
"These idiots don't know they've even been born," said an
insider. "They've never had to slog round dive pubs playing for one
man and a dog, they've been handed success on a plate because they're
pretty boys. They
should be grateful. They're living proof that though the country's on
its knees, boy band pop stars are still up their own backsides."
7th September
Westlife 'do' Smash Hits Tour!
Smash Hits Magazine was released today, and Westlife are going to be doing the Smash Hits Tour again this year! So far there are thee dates - Newcaslte, 29th November; Glasgow, 1st December; and Sheffield, 3rd December! More news to come, but just thought I would let you know! ALSO massive *free* Westlife poster with the issue as well as Bryan in the Sack (oo-er missus!).
6th September
Mariah Speaks About Westlife (taken from the worldpop website)
With the release of Westlife and Mariah Carey's duet just days away, worldpop spoke to the diva of american music about her happenings with Westlife in Capri... I've put the first couple of questions here, but to read the 'full' interview, visit www.worldpop.com...
"worldpop:
How did the collaboration with Westlife come about?
Mariah: I met Westlife at a party a couple of months ago. A
friend of mine who works at Arista, Keith Affdellie, introduced me to
the guys and they were really cool - my mum is Irish of course so that
helped. I think it might have been Keith's suggestion that we should
collaborate and do something global, so a duet was a natural choice.
worldpop: How did you manage to get the duet recorded on the
island of Capri off Italy?
Mariah: Well, I was also there to record music for the soundtrack
to my film All That Glitters. I also directed and produced the music
video with the help of my friend Senna - we tried to document the making
of the song, Westlife coming over on the boat and me coming from the
World Music Awards on the plane.
worldpop:
We
know Westlife fancy you, have any of them tried to ask you out?
Mariah: No, they haven't tried to come on to me - they've been
quite respectful actually. You know what? They're trying to teach me an
Irish accent but I can't master it yet.
worldpop:
Do
you think Westlife will break America?
Mariah: America seems to be more open to a lot more different
types of music these days, so I don't think it would take anything major
to break Westlife in America. They've got their own great songs, they're
really sweet people and more importantly they're talented. I was in the
studio with them and I heard them sing so I know they're good. I also
think American girls will like them a lot."
4th September
Westlife in the "Sun" newspaper (taken from the Sun website)
"THE lads from Westlife have ALL become millionaires with one bumper pay check, I can reveal.
The huge bonus finally gives Kian Egan, 20, Mark Feehily, 20, Nicky Byrne, 21, Shane
Filan, 21, and Bryan McFadden, 20, due reward for their record-breaking five consecutive No 1 singles.
Westlife have only been together for 18 months but they have astounded record company bosses with their success.
And the boys have already been making a dent in their new fortunes during extravagant shopping sprees.
But they confessed that they LIE to their parents about how much cash they get through.
Nicky told me: "We come from normal families and £700 for a pair of trousers is a lot. If my mum asked, I'd probably say £450.
"Spending a lot on clothes or a watch or ring makes me feel guilty but I think that's a good thing. We appreciate what we've got."
Kian added: "I'm pretty ridiculous when it comes to buying clothes. I'll get 10 different leather jackets if I like them.
"Me and Nicky go into shops and say we'll have that one, that one, that one and that one, and those trousers over there.
You feel guilty when you buy 10 £1,000 jackets and then go next door to buy a diamond ring.
My father works really hard for an electricity company and if he found out I was spending money like that he would go mad."
But the guilt is not holding them back too much - they are all planning to spend a lot more.
Mark, Kian and Bryan are all house-hunting, Shane is building a house and has recently snapped up a Jeep, while Nicky is buying a BMW.
But there is one disadvantage to the cash, the boys tell me - girls with "money eyes".
Shane said: "About 70 per cent of the girls who talk to us are only interested in the band and our money.
We could take advantage but it is not our style. It makes you very cynical about people."
Boys, my heart bleeds for you."
2nd September
Cool Westlife article
I just found this article today, and thought I should let you all know. It's an interview with Westlife in America, from the TV station CNN. Click here and you'll see some lovely pictures and hear some accapella!
1st September
Review of "Against All Odds" (taken from www.onlinepop.co.uk)
What a matching of 2 "heavyweights" ! Mariah, with 14 US No 1 singles, and the biggest selling female artist of the 90s (128 million records sold, and still counting !) ......plus WESTLIFE, with 5 consecutive UK No 1 singles from their first 5 releases (not matched by The Spice Girls, Madonna or The Beatles !).
Of course this works both ways. Mariah is not as big in this country as she could be (and Westlife can help there !) and Westlife hardly mean a light in the USA (and being "hooked" to Mariah can't do any harm ! Having said all that, and got the cynicism out of the way, this turns out to be a very good record.
They easily do justice to the old Phil Collins No 1 from 1984, and a better matching of song, artistes and harmonies is hard to imagine. We're surprised this is being released so early as it has all the ingredients of a highly successful Xmas No 1. It could easily become the year's best selling single, and will certainly put Westlife into the record books (again) with a 6th UK No 1 hit.