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9/15/02

Westlife - US Chart watch

We continue to monitor WOOO on the US charts. The song has not cracked the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. However, it continues to rise on the airplay charts. The song moved from #45 to #41 with 899 airplays.

US airwaves have not been kind to pop songs this year. The #1 songs for this year have all been R&B. Nelly has been at the top of the charts the past 12 weeks. The winner of American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, will probably be the first #1 pop song in the US for 2002 with "A Moment Like This". She is currently #42 in radio airplay and #6x in the Billboard Hot 100. That song is released on Tuesday.

Speaking of Kelly Clarkson...

Westlife are working with the same songwriters as Kelly Clarkson in their bid to crack the US. Their new track, Unbreakable, out on October 28, was written by Jorgen Elofsson and Jon Reid (who wrote "A Moment Like This"). The video for Unbreakable was shot in Los Angeles, California. The song will be on the greatest hits CD slated for release on November 11.

And it's a competitive release schedule!

Westlife will have some competition for that #1 spot on October 28. Also slated for new release on that same week:

Kylie Minogue - Come In To My World
Dannii Minogue - Put the Needle On It
Blue - One Love

Odds are that Westlife and Blue will dominate #1 and 2...with the big question being who takes that #1 spot.

While we're still on charts

Non Westlife related here, but I pointed this out last week...and it's gotten even more attention this week. UK Pop Idols losers, Liberty X, continue to improve on their US radio airplay. Their single, Just A Little, is apparently the fourth most requested new song. The Billboard review of the single, a UK No1 in May, reads: “It’s a funky, R&B- peppered anthem whose chain gang chorus penetrates the brainwaves like a microwave on high. Just A Little has a lot of potential.”

Bryan with a Book

Bryan was spotted in north London this past week, days after he returned from Los Angeles. He was seen buying soccer star Roy Keane's autobiography. That book deals with his decision to quit the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup squad in the summer.

Shane Gets Serious and a Ferrari!!

There may not be a wedding yet for Shane Filen, the lead singer with Ireland's Westlife. But, he is getting ready to make some serious moves on his long term girlfriend Gillian Walsh.

Speaking to ShowBizIreland.com recently at the Kerrygold Dublin show, Shane explained that marriage may still be a bit away for him but moving in together is just around the corner.

"Myself and Gillian have no plans to marry just yet. But, I have just built a new house for my parents and I guess one for the two of us will be next on my list. It may have to wait for a while as I've just spent loads of money a new car along with Nicky and Bryan from the band. We all got new Ferraris. They picked up theirs last month but I just picked up my new black Ferrari 575 Marenello."

He went on, "Gillian and myself only flew in from Mexico, where we were on holiday for the past two weeks. We came back so I could watch my brother Liam. He is competing today in the jumps for the Horseshow. We have loads of horses down home in Sligo and my family are big into jumping so it had been a family tradition of ours for years to come to the horseshow."

Abs admits he cost Westlife $30,000

Abs, formerly of Five, admits he cost Westlife $30,000 after trashing their hotel room from the outside. On the tour he decided to try and make it impossible for them to find their rooms in a posh hostelry. He says, "I unscrewed the numbers from the lads' hotel room doors. A week later, the hotel called Westlife's management with a bill $30,000. Apparently they were solid gold."

Ash's Tim Wheeler says Westlife are embarrassment for Irish music

Ash lead singer Tim Wheeler says Westlife are an "embarrassment" to Irish music. He's told October's Q magazine he couldn't believe seeing a large billboard at Dublin Airport welcoming people to the home of Westlife.

He said they had a go at Westlife by burning 100 copies of their CD. He said, "I always make a big point of spitting at the billboard whenever we walk past. They said we couldn't sell 250 records and then we came out with a platinum album, Free All Angels, that went to number 1."

Asked how he would feel if Westlife burnt copies of Ash's new album, Tim said, "We'd appreciate the sales, especially if they were to do it in the first week of release."

9/04/02

Westlife announce Greatest Hits tour

Westlife have announced details of their Greatest Hits tour. The tour starts at Birmingham's NEC on May 27, 2003. Tickets for the tour go on sale at 9am on Friday (talk about a very early start).

May 27 - Birmingham NEC
June 3 - London, Wembley Arena
June 10 - Manchester, MEN Arena
July 1 - Newcastle, Telewest Arena
July 8 - Glasgow, SECC
July 18 - Sheffield Arena

The Greatest Hits compilation

The Irish boyband will release the album on November 11. It features ten #1 singles and will include 4 brand new tracks. A new single is due out on October 8. And if you haven't done so yet, make sure you get your name on the Greatest Hits album by visiting the official website. Deadline is September 6!

8/26/02

More radio data about WOOO

I put together some data about which stations in the US were playing WOOO. I chose a few select cities...mostly cities near where I live. It tells you how many times each radio station has played WOOO during the week. Click here to see the radio station list.

Westlife on syndicated show "Extra" (8/27/02)

Thanks to bsb4ever from our forum for this tidbit of info.
"the show extra in the U.S will have westlife, today they previewed it, this is what they said" simon cowell tells us why this irish group can knock the socks off any american boy band" they also showed the vid uptown girl so tune in tomorrow, this means that simone cowell is trying to get them on shows and promote them over here. tune in tomorrow, for canadians it's on at 5pm"

Extra promo - He’s produced #1-hits overseas, but does “American Idol’s” toughest judge have what it takes to conquer American Pop? On the next "Extra," MEET SIMON’S BOYS and you be the judge. Plus, we’re taking you behind the scenes with NELLY in Playboy-ville and “it’s getting hot in here,” on the next "Extra."

local listings for Extra

8/25/02

Westlife currently in US

The group flew to America last weekend to begin their US promotion. US fans: If you know of a Westlife appearance on your local radio station (or any other Westlife promotions in the US), share it with other fans! We've opened up a new section in our forum just for chatting about Westlife in the US.

Westlife to be on AOL

Submit your questions for a future Westlife "Sessions at AOL" (a subsite of its music portal). US AOL members can enter keyword: sessions@aol to access the site. The Westlife link is in the lower right hand corner. You must be an AOL member to access this.

RCA offering Westlife IM icons

get the icons here
watch full length WOOO here

Westlife's WOOO continues to gain momentum in US

For the week ending 8/23/02, WOOO was being played at 63 radio stations around the country, with 10 new stations adding the song to its playlist. The song was played 556 times this past week. As a reference of how significant the # of radio stations are, 98 Degrees set a record with "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)" 2 years ago, with somewhere near 170 stations playing the song during its first week.

The most played "pop" song this week in the US is Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" with 9914 plays. #50 on the charts is Eminem's Hailie's Song with 679 plays. So basically, Westlife needs another 100 more plays to get onto the charts.

You know what that means...make sure you request Westlife on your local radio stations!!! Or you can request it on MTV's TRL.

Westlife reportedly banned from Slane Castle

Westlife have revealed plans for a massive concert in Dublin's Croke Park next year. The group sold out a record breaking 13 nights at The Point (10,000 capacity) last June and see the stadium gig as the next logical step.

According to reports in the Irish press, the band are not performing at this year's Slane concert as castle owner Lord Henry Mountcharles would not have them. Westlife manager, Louis Walsh, has rubbished this claim. He said: "We'll be playing Croke Park next year and it is a far better venue than a field in Meath. Anyway, I don't know why Mountcharles is going on about which acts he will and won't have at Slane. The whole Slane event is organised by the promoters, MCD. He just receives a fee for his field."

Mountcharles has said: "I have no time for manufactured groups at all." He was more than happy, however, to have Westlife member Bryan McFadden pay for the use of his castle last year for his wedding to singer-turned-TV presenter Kerry Katona.

WOOO of our own released October 8, 2002

RCA records has set October 8 as the release date of the US version of "WOOO". The new version promises one new song, "Unbreakable" as well as the new remix of WOOO. The first 4 songs of the new version are as follows.

01 . Unbreakable
02 . World Of Our Own
03 . When You're Looking Like That
04 . Bop Bop Baby

RCA's press release on Westlife

Los Angeles, Aug. 1 - What do the greatest pop group of all-time and Irish quintet Westlife have in common?

When Westlife hit No. 1 in the U.K. with "My Love" in October 2000, it found its way into the Guinness Book of World Records tied with the Beatles for the most No. 1 singles in a row (seven to be exact). Three No. 1 singles later and the Westlife phenomenon is ready to storm U.S. shores.

On October 8, Westlife's -- Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Bryan McFadden, Mark Feehily, and Kian Egan -- will make their RCA debut with a fresh, US only version of their latest album, "World Of Our Own." The album will include one newly recorded track, "Unbreakable" & a new mix of the worldwide smash hit "World Of Our Own" that will be available exclusively for the US release. Released globally last November, "World Of Our Own" has already tallied over 5 million in worldwide sales and is currently multi-platinum in 11 countries, including 12X over in their native Ireland. The album has already spawned two No. 1 hits in the U.K., bringing Westlife's career No. 1 total to 10 in just four years, a feat it took Madonna nearly 20 years to accomplish.

Speaking of the Material Girl, Westlife's 10th No. 1 single, the album's title track, tied Madonna this past February for the most No. 1 singles within the last three decades. America, needless to say, will soon see what all the fuss is about.

"World Of Our Own" draws on the group's strengths -- epic ballads and soaring harmonies which raises the bar. Up-tempo "When You're Looking Like That," reminiscent of late '80s Prince, and "Bop Bop Baby," one of seven tunes written or co-written by the group this time out, represent a new found maturity to the group's seemingly never-ending catalog of pop hits. Previously unreleased track "Unbreakable" rounds out the group's third chapter in worldwide pop dominance.

The Westlife story began in Sligo, Ireland, where Shane, Mark, and Kian were the first seeds of what would eventually grow into a wildly popular musical machine with the addition of Dubliners Bryan and Nicky. With the guidance of Louis Walsh, the manager behind the success of fellow artist Samantha Mumba, Westlife made an immediate impact on the U.K. music scene. Their debut single, "Swear It Again," entered the U.K. charts at No. 1 in 1999 and the group has never, ever looked back.

Highlights of their remarkable four-year run include an MTV Europe Award for Best U.K. & Ireland Act in 2000, Brit Awards for Best Pop Act in 2001 and 2002, and two MTV Europe Record of the Year Awards ("Flying Without Wings" in 2000 and "My Love" in 2001). They sang for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican late last year (the first pop act to top the bill at the fabled church) and performed an astonishing 10 consecutive dates at Wembley Arena in London. With over 15 million in worldwide album sales and counting, Midas has nothing on Westlife. Everything they touch turns to platinum.

8/03/2002

US WOOO version

Rating: 5 out of 5

Westlife's 2nd US single "World of Our Own" is set for release in the United States on August 6. MTV.com is offering a clip of the new US version of the video online. That video is perfect for the US market, and in my opinion, loads better than the UK version. You'll just have to watch the clip to see what the video's like =) The clip can play up to speeds of 200kbps.

To hear the entire US version of WOOO, visit Allaccess.com. It's very hard to miss the Westlife promotional banner. The main difference between the two WOOO versions, is the addition of an electric guitar playing background. Nifty sounding towards the end =) I also think it's better than the original, especially toward the end. If that banner disappears, the link is http://www1.allaccess.com/sounds/westwooo.ram

Also check out the TV section for their first US concert appearance in San Diego, CA on August 31. Nearby Los Angeles is the place where the Tonight Show is taped, and which Westlife are supposed to appear on.

Site update

This is a special update on Westlife in the US...since they're finally coming to my country, albeit on the wrong coast so far =) Regular site updates will begin around August 17.

Celebs on Big Brother 3 (UK)

With just over a week to go before the third series of Big Brother comes to an end, the stars have been passing comment on notorious housemate, Jade Goody. Just as she's divided the nation, the loud-mouthed, back-stabbing Essex girl has celebs taking different sides of the fence. According to a feature in this week's Sneak magazine, the big names who hate her include:

Mark Westlife: "Jade's terrible! I hope Alex, Kate or Jonny wins."

Elimidate axed, Kerry loses hosting job

After all the trouble that Bryan and Kerry went through while Kerry was taping the Elimidate show in Las Vegas (US), the show was axed by ITV. An ITV insider says, "Elimidate is a bit of an embarrassment and Kerry wasn't as good as we would have hoped. The only talking point is the size of her boobs. We are replacing the programme with a show called "Britain's Angriest Men".

Sounds like a page coming from the Fox network.

Bryan and Kerry expecting 2nd baby

Bryan and Kerry are expecting their second child in February 2003. The baby was apparently conceived in the same hotel room as Molly. Bryan said, "It's amazing but it's true. Let that be a warning to any couple staying in room 308 at London's Chelsea Conrad Hotel" .

Cosmo Girl survey

According the the subscriber base of people 5 years older than the group's typical fan, Westlife's popularity is waning. The Cosmo Girl! survey that showed 58 per cent "hate 'em" and 42 per cent "love 'em".

Westlife in America

Westlife are planning a second trip to the United States hoping for success in the American market. The boys have ditched their trademark frilly shirts and blazers for a tougher look for the re-release of their WOOO single, which gets its US airing this month Kian said, "We're off to America in a few weeks and this video is aimed at the America market. So we've swapped all our fancy shirts for plain leather jackets and ripped-up jeans. We are who we are and if America doesn't like that we won't hang around."

Kian arrested in practical joke

Kian was in London last month when he decided to take record boss Simon Cowell's Ferrari sports car for a quick test drive. But Kian was caught out by two observant policemen who stopped him on his tracks.

Mark explained, "Kian wanted to test drive the car. He went a few meters in a car park, but was terrified he'd get into trouble. Our tour manager got two cops to come over and pretend to arrest him. They kept the joke up for 15 minutes."

7/06/02

Dear visitors,

Unfortunately, this looks to be the first and only "news section" update for July. You can look forward to more frequent news updates starting again in 4 weeks. However, those visitors who frequent and participate in the forum may continue to see my presence throughout this month. Any news items I (or other dedicated fans) find, will be placed in the forum and/or news board.

Otherwise, see you in August!

The real question is whether Christina Aguilera has talent

The Westlife vs. Christina battle has lasted a good 3 years, and it resurfaces yet again this week. This time Christina's management lashed out at Westlife calling them "talentless" and liars. Westlife have long been fond of telling the story of Christina's apparent diva-like strop, when she forced them to move out of the VIP area of hip London nightspot the "Met Bar" so she could have it to herself.

Ever since that alleged incident, which included Westlife claiming Christina poured beer all over them when they wouldn't move, Westlife haven't been complimentary to Christina. For instance, on CD:UK, they referred to her as "really diva-like", and they told SM:TV that she is "nothing but a stuck-up little girl".

However, when a Christina fan wrote on her official site asking for confirmation about the episode, her manager (Irving Azoff) replied, "This incident never happened and their manager (Louis Walsh) promised to shut them up. But since they insist on fabricating a story that never happened, I feel I have to set the record straight. Isn't it too bad that a band with little talent would find it necessary to try to get press by badmouthing another artist with real talent."

Now the question for you all to answer is whether Christina actually has talent? One thing's for sure, Westlife isn't the only star act who doesn't think so highly of Christina's behavior.

Shane set to marry?

There is a media report (or rumor) that Shane has requested time off from the band in October 2002 to marry Gillian. If true, it would be the second Westlife marriage after Bryan wed Kerry in January of this year.

Westlife spends $$ on their US attempt

It is reported that Westlife are spending over $1.5 million to revamp their image for their second (and most likely final) attempt at making it big in the US. The boys recruited video maestro Atti J (who has worked with Wyclef Jean) to reshoot their World of Our Own video, complete with new hairstyles and expensive designer clothes. Westlife are set for their assault on the US in August 2002.

New American manager Rober Livingston is helping Westlife's US efforts. He has booked them to appear on the two top Late Night shows (The Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno), as well as on Entertainment Tonight.

Westlife's new look will be revealed at London's Party in the Park this month. A source tells the UK tabloid Daily Star, "Westlife know how much effort needs to into cracking America and they're psyched up for it. The record label have earmarked a million pounds to make it work."

Win a day with Westlife

Channel 5 (UK) is planning an interactive SMS service for this year's Party in the Park festival. Subscribers can enter competitions to get VIP tickets and exclusive prizes. They can also send messages which will be scrolled across the TV screen during coverage of the event.

This year's concert takes place in London's Hyde Park and is being shown live on Channel 5 from 12.05pm until 7pm on Sunday July 7. Coverage will also include an interactive vote for the viewers' favourite song, which will be played at the end of the event.

Viewers will get the chance to win a day with Westlife by texting in the answer to a multiple-choice pop trivia quiz question. All the bands involved will sign an exclusive party lamp as they come off stage for another free prize SMS draw.

All proceeds from Party In The Park will go towards funding The Prince's Trust and its work in helping disadvantaged young people to get a better start in life. A small proportion of money raised will go to 95.8 Capital FM's Help a London Child which goes to help needy kids in London.

Westlife To Play Leeds Party In The Park

Not to be confused with the big one in London, Westlife are confirmed to play at this year's Party In The Park in Leeds. They will be joining ex-Five singer Abs, Blue, Zoe Birkett and Hear'Say at the free show. Baywatch's David Charvet and Michelle Branch will also be there. The show is being held Sunday July 14 at Temple Newsam Estate. A limited number of tickets were available from Leeds Town Hall.

Westlife would play Glastonbury if asked

Nicky says they'd probably have bottles thrown at them if they ever played Glastonbury. He says they would perform there if they were invited - but doubts that will ever happen. Boy bands like Westlife have rarely had a look-in at the festival.

This year's event was dominated by veterans like Rod Stewart and alternative acts Coldplay and The Stereophonics. Nicky told The Sun: "If we were asked we would but we would never get asked. If we did, we would probably get bottled off the stage. I've sometimes wondered what it would be like to stitch everyone up by just getting on stage. Wouldn't that be funny?"

Bryan Leaves Ireland for Kerry

Westlife star Bryan McFadden missed a party with the Irish soccer team to be with his wife Kerry as she was rushed to hospital. The party was in Lillies Bordello last week but Bryan had to be with his wife and former Atomic Kitten Kerry Katona was rushed to Mount Carmel hospital in Dublin.

The singer was expected to join the team in Lillies where the rest of Westlife celebrated the end of their twelve nights of shows in the Point. But after the band's concert Bryan was forced to rush to Mount Carmel where Kerry had been taken on Tuesday evening after a scare involving the cist which plagued her after the birth of the couple's daughter Molly last year.

Thankfully after being kept in for just one night Kerry was released on Wednesday morning and is back in great shape again. Bryan was expected to join new band Fifth Avenue in Lillies, with whom he is currently working.

Ireland's World Cup hero Robbie Keane spent most of the night showing the girls from Louis Walsh's all girl band Bellefire, who had earlier sang at the homecoming party in the park, a good time.

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