Label Gears Up for a Whopper of a 4Q...
Hey, Speaking of Whoppers, Who’s Hungry?
While you’re sleeping through Labor Day,
Columbia is gearing up for a fourth quarter that could wake the dead. On top of current hit albums from
Maxwell,
Destiny’s Child,
Jagged Edge,
Train,
Neil Diamond,
Cake,
Jessica Simpson,
Five for Fighting and
Pete Yorn, the label has new releases on tap from
Marc Anthony,
Wu Tang Clan,
Xzibit,
Barbra Streisand,
Tony Bennett, a
Destiny’s Child holiday package
and more.
Said Columbia Exec. VP/GM Will Botwin: "We are very excited to be rolling out a hits-intensive release schedule for the fourth quarter with great new albums from many of our biggest artists as well as powerful debuts from some incredible recent signings. Does that sound OK to you, Mr. Ienner?"
- 9/4: "Toxicity," the sophomore disc from hard rockers System of a Down.
- 9/11: Bob Dylan’s "Love and Theft," his first since winning an Oscar for his contribution to the "Wonder Boys" ST. Also, the "Hardball" ST, featuring the Lil’ Rascals (Lil’ Bow Wow, Lil’ Wayne, Lil’ Zane and Sammie). Debut from funky PoMo Brit band JJ72.
- 9/18: Major-label bow from singer-songwriter John Mayer.
- 10/2: "Instructions," the sophomore release from superstar producer and So So Def CEO Jermaine Dupri, is the follow-up to his Platinum debut, "Life in 1472." In addition, Billy Joel’s first classical record, "Fantasies & Delusions" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Ray Romano’s comedy record, "Live At Carnegie Hall."
- 10/9: Multi-Platinum Welsh teenage soprano Charlotte Church continues her cross from opera to pop with "Enchanted." Leonard Cohen returns with 10 new songs, aptly titled "Ten New Songs."
- 10/16: Nu-metal from across the pond on "The Fake Sound of Progress," the debut from Lost Prophets.
- 10/23: Two albums from Harry Connick Jr., "Songs I Heard" and "30." The second Columbia release from heartland mainstay John Mellencamp, "Cuttin’ Heads," with first single, "Peaceful World," a duet with India.Arie.
- 10/30: Holiday record from Destiny’s Child, "8 Days of Christmas," does not include "Bootylicious Christmas." Two records from Marc Anthony, one his second English-language album, following up his triple-Platinum, self-titled 1999 disc. The other is a Salsa album. An as-yet untitled Barbra Streisand Christmas album, which will not include "The Dreidle Song."
- 11/6: Blaque’s follow-up to their ’99 Platinum self-titled debut, "Blaque Out." Multi-Platinum hip-hoppers Cypress Hill’s sixth studio set, "Stoned Raiders." Tony Bennett, whose "Playing With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues," has him getting high with a little help from friends Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Billy Joel and others.
- 11/13: Nas unleashes "Stillmatic," the multi-Platinum rapper’s fifth album.
- 11/20: A compilation from the WWF Allstars, as in World Wrestling Federation, Lil’ Bow Wow lets the dogs out with his sophomore release and the debut from four pre-teen Swedish girls called Play.
- 12/4: Wu Tang Clan releases its fourth disc. Fourth album from R&B divas Xscape, whose first three records all went Platinum.
- "Man vs. Machine," the fourth album from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem collaborator Xzibit, will also hit in December. It follows his Platinum album from January 2001.