Music News LIVE: 3 August

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Nigel Gray, who produced the first three albums by The Police has died.

Writing on the band's official Facebook page, guitarist Andy Summers said: "I am very saddened to hear about the passing of Nigel Gray. Nigel produced the first three Police albums."

Those records were Outlandos d'Amour (1978), Reggatta de Blanc (1979), and Zenyatta Mondatta (1980).  

Summers called them "three records that made our career".

Gray was nominated for a Grammy for best engineered album for Zenyatta Mondatta and won two Grammies for producer of best rock performance for Don't Stand So Close To Me and best rock instrumental for Behind My Camel.

Quote Message: He was an empathetic and gifted producer, a kind and generous man who allowed three hopefuls into his studio for nothing and gave us the chance to make our first album Outlandos d'Amour . With and because of Nigel's encouragement and patience and the days and nights at his studio, Surrey Sound, we were able to find our style - almost against the prevailing rage of the London punk scene in those days.

He was an empathetic and gifted producer, a kind and generous man who allowed three hopefuls into his studio for nothing and gave us the chance to make our first album Outlandos d'Amour . With and because of Nigel's encouragement and patience and the days and nights at his studio, Surrey Sound, we were able to find our style - almost against the prevailing rage of the London punk scene in those days.

Quote Message: He was very important to us, got what we did and pushed us forward. The memories of Nigel Gray and our time with him remain vivid and cherished.

He was very important to us, got what we did and pushed us forward. The memories of Nigel Gray and our time with him remain vivid and cherished.

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Answer in 20 words or less...

Not really. But that is what Radio 3 has been trying to find out.

Author Philip Ball has been speaking to scientists and musicians from around the world, including Joe Stilgoe, Aniruddh Patel, Robert Zatorre, and Laurel Trainor.

Listen to the documentary

Charlie Puth's new music video for We Don't Talk Anymore, his collaboration with Selena Gomez, is notable for two things.

One is the dramatic split-screen effect, the second is... wait that's not Selena Gomez!

One distraught fan on Twitter (where else) and was compelled to ask Charlie why Gomez didn't feature in the video.

His response was perfect.

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Singer John Newman has confirmed reports that he has a brain tumour, having previously had a benign growth removed in 2012.

In a statement, he said: "This was going to come out at some point and it's probably best it's out in the open now".

"There was always a chance that it could return and it is unfortunate but it is something I am prepared to get through when the time is right, some point next year."

He added, "Nothing will ever stop me from doing the job I love so much, nothing will ever stop me from making music."  

In a tweet, he wrote: "Whatever life brings you, be strong,always positive, love everyday like it is your last."

Read more

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Geoff Barrow of Portishead will score the new series of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror on Netflix.

The black comedy/drama will return for a third series this year on 21 October.

Barrow will work with regular collaborator and composer Ben Salisbury - the pair previously worked on the sci-fi film Ex Machina.

Charlie confirmed reports of Barrow's involvement and added some more names to the mix

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In what is sure to be one of the most subtle, nuanced and well-balanced rock biogs of the year, estranged New Order bassist Peter Hook has written a book about his time in the band.

Substance: Inside New Order, Hooky's third work, will be published on Thursday, 6 October.

According to the PR bumpf, Substance is "a no-holds-barred, comprehensive account of the band’s entire history".

It also includes the phrases "packed with outrageous anecdotes", "written in the avuncular" and "insightful".

There are also bound to be conflicting opinions, not least from his former bandmates.

Should be entertaining though.. 

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Last week, US jazz star Gregory Porter became the first male artist this year to have two albums in the UK Top 20 simultaneously (Adele did it first, though).

The feat was the result of two things - an impressive concert for BBC Radio 2 and a simultaneous price drop on his debut record, Liquid Spirit. That's good marketing, folks.

Hot on the heels of that achievement, the singer has released a touching video for his latest single, Consequence Of Love, in which the arrival of a letter turns people's lives upside down - sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

Watch it below.

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You can watch Gregory's Radio 2 concert in full on the BBC Music website.

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Heavy metal headcase Corey Taylor has revealed that the spinal injury which saw him wearing a neck brace at Slipknot's recent live shows could have left him paralysed.

He told Revolver magazine that he was forced to undergo surgery in early June after a pre-existing condition was discovered during a routine check-up.

Apparently, he had been walking around for years with a broken neck.

A. Broken. Neck.

"My doctor sent me to a specialist, and he was like, ‘Oooh, yeah - we need to do surgery right now.’ 

"Me being me, I was like, ‘Is there any way we can reschedule this for after the tour?’ And he’s like, ‘No.’ 

"He said my spinal cord injury was 20 times worse that what he’s seen with UFC fighters; he pulled up the MRI, and he goes, ‘You see that? That’s really, really bad!"

Read more

British singer Jones has been on our radar for a couple of months, thanks to a clutch of incandescent soul singles - in particular, the scorching seduction jam Indulge.

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But her new single might just be her best yet. Melt is a summer jam so mellow it's practically asleep.

The sun-bleached beat comes courtesy of British electro-soul duo Honne; while the video, which premiered last night, sees the singer refracted like light through a diamond. Simple but effective.

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It has been eight years since Stephen Sondheim premiered his last musical, Road Show, which itself was a re-write of an earlier production called Bounce.

Since then, he's worked on the film adaptations of Sweeney Todd and Into The Woods - but fans have been kept waiting for his long-planed musical about surrealist Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel, and his films The Exterminating Angel and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.

Speaking to the New York Times, however, the 86-year-old says the work is nearly ready to be seen. And he hopes it can premiere next year, to coincide with an opera on the same subject, by British opera composer Thomas Adès.

"You know, for the five people in the world who really care about this sort of thing, it’ll be really interesting if the musical and the opera are done in the same year," he said, 

"Tom’s piece will be done at the Met next year and, if I can finish the score in time, our show will be done simultaneously."

He said he expects the show to be premiered at the Public Theater, a non-profit venture in New York. 

Read the full story.

Artist Wolfgang Buttress has been speaking to Radio 2 abut the soundtrack for his immersive new art exhibit at Kew Gardens. 

The 17-meter high Hive installation, made up of 170,000 pieces of aluminium, is suspended over the ground and appears, from a distance to be a swarm of bees.

Its sound is controlled by the vibrations of honeybees in an actual nearby hive.

Hive opens at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, in London on Saturday.  

Well, someone certainly seems to think so:

Tove Lo has been teasing the new song, Cool Girl, on instagram all week - posting short instrumental snippets, accompanied by (often NSFW) images from the video and artwork.

Here are the ones we can share with a family audience.

We'll get to hear the whole thing tomorrow.

The first trailer for the new film about the recording of the new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album is out. Predictably, its all shot in moody black and white.

Once Again with Feeling is to be premiered at the Venice Film Festival this year.

Be warned, its not a fun-filled minute and a half... 

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Mopey R&B siren Banks was the guest on Radio 1's Annie Mac show last night, where her new single was given the "hottest record in the world" slot.

Gemini Feed is more commercial and accessible than F With Myself, the disturbingly dark song with which Banks announced her return last month.

Not that it's all sweetness and light, with Banks using her psychology degree to pick apart a fractious relationship. 

"I follow you around like a dog that needs water," she sings, "but admit it, that you wanted me smaller."  

The lyrics have also given Banks the title for her second album, The Altar, which is due out next month. 

"I just had so much to write about," Banks told Annie Mac. "This album for me is really kind of like a metamorphoses of me coming into my own."

Listen to the song and Banks's interview above.

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James Corden says Kanye West has signed up to appear in Carpool Karaoke, the hit segment of his late-night chat show.

But don't hold your breath to see Yeezy and Corden duet on Gold Digger or Power. It could take a while before West clambers into that passenger seat.

"Kanye has been booked to do Carpool Karaoke now twice and both times something came up," Corden told GQ Magazine.

He'll do it eventually. He wants to do it. [When he cancelled he sent] about three dozen white roses, of course. Arranged in the shape of a cube. What could be more Kanye than that?"  

The cup runneth over for Ariana Grande fans - after yesterday's Seth McFarlane duet, she has just posted two brand new tracks on SoundCloud. 

The first, Voodoo Love, is a new songl while the second is a reworked version of Honeymoon Ave, from her 2013 album Yours Truly. and features funk and soulmen, the Dap-Kings - who have worked with artists like Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse and Muse.

And before you can accuse us of making you wait to long to hear them - here they are... 

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Slash has obtained permission from Elton John to re-record his hit single Rocket Man.

But this isn't for a new Guns N' Roses album, or a superhero movie... Instead, it will soundtrack stuntman Eddie Braun, as he attempts a rocket-powered jump over the Snake River Canyon.

The event, which is due to take place next month, is being held in honour of Evel Kinevel, who made a failed attempt at the crossing in 1974.

Braun is trying to raise funds for the stunt on Kickstarter after a TV station got cold feet about broadcasting his death-defying feat.

Everyone who backs his campaign will receive a copy of Slash's song.

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Finally, Adele and Radiohead have the opportunity to get the award recognition that they so richly deserve after being so criminally overlooked in the past.*

They join artists including Stormzy in the running for this year's AIM awards, which recognise music released on independent labels.

Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool is up for album of the year, alongside Skepta's critically-acclaimed Konnichiwa and Brian Eno's The Ship.

Adele's Hello contends for track of the year, as does Radiohead's Burn The Witch and Major Lazer's Light It Up.

You can see the full list on the AIM website.

*that was a joke BTW.

And a very happy humpday to you all.

We've got lots for you today, the nominations for this years AIM awards - which tip the cap to music released on indie labels are out, plus there is new music from Ariana Grande and Banks.

You can still check out Tuesday's live page with more nuggets of worldly wisdom from Kanye, Frank Ocean's album release finally 'confirmed' (we'll believe it when we are listening to it) and that Sony deal which has given the rest of the industry the willies.

Read on folks...