We7 News

We7 launches with The Big Listen

Today is great news for music fans and bad news for piracy, as millions of tracks from artists including Kings Of Leon, Pink, Nickelback, and Estelle will be legally and instantly accessible on We7.com, as We7 launches its full music service. 

We7’s 'Big Listen' Launch Campaign delivers:-

    • On-demand, unlimited and instant access to full tracks and albums - FREE

    • 'Search, Click & Play' - an easier and better alternative to piracy

    • A 'Celestial Jukebox' of millions of great tracks

    • 'Play Anywhere' - new link and play system empowering blogs and websites

    • Rights Owners and Artists get PAID  

As an easier and better alternative to piracy, We7 gives music fans unlimited access to millions of great tracks from major record labels and Independents across all genres, to listen to for FREE and on-demand. The We7 difference is that while fans get free music, rights owners and artists get paid by We7 utilising both audio and digital advertising, so it’s a win-win situation for all.  

The Big Listen

Whatever their music taste, all music lovers have to do at We7.com is 'Search, Click and Play' and they can listen to full tracks and albums of their favourites artists instantly, We7 also delivers the choice music fans have come to expect, by adding up to 30,000 tracks a day to its outstanding 'celestial jukebox'  of over 3 million licensed tracks, including many new releases as they become available.  

Music fans can create personal playlists, share their favourites with their friends and buy the music they love at We7's download store, where they can download high quality mp3 downloads which are compatible with iPods and most other digital players.  

We7 introduces its 'Play Anywhere' dream, where any web reference to music, tracks, albums or artists in any article, blog or website can be played instantly, wherever you are online. 

This will allow music fans, websites and bloggers to share and play music anywhere on the web via We7 widgets and links.  

We7 CEO, Steve Purdham, said: "It was just 18 months ago that we had the dream of delivering great music that’s free and legal for consumers and where artists and rights owners get paid. Today that dream’s a reality. We7 has great music and that builds great audiences which will be highly valuable to brands and advertisers. We’re hugely proud of our great service and very excited to be delivering it to the benefit of music fans, artists and brands alike".   

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive at the BPI commented: "Record labels are licensing a wide variety of new business models so music fans can access the music they want, when, how and where they want it, while respecting the rights of artists. We7 is a very good example of how the music business is leading the digital content revolution. But for digital entrepreneurs like We7 to continue innovating and investing in new services for consumers, we must tackle illegal downloading, which undermines the business case for all legal services. The BPI's new partnerships with Government and internet providers aim to ensure that digital Britain can realise the enormous value that music and other creative works offer, if their value is respected." 

X Factor stars are No.1 on the UK Singles Charts!

This year’s X Factor finalists have made it to the No.1 spot on the UK Singles Charts with Hero – and it’s all in aid of a good cause. The single, a cover of an early Mariah Carey song, was recorded and released for "Help for Heroes", a UK Charity set up to help British soldiers who have been wounded in conflicts abroad. You can listen to Hero online, here on We7.

And while the X Factor stars are at No.1 in the UK Singles Charts, P!nk has stormed to the No.1 place on the UK Album Chart with her latest album, Funhouse. P!nk proves she still as angry as ever on this, her fourth album. As with her recent No.1 single So What, most of the lyrics are directed at her ex-husband. It's an angry, but exhilarating record. Listen for free on We7.

As 007 fever grips the nation, Scouting For Girls do their bit with a new single, I Wish I Was James Bond. And, to be fair, who wouldn’t? Think of the activities Bond gets to indulge in: the gadgets, the fast cars and stunning locations. When you think of the high jinks Bond has got up to over the years, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who wasn’t interested in that kind of the lifestyle. Anyway, the London based trio certainly know their stuff when it comes to 007 - listen to I Wish I Was James Bond for free online here.

The Jesus And Mary Chain helped define the sound of alternative music in the 1980s - along with The Smiths, they led the charge on the worst cases of bland and insipid pop music of the day. In their early touring days, they would often incite crowds to riot. After their thrillingly noisy debut album Psycho Candy, they turned down the feedback and pushed the melodies that were lying underneath to the fore. The Power Of Negative Thinking: B-sides and Rarities is a round-up of demos, b-sides and other unreleased recordings that they amassed throughout their 15 year career, compiled with the input of the Reid brothers. The collection shows just how vital the Mary Chain was for music, and how they have been one of the most important British bands of the past 30 years. Early highlights include their Creation Records debut single from 1984 (Upside Down), and Vegetable Man (a Syd Barrett cover). An album of new studio material is expected soon (the brothers Jim and William Reid put their differences behind them to reunite in 2007), but until then you can Listen to The Power Of Negative Thinking... online for free at We7.

For the past 30 years, Larry Jon Wilson has been the outlaw's outlaw: the ultimate outsider. With his music, he never took the easy option - his songs were always too soulful for rednecks, and too down-home for the discos. Now he has returned with a brand new set of songs, on the fearsomely independent-spirited 1965 Records - the perfect home for this maverick renegade. His self-titled new record is a great collection of 12 songs all in Larry Jon Wilson's unique style. Ask any Nashville musician to name their favourite singer/songwriters and his name will always be around the top of the list.

We7 has changed!

Great news! As we gear up to our full launch in November, we are making some significant changes on We7. So here is an update on what you can expect over the coming weeks…

Firstly, there will be loads more great music. We are currently signing more labels than ever before, such as EMI, Warner Music, Sony BMG, PIAS, The Orchard, Pinnacle and INgrooves. This means more great music to listen to for free. We are uploading as many as 50,000 tracks a day, with more to come. So keep coming back and see what's new, as we build our "celestial jukebox".

Secondly, we have a great new design. You will see a cleaner, more functional site, making it easier for you to find the music you want. The new search facility is outstanding, and we have added new functionality to make sharing and blogging our music easier. There is also a new persistent music player at the top of each page, which means that as you browse around We7, your music continues to play.

Thirdly, as we shift the focus to free streaming rather than free downloading (at least for now), adverts on downloads will no longer be removable after 28 days. Also, outside the UK, we will be suspending the ability to download free tracks with adverts. There are many reasons as to why we have taken these steps but the main one is simple economics, as we strive to focus upon the UK to build and deliver an outstanding music experience.

Our dream is to eventually give you the choice to stream or download any music you want, for free. The barriers are many, but we are confident that we eventually deliver on our dream, even though it may be in small patient steps.

Fourthly, thanks to you we won the Best Digital Music Service at the 2008 BT Digital Music Awards - just brilliant, thanks for everything and keep telling your friends about us.

And finally, did we mention that there will be MORE MUSIC for you to choose from? So listen to all the music you want free, share it with your friends (legally), and buy what you love in glorious mp3 format!

Cheers,

The We7 team

P!nk beats Oasis to the No.1 spot in the UK Singles Chart!

P!nk has made it to No.1 with So What, beating indie-returnees Oasis in the process. The song has now topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, and sets things up nicely for her new album 'Funhouse', coming shortly to these shores. Meanwhile, Kings Of Leon continue their supremacy on the album and singles charts – Only By The Night is still at No.1 in the UK Album Chart, whilst Sex On Fire slips down a place to No.2 in the UK Singles Chart. Their previous album, Because Of The Times, also makes an appearance in the Top 20.

Will Young's fourth album, Let It Go, has gone straight into the charts at No.2 this week. With every new album, Will develops his craft and expands his range, and Let It Go continues this trend. The album sees him reunite with Eg White, his songwriting partner on previous efforts Keep On and Friday's Child. Will Young is a rare talent – the reality TV tag has stuck to many of his contemporaries and hindered their chances of success, but his abilities as a singer and songwriter have enabled him to be taken seriously as a musician and performer. Let It Go is Young's break-up album, a reflective work that was written in the midst of the ending of a long-term relationship. It's an accomplished effort that sees him moving into the mature-pop territory of George Michael. Listen to Let It Go now, for free on We7.

Bluesman Seasick Steve's third album is I Started Out With Nothin And I Still Got Most Of It Left, and is the follow-up to Dog House Music. It sees him moving from cult-following to mainstream success – the record is a new entry in the UK Album Chart this week, at No.9. Interest in Seasick Steve (real name Steve Wold) has grown since his first performance on 'Jools Holland' in 2006, and his MOJO Award for Best Breakthrough Act in 2007. The album itself features collaborations with Nick Cave (co-writer on Just Like A King) and KT Tunstall. Blues aficionados will be pleased to know that, despite his new found popularity, he is staying true to his roots and keeping the music of legendary bluesmen such as Mississippi Fred McDowell alive. Listen now for free on We7.

There's a flurry of Clash-related activity this week, with a new book, DVD and live album all being released. Long thought of as being at the more intelligent end of the punk movement, The Clash formed in 1976. Whilst many of their fellow punks have almost become cartoon characters (John Lydon now advertises butter, would you believe), The Clash have endured. Along the way they experimented with rockabilly, dub and ska, uniting the raw energy of punk with West Indian rhythms coming out of West London in the late 1970s. All this at a time when racial tensions in Britain were rising – The Clash made a stand for unity, not just through their musical experimentation, but through their politicised lyrics. London Calling is the masterpiece. The double-album is thought of as one of the most iconic albums in popular music, right down to the cover artwork (a pointed reference to Elvis Presley's debut album). Sandinista, the follow up, was a bold experiment, a triple-album that marked the first forays into rap music by a rock act. Since their split, there have been many collections of their works – hits packages, rarities etc. If you're looking for round-up of their work to start you out, we recommend you listen to The Singles. As you would expect from the title, it rounds up all their singles, and is a suitable first taste of the band, for the first time listener.

Kings Of Leon top the album and singles charts in the UK!

Kings Of Leon have made it a third week at No.1 on the UK Singles Chart with Sex On Fire. What's more, they also have the No.1 album. Only By The Night has become the fastest selling album of 2008. First week sales of the album have passed those of Coldplay's 'Viva La Diva, Or Death And All His Friends'. And there’s more – Kings Of Leon's previous album, Because Of The Times, is at No.12 in the UK Albums Chart. Find out what everyone’s talking about – check out the album here.

If you’re not a fan of King Of Leon, there is more happening in the world of music this week to keep you happy. The much anticipated theme song to the latest Bond film, 'Quantum Of Solace', gets a full release today. It's a duet (the first ever for a James Bond theme) from White Stripes front man Jack White and soul sensation Alicia Keys, and you can listen to it now on We7. Another Way To Die is the latest in a long line of James Bond theme songs, and recalls some of the classics from the past (particularly those composed by John Barry). It carries all the marks of a distinctive Jack White production, with Alicia riffing perfectly off his distinctive voice and crunching guitar lines. It takes a couple of plays to get into, but you’ll grow to love this one.

P!nk is back with So What, her first single from her new album, due to be released later this year. So What is the first P!nk single to top the American singles charts. So What is another of P!nk's attacks on Hollywood’s celebrity culture and - as with her earlier hit Stupid Girls - is rumoured to be about arch-nemesis Jessica Simpson. Whatever the subject matter, it’s a P!nk classic – anthemic chorus lines and loud pop-rock guitars. Watch out for the album, 'Funhouse', coming to the UK later this year.

The Chemical Brothers have been providing us with Block Rockin' Beats for over 15 years now – and now some of their biggest tunes are gathered here, on Brotherhood, especially for you. From the My Bloody Valentine-inspired Star Guitar to the Beatles-esque Setting Sun, the Brothers have created a series of beats worthy of any dance floor. The latter song features Oasis main man Noel Gallagher on vocals, and is just one of many singers Tom and Ed Chemical have recorded with over the years. Also present is Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and New Order's Bernard Sumner. Not that The Chemical Brothers need outside help – tracks such as Hey Boy Hey Girl are anthems for the clubbing generation. Disc two contains Electronic Battle Weapon 1-10, a series of Chemical cuts for DJs to play in clubs. Check out Brotherhood now on We7.

Billy Henshall has had a fascinating journey in music. His early years growing up in Manchester inspired him to embark on a career that has seen him write several huge hit records, in the UK and abroad. But that doesn't begin to give you a picture of the man's creative talents. As well as having a high-profile career in comedy (under the name Buzz Hawkins), he also has a solo career in his own right. Attic Tracks is a collection of 35 rock and roll tracks, originally penned for other artists. He has recorded new versions of them for this release. In addition to this, he was also one of the creative forces behind 'Dark Opus', a score for a multi-media artwork installation. It later formed the concept for a contemporary ballet, entitled 'Touch'. Read our interview with Billy here.