Trigger's Broom Again.

Music We haven't docked at this port for quite some time, but it's late and I'm keeping myself distracted from the Oscars not being on terrestrial television again.

(1) Sweet 7 has been greeted by predictably lukewarm reviews, most noting the fact that there's a massive variance between having the "Sugababes" name plastered on the front in comparison to the content and the prevalence of Autotune. Sadly (at least for my anti-Murdoch stance) The Time's one-star opus best captures the mood:

"Sugababes in 2010 are a pale, karaoke imitation of the glory days. Regrettably, if miraculously, the latest line-up remained the same as we went to press."

Youch. 4.0 have apparently been seen singing One Touch material on tour which offers a curious fascination though I can't imagine it's much more authentic than No Way Sis covering I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing.



(2) Rich Pelley interviewed 4.0 for The Guardian's Guide's One Last Thing ... page and asked them that question:

If you buy a broom, then you replace the handle, then you replace the brush, is it the same broom?

All: No!

Heidi: Cos it's got a different handle and a different head!

Amelle: So it's definitely a different broom!

Jade: You might change the handle and brush, but it's still a broom! It does the same job!

As Geoffrey Wheeler might say on Winner Takes All, "We have a difference of opinion here, Jimmy", with Heidi and Amelle falling into the trap and Jade cottoning on slightly but ultimately failing to grasp the poignancy that in this case, the broom isn't doing the same job.

(3) And of course, there's Mutya's application to gain copyright on the band name. 4.0 for their part are saying that it's unlikely to succeed because Universal have ownership of the name but CMU Music say they've done some legwork and found no copyright record in the UK or European trademark offices.

The wikipedia has this to say on the subject of where the name came from in the first place:

"Their name originates from Buchanan and Buena's school nickname, Sugar baby, dubbed by Tom as The Sugababies during the recording of the album. When the group members were aged fourteen, London Records offered them a record contract, and their name was tweaked to the more mature Sugababes."

Which I'd imagine will all be mentioned in court, though I'm surprised also that London Records didn't list the name either when they were promoting the band. Just before they dropped them.

Here's the application at the intellectual property office. It ties up everything that's been done in the name of the Sugababes on any media ever and it looks to me as though Mutya or her management or someone connected has bothered to go and check up on the copyright of the name, noticed that there wasn't one and put the papers in, naming Siobhan and Keisha too. Good show.

Finally, here's Czechoslovakian singer Tereza Kerndlová-Zhášíš rendering Run For Cover in her native language: