picture thanks to Helsus courtesy of Bøllen who took this picture as Robbie was singing 'Angels' in Copenhagen 6 Juni 2006

RADIO ALERT!
Radio Times
DOCUMENTARY
Robbie Williams and Jon Ronson Journey to the Other Side
Tuesday 06 May
6:30pm - 7:00pm
BBC Radio 4
Journalist Jon Ronson accompanies singer Robbie Williams to a UFO conference in Laughlin, Nevada.

Robbie returns to the Top Ten with Lovelight after 10 weeks on the Hot Dance Club Play Chart, rising this week from No.11 to No. 8 ...thanks to billboard.com

CLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLE ABOUT ONE GOAL, ONE MILLION.

Robbie Williams´She´s Madonna was the most played song on Finnish radio stations last year!
MOST PLAYED SONGS OF 2007 WERE:
1. Robbie Williams - She´s Madonna
2. Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape
3. Gwen Stefani - 4 In The Morning
4. Take That - Patience
5. Christina Aquilera - Hurt
6. Jani Wickholm - Kuu
7. Linkin Park - What I´ve Done
8. Johanna Kurkela - Sun särkyä anna mä en
9. Chris Cornell - You Know My Name
10. Mika - Grace Kelly

thanks to Pure Robbie.

Robbie in Pictures
Each month TRWS will be selecting a picture which we consider to be unique or rare picture of Robbie, not every fan gets to see these, so we would like to bring them to you here.We hope you will enjoy the unique Robbie experience in pictures.

Happy Birthday Robbie!

We all hope you had a fabulous time and while you have been enjoying yourself, so have we! TRWS held a competition for the best 'Happy Birthday' card and the winning design is this one from a delighted fan in Portugal...

This card won a super prize of a printed framed Robbie picture from Art on Demand and www.robbiewilliams.com.

WILLIAMS TEAMS UP WITH BLOCKHEADS STAR
www.wenn.com
British pop singer ROBBIE WILLIAMS is collaborating with former BLOCKHEADS star CHAZ JANKEL on his next album.
The Angels hitmaker is currently writing new material for a forthcoming LP and has enlisted the help of Jankel to give the tracks a funky edge.
Jankel was behind the Blockheads' 1978 smash single Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, along with late frontman Ian Dury.
Although Williams has no plans to release an album any time soon, he is determined to carry on writing new material for his comeback record.
A source tells British newspaper The Sun, "Robbie and Chaz have been working on some great stuff. Out of all his new tunes, the Chaz stuff is the best.
"Currently his problem is that he has lots of music that he's worked on with various people. It all sounds very different so it doesn't sit well as an album." Williams recently rejoined his former songwriting partner Guy Chambers but insists it was a one-off.
The source adds, "The big reunion with Guy was a real let down. They just couldn't reignite that spark."

WILLIAMS MANAGER: ROBBIE'S NOT ON STRIKE
thanks to Pure Robbie
Robbie Williams' manager has told Music Week that the singer is not on strike, although he confirmed that the artist will not deliver an album for EMI while the label is in its current state of upheaval.
The Times reported this morning that the singer is on strike in protest at Terra Firma's treatment of EMI, which it bought last year, quoting Williams' manager Tim Clark.
However, Clark denies that the singer is on strike. "On strike? I didn't actually use those terms," he tells Music Week. "What we actually said was it would be unrealistic to expect an artist – any artist to deliver an album while we have no idea where EMI are going," he says.
Clark explains that he is unhappy with the way that the major labels – including EMI – have dealt with the problems and threats posed by the internet. "It needs a concerted effort and frankly the whole taking a big stick to our consumers is not going to work. We need to provide a carrot," he says. "Until the industry starts to work together we don't have a prayer."
Clark also explains that he did not compare EMI owner Guy Hands to a "plantation owner", as widely reported. "That wasn't aimed at Guy Hands," he says. "It was the major record companies, because their ownership of the copyrights treats their artists like old-fashioned plantation owners."
"Guy Hands hasn't had the time to do it yet," he adds.

ROBBIE COMES SECOND ON MOST BROADCAST TRACKS ON AUSTRALIAN STATIONS
The Herald
AUSTRALIAN radio's music tastes are well and truly coloured Pink, as the country's listeners tune into the American pop star more often than any other artist.
Last week, the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia's annual list of the most broadcast tracks showed the pop singer's U + UR Hand was top.
She had four tracks in the top 100, including Who Knew at No.3.
Pink also heads the top 50 of the most played artists.
Second was Robbie Williams, who grabbed the spot despite having no new releases.
His songs might be old, but stations continued to play them over and over.
The same could be said for third-placed Nickelback, which still had lost none of its easy-listening appeal.
Sixteen Australian acts made the top 50.
They were, in order, Eskimo Joe, Evermore, Rogue Traders, Shannon Noll, INXS, Pete Murray, the Veronicas, Jet, Powderfinger, Silverchair, Kylie Minogue, Thirsty Merc, the Young Divas, Sneaky Sound System, Bernard Fanning and Missy Higgins.
INXS's rating was impressive, considering most of the airplay wasn't from their new music, but from when frontman Michael Hutchence was alive.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS TO FEED HOMELESS IN LA FOR CHRISTMAS
BANG Showbiz
Robbie Williams will spend Christmas feeding the homeless in Los Angeles.
The 33-year-old singer has volunteered to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day serving festive food and performing carols for the Union Rescue Mission charity at America's largest soup kitchen after the charity's work "moved him to tears".
Chef Raymond Terry, who first took Robbie to the shelter on San Pedro Street, told Britain's Daily Star newspaper, "If it's better to give than to receive, then this is the most satisfying way to spend Christmas.
"Robbie does an awful lot of charity work. And this is really close to his heart. Everybody I've taken to 'Skid Row' is moved to tears."
Robbie is reportedly planning to perform Christmas carols for everyone at the shelter after serving them food.
One of the homeless men at the center said, "Most of the guys over here don't really know who Robbie is.
"But there's a lot of excitement in the air, because they've been told he is a big pop star in Europe."

CELEBRATE TEN YEARS OF ANGELS...
All this month TRWS is acknowledging the release of Robbie Williams ‘Angels’. The song launched Robbie to become one of the biggest solo stars of our time.
It is hard to believe that we are approaching the tenth anniversary of its release, that date was the 1st December, 1997. Angels went on to sell over two million copies worldwide and was voted best song of the last 25 years by BBC Radio 2 listeners and received a special award at the 25th Brit Awards ceremony, held at Earls Court, London, in February 2005.
The song has stood the test of time, remember Live 8!!! Or every concert you have been too. Angels still captures the moment and it is still a song that is relevant to many people’s lives in 2007 as it was in 1997.
We can’t think of a better way to mark ten years of Angels except for quoting one of Robbie’s comments from the early days and playing the Angels video. We hope you enjoy watching it again.
“I wouldn’t change this for the world. It’s my job. I’ve been dealt a fantastic deal and I’ve just got to learn how to handle it. You’re not given tools to learn how to cope with this. There’s no celebrity support group you can go to.
Actually there are” They’re called awards ceremonies”.

During those nine months Robbie, 33, sang at 44 gigs in 14 countries to 2.6million fans - a schedule that left him hooked on anti-depressants and checking into rehab.
He later confessed: "I'm not built for it."
But documents at Companies House prove the concerts netted the LA-based star nearly as much as he earned over the previous four years.

Former Take That star Robbie has now pocketed £67,811,209 from his business since it was set up in March 2002 after he signed with the EMI record label.
One industry insider said: "People often say that Robbie is on the way out, especially after his last album Rudebox was panned by the critics.
"But this just proves that he's still got what it takes to earn big money."

LIVE AT THE ALBERT DVD HIGH DEFINITION RELEASE...
www.robbiewilliams.com

The show was the hot ticket of the year back in 2001, and now, get ready for Live At The Albert's exciting High Definition release, allowing us to see Robbie in all his techni-colour glory.
Totalling over 100 minutes of footage, this incredible Blu-ray/HD DVD release comes complete with a 12-page booklet outlining the DVD content and contains Robbie’s now legendary show in its entirety. With hugely increased capacity and resolution for both picture and audio, these two new formats ensure that, for the very first time, this stunning live film can be seen as it was intended, capturing Robbie at his swinging best and fulfilling a lifelong ambition to play the songs he had grown up with.
Live At the Albert is available from Monday, 3rd December, 2007 on HD DVD and Blu-ray.

A CHAMPION IS CROWNED FOR LAPL XII
www.lapremierleague.com

LA Vale waltzed into their last season game needing only to preserve their 20 point season goal differential advantage to snatch the crown. Although Avanti won the match 2-1, Vale can walk away as the undisputed champs of LAPL XII based on their season long dominance. They join an elite group of teams that can say they have hoisted the famed LAPL crown. Cheers!

FROM EVERYONE AT THE ROBBIE WILLIAMS SITE WE WISH TO CONGRATULATE ROBBIE AND THE LA VALE TEAM ON THEIR SUCCESSFUL WIN FOR THE SEASON.

ROBBIE WINS AN AWARD...
thanks to Pure Robbie

Robbie Williams won a Luna del Auditorio award for the best live Performance of pop in a foreign language, for his live presentations made in Mexico City in October 2006 that were part of his Close Encounter Tour.
He was nominated with artists such as Air Supply, Black Eyed Peas, Hilary Duff, Il Divo, James Blunt, Nelly Furtado, Pet Shop Boys, Toto, among others.
The winners are selected as a result of a poll made all across the country to the general audience about the concerts made in México, taking in count the talent and the artistic quality; with the results of this poll the winners are selected by a group of 350 specialists related to arts and the entertaining business, like promoters, producers and press.
In 2002 Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional created the Luna del Auditorio Award. These awards, presented by Auditorio Nacional, acknowledge the best live performances that took place within Mexican territory during the year. The Lunas del Auditorio Awards are today the most important acknowledgement in Mexico’s entertainment industry.

ROBBIE'S GOT THE BLUES...
The Star
ROBBIE Williams is singing the blues – and it’s all down to his buddy Mark Ronson.
The super producer has been playing around with a new sound for Bob.
The pair’s last recording session resulted in some sublime electro efforts on Rudebox, an album which many slated but I personally enjoyed.
Now Ronson – whose superb collaboration Valerie with Amy Winehouse, 24, is battling Sugababes’ About You Now for No 1 – is ready to re-invent again.
Mark, 32, told me: “Robbie and I have been talking a lot about his next album and I’ve played him a couple of tracks of mine that he liked.
“One of the tracks had a southern blues/guitar slide on it. Everyone I’ve worked with – from Robbie to Lily Allen and Amy – like to experiment and challenge themselves, which I feed off.
“The songs I’ve re-done need to have a good tempo to do what I do.
“And they have to be delivered by someone who doesn’t pull any punches.”
It’s been a year since Robbie released his last album, which hit the No 1 spot despite criticism.
And there has been plenty of talk circulating about what the Stoke lad will come up with next.
But insiders tell me another collection of big band tunes, like his 2001 album Swing When You’re Winning, is wide of the mark.
My source revealed: “We’re not expecting Robbie to put out another album until the end of next year at the earliest.
“He’s the kind of character who won’t announce what he’s doing – he’ll simply turn up one day with a demo in his hand. Big band songs are not on the ­agenda, though.”
And don’t expect to see the 33-year-old, who has been spending much of his time playing football in the States with his team LA Vale, popping up to croon with his old Take That bandmates either.
My source said: “Robbie won’t do the tour with Take That.
“He wouldn’t want to look desperate.”
I bet BRITs bosses are gagging to hook them up at the February 2008 show, though…

ROBBIE PLAYS L.A.
Dot Music

Robbie Williams made a surprise return to the live stage in Los Angeles last night, appearing as a guest star with Mark Ronson.
The super-producer's first ever headline appearance, at the El Rey Theatre, featured a series of other collaborators, performing a number of his reworked classics.

Boston rapper Tiggers, Santogold and Alex Greenwald of Phantom Planet, LA songbird Nikka Costa and Daniel Merriweather all turned out.
However, it was the appearance of the UK icon, who now lives in LA, which came as the greatest surprise, playing with Ronson and his seven-piece band.
According to the NME, Robbie ran through a lively version of The Charlatans' "The Only One I Know" at the show, receiving a rapturous reception.
To see a small clip of Robbie performing The Only One I Know...click HERE.
thanks to Pure Robbie for pictures.

ROBBIE RECEIVES GUINNESS WORLD RECORD...
PR Newswire
Girls Aloud have smashed their way into the new Guinness World Records 2008 edition for Most Consecutive Top Entries in the UK by a Female Group by clocking up their 17th top 10 entry with 'Walk this Way' and demolishing Destiny's Child previous record of eleven. UK Rivals the Spice Girls have their work cut out if they want to set the record straight when they return to the stage as they have managed just 10 top ten entries.
Released on 28th September 2007, the new book reveals that the girl fight is not limited to girl bands, as Madonna steals Cher's crown for Highest Grossing Music Tour per Concert. The winning 'Confessions' tour was seen by 1.2 million fans grossing an estimate of GBP100 million, an average of 1.6 million per concert! The Queen of Pop doesn't stop there, knocking Kate Bush off her spot for Most no.1 Albums by a Female Artist with her ninth, and highly successful album 'Confessions on a Dance Floor'.
Not to be outshone the men prove that they are top of the records list too as Robbie Williams defies his critics and makes David Bowie share the title for the Most Albums to Reach no.1 in the UK by a British Male Solo Artist.
Robbie's critically panned album Rudebox went straight to the top of the UK chart in November 2006, equalling David Bowie's record of 8 from 1993. Unlike Bowie however, Williams also chalked up three No.1s as a group member of Take That.
The Rolling Stones prove that they still have what it takes with their 2006 'Bigger Bang' tour becoming the Highest Grossing Music Tour earning over GBP226 million, beating their own previous record from the 1997-8 "Bridges to Babylon" tour.
And in keeping with the times, Guinness World Records announce a new record for iTunes for the Most Songs Downloaded from One Company, selling over 1 billion downloaded tracks in three years - the billionth being the aptly named Speed of Sound by Coldplay!
Guinness World Records is the universally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records book is published in more than 100 countries and 20 languages and is one of the highest-selling books under copyright of all time with more than 3 million copies sold annually across the globe. Guinness World Records celebrated its 50th anniversary edition in 2004, a year after the sale of its 100 millionth copy. The Guinness World Records website (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com) receives more than 11 million visitors a year.
The all new Guinness World Records 2008 edition is on sale from 28 September 2007, and is bursting with new records, statistics, celebrity gossip and incredible images.

ROBBIE BACKS JOURNALIST'S CHARITY VISIT...
derryjournal.com
The pop superstar Robbie Williams is backing a local BBC journalist's efforts to raise money for the children's charity, Children in Crossfire. Gerry Bradley, of BBC Radio Foyle, is off to China for a nine-day trek of the Great Wall that will raise £3,400 for the Derry-based charity. One of the main fund-raising events is a quiz and auction this Thursday night at the City Hotel.
And it was when Robbie heard about this, that the bad-boy of pop showed he had a good side.
"A friend of mine, Mark Boyle, plays on Robbie's football team in Los Angeles," said Gerry. "Last week, Mark's brother John flew over for a visit and happened to mention that Gerry was doing the China walk for Children in Crossfire. Robbie asked for a little background about Children in Crossfire and was interested in the work they do for poor children in some of the most deprived areas of the world.
"Then he asked if he could send something for the auction. So, he's sending a signed copy of his latest album, Rudebox, and a signed autobiography, with the inscription 'Thanks for supporting Children in Crossfire'."
Children in Crossfire was set up in 1996 by Richard Moore and works on projects helping children in some of the most deprived areas of the world, from Bangladesh to Brazil, Malawi to Mozambique, and projects here at home in Ireland and in Britain.
Gerry needs teams of up to six people to take part in this week's quiz, under the watchful eye of local quizmaster Tony McBride. There are some great prizes and, at just £50 a team, it's an easy way to support a worthwhile cause while having a bit of fun.
The big quiz is in the City Hotel on Thursday night at 8.30 p.m.. If you can't make it but would like to make a donation towards Gerry's fund-raising, it couldn't be easier. Just do it online by going to www.justgiving.com/gerrybradley

REMINDER...STARS COVER UP TO CELEBRATE BBC RADIO 1 BIRTHDAY
Undercover Music Australia

Radio 1 will play LOLA on The Chris Moyles Show on Friday September 28th.
Listen online HERE.

An all-star cover album is being release to celebrate the 40th anniversary of BBC Radio 1.
The album, matter-of-factly dubbed 'Radio 1 Established 1967', features a slew of UK stars (plus our own Kylie Minogue) covering some of the biggest pop hits of the last forty years. The Kaiser Chiefs kick it off with a cover of the first song ever played on the station – 'Flowers In The Rain' by The Move.
Confirming a long-time rumour, Minogue gives Radio 1 her take on Roxy Music's 'Love Is The Drug'.
Robbie Williams has a crack 'Lola' by The Kinks. Franz Ferdinand appropriately channel Bowie on his more obscure track 'Sound And Vision'. Trashbag soul diva Amy Winehouse covers Johnny Cash's 'Cupid'.
Pop comes in strange forms, as Natasha Bedingfield cover's Madonna's 'Ray Of Light', Girls Aloud cover indie one hit wonder Wheatus' 'Teenage Dirtbag', street-level electro dub crew Hard-Fi have a go at Britney Spears' 'Toxic' and teen pop-punks McFly bravely attempt 'Town Called Malice' by The Jam.
Other big name stars on the album include the flamboyant Mika, indie rockers Keane and Razorlight, and Scots The View. The album will be released on October 1.
Tracklisting...
1967 – Flowers In The Rain (The Move) covered by The Kaiser Chiefs
1968 – All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix Experience) covered by The Fratellis
1969 – Cupid (Johnny Nash) covered by Amy Winehouse
1970 – Lola (The Kinks) covered by Robbie Williams
1971 – Your Song (Elton John) covered by The Streets
1972 – Betcha By Golly Wow (The Stylistics) covered by Sugababes
1973 – You’re So Vain (Carly Simon) covered by The Feeling
1974 – Band On The Run (Wings) covered by Foo Fighters
1975 – Love Is The Drug (Roxy Music) covered by Kylie
1976 – Let’s Stick Together (Bryan Ferry) covered by KT Tunstall
1977 – Sound & Vision (David Bowie) covered by Franz Ferdinand
1978 – Teenage Kicks (The Undertones) covered by The Raconteurs
1979 – Can’t Stand Losing You (The Police) covered by Mika
1980 – Too Much Too Young (The Specials) covered by Kasabian
1981 – Under Pressure (Queen & David Bowie) covered by Keane
1982 – Town Called Malice (The Jam) covered by McFly
1983 – Come Back And Stay (Paul Young) covered by James Morrison
1984 – Careless Whisper (George Michael) covered by The Gossip
1985 – The Power Of Love (Huey Lewis & The News) covered by Pigeon Detectives
1986 – Don’t Get Me Wrong (The Pretenders) covered by Lilly Allen
1987 – You Sexy Thing (Hot Chocolate) covered by Stereophonics
1988 – Fast Car (Tracy Chapman) covered by Mutya Buena
1989 – Lullaby (the Cure) covered by Editors
1990 – Englishman In New York (Sting) covered by Razorlight
1991 – Crazy For You (Madonna) covered by Groove Armada
1992 – It Must Be Love (Madness) covered by Paolo Nutini
1993 – All That She Wants (Ace Of Base) covered by The Kooks
1994 – You’re All I Need To Get By (Mary J Blige) covered by Mark Ronson
1995 – Stillness In Time (Jamiroquai) covered by Calvin Harris
1996 – No Diggity (Blackstreet) covered by Klaxons
1997 – Love Fool (The Cardigans) covered by Just Jack
1998 – Ray Of Light (Madonna) covered by Natasha Bedingfield
1999 – Drinking in LA (Bran Van 3000) covered by The Twang
2000 – The Great Beyond (REM) covered by The Fray
2001 – Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus) covered by Girls Aloud
2002 – Like I Love You (Justin Timberlake) covered by Maximo Park
2003 – Don’t Look Back Into The Sun (The Libertines) covered by The View
2004 – Toxic (Britney Spears) covered by Hard-Fi
2005 – Father & Son (Yusuf & Ronan Keating) covered by The Enemy
2006 – Steady As She Goes (The Raconteurs) covered by Corinne Bailey Rae

ROBBIE TO APPEAR ON SOULWAX COMPILATION...
Soulwax are set to release a new two disc compilation album of their greatest and rarest remixed songs on October 22.
The Belgian group’s confusing and lengthy full title for the compilation is:
‘Most Of the remixes we’ve made over the years except for the one for Einsturzende Neubauten because we lost it and a few we didn’t think sounded good enough or just didn’t fit in length-wise. But including some that are hard to find because either people forgot about them or just simply because they haven’t been released yet. A few we really love. One we think is just OK. Some we did for free. Some we did for money. Some just for ourselves without permission and some for friends as swaps but never on time and always at our studio in Ghent’.

The album will feature a collection of diverse remixes from such artists as Robbie Williams (Lovelight -Soulwax Ravelight Mix), The Gossip and Gorillaz.
As with 2005’s ‘Nite Versions’, Soulwax will be performing the remixes live at a series of special radio Soulwax events that are due to be announced shortly.

EMI's DEAL WITH ROBBIE WILLIAMS PROVED TO BE A MONEY SPINNER...
BBC News
With Universal announcing the closure of Sanctuary Records' UK music arm, it is easy to think the fat lady has sung for the recorded music trade.
"Its hit a bad patch for retail and CDs at the moment," says Peter Thompson, managing director of record distributor Vital Distribution.
"Commercially its getting a bit of a kicking, while music itself is having a great patch."
But the music industry is cutting its cloth accordingly.
Looking ahead, the music industry will make most of its money from selling T-shirts and other music-related stuff, with recorded music making up just 30% of its earnings, predicts music business consultant Ger Leonhard.
One way of exploiting all these money making avenues - including tours, management and publishing - is through so-called 360-degrees deals, such as the one singer Robbie Williams hit the headlines with back in 2002.
And while many observers have blamed his £80m deal for EMI's recent misfortunes, one industry insider believes it was a great move.
"EMI made the advance back within two years," he says. "It was the best deal they ever did. Their problem was they couldn't find another Robbie."
In fact, by snapping up Sanctuary, Universal has now got its hands on a whole new set of artist services, effectively grabbing a bigger slice of the music pie.
Record companies "never traditionally had a slice" of all of the cash an artist made - just a share of their recording revenue", says Andy Gemmel of Big Print Music.
"The label generally created the artist, therefore that's a bit unfair."
Industry talk suggests that Universal's takeover of Sanctuary will force rival majors EMI, Warner and Sony BMG to actively seek out new revenue streams.
"CDs are by no means the only way to monetise," says Alison Wenham, head of the Association of Independent Music (AIM).
Amy Winehouse is one artist Sanctuary provides servcies to "The future is less reliant on purely music. AIM has been advocating this since 1999 - we've been pushing companies to look at the rights and licencing business."
And Universal's change of track is somewhat similar to the example being set by leaner independent labels.
Big Print itself is one of a number of independent labels taking up the 360-degrees model.
"Its a holistic approach to recording, licensing and publishing," says Mr Gemmel, who along with his business partner Jeremy Marsh re-mortgaged their homes to set up the firm in order to launch new artist Laura Critchley.
"With the Laura deal the investment is recoupable from other revenue streams," he says, "although publishing is still big, as is recording and so on."
Universal will now be following a similar path.
The Sanctuary takeover gives it management control of artists including Elton John and James Blunt, while it also organises tours for 350 live acts, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Avril Lavigne and Amy Winehouse.
Last but by no means least, Sanctuary also runs merchandising for a number of bands including Oasis and The Who.
And merchandising is an area not to be ignored, particulary with the resurgence of live music - another revenue stream in the 360-degrees deals.
According to IFPI figures, in 2006 the live music industry was worth $17bn globally - up 16% on 2005, with growth driven by large arena shows and the boom in music festivals across the US and Europe.
In the UK alone, rock show attendance rose 11% in 2006, ticket prices are on the up, and there has been an explosion in the number of music festivals.
And as gigs grow in popularity, so does merchandising, which now runs the gamut of products from knickers to DVDs, from dolls to books.
Bravado - part of Sanctuary - manufactures 4,000 different merchandising lines from badges to jackets and last year sold more than two million garments.
It has also just had a busy weekend dealing with the majority of merchandising for the V Festival.
"Depending on what's going on with a band depends on how well merchandise does - for example if they're touring a lot," says Bravado's head of retail, Peter Palmer.
"Our biggest selling brand is Iron Maiden, they have everything. They were on tour, released new album and were everywhere internationally."
But merchandisers also have to be ready to pounce on an opportunity, he adds.
David Beckham sent merchandise sales soaring recently after he was pictured in a vintage Maiden shirt. The snaps led to Bravado re-issuing the shirt, Mr Palmer confides.
So according to Mr Palmer, Universal's new strategy can only be positive.
"Universal can now credibly sit in front of an artist and sell to them," he says. "I think it's just based on joint venture relationship."
And its not just the labels who are recognising the declining importance of CD sales versus alternative revenue streams.
Newcomers Enter Shikari have taken control of their own destiny, with the help of "bespoke label development company" Integral.
Rather than sign to a label, the group launched their own and sold their music through a licencing deal with Pias.
"The reason we started was that the majority of labels were one, two or three person operations and where artist could cross over the label needed the experience, infrastructure and money to do it," says Integral's general manager, Ian Dutt.
"We provide elements of this and that is - putting it simply, by plugging into Integral a two or three person company can become a six person one."
Instead of charging royalties like the majors, Integral works on the basis of a fixed term contract.
And Integral's plan has proved successful for a number of artists such as The Gossip, Jose Gonzales and Go Team.
"A label grows from an initial set-up strategy. A team for press, a team for live rights through to marketing partnerships," adds marketing manager Luke Selby.
"Artists and fans want to get closer and the large, weighty structure you get with a major is not needed in the digital age. To get closer you need to be fluid and flexible."
And with global recorded music sales dropping to just $11.5bn last year, from $14.6bn in 1999, perhaps Universal's deal will prompt major labels to change their tune.

GARY NUTTALL HAS A NEW ALBUM...
Robbie Williams' guitarist Gary Nuttall, an artist in his own right and who has been with Robbie and his band since March of 1997, has a new album released.

The album, titled 'dated bedroom ditties' was recorded in Gary's bedroom - although we are told that he wasnt always in his pyjamas!
The new cd was then mastered in a recording studio owned by Robbie's bass guitarist Jerry Meehan.

Included on the album is the song "Often", which was written by Gary and also appeared as a B-side to the Robbie Williams/Kylie Minogue single, "Kids".
To check out more of Gary's fabulous new album, click HERE.

RUDEBOX WINS AN AWARD...
thanks to Pure Robbie
Robbie Williams has won the award for the Song of the Year in English for Rudebox at the Premios Oye! Awards.
It was a difficult category being nominated against Avril Lavigne (Girlfriend), Beyonce & Shakira (Beautiful liar) and Maroon 5 (Makes me Wonder).
This is the 3rd Oye! award for Robbie, he won 2 in 2005 for Song of the Year in English with Radio and the Top 100 Seller in English with the Greatest Hits album.
The Premio Oye! ceremony was held on August 23th in Veracruz, México. These awards were created by the National Academy of Music to recognize and support the best of the discograhic industry in México and at the same time to defend the industry against piracy.
It is one of the most recognized awards in México and many international artists have participated in the awards such as Sara Brightman, Bon Jovi, Sir Paul McCartney and Robbie Williams.