news articles 2 december

[Inside Australian Idol]

Records for Australian Idol's top Guy

02dec03

AUSTRALIAN Idol winner Guy Sebastian has stormed to the top of the Australian single charts with his first song, Angels Brought Me Here.


Here's cheers: Guy Sebastian enjoys a drink with Ian Dickson and Ed St John.
Picture: Noel Kessel


The 21-year-old television pop sensation beat Shannon Noll in the final Idol episode last month to secure a recording contract with BMG Australia.
Noll, 27, from Condobolin, New South Wales, has since been signed to the same label.

Sebastian's first single, Angels Brought Me Here, is the fastest-selling single in chart history, selling 128,000 copies in only seven days, BMG Australia said.

Sebastian's release has also recorded the highest first week single sales for a debut artist.

BMG Australia said the response to Sebastian's first release as a solo artist had been nothing short of phenomenal.

Last week, Australian radio stations made the single the No. 1 most added song to playlists in its first week. It was also the fourth most played song in the country.

Following a week of long days and nights in the studio, Sebastian's debut album Just As I Am is said to be nearing completion.

It is expected to be available next Monday.

Sebastian, as well known for his afro as his music, will launch the album during a national tour starting in Sydney on December 7. He will visit Victoria on December 10.


www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,8036380%5E662,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Shannon Noll signs to BMG Australia

Amidst overwhelming demand and widespread anticipation, BMG Australia are proud to announce that Shannon Noll has signed a recording agreement which will see his debut single and album released in the new year.

Rocketed to fame by the record breaking series, Australian Idol runner up Shannon Noll instantly endeared himself to the nation as the quintessential Aussie farmer from rural NSW with an exceptional voice and performance style. After involvement in the No. 1 platinum single ‘Rise Up’ and the platinum ‘Final 12’ album (still sitting at No. 4 on the Australian ARIA charts) Shannon and BMG Australia are both very excited to continue working together to launch Shannon’s own solo career.

Ed St John, Managing Director, BMG Australia comments “Shannon Noll is a fantastic singer and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. But more than that, I think he embodies a sense of Australian-ness that you simply don’t see very often. He’s as Australian as Paul Hogan, or Steve Irwin, or Bryan Brown. He’s real, he’s honest, he has integrity and he has strength. I know that Australia believes in Shannon and I am convinced that they will embrace him as a recording artist.”<br>
Shannon Noll is equally thrilled about this next step in his career: “I’m so thankful to the Australian public for their ongoing support that has taken me this far, and now to score a record deal is just amazing. I really look forward to working with BMG and making an album that Australia can be proud of.”<br>
A studio recorded version of ‘WHAT ABOUT ME’, the song which became Shannon’s trademark from the series, will be his first single as a solo recording artist. Originally recorded by Moving Pictures, Shannon’s emotive rendition was considered a stand out performance from the series.

‘WHAT ABOUT ME’ will be delivered to Australian radio on Monday December 15, with a commercial release scheduled for Australia Day, January 26, 2004. Australia Day will also see Shannon join the rest of the Australian Idol Final 12 in kicking off the national Australian Idol tour in Sydney, to be followed by Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne shows.

Shannon will begin work on his debut album in the coming weeks, due for release early 2004.

www.bmg.com.au/news,conmap,32047

[Inside Australian Idol]

Guy breaking records as ''Angels'' debuts at #1

The response to Guy Sebastian’s first release as a solo recording artist has been nothing short of phenomenal. After record stores battled all last week to keep up with consumer demand, and Australian radio stations made it the No. 1 most added song to their playlists in its first week (& already the 4th Most played song in the country), today ‘ANGELS BROUGHT ME HERE’ shot straight to the top of the ARIA national singles chart to debut at No.1.

Guy’s single has already been certified TRIPLE PLATINUM, with over 210,000 copies shipped to record stores around the country. After only 7 days in store, the number of copies sold (128,000 according to ARIAnet data) makes Guy Sebastian’s ‘Angels Brought Me Here’ the FASTEST SELLING AUSTRALIAN SINGLE IN ARIANET CHART HISTORY, the SECOND HIGHEST FIRST WEEK SINGLE SALES EVER (second only to Elton John’s Princess Diana tribute ‘Candle in The Wind’) and the HIGHEST FIRST WEEK SINGLE SALES FOR A DEBUT ARTIST.

After a week of long days and nights in the studio, Guy’s debut album ‘JUST AS I AM’ is already nearing completion and right on plan to be instore on Monday, December 8. With Ross Fraser (John Farnham) handling the A&R duties and Bryon Jones (The Rockmelons) acting as Executive Producer, the album will feature three songs co-written by Guy, as well as a selection of tracks from some of the world’s best songwriters. Guy also had the chance to record studio versions of two of his favourite songs from Australian Idol, ‘When Doves Cry’ and ‘What a Wonderful World,’ for inclusion on the record.

To launch ‘Just As I Am’, Guy will be making his first trip as a solo recording artist, visiting various cities to perform songs from the album & signing copies for his fans:

SUNDAY DECEMBER 7 - NSW


Yet to be announced…<br>
TUESDAY DECEMBER 9 - SA


4:00pm @ Rundle Mall (under the canopy), Adelaide

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10 - VIC


5:00pm @ Highpoint Shopping Centre (Centre Stage) Rosamond Road, Maribrynong.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 11 - QLD


4:00pm @ Robina Town Centre, Celebration Place, Gold Coast

Guy Sebastian’s #1 single ‘ANGELS BROUGHT ME HERE’ is instore now.

His debut solo album ‘JUST AS I AM’ will be released on December 8, 2003.

www.bmg.com.au/news,conmap,32061

[Inside Australian Idol]

Sporting Life
By Geoff McClure
December 2, 2003

Hair's the skipper

On the face of it (and we're talking specifically about facial hair here), outgoing Test skipper Steve Waugh and Australian Idol runner-up Shannon Noll would appear to have little in common. But they do. It turns out that the Waugh brigade - Steve and brothers Mark, Dean and Danny - and pop star Noll are second cousins, in that the two clans share a great-grandfather. In fact, being a cricket fan, Noll has occasionally asked the Waughs to help him out with cricket tickets.


www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/01/1070127348486.html