Weather Tonight: 5°c Partly Cloudy Night Morning: 9°c Cloudy

Music

The Fratellis: the return of good humour
Giving it some stick: The Fratellis

Fratellis 'set to revolutionise charts'

This is London
19 Mar 2007


The singles chart could be set to undergo another revolution.

Scottish band The Fratellis release their new single Baby Fratelli tomorrow on a USB memory stick.

The stick fits into the back of your computer and contains not just the track but also the accompanying video.

Industry watchers believe that, if they prove a hit with music fans, USB sticks should be eligible for the charts.

It will be another nail in the coffin for the CD. And it could also pave the way for albums to be released on the same format.

At the beginning of the year, chart rules were changed to make download eligible for the top 40.

The USB stick was piloted last October with Keane single Nothing's In My Way, which sold out within a day.

Around 7,000 Fratellis sticks will be made available exclusively at HMV stores and online at hmv.co.uk.

HMV's Gennaro Castaldo said: "Success for this format would create a growing case for the Official UK Charts Company to consider making them chart eligible."

Lee Jenson, head of marketing at the Fratellis' record company, Island Records, said: "The success of the Keane single last year convinced us that music fans would welcome more audio releases on this format.

"If demand really does start to take off, it may well become viable to think about releasing selective albums on USB as well, especially if they were to become eligible for inclusion in the chart."

Glasgow band The Fratellis were named Best Breakthrough Act at the Brit Awards earlier this year. The debut album, Costello Music, went double platinum.

Reader views (1)

 Add your view

The Fratellis are great and it would be a good idea to have more tunes on a memory stick. The guys are great and to set a trend more than just an awsome tune is pretty immense.

- Jasmine, Boston, 26/03/2007 15:41
Report abuse


Add your comment

 

Terms and conditions Make text area bigger You have  characters left.

We welcome your opinions. This is a public forum. Libellous and abusive comments are not allowed. Please read our House Rules.

For information about privacy and cookies please read our Privacy Policy.


 

Music top five
Cher Lloyd
Cher Lloyd

IndigO2
SE10
Apr 8, 7pm

Chris Rea

HMV Apollo
W6
Apr 5, 6.30pm

Miles Kane

HMV Forum
NW5
Apr 28, 7.30pm

Example

The O2 Arena
SE10
Apr 27, 6.30pm

Lightning Seeds

02 Shepherd's Bush Empire
W12
Feb 18, 7pm