Warner Bros. declined to comment....
Insiders now are raising questions about the rationale for "Miracle on West 25th Street," an album released in September by Zomba Music Group, home to such acts as Britney Spears and R. Kelly. The album, performed by the label's staff and credited to the "Zomba Choir," contains six songs, including "Jingle Bells" and "The Dreidel Song."
A spokeswoman for New York-based Zomba dismissed the suggestion that the label was seeking Grammy voters, saying the album was created because "we would do something fun to lift people's spirits" as the company struggled through its corporate acquisition by media giant Bertelsmann.
The spokeswoman said Zomba commercially released the recording "so we could see it all the way through." The album has sold 34 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan data. She said she didn't know whether participants on the album applied for Grammy voting status.
Universal and Zomba each released their employee albums on or just before Oct. 1 — the academy's deadline for recordings being claimed as credit by would-be voters. Most major labels don't begin selling most of their Christmas music until weeks later....
You can listen to some sound clips by the Zomba choir if you click on the Amazon link below. There are also a couple of reviews which look like they were written by Zomba employees or their relatives (it has a sales rank of 458,993 - I thought it might be worse since it only sold 24 copies logged by soundscan).
I still have an un-opened NBC Celebrity Christmas CD I got when I was on NBC's press list. It features Sean Hayes, Martin Sheen, Jay Leno and other NBC stars. Though I don't think NBC did it to get Grammy votes.
Article comments
1 - John Mudd
I love that idea about making a Blogcritics album and donating the proceeds to charity. It could help the needy and get publicity for Blogcritics all at the same time. I would be happy to sing for it, and help Eric coordinate publicizing it. If anyone else is interested in doing this, let's talk. They could download it live from Blogcritics, and maybe Amazon would help us distribute it.
2 - TDavid
Charity raising? Right on. I'd be willing to consider contributing original music to a blogcritics album, but I think another blogcritic would need to sing the main vocals ;)
3 - TDavid
doh! forgot to add this: maybe John you and I should collaborate on a tune or two ;)
4 - John Mudd
That would be very cool, but be forewarned, my vocal style is a combination of Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder and Robert Plant.