Dozens of singles will be sent out to DJs and producers this week, but none as impressively as the Heroes of She’s “Burning in Flames”, due for release on Bonfire Night. Most media packs consist of the CD in a sleeve with a press release but the Heroes’ has gone out in a beautifully produced folding wallet containing not only the CD but also a 3D video and 3D glasses. The whole caboodle has been designed, produced and despatched by the band themselves. The 3D video, the first ever of its kind, has been viewed over 3,000 times on Youtube.

The single is being released on our own label, Northern Music, based in my office in Hest Bank. If anyone wonders why we are having to do it ourselves, rather than under the wing of one of the major record labels (who control 90% of all record sales) there is a clue in this week’s Chart, as published in Music Week, where most of the album sales are re-releases by established artists. Amazingly, the average age of the top ten artists this week is 53, with every decade represented from the 90’s to the 20’s- viz Vera Lynn (92), Andy Williams (82), Cliff Richard (nudging 70) Barbra Streisand (67) Chris Rea (58), Jay-Z (40), Muse (32) and Dizzee Rascal (24). Exactly 50 years ago the average age of the artists in the top ten (Cliff featured twice in October 1959) was only 24. Back then, it is true that the major labels were guilty of exploiting the young- now they just exploit their back catalogue.
Sorry, you’ll need 3D glasses to enjoy the video above. If you don’t have any here’s a link to their first single “Don’t Love Me”- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWEDeLO_mC0