Difference between revisions of "Manic About USA - Daily Mirror, 20th May 1999"

Street Preachers set to conquer America with major record deal and a series of mini-tours.

Welsh supergroup the Manic Street Preachers are finally set to go mad in America after cutting a deal with a leading record company.

The chart-topping band have finalised a contract with Virgin America.

And the company's boss has said he plans to make them international megastars.

The boys from Blackwood have become cult heroes throughout the United Kingdom.

But a mega-bucks breakthrough into the US charts has always escaped them.

Speaking from Los Angeles, Virgin President Ray Cooper told the Mirror: "The Manics could go all the way to the top - the sky's the limit They could clean up over here. American kids love the great melodic and lyrical drive in their songs. That is their appeal."

The multi-million dollar deal was only signed in the last few weeks after Cooper devised a long-term plan to push the Manics into the US top 10. He wants the names of singer James Dean Bradfield, drummer Sean Moore and bassist Nicky Wire to be as famous as those of Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Adams. The assault will be launched with the release of the Street Preachers' number one track If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next, on June 8. That will be followed by the release of their fifth album This is My Truth Tell Me Yours, which also peaked in the UK charts last year.

Cooper will target the thousands of alternative and rock radio stations across the States for air-time.

And the band will reinforce their image by continual two-month tours. They will play in New York, Miami, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles.

The Manics were on a US contract with Sony last year but broke free from the Japanese company unhappy with their promotion as sales failed to take off.