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Can Open Road/Columbia’s Dixie Chicks hit the 500k mark in first-week sales? It will if retail reports from around the country are any indication.

IF IT’S TUESDAY, THIS MUST BE YOUR RECAP

Dixie Chicks Head for 500k, X-Men Hits the 120 million mark, NBA Finals Take Shape, Sir Howard Stringer Tries to Save Sony, WB Direct-to-DVD
Last week, we sang the praises of Steve Nash. Funny how one weekend can change the focus, with Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade now seemingly grabbing the NBA playoffs by the throat with his Jordanesque-by-way-of Dr. J-like move to the basket and incredible Q4 surge which has brought his team to the brink of a finals and an eagerly anticipated match-up looming against the crazy Mark Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks. So, put away those barbeque tongs and fold up your “Kiss Me I’m The Chef” apron and get ready for the only summer reading you’ll ever need.

DIXIE WHISTLING: Can Open Wide/Columbia’s Dixie Chicks hit the 500k mark in first-week sales? It will if retail reports from around the country are any indication. Thanks to a massive press blitz to counteract the country backlash, Taking the Long Way is doing better than expected. Keep checking HITS’ real-time chart as it develops throughout the day today to see if the Chicks can hatch the half-million mark.

X MARKS THE SPOT: 20th Century Fox’s X-Men: The Last Stand topped the weekend box office by grossing $120.1 million over four days in the U.S. and Canada to shatter Memorial Day marks of $90.2 million in 1997 for The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Shrek 2’s $95.6 million in 2004. Its $45.5-million take Friday was the second-highest single-day gross in history behind the $50 million by last year's Star Wars: Episode III Return of the Sith. Hollywood's overall domestic box office totaled $228.6 million for the four days, up from $225.5 million a year earlier. Sony’s The Da Vinci Code, in its second week, dropped to #2 with a four-day gross of $43 million, bringing its domestic take to $145.5 million. DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.'s computer-animated Over the Hedge dropped from second place to third in its second week, taking in $35.3 million for a cumulative $84.4 million. Al Gore’s global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth posted big numbers in the four theaters in L.A. and N.Y. where it premiered, bringing in $365k, averaging $91k at each location, highest total of the week. Mission: Impossible: 3 was fourth with $8.6 million, followed by Poseidon at #5 with $7 million. Next week will see the release of the romantic comedy The Break Up, with Pixar Animation Studios' Cars opening on June 9. Warner Bros.' Superman Returns (June 30) and Walt Disney Co.'s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (July 7) follow.

HOWARD IS HE DOING? The New York Times ran a fascinating story on Sony head Sir Howard Stringer’s globe-trotting on behalf of his company. Read it here. There was also a piece in the weekend magazine about MTV’s foray into digital programming for cell phones here. Also, a great story on rock photog Michael Ochs here.

HAZZARDOUS WASTE: The L.A. Times reports that Warner Bros. is getting into the direct-to-DVD business, with its first release a sequel to The Dukes of Hazzard. Read all about it here.

THE TIMES IT IS A-CHANGING: The London Times is planning to launch an American tabloid-style edition, utilizing fellow News Corp. partner N.Y. Post’s distribution and printing facilities for about a 10k copy run. Owner Rupert Murdoch is apparently planning other foreign expansion as well.

CUBE ICES OPRAH: Count another rapper with a beef against Oprah Winfrey. Ice Cube has followed in what the N.Y. Post calls the “diss-steps” of Ludacris and 50 Cent by bashing the talk show queen. "I've been involved in three projects pitched to her, but I've never been asked to participate on the show," Cube told FHM magazine. "For Barbershop, she had Cedric the Entertainer and Eve on, but I wasn't invited. Maybe she's got a problem with hip-hop… She's had damn rapists, child molesters and lying authors on her show. And if I'm not a rags-to-riches story for her, who is?" Oprah went on N.Y.’s Power 105.1 earlier this month to defend herself to DJ Ed Lover: "You know, I've been accused of not liking hip-hop, and that's just not true. I got a little 50 [Cent] on my iPod. I really do. Love 'In Da Club' . . . Love that, and you know, love Jay-Z, love Kanye [West], love Mary J. [Blige]."

THEY WRITE THE SONGS: Scottish singer KT Tunstall was the big winner at last week’s Ivor Novello Awards in London. She won the most prestigious songwriters award for her song “Suddenly I See.” James Blunt’s huge hit “You’re Beautiful” picked up two awards, including Most Performed Song and International Hit of the Year. Gorillaz guys Damn Albarn and Jamie Hewlett were named Songwriters of the Year, while New Order took home the Best Outstanding Song Collection honor. The Ivor Novellos take place annually and celebrate U.K. songwriters, composers and music publishers. Although Coldplay were nominated for three awards this year, they went home empty-handed.

IN SHAMBLES: Plagued by drug problems and tabloid headlines, Pete Doherty’s band Babyshambles have been dropped from its label, Rough Trade Records, last week. A label representative said that their relationship had reached “a natural end.” And he doesn’t even have Kate Moss’ shoulders to cry on.

ON THIS DATE:
In 1971: At San Francisco’s Winterland, 36 Deadheads were treated for hallucinations after they drank apple juice spiked with LSD at the venue.

In 1978: Led Zeppelin began recording In Through the Out Door.

In 1987: Beastie Boy Adam “Ad-Rock” Horowitz was arrested in Liverpool, England for allegedly assaulting a female fan during a riot at one of their gigs.

In 1989: Prince released his “Batdance” single from the first Batman soundtrack.

In 1997: Neil Young cancelled his European tour after he cut his finger open while making a ham sandwich. Mama Cass was not around at the time.

In 2000: During their first gig in Milan, Italy without guitarist Noel Gallagher, singer Liam Gallagher told the audience, “Oasis are a f***ing band, not just one person.”

In 2002: Diana Ross announced she had entered rehab to clear up what her spokesperson called “some personal issues.”

In 2002: U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill visited an Ethiopian orphanage in the company of U2 singer Bono, who was attempting to bring attention to the problem of Third World debt.




SPRINGTIME
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NEAR TRUTHS: STREAMING AND STREAMLINING
Knight's new day (3/18a)
TOP 50: ARI BASKS
IN THE sunshine
The biggest bow of the year (3/15a)
THE COUNT: ROLLING LOUD KEEPS ITS EYES ON THE PRIZE
The latest from the live sector (3/14a)
DEEPER WELL MARKS KACEY MUSGRAVES’ “SATURN RETURN”
Gleason on Musgraves (3/18a)
THE NEW UMG
Gosh, we hope there are more press releases.
TIKTOK BANNED!
Unless the Senate manages to make this whole thing go away, that is.
THE NEW HUGE COUNTRY ACT
No, not that one.
TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN PLAYLIST
Now 100% unlicensed!
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