How we made: Richard Branson and Mike Oldfield on Tubular Bells

Virgin Records founder Richard Branson and composer Mike Oldfield recall how a leftfield offering by a bedroom genius kickstarted the Virgin empireRichard Branson, co-founder of Virgin RecordsAfter setting up the first Virgin record shop in London, we scraped together some money and bought a rundown country house and converted its squash court into a recording studio called the Manor. One day, an engineer from the Manor rang me and said he'd heard this incredible instrumental demo tape by a... [continue]

Ray Manzarek, keyboardist with the Doors, dies aged 74

Founding member of band was touchstone of hits like Break On Through to the Other Side and Light My FireRay Manzarek, a founding member with The Doors whose keyboard work was a touchstone of hits like Break On Through to the Other Side and Light My Fire, has died at the age of 74 after a battle with cancer.The musician died at a clinic in Rosenheim, Germany, surrounded by members of his family, according to a statement issued by his publicist.Manzarek formed the Doors after a chance meeting in... [continue]

Alicia Keys – review

A slick, high-energy show by a consummate performer who rarely lets the mask slipThough she's just 32, Alicia Keys has sold more than 30m albums, picked up 14 Grammy awards, sung at the Super Bowl, become a committed charity fundraiser and, bizarrely, the "creative director" of a mobile phone company. Somewhere inside this labyrinth of personas remains the consummate musician who started playing classical piano in primary school and landed a record deal when she was 16.Here, she flicks through... [continue]

The Great Escape – review

Various venues, BrightonYou certainly can't fault The Great Escape for variety. Here, Iggy Azalea's impeccably turned pop-hip-hop fights for attention with Hacktivist, who ply crushing metal riffs and grime-influenced MCing over dubstep-paced beats, and Filthy Boy's literate, louche alt-rock shares space on the bill with Tom Odell's Radio Two-friendly singer-songwriter approach – albeit performed with an almost hysterical emotional intensity that jars slightly against the music – with Os... [continue]

Eurovision prize goes to Denmark, but real winner is Swedish host

Emmelie de Forest amasses 281 points, well ahead of runners-up Azerbaijan, while Bonnie Tyler limps home in 19thIt wouldn't be Saturday night without a Scandinavian crime drama. This weekend the action moved to Malmö in southern Sweden. The sensible knitwear was replaced by glittering spandex and the only thing murdered were pop songs.The 58th instalment of the Eurovision song contest, which aims to draw nations together while simultaneously giving them an opportunity to punch one another in... [continue]

Eurovision 2013: Denmark take the Eurovision crown - in pictures

Winners and losers from the Malmö Arena [continue]

Radio 1 Live Lounge is still going - why?

The segment that brought us Natasha Bedingfield covering Coldplay has spawned seven compilation albums. Isn't it time for musicians to put those ironic tambourines away?There are some things that, at the time, seemed unlikely to endure beyond 1999. Films without Tom Hanks. Gary Barlow's career. It still being funny or interesting for an indie band to cover a pop song. But there's no shame in being wrong on every count, so long as there is nothing but unending humiliation for whoever is in charge... [continue]

Alt-J debut technology to stop people recording gigs on their phones

Video app Soundhalo delivers filmed footage of each song to a cloud for downloading immediately after it is performed liveReading on mobile? Click here to view videoAlt-J have debuted a pioneering new piece of gig technology that aims to stop people recording shows on their phones.Following their album award win at the Ivor Novellos on Thursday, the band became the first act to utilise the Soundhalo video app at their Brixton Academy show, allowing fans to download tracks to their smartphones... [continue]

Emeli Sande biggest winner at 58th Ivor Novello awards

Emeli Sande's hit Next to Me wins awards for songwriting and composing at this year's IvorsIt often felt as if Emeli Sande's hit Next to Me was on, no matter where you were, for much of last year, and it achieved more exposure on Thursday when it picked up two of the most prestigious songwriting awards.The song was the biggest winner at the 58th Ivor Novello awards handed out in London, winning the coveted best song musically and lyrically award from a shortlist that also included Jake Bugg's... [continue]

Paisley Underground: the 1980s LA psychedelic scene that inspired Prince

Bands such as the Dream Syndicate, the Long Ryders and the Bangles created a sound that so influenced Prince, he named his label and studio after itWhen Steve Wynn moved back to Los Angeles in 1980 after finishing college, he looked at the music being made in his home city and realised he was out of step. "The idea that you'd make music with long, unscripted and unstructured jams. The idea that you were into 60s garage bands. The idea that you'd play one chord until your arm fell off. All the... [continue]