Maverick Records Goes for Baroque With Orbit

Maverick Records is about to enter a new orbit--thanks to William Orbit.

The veteran electronic musician, who came into mainstream consciousness as producer-collaborator on Maverick owner Madonna’s 1998 “Ray of Light” album, has made an album of electronic versions of classical music pieces, which the company will release in February.

So now the people accustomed to marketing Alanis Morissette and the Deftones to rock retailers and radio programmers will have to press the flesh with the wine-and-cheese set.

“We’re going to cut our street teams loose on the Guggenheim Museum,” says Maverick President Bill Bennett, only half-joking. “We’re going to work classical radio, and we’ve never done that before, and all kinds of art publications, and National Public Radio. Ultimately, we’d like to see William Orbit at the Hollywood Bowl with the L.A. Philharmonic.”

There are other odd wrinkles developing at Maverick. The label has signed former Jodeci member Dalvin DeGrate for its first foray into the urban-teen market, and the company is also laying the groundwork to start a Latin division.

Says Maverick partner Guy Oseary, “This is what we live for--challenging the marketplace and ourselves.”

Orbit’s “Pieces in a Modern Style” certainly presents challenges. It’s no easy-sell “classical greatest hits” collection of familiar tunes. Rather, it mixes material from eras ranging from the Baroque (Vivaldi) to the 20th century (one by sonic rebel John Cage, two by Polish mystic Henryk Gorecki). Even compositions by Handel and Beethoven drift away from the popular favorites. And the sounds, while not radical reworkings, are clearly electronic in nature, calling to mind Japanese musician Tomita’s “Snowflakes Are Dancing” versions of Debussy pieces, Walter (now Wendy) Carlos’ “Switched-On Bach” and the work of “Chariots of Fire” composer Vangelis.

How will this be received in the classical world?

“For the most part, it’s not really a classical audience that buys that kind of product,” says Jim McDaniels, manager of the Tower Classical Records store on the Sunset Strip. “If they honestly think they’re going to go after the classical market with this, they’re fooling themselves.”

But Bob Wennersten and Sheila Rue, program directors, respectively, for L.A. classical radio stations KKGO-FM (105.1) and KUSC-FM (91.5), both give the concept a cautious “maybe” and say they’ll listen with somewhat open ears.

“My first reaction is to say ‘no,’ ” Wennersten says. “But if there’s some short pieces, it might be interesting to try [airing them]. A little bit of that can go a long way.”

Maverick, though, isn’t only looking at the classical market. Remixes of several of the pieces, with Orbit beats added, are already having success in dance clubs and on the radio in England. And that appeals to Rue as well--not that she’ll add that to KUSC’s playlist.

“It’s possible that because he is who he is, he could help bring different audiences to classical music,” she says. “And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

HISTORY, MTV-STYLE: Michael Jackson may not be the King of Pop anymore, but he’s still MTV royalty. Two of Jackson’s music videos, “Thriller” and “Beat It,” have been chosen by MTV and TV Guide to be in the top 25 of “MTV’s 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made,” which will be counted down in a pre-Y2K series of specials Dec. 6-11 on the channel. Jackson is also featured on the cover interview of this coming Saturday’s TV Guide promoting the countdown--which seems a pretty good indication that “Thriller,” the groundbreaking, horror-themed mini-movie, will moonwalk off with the No. 1 slot.

Only Madonna joins Jackson with two top 25 selections--”Express Yourself” and “Vogue”--on a list that will be published (but not in countdown order) in the magazine as well. Among the other 21 are such indelible images as the slinky, blank-faced models of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love,” the dancing chicken carcasses of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” the Bee Girl of Blind Melon’s “No Rain” and the pep-rally-in-hell of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

Also on the tally: George Michael’s “Freedom,” Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy,” the Run-DMC/Aerosmith collaboration “Walk This Way” and 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre’s “California Love.”

NO SALE: Unable to find a buyer, Daniel Lanois has decided to close his famed Kingsway Studio in New Orleans. The gorgeous facility housed in a three-story mansion on the edge of the French Quarter that Lanois bought 10 years ago and refurbished has been the locale for recordings by Sheryl Crow, Soul Asylum and Ani DiFranco, among many others, beloved for its relaxed vibe and homey comfort.

DiFranco had made it virtually her second home in recent years and was the leading prospect to purchase the facility.

“Ani was interested,” says Lanois’ manager, Melanie Ciccone. “An obstacle for her was that Dan owned the house as a resident and ran it as a business as someone who is primarily a producer. It wasn’t really zoned for it, and it was grandfathered in that way, and she wasn’t comfortable with that arrangement.”

It was Lanois’ regular absences from Kingsway that led him to put it on the market. As it became famous and a heavily trafficked spot both for artists and eager fans, he set up another studio in an old theater in Oxnard as his primary base of operations. Additionally, he’s been spending much of the past year in Ireland co-producing U2.

“It’s kind of sad,” says Ciccone. “[Singer-songwriter] Patty Griffin’s sessions in February and early March will be the last. Then, basically, Dan will close it, take his gear out and sell it as a house.”