MIDWEEK NEWS WRAP

• There’s a new version of Sam Smith’s latest single doing the rounds. No doubt in the hope of getting more commercial radio networks on board, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ now comes with a guest rap from New York performer A$AP Rocky (cover left).
* Champing at the bit for new music for Ricki-Lee? The rumours are growing ever louder that new music from the singer isn’t too far away. And with her appearance on a certain dancing show in the weeks ahead, we’d say a new single is an odds-on favourite to take to the starting gate sooner rather than later.
• Sony signing Mark Vincent will make his musical theatre debut later this year as part of the cast for ‘Dirty Dancing’. The musical, based on the classic ’80s movie, takes to the stage at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre in November, before moving on for season in Melbourne and Brisbane.

• Voting is over and done with for this year’s ARIA Awards. Voting closed at 7 o’clock on Monday night; the five entries in each of the categories which receive the most points from the combined votes of the ARIA panel will be the “nominees”, while the entries that received the most points in their respective categories will be deemed the winners. The nominees will be revealed at the Art Gallery Of New South Wales on Tuesday October 07.
• Aussie outfit The Church have announced the October 17 release of their landmark 25th studio album. They’ll celebrate ‘Further/Deeper’ by hitting the road for four live shows, kicking off at Canberra’s ANU Bar on October 24 before visiting Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

• After two weeks in the No.1 position on the British singles charts, Lilly Wood and Robin Schulz have been edged out of the top spot by the combined might of both Calvin Harris and John Newman, whose collaboration ‘Blame’ debuts in the top spot. Sam Smith’s single ‘I’m Not The Only One’ edges a little higher (No.5 to No.3) and there are big bullets for Ten Walls’ ‘Walking With Elephants’ (No.184 to No.6) and 5 Seconds Of Summer’s ‘Amnesia’ (No.38 to No.7). Chris Brown’s ‘New Flame’ flickers into the countdown at No.10.
• Sam Smith continues to lap up the spoils on the British albums chart, with ‘In The Lonely Hour’ remaining in top spot after retaking No.1 last week. He edged out the week’s highest debut – Robert Plant’s ‘Lullaby And The Ceaseless Roar’ – which came in at No.2. The new Ryan Adams album is new at No.6 and Interpol’s ‘El Pintor’ premieres at No.9.

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