N-Dubz have added innovative bonus material to the CD release of their new album Against All Odds to encourage physical purchases of the record.

The album will host a new feature to enable an “augmented reality” performance within the sleeve, reports Music Week.

Each CD will come with a piece of paper embedded with 3D pictures, which, when viewed through a webcam will project 3D images of the band that pop up and talk to the viewer, before launching into a performance of new single ‘I Need You’.

The booklet will also include a special N-Dubz magazine with interviews, exclusive photos, a glossary of N-Dubz terms and a guide to the N-Dubz look.

Record label All Around The World also confirmed that the trio will shoot five alternative endings to the video for new single ‘Playing With Fire’, which features Mr Hudson. Fans will then be able to vote for their favourite to be used on the final edit.

As they recount the ups and downs of their antics in forensic detail, bandmate TULISA is left to play the voice of reason, attempting to usher them away from their wild ways.

N-Dubz release new single ‘I Need You’ on November 9. Their album follows on November 16.

From Prince to Marvin Gave, from rap to Rick James, black artists have incorporated increasingly mature and adventurous themes-culture, sex, politics-into grittier, gutsier music.

Particularly on Jackson’s own compositions, Thriller’s tense, nearly obsessive sound complements lyrics that delineate a world that has put the twenty-four-year-old on the defensive.

The albums aim was for every single to be a stand out track, and 7 of the albums 9 songs were released as singles. The exceptions being “Baby Be Mine” and “The Lady In My Life”.

In fact it was MTV who actually funded the 14 minute Thriller video which went on to become a record breaker in its own right after the record label had refused to fund a third album video, being fully satisfied with the albums success. The release of Michael Jackson Thriller video again sent album sales soaring.

As an adult solo artist Michael Jackson set his sights as high as possible and dreamed of creating the best selling album in the world.

Billie Jean is mentioned in passing in Thriller’s most combative track, the hyperactive “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” wherein Jackson also takes on the press, gossips of all kinds and other grief-givers. Here are the emotions.

Copyright 2006 Monique Hawkins

There is much more to music figurines, wooden jewelry boxes, children’s jewelry boxes, and wooden keepsake boxes that meet the eye. Indeed, all mechanical music, including music boxes, has a unique history. Let’s continue to discover what that is.

After the creation of carillons, chiming watches, and barrel organs, musical movements made from carillons without bells or hammers began. After Antoine Favre’s creation of using a steel toothcomb, which could be plucked to make music (cylinder music box), initially no one thought of making a music box just to enjoy. However some, such as Phillppe Meyland did begin to make musical snuffboxes, and a group of watchmakers in 1810 and began to work on manufacturing small movements for watches and seals in Geneva. This resulted in the Geneva industry beginning and was started by the likes of Henri Capt, Les Freres, Long Champs, Morse Aubert, and Pierre Rochot. Sometime later in 1812, L.G. Jaccard, Jereme ReCordon started a similar product.

Once the mechanical music industry was started and settled, trade was brisk and further developments with musical boxes continued to improve until they reached their peak in 1870. It is interesting to note that by this time, there was virtually no music, which could not be played by a music box.

In 1890, a different musical mechanism began to impact the success of the comb and cylinder musical box. David Tallis in “Music Boxes: A Guide for Collectors” stated that: “Instead of putting the music onto a brass cylinder by means of pins, it was being set on steel discs, which were interchangeable and expendable. The polyphon had arrived and immediately caught everyone?s imagination with its unlimited repertoire of music. It was mass produced and soon took over the market which had previously been the sole right of the cylinder box manufacturer.”

Unfortunately, the success of the disc music boxes weren?t to last. The two main German companies for disc music boxes existed for 25 years, and the American Regina Company lasted a little longer, until 1919. The phonograph, a unique musical production, eventually took the place of the cylinder and Regina music boxes. Author David Tallis has this to say about the phonograph: ” It resulted from an invention which was made before that of the disc music box. In 1877, Thomas Edison made his phonograph. He put on a record made of tin foil and recited into the horn the first line of ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’.”

Of course, it took time for the phonograph to develop where it could compete with the cylinder and disc musical boxes. However, by 1900, they were beginning to become more notable and very popular.

The history of mechanical music is truly interesting and like no other. So, the next time you play your music box figurine, wooden jewelry box, children’s jewelry box, and wooden keepsake box, you can remember what makes them so special.

Established in May of 2005, www.My-Music-Box.com is a music box gift store specializing in products such as inlaid ballerina music boxes for ballerina rooms décor, whimsical carousel music boxes, and musical jewelry boxes. The company provides interesting information for music lovers of all ages. Owner Monique Hawkins is also the author of the blog “What You Never Knew About Music” whatyouneverknewaboutmusic.blogspot.com , and owner of the eBay store “Monique’s Music Box” at: stores.ebay.com/Moniques-Music-Box Monique can be contacted at (540) 858-2885.