Rod Stewart's Great American Songbook: Volume II Debuts at #2; RCA Music Group Claims #1 and #2 Spot on Billboard Chart as Clay Aiken Holds on to Top Spot

Business Wire, Oct 29, 2003

Entertainment Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 2003

Rod Stewart's second album of standards As Time Goes By...The Great American Songbook: Volume II stormed in at #2 of the Billboard sales chart this week with sales of over 212,000 units in its first week. This is Rod Stewart biggest sales debut in the Soundscan era! Released on October 21, Rod's album was in neck and neck competition with RCA Music Group label mate Clay Aiken who has the #1 album for the second week in row. This is a sales coup for the RCA Music Group and also Clive Davis who is a producer on both albums. On a word wide front, Rod debut at #4 in the UK charts and #2 in Canada.

Rod's first collection of cherished pop standards It Had to Be You...The Great American Songbook moved back into the top 50 this week as well. Upon its release last year it literally took the world by storm. Debuting at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart, it fast became one of the hottest album of the year, earning a Grammy nomination, selling nearly 4 million copies worldwide and creating a demand for a second volume.

Produced again by luminaries Richard Perry, Phil Ramone and Clive Davis, Volume II consists of 14 all-timers such as "I'm In The Mood For Love," "Smile," "I Only Have Eyes For You," "Someone To Watch Over Me," "Til' There Was You," plus a delicious duet with Cher on "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered," with the almost-never-heard original sexy lyrics. Rod also teams up with Queen Latifah for the title track "As Time Goes By."

And last night, the Rod Stewart Musical "Tonight's the Night" opened large at London's Victoria Palace Theater. Writer/director Ben Elton has fashioned a great big all singing, all dancing story-musical with a cast of 36 using more than twenty of Rod's most beloved songs. Rod's manager Arnold Stiefel produced it, along with London producer Phil McIntyre. With sales through the roof already, "Tonight's the Night" is expected to become the West End's newest smash.

Rod Stewart will be in Los Angeles on November 16th to perform at the American Music Awards.