CULTURAS IN VITRO
Bowie's diamonds may turn into dogs: A slump in music sales is worrying analysts at Moody's Investors Service, who have warned that the creditworthiness of pop star David Bowie's "Bowie bonds" may be at risk.
Six years ago, Bowie made financial headlines when he sold $55m (E64m) of bonds backed by future royalty payments on songs he had written and recorded.
The deal was the first time that pop music revenues had been secured in a financial transaction and bankers thought it would open up a lucrative new market.
James Brown and the Isley Brothers sold similar bonds, but the early hopes of growth have not been realised, in part because the number of recording artists who, like Bowie, control their own copyright is relatively small.