The Corrs have become the first band to sign on the dotted line with IMG, the world's leading sports, entertainment and lifestyle marketing company.

While John Hughes continues to hold the managerial reins, IMG will be in charge of lining up sponsorship and endorsement deals for the quartet whose record sales are now in excess of 27 million.

"The Corrs are immensely talented, attractive and extremely professional," enthuses IMG founder and chairman, Mark McCormack. "We see them as we do a number of our sports, model and artist clients who have worldwide marketing potential because of their special talents and success. We look forward to working with the band."

Echoing those sentiments, John Hughes says: "We're delighted to join IMG. The wealth of international talent they represent is testament to their position as the world's leading marketing agency."

That's very much the case with the New York-based company representing the likes of Tiger Woods, Venus and Serena Williams, Michael Schumacher and Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Monday July 15 found Jim and Caroline Corr checking out Iggy Pop from one of the stageside boxes at the Olympia.

They seemed to be having a rare old time until Iggy started screaming. "Who the fuck are you?" at them through the P.A., and then whirled his microphone, helicopter blade-style, in front of their faces. Exit one very nervous looking brother and sister who watched the rest of the show from a rather less dangerous vantage point!

They were suitably recovered by the following day to return to work at Westland Studios where The Corrs have been working for the past two months on their new album.

Pencilled in for spring 2003 release, the current sessions are being produced by Sheryl Crow man Bill Botrell.