Norah Jones shines for struggling EMI

Singer Norah Jones performs at the 20th anniversary celebration benefit for the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) at actor Chris Noth's nightclub Plumm in New York in this September 9, 2006 file photo. [Reuters/Erin Siegal]

LONDON - The new album from jazz singer Norah Jones, "Not Too Late", was the most pre-ordered album of all time on the online retailer Amazon.com and is riding high in digital charts, in a timely boost to her record company EMI.

EMI, which issued a profit warning earlier this month, had previously tipped the Jones album to be a big seller for the second half of their fiscal year.

The album was released around the world last week and in the U.S. on Tuesday, EMI said, and it is the number one in the iTunes albums music store in Germany, Austria, Netherlands and Switzerland, according to the iTunes Web site.

It is also number one on the Amazon.co.uk music chart.

"Amazon.com continues to be one of our top retailers for Norah Jones' work," Saul Shapiro, senior vice president of sales for EMI's record label Blue Note said in a statement. "We were very pleased that Amazon's customers were so enthusiastic once again about Norah's unique, intimate sound."

EMI issued a profit warning on Jan. 12 and ousted its two top music executives after poor Christmas sales from among others, Robbie Williams.

The "Not Too Late" album follows the earlier mass-selling "Come Away with Me" and "Feels Like Home" and the Billboard magazine has described it as her "most complete and satisfying record to date".

"There's been a great deal of expectation around the Norah Jones album for some time," HMV's Gennaro Castaldo told Reuters.

Analysts at UBS said "Jones remains one of EMI's key artists so this should be more reassuring news post the recent warning."