Monday, August 31, 2009

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Names Three New Members

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation has announced that songwriters Kye Fleming and Mark D. Sanders, and singer/songwriter Tammy Wynette are the 2009 selections for the Hall. The official ceremony will be at the 39th Anniversary Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony on October 18 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.

Robert Murrah, Chairman of the Foundation, said "Kye, Mark and Tammy have made many poignant and enduring contributions to the music world and certainly deserve to take their places among their gifted peers. It’s an honor for us to recognize them for their outstanding accomplishments."

Kye Fleming has been named the Nashville Songwriters Associations' International Songwriter of the Year on two different occasions (1981 & 1982), has 10 BMI Millionaire Awards (songs with over one million plays on the radio) and has been nominated for CMA, ACM, Dove and Grammy Awards.

Highlights of Fleming's catalog include:

  • Sleeping Single in a Double Bed (Barbara Mandrell)
  • I Wouldn't Have Missed It For the World (Ronnie Milsap)
  • Years (Barbara Mandrell)
  • Nobody (Sylvia)
  • I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool (Barbara Mandrell and George Jones)
  • Smokey Mountain Rain (Ronnie Milsap)
  • Missin' You (Charlie Pride)
Mark D. Sanders (pictured right with Tia Sillers, his songwriting partner on I Hope You Dance) first broke into the Nashville music scene in the early 90's and has since written hits for George Strait, Lee Ann Womack, Jo Dee Messina, He was the Nashville Songwriters Association's International Songwriter of the Year twice (1995 & 1996).

Highlights from Sanders' career include:
  • I Hope You Dance (Lee Ann Womack)
  • Blue Clear Sky (George Strait)
  • Heads Carolina, Tails California (Jo Dee Messina)
  • Money in the Bank (John Anderson)
  • Oh Carolina (Vince Gill)
  • There You Are (Martina McBride)
  • What'cha Gonna Do With a Cowboy (Chris LeDoux)
  • It Matters to Me (Faith Hill)
Tammy Wynette has been elected as this year's singer/songwriter member. In the course of her career, she had 57 top 40 country hits, including 20 that reached number 1. She is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Highlights of Wynette's songwriting career include:
  • Stand By Your Man
  • 'Til I Can Make It On My Own
  • Another Lonely Song
  • Singing My Song
  • These Days (I Barely Get By)
  • Two Story House

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Britain's Official Chart Company Names She Loves You As Biggest Selling Beatles Track

The U.K.'s Official Chart Company, the people responsible for the music charts each week, were asked by BBC Radio 2 to research and assemble a list of the biggest selling tracks in the U.K. by the Beatles. It took the organization a bit of time, as they had to take into account the various re-releases over the years, but the final list of 30 was revealed Monday on BBC Radio 2 by Ken Bruce.

Topping the list is She Loves You, which was the biggest selling single by any artist in Britain from 1964 until 1977 when Paul McCartney's Mull of Kintyre/Girl's School sold more copies. Second is I Want to Hold Your Hand followed by Can't Buy Me Love, I Feel Fine and the double sided Day Tripper/We Can Work it Out.

All of the top five records only charted once to reach their sales while number 6, Hey Jude, was a hit twice (1968/#1 and 1976/#12). There are a couple of surprises of note. Yesterday, the most recorded song of all-time, only comes in at number 26 as it wasn't released in the U.K. until 1976 and only managed to make it to number 8. Strawberry Fields Forever is listed twice instead of combining two separate releases as the first issue was as the B-side of Penny Lane while the 70's release was as the A-side.

The following are the top 30 with indications of year(s) and chart position(s):

  1. She Loves You (1963/#1)
  2. I Want to Hold Your Hand (1963/#1)
  3. Can't Buy Me Love (1964/#1)
  4. I Feel Fine (1964/#1)
  5. Day Tripper/We Can Work it Out (1965/#1)
  6. Hey Jude (1968/#1, 1976/#12)
  7. From Me to You (1963/#1, 1983/#40)
  8. Help! (1965/#1, 1976/#36)
  9. Hello, Goodbye (1967/#1)
  10. Get Back (1969/#1, 1976/#28)
  11. Paperback Writer (1966/#1, 1976/#23)
  12. All You Need is Love (1967/#1)
  13. Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby (1966/#1)
  14. Ticket to Ride (1965/#1)
  15. Magical Mystery Tour EP (1967/#2)
  16. A Hard Day's Night (1964/#1)
  17. Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever (1967/#2)
  18. Lady Madonna (1968/#1)
  19. Love Me Do (1962/#17, 1982/#4)
  20. Please Please Me (1973/#2, 1983/#29)
  21. The Ballad of John & Yoko (1969/#1)
  22. Let it Be (1970/#2)
  23. Free as a Bird (1995/#2)
  24. Something/Come Together (1969/#4)
  25. Beatles Movie Medley (1982/#10)
  26. Yesterday (1976/#8)
  27. Real Love (1996/#4)
  28. Baby It's You (1995/#7)
  29. Back in the U.S.S.R. (1976/#19)
  30. Strawberry Fields Forever (1976/#32)
Overall, the Beatles had 31 titles make the British top 40 with Ain't She Sweet (1964/#29) the one record that didn't make the list.

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Chart Watch Australia: August 30, 2009

Our weekly recap of veteran artists on the current Australian music charts. Chart highlights:

  • It's down one more as Michael Jackson's Essential album falls 1 to 2 to 3 over the past few weeks. All five charting albums are down from the previous week.
  • Two debuts for veteran artists on this week's Australian Top Albums. John Farnham's Essential 3.0 starts at 18 while Neil Diamond's Hot August Night/NYC debuts at 37.
  • On the Country Albums Chart, Reba McEntire's Keep On Loving You debuts at number 10 while George Strait's Twang falls 16 to 20.
Previous week position noted in parenthesis. (N) indicates new entry. (R) indicates re-entry.

Top 50 Albums

Top 50 Singles
  • #1 (1) - Sexy Bitch - David Guetta Featuring Akon
  • #2 (4) - Like It Like That - Guy Sebastian
  • #3 (2) - I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
  • #4 (3) - The Last Day on Earth - Kate Miller-Heidke
  • #5 (8) - Good Girls Go Bad - Cobra Starship Featuring Leighton Meester
The Urban/R&B and Country charts are after the cut.

Top 40 Urban Albums
  • #1 (1) - The E.N.D. - Black Eyed Peas
  • #2 (2) - State of the Art - Hilltop Hoods
  • #3 (6) - Been Waiting - Jessica Mauboy
  • #4 (3) - I Am...Sasha Fierce - Beyonce
  • #5 (4) - Major Flaours 4 - DJ Sir-Vere
  • No Veteran Artists Charting
Top 40 Urban Singles
  • #1 (1) - Sweet Dreams - Beyonce
  • #2 (2) - Battlefield - Jordan Sparks
  • #3 (4) - Obsessed - Mariah Carey
  • #4 (3) - Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
  • #5 (5) - Chase That Feeling - Hilltop Hoods
  • No Veteran Artists Charting

Top 20 Country Albums

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Doors Last New York Shows Chronicled in 6-CD Set

Rhino and Bright Midnight Archives have announced a November 10 release date for The Doors: Live in New York, a 6-CD collection chronicling the January 17 and 18, 1970 shows from The Felt Forum.

The Doors were only weeks away from the release of Morrison's Hotel and, according to Ray Manzarek, the group decided to forgo Madison Square Garden where they played the year before to perform at the more intimate Felt Forum. At the time, he said “I mean, talk about going back to basics. We used to do four sets a night at the London Fog, and we only had a small block of songs written up to that time. So we would do other people’s material. And in New York, it was like the same thing as the London Fog. We’ve got four shows to play here, two sets tonight, two sets tomorrow night. Let’s play whatever we want! Let’s just go!”

The shows are a mix of music from their albums along with a few covers such as Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love, Howlin' Wolf's Back Door Man and John Lee Hooker's Crawling King Snake. “Those were the bluesy songs we always used to do,” Robbie Krieger said. “We probably hadn’t done them in years, but we resurrected them for these shows.”

The six-CD's include all four shows from the stand in their entirety. Although the press release for the set does not give any details, it appears that there will also be a book with historical information.

The full track list for the set is after the cut.

  • Disc 1: January 17, 1970 (First Show)
    • Start Of Show
    • Roadhouse Blues
    • Ship Of Fools
    • Break On Through (To The Other Side)
    • Tuning
    • Peace Frog
    • Blue Sunday
    • Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
    • Back Door Man
    • Love Hides
    • Five To One
    • Tuning/Breather
    • Who Do You Love
    • Little Red Rooster
    • Money
    • Tuning
    • Light My Fire
    • More, More, More
    • Soul Kitchen
    • End Of Show
  • Disc 2: January 17, 1970 (Second Show)
    • Start Show 2
    • Jim How Ya Doing?
    • Roadhouse Blues
    • Break On Through (To The Other Side)
    • Ship Of Fools
    • Crawling King Snake
    • Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
    • Back Door Man
    • Five To One
    • Pretty Neat, Pretty Good
    • Build Me A Woman
    • Tuning/Breather
    • Who Do You Love
    • Tuning/Breather
    • Wild Child
    • Cheering/Tuning
    • When The Music’s Over
  • Disc 3: January 17, 1970 (Second Show Continued)
    • Tuning/Breather
    • Light My Fire
    • Hey, Mr. Light Man!
    • Soul Kitchen
    • Jim’s Fish Joke
    • The End
    • End Of Show
  • Disc 4: January 18, 1970 (First Show)
    • Start Show 3
    • Roadhouse Blues
    • Ship Of Fools
    • Break On Through (To The Other Side)
    • Tuning/Breather
    • Universal Mind
    • Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) – False Start
    • Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
    • Back Door Man
    • Five To One
    • Tuning/Breather
    • Moonlight Drive
    • Who Do You Love
    • Calling Out For Songs
    • Money
    • Tuning/Breather
    • Light My Fire
    • More, More More
    • When The Music’s Over
    • Good Night – End Show
  • Disc 5: January 18, 1970 (Second Show)
    • Start Show 4
    • Roadhouse Blues
    • Peace Frog
    • Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
    • Back Door Man
    • Five To One
    • We Have A Special Treat
    • Celebration Of The Lizard
    • Build Me A Woman
    • When The Music’s Over
    • More, More, More
  • Disc 6: January 18, 1970 (Second Show Continued)
    • Soul Kitchen
    • For Fear Of Getting Too Patriotic
    • Petition The Lord
    • Light My Fire
    • Only When The Moon Comes Out
    • Close To You
    • The Encore Begins
    • Rock Me Baby
    • What To Do Next?
    • Goin’ To N.Y. Blues
    • Tuning/Breather
    • Maggie M’Gill
    • Tuning/Breather
    • Gloria/End Of Show

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Sunday, August 30, 2009

Tony Bennett Signs Again With Columbia, To Record Album With Stevie Wonder, Produced by Quincy Jones

A little over two years ago (August 14, 2007) we reported that Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder were going to record an album together. Well, sometimes things take awhile to get started in the music industry, but that's not always good when a singer was 81 at the time of the initial announcement and now has just turned 83.

Still, Tony Bennett is an amazing man and Columbia Records knows it as they have just signed him to a new contract, easily giving him one of the longest tenures ever at a label. Bennett originally signed with Columbia back in 1950 after being discovered by Mitch Miller and he's never left the label.

Now, things are finally in place for the Bennett/Wonder album and Columbia has announced that it will be produced by Quincy Jones. There is no schedule yet for release or list of songs that are being considered, but it's pretty sure that this trio will turn out one hell of a collection.

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Brian Jones' Death Being Reviewed, Kiss May Do Las Vegas Residency, more

British detectives are reviewing the death of Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones in light of new evidence that has surfaced. Jones died in July 1969 at the age of 27 from drowning in a private swimming pool in Hartfield, East Sussex, England.

At the time, the death was attributed to "misadventure"; however, many have contended that he was actually murdered. There is no word on the nature of the new evidence or whether there will be a new investigation.

Will Kiss be the next act to take up residence in Las Vegas? The Las Vegas Review-Journal is reporting that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are developing a $40 to $50 million Cirque du Soleil-style show under the name Kiss: Carnival of Souls for a possible 2011 opening. Barry Levine, co-founder of Radical, told the paper "It involves every aspect of music, movement, lighting, stage design and special effects. Since Kiss is the epitome of theatrical rock, we need to make sure it represents the Kiss brand. The Kiss brand has endured and sustained itself like no other group for the past 35 years."
Bananarama is back. Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward have signed with Fascination Records and their 10th album, Viva, will be out September 14 in the U.K. The album contains covers of The Runner (Three Degrees) and The Sounds of Silence (Simon and Garfunkel) along with the first single, Love Comes, which will be out a week from today.
Andy Williams is 81 years old, but he isn't slowing down in the least. He will present his annual variety show at his theater in Branson, Missouri from September 1 to 30, followed by a tour of England to promote his book, Moon River and Me. The England trip will include an appearance on Strictly Come Dancing and a show at the Royal Albert Hall. Then its back to Branson for his annual Christmas show from November 1 to December 7.

Williams told the Branson Tri-Lakes News, "I love what I’m doing. I don’t know why I would retire from something I love doing so much. When you get older, it’s easier to retire, but then what do you do? I still want to travel, see new things and sing."
Ronnie Wood will pay his estranged wife, Jo, $17.25 million to settle their divorce. The couple had been married for 23 years but split after Wood took up with a 20-year-old Russian waitress.
John Paul Young, who reached the top ten in the U.S. with the 1978 hit Love is in the Air, was inducted into the Australian Recording Academy's Hall of Fame last Thursday night. Also inducted were Mental As Anything, Richard Clapton, Trisha "Little Patti" Amphlett and Kev Carmody.
Brian McKnight of One Last Cry fame will have a syndicated weekly one-hour entertainment and talk show starting this fall with his first guest being Stevie Wonder. Look for the episode to air the week of September 21.

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Animated Film With Rare Lennon Interview Wins Daytime Emmy

A short animated film using the voice of John Lennon during his Bed-In for Peace has won the Daytime Emmy for New Approaches: Daytime Entertainment. I Met the Walrus was produced by Jerry Levitan who, as a 14-year-old, knocked on doors throughout the Toronto Hotel where the bed-in was located until he found Lennon who granted him an interview.

The film has been receiving great reviews since it was first shown in late-2007 and was nominated for Best Animated Short at last year's Academy Awards. The Emmy was given for its appearance on YouTube as part of their acknowledgment of emerging technologies in entertainment.

Also receiving the award were James Braithwaite for his pen illustrations and animations, Alex Kurina for digital illustrator and Josh Raskin as animator.


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James Brown's Live at the Garden Being Reissued in Expanded Edition

James Brown was well known for his live performances and everyone knows that Live at the Apollo is the benchmark for live albums by not only Brown but most performers. Forgotten is that Apollo was early in his career and there was a lot of great music and number of other live albums that came out over the following four decades.

One of those almost forgotten gems is his Live at the Garden, which was originally issued in late-1967. The purpose of the album was to highlight Brown's ascension to the top of his field with his headlining stint at New York's Madison Square Garden. What is little known is that the concert on the album was actually recorded at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and overdubbed with applause and the echo of an arena to make it sound like a huge venue show.

Hip-O Select is taking the recording of the show back to its original sound in the Latin Casino for the expanded version of Live at the Garden. Gone is the huge applause and echo, bringing back the small club intimacy of the original tapes.

The release includes the original album in mono for the first time in the U.S. followed by the newly restored complete show from the casino, including the full opening instrumental set with Brown conducting from the organ and a ten-minute version of Night Train. Brown's performance set is also enhanced by a number of songs that were cut from the original release, including Papa's Got a Brand New Bag and It's a Man's Man's Man's World. Finishing out the album are three takes on Let Yourself Go as recorded in the empty casino.

A 24-page booklet includes an essay by co-producer Alan Leeds on the background of the album, rare photos and a roster of the tour personnel. Release is set for September 11 with a limited edition run of 5,000 copies.

The full track list is after the cut.

  • Disc 1
    • Out Of Sight
    • Bring It Up
    • Try Me
    • Let Yourself Go
    • Hip Bag ’67
    • Prisoner Of Love
    • It May Be The Last Time
    • I Got You (I Feel Good)
    • Ain’t That A Groove (Part 1)
    • Ain’t That A Groove (Part 2)
    • Please, Please, Please
    • Bring It Up (Finale)
    • Introduction – Vonsheliah
    • The King
    • Wade In The Water
    • Devil’s Den/Get Loose/Jabo
    • Night Train
  • Disc 2
    • Introduction/Out Of Sight
    • Bring It Up
    • Try Me
    • Come Rain Or Come Shine
    • Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag
    • Prisoner Of Love
    • Maybe The Last Time
    • I Got You (I Feel Good)
    • James Brown Thank You
    • It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World
    • Ain’t That A Groove
    • Please, Please, Please
    • Bring It Up (Finale)
    • Let Yourself Go (instrumental jam)
    • Let Yourself Go (false start)
    • Let Yourself Go (extended released version)

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Saturday, August 29, 2009

Chart Watch Canada: August 27, 2009

Our weekly recap of veteran artists on the current Canadian music charts. Chart highlights:

  • Like George Strait last week, Reba McEntire has debuted high on the Canadian Album chart at number 5, but not high enough to beat Michael Jackson's Number Ones as the highest charting album by a veteran artist.
  • Neil Diamond's Hot August Night/NYC premiers on the Canadian charts at 36 while the re-release of the Rolling Stones' Jump Back: The Best of the Rollings Stones 1971-1993 premiers at 90.
  • Two albums from the Canadian Sony series Collections moves into the country top fifty. Johnny Cash's collection moves 70 to 33 while Roy Orbison's premiers at 40.
Previous week position noted in parenthesis.

Top 100 Canadian Albums

Top 100 Canadian Singles (Airplay)
  • #1 (2) - You Belong to Me - Taylor Swift
  • #2 (1) - I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
  • #3 (3) - Fire Burning - Sean Kingston
  • #4 (6) - Paparazzi - Lady Gaga
  • #5 (4) - Waking Up in Vegas - Katy Perry
  • #31 (36) - Living For the Night - George Strait
  • #35 (48) - Celebration - Madonna

The R&B, Country and Hard Rock charts are after the cut.


Top 50 Canadian R&B Albums

Top 50 Canadian Country Albums

Top 50 Canadian Hard Rock Albums

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Friday, August 28, 2009

Chart Watch America: August 28, 2009

Our weekly recap of veteran artists on the current American music charts. Chart highlights:

  • Make it three weeks in a row for country acts and two weeks for veteran country as Reba McEntire takes the top album spot with Keep on Loving You. It also debuts at 1 on the Country Album chart, giving Reba her 11th chart topper, a record for female country singers. Loretta Lynn is now in second with 10 and Dolly Parton is in third with six. Country's Sugarland was number 1 two weeks ago and George Strait last week.
  • Neil Diamond holds strong as his Hot August Night/NYC drops from 2 to 6. Between McEntire, Strait and Diamond, that makes three veteran artists in the top 10 and, if catalog albums were included, two Michael Jackson albums would also be there giving veterans 50%.
  • An new Monster Ballads set opens at number 109 while Delbert McClinton's Acquired Taste debuts at 131. It is also the number 1 Blues Album of the week and premiers at 23 on the Americana chart.
  • Michael Jackson is again number 1 on the Catalog Album chart with Number Ones. He drops to nine albums in the top 25 from eleven last week and eight of the top ten.
  • Loudon Wainwright III premiers at number 2 on the Bluegrass chart with High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project. The album contains two-CDs of music made famous in the 20's and 30's by Poole.
  • On the Club Dance Play chart, Madonna's single Celebration moves 16 to 5, most likely on its way to another number 1 in the next one to two weeks.
  • In jazz, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall debut at number 7 with their new album Anything Goes: Live. It's Alpert's first charting non-compilation album since 1999's Colors and Hall's first since 1985's Lani Hall which landed on the Latin Pop chart.
Comprehensive

Top 200 Albums

Top 100 Singles
  • #1 (1) - I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
  • #2 (2) - Party in the U.S.A. - Miley Cyrus
  • #3 (7) - Down - Jay Sean Featuring Lil Wayne
  • #4 (4) - You Belong to Me - Taylor Swift
  • #5 (3) - Run This Town - Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West
  • #61 (61) - Living for the Night - George Strait
  • #99 (R) - I Look to You - Whitney Houston

The Digital, Catalog, R&B, Blues, Country, Bluegrass, Rock, Adult Contemporary, Dance, Jazz and Americana charts are after the cut.

Top 40 Digital Songs
  • #1 (1) - Party in the U.S.A. - Miley Cyrus
  • #2 (2) - I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
  • #3 (3) - Run This Town - Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West
  • #4 (4) - Down - Jay Sean Featuring Lil Wayne
  • #5 (5) - Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
  • No Veteran Artists Charting

Top 25 Pop Catalog Albums
R&B

Top 50 R&B Albums
  • #1 (N) - Turn Me Loose - Ledisi
  • #2 (1) - BLACKSummers'night - Maxwell
  • #3 (N) - Imperial Blaze - Sean Paul
  • #4 (2) - Loso's Way (Soundtrack) - Fabolous
  • #5 (3) - I Get Around - K'Jon
  • #19 (16) - Uncle Charlie - Charlie Wilson
  • #30 (30) - Congo Square - Teena Marie
  • #32 (36) - The Stripped Mixes - Michael Jackson

Top 50 R&B Songs
  • #1 (1) - Pretty Wings - Maxwell
  • #2 (2) - Break Up - Mario Featuring Gucci Mane & Sean Garrett
  • #3 (5) - Last Chance - Ginuwine
  • #4 (3) - Successful - Drake Featuring Trey Songz
  • #5 (7) - Trust - Keyshia Cole Duet With Monica
  • #26 (23) - I Look to You - Whitney Houston
  • #30 (26) - Can't Live Without You - Charlie Wilson
  • #40 (34) - There Goes My Baby - Charlie Wilson
  • #44 (36) - Give You Up - Raphael Saadiq Featuring Stevie Wonder & CJ Hilton

Top 10 Blues Albums

Country

Top 40 Country Albums

Top 30 Country Songs
  • #1 (3) - Big Green Tractor - Jason Aldean
  • #2 (4) - Summer Nights - Rascal Flatts
  • #3 (2) - Alright - Darius Rucker
  • #4 (6) - Boots On - Randy Houser
  • #5 (7) - Living For the Night - George Strait

Top 10 Bluegrass Albums
Rock

Top 25 Rock Albums
  • #1 (N) - Ursa Major - Third Eye Blind
  • #2 (1) - Only By the Night - Kings of Leon
  • #3 (2) - Leave This Town - Daughtry
  • #4 (N) - Armistice - MuteMath
  • #5 (3) - Dark Horse - Nickelback
  • #9 (6) - Opus Collection - Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • #20 (18) - Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot (Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Chad Smith and Joe Satriani)

Top 15 Hard Rock Albums
  • #1 (1) - Dark Horse - Nickelback
  • #2 (2) - The Sound of Madness - Shinedown
  • #3 (N) - Smash the Control Machine - Otep
  • #4 (4) - Scars & Souvenirs - Theory of a Deadman
  • #5 (6) - Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot (Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Chad Smith and Joe Satriani)5

Top 25 Rock Songs
  • #1 (1) - New Divide - Linkin Park
  • #2 (3) - The Fixer - Pearl Jam
  • #3 (2) - Sound of Madness - Shinedown
  • #4 (4) - Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
  • #5 (26) - Check My Brain - Alice in Chains
  • No Veteran Artists Charting
Adult Contemporary

Top 15 Adult Contemporary Tracks
  • #1 (1) - The Climb - Miley Cyrus
  • #2 (2) - I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
  • #3 (3) - You Found Me - The Fray
  • #4 (4) - Love Story - Taylor Swift
  • #5 (5) - Come on Get Higher - Matt Nathanson
  • No Veteran Artists Charting
Dance

Top 25 Dance Club Play
  • #1 (2) - Be Alright - Kristine W
  • #2 (4) - Sweet Dreams - Beyonce
  • #3 (6) - Goodbye - Christina DeBarge
  • #4 (7) - Bulletproof - LaRoux
  • #5 (16) - Celebration - Madonna
  • #13 (5) - Money's Too Tight to Mention 2009 - Simply Red

Top 15 Dance/Electronic Albums
  • #1 (1) - The Fame - Lady Gaga
  • #2 (N) - Hello Fascination - Breathe Carolina
  • #3 (2) - Want - 3OH!3
  • #4 (3) - Ocean Eyes - Owl City
  • #5 (4) - Party Rock - LMFAO
  • #9 (7) - Sounds of the Universe - Depeche Mode
Jazz

Top 25 Jazz Albums
Source for all above charts: Billboard
Americana

Americana Music Association Top 40 Airplay
Source: Americana Music Association

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Experience Hendrix and Sony Sign Major Deal

Experience Hendrix L.L.C. and Sony Music Entertainment have signed a major deal to bring the music of Jimi Hendrix, both catalog and new, to all forms of media.

Included in the deal is:

  • The reissue of Hendrix' catalog in deluxe editions (Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold As Love, Electric Ladyland, Band of Gypsies)
  • Reissues of compilations produced by Experience Hendrix
  • Filmed concerts.
  • Releases from Dagger Records, Experience Hendrix' "official bootleg" label for Hendrix recordings of significant interest.
  • The yearly Experience Hendrix tours
  • Other Hendrix-related business
The deal covers both physical product and digital services.

"Jimi's legacy and vision were unique and there will never be another that reaches his unparalleled genius. He was the greatest guitarist ever," said Janie Hendrix, President and CEO of Experience Hendrix. "We are confident that our new relationship with Sony Music will honor my beloved brother's legacy and will deliver Jimi's special 'Message Of Love' across the globe. We look forward to the creative partnership and ground breaking releases that this new relationship will engender to bring Jimi's music to successive generations of fans."

"No artist has ever transformed the pop music landscape as profoundly or as permanently as Jimi Hendrix," said Adam Block, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Legacy Recordings. "We are proud to be partnering with Experience Hendrix, keeping the sound and spirit of Jimi's music alive for future generations around the world."

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Los Angeles Coroner's Office Official Statement On Michael Jackson

The Los Angeles Coroner's Office has released a statement confirming that Michael Jackson died of high levels of Propofol along with other drugs that suppress the bodies function. The final coroner's report was not issued pending further investigation by the L.A. police and district attourney who may choose to file criminal charges, including possible manslaughter against Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray.

Drugs named in the statement included Propofol and Midazolam, both used during surgeries to make people drowsy but not unconscious, Diazepam (generic for Valium), used for anxiety, Lidocaine, a painkiller, and ephedrine, a stimulant often found in diet drugs.

The following is the coroner's statement:

Earlier this month, the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner completed its investigation into the death of Michael Joseph Jackson, age 50, who died on June 25, 2009.

The cause of death was established as:

—ACUTE PROPOFOL INTOXICATION

—OTHER CONDITIONS CONTRIBUTING TO DEATH: BENZODIAZEPINE EFFECT

The manner of death has been ruled: HOMICIDE

The drugs Propofol and Lorazepam were found to be the primary drugs responsible for Mr. Jackson's death. Other drugs detected were: Midazolam, Diazepam, Lidocaine and Ephedrine.

The final coroner's report, including the complete toxicology report will remain on security hold at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney. In accordance with this request, the Department of Coroner will not comment on its completed investigation.

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at 5:58 PM , 1 comments
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Costello's Spectacle to Return for Second Season, DVD; Madness Spends 30th on Regent Street, more

Elvis Costello's fantastic Sundance Channel series Spectacle has been renewed for a second season. The show, which featured Costello and a guest talking and playing music for an hour, stood out among all of the talkers on TV by some of the off-beat and deep subjects that were discussed.

An article in Canada's Globe and Mail also stated that the first season of the series would be released on DVD with extended versions of the episodes.

Madness will mark their 30th anniversary by playing a free show on September 27 on London's Regent Street. The "good seats" will be limited to 1,500; however, those without tickets will be able to watch in the vicinity on large screens.

The entire street will be shut down for eight hours to accomodate not only Madness' show but a number of guest artists.
The documentary Gerry & the Pacemakers: It's Gonna Be All Right 1963-1965 premiered Wednesday night at the Hard Day's Night Hotel in Liverpool. The 95 minute film includes 17 performances from the period, 15 of which are complete, along with interviews with lead Gerry Marsden and Bill Harry who founded Mersey Beat magazine. A DVD of the film will be released in Britain on September 7 (no word on a U.S. release) and will include Marsden returning to the Caravan Club earlier this year to perform Ferry Cross the Mercy, an additional interview with Harry and the complete performances of the songs without the narration from the film.
Also getting a documentary release on DVD is Joan Baez whose Sing Me Home will be released in the U.S. on October 13. Included is archive footage from the 1959 Newport Folk Festival, her 1972 trip to Hanoi and new performances from her 2008/09 world tour. She will also be seen in conversations with Bob Dylan, David Crosby, Steve Earle and the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
If you haven't already read one of the many biographies on Johnny Cash or would just like to see the story in a different form, Abrams ComicArts will release a graphic novel (for those not familiar with the phrase, this is a long form, book length comic) of his life in November called Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness. The book is already available in Europe.
Roseanne Cash will be the subject of this year's Americana Music Festival and Conference's Keynote Interview. Asking the questions will be Michael Streissguth who recently wrote a book on Cash and her father's "List" of songs that was used to choose the titles for her latest album (coincidentally called The List).
When David Foster does a short tour from October 21 to November 8, he's bringing along a few friends to help perform his large catalog. Those "friends" include Earth, Wind and Fire's Philip Bailey, Peter Cetera, Charice and American Idol's Michael Johns. Foster also says don't be surprised if a few of his other friends who he's produced or written for show up at a few of the shows, which is quite a long list of possibilities.

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Berle Adams, Co-Founder of Mercury and UNI Records, Passes Away at 92

Music and TV executive Berle Adams passed away Tuesday in Los Angles at the age of 92. Not a name known by the masses, his long tenure in the industry touched genres as far reaching as big band to British rock.

Adams started out as a small time band booker while he was still in his teens leading up to his first big break when he met Louis Jordan in May 1941 at the age of 24. Through his experience and contacts, he was able to move Jordan and his group from small clubs to major dates across the nation throughout the 40's. Berle also singed on a number of singers for the group that would go on to successful careers such as Dinah Washington, Ruth Brown, Sarah Vaughn and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

In 1945, Adams joined with Irving Green, Ray Greenberg and Art Talmadge to form the Mercury Radio and Television Company which would eventually include Mercury Records. The label would sign Washington, Erroll Garner, Tony Martin and, in 1947, issued Frankie Laine's first number one record, That's My Desire. Laine would go on to record a series of huge hits for the label.

After moving west, Adams was signed by Lew Wasserman to MCA where he would stay until 1971. He was in charge of booking talent on the fledgling television networks which lead to his partnering with Ralph Edwards to help create TV hits like This is Your Life and Queen for a Day. He also signed Tennessee Ernie Ford and Bob Newhart to MCA for recording and TV series.

During the first half of the 60's, Adams was the MCA agent for talent like Jack Benny, Rosemary Clooney, Eddie Fisher, Alfred Hitchcock and Andy Williams. Later in the decade, he made a major impact on popular music when he formed a new label under the MCA umbrella called UNI Records. Berle signed artists including the Who, Neil Diamond, Olivia Newton-John, Elton John and many more to the label, giving them many major hits through the early 70's when the label was absorbed by MCA.

Adams left MCA in 1971, but not before striking a major deal for their Decca label in the U.K. by signing a young Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice to MCA to make the original recording of Jesus Christ Superstar.

For the balance of his career, Adams worked for his own BAC, Inc. distributing TV specials for artists like Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton and Cher. He was also the sole distributor of the Emmy Awards to foreign markets for 24 years.

Adams is survived by a son and daughter, four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

. He was also responsible for signing Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice to MCA to make the original recording of Jesus Christ Superstar. He spent much of the rest of his career in TV production, including TV specials for everyone from Diamond to Dolly Parton to Cher and was the international distributor for the Emmys for 24 years.

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at 1:46 AM , 0 comments

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Townshend Writing New Musical, Tyler Says He Wasn't Drunk, more

Pete Townshend is hard at work on a new musical called Floss about growing old. The aim is to have the show ready for concert premier in 2011; however, some songs may end up on a planned release next year for the Who.

On the group's website, Townshend wrote "As a 19-year-old, with My Generation, I wrote the most explicitly ageist song in rock. At 64, I now want to take on aging and mortality, using the powerfully angry context of rock'n'roll.

"Floss is an ambitious new project for me, in the style of Tommy and Quadrophenia. In this case the songs are interspersed with surround-sound 'soundscapes' featuring complex sound-effects and musical montages."

Steven Tyler told Rolling Stone that he was not drunk when he fell from the stage and broke his shoulder. Still, he isn't totally sure what happened, blaming it on a slippery stage from constant rain and the chance his knee or ankle buckled.
Charlie Sexton is rejoining Bob Dylan's touring band starting with the fall tour and continuing into the foreseeable future. He will also continue working with his group Arc Angels with Doyle Bramhill II and Chris Layton.
Paul Simon will do the voice for the late Thurman Munson of the New York Yankees in the new animated film Henry and Me. The film, premiering at next year's Tribecca Film Festival, also features the voices of Richard Gere, Chaz Palminteri (Babe Ruth), Lucie Arnez, Jose Feliciano and a host of current and former Yankees including Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, Goose Gossage, Bernie Williams and Mariano Rivera.
The Dillards will be inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Hall of Fame during their October 1 awards show. The group has recorded numerous albums since their 1963 debut, Back Porch Blue Grass. They made a number of appearances on The Andy Griffith Show as The Darlins and brought bluegrass music to network TV.

The members of the group have branched out often over the years, including Doug Dillard's collaboration with Gene Clark of the Byrds in Dillard & Clark. His banjo playing can also be heard in films like Vanishing Point, Bonnie & Clyde and Bound for Glory.
This year's top selling album as of today? Michael Jackson's 2003 compilation Number Ones. The album has sold 1,619,000 copies, recently passing Taylor Swift's Fearless.

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Mojo Magazine Lists Their Picks for the 20 Greatest Beatles Songs

Britain's Mojo Magazine have announced their picks for the 20 greatest songs by the Beatles. For this particular list, though, they didn't just rely on their editors and people around the office. They brought in a whole group of musicians to provide their opinions and a little commentary on each song (for the whole list go to the Mojo website).

Included in the expert panel are Ozzy Osbourne, Tom Petty, David Crosby, Phil Collins, Roger McGuinn, Jackie DeShannon, Bettye LaVette, Roy Harper, John Cale, Paul Weller, Neil Innes of the Bonzo Dog Band and the Ruttles, Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, Chris Difford of Squeeze, Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks, Tori Amos, Tom Rowlands of the Chemical Brothers, Danger Mouse, Win Butler of Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens.

Also in the latest edition of Mojo is a CD, Abbey Road Now! with numerous veteran and modern artists covering every song from the album. Among the veterans are Robyn Hitchcock on I Want You (She's So Heavy) and Charlie Dore doing Here Comes the Sun.

Here's Mojo's list:

  1. A Day in the Life
  2. Strawberry Fields Forever
  3. Yesterday
  4. Tomorrow Never Knows
  5. Something
  6. In My Life
  7. Happiness is a Warm Gun
  8. Penny Lane
  9. She Loves You
  10. A Hard Day's Night
  11. Eleanor Rigby
  12. Come Together
  13. Hey Jude
  14. I Want to Hold Your Hand
  15. With a Little Help From My Friends
  16. Revolution
  17. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
  18. Can't Buy Me Love
  19. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
  20. Rain

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Elle Greenwich (1940 - 2009)

Elle Greenwich, one of the great songwriters of the Rock era, passed away earlier today in a New York hospital at the age of 68. She had been admitted to St. Luke's Hospital a few days ago for pneumonia and died from a heart attack.

In her long career, first writing with then-husband Jeff Berry out of the Brill Building in New York and later on her own, Greenwich songs have earned 25 gold and platinum records and 33 BMI awards. She was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 1991.

Greenwich actually broke into music recording under the name of Ellie Gaye. While none of her records were hits, her work in the industry did lead to a party in 1962 where she met Jeff Berry who would become her writing partner and spouse.

Before the pair became partners, Greenwich went for an interview in the Brill Building where she met Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoeller. The experienced duo recognized Greenwich's raw talent and started to mentor her. She was paired with a number of songwriters in the building but had her biggest early successes with Tony Powers and Phil Spector, with whom she wrote (Today I Met) the Boy I'm Gonna Marry for Darlene Love and Why Do Lovers Break Each Others' Hearts for Bob B. Soxx and Blue Jeans.

Greenwich and Barry were married in October 1962 and became permanent writing partners. Their work with Phil Spector made them the go-to writers for many of his Philles label's biggest hits, including Da Doo Ron Ron, Be My Baby, Baby I Love You, And Then He Kissed Me and River Deep Mountain High.

As if the writing wasn't consuming much of their time, Greenwich was the Demo Queen of New York, singing on tapes of new songs that were circulated to recording artists. From the Demo work sprang the Raindrops (The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget) with Barry on piano and Greenwich singing all of the vocal tracks.

In 1964, Greenwich and Barry went with Leiber and Stoller to their new Red Bird label as producers and writers. The labels first major hit was Chapel of Love which they wrote with Spector for the Ronettes. The partners also had hits with groups outside of the label with such songs as Do Wah Diddy Diddy and Hanky Panky.

By 1966, the strains of the music business had taken a toll on the couple's marriage and, by the end of the year, they were separated. They did share one last enterprise in Neil Diamond, who Greenwich discovered and helped get a start in the business. Barry and Greenwich produced and Elle sang on many of his early Bang recordings, including Cherry Cherry and Kentucky Woman.

In 1967, Greenwich joined in a partnership with Mike Rashkow with which she wrote and produced music for artists like Dusty Springfield and recorded her first solo album, Ellie Greenwich Composes, Produces and Sings. Over the next few years, she would continue to write, do studio work as a backup singer and form a company to record advertising jingles.

Throughout the 70's and early-80's, Elle wrote with a number of partners, producing hits such as Keep It Confidential for Nona Hendrix and Sunshine After the Rain for Elkie Brooks. Her work with Hendrix and long-time collaborator Ellen Foley lead to her gathering her catalog into the Broadway show Leader of the Pack which went on to win the New York Music Critics' award for Best Broadway Musical.

After the cut is a list of some of Greenwich's biggest hits.

Composed:

  • And Then He Kissed Me (Crystals)
  • Baby I Love You (Ronettes, Andy Kim)
  • Be My Baby (Ronettes, Andy Kim)
  • Chapel of Love (Dixie Cups)
  • Christmas Baby (Please Come Home) (Darlene Love, Mariah Carey)
  • Da Doo Ron Ron (Crystals, Shaun Cassidy)
  • Do Wah Diddy Diddy (Manfred Mann)
  • Hanky Panky (Tommy James & the Shondells)
  • I Can Hear Music (Beach Boys)
  • Leader of the Pack (Shangri-Las)
  • Maybe I Know (Leslie Gore)
  • People Say (Dixie Cups)
  • River Deep, Mountain High (Ike & Tina Turner, Supremes & Four Tops)
  • The Sunshine After the Rain (Elkie Brooks)
  • Take Me Home Tonight (Eddie Money with Ronnie Spector)
  • (Today I Met) the Boy I'm Gonna Marry (Darlene Love)
  • Wait 'Til My Bobby Gets Home (Darlene Love)
  • Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart? (Bob B. Soxx & Blue Jeans)
Produced:
  • Cherry Cherry - Neil Diamond
  • I Got a Feeling - Neil Diamond
  • Kentucky Woman - Neil Diamond
  • Shilo - Neil Diamond
  • Solitary Man - Neil Diamond
  • Thank the Lord for the Nighttime - Neil Diamond
Singing and Arranging:
  • Lady Soul (album), Chain of Fools (single) - Aretha Franklin
  • You Don't Mess Around With Jim, Life & Times, I Got a Name (albums) - Jim Croce
  • She's So Unusual, True Colors (albums), Girls Just Want to Have Fun (single) - Cyndi Lauper
  • Eat to the Beat (album), Dreamin' (single) - Blondie
  • Evil Woman (single) - Electric Light Orchestra
  • Baby I'm Gonna Make You Mine (single) - Lou Christie
  • Baby I Love You (single) - Andy Kim
  • The Lion Sleeps Tonight (single) - Robert John
  • Rescue (album) - Clarence Clemmons

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at 5:11 PM , 1 comments
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