Chart Watch Australia: August 30, 2010

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

• Iron Maiden drops 2 to 5 in its second week on the Australian Album chart with The Final Frontier. 

Previous week position noted in parenthesis. (N) indicates new entry. (R) indicates re-entry.

Top 50 Albums

• #1 (1) - Recovery - Eminem
• #2 (N) - From the Inside Out - Stan Walker
• #3 (3) - Running on Air - Bliss N Eso
• #4 (4) - Lungs - Florence + the Machine
• #5 (2) - The Final Frontier - Iron Maiden
• #26 (26) - Greatest Hits - Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band
• #47 (36) - Essential - Michael Jackson

Top 50 Singles

• #1 (2) - Dynamite - Taio Cruz
• #2 (1) - Love the Way You Lie - Eminem Featuring Rihanna
• #3 (3) - Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
• #4 (4) - Club Can't Handle Me - Flo Rida Featuring David Guetta
• #5 (6) - DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love - Usher Featuring Pitbull
• No Veteran Artists Charting

The Urban/R&B and Country charts are after the cut.

Read More...

Read more...

CMA Announces First Nominees for Their 44th Annual Awards

For some reason, the Country Music Association decided this year to announce their nominees over two days instead of one.  While this might make sense for something like the Grammys, which has over 100 categories, the CMA only has twelve (plus a few for broadcasting).

The first seven categories were announced earlier today by Justin Moore and Chris Young at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and they showed that country music is certainly leaning towards their younger stars.  Miranda Lambert received five nominations, including two each in the Single and Video of the Year categories and one for songwriting.  She has a chance in three more categories tomorrow (Collaboration, Female Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year).  Lady Antebellum followed with four nods.

As far as veteran artists, the only category where they received nominations was for Musician of the Year, but they did well getting all five nominations.  Reba McEntire should receive at least a Female Vocalist nomination tomorrow while George Strait has an outside chance at Male Vocalist or Entertainer of the Year.

The final five categories will be announced tomorrow by Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley on ABC's Good Morning America.  The awards ceremony is November 10 and will be hosted for the third year in a row by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.

The nominations in the seven categories announced today:

Single of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))

• A Little More Country Than That - Easton Corbin - Produced by Carson Chamberlain
• Hillbilly Bone - Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins - Produced by Scott Hendricks
• Need You Now - Lady Antebellum - Produced by Paul Worley and Lady Antebellum
• The House That Built Me - Miranda Lambert - Produced by Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke
• White Liar - Miranda Lambert - Produced by Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke

Song of the Year (Award goes to Songwriter(s))

• A Little More Country Than That - Rory Lee Feek, Don Poythress, and Wynn Varble
• Need You Now - Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, and Josh Kear
• The House That Built Me - Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin
• Toes - Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, John Driskell Hopkins, and Shawn Mullins
• White Liar - Miranda Lambert and Natalie Hemby

Vocal Group of the Year

• Lady Antebellum
• Little Big Town
• Rascal Flatts
• The Band Perry
• Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo of the Year

• Brooks & Dunn
• Joey + Rory
• Montgomery Gentry
• Steel Magnolia
• Sugarland

New Artist of the Year

• Luke Bryan
• Easton Corbin
• Jerrod Niemann
• Chris Young
• Zac Brown Band

Music Video of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Director)

• Hillbilly Bone - Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins - Directed by Roman White
• Need You Now - Lady Antebellum - Directed by David McClister
• The House That Built Me - Miranda Lambert - Directed by Trey Fanjoy
• Water - Brad Paisley - Directed by Jim Shea
• White Liar - Miranda Lambert - Directed by Chris Hicky

Musician of the Year

• Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
• Dann Huff – Guitar
• Brent Mason – Guitar
• Mac McAnally – Guitar
• Randy Scruggs – Guitar

Read more...

Paul Davis, Steve Cropper, Pat Alger and (Would You Beleive) Stephen Foster Named to Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame

The Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame announced their inductees for their 40th Anniversary Dinner and Induction Ceremony.  The writers will be honored on Sunday, October 17.

The new members are (with biographical information courtesy of the Hall):

• Pat Alger was born in Long Island City, N.Y., but was raised in his mother’s birthplace of LaGrange, Ga.  While in college in the ’60s, Pat started writing songs and performing at Atlanta folk clubs.  Moving to Woodstock, N.Y. in the ’70s, he made three albums with the Woodstock Mountain Revue for Rounder Records and a duet album with guitarist Artie Traum.  Pat had his first hit with Folk-Pop artist Livingston Taylor (First Time Love) in 1980, then decided to move to Nashville.  Slowly, established artists like Mickey Gilley, Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee and the Everly Brothers began to record his material, followed by new artists like Kathy Mattea (Goin’ Gone and She Came From Fort Worth), Nanci Griffith (Lone Star State Of Mind) and Hal Ketchum (Small Town Saturday Night).  Pat’s songwriting collaborations with Garth Brooks yielded four #1 records for him (The Thunder Rolls, Unanswered Prayers, What She’s Doing Now and That Summer), as well as the Trisha Yearwood hit Like We Never Had A Broken Heart.  In 1991, Pat was named NSAI Songwriter of the Year. In 1992, he was ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year. 

• Rising to prominence in the studios of Memphis, Missouri native Steve Cropper’s first successes were instrumentals he wrote for his bands The Mar-Keys and Booker T. & The MGs.  Steve became the “house” guitarist at Stax Records and was soon contributing to hits by Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, Rufus Thomas, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding.  Steve’s classics include (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay, In The Midnight Hour, Green Onions, Knock on Wood, See Saw, 634-5789 (Soulsville, USA) and Time Is Tight.  These were all Pop and R&B hits that have been frequently covered by Nashville artists.  In the 1970s, Steve recorded and toured with Levon Helm and The Blues Brothers.  He moved to Nashville in 1988.  Along with the other MGs, he was inducted into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.  In 2008, he teamed up with fellow Nashvillian Felix Cavaliere to record Nudge It Up a Notch, which was nominated for a Grammy and consists of recent songs the two co-wrote.

• The late Paul Davis (1948-2008) was a native of Meridian, Miss. who achieved fame both as a hit vocalist and a hit songwriter.  Beginning his career as an R&B songwriter in Jackson, Miss. at Malaco Records, Paul was later discovered by producer/songwriter Bert Berns and signed as an artist to Berns’ Bang Records in 1969.  Between 1970 and 1982, Paul had a string of self-penned hits that fared particularly well on the Adult Contemporary charts:  I Go Crazy, Sweet Life and Do Right.  Signing with Arista Records in 1981, his successes continued with Cool Night and ’65 Love Affair.  In 1984, Paul decided to pursue songwriting full-time in Nashville, where he scored hits with Dan Seals (Bop and Meet Me In Montana [duet with Marie Osmond]), Tanya Tucker (Love Me Like You Used To and Down To My Last Teardrop) and Lorrie Morgan (Back In Your Arms Again).  Though not a prolific writer, a strikingly high percentage of Paul’s songs became enormously successful throughout the 1980s and 1990s.  He died suddenly of a heart attack on April 22, 2008, the day after his 60th birthday.

• Nashville’s songwriters trace their professional lineage back to Stephen Foster (1826-1864), widely regarded as America’s first professional songwriter.  Though most of his songs were no doubt composed during the last two decades of his 38-year life, Foster’s copyrights continue to endure nearly 150 years after his death – national standards such as Beautiful Dreamer, Camptown Races, Hard Times Come Again No More, Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair, My Old Kentucky Home, Oh! Susanna and Old Folks At Home, perhaps better known as Way Down Upon The Swanee River.  Two of his songs have been named official state songs -- My Old Kentucky Home for Kentucky; Old Folks At Home for Florida. 
  
  Foster not only struggled to support his family by writing songs as a vocation, he established the very idea that writing songs full-time could be a vocation.  Foster sold his early songs outright for a few dollars apiece.  Once he was established as a songwriter, the Pennsylvania native was able to bargain for what are known as royalties today, payment for the sale of each piece of sheet music.  This marked a turning point for songwriters, which was later cemented with the passage of the 1909 copyright law.
   
  Though Foster died before the end of the Civil War with a scrap of lyric and fewer than 50 cents in his pocket, his songs have been covered by a Who’s Who of music legends, among them The Beatles, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, even Spike Jones.  Nashville particularly has been well represented in Foster’s catalogue thanks to numerous recordings from luminaries such as Chet Atkins, Gene Autry, David Ball, Suzy Bogguss, Johnny Cash, Floyd Cramer, Crystal Gayle, Don Gibson, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Grandpa Jones, Alison Krauss, Jerry Lee Lewis, Raul Malo, Roy Orbison, John Prine, Charlie Rich, Marty Robbins, Hank Snow, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Sons of the Pioneers, Porter Wagoner and Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. 

Roger Murrah, chairman of the Hall, said "Pat, Steve, Paul and certainly Mr. Foster have all written remarkable songs that we’ve lived our lives by through the years, and all of them are so deserving as Hall of Fame inductees.  Stephen Foster was writing songs before we even had genres."

Read more...

BBC2 Counts Down the Biggest Selling Records in British History

On Monday, a Bank Holiday in Britain, BBC 2 host Tony Blackburn played back the 100 biggest selling singles ever in the U.K.  In the case of this survey, prepared by the Official Chart Company, "ever" is November 1952 to August 7, 2010. 

Topping the list was Elton John's rerecorded version of Candle in the Wind, released after his performance at the funeral of Princess Diana.  It is generally regarded as the biggest selling single in history worldwide.  Second was Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas and third was Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.

The top 50 from the list:

1. Candle in the Wind (1997)/Something In the Way You Look Tonight - Elton John
2. Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid
3. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
4. Mull of Kintyre/Girls School - Wings
5. Rivers of Babylon/Brown Girl in the Ring - Boney M
6. You're the One That I Want - John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
7. Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
8. She Loves You - Beatles
9. Mary's Boy Child - Boney M
10. Unchained Melody/(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover - Robson & Jerome
11. Love is All Around - Wet Wet Wet
12. I Just Called to Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
13. Anything is Possible/Evergreen - Will Young
14. Barbie Girl - Aqua
15. I Want to Hold Your Hand - Beatles
16. Believe - Cher
17. Everything I Do, I Do It For You - Bryan Adams
18. Everything She Wants/Last Christmas - Wham!
19. Summer Nights - John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
20. Two Tribes - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
21. Imagine - John Lennon
22. Perfect Day - Various Artists (Charity Record for Children in Need)
23. Tears - Ken Dodd
24. Can't Buy Me Love - Beatles
25. Don't You Want Me - Human League
26. Baby, One More Time - Britney Spears
27. Three Lions - Baddiel, Skinner & the Lightning Seeds
28. I'll Be Missing You - Puff Daddy & Faith Evans (Featuring 112)
29. I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
30. Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
31. YMCA - Village People
32. Careless Whisper - Wham!
33. My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
34. Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley & the Comets
35. I Feel Fine - Beatles
36. The Carnival is Over - Seekers
37. Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out - Beatles
38. Release Me - Engelbert Humperdinck
39. The Power of Love - Jennifer Rush
40. Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio
41. Unchained Melody - Gareth Gates
42. Killing Me Softly - Fugees
43. Wannabe - Spice Girls
44. Think Twice - Celine Dion
45. Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
46. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
47. It's Now or Never - Elvis Presley
48. Heart of Glass - Blondie
49. Diana - Paul Anka
50. Tainted Love - Soft Cell

Read more...

New Releases By Veteran Artists for August 31, 2010

The complete list of new releases is after the cut.

Read More...

Read more...

Preview - All Over the Place/Different Light Expanded Editions - Bangles

Artist: Bangles
Title: All Over the Place/Different Light Expanded Editions  
Release Date: September 20, 2010 (U.K.), September 28, 2010 (U.S. availability from Amazon)
Label: Cherry Pop
Format(s): CD (All Over the Place)/2-CDs (Different Light)


The U.K.'s Cherry Pop are releasing expanded editions of the first two Bangles albums, All Over the Place and Different Light.

All Over the Place was released in 1984 and reached number 80 on the U.S. Album chart.  Included were their first two singles Going Down to Liverpool and Hero Takes the Fall.  The extended edition contains one bonus track, a cover of the Grass Roots' Where Were You When I Needed You which was originally released as the B-Side of Hero.


Different Light is the album that really broke the group both in the U.S., where it reached number 2, and the U.K., where it peaked at 3.  The album contained the hits Manic Monday (#2 U.S. Pop/#10 U.S. Adult Contemporary/#2 U.K. Singles), Walk Like an Egyptian (#1 U.S. Pop/#3 U.K. Singles) and If She Knew What She Wants (#29 U.S. Pop/#24 U.S. Adult Contemporary/#31 U.K. Singles).

Cherry Pop has added eight bonus tracks to the album on a second CD, including B-sides and remixes.

Track List:

All Over the Place

• Hero Takes a Fall
• Live
• James
• All About You
• Dover Beach
• Tell Me
• Restless
• Going Down to Liverpool
• He's Got a Secret
• Silent Treatment
• More Than Meets the Eye
• Where Were You When I Needed You?

Different Light

Disc 1

• Manic Monday
• In a Different Light
• Walking Down Your Street
• Walk Like an Egyptian
• Standing in Your Hallway
• Return Post
• If She Knew What She Wants
• Let It Go
• September Gurls
• Angels Don't Fall in Love
• Following
• Not Like You

Disc 2

• Manic Monday (Extended)
• Hero Takes a Fall (Remix)
• Walking Down Your Street/James (Live Medley)
• Walk Like an Egyptian (Dub Version)
• Walking Down Your Street (Remix)
• If She Knew What She Wants
• Walk Like an Egyptian (a cappella)
• Bangles Hit Medley Mix

Read more...

Video: Eric Clapton Talks About His Upcoming Album

This is a promo pieces called Clapton on Clapton issued to highlight the singer/guitarist's upcoming album.

Kindle users can see the video by pointing their browsers to http://ow.ly/2x2qF.

Read more...

The Passing of the Blues Brothers' Torch

It was 32-years ago that the Blues Brothers, Jake and Elwood Blues played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, made their debut on Saturday Night Live.  Soon, there were albums, hit singles and tours with the two actors and a band made up of some of R&B's best session men.  Soul Man made it to number 14 in 1979 and Gimme Some Lovin' to 18 in 1980 while their album Briefcase Full of Blues hit number 1.

Of course, there was also The Blues Brothers movie which was a huge hit and, even though it is filled with car crashes and other action scenes, has been named by the Vatican newspaper as one of the great movies for Catholics.

All that came to an end in 1982 with the death of Belushi.  Akyroyd has kept the legend going with guest stars, a new movie (Blues Brothers 2000) and his syndicated radio show which he hosts in his Blues Brother character.

Now, Akyroyd, Judy Belushi and the Belushi Estate have decided that the torch should be passed to a new generation.  They have announced that actors Wayne Catania and Kieron Lafferty will take over the characters of Jake and Elwood.  It isn't the first time they have done the parts.  The two actors perfected their impersonations while staring in Legends in Concert and, in 2004, auditioned for Judy Belushi for her production of The Official Blues Brothers Revival.

Belushi said, "We learned that day how hard it is to do what John and Dan did…some looked the part but nobody had the whole package until Kieron and Wayne arrived."

Catania and Lafferty as The Blues Brothers

The pair played in the show for five months and have been in contact with Belushi ever since.  They are currently in a touring company of the show that now combines the legend of the Blues Brothers with "the rich history of gospel and blues music."

Belushi and Akyroyd have also been working together on further ways to develop the franchise and are developing a possible TV series.  Belushi has been working with Saturday Night Live writer Anne Beatts on the pilot for the project.

"What this has done has reminded me what great characters the Blues Brothers are," Belushi says. "They are great American characters. People tend to think of them as John and Dan. They were the first actors to do it but they won’t be the last. When you see Kieran and Wayne you will see how they embody those characters and make them work. There is a spirit of Blues Brothers. It is an umbrella for the Blues."

Read more...

Faces Block London Tribute Show to Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake

The Faces are just starting to play together again as themselves so, evidently, they have no interest in letting others play their music, no matter who they are.  The group has blocked a performance of their album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake that was scheduled for London in October.  Those scheduled to perform included Midge Ure (Ultravox), David Essex and Suggs (Madness).

Keyboardist Ian McLaggan posted on his official site "The show has been cancelled by Ian McLagan, Kenney Jones, the Trust for Steve Marriott, the trust for Ronnie Lane, and the Small Faces Charitable Trust. John Hellier and Mark Cunningham organised and promoted this show without consulting us."

Hellier, one of the producers for the show, posted on his MySpace (Wapping Wharf) page:

Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan issued myself, fellow producer Mark Cunningham and promoters CMP with a very nasty legal threat that if we didn’t cancel the event we would be sued in court. After having taken legal advice it turns out this was a bluff. They knew and were consulted with regards plans for the show but permission was not asked for as permission does not need to be asked for. Those songs are played in pubs and clubs throughout the country every night of the week and as long as a PRS fee is paid all is above board. 

But it was a bluff serious enough to frighten away the Promoter. We could have ignored the threat and continued but CMP, the guys that were putting the money up for the show, didn’t fancy the fight and told us that they would only proceed with the blessing of the remaining members of the band. We thought we had that up until a few weeks ago! The timing of the cancellation was awful, tickets had been on sale for over two months and of course, all those fans that bought tickets would now have to be refunded but many had also booked flights/hotels etc and may possibly end up losing out financially. The REAL reason for cancellation is not yet known but I have my own thoughts on the matter and have a gut feeling that Mr Harvey Goldsmith is involved somewhere. I may be wrong but isn’t it just possible that they thought the idea was just too good for anybody else to do it. Perhaps when the ridiculous Mick Hucknall and the Faces tour peters out they’ll announce Ogden’s at Wembley Stadium! Only a hunch but if that happened I know a few people that wouldn’t be there.

The following was also posted on the page (click on the graphic for a full size clearer copy):

Read more...

Set List: The Dukes of September (Donald Fagan, Michael McDonald & Boz Scaggs)

Donald Fagan, Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs are out on the road this month with their tour as The Dukes of September.  Modeled after the New York Rock and Soul Review shows of the early-90's,  the three take turns singing a couple of their classics along with a bunch of music from other rock and R&B artists.

While the 90's version skewed more towards R&B, this one has quite a bit of blues and rock from Muddy Waters to the Grateful Dead and a three song mini-set in the middle of the show with each singer taking on a song from the Band.  Each offered their own recordings, too, with Fagan doing two from The Nightfly and one Steely Dan, McDonald doing one solo hit and two from the Doobie Brothers era and Scaggs picking hits from the 70's and 80's.

Here's the set list from their August 20 show at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, NJ with notation of original artists:

• Intro: Sookie Sookie (Don Covay)
• Heighty Hi (Lee Michaels)
• Don't Mess Up A Good Thing (Fontella Bass & Bobby McClure)
• Shakedown Street (Grateful Dead)
• You Never Can Tell (Chuck Berry)
• I Got News For You (Ray Charles)
• Green Flower Street (Donald Fagan)
• Miss Sun (Boz Scaggs)
• I Keep Forgettin' (Michael McDonald)
• Rock Steady (Aretha Franklin)
• Caledonia Mission (Band)
• Rag Mama Rag (Band)
• The Shape I'm In (Band)
• Love T.K.O. (Teddy Pendergrass)
• Cadillac Walk (Mink DeVille)
• I.G.Y. (Donald Fagan)
• What A Fool Believes (Michael McDonald)
• I Love The Life I Live (Muddy Waters)
• Lowdown (Boz Scaggs)
• Takin' It To The Streets (Michael McDonald)
• Reelin' In The Years (Donald Fagan)
• Love Train (O'Jays)
• Help Me Rhonda (Beach Boys)
• Them Changes (Buddy Miles)
• Outro: Sookie Sookie

Read more...

Chart Watch America: Chart of September 4, 2010

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

• Iron Maiden put in a great showing in the U.S. as The Final Frontier debuts at 4 on the Album, 2 on the Rock Albums and 1 on the Hard Rock Albums charts.  That is their best ever showing on the Album chart with 2006's A Matter of Life and Death being their previous high, peaking at 9.
• John Mellencamp's No Better Than This premiers at number 10 on the Albums and 5 on the Rock Albums charts.   That gives him ten top ten albums in his career.  His last album, Love Death Love and Freedom, premiered at 7.
• Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin debuts at 26 on the Albums and at number 1 on the Jazz Albums charts.  This is his first appearance on the Jazz rankings.
• Cat Stevens scores his highest charting album since 1979 with the Starbucks exclusive Opus Collection: A Journey.  It opens at 38 on the Albums, 3 on the Folk Albums and 14 on the Rock Albums charts.  You would have to go back to 1979's Back To Earth, which peaked at 31, to find one of his albums that charted better. 
• At number 81 is another Starbucks exclusive, Let's Go: That Rockabilly Rhythm.  The album includes songs from a wide variety of Rockabilly artists including Sonny Burgess, Wanda Jackson, the Blasters and Carl Perkins along with Rockabilly sounds from Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, the Everly Brothers, Dave Edmunds and more.
• New on the Americana chart is The Studio B Sessions by Marty Stuart (14) and the yet to be released Band of Joy by Robert Plant (18).  The Americana chart is based on airplay so unreleased albums can make it based on advanced service to the stations.

Previous week position noted in parenthesis. (N) is a new entry. (R) is a re-entry. Grayed charts were not available for update at time of publication.

---

Comprehensive

Top 200 Albums

• #1 (1) - Recovery - Eminem
• #2 (N) - Intimacy: Album 3 - Kem
• #3 (N) - God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise - Ray Lamontagne and the Pariah Dogs
• #4 (N) - The Final Frontier - Iron Maiden
• #5 (N) - Cowboy's Back in Town - Trace Adkins
• #10 (N) - No Better Than This - John Mellencamp
• #26 (N) - Reimagines Gershwin - Brian Wilson
• #27 (27) - Live at the Troubadour - Carole King and James Taylor
• #32 (42) - Mojo - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• #38 (N) - Opus Collection: A Journey - Cat Stevens (Starbucks Exclusive)
• #58 (45) - Scream - Ozzy Osbourne
• #72 (R) - Elvis: Memories - Elvis Presley
• #81 (N) - Let's Go: That Rockabilly Rhythm - Various Artists (Starbucks Exclusive)
• #97 (78) - Iron Man 2 Soundtrack - AC/DC
• #98 (94) - Greatest Hits - Journey
• #103 (93) - Lotus Flow3r/MPLSoUND/Elix3r - Prince/Bria Valente
• #114 (110) - Greatest Hits - Motley Crue
• #115 (104) - Number Ones - Michael Jackson
• #118 (83) - Symphonicities - Sting
• #120 (123) - Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits - Creedence Clearwater Revival
• #122 (109) - Legend: The Best of - Bob Marley and the Wailers
• #150 (127) - Soldier of Love - Sade
• #164 (157) - Nothing But the Best - Frank Sinatra
• #180 (174) - Greatest Hits - Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
• #181 (171) - Essential - Michael Jackson
• #184 (100) - Tin Can Trust - Los Lobos
• #190 (190) - Mothership - Led Zeppelin
• #195 (R) - Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
• #197 (R) - Exile on Main Street - Rolling Stones
• #199 (R) - Twang - George Strait 

Top 100 Singles

• #1 (1) - Love the Way You Lie - Eminem Featuring Rihanna
• #2 (2) - Dynamite - Taio Cruz
• #5 (5) - Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
• #4 (4) - I Like It - Enrique Iglesias Featuring Pitbull
• #5 (7) - DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love - Usher Featuring Pitbull
• No veteran artists charting.

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

Read More...

Read more...

Preview: Fly Me to the Moon...The Great American Songbook, Volume V - Rod Stewart

Artist: Rod Stewart
Title: Fly Me to the Moon...The Great American Songbook, Volume V 
Release Date: October 19, 2010
Label: J-Records
Format(s): CD, DD

Make that seven straight cover albums for Rod Stewart (five Great American Songbooks, Soulbook, Still the Same...Great Rock Classics of Our Times).  After two that moved away from the standards format, Rod returns with songs from such great songwriters as Cole Porter, Herald Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields, Henry Mancini and more.

The album is produced by Richard Perry and co-produced by Stewart, Clive Davis and Lauren Wild. 

Davis, Chief Creative Officer, Sony Music Entertainment and a producer of Rod’s Songbook series states “Volume V is so fresh and Rod has never sounded better, delivering one great classic after another. This album introduces a brand new element to the Songbook phenomenon: you can’t stop dancing to it. Dinner parties all over the world will never be the same.”

Comments Stewart, “A couple of years ago, I had the good fortune to befriend an American GI who had served in World War II and had been actively involved in the D-Day landings. He said in a broad, Brooklyn accent, and here I quote, ‘Rawwwd, when are you gonna be doin' some of them old songs again 'cause you make them sound brand new.’ That was all the inspiration I needed. Thank you sir and God bless you. Here's Number 5.”

Track List:

• That Old Black Magic
• Beyond The Sea
• I’ve Got You Under My Skin
• What A Difference A Day Makes
• I Get A Kick Out of You
• I’ve Got the World On A String
• My Foolish Heart
• Love Me Or Leave Me
• September In The Rain
• Fly Me To The Moon
• On the Sunny Side of the Street

Read more...

Steve Vai Joining Second 2010 Experience Hendrix Tour

For the first time, Experience Hendrix is mounting two tours in the same year.  The show that salutes the life and music of Jimi Hendrix has, in the past, only done one tour in any calendar year but, after completing a spring trek, they have decided to go out again for October and November.

As usual, the show will include an amazing group of musicians, all taking on the music of Hendrix.

• Steve Vai
• Billy Cox (Band of Gypsys)
• David Hidalgo (Los Lobos)
• Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos)
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd
• Susan Tedeschi
• Robert Randolph
• Jonny Lang
• Eric Johnson
• Ernie Isley
• Living Colour
• Chris Layton (Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble)
• The Slide Brothers (Chuck and Darick Campbell of Sacred Steel)

The shows normally include the artists performing as soloists and in collaborations with others on the tour.  In addition, special guests are expected to sit in at some of the shows.  Past guests have included Buddy Guy, Carlos Santana, Joe Satriani, Paul Rodgers, Hubert Sumlin and Robby Krieger.

Janie Hendrix, CEO of Experience Hendrix LLC, noted, "Every day we see how Jimi's musical legacy continues to transcend generational and cultural boundaries. It's always been our continuing mission to do all we can to celebrate what he's given us and to keep his music in the forefront and the Experience Hendrix tour does that most directly. The fact that the tour is going out for the second time in six months underscores the demand and appreciation there is from those who want to be part of this live concert experience that reflects the genius and unifying spirit of my brother. As my brother said, "We want our sound to go into the soul of the audience, and see if it can awaken some little thing in their minds.. 'cause there are so many sleeping people…"

The tour dates:

• 10/26 - Pittsburgh, PA - Benedum Theater
• 10/28 - Toronto, ON - Sony Center
• 10/29 - Quebec City, QU - Grand Theatre
• 10/30 - Montreal, QU - Place des Arts
• 11/02 - Buffalo, NY - Center for the Arts
• 11/03 - Morristown, NJ - Community Theatre
• 11/04 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand @ Foxwoods
• 11/06 - Albany, NY - Palace Theater
• 11/07 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theater
• 11/09 - Hershey, PA - Hershey Theatre
• 11/10 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
• 11/11 - Baltimore, MD - Hippodrome
• 11/12 - Richmond, VA – Landmark Theater
• 11/13 - Atlantic City, NJ - Caesars Casino
• 11/16 - Columbus, OH- Palace Theater
• 11/17 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theater
• 11/18 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theater
• 11/19 - Merrilville, IN - Star Plaza Theater
• 11/20 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre

Read more...

Ricky Skaggs Nominated for Four ICM Awards

Mosaic was released Tuesday

Ricky Skaggs has received four nominations for the 16th Annual Inspirational Country Music (ICM) Awards.  The ICM was created to bridge the gap between country and Christian country artists, allowing mainstream country artists who record Christian songs to be recognized with more traditional Christian artists.

The awards will be given out on Thursday, October 14 at Trinity Music City USA Auditorium in Hendersonville, TN and is expected to include performances from Love&Theft, Joey+Rory, CrossCountry The Band, Tommy Brandt, The Roys, Nathan and Dr. Ralph Stanley.

Skaggs is the only veteran artist nominated for this year's awards.  A number of modern mainstream country artists, including Miranda Lambert, Jo Dee Massina, Carrie Underwood and Chris Young, also received nominations.


The following categories included nominations for veteran artists (veteran artists or, in this case, Ricky Skaggs, are shown highlighted).

Mainstream Country Artist

• Carrie Underwood
• Craig Morgan
• Josh Turner
• Jeff Bates
• Ricky Skaggs

Legend/Pioneer Award

• Barry McGee
• Dan Cowart and the Last Light Band
• LuLu Roman
• Melanie Walker
• Ricky Skaggs

Musician

• Dennis Agajanian
• Gordon Mote
• Greg McDougal
• Ricky Skaggs
• Tim Atwood

Inspirational Bluegrass Artist

• Cherryholmes
• Lawrence Bishop
• Rhonda Vincent
• Ricky Skaggs
• The Isaacs

To see the full list of nominees, go to the ICM website. 

Read more...

Marvin Hamlisch New Conductor For the Pasadena Pops

Marvin Hamlisch, one of the most awarded artists and composers of the last forty years, has been named as the new conductor of the Pasadena Pops.  He replaces Rachael Worby who had headed the Pops for the last ten seasons. 

Hamlisch will conduct four concerts next summer along with working with the organization in programming and fund raising.  At 66, this is the first time in his long career that he will lead a major orchestra from a business standpoint.

Hamlisch is one of the few artists who have won all four major entertainment awards, earning three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys and a Tony.  In addition, he has three Golden Globes and won the Pulitzer Prize for Theater for A Chorus Line.  His other Broadway shows include They're Playing Our Song and The Goodbye Girl while, in film, he has written the score and/or songs for The Way We Were, The Sting, Ice Castles, The Spy Who Loved Me and many more.  He reached number 3 on the Singles chart in 1973 with Scott Joplin's The Entertainer from the Soundtrack to The Sting.

Read more...

Video: Trailer for Legends of the Canyon: The Origins of West Coast Rock

Image Entertainment will release the documentary Legends of the Canyon on August 31.  The film chronicles the music and artists that sprang from the garden of the Hollywood Hills, Laurel Canyon.  Included in the film are the stories of Crosby, Stills and Nash, the Mamas and the Papas, Joni Mitchell, America, Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds and many more.

Directed by Jon Brewer, Legends of the Canyon uses archival photographs and footage, some never before seen, and narration from Henry Diltz, the official photographer for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.  Also included are numerous interviews with the artists reflecting back on this unique time in popular culture.

Special features include original 8mm silent footage shot by Diltz, bootleg footage shot by a fan during a Stills tour, extended interviews, photo galleries and more.

Here is a 4+ minute trailer for the film (note that there is brief nudity and language).

Kindle users can view the video by pointing their browsers to http://ow.ly/2w3Rt .

Read more...

Chart Watch Canada: Chart Date August 26, 2010

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

• Iron Maiden shoot to the top of both the Albums and Hard Rock Albums charts with The Final Frontier.  Two of their catalog albums also return to the Hard Rock top fifty, Number of the Beast at 29 and Somewhere Back in Time at 41.
• Two other veteran artists premier on the Albums chart this week.  John Mellencamp starts at 26 with No Better Than This while Brian Wilson debuts at 51 with Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin.
• The Airplay Singles chart was not available at the time of publication.

Previous week position noted in parenthesis.  (N) indicates a new release.  (R) indicates a record that is re-charting.  There can be ties in chart positions.

Top 100 Canadian Albums

• #1 (N) - The Final Frontier - Iron Maiden
• #2 (1) - Recovery - Eminem
• #3  (2) - Suburbs - Arcade Fire
• #4 (N) - God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise - Ray Lamontagne
• #5 (3) - Nightmare - Avenged Sevenfold
• #26 (N) - No Better Than This - John Mellencamp
• #43 (38) - Scream - Ozzy Osbourne
• #49 (45) - Iron Man 2 Soundtrack - AC/DC
• #50 (47) - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best of - ABBA
• #51 (N) - Reimagines Gershwin - Brian Wilson
• #56 (64) - Recollection - k.d. lang
• #63 (51) - Symphonicities - Sting
• #67 (68) - Mojo - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• #72 (53) - Legend: Best of - Bob Marley & the Wailers
• #95 (93) - Gold: Greatest Hits - ABBA

Top 100 Canadian Singles (Airplay)

• #1 (1) - California Gurls - Katy Perry Featuring Snoop Dogg
• #2 (3) - Dynamite - Taio Cruz
• #3 (2) - Airplanes - B.o.B Featuring Hayley Williams
• #4 (4) - Love the Way You Lie - Eminem Featuring Rihanna
• #5 (10) - I Like It - Enrique Iglesias Featuring Pitbull
• #78 (65) - Let Me Hear You Scream - Ozzy Osbourne
• #79 (80) - I Should Have Known It - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

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

Read More...

Read more...

Preview: Concert Collection - Frank Sinatra (7-DVDs/14-Shows)

Artist: Frank Sinatra
Title: Frank Sinatra: Concert Collection 
Release Date: November 2, 2010
Label: Shout! Factory
Format(s): 7-DVDs

Shout! Factory, in cooperation with Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE) has announced a November 2 release for Frank Sinatra: Concert Collection, a seven-DVD set containing fourteen television specials and concert films, including four that have never before been released for home video.  Also in the set is a group of vintage performances not originally in one of the shows and a 44-page book with rare photos and notes from Sinatra scholar Bill Zehme. 

On license from Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE), the collection begins with Sinatra’s first television special, A Man And His Music, broadcast in 1965 on NBC to commemorate Sinatra’s 50th birthday. The spectacular performances include favorites I’ve Got You Under My Skin, I Get A Kick Out Of You, Come Fly With Me and The Lady Is A Tramp.

A Man And His Music Part II, with special guest Nancy Sinatra (1966, CBS), thrills from start to finish, with unforgettable performances of signature songs such as Luck Be A Lady and That’s Life. Sinatra opens the show with his celebrated Quincy Jones arrangement of Fly Me To The Moon. Nancy Sinatra, clad from head to toe in pink fringe (and signature boots), sings Bang, Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) and On Broadway, followed by a series of duets with her father that includes Downtown, and These Boots Are Made For Walking.

On the truly memorable A Man And His Music + Ella + Jobim (1967, NBC), the dazzling Ella Fitzgerald performs two equally impressive solo numbers: the haunting Body And Soul and the swinging It’s All Right With Me. Fitzgerald is then joined by Sinatra in a historic pairing of the two preeminent vocal talents of the era. The following sequence, particularly treasured by music lovers, is Sinatra’s only filmed meeting with Brazilian composer, guitarist, singer Antonio Carlos Jobim, who joins Sinatra for a stunningly intimate medley of the Brazilian composer’s classics, including Change Partners, I Concentrate On You and The Girl From Ipanema.

Sinatra: The Man And His Music (1981, NBC), is the final installment of the series, occurring 16 years after the first A Man And His Music special, and a few weeks before his 66th birthday. Working with three different ensembles, including the accompaniment of the legendary Count Basie and his orchestra, performances include George Harrison’s Something, and his climactic Theme From New York, New York, Pennies From Heaven, and The Best Has Yet To Come.

The set continues with Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back (1973, NBC), a comeback special filmed after the Chairman’s brief retirement in the early ’70s. Filmed in front of a live audience on a soundstage in Hollywood but with the feel of an intimate concert, this magical hour proves the Chairman hadn’t lost a step. The special features classic performances of I Get A Kick Out Of You, I’ve Got You Under My Skin and I’ve Got The World On A String, as well as a guest appearance by the incomparable Gene Kelly, Sinatra’s costar from three classic song-and-dance epics of the ’40s.

Charged with the electricity of a heavyweight prizefight, Sinatra: The Main Event (1974, ABC) was filmed live at Madison Square Garden. Accompanied by celebrated clarinetist and bandleader Woody Herman, augmented by New York musicians and a string section, Sinatra dazzles the crowd with contemporary numbers such as You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Let Me Try Again, and Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, as well as signature tunes My Kind Of Town and My Way.

During Sinatra In Concert At Royal Festival Hall (1970, BBC) Princess Grace of Monaco introduces Sinatra to the adoring crowd. Sinatra was very proud of this concert, which was produced as a benefit for the United World Colleges Fund, held in London’s Royal Festival Hall, and televised by the BBC. Highlights include Pennies From Heaven, I’ve Got You Under My Skin and One For My Baby.

The incredibly rare concert Sinatra In Japan: Live At The Budokan Hall, Tokyo (1985) has only ever been released in Japan, making this box set a must-have for Sinatra fans. Entering his 70th year, Ol’ Blue Eyes never sounded better. Beginning with throwing air punches right on the beat during the opening number, The Lady Is A Tramp, the singer is completely supercharged throughout the entire performance. He commands the stage, delivering bravura performances of Strangers In The Night and Come Rain Or Come Shine. This 1985 performance is one of the greatest of his entire career.

Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing (1968, CBS) was a memorable night of television on many levels. Having established himself in American households with his previous A Man And His Music specials, Sinatra made a bold move in 1968, in the middle of the civil rights era, with a special celebration of black music and its impact on American popular culture. Highlights include a medley of spirituals sung with Diahann Carroll and a swingin’ pop interlude with chart-toppers The 5th Dimension.

In Sinatra (1969, CBS), the final installment in what had become an annual tradition of televised specials, Sinatra casts a backward glance at some of the highlights of a storied career. He also provides a glimpse into his musical future with an early rendition of My Way, soon to become his personal anthem.

Spanning multiple genres and featuring some of the leading names in pop and country, the rarely seen special Sinatra And Friends (1977, ABC) offers wall-to-wall performances. Guests include Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Loretta Lynn and John Denver, all of whom return one-by-one for a final embrace with Sinatra as he sings the Paul Anka–penned Everybody Ought To Be In Love.

Concert For The Americas (1982, Showtime) was recorded at the Altos de Chavón Amphitheater, a 5000-seat open-air Greek-style amphitheater in the Dominican Republic. This 90-minute epic performance features the legendary Buddy Rich on drums and a special guest appearance by guitarist Tony Mottola on a memorable rendition of Send In The Clowns. This is the first-ever U.S. DVD release of this spectacular concert.

The box set also includes two rare specials that feature classic 1950s TV performances, plus an additional compilation of never-before-released vintage clips. Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank (1957, ABC) pairs the two most beloved entertainers of the era in a holiday special that was presented in full color, at a time when color television was in its infancy. The result is an intimate and timeless classic event, packed with holiday favorites and plenty of Christmas cheer.

The 2003 PBS special Vintage Sinatra offers a look back at Sinatra’s television performances prior to the beginning of the A Man And His Music series. With classic performances from his 1957–58 ABC television series, Ol’ Blue Eyes is in peak form as he treats the viewing audience to show-stopping versions of Come Fly With Me, Too Marvelous For Words and I’ve Got The World On A String. Also included as a box-set exclusive are 10 television performances from the same era that were never broadcast or previously released.

Track List:

No song/performance list is available at this time. Here is the layout of the DVDs in the set.

A Man And His Music: The Collection (Discs 1 and 2)

• A Man And His Music
• A Man And His Music Part II
• A Man And His Music + Ella + Jobim
• Sinatra: The Man And His Music

Around The World (Discs 3 and 4)

• Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back
• Sinatra: The Main Event
• Sinatra In Concert At Royal Festival Hall
• Sinatra In Japan: Live At The Budokhan Hall, Tokyo*

Primetime (Disc 5)

• Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing
• Sinatra
• Sinatra And Friends*

Concert For The Americas* (Disc 6)

• Concert For The Americas*

Bonus Disc (Disc 7)

• Happy Holidays With Bing And Frank
• Vintage Sinatra*
• Bonus TV performances*

* Previously Unreleased Material

Read more...

George Michael Thanks Fans After Pleading Guilty in Latest Infraction

On Tuesday, George Michael entered a London courtroom and pleaded guilty to driving while unfit and possessing a personal amount of marijuana.  The charges were from a July 4 incident where the singer drove his car into a Snappy Snaps photo shop in London's Hempstead area.

Michael's major problem is that the courts may be getting fed up with his antics.  This is his eighth arrest for driving while unfit and has, in the past, lost his license for two years.  This time, though, may be a lot more serious as the judge told him that he could be facing jail time when he is sentenced on September 14.  He also, once again, lost his driving privileges, this time for six months.

George took to his website on Friday, writing:

My Dear Fans,

As usual I am overwhelmed by the support and genuine concern that so many of you around the world have expressed in recent weeks. I want to thank you all sincerely, and also to reassure those of you who worry so much for me. I fully appreciate the seriousness of my current situation, for which I truly apologise.

You will understand that it would be wrong of me to go into details before the court case has ended but I feel you should know that on the day after the incident I checked in to a clinic for a 14 day detox program here in London, which has been followed by ongoing outpatient drug counselling several times a week. Personal problems which I had tried to deal with myself had clearly got the better of me, and I am sorry that my pride has prevented me from seeking help before now.

I would also like to express my thanks to those whose discretion allowed me to begin this process in private, which has helped me greatly.

With love and my apologies,
George Michael

Spinner is reporting that the photo store is yet to be repaired from the accident, but some joker put graffiti on Michael's dent that simply said "Wham!"

Read more...

David Clayton-Thomas Issuing Autobiography & Soul Album, Talks BS&T and the Rock Hall

David Clayton-Thomas has announced the October 5 release of his new album, Soul Ballads, on Universal Records.  The album comes less than a month after the publishing of his autobiography, Blood, Sweat and Tears, from Penguin Press (September 7).

Soul Ballads is a twelve-song set honoring the soul artists that influenced Clayton-Thomas' sound.  David and producer Lou Pomanti have chosen well known tunes and given them an updating including full orchestra and innovative arrangements.  Among the artists covered are Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Gladys Knight (Midnight Train to Georgia), Percy Sledge (When a Man Loves a Woman), Ray Charles (You Don't Know Me) and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes (If You Don't Know Me By Now).

Clayton-Thomas' autobiography, Blood, Sweat and Tears, covers "the incredible journey from homeless street kid to Grammy Award winning recording artist. From a prison cell to a penthouse and all the triumphs and tragedies along the way."  Not only does it tell about his rough youth in New York and time with BS&T and beyond, it also gives an inside look into the music business.  


David talked with the Calgary Herald last week and spoke about the chances that he and Blood, Sweat and Tears would make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  

"Blood, Sweat and Tears is the only five-time Grammy Award winning, multimillion-selling band that is not ever going to go into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," says Clayton-Thomas. "Who would accept? The original guys are not going to allow me to go and do it, nor would I. And the original guys have been gone for 35 years and some are no longer with us. It was in flux when I joined it, it was in flux when I left it and it's been in flux for the last 40 years."

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/David+Clayton+Thomas/3357587/story.html#ixzz0xqRv0u49

Read more...