Thursday, December 25, 2014
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Friday, December 19, 2014
Charli XCX Rocks Today;Porter Wagoner's Life;Penn State Volleyball
Charli XCX appeared on the Today Show's Concert Series Wedenesday morning.She and her all-girl band performed her hit "Break The Rules,"which was posted in this blog last week.Charli was up to the challenge of performing before 9 a.m.Her dance moves were frenetic as ever at that early hour.A small number of fans watched her indoor performance in the studio,while several hundred others watched on screens outdoors.*
I've never really had a five-year plan,Charli said.It's just sort of waiting to see what happens.
The new album "Sucker" is kind of more raw,more wild than anything I've ever had before.It's kind of a punk feel,more guitar-led.I was working at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles when I wrote "Break The Rules."I wrote it in the parking lot on my phone.I can't wait for everyone to hear my new album.*
Porter Wagoner was a native of West Plains,Missouri.He began his career while working as a meat cutter in his hometown.On the side,he started a band called The Blue Ridge Boys,which played on the local radio stations.RCA Victor eventually signed him to a contract.
His TV career started in 1955 on ABC-TV with the show "Ozark Jubilee."In 1957,he joined the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.He toured the rural towns extensively,playing outdoors at their American Legion posts,typically performing on makeshift stages while the audience sat on wooden benches.Every one of his eighty-one records reached the charts.
Wagoner began his iconic "Porter Wagoner Show" in 1960,and it ran for an incredible 21 years,drawing up to three million viewers,including my own father and myself.Bear in mind that America had a much smaller population in those days.He hired Dolly Parton,a native of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee,to be his duet partner in 1967.She had literally been born and raised in a log cabin.They recorded several hits together,including "Someone I Used To Know,"which is posted in this blog.Wagoner and Parton,both of whom were already married,stayed together until 1974,when Parton broke away to have a solo career.This caused a breach in their relationship,but they reconciled in the late 1980s,performing together several more times until Wagoner died of lung cancer in 2007 at the age of 80.
Wagoner was married twice and was the father of three.Parton has been married to the same man,Carl Dean,for nearly 50 years.She turns 69 in January and has sold more than 100 million recordings and downloads.*
The number five Penn State Lady Lions upset the top-seeded Stanford Cardinal in the semifinals of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship Thursday night.They will meet the unseeded Brigham Young University Cougars at Oklahoma City on Saturday night.The Lady Lions were led by their star Megan Courtney,who had 23 kills and 16 digs.They are seeking a record seventh championship.So far,they have won six out of nine championships.
I've never really had a five-year plan,Charli said.It's just sort of waiting to see what happens.
The new album "Sucker" is kind of more raw,more wild than anything I've ever had before.It's kind of a punk feel,more guitar-led.I was working at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles when I wrote "Break The Rules."I wrote it in the parking lot on my phone.I can't wait for everyone to hear my new album.*
Porter Wagoner was a native of West Plains,Missouri.He began his career while working as a meat cutter in his hometown.On the side,he started a band called The Blue Ridge Boys,which played on the local radio stations.RCA Victor eventually signed him to a contract.
His TV career started in 1955 on ABC-TV with the show "Ozark Jubilee."In 1957,he joined the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.He toured the rural towns extensively,playing outdoors at their American Legion posts,typically performing on makeshift stages while the audience sat on wooden benches.Every one of his eighty-one records reached the charts.
Wagoner began his iconic "Porter Wagoner Show" in 1960,and it ran for an incredible 21 years,drawing up to three million viewers,including my own father and myself.Bear in mind that America had a much smaller population in those days.He hired Dolly Parton,a native of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee,to be his duet partner in 1967.She had literally been born and raised in a log cabin.They recorded several hits together,including "Someone I Used To Know,"which is posted in this blog.Wagoner and Parton,both of whom were already married,stayed together until 1974,when Parton broke away to have a solo career.This caused a breach in their relationship,but they reconciled in the late 1980s,performing together several more times until Wagoner died of lung cancer in 2007 at the age of 80.
Wagoner was married twice and was the father of three.Parton has been married to the same man,Carl Dean,for nearly 50 years.She turns 69 in January and has sold more than 100 million recordings and downloads.*
The number five Penn State Lady Lions upset the top-seeded Stanford Cardinal in the semifinals of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship Thursday night.They will meet the unseeded Brigham Young University Cougars at Oklahoma City on Saturday night.The Lady Lions were led by their star Megan Courtney,who had 23 kills and 16 digs.They are seeking a record seventh championship.So far,they have won six out of nine championships.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Friday, December 5, 2014
Who Charli XCX Is;Knicks Continue Horrible Start
This week we hear British singer-songwriter Charli XCX in "Boom Clap,"a song from the soundtrack of the film "The Fault In Our Stars."Charli is 22 and is of Scottish-Indian descent.Her new album "Suckers" is coming out on 15 December.It is her second major label LP,and her third album overall.
She was born Charlotte Emma Aitchison in Cambridge,England and was raised in Bishop's Stortford,East Hertfordshire.Besides writing her solo compositions,she has co-written hit songs such as "Fancy" with the Australian artist Iggy Azalea and "I Love It" with the Swedish duo Icona.*
While Charli XCX is enjoying great success,the New York Knicks are not.By losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers 90-87 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden,they dropped their record to 4-17,the worst start ever in the team's history.
Kyrie Irving posted a strong 37 points for the Cavs;while Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Knicks with his 20 points.Superstar Carmelo Anthony,apparently still cold from an injury,only shot 9 points for the Knicks;but his teammate Amare Stoudemire had a good game,scoring 18.And although Jose Calderon notched a tres at the last buzzer,it didn't reach the net in time,and the Knicks fell to their sixth straight loss.
She was born Charlotte Emma Aitchison in Cambridge,England and was raised in Bishop's Stortford,East Hertfordshire.Besides writing her solo compositions,she has co-written hit songs such as "Fancy" with the Australian artist Iggy Azalea and "I Love It" with the Swedish duo Icona.*
While Charli XCX is enjoying great success,the New York Knicks are not.By losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers 90-87 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden,they dropped their record to 4-17,the worst start ever in the team's history.
Kyrie Irving posted a strong 37 points for the Cavs;while Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Knicks with his 20 points.Superstar Carmelo Anthony,apparently still cold from an injury,only shot 9 points for the Knicks;but his teammate Amare Stoudemire had a good game,scoring 18.And although Jose Calderon notched a tres at the last buzzer,it didn't reach the net in time,and the Knicks fell to their sixth straight loss.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Friday, November 21, 2014
Taking Note:Nicole Scherzinger,Lewis Hamilton,Race To Dubai
Despite being a star for many years,Nicole Scherzinger,36,makes her first appearance in this blog with her video for "Run."For more than a decade,she has been a top performer on both sides of the Atlantic,selling 16 million solo records and 54 million as a member of the girl group The Pussycat Dolls.She has been both a judge and co-host of The X Factor TV programme and had musical theatre roles in "Evita" and "Phantom of the Opera."In 2013,she won a Glamour Award for TV Personality.Born Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente in Honolulu,Hawaii,she is the girlfriend of Formula One race car driver Lewis Hamilton.*
The UK's Lewis Hamilton is the favourite to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix,as well as the World Driving Championship,in Sunday's race in the UAE.He needs at least a second place finish to take the WDC.His AMG Petronas Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg of Germany will put up a stiff fight for the race win.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be broadcast on NBCSN at 7:30 am on Sunday,preceded by qualifying at 8 am on Saturday on CNBC.*
Also in the UAE,golf will be prominent as the European Tour's Race To Dubai concludes with the DP World Tour Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates.After two rounds,Sweden's Henrik Stenson topped the leader board at ten under par,while World Number One Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland,Richie Ramsay of Scotland and England's Danny Willett shared second place at eight under.
The UK's Lewis Hamilton is the favourite to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix,as well as the World Driving Championship,in Sunday's race in the UAE.He needs at least a second place finish to take the WDC.His AMG Petronas Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg of Germany will put up a stiff fight for the race win.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be broadcast on NBCSN at 7:30 am on Sunday,preceded by qualifying at 8 am on Saturday on CNBC.*
Also in the UAE,golf will be prominent as the European Tour's Race To Dubai concludes with the DP World Tour Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates.After two rounds,Sweden's Henrik Stenson topped the leader board at ten under par,while World Number One Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland,Richie Ramsay of Scotland and England's Danny Willett shared second place at eight under.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Friday, November 7, 2014
Taking Note:Julian Lennon;World Golf Championships
Julian Lennon is featured prominently here this week,with two tracks in the lineup:"Valotte" and "Everything Changes."With Julian,you get it all:the music is in the Beatles tradition,yet it's original at the same time.He was born John Charles Julian Lennon,but his mother,Cynthia,John Lennon's first wife,shortened it to "Julian."This year,he's been releasing 14 new music videos,including "Everything Changes."
Someone on YouTube asked whatever happened to Julian,so now you know he's still working hard on music and photography projects.At age 51,he's still a productive artist.*
The acoustic version of "Everything Changes" which is posted here has a string arrangement and a melody that sticks with you."Valotte" is the title track from his first album,which came out in 1984.*
For me,it was becoming the best songsmith I could possibly be,Julian told CNN.I never leaned on the other Beatles.I felt it was my own journey that I should follow.The only shoulder I've leant on is mum's.She's been my rock.*
In sport,the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions is underway at Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai,China.After two rounds,Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland topped the leader board with his ten under par 67 on Friday.England's Ian Poulter was second at seven under par,while reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson of the USA held third with his six under.Forty of the world's top fifty pro golfers are participating.
Someone on YouTube asked whatever happened to Julian,so now you know he's still working hard on music and photography projects.At age 51,he's still a productive artist.*
The acoustic version of "Everything Changes" which is posted here has a string arrangement and a melody that sticks with you."Valotte" is the title track from his first album,which came out in 1984.*
For me,it was becoming the best songsmith I could possibly be,Julian told CNN.I never leaned on the other Beatles.I felt it was my own journey that I should follow.The only shoulder I've leant on is mum's.She's been my rock.*
In sport,the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions is underway at Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai,China.After two rounds,Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland topped the leader board with his ten under par 67 on Friday.England's Ian Poulter was second at seven under par,while reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson of the USA held third with his six under.Forty of the world's top fifty pro golfers are participating.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Friday, October 31, 2014
Singer/Songwriter Jack Bruce,1943-2014
Jack Bruce,who was highly regarded for his melodic bass guitar style,vocals and songwriting ability,died on 25 October of liver disease.He was 71 and had suffered from liver cancer since 2003,receiving a transplant.As a member of prominent groups such as The Graham Bond Organisation,John Mayall's Bluesbreakers,Manfred Mann and Cream,as well being a wide-ranging solo artist,he ranks as one of the most influential musicians of his era.
Born near Glasgow,Scotland,Bruce was trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in cello and classical composition,but was ultimately expelled for playing bass in a dance band.He and drummer Ginger Baker met in London,where both played in Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated and The Graham Bond Organisation.He and Baker had a lifelong yet volatile artistic and personal relationship,escalating to physical altercations at times.From 1966-68,they performed with guitar legend Eric Clapton as Cream,a major exponent of the British Blues trend.
Following Cream's demise,Bruce recorded a number of solo LPs and periodically reunited with Baker and Clapton in various ways.They revived Cream in 2005 in shows at the Royal Albert Hall and Madison Square Garden.His last solo record,"Silver Rails",was released in March of this year.
Bruce frequently collaborated on songs with poet and musician Pete Brown.Addicted to heroin for more than a decade,Bruce went clean following his marriage to his second wife,Margrit.He was the father of three sons and two daughters.*
One of Jack's best vocals was for the Cream song "Tales of Brave Ulysses":
"Well you thought the leaden winter
Would bring you down forever
But you rode upon a steamer
To the violence of the sun...
With tales of brave Ulysses
How his naked ears were tortured
By the Sirens sweetly singing"
-Eric Clapton&Sharp)
Another of his memorable vocals was for the Cream song "Politician":
"Hey now,baby
Get into my big black car
Hey now,baby
Get into my big black car
I want to just show you
What my politics are"
-Jack Bruce&Pete Brown)
Born near Glasgow,Scotland,Bruce was trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in cello and classical composition,but was ultimately expelled for playing bass in a dance band.He and drummer Ginger Baker met in London,where both played in Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated and The Graham Bond Organisation.He and Baker had a lifelong yet volatile artistic and personal relationship,escalating to physical altercations at times.From 1966-68,they performed with guitar legend Eric Clapton as Cream,a major exponent of the British Blues trend.
Following Cream's demise,Bruce recorded a number of solo LPs and periodically reunited with Baker and Clapton in various ways.They revived Cream in 2005 in shows at the Royal Albert Hall and Madison Square Garden.His last solo record,"Silver Rails",was released in March of this year.
Bruce frequently collaborated on songs with poet and musician Pete Brown.Addicted to heroin for more than a decade,Bruce went clean following his marriage to his second wife,Margrit.He was the father of three sons and two daughters.*
One of Jack's best vocals was for the Cream song "Tales of Brave Ulysses":
"Well you thought the leaden winter
Would bring you down forever
But you rode upon a steamer
To the violence of the sun...
With tales of brave Ulysses
How his naked ears were tortured
By the Sirens sweetly singing"
-Eric Clapton&Sharp)
Another of his memorable vocals was for the Cream song "Politician":
"Hey now,baby
Get into my big black car
Hey now,baby
Get into my big black car
I want to just show you
What my politics are"
-Jack Bruce&Pete Brown)
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Friday, October 3, 2014
This Week's Music&Film-October 3,2014
This week we have a blend of entertainment,with a film trailer in "Taken 3," a live video in Steve Winwood and Chaka Khan's "Higher Love," a studio/location video in Selena Gomez&The Scene's "Round&Round," and some stills in Jefferson Starship's "With Your Love" and Lauryn Vyce's "Let Me Be." "Taken 3" starring Liam Neeson will hit the cinemas in January 2015.
Winwood and Khan's "Higher Love" is a classic duet from the VH1 cable channel,while Lauryn Vyce's "Let Me Be" was posted on YouTube a year ago.Jefferson Starship's "With Your Love" includes former Jefferson Airplane members Paul Kantner,Marty Balin and Grace Slick." Selena Gomez&The Scene's "Round&Round" was filmed in Budapest,Hungary.
I try to vary the music so we don't nod off.Have a great time with these songs.You don't even have to go out-I brought them all in here.
Winwood and Khan's "Higher Love" is a classic duet from the VH1 cable channel,while Lauryn Vyce's "Let Me Be" was posted on YouTube a year ago.Jefferson Starship's "With Your Love" includes former Jefferson Airplane members Paul Kantner,Marty Balin and Grace Slick." Selena Gomez&The Scene's "Round&Round" was filmed in Budapest,Hungary.
I try to vary the music so we don't nod off.Have a great time with these songs.You don't even have to go out-I brought them all in here.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Special Anniversary Presentation:Live Peace From Toronto 1969
This weekend is the 45th anniversary of John Lennon's performance at Varsity Stadium in the University of Toronto.It was his first solo performance,and the first ever live recording project by a Beatle.On September 13,1969,John Lennon and friends went onstage as "Plastic Ono Band" and performed a set of old rockers,plus some newer Lennon songs."Yer Blues" wasn't totally new,having been included in the White Album;but this was its first live performance."Cold Turkey" was totally new,and "Give Peace A Chance" had just been issued as a Beatles single.*
The live set had been hastily arranged when the concert promoters invited Lennon to appear the day before the event.He rounded up guitarist Eric Clapton,bassist Klaus Voorman and drummer Alan White,and they rehearsed while flying in from London to Toronto,as well as one time at the festival.Alan White initially thought Lennon was an imposter when he called to invite him along,and Eric Clapton at first wasn't sure what was going on.In the event,they gelled pretty well,considering the circumstances.*
Other performers at the Toronto festival included Chuck Berry,Fats Domino,The Doors and Chicago.*
Lennon went back to Abbey Road Studios in London and mixed the LP basically in one day,although he returned to studio and refined the mix in October.The Beatles' American label Capitol Records was reluctant to distribute the slapdash project,but Lennon prevailed in the end.The album rose to number 10 in the Billboard Top 200 chart.It failed to make the British charts,however.*
Some disliked Yoko Ono's screaming on some of the tracks.To this blog,her screaming was appropriate for the songs "Cold Turkey" and "Yer Blues," as they are about emotional and physical pain.On an historical level,the concert and its album marked a turning point in Lennon's career;never again would he perform with The Beatles.Musically,the set was an engaging blend of past and present,the familiar and the foreign.
The live set had been hastily arranged when the concert promoters invited Lennon to appear the day before the event.He rounded up guitarist Eric Clapton,bassist Klaus Voorman and drummer Alan White,and they rehearsed while flying in from London to Toronto,as well as one time at the festival.Alan White initially thought Lennon was an imposter when he called to invite him along,and Eric Clapton at first wasn't sure what was going on.In the event,they gelled pretty well,considering the circumstances.*
Other performers at the Toronto festival included Chuck Berry,Fats Domino,The Doors and Chicago.*
Lennon went back to Abbey Road Studios in London and mixed the LP basically in one day,although he returned to studio and refined the mix in October.The Beatles' American label Capitol Records was reluctant to distribute the slapdash project,but Lennon prevailed in the end.The album rose to number 10 in the Billboard Top 200 chart.It failed to make the British charts,however.*
Some disliked Yoko Ono's screaming on some of the tracks.To this blog,her screaming was appropriate for the songs "Cold Turkey" and "Yer Blues," as they are about emotional and physical pain.On an historical level,the concert and its album marked a turning point in Lennon's career;never again would he perform with The Beatles.Musically,the set was an engaging blend of past and present,the familiar and the foreign.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Saturday, September 6, 2014
What Is Life and the Album It Came From
George Harrison's "What Is Life" is from what he considered to be his first solo album,the three-disc set "All Things Must Pass." It was recorded in 1970-partially in the same Abbey Road,London studios The Beatles used to record their last album in 1969;but was musically distinguished by the slide guitar style of playing which Harrison learned from his friend,fellow guitarist Delaney Bramlett.
Two discs of the album were songs,and the third consisted of jam sessions.The collection's two biggest hits were "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life." The LP was co-produced by legendary American Phil Spector,known for his "Wall of Sound" approach,which entails building a thick tapestry of sound through intensive overdubbing.That certainly comes through in "What Is Life."
"All Things Must Pass," which was remastered and partially re-recorded in 2001,the year of Harrison's death from cancer at age 58,hit number one on the album charts worldwide.It went on to be the most commercially and artistically successful of any of The Beatles' solo albums,being highly regarded by critics to this day.In the US alone,it has gone 6x platinum.
Among the album's vast roster of contributors were Phil Collins,Eric Clapton,Ginger Baker,Ringo Starr,Dave Mason,Bobby Keys and orchestral and choral arranger John Barham.It was nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy Award in 1972.
I have offered two versions of the song "What Is Life":one with an India-inspired photo of Harrison;the other featuring a slide show of photos of Harrison,Phil Spector and longtime Beatles assistant Mal Evans.
Two discs of the album were songs,and the third consisted of jam sessions.The collection's two biggest hits were "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life." The LP was co-produced by legendary American Phil Spector,known for his "Wall of Sound" approach,which entails building a thick tapestry of sound through intensive overdubbing.That certainly comes through in "What Is Life."
"All Things Must Pass," which was remastered and partially re-recorded in 2001,the year of Harrison's death from cancer at age 58,hit number one on the album charts worldwide.It went on to be the most commercially and artistically successful of any of The Beatles' solo albums,being highly regarded by critics to this day.In the US alone,it has gone 6x platinum.
Among the album's vast roster of contributors were Phil Collins,Eric Clapton,Ginger Baker,Ringo Starr,Dave Mason,Bobby Keys and orchestral and choral arranger John Barham.It was nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy Award in 1972.
I have offered two versions of the song "What Is Life":one with an India-inspired photo of Harrison;the other featuring a slide show of photos of Harrison,Phil Spector and longtime Beatles assistant Mal Evans.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Weekend Results:Motorsport and Golf
Australian driver Will Power took the top spot on the podium Sunday at the Indycar Series ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 on the Milwaukee Mile oval.I didn't even think of points,Power said.I just put my head down and felt the car.*
Columbian Juan Pablo Montoya came in second,while Brazilian Tony Kanaan was third.Power,who has never won the Indycar Series championship,also leads in the overall points standings,followed by Helio Castroneves of Brazil and France's Simon Pagenaud.
There are two races left in the 2014 season.*
In LPGA golf,South Korean Inbee Park won the Wegman's LPGA Championship with her eleven under par 70 in Rochester,New York,defeating American Brittany Lincicome in a one hole playoff.It is the World Number One's fifth major win and her fourth major in the last two years.*
On the Champions Tour,German Bernhard Langer won his fifth tournament of the season at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open in Endicott,New York.Langer came from four strokes behind to shoot a sixteen under par 66,caddied by his daughter Christina,a college golfer.The win gives him a 633 point lead in the race for the Charles Schwab Cup,which he won in 2010.
Columbian Juan Pablo Montoya came in second,while Brazilian Tony Kanaan was third.Power,who has never won the Indycar Series championship,also leads in the overall points standings,followed by Helio Castroneves of Brazil and France's Simon Pagenaud.
There are two races left in the 2014 season.*
In LPGA golf,South Korean Inbee Park won the Wegman's LPGA Championship with her eleven under par 70 in Rochester,New York,defeating American Brittany Lincicome in a one hole playoff.It is the World Number One's fifth major win and her fourth major in the last two years.*
On the Champions Tour,German Bernhard Langer won his fifth tournament of the season at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open in Endicott,New York.Langer came from four strokes behind to shoot a sixteen under par 66,caddied by his daughter Christina,a college golfer.The win gives him a 633 point lead in the race for the Charles Schwab Cup,which he won in 2010.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Van Halen;Grace Slick;Mickelson Improves
This week was featured possibly Van Halen's most romantic song,"Love Walks In." Sammy Hagar aced the vocal.I couldn't imagine David Lee Roth handling that one with his abrasive style.*
Grace Slick is shown handling two different genres equally well,rock and pop,in Jefferson Airplane's "Volunteers" and Jefferson Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now."*
Phil Mickelson was starting to take off in yesterday's second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville,Kentucky.Although Rory McIlroy and Jason Day held first and second place on the leader board of the year's last major, respectively,Phil hit some brilliant long putts to move himself up to seventh place with a six under par 67.He eagled the eighteenth hole.
I made a good putt on 17 and then eagled 18,Mickelson said.I've got to go lower tomorrow because so many guys are around minus five,six or seven.*
Well,the summer weekends are dwindling.Before we know it,September will be with us.
Grace Slick is shown handling two different genres equally well,rock and pop,in Jefferson Airplane's "Volunteers" and Jefferson Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now."*
Phil Mickelson was starting to take off in yesterday's second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville,Kentucky.Although Rory McIlroy and Jason Day held first and second place on the leader board of the year's last major, respectively,Phil hit some brilliant long putts to move himself up to seventh place with a six under par 67.He eagled the eighteenth hole.
I made a good putt on 17 and then eagled 18,Mickelson said.I've got to go lower tomorrow because so many guys are around minus five,six or seven.*
Well,the summer weekends are dwindling.Before we know it,September will be with us.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
About Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is the sucessor band to the late nineteen sixties,Woodstock era group Jefferson Airplane.It was founded in 1974,after Jefferson Airplane had disbanded,by Jefferson Airplane members and romantic partners,guitarist Paul Kantner and vocalist Grace Slick.This band has experienced many personnel and stylistic changes over the decades,but continues to tour to this day,with only Kantner remaining from the Jefferson Airplane days.
Two of the songs featured this week are "Somebody To Love" by Jefferson Airplane and "We Built This City" by Jefferson Starship,to give you a sample of both the original band and its successor.
Today,vocalist Cathy Richardson,along with Kantner and four other musicians, guitarists David Freiberg and Jude Gold,along with drummer Donny Baldwin and keyboardist Chris Smith,comprise Jefferson Starship.
Former Jefferson Starship vocalist Mickey Thomas also has a band touring under the name Starship-without the Jefferson.
Confusing,but always exhilarating.
Two of the songs featured this week are "Somebody To Love" by Jefferson Airplane and "We Built This City" by Jefferson Starship,to give you a sample of both the original band and its successor.
Today,vocalist Cathy Richardson,along with Kantner and four other musicians, guitarists David Freiberg and Jude Gold,along with drummer Donny Baldwin and keyboardist Chris Smith,comprise Jefferson Starship.
Former Jefferson Starship vocalist Mickey Thomas also has a band touring under the name Starship-without the Jefferson.
Confusing,but always exhilarating.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Monday, July 21, 2014
Selena Gomez;Rory McIlroy;Suzi Quatro
Selena Gomez is a Birthday Girl this week,turning 22 on Tuesday.We're celebrating with "Who Says."The Texas native just got a new tatoo.It is in Arabic and means "love yourself."The new tatoo is on the upper right side of her back.
Selena also has her mother's birthday in Roman numerals across the back of her neck, and a musical note on her left wrist.A Bible verse adorns her hip.It is Philippians 4:13,"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."*
Rory McIlroy is celebrating his win at The Open Championship,golf's biggest tournament,which was held at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.At 25,he has already won three of the four majors.
It's what I think about in the morning;it's what I think about when I go to bed,McIlroy said.I just want to be the best golfer I can be.*
Suzi Quatro was one of the first female rock and roll performers.She is represented by her classic "The Wild One."She has performed in Russia in recent years,including Ekaterinburg.
Selena also has her mother's birthday in Roman numerals across the back of her neck, and a musical note on her left wrist.A Bible verse adorns her hip.It is Philippians 4:13,"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."*
Rory McIlroy is celebrating his win at The Open Championship,golf's biggest tournament,which was held at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.At 25,he has already won three of the four majors.
It's what I think about in the morning;it's what I think about when I go to bed,McIlroy said.I just want to be the best golfer I can be.*
Suzi Quatro was one of the first female rock and roll performers.She is represented by her classic "The Wild One."She has performed in Russia in recent years,including Ekaterinburg.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Van Halen,Brad Pitt,Demi Lovato
This week we have more Van Halen,that great summer band."Panama" was recorded in 1984 with their first and current vocalist David Lee Roth.*
The trailer for Fury starring Brad Pitt is pretty extensive,running over two minutes.It may be his first World War II role.The film is scheduled for a November release.*
Demi Lovato is on her DEMI World Tour.The next concerts are as follows:
19 July-Reno Events Center-Reno,Nevada
6 September-Baltimore Arena-Baltimore,Maryland
7 September-Times Union Center-Albany,New York
9 September-Petersen Events Center-Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania
She is getting high marks for both the quality of her performances and her attitude towards her fans.
"Lo que soy" shows the Latina side of Demi,her heritage from her late father.*
The trailer for Fury starring Brad Pitt is pretty extensive,running over two minutes.It may be his first World War II role.The film is scheduled for a November release.*
Demi Lovato is on her DEMI World Tour.The next concerts are as follows:
19 July-Reno Events Center-Reno,Nevada
6 September-Baltimore Arena-Baltimore,Maryland
7 September-Times Union Center-Albany,New York
9 September-Petersen Events Center-Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania
She is getting high marks for both the quality of her performances and her attitude towards her fans.
"Lo que soy" shows the Latina side of Demi,her heritage from her late father.*
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Rihanna Records in California;Cavendish Crashes in Yorkshire
Rihanna,26,was seen arriving at a recording studio in West Hollywood on Tuesday.She was putting the finishing touches on her eighth studio album.May we expect a holiday season release?That would be typical of the recording industry.
On last Sunday,Rihanna was spotted leaving her favourite restaurant,Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica,accompanied by her father,Ronald Fenty.Her full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty,and she is from Barbados.*
The Rolling Stones have completed Stage 2 of their 14 On Fire Tour.It was successful in every way,so this blog is sending its congratulations along to them.Stage 3 begins on 25 October in Adelaide,Australia.*
Marcel Kittel of Germany won Stage 1 of the Tour de France cycling event,which was actually in Yorkshire,England.It went from Leeds to Harrowgate.Britain's Mark Cavendish had his heart set on winning the stage,as his mother lives in Harrowgate and he spent some of his childhood there.He had a devastating crash at the stage's end,however,and barely made it over the finish line.Hopefully he will be well enough to continue on Sunday's section from York to Sheffield.It is tradtional for the race to begin outside of France.
The yellow jersey for first place was put on Kittel by Princess Kate,smiling broadly.Princes William and Harry were on either side of Kittel.British Prime Minister David Cameron was also among the race spectators,a glum look on his face when Cavendish crashed.
Jens Voigt of Germany won the polka dot jersey for being King of the Mountain,the cyclist most adept at climbing the hills on the course.
On last Sunday,Rihanna was spotted leaving her favourite restaurant,Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica,accompanied by her father,Ronald Fenty.Her full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty,and she is from Barbados.*
The Rolling Stones have completed Stage 2 of their 14 On Fire Tour.It was successful in every way,so this blog is sending its congratulations along to them.Stage 3 begins on 25 October in Adelaide,Australia.*
Marcel Kittel of Germany won Stage 1 of the Tour de France cycling event,which was actually in Yorkshire,England.It went from Leeds to Harrowgate.Britain's Mark Cavendish had his heart set on winning the stage,as his mother lives in Harrowgate and he spent some of his childhood there.He had a devastating crash at the stage's end,however,and barely made it over the finish line.Hopefully he will be well enough to continue on Sunday's section from York to Sheffield.It is tradtional for the race to begin outside of France.
The yellow jersey for first place was put on Kittel by Princess Kate,smiling broadly.Princes William and Harry were on either side of Kittel.British Prime Minister David Cameron was also among the race spectators,a glum look on his face when Cavendish crashed.
Jens Voigt of Germany won the polka dot jersey for being King of the Mountain,the cyclist most adept at climbing the hills on the course.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
About Van Halen
I wanted to tell you the following last week,but technical problems prevented it:
The American group Van Halen recorded "Summer Nights" in 1986.At that time,Sammy Hagar was the vocalist;today,it is the original singer David Lee Roth.The Van Halen brothers,Eddie on guitar and Alex on drums,have always been the core of the group.They were born in Nijmegen,the Netherlands.*
Also in Van Halen's current lineup,Eddie's son Wolfgang is on bass,replacing Michael Anthony,who was the bassist in 1986.The group is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.*
The studio track is so good,I felt it was important to present that,rather than a live version.It's one of the best summer songs out there.
The American group Van Halen recorded "Summer Nights" in 1986.At that time,Sammy Hagar was the vocalist;today,it is the original singer David Lee Roth.The Van Halen brothers,Eddie on guitar and Alex on drums,have always been the core of the group.They were born in Nijmegen,the Netherlands.*
Also in Van Halen's current lineup,Eddie's son Wolfgang is on bass,replacing Michael Anthony,who was the bassist in 1986.The group is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.*
The studio track is so good,I felt it was important to present that,rather than a live version.It's one of the best summer songs out there.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Demi Lovato's Garden City Show;Selena Gomez in Studio City
The summer solstice is Saturday.Happy Summer,dear readers.Many artists are currently on tour,such as The Rolling Stones and Demi Lovato,21.Demi performs a free show tomorrow at 7 pm at the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City,New York.It's sponsored by Microsoft to celebrate the Grand Opening of their new store at the Mall.The Grand Opening ceremony is at 10 am.The concert gates open at 5 pm.Accuweather is calling for partly cloudy skies Saturday with a low of 64F and a high of 79,so no problem in that department for the Northeast parking lot concert.At least 1900 tickets for the event were being distributed at the Mall on Friday night.
To get an idea of what Demi is like in concert you can check out the video of "Really Don't Care" from her current Neon Lights Tour featuring Cher Lloyd.The song is the new single from her latest album DEMI.
The new Microsoft store is offering a free weekly YouthSpark summer camp for kids 8-13.They can learn to build websites and video games,direct movies and snap perfect photos,according to Microsoft.The store is located at:
Roosevelt Field Mall
630 Old Country Road,Space #1140A
Garden City,New York 11530
(516)742-8000*
Demi's close friend and fellow Latina Selena Gomez is featured here in "My Dilemma" with lyrics.It's from her Selena Gomez&The Scene album When The Sun Comes Down (2011).She turns 22 on 22 July.The Grand Prairie,Texas native still visits her home state and has some real Mexican food.Monday,however,she was seen shopping in Studio City,California in her midriff-baring blue knit and distressed jeans.The chauffered star also sported gradient sunglasses and skyhigh nude stilettos.*
The Rolling Stones have changed remarkably little in the past eight years,which is just the way their fans want it.If anything,frontman Mick Jagger looks better than he did in 2006.A graduate of The London School of Economics,he seems to be good at foreign languages.The Stones still appeal to a diverse audience of all ages.
"She's So Cold" is from their album Emotional Rescue (1980).
"She's so cold
But she's beautiful,though"
Upcoming tour dates:
22 June-Rome,Italy-Circus Maximus
25 June-Madrid,Spain-Bernabeu Stadium
28 June-Werchter,Belgium-TW Classic Festival
1 July-Stockholm,Sweden-Tele2 Arena
3 July-Roskilde,Denmark-Roskilde Festival
As of Friday,tickets were still available for the Rome and Roskilde shows.*
Transformers 4 opens on 27 June,and you can see if you might like this robot tale from the Official Trailer 2 posted here.It's a pretty generous trailer,running over two minutes.
To get an idea of what Demi is like in concert you can check out the video of "Really Don't Care" from her current Neon Lights Tour featuring Cher Lloyd.The song is the new single from her latest album DEMI.
The new Microsoft store is offering a free weekly YouthSpark summer camp for kids 8-13.They can learn to build websites and video games,direct movies and snap perfect photos,according to Microsoft.The store is located at:
Roosevelt Field Mall
630 Old Country Road,Space #1140A
Garden City,New York 11530
(516)742-8000*
Demi's close friend and fellow Latina Selena Gomez is featured here in "My Dilemma" with lyrics.It's from her Selena Gomez&The Scene album When The Sun Comes Down (2011).She turns 22 on 22 July.The Grand Prairie,Texas native still visits her home state and has some real Mexican food.Monday,however,she was seen shopping in Studio City,California in her midriff-baring blue knit and distressed jeans.The chauffered star also sported gradient sunglasses and skyhigh nude stilettos.*
The Rolling Stones have changed remarkably little in the past eight years,which is just the way their fans want it.If anything,frontman Mick Jagger looks better than he did in 2006.A graduate of The London School of Economics,he seems to be good at foreign languages.The Stones still appeal to a diverse audience of all ages.
"She's So Cold" is from their album Emotional Rescue (1980).
"She's so cold
But she's beautiful,though"
Upcoming tour dates:
22 June-Rome,Italy-Circus Maximus
25 June-Madrid,Spain-Bernabeu Stadium
28 June-Werchter,Belgium-TW Classic Festival
1 July-Stockholm,Sweden-Tele2 Arena
3 July-Roskilde,Denmark-Roskilde Festival
As of Friday,tickets were still available for the Rome and Roskilde shows.*
Transformers 4 opens on 27 June,and you can see if you might like this robot tale from the Official Trailer 2 posted here.It's a pretty generous trailer,running over two minutes.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
Demi Lovato To Headline Microsoft Store Grand Opening
The entertainment sack is bursting at the seams tonight.You get the latest and the greatest right here,dear readers.You get top secret photos from the Star Wars Episode VII set,as well as film from The Rolling Stones' ongoing 14 On Fire Tour,which is currently in Europe.You even get an extra Demi Lovato song from 2008 so you can see what she was like as a teen star with Disney.*
Demi is petite at five foot,three-and-a-half inches tall,but she certainly has a big voice.Her early song "LaLa Land" is from her debut album "Don't Forget" (2008).It was used to promote her Disney Channel sitcom "Sonny with a Chance" and features cameos by her costars.The song was written and recorded with her Disney colleagues the Jonas Brothers.She says the song is just about keeping it real and trying to stay yourself when you go out to Hollywood.It got some good reviews.*
"Heart Attack" is from her latest album "DEMI" (2013).She's the middle of three sisters.
Demi is headlining the grand opening of Microsoft's fourth full-line store in New York.She will perform at Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City,Long Island-just east of Queens.The concert is on 21 June at 7pm in the Mall's Northeast parking lot.Gates open at 5 pm.
The first 200 people in line will get two free tickets to the concert,plus one free ticket to a pre-show meet-and-greet.The next 1500 people in line will get one free ticket to the show.Those seeking tickets may line up on 20 June at 10 pm outside the Northeast parking garage near Bloomingdale's.Yes,people will actually stay there all night for free tickets.
The new 3775-square foot store will have 41 employees and sell Microsoft products including Windows 8 PCs,Surface tablets and Xbox One gaming consoles.*
While Demi is performing on Long Island,the Stones will still be in Europe.So far,the tour has gotten a positive reaction from fans.Their upcoming dates are:
16 June-Vienna,Austria-Ernst Happel Stadium
19 June-Dusseldorf,Germany-Esprit Arena
22 June-Rome,Italy-Circus Maximus
25 June-Madrid,Spain-Bernabeu Stadium
28 June-Werchter,Belgium-TW Classic Festival
As of Friday,there were still tickets available for the 3 July show in Roskilde,Denmark at the Roskilde Festival.*
Also tonight we present the USA's Ricky Martin and Brazilian songbird Claudia Leitte in "Samba." It really fits in with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.Ricky,42,is from Puerto Rico and started his career with the Latin boy group Menudo.His full name is Enrique Martin Morales.He's been performing on "The Voice" reality TV show regularly,as well as on the 2014 Billboard Music Awards broadcast.
Claudia,who turns 34 next month,performed with Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez at the World Cup opening ceremony.*
In US Open golf at Pinehurst Resort,North Carolina,Germany's Martin Kaymer dominated the field with his second round 10 under par 65.He also set the US Open at Pinehurst two round record low score with his total of 130.In golf,the lowest score wins.
Demi is petite at five foot,three-and-a-half inches tall,but she certainly has a big voice.Her early song "LaLa Land" is from her debut album "Don't Forget" (2008).It was used to promote her Disney Channel sitcom "Sonny with a Chance" and features cameos by her costars.The song was written and recorded with her Disney colleagues the Jonas Brothers.She says the song is just about keeping it real and trying to stay yourself when you go out to Hollywood.It got some good reviews.*
"Heart Attack" is from her latest album "DEMI" (2013).She's the middle of three sisters.
Demi is headlining the grand opening of Microsoft's fourth full-line store in New York.She will perform at Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City,Long Island-just east of Queens.The concert is on 21 June at 7pm in the Mall's Northeast parking lot.Gates open at 5 pm.
The first 200 people in line will get two free tickets to the concert,plus one free ticket to a pre-show meet-and-greet.The next 1500 people in line will get one free ticket to the show.Those seeking tickets may line up on 20 June at 10 pm outside the Northeast parking garage near Bloomingdale's.Yes,people will actually stay there all night for free tickets.
The new 3775-square foot store will have 41 employees and sell Microsoft products including Windows 8 PCs,Surface tablets and Xbox One gaming consoles.*
While Demi is performing on Long Island,the Stones will still be in Europe.So far,the tour has gotten a positive reaction from fans.Their upcoming dates are:
16 June-Vienna,Austria-Ernst Happel Stadium
19 June-Dusseldorf,Germany-Esprit Arena
22 June-Rome,Italy-Circus Maximus
25 June-Madrid,Spain-Bernabeu Stadium
28 June-Werchter,Belgium-TW Classic Festival
As of Friday,there were still tickets available for the 3 July show in Roskilde,Denmark at the Roskilde Festival.*
Also tonight we present the USA's Ricky Martin and Brazilian songbird Claudia Leitte in "Samba." It really fits in with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.Ricky,42,is from Puerto Rico and started his career with the Latin boy group Menudo.His full name is Enrique Martin Morales.He's been performing on "The Voice" reality TV show regularly,as well as on the 2014 Billboard Music Awards broadcast.
Claudia,who turns 34 next month,performed with Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez at the World Cup opening ceremony.*
In US Open golf at Pinehurst Resort,North Carolina,Germany's Martin Kaymer dominated the field with his second round 10 under par 65.He also set the US Open at Pinehurst two round record low score with his total of 130.In golf,the lowest score wins.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Neil Young;Claudia Leitte;LPGA Golf
We're staying on top of the latest,biggest and best this week,as we always do here.We have the main trailer for the scifi thriller "Edge of Tomorrow" starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt,which opened Friday.There are also two film clips from the Rolling Stones' 14 On Fire Tour,currently rocking its way through Europe to sellout crowds.These are very recent promos from Lisbon and Zurich,so you get a sense of how the band is doing and the atmosphere that surrounds them.Well,if you can't actually attend or get a good seat,I've got you covered.
In "Jumping Jack Flash" you get one of the Stones' biggest hits.Fans never tire of it.In this Rio version from 2006,you can see Keith Richards jamming with Darryl Jones,the band's longtime bass player.The colossal crowd is beside itself.As you see in the Zurich and Lisbon clips,the Stones can still generate that kind of excitement today.The upcoming dates are:
7 June-Landgraff,Netherlands-Pinkpop Festival
10 June-Berlin,Germany-Waldbuhne
13 June-Paris,France-Stade de France
16 June-Vienna,Austria-Ernst Happel Stadium
19 June-Dusseldorf,Germany-Esprit Arena
Tickets were still available as of Friday for the 3 July show in Roskilde,Denmark at the Roskilde Festival.*
Canadian singer songwriter Neil Young generated plenty of excitement himself when he rocked hard on Saturday Night Live in "Rockin In The Free World,"a socially conscious number dealing with homelessness and the environment,among other topics.Young spent a number of years as a member of the band Crosby,Stills,Nash and Young and has appeared regularly in the annual Farm Aid concerts.*
A fresh face for most of us is that of the Brazilian star Claudia Leitte,33,who made her international debut with Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez in the official FIFA World Cup song."Largadinho" is one of her biggest hits:
"So let your body loose and do the lazy groove
Lazy groove,lazy groove
Move your arms around like you've got nothing to lose
Lazy groove,lazy groove"
It's from her latest album "Axemusic-Ao Vivo"(2014).
Her full name is Claudia Cristina Leite Inacio Pedreira.Fans call her "Claudinha." Born in Sao Goncalo,Rio de Janeiro,she was a member of the band Babado Novo from 2001-8.Now she has signed with the Roc Nation organisation,hoping to achieve more internationally.Roc Nation records are distributed by Universal Music Group.*
The high achievers in ladies' golf are in Waterloo,Ontario this weekend for the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.In second round action Friday,China's Shanshan Feng shot an eleven under par 65 to share the lead with the defending champion,South Korea's Hee Young Park,who shot a 66.American Michelle Wie continued her successful season with sole possession of third after her ten under par 67,and Anna Nordqvist of Sweden was nine under par for fourth place on the leader board,having shot a spectacular second round 64.
In "Jumping Jack Flash" you get one of the Stones' biggest hits.Fans never tire of it.In this Rio version from 2006,you can see Keith Richards jamming with Darryl Jones,the band's longtime bass player.The colossal crowd is beside itself.As you see in the Zurich and Lisbon clips,the Stones can still generate that kind of excitement today.The upcoming dates are:
7 June-Landgraff,Netherlands-Pinkpop Festival
10 June-Berlin,Germany-Waldbuhne
13 June-Paris,France-Stade de France
16 June-Vienna,Austria-Ernst Happel Stadium
19 June-Dusseldorf,Germany-Esprit Arena
Tickets were still available as of Friday for the 3 July show in Roskilde,Denmark at the Roskilde Festival.*
Canadian singer songwriter Neil Young generated plenty of excitement himself when he rocked hard on Saturday Night Live in "Rockin In The Free World,"a socially conscious number dealing with homelessness and the environment,among other topics.Young spent a number of years as a member of the band Crosby,Stills,Nash and Young and has appeared regularly in the annual Farm Aid concerts.*
A fresh face for most of us is that of the Brazilian star Claudia Leitte,33,who made her international debut with Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez in the official FIFA World Cup song."Largadinho" is one of her biggest hits:
"So let your body loose and do the lazy groove
Lazy groove,lazy groove
Move your arms around like you've got nothing to lose
Lazy groove,lazy groove"
It's from her latest album "Axemusic-Ao Vivo"(2014).
Her full name is Claudia Cristina Leite Inacio Pedreira.Fans call her "Claudinha." Born in Sao Goncalo,Rio de Janeiro,she was a member of the band Babado Novo from 2001-8.Now she has signed with the Roc Nation organisation,hoping to achieve more internationally.Roc Nation records are distributed by Universal Music Group.*
The high achievers in ladies' golf are in Waterloo,Ontario this weekend for the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.In second round action Friday,China's Shanshan Feng shot an eleven under par 65 to share the lead with the defending champion,South Korea's Hee Young Park,who shot a 66.American Michelle Wie continued her successful season with sole possession of third after her ten under par 67,and Anna Nordqvist of Sweden was nine under par for fourth place on the leader board,having shot a spectacular second round 64.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
Jennifer Lopez,World Cup Official Song,14 On Fire Tour
The sights and sounds of today and of all time are in the entertainment sack tonight.Two new releases are here in Jennifer Lopez's new single "First Love" and Pitbull's "We Are One(Ole Ola)." JLO's studio track with bright dayglo lyrics is proving to be a favourite with the audience.It's from her new album "A.K.A." that is scheduled for release on 17 June.A really smooth song that will stay in your mind.*
The huge production of the Official Song of the FIFA World Cup by Pitbull,"We Are One(Ole Ola)" featuring Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian superstar Claudia Leitte is garnering a huge number of views as well.It's a singalong that unites the football and music fans around the globe,being sung in English,Spanish and Portuguese.
The Latina artists are really en fuego these days.Just think of JLO,Demi Lovato,Selena Gomez and,as we hear tonight,Claudia Leitte-to name a few.It's one of the biggest trends.*
We've got some film clips in the sack:another fan tribute to the in-production "Star Wars Episode VII," compiled from various past productions to get us in the Star Wars mood,plus the latest film from The Rolling Stones' 14 On Fire Tour that just resumed in Oslo,Norway on Monday and Lisbon,Portugal on Thursday.Mick Jagger loves to reach out to the fans in whatever language-even Norwegian.
The Lisbon festival show was a spectacular Midnight-2 am set before about 80,000 fans with guest artists Bruce Springsteen and Gary Clark,Jr.,as well as longtime friend and former member Mick Taylor.Former President Bill Clinton sat in the VIP section wearing a sport coat,with his Secret Service agents standing by in their black suits.Oslo was a more intimate indoor performance.
Next up for the Stones:
1 June-Zurich,Switzerland Letzigrund Stadium
4 June-Tel Aviv,Israel Hayarkon Park
7 June-Landgraaf,Netherlands Pinkpop Festival
10 June-Berlin,Germany Waldbuhne
13 June-Paris,France Stade de France
As of Thursday,tickets were still available for Tel Aviv.
But for tonight,we have an HD video of the classic "Shattered," a song about New York City performed in NYC's own Beacon Theater in 2006.You get a good look at longtime Stones bass player Darryl Jones,who replaced Bill Wyman.
"Shattered,shattered
Love and hope and sex and dreams
Are still survivin' on the street
Look at me,I'm in tatters
I'm a shattered,shattered"
The half-spoken song is from their "Some Girls" album.It seems to be related to hip-hop songs.
The huge production of the Official Song of the FIFA World Cup by Pitbull,"We Are One(Ole Ola)" featuring Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian superstar Claudia Leitte is garnering a huge number of views as well.It's a singalong that unites the football and music fans around the globe,being sung in English,Spanish and Portuguese.
The Latina artists are really en fuego these days.Just think of JLO,Demi Lovato,Selena Gomez and,as we hear tonight,Claudia Leitte-to name a few.It's one of the biggest trends.*
We've got some film clips in the sack:another fan tribute to the in-production "Star Wars Episode VII," compiled from various past productions to get us in the Star Wars mood,plus the latest film from The Rolling Stones' 14 On Fire Tour that just resumed in Oslo,Norway on Monday and Lisbon,Portugal on Thursday.Mick Jagger loves to reach out to the fans in whatever language-even Norwegian.
The Lisbon festival show was a spectacular Midnight-2 am set before about 80,000 fans with guest artists Bruce Springsteen and Gary Clark,Jr.,as well as longtime friend and former member Mick Taylor.Former President Bill Clinton sat in the VIP section wearing a sport coat,with his Secret Service agents standing by in their black suits.Oslo was a more intimate indoor performance.
Next up for the Stones:
1 June-Zurich,Switzerland Letzigrund Stadium
4 June-Tel Aviv,Israel Hayarkon Park
7 June-Landgraaf,Netherlands Pinkpop Festival
10 June-Berlin,Germany Waldbuhne
13 June-Paris,France Stade de France
As of Thursday,tickets were still available for Tel Aviv.
But for tonight,we have an HD video of the classic "Shattered," a song about New York City performed in NYC's own Beacon Theater in 2006.You get a good look at longtime Stones bass player Darryl Jones,who replaced Bill Wyman.
"Shattered,shattered
Love and hope and sex and dreams
Are still survivin' on the street
Look at me,I'm in tatters
I'm a shattered,shattered"
The half-spoken song is from their "Some Girls" album.It seems to be related to hip-hop songs.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Rolling Stones Ready for Europe;Champions Tour Golf
The entertainment sack is bulging this weekend,Memorial Day weekend in the United States.We have songs by artists old and new,as well as a new Rolling Stones promo and a film trailer.The film trailer is for "Interstellar," a science fiction adventure starring Oscar winner Matthew McConaughy.The film is scheduled for a November 2014 release.*
The new promo is for the Rolling Stones' 14 On Fire Tour.It is a film clip from the Abu Dhabi show that launched the Asian stage of the tour.There are snippets of the songs "Angie" and "Tumbling Dice."
Catch the studio track of "Angie" in a slide show posted here.The track features a strings arrangement with acoustic guitar.The Stones also have this soft side of their music,let's not forget.It's not all rockers.
Stage 2 of the 14 On Fire Tour starts Monday.
Upcoming tour dates are:
26 May-Telenor Arena,Oslo,Norway
29 May-Rock in Rio Festival,Lisbon,Portugal
1 June-Letzigrund Stadium,Zurich,Switzerland
4 June-Park Hayarkon,Tel Aviv,Israel
As shown in the promo,the Stones are still in the moment and hitting their notes.They wouldn't settle for anything less.*
We also have some more Tom Petty tonight in "Refugee."It's the official,original video with remastered audio bringing it into the 21st century.*
Emerging artist Lauryn Vyce's real name is Lauren Vogel and she hails from St.Louis,Missouri,although she now lives in Los Angeles.A 2011 graduate of Indiana University,her highly melodic "Fallin'" is posted tonight.The track is available on iTunes.Lauryn's EP "Secret's Out" is also out on soundcloud.com.She is a fan of New Zealand singer songwriter Lorde.*
In golf,the PGA Senior Championship presented by KitchenAid is underway at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor,Michigan.There's a six-way tie for first place at four under par,with German Bernhard Langer,Colin Montgomerie of Scotland and American Tom Watson among those topping the leader board of this major tournament of the Champions Tour.With his two wins so far,Langer leads the standings of the season-long Charles Schwab Cup.*
Happy Memorial Day.Have a safe holiday weekend,the unofficial start of the summer season.
The new promo is for the Rolling Stones' 14 On Fire Tour.It is a film clip from the Abu Dhabi show that launched the Asian stage of the tour.There are snippets of the songs "Angie" and "Tumbling Dice."
Catch the studio track of "Angie" in a slide show posted here.The track features a strings arrangement with acoustic guitar.The Stones also have this soft side of their music,let's not forget.It's not all rockers.
Stage 2 of the 14 On Fire Tour starts Monday.
Upcoming tour dates are:
26 May-Telenor Arena,Oslo,Norway
29 May-Rock in Rio Festival,Lisbon,Portugal
1 June-Letzigrund Stadium,Zurich,Switzerland
4 June-Park Hayarkon,Tel Aviv,Israel
As shown in the promo,the Stones are still in the moment and hitting their notes.They wouldn't settle for anything less.*
We also have some more Tom Petty tonight in "Refugee."It's the official,original video with remastered audio bringing it into the 21st century.*
Emerging artist Lauryn Vyce's real name is Lauren Vogel and she hails from St.Louis,Missouri,although she now lives in Los Angeles.A 2011 graduate of Indiana University,her highly melodic "Fallin'" is posted tonight.The track is available on iTunes.Lauryn's EP "Secret's Out" is also out on soundcloud.com.She is a fan of New Zealand singer songwriter Lorde.*
In golf,the PGA Senior Championship presented by KitchenAid is underway at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor,Michigan.There's a six-way tie for first place at four under par,with German Bernhard Langer,Colin Montgomerie of Scotland and American Tom Watson among those topping the leader board of this major tournament of the Champions Tour.With his two wins so far,Langer leads the standings of the season-long Charles Schwab Cup.*
Happy Memorial Day.Have a safe holiday weekend,the unofficial start of the summer season.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Paramore;Demi Lovato;Billboard 2014 Music Awards
Congratulations to Paramore for cracking the Billboard magazine Top Ten for the first time with "Ain't It Fun," a song with a manic video that was previously posted on this blog.The track reached #10 this week,up from #13 the week before.Paramore has been in the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the past seven years.*
Demi Lovato's "Neon Lights" single just entered the Hot 100 this week,checking in at #86.Her "Neon Lights Tour" has been described as being shimmering.The power of Demi's voice and her charisma are definitely conveyed in tonight's video.*
The Billboard 2014 Music Awards are this Sunday 18 May at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.They will be broadcast live on ABC at 8:00 pm Eastern.Top Artist nominees are Miley Cyrus;Imagine Dragons;Bruno Mars;Katy Perry;and Justin Timberlake.Top 100 Hot Song nominees are:
Miley Cyrus,"Wrecking Ball"
Lorde,"Royals"
Katy Perry,"Roar"
Imagine Dragon,"Radioactive"
Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharell,"Blurred Lines"*
The Rolling Stones are featured tonight in "You Got Me Rocking." The video is from their epic Copacabana Beach concert in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil in 2006,the largest concert in history with 1.5 million fans.Their "2014 On Fire Tour" is set to resume on Monday 26 May at the Telenor Arena in Oslo,Norway.It's the European leg of the tour.The first leg,in Asia,was a great success,having been completely sold out.A total of 204,044 fans attended the Asian shows,which earned revenue of 41,615,401 dollars.The third and final leg,in Australia/New Zealand,will commence in October.
There will be a total of 30 concerts in the tour.In addition to the four Rolling Stones,bass player Darryl Jones,who appears in tonight's video and several other Stones videos,will be on the tour,as will guitarist Mick Taylor,backup singer Lisa Fischer and Bobby Keys,saxophone.*
The 1980s classic "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty is also on tonight's lineup.It's still getting airplay.The video has some good views of Los Angeles.The track contains several references to places in L.A.,such as Ventura Boulevard.
Demi Lovato's "Neon Lights" single just entered the Hot 100 this week,checking in at #86.Her "Neon Lights Tour" has been described as being shimmering.The power of Demi's voice and her charisma are definitely conveyed in tonight's video.*
The Billboard 2014 Music Awards are this Sunday 18 May at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.They will be broadcast live on ABC at 8:00 pm Eastern.Top Artist nominees are Miley Cyrus;Imagine Dragons;Bruno Mars;Katy Perry;and Justin Timberlake.Top 100 Hot Song nominees are:
Miley Cyrus,"Wrecking Ball"
Lorde,"Royals"
Katy Perry,"Roar"
Imagine Dragon,"Radioactive"
Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharell,"Blurred Lines"*
The Rolling Stones are featured tonight in "You Got Me Rocking." The video is from their epic Copacabana Beach concert in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil in 2006,the largest concert in history with 1.5 million fans.Their "2014 On Fire Tour" is set to resume on Monday 26 May at the Telenor Arena in Oslo,Norway.It's the European leg of the tour.The first leg,in Asia,was a great success,having been completely sold out.A total of 204,044 fans attended the Asian shows,which earned revenue of 41,615,401 dollars.The third and final leg,in Australia/New Zealand,will commence in October.
There will be a total of 30 concerts in the tour.In addition to the four Rolling Stones,bass player Darryl Jones,who appears in tonight's video and several other Stones videos,will be on the tour,as will guitarist Mick Taylor,backup singer Lisa Fischer and Bobby Keys,saxophone.*
The 1980s classic "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty is also on tonight's lineup.It's still getting airplay.The video has some good views of Los Angeles.The track contains several references to places in L.A.,such as Ventura Boulevard.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Shakira;Coldplay;Exile On Main Street
Tonight we have mostly new items in our entertainment sack.Indeed,"Star Wars Episode VII" has just started filming and won't be released till December 2015.It will be the first episode of the saga to be filmed since Disney acquired it.*
Shakira's new video "Dare(La La La)" is from her 2014 album "Shakira" that has reached number 2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.The video is in honour of the 2014 World Cup this summer in Rio de Janeiro.*
Coldplay's "Always In My Head" is a pre-release performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.It's from the British band's new album "Ghost Stories" that comes out on 19 May.You also get a glimpse of Jimmy Fallon,The Tonight Show's new host following the retirement of Jay Leno.You can't get any newer than this video.*
Then we have "Tumbling Dice" in a 1995 live performance.It's got to be one of The Rolling Stone's hottest videos,from the yellow-orange lighting to backup singer Lisa Fischer grinding her hips.
"Tumbling Dice" is from what many considered the Stones' greatest LP,the double album "Exile On Main Street"(1972,remastered and re-released with 10 additional songs in 2010).Produced by Jimmy Miller with engineers Glyn and Andy Johns,the tracks were recorded from June 1969 to March 1972 in London;Nellcote,France;and Los Angeles.In 2010,ten extra tracks were discovered in the vault and the Stones decided to release them along with the re-mastered original tracks.
Mick Jagger re-recorded the lead vocals for most of the rediscovered tracks in Los Angeles in 2010,and Mick Taylor added a guitar part.Backup singers Lisa Fischer and Cindy Mizelle also worked on the extra tracks.So we can say this massive,critically acclaimed album was actually recorded over many decades,from 1969-2010.The 2010 version of "Exile On Main Street" reached number 1 in Britian and number 2 on the US charts.*
The Los Angeles Clippers lost Game 3 of their series with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Playoffs Friday night 118-112,giving the Thunder a 2-1 lead.The Thunder were powered by 2014 MVP Kevin Durant and his 36 points,while Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 34 points.
We just weathered the storm,Durant said.Every run they made,we just kept fighting.*
Celebrity-cam picked out Rihanna among the fans enjoying the game at Staples Center in Los Angeles.She was wearing a black headband and several rings.
Shakira's new video "Dare(La La La)" is from her 2014 album "Shakira" that has reached number 2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.The video is in honour of the 2014 World Cup this summer in Rio de Janeiro.*
Coldplay's "Always In My Head" is a pre-release performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.It's from the British band's new album "Ghost Stories" that comes out on 19 May.You also get a glimpse of Jimmy Fallon,The Tonight Show's new host following the retirement of Jay Leno.You can't get any newer than this video.*
Then we have "Tumbling Dice" in a 1995 live performance.It's got to be one of The Rolling Stone's hottest videos,from the yellow-orange lighting to backup singer Lisa Fischer grinding her hips.
"Tumbling Dice" is from what many considered the Stones' greatest LP,the double album "Exile On Main Street"(1972,remastered and re-released with 10 additional songs in 2010).Produced by Jimmy Miller with engineers Glyn and Andy Johns,the tracks were recorded from June 1969 to March 1972 in London;Nellcote,France;and Los Angeles.In 2010,ten extra tracks were discovered in the vault and the Stones decided to release them along with the re-mastered original tracks.
Mick Jagger re-recorded the lead vocals for most of the rediscovered tracks in Los Angeles in 2010,and Mick Taylor added a guitar part.Backup singers Lisa Fischer and Cindy Mizelle also worked on the extra tracks.So we can say this massive,critically acclaimed album was actually recorded over many decades,from 1969-2010.The 2010 version of "Exile On Main Street" reached number 1 in Britian and number 2 on the US charts.*
The Los Angeles Clippers lost Game 3 of their series with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Playoffs Friday night 118-112,giving the Thunder a 2-1 lead.The Thunder were powered by 2014 MVP Kevin Durant and his 36 points,while Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 34 points.
We just weathered the storm,Durant said.Every run they made,we just kept fighting.*
Celebrity-cam picked out Rihanna among the fans enjoying the game at Staples Center in Los Angeles.She was wearing a black headband and several rings.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Selena Gomez;The Rolling Stones;Mavs Stay Alive
Selena Gomez,21,tops the video show this week with another hit from her solo album "Stars Dance"(2013).You can see how well she dances in "Slow Down."Her birthday is coming up on July 22 and she has just put one of her two California homes on the market.Her full name is Selena Marie Gomez.*
We continue The Rolling Stones retrospective.If you can't catch one of their upcoming shows this summer,I've got you covered with the next best thing.It's remarkable how many hits they've had over the years:countless.Their consistency is beyond belief.
In "Happy" you get to hear Keith Richards sing the lead,which he hardly ever does.He's quite a good singer,it turns out.That was the biggest concert of all time,with an estimated 1.5 million fans gathered on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
You also get to see Ronnie Wood play the steel guitar,a country music instrument.*
"Bitch" is from the classic "Sticky Fingers" album released in 1971.The song was actually recorded in October 1970 and the concert was in Texas in 1972.You can see their lead guitarist of that era,Mick Taylor,standing to Mick Jagger's right-his right hand man,so to speak."Mick" is short for "Michael,"by the way.We can say that was the era of the two Micks,one of the high points of the band's life with a memorable sound.
There is also a brass section performing in this song.
"When you call my name
I salivate like a Pavlov's dog
When you lay me out
My heart starts beating like a big bass drum"
"It's a bitch
Sometimes I'm sexy
Move like a stud
Kicking the stall all night"*
Well,the Dallas Mavericks were kicking the stall in Dallas Friday night as they clipped the San Antonio Spurs 113-111 in the NBA Playoffs,evening the Western Conference series to 3-3.The deciding game of this round 1 series will be Sunday in San Antonio.Monta Ellis led the Mavs with 29 points,followed by Dirk Nowitzki with 22.Tony Parker scored 22 points for the Spurs.
We continue The Rolling Stones retrospective.If you can't catch one of their upcoming shows this summer,I've got you covered with the next best thing.It's remarkable how many hits they've had over the years:countless.Their consistency is beyond belief.
In "Happy" you get to hear Keith Richards sing the lead,which he hardly ever does.He's quite a good singer,it turns out.That was the biggest concert of all time,with an estimated 1.5 million fans gathered on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
You also get to see Ronnie Wood play the steel guitar,a country music instrument.*
"Bitch" is from the classic "Sticky Fingers" album released in 1971.The song was actually recorded in October 1970 and the concert was in Texas in 1972.You can see their lead guitarist of that era,Mick Taylor,standing to Mick Jagger's right-his right hand man,so to speak."Mick" is short for "Michael,"by the way.We can say that was the era of the two Micks,one of the high points of the band's life with a memorable sound.
There is also a brass section performing in this song.
"When you call my name
I salivate like a Pavlov's dog
When you lay me out
My heart starts beating like a big bass drum"
"It's a bitch
Sometimes I'm sexy
Move like a stud
Kicking the stall all night"*
Well,the Dallas Mavericks were kicking the stall in Dallas Friday night as they clipped the San Antonio Spurs 113-111 in the NBA Playoffs,evening the Western Conference series to 3-3.The deciding game of this round 1 series will be Sunday in San Antonio.Monta Ellis led the Mavs with 29 points,followed by Dirk Nowitzki with 22.Tony Parker scored 22 points for the Spurs.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Friday, April 25, 2014
Paramore Song Climbs Charts;NBA Playoffs
Paramore,active since 2004,is Hayley Williams,vocals;Jeremy Davis,bass;and Taylor York,guitar.Williams,25,changes her hair a lot,but what doesn't change is her feel for the music.This was shown Thursday night on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" on NBC.It wasn't a canned vocal,but she went flat out for her viewers nationwide with "Ain't It Fun" from their latest album "Paramore"(2013).
The song,which was featured several weeks ago in this blog,is currently climbing the charts,to the band's delight.It's a jazzy sort of tune that got up to #21 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart this week,and is #1 on the iTunes Alternatives Charts in the US.
The Paramore song that is featured here today,"Careful," is from their album "brand new eyes" and the video,taking us on a world tour with the band,was posted to YouTube three years ago.It had 11,518,000 views as of Friday afternoon.It's a true rocker,which earns it a lot of credit from this blog.*
The Rolling Stones' "Beast of Burden" was posted to YouTube a year ago.It's got guitar solos by both Ronnie Wood and founding member Keith Richards.The Stones are gearing up for the resumption of their 14 On Fire Tour at the end of May in Western Europe.*
Our quiet girl is Holly Throsby of Sydney,Australia with her "Making a Fire," appropriate since winter is now approaching down under.*
Nothing was quiet about the NBA Playoffs Friday night.Two teams that are hanging on for dear life stayed alive as the Chicago Bulls slipped by the Washington Wizards 100-97,and the Houston Rockets downed the Portland Trailblazers 121-116.James Harden led the Rockets to their crucial win with his 37 points.Both the Bulls and the Rockets are down in the series 2-1,and no team has ever recovered from being down 3-1 in the Playoffs.
The song,which was featured several weeks ago in this blog,is currently climbing the charts,to the band's delight.It's a jazzy sort of tune that got up to #21 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart this week,and is #1 on the iTunes Alternatives Charts in the US.
The Paramore song that is featured here today,"Careful," is from their album "brand new eyes" and the video,taking us on a world tour with the band,was posted to YouTube three years ago.It had 11,518,000 views as of Friday afternoon.It's a true rocker,which earns it a lot of credit from this blog.*
The Rolling Stones' "Beast of Burden" was posted to YouTube a year ago.It's got guitar solos by both Ronnie Wood and founding member Keith Richards.The Stones are gearing up for the resumption of their 14 On Fire Tour at the end of May in Western Europe.*
Our quiet girl is Holly Throsby of Sydney,Australia with her "Making a Fire," appropriate since winter is now approaching down under.*
Nothing was quiet about the NBA Playoffs Friday night.Two teams that are hanging on for dear life stayed alive as the Chicago Bulls slipped by the Washington Wizards 100-97,and the Houston Rockets downed the Portland Trailblazers 121-116.James Harden led the Rockets to their crucial win with his 37 points.Both the Bulls and the Rockets are down in the series 2-1,and no team has ever recovered from being down 3-1 in the Playoffs.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Friday, April 18, 2014
Easter Edition:The Rolling Stones;Demi Lovato;Madonna
Top of this week's blog is The Rolling Stones' "Postcard From Asia" promo for their current 14 On Fire tour,which resumes in Europe in about a month's time.The remainder of the tour's dates are posted at the end of the promo,including the just-released makeup dates for Australia-New Zealand.The tour has been in recess since 17 March because of the death of Mick Jagger's girlfriend,the fashion designer L'Wren Scott.
Coupled with the promo is "Sway,"an officially authorised video from a 2005 concert in Austin,Texas.
"Did you ever wake up to find
A day that broke up your mind
Destroyed your notion of circular time
It's just that demon life has got you in its sway"
This song is the second track on the "Sticky Fingers" LP of 1971.The album was the first Stones LP to hit number one on both the UK and US charts.Pop artist Andy Warhol conceived of the actual zipper on the vinyl record's cover.
The 2005 video features two guitar solos by Ronnie Wood,but the studio recording of 1971 featured their lead guitarist of that era,Mick Taylor.
The new Australia-New Zealand dates are:
25 Oct-Adelaide Oval
29 Oct-Perth Arena
1 Nov-Perth Arena
5 Nov-Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
8 Nov-Macedon Hanging Rock
12 Nov-Sydney Allphones Arena
15 Nov-Hope Estate,Hunter Valley
18 Nov-Brisbane Entertainment Centre
22 Nov-Auckland,New Zealand Mt Sharp Stadium*
Demi Lovato's "Made in the USA" is from her latest album "Demi"(2013).It shows that she can play the guitar and act,as well as sing.Her full name is Demetria Devonne Lovato.*
"Papa Don't Preach" is a Madonna drama from her "True Blue" album.It's a little movie in five minutes,set in an Italian neighbourhood of New York City.Her full name is Madonna Louise Ciccone.*
Pablo Larrazabal of Spain got a lot more than he bargained for in the Maybank Malaysian Open Friday at the Kuala Lumpur Golf&Country Club.A swam of angry hornets chased him into a lake,stinging the golfer more than 20 times.He dried himself off and a doctor gave him some injections so he could continue playing.He indeed did so,scoring a birdie at the 14th hole.Englishman Lee Westwood scored a second round 13 under par 66 to top the leader board.*
Happy Easter,dear readers.
Coupled with the promo is "Sway,"an officially authorised video from a 2005 concert in Austin,Texas.
"Did you ever wake up to find
A day that broke up your mind
Destroyed your notion of circular time
It's just that demon life has got you in its sway"
This song is the second track on the "Sticky Fingers" LP of 1971.The album was the first Stones LP to hit number one on both the UK and US charts.Pop artist Andy Warhol conceived of the actual zipper on the vinyl record's cover.
The 2005 video features two guitar solos by Ronnie Wood,but the studio recording of 1971 featured their lead guitarist of that era,Mick Taylor.
The new Australia-New Zealand dates are:
25 Oct-Adelaide Oval
29 Oct-Perth Arena
1 Nov-Perth Arena
5 Nov-Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
8 Nov-Macedon Hanging Rock
12 Nov-Sydney Allphones Arena
15 Nov-Hope Estate,Hunter Valley
18 Nov-Brisbane Entertainment Centre
22 Nov-Auckland,New Zealand Mt Sharp Stadium*
Demi Lovato's "Made in the USA" is from her latest album "Demi"(2013).It shows that she can play the guitar and act,as well as sing.Her full name is Demetria Devonne Lovato.*
"Papa Don't Preach" is a Madonna drama from her "True Blue" album.It's a little movie in five minutes,set in an Italian neighbourhood of New York City.Her full name is Madonna Louise Ciccone.*
Pablo Larrazabal of Spain got a lot more than he bargained for in the Maybank Malaysian Open Friday at the Kuala Lumpur Golf&Country Club.A swam of angry hornets chased him into a lake,stinging the golfer more than 20 times.He dried himself off and a doctor gave him some injections so he could continue playing.He indeed did so,scoring a birdie at the 14th hole.Englishman Lee Westwood scored a second round 13 under par 66 to top the leader board.*
Happy Easter,dear readers.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Friday, April 11, 2014
The Rolling Stones;Selena Gomez;The Masters
Tonight's music includes two Chuck Berry songs performed by The Rolling Stones in 1969,plus a recent Selena Gomez release."Carol" and "Little Queenie" are restored archival material from what looks like 16mm film footage.Very well done,because you can't tell there was ever a problem.The concerts took place in 1969.One of the most significant things about them is the appearance of master guitarist Mick Taylor,seen at Jagger's right,who was a new member of the Stones at that time,selected to replace original member Brian Jones.
The Hertfordshire,England native Taylor is considered by many to be the Stones' most accomplished guitarist in their career.He was a full time member of the band from 1969-74,and they were shocked when he quit,partly to get away from the drug problems of that era and partly because of clashes with Keith Richards,as well as songwriting credits he felt he was not getting.Taylor says he always felt he would not be with the Stones indefinitely.He was in turn replaced by Ronnie Wood.
Taylor was a member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers from 1966-69 before he auditioned for the Stones at a recording session,having been recommended by John Mayall.He didn't realise it was an audition.He just thought it was session work,but Jagger enjoyed his melodic style of playing.Taylor played on some of the Stones' classic albums,including Let It Bleed;Sticky Fingers;and Exile On Main Street.He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the Stones in 1989.
Rolling Stone magazine ranks Taylor as number 37 on its list of 100 greatest guitarists of all time.After the Stones,he went on to work with artists such as Jack Bruce and Bob Dylan.In 2010,he and Jagger went back into the studio to finish the previously unreleased track "Plundered My Soul" for the 2010 re-release of the LP Exile On Main Street.
Since late 2012,Taylor has been appearing with the Stones onstage again,including every date of their 2013 North American tour and at the Glastonbury Festival in England in June,2013.*
Selena Gomez's "Love You Like A Love Song"(MTV Version) was posted to YouTube in February.It had 493 likes and 23 dislikes as of Thursday,out of 81,603 views.The video gives a nod to her Mexican heritage with a pinata scene among Mexican musicians.There is also a sitar player in it.Not sure what India means to Selena-it is also given a nod in "Come&Get It" that was featured here a short while ago.*
The Masters is underway at the vast,difficult course of Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.As the course continues to dry out this weekend,it will play even faster and harder.American Bubba Watson,the 2012 winner,has the early lead at seven under par,while John Senden of Australia is second at -4,and a number of golfers are tied for third at -3,including defending champion Australian Adam Scott and Sweden's Jonas Blixt.The tournament was conceived as a special event that would capture the spirit of golf.
The Hertfordshire,England native Taylor is considered by many to be the Stones' most accomplished guitarist in their career.He was a full time member of the band from 1969-74,and they were shocked when he quit,partly to get away from the drug problems of that era and partly because of clashes with Keith Richards,as well as songwriting credits he felt he was not getting.Taylor says he always felt he would not be with the Stones indefinitely.He was in turn replaced by Ronnie Wood.
Taylor was a member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers from 1966-69 before he auditioned for the Stones at a recording session,having been recommended by John Mayall.He didn't realise it was an audition.He just thought it was session work,but Jagger enjoyed his melodic style of playing.Taylor played on some of the Stones' classic albums,including Let It Bleed;Sticky Fingers;and Exile On Main Street.He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the Stones in 1989.
Rolling Stone magazine ranks Taylor as number 37 on its list of 100 greatest guitarists of all time.After the Stones,he went on to work with artists such as Jack Bruce and Bob Dylan.In 2010,he and Jagger went back into the studio to finish the previously unreleased track "Plundered My Soul" for the 2010 re-release of the LP Exile On Main Street.
Since late 2012,Taylor has been appearing with the Stones onstage again,including every date of their 2013 North American tour and at the Glastonbury Festival in England in June,2013.*
Selena Gomez's "Love You Like A Love Song"(MTV Version) was posted to YouTube in February.It had 493 likes and 23 dislikes as of Thursday,out of 81,603 views.The video gives a nod to her Mexican heritage with a pinata scene among Mexican musicians.There is also a sitar player in it.Not sure what India means to Selena-it is also given a nod in "Come&Get It" that was featured here a short while ago.*
The Masters is underway at the vast,difficult course of Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.As the course continues to dry out this weekend,it will play even faster and harder.American Bubba Watson,the 2012 winner,has the early lead at seven under par,while John Senden of Australia is second at -4,and a number of golfers are tied for third at -3,including defending champion Australian Adam Scott and Sweden's Jonas Blixt.The tournament was conceived as a special event that would capture the spirit of golf.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
The Rolling Stones;Avril Lavigne;Shell Houston Open
Tonight's videos include two classics and a new release.We start with The Firm's VH1 Classic video for "Satisfaction Guaranteed."The small club ambience is just right for the bluesy song and Jimmy Page's flamboyant guitar style,his British flash.Then we return to the Rolling Stones playing for 1.5 million people in Rio de Janeiro and "Start Me Up."Most interesting to me is Ronnie Wood coming out front for his guitar solo-haven't seen him do that too often.
The Stones are gearing up for the resumption of their 14 on Fire Tour following a break after the death of fashion designer L'Wren Scott,frontman Mick Jagger's girlfriend.It's been a rough period for this tight knit band,and we wish them a better than ever return.The European leg of the tour is to commence in late May.Most of the dates are already sold out,but big screens were set up in Singapore in March so those without tickets could watch the concert,so hopefully they will do that in Europe as well.
5-26 Oslo,Norway
5-29 Rock in Rio Festival,Portugal
6-1 Zurich,Switzerland
6-7 Pinkpop Festival,Landgraf,Netherlands
6-10 Berlin,Germany
6-13 Paris,France
6-16 Vienna,Austria
6-19 Dusseldorf,Germany
6-22 Rome,Italy
6-25 Madrid,Spain
6-28 TW Classic Festival,Werchter,Belgium
7-1 Stockholm,Sweden
7-3 Roskilde Festival,Denmark
The Australia-New Zealand concerts are in work.Probably they will be in October-November.
The new release is Avril Lavigne's demo of a song she wrote for Kelly Clarkson,"Breakaway."It's the first time we can hear Avril perform this composition of hers.It was a hit for Clarkson.*
The professional golf season is heating up as we approach The Masters tournament next weekend at Augusta National in Georgia.This weekend,the men are playing in the Shell Houston Open at the Golf Club of Houston.After two rounds,Sergio Garcia of Spain holds the lead,having shot a 12 under par 65 on Friday.The ladies are playing in their first major of the season,the Kraft Nabisco Open at the Mission Hills Golf Club in Rancho Mirage,California.American teenager Lexi Thompson,19,and the seasoned Korean golfer Se Ri Pak,36,share the second round lead at 7 under par.
The Stones are gearing up for the resumption of their 14 on Fire Tour following a break after the death of fashion designer L'Wren Scott,frontman Mick Jagger's girlfriend.It's been a rough period for this tight knit band,and we wish them a better than ever return.The European leg of the tour is to commence in late May.Most of the dates are already sold out,but big screens were set up in Singapore in March so those without tickets could watch the concert,so hopefully they will do that in Europe as well.
5-26 Oslo,Norway
5-29 Rock in Rio Festival,Portugal
6-1 Zurich,Switzerland
6-7 Pinkpop Festival,Landgraf,Netherlands
6-10 Berlin,Germany
6-13 Paris,France
6-16 Vienna,Austria
6-19 Dusseldorf,Germany
6-22 Rome,Italy
6-25 Madrid,Spain
6-28 TW Classic Festival,Werchter,Belgium
7-1 Stockholm,Sweden
7-3 Roskilde Festival,Denmark
The Australia-New Zealand concerts are in work.Probably they will be in October-November.
The new release is Avril Lavigne's demo of a song she wrote for Kelly Clarkson,"Breakaway."It's the first time we can hear Avril perform this composition of hers.It was a hit for Clarkson.*
The professional golf season is heating up as we approach The Masters tournament next weekend at Augusta National in Georgia.This weekend,the men are playing in the Shell Houston Open at the Golf Club of Houston.After two rounds,Sergio Garcia of Spain holds the lead,having shot a 12 under par 65 on Friday.The ladies are playing in their first major of the season,the Kraft Nabisco Open at the Mission Hills Golf Club in Rancho Mirage,California.American teenager Lexi Thompson,19,and the seasoned Korean golfer Se Ri Pak,36,share the second round lead at 7 under par.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Demi Lovato;Selena Gomez;Michigan State
Today's videos feature two American women who happen to be close friends.Demi(Demetria) Lovato and Selena Gomez are both 21,and both are of Mexican descent.
Lovato is a native of Albuquerque,New Mexico,while Gomez hails from Grand Prairie,Texas.
The two Christians met as child stars on the "Barney&Friends" TV set,then graduated to the Disney Channel,starring together in the TV movie "Princess Protection Program."Lovato is currently appearing in the fifth season of "Glee,"and Gomez has been doing film work in "Behaving Badly,"scheduled for a September 2014 release.
They have a huge fan base,with many being fans of both artists.Both stars have been in rehab for one reason or another.
Of the two,Lovato is the power singer,said to have a full voice range of three octaves above middle C.It's a talent that commands so much respect,I wanted to share at least two of her videos."Give Your Heart A Break" is a live TV performance from 2012 of Lovato's colossal hit from her third album "Unbroken,"while "Let It Go" is the official single from the Disney blockbuster "Frozen."It was posted to YouTube four months ago and had 112,898,696 views as of Thursday afternoon.
Gomez's "Come&Get It" from her first solo LP "Stars Dance"(2013)is fascinating in that it draws on Indian influences.The video affords a spectacular natural setting for Gomez's sultry hit,which had 225,046,104 views.The album debuted at number one on the Billboard chart.*
In NCAA men's basketball,number one Virginia was sent home by number four Michigan State Firday night at Madison Square Garden.The Spartans slipped by the Cavaliers 61-59,led by Brandon Davison's 24 points.Joe Harris and Malcolm Brogden scored 17 points each for Virginia.The Cavs were slightly less accurate with their free throws.
Lovato is a native of Albuquerque,New Mexico,while Gomez hails from Grand Prairie,Texas.
The two Christians met as child stars on the "Barney&Friends" TV set,then graduated to the Disney Channel,starring together in the TV movie "Princess Protection Program."Lovato is currently appearing in the fifth season of "Glee,"and Gomez has been doing film work in "Behaving Badly,"scheduled for a September 2014 release.
They have a huge fan base,with many being fans of both artists.Both stars have been in rehab for one reason or another.
Of the two,Lovato is the power singer,said to have a full voice range of three octaves above middle C.It's a talent that commands so much respect,I wanted to share at least two of her videos."Give Your Heart A Break" is a live TV performance from 2012 of Lovato's colossal hit from her third album "Unbroken,"while "Let It Go" is the official single from the Disney blockbuster "Frozen."It was posted to YouTube four months ago and had 112,898,696 views as of Thursday afternoon.
Gomez's "Come&Get It" from her first solo LP "Stars Dance"(2013)is fascinating in that it draws on Indian influences.The video affords a spectacular natural setting for Gomez's sultry hit,which had 225,046,104 views.The album debuted at number one on the Billboard chart.*
In NCAA men's basketball,number one Virginia was sent home by number four Michigan State Firday night at Madison Square Garden.The Spartans slipped by the Cavaliers 61-59,led by Brandon Davison's 24 points.Joe Harris and Malcolm Brogden scored 17 points each for Virginia.The Cavs were slightly less accurate with their free throws.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Saturday, March 22, 2014
The Rolling Stones;Avril Lavigne;Paramore
I was able to present a bonus track again this week.It is Paramore's richly melodic "That's What You Get" from their "Riot" album.Posted in 2010,the video had 50,333,190 views and and 195,780 YouTube likes as of Thursday.*
Avril Lavigne's lullabye "Hush,Hush" is from her latest album "Avril Lavigne"(2013) and the video is new,posted just one month ago.Lavigne lets actors carry the weight in this one,making a few cameo appearances herself.*
The Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock'n'Roll" is from a gargantuan 2006 concert on Rio's Copacabana Beach.Surely everything came together there,a genuine high point in a legendary career.The video was posted in 2013.
The Stones had to cancel the Australia-New Zealand leg of their 2014 On Fire tour when frontman Mick Jagger's girlfriend,the prominent fashion designer L'Wren Scott,49,committed suicide March 17.Jagger has returned to Los Angeles to be with his son and three daughters.
The seven concerts had instantly sold out.One of the shows,at the Adelaide Oval,was to be particularly notable.The monumental event was to be a curtain-raiser for the revamped Oval,with 60 truckloads of staging and production.
All the concerts will be rescheduled and fans should hold on to those hard to get tickets.The Stones are working with promoters on the new dates,aiming for an October-November time frame,according to Billboard magazine.*
Australian golfer Adam Scott made a splash of his own with his dominant second round 14 under par 68 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando,Florida.The defending Masters champion is seven strokes ahead of two Americans,Chesson Hadley and JB Holmes,and Italian Francesco Molinari.I don't think you can ever have a big enough lead,to be honest,Scott said.
Avril Lavigne's lullabye "Hush,Hush" is from her latest album "Avril Lavigne"(2013) and the video is new,posted just one month ago.Lavigne lets actors carry the weight in this one,making a few cameo appearances herself.*
The Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock'n'Roll" is from a gargantuan 2006 concert on Rio's Copacabana Beach.Surely everything came together there,a genuine high point in a legendary career.The video was posted in 2013.
The Stones had to cancel the Australia-New Zealand leg of their 2014 On Fire tour when frontman Mick Jagger's girlfriend,the prominent fashion designer L'Wren Scott,49,committed suicide March 17.Jagger has returned to Los Angeles to be with his son and three daughters.
The seven concerts had instantly sold out.One of the shows,at the Adelaide Oval,was to be particularly notable.The monumental event was to be a curtain-raiser for the revamped Oval,with 60 truckloads of staging and production.
All the concerts will be rescheduled and fans should hold on to those hard to get tickets.The Stones are working with promoters on the new dates,aiming for an October-November time frame,according to Billboard magazine.*
Australian golfer Adam Scott made a splash of his own with his dominant second round 14 under par 68 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando,Florida.The defending Masters champion is seven strokes ahead of two Americans,Chesson Hadley and JB Holmes,and Italian Francesco Molinari.I don't think you can ever have a big enough lead,to be honest,Scott said.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Friday, March 14, 2014
Kesha;Coldplay;Avril Lavigne
In this edition,you get a bonus track-quite a deal.It is Kesha's "TikTok" from her first album "Animal."The song had more than 43 million views as of Friday afternoon,with more than 14 million units sold since its 2010 release.Kesha,born Kesha Rose Sebert,27,has just gotten out of a two-month rehab stint for eating disorders.She is feeling well now and says she has written a ton of new songs.Kesha has also dropped the satirical dollar sign from her first name.Her second album "Warrior" came out in 2012.
To this point,Kesha's had a party girl image.Will that change after her rehab experience?In real life,she has said she is repulsed by the gluttony and excess of a lot of celebrities.*
England's Coldplay has just debuted some new songs,including "Magic," at the SXSW event in Austin,Texas.Their new album "Ghost Stories" is scheduled for release on May 19.The band,led by frontman Chris Martin,formed at University College,London in 1996.They've won five MTV Video Music Awards and seven Grammys over their long career.*
Ontario native Avril Lavigne,29,has sold more than 30 million LPs worldwide.She was born in Belleville,but grew up in the little town of Napanee just up the road.Her second husband,Chad Kroeger of the band Nickelback,is featured in "Let Me Go," which came out in 2013.Lavigne is also known for her Abbey Dawn clothing line and several fragrances.*
In motor racing,qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix is about to get underway at Albert Park in Melbourne.It is the start of the Formula One season,with Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel,the defending World Champion,being joined by a new teammate,Daniel Ricciardo of Perth,Western Australia,following Mark Webber's retirement from F1.Germany's Vettel,26,has four World Championships to his name.Will his complete dominance of last year hold up in 2014?With a number of technical rule changes this year,that is in doubt.
Update:Qualifying results-P1.Lewis Hamilton,GBR;P2.Daniel Ricciardo,AUS;P3.Nico Rosberg,GER
The race will be broadcast on NBCSN at 1:30am Eastern on Sunday.It will be rebroadcast at 6:00am.
To this point,Kesha's had a party girl image.Will that change after her rehab experience?In real life,she has said she is repulsed by the gluttony and excess of a lot of celebrities.*
England's Coldplay has just debuted some new songs,including "Magic," at the SXSW event in Austin,Texas.Their new album "Ghost Stories" is scheduled for release on May 19.The band,led by frontman Chris Martin,formed at University College,London in 1996.They've won five MTV Video Music Awards and seven Grammys over their long career.*
Ontario native Avril Lavigne,29,has sold more than 30 million LPs worldwide.She was born in Belleville,but grew up in the little town of Napanee just up the road.Her second husband,Chad Kroeger of the band Nickelback,is featured in "Let Me Go," which came out in 2013.Lavigne is also known for her Abbey Dawn clothing line and several fragrances.*
In motor racing,qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix is about to get underway at Albert Park in Melbourne.It is the start of the Formula One season,with Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel,the defending World Champion,being joined by a new teammate,Daniel Ricciardo of Perth,Western Australia,following Mark Webber's retirement from F1.Germany's Vettel,26,has four World Championships to his name.Will his complete dominance of last year hold up in 2014?With a number of technical rule changes this year,that is in doubt.
Update:Qualifying results-P1.Lewis Hamilton,GBR;P2.Daniel Ricciardo,AUS;P3.Nico Rosberg,GER
The race will be broadcast on NBCSN at 1:30am Eastern on Sunday.It will be rebroadcast at 6:00am.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Col. McCandless assumed command of 124th Fighter Wing
Colonel Sherrie L. McCandless,Idaho Air National Guard,receives the colors.
Col. McCandless assumed command of 124th Fighter Wing
Colonel Sherrie L. McCandless,Idaho Air National Guard.
Friday, March 7, 2014
The Rolling Stones;Lisa Fischer;Houston Rockets
Tonight's music is all rock'n'roll,with The Rolling Stones' "Stupid Girl" in a slide show format and "Gimme Shelter" in a live promo video featuring Lisa Fischer.They are performing with Lisa at this writing in "On Fire:Rolling Stones Tour."
9 March Macau,China
19 March Perth,Australia
22 March Adelaide,Australia
25 March Sydney,Australia
28 March Melbourne,Australia
30 March Macedon Range,Australia
2 April Brisbane,Australia
5 April Auckland,New Zealand
Lisa Fischer,55,is an African American singer songwriter who has a solo career,but tours and records widely with other top names in the business as well,including Sting,Tina Turner,Beyonce,Alicia Keyes,Chris Biotti and Nine Inch Nails.Known for her accurate pitch,professionalism and graceful onstage presence,she is one of the most in-demand session and backup singers in the world-and that's fine with her.
Fischer won a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Performance for her hit "How Can I Ease the Pain" and is one of the session and backup singers featured in the noted Morgan Neville documentary "Twenty Feet From Stardom."*
The Houston Rockets made a case for their own stardom Friday night as they crushed the Indiana Pacers 112-86 in Houston,led by James Harden with his 28 points,4 rebounda and 4 assists.The Rockets were spot on with 13 threes for their fourth straight win.Dwight Howard signed autographs before the game,then went on to add his 15 points,7 rebounds and 4 assists to the Houston win.
9 March Macau,China
19 March Perth,Australia
22 March Adelaide,Australia
25 March Sydney,Australia
28 March Melbourne,Australia
30 March Macedon Range,Australia
2 April Brisbane,Australia
5 April Auckland,New Zealand
Lisa Fischer,55,is an African American singer songwriter who has a solo career,but tours and records widely with other top names in the business as well,including Sting,Tina Turner,Beyonce,Alicia Keyes,Chris Biotti and Nine Inch Nails.Known for her accurate pitch,professionalism and graceful onstage presence,she is one of the most in-demand session and backup singers in the world-and that's fine with her.
Fischer won a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Performance for her hit "How Can I Ease the Pain" and is one of the session and backup singers featured in the noted Morgan Neville documentary "Twenty Feet From Stardom."*
The Houston Rockets made a case for their own stardom Friday night as they crushed the Indiana Pacers 112-86 in Houston,led by James Harden with his 28 points,4 rebounda and 4 assists.The Rockets were spot on with 13 threes for their fourth straight win.Dwight Howard signed autographs before the game,then went on to add his 15 points,7 rebounds and 4 assists to the Houston win.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Suns Surpass Pelicans;Knicks Lose Again;McCartney in Moscow
The big scorers were out Friday night in the NBA.For the Golden State Warriors,Stephen Curry posted a huge 52 as they manhandled the New York Knicks 123-103 at Madison Square Garden.The Knicks are now five and a half games out of the final playoff spot.*
It's definitely frustrating,how we're losing the games,Knicks star Carmelo Anthony said.It's time we should have it down pat right now.We should have it.*
Meanwhile,the Phoenix Suns' Goran Dragic scored a career high 40 points in their conquest of the New Orleans Pelicans 116-104 in the Arizona desert city.Anthony Davis scored 32 for the losers.*
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy was shining in the Honda Classic Friday.The former World Number One was looking like his old self with his second round 11 under par 66 at PGA National in Florida.He had shot a 63 in Thursday's opening round.
Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe is in second place at -10.Tiger Woods was thankful just made the cut on the tough course with his even par,but Phil Mickelson goes home for the weekend,missing the cut at 1 over par.*
I found some good music this week in the jazzy "Rio" by Duran Duran,now digitally remastered;and Sir Paul McCartney with his exceptional live performance of "Back In The USSR" in Russia itself,complete with dancing girls.Russia's been making the big news lately with the Sochi Olympics and the situation in Ukraine."Well,the Ukraine girls really knock me out.They leave the West behind.And Moscow girls make me sing and shout.And Georgia's always on my mind."(Lennon-McCartney)
It's definitely frustrating,how we're losing the games,Knicks star Carmelo Anthony said.It's time we should have it down pat right now.We should have it.*
Meanwhile,the Phoenix Suns' Goran Dragic scored a career high 40 points in their conquest of the New Orleans Pelicans 116-104 in the Arizona desert city.Anthony Davis scored 32 for the losers.*
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy was shining in the Honda Classic Friday.The former World Number One was looking like his old self with his second round 11 under par 66 at PGA National in Florida.He had shot a 63 in Thursday's opening round.
Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe is in second place at -10.Tiger Woods was thankful just made the cut on the tough course with his even par,but Phil Mickelson goes home for the weekend,missing the cut at 1 over par.*
I found some good music this week in the jazzy "Rio" by Duran Duran,now digitally remastered;and Sir Paul McCartney with his exceptional live performance of "Back In The USSR" in Russia itself,complete with dancing girls.Russia's been making the big news lately with the Sochi Olympics and the situation in Ukraine."Well,the Ukraine girls really knock me out.They leave the West behind.And Moscow girls make me sing and shout.And Georgia's always on my mind."(Lennon-McCartney)
Friday, February 28, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Mikaela Shiffrin:American Teen is Alpine's New Star
Team USA won its second alpine skiing gold medal Friday as reigning World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin,18,beat two Austrians at their own game,the slalom.Shiffrin overcame a bobble when her left ski left the snow,a mark of a skier's strength and maturity,to win the slalom gold at the youngest age in Olympic history.Austria's Marlies Schild,32,whose 35 World Cup slalom victories are the most in history and is Shiffrin's idol,took the silver,and her compatriot Kathrin Zettel won the bronze,her first ever Olympic medal after years of effort.
The precocious American Shiffrin began competing in Europe at age 16,traveling with her mother.I want to get farther than anyone's ever gotten,Shiffrin said.She's been showing the aptitude and determination to do just that.*
In speedskating,Team USA had been shut out of the medals going into Friday,consternating team members and fans alike.This was remedied in the 5,000 meter short track relay,when Russia,led by anchor Victor Ahn,won the gold and the Americans with their anchor C.R.Celski hung on for silver,as China and the Netherlands fell to the wayside and Kazakhstan lagged behind.China ended up with the bronze.Still,the US won six short track medals at Vancouver 2010 and a total of 18 in Olympic history,so a sense of disappointment in their Sochi performance remains.*
The featured videos this week are both by Madonna:"Live To Tell" and "Like A Virgin."
"Live To Tell" unfolds to a height of drama seldom reached in a music video;while "Like A Virgin" takes us to Venice,a tribute to the Italian American Madonna's European roots.
The precocious American Shiffrin began competing in Europe at age 16,traveling with her mother.I want to get farther than anyone's ever gotten,Shiffrin said.She's been showing the aptitude and determination to do just that.*
In speedskating,Team USA had been shut out of the medals going into Friday,consternating team members and fans alike.This was remedied in the 5,000 meter short track relay,when Russia,led by anchor Victor Ahn,won the gold and the Americans with their anchor C.R.Celski hung on for silver,as China and the Netherlands fell to the wayside and Kazakhstan lagged behind.China ended up with the bronze.Still,the US won six short track medals at Vancouver 2010 and a total of 18 in Olympic history,so a sense of disappointment in their Sochi performance remains.*
The featured videos this week are both by Madonna:"Live To Tell" and "Like A Virgin."
"Live To Tell" unfolds to a height of drama seldom reached in a music video;while "Like A Virgin" takes us to Venice,a tribute to the Italian American Madonna's European roots.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Minnesota National Guard
Army National Guard Staff Sgt Leah Boyd,Minnesota Medical Detachment,maintains a positive attitude during operations in negative degree weather on Camp Riley on 8 January 2014.Staff Sgt Anthony Housey photo.
Virginia National Guard
116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion,116th Brigade Combat Team Soldiers of the Virginia National Guard perform health and welfare checks of abandoned and stranded vehicles on 13 February 2014.Tech Sgt Meghan Skrepenski photo,Virginia Air National Guard Public Affairs.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Tonight's People:Anna Lesko;Noelle Pikus-Pace;Alla Tsuper
The music tonight is by the international pop star Anna Lesko,35,a native of the former Soviet Republic of Moldova who moved to Romania at age 17.Moldova is a small independent country now with just over three million people.It is located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east.Lesko is ethnic Ukrainian and sometimes sings in Russian,as well as English,Romanian and Spanish.
A large minority in Lesko's homeland Moldova is ethnic Russian and Ukrainian and speak Russian as their first language.Russian is in fact spoken throughout the country and in daily life,and the Eastern Orthodox faith is predominant.Romanian is also spoken by the majority Bessarabian population.
The video for "Go Crazy" was filmed in Thailand and features Latin rapper Gilberto.In "Get It,"Lesko interestingly makes a soft wolf howl and sings about a pack of wolves.*
At the Sochi Winter Olympics,American mother Noelle Pikus-Pace achieved her longstanding dream of winning an Olympic medal in skeleton,which is a small,thin sled.She won the silver,after 12 years of struggle,behind Great Britain's Lizzy Yarnold,who took GB's second medal of these Games and its first gold.Russia's Yelena Nikitina won the bronze.When she realised she won a medal,Pikus-Pace trembled with joy and scaled a fence to hug her family.It was the biggest display of emotion.
Also with a big smile on her face was Alla Tsuper of Belarus,another former Soviet Republic,who won the gold in the women's freestyle skiing aerials,which involves soaring off a steep slope and executing dangerous maneuvers in the air.At 34,Tsuper was the oldest athlete competing and not favoured for a medal.China's Xe Mengtao took the silver,and Australian mother Lydia Lasila,32,the defending gold medalist,won the bronze.*
American alpine skiers Bode Miller and Ted Ligety were not so happy,as they failed to medal in the men's Super Combined event,which couples a downhill race with a slalom.They will ski again on Sunday in the Super Giant Slalom.
A large minority in Lesko's homeland Moldova is ethnic Russian and Ukrainian and speak Russian as their first language.Russian is in fact spoken throughout the country and in daily life,and the Eastern Orthodox faith is predominant.Romanian is also spoken by the majority Bessarabian population.
The video for "Go Crazy" was filmed in Thailand and features Latin rapper Gilberto.In "Get It,"Lesko interestingly makes a soft wolf howl and sings about a pack of wolves.*
At the Sochi Winter Olympics,American mother Noelle Pikus-Pace achieved her longstanding dream of winning an Olympic medal in skeleton,which is a small,thin sled.She won the silver,after 12 years of struggle,behind Great Britain's Lizzy Yarnold,who took GB's second medal of these Games and its first gold.Russia's Yelena Nikitina won the bronze.When she realised she won a medal,Pikus-Pace trembled with joy and scaled a fence to hug her family.It was the biggest display of emotion.
Also with a big smile on her face was Alla Tsuper of Belarus,another former Soviet Republic,who won the gold in the women's freestyle skiing aerials,which involves soaring off a steep slope and executing dangerous maneuvers in the air.At 34,Tsuper was the oldest athlete competing and not favoured for a medal.China's Xe Mengtao took the silver,and Australian mother Lydia Lasila,32,the defending gold medalist,won the bronze.*
American alpine skiers Bode Miller and Ted Ligety were not so happy,as they failed to medal in the men's Super Combined event,which couples a downhill race with a slalom.They will ski again on Sunday in the Super Giant Slalom.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Ambassador Westmacott confers title of Honorary CBE upon Duncan Niederauer
Ambassador Westmacott confers title of Honorary CBE upon Duncan Niederauer, a photo by UKinUSA on Flickr.
Duncan Niederauer,left,CEO of NYSE/Euronext,receives the title of Honorary CBE at the British Embassy,Washington on 7 February,2014.
Ambassador Westmacott presents Duncan Niederauer with insignia
Duncan Niederauer,center,CEO of NYSE/Euronext,is invested as an Honorary Commander of the British Empire at the British Embassy,Washington on 7 February,2014.
Tonight's Music:Hayley Williams and Lauryn Vyce;Sochi Winter Olympics
In tonight's music,two songbirds are featured:Hayley Williams of Paramore and Lauryn Vyce(Lauren Vogel).Williams is rapidly gaining in prominence by the day,and Vyce is aspiring.Neither of the ladies was raised in the entertainment capitals of Los Angeles or New York.Williams grew up in Mississippi and Tennessee,and Vyce in St.Louis.*
The Williams offering is "Stay The Night" by Zedd featuring Hayley Williams.The petite redhead really lights it up for Zedd.Her onscreen presence is off the charts.She understands the camera well and has a fine sense of how to use her body,which,as a veteran of several music videos and innumerable concerts,she ought to do.There could be a cinematic career in the making here,should that interest her at some point.
"Stay The Night" had more than 34 million YouTube views as of Friday afternoon.Enough said.*
Vyce is building her career out West in L.A.She is focused on the pop genre and seems to be doing all the right things.No one will be able to say she didn't explore every angle of the industry.The pipes are definitely there.Her biggest exposure so far has been her song "Do It Again" being used in one of the Sandals Resorts "living the dream" TV spots,which is still being aired after an already extensive run on national television.Tonight's "Catch Me" is a well-crafted synth pop track that is easy for radio stations to squeeze in,it is so short.*
At the Sochi Winter Olympics,the opening ceremony went reasonably well.All right,one of the snowflakes didn't turn into an Olympic ring as planned,but it's nothing the media should make a big thing of.The American athletes were pleased with the colourful Russian vision of history and culture.
Russia has sent 232 athletes to the Games-the largest delegation in Olympics history.
The Williams offering is "Stay The Night" by Zedd featuring Hayley Williams.The petite redhead really lights it up for Zedd.Her onscreen presence is off the charts.She understands the camera well and has a fine sense of how to use her body,which,as a veteran of several music videos and innumerable concerts,she ought to do.There could be a cinematic career in the making here,should that interest her at some point.
"Stay The Night" had more than 34 million YouTube views as of Friday afternoon.Enough said.*
Vyce is building her career out West in L.A.She is focused on the pop genre and seems to be doing all the right things.No one will be able to say she didn't explore every angle of the industry.The pipes are definitely there.Her biggest exposure so far has been her song "Do It Again" being used in one of the Sandals Resorts "living the dream" TV spots,which is still being aired after an already extensive run on national television.Tonight's "Catch Me" is a well-crafted synth pop track that is easy for radio stations to squeeze in,it is so short.*
At the Sochi Winter Olympics,the opening ceremony went reasonably well.All right,one of the snowflakes didn't turn into an Olympic ring as planned,but it's nothing the media should make a big thing of.The American athletes were pleased with the colourful Russian vision of history and culture.
Russia has sent 232 athletes to the Games-the largest delegation in Olympics history.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Sunday, February 2, 2014
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