Alicia Keys has been delivering her blend of piano-driven, classic soul with hip-hop beats since the turn of this century. And now Keys brings her distinctive style to her very first Christmas album, "Santa Baby", released through her own label, Alicia Keys Records and available exclusively through Apple Music. This collection is made up of seven covers of holiday standards (including her version of the title track first made famous by the legendary Eartha Kitt in 1953) and four original compositions written or co-written by the artist. Keys has created a warm and smooth soulful vibe with this album, a very fine addition to the ever expanding options available in Christmas music. Enjoy the first single and video of the original tune, "December Back 2 June" and her stylish version of the title track:
JOSS STONE
Joss Stone began her professional music career at the tender age of sixteen with the 2003 release of "The Soul Sessions", an album of soul song covers that had became popular long before she was even born. What made this acclaimed record (and Stone) so impressive is how this young blonde Brit was able to dig down deep to convey the passion of these songs, possessing a voice that was convincingly mature and soulful. Yet despite this dazzling debut, she surprisingly did not become a major presence in pop music. But the gifted Stone went on to continuously release new music that effectively brought back a feeling of vintage r&b. With "Merry Christmas, Love", the now thirty-five year old artist delivers a yuletide collection that features plenty of traditional holiday classics plus two new songs; "If You Believe" and "Bring on Christmas Day" that are both written by Stone. The first release from the album is "What Christmas Means To Me", Stone's take on the song that first appeared on Stevie Wonder's Christmas album back in 1967 and we have the live version of "Bring on Christmas Day":
Christine McVie, the long-time member of the rock group, Fleetwood Mac, has passed away on November 30th at the age of seventy-nine. The British singer was responsible for writing and performing some of the band's best known and loved songs like "Say You Love Me", "Songbird", "You Make Loving Fun", "Little Lies" and "Everywhere".
She was born Christine Perfect and grew up in the town of Smethwick near Birmingham. She took to the piano at a very early age, becoming classically trained until she was a teenager after which she shifted her focus to rock & roll. While attending Moseley School of Art in Birmingham, Perfect met several budding musicians, like Spencer Davis, Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton who were immersed in the blues music scene happening there. She eventually left behind the idea of becoming an art teacher and pursued music full time with a move to London. Perfect joined Chicken Shack, a blues band, in 1967 and they released two studio albums, receiving some notice with the singles, "It's Okay with Me Baby" (written and performed by Perfect) and a cover of Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind".
After marrying John McVie, the bass guitarist for another blues-rock band, Fleetwood Mac, in 1969, Perfect decided to leave Chicken Shack in order to have more time with her new husband. But not wanting to end her career in music, she released a self-titled debut album the following year, a collection of largely r&b and blues covers with a few original songs by Perfect. She had begun working with Fleetwood Mac, providing backing vocals and even painting the cover of their 1970 album, "Kiln House", and after founding member Peter Green left, the now named Christine McVie officially became a member of the band.
Not long after she joined, Fleetwood Mac began to have internal problems with band members coming and going, a lawsuit with their manager and their albums were failing to generate much interest. The band decided to relocate to Los Angeles for a fresh start, releasing "Heroes Are Hard to Find" in 1974 with McVie and Bob Welch trading off writing and singing the songs on the album. Welch, exhausted and frustrated after the disappointing sales of the album, decided to leave Fleetwood Mac (going on to a successful solo career) and two new members were asked to join. With Lindsey Buckingham and his girlfriend, Stevie Nicks now in the band, Fleetwood Mac released another self-titled album in 1975. The record offered a resurgence for the band with the hit singles, "Over My Head" and "Say You Love Me" from McVie and Nicks' "Rhiannon" and "Landslide" with the album selling over seven million copies.
During the recording of their next album, the McVies' marriage was coming to an end and the romantic relationship between Buckingham and Nicks was over. They all managed, along with drummer and founding member, Mick Fleetwood, to continue to work together with the end result being the band's eleventh studio album, "Rumours" in 1977. The album was critically acclaimed, had four top-ten singles (which included McVie's "Don't Stop" and "You Make Loving Fun"), became one of the best selling of all time at twenty million copies and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
During the height of Fleetwood Mac's fame, McVie recorded her second solo album, a self-titled record in 1984 that featured the top ten single, "Got a Hold on Me". After years of recording and touring, McVie decided to end life on the road in 1998. She released her third solo album, "In the Meantime" in 2003 but eleven years later, McVie was lured back to Fleetwood Mac. McVie teamed up with Buckingham for a collaborative studio album, "Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie" in 2017 which was followed by a tour. Fleetwood Mac was supposed to begin a tour with the popular line-up the following year but Buckingham left the band although some say he was fired over a conflict with Nicks. The tour went on but with guitarist Mike Campbell, formerly of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Neil Finn of Crowded House as replacements for Buckingham.
In Fleetwood Mac, McVie was a demure and low-key member compared to Nicks' colorfully theatrical character or the handsome Buckingham's brilliantly skilled yet brash persona. But she was a vital component to the band's enduring success, with her smooth piano playing, sultry and smoky voice and gift for crafting heartfelt yet catchy pop songs. It was clear that the creating and performing of music was most essential to her, far more than the trappings of fame and success. McVie was a sincere team player, willing to recede a bit out of the spotlight so that the entire band could shine brightly.
Irene Cara, the beautiful and gifted singer and actor, best known for her film roles in "Sparkle" and "Fame" and singing the theme song for the movie, "Flashdance" has sadly passed away on November 25th at the age of sixty-three. No cause of death has been disclosed at this time.
Born and raised in the Bronx, this Puerto-Rican-Cuban performer displayed signs of her gifts early as young child, learning to play piano by ear and excelling in dance and voice lessons. She became a regular on the educational program, "The Electric Company" for two years beginning in 1971 and recorded Spanish-language albums. By the time she was a teenager, Cara had appeared on the professional stage, on and off-Broadway, and introduced a character on the soap-opera, "Love of Life".
She made her feature film acting debut in 1975 in "Aaron Loves Angela", a teenage comedy-drama inspired by "Romeo and Juliet" from filmmaker, Gordon Parks, Jr. This lead to the first role Cara is best known for: the title character in the musical-drama, "Sparkle", the youngest sister in the singing girl-group, Sister and the Sisters. Set in Harlem at the end of the 1950's, the film follows these impoverished girls as they climb briefly to the top of the music business before coming apart due to addiction, romantic strife and personal issues. Despite the music score written by Curtis Mayfield and a hit soundtrack album that featured Aretha Franklin performing the songs from the film, "Sparkle" was not a big box-office success. But the film would go on to become a popular cult classic, even being remade in 2012 with Whitney Houston (a big fan of the movie) in her final film role.
The other movie role Cara is best remembered is in "Fame". This 1980 Alan Parker directed film follows various students attending the High School of Performing Arts in New York, chronicling their lives and hardships as they go through each school year. Cara played Coco Hernandez, a dynamic talent who was a student accepted in all three different departments: Drama, Music, and Dance. The actress performed three of the most memorable songs from the movie; "Hot Lunch Jam", "Out Here On My Own" and the title tune. "Fame" was essentially an arthouse film that had broad commercial appeal, becoming a major hit with audiences along with a soundtrack that would become a chart-topping, multi-platinum album. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning for Best Original Score and Best Original Song with "Fame" which Cara performed during the ceremony.
"Fame" made Cara a star, giving her some opportunities to work in television and film. But it was music that was Cara's first love and where she achieved her greatest success. One of her biggest hits would be the title song for the 1983 movie, "Flashdance", a surprise box-office smash about a young dancer (Jennifer Beals) aspiring to become a professional ballerina while working by day at a steel mill. Cara co-wrote "Flashdance... What a Feeling" with Keith Forsey and Giorgio Moroder (best known for their work at the time with Donna Summer) and the song took off with the help of the very popular film, becoming a worldwide number one hit and winning the team the Oscar for Best Original Song. Cara would follow this with her second studio album, "What a Feeling" which was a moderate success with the singles, "Why Me?", "The Dream (Hold On to Your Dream)" and "Breakdance".
But by 1984, Cara had grown extremely unhappy with her record company, Network Records who she felt had not given her proper financial compensation for her first album or for the single, "Flashdance... What a Feeling". She decided to sue and while it took almost ten years, Cara finally won a $1.5 million dollar settlement in 1993. However, the company declared bankruptcy which made it impossible for her to be compensated. Cara also believed that she was blacklisted during this time due to the on-going lawsuit, making no record label and few film producers interested in working with her.
It's unfortunate Cara's career had been effectively blocked. She had continued to find some work after the lawsuit, making one more studio album, "Carasmatic" in 1987, occasional film and stage work, touring Europe and recently doing podcasts. Irene Cara was an incredible talent yet she was unable to reach her full potential simply due to her standing up for herself.
Darren Hayes first began his career as part of the Australian pop duo, Savage Garden with Daniel Jones, who found immediate global success with their self-titled debut album in 1997. "I Want You", "To the Moon and Back", and "Truly Madly Deeply" were hit singles from the record and their follow-up album, "Affirmation" brought them even more popularity with "I Knew I Loved You", a worldwide smash. However by the end of 2001, Savage Garden was no more. Hayes continued his music as a solo artist, releasing his first album, "Spin" in 2002. After his follow-up album, Hayes parted ways his major label, Columbia Records, later forming his own label, Powdered Sugar in 2006.
It was during this period that Hayes began his process of coming out as gay, beginning a relationship with Richard Cullen although he did not reveal any of this publicly at the time. The couple married in 2013 and announced their happy union to the world. With his fifth studio album, boldly titled, "Homosexual", the now fifty year old performer proudly proclaims that he no longer feels any shame for who he is with the goal to reclaim the word from something viewed as negative. This dance-pop album is filled with the type of love songs that Hayes had written since the start of career yet they are told from a point of view involving maturity, honesty and newfound joy. Here are two songs from Hayes' new album and one of my favorites from his time with Savage Garden with the video featuring Kirsten Dunst (!) as Hayes' love interest:
A "new" song from the original line-up of the rock band, Queen has just been released. Originally recorded back in 1988 during the sessions for their final album together, "The Miracle", "Face It Alone" features Freddie Mercury's singularly passionate vocals on this mournful ballad. This song came to be heard only by accident as band members, Brian May and Roger Taylor had found the tape recently but it was in such bad shape that they thought it could not be salvaged. But they did give the track to an engineering team who were miraculously able to piece the song back together. This really is an amazing song (recorded while Mercury had been diagnosed with HIV and in failing health) and it's really great to hear this band together again.
Here is a collection of some new songs I'm loving right now:
In 1990, Sinéad O'Connor, the Irish rocker with the shaved head, was a rising pop star, in part due to her wildly successful cover of Prince's song, "Nothing Compares 2 U" which was enhanced by the music video, played in heavy rotation on MTV, that featured a close-up of the emotive singer shedding actual tears while performing the ballad. But that momentum began to slow down first after she refused to have the American National anthem played before her concerts (enraging Frank Sinatra) before coming to crashing halt after her 1992 television appearance as the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live". O'Connor performed an a cappella version of Bob Marley's "War", then tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II to protest his silence on the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church. This act outraged many people at the time and even though she would be vindicated for her actions years later after the Church acknowledged the abuse, O'Connor's career, while she continued to make music, would not really recover.
The fascinating documentary, "Nothing Compares" by Kathryn Ferguson explores O'Connor's life before this troublesome incident, allowing for some explanation for behavior many might consider strange and erratic. She grew up in an abusive household as a young girl in Ireland who later suffered extreme trauma while staying at the Magdalene asylum for over a year as a teenager. Music was where O'Connor found solace and after the drummer for the band, In Tua Nua heard her sing, he had her record a song with the group. Although they decided she was too young to join their band, O'Connor was determined to continue on a music career, placing an ad in a rock magazine and meeting musician/producer, Colm Farrelly who would help her form a band and inspire her sound that would lead to her debut album, "The Lion and the Cobra" in 1987. O'Connor did not participate with this film, with Ferguson using off-camera interviews with people who had worked with the singer, previous interviews and plenty of performance footage by O'Connor to help shape the documentary. And you will not hear "Nothing Compares 2 U" in this film, just outtakes from the music video, as the estate of Prince would not allow the song to be used, most likely due to some of the unpleasant comments O'Connor had said about the late singer over the years.
As many had predicted, another rematch has been set-up after the 2022 Grammy Award nominations were announced on November 15th between the pop music superstars, Beyoncé and Adele. Their previous showdown was back in 2017 when Beyoncé's critically acclaimed alt-soul collection, "Lemonade" and Adele's massive hit release, "25" were both vying for the top prize of Album of the Year with the British artist's album taking home the award. Now their latest albums; "Renaissance" which the r&b diva celebrates Black dance music and the fourth studio album by Adele, "30", will both be in competition for several Grammys including once again for Album of the Year. Beyoncé leads the pack with the most nominations this year with nine which also has made her become the most honored artist in Grammy history, tying her with husband, Jay-Z, with a career total to date of eighty-eight. Adele did not do so badly herself this year, receiving a total of seven nominations.
But there are plenty of other musicians up for the top prize. The reunited Swedish pop supergroup, ABBA's first album of new music in forty years, "Voyage" is up for Album of the Year (the first time ever for this band) and the single, "Don't Shut Me Down" receiving Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group recognition, made more surprising since this collection didn't receive much airplay here. Brandi Carlile's "In These Silent Days", Lizzo's "Special'; the commercial comeback for soul vocalist, Mary J. Blige, "Good Morning Gorgeous"; Coldplay's "Music of the Spheres" and the latest from Pulitzer-Prize winning rapper, Kendrick Lamar, "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" (with a total of eight nominations) are all up for Album of the Year. Bad Bunny with "Un Verano Sim Ti" became the first Spanish-language record ever to receive an Album of the Year nomination. And the artist who might have the best chance to create an upset between the ladies would be Harry Styles and his smash hit album, "Harry's House" which helped him receive a total of six nominations. And "Unholy", the current hit song from Sam Smith and Kim Petras, snuck in to receive a nod for Best Pop Duo/Group, making them become the first openly non-binary and transgender performers up for a Grammy.
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 5th, 2023 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, airing live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Here is a partial list of the nominations for the 2022 Grammys:
Album Of The Year:
"Voyage" - ABBA
"30" - Adele
"Un Verano Sin Ti" — Bad Bunny
"Renaissance" — Beyoncé
"Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)" — Mary J. Blige
"In These Silent Days" — Brandi Carlile
"Music Of The Spheres" — Coldplay
"Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" — Kendrick Lamar
"Special" — Lizzo
"Harry’s House" — Harry Styles
Record Of The Year:
"Don’t Shut Me Down" - ABBA
"Easy On Me" - Adele
"Break My Soul" - Beyoncé
"Good Morning Gorgeous" - Mary J. Blige
"You And Me On The Rock" - Brandi Carlile featuring Lucius
"Woman" - Doja Cat
"Bad Habit" - Steve Lacy
"The Heart Part 5" - Kendrick Lamar
"About Damn Time" - Lizzo
"As It Was" - Harry Styles
Song Of The Year:
"abcdefu" — Sara Davis, Gayle & Dave Pittenger, songwriters (Gayle)
"About Damn Time" — Melissa Jefferson, Eric Frederic, Blake Slatkin & Theron Makiel Thomas, songwriters (Lizzo)
"All Too Well" (10 Minute Version) — Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
"As It Was" — Tyler Johnson, Kid Harpoon & Harry Styles, songwriters (Harry Styles)
"Bad Habit" — Matthew Castellanos, Brittany Fousheé, Diana Gordon, John Carroll Kirby & Steve Lacy, songwriters (Steve Lacy)
"Break My Soul" — Beyoncé, S. Carter, Terius "The-Dream" Gesteelde-Diamant & Christopher A. Stewart, songwriters (Beyoncé)
"Easy On Me" — Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele)
"God Did" — Tarik Azzouz, E. Blackmon, Khaled Khaled, F. LeBlanc, Shawn Carter, John Stephens, Dwayne Carter, William Roberts & Nicholas Warwar, songwriters (DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy)
"The Heart Part 5" — Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar & Matt Schaeffer, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
"Just Like That" — Bonnie Raitt, songwriter (Bonnie Raitt)
Best New Artist:
Anitta
Omar Apollo
DOMi & JD Beck
Muni Long
Samara Joy
Latto
Måneskin
Tobe Nwigwe
Molly Tuttle
Wet Leg
Best Pop Solo Performance:
"Easy On Me" - Adele
"Moscow Mule" - Bad Bunny
"Woman" -Doja Cat
"Bad Habit" - Steve Lacy
"About Damn Time"- Lizzo
"As It Was" - Harry Styles
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
"Don’t Shut Me Down" - ABBA
"Bam Bam" - Camila Cabello Featuring Ed Sheeran
"My Universe" - Coldplay & BTS
"I Like You (A Happier Song)" - Post Malone & Doja Cat
"Unholy" - Sam Smith & Kim Petras
Best Pop Vocal Album:
"Voyage" — ABBA
"30" — Adele
"Music Of The Spheres" — Coldplay
"Special" — Lizzo
"Harry’s House" — Harry Styles
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
"Higher" — Michael Bublé
"When Christmas Comes Around..." — Kelly Clarkson
"I Dream Of Christmas (Extended)" — Norah Jones
"Evergreen" — Pentatonix
"Thank You" — Diana Ross
Best Dance/Electronic Recording:
"Break My Soul" — Beyoncé
"Rosewood" — Bonobo
"Don’t Forget My Love" — Diplo & Miguel
"I’m Good (Blue)" — David Guetta & Bebe Rexha
"Intimidated" — Kaytranada Featuring H.E.R.
"On My Knees" — RÜFÜS DU SOL
Best Dance/Electronic Music Album:
"Renaissance" — Beyoncé
"Fragments” — Bonobo
"Diplo” — Diplo
"The Last Goodbye” — ODESZA
"Surrender” — RÜFÜS DU SOL
Best Rock Performance:
"So Happy It Hurts" — Bryan Adams
"Old Man" — Beck
"Wild Child" — The Black Keys
"Broken Horses" — Brandi Carlile
"Crawl!" — Idles
"Patient Number 9" — Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Jeff Beck
"Holiday" — Turnstile
Best Rock Album:
"Dropout Boogie" — The Black Keys
"The Boy Named If" — Elvis Costello & The Imposters
"Crawler" — Idles
"Mainstream Sellout" — Machine Gun Kelly
"Patient Number 9" — Ozzy Osbourne
"Lucifer On The Sofa" — Spoon
Best Alternative Music Performance:
"There’d Better Be A Mirrorball" — Arctic Monkeys
"Certainty" — Big Thief
"King" — Florence + The Machine
"Chaise Longue" — Wet Leg
"Spitting Off The Edge Of The World" — Yeah Yeah Yeahs featuring Perfume Genius
Best Alternative Music Album:
"WE" — Arcade Fire
"Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You" — Big Thief
"Fossora" — Björk
"Wet Leg" — Wet Leg
"Cool It Down" — Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Best R&B Performance:
"Virgo's Groove" — Beyoncé
"Here With Me" — Mary J. Blige Featuring Anderson .Paak
"Hrs & Hrs" — Muni Long
"Over" — Lucky Daye
"Hurt Me So Good" — Jazmine Sullivan
Best R&B Album:
"Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)" — Mary J. Blige
"Breezy (Deluxe)" — Chris Brown
"Black Radio III" — Robert Glasper
"Candydrip” — Lucky Daye
"Watch The Sun" — PJ Morton
Best Progressive R&B Album:
"Operation Funk" — Cory Henry
"Gemini Rights" — Steve Lacy
"Drones" — Terrace Martin
"Starfruit" — Moonchild
"Red Balloon" — Tank And The Bangas
Best Rap Performance:
"God Did" — DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy
"Vegas" — Doja Cat
"pushin P" — Gunna & Future Featuring Young Thug
"F.N.F. (Let’s Go)" — Hitkidd & GloRilla
"The Heart Part 5" — Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap Album:
"God Did" — DJ Khaled
"I Never Liked You” — Future
"Come Home The Kids Miss You” — Jack Harlow
"Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” — Kendrick Lamar
"It’s Almost Dry" — Pusha T
Best Country Solo Performance:
"Heartfirst" — Kelsea Ballerini
"Something In The Orange" — Zach Bryan
"In His Arms" — Miranda Lambert
"Circles Around This Town" — Maren Morris
"Live Forever" — Willie Nelson
Best Country Album:
"Growin’ Up" — Luke Combs
"Palomino" — Miranda Lambert
"Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville" — Ashley McBryde
"Humble Quest" — Maren Morris
"A Beautiful Time" — Willie Nelson
Best Americana Album:
"In These Silent Days" — Brandi Carlile
"Things Happen That Way" — Dr. John
"Good To Be..." — Keb’ Mo’
"Raise The Roof" — Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
"Just Like That..." — Bonnie Raitt
Best Jazz Vocal Album:
"The Evening : Live At APPARATUS" — The Baylor Project
"Linger Awhile" — Samara Joy
"Fade To Black" — Carmen Lundy
"Fifty" — The Manhattan Transfer With The WDR Funkhausorchester
"Ghost Song" — Cécile McLorin Salvant
Best Latin Pop Album:
"Aguilera" — Christina Aguilera
"Pasieros" — Rubén Blades & Boca Livre
"De Adentro Pa Afuera" — Camilo
"VIAJANTE" — Fonseca
"Dharma +" — Sebastián Yatra
Best Música Urbana Album:
"Trap Cake, Vol. 2" — Rauw Alejandro "Un Verano Sin Ti" — Bad Bunny "Legendaddy" — Daddy Yankee "La 167" — Farruko "The Love & Sex Tape” — Maluma
Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording:
"Act Like You Got Some Sense" — Jamie Foxx
"All About Me!: My Remarkable Life In Show Business by Mel Brooks" — Mel Brooks
"Aristotle And Dante Dive Into The Waters Of The World" — Lin-Manuel Miranda
"Finding Me" — Viola Davis
"Music Is History" — Questlove
Best Comedy Album:
"The Closer" — Dave Chappelle
"Comedy Monster" — Jim Gaffigan
"A Little Brains, A Little Talent" — Randy Rainbow
"Sorry" — Louis CK
"We All Scream" — Patton Oswalt
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media:
"Elvis" — (Various Artists)
"Encanto" — (Various Artists)
"Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4 (Vol 2)" — (Various Artists)
"Top Gun: Maverick" — Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga, Hans Zimmer & Lorne Balfe
"West Side Story" — (Various Artists)
Best Music Video:
"Easy On Me" — Adele
"Yet To Come" — BTS
"Woman" - Doja Cat
"The Heart Part 5" — Kendrick Lamar
"As It Was" — Harry Styles
"All Too Well: The Short Film" — Taylor Swift
Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical):
Amy Allen
Nija Charles
Tobias Jesso Jr.
The-Dream
Laura Veltz
Producer of the Year (Non-Classical):
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
Boi-1da
Dahi
Dernst "D’mile" Emile II
For his twenty-first studio album, Bruce Springsteen has decided to let loose and have some fun, making his second covers album with "Only The Strong Survive" that looks back to feature some of his favorite classic soul and r&b songs.
The songs selected are not surprisingly Motown heavy with Springsteen's renditions of songs originally performed by The Four Tops ("When She was My Girl", "7 Rooms of Gloom"), The Temptations ("I Wish It Would Rain"), Commodores ("Nightshift") and Jimmy Ruffin ("What Becomes of The Brokenhearted").
Also not unexpected, there are songs here that work far better for the seventy-three year old's raspy voice than others. There is passion and power when Springsteen teams up with Sam Moore for "Soul Days" and the William Bell classic from 1968, "I Forgot to be Your Lover". The title track, first performed by Jerry Butler and Tyrone Davis' "Turn Back The Hands of Time" really works well in capturing the spirit of the originals while The Boss leaves his own indelible imprint. But his versions of Ben E. King's "Don't Play That Song" (although the Queen of Soul took ownership of the song with her own 1970 cover) and Diana Ross & the Supremes' "Someday We'll Be Together" don't fare as well, not seeming well suited for the rocker and failing to rise above a feeling of karaoke.
Yet overall, Springsteen has delivered a solid record. The concept is far from fresh with many artists in their twilight years reflecting on their lives with a nostalgic record filled with musical memories of songs that they have loved and were of great inspiration to them. But with "Only The Strong Survive", you can feel the warm adoration and deep respect that Springsteen gives to each track on the album, creating a wonderful heartfelt experience.
The rocker, Pat Benatar; soul balladeer, Lionel Ritchie; '80's new-wave bands, Duran Duran and Eurythmics; rap artist, Eminem; singer/songwriter, Carly Simon; and the country music superstar, Dolly Parton are this year's inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In order for a performer to be considered for this honor, at least twenty-five years must have passed since the musician’s first recordings were released, ensuring that their contribution to music has stood the test of time.
Judas Priest, the British heavy-metal band and the production team of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis will receive the Musical Excellence Award, decided by a select committee which is given to "musicians whose originality and influence creating music has had a dramatic impact on music".
The induction ceremony will be held this year on November 5th at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. An edited version of the event will air on SiriusXM satellite radio and will be broadcast on HBO and HBO Max on November 19th.
PAT BENATAR
It's really shocking that Pat Benatar is only now being inducted into the Hall after years of delivering chart-topping, hard-driving, great rock & roll. But this long overdue honor is still well deserved. Born Patricia Andrzejewski in New York City, she married her high school sweetheart, Dennis Benatar who was serving in the US army and the couple moved to Richmond, VA. After attending a Liza Minnelli concert, she decided to resume a pursuit of a music career, performing in local clubs. The end of her husband's military service brought them back to New York, offering more potential opportunities for Benatar. Her first big break came when she entered amateur night at Catch-a-Rising-Star, leading to become a regular performer at the comedy club. One night, representatives for Chrysalis Records caught her act, signing Benatar to the label in 1978. Her marriage may have ended not long after but decided to keep his surname as her professional name.
Benatar's debut album, "In The Heat of the Night" began with the single, "Heartbreaker" getting her noticed but "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" becoming her breakout hit, reaching the top-ten on the pop charts, selling over a million copies and winning Benatar the first of four Grammy Awards for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. She would go to have fifteen top forty US singles and selling over thirty-five million albums worldwide. And her career would also lead Benatar to meet Neil Giraldo, the lead guitarist for her band who would not only become her creative partner, helping to co-write and produce some of her music, but life partner, marrying him in 1982 and having two children together.
DURAN DURAN
With their band name inspired by a character in the 1968 Jane Fonda sci-fi camp classic, "Barbarella", Duran Duran first emerged during the New Romantic scene in Britain in the late 1970's. This band was formed in Birmingham by keyboardist, Nick Rhodes and bassist, John Taylor. After numerous personnel changes, drummer, Roger Taylor, guitarist, Andy Taylor and lead singer, Simon LeBon were added (none of these "Taylors" are related) and became the final line-up by the time of their self-titled debut released in 1981. "Planet Earth" and "Girls On Film" became huge hits in their home country in part to the sexy music videos, which showcased these five good-looking young men, enhancing their popularity. But it would be their follow-up album, "Rio" that would make them become worldwide sensations thanks to the title track and "Hungry Like the Wolf" and MTV with the newly arrived music video channel playing the cinematic videos for these songs in heavy rotation.
More hits followed; "The Reflex", "Union of the Snake", "A View to a Kill", "The Wild Boys", "Notorious" with Duran Duran going on to become one of the world's best-selling musical artists with well over one hundred million records sold. Over the years, members have left (Roger and Andy Taylor in 1986; John Taylor in 1997) and come back (the original line-up reunited in 2001 with an album and a tour before Andy Taylor left again in 2006) but Duran Duran are still making music together with their fifteenth studio album, "Future Past" released in 2021.
EMINEM
Eminem managed to find incredible worldwide success and fame in the predominantly African-American genre of rap with his complex rhyme technique and humorous yet somewhat violent wordplay, making him one of the greatest rappers of all time. Born Marshall Mathers III, he had an unstable family life with his parents separating and shuttling back and forth between Detroit and various areas in Missouri throughout his childhood.
Inspired by the emerging rap music scene happening in Detroit, he honed his skills by entering open mic contests and despite being White, managed to impress the largely Black audience. First going by "m&m" before the spelling changed to "Eminem", his first break came when he was signed to a local indie label, Web Entertainment and released his debut album, "Infinite" in 1996. The record was a commercial disappointment yet lead to him creating an alter-ego, "Slim Shady", a sadistically perverted character, releasing an EP under that name a year later. His next big break came when he headed to LA to enter the national rap battle competition. Landing in second, a scout from Interscope Records got "The Slim Shady EP" into the hands of the label head, Jimmy Iovine who then gave it to Dr. Dre, the founding member of N.W.A.
Both were very impressed and Dre went to work recording with Eminem, releasing "The Slim Shady LP" in 1999 with the album selling over three million copies. That was followed by "The Marshall Mathers LP" the next year, debuting at number one and selling a global total of twenty-five million copies. In 2002, Eminem went on to acting with "8 Mile". He played a fictionalized version of himself and his early life with, "Lose Yourself" from the soundtrack going on to win an Oscar for Best Original Song. This gifted, best selling artist has released eleven studio albums to date with his last release, "Music To Be Murdered By" in 2020.
EURYTHMICS
After spending a few years working together in the pop-rock band, The Tourists, Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart went on to form their own band, Eurythmics in 1981, changing their sound to new wave. While the British duo's first album, "In The Garden" failed generate much interest, their next project, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" certainly did. The synth-pop title track became a worldwide number one smash hit in 1983 with the striking music video, featuring Lennox in a gender-bending image, certainly bringing them even more attention. The hits continued; "Here Comes The Rain Again", "There Must Be an Angel (Playing With My Heart)", "Would I Lie To You?", "Missionary Man" and teaming with Aretha Franklin on "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" with the band altering their sound and image continuously along the way.
By 1990, after a grinding schedule of recording and touring (and selling seventy-five million records in the process), Lennox and Stewart decided to go their separate ways due to their now strained relationship. Stewart went on to writing film soundtracks and recording several solo albums. Lennox released the first of her six solo album, "Diva" in 1992 which featured five hit singles and selling four million records.
Lennox and Stewart reunited as Eurythmics for their last album to date, "Peace" in 1999. While not officially a band, the duo have continued to occasionally perform together over the years, usually for benefit concerts.
DOLLY PARTON
While she had asked for her name to be withdrawn from consideration, feeling that there were probably other artists more deserving than herself, Dolly Parton, the country music superstar has found herself inducted into the rock hall and she has graciously accepted the honor. Born in the Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee, Dolly was one of twelve children living in a one room cabin on a tobacco farm. The family didn't have much but music played an important part in their lives. Dolly began writing and singing music as a young child and would perform on local television and radio programs. By thirteen, she recorded her first single, "Puppy Love" in 1959. While this song wasn't much of a hit, it still gave her confidence to try a move to Nashville. After catching the attention of country superstar, Porter Wagoner, Parton would be asked to join his band and eventually be his co-host on his weekly television show. Wagoner and Parton became a popular duo and recorded twelve highly successful albums. They remained a professional team until 1974 when she decided to concentrate on her own solo career.
Parton enjoyed major country music success throughout the 1970's but soon decided she wanted her music to appeal to a mainstream crowd. "Here You Come Again" was released in 1977 and the title track became her first crossover pop hit. She took on acting, starring in the popular feminist workplace comedy, "9 to 5" in 1980 with the theme song she wrote going on to top both the pop and country charts as well as earn her an Academy Award nomination. As probably one of the most recognized country music artists in the world, Parton is also one of the most accomplished and highly honored artists in all genres of music.
LIONEL RITCHIE
Lionel Ritchie began his music career as a member of Commodores in 1968. This funky soul band were signed to Motown and found success almost immediately on the r&b chart with "Machine Gun", "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" and "Brick House" but it was the ballads, written and performed by Ritchie, like "Just to Be Close to You", "Sail On", "Still" and "Three Times a Lady" that took Commodores to the next level, crossing over to the top of the pop charts.
Ritchie went solo and released his self-titled debut solo album in 1982. This began his wildly successful career with the songs, "You Are", "All Night Long (All Night)", "Hello", "Stuck on You", "Say You, Say Me", and co-writing the all-star charity single, "We Are The World" helping him become one of the biggest pop acts throughout the early '80's. After planning to take just a little time off after a grueling touring schedule in 1986, Ritchie was away from the business for ten years. But he came back to music, releasing seven additional studio albums with his last to date being, "Tuskegee", Ritchie's 2012 venture into country music . Ritchie has received many awards and honors and he's currently serving as a judge on the singing competition show, "American Idol".
CARLY SIMON
One of the biggest of the popular singer/songwriters that found success in the 1970's was Carly Simon. She had a long string of poetic, introspective songs that found spots high on the pop charts throughout that decade and the 1980's. One of four children born to Richard L. Simon, the co-founder of the publishing company, Simon & Schuster and Andrea Heinemann, a singer, Simon began her professional music career with her sister, Lucy as a folk music act, the Simon Sisters in 1963. The duo recorded several albums, touring and making appearances performing on television but by 1970, Simon decided to strike out on her own. Signed to Elektra Records, Simon released her self-titled debut in 1971 with the single, "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be", an emotionally complex song Simon co-wrote involving unhappy married lives, becoming her first top-ten single. She would go on to win the Grammy that year for Best New Artist.
"Anticipation", "Legend In Your Own Time", "Nobody Does It Better" (the James Bond theme for "The Spy Who Love Me"), "Jesse", "Why" and "Coming Around Again", her comeback hit song from 1986 are just a few of the memorable tunes made popular by Simon. And of course, "You're So Vain", Simon's most famous song that had some added intrigue due to her refusal all these years to name who the song is actually about (and no, it's not Mick Jagger who only provided background vocals on the track). In 1972, Simon married another rising singer/songwriter at the time, James Taylor with the two becoming the golden couple of rock. Like many relationships, they had their challenges but fame and Taylor's struggles with drug addiction added additional complications. After ten years of marriage and two children (Sally and Ben Taylor who are both now musicians), the musical couple ended their union in 1983.
After teasing the track way back in late 2020 and Spotify apparently released the song prematurely a few weeks ago before pulling it back, SZA has officially dropped her latest single, "Shirt". With production and co-writing with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and "Freaky" Rob Gueringer, SZA delivers a smooth ballad about missing her former love and willing to fight his new woman, leaving a trace of her blood on her shirt. The music video is a mini-movie with veteran video director, Dave Meyers behind the camera and actor, LaKeith Stanfield making an appearance. With offbeat, artful visuals, this violent clip is about lovers on a crime spree, leaving several bloody bodies in their wake. And at the end during the credits, SZA teases a brief sample of another song which she revealed is called "Blind". It would seem like a new album should be on the horizon but it's been over five years since her debut was released so it's clear that SZA will only deliver the record when she feels it's ready.
RIHANNA
People have been losing their minds waiting for new music from Rihanna and after almost seven years, the wait is finally over. However, it is not the first single off a forthcoming new album but a song for the soundtrack to "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", the long-awaited sequel to one of the biggest superhero movies of all time. "Lift Me Up", one of two songs she contributed to the album, is a haunting, mournful ballad that will express a feeling that appears to be part of the plot for the film. The actor, Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther, passed away in 2020 from cancer and he was not recast, leaving his absence to be explained in the movie. Since it's been announced that Rihanna will be the performer for this year's Super Bowl half -time show, I have a feeling that an actual new album from the Barbadian pop superstar will appear sooner rather than later.
And to add to the holiday theme of Halloween, Rina Sawayama has released a video for her song, "Frankenstein" from her second album, "Hold The Girl". The British artist reveals how she wants a lover to rebuild her to a better version of herself, no longer wanting to be a monster. The video is set at a wild party and features some dance moves that have a vibe straight out of Michael Jackson's now classic creepy clip, "Thriller".
I had not actually planned on seeing Tom Jones on his LA stop on his tour to support his latest album, "Surrounded by Time" but it was a surprise by my husband and I'm so glad I was able to catch this show. I can't say I was ever a huge fan of the crooning Welshman but I have enjoyed many of his hits including his breakout smash from 1964, "It's Not Unusual" which is one of my all-time favorite songs. I have to say that Jones put on one incredibly thrilling show despite being forced to sit throughout the entire concert due to him still recovering from a recent hip replacement surgery. What makes this even more impressive is that the now eighty-two year old's rich baritone is still quite vibrant and supple, putting the live performances of many of today's singers who are half his age to shame.
Jones began as a blue-eyed soul shouter who enjoyed success almost immediately, covering pretty much all genres of popular music. But once he hit the bright lights of Las Vegas in 1967, Jones turned into a lounge lizard who amped-up his sexy image with half-unbuttoned shirts and tight pants causing women to become so excited that they threw their panties on stage. This glitzy persona also helped Jones lose some credibility as a serious musician. But by the late '80's when Jones' son, Mark took over as his manager, the singer was encouraged to return to basics, guiding him back to his musical roots, leading to a brand new audience discovering Jones.
He opened the show with "I'm Growing Old" and a rendition of Bob Dylan's "Not Dark Yet", two haunting, meditative songs of looking back on a life lived from his latest album, "Surrounded By Sound", the forty-first in his storied career that impressively debuted at number one on the UK album chart, making Jones the oldest artist there to earn a number one record. While there was a certain sense of melancholy that lingered over the evening, Jones remained gregarious and upbeat, moving as much as he could in his chair.
The aim of the concert was to promote the new album, a collection of songs the singer loved or admired from other artists. We heard his versions of "The Windmills of Your Mind", a song Dusty Springfield first made into a hit in 1969; "Pop Star" which Jones shared an amusing story behind Cat Stevens' writing of this song; another Dylan composition from 1976, "One More Cup of Coffee" and the timely, "Talking Reality Television Blues" from alt-country performer, Todd Snider.
But Jones did not forget the songs that made him famous. Not surprisingly, he started with the song that kicked off his career, briefly sharing the story of his background that lead to "It's Not Unusual" becoming his breakout in 1964. There were rousing versions of "What's New, Pussycat?", "Green, Green Grass of Home", "Delilah" and his cover of Prince's, "Kiss" which launched his comeback to the pop charts in 1988.
And Jones ended the evening with what would have been his encore but since he couldn't go back and forth from the stage with any ease, he just continued on with two songs from musicians from the early days of rock & roll that he greatly admired: Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" which we got a story of how he and Elvis went to see the legendary rocker together while they both were working in Vegas and "Great Balls of Fire" by "the Killer", Jerry Lee Lewis, the recently departed rock & roll wild man. Despite his somewhat limited physical abilities, the still quite charming Jones managed to put on an absolutely captivating show.
Loretta Lynn, the legendary country music singer and songwriter has passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 4th at the age of ninety. She had still been recording, releasing her fiftieth studio album, "Still Woman Enough" just last year and performing although she was forced to slow down after having a stroke in 2017.
Lynn may have taken on the traditional aesthetic expected of a female country singer, elephantine hair and flowing, frilly dresses, yet her music was far from conventional. Her songs, many of them self-penned and based on lived experiences, boldly took on common themes in a way that was confrontational and challenging while reflecting on subjects in song that were not usually discussed publicly at the time, especially by a female artist.
As detailed in her popular 1970 hit song, "Coal Miner's Daughter", Lynn was one of eight children born to Clara and Ted Webb who was a farmer and later, coal miner in Butcher Hollow, KY. The family struggled financially and the fifteen year old Loretta fell in love and married Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn who was seven years her senior. One reason she was happy to leave home was so she didn't have to take care of her younger siblings yet she became a mother of four by the time she was eighteen.
The family moved to Washington state in search of work. After overhearing Loretta singing along with the radio, "Doo" bought his young wife a guitar. She taught herself how to play and began writing her own songs. Lynn began performing at honky-tonks and talent contests before her life changed when businessman, Norm Burley heard her sing on a local television show. He got her to Los Angeles to meet producer, Don Grashey, signed her to his indie label, Zero Records and had her record the song that Burley heard Lynn perform that she wrote: "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl". The song became a hit in 1960, reaching number fourteen on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, largely due to the Lynns traveling across the states to country music stations to get them to play the record.
She later met the Wilburn Brothers, a country music duo who had a publishing company, and they helped Lynn get signed to a major label, Decca Records. Beginning with the single, "Success" in 1962, Lynn had a long string of top ten country singles, going on well into the 1970's. Some of her early hits were "Blue Kentucky Girl", "Wine, Women, and Song", "Before I'm Over You", "What Kind of a Girl (Do You Think I Am)" and "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)", the 1967 number one song that became the first Gold record written by a female Country artist.Yet some of her most popular songs (which she had written) were also the most controversial. This included "Dear Uncle Sam" which dealt with the human cost of the Vietnam War; "Fist City", "Your Squaw Is on the Warpath", and "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)" were all about cheating and the aggressive lengths she will go to stop a woman from trying to steal her man; "Rated "X" talked about the stigma around divorced women and "The Pill" from 1975 which Lynn boldly proclaimed the benefits of birth-control pills. In 1971, Lynn began a musical partnership with Conway Twitty and the duo enjoyed five consecutive number one hits through 1975.
A film based on the 1976 autobiography Lynn co-wrote with George Vecsey was made in 1980 with Sissy Spacek starring as the country singer and Tommy Lee Jones appearing as her husband. "Coal Miner's Daughter" went on to become a box-office hit, receiving seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and winning Spacek the Oscar for Best Actress.
After many years of great popularity and success, by the 1990's, with country music shifting more towards a slick, pop-oriented sound, Lynn's style of music fell out of favor. But Lynn had a career resurgence in 2004 by teaming up with an unlikely source: Jack White of the alt-rock band, the White Stripes. He produced "Van Lear Rose", which Lynn wrote or co-wrote all of the tracks, and this collection, merging classic country with thrashing rock, became a critical and commercial success, crossing over to the pop charts and winning the Grammy Award for Best Country Album of that year.
Lynn was one of the most honored and successful artists in country music having seventy-eight songs chart on the Billboard Hot Country Song chart with fifty-three reaching the top-ten, had ten number one albums, won three Grammy Awards, thirteen Academy of Country Music Awards including ACM Artist of the Decade (1970's), a recipient of a Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.
Lynn was married to Oliver Lynn for almost fifty turbulent yet loving years until he died at age sixty-nine in 1996. The singer is survived by three sisters including Crystal Gayle who became a popular country singer in the mid '70's, four of her six children and seventeen grandchildren.
Here is just a tiny fraction of the enduring music by the incredibly gifted Loretta Lynn and these are a few of my favorites:
"Unholy" is a new release that features the inspired pairing of Sam Smith and Kim Petras. First teased on TikTok back in August, this hyper-pop dance track (which was co-written by the non-binary performers) is about a family man leaving his comfortable life behind for a brief moment so he can sneak off to secretly get his freak on. "Unholy" just came out a little over a week ago and has already reached number one in four countries including the UK. This is the first single from Smith's upcoming fourth studio album but no release date has been revealed yet.
The New York-based, indie band, Yeah Yeah Yeahs first emerged during the turn of the 21st century, at a time when alt-rock was still a major presence in the pop music scene. The single, "Maps" from their 2003 debut, "Fever To Tell" brought worldwide attention to the band, receiving rapturous praise and award recognition. It has been almost ten years since their last album, "Mosquito" and the trio that makes up the band: Nick Zimmer on guitar, Brian Chase on drums and lead vocalist, Karen O, had not planned on taking such a long break but the starting of families, other artistic pursuits and the pandemic created an unexpected delay in coming back together.
But the wait is over and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are back with"Cool It Down". While the band has certainly matured (with the members all now in their 40's), they have lost none of their edge. This bold yet brief collection (running a little over thirty minutes) is filled with offbeat, punky electro-pop, taking on themes involving the global climate crisis and concern for future generations. The singles, "Spitting Off the Edge of the World" (featuring art-pop performer, Perfume Genius) and "Burning" are both accompanied by stunningly vivid music videos.
Here are some new songs that are enhanced by visually exciting music videos:
And I am sad to report the passing of Coolio, the rapper who was one of the early winners of the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance for his 1995 single, "Gangsta's Paradise", on September 28th at the age of fifty-nine. Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. and raised in Compton, CA, he began making music after working a variety of odd jobs. Making connections in the local rap scene in Los Angeles, Coolio recorded a few singles and later became part of the group, WC and the Maad Circle in 1991. He was signed as a solo artist to Tommy Boy Records and released his debut album, "It Takes a Thief" in 1994. The single, "Fantastic Voyage" became Coolio's first hit, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
Sampling Stevie Wonder's 1976 song, "Pastime Paradise", "Gangsta's Paradise" was part of the soundtrack for the Michelle Pfeiffer-lead, 1995 movie, "Dangerous Minds" and became an incredible worldwide success, reaching number one in nineteen countries and selling over six million copies. Coolio's follow-up album, also called "Gangsta's Paradise", featured two other hits, "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" and "Too Hot".
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