CLIVE DAVIS (1932 - 2026)

Clive Davis, the legendary music executive who had an amazing ear for discerning talent, has passed away on June 22nd at the age of ninety-four. The five-time Grammy Award winner and inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had been hospitalized with respiratory problems late last month but had been released. Davis was largely responsible for signing and nurturing the careers of some of the greatest artists in popular music which includes Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Sly and the Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Barry Manilow, Santana, Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, Aerosmith, Billy Joel and Whitney Houston to name just a few.

Born in Brooklyn, NY on April 4, 1932, Davis began his professional career as a lawyer working for a small firm. He was hired as an assistant counsel for a subsidiary of CBS Records, Columbia Records and later became general counsel. Despite not having much knowledge about music or the business, Davis soon worked his way into the industry going from from general manager of the label to president by 1966. While Columbia Records had been best known for releasing jazz, theatrical soundtracks and pop standards, Davis was interested in moving more heavily into rock and roll. One of the first artists he signed was the folk-rock musician, Donovan. During the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Davis was advised to attend and was mesmerized by the live performance of Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company, signing the band immediately. Other acts that Davis would go on to sign during his time at Columbia included Laura Nyro, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Loggins and Messina, and Santana.

But in 1973, Davis was abruptly fired from CBS Records. It had been rumored that the reason was that he allegedly used company funds to bankroll his son's bar mitzvah. However an article in Rolling Stone magazine claimed he was actually let go due to him supplying drugs to musicians and being a part of an alleged payola scandal, all of which Davis had vehemently denied.

After regrouping, Davis founded Arista Records in 1974. He set about signing well-known artists to his label that either he previously worked directly with at Columbia or had greatly admired their artistry, performers like Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, the Grateful Dead, Patti Smith, Lou Reed and Carly Simon, with him working to revitalize their recording careers and achieving great success. And Davis developed new talent, helping to establish Alicia Keys, Kenny G, Taylor Dayne, Ace of Base, Air Supply, and most notably, Whitney Houston, who he signed at nineteen and worked extensively towards making her a global pop music superstar. Davis also helped found LaFace Records with L.A. Reid and Babyface as well as Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy Records.

In 2000, Davis left Arista to start J Records, an independent label that received financial backing from Bertelsmann Music Group. Four years later, BMG merged with Sony Music Entertainment to form Sony BMG with Davis named chief creative officer. He was made chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment in 2018 and had remained in the position until his death.

ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE

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.   

HOT AND FRESH OUT THE KITCHEN

"WRECKING BALL" - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

"The Boss" is back with his seventeenth album, "Wrecking Ball", a collection of music that was partially inspired by the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. His songs continue to reflect on the struggles of the average man and rallying against the injustice and greed that is prevalent in our current society. The sound is pure rock and roll with elements of folk and gospel and on the track, "Rocky Ground", Springsteen has even written a brief rap in the song that is performed by guest vocalist, Michelle Moore.

Here is the rousing first single from the album:

"We Take Care Of Our Own" - Bruce Springsteen

"MDNA" - MADONNA

Madonna has returned to the scene with her twelfth CD, "MDNA". She has assembled together some of the top producers working today in dance/electronic music to work on this project such as Martin Solveig, Benny Benassi, The Wrecking Crew and her long-time collaborator, William Orbit. Although the music combines her classic pop sounds with big, crunchy beats but the end results still don't feel inspired or fully developed. It's disappointing because Madonna has made her career by moving pop music forward but instead she seems to be just blending in with what is currently happening.

The first single, "Give Me All Your Luvin'" not only became her thirty-eighth top-ten pop single on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the artist with the most in chart history but the song also became her forty-first number one song on the Dance Chart with her being the performer was the most on that chart.

This is a song that I like off the new album:

"Some Girls" - Madonna

"ALL OF ME" - ESTELLE

British r&b singer, Estelle, who seems to have a soft spot for American boys, is back with her third album, "All Of Me". The record is another solid release filled with fun pop-soul tunes with guest performers, Rick Ross, Trey Songz, Chris Brown and Janelle Monae on board to lend a hand.

"Back To Love" - Estelle

"TEENAGE DREAM: THE COMPLETE CONFECTION" - KATY PERRY

Everyone is very familiar with Katy Perry and her hugely successful 2010 album, "Teenage Dream".  It has sold over five million albums worldwide with the first five singles each topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart, tying a record set by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson with his album, "Bad". Now, the album has been repackaged and entitled, "Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection".

I have never understood the point of re-releasing an album so soon and simply adding a few new songs. It just seems shady to me and the artist should just wait until they enough material to release a brand new record. Having said that, the new tracks are actually good with the first single, "Part of Me" debuting at number one. Other tracks include an acoustic version of "The One That Got Away", the remixed single of "E.T." featuring Kanye West and Tommie Sunshine's mega-mash-up of six of her hit songs.

This is one of the new tracks from the album:

"Wide Awake" - Katy Perry

"HAPPY TO YOU" - MIIKE SNOW

This pop collaboration consists of New York musician/vocalist Andrew Wyatt and the Swedish production team of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg or as they are better known, Bloodshy & Avant.

After Miike Snow received plenty of buzz and minor success with the single, "Animal" off of their self-titled debut, the group is back with their follow-up, "Happy To You". The album features more of their moody and esoteric electropop sounds with two singles, "Paddling Out" and "The Wave" already released and a track features fellow Swede, Lykke Li.

"The Wave" - Miike Snow

"RADIO MUSIC SOCIETY" - ESPERANZA SPALDING

Esperanza Spalding seemed to come from nowhere to create the biggest upset of the 2011 Grammys by winning the award for Best New Artist (also becoming the first jazz performer to ever win this honor) but she was hardly a novice. She has been playing bass and performing since she was fifteen and had released two previous recordings before her win.

With "Radio Music Society", the twenty-seven year old jazz artist is back with new music that features almost all original compositions. The album incorporates touches of soul and hip-hop to her jazz sound and includes a cover of the Michael Jackson classic, "I Can't Help It".

Sample a track from the album:

 "Cinnamon Tree" - Esperanza Spalding

Jack White, formerly of the White Stripes is about to release his first solo album, "Blunderbuss" in April. This is the music video for his great first single, "Love Interruption":



This is a fun video from a young, new hip-hop artist, Rye Rye for her latest single, "Boom Boom" in which the set-up is like a vintage video game: