RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

It's not like we haven't heard from Bruno Mars. He has been busy as a part of some recent, wildly popular musical collaborations with Lady Gaga, Rosé and the super-duo, Silk Sonic with Anderson .Paak. But it has been ten years since his own last studio album, "24K Magic". That is finally about to change as Mars has just announced the upcoming release of his fourth album, "The Romantic" due out on February 27th. There had been rumors of this record coming over the last three years with producer, D'Mile recently joining the project and co-producing with Mars. The first single, "I Just Might" is another blast of retro funk that Mars puts his own special spin on, a sound he has been exploring for some time, particularly with Silk Sonic. Mars has also announced that he will be hitting the road with The Romantic Tour which begins in April and takes the singer through North America and Europe.



Following his recent foray into French pop, the Lebanese-American singer, Mika is back with an upcoming English-language album, "Hyperlove" and the second single, "Immortal Love"; The Swedish pop artist, Robyn has dropped another single, "Talk To Me" from her forthcoming ninth studio album, "Sexistential"; Ari Lennox has another song, "Twin Flame" that will be on the long awaited third album from the r&b vocalist, "Vacancy"; and PinkPantheress teams with Zara Larsson for a new version of the single, "Stateside" from her remix album, "Fancy Some More?":

The legendary Dolly Parton has rounded up fellow artists, Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah, and Reba McEntire, with a new recording of her 1977 song, "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" to raise money for pediatric cancer research at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital in Nashville. Parton had explained that she had originally written this as a "song of deliverance" when she was dealing with the pain from her break with longtime musical and business partner Porter Wagoner in 1974 in order to further her career. "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" has gone on to be covered by many artists since then including Parton herself who rerecorded this inspirational song two previous times before this recent version.

And finally, I would like to pay tribute to a couple of musicians we lost recently: Carl Carlton, a soul music hit maker, died on December 13th. The Detroit native had been recovering from a stroke he had in 2019. Carlton was seventy-three. He began his professional career as child, first performing under the name "Little" Carl Carlton, a publicity stunt that brought attention to Stevie Wonder who had achieved success around this time. After signing to a recording label, Carlton released some singles with the song, "Competition Ain't Nothing", becoming popular in the UK northern soul scene in 1968.

But his real breakthrough would come six years later with his version of "Everlasting Love" (which was first a hit for Robert Knight in 1967) reaching number eleven on the Billboard R&B chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. A royalty dispute with his new label, ABC Records would prevent Carlton from recording for a period of time. He would join a new label and find his way back on the charts in 1981 with the single, "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)". This popular funk song would reach number two on the r&b chart, earn Carlton a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance and continue to be a staple for soundtracks and music sampling.

Chris Rea, the British blues rocker, passed away on December 22nd at the age of seventy-four. He had been struggling with several health issues since the turn of the century which included pancreatic cancer, diabetes and a stroke in 2016. Born in Middlesbrough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England, Rea bought his first guitar in his early twenties and self taught himself how to play. A fan of the blues and American rockers, Rea became a member of the rock group, Magdalene and would begin singing after the vocalist failed to show for a gig. In 1973, Rea went on to form his own band which lead to him getting signed as a solo artist to Magnet Records. His debut album, "Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?" was released in 1978. The first single, "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" was only a minor hit in the UK but went on to reach number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earning him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Rea would go on find greater success in his native country, recording twenty-five studio albums throughout his career with several charting songs on the UK pop chart. But Rea would never tour in North America, preferring to remain closer to his family than away from them for months at a time.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

On the verge of beginning her highly anticipated Celebration Tour which celebrates forty-plus years of making music, Madonna has been busy teaming up with several contemporary musicians for some new music that has all just been released. First, the Queen of Pop appears on "Popular", a song by Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye and also features Playboi Carti for the soundtrack of the buzzy new HBO series, "The Idol" which stars Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp. Madonna lends her voice for three songs on the new album by Christine and the Queens, "Paranoïa, Angels, True Love". And finally, there is "Vulgar" which Madonna collaborates with Sam Smith on a boldly unapologetic yet disappointingly routine dance track that proudly  proclaims the merits of being fearlessly outspoken.







June is Pride month and what better soundtrack for this celebration than getting your hands on "NOW! That's What I Call Proud!", the latest installment in the compilation album series, "NOW! That's What I Call Music!". What makes this edition stand out is that all the artists involved are out and proud: We have the legendary trailblazers (Elton John, k.d. Lang, Melissa Ethridge, George Michael) and the next generation who were able to begin their careers openly because of these pioneers (Sam Smith, Troye Sivan, Hayley Kiyoko, Lil Nas X). Here are a few of the classic songs on this collection:

Best known for the recording of "The Girl From Ipanema", the Brazilian singer, Astrud Gilberto has passed away at eighty-three on June 5th. This song would become an international hit, helping to popularize bossa nova, reaching the top five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and winning the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1965. Astrud Weinert married musician, João Gilberto, who would later be known as the "Father of Bossa Nova", in 1959. João teamed up with American jazz musician, Stan Getz and released the album, "Getz/Gilberto" in 1963. "The Girl From Ipanema" was first recorded for the album as a duet between Gilberto, singing in Portuguese, and his wife performing in English. An edited version of the song with just Astrud was released, becoming very popular and went on to sell over a million copies. Infidelity would bring an end to the marriage of the Gilbertos by 1964 but Astrud continued her career, releasing a self-titled debut album the following year. Gilberto went on to record fifteen studio albums with songs in various languages which impressively included Spanish, German, Italian, French and Japanese. And although she never officially retired, Gilberto said she was taking some time off after the release of her 2002 album. "Jungle" which would become her final recording.

And Cynthia Weil, one half of the songwriting team with her husband, Barry Mann based at the famous Brill Building who together helped shaped the sound of rock & roll throughout the 1960's with many popular songs, died at the age of eighty-two on June 1st. Born in New York City, Weil had studied to be an actor and dancer but not long after marrying Mann in 1961, she discovered her skill at writing pop songs. "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration", "On Broadway", "Walking in The Rain", "Just a Little Lovin' (Early in the Morning)" and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" are just a few of the early hits that were written by this songwriting duo. The couple would write as individuals, with other partners as well as team up together with other songwriters. Other popular songs Weil would later be involved in creating included "Just Once", "Never Gonna Let You Go"," He's So Shy", "Here You Come Again", "All I Need To Know" and "Somewhere Out There" for the animated film, "An American Tail" which won the team (along with co-writer, James Horner) the 1986 Song of The Year Grammy Award. With her husband, Weil was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

NEW SOUNDS

KYLIE MINOGUE

Last month, the Australian pop princess, Kylie Minogue made some noise with not only a thrilling new song, "Padam Padam" but also announced the release of her upcoming fourteenth studio album, "Tension". This single continues on a dance floor vibe she began with her upbeat 2020 release, "Disco" but the hypnotic "Padam Padam", which is essentially the sound of a beating heart, has shifted to a darker yet still enjoyable electro-pop sound. And the response has been euphoric with "Padam Padam" getting Minogue back high on the charts in the UK and her home country while generating plenty of heat in dance clubs across the globe. The video, shot in LA and directed by veteran music video director, Sophie Muller, was released the same day as the song with the clip featuring Minogue looking incredible in a red Mugler catsuit with an army of dancers moving beside her. You will not be able to get your hands on "Tension" until September but enjoy this first sampling in the meantime.

I was surprised to learn that the legendary French chanteuse, Edith Piaf had a song called "Padam Padam" she recorded back in 1951. Piaf's ballad, written for her by long-time collaborators, Henri Contet and Norbert Glanzberg, was about how certain sounds evoke the memory of a former lover. Maybe someone will be adventurous and make a dance remix of this version? Anyway, have a listen to this "Padam Padam" by a truly extraordinary singer.

DOLLY PARTON

After initially declining the nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, feeling like she didn't deserve the honor, country music superstar Dolly Parton graciously accepted the award last year. But she still felt like she had to earn her spot in the Hall, so Parton premiered a new rock song, "Rockstar" during the ceremony. This lead to her deciding to record an entire rock album named after the song she wrote. Parton went into the studio and ended up with thirty songs for the album. Most of the tracks are covers with an incredible line-up of musicians who have lent their support.

There is Sting on the cover of his "Every Breath You Take" which he first made famous in 1981 with his band, The Police; Steve Perry joining Parton on the hit by his former band, Journey with "Open Arms"; Pink and Brandi Carlile rocking out on the Stones',"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"; Debbie Harry providing vocals on a cover of Blondie's "Heart of Glass"; Lizzo is on board with Led Zepplin's "Stairway to Heaven" and most impressive of all, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton and Mick Fleetwood all together with Parton for their version of the Beatles' classic, "Let It Be". This is just a small number of the recordings which includes solo performances by Parton on Prince's "Purple Rain" and Queen's, "We Are the Champions". Now "Rockstar" will not be out until November but Parton has released another single which is also an original song written by the country music legend, "World On Fire". Here is a live performance from the 58th annual American Country Music Awards which she recently co-hosted with Garth Brooks.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

Here are the latest videos of singles from P!nk, Miley Cyrus and Chlöe who all have new albums dropping in the next few weeks.







And there is the return of Everything But The Girl, a British electronic band who found their greatest fame in the '90's with the remix of the single, "Missing". After twenty-four years, the duo (that features Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt) have come back together to create some new music with an album, "Fuse" due out in April. The first single, "Nothing Left to Lose" reveals that this band has moved forward with a sound that fits perfectly well in today's musical landscape.

I love how Sam Smith now feels free to openly embrace a queer esthetic without having to fear that it might adversely effect their career. Following their worldwide smash single, "Unholy" with Kim Petras, Smith has released their fourth album, "Gloria". This collection features a myriad of personal expressions and musical textures. They have with returned with two singles from the record, "Gimme", a sexy, Caribbean flavored track that features Jessie Reyez and Jamaican musician, Koffee and "I'm Not Here To Make Friends", a new dance collaboration with Calvin Harris. Both videos for these songs express an unapologetic queer vibe; free-wheeling, decadent and fun.

"80 For Brady" is the upcoming campy comedy that has assembled a cast of legendary actresses; Oscar-winners, Rita Moreno, Jane Fonda, Sally Field and nominee, Lily Tomlin. Based on a true story, these four longtime friends and big New England Patriots fans decide to travel to Houston in order to watch their hero, Tom Brady play in the Super Bowl and they're not going to let not having tickets stop them. And a theme song for the movie written by Diane Warren has put together an equally impressive line-up of veteran singers to sing on the track. Belinda Carlisle, Gloria Estefan, Cyndi Lauper and Dolly Parton have come together on "Gonna Be You". While the song might not be considered that memorable, it is certainly fun to hear this unlikely round-up of ladies performing collectively.

And to close out, here are tributes to a couple of artists we have recently lost. Anita Pointer of the family singing group, The Pointer Sisters passed away on December 31st at the age of seventy-four. She had been struggling with cancer over the last couple of years. Born and raised in Oakland, CA., she and her sisters, June, Bonnie and Ruth, all began performing together professionally in 1972, signing to Blue Thumb Records and releasing their self-titled debut which featured their first hits, "Yes We Can Can" and "Wang Dang Doodle". This r&b group enjoyed further success together before Bonnie decided to leave to pursue a solo career.

Now as a trio, the Pointer Sisters changed musical directions, moving into a pop-rock sound and found even greater success first with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire". More high charting songs followed with "He's So Shy", "Jump (For My Love)", "Slow Hand" and "I'm So Excited". She recorded only one solo album, "Love For What It Is" in 1987. Pointer retired from the group in 2015 and co-wrote a memoir with her brother, Fritz, "Fairytale: The Pointer Sisters' Family Story" which chronicled their family history and career.

Considered one of the greatest guitar players in rock, Jeff Beck died on January 10th from complications of bacterial meningitis. He was seventy-eight. This British musician began his career playing with several bands and was a session guitarist before being offered to join The Yardbirds to replace Eric Clapton based on a reccomendation from Jimmy Page in 1965. Beck didn't stay long yet was a part of the band during their biggest commercial success. He was eventually fired from The Yardbirds due to excessive absences and his firery temper.

In 1967, Beck went on to form his own band, The Jeff Beck Group which included Ronnie Wood on bass and Rod Stewart on vocals. This blues-rock group was another short-lived venture for Beck that produced two successful albums before this line-up disbanded two years later. He would revive the band later with different musicians in the 1970's, recording two more albums. Beck soon began recording as a solo artist, moving into jazz-rock fusion. He had continued to work over the years on his own albums and with other artists, recently collaborating with friend, actor and part-time musician Johnny Depp last year on what would be Beck's final album, "18". During his accomplished career, Beck recorded fourteen studio albums and won eight Grammy awards.

2022 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

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.

BEE GEES: HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART

I finally got around to watching the HBO documentary on the Gibb brothers, "Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" and it's truly wonderful. The film by director Frank Marshall explores this Australian musical family trio from their early beginning singing tight harmonies as children before venturing to Britain to become considered the second coming of The Beatles and then making a name for themselves in the 1970's with their unique falsetto driven dance music.

There is a new interview with Barry, the last surviving member of the group that was made-up with the twins, Maurice (who died in 2003) and Robin (who passed away in 2012), who discusses in the film how they struggled with their fame and success which also put a great strain on their relationships with each other.

With archival footage and vintage interviews, the documentary covers the young brothers initially singing for pocket money before attracting enough attention to become professional. A planned move to Britain lead to Brian Epstein, who managed the Beatles, passing their demos on to Robert Stigwood in 1967. The flamboyant, Australian-born manager/producer took on Bee Gees as clients and helped guide them to charting success in the UK and America with the songs, "New York Mining Disaster 1941", "Holiday", "Massachusetts", "Words" and "To Love Somebody" which had been originally written by the brothers for Otis Redding.

In 1975, Stigwood encouraged Bee Gees to move towards the hot new sound in music, disco. During recording in Miami, Barry discovered his falsetto which would create the distinctive sound heard on the songs, "Jive Talkin'", "Nights on Broadway" and "You Should Be Dancing". Stigwood, who had moved in to film production, got Bee Gees to do work on the soundtrack for an upcoming John Travolta movie, "Saturday Night Fever". Although they were only supposed to do one song, Bee Gees ended up working on the entire album. The soundtrack became one of the best-selling albums of all-time with forty million copies sold and the singles written by the Gibb brothers, "Stayin' Alive", "Night Fever", "How Deep Is Your Love" and "If I Can't Have You" (performed by Yvonne Elliman) all reaching number one in the US. And while Bee Gees became one of the major performers riding the disco wave, finding incredible acclaim and pop chart success, they were stunned by the extreme backlash to their music and rapid decline in popularity near the beginning of the 1980's. 

"How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" is a fascinating film (which also touches on the brief yet substantial music career of their younger brother, Andy who died in 1988 at the age of thirty after years of substance abuse) that covers the brilliant highs and tragic lows of a group that I don't believe has ever been fully appreciated for their contributions to popular music. While watching the doc, you listen to one amazing song after another that highlights the astonishing songwriting craft of the Gibb brothers, leaving no doubt about the importance and enduring legacy of the Bee Gees.



And the now seventy-four year old, Barry Gibb has released a new album, "Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1". This first collection features eleven classic Bee Gees songs that have been reimagined as country numbers. Gibb has recruited several musicians to join him for duets of these tunes like Dolly Parton, Sheryl Crow, Little Big Town, Jason Isbell and fellow Aussies, Keith Urban and Olivia Newton-John. Have a listen to a few of the tracks:

AMERICA'S MOST BELOVED DIVAS

In the latest issue of New York Times' magazine, T, they celebrate three of the most iconic women in music; Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton and Patti LaBelle. They started their journey in to the business around the same time but each would find fame and success at different points of their careers.

Streisand would first be noticed on the theatrical stage before conquering pop music and film. Parton began under the guidance of musician, Porter Wagoner before striking out on her own and becoming a major player in country music. And LaBelle was part of a girl-group, finding brief success before venturing off as a solo artist and reaching incredible heights as one of the greatest voices in r&b.

Each of these gifted and talented performers have remained greatly admired musicians, with the magazine offering profiles on these women that examines their lives, careers and continued influence on audiences.

Click below to read the articles:

NYT magazine: Celebrating Three of America’s Most Beloved Divas

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM . . .

DOLLY PARTON 

It's been over thirty years since country music legend, Dolly Parton has released a Christmas album and her latest collection features the cute title,  "A Very Dolly Christmas". The singer had actually began working on the project back in 2009 when she released the single, "Comin' Home for Christmas" but I guess it took some time before the busy Parton was able to complete the album. "A Very Dolly Christmas" features mostly original songs by Parton and there are several guests on board which includes Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus, Michael Bublé, Willie Nelson and "Tonight Show" host, Jimmy Fallon on a cover of Mariah Carey's now-holiday classic, "All I Want For Christmas". Enjoy a couple of fun songs from the album:





LIL NAS X 

Lil Nas X  seems to be in the holiday spirit and has dropped a new song in celebration. The twenty-one year old hip-hop performer born Montero Hill has released "Holiday" but it's really more about his incredible, rapid success with his country-rap hybrid, "Old Town Road" and his fame  than about Santa Claus. I find it unlikely that the song itself will become a holiday classic but it's really the music video for the track which implies a Christmas theme. This clip is a visual wonder (directed by Gibson Hazard and Nas X) and features Lil Nas X in a futuristic setting taking over as ole Saint Nick.

CARLY RAE JEPSEN 

The Canadian pop singer, Carly Rae Jepsen has taken a different approach to the holidays with her recently released single, "It's Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries". Jepsen, who co-wrote the song with Benjamin Romans, CJ Baran and James Flannigan, examines the rarely discussed difficulties with family dysfunction during Christmas that can almost ruin the festivities. Despite the dark subject matter, this ditty is cute and playful, humorously showing another side of the celebration that most people try to forget about.

KENNY ROGERS (1938 - 2020)

Kenny Rogers, a gifted musician who found his greatest success as a country singer who crossed over to the pop charts throughout the 1980's, has passed away on March 21st at the age of eighty-one. "The Gambler", the song which would become Rogers' signature tune, was written by Don Schlitz and had shopped it around for an artist to record it. After several singers taking a stab (including Johnny Cash), it would be Rogers's version that would became a worldwide smash in 1978. It would reach number one on the country chart, crossed over to the pop chart and would win the singer a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Even a series of television movies starring Rogers was inspired by the character of this song.

Rogers was born in Houston, TX, the fourth of eight children to Edward and Lucille Rogers. He learned to play the bass guitar and formed his first band as a teen in high school with a doo-wop group called the Scholars. Rogers found his first taste of commercial success in 1957 with the single, "That Crazy Feeling", a minor solo hit, with him making an appearance on the television show, American Bandstand. With not much happening for him after that, he would join the jazz outfit, the Bobby Doyle Three playing bass and later became a part of the folk group, The New Christy Minstrels in 1966.

Not content with his place in this band, Rogers, along with several other members, Mike Settle, Terry Williams, and Thelma Camacho left to form, the First Edition the following year. The band's sound merged country, rock and pop and scored their first hit, "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)", a psychedelic pop song with Rogers singing lead vocals that reached number five on the pop chart. More hits followed including "Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town", "Reuben James", "Something’s Burning" and "Tell It All Brother" until The First Edition ended in 1976. After going to work again as a solo artist, Rogers had his first major commercial success with "Lucille" which reached number one on the country chart and number five on the US pop chart in 1977.

Following "The Gambler, Rogers became one of the hottest artists of the '80's with hits on the pop and country charts. Some of his popular songs include "Coward of the County", "Through The Years", "She Believes In Me", "You Decorated My Life" and "Lady", the singer's only number one song on the pop chart as a solo artist which was written and produced by Lionel Ritchie. He also had crossover hits with duets with Dolly Parton ("Island In The Stream", written and produced by the Bee Gees), Kim Carnes ("Don't Fall In Love With a Dreamer") and Sheena Easton (a cover of Bob Seger's, "We've Got Tonight").

While Rogers' career did slow down in the 1990's, he did reach the top of the country charts for a final time in 2000 with "Buy Me a Rose". He recorded his last studio album, "You Can't Make Old Friends" in 2013 with the title track, a duet with Dolly Parton, earning a Grammy Award nomination.

MY FAVORITE MOMENTS IN MUSIC IN 2019

2019 seemed to highlight the further fragmenting of pop music with the growing emphasis on the song and less on the singer. In this Spotify generation, endless playlists filled with disconnected songs by a variety of artists have increasingly replaced a focused collection of work by a singer/songwriter with specific thoughts on life and love. Even the way music is created has moved back in time to the days when a factory of songwriters and producers put together a track and then find the right singer to fill in the rest. While it has become much more difficult for performers to maintain enduring careers after their initial burst of success, there were certainly some promising new artists who broke out and made fresh, memorable works last year who look like the real deal.

Here are a few more favorite songs that I didn't get chance to share previously throughout last year:

THE 61ST ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

What a difference a year makes.

Last year, Lorde was the only female nominated for Album Of The Year and the only spot she was offered on the show was being a part of the Tom Petty tribute (which she respectfully turned down). Now with The 2019 Grammy Awards, there were five female artists receiving a place in the Best Album category. And the fifteen-time Grammy winner, Alicia Keys was selected as the host of the telecast which is the first time a woman has done that in fourteen years. With this year's Grammys, women dominated the evening by delivering some of the most electrifying performances of the night while also receiving a fair share of the trophies handed out including the top prize of Album Of The Year.

Ms Keys proved to be a perfect host, bringing a positive energy and laid-back style to the event. She brought some excitement almost immediately when she brought out an impressive roster of powerful women to the stage; Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and the very missed, former First Lady, Michelle Obama who all shared the importance of music in their lives. Keys later in the program displayed why she won all those Grammys as she impressively played two pianos at the same time (which she acknowledged was in the style of jazz pianist, Hazel Scott) and performed a melody of her favorite old tunes (a tribute to birthday girl, Lauryn Hill) and new (Ella Mai's Grammy-winning hit, "Boo'd Up").

This year had a particularly strong line-up of musical performances that kicked off with Camilla Cabello celebrating Latin music in a lively production number of her hit, "Havana" with some help from Ricky Martin and J Balvin, which they ended the performance with his song, "Mi Gente". A tribute to Dolly Parton, who was this year's MusiCares honoree, was a respectable affair to the beloved country artist starting with Kacey Musgraves and Katy Perry doing a shaky version of "Here You Come Again". Parton, who seemed to take over this retrospective medley at this point, sang with Miley Cyrus for a cover of "Jolene"  before they were joined by Maren Morris for a beautiful rendition of "After The Gold Rush". Little Big Town came out to join Parton on a new song from the "Dumplin" soundtrack, "Red Shoes" before everyone took the stage to close with Dolly's biggest hit, "9 To 5".

Unlike Ms Parton, Diana Ross didn't need anyone's help to pay tribute to her career. With her proudly announcing she's celebrating her seventy-fifth birthday next month, the still quite stunning singer had the usually jaded industry crowd mesmerized as she did lively versions of "The Best Years of My Life" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)". Sure, she was a little pitchy but she still displayed why she has remained a musical legend.

Other highlights include Janelle Monáe tearing it up with a futuristic fembot staging of her songs, "Make Me Feel", "Django Jane" and "Pynk"; H.E.R. taking advantage of her first major television appearance and delivered a solid performance with "Hard Place"; Dua Lipa and St. Vincent bringing a sensual Sapphic vibe to a mash-up of their songs "One Kiss" and "Masseduction" while briefly shouting out Aretha in the middle and we had Andra Day, Yolanda Adams and Fantasia together to sing "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" which I think was one of the best tributes for the Queen of Soul to date.

Cardi B had a very good night for her first time at the Grammys. She dazzled during a performance of "Money" in a Busby Berkeley styled production (with a few stripper moves added) before she was left almost uncharacteristically speechless after winning Best Rap Album which she became the first woman to take that prize.

My absolutely favorite moment of the night was when the sister act, Chloe X Halle did a perfectly harmonized version of Donny Hathaway (who was honored this year with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award) and Roberta Flack's "Where is The Love?" before presenting an award. It was stunning and way too short.

And that leads me to what I thought was the worst moment which was Jennifer Lopez doing a musical tribute for the 60th anniversary of Motown Records. I could have thought of many different ways to honor one of the first black-owned record labels that brought soul music to a worldwide audience and helped create respected African-American pop superstars but JLo and her high-flying, Vegas showgirl routine would not have been one of them. And no, the brief appearance by Motown legend, Smokey Robinson in the middle did not help.

While it was inspiring and long overdue in honoring so much female musical talent, I'm just hoping this is not some short-lived event for the Grammys. During her acceptance speech for Best New Artist, Dua Lipa reminded the audience of the words by the now-outgoing President of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow implying that female artists needed to "step up" in order to win the award that stirred a backlash last year. It may seem like this might be an overreaction to that uproar but it is important to recognize that in order to have diversity and inclusion, a conscious effort has to be made to ensure that can happen.

Here is a partial list of winners of the 2019 Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: "Golden Hour" - Kacey Musgraves
Record of the Year: "This Is America" - Childish Gambino
Song of the Year: "This Is America" - Donald Glover and Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
Best New Artist: Dua Lipa
Best Pop Vocal Album: "Sweetener" — Ariana Grande
Best Pop Solo Performance: "Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)" — Lady Gaga
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Shallow" — Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "My Way" — Willie Nelson
Best Rock Album: "From the Fires" — Greta Van Fleet
Best Rock Performance: "When Bad Does Good" — Chris Cornell
Best Rock Song: "Masseduction" — Jack Antonoff and Annie Clark, songwriters (St. Vincent)
Best Alternative Music Album: "Colors" — Beck
Best Rap Album: "Invasion of Privacy" — Cardi B
Best Rap Song: "God’s Plan" — Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels and Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)
Best Rap Performance: "King’s Dead" — Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future and James Blake and "Bubblin" — Anderson .Paak (tie)
Best Rap/Sung Performance: "This Is America" — Childish Gambino
Best R&B Album: "H.E.R." — H.E.R.
Best R&B Song: "Boo’d Up" — Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai and Dijon Mcfarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)
Best R&B Performance: "Best Part" — H.E.R. featuring Daniel Caesar
Best Traditional R&B Performance: "Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand" — Leon Bridges and "How Deep Is Your Love" — PJ Morton featuring Yebba (tie)
Best Urban Contemporary Album: "Everything Is Love" — The Carters
Best Dance/Electronic Album: "Woman Worldwide" — Justice
Best Dance Recording: "Electricity" — Silk City and Dua Lipa featuring Diplo and Mark Ronson
Best Country Album: "Golden Hour" — Kacey Musgraves
Best Country Song: "Space Cowboy" — Luke Laird, Shane Mcanally and Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
Best Country Solo Performance: "Butterflies" — Kacey Musgraves
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: "Tequila" — Dan + Shay
Best Bluegrass Album: "The Travelin’ Mccourys" — The Travelin’ Mccourys
Best Jazz Vocal Album: "The Window" — Cécile Mclorin Salvant
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: "Emanon" — The Wayne Shorter Quartet
Best Latin Pop Album: "Sincera" — Claudia Brant
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: "Aztlán" — Zoé
Best Reggae Album: "44/876" — Sting and Shaggy
Best Americana Album: "By the Way, I Forgive You" — Brandi Carlile
Best American Roots Performance: "The Joke" — Brandi Carlile
Best American Roots Song: "The Joke" — Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
Best Folk Album: "All Ashore" — Punch Brothers
Best Gospel Album: "Hiding Place" — Tori Kelly
Best Gospel Performance/Song: "Never Alone" — Kirk Franklin and Victoria Kelly, songwriters (Tori Kelly featuring Kirk Franklin)
Best Roots Gospel Album: "Unexpected" — Jason Crabb
Best World Music Album: "Freedom" — Soweto Gospel Choir
Best Comedy Album: "Equanimity & the Bird Revelation" — Dave Chappelle
Best Musical Theater Album: "The Band’s Visit" — Etai Benson, Adam Kantor, Katrina Lenk and Ari’el Stachel, principal soloists; Dean Sharenow and David Yazbek, producers; David Yazbek, composer and lyricist
Best Song Written for Visual Media: "Shallow" — Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper)
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: "The Greatest Showman" — Alex Lacamoire, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Greg Wells, compilation producers (Various Artists)
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: "Black Panther" — Ludwig Göransson, (composer)
Best Music Film: "Quincy" — Alan Hicks and Rashida Jones, (video directors); Paula Dupré Pesmen, (video producer)
Best Music Video: "This Is America" — Childish Gambino
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books and Storytelling): "Faith - A Journey for All" — Jimmy Carter
Producer of the Year (Non-Classical): Pharrell Williams