Alpha Blondy (lahir 1 Januari 1953) merupakan penyanyi reggae Afrika dan artis rekaman internasional. Alpha Blondy Lahir Seydou Koné di Dimbokro, Ivory Coast. Alpha Blondy bernyanyi terutama dalam bahasa asli Dioula, dalam bahasa Prancis dan Inggris, dan kadang-kadang Alpha Blondy juga bernyanyi dalam bahasa Arab atau Ibrani.
Showing posts with label Collection News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Collection News. Show all posts
Alpha Blondy
Alpha Blondy (lahir 1 Januari 1953) merupakan penyanyi reggae Afrika dan artis rekaman internasional. Alpha Blondy Lahir Seydou Koné di Dimbokro, Ivory Coast. Alpha Blondy bernyanyi terutama dalam bahasa asli Dioula, dalam bahasa Prancis dan Inggris, dan kadang-kadang Alpha Blondy juga bernyanyi dalam bahasa Arab atau Ibrani.
ramadan 2009
marhaban ya ramadan
waduh senengnya sebentar lagi bulan ramadan, kita akan berpuasa satu bulan alias tidak makan dari pagi sampe sore, trus malam tadarus, trus dini hari rame dech ada kentongan (tapi hari gini masih ada gak ya….khan sudah ada handphone buat denger alarm, ato ada yayang yang sok alim ngebangunin saur), hari seakan bangun lebih awal dan tidur lebih akhir.
Puasa dalam agama Islam artinya menahan diri dari makan dan minum dan dari segala perbuatan yang boleh membatalkan puasa, mulai dari terbit fajar hingga terbenam matahari, untuk meningkatkan ketakwaan seorang muslim. Perintah puasa itu sendiri difirmankan oleh Allah pada Al-Quran surat Al-Baqarah ayat 183.
- “Yaa ayyuhaladziina aamanuu kutiba alaikumus siyaamu kamaa kutiba ‘alalladziina min qablikum la allakum tataquun”
“ Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, telah diwajibkan ke atas kamu berpuasa sebagaimana telah diwajibkan ke atas umat-umat yang sebelum kamu, semoga kamu menjadi orang-orang yang bertaqwa.”
Berpuasa merupakan salah satu dari lima Rukun Islam. Terdapat puasa wajib dan puasa sunnah, namun tata caranya tetap sama.
Tentunya kamu juga membutuhkan jadwal sebagai panduan saat memulai dan meng akhiri puasa, disini kamu bisa dapatkan jadwal imsakiyah
ok saudaraku selamat berpuasa di tahun 2009 dan tetap semangat.
Selamat Tinggal Mbah Surip
JAKARTA -- Tuhan tiba-tiba saja mengangkat derajat Mbah Surip dengan begitu cepat lewat tembang "tak gendong". Dari seorang gelandangan yang tak dilirik orang, tiba-tiba menjadi selebritis dengan kekayaan terakhir tercatat Rp 82 miliar.
Dan tiba-tiba saja, Mbah Surip diangkat ketenarannya secara tiba-tiba pula. Tuhan dengan cepat memangggil laki-laki yang tengah berada di titik kulminasi ketenarannya. Mbah Surip kini telah tiada.
Laki-laki yang menggelandangan di ibukota dengan mimpi terakhirnya ingin mempunyai sebuah helikopter ini menghembuskan nafasnya pada hari Selasa (4/8) pukul 10.30.
Menurut informasi, bah Surip di bawa ke RS Pusdikkes, Jakarta Timur."Meninggal pukul 10.30 WIB. Dibawa ke sini sudah meninggal," kata Ibu Omega, bagian rekap medis di RS Pusdikkes, Jakarta Timur. Belum jelas Mbah Surip meninggal karena penyakit apa. Dia meninggalkan 4 anak dan 4 cucu setelah 26 tahun menduda.
Dan tiba-tiba saja, Mbah Surip diangkat ketenarannya secara tiba-tiba pula. Tuhan dengan cepat memangggil laki-laki yang tengah berada di titik kulminasi ketenarannya. Mbah Surip kini telah tiada.
Laki-laki yang menggelandangan di ibukota dengan mimpi terakhirnya ingin mempunyai sebuah helikopter ini menghembuskan nafasnya pada hari Selasa (4/8) pukul 10.30.
Menurut informasi, bah Surip di bawa ke RS Pusdikkes, Jakarta Timur."Meninggal pukul 10.30 WIB. Dibawa ke sini sudah meninggal," kata Ibu Omega, bagian rekap medis di RS Pusdikkes, Jakarta Timur. Belum jelas Mbah Surip meninggal karena penyakit apa. Dia meninggalkan 4 anak dan 4 cucu setelah 26 tahun menduda.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival (often abbreviated CCR) was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums.The group consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist and primary lyricist John Fogerty, rhythm guitarist and brother of John, Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed rock and roll and swamp rock genres. Despite their San Francisco Bay Area origins, they are sometimes also cited as southern rock stylists.
CCR's music is still a staple of American and worldwide radio airplay and often figures in various media. The band has sold 26 million albums in the United States alone.
History
Before Creedence: 1959-1967
John Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook (all born 1945) met at senior high school in El Cerrito, California and began playing instrumentals and "juke box standards" together under the name The Blue Velvets.[3] The trio also backed singer Tom Fogerty— John's older brother by three years—at live gigs and in the recording studio. By 1964, the band had signed to Fantasy Records, an independent jazz label based in San Francisco at the time.
Fantasy had released Cast Your Fate to the Wind, a national hit for jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi. The record's success was the subject of an NET TV special, which prompted budding songwriter John Fogerty to contact the label.[4] For the band's first release, however, Fantasy co-owner Max Weiss renamed the group The Golliwogs (after the children's literary character, Golliwogg), apparently to cash in on a wave of popular British bands with similar names.
During this period, band roles underwent some changes. Stu Cook had gone from piano to bass guitar and Tom Fogerty became the band's rhythm guitarist. John Fogerty also began to write much of the band's material. Most notably, the young guitarist had taken over lead vocal duty. As Tom would later say, "I could sing, but John had a sound."
Early success: 1967-68
The group had suffered a setback in 1966 when the draft board called up John Fogerty and Doug Clifford for military service. Fogerty managed to enlist in the Army Reserve instead of the regular Army while Clifford did a tenure in the United States Coast Guard Reserve.
In 1967, Saul Zaentz purchased Fantasy Records from Weiss and offered the band a chance to record a full-length album, but only if the group changed its name. Never having liked The Golliwogs, the foursome readily agreed. Zaentz and the band agreed to come up with ten suggestions each, but he enthusiastically agreed to their first: Creedence Clearwater Revival. The band took the three elements from Creedence Nuball, a friend of Tom Fogerty; "clear water", from a TV commercial for Olympia beer; and revival, which spoke to the four members' renewed commitment to their band. (Other contenders were Muddy Rabbit, Gossamer Wump, and Creedence Nuball and the Ruby.) Unlike many other rock artists of the day, they eschewed drug use.[5]
By 1968, Fogerty and Clifford had been discharged from military service. All four members subsequently quit their jobs and began a heavy schedule of rehearsing and playing area clubs full-time.
The resulting 1968 debut album Creedence Clearwater Revival struck a responsive note with the emerging underground pop culture press, which touted CCR as a band worthy of attention. More importantly, AM radio programmers around the United States took note when a song from the LP, "Suzie Q", received substantial airplay in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as on Chicago's WLS. Blues aficionados doubtless appreciated the similarities between CCR's tough style and R&B artists on the Chess and Vee-Jay labels.
A remake of a 1956 song by rockabilly singer Dale Hawkins, "Suzie Q" was the band's second single, and its first to crack the Top 40. Reaching #11 nationally, it would be Creedence's only Top 40 hit not written by John Fogerty. Two other singles from the debut were released: a cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell On You" (which made it to #58) and "Porterville", written during John Fogerty's Army Reserve stint.
Peak success: 1969-70
While undertaking a steady string of live dates around the country to capitalize on their breakthrough, CCR also was hard at work on their second album Bayou Country at RCA Studios in Los Angeles. Released in January 1969 and becoming a #7 platinum hit, the record was the first in a string of hit albums and singles which continued uninterrupted for the next three years.
Bayou Country's seven songs were well-honed from Creedence's constant live playing. The album showed a distinct evolution in approach, much more simple and direct than the band's first release. The single "Proud Mary", backed with "Born On the Bayou", went to Number 2 on the national Billboard chart. It would eventually become the group's most-covered song, with some 100 cover versions by other artists to date, including a hit version in 1971 by Ike and Tina Turner. Bob Dylan named it his favorite single of 1969. The album also featured a blistering remake of the rock & roll classic "Good Golly Miss Molly" and the band's nine-minute live-show closer, "Keep On Chooglin' ".
Only weeks later, in March 1969, "Bad Moon Rising" backed with "Lodi" was released and peaked at #2 on the charts. The band's third album, Green River, followed in August and quickly went gold along with the single "Green River", which again reached #2 on the Billboard charts. The B-side of "Green River", "Commotion"—a one-chord two-step about the perils of city life—peaked at #30. The bar-band story of "Lodi" became a popular staple on then-emerging FM radio.[citation needed] The band's emphasis on remakes of their old favorites continued with "The Night Time Is the Right Time", which found its way into the band's live set as a crowd sing-along.
In 1969, Harry Shearer interviewed Cook[6] and John Fogerty[7] for the Pop Chronicles radio documentary.
Creedence continued to tour heavily including performances at the Atlanta Pop Festival and Woodstock. Their set was not included in the Woodstock film or its original soundtrack because Fogerty felt the band's performance was subpar. (Several CCR tracks from the event were eventually included in the 1994 commemorative box set.) The band also complained that they had to take the stage at three in the morning because The Grateful Dead had jammed far past their scheduled set time. By the time Creedence began playing—"the hottest shot on Earth at that moment", said Fogerty—many in the audience had gone to sleep.
Woodstock didn't matter. Creedence was busy honing material for a fourth album, Willy and the Poor Boys, released in November 1969. "Down on the Corner", a good-time street-corner number, and the famously militant "Fortunate Son" climbed to #3 and #14, respectively, by year's end. The album was Creedence in its standard form, featuring Fogerty originals and two reworked Leadbelly covers, "Cotton Fields" and "Midnight Special". Both the latter songs also had been performed by actor Harry Dean Stanton in the movie Cool Hand Luke, suggesting a subtle non-conformist theme to an apparently tradition-oriented album.
1969 had been a remarkable chart year for the band: three Top Ten albums, four hit singles (charting at #2, #2, #2, and #3, respectively) with three additional charting B-sides. On November 16, 1969, they performed "Fortunate Son" & "Down on the Corner" on The Ed Sullivan Show.[8]
Just after the new year, 1970, CCR released yet another new double-sided 45, "Travelin' Band"/"Who'll Stop the Rain". John Fogerty has said that the flip side was inspired by the band's experience at Woodstock. The speedy "Travelin' Band", however, bore enough similarities to "Good Golly, Miss Molly" to warrant a lawsuit by the song's publisher; it was eventually settled out of court. In the meantime, the single had topped out at #2. The band also recorded its January 31, 1970, live performance at the Coliseum in Oakland, California, which would later be marketed as a live album and television special. In February, the Creedence foursome was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, although only John Fogerty was interviewed in the accompanying article.[9]
In April 1970, Creedence was set to begin its first European tour. To support the upcoming live dates, Fogerty came up with "Up Around the Bend", a good-time party rocker, and the broody "Run Through the Jungle", about the burgeoning problem of societal violence in the United States. The single—written, recorded, and shipped in only a few days' time—went to #4 that spring, enjoying enthusiastic response from European live audiences and high commercial success in the U.S. and the rest of the world.
The band returned to Wally Heider's San Francisco studio in June to record what many consider the finest CCR album, Cosmo's Factory. The title was an in-joke about their various rehearsal facilities and factory work ethic over the years. (Drummer Doug Clifford's longtime nickname is "Cosmo", due to his keen interest in nature and all things cosmic.) The album contained the earlier Top 10 hits "Travelin' Band" and "Up Around the Bend" plus highly popular album tracks such as the opener "Ramble Tamble", an ambitious and snarling seven-minute cut about life in urban America with its "police on the corner, garbage on the sidewalk, actors in the White House."
Cosmo's was released in July 1970, along with yet another #2 national hit, "Lookin' Out My Back Door"/"Long As I Can See the Light". It was the band's fifth #2 single. Though they topped some international charts and local radio countdowns (such as WLS's, which rated three of their singles at #1), Creedence Clearwater Revival never had a #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit. Their five #2 singles were exceeded only by Elvis Presley and Madonna with 6 each. CCR has the odd distinction of having the most #2 singles on the Billboard charts without ever having had a #1.
Other cuts on the "Cosmo's Factory" album included an incisive eleven-minute jam of the 1967 and 1968 R&B hit "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" ( which would become a minor hit when an edited version was released as a single in the 70s a few years after the group's breakup ) and a nearly note-for-note homage to Roy Orbison's "Ooby Dooby". John Fogerty's musical range clearly had expanded. He now wove in slide guitar, keyboards, saxophones, tape effects, and layered vocal harmonies—and pushed himself vocally more than ever on "Long As I Can See the Light". The album, eleven songs in all, was Creedence's best seller and went straight to #1 on the Billboard 200 album charts and #11 on Billboard's Soul Albums chart.
Decline and breakup: Late 1970-72
The Cosmo's Factory sessions had seen the stirrings of tensions within the foursome as the incessant touring and heavy recording schedules took their toll. John had taken control of the group in its business matters and its artistic output. The situation began to grate on Tom, Stu, and Doug, who wanted more of a say in the band's workings. John resisted, feeling that a 'democratic' process would threaten their success. Other issues included John's decision at a 1970 Nebraska gig that the band would no longer give encores at its live shows.
Pendulum, released in December 1970, was another top seller, spawning a Top 10 hit with "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?". The album marked yet another shift in the band's approach: gone was the wall of sound of Creedence's previous three albums.[vague] The single's flip side, the ringing "Hey Tonight", was also a hit. Somewhat experimental was the closer track, "Rude Awakening #2", a bizarre and almost tuneless free-form instrumental in which the musicians seem to have thrown in every sound and effect they could imagine.
But even continued musical innovation and success could not resolve the differences between John and Tom Fogerty. During the recording of Pendulum Tom Fogerty, who had already quit the band several times in disgust but was always talked into returning, left Creedence Clearwater Revival permanently. His departure was made public in February 1971. The band members considered replacing Tom but never did, Fogerty saying on an Australian TV broadcast that no new member could endure being in Creedence.
In spring 1971, John Fogerty informed a startled Cook and Clifford the band would continue only by adopting a 'democratic' approach: each member would now write and sing his own material. Fogerty also would contribute only rhythm guitar to his bandmates' songs, a particularly hard slap in the face given their years of support for Fogerty's music. Cook and Clifford, who had wanted more of a voice in the band's music and business decisions, resisted this arrangement. Fogerty insisted they accept the new arrangement, or he would quit the band.
Despite the dissension, the CCR trio put its new work ethic to the test in the studio, releasing the Top 10 single "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" in July 1971, backed with Stu Cook's "Door to Door". The band toured both the U.S. and Europe that summer and autumn, with Cook's song a part of the live set. In spite of their continuing commercial success, however, relations among the three had become increasingly strained.
The band's final album, Mardi Gras, was released in April 1972, featuring songs written by Fogerty, Cook, and Clifford and one cover by Gene Pitney "Hello Mary Lou". It received mostly poor, even savage reviews (Rolling Stone reviewer Jon Landau called it "the worst album I have ever heard from a major rock band"[10]), and suffered comparatively weak sales. The 1971 hit single "Sweet Hitch-Hiker"/"Door to Door") was included on the album, but the only other single, Fogerty's "Someday Never Comes", backed with Clifford's "Tearin' Up the Country", failed to crack even the US Top 20. Not surprisingly, only the three Fogerty-penned songs exhibit any semblance of the classic CCR sound. Mardi Gras peaked at #12, perhaps due more to the strength of the Creedence name than to the particular music on the record. This final release had the worst showings of any Creedence album and single since 1968.
By this point, Fogerty was not only at direct odds with his bandmates, but he had also come to see the group's relationship with Fantasy Records as onerous, feeling that label owner Zaentz had reneged on his promise to give the band a better contract. Stu Cook — who holds a degree in business — claimed that because of poor judgment on Fogerty's part, CCR had to abide by the worst record deal of any major American recording artist.
Despite the poor reception of Mardi Gras and deteriorated inter-group relationships, the band immediately embarked upon a two-month, 20-date U.S. tour. Hecklers reportedly pelted the band with coins at the final stop of the tour on May 22 in Denver.[citation needed] Finally, on October 16, 1972 - less than six months later - Fantasy Records and the band officially announced the disbanding of Creedence Clearwater Revival.[citation needed]
After Creedence
[edit] John Fogerty
Main article: John Fogerty
In 1973, John began his solo career with The Blue Ridge Rangers, his one-man band collection of country and gospel songs. Under his old Creedence contract, however, Fogerty owed Fantasy eight more records. In the end, he simply refused to work for the label any longer. The impasse was resolved only when Asylum Records' David Geffen bought Fogerty's contract for $1,000,000. His next major hit was Centerfield, a chart-topping success in 1985. On tour in 1986, however, Fogerty suffered complaints over his steadfast refusal to play Creedence songs live and suffered with recurring vocal problems which he blamed on having to testify in court. Fogerty's explanation for not playing CCR songs was that he would have had to pay performance royalties to copyright holder Saul Zaentz—and that it was "too painful" to revisit the music of his past.
With the Centerfield album, Fogerty also found himself entangled in new, tit-for-tat lawsuits with Zaentz over the song "The Old Man Down the Road" which was, according to Zaentz, a blatant re-write of Fogerty's own 1970 Creedence hit "Run Through the Jungle". Since Fogerty had traded his rights to Creedence's songs in 1980 to cancel his remaining contractual obligations, Fantasy now owned the rights to "Run Through the Jungle" and sued Fogerty essentially for plagiarizing himself. While a jury ruled in Fogerty's favor, he did settle a defamation suit filed by Zaentz over the songs "Mr. Greed" and "Zanz Kant Danz". Fogerty was forced to edit the recording, changing the "Zanz" reference to "Vanz".
On February 19, 1987, at the Palomino Club in Los Angeles, Fogerty broke his self-imposed 1972 ban on performing his CCR hits, on an admonition from Bob Dylan and George Harrison (who both joined him onstage) that "if you don't, the whole world's gonna think 'Proud Mary' is Tina Turner's song." At a Fourth of July benefit for Vietnam veterans, Fogerty finally ran through the list of Creedence hits—beginning with "Born on the Bayou" and ending with "Proud Mary"—to an ecstatic audience. He retreated from music again in the late 1980s but returned in 1997 with the Grammy-winning Blue Moon Swamp. John Fogerty still tours frequently and plays CCR tunes alongside material from his newer albums.
Tom Fogerty
Main article: Tom Fogerty
Tom Fogerty released several solo albums, though none reached the success of CCR.
Tom's 1974 solo album Zephyr National was the last to feature the four original band members. A few of the songs sound very much in the Creedence style, particularly the aptly-titled "Joyful Resurrection". All four members did play on the song, but John recorded his part to the mix separately.
In September 1990, Tom Fogerty died of AIDS, which he contracted via blood transfusion during back surgery. John and Tom never resolved the bitter estrangement that followed their falling out in CCR. Doug Clifford rented a house in Scottsdale, Arizona, to be near Tom. Stu Cook visited often.
Stu Cook and Doug Clifford
Junior high buddies Doug Clifford and Stu Cook continued to work together following the demise of CCR both as session players and members of the Don Harrison Band. They also founded Factory Productions, a mobile recording service in the Bay Area. Clifford released a solo record, Cosmo, in 1972. Cook produced artist Roky Erickson's The Evil One and was bassist with the popular country act Southern Pacific in the 80s.
Following a relatively lengthy period of musical inactivity, the two formed Creedence Clearwater Revisited in 1995 with several well-known musicians. Revisited toured globally performing the original band's classics. John Fogerty's 1997 injunction forced 'CCRev' to change to 'Cosmo's Factory', but the courts later ruled in Cook's and Clifford's favor.
Fantasy Records
After Creedence, Fantasy Records released several greatest-hits packages and curiosities such as 1975's Pre-Creedence, a compilation album of The Golliwogs' early recordings. Fantasy also released the highly successful Chronicle, Vol. 1, a collection of Creedence's twenty hit singles, in 1976. Several years later, the label released a live recording entitled The Royal Albert Hall Concert. Contrary to its title, the 1970 performance was recorded in Oakland, California, not at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Subsequent issues of the original 1981 album have been retitled simply The Concert.
The success of Creedence Clearwater Revival made Fantasy and Saul Zaentz a great deal of money. Indeed, Fantasy built a new headquarters building in 1971 at 2600 Tenth Street in Berkeley, California.[11] Zaentz also used his wealth to produce a number of successful films including Best Picture Oscar winners One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, and The English Patient. In 2004, he sold Fantasy to Concord Records. As a goodwill gesture, Concord honored the unfulfilled contractual promises Fantasy made nearly forty years ago, finally paying the band a higher royalty rate on their sales.
One decision made by John Fogerty rankled his bandmates and would leave all of them without most of their hard-earned money and facing legal and financial problems for years. Without the other three band members' knowledge, Fogerty agreed to a tax shelter scheme proposed by Saul Zaentz and his lawyers in which most of the bandmembers' assets were transferred to Castle Bank of Nassau. Zaentz and his associates withdrew their assets before the bank eventually dissolved — along with the savings of the four CCR band members. A series of lawsuits began in 1978 and eventually ended with a California court awarding $8.6 million to the band members in April 1983. Despite this legal victory, very little of the money was recovered.
John Fogerty, seeing that Zaentz was no longer involved with the company, also signed a new contract with Concord/Fantasy. In 2005, the label released The Long Road Home, a collection of Creedence and Fogerty solo classics. His most recent album, Revival, came out on the Fantasy label in October, 2007.
The original Creedence lineup rarely reunited after their breakup, and never professionally. All four members jammed together at Tom Fogerty's wedding on October 19, 1980. John, Stu, and Doug played at their 20th El Cerrito high school reunion in 1983, but they performed as their original incarnation, The Blue Velvets. In the 1980s and 90s, new rounds of lawsuits between the band members, as well as against their former management, deepened their animosities. By the time Creedence Clearwater Revival was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, John Fogerty refused to perform with his surviving bandmates Stu Cook and Doug Clifford. The pair were barred from the stage, while Fogerty played with an all-star band that included Bruce Springsteen and Robbie Robertson. Tom Fogerty's widow Tricia had expected a Creedence reunion, and even brought the urn containing her husband's ashes to the ceremony.
References in media and popular culture
Main article: Creedence Clearwater Revival in Media
Creedence Clearwater Revival's catalogue of songs has frequently been used or referenced in popular culture. In the 1998 HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon, Pete Conrad's and Alan Bean's moon landing is accompanied by "Up Around the Bend." If this had been source music rather than background music, it would have been an anachronism, as the song was not released until five months after the November 1969 Apollo 12 mission. The series also used the song "Bad Moon Rising." On an episode of The Simpsons ("Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington"), Homer Simpson responds to a request to perform CPR by singing some lyrics from "Bad Moon Rising". A similar joke was used on My Name Is Earl. A lawnmower race on an episode of King of the Hill is set to "Green River". Several episodes of Gilmore Girls include references to the band, including an argument between an unfaithful couple that ends with the complaint, "You ruined Creedence for me!" Cheers' character Lilith Sternin claimed that listening to "heavy doses of CCR" helped ward off depression over aging. Other series including Married With Children, Stargate SG-1, Dexter, Supernatural, Las Vegas, "That '70s Show", Cold Case, and Alias.
Several Creedence songs are played in the film Dog Soldiers, which also goes by the alternate title Who'll Stop the Rain. "Bad Moon Rising" is featured prominently in the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London, while "Born on the Bayou" opened the 1988 film The Return of Swamp Thing. Apocalypse Now included a sequence in which a USO show breaks down into chaos to the strains of "Suzie Q". Many other movies have used Creedence songs, including Forrest Gump, The Big Lebowski, Live Free or Die Hard, The Manchurian Candidate, Michael, My Fellow Americans, Mr. Woodcock, Evan Almighty, Wild Hogs, Where the Buffalo Roam, We Are Marshall, My Girl, Blade, The Waterboy, Tropic Thunder, Remember the Titans, Twilight Zone: The Movie, December Boys, Road House, "The Ballad of Jack and Rose", O Homem Que Copiava, Hard Target, "Fear and loathing in Las Vegas", Born On The Fourth of July, Stop Loss, the trailer for Taking Woodstock and both the 1974 and 2005 versions of the film The Longest Yard.
Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana were in a CCR cover band before starting Nirvana. ESPN football analyst Chris Berman gave former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Andre Rison the nickname "Bad Moon Rison". One of the characters from Nick Hornby's book A Long Way Down claims to have the fatal disease "CCR," rather than reveal his true reasons for committing suicide. The Scottish football club Dundee United uses the song "Up Around The Bend" whenever they score at their home ground. On her album "It's Not Me, It's You," Lily Allen says that Creedence Clearwater Revival is 'His' (the song's protagonist) favourite band. Video games such as Guitar Hero World Tour, Battlefield Vietnam, Rock Band, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas include Creedence songs.
welcome to The Wailers
This page is livicated to one of the greatest musical groups of all time - The Wailers.The foundation of The Wailers was formed in 1963 and consisted of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer. Even though the bands that have backed The Wailers changed throughout the years, these three stayed together and consistently put out brilliant and groundbreaking music; that is, until they branched the music into three directions in 1973. At which time the three went on to have their own successful solo careers, even managing to reunite from time to time.
The music that the three made as The Wailers will continue to live on forever, influencing generations from all walks of life, from around the globe!
This site also strives to pay tribute to all of the singers and players of The Wailers - past and present, so the world can recognize what we already know, that The Wailers are an everlasting force!
Rani Muncul di Polda
Semanggi, Warta KotaSetelah dinanti-nanti sejak pagi, Rani Juliani, janda siri almarhum Nasrudin Zulkarnaen, akhirnya datang ke Polda Metro Jaya, Jumat (26/6) siang. Dia mendapat pengawalan ketat dari anggota reserse dan provost.
Rani, yang mengenakan baju blazer cokelat motif kotak garis-garis, tiba di Direktorat Reserse Kriminal Umum sekitar jam 11.30. Dengan rambut sebahu yang digerai Rani datang bersama dua orang penasehat hukumnya naik mobil Toyota Fortuner B 1996 WS.
Kehadiran mantan caddy di lapangan Padang Golf Moderland Tangerang di Polda untuk yang kedua kalinya. Rani akan menjalani pemeriksaan bahkan kabarnya akan dipertemukan dengan Antasari Azhar, Ketua KPK nonaktif, yang kini jadi tersangka kasus pembunuhan Nasrudin.
Kemunculan Rani di Polda tak ubahnya ketika Antasari Azhar ditahan. Para wartawan harus bergelut dengan pengawal Rani, untuk mendapatkan gambar dan mendengar komentar perempuan itu seputar kasus yang menimpa Nasrudin. Kabarnya Rani akan menggelar konprensi pers usai pemeriksaan.
Bagi polisi, Rani merupakan saksi kunci kasus pembunuhan Nasrudin yang ditembak usai bermain golf, Maret 2009 lalu. Sampai sejauh ini polisi memastikan motif pembunuhan Nasrudin karena persoalan harga diri. Antasari kesal karena kepergok oleh Nasrudin saat berduaan dengan Rani di kamar 808 Hotel Grand Mahakam, Jakarta Selatan.
Direktur Reserse Kriminal Umum Polda Metro Jaya, Kombes Pol Muhamad Iriawan, mengatakan, Rani datang untuk menjalani pemeriksaan. "Memastikan barang bukti...ya misalnya handphone dan lainnya," papar Iriawan. Sedianya usai salat Jumat Iriawan berjanji akan menggelar jumpa pers. (Dedy)
Mbah Surip
pengen tau tentang mbah surip.....? Berikut adalah profil selengkapnya tentang Mbah Surip, seorang musisi baru stok lama, yang sudah lama lalang melintang di dunia hiburan Indonesia.
Awal Kehidupan Mbah Surip
Mbah Surip dilahirkan pada tanggal 5 Mei 1949 di Mojokerto Jawa Timur. Dilahirkan dengan nama Urip Ariyanto. Saat ini Mbah Surip berstatus duda dengan empat anak dan sekaligus juga sebagai kakek dengan empat cucu. Menurut pengakuannya Mbah Surip termasuk orang yang senang sekolah, Mbah Surip memiliki ijazah SMP, ST, SMEA, STM, Drs. sama insinyur dan MBA.
Selain sebagai penyanyi, Mbah Surip pernah merasakan pengalaman bekerja di bidang pengeboran minyak, tambang berlian, emas, dan lain-lain bahkan pernah bekerja di luar negeri seperti Kanada, Texas, Yordania dan California. Namun Merasa nasibnya kurang baik, Mbah Surip mencoba peruntungan dengan pergi ke Jakarta. Di Ibukota Jakarta, ia bergabung dengan beberapa komunitas seni seperti Teguh Karya, Aquila, Bulungan, dan Taman Ismail Marzuki.
Pada suatu waktu, nasib menentukan lain. Mbah Surip mendapat kesempatan untuk rekaman dan akhirnya meraih kesuksesan seperti sekarang.
Perjalanan di Dunia Musik
Dalam perjalanan musiknya Mbah Surip telah mengeluarkan beberapa album musik. Album rekamannya dimulai dari tahun 1997 diantaranya, Ijo Royo-royo (1997), Indonesia I (1998), Reformasi (1998), Tak Gendong (2003) dan barang Baru (2004).
Namun ternyata lagu Tak Gendong diciptakan pada tahun 1983 saat Mbah Surip bekerja di Amerika Serikat. Menurut Mbah Surip Filosofi dari lagu ini yaitu Belajar salah itu, yang digendong ya siapa saja, entah baik, galak, nakal, atau jahat. Seperti bus, nggak peduli penumpangnya, entah itu copet, gelandangan, pekerja, ya siapa saja. Sebab, menggendong itu belajar salah.
Mbah Surip tampil juga lewat video klip "Witing Trisno" karangan Tony Q Rastafara di MTV. Ciri khas dari setiap aksinya di panggung musik yaitu selalu ditemani "Gitar Kopong" nya, menyanyi dengan sangat relax dan nyanyi "ngalor-ngidul" dengan gaya-nya yang khas, kocak, gila, dan bebas ekspresi.
Karakter inilah yang membuat Emha Ainun Najib atau Cak Nun sering menggambarkan sosok Mbah Surip adalah gambaran "Manusia Indonesia Sejati" yang tidak pernah merasa susah, tidak pernah gelisah, tidak pernah sedih dan selalu tertawa, meskipun seringkali di ledek orang Mbah Surip tetap saja tertawa tidak pernah dendam, atau membalas ledekan tersebut.
Bahkan terkadang Mbah Surip bingung untuk pulang karena kehabisan ongkos. Hasilnya Mbah Surip mengejawantahkan kesusahannya dalam sebuah lagu "minta ongkos pulang". Dalam lagu tersebut Mbah Surip bercerita tentang pacarnya, meskipun kita ragu kalau Mbah Surip pernah berpacaran.
Pada bait akhir lagunya mbah Surip meminta sesuatu kepada yayangnya (panggilan Mbah Surip kepada pacarnya dalam lagu tersebut)
Awal Kehidupan Mbah Surip
Mbah Surip dilahirkan pada tanggal 5 Mei 1949 di Mojokerto Jawa Timur. Dilahirkan dengan nama Urip Ariyanto. Saat ini Mbah Surip berstatus duda dengan empat anak dan sekaligus juga sebagai kakek dengan empat cucu. Menurut pengakuannya Mbah Surip termasuk orang yang senang sekolah, Mbah Surip memiliki ijazah SMP, ST, SMEA, STM, Drs. sama insinyur dan MBA.
Selain sebagai penyanyi, Mbah Surip pernah merasakan pengalaman bekerja di bidang pengeboran minyak, tambang berlian, emas, dan lain-lain bahkan pernah bekerja di luar negeri seperti Kanada, Texas, Yordania dan California. Namun Merasa nasibnya kurang baik, Mbah Surip mencoba peruntungan dengan pergi ke Jakarta. Di Ibukota Jakarta, ia bergabung dengan beberapa komunitas seni seperti Teguh Karya, Aquila, Bulungan, dan Taman Ismail Marzuki.
Pada suatu waktu, nasib menentukan lain. Mbah Surip mendapat kesempatan untuk rekaman dan akhirnya meraih kesuksesan seperti sekarang.
Perjalanan di Dunia Musik
Dalam perjalanan musiknya Mbah Surip telah mengeluarkan beberapa album musik. Album rekamannya dimulai dari tahun 1997 diantaranya, Ijo Royo-royo (1997), Indonesia I (1998), Reformasi (1998), Tak Gendong (2003) dan barang Baru (2004).
Namun ternyata lagu Tak Gendong diciptakan pada tahun 1983 saat Mbah Surip bekerja di Amerika Serikat. Menurut Mbah Surip Filosofi dari lagu ini yaitu Belajar salah itu, yang digendong ya siapa saja, entah baik, galak, nakal, atau jahat. Seperti bus, nggak peduli penumpangnya, entah itu copet, gelandangan, pekerja, ya siapa saja. Sebab, menggendong itu belajar salah.
Mbah Surip tampil juga lewat video klip "Witing Trisno" karangan Tony Q Rastafara di MTV. Ciri khas dari setiap aksinya di panggung musik yaitu selalu ditemani "Gitar Kopong" nya, menyanyi dengan sangat relax dan nyanyi "ngalor-ngidul" dengan gaya-nya yang khas, kocak, gila, dan bebas ekspresi.
Karakter inilah yang membuat Emha Ainun Najib atau Cak Nun sering menggambarkan sosok Mbah Surip adalah gambaran "Manusia Indonesia Sejati" yang tidak pernah merasa susah, tidak pernah gelisah, tidak pernah sedih dan selalu tertawa, meskipun seringkali di ledek orang Mbah Surip tetap saja tertawa tidak pernah dendam, atau membalas ledekan tersebut.
Bahkan terkadang Mbah Surip bingung untuk pulang karena kehabisan ongkos. Hasilnya Mbah Surip mengejawantahkan kesusahannya dalam sebuah lagu "minta ongkos pulang". Dalam lagu tersebut Mbah Surip bercerita tentang pacarnya, meskipun kita ragu kalau Mbah Surip pernah berpacaran.
Pada bait akhir lagunya mbah Surip meminta sesuatu kepada yayangnya (panggilan Mbah Surip kepada pacarnya dalam lagu tersebut)
Kepergian Michael Jackson
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Michael Jackson, the child star turned King of Pop who set the world dancing to exuberant rhythms for decades, died on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times said. He was 50.
"Pop star Michael Jackson was pronounced dead by doctors this afternoon after arriving at a hospital in a deep coma, city and law enforcement sources told The Times," the newspaper reported on its website.
Jackson had been taken ill at his home and found not breathing by paramedics who rushed him to a hospital, the paper said.
The paper's report followed news of Jackson's death first reported by the TMZ entertainment website, which said that the singer suffered a cardiac arrest. There was no immediate comment from spokespersons for Jackson.
Known as the "King of Pop," for hits that included "Thriller" and "Billie Jean," Jackson's dramatic stage presence and innovative dance moves were imitated by legions of fans around the world.
His one-gloved eccentric style also earned him plenty of critics and another nickname, "Wacko Jacko."
Jackson, who had lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation, had been scheduled to launch a comeback tour from London next month.
TMZ said on its website that Jackson suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. "We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back," the site said.
Earlier, the Los Angeles Times said the singer had been rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital by fire department paramedics. The newspaper said paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the singer's home before taking him to the UCLA Medical Center hospital.
COMEBACK CONCERTS
Jackson had been due to start a series of concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.
The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.
His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.
There were concerns about Jackson's health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.
New Yorkers and tourists in the city's Times Square were shocked at the news of Jackson's death.
"I don't know what to say. It's sad, it's really, really sad," said Nicole Smith, an 18-year-old student from Brooklyn, New York, in Times Square. "My mother was a fan. I listened to his music."
"I'm shocked. I thought someone was lying to me when I first heard it. I was a fan from when he was a little boy and then he got weird," said Sue Sheider, 51, a teacher from Long Island.
CHILD STAR TO MEGASTAR
Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael -- first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.
Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released "Thriller" in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.
The next year, he unveiled his signature "moonwalk" dance move while performing "Billie Jean" during an NBC special.
In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley's only child, Lisa Marie, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jackson married Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children, before splitting in 1999. The couple never lived together.
Jackson has three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, known for his brief public appearance when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.
(Additional Reporting by Jill Serjeant in Los Angeles and Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Frances Kerry, Editing by Jackie Frank)
"Pop star Michael Jackson was pronounced dead by doctors this afternoon after arriving at a hospital in a deep coma, city and law enforcement sources told The Times," the newspaper reported on its website.
Jackson had been taken ill at his home and found not breathing by paramedics who rushed him to a hospital, the paper said.
The paper's report followed news of Jackson's death first reported by the TMZ entertainment website, which said that the singer suffered a cardiac arrest. There was no immediate comment from spokespersons for Jackson.
Known as the "King of Pop," for hits that included "Thriller" and "Billie Jean," Jackson's dramatic stage presence and innovative dance moves were imitated by legions of fans around the world.
His one-gloved eccentric style also earned him plenty of critics and another nickname, "Wacko Jacko."
Jackson, who had lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation, had been scheduled to launch a comeback tour from London next month.
TMZ said on its website that Jackson suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. "We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back," the site said.
Earlier, the Los Angeles Times said the singer had been rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital by fire department paramedics. The newspaper said paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the singer's home before taking him to the UCLA Medical Center hospital.
COMEBACK CONCERTS
Jackson had been due to start a series of concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.
The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.
His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.
There were concerns about Jackson's health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.
New Yorkers and tourists in the city's Times Square were shocked at the news of Jackson's death.
"I don't know what to say. It's sad, it's really, really sad," said Nicole Smith, an 18-year-old student from Brooklyn, New York, in Times Square. "My mother was a fan. I listened to his music."
"I'm shocked. I thought someone was lying to me when I first heard it. I was a fan from when he was a little boy and then he got weird," said Sue Sheider, 51, a teacher from Long Island.
CHILD STAR TO MEGASTAR
Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael -- first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.
Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released "Thriller" in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.
The next year, he unveiled his signature "moonwalk" dance move while performing "Billie Jean" during an NBC special.
In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley's only child, Lisa Marie, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jackson married Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children, before splitting in 1999. The couple never lived together.
Jackson has three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, known for his brief public appearance when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.
(Additional Reporting by Jill Serjeant in Los Angeles and Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Frances Kerry, Editing by Jackie Frank)
Agnes Monica Teruskanlah
Agnes Monica Teruskanlah.
Pada awal melihat di televisi (doeloe) banyak yang menyangka Agnes Monica hanyalah mengandalkan kecantikannya doank untuk menarik telinga para pecinta music tanah air di tambah dengan kepopularitasan Agnes Monica itu sendiri yang sempat membintangi beberapa sinetron indonesia.
Namun anggapan itu serasa di patahkan di tahun 2009 ini dengan TERUSKANLAH, seorang Agnes Monica yang biasa terkesan Cantik Anggun Dan terkadang sexi itu tidak lagi menjadikan kesan itu sebagai pendobrak telinga penggemar music tanah air untuk mengiyakan bakat dari Agnes Monica di bidang music.
Agnes Monica kembali mengeluarkan single hits dengan judul Teruskanlah. Lagu Agnes Monica Teruskanlah ini merupakan salah satu single andalan dari album terbarunya yang berjudul SACREDLY AGNEZIOUS. Seperti yang kita tahu, Agnes Monica selalu berhasil menelurkan karya-karya yang dahsyat dan mampu merebut hati masyarakat. Lagu Agnes Monica teruskanlah ini pun menunjukkan kematangan Agnes Monica dalam bermusik.
Lagu Agnes Monica Teruskanlah berasal dari album Sacredly Agnezious. Dengan nama album tersebut Agnes Monica ingin menunjukkan sesuatu yang benar-benar Agnes. Seperti pada lagu Teruskanlah yang sangat kental dengan nuansa Agnes Monica. Pada lagu ini betul-betul menunjukkan ciri khas Agnes Monica. Album ini dilaunching pada tanggal 1 April yang lalu, tak tanggung-tanggung Agnes Monica memproduserikeseluruhan acara launching yang ditayangkan di RCTI.
Lagu Agnes Monica Teruskanlah memberikan nuansa mellow seperti lagu yang sudah-sudah kita dengar seperti Matahariku. Tapi tetap suara merdu Agnes Monica pada lagu Teruskanlah mampu menyihir pendengar dan menghipnotis pemirsa. Dengan lirik yang dalam dan nada-nada yang sangat kental dengan nuansa Agnes, lagu ini sangat cocok menemani malam anda yang tenang dan santai.
Agnes Monica merupakan salah satu penyanyi kebanggaan Indonesia. Artis berbakat satu ini mulai berkiprah sejak usia 6 tahun. Dengan aksi panggung yang menawan dan suara yang merdu, tak heran jika Agnes Monica menyabet berbagai penghargaan Nasional. Tak hanya dalam bernyanyi, kemampuannya menari tak perlu diragukan. Aksi panggungnya selalu dengan identik dengan tarian yang enerjik dan mampu menggoyang seluruh penonton yang ada. Agnes monica selalu ditemani dengan group dancer 'NEZin'daHooD', band 'inNEZsense', & ratusan fans Agnes Monica yg sering disebut-sebut sebagai 'NEZin'daClub' . Agnes Monica selalu tampil prima dengan dancing style nya yang energik, didukung lagi dengan design kostum yang unik & bagus.
Kemampuannya dalam beraksi di layar kaca pun tak perlu diragukan lagi. Banyak sinetron yang sudah dibintangin oleh artis muda ini. Bahkan Agnes sudah berhasil go international dengan ikut bermain di salah satu dorama taiwan dan bermain dengan Jerry Yan. Agnes Monica selalu mengatakan akan go international dalam bernyanyi dan kita tinggal tunggu hasilnya kelak.
Namun anggapan itu serasa di patahkan di tahun 2009 ini dengan TERUSKANLAH, seorang Agnes Monica yang biasa terkesan Cantik Anggun Dan terkadang sexi itu tidak lagi menjadikan kesan itu sebagai pendobrak telinga penggemar music tanah air untuk mengiyakan bakat dari Agnes Monica di bidang music.
Agnes Monica kembali mengeluarkan single hits dengan judul Teruskanlah. Lagu Agnes Monica Teruskanlah ini merupakan salah satu single andalan dari album terbarunya yang berjudul SACREDLY AGNEZIOUS. Seperti yang kita tahu, Agnes Monica selalu berhasil menelurkan karya-karya yang dahsyat dan mampu merebut hati masyarakat. Lagu Agnes Monica teruskanlah ini pun menunjukkan kematangan Agnes Monica dalam bermusik.
Lagu Agnes Monica Teruskanlah berasal dari album Sacredly Agnezious. Dengan nama album tersebut Agnes Monica ingin menunjukkan sesuatu yang benar-benar Agnes. Seperti pada lagu Teruskanlah yang sangat kental dengan nuansa Agnes Monica. Pada lagu ini betul-betul menunjukkan ciri khas Agnes Monica. Album ini dilaunching pada tanggal 1 April yang lalu, tak tanggung-tanggung Agnes Monica memproduserikeseluruhan acara launching yang ditayangkan di RCTI.
Lagu Agnes Monica Teruskanlah memberikan nuansa mellow seperti lagu yang sudah-sudah kita dengar seperti Matahariku. Tapi tetap suara merdu Agnes Monica pada lagu Teruskanlah mampu menyihir pendengar dan menghipnotis pemirsa. Dengan lirik yang dalam dan nada-nada yang sangat kental dengan nuansa Agnes, lagu ini sangat cocok menemani malam anda yang tenang dan santai.
Agnes Monica merupakan salah satu penyanyi kebanggaan Indonesia. Artis berbakat satu ini mulai berkiprah sejak usia 6 tahun. Dengan aksi panggung yang menawan dan suara yang merdu, tak heran jika Agnes Monica menyabet berbagai penghargaan Nasional. Tak hanya dalam bernyanyi, kemampuannya menari tak perlu diragukan. Aksi panggungnya selalu dengan identik dengan tarian yang enerjik dan mampu menggoyang seluruh penonton yang ada. Agnes monica selalu ditemani dengan group dancer 'NEZin'daHooD', band 'inNEZsense', & ratusan fans Agnes Monica yg sering disebut-sebut sebagai 'NEZin'daClub' . Agnes Monica selalu tampil prima dengan dancing style nya yang energik, didukung lagi dengan design kostum yang unik & bagus.
Kemampuannya dalam beraksi di layar kaca pun tak perlu diragukan lagi. Banyak sinetron yang sudah dibintangin oleh artis muda ini. Bahkan Agnes sudah berhasil go international dengan ikut bermain di salah satu dorama taiwan dan bermain dengan Jerry Yan. Agnes Monica selalu mengatakan akan go international dalam bernyanyi dan kita tinggal tunggu hasilnya kelak.
Another Baby Bice in January
'American Idol' runner-up Bo Bice is so proud of his tenure on the hit show he even drops references to it in baby announcements! The southern fried rocker tells PEOPLE he and his wife Caroline are expecting their third child.
"American Idol has a new winner each year – seems things are the same in our house," Bice, 33, says. "Can't wait to introduce our new little 'Idol' to the world January 31st!"
'Idol' the TV show also premieres in January.
The newbie will join Caleb James, 9 months, and Aidan Michael, 3 1/2, in the Bice clan. They've been married four years.
Susan's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent' phenom Susan Boyle is set to cash in on her fame by reportedly charging a whopping £115,000 ($190,000 US) to play 12-minute sets at corporate events around the world. An email from the singer's agent, sent to a possible client, dropped the large figure, which would get businesses three songs. "She's the biggest star to have come out of Britain's Got Talent, so her price to sing reflects that," a source close to the singer told the the News of the World.
Woodstock Box
Gary Graff, Detroit
Thirty-eight previously unreleased recordings -- from groups such as the Who, the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Jefferson Airplane -- will dot Rhino's "Woodstock -- 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm" box set, which will be released on Aug. 18.
Among the highlights of the six-CD, 77-song collection are a 19-minute rendition of the Dead's "Dark Star," "Amazing Journey" and "Pinball Wizard" by the Who, "Feelin' Alright" by Joe Cocker, CCR's "Bad Moon Rising," Blood Sweat and Tears' "You've Made Me So Very Happy" and tracks from Sweetwater, Bert Sommer, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Joan Baez, Melanie, Country Joe & the Fish, Sha Na Na, the Butterfield Blues Band, Johnny Winter and others.
The set, which lists for $79.98, also restores full-length performances of Canned Heat's "Woodstock Boogie" (to a whopping 30 minutes) and the Who's "We're Not Gonna Take It," and it includes the never-released Woodstock performances of Arlo Guthrie's "Coming Into Los Angeles" and Mountain's "Theme For an Imaginary Western," which were replaced by better-sounding recordings from other concerts for the original "Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music" soundtrack.
The track lineup is accurate to the actual running order of the legendary 1969 festival, and it also includes stage announcements (you still need to check the brown acid, apparently), Wavy Gravy's announcement of "breakfast in bed" for the crowd estimated at 500,000, Max Yasgur's famous speech to the crowd and audio of Abbie Hoffman's encounter with Who guitarist Pete Townshend.
"This will be the most comprehensive collection of Woodstock music yet," Rhino Vice-President of A&R Cheryl Pawelski tells Billboard.com. "The goal was to make it as real as possible...as authentic an experience as possible. It feels like dirt. It feels like a field. We wanted to take you there. We worked very hard to make it a true document of that time."
Co-producers Andy Zax and Mason Williams compiled "Woodstock -- 40 Years On" from the original multitrack tapes recorded during the festival. Their research also allowed them to put the songs and artists in the correct order of performance, and the accompanying booklet will include the accurate sequence complete with full set lists.
One performance is conspicuously absent; Pawelski says Ten Years After would not clear the use of its performance for the box, meaning the group's epic version of "Goin' Home" will not be included. The Band and Keef Hartley were the only other acts that opted out of the set.
"Woodstock -- 40 Years On" follows Rhino's re-release earlier this week of "Music From the Original Soundtrack and More: Woodstock" and "Woodstock 2." A new Woodstock.com web site also launched this week, and a new DVD edition of "Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music -- The Director's Cut" comes out Tuesday. And on June 30 Legacy adds to the onslaught with "Woodstock Experience" editions of seminal albums by five of the festival's acts -- the Jefferson Airplane's "Volunteers," Janis Joplin's "I Got Dem 'Ol Kozmic Blues Again Mama!," Santana's debut album, Sly & the Family Stone's "Stand!" and Johnny Winter's self-titled effort -- each with a second CD featuring the acts' complete Woodstock performances for the first time ever.
The full track listing for "Woodstock -- 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm" includes:
Disc 1: Richie Havens -- "Handsome Johnny," "Freedom (Motherless Child);" Sweetwater -- "Look Out," "Two Worlds;" Bert Sommer -- "Jennifer," "And When It's Over," "Smile;" Tim Hardin -- "Hang On to a Dream," "Simple Song of Freedom;" Ravi Shankar -- "Raga Puriya-Dhanashri/Gat In Sawarital;" Melanie -- "Momma Momma," "Beautiful People," "Birthday of the Sun;" Arlo Guthrie -- "Coming into Los Angeles," "Wheel of Fortune," "Every Hand in the Land"
Disc 2: Joan Baez -- "Joe Hill," "Sweet Sir Galahad," "Hickory Wind," "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man" (with Jeffrey Shurtleff); Quill -- "They Live the Life," "That's How I Eat;" Country Joe McDonald -- "Donovan's Reef," "The ‘Fish Cheer"/"I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag;" Santana -- "Persuasion," "Soul Sacrifice;" John Sebastian -- "How Have You Been," "Rainbows All Over Your Blues," "I Had a Dream;" Incredible String Band -- "The Letter," "When You Find Out Who You Are
Disc 3: Canned Heat -- "Going Up the Country," "Woodstock Boogie;" Mountain -- "Blood of the Sun," "Theme For an Imaginary Western," "For Yasgur's Farm;" Jerry Garcia and Country Joe McDonald -- Green Acid Advice (stage announcement); Grateful Dead -- "Dark Star;" Creedence Clearwater Revival -- "Green River," "Bad Moon Rising," "I Put a Spell On You"
Disc 4: Janis Joplin -- "Work Me, Lord," "Ball and Chain;" Sly & the Family Stone -- Medley: "Dance To The Music"/"Music Lover"/"I Want to Take You Higher;" The Who: "Amazing Journey," "Pinball Wizard," "We're Not Gonna Take It; Jefferson Airplane -- "The Other Side of This Life," ""Somebody to Love," "Won't You Try"/ "Saturday Afternoon," "Volunteers"
Disc 5: Joe Cocker -- "Feelin' Alright," "Let's Go Get Stoned," "With a Little Help From My Friends; Country Joe & the Fish -- "Rock & Soul Music," "“Love," "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine," "Summer Dresses," "Silver and Gold, "Rock & Soul Music (Reprise);" Johnny Winter -- "Leland Mississippi Blues," "Mean Town Blues;" Blood, Sweat & Tears -- "You've Made Me So Very Happy"
Disc 6: "Crosby, Stills & Nash -- "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Guinnevere," "Marrakesh Express," "4 + 20;" Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young -- "Sea of Madness," "Wooden Ships;" Butterfield Blues Band -- "No Amount of Loving," "Love March," "Everything's Gonna Be Alright; Sha Na Na -- "Get A Job," "At the Hop," "Get a Job (Reprise);" Jimi Hendrix -- "The Star Spangled Banner," "Purple Haze," "Woodstock Improvisation"
Slip-N-Slide Debut
Mariel Concepcion, N.Y. and Gail Mitchell, L.A.
Slip-N-Slide Records, home to chart-topping artists like Rick Ross and Plies, has signed the R&B quartet Jagged Edge fresh off their departure from Def Jam Records. Now members Brian Casey, Brandon Casey, Kyle Norman and Richard Wingo are in the studio working on a new album entitled "The Remedy,' slated for a 2010 release, and they hope to tap on old and new labelmates, among others, for guest spots.
"What we want to do with this album is still be on that R&B tip, but with the help of a few hand-picked features," Norman tells Billboard.com. "So far we're in talks with Rick Ross and Plies. We talked to Jay-Z about doing a song on the last album, so we're going to try to pursue that again, and we've also been chatting with Snoop [Dogg]."
In addition, J.E. plan on having guest appearances from newcomers Jarvis and Chelsea, who are signed to the group's Five 81 Records. "Jagged Edge
wants a new creation, a new birth. We want to bring a little light to what we've been doing for the past 11-12 years," he says.
As per the sound of the album, Norman says they won't stray too far from their traditional bedroom music. "I think no matter what we do, our goal is always to sing the hell out of a song. When that is the goal, that will lead to the bedroom anyway," he says. "Topic wise we are all over on this one - some sound more youthful, some more suggestive and some sound real classic, like the big ballads. If you look in the past, the ratio of power ballads was grossly outnumbered, but this album will be more balanced."
Initially signed to Columbia through longtime collaborator and producer Jermaine Dupri's So So Def imprint, the group recorded five albums there before moving to Island Def Jam in 2007 when Dupri made a move as the president of Island Records. They released 2007's "Baby Makin' Project,"
which sold 246,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Still, their short stint at Def Jam wasn't a pleasant one. "The Def Jam situation wasn't best-suited for us," he says. "When we went to Def Jam there were already issues between L.A. Reid and Jermaine Dupri, which we didn't know about. For Jermaine to take us from Columbia to a situation where we had to fight everyday, it didn't make any sense.
"We had our own issues with Columbia, but at the same time it was home for 10 or 11 years," he continues. "If you take us from that you have to prepare to fight for us."
That's when Slip-N-Slide CEO Ted Lucas came to the foursome with a deal they couldn't refuse. "We wanted to do individual projects, but Ted contacted us about a group project," says Norman. "He promised he would help us do our individual things afterwards. Also, this is a joint venture. Jagged Ede is signed to Five 81 Records, so we have more control."
Still, while Dupri won't have a hand in "The Remedy," Norman says their relationship is amicable. "We do feel the situation could've been handled better, but, there is no love lost for Jermaine. We wanted to get released from Def Jam and J.D. thankfully made that happen quickly," he says. Dupri was responsible for the group's No. 1 hits "Let's Get Married," "Promise" and "Where The Party At," featuring Nelly.
Additionally, Jagged Edge is in the preliminary stages of a reality show as well as a clothing line they hope to launch with their new label head, Lucas. Recently, they did an 11-city European tour and are planning to go on a dual tour this year with Rick Ross, Plies, T-Pain and others, as well as a "Battle Of The Bands" trek with Dru Hill, 112 and another as-yet-unannounced group.
The Wind Blows
The All-American Rejects have the ability to release a thrashing rock song and turn around after their most successful hit with a momentous ballad. The Oklahoma band continues with the musical antithesis of their hit rock anthem "Gives You Hell," with "The Wind Blows." Singer Tyson Ritter has said the ballad is about a love story that just ends, but on a good note, with verses that are as enthralling as the choruses.
Morse code-like rhythmic pulses and an ambient midtempo pace carry the song, while its emotional grandeur pierces and howls with fragile falsetto moments and a progressive, somewhat dissonant guitar. Eric Valentine, who produced hits for Good Charlotte, Smash Mouth and Third Eye Blind, builds an elaborate framework for "The Wind Blows," showcasing the vocals, melody and instrumentation so that they retain AAR's rock signature but broaden the sound to capture mainstream attention.
Morse code-like rhythmic pulses and an ambient midtempo pace carry the song, while its emotional grandeur pierces and howls with fragile falsetto moments and a progressive, somewhat dissonant guitar. Eric Valentine, who produced hits for Good Charlotte, Smash Mouth and Third Eye Blind, builds an elaborate framework for "The Wind Blows," showcasing the vocals, melody and instrumentation so that they retain AAR's rock signature but broaden the sound to capture mainstream attention.
'American Idol' 911 Tape -- 'She's Bleeding'
We've just obtained the 911 call made after an "American Idol" stage manager was injured on the retracting stairs last month.The caller says Debbie Williams fell "approximately ten feet" and onto her leg, was "bleeding" and may have broken her leg.
Turns out Debbie didn't break it, but suffered a deep gash that required a bunch of stitches.
See Also
* "American Idol" Injury -- Victim Rushed to Hospital
Filed under: American Idol, Nurse!
Tags: Accident, American Idol, AmericanIdol, debbie williams, Deb
Cee-Lo, Justice, Little Boots Signed To Reborn Elektra Label
Cortney Harding, N.Y.Atlantic has announced that it will relaunch the Elektra Records imprint, which has been dormant since 2004. The label will be run by Fueled By Ramen founder John Janick and Atlantic EVP of A&R Mike Caren.
While the new presidents say they are planning on signing new artists, the first three artists to join the label all have established relationships with Atlantic. The first album released on Elektra was the soundtrack for the HBO show "True Blood," which dropped on May 19. The company's next release will be the U.S. debut of U.K. dance artist Little Boots, whose EP "Illuminations" is scheduled for release on June 9.
Elektra has also signed French electronic duo Justice, and rapper Cee-Lo. Caren says a new Cee-Lo album will be out in the either the fourth quarter of this year, or first quarter next year. Justice will release a new album in early 2010.
Janick and Caren say they were approached by Atlantic co-chairs and COO's Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman to head up the imprint.
"When Elektra merged with Atlantic five years ago, we always knew the right moment would come to bring it back to life," said Kallman and Greenwald. "The great news is that we have found the perfect people to do it. John and Mike are two of the most passionate, creative, forward-thinking young executives in our business. They both started their careers as teenagers and have gone on to champion some of the most exciting new music of the last decade. The independent, entrepreneurial spirit that long defined Elektra is in great hands, and we are truly thrilled to see the label take flight once again."
Janick also suggests the approaching 60th anniversary of the launch of Elektra as another reason for the relaunch of the imprint. "We are planning on building an eclectic brand," Janick says. "We're looking for artists with potential. We're not an incubator label; we're going to develop artists and get them to the next level." He adds that he will continue to run Fueled By Ramen and extend the 360 model they have used to Elektra, noting that Little Boots is a 360 artist.
While the new presidents say they are planning on signing new artists, the first three artists to join the label all have established relationships with Atlantic. The first album released on Elektra was the soundtrack for the HBO show "True Blood," which dropped on May 19. The company's next release will be the U.S. debut of U.K. dance artist Little Boots, whose EP "Illuminations" is scheduled for release on June 9.
Elektra has also signed French electronic duo Justice, and rapper Cee-Lo. Caren says a new Cee-Lo album will be out in the either the fourth quarter of this year, or first quarter next year. Justice will release a new album in early 2010.
Janick and Caren say they were approached by Atlantic co-chairs and COO's Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman to head up the imprint.
"When Elektra merged with Atlantic five years ago, we always knew the right moment would come to bring it back to life," said Kallman and Greenwald. "The great news is that we have found the perfect people to do it. John and Mike are two of the most passionate, creative, forward-thinking young executives in our business. They both started their careers as teenagers and have gone on to champion some of the most exciting new music of the last decade. The independent, entrepreneurial spirit that long defined Elektra is in great hands, and we are truly thrilled to see the label take flight once again."
Janick also suggests the approaching 60th anniversary of the launch of Elektra as another reason for the relaunch of the imprint. "We are planning on building an eclectic brand," Janick says. "We're looking for artists with potential. We're not an incubator label; we're going to develop artists and get them to the next level." He adds that he will continue to run Fueled By Ramen and extend the 360 model they have used to Elektra, noting that Little Boots is a 360 artist.
Paul and Ringo reunite for Beatles
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two surviving members of The Beatles, appeared together in Los Angeles on Monday to present a "Rock Band" videogame that will give fans a chance to relive the Fab Four's musical triumphs.
McCartney and Starr put in a quick appearance at the E3 videogame trade conference to rousing applause. Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, also appeared at the event.
"The Beatles: Rock Band," which will be released on September 9, marks The Beatles' first leap into digitally releasing their music. The band has not allowed its songs to be downloaded on Web sites such as iTunes.
McCartney and Starr performed together in April at a benefit concert in New York, but appearances together have been rare since The Beatles disbanded in 1970.
"The Beatles: Rock Band" is a production of Apple Corps Ltd, the company founded in the 1960s by the band, and MTV Games' Harmonix Music Systems.
The game allows players to follow in The Beatles' footsteps by singing in three-part harmonies and physically holding plugged-in versions of musical instruments to play the band's songs, including "Back in the USSR" and "I Am the Walrus."
The "Rock Band" videogame series has featured music from Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and many other acts.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Jill Serjeant and Paul Simao)
McCartney and Starr put in a quick appearance at the E3 videogame trade conference to rousing applause. Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, also appeared at the event.
"The Beatles: Rock Band," which will be released on September 9, marks The Beatles' first leap into digitally releasing their music. The band has not allowed its songs to be downloaded on Web sites such as iTunes.
McCartney and Starr performed together in April at a benefit concert in New York, but appearances together have been rare since The Beatles disbanded in 1970.
"The Beatles: Rock Band" is a production of Apple Corps Ltd, the company founded in the 1960s by the band, and MTV Games' Harmonix Music Systems.
The game allows players to follow in The Beatles' footsteps by singing in three-part harmonies and physically holding plugged-in versions of musical instruments to play the band's songs, including "Back in the USSR" and "I Am the Walrus."
The "Rock Band" videogame series has featured music from Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and many other acts.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Jill Serjeant and Paul Simao)
Pearl Jam with Target
NEW YORK (Billboard) – As Internet reports suggested, Pearl Jam was indeed recording a Target commercial under the direction of Cameron Crowe last week at Seattle's Showbox theater. But there's more to the story than an exclusive retail relationship.
It has been known that Pearl Jam is no longer under contract, after 18 years of recording for Sony-affiliated labels, and there has been a good deal of speculation about who would release the rock act's next album. Kelly Curtis, who has managed Pearl Jam since day one, conducted a wide-ranging interview with Billboard on Sunday night, confirming that the band's next release -- rumored to be called "Backspacer" and currently scheduled for an early fall release -- would arrive without a U.S. label but backed by a consortium of partners, including Target as the "big box" retail partner.
"We'll have a lot of partners," said Curtis, who confirmed that deals were finished or in the works with an online retailer, a mobile partner, a gaming company and a network or possibly networks of indie retail stores.
"Target ended up allowing us to have other partners. We'll be able to take care of all levels of the Pearl Jam fan ... We wish we could tell the whole story right now, but all the deals aren't done. Target was cool enough to realize that little independent record stores are not their competition." Curtis was quick to note that the album would be for sale via Pearl Jam's fan club, Ten Club.
News of the Target commercial taping broke last week on antiquiet.com, which is also hosting a bootleg recording from the Target taping of a song that Curtis confirmed was called "The Fixer" and is in the running as the album's first single.
Curtis said the Target commercial was only one reason for the Showbox session; with singer Eddie Vedder on tour supporting his solo work for the next month, "we had a narrow window to get some footage," Curtis said. "We shot three or four songs that night." Curtis said that some of the footage may be used for a project that filmmaker Crowe is working on in connection with the band's upcoming 20th anniversary.
LATE-NIGHT TV APPEARANCE
Pearl Jam will play at least one new song Monday night on the debut of the Conan O'Brien-hosted "Tonight Show." "That was booked months ago," Curtis said. "We didn't even know if the album was going to be finished when we booked it."
Curtis also confirmed that the band would tour to support this latest album, and that internationally, the album would be released via Universal Music Group.
"I make decisions around the band's business that are consistent with their overall philosophy," said Curtis, "which is to sell music in a way that's accessible and affordable to their fans, on every distribution platform that their fans (use to) access music, and in a way that takes care of the little guys.
"Everyone's making assumptions because Target is a big corporation," Curtis said. "Its important to remember we just got out of this 18-year relationship with Sony, and I'm pretty sure they are a bigger corporation than Target. We have the freedom to pick our partners and more control than we've ever had before. We're excited to choose who we're in business with."
Curtis said it was important to him and to the band to redefine the notion of an "exclusive" retail partnership. "I appreciate the efforts of bands like AC/DC and Radiohead," said the manager, referring to two of the bands that have self-released albums recently. "But I wanted our plan to be multidimensional to address old and modern ways of fans accessing music. It will allow all of our fans to have the same access."
"This is an ongoing experiment," Curtis said. "Every time we do something it's new for us, and were not trying to tackle the whole world at once. All we've been searching for forever is independence and control over our own stuff. The way of releasing records is changing every day. This is the best way we could do it ourselves in America. Right or wrong, we'll figure that out and make it better the next time."
(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)
It has been known that Pearl Jam is no longer under contract, after 18 years of recording for Sony-affiliated labels, and there has been a good deal of speculation about who would release the rock act's next album. Kelly Curtis, who has managed Pearl Jam since day one, conducted a wide-ranging interview with Billboard on Sunday night, confirming that the band's next release -- rumored to be called "Backspacer" and currently scheduled for an early fall release -- would arrive without a U.S. label but backed by a consortium of partners, including Target as the "big box" retail partner.
"We'll have a lot of partners," said Curtis, who confirmed that deals were finished or in the works with an online retailer, a mobile partner, a gaming company and a network or possibly networks of indie retail stores.
"Target ended up allowing us to have other partners. We'll be able to take care of all levels of the Pearl Jam fan ... We wish we could tell the whole story right now, but all the deals aren't done. Target was cool enough to realize that little independent record stores are not their competition." Curtis was quick to note that the album would be for sale via Pearl Jam's fan club, Ten Club.
News of the Target commercial taping broke last week on antiquiet.com, which is also hosting a bootleg recording from the Target taping of a song that Curtis confirmed was called "The Fixer" and is in the running as the album's first single.
Curtis said the Target commercial was only one reason for the Showbox session; with singer Eddie Vedder on tour supporting his solo work for the next month, "we had a narrow window to get some footage," Curtis said. "We shot three or four songs that night." Curtis said that some of the footage may be used for a project that filmmaker Crowe is working on in connection with the band's upcoming 20th anniversary.
LATE-NIGHT TV APPEARANCE
Pearl Jam will play at least one new song Monday night on the debut of the Conan O'Brien-hosted "Tonight Show." "That was booked months ago," Curtis said. "We didn't even know if the album was going to be finished when we booked it."
Curtis also confirmed that the band would tour to support this latest album, and that internationally, the album would be released via Universal Music Group.
"I make decisions around the band's business that are consistent with their overall philosophy," said Curtis, "which is to sell music in a way that's accessible and affordable to their fans, on every distribution platform that their fans (use to) access music, and in a way that takes care of the little guys.
"Everyone's making assumptions because Target is a big corporation," Curtis said. "Its important to remember we just got out of this 18-year relationship with Sony, and I'm pretty sure they are a bigger corporation than Target. We have the freedom to pick our partners and more control than we've ever had before. We're excited to choose who we're in business with."
Curtis said it was important to him and to the band to redefine the notion of an "exclusive" retail partnership. "I appreciate the efforts of bands like AC/DC and Radiohead," said the manager, referring to two of the bands that have self-released albums recently. "But I wanted our plan to be multidimensional to address old and modern ways of fans accessing music. It will allow all of our fans to have the same access."
"This is an ongoing experiment," Curtis said. "Every time we do something it's new for us, and were not trying to tackle the whole world at once. All we've been searching for forever is independence and control over our own stuff. The way of releasing records is changing every day. This is the best way we could do it ourselves in America. Right or wrong, we'll figure that out and make it better the next time."
(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)
The Beatles Biografi
The Beatles hold the title as one of the most influential bands in Rock & Roll history, playing an outstanding role in the widespread admiration of popular music. Throughout their career they experimented
with pop, rock, folk, and psychedelia, popularizing each style. It was estimated in 1985 that the band had sold over one billion records worldwide making them the top selling artists of all time.
In 1957, guitarist John Lennon formed the skiffle group The Quarrymen with a few high school friends. A few months later, he was joined by Paul McCartney who also played guitar. As the member line-up faced numerous changes, George Harrison joined in 1958 becoming a permanent bandmate along with Lennon and McCartney. The group went through many name changes and eventually settled on The Beatles which is derived from the word combination of the insect "beetle" and the word "beat". In 1960, they embarked on a north east tour of Scotland as the back-up band for Johnny Gentle hiring Tommy Moore as their drummer. Moore left shortly and was replaced by Norman Chapman who several weeks later was called for National Service. Pete Best, the former drummer of The Blackjacks and bassist Stuart Sutcliffe joined The Beatles in time for their performances in Hamburg, Germany. There they were recruited by Tony Sheridan to be his backing band for a few of his recordings, one of them being the German hit "My Bonnie" (Mein Herz ist bei dir nur). Sutcliffe was absent from the recordings as he had left the band prior to pursue an art career.
The band returned to Liverpool toward the end of 1960, were they would often perform in the Merseyside area at the Cavern Club. Brian Epstein became their manager in 1962 and was on a mission to land the Beatles a record contract. Although declined by Decca Records, he persisted and eventually got the band signed to EMI's Parlaphone label by producer George Martin. Problems soon began to arise as the band and Martin were unsatisfied with Best's performance and lack of compliance with the group. He was fired on August 16, 1962 and replaced by the former drummer of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Ringo Starr. They recorded their first single with Starr "Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You" which became a hit in the UK in September 1962. "Please Please Me" followed in 1963 topping the charts and is considered the classic British Invasion single. The album of the same name occupied the top spots on the chart for thirty weeks making The Beatles the most popular rock and roll band around.
The Beatles' fame was quickly rising in the UK, however Parlophone's American equal, Capitol Records refused to release their singles in the US as they were hesitant because in the past no British band was capable of attaining commercial success. However, the Beatles' music began to appear on American independent radio stations influencing Capitol to reconsider their decision. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was released in the US on December 26, 1963 and skyrocketed to the top of the charts. A few months later they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show triggering the beginning of "Beatlemania" as a record breaking 73 million viewers tuned in to watch the band perform. Within the next several months, the Beatles occupied the top five spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. From that point onwards, the group became an incredible phenomenon dominating pop music worldwide.
During the summer of 1964, The Beatles released A Hard Day's Night, the accompanying soundtrack to the film of the same title. It featured the hit songs "Tell Me Why", "Can't Buy Me Love", and "A Hard Day's Night". Beatles for Sale followed a few months later and was deemed one of their weakest efforts. Their second film and accompanying soundtrack Help! were issued in August 1965 and were received with great praise owing its success to the tracks "Ticket To Ride", "It's Only Love", "Yesterday", and the title track. 1965's Rubber Soul displayed a more sophisticated and mature sound. Their progression into adulthood is evident in such songs as "Norwegian Wood", "I'm Looking Through You", "You Won't See Me", and "Nowhere Man". The album proved to be a commercial success and is considered one of their greatest. Their seventh studio album, Revolver, became a number one hit in the UK and in the US in 1966 owing its success to the hit songs "Yellow Submarine", and "Eleanor Rigby"
In 1967, the Beatles released the infamous Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band which is widely recognized as the most influential rock album of all time. The album was innovative and artistic in every sense as it experimented with different sounds and recording techniques as well as featured unique cover artwork. The album earned Grammy Awards in 1967 for Album of the Year, Best Engineered Recording, Contemporary Album, and Best Album Cover. The Beatles, which is more often referred to as The White Album appeared in 1968. Despite its success, tensions began to develop within the band during the recording and after its release. They managed to issue three more albums Yellow Submarine, Abbey Road, and Let It Be before their official breakup in 1970.
Each member set out to pursue their solo careers and did so successfully. Several rumors circulated regarding a possible reunion, however the tragic assassination of John Lennon on December 8, 1980 prevented such a possibility. Anthology 1 was released in 1995 featuring rare recordings and previously unreleased material. It included the single "Free as a Bird" which was the first new Beatles' song in 25 years. In 2000, the compilation album 1, which contained every number one single the band released from 1962 to 1970, became the biggest selling album of the year. In June 2006, Cirque Du Soleil premiered LOVE, their tribute to The Beatles at the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Idol Worship
For such an anticipated showdown, there wasn’t all that much going on in the media area on Tuesday night. Most radio interviews had been done on Monday in the Nokia’s downstairs lounge, where all of the Top 13 were paraded down a long hallway of stations set up for remote feeds. Fox affiliates got their own time with the season 8 bunch in an area set up outside the Nokia Theater doors and accessible to just about anyone off the street. That’s where we saw Allison Iraheta graciously pose with a couple of eager girl fans after the show, and also ran into Chicken Little himself, Kevin Covais, who was getting recognized left and right.
Meanwhile, out by the loading dock, we spotted Megan Joy and David Archuleta having a light-hearted chat before he was chauffeured away by a woman who looked very much like his mom and Megan was ushered back inside for more rehearsals.
Ryan Seacrest left the building just after eight, but not before asking a crowd of onlookers, “Who’s it gonna be?” Does that guy ever break from hosting duties?
Surprise special guest Rod Stewart made a stealth exit after a relatively quick post-show rehearsal. We couldn’t make out the song, only that it was mid-tempo, which narrows it down to a couple dozen possibilities.
A flock of paparazzi had gathered outside the backstage exit and went berserk when Extra correspondent Teri Seymour appeared. According to one such shutterbug, Simon Cowell’s ex-girlfriend was seen crying in the same spot earlier in the evening after a fan allegedly grabbed her by the neck and gave her a scare.
As for the final two’s post-show plans? A long to-do list that includes taping Wednesday night’s opener, rehearsing with the Top 11, and many, many interviews. Of course, it’s just the start of their weeks-long talk-fest. Here’s some of what they had to say on Tuesday night:
On the winner’s song, “No Boundaries”
Adam: “It’s a great song, and it actually has a really great message. There was a lot of lyrics and it was a big song. We didn’t have a lot of time to work on it, so it was kind of a rush job. The recordings are coming out soon and they’re both really, really good.”
On their best performances
Kris: “I think I did my best on ‘Ain’t No Sunshine.’ I had already rehearsed it plenty, and it was ready.”
Adam: “I wouldn’t have picked ‘Change Is Gonna Come’ for myself, but when Simon gave it to me, I looked at the words and it really moved me. Anyone who feels oppressed can relate to that song. It’s been a civil rights anthem for a long time, there’s all sorts of new civil rights issues that are coming up right now.”
On their friendship
Kris: “We’ve been roommates since the Top 13.”
Adam: “[But] we don’t get naked together.”
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