SONGS REMINISCENT OF MCCARTNEY AND WILSON

Brent Randall & His Pinecones -- We Were Strangers in Paddington Green (Endearing Records, 2008)

I've never heard of Brent Randall, and I consider myself to be pretty informed on Canadian music. Now I'm lamenting what I've been missing.


(2008 Dec 13 / David reed) 15a
http://www.intelligencer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1344561

CONCERTS LISTING FOR WEEK OF 12.11: RONNIE SPECTOR

Ronnie Spector, Mohegan Sun, 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19

Marrying Phil Spector was the best and worst thing to happen to the former Veronica Bennett. "Be My Baby" is a pop classic, thanks equally to the singer's unique voice and the producer's wall of sound. The producer's erratic behavior, however, sidelined the singer at the height of her powers.

(2008 Dec 11 / Ray Hogan) 14b
http://www.greenwichtime.com/ci_11179012

This Could Be The Night by Tatsuro Yamashita

1978

Written by: Harry Nilsson, Phil Spector
(original 1965 The Modern Folk Quartet)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz-aD-S_Mgo&fmt=18

SUPRESSER CLARIFIES THE RADIO STARS

by Steve Levine, Producer BBC Radio

For almost three years I have been involved with "The Record Producers," an ongoing BBC Radio 2 and 6 music documentary series.
The program features interviews with a range of hit-making producers including Hugh Padgham (Sting, XTC, Phil Collins); Trevor Horn (Seal, Pet Shop Boys), Tony Visconti (David Bowie, The Moody Blues) and Jam & Lewis (Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Usher).

Just recently, I completed the 13th episode, an in-depth interview with Brian Wilson, a dear friend with whom I have worked with on a number of recording projects over the years.

(2008 Dec 11 / Steve Levine)http://www.radioworld.com/article/71292

MUSIC NOTES: TURANGALÎLAPALOOZA

Messiaen's best loved symphony and music for four guitars at Yale.

Turangalîla-Symphonie 8 p.m. Dec. 12. Woolsey Hall, 500 College St., New Haven. Free. (203) 432-4158. yale.edu/music/messiaen.

"It is as if I were learning to speak a whole new language.”
That’s my friend Wei-Yi Yang, talking about the piano part in Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie, one of the biggest, most luscious orchestral pieces written in the past century.

(2008 Dec 11 / Daniel Johnson and Christopher Arnott) 13a
http://www.newhavenadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=10905

FROZEN PICTURES BEGINS PRODUCTION ON CHRIS MONTEZ BIOPIC

Cameras roll on musical doco about versatile Mexican-American artist whose story will "rewrite the history of rock 'n' roll."

(2008 Dec 10 / Frozen Pictures) 12b
http://www.pr-inside.com/frozen-pictures-begins-production-on-r961132.htm

YOU CAN SLIP ON THE NYLONS FOR A SMOOTH HOLIDAY CONCERT

With seven gold and platinum recordings, The Nylons — known for their a cappella sound, dazzling harmonies and smooth arrangements — will perform their holiday concert for the first time in Sheboygan at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, at the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts.

(2008 Dec 11 / sheboyganpress.com) 12a
http://www.sheboyganpress.com/article/20081211/SHE04/812110429/1097

SING A CHORUS OR TWO

On the musical docket: Four Freshmen, Legendary Diamonds, a sold-out Phil concert.

Marketing types are quick to acknowledge the power of a brand name, and it works on the concert stage as well as it does on the grocery store shelf.
Witness the Four Freshmen, who were named the 2007 vocal group of the year by readers of JazzTimes magazine, even though none of the current members were born when the original group was formed 60 years ago.

(2008 Dec 11 / John Chacona) 11b
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081211/ENTERTAINMENT0301/312119933/-1/ENTERTAINMENT03

JASON BREWER AND THE EXPLORERS CLUB ARE NOT THE BEACH BOYS-THEY JUST SOUND LIKE THEM

Quote:

"In addition to being a Diet Coke fan, he's also a darn good songwriter, singer, and guitarist, as well as the clear leader of the Explorers Club. And with his band, Brewer has discovered a pop painkiller for today's modern rock headache — catchy melodies and pitch-perfect harmonies."

(2008 Dec 10 / Chris Haire) 11a
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A56167

GLEN CAMPBELL'S TOP TRACKS REMASTERED FOR NEW 'GREATEST HITS' CD & DIGITAL COLLECTION

Career-Spanning Collection, to be Released February 10 by Capitol/EMI, Includes Campbell's Most Popular Grammy-Winning and Chart-Topping Hits
HOLLYWOOD, Calif.,
-- 16 of Glen Campbell's most popular hits have been remastered by Capitol/EMI for Glen Campbell: Greatest Hits, a new CD and digital collection to be released February 10.

(2008 Dec 9 / PR Newswire)
http://avid.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=602655

CONGRATULATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS

Sir Cliff Richard, still wowing the fans after five decades, insists he has no intention of retiring.
The perennial prince of pop chose Belfast's Odyssey Arena for the final concert in a tour celebrating 50 years in show business.

(2008 Dec 3 / BBC News)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7762609.stm

ROGER DALTREY TO FRONT DENNIS WILSON DOC

Roger Daltrey, frontman of The Who, will narrate a special one-off documentary commemorating the 25th anniversary of the death of Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson for BBC Radio 2.
Pacific Ocean Blues: The Life and Death of Dennis Wilson is a 60-minute documentary by Made in Manchester Productions...


(2008 Dec 9 / Rob Shepherd) 9b
http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2008/12/roger_daltrey_to_front_dennis_wilson_doc.html

FUN, FUN, FUN WITH REVIVED BEACH BOYS

WORCESTER— Surf’s up!
That was the watchword Saturday night at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts on Southbridge Street as The Beach Boys rode a wave of nostalgia into the venue.
It’s hard to believe that the original Beach Boys band was formed in 1961. It’s even harder to believe that internal squabbling over the years has led to at least three different bands playing Beach Boys material.

(2008 Dec 8 / Peter Landsdowne)http://www.telegram.com/article/20081208/NEWS/812080374&template=eworcester

(Photo Dwight McCann / Nov 2007?
http://dwightmccann.blogspot.com/ and http://dwightmccann.com/ )

USC HONORS BEACH BOY

Brian Wilson of the legendary Beach Boys has added yet another award to his long list of accolades.
The multi-award winning artist was presented with the USC Thornton School of Music Legacy Award at its 22nd annual Dickens Dinner on Dec. 5.

(2008 Dec 8 / Pat Diroll)
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_11173266
Also: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2008/12/two-of-the-grea.html

PROMETHEUS TRIO, PLUS HORN, GIVES CONTRASTING CONCERT

Quote:
"The four players returned to the stage with a completely engaging encore of "God Only Knows," music by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, arranged by Tisdel."


(2008 Dec 9 / Elaine Schmidt)
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/35781694.html

THE OXFORD AMERICAN BOOK OF GREAT MUSIC WRITING

Edited by Marc Smirnoff, foreword by Van Dyke Parks

Quote:

"Not only have a breathtaking array of musical giants come from the South—think Elvis Presley, Robert Johnson, Louis Armstrong, Jimmie Rodgers, to name just obvious examples—but so have a breathtaking array of American music genres. From blues to rock & roll to jazz to country to bluegrass—and areas in between—it all started in the American South.

(2008 Dec 3 / New York Times 2007?)
http://www.uapress.com/titles/fa08/smirnoff.html

NEIL SEDAKA TALKS BEFORE PLAYING STATEN ISLAND

(Photo: Neil Sedaka rehearsing with The Cookies, early 60s)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Celebrated songwriter and performer Neil Sedaka is a busy dude. Apparently selling 50 million records, charting almost 40 Top 40 hits, and staying in the business for 50 years isn't enough.Sedaka will be performing on Staten Island for the first time ever this weekend, as part of the classy annual St. George Theatre Gala. In anticipation of this historic visit, we spoke to Sedaka about his upcoming children's album, his love for Russian classical composers, and his stand by pre-performance cocktail.

(2008 Dec 4 / Ben Johnson)
http://www.silive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2008/12/neil_sedaka_talks_before_playi.html

CLASS FITS ‘AN INVITATION’

“An Invitation” (Everloving) is a song cycle of sorts, a collaboration between Inara George and Van Dyke Parks. George is the daughter of Little Feat guitarist Lowell George and one-half of the jazz-pop-electronica duo Bird & The Bee; Parks has contributed production for several decades worth of acclaimed recordings from The Beach Boys “Smile” to his own “Song Cycle.”

(2008 Dec 4 / Jahontan Valley News)
http://www.lahontanvalleynews.com/article/20081204/NEWS01/812049942/1047&title=Class%20fits%20‘An%20Invitation’%20and%20‘To%20Survive

DARLENE LOVE’S ANNUAL CLASSIC CHRISTMAS PERFORMANCE MOVES FROM NEW YORK’S LINCOLN CENTER TO BERGENPAC IN ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY

Darlene Love celebrates her new holiday album while bringing her annual show to bergenPAC with some very special guests.
The holiday season doesn’t begin without Darlene performing her hit “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” on the Letterman Show.
Other hits include “Da Doo Ron Ron”, “The Boy I’m Gonna Marry” and “He’s a Rebel.”
(2008 Dec 4 / Mel Fabrikant)
http://www.paramuspost.com/article.php/20081204152420941

THE FILM STRIP: ARTISTS IN 'CADILLAC RECORDS' ARE SUPERHEROES SAY JEFFREY WRIGHT & MOS DEF

Jeffrey Wright can currently be seen in three movies starting Friday.
Having played great characters before, portraying Muddy Waters in “Cadillac Records” is one of Wright’s proudest moments however.
He described the experience of working on “Cadillac Records,” where the lives of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry, Little Walter, Willie Dixon and Etta James were illuminated, as remarkable.

(2008 Dec 4 / Marie Moore)
http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur49128.cfm

'THAT LUCKY OLD SUN' DVD TO BE RELEASED ON JANUARY 27, 2009

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (Top40 Charts/ Capitol/ EMI) - Capitol/EMI will release a new Brian Wilson DVD entitled That Lucky Old Sun on January 27, 2009.
A companion to Wilson's critically-acclaimed That Lucky Old Sun album, released September 2 on CD, vinyl and digitally, the DVD features more than two and a half hours of content, including a full-length live performance of the album, a new feature-length documentary and additional behind-the-scenes footage from the album's recording sessions, and some of Wilson's recently filmed promotional performances and interviews.

(2008 Dec 3 / top40charts.com)
http://top40-charts.com/news/Oldies/Brian-Wilson-That-Lucky-Old-Sun-DVD-To-Be-Released-On-January-27-2009/44642.html

AN EVENING WITH BRIAN WILSON

(Grammy Museum, LA: Jan. 15, 8 p.m.) Santelli will interview the legendary artist, who will give the first public concert in the museum’s 200-seat theater.
The session promises a Q&A with audience members as well. Admission is $20 for non-members, and on-sale information has not yet been released.

(2008 Dec 2 / Todd Martens)
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2008/12/grammy-museum-h.html

CULTURE PLAYS COUNTERMELODY AT NEW GRAMMY MUSEUM

LOS ANGELES — The Pixies, Itzhak Perlman, Ludacris, Brad Paisley, Madonna and Yo-Yo Ma typically wouldn't share a marquee, but they're in perfect harmony under the Grammy Museum roof.

•Wonder how Smokey Robinson came up with Tracks of My Tears? Brian Wilson, Isaac Hayes, Ludacris and Waylon Jennings, among others, explain how they composed famous tunes at the Songwriters' Mezzanine listening stations.

(2008 Dec 3 / Edna Gundersen)
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2008-12-02-grammy-museum_N.htm

WAR CHILD - HEROES CD

War Child are proud to announce the release of their biggest and most ambitious album to date. Heroes, released by EMI's Parlophone label features a unique and unprecedented collaboration between the biggest names in music history and today's hottest artists, working with a concept that mirrors one of the intrinsic aims of War Child's efforts in war zones across the world - to place faith in the next generation.

The concept of Heroes is that the biggest legends in music, including Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Brian Wilson and The Clash, select one of the classic tracks from their own songwriting canon, and nominate an artist from the next generation to create a modern reworking of that classic song.

(2008 Nov / ILikeMusic.com)
http://www.ilikemusic.com/music_news/War_Child_Heroes-6019/1

UPDATE (2009 Jan 12): The album will be released in February.

The tracklisting of the War Child 'Heroes' album will be:
Beck - Bob Dylan's 'Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat'
Scissor Sisters - Roxy Music's 'Do The Strand'
Lily Allen ft Mick Jones - The Clash's 'Straight To Hell'
Duffy - Wings' 'Live And Let Die'
Elbow - U2's 'Running To Stand Still'
TV On The Radio - David Bowie's ''Heroes''
Hot Chip - Joy Division's 'Transmission'
The Kooks - The Kinks' 'Victoria'
Estelle - Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition'
Rufus Wainwright - Brian Wilson's 'Wonderful/Song For Children'
Peaches - Iggy And The Stooges' 'Search And Destroy'
The Hold Steady - Bruce Springsteen's 'Atlantic City'
The Like - Elvis Costello's 'You Belong To Me'
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - The Ramones' 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker'
Franz Ferdinand - Blondie's 'Call Me'

FROM SURF ROCK TO DOO WOP

"Encomium in Memorium" pays tribute to Jan Berry of the 1960s duo Jan and Dean.
Producers Cameron Michael Parkes and Mark A. Moore collected 30 tracks from Berry's personal music archive and reexamined the songs, adding their own vocals and playing, with the help of a few guest artists.
Album includes audio montages of Jan in the studio with Dean, Brian Wilson and more

(2008 Nov 27 / Carla Kucinski Seward)
http://www.gotriad.com/content/2008/11/26/article/local_spins_old_stone_revue

tip: http://www.jananddean-janberry.com/