Category: Music

CNN Michael Jackson Video

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CNN.com has posted video of Michael Jackson rehearsing with dancers during a June 23rd session at the Staples Center.  In that one minute and 34 seconds, we can see just how magical it was when MJ was on stage.  Anyone doubt that when the rehearsal tapes are released on dvd, they’ll shoot straight to number 1… as will the CD?

Michael Jackson – RIP

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It’s still hard to believe that Michael Jackson died today.  He was only 50 years old and in preparation for a new tour.  At first it was thought that perhaps MJ had gone too far in his rehearsals and was exhausted, but when word kept coming out that he died, we knew at the very least the situation was grave.

Unfortunately for some, the bizarre behavior of Michaeal Jackson’s later years, and the allegations of child abuse will overshadow his accomplishments in the entertainment industry.  But most will remember the first time they heard a Michael Jackson song that made them move [even if they couldn’t dance a lick]. they’ll remember the Michael Jackson song that made them smile when everything was going wrong, or the first time that they saw him moonwalk, or the video that they kept rewinding to watch again.

That’s the Michael Jackson I want to remember.  My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fans.

Remembering Dan Seals

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I just read today at Ivan Shreve’s blog that Dan Seals has died after a long bout with cancer.  If you didn’t recognize the name, perhaps you knew him better as “England Dan” of the popular 70’s recording duo England Dan and John Ford Coley.

Between 1976 and 1979, England Dan and John Ford Coley had six top 40 singles [“I’d Really Love to See You Tonight,” “Nights Are Forever Without You,:” “It’s Sad to Belong,” “Gone Too Far,” “We’ll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again,” and “Love is the Answer”] with four hitting number one on the charts.

Dan Seals’ older brother, Jimmy Seals was half of the extremely popular recording duo Seals and Crofts.  Not wanting to cash in on his brother’s name, Dan went with his nickname, “England Dan” which was given to him as a child because of his love for The Beatles.  In 1980, England Dan and John Ford Coley broke up, and Dan went on to have a successful career as a country singer.

Although I’m a huge fan of England Dan and John Ford Coley [I almost posted a link to this video less than a week ago], I didn’t know about Dan Seals’ country career.  After seeing/hearing his cover of “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” I’ve decided that I’m going to have to correct that.

Our thoughts and prayers go out the family, friends and fans of Dan Seals.

The Goon Vs. Dethklok

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The one genre of music that I’m not much into is metal.  That might mean that I’ll get a bit more joy out of seeing Eric Powell’s The Goon kick a bit of metalhead butt in the one-shot called, appropriately enough, “The Goon Vs. Dethklok.” It’ll be written and drawn by Eric Powell and should hit local comic shops in July.  You can get a sneak peak of the full cover and a see an exclusive MTV promo for “The Goon Vs. Dethklok” by clicking here.

Rare Beatles Footage

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Rick, over at his On My Mind blog, posted up a very rare clip which features The Beatles in a live performance taped at a concert in Manchester, England in 1963.  The video showcases two songs as well as some of the behind-the-scenes stuff that happened before the show.  It runs a little less than seven minutes and if you’re a Beatles fan it’s more than worth you time.

Welcome to the 21st Century, Wild Bill

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My buddy, Bill Black, has moved AC Comics into the 21st century!

Everything, and I mean everything that a fan could love about Bill’s diverse product line is available with a click.  Femforce is here.    Giant Women [yes, giant women] are here.  Bill’s dvd line is available [with selected trailers].    If you’re into Golden Age Heroes, then click here.   Western Reprint fans will want to click on this.   You can even click here to read Femforce:Origins.

I can’t wait to see what Wild Bill has planned for the 22nd century!

Joe Bluhm Gives It Away

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Joe Bluhm’s drawings are dead-on.  Folks say Joe Bluhm has “crazy skills.” “Mad talents” cry others.  I’m starting to wonder if maybe both groups are right… and not just about his skills and talents.  See, Joe has a new art book coming out called Sketch Infectus.  And that’s where things start to head into crazyville.

Joe’s Sketch Infectus is an 80 page hardcover art book filled with nearly 400 of Joe’s drawings.   He’s selling this sweet package for just $19.95.  That comes to less than 20 cents a sketch.  Insane, right?  Well, it gets better my friends.

Joe also went out and gathered quotes, tips and advice from some of the top artists working today.  People like Tom Richmond, Steven Silver, Phillip Burke and others.  Did Joe raise the price?  Nope.

Then to show you how out there Joe is with this offer, let’s quote the man himself:

Anyone who pre-orders by February 5th (happens to be a good friend’s birthday!) will get an original sketch. And by sketch, I don’t mean I’ll draw a little 5 second scribble… I mean I’ll actually be cutting out the sketches from these and other sketchbooks and giving them to you! You might get something IN the book and you might get something else! Your sketch might have a doodle on the back. Who knows!

Now that deal is insane and crazy.  And if you don’t jump on it, you’d have to be too.

All Time Top Musical Artists

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Recently Billboard posted The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists. Using just the choices in their “Hot 100” here is my Top 20 [in alphabetical order] with a few comments on each.

  • Beatles, The: I can still remember my mom getting me out of bed to come out and see The Beatles when they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time. Some folks say, you’re either a Beatles fan or a Rolling Stones fan. I’m a Beatles fan. 
  • Bee Gees: I liked ’em before “Saturday Night Fever” and continued to like ’em even after the disco craze died. They could work the falsetto like nobody’s business. There was a period in the late 70’s when they owned the charts and created the soundtrack of some really fun years. 
  • Bolton, Michael: Quit rolling your eyes. I like Bolton’s singing. 
  • Chicago: Man, did they have a run or what? I first discovered their music in the early 70’s. I loved how they brought in the horns and were such a huge band and made it work. Different band members over the years, and they kept on making chart toppers. Put on their greatest hits and I’ll bet you wouldn’t skip a single song. 
  • Collins, Phil: Think of early 80’s music and you have to think of Phil Collins. He was the powerhouse behind Genesis, hit it big with music on “Miami Vice,” and rocketed to the top of the charts with a solo career and movie soundtracks. 
  • Eagles: I always liked their music, but it wasn’t until I was older and really started listening to their work that I realized how truly good they were. 
  • Earth, Wind & Fire: Chicago with soul. 
  • Hall & Oates: “Sarah Smile” was a classic and then about 6 years later they started pumping out hit after hit. Together Hall & Oates were gold. 
  • Houston, Witney: I loved her voice. Who didn’t? I also loved her squeeky clean reputation. Really. There was a time when she had one. 
  • Jackson 5: Anyone my age [late 40’s] grew up during the Jackson 5 craze. Hit records, commercials, cartoons and a lot of fun music. 
  • Jackson, Janet: Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty. At one time Janet seemed pretty normal. Each year she seems a little more out there. Despite all that, I do enjoy her music. 
  • Jackson, Michael: The King of Pop. The man who could do no wrong. Mr. Entertainment. And then the child abuse allegations… not once, but twice and they killed his career. But I can still “Remember the Time…” 
  • Joel, Billy: would make the list if the only album he ever recorded was 52nd Street. I can’t tell you how many times I listened without ever growing tired of it. He was one of the few musicians whose music I would buy without question. 
  • John, Elton: became a favorite of mine when I was in junior high. It’s funny, now but I can remember the rumors of him being gay [believe it or not youngsters, that there was a time when it wasn’t obvious] and the surprise when he came out of the closet. Elton has continued to evolve and his music [especially with song writer Bernie Taupin] remains timeless. 
  • Madonna: was like the weather in Florida. If you didn’t like her music/persona just wait a bit and it would change. I liked that she was willing to take chances, [although the acting thing was too much], be provoking, and produce fun and sometimes thoughtful music. 
  • Manilow, Barry: “Mandy” and “Time in New England” would get him on the list even if he didn’t have bunches of other hits. 
  • McCartney, Paul: My favorite Beatle. Paul had lots of great songs after the break-up of the band. Of course he makes the list. 
  • Richie, Lionel: Loved him with the Commodores and when he went solo. At the time, he had the best romantic songs going… of course that was before his wife caught him cheating and punched [kicked?] him out. 
  • Segar, Bob: The opposite of disco when disco was king. Loved his work — still do. 
  • Simon & Garfunkel: I was a little kid when they owned the charts… but every song was a winner.

Please Don’t Talk About Love

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Yesterday, I described Andrea True Connection and her hit, “More, More, More” by saying this is a song that’s probably better to listen to without watching the video. Today’s selection, “I Love the Nightlife” by Alicia Bridges is another where you’d probably enjoy the video more by closing your eyes. Great song, not so great video.

Another similarity to yesterday’s post is that this is another one hit wonder. But again, what a hit it was. “I Love the Nightlife” crossed over the charts [pop, disco, etc.] and both oceans to become a top seller in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Japan. Although it was Alicia Bridges only hit, she remains active in the music business today as a producer and dj.

One True Connection [2008]

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It’s a small jump from The Hues Corporation and their hit “Rock the Boat” to Andrea True Connection and her hit, “More, More, More.” 

“More, More, More” is one of those songs that’s probably better to just listen to it. The video starts out okay, but when the full lights come on and we see Andrea with her Farrah Fawcett hair and 70’s cliche outfit and set… it almost comes off as a parody. But the song was no joke — it peaked at #4 in the fall of 1976 [a very good year].

Andrea True was born in Nashville, but moved to New York after graduating high school. She wanted to be an actress, and did land some work as an extra in a couple of mainstream films. At some point she moved into X-Rated films as she continued to seek out mainstream roles. Andrea True ended up in Jamaica where she appeared in some local commercials.

One thing led to another and she ended up writing lyrics to a song her music producer friend [Gregg Diamond] had produced. “More, More, More” was born. Once the song caught on, they produced an album. Two more albums followed, but unfortunately, there were to be no more [or should that be “More, More, More”] hits for Andrea True Connection.

Rock Your Baby to the Boat

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From George McCrae’s “Rock Your Baby” we move to The Hues Corporation and their hit “Rock the Boat.”

The Hues Corporation consisted of St. Clair Lee, Flemming Williams, and Ann Kelley. The trio formed in 1969, but it wasn’t until “Rock the Boat” in July of 1974 that they scored their one and only top 100 hit. And what a hit it was — shooting all the way to #1. Unfortunately, they were never able to repeat their success and the band broke up in 1978.

Here are a few bits of trivia:

  • The Hues Corporation originally wanted to call themselves The Hughes Corporation but their record company nixed the idea feeling that Howard Hughes might take exception to the name. They settled on The Hues Corporation.
  • “Rock the Boat” hit number 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 the week of July 6, 1974. [Yeah. 34 years ago. Yeesh.] Guess what song followed it to take the number one spot? George McRae’s “Rock Your Baby.” We just can’t get away from that song!