Johnny Depp, Iggy Pop and filmmaker Jim Jarmusch are among those sharing memories about tattoo artist Jonathan Shaw in the trailer for the documentary feature Scab Vendor: Confessions of a Tattoo Artist.
Dark Star Pictures releases the movie from directors Lucas de Barros and Mariana Thome in theaters June 14 before it hits VOD platforms July 30. Scab Vendor examines the life of Shaw, who opened his Fun City Tattoo studio in New York City before tattooing was even legal in Manhattan.
The son of bandleader Artie Shaw and actress Doris Dowling, Jonathan Shaw suffered an overdose in his 20s. He bounced back by becoming a go-to tattoo artist in NYC, where he enjoyed a celebrity lifestyle and developed friendships with various public figures. The film also focuses on Shaw’s realization at the height of his career that he needed to change his path.
“My childhood was a typical American-dream nightmare,...
Dark Star Pictures releases the movie from directors Lucas de Barros and Mariana Thome in theaters June 14 before it hits VOD platforms July 30. Scab Vendor examines the life of Shaw, who opened his Fun City Tattoo studio in New York City before tattooing was even legal in Manhattan.
The son of bandleader Artie Shaw and actress Doris Dowling, Jonathan Shaw suffered an overdose in his 20s. He bounced back by becoming a go-to tattoo artist in NYC, where he enjoyed a celebrity lifestyle and developed friendships with various public figures. The film also focuses on Shaw’s realization at the height of his career that he needed to change his path.
“My childhood was a typical American-dream nightmare,...
- 6/6/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
To the average listener hearing Jessica Pratt for the first time, it’s possible to mistake her for an artist from a different era. Her music sounds decades old, like an obscure artist unearthed from the dusty bin of a Midwestern antique shop. But this is not the Langley Schools Music Project, and Pratt is no Connie Converse. Born in 1987, the Los Angeles musician has been surprising people with her otherworldly indie folk since 2012. And now she’s returned with her fourth album, Here in the Pitch, out May 3 via Mexican Summer.
- 5/1/2024
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
In the summer of 1968, months after the releases of We’re Only in It for the Money and Lumpy Gravy and a few months ahead of the release of Cruising with Ruben & the Jets, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention found time for a five-hour concert on the Sunset Strip. A new box set, Whisky a Go Go, 1968 — due out June 21 — chronicles the unique evening, which the band recorded for release but, in Zappa’s signature fashion, divvied up for spare parts on other recordings. (Notably, Uncle Meat’s...
- 4/19/2024
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Music movies are having a moment — if, indeed, they ever stopped having one. Take the pop-music biopic. There are times, like right now, when it surges in popularity, yet the form has never gone out of style. And music documentaries, a staple of the indie-film world, have only proliferated during the streaming era. This means that they have to compete for visibility, but a ton of them are getting made and (mostly) getting seen. They’ve become a happy epidemic.
A few, like “Amy” or “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?,” are popular and vital enough to have carved out a place in the culture — and, in the case of both those films, to have inspired the creation of a biopic. I have it on good authority that when you’re trying to put together a music documentary, the prospect of it spawning a biopic can be a key selling point.
A few, like “Amy” or “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?,” are popular and vital enough to have carved out a place in the culture — and, in the case of both those films, to have inspired the creation of a biopic. I have it on good authority that when you’re trying to put together a music documentary, the prospect of it spawning a biopic can be a key selling point.
- 3/24/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Dweezil Zappa has announced 2024 tour dates celebrating the 50th anniversary of his father Frank Zappa’s albums Roxy & Elsewhere and Apostrophe.
Kicking off on August 1st in Phoenix, the dates — dubbed the “Rox-Postrophy Tour” — will see Zappa reimagine the music from the two albums with “fan-favorite tracks from each record; replete with unique hybrid arrangements.” After stops in Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, and more cities, the tour will conclude with a final performance in Santa Fe, New Mexico on September 11th.
Get Dweezil Zappa Tickets Here
Tickets for the dates will first become available via an artist pre-sale opening on March 13th at 10:00 a.m. local time. For more information on the pre-sale, check out Zappa’s website. General on-sale will begin via Ticketmaster on March 15th at 10:00 a.m. local time, after which tickets can be purchased on StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program.
Kicking off on August 1st in Phoenix, the dates — dubbed the “Rox-Postrophy Tour” — will see Zappa reimagine the music from the two albums with “fan-favorite tracks from each record; replete with unique hybrid arrangements.” After stops in Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, and more cities, the tour will conclude with a final performance in Santa Fe, New Mexico on September 11th.
Get Dweezil Zappa Tickets Here
Tickets for the dates will first become available via an artist pre-sale opening on March 13th at 10:00 a.m. local time. For more information on the pre-sale, check out Zappa’s website. General on-sale will begin via Ticketmaster on March 15th at 10:00 a.m. local time, after which tickets can be purchased on StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program.
- 3/13/2024
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
Spoiler Alert: This article continues spoilers for the film “Drive-Away Dolls.”
In Ethan Coen’s “Drive-Away Dolls,” an homage to the colorful, brash world of exploitation cinema, there’s a notable cameo from none other than Miley Cyrus. Cyrus appears in a psychedelic swirl of flashbacks as Tiffany Plastercaster, seen titillating a college-aged version of Matt Damon’s character, who will come to be a conservative Senator in Florida. Plastercaster does as her name implies, crafting a replica dildo for the aspiring politician’s stimulated member.
It may sound far-fetched, but Cyrus’ cameo is inspired by Cynthia Plaster Caster — real name Cynthia Albritton — the artist and groupie who famously cast the genitals of musicians and others in plaster, from Jimi Hendrix to The Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra.
Albritton, who died in 2022, also cast female breasts in later years in an effort to even the playing field, with subjects including Karen O,...
In Ethan Coen’s “Drive-Away Dolls,” an homage to the colorful, brash world of exploitation cinema, there’s a notable cameo from none other than Miley Cyrus. Cyrus appears in a psychedelic swirl of flashbacks as Tiffany Plastercaster, seen titillating a college-aged version of Matt Damon’s character, who will come to be a conservative Senator in Florida. Plastercaster does as her name implies, crafting a replica dildo for the aspiring politician’s stimulated member.
It may sound far-fetched, but Cyrus’ cameo is inspired by Cynthia Plaster Caster — real name Cynthia Albritton — the artist and groupie who famously cast the genitals of musicians and others in plaster, from Jimi Hendrix to The Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra.
Albritton, who died in 2022, also cast female breasts in later years in an effort to even the playing field, with subjects including Karen O,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Eddie Wilson could tell stories about the Armadillo World Headquarters, the storied Austin music venue he founded in 1970, for hours. He’ll tell you about how “nowhere else in the world” had ever treated Charlie Daniels so good, or the “phonebook thick” contract Zz Top made him sign, or maybe the times that names like Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, and Stevie Ray Vaughan performed there in the Seventies.
“We got one wonderful picture of Frank Zappa bending over a table with a razor blade,” Wilson recounts in his Texas twang.
“We got one wonderful picture of Frank Zappa bending over a table with a razor blade,” Wilson recounts in his Texas twang.
- 2/16/2024
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
BBC News has reported that David Soul, the famed star of the 70s police show, Starsky and Hutch, has died at the age of 80. Helen Snell, Soul’s wife revealed that the actor had passed on Thursday “after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family.” She added, “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.” Soul is known best for co-starring with Paul Michael Glaser in Starsky and Hutch, where he portrayed Detective Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson. The popular cop drama ran from 1975 to 1979. He would reprise his role in a tongue-in-cheek cameo in the 2004 Todd Phillips comedic film adaptation, Starsky & Hutch, alongside Paul Michael Glaser.
David Soul can also be remembered for his work in Here Come the Brides, Magnum Force and The Yellow Rose. Soul also had a recording career as a singer. Before finding success with acting,...
David Soul can also be remembered for his work in Here Come the Brides, Magnum Force and The Yellow Rose. Soul also had a recording career as a singer. Before finding success with acting,...
- 1/5/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
David Soul, who starred alongside Paul Michael Glaser on the 1970s’ ABC buddy cop show Starsky and Hutch and had a No. 1 hit with the song “Don’t Give Up on Us,” has died. He was 80.
Soul died Thursday after “a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family,” his wife, Helen Snell, said in a statement.
“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” she said. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”
Soul also appeared for two seasons on the 1968-70 ABC show Here Come the Brides, played one of the corrupt young motorcycle cops brought down by Clint Eastwood’s Harry Callahan in the thriller Magnum Force (1973) and stood out as a terrified vampire hunter in the 1979 Stephen King CBS miniseries Salem’s Lot.
On two...
Soul died Thursday after “a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family,” his wife, Helen Snell, said in a statement.
“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” she said. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”
Soul also appeared for two seasons on the 1968-70 ABC show Here Come the Brides, played one of the corrupt young motorcycle cops brought down by Clint Eastwood’s Harry Callahan in the thriller Magnum Force (1973) and stood out as a terrified vampire hunter in the 1979 Stephen King CBS miniseries Salem’s Lot.
On two...
- 1/5/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For my money, the Monkees are way, way more interesting than the Beatles.
According to Andrew Sandoval's thorough and invaluable book "The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the '60s TV Pop Sensation," an ad was put in Variety and the Hollywood Reporter on September 8, 1965, looking for "four insane boys" to be the members of a new pre-fabricated pop band. The band would also star in a TV series -- deliberately meant to evoke Richard Lester's 1964 Beatles film "A Hard Day's Night" -- that would use their real names, but present their lives as a fictional merry-go-round of kooky shenanigans.
The producers zeroed in on former child actor Micky Dolenz, a friend of musician Stephen Stills named Peter Tork, a British, boyish heartthrob named Davy Jones, and heir to the Liquid Paper fortune, Mike Nesmith. Their TV series debuted on September 12, 1966, the week after "Star Trek" debuted, and...
According to Andrew Sandoval's thorough and invaluable book "The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the '60s TV Pop Sensation," an ad was put in Variety and the Hollywood Reporter on September 8, 1965, looking for "four insane boys" to be the members of a new pre-fabricated pop band. The band would also star in a TV series -- deliberately meant to evoke Richard Lester's 1964 Beatles film "A Hard Day's Night" -- that would use their real names, but present their lives as a fictional merry-go-round of kooky shenanigans.
The producers zeroed in on former child actor Micky Dolenz, a friend of musician Stephen Stills named Peter Tork, a British, boyish heartthrob named Davy Jones, and heir to the Liquid Paper fortune, Mike Nesmith. Their TV series debuted on September 12, 1966, the week after "Star Trek" debuted, and...
- 12/26/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Essra Mohawk, who recorded a dozen albums and saw Cyndi Lauper’s cover of her “Change of Heart” hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, died on Dec. 11 at her home in Nashville from cancer. She was 75.
A dreamy singer who described herself as a flower child, Mohawk never quite broke through to stardom. But she carved out a long career nonetheless in a highly fertile music era, performing with Frank Zappa and Jerry Garcia, among others.
She was scheduled to perform at the original Woodstock festival, but her driver took a wrong turn on the way.
“We got there in time to see the last verse of the last song of the last act of the first night, and then the stage went dark before we got to it from the parking lot,” she recalled in a 2009 video interview.
She recorded more than a dozen albums over the years.
In the 1970s,...
A dreamy singer who described herself as a flower child, Mohawk never quite broke through to stardom. But she carved out a long career nonetheless in a highly fertile music era, performing with Frank Zappa and Jerry Garcia, among others.
She was scheduled to perform at the original Woodstock festival, but her driver took a wrong turn on the way.
“We got there in time to see the last verse of the last song of the last act of the first night, and then the stage went dark before we got to it from the parking lot,” she recalled in a 2009 video interview.
She recorded more than a dozen albums over the years.
In the 1970s,...
- 12/23/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
The final cover of The Beatles‘ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band doesn’t reflect the Fab Four’s original idea. The Beatles removed one star from the image for financial reasons. The star might have made a huge mistake when he corresponded with The Beatles.
An artist said the creation of The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’ cover was ‘pretty funny’
Jann Haworth was one of the artists behind the Sgt. Pepper artwork. Famously, the record includes the visages of many celebrities, writers, and historical figures. During a 2017 interview with Good Times, Haworth said The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, decided the band needed permission to use the famous figures’ images late in the creative process.
“And the story as it’s written up is that Emi thought of this, but as it was presented to me it was Brian saying ‘Oh my god, we’ve got to get this straightened out,...
An artist said the creation of The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’ cover was ‘pretty funny’
Jann Haworth was one of the artists behind the Sgt. Pepper artwork. Famously, the record includes the visages of many celebrities, writers, and historical figures. During a 2017 interview with Good Times, Haworth said The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, decided the band needed permission to use the famous figures’ images late in the creative process.
“And the story as it’s written up is that Emi thought of this, but as it was presented to me it was Brian saying ‘Oh my god, we’ve got to get this straightened out,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
At the beginning of his video for “No Es Culpa Mía,” Pink Pablo traipses into frame, pours a beer over his head, takes off his shirt, kicks a keyboard off its stand, knocks over a rack of clothes, and starts screaming into a mic. What you might not know is that you’re watching someone with a master’s in neuroscience practicing what he’s learned.
Pink Pablo, whose real name is Juan Pablo Rivera, has been making music on and off for more than four years now. But it...
Pink Pablo, whose real name is Juan Pablo Rivera, has been making music on and off for more than four years now. But it...
- 11/6/2023
- by Juan J. Arroyo
- Rollingstone.com
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Frank Zappa’s landmark Over-Nite Sensation, and in November, Zappa Records/UMe will celebrate the LP with a deluxe reissue of the 1973 album complete with unreleased tracks, outtakes, two concerts from the era, and more from one of Rolling Stone’s 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Ahead of Over-Nite Sensation: 50th Anniversary Edition’s release on November 17, check out the previously unheard “Face Down,” a demo that would ultimately transform into the album’s television-skewering “I’m the Slime.”
The demo finds the...
Ahead of Over-Nite Sensation: 50th Anniversary Edition’s release on November 17, check out the previously unheard “Face Down,” a demo that would ultimately transform into the album’s television-skewering “I’m the Slime.”
The demo finds the...
- 10/13/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
In 1980, John Lennon said he wasn’t interested in what the other Beatles were doing but that didn’t make him “callous.” Despite his words, he called a Paul McCartney song “a good piece of work.” The song’s music video had Paul looking to The Beatles’ past.
John Lennon felt 1 Paul McCartney song made him sound depressed
During a 1980 interview from the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, John discussed his former bandmates. “I don’t follow what they do now,” he admitted. “Somebody asked me what I thought of Paul’s last album and I made some remark like I thought he was depressed and sad. But then I realized I hadn’t listened to the whole damn thing.” The album in question was McCartney II, Paul’s venture into electronic music.
“I heard one track — the hit, ‘Coming Up,...
John Lennon felt 1 Paul McCartney song made him sound depressed
During a 1980 interview from the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, John discussed his former bandmates. “I don’t follow what they do now,” he admitted. “Somebody asked me what I thought of Paul’s last album and I made some remark like I thought he was depressed and sad. But then I realized I hadn’t listened to the whole damn thing.” The album in question was McCartney II, Paul’s venture into electronic music.
“I heard one track — the hit, ‘Coming Up,...
- 10/1/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Thirty-eight years ago today, Mr. Snider went to Washington. A new graphic novel, Dee Snider: He’s Not Gonna Take It (due out Nov. 21), illustrates the fateful day the Twisted Sister frontman spoke in defense of free speech, alongside Frank Zappa and John Denver, at a Senate hearing regarding placing content-warning labels on album covers. Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello penned a foreword for the book paying tribute to Snider’s heroic spirit.
Publisher Z2 presents Morello as a Spider-Man-like superhero in the panels premiering on Rolling Stone.
Publisher Z2 presents Morello as a Spider-Man-like superhero in the panels premiering on Rolling Stone.
- 9/19/2023
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Paul McCartney was saddened when John Lennon compared him to another popular singer. However, the comparison doesn’t work at all. Notably, this comparison came from John’s era of edgy trash-talking.
Paul McCartney hated John Lennon comparing him to Engelbert Humperdinck
In the 1970s, John was as known for his digs as he was for his music. For example, in the 1971 book Lennon Remembers, John criticizes all the other Beatles, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Orson Welles, Frank Zappa, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, and so many others.
During a 1974 interview with Rolling Stone, Paul said he didn’t like everything John did, however, he kept his mouth shut. “I mean, he came out with all stuff like I’m like Engelbert Humperdinck,” Paul recalled. “I know he doesn’t really think that.”
Paul was asked what he thought about John’s comments. “Oh, I hated it,” he recalled. “You can imagine,...
Paul McCartney hated John Lennon comparing him to Engelbert Humperdinck
In the 1970s, John was as known for his digs as he was for his music. For example, in the 1971 book Lennon Remembers, John criticizes all the other Beatles, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Orson Welles, Frank Zappa, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, and so many others.
During a 1974 interview with Rolling Stone, Paul said he didn’t like everything John did, however, he kept his mouth shut. “I mean, he came out with all stuff like I’m like Engelbert Humperdinck,” Paul recalled. “I know he doesn’t really think that.”
Paul was asked what he thought about John’s comments. “Oh, I hated it,” he recalled. “You can imagine,...
- 9/5/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
It’s been nearly 50 years since Frank Zappa’s celebrated album, Over-Nite Sensation, first debuted. Now, the record is receiving box set treatment: the “super deluxe” Over-Nite Sensation: 50th Anniversary Edition will drop on November 3rd via Zappa Records and UMe.
Released in September 1973, the original Over-Nite Sensation was produced by Zappa and features a group of virtuosic musicians, including Tina Turner and a then-newly-reformed iteration of Zappa’s backing band called The Mothers, which had grown to include a number of jazz greats like Jean-Luc Ponty and George Duke. It came to be one of Zappa’s most commercially-successful releases, bringing his avant-garde sound to a wider audience.
Over-Nite Sensation: 50th Anniversary Edition was produced and compiled by Zappa’s son, Ahmet Zappa, as well as “Zappa Vaultmeister” Joe Travers. It boasts a whopping 57 previously unreleased tracks, including masters, mix outtakes, two live concerts, and more. It’s all packaged as a five-disc set,...
Released in September 1973, the original Over-Nite Sensation was produced by Zappa and features a group of virtuosic musicians, including Tina Turner and a then-newly-reformed iteration of Zappa’s backing band called The Mothers, which had grown to include a number of jazz greats like Jean-Luc Ponty and George Duke. It came to be one of Zappa’s most commercially-successful releases, bringing his avant-garde sound to a wider audience.
Over-Nite Sensation: 50th Anniversary Edition was produced and compiled by Zappa’s son, Ahmet Zappa, as well as “Zappa Vaultmeister” Joe Travers. It boasts a whopping 57 previously unreleased tracks, including masters, mix outtakes, two live concerts, and more. It’s all packaged as a five-disc set,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
Alice Cooper reveals he has only once ever brought up with his friend Johnny Depp the subject of the actor’s acrimonious divorce, which saw Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard embroiled in courtroom battles on either side of the Atlantic.
Cooper, who has for eight years played in the band Hollywood Vampires with Depp, told the UK’s Times newspaper that he once suggested to Depp: “’I have a great idea. You and Amber do a remake of The War of the Roses. Who wouldn’t go and see that?’”
According to Cooper, Depp laughed at the idea of reprising the 1989 movie, in which married couple played by Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner battled with each other, although Cooper added that his friend has always tried to dodge the attention his personal life generates: “Johnny is a good guitarist and in a way he would have been happiest doing that,...
Cooper, who has for eight years played in the band Hollywood Vampires with Depp, told the UK’s Times newspaper that he once suggested to Depp: “’I have a great idea. You and Amber do a remake of The War of the Roses. Who wouldn’t go and see that?’”
According to Cooper, Depp laughed at the idea of reprising the 1989 movie, in which married couple played by Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner battled with each other, although Cooper added that his friend has always tried to dodge the attention his personal life generates: “Johnny is a good guitarist and in a way he would have been happiest doing that,...
- 8/19/2023
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Music is incredibly subjective. What sounds fantastic to one person might not resonate with someone else. The Rolling Stones are no exception. The band saw several albums reach No. 1 on the charts, but some listeners favor the more obscure. Like Frank Zappa, who once said he felt the Stones’ Between the Buttons was better than The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Frank Zappa liked The Rolling Stones’ album ‘Between the Buttons’ better than ‘Sgt. Pepper’
Zappa was never one for floating in the mainstream. Whether it was his music, opinions, or the names of his children (especially Moon Unit and Dweezil), the individualistic guitarist marched to the beat of his own drum.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that Zappa once said he preferred The Rolling Stones’ 1967 album Between the Buttons to The Beatles’ magnum opus, Sgt. Pepper, from later that year. His opinion probably shocked Mick Jagger,...
Frank Zappa liked The Rolling Stones’ album ‘Between the Buttons’ better than ‘Sgt. Pepper’
Zappa was never one for floating in the mainstream. Whether it was his music, opinions, or the names of his children (especially Moon Unit and Dweezil), the individualistic guitarist marched to the beat of his own drum.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that Zappa once said he preferred The Rolling Stones’ 1967 album Between the Buttons to The Beatles’ magnum opus, Sgt. Pepper, from later that year. His opinion probably shocked Mick Jagger,...
- 7/25/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Tl;Dr:
The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” charted at the same time as a song by an important shock-rock musician. Years later, the shock-rocker remembered “Hey Jude” blocking his signature song from reaching No. 1. “Hey Jude” was No. 1 in the United States for a whopping nine weeks.
The Beatles‘ “Hey Jude” was so huge it overshadowed almost all the other songs from the 1960s. For example, it stopped a famous classic rock song from hitting No. 1. The tune wouldn’t have been a hit without the aid of Jimi Hendrix.
The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ got in the way of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s ‘Fire’
Arthur Brown is a shock-rock and progressive-rock musician. He is most known for writing and performing the song “Fire.” During a 2022 interview with NME, he was asked if he could remember which track stopped “Fire” from hitting No. 1.
“Can I sue you if I...
The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” charted at the same time as a song by an important shock-rock musician. Years later, the shock-rocker remembered “Hey Jude” blocking his signature song from reaching No. 1. “Hey Jude” was No. 1 in the United States for a whopping nine weeks.
The Beatles‘ “Hey Jude” was so huge it overshadowed almost all the other songs from the 1960s. For example, it stopped a famous classic rock song from hitting No. 1. The tune wouldn’t have been a hit without the aid of Jimi Hendrix.
The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ got in the way of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s ‘Fire’
Arthur Brown is a shock-rock and progressive-rock musician. He is most known for writing and performing the song “Fire.” During a 2022 interview with NME, he was asked if he could remember which track stopped “Fire” from hitting No. 1.
“Can I sue you if I...
- 7/6/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Over three hours worth of newly-unearthed Frank Zappa receives an official release as a compilation called Funky Nothingness. Available as of today, the music is believed to have been intended for a sequel to Hot Rats, the avant-garde rocker’s 1969 solo debut.
Freshly dug out from the Zappa vault, Funky Nothingness will include 25 unreleased and rare tracks, as well as compositions, covers, and miscellaneous jams from 1970 studio sessions with Zappa’s core group: Aynsley Dunbar, Don “Sugarcane” Harris, Ian Underwood, and Max Bennett.
“Funky Nothingness delivers on all fronts, showcasing Zappa’s love for rhythm and blues, picking up where Hot Rats left off with extended instrumental workouts fusing rock, jazz, and classical elements into music that can only be described as Zappa,” reads a statement from “Zappa vaultmeister” Joe Travers, who also compiled the collection along with Zappa’s son Ahmet Zappa.
Funky Nothingness arrives just shy of a...
Freshly dug out from the Zappa vault, Funky Nothingness will include 25 unreleased and rare tracks, as well as compositions, covers, and miscellaneous jams from 1970 studio sessions with Zappa’s core group: Aynsley Dunbar, Don “Sugarcane” Harris, Ian Underwood, and Max Bennett.
“Funky Nothingness delivers on all fronts, showcasing Zappa’s love for rhythm and blues, picking up where Hot Rats left off with extended instrumental workouts fusing rock, jazz, and classical elements into music that can only be described as Zappa,” reads a statement from “Zappa vaultmeister” Joe Travers, who also compiled the collection along with Zappa’s son Ahmet Zappa.
Funky Nothingness arrives just shy of a...
- 6/30/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Music
Mark Volman, founding member of the ’60s pop-rock band The Turtles, has been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, he revealed in an interview with People.
Volman, 76, received the diagnosis back in 2020 after experiencing the neurological disorder’s trademark symptoms like intense hallucinations, lapsed thinking and speech, and tremors, among others. Still, Volman is determined to live life to the fullest extent he can, having been on tour since May. The Turtles headline the ’60s revival tour “Happy Together,” named after their hit single, every year — something Volman doesn’t want to stop any time soon.
“Right now, for me, it’s not scary, although it probably should be,” Volman said in the interview. “I got hit by the knowledge that this was going to create a whole new part of my life. And I said, ‘Ok, whatever’s going to happen will happen, but I’ll go as far as I can.
Volman, 76, received the diagnosis back in 2020 after experiencing the neurological disorder’s trademark symptoms like intense hallucinations, lapsed thinking and speech, and tremors, among others. Still, Volman is determined to live life to the fullest extent he can, having been on tour since May. The Turtles headline the ’60s revival tour “Happy Together,” named after their hit single, every year — something Volman doesn’t want to stop any time soon.
“Right now, for me, it’s not scary, although it probably should be,” Volman said in the interview. “I got hit by the knowledge that this was going to create a whole new part of my life. And I said, ‘Ok, whatever’s going to happen will happen, but I’ll go as far as I can.
- 6/15/2023
- by Cervanté Pope
- Consequence - Music
Mark Volman, singer and founding member of the Sixties hitmakers the Turtles, has revealed that he has been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia.
However, despite being diagnosed with the disease in 2020, Volman told People he still plans on going on tour with the current version of the Turtles. “It’s the safest place for me to be. I can’t get lost or hurt,” Volman quipped.
The “Happy Together” singer’s revelation comes a week before the release of his new memoir, Happy Forever, out June 20.
Volman — also a veteran...
However, despite being diagnosed with the disease in 2020, Volman told People he still plans on going on tour with the current version of the Turtles. “It’s the safest place for me to be. I can’t get lost or hurt,” Volman quipped.
The “Happy Together” singer’s revelation comes a week before the release of his new memoir, Happy Forever, out June 20.
Volman — also a veteran...
- 6/14/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
George Winston, the celebrated solo pianist who sold more than 15 million albums over the course of his career, died Sunday, June 4. He was 73.
Winston’s death was confirmed on his website. He had been battling cancer for 10 years, undergoing a bone marrow transplant in 2013.
Winston rose to prominence in the early Eighties with a trio of records, Autumn, Winter Into Spring, and December, all of which were certified platinum in the United States (December even went three times platinum). His music seemed to incorporate elements of classical, jazz, folk, ambient,...
Winston’s death was confirmed on his website. He had been battling cancer for 10 years, undergoing a bone marrow transplant in 2013.
Winston rose to prominence in the early Eighties with a trio of records, Autumn, Winter Into Spring, and December, all of which were certified platinum in the United States (December even went three times platinum). His music seemed to incorporate elements of classical, jazz, folk, ambient,...
- 6/6/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Mike Nesmith always had a soft spot for The Monkees‘ only feature film, Head. The 1968 film was misunderstood by many critics and fans of the band who were used to the casual hijinks of the quartet’s NBC series. However, Nesmith discussed how the film had a hidden meaning missed by many. He claimed the film poked “a lot of fun at The Monkees’ expense.”
The Monkees in a scene from the feature film ‘Head’ | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Mike Nesmith shared in a rare interview the intentions of the movie ‘Head’
Mike Nesmith shared the purposes of the group’s first feature film in a rare interview with Monkees bandmates Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Peter Tork for the Hy Lit Show. Head, he explained, poked “a lot of fun” at the expense of its stars.
“The most fun was the character assassination,” Nesmith said of the darker...
The Monkees in a scene from the feature film ‘Head’ | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Mike Nesmith shared in a rare interview the intentions of the movie ‘Head’
Mike Nesmith shared the purposes of the group’s first feature film in a rare interview with Monkees bandmates Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Peter Tork for the Hy Lit Show. Head, he explained, poked “a lot of fun” at the expense of its stars.
“The most fun was the character assassination,” Nesmith said of the darker...
- 6/1/2023
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Ringo Starr is known, first and foremost, as a drummer, but he appeared in multiple movies over the course of his career. All of The Beatles picked up some acting experience, but Starr took steps to build a career as an actor. Not all of his movies performed well – even the drummer’s biggest fans should avoid a few of them — but some are worth a watch. Here are four of Starr’s movies worth putting on your to-watch list.
Ringo Starr | Michael Putland/Getty Images ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ is 1 of the movies Starr filmed with The Beatles
Starr’s first movie is also one of his best. In 1964, The Beatles released A Hard Day’s Night, a musical comedy film in which the band played themselves. The film gave Starr a good deal of screen time — he chaperones Paul McCartney’s grandfather and gets arrested.
While director Richard Lester...
Ringo Starr | Michael Putland/Getty Images ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ is 1 of the movies Starr filmed with The Beatles
Starr’s first movie is also one of his best. In 1964, The Beatles released A Hard Day’s Night, a musical comedy film in which the band played themselves. The film gave Starr a good deal of screen time — he chaperones Paul McCartney’s grandfather and gets arrested.
While director Richard Lester...
- 5/14/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The late Frank Zappa’s “vaultmeister” has unearthed 23 previously unreleased and rare recordings that Zappa may have been considering for a sequel to his beloved jazz-rock masterpiece, 1969’s Hot Rats.
The apocrypha, which totals three-and-a-half hours of music, will finally come out on June 30 via a three-disc set titled Funky Nothingness.
Zappa’s estate is previewing the set with Zappa’s interpretations of two songs from 1954 by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, “Work With Me Annie/Annie Had a Baby,” with violinist Don “Sugarcane” Harris singing lead:
The recordings, cut...
The apocrypha, which totals three-and-a-half hours of music, will finally come out on June 30 via a three-disc set titled Funky Nothingness.
Zappa’s estate is previewing the set with Zappa’s interpretations of two songs from 1954 by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, “Work With Me Annie/Annie Had a Baby,” with violinist Don “Sugarcane” Harris singing lead:
The recordings, cut...
- 4/21/2023
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Musicians rely on their fans to keep their careers running, but sometimes the attention can be too much. Sometimes, it even crosses the line into being dangerous. Overly enthusiastic crowds, people storming the stage, and even fans following bands home are all horror stories for musicians. Here are four musicians who have had frightening experiences with fans.
Tom Petty | George Rose/Getty Images The Beatles
The Beatles dealt with such intensely dedicated fans that the media had to coin the phrase Beatlemania. Fans broke into their houses, jumped on the roofs of cars while they were inside, and attacked their wives if they saw them on the street. While some members of the band were more receptive to this behavior than others, George Harrison found it frightening.
The Beatles appeared on 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium' #OnThisDay in 1963. ?
They caught the attention of the mainstream media, who coined the...
Tom Petty | George Rose/Getty Images The Beatles
The Beatles dealt with such intensely dedicated fans that the media had to coin the phrase Beatlemania. Fans broke into their houses, jumped on the roofs of cars while they were inside, and attacked their wives if they saw them on the street. While some members of the band were more receptive to this behavior than others, George Harrison found it frightening.
The Beatles appeared on 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium' #OnThisDay in 1963. ?
They caught the attention of the mainstream media, who coined the...
- 4/16/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Peacock is announcing a big expansion of its content library this week. The service will add a variety of curated films from Magnolia Pictures, one of the top independent film distributors in the United States. The new films will be available starting Thursday, April 13 to all Peacock subscribers.
Sign Up $4.99+ / month peacocktv.com
The hand-picked content from Magnolia Pictures will highlight the pinnacle of independent cinema through its wide reaching and critically acclaimed library of documentaries and award-winning genre titles. Peacock subscribers will have access to a specially curated assortment of titles that include top-tier talent in front of the camera, as well as behind.
Highlights of the new Magnolia Pictures collection on Peacock include “A Royal Affair” starring Mads Mikkelsen and Alicia Vikander, rocking music documentary “We Are X,” the emotional and poignant BAFTA-winner “I Am Not Your Negro,” and many other titles including the uproarious horror-comedy “Tucker and Dale vs Evil...
Sign Up $4.99+ / month peacocktv.com
The hand-picked content from Magnolia Pictures will highlight the pinnacle of independent cinema through its wide reaching and critically acclaimed library of documentaries and award-winning genre titles. Peacock subscribers will have access to a specially curated assortment of titles that include top-tier talent in front of the camera, as well as behind.
Highlights of the new Magnolia Pictures collection on Peacock include “A Royal Affair” starring Mads Mikkelsen and Alicia Vikander, rocking music documentary “We Are X,” the emotional and poignant BAFTA-winner “I Am Not Your Negro,” and many other titles including the uproarious horror-comedy “Tucker and Dale vs Evil...
- 4/13/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
In the 1960s, the American band The Turtles were thrilled to meet The Beatles, but their meeting went sour when guitarist Jim Tucker got on John Lennon’s bad side. Lennon didn’t seem to have a reason to pick a fight with Tucker, but he quickly turned on him. Tucker looked to Lennon as a hero, so his condescension stung. He left the music industry shortly after the meeting, and his bandmate Howard Kaylan believed Lennon’s behavior was the reason.
John Lennon | New York Times Co./Larry C. Morris/Getty Images The Turtles were excited to meet The Beatles
While spending time with Graham Nash, The Turtles listened to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for the first time. After hearing the album in its entirety, an awestruck Tucker expressed his desire to meet the band.
“Man, those guys are gods!” he said, per the book Shell...
John Lennon | New York Times Co./Larry C. Morris/Getty Images The Turtles were excited to meet The Beatles
While spending time with Graham Nash, The Turtles listened to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for the first time. After hearing the album in its entirety, an awestruck Tucker expressed his desire to meet the band.
“Man, those guys are gods!” he said, per the book Shell...
- 4/10/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Geezer Butler, the bassist who cofounded Black Sabbath and wrote the majority of the band’s lyrics on their classic albums, will release his autobiography this summer. Into the Void: From Birth to Black Sabbath — and Beyond will chronicle his childhood in post-war Birmingham, England, the formation of Black Sabbath, and the stories behind “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” “Iron Man,” and several other of the band’s biggest hits. The book arrives on June 6.
“After spending my entire life creating memories, to eventually set aside how reserved I am, I...
“After spending my entire life creating memories, to eventually set aside how reserved I am, I...
- 3/29/2023
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
John Lennon became an icon with The Beatles during the 1960s, and many artists yearned for the opportunity to collaborate with him. After The Beatles, Lennon typically worked solo, but there were a few times when he lent his talents to other artists to create excellent music.
Here are 5 memorable collaborations between John Lennon and other artists Elton John Elton John and John | Lennon Steve Morley/Redferns
Elton John skyrocketed to fame in the 1970s. Lennon caught wind of the young U.K. singer, and the pair worked on a few songs together. The first was John’s cover of The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”. Lennon provided backing vocals and guitar under the pseudonym of Dr. Winston O’Boogie.
The other track was Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night”, featuring John on harmony vocals and piano. The song was released in 1974 and was Lennon’s first and only No.
Here are 5 memorable collaborations between John Lennon and other artists Elton John Elton John and John | Lennon Steve Morley/Redferns
Elton John skyrocketed to fame in the 1970s. Lennon caught wind of the young U.K. singer, and the pair worked on a few songs together. The first was John’s cover of The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”. Lennon provided backing vocals and guitar under the pseudonym of Dr. Winston O’Boogie.
The other track was Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night”, featuring John on harmony vocals and piano. The song was released in 1974 and was Lennon’s first and only No.
- 3/22/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Of all the misfits in James Gunn's "Peacemaker" series, Steve Agee's John Economos, aka Dye Beard, is the most relatable. The role of the tired, sad, unappreciated It professional speaks to the universal feelings of loneliness, insecurity, and general disdain. John got one of the best lines from "The Suicide Squad" trailer ("We've got a freakin' kaiju!") and my personal favorite monologue in Gunn's follow-up spin-off show, "Peacemaker." Appearing alongside fantastic actors and wacky characters, Agee manages to make his mark.
He's also damn funny.
The actor also played Steven Ned Myron III on "The Sarah Silverman Program," and works as a comedian and musician. Agee reprised his role as Amanda Waller's tech expert in a mid-credits scene of a certain recent superhero movie, and will be returning in the upcoming second season of "Peacemaker," which is not yet in production (but is definitely coming). /Film...
He's also damn funny.
The actor also played Steven Ned Myron III on "The Sarah Silverman Program," and works as a comedian and musician. Agee reprised his role as Amanda Waller's tech expert in a mid-credits scene of a certain recent superhero movie, and will be returning in the upcoming second season of "Peacemaker," which is not yet in production (but is definitely coming). /Film...
- 3/21/2023
- by Sarah Milner
- Slash Film
Jim Gordon, a drummer who played on Derek and the Dominos’ Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, died Monday at the age of 77. The musician, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was serving a prison sentence for killing his mother in 1983, died in a state-run medical facility in Vacaville, California. Publicist Bob Merlis confirmed Gordon’s death in a statement, adding that Gordon died of natural causes.
In addition to his incredible catalog of recordings, Gordon is also known for sharing a songwriting credit on “Layla” with Eric Clapton,...
In addition to his incredible catalog of recordings, Gordon is also known for sharing a songwriting credit on “Layla” with Eric Clapton,...
- 3/16/2023
- by Kory Grow and Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Jim Gordon, a Wrecking Crew session drummer and member of Eric Clapton’s band Derek and the Dominos who was diagnosed with schizophrenia after murdering his mother, has died at the age of 77.
In 1983, Gordon murdered his mother in a psychotic episode. He was sentenced to 16 years to life, but never showed up for any of his parole hearings. As of this year, he was serving his sentence at California Medical Facility in Vacaville, where he died of natural causes on Wednesday (March 15th), as confirmed by a representative.
Born James Beck Gordon in Southern California, he began playing drums in his early teens and quickly developed a reputation as a talented and versatile musician. His big break came in the late 1960s when he was hired as a session drummer for The Everly Brothers.
With legendary drummer Hal Blaine as his mentor, Gordon became a member of the group...
In 1983, Gordon murdered his mother in a psychotic episode. He was sentenced to 16 years to life, but never showed up for any of his parole hearings. As of this year, he was serving his sentence at California Medical Facility in Vacaville, where he died of natural causes on Wednesday (March 15th), as confirmed by a representative.
Born James Beck Gordon in Southern California, he began playing drums in his early teens and quickly developed a reputation as a talented and versatile musician. His big break came in the late 1960s when he was hired as a session drummer for The Everly Brothers.
With legendary drummer Hal Blaine as his mentor, Gordon became a member of the group...
- 3/15/2023
- by Paolo Ragusa and Alex Young
- Consequence - Music
When Lorne Michaels set out to shake up the late-night television landscape with "Saturday Night Live," there were certain, long-standing traditions he was willing to observe. One of those was the assemblage of a house band. Though the show wasted no time filling America's living rooms with the provocative music of Gil Scott-Heron, Jimmy Cliff, and Frank Zappa, the Saturday Night Live Band was an impressive if unexciting assortment of solid session musicians. And the man who brought them together was a then relatively unknown composer named Howard Shore.
The Toronto-born Shore had the inside track to the gig thanks to a friendship with Michaels that stretched back to summer camp. But while Shore had made a name for himself via the jazz fusion band Lighthouse and his score for magician Doug Henning's popular stage show "Spellbound" (which eventually transferred to Broadway as "The Magic Show"), he wasn't overly...
The Toronto-born Shore had the inside track to the gig thanks to a friendship with Michaels that stretched back to summer camp. But while Shore had made a name for himself via the jazz fusion band Lighthouse and his score for magician Doug Henning's popular stage show "Spellbound" (which eventually transferred to Broadway as "The Magic Show"), he wasn't overly...
- 3/11/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
"Bill & Ted Face the Music" was one of my favorite movies that I saw during lockdown. I saw many better films too, but there was something about the eternal optimism and good nature of William S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Theodore Logan (Keanu Reeves) that made them feel like the kind of heroes we needed during a pandemic, one of the weirdest and most uncertain situations many of us have ever experienced.
Stuck at home for far longer than natural, it was comforting to hang out with old screen pals in lieu of our real-life friends. This may be why the era of Covid-19 also saw the unlikely phenomenon of people binge-watching old episodes of "Columbo." Perhaps there isn't too much difference between Bill and Ted and Peter Falk's shambling detective. The movies and the show are set in sunny California; the stakes are low; and the protagonists are unassuming,...
Stuck at home for far longer than natural, it was comforting to hang out with old screen pals in lieu of our real-life friends. This may be why the era of Covid-19 also saw the unlikely phenomenon of people binge-watching old episodes of "Columbo." Perhaps there isn't too much difference between Bill and Ted and Peter Falk's shambling detective. The movies and the show are set in sunny California; the stakes are low; and the protagonists are unassuming,...
- 2/26/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Margot Robbie revealed she would love to play classic rock singers Stevie Nicks or Janis Joplin in a movie. Here’s what the actor said about the two rock stars, and who else has been considered to play Nicks and Joplin.
Margot Robbie | Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images Margot Robbie said she would like to play Stevie Nicks or Janice Joplin in a biopic
While promoting her 2022 film Babylon, Margot Robbie revealed which musician she would most like to play in a movie.
The actor, known for roles in films like I, Tonya and The Wolf of Wall Street, and her portrayal of the DC Comics character Harley Quinn in three movies, knew right away which rock stars she would like to play.
“Stevie Nicks would be fun,” she told NME. “I think everyone has been trying to do a Janis Joplin [movie] for a long time.”
“I’m not musically gifted,...
Margot Robbie | Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images Margot Robbie said she would like to play Stevie Nicks or Janice Joplin in a biopic
While promoting her 2022 film Babylon, Margot Robbie revealed which musician she would most like to play in a movie.
The actor, known for roles in films like I, Tonya and The Wolf of Wall Street, and her portrayal of the DC Comics character Harley Quinn in three movies, knew right away which rock stars she would like to play.
“Stevie Nicks would be fun,” she told NME. “I think everyone has been trying to do a Janis Joplin [movie] for a long time.”
“I’m not musically gifted,...
- 2/7/2023
- by Grace Turney
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Betty Sturm, who played a follower of Timothy Carey’s cult leader in the infamous Frank Zappa-scored The World’s Greatest Sinner, died Sunday of Alzheimer’s disease at her home in Clinton, New Jersey, her son, William Winckler, announced. She was 89.
Carey wrote, directed, produced and starred as an insurance salesman who transforms himself into the dictatorial God Hilliard in The World’s Greatest Sinner (1962). The film has rarely been seen in theaters and is perhaps best known for its Zappa connection. Martin Scorsese is said to be a fan.
In the 2012 making-of documentary Making Sinner, Sturm was interviewed by Romeo Carey, Timothy Carey’s son. She explained that because of The World’s Greatest Sinner‘s yearlong shooting schedule and a financial dispute, she did not return for one last scene, so an extra stepped in for her to play a saxophone.
Raised in Spain and Germany,...
Carey wrote, directed, produced and starred as an insurance salesman who transforms himself into the dictatorial God Hilliard in The World’s Greatest Sinner (1962). The film has rarely been seen in theaters and is perhaps best known for its Zappa connection. Martin Scorsese is said to be a fan.
In the 2012 making-of documentary Making Sinner, Sturm was interviewed by Romeo Carey, Timothy Carey’s son. She explained that because of The World’s Greatest Sinner‘s yearlong shooting schedule and a financial dispute, she did not return for one last scene, so an extra stepped in for her to play a saxophone.
Raised in Spain and Germany,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Writer/director Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical 2000 film "Almost Famous" captures the magical allure of the music industry, complete with the diehard artists and fans who dedicate their lives to it. Kate Hudson stars in the movie as Penny Lane, a young blonde woman who bewitches the up-and-coming band Stillwater, along with the wide-eyed, impressionable young reporter covering their journey (Patrick Fugit's William Miller), while the band is on tour in 1973. In the film, she explains that she isn't a groupie. Lane clarifies, "Groupies sleep with rock stars because they want to be near someone famous. We are here because of the music, we inspire the music. We are band-aides."
The traditionally judgmental perspective of what a groupie entails is explored through Lane's passion for the music, freedom of living on the road, and learning to love without commitment despite still facing heartbreak. She's a complicated character with complicated beliefs,...
The traditionally judgmental perspective of what a groupie entails is explored through Lane's passion for the music, freedom of living on the road, and learning to love without commitment despite still facing heartbreak. She's a complicated character with complicated beliefs,...
- 1/21/2023
- by Marisa Mirabal
- Slash Film
A pair of unreleased Frank Zappa concerts from 1980 — highlighting shows from a tiny New York club and a packed German arena — will feature on the latest archival release excavated from the Zappa family vaults.
Zappa ’80: Mudd Club/Munich, out March 3, boasts two complete shows from the guitar god’s short-lived five-piece lineup, gigs that followed a torrid 1979 that saw Zappa release both Sheik Yerbouti and his three-act Joe’s Garage.
The first show in the 3Cd set showcases Zappa and company’s May 8, 1980 gig at New York City’s 240-capacity Mudd Club,...
Zappa ’80: Mudd Club/Munich, out March 3, boasts two complete shows from the guitar god’s short-lived five-piece lineup, gigs that followed a torrid 1979 that saw Zappa release both Sheik Yerbouti and his three-act Joe’s Garage.
The first show in the 3Cd set showcases Zappa and company’s May 8, 1980 gig at New York City’s 240-capacity Mudd Club,...
- 1/10/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The story of the Monkees is well known to any fan of 1960s pop music. Producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, inspired by the freewheeling antics they witnessed in Richard Lester's celebrated 1964 Beatles film "A Hard Day's Night," wanted to capture a similar energy on the small screen. Widespread auditions were held to form a new band that possessed musical talent, but, more importantly, screen chemistry and maybe some acting acumen. The production team was lucky to land one Micky Dolenz, a former child star who appeared on the long-forgotten sitcom "Circus Boy." Davy Jones and Mike Nesmith followed. Peter Tork was suggested by his friend Stephen Stills. While the Monkees did not form organically, they did have chemistry, and possessed humor and acting talent that their less interesting Liverpudlian counterparts never did. Yes, it is now written. The Monkees are, in their way, more interesting than the Beatles.
- 1/1/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
If anyone has earned the right to be an irascible octogenarian — especially when it comes to music — it’s probably Bob Dylan. In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, the singer-songwriter got the chance to do some back-in-my-day sermonizing — sharing both astute points, and some rather curmudgeonly ones — about the state of contemporary music and the streaming era.
In the interview, Dylan noted that these days he likes to listen to music on CD and satellite radio, while he still maintains a penchant for old tube record players...
In the interview, Dylan noted that these days he likes to listen to music on CD and satellite radio, while he still maintains a penchant for old tube record players...
- 12/19/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
16 December 2022 – In 1972, following the aftermath of being pushed off stage at the Rainbow Theatre in London by a crazed attendee, Frank Zappa found himself recuperating for months in his home in the hills of Los Angeles. Although he was confined to a wheelchair and in immense pain, his work ethic could not be tamed, and he would end up having one of the most prolific years of his hugely prolific career. During this time, he managed, among other things, to assemble an ensemble that quenched his thirst and desire to work with a large “Electric Orchestra.” Ultimately, he contracted a 20-piece group for recording sessions and an eight-city tour. Shortly thereafter, a scaled down 10-piece configuration, now popularly known as the “Petite Wazoo” toured for almost two months. After all was said and done, Zappa finished the experiment with two albums in the can – Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo...
- 12/16/2022
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
Click here to read the full article.
Gene Cipriano, the always busy woodwind player who soloed on tenor sax for Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot and recorded with everyone from Miles Davis, Rosemary Clooney and Frank Sinatra to Glen Campbell, Paul McCartney and Olivia Newton-John, has died. He was 94.
Cipriano died Nov. 12 of natural causes at his home in Studio City, his son Paul told The Hollywood Reporter.
Perhaps the most recorded woodwind player in show business history, Cipriano played soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass saxophones, all the clarinets and flutes, the oboe and bass oboe, the piccolo and the English horn.
Affectionally known as “Cip,” the session musician performed as a member of the Academy Awards Orchestra in the neighborhood of 60 times since 1958. (At the 1977 show, he exchanged “yo’s” with Barbra Streisand, who had just arrived at the podium after having won for “Evergreen.”)
Cipriano...
Gene Cipriano, the always busy woodwind player who soloed on tenor sax for Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot and recorded with everyone from Miles Davis, Rosemary Clooney and Frank Sinatra to Glen Campbell, Paul McCartney and Olivia Newton-John, has died. He was 94.
Cipriano died Nov. 12 of natural causes at his home in Studio City, his son Paul told The Hollywood Reporter.
Perhaps the most recorded woodwind player in show business history, Cipriano played soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass saxophones, all the clarinets and flutes, the oboe and bass oboe, the piccolo and the English horn.
Affectionally known as “Cip,” the session musician performed as a member of the Academy Awards Orchestra in the neighborhood of 60 times since 1958. (At the 1977 show, he exchanged “yo’s” with Barbra Streisand, who had just arrived at the podium after having won for “Evergreen.”)
Cipriano...
- 11/27/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actor / Filmmaker Alex Winter joins Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss movies featuring a cog in the machine – the individual struggling to exist within the system.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s Bill and Ted character power rankings
Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)
Bill And Ted Face The Music (2020)
The Game (1997)
Showbiz Kids (2020)
The Panama Papers (2018)
Zappa (2020)
200 Motels (1971)
Modern Times (1936)
Metropolis (1927) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Avatar (2009)
Things To Come (1936) – Jesus Trevino’s trailer commentary
M (1931)
M (1951)
The Last Laugh (1924) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Brazil (1985)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness
City Lights (1931)
Goin’ Down The Road (1970)
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Young And The Damned (1950)
Shock Corridor (1963) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
The Naked Kiss (1964)
Stroszek (1977)
Even Dwarves Started Small (1970)
Ikiru (1952) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s Bill and Ted character power rankings
Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)
Bill And Ted Face The Music (2020)
The Game (1997)
Showbiz Kids (2020)
The Panama Papers (2018)
Zappa (2020)
200 Motels (1971)
Modern Times (1936)
Metropolis (1927) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Avatar (2009)
Things To Come (1936) – Jesus Trevino’s trailer commentary
M (1931)
M (1951)
The Last Laugh (1924) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Brazil (1985)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness
City Lights (1931)
Goin’ Down The Road (1970)
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Young And The Damned (1950)
Shock Corridor (1963) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
The Naked Kiss (1964)
Stroszek (1977)
Even Dwarves Started Small (1970)
Ikiru (1952) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer...
- 10/11/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
By 1983, the original Star Wars trilogy had space-docked, and George Lucas began thinking about alternative entertainment delivery systems for the galaxy far, far away. His first TV movie, Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984), was such a hit with kids, ABC secured the rights to two animated series. Star Wars: Droids: The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3Po and its sister series The Ewoks and Droids Adventure Hour are set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. They were designed to capitalize on the characters’ popularity with children. The best way to start is with catchy tunes.
The subject came up when Copeland spoke with Den of Geek last year about Under the Volcano. Gracie Otto’s documentary is about Beatles producer George Martin’s Air Studios Montserrat, where Synchronicity sessions ultimately troubled the Police’s future. Copeland calls “Trouble Again,” the song he...
The subject came up when Copeland spoke with Den of Geek last year about Under the Volcano. Gracie Otto’s documentary is about Beatles producer George Martin’s Air Studios Montserrat, where Synchronicity sessions ultimately troubled the Police’s future. Copeland calls “Trouble Again,” the song he...
- 9/14/2022
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
In Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Al Yankovic (Daniel Radcliffe) is a curly-haired, awkward kid with no friends and no excitement in his life. Until one day when he ends up at a turnt-up polka party where he wows the party crowd by shredding on the accordion. His parents, Mary and Nick Yankovic (Julianne Nicholson and Toby Huss), disapprove of him playing, and his relationship with them becomes strained.
As he grows older, he moves away and lives with his four friends, who encourage him to find inspiration for his music after Al claims to love taking well-known songs and changing the words — thus making parody records. He records a song called “My Bologna” and sends it to the Captain Buffoon radio show. They love it and play it in heavy rotation, but not everyone is on board. He talks to record execs the Scotti Brothers, but his music and looks get trashed.
As he grows older, he moves away and lives with his four friends, who encourage him to find inspiration for his music after Al claims to love taking well-known songs and changing the words — thus making parody records. He records a song called “My Bologna” and sends it to the Captain Buffoon radio show. They love it and play it in heavy rotation, but not everyone is on board. He talks to record execs the Scotti Brothers, but his music and looks get trashed.
- 9/9/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Having rallied in recent months against censorship-advocating Republican politicians and the loss of abortion rights in America, Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider is going back to the past to spotlight our potential future.
The heavy metal lead singer has teamed with Magilla Entertainment for a documentary series about the efforts of Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center 37 years ago to excise so-called obscene music. Confounding all expectations, Snider appeared with Frank Zappa and John Denver before a Senate committee in 1985 and proved a compelling and insightful advocate for freedom of expression and creative license.
“To be in the crosshairs of this bipartisan attack on free speech caught me completely off guard,” Snider told Deadline. “All of my rock and roll dreams were finally coming true, and the Pmrc was trying to shut me up,” the “We’re Not Gonna Take It” singer added of the heyday of hair metal.
The heavy metal lead singer has teamed with Magilla Entertainment for a documentary series about the efforts of Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center 37 years ago to excise so-called obscene music. Confounding all expectations, Snider appeared with Frank Zappa and John Denver before a Senate committee in 1985 and proved a compelling and insightful advocate for freedom of expression and creative license.
“To be in the crosshairs of this bipartisan attack on free speech caught me completely off guard,” Snider told Deadline. “All of my rock and roll dreams were finally coming true, and the Pmrc was trying to shut me up,” the “We’re Not Gonna Take It” singer added of the heyday of hair metal.
- 8/26/2022
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
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