Music – Page 4119 – 105.7 WDNY

Collaboration with Taylor Swift was only good thing about ‘CATS’ movie, says Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber

October 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber may have composed the CATS Broadway musical, but that doesn’t mean he enjoyed the movie version of it. There is one thing, however, that he does like about it — and it has everything to do with cat lover Taylor Swift.

Speaking with Variety, the 73-year-old British composer said being able to write the song “Beautiful Ghosts” with Taylor was the one good thing to come from the critically panned movie.

“It was one of the few enjoyable experiences [on the film],” Lloyd Webber admitted. “It was probably the enjoyable experience.”

The composer recalled what it was like to create the Golden Globe and Grammy-nominated song, revealing, “We sat around the piano, I played her a melody… It was a joy. She’s a real pro. Talk about being a pro.”

He also said Taylor was familiar with the source material, the T.S. Eliot poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. That led to the two exchanging a few inside jokes and bonding over their mutual appreciation of the British poet.

“One of the things I was quite intrigued by, she got to the essence of what T.S. Eliot was about,” Lloyd Webber continued. “It wasn’t just a lyric thrown together at all. I did enjoy working with her very, very, very much.”

Lloyd Webber has been vocal about his dislike of the CATS movie and criticized the film when speaking previously to The Sunday Times of London. “The problem with the film was that [director] Tom Hooper decided that he didn’t want anybody involved in it who was involved in the original show,” he bemoaned. “The whole thing was ridiculous.”

CATSs debuted to negative reviews in December 2019. The movie currently has a 20 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Britney Spears seemingly shades sister Jamie Lynn following her book announcement

October 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Fans believe Britney Spears has weighed in on sister Jamie Lynn Spears‘ upcoming memoir, Things I Should Have Said, which was announced Monday.

Jamie Lynn, 30, said she was inspired to “share my truth” after her daughter Maddie was involved in a near-fatal ATV incident in 2017. While the Zoey 101 star said the book was a way for her to open up about “my own mental health,” her publisher, Worthy Publishing, added she will also explore her “role as Britney’s kid sister.”

Now it appears big sister Britney has reacted to the announcement in a new Instagram post. The singer shared on Tuesday that she is “thinking of releasing a book next year” and turned to her fans for ideas because “I’m having issues coming up with a title.”

Britney, 39, presented two potential book titles that had fans buzzing because they seemed oddly specific.

The singer said she is mulling between the titles “‘S***, I really don’t know” and “I really care what people think,” which some fans felt are referencing Jamie Lynn.

That led to numerous fans suggesting a third potential title: “Things my sister shouldn’t have said.”

While Britney hasn’t referenced her little sister directly, her followers believe the timing and language of the pop star’s latest post is not a coincidence.

True or not, it’s not the first time Britney’s called out her baby sister. In July, she put her whole family on blast in two separate posts. In one post, since deleted, she called out those who didn’t help her privately but are supporting her publicly to “save face.” In the second, Britney referenced Jamie Lynn directly, writing, “I don’t like that my sister showed up at an awards show and performed MY SONGS to remixes !!!!!”

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Cardi B was gifted diamonds, furs and a new home in the Dominican Republic for her 29th birthday

October 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Cardi B celebrated her 29th birthday in style on Monday, but it was her presents that stole the show.

The “WAP” rapper was positively spoiled by husband Offset, who lavished her with diamonds and furs — according to Instagram story snaps from Entertainment Tonight — as well as a luxury home in the Dominican Republic.

Cardi gushed over her gift in an emotional Instagram post on Tuesday and shared a video tour of her brand-new crib, which boasts six bedrooms, a separate studio, seven full baths, one half bath, a rooftop infinity pool, a separate pool on the patio, and a breathtaking view of the ocean and surrounding greenery.

“I just can’t believe this! This was sooo amazing to me,” Cardi raved in the caption. “I [heart] you so much and I can’t wait for this hangover to go away so I can show you my full appreciation.”

The Grammy winner certainly turned it up at her dancehall dress code party and admitted she partied a little too hard. In a hilarious Twitter post on Tuesday, Cardi — who recently welcomed her second child — admitted that she does not have the same alcohol tolerance as before and struggled after taking just three shots of tequila on an empty stomach.

“Last night I was a bit disappointed in myself,” she remarked. “Thank god my girls held me down!… Baby I couldn’t hang.”

Cardi’s party was attended by A-listers such as Megan Thee Stallion, Normani, Shenseea, Lizzo and many others.

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“Home Sweet” for Russell is wife Kailey, son Remington, & maybe “a lot more Dickerson babies running around”

October 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Three summers ago, Russell Dickerson co-wrote his latest hit with Charles Kelley while on tour with Lady A and Darius Rucker. At the time, “Home Sweet” was simply Russell’s vision of his life with his wife Kailey.

Since then, it’s become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“Then, it was kind of like how I saw my life panning out, I guess,” Russell looks back. “Really, it just like came true. We moved into our new house, and probably a week later found out we were pregnant. And so literally we were sitting on boxes and looking at two pink lines.”

“It’s one of those things that you just can’t make up,” he reflects. “We went from our little house over in Nashville by the zoo, and then the song literally just kind of like, came true for us, like one of those things you speak into existence, I guess. And so it really has, yeah, it’s just like, come to life.”

The couple’s son, Remington, arrived in September of 2020, and Russell predicts there’s more to come — many more, in fact.

“My wife comes from a huge family,” he explains. “She’s the youngest of six. She has five older brothers, and then that oldest brother has seven kids, so there’s literally, I think, 15 grandkids on her side.”

“And so they come from a ginormous family,” Russell continues. “And so I just got a feeling that there’s gonna be a lot more Dickerson babies running around.”

“Home Sweet” is the second single from Russell’s Southern Symphony album, following the chart-topping “Love You Like I Used To.”

Old Friend: Paul Simon celebrates his 80th birthday today

October 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Paul Simon, one of the most important singer/songwriters of the rock music era, celebrates his 80th birthday today.

Simon came to fame in the mid-’60s as half of the legendary folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, and then launched a successful solo career in the early 1970s that has seen him incorporate jazz, African, Brazilian and Latin music influences into his pop-rock sound.

Paul’s melodic, intelligent and poetic songs helped make Simon & Garfunkel one of the most popular and celebrated music acts of the 1960s and early ’70s. The duo topped the Billboard Hot 100 three times, with “The Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson” and “Bridge over Troubled Water.” Simon won eight Grammy Awards for his work with Art Garfunkel, including a 1970 Album of the Year prize for Bridge over Troubled Water, and Record of the Year and Song of the Year honors for the title track.

Simon enjoyed similar success as a solo artist, winning 1975 and 1986 Album of the Year Grammys, respectively, for Still Crazy After All These Years and Graceland. The latter album was not only a huge commercial success, selling more than five million copies in the U.S. alone, it’s considered a critical high-water mark for Paul, who collaborated with South African musicians to create an infectious hybrid of world music and pop.

Simon has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, as a member of Simon & Garfunkel in 1990 and as a solo artist in 2001. Other accolades include induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982, being named MusiCares Person of the Year in 2001, receiving a Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, being awarded the first Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2007, and receiving Sweden’s prestigious Polar Music Prize in 2012.

Paul retired from touring in 2018, although he has continued to play select concerts that raise money for various charities he supports. Simon’s most recent album was 2018’s In the Blue Light, a collection of new versions of some of his favorite tunes from his back catalog, reimagined to incorporate jazz and classical influences.

New Asia box set ‘The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1,’ featuring five full concerts, due out in November

October 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

A new 10-CD box set titled The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1, featuring recordings of five concerts by Asia‘s original lineup from various years of the prog-rock supergroup’s career, will be released on November 26.

Two shows featured in the expansive collection took place during the band’s initial early-1980s heyday, while the other three concerts were recorded after the original lineup reunited during the 2000s.

The concerts were recorded in May 1982 at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, New York; in August 1983 at The Centrum in Worcester, Massachusetts; in March 2007 at the Credicard Hall in São Paulo, Brazil; in May 2008 at the International Forum in Tokyo; and in December 2010 at The Forum in London.

Asia’s classic lineup featured former King Crimson and UK singer/bassist John Wetton, longtime Yes guitarist Steve Howe, Emerson, Lake & Palmer drummer Carl Palmer and Buggles/Yes keyboardist Geoff Downes.

The original band recorded two albums, 1982’s Asia and 1983’s Alpha, before Howe exited the group. Wetton, Howe, Downes and Palmer reunited in 2006 to mark Asia’s 25th anniversary and the group went on to record three more albums together — 2008’s Phoenix, 2010’s Omega and 2012’s XXX — before Howe again left the band in 2013.

The concerts feature Asia playing its classic songs “Heat of the Moment,” “Only Time Will Tell” and “Don’t Cry,” while the post-2000 shows also include renditions of tunes by the members’ other famous groups, among them Yes’ “Roundabout,” King Crimson’s The Court of the Crimson King and The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.”

The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1 can be pre-ordered now. A digital album featuring 24 tracks from the box set also will be released on November 26.

Dionne Warwick not involved in biopic of late cousin Whitney Houston: “I want them to let Whitney rest in peace”

October 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Dionne Warwick is the subject of a new documentary, Don’t Make Me Over, but she says she’s not interested in being part of the upcoming I Wanna Dance with Somebody biopic about her late cousin, Whitney Houston.

The latter film is being produced by Clive Davis, who signed Warwick and Houston to Arista Records, but Dionne doesn’t want to be involved in the project, explaining to the Los Angeles Times, “I want them to let Whitney rest in peace. Leave her alone. Ten years [since she died] — it’s time to let her sleep.”

Meanwhile, Warwick, who recorded for Arista during the 1990s at the same time that Aretha Franklin was on the label, says she’s not a fan of the recent Respect biopic starring Jennifer Hudson as the late Queen of Soul.

“I knew Aretha from when we were teenagers, and there was a lot missing [from the movie],” she tells the L.A. Times. Dionne feels that the film focused too much on the negative aspect of Aretha’s career. “Some filmmakers feel that they’ve got to find something cruddy and ugly in an artist’s life,” Warwick comments. “Why?”

Now 80 years old, the six-time Grammy winner began her legendary career at the age of 22 in 1962 with the title tune of her documentary, the first of many hits written for her by the legendary songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Don’t Make Over premiered last month at the Toronto International Film Festival and was first runner-up for the People’s Choice Award for Documentaries.

For her latest project, Dionne recorded a duet with Chance the Rapper, “Nothing’s Impossible,” which will be released for Thanksgiving and will raise money to aid the homeless.

Thanks to “Cold Heart,” Elton John officially marks 50 years in the ‘Billboard’ Hot 100’s Top 40

October 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Happy Golden Anniversary to Elton John, who can now officially brag that he’s been scoring top 40 hits for 50 years.

“Cold Heart,” his Dua Lipa collaboration that’s a mashup of four of his past songs, has jumped from #36 to #32 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s the first time he’s been in the top 40 of the chart since “Written in the Stars,” his 1999 duet with LeAnn Rimes.

According to Billboard, that means Elton’s top 40 hits now span 50 years and 10 months — his first top 40 hit, “Your Song,” charted in December of 1970. Not including holiday songs, this is the longest span for any artist in Billboard history. Michael Jackson previously held the record at 46 years, eight months and three weeks.

Elton recently told Billboard that he credits “Dua Lipa’s popularity” with a lot of the song’s success, as well as the “brilliant” remix that the Australian dance act Pnau did in mashing up the songs. However, he notes, “I feel very, very content and happy that I’m relevant. I’ve always tried to be relevant.”

Billboard also points out the mind-blowing fact that the week in 1970 when Elton scored his first top 40 hit, the artists in the top five were Smokey Robinson, Santana, George Harrison, The Fifth Dimension and The Partridge Family. Now, it’s the likes of Drake, Justin Bieber, Lil Nas X and Ed Sheeran.

Duran Duran celebrating release of new album, ‘Future Past,’ next week with special streaming event

October 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Duran Duran will celebrate their 15th and latest studio album, Future Past, with a special virtual album-release event that will stream live on the Dreamstage.live platform at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 21, one day before the record hits stores.

The event will feature a live Q&A with Duran Duran’s members, during which they will share stories about their 40 years together as a band. The interview segment will be followed by the premiere of a new documentary titled Duran Duran: Alison Jackson’s Double Take, which gives a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the group’s music video for “Anniversary,” a recently released advance single from Future Past.

The “Anniversary” video was directed by Alison Jackson, an award-winning filmmaker, photographer and artist who explores the cult of celebrity while using celeb lookalikes.

The streaming event will replay at 8 p.m. ET on October 21, and then will be available on demand for 72 hours. Tickets can be purchased now at Dreamstage.live. Check out a trailer for the event on YouTube.

As previously reported, Future Past will be released on October 22 and includes guest appearances by Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, Swedish pop singer Tove Lo, German-born U.K. rapper Ivorian Doll, Japanese punk group CHAI and longtime David Bowie keyboardist Mike Garson.

Future Past was co-produced by Duran Duran with the legendary Giorgio Moroder and British DJ/producer Erol Alkan. You can pre-order it now.

Vanilla Fudge’s Mark Stein releasing debut solo album, ‘There’s a Light,’ in November; listen to lead single now

October 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Mark Stein, lead singer and keyboardist of the veteran psychedelic rock band Vanilla Fudge, will release his debut solo album, There’s a Light, on November 26.

Stein recorded the album during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was inspired by the health crisis and other issues the U.S. and the world have been facing — including social unrest, racial disparity and political conflicts — to put together collection of songs offering such themes as hope, unity and redemption.

“This is an album about hope, but at the same time, I had to sing about the dangers of division,” the 74-year-old musician notes. “When I started the newest collection of songs during the early weeks of the pandemic, it dawned on me that I had created an album with a theme. These songs are reflections of what the world is about now, and what we need to do to bring us together again.”

The album’s lead track, “We Are One,” has been released as an advance digital single, and a companion music video for the tune has premiered on YouTube. Stein says the song speaks of “unity and what I know our country and the world is capable of.”

There’s a Light also includes two classic covers tunes that reflect the album’s themes, renditions of The Temptations‘ “Ball of Confusion” and The Rascals‘ “People Got to Be Free,” and culminates with an emotional version of “America the Beautiful.”

There’s a Light can be pre-ordered on CD now at MerchBucket.com, and limited-edition bundles featuring a signed copy of the disc, as well as a Mark Stein T-shirt, bracelet and bandana, also can be purchased at the site.

Here’s the There’s a Light track list:

“We Are One”
“Ball of Confusion”
“We Are Survivors”
“Lyin'”
“Racism”
“All Lives Matter”
“Let’s Pray for Peace”
“People Got to Be Free”
“Break It Down”
“America the Beautiful”

+ More