Springsteen, Gabriel Snag Golden Globes Noms

Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Miley Cyrus and Beyonce Knowles are among the music-related nominees for the 2009 Golden Globe awards. The ceremony will be broadcast live Jan. 11 on NBC.

Springsteen was nominated in the best original song category for “The Wrestler” from the feature film of the same name. Knowles got a nod as a co-writer on “Once in a Lifetime” from “Cadillac Records.” The song’s other writers are Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring and Jody Street.

Peter Gabriel was recognized for “Down to Earth” from “Wall-E.” The music was co-written with Thomas Newman. Cyrus and co-writer Jeffrey Steele are nominated for “I Thought I Lost You” from “Bolt.” The category was completed by the title song to “Gran Torino,” whose writer credits include Clint Eastwood, Kyle Eastwood, Jamie Cullum and Michael Stevens.

Eastwood is also nominated for his original score for “Changeling,” where he’s up against James Newton Howard (“Defiance”), A.R. Rahman (“Slumdog Millionaire”), Hans Zimmer (“Frost/Nixon”) and Alexandre Desplat (“The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button”).

In the best picture — musical or comedy category, Universal Pictures’ “Mamma Mia!” was among the nominees. The ABBA-themed film’s star Meryl Streep was also nominated for best performance by an actress in a motion picture — comedy or musical.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/springsteen-gabriel-snag-golden-globes-noms-1003921905.story

Getting in tune with Oscar

FINDING music worthy of an original song nomination wasn’t much of a challenge in the past two years. As evidence, three selections from Enchanted were nominated in 2008 and three from Dreamgirls in 2007. But in June, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences altered the rules, allowing only two songs per film to be nominated, thereby ensuring that voters will have to dig – at least a little. And that might be harder than it sounds. This year hasn’t produced an Eddie Vedder-penned soundtrack (Into The Wild) or a bevy of light pop tunes from singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche (Dan In Real Life). That’s not to say some front-runners haven’t emerged. Here is a look at some of 2008’s notable film songs.
THE FAVOURITE
Bruce Springsteen’s The Wrestler. Already a critical sensation in the US (it opens in Australia on January 15), Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler scored, perhaps, the ultimate music coup. There is no doubting Springsteen’s appeal to academy voters – he won for Streets Of Philadelphia in 1993. With The Wrestler, Springsteen contrasts plaintive guitar strumming with prideful, street-tough lyrics. It’s full of simple but evocative imagery – one-legged dogs and broken bones illustrate the survival tale.
THE POP STAR
Mariah Carey’s Right To Dream. In need of a guitarist for Right To Dream, Carey aimed high, going straight to country legend Willie Nelson. Written for Tennessee, in which Carey plays an aspiring singer, Right To Dream is restrained elegance, with some light, finger-picked guitar flourishes and a dash of late-night soul. “I was humming different melodies while I was on the set and stuff,” Carey says. “I was just thinking that Willie Nelson would be somebody fabulous to collaborate with. I reached out to him, and we met after one of his concerts.”
THE ONE WITH BUZZ
M.I.A. and A. R. Rahman’s O … Saya. Early in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire (opening on Boxing Day), O … Saya sets the tone, its kinetic rhythms giving way to a more traditional Eastern chant – a chant that soon becomes digitally enhanced. Random urban noises become part of the music, and electronic effects skitter around the beats. When the vocals from M.I.A. arrive, she sings soft and fast – the sound of someone on the run, but not wanting to attract too much attention. “A.R. was the most amazing producer,” M.I.A. says of the collaboration. “He works with 100-people orchestras, and his sound is huge. Then on the other end of the room was me, making music on [a laptop], just playing Danny really gritty, badly recorded MP3s.”
THE CROWD PLEASER
Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman’s Down To Earth. The spacey sound effects of this Wall-E cut were lifted directly from Newman’s score. That was director Andrew Stanton’s directive, Newman says. “Andrew was interested in having me bring some of the music I had used in the movie to Peter, so it wouldn’t appear to just be a left turn,” he says. But the futuristic sheen that underlies the cut received a wallop of warmth from Gabriel’s vocals, as well as the grand, gospel finale, courtesy of South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir. It’s largely a pair of keyboards that comprise the instrumentals, but the textures are deep enough for an orchestra. It’s all a bit out of this world.

Los Angeles Times

http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/music/getting-in-tune-with-oscar/2008/12/10/1228584927310.html

The Closing Bell
Wednesday, Dec 10, 2008 5:18PM
Wrapping up the Hump Day extravaganza we have new dates for Ani DiFranco, Rodney Carrington, Peter Gabriel and Eagles, and links to items about Busta Rhymes apologizing, Ricky Martin’s “spiritual moment,” Canadians bracing for a big hike in blank CD prices and artists embracing advertising as a way to reach audiences.

Overnight Sensation …
Reading the following items scheduled to post during the next 18 hours will make you laugh, cry, smile and frown. But more importantly, your reading these items will up the number of impressions we give to our advertising clients.

Kweller Gears Up – Ben Kweller hits the road in February to support his upcoming release, Changing Horses.

Braxton’s Tumor Scare – Toni Braxton says the reason she sat out the recent “Dancing With The Stars” is because she had a benign lump removed from her breast.

Link-O-Rama …

Busta Rhymes apologizes to Arabs over his song “Arab Money” – The National, United Arab Emirates

They used to call placing music in advertising “selling out,” but today’s musicians realize it’s a way to get people to listen to them – National Post

Canadians brace for a big hike in blank CD prices, thanks to a boost in that country’s “The Private Copying Tariff ” – CBC News

Ricky Martin calls fatherhood a “spiritual moment” – Associated Press

Dates, Dates & More Dates … 

Ani DiFranco updates this afternoon with new listings for March. Stops on Ms. DiFranco’s touring calendar now include the 3rd in Wilmington, Delaware, at Grand Opera House; the 9th in Roanoke, Virginia, at Jefferson Center; the 13th & 14th in Asheville, North Carolina, at The Orange Peel and the 22nd in Tallahassee, Florida, at The Moon.

It’s Eagles in Europe in 2009. New dates for the band include June 1 in Bergen, Norway, at Koengen; June 7 in Berlin at O2 World; June 10 in Vienna at Wiener Stadthalle and June 15 in Munich at Olympiahalle.

Funny guy Rodney Carrington adds new stops for the first half of 2009. Details include March 27 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, at ASU Convocation Center; April 26 in Waco, Texas, at Zack & Jim’s Hog Creek Icehouse; May 8 in Syracuse, New York, at Landmark Theatre and June 12 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at MGM Grand Hollywood Theatre.


And we have two dates for Peter Gabriel in Mexico – March 27 in Mexico City at Foro Sol / Autodromo Hernandez Rodriguez, and March 29 in Guadalajara at Arena VFG.


During the day we also updated the schedules for Pansy Division, Monte Montgomery, Mustard’s Retreat, NOFX, Lonestar, Loretta Lynn, John Gorka, Heart, Graham Parker, Everlast, Danko Jones, Children Of Bodom, Buckcherry, Big & Rich, Bette Midler, Avenged Sevenfold, Andrew Bird, plus thousands of bands and artists we’d love to list in this space, however our therapist says we need to move past this compulsion to list thousands of bands and artists.

That wraps up today’s adventure in concert data. Thank you for your support and we hope we’ll see your face looking at our place on the Web tomorrow. G’night! 


http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=12149

Unveiling Britain’s ‘Secret’

By John Latchem | Posted: 05 Dec 2008
jlatchem@questex.com

Sometimes the performance is its own reward. For years, the top names in British comedy and music have teamed to stage semi-annual shows to benefit Amnesty International. The results often yield classic performances and unexpected laughs.
Shout! Factory will release five of these vintage specials on DVD Jan. 27, 2009, (prebook Dec. 23) as the three-DVD set The Secret Policeman’s Balls at $39.99.
The Amnesty shows began in 1976 with a three-day festival known as A Poke in the Eye (With a Sharp Stick).
“John Cleese called some friends to perform for three nights to benefit Amnesty International,” said Jordan Fields, director of acquisitions for Shout! Factory. “It was a fantastic experience that grew to a larger series over the years.”
The stage shows were then edited into 90-minute television specials. The early specials also were released theatrically and on VHS. The first benefit show was edited into a special called Pleasure at Her Majesty’s. This was followed by The Mermaid Frolics in 1977, and The Secret Policeman’s Ball in 1979.
“At the time I believe Amnesty was not well known,” Fields said. “The public awareness grew in no small part to the success of these stage shows and this collection of talent doing these shows for this wonderful organization that fights for human rights.”
The Secret Policeman’s Balls includes Pleasure at Her Majesty’s and The Secret Policeman’s Ball, plus 1981’s The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball, 1987’s The Secret Policeman’s Third Ball and 1989’s The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball.
“These are the vintage shows that are most familiar to North American audiences,” Fields said. “The more recent shows use exclusively British talent that many American audiences wouldn’t know.”
Fields said footage had been taken out of Pleasure at Her Majesty’s over the years, so Shout! Factory reconstructed the special for the DVD.
The DVDs include comedy performances by Monty Python members John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin; Beyond the Fringe members Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller; plus individual talent such as Rowan Atkinson (“Mr. Bean, “Black Adder”); a pre-“House” Hugh Laurie; and Jennifer Saunders of “Absolutely Fabulous.”
“You get to see mentors perform with their protégés,” Fields said. “John Cleese performs with Peter Cook, then later with Rowan Atkinson. You see the torch being passed.”
Not to be outdone is the assemblage of musical talent, Fields said.
“The remarkable music performances are the other side of the story,” Fields said. “This is really the beginning of the unplugged phenomenon.”
Included are musical performances from Pete Townshend, Sting, Phil Collins, Bob Geldof, Peter Gabriel, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, Kate Bush and Joan Armatrading, plus rare duets from Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, and Mark Knopfler and Chet Atkins.
“These are raw, intimate performances people will really enjoy,” Fields said.
For fans of these performers, the DVDs offer some valuable historical insights, according to Fields.
“For people familiar with these performers, to watch them in this setting is a revelation,” Fields said. “You see them perform with silly abandon. There’s a pure joy for what they are doing. They are genuinely spirited about the way they’re contributing to this cause.”
Fields said that as a Monty Python fan, he was especially excited to work on these DVDs.
“It’s not easy to find footage of Monty Python in their vintage years doing their classic sketches in live settings,” Fields said. “It’s really funny to watch them crack each other up.”
The set also includes the 2004 BBC documentary Remember The Secret Policeman’s Ball, which celebrates the third Amnesty show’s 25th anniversary.
The DVD also includes rare performances from other shows not included in the set, such as The Mermaid Frolics, and introductions and commentaries from executive producer Martin Lewis, who also provided the liner notes.
Fields said Shout! Factory is also planning a separate single-DVD release of the best comedy performance from the specials on the DVD set, and a single-DVD of the best musical performances.

http://homemediamagazine.com/tv-dvd/unveiling-britains-secret-14017