Jim Carrey Is The Walrus

What the...I...how...hmmm. Have you seen this clip of Jim Carrey (yes Jim Carrey) singing "I Am The Walrus" as George Martin produces and conducts a studio orchestra? The song is from Martin's 1998 album In My Life. It's...ummm... different to say the least. I don't recall ever hearing about this album, but a quick stop by Amazon reveals that, in addition to Carrey, it was loaded with guest performers such as:
• Bobby McFerrin ("Come Together")
• Goldie Hawn ("A Hard Day's Night")
• Jeff Beck ("A Day In The Life")
• Celine Dion ("Here, There & Everywhere")
• Vanessa-Mae ("Because")
• John Williams ("Here Comes The Sun")
• Billy Connolly ("Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite")
• George Martin ("The Pepperland Suite")
• Phil Collins ("Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End")
• George Martin ("Friends And Lovers")
• Sean Connery ("In My Life")

Normally these things leave me cold (if you remember the BeeGees Sargent Pepper fiasco you know what I mean), but I have to say this really isn't bad. It might be better if you listened to it rather than watch the video, unless you're a Carrey fan and don't mind his incessant mugging. But he does some interesting interpretations of the lyrics that I liked. And, knowing full well what he was up against, during the fade out he says, "There, I did it! I've defiled a timeless piece of art! For my next trick I'll paint a clown face on the Mona Lisa, while using the Shroud of Turin as a drop cloth!"

Sunday Soul: Be Without You

This single, from Mary J. Blige's 2005 album The Breakthrough ranks as one of my favorite songs of all time."Be Without You" reached number three on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, while peaking at number one on the R&B charts for a record-setting 15 consecutive weeks. That made it the most successful release in the history of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Take a listen. The haunting melody will stay with you, and you'll be blown away by the spectacular vocal and harmonies. Fellas tell your lady she's the one. Enjoy.

Listen to Mary J. Blige "Be Without You"

Adams Has (Another) Meltdown on Stage

(From AP) Ryan Adams pitched another fit for a Minneapolis audience, a few years after his last local meltdown.

Throughout a show Thursday night, the 32-year-old singer-guitarist complained about the sound monitors onstage at the State Theatre. At one point, he moved two monitors, his microphone and his guitar pedals.

After 70 minutes he'd had enough. Adams announced "the last song," played it and didn't return for an encore. Many fans stood and booed.

"I don't know what the story was," guitarist Neal Casal told the Star Tribune afterward. "I just play guitar."

In 2003, Adams gave a famously bad performance at First Avenue, a rambling two-hour show where he griped about the sound system, played several songs twice and lambasted local rock legend Paul Westerberg.

Saturday Smackdown: Samson

YouTube is the internet version of the American Idol auditions where you see some very good singers and many more who.... well, let's just say their ambition is greater than their talent. But, because YouTube makes video sharing so easy, everybody gets their 3:30 of fame.
Regina Spektor's "Samson" (from Songs, later redone for Begin to Hope) has to be one of the most covered songs on YouTube, with dozens of different versions. It's easy to see why: the piano part isn't that hard (even I can play it) and the vocal melody is in the ballpark for most voices. The YouTubers perform on piano, guitar, and even a capella. Some of the vocals are quite good, and some not so much, but they win points for even trying (because I don't think I'd have the nerve to do it myself). What surprised me was how many males took on the song. Here are some of the better versions.

Here's the original by Regina Spektor:


This version by maia4246 ids pretty good.


Here's another version by PussySugar, who may or may not be a Bond Girl:


Here's one of several versions by males. This is Thornton on guitar:


Blacklilly1704 performed the song in an adult vocal competition. She doesn't say whether she won, but it's a nice rendition.


PianoBea does a pretty good job with this version:


Another male version, this time by Matthew Luke Sandoval:


Elenaaaxx has a nice voice in this version:


This is a surprisingly good version by a guy named Prince Estaris:


Another good acoustic version by a guy named Jest who says it's "slightly weird a guy singing about a guy. Girls do covers that end up about girls singing abotu girls all the time though."


Finally, a female acoustic version by ockstarray:

Today in History: Hey Jude

On September 28, 1968, the Beatles’ “Hey Jude” hit number one on the US charts, where it stayed for nine weeks. It was on the charts for 19 weeks total, and has sold over 8 million copies. The song clocked in at more than 7 minutes, unusual for pop music at the time. The joke among disc jockeys at the time (back when deejays actually spun records) was that “Hey Jude” was the song you played when you needed to take a bathroom break. Frankly, I think it could have been better at a shorter run time—the fade out is longer than the actual song--but then the deejays would have to cross their legs.
"Hey Jude" is, in my opinion, not one of McCartney’s better lyrics because it doesn't seem to work all the way through. As he has said, it’s a message to then 5-year-old Julian Lennon to help him get through his parents’ divorce. That's okay for a few of the verses, but then it seems to be about... finding your love? Huh? And this line: “The movement you need is on your shoulder.” What does that even mean?
Anyway, there’s lots of trivia associated with this song. For example:
• In 1996, Julian Lennon paid £25,000 ($50,000 US today) for the recording notes to "Hey Jude" at an auction.
• In 2002, the original handwritten lyrics for the song were nearly auctioned off at Christie's in London, but Paul McCartney went to court to stop the auction, claiming the paper had been stolen. He won.
• Although written for Julian, John thought “Hey Jude” was about him instead (and many of the lyrics are, in fact, more geared to an adult than a child).
• Julian learned the real meaning behind the song for the first time from Paul in 1987 when the two ran into each other at a New York hotel.
• It was recorded over three days at Trident Studios, from July 29-31. Then on August 1, a 36-piece orchestra was added to the fade out.
• The recording includes an obscenity by John which made it to the final release. It’s buried deep in the mix, but listen closely right around the 3:00 minute mark and you’ll hear it. Singing harmony, John supposedly goofs his part and, nearly at the same moment as the word “begin,” you can hear him say “fuckin’ hell.” I’ve tweaked the EQ to remove most of the instruments on this clip so you can hear it for yourself.
• George does not appear on the record. He played lead guitar in several early takes of the song, but McCartney decided he didn’t want guitar in the final version. McCartney dubbed the bass part later.
• “Hey Jude" was performed just once live, on the British television show Frost on Sunday on September 8, 1968.
• George plays bass in this live performance.
• As a single, "Hey Jude" was backed by the rocker version of "Revolution" (the bluesy version appears on the White Album). Not counting later collections, neither song appeared on any Beatles album.
• 1968 seems to have been the year of long-playing singles. Besides “Hey Jude,” which ran for 7:08, Richard Harris's recording of “MacArthur Park,” came in at 7:29, and The Nice (Keith Emerson's band) had a UK hit with "America" which clocked in around 7:15.

Listen: The Beatles "Hey Jude" outtake from Anthology

Spector To Be Retried?

The judge in the Phil Spector murder trial ended the suspense of whether the jury would find him guilty or not by declaring a mistrial yesterday. That raises the likelihood that there will be a second trial and this thing will drag on and on and on. I can't blame the jury for being unable to reach a decision. From what I've heard of testimony in the trial, and from what I've read about Spector (check out Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector by Mick Brown) the guy had some anger and control issues that could have contributed to the scenario in which Lana Clarkson died. On the other hand, the defense introduced quite a bit of evidence to suggest that Clarkson was suicidal. Which side is right? I don't know, and I don't think I'd want to be on a panel deciding Spector's fate. The jurors have said this case had nothing to do with celebrity and there's no reason to doubt that. Frankly, "celebrity" is an odd word to be using with Spector who has been out of the spotlight for so many years that he's a mere shadow of what he once was. Spector's fame is based on work that largely took place before some of the jurors were even born, so they have no personal stake in who he is. There are just two people who know what really happened that night, and the one that isn't dead is hiding beneath a silly wig.

Chaka Khan Says Funk This

The inimitable Chaka Khan is back with a new album of cover songs and original material called Funk This that hit the stores yesterday. She puts her own twist on some classic tracks of the past, including Joni Mitchell's "Ladies Man," Prince's "Sign 'O' The Times," and Jimi Hendrix's "Castles Made of Sand." Michael McDonald, sounding grittier (for a change) and more soulful than he's ever sounded, duets on his "You Belong To Me," and Mary J. Blige joins in on "Disrepectful."
At 54, Khan still sounds as good as she did back in the days of Rufus. You can listen to the entire album at her website.

Track list: "Back In The Day," "Foolish Fool," "One for All Time," "Angel," "Will You Love Me?" "Castles Made of Sand," "Disrespectful," "Sign 'O' The Times," "Packed My Bags," "Ladies Man," "You Belong To Me," "Hail To The Wrong," and "Super Life."

Van Halen Ready For The Road

The almost original lineup of Van Halen is ready to hit the road for a tour after warming up last week in Los Angeles. This rehearsal video shows that Edward appears to be fit and healthy after his stint in rehab, and David Lee Roth is... well ... David Lee Roth as the band runs through "Everybody Wants Some." Wolfgang Van Halen is clearly capable of handling the bass lines formerly played by Michael Anthony, but as VH fans know, Anthony's real strength was as a backup vocalist hitting those high notes. It will be interesting to see how the group handles that. Also, will the set lists be limited to Roth-era songs or will they include later material (because I'm thinkin' Mr. Roth's vocals aren't remotely in the same league as Sammy Hagar's)? We'll know soon. Watch the video:

Some Dylan With Your Coffee Frappuccino

If you're a Starbucks customer, you're in luck.

News Release:

Starbucks plans to give away 50 million free digital songs to customers in all of its domestic coffee houses to promote a new wireless iTunes music service that's about to debut in select markets.

Here's the deal: Go to a Starbucks between Oct. 2 and Nov. 7 and get your morning Joe. You'll be handed a free "Song of the Day" card that can be redeemed at Apple's online iTunes Store.
Featured artists include Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Joss Stone, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Annie Lennox and Band of Horses. The first song will be Bob Dylan's "Joker Man."
At the iTunes price of .99 for each song, that's quite a chunk of change for Starbucks to be shelling out (although I'm pretty sure they get major discounting on the deal). Still, this is a generous promotion that may actually help boost sales for these artists.
I don't drink the stuff myself, but if I did, I'd be ordering my Tazo Iced Chai Latte with a side of Joss Stone.

Tuesday Trivia

Last week's questions (from Ken Jennings' quiz):

1. What band is named for a British government form for claiming unemployment benefits?
Answer: UB40

2. What unusual distinction is shared by all these famous people? Marc Bolan, Ray Bradbury, Jimmy Breslin, Albert Einstein, Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Imperioli, Quincy Jones, and Vladimir Nabokov.
Answer: All were famous, at some point, for never having learned to drive a car. This had unhappy consequences in a few cases, such as Bolan's death on September 16, 1977. Despite never learning to drive, he owned a number of vehicles, including a famed white Rolls Royce.


Today's question:

What unusual distinction is shared by these songs? "American Woman" by the Guess Who, "Glamorous" by Fergie, "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani, "I'm Back" by Eminem, "I'm Henery VIII I Am" by Herman's Hermits, "Lola" by the Kinks, "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats, and "Turn On Me" by the Shins.

Oops, She Did It Again.

It would be too easy to say that Britney Spears' car crash is a metaphor for her flailing career, but what the heck, I'll say it anyway. Prosecutors charged her with misdemeanor counts of hit and run and driving without a valid license last Friday after her car hit another in a parking lot in August. If convicted, she could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each count, according to a county spokesman. That seems to be a rather steep penalty for what really happened that day. Her car merely bumped the other, and little if any damage appears to have been done to either car. I can understand that it might be difficult to focus on the car ahead of you when you are surrounded by photographers snapping away and yelling your name. Still, driving without a valid license and leaving the scene are violations just about everywhere.
Here's the accident:

A Moment of Silence for Marcel Marceau

Marcel Marceau, perhaps the world's greatest mime, died Saturday. He was 84. His last words were, "....................................... ." Actually, as one might expect from a mime, he died quietly in his sleep.
What many people don't know is that sometime in the 1970s, when record labels could afford to do such things, Marceau released a limited run "Greatest Hits" album on the MGM label. The album consisted of 27 minutes (some say 40 minutes) of silence with applause at the end.

Bottom Biting Bug

There's a new hit song in Japan called "Oshiri Kajiri Mushi" (or in English, "Bottom Biting Bug"). It's a kids' song with silly lyrics about a bug that bites peoples bottoms... and something about how city bottoms are bitter. This weekend the song climbed number 8 on the Japanese charts.
The vocal performance sounds like a Japanese version of Alvin & the Chipmunks, or maybe Barnes & Barnes, whose legendary "Fish heads" song still sounds as weird today as it did when it was recorded. "Biting is important business" indeed.
See for yourself:



And for those of you that feel the need to sing aling, here are the lyrics:

Oshiri Kajiri Mushi (Bottom Biting Bug)
Oshiri Kajiri Mushi (Bottom Biting Bug)
Kajitte, kajitte (Biting, biting)
kajitte nanbo (biting is important)
kajitte nanbo no shoubai da (biting is important business)
Oshiri Kajiri Mushi (Bottom Biting Bug)
Oshiri Kajiri Mushi (Bottom Biting Bug)
Oshiri to Oshiri de (Bottom to bottom is)
oshiriai (getting to know someone)
Kaba to kaba to de (a hippo and a hippo are)
kabaiai (watching out for each other)
Oshiri Kajiri Mushi (Bottom Biting Bug)
Oshiri Kajiri Mushi (Bottom Biting Bug)
Chijinda oshiri wo kajiri mushi (Bugs that bite shrunken bottoms)
"Kajirarrechatte cho li kanji ("I got bitten and it felt awesome")
Oshiri Kajiri Mushi (Bottom Biting Bug)
Oshiri Kajiri Mushi (Bottom Biting Bug)
Tsumetai oshiri to (cold bottoms and)
katai oshiri to (hard bottoms and)
hekona oshiri to (caved in bottoms and)
shinabita oshiri (shriveled bottoms)
kyodai na oshiri wo kajiri mushi (Giant bottom biting bugs)
"Tokai no oshiri wa nigakatta..." ("Those city bottoms were bitter)
oshiri kajittarara (If you bite a bottom)
oshiri kajitterno (Even if you bite a bottom...)
Oshiri Kajiri Mushi ra ra ra ra (Bottom bitiing bugs la la la la.)
Kajitteru (Biting on...)
Oshiri kajiru toki (When you bite bottoms...)
Oshiri Kajiri Mushi (Bottom Biting Bugs)
Oshiri Kajiritai (I want to bite bottoms)
Oshiri Kajiri Mushi. Oshiri Kajiri Mushi (Bottom Biting Bugs)

Sunday Soul: Who’s Lovin’ You

This song was written by Smokey Robinson for his group the Miracles in 1960. Robinson was, and is, one of the finest songwriters who ever put pen to paper, but he is also blessed with a remarkable voice, and this tune gave him a chance to really stretch his vocal chops. As such it would become a showcase piece for all kinds of singers in ensuing years.
As with many Smokey Robinson-penned tunes of the time, “Who’s Lovin’ You” was also recorded by other artists in the Motown family, including the Temptations, whose lead singer David Ruffin offered a smoother, more controlled rendition than that of the Miracles on their album The Temptations Sing Smokey in 1965. It’s a great performance, but somehow lacking in the urgency suggested by the original. The Supremes and Brenda Holloway also recorded the song for the Motown label. Brenda and the Tabulations, a quartet from Philly with a puzzling name, released their take on the song 1967, and scored a modest hit. Brenda Payton’s clear voice is a pleasure to listen to, but the song isn’t that far removed from the Temptations’ version.
By this time, “Who’s Lovin’ You” had reached “standard status” in many artists’ repertoires, and served as a show-stopper for those vocalists who could take advantage of the song’s considerable room to improvise.
Of course, not every version of the song does it justice. In 1965 the British duo of Peter & Gordon included “Who’s Lovin’ You” on their album True Love Ways. Don't get me wrong--Peter & Gordon delivered many lasting great and hits in the 60s, but their take on “Who’s Lovin’ You” is a big miss. (You’ll find just a sample of it here—any more than that might be considered cruel and unusual punishment.)
The song was taken to a new level in 1969 when it was recorded by the Jackson Five and released as the B-side to the group’s first single “I Want You Back.” Talk about a debut! Between the infectious A-side and the knockout punch B-side, it was clear the Jackson family had a goldmine in their eighth child.
The Jackson's version of “Who’s Lovin’ You” is, in my book, the clear winner in this battle of covers. Michael Jackson sounds like he’s channeling the great gospel and blues singers of the past as he delivers the vocal with a level of soulfulness and feeling only hinted at in earlier versions. And remember--the kid is only 11 years old at the time of this recording!
Jackson’s rendition of the tune became the blueprint for other versions to follow, especially those by Terence Trent D'Arby (who has reinvented himself and these days goes by the name Sananda Maitreya) on his 1987 debut album Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, and by Perfect Blend on their 1996 Masterpiece album. For all their considerable vocal abilities, the two singers rely heavily on the Jacskon version (although the coda on D’Arby's version is pretty remarkable in it's own right).
En Vogue tacked an a capella first verse/chorus of "Who’s Lovin' You" onto the beginning of their "Hold On" debut single in 1990, but I would really love to have heard them do the entire thing.

Listen:

Smoky Robinson & the Miracles Who’s Lovin’ You

The Temptations Who’s Lovin’ You

Brenda and the Tabulations Who’s Lovin’ You

Peter & Gordon Who’s Lovin’ You (sample)

The Jackson Five Who’s Lovin’ You

Terrence Trent D’Arby Who’s Lovin’ You

Cover Connection: Sugar, Sugar

It's been called the “perfect pop song” and the “blueprint for Bubblegum,” but whatever you want to call it, "Sugar, Sugar" is a classic tune. It hit number one on this day in 1969 and stayed for four weeks. In England it hung on to the top spot for two months. Written by Jeff Barry (who produced The Monkees) and Andy Kim, the song was featured on The Archies cartoon show and very quickly climbed the charts.

Like the greatest of pop songs, "Sugar, Sugar" has hook chorus that you can’t get out of your mind once you hear it. (Don’t forget the “ba-ba-ba-ba ba-baa” part either.)

Sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you've got me wanting you.
Honey, ah sugar sugar
You are my candy girl
And you got me wanting you

I just can't believe the loveliness of loving you.
(I just can't believe it's true).
I just can't believe the wonder of this feeling too.
(I just can't believe it's true).

(chorus)

When I kissed you girl, I knew how sweet a kiss could be.
(I know how sweet a kiss can be)
Like the summer sunshine pour your sweetness over me.
(Pour your sweetness over me).

Oh (sugar) pour a little sugar on me honey
(honey honey) Pour a little sugar on me baby
I’m gonna make your life so sweet (Yeah Yeah Yeah.)
Pour a little sugar on me (oh yeah)
Pour a little sugar on me honey
Pour a little sugar on me baby
I’m gonna make your life so sweet (hey hey hey)
Pour a little sugar on me honey.

(chorus)

Some trivia about the song:
• The woman who sang Veronica's line (I'm gonna make your life so sweet) on The Archies' version was Toni Wine, a singer and songwriter who also gave us "A Groovy Kind of Love" and "Candida."
• Also helping out on background vocals was Ellie Greenwich, who wrote dozens of top 40 hits including The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and the Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron."
• The title of one of Def Leppard's most popular songs, "Pour Some Sugar On Me," was taken from the coda section of The Archies' hit.
• Archies lead singer Ron Dante was also lead singer of The Cufflinks who scored a top 10 hit with "Tracy." The Cufflinks were, like The Archies, a nonexistant group, with Dante singing all the vocal parts in the studio. When the song became a hit, a group was assembled (without Dante) to perform it live.

"Sugar, Sugar" has been covered by lots of people, including Tom Jones and Ike & Tina Turner. It also has appeared as a Latin tune by Banda Comala, as a Ska tune by Big Thomas, and as a standard addition to dozens of kid-song records.

But while I’ll always have a soft spot for the original Archies version, I think the best cover is Wilson Pickett's take on "Sugar, Sugar," released in 1970. Pickett scrapes off the bubblegum and sings the song with an R&B grind that gives a whole new meaning to “sugar.” The song was one of Pickett's last hits for Atlantic before leaving the label in 1972.

Listen to The Archies Sugar, Sugar

Listen to Wilson Pickett Sugar, Sugar

What Do You Listen to When You Work?

An article on Mental Floss magazine's website revisits the oft-debated question of whether listening to classical music can make you smarter.
The theory is better known as "The Mozart Effect" and has spawned a mini-industry of recordings and videos for parents to play for their infants in the hope s of boosting their intelligence. Sounds promising, doesn’t it? Enough so that educators and legislators jumped on the bandwagon in a big way.
According to the article, "in 1998 Georgia mandated that new mothers be given classical CDs, and not about to be left behind in the great Southern baby brain race, the same year Florida required day care centers to pipe symphonies through their speakers."
I'm all for the idea of exposing young children--and adults for that matter--to classical music. But I don't buy the idea that listening to it necessarily makes you smarter. Rather, I think listening to it helps one recognize patterns, themes and variations that can be applied to other instances. I believe playing chess or a video game, listening to jazz or even watching great films, no matter what the genre, can achieve the same effect. So it isn't that the music makes you smarter in a grade-point-average kind of way, but it helps you see relationships between things and how they work together. By that measure, honing those inherent skills could make you "smarter" in a different way. Call it “street smart” if you want. Other than that? Not so much.
But what I thought was most interesting about the article was the comment section that followed it, where the readers add their two cents about the music they listen to while working.
What's on their playlist? The answers include
• Techno/trance music (Thievery Corporation)
• Classical music
• Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here
• Radiohead (The Bends or OK Computer)
• Gaming FM (a station that played classic videogame soundtracks),
• Scottish music (Old Blind Dogs, Tannahill Weavers)
• Joshua Bell
• Complete silence
• TV on as background noise

Sex Pistols Say One More Time

The four original Sex Pistols will reunite to play a one-time concert November 8. John Lydon, Steve Jones, Paul Cook, and Glen Matlock are putting on the leather pants and safety pins one more time in honor of the 30th anniversary of Never Mind the Bollocks, their only album.
The group had gone through various names and lineups since 1972, with Jones and Cook always at its center. They finally emerged as the Sex Pistols in November 1975 at a gig that, legend has it, they never finished because they were thrown off stage. Within a year, however, they were playing large clubs and doing concert tours in Britain.
But this is where image and substance diverged for the Sex Pistols, as well as for numerous other bands of the era. Like their American counterparts the Ramones, beneath the contrivance of the rebel-against-everything attitude, the Sex Pistols were a decent band with a solid rock sensibilities. One need only listen to their first single “Anarchy in the U.K.” to understand that there was far more to the band than image. But they were always overshadowed by their antics onstage, in the press, and on television. The media ignored the music for the most part (except to catalog dirty words) and focused instead on how far the band would go to destroy all that was good and pure.
Matlock left (or was fired, depending on what story you believe) in early 1977, to be replaced on bass by Sid Vicious, who had previously played drums for Siouxsie & the Banshees (“Love in a Void”). Unfortunately, that move was a self-fulfilling prophecy, and marked the point where the Sex Pistols actually became what people feared they were. Vicious was hired not for his
bass-playing prowess—he had none—but for his look and his “punk sensibilities“ according to the group’s manager Malcolm McLaren.
Jones (and some say Matlock) played bass during the recording of Never Mind the Bollocks, but as a live act without a competent anchor on bass, the Sex Pistols quickly degenerated into a parody of punk.
They split in 1978 during a disastrous US tour. And, of course, Vicious died almost a year later of a heroin overdose. The original members regrouped briefly in 1996 and 2003, but all had moved on to other things (Lydon to Public Image Ltd. and now as a judge on Fuse TV’s Bodog Music's Battle Of The Bands, Cook to alt rock band Man-Raze with Def Leppard’s Phil Collen, and Jones to Los Anegeles radio as host of his own show Jonesy's Jukebox, on Indie 103.1 FM).

For old time's sake, here's Anarchy in the UK.

Tuesday Trivia

Last Tuesday I posted two music-related questions from Ken Jennings' weekly trivia quiz. Here they are again with the answers:

1. Who famously wrote the slogan "This machine kills fascists" on his guitar?

Answer: Woody Guthrie. Sometimes the phrase was scrawled, as in this photo, while on other guitars, it appeared as a more neatly written sticker.

2. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Billy Joel, Les Moonves, Demi Moore, Brigitte Nielsen, Kelly Ripa, Dennis Rodman, Salman Rushdie, and Seal.

Answer: They all have been married at some point to reality TV hosts (to wit: Katie Lee Joel, Julie Chen, Ashton Kutcher, Sylvester Stallone, Mark Consuelos, Carmen Electra, Padma Lakshmi, and Heidi Klum).

Didn't get that one either? Try your luck with these two from today's quiz:

1. What band is named for a British government form for claiming unemployment benefits?

2. What unusual distinction is shared by all these famous people? Marc Bolan, Ray Bradbury, Jimmy Breslin, Albert Einstein, Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Imperioli, Quincy Jones, and Vladimir Nabokov.

Answers next week.

One Hit Wonder: Play That Funky Music

It's September 18, 1976, and "Play That Funky Music" hits the charts and stays for three weeks, long enough to become ingrained in our cultural conciousness forever. Because even if you weren't alive back then, or know nothing else about the song, you probably know the chorus to this one:

Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right
Play that funky music white boy
Lay down the boogie and play that funky music till you die

The song was the only hit by a Pittsburgh rock band called Wild Cherry, led by singer and songwriter Rob Parissi. Named after a box of cough drops, the band had a rather unremarkable career in the early 1970s before breaking up. Parissi got a job managing a Bonanza steakhouse until he was overcome by the urge to get onstage once again.
But with disco music taking over the charts, the reformed Wild Cherry wasn't doing much better than its predecessor, until a fateful night in a club when they saw the direction their music would take.
"In the dressing room, I told the guys that we had to find a rock'n'roll way to play this disco stuff," Parissi said in an interview. "Our drummer said, 'Well, I guess it's like they say -- You gotta play that funky music, white boy.' I said, 'That's a great idea.' I grabbed a bar pad, the kind used to take down drink orders, and began to write."
The song itself is autobiographical, the tale of a rock band struggling to make it in a disco world until they add a funky beat to their music.

Now first it wasn't easy
Changin' Rock and Roll and minds
and things were getting shaky
I thought I'd have to leave it behind
But now its so much better (it's so much better)
I'm funking out in every way
But I'll never lose that feelin' (no I won't)
Of how I learned my lesson that day

To cement its new rock/funk direction Wild Cherry went into the studio to record a cover of a Commodores tune called "I Feel Sanctified," with"Play That Funky Music" planned as the B side of the disc. But their producer and label pushed for "Funky Music" to be the A side, and it soon took off. The song earned a number of honors for Wild Cherry: Billboard's Best Pop Group of the Year, an American Music Award for the Top R&B Single of the Year, as well as two Grammy nominations (Best New Vocal Group and Best R&B Performance by a Group or Duo).
But at its heart, "Play That Funky Music" was always a novelty song, and groups that score their first hits with novelty songs are rarely able to follow up and build a lasting career (Dexy's Midnight Runners and "Come On Eileen" being a case in point).
Despite the initial acclaim, the group never scored again. "After that, we started to overproduce our records, and that's probably why we never had another major hit," Parissi said. "A lot of that was my fault, striving to sound different. We cut our last album in February 1979 and then just kind of fell apart."
So, while the group is long gone, its one big hit is still with us and still getting airplay...and royalties for Parissi, I hope.

Just a taste: Play That Funky Music, Wild Cherry

Regina Spektor, Austin City Limits Music Festival

Regina Spektor did a set this afternoon at the live web cast of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. The performance was part of a three-day event, which today included Willy Mason, The National, Robert Earl Keen, DeVotchKa, Lucinda Williams, Ben Kweller, Nicole Atkins & The Sea, Ghostland Observatory, Bloc Party, and The Arcade Fire. Spektor was preceded by Grammy winning country-rocker Lucinda Williams who, despite some long pauses between songs, played to an enthusiastic audience. But Spektor's late afternoon set in beautiful 80 degree weather was, in a word, great. In a few more words, it was, as Barenaked Ladies say in "One Week," like Snickers, guaranteed to satisfy. The set was everything I hoped it would be. Spektor is as mesmerizing to watch as she is to listen to. It must also be said that she is one of those artists that you either love or scratch your head over thinking 'what on earth is this woman doing?' I'm a member of the first camp. Spektor can go from meek to wild to other-worldy in the trill of her voice. She can tease the audience with her lyrics or with a coy look, and she seems to be truly having a good time.
I first came across Regina Spektor's music via Hype Machine (if you don't know what that is, check the Hype Machine link in the right column). Her name kept popping up on blogs, so I had to check her out. The very first song I heard was not "Fidelity," or "Us," or even "Samson," from her 2002 Songs album, which is arguably the song by which she is most identified. No, the first song I heard was the quirky and compelling "Music Box," which was part of a five-song bonus disc distributed with Begin To Hope. I heard the song and played it again. And again. And again. I was totally taken by the voice and the lyrics, which included this great passage:

And then I fill the sink to the top with bubbles of soap
And then I set all the bottle caps I own afloat
And it's the greatest voyage in the history of plastic

Those lines, with their own bit of zen sense just got stuck in my head, and I was hooked. From there I had to check out her whole catalog, and the rest, as they say, is history (for me anyway).
So, when I say her live show was everything I hoped, I mean that all she needs is her unique voice and a piano or guitar (or on "Ain't No Cover," just the microphone, on which she taps the rhythm as she sings) to create magic. The audience clearly loves her and she really seemed to be enjoying herself, giggling and smiling throughout a great song set that included "Ain't No Cover," "Bobbing for Apples." "That Time," "Summer in the City," "Apres Moi," "Us," "Fidelity," and a cover version of John Lennon's "Real Love." She ended strong with "Samson," which seemed to have just about everyone in the crowd--male and female--singing along. And then, like all good things, it was over far too soon. The Austin City Limits Music Festival is tightly scheduled, with each artist getting just an hour to perform, but this crowd clearly wanted more. I did too, but I guess that will have to wait until the day I get to attend a Regina Spektor show in person.

Off topic, shameless plug

So there's a new blog traffic builder called BlogRush that looks like this. You'll see the live links in the lower right hand column of this page under the archives. If you have a blog, you might want to consider adding this to yours. Go here to get more info and sign up. Will it build traffic as they hope it will? Hard to say at this point, but if you are reading this, I suppose it works, eh?

A Real Blast From the Past

It's Sept. 15, 1967 and The Who are the musical guests on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour on CBS television. The lineup this evening includes actors Bette Davis and Mickey Rooney, as well as comedian and perennial presidential candidate Pat Paulsen, but viewers are tuned in to see this crazy band from England that smashes their instruments.
The Who, for better or worse, had become known for this onstage wreckage, precipitated by an episode in which guitarist Pete Townsend accidently snapped the neck of his guitar on a low club ceiling. The crowd at that gig went crazy, thinking it was part of the act, and Townsend, being no dummy, recognized a good gimmick when he saw one. The instrument-wrecking finale became an occasional part of the band's gigs, but not nearly as often as legend had it.
On the Smothers' program, however, they decided to make a real spectacle of it. Guitar amps were rigged with flash pots and smoke, and one of Keith Moon's bass drums was packed with a small explosive charge. The story goes that sometime before they went on stage, Moon the Loon bribed a stage hand to increase the amount explosives in the drum. The results are obvious at the end of this video. The band is clearly stunned by the blast. No one expected the explosion to be as intense as it was, blowing the front of his bass drum clean off, and spraying Townsend with shrapnel. Townsend, in fact, has said he blames that explosion for contributing to his severe hearing loss over the years. It was a spectacular finish to an otherwise not terribly exciting lip-sync effort, but it cemented the Who's reputation forever after.

What Makes Music Tick?

There's an interesting article called "Mapping Music" in the new issue of Harvard magazine. It describes the efforts of a Harvard researcher to determine mathematically and statistically why certain melodies and chord groupings are pleasing to the ear. It's well known that math and music go hand in hand (think octaves, triads, sevenths, etc.) and I've read elsewhere of research into the mathematic structures of Bach compositions. So it seems Dmitri Tymoczko (pronounced tim-OSS-ko) may be on the verge of uncovering some powerful truths not just about music, but about how our minds work. Here's a sample:

Humans seem to have an instinct for music. Certain songs have a quality that makes us want to tap our toes and sing along. We can’t quite say what makes good music, but we know it when we hear it. Sheet music, which tells musicians very precisely which notes to play and when, provides little clue to that mystical ingredient, but Dmitri Tymoczko ’91 has devised a new way to map music that aims to do just that.

(snip)

He envisions using the mapping system to help schoolchildren understand music. Other applications might include computer programs for composing and analyzing music, and maybe even the invention of new instruments whose design makes it easy to play pleasing compositions. He is less sanguine about applications for the recording industry. “It’s probably not going to tell you why one Britney Spears song sells and another one doesn’t,” he says, because most pop music songs already consist of familiar, pleasing chords rearranged in various pleasing orders. In other words, pop music producers have already figured out, intuitively, what Tymoczko’s mapping system shows.

Read the article online, or download a PDF of it.

Rolling Stone Magazine's Entire Archive On DVD

When I was but a lad, I read Rolling Stone religiously (my older sister had a subscription to it) and absorbed all that I could about that strange and exciting counterculture that barely touched my suburban Connecticut neighborhood. To this day I still remember many of the articles, especially the groundbreaking journalism of Hunter Thompson and others. (And I remember my parents' outrage when they saw the issue with the infamous photo a shirtless David Cassidy with a hint of "hair down there" on the cover.) We went our separate ways sometime in the late 80s/early 90s as the magazine started to become more mainstream with a heavy dose of fashion pages and (gasp!) ads from the US Army. I've been reading again over the last few years and can overlook those aspects of it because I'm happy to say that first-rate journalism still rules the day at RS. So now, as the magazine celebrates its anniversary, Bondi Digital Publishing is about to release the entire 40-year collection of Rolling Stone magazine on DVD next week. The archives will feature searchable digital editions of every page of every issue published, compatible on both Mac and PC platforms. That's over 1,000 issues, and more than 115,000 pages scanned and digitized exactly as they were in the print release.
The box set comes with a 200-page book about the history of RS, beginning with its storied early days as a tabloid (launched with a $7,500 investment) published out of a San Francisco loft.

Review: John Lennon's Jukebox

A couple years ago I saw a program called John Lennon's Jukebox, which gave a fascinating look into the musical roots of one of the most important singer/songwriters of our time. Since this was before I had TiVo, I thought the program was lost to me unless I happened to stumble upon it in a rerun.

Now, through the magic that is the internets, the program is available for viewing or download from Google videos here.

The story is that Lennon owned a portable jukebox that he carried with him on his early journeys--sort of a precursor to the iPod. In 1989 the jukebox turned up for auction at Christies. The lid to the jukebox features the playlist written in Lennon's hand. Lennon apparently purchased it in 1965, at a time when the Beatles were firmly entrenched in the American pop charts, and it includes some hits of the day like "Do You Believe in Magic" by the Lovin Spoonful. But the jukebox was also loaded with 45s of his favorite songs, many of which the Beatles themselves had recorded or which influenced them in some way. It 's clear from the playlist that Lennon had a fondness for American R&B records with tracks by James Ray, Wilson Pickett, The Miracles, and Otis Redding among others.

In voice-over commentary, Lennon explains the magic that the music held for him.
"I was just interested in the music and how to do it. How can I do that? Which is what I was doing studying the records. I studied the records: What are they saying? How are they doing it? How do they make this music? What is it that they're doing that excites me, that I want to do it?"

Lennon also comments on some of the songs in the playlist, although with no screen credits on this internet version of the video, the source of his commentary is unclear. For example, he mentions Richie Barrett's "Some Other Guy," and points out how the song's intro influenced his own "Instant Karma" years later.

Appearances by performers and songwriters whose work appears on the playlist make this video a gold mine for music history fans. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the writers behind so many hits of the era reminisce over some of their tracks included in the jukebox, while Gary US Bonds marvels that the Beatles even heard some of his early work, which wasn't getting airplay in the states. Bruce Channel and Delbert McClinton talk about how "Hey Baby" influenced Lennon's harmonica playing on "Love Me Do," and Bobby Parker tells how his guitar riff on "Watch Your Step" became the introduction to "I Feel Fine." John Sebastian also reveals how the Lovin' Spoonful's "Daydream' inspired "Good Day Sunshine." And, of course, Little Richard reminds everyone, once again, that he invented rock n' roll.

For the curious, here's the playlist that appears on John Lennon's jukebox:

Arthur Alexander: "You Better Move On" /"A Shot of Rhythm and Blues" 1961
The Animals: "Bring It on Home to Me"/"For Miss Caulker" 1965
Richie Barrett: "Some Other Guy" / "Tricky Dicky" 1962
Len Barry: "1, 2, 3" / "Bullseye" 1965
Fontella Bass: "Rescue Me" / "The Soul of a Man" 1965
Chuck Berry: "No Particular Place to Go" / "You Two" 1964
The Big Three: "Some Other Guy" / "Let True Love Begin" 1963
Gary US Bonds: "New Orleans" / "Please Forgive Me" 1960
Gary US Bonds: "Quarter to Three" / "Time Ole Story" 1961
Booker T. & the M.G.s: "Boot-leg" / "Outrage" 1965
Bruce Channel: "Hey! Baby" / "Dream Girl" 1962
The Contours: "First I Look at the Purse" / "Can You Do It?" 1965
Donovan: "Turquoise" / "Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)" 1965
Bob Dylan: "Positively 4th Street" / "From a Buick 6" 1965
Buddy Holly: "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" / "Slippin' and Slidin'" 1959
The Isley Brothers: "Twist and Shout" / "Spanish Twist" 1962
Little Richard: "Long Tall Sally" / "Slippin' and Slidin'" 1956
Little Richard: "Ooh! My Soul" / "True Fine Mama" 1958
The Lovin' Spoonful: "Daydream" / "Night Owl Blues" 1966
The Lovin' Spoonful: "Do You Believe in Magic" / "On the Road Again" 1965
Derek Martin: "Daddy Rollin' Stone" / "Don't Put Me Down Like This" 1963
Jimmy McCracklin: "The Walk" / "I'm to Blame" 1958
The Miracles: "Shop Around" / "Who's Lovin' You" 1960
The Miracles: "Ain't It Baby" / "The Only One I Love" 1961
The Miracles: "What's So Good About Goodbye?" / "I've Been Good to You" 1961
The Miracles: "The Tracks of My Tears" / "A Fork in the Road" 1965
Bobby Parker: "Watch Your Step" / "Steal Your Heart Away" 1961
Wilson Pickett: "In the Midnight Hour" / "I'm Not Tired" 1965
James Ray: "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody" / "It's Been a Drag" 1961
Otis Redding: "My Girl" / "Down in the Valley" 1965
Paul Revere & the Raiders: "Steppin' Out" / "Blue Fox" 1965
Timmy Shaw: "Gonna Send You Back to Georgia" / "I'm a Lonely Guy" 1963
Edwin Starr: "Agent Double-O Soul" / "Back Street" 1965
Barrett Strong: "Money (That's What I Want)" / "Oh I Apologize" 1959
Tommy Tucker: "Hi-Heel Sneakers" / "I Don't Want 'Cha" 1963
Gene Vincent: "Be-Bop-A-Lula" / "Woman Love" 1956
Larry Williams: "Short Fat Fannie" / "High School Dance" 1957
Larry Williams: "She Said, Yeah" / "Bad Boy" 1959

McCartney to Join Wilson on Stage?

Rumors are rampant that Paul McCartney will join Brian Wilson on stage for a duet his week during Wilson's London Festival Hall dates (see below).
The source for this story, Music-News.com, reports that the duet is a done deal, signaled by Wilson's inclusion of "She's Leaving Home" in his set.

But the oddest part of the story is this passage:
The pair had a good natured, if slightly fraught competition during the late 60s seeing if they could outdo the other's last album. "Sgt. Pepper's" was said to have been a contributing factor in Wilson's deteriorating mental health and original retirement.

Despite the fact that Wilson's problems actually surfaced rather early in his career, the supposed Beatle connection makes for some good theatre. But, just on the off chance that it's true, let's hope Wilson hasn't carried a grudge all these years.

Judges Joust Over Jackson's Jumblies?

I don't know what it means either.

Anyway, CBS is challenging a $550,000 fine issued by the FCC over Janet Jackson's Superbowl boob imbroglio. Three federal appeals judges will decide whether the 1-second glimpse of Jackson's barely covered breast was an accidental glitch or whether it permanently scarred the fragile psyche of America's impressionable youth, sending them into years of psychotherapy and creating a new generation of perverts and hookers... or something.

Joe Zawinul, Weather Report founder, dies at 75

Joe Zawinul, legendary jazz keyboardist, founder of pioneering fusion band Weather Report, and composer of one of my all time favorite tunes (Birdland) died today in an Austrian hospital. He was 75. During his career, Zawinul played on a number of seminal recordings, including the Miles Davis classics In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew.
His last performing band was the Zawinul Syndicate, with whom he had been on tour this year in Europe before seeking treatment for an undisclosed medical condition.

Tuesday Trivia

I subscribe to Ken "Jeopardy Champ" Jennings weekly trivia quiz (so I'm a dork) and he usually includes at least one music related question. Here's one from a few weeks ago as an example:

What unusual distinction is shared by these musical acts? The Clash, the Early November, George Harrison, the Magnetic Fields, Prince, Frank Sinatra, Smashing Pumpkins, and Frank Zappa.

To see the answer, highlight the next few lines with your cursor: All released triple albums--three-LP collections of new studio music, not live performances or compilations.

Here are two question from today's quiz:

1. Who famously wrote the slogan "This machine kills fascists" on his guitar?

2. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Billy Joel, Les Moonves, Demi Moore, Brigitte Nielsen, Kelly Ripa, Dennis Rodman, Salman Rushdie, and Seal.

Any ideas (without resorting to Google)? If not, we'll have to wait until next Tuesday to learn the answer.

BTW, if you are looking for a really interesting book, I highly recommend Jenning's Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs which you can find here or at your local library.

Wilson's new song cycle based on That Lucky Old Sun

Brian Wilson backed by his touring band, appeared on stage Monday night in London's Royal Festival Hall to showcase a new nine-song suite, based on the 1949 song "That Lucky Old Sun."
Wilson is just one of many artists to have covered the tune over the years. If you don't know the song, it's a great gospel-tinged lament for relief from the burdens of hard work:

Up in the mornin'
Out on the job
Work like the devil for my pay
But that lucky old sun got nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day.

I have versions of the song by Ray Charles (which I think is the best of the bunch) as well as Jerry Lee Lewis and even Tom Jones. It was also recorded by Frankie Lane, Louie Armstrong, and Vaughn Monroe among others. I recommend Charles' version which appears on his Ingedients in a Recipe for Soul.

Wilson's new version may not qualify as a true cover--maybe it's more of a tribute version--as "That Lucky Old Sun" apparently serves as the launching point for a new song cycle. According to NME.com, "Similar in style to his legendary album Smile... the songs, with lyrics by Scott Bennett and interspersed with narratives provided by Smile lyricist Van Dyke Parks, were a sentimental ode to Los Angeles and Wilson's past."

The 45-minute set closed with a cover of The Beatles' "She's Leaving Home," in honor of the 40th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper. Wilson also covered "Johnny B Goode" as well as several Beach Boys tunes.

Here's the full set list:

"Girl Don't Tell Me"
"Dance Dance Dance"
"Salt Lake City"
"Catch A Wave"
"Then I Kissed Her"
"In My Room"
"Do You Wanna Dance?"
"When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)"
"She Knows Me Too Well"
"I'd Love Just Once To See You"
"Do It Again"
"Please Let Me Wonder"
"California Girls"
"Sloop John B"
"Wouldn't It Be Nice"
"God Only Knows"
"Heroes And Villains"
"Good Vibrations"
That Lucky Old Sun: "Morning Beat"/"Good Kind Of Love"/"Forever You'll Be My Surfer Girl"/"Mexican Girl"/"California Role"/"Oxygen To The Brain"/"Midnight's Another Day"/"Going Home"/"Southern California"
"Johnny B Goode"
"I Get Around"
"Help Me Rhonda"
"Barbara Ann"
"Surfin" USA"
"Fun Fun Fun"
"She's Leaving Home"

Let's hope a recording of this show surfaces sometime soon.

Zeppelin to fly again?

Rolling Stone reports that Led Zeppelin has booked a press conference for Wednesday for a so far unspecified reason. Rumors are flying that the group will announce a reunion tour. Could be interesting. Can Robert plant still sing like he once did? I'm assuming John Bonham's son Jason would fill his dad's drum seat as he has in the past, but will John Paul Jones be included this time around? We'll have to wait and see.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Dear Britney,

I saved you some time and trouble by looking up the phrase "lip sync," because last night at the VMAs you clearly had no idea what it meant. The dictionary definition is: "to match lip movements with (recorded speech or singing)." Hope that helps.

As for your overall performance, I agree with 50 Cent and the WTF? look on his face.

Single + Ringtone = Ringle

A lyric in the Arctic Monkey's "A Certain Romance" says, "There's only music so that there's new ringtones." Seems they were on to something there. According to Billboard, the major labels are betting their money that what the public wants more than anything (like oh, say, good music) is ringtones. So they are getting ready to launch the "ringle," which combines the mostly defunct single format with ringtones. Each CD ringle will contain three songs--a current release, probably a remix of that tune, and perhaps a "B-side" release--along with one ringtone. "The idea," says Billboard, "is that if consumers in the digital age can download any tracks they want individually, why not let them buy singles in the store as well? It also enables stores to get involved in the ringtone phenomenon."

Video : Let's Get It On

It was 23 years ago today that Marvin Gaye's classic ode to erotic lust, "Let's Get It On," hit number one on the charts where it stayed for two weeks. Legend has it that, played at the correct volume, the song could turn women to jello, and could make even white guys like me appear sexy. Or maybe I'm just making that up. Anyway, the song became a classic, and the album of the same name became Gaye's biggest seller during his lifetime. Here's a clip of Gaye performing "Let's Get It On" live in Montreux in 1980.

Cover Connection: For No One

There are lots of times when the cover version of a song is far superior to the original version. Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt" is a good example. Even Trent Reznor concedes that Cash "made the song his own" (to borrow a phrase from Paula Abdul).
Another song where that applies is the Beatles' classic "For No One" from the Revolver album.
Frankly I always hated the song. I thought it was just a bit of Paul McCartney fluff, not far removed from the ghastly Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da as far as I was concerned. But then, years later I heard the song done by Ricke Lee Jones on her album It's Like This. It was a revelation. This was the way the song should have been done the first time.
McCartney's version of the song features a jaunty little melody and bouncy lyrics about... about the breakup of a relationship? Wha? A happy tune about such a dark time? Talk about a lyric/melody mismatch.
Jones, on the other hand, slows the song down and brings a level of emotion to the song that Sir Paul never approached. A good part of that is due to her vocals which are painful (and I mean that in a good way). When she sings, "And in her eyes you see nothing, no sign of love behind the tears, cried for no one, a love that should have lasted years," the pain of a love gone sour is there. Now it's one of my favorites.

Listen here:

For No One, The Beatles

For No One, Rickie Lee Jones

John Lennon: The Rolling Stone Interview

Rolling Stone has posted audio links to Jann Wenner's classic 1970 interview with John Lennon. This may the most in-depth and revealing interview Lennon ever gave. It's in five parts so give a listen.

You be the judge

So the trial of Phil Spector is winding down with deliberations to start Monday.
Spector's lawyer, Linda Kenney-Baden, completed her arguments Friday asking the jury to keep their objectivity and to not judge her client based on his appearance or whether they liked him. "We don't convict people in this country because we don't like them, because we don't like their hair or their clothes," she said.
I watched the closing arguments on Court TV yesterday and actually felt pity for Spector. The once powerful music mogul has been reduced to a shaky little weasel wearing ridiculous looking wigs. The Court TV anchor interviewed Spector's wife Rachelle and asked, "What's the deal with his hair?" (okay, maybe I'm paraphrasing) Rachelle wanted to know why the public was more focused on his hair than on his guilt or innocence. Maybe these pictures hold the answer... She claimed with a straight face that the hair on his head is real and is his. Mmm hmmm. Well, I guess technically it is made of real hair, and he has paid for it, so it's his. But come on Rachelle, Phil has been wearing wigs since the 60s.

Let's hope he makes her disappear

From MTV comes word that Britney Spears will open the network's Video Music Awards program tomorrow night with help from overly dramatic illusionist Criss Angel. Now I have two reasons not to watch.

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