Thursday, January 21, 2010

Music News & Notes

Ohbijou, Stars, Sigur Ros To Sing You To Sleep

Stars, Dala and Ohbijou's Casey Mecija are some of the many artists contributing to an upcoming charity album compilation entitled Sing Me To Sleep. The album will be released worldwide May 18 through American Laundromat Records.

A press release describes the album as a "whimsical collection of lullabies and non-lullabies covered by some of ALR's favorite indie artists, including Tanya Donelly, Dean & Britta, Say Hi, Telekinesis, The Real Tuesday Weld, Julie Peel, Sigur Ros, The Leisure Society, Stars and many more."

Songs include Stars covering The Smiths' "Asleep," while Mecija has a go at The Beatles' "Dear Prudence." Other songs include Dala performing "Dream A Little Dream" and Papercuts doing a cover of Don Henley's "Boys Of Summer." The album will also feature songs from films such as The Sound Of Music, The Muppet Movie and Breakfast At Tiffany's.

All proceeds from the album will be donated to The Valerie Fund, which provides support for health care for children with cancer and blood disorders.

A limited-edition first pressing CD will contain bonus tracks and the track list will vary depending on the version purchased (digital format and seven-inch blue vinyl version).

Here is the track list for Sing Me To Sleep:

Stars — "Asleep" (The Smiths)
Papercuts — "Boys Of Summer" (Don Henley)
Telekinesis — "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" (ELO)
Neil Halstead — "Cloudbusting" (Kate Bush)
Dala — "Dream A Little Dream Of Me"
Laura Gibson — "Edelweiss" (The Sound Of Music)
Coctails — "Gymnopedie No. 1" (Erik Satie)
Jenny Owen Youngs — "Have You Forgotten" (Red House Painters)
The Leisure Society — "Inchworm" (Hans Christian Andersen)
Sigur Ros — "Kafari" (available on bonus seven-inch vinyl only)
Say Hi — "Kiss Off" (Violent Femmes)
The Real Tuesday Weld — "Little Boxes" (Malvina Reynolds)
Dean & Britta — "Making Me Smile" (Jack Early)
Tanya Donelly — "Moon River" (Breakfast At Tiffany's)
Tanya Donelly — "Moon River (Blue Mix)" (Breakfast At Tiffany's) (on bonus seven-inch vinyl only)
The Rest — "Pure Imagination" (Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory)
Trespassers William — "Rainbow Connection" (The Muppet Movie)
Julie Peel with Field Mouse and Hailey Wojcik — "Strings That Tie To You" (Jon Brion)
Snowbird — "The North Wind Doth Blow"
The Abbasi Brothers — "The Sounds Of Silence" (Simon & Garfunkel)
O+S — "You And Your Sister" (This Mortal Coil)
Peter Broderick — "You Are My Sunshine"

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Michael Jackson To Get 3D Tribute At Grammy Awards

TV viewers will be able to watch a special 3D tribute to Michael Jackson at the Grammy Awards later this month.

The mini-movie, featuring the late singer's hit 'Earth Song', was originally recorded for his ill-fated comeback gigs in London last summer.

"It was one of the most important portions of the concert tour to Michael and when Michael saw the film for the first time at his last rehearsal, there were tears in his eyes," Ken Ehrlich, co-executive producer of the Grammys, said.

Viewers will have to wear special 3D glasses to watch the footage, which also appeared in the recent Jackson documentary, This Is It.

The 52nd Grammy awards take place on January 31.

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Rihanna Covers Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” for Haiti Relief

Rihanna sang a cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” on The Oprah Winfrey Show today and dedicated the performance to all those suffering as a result of the earthquake that struck Haiti last week. Audio of the cover was made available for download immediately on RihannaNow and Oprah.com. All artist, publishing and label proceeds from the track will benefit Haiti relief efforts like Red Cross, UNICEF, Oxfam America and Partners In Health. The track is also available through iTunes.

This Date In Music History-January 21

Birthdays:

Richie Havens (1941)

Placido Domingo (1941)

Mac Davis (1942)

Jim Ibbotson - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1947)

Billy Ocean (1950)

Rob Brill - Berlin (1956)

Anita Baker (1958)

Jam Master Jay - Run-DMC (1965)

Chris Kilmore - Incubus (1973)

Emma Bunton - Baby Spice - Spice Girls (1976)

Rick Ross - Chandler Broz -1977

Nokio - Dru Hill (1979)

Benjamin Moody - Evanescence (1980)


They Are Missed:

New Orleans blues singer and guitarist Snooks Eaglin was born in 1936 (died February 18, 2009).

Soul singer Jackie Wilson died in 1984 (age 49). Wilson suffered a massive heart attack while playing a Dick Clark show at the Latin Casino in New Jersey on September 29, 1975, falling head-first to the stage while singing "Lonely Teardrops" and had remained in a coma until his death 8 years later.



In 1989, Steve Wahrer, the drummer who helped lift the Trashmen and their hit single "Surfin' Bird" to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964, dies in Robbinsdale, Minnesota of throat cancer.

Born today in 1939, DJ Wolfman Jack. Master of ceremonies for the rock 'n' roll generation of the '60s on radio, and later on television during the '70s. Died of a heart attack 1/7/95.

Cannibal and the Headhunters lead singer Francisco Garcia died in 1996 (age 49).

In 1997, 'Colonel' Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager and agent died of a stroke in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 87. Born Andreas van Kuijk, a Dutch immigrant who changed his name as soon as he arrived in the US, Parker never applied for a green card and feared deportation his entire life. He briefly managed country singers Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow.

Songwriter Jesse Levine died of kidney failure in 1997 (age 58). Co-wrote, "Knock Three Times" and "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" both US & UK #1 hits for Dawn in the early 70's.

Born today in 1965, Jam Master Jay, (Jason Mizell) Run-DMC. Murdered by an assassin's single bullet on 10/30/02.

In 2002, singer and actress Peggy Lee died of complications from diabetes and a heart attack at the age of 81. Worked with Benny Goodman, Randy Newman, Quincy Jones.

Born on this day in 1942, Edwin Starr, singer, 1970 #1 hit "War." Starr died on 2nd April 2, 2003 (age 61).


History:

Chess released Chuck Berry's "Maybelline" and Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley" in 1955. Diddley's single was released on Chess Record's subsidiary label, Checker.

In 1957, Elvis Presley began work on his second film, Loving You. The soundtrack contains "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear."

In 1957, Patsy Cline won "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" program, singing "Walking After Midnight."

Singer Jackie Wilson, whose most recent hit is "My Heart Belongs to Only You," appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1962.

In 1965, over 3,000 screaming fans met The Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison at Sydney Airport when they arrived for a 16 date of tour in Australia and New Zealand.

Also in 1965, the Animals had to cancel a show at New York's Apollo Theater after the US Immigration Department, continued its crackdown on UK bands, forces the group to leave the theater. Their only New York appearance is on the "Ed Sullivan Show."

The Byrds recorded "Mr. Tambourine Man" in 1965. It was produced by Doris Day's son Terry Melcher.

Beatle George Harrison marries his longtime girlfriend, fashion model Patti Boyd in 1966. The two met on the set of the Beatles' first movie, "A Hard Day's Night." She leaves Harrison in the mid-'70s to shack up with neighbor Eric Clapton who would write the song "Layla" about her and who she would marry in May 1979.

Jimi Hendrix recorded his version of the Bob Dylan song "All Along the Watchtower" at Olympic Studios in London in 1968. Rolling Stone Brain Jones and Dave Mason from Traffic both played on the session.



Elvis Presley's last film 'Change Of Habit' was released in 1970.

In 1978, the soundtrack album 'Saturday Night Fever' started a 24 week run at #1 on the US album charts, it went on to sell over 30 million copies world wide, making it the best selling soundtrack album of all time.

In 1982, Blues guitar giant B.B. King donatesd his entire record collection (including about 7,000 rare blues records) to the University of Mississippi's Center for the Study of Southern Culture.

Yes started a two-week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1984 with "Owner Of A Lonely Heart."

"Nobody Told Me," by John Lennon, from the posthumously released 'Milk and Honey' album, cracked the Top Forty in 1984. It will peak at #5 and be the last of 13 charting singles by Lennon spanning 15 years.



Leonard Chess, the Coasters, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley, Aretha Franklin, Ahmet Ertegun, Marvin Gaye, Bill Haley, Louis Jordan, B.B. King, Leiber and Stoller, Clyde McPhatter, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Smokey Robinson, Big Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, Jery Wexler, Hank Williams and Jackie Wilson were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1987. The Coasters became the first vocal group to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Bobby Brown went to #1 on the US album chart in 1989 with "Don't Be Cruel."

Phil Collins scored his seventh US #1 single in 1989 with "Two Hearts."

MTV's very successful "Unplugged" show makes its debut in 1990, with Squeeze as the first performers.

Former lead singer of boy band B2K, Omarion was at #1 on the US album chart in 2007 with "21," the R&B singers second US #1 album.