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  • 1 Dreamgirls Story a Supreme Showcase for Beyonce'

    • News
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 11/09/2006

    Dreamgirls is the unofficial fantasy story about how Diana Ross and the Supremes made musical and cultural history. The Tony Award winning Broadway play, first introduced 25 years ago, finally comes to the silver screen this December after nearly a year of anticipation. Three female singers go from rags to riches in the Dreamgirls saga. Beyonce' plays singer Deena Jones. American Idol ingenue Jennifer Hudson is cast as Effie White of the Dreamettes. Cast members include: Jamie Foxx Eddie Murphy Danny Glover Four new original songs will be included on the Dreamgirls movie soundtrack. We've been playing one of them, "Listen," from Beyonce's new CD "B'Day," for about a month on Powerhouse Radio. It's the bonus track on the Beyonce' CD that's not even listed in the liner notes. Tuesday, November 14th, "Listen" is scheduled to be released as a Dreamgirls song. Some of the other songs on the soundtrack CD: "Love You I Do," Jennifer Hudson "One Night Only," Beyonce? "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," Jennifer Hudson "Dreamgirls," Beyonce', Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose "Steppin' to the Bad Side," Jamie Foxx "Fake Your Way to the Top," Eddie Murphy, Beyonce', Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose "Move (You're Steppin' on My Heart)," Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce' and Anika Noni Rose "Family," Jamie Foxx and Keith Robinson "I Am Changing," Jennifer Hudson "Cadillac Car," Eddie Murphy "I Meant You No Harm" Eddie Murphy "Heavy," Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce' and Anika Noni Rose "Hard To Say Goodbye My Love," Beyonce', Sharon Leal and Anika Noni Rose You'll have to wait until December 25th to see the movie. If there are any Oscar performances here, Dreamgirls will get in just under the wire for consideration. A film must be released on or before December 31st to be in the running for a 2006 Academy Award. "Dreamgirls," the CD soundtrack, is scheduled for release on Tuesday, December 5th. By the way, Diana Ross is back in the musical spotlight with her new Fall 2006 CD "I Love You." The divine diva has the magic of longevity. Now that's a dream come true. Previous Post | Next Post

  • 0 Prince Captures Rio in Las Vegas

    • News
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 11/07/2006

    Prince loves Las Vegas. He's back this weekend to musically kiss the city and perform at the 3121 Club, inside of the Rio Hotel. Don't look for controversy when Prince sexy dances into the glamorous Vegas spotlight. In 2003, he played the Aladdin, the Arabian themed hotel, to rave reviews. At the 3121 Club, Prince is scheduled to perform November 10th and 11th, and every weekend until further notice. Let's Go Crazy. Tickets are priced at $125 a piece. That's a lot of Benjamin's on Alphabet Street. Big bankrolls will pop when the party doves cry joyful tears of purple rain. Look for Wednesday night guest concerts from other artists at 3121 hosted by Prince. I'll resist the temptation to mention any more Prince songs. How many did you count? Viva Las Vegas! Previous Post | Next Post

  • 0 George Benson and Al Jarreau are Trading Places

    • News
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 10/26/2006

    George Benson and Al Jarreau have gathered their friends together to offer us a brand new release, "Givin' It Up." According to the Concord Music Group, the 13 song collection features George or Al on a new arrangement of the other's biggest hits. Jarreau adds lyrics to and sings Benson's signature instrumental "Breezin'," while the legendary jazz guitarist delivers a nice instrumental version of Al's wake-up hit "Mornin'." "Givin' It Up" also includes versions of Seals and Crofts' "Summer Breeze" and Hall and Oates' (and Paul Young's) "Every Time You Go Away." The tracks were recorded between April and June, 2006. Paul McCartney dropped in to join Benson and Jarreau on an impromptu cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring it on Home to Me." Jill Scott performs Billie Holiday's timeless "God Bless the Child." Also included is an instrumental take on John Legend's Grammy Award-winning R&B hit, "Ordinary People." Patti Austin, Patrice Rushen, Herbie Hancock, and Stanley Clarke also appear on the album. It sounds like "Givin' It Up" has the sonic star power to appeal to a wide audience. Previous Post | Next Post

  • 0 Dionne Warwick and Girl Friends Sing Fresh Duets

    • News
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 10/13/2006

    Dionne Warwick continues her 2006 celebration of 45 years in show business with a new all-star female duet collection featuring those most memorable Burt Bacharach - Hal David hits. Together with Dionne on "My Friends and Me" are: Gladys Knight Olivia Newton-John Kelis Gloria Estefan Mya Angie Stone Cyndi Lauper Reba McEntire Da Brat Celia Cruz Chante Moore Wynonna Judd Cheyenne Elliott Lisa Tucker Deborah Cox Gladys Knight joins Ms. Warwick for a powerful reading of "I'll Never Love This Way Again." Olivia Newton-John and Dionne do a bouncy interpretation of "Wishin' and Hopin'." Contemporary R&B maven Mya does "Close to You" duet style. Kelis jumps in with DW for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head." Gloria Estefan tag-teams "Walk on By." Celia Cruz together with Dionne helps point the way to "San Jose." Deborah Cox, Chante Moore, Angie Stone, and Da Brat help Ms. Warwick bring the socially conscious "Windows of the World" up-to-date, with Da Brat rapping about Iraq, Katrina, and other controversial issues. Dionne will celebrate the November 7th release of "My Friends and Me" with a special benefit concert on Sunday, November 19, at New York's Lincoln Center Avery Fisher Hall. The evening will raise funds for Love Our Children USA and The New York Therapeutic Riding Center. Previous Post | Next Post

  • 0 A Mary Wilson Supreme Fight for Truth in Music

    • News
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 10/11/2006

    In my review of Marc Taylor's Book: "A Touch of Classic Soul: Soul Singers of the Early 1970's," I mention that there were two groups of competing Delfonics touring in the 1980's. William and Wilbert Hart, original members of the Delfonics, each sought to control the name. Today, there are still bogus groups touring the world using familiar names in an attempt to "get over" while shamming you and me. In the USA, the "imposter group" fraud problem has been around for years. Mary Wilson, an original member of The Supremes, has been involved in a battle to pass national legislation to prevent imposter groups from using famous names of 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's performers. Her legislation requires the presence of a verifiable original group member for the name to be legally used in a live performance. The federal courts have passed on the issue, so Mary has pushed for the legislation in individual states. Other famous music celebrities have supported her cause. So far, Pennsylvania, Illinois, South Carolina, and North Dakota have adopted the truth in music legislation. The Pennsylvania bill forbids, among other things... "Conducting any theatrical exhibition, public show, public amusement or exhibition, for admission to which a price is charged, without stating in any advertisement of the same, in the case of a musical group, whether or not the musical group performing is composed of the original members or a tribute group." It's important to note that Mary says tribute groups are OK, as long as the tribute group doesn't purposely masquerade as the original group. Visit Mary Wilson's web site for complete contact information. You can join her and support her honorable truth in music crusade. 2021 update: See this quick facebook Mary Wilson Tribute we created in honor of her legacy when she passed in February, 2021. Previous Post | Next Post

  • 0 Diana Ross drops Love Power Pick

    • News
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 10/05/2006

    The highly anticipated Diana Ross CD, "I Love You," is scheduled for release Tuesday, October 10th. It's her first studio album in over seven years. Diana says that she and her producers researched hundreds of songs to select the 14 that are included in the collection. Their screening process was similar to the Quincy Jones - Michael Jackson technique of whittling down about 800 songs to the nine that appeared on "Thriller." Ms. Ross offers "I Love You (That's all That Really Matters)" as the sole new song. The other tunes were selected for what Diana characterizes as "craftsmanship in songwriting." Remember - from the pen of Harry Nilsson More Today Than Yesterday - Spiral Starecase I Want You - Marvin Gaye I Love You (That's All That Really Matters) What About Love - from Oprah Winfrey's "The Color Purple" (stage Production) The Look of Love - Dusty Springfield Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen Lovely Day - Bill Withers To Be Loved Only You I Will - Paul McCartney You Are So Beautiful - Billy Preston Always and Forever - Heatwave Remember Reprise Diana Ross, at age 62, is closing in on her 60th Album. Wow! I like the look of "I Love You." Previous Post | Next Post

  • 1 Ultimate Luther Vandross Shines Bright

    • News
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 10/03/2006

    Will the Luther Vandross touch on a song ever go out of style? Just add his name to these glowing, classic soul CD releases... "The Best of" - 1989 "Greatest Hits" - 1999 "Super Hits" - 2000 "The Ultimate" - 2001 "Very Best of" - 2002 "The Essential" - 2003 "The Ultimate" - 2006 There are a few other "pretend" hit collections from obscure record labels, but this list represents the strongest of the Luther Vandross compilations. Some time back, Chic's Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers collaborated with others to write a previously unreleased dance track, "Shine," showcasing Luther's magnificent voice. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have produced "Shine," which appears on the new "Ultimate Luther Vandross." Out of the 17 other "Ultimate" tracks, one additional song has never been released: "Got You Home." It's a slow-to-medium tempo ballad. Vandross diehards will probably want to grab just "Shine" via a digital download, since the rest of "The Ultimate Luther Vandross" appears on earlier releases. Newer fans can't go wrong getting this excellent 18 song collection. Previous Post | Next Post

  • 0 London Calls John Legend for Live Online Gig

    • News
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 09/28/2006

    John Legend, who won a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B vocal performance for 2005's "Ordinary People," kicks off a free live online MSN concert series on Monday, October 2. Legend lands in London's Royal Albert Hall for a 9pm performance (1pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern). John also won 2005's Best R&B album Grammy: "Get Lifted." Microsoft's video site, MSN Video, will stream the concert live to the USA, Australia, Canada, Japan, and the U.K. Legend's MSN concert will be the first of 36 scheduled live online performances by various artists over several years. Previous Post | Next Post

  • 0 Leaving New Day Dreaming to Natalie Cole

    • News
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 09/27/2006

    Aretha Franklin's number one song, "Day Dreaming," gets a contemporary spin as one of the highlighted tracks on Natalie Cole's new CD, "Leavin'." Scheduled for release yesterday, (September 26), "Leavin'" is Natalie's 20th studio album, and her first in four years. Versatility is Ms. Cole's middle name. She chooses a wide selection of material on the collection, including songs by The Isley Brothers, Fiona Apple, Neil Young, Kate Bush, and Sting: Criminal Old Man Day Dreaming Leavin' The More You Do It (The More I Like It Done To Me) Lovin' Arms Love Letter The Man With A Child In His Eyes 5 Minutes Away Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time For Love) You Gotta Be If I Ever Lose My Faith In You She handles "Day Dreaming" quite well, giving it a very modern touch. Natalie Cole trivia...her first hit, "This Will Be," reached #6 pop in 1975. How many hits did she have through 1997? What's a new CD without a tour to support the release? Catch Natalie on the following October and November 2006 dates: October 12: Casino Rama Orillia, Ontario, Canada October 14: Caesar's Palace, Atlantic City, New Jersey October 16: World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania October 18: Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, Georgia October 21: Norton Center for the Arts, Danville, Kentucky October 24: Count Basie Theater, Red Bank, New Jersey October 25: Music Center at Strathmore, Bethesda, Maryland October 28: Fine Arts Theatre, Detroit, Michigan October 29: Fine Arts Theatre, Detroit, Michigan November 1: Park West, Chicago, Illinois November 2: Park West, Chicago, Illinois November 7: Potawatomi Casino-Northern Lights Theatre, Milwaukee, Wisconsin November 12: Jackson Rancheria Casino, Jackson, California The answer to the trivia question: Natalie Cole had 18 charted "hits" between 1975 - 1997. Previous Post | Next Post

  • 0 Marvin Gaye DVD has Rare Concert Footage

    • News
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 09/19/2006

    In 1981, Marvin Gaye was featured in an hour-long television special broadcast in Ostende, Belgium. The concert was recorded and filmed that year on July 4th, but was never released in the USA. Out this past Tuesday, September 12th for the first time ever, Marvin's concert performance on DVD features these 10 hits: Got To Give It Up Come Get To This Let's Get It On After The Dance If This World Were Mine Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing Ain't No Mountain High Enough How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) I Want You Inner City Blues (Make Me Want To Holler) What's a good DVD without the bonus features? "Marvin Gaye - Live In Belgium 1981" includes several. There's footage of a candid Marvin Gaye interview along with two rare lip-synch performances of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "Heavy Love Affair" from a local Belgian TV show. Both videos were shot weeks before the TV concert to promote the show. Additional features include the original a cappella vocal track for "I Heard It Through The Grapevine." Several live Marvin Gaye albums/CD's have been previously released, including these 4: Marvin Gaye Live (1974) Marvin Gaye Live in Montreux 1980 (2003) Live in Miami (2003) Legend, Live, and Forever (2006) Legend, Live, and Forever, released earlier this year, includes recordings from the late 1960's and early 1970's from Japan and Europe. Some of the recordings used equipment of questionable quality during some of the dates. You'll probably want to pass on Legend, Live, and Forever. Previous Post | Next Post

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