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After the Blockbuster “After Hours,” The Weeknd’s New Release, “Dawn FM,” Has Sold Only 66K Albums in 6 Weeks

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What is a weekend, Maggie Smith famously asked on “Downton Abbey”?

The Weeknd is R&B superstar Abel Tesfaye, who is still riding high on the charts with a greatest hits album called “The Highlights” and a non-Grammy blockbuster titled “After Hours.” His single,”Save Your Tears,” is an instant classic.

But on January 7th The Weeknd released a new album called “Dawn FM.” It had an ill-conceived them, and songs that sounded like castoffs. Still it debuted at number 1 with 154,000 copies sold.

Now, however, six weeks later, “Dawn FM” is in its twilight. Total sales of CDs and downloads are only at 66,000. The total including streaming is 518,000. So most of the “sales” were from streaming the album or tracks. On iTunes, “Dawn FM” stands at around number 50.

By contrast, “After Hours” stayed in the top 10 for months. It has sold to date 600,000 CDs and downloads, and a total 3.7 million copies including streaming. It was released on March 20, 2020.

On the MusicConnect chart, which monitors all sales, “The Highlights” is outselling “Dawn FM.” The former is number 5 on their overall album chart, “Dawn FM” is number 11 and dropping like a rock.

Tesfaye is an established star at this point, he’s not in any peril of disappearing from the current music scene. “Dawn FM” is a misstep that can be corrected. But it’s a big one.

Oscars Go Way of Grammys, Tonys, Emmys, Cut Categories from Live Show, Unleash Wrath from Everyone

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Late yesterday the Oscars announced they would cut 8 categories from the main show. All hell broke loose.

Following the lead of the Grammys, Tonys, and Emmys. the Oscars will have a non televised first extra hour during which they’ll give out 8 awards. Then during the three hour live telecast, they’ll weave in the acceptance speeches from those awards. The cut awards including Best Score, Film Editing, Make Up and Hairstyling, Production Design, Animated short, Live Action Short, and Documentary Short Films.

Last year, the Oscars had an hour long special before the main event that featured all the Best Songs. Everyone hated that, but it made the main show shorter. So this year presumably the songs are back, but these categories are getting swapped out. The reasoning is Would you rather see Beyonce, Billie Eilish and Reba McEntire, or Hans Zimmer and some people you don’t know?

The reaction has been swift and furious on social media. Nearly all the Twitter accounts from film reporters have denounced the idea. No one likes it, especially the people in those categories. But the Academy assured its members, in a letter, that all the speeches recorded during the first hour will be shown in full throughout the three hour broadcast.

The other news is that Best Picture will return to being the final award given. Last year, thinking the late Chadwick Boseman would win Best Actor and get a massive, emotional standing ovation, the Oscars put Best Picture second to last. That didn’t go well since Boseman lost to Sir Anthony Hopkins, who wasn’t even in attendance or on Zoom.

The bigger issue with the new plan is that all the news from the first hour will immediately be transmitted on social media. Why not put that first hour on YouTube or Disney Plus (for free), so the home audience can see it simultaneously? One of those solutions may still be implemented.

The idea is to make the show a little shorter and move it along with some pacing and rhythm. The next day vultures will circle the ratings news, ready to pick apart the low numbers and proclaim an “end” to the Oscars, awards shows overall, etc. This culture eats its own, not realizing that when everything has been destroyed, the media that covers it will be out of jobs.

 

Ye of Little Faith: Kanye Has Disastrous Non-Release Listening Party in Miami for Unreleased Album

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Well, 2-22-22 has come and gone. And there is no “Donda 2.” No one is surprised.

Kanye West, aka Ye, had a listening party event last night at Miami’s LoanDepot Park (what a name!) for “Donda 2,” the sequel to “Donda.” his album from last summer. He advertised for weeks that the album would be released on 2-22-22. It wasn’t and no one is surprised.

“Donda 2” is also supposed to be available only a device called a Stem Player. not on streaming services or CD or download services like iTunes. The stem player costs $200, and Kanye says it sold 10,000 units when he made this announcement. But such a release would be a problem for many reasons, including whatever deal he has with DefJam Records, and how sales would be recorded with the RIAA. A gold stem player?

By all accounts the listening event was a disaster anyway. There are many reports of Kanye screaming at his sound mixer when no could hear what was going on. There were many featured players including Alicia Keys, who very hoarsely and off key sang a short song that sounded like a piece of “Empire State of Mind.”

A lot of the event seemed to have do to with Kanye’s anger at ex wife Kim Kardashian, who he considers his wife still. He sampled a piece of her “SNL” monologue in one song; it might be tough to a get a license for that.

Here’s a great review from New Times.

 

Here’s the full show:

RIP Gary Brooker, 76, of Procol Harum Fame, Singer of Rock Classic “Whiter Shade of Pale”

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Gary Brooker has died from cancer. He was 76. The leader of the group Procol Harum was most famous for “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” a rock classic that he sang the heart out of. Procol Harum had other hits but my favorite was and still is “Conquistador,” which you’ll see below. His smoky voice made all the band’s songs offer a combination of orchestral rock and soul.

The name, Procol Harum, belonged to a cat (you can read about it on Wikipedia). It stuck with the band. So it meant really nothing, botched Latin maybe.

Brooker was appointed a member of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen in 2003 in recognition of his charity work. He was also commended for his collaborations with artists including Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, who played on one of Brooker’s four solo albums.

“Musical celebrities from Gary’s bulging address book flocked to play at his own all-star presentations, always raising money for charity,” the band remarks in the statement, adding that Brooker’s last charity project raised more than a million pounds for the Royal Marsden Hospital with a concert at London’s O2 Arena in early 2020.

“Gary’s charisma was by no means confined to the stage. He lit up any room he entered, and his kindness to a multilingual family of fans was legendary. He was notable for his individuality, integrity, and occasionally stubborn eccentricity. His mordant wit, and appetite for the ridiculous, made him a priceless raconteur,” the band says.

Brooker is survived by his wife Franky, whom he married in 1968. The family announced that a private funeral and memorial celebration will be held at a later date.

Listen to Frank Sinatra’s One of a Kind Birthday Song Commissioned by Ringo Starr for Wife Maureen

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Ringo Starr– or maybe his kids– they’re sitting on what could be the all time collector’s item, an NFT perhaps worth zillions.

Ringo writes in his excellent memoir-photo book, “Lifted,” that he commissioned a one of a kind recording from Frank Sinatra for his wife, Maureen, back in the 60s. Frank recorded “Maureen is a Champ” with special lyrics to “The Lady Is a Tramp.” I never knew this, and I doubt many Beatles or Sinatra fans are aware of its existence.

Listen to it all the way through. “She married Ringo/She could have had Paul.” LOL. There’s a line about meditation, too. And a sweet coda from Frank at the end. There’s also a shout out to Beatles PR man Peter Brown– which would mean he had two, the other in “The Ballad of John and Yoko.” Cool!

Ringo’s comments (as told to David Wild) are below followed by the song from YouTube, where it has 43,000 plays. The photo goes with it from “Lifted.”

Even though Ringo and Maureen divorced they remained close until her tragic death from cancer in 1994.

“Lifted” can only be purchased via Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles. All proceeds go to charity.

Looking back – now that I’m the last one in this photograph who’s left – it’s hard to say if John and I were such catches back then. These great ladies loved us early on and kept cheering us on. Maureen was literally one of those young girls cheering us on at the Cavern Club and she was still there cheering us on at our famous last live appearance on the roof at Apple. When we finished “Get Back” up on the roof, you can clearly hear Paul say, “Thanks Mo,” before John says his famous line and passing the audition. When Mo passed in 1994, Paul wrote a beautiful song called “Little Willow” in honor of Maureen, basically saying, “Thanks Mo” again.

Maureen loved the music of Frank Sinatra, so for her birthday in 1968, I asked Frank Sinatra himself to record a special version of a song for her. You can still find it online – Ol’ Blue Eyes singing “The Lady Is A Tramp” for my first wife with great new lyrics. It’s called “Maureen Is A Champ.” And Frank sounds great singing, “She married Ringo/And she could have had Paul/ That’s why the lady is a champ.”

Uh-Oh: HBO’s “The Gilded Age” Makes A Big Error About Ellis Island in Latest Episode

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Julian Fellowes’ “The Gilded Age” is improving in the ratings and in its production. Originally planned for NBC, the period drama soap opera had a clunky start but it’s picked up in its five episodes.

However, last night’s episode offered a glaring historical error.

You see, Ellis Island didn’t open until 1892. “The Gilded Age” takes place in 1882.

In an early scene in episode 5, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, and Louisa Jacobson are riding to some event, and Louisa’s character is explaining to Baranski’s all the new people who will be some event.

Baranski’s wonderfully haughty Agnes van Rhijn replies, “Who’ll be going The latest arrivals from Ellis Island?”

Only seagulls and pigeons were living on Ellis Island in 1882, Agnes. Ouch! This is a common mistake in our times to think that every immigrant who came to America arrived via Ellis Island, which is now a historical museum. But for example, my ancestors came from Eastern Europe and London prior to 1892 and through different ports. Only one of my grandparents’ families landed there, in 1913.

Julian Fellowes and his team always did a wonderful job with historical facts on “Downton Abbey.” But when there was a mistake like this one, they took umbrage. He once said of the errors,“The real problem is with people who are insecure socially, and they think to show how smart they are by picking holes in the program to promote their own poshness and to show that their knowledge is greater than your knowledge.”

“Mad Men,” which was set in the 1950s, sometimes goofed as well. And I’m sure “Mrs Maisel” has, too. But Aunt Agnes will have to wait another decade before she can make such an elitist statement.

PS It hasn’t been said yet, but I do think when Agnes refers to “new” people, she’s referring to Jews. It hasn’t been explicit yet, but the Russells — or at least Mr. Russell — is Jewish. And in last night’s episode he asked his daughter’s suitor if he would mind working for a Jewish financial firm.

Oscars Court a Plot Twist with “Cinderella” Outdrawing “Spider Man” So Far in Public Fan Vote

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Here’s a plot twist no one saw coming.

This year the Oscars abruptly announced a Twitter vote for #Oscarfanfavorite. This was meant to be a public fan vote that would bring the general audience in to the Academy Awards. It was widely assumed that “Spider Man: No Way Home” would win, and that would bring ratings to the March 27th show.

But “Spider Man” fans, who’ve spent $760 million at the box office, either don’t know about the fan vote or don’t care. The result is that another movie is taking the lead.

“Cinderella,” an Amazon Prime release that never went to theaters, is at the head of the pack. Deadline.com reports that “Cinderella,” which stars singer Camilla Cabelo, is getting the most votes on Twitter. Not only wasn’t “Cinderella” in theaters, it also got terrible reviews. Rotten Tomatoes has it at 43%.

So this is a mess. What makes it worse is that Sony is the original studio for both movies.  Their $700 million film may lose to one they didn’t even release!

Hey “Spider Man” lovers, get to Twitter and Tweet hashtag #Oscarfanfavorite immediately.

My choice would have been “Tick Tick Boom” or “Being the Ricardos,” neither of which was nominated for Best Picture. I also really liked “Free Guy,” but that’s not happening. Also, “Respect” for Jennifer Hudson’s performance.

Breaking: Britney Spears to Publish A Memoir, Maybe Getting $15 Mil Advance

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Britney Spears, I assure you, is not going “to write” a book. She’s going to publish one, maybe.

Reports this afternoon that Britney has sold a memoir to Simon & Schuster for an alleged $15 million advance.

That seems high given that S&S itself is for sale and that sale — to Random House– hasn’t been approved. But S&S would be the right publisher for a book by the beleaguered pop star about her career, her conservatorship, motherhood, and all her travails.

Whatever ghost writer gets this plumb job had better get a big fee. And there will be a ghost writer. Britney will dictate the book in dance.

Sunday Ratings: Olympics Go Out with a Whimper, “Summer of Soul” Yields Very Modest Audience

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Everyone must have been watching “Euphoria” and “Billions” last night. Because they weren’t watching broadcast TV, that’s for sure.

The Winter Olympics on NBC ended with a whimper, just 5.04 million viewers.

It was worse on ABC where Questlove’s “Summer of Love” had a meager 1.5 million. This was Disney using ABC to promote a Searchlight movie for Hulu and maybe find some Oscar votes in the process. But it didn’t work out. I may have been the only person who watched it. “Summer of Soul” deserves an Emmy award after last night’s showing. It’s a great archival doc that continues to insist its material was “lost” and “found.” This is not true.

We don’t have the numbers for “Euphoria” yet, but the episode was all about Lexi’s school play. These “kids” (they’re in their 20s) go to a high school that looks like it spent $50,000 or more on the class musical.

Meanwhile, the internet theory is that Zendaya’s Rue is already dead from a drug overdose and is watching all this from the great beyond. Certainly last night there were what I would call “Paul is dead” clues: a funeral in Lexi’s play (it was for Rue’s dad) and the way Rue sat alone at the show and just made faces. Who knows? Maybe they’re all dead. If any of us had gone through high school this way, no one would made it to graduation.

Tomorrow, cable ratings.

Reports: Sherri Shepherd Will Permanently Replace Wendy Williams Next Fall on Talk Show

This may be it for Wendy Williams.

The syndicated talk show host hasn’t been on her own show in months, replaced by substitutes. Her last show was in July 2021, the end of her 12th season. She never returned when the new season began in September.

One of the subs, Sherri Shepherd, has done such a good job she will inherit the mantle next fall. No more “Wendy Williams Show.” Sherri will get her own show with her name.

It’s pointed out that Wendy’s Instagram is no longer in her control, and now features Shepherd. The story was reported by LoveBScott.

Shepherd is effervescent and fun, she also has a lot of experience and can create a new show with her background on “The View” and elsewhere.

Williams has suffered from many physical and mental ailments this season including Grave’s Disease. This past week she posted a video from Florida where she’s re-centering herself. To paraphrase her, the grind of the show and living in New York and dealing with divorce, etc was just too much for her.

With Shepherd guest hosting, “The Wendy Williams Show” has maintained itself at 800,000 viewers average per day. That’s pretty good. It’s also 300,000 more per day than the same syndicator’s “Nick Cannon” show. If Debmar-Mercury puts some money into Sherri’s show, they would have a breakout hit.

Here’s Wendy’s video. My guess is she’ll write a revealing memoir and then appear on all the talk shows promoting it.