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Stevie Wonder Celebrates 50th Anniversary of “Songs in the Key of Life” By Unveiling Four Demos That Didn’t Make the Final Album (Listen)

Roger Friedman
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Stevie Wonder Celebrates 50th Anniversary of “Songs in the Key of Life” By Unveiling Four Demos That Didn’t Make the Final Album (Listen)

Today is the 50th anniversary of the release of Stevie Wonder’s landmark, Grammy winning “Songs in the Key of Life.”

To celebrate the occasion, Stevie has released four demos that didn’t make the final album.

As it was, “Songs” was so long that Stevie had to include a 45rpm single with the double album! That’s how we got “Saturn,” one of his best songs ever. (This was before CDs.)

The four new old songs are a real treat, a gift from Stevie before he heads out on tour. Listen to that voice! And the songs are, of course, little gems.

From the press release: Personally curated by Stevie, the recordings were recently mixed for this EP by the album’s original recording and mixing engineers, John Fischbach and Gary O Adante. Adante was credited on the original LP as Gary Olazabal.

At 4:54 a.m., as the final studio session for “Songs in the Key of Life” came to a close, Nathan Watts, Stevie’s longtime bassist, exclaimed, “Fo’FiftyFo’!” From then on, the phrase signaled the end of a session and became an inside joke for anyone in Stevie’s circle. Now, that hour marks a new beginning as four previously unreleased recordings reach the world, connecting the album’s creation with its next chapter.

“We’ve lived with Songs in the Key of Life for fifty years, but there’s still more to hear,” says Wonder. “We didn’t add these songs to the album, but they were part of what I was feeling and discovering as we made it. They bring me back to that time in my life, and now they get to become part of yours.”

Happy anniversary, Stevie! Thanks for all the incredible music.

Taylor Swift Wins Big MTV Video Awards, Oddly Doesn’t Thank Husband Travis Kelce, Manager Father Scott Swift, or Long Suffering Publicist

Roger Friedman
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Taylor Swift Wins Big MTV Video Awards, Oddly Doesn’t Thank Husband Travis Kelce, Manager Father Scott Swift, or Long Suffering Publicist

Taylor won two big MTV Video Music Awards tonight.

But her acceptance speeches didn’t thank anyone in her life, including husband Travis Kelce, father Scott Swift (her manager and adviser), or long suffering publicist Tree Paine.

Very odd. Taylor was so focused on introducing her new video (the whole purpose of being there) that nothing else mattered.

She’s laser focused, that’s for sure. She didn’t even mention Cleveland!

Taylor Swift Won’t Show You New Video for Free, Keeps it Off YouTube, Only Available on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes for a Fee

Roger Friedman
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Taylor Swift Won’t Show You New Video for Free, Keeps it Off YouTube, Only Available on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes for a Fee

Taylor Swift won’t show you her new video, Patient Zero, for free.

She’s not putting it on YouTube.

Instead, the video that dropped tonight is only available on Spotify, itunes, and Amazon Music. You need a subscription. Taylor must have paid Dakota, Colin Farrell, and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki a fortune. Now she’s got to sort it out.

In the video, Madonna and Dakota Johnson visit a grave, more than the likely the burial site of all pop music.

(This is despite “patient zero” being a popular phrase during the AIDS crisis. But that was so long ago.)

Colin Farrell plays the guy who’s done Dakota/Taylor wrong. How many times was Taylor Swift scorned in real life? The body count is huge. Each of them has gotten at least one song. I think all of them should get together and a make a record about Taylor. Call it Swift Justice. Joe Jonas, John Mayer, Joe Alwyn, Harry Styles, whoever.

Taylor and Madonna split most of the big awards tonight at the MTV Video Music Awards. The show itself is a painful joke. Imagine that CBS has no Kennedy Center Awards this year, but they have this garbage. I thought they were going t say this is what the people who keep going into sewer found down there.

So here’s the Spotify preview of “Patient Zero.”

Madonna Pulls Out All the Stops with All Star VMA Opening Number featuring Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Julia Garner, SOMBR, Lip Sync-palooza!

Roger Friedman
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Madonna Pulls Out All the Stops with All Star VMA Opening Number featuring Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Julia Garner, SOMBR, Lip Sync-palooza!

Madonna put on a wow of an opening for the VMAs tonight.

She featured Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Julia Garner, SOMBR, Debi Mazar, and I think Seth Rogen.

She also lip-synced the entire wild number, but at this point, who cares? It was about spectacle, not art.

CBS TV viewers saw a lot of naked dancers, butt cheeks, all the things they’ve never been exposed to 8pm.

Welcome to the end of civilization!

How Will Madonna, Taylor Swift Divide Up MTV Video Music Awards Tonight? The Show is Theirs Because They Are Present (The Fix Is In)

Roger Friedman
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How Will Madonna, Taylor Swift Divide Up MTV Video Music Awards Tonight? The Show is Theirs Because They Are Present (The Fix Is In)

Let’s cut to the chase.

Tonight, it’s the MTV Video Music Awards at 7:30pm on CBS, MTV, and associated networks.

Madonna is opening the show.

Taylor Swift is getting a lifetime award for most awards there ever.

Madonna also has 13 nominations. Swift has 11.

Also, Taylor is debuting her new video, starring Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson.

The only question is, How will these ladies divide up the spoils?

You have two superstars present, and they have the lions’ share of nominations.

The only award they’re not eligible for is Best New Artist.

Otherwise, it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing any of the other nominees hanging around, waiting to lose.

As usual with these shows, except for the Grammys, the fix is in.

The other stars hitting the red carpet aren’t nominees, but various participants in tributes — for Nirvana, Dolly Parton, etc.

Still, it will be fun, to some extent.

Keep refreshing…

Report: Bruce Springsteen Drops Out of Tuesday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live in Brooklyn, Amy Schumer Replaces UPDATED

Roger Friedman
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Report: Bruce Springsteen Drops Out of Tuesday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live in Brooklyn, Amy Schumer Replaces UPDATED

Something’s up in the Springsteen world.

The Boss aka Bruce Springsteen has dropped out of performing on Tuesday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live in Brooklyn.

UPDATED: See below, Bruce’s name has been removed from Kimmel’s lineup for this week. I’m told that there was a scheduling issue, and that Bruce will appear October 2nd in Maryland at Tom Morello’s all-star Power to the Power festival.

Springsteen was set to appear with Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, who guest starred on Bruce’s most recent tour. Morello will still perform.

Website LateNighter was the first to report that Amy Schumer has been booked as a replacement for Bruce, although it’s unlikely she’s going to sing.

For Bruce to cancel Kimmel is a big deal. No reason has been given, and we’re crossing fingers he and all his family are well. Bruce’s wife, Patti, is in remission from cancer.

The reason certainly isn’t politics. Kimmel and Springsteen are on the same page in that regard. The only other reason I could think of is ABC pre-censoring Springsteen on that subject. But that would be egregious to say the least.

The other guest Tuesday night is Howard Stern, also no fan of Donald Trump.

So stay tuned for more info. Again, sending good thoughts to the Springsteen household.

Carly Simon’s New Album Doesn’t Just “Come in Waves,” It Hits Full Force with a Phenomenal Collection of New Songs — Her First in 18 Years

Six Degrees of “Digger”: How Tom Cruise Wound Up in Taylor Swift’s Box at KC Chiefs Game, at Her Wedding, and on Kelce Brothers Podcast

Roger Friedman
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Six Degrees of “Digger”: How Tom Cruise Wound Up in Taylor Swift’s Box at KC Chiefs Game, at Her Wedding, and on Kelce Brothers Podcast

Now we know: it wasn’t just fate or coincidence that brought Tom Cruise to the Kansas City Chiefs game two weeks ago.

No, nothing is random in Tom’s life.

We all wondered why Tom was at Taylor and Travis’s wedding, right? Then he turned up in her box at the game?

Even crazier, Tom went on the Kelce Brothers podcast, where he talked about mom, apple pie, and how much he loves the movies.

Lip readers were working overtime trying to figure out what the heck Tom and Taylor were talking about? Scientology?

One lip reader picked up this line: “It’s the structure of the entire infrastructure of the audience that’s what I love in a positive way.”

But what connected all these odd events? How did Tom even know Taylor Swift?

I think we’ve got an answer.

Tonight, Taylor debuts her new video on the MTV Video Music Awards. It’s called “Patient Zero.”

Taylor directed it, but she didn’t “lens” it. She hired one of the best Oscar winning cinematographers in the world.

That would be Emmanuel Lubezki, aka “Chivo,” the man who gives Alejandro Gonzales Innraritu”s movies their special look. He sent Michael Keaton soaring in “Birdman” and got the Bear to dry hump Leo in “The Revenant.”

And guess who was the DP on Tom’s new movie, “Digger”? Why, it turns it was… Chivo!

It doesn’t take AI to figure out how all these things came about. That’s the structure of the infrastructure, kids.

Chivo has won 3 Oscars, kids. I’d love to know how much he charged Taylor for “Patient Zero.” But with her reported $2 billion, the sky was the limit!

When the video debuts tonight, “Patient Zero” will already have been number 1 on every platform since Friday morning. It’s had 14.7 million plays on Spotify.

What we don’t know is if Chivo worked on the other three new old songs Swift added to her “Showgirl” album. Chivo in “Cleveland”? “Babylon” “Pink Slipping”? He may have really found the golden goose with Taylor Swift!

We’ll all be watching tonight when “Patient Zero” tries to use Chivo as insurance!

PS Was Chivo at the garish MSG wedding, too? Probably. At least he was invited.

Ringo Starr Cheekily Blames “The Government” for Today’s Show Cancellation in New Jersey: Good Weather, It Don’t Come Easy

Roger Friedman
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Ringo Starr Cheekily Blames “The Government” for Today’s Show Cancellation in New Jersey: Good Weather, It Don’t Come Easy

Ringo Starr is always cheeky, from the day we met him right up til now.

Ringo’s on tour with his All Starr Band, but autumn on the East Coast is always a gamble. Good weather don’t come easy.

(A couple of years ago, I saw Ringo at an outdoor venue, and we’re all still shivering.)

So Ringo blames “the government” for today’s cancellation at PNC Bank Center in Holmdel, New Jersey.

He writes on Instagram: “What’s happening it’s a lot of bad weather around and the government thought it’d be better if we didn’t cause any trouble and the fans wouldn’t get wet. I send you peace and love. See you next time”

Ringo and co. are playing plenty of dates up and down the coast, so once it’s Good Day, Sunshine, all will be well. Don’t miss him!

Box Office: “Avengers: Endgame” Roars Back from 2019 with $26 Mil Weekend, Brad’s “Beast” Has Legs, Beating Robert Pattinson’s “PrimeTime”

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Avengers: Endgame” Roars Back from 2019 with $26 Mil Weekend, Brad’s “Beast” Has Legs, Beating Robert Pattinson’s “PrimeTime”

“Avengers” never go out of style.

The gang’s last movie, “Endgame,” is back from the dead in a big way.

With four new deleted scenes, “Endgame” — released in 2019 — finished at number 1 this weekend with $26 million!

What a set up for the new “Avengers Doomsday” movie coming December 17th. This way, we’re all caught up with this saga. And Tony Stark will be back from the dead, sort of, as Dr. Doom!

Back here on Earth, Brad Pitt’s lovely, pulse pounding “Heart of the Beast” doggedly beat Robert Pattinson’s pedo prospector “PrimeTime” by a nose.

It was close, with “Beast” taking in $20 million — overturning “PrimeTime” by $900,000.

Granted, “Beast” was in more theaters, but it’s sort of satisfying that David Ayer’s exciting well made adventure exceeded the search for sexual sociopaths. Good wins over evil!

Plus, “Odin” — actually dog actors — is now taking meetings at Spago. The quad is also playing cards on Craig’s back patio.

Meantime, the horror film of the moment, “Resident Evil,” passed the $100 million mark even though there was an 81% drop from last week.

And “Spider Man”? Now at $950 million. They’re swinging to a billion bucks one way or another!

Coming this week: “Digger” won’t be a big player. But on the 9th, we’ve most “Muskerberg,” which should make a dent. But get ready for Jessica Chastain in “The Other Mommy,” a movie her children won’t see until they’re at least 50!

Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller, Adam Driver Bring Out the A Crowd and Long Lines for the Sizzling Opening of the New York Film Festival

Roger Friedman
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Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller, Adam Driver Bring Out the A Crowd and Long Lines for the Sizzling Opening of the New York Film Festival

Nor’ Easter coming?

New Yorkers don’t care, thanks.

We turned out in droves last night for the opening of the New York Film Festival, which was sizzling. Not only for the premiere screening at Alice Tully Hall, but at all the other screenings last night of James Gray’s “Paper Tiger.”

It didn’t hurt that the movie actually has three big names — especially in New York. They are Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller, and Adam Driver. They were all there for the premiere, the red carpet, and the Q&A on stage latter with the natty Festival programmer Dennis Lim.

James Gray is a much beloved NY filmmaker whose 1994 debut, “Little Odessa,” caused a sensation. He’s made seven more films since then including the more recent “Armageddon Time,” and this one, set in Brooklyn in the 1980s. It’s a story about a regular family — Teller, Johansson, and their teenage sons — getting sucked into the world of very dangerous Russian mobsters.

“Paper Tiger” is kind of a throwback film. It reminded me of a Sidney Lumet film, which is high praise. Gray felt Alfred Hitchcock’s presence, he said later. But it really feels like something from the days of Playhouse 90, in its intimate portrayal of good people suddenly having their “house” fall in on them. Even Arthur Miller would be impressed.

Scarlett was the only one of the trio to make it to Tavern on the Green for the annual swanky after party. And why not? Her performance is sensational, and she should take bows. She had just flown in from London shooting “The Batman 2,” which she told is “hard work.” We also talked about husband Colin Jost’s Staten Island Ferry comedy club with Pete Davidson.

She said, “I think they should take it all over the place, like to Miami, where they can put on all kinds of things like parties and art exhibits. It’s going to find its purpose.” She unfortunately missed last week’s free comedy show on the ferry because she was stuck in London.

As for Jost and “SNL,” which returns tonight, I told her how impressive it was to see her husband doing more acting on the show playing a hilarious blowhard Pete Hegseth. “He’s loving it,” she said. “He’s surprised by the reaction.”

Some of the other luminaries we ran into included the legendary actress Lois Smith, now 95 and working like crazy! She’s got a new indie movie set for next spring! What a thrill!

A great opening night for the New York Film Festival — buzzier than it’s been in a long time.

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