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American Music Awards: The Usual Embarrassment, Save for Bon Jovi and Santana

Roger Friedman
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8
American Music Awards: The Usual Embarrassment, Save for Bon Jovi and Santana

Yes, I do feel like an old curmudgeon now.

Watching the “American Music Awards” — granted using DVR and going back and forth, not in real time by any means– was torture. No one’s ever respected this hoary broadcast, but this year it seemed more cynical and calculated than usual.

Luckily, for the audience, too, Bon Jovi awakened the crowd at the Nokia Theater from their group coma. The group seemed like the first to sing live, without corps of dancers, fireworks, and other paraphernalia to mask their insufficiencies. Once Bon Jovi worked its way through its new single, you could see the audience actually leap up and start dancing to “You Give Love A Bad Name” (corrected–sorry!) and “It’s My Life.” It was like a jolt of plasma.

What the Nokia crowd–and people at home–had to endure was just a parade of such severe, manipulative phoniness you wonder why anyone does care about the music business. Of course, the height of all this now is Justin Bieber, the 16 year old vertically challenged kewpie doll who may have Duracell batteries planted in his back. Was it a wonder he won everything? His “team” was stationed in the front row to welcome him with hugs and high fives for every statue. He thanked Michael Jackson. Yikes.

Bieber, by the way, did one number seated in front a grand piano he pretended to play. The camera never did get around to the keys. And when he suddenly jumped up, the piano continued uninterrupted. Brilliant!

But you know, that’s the AMAs. Like the People’s Choice Awards, they just soldier on year after year. Does anyone wonder who chooses these “nominees”? And why the winners are the only ones who show up? That is, except for “Best Artist.” (Ahem.) Katy Perry looked suitably horrified when Bieber beat her even for that award. Her new husband, comic actor Russell Brand, had a most bemused expression. Eminem and Lady GaGa didn’t show. Kesha was probably happy just to be there.

Just before the end of the show, when the audience had likely wilted, Carlos Santana showed up with Gavin Rossdale. They peeled the paint off the walls on “Bang a Gong (Get it On).” For the second time in the excruciating three hours, life bloomed. But if the record companies are wondering where all the sales went, the AMAs were the proof they’ve needed.

And yes, the Beatles’ albums now take up half the top 20 on ITunes.

By the way: in keeping with tradition, none of last night’s performers are likely to be featured on the real awards show for music, the Grammys. That’s the unwritten law of the land.

John Lennon PBS Film: Here’s the Real Story

Roger Friedman
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34
John Lennon PBS Film: Here’s the Real Story

Monday night, finally, the screening of “LennonNYC” on PBS. This is the John Lennon film by Michael Epstein film you’ve heard so much about. Only one thing: as a document about Lennon’s life in New York and the US from 1970-1980, the film does much to erase May Pang’s role in his life. She was Lennon’s lover and confidante. These days, she’s a popular and beloved figure on the New York music scene.

Beatle fans will always debate certain arguments: Paul vs. John, Yoko vs. the Beatles. Let’s face it, despite being a talented avant garde artist and an interesting musical artist, Ono is hated by Beatles fans. She’s blamed for breaking up the Beatles and looking all the while like a dark figure from hell. In the film “Let it Be” she looks like death hovering over the group.

As a widow, Ono has done all she can to rewrite her history with Lennon. Even if Epstein (and isn’t it weird that his name is Epstein–the Beatles’ manager was Brian Epstein) didn’t give Ono official editorial control, she’s as in charge of “LennonNYC” as she was of the awful John musical that died on Broadway a few seasons ago.

The worst omission in “LennonNYC” is that of May Pang. Yes, she’s interviewed, but there’s no mention that she was Lennon’s lover. Cynthia Lennon wrote in her own memoir a couple of years ago that John continued to see May even after he went back to Yoko in late 1974 and through the time baby Sean was born (October 1975) for two more years. “The last time we saw each other was in ”78-79,” May told me. And they saw each other again in 1980 before Lennon died. They were always in touch with each other.

It’s really wild, actually, that Epstein is comfortable letting all this slide by–as if it never happened. He’s allowed Ono to minimize Pang and make it seem like she was a fun companion or something. This is completely idiotic.

http://tinyurl.com/26wzjuz

Lennon’s biggest solo hit during the early 1970s was his “Walls and Bridges” album. It’s May Pang‘s voice singing backup on “#9 Dream.” It was Pang who encouraged Lennon’s friendships with Elton John and his possible reunion with Paul McCartney. All of that’s omitted from this film. What a shame. But Pang has chronicled her time with Lennon in a 1983 memoir that she’ll update soon, and a book of photographs that really tells the story of that period. They’re each available on amazon.com.

As for the rest of “LennonNYC”: there’s some great home video and pictures, courtesy of Ono. The material with Sean in the last year of Lennon’s life is terribly moving. The film’s lump in the throat is John telling Sean “See you in the morning.” All of the inner circle provides elucidation, including Bob Gruen, Roy Cicala, Earl Slick, and Jack Douglas.

But a lot of “LennonNYC” is suspect biography. Too bad. After 40 years, you’d think we could have gotten the real story at last.

(See more below about Lennon’s 1974 Thanksgiving show with Elton John.)

Flashback: May Pang Recalls John Lennon’s Famous 1974 Thanksgiving Show with Elton John

Roger Friedman
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3
Flashback: May Pang Recalls John Lennon’s Famous 1974 Thanksgiving Show with Elton John

After all these years I asked May Pang about John Lennon‘s surprise visit to Elton John‘s 1974 Thanksgiving show at Madison Square Garden. The date was November 28, 1974. I remember it well since I went to the show the next night. You see, I was 17, and it was Thanksgiving. We knew there was no way the parents would let us go that night. All day Friday there was press from the night before. Alas, no Lennon on Friday. The magic was gone.

May recalls that Elton had taken the S.S. France from England to New York. Cynthia Lennon and Julian were also on the boat. Elton came and recorded the piano parts on John’s song, “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night.” They made a deal that if the single hit #1, John would have to come and perform at an Elton John show.

When the record hit #1 right away, Elton called. “He said, I don’t want to put you on the spot, but we agreed,” Pang recalls. “So we went up to Boston with Elton and watched his show from backstage. Just to see how it worked.”

Then the plan was to choose songs for the New York show. “John said, Let’s do I Saw Her Standing There,’ May says. “He said, It’s Paul [McCartney]‘s song, but it’s ok.’ They did that, Whatever Gets You Thru the Night, and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.’

Prior to the show, May recalls, everyone went to Thanksgiving dinner at Linda Stein’s house. There was an after party at the Pierre Hotel. And why was Yoko there? “Yoko called us every day. One day I said to her, John is going to play with Elton John at the Garden. We invited her.”

John, May says, made sure she– Pang–was on stage and in sight when he went on with Elton John. “He said he’d be alright if he could see me dancing.”

“The Fighter” vs. “The Town”: Will 2010 Oscars Take Two Boston Films?

Roger Friedman
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0
“The Fighter” vs. “The Town”: Will 2010 Oscars Take Two Boston Films?

Ever since “Good Will Hunting,” Hollywood loves a Boston accent.

The sharper the accent, the fewer hard r’s, the better for everyone.

It was just a few seasons ago that Martin Scorsese‘s “The Departed”– or “The Dep-ah-ted”–won the award for Best Picture.

We’ve also also had Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River” and Ben Affleck’s “Gone Baby Gone” starring brother Casey.

Earlier this fall, Affleck returned with “The Town.” It’s a great film that did surprisingly well at the box office. Affleck, Jon Hamm, and Jeremy Renner were all good. Blake Lively was a pleasant surprise.

But can the Oscars take two Boston movies in one season? Soon to come is David O. Russell‘s “The Fighter.” Unlike Affleck, Russell is not from the Boston area. You could say Affleck has him a leg up on hometown sympathy.

But Russell has Mark Wahlberg, the flip side of the Afflecks (Ben and Casey) and Matt Damon. His gang didn’t go to Harvard. As Wahlberg says whenever gets the chance, nearly everyone he went to school with is either dead or in jail. He’s not kidding.

“The Fighter” is also based on a real person, local boxer Micky Ward, and his eccentric family. Eccentric really helps here, too, because the two supporting performances are the kind spectacular showings that Oscar voters will love. Melissa Leo, so good in “Frozen River” a couple of years ago, is outstanding as Micky’s ambitious mom. And Christian Bale, who should write a book about gaining and losing weight on a whim, wears Micky’s brother, Dickie, tighter than his Batman suit. This is nothing to say of top notch work by Amy Adams and Wahlberg himself.

If there’s room for only Boston flick on this year’s Oscar card, I’m going to bet it’s for “The Fighter.” That’s going to sting for Affleck–after all, it’s his town. But fighting and the Oscars are similar in that they’re both about luck and timing.

PS Now just watch the Boston Film Critics give their award to “The King’s Speech” or “The Social Network.” Hah! Won’t that be a freakin’ laugh?

Sheryl Crow to Kids in Audience: “Is Your Dad Single?”

Roger Friedman
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0
Sheryl Crow to Kids in Audience: “Is Your Dad Single?”

Sheryl Crow put on a live show Thursday night for the venerable Samuel Waxman Cancer Research charity. This is a big annual event that brings in deep pockets from Wall Street. By the looks of things, the group took in between $3 and $4 million during the evening. Not bad.

But it was Crow’s performance that everyone waited around for, and she didn’t disappoint. The cancer survivor brought her whole band, with back up singers, and keyboardist, and played for nearly an hour. (Not for free, either.)

Most of the set was cover songs, which seemed to put her in a good mood. Her own “You’re My Favorite Mistake” rocked harder than expected. It was only toward the end of the non-encore show that she tossed in more recognizable hits like “If It Makes You Happy” and “All I Wanna Do (Is Have Some Fun).”

(Some said she was already back in one of her two Manhattan apartments before the backup singers were in their dressing rooms.

During an early number though, Crow found some kids at the foot of the heavily guarded (ridiculously so for a private event) stage. She leaned down and said to one kid, “How old are you? I’ll be a cougar. I’m 48.” She then joked, “Is your dad single?”

Note to Sheryl: if you’re really shopping for dates while on the road, brush up that road crew and security you’ve got. They’re no way to meet people.

Keith Urban’s Dedication to Nicole Kidman: “I Continue to Be Brought to My Knees”

Roger Friedman
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12
Keith Urban’s Dedication to Nicole Kidman: “I Continue to Be Brought to My Knees”

Keith Urban has a new album out, the excellent–if too short–“Get Closer.”

And he dedicates it, of course, to his wife, Nicole Kidman.

Keith writes:

“Nicole Mary–i continue to be brought to my knees by this love of ours…I am in awe of how this blessed family we are creating stretches and fearlessly opens my vulnerable heart…and I just want to be a better man, for you, and father for our heavenly Sunday Rose, and have you go to sleep every night knowing that no one has ever, or will ever, love you as much I do…and all we need is faith…”

Urban has always been pitched as a country singer. Of course he and his blessed family are based in Nashville. But after listening to “Get Closer,” I’d say he’s really more in the vein of the Eagles or Southern California country. On “Get Closer” he reminds me more of Dan Fogelberg than Johnny Cash. The songs are tremendously catchy country rock. My only concern is there are only eight of them. Four more would have been perfect. But we’ll have to take what we can get.

On the other hand, “Get Closer” has no filler. Urban doesn’t write all the songs, which is nice; a few of them are from Nashville songwriters (which must make the local publishers very happy). He wrote “Long Hot Summer” with Richard Marx, and a few others with his partner, Darrell Brown. I also really liked a non-Urban number called “Without You,” which could cross over to pop radio. (Think out of the box, guys.) All the songs are full of characters and conversation, just like a movie (hey Nicole).  Well done.

Quincy Jones Exclusive Video Interview: “Joe Jackson Is a Liar”

Roger Friedman
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53
Quincy Jones Exclusive Video Interview: “Joe Jackson Is a Liar”

Quincy Jones–he’s one of my heroes, I won’t beat around the bush. Long before he hooked up with Michael Jackson, Q was an all-star musician and composer. He produced the likes of Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles, besides leading his own band around the world.

Quincy’s new album, “Soul Bossa Nostra,” features tons of today’s stars reinterpreting his music. John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dogg are all on it. I am partial to a track he did with Mary J. Blige called “Betcha Wouldn’t Hurt Me,” an update of a 1981 number he did with Stevie Wonder and Patti Austin. It’s the best Mary J has ever sounded.

The album is accompanied by a book called “Q on Producing.” If you’re even slightly interested in popular music of the last 40 years, this book is a gift. It’s also a great holiday item for coffee tables, as long as you read it. I’ve devoured it.

That Quincy is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one of the great shames of that organization. But he doesn’t care, and he doesn’t need it.

It was Q–not to diminish Michael Jackson–who made “Off the Wall,” “Thriller,” and “Bad” happen. Don’t worry, he gives Michael a lot of credit, all due credit, as a songwriter. But producers are a special thing: they create the sound. Quincy brought 25 years of musical sophistication with him when he and Michael Jackson hooked up. He told me, as you’ll see that “Joe Jackson is a liar” when he says he was always in the studio with Michael. And still, as Quincy notes, “No one from that family has ever thanked me.”

We thank you, Q! Rock on!

PS Quincy still holds out hope of prroducing a long in the wings Stevie Wonder-Tony Bennett album–a project I announced a couple of years ago. Q is ready, guys. Let’s go!

CBS Cancels Medium: We Told You On October 28th

Roger Friedman
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2
CBS Cancels Medium: We Told You On October 28th

CBS has officially canceled “Medium,” starring Patricia Arquette.

We told you this on October 28th. Or rather, Arquette herself told us she already knew about. Hello!

http://tinyurl.com/2bo8jen

And that’s the way it goes. Arquette will go back to films, and has loads of other options for the future. Co-star Jake Weber got a little pr push of his own last spring when it turned out he was the real life 8 year old in the documentary about the Rolling Stones from 1972’s “Exile on Main Street.”

Hollywood Reporter’s Next Generation is 98% White and Mostly Male

Roger Friedman
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3
Hollywood Reporter’s Next Generation is 98% White and Mostly Male

http://tinyurl.com/2e4qj4o

The new weekly Hollywood Reporter is out, and they’ve really cracked the business wide open.

According to their cover feature on the Next Generation, Hollywood’s “Young Guns” are five white guys.

Inside the issue, featured among dozens of agents and actors, there are two–that’s right, two–men of color. One is African American. One was born in Uganda.

The only black actor of the next generation in Hollywood is Brandon T. Jackson, the “real” black guy from “Tropic Thunder.” The only executive? Tendo Nagenda, a VP of production at Disney.

Otherwise, Janice Min’s cutting edge magazine sadly reflects the fact that this year there are no non-white potential Oscar nominees. After last year’s excitement over “Precious,” this year there is no multi-culturalism at all. It’s a sad state of affairs for 2010 in Hollywood.

They’re so proud of what they’ve done that the new Hollywood Reporter even made a video of a party they threw recently. The link is at top. It’s a little embarrassing.

They managed to find a dozen actors, writers and directors under the age of 35 and not one of them is non-Caucasian. It’s just unbelievable.

Since THR couldn’t do it, here are some suggestions for Next Generation actors under 35:

Paula Patton, currently shooting “Mission: Impossible 4,” doesn’t turn 35 until next month. She’s talented, beautiful, and made a name for herself in “Precious.”

Jurnee Smollett is 24, and made quite an impression in “The Great Debaters.” So did Nate Parker, 31, who stars in George Lucas‘s “Red Tails.”

Anthony Mackie, 32, is already a star in the eyes of many. He’s got “The Adjustment Bureau” coming up, and is right now starring in “Night Catches Us” with another new generation star, Kerry Washington, who’s 33.

Of course, there are many, many more from Derek Luke and Joy Bryant to Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, nominee Gabby Sidibe, and Octavia Spencer, who’s going to be a knockout next season in “The Help.”

And directors: Gina Prince Bythewood (she’s 41), “Secret Life of Bees” and many other credits; Tim Story (40) directed both of the Fantastic Four movies and “Barbershop.”

Feel free to add some names in the Comments section. Let’s tell The Hollywood Reporter who they missed. Movies must be multi-cultural in order for Hollywood to survive.

Vanessa Redgrave’s Most Famous TV Movie 30th Anniversary Celebration

Roger Friedman
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0
Vanessa Redgrave’s Most Famous TV Movie 30th Anniversary Celebration

This Sunday, Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones have a day off from “Driving Miss Daisy” on Broadway. Jones is spending a quiet day in his country home. But Redgrave is taking a trip back 30 years.

The actress’s most famous American TV performance, as Fania Fenelon in “Playing for Time,” is being celebrated at the Paley Center on Sunday afternoon on its 30th anniversary. Redgrave’s costar Jane Alexander and producer Linda Yellen are going to be interviewed by Pat Mitchell, who heads the center.

“Playing for Time” was made by CBS back when networks still produced important TV movies–now it’s up to HBO, Showtime, and PBS. The screenplay was by famed writer Arthur Miller. The cast included Christine Baranski, Shirley Knight, Marisa Berenson, Maud Adams, Robin Bartlett, and a pre-“thirtysomething” Melanie Mayron. Daniel Mann, award winning from films and Broadway, was the director.

The film was based on a memoir by Fenelon, an Auschwitz survivor from the Holocaust. Her story was legendary: to escape death in the worst concentration camp, she join an orchestra of prison women that entertained the Nazi commanders at the camp. “Playing for Time” remains a searing story of survival. It won the Emmy Award in 1981 for Best Movie. (There were many fewer categories then.) I’m surprised no one’s tried to remake it. Fenelon’s saga would make a natural role for Natalie Portman or even Gwyneth Paltrow.

Redgrave was a lightning rod when she made the movie because of her infamous pro-Palestinian, anti-Zionist politics. There was a huge controversy about her playing Fenelon. But many actresses turned down the part because it required shaving their heads. Arthur Miller told the New York Times: ”I wasn’t aware of what an activist she was.” He said he decided ”to let the results justify themselves.” In the end, Redgrave proved to be an outstanding choice.

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