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Overnight: Tony Bennett-Lady Gaga Spikes High Ratings, Sends Album to Top of Charts

Roger Friedman
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Overnight: Tony Bennett-Lady Gaga Spikes High Ratings, Sends Album to Top of Charts

What a night for TonyBennett!

His special, “One Last Time,” with Lady Gaga, was the highest rated network non sports show on Sunday night. The overnight total was 6.13 million and it will adjust higher by tomorrow with delayed viewing.

The audience skewed older with just 400,000 of those viewers in the 18-49 range. But the oldsters tuned in like crazy.

When the night began, Tony and Gaga’s album, “Love for Sale,” was number 3o on iTunes. This morning it’s in the top 10. On amazon, it’s the number 2 CD, held back only by Adele. Quite an accomplishment.

Tony and Gaga have 6 Grammy nominations. I’m guessing they win all 6 including Album of the Year. Contemporary pop had a mediocre year. “Love for Sale” is the class choice. And imagine if they have Tony make an appearance of some kind.

I went to the live show at Radio City back on August 3rd and was impressed with how the producers organized this hour long special. It was perfectly concise, and showed Tony was simply amazing as he performed solo and with Lady Gaga. Tony may have Alzheimer’s but as a performer he didn’t miss a beat. His voice soared. He is just remarkable.

Lady Gaga really deserves so much credit. She is now the rare once in a generation throwback to a music and movie star who can also host a TV special with ease. She is a Star with a capital S. And of course MGM ran ads for Gaga’s movie, “House of Gucci,” during the special to tie everything together.

Wait, there’s more: MTV will host a Bennett-Gaga Unplugged on December 16th. This is the show they taped before Radio City, no guests allowed. And then there’s a Paramount Plus documentary set for next year. This was the whole CBS-Viacom package, and no matter what it cost, it was worth it.

 

UPDATED Adele Loses Her Grip on Streaming: Taylor Swift Retakes Number 1 on Spotify, Singles Spotty on Apple Music

Roger Friedman
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UPDATED Adele Loses Her Grip on Streaming: Taylor Swift Retakes Number 1 on Spotify, Singles Spotty on Apple Music

The Adele “30” fervor is over.

I told you on Friday that sales for Adele’s “30” were down 75% from her “25” in 2015. That’s a steep drop. First week sales did not crack 1 million.

Most of Adele’s sales were from CDs and downloads. Streaming was a minor factor. That was a surprise after proclamations that “30” had set streaming records.

Well, now the stream is drying up. For the first few days of release, Adele commanded the top dozen or more spots on Spotify’s daily US chart. But this morning, Taylor Swift is number 1 again with her 10 minute “All Too Well.” Adele’s “Easy on Me” is number 2. And then there are only two other “30” tracks on Spotify’s top singles list, “Oh My God,” and “Can I Get It.”

Over on Apple Music’s Top 200, Adele has just three tracks. The first is number 185, from her “25” album. There are two more, also from that album. Apple Music streaming is ignoring “30.” And that’s even after Adele gave Zane Lowe her recipe for porridge!

Updated thanks to a sharp eyed Adele fan: Singles are spotty on the Apple Music chart. But “Easy on Me” holds on to number 1.

Streaming for all tracks on “30” except for “Easy on Me” is pretty low. While the single has 355 million streams, the other songs average 25 million. According to hitsdailydouble.com, “Easy on Me” was second to “All Too Well” the week ending November 18th in revenue, by a lot: Swift earned $290,000 to Adele’s $130,000.

I did have a feeling this would happen. Those songs are doorstops. They’re too long for streaming. “All Too Well” is a phenom and one of a kind. Adele has several songs over 5 and 6 minutes. Streaming is for people with concentration issues. They’re not going to sit still for that. And many of the Adele songs sound similar have the same theme. One is all you need, and that’s “Easy On Me.” Sony had better rev up “Can I Get It” as a single, if that even matters.

Review: Ben Affleck Gives An Affecting Performance in George Clooney’s “The Tender Bar,” the Perfect Movie for Streaming

Roger Friedman
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Review: Ben Affleck Gives An Affecting Performance in George Clooney’s “The Tender Bar,” the Perfect Movie for Streaming

I was a little surprised to see an Academy DVD of George Clooney’s “The Tender Bar” arrive over the weekend. Even though it was screened a while ago in LA with Jackson Browne playing some tunes at a reception, this Amazon Studios film has been almost impossible to get hold of.

Now I know why. JR Moehringer’s memoir was an interesting task to undertake for Clooney as a director. It’s a small, quiet movie. Clooney and William Monahan have done a lovely job adapting it. Ben Affleck gives an affecting performance. But there’s insubstantial-ness to it that makes “The Tender Bar” a great film for streaming, but not for movie theaters.

Moehringer’s father was an itinerant radio show host who left his wife and kid and couldn’t keep a job for long. So JR’s mother (Lily Rabe, top notch) brings him back to her father’s working class ramshackle house with all the other members of her family who are nonstarters. That includes Affleck as Rabe’s brother. He failed to launch as an adult years ago and now runs the Dickens bar around the corner.

Like “Hillbilly Elegy,” this is the story of a bright kid with an absent father, raised by women and an uncle, who studies hard so he can go to an Ivy League school and make something of himself. Richard Jenkins is the grandfather who’s a “character.” The whole idea is to get out of Long Island and see the world. (In real life, Moerhinger didn’t even stay in Brooklyn that long. His bio says he graduated from high school in Scottsdale, Arizona.)

The film has great soundtrack of 70s songs, and there are just a couple of Jackson Browne numbers but no one mentions him. I don’t know why he played at that Hollywood party. Daniel Rainieri is a charming kid playing young JR, and Tye Sheridan does what he can to make a slightly older JR interesting. But the best bits are in Brooklyn, not at Yale, where JR falls for a Black girl from a wealthy family who strings him along for what seems like years.

Affleck is who people will follow here, and he reminds us that he’s not just Batman and JLo and tabloids. If only his character had its own story arc, Ben could have made the Oscar short list for Best Supporting Actor. But I don’t see it. He doesn’t do much except dispense beer and advice. He does it well but it’s not enough.

Sad News: Fashion Designer Virgil Abloh of Louis Vuitton, 41, Favorite of Kanye West, Dies After 2 Year Battle with Rare Cancer

Roger Friedman
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Sad News: Fashion Designer Virgil Abloh of Louis Vuitton, 41, Favorite of Kanye West, Dies After 2 Year Battle with Rare Cancer

Virgil Abloh, top fashion designer for Louis Vuitton and for his own label, Off White, has died from cancer much too young at age 41. Abloh was a frequent collaborator and close associate of Kanye West among others. According to reports he’d been battling cancer “for years.” Just awful. Condolences to his family, friends, and fans.

Here’s an interview with him from 2017 in the NY Times.

His family has posted to Instagram:

We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend. He is survived by his loving wife Shannon Abloh, his children Lowe Abloh and Grey Abloh, his sister Edwina Abloh, his parents Nee and Eunice Abloh, and numerous dear friends and colleagues.

For over two years, Virgil valiantly battled a rare, aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma. He chose to endure his battle privately since his diagnosis in 2019, undergoing numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art, and culture.

Through it all, his work ethic, infinite curiosity, and optimism never wavered. Virgil was driven by his dedication to his craft and to his mission to open doors for others and create pathways for greater equality in art and design. He often said, “Everything I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself,” believing deeply in the power of art to inspire future generations.

We thank you all for your love and support, and we ask for privacy as we grieve and celebrate Virgil’s life.

Princess Diana Not Proving to Be A Box Office Draw as “Spencer” Movie Makes Just $610 Per Theater in 3rd Week

Roger Friedman
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Princess Diana Not Proving to Be A Box Office Draw as “Spencer” Movie Makes Just $610 Per Theater in 3rd Week

Maybe Princess Diana is trying to tell us something from the great beyond.

After more hype than a Muhammad Ali boxing match, “Spencer,” the movie about Diana’s time married to Prince Charles, is not a success.

Over its fourth weekend in release, “Spencer” made just $610 per theater in 346 locations. The weekend take was just $211,028.

The theatrical run for “Spencer” is coming to a close now. Originally it played in 996 theaters, went up briefly to 1,200, retreated to 954, and was cut by two thirds this weekend. Its total is now $6.6 million.

Kristen Stewart’s performance as Diana was touted for weeks leading up people actually seeing the film as the one to beat for the Oscars. But with this disappointing reaction by audiences, those odds have probably shifted downwards quite a bit. Coming up fast now is Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball in “Being the Ricardos,” followed possibly by Frances McDormand in “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” Somewhere on the periphery are Jennifer Hudson in “Respect” and Lady Gaga in “House of Gucci.”

The lack of audience for “Spencer” is not a surprise. Even the Broadway musical about the princess, “Diana: The Musical,” is struggling to stay open in light of terrifyingly negative reviews.  In the case of the Pablo Lorrain-directed film, we could tell from film festival audiences that the eccentric storytelling defeated the central performance. People walked out in droves, or simply said they didn’t like it. Vomiting is never a high point in any film, especially when it involves hanging around a toilet.

Five years ago, director Lorrain made a similar movie about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, called “Jackie” starring Natalie Portman. There was the same hype for Portman and the film. But in the end, “Jackie” made just $13 million. As a tale of the tape, in its fourth week, “Jackie” was well ahead of “Spencer.” The famous First Lady wins in celebrity movies in this category, if that’s some consolation to her.

 

 

No More Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee? Jerry Seinfeld Tells Podcast “We’ve Put That Volume on the Shelf”

Roger Friedman
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No More Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee? Jerry Seinfeld Tells Podcast “We’ve Put That Volume on the Shelf”

It does seem as though Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” has been in the garage for good. After 11 seasons and 84 episodes, Seinfeld says on the “Smartless” podcast that he’s done.

Seinfeld tells hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes when they ask about the show:
“I think I’m going to put that volume on the shelf. It was a lot of fun and I got to meet … a lot of those people who I had not met. We’re friends now. It’s amazing what two hours with somebody — you’re friends forever after that. It was really great.”

Originally “Comedians” ran on the Crackle network but eventually it moved to Netflix. There have been no new installments since 2019. The series won 5 Producers Guild of America awards and was nominated for 5 Emmy Awards. My personal favorites were with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks, and with Jerry Lewis. I also really liked the episode with Sarah Jessica Parker. It was a clever, inventive, funny series that will no doubt run in syndication for eons.

The revelation comes toward the end of the podcast at 53:43. It’s a terrific podcast. Thanks to Yahoo News for tipping us off about it.

Box Office: “Dune” Finally Crosses $100 Million Line, But Will Smith’s “King Richard” a Royal Bust

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Dune” Finally Crosses $100 Million Line, But Will Smith’s “King Richard” a Royal Bust

More good news, bad news, this time for Warner Bros.

“Dune,” which I think is a Best Picture nominee with many more nods as well, has finally reached Nirvana.

Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi opera hit $100 million overnight and is at $100,877,000. Everyone can relax now. Total time was 36 days. And it was a nail biter. But “Dune” has persevered especially since it was shown on HBO Max for much of that time. Bravo to all involved.

For Warner Bros., “Dune” is a great success and a nice pay off for work well done. But they’re having trouble on another front. Will Smith’s “King Richard” has refused to take flight. It can’t get the ball over the net. It’s quite a racquet. (Okay, that’s enough!)

“King Richard” is having trouble securing an audience. Not even the Black audience seems that interested in going to theaters to see it despite its strong message of family and dedication to sport.

I’m not sure if it’s because Richard Williams, whom Smith is getting raves for playing, is a little off putting. Or if Smith’s constant personal confession in the press– he has a book out– has turned people off. I know that personally I never want to hear another word about Smith or his wife’s sex lives. But clamming up at this point might serve Smith well.

More tomorrow…

Box Office: Gaga’s “Gucci” Heads to $23 Mil Opening, “Licorice Pizza” Has Tasty Premiere, “Belfast” Is a Gem

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: Gaga’s “Gucci” Heads to $23 Mil Opening, “Licorice Pizza” Has Tasty Premiere, “Belfast” Is a Gem

Friday box office was good for everyone, even Lady Gaga.

“House of Gucci” took in $5.7 million yesterday, whipping its total up to $13.3 million since Tuesday. What day is it today? Who knows? But if “Gucci” picks up another $10 million today and tomorrow, they’ll come in with maybe $23 million for the week. It’s not huge, but it’s no disaster despite the reviews.

Speaking of “Gucci” reviews, designer and filmmaker Tom Ford writes about the movie in Graydon Carter’s Air Mail thing today. The best part of the review is Ford’s complete omission of any mention of the fact that he’s depicted in the movie or the actor, Reeve Carney, who plays him. He must not have liked Carney’s work. I did and that’s too bad.

“Gucci” comes from MGM, which still can’t get itself bought by Amazon Studios despite a much heralded announcement last May. The reason? The Federal Trade Commission has put a spanner in the works. So MGM lumbers forward. But, good news at least for now with another release, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza.” It opened in four theaters yesterday and sliced up $141,000. What will happen when it hits the real world is unknown, but for this minute in time, all is okey doke.

And the number 1 Oscar-buzzed movie, “Belfast”? Holding its own nicely as it waits for some awards accolades to come in. If you can see “Belfast” this weekend, do so, please, without hesitation. It’s going to be in for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, not to mention Supporting Actors Jamie Dornan and Catriona Balfe, maybe Judi Dench, and even little Jude Hill. A brilliant little gem of a film.

 

RIP Actress Lisa Brown, 67, Star of “Guiding Light” and “As the World Turns” for 30 Years

Roger Friedman
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RIP Actress Lisa Brown, 67, Star of “Guiding Light” and “As the World Turns” for 30 Years

Sad news today from the New York soap world. Actress and acting coach Lisa Brown, who played characters on CBS’s “Guiding Light” and “As the World Turns” for a combination of 30 years, died afte a short illness. She was 67.

Brown played Nola Reardon on “Guiding Light” beginning in 1980, and then segued onto the sister soap, “As the World Turns,” where she was Iva Snyder. Her characters on each show came and went right until the end of the run for the two Procter & Gamble series in 2010.

Brown was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards for “ATWT” and became a highly valued acting coach for new soap actors. In an odd coincidence, the man who played her romantic lead on “Guiding Light,” actor Michael Tylo, died just a few weeks ago at the age of 72. They were the hot couple on “Guiding Light” in the early 80s, surviving many Gothic adventures.

Condolences to her family, friends, and legions of fans.

Adele Sells a Whopping 838K Copies of “30.” Biggest Debut of Year, But 75% Less Than Last Album

Roger Friedman
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Adele Sells a Whopping 838K Copies of “30.” Biggest Debut of Year, But 75% Less Than Last Album

Adele’s “30” is a good news, bad news story.

The new album sold 838,000 copies in its first week, most of them CDs and downloads. That’s all good news. It’s the biggest opening week of any album in 2021.

The bad news is, that’s 75% fewer albums than she sold in the first week for “25,” released exactly six years ago. Sorry, but it’s true. “25” was a phenomenon with much better songs. “30” is a marketing tool, and the public sensed it.

So here is the breakdown: 678,782 in CDs and downloads. Streaming came to 152,690. Here’s the thing with streaming, I am tired of press releases trumpeting “so many million streams, broke a record.” Etc. A zillion streams adds up to 5,000 actual equivalent sales. Just because someone’s pushing the button over and over on Spotify doesn’t mean you made money or sold copies. It means Spotify made money from their subscription. Ouch! It hurts.

Adele can still be proud of the 678,782, according to hitsdailydouble.com. But it’s far cry from the 3.8 million copies she sold of “25” the week of November 15, 2015. “25” went on to sell 18 million copies over 12 months, and it’s sold a total of 22 million according to different sources. “30” isn’t going there. It’s Adele’s “Bad” album. It’s what happened to Michael Jackson after “Thriller,” except Michael didn’t six years.

They key to “30” will be getting more singles out of it. I’m not sure about that. Streaming eats up album tracks so that by the time you aim for a second or third single, they’ve been squeezed like a lemon. By the end of February, “30” is going to be lemon juice. That’s my prediction. I might be wrong, but I can’t see it sustaining interest over 12 weeks. The public moves on.

Adele should not have waited six years. Three, tops. There should have been a couple of duets, some interesting people playing instruments, and more hooky songs with choruses. (The instrumentation on this album is a bore, just the same thing over and over.) Somewhere, Paul Epworth is shaking his head. Can you imagine if Gary Clark Jr. had played a lick? Or Adele had dueted with Sting? Or somebody with a cool new voice like Aloe Blacc? Or Lady Gaga had played piano somewhere?

Adele may be rolling in the dough on this one, but not rolling in the deep. And PS I don’t want to hear any more about her divorce or what she was like when she misses about being a child.

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