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Joey Gallo Coming to the Yankees, Bob Dylan Wins Lawsuit Over Song About Gangster of Same Name

Roger Friedman
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Joey Gallo Coming to the Yankees, Bob Dylan Wins Lawsuit Over Song About Gangster of Same Name

Joey Gallo is in the air, his spirit and his bat.

The Yankees just bought Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers to be — fingers crossed — a superstar outfielder and hitter in the Bronx. He’s 27, and from Las Vegas.

But the real Joey Gallo was a terrifying gangster in the New York mob. He was brutally murdered at Umberto’s Clam House in Little Italy in 1972. His death came right around the time of “The Godfather” being released. The mob was very sexy and frightening then.

Bob Dylan must have been intrigued. He wrote a song called “Joey” with Jacques Levy, now deceased, released in 1975. “Desire” was a terrific album; Levy wrote a lot of the lyrics to many songs.

Dylan sang/Levy wrote:

One day they blew him down in a clam bar in New York

He could see it comin’ through the door as he lifted up his fork

He pushed the table over to protect his family

Then he staggered out into the streets of Little Italy

The other songs co-authored by Levy are really great, including “Hurricane,” “Isis,” “Mozambique,” “Oh Sister,” “Romance in Durango,” and “Black Diamond Bay,” which appeared on the “Desire” album, plus “Catfish,” “Money Blues” and “Rita Mae.”

When Dylan sold the rights to his catalog last year for $300 million, Levy’s widow sued him looking for money on their 10 collaborations including “Joey.” Today, she lost the lawsuit. Jacques Levy apparently agreed back in ’75 that he waived all rights, he was work for hire. He gets royalties, always has and still will. But he is not an owner of the song with Dylan.

You could say Levy’s estate went to bat and got rubbed out.

PS Maybe the new Joey Gallo can have the song “Joey” played when he comes up to bat at Yankee Stadium:

 

Hollywood Wars: Scarlett Johansson’s CAA Talent Agent Bryan Lourd Hits Back at Disney

Roger Friedman
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Hollywood Wars: Scarlett Johansson’s CAA Talent Agent Bryan Lourd Hits Back at Disney

Well, this is getting interesting.

Bryan Lourd, one of the main partners in powerhouse agency CAA, has rallied behind client Scarlett Johansson. He’s gone on the attack against Disney since Scarlett sued them yesterday over “Black Widow.” Disney responded by attacking Scarlett, which was a mistake, I think.

But now we have Bryan Lourd going on the offensive against Disney. This is potentially earth shaking. For CAA to take on the Mouse House is a big big deal. Good for Bryan Lourd. But how this shakes out among all the different relationships is up in the air.

Stay tuned…

Lourd’s statement: I want to address the Walt Disney Company’s statement that was issued in response to the lawsuit filed against them yesterday by our client Scarlett Johansson. They have shamelessly and falsely accused Ms. Johansson of being insensitive to the global COVID pandemic, in an attempt to make her appear to be someone they and I know she isn’t.

Scarlett has been Disney’s partner on nine movies, which have earned Disney and its shareholders billions. The company included her salary in their press statement in an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman, as if that were something she should be ashamed of. Scarlett is extremely proud of the work that she, and all of the actors, writers, directors, producers, and the Marvel creative team have been a part of for well over a decade.

This suit was filed as a result of Disney’s decision to knowingly violate Scarlett’s contract. They have very deliberately moved the revenue stream and profits to the Disney+ side of the company, leaving artistic and financial partners out of their new equation. That’s it, pure and simple.

Disney’s direct attack on her character and all else they implied is beneath the company that many of us in the creative community have worked with successfully for decades.

Whew! Good News About Bob Odenkirk from Pal David Cross: “He’s doing great!”

Roger Friedman
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Whew! Good News About Bob Odenkirk from Pal David Cross: “He’s doing great!”

David Cross, who starred with Bob Odenkirk in “Mr. Show,” has great news about his friend.

Cross posted to Twitter: “Just got off the phone with Bob and he’s doing great! Joking and japing and joshing. Both he and his family are overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and concern everyone has shown. You will be hearing from him soon. But he’s doing really well!!!”

Thank goodness. There’s been an outpouring of concern for Odenkirk ever since he collapsed on the set of “Better Call Saul.” He had some kind of heart attack, and there was trepidation because it took almost 24 hours to get a report on him, but sounds good.

Better call Bob!

Here We Go Again with a DC Comics Movie: “Suicide Squad” Director Says There’s a Better Director’s Cut of His 2016 Film

Roger Friedman
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Here We Go Again with a DC Comics Movie: “Suicide Squad” Director Says There’s a Better Director’s Cut of His 2016 Film

Shades of “Justice League” and Zack Snyder. Now 2016 film “Suicide Squad” director David Ayer has taken to Twitter to say there’s better director’s cut of his film.

Ayer is no doubt peeved because James Gunn’s new “Suicide Squad” movie is getting raves from critics. (I’m going to see it today.)

Ayer says: “I put my life into Suicide Squad. I made something amazing. My cut is intricate and emotional journey with some bad people who are shit on and discarded (a theme that resonates in my soul). The studio cut is not my movie. Read that again. And my cut is not the 10 week director’s cut — it’s a fully mature edit by Lee Smith standing on the incredible work by John Gilroy. It’s all Steven Price’s brilliant score, with not a single radio song in the whole thing. It has traditional character arcs, amazing performances, a solid third-act resolution. A handful of people have seen it.”

After Snyder complained similarly, DC fans mounted a campaign to see the director’s cut– and we did, this year. Maybe Ayer will get the same treatment. And in 2035 we’ll get the DC version of “Mank” that will show how the intended versions of these movies were cast aside.



Listen to This Rare Outtake of George Harrison’s “Isn’t it A Pity,” Song About the Beatles Break Up

Roger Friedman
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Listen to This Rare Outtake of George Harrison’s “Isn’t it A Pity,” Song About the Beatles Break Up

“Isn’t it a Pity” was an elegy from George Harrison about the Beatles’ break up that appeared on his masterpiece album, “All Things Must Pass.”

This version is Take 27 which appears on the sensational 50th anniversary collection coming next Friday, August 6th. Check amazon for all the different configurations, from a lovely CD box set to more ornate LP versions including one that comes in a terrific looking crate.

I’ve been lucky enough to have the CD box set for a week or more. The remastering and remixing is superb. I’ve been listening to “All Things Must Pass” for five decades and it’s never sounded better– richer, deeper, or more detailed. “What Is Life,” “Let It Roll,” “If Not for You” are among the revelations as the sound literally splits open to reveal new colors.

Executive producers Dhani Harrison and Paul Hicks have outdone themselves honoring George. He was just 27 years old when he emerged from the shadow of Lennon and McCartney with this collection. He couldn’t have known it then, but in a way, thank goodness the Beatles broke up so he could prosper as a songwriter, producer, musician, and singer.

(Listen) Bruno Mars’ Latest Throwback “Skate” Makes for Ebullient Summer of Soul Revival

Roger Friedman
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(Listen) Bruno Mars’ Latest Throwback “Skate” Makes for Ebullient Summer of Soul Revival

Bruno Mars is having his own throwback summer of soul. His single with Anderson Paak, “Leave the Door Open.” sounded like it came from 1974. Now the new one, “Skate,” picks that up again. WBLS never sounded so good! Hal Jackson is smiling in heaven. “Skate” is so ebullient, you will be dancing in the car, on the beach, at the vax center. Bruno Mars is like an anthropologist. He’s done his Police thing with “Locked in Heaven,” his funk thing with “Uptown Funk,” and now he’s trying on these tie dyed bell bottoms. Dance, kids!

(Review) Prince’s “Welcome 2 America” is a Classic Soul Jam, Sings Eerily About Taking “too many pills when you’ve lost the thrill”

Roger Friedman
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(Review) Prince’s “Welcome 2 America” is a Classic Soul Jam, Sings Eerily About Taking “too many pills when you’ve lost the thrill”

Prince’s posthumous album, “Welcome 2 America,” is out, and it’s got hits on it, the kind you’d like to hear on the radio.

The best of these is “Hot Summer,” which Legacy should have led with instead of the title track, but what can you do? The sequencing of tracks on this album is not good, I think, making it more work than we need.

The title track, based on Thom Bell’s Stylistics classic “People Make the World Go Round,” would have been better in the middle as a centerpiece. It’s not a lead off track. That would have been the blast off in “Check the Record,” a total clarion call for Prince fans. But no one asked me.

There’s a number called “Stand Up and B Strong” that starts off like an ode to Sting’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” then picks up an almost a showtune. The lyrics are disarmingly prescient, a kind of pep talk Prince is giving himself about “taking too many pills.” This is 2010, six years before he would die from exactly that– too many pills.

“If you live in the hills (If you live in the hills)
Listen, take too many pills (Oh, too many pulls)
‘Cause you’ve lost the thrill
Against your own will
Stand up and be strong
Yes sir”

“Stand Up” shows off the album’s strong classic R&B melodies, and is part of a series of songs in the center of this collection that are potential Prince classics. “Hot Summer” and “Check the Record” are included, as is “Same Page, Different Look.”

I don’t know if the songs on “Welcome” were all supposed to be together, and found each other by the archivists. But it’s a very commercial album, there’s no doubt. If Prince had released this album even with this sequence when it first existed he would have had a long overdue hit.

One of the problems with his post-hits era is that he completely succumbed to self-indulgence. It was as if he was determined not to please his audience at all costs. I went to that crazy show in the Hamptons years ago where the tickets were $1500, we were all outside in some field with a caterer. The set list was designed to repel the 99% white preppy audience. He did it on purpose. (Mo and Michael Ostin were there, they’ll remember.) He would never have given them an album as accessible and tuneful as this. No “Raspberry Beret,” or “Pop Star.” Just long, meandering riffs.

But I digress. We’re not getting anything else from Prince, obviously, so we’ll be happy to settle for “Welcome 2 America.” Trust me, start in the middle and then go back go the beginning and to the end, with “One Day We Will All Be Free.” But find “Yes,” before you get there. In the old days it would have kicked off Side 2 with a real punch, not been hidden at the end.

Amanda Knox Speaks Out on “Stillwater”: “Does my name belong to me? My face? What about my life? My story?”

Roger Friedman
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Amanda Knox Speaks Out on “Stillwater”: “Does my name belong to me? My face? What about my life? My story?”

Amanda Knox has posted a long thread on Twitter about the movie “Stillwater.” Apparently she’s not too pleased that the Matt Damon movie opening tomorrow borrows heavily from her real life story.

Knox spent almost four years in an Italian prison following her conviction for the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, a fellow exchange student who shared her apartment. In 2015, Knox was definitively acquitted by the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation.

Now “Spotlight” director Tom McCarthy has made a movie loosely based on those events, starring Abigail Breslin as a Knox like character and Damon as her father. The movie played in Cannes, won raves, and opens officially on Friday.

The full piece can be read here:

Keep refreshing:

I understand that Tom McCarthy and Matt Damon have no moral obligation to consult me when profiting by telling a story that distorts my reputation in negative ways. And I reiterate my offer to interview them on Labyrinths.
I bet we could have a fascinating conversation about identity, and public perception, and who should get to exploit a name, face, and story that has entered the public imagination.

Does my name belong to me? My face? What about my life? My story? Why does my name refer to events I had no hand in? I return to these questions because others continue to profit off my name, face, & story without my consent. Most recently, the film #STILLWATER.

This new film by director Tom McCarthy, starring Matt Damon, is “loosely based” or “directly inspired by” the “Amanda Knox saga,” as Vanity Fair put it in a for-profit article promoting a for-profit film, neither of which I am affiliated with.

I want to pause right here on that phrase: “the Amanda Knox saga.” What does that refer to? Does it refer to anything I did? No. It refers to the events that resulted from the murder of Meredith Kercher by a burglar named Rudy Guede.

It refers to the shoddy police work, prosecutorial tunnel vision, and refusal to admit their mistakes that led the Italian authorities to wrongfully convict me, twice. In those four years of wrongful imprisonment and 8 years of trial.

Everyone else in that “saga” had more influence over events than I did. The erroneous focus on me by the authorities led to an erroneous focus on me by the press, which shaped how I was viewed. In prison, I had no control over my public image, no voice in my story.

This focus on me led many to complain that Meredith had been forgotten. But of course, who did they blame for that? Not the Italian authorities. Not the press. Me! Somehow it was my fault that the police and media focused on me at Meredith’s expense.

The result of this is that 15 years later, my name is the name associated with this tragic series of events, of which I had zero impact on.”

Again, click the link above for her full post.

 

(Watch) Lady Gaga Sizzles And Aims for Another Oscar Nomination in Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci”

Roger Friedman
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(Watch) Lady Gaga Sizzles And Aims for Another Oscar Nomination in Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci”

MGM is really hitting for the fences with “House of Gucci.” Lady Gaga and Adam Driver sizzle in the trailer for the Ridley Scott movie coming in November.

Um, this means that Ridley Scott, who’s 84 years old, has TWO huge blockbusters coming this fall including “The Last Duel.” (I’m twenty years younger and I’ve been napping.)

Lady Gaga shimmying around to Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” is a mood, that’s for sure. I just hope she doesn’t fall in love with Adam Driver. Is there a “Gucci” song? Don’t know yet. If there is, Gaga will be competing with her “Top Gun Maverick” song for the Oscars.

Sharon Stone Announces Membership First Candidacy for National Delegate and National Board Member of SAG-AFTRA

Roger Friedman
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Sharon Stone Announces Membership First Candidacy for National Delegate and National Board Member of SAG-AFTRA

Sharon Stone is running for office. I endorse and support her I don’t care what the office is.

But it does happen to be for National Delegate and National Board Member of SAG-AFTRA.

She’s running with Matthew Modine and Joely Fisher to set SAG-AFTRA straight.

Sharon’s released two videos. Here are the transcripts. I’ll put up the video shortly.

VIDEO ONE Transcript 
“Hi, I’m Sharon Stone and I am running as a Membership First National Delegate and National Board Member because I want a seat at the table at the next negotiations. I am running with Matthew Modine and Joely Fisher because, well, I love them. And I know that they’re great people and that they have your best interests at heart.
And when I say you, I mean us as actors, you know, things have not been going well for us. I don’t think you need me to tell you that. I mean, I lost my vested insurance after 43 years in the business because of COVID. I was $13 short and, you know, I don’t really think that that is reasonable for any of us.
When we go through a global pandemic, to lose decades worth of our insurance or to lose all of the things that we need when we’re trying to put food on the table, we’re trying to keep our homes, and we’re trying to feed our kids, families. This is a very, very, very tough time. And we have all been through so much.
Film and television family is struggling and we need representation that says that we understand one another, that we understand that we are all all going through a devastating time and that we need better representation. We don’t need to get our contracts the day we arrive at work and we don’t need to have people trying to take our likeness and image for “In perpetuity,” whatever the heck that means. We need someone who shows up for us and someone who negotiates for us in streaming services, in film and in television and computer, as it exists today, not in the way that we were told, oh, it was just a passing, fancy. It is not, and it is our lifestyle. And we are struggling with this new lifestyle and we are struggling.
And we need people who are going to stand up for us. And Matthew and Jolie will stand up for us. I’ve known both of them forever and they stand up for me just as a person. And I am really grateful to be running with them. And I will be sitting at that table and I will be fighting for you because we need people to fight for us.
Who’s been fighting for you lately? I know nobody. Nobody has been fighting for me lately. And I know that it’s time for someone to stand up for you. And I want to be one of those people that stands up with Matthew and Jolie and says, we need, we need it. We need care. We need compassion. We need empathy.
And we need someone who looks out for us during these times. That someone is going to be us, that someone is going to be Membership First, that someone is going to be those of us who’ve actually been through hard times. Those of us who actually have won and lost, and lost it all, and know what it’s like to try to crawl back to work.
And we’ll win for you because it is darn hard to win – and it is darn hard to lose – and it is hell when you go through these difficult times. Where is our Guild? Where are the people that are supposed to be looking out for us? Well, here. We are Membership First and we are here to look out for you.
And when I have a seat at that table, you can believe that I’m going to look out for you. Just like I stood up for Aids, just like I stood up for COVID. I will stand up for you at the Screen Actors Guild, and I will stand up with Matthew Modine. I will stand up with Joely Fisher and we at Membership First are going to stand up for you and we’re going to stand up loud and proud.
So please go to http://www.membership first.org. And if you have a little money. You know, that’s always really helpful, and you have helped us so much with many things in the past. Please help with Membership First because we’re here to take care of you. Why? Because we are you.”
 
VIDEO TWO Transcript
Hi, I’m Sharon Stone and I’m running for a delegate position and board membership of Membership First in the screen actors Guild union with Matthew Modine and Joely Fisher.
I’ve been offered a job. A good job. A job I really want to do in Atlanta. That’s why my hair standing on end … because the Producers Guild of America will not guarantee that everyone on our show is vaccinated before I go to work,
The head of the Producers Guild wants to have a personal conversation with me because everyone in my pod could be vaccinated. And that should be good enough for me, but is it? No.
Well, I go to work before everyone on my show is vaccinated? No. No, I won’t. Am I being threatened that I will lose my job? Yes. Yes I am. Will I lose my job if everyone is not vaccinated on my show? Yes. Yes I could. Will I stand up for all of us so that every set that we go on is vaccinated? Yes. Yes, I will. Why? Because that’s ridiculous… that we should have to go to work where we are not safe to work. I am standing up for all of us when I say that the Screen Actors Guild — that I will be working for with Membership First — will be safe for us to go to work.
I’m not going to work until all of our sets are vaccinated. And you shouldn’t either. Why? Because I am running for us. Why? Because we are, you. I’m so sorry that this is our working conditions, but this is the Screen Actors Guild that we have today. Thank you.
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