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UPDATE The Weeknd No Surgery, It’s All Prosthetics from the People Who Did “The Irishman,” “Coming 2 America” Sequel, with More to Come in February for Super Bowl

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE The Weeknd No Surgery, It’s All Prosthetics from the People Who Did “The Irishman,” “Coming 2 America” Sequel, with More to Come in February for Super Bowl

The Weeknd has not permanently altered his face. Can he feel it? That’s another story.

But the extreme Joker-like changes to the pop star’s face in his new video, “Save Your Tears,” are courtesy of Prosthetic Renaissance, a well known special effects group that also did work on Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and the upcoming Eddie Murphy “Coming to America” sequel.

An insider tells me that this is part of a storyline The Weeknd is creating. It began with a fake broken nose at the MTV Video Music Awards and continued on the American Music Awards with The Weekend covered in surgical bandages.

All of that was created for The Weeknd with his direction.

Now Prosthetic Renaissance is working with Abel Tesfaye (the singer’s real name) on the Super Bowl performance he’s scheduled to unveil on Sunday, February 7th.

Whew! What a relief! Glad to know Abel is just having fun with us. I like his much too music to accept that he’s just crazy.

Meantime, I’m told that Mike Marino, head of Prosthetic Renaissance, is very proud of the “Coming 2 America” work his firm created. The movie hits Amazon Prime– which is rocking these days with great  content– on March 5th.

Neil Young After the Gold Rush: Rocker, 75, Sells 50% Rights to His Catalog Facing Another Year of No Touring

Roger Friedman
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Neil Young After the Gold Rush: Rocker, 75, Sells 50% Rights to His Catalog Facing Another Year of No Touring

Neil Young has found his gold rush.

Rather, looking for a pot of gold as opposed to a heart of gold, Young has sold 50% of the rights to song publishing catalog to the same company that’s been scooping up songs lately, Hipgnosis.

Lindsey Buckingham sold to them this week. Many other acts, including Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks, have sold their rights in the last few weeks.

There’s been a hypothesis that this rush to sell rights has something to do with capital gains taxes changing. Maybe. But the real reason is more practical: no touring money in 2020 and 2021. And who knows about 2022?

The pandemic has decimated the bread and butter of money making in the music industry. Records don’t sell enough anymore to support any lifestyle, especially those of older artists who have a lot of people on their P&L sheets, and bottom lines that reflect big living.

If you’re an artist in your 70s, the lack of touring, plus merchandise sales, is a frightening proposition. To generate cash, rather than wait by the mailbox for royalty checks, why not sell out to a deep pocketed publisher who can deal with ASCAP or BMI, Sound Exchange and so on?

Neil Young, who’s 75, has a huge catalog with many well known songs that can be used in commercials and movies. “Heart of Gold” was his biggest hit, but “Learning to Fly” has been used in films, and songs like “Only Love Can Break Your Heart,” “Love is a Rose,” “Lotta Love” are easily marketable. Then there are many gems in the catalog that have been under utilized.

Young is smart, too. He’s only sold 50% of the rights for now. If Hipgnosis has a big success, and Young– whose tours with Promise of the Real, and Crazy Horse — are annual, can’t get back on stage, there’s always the option of selling more of the rights.

Comes a time, as they say, when you have to plan for the future.

Grammy Awards, CBS Bigfoot NBC, Screen Actors Guild Awards by Taking Their Date, March 14th, Without Asking

Roger Friedman
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Grammy Awards, CBS Bigfoot NBC, Screen Actors Guild Awards by Taking Their Date, March 14th, Without Asking

The Grammy Awards pulled a heavy move last night. They– and CBS– bigfooted NBC and the SAG Awards.

What happened? The Grammys, set for January 31st, without warning moved to March 14th. Unfortunately, that’s the same date long scheduled for the SAG Awards on NBC from the Screen Actors Guild.

Ironically, the Grammys themselves were bigfooted by the Oscars a couple of years ago, when the Academy swooped in and grabbed their usual date, without asking. But this can’t be considered revenge since the Oscars are on ABC.

The Screen Actors Guild isn’t happy. And now we have two big network awards shows on the same night at the same time.

SAG issued a statement that reads:

“We are extremely disappointed to hear of the conflicting date, March 14th, announced today for this year’s Grammy Awards telecast,” the statement begins. “We announced the same date for the SAG Awards last July with the intent to give the greatest possible scheduling consideration for other awards shows. We expect the same consideration from sister organizations throughout the industry.”

The statement continues, “The SAG Awards recognizes outstanding acting performances over the past year. We will again put on a spectacular show that accomplishes that mission. Our two organizations, SAG-AFTRA and the Recording Academy, share members and work together effectively to advocate for artists in many areas. In an environment that is increasingly challenging for televised awards programs, we also have a mutual interest in successfully showcasing the artistry and talent of our respective memberships. We are in contact with the Recording Academy and will continue to work with our sister organizations to find ways to make this year’s awards season as successful as possible.”

Neither of these shows will be presented with a live audience or red carpet, so there’s always that. But why CBS’s Jack Sussman went for this date is a head scratcher. Clearly, SAG had cemented the date a long time ago. The Grammys could have been on the next night, or the next Sunday. Or the prior Sunday. Or on any Weeknd (just kidding).

Rap Sheet: Dr. Dre in ICU After Suffering Aneurysm, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West May Be Divorcing At Last

Roger Friedman
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Rap Sheet: Dr. Dre in ICU After Suffering Aneurysm, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West May Be Divorcing At Last

Here’s the rap sheet for Tuesday night:

Dr. Dre, rap and hip hop innovator, Beats headphones founder, is reportedly in the same Cedars Sinai ICU that Larry King just vacated. The word is that Dre has a brain aneurysm, which is frightening and potentially fatal. Everyone is praying for him. Dre is in the middle of a wild divorce with long time wife Nicole, who wants half his billions. He’s trying to stop her from ripping up a prenup.

Meantime, in this episode of “Empire”: Kim Kardashian reportedly is getting ready to serve Kanye West with divorce papers. She’s hired Hollywood divorce queen Laura Wasser — portrayed to an Oscar win in “Marriage Story” by Laura Dern.

Well, I told you that Kanye has been off social media since November 4th, appeared in none of Kim’s Christmas posts on her social media, and has been occupied with something. They have four kids, many homes, lots of money intermingled. It’s gonna take a minute to undo this farce of a marriage. She’s said to have had it with taking care of a bipolar patient who is uncooperative and a Trump supporter, to boot. Kanye is a mess. I almost feel sorry for him. But slavery, as he says, is a choice.

It’s getting crazy out there tonight. As they said on “Hill Street Blues,” be careful out there.

Seriously, Dr. Dre aka Andre Young, is just 55. He has to get better.

2nd UPDATE Grammys Last Minute Postpone to March 14th After Confusing Day of Announcements

Roger Friedman
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2nd UPDATE Grammys Last Minute Postpone to March 14th After Confusing Day of Announcements

The Grammy Awards have changed at the last minute from January 31st to March 14th. The reason is the pandemic. But a confusing day of announcements. And this was after — as I reported a couple of weeks ago– that executive producer Ben Winston had lined up Adele, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Harry Styles for the January 31st date. Six weeks? Won’t make a difference since none of them are booked for anything anyway.

MusiCares will move to March 12th, then, supposedly, five days after the Critics Choice Awards. Will there be red carpets, audiences? Who knows? Los Angeles is under siege from COVID.

Here’s the Recording Academy statement:

“After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our network partner, CBS, our host, and artists scheduled to appear, we have made the decision to postpone the 63rd GRAMMY Awards to March 14, 2021. The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, where hospital services have been overwhelmed and ICUs have reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show.

“We want to thank all of the talented artists, the staff, our vendors, and especially this year’s nominees for their understanding, patience, and willingness to work with us as we navigate these unprecedented times. The show will go on and we will unite and heal through music by celebrating excellence and saluting this year’s outstanding nominees.”

The Weeknd Really Can’t Feel His Face Now: Holds A Gun to His Head in New Video That Features Altered Face

Roger Friedman
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The Weeknd Really Can’t Feel His Face Now: Holds A Gun to His Head in New Video That Features Altered Face

The Weeknd‘s first hit was called “I Can’t Feel My Face.”

Now he really can’t. In his latest video, the best selling, award winning singer appears to have had full cosmetic surgery on his actual face. It was unnecessary and terrifying. He looked fine as he was.

It may be prosthetics. At the end of his new video, there are credits for prosthetics make up people. Is it fillers? Surgery? Either way, he’s distorted his face for unclear reasons. He looks like the Joker.

But we had sign this was happening. He appeared on the American Music Awards wearing a full mask that indicated surgery of some kind. Is this an elaborate hoax? Or a nervous breakdown?

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye– his real name– is 30 and comes from Toronto. His success has been instant over the last five years, catapulting him into the world of celebrity. He’s so talented. But why he’s done this is mystifying.

Maybe even more mystifying is the use of a gun in this video pointed by The Weeknd at a girl’s forehead, then pointed at his own head, fired, only to reveal confetti. This is really stupid.

Anyway, here’s the new video.

UPDATE Grammy Awards Postponed from January 31st to? MusiCares, Clive Davis Virtual Dinner May Still Go On

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE Grammy Awards Postponed from January 31st to? MusiCares, Clive Davis Virtual Dinner May Still Go On

The Grammy Awards and MusiCares will not happen weekend of January 31st. The pandemic is to blame. They may return in March. MusiCares will be, as I described, nonetheless when it happens. Person of the Year is every one at the Recording Academy for staying safe.

The pandemic in Los Angeles made it impossible even to have a virtual Grammy Award show. Postponing theGrammys means also MusiCares’ Person of the Year dinner isn’t happening.

But Clive Davis’s pre-Grammy dinner and show may go on virtually anyway on January 30th. I’m told it’s still being decided.

All of this could move to March after the Golden Globes on February 28th. The other big awards show set for March 7th is the Critics Choice Awards. The Oscars are on April 25th. If they ask me, the Grammys should come the week before.

Maybe while we wait the Grammys can figure out how to reward The Weeknd with some love and statues.

What a year! Nothing is written in ink. “Stay tuned” applies to everything!

 

Copyrights End for 1925 Hits “The Great Gatsby,” “Mrs. Dalloway,” Songs by the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Ma Rainey, “Sweet Georgia Brown”

Roger Friedman
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Copyrights End for 1925 Hits “The Great Gatsby,” “Mrs. Dalloway,” Songs by the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Ma Rainey, “Sweet Georgia Brown”

1925– it was a very good year. It was the year F. Scott Fitzgerald published “The Great Gatsby,” Virgina Woolf issued “Mrs. Dalloway,” Theodore Dreiser wrote “An American Tragedy.” “The Painted Veil” — a movie not too long ago — was published by Somerset Maugham.

And now, their copyrights have expired after 95 years. They are in the public domain. If you want to write your own version, change the characters, write sequels or prequels, knock yourself out. Their estates can’t control it.

Someone’s already written a “Gatsby” prequel about Nick Carraway, the famed narrator. Fitzgerald and his editor, Max Perkins, are no doubt rolling in their graves. Zelda will have to cut back on her heavenly parties.

Some songs by the Gershwins, Irving Berlin and Ma Rainey — currently starring in her own movie — are also up for grabs now. “Always” by Berlin, “Looking for a Boy” by George and Ira, and “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby,” by Gus Kahn & Walter Donaldson are all also in the public domain.

All of the 1925 works would have expired in 2001, but Congress put on a 20 year extension.

Also on the list are films by Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, the German translation of Franz Kafka’s “The Trial,” and the classic song “Sweet Georgia Brown” by Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard & Kenneth Casey.

Eventually, all works will expire under the copyright law including “Hamilton” and the Beatles’ songs and even the latest hit by Taylor Swift. The older rights holders who’ve made recent deals — like Lindsey Buckingham and Bob Dylan — are getting their dough while they can.

How long before Gatsby fakes his death in the swimming pool, reinvents himself as someone else famous with plastic surgery — and Hollywood makes a movie? Oh, it won’t be long, I’ll bet.

Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham Sells Rights to Cash Cow “Go Your Own Way,” Rest of Catalog to Single Publisher

Roger Friedman
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Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham Sells Rights to Cash Cow “Go Your Own Way,” Rest of Catalog to Single Publisher

Lindsay Buckingham has gone his own way.

The former long time member of Fleetwood Mac has sold his entire song catalog to Merck Mercuriadis’s Hipgnosis Songs for an undisclosed amount.

Buckingham sold everything, the publisher and writer’s rights, to Hipgnosis. The company already had a 25% interest in his catalog.

The crown jewel of the catalog is “Go Your Own Way,” the biggest Fleetwood Mac hit, and one that’s been used recently in two commercials– for Xfinity and for Anora, a medicine for COPD. “Go Your Own Way” will probably be licensed in dozens more commercials for the rest of our lifetime. I hope Lindsey got a proper valuation for it.

Buckingham’s other popular songs are a few from Fleetwood Mac like “The Chain,” “Second Hand News,” and “Monday Morning.” There’s also one that I love from “Tusk” called “Walk a Thin Line.”

He has a massive solo catalog that doesn’t have any obvious hits, but Hipgnosis may find some gold in there for commercials and movies. But nothing compares to “Go Your Own Way.”

Buckingham’s ex-partner in life, love and song, Stevie Nicks, recently sold the rights to all her songs including “Dreams” and “Edge of Seventeen,” for a reported $60 million.

see all of today’s headlines, click here

 

Why did he sell? Lindsey was let go from Fleetwood Mac a couple of years ago, killing his potential for big big tour money. He’s had health issues, so a solo tour once theaters re-open might be limited. He’s 71, and this sale protects his family.

It’s rough out there for everyone, rock stars included. David Crosby is still looking to make a sale of his catalog. Plenty of others are trying, too. Producer Jimmy Iovine, who made a fortune with Beats headphones, announced yesterday that he sold his “producer’s catalog” to Hipgnosis, although it’s unclear what that means since producers from his era usually were paid as work for hire.

PS The very helpful music publicist Courtney Barnes, who works with Smokey Robinson, points out to me that between Sound Exchange royalties and some other streams, Jimmy Iovine probably had a very good income from producing. Not that we were worried. Jimmy and Dr. Dre sold Beats for about a billion dollars to Apple. He’s not suffering!

 

Grammy Awards’ MusiCares Virtual Fundraiser Will Revisit Years of Legendary Performances Never Seen Before by Public

Roger Friedman
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Grammy Awards’ MusiCares Virtual Fundraiser Will Revisit Years of Legendary Performances Never Seen Before by Public

EXCLUSIVE Every year, the Grammy Awards‘ charity MusiCares stages their annual fundraiser on the Friday before the awards, honoring a superstar. Something like 3,000 people jam the LA Convention Center for dinner and a concert that’s off the hook, the honoree’s peers perform their songs.

Only the people in the Hall get to see and hear these amazing one of a kind moments performed by Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Tom Petty, Bono, Don Henley, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, and so on, honored as Person of the Year. Sometimes it’s even been a group, like Aerosmith.

But this year because of the pandemic there is no one Person of the Year. Not yet announced, I’m told that acting Recording Academy chief Harvey Mason Jr. and his team have come up with a Greatest Hits gala idea that will revisit all those amazing performances. The date would be January 29th, as the Grammys are on CBS January 31st.

The main thing is that everyone who loves music gets behind this and makes the virtual fundraiser the biggest ever. Musicians everywhere are suffering from lack of work, and in some cases, COVID, as well as myriad health issues. MusiCares comes to the rescue of all these musicians who don’t have resources. These may be very well known names who never made a lot of money– but whose records we all love– to sidemen, studio people, live performers who depend on gigs 300 days each year.

When Harvey and his team make their official announcement, I hope the show will be available to people around the world who want to donate funds to this incredibly important cause. I think we will see a show just as good as the annual live one, with the consequences of giving so much more pressing now.

PS I really hope one of the clips they use is Jennifer Hudson and a gospel choir singing Neil Diamond’s “Holly Holy.” I’ve never forgotten it.

 

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