Support independent journalism, free from the trades and other publications that are part of the tinsel town machine.
For 12 years, Showbiz411.com has been covering Hollywood, Broadway, the music business and the business of celebrity. Ads are our main source of funding, but contributions (not tax exempt) from readers who enjoy the scoops, exclusives, and fact based reports are always welcome and very appreciated. To inquire about ads, email us at showbiz411@gmail.com.
New York’s most prestigious and one of its oldest eateries, the 21 Club, is not dead. It’s just closed for the time being.
Last night there was a flurry of anxiety over a story — in the NY Post, where else? — that 21 was closing for good. But in reality it’s been shuttered since last March and next March 2021 the owners have filed to release the staff. That doesn’t mean it’s over. It’s just in floating in the ether until the pandemic is over.
The 21 Club, at its current location of 21 West 52nd St. since 1930, is currently owned by Belnord, aka the Orient Express Company. I knew the second generation owners of the original families from the 1980s. In 1983, I helped put together an episode of the Merv Griffin Show there. It was a week with the chef Pierre Franey, whose best selling cookbook “The 60 Minute Gourmet,” was my task to promote at Ballantine Books. That began my long association with the famous restaurant and its secret wine cellars, and so on.
In the last decade or more ’21’ was a regular gathering spot for lunches and dinners to promote movies and Broadway show openings, events for films in the Oscar race and so on put on by Peggy Siegal. I think it always startled the corporate regulars downstairs on the first floor, in famed bar, to see movie stars trooping upstairs. And they loved it.
Strangely, the building does not have Landmark Commission status from New York City. I don’t know how that’s possible since the edifice is one of a kind and has important historical significance — not just the exterior with the jockeys but the inside with the dining rooms and the wine cellars that extend in the basement. But Belnord assures me that “in recognition of its iconic status, the company is exploring potential opportunities that will allow 21 Club to remain a viable operation in the long term, while retaining its distinctive character.” Indeed, ’21’ is the only vestige of the architectural history on that block.
What that means, I hope, is that once the vaccine has been distributed and indoor dining resumes, the 21 Club will brush itself off and get back on track. The 21 Burger, according to the menu, is still a bargain at $36! I can’t wait to bite into one ASAP.
I’ve been lucky to be listening to “McCartney III” for a few days now. To catch you up: “McCartney” in 1970 turned out to be a masterpiece of its time. “McCartney II” in 1980 was dreadful and I try never to think about it. “McCartney III” is a great success, and shouldn’t be compared to either of its predecessors, especially the second one.
But here’s a new rub in the long running saga of the Beatle: the new songs are credited to “James Paul McCartney.” That’s a change, a first, a twist for Paul at age 78. Of course, that was his birth name. But is “James Paul McCartney” a different person than the one who’s written around a thousand songs?
“McCartney III” was supposed to be released today. December 11th. But there are many iterations of colored vinyl and extra tracks and whatnot that it was postponed til next Friday, December 18th. So consider it a Christmas present from Sir Paul, as I do. There are 11 tracks, he plays most of the instruments, wrote it all himself. You know Paul is a savant, in a way. He can’t stop himself. The music pours out of him. Thank goodness.
If the 11 tracks, I’d say 6 are among his very best, the other 5 are very good. Considering “Egypt Station” is just two years ago, that’s quite a compliment. But Paul is a professional. He’s not dithering around with us even though he says he is. He demurs. Just once, in the last couple of years, I heard him break down in an answer to a Stephen Colbert question about how he’s written all these songs and made all these incredible records. “Maybe I’m a genius,” he said, half-joking. Well, he is. That’s it.
“McCartney III” is surprisingly extra-economic, even when it’s self indulgent (a long 8 minute piece called “Deep Down Feeling” that’s really an improv, a jam that grows on you). McCartney loves a hit, and he’s got a half dozen of them: “Find My Way,” “Kiss of Venus,” “Women and Wives,” “Slidin’,” “Seize the Day,” and “When Winter Comes” all qualify. One track is just odd, that’s “Pretty Boys.” And another one, “Lavatory Lil,” addresses a golddigger who Paul must have dated before he happily married Nancy Shevell. It’s a rare bit of McCartney-esque spite and gossip.
But I’m concentrating those half-dozen gems that support the album foundationally. The melodies are just as beautifully shaped as anything Paul has done before. I’ve found myself humming them after a couple of plays. You will, too. They are also quite clever, especially “Women and Wives.” Paul’s had three wives, and marriage has been a constant in his life. And there’s a keen observation about outsiders looking at couples: “What we do with our lives/Seems to matter to others.”
“The Kiss of Venus” is one of those McCartney gems that just seems perfectly formed around a lilting vocal and a disarming hook. “Find My Way” would be a single, if there were still such things. “Seize the Day” is also a pop earwig, again, deceptively simple but a lovely Beatles throwback. And the album ends on a very “Ram” like lilting melody that could have been included on the White Album. “When Winter Comes” is no throwaway. It’s a gentle thing that sounds simple and isn’t. It’s actually a very melancholy recall to those early solo days when it was Paul and Linda living on the farm.
Next Friday can’t come soon enough– and I look forward to finding out what the extra tracks are on all those coloured vinyls!
Shia La Beouf can’t catch a break. He’s been sued today by an ex girlfriend, singer FKA Twigs — real name Tahliah Barnett — for abuse and harassment. A former girlfriend has chimed in in interviews, and Shia has had to issue a mea culpa kind of apology.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Yesterday a new Indiana Jones movie was announced, the fifth and last in the series. LaBeouf co-starred with Harrison Ford and Karen Allen in the fourth movie. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” several years ago. His character, Mutt, was hinted at as being the son of Indiana Jones and Marion, but it was left as an unanswered question. With this latest revelation, it really seals the deal that Mutt will not join the Jones lineage.
LaBeouf has been plagued by substance abuse issues and mental illness but always still admired as a talented actor. The autobiographical movie he wrote and starred in last year, “Honey Boy,” won him accolades and respect. This came after a string of incidents. But a current appearance in the movie “Pieces of a Woman” also helped to put bad news behind him. Today’s announcement — he’s innocent til proven guilty — would certainly cinch no return to Indiana Jones and puts his career in jeopardy once again.
It’s hard to review an album on the spot. But my first impression of Taylor Swift’s “Evermore” is that she wrote a ton of songs last spring, and now here’s the other 15 after “Folklore.”
I kind of like this group better than “Folklore,” despite my love for “Betty” from that album. So far on “Evermore” the songs that seem stronger and standout are the ones with guest vocals. With the Haim sisters she has a really catchy and clever murder mystery called “No Body, No Crime.” I look forward to playing that one again. With Bon Iver she sings the title track, “Evermore.”
There’s also an excellent duet called “Coney Island” with the National’s Aaron Dressner, who co-wrote most of the songs here. All Taylor’s story songs are intriguing and hearken back to the great singer songwriters who were more interested in the lyrics than the hooks. Taylor reminds a lot of Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Joni Mitchell, which ain’t bad. I remember being so impressed with her lyrics on the “Red” album, and “Evermore” reminds me of that record.
It’s Taylor Swift’s world and we just live in it. At midnight she launches a 2nd album of 2020, “Evermore,” and a single called “Willow.” In the time since Adele’s last album, Taylor has released four albums. Just sayin’…
TIME magazine had four choices for the 2020 Person of the Year: the good– Joe Biden; the evil, Donald Trump; the causes– Black Lives Matter, or the Front Line Health Care Workers and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
The “winner”? Well, when you heard that Bruce Springsteen was going to make the announcement, you knew it wasn’t Trump.
I lost my bet. I thought it would be Fauci and the health care workers. To go with Biden and Harris is a real stand for Time and editor Ed Felsenthal. Good for them!
Forget theaters. The taste of success DisneyPlus has had with streaming has kicked the company into a massive new launch of projects for home viewing.
This is across all their brands including Star Wars, Marvel, and even poaching Nicole Kidman and David E. Kelly from HBO for a new series on Hulu. Indeed, there’s a lot planned for Hulu, FX, FX on Hulu, Hulu on FX, and so on. The whole idea is just amazing amounts of content to compete with Netflix and annihilate them.
Disney is even bringing back wooden actor Hayden Christensen as a young Darth Vader in “Star Wars” series with Ewan McGregor. They will milk “Star Wars” endlessly until the original trio of George Lucas films is obliterated. Disney itself becomes the Empire, with independent filmmakers cast as the Jedi.
The Mouse House is also launching a whole separate streaming service called Star, intended for international domination. From their press release: “The Walt Disney Company shared guidance that it now expects its streaming services to hit 300-350 million total subscriptions by fiscal 2024, driven primarily by a significant increase in content output. Disney+ alone is targeting to release more than 100 titles per year.”
Run, hide!
The Hulu/FX set up is renewing both “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” They’re also going to produce a two season mini-series about the Rolling Stones which will undoubtedly not include any of the hard core drug use, death of Brian Jones, or any of the really good scandals. They’ll call it “The Monkees.” (I just want them to make that series so we can all point out the massive errors and omissions.)
On the feature front, there’s news about “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones”: The next feature film in the Star Wars franchise, releasing in December 2023, will be “Rogue Squadron,” which will be directed by Patty Jenkins of the “Wonder Woman” franchise. The next installment of the “Indiana Jones” franchise directed by James Mangold, a Star Wars feature film by writer/director Taika Waititi.
And Marvel a-plenty: “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” the third feature in the “Ant-Man” franchise, and “Fantastic Four,” which introduces Marvel’s most iconic family. Marvel Studios’ upcoming feature films also include “Black Widow,” “Shang Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings,” “Eternals,” “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness,” “Thor: Love and Thunder,” “Black Panther 2,” “Blade,” “Captain Marvel 2,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”
There’s more, but that’s enough for now. I’m exhausted. Now that I know everything that’s going to happen, I feel like I’ve seen it and done it.
Yes, yes, we all know Christmas is Mariah Carey’s holiday. Her perennial Phil Spectorish “All I Want for Christmas” is back at the top of the charts. Mariah’s even released a new single, a version of her “Oh Santa,” with Jennifer Hudson and Ariana Grande that’s full of fun and great vocals. Mariah, who can’t sell a record during the rest of the year, has become Mrs. Christmas.
But wait– this year Mariah has some competition. For some reason, Brenda Lee’s perennial hit, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” is back with a vengeance. Recorded and released in 1958 when Brenda was just 13 years old, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” has been around a long time. But it’s never seen action like this.
The single was number two last week on the streaming charts, and made $105,916. It was just a nose behind Mariah’s “All I Want.” Right now it’s the number 1 song on iTunes– on the pop charts!– not just the holiday charts! By comparison, Mariah is at number 5 and 16 with “Oh Santa!” According to Buzz Angle, “Tree” sold 114,000 copies between December 4th and December 8th. Last week, it sold 135,000 copies.
Who is Brenda Lee, you young people are asking? She was the Mariah of 1958-66. So many hits! “I’m Sorry” was the biggest, aside from “Christmas Tree.” But she was a very cool rockabilly-country singer with a timeless sound and instrumentals. She turns 76 tomorrow– December 11th — and lives in Nashville. She’s a national treasure.
So happy birthday, Brenda Lee. What a lasting tribute to her talent!
I love the Bee Gees, and Frank Marshall has done an exceptional job creating an emotional documentary about them. “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?” premieres on HBO on Saturday night. Please, don’t get a fever, if you know what I mean, considering the pandemic.
Barry, Robin, Maurice Gibb moved with their family from England to Australia and immediately became a star act in the making. Their three part harmonies, their ability to write very catchy pop songs with underlying tones of R&B, garnered them local hits as teens, a first number 1 down under, and then a recording contract with Robert Stigwood.
Marshall, the very successful producer of dozens of hit movies including many Spielberg classics, directed this one himself. You can tell it’s a passion project. Barry, the surviving brother, is front and center, but there is plenty of footage and interviews with Maurice and Robin, the younger twins. The brothers were of one mind and voice, making them feel, as Barry says, like triplets.
The Bee Gees saga starts in 1967, when they generate a slew of hits over the next two and a half years. I have a great fondness for that period that includes “To Love Somebody” and “Gotta Get a Message to You.” That period generated a “Bee Gees Gold” greatest hits album that back in the day, everyone had.
But that success ruined them a little bit, and they disappeared for a couple of years. When they returned in 1971, a trio of hits resurrected them– “Run to Me,” “Lonely Days,” and “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?” But after that run, the Bee Gees really drifted. They had to reinvent themselves. Atlantic Records, where they’d been signed to Atco since ’67, sent them to Miami where Eric Clapton had had a massive career resurgence with producer Tom Dowd making “461 Ocean Boulevard” and “I Shot the Sheriff.” Clapton, on screen, happily takes credit for what happened next.
I’m very lucky to have known producer Arif Mardin*, who reset the Bee Gees career in 1975 with a smash hit album and singles like “Jive Talkin'” and “Nights on Broadway.” Barry Gibb discovered his falsetto, Arif — a genius– married it to disco-like percussion and lush, swooning strings. Even though they only made the one album together, it set the Bee Gees up for their 70s disco explosion with a dozen hits culminating in “Saturday Night Fever.”
Marshall tells a complicated story very well, delineating the subsidiary rise and fall of the Gibbs’ younger brother, Andy, who skyrocketed to fame and died young. He also traces the rest of the family, the interplay of the three main siblings’ difficulties with fame and fallings-out. Very smartly, he brings in a couple of other brothers– Noel Gallagher of Oasis, Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers– to elucidate the complicated relationships. (Gallagher seems unusually reasoned.)
The film manages to cover almost everything but Marshall omits the Bee Gees’ tremendous failure starring as the Beatles in the “Sgt. Pepper’s Hearts Club Band” movie. At the highest point in their career, the summer of 1978, Stigwood pushed them into this misbegotten project. By ignoring this episode, a key to why the Bee Gees’ suddenly fell into disrepute is missed. It wasn’t just that people suddenly hated disco. The Gibbs looked ridiculous. It was also overkill. “Saturday Night Fever” was still omnipresent, plus they wrote the Frankie Valli sung theme song for the monster Stigwood hit movie. “Grease.” The Beatles project was a disaster that underscored their cultural saturation. The crowd turned against them.
But that’s my quibble. The “Sgt. Pepper” episode, “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?” is an overdue chronicle and salute to the Gibbs family. For people who know nothing about them, the Bee Gees story is now placed in a proper historical perspective. I loved the engineers and producers like Albhy Galuten who show how they helped create the “Saturday Night Fever” sound. And there are some enlightening thoughts from Chris Martin, Justin Timberlake, music producer Mark Ronson, singer Lulu, and record company executive Bill Oakes, among others.
*PS Arif Mardin is still so undervalued in the history of 70s R&B. You can draw a line through the remarkable records he created. Listening to the Bee Gees’ “Fanny (Be Tender with My Love),” you can hear that it’s descended from Arif’s “She’s Gone” with Hall & Oates. His many masterpieces include the Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway album. Arif, we miss you!
One more note: The Gibbs wrote many hits for other artists, and many of their songs have been covered. One song in particular, “To Love Somebody,” is literally a standard in the R&B songbook. Here’s my favorite version, by the late great James Carr.
