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Billie Eilish’s theme song for “No Time to Die” was released in February, the thinking was the James Bond movie was coming in April. Well, that didn’t happen. The song got 57,000 paid downloads, but a total of 738,000 copies counting streaming. Now it’s back, with a video featuring Daniel Craig and friends. Will the song come back on the charts? It’s no “Live and Let Die,” that’s for sure. But it looks good here. The movie arrives November 20th wherever theaters are open.
The video was directed by Daniel Kleinman.The song is out via Darkroom/Interscope Records and was produced by Billie’s brother; fellow multi Grammy Award winning Finneas alongside Stephen Lipson, with orchestral arrangements by Hans Zimmer and Matt Dunkley, and guitar from Johnny Marr. At 18, Eilish is officially the youngest artist in history to both write and record a James Bond theme song.
“Simpsons” and “Spinal Tap” star Harry Shearer is one of the great comic geniuses of our time. He’s been releasing hilarious videos of side splitting songs about Trump every week this summer on YouTube. Now they’re all going to be on an album called “The Many Moods of Donald Trump.” Here’s the link to order everything.
Here’s the full tracklist. I have to say, the music is better than on most albums by current top 40 artists.
1. I Can’t Believe I’m Me (4:22)
To be released October 9
2. I Can’t Drive Anymore (2:35)
To be released on October 2
3. Son-in-Law (3:42)
Available to watch here
Shearer Trump performing an old style New Orleans number in praise his senior advisor, Jared Kushner. Always mentioned as one of Trump’s top aides, Jared Kushner has been given a portfolio that ranges from Middle-East peace to the pandemic. His success rate speaks for itself.
Music and words by Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer – vocals
David Torkanowsky – piano. Organ
George Porter, Jr. – bass
Raymond Weber – drums
Brad Walker – saxophone
Scott Frock – trumpet
Jon Ramm – trombone
4. Stormy Daniels (4:00)
Available to listen to here
A lush string-filled ode to passion, power and pay-off. What good is hush money when it buys so little hush?
Music and lyrics by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
Piano: CJ Vanston
Drums: Gregg Bissonette
Strings, bass, trumpet and string arrangement: CJ Vanston
5. Bill of Love(4:02)
To be released October 16
6. Executive Time (3:35)
A languorous love of leisure ballad in which Shearer as Trump sings wistfully of those long periods of contemplation and nothingness between unnecessary briefings from so called ‘experts. When does the President get the time to watch all the TV news? It’s a big section of his daily schedule.
Music and lyrics by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
Backing Vocals: Sharlotte Gibson, CJ Vanston
Drums: Toss Panos
Keyboards, Trombone, all other instruments: CJ Vanston
7. I Never Knew Him (3:09)
Available to listen to here
An eclectic musical mix in which Trump demonstrates that he might not have “one of the greatest memories of all time” as he purges his contact book and airbrushes his history of those who may be an impediment to his ratings. A very famous guy has so many people claiming to be his friends or family. It’s always important to clear the air.
Music and lyrics by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
Backing Vocals: Sharlotte Gibson, CJ Vanston
Trumpet: Jim Gammon
Drums: Toss Panos
Keyboards, Trombone, all other instruments: CJ Vanston
8. Very Stable Genius(4:09)
Available to listen to here
A power ballad in which Trump vaunts his own intellectual prowess combined with his calm and balanced disposition. When a person refers to himself with that phrase once, it’s newsworthy. When he does it repeatedly, it’s song- worthy.
Music and words by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
BG Vocals: CJ Vanston
Guitars: Marc Bonilla
Drums: Toss Panos
Keyboards, all other instruments: CJ Vanston
9. Number One Son(2:51)
Available to listen to here
An electric chop suey, listing all Donald Jr.’s qualities and Trump’s new-found love for the boy who serves him well. The apple doesn’t fall far from the refrigerator.
Music and lyrics by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
BG Vocals; Sharlotte Gibson, CJ Vanston
Guitars: Marc Bonilla
Drums: Toss Panos
Keyboards, all other instruments: CJ Vanston
10. Alabama (3:22)
Available to listen to here
A southern rock tribute to the state that holds a special place in the President’s “heart.” The trouble with official hurricane forecast maps is that they don’t often include Sharpie additions. When it’s the state that gave your Presidential campaign its kickoff, a Sharpie warning is the least you can do.
Music and lyrics by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
BG Vocals: CJ Vanston
Harmonica: Howard Levy
Guitars: Mark Bonilla
Drums: Toss Panos
Keyboards, all other instruments: CJ Vanston
11. COVID-180 (4:47)
Available to listen to here
Alternating stanzas of pumped-up disco and plaintive folk rock to represent the alternating “up” and “down” approaches taken to the pandemic by the President. Emerson once said, “Petty consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.” Trump agrees, though he may not quite understand it.
Music and words by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
BG vocals: Sharlotte Gibson, CJ Vanston
Guitars: Marc Bonilla
Drums: Toss Panos
12. Acquittal (3:58)
Available to listen to here
A “prog rock revenge anthem,” in which the president basks in the sheer vitriolic joy on offer when it’s time to settle scores. When you’re impeached, and survive, the natural human impulse is balls-out revenge.
Music and lyrics by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
Backing Vocals: Sharlotte Gibson, CJ Vanston
Guitars: Marc Bonilla
Drums: Toss Panos
Keyboards, all other instruments: CJ Vanston
12. He Lies (3:27)
To be released October 23
This is my favorite of the songs right now, I can’t get it out of my head.
Sad news: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, sort of America’s premier couple right now, have suffered a miscarriage. Chrissy was pregnant with their third child. I don’t usually write about this sort of thing but I like these guys so much– they are the rare celebrities who have heart, soul, and accomplishments. They are so full of optimism and good vibes that you can really feel this unexpected shock for them. They even named the unborn baby Jack, which maybe makes it even harder. My condolences to them.
Chrissy shares everything on social media. (It’s the generation. Us old folk don’t quite get that.) As usual she’s posted a uniquely poignant statement. Here it is:
“We are shocked and in the kind of deep pain you only hear about, the kind of pain we’ve never felt before. We were never able to stop the bleeding and give our baby the fluids he needed, despite bags and bags of blood transfusions. It just wasn’t enough.
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“We never decide on our babies’ names until the last possible moment after they’re born, just before we leave the hospital. But we, for some reason, had started to call this little guy in my belly Jack. So he will always be Jack to us. Jack worked so hard to be a part of our little family, and he will be, forever.
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“To our Jack – I’m so sorry that the first few moments of your life were met with so many complications, that we couldn’t give you the home you needed to survive. We will always love you.
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“Thank you to everyone who has been sending us positive energy, thoughts and prayers. We feel all of your love and truly appreciate you.
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“We are so grateful for the life we have, for our wonderful babies Luna and Miles, for all the amazing things we’ve been able to experience. But everyday can’t be full of sunshine. On this darkest of days, we will grieve, we will cry our eyes out. But we will hug and love each other harder and get through it.”
Francis Ford Coppola’s remade “The Godfather Part III” has hit Amazon as blu-ray DVD ready for advance purchase.
Now called: “Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone,” Coppola’s re imagined film is priced to sell at just $14.99. That price seems very low considering it’s an event release of something that’s highly anticipated. But I guess they figure we know the story already.
“Coda” will give Coppola to right the wrongs of the original, awful final chapter of “The Godfather.” It would be unprecedented if he fixed “III” so that it really fit with chapters 1 and 2. This could be the great director’s crowning achievement.
The original film clocks in at 2 hours, 42 minutes. The new one says 2 hours, 38 minutes, so maybe 4 minutes have been trimmed. We’ll have to wait and see. Release date is December 8th.
There have only been two posthumous Oscars for acting in the history of the Academy Awards. The last one was Heath Ledger, for “The Dark Knight,” in 2008. Before that it was only Peter Finch in “Network,” 1977.
But now there may be a third. It does seem like Chadwick Boseman has a strong chance of a nomination if not a win for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” directed by Denzel Washington and co-starring a major ensemble that starts with Viola Davis.
Boseman died last month after a secret four year battle with colon cancer. The outpouring of love for him was amazing, enough to propel Boseman to a rare Oscar after he’s left us. I wouldn’t be surprised.
A big feature in the New York Times broke this afternoon, well in advance of the movie’s premiere on Netflix on December 18th. That’s just the first move by Netflix PR on the way to a major campaign for Bosewick, Davis, Washington, and the film. In Best Actor, Boseman will have a clear shot at the big prize. For Davis, if she goes in lead, she’s got Frances McDormand and probably Jennifer Hudson to deal with.
One irony: the last posthumous Oscar nomination went to the late August Wilson, the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, for “Fences,” also directed by Washington and starring Davis, in 2016.
This Friday at 2pm, my friend– I’m blessed to call him that– the great Don Bryant will be featured on SiriusXM’s Little Steven’s Underground Garage. They’re celebrating Don’s new album called “You Make Me Feel” and the Coolest Song in the World, “Your Love is to Blame.”
This show is only for real lovers of R&B, soul, and gospel. Don is a Memphis legend, husband of Ann Peebles, co-writer of “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” and one of the best people around. So is Ann! I won’t miss this show hosted by The Mighty Manfred. He’s obviously a man of great taste and discernment!
Showtime’s “The Comey Rule” about disgraced and befuddled former FBI director, James Comey, was a ratings bust.
The two part show on Sunday and Monday nights got fewer viewers than the farm report. Night 1 was 415,000. Night 2 was 381.000. That’s an 8 percent drop. No one cared how it all worked out.
This was despite an all star cast with Jeff Daniels as Comey, Brendan Gleeson as Trump, Holly Hunter as Sally Yates, and Scoot McNairy, Michael Kelly, Brian D’Arcy James, Jennifer Ehle all doing great work.
The problem is, no one likes Comey. Republicans and Democrats see him as a fool who betrayed both sides. If Comey hadn’t made those ridiculous statements about Hillary Clinton’s emails four years ago, we’d have had lived a very different life. He is largely responsible for the horror film our lives have become.
On the same day that Helen Reddy died at age 78, gone, too, is Mac Davis. They were contemporary music stars who appeared on the same shows, and ran up and down the same music charts with hit after hit in the 70s. Davis was also a huge country star and the author of hits for Elvis Presley like “In the Ghetto” and “A Little Too Much Conversation.” He wrote hits for other artists, too, including “Watching Scotty Grow” for Bobby Goldsboro and “Something’s Burning” for Kenny Rogers– who passed away last March– and his group, the First Edition. Among Mac’s hits that he kept for himself was another mega-record, “I Believe in Music.”
Mac’s manager, Jim Morey, posted this obit to Facebook:
“Mac Davis has been my client for over 40 years, and more importantly, my best friend,” Morey said. “He was a music legend, but his most important work was that as a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. I will miss laughing about our many adventures on the road and his insightful sense of humor.” Well-respected by industry peers, news of Davis’ death created an immediate outpouring of love and admiration for the artist. “Thank you, dear Lord Jesus, for letting us know the man to whom you gave the most incredible talent,” said Reba McEntire. “He entertained and spread joy to so many people. What a wonderful legacy he left all of us with his music. Mac was one of a kind. I’m so blessed to have been one of his many friends.”
“I met Mac as a young artist just starting out on my journey, when he was already a legend and a songwriting hero to me,” Kenny Chesney recalled. “He welcomed me into his home and turned that tremendous creative light on me. Even though he’d written “In the Ghetto” for Elvis and had so many incredible hits of his own, he made me feel like what I was doing mattered. “A small-town boy who’d achieved the greatest kind of fame, he remained a good guy, a family man,” Chesney said. “That was Mac: a giant heart, quick to laugh and a bigger creative spirit. I was blessed to have it shine on me. And Mac, who was joyous, funny and created a family around him never stopped writing great songs, creating music and inspiring everyone around him. He loved his wife Lise and his kids and all kinds of people. He kept in touch, always a kind word, a new joke or a piece of song he was working on, which made him a blessing to everyone who came into his life.”
Superstar pop singer Helen Reddy has died at age 78 in Los Angeles. Reports say she suffered from dementia for years.
Reddy was the biggest female pop singer of the 70s. She was in the top 40 constantly, from “I Am Woman,” her women’s lib anthem, to “Delta Dawn,” “You and Me Against the World,” and many other hits. Reddy’s voice was constantly present on the radio, as big as any female singer right now.
Her life is currently portrayed in a new film called “I Am Woman” that I hope will be widely available soon. The film takes Helen from Canada to Hollywood where she meets her husband and manager, Jeff Wald. Reddy made millions and millions that Wald squandered, particularly on drugs, and the marriage ended in divorce.
In the movie, Helen turned out to be great friends with the late journalist Lillian Roxon, the first woman of rock and roll reporting who wrote “The Rock and Roll Encyclopedia.” They were unlikely friends. I never knew Roxon but always admired her. I sure hope they’re together now, having a good time.
Reddy’s children wrote on Facebook:
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Helen Reddy, on the afternoon of September 29th 2020 in Los Angeles. She was a wonderful Mother, Grandmother and a truly formidable woman. Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever.”
Thanks to the movie, and the songs, Helen Reddy will indeed live on forever. Condolences to her family.
“The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” the book, is out now. You can read it if you want the fiction version of Mariah’s life.
There is so much omitted from this “memoir” that you wonder if Mariah has Alzheimer’s. She should cover the old hit, “Remember What I Told You to Forget.”
Not mentioned by name anywhere in the book are the series of managers who kept her alive. Not the first one, Randy Hoffman, who was partners with first husband, Tommy Mottola (who Mariah trashes in the book).
Glaringly omitted is Louise McNally, a lovely woman who managed Mariah for years after she left Mottola. McNally got Mariah through the “Glitter” debacle and into her comeback at DefJam with L.A. Reid and Jermaine Dupri. There isn’t even a mention of McNally in the acknowledgements.
“American Idol” judge Randy Jackson was Mariah’s friend going back a long way. He saved her ass after “Glitter” by putting together the “Charmbracelet” album. Then he got her a job on “Idol” as judge, where Mariah crossed horns with Nicki Minaj. Jackson gets short shrift, even though he briefly managed her. The whole “American Idol” experience is left out of the book, along with Minaj.
Mariah’s arch nemesis has always been Jennifer Lopez, aka JLo. It was Lopez and Ja Rule who swiped a sample from Carey, thanks to Mottola, and sent her into a frenzy over the “Glitter” soundtrack. Then Mariah got Lopez’s manager, Benny Medina, to manager Mariah as well. How crazy is that? And yet Lopez and Medina are absent from the book.
Also AWOL from “The Making of” is Stella Bulochnikov, the more recent manager who isolated Mariah from her old crowd, and made some poor decisions. One of them was to file a sexual harassment suit against Carey, settled out of court. The whole Stella story could take up its own book. Stella, who has a lot of reality TV producer credits on the imdb, has gone silent since the break up and settlement.
At one point, Jermaine Dupri– who wrote and produced a lot of Mariah’s “comeback” hits at Def Jam, was named her manager in 2013. That lasted about a minute. Again, no mention of it in the book.
And then there were all the publicists. The longest lasting, and the one who turned things around for Mariah, was Cindi Berger of PMK. But eventually Berger actually dismissed Mariah as a client when Bulochnikov made things impossible.
Are there other omissions? Michael Richardson gets a shout out in the acknowledgements, but it’s telling that he doesn’t even merit an anecdote or a reference in the book. For eons Michael was Mariah’s aide de camp, her reliable go to guy who got everything done, went everywhere with her, and made it all possible. Maybe one day he’ll write his own book.
How about Jerry Blair, the marketing guy at Sony for 12 years who did all the hard work to make Mariah’s singles magically get to number 1? He gets nothing even though in 2002, after “Glitter,” it was Blair who put together a label deal with DefJam for Mariah so she could save face. Blair helped create MonarC Entertainment with Mariah. But eventually she stiffed him, and he had to sue her.
The funny thing is, Mariah thinks we forgot all this stuff. But if I made a compilation of stories I wrote about all this stuff in the 90s and 2000s, we’d really get the Meaning of Mariah Carey!
Francis Ford Coppola’s remade “The Godfather Part III” has hit Amazon as blu-ray DVD ready for advance purchase.
