The National: 'We'll probably lose the Oscar for Best Song to The Muppets'
The National's frontman Matt Berninger has spoken out about the band's inclusion on the longlist for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Their song 'Think You Can Wait' was featured on the soundtrack to Win Win and is currently being considered for the final nominations at this year's Oscars. Of their longlisting, Berninger has said that he thinks the track will "probably lose to a Muppets song" but added "there's no shame in that".
He continued, in an interview with Rolling Stone: "If we are in fact nominated that would be a blast, but none of us are crossing our fingers on that. Win Win was just a really fun project to work on. Tom McCarthy asked us to write a song for the end of the film. The whole thing was just a really good experience. So yeah, if it gets any more recognition, that would be just icing."
Berninger also explained that the band had written a song for the first Twilight movie, which was rejected. "Later, they asked us to write another one and I think we kind of passed on it. The second time, maybe, we felt burned from the first one," he said.
The National are currently starting work on the follow up to 2010's 'High Violet'. "We're just kind of building a bunch of little sketches of ideas, just kind of stocking them up," said Berninger. "It’s a long, slow process, and that process has begun. But as far as any sort of idea as to when that process will end, we have no idea. Not for quite some time."
Alleged Official Gary Glitter Twitter Account Wiped
by PAUL CASHMERE
A Twitter account alleged to be the official Gary Glitter account has been wiped after announcing a tour and new album only yesterday.
@officialglitter has had nearly all of its post removed with one from Jan 20 supposedly from Glitter saying “looking forward to promoting #GlitterTour here”.
Yesterday the site mentioned a new album titled ‘Still Shining’ was also on the way but today there is no sign of that post.
On @GaryGlitter another post, allegedly from Glitter, says “I’m not sure I’m going to continue. Lots of threats to kill me in the past 24 hours”.
Neither @OfficialGlitter or @GaryGlitter have been authenticated as real by Twitter.
However, NME are reporting a Tumblr post saying “Let me say that this account does not belong to convicted paedophile Gary Glitter. I am deeply disgusted by what Gary Glitter has done in his life and am not condoning, making light of or glorifying child abuse. His crimes are unforgivable and chilling”.
It continued, “I set this twitter account up as a social experiment to highlight the dangers and safety of children using the social networking sites and to discover and question public morality. It’s been an interesting and eye-opening experience for me.”
Johnny Ramones autobiography to be released in April 2012
by SALLY BAILEY
Eight years after his death from prostate cancer Johnny Ramones autobiography will finally be released.
Johnny apparently started writing the memoir when he became ill. He was to battle illness for the next 5 years. The only surviving member ofThe Ramones, Tommy has written the introduction. Tommy has revealed in a statement;
"Johnny Ramone's autobiography is a no holds barred, straight-forward book written in a no-nonsense style that is Johnny personified. His story is written in his own actual words, so the reader gets an insight into what made him the unique, charismatic and exciting individual that he was. It also gives a great view of The Ramones from Johnny's perspective."
The book is titled Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone.
Johnny Otis, the Godfather of Rhythm & Blues, passes away
Johnny Otis, the man known as the Godfather of Rhythm and Blues, passed away at his home in Altadena, CA on Tuesday at the age of 90. Otis had been in poor health for some time.
Otis was born John Veliotes and grew up in a predominantly African-American neighborhood in Berkeley, CA. At the age of 18, he started playing with Count Otis Matthew's West Oakland House Rockers and, four years later, was advised to move to Los Angeles by Nat King Cole and Jimmy Witherspoon.
In L.A., he started with Harlan Leonard's Kansas City Rockers and eventually formed his own band. In 1945, had his first hit with Harlem Nocturne on Excelsior and, up until the late 40's, played mainly as a jazz band but, with the opening of the Barrelhouse Club in Watts which he owned with Bardu Ali, he switched to smaller groups and played primarily Rhythm and Blues.
In 1949, Otis signed with Savoy and began a long string of R&B hits including ten top 10 hits in 1950 alone under such names as the Johnny Otis Quintette, the Johnny Otis Orchestra and the Johnny Otis Congregation. Included were two number ones, Double Crossing Blues (Johnny Otis Quintette with the Robins and Little Esther) and Mistrustin' Blues (Little Esther with Mel Walker and the Johnny Otis Orchestra).
In 1958, Otis finally crossed over to the pop charts with his biggest hit, Willie and the Hand Jive (as the Johnny Otis Show) which hit number 9 and number 1 on the R&B Singles.
Post-1960, Otis stayed active in music but began to branch out into other fields. He ran for the California State Assembly, was Deputy Chief of Staff for congressman Mervyn M. Dymally and was pastor of the Landmark Community Church. Over the years, he also wrote a number of books (Listen to the Lambs (1965), Upside Your Head! Rhythm and Blues on Central Avenue (1993), Colors and Chords: The Art of Johnny Otis (1995), Johnny Otis: Red Beans and Rice and Other Rock 'n' Roll Recipes (1997)) and hosted the Johnny Otis Show on KPFA Radio in Los Angeles.
During the 90's, Otis began recording again with six albums to his name during the next two decades. He also bought a farm and ran a health food store from his property. His son, Shuggie Otis, became an admired musician in his own right.
Among his songwriting hits are his own songs along with Every Beat Of My Heart (Gladys Knight & the Pips), Roll With Me Henry (The Wallflower) (Etta James), So Fine (Fiestas), Raindrops (Dee Clark) and many more.
Johnny Otis is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame.
The top ten hits of Johnny Otis:
That's Your Last Boogie (Joe Swift with Johnnie Otis & His Orchestra) (1948/#10 R&B)
Double Crossing Blues (Johnny Otis Quintette, The Robins and Little Esther) (1950/#1 R&B)
Mistrustin' Blues (Little Esther with Mel Walker and the Johnny Otis Orchestra) (1950/#1 R&B)
Misery (Little Esther with the Johnny Otis Orchestra) (1950/#9 R&B)
Cry Baby (The Johnny Otis Orchesta, Mel Walker and the Bluenotes) (1950/#6 R&B)
Cupid Boogie (The Johnny Otis Orchesta, Little Esther and Mel Walker) (1950/#1 R&B)
Deceivin' Blues (Little Esther and Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra) (1950/#4 R&B)
Dreamin' Blues (Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra) (1950/#8 R&B)
Wedding Boogie (Johnny Otis' Congregation: Little Esther, Mel Walker, Lee Graves) (1950/#6 R&B)
Far Away Blues (Xmas Blues) (The Johnnie Otis Orchestra with Little Esther and Mel Walker) (1950/#6 R&B)
Rockin' Blues (The Johnny Otis Orchestra with Mel Walker) (1950/#2 R&B)
Gee Baby (The Johnny Otis Orchestra) (1951/#2 R&B)
Mambo Boogie (The Johnny Otis Orchestra) (1951/#4 R&B)
All Nite Long (The Johnny Otis Orchestra) (1951/#6 R&B)
Sunset To Dawn (Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra) (1952/#10 R&B)
Call Operator 210 (Johnny Otis and His Orchestra featuring Mel Walker) (1952/#4 R&B)
Ma He's Making Eyes At Me (Johnny Otis and His Orchestra with Marie Adams and The Three Tons of Joy) (1957/#2 U.K.)
Willie and the Hand Jive (The Johnny Otis Show) (1958/#1 R&B/#9 Pop)
Jimmy Castor, '50s doo-wop star, '70s funk genius, saxophone hero and key inspiration for a generation of hip-hop artists, has died in Nevada at the age of 64. The news was Tweeted by Castor's Grandson, P.J Romain.
Born in New York, he joined Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers in 1957, replacing the troubled Frankie. A multi-instrumentalist who played sax on Dave 'Baby' Cortex's 1962 hit Rinky Dink, Castor formed his own band in 1967. The Jimmy Castor Bunch signed to RCA and released their debut album, the primal rock'n'funk'n'soul-propelled It's Just Begun, in 1972. His biggest hit, Troglodyte (Cave Man), was released the same year and such fabulous funk cuts as Bertha Butt Boogie and Luther The Anthropoid followed. Over the years, Castor's music has been sampled by a host of hip-hop artists including N.W.A., The Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, Grandmaster Flash and Kanye West.
Etta James, the legendary soul singer, has died at the age of 73. It is understood that she passed away in California following complications from leukemia.
Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles in 1938, Etta was a rebel from the beginning. In her autobiography, Rage To Survive, she wrote: "I was serious about turning little churchgoing Jamesetta into a tough bitch called Etta James. I didn't know that I didn't know who I was. I grew a hard shell." At 14, her group the Creolettes auditioned for R&B impresario Johnny Otis. Immediately impressed, Otis took the group under his wing, changed their name to the Peaches and secured them a deal with Modern Records. The first song she recorded, Roll With Me, Henry, was an instant hit, James' smoky vocals combining elements of blues, jazz and doo-wop. She signed to Chess in 1960, releasing her debut album At Last! the same year. The LP contained two of her most enduring songs - I Just Want To Make Love To You and the title track.
In 1967 she was booked into FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals with producer Rick Hall. The resulting album was the following year's Tell Mama. Bolstered by the astonishing heartbreak ballad I'd Rather Go Blind and hits in the form of the rocking title track and a cover of Otis Redding's Security, the record would prove one of her finest. She continued to record, releasing more than 40 albums during her career. Her last LP, The Dreamer, was released in 2011.
Beset by periods of drug addiction, James' life was as intense and raging as her voice. Listen to her amazing songs and you can hear the pain and anger in every single note.
Collection of your favorite one hit wonders from 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. Hard to find one hit wonder, one hit wonderer of the period, The weirdest one hit wonder, two hit wonder, double hit wonder, onehitwondercenter
