ARAB TIMES, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016
NEWS/FEATURES
21
store on Oxford Street in London,” said
Omega Auctions, based in Warrington in
northwest England.
It was pressed by the group’s manager
Brian Epstein to present to Martin at
record label EMI “in his desperate attempt
to get them a recording contract”.
“This meeting, despite Martin’s initial
reticence, was to eventually lead to the
breakthrough they were looking for,” the
auction house said in a statement. (RTRS)
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Music
Latest a Mess
White rap duo
back as stars
LOS ANGELES: George Nichopoulos,
known as “Dr Nick” as he dispensed
thousands of doses of prescription drugs
to Elvis Presley in
the final decade of
the rock star’s life,
has died at the age
of 88, a Memphis,
Tennessee, funeral
home said.
Memorial Park
Funeral Home,
which posted an obit
of Nichopoulos online, did not indicate
the cause of death
Presley
on Wednesday.
Nichopoulos, who was stripped of his
medical license 18 years after Presley’s
1977 death, was a valuable member of
the Presley camp and accompanied him
on tour.
Nichopoulos met Presley in 1967 when
he treated him for saddle sores suffered
from horseback riding. He realized Presley
had an irrational approach to drugs the
next time he treated the singer, who had
taken a week’s worth of medication in one
day for tonsillitis. (RTRS)
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NEW YORK, Feb 27, (Agencies):
When Macklemore and Ryan Lewis triumphed at the 2014 Grammys,
the hip-hop duo stunned much of
the music industry through a gesture rarely seen in the vain celebrity
world — apologizing, with evident
sincerity, for winning.
Macklemore, who is white, made
public a text message he sent to
Kendrick Lamar, saying the rising
African American star had been
“robbed” for losing to the duo for
Best Rap Album.
The second album by rapper
Macklemore
and producer
Lewis — “This
Unruly Mess
I’ve Made,”
released
on
Friday — is
in some ways
an hour-long
extension of
the sentiments
behind
that
text message,
Lewis
expanded to
reflect on the state of an America
wrestling with questions of racism
and inequality.
While many rappers are infamous for their lyrical boasts of personal greatness, Macklemore and
Ryan Lewis have instead crafted a
style that is essentially anti-braggadocio, with the duo consumed by
self-doubt.
LOS ANGELES: Tony Burton, who drew
on his career as a prizefighter to play boxing trainer Tony “Duke” Evers in all six
“Rocky” films, died on Thursday aged 78.
Sylvester Stallone, who stars in the
franchise, led the tributes after relatives
announced Burton’s death in a southern
California hospital from suspected pneumonia following a long illness.
Burton, who had been living in California for 30 years, played the trainer of
Apollo Creed, the antagonist of the first
two “Rocky” films, before switching to
Rocky’s corner in the subsequent movies.
“Tony Burton who played the character
of Duke brilliantly in all six Rocky movies... Rest in peace,” Stallone said on the
Instagram photo-sharing site, posting a
still from “Rocky IV” of the pair with
Apollo Creed actor Carl Weathers. (AFP)
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Emerged
On “White Privilege II,” Macklemore — who has emerged as the
most critically acclaimed white rapper after Eminem — speaks of his
mixed emotions as he joins a rally
following the 2014 shooting death
of black teenager Michael Brown in
Ferguson, Missouri.
“My success is the product of
the same system that let off Darren
Wilson,” Macklemore raps, referring to the white officer exonerated
in Brown’s killing.
“We want to dress like, walk like,
talk like, dance like, yet we just
stand by / We take all we want from
black culture, but will we show up
for black lives?”
Macklemore accuses by name
two white stars, Miley Cyrus and
Iggy Azalea, of exploitation of
black culture in the song, which
at nearly nine minutes runs far too
long for standard radio airplay.
In the song, he wonders whether
it is appropriate to speak at the rally. Taking his inner debate to another degree, Macklemore has publicly
questioned whether he should have
written “White Privilege II” at all.
The layered reflection contrasts
with the more earnest advocacy
in the duo’s 2012 signature song,
“Same Love,” which became an anthem in the campaign for gay marriage equality.
Macklemore is acutely aware of
the paradox, wondering on the latest album whether “Same Love”
made the duo appear safe to white
listeners who might instinctively
sense danger from African American rappers.
Yet on “This Unruly Mess I’ve
Made,” Macklemore lays bare
plenty of alternate sides. “St. Ides,”
one of the most musically striking
tracks set to a minimalist guitar,
explores his struggles with drinking, while “Buckshot” recounts the
32-year-old’s former life working
at a Subway sandwich shop and
spraying graffiti on the side.
On “Growing Up,” Macklemore
looks ahead with excitement and
trepidation to his new role as a father.
Advice
“Study David Bowie, James
Baldwin and Tupac,” he offers
among future pieces of advice for
his daughter Sloane.
The album is not without its more
banal topics such as on “Let’s Eat,”
an ode to his appetite.
There are plenty reasons —
fair or not — that people dislike
Macklemore, and his latest album
alongside Ryan Lewis, “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made,” makes one
reason painfully clear: Macklemore
is an insufferable, though perhaps
well-intentioned, goody two-shoes.
Seemingly, he’s trying to make
the world a better place. He and
Lewis did it on the previous album with gay rights anthem “Same
Love,” and maybe even on the
save-money tune “Thrift Shop.”
On their third release, the duo
is pushing against police brutality
on “White Privilege II,” a nearly
nine-minute production that weaves
commentary on the Black Lives
Matter movement with Macklemore’s personal uncertainties
about his place as a white man in
the mix.
The song should be applauded
for its audacity in tackling a serious subject and its inventive presentation. But listen to “This Unruly
Mess I’ve Made” in its entirety, and
“White Privilege II” loses its potency, in part because Macklemore
comes off like a robot with two settings: politically correct and selfdeprecating.
In this Feb 2, 2016 photo, musician Phil Collins poses for a portrait in New York. (AP)
LOS ANGELES: Leonard “Lennie”
Music
‘Take a (new) look at me now’
Singer, drummer Collins returns
This CD cover image released by
Macklemore shows ‘This Unruly
Mess I’ve Made’, by Macklemore &
Ryan Lewis. (AP)
NEW YORK, Feb 27, (AP): Singer
and drummer Phil Collins is taking
one tentative step out of musical retirement by offering up huge chunks
of his past.
The multiple Grammy Award-winner is this winter releasing all eight
of his solo albums, each remastered
and accompanied by a second CD of
demos and live recordings, many previously unreleased.
His hope is that fans and nonfans
will explore more than just his hits,
which include “In the Air Tonight”,
‘’Groovy Kind of Love”, ‘’One More
Night”, ‘’Sussudio”, “Can’t Hurry
Love”, “Against All Odds”, and “Separate Lives.”
Opinion
Jay-Z
John
Variety
LOS ANGELES: Samsung is reportedly
taking a second look at Tidal, the music
streaming service owned by Jay-Z. The
Korean electronics giant has restarted
acquisition talks with Tidal, according to a
report by the New York Post.
The paper is also reporting that Tidal
has been in talks with Google and Spotify
about possible partnerships.
Tidal has been looking for various exit
scenarios for some time, according to
industry sources. Those talks included the
possibility of mergers with other music
services, as well as acquisitions by bigger
players in the industry. Talks with Samsung first surfaced in October, when Jay-Z
personally paid Samsung’s Silicon Valley
offices a visit to meet with executives
behind the company’s media strategy.
Despite its star powered-backing, Tidal
has been struggling for some time to
catch up to Spotify. The service was also
quickly eclipsed by Apple Music, which
managed to amass more than 11 million
paying customers since its launch last
summer. (RTRS)
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“People that don’t like me and
there are some, I know it’s hard to
believe most of the time have based
their opinion on what they hear on the
radio. It’s played to death”, he said.
“I’m a bit more than that. And the ‘bit
more’ is on the albums.”
He’s already released 1981’s “Face
Value” and 1993’s “Both Sides.”
Next up is 1982’s “Hello, I Must Be
Going!” and 1996’s “Dance into the
Light”, both out Friday. Each new
double CD has Collins recreating his
pose from the original album cover.
A long list of current artists including Adele, Lorde, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams have publicly come out
as fans. “I’m very flattered by that and
I think there’s a lot of people out there
that may think, ‘OK. Let’s see what
the fuss is about,’” said Collins.
Nick Davis, a producer, engineer
and mixer whose credits include music
LONDON: The demo vinyl record that
persuaded music producer George Martin
to sign up The Beatles — a “unique” piece
by Bjork, Deep Purple, Genesis, Mike
+ the Mechanics, The Pogues and
XTC, remastered the new Collins albums and hopes fans dig past the hits.
“There are some incredible songs on
there and there is some incredible musicianship on there. That’s almost a treat,
really: It’s finding the album tracks rather than just the singles”, he said.
Collins, 65, was the drummer and
then lead singer for the band Genesis
in the 1970s who embarked on a solo
career in the ‘80s that made him one of
the most commercially successful artists of all time. He is estimated to have
sold 100 million albums with Genesis
and another 100 million as a solo artist.
He won an Academy Award and a
Grammy for his soundtrack to the film
“Tarzan” and his album “No Jacket
Required” won a Grammy for album
of the year in 1985. His “Another Day
In Paradise” won Record of the Year
in 1990.
Collins made hits but didn’t always
get respect. In an episode of “South
Park” that was more than usually
cruel, Collins was booed off a stage
and ridiculed. His last album of new
material was 2002’s “Testify.”
Retirement
In 2011, Collins formally announced his retirement, three years
after his third marriage ended in divorce and as health issues mounted.
Nerve problems meant the father of
five could no longer grip with his left
hand. He was deaf in one ear.
“I felt I owed myself some time off.
And also I wanted to bring up my two
young boys” now 14 and 11. “I just
wanted to be a dad for the first time.
of British music history — will be sold off
next month, auctioneers said on Friday.
“The unique ten-inch 78 RPM acetate
record featuring ‘Hello Little Girl’ on
one side and ‘Till There Was You’ on
the other was pressed at the HMV record
Ono hospitalized
for flu symptoms
LOS ANGELES: Elton John will stage a
special performance Saturday, Feb 27, in
L.A. that will be streamed live exclusively
on AOL.com starting at 12 pm Pacific.
The one-hour “Elton John Live on the
Sunset Strip” concert is a lead-in to the
Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 24th annual Academy Awards viewing party on
Sunday in West Hollywood Park.
Sir Elton’s concert is part of AOL Build,
a live video series covering entertainment,
tech, fashion and business. AOL has lined
up regional bank BBVA Compass as sponsor of the event. The concert also will be free
for the public to attend; the location will be
announced at 8 am Pacific tomorrow.
“At AOL we are committed to the live
experience and its ability to bring offline
moments online for audiences in a unique
and immersive way,” said Jimmy Maymann, AOL’s EVP and president of content and consumer brands. “We can’t think
of a better partner than Elton John — his
iconic stature spans generations and we’re
excited for the opportunity to bring this
incredible experience to his fans and our
millions of viewers worldwide.” (RTRS)
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A proper dad.”
Now living in Miami near his third
wife, Orianne Cevey, and their two
kids, Collins has built a recording studio and hopes soon to begin making
music again. He already has some lyrics that need music and “lots of bits.”
“The longer it goes, the bigger the
jump”, he said.
He even hopes he can drum again
after injuring nerves in his elbow during a Genesis reunion tour in 2007.
“Living life cutting bread, cutting a
bit of cheese was just impossible. But
it’s got better. And I think I just have
to learn to play in a different way.
That’s my intention.”
Collins has been getting encouragement from his children, including sons
Simon, 39, and Nicholas, 14, who are
both in bands. Nicholas, a drummer
and guitarist, likes to rehearse at Collins’ house.
“I give them advice but no one
listens to it”, he said, laughing. “I’m
kind of the elder statesman. They
come in, sit around. Occasionally I’ll
say, ‘What about...?’ They’ll listen
but they’ll go their own way.”
The song from the 1981 album
“Face Value” album and 35 years
old this year “still sounds like it was
new”, said Collins. It has long been the
source of an urban myth that he wrote
it after witnessing an incident in which
a man refused to come to the aid of a
drowning swimmer. “I think the mystery of the song has kept it going”, he
said. “None of it is true because those
lyrics were improvised. I don’t know
what it’s about. When someone says, ‘I
know what it’s about,’ I’ll say, ‘Well, I
don’t. Tell me.’”
Canadian singer Justin Bieber performs during the BRIT Awards 2016 in London. (AFP)
NEW YORK, Feb 27, (AP): Yoko
Ono has been hospitalized in New
York City for flu-like symptoms,
but her representative says the artistsinger is on the mend and should be
released soon.
Elliott Mintz told The Associated
Press that Ono went to the hospital on
the advice of her doctor. He said media reports that she had had a stroke
were not true. He said the 83-year-old
widow of John Lennon likely will be
released from the hospital Saturday.
A Fire Department spokesman says
an ambulance was called to Onos
apartment building at 72nd Street
and Central Park West in Manhattan
around 9 pm Friday.
Ono has lived in the luxury apartment building on Manhattans Upper
West Side since 1973. Lennon was
shot and killed in front of the building
on Dec 8, 1980.
Baker, a member of the band Sha Na Na,
died Wednesday in Weymouth, Mass., his
nephew David Baker confirmed Friday
in an obituary on the website of a local
funeral home. He was 69.
“Lennie was a people person. He had
many friends and truly enjoyed time spent
with all of them. His generosity was abundant. He was always willing to share all he
had with friends and family,” David Baker
stated in the obituary.
Baker was remembered as a vocalist
and saxophone player for the retro rock ‘n’
roll group Sha Na Na, which originated
in the late ’60s and was known for its
’50s-inspired covers and costumes. Baker
joined the band in 1970 and performed
with them for three decades, retiring from
the music business in 2000. As a member
of Sha Na Na, he toured the world and
hosted a syndicated variety show — also
called “Sha Na Na” — with his bandmates from 1977-1981. (RTRS)
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LOS ANGELES: Irene Larsen, co-founder of the Academy of Magical Arts and the
private clubhouse the Magic Castle, died
unexpectedly on Thursday morning at her
Los Angeles home. She was 79.
After she assisted her late husband
William “Bill” Larsen Jr. in his various
magic acts for years, the two launched the
Magic Castle together in 1963. Larsen’s
dedication to the role of ambassador of
magic helped elevate the AMA to an
internationally renowned and respected
organization within the art’s community.
Larsen was also an ardent and outspoken animal rights activist, who policed the
well-being of animals in the acts of magicians and banned anyone who mistreated
them from performing in the Magic Castle. She supported nonprofit organizations
such as Last Chance for Animals. (RTRS)
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LONDON: Possessions of a poultry-raising
aristocrat who ran Britain’s grandest
stately home, was friends with John F.
Kennedy and adored Elvis Presley are up
for sale at Sotheby’s in London.
The auction house is offering belongings from the estate of Deborah, the
dowager duchess of Devonshire, who died
in September 2014 aged 94.
The March 2 sale includes insectshaped jeweled brooches, a gyrating Elvis
telephone, gifts from JFK, Madonna and
Henry Kissinger and a pair of wooden
chicken boxes monogrammed “DD.”
Sotheby’s UK chairman Harry Dalmeny said Friday that the items revealed
“the private world of one of the most
extraordinary women of the 20th — and
frankly probably any other — century.”
(AP)
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NEW YORK: Don McLean the singer
of classic pop song “American Pie,” is
delaying a tour of Australia as he tries to
reconcile with his wife following domestic
violence allegations.
The 70-year-old folk rocker said Friday
he would postpone the 11 shows, which
were scheduled to begin on March 14 in
Hobart, Tasmania, until the same dates in
2017.
The delay is meant “to allow Don
McLean and his family time to work at
reuniting,” a statement from his management said. (AFP)
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PARIS: Eagles of Death Metal cancelled
the rest of their European tour Friday after
frontman Jesse Hughes injured himself
during their hugely emotional return to
Paris three months after jihadist gunmen
massacred 90 people at the band’s last
concert in the city.
The lead singer ripped a tendon inhis
finger during the gig at the Olympia
theatre with hundreds of survivors of the
horrific November attack on the Bataclan
concert hall in the audience, including
some still in wheelchairs or on crutches
because of their wounds. (AFP)