All About 80's Music

Top 40 Pop Music

Dido Life for Rent Pop Music CD Review

Life For Rent is the latest Pop CD released by the richly talented Dido who once again has delivered a brilliant collection of tracks. I’m confident Dido fans, and Pop fans alike will be pleased with this one.

It's a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I'm more than happy to announce that’s exactly what I must say about this one. There simply is NOT a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it's own.

Dido possesses the characteristic of being able to win you over with her talent alone. The kind of artist I really enjoy listening to.

Overall Life For Rent is excellent from beginning to end. One of those CDs that after a few listens the songs are just etched into your memory. A must have for the Pop fan. Really sensational from beginning to end.

While this entire CD is outstanding some of my favorites are track 3 - Life For Rent, track 9 - Do You Have A Little Time, and track 11 - See The Sun

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - White Flag. What a nice track!

Life For Rent Release Notes:

Dido originally released Life For Rent on September 30, 2003 on the Arista Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. White Flag 2. Stoned 3. Life For Rent 4. Mary's In India 5. See You When You're 40 6. Don't Leave Home 7. Who Makes You Feel 8. Sand In My Shoes 9. Do You Have A Little Time 10. This Land Is Mine 11. See The Sun

Personnel includes: Dido (vocals, programming); Adam Zimmon, Paul Herman (acoustic guitar); Rick Knowles (guitar, keyboards); Rusty Anderson, Dave Randall (guitar); Sister Bliss (piano, keyboards, programming); Mark Bates (harmonium, keyboards, percussion, programming); Aubrey Nunn (bass); Andy Treacy, Mako Sakamoto (drums); Carlos Paucar (percussion); P*Nut, Steve Sidelynk (programming); Pauline Taylor (background vocals).

About the Author

My Fishing Directory
My Fishing Directory is for anglers and boaters around the world. Providing anglers and boaters information on the best places to fish and travel so anglers/boaters, their family and friends may enjoy the best opportunities to catch there favorite fish!

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The Real World of Digital Music Production

The “diarrhea” of “an awful lot of” contemporary “pop, rap & rock” music (but not all!)

Do you know what happens when you live on a diet of processed entrees and fast food? When never a fresh fruit or vegetable passes your lips and your fiber count is measured in “mgs” instead of grams? You guessed it: that horrible “D” word. Also known in medical circles as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) --

So what’s up with the computer spew of 75% of many contemporary popular artists? They, say the song is dead; well who killed it? Was it the independent label music movement? Certainly NOT! Was it rap, punk, or grunge or whatever? I'd say, could be. Was it Madonna who first put the crack in “The Wall” of song composing and instrument playing that earlier generations so carefully began brick by brick? I don’t know -- for you, but for me, it’s been a downhill ride since 1984.

I was one, well, that was at “the roots of rock” sort of speak (thanks to an older sister who took me to the Fillmore East in New York City at age 14) – I was naïve enough to ask about that “funny smelling smoke” and those funny looking cigarettes; I later thanked her, for I saw “Santana” live there when their second album (Black Magic Woman) hadn’t even hit the shelves.

I saw PINK FLOYD at that venue a year later when they were still called: The Pink Floyd and they had an opening act play before they came out (i.e. later when fame hit: Pink Floyd ALWAYS played alone because of their massive WALL of speakers and equipment.)

I saw bands in New York City that are now relics: Procol Harum, Jethro Tull’s first incarnation, YES, Bob Dylan WITH “The Band”!! – even Black Sabbath after their 1st LP; and, “Mott the Hoople” touring their FIRST LP. (Remember them? --an LP is an old vinyl record that was played on a turntable. YOU didn’t “use the turntable to scratch! – And they made crackling and popping sounds. LONG LIVE THE CD! And the mp3 too) But, I digress…

So where is this blog heading?

Today you can record and cut a CD in your bedroom. Then, (IF you have enough friends and a gig someplace – or JUST USE U-Tube) you can SELL CDs to YOUR FANS, if you can GET ENOUGH, you’ll even make money; MAYBE! It can all be done on your HOME Computer. And why, because YOU are a musician? “Frankly NOT my dear” as Gable used to say. (Gable who? say the younger readers?) It’s all virtual marketing after that…

In case you're still naïve as to how IT is done - that so many of today’s artists may not need to know almost anything about music, let alone, spend years playing an instrument or singing - and yet get on the “Virtual Airwaves” and even end up on the Today show spot, along with the “singing babies” that periodically appear on the internet sites and on “You-Tube”. Well it doesn’t even take “RC's” [read Record Companies] Perhaps just a shrewd “Boomer or GenX” Mom/Dad Manager)… Yep, it’s “Performance Now” and there’s very little music to worry those Artists about. The RC’s can still get their cut and have absolutely NO REASON to complain!!! - About the “Indie and Virtual Music artists” wrecking their profit.

THEY helped “build the beast” they fear everyday (and I hope it does eat their Creator like a type of “Cannibal Baby” gone wild).

And "they" profit everyday by the existence of a youth-culture fueled “Music” industry who’s “Heart & Soul” is made up of the “clinking, clacking, metallic empty banging” of a musical palette of sounds that is “as Soul-LESS” as the heart of the “King Beast” himself (you know that Devil “Sam” who is lurking behind everybody’s dream of a “musical-career "Garden of Eden") –

As for those “Singing Babies” and “Parading Sex-Toy Imagery of “Twelve-year+ something” girly-woman - parading across the video screens of Virtual and TV America (every so often) THEY, and those nice Boomer+ parents, are just hoping a couple will spell “C.A.S.H.” BIG TIME! - This is of course, once their product “Goes Viral…”

And so many of u“You-tubers,” (particularly) the older viewers will be “fooled-again” – having, (in anemic mental-lapses) forgotten the “Anthem of YOUR Youth: “We Won’t Be Fooled Again” (Who?); and, all those “smashing guitars” instead of “Smashing ‘those damn’ Pumpkins” (now Geriatric!)…

All BECAUSE “U” don’t have the “dog-damn” SOFTWARE that I just have to throw in the garbage! (I made a resolve NOT to swear lately, I don’t want to break my will just yet) – nothing against “dog’s really! – Though I am sort-of “one of those cat-guys”…Please don’t message my email, I LOVE animals with four-legs and some with two. (It’s spiders and insects with multiple legs that have been giving me the creeps lately, but then I live in a “real FOREST”…

It came in MARCH: The last “music equipment purchase I knew I was going to be able to make for quite sometime unless, - MY CD goes “Viral” - (highly unlikely as I don’t own a Video camera or even a digital camera) It will be tough to get on YOU-Tube or even MySpace Music with my “old-fashioned music-making way” (and so MUCH profitless Work – not to mention that! – Unpaid labor, hardly worth it) - but that’s aside the point:

In March (as I said), I bought a $100 desktop “plastic” 2-octave Midi Controller” keyboard with my last savings, (2 octaves means that it only has 25 black & white piano-looking keys) and along with that came (from this decptive “kraut” company) the: “Virtual Music Starter Desktop Composing Package” (a VMSDCP (!)) complete with 50 of the “Latest” Digital Virtual Sounds and Samples (your DVSS's!) that I thought my music was lacking(?!) – Or perhaps, I had a series of “faithless” self-doubts and collapse of my initial musical resolve formed so long ago in those many long hours and days behind “My Old Black & White”…But again, I digress:

So although the keyboard will be minimally useful at my computer desktop for editing and notation work, those wonderfully and cleverly named (and they really are!) modern sound samples have yet to be able to even be tested out with this “rat-like” maze of a software package! “They” (the Kraut Company) sent me for my $100 apparently a bunch of “demo-software” that ‘They” never even paid for – unfortunately you can’t do much with it! - If only after loading the .dll files I could hear the damn things on a reliable basis. But yes, I do like the names: i.e. Delay Lama, B-Assault, AManalogWar, etc – endlessly creative really!

So when I finally got a few to sound after much frustration the musical use was questionable, (for me I mean); unless you are purposely avoiding any musical references. But most of all, there was this “ambience of artificiality about them all” – This is the “so called musical world” we are abandoning our youth to, (I philosophically reflected, as I endlessly clicked and re-clicked the samples with my mouse trying to get them to sound). “This is a world where a real guitar or piano is mostly a “prop” –

Somehow every sound seemed to me the equivalent of “those frozen-processed entrees” Once in a while, a nice touch to a busy life and schedule; eat them regularly and “disease” is sure to get deeply-rooted with time.

OK so I’m not too fond of today’s musical sound palette, but it’s not just that:

The “composing software and the music software” that is the foundation of so much of the rock and pop that even comes out of the big studios today is not something that “miffs me” (believe me, I AM NOT that “old fashioned” I just like old 40’s movies). I understand it only too well; way back in the 1980’s when many of today’s young artists where still their “daddy’s sperm” beginning that long swim up their “mother’s canal”, I spent untold hours hunched over then “modern synthesizers” creating such effects and sounds; BUT by myself, with only the good old tech manual and use of dials, filters, oscillators… and so forth.

Today’s gig>>> You no longer compose music (especially from “your musical soul”) you download and merge the “pre-found” clips and beats included in the package. A “Soulless” and “Joyless” process in my opinion BUT not necessarily an instant, easy one. The “Result”? Everything you create has this “virtual stamp” on it and sounds like every other “voice in the box.” True, you shape it but hardly worth the learning curve to me.

As (the) PINK FLOYD predicted way back in '74 with their song: “Welcome to the Machine” ) from the album: “Wish You Were Here” the machine is now as a voice and its soul is in the “box” even if you try to musically think “outside the box”…And believe me: I loved MY PINK FLOYD… and English bands in particular. Their foresight is now come to pass (meaning: it is now true in reality what was fantasy in their lyrics)…“Welcome to the Digital Soul”>>>

So from the “soul-less” world of contemporary modern desktop composing, I now fondly bid you adieu… I and “my lonely soul” like a musical Henry Thoreau at some far-away “Walden Pond” on a frontier far from the “modern world” return to my “Digital Piano” that at least has 88 “real-action” keys and perhaps later tonight to “My Old Black & White” (still resting peacefully in my kitchen foyer). I played the theme to my song: My Old Black & White on it the other day, she sounded pretty good considering “she” hasn’t been tuned since my then 86-year-old piano tuner died (I think in 2002).

My old black and white, Greets me with silence, every night.
And whenever I walk through that door;
She’s been my friend now since ‘74
She’s still my old black & white
And though her keys no longer shine so bright,
She’s kept me company (through) many a lonely night.
She’s still my old black & white

I posed for the above picture the day of a concert I played for over 35 people in a log cabin, called “The Music Shed” in Cummington, Mass., A nice open-air mountain town of New England.

I was 30 then and I remember it as passing as briefly as a “summer day” in New England. The last year my body would be unmarred by “the needles of dialysis” and the ensuing struggle of the next twenty years of poverty and struggle to keep myself faithful to my chosen goal and commitment: to learn to play a REAL PIANO. I thought it was just the beginning of long and fruitful career doing this; but I hadn’t seen my latest blood reports….

It was a glorious June Day in the New England mountains and I played a grand piano, very well indeed…

My bio is where you can read more about my music and find links to listen and purchase my CDs: August Ocean Overture, and In Memory Only

About the Author

Michael Guy (a.k.a. Michael Guy L'ecluse) is a composer, pianist and author. He has 33 years experience in keyboard, music composition and education. He was a music theory major in college. He's also an author of a novel, "The Last Renaissance Man" and a song lyric booklet entitled "Across the Sea of Madness." He has a homepage with his recent writings and poetry posted at AuthorsDen.com. His books and CDs are available there. After much time in the underground world of music composition, in 2007 he's finally released his debut CD, AUGUST OCEAN OVERTURE, on his own label JzCDz. It's an eclectic mix of NewAge, Jazz/Blues and classical Americana pieces. It's currently available on iTunes, Amazon and other digital distribution outlets like PayPlay.
He spent much time in New York City in the 1980's working in music publishing. Since 1990 when he returned to Florida for a kidney transplant, he has been semi-retired and working in recording, music composition and writing.
He will be releasing his second CD of original compositions in late 2008 entitled, IN MEMORY ONLY, as a memorial for his recently deceased parents.
You can learn about me and my music at:

http://augustoceanoverture.blogspot.com/

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?id=66063

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Dance Music Top 40

Mohiniattam-the dance of the enchantress

MOHINIATTAM-THE DANCE OF THE ENCHANTRESS

 

By Sanjai Velayudhan

 

INTRODUCTION:

Mohiniattam is a very expressive dance form of Kerala, the most beautiful place in India. It is made of two words, "Mohini" and "attam". Mohini refers to an extremely beautiful lady or enchantress and attam means dance. So this traditional Mohiniattam dance form basically means the dance of an enchantress. It is primarily performed solo but it has been enhanced so as to be performed by women in a group. The underlying style of performance is “Lasya” and the “Bhava” being Sringara or romantic love. This dance is enchantingly feminine with wave-like body movements. Delicate themes of love are performed with suggestive gestures, rhythmic footwork and lyrical music. The performance involves the swaying of broad hips and the gentle movements of erect posture from side to side. This is reminiscent of the swinging of the palm leaves and the gently flowing rivers which abound Kerala.

One of the youngest Indian classical dances, Mohiniattam came into being during the 16th Century A.D mainly under the influence of the king of Travancore, Swati Thirunal who was famous for his obsession with art forms. He was a great patron of fine arts and encouraged artists from all over India to perform at his court.

 

THE LEGENDS:

 

There are mainly two legends associated with the dance form. According to a Hindu legend, in order to escape a powerful curse, the gods decided to churn the divine ocean Palazhi (the ocean of the milk) to obtain the ambrosia of eternal life called “Amrith”. They had to get into a coalition with the demons in order to fulfill the task.  They used the mountain Meru as the pivot and the serpent Vasuki as the rope to churn the ocean. Along with many other items that were thrown up by the constant churning, the golden pot containing the ambrosia also emerged. As soon as the pot became visible the demons snatched it for themselves and refused to share it with the gods. This raised the divine eyebrows. Imagine if the demons had become eternal after its consumption. They would take over all the three worlds-earth, heaven & the underworld! The gods ran to the preserver among the Hindu trinity-Vishnu who agreed to help the Gods considering the gravity of the situation. So, Lord Vishnu assumed the form of a gorgeous heavenly enchantress called “Mohini”. It wasn’t easy to obtain the pot back so Mohini broke in an enchanting and sensual dance and managed to seduce the fickle minded demons and snatch the "Pot of Amrith" from them and handed it over to the Gods.

Vishnu took the form of Mohini once again. This time to destroy the demon Bhasmasura (the demon of the ashes). This demon by through hard penance forced the gods to give him a boon-that he would be un-destroyable unless he himself pointed his finger at the top of his head. Thus, he deluded himself that he had obtained immortality. But foolish that he was, he had underestimated the cunning of the gods! Mohini appeared and started her slow enticement. The mesmerized demon started to dance with her following all her actions. Mohini worked the demon into frenzy and in the guise of a dance step, she pointed her finger at the top of her head which the demon copied and was turned into ash. This mesmerising dance of the divine Mohini thus came to be known as the "Mohiniattam". In keeping with the hero of the legends, the theme of Mohiniattam dance is love and Krishna (the playboy God) is most often the hero. The performance elates the spectators when the dancer expresses her love for him through circular movements, delicate footsteps and subtle expressions. The dance form has 40 basic movements and used hand gestures or mudras to communicate its context. It has been influenced by two South Indian dance forms- the Bharathanatyam and Kathakali.

COSTUME & MAKE-UP:

This beautiful style of dance involves the use of eye movements that are sensual yet does not provoke the viewer but enchants in such a way that it is not overt. The idea is to charm without being offensive. Thus the make-up and costume of a dancer is very simple yet elegant. Emphasis is laid on eye make up since most expressions involve emoting through eyes. The fluttering eye lashes, the curved eye brows and the captivating eyes all enchant the viewers and take them to a virtual paradise!

The color of the costume is usually white or off-white with a golden border called “Kasavu”. These sarees are characteristic of Kerala. The hair is done up in a bun on the side just above the ear and is decorated with jasmine flowers. It is well known that these flowers have a seductive fragrance. The jewelry is usually an elaborate pair of earrings and a choker for neck, teamed with a long necklace of coins. 

The accompanying music is usually classical Carnatic, typical of south India. The vocal music of Mohiniattam involves variations in rhythmic structure known as chollu. The lyrics are in Manipravalam, a mixture of Sanskrit and Malayalam. It is sung by trained singers or the teacher who teaches the performers to dance. The musical instruments used during the performance are Cymbals, Violin, typical musical instruments of Kerala-Mridangam, Maddhalam (percussion instruments) and Edakka (an hour-glass shaped percussion instrument).

The seduction or enchantment is slow and deliberate. Through slow and medium tempos, the dancer is able to find adequate space for improvisations and suggestive bhavas or emotions. The distinctive style of Mohiniattam is the complete absence of heavy stamping and rhythmical tension. Footwork in Mohiniattam is gentle and soft and sliding. The movements are never abrupt, they are dignified, easy and natural, but the vertical line of the body is never broken. It is characterized by the rhythmical swaying of the dancer from side to side and the smooth and unbroken flow of the body movement which is its striking feature. The dance is based on enhanced performance of feminine moods and emotions with the theme predominantly that of "sringara" or love. Hence, among the styles detailed by Bharatha Muni in the ancient Indian treatise on dance, the Natya Shastra, Mohiniattam resembles the Kaisiki type meaning graceful. The basic dance steps are the called “adavus” that are of four kinds- Taganam, Jaganam, Dhaganam and Sammisram.

After the death of Swathi Thirunal, the Mohiniattam went into a decline and in the twentieth century, the great Malayalam poet Vallathol revived it after establishing the Kerala Kalamandalam to promote it and Kathakali. The establishment also gets the credit for researching further about the dance and codified it. Over the past few decades, the repertoire of Mohiniattam has been developed and expanded by dedicated performers who have ensured that this beautiful dance style retains a distinct identity among the classical ones of India. It is a beautiful dance form that will survive for a long time to come and continue to represent the beauty and charm of the Malayali women.

© Sanjai Velayudhan

The author would like to hear from you. Write to him on Sanjai.velayudhan@gmail.com

About the Author

A behavioural trainer by education and a loyalty specialist by profession, Sanjai has PG qualifications in Training and Performance management from CLMS, University of Leicester.

Sanjai is a compulsive writer and has recently chosen articlebase to put his thoughts together. He also writes papers on loyalty programmes and the psychology behind it. To read some his papers, please visit:

http://www.itcinfotech.com/Loyalty-Solutions/Home.html.

or just google "sanjai velayudhan".

He is currently working on a manuscript on the Indian Psyche.

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Music for Corporate Entertainment

For many years I have supplied music for and played in bands that
provide music for corporate entertainment. Clients have included Audi,
The Evening Standard, Sainsburys, P.C. World, Safeways, Large corporate
clients at Henley and Ascot, I.T.V. and H.M. Treasury. Because of this
experience I felt it would be relevant in putting down some pointers in
helping clients choose the right kind of music for their particular
corporate entertainment.

Interestingly enough, most corporate hospitality entertainment work
tends to require music as an ingredient to a larger recipe. What I mean
by this is a great deal of corporate events are offering a multi
service package. Typically an organization may be putting on an
evenings entertainment to thank its workforce for a particularly
successful year. They may be offering music, food, comedy, a close up
magician, a casino and a caricaturist. The corporate client organizing
needs to decide what part the music has to play in the days/evenings
entertainment.

Questions he or she needs to ask are:

Is the music specifically for entertainment or is the music for background listening?

Do we need one style of music early on in the proceedings and then a change of style later in the days/ evenings entertainment?

Do you expect the corporate clients to be networking and discussing business or are they just there for a good time?

What overall atmosphere do you want to project with the event?

Is there going to be a change of location for the music as the entertainment event unfolds?

Different styles of music bands lend themselves to different
corporate hospitality situations. Below are a number of typical
corporate hospitality events with music suggestions for suitable music
entertainment.

Corporate entertainment model 1.
Evening reception with dinner and speeches.
In a situation such as this you will typically need music from the
outset as part of the meet and greet of the corporate evening. A
four-piece swing or Latin group is ideal with a larger ensemble for
particularly large gatherings. A professional outfit can pitch the
music at just the right decibel level so your guests can talk and enjoy
the entertainment without it encroaching on conversations. The
musicians would typically be dressed in Lounge Suits or Tuxedos (or the
female equivalent) to mirror what the guests are wearing themselves.
The music portrays an atmosphere of sophistication, which again
hopefully reflects the evenings overall ambience.

It is rare for corporate clients to want to dance especially as
clients there relationship is business not pleasure! In most cases it
is more important that the band is flexible in when it is needed over
the course of the evening i.e. At the top of the night for the
reception, a smaller version of the band (The pianist maybe for the
dinner), stopping for speeches and then after the speeches to play
until other entertainment is put on for the corporate clients. In this
situation give the band a clear idea of how you expect the evening to
go. What to wear, when they will be needed, when they need to get their
instruments in the building and be set up, when breaks will be
required, let them know if it is convenient or not to feed them and
then finally how they can leave when finished so as not to disrupt the
rest of the entertainment.

Corporate entertainment model 2.
Company Party.
Still corporate entertainment, still corporate hospitality but a
totally different set of requirements for the music. Ask yourself these
questions: Are your work force the type of workforce who will want to
dance at some point in the proceedings? If they are, then a
professional band with flexibility is essential. My experience is that
people of all ages will join together to dance to music from the
sixties and seventies. Whatever background music you require earlier in
the day/evening be it Latin, Swing, Rat Pack or Lounge, if you are
hoping to provide entertainment that will get people dancing remember
this fact. Sixties and Seventies. For some inexplicable reason this is
the music that gets people up on their feet.

When choosing your music ask the band if they can cover this part of
the corporate entertainment requirement. Get samples of their music if
need be. There is nothing worse than an ill equipped band struggling
through alien repertoire. However good the band is, if they do not play
the right repertoire, the right style of music then the corporate
entertainment will fall on deaf ears.

Let me at this point provide a caveat. Your workforce work together
They are not always going to be the best of friends however
professional their relationships are at work. Answer truthfully, will
they really want to dance together or is it asking too much? I would
say that in all the years of providing music for this kind of corporate
entertainment / hospitality , as long as the music is right, the
workforce tended to dance 30 or 40% of the time. It could be said that
a workforce who will enjoy each others company in this way is a
reflection on the talent of senior management to create a happy team!

Corporate entertainment model 3.
Company Fun Day.
These come in two types. The type to entertain your own workforce or
the type to entertain prospective clients. Both types of corporate
entertainment require music that is fun. This means that the music must
be perceived as fun and the band must be perceived as fun. In both
cases Jolly Dixieland Jazz or the summer sounds of Latin music are most
suitable.

Ask yourself these questions: does the band need to be mobile?
Meaning do you want the music to move around the site at various points
in the proceedings? If so then the jolly jazz route is most suitable. A
good professional outfit of four or five players can play acoustically
and move around a site as directed.

If the band can be static and close to electrical power then either Jolly Jazz or Latin Music is suitable.

Is the event outdoors or indoors and do you have provision for bad
weather? This is England, never trust to luck, assume the worst! Any
band that needs power cannot play in the rain for health and safety
reasons. At the first hint of inclement weather a band will have to
breakdown their equipment. Build this situation into your corporate
entertainment music decisions.

How do you want the band to dress? It is a fun day after all! In the
past I and my musicians have dressed as Elvis, Cavemen, Circus Clowns,
in fact all manner of characters in the name of corporate entertainment
and corporate hospitality. Good bands will have suitable outfits for
most situations but don`t hesitate in providing something off the wall
for a special event. Most professional players have a strange urge to
jump into such costumes at the earliest possibility! As someone who has
played at a nudist camp and for a toga party, both dressed accordingly,
take my word for it!

To draw this article together let me say this. Choose the right kind
of music for the event. Brief the band accordingly but make sure you
have a professional and flexible outfit, things can change over the
course of the event and you want to make sure the band are both
co-operative and able to fulfill your needs. Don`t hesitate to ask the
band for any special requirements you have. Do it in plenty of time so
they have time to prepare.

The corporate entertainment and hospitality you offer to your guests
reflects directly onto your company. The music and musicians must be
the type who are aware of this. Dont go for second best just to save a
small amount of money. You need a well prepared, well dressed band who
are both polite and charming to your guests. They need to play the
right kind of music for the event in order to help make the day or
evenings corporate entertainment a resounding success!

About the author
Jeff Williams is a London based trombonist and vocalist who has worked
all over the world in most areas of the business. He also runs a
successful, specialist, live music agency using the best of London
musicians, servicing both private and corporate clients playing all
over the country. He would be happy to advise you with your own event
or party and offers bespoke solutions for the perfect occasion.

About the Author

Contact him on +44(0)20 8761 8932 or +44(0)7747 801471
Email him on bonejeff@aol.com

Visit the website http://www.jazznotjazz.co.uk

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Pop Music Charts

Michael Jackson Legendary Pop Music Idol and Dancing Machine Dies at Age 50

Everyone remembers where they were when something important or life-changing breaks in the news, it is almost as if time stands still just long enough to leave its indelible impression. Yesterday, millions of people the world over were left shocked and utterly speechless upon learning about the untimely death of legendary pop music icon, Michael Jackson. There are some in Jackson’s close personal circle who have come out in the press saying that while it was shocking, they were not truly surprised.

Michael Jackson first broke into the music industry at the tender age of five and achieved a career that spanned a lifetime, reaching heights that one can only dream about. His songs are memorable, his dance moves were incredible, his stage presence intoxicating and vibrant. He was a consummate professional and his appeal was universal and widespread, reaching all four corners of the globe. Throughout his long and prosperous career he had an impressive total of 13 songs that climb the charts to number one, released 12 albums, 6 films and 13 music videos.

The music was cut short on June 25th, 2009 at 2:26 p.m., when Michael Jackson was pronounced dead at UCLA Medical Center in California. The apparent cause of death was first attributed to cardiac arrest, but media reports are speculating now as to the underlying reason Jackson died. Some are saying it was due to the stress of performing a series of sold-out concerts set to begin in July, others are sighting something more sinister was behind the demise of the musical genius. With parallels being made to the tragic details surrounding the sad deaths of Anna Nicole Smith and Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson may have met his end due to misuse of prescription drugs.

How bad was Jackson’s addiction to prescription drugs? Some would say the descent into prescription drug abuse first began in the early1990’s, as a result of Jackson’s image beating in light of child molestation charges. It is speculated during this time that he began taking prescription painkillers, Valium, Ativan and Xanax to cope with the stressful allegations that were made against him. During the fall of 1993, some allege Jackson was in full-blown drug addiction. At some point during this time frame, Jackson’s good friend Dame Elizabeth Taylor was instrumental in getting him into drug rehabilitation.

With the mounting investigation and accompanying personal humiliation, Jackson further descended into a dangerous pattern of behavior. He is said to have ceased eating and suffered a significant weight loss, further suffering dangerous health related complications. Due to the debilitating stress, his financial advisors and legal counsel urged him to settle the matter out of court, believing he could not physically withstand the rigors and shame of a lengthy trial played out in the public eye.

News of continued drug use was brought to light again in 2007, during which time a deposition Jackson gave in regards to business agreements signed with former manager Dieter Wiesner. He denied any knowledge of signing his name to contracts, and when asked in a court deposition about being under the influence of prescription drugs, Jackson replied weakly,” I could have been.” Other questions about his personal drug use elicited responses of “I don’t know,” or “I’m not sure.” For Michael Jackson to publicly on record, admit to being “impaired” to the point of memory loss is a startling testimony to how possibly serious his drug use had grown over the years.

In 2006, the entire Jackson family is said to have harbored a great concern and fear about Michael’s growing dependence on prescription medications. According to various media sources, the Jackson’s staged an intervention in Las Vegas which is said to have gone terribly wrong and backfired on the family. Michael Jackson was said to have been angry and denied having a drug problem at the time.

More recently, those close to Jackson sited the singer being “listless” and experiencing a decline in health due to the physical exertion required to train for his upcoming world tour. In recent months the singer had been looking gaunt and fragile, which he tried to hide by wearing heavy make-up and surgical masks when out in public.

Currently, the body of Michael Jackson has been moved to the Los Angeles, California coroner’s office for autopsy and toxicology testing. The death of one of the world’s greatest entertainers is shrouded in secrecy and controversy, to which one can only ponder and question. Was his death the results of physical exhaustion and stress coupled with prescription drug misuse or was it just a simple sudden, tragic passing? The world waits on baited breath for further information.
About the Author

Drug Addiction Treatment can help you overcome the battle between getting clean and sober vs dying to the disease of addiciton. Christian Drug Rehab is available for anyone who struggles with drug addiction and alcoholism and needs help finding a loving higher power.

Here are a few Pop Music Charts listings you might enjoy:

5 Hit Latin Music Charts

Do you have an idea about the Latin Hits that have created an ever lasting impression on the mind of the listeners? If you do not have these singles in your collection go get them today. You can find Latin American audience who are crazy about hip hops and peppy numbers. Another group of people like soft love songs. Check out the songs given below to get an idea about the singles that are getting popularity in the Music Charts.

She Bangs:

"She Bangs"is one of the most popular sound track from Ricky Martin's album Sound Loaded. The album was released on 14th November 2000."She Bangs" is doing great in the music chart of Latin America. This is a romantic song that comes under the Salsa musical genre. The song also has a Spanish version. While the original song stood #12 on the Billboard Hot100 music chart the Spanish version got the Latin Grammy Award in 2001 for being the Best Short Form Music Video.

Shake Your Bon Bon:

Released in the same year as She Bangs, Shake Your Bon Bon has topped some of the very popular charts of Latin Music. The song is sung by Ricky Martin for the self–titled album. It reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.The video of this single also got much recognition.It was nominated for Best Male Video in the year of 2000 in the MTV Video Music Awards. The craze for this single is going to boost the popularity of the album.

Latin Lover:

The next that comes in the list is the song named "Latin Lover"from the self-titled album. Having a great impression on music critics this rock album was released in 1982. This popular song was sung by the famous Gianna Nannini. Some of the musicians who contributed to the composition of this song were Annie Lennox, Hans Baar, Rudy Spinello, Conny Black, Annette Humpe and so on.

My Baby You:

One of the most famous songs that have maintained their position in the box office for long is "My Baby You". This song is a part of Marc Anthony's first self named English album. The song was written as well as produced by both Marc Anthony and Walter Afanasieff. It was the first of its kind without a Spanish version. Marc Anthony dedicated this song to Arianna, his daughter.This Latin pop number ranked 70 in Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Maria Maria:

What is next? The next song was a huge success in the music chart. This song was released in 1999.Sung by Santana,Maria-Maria gained a remarkable position on Billboard Hot 100. It reached the number one position and remained there for ten week.It also received the Grammy Award in 2000 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

These Music Charts have been greatest hits of all time to come in Latin America and across the world.While some of the songs are made to be danceable some others celebrate eternal human emotion.

About the Author

Steve is a media professional and writes for different online publications on media and advertising industry.For more information music tracks and href="http://www.billboardenespanol.com/musica/index.jsp">music newshe recommends you to visit http://www.billboardenespanol.com/

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Cult rock band Melvins hit pop charts after 26 years
The music industry's collapse is good news for the Melvins, the defiantly uncommercial "thud-rock" band that just cracked the U.S. pop album chart for the first time in its 26-year career.

top 40 Pop Music

40 Years Later Hair the Musical Art ..... on With the Hairy Revolution!

Los Angeles, CA, USA August 15, 2008. Amongst the protests of antiwar and economic uncertainty growing stronger with no end in site, I would like draw attention to artwork from the 1960’s that has made an impact on my life. Remember the day glow posters and black lights? Remember the rock art from The Fillmore play bills we all saved? Remember the image from HAiR the American Tribal Love Rock Musical? All these and more will always hang in my mind as remembrance of a time of innocence. Drugs, Sex and Rock and Roll were a part of most of the baby boomers lives when we were not afraid to get stoned and attend an antiwar peace protest. I will always remember protesting the Vietnam War in NYC and a blurry instance of running over the rocks and hills in Central Park when we were chased by police at a Schaefer Music Festival Concert in Central Park. We can all relive the experiences of going to Led Zeppelin, Edgar Winter, Johnny Winter, Black Sabbath, and Grand Funk Rail Road concerts...what a time we had....Quaaludes, Benzedrine, Tuinals, Seconals. Boones Farm anyone? Though the majority of of us are all clean and sober now...it is still fun to reminisce those great days.

The memories I have of the Hippie movement are resonating more today than ever with the revival of HAiR the American Tribal Love Rock Musical free concert at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater. The message is resonating more strongly with the youth and young adults of the world today than perhaps ever before. When asked recently about the resonance and resurgence of this iconic symbol on today’s young adults, the plays legendary producer, Michael Butler, answered emphatically, "It isn’t coming back, it never left, HAiR’s message is more relevant today than its ever been. Over 11 million people have seen the play, an estimated quarter of a billion have heard the music. It’s in dozens of productions around the world as we speak. In fact, a third of all American actors have had some association with HAiR. Its been a force for good for almost four decades."

The Age of Aquarius times of running around as free as a bird was a time in history when we lived in the moment without a worry in the world. Hair, the first ever rock opera, opened in 1968 and all of us would travel into the city form Long Island and New Jersey to participate in this communal offering giving us an insight into the decade of the flower children which we were all very much a part of. It shocked audiences for its lyrics and subject matter, as well as onstage nudity. The original script contains a nude scene, but it is not essential to the plot and individual productions may or may not choose to include it. The original script also contains some racist language which again, may be edited on today’s stage.

As reported recently in "USA Today" the New York based trend forecasting think tank, The Trends Research Institute, found something unique in American history, a new generation looking back in time for inspiration... specifically, the 1960’s.

"Hair" grew out of a new downtown ethos embraced by the radical - and charismatic - Joseph Papp, who in the mid-’60s was adding the Public Theater to his New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park. After a brief run at a nightclub called Cheetah, the show was picked up by Michael Butler, heir to a Chicago paper fortune. He had it restaged by Tom O’Horgan, and readied for Broadway in 1968.

"As I look through my old posters, play bills, and concert flyers I’ve collected through the years I have such fond memories of growing up in the 60’s. As a young girl living in Southern California life was quite enjoyable. Saving my allowance to buy the latest albums, going to concerts...it was all so exciting. One of my most happy memories is seeing the touring production of the musical HAiR...and I still have the play booklet. Over the past few years I have been collecting HAiR posters from all over the world, in different languages from different Tribes! The best poster in my collection is the reproduction of the original from the 1968 Broadway opening There is something mesmerizing about the aura photographed around the actors head. I love the colors of this art piece of which promote brotherly love and world peace.".....states Myrle Atchley from Mississippi.

There are many great 60’s pop artists; I love Andy Warhol, John Van Hamersveld, Roy Lichtenstein, and Bob Massy. There is something really special about the work that Russoli and Rodriquez created for HAiR. They were experimenting the aura technique in photography. When approached by Producer Michael Butler with the idea to create the marketing for the new play, he introduced them to Steve Curry, one of the original actors in the soon to open Broadway production of HAiR. The play opened on April 29th at The Biltmore Theater in NYC and sold out every night and ran for 1,750 performances. I was 16 years old at West Hempstead High School when my girlfriend’s mom took us into Manhattan to see the show.

Forty years later....I love the art hanging on my wall.....Frame and hang and enjoy as art takes you through the memories and the journey of our lives...

Art imitates life and as we witness today’s youth letting there hair down and getting that what we lived through in the sixties parallels with what is happening in the world today.

On with the HAiRy revolution.......

HAiR The American Tribal Love Rock Musical ®1968

HAiR Lithograph is used with permission courtesy of Natoma Productions ®1968

 

 

About the Author

Ace Ross

http://www.hairtribes.com

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Music , which you can find it everywhere

Do you like music ? I like music every much . Music , which you can find it everywhere .hublot watches I like music because it can help me relax myself and make me have a clear mind .

Which kind of music do you like ? Do you know something about music ? I will introduce to you .

Country and folk music

This name appeared in 20s in 20th century .At that time , besides represented the life of labor and the life of vagabond , it also represented sad stories of love and broken hearts . The biggest characteristic is its own content . It is quite different from Pop music or RAP or Hip-hot . There are eight themes : love , fail love , the humor of cowboy , joke , the ways of living in country , the proud of areas , family , god and country . Country and folk music attract the white between the south and the west of America .

Rock and roll

A new group of people became important – American teenagers in 30s to 40s in 20th century . Teenagers wanted dance music with a good beat , Hublot Replicaand so they began to listen to R&B on the black radio stations . Rock and roll music had a strong dance beat . The musicians played electric guitars and the music was loud and fast . The king of rock and roll was Elvis Presley .

Blues

Blues was invented by the black who were under great difficulties .  In blues , you can find it contains some words like poetry . Its biggest characteristic is its feeling of melancholy . It consists of country blues , classic blues and electric blues . Blues always describes the difficulties of the black and the sadness of discrimination .

RAP

RAP means talking and singing . It is the most popular with the black . Rap always reflect the reality of life and unfairness .

No matter what kind the music is , it has its own characteristic . No matter what kind of music you like , it can help you have a good mood . We always say time can cure anything . But in my opinion , music also can cure anything . When you are happy , you will listen happy music . When you are sad , you will listen sad music . What kind of music you listen , it will reflect your mood .Hublot Replica watch Music is your best friend in your life .

About the Author

http://aaawatchreplica.com/

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Crispian St Peters: Pop singer whose Sixties hits included 'The Pied Piper'
A respected singer-songwriter whose most enduring recordings were penned by others, Crispian St Peters remains an enigma of mid-1960s pop music. He scored two Top Ten entries in 1966; the second of these, "The Pied Piper", was also a huge success in North America. Moreover, an attendant album, Follow Me, elicited covers of St Peters compositions by such disparate artists as Ken Dodd, Darrell ...

80's Music Billboard

How do you get hold of chart archives?

Hello, I'm into old music from 60's-80's and I would like to be able to get hold of chart archives so I can see how well some of my favourite songs did in the charts. Does anybody know where to find chart archives? (For UK and Billboard 100 and R&B charts etc)

***THERE ARE BOOKS THAT YOU CAN ORDER, BUT THEY MAY BE A LITTLE EXPENSIVE. BILLBOARD PUTS OUT A COUPLE OF BOOKS, ONE IS NUMBER ONE HITS, AND THE OTHER IS BILLBOARDS TOP 100 HITS. YOU HAVE TO ORDER THEM STRAIGHT FROM BILLBOARD. GOODLUCK.***

Here are a few 80's Music Billboard listings you might enjoy:

Music has a strong influence on our mood and can change the way we feel. That is most likely the reason why movie producers play a background song during an important part of their movie. Songs during movies are played to ramp up the movie experience and set the tone of the movie. The 80s not only had great clothes, hair, and music, but the movies were also awesome. A lot of classics that are still popular today were released during the 80s and their soundtracks include some of the best radio hits from that time. Here is a list of movies that have great soundtracks.

Top Gun, directed by Tony Scott, was released in 1986 and was a hit for movie fans. The movie starred actors Tom Cruise, Meg Ryan, Val Kilmer, and Kelly McGillis. It is a naval movie about love, pilot training, crisis, and determination. The soundtrack for it is as amazing as the stars that acted in it and even held the number one spot on the Billboard charts. Two of the most popular songs from the movie are "Take My Breath Away," and "Danger Zone."

Another soundtrack that is worthy of being on this list is from Flashdance. It was released in 1983 and directed by Adrian Lyne. Jennifer Beals and Michael Nouri were the stars of this film. It is a romance about a dancer that was a steel mill worker during the day. Irena Cara wrote the award winning song "Flashdance...What a Feeling" for this specifically. The soundtrack also includes another great hit called "Maniac."

Who could forget the movie directed by Martin Brest that was released in 1984 called Beverly Hills Cop. Eddie Murphy was a hit and became a star. This soundtrack was so great it even won a Grammy Award. It includes songs such as "Axel F" performed by Harold Faltermeyer, "New Attitude" by the legendary Patti Labelle, and "The Heat is On" by Glenn Frey.

Another 80s Tom Cruise hit was Cocktail, directed by Roger Donaldson. It is about an ambitious bartender who is striving to be a professional in the business world. This soundtrack includes hits from the Beach Boys, Ry Crooder, Little Richard, and Starship among many other great artists. Songs you will hear in this film are "Tutti Frutti," "Wild Again," "All Shook Up," and "Kokomo" just to name a few.

Movie soundtracks make a great movie even better with the right song list. Having the right song playing during a sad, happy, intense, or scary part of the movie will enhance the experience the director wants you to feel at that time. A lot of soundtracks even win awards, and especially when songs are composed specifically for a film. I hope this list of 80s songs will bring back some of your own memories and movie favorites from the 80s.

Jeff Bachmeier is owner of 977music.com, an online music and online radio station network providing live streaming Internet Radio channels with music from the 50's thru Today. Users can also choose to create their own customized on demand playlist through their own social media profile. For more information please visit http://www.977music.com.

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Sonisphere: Reinventing live music for the 21st century
Four words: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. It is that simple. It was much speculated, but it never happened before, for the thrash metal’s big four to share the same stage at a single gig.