10.28.05 (MusicPortal.com) During the months of November and December, streetwear brand 55DSL along with Trojan Records will bring a unique art and music exhibition to venues in the UK cities of Liverpool (Polished T, November 17th), Birmingham (The Rainbow, December 1st), and Glasgow (Carnival Arts Centre, December 8th) during November and December. "55 Roots" is a retrospective celebration of Roots music and it's influence on youth culture and popular music. Six new up and coming artists have been carefully selected for the exhibition to visually interpret a selection of sixteen original Trojan Records tracks. Artists include Dragon and Shibuya from Japan, Mitchy Bwoy of Straight No Chaser and BUGZ IN THE ATTIC fame, as well as James Carey, Jim Stoten, and Peter Quinnell. Born in Shiga in Tokyo, artist Dragon resides in the cultural city of Osaka, Japan. Drawing upon strong influences in black culture, Dragon captures the vitality and views of a minority. For the first time, 55DSL will be bringing him together with his largest influence Trojan Records to create live and original artwork before the eyes of a young and influential crowd. Dragon has previously painted live at venues around the world, most recently at Rocket and NOS Gallery in Tokyo. A limited edition magazine edited by Paul Bradshaw, publisher and editor of Straight No Chaser and designed by Mitchy Bwoy will be available to through 55DSL UK wholesale accounts and attendees, together with a limited edition mix CD featuring the 18 tracks that inspired the art. Since its creation in 1968, Trojan Records has led the way in presenting the very best in classic Jamaican sounds, from the Rocksteady and early Reggae sounds that dominated in the years of its launch, up to the modern styles of Dancehall, Jungle and Ska. With releases form the likes of BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS, Dennis Brown, John Holt, Ken Boothe, TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS, INNER CIRCLE, Arthur "Duke" Reid, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd and Leslie Kong, their roster has featured some of the all-time greatest Roots artists. However, Trojan Records' influence is more fundamental than that - it's inspired generations of people throughout its existence.The mods and the skinheads of the 1960's all reference Roots music and Trojan as major influences, while Johny Rotten of THE SEX PISTOLS was seen by the Jamaica contingency as one of their own, and more recently the likes of ROOTS MANUVA have referenced and even named themselves after the Roots music genre.

10.27.05 (MusicPortal.com) Universally hailed as one of the reigning kings of the Blues, B.B. KING, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, has announced his last-ever UK tour, with five ultra-rare dates coming up in March and April of 2006. The one-time only double bill will team B.B. KING up with Northern Irish classic Blues guitarist Gary Moore, who's career dates back to the 1960s and has graced the line-ups of THIN LIZZY, COLOSSEUM II, BBM and SKID ROW, as well as his recent Rock trio, SCARS. The tour kicks off a UK 5-date tour at Sheffield Arena on Wednesday, March 29th, 2006, and will also take in arena dates in Manchester (March 31st, MEN Arena), Birmingham (April 1st, NEC Arena), Bournemouth (April 2nd, BIC) and London (April 4th, Wembley Arena). The three hour concerts will see Gary Moore perform the first half, with the second half performance by B.B. KING. Throughout the 1990's as well as the 80's, 70's, 60's and 50's, there has been mainly one King of the Blues guitar - Riley B. King, affectionately known as B.B. KING. Since he started recording in the late 1940's, King has released over 50 albums - many of them considered Blues classics, including 1965's definitive live album, "Live At The Regal," and the 1976 Bobby "Blue" Bland collaboration, "Together For The First Time." Over the years, B.B. KING has had two number one R&B hits, 1951's 'Three O'Clock Blues,' and 1952's 'You Don't Know Me,' and four number two R&B hits, 1953's 'Please Love Me,' 1954's 'You Upset Me Baby,' 1960's 'Sweet Sixteen, Part I' and 1966's 'Don't Answer The Door, Part I.' His most popular crossover hit, 1970's 'The Thrill Is Gone,' even went to #15 in the UK Pop charts. King's classic songs such as 'Payin' The Cost To Be The Boss,' 'Caldonia,' 'How Blue Can You Get,' 'Everyday I Have The Blues' and 'Why I Sing The Blues' are all concert and fan staples. B.B. KING was born on September 16th, 1925 on a cotton plantation in Itta Bene, Mississippi, just outside the Mississippi delta town of Indianola. He originally performed on the corner of Church and Second Street for dimes, and would sometimes play in as many as four towns on a Saturday night. With his guitar and $2.50, he hitchhiked north to Memphis, Tennessee in 1947 to pursue his musical career. King's first big break came in 1948 when he performed on Sonny Boy Williamson's radio program on KWEM out of West Memphis. Due to his growing success, B.B. KING needed needed a catchy radio name. What started out as Beale Street Blues Boy was shortened to Blues Boy King," and eventually B.B. KING. Soon after his number one hit, King began touring nationally, and he has never stopped, performing an average of 275 concerts a year. In 1956, King played an astonishing 342 one night stands. B.B. KING's technique features delicate filigrees of single string runs punctuated by loud chords, subtle vibratos, and "bent" notes. The early technique of Rock guitar playing is derived to a degree from his style of playing. "I'm me," B.B. KING told Time Magazine in 1969. "Blues is what I do best."
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10.20.05 (MusicPortal.com) On November 8th, the biggest live event DVD project of its kind will be released. "Live 8" brings together performances from the amazing series of concerts which took place around the world on July 2nd, 2005. The 4-disc set contains three discs of live footage taken from the Live 8 shows staged in London and Philadelphia alongside key highlights from the seven other events staged across the world. Every artist who performed at London's Hyde Park and Philadelphia's Museum Of Art appear on the DVD, many of them with their full sets. "Live 8" opens with U2 and Paul McCartney's crowd-rousing rendition of 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,' and also features PINK FLOYD's historical reunion, a show-stopping Robbie Williams performance and an energetic set performed by Madonna. Younger artists such as SNOW PATROL, THE KILLERS and Joss Stone comfortably intertwine with Rock legends such as THE WHO and Sting. One-off duets come from Paul McCartney with George Michael, Stevie Wonder and Adam Levine from MAROON 5, Elton John with Pete Doherty and COLDPLAY performing with THE VERVE's Richard Ashcroft. Disc 3 closes as the London concert ended on July 2nd with the stars of Live 8 Hyde Park taking to the stage for the stunning 'Hey Jude' finale. Along the way, KAISER CHIEFS waved the flag for Britain in Philadelphia. Their vigorous performance there is captured alongside American superstars DESTINY'S CHILD, BON JOVI, BLACK EYED PEAS and Stevie Wonder. Also threaded through the UK and U.S. acts are performances from artists who appeared at the Live 8 concerts in the cities of Rome, Paris, Berlin, Toronto, Johannesburg and Moscow. Tracks from GREEN DAY, Brian Wilson and ROXY MUSIC in Berlin and Neil Young in Toronto are included along with PET SHOP BOYS in Moscow, Duran Duran in Rome, Vusi Mahlasela in Johannesburg and PLACEBO and MUSE in Paris. Disc 4 features exclusive extras including a never-before-seen backstage documentary filmed at Hyde Park, PINK FLOYD's Live 8 reunion rehearsal, more acts from Live 8's global concerts including McFly and Bjork in Tokyo, films by THE WHO and TRAVIS, and a contribution from Ricky Gervais. The "special features" section will include highlights from Edinburgh's "Final Push" concert at Murrayfield on July 6, which will include performances from James Brown, TRAVIS and THE PROCLAIMERS. "I hope this will be the biggest selling DVD of all time. It deserves to be. More importantly perhaps, it should be, for it will help us achieve our goal of changing the lives of the extreme poor for the better and making our generation the one that helped end the disgrace of poverty," Says Live 8 organizer Bob Geldof. EMI and the Live 8 organization have agreed that a generous royalty from sales of the "Live 8" DVD will go to the Band Aid Trust for the relief of hunger and poverty in Africa.
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10.18.05 (MusicPortal.com) Canada's most celebrated emcee KARDINAL OFFISHALL will be releasing his much-anticipated third album, "Fire & Glory," on November 15th, which is the follow up to 2001's "Firestarter Vol.1: Quest For Fire" and the independently released "I And I." "Fire & Glory" features the vocalist's award winning production and unique diction - a blend of Jamaican patois and Canadian and American slang. Also featured are collaborations with Busta Rhymes, Spragga Benz, Renee Neufville, Vybz Kartel, Glenn Lewis and Ray Robinson. The first official single from "Fire & Glory" is 'Everyday Rudebwoy,' an interpolation of ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT's single, 'Everyday People.' "I've always loved Arrested's version of it," KARDINAL OFFISHALL says. "I think people will appreciate the unique twist I put on it. I made it sound even more feel good with vocalist Ray Robinson, and then I touch on some real issues that some communities have to deal with, like police harassment, and men taking ownership of their children and relationship scenarios." In May of this year KARDINAL OFFISHALL signed a deal with Virgin Music Canada to release "Fire & Glory." "I am pleased to finally be able to enter into a business venture with a reputable Canadian label. Virgin has expressed a desire to take this project to the highest level and I welcome their enthusiasm and share the same desire," he states. Craig Mannix, Director Of Artist & Urban Label Development said: "We are very excited to have entered in to this arrangement as Kardinal is one of Canada's most important MC's. Kardinal is a distinctly Canadian artist and a true ambassador for hip-hop culture which is reflected both in his art and performance." KARDINAL OFFISHALL's international production credits, collaborations, accomplishments, awards and accolades are extensive. He co-wrote the Gold-selling, Juno Award-winning 'Money Jane' with Sean Paul, collaborated on remixes with THE NEPTUNES' Pharrell Williams, worked on records with Method Man as well as received unsolicited remix offers from both Busta Rhymes and Bounty Killer. To date, KARDINAL OFFISHALL is the only Canadian Urban music artist to appear on BET's "Rap City," and on MTV's "Advance Warning." Leading up to the release of "Fire & Glory," KARDINAL OFFISHALL will be performing in select Canadian cities as part of "Dose Live." An on-going series of national music tours and local market events, "Dose Live" will take place in Dose magazine's five publishing cities: Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver at the following venues: 10/19 Calgary, AB [Cherry Lounge] • 10/21 Vancouver, BC [Atlantis Night Club] • 10/22 Edmonton, AB [Escape Ultra Lounge] • 10/25 Ottawa, ON [Babylon] • 10/31 Toronto, ON [Mod Club]

10.14.05 (MusicPortal.com) ANASTACIA will be releasing "Pieces Of A Dream," her first-ever collection of greatest hits, on November 6th. The album will feature four brand new tracks, including the title track, plus a club megamix. Also hitting stores November 27th will be a special limited edition version of the album that will come with unique packaging and a bonus disc containing remixes of the vocalist's more popular tracks, include an exclusive ten-minute megamix of all her hits. Since 2000, ANASTACIA has sold in excess of 30 million albums worldwide, with an incredible 500,000+ sold in Australia alone. She has had five Top 10 ARIA hits as well, including the massive #1 hits 'I'm Outta Love' and 'Left Outside Alone.' Now, the vocal powerhouse is about to deliver all of her biggest hits on one killer album. And if that's not enough, "Pieces Of A Dream" will also feature four new songs in the title track (which, according to Music Network, "...explodes into a chorus that tugs on all the right heart-strings, delivered by her trademark gruff, soul-drenched vocals), as well as 'In Your Eyes,' 'I Belong To You' (performed with Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti) and 'Everything Burns,' a sensational duet with former EVANESCENCE guitarist Ben Moody that was also on the recent soundtrack to the movie "The Fantastic Four." "Pieces Of A Dream" Track Listing: 1. I'm Outta Love • 2. Not That Kind • 3. Cowboys & Kisses • 4. Made For Lovin' You • 5. Paid My Dues • 6. One Day In Your Life • 7. Why'd You Lie To Me • 8. You'll Never Be Alone • 9. Left Outside Alone • 10. Sick And Tired • 11. Welcome To My Truth • 12. Heavy On My Heart • 13. Everything Burns (Ben Moody featuring Anastacia) • 14. I Belong To You (featuring Eros Ramazzotti) • 15. Pieces Of A Dream • 16. In Your Eyes • 17. Club Megamix "Pieces Of A Dream" Bonus Disc Track Listing: 1. I'm Outta Love (Hex Hector Radio Edit) • 2. Left Outside Alone (M*A*S*H Radio Mix) • 3. Paid My Dues (The S-Man's Darkstar Mix) • 4. Sick And Tired (Jason Nevins Funkrock Remix Edit) • 5. Why'd You Lie To Me (Nu Soul DnB Mix) • 6. Love Is A Crime (Thunderpuss Mix) • 7. Not That Kind (Kerri Chandler Mix - Radio Edit) • 8. One Day In Your Life (Hex Hector/MacQuayle Mix) • 9. Left Outside Alone (Jason Nevins Global Club Edit) • 10. Not That Kind (Ric Wake Club Final) • 11. Love Is A Crime (Cotto's Doin' The Crime Mix) • 12. Boom (Thunderpuss Tribe-A-Pella Mix) • 13. One Day In Your Life (Almighty Mix) • 14. Sick And Tired (Electrochill Edit)
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10.13.05 (MusicPortal.com) TALKING HEADS' eight pioneering albums defied easy musical categorization, and now -- eleven years after David Byrne, Chris Franz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison's last release together -- Rhino Records has done physically what could not be done musically -- they've put TALKING HEADS in a box. The self-titled collection, features each of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees' studio albums remastered, expanded and released simultaneously on DualDisc. Packaged in a dramatic white plastic block with the song titles chiseled into it, "Talking Heads" is currently available at regular retail outlets and at www.rhino.com for a suggested price of $149.98. Co-produced by TALKING HEADS with Jerry Harrison personally overseeing the audio and DVD-A remixes, "Talking Heads" includes all of the band's studio albums: their 1977 debut, their Brian Eno and self-produced classics, and the band's 1998 swan song, the Steve Lillywhite-produced "Naked." Each DualDisc includes the original TALKING HEADS album in remastered stereo, plus rare bonus songs on the CD side. The DVD side of each disc contains the original album mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound, plus bonus audio and video content, lyrics and photos. In addition to the group's hits 'Burning Down The House,' 'Take Me To The River,' 'Road To Nowhere,' "Wild, Wild Life" and 'Once In A Lifetime,' this deluxe sonic upgrade includes an impressive collection of previously unavailable bonus songs and videos. Unreleased highlights include an acoustic version of 'Psycho Killer' mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound, a live 1976 video performance of 'I Feel It In My Heart' recorded at The Kitchen in New York, alternate mixes of 'The Big Country' and 'Life During Wartime,' early versions of 'And She Was' and 'Road To Nowhere,' plus a rare version of the song 'Papa Legba' featuring "Pops" Staples, several unfinished outtakes from the "Remain In Light" sessions, as well as most of TALKING HEADS' promotional music videos and German television performances from 1980 on Rockpop. Formed in the mid-'70s at the Rhode Island School Of Design, TALKING HEADS were art school students who made a name on the nascent New York City Punk scene at venues like CBGB's, before evolving into one of Pop music's more adventurous and influential bands. TALKING HEADS pioneered a polyrhythmic sound that borrowed from Rock, Funk, Punk, World Beat and Avant-Garde minimalism to create clever and catchy Experimental music that was also embraceable by radio audiences.
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10.12.05 (AP) When STEVIE WONDER returned to the studio after a 10-year hiatus to record "A Time To Love," he was doing more than getting back to work. He was getting back to the message that has formed the cornerstone of his legendary career. "Of all the needs that we have right now, more than anything we need a time for love," Wonder said recently, sitting in front of a mixing board in his Wonderland Studios, where the new album was recorded. The 15 tracks on "A Time To Love" touch on love in all its forms, from physical to unrequited to family affection to the way people treat strangers on the street. Sensing a lack of respect coming "from people in their relationships as well as our leaders in government," Wonder hopes his latest effort will give them all something to think about. "We need to have more respect for each other," Wonder says, leaning forward for emphasis. "Things have just gone really crazy, out of control... We're on a very weird kind of cycle." At the same time, he acknowledges he wouldn't mind seeing "A Time to Love" revive his critical and commercial acclaim. "I would be VERY happy!" he says, flashing that famous megawatt smile and cackling with delight. Wonder has recorded more than 30 Top 10 hits, won nearly two dozen Grammys, including one for lifetime achievement, and been inducted into both the Rock And Roll and Songwriters Halls Of Fame. But at 55, STEVIE WONDER hasn't had a hit record in more than a decade. He's gained plenty of weight, and most of the hair on top of his head has receded. Some critics have implied his creative powers also have receded since the 1970s, when he recorded four legendary albums: "Talking Book," "Innervisions," "Fulfillingness First Finale" and "Songs In The Key Of Life," the last of which included his classic single, 'Love In Need Of Love Today.' Not surprisingly, Wonder disagrees. "For however long it's been, I've just been doing life," he says of his hiatus. It's been a life filled with both joy and sorrow, which he also captures on the album. Self-taught on piano, harmonica and other instruments, Steveland Morris was just 12 when he first wowed national television audiences on shows like Dick Clark's "American Bandstand." He was "Little Stevie Wonder" back then, a name he says someone at Motown Records -- he can't remember exactly who - came up with. From his earliest days as a prodigy covering Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' In The Wind' through such songs of his own as 'You Are The Sunshine of My Life,' 'My Cherie Amour' and 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours,' Stevie Wonder's music has sought to uplift and inform as well as entertain. With his latest album, he's contributing the royalties from one of the songs, 'Shelter In The Rain,' to Hurricane Katrina relief. But Wonder says he actually wrote it to help deal with the deaths of his brother Larry Hardaway and his ex-wife, Syreeta Wright, with whom he had remained close friends after their divorce. "God gave me that song as a gift," he said, adding it seemed only right to pass the gift on to those whose lives were devastated by the storm. He had hoped to... [full story]
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10.10.05 (AP) When ELVIS COSTELLO was asked three years ago by Denmark's Royal Theater to write an opera about Hans Christian Andersen, his first thought was, "Why didn't they choose a Danish composer?" "Then I recalled that Andersen belongs to the world," Costello said. On Saturday, his work "The Secret Arias" - based on Andersen's unrequited yearning for Swedish soprano Jenny Lind - debuted at Copenhagen's new waterfront opera house, with Costello himself playing two lead roles. The opera is being performed in connection with the 2005 bicentennial of the Danish fairy tale writer's birth. Renowned for his children's classics such as "The Little Mermaid," "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Red Shoes," he died in 1875. For the musical chameleon Costello, it marks yet another expansion of his artistic range. After emerging from Britain's early New Wave scene, he has dabbled in everything from orchestral symphonies to harmonious Pop. He has recorded with Swedish soprano Anne Sofie Von Otter and the Brodsky Quartet, but this is the first time he has written an opera. His story tells a three-way drama between Andersen, Lind - nicknamed the "Swedish Nightingale" - and her American impresario, P.T. Barnum, who brought Lind to New York for her first U.S. concert tour in 1850. "The songs tell a story that I have imagined existing between the lines of Andersen's biography and some of his most famous tales," Costello told reporters this week. "They speak of a misfit's love for an unattainable woman and a struggle between a huckster and someone who composes music in secret." It's widely believed that Andersen wrote his tale "The Nightingale" with Lind - who lived from 1820-1887 - in mind. Last week, Costello had been rehearsing with Swedish soprano Gisela Stille at the new opera house, which opened earlier this year. Costello plays both Andersen and Barnum, while Stille portray Lind. The duo will also perform this week in Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city in the western part of the Scandinavian country. Next season, the Copenhagen Opera will stage a longer version of "The Secret Arias" with other performers. Costello says his work, is basically a traditional opera, but with some exceptions. "We don't have a symphonic orchestra," he said. Instead, four musicians accompanied Costello and Stille at the opera's main stage, which can seat as many as 1,700 people. Costello said he was inspired by Andersen's way of expression, adding that "many translations of (Andersen's) works miss the really good elements - the macabre, the weird and the social critique." Many of Andersen's fairy tales are rather gruesome. In "The Little Mermaid," one of his best known stories, the mermaid becomes mute after a witch cuts off her tongue in exchange for legs to replace her fish tail. In "The Two Baronesses," Andersen writes about marital infidelity and life in a brothel - something he personally experienced when living in Copenhagen. "The Traveling Companion," published in 1835 as part of a fairy tale collection for children, is about death. Kasper Holten, the Royal Theater's 32-year-old opera director, said asking Costello to write an opera was a way to bring a broader repertoire to the $406 million opera house, instead of merely focusing on the big classics.
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10.07.05 (MusicPortal.com) Columbia Records is readying the release of "To Love Again," a new album of Pop and Jazz standards from acclaimed trumpeter CHRIS BOTTI and nine superstar guest vocalists. "To Love Again," the successor to Botti's gold album "When I Fall In Love," will be released on Tuesday, October 18th. CHRIS BOTTI is also currently in the midst of a U.S. tour in support of the new album, which is slated to wrap up in mid-December. "To Love Again," which is being released as both a traditional CD and as a DualDisc, showcases Botti's inimitable velvet tone and sublime trumpet phrasings on 13 newly recorded standards featuring nine stand-out vocal performances by some of the best singers in modern Pop, Jazz, and Rock. Joining CHRIS BOTTI on "To Love Again" are guest vocalists Sting ('What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?'), Paula Cole ('My One And Only Love'), Michael Buble ('Let There Be Love'), Jill Scott ('Good Morning Heartache'), Paul Buchanan ('Are You Lonesome Tonight?'), Gladys Knight ('Lover Man'), Renee Olstead ('Pennies From Heaven'), Rosa Passos ('Here Comes That Rainy Day') and even AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler (on Charlie Chaplin's 'Smile'). Rounding out "To Love Again" are the instrumental tracks 'What's New?,' 'I'll Be Seeing You,' 'Embraceable You' and 'To Love Again.' As on his last album, CHRIS BOTTI is joined once again by the London Session Orchestra, who provide lush tonal coloration to the album's arrangements. The DualDisc edition of "To Love Again" features an exclusive short film entitled "Live From Studio A," which was shot at the famed Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, California. Botti and his quartet jam as the cameras roll, and the result is four songs that yield twenty three minutes of gorgeous-sounding music. Two of the four songs performed in "Live From Studio A," 'Flamenco Sketches' (featuring guest saxophonist David Sanborn) and 'Milestones,' do not appear on the audio CD at all. "To Love Again" follows the extraordinary success of CHRIS BOTTI's groundbreaking last album, "When I Fall In Love," which has sold more than 500,000 copies to date. Released on September 28th, 2004, "When I Fall In Love" tapped into the record-buying public's desire for classic romantic Jazz sounds, quickly hitting the #1 slot on both the Traditional Jazz albums sales chart and the Top Jazz overall album sales chart. Shortly after the album's release, "When I Fall In Love" jumped an astounding 109 spots -- from #146 (week ending 11/14) to #37 (week ending 11/21) on the Billboard Top 200 -- the biggest single week's sales leap of any traditional Jazz album recorded by an instrumental artist to be released in the SoundScan era. CHRIS BOTTI's association with Sting -- who sang with Botti on both 'To Love Again' and 'When I Fall In Love' on his previous album -- dates back to 1999, when the trumpeter joined the Sting's band as a featured soloist on the "Brand New Day" tour, which lasted two-and-a-half years.
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10.05.05 (MusicPortal.com) Fantasy Records is set to release the first-ever career retrospective of JOHN FOGERTY on November 1st, entitled "The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty/Creedence Collection." After more than three decades Fogerty, one of the most important and influential songwriters in modern times, has returned to Fantasy Records. Fogerty's infamous relationship with the label, now part of the Concord Music Group, led him to suffer through years of bitter disputes and lawsuits, making this announcement perhaps one of the most unlikely and unexpected reunions in music industry history. As lead singer and songwriter for the immensely influential CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, JOHN FOGERTY scored nine Top 10 singles from 1969-72 (the band even out-sold THE BEATLES in 1969), released a slew of seminal hits that would become great American anthems synonymous with a generation, including 'Fortunate Son,' 'Proud Mary,' 'Bad Moon Rising,' 'Born On The Bayou,' and 'Who'll Stop the Rain.' Fogerty's chart-topping solo recordings have also sold millions of copies worldwide, while his live performances have always received high acclaim for their energy and sincerity. JOHN FOGERTY has been inducted into both The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. "The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty/Creedence Collection," an aptly titled disc that honors the icon's musical journey from his early career to today features, for the first time ever, all of the songwriter's most poignant and enduring hits. Included are seminal tracks from the CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL catalog, along with some of the best of his solo work, including 'Centerfield,' 'Deja Vu (All Over Again),' and 'Hot Rod Heart' from the Grammy Award winning album "Blue Moon Swamp." Also on the disc are four new tracks recorded live by JOHN FOGERTY during his 2005 tour of the United States: 'Hey Tonight,' 'Bootleg,' 'Keep On Chooglin',' and a blistering rendition of CCR's 'Fortunate Son.' The Concord Music Group and Fantasy have great admiration for Fogerty's extraordinary talents and have embraced their relationship with him - working on several new releases including a live DVD taped this past September 15th at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles for an early 2006 release. Other projects are presently in the early stages of development. "I'm very happy to be back in touch with a part of myself," says JOHN FOGERTY of the return home to Fantasy Records. "It's surreal. For 35 years, I never thought I'd be reunited with the music I wrote during the Creedence Clearwater Revival years. I'm happy to say that the new Fantasy is very enthusiastic about my body of work, and all the people there have been delightful. They are honoring my songs that hold an important place in the history of American music. And, they are honoring me."
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10.04.05 (MusicPortal.com) Songwriter, musician and producer JOE HENRY has brought together five of some the greatest living legends of Soul music on a new album, "I Believe To My Soul," which sees its release today via Rhino Records. Ths past June, Henry brought together Ann Peebles, Billy Preston, Mavis Staples, Irma Thomas and Allen Toussaint to create an album of "new music done in a classic mode, not a re-creation of classic soul music...a record authentic to where these five particular artists find themselves today, and in relationship to one another," says JOE HENRY. Resultingly, "I Believe To My Soul" features the five artists performing material they have never before recorded. Henry's Work Song label, Rhino and Starbucks Hear Music have all cooperatively co-released the album simultaneously to traditional retail stores as well as Starbucks-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada. While not initially conceived as a benefit recording, in the time since the tracks for "I Believe To My Soul" were recorded in June, tremendous devastation has struck the U.S. Gulf Coast via Hurricane Katrina -- home to both Thomas and Toussaint. In Starbucks Company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada, will donate $10 of the purchase price of every CD sold to aid in that region's recovery. In all other retail channels in the U.S. and Canada, $3 will be donated from the purchase price of every CD sold. Donations are being made to both the American Red Cross and the Canadian Red Cross (depending on the country in which the CD was purchased) to provide support for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The donation will continue for the lifetime of the album, and is in addition to Starbucks Coffee Company's separate long-term relief and recovery efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The inspiration for "I Believe To My Soul" originally came in 2002 when JOE HENRY produced Soul great Solomon Burke's Grammy-winning album, "/u>Don't Give Up On Me. Henry explains that while he was doing interviews about Burke's album, "it became apparent that many others, not just myself, were starved for a contemporary version of authentic soul." "The other people that are on the record are all my friends, and that's kind of like a family reunion," says Mavis Staples. The warmth of "I Believe To My Soul" derives largely from this spirit of friendship and underlying mutual admiration. New Orleans Soul and Funk pioneer Toussaint, who also produced records by Thomas in the 1960s, backs her on piano here. He says: "I like anything Irma sings. If she sings 'Happy Birthday,' I think it's just grand." Of Billy Preston, Toussaint says: "I'm like all musicians. We all think the same thing about Billy: He's the greatest organ player in the world." For the sessions for "I Believe To My Soul" JOE HENRY asked each artist to bring at least two songs that they had not previously recorded.
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[Urban News: September 2005]
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