The News of Today

[Jackson]

‘Stranger Things’ Pushes Kate Bush’s 1985 Single ‘Running Up That Hill’ To No. 1 On iTunes

https://www.google.com/amp/s/deadline.c ... 35334/amp/

Netflix’s Stranger Things is helping revive a blast from the past on the heels of the show’s Season 4 premiere on Friday. Kate Bush’s 1985 single “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” is currently No. 1 on the iTunes chart.

The song first appears in the premiere episode and plays a significant role in Max’s (Sadie Sink) story.

“Running Up That Hill” was the first single off Bush’s album Hounds of Love that would go on and become her biggest hit of the era. The track was originally titled “A Deal With God” but was changed by her label for fear that it would be blacklisted in religious countries like Italy, France, and Australia.

This isn’t the first time Stranger Things helped revive a song, following its use of the theme song to the hit fantasy film The NeverEnding Story by Limahl last season. YouTube revealed at the time that searches for the music video spiked 800 percent shortly after the new episodes were released.

The first four seasons of Stranger Things are currently available to stream via Netflix.

I only watched the first season of Stranger Things, but God bless 'em for giving Kate her first big U.S. hit in a way.

Now #1 played on Spotify in the US! I'm glad more people are being introduced to this amazing song.

[luvulongTIM]

The women behind the song, not too shabby catalog collection either. Hopefully those discovering it look into that very back catalogue.

[Live in Phoenix]

It's funny, because I'll act like you can't sell kids on older music -- that, whether you like it or not, music keeps moving on, and that's where the young listeners go -- but I'd have to imagine that there are a lot of young listeners for "Running Up That Hill," since you'd just have to assume that there are a lot of young viewers for Stranger Things. Even being an '80s-oriented show, it's still a youth show. (I'd say stuff like Grand Theft Auto and Guitar Hero/Rock Band also did a good job of selling kids on older music.)

[luvulongTIM]

Kind of it that 80s female art rock vein Julee Cruise has passed away at the age of 65 on June 9th,

[Jackson]

It's funny, because I'll act like you can't sell kids on older music -- that, whether you like it or not, music keeps moving on, and that's where the young listeners go -- but I'd have to imagine that there are a lot of young listeners for "Running Up That Hill," since you'd just have to assume that there are a lot of young viewers for Stranger Things. Even being an '80s-oriented show, it's still a youth show. (I'd say stuff like Grand Theft Auto and Guitar Hero/Rock Band also did a good job of selling kids on older music.)

I think it's more that the US general audience doesn't know Kate Bush that well. She never had a big hit here in the 70s and 80s like she did in Europe. I can't recall ever hearing one of her songs on the radio or in public here. So this usage in Stranger Things was the first exposure that many users, young and old, ever had to this great artist.

[Live in Phoenix]

I think it's more that the US general audience doesn't know Kate Bush that well. She never had a big hit here in the 70s and 80s like she did in Europe. I can't recall ever hearing one of her songs on the radio or in public here. So this usage in Stranger Things was the first exposure that many users, young and old, ever had to this great artist.

Kate made a statement on her website:

Running Up That Hill...

It’s all so exciting! Since the last post, Running Up That Hill has gone to No 1 in Norway and Austria. This is such great news and we just heard today that it’s up from No 8 to No 4 in the US.
The track is being responded to in so many positive ways. I’ve never experienced anything quite like this before!
I just want to say a really big thank you to everyone in the US who has supported the song. It’s the first time I’ve had a top ten single over there and now it’s in the top 5!
Thank you so much again to the Duffer Brothers - because of their latest, extraordinary series of Stranger Things, the track is being discovered by a whole new audience.
Best wishes,
Kate

https://www.katebush.com/news/running-hill-0

[VacantJoy]

great news at least she got some recognition while being alive

[prosecutorgodot]

This "Running Up That Hill" charting news is the most extraordinary music revival that I can think of (that doesn't involve a death).

[Jackson]

This "Running Up That Hill" charting news is the most extraordinary music revival that I can think of (that doesn't involve a death).

It's not exactly the same thing, but the resurgence of popularity of Queen and Elton John following their biopic movies that were released over the last few years has been interesting. In terms of Spotify monthly listeners, I think they are the two biggest legacy artists on the platform right now, with more monthly listeners than even the Beatles or Michael Jackson. Elton John even scored a collaborative hit with Dua Lipa.

[Jackson]

Another example is Nirvana's Something in the Way, which charted in the US and a bunch of other countries earlier this year after its use in The Batman. It's still Nirvana's #2 song on Spotify after Smells Like Teen Spirit.

[Live in Phoenix]

Something about being at the opposite end of Christmas...

On June 25th:

Bowie's "A Reality Tour" was officially curtailed after the Hurricane Festival performance in Scheeßel, Germany, in 2004. (Days prior, he had suffered a heart attack, which was misdiagnosed.) This became Bowie's last tour, and I never saw him in concert.

(In 2007, pro wrestler Chris Benoit and his family -- his wife and his young son -- were found dead. He was one of the most respected entertainers in the business. He was also, in retrospect, the poster child for concussions and CTE, which may have been a deciding factor for what turned out to be a murder-suicide.)

In 2009, Michael Jackson passed away. (June 25th is the day before my birthday, so this is the kind of prelude I sometimes get.)

(Also, in 1988, a local monster movie showcase, The World Beyond, ended after 24 years -- appropriately enough with Godzilla's Destroy All Monsters. I used to run a Facebook site for this program.)

But on the bright side, the Purple Rain album came out this calendar day.

[Live in Phoenix]

R&B singer R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for using his superstardom to subject young fans — some just children — to systematic sexual abuse.

https://apnews.com/article/r-kelly-sent ... ce=Twitter

[luvulongTIM]

Paul Ryder of Happy Mondays fame had passed away recently. One of the many, many, many prominent names born in 1964. He was a founder and the bands bassist and younger brother of the infamous Shaun Ryder.

[Jackson]

This "Running Up That Hill" charting news is the most extraordinary music revival that I can think of (that doesn't involve a death).

Now "Master of Puppets" has entered the US and UK top 40 for the same reason. Its usage in the show was undeniably awesome.

[Jackson]

This "Running Up That Hill" charting news is the most extraordinary music revival that I can think of (that doesn't involve a death).

Now "Master of Puppets" has entered the US and UK top 40 for the same reason. Its usage in the show was undeniably awesome.

[Live in Phoenix]

This "Running Up That Hill" charting news is the most extraordinary music revival that I can think of (that doesn't involve a death).

Now "Master of Puppets" has entered the US and UK top 40 for the same reason. Its usage in the show was undeniably awesome.

I thought that perhaps meant their first top 40 song, but they've been there before several times. "Until It Sleeps" is somehow their one top 10 song, in the wake of The Black Album.

[Live in Phoenix]

Joni Mitchell sings, steals show with surprise Newport Folk Festival concert
"her first full-length public concert anywhere since 2000"

https://www.npr.org/2022/07/25/11133517 ... tival-2022

=================================================

Between her retirement and her bad health, it would have been safe enough to assume that another Joni performance would have never happened.

[Bang Jan]

Olivia Newton-John, star of Grease and multi-platinum selling singer, has died aged 73, her family says.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62472100

[Live in Phoenix]

From the end of the '50s through the start of the '90s, I think only two songs hit #1 for 10 weeks, one of them being Newton-John's "Physical." My favorite of hers though is the Grease soundtrack. It has all these little songs that I like almost in spite of myself. In junior high choir, we had fun singing "Summer Nights" and "We Go Together" (including all the nonsense words that I could never keep up with now).

[Live in Phoenix]

This "Running Up That Hill" charting news is the most extraordinary music revival that I can think of (that doesn't involve a death).

Right now it's featured regularly on the local (iHeart-owned) radio station at work, whose format is "the 90s to Now." Really, it doesn't even play '90s songs. It has no place in their format, and they're still playing it. Just an amazing example of chart revenge for Kate Bush.

[Dexter]

https://parade.com/news/dave-matthews-b ... nniversary

Twitter Remembers 18th Anniversary of Dave Matthews Band Dumping 800 Pounds of Poop on Passenger Cruise
Yes, this really did happen.
MARISA LOSCIALEAUG 8, 2022

18 years ago today, a Dave Matthews Band tour bus driver dumped 800 pounds of poop on a passenger cruise ship in Chicago.
And Twitter users won't let the foul incident be forgotten.

As originally reported by CBS, the band's driver, Stefan Wohl, pleaded guilty to dumping 800 pounds of human waste from the vehicle's septic tank–and onto a sightseeing boat with more than 100 people onboard–on the Chicago River back in 2004. The driver was sentenced to 18 months probation, 150 hours of community service and the maximum $10,000 according to the report. At the time of the incident, it was reported that the Dave Matthews Band attempted to rectify the wrongdoing by saying that if the bus was found to be responsible, the band would "work quickly to make amends, with the people on the boat and with Chicago." Those comments were followed by $50,000 donations to the Chicago Park District and the Friends of the Chicago River.

The driver's legal penalties were not the only consequence of the dumping disaster, as the Internet remembered to celebrate the infamous incident on its 18th anniversary and slammed the band once more. A popular Twitter account that sources interesting and bewildering content from the website Wikipedia, @depthsofwiki, rehashed the debacle in a very to-the-point post. Soon after, other Twitter users were quick to mark the anniversary of the event which then began trending on the social media site. "Happy 18th birthday dave matthews band poop incident," one user captioned the photo they shared of a sign seen at the Kinzie Street Bridge–the site of where the heinous happenings occurred. More creative fans of 'Poopgate' hopped on the trend to make jokes and share memes.

Dave Matthews Band did not issue a public statement or response to the online resurrection of the events.

[Live in Phoenix]

I dropped the ball on posting about Naomi Judd's mental illness-related death earlier

======================================

Naomi Judd autopsy confirms singer died by suicide, family asks for 'respectful privacy'

Ashley Judd said mother Naomi "used a firearm," which the autopsy confirmed.

"That’s the piece of information that we are very uncomfortable sharing, but understand that we’re in a position that — if we don’t say it, someone else is going to," she said.

The actress also said she visited with her mother that day and she was the one who "discovered her."

https://www.azcentral.com/story/enterta ... 903081001/

[Live in Phoenix]

R.I.P. Loretta Lynn, country music legend who recorded the Van Lear Rose album with Jack White. Incidentally, the film of her memoir, Coal Miner's Daughter, won an Academy Award for actress Sissy Spacek.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.co ... index.html

Let's give it over to Dan Rather: "News hits hard with the passing of Loretta Lynn. Her evocative music. Her fierce spirit. A storyteller who used song to channel an America that is quickly vanishing. She was a coal miner's daughter who sparkled like a diamond — brilliant, unbreakable, and resplendent."

[Live in Phoenix]

The Washington Post
BUSINESS

Adidas ends massive deal with Kanye West after antisemitism controversy

His Yeezy branded products accounted for an estimated 10 percent of the company’s annual revenue

By Jaclyn Peiser and Jacob Bogage

Updated October 25, 2022 at 10:02 a.m. EDT|Published October 25, 2022 at 6:55 a.m. EDT

[Photo: Kanye West at Milk Studios in Hollywood, California, in 2016. (Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images)]

Adidas has cut ties with Ye, the musician and fashion designer formerly known as Kanye West, marking the end of a partnership that made the company billions but was soured by the artist’s repeated brazen antisemitic and offensive remarks.

After weeks of silence and mounting public pressure, the German sportswear giant announced it would “end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies,” effective immediately.

Adidas “does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” the company said in a statement, adding that “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous.”

[Article: Kim Kardashian condemns hate speech after Kanye West’s antisemitism]

The move comes weeks after Adidas announced it was conducting a review of its collaboration with Ye and his Yeezy brand, shortly after the artist sparked outrage for wearing a “WHITE LIVES MATTER” T-shirt at his Paris Fashion Week show. In the days that followed, he made antisemitic comments on Instagram and Twitter — triggering suspensions — and continued his diatribe on a podcast, where he doubled down on antisemitic tropes. In that same interview, he also falsely claimed that George Floyd, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police, had died from a fentanyl injection.

Leaked video earlier this month also captured him using antisemitic language during an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, released by Motherboard. In it, he suggested his kids should learn about Hanukkah and not Kwanzaa because “at least it would come with some financial engineering.”

Ye’s commentary coincides with a broader rise in antisemitism across the country, experts say. Research from the Anti-Defamation League identified 7,343 antisemitic incidents in 2021, a 5 percent jump from the year prior, and 55 percent increase from 2019.

Adidas’ decision to end its deal with Ye comes two days after hate groups appeared to use his celebrity to advance their agendas. On Saturday, an anti-Jewish group displayed a banner over a Los Angeles highway overpass that read, “Honk if you know Kanye is right about the Jews,” while offering Nazi salutes to oncoming traffic. A picture of the incident went viral.

Elsewhere in California, law enforcement officials scrambled to find individuals who distributed antisemitic leaflets that claimed covid-19 was a Jewish plot.

In the midst of Ye’s scandal, former president Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social microblogging site that American Jews should be more grateful for the state of Israel, “before it is too late,” a comment widely seen as a threat to American Jewry and a repetition of generation-old antisemitic tropes of Jewish dual loyalty.

The backlash against Ye has been growing for weeks. Several companies, including French fashion house Balenciaga, talent agency CAA and Hollywood financier and producer MRC have all ended relationships with the performer.

Numerous celebrities and other public figures have also condemned the performer’s comments and called out Adidas for continuing to do business with him. “@ADIDAS DROP KANYE WEST,” actor and director America Ferrera posted on Instagram, “this is despicable. do not amplify that man’s influence.”

On Monday, Kim Kardashian, Ye’s ex-wife, tweeted: “Hate speech is never OK or excusable. I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.”

Ye has had a significant impact on Adidas, with Yeezy generating an estimated $2 billion a year, close to 10 percent of the company’s annual revenue, Morningstar analyst David Swartz said.

The company said in its statement that terminating the relationship was “expected to have a short-term negative impact of up to €250 million on the company’s net income in 2022 given the high seasonality of the fourth quarter.”

Ye, who has won 24 Grammy Awards and released numerous critically acclaimed platinum records, started working with Adidas in 2013. The partnership eventually made Ye a billionaire and provided Adidas with a new customer base.

But Ye began airing his grievances with Adidas this summer, when he falsely accused the company of stealing his designs, calling out chief executive Kasper Rorsted by name in a tweet. He went after the company again in early October, releasing a 30-minute online video of a meeting with Adidas executives, whom he accused of doing “wrong by the company, by the business and by the partnership.” Ye also showed the executives a pornographic film.

In an appearance on the podcast Drink Champs, Ye launched into a 10-minute rant about Jewish people and called out Adidas’s delay in ending the partnership.

“The thing about it being Adidas — I can say antisemitic things and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what? Now what?”

Ye’s comments presented a particularly sensitive challenge for Adidas, given the company’s history. Its founder, Adolf Dassler, was a member of the Nazi Party and outfitted the Hitler Youth.

Jewish groups pressed Adidas to end its partnership with Yeezy.

“At a time of rising antisemitism, when incidents in the U.S. reached an all-time high in 2021, such statements are more than damning — they are dangerous,” wrote Jonathan A. Greenblatt, the CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League.

[StevieFan13]

I’m Jewish and the stuff Kanye has said is deeply hurtful to me. Glad to see people aren’t putting up with his shit. It’s beyond the pale.

[FrankLotion]

Can’t believe I’m just now hearing about this, he can’t seem to go a month these days without saying something repulsive but this is especially awful.

I’m also Jewish, I have to say it’s already been increasingly scary to be in the U.S. with the rising antisemitism here and seeing this coming from someone who’s music I’ve deeply connected with is so disheartening.

I’m pretty surprised that Adidas took this long after his initial comments to make any official statement of this kind, but I was also surprised when they stuck with Kanye following his “slavery is a choice” bullshit a few years back, so I’m glad they’re losing some money from all this.

Fucking unbelievable.

[Listyguy]

https://www.tmz.com/2022/11/01/migos-ta ... avo-migos/

Takeoff, a member of the rap group Migos, has died after being shot.

[prosecutorgodot]

https://www.tmz.com/2022/11/01/migos-ta ... avo-migos/

Takeoff, a member of the rap group Migos, has died after being shot.

Holy ---, this still happens. And he just released an album with Quavo, too.

[Bang Jan]

Gal Costa, uma das maiores cantoras do Brasil, morre aos 77 anos

Informação foi confirmada pela assessoria da cantora. Foram 57 anos de carreira e clássicos da MPB como 'Baby', 'Meu nome é Gal', 'Chuva de Prata', 'Meu bem, meu mal' e 'Barato total'.

https://g1.globo.com/pop-arte/musica/no ... anos.ghtml

[luvulongTIM]

I feel guilty for being the one who brings him up cause I didn’t know much about him at all, whether it be his acting contributions to Game of Thrones or his influential guitar mastery in Dr. Feelgood but the passing of Wilko Johnson recently. He deserves some acknowledgment however so thoughts and good vibes to his loved ones and biggest fans out there

[Live in Phoenix]

Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter, dies aged 79

BBC News

Christine McVie, who played with Fleetwood Mac and wrote some of their most famous songs, has died aged 79, her family has said.

The British singer-songwriter was behind hits including Little Lies, Everywhere, Don't Stop, Say You Love Me, and Songbird.

She died peacefully at a hospital in the company of her family, a statement said.

McVie left Fleetwood Mac after 28 years in 1998 but returned in 2014.

The family's statement said "we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally".

Born Christine Perfect, McVie married Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie and joined the group in 1971.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co ... 812952.amp

[Live in Phoenix]

Kanye is currently trending #1 on Twitter, which is never good. The guys with white suits and butterfly nets need to come pick him up.

KANYE WEST
MENTAL BREAKDOWN ON AIR
Praises Hitler & Nazis
"During another moment just before a commercial break, Kanye squarely says, 'I like Hitler.'"
https://www.tmz.com/2022/12/01/kanye-we ... social-twa

This is like the real-life version of Dave Chappelle's black KKK skit.

[Sweepstakes Ron]

I admit to having been caught completely off guard with all the shit that's gone down with him these past two months, but in hindsight, you probably can actually draw a straight line from "Jesus Walks" to... this. Of course the dude who rapped "but if I talk about God, my record won't get played" ends up being a far right evangelical fanatic who says shit on live TV that manages to make Alex Jones look like the sane one. I guess this is where the benefit of the doubt gets you...

[Sweepstakes Ron]

I'm sorry, but this entire situation has just been eating away at me every waking hour. Was I supposed to have known that "Black Skinhead" was meant literally????

[luvulongTIM]

Terry Hall, lead singer of ska icons the Specials, has passed away at the age of 63.

[VacantJoy]

I'm sorry, but this entire situation has just been eating away at me every waking hour. Was I supposed to have known that "Black Skinhead" was meant literally????

no... when i listened to the record for the first time i thought about that he was talking about black people acting like they were in favor of black supremacy ...

[Live in Phoenix]

Vivienne Westwood, Who Brought Punk Style to High Fashion, Dies at 81

In shaping the look of the era, Ms. Westwood came to be known as the godmother of punk. Her provocative creations later appeared on supermodels.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/29/fash ... -dead.html

==============================

Pierre once nominated her for our Hall of Acclaim backstage wing. I described her as: British fashion designer, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream; made clothes for Malcolm McLaren's "SEX" boutique.

[StevieFan13]

Let me know if this counts toward here or the Spotify thread, but I know I’m excited: De La Soul’s first six albums will finally be arriving on streaming platforms in March!
https://consequence.net/2023/01/de-la-s ... -services/

[Brad]

Let me know if this counts toward here or the Spotify thread, but I know I’m excited: De La Soul’s first six albums will finally be arriving on streaming platforms in March!
https://consequence.net/2023/01/de-la-s ... -services/

[Holden]

Let me know if this counts toward here or the Spotify thread, but I know I’m excited: De La Soul’s first six albums will finally be arriving on streaming platforms in March!
https://consequence.net/2023/01/de-la-s ... -services/

Oh HELL yeah!

[StevieFan13]

I’m so pumped dude. DLS are a big gap in my rap knowledge and a lot of that has to do with how inaccessible their music was until now. I’m gonna do my homework when they’re finally up!

[Live in Phoenix]

Let me know if this counts toward here

I don't know if this is really "news." StevieFan13, I am shocked and dismayed by this shocking dismayance. While I have no plans to ever emotionally recover from this misuse of my thread, I hope my grandchildren can see past it all some day and forgive your grandchildren. Or, perhaps voting in my Hall of Acclaim 2022 thread would fix everything through some miracle.

http://acclaimedmusic.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12666

[Live in Phoenix]

Jeff Beck, virtuoso rock guitarist, dies at 78

Jeff Beck, the virtuoso guitarist who rose to prominence in the 1960s as a member of the Yardbirds before embarking on an acclaimed and prolific solo career, died Jan. 10. He was 78.

A statement on his website said that Mr. Beck died “after suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis.” Additional details were not immediately available.

Mr. Beck was widely considered one of the greatest guitarists in history, and leaped between genres while recording albums that encompassed hard rock, jazz fusion, the blues and electronic music.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituari ... beck-dead/

[Live in Phoenix]

Lisa Marie Presley, Daughter of Elvis and Priscilla, Dead at 54: 'The Most Strong and Loving Woman'
Priscilla Presley confirmed her daughter's death on Thursday evening

"... A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Fire Department confirmed to PEOPLE that the unit was dispatched to the address for a cardiac arrest call."

https://people.com/music/lisa-marie-presley-dead-at-54/

=====================================

Really sad. And just four days after Elvis's birthday. She is survived by three children -- actress Riley Keough, and two fourteen-year-old twins. (A son of hers died at 27, two and a half years ago.)

[Bang Jan]

David Crosby, Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash Co-Founder, Dies at 81

His wife released a statement to Variety, writing, “It is with great sadness after a long illness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has passed away. He was lovingly surrounded by his wife and soulmate Jan and son Django. Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us. His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music. Peace, love, and harmony to all who knew David and those he touched. We will miss him dearly. At this time, we respectfully and kindly ask for privacy as we grieve and try to deal with our profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers.”

https://variety.com/2023/music/news/dav ... 235495467/

[Bang Jan]

Motown's first hitmaker, Barrett Strong, dies at 81

https://www.soultracks.com/story-barrett-strong-dies

[Live in Phoenix]

Burt Bacharach, one of pop's greatest songwriters, dies aged 94

His most popular songs included:
Magic Moments - Perry Como
I Say A Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin
What Do You Get When You Fall In Love - Dionne Warwick
The Look of Love - Dionne Warwick
Close To You - The Carpenters
Alfie - Dionne Warwick
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head - BJ Thomas
24 Hours From Tulsa - Gene Pitney
Make It Easy on Yourself - The Walker Brothers
I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself - Dusty Springfield
Alfie - Cilla Black
What's New, Pussycat? - Tom Jones
Arthur's Theme - Christopher Cross
Anyone Who Had A Heart - Dionne Warwick/Cilla Black

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co ... 587070.amp


Songwriting team Burt Bacharach and Hal David were inducted in our Hall of Acclaim's Class of 1970

[Live in Phoenix]

"R. Kelly has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for child sex crimes, with 19 to be served simultaneously with a previous 30-year term."

New York Times link:
https://t.co/jwgXZn4jUW

[ManPerson]

[Live in Phoenix]

50 years. Among the top 5 best-selling albums ever worldwide.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of ... ing_albums