That’s just music

Infamous Christie’s auction house, for recently able to sell John Lennon’s guitar for more than 240 thousand euros, said The Guardian on Thursday, June 2. In the beginning auction’s organizers were showing some interest in selling it for 100–150 euros, but the interest for this lot just grew out of any expected proportions. Practically, it’s not about the price, but it’s about the one who was using it, so all these huge costs seem to be slightly off track. Why just selling it all, selling it all the time while thinking only about prices, lots and other ‘down to earth’ miserable things, when musician’s art matters the most? Neil Roberts, auction’s manager who is specializing on selling of items that deal with pop/rock culture said that on the day when they’ve put on sale Lennon’s guitar, his firm was literally attacked with phone calls, emails and visitors. This guitar turned to be a spectacle among thousands of fans. As historians believe, Lennon had purchased 1958 Hofner Senator in one of the Liverpool’s music stores and used it primarily at home. Auction’s lot also included George Harrison’s letter in which he is saying that Hofner Senator was one of Lennon’s first guitars. Possibly this fact was the major force that drew fans into buying it.

Recently, a rip from Bob Dylan’s radio performance was incorporated into one of the Beastie Boys’ new songs, said New Musical Express. Musicians have chosen some radio broadcast episode where Dylan is hosting the show, but no Bob’s music was included in a song. Beastie Boys and Bob Dylan are very different in what they’ve been doing, their styles and sound cannot be compared to one another, but definitely there is a big deal of respect. As the Beastie Boys have mentioned, they’ve decided to use Dylan’s story about the band. He was very positive towards them on the show, the band’s art and even decided to air some of their stuff. So far there is no definite information on how Dylan himself had reacted on the band’s decision to use his words as the part of a song. Hopefully, Dylan will welcome it. Beastie Boys’ followers may hear this rumoured material not earlier than their album “Hot Sauce Committee Part 2” will come out – a special continuation of the upcoming “Hot Sauce Committee Part 1”. The release date of Part 2 was not announced yet, but it’s already known when Part 1 will hit the stores. It’s going to happen on September 15 this year.

American Federal court has ruled out that the World Wide Video company possesses no rights to John Lennon’s rare footages made in February 1970, and gave these rights to his widow Yoko Ono, said Associated Press. Ten hours video content was filmed by Ono’s first husband Anthony Cox in London at Lennon’s house during three whole days. This material includes terrific moments when Lennon is playing piano, smokes weed, and jokes about giving Richard Nixon a cup of tea with LSD. Seriously, why this stuff should belong to some strange video company, when it morally and even historically must be owned by Yoko. It’s worth of noticing that recently she is winning nearly every case that deals with Lennon’s heritage, sometimes this may look slightly unfair when McCartney or Ringo are losing these cases, but right now it seems to be absolutely fair. World Wide Video representatives have gained the copyright for 125 thousand dollars from Cox himself (originally the price went up to one million, so they’ve planned to use these money to make a documentary called “3 Days in the Life”). However, after a public demonstration of some parts of this unique footage, the WWV company was immediately contacted by Ono’s lawyers. The result was her total victory.

Legendary Bruce Springsteen was recently fined right after his a little bit too long performance at the Glastonbury festival in Britain, said ContactMusic. Of course, abropting someone like Bruce will never work, and writing out ‘tickets’ is absolutely impossible. Usually those are very small amounts of money for people like Springsteen, but the whole idea behind ‘cutting’ of a musician because he is not stopping on time looks slightly odd. On June 27 Springsteen was closing a third day of the festival together with his group E Street Band on the Pyramid Stage. Bruce’s debut performance at the Glastonbury stage was lasting for two and a half hours, including twenty five songs out of his classic arsenal such as “Badlands”, “Born To Run”, and “Thunder Road”. Eventually he was fined due to the fact that his performance lasted on forty minutes longer than originally designed by the organizers and local authorities. After twelve o’clock at night it should be quiet in around the Glastonbury area. Come on, it’s the festival event and Mr. Springsteen is performing, law is law, but certain exceptions are definitely possible in these cases. However, festival’s top manager Michael Eavis said that he is going to pay Bruce’s fine because he believes that his performance was absolutely stunning. In 2004 Paul McCartney was also fined for a long performance.

Michael Jackson’s hit’s album “Number Ones” went number one on the British national music chart. Previously, it was standing as far as the 121 place can be, but after the recent tragic events things have changed unbelievably quickly. Before, the first spot was occupied by Kasabian and it’s album “West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum”, but it just could not resist the wave of sentiments coming from every corner right now. So often death of an icon, which was not so popular anymore or was shadowed by so many unpleasant scandals, suddenly makes that icon universally big again. Also, the first ten includes “Thriller”, “King of Pop”, “Off the Wall” and “The Essential”. Besides that, British people began to show an intereset towards Jackson’s singles among which are “Man in the Mirror”, “Thriller”, “Billie Jean”, “Smooth Criminal”, “Beat It” and “Earth Song”. All of these infamous singles are within the first forty hits. Currently, a lot of people identify Jackson with an era, which was long gone (even though it was just in the 80’s and early 90’s), but now everything what may be dealing with this figure sort of comes back. The king of pop had returned for a certain period of time in order to remind of himself, probably for the last time.

Vocalist from the legendary British band Oasis Liam Gallagher is about to participate in the movie called “Powder”, which is based on Kevin Sampson’s book of the same title. This news came out on Wednesday this week with the help of New Musical Express, as always. Particualarly, the one who told this info is the infamous Guru Josh, very cool British post acid house musician. Following some other facts givem by ContactMusic, Gallagher will start acting in September 2009, right after the current Oasis tour. Another example of a multi oriented talent. It’s well known that Guru Josh (the real name Paul Walden) will act himself in the movie, but what role shall be granted to Gallagher will become known a little bit later. “Powder” is produced by Sampson himself, so it should turn out pretty close to the original idea. Since the issue of his book the guy always wanted to project it onto screen and finally it should come in to existance. In the past Sampson used to manage The Farm, a group from Liverpool, thence his connection with the music world is quite strong. “Powder” itself will tell about the history of the music industry and particularly about Brit pop, which obviously includes Oasis as one of the beginners of this genre.

According to Forbes, Madonna had taken the first place among the richest musicians in the world. During the last twelve months, from June 2008 until the same month this year she was able to gain 110 million dollars. Such a thing could become possible with the help of Sticky & Sweet Tour, which took place in support of her eleventh studio album - “Hard Candy”. However, these statistics did not include Madonna’s spendings on a divorce with Guy Ritchie, which presumably stole seventy five (!) million dollars from her pockets. Interesting, did she spend all these money on lawyers or gave it to Ritchie? Why did the ‘guy’ agree take it from her, and anyway, why it should be so expensive after all? The second place was conquered by Celine Dion – one hundred million dollars. Third spot went to Beyonce – eighty seven million. All three are obviously don’t look very poor, especially after spending millions on divorces. Among men the richest musician is Bruce Springsteen, his “Working on a Dream” tour brought him seventy million dollars providing this musician with the fourth place. Fifth position went to an American country singer Kenny Chesney. Lots of money and lots of fame, power and respect that keeps on being recorded by Forbes.

Founder of the British Glastonbury festival Michael Eavis is now thinking about taking some rest from his work. As the guy says he is planning to leave director’s position of one of the biggest music events in the world. This should happen in 2011, notes New Musical Express. Eavis also wants to give all his responsibilities to his daughter Emily and her future husband Nick. Their involvement in Glastonbury affairs is going to grow and by the time when Eavis shall leave the business a couple will start taking care over everything. However, the founder of Glastonbury had noted that even after his leave he wants to participate in the events anyway. “I still feel I have an important role to play. Even if I go I’ll worry about the drains, the rubbish, the recycling. There will be a gradual process of her and Nick taking it over,” said Eavis. The old king still wants to know what happens and no matter what stick his nose in the affairs of the future generation. Glastonbury-2009 will take place on June 26–29 and will include a lot of prominet musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, reunited Blur, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Status Quo, Madness, The Prodigy, Franz Ferdinand and many more.

Infamous American musician Beck Hansen is now the founder of the “Record Club” project, which is planning to organize and record the album per day. This curious information was taken from Beck’s official website. It’s either very strange or very talented because how can one write so much stuff without having some special qualities to do so? The answer is dwelling in covers, not the original material.  Maybe it’s just part of the music PR and advertisiment process in order to make Beck look quite different from the rest of the music business crowd. Even by writing this article about the news means that if it belongs to PR then they’ve achieved their goal. Seriously, one album each day, very interesting thing after all. As the New Musical Express said, Beck’s “Record Club” was already joined by a singer Devendra Banhart, the band called MGMT and the famous British producer Nigel Godrich. The project will start with covering The Velvet Underground’s debut album – “The Velvet Underground & Nico”. When exactly this unique “club” shall start it’s actual recordings is not know yet. Beck believes that before going to the studio, musicians have to rehearse and try to excercise in order to make some cool covers. He did not mention what other albums these brave guys are going to cover, but had promised that it will be announced right after the club begins it’s activities.

Sir Paul McCartney is going to become the author of a soundtrack for his own “High in the Clouds” tale, which came out in 2005, said BBC News. McCartney is one of those creators who can perform constantly without swithing their life towards some kind of an artistic time out. Music goes into acting (not in his case though), acting may go into writing or drawing and other things of this nature. Rob Minkoff who had produced “Lion King” and Michael Lynne famous for his co-working the the creators of “The Lord Of The Rings” are currently making “High in the Clouds” cartoon film. It’s not known so far when exactly this artistic piece will come out, but again, everything from rock music to little squirrels…  “High in the Clouds” was written by McCartney together with Philip Ardagh and became very well known all around the world among many children since 2006. McCartney’s romance with cartoons is not suppose to be something extra ordinary because such thing had already happened before. In 1984 Sir Paul wrote a song “We All Stand Together” for another anime called “Rupert and the Frog Song”. Back then in turned to be the hit. In other words if a person is talented in one thing, he is going to be talented in everything else too.