George Harrison said he didn’t need touring to boost his ego. As a seasoned professional who toured for many years during the height of Beatlemania, George was done with that part of his life. After his 1974 Dark Horse tour, his ego had been satisfied.
George Harrison on tour | Steve Morley/Getty Images George Harrison didn’t have the best luck when it came to touring
In The Beatles’ early days, they did a residency in Hamburg, Germany. George loved it. The group had to perform all night, and it was exhausting, but they honed their performance skills. They learned to improvise and be creative.
Then, The Beatles did touring circuits throughout the U.K. When their popularity skyrocketed in the U.S. and the world, The Beatles began touring throughout Beatlemania.
Suddenly, they couldn’t go anywhere without hoards of girls chasing after them and trying to pull fists...
George Harrison on tour | Steve Morley/Getty Images George Harrison didn’t have the best luck when it came to touring
In The Beatles’ early days, they did a residency in Hamburg, Germany. George loved it. The group had to perform all night, and it was exhausting, but they honed their performance skills. They learned to improvise and be creative.
Then, The Beatles did touring circuits throughout the U.K. When their popularity skyrocketed in the U.S. and the world, The Beatles began touring throughout Beatlemania.
Suddenly, they couldn’t go anywhere without hoards of girls chasing after them and trying to pull fists...
- 3/19/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
George Harrison knew his former bandmate Ringo Starr would want to play on his 1987 album Cloud Nine before he even told the drummer about it. Actually, George didn’t leave room for discussion: Ringo would play on it no matter what.
Ringo Starr and George Harrison | Dave Hogan/Getty Images George Harrison said Ringo Starr needed to play on his 1987 album, ‘Cloud Nine’
After releasing 1982’s Gone Troppo, George stopped releasing music for a few years. The music industry had gotten too serious for him, and he craved to work with someone who understood him. So, George backed off. He recorded demos and worked with his film production company, HandMade Films.
Then, in 1986, George met Elo frontman Jeff Lynne and instantly knew he wanted to work with the producer on a new album. During a 1986 interview on Australian TV, George said that he’d decided to make a new album...
Ringo Starr and George Harrison | Dave Hogan/Getty Images George Harrison said Ringo Starr needed to play on his 1987 album, ‘Cloud Nine’
After releasing 1982’s Gone Troppo, George stopped releasing music for a few years. The music industry had gotten too serious for him, and he craved to work with someone who understood him. So, George backed off. He recorded demos and worked with his film production company, HandMade Films.
Then, in 1986, George met Elo frontman Jeff Lynne and instantly knew he wanted to work with the producer on a new album. During a 1986 interview on Australian TV, George said that he’d decided to make a new album...
- 2/12/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
A track on 1987’s Cloud Nine perfectly describes how George Harrison felt in his career at the time. Even though George spent years claiming he didn’t have a career, “Wreck of the Hesperus” talks about how he felt about working in the music industry.
George Harrison | Dave Hogan/Getty Images George Harrison had a complicated career
It’s complicated to say that George had a career because he didn’t exactly. After The Beatles split, he never pursued a solo career. He only released All Things Must Pass as a reaction to leaving the group.
However, when that triple album did well, George continued to make music and release it. Toward the late 1970s, though, things got complicated. The record companies started demanding certain music. George just wanted to be left alone to make the music he wanted. He didn’t mind if no one liked it.
So, George essentially did what he wanted,...
George Harrison | Dave Hogan/Getty Images George Harrison had a complicated career
It’s complicated to say that George had a career because he didn’t exactly. After The Beatles split, he never pursued a solo career. He only released All Things Must Pass as a reaction to leaving the group.
However, when that triple album did well, George continued to make music and release it. Toward the late 1970s, though, things got complicated. The record companies started demanding certain music. George just wanted to be left alone to make the music he wanted. He didn’t mind if no one liked it.
So, George essentially did what he wanted,...
- 2/5/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
George Harrison said that on his 1987 album, Cloud Nine, he ignored the technological advancements that had become popular since his previous album, 1982’s Gone Troppo. He wanted to make good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll.
George Harrison | Solomon NJie/Getty Images George Harrison and his producer, Jeff Lynne, had the same vision for ‘Cloud Nine’
There were a few reasons why there were five years between Gone Troppo and Cloud Nine. First of all, George had gotten sick of contemporary music. He claimed it all sounded the same, and that’s what the record companies liked. So, George took a break and, in the meantime, recorded demos and founded his film production company, HandMade Films.
Most importantly, George couldn’t find the right person to help him make a new album. He wanted someone who understood him and his music.
“I had to have somebody who I respected and who I...
George Harrison | Solomon NJie/Getty Images George Harrison and his producer, Jeff Lynne, had the same vision for ‘Cloud Nine’
There were a few reasons why there were five years between Gone Troppo and Cloud Nine. First of all, George had gotten sick of contemporary music. He claimed it all sounded the same, and that’s what the record companies liked. So, George took a break and, in the meantime, recorded demos and founded his film production company, HandMade Films.
Most importantly, George couldn’t find the right person to help him make a new album. He wanted someone who understood him and his music.
“I had to have somebody who I respected and who I...
- 1/30/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney says it’s still a mystery to him that The Beatles formed. He doesn’t understand how four singer-songwriters found each other and started one of the most famous rock ‘n’ roll bands in music history. It’s pretty unbelievable.
The Beatles | Bettmann/Getty Images Paul McCartney doesn’t understand how The Beatles formed
Apparently, Paul would consider The Beatles’ formation one of the world’s greatest mysteries. In The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, Paul explained that he still doesn’t understand how it even happened.
When he’s back in Liverpool, he does a tour to see The Beatles’ old stomping grounds. It makes Paul wonder about “the chances of The Beatles getting together.”
He wrote, “We were four guys who lived in this city in the north of England, but we didn’t know each other. Then, by chance, we did get to know each other.
The Beatles | Bettmann/Getty Images Paul McCartney doesn’t understand how The Beatles formed
Apparently, Paul would consider The Beatles’ formation one of the world’s greatest mysteries. In The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, Paul explained that he still doesn’t understand how it even happened.
When he’s back in Liverpool, he does a tour to see The Beatles’ old stomping grounds. It makes Paul wonder about “the chances of The Beatles getting together.”
He wrote, “We were four guys who lived in this city in the north of England, but we didn’t know each other. Then, by chance, we did get to know each other.
- 1/29/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
George Harrison said it didn’t matter if the press and fans constantly changed their opinions of The Beatles. He grew sick of the back and forth. The Beatles made their music completely ignorant of the thoughts of others.
George Harrison and The Beatles | Chris Walter/Getty Images George Harrison said it didn’t matter if fans and the press changed their opinions about The Beatles
In 1987, George told Anthony DeCurtis (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters) that it didn’t matter if fans and the press changed their opinions about The Beatles.
DeCurtis said he thought the press spared The Beatles of harsh ridicule. He asked George if he saw it differently. George said the fans and press ridiculed The Beatles in many ways.
“We were loved for one period at a time, and then they hated us, and then they loved us, and then they hated us,...
George Harrison and The Beatles | Chris Walter/Getty Images George Harrison said it didn’t matter if fans and the press changed their opinions about The Beatles
In 1987, George told Anthony DeCurtis (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters) that it didn’t matter if fans and the press changed their opinions about The Beatles.
DeCurtis said he thought the press spared The Beatles of harsh ridicule. He asked George if he saw it differently. George said the fans and press ridiculed The Beatles in many ways.
“We were loved for one period at a time, and then they hated us, and then they loved us, and then they hated us,...
- 1/29/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
When Ezra Furman first heard Transformer, Lou Reed’s louche, bristling second album, it was as though she’d found her way out of a locked room. “Who I thought Lou Reed was [when I was] in high school became, like, ‘Oh, I’ll follow that. That’s a way to go.’” The seminal 1972 record – which celebrates its 50th anniversary today – was to become a touchstone for Furman’s own subversive work.
You can hear it in her sound. The raw crackle. The often distorted guitars. The slightly haughty vocals. Reed’s fingerprints are all over Furman’s music. And, in her own words, Transformer “had a lot to do with being publicly androgynous and queer”. Furman, who came out as a trans woman last year and is bisexual, has in the past called Reed “an ideal figure to me”. In fact, Reed’s sound and philosophy spoke to Furman so much that,...
You can hear it in her sound. The raw crackle. The often distorted guitars. The slightly haughty vocals. Reed’s fingerprints are all over Furman’s music. And, in her own words, Transformer “had a lot to do with being publicly androgynous and queer”. Furman, who came out as a trans woman last year and is bisexual, has in the past called Reed “an ideal figure to me”. In fact, Reed’s sound and philosophy spoke to Furman so much that,...
- 11/7/2022
- by Roisin O'Connor
- The Independent - Music
This November marks the 50th anniversary of Billy Joel’s debut Cold Spring Harbor. To celebrate, Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings is releasing the new box set The Vinyl Collection, Vol 1.
The collection will highlight Joel’s Seventies albums — the first six of his career — from Cold Spring to 1978’s 52nd Street. In addition to the six LPs, the unreleased Live at the Great American Music Hall – 1975 will be included, recorded in San Francisco in June of that year. The live album is exclusive to the box set and will not be available digitally.
The collection will highlight Joel’s Seventies albums — the first six of his career — from Cold Spring to 1978’s 52nd Street. In addition to the six LPs, the unreleased Live at the Great American Music Hall – 1975 will be included, recorded in San Francisco in June of that year. The live album is exclusive to the box set and will not be available digitally.
- 8/26/2021
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Looking back all these years later, it’s shocking that the Band made their self-titled second LP in a Hollywood hills pool house and not a steamy log cabin in the woods. Four out of five of the Band’s members were Canadian, recording songs about struggle and strife in rural early America while eating food from a kitchen that was previously owned by Sammy Davis Jr.
[Find the Album Here]
Down to its sepia-toned cover emblazoned with lyrics from the 1917 standard “Darktown Strutter’s Ball,” the 50th anniversary reissue of this Americana masterpiece stays true to its roots.
[Find the Album Here]
Down to its sepia-toned cover emblazoned with lyrics from the 1917 standard “Darktown Strutter’s Ball,” the 50th anniversary reissue of this Americana masterpiece stays true to its roots.
- 11/15/2019
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
The Band will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their classic self-titled second album with a reissue boasting several unreleased tracks and the first official release of their performance at Woodstock. The set will arrive November 15th via Capitol/UMe.
To accompany the reissue announcement, the Band shared a previously unreleased alternate version of “Rag Mama Rag” that swings at a slightly slower tempo and, most notably, boasts a rambunctious ragtime piano intro, as opposed to the fiddle on the album version.
The 50th anniversary edition of The Band will feature 13 outtakes,...
To accompany the reissue announcement, the Band shared a previously unreleased alternate version of “Rag Mama Rag” that swings at a slightly slower tempo and, most notably, boasts a rambunctious ragtime piano intro, as opposed to the fiddle on the album version.
The 50th anniversary edition of The Band will feature 13 outtakes,...
- 9/27/2019
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
In 1986, the future of the Rolling Stones was uncertain. Instead of hitting the road for the band’s new album Dirty Work, Mick Jagger went out as a solo act. So Keith Richards did something he’d always resisted: He started a new band. The guitarist gathered a group of friends he called the X-Pensive Winos and holed up in a Quebec studio to cut Talk Is Cheap, which mixed Memphis soul, reggae and early rock.
“I wasn’t under the pressure of the Stones,” he says. “It was a lot looser.
“I wasn’t under the pressure of the Stones,” he says. “It was a lot looser.
- 4/12/2019
- by Patrick Doyle
- Rollingstone.com
The Wu-Tang Clan are taking the streaming wars to Shaolin. Hulu announced on Thursday it’s ordering Wu-Tang: An American Saga straight-to-series. The 10-episode season is set in New York City during the Nineties and follows Bob Digs’ (RZA) formation of the Staten Island group. Written and created by The RZA and Alex Tse (SuperFly, Watchmen), the show is based on the previously released books, “The Wu-Tang Manual” and “Tao of Wu.”
“I’m delighted to be partnering with Hulu and Imagine to explore the vast story of the Wuniverse.
“I’m delighted to be partnering with Hulu and Imagine to explore the vast story of the Wuniverse.
- 10/11/2018
- by Charles Holmes
- Rollingstone.com
It’s been a stellar year of cinema and pop culture-themed books, and the texts (and Blu-rays) in this round-up all make fine gifts. One additional book that should be on your year-end list is Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier. It’s a satisfying companion to season three of Peaks, not to mention Frost’s own Secret History of Twin Peaks. So be sure to check out Nick Newman’s recent interview with the Peaks co-creator.
Live Cinema and Its Techniques by Francis Ford Coppola (Liveright)
The legendary Francis Ford Coppola has spoken of “live cinema” with regularity over the years, specifically with respect to 1981’s One From the Heart. That film, a box office flop now held in some regard, is an essential part of Live Cinema and Its Techniques, a fascinating new book authored by Coppola himself. The lessons from that experience, Coppola says,...
Live Cinema and Its Techniques by Francis Ford Coppola (Liveright)
The legendary Francis Ford Coppola has spoken of “live cinema” with regularity over the years, specifically with respect to 1981’s One From the Heart. That film, a box office flop now held in some regard, is an essential part of Live Cinema and Its Techniques, a fascinating new book authored by Coppola himself. The lessons from that experience, Coppola says,...
- 12/4/2017
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
Lou Reed: A Life Anthony DeCurtis (Little, Brown and Company)
Lou Reed has to be one of the most audacious and iconic rockers to have committed his dark muses to his music and poetry. And writer/professor Anthony DeCurtis's new must-read bio of Mr. Reed perfectly captures the ethos of this misanthropic rocker. Let's be clear, Lou's outrageous life story is truly stranger than fiction. But then again, so are many of our most celebrated artists, especially those who not only create but also live on the edge/fringe of society, pushing their artistic vision on, for the most part, a rather pedestrian audience.
From Lou's humble middle-class upbringing on Long Island that included his life altering electro-shock treatments to his dying breath, his life was filled with passion and for pushing people, fans and critics alike, to explore the darker side of life; to if not to "walk on the wild side,...
Lou Reed has to be one of the most audacious and iconic rockers to have committed his dark muses to his music and poetry. And writer/professor Anthony DeCurtis's new must-read bio of Mr. Reed perfectly captures the ethos of this misanthropic rocker. Let's be clear, Lou's outrageous life story is truly stranger than fiction. But then again, so are many of our most celebrated artists, especially those who not only create but also live on the edge/fringe of society, pushing their artistic vision on, for the most part, a rather pedestrian audience.
From Lou's humble middle-class upbringing on Long Island that included his life altering electro-shock treatments to his dying breath, his life was filled with passion and for pushing people, fans and critics alike, to explore the darker side of life; to if not to "walk on the wild side,...
- 9/13/2017
- by Dusty Wright
- www.culturecatch.com
Longtime music critic Anthony DeCurtis is writing a Lou Reed biography, so it appears this will be the first in what is sure to be a long line of works examining the life and career of the influential singer-songwriter and Velvet Underground frontman. Little, Brown and Co. announced this week that it has acquired the rights to Curtis' book and claims that this bio will be provide “‘the inside story’ of the brilliant and contentious artist,” even though not much additional information seems to be known about the forthcoming book: The announcement doesn't include a title, a projected publication ...
- 11/15/2013
- avclub.com
Not that Lou Reed would have recognized me (though I was introduced to him once, which I'll get to), but he and his body of work intersected my life in more personal ways than that of any other major rock star. So this isn't an obituary so much as a series of memories. For obituaries, check out Gary Graff in Billboard and Jon Dolan in Rolling Stone.
Lou was from Long Island and I was from Long Island. At the most basic level, this meant that, growing up listening to Long Island radio stations, I heard lots of Lou even when he was no longer especially fashionable (between about 1976 and 1981). Thus, while most of the world ignored his 1978 album Street Hassle, I heard much of it on Wlir and Wbab, and bought it – my first Lou album. He had started out underground in the Velvet Underground, had managed to claw...
Lou was from Long Island and I was from Long Island. At the most basic level, this meant that, growing up listening to Long Island radio stations, I heard lots of Lou even when he was no longer especially fashionable (between about 1976 and 1981). Thus, while most of the world ignored his 1978 album Street Hassle, I heard much of it on Wlir and Wbab, and bought it – my first Lou album. He had started out underground in the Velvet Underground, had managed to claw...
- 10/28/2013
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
On this day 25 years ago, the New Wave phenomenon known as the Talking Heads released their last studio album, "Naked." The record came out in 1988, nearly two years before the avant-garde quartet, led by the enigmatic David Byrne, opted to part ways for good and break the hearts of devoted art punks everywhere.
Filled with world beat-inspired tunes like "(Nothing But) Flowers" and "Sax and Violins," the album enjoyed -- like many of T. Heads' past records -- considerably positive reviews, delighting the likes of Rolling Stone writer Anthony Decurtis, who characterized the work as "stylistically bold and intellectually provocative...a dizzying and disturbing piece of work." He added:
"With humor and good-hearted-ness, hope and fear, Talking Heads contemplate a world on the eve of destruction on this important record –- and leave wide open the question of what the dawn will bring."
On the 25th anniversary of "Naked" we've...
Filled with world beat-inspired tunes like "(Nothing But) Flowers" and "Sax and Violins," the album enjoyed -- like many of T. Heads' past records -- considerably positive reviews, delighting the likes of Rolling Stone writer Anthony Decurtis, who characterized the work as "stylistically bold and intellectually provocative...a dizzying and disturbing piece of work." He added:
"With humor and good-hearted-ness, hope and fear, Talking Heads contemplate a world on the eve of destruction on this important record –- and leave wide open the question of what the dawn will bring."
On the 25th anniversary of "Naked" we've...
- 3/15/2013
- by Katherine Brooks
- Huffington Post
New York -- When Clive Davis announced his latest project – a Broadway revival of "My Fair Lady" next year – it seemed to mark a step away from the music mogul's laser-like focus of making hits – and hitmakers.
But Davis still has his eyes on the charts. With "My Fair Lady," his goal is to bring Broadway back to the days when its songs topped the charts, something that hasn't been the case for the Great White Way in some time.
"Even `Book of Mormon' does not have memorable songs, classic songs that the era of the `20s, `30s produced. ... so I looked into the rights of `My Fair Lady,'" Davis said happily in his two-floor penthouse apartment in midtown Manhattan. "I really want to make an event of it."
It's a lofty goal – but it's one that wouldn't surprise many if reached by Davis, whose iconic career has included...
But Davis still has his eyes on the charts. With "My Fair Lady," his goal is to bring Broadway back to the days when its songs topped the charts, something that hasn't been the case for the Great White Way in some time.
"Even `Book of Mormon' does not have memorable songs, classic songs that the era of the `20s, `30s produced. ... so I looked into the rights of `My Fair Lady,'" Davis said happily in his two-floor penthouse apartment in midtown Manhattan. "I really want to make an event of it."
It's a lofty goal – but it's one that wouldn't surprise many if reached by Davis, whose iconic career has included...
- 3/1/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
New York (AP) — Music mogul Clive Davis will release an autobiography in February that will include "the excitements, the disappointments and the triumphs" of his career. The untitled book will be released through Simon & Schuster and will be written with music journalist Anthony DeCurtis. A news release says it will include "never-before-heard tales" about Davis' work with acts like Whitney Houston, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan. Financial terms were not disclosed for Davis' book deal, but an official with knowledge of the negotiations said the deal was worth seven figures. The official was not authorized...
- 9/12/2012
- by Hillel Italie (AP Staff)
- Hitfix
I’ve been asked to do a “best of” sort of post to close things out. My best of is sort of a “behind the scenes” experience that brought me to this site a long while ago.
So, where to begin?
Although I’ve only been a Completist a short while here, I’ve been a lurker and a follower of No Fact Zone for quite a while. I used my LiveJournal account as a means to follow Nfz ever since a memorable event, not only in my experience as a fan, but also as a milestone in the progress of the show itself: Rock and Awe: Countdown to Guitarmageddon! It all began with the first ever green screen challenge, followed by the coattail riding antics of the Decemberists and the subsequent rivalry that ensued. It culminated with the final show on December 20th, 2006 – a show that sealed the The...
So, where to begin?
Although I’ve only been a Completist a short while here, I’ve been a lurker and a follower of No Fact Zone for quite a while. I used my LiveJournal account as a means to follow Nfz ever since a memorable event, not only in my experience as a fan, but also as a milestone in the progress of the show itself: Rock and Awe: Countdown to Guitarmageddon! It all began with the first ever green screen challenge, followed by the coattail riding antics of the Decemberists and the subsequent rivalry that ensued. It culminated with the final show on December 20th, 2006 – a show that sealed the The...
- 5/18/2011
- by Toad
- No Fact Zone
Continuing along with her demanding tour, Whitney Houston was spotted leaving the Hotel de Rome in Berlin, Germany on Thursday (May 13).
Giving a smile and a wave to paparazzi, Miss Houston proceeded to head off to her awaiting transport as she readied to perform at Arena Leipzig.
Doing a bit better onstage since being panned in both Australia and the UK, Rolling Stone editor Anthony DeCurtis tells that he forsees a rebound for Whitney as long as she "agrees to relinquish the queenly status and adjust to less-demanding material."
"I see the problem more as psychological than physical," DeCurtis says. "You can't be working in diva mode if you're not delivering on the diva promise."
"Is it possible to sing a different kind of song when that bravura aspect is so central to who you are? She would have to see herself in a different way. Does she want to?...
Giving a smile and a wave to paparazzi, Miss Houston proceeded to head off to her awaiting transport as she readied to perform at Arena Leipzig.
Doing a bit better onstage since being panned in both Australia and the UK, Rolling Stone editor Anthony DeCurtis tells that he forsees a rebound for Whitney as long as she "agrees to relinquish the queenly status and adjust to less-demanding material."
"I see the problem more as psychological than physical," DeCurtis says. "You can't be working in diva mode if you're not delivering on the diva promise."
"Is it possible to sing a different kind of song when that bravura aspect is so central to who you are? She would have to see herself in a different way. Does she want to?...
- 5/13/2010
- GossipCenter
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