DATE=5/31/2002
TYPE=Music Programs Feature
NUMBER=7-400760
TITLE=Music Notes For The Week Of June 2-8, 2002
BYLINE=Mary Morningstar
TELEPHONE=619-1692
DATELINE=Washington
EDITOR=ML
CONTENT=
POP NUMBER ONE HITS:
1962 Ray Charles "I Can't Stop Loving You" (CDP-432)
1972 Sammy Davis, Jr. "The Candy Man" (CDP-2299)
1982 Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder "Ebony And Ivory" (CDP-667)
1992 Kris Kross "Jump" (CDP-5528)
2002 Ashanti "Foolish" (CDP-25004)
MUSIC NEWS:
Annie Lennox has been named the 2002 recipient of Billboard magazine's Century Award. Billboard's highest honor for creative achievement will be presented to Lennox at the Billboard Music Awards on December 9th. She's currently in London recording a new album.
Bruce Springsteen is currently working on his first album of all new material in seven years. His manager, Jon Landau, recently previewed some tracks for Sony Music Group executives. The album's tentative release date is July 30th.
Tony Bennett and k.d. lang have recorded a duets album of thirteen Louis Armstrong songs. "Together" will be released later this year on Tony's label, Columbia Records. Bennett came up with the idea last year when he performed a concert tour with lang.
On May 22nd, California-based rock band Alien Ant Farm was in a serious bus accident in Spain. The hired bus driver was killed in the crash and Alien Ant Farm's singer Dryden Mitchell fractured a vertebra. He was flown to a London hospital for treatment. Three other band members received treatment for minor injuries. The group's head of security, David Zajic, suffered multiple skull and facial fractures. He's in critical condition in a Prague hospital. Alien Ant Farm was performing a European tour in support of its album "ANThology." The collection includes the group's breakthrough hit, "Smooth Criminal."
Rapper Eminem debuts on Billboard's Top 200 chart at Number One this week (week ending June 8th) with his third album, "The Eminem Show." The set sold 285,000 copies its first two days in record stores. Its first week sales total is expected to reach one million. Eminem's previous album, "The Marshall Mathers LP," also debuted at Number One by selling 1.76 million its first week of release.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES:
New albums scheduled for release on June 4th include: "Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape" by Meshell Ndegeocello on Maverick Records; "Good Morning Aztlan" by Los Lobos on Mammoth Records; "Wheels" by Hometown News on VFR Records; "Electric" by Jack Ingram on Sony/Lucky Dog Records; "Mellow My Baby: Soothing Songs" by Sherry Goffin Kondor (Carole King's daughter) on Rounder Records; "Chase The Sun" by Shannon Lawson on MCA Nashville Records; "Life Goes On" by Donell Jones on Arista Records; "Way Out West" by Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen on Back Porch Records; the original motion picture soundtrack to "Scooby-Doo" (tracks by Outkast, Shaggy, and others) on Lava/Atlantic Records; and "Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams" on Sony Classical Records.
MUSICAL EVENTS/FESTIVALS/BENEFITS:
New York radio station WHTZ will host its annual "Zootopia" summer concert on June 2nd at Giant Stadium. This year's lineup includes Celine Dion, Bon Jovi, Alanis Morissette, P. Diddy, Marc Anthony, Shakira, Pink, the Goo Goo Dolls, Aaron and Nick Carter, Mary J. Blige, Craig David and Michelle Branch.
Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee "Party At The Palace concert will take place at Buckingham Palace on June 3rd. The free concert will feature performances by Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Aretha Franklin, Tom Jones, Annie Lennox, the Corrs, Ricky Martin, Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, and many others. A home video of the event will be released in the U.S. on July 2nd.
BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK AND SUGGESTED MUSIC:
On June 2nd, Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts will celebrate his 61st birthday. Also a big band enthusiast, he teamed with some of England's top jazz musicians on the 1986 album "Live At Fulham Town Hall." In 1992, his Charlie Watts Quintet recorded "A Tribute To Charlie Parker With Strings." Since then, the quintet has recorded two more albums, 1993's "Warm & Tender" and "Long Ago & Far Away" in 1996. His latest CD, "Charlie Watts/Jim Keltner Project," teamed him with legendary drummer, Jim Keltner. ("In A Sentimental Mood" CDJ-4126)
Singer Deniece Williams will turn 51 on June 3rd. She began her singing career as a backup vocalist for Stevie Wonder. Williams is best known for her duet with Johnny Mathis, "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," which held the Number One spot on the pop charts 20 years ago this week. In 1984, she topped the chart with "Let's Hear It For The Boy," a song included on the motion picture soundtrack to "Footloose." Since 1991, Williams has recorded two gospel albums. ("Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" CDP-13768)
On June 5th, gospel singer Michael Winans will celebrate his 43rd birthday. In the early 1970's, Michael and his three brothers, Marvin, Carvin and Ronald, began performing together as The Testimonial Singers. In 1979, gospel star Andrae Crouch discovered the quartet, which led to a recording contract with Light Records. They changed their group name to The Winans, and in 1981, recorded the Grammy-nominated album, "Introducing The Winans." The quartet's latest releases include the 1993 collection "All Out" and "Heart & Soul" from 1996. Michael is currently performing throughout the United States with his mother, father and nine siblings on the family's "Together We Stand" tour. ("Heart & Soul" CDP-12870)
Saxophonist Kenny G (last name Gorelick) will turn 46 on June 6th. In 1989, he recorded his self-titled debut album, which was followed by "Live" and "Duotones." Kenny's 1992 collection, "Breathless," sold more than 12 million copies and appeared on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart for more than 200 weeks. The collection held the Number One position on that chart for 100 weeks. Kenny's next album, "The Moment," was released in 1996 and was followed by his "Greatest Hits" CD in 1997. Two years later, he recorded his latest albums, "Classics In The Key Of G" and the multi-million selling Christmas collection, "Faith A Holiday Album." ("Songbird" CDJ-5116)
British singer Tom Jones celebrates his 62nd birthday on June 7th. Born in South Wales, he won the Best New Artist Grammy award in 1965. Between 1969 and 1971, Jones recorded three million-selling singles. His biggest hit was "She's A Lady," which reached Number 2 on the pop chart. In the late 1980s, Jones made a comeback with his version of Prince's "Kiss." He recorded it with the British techno-pop group Art of Noise. ("She's A Lady" CDP-20139)
On June 7th, Prince will celebrate his 44th birthday. One of his most successful albums was the 1984 soundtrack to "Purple Rain." The collection produced four Top 10 singles, including the Number One hits "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy." In 1993, Prince changed his name to a symbol and announced his retirement from recording to pursue other entertainment projects. He returned the following year with two albums, "Come" and "The Black Album." In 1995, he recorded "The Gold Experience," then completed his obligations to Warner Brothers Records with the 1996 album, "Chaos And Disorder." In November 1996, he released the collection "Emancipation" on his own NPG label. In 1998, he compiled the 4-CD box set "Crystal Ball" and also recorded the new studio album, "New Power Soul." The following year, Arista Records issued Prince's album "Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic." Last year, he changed his named back to Prince and announced that he became a Jehovah's Witness. He also released his long-awaited jazz-flavored album "The Rainbow Children." Prince's latest acoustic CD, "One Night Alone," will not be sold in stores or online. It was made exclusively for members of his New Power Generation Music Club. He says he'll mail three more new albums directly to them before the end of the year. The $100 membership fee also offers them presale concert tickets, and passes to his soundchecks and after-parties for any presale ticket holder. From June 21st-27th, Prince will host an open house at his Paisley Park studios. The celebration, which he calls Xenophobia, will feature performances by Prince & the New Power Generation, Maceo Parker, Victor Wooten, Norah Jones, Musiq, and others. There will also be moderated discussions, musical workshops and exclusive listening sessions to new music. A limited number of day passes will be sold to the general public. Members of his music club can buy a weekly pass for $250. ("When Doves Cry" CDP-21)
Singer Bonnie Tyler will turn 49 on June 8th. She is best known for the 1978 Top 5 single "It's A Heartache" and her 1983 Number One song, "Total Eclipse Of The Heart." Her distinctive raspy vocals were caused by an operation she underwent in 1976 to remove nodules from her throat. Atlantic Records released Tyler's latest studio album, "Free Spirit," in 1996. In 1998, Columbia Records issued the CD "Super Hits," which includes ten of her best known recordings. Bonnie is currently working in a Paris studio with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. She's recording her versions of songs by the Beatles, Phil Collins, U2, Roy Orbison and others. ("Total Eclipse Of The Heart" CDP-19336)
TOUR DATES/INFORMATION:
On June 2nd, Rod Stewart will kick off a European summer tour in Biberstein, Switzerland. He's also scheduled to perform in Denmark, Germany and England through July 13th. Stewart recently signed a multi-album deal with Clive Davis' new label J Records. His first album for J Records is due out in October. Stewart's manager says it will be a concept album, but details are "top-secret."
FACTS FROM THE PAST AND SUGGESTED MUSIC:
6/3/64 - Following the release of their self-titled debut album, the Rolling Stones launched their first U.S. concert tour. Two songs from the group's first album, "Not Fade Away" and "Tell Me," became major hits on the American pop charts. ("Tell Me" CDP-513)
6/3/87 - The BBC banned British singer George Michael's single "I Want Your Sex." He later recorded another version of the song, replacing the word "sex" with "love." ("I Want Your Sex" CDP-575)
6/4/84 - Columbia Records released Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The U.S.A." album. The collection sold more than 15 million copies and spawned seven Top 10 singles, including "Dancing In The Dark," "I'm On Fire" and "Glory Days." ("Born In The U.S.A." CDP-16)
6/4/86 - The first Amnesty International concert was held in San Francisco and featured performances by Peter Gabriel, U2, Sting and Bryan Adams.
6/5/56 - Elvis Presley made a television appearance on "The Milton Berle Show." His gyrating hip motions caused so much controversy that he was required to either stand still or be filmed from the waist up on future television appearances. ("All Shook Up" CDP-26)
6/6/60 - The Platters' lead vocalist Tony Williams left the group to pursue a solo career. During the 1950's, the Platters recorded numerous chart singles, including the Number One hits "Only You (And You Alone)," "The Great Pretender" and "Twilight Time." ("The Great Pretender" CDP-334)
6/6/71 - Television's longest-running variety program, "The Ed Sullivan Show," was cancelled after 23 years. Gladys Knight & The Pips were the show's final guests. ("Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)" CDP-15)