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Bobby Whitlock – The Bobby Whitlock Story: Where There’s A Will, There’s A Way

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Bobby Whitlock – The Bobby Whitlock Story: Where There’s A Will, There’s A Way

It’s not only who you know, it’s what you know, too... Bobby Whitlock’s story is a classic rock’n’roll saga about a guy who was in the right place at the right time and made the most of it. The son of a preacher man, the Memphis native would sneak out of his father’s services to revel in the ecstatic sounds of the choir at a nearby black church. Already an accomplished pianist by this teens, Whitlock became a fixture at Stax studios, where he learned the nuances of R&B from the masters, released a couple of singles and hung with Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn. When the latter brought Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett to Stax to record what would be their first album, Home, for the label, early in 1969, Whitlock was enlisted as the first of Delaney & Bonnie’s Friends. Later that year, Eric Clapton became so taken with the band that he brought them to the UK for a tour, becoming an unofficial band member and persuading George Harrison to jump on board as well. Following the run of dates (documented on 1970’s On Tour With Eric Clapton), the whole crew contributed to Clapton’s self-titled first solo album, after which D&B&F splintered, several of them joining Mad Dogs and Englishmen while Clapton grabbed Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon and formed Derek And The Dominos. After playing on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, they headed to Miami and recorded the one-off masterpiece Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, Whitlock co-writing and harmonizing with Clapton as well as playing keys. Booking studio time at London’s Olympic Studios in April 1972, the month before Derek And The Dominos were scheduled to record their second album at the facility, Whitlock cut his self-titled solo debut (which shares a single disc with follow-up Raw Velvet on this reissue) in front of a mind-blowing studio band: Clapton and Harrison on guitars, Gordon on drums and Beatles buddy Klaus Voormann on bass, with Andy Johns co-producing. Fronting a band for the first time, the expat Southerner unleashes his rich, fervent, gospel-rooted baritone on the soulful rockers “Where There’s A Will” (written with Bonnie Bramlett) and the made-up-on-the-spot “Back In My Life Again”. He’s even more striking as an R&B balladeer on tracks like “A Game Called Life” (featuring a flute solo by Traffic’s Chris Wood) and “The Scenery Has Slowly Changed”, which recaptures the dusky melancholy of his Layla closer “Thorn Tree In The Garden”. After finishing the album in LA, Whitlock turned it in to his label, Atlantic, which rejected it despite the record’s all-star cast. It was picked up and released in the US by ABC Dunhill but sank without a trace. That wasn’t the only disappointment for Whitlock, as Clapton pulled the plug on the sessions for the second Dominos LP. Determined to turn around his recent run of bad luck, Whitlock formed a new band in LA with lead guitarist Rick Vito (who’d be on the Stones’ shortlist following the departure of Mick Taylor and would later briefly replace Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac), bassist Keith Ellis and drummer David Poncher, and went right back into the studio with Stones producer Jimmy Miller. They emerged with Raw Velvet, a far more uptempo record overall than its predecessor, featuring the guitar interaction of Vito on lead and Whitlock on rhythm. They revisit Layla with a blistering “Tell The Truth” and summon up the intensity of the Dominos on “Write You A Letter” and “If You Ever”, all featuring jaw-dropping solos from Vito, who also plays a rhapsodic, Clapton-esque slide on the yearning “Dearest I Wonder”. Slowhand himself, Gordon and the Bramletts appear on Delaney and Mac Davis’ rousing “Hello LA, Bye Bye Birmingham”, which sounds like an outtake from On Tour. The album closes with “Start All Over”, Whitlock wailing on Leslie guitar and singing his heart out, though hardly anyone would hear him do so. He had no choice but to start all over following his brush with fame – playing music was the only thing he knew how to do, and he’s continued making records in semi-obscurity over the decades. But for those three remarkable years, Bobby Whitlock was swept up in history, serving as an essential, if unsung, participant in its making. Bud Scoppa

It’s not only who you know, it’s what you know, too…

Bobby Whitlock’s story is a classic rock’n’roll saga about a guy who was in the right place at the right time and made the most of it. The son of a preacher man, the Memphis native would sneak out of his father’s services to revel in the ecstatic sounds of the choir at a nearby black church. Already an accomplished pianist by this teens, Whitlock became a fixture at Stax studios, where he learned the nuances of R&B from the masters, released a couple of singles and hung with Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn. When the latter brought Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett to Stax to record what would be their first album, Home, for the label, early in 1969, Whitlock was enlisted as the first of Delaney & Bonnie’s Friends.

Later that year, Eric Clapton became so taken with the band that he brought them to the UK for a tour, becoming an unofficial band member and persuading George Harrison to jump on board as well. Following the run of dates (documented on 1970’s On Tour With Eric Clapton), the whole crew contributed to Clapton’s self-titled first solo album, after which D&B&F splintered, several of them joining Mad Dogs and Englishmen while Clapton grabbed Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon and formed Derek And The Dominos. After playing on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, they headed to Miami and recorded the one-off masterpiece Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, Whitlock co-writing and harmonizing with Clapton as well as playing keys.

Booking studio time at London’s Olympic Studios in April 1972, the month before Derek And The Dominos were scheduled to record their second album at the facility, Whitlock cut his self-titled solo debut (which shares a single disc with follow-up Raw Velvet on this reissue) in front of a mind-blowing studio band: Clapton and Harrison on guitars, Gordon on drums and Beatles buddy Klaus Voormann on bass, with Andy Johns co-producing. Fronting a band for the first time, the expat Southerner unleashes his rich, fervent, gospel-rooted baritone on the soulful rockers “Where There’s A Will” (written with Bonnie Bramlett) and the made-up-on-the-spot “Back In My Life Again”. He’s even more striking as an R&B balladeer on tracks like “A Game Called Life” (featuring a flute solo by Traffic’s Chris Wood) and “The Scenery Has Slowly Changed”, which recaptures the dusky melancholy of his Layla closer “Thorn Tree In The Garden”. After finishing the album in LA, Whitlock turned it in to his label, Atlantic, which rejected it despite the record’s all-star cast. It was picked up and released in the US by ABC Dunhill but sank without a trace.

That wasn’t the only disappointment for Whitlock, as Clapton pulled the plug on the sessions for the second Dominos LP. Determined to turn around his recent run of bad luck, Whitlock formed a new band in LA with lead guitarist Rick Vito (who’d be on the Stones’ shortlist following the departure of Mick Taylor and would later briefly replace Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac), bassist Keith Ellis and drummer David Poncher, and went right back into the studio with Stones producer Jimmy Miller. They emerged with Raw Velvet, a far more uptempo record overall than its predecessor, featuring the guitar interaction of Vito on lead and Whitlock on rhythm. They revisit Layla with a blistering “Tell The Truth” and summon up the intensity of the Dominos on “Write You A Letter” and “If You Ever”, all featuring jaw-dropping solos from Vito, who also plays a rhapsodic, Clapton-esque slide on the yearning “Dearest I Wonder”. Slowhand himself, Gordon and the Bramletts appear on Delaney and Mac Davis’ rousing “Hello LA, Bye Bye Birmingham”, which sounds like an outtake from On Tour. The album closes with “Start All Over”, Whitlock wailing on Leslie guitar and singing his heart out, though hardly anyone would hear him do so.

He had no choice but to start all over following his brush with fame – playing music was the only thing he knew how to do, and he’s continued making records in semi-obscurity over the decades. But for those three remarkable years, Bobby Whitlock was swept up in history, serving as an essential, if unsung, participant in its making.

Bud Scoppa

First picture released of Andre 3000 as Jimi Hendrix in All Is By My Side biopic

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First picture released of Andre 3000 as Jimi Hendrix in All Is By My Side biopic

The first picture of Andre 3000 as Jimi Hendrix in the forthcoming biopic has been released. The picture is taken from the website for the Toronto International Film Festival, where the biopic - titled All Is By My Side - will receive its world premiere in September. The festival has also released a new synopsis for the biopic. It reads: "Jimmy James, an unknown backup guitarist, left New York City for London, England in 1966. A year later he returned — as Jimi Hendrix. All Is By My Side brings authenticity and poignancy to the story of the man behind the legend, and of the people who loved and inspired him." All Is By My Side will not feature any songs recorded or composed by Hendrix himself, as the late guitarist's estate declined permission. Instead, the film will see Andre 3000 perform songs by The Beatles and Muddy Waters that Hendrix himself covered in the '60s. The supporting cast includes Hayley Atwell, Imogen Poots, Burn Gorman and Ashley Charles, who plays a young Keith Richards. Although All Is By My Side focuses on Hendrix's period in England over 1966-7, director John Ridley shot the film in Wicklow, Ireland last summer. A UK release date has yet to be announced.

The first picture of Andre 3000 as Jimi Hendrix in the forthcoming biopic has been released.

The picture is taken from the website for the Toronto International Film Festival, where the biopic – titled All Is By My Side – will receive its world premiere in September. The festival has also released a new synopsis for the biopic.

It reads: “Jimmy James, an unknown backup guitarist, left New York City for London, England in 1966. A year later he returned — as Jimi Hendrix. All Is By My Side brings authenticity and poignancy to the story of the man behind the legend, and of the people who loved and inspired him.”

All Is By My Side will not feature any songs recorded or composed by Hendrix himself, as the late guitarist’s estate declined permission. Instead, the film will see Andre 3000 perform songs by The Beatles and Muddy Waters that Hendrix himself covered in the ’60s.

The supporting cast includes Hayley Atwell, Imogen Poots, Burn Gorman and Ashley Charles, who plays a young Keith Richards. Although All Is By My Side focuses on Hendrix’s period in England over 1966-7, director John Ridley shot the film in Wicklow, Ireland last summer. A UK release date has yet to be announced.

Prefab Sprout announce long-awaited new album

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Prefab Sprout announce long-awaited new album
Prefab Sprout release a new album, Crimson/Red, on October 7. The band's first record of new material for over a decade, the album was conceived, written and recorded by Paddy McAloon over the last 18 months – McAloon plays all the instruments on the recording. Subjects tackled on the album in...

Prefab Sprout release a new album, Crimson/Red, on October 7.

The band’s first record of new material for over a decade, the album was conceived, written and recorded by Paddy McAloon over the last 18 months – McAloon plays all the instruments on the recording.

Subjects tackled on the album include Bob Dylan on “Mysterious”, songwriting on “The Best Jewel Thief In The World” and, on “The Songs Of Danny Galway”, a 1991 meeting between McAloon and Jimmy Webb.

The group rose to prominence with their mid-’80s albums Swoon, Steve McQueen and From Langley Park To Memphis, but have released no genuinely new material since 2001’s The Gunman And Other Stories.

The tracklisting for Crimson/Red is:

The Best Jewel Thief In The World

The List Of Impossible Things

Adolescence

Grief Built The Taj Mahal

Devil Came A Calling

Billy

The Dreamer

The Songs Of Danny Galway

The Old Magician

Mysterious

Michael Eavis on David Bowie playing Glastonbury: “I’m sure he could come back again”

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Michael Eavis on David Bowie playing Glastonbury: “I’m sure he could come back again”

Michael Eavis has said that he is sure David Bowie could headline Glastonbury again. The singer is being strongly tipped to play the 2014 event, having previously headlined the festival in 1971 and 2000. Speaking to the Central Somerset Gazette, Eavis said: "The younger ones sort out most of the music, but I like to book the headline names...I can't tell you at the moment who that will be as we're still talking to people. David's done it a couple of times before but I'm sure he could come back again." Last month, Eavis confirmed that he has already booked three headliners for next year's festival, but refused to name any, saying that the bands would only be announced once tickets were on sale. Eavis said that picking headliners is difficult because "there aren't many left...There were maybe a dozen headliner potentials so we’re running out of headliners but we've got the last three for next year". This year's event was headlined by Arctic Monkeys, The Rolling Stones and Mumford & Sons. Last week (July 16), David Bowie unveiled the new video for his track 'Valentine's Day'. The song is the fourth single from his album 'The Next Day', which was released on March 8. It was his first album of new material since 2003's 'Reality'.

Michael Eavis has said that he is sure David Bowie could headline Glastonbury again.

The singer is being strongly tipped to play the 2014 event, having previously headlined the festival in 1971 and 2000.

Speaking to the Central Somerset Gazette, Eavis said: “The younger ones sort out most of the music, but I like to book the headline names…I can’t tell you at the moment who that will be as we’re still talking to people. David’s done it a couple of times before but I’m sure he could come back again.”

Last month, Eavis confirmed that he has already booked three headliners for next year’s festival, but refused to name any, saying that the bands would only be announced once tickets were on sale. Eavis said that picking headliners is difficult because “there aren’t many left…There were maybe a dozen headliner potentials so we’re running out of headliners but we’ve got the last three for next year”. This year’s event was headlined by Arctic Monkeys, The Rolling Stones and Mumford & Sons.

Last week (July 16), David Bowie unveiled the new video for his track ‘Valentine’s Day’. The song is the fourth single from his album ‘The Next Day’, which was released on March 8. It was his first album of new material since 2003’s ‘Reality’.

Channel 4 to air Björk and David Attenborough documentary this Saturday (July 27)

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Channel 4 to air Björk and David Attenborough documentary this Saturday (July 27)

The nature documentary uniting Bjork and legendary broadcaster David Attenborough will be aired on Channel 4 this Saturday (July 27). 'Attenborough And Bjork: The Nature Of Music' looks at the evolution of music, our relationship with music and how technology could impact this relationship in the future, and will be shown on Channel 4 at 7pm. It airs as part of Channel 4's Mad4Music season. Scroll down for a short clip of the film. Bjork's multimedia 'Biophilia' project will feature strongly in the film, and Attenborough will show how music exists in the natural world, using footage of the lyre bird, reed warbler and blue whales. The film's executive producer, Lucas Ochoa, has said of the documentary: "Born from Björk's revolutionary music project [2011's 'Biophilia'], we are thrilled to be able to document this incredible journey with her; she is undeniably one of the most iconic figures in popular culture and truly pushes boundaries like no other artist does." Bjork and Attenborough first collaborated in 2011 when the BBC presenter and naturalist provided an introduction and narration to Bjork's three-week Manchester International Festival residency. Bjork has previously declared her admiration for Attenborough in a Rolling Stone interview, describing him as "my rock star". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTZXAgPJnhs

The nature documentary uniting Bjork and legendary broadcaster David Attenborough will be aired on Channel 4 this Saturday (July 27).

‘Attenborough And Bjork: The Nature Of Music’ looks at the evolution of music, our relationship with music and how technology could impact this relationship in the future, and will be shown on Channel 4 at 7pm. It airs as part of Channel 4’s Mad4Music season. Scroll down for a short clip of the film.

Bjork’s multimedia ‘Biophilia’ project will feature strongly in the film, and Attenborough will show how music exists in the natural world, using footage of the lyre bird, reed warbler and blue whales.

The film’s executive producer, Lucas Ochoa, has said of the documentary: “Born from Björk’s revolutionary music project [2011’s ‘Biophilia’], we are thrilled to be able to document this incredible journey with her; she is undeniably one of the most iconic figures in popular culture and truly pushes boundaries like no other artist does.”

Bjork and Attenborough first collaborated in 2011 when the BBC presenter and naturalist provided an introduction and narration to Bjork’s three-week Manchester International Festival residency. Bjork has previously declared her admiration for Attenborough in a Rolling Stone interview, describing him as “my rock star”.

The 28th Uncut Playlist Of 2013

John Mulvey
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The 28th Uncut Playlist Of 2013

Gearing up for the Atoms For Peace show tonight with this lot: please note (and in some cases listen to) new Forest Swords, Feral Ohms (another Ethan Miller band, this one very much in the Comets On Fire zone) and a reissue for Robbie Basho’s long-unavailable first Windham Hill album. The Desert Heat record sounds better with every play, too… Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey 1 Forest Swords – Excavations (Tri Angle) 2 Mazzy Star – Seasons Of Your Day (Rhymes Of An Hour) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEf1Qq6upEU 3 Elvis Costello & The Roots – Wise Up Ghost (Blue Note) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lfhafgiONU 4 5 Toiling Midgets – Live At The Old Waldorf, July 21, 1982 (Ektro) 6 Tony Joe White – Hoodoo (Yeproc) 7 Mark Kozelek (And Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy) - I Can’t Live Without My Mother’s Love (Caldo Verde) Listen here… 8 Manic Street Preachers – Rewind The Film (Columbia) 9 Oneohtrix Point Never – R Plus Seven (Warp) 10 Robbie Basho – Visions Of The Country (Gnomelife) 11 Thom Yorke – The Eraser (XL) 12 Quasi – Mole City (Domino) 13 Feral Ohms – Living Junkyard (Valley King) 14 Wooden Wand & The World War IV - Wooden Wand & The World War IV (Three Lobed Recordings) 15 Tim Hecker – Virgins (Kranky) 16 Various Artists – Inside Llewyn Davis: Original Soundtrack Recording (Nonesuch) 17 Promised Land Sound - Promised Land Sound (Paradise Of Bachelors) 18 Danny Paul Grody – Between Two Worlds (Three Lobed Recordings) 19 The Groundhogs – Split (Liberty) 20 Desert Heat – Cat Mask At Huggie Temple (MIE Music) 21 Sidi Touré – Alafia (Thrill Jockey)

Gearing up for the Atoms For Peace show tonight with this lot: please note (and in some cases listen to) new Forest Swords, Feral Ohms (another Ethan Miller band, this one very much in the Comets On Fire zone) and a reissue for Robbie Basho’s long-unavailable first Windham Hill album. The Desert Heat record sounds better with every play, too…

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey

1 Forest Swords – Excavations (Tri Angle)

2 Mazzy Star – Seasons Of Your Day (Rhymes Of An Hour)

3 Elvis Costello & The Roots – Wise Up Ghost (Blue Note)

4

5 Toiling Midgets – Live At The Old Waldorf, July 21, 1982 (Ektro)

6 Tony Joe White – Hoodoo (Yeproc)

7 Mark Kozelek (And Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy) – I Can’t Live Without My Mother’s Love (Caldo Verde)

Listen here…

8 Manic Street Preachers – Rewind The Film (Columbia)

9 Oneohtrix Point Never – R Plus Seven (Warp)

10 Robbie Basho – Visions Of The Country (Gnomelife)

11 Thom Yorke – The Eraser (XL)

12 Quasi – Mole City (Domino)

13 Feral Ohms – Living Junkyard (Valley King)

14 Wooden Wand & The World War IV – Wooden Wand & The World War IV (Three Lobed Recordings)

15 Tim Hecker – Virgins (Kranky)

16 Various Artists – Inside Llewyn Davis: Original Soundtrack Recording (Nonesuch)

17 Promised Land Sound – Promised Land Sound (Paradise Of Bachelors)

18 Danny Paul Grody – Between Two Worlds (Three Lobed Recordings)

19 The Groundhogs – Split (Liberty)

20 Desert Heat – Cat Mask At Huggie Temple (MIE Music)

21 Sidi Touré – Alafia (Thrill Jockey)

Van Morrison on Moondance reissue: “I did not endorse this”

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Van Morrison on Moondance reissue: “I did not endorse this”
Van Morrison has spoken out about the forthcoming reissue of his album, Moondance. The album is due for a deluxe reissue on September 30 through Warner Bros. However, in a statement posted on his website, Van Morrison has this to say about the reissue. "Yesterday Warner Brothers stated that 'Van ...

Van Morrison has spoken out about the forthcoming reissue of his album, Moondance.

The album is due for a deluxe reissue on September 30 through Warner Bros.

However, in a statement posted on his website, Van Morrison has this to say about the reissue.

“Yesterday Warner Brothers stated that ‘Van Morrison was reissuing Moondance‘. It is important that people realise that this is factually incorrect. I did not endorse this, it is unauthorised and it has happened behind my back.

“My management company at that time gave this music away 42 years ago and now I feel as though it’s being stolen from me again

“18th July 2013”

Sinatra, Brando, Elvis, James Dean, Buddy Holly, Orson Welles , Miles Davis Alfred Hitchcock and the 1950s in music and movies

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Sinatra, Brando, Elvis, James Dean, Buddy Holly, Orson Welles , Miles Davis Alfred Hitchcock and the 1950s in music and movies

One of the projects we have just finished working on for the next issue of Uncut, on sale next week, was a special promotional feature we have produced in association with hmv, which is newly returned to robust high street health after recent rough times. In other words, hmv’s music and film catalogues music are back to full strength, its stock of classic albums and movies rebuilt. What better moment, then, for hmv in collaboration with Uncut to celebrate ‘six decades of unforgettable entertainment’, with great prices on many albums and films that have defined the times and continue to inspire and excite. In our next issue, we look at 60 of the albums and films that have shaped popular culture and with it our lives, since the 1950s, that decade of dramatic change and upheaval that saw the birth of rock’n’roll, a cool new modernism introduced to jazz and the first fault lines appear in the Hollywood studio system. To preface the appearance of the feature in our next issue, and coincide with the launch this week of hmv’s special offers on thousands of albums and films, I’ve made up my own 50s’ playlist, as follows, just to get, you know, in the mood. Music Frank Sinatra In The Wee Small Hours (1955) Elvis Presley Elvis Presley (1956) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uke1B0FpIZ8 Little Richard Here’s Little Richard (1957) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7pjP_XkK4U Buddy Holly Buddy Holly (1958) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0VPxYAM698 Billie Holiday Lady In Satin (1958) Bo Diddley Bo Diddley (1958) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeZHB3ozglQ Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis 1958 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yRdDnrB5kM Miles Davis Kinda Blue (1959) Howlin’ Wolf Moanin’ In the Moonlight (1959) Chuck Berry Chuck Berry Is On Top (1959) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLMK9-Ns-TY Films Sunset Boulevard Billy Wilder 1950 On The Waterfront Elia Kazan 1954 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QsNXd57Ppw Night Of The Hunter Charles Laughton 1955 Rebel Without A Cause Nicholas Ray 1955 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpm4NGSWH2I The Searchers John Ford 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers Don Siegel 1956 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuL2QwsNeM8 12 Angry Men Sidney Lumet 1957 Touch Of Evil Orson Welles 1958 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg8MqjoFvy4 Vertigo Alfred Hitchcock 1958 Have a good week.

One of the projects we have just finished working on for the next issue of Uncut, on sale next week, was a special promotional feature we have produced in association with hmv, which is newly returned to robust high street health after recent rough times.

In other words, hmv’s music and film catalogues music are back to full strength, its stock of classic albums and movies rebuilt. What better moment, then, for hmv in collaboration with Uncut to celebrate ‘six decades of unforgettable entertainment’, with great prices on many albums and films that have defined the times and continue to inspire and excite.

In our next issue, we look at 60 of the albums and films that have shaped popular culture and with it our lives, since the 1950s, that decade of dramatic change and upheaval that saw the birth of rock’n’roll, a cool new modernism introduced to jazz and the first fault lines appear in the Hollywood studio system.

To preface the appearance of the feature in our next issue, and coincide with the launch this week of hmv’s special offers on thousands of albums and films, I’ve made up my own 50s’ playlist, as follows, just to get, you know, in the mood.

Music

Frank Sinatra

In The Wee Small Hours

(1955)

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley

(1956)

Little Richard

Here’s Little Richard

(1957)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7pjP_XkK4U

Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly

(1958)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0VPxYAM698

Billie Holiday

Lady In Satin

(1958)

Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley

(1958)

Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis

1958

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yRdDnrB5kM

Miles Davis

Kinda Blue

(1959)

Howlin’ Wolf

Moanin’ In the Moonlight

(1959)

Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry Is On Top (1959)

Films

Sunset Boulevard

Billy Wilder

1950

On The Waterfront

Elia Kazan

1954

Night Of The Hunter

Charles Laughton

1955

Rebel Without A Cause

Nicholas Ray

1955

The Searchers

John Ford

1956

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Don Siegel

1956

12 Angry Men

Sidney Lumet

1957

Touch Of Evil

Orson Welles

1958

Vertigo

Alfred Hitchcock

1958

Have a good week.

“What did I say that for?”: 25 minutes with Mick Jagger

Michael Bonner
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“What did I say that for?”: 25 minutes with Mick Jagger
Yesterday's news that the Stones have released an album of material drawn from their recent Hyde Park shows reminded me to dust down this interview I did last year with Mick Jagger, which ran in our December 2012 issue. I had 25 minutes with Mick - about as long an interview as he'll do these days -...

Yesterday’s news that the Stones have released an album of material drawn from their recent Hyde Park shows reminded me to dust down this interview I did last year with Mick Jagger, which ran in our December 2012 issue. I had 25 minutes with Mick – about as long an interview as he’ll do these days – ostensibly to chat about Crossfire Hurricane and GRRR!, which were both about to be released. Along the way, we chatted about fighting in train carriages, writing with Keith and whether or not Mick is comfortable watching himself on television…

What did you want to achieve with Crossfire Hurricane?

It’s a big leap of faith choosing the director, ’cos I’m not going to sit there in LA telling him what to do. It’s not my job and I’m too close to the material. If you’re making a film that’s got lots of you in it, you’ve got to let someone contribute their ideas. You’re gonna chip in comments, but not sit there overseeing the minutiae. Obviously, you say, “Oh, I love that bit…” But they always end up being too long at the start and unmanageable, mostly.

The film covers 1962-1981. Why just focus on those years?

We didn’t have enough time. We’d have needed another six months to go up to the present. I was disappointed we weren’t going to do the whole story, but Brett [Morgen, director] was more interested in the early history. If we want to do a second part, then we can.

Keep something in your back pocket for later?

Exactly.

What stories from the ’62-’81 period appealed most to you?

One is how the band made a breakthrough in the early days. How they saw themselves, how people thought they should be positioned, how much was a set-up, how much of that was pure chance. The ups and downs, the successes and failures, the buffets of outside and inside influence. How you made it through to the other side. It’s not an upward graph! It’s got downward bits.

Has watching the film made you nostalgic for a particular period in 
The Rolling Stones’ history?

You have a laugh at some of the footage, but you get over it when you’ve seen it quite a few times. You’ve got to take a step back, which is easy to say but not always easy to do, and start referring to yourself in the third person. “Take that bit of Mick out, put that bit in here, then leave that until later.”

Do you have a favourite “Mick” in the film?

There are some pretty funny Micks in there. The very young one is so odd. One minute, he’s completely there, the next he says something so stupid… I suppose you’re watching yourself getting used to dealing with the media. Mostly, when you see yourself in these clips, you’re either being interviewed or on stage. On stage, you can kind of control things, but it was quite hard dealing with those media people. It’s easy to laugh now and say, “What did I say that for?” But people used to say the stupidest things then, compared to now. It was idiotic…

It was all new territory to bands, back then. Now everyone’s media trained 
to within an inch of their life…

Yes, exactly. So it’s very naïve, the press people trying to be clever, but they’re pretty idiotic, and we respond in quite idiotic ways, and rise to the bait and come off with a few good replies. It’s mostly quite combative. It makes you remember how antagonistic some people were.

In the film you say, “If you’ve got heroes, you’ve got an anti-hero, so it’s good to have an actor who can play the part.” At what part do you think it stopped being an act and became real?

Or it was real, and then it became an act. There was so much media scrutiny. You’re finding your feet, being questioned in very odd ways and you have to try to protect yourself, to keep yourself a bit shrouded. People were very, very hard hitting. It wasn’t a tough life, but you had to be on your guard.

Are you comfortable watching yourself?

I don’t enjoy it that much, to be honest [laughs]. I wouldn’t play it over and over. I wouldn’t say I’m jumping up and down every time I see myself going, “Yeah, you’re great! You look fantastic! Why did you wear that jacket? The check tweed?”

Tweed is in this season, Mick.

I got a new check tweed jacket the other week… It’s always a bit cringey, but there are some very funny moments.

Is there anything particularly that stands out to you?

We’re fighting this guy on a train. Not physically, but batting this guy. Then Brian says something about Georgia. It’s a kind of a Punch & Judy thing… everyone’s having a go at him. All in this very tight compartment. Hilarious. It’s hard to believe you’d put yourself in that position, of having this guy in your face like that. Why? Who convinced you it was a good idea? It’s very funny.

Were there any topics you found it difficult to address in the film?

We did a lot of interviews with Brett, and like all film directors, he brought up things he thought would get a reaction. But you weren’t on live TV, you had time to bat them off or delay your answer. But he didn’t hold back, just because it’s our film. There were a lot of moments. In the end, I answered them all, either truthfully or untruthfully. As you would.

Moving on to GRRR!, when you put together a compilation album is it always obvious to you which tracks will be on there? Or do you look on some songs afresh and think – yes, that one should definitely be included this time?

It’s not always completely obvious. This is available in three versions. The two-CD, 24-track version. Then there’s a long version and a very long version. The 24-song one is a bit obvious, the slightly expanded one gets a few less obvious things in, and then the 50-track version gets a few oddball things in it. That’s quite a nice package. And then there’s the two tracks we recorded last month.

Yes, “Doom And Gloom” and “One Last Shot”. What can we expect from those?

They’re both quite up-tempo rockers. “Doom And Gloom” is a bit faster. We recorded them in Paris in a few days then mixed them in LA. I hope you like them. They’re quite spirited, which is what you want, quite full of energy. Can I sing them to you? [laughs – starts going up and down a scale – there is some kind of singing – more laughter].

How do the Stones write these days?

These two were done separately. We came together to do this very quickly. Keith said, “I’ve got this one song I think you’re gonna like.” I said, “Well, how fast is it?” It’s sort of medium fast. So I thought I’ll pick one more up-tempo. I didn’t think a ballad would be suitable. It needed to be two energetic songs. It was a good process, in the studio, it was easy and fun. No hanging about, which is good.

How has songwriting changed for you over 
the years?

You can write songs in a lot of different ways. You can write songs sitting waiting for a train on the back of an envelope, then you can put it to music on your own. Or you can sit down with Keith and have nothing, and I’ll just fill in the verses or I can play a song to Keith on a guitar or a piano or just sing it and ask if he’s got suggestions. As many permutations as you can think of, really.

Do you have a preferred way of working?

I like doing it all different ways. If I get an idea for a song after I get off the phone with you, I’m not going to wait to have someone to work with, I’m going to sit down and finish it. But then I might sit down with Keith for a session where you start from scratch, trying to write a song from nothing. As a writer, you keep writing all the time. I don’t live anywhere near Keith, so I don’t have time to sit down and write with him unless we make writing dates. When we were on the road all the time, we had a lot of time to do that. But we’re not like that any more, so we don’t do it.

Talking of dates. Any plans to tour, or at least play some shows?

I think we’re going to do some dates this year, and very soon we’ll be trying to 
firm them up. Ask Ronnie, he’ll tell you [laughs].

Any idea when and where they’re likely to be?

Well, it’s going to be this year! We’re in October, so it has to be quite soon.

Keith recently published his autobiography, as you’ve been asked to do on several occasions. Do you think the time will come when you’ll want to write your own account?

No, I don’t think so… I’d have to do it again! I was offered a huge sum of money… I don’t think so at the moment. Is that alright?

You can read our round up of the Stones’ recent 50 & Counting tour here, which includes reviews of both the July 6 and 13 Hyde Park shows.

Follow me on Twitter @MichaelBonner.

Sacha Baron Cohen quits Freddie Mercury biopic over creative differences with Queen

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Sacha Baron Cohen quits Freddie Mercury biopic over creative differences with Queen
Sacha Baron Cohen has reportedly quit the forthcoming biopic of Freddie Mercury over creative differences with Queen. The actor has been attached to star as Mercury since September 2010, but Deadline reports that he's now pulled out of the project because he and Queen, who have script and director ...

Sacha Baron Cohen has reportedly quit the forthcoming biopic of Freddie Mercury over creative differences with Queen.

The actor has been attached to star as Mercury since September 2010, but Deadline reports that he’s now pulled out of the project because he and Queen, who have script and director approval, can’t agree on the type of movie they want to make.

The band apparently want the biopic to be a PG affair, while the actor is keen to delve into the grittier aspects of Mercury’s lifestyle.

In March 2013, it was reported that The King’s Speech director Tom Hooper, who recently worked with Baron Cohen on Les Misérables, was eyeing the project. However, Deadline says that Queen failed to approve him and also turned down Peter Morgan, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind The Queen and Frost/Nixon. Morgan’s script, it was reported in March, would begin with the formation of Queen in the early ’70s and end with their Live Aid set in 1985.

Watch Elvis Costello and the Roots video for “Walk Us Uptown”

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Watch Elvis Costello and the Roots video for “Walk Us Uptown”
Elvis Costello and the Roots have released a new lyric video for "Walk Us Uptown," the first single from their forthcoming album, Wise Up Ghost. Wise Up Ghost, which will be released on September 16 on Blue Note Records, will be Costello's first since 2010's National Ransom. Speaking to Rolling St...

Elvis Costello and the Roots have released a new lyric video for “Walk Us Uptown,” the first single from their forthcoming album, Wise Up Ghost.

Wise Up Ghost, which will be released on September 16 on Blue Note Records, will be Costello’s first since 2010’s National Ransom.

Speaking to Rolling Stone about the album in June, Costello said, “We had no deadline, no labels involved. We were just doing it on our own.”

Atoms For Peace exhibition to take place during London residency

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Atoms For Peace exhibition to take place during London residency
Atoms For Peace are set to stage a pop-up exhibition while their three London shows take place this week. The Atoms For Peace Drawing Room has been created by the band's collaborator, artist Stanley Donwood, and will take place Upstairs at The Enterprise, opposite The Roundhouse in Camden, where At...

Atoms For Peace are set to stage a pop-up exhibition while their three London shows take place this week.

The Atoms For Peace Drawing Room has been created by the band’s collaborator, artist Stanley Donwood, and will take place Upstairs at The Enterprise, opposite The Roundhouse in Camden, where Atoms For Peace play their first UK shows on July 24-26. The exhibition will be open from midday-8pm [BST] from July 24-27.

The exhibit will see the room turned into a gallery and a shop as well as a ‘hanging-out space’, featuring vinyl and ‘live-printed’ posters for sale, which will be made on a specially-installed silkscreen printing press. A handwritten note regarding the exhibition from Donwood states: “…At the moment I’m in a room full of Atoms For Peace artwork, merchandise, records and all I feel is trepidation and perhaps mild peril. But I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Atoms For Peace will broadcast two of their upcoming gigs at London’s Roundhouse via the new mobile app Soundhalo. The Soundhalo app, which was premiered by Alt-J in May of this year and is aimed at discouraging gig-goers from recording concerts on their phones, allows users to download high quality MP4 videos and audio tracks to their phones as the show they are attending is taking place. Fans are then able to download each track to a desktop or portable device, for 99p per track or £9.99 for the whole performance.

The Rolling Stones release ‘Hyde Park Live’ album on iTunes

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The Rolling Stones release ‘Hyde Park Live’ album on iTunes
The Rolling Stones today announce the exclusive iTunes release of The Rolling Stones – Hyde Park Live album, taken from their two concerts in London’s Hyde Park on July 6 and 13. The album is now available to download from today exclusively from the band's iTunes store. You can read our round ...

The Rolling Stones today announce the exclusive iTunes release of The Rolling Stones – Hyde Park Live album, taken from their two concerts in London’s Hyde Park on July 6 and 13.

The album is now available to download from today exclusively from the band’s iTunes store.

You can read our round up of the Stones’ recent 50 & Counting tour here, which includes reviews of both the July 6 and 13 Hyde Park shows.

The tracklisting for Hyde Park Live is:

Start Me Up

It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll

Tumbling Dice

Emotional Rescue

Street Fighting Man

Ruby Tuesday

Doom And Gloom

Paint It Black

Honky Tonk Women

You Got The Silver

Before They Make Me Run

Miss You

Midnight Rambler

Gimme Shelter

Jumpin’ Jack Flash

Sympathy For The Devil

Brown Sugar

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

The Shouting Matches – Grownass Man

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The Shouting Matches – Grownass Man

Justin Vernon's trio of old compadres play Southern blues-rock under jazz conditions... Justin Vernon has not said much publicly about The Shouting Matches, his collaboration with Megafaun’s Phil Cook and Brian Moen of Peter Wolf Crier/Laarks. But the little he has said, via Twitter, is eloquent enough. As the album was released, he Tweeted a note of thanks from “Brian and Phil and I’s band” adding the hashtags #trio, #notasideproject, #beenaroundlongerthanbon. Later, as early reviews appeared, he added, sarcastically, “I love being in a band with three people in it, but really I’m the only one.” So, to be clear. Grownass Man is not a Bon Iver record (the title is a clue). It is not Justin Vernon’s Tin Machine. It is a collaboration in a career full of collaborations (see Volcano Choir, Gayngs, Anais Mitchell). And, it’s a reunion of sorts. The Shouting Matches do predate Bon Iver. They flickered for an evening in 2006. Moen was the second person to hear Bon Iver’s debut album For Emma, Forever Ago when he visited Vernon’s Wisconsin cabin for a Shouting Matches rehearsal. Cook also laboured in Vernon’s pre-Bon Iver outfit, DeYarmond Edison. But it is hard to resist the suggestion that Vernon’s decision to reunite with his old compadres is a reaction to the success of Bon Iver, and the expectations aroused by it. Bon Iver's second, self-titled album was every bit as personal as that cabin-recorded debut, though Vernon employed a private language to mask his intentions (or, more charitably, to make then universal). It won him two Grammies, and made him a mainstream star, an unlikely outcome for a musician whose approach is almost anthropological, even when he’s goofing around. (And, contrary to the public perception, he likes to goof). But this is a trio, a band with three people in it. And if Grownass Man doesn’t sound like Bon Iver, it doesn’t sound like Megafaun either. Or Peter Wolf Crier. On first impressions, which are misleading, it sounds like a bar band in Clarksdale, Mississippi playing for beer. Generically, it is blues-rock, though over the full span of the album, that definition is stretched to include bursts of Afro-pop (‘’I’ll Be True”) and fairground Northern Soul (“New Theme”). Vernon chooses not to employ his falsetto, falling back into a soulful growl or, when he does go high (on “Three Dollar Bill”) delivering the vocal through a hail of distortion. “Heaven Knows” is ZZ Top at 16 rpm. The closing ballad, “I Need A Change” could, just about, fit on a Bon Iver record, though the lyrics are more generic, and there’s a playful Prince impersonation halfway through. Generally, the playing is under-rehearsed and agreeably rough. It’s a jam. Moen’ s drums don’t drive the beat so much as shuffle sideways, and Cook’s organ adds a playful note, pitched somewhere between the church and the carnival. The biggest surprise, at least for listeners who only know Vernon through his work with Bon Iver, is the guitar. True, there’s a hint of Fleetwood Mac’s Albatross circling around the standout track, “Gallup NM”, but the guitar break is exhilarating and beautiful. The song itself explores the poetry of place names – maybe it’s a road song – but Vernon’s solo drives it. You can hear a bit of Neil Young in there, and that’s a name worth remembering in any consideration of the shape of Vernon’s career. Respecting the muse is clearly more important to him than sticking to the grid. What’s it’s all about? Well, on the surface, it seems as if The Shouting Matches is primarily about the underrated joy of making music with friends. But it’s also similar to the experiments Vernon and Cook used to employ in DeYarmond Edison, where they would select a genre, and perform in that vein: today’s dish being Southern blues. It’s rock’n’roll, played under jazz conditions: spontaneous, under-thought, fast. At most, it’s a sketch for a concept which is unlikely to be fleshed-out. It’s nostalgic, and frivolous, and surprisingly endearing. Alastair McKay

Justin Vernon’s trio of old compadres play Southern blues-rock under jazz conditions…

Justin Vernon has not said much publicly about The Shouting Matches, his collaboration with Megafaun’s Phil Cook and Brian Moen of Peter Wolf Crier/Laarks. But the little he has said, via Twitter, is eloquent enough. As the album was released, he Tweeted a note of thanks from “Brian and Phil and I’s band” adding the hashtags #trio, #notasideproject, #beenaroundlongerthanbon. Later, as early reviews appeared, he added, sarcastically, “I love being in a band with three people in it, but really I’m the only one.”

So, to be clear. Grownass Man is not a Bon Iver record (the title is a clue). It is not Justin Vernon’s Tin Machine. It is a collaboration in a career full of collaborations (see Volcano Choir, Gayngs, Anais Mitchell). And, it’s a reunion of sorts. The Shouting Matches do predate Bon Iver. They flickered for an evening in 2006. Moen was the second person to hear Bon Iver’s debut album For Emma, Forever Ago when he visited Vernon’s Wisconsin cabin for a Shouting Matches rehearsal. Cook also laboured in Vernon’s pre-Bon Iver outfit, DeYarmond Edison.

But it is hard to resist the suggestion that Vernon’s decision to reunite with his old compadres is a reaction to the success of Bon Iver, and the expectations aroused by it. Bon Iver‘s second, self-titled album was every bit as personal as that cabin-recorded debut, though Vernon employed a private language to mask his intentions (or, more charitably, to make then universal). It won him two Grammies, and made him a mainstream star, an unlikely outcome for a musician whose approach is almost anthropological, even when he’s goofing around. (And, contrary to the public perception, he likes to goof).

But this is a trio, a band with three people in it. And if Grownass Man doesn’t sound like Bon Iver, it doesn’t sound like Megafaun either. Or Peter Wolf Crier. On first impressions, which are misleading, it sounds like a bar band in Clarksdale, Mississippi playing for beer. Generically, it is blues-rock, though over the full span of the album, that definition is stretched to include bursts of Afro-pop (‘’I’ll Be True”) and fairground Northern Soul (“New Theme”). Vernon chooses not to employ his falsetto, falling back into a soulful growl or, when he does go high (on “Three Dollar Bill”) delivering the vocal through a hail of distortion. “Heaven Knows” is ZZ Top at 16 rpm. The closing ballad, “I Need A Change” could, just about, fit on a Bon Iver record, though the lyrics are more generic, and there’s a playful Prince impersonation halfway through.

Generally, the playing is under-rehearsed and agreeably rough. It’s a jam. Moen’ s drums don’t drive the beat so much as shuffle sideways, and Cook’s organ adds a playful note, pitched somewhere between the church and the carnival. The biggest surprise, at least for listeners who only know Vernon through his work with Bon Iver, is the guitar. True, there’s a hint of Fleetwood Mac’s Albatross circling around the standout track, “Gallup NM”, but the guitar break is exhilarating and beautiful. The song itself explores the poetry of place names – maybe it’s a road song – but Vernon’s solo drives it. You can hear a bit of Neil Young in there, and that’s a name worth remembering in any consideration of the shape of Vernon’s career. Respecting the muse is clearly more important to him than sticking to the grid.

What’s it’s all about? Well, on the surface, it seems as if The Shouting Matches is primarily about the underrated joy of making music with friends. But it’s also similar to the experiments Vernon and Cook used to employ in DeYarmond Edison, where they would select a genre, and perform in that vein: today’s dish being Southern blues. It’s rock’n’roll, played under jazz conditions: spontaneous, under-thought, fast. At most, it’s a sketch for a concept which is unlikely to be fleshed-out. It’s nostalgic, and frivolous, and surprisingly endearing.

Alastair McKay

Marc Bolan’s son sues music publisher over alleged T Rex copyright violation

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Marc Bolan’s son sues music publisher over alleged T Rex copyright violation

The son of Marc Bolan is suing a music publisher, claiming they have violated copyright laws regarding his late father's music. Rolan Seymour Feld has filed a case against Westminster Music Limited, after stating he is the sole owner of his father's back catalogue, claiming the publishers did not renew their one year contract with the singer, which was signed in 1968. Feld is suing for $2m (£1.3m), reports BBC News. The case is being filed in Los Angeles and Feld's court documents claim that the publishers falsely attempted to renew copyright on the music. The papers allege: "In an attempt to cover up their conduct and mislead the public as to the true owner and administrator of the United States copyright in and to each of the Compositions, Defendants falsely registered with the Copyright Office a claim to the renewed and extended term of copyright for each of the Compositions." The documents add that Feld "has been damaged in an amount that is not as yet fully ascertained but which Plaintiff believes exceeds $2,000,000". Marc Bolan died in 1977, a year after the birth of his son.

The son of Marc Bolan is suing a music publisher, claiming they have violated copyright laws regarding his late father’s music.

Rolan Seymour Feld has filed a case against Westminster Music Limited, after stating he is the sole owner of his father’s back catalogue, claiming the publishers did not renew their one year contract with the singer, which was signed in 1968. Feld is suing for $2m (£1.3m), reports BBC News.

The case is being filed in Los Angeles and Feld’s court documents claim that the publishers falsely attempted to renew copyright on the music. The papers allege: “In an attempt to cover up their conduct and mislead the public as to the true owner and administrator of the United States copyright in and to each of the Compositions, Defendants falsely registered with the Copyright Office a claim to the renewed and extended term of copyright for each of the Compositions.”

The documents add that Feld “has been damaged in an amount that is not as yet fully ascertained but which Plaintiff believes exceeds $2,000,000”.

Marc Bolan died in 1977, a year after the birth of his son.

Watch Paul McCartney play “Helter Skelter” with three members of Nirvana

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Watch Paul McCartney play “Helter Skelter” with three members of Nirvana
Paul McCartney was joined by the three surviving members of Nirvana at his gig in Seattle last night (July 19). See below for footage of McCartney and the Nirvana trio performing "Helter Skelter". McCartney was giving the first ever concert at the Safeco Field in Seattle, the city whose grunge scen...

Paul McCartney was joined by the three surviving members of Nirvana at his gig in Seattle last night (July 19). See below for footage of McCartney and the Nirvana trio performing “Helter Skelter”.

McCartney was giving the first ever concert at the Safeco Field in Seattle, the city whose grunge scene Nirvana became an integral part of. To mark the occasion, he welcomed Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear on stage during his encore to play “Cut Me Some Slack”, the track they recorded together last year (2012) for Grohl’s Sound City film project.

The Nirvana trio stayed on to play a selection of Beatles’ songs with McCartney: “Get Back”, “Long Tall Sally” [a song the The Beatles covered], “Helter Skelter”, “Golden Slumbers”, “Carry That Weight” and “The End”.

McCartney first played live with Grohl and Novoselic at a Hurricane Sandy benefit gig in New York last December. A few days later, they played ‘Cut Me Some Slack’ again on American TV show Saturday Night Live – this time joined by Smear on guitar.

However, the Seattle gig marks the first time McCartney and the Nirvana members have played multiple songs together – and the first time they’ve joined forces on Beatles material.

Pearl Jam debut two new songs at Chicago gig – watch

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Pearl Jam debut two new songs at Chicago gig – watch
Pearl Jam debuted two new songs at a concert in Chicago on Friday (July 19). Scroll down and click 'play' to watch fan footage of both songs being played live. The band were just seven songs into their gig at Chicago's Wrigley Field, Consequence of Sound reports, when torrential rain forced them of...

Pearl Jam debuted two new songs at a concert in Chicago on Friday (July 19). Scroll down and click ‘play’ to watch fan footage of both songs being played live.

The band were just seven songs into their gig at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Consequence of Sound reports, when torrential rain forced them offstage.

After a delay of three hours, the band were finally able to return and rewarded the crowd by playing two previously unheard songs from their forthcoming album Lightning Bolt: the title track and “Future Days”. On the latter, the band were joined by producer Brendan O’Brien on keyboards.

Earlier this month (July), Pearl Jam announced that they will release Lightning Bolt, produced by O’Brien, on October 15.

Lightning Bolt will be the US band’s 10th studio album and their first since 2009’s Backspacer.

Morrissey cancels remaining South American tour dates

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Morrissey cancels remaining South American tour dates
Morrissey has cancelled his remaining tour dates in South America. Last week (July 13) the singer apologised for pulling a number of tour dates in Peru and Chile after being struck down with food poisoning. At the time, he said he would be well enough to return for a run of four dates in Argentina ...

Morrissey has cancelled his remaining tour dates in South America.

Last week (July 13) the singer apologised for pulling a number of tour dates in Peru and Chile after being struck down with food poisoning. At the time, he said he would be well enough to return for a run of four dates in Argentina and Brazil beginning in Buenos Aires on July 28.

However, none of these shows will now take place, Morrissey has confirmed. “I am informed today that the projected tour of South America is snuffed out, thus euthanized – due, I’m reliably advised, to lack of funding. It’s quite easy to sell tickets, yet impossible to transport band and crew from F to G,” the singer writes in a post on the True To You fansite.

“In a year when far too many disappointments have been buried this really is the last of many final straws, and I am not alone in feeling this,” the singer continues. “The future is suddenly absent, and my apologies are now so frequent as to be somewhat ridiculous, and it is I who apologize because no one else would bother.”

Later in the blog post, the singer adds: “Cancellations and illness have sucked the life out of all of us, and the only sensible solution seems to be the art of doing nothing.”

Over the past year Morrissey has postponed and cancelled a host of tour dates because of his mother’s and his own ill health. He recently revealed that he nearly died earlier this year due to medical problems.

Wadjda

Michael Bonner
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Wadjda
Wadjda is the first full-length feature film shot entirely inside Saudi Arabia, a conservative Islamic country where women are denied civic freedoms or any public role. It’s director is Haifaa Al-Mansour, a Saudi-born female filmmaker who now lives in Bahrain. While shooting on location in the Sau...

Wadjda is the first full-length feature film shot entirely inside Saudi Arabia, a conservative Islamic country where women are denied civic freedoms or any public role. It’s director is Haifaa Al-Mansour, a Saudi-born female filmmaker who now lives in Bahrain. While shooting on location in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Al-Mansour had to hide in a production van, directing her actors via walkie-talkie, because she could not publicly mix with her male crew. Although her film is ostensibly an intimate story about an 11-year old girl living in Riyadh who dreams of owning a bike, nevertheless it projects a deeper message about Saudi society.

Wadjda, played by Waad Mohammed, is a precocious young Saudi girl from a lower-middle-class family in Riyadh; her spirit and tenacity are considered problematic by her school teachers, while Wadjda herself is perplexed by the Kingdom’s restrictive culture towards women. Much as women are not allowed to drive cars, girls – Wadjda leans – cannot ride bikes. Seeing no logic in this, Wadjda sets out to learn passages for the Quran for a school competition, her plan to use the prize money on offer to buy a bike.

With its simplicity and clarity, Al-Mansour’s film owes much to Italian noerealism – a plucky young child and a bicycle notwithstanding – but also Jafar Panahi’s films about the experiences of women and children in modern day Iran. Wadjda – and her mother, played by Reem Abdullah – are both struggling with the social barriers they face in Saudi society. Wadjda’s mother appears to be unable to conceive another child, so her husband is looking to take another wife. This is a country where the trappings of contemporary living are prized – high end cars, giant flat screen televisions, shopping malls –yet where an 11 year-old girl isn’t allowed under law to ride a bicycle. “Don’t leave the Quran open,” warns her mother, “in case the Devil spits inside it.” Unmissable.

Michael Bonner

Follow me on Twitter @MichaelBonner.

Steely Dan on recording new album: “We’ve been talking”

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Steely Dan on recording new album: “We’ve been talking”
Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have been speaking about recording a new album. Interviewed separately by Rolling Stone ahead of the opening show on their 53-date Mood Swings American tour, Fagen discussed the possibility of a new Steely Dan album - which would be their first since 2003...

Steely Dan‘s Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have been speaking about recording a new album.

Interviewed separately by Rolling Stone ahead of the opening show on their 53-date Mood Swings American tour, Fagen discussed the possibility of a new Steely Dan album – which would be their first since 2003’s Everything Must Go.

Fagen said: “Yeah. We’ve been talking. We always talk about it on airplane rides. Usually we forget what we talked about before we do anything about it. But yeah, we actually had a conversation about it the other day, so who knows?”

Becker, meanwhile, when told of Fagen’s comments, replied: “Donald, Donald, Donald. Always Donald. Yeah, whatever Donald says, he’s right. Yeah.”

The interview is available online here.

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