Somebody That I Used to Know – Walk off the Earth (Gotye – Cover)
BIG NEWS from Walk off the Earth!!!
CHEERS (Drink To That) by Gianni and Sarah [Walk off the Earth]
Reckoning Song (One Day) – Walk off the Earth
The Edge of Glory – [Walk off the Earth + Roomie] Lady Gaga Cover
Les Champs-Élysées – Walk off the Earth
Karma Police – Gianni and Sarah (Radiohead Loop Cover)
Love Sponge – Gianni and Sarah [Walk off the Earth]
Some Nights – Walk off the Earth + Julia Nunes
Home – Walk off the Earth + Street Pharmacy
Party Rock Anthem – [Walk off the Earth] + All About Maggie
From Me To You – Walk off the Earth (The Beatles)
Yesterday – [Walk off the Earth] Beatles Cover
BLACKBIRD – The Beatles (Cover) by Gianni and Myles
Magic – [Walk off the Earth] B.o.B. Cover
Man Down – [Walk off the Earth] Rihanna Cover
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Walk off the Earth (Feat. Selah Sue)
Little Boxes – Walk off the Earth
I Knew You Were Trouble – WALK OFF THE EARTH Feat. KRNFX
Gang of Rhythm – Walk off the Earth (Official Video)
RED HANDS – Walk off the Earth
Red Hands – Walk off the Earth Live on German Talk Show
Someone Like You – [Walk off the Earth] – Adele Cover
Summer Vibe – Walk off the Earth (Original)
Burn One Down – Gianni and Sarah
Corner of Queen – Walk off the Earth (Original)
Payphone – Walk off the Earth (Explicit Lyrics)
Fairytale of New York – Gianni and Sarah (Walk off the Earth)
Love The Way You Lie – [Walk off the Earth] Eminem Cover
Grenade – [Walk off the Earth] Bruno Mars Cover
Ice Cream – [Walk off the Earth]
Walk Off The Earth – Gang of Rhythm (Bing Lounge)
Walk Off The Earth – Revolutions In My Head (hometown show live @ SOM ’12)
Walk Off The Earth Live NY FULL CONCERT R.E.V.O. Tour / Town Ballroom / 12-07-12 Watch in HD!
Walk off the Earth
Walk off the Earth is a Canadian indie band that formed in 2006 in Burlington, Ontario, and has gained success around the world by making low-budget music videos of covers and originals. The band built its fan base independently with no help from record labels, booking agents, or management. In February 2012, the music industry publication Crazed Hits reported that the band had signed a recording contract with Columbia Records.[1] The band is best known for its covers of popular music on YouTube, making use of uncommon instruments such as the ukulele and the theremin, as well as looping samples. The band’s recorded music and videos are produced by member and multi-instrumentalist, Gianni Luminati Nicassio.
Career
The band’s first success came from covering the songs of The Gregory Brothers. The video of the band’s cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” became rapidly popular on YouTube in early 2012, gathering over 127 million views in four months[2] and received positive responses from both Gotye and his co-singer on the song, Kimbra.[3][4] The band has also covered “Someone Like You” by Adele, “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO, “Payphone” by Maroon 5, “Roll Up” by Wiz Khalifa and dozens of other tracks.[5] In December 2012, the band released an original single titled “Gang of Rhythm”.[6] On March 11, RollingStone magazine streamed their unreleased R.E.V.O. LP in its entirety. It received rave reviews from thousands of fans and social bloggers. The full length R.E.V.O. album was released on March 19, 2013.
Members
Sarah Blackwood and Ryan Marshall performing at Walk off the Earth’s hometown performance in Burlington.
Ryan Marshall – Guitar, Bass, Trumpet, Piano, Harmonica, Vocals
Mike “Beard Guy” Taylor – Piano, Vocals, Xylophone, Trumpet, Melodica
Joel Cassady – Drums, Cigar Box Guitar, Vocals
Touring members
Lee Bolt – Guitar, Banjo
Shameless James O’Neill – Trumpet, Percussion
Past members
Pete Kirkwood – Drums, Vocals
Personal life
On 29 January 2013, band members, Gianni and Sarah, spread the news via Youtube that they were expecting a baby together.[7]
Popularity
The Band’s cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” – with accompanying video where all five members are shown playing on one guitar – went viral in early 2012, and has so far gained over 147 million hits on YouTube.[8]
Ellen DeGeneres featured the band on her January 23, 2012 show where they played live, again on one guitar.
The band’s cover of Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” with four of the five members and guest beatboxer KRNFX using only vocals (in the style of a capella) and uploaded to YouTube on January 1 of 2013 has since gone viral.[9]
Awards and nominations
Year
Award ceremony
Award
Result
2013
Juno Awards
Breakthrough Group of the Year
Pending
Video of the Year – Little Boxes
Pending
Discography
Albums
2007: Smooth Like Stone on a Beach
2010: My Rock
2012: R.E.V.O. EP
2012: “Vol.1″
2012: “Vol.2″
2013: R.E.V.O. LP
Singles
List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
The band’s studio albums “My Rock” and “Smooth Like Stone on a Beach” were both recorded and produced by band member Gianni Luminati Nicassio in his private studio in Burlington, Ontario. In an interview with MTV’s Brenna Ehrlich, Sarah Blackwood mentioned that the band’s upcoming third album is being co-produced by Gianni Luminati and Tawgs Salter.
Phil Ramone: Interview With Broadcast Studio Supervisor For The 2010 Grammys, Part One (Video)
Phil Ramone: Interview With Broadcast Studio Supervisor For The 2010 Grammys, Part Two (Video)
Phil Ramone: Interview With Broadcast Studio Supervisor For The 2010 Grammys, Part Three (Video)
Phil Ramone: Interview With Broadcast Audio Supervisor For The 2010 Grammys, Part Four (Video)
Musique. Interview Who’s who : Phil Ramone
Catch A Fire – Phil Ramone
Billy Joel: Inducts Phil Ramone into Songwriters Hall of Fame 2010
Billy Joel – Just the way you are
National Arts Awards 2008: Phil Ramone
Legends – Phil Ramone
Phil Ramone “Music Production Long Version” (Web 72)
Sitting With Phil Ramone Jan 2011 Interview
Phil Ramone at U Mass Lowell, November 14th, 2008 (Part 1)
Phil Ramone at U Mass Lowell, November 14th, 2008 (Part 2)
Phil Ramone talks about 10cc’s influence on Just the WayYou Are
Phil Ramone’s Road Recovery Master Class
Who is Phil Ramone?
Phil Ramone Biography
The Salvation Army Phil Ramone Orchestra for Children
A former violin prodigy and expert engineer, he worked with Dylan, Sinatra, McCartney, Bennett, Charles, Streisand, Simon, Joel and Bacharach and spent more than 50 years in the business.
Phil Ramone, the instinctive music producer whose mixing mastery for Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Paul Simon and Billy Joel helped fashion some of the most sumptuous and top-selling albums of his era, has died. He was 72.
The 14-time Grammy winner and 33-time nominee once dubbed “The Pope of Pop” was hospitalized in late February with an aortic aneurysm in New York and died Saturday morning at New York Presbyterian Hospital, according to Ramone’s son Matt.
A native of South Africa who at age 10 performed as a violinist for Queen Elizabeth II, Ramone spent years working as a songwriter, engineer and acoustics expert in New York before charting a path that would make him a trusted studio partner in the eyes (and ears) of the industry’s biggest stars.
Among the albums on which he worked were Streisand’s 1967 live A Happening in Central Park; Paul & Linda McCartney’s Ram (1971), sandwiched between the Beatles and Wings eras; Dylan’s aching Blood on the Tracks (1975); Simon’s pop classic Still Crazy After All These Years (1975); Joel’s critical and commercial breakthrough The Stranger (1977); Sinatra’s last-gasp Duets (1993), a model of technical wizardry; and Charles’ final album, the mega-selling Genius Loves Company (2004).
Ramone served as a songwriter in New York’s famed Brill Building music factory and worked early on with Quincy Jones, Tom Dowd, Creed Taylor, JerryLeiber & Mike Stoller and BurtBacharach & Hal David, among others. In 1959, he launched the A&R Recording studios on Seventh Avenue in New York, where Blood on the Tracks and so many other classics were recorded.
Asked to describe his philosophy as a producer, Ramone told Sound on Soundmagazine in 2005: “I served a long time as an engineer and watched many famous producers work, and I decided on the personality that came most easily to me, which is the more relaxed; to give artists encouragement when needed.
“Players are like prodigies, thoroughbreds,” he added. “You have to handle them with care.”
Born on Jan. 5, 1941, Ramone at age 3 began studying the piano and violin, and he attended the Juilliard School in New York as a teenager. Although he was an accomplished performer and composer, he was attracted to the technical side of music and became a wizard working with the dials.
In 1964, Ramone engineered the classic bossa nova album Getz/Gilberto, from American saxophonist Stan Getz and Brazilian guitarist Joao Gilberto. It would become one of the biggest-selling jazz albums of all time and earn him his first Grammy, for best engineered recording. It also won the album of the year Grammy.
Later in the decade, he worked with folk superstars Peter, Paul and Mary, then won another Grammy in 1969 as co-producer of the original Broadway cast album of Promises, Promises, with music and lyrics by Bacharach and David.
Ramone’s career reached another level in 1975 when he produced Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years – which featured the No. 1 single “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and won Ramone a Grammy for album of the year — and Blood on the Tracks.
About the Dylan album, Ramone said: “It turned out to be the best four days of what Bob Dylan does, which is he wanders from song to song, sometimes coming back to the first one. Other than changing the roll of tape, you just had to let it all happen.”
In 1977, he produced Kenny Loggins’ Celebrate Me Home, Phoebe Snow’s Never Letting Go and Joel’s The Stranger, which kicked off a seven-album, decade-long relationship with the Long Island-raised singer-songwriter. He and Joel were “both lunatics,” he once said.
For the screeching tires on “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” from The Stranger, Ramone recorded bassist Doug Stegmeyer’s Corvette peeling out, taping a microphone to the tailpipe. He also added a bit of echo to Joel’s whistling throughout the album.
“There’s nothing like the challenge of devising and reproducing an effect you’re looking for,” Ramone wrote in his 2007 book, Making Records: The Scenes Behind the Music. “Sometimes that chase is more exciting than the catch.”
Ramone won the record of the year Grammy for Joel’s “Just the Way You Are” from the album (after removing a “cha-cha-cha” background from the song), captured album of the year for the follow-up 52nd Street and was named producer of the year in 1980 after guiding the rock-infused Glass Houses, which featured Joel’s first chart-topping single, “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me.”
On Oct. 1, 1982, 52nd Street became the first commercially released compact disc, and Ramone later received a Technical Grammy for his lifetime of innovative contributions to the industry.
In 1993, Ramone produced Duets, a comeback album for Sinatra. The legendary singer never sang in the same studio with his duet partners, who included Streisand, Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Bono and Kenny G. Ramone used an EDNet fiber-optic system to record the artists in different locations in real time.
The first of two Sinatra Duets albums sold more than 3 million copies in the U.S. and made it to No. 2 on the Billboard albums chart.
For Genius Loves Company, Ramone and fellow producer John Burk provided a clean, retro setting for the pop classics sung by Charles with James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Norah Jones and others. The album, recorded over a period of nine months and released in August 2004 — two months after Charles’ death — earned triple-platinum status, made it to No. 1 and raked in eight Grammys.
“If Ray is looking upon us now, he’s just made his career last another 50 years,” Ramone said as he accepted the Grammy for Album of the Year.
Ramone also produced Bennett’s Duets II, the 2011 release famous for the crooner’s collaboration with Amy Winehouse. With that album, Bennett became the oldest living artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Other Ramone-produced albums include Lesley Gore’s I’ll Cry If I Want To (1963), Julian Lennon’s debut Valotte (1984), the Broadway cast album for Passion (1994), Liza Minnelli’s live Liza’s Back (2002), Rod Stewart’s It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook (2002) and recent works from George Michael, Dionne Warwick and Glee star Matthew Morrison.
Ramone recorded Streisand and Kris Kristofferson live during filming for A Star Is Born (1976) and co-wrote “Imagination,” sung by Laura Branigan in Flashdance (1983), good for another Grammy. He also contributed to the films Midnight Cowboy (1969), Ghostbusters (1984) and Beyond the Sea (2004), with Kevin Spacey acting and singing as Bobby Darin.
Ramone also recorded Marilyn Monroe’s boozy rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” sung to President John F. Kennedy in 1962 and received an Emmy in 1973 for his work as an audio designer on the NBC special Liza With a Z.
In a Recording Academy statement confirming his passing, the Grammy organization also credited Ramone as “a pioneer of audio technological developments — creating new innovations for the compact disc and surround sound technologies.”
In an interview with Music Radar in November, Ramone credited his ability to seize upon spontaneity as one reason he became such a prolific hitmaker.
“You have to be able to run as fast as the artist, capture the magic early on,” he said. “After a few takes, people start intellectualizing what they’re doing, and it loses something. What’s special happens right away — so you have to be ready for it.”
In addition to his son Matt, Ramone is survived by wife Karen and sons BJ and Simon.
Phil Ramone, Famed Record Producer of Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Dies
Exclusive UPDATE: Billy Joel says:
“I always thought of Phil Ramone as the most talented guy in my band. He was the guy that no one ever ever saw onstage.
He was with me as long as any of the musicians I ever played with – longer than most. So much of my music was shaped by him and brought to fruition by him.
I have lost a dear friend – and my greatest mentor.The music world lost a giant today.”
Earlier: Heartbreaking: my friend, the friend of so many in the music business, has died at age 72. Phil had been in a New York hospital for the last few weeks, recovering from an aortic aneurysm. It’s just tragic. Phil produced the great music by Paul Simon, Billy Joel, and Tony Bennett– all of whom had been keeping in touch with Phil’s family constantly over the last few weeks.
Phil had 14 Grammy awards– and not enough frankly. Just in the last two years he’d produced Tony Bennett’s “Duets II” and “Viva Duets,” as well as Paul Simon’s critically acclaimed “So Beautiful, So What” and was finishing up a new album with George Michael.
To say Phil was a musical genius, a gentleman, the sweetest and nicest guy–it’s all not enough. For years he’s been producing the annual Songwriters Hall of Fame show and it’s been such a great experience. This past winter, right before he became ill, Phil was honored by the Salvation Army for all of work in the last few years. He was so proud of organizing their kids’ orchestra. He was beaming when they played at the Marriott Marquis that night. And he was so thrilled that Aretha Franklin came to honor him as well.
All I can think of this afternoon is Phil in the studio recording the “Duets II” album in the summer of 2011. I came into see him, and it he was drenched in sweat. It was at least 100 degrees outside, and Aretha had asked that the air conditioning be turned off while she and Tony Bennett recorded “How Do You Keep the Music Playing.” Phil was wearing a light blue dress shirt, and all of it was wet by degrees. I said, “Phil are you all right?” He looked at me with that big smile. “Do ya see what’s going on in there?” he pointed to Aretha and Tony on other side of the glass. “I’m great. Hot. But great.”
Phil Ramone, Famed Record Producer of Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Dies
Phil Ramone, Famed Record Producer of Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Dies
<!– –>03/30/13 12:00pm Roger Friedman 1
Exclusive UPDATE: Billy Joel says:
“I always thought of Phil Ramone as the most talented guy in my band. He was the guy that no one ever ever saw onstage.
He was with me as long as any of the musicians I ever played with – longer than most. So much of my music was shaped by him and brought to fruition by him.
I have lost a dear friend – and my greatest mentor.The music world lost a giant today.”
Earlier: Heartbreaking: my friend, the friend of so many in the music business, has died at age 72. Phil had been in a New York hospital for the last few weeks, recovering from an aortic aneurysm. It’s just tragic. Phil produced the great music by Paul Simon, Billy Joel, and Tony Bennett– all of whom had been keeping in touch with Phil’s family constantly over the last few weeks.
Phil had 14 Grammy awards– and not enough frankly. Just in the last two years he’d produced Tony Bennett’s “Duets II” and “Viva Duets,” as well as Paul Simon’s critically acclaimed “So Beautiful, So What” and was finishing up a new album with George Michael.
To say Phil was a musical genius, a gentleman, the sweetest and nicest guy–it’s all not enough. For years he’s been producing the annual Songwriters Hall of Fame show and it’s been such a great experience. This past winter, right before he became ill, Phil was honored by the Salvation Army for all of work in the last few years. He was so proud of organizing their kids’ orchestra. He was beaming when they played at the Marriott Marquis that night. And he was so thrilled that Aretha Franklin came to honor him as well.
All I can think of this afternoon is Phil in the studio recording the “Duets II” album in the summer of 2011. I came into see him, and it he was drenched in sweat. It was at least 100 degrees outside, and Aretha had asked that the air conditioning be turned off while she and Tony Bennett recorded “How Do You Keep the Music Playing.” Phil was wearing a light blue dress shirt, and all of it was wet by degrees. I said, “Phil are you all right?” He looked at me with that big smile. “Do ya see what’s going on in there?” he pointed to Aretha and Tony on other side of the glass. “I’m great. Hot. But great.”
Phil’s Grammys:
2006 Producer, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, Tony Bennett Duets: An American Classic
2005 Producer, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, Tony Bennett The Art of Romance
2004 Producer, Album of the Year, Ray Charles Genius Loves Company
2004 Producer, Best Surround Sound Album, Ray Charles Genius Loves Company
2004 Technical Grammy, for contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.
2002 Producer – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues
1994 Producer – Best Musical Show Album, Passion
1983 Composer – Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television Flashdance
1980 Producer of the Year – Non-Classical
1979 Producer, Album of the Year, 52nd Street
1978 Producer, Record of the Year, Just The Way You Are
1975 Producer, Album of the Year, Still Crazy After All These Years
1969 Producer, Best Musical Show Album, Promises, Promises
1964 Engineer, Best Engineered Recording (non- classical) Getz/Gilberto
Phil Ramone
Philip “Phil” Ramone (January 5, 1941 – March 30, 2013) was an South African–born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist, and composer,[1] who, in 1958, co-founded A & R Recording, Inc., a recording studio at 112 West 48th Street, New York — above what then was Manny’s Music. The success of that studio grew into several studios and a record producing company. He was described by Billboard as “legendary”,[2] and the BBC as a “CD pioneer”.[3]
Early life
Ramone was born in South Africa and grew up in Brooklyn. As a child in South Africa, Ramone was a musical prodigy, beginning to play the violin at age three and performing for Elizabeth II at age ten.[4] In the late 1940s he trained as a classical violinist at The Juilliard School, where one of his classmates was Phil Woods. Ramone opened his own recording studio before he was 20.[5] He became a naturalized citizen of the U.S.A. on December 14, 1953.[6]
Professional career
A & R Recording
In 1959, Ramone established an independent recording studio A & R Recording (the initials were derived from the last initials of Ramone and his then-business partner Jack Arnold). Later the partnership consisted of Brooks Arthur owning half and Ramone, Don Frey, and Arthur Downs Ward (1922–2002) owning the other half.[7]
In the studio he quickly gained a reputation as a sound engineer and music producer, in particular for his use of innovative technology. Among those whose music he has produced are Clay Aiken, Burt Bacharach, The Band, Bono, Laura Branigan, Ray Charles, Karen Carpenter, Chicago, Peter Cincotti, Natalie Cole, Bob Dylan, Sheena Easton, Melissa Errico, Gloria Estefan, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Patricia Kaas, B. B. King, Julian Lennon, Shelby Lynne, Madonna, Barry Manilow, Richard Marx, Paul McCartney, George Michael, Liza Minnelli, Anne Murray, Olivia Newton-John, Sinéad O’Connor, Fito Páez, Luciano Pavarotti, Peter Paul and Mary, Andre Previn, Diane Schuur, Carly Simon, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, Rod Stewart, James Taylor, The Guess Who, Dionne Warwick and Stevie Wonder. He is also credited with recording Marilyn Monroe’s intoxicated version of “Happy Birthday to You” to President John F. Kennedy.[1]
His early work in producing and engineering was with jazz artists, working on John Coltrane records and acting as engineer for the landmark Getz/Gilberto album in 1964, for which he won his first Grammy. He transitioned during the 1960s to working with folk-rock, pop-rock, and R&B acts such as Peter, Paul, and Mary, James Taylor, Aretha Franklin, and Bob Dylan, first primarily as an engineer, and later as a producer. He won his first production Grammy for his work on 1975′s Still Crazy After All These Years by Paul Simon. His breakthrough album became Billy Joel’s 1977 album The Stranger and began a fruitful collaboration that would lead to Ramone producing a string of hit Joel albums throughout the rest of the 1970s and 1980s. In 1993, he produced Duets, Frank Sinatra’s comeback album, a commercial hit that peaked at #2 on the Billboard Album Chart. During the rest of the 1990s, Ramone moved from production work to his primary role as an industry executive, serving as chairman of The Recording Academy, though he would still be involved in some studio work including several Broadway cast recordings, as well as helping produce, with Quincy Jones, the televised A Tribute to Brian Wilson in 2001.[8]
Technical innovations
October 1, 2012, marked the thirtieth anniversary of the world’s first commercially marketed compact disc. On that date in 1982, A & R Recording released a digital compact disc version of Billy Joel’s 52nd Street in Japan, alongside Sony’s CD player CDP-101.[9]
Ramone introduced optical surround sound for movies.[10] His book, Making Records: The Scenes Behind the Music, written with Chuck Granata, was released on October 9, 2007. Also in October 2007, Ramone produced a limited engagement performance of Richard Vetere’s Be My Love: The Mario Lanza Story.[11] The play was directed by Charles Messina and co-produced by Sonny Grosso. It premiered at The Tilles Center in Greenvale, New York[12]
Other professional activities
In addition to producing music, Ramone has numerous concert, film, Broadway and television productions to his credit that include “A Star is Born”, “August Rush”, “Beyond the Sea”, “Flashdance”, “Ghostbusters”, “Midnight Cowboy”, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, “Passion”, “Seussical”, “Simon and Garfunkel: The Concert In Central Park”, Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards, “The Score”, VH1/BBC “Party at the Palace: Queen’s Jubilee Concert”, and “The Good Thief”.[13]
Most recent work
On July 8, 2008, Columbia records released The Stranger 30th Anniversary, which features interviews with Ramone. This box set includes a remastered version of the 1977 Billy Joel album, The Stranger by Ramone.[14] The following summer, Ramone produced Gershwin Across America, a tribute album to the music of George and Ira Gershwin. The album features Jewel, Jason Mraz, Darius Rucker, and Paul Simon among others.[15] In 2011, Ramone worked with George Michael, during his 2011 Symphonica Tour.[1]
Personal life
Ramone was married to Karen Ichiuji-Ramone, with whom he had three sons.[10]
Death
Ramone died on March 30, 2013, in a Manhattan hospital after being admitted for surgery.[16][17] His family did not immediately release details.[5]
Awards
Ramone was nominated for 33 Grammy awards, winning 14 including a Technical Grammy Award in 2005 for a lifetime of innovative contributions to the recording industry.[18][19]
1965 – Best Engineered Recording (non classical), for Getz/Gilberto
1970 – Best Musical Show Album for producing Promises, Promises
1976 – Album of the Year for producing Still Crazy After All These Years
1979 – Record of the Year for producing “Just the Way You Are”
1980 – Album of the Year for producing 52nd Street
1981 – Producer of the Year (non classical)
1984 – Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special, for Flashdance
1995 – Best Musical Show Album for producing Passion
2003 – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, for producing “Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues”
2005 – Album of the Year and Best Surround Sound Album for producing Genius Loves Company
2006 – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for producing The Art of Romance
2007 – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for producing Duets: An American Classic
2012 – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for producing Duets II
He also won an Emmy Award in 1973 as sound mixer for “Duke Ellington…We Love You Madly”, a tribute to Duke Ellington broadcast on CBS.[3]
Ramone was awarded honorary degrees by Five Towns College, Berklee College of Music, and Skidmore College. He was a member of Berklee’s Board of Trustees. He was also awarded a Fellowship by the Audio Engineering Society in 2007.[20]
References
^ abc ”Biography: Phil Ramone”. philramone.com. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ Barnes, Mike (March 30, 2013). “Legendary Producer Phil Ramone Dies at Age 72″. Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ ab ”US music producer and CD pioneer Phil Ramone dies”. BBC News. March 30, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ ”Legendary Music Producer Phil Ramone Dies at 72″. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ ab ”Phil Ramone, pioneering music producer and engineer, dies aged 72″. guardian.co.uk. March 30, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Petition No. 625266, Admission No. 7198731
^ Eskow, Gary (June 1, 2005). “Classic Tracks: Janis Ian’s “At Seventeen”". Mix. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ Ruhlmann, William. “Phil Ramone”. Allmusic.com. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
^ “Sony History: A Great Invention 100 Years On”. Sony. Archived from the original on August 2, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
^ ab Barker, Andrew (March 30, 2013). “Phil Ramone, Pioneering Music Engineer and Producer, Dies at 72″. Variety. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ ”Phil Ramone Project”. Frost School of Music. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ ”Richard Vetere Collection”. Stony Brook University Special Collections & University Archives. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ ”Phil Ramone: About”. philramone.com. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ “Billy Joel The Stranger: 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Review”. BBC Music. July 14, 2008. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ Mergner, Lee (August 25, 2010). “All-star lineup performs Gershwin across America at Hollywood Bowl”. Jazz Times. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ Martinez, Michael (March 30, 2013). “Music producer and innovator Phil Ramone dead at age 72″. CNN. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ ”Legendary record producer Phil Ramone in ‘critical care’”. NME. March 1, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ “Past winners search”. Grammy.com. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
^ ”Technical GRAMMY award”. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
^ ”AES Historical Web Store: Oral History Project: Phil Ramone (101)”. Audio Engineering Society. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
Cord Cutters: Play YouTube videos on your Roku, AirPlay-styl
Roku 3 Review: Pure Awesomeness
Roku 3 Evolves, Shows the “Way of the Future” – Breaking Analysis
Apple TV vs Roku 3
Roku 3: Unboxing & Review
Cord Cutters: Roku 3 review
Roku 3 Review & New Interface Tour
REVIEW: The Roku 3 Blows Away The Apple TV
By Steve Kovach | Business Insider – 2 hours 33 minutes ago
There’s no shortage of devices with so-called smart TV functions.
You have the Apple TV that connects to your iTunes content. The Boxee that lets you record network TV on a virtual online DVR. TV makers like Samsung and LG have streaming apps built directly into their web-connected TV sets. And so on.
But at their core, none of these devices revolutionize television the way many are hoping Apple will if it ever launches its rumored television set. Most of these gadgets, the current Apple TV box included, function largely the same. You get access to the standard library of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, plus the option to buy and rent movies and TV shows.
That’s about it.
What’s most important in today’s streaming devices is the interface, an interface that lets you find what you want to watch as quickly as possibly and jump in. You also need plenty of good content to enjoy.
The newest box from Roku, the Roku 3, achieves both these things better than any other device I’ve used, making the $99.99 streaming box the best you can buy today.
New LookThe Roku 3 interface is a complete overhaul of the last one, and it’s so good I’m going to have trouble going back to my clunky Apple TV.
Unlike the Apple TV which can make you click through as many as four or five menus before you’re able to jump into the thing you want to watch, every detail in the Roku 3′s user interface is designed to minimize your effort.
Scrolling vertically lets you cycle through apps or menu options in an infinite loop so there’s no need to navigate back to the top of a list. (If you’ve used Apple TV’s menus before, you know this can be a pain.) Scrolling horizontally lets you dive deeper into your selection, meaning you can launch the app you want or get more information on a specific piece of content. These are tiny details, but they feel so natural that the interface almost disappears. I haven’t seen anyone pull that off on the television screen yet.
But the best feature by a longshot is search, which lets you look up content by actor, director, title, etc. and provides you with a list of all streaming sources you can watch the video on. For example, a search for “South Park” gives you the option to stream the show on Netflix, Hulu, or purchase individual episodes.
There’s no clicking through endless menus and search options. There’s no hoping what you want to watch is on Hulu or Netflix or Amazon or whatever else before you search that individual app. You just search for the stuff you want and the Roku finds it for you wherever it lives. It’s such an essential and simple feature that I’m shocked it’s not standard on all streaming devices by now.
Content SelectionBecause Roku is open to third-party developers, you have a much larger content selection than you get on Apple TV. The Roku has all the standard stuff Apple TV has like Netflix, Hulu, and sports services like MLB.tv. But you also get a lot of stuff the Apple TV doesn’t have yet like HBO GO, Amazon Instant, Spotify, and Pandora.
Plus there are several casual games like Angry Birds and other streaming video apps to choose from in Roku’s virtual store.
If you want to buy or rent videos, there’s Vudu, a virtual store with a selection about as good as Apple’s. You can stream purchased videos directly to your Roku and they remain tied to your account so you can access them whenever you want. It also has several shows available the day after the air, which can come in handy for those who no longer subscribe to cable.
That was my biggest problem with the Roku 3. Over the years I’ve purchased a ton of movies and TV shows through iTunes, meaning I’m already locked into Apple’s system. The Roku 3 is so good I regret doing that. If you’re like me, you’ll have to repurchase a lot of your favorite content through Vudu if you decide to switch to the Roku.
Yes, Apple TV is slowly letting more apps onto its platform. Hulu Plus finally got the green light last year. HBO GO is reportedly coming soon and you can now use AirPlay to beam videos from the the iPhone or iPad version to your Apple TV. And there’s increased talk that Apple will open Apple TV to third-party developers soon, meaning even more content could be on the way.
But as it stands now, Roku simply offers you more content options for the same price as the Apple TV.
The HardwareThe Roku 3 does have a few hardware advances worth mentioning, especially when it comes to the remote control. In fact, the remote is probably the biggest hardware innovation the Roku 3 offers: a headphone jack on the side that automatically mutes your TV and pumps the audio to your headphones instead.
It’s perfect if you want to watch TV in bed without disturbing your partner. It’s perfect if you only have one TV and want to share the living room with someone who’d rather be reading instead of listening to some gory “Game of Thrones” battle. Like the user interface, the headphone jack is a simple detail that was perfectly executed and solves a common annoyance on our TVs that no one has really tried to tackle before. If you’ve ever had to compete for the sound waves in your living room, you know what I’m talking about.
The remote also has built-in motion controls for gaming, sort of like the remote on the Wii video game console. But I found it’s not as accurate as the remote on the Wii. When playing Angry Birds Space, for example, the cursor didn’t always match up perfectly to where I pointed the remote, so I had to keep resetting the position to match what I was seeing on the screen. It was a minor annoyance, but definitely worth noting in case you think the Roku would make a good gaming machine.
Other than the remote, there’s not much different with the Roku 3. It looks very similar to the last version, a small squarish device that can fit in the palm of your hand. But it does has a faster processor so apps and games run slightly smoother than before. It also has a dual-band WiFi chip for faster wireless speeds, but you’ll need a special router to take advantage of that. (I think you’re better off plugging the Ethernet cable directly into the Roku if you can.)
Finally, there’s a USB port so you can plug in an external hard drive or thumb drive and play video files that you’ve made yourself or downloaded from somewhere else.
The new hardware features are nice, but there’s no need to upgrade from the second-generation Roku unless you really, really want that new remote with the headphone jack. All those great software features I mentioned? You’ll get them in a software update soon if you haven’t already.
If you don’t have a Roku, the hardware upgrades are definitely more versatile than what you get with the Apple TV.
ConclusionAs I said in the intro, no streaming box can offer you some sort of revolution in web-based video watching. But the Roku is the best at working with what is out there already. You get access to more streaming services and content than the Apple TV has, plus an incredible interface that helps you find what you want better than anything else out there.
It’s that good.
Unless you already have a lot of content purchased through iTunes, the Roku 3 is the best choice.
A romantic comic-drama about mental illness, ballroom dancing, gambling and the Philadelphia Eagles with a puzzling title — “Silver Linings Playbook” — a movie or madness?
The first half of the movie is a drama about two crazy people struggling with their mental problems. Pat Solitano Jr., played by Bradley Cooper, is suffering from bipolar manic-depression. He was recently released after eight months in a psychiatric facility for severely beating his wife’s lover when he caught them in the shower having sex.
Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence) has been depressed over the death of her husband, Tommy, and is a recovering sex addict who was fired from her job for sleeping with everyone in the office.
Pat moves in with his father, “Pat Sr.” (Robert De Niro), an unemployed compulsive-obsessive gambler and his mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver). They care about their son’s recovery from mental illness and worry about his future.
Pat’s friend Ronnie Miles (John Ortiz) and his wife, Veronica (Julie Stiles), invite him to dinner. Ronnie warns Pat not to mention to his sister-in-law, Tiffany, the death of her husband. Pat and Tiffany quickly exchange inappropriate remarks and compare the drugs they have taken for their respective mental disorders.
The second half of the movie is a romantic-comedy as they both work together on their issues and strategies to recover from their mental illnesses.
Pat’s wife has moved away and has a restraining order against her husband for his past violent behavior. Pat agrees to enter a ballroom dancing contest and practice with Tiffany provided she will get a letter to his wife, Nikki (Brea Bee), with whom Pat hopes to get back together. Tiffany delivers to Pat a letter from Nikki in which she hints at a possible reconciliation.
Pat’s father asks his son to attend a Philadelphia Eagles football game on which he has placed a big bet believing his son will bring him luck or good juju. This requires Pat to miss a practice dance session with Tiffany. Pat, his brother Jake (Shea Whigham) and his psychiatrist Dr. Cliff Patel (Anupam Kher) meet in the stadium parking lot, where Pat gets into a fight and is arrested. Pat’s father loses the big bet. He believes it was the result of bad juju for his son not attending the game. Tiffany convinces Pat Sr. that when his son is with her, the Eagles always win and she is good juju.
Pat Sr. doubles down with a parlay bet on the Eagles beating Dallas and for Pat and Tiffany to score at least 5 out of 10 points in the ballroom dance contest the same night. Tiffany becomes agitated when Pat’s wife Nikki shows up to watch the dance contest.
If you are an incurable romantic and optimist who believes in a match made in heaven and every cloud has a silver lining,” you may be enchanted by the film’s storybook ending. If you are a realist, this movie will seem hopelessly far-fetched and sheer madness.
The film’s Academy Award nominations include best picture, director (David O. Russell), actor (Cooper), actress (Lawrence), supporting actor (De Niro), supporting actress (Weaver), adapted screenplay (David O. Russell) and film editing (Jay Cassidy & Crispin Struthers).
It is rare for a film to be nominated for the Academy’s four top acting awards; the last time was in 1981 with “Reds,” as well as the so-called “big five” for best picture, director, actor, actress and screenplay. If the film won the “big five” awards it would be in the select company of “It Happened One Night” (1934), a romantic comedy, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1971), a drama set in a mental institution, and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991), a thriller about a psychiatrist who is also a cannibalistic serial killer.
The film faces two tough competitors in “Argo” and “Lincoln” for best picture, director, actor, film editing and adapted screenplay. However, I will not be surprised if Russell edges out “Lincoln” director Steven Spielberg or “Lincoln” writer Tony Kushner or “Argo” writer Chris Terrio for adapted screen play. However, “Silver Lining Playbook” looks like a real long shot for the “big five” because the most likely Oscar winner for best actor is Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln.
In January, Lawrence won a Golden Globe award for best actress in a comedy or musical and the Screen Actors Guild’s best actress award.
I believe “Silver Linings Playbook” will win at least two Oscars for best actress (Lawrence) and supporting actor (De Niro).
The movie is a crazy “chick flick”. For Valentine’s Day see the movie with a date and then sing Van Morrison’s Crazy Love:
I can hear her heart beat for a thousand miles
And the heavens open every time she smiles
And when I come to her that’s where I belong
Yet Im running to her like a rivers song
Chorus:
She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love
She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love…
Film rating: A
Raymond Thomas Pronk is host of the Pronk Pops Show on KDUX web radio from 3-5 p.m. Fridays and author of the companion blog http://www.pronkpops.wordpress.com/
Silver Linings Playbook Official Movie Trailer [HD]
Silver Linings Playbook Interview – Bradley Cooper (2012) – Comedy HD
Robert De Niro & Bradley Cooper interview – November 12, 2012
DP/30 @ TIFF 2012: Silver Linings Playbook, actor Bradley Cooper
Silver Linings Playbook Interview – Jennifer Lawrence (2012) Comedy HD
Silver Linings Playbook 12 Min. Featurette (2012) – Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence Movie HD
Jennifer Lawrence Interview with David Letterman
DP/30: Silver Linings Playbook, director David O. Russell, editor Jay Cassidy
DP/30 @ TIFF 2012: Silver Linings Playbook, actor Jennifer Lawrence
DP/30: Silver Linings Playbook, actor Jacki Weaver
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK Press Conference | Festival 2012
Silver Linings Playbook – Movie Review by Chris Stuckmann
Silver Linings Playbook Book & Movie Review
TIFF 2012: Movie Review for SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (CinemaVine.com)
A documentary, which takes you on a journey of Bowie’s revolutionary career, struggle with his personal life and his achievements and successes. Features interviews with Bowie, Iman his wife, his musical contemporaries including Iggy Pop, Moby and Trent Razor. Exclusive footage of live performances of the showman’s best and music and film to showcase 30 years of his career. Highlights Bowie’s interests, passions and involvement with the arts. One not to be missed!
The Last Waltz was a concert by the Canadian rock group, The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976,
at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The Last Waltz was advertised as the end of The Band’s touring career,
The Band – The Last Waltz (Excerpt from Documentary Movie) Part 1 of ３
The Band – The Last Waltz (Excerpt from Documentary Movie) Part 2 of ３
The Band – The Last Waltz (Excerpt from Documentary Movie) Part ３ of ３
The Band – Up On Cripple Creek (Levon Helm Tribute) – The Last Waltz
The Band & Bob Dylan – Baby Let Me Follow You Down – The Last Waltz
The Last Waltz – Van Morrison – Caravan
Emmylou Harris & The Band – The last Waltz (evangeline)
Dry Your Eyes – Neil Diamond & The Band – The Last Waltz
The Band – The Last Waltz (full album)
The Band & Friends – I Shall Be Released (11.25.1976)
The Last Waltz – The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Dream Baby – Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night
Roy Orbison – Pretty Women, (Black and White Night)
Roy Orbison performs “Oh, Pretty Woman” as the finale of the Black & White Night Concert. Backed by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Tom Waits, kd lang, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, JD Souther, T Bone Burnett, Steven Soles, and Jennifer Warnes. Recorded September 30, 1987.
Bruce Springsteen’s keynote speech at the SXSW Festival, Austin, Texas
Keynote speech at the South by South West Festival in Austin, Texas. Bruce comes in after 4 minutes. It’s almost an hour long, but if you have the time, definitely worth watching.
Bruce Springsteen – Dancing In The Dark
Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run
We Take Care Of Our Own – Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen-Jack of all trades
I’ll mow your lawn, clean the leaves out your drain
I’ll mend your roof to keep out the rain
I’ll take the work that god provides
I’m a jack of all trades, honey, we’ll be alright
I’ll hammer the nails, and i’ll set the stone
I’ll harvest your crops when they’re ripe and grown
I’ll pull that engine apart and patch her up ’til she’s running right
I’m a jack of all trades, we’ll be alright
A hurricane blows, brings a hard rain
When the blue sky breaks, feels like the world’s gonna change
We’ll start caring for each other like jesus said that we might
I’m a jack of all trades, we’ll be alright
The banker man grows fatter, the working man grows thin
It’s all happened before and it’ll happen again
It’ll happen again, they’ll bet your life
I’m a jack of all trades and, darling, we’ll be alright
Now sometimes tomorrow comes soaked in treasure and blood
Here we stood the drought, now we’ll stand the flood
There’s a new world coming, i can see the light
I’m a jack of all trades, we’ll be alright
So you use what you’ve got, and you learn to make do
You take the old, you make it new
If i had me a gun, i’d find the bastards and shoot ‘em on sight
TEDxSanDiego 2011 – Jason Russell – Joseph Kony 2012
How Cults Work (MUST SEE)
KONY 2012 SCAM – Ron Paul Speaks Out Against Brainwashing
Stop Kony Now – Discussion !!
Uganda Genocide
Congo 20 million dead the role US and its allies played
CONGO 20 MILLION DIE AND THE WORLD SILENT: The role that the America/Isreal and its allies, Rwanda/Uganda, have played in the greatest humanitarian crisis at the dawn of the 21st century
“Mum loves me being famous! She is so excited and proud, as she had me so young and couldn’t support me, so I am living her dream, it’s sweeter for both of us. It’s her 40th birthday soon and I’m going to buy her 40 presents.”
She amazed us again….
Adele – Someone Like You
Adele – Turning Tables
Adele- Don’t You Remember
Adele – Someone Like You (Live in Her Home)
Adele – Make You Feel My Love (Live on Letterman)
ADELE – ‘Make You Feel My Love’
Adele – One And Only
Adele – Rumour Has It
ADELE – ‘Cold Shoulder’
Adele – Crazy For You
ADELE – ‘Hometown Glory’
Adele – He won’t go (with lyrics)
Adele – First Love
Adele – Set Fire To The Rain (Live from the Tabernacle, London, 24 January 2011)
Adele Turning Set Fire To Rain Live X Factor Rihanna You Da One Lyrics Grammy Nominations AMA 2012
Adele – Make You Feel My Love [Official Video]
‘My life is full of drama and I won’t have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like. I don’t like going to the gym.
‘I like eating fine foods and drinking nice wine. Even if I had a really good figure, I don’t think I’d get my t**s and a** out for no one.
‘I love seeing Lady Gaga’s boobs and bum. I love seeing Katy Perry’s boobs and bum. Love it. But that’s not what my music is about. I don’t make music for eyes, I make music for ears.’
Background Articles and Videos
Adele wins a Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance
Adele 21 – Track By Track Interview
Adele — Exclusive WSJ Interview
Adele – Ushi the (complete) interview
Adele – Interview (The Jonathan Ross Show – 3rd September 2011)
ADELE – Live At The Royal Albert Hall DVD (Trailer)
Adele & Amy Winehouse performing @ The BRIT Awards (2008)
Adele (singer)
“…Adele Laurie Blue Adkins[2] (born 5 May 1988), better known mononymously as Adele, is an English recording artist and songwriter. Adele was offered a recording contract from XL Recordings after a friend posted her demonstration on Myspace in 2006. The next year she received the Brit Awards “Critics’ Choice” and won the BBC Sound of 2008. Her debut album, 19 was released in 2008 to much commercial and critical success in the UK. 19 was certified four times platinum in the UK.[3] Her career in the US was boosted by a Saturday Night Live appearance in late 2008. At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Adele received the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.[4][5] She has also won a total of 8 Grammy Awards and 1 Brit Award.
Adele released her second album, 21 in early 2011.[6][7] The album was well received critically and surpassed the success of her debut commercially.[8]21 has been certified 14 times platinum in the UK;[3] in the US the album held the top position longer than any other album since 1993.[9][10] The success of 21 earned Adele numerous mentions in the Guinness Book Of World Records. The album won the Grammy for Album of the Year. She is the first artist to sell more than 3 million copies of an album in a year in the UK.[11] With her two albums and the first two singles from 21, “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You”, Adele became the first living artist to achieve the feat of two top five hits in both the UK Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart simultaneously since the Beatles in 1964.[12][13] With her third release from the album, “Set Fire to the Rain”, becoming her third number one single in the US, Adele became the first artist in history to lead the Billboard 200 concurrently with three Billboard Hot 100 number ones.[14]21 is the longest running number one album by a female solo artist on the UK Albums Chart[15] and is tied for the longest cumulative stay at number one by a female solo artist as well.[11] In 2011, Billboard named Adele artist of the year.[16]
Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You Official Music Video
Whitney Houston – Where Do Broken Hearts Go (Medley)
where do broken hearts go by whitney houston with lyrics
Whitney Houston sings at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ.
Whitney Houston – Memories (1982)
Merv Griffin Show- Whitney Houston and Cissy Houston sings Sweet Baby/You Send Me/Aint No Way 1983
Whitney Houston 1985 Opening Act for Luther Vandross
Whitney Houston – Saving all my love for you – Peters Popshow – 1985
Whitney Houston – Saving all my love for you – Peters Popshow – 1985
Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)
Whitney Houston – All At Once (1987)
Whitney Houston – Saving All My Love – HQ Live
Whitney Houston – All The Man That I Need
Whitney Houston – Saving All My love For You (Live French Show)
Whitney Houston One Moment In Time(Grammy Awards Live)
Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston – Saving All My Love For You
Whitney Houston – How Will I Know
Whitney Houston – So Emotional
Whitney Houston – I’m Every Woman
Whitney Houston – It’s Not Right But It’s Okay
Whitney Houston – Exhale
Whitney Houston – All The Man That I Need
Whitney Houston – I Look To You
Whitney Houston – Run To You
Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Whitney Houston – Greatest Love Of All
Whitney Houston – I Have Nothing
Whitney Houston – Didn’t We Almost Have It All
Baclground Articles and Videos
Whitney Houston’s Death: 2012 Grammy Awards to Pay Tribute to Her Career
Whitney Houston – This is My Life – Part 1
Whitney Houston – This is My Life – Part 2
Whitney Houston – This Is My Life – Part 3
Whitney Houston Rolling Stone Interview 1986
Whitney Houston MTV Interview (1988)
Whitney Houston on The Arsenio Hall Show (1990)
Whitney Houston on The Arsenio Hall Show (1992) Part 1
Whitney Houston on The Arsenio Hall Show (1992) Part 2
Whitney Houston on The Arsenio Hall Show (1992) Part 3
Whitney Houston – Barbara Walters Special 1993 – Part 1
Whitney Houston – Barbara Walters Special 1993 – Part 2
…
Whitney Houston interview by Diane Sawyer
Whitney Houston UK Interview 1996 Rare
Whitney Houston Interview
Whitney Houston
“…Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American recording artist, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, the Guinness World Records cited her as the most-awarded female act of all time.[1] Her awards include two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards in her lifetime. Houston was also one of the world’s best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide.[2][3] Inspired by prominent soul singers in her family, including her mother Cissy Houston, cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick, and her godmother Aretha Franklin, Houston began singing with her New Jersey church’s junior gospel choir at age 11.[4] After she began performing alongside her mother in night clubs in the New York City area, she was discovered by Arista Records label head Clive Davis. Houston released seven studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold certification.
Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits (“Saving All My Love for You”, “How Will I Know”, “Greatest Love of All”, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)”, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All”, “So Emotional” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”). She is the second artist behind Elton John and the only female artist to have two number-one Billboard 200 Album awards (formerly “Top Pop Album”) on the Billboard magazine year-end charts. Houston’s 1985 debut album Whitney Houston became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. The album was named Rolling Stone‘s best album of 1986, and was ranked at number 254 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[5] Her second studio album Whitney (1987) became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart.[5] Houston’s crossover appeal on the popular music charts as well as her prominence on MTV, starting with her video for “How Will I Know”,[6] influenced several African-American female artists to follow in her footsteps.[7][8]
Houston’s first acting role was as the star of the feature film The Bodyguard (1992). The film’s original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single “I Will Always Love You”, became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history. With the album, Houston became the first act (solo or group, male or female) to sell more than a million copies of an album within a single week period.[5] The album makes her the only female act in the top 10 list of the best-selling albums of all time, at number four. Houston continued to star in movies and contribute to their soundtracks, including the films Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher’s Wife (1996). The Preacher’s Wife soundtrack became the best-selling gospel album in history.[9] Three years after the release of her fourth studio album My Love Is Your Love (1998), she renewed her recording contract with Arista Records.[9] She released her fifth studio album Just Whitney in 2002, and the Christmas-themed One Wish: The Holiday Album in 2003. In 2009, Houston released her seventh studio album I Look to You. …”
An emotional Don Lane singing Peter Allen’s ‘Once Before I Go’ on the final Don Lane Show in 1983. The Don Lane Show ran on Channel 9 from 1975 to 1983 and was and still is the highest rating variety program in Australian television history. This song is a fitting tribute to a man who changed the face of Australian television forever. Rest in peace Don, you are a true legend.
ONCE BEFORE I GO
Peter Allen on the Tonight Show
Patti Labelle – Once Before I Go [Live 80's]
The Boy from OZ Once Before I Go Hugh Jackman
Once before I go
I want you to know
That I would do it all again
I’m sure I’d make the same mistakes
But I could make it through
The pains and joys and aches
I knew back then
I’d do it all
I’d do it all again
Before I go
I want you to know
That I look back with no regrets
And when our luck was wearing thin
And we were down and out
And still came back to win against all bets
Now when I look back
I still have no regrets
And it’s so hard to say good-byes
When there’s so much that’s left
Unspoken in your eyes
But unless I spread my wings again
I’m afraid I’ll never soar
So hang on to the memories
And hold me close once more
Once more
Just once before I go
I want you to know
That I have loved you all along
And even when we’re far apart
I only need to feel you’re living in my heart
And I’ll be strong
Love you just the way
I’ve loved you all along
And it’s so hard to say good-byes
When there’s so much that’s left
Unspoken in your eyes
But unless I spread my wings again
I’m afraid I’ll never soar
So kiss me for the last time
And hold me close once more
Once more
Just once before I go
I want you to know
That I have loved you all along
And even when we’re far apart
I only need to feel you’re living in my heart
And I’ll be strong
You are the light that shines on me
You always were and you’ll always be
So I had to let you know
Just this once
Just this once
Before I go
Background Articles and Videos
PETER ALLEN YOU AND ME (We Wanted It All)
NBC Tomorrow Show (final show) Peter Allen, Tom Snyder, 12/17/1981
PETER ALLEN Hits Medley + I Could Marry the Rain
Peter Allen
“…Peter Allen (10 February 1944 – 18 June 1992) was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur’s Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981. In addition to recording many albums, he enjoyed a cabaret and concert career, including appearing at Radio City Music Hall riding a camel. His marriage to Liza Minnelli ended in divorce, and his most significant relationship was with Gregory Connell, which lasted 15 years.
Peter Allen was born Peter Richard Woolnough in Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia. He was the grandson of George Woolnough, whom Allen immortalized in his song “Tenterfield Saddler”. Allen began his performing career with Chris Bell as one of the “Allen Brothers”, who were a popular cabaret and television act in the early 1960s in Australia. Mark Herron, the husband of Judy Garland, discovered Allen while he was performing in Hong Kong. He was invited to return with them to London and the United States, where he performed with Garland.[citation needed]
Career
Allen commenced releasing solo recordings in 1971, but throughout his career achieved greater success through his songs being recorded by others. Allen scored his biggest success with the song “I Honestly Love You” , which he co-wrote with Jeff Barry and which became a major hit in 1974 for Olivia Newton-John. Her single reached number one in the United States and Canada and won two Grammy Awards, for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for Newton-John. Allen also co-wrote “Don’t Cry Out Loud”, with Carole Bayer Sager, popularized by Melissa Manchester in 1978, and “I’d Rather Leave While I’m In Love”, also co-written with Bayer Sager and popularized by Rita Coolidge in 1979. One of his signature songs, “I Go to Rio”, co-written with Adrienne Anderson, was popularized in America by the group Pablo Cruise.
In 1976, Allen released an album Taught By Experts, which reached number one in Australia, along with the number one singles “I Go To Rio” and “The More I See You”. Although his recording career in the U.S. never progressed, he performed in Atlantic City and Carnegie Hall. He had three extended sold-out engagements at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, where he became the first male dancer to dance with The Rockettes and rode a camel during “I Go to Rio.”[1] This performance was broadcast live and exclusively on subscription television service WHT The Movie Network.[2]
His most successful album was Bi-Coastal (1980), produced by David Foster and featuring the single “Fly Away,” which, in 1981, became his only U.S. chart single, reaching #55 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Allen co-wrote the song “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” with Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Christopher Cross, for the 1981 movie Arthur. The song reached number one in the U.S., and the songwriters won an Academy Award for Best Song. One lyric for the song: “If you get caught between the moon and New York City” was adapted from an earlier song that he and Bayer Sager co-wrote. Allen and Bayer Sager also co-wrote “You and Me (We Wanted It All),” which was recorded by Frank Sinatra. A video of Sinatra singing the song at Carnegie Hall was included as part of the Sinatra: New York package, released in late 2009.
Allen performed on Australian Television at many important occasions: in front of Queen Elizabeth II in 1980 at the Sydney Opera House, before Prince Charles and Princess Diana, once in Melbourne and again in Sydney, at the opening of the Sydney Entertainment Centre, where he unveiled for the first time his Australian “Flag” shirt, and the 1980 Australian Rules Grand Final in Melbourne. His “Up In One Concert” of 1980 was a huge ratings success across the country. When Australia won The America’s Cup, he flew to Perth to sing before an audience of 100,000. In 1988 he opened for Frank Sinatra at Sanctuary Cove, Queensland. In America he appeared at the 30th Anniversary of Disneyland. He returned to recording on Arista with an album entitled “Not the Boy Next Door” (1983). In 1990 he recorded his final album on RCA, Making Every Moment Count, which featured Melissa Manchester and Harry Connick Jr.
One of his songs, I Still Call Australia Home, became popular through its use in television commercials, initially for National Panasonic, and since 1998 for Qantas Airlines.[3] .[4]This has since become an unofficial anthem for Australians abroad.
Broadway
He made his Broadway debut on 12 January 1971, in Soon, a rock opera that opened at the Ritz Theatre and ran for three performances. He starred in his own one-man revue on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre, “Up in One: More Than a Concert” (1979), which ran for 46 performances.[citation needed]
Allen recorded a live album called “Captured Live at Carnegie Hall” where songs from his musical Legs Diamond, were previewed. Legs Diamond opened on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on 26 December 1988, with a book co-written by Harvey Fierstein. The musical ran for 64 performances and 72 previews. After Legs Diamond closed he returned to concert work, touring with Bernadette Peters during the summer of 1989.[5] Peter and Bernadette also performed in the early 1980s on the Academy Award broadcast in an extended musical tribute to Irving Berlin.
Other work
He appeared in a cameo role in the film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978).
His live version of “Everything Old is New Again” can be heard on the soundtrack to the film All That Jazz (1979).
He appeared in the 1982 television version of The Pirates of Penzance (as the Pirate King).
He appeared as the “man in studio” in the TV series Miami Vice’s second-season premiere episode “The Prodigal Son”.
He also did a pilot for a new Name That Tune show in 1990, and the pilot for what became CBS’s short-lived primetime game show The Hollywood Game. He died the day the series, which ended up being hosted by Bob Goen due to Allen’s illness, debuted. (citation: The Boy From Oz by Stephen MacLean, 1996)
Near the end of his Tuesday’s radio talk show, Bill Bennett announced that he will have a surprise guest on his show Wednesday.
He did not mention the guest’s name because he thought you would not want to listen.
Will the surprise guest be Ron Paul?
Keep in mind that Newt Gingrich was on the show Tuesday and Bennett has a standing offer to all the Presidential candidates to call in and be on the radio show.
Also keep in mind that Paul mentioned Bill Bennett by name as one of the neoconservatives.
Ron Paul Calls Out Neocons By Name!
Ron Paul On Southern Avenger – Neoconservatives & The War State
Jack Hunter on Freedom Watch 03/31/11
Mark Levin Avoids the “Empire” Question
SA@TheDC – “I Like Ron Paul Except on Foreign Policy”
Bennett claims to be a classical liberal, but when it comes to guests on his show in the area of foreign policy, the majority of them are neoconservatives.
Wake up early and listen to William’s show and see if Ron Paul, MD and William Bennett, PhD, J.D. have a conversation.
Call in.
UPDATED
Never mind.
I am not surprised that Bill Bennett invites William A. Galston, a progressive liberal Democrat, student of Leo Strauss, that currently works at the Brookings Institution, as a guest on his show.
Galston believes Romney would be the strongest candidate to beat Barack Obama.
Nonsense.
Galston probably believed that Gerald Ford was the strongest candidate to beat Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Ron Paul like Ronald Reagan before him was not the choice of either the Republican Party establishment nor the Democratic Party establishment in 1976 or 1980. Both party establishments want to nominate a progressive or liberal candidate. Romney and Perry are the leading candidates for the Republican Party establishment.
The conservative and libertarian movement will stay home on election day if the Republican Party nominates yet another progressive and/or neoconservative.
I simply do not trust Romney. He is a progressive Republican.
If I want to vote for a progressive candidate, I would vote for Obama or Clinton.
Since I am a traditional libertarian or classical liberal I plan to support and vote for Ron Paul.
However, in defense of William, Ron Paul, his campaign staff and supporters would be well advised to read Galston’s papers to understand how the a progressive liberal Democrat thinks and who they wish to run against so they can win.
The focus should be first on the issue of trust.
Do you trust Barack Obama or Ron Paul?
The second focus should be on the economy, job creation and inflation (rising food, gasoline and clothing prices).
Paul must link balancing the budget, cutting spending and taxes, creating money, and bringing the troops with creating more jobs.
Every issue discussed should be linked to creating more jobs and moving away from a warfare and welfare economy to a peace and prosperity economy.
Ron Paul should start asking the American people during the remaining debates the following:
“Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
Just like Ronald Reagan did:
Reagan 1980 Are you better off than you were four years ago?
If you want cradle to grave dependency on the government and a warfare and welfare economy, vote for Romney, Perry or Obama.
If you want to put faith, family, friends and freedom first and a peace and prosperity economy, vote for Ron Paul.
William the time has come to have Ron Paul as a guest on your show.
Ron Paul On CNBC With Kudlow About Polling 2nd In Iowa
November 7, 2011
One Year to Go: President Barack Obama’s Uphill Battle for Reelection in 2012
William A. Galston
“…Despite recent signs of a modest upturn in President Barack Obama’s political fortunes, the 2012 election is likely to be close and hard-fought. More than in any contest since 1992, the economy will be the overwhelming focus. But fundamental clashes about the role of government will also be in play against a backdrop of record low public confidence in our governing institutions. And contests involving incumbents tend to be referenda on their records more than choices between candidates. If the election pitting Obama against the strongest potential Republican nominee, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, were held tomorrow, the president would probably lose.
But a year is a very long time in American politics, and three factors could change the odds in Obama’s favor. Economic growth could exceed expectations, and the unemployment rate—long stuck at 9 percent—could come down fast enough to restore a modicum of Americans’ shattered hopes for the future. The Republicans could commit creedal suicide by nominating a presidential candidate outside the mainstream or unqualified for the office. And the Obama campaign could make a wise
decision to focus first and foremost on the states—principally in the Midwest—that have decided presidential elections in the past half century and are poised to do so again next year. If the president tries to rerun his 2008 campaign under very different circumstances, he could end up turning potential victory into defeat. …”
“…During the 2007-2009 recession, median household income declined by 3.2 percent. Since the official end of the recession in mid-2009, it has declined by an additional 6.7 percent. Median household income now stands below what it was in 2000. For most American households, the past ten years have been a lost decade.
While some groups have done worse than others, few have been spared. Median income for households headed by high school graduates has declined by 13.6 percent since 2007. But those with some college education have lost 12 percent, and even those headed by college graduates have lost 6.9 percent. Young adults and those nearing retirement have been especially hard-hit in the past two years: since mid-2009, household incomes of those under 25 are down 9.5 percent, 25 to 34 year olds have surrendered 9.8 percent, and households headed by workers in their early 60s have shed 10.7 percent on top of a 10.8 percent decline in 2007-2009—a staggering 21.5 percent loss overall.
During the early phase of the Obama administration, the vast majority of Americans blamed former president George W. Bush for the country’s economic woes. While they still do, President Obama is increasingly being held responsible as well: 53 percent of the voters now blame him a “great deal” or a “moderate amount” for the economy, up more than 20 points. Not surprisingly, most Republicans have held him responsible from the very beginning, and most Democrats still don’t. The big swing has come among Independents, whose “blame Obama” percentage has risen from 37 percent in early 2009 to 60 percent in the fall of 2011 (Gallup,
September 21, 2011). …”
“…To an extraordinary degree, public attention is focused on a single issue. Fifty-seven percent of the people regard the economy and jobs as the most important issues facing the country, compared to 5 percent for the budget deficit, 2 percent for health and education, and 1 percent for poverty, crime and war. (Neither abortion nor moral values registers even 1 percent.)
Most people think the economy is doing badly, and they don’t expect things to improve anytime soon. This represents an abrupt change. As recently as the first quarter of 2011, more people thought the economy was getting better than getting worse. By September, only 12 percent saw improvement, while 43 percent were experiencing decline. Indeed, four in five Americans think the economy is still in recession, and only 37 percent think it will be better a year from now. Only 15 percent think they are better off than when Obama became president, versus 35 percent who feel worse off.
A recent Wall Street Journal analysis illuminates the harsh reality underlying this assessment. During the 2007-2009 recession,
median household income declined by 3.2 percent. Since the official end of the recession in mid-2009, it has declined by an additional 6.7 percent. Median household income now stands below what it was in 2000. For most American households, the past ten years have been a lost decade. …”
The Brand of Conservatism That Will Win (and the One That Will Fail) in 2012
William A. Galston, Senior Fellow, Governance Studies
The New Republic
“…Tuesday night’s election results illuminate the terrain on which the 2012 election will be fought. The American people want government to address their problems, but not at the cost of excessive intrusion in their lives. They recoil from ideologically motivated attacks on workers and on women. While they are open to a moderate brand of conservatism, they will reject a harder-edge and more extreme version. …”
William Galston is a political theorist.
He is the Saul I Stern Professor of Civic Engagement and the director of the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy at the School of Public Policy of University of Maryland, College Park. In addition, he is a Senior Fellow of Governance at the Brookings Institution. He was also a senior adviser to President of the United States Bill Clinton on domestic policy, and has also been employed by the presidential campaigns of Al Gore and Walter Mondale.
Since 1995, Galston has served as a founding member of the Board of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and as chair of the Campaign’s Task Force on Religion and Public Values. He previously taught in the department of Government at the University of Texas-Austin.
In political philosophy, Galston has written influential works on political pluralism and on domestic policy issues in liberal society.
Galston was a student of classicist and political philosopher Leo Strauss.
Selected works
Justice and the Human Good, University of Chicago Press, 1980.
Liberal Purposes, Cambridge University Press, 1991.
Liberal Pluralism, Cambridge University Press, 2002.
The Practice of Liberal Pluralism, Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Public Matters: Essays on Politics, Policy and Religion, Rowman & Littlefield, 2005.
–>03/30/13 12:00pm Roger Friedman 1
Phil Ramone, Famed Record Producer of Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Dies