Gifted Pop Song Composer Dies at 94

Burt Bacharach (left), one of pop music's greatest composers, on Wednesday, died aged 94, of natural causes. 

 

Known for his airborne melodies and sumptuous orchestral arrangements, Bacharach scored more than 50 chart hits in the US and UK, with artists including Dionne Warwick, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Barbra Streisand, Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin and Elvis Costello, all recording his songs. He was responsible for enduring hits like: 

 

Magic Moments – Perry Como; I Say A Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin; I'll Never Fall In Love Again/ The Look of Love/ Anyone Who Had A Heart – Dionne Warwick; (They Long to Be) Close to You – The Carpenters; Alfie – Cilla Black; Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head – BJ Thomas; I Just Don't Know What to Do With With Myself – Dusty Springfield; What's New, Pussycat? – Tom Jones.

 

Bacharach won three Oscars, two Golden Globes and six competitive Grammy Awards, and was hailed as music's "greatest living composer" when he accepted the Grammy lifetime achievement honor in 2008. 

 

Although his hits tailed off in later years, Bacharach remained a popular figure, collaborating with Adele, Sheryl Crow and Dr Dre, among others.

Angelina Jordan

I first came across Angelina Jordan (left) when I spotted her on an AGT: The Champions episode on YouTube. (This was during the Covid-19 stay-at-home period, you understand and life moves at a snail’s pace). 

She sang an Elton John song, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" – and I perked up. I savored her voice and I absolutely loved it. Check her out here:

Of course, she progressed to the next stage and she did a remarkable interpretation of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”. (I was livid she did not win in the Final – never mind, as far as I am concerned, she's a winner).

And when I googled her, I discovered that she was just 7-years-old when she won Norway’s Got Talent in 2014. 

She has done more than 130 covers and in addition to the two above, I have picked another 3 which make it to my playlist.

Lana Del Rey’s “Born to Die” (2011):

Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “I Put a Spell on You” (1968):

 

I tell you, her version is as good as the other versions whether from Annie Lennox and/or Nina Simone and there are those who would venture to say it’s better than even the original!

Aretha Franklin’s “A Natural Woman” (1967):

Angelina Jordan is simply awesome!

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Aretha Franklin Tribute Becomes Madonna Monologue

The 2018 MTV Video Music Awards held on August 20, 2018 was meant to honor the best in the music video medium. 

[Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category), the annual MTV Video Music Awards ceremony has often been called the "Super Bowl for youth", an acknowledgment of the VMA ceremony's ability to draw millions of youth from teens to 20-somethings each year]. 

Of course, this year, MTV naturally wanted to eulogize the legendary Aretha Franklin. Like it or not, Franklin’s death on August 16 has overshadowed the 60th birthday of another seminal artist, Madonna. 

MTV thought they were being very clever when they made the bizarre decision to take out two birds with one stone – they invited Madonna to present a paean to Franklin (left) while also presenting the Video of the Year Award. 

And what we got was a Madonna monologue about Madonna – not what we were expecting! 

I'd better not generalize – it should be "not what I was expecting".

You must GO TO THE BBC LINK below and check out the self-indulgent tribute to Franklin where the Queen of Pop gave herself massive airtime and the Queen of Soul only a passing mention:

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/entertainment-arts-45263731/madonna-s-self-indulgent-aretha-tribute (Source: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2018 BBC).

And give a listen to these two video clips – broadsides of barbs directed at Madonna for her “syiok sendiri” spiel at the 2018 MTV VMAs on Monday:

 

[Note: The Breakfast Club is a New York City-based American syndicated radio show]. 

Anyway, in case you wish to know, the Video of the Year Award went to Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug for “Havana”:

One of my fave artists, Nicki Minaj won the Best Hip-Hop Award for "Chun-Li":

The song which takes its name from the Street Fighter character of the same name is from her fourth studio album, Queen (2018).

She's Gone: Aretha Franklin (1942-2018)

Aretha Louise Franklin (right), whose gospel-rooted singing and bluesy yet expansive delivery earned her the title "the Queen of Soul" died at her Detroit home Thursday. She was 76. 

Over the course of a professional career that spanned more than half a century, Franklin's songs not only topped the charts but became part of the vernacular. 

Nicki Minaj called her "an icon of all icons".

The first woman admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she had 88 Billboard chart hits during the rock era, tops among female vocalists. And at the peak of her career – from 1967 to 1975 – she had more than two dozen Top 40 hits. 

Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All Time. 

These are my favorites from her voluminous collection:

 

"Thank you" just doesn't cut it. It's sadly inadequate.

I don't know what else to say – but Rest In Peace. And Joy, Aretha. 

Celtic will not play in the Champions League group stage for the first time during Brendan Rodgers' tenure – thanks to AEK Athens winning 2-1 (aggregate 3-2) on Tuesday. 

Four days later, they put aside their disappointment when they beat Partick Thistle 3-1 in the Scottish Cup second round on Saturday.