19 Feb09.....it's all about the auction

CURLY PUTMAN TO RECEIVE HONORARY DOCTORATE

SMP Nashville Writer Curly Putmanm, will be receiving an honorary doctorate at Cumberland University’s commencement ceremonies on May 2. Curly has been a member of the SMP Nashville writing staff for 40+ years. Curly is a native of Alabama and a member of the Alabama Hall of Fame as well as the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Some of Curly’s hits include “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” recorded by George Jones, Tammy Wynette’s D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” “My Elusive Dreams,” recorded by Tammy Wynette and David Houston and “Green Green Grass of Home,” which has been recorded more than 500 times with Tom Jones and Elvis being two of the artist. This is a huge honor for Curly and we congratulate him on such a prestigious award. Cumberland University is located in Lebanon, TN.

...for the week ending Feb. 14th 2009

“JUST DANCE” (Akon, Lady Gaga, RedOne)
by Lady Gaga feat. Colby O’Donis
Soundscan – Pop Singles #4


“LOVE STORY” (Swift)
by Taylor Swift
Soundscan – Pop Singles #5


“MAD” (Eriksen)
by Ne-Yo
Soundscan – Pop Singles #15


“I Hate This Part” (Hector)
by Pussycat Dolls
Soundscan – Pop Singles #12

“WOMANIZER” (Brisco)
by Britney Spears
Soundscan – Pop Singles #18


“POKER FACE” (Lady Gaga, RedOne)
by Lady Gaga
Soundscan – Pop Singles #23


“DON'T” (Beavers)
by Billy Currington
Soundscan – Country Singles #2


“NO ME DOY POOR VENCIDO” (Fonsi, Bryant)
by Luis Fonsi
Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs #1

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JEFF BUCKLEY

Sony/ATV is proud to announce that we have extended our WW deal with Jeff Buckley. Jeff Buckley’s catalog includes such great songs as, “Last Goodbye”, “Lover You Should’ve Come Over”, “Mojo Pin” and “Grace”. Jeff’s quintessential version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.

Jeff Buckley was born in California's Orange County in 1966 and died in a tragic drowning accident in Memphis on May 29, 1997. He had emerged in New York City's avant-garde club scene in the 1990's as one of the most remarkable musical artists of his generation, acclaimed by audiences, critics, and fellow musicians alike. His first commercial recording, the four-song EP Live At Sin-é, was released in December 1993 on Columbia Records. The EP captured Buckley, accompanying himself on electric guitar, in a tiny coffeehouse in New York's East Village, the neighborhood he'd made his home.

By the time of the EP's release during the fall of 1993, Buckley had already entered the studio with Mick Grondahl (bass), Matt Johnson (drummer), and producer Andy Wallace and recorded seven original songs (including "Grace" and "Last Goodbye") and three covers (among them Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", Benjamin Britten's "Corpus Christi Carol") that comprised his debut album Grace. Guitarist Michael Tighe became a permanent member of Jeff Buckley's ensemble and went on to co-write and perform on Grace's "So Real" just prior to the release of the album.

In early 1994, not long after Live At Sin-é appeared in stores, Jeff Buckley toured clubs, lounges, and coffeehouses in North America as a solo artist from January 15-March 5 as well as in Europe from March 11-22. Following extensive rehearsals in April-May 1994, Buckley's "Peyote Radio Theatre Tour" found him on the road with his band from June 2-August 16. His full-length full-band album, Grace, was released in the United States on August 23, 1994, the same day Buckley and band kicked off a European tour in Dublin, Ireland; the 1994 European Tour ran through September 22, with Buckley and Ensemble performing at the CMJ convention at New York's Supper Club on September 24. The group headed back into America's clublands for a Fall Tour lasting from October 19-December 18.

On New Year's Eve 1994-95, Buckley returned to Sin-é to perform a solo set; on New Year's Day, he read an original poem at the annual St. Mark's Church Marathon Poetry Reading. Two weeks later, he and his band were back in Europe for gigs in Dublin, Bristol, and London before launching an extensive tour of Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Belgium, and the United Kingdom which lasted from January 29-March 5. On April 13 1995, it was announced that Jeff Buckley's Grace had earned him France's prestigious "Gran Prix International Du Disque -- Academie Charles CROS -- 1995"; an award given by a jury of producers, journalists, the president of France Culture, and music industry professionals, it had previously been given to Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Yves Montand, Georges Brassens, Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Joni Mitchell, among other musical luminaries. France also awarded Buckley a gold record certification for Grace.

From March 5 through April 20, Buckley and his band rehearsed for an American spring tour with gigs running from April 22-June 2. From June through August, Jeff and company toured the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Switzerland. The band took off for Down Under to play six Australian shows between August 28-September 6, 1995. In November 1995, Buckley played two unannounced solo shows at Sin-é.He performed songs including the new "Woke Up In A Strange Place" on Vin Scelsa's "Idiot's Delight" show on WXRK-FM on December 17 and celebrated New Year's Eve 1995-96 with performances at New York's Mercury Lounge and Sin-é.

Jeff Buckley and his touring ensemble went back to Australia, where Grace had earned a gold record certification, for the "Hard Luck Tour," which ran from February 9-March 1 of 1996. Drummer Matt Johnson left the group after the final Australian show. The posthumous album Jeff Buckley-Mystery White Boy brings together some of the high points from Jeff's 1995-1996 live performances. The DVD/home video release Jeff Buckley-Live In Chicago documents, in its entirety, Jeff's concert at The Cabaret Metro in Chicago on May 13, 1995.

In May of '96, Jeff played four gigs as a bass player with Mind Science of the Mind, a side-project of Buckley's friend, Nathan Larson of Shudder To Think. In September '96, Buckley played another unannounced solo gig at his old favorite haunt Sin-é. December of 1996 found Jeff Buckley embarking on his "phantom solo tour"; designed to experiment with new songs in a live setting (as in his Sin-é days), these unannounced solo gigs throughout the Northeast U.S. were played under a succession of aliases: the Crackrobats, Possessed By Elves, Father Demo, Smackrobiotic, the Halfspeeds, Crit Club, Topless America, Martha & the Nicotines, and A Puppet Show Named Julio.

At midnight on February 9, 1997, Jeff Buckley debuted his new drummer, Parker Kindred, in a show at Arlene Grocery on New York's Lower East Side. He also played a couple of solo gigs in New York during the first months of 1997: a gig at the Daydream Cafe (featuring band members Mick Grondahl and Michael Tighe as "special guests") and a solo performance February 4 as part of the Knitting Factory's 10-Year Birthday Party.

Buckley and his band had recorded intermittently -- with Tom Verlaine as producer -- during Summer/Fall 1996 and early winter 1997 in New York and in February 1997 in Memphis. After the conclusion of those sessions, Jeff sent the band back to New York while, during March and April 1997, he remained in Memphis and continued to craft his work-in-progress, making various four-track home recordings of songs to present to his bandmates. Some of these were revisions of the songs recorded with Verlaine, some were brand new compositions, and some were surprising cover versions. The new lineup debuted Buckley's new songs at Barrister's in Memphis on February 12 and 13. Beginning March 31, Jeff began a series of regularly scheduled Monday night solo performances at Barrister's. His last show there was on Monday, May 26, 1997. The night Buckley died, he was on his way to meet his band to begin three weeks of rehearsals for my sweetheart, the drunk; producer Andy Wallace, who'd helmed the boards on Grace, was to join them in Memphis in late June to record his new album.

In addition to his Columbia Records releases, Live At Sin-é and Grace, Jeff Buckley has appeared as a guest artist on several other recordings. He can be heard singing "Jolly Street," a track on the Jazz Passengers 1994 album In Love. He contributed tenor vocals to "Taipan" and "D. Popylepis," two recordings on John Zorn's Cobra Live At The Knitting Factory (1995). On Rebecca Moore's Admiral Charcoal's Song, Buckley plays electric six-string bass on "If You Please Me," "Outdoor Elevator," and "Needle Men" (on which he also plays drums). He both plays guitar and sings backup vocals on Brenda Kahn's "Faith Salons," a key track on her Destination Anywhere album (released 1996). Patti Smith's critically acclaimed Gone Again album features Buckley adding "voice" to the song "Beneath the Southern Cross" and "essrage" (a small fretless Indian stringed instrument) to "Fireflies." On kicks joy darkness, a various artists' spoken word tribute to beat poet Jack Kerouac, Jeff Buckley performed on "Angel Mine"; Jeff plays guitar, sitar, and mouth sax (adding words at the poem's conclusion) on the track. Buckley can be heard reading Edgar Allan Poe's "Ulallume - A Ballad," on Closed On Account Of Rabies (Poems & Tales by Edgar Allan Poe) on Mouth Almighty/Mercury Records. He sang "I Want Someone Badly" (Epic) for Shudder To Think's soundtrack to First Love, Last Rites. Sandy Bell, a friend of Buckley's during his L.A. days, released the resurrected track "Hollywould" in 2000, which she co-wrote and recorded with Buckley.

An ardent enthusiast for a myriad of musical forms, Jeff Buckley was an early champion among young American musicians for the work of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the world's foremost Qawwali (the music of the Sufis) singer. Buckley conducted an extensive interview with Nusrat in Interview magazine (January 1996) and wrote the liner notes Nusrat's The Supreme Collection album, released on Mercator/Caroline records in August 1997. On May 9, 2000, Columbia Records released Jeff Buckley-Mystery White Boy, an album of live performances, and Jeff Buckley-Live In Chicago, a full-length concert (available on DVD or VHS) recorded live at The Cabaret Metro in Chicago on May 13, 1995, in the midst of Jeff's "Mystery White Boy" tour.

Following the release of Grace on August 23, 1994, Jeff and his group spent much of 1994-1996 performing around the world on the Unknown, Mystery White Boy, and Hard Luck tours. Jeff Buckley-Mystery White Boy brings together, for the first time, some of the high points of those shows. Produced by Michael Tighe (guitarist for Jeff's band throughout their international touring and the recording of Grace) and Mary Guibert (Jeff's mother) and Jeff Buckley-Mystery White Boy provides an evocative cross-section of Jeff's repertoire: previously-unreleased Buckley compositions, electrifying live interpretations of songs from Grace, and obscure and marvelous cover choices. The recordings heard on Jeff Buckley-Mystery White Boy have been hand-picked from scores of concert tapes by Mary Guibert and the members of Jeff's band who played such a large role in helping Jeff realize his musical vision.

According to Mary, the tracks on Jeff Buckley-Mystery White Boy are "the individual performances that represented transcendent moments from each of the concerts we'd identified as being in the 'overall outstanding' category."

"It was obvious which performances were contenders for the record," concurs Michael Tighe, "and in some cases a performance would be so supreme and unpredictable that I knew it had to be brought to the public."

View Jeff Buckley Profile




NEIL DIAMOND

In a career that began in the 1960s, Neil Diamond became a major recording artist, an internationally successful touring act, and a songwriter whose compositions produced hits for himself and others. Neil was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. At age 16 he received a guitar as a birthday present and he soon began writing songs. He continued to write songs while enrolled as a pre-med student at New York University. Neil left college just short of graduating to accept a songwriting position with a publishing company in New York. His earliest recognition as a songwriter came when his song "Sunday and Me", performed by Jay & the Americans, climbed into the Top 20 in December 1965. Neil soon branched out into recording and performing-releasing his first three hit singles, "Solitary Man", "Cherry, Cherry", and "I Got The Feeling (Oh No, No)" in 1966. He had another major success as a writer when "I'm a Believer" was released as the Monkees' second single in the fall of 1966. It shot to number one, where it stayed seven weeks, becoming the biggest single of 1967.

By the early '70s, Neil was topping the charts as a performer with the self-written #1 singles "Cracklin' Rosie" and "Song Sung Blue". He became one of the more noticeable figures in the singer/songwriter movement of the period as he made a transition to more of an album artist with releases that began to earn gold and multi-platinum certifications. He also developed into a dynamic concert performer, as demonstrated on his legendary 1972 album, Hot August Night-the album that cemented Neil's status as a concert attraction by hitting number five and going gold in a month, and later certified double platinum. Neil remains unchallenged as one of the rock-era's greatest songwriters and most charismatic live performers.

From his early success in the '60s to the present, Neil has topped the charts with hit singles, such as, "Holly Holy", "I Am...I Said", "America", "Yesterday's Songs", "Heartlight" and many more. On June 15, 2000 Neil was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and awarded the coveted "Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award", making him one of a select few composers to be honored twice by the organization. Neil's talent as a songwriter is highlighted by the broad range of pop, rock, R&B, folk, country, jazz, reggae, punk, heavy metal, alternative, easy listening, and new age performers who have recorded his songs.

One of many songs that demonstrate the versatility of Neil's songwriting is "Red, Red Wine". After Neil's version appeared on the U.S. charts in 1968, the song was quickly taken up by Jimmy James & the Vagabonds whose cover was a Top 40 U.K. hit. The following year, Jamaican artist Tony Tribe also had a British chart entry with it. Vic Dana gave it another run on the U.S. pop charts in 1970, and Roy Drusky reached the country Top 20 with it in 1971. In 1983, UB40, preparing their Labour of Love album of reggae covers, recorded a version based on the Tony Tribe treatment, unaware it had been written by Neil. Released as a single, the UB40 recording hit number one in the U.K., earning a Top 40 placing in the U.S. in early 1984. In 1988, the UB40 version was re-released and again topped the U.S. charts. Other examples include Neil's smash hit "Sweet Caroline", widely covered by other artists, and appearing on chart albums by Andy Williams, Bobby Goldsboro, Elvis Presley, the Ventures, Ray Conniff, Boots Randolph, Frank Sinatra, and Waylon Jennings. Anthony Armstrong took "Sweet Caroline" into the Top 40 of the country charts in 1970 and Bobby Womack took it into the Top 20 of the R&B charts in 1972. Hard rockers Deep Purple charted "Kentucky Woman" in 1968 while Randy Barlow made the song a country hit in 1977. In 1994, "Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon" was covered by Urge Overkill for its Stull EP, after which it was used in the film Pulp Fiction. After many successful covers, Smash Mouth revived "I'm a Believer" for the 2001 movie Shrek and reached number 25 on the pop charts.

Neil has been nominated for several Grammy awards over the years including Album of the Year and Song of the Year in 1972 for "Song Sung Blue" from the platinum album, Moods, and Record of the Year in 1979 for "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with Barbra Streisand. He earned the Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or TV Special for his now-double platinum album, Jonathan Livingston Seagull in 1973.

In 2005, when Neil released his album, 12 Songs, he had already sold over 120 million records worldwide, including over 50 million records in US. 12 Songs entered the charts at number 4 in 2005, and held the same spot in 2006. Neil continues to write and sell out concert performances worldwide.

View Neil Diamond Profile


BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Sony/ATV Music publishing is very pleased and proud to announce the signing of Bruce Springsteen, to a sub-publishing deal for the UK and Republic of Ireland. The deal incorporates Springsteen’s past songwriting and his future album release.

Winner of 18 Grammy awards so far, Springsteen’s career spans four decades. The new album, “Working on a Dream,” follows quickly on the heels of the 2007 release “Magic.”

Bruce Springsteen debuted the title track of the album at a rally supporting Barack Obama, 2 days before the U.S. election. He also won a Golden Globe award in America for the theme song to critically acclaimed movie, “The Wrestler” (for Best Original Song).

View Bruce Springsteen Profile

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Bobby Valentino
The Rebirth
February 10, 2009
Blu Kolla Dreams
Sony/ATV controls “Butterfly Tattoo” & “Hands on Me,” produced by Carlos McKinney aka L.O.S. Da Mystro / Pen Up Girls (Natalie Walker)


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Confessions of a Shopaholic
Soundtrack
February 10, 2009
Hollywood Records
Sony/ATV controls “Bad Girl” & “Takes Time to Love,” by The Ambassadorz (Darnell Dalton & Lamar Taylor)


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Erin McCarley
Love, Save The Empty
January 6, 2009
Universal Republic Records
All songs controlled by Sony/ATV


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David Cook
David Cook
Dec, 2008
RCA Records
Sony/ATV Controls:
"Come Back To Me" (Maloy/...)
"Heroes" (Maida/Cooks/...)
"I Did It For You" (Maida/Cook)
"Lie" (Maloy/Cook/Lind/Bjorklund)
"Life On The Moon" (Maloy/Cook/...)

Sony/ATV’s Grammy Winning Songs of 2009

Sony/ATV was well-represented at the 2009 Grammy Awards, which took place on Sunday, February 8th. Among the numerous awards won by Sony/ATV writers were “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance” (“Say” by John Mayer), “Best R&B Song” (“Miss Independent” [Eriksen]), and “Best Country Album” (Troubadour [Satcher]).

Please click the link below to listen to all of Sony/ATV’s 2009 Grammy Award-winning songs.

Sony/ATV 2009 Grammy Award Winners - Associated Playlist

Sony/ATV Music Publishing chairman and CEO Martin Bandier has spoken of the longevity and current success of "Hallelujah," which is currently No. 1 in the U.K. singles chart.

The cover of Leonard Cohen's 1984 song by Alexandra Burke, winner of the TV music talent show "The X Factor," will officially become a million-sellling single by the end of the week. After three weeks at No. 1, the Syco/Sony Music Entertainment release had sold 992,387 copies by Jan. 3, according to the Official Charts Co.

The publishing rights to "Hallelujah" are controlled by Sony/ATV. Bandier says it belongs to a select group of compositions that have the "ability to evoke emotion and memories and create something that is lasting."

"Hallelujah is one of those songs, it's been around for a while and it never ceases to catch the attention of people when it's played and performed," Bandier tells Billboard.biz.

While Burke's single was the biggest-seller of 2008 in the U.K., according to the Official Charts Co, it was one of a number of versions in the chart. When Burke secured the Christmas No. 1 on Dec. 21, Jeff Buckley's version from 1994 album "Grace" (Columbia) was at No. 2 - the first time the same song has held the first and second positions on the U.K. chart since 1957. Cohen's version made No. 36, while Bon Jovi's version and Kate Voegele's also made the Top 200.

Bandier says the song will always make a connection with the public. "I think that's what happens whenever it's performed and wherever it's performed, whether Leonard Cohen does it himself or whether you hear a version by Jeff Buckley," says Bandier, "it's one of those truly emotional songs that cuts across all genders, genres, religions, it feels very spiritual."

The success of the song will benefit Leonard Cohen, following a widely reported fraud. A court ruled in March 2006 that $9.5 million was stolen by an ex-manager of the veteran Canadian artist and it then emerged that Cohen was unlikely to recover the money.

Cohen staged a successful comeback tour last year, promoted by AEG Live.

"It's kind of interesting that this year Leonard was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, which again is a real tribute to him and I think in a certain manner it's almost a tribute to that song ["Hallelujah"]," says Bandier. "Because it does cut across all borders. There are no limits to that song and what it can be used for and who would like to hear it, or who would like to become emotionally attached to it."

He adds, "This is one of those songs that we very carefully guard in terms of how it's used and who it's licensed to for product endorsement and anything like that. I think that there are wonderful things that are out there where the song can be used. We're not against it but I do think that we carefully watch it. To put it in today's parlance it's protecting the brand. 'Hallelujah' is a brand."

Although no approval was necessary for the song to be released by the winner of "The X Factor," the Sony/ATV boss was happy to see it being chosen by Simon Cowell, one of the show's judges. His company Syco is also behind the TV format and signed Burke.

"Simon Cowell is one of the great song people in the world, there's no question that he has the ability to recognize incredible melodies and lyrics and knows what works," says Bandier. "So I think that for him to pick this song, I think first of all it's a tribute to him and I think we're proud of the fact he would pick that song. But we're also proud of the fact that we're involved with that song and his selection of it only reinforces our own view about how spectacular the song is."

Bandier says that Cohen is being regularly updated on the current success of his song.

"Bandier Hails Million-Selling 'Hallelujah'"
Jan 17, 2009 By Andre Paine, London

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Rasta Pasta said:

this is just a heads up of all the newspapers Rupert Murdoch (MJ hater..) owns:


Australasia
Daily TelegraphFiji TimesGold Coast Bulletin

Herald Sun
Newsphotos
Newspix
Newstext
NT NewsPost-CourierSunday Herald SunSunday MailSunday TasmanianSunday TerritorianSunday TimesThe AdvertiserThe AustralianThe Courier-MailThe MercuryThe Sunday MailThe Sunday TelegraphWeekly Times



United Kingdom
News International

News of the WorldThe SunThe Sunday TimesThe TimesTimes Literary Supplement


United States
New York Post

INTERNATIONAL
The Wall Street JournalDow Jones

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terrell said:

Well, Murdoch is in hot water with the New York post for allowing a cartoon of a monkey with cops killing and basicly calling President Obama a monkey. He seem to always want to degrade blacks. He allow his papers (and Foxnews) to call Michael "J***o.

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terrell said:

Well, Murdoch is in hot water with the New York post for allowing a cartoon of a monkey with cops killing and basicly calling President Obama a monkey. He seem to always want to degrade blacks. He allow his papers (and Foxnews) to call Michael "J***o.

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Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. reported a quarterly net loss because of a $8.4 billion writedown on Dow Jones and other assets, as the recession dragged down ...

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MsMo said:

Since Mr. Bandier took over and Michael gave him "a green light" it's been on and poppin' @ Sony/ATV! :clapping:

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elusive moonwalker said:

tbh i doubt murdoch gives a flying feck about mj its the editors who control what goes in. and all papers have their agenda with mj not just his.

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eternitys_child said:

*rant warning*
It's not a paper but lets not forget Fox 'fair and balanced' News.

Whether he does care about MJ or not, he does apply influence on his editors. Get the video documentary 'Outfoxed' and watch it. A lot of very good people left the post when he took it over rather than do what they thought was unethical.

I am glad they are now going after him. To say he is losing money isn't enough though. The New York Times is struggling too, but yes, maybe an extra kick or two in Murdock's direction might do some good. I use Drudge as my gateway to the other news services so I see his sight every day. I can believe the hatred that is expressed there to this new administration. And do you think comments by haters to articles about Michael get bad? Well comments on even liberal sites about the new administration or Obama are even worse. I swear you have a small group of haters that just go around from site to site to write comments. I get so mad.

*end rant*

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vncwilliam said:

i'm glad murdoch is losing money. what goes around comes around. it's about time. to me, it's the worst thing that can happen to him, cus..let's face it..to him and a lot of people..money is the most important thing.

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eternitys_child said:

those involving O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, the BTK serial Killer, the Menendez Brothers, Charles Manson, Robert Blake

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rant warning*
It's not a paper but lets not forget Fox 'fair and balanced' News.

Whether he does care about MJ or not, he does apply influence on his editors. Get the video documentary 'Outfoxed' and watch it. A lot of very good people left the post when he took it over rather than do what they thought was unethical.

Click to expand...