Radio Hits

Ace Frehley

fidelito101 — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 16:08:18 GMT

Along with Eddie Van Halen, Kiss' Ace Frehley inspired numerous up-and-coming rockers to pick up the guitar in the 1970s -- and come the '90s, he was listed by just about every contemporary rock guitarist (Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, Pantera's Dimebag Darrell, etc.) as an important influence. Born Paul Frehley on April 27, 1951, in the Bronx, New York, Frehley began playing guitar when he received an electric six-string for his 14th birthday in 1965. Already a big fan of the Rolling Stones, Frehley was blown away when he caught a multi-band live show in N.Y.C. in early 1967, featuring both the Who and Cream, among others, which solidified his desire to pursue rock guitar more seriously (and put a promising art career on the back burner). Frehley began playing in local bands soon after, adding both Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to his influences -- and around this time, adopted the nickname "Ace." Although none of the bands he played with had taken off, he answered an ad in a local paper for a new hard rock, theatrically based group in early 1973.

A few weeks after his initial tryout, Frehley was hired as the lead guitarist for the new quartet, joining bassist/singer Gene Simmons, rhythm guitarist/singer Paul Stanley, and drummer Peter Criss to form the band Kiss. By year's end, the greasepaint- and costume-wearing band was signed to Casablanca Records, and by 1978, had become one of the world's top hard rock bands. A string of platinum albums and sold-out tours lasted from 1975-1979, until the trappings of fame threatened to break up the band. Frehley's best friend in the band, Criss, left Kiss in 1980, as the group unsuccessfully experimented with non-metal styles. Ace Frehley's use of alcohol and drugs increased due to his ever-increasing unhappiness in the band, and, by 1982, he'd exited Kiss.

Within a year or two after his split from Kiss, Ace began putting his own solo band together, Frehley's Comet. The band played local N.Y.C. clubs, but failed to issue a record until 1987's self-titled debut for Megaforce Records. Instead of following the heavy metal direction of his exceptional 1978 solo album, Frehley's Comet tried to keep pace with the current pop-metal movement (Mötley Crüe, etc.), issuing two other albums (and a live EP) by 1989. Around this time, Frehley put his old art talents to use once again through computer graphics, with a few of his images even being featured in an art exhibit. Despite mud slinging in the press between Simmons/Stanley and Frehley in the early '90s, all four original Kiss members made up in time to reunite for a 1995 taping of MTV Unplugged. The taping was such a success that it led to a full-blown reunion of the original lineup, resulting in the massively successful 1996-1997 Alive Worldwide Tour.

Frehley continued as a member of Kiss until the end of their Farewell Tour (lasting longer than fellow original member Peter Criss, who dropped out in 2001). Live appearances, including gigs at the massive Rocklahoma festival, kept Ace busy until 2009 when he released the album Anomaly on his own label, Bronx Born Records. In 2011, he published No Regrets, a detailed and frank memoir which recounted, among other things, his aforementioned struggles with alcohol and cocaine addiction. In 2013 he celebrated seven years of sobriety and spent much of that year appearing at horror, sci-fi, and pop culture conventions. The following April, after a long wait, Kiss were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, before August brought the release of Space Invader, a solo album which took a heavier approach than Anomaly.

Ace

fidelito101 — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 16:00:46 GMT

Ace were one of the few pub rock groups to enjoy success on the pop charts, largely due to the warm, soulful vocals of Paul Carrack. While Carrack's voice certainly had crossover appeal -- as he would later prove with his own records, as well as his work with Squeeze and Roxy Music -- the band was also less devoted to the three-chord boogie and country-rock that marked most pub rock bands, favoring soulful R&B. And while they did have hits, their time in the spotlight was brief, and they fell apart shortly after Carrack left for a solo career.

Phil Harris (guitar) and Alan "Bam" King (guitar, vocal) formed Ace in 1972, recruiting Paul Carrack (keyboards, vocals), Terry "Tex" Comer (bass), and Steve Witherington (drums) over the course of the next year. Before the group began recording, they went through several drummers -- Witherington was replaced by Chico Greenwood, who was later replaced by Fran Byrne in 1974. After developing a small but dedicated following on the pub rock circuit, Ace signed with Anchor Records and recorded Five-a-Side. "How Long" -- a song about Comer leaving the band briefly to play with the Sutherland Brothers and Quiver, and his subsequent return -- was released as the first single. Most listeners interpreted the song as an ode to a crumbling love affair, and it became a fluke hit in both the U.K. and the U.S. Ace released Time for Another in 1975, but it was generally ignored, especially since the popularity of pub rock was declining rapidly.

Harris left the band in early 1976 and was replaced by John Woodhead. Later that year, Ace opened unsuccessfully for Yes, and then moved to Los Angeles, hoping that the U.S. would prove more receptive to their music. It wasn't. Ace released a final album, No Strings, in 1977 and then disbanded. Comer, Carrack, and Byrne all joined Frankie Miller, but by 1979, Carrack had left to sing with Roxy Music. Following his time with Roxy, he launched a solo career, which he balanced with playing with artists like Squeeze, Nick Lowe, and Mike + the Mechanics.

A Taste Of Honey

fidelito101 — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 08:49:15 GMT

A Taste of Honey had two huge hits that were very dissimilar from each other -- "Boogie Oogie Oogie" and a cover of Kyu Sakamoto's 1963 gold hit "Sukiyaki." The former was foot-stomping disco and the latter was languid and lush.

Around 1971, singer/bassist/guitarist Janice Marie Johnson and keyboardist Perry Kimble decided to start a band after meeting at an audition for vacation cruise gigs for Princess Cruises. Taking their group name from one of their favorite songs, the band added several friends to the lineup and began playing Southern California bars and military bases in the U.S. and abroad. Their lead singer, Greg Walker, quit to join Santana and guitarist Hazel Payne was added. After meeting with producer Fonce Mizell and his brother Larry, the group were signed to Capitol Records.

The group's first single, "Boogie Oogie Oogie," was inspired by an unresponsive audience during a date at a military base; Johnson believed the crowd was chauvinistic toward the group's two female guitar players. The notorious bass solo intro came about when Johnson was warming up before the recording session, unaware that she was being recorded. The single sold more than two million copies and topped Billboard's charts for three weeks in fall 1978. The follow-up single, the slinky and funky "Do It Good," went to number 13 R&B and number 79 pop, and A Taste of Honey went platinum.

After hearing Linda Ronstadt's version of Smokey Robinson's "Ooh Baby Baby," Johnson decided that the group (now Johnson and Payne) should remake a classic song. In their pre-Capitol days, Johnson used to sing the lyrics to Sakamoto's "Sukiyaki" when the group toured Japan and performed at the Yamaha Song Festival. She contacted her Japanese sub-publisher, who in turn contacted the original writers, Ei Rokusuke and Hashida Nakamura Rokusuke, to get permission to redo the song with English lyrics. Two translators were employed, and one of them came up with lyrics that were close to the maudlin theme of the original song, translated into English as "I Look up When I Walk." Johnson decided to add her own original lyrics to the song. At first she thought her lyrics were too simple, but producer George Duke encouraged her to write from her heart. A publishing-rights dispute almost stopped the song from being released. After it was recorded, Johnson found out that one of the original writers had signed his rights away years before. His publisher had Johnson give up all songwriting and publishing rights to her new version before Capitol was able to release it. The bassist relented, knowing that this song would be the one to take A Taste of Honey out of the disco category. But Capitol wasn't too keen on "Sukiyaki," promising to release it as a single but then releasing "Rescue Me" (number 16 R&B, summer 1980) and "I'm Talkin 'Bout You" (number 64 R&B, late 1980). Others discouraged Johnson for donning Japanese attire and doing a fan dance while performing the song. Forced by album track radio play, the label finally released "Sukiyaki" as a single, which went to number one R&B and number three pop in spring 1981. The Twice as Sweet LP went to number 36 pop in spring 1981. After "Sukiyaki" was a hit, the duo went to Japan and toured with Kyu Sakamoto. A Taste of Honey also covered Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "I'll Try Something New." Johnson released a solo Capitol LP, One Taste of Honey, which yielded a charting single, the softly "Sukiyaki"-ish "Love Me Tonite," (number 67 R&B), in summer 1984. The Burger King national fast food chain began using "Boogie Oogie Oogie" in a national TV ad campaign in summer 1999, introducing another generation to the late-'70s smash. The track has also been sampled by hip-hop and rap artists MC Lyte, Mack 10, and others. Around the same time, Johnson announced plans for an EP, Hiatus of the Heart, for her own Tastebuds label to be released in 2000. She also said she had projects with Ice Cube and Con Funk Shun founder Felton C. Pilate II. Payne tours Japan with her own Top 40 band. Perry Kimble died in 1999. A Taste of Honey's greatest hits can be found on Anthology (One Way, 1995) and "Sukiyaki" is listed on Smooth Grooves: A Sensual Collection, Vol. 7 (Rhino, 1996).

Macklemore's new album is an 'Unruly Mess'

fidelito101 — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 08:56:46 GMT

We were rooting for you, Macklemore.

After busting onto the scene in 2012 with Thrift Shop, the Seattle rapper seemed poised to become more than just a novelty success. With the help of producer Ryan Lewis, he scored other hits (Can't Hold Us, Same Love) and picked up four Grammy Awards, including best new artist and rap album (debut The Heist).

With the acclaim has also come inevitable backlash, mostly stemming from the fact that Macklemore is a white rapper with a pop-leaning sound — seen by many as unworthy of winning Grammys over black hip-hop heavyweights Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West. It's a topic that he has since addressed, telling radio station Hot 97 that, as a white rapper, "You need to know your place in the culture."

But no amount of thoughtful discourse or good intentions can save This Unruly Mess I've Made (*1/2 out of four), the hip-hop duo's disjointed new album featuring some of the most laughably bad lyrics to come out of any genre in recent memory.

The album starts ambitiously enough with Light Tunnels, Macklemore's six-minute diatribe about his disillusionment with awards shows and celebrity. "I'd rather run out of my 15 minutes than have life pass me by and I forget to live it," he declares over a triumphant blast of horns and hand claps. Although his musings on fame are hardly insightful ("They want nipple slips / because they live for clicks / this is economics"), his conversational flow carries the song to its aching finish.

From there, the album is a bizarre pastiche of styles and ideas, none of which ever seem to gel. Downtown, the lead single and early top-20 hit, falls flat as both an Uptown Funk and Sugarhill Gang knockoff, while boom-bap record Buckshot trips over its own clumsy lyrics ("I'mma paint a better world until the cans are empty").

Brad Pitt's Cousin and Dance Off are self-aggrandizing and silly, and perhaps Macklemore's best attempts at going viral since Thrift Shop. But there's no escaping the embarrassment of Let's Eat, an asinine ode to junk food and getting ripped. (Sample lyric: "I never knew what a carbohydrate was / turns out that it's all the snacks I love.")

Mess works best when Macklemore brings in star power and gets confessional. For those who have lavished praised on his The Life of Pablo feature, it should come as no surprise that Chance the Rapper delivers yet another album-best verse on the low-key Need to Know. And while the Ed Sheeran-assisted Growing Up, written for Macklemore's newborn daughter, is weighed down by greeting-card sentimentality, Kevin and St. Ides offer refreshingly unfiltered takes on addiction, recovery and loss.

He saves his most politically charged song for last. Though self-important, White Privilege II brings Black Lives Matter and cultural appropriation to the forefront of Macklemore's music, asking, "We take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?" It leaves Mess on a meditative note, but also makes us wonder why he waited 13 tracks to say anything of real substance.

Glimmers of his talent do occasionally shine through the Mess, but for fans waiting to see Macklemore prove himself as a legitimate force in hip hop, this album isn't it.

Steven Adler Says Guns N’ Roses Owe It to Their Fans to Reunite

fidelito101 — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 13:05:15 GMT

Former drummer Steven Adler says he’s thrilled a truce has been called between Axl Rose and Slash. Now, he says it’s time for Guns N’ Roses to do the right thing.

“I wanna end it on a good note,” Adler tells Jamey Jasta. “I wanna end it great and be a part of that. We owe it to the fans to do it.”

Slash revealed in late August that he and Rose had buried the hatchet, sparking inevitable rumors about a possible new musical collaboration.

“I think that’s great, ’cause it’s been too long,” says Adler, who was with Guns N’ Roses from 1985-90. “The world has missed out on 25 years of great music, because those two weren’t together. I mean, Slash and Axl, it’s like Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. Imagine if those guys weren’t together. It’s a shame, and I’m just so glad that they’re talking and everything is in the past like it should be.”

Matt Sorum followed Adler, serving from 1990–97; by then, Slash had already split with the band. These days, Rose is the only remaining classic-era member.

Of course, Guns N’ Roses already let a golden opportunity to work together again go by at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Fans can circle the date for a planned appearance at January’s Soundwave 2016 to see if they take advantage of the next reunion chance.

Rockers Who Died at Age 27

fidelito101 — Sat, 27 Jun 2015 23:45:22 GMT

The number of rockers who were taken from us too early in life — whether by accident, violence or misadventure — is obviously far too large. The fact that so many of the biggest and most influential talents in rock history died at the age of 27 is even more bizarre, and when you think about it, downright creepy. Over the years, the stories behind the deaths of the members of this so called “27 club” have grown more and more inflated and outrageous, with everything from legal cover-ups to elaborate hoaxes and even deals with the devil trotted out to try and make some sense of these tragic losses. Together with our friends at Loudwire, we try to distinguish fact from fiction regarding these sad stories on the following list of Rockers Who Died at Age 27.

Jimi Hendrix – Rockers Who Died at Age 27

Of all the rockers who died at age 27, perhaps none left the world with such a gaping sense of “what could have been” than Jimi Hendrix, who died of asphyxiation in his girlfriend’s London apartment on Sept. 18, 1970. His unparalleled ability to express and innovate on the guitar, as well as his endless desire to redefine everything about what rock music could be and how it was presented, make it all but certain that the four original albums we got to hear from Hendrix were only the tip of what he could have accomplished with more time. Sadly, a combination of red wine and sleeping pills (reportedly, stronger than expected) took that all away from us.

Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones – Rockers Who Died at Age 27

On July 3, 1969, just a month after being kicked out of the famous group he had helped form — the Rolling Stones — guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones drowned in his own swimming pool. Jones, a slide guitar genius who intended to be the Stones’ leader as they performed more traditional blues-based music, was slowly pushed to the side in favor of the impressive songwriting abilities (and charismatic on-stage presences) of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. After he contributed to just two songs on 1969′s ‘Let it Bleed’ album, Jones’ substance abuse problems — including an arrest that threatened his ability to tour overseas — became too much for his bandmates. Those same abuse problems are also believed to have contributed to his drowning death.

Jim Morrison – Rockers Who Died at Age 27

The sense of mystery created by the music of the Doors, specifically their charismatic frontman Jim Morrison, has helped make it hard for some people to believe that he’s truly dead. Of course, the fact that an autopsy was never performed doesn’t help, either. The singer reportedly died on July 3, 1971 — again, at the age of 27 — of heart failure in the bathtub of his Paris apartment. In accordance with French law, since there was no sign of foul play, no further investigation was performed. However many people suspect that Morrison in fact died of a heroin overdose, possibly in the bathroom stall of a nearby club. Or… maybe he faked the whole thing and is raising horses in Oregon.

Pigpen of the Grateful Dead – Rockers Who Died at Age 27

Keyboardist and vocalist Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan of the Grateful Dead died at age 27 on March 8, 1973 from internal hemorrhaging caused by excessive drinking. Pigpen, who apparently earned his nickname as you might suspect, from a lack of personal hygiene and a generally unkempt approach to life, is credited with pulling the Dead together in the mid-’60s, and served as their first frontman. After touring with the band for years and performing on several of their important early albums, failing health brought on by his addiction forced him to leave the Dead in 1972. Less than a year later, he passed away.

Janis Joplin – Rockers Who Died at Age 27

Janis Joplin, solo star and singer for Big Brother and the Holding Company, died at age 27 on Oct. 4, 1970 of a heroin overdose. The distinctive vocalist had endured a long history of drug and alcohol problems. According to Rolling Stone’s account, Joplin was found dead in L.A.’s Landmark Hotel, with fresh needle marks on her arm and $4.50 clutched in her hand. It has been suggested that her dealer accidentally sold her and several other clients an overly strong dose of the drug. She was in the process of finishing up what would turn out to be the her posthumously-released 1971 solo album ‘Pearl,’ having just completed the a cappella track ‘Mercedes Benz‘ three days earlier.

Robert Johnson – Rockers Who Died at Age 27

Robert JohnsonLegendary bluesman Robert Johnson, whose songs have been recorded by the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers Band and many other classic rockers, died at age 27 in 1938. Since so little is known about Johnson — who recorded barely more than two dozen songs, including ‘Dust My Broom’ and ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ in his unnaturally short life — some pretty crazy myths and rumors about him have taken hold in many people’s minds. He’s rumored to have sold his soul to the Devil, and to have died after being poisoned by the jealous boyfriend of a woman he was talking to, just as famed talent scout John Hammond was trying to hand him a one-way ticket to fame and fortune.

Pete Ham of Badfinger – Rockers Who Died at Age 27

On April 24, 1975, just three days shy of his 28th birthday, Badfinger singer and guitarist Pete Ham killed himself, reportedly because he was despondent over his poor financial situation and an ongoing battle with the band’s manager, Stan Polley. According to Rolling Stone, Ham left a note near his body declaring, ‘Stan Polley is a soulless bastard.’ His bandmates said the manager had withheld financial information from them. Despite writing several of the band’s hit singles, including ‘Day After Day‘ and ‘No Matter What,’ Ham apparently found himself broke and concerned as to how to help support his about-to-be born child, which apparently led to his tragic decision.

Alan Wilson of Canned Heat – Rockers Who Died at Age 27

Alan Wilson, guitarist, singer, harmonica player and primary songwriter in Canned Heat, died on Sept. 3, 1970 due to an overdose of barbiturates. It has never been determined whether or not Wilson, who suffered from depression and had reportedly attempted suicide before, took his own life. Known as “Blind Owl” due to his poor eyesight, Wilson founded the quintessential boogie group in 1965 in Los Angeles with other blues lovers. He wrote and sang lead on the group’s two biggest hits, ‘On the Road Again’ and ‘Going Up the Country.’ They had just finished recording an album with one of their idols, John Lee Hooker, when Wilson died.

Gary Thain of Uriah Heep – Rockers Who Died at Age 27

On Dec. 8, 1975, Gary Thain, the former bassist for Uriah Heep, died at the age of 27. The official cause of death was respiratory failure as a result of an overdose of heroin. He had been fired earlier in the year due to his increasing drug problem and replaced by John Wetton, who had previously been the bassist for King Crimson. Thain joined the kings of British progressive hard rock in 1972 and was with them for five albums, four of which went Gold in the United States. Before that, the New Zealand-born Thain had spent four years in the Keef Hartley Band, who opened up for Uriah Heep in 1971.

Helmut Kollen of Triumvirat – Rockers Who Died at Age 27

Helmut Kollen, the former bassist and singer for the German progressive rock group Triumvirat died of carbon monoxide poisoning in his garage at the age of 27. He was listening to tracks from the album he was working on while in his car with the engine running. Kollen joined Triumvirat, considered to be Germany’s equivalent of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, in 1974. He was on their two most successful albums, ‘Illusions on a Double Dimple’ and ‘Spartacus,’ which reached No. 27 on the Billboard Top 200 before leaving for a solo career in 1975. In Oct. 1977, his solo album was released under the title ‘You Won’t See Me.’

Amy Winehouse – Rockers Who Died at Age 27

Amy Winehouse was already considered a tragic figure when she passed away from alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011. Winehouse had very publicly suffered from serious drug and alcohol abuse issues, all-the-while thumbing her nose at them with her breakout hit, ‘Rehab’ (“They tried to make me go to rehab, I said no, no, no.”) Nobody seemed too surprised by her untimely passing — which, in a way, made everybody feel guilty about it. Our celebrity culture loves to see stars fall hard, then recover gracefully, but Winehouse sadly just fell.

Chris Bell of Big Star – Rockers Who Died at Age 27

Chris Bell earned a spot in the infamous 27 Club when, on Dec. 27, 1978, he lost control of the compact Triumph TR-7 sports car he was driving home from a late-night visit to his father’s restaurant in Memphis, Tenn., smashing it into a light pole on the side of the road and killing him instantly. Bell (far left in the picture) was a founding member of influential power pop band Big Star, but bowed out in 1972 after their debut album, ‘#1 Album,’ failed to find success.

Deep Purple Announce Two New Live Releases

fidelito101 — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 06:11:07 GMT

A pair of Deep Purple‘s biggest recent live performances are being commemorated with two new concert recordings from the band.

The new releases, both scheduled to arrive Aug. 28, are titled From the Setting Sun … (In Wacken) and …To the Rising Sun (In Tokyo). Both titles will be available as two-CD/DVD or three-LP sets, and both are also accompanied by hi-def video options: From the Setting Sun … (In Wacken) was filmed using nine HD cameras and will be released on Blu-ray 3D, while …To the Rising Sun (In Tokyo) was filmed with 12 HD cameras, and will be released on Blu-ray. Pricing, track listings and pre-order information will be made available shortly.

The band has posted notes regarding both releases at its Facebook page, with bassist Roger Glover sharing memories from the shows. Of Deep Purple’s performance at the 2013 Wacken Open Air Festival, he writes, “In the sunset, we were treated to a great welcome from the sea of tattoos and black leather facing us. Festival crowds are unique because most people are there for the occasion itself rather than for any particular band. For us that is always a welcome challenge and a chance to connect with many who may never have seen us before. But the real stars are all in the audience. Thank you, Wacken.”

Turning to the Tokyo set, Glover writes, “We came in at the back door, climbed the cool, marble staircase and entered the familiar dressing room. Feeling like we’re the only people in the building, it’s hard to believe there’s even an audience out there. But there is, young and old, sitting patiently or chatting quietly — the embodiment of civility. It’s almost like the respectful hush one might find in a cathedral. But they’re here to rock. And rock they do. They may be quiet while they’re waiting but far from shy during the show. They gave us an unforgettable evening. Thank you, Tokyo.”

Winery Dogs Announce North American Fall Tour

fidelito101 — Wed, 13 May 2015 07:24:21 GMT

The Winery Dogs will return to the road later this year for the first leg of what promises to be a lengthy tour.
As previously reported, the band has been at work on the follow-up to its 2013 self-titled debut — and it looks like its’ getting ready to deliver on promises of “a release sometime later in the year (and a world tour to follow).” Even though a title or release date have yet to be announced, the timing of the new dates seems to indicate a late summer or early fall arrival for the new LP.

Whenever they arrive, the Winery Dogs’ new songs should show the benefits of the band’s tour in support of the first album, which bassist Billy Sheehan says allowed the trio to explore and refine its dynamic in ways it’s impossible to do in the studio.

“We’re watching each other and we improvise and the songs come alive on tour and that’s an ideal situation for me,” Sheehan told Ultimate Classic Rock a couple of years ago. “I love that you can do that. You don’t go so far from the original template that people don’t understand what the song is. You work within the boundaries of the foundation of the actual song but [when you] add in the ability to improvise and watch each other and make moves on the fly as we’re rolling and have them work, it’s a beautiful and extremely satisfying thing as a musician.”

Winery Dogs 2015 Tour
10/03 – Ridgefield, Ct.
10/04 – Jim Thorpe, Pa.
10/05 – Boston, Mass.
10/08 – Glenside, Pa.
10/09 – Sayreville, N.J.
10/10 – New York City, N.Y.
10/14 – Jacksonville, Fla.
10/15 – Tampa, Fla.
10/16 – Ft Lauderdale, Fla.
10/17 – Orlando, Fla.
10/27 – Milwaukee, Wis.
10/28 – Milwaukee, Wis.
10/29 – St Charles, Ill.
11/03 – Anaheim, Calif.
11/05 – Agoura Hills, Calif.
11/06 – Beverly Hills, Calif.
11/07 – Las Vegas, Nev.
11/08 – San Diego, Calif.

Taylor Swift’s Next Album Will Be Something ‘Very Very Different’ From 1989

fidelito101 — Fri, 01 May 2015 11:04:21 GMT

Taylor Swift isn’t ready to make a new record yet, but when she is, she may be calling on new friend Kanye West.

The two recently patched things up after that whole interrupting her 2009 VMA acceptance speech thing, went out for dinner and, according to Mr. West, were “definitely going to go” in the studio.

“We’ve never been in the studio together, but he’s got a lot of amazing ideas,” Taylor told “Entertainment Tonight.” “He’s one of those people who is just like idea, idea, like, ’What do you think of this?’ ’What do you think of that?’ He’s very creative and I think we’ve talked about it, but we’ve always talked about so many other things. I think I completely respect his vision as a producer, so thats all I know now. I have no idea what the next album is going to be, though.”

But one thing Taylor — who kicks off her world tour on May 5 in Tokyo — does know is that the next album will be very different from 1989, which was just released last October.

“I’m not making the next record yet. That’s going to take a lot of thinking about what that should be, because with 1989 — I love this album so much that I think it would be doing a real disservice to this album to try to copy it the next time around,” she said. “I think it’s going to have to be something very, very different creatively.”

J.Lo pays tribute to Selena

fidelito101 — Fri, 01 May 2015 10:39:34 GMT

Jennifer Lopez paid emotional tribute to Selena at the Billboard Latin Music Awards last night.

In 1997 the singer-and-actress had her big break playing the late singer Selena Quintanilla in the critically acclaimed biopic.

Yesterday she performed at the event in Miami, belting out some of Selena's biggest hits, including I Could Fall in Love, Como La Flor and No Me Queda Mas.

A montage of the star, who was murdered at the age of 23 in 1995, played in the background and Selena's former band, Los Dinos, joined Jennifer on stage.

At the end of the performance, the 45-year-old expressed her love for Selena to a standing ovation.

There were some huge wins at the ceremony last night, with Enrique Iglesias scooping nine prizes, including Latin Pop Songs Artist of the Year and Latin Pop Album of the Year with record Sex and Love. He had been nominated for an amazing 19 awards.

It was an amazing achievement for Enrique, but Romeo Santos, the most nominated artist in Latin Billboard history, piped him to the post with ten wins last night. Among them was the prestigious Artist of the Year title.

Iconic artists Carlos Santana and Roberto Carlos received the special Spirit of Hope Award and Lifetime Achievement Award.
Shakira was named Social Artist of the Year, celebrating an amazing 30.7 million Twitter followers.

Rapper Drake was also honoured with the Crossover Artist of the Year prize, while Marc Anthony won Tour of the Year.