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Flashback To David Bowie & Cher’s Splendid 'Young Americans' Medley in 1975

Site Factory admin — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 02:36:28 +0000

Flashback To David Bowie & Cher’s Splendid 'Young Americans' Medley in 1975 Site Factory admin Tue, 11/08/2022 - 13:36

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In March 1975, a suaver than suave David Bowie appeared on the newly- solo-hosted Cher Show to promote his new album Young Americans. Teaming up with the pop icon herself, Bowie and Cher delivered a six-and-a-half-minute medley of instantly recognisable hits that will most certainly live forever in the holy grail of television history.

The amalgamation rested heavily on the duo’s exceptional pop sensibilities to tie together the somewhat eclectic collection of tunes. But the performance was a triumph of showmanship as the pair sang and dance their way through no less than twelve songs of differing genres and pace, all blended seamlessly without missing a beat. Watch below and enjoy the splendour of two of the world’s greatest pop icons doing what they do best. Not to mention their coordinated hair colour – it’s simply wonderful!

Cher & David Bowie | 'Young Americans Medley [Live on The Cher Show, 1975]

The ‘Young Americans Medley’ included the following:

Young Americans (David Bowie)

Song Sung Blue (Neil Diamond)

One Is The Loneliest Number (Three Dog Night)

Da Doo Ron Ron (The Crystals)

Wedding Bell Blues (The Fifth Dimension)

Maybe Maybe, Baby (Buddy Holly)

Day Tripper (The Beatles)

Blue Moon (The Marcels)

Only You (And You Alone) (Ringo Starr)

Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers)

Young Blood (Bad Company)

Young Americans (reprise)

In 1974, traveling across America on his massive Diamond Dogs arena tour, Bowie became fascinated by soul music. This fascination that would play out on his ninth studio album, Young Americans, which he recorded over eight very creative days with record producer, Tony Visconti and selection of fine musicians, including prodigal rhythm guitarist Carlos Alomar, who became Bowie’s most frequent collaborators and musical directors in the decades following.

Released this week in March, 1975, Young Americans was massively successful in the US, with the album reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and single Fame – recorded with, John Lennon who also worked with Bowie on his cover of the Beatles’ Across the Universe that appears in the track listing – giving Bowie his first US number one hit.

David Bowie | ‘Fame’

Despite Bowie himself expressing mixed feelings about Young Americans throughout his lifetime, commentators consider it one to rank amongst his most influential records – revisit it on streaming below!

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10 Charitable Music Celebrities To Inspire You

scootikins — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 04:35:29 +0000

10 Charitable Music Celebrities To Inspire You scootikins Wed, 06/09/2021 - 14:35

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Cher, 2010 (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI), Dolly Parton, 1978 (Harry Langdon/Getty Images), Stevie Nicks (Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)

For some of music's biggest stars, supplying us the soundtracks of our lives just isn't enough. We've compiled a list of 10 music icons who have also given back via a wealth of philanthropic pursuits, from helping Asian elephants to funding AIDS charities.

1. Dolly Parton

Beloved country star Dolly Parton has always been generous with her assets, putting millions of dollars into charitable causes. After launching her Dollywood theme park in Tennessee in the ‘80s, the "9 To 5" singer established the Dollywood Foundation to assist Sevier County students “achieve educational success”. The foundation has expanded its goals over the past 30 years, providing scholarships to students pursuing college dreams, bestowing the Chasing Rainbows Award on teachers who have “overcome obstacles in his/her life and is making a difference in the lives of children” and, as part of Parton’s Imagination Library literacy project, shipping more than a million books across the globe each month to underprivileged children. Beyond her education philanthropy, Parton has also gifted a great deal of money to medical endeavours. After the performer raised more than $1 million dollars for the LeConte Medical Center, the cancer hospital unveiled a women’s health ward named after Parton in 2010. In 2017, Parton bestowed $1 million dollars to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s children’s hospital, with the country superstar writing another $1 million cheques for Vanderbilt in 2020 to help fund COVID-19 research.

2. Cher

With careers spanning more than 50 years on stage and including award-winning detours into film, Dolly Parton and Cher also share a passion for helping the less fortunate. As well as appearing alongside Dolly on Cyndi Lauper’s 20th annual charity event Home For The Holidays in December 2020, last year saw Cher ramping up her campaigning against exotic animals in captivity. A co-founder of Free The Wild, an organisation formed with the ultimate aim of “eliminating animal trafficking”, Cher assisted in the 2020 rescue of the “world’s loneliest elephant” Kaavan from the Islamabad Zoo. The relocation of the Pakistani pachyderm to a Cambodian sanctuary was documented in the April 2021 documentary Cher and The Loneliest Elephant. Among her other animal advocacy efforts, Cher has been working to save Billy the elephant from Los Angeles Zoo and Thailand gorilla Bua Noi from a Bangkok shopping mall. Away from the animals, in 2020 Cher launched the CherCares Pandemic Resource And Response Initiative, has donated large amounts of money towards HIV/AIDS research and became involved in the Children’s Craniofacial Association after starring in Mask, a 1985 film about the condition.

Madonna attends the opening ceremony of the Mercy James Children's Hospital at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, on July 11, 2017 (Amos Gumulira/AFP via Getty Images)

3. Madonna

In spite of the world being pretty well locked down due to COVID-19, January 2021 saw Madonna travelling to her beloved African nation of Malawi to check in on the specialised children’s hospital she funded and opened in 2017. Named after one of her adopted children, the Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care was funded by Raising Malawi, an organisation founded by Madonna after her first visit to the country in 2006. As well as holding fundraisers featuring celebrity pals such as Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow, in 2009 Madonna vowed to dollar match donations to Raising Malawi projects. Her more recent musical output might be hit and miss, but it’s undeniable Madonna’s contributions to Malawi’s health system (a country with just five paediatric surgeons before the Mercy James Institute opened) has saved lives.

Christina Aguilera, Sir Elton John and Elizabeth Taylor at the 13th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Party (KMazur/WireImage)

4. Elton John

Elton John has fallen in and out of favour with Madonna over the years, but he’s never abandoned his commitment to charity. In the wake of losing many friends and associates to AIDS, the songwriter established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992. The foundation is now the sixth largest independent AIDS funder globally, having raised more than $450 million. One of Elton’s big earners for the cause has been his annual Academy Award party, which has seen the cream of the entertainment industry donating millions of dollars to his foundation. A big fan of ambitious spring cleans, Elton’s auctions of possessions such as paintings, clothes and even his instruments have also filled charity coffers. The generous chap behind award-winning albums such as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Too Low For Zero has also earned honours for his commitment to charity, including a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 1998 and the Legion d’Honneur from French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019.

5. Tori Amos

After releasing her harrowing a cappella account of a sexual assault on the 1991 single "Me And A Gun", Tori Amos would regularly be approached by fellow rape survivors during the ensuing Little Earthquakes and Under The Pink tours. Amos was struck by the sense these assault victims had few support networks to turn to, with the musician playing an important role in the formation of the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) in 1994. The inaugural national spokesperson for the US organisation answered the first ceremonial call to the organisation’s National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline upon its launch, with her label Atlantic Records RAINN’s first major donor. Amos’ 1997 Madison Square Garden show for RAINN raised around $300,000 for the charity. As well as publicising the important cause, the evening was notable for Tori being joined on her piano stool during "Muhammad My Friend" by Maynard James Keenan of Tool. Amos continues to be involved in promoting the cause, stopping by RAINN’s Washington office in 2019 with her daughter Natashya. “My daughter and I walked out and said to each other, “This gave us hope that people dedicate their lives to this,” Amos told the RAINN website.

6. Roger Daltrey

The Who were banned from Royal Albert Hall in 1972, so it’s rather ironic frontman Roger Daltrey’s annual charity events at the famous venue have raised more than £3 million for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Since 1990, Daltrey has been the driving force behind star-studded events featuring the cream of British rock: Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, The Cure, Coldplay, Muse, Robert Plant and, of course, The Who themselves. “Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to be part of many very memorable moments in the show’s history,” Daltrey has said of his work on the Teenage Cancer Trust events. “I have met many young people with cancer and, like Teenage Cancer Trust, I believe that they shouldn’t have to stop being teenagers just because they have this disease.” In 2005, Daltrey collected a CBE for his services to both music and charity.

7. Bono

Blame Bob Geldof. In the wake of U2’s breakthrough appearance at the Geldof-organised Live Aid in 1985, singer Bono took off to Ethiopia to see what was happening on Africa’s famine frontline. Not happy to simply take the lift in record sales many artists enjoyed in the wake of the international music event, Bono and wife Ali Hewson spent almost a month working in an Ethiopian relief camp engaging with families caught in the crisis. "It seemed he wanted to hold every child and comfort every mother," World Vision staffer Steve Reynolds recalled 30 years later. Bono’s 1985 trip ignited a fire that still burns in the 61-year-old. While some live goodwill projects (Net Aid, Self Aid, 46664) and charity single appearances ("New Day" with Wyclef Jean, "Don’t Give Up (Africa)" with Alicia Keys and "The Ballad Of Ronnie Drew") have proved unmemorable, his decades of campaigning on behalf of African AIDS causes, debt relief and Amnesty have seen him cross paths with popes, presidents and political prisoners. And to all any cynics still doubting Bono’s humanitarian accreditation after 40 years in the public eye, when was the last time you donated AU$20 million to COVID causes?

8. Chris Martin

Given Coldplay members openly talked about their U2 aspirations early in their career, it seems appropriate frontman Chris Martin once joked to Rolling Stone how his focus on noble causes had led to some waggish friends dubbing him ‘Crono’. Coldplay not only donates 10 per cent of their annual earnings to a selection of charities (a yearly sum in the millions), Martin has also raised awareness on causes including Make Trade Fair, Amnesty International and Red Nose Day (who could forget Coldplay's hilarious Game Of Thrones parody). More recently, last year Martin popped up on the BBC’s COVID charity cover of Foo Fighters’ "Times Like These" alongside acts including Dave Grohl and UK pop queens Dua Lipa and Rita Ora.

Bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary of the Red Hot Chili Peppers performs at the 3rd Annual Hullabaloo to benefit the Silverlake Conservatory at the Music Box at the Henry Fonda Theater on May 5, 2007 in Los Angeles, California (Chad Buchanan/Getty Images)

9. Flea

Those who’ve read Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea’s autobiography Acid For The Children will be across how music saved the Australian bassist born Michael Balzary from a directionless life of petty crime. In an effort to preach the wonders of music to a new generation of wayward Californian kids, Flea co-founded the Silverlake Conservatory of Music in 2001. In the past 20 years, Flea and his Red Hot Chili Peppers bandmates have donated time, money and special appearances to the school, with one particular performance in 2011 (featuring a guest appearance by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder) raising more than $1 million for Silverlake. Flea told Forbes in 2019 seeing the results of his philanthropic investment was the biggest thrill for him. "Every little triumph that any kid has in there; any time I see a scared to death kid walk up at a recital and play a song and acquit themselves well and you see their hearts are full. Some of the kids I know their stories and they come from difficult backgrounds and stuff, kids that have grown up institutionalised in different ways, then they find the beauty of playing music and collectively with other kids as well, it's the most profound feeling." Flea isn’t the only rock star whose music investments are helping wayward souls: Billy Bragg’s Jail Guitar Doors charity has distributed thousands of instruments to prisoners to aid in their rehabilitation, calling on stars including Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, Jackson Browne, The Clash’s Mick Jones and MC5’s Wayne Kramer for benefit shows.

10. Stevie Nicks

Fleetwood Mac’s gypsy queen Stevie Nicks has taken a hands-on approach to one of her charitable causes. After first visiting wounded soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC in 2004, she found herself drawn to hearing the patients’ stories. “You put on a gown and gloves and they say, ‘Well, this guy’s name is John Jones and he was injured in a blast and lost both legs. He’s had a bad day, but he’s very excited to see you.’,” Nicks told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2007. “And you go in and I just say, ‘My name’s Stevie Nicks. What happened?’ Because they would like to talk about it. I was there from 2 in the afternoon until almost 1 o’clock that night. When I walked out of that hospital, after having seen about 40 guys and girls who’ve lost arms and legs, I was completely blown away by it all, and by how these kids’ lives had been completely changed. I’m not a mother, but I feel incredibly motherly to all these kids.” Not only did Nicks make regular appointments to keep in touch with Walter Reed patients, the songwriter also took it upon herself to share music with them to assist in their rehabilitation. Launching the Stevie Nicks Soldier’s Angel Foundation, Nicks provided iPods to injured troops she’d loaded with favourite songs. “I call it a soldiers’ iPod,” Nicks explained to the Arizona Republic. “It has all the crazy stuff that I listen to, and my collections I’ve been making since the ’70s for going on the road. I’ll take the iPods with me every time I go back and the music will help them with their rehabilitation. It makes them happy.” A song titled "Soldier’s Angel", inspired by her charity work, appeared on Nicks’ most recent studio album, 2011’s In Your Dreams.

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12 Misspelt Songs By Artists Who Should Know Better

scootikins — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 05:05:38 +0000

12 Misspelt Songs By Artists Who Should Know Better scootikins Thu, 03/18/2021 - 16:05

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L: Alice Cooper, London, 1974 (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images). C: Kate Bush, Italy, 1978 (Photo by Angelo Deligio\Mondadori via Getty Images). R: David Bowie, Fresno, California, 1978 (Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives).

Given the number of band members, producers, managers, record company hotshots and graphic designers who have a hand in bringing a song to the release stage, it’s hard to believe the major artists who have released music with a glitchy title. We’re not talking the sort of silly, purposeful titles beloved by Slade, Sly Stone and Prince here – this is a collection of genuine stuff-ups from hit performers. Sit up straight in the back, school is in session…

1. Frente! - "Accidently Kelly Street"

One of the many Aussie acts nurtured by late Mushroom Svengali Michael Gudinski, Frente! arrived on the early ‘90s indie scene with the Triple J-approved tracks "Labour Of Love" and "Ordinary Angels", before finding crossover success with their first official single, 1992’s "Accidently Kelly Street". Rather than being a band fuck-up, the spelling mistake in the title was put down to a Mushroom Records mistake during the single’s artwork production. Intriguingly, the band liked the look of the error on the single art and decided against correcting it to ‘Accidentally’. Frontwoman Angie Hart, just 20 years old at the time of the single hitting #4 in the ARIA singles chart, suggested in 2014 the mis-spelling “was not intentional on my part, but I quietly took the credit for years.” Perhaps Hart was correct when she noted some felt the error was “a genius stroke”: the band never managed another top-five single.

2. Skyhooks – "Meglomania"

One of Michael Gudinski’s greatest success stories, ‘70s legends Skyhooks combined provocative glam attire with clever, sometimes ribald lyricism. Skyhooks bassist Greg Macainsh mustn’t have had a dictionary on hand when he penned 1978’s Guilty Until Proven Insane track "Meglomania", which suggested “there's a little bit of Adolf in everyone” Released following the departure of original Skyhooks guitarist Red Symons, "Meglomania" couldn’t match its predecessor "Women In Uniform"’s success and bowed at just #93 in the singles chart. As for the inability to spell ‘megalomania’, Macainsh may well have answered anyone questioning the bungle with the title of the very next song on the album: "Why Dontcha All Get Fucked".

3. Fleetwood Mac - "Skies The Limit"

Fleetwood Mac were in a creative spiral following the departure of guitarist Lindsey Buckingham after the release of Tango In The Night in 1987, with the band’s belated 1990 follow-up, Behind The Mask, opening with this tedious Christine McVie song. Unlike its heavenly lyrical aspirations, the 1991 single never takes off, with the mistaken contraction of ‘sky is’ to ‘skies’ just one more mystifying moment from a very mystifying career. That it’s since turned up on The Very Best Of Fleetwood Mac suggests McVie still holds a candle for the turgid tune, which she co-wrote with her husband of the time, Eddy Quintela.

4. The Zombies - Odessey And Oracle

In this case, it wasn’t a song but actually a whole album that was accidentally misspelt. Odessey And Oracle, the 1968 album from The Zombies which harboured the hit "Time Of The Season", featured cover artwork that fitted perfectly with the psychedelic era in which it was unveiled. Unfortunately for graphic designer Terry Quirk, proofreading wasn’t his forte: he delivered the cosmic sleeve with the word 'Odyssey' misspelt. His childhood friend, Zombies singer Chris White, initially covered up his pal’s goof by suggesting the creative spelling was on purpose, but Quirk later admitted the misspelling was “my claim to fame. There are lots of theories online about why it’s spelt wrong, but there’s no conspiracy.” Quirk died in 2020 – five years after delivering a (perfectly spelt) cover for The Zombies’ reunion album Still Got That Hunger.

5. Kate Bush - "Ne T'en Fui Pas"

Be very careful when attempting to prove your bilingual capabilities: you’ll have the rest of your career to be reminded of your failings. Released in different territories as a B-side to 1982 singles "There Goes A Tenner" and "Suspended In Gaffa", this song was spelt as "Ne T’en Fui Pas" on all original pressings. It seems someone might have had a quiet word to Ms Bush about her inaccurate translation of the French term for ‘Don’t run away’ – by the time the song was remixed and released as an A-side in Canada and France a year later, the title had been corrected to "Ne T’enfuis Pais".

6. Bill Wyman - "(Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star"

Just like the wonderful Catherine Bush, The Rolling Stones’ bassist formerly known as William Perks should probably have paid more attention in his high school French classes. In his autobiography Stone Alone Bill Wyman suggested his 1981 single "(Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star" “was a parody of myself as a recognised musician in exile in France; to the present day this remains the biggest solo hit by a Rolling Stone.” Don’t get too smug, Bill – Francophiles were quick to point out the correct term should have been "(Si Si) Je Suis Une Rock Star".

7. Cher – "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves"

After neglecting her music career for four years while she pursued television success, in 1971 Cher returned to the charts with "Gypsys, Tramps And Thieves" – complete with a misspelling of ‘Gypsies'. The song, which reached the top five in the Australian singles chart, was originally titled "Gypsys And White Trash" by songwriter Bob Stone, but even a revision of the name failed to fix the spelling error. In the years since, the song has sometimes been corrected on Cher hits collections, with one 1994 compilation from MCA Records even taking the title The Best Of Cher – Gypsies, Tramps And Thieves while maintaining the "Gypsys, Tramps And Thieves" spelling on the opening track! See also Jimi Hendrix’s 1969-1970 group Band Of Gypsys for another failed attempt at spelling the ethnically-derogatory term.

8. The Smiths - "Cemetry Gates"

It’s not just his political views that have caused Morrissey dramas over his 40-year career. The former frontman for The Smiths hasn’t always been as erudite one might expect for one so quick to namedrop Keats, Wilde and Yeats: his spelling mistake in "Cemetry Gates" is once such lapse. Thorough Smiths biographer Johnny Rogan notes the word ‘cemetery’ was also spelt incorrectly in the young Steven Morrissey's unpublished book draft Exit Smiling, a tome about lesser-known Hollywood stars. For another erroneous attempt at the word, you can also see Ramones’ "Pet Sematary", although you can blame that one on the fact their song was written for the film version of Stephen King’s novel.

9. The Flaming Lips - "Riding To Work In The Year 2025 (Your Invisible Now)"

Errr, we think you mean ‘you’re’ (you acid-fried goons).

10. Led Zeppelin – "South Bound Saurez"

By 1979 some suggested the mighty Led Zeppelin’s heart just wasn’t in it anymore – and on final studio album In Through The Out Door their spelling was also looking iffy. According to Led Zep biographers Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin, the track "South Bound Saurez" is a mistaken attempt at ‘Suarez’ – a word that could either refer to a Spanish word for party or alternatively references the Mexican city Ciudad Juárez. Jimmy Page was obviously aggrieved by the mistake enough to correct the song to "South Bound Suarez" on his website, but the 2015 reissues (and the streaming versions of the track) keep the historical spelling. It was the second time Zeppelin had stuffed up a location in their song titles. "Bron-Y Aur Stomp" on Led Zeppelin III was named after the Snowdonia cottage where it was first crafted, but the Welsh location was actually spelt 'Bron-Yr-Aur'. The band were able to somewhat remedy their inaccuracy when, on 1975’s Physical Graffiti, they included a similarly-titled acoustic instrumental "Bron-Yr-Aur", this time with the correct spelling.

11. David Bowie – "Neuköln"

David Bowie’s handwritten original lyric sheets for songs including "Fashion" and "Battle For Britain (The Letter)" show a laissez faire attitude to appropriate apostrophe usage, but this example actually relates to a geographical spelling error. Recorded in Germany with Brian Eno and Tony Visconti, "Heroes" instrumental "Neuköln" was named after the suburb to the east of Bowie’s Schöneberg residence. Unfortunately, the Turkish district of West Berlin was actually spelt Neukölln – Bowie had left out an L.

12. Alice Cooper - Identity Crisises

During Alice Cooper’s fallow period before his 1989 album Trash returned him to public favour, the poor old devil was reduced to appearing in a European horror movie titled Monster Dog. Despite being promised his turn as rocker Vincent Raven would only be released in Spain, the film made it out into the wider world, but Cooper’s soundtrack addition "Identity Crisises" is a little harder to track down. Overlooking the fact the plural of ‘crisis’ is ‘crises’, the song is a good one: there’s an Iggy Pop vibe to Cooper’s vocal and the video finds Alice playing the parts of James Bond, Jack The Ripper, Sherlock Holmes and Billy The Kid. Since appearing on the 1999 Rhino Records box set The Life And Crimes Of Alice Cooper, "Identity Crisises" has proved to be a hard one to officially get your paws on – it is currently missing from digital streaming services.

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Most Memorable Fast Forward Parodies

Site Factory admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 06:00:54 +0000

Most Memorable Fast Forward Parodies Site Factory admin Fri, 09/18/2020 - 16:00

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It was one of the most popular shows in Australia in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and one of the best parts of sketch comedy series Fast Forward was its parodies of hits of the time. No one was safe as Gina Riley (aka Kim from Kath & Kim) mimicked singers ranging from Madonna to Southern Sons’ Jack Jones in soundalike versions of their songs with lyrics that pulled no punches. Here are just some of the highlights from the weekly MTV pisstake, which also featured Jane Turner (aka Kath) doing her best vacuous VJ impression.

“Famous Sister”

Parody of: “Love And Kisses” by Dannii Minogue

In 1990, Dannii Minogue followed older sister Kylie, who had been releasing music for three years, into the ARIA singles chart (despite having been a singer first on Young Talent Time). Dannii’s debut single, “Love And Kisses” was skewered as “Famous Sister” in which the faux-Minogue sang, “I’ll tell you how to get this high – all you need is a famous sister… and dancing badly seems to help.”

“Opposites Attract”

Parody of: “Opposites Attract” by Paula Abdul

The joke in this reworking of the choreographer-turned-singer’s chart-topping hit was that the duet was with a furry character that looked suspiciously like Humphrey B. Bear (“I like Vegemite, you like honey”), rather than animated feline MC Skat Kat. Another sample lyric: “When we’re together – unnatural sex acts.”

“When I Bared My Behind”

Parody of: “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher

“I won an Oscar, I had come really far… I had to show them that I had real class, so I made this film clip and bared my arse,” Gina as Cher sang in this send-up of the latter’s chart-topping single. For the segment, Cher’s iconic music video was recreated, down to the horny sailors and barely-there outfit.

“Nothing Is There”

Parody of: “Nothing Compared 2 U” by Sinéad O’Connor

It was the highest-selling single in Australia in 1990, so it was inevitable that such a big hit as the Irish singer’s cover of Prince-penned track "Nothing Compares 2 U" would come in for the Fast Forward treatment. And with Sinéad’s striking visual image, “Nothing Is There” must have written itself, with lines like, “When I said you could do whatever you want, I didn’t really think you’d shave it off.”

“Wholesome”

Parody of: “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips

Gina was accompanied by Jane and fellow cast-mate Magda Szubanski to imitate second generation music stars Wilson Phillips – the daughters of members of The Beach Boys and The Mamas & The Papas. “Wholesome” made light of the trio’s squeaky-clean image: “We’re a favourite of your mum’s. We’re so good we’ll disappear right up our own bums.”

“I’ve Got This Body”

Parody of: “I Need Your Body” by Tina Arena

Even Tina Arena found the humour in Gina’s parody of her breakthrough hit, which played up the fact that the former child star was now a fully, er, grown woman. “My face is still the same but things have changed – my clothes won’t fit me on the top,” the new version of “I Need Your Body” went. The parody was especially effective since it was able to be filmed at the same location as Tina’s own music video: Melbourne’s Regent Theatre.

“The Bitch That Upstaged Me”

Parody of: “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler

Less a swipe at the singer herself and more an amusing take on the plot of Bette’s hit movie Beaches, this sketch turned the film’s theme song from a tune about friendship and inspiration to a tale of bitter rivalry. “The camera would never be on you if I had my way, I tried to steal all your lines, too.”

“Comb”

Parody of: “Roam” by The B-52’s

With an image as big as theirs, the B-52’s were prime targets for imitation, and Gina and Jane took on the roles of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson in “Comb”, which took the mickey out of their seemingly impenetrable hairstyles. “When we teased our hair we wanted it to stick, so we bouffed it then we sprayed with Tarzan’s Grip, so comb if you must do, try to comb our hair.” Bonus points to Peter Moon and Michael Veitch for their quirky portrayals of Fred Schneider and Keith Strickland.

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Cher’s Biggest Solo Hits In Australia

Site Factory admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 05:30:06 +0000

Cher’s Biggest Solo Hits In Australia Site Factory admin Mon, 08/17/2020 - 15:30

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Cher, 1988. Photo by Joe McNally/Getty Images.

With solo hits in Australia across five decades – not to mention her five top 20 singles as one half of Sonny & Cher – the mononymed star is one of the most successful artists of all time. From her earliest recordings in the ’60s and ’70s to her chart-topping comebacks in the ’80s and ’90s, Cher’s back catalogue is packed with massive singles like these 10 hits…

10. "Dark Lady"

Released: 1974

Peak: #17

A dramatic tale of deception, the title track of Cher’s 11th studio album relates the story of a woman who discovers her boyfriend is sleeping with the fortune teller she has visited (and who had told her to dump her lover). Result: double murder. A US number 1 single, “Dark Lady” is one of many big hits she has released that she is said not to have liked that much when she recorded them.

9. "Just Like Jesse James"

Released: 1989

Peak: #14

Here’s another track Cher was said to not be that fond of, despite it being written by top songwriters Diane Warren and Desmond Child. The song about a guy going “down in flames” like the infamous outlaw was the third single from her Heart Of Stone album and did not have an official music video made, with a montage clip created instead.

8. "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"

Released: 1966

Peak: #11

Cher’s first solo top 50 entry in Australia was written and produced by Sonny Bono for her second solo album, The Sonny Side Of Cher. The song tells the story of a woman who married a childhood friend that used to fire a toy gun at her and ends up walking out of their marriage – shooting her down again. The much covered and reinterpreted track was reworked by Cher herself in 1987 with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora contributing to the updated version.

7. "Strong Enough"

Released: 1999

Peak: #11

Riding on the wave of success that came following her 1998 comeback, Cher released this follow-up to “Believe” from her 22nd solo album. Written by Mark Taylor and Paul Barry, who’d both contributed to its predecessor, empowerment anthem “Strong Enough” has shades of “I Will Survive” in its mid-song string section. And a key change!

6. "I Found Someone"

Released: 1987

Peak: #8

Cher’s first major comeback was with this track from her self-titled 18th album, which returned her to the Australian top 10 for the first time in 14 years. Co-written and produced by Michael Bolton, “I Found Someone” had been recorded the year previously without success by Laura Branigan.

5. "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves"

Released: 1971

Peak: #5

Her first top 10 single in Australia (and solo number 1 in the US), “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves” was also a comeback of sorts – returning her to the chart here and in the US after a four-year absence, but in this case, she had released music in the intervening period. The story told by this song involves the daughter of dancer in a “travelling show” who ends up following in her mother’s footsteps.

4. "Half-Breed"

Released: 1973

Peak: # 4

Another US chart-topper, this single from the album of the same name was written specifically for Cher, due to her own mixed heritage, which included Native American ancestry on her mother’s side. The song’s protagonist is a woman whose father is white and mother is Cherokee, with the lyrics describing the prejudice she faces.

3. "The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss)"

Released: 1991

Peak: #4

Cher revisited the ’60s, both on film with her role in Mermaids and with her cover version of this track from 1964 for the movie’s soundtrack. Originally recorded by Merry Clayton and turned into a hit by Betty Everett, “The Shoop Shoop Song” had been remade by a number of other singers before Cher got her hands on it, taking it all the way to number 1 in the UK – her first solo chart-topper there.

2. "Believe"

Released: 1998

Peak: #1

Returning to the ARIA top 50 for the first time since 1991’s “Love and Understanding” reached number 23, Cher spent five weeks at number 1 with this foray into electronic-based music. Responsible for the proliferation in use of AutoTune effects in the years following, “Believe” has sold over 11 million copies worldwide and earned her the only Grammy Award – for Best Dance Recording – she has received during her career.

1. "If I Could Turn Back Time

Released: 1989

Peak: #1

With seven non-consecutive weeks at number 1 – it was knocked off for three weeks during its run by that pesky Jive Bunny – “If I Could Turn Back Time” is Cher’s best-performing single on the Australian chart. And true to form, it’s a song Cher didn’t think that much of when she heard the demo recording, coming around after being persuaded to record it by songwriter Diane Warren, who knew it would be a big hit. Whether Diane also envisioned Cher’s revealing outfit in the battleship-set music video is another matter.

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Biggest Comebacks Of The ’80s And ’90s

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Biggest Comebacks Of The ’80s And ’90s Site Factory admin Tue, 04/07/2020 - 11:10

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Meatloaf (Photo by Patrick Ford/Redferns/Getty Images), Cher (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Everybody loves a comeback. Whether it’s a performer who takes time out from making music or a musician whose career has been in the doldrums, there is nothing better than seeing a former great land another big hit. In the 1980s and ’90s, some of the most successful acts in the history of music came charging back onto the scene in a big way.

Tina Turner

They may not have had many huge singles, especially in Australia where their best performance was the number 14 peak of 1973’s “Nutbush City Limits”, but husband-and-wife duo Ike and Tina Turner’s influence went beyond chart positions. Following the breakdown of their volatile marriage in 1976, Tina’s solo career finally took off in 1984, first with a cover of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” and then her chart-topping signature tune, “What’s Love Got To Do With It”, which cemented her place as one of the ’80s biggest female stars.

Aretha Franklin

When the Queen of Soul reached number 6 in 1985 with “Freeway Of Love”, it was her first visit to the Australian top 50 since 1971’s “Spanish Harlem”. It was also her highest chart position ever locally up until that point, surpassing the number 8 peak of “I Say A Little Prayer” in 1968. Aretha had released albums all that time but with limited commercial success – something that changed with the release of 1985’s more pop-oriented Who’s Zoomin’ Who.

John Farnham

One of Australia’s biggest stars in the late 1960s and 1970s, the artist formerly known as Johnny Farnham enjoyed two boosts to his music career in the 1980s. Firstly, in 1980, his remake of The Beatles’ “Help!”, taken from his first album in five years, returned him to the top 10 for the first time since 1973. Then, after a stint as the lead singer of Little River Band, John released the most successful locally produced album of all time in Whispering Jack and topped the singles chart for the first time since 1969’s “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” with “You’re The Voice”.

Cher

She’d reached the top 10 as one half of Sonny & Cher in the 1960s and again as a solo artist in the 1970s, but it had been 14 years since Cher had seen the inside of the Australian top 50 when she returned there with the Michael Bolton co-written power ballad “I Found Someone” in 1988. Taken from her first album in five years, that hit kicked off a string of successes (including chart-topper “If I Could Turn Back Time”) that had petered out in Australia by 1991. Then, in 1998, she made another chart comeback with the all-conquering “Believe”.

Roy Orbison

After an impressive tally of six Australian number 1 singles during the 1960s, The Big O’s fortunes took a dive in the 1970s and for most of the ’80s, even though his influence was clear from the number of remakes of his songs that were successful for other artists. By the late ’80s, Roy’s career was taking off again and he was back in the chart as part of supergroup The Traveling Wilburys. Sadly, he never lived to see how well received his first album in a decade, Mystery Girl, and lead single “You Got It” were in the wake of his December 1988 death.

The B-52’s

In 1980, the kooky five-piece from Atlanta had one of the most original hits of the year in the form of debut single “Rock Lobster”, which was followed by another success with “Private Idaho” from second album Wild Planet. And then, despite releasing albums throughout the ’80s (and taking some time out to cope with the loss of founding member Ricky Wilson), nothing connected for the band until the very end of the decade, when Cosmic Thing’s second single “Love Shack” ruled the roost for most of summer ’89-’90.

Meat Loaf

The original Bat Out Of Hell is the highest-selling album of all time in Australia, certified 25 times platinum since its 1977 release. So when none of Meat Loaf’s four follow-up albums did anything like that kind of business, there was only one thing for it: a sequel. Released in 1993, seven years after previous album Blind Before I Stop, Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell restored the singer/actor born Marvin Aday to the top of the Australian charts.

Santana

They may never have been a force on the singles chart in the 1970s (biggest hit: “She’s Not There”, number 19 in 1977) but the band named after guitarist Carlos Santana were regulars in the top 10 of the albums chart throughout that decade. The ’80s and early ’90s weren’t as kind to Santana, but by 1999, seven years after 1992’s Milagro, they reached number 1 on both charts thanks to Supernatural and “Smooth” featuring Rob Thomas.

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Highlights From The ‘This Is Tom Jones’ TV Show

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Tom Jones and Joe Cocker perform on "This Is Tom Jones" TV show in 1970 (Photo by Donaldson Collection/Getty Images)

Tom Jones is one of the truly great talents of our time, still capable of raising heartbeats even as he approaches his 80th birthday. Back in 1969, the Welsh singer launched his own TV show called, This Is Tom Jones – an incredible variety series running for two years. Across 65 episodes, the show’s host and star was joined by a cast of high-profile guests to perform some of the best duets prime time TV has ever seen. Enjoy the highlights below.

Tom Jones & Dusty Springfield | “I'm Gonna Make You Love Me” [This is Tom Jones, 1970]

Dusty’s voice just melts your heart, and Tom’s judging by the look in his eye. But, he proves himself a more than worthy sparring partner for the Queen of Blue-Eyed Soul!

Cher & Tom Jones | “The Beat Goes On” [This Is Tom Jones, 1969]

Tom shows his rougher side, Cher her captivating nonchalance in this stripped-back performance. The pair’s delivery is deceptively laid back, with an electric undercurrent that keeps you hanging on every word. Apart from ending on an awkwardly outdated skit from Sonny, this one’s simply flawless.

Tom Jones & Joe Cocker | “Delta Lady’ [This is Tom Jones, 1970]

Tom Jones and Joe Cocker are hardly cut from the same cloth, but this rendition of “Delta Lady” proves them be a remarkably complementary pairing! Their voices blend together to create a majestic gospel chorus and Joe delivers a showstopping bridge. Even their valiantly varied dance styles make for an unlikely perfect match.

Tom Jones & Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | “Long Time Gone” [This is Tom Jones, 1969]

Tom is clearly overjoyed to be singing over the buttery harmonies on a stage jam-packed with future legends. Neil Young more or less invents the amped-up rock revolution that would arrive a decade or so later when he crashes in with an anachronistic searing guitar solo at 2:05. The mischievous look on his face suggests he knows exactly what he’s doing.

Tom Jones & Janis Joplin | “Raise Your Hand” [This is Tom Jones, 1969]

Tom Jones meets his match in Janis Joplin on their duet of “Raise Your Hand” in 1969. Right out of the gate, Janis stakes her claim with the type of wildly confident, bluesy entrance that, judging by the look on Tom’s face, he never dreamed possible. You can almost see the moment his mind implodes as she stumbles over the word “crying” at 16 seconds in. Tom recovers and boldly holds his own, but it turns out Janis was just getting warmed up. He surrenders to her unbeatable scream in the breakdown, happily go-go dancing his way to the end, totally in awe of his electrifying adversary.

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Watch 2020 Super Bowl Ads Featuring Some Classic Tunes!

Site Factory admin — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 00:30:27 +0000

Watch 2020 Super Bowl Ads Featuring Some Classic Tunes! Site Factory admin Mon, 02/03/2020 - 11:30

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L: Sony & Cher circa 1965. Photo by Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images. R: Bill Murray (via YouTube).

The American Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events of the year and, with the power to draw in excess of 100 million viewers, for advertisers, the grand final broadcast is easily THE most sought after slot on the programming calendar - which is great for us Aussies, because while many of us don’t know much about NFL, we can still enjoy the wild medley of moods, high-profile cameos and iconic music that comes from the annual battle to be the most talked-about commercial of the year!

Super Bowl 2020 ads will take you to interesting places with a genius modern spin on some stone-cold classics.

Jeep features Sonny & Cher's “I Got You, Babe”

Jeep make the case for why you should buy a Jeep Gladiator with a positive spin on eternal déj vu in this recreation of 1993’s Groundhog Day. Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” adds a romantic twist to the familiar storyline as Bill Murray finds a good reason to start loving living the same day over and over again with his furry little co-star.

Jeep | “Groundhog Day”

Jeep’s Chief Marketing Officer, Olivier Francois said getting Murray to sign on was crucial: “What is incredible here is that obviously we got Bill Murray to say yes to do it. This is totally a miracle,” he told CNBC.

And perhaps the best part is, according to Francois, much of the ad was unscripted. Murray’s own improv and impulsiveness was behind the hilarious cut.

Facebook features Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock"

Facebook have chosen their debut Super Bowl spot to promote the idea that there's a Facebook group for every interest, whether it's rock climbing, rock buggies or experimental rocketry - "Whatever you rock, there's a Facebook group for you," reads the tagline. And, what could possibly be a more appropriate accompaniment than Twisted Sister’s “I Wanna Rock”?

Facebook Groups: Ready to Rock? | Super Bowl 2020

What starts to feel like a pop culture overload of all things that ‘rock’ takes a sharp and witty turn when the sweatshirt clad joggers culminate on the steps of Philadelphia's Museum of Modern Art, recreating the famous scene from 1976’s Rocky only to have Stallone himself show up at the top.

Nothing beats Rocky.

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Elton John Donates $1 Million To Bushfire Relief Fund At Sydney Concert

Site Factory admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 23:58:52 +0000

Elton John Donates $1 Million To Bushfire Relief Fund At Sydney Concert Site Factory admin Wed, 01/08/2020 - 10:58

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Sir Elton John during the Australian leg of his 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour'. Photo by Mackenzie Sweetnam/WireImage.

Sir Elton John has become the latest in a long list of global celebrities who have dug deep to donate generously to Australia's bushfire relief efforts and call attention to what he describes as devastation on a "biblical scale." As he closed his set at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena last night, Elton took a moment to acknowledge all those who are working tirelessly to fight the unprecedented fires.

"You should all be in awe of the work that the firefighters are doing," Sir Elton said. "There are people out there who have lost their lives trying to save homes, there are people who have lost their lives and their homes. And last, is the plight of the animals and loss of their habitat that frankly, is on a biblical scale and heartbreaking.”

"Therefore, tonight I will be pledging $1 million."

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Seeing the fires raging across Australia have left me heartbroken. This tragedy has taken lives, homes and devastated so much wildlife. At my Sydney show last night, I pledged $1 million dollars to support the Bushfire Relief Fund. God bless, Australia.

A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn) on Jan 7, 2020 at 12:27pm PST

The audience immediately leapt to its feet and let out a massive cheer in response to the singer’s heartfelt speech.

Sir Elton's donation comes after a recent outpouring of celebrity generosity that has seen Australian actor Chris Hemsworth also pledge $1 million for the bushfire recovery, following in the footsteps of singer Pink, Kylie Minogue's family and Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, who all have announced $500,000 donations to the cause. Cher is among the foreign celebrities who have personally donated and expressed their horror at Australia's bushfire emergency.

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Cher Breaks Down 22 Looks From 1965 To Now

Site Factory admin — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:34:55 +0000

Cher Breaks Down 22 Looks From 1965 To Now Site Factory admin Tue, 11/12/2019 - 13:34

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(Source: Vogue YouTube)

If you thought Cher couldn't be more fabulous, thank again!

Here in this excellent interview shot by Vogue Magazine, the Queen of Pop talks us through a photo gallery of over twenty of her most iconic looks from throughout her illustrious career as a musician and actor.

Looking like an absolute glamour with flowing red locks and dripping in diamonds, Cher is brazen (as expected) about some of her outfit choices from 1965 through to present. By flicking through pages of a photo book, she remains proud of many of the images and explains the concept for the overall look, the occasion it was for and details about the designer or behind the scenes story. For others, she's honest about the look not quite working and turns the page quickly.

We just love her!

An icon of music and fashion, some of these now-legendary looks are instantly memorable, such as Cher's outfit for the Grammy's, Time Magazine cover, and Vogue cover shoot - despite being told she'd never get a cover.

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