The official tie-in book for the beloved, nine-time Emmy Award-winning series Schitt’s Creek. This beautifully produced, keepsake coffee-table book is the ultimate celebration of the series, the town, the characters, and the state of mind that is Schitt’s Creek. Capturing the essence and alchemy of all six seasons of what is now considered to be one of the most groundbreaking comedy television series of the last decade, Best Wishes, Warmest Regards is a gift to fans everywhere who have made the show their own.
Included are character profiles from the cast of Johnny, Moira, David, and Alexis, and all of the characters that populate the town, major moments from Moira’s endorsement of Herb Ertlinger Winery, to Patrick and David’s first kiss, to Cabaret and the Rose Family Christmas episode. Also included are special features, such as the complete, illustrated catalogs of David’s knits and Moira’s wigs, Moira’s vocabulary, Alexis’s adventures, and behind-the-scenes moments from Dan and Eugene Levy and the cast of Schitt’s Creek.
Musician, actor, singer, songwriter, producer, humanitarian and global music legend Jimmy Cliff releases “Human Touch,” his first offering of new music in almost 4 years. “Human Touch” was written to promote human interaction just in time for post-Covid realities and exudes his spiritual maturity “Human Touch.”
“As an African descendant, I am blessed and happy to display our unique human story of survival and triumph and to clothe this stage of my musical journey in the great achievements & lessons of Ancient Egyptian enlightenment that has so influenced the recent centuries of human civilization as reflected in obelisks and other Pharaonic monuments in the major cities and culture of the ‘new world’,” adds Jimmy Cliff.
“Human Touch” is out now August 6, Jamaican Independence Day, as a tribute to Cliff’s birthplace the Somerton District of St. James and his musical birthplace of Kingston, Jamaica. As one of the last surviving members of the great generation of Reggae pioneers who have since passed (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Toots Hibbert), he helped bring the genre to all corners of the globe and helped it gain worldwide popularity. Jimmy Cliff’s impact on music and culture is inescapable. He received Jamaica’s highest honor “The Order of Merit.” He is one of only two Jamaican Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees—Bob Marley being the other. His critically acclaimed album Rebirth was awarded the GRAMMY Award for “Best Reggae Album” and was selected as one of Rolling Stone’s “50 Best Albums of 2012.”
Immortal anthems including “Wonderful World, Beautiful People,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” “The Harder They Come,” and many of his other singles such as “Wild World,” “Hakuna Matata” (with Lebo M.) have had chart success across the globe including Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, U.K. and New Zealand.
Everyone from Annie Lennox to Paul Simon has sought him out for collaborations, while Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Cher, New Order, and Fiona Apple have recorded notable covers. Springsteen’s “Trapped” was included on the We Are The World benefit album. Bob Dylan announced Cliff’s track “Vietnam,” “the greatest protest song ever written.” A distinctive screen presence, he had a starring role in the film and on the soundtrack for the 1972 classic The Harder They Come, which drew an international spotlight on reggae. His career in film includes his wonderful version of “I Can See Clearly Now,” from the ‘Cool Runnings’ soundtrack and his other film appearances include Club Paradise, Muscle Shoals, Marked For Death, and more.
Afrobeats & Reggaeton dominance in streaming popular music pulsates from Jimmy Cliff’s roots influencing global music genres, with his residencies in Latin America and Africa.
2021 promises to be another pivotal year in Cliff’s career as he prepares for the release of his upcoming album and celebrates the 60th anniversary of the founding of Beverly Records and as label, artist and producers, their seminal influences in Island Records 60th. 2022 will mark the 50th anniversary of the acclaimed film and soundtrack, The Harder They Come.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the 1970 concept double album, Jesus Christ Superstar, it has today been announced that a variety of special anniversary edition albums will be released September 17. This landmark release, which includes full cooperation from the creators Tim Riceand Andrew Lloyd Webber, features an array of exclusive demos, commentaries, interviews and much more.
In 1970, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber released Jesus Christ Superstar as a concept double album. It became a massive global best-seller, topping the US Billboard Top LPs chart in both February and May 1971, as well as ranking at number one in the year-end chart. By 1983, the album had sold over 7 million copies worldwide.
However, the journey to international success was far from straightforward. As unknown names in musical theatre, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber were unable to find a producer willing to stage their ambitious idea for a religious-themed rock opera. Eventually, they persuaded MCA records to let them record the score first. Using a full orchestra, and with the outstanding talents of Ian Gillan, Murray Head, Yvonne Elliman and The Grease Band, they created a masterpiece that revolutionized the form of musical theatre.
Within a year of its chart success, stage productions of “Jesus Christ Superstar” began to appear all over the world, leading to record-breaking runs in the West End, a hit Hollywood film, Tony nominations and Olivier Awards. Its influence and impact have not diminished: in 2018 the NBC live production of the show, starring John Legend and Sara Bareilles, resulted in Emmy Award wins for Rice and Lloyd Webber (thereby making them two of the 16 people in history to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony).
Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “A musical about Jesus Christ! Back in 1969 the mere thought had theatre producers falling about with laughter. But somehow Tim Rice and I persuaded MCA to record a single. It came at a time when fusion was all the rage. The Rolling Stones had recorded with the London Bach Choir. Deep Purple’s Jon Lord composed a symphony for rock band and orchestra. So I was like a kid in a sweet shop when I was able to combine a rock band, a symphony orchestra and a gospel choir in what was the first track to be recorded, simply titled Superstar. Overriding everything was that we were telling our story in sound – and sound alone. We had none of the visual elements of theatres and film to fall back on. A cast-iron musical and dramatic structure was the key. Dialogue had no place on a record, so music and lyrics had to carry everything. In truth, we were writing a musical radio play. Ultimately, this gave us one enormous advantage. Audiences came to know our recordings so well that no future director or producer could add musical passages for scene changes or tamper with the construction. The score had become set in stone.”
Tim Rice stated, “I have nothing but fond memories of the writing and recording of Jesus Christ Superstar. We were incredibly lucky; we had a record company and a management team who were willing to take huge risks. Not just in terms of belief in our idea but also in terms of providing a budget to fulfil our musical vision which brought together a rock band, a full orchestra and not just one but two separate choirs.” He added, “I’m incredibly proud and grateful to have been part of it all, perhaps more now at 76 than I was at 25.“
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and three-time Grammy Award-winner Nile Rodgers has commented on the impact of the musical through his career, stating “Jesus Christ Superstar permeated every part of our lives then. It was a cultural explosion, like an earthquake or asteroid crashing…with Tim, he made a genius work in Jesus Christ Superstar, which was as revolutionary to hippies as Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew was to jazz.”
The special anniversary editions are a celebration of the original 1970 concept double album and its continued success spanning 50 years. With the new editions all having been re-mastered at Abbey Road, fans have a great selection to choose from. There is a 10×10″ 3-CD Celebration Box Set with exclusive unreleased material, as well as a 100-page hard-back booklet. Inside, fans can dive into interviews between Lloyd Webber and Rice, essays from famous figures including Nile Rodgers and Matt Berry, the 1970 lyric book, memorabilia from Tim Rice’s personal collection and more. Also available are 2CD Digipak set, 2LP gatefold edition which have been half-speed mastered, 2LP gatefold limited edition which comes as a replica of the original 1970 fold-out envelope sleeve. These special anniversary editions are also available in SD/HD versions in deluxe and standard edition.
A tribute to an international phenomenon, these special 50th anniversary editions are the perfect way to celebrate the extraordinary legacy of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
TRACK LISTINGS
3CD CELEBRATION BOX SET – RIGID SLIPCASE AND 100-PAGE HARDBACK BOOK Includes unreleased material mixed by Nick Davis. The album was remastered by Miles Showell and Nick Davis at Abbey Road in November 2020. Includes a 100-Page Booklet, with extensive notes by Lois Wilson with new interviews from all the main protagonists and memorabilia from Tim Rice’s personal collection.
CD1
Overture
Heaven On Their Minds
What’s The Buzz – Strange Thing, Mystifying
Everything’s Alright
This Jesus Must Die
Hosanna
Simon Zealotes – Poor Jerusalem
Pilate’s Dream
The Temple
Everything’s Alright
I Don’t Know How To Love Him
Damned For All Time – Blood Money
CD2
The Last Supper
Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say)
The Arrest
Peter’s Denial
Pilate And Christ
King Herod’s Song
Judas’ Death
Trial Before Pilate (Including the 39 Lashes)
Superstar
Crucifixion
John Nineteen: Forty-one
CD3:
Blood Money (guide vocal)*
Herod’s Song (guide vocal)*
I Don’t Know How To Love Him (Tim Rice Commentary)*
This Jesus Must Die (scat vocal 1)*
This Jesus Must Die (scat vocal 2)* Unreleased Instrumental*
I Don’t Know How To Love Him (single edit)
1970 open-end Interview with the creators Of Jesus Christ Superstar Part One (includes Superstar, Heaven On Their Minds, I Don’t Know How To Love Him)
1970 open-end Interview with the creators Of Jesus Christ Superstar Part Two (includes Gethsemane, Herod’s Song and Superstar).
2CD DIGIPAK SET
CD1
Overture
Heaven On Their Minds
What’s The Buzz – Strange Thing, Mystifying
Everything’s Alright
This Jesus Must Die
Hosanna
Simon Zealotes – Poor Jerusalem
Pilate’s Dream
The Temple
Everything’s Alright
I Don’t Know How To Love Him
Damned For All Time – Blood Money
CD2
The Last Supper
Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say)
The Arrest
Peter’s Denial
Pilate And Christ
King Herod’s Song
Judas’ Death
Trial Before Pilate (Including the 39 Lashes)
Superstar
Crucifixion
John Nineteen: Forty-one
2LP GATEFOLD EDITION – HALF SPEED MASTERED AT ABBEY ROAD BY MILES SHOWELL
LP One
Side One
Overture
Heaven On Their Minds
What’s The Buzz – Strange Thing, Mystifying
Everything’s Alright
This Jesus Must Die
Side Two
Hosanna
Simon Zealotes – Poor Jerusalem
Pilate’s Dream
The Temple
Everything’s Alright
I Don’t Know How To Love Him
Damned For All Time – Blood Money
LP Two
Side One
The Last Supper
Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say)
The Arrest
Peter’s Denial
Pilate And Christ
King Herod’s Song
Side Two
Judas’ Death
Trial Before Pilate (Including the 39 Lashes)
Superstar
Crucifixion
John Nineteen: Forty-one
2LP GATEFOLD LIMITED EDITION Replica of the 1970 original fold-out envelope sleeve. Half-speed mastered at Abbey Road. EDITION LIMITED TO 3000.
SiriusXM today announced a new channel dedicated to one of the funniest women in the history of comedy: Lucille Ball. “Let’s Talk to Lucy,” named after her 1960s CBS Radio show, will be available on channel 104 starting on August 5. The special programming will also be available on the SXM App, Pandora, and Stitcher.
A star of stage, screen, television and radio, Lucille Ball is an indisputable American legend whose comedic talent and work ethic combined to make her a living legend. Her work is still beloved worldwide, almost ninety years after she arrived in Hollywood.
In-between starring in four television series and more than 70 films, Lucy would frequently jump from set to set, tape recorder in hand, and talk about all aspects of life with some of the biggest names in Hollywood history, including Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Carol Burnett, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and dozens more. These recordings eventually made it onto air when CBS Radio broadcast them as “Let’s Talk to Lucy” from 1964-1965. However, for the last 50-plus years they’ve never been heard publicly again — until now.
On the new, limited-run SiriusXM channel Let’s Talk to Lucy, listeners will finally get to experience these amazing conversations in their entirety. In addition to hearing from classic Hollywood icons, modern day stars will also join the channel to pay tribute to the five-time Emmy Award winner. Amy Poehler, Rosie O’Donnell, Tiffany Haddish, Ron Howard, Carol Burnett, Debra Messing, Joy Behar, Robert Klein, Barry Manilow, Sean Astin, Kathie Lee Gifford, Seth Rudetsky, Danny Burnstein, Randy Rainbow, among many others, will answer some of the original questions asked by Lucy, herself, in the day.
“Although I have been care-taking these ancient tapes for over thirty years, I had never really listened to them all and had no idea how many remarkable people Mom had talked to on these radio shows,” said Lucie Arnaz, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s daughter. “It’s a treasure trove of personal information from some of the greatest talents of American Entertainment and my family and I can’t wait to share them with the rest of the planet.”
Sonic Reducers. One topic. Two music nerds. Five minutes. Join us as we dissect the new Guns N’ Roses single Absurd, explain why legendary bands feel the need to release new music, and when we might see a new GnR album (hint: a while)
Two months after this year’s long-awaited release of his third-ever solo studio album, Consider Me Undecided, Canadian pop-rock country artist Barry Haggarty has released a touching new music video for the song “Moments” — available now.
Co-written with Cyril Rawson, “Moments” is a quick and powerful, classical-inspired folk ballad which contains a myriad of beautiful acoustic guitar arrangements; it features a haunting, Led Zeppelin-esque flute melody, and endlessly visceral vocal harmonies by not just Haggarty, but backup singer Kate Suhr as well.
Because the music itself is so emotionally enticing and speaks for itself, its accompanying music video is simple and stripped back — all it really needs to be. The two-and-a-half minute short sees the Peterborough, Ontario-based musician, in all black and white, singing along in a studio, as he stares pensively into the camera’s eye.
Though Haggarty has yet to disclose exactly what inspired him to write “Moments,” his lyrics are telling and vulnerable enough to give at least a vague idea. It’s all about love, and a reflection on it — whether that be all the good times shared with a lover, or the bad; many of the branches and intricacies that, over time, managed to keep an intimate bond so strong.
Throughout the video, shots of candlesticks and old family portraits — as well as the typed-out lyrics to “Moments” — are interlaced with footage of Haggarty and the magnificent Suhr performing their hearts out in respective recording rooms of the veteran musician’s home studio: Haggarty Sound Studio.
Consider Me Undecided serves as Haggarty’s first record in more than 15 years and was born from the ambition to create a project that oozed “musical diversity.” From rock, to pop, to country and then back to folk, classical and jazz, all 13 original tracks offer something completely different for fans.
To make things even sweeter, Haggarty enlisted different session musicians, with a variety of different sonic expertise, to record the songs live in his studio. Live off the floor? Wow! Right? Impressively enough, too, Haggarty kept all the editing and post-production to a minimum, to maintain an “old school” vibe on this album.
“That’s what this project is: real live players in the studio making music,” he says.
Before kicking off his own solo career, Haggarty played guitar for the legendary Ronnie Hawkins — where he also had the pleasure of playing with Bob Dylan and the Band — as well as with The Family Brown. Come 1999, he formed his own touring band and began recording his own music. After a decade of touring solo, the multi-talented musician joined forces with Bentwood Rocker to record 1982’s Take Me to Heaven album. Haggarty was later inducted into the Peterborough Pathway of Fame (in 2013), and nominated for Guitar Player of the Year three years in a row at the CCMA’s.
As well as his brand-new solo album, Haggarty has previously released two others: If These Walls Could Talk, and Old Days.
“Moments” and Consider Me Undecided are available now.
When looking ahead down the road of life, the temptation to peer in the rearview mirror is always just a glance away… And it’s that sense of these past experiences, big life changes, and hope for the future fuelling Vancouver, BC-born, Victoria, BC-based folk-pop singer/songwriter Kele Fleming’s fiery new single, “Me Oh My” — available now.
Written by Fleming’s longtime collaborator and friend, Ron Yamauchi, “Me Oh My” gives Kele the opportunity to stretch vocally from calm reflection to an emotional roar — knowing well what inspired Yamauchi’s powerfully personal lyrics.
“I wrote this after my first family reunion with my birth family,” Yamauchi explains. “It’s about thinking about difficulty in one’s past, sacrifices others made for you included, and feeling grateful.”
“Me Oh My” was originally recorded for Fleming’s 2016 album, No Static, a complete collaboration with Yamauchi on which most of the tracks are co-writes. That “Me Oh My” is the release’s exception, written solely by Yamauchi, Fleming was up to the challenge of interpreting her friend’s song, as she was on the cusp of going through big life changes herself.
“I can hear the intensity of the emotion I was feeling at the time in my vocal performance,” Fleming notes. “I was hopeful and fierce that the shifts and changes I was following in my life would bring me peace and love.”
Describing the video for “Me Oh My” as “walking as a life metaphor” and “a love letter to Vancouver,” creating it helped provide the impetus to release the song now as a standalone single. While staying home during the pandemic, Fleming has been acquiring a new skill as a video editor; she edited the video herself with footage she shot of her own walks around Vancouver during three seasons in 2020 before and during the pandemic.
“You see my feet walking through different cityscapes and also reflected and refracted views of the wet city through the windows of city buses and the Skytrain,” Fleming explains. “Walking became a meditation on how to stay connected to the world around me during the pandemic and this video reflects that.
“Fun fact about me revealed by this video:” she adds, “my love of shoes!”
Here’s something else to “Me Oh My” about… Very soon, Kele Fleming’s performances will not only be at home in front of her camera, microphone and computer; with pandemic restrictions easing, and live music taking its first steps back to the stage, Fleming has a series of shows slated over the coming months.
In addition to “Me Oh My,” Fleming will certainly be performing songs from her most recent album, The Song I’ll Write for My Whole Life — including the recent single “Vanishing of Bees.” Released for UN World Bee Day, the song is in support of the David Suzuki Foundation’s Butterflyaway project protecting key pollinator habitats.
Continuing to infuse a swirling breath of fresh air into today’s pop-jazz scene, multi-talented Schomberg, ON-based artist Cynthia Tauro is “Right Here” with the release of her new single and video — available now.
As a song, “Right Here” illustrates how love slowly releases when it’s left unreciprocated — and adds to her well-regarded repertoire of soulful, sensitive, and intimate songwriting combined with evocative and immersive vocals over an intrinsic love of Latin and complex jazz harmonies.
Following her 2020 single, “You Know Me,” the new track stays in the musical lane of Tauro’s music genre potpourri of choice — all while wittily pushing the envelope by adding inventive elements to the mix. Think: a groovy core instrumentation played out by banging keys, guitar, percussion and bass, plus a dash of vocal attitude and stirring, unapologetic lyrics for good measure.
“The making of this song was way different than anything else I’ve done thus far,” Tauro shares of its origins behind-the-scenes. “I went into the studio with the bare bones of the song, and a clear vision of the groove and feel — and then Marito Marques and I brought it to life!
“We had such a good time creating it,” she continues, “and having TJ Whitelaw and Louis Simao in to play… I feel like I explored, and took risks with my voice, and I’m really happy about it.”
The video is set in a dimly lit coffee-house that illustrates a modern take on the old smoky jazz/bossa nova clubs. The bohemian flare easily captures that ‘New York East Village’ appeal, swiftly harnessing the premise of the track. “Making the video was a wonderful experience,” Tauro recalls. “I worked with an amazing team who really respected my vision and wanted to stay as real as possible when it came to the performance of the song — which I loved.
“I also got to have some friends and family on-set, which was so much fun! I was able to play for the first time in a while, and with outstanding musicians — it was such a good feeling.”
First known as a musician, composer, multi-instrumentalist and performing artist with a signature, soulful spin within the jazz-pop and world fusion realm, Cynthia Tauro released her debut album Moments (2019) to critical acclaim.
Its debut single “Dancing On My Own” hit #1 on the Canadian iTunes Jazz Chart and highlighted the Ontario-based musicians’ longstanding talents as seen on stage alongside artists like Little Scream, Harea Band, and as host of Jazz Jam.
With “Right Here” comes the next preview to Tauro’s current exploration of new genre-bending ground when it comes to her forthcoming EP, set to feature her intimate, soulful lyrics and engaging energy.
“The aesthetic around it feels the most like me,” she reveals of the release. “I’m very excited for it to be out in the world!”
Sonic Reducers: One topic. Two music nerds. Five minutes. Join us as we discuss the news that Charlie Watts is skipping the upcoming Rolling Stones tour, and which other members they could tour without.
3x Grammy award-winning, Platinum-selling superstar Lizzo has announced her highly-anticipated return. With anthemic smash hits like the 7x Platinum “Truth Hurts,” the 3x Platinum “Good As Hell,” the 2x Platinum “Juice,” and the Platinum “Tempo (Feat. Missy Elliott)” already under her belt, Lizzo is set for yet another smash with the upcoming “Rumors.” “Rumors” is out on August 13th, and pre-saves are available now here.
Along with her first new music of the year, Lizzo is making her comeback even stronger with a number of festival appearances. The songstress makes history as the first woman to ever headline Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. As well as her September 4th appearance at Bonnaroo, Lizzo will also perform for Global Citizen Live on September 25, Firefly Music Festival on September 26th, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on October 10th, and Outside Lands on October 30th. Lizzo will also make her eagerly-awaited return to her home state of Minnesota for a headline show at Welch, MN’s Treasure Island Amphitheater on September 11th. For more details, visit lizzomusic.com.
Lizzo has become a household name with well over 5 billion global streams and a Platinum selling debut album to date. Lizzo released her Nice Life Recording Company/Atlantic Records debut album CUZ I LOVE YOU on April 19th, 2019, debuting at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart and spending 24 consecutive weeks in the chart’s Top 10. “Truth Hurts” also became the longest running #1 by a solo female rap artist in history after spending seven weeks atop the charts.
Since the release of the meteoric CUZ I LOVE YOU, Lizzo has been named both TIME Magazine and Entertainment Weekly’s 2019 Entertainer of the Year as well as gracing the covers of Rolling Stone, Billboard’s GRAMMY Preview Issue, British Vogue, Elle’s Women In Music Issue, and many others. Additionally, Lizzo kicked off 2020 with a showstopping opening performance at the 62nd Annual GRAMMY awards and took home three big wins, in addition to being the most-nominated artist of the year. 2020 also saw her win the awards for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist at the 2020 B.E.T Awards and both “Entertainer of the Year” and “Outstanding Video” at the 2020 NAACP Awards. Her list of high-profile TV performances also include the 2019 American Music Awards, VMAs, B.E.T Awards and Saturday Night Live, in addition to in depth profiles on CBS This Morning’s GRAMMY primetime special and CBS Sunday Morning.
