Uberphawx edited Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” so that all the notes are C.
The Infamous Tommy Walker: the Mystery Man Whose Music You Know
There are certain songs you know you know, even if you don’t really know them. For example, we all know the song Happy Birthday, but did you know the melody came from Good Morning to All? Written by American sisters Patty and Mildred J. Hill, Good Morning to All features six notes that have since been used to celebrate the birthdays of people around the world.
In the sports world, there tunes you just know but you’re not sure where they came from. The Charge is one of those tunes (see video below). Played at hockey matches, the fanfare signals to the crowd that something is about to happen. Like Happy Birthday, Charge features six notes but they’re six notes that are now known the world over.
A Tune that Transcends Hockey
In fact, although the tune is still played in hockey stadiums, it’s taken on a life of its own. Take virtually every hockey game ever made and it probably features Charge. Break Away slots on Royal Panda are a prime example of the tune’s crossover appeal. Because the developers at Microgaming wanted to create a game that pays homage to hockey, Charge was added to the mix. When players spin the reels, the familiar notes play in the background as players, referees and hockey masks roll into view.
It’s not just hockey tributes where Charge is used. As well as being used for jingles on Scott Shannon’s music show Rockin American Top 30 Countdown, the fanfare appears in the popular video game Overwatch. To give the character Bastion some added depth, the developers at Blizzard Entertainment made him hum a tune similar to Charge just before his special power kicks in. If that’s not enough confirmation that this fanfare is a global hit, how about the fact it’s used in game shows around the world, including FIRST robotics competitions?
Whether you’re a hockey fan or not, you’ve probably heard Charge. But, like Happy Birthday, you probably don’t know where it comes from. The truth is that it was written by a junior at the University of Southern California, going by the name of Tommy Walker. Who is Tommy Walker, you might ask? Like his famous tune, he’s one of those people you probably know but don’t know – or at least, you know his work. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1922, Walker was a live events producer. During his career, he worked as director of entertainment at Disneyland and for the International Olympic Committee.
An Author that Entertained Us All
As an expert in sensory experiences, Walker produced the opening and closing ceremonies for three Olympic Games. He was also in charge of the centennial celebrations for the Statue of Liberty. However, in among his epic firework displays and theatrical productions, he was known (to some) as the man behind Charge. However, such was his low profile that Bobby Kent, previously musical director for the San Diego Chargers, laid claim to the tune, claiming to have invented the fanfare in 1978. However, the Chargers’ first general manager, Frank Leahy, chose the team’s name in 1960, long after the fanfare was actually written.
Based on that, Charge had to have been written by Walker in 1948. However, even with that being the case, the majority of people still won’t know Walker or his contribution to sports and entertainment. Like the Hill sisters, his work is instantly recognizable, but his name isn’t. For such an iconic tune, that’s a shame. However, as Roland Barthes wrote in 1967, the author dies once their work is published. Walker is the proverbial author in this case. His work is out there for all to see but his background, influences and intentions are neither known nor required for us to enjoy it. But even though the man and the author are dead, it’s important to remember where Charge came from next time you’re at a hockey game.
Queen + Adam Lambert Announce Roadies In Lockdown… A Rhapsody Tour Lockumentary Series
Tour Video Director, Steve Price has worked with Queen + Adam Lambert since 2014 and at this time should be manning the controls behind the stage as he directs all the video elements of the show for the band on their sold out European summer tour. However, as we all know, the band and crew are currently off the road, so to keep him in the groove we set him the task of creating a ‘lockumentary’ focusing on what it is like being part of the ‘Rhapsody Road Crew’…
This exclusive series, only available on Queen’s Official channel, explores the roles of various crew members on the road and behind the scenes with one of the world’s most successful touring acts. Enjoy a VIP AAA pass and get to see at close quarters the backstage and front of house complexities, magic and hard work that goes in to putting on these huge productions that are a Queen + Adam Lambert live show. They explain what they do to make the shows happen. Look out also for a few well known faces and cameo appearances along the way.
The backstage footage has been shot at different venues across the globe, however due to the recent pandemic the interviews with the crew have taken place at home during lockdown and further demonstrates the effect the shutdown has had on the live music business, not just for musicians and fans, but the often unseen and unsung heroes that make up the touring crew.
Setting out to highlight their individual and collaborative skills, it soon becomes obvious one thing clearly binds them together – a sense of humour.
In this first episode we meet from his kitchen as well as from backstage and on stage Andy Bews, Stage Show Manager, whose role in the Queen + Adam Lambert touring production crew involves a myriad of different elements. Andy gives an an insight into what his job involves and we also have the very rare opportunity to see the band close up in soundchecks in Australia, South Korea and Japan. He also gives insight into crew attire which appears to favour Hawaiian shirts (only on a Friday … which is called Hawaiian Shirt Friday on tour), but there are limits to taking a casual approach.
Renforshort Teams Up With Mike Shinoda For “I Drive Me Mad” Mix
Today, 18-year-old singer-songwriter sensation renforshort releases the Mike Shinoda mix to her frenetic power-pop anthem “i drive me mad.” Shinoda gives a fresh take on the production of the personal track, written from ren’s own experience with the suffocating chokehold of anxiety.
The collaboration came about after Shinoda heard the track on a new music playlist he follows, and it immediately stuck out to him, “the dynamics of the song—the production, her voice, and the way the song speeds up into the chorus—all those things felt exciting to me,” he shares. “I also connected with the lyrics, the idea that you make yourself a little crazy. I’m pretty sure she’s the first person I’ve heard use the term “pre-traumatic stress!”
He then added it to one of his public playlists and posted it to his Instagram story. Ren ecstatically DM’d him and after a few messages back and forth, Mike was on board to mix the song.
Of creating the mix, renforshort remarks, “The process was really cool. Mike sent me a couple versions and we just sent notes back and forth until it was perfect! It was really cool to hear my song be given a different life completely, it’s a very strange cool thing!”
The release follows renforshort’s genre-spanning debut EP teenage angst, released on March 13, 2020 via Interscope Records. The EP was praised by TIME Magazine as, “intimate, catchy bedroom pop with a punk edge,” and NYLON proclaimed, “it hits how it sounds: seven potent tracks distilling adolescent turmoil into pop anthems with a gritty punk edge.” The rising star has used her time in quarantine to write and record several new tracks, expected to drop throughout the year, as she continues to polish her ever-evolving sound.
BRUNO MARS; A LEGEND IN THE MAKING
Popularly known for his hit single Just the Way You Are, Bruno Mars is a seasoned American singer-songwriter. The famous musician, whose real names are Peter Gene Hernandez, is a multi-Grammy award winner. The singing sensation rose to stardom after being featured by American rapper B.O.B in his song Nothin on You, which sold platinum.
Bruno Mars is a passionate musician who takes pride in his work. Since his musical breakthrough in 2010, he has released 3 studio albums and recorded over 27 singles, which include featured songs. His musical sales are off the charts. With over 26 million album sales and 200 million in singles sales, the four-time BET Awards winner has joined the likes of Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga in the list of musicians with the best-selling singles of all time.
Currently, he is set to star in a Disney’s theatrical film.
Greatest hits of his career
When it comes to his greatest hits, Bruno Mars has had more than a couple. His musical star indeed shines above and beyond. The collaboration with B.O.B set the pace for his whole career. It is after the release of Nothin’ on You that the accomplished musician released his debut studio album Doo Wops & Hooligans. The album boasts number one hits such as Just the Way You Are, Grenade, and The Lazy Song, which sold over 6.5 million copies.
Other huge hits from the ten-time American Music Awards winner include:
- Uptown funk
- Finesse
- Locked out of heaven
- Billionaire
- 24K magic
Awards
Like the talented musician he is, Bruno Mars has received various awards that include 11 Grammys, 10 American Music Awards, 4 BET awards, among others. He has won several awards for the Best Male Artist, a Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and many more.
Interesting Facts about Bruno Mars
Fans know Bruno Mars as a laid-back musician with a golden voice. His rich and creamy live performances leave his fans yearning for more. He likes keeping a low profile, but our curiosity to learn more about the star could not be suppressed.
As such, below are some interesting facts about Bruno Mars.
- He is not only a gifted musician but an impeccable instrumentalist. He plays the guitar, piano, keyboard, drums, and ukulele.
- His father nicknamed him Bruno after a renowned wrestler known as Bruno Sammartino. His father’s excuse? His boy had a striking resemblance to the wrestler. What about his other stage name Mars? According to the sensational singer, girls used to say he is out of this world. Hence, he named himself Mars.
- He is a member of The Hooligans band. He introduced them to the music scene, and they serve as both his background vocalists and dancers.
Bruno Mars one of the most successful musicians in the United States. Consequently, his songs are well-known internationally, thanks to his constant search for the perfect groove. He made headlines in the 2018 Grammy’s where he won all seven nominations. With his upcoming film project, Bruno Mars star only seems to grow brighter.
The Hood Internet Mashed Up 50 Songs From 1988 Fresh For ’88
Welcome to 1988, where The Hood Internet mashed up 50 songs in 3 minutes from The Bangles, Big Daddy Kane, Billy Ocean, Bobby Brown, Boogie Down Productions, Boy Meets Girl, Cocteau Twins, Danzig, Enya, Erasure, Escape Club, Fine Young Cannibals, Freddie Jackson, Fugazi, Guns N’ Roses, Information Society, Jeffrey Osborne, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, L’Trimm, The La’s, Living Colour, MC Lyte, Metallica, Mike + The Mechanics, Milli Vanilli, N.W.A, Neneh Cherry, New Edition, New Kids On the Block, Paula Abdul, Pixies, Poison, Primitives, Prince, Public Enemy, R.E.M., Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, Robert Palmer, Roxette, Slick Rick, Steve Winwood, Talk Talk, They Might Be Giants, Tracy Chapman, U2, Whitney Houston.
PJ Harvey’s Entire Back Catalogue To Be Reissued On Vinyl Beginning With The July 24 Release Of Her Debut Album ‘Dry’
UMC/Island/Beggars/Universal Music announced a comprehensive reissue campaign which will see PJ Harvey’s entire back catalogue – plus her two albums in collaboration with John Parish – released on vinyl over the next 12 months. For the first time, each of PJ Harvey’s album demos will be available as a stand-alone album on digital and vinyl.
This catalogue project will celebrate every aspect of Harvey’s recording career and afford a comprehensive and exciting look at the evolution of one of the most singular and extraordinary artists of modern times.
The first release is DRY, Harvey’s seminal debut album back in print on vinyl for the first time in 20 years with the Beggars Archive/Too Pure Records reissue on July 24. Released to worldwide critical acclaim on March 30, 1992, it was recorded at The Ice House in Yeovil and features the singles “Dress” and “Sheela-Na-Gig”.
July 24 also sees the release of the 11 track DRY- Demos, previously released with DRY almost 30 years ago, and now available for the first time as a stand-alone vinyl/CD/digital release.
DRY – DEMOS:
An 11-track collection of demos of all songs from the debut studio album Dry by PJ Harvey, available for the first time since 1992 and previously unreleased as a standalone album.
Featuring brand new artwork with previously unseen photos by Maria Mochnacz.
LP Info:
- 1LP, 180g black vinyl
- Full colour outer sleeve, with printed inner sleeve
- Artwork includes 3 previously unreleased photos
- Download card
CD Info:
- Mini-gatefold style outer sleeve, with printed inner sleeve
- Artwork includes 3 previously unreleased photos
Digital Info:
11-track standard definition release, available digitally for the first time.
Tracklisting:
- Oh my Lover (Demo)
- O Stella (Demo)
- Dress (Demo)
- Victory (Demo)
- Happy & Bleeding (Demo)
- Sheela-Na-Gig (Demo)
- Hair (Demo)
- Joe (Demo)
- Plants & Rags (Demo)
- Fountain (Demo)
- Water (Demo)
DRY – STUDIO ALBUM:
Remastered by DRY producer ‘Head’ and replicated to the original version.
Dry (studio album) is available via Too Pure/Beggars Archive/Universal Music Canada on vinyl on July 24. Pre-order here.
PJ HARVEY – Discography:
Dry (1992)
Rid Of Me (1993)
To Bring You My Love (1995)
Is This Desire? (1998)
Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000)
Uh Huh Her (2004)
White Chalk (2007)
Let England Shake (2011)
The Hope Six Demolition Project (2016)
With John Parish:
Dance Hall At Louse Point (1996)
A Woman A Man Walked By (2009)
Ellie Goulding Announces Details Of New Album, Brightest Blue, Out July 17
Today sees global superstar Ellie Goulding reveal details of her highly anticipated fourth studio album Brightest Blue with a new release date on July 17.
New album Brightest Blue, will include a number of recent releases alongside a plethora of new songs, with the album being set in two parts, Brightest Blue (executively produced by Ellie Goulding & Joe Kearns) and EG.0 respectively – see the full tracklist below. Across the two halves Ellie enlisted a number of writers and producers to help create the finished product, including the likes of Tobias Jesso Jr., Starsmith, ILYA, serpentwithfeet, Patrick Wimberly (of Chairlift) and Jim Eliot amongst others.
Explaining her thoughts behind the first half of the record Ellie explain that it “reflects my vulnerability… it acknowledges a complex world where relationships still dictate our happiness and heartbreak and can still be the most painful thing in the world, no matter how enlightened you are. The tracks also symbolize growing up and becoming a woman.” While the second half of the album “encapsulates my confident, brave and fearless side and features all my recent collaborations.” Ellie elaborates, “I often find myself writing about my thoughts and emotions in a way that I know will be catchy and memorable. I will always seek to use my voice in ways that no one would ever expect and look to collaborate with the least likely, exciting and eclectic group of other artists.”
New track “Power”, taken from the Brightest Blue part of the new record, was released last week alongside the stunning new video shot in lockdown.
Last month, Ellie was a featured performer in Global Citizen’s charity livestream, ‘One World: Together At Home’ which aired on the 19th of April and raised over £100 million for the WHO’s COVID-19 response fund. Just days later, she took part in BBC’s Big Night In programme as part of a celebrity cover of the Foo Fighters’ “Times Like These.” The charity single has since hit Number 1 in the UK, while the Big Night In saw 6.4 million viewers and raised £27 million for Children in Need.
This announcement comes after recent single “Worry About Me,” a collaboration with R&B artist blackbear, and further follows on from releases such as “Close To Me” and “Hate Me” as well an Amazon Music exclusive cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘River’ which saw Ellie claim her third UK #1 – becoming the last number one single of the decade.
March 2020 also marked the 10-year anniversary of Ellie’s debut album “Lights” which charted at #1 in the UK and went on to sell over 1.4 million records globally. Ellie’s incredible career to date has seen her celebrate two #1 albums, two BRIT Awards, sell over 15 million albums and 132 million singles, amass 22 billion streams worldwide and surpass 10 million subscribers on YouTube, amassing over 5 billion views globally.
Ellie, a UN Environment Ambassador, is known as a passionate advocate for environmental protection for our precious planet and champion of solutions to the climate crisis. She mixes this advocacy with her work to help end homelessness, supporting The Marylebone Project and fundraising for other nationwide charities working on the frontline of the homeless crisis.
BRIGHTEST BLUE – TRACKLIST:
SIDE A
- Brightest Blue
- Start (ft. serpentwithfeet)
- Power
- How Deep Is Too Deep
- Cyan
- Love I’m Given
- New Heights
- Ode To Myself
- Woman
- Tides
- Wine Drunk
- Bleach
- Flux
- Brightest Blue
SIDE B
- EG.0
- Overture
- Worry About Me (Feat. blackbear)
- Slow Grenade (Feat.Lauv)
- Close To Me (With Diplo) (Feat.Swae Lee)
- Hate Me (With Juice WRLD)
The Tragically Hip Come Together For Exclusive Sirius XM Town Hall
SiriusXM Canada, the country’s leading audio entertainment company, today announced The Tragically Hip Town Hall, featuring Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair, sitting down for a live discussion and interview on Jun. 30 at 7 p.m. ET. The special will be available on SiriusXM Canada and the band’s Facebook pages, and The Tragically Hip Radio (ch. 757) – the iconic band’s one and only official channel.
Hosted by SiriusXM’s Jeff Leake, the Canada Day special will showcase Baker, Fay, Langlois and Sinclair live from their respective homes reminiscing about the band’s long history, past Canada Day shows, and what each are currently working on, including Baker’s new weekly show “Front of the Bus” on The Tragically Hip Radio.
The Tragically Hip Town Hall will be available live on SiriusXM Canada’s Facebook page and The Tragically Hip’s Facebook page at 7 p.m. ET on Jun. 30, and will be later broadcast and available on demand on The Tragically Hip Radio, available to subscribers with SiriusXM Streaming. The Tragically Hip Radio will also be taking over SiriusXM’s ch. 173 from Jul. 1 through Jul. 5, providing everyone access to the channel via satellite.
The Tragically Hip Radio showcases curated music from across the band’s vast catalogue, including live recordings from the band’s personal vault; archived interviews and track-by-track sit downs. Throughout the takeover, the dedicated channel will feature never-been-aired live recordings from New York’s legendary CBGB, Gino’s in Stockholm and Parkpop in The Hague, Holland.
SiriusXM is currently available to all listeners, with or without a subscription, through SiriusXM-enabled vehicles and online as part of the Free Listen campaign, running from Jun. 25 to Jul. 6.
Anyone who is not already a SiriusXM subscriber can download the SiriusXM app or go to SiriusXM.ca/keepstreaming, and start listening for 4 months free of charge. The SiriusXM app is available on mobile phones, tablets and computers, as well as on a wide variety of connected devices in the home including smart TVs, devices with Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant, Apple TV, PlayStation, Roku, Sonos speakers and more. The SiriusXM app also offers additional features such as SiriusXM video, Personalized Stations Powered by Pandora that listeners can curate themselves, and an On Demand library with more than 10,000 hours of archived shows, exclusive music performances, interviews and audio documentaries.
KIM MITCHELL Returns With “The Big Fantasize”, His First Album In 13 Years
Multi-platinum, JUNO Award winning Rock icon and Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame inductee Kim Mitchell announces the surprise release of his brand new single “Wishes” on June 26th and coincides with the highly anticipated release of his forthcoming new album, “The Big Fantasize” (El Mocambo Records), the first full-length recording since 2007’s “Ain’t Life Amazing”.
When it comes to “WISHES”, the way the song came to be is just as poetic as its original inspiration.
“The lyrics literally fell into my lap one day in a waiting room,” the Gold and Multi-Platinum selling singer/songwriter and guitarist recalls. “After very randomly reading A.C. Child’s poem ‘WISHES,’ I knew immediately I wanted to turn it into a song.
“After writing the verses, I quickly realized that, while the poem itself felt complete, now being in a song, it didn’t anymore. It needed something lyrically and musically to sum up the whole idea. The challenge would be coming up with a melody and music that would harmonically be satisfying to me, yet present itself as simple, pretty, and serving the lyric.
“It also needed a musical deviation somewhere… A short, musical passage you could just float away with before coming back to the song’s final thought.”
Even for one of the country’s most ubiquitously heralded songwriters — one who is also soon to be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame — sometimes these things click instantly, and sometimes… They don’t.
“Of all the 150 or so songs I’ve written in my career, ‘WISHES’ took the longest to finish,” Mitchell shares. “It took patience. Lots of trial and error, and for years. I’d leave it for months, come back and work on it, leave it again, and then come back.
“Then, one peaceful morning looking out my front window, the refrain just happened for me while I was vibing on my acoustic guitar. I wasn’t even searching, but there it was!
“Sometimes you don’t search for a part, you wait for it to arrive.”
A similar sentiment could be considered for The Big Fantasize, Mitchell’s forthcoming full-length release and the vehicle of sorts for “WISHES.”
“It was like that classic old car that’s been in the garage for a while,” Mitchell muses about the album. “You know, the one you’re going to strip down and restore ‘cause you know there’s something special there, but you just never seem to get around to it.”
Marking his 13th studio offering — including the five as the leader of Max Webster — and first in just as many years since 2007’s Ain’t Life Amazing, The Big Fantasize is the result of sleeves rolled up alongside co-producer and close friend Greg Wells (Keith Urban, Adele, Taylor Swift, Twenty One Pilots).
Turns out, there was something pretty sweet hiding under the hood…
Where its predecessor was a fiery and fierce rock album, anchored by big riffs and bigger swagger, The Big Fantasize is a more dynamic and musically expansive effort that perfectly encapsulates Mitchell’s prowess as a pure and compelling songwriter.
His countless signature anthems permanent fixtures of Canadiana 101, the three-time JUNO Award winner has sold over 1.5 Million recordings and toured endlessly over the course of his storied career — which also included a fan-favourite 11 year tenure hosting The Kim Mitchell Show on Toronto’s Q107.
“‘Grant me these before I die and I’ll ask no more of life,’” he says aloud, citing a lyric from “WISHES.” “That line can make my eyes misty some days…
“Normally your title is ‘composer’ when working on a new song,” Mitchell considers. “For ‘WISHES,’ my title seemed to be song’s roadie, or perhaps its personal assistant.
“I hope I served it well.”
“WISHES” is available now.