Hunter Lott’s album, “I Stand My Ground, “released on October 22nd, is all about relating to his fans.
Growing up in Mississippi and now based in Tennessee, where Country music roots run deep, Hunter Lott’s music from this album has already won him consideration in the first round of Votes for the 2023 Grammys with his songs “Honky Tonk Specialā & āI Stand My Groundā (Country Solo performance).
Challenging experiences are a source of new material for songwriters and the whole process can be powerfully therapeutic. That’s what fuels Hunter’s songwriting. The loss of his grandfather sent Hunter and his family into a quiet, mournful space where they weren’t doing much living. The death created a painful loss to the family circle, but that end was a beginning for Lott on this path, he learned to play his electric guitar and his mother says his music helped lift her out of a dark space.
Hunterās main goal is for people to be able to relate to his lyrics; and hopefully, generate a message that itās better to co-exist, peacefully.
āWe live in a time where tensions can sometimes run high because so many people are very passionate about where they stand and what they believe in. Iāve had to stand my ground a time or two,ā says Hunter. āI think the world is big enough for everyone to peacefully express how they feel without being chastised about it. Since moving to Tennessee a year ago and playing at some of the most iconic bars on Broadway, Iāve really been challenged on my beliefs. Before I had my own band members, most of the house band musicians didnāt understand how I could show up, perform, and then just go home, but thatās exactly what I did, and still do. I wrote this song one evening, 5 months after moving to Tennessee,ā says Hunter.
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or Twitter
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2022 has seen Paul McCartney celebrate yet another series of landmarks. Just one week after his 80th birthday, Paul headlined the 2022 Glastonbury Festival, playing an unforgettable set that inspired deafening singalongs from the largest crowd the mainstage had ever seen. Hailed as the best gig ever by critics and fans alike, it was a fitting celebration of an extraordinary career. Today, the revelry continues as Paul announces the release of The 7ā Singles Box, featuring 80 x 7ā Paul McCartney singles ā including such global chart smashing tracks as āMy Love,ā āLive and Let Die,ā āBand on the Run,ā āSilly Love Songs,ā āComing Up,ā āEbony and Ivory,ā āSay Say Say,ā āNo More Lonely Nights,ā āWonderful Christmastimeā and many more. The box set includes 163 tracks totaling over 10 hours of music and will also be released digitally. Preorder The 7ā Singles Box HERE.
Recognized by Guinness World Records as āthe most successful songwriter of all time,ā Paulās 7ā Singles Box is a remarkable testament to this accolade, featuring songs that have sound-tracked our lives and that are loved and sung around the world today.
The format of the 7ā single had a profound impact and influence on Paul both as a songwriter and as a music fan. Paul recalls in his foreword that comes with this set how he still enjoys the thrill of flicking through crates in record shops looking for new discoveries and how much respect he and The Beatles had for the B-side.
Available from December 2nd, The 7ā Singles Box is the ultimate package for any McCartney fan. From 1971ās āAnother Dayā to a 7ā version of 2022ās Record Store Day Song of the Year, āWomen and Wivesā (taken from 2020ās chart-topping McCartney III) – the 80 singles included represent half a century of Paulās life showcasing his prolific creativity and relentless innovation. An absolute treasure trove of music, the box set features recreations of 65 singles ā complete with their original B-sides (using restored artwork from 11 different countries) as well as 15 singles never before released on 7ā. These 15 singles are made up from tracks previously released on 12ā, picture discs, CD singles & promos, digital downloads, music videos, two previously unheard demos, and a previously unheard 7ā single edit.
The box set is beautifully presented in a special wooden art crate, designed and built in Derbyshire, UK, and is packed with incredible content, including a 148-page book that features a personal foreword by Paul, an essay by music journalist Rob Sheffield and extensive chart information, liner notes, and single artwork. Each box includes a randomly selected exclusive test pressing of one of the singles.
This numbered limited-edition collection of 80 x 7ā singles personally supervised by Paul McCartney contains:
ā Recreations of 65 singles/promos using restored original artwork from 11 different countries
ā 15 singles never-before-released on 7ā including:
Singles previously released on 12ā, picture discs, CD singles/promos, digital downloads, and music videos
2 x previously unheard demos
1 x previously unheard 7ā single edit
1 x EP
ā 1 exclusive test pressing randomly selected from the manufacturing process
ā 148-page book containing foreword from Paul, essay by Rob Sheffield, recording notes, release dates, and chart information on each of the singles ā each single included is shown on the attached insert, which will be packed into each box
ā Remastered and cut at Abbey Road Studios, London
All housed in a two-piece, four-walled FSC-approved Redwood pine and Birch Ply wooden art crate manufactured in the United Kingdom.
Paul McCartney The 7ā Singles Box Track Listing:
1970, Sweden
1A: Another Day
1B: Oh Woman, Oh Why
1971, US Mono
Promotional Release
2A: Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey [Mono]
2B: Too Many People [Mono]
1971, UK
3A: The Back Seat of My Car
3B: Heart of the Country
Previously unreleased on 7ā
4A: Love Is Strange [Single Edit]
4B: I Am Your Singer
1972, UK
5A: Give Ireland Back to the Irish
5B: Give Ireland Back to the Irish [Version]
1972, UK
6A: Mary Had a Little Lamb
6B: Little Woman Love
1972, Belgium
7A: Hi, Hi, Hi
7AA: C Moon
1973, Israel
8A: My Love
8B: The Mess [Live at The Hague]
1973, Sweden
9A: Live and Let Die
9B: I Lie Around
1973, Spain
10A: Helen Wheels
10B: Country Dreamer
1974, Germany
11A: Jet
11B: Let Me Roll It
1974, Germany
12A: Band on the Run
12B: Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five
1974, The Netherlands
13A: Mrs. Vandebilt
13B: Bluebird
1974, Belgium
14A: Juniorās Farm
14B: Sally G
1975, Australia
15A: Listen to What the Man Said
15B: Love in Song
1975, Germany
16A: Letting Go
16B: You Gave Me the Answer
1975, Belgium
17A: Venus and Mars / Rock Show
17B: Magneto and Titanium Man
1976, France
18A: Silly Love Songs
18B: Cook of the House
1976, Germany
19A: Let āEm In
19B: Beware My Love
1977, Japan
20A: Maybe Iām Amazed (Live)
20B: Soily (Live)
1977, UK
21A: Mull of Kintyre
21AA: Girlsā School1978,Germany
22A: With a Little Luck (DJ Edit)
22B: Backwards Traveller/Cuff Link
1978, UK
23A: Iāve Had Enough
23B: Deliver Your Children
1978, The Netherlands
24A: London Town
24B: Iām Carrying
1978, France
25A: Goodnight Tonight
25B: Daytime Nightime Suffering
1979, UK
26A: Old Siam, Sir
26B: Spin It On
1979, UK
27A: Getting Closer
27AA: Babyās Request
1979, Japan
28A: Arrow Through Me
28B: Old Siam, Sir
1979, UK
29A: Wonderful Christmastime
29B: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reggae
1980, UK
30A: Coming Up
30B: Coming Up (Live at Glasgow) 30BB: Lunch Box/Odd Sox
1980, UK
31A: Waterfalls
31B: Check My Machine
Previously unreleased on 7ā
32A: Temporary Secretary
32B: Secret Friend
[7ā Single Edit]
1982, UK
33A: Ebony and Ivory
33B: Rainclouds
1982, UK
34A: Take It Away
34B: Iāll Give You a Ring
1982, UK
35A: Tug of War
35B: Get It
1983, UK
36A: Say Say Say
36B: Ode to a Koala Bear
1983, UK
37A: Pipes of Peace
37B: So Bad
1984, UK
38A: No More Lonely Nights (Ballad)
38B: No More Lonely Nights (Playout Version)
1984, UK
39A: We All Stand Together
39B: We All Stand Together (Humming Version)
1985, US
40A: Spies Like Us
40B: My Carnival
1986, US
41A: Press [Video Edit]
41B: Itās Not True
1986, Art reformatted from US 12ā promotional vinyl
42A: Pretty Little Head (Remix)
42B: Write Away
1986, US
43A: Stranglehold
43B: Angry (Remix)
1986, UK
44A: Only Love Remains
44B: Tough on a Tightrope
1987, UK
45A: Once Upon a Long Ago
45B: Back on My Feet
1989, US
46A: My Brave Face
46B: Flying to My Home
1989, UK
47A: This One
47B: The First Stone
1989, Australia
48A: Figure of Eight [7ā Bob Clearmountain Mix]
48B: OĆ¹ Est le Soleil
1989, UK
49A: Party Party
49B: Artwork etching
1990, UK
50A: Put It There
50B: Mamaās Little Girl
1990, Europe
51A: The Long and Winding Road
51B: C Moon
1990, UK
52A: Birthday
52B: Good Day Sunshine
1990, UK
53A: All My Trials
53B: C Moon
Previously unreleased on 7ā
54A: The World Youāre Coming Into
54AA: Tres Conejos
54B: Save the Child
54BB: The Drinking Song (Letās Find Ourselves a Little Hostelry
1992, Europe
55A: Hope of Deliverance
55B: Long Leather Coat
1993, Germany
56A: CāMon People
56B: I Canāt Imagine
1997, Reformatted from 7ā picture disc
57A: Young Boy
57B: Looking for You
1997, Reformatted from 7ā picture disc
58A: The World Tonight
58B: Used to Be Bad
1997, Reformatted from 7ā picture disc
59A: Beautiful Night
59B: Love Come Tumbling Down
1999, UK
60A: No Other Baby
60B: Brown Eyed Handsome Man
60BB: Fabulous
2001, Europe
61A: From a Lover to a Friend
61B: Riding into Jaipur
2004, Europe
62A: Tropic Island Hum
62B: We All Stand Together
2005, Europe
63A: Fine Line
63B: Growing Up Falling Down
New Order are delighted to announce the release of the definitive edition of their 1985 studio album Low-Life. The collection includes an LP (180g), x2CDs, x2DVDs, a book and features unreleased rare material across the different formats and new sleeve designs.
CD 2 contains previously unreleased mixes and alternative versions, including Love Vigilantes and Sub-Culture instrumentals, Sooner Than You Think Full Length Unedited.
The two DVDs include an unreleased performance from The Manhattan Club, Belgium and rarely seen footage from Rotterdam Arena (Netherlands), International Centre (Toronto, Canada) and a BBC filmed Whistle Test at The Hacienda, 1985.
The 180g vinyl LP will be wrapped in its original āheavyweight tracing paperā, designed by Peter Saville. In addition, the CD will also be wrapped in the same way for the first time ever
Also included in the set is a beautifully presented hardback book featuring rare photos and a new interview with all band members.
In addition to the boxset, New Order are also releasing the 12ā singles including a limited edition version of The Perfect Kiss pressed on Crystal Clear vinyl in a āmirror sleeveā. Sub-Cultureās plain black (no label) sleeve has also been updated with a new design, incorporating the original concept.
Peter Saville says of The Perfect Kiss āThe mirror finish for The Perfect Kiss sleeve was the idea at the time (1985) that unfortunately was not realised. I have wanted to see it ever since. The original concept was intended to evoke the reflective glamour of a lipstick (re Perfect Kiss) in a minimal / pop art style. The Perfect Kiss in this form will be transformative and a must-have for fans and collectors alikeā.
Peter Saville says of Sub-Culture “LABEL ONLY was specified in 1985 due to time pressure around the original release and as a consequence, a sleeve design for the re-release has no actual precedent. However, exploring the principle ‘the solution is in the problemā has led to the subliminal evocation of a sleeve that is still LABEL ONLYā.
Low-Life was recorded in 1984 at Jam and Britannia Row Studios and produced by New Order.
TRACKLISTING AND FORMATS
12ā Singles
ā Sub-Culture (with updated sleeve)
ā Shellshock
ā The Perfect Kiss
ā The Perfect Kiss D2C exclusive (Crystal Clear vinyl & Mirror Sleeve)
LP 180g Vinyl
Side one
1. Love Vigilantes
2. The Perfect Kiss
3. This Time of Night
4. Sunrise
Side two
1. Elegia
2. Sooner Than You Think
3. Sub-Culture
4. Face Up
CD1
1. Love Vigilantes
2. The Perfect Kiss
3. This Time Of Night
4. Sunrise
5. Elegia
6. Sooner Than You Think
7. Sub-Culture
8. Face Up
CD2: Extras
1. Love Vigilantes – TV Pitch Instrumental Edit (mono)
2. The Perfect Kiss – Writing Session Recording
3. Untitled no. 1 – Writing Session Recording
4. Sunrise – Instrumental Rough Mix **
5. Elegia – Full Length Version *
6. Sooner Than You Think ā Album Session Unedited Version
7. Sub-Culture – Album Session Early Instrumental Version
8. Face Up – Writing Session Recording
9. Let’s Go ā Album Session Instrumental
10. Untitled no. 2 – Writing Session Recording
11. Sunrise – Writing Session Recording
12. Love Vigilantes – Writing Session Recording
13. Sooner Than You Think – Writing Session Recording
14. Skullcrusher ā Demo
All tracks previously unreleased except * and ** (previously unreleased on CD and Digital)
DVD1
Live in Tokyo
The Koseinenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan 1985
1. Confusion
2. Love Vigilantes
3. We All Stand
4. As It Is When It Was
5. Sub-Culture
6. Face Up
7. Sunrise
8. This Time Of Night
9. Blue Monday
Live in Rotterdam
The Rotterdam Arena, Netherlands 1985
10. As It Is When It Was
11. Everything’s Gone Green*
12. Sub-Culture*
13. Ceremony*
14. Let’s Go*
15. This Time Of Night*
16. The Village
17. The Perfect Kiss*
18. Age Of Consent*
19. Sunrise
20. Temptation*
21. Face Up*
Live in Manchester
Whistle Test, The Hacienda 1985
22. As It Is When It Was
23. Sunrise
24. Face Up – Restored version using available footage from The Hacienda Dec ā85 and July ā85.
DVD2
Live in Leuven
The Manhattan Club, Leuven, Belgium 1985
1. Let’s Go*
2. The Perfect Kiss*
3. Age Of Consent*
4. State Of The Nation*
5. As It Is When It Was*
6. The Village*
7. Sub-Culture
8. Atmosphere*
9. Blue Monday*
Bonus Tracks
10. Thieves Like Us*
11. Temptation*
12. Confusion – Restored version from damaged tape with mixing desk audio.*
Live in Toronto
Filmed by Paul Boyd
The International Centre, Toronto, Canada 1985
13. Elegia*
14. Sub-Culture*
15. The Village*
16. Sunrise*
17. We All Stand
18. As It Is When It Was*
19. Love Vigilantes*
20. 586*
21. Age Of Consent
22. Temptation
23. Ceremony*
24. The Perfect Kiss*
The Perfect Film
Rehearsal Room, Cheetham Hill, Manchester 1985
25. The Perfect Kiss
*unreleased
The Five And Ten and Wayling James are the winners of the annual Amy Louie / Grossman’s Music Scholarship, which returned to Torontoās legendary Grossmanās Tavern after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Created in memory of the late Amy Louie ā a member of the family that has owned Grossmanās Tavern since 1975 ā the ALGMS is an artist development bursary that provides two musicians or bands from the Greater Toronto Area $2000 and $1000 to help with career development.
Winner of the $2000 was The Five And Tens, an instrumentals band built around the Vidal brothers, Ray (guitar), Anthony (keyboards) and Nick (drums), alongside Sean Jackson (bass). The $1000 runner-up prize was awarded to Wayling James, a group comprised of Tim Wayling (vocals, guitar), Darrell James (vocals, bass), Chris Bender (drums), Rob Pelletier (guitar) and Larry Gould (guitar).
Performers at the Sept. 27 event were The Swingin Blackjacks, Caution Jam, Frankie Foo, The Happy Pals, Action Sound Band, Quail, Hedifine & Roderman, Camp Combo, Mike Nagoda & The Spectrum Blues Band and both scholarship recipients.
The fundraiser segment of the event raised $1005.
Artists submitted applications to participate. The successful candidates were chosen a panel of judges that included members of the Louie family, music industry professionals, and individuals with long-standing connections to Grossmanās Tavern.
Previous recipients of the scholarship include The Big Butter and Egg Men, Mike Nagoda, The Swinginā Blackjacks, Dan McKinnon, Bad Luck Woman & Her Misfortunes, Chloe Watkinson & Park Eddy, Jerome Godboo, and The Responsables.
As one of the longest-running live music venues and a stalwart within Torontoās vibrant and dynamic music scene, Grossmanās has long been considered an incubator for an impressive roster of local artists who got their start inside the Tavern, including the late Jeff Healey, the Downchild Blues Band, Rough Trade, and more.
Bara Jonson and Free, simply put, are pioneers in the music world, introducing the world to their unique brand of music ā Crockpop. Fusing country, rock, and pop music, this dynamic duo delivers a listening experience unlike any other in their newest single āThe Sky Is The Limit.ā
Teasing the release of their newest album, BjF ā New Era, Bara Jonson, and Free have been hard at work touring and promoting. Performing one-offs during the live shows combined with a unique blend of bluegrass and pop synths gives this breakthrough duo of musicians the perfect ingredients to have a successful launch ā and a highly anticipated one at that.
āThe Sky Is The Limitā is a well-executed fusion of everything this band is passionate about, featuring uplifting messages of āmaking it or faking itā while āshaking off people who get in our way.ā Jonson and Free passionately refer to themselves as āhardheaded fools who invite you to board their Crockpop train where āThe Sky Is The Limit.ā
Jonson and Free speak on their newest songās message: āNever let anyone else put you down or deter you from what you want to achieve. Believe that anything is possible ā that The Sky Is The Limit.ā
āThe Sky Is The Limitā has been a well-received single drowning in praise and admiration. This powerful Crockpop anthem prepares audiences for the duoās up-and-coming album release, BjF ā New Era. Bred through mystery and improvisation, the 14-track vinyl includes an interwoven story from a distant future ā possibly even a parallel universe.
Jonson and Free describe how they feel about the album saying, āThe show we announced the album release at was interrupted occasionally with fragments of pictures or video snippets. We couldnāt really tell where it came from. As we showed off our album againā¦ it had changed right before our eyes!ā
Songs from this album reflect the dynamic duoās views on climate change, the decline of democracy, separations, and the endlessness of possibilities for change so long as you believe. You know ā āThe Sky Is The Limit.ā
Jonson and Free are breakthrough musicians with unparalleled chemistry. The duo has recently been nominated as āBest Emerging Artist ā Internationalā at Indie Week Showcase Festival in Toronto as well as selected as INES#Talent for 2020/21.
The duo recently was picked up by Canadian management company Entertainment Music Group for distribution through the Americas as well as MusicHelp for distribution through Sweden and Europe. While this has bolstered the groupās level of seniority, Jonson and Free are no strangers to Swedish music festivals and showcases. Their live performances have taken them to venues throughout Denmark, Holland, Germany, UK, France, and Canada.
2021 saw the debut of Jonson and Freeās own music festival, Lilla By Festivalen which has already grown into a hybrid festival ā walking the line between a music festival and a showcase.
Most recently, the group opened with Cirque Arte Diem at Byggnadās 2022 Congress in Stockholm, spreading the duoās message while giving them a global platform to reach hundreds of thousands of listeners. It is this dedication to music and positivity that sets this duo far above the rest and will drive them to lengths unseen ā the sky is the limit for this Jonson and Free.
Right out of Ottawa, Canada, comes an ethereal-sounding pop delight, otherwise known as Lady Charles. Lady Charles radiates exuberance and shiny tones throughout their explorative and vivid discography.
Ethereal-sounding lyrics emanate from Lady Charlesā flirtations into the meshings of bright electropop and subtle rock genres. Following their latest single off their album Manic Pixie Dream World, āGodxā, a synthy, electronic pop delve into the relationship between gender and religion, Noella (Canāt Get Enough of You) is a deeper look into what the pandemic meant for loving relationships. On the surface, Noella explores a romantic relationship, one shared between those in the spotlight. Lady Charles and their partner, Stef, concocted fictional personas for the subjects of this track. Noella personifies a glorified version of Stef as a Youtuber who shapes their persona around the āparody of the eccentric artist archetype.ā
Lady Charles admitted the original iteration of the single included calls of real names of some YouTubers who Stef and they enjoyed watching. After the controversy, cancellations, and negative media connotations, Lady Charles scrapped the references and landed on āa wannabe YouTuber, singing a love song to this artist who he barely understands.ā
During the production and writing of Noella, Lady Charles mentioned their rising popularity in Latin America, and their visit to Frida Kahloās house reverberated through the construction of the song. āShe is the reason I don’t pluck my eyebrows. This is how the line āYou’re Frida, but I’m no Diegoā came to be ā both as a nod to a country that has supported me and an artist that has inspired me.ā
The tune opens with a catchy piano and electric guitar lick before dissolving into warm lyrics shrouded in infatuation. The vocals fluctuate throughout the song from higher-pitched glows to deeper, almost spoken-word phrases like āHave you had enough of me? And you’re not regretting cuffing me?ā These dialogue licks serve to evaluate the relationship of the singer with the alleged love interest, but also with Lady Charlesā connection to their musical talent.
āOn a different level, the song speaks to my own relationship with art, Lady Charles explained. āI feel at home wearing crazy outfits and glamorous makeup because that’s authentic to me, even though I’ve had people tell me I should just keep it simple. I am drawn to artists who get labeled as pretentious or try hard because I admire their commitment to pushing the boundaries of art itself, even if they don’t really succeed. In a way, Noella is my love letter to art itself.ā
Rock five-piece Blu Bones are digging up nostalgia on their latest emotive single, āSummertime In Europeā – out now on the traditional platforms, but also on the SING! Market.
The song is equal parts rock anthem, scored with pounding percussion, electric riffs and soaring vocals as it is a longing, journal entry to yesterdayās memories – turning the key, and unlocking them from the past.
The track āwas inspired by an experience lead singer Gord Prior had with his girlfriend Lana while on vacation a couple of years ago,ā the band explains, adding: āThey shared an unforgettable psychedelic experience one evening that is subtly referenced in the song.ā
Blu Bones – comprised of Gord Prior (lead singer); Boris Novosel (guitars) ; Barry Donaghy (bass guitar); Steve Thomas (drums) and Ray Coburn (keyboards) – reunited after 25 years apart, dropping their comeback single āSheās Got A Way With Loveā in February, 2021. Wasting no time as performers and songwriting comrades, āSummertime In Europeā falls neatly in line with the groupās charismatic hard rock sound. It chisels away at familiarity, while taking exciting chances through the lyrics and Priorās exceptional vocals. The song was written by masters of their craft.
āItās a bit of real life, a bit of fantasy, and some psychedelia all rolled into one!ā says Novosel, with Prior explaining: āItās a song of hope and about moving forward, out of pain and into bliss. Falling in love. Starting a new journey. Something all of us can relate to.ā
Recorded and engineered by Siegfried Meier, with mix by Matty Green at Studio 55, Los Angeles (Paul McCartney, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Weezer). The track was produced by Gord Prior, Boris Novosel, Siegfried Meier and Matty Green, and its subsequent video was shot by legendary director, Frank Gryner (Alice Cooper, Def Leppard).
The music video plans to land ahead of the Canadian Thanksgiving (October 9th, 2022), with Grynerās artistic vision at the helm. āItās a brilliant song. Gordās vocal performance is so dynamic and uninhibited. You donāt often hear that sort of thing in indie music, unfortunately,ā Gryner says, adding that having 100% reign over the video was a ādream come true, artisticallyā. āI think Gord is at a place in his career and life where he values relationships and artistry over ego,ā Gryner explains. āItās a hard thing to not micro-manage a project to death when you care so much about it, but ironically, when you choose the right people to help you and let those people do their thing freely, then the end outcome ends up being so much better.ā
Take a summertime journey through Europe with rock warriors, Blu Bones. Itāll leave you asking for directions to the rest of their discography. And on a road trip through how rock and roll was first created – authentically loud, and insanely good.
Global recording artist Bad Bunny was announced today as Apple Musicās Artist of the Year, in acknowledgement of the musicianās artistic excellence and influence on global culture in 2022. So many of musicās biggest stars released amazing music in 2022 ā Ā one truly owned the year. Released this past May,Ā Un Verano Sin Ti, the artistās sixth project in four years, is Apple Musicās most streamed album of 2022 and now the biggest Latin album of all time. And beyond the eye-popping numbers, Bad Bunny has truly ushered in a seismic shift in global pop over the past few years.
āWeāre thrilled to celebrate the achievements of Bad Bunny, whose influence on every corner of culture could not be ignored in 2022,ā said Oliver Schusser, Appleās vice president of Apple Music and Beats. āWatching Bad Bunny ascend from an Apple Music Up Next artist in 2018 to our Artist of the Year this year has been nothing short of extraordinary. We congratulate him on his record-breaking year and for continuing to bring Latin music to a massive global audience.ā
āWhen I started, I didnāt have a global fan base,ā Bad Bunny tells Apple Music in an exclusive film, out today, that gets up close and personal with the 2022 Artist of the Year. āIām grateful for everything Iāve accomplished and everything Iāve experienced. The Latin music movement has grown so much. I would never take full credit or say, āIt’s because of me.ā No, itās every one of us. A whole generation. Our energy and presence is always felt.ā Upon being presented with the Apple Music Award, he adds: āThank you to Apple Music and to all the people who listen to my music every day. Iām super happy!ā
Explore Bad Bunnyās meteoric rise, the music he helped revolutionize, and the historic 2022 thatĀ made him Appleās Artist of the YearĀ here.
Today, Bad Bunny takes over theĀ La FĆ³rmulaĀ playlist and handpicks his favorite tracks from Myke Towers, Rauw Alejandro, Mora, Jhayco, and others across Apple Music. And on Apple Music 1, itās all Bad Bunny, all day. Listeners can tune in to an array of radio content celebrating Bad Bunny ā including new specials, archived programming, early career interviews, and playlists that showcase the many different sides of the artist and his historic year. Tune in atĀ apple.co/am-1.
A Look Back at Some of Bad Bunnyās Biggest Moments on Apple Music
Bad Bunny is the biggest Latin artist of all time by streams worldwide on Apple Music.
Upon its release on May 6, 2022āsĀ Un Verano Sin TiĀ became the biggest Latin album of all time on Apple Music, holding the record for first-day streams worldwide.
Bad Bunnyās āMoscow Muleā holds the record for the biggest Latin song of all time by first-day streams worldwide.
Bad Bunny has logged 22 songs on the Daily Top 100: Global, breaking the record for most simultaneous entries by a single Latin artist.
Bad Bunnyās songs have reached No. 1 on the Daily Top 100 in 34 countries worldwide ā more than any other Latin artist. Heās hit the top 10 of the chart in 77 countries.
44 of Bad Bunnyās songs have reached the Daily Top 100 in countries across the globe, and three of his songs have hit No. 1 on the Global chart ā more than any other Latin artist.
Bad Bunny holds the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 Latin albums by first-day streams.
In February 2018, Bad Bunny became Apple Musicās first LatinĀ Up NextĀ artist for the platformās rising artist program.
He also served as the debut host forĀ Trap Kingz, the first Spanish-language global radio show on Beats 1 radio, and hosted the showās first six episodes in 2017.
My band is performing Folsom Prison Blues soon and my experience is that learning the historical or narrative feel for a song can strengthen the depth of connection to it.
So I dived inā¦
Come with me!
Folsom Prison Blues was written about a real prison in California and about Johnnyās experiences in prison.
Or was it?
Johnny Cash never really did spend time in jail.
He did spend one night in jail – seven times – almost always for drunk and disorderly conduct. Once it was for trespassing late at night onto private property to pick flowers! A musician through and through.
What did happen was in 1953, Cash saw the crime film Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison. It was shot inside the real Folsom Prison, close to Sacramento, and depicted many of the brutalities of prison life, if in fictional form.
That piece of film art did work its magic on Cash and resulted in him writing Folsom Prison Blues as his response.
Story goes Cash was serving in the US Air Force in 1953, stationed in Germany and scheduled to catch a plane out of Memphis. He saw the movie and immediately after boarded the plane. While on the plane and refusing his meal (how do people know this) – he put pen to paper and got it written.
Folsom Prison Blues wasn’t only a song, it became a defining part of Cash’s life.
Not only did he open most of his shows with that song, that original inspiration grew into him becoming a big advocate of prison reform. Heād go on to perform in multiple prisons over the years, for free. He recorded live albums at several prisons in front of the prisoners. He was in letter correspondence with prisoners.
He even performed a song that one of the Folsom Prison inmates penned, called Greystone Chapel. He wanted that song recorded for the live 1968 album. He’d learned that one of the inmates, Glen Sherley, had written a song about Folsom’s Greystone Chapel. Cash learned the song the night before and performed it the next day. Thereās more to that story that tells more of the magic of the man, but will leave that aside there!
Cash encouraged compassion and rehabilitation for prisoners, including eventually going on to testify in front of a US Senate subcommittee on national penitentiary reform.
At that time, Cash was also invited to a personal audience with Richard Nixon. He talked prison reform and when Nixon asked him to perform a few songs, Cash chose songs which were anti-war, advocating for indigenous rights, for the disenfranchised and the vulnerable. He chose:
What Is Truth?
Man In Black
The Ballad of Ira Hayes
So, Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues was the start of, and the clarion call for, his life’s mission as both a musician and a man.
And what made Folsom Prison Blues so popular?
Well, he originally brought the song to Sam Phillips at Sun Records and was able to record it there in 1955 as part of his debut studio album. That was near the start of his career.
But it was more than a decade later, when he convinced Columbia Records to let him record the album live at Folsom Prison in 1968, that the song and his own acclaim really took off.
His career had taken a dip and June Carter was still only his girlfriend. But he wanted to record Folsom Prison Blues live in the prison – and thatās what he did. The Live album hit number one on the Country Music charts and top 15 on the national charts.
Now, it is true that Cash did take the melody and some lyrics from the song Crescent City Blues written by Gordon Jenkins and sung by his wife Beverly Mahr. But it wasn’t a secret as Cash had told Sam Phillips of Sun Records that he had used Crescent City Blues as its base. Phillips apparently told Cash that because the original blues number hadnāt become a hit, there was no need to be concerned about a plagiarism lawsuit.
Years later, Jenkins did hear the song, when it came out the second time on the Folsom Prison Blues Live album in 1968 and he did pursue a plagiarism lawsuit. There was an out of court settlement Cash paid of $75,000 as an acknowledgement that Crescent City was indeed a key influence.
The original song was centered on love – Cashās changes were significant, not only to the lyrics but the tempo and adding guitar licks.
One example of the lyrics is the infamous verse in Folsom Prison Blues, when Johnny laments that he shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.
Well, no, that was not in the Crescent City version and no, Johnny Cash never did shoot no oneā¦
He said he thought of what could be the worst thing he could think of doing and that line came to him. Some prisoners didnāt known that and of course that endeared him even further.
Interestingly, the opening line of the song is identical in both Folsom Prison Blues and in Crescent City Blues:
āI hear the train a cominā itās rolling āround the bendā¦ā
Crescent City veers off to a torch song though:
“And I ain’t been kissed Lord, since I don’t know when.”
Although the opening lines are identical, inspiration would have it that there was great significance to the train in the context of the prison.
A lot of significance.
Free labour was used to build that railroad using those very prisoners. Those prisoners were also used as free labour to build the nearby canal and dam.
This song is a cry for justice.
And that railroad is a symbol of injustice, as it has been for other disenfranchised and oppressed groups. So what better way to start that song than by talking about hearing a train.
Plus it situates the listener right in the prison. So much empathy built for the listener – right in that first sentence:
āI hear that train a cominā itās rolling round the bend.
And I aināt seen the sunshine since I donāt know when.ā
Why?
āIām stuck in Folsom prison and time keeps dragginā onā
