All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Photo Gallery: Sarah McLachlan at Niagara Falls’ Fallsview Casino
Catherine MacLellan Sings Her Father Gene’s “Snowbird”
A beautiful and moving performance of Gene MacLellan’s classic “Snowbird”, sung here by his daughter Catherine MacLellan with Chris Gautier and the Blue Engine String Quartet on The East Coast Music Hour with Bill Roach.
Star Wars: A New Hope 3-LP Vinyl Box Set To Be Released On December 1
In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of one of the most significant soundtracks in film history, a special collector’s edition of the remastered original motion picture soundtrack for Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: A New Hope is set to release on December 1.
Available for pre-order now, the new 3-LP set features the original motion picture score, conducted and composed by five-time Academy Award®-winning composer John Williams, in addition to a 48-page hard cover book with 180-gram vinyl. This one-of-a-kind vinyl set is hand etched by Tristan Duke (Jack White’s Lazaretto) of Infinity Light Science, and offers a 3D hologram experience featuring the Death Star on Disc 3, Side A. For optimal viewing, use a direct light source or simply hold a mobile phone flashlight above the vinyl to view the hologram. Side B features the Star Wars 40th Anniversary logo etched into the vinyl.
The Star Wars: A New Hope box set is the first release from Disney Music Group since acquiring the Star Wars music catalogue earlier this year. Subsequent releases are planned for 2018.
In addition to the rare photos of the film’s production and scoring sessions included in the set, there are two essays featured in the hardcover book. “Tuning Up a Galaxy”, written by author Jeff Bond (“Danse Macabre: 25 years of Danny Elfman and Tim Burton,” “The Music of Star Trek”) focuses on the phenomenon of Star Wars and how Williams’ score changed film music forever. “John Williams’ Journey to Star Wars”, by Jeff Eldridge discusses Williams’ early career – from his musical heritage to his continuing legacy.
John Williams is well known for scoring all eight of the Star Wars saga films, beginning with 1977’s Star Wars (A New Hope) for which he earned an Academy Award® for Best Original Score. His score for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was nominated for an Oscar®.
Williams returns to score Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past. Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in theatres on December 15.
Idol Worship: Billy Idol’s ‘80s Rock And Punk Legacy Is Honoured With Vinyl Reissue Bonanza
Today, several of punk rock icon Billy Idol’s best-loved works are celebrated with the release of newly remastered vinyl reissues of Idol’s first two solo LPs, Billy Idol and Rebel Yell, plus the expansive double-LP greatest-hits collection Idolize Yourself: The Very Best of Billy Idol. Each release is available online now on high-quality vinyl with faithfully reproduced iconic original album art.
Billy Idol’s series of successes in the early 1980s brought punk attitude into the pop mainstream. With a career that stretched back to the original British punk scene as the front-man of trailblazers Generation X, the swaggering, charismatic Idol relocated to New York City at the dawn of the ’80s and reinvented himself as one of the era’s most consistently popular performers.
Initially released on July 16, 1982, Billy Idol first introduced Idol to mainstream American audiences and succeeded in launching his solo career. Teaming Idol with producer Keith Forsey and longtime guitarist/collaborator Steve Stevens, Billy Idol displayed a sleek, streamlined sound and includes hits such as “White Wedding”, and “Hot in the City”.
The following year, the multi-platinum smash Rebel Yell – originally released on November 10, 1983 – built on the foundation created by its predecessor, featuring Idol advancing and evolving his dance infused rock/pop sound. Once again working with Stevens and Forsey, with recording done at New York’s Electric Lady Studios, Rebel Yell was a commercial smash featuring songs including the legendary title track, “Eyes Without a Face”, and “Flesh for Fantasy”. Each of these hits are represented by iconic music videos that kept Idol in the public eye during the initial heyday of MTV.
While Billy Idol and Rebel Yell flash back to Idol’s formative days as a solo performer, Idolize Yourself: The Very Best of Billy Idol offers a widescreen overview of his entire storied recording career. First issued on CD in 2008, the 18-song Idolize Yourself features all of Idol’s vintage hits including his early club smashes “Dancing with Myself” and “Mony Mony,” plus “Cradle of Love”, “Rebel Yell”, “White Wedding”, “Eyes Without A Face”, “Flesh For Fantasy”, “Sweet Sixteen”, “To Be A Lover”, and more. The record concludes with two songs newly recorded just for this collection’s initial release: “John Wayne” and “New Future Weapon”.
Each of Billy Idol’s recordings retain their original power, despite many of them having been released over thirty years ago. There is no better way to hear them than on these classic albums, newly released on high-quality vinyl.
Van Morrison Releases His Second Album This Year, “Versatile” On December 1
Following the massive success of his 37th studio album Roll With the Punches (which charted at No 4 in the UK this September), Van Morrison prepares the release of his 38th.
Versatile is positive proof that Van Morrison is built differently to other artists. One of very few British recording artists to warrant the description ‘living legend’, Van is currently working at a rate to put musicians a third of his age to shame; an ethic that harks back to his early days as a recording artist who’d easily release multiple brilliant long players within the space of a year.
While Roll With The Punches saw Van revisit many of the definitive rhythm and blues records that have stayed with him all his life, Van’s latest album sees him delve further back into recorded music’s archives to interpret some of the 20th century’s greatest vocal jazz standards.
Across Versatile’s sixteen tracks, Van Morrison interprets some of the very building blocks of modern music in his own utterly unique style. As well as songs originally made famous by the likes of Chet Baker, Sinatra, the Righteous Brothers, Tony Bennett and Nat King Cole, Versatile features six stunning new Van compositions, including Broken Record – a timeless piece of late-night swing.
A joy from start to finish, Versatile is a completely different record to Roll With the Punches yet it’s incontrovertibly Van and proof, if ever it were needed, that at 72 years of age, he’s not going to slow down any time soon.
Versatile features:
1. ‘Broken Record’ (Van Morrison)
2. ‘A Foggy Day’ (George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin)
3. ‘Let’s Get Lost’ (Frank Loesser and Jimmy McHugh)
4. ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ (Ray Henderson and Mort Dixon)
5. ‘Skye Boat Song’ (Traditional. Arranged by Van Morrison)
6. ‘Take It Easy Baby’ (Van Morrison)
7. ‘Makin’ Whoopee’ (Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn)
8. I Get a Kick Out of You (Cole Porter)
9. ‘I Forgot That Love Existed’ (Van Morrison)
10. ‘Unchained Melody’ (Alex North and Hy Zaret)
11. ‘Start All Over Again’ (Van Morrison)
12. ‘Only A Dream’ (Van Morrison)
13. ‘Affirmation’ featuring Sir James Galway (Van Morrison)
14. ‘The Party’s Over’ (Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Jule Styne)
15. ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco’ (George Cory and Douglass Cross)
16. ‘They Can’t Take That Away from Me’ (George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin)
St. Vincent Adds More US Dates to ‘Fear the Future’ Tour, Extending Run into March 2018
St. Vincent has added twelve new U.S. dates to her ‘Fear The Future’ tour, extending the run into March 2018. The ‘Fear The Future’ tour kicked off last month in London, with Noisey praising the live show as “reconstructing the parameters of what a gig can be” and deeming Annie Clark “the best pop star we have.” U.S. dates begin November 14 at The Fillmore in Detroit.
St. Vincent will also appear on The Ellen Degeneres Show next Friday November 10, performing ‘MASSEDUCTION’ standout “Los Ageless.” The performance comes on the heels of St. Vincent’s first-ever top ten debut on the Billboard 200 and the highest praise of her career.
‘FEAR THE FUTURE’ TOUR U.S. DATES:
11/14 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore
11/15 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
11/17 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater
11/18 – St. Paul, MN – Palace Theater
11/19 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
11/20 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
11/21 – Louisville, KY – The Kentucky Center
11/22 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
11/24 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre
11/25 – Durham, NC – Durham Performing Arts Center
11/27 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
11/28 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
11/30 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
12/1 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
12/2 – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre
12/3 – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre
12/16-12/17 – Houston, TX – Day For Night Festival
1/9 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
1/10 – Columbus, OH – Express Live
1/11 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
1/12 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
1/13 – Omaha, NE – Kiewit Concert Hall at Holland Performing Arts Center
1/15 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
1/19 – Seattle, WA – The Moore Theatre
1/20 – Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium
1/22 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
1/25 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
1/26 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
1/27 – San Diego, CA – Observatory
2/15 – Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
2/17 – Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle
2/18 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City
2/19 – New Orleans, LA – Civic Theatre
2/22 – Austin, TX – ACL Live
2/24 – Dallas, TX – Bomb Factory
2/26 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
3/1 – Charlotte, NC – Fillmore
3/2 – Richmond, VA – The National
3/3 – Norfolk, VA – NorVa
3/4 – Baltimore, MD – Hippodrome
Michael J. Fox Forgets Which Movie He Is In
Michael J. Fox has some slip-ups when calling out to “Judge” in the 1996 cult classic, The Frighteners.
Country Music Stars Read Mean Tweets About Themselves
From time to time, Jimmy Kimmel likes to shine a light on the not so nice things people post on social media. In honor of the CMA Awards, Jimmy presents a special Country Music Edition of #MeanTweets featuring Zac Brown Band, Cassadee Pope, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Randy Houser, Old Dominion, Trace Adkins, Darius Rucker, Dan + Shay, Jana Kramer, Chris Young, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, Chris Stapleton, Jake Owen, Little Big Town and Justin Moore.
The ‘Stranger Things’ Kids Were Nearly a Motown Super Group
James Corden and the young stars of “Stranger Things” – Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, and Noah Schnapp – reunite their Motown cover band The Upside Downs.
BAM! POW! Polina Grace masters all her own stunts in new video “Down”
Best known to her 22,000+ Instagram fans as a fashion-forward woman with brains and talent to spare, Montreal-based singer/songwriter Polina Grace has just released her new EP — Down — available now through SONY Music.
The first video — ”Down” — has the dynamic pop powerhouse performing all her own stunts to what results in an action-packed, intriguing, spy-glam thriller. The messaging is sung beautifully loud and melodically clear: self-empowerment, fortitude, and determination.
Between her degree in commerce and psychology, plus being fluent in four languages, Polina makes for a fascinating interview on how she leveraged social media and her modelling career to personally finance her dream of songwriting and singing full time.
“Every song is representative of strength, and very personal to me,” shares Polina, who co-wrote three of the original songs on Down. “I believe in being the protagonist of your own life and that is what I’m looking to portray with my songs, lyrics, production, and visuals. It’s all about empowering people — especially young women — to pursue their dreams and to ‘give up on giving up. It’s about not letting anyone drag them ‘down’ and to cast doubts and haters away by leaving them ‘in the shade.’
“Once the concept was conceived, I began physically training, watching fight videos, and taking lessons at TriStar Gym in Montreal to learn proper kickboxing and MMA moves,” recalls Polina Grace on the making of “Down.” “My coach pushed me to my limit every training session and really instilled a sense of a “fighter” in me. The amount of time I had to train was only about two or three weeks prior, but I learned some of the fundamentals of the MMA craft which prepped me for the next phase — stunt training.”
Training with Kevin Kelsall, an experienced stuntman based in Montreal, was a journey of its own for Polina. “I only had two rehearsals with him, but he was an incredible choreographer,” she shares. “In the video where he throws me onto his shoulders and flips me onto the bed was not a simple move to do with the limited training I had. Kevin said his stuntmen friends were surprised he would do a move like that with “a singer,” but he trusted I could handle it, and more.
“At one point on set, I recall telling him “Kevin, punch me in the side harder. Just do it for real!” He laughed and said I was crazy. I suppose I am a little!”