For the latest game in the Sims series, Tegan and Sara have recorded a version of their song “Stop Desire” in Simlish, the language spoken by the game’s simulated humans.
CMW announces RUSH as 2017 Allan Slaight Humanitarian Award Recipients
Canadian Music Week is pleased to announce RUSH – Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart – as the 2017 recipient of the Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award. The multi-platinum trio will be honoured for their achievements and longstanding career in the music industry, social activism and support of humanitarian causes at the annual Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awards Gala Dinner at the Sheraton Centre on Thursday, April 20th, 2017.
“My father Allan Slaight believes that giving back to one’s community is something we should all strive to do and the members of Rush have made a point of this throughout their career, starting with a United Way benefit-concert at Maple Leaf Gardens in the early ’80s when Allan was Chair of the Campaign,” said Gary Slaight, President and CEO Slaight Communications Inc. “In recent years, the group has raised money for food banks, Casey House, the Kidney Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, AIDS research; the list goes on. Alex, Geddy and Neil have been in my family’s rock’n’roll life since the early days when we started Q107 in the late 1970s, and it gives me real pleasure today to thank these three exemplary musicians, on behalf of the Slaight Family, in awarding them with the Allan Slaight Humanitarian Award. Good deeds deserve acknowledgement and this is one group that exemplifies the spirit of giving.”
“We are proud to be acknowledging Rush’s legacy with the Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award,” added Neill Dixon, President & CEO, Canadian Music Week. “We praise their spirit and determination in philanthropic and humanitarian causes, as their dedication to multiple charities and organizations is very inspirational. They have shown extraordinary support in social involvement and charitable causes, and we are excited to celebrate them at this year’s awards.”
Over the course of their four-decade-long career, the members of Rush have thrown their support behind a wide variety of worthy causes often privately and sometimes publicly. From their earliest shows at Toronto’s historic Maple Leaf Gardens, the band started working with the Toronto Food Bank to encourage fans to bring food for those in need. Eventually deciding to do their first charity concert at Maple Leaf Gardens to benefit the United Way in the early ’80s, and an amFAR show to benefit Aids Research in the early ’90s, engaging themselves and their fans in positive pursuits naturally became part of the Rush ethos.With more than 40 million records sold worldwide and countless sold-out tours, Rush is not only one of the most inventive and compelling groups in rock history, they remain one of the most popular. According to the RIAA Rush’s sales statistics place them third for the most consecutive gold/platinum studio albums by a rock band, topped only by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. In addition to their consistent commercial success, Rush has also been recognized with nine JUNO Awards and seven Grammy nominations, including one for the acclaimed documentary “Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage.” The group has remained unwaveringly committed and adventurous throughout their musical journey, and the same characteristics can be used to describe their charitable dedication.
As dedicated advocates of human rights, in 2008 Rush donated $100,000 from a Winnipeg concert’s gate to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. In the same year, on their Snakes & Arrows Tour, the band donated $100,000 from their show in New Orleans to Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation to assist in the revitalization of the city post Hurricane Katrina, and sponsor the construction of a house in The Lower Ninth Ward dubbed “The House that Rush Built.”
From their 2010 Time Machine Tour onwards, Rush has donated $1 from every concert ticket sold to various charities including Doctors Without Borders, a total which willsoon surpass $2 million over these last five years. In 2013, the band performed an incredibly successful benefit concert at Red Deer’s Enmax Centrium with all proceeds going to the Canadian Red Cross to help victims of the flooding that devastated many regions of southern Alberta. The event raised more than $575,000 and was one of the largest donations made to the Alberta Flood Relief.
Rush has also been a passionate supporter of Little Kids Rock, a national non-profit organization that works to restore and revitalize music education programs in disadvantaged U.S. public schools. In efforts to provide percussion instruments to schools, the group created a premium Neil Peart Paragon Cymbal Pack, each of which came with a free splash cymbal personalized, autographed and dated by the Rush drummer himself. This cause-based marketing initiative went on to raise over $50,000 for Little Kids Rock. Working with their endorsement companies, they have set up partnerships for their signature items which have seen many positive charitable efforts such as Neil Peart with DW, Sabian and ProMark, where one campaign raised over $60,000 for Child Advocates. Alex Lifeson has donated royalties from his signature Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess guitar to the Domenic Troiano Foundation for guitar music scholarships.
The band members have also donated their time, funds and awareness through their personal interests and events. An avid baseball fan, Geddy Lee donated close to 400 baseballs signed by former Negro League baseball players from his personal collection to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City in 2008. Alex Lifeson is a supporter of Casey House, as well The Kidney Foundation to which he donates his paintings that has led to almost $300,000 in funds raised. As part of their Brush For Hope campaign, Lifeson’s current painting, “Aquarium” is available for bids now until November 8th. During the band’s South American tour in 2010, Neil Peart was moved by the rescue of the trapped miners in Chile. When he wrote a story about his experiences touring in South America, he rallied Rush fans and his readers to make a $1 donation for his story. Neil matched their donations, and together they raised $10,000 for the Chilean Red Cross.
For more than 10 years, Geddy Lee has been an active board member for the Grapes for Humanity Canada charity, an organization that raises funds to benefit humanitarian causes around the world with the assistance of the international wine community. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson co-host their bi-annual “Grapes Under Pressure” wine event supporting the local wine growing regions of Ontario. All three members of the band support this cause through their Grapes Under Pressure eBay auction of Rush memorabilia. These combined events have raised over $500,000 to date.
As a band with over four decades of hits, Rush’s vast catalogue includes such classics as 1974’s self-titled debut, 1976’s 2112, 1981’s Moving Pictures, 1996’s Test For Echo, and 2002’s Vapor Trails. Rush released their 20th studio album, Clockwork Angels in 2012 via Anthem/Roadrunner Records. The critically acclaimed collection marks their first studio recording since 2007’s Snakes & Arrows, and debuted at #1 in Canada and #2 on the Billboard 200 matching the highest chart debut of the band’s career. Rush was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994, made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1996 and inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010. They have received a star on both Canada’s Walk of Fame (1999) and Hollywood Walk of Fame (2010). Rush received the highest artistic honour in Canada by winning the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in 2012 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
Later this month, the band will be releasing a documentary from their recent R40 Tour, Rush Time Stand Still (Anthem/Ole/Universal). Narrated by Paul Rudd, the film documents the band and their 40 plus year relationship with their legions of loyal fans. The film Time Stand Still will premiere on November 3rd in Cineplex/Landmark theatres across Canada and Fathom in the US, then be released on BluRay/DVD on November 18th.
For more information on the 2017 Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awards, go to www.cmw.net. The award show will take place on April 20th, 2017 at Toronto’s Sheraton Centre Hotel.
Band Submissions Now Open For ShrEdmonton 2017 Fest & Conference
Prairie Fire Events Ltd is proud to announce that band submissions are now open for the official Farmageddon Open Air indoor sister festival SHREDMONTON Metal Festival and Conference taking place from Friday, May 12th to Sunday, May 14th 2017 in Edmonton, AB. Applications can be submitted at www.Shredmonton.com from November 1st, 2016 until January 15th, 2017 11:59pm MT.
Last year’s Shredmonton featured over 20 bands over the course of 3 days at The Starlite Room and The Brixx Bar and Grill, as well as a multi-room industry based conference located at the Shaw Conference Center. The full line up consisted of an ultra heavy hitting bill that included headliners Dying Fetus, Acacia Strain, Jungle Rot, Black Crown Initiate, Goatwhore, Finnish power metallers Thunderstone along with some of Western Canada’s best such as Disciples of Power, Planet Eater, Scythia, Tylor Dory Trio, Every Hour Kills among many more! Conference panels were held the Shaw Conference Center on recording, photography, video production, publicity, media relations, journalism, and concert promotion / talent buying for festivals / venues with music industry professionals from across Canada.
Prince’s Estate Signs With Universal For Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group today announced an agreement with the Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson to become, effective immediately, the exclusive worldwide publishing administrator for Prince’s entire song catalog.
With the agreement, UMPG is responsible for servicing and administering Prince’s expansive catalog of songs. UMPG will also work closely with Prince’s estate to develop new creative outlets for his music.
In making the announcement, Jody Gerson, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, said, “We’re humbled to be entrusted with Prince’s catalog and I’m grateful to my entire team for their work in making this agreement a reality. UMPG is a premiere destination for songwriters because of the meticulous care, focus and passion we bring to creating opportunities for our artists and their body of work. With the timelessness and genius of Prince’s music, there are no limits to what we can achieve working with his estate. Prince’s popularity will only continue to grow around the world.”
Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, said, “We are looking forward to continuing Prince’s legacy and ensuring that generations to come will know his unique brilliance. I congratulate Jody and her team on this landmark deal. Since joining UMPG as Chairman and CEO in 2015, Jody has done a remarkable job at developing and signing some of the most important songwriters and recording artists in contemporary music highlighted by the addition of Prince’s incredible catalog of work.”
Bremer Trust, the court-appointed temporary special administrator of the Prince Rogers Nelson Estate, hired entertainment industry experts Charles Koppelman, Chairman and CEO of CAK Entertainment Inc., and L. Londell McMillan, Chairman and CEO of The NorthStar Enterprises Worldwide, to secure business agreements in the best interest of the estate. They commented, “We are pleased that UMPG shall once again administer Prince’s music publishing worldwide and assist the estate by giving Prince’s iconic music catalog the proper care and support it deserves. With this major agreement, the estate maintains ownership of Prince’s music, and now legions of fans from around the world will have even greater opportunities to continue to delight in his incomparable songwriting and musical expression.”
During a career spanning four decades, Prince sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, making him one of the most successful artists of all time, with numerous No. 1 songs in the U.S. including “Purple Rain,” “Lets Go Crazy,” “Kiss” and “Cream.” In addition to his own recordings, Prince was a prolific songwriter for other artists as well, with credits including “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Sinead O’Connor), “Manic Monday” (Bangles), “When You Were Mine” (Cyndi Lauper), “I Feel For You” (Chaka Khan) and “How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore” (Alicia Keys).
Prince won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Purple Rain. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility. UMPG served as Prince’s publisher from 2001 to 2014.
Bob Marley & the Wailers Gets Expanded 3-LP/Digital Version Of “Live!” Out December 16
Bob Marley & the Wailers were at the peak of their artistic powers when they arrived at the Lyceum London for two shows on July 17 and 18, 1975, having just released Natty Dread the year before and about to unleash Rastaman Vibration on the world. The Rolling Stones mobile studio was on hand to record both shows, with seven songs from the second released as Live!, in December of that same year. The recording was subsequently broadcast as part of the syndicated radio program King Biscuit Flower Hour in 1976.
The Marley Family will now release for the first time the complete sets from both shows, Bob Marley & the Wailers-Live!, as a three-LP set in 180-gram black vinyl and as a digital package on December 16 in a tri-gatefold package that also includes a reproduction of the tour program from the band’s historic ’75 U.K. tour. In addition, on the same day, a seven-inch live vinyl disc, will also be made available as an exclusive at UDiscover and the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, Jamaica.
Marley and the Wailers’ classic line-up included bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett, drummer Carlton “Carly” Barrett, guitarist Al Anderson, keyboardist Tyrone Downie, percussionist Alvin “Seeco” Patterson and the I-Three — backing vocalists Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths. The group was fresh off its legendary five-night stint at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angles from July 9 through July 13, when they stepped on the stage at London’s Lyceum Theatre for an abbreviated U.K. tour which would also include dates at The Odeon in Birmingham on July 19 and The Hard Rock in Manchester on July 20. Marley was in top form during the two Lyceum shows, animatedly interacting with the crowd, who sang along to what most consider the definitive version of “No Woman, No Cry.”
The BBC’s Chris Jones wrote about the album in 2009: “This seminal live document captures almost exactly the point where both roots reggae and Rastafarianism finally entered popular culture… Capturing the band at the peak of their powers with a set list that held absolutely no low points… this was a Wailers that could more than handle the lusher, fuller rock reggae that transformed Marley’s Rastaman diatribes into pop gold. No one before this had combined both roots and R&B in this way… uniting both working and middle classes with his songs of universal struggle and religious metaphor.”
Bob Marley & the Wailers-Live! (three-LP vinyl)
+ previously unreleased performance / ++ previously unreleased full length version
Live at The Lyceum, London, July 17, 1975
Side One
- TRENCHTOWN ROCK 5.10 +
- BURNING AND LOOTING 5.09 +
- THEM BELLY FULL (BUT WE HUNGRY) 4.35 +
- REBEL MUSIC (3 O’CLOCK ROADBLOCK) 5.25 +
Side Two
- STIR IT UP 5.14 +
- NO WOMAN, NO CRY 7.37 +
- NATTY DREAD 5.27 +
- KINKY REGGAE 7.55 +
Side Three
- I SHOT THE SHERIFF 5.15 +
- GET UP STAND UP 10.18 +
Live at The Lyceum, London, July 18, 1975
Side Four
- TRENCHTOWN ROCK 4.23
- SLAVE DRIVER 4.02 +
- BURNING AND LOOTING 4.56
- THEM BELLY FULL (BUT WE HUNGRY) 3.53
- REBEL MUSIC (3 O’CLOCK ROADBLOCK) 5.16 +
Side Five
- NO WOMAN, NO CRY 7.06
- KINKY REGGAE 6.42
- NATTY DREAD 4.33 +
- STIR IT UP 4.43 +
Side Six
- LIVELY UP YOURSELF 7.49 ++
- I SHOT THE SHERIFF 7.08
- GET UP STAND UP 10.17 ++
Frank Zappa’s extensive vault release continues with Meat Light, Chicago ’78 and Little Dots, on November 4
The Zappa Family Trust is continuing its excavation and rescue of the vast musical treasures buried in Frank Zappa’s extensive vault and will release the highly-anticipated albums, Meat Light, Chicago ’78 and Little Dots, on November 4 via Zappa Records/UMe/Universal Music. Zappa’s seminal band The Mothers Of Invention’s experimental double-album Uncle Meat will receive the Project/Object Audio Documentary deluxe treatment as Meat Light, a three-disc set that includes the original 1969 vinyl mix (restored, remastered and available on CD and digitally for the first time), Zappa’s never-before-released original sequence and a variety of unreleased rare alternate mixes, live performances, and studio session outtakes. Chicago ’78 continues Zappa’s Vaulternative Records live releases with an incredible previously unreleased concert recorded at the Uptown Theater in Chicago on September 29, 1978, captured here in its entirety. Little Dots, the sequel to 2006’s fan-favorite Imaginary Diseases, features additional hand-picked selections from the Maestro himself of the 10-piece horn-driven ensemble ‘Petit Wazoo’ tour of late 1972. All albums are available for pre-order now.
Meat Light sheds and shines a light on Zappa’s 1969 avant-garde opus Uncle Meat, an album created with The Mothers Of Invention to serve as the soundtrack to a film that was not finished until the ‘80s. One of the last releases that Zappa’s late wife Gail Zappa worked on with Vaultmeister Joe Travers, the three-disc Project/Object Audio Documentary Deluxe Edition collects the original 1969 vinyl mix of the album with the original sequence Zappa conceived before he turned it into the masterwork along with unique source material and bonus vault tracks mostly compiled from the recording sessions at Apolostic Studios in NYC between 1967-68. Long hailed for its innovation and experimentation, Zappa experimented with tape speed, overdubbing and a collage of sounds. As he wrote in the original liner notes: “The music on this album was recorded over a period of 5 months from October 1967 to February 1968. Things that sound like a full orchestra were carefully assembled, track by track through a procedure known as overdubbing. The weird middle section of DOG BREATH (after the line, “Ready to attack”) has forty tracks built into it. Things that sound like trumpets are actually clarinets played through a Maestro with a setting labeled Oboe D’Amore and sped up a minor third with a V.S.O. (variable speed oscillator).” “Uncle Meat documents the original Mothers at the telepathic height of their musical powers,” exclaimed Dangerous Minds. “The album’s aural collage of short, sharp shocks of avant garde musical interludes, doo-wop, free jazz, spoken word bits, cartoony music and far-out concert recordings were the fullest expression at that point of the young composer’s genius.”
Recorded September 29, 1978 at the Uptown Theatre in Chicago, the aptly-titled two-disc album, Chicago ’78, captures in great sound quality the second of two shows played that night in its entirety, a rarity for Zappa recordings. The concert delivers with a good blend of fan favorites, blistering guitar solos, audience participation, on-the-spot improvisations and stellar playing from Zappa and his talented band. Notably, the album includes rare live versions of “Yo Mama” and “Strictly Genteel” and a spontaneous improv by Zappa where he plays riffs that would end up turning into the future songs “I’m A Beautiful Guy” and “Crew Slut.” Due to only having one tape machine rolling at a time and the length of the recording time, the live performance was recorded on three different sources. In order to present this show in its entirety, it was culled from the three different sources: Main Source: ½-inch 4-Track analog tape masters; Secondary sources: ¼-inch 2-Track reel to-reel analog tape masters and a board cassette. All tapes were heat-treated and transferred at 96K 24B .WAV by Joe Travers.
Long sought after by fans, Little Dots is the sequel to Imaginary Diseases. It consists of additional music compiled from master tapes hand-picked and worked on by Zappa himself of the “Petit Wazoo,” a short-lived 10-piece ensemble with an emphasis on brass and woodwind instrumentation that toured North America in late October-December 1972. All masters were transferred at The Utility Muffin Research Kitchen in 2004. Most of these performances were scattered amongst various reels, some incomplete, all found in The Vault. Zappa would work with material from this line-up on and off, but nothing was ever officially released during his lifetime. Recorded live with the horn-driven ensemble, this collection includes the first legitimate release of the entire three-part “Rollo” suite for the first time as well as the title track composition. “Cosmik Debris” is the first version which predates the issued master on APOSTROPHE(’) in 1974. The album ends with a mammoth 25-minute long improvisation recorded in Columbia, S.C.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Zappa’s first-ever single, “How Could I Be Such A Fool,” the song will be released b/w “Help I’m A Rock (3rd Movement: It Can’t Happen Here)” on 7-inch pink vinyl for Record Store Day’s Black Friday on November 25.
Released in theaters in June to rave reviews, Sony Pictures Classics’ feature documentary, “Eat That Question,” was released September 27 on Blu-ray, DVD and digital. Told solely through rare and never before seen historic footage of Frank Zappa’s highly acclaimed 30-year career, this unique 90-minute documentary is an energetic celebration of an often outspoken but brilliant musician. Unforgettable Zappa interviews and performances from one of rock and roll’s most legendary self-taught musicians have been painstakingly gathered across decades by director Thorsten Shütte from the obscure vaults of TV stations around the world to create this unparalleled look at one of the brightest minds popular music has ever witnessed.
For those not knowing where to start in Zappa’s vast catalog or for fans wanting some of their favourite Zappa material on one disc, ZAPPAtite – Frank Zappa’s Tastiest Tracks, was released in September. The 18-track album collects some of Zappa’s best known and beloved compositions, from his early psychedelic rock beginnings to his avant-garde experimentation, jazz-rock explorations, symphonic suites and satirical send-ups, compiling them into one easily digestible collection and offering key entryways into the many musical worlds of the visionary musician.
Meat Light Track Listing
Disc 1: Original 1969 Vinyl Mix
- Uncle Meat: Main Title Theme
- The Voice Of Cheese
- Nine Types Of Industrial Pollution
- Zolar Czackl
- Dog Breath, In The Year Of The Plague
- The Legend Of The Golden Arches
- Louie Louie (At the Royal Albert Hall in London)
- The Dog Breath Variations
- Sleeping In A Jar
- Our Bizarre Relationship
- The Uncle Meat Variations
- Electric Aunt Jemima
- Prelude To King Kong
- God Bless America (Live at the Whisky A Go Go)
- A Pound For A Brown On The Bus
- Ian Underwood Whips It Out (Live on stage in Copenhagen)
- Mr. Green Genes
- We Can Shoot You
- If We’d All Been Living In California…
- The Air
- Project X
- Cruising For Burgers
- King Kong (as played by the Mothers in a studio)
- King Kong (it’s magnificence as interpreted by Dom DeWild)
- King Kong (as Motorhead explains it)
- King Kong (the Gardner Varieties)
- King Kong (as played by 3 deranged Good Humor Trucks)
- King Kong (live on a flat bed diesel in the middle of a race track at a Miami Pop Festival…the Underwood ramifications)
Disc 2: Original Sequence
Part One
- Dog Breath, In The Year Of The Plague
- The Legend Of The Golden Arches
- The Voice Of Cheese
- Whiskey Wah
- Nine Types Of Industrial Pollution
- Louie Louie (Live at the Royal Albert Hall in London)
- The Dog Breath Variations
- Shoot You Percussion Item
Part Two
- The Whip
- The Uncle Meat Variations
- King Kong
Part Three
- Project X Minus .5
- A Pound For A Brown On The Bus
- Electric Aunt Jemima
- Prelude To King Kong
- God Bless America (Live at the Whiskey A Go Go)
- Sleeping In A Jar
- Cops & Buns
- Zolar Czakl
Disc 3: Original Sequence (continued)
Part Four
- We Can Not Shoot You
- Mr. Green Genes
- PooYeahrg
- Uncle Meat: Main Title Theme
- Our Bizarre Relationship
- Later We Can Shoot You
- If We’d All Been Living In California…
- ‘Ere Ian Whips It/JCB Spits It/Motorhead Rips it
- The Air
- Project X .5
- Cruising For Burgers
From The Vault
- “A Bunch Of Stuff”
- Dog Breath (Single Version – Stereo)
- Tango
- The String Quartet*
- Electric Aunt Jemima (Mix Outtake)
- Exercise 4 Variant
- Zolar Czackl (Mix Outtake)
- “More Beer!”
- Green Genes Snoop
- Mr. Green Genes (Mix Outtake)
- Echo Pie
- 1/4 Tone Unit
- Sakuji’s March
- No. 4*
- Prelude To King Kong (Extended Version)*
- Blood Unit*
- My Guitar (Proto I- Excerpt)*
- Nine Types Of Industrial Pollution (Guitar Track, Normal Speed)
- Uncle Meat (Live at Columbia University 1969)
- Dog Breath (Instrumental)*
- The Dog Breath Variations (Mix Outtake)
*Mono
Little Dots Track Listing
- Cosmik Debris
- Little Dots (Part 1, Part 2)
- Rollo Includes: Rollo/The Rollo Interior Area/Rollo Goes Out
- Kansas City Shuffle
- ‘Columbia, S.C.’ (Part 1, Part 2)
Chicago ’78 Track Listing
Disc: 1
- Chicago Walk-On
- Twenty-One
- Dancin’ Fool
- Easy Meat
- Honey, Don’t You Want A Man Like Me?
- Keep It Greasy
- Village Of The Sun
- The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing
- Bamboozled By Love
- Sy Borg
Disc: 2
- Little House I Used To Live In
- Paroxysmal Splendor
- Yo Mama
- Magic Fingers
- Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow
- Strictly Genteel
- Black Napkins
Check Out This Corporate Sales Video For Prince’s Paisley Park In 1991
Now that Prince’s Paisley Park is open for tours, this isn’t the first time the hallowed hallways of the Purple One were available to the general public. As this 1991 corporate video shows, the location was available for rent for a wide variety of audio and video production uses.
“Paisley Park Enterprises, the model for the next century—or at least ‘1999’! It can be in your hands today!”
Michael Bublé Makes Return as Host of THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS
CTV and The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) confirmed today that multi-Grammy and JUNO Award-winner Michael Bublé is set to take the reins as host of CTV’s broadcast of THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS, returning to the Nation’s Capital during the year-long celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
Bublé returns to the JUNO stage following his unforgettable performance as host at THE 2013 JUNO AWARDS in Regina, which garnered him the Canadian Screen Award for best Host in the Variety, Lifestyle, Reality/Competition, Performing Arts or Talk Program or Series. THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS airs live on CTV and CTV GO from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Sunday, April 2.
“I’m just a kid from Burnaby, so to get the opportunity to host this incredible night in Canadian music, for the second time, is amazing,” said Michael Bublé.
The multi-platinum singer released his ninth studio album, Nobody But Me, on October 21, his first album in three years. It follows the critically acclaimed To Be Loved album which was his fourth album to reach #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 Charts. The exciting new collection of original pop tunes and beautiful standards highlights Bublé’s talent as a profound interpreter of the American songbook, as well as his gifted songwriting and producing style. Nobody But Me was recorded in Los Angeles and Vancouver and includes three new Bublé-penned originals, along with breathtaking reinventions of classics including “My Baby Just Cares For Me”, “The Very Thought of You”, Brian Wilson’s “God Only Knows”, and the Johnny Mercer-written classic “I Wanna Be Around”.
**Media Note** – Photos of THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS host are available at www.bellmediapr.ca/network/CTV and www.junoawards.ca.
Tickets for THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS go on sale this Saturday, Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are available starting at $39 through the Canadian Tire Centre Box Office, by phone at 1-877-788-3267 and online at ticketmaster.ca. The JUNO Awards has partnered with Plus 1 so that $1 from every ticket is donated to MusiCounts, helping to ensure that children and youth across Canada have access to musical instruments. Plus 1 is a non-profit that partners with touring artists to facilitate a $1 add-on from every concert ticket to go to a cause the artist partner believes in.
Additional performer and presenter announcements will be released in the coming months.
After Watching This Video, You’ll Know Why God Made A Dog
You know a dog lover. Share this with them. They’ll go “Yup, I know, and why is it so dusty here of all of a sudden?”
Pop Superstars ABBA Teaming Up With Simon Fuller And Universal Music Group To Launch New Digital Experience
Nearly 35 years after their last public performance together, the members of ABBA are preparing to give their fans around the world what millions of them have long dreamed of but considered impossible: a new entertainment experience.
World-renowned entertainment entrepreneur Simon Fuller, the members of ABBA, and Universal Music Group are partnering together in a groundbreaking venture that will utilize the very latest in digital and virtual reality technology. The aim is to create an original entertainment experience with the Swedish pop superstars that will enable a new generation of fans to see, hear, and feel ABBA in a way previously unimagined.
Simon Fuller has been at the cutting edge of social and technological change for three decades, using his insights to transform popular culture. For the past several years, his businesses have been quietly investing in virtual reality technologies and developing hyper-realistic digital humans in the field of entertainment. The collaboration with the four members of ABBA, who first formed in Stockholm in 1972 and who remain among the most iconic and enduring talents in the world, marks a key “ahead of the curve” step towards fully realizing the possibilities of virtual reality-and in the process transforming the face of popular entertainment.
The members of ABBA will be involved throughout the creative process, maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the band’s original vision within this exciting new realm of entertainment possibilities.
Benny Andersson: “We’re inspired by the limitless possibilities of what the future holds and are loving being a part of creating something new and dramatic here. A time machine that captures the essence of who we were. And are.”
Frida Lyngstad: “Our fans around the world are always asking us to reform and so I hope this new ABBA creation will excite them as much as it excites me!”
Simon Fuller, Founder and CEO of XIX Entertainment: “The creativity and ideas flowing from the members of ABBA over the past few months have filled me with great excitement. We are exploring a new technological world, with Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence at the forefront, that will allow us to create new forms of entertainment and content we couldn’t have previously imagined.”
Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group: “Having the privilege of working closely with the band for over two decades, I can comfortably say there are few recording artists who like ABBA bring together their mastery of craft, a high level of professionalism and enormous commercial success. I’m thrilled to be involved in this innovative new project that will introduce the band who are responsible for some of the greatest songs and melodies in pop music to a new generation of fans.”