On Taylor Swift
Although the Grammys were several weeks ago, the issue of Taylor Swift's awkward vocals and her boatload of Grammys is still out there, so I feel compelled to opine.
Until recently I hadn't really focused on Swift, I figured she must have something others got that I didn't. Since I didn't, strictly speaking, have to cover her I didn't really listen or pay attention.
I've now paid attention. ("Fifteen," oh my.) What brought all this to light was Swift's weak, out of tune voice on her duet with Stevie Nicks at the Grammys, and on the two songs she sang alone.
Awful, terrible. Not a "country" voice that just sounds rawer on a pop song. No, a fluty, singing in your room all by yourself, weak voice. The kind of voice that gets you put in the back row of the school choir, where you won't throw anybody else off.
This is the act who's been elevated to the highest level of the music business, who received "Album of the Year" among other Grammys.
There's a lot of back and forth right now about Swift; after her hometown paper, the Nashville Tennessean, ran a story about the "mixed reviews" Swift received (mixed? I saw mostly negative), Naomi Judd responded with a letter to the editor defending Swift
Why? Because, Naomi wrote, she was a "lovely young lady."
Yes, that's what we want in our music icons.
Many great singers and musicians aren't particularly nice people. When they are, it's an extra, added bonus. Until and unless they go on a crime bender, their niceness doesn't matter, it's their music that counts.
There's a great blog on Autostraddle by "Riese"that breaks it all down: Why Taylor Swift annoys so many people, why she doesn't deserve to be where she is and yes, she's a very, very nice person and pretty to boot.
But please!
It's one thing for her to be a pre-teen idol, putting a lot of non-original romantic fantasies into her music, but she shouldn't be put on the level of a Lady Gaga, a Beyonce or -- going back, Joni Mitchell.
As Riese rightly points out, Swift is 20 -- not that young. Definitely too old to be warbling about high school and 15 year olds, unless it's the occasional, Janis Ian-like look back.
Here's a video of a young girl singer with a fluty voice, from 1965: Joni Mitchell, when she was 22. Proof that it's possible to have a light, folky but pleasing voice, write amazing songs and sing in tune! Oh yeah, and she's pretty.
Here Joni is a year later, at 23, doing a song that isn't about white horses or knights or fairy tales from high school:
Detroit's Suzi Quatro pays tribute to Elvis Presley
Yes, "Leather Tuscadero"'s first vision of leather was on Elvis Presley.
Quatro, who grew up in Detroit and started out in the Pleasure Seekers with her sisters (Patti, Arlene and Nancy) resolved to record a tribute to her "lifetime idol," Elvis.
Quatro contacted the Jordanaires, Elvis' longtime backing singers, as well as the great James Burton, who played guitar for Elvis (and Ricky Nelson), and got them to record with her.
Quatro has lived in England for years, and currently does a weekly radio show for BBC-2.
You can order "Singing with Angels" from iTunes and other digital sources online.
"Singing with Angels," (from a Queen to the King):
Teddy Pendergrass tributes
Sirius XM Satellite Radio's Soul Town channel (Sirius 53/XM 60) have been playing a lot of Teddy Pendergrass, from his days in Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes on up, but tomorrow they'll make it official, starting at 9 a.m. Friday it's a Tribute to Teddy Pendergrass.
Pendergrass died Wednesday at the Bryn Mawr Hospital in Philadelphia after fighting colon cancer for some months. He was born in Philly in 1950.
The tribute will feature an interview with Pendergrass taped in 2007. He spoke at length about his charity that helps victims of spinal cord injury.
Pendergrass was cut down in his prime, injured in a car accident in the early '80s that left him in a wheelchair.
Many of his songs will be played, including "If You Don't Know Me By Now," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody;" as well as music from his solo career: "Close The Door," "Only You," "I Don't Love You Anymore," and "Turn Off The Lights."
The Sirius XM tribute runs for an hour, and will be repeated later Friday at 7 p.m., and on Saturday at 11 a.m. on Soul Town.
A lot of us are posting Teddy videos like these...who else but Teddy could get away with a midriff shirt?
And another of my favorites...one of the great baritone lead singers:
Jay Towers out at CBS' 97.1 The Ticket
You won't be hearing Jay Towers in the morning on CBS' sports-talk The Ticket (97.1) anymore, Towers reported on his Facebook page Saturday that he is no longer with the station. He didn't say if he's got a new gig.
Towers wrote: "For those of you who have asked I'm no longer with 97.1 The Ticket. I had an amazing 2 years at the station and enjoyed my time working with the show. Bill McAllister remains one of my best friends as well as many people at WXYT and CBS. I'm moving on to a new adventure in my career. You can still see me on Fox 2 News every weekend with Deena, Justin, Roop and Joy from 7-10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday."
'Motown' Winter Blast, cover version style
The 2010 Winter Blast was announced Monday; the annual family themed downtown Detroit winter festival returns to Campus Martius Park Feb. 12-14.
But what's this? Each music act will perform three Motown songs in honor of the 50th anniversary of the label and 25th annniversary of the Motown Historical Museum last year.
But no Motown acts?
Wait til Martha Reeves finds out...
Aretha Franklin guest DJs on Sirius XM today at 6 p.m.
Sirius XM subscribers can tune in at 6 p.m. this evening as the Queen of Soul plays some of her favorite Christmas songs on "Soul Town," Sirius Channel 53, XM Channel 60. Aretha's guest DJ session will be re-broadcast Christmas Eve at 6 p.m., on the same channels.
Jane Asher strikes a blow for redheads
I often hear fellow Beatles fans wonder whatever happened to Jane Asher, Paul McCartney's beautiful actress girlfriend, a British actress (and sister to producer Peter Asher).
Asher is still well known in her home country as an actress and author of various Martha Stewart-type home cooking and crafts books.
She also was known for her long red hair, and that brings us to today's link.
London's Daily Mail ran a column by Asher addressing a controversy embroiling the country; discount retailer Tesco apologized for carrying a Christmas card that made fun of "gingers," the term Brits use to disparage redheads.
The chain even pulled the cards.
Asher gives an amusing overview of her life as a "ginger."
Michael McDonald 'This Christmas' on PBS Saturday morning
The Michael McDonald Christmas special has a more obscure time slot than one would predict (or wish) -- 7 a.m. Saturday (Dec. 12) on Detroit Public Television's DPTV Plus, 56.2 digital channel -- and this, after Detroit Public Television devoted most of Friday night on its main channel to a Beatles tribute band concert?
Hmmm...at any rate, if you're awake Saturday morning and can find Michael on 56.2, he'll be there singing selections from his excellent new Christmas album.
The Beatles on Record airs again on History Channel
I haven't seen it yet, but friends who have watched "The Beatles On Record" documentary rave about it.
It sounds like the perfect holiday viewing for indulgent, snowstorm viewing, and now the History Channel is repeating the film after its November debut, at 10 p.m. Saturday Dec. 12, 7 p.m. Saturday Dec. 19, and 8 p.m. Wednesday Dec. 23.
Beatles fans (including me) can wallow in detail about the music, narrated by the Beatles themselves, as well as their longtime producer, Sir George Martin.
The film recounts the Beatles' recordings, from "Please Please Me" to "Abbey Road," charting their development as musicians and songwriters.
A lot of the amazing effects on so many Beatles songs will be explored and revealed.
Aretha, Stevie, Smokey, Springsteen on HBO this Sunday
If you have HBO, tune in at 8 p.m. Sunday to see Aretha Franklin on the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame program. The show captures highlights from a series of concerts held in New York recently, with appearances by Mick Jagger, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Billy Joel and others.
Simon & Garfunkel reunite, and Stevie Wonder sings "Superstition" with a guy playing bass who looks like an Amish farmer. Wait -- it's Sting!
