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Thursday, April 3, 2025
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Ricky Martin Livin’ “La Vida Loca” Again with Producer Desmond Child

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Ricky Martin has reunited with Grammy award winning writer producer Desmond Child, the man who gave him “Living La Vida Loca.”

At last night’s stunningly good Songwriters Hall of Fame induction show, Child told me that he’s producing Ricky’s big comeback albums. There will be two–one in Spanish, one in English, with some overlapping tracks. Desmond tells me that one of them, called “Liar,” prompted Martin’s big coming out this spring.

“He was working on the song, and he said, I can’t live this way anymore.’ The next day, he made his announcement.”

The Ricky Martin news was one of many scoops and revelations at the SHOF, the best awards show of the year. Producers Linda Moran, Phil Ramone, and Hal David as usual pulled it off, but even better than ever this year.

There were great moments and odd moments in the Marriott Marquis ballroom. John Mayer, looking uncomfortable, appeared on stage to give Taylor Swift the Starlight Award for new young songwriter. He said, “We’re both like black swans,” and then rambled on about the two of them being unlike everyone else. He also said that even he asked her, “Who writes your songs?” Swift, still 19, gave a very relaxed speech, without using notes. She’s very poised. And she’s going to be around for a while.

Billy Joel pretty much stole the evening. In his tribute to producer Phil Ramone, Billy sat at the piano and dissected some of his biggest hits, recalling how Ramone shaped them. (This is why Ramone and about a dozen other famous producers from Richard Perry to Quincy Jones should in the ghastly Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.)

Billy explained that Ramone chucked a ‘cha-cha’ foundation for “Just the Way You Are” in favor of a more romantic underpinning; fixed songs like “The Stranger” and “Scenes from An Italian Restaurant,” and told Billy that in “She’s Always A Woman” he couldn’t have a line about her “powerful thighs.” He also told a hysterical story about hiding meat all over his house–and not in the fridge–when Paul McCartney came to visit. Joel forgot where he hid it all, and a few days later the smell of rancid meat was everywhere.

Paul Simon, also a Phil Ramone disciple, won Towering Song for “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Brian Stokes Mitchell performed it soulfully, and Simon thanked Art Garfunkel for making it a hit. He said that Aretha Franklin‘s version was closer to what he’d envisioned when he wrote it, and that Garfunkel was “the white choir boy version” and she was the “black gospel version.”

Originally, Simon said, “Bridge” only had two verses. “I wrote it as a little song,” he said. But producer Roy Halee told him it needed a third verse. So he wrote the “Sail on silver girl” verse that makes “Bridge” a lump in the throat anthem. He said when he finished it, he listened to it and thought, “That’s better than I usually write.”

Simon was genuinely moved by the award, noting that he was now in the company of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and other famous songs. “If I can get up to that, I guess I’ve made it,” he said.

There were so many great, great moments, I do wish the SHOF were televised. The show is long, but it’s fresher and more genuine and heartfelt than the Rock Hall. The great songwriter Leonard Cohen, for example got two extraordinary tributes–from Judy Collins, playing piano and singing, “Suzanne” in her crystal clear voice. Famed producer Russ Titelman convinced her to do it, and Collins proved once again that she’s gifted. And kd lang‘s version of “Hallelujah” was like something from another planet. It turns out that she works on her voice for two hours each day, performs, and then retreats.

Collins said that when Cohen came to her with “Suzanne” in 1969, in Toronto, he said, “I don’t know if this is a song.” She listened to it, and said, “Oh yes, it is.”

There’s more: Jackie deShannon, long overdue for awards, sang her “Put a Little Love In Your Heart.” Kim Carnes, raspy and cute as ever, belted out her own deShannon hit, “Bette Davis Eyes” as if 20 years had not passed. Phil Collins and Philip Bailey reunited to sing their 80s hit, “Easy Lover” and each of them got awards. Phil Collins said that getting divorced made him a better writer, so he now has three ex-wives. Bailey got his award with Earth, Wind and Fire, who rocked the house with “September.” Group founder Maurice White, suffering from Parkinson’s, couldn’t make it, however. And Chicago’s famed founding singer, Peter Cetera, sang for producer  David Foster, who in his speech inadvertently thanked “Earth, Wind and Foster.”

And the room was filled with stars, from Ashford and Simpson to CBS-2’s Dana Tyler, Phil Collins‘s long time girlfriend. Composer Philip Glass sat at Leonard Cohen’s table. Evander Holyfield made his annual appearance with Norm Chesky, of Chesky Records. Also on hand: Paul Shaffer, who was glowing as he listened to famed producer Richard Gotterher (“Hang on Sloopy”) trade anecdotes with Sire Records founder Seymour Stein. Frankly, so was I!

X Men: Movie Blog Tries to Steal Showbiz411 Scoop

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There’s a reason we have time and date stamps on our stories. It’s so no one can come in and lay claim to them.

Yesterday, that’s what Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood did; someone should tell Jay Penske, the owner of that recycling blog, what’s going on.

The sad thing is, this time the repurposing came from Mike Fleming, Variety’s former chief scooper. He proudly reports all our “X Men” news from the last two weeks–the June 8th report about Michael Fassbender choosing between “X Men” and “Spider Man,” and yesterday’s story about Benjamin Walker in “X Men.”

This column loves to give credit whenever we cite something that’s appeared before in on another site, or in the newspaper. It’s not a difficult thing to do. And I think it’s cool to applaud other reporters’ good work.

But Deadline has a history of this–especially from their London reporter, who likes to read the local papers and then regurgitate news he thinks Americans won’t see. Tsk tsk. Today as usual Nikki’s Tim Adler just literally rips and reads from Baz Bamigboye‘s story in the UK Daily Mail about hot actress Gemma Arterton going on stage this fall in London in Ibsen’s “The Master Builder.”

Hey, Timmy: it’s creepy. Cut it out. You, too, Michael. It’s like the time George told everyone in his office he was working on “the Penske file” on “Seinfeld.” In truth, he wasn’t doing any work. And he was fired.

PS Nicole Sperling did the same with the Fassbender story in Entertainment Weekly online. Ten days late. Even The Hollywood Reporter was gracious enough to give us credit in its report. Come on, kids.

Bianca, RIP, 1994-2010

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If you’ve been wondering why the posts have been fewer than usual this week. I’ve been dealing with a sad situation. Today, at 3:15pm, I had to put down my beautiful Calico cat, Bianca. She was 16, and her interests were divided between walking across the very keyboard upon which I am now typing, testing various flavors of expensive, designer cat food, and sleeping in the warm sunlight that comes through my living room windows.

Bianca was a rescue cat I found at PetCo in Union Square in late September1997. The people at PetCo called her Mother Theresa, because she took care of the other cats. She came with a little report card that said she was one year old. Later, the vet said she was probably three and had had at least one litter. We never learned anything about her biological family, but she never seemed interested in finding them.

And why would she? Here Bianca had a pretty good life. She was named for beautiful Bianca Jagger because, upon joining this household, she sat and listened to the Stones‘ “Bridges to Babylon” album. She didn’t care for it, and I do recall discussing the whole kd lang business with her. She preferred the “Some Girls” era.

In her younger days she clawed her way through some of the best cashmere and nicest made suits money could buy. She often ate from the Jefferson Market and Citarella. She had her own assistants for years, Wanda, and then Jamie, who came and fed her when no one was home. In more recent months she boarded at the vet, which she treated like a spa hotel. On the bills you could see the room service charges.

Bianca had no immediate survivors, but she was preceded in death by Tina, an extraordinary gray tabby who also lived to 16 and died in January 2002. Services are private, because I don’t want to get caught spreading her ashes in our local garden.

“X Men First Class” Student: Benjamin Walker

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Matthew Vaughn‘s “X Men: First Class” is picking up another cast member. Benjamin Walker, star of the Public Theater’s “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” is the name to remember. He’s going to play Beast, the character played in “X Men 3” by Kelsey Grammer. He’ll be joining the already cast James McAvoy and possibly Michael Fassbender.

Walker, like Grammer a Juilliard grad, is the hottest newcomer in New York theater this season. Until now, Andrew Jackson alsways was in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln. Walker made him hot.

Walker is so hot that the “X Men” role is turning out be an actual, uh, Beast. He still has a few more performances left at the Public. Then the not for profit theater is making plans to transfer to Broadway this fall. But Walker won’t be done with “X Men” until the end of the year. The question is, Will the Public wait for him? The answer is, Most likely, since Walker makes Andrew Jackson. Changing actors would do the play and the audience a disservice.

What a dilemma! Seen from the Public’s side, they’re ready to go and have the rest of the cast in place. It is hoped that this situation will not a Civil War.

Risky Business: Cruise’s “Knight & Day” Will Sneak at 500 Theaters Saturday

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It may be a mission impossible, or just some risky business: James Mangold‘s “Knight and Day” with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz gets a 500 theater sneak preview this Saturday.

Fox is testing the waters to see what kind of reception “Knight and Day” will get when it opens next Wednesday, June 23rd. The sneak will also help gauge how to handle Cruise and Diaz’s media appearances. Cruise — thanks to his famous scuffle with Matt Lauer–doesn’t do “The Today Show.” As usual, he will be involved in massive promo push at ABC, with a multi-parter on “GMA” and a turn on “Live with Regis and Kelly” on Wednesday.

Doing “sneaks” cuts both ways. It can mean a film is in trouble. It can also mean that the studio is trying to show it’s got a hit on its hands and wants to build word of mouth.

Most of the time, sneaked films need the most help and are problematic. Fox Searchlight did sneaks with Drew Barrymore‘s “Whip It.” More recent examples include “The Island” with Ewan MacGregor and Renee Zellweger, and New Line’s “The Golden Compass.” They all wound up being box office failures.

On the other hand, Disney/Touchstone did a sneak on Sandra Bullock‘s “The Proposal.” It didn’t even have such a great sneak night. but it was enough: the movie went on to be a smashing success.

More will be known tonight when “Knight and Day” has its media screenings in New York and Los Angeles.

Carole King, James Taylor Bring The Geezers to a Garden Party

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The audience was old, white, and balding. Sometimes they seemed like the people you see on those dreadful T.J. Lubinsky specials on PBS from Pittsburgh. But in the end, even though Carole King and James Taylor brought the geezers to Madison Square Garden, their Troubador reunion was undeniably lovely.

What set it apart from a nostalgia show? The songs and the musicianship. The show reprises the original musicians from their early recordings–Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, and Leland Sklar. Missing is bassist Charles Larkey, King’s second ex husband. And where the heck is Merry Clayton, the great soul singer who gave King’s albums their extra edge?

Also compelling: the fact that Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Katie Couric, Geraldo Rivera and songwriter Marc Shaiman were all sitting in $1,000 premium seats that ringed the circular revolving stage in the middle of the Garden. The set was a knockout, less Westbury Music Fair than boxing match. Indeed, the Garden used its boxing/wrestling configuration. Who won the match? It was a draw.

The show mostly followed the November 2007 shows I saw at the Troubador in West Hollywood. Those six shows were to commemorate the tiny club’s anniversary and also the 1971 shows put on by Taylor and King. It was a heady time in L.A. pop as they recorded James’s “Mud Slide Slim” album and Carole’s “Tapestry.” They played and sang on each other’s records. Taylor had a breakout  with King’s “You’ve Got A Friend.” Musicians went back and forth between the projects.

After the 2007 shows there was silence. King was said to be very difficult (not news) about allowing a DVD to be released, let alone a CD. Taylor’s longtime manager/producer, the great Peter Asher, was patient though. The result is a hit CD/DVD package this spring on Concord. And this long hoped for tour.

King is 68 and buoyant on stage. Still wedded to her piano, she also jumps around on stiletto heels. She’s all Brooklyn, New York, with a voice that launches nasal but lands as bluesy. It never fails. Taylor is more stolid, hesitant, and folksy. His voice reminds you of a clear, cool river. You’d never think they had anything in common. And yet, they (together with Carly Simon) are connected for life. And at $350 a pop for regular tickets, it must seem like a good idea.

The songs are so solid there’s nothing you can do to knock them down. All of “Tapestry,” part of the followup album, “Music,” and scattered hits like “Up on the Roof” and “Sweet Seasons” make up King’s set. All she’s really missing is “The LocoMotion.”  She trots ou rEverly Brothers hit, “Crying in the Rain.” (I actually like Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe‘s version better.) Taylor has all of “Sweet Baby James,” and many more like “Mexico” and “Copperline.”

My favorite moment? The combination of “Song of Long Ago” and “Long Ago and Far Away,” the songs that link Taylor and King historically from those sessions. This was not part of the 2007 shows. They also did duets on “You’ve Got A Friend,” “Up on the Roof,” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” They should add “High Out of Time,” a later King song that Taylor recorded on.  But as James said in the show last night, the original set they thought up would have lasted six hours. You gotta stop somewhere.

Meanwhile, boy, Katie Couric and Sarah Jessica really had a long, intense conversation during the intermission. Many world problems may be solved today as a result. SJP and MB also took pictures of the performers while they were on stage.

PS If you want to hear even better versions of “You’ve Got A Friend,” look for two duets on ITunes or Amazon: one by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, and another by Al Green and Billy Preston.

Tom Cruise: New $100 Mil Film Has No US Premiere

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Tom Cruise is in the pr fight of his life.

To try and ensure that “Knight and Day,” his $100 million movie with Cameron Diaz, gets a decent launch, Fox is not having a US premiere. That’s right–no big gala in New York or Los Angeles. And aside from long-lead magazine screenings, critics may have to see the film at sneak showings this weekend.

Instead, the “Knight and Day” premiere takes place today in…Seville, Spain. Hello? Seville is not exactly either Madrid or Barcelona. Or even London. But the idea is to keep Cruise away from the American press long enough to give “Knight and Day” a successful send off in Europe. That’s because Cruise’s nutty behavior, the Scientology stuff, Oprah couch jumping, and glassy eyed Katie Holmes are not an issue in places where people don’t speak English.

“Knight and Day” has its all media screenings tomorrow night, with journalists instructed to hold off on reviews until next week when the film opens. (We’ll see how well that works.) In the meantime, those who’ve seen it have told me it’s enjoyable but not substantial. It’s basically a travelogue for two smiling Hollywood stars. (We’ll see how well that works, too.)

The Cruise machine has already revved up by using the Les Grossman character from “Tropic Thunder,” perhaps overdoing it. No one in their right mind expects there to be a feature movie about that obnoxious and off putting character. Perhaps the best Cruise got out of it was on the MTV Video Awards, dancing with Jennifer Lopez. Hopefully, someone will explain to him that more is more, and leave it at that.

As for the no-US premiere thing,a Fox source says it’s because the movie hopscotches around Europe. Fox has spent millions this week importing junket press and buy-offs like “Entertainment Tonight” to Europe to shill for them. (For the right money, “ET” and “The Insider” will do a stand up from Hell.)

And still, “Knight and Day” may do well enough. Director James Mangold is terrific; it’s unlikely he’s made a terrible movie. But just how much the public has been affected by Cruise’s antics will be reflected here to a great degree.

By the way, though they’re billed and advertised, I am told that  highly talented actors Peter Sarsgaard and Viola Davis have very little to do in the film. What a shame.

How Did “The Star” Become a Reliable News Source?

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In the world of supermarket tabloids, “The Star” is pretty much toward the bottom of the basket. If “The National Enquirer” –which gets one of ten stories right and is usually just lucky– is ranked number 1, where do we put “The Star”? On the cover this past was their regular fodder of Brad Pitt and Jen Aniston teaming up behind poor Angelina Jolie‘s back. It’s a hoot. (Angelina must have a good sense of humor by now!) The Star is for reading at best while having shoes shined or nails done.

But yesterday they had a scoop! Former VP Al Gore had a two year affair with Larry David’s ex wife, Laurie. There are no denials or confirmations from the parties, and no actual sources quoted. There’s no recognition of Laurie David actually being in a relationship for the last three years with another man–the man for whom she left her husband. There’s no logic to it, or journalism. Just a leap.

Over at the usually calm wowowow.com, someone named Margo Howard believes it. She says this must be the reason Al Gore has not commented on the BP oil disaster in the Gulf. Sure, Margo, why not?

I’ll tell you why not: it’s not true. Indeed, Laurie David has done more than just co-produce “An Inconvenient Truth.” She went on a road trip with Sheryl Crow. Hey, Margo, maybe they had an affair! And Laurie David has also been very involved with Robert Kennedy Jr.’s NRDC. She’s been at all of his events. Why not him?

Laurie David was so upset when she heard about The Star story that she called Arianna Huffington directly and gave her a denial. That didn’t seem to matter. Whoever launched this attack should be pleased with themselves; they did a good job. The internet let The Star be like a guy in a movie theater yelling “Fire!” They didn’t stop to ask questions, and they were too embarrassed to backtrack when they were wrong. And the media just went along with it.

Get a grip, folks. And take a better look around. There are juicier things just under your noses.

“Glee” CD Outsells “Twilight” And Makes Number 1

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What is more popular, goofy kids who break into song or teen vampires?

If you answered “goofy kids” you’d be right. According to hitsdailydouble.com, the new “Glee” CD — with the sexy title “Journey to Regionals”– outsold the new “Twilight” soundtrack by 3,000 copies. Let’s say “Glee” eclipsed “Twilight.” With 158,000 copies to 155,000 for “Twilight, ” the TV kids hit number one on the charts.

“Glee,” turns out to be a big deal as a seller of songs, even as an EP. Yes, this album only contains six songs! “Glee” is certainly a boon for the writers and publishers of big commercial songs. The new “Glee” EP contains covers of four songs by Journey, all warhorses: “Faithfully” and  “Don’t Stop Believin,” “and a medley of “Anyway You Want It” and “Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’.”  (That’s three tracks total.) It’s a successful packaging job for Columbia Records, the label on which “Glee” issues its CDs and for whom Journey records. Wow!

The other songs on the EP are a cover of “Over the Rainbow,” Queen‘s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and Lulu‘s “To Sir with Love.” They are the only non-Journey songs.

What is it about “Twilight”? The movies are such a phenom, but the CD sales never really reflect that. Maybe it’s because the music is so much more interesting than “Glee.” (Ick.) “Eclipse” contains tracks from Muse, the Black Keys, Band of Horses, Cee-Lo, Florence and the Machine, and The Dead Weather.

In the old days, this would have been like the difference between a record from “The Andy Williams Show” vs. “Hullabaloo.” You wouldn’t want to be caught with the former. Kids, if you can watch rock and roll with your parents, something is wrong. I’m just sayin’…

Wait! Al Gore Affair Story Not Entirely Correct: Curb Your Enthusiasm

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Wait a second. The Star magazine, I know, is certainly the place to get the news. But their report today of Al Gore‘s so called affair with Laurie David has some, er, inconvenient truths.

Laurie David left Larry David in 2007 for Martha’s Vineyard landscaper Bart Thorpe. He was married to Julie Flanders, daughter of the number 1 real estate family on the island. It caused quite a commotion.

According to my sources, Laurie and Bart are still together and “very much in love.” Laurie is supposedly on the Vineyard now with Thorpe.

If anything, my sources say, Laurie David was telling friends back in 2007, when she and Gore were hot and heavy promoting “An Inconvenient Truth,” that she was in love with the former VP. “If they had an affair it was back then,” says a source.

Of course, anything is possible. Laurie and Thorpe do spend time apart. David’s kids go to school in Los Angeles. Thorpe’s business keeps him on the Vineyard. But at some point last year Thorpe was seen shopping for an apartment in New York where they could all live together.

“I guess Bart could have been a front for Laurie,” says a Vineyard source. “But it seems very complicated.”

For now, people who are excited about all this news might do well to Curb their Enthusiasm.