On the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last night, an odd couple– Miley Cyrus and Adam Sandler– made beautiful music with Dido’s “No Freedom.” (Whatever happened to Dido?) Miley is on Fallon all week promoting her “Younger Now” album. sandler is promoting his wonderful Netflix film “The Meyerowitz Stories.”
Imagine the Grammy Tribute to Tom Petty: Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison, Roy Orbison Jr. and…Sam Smith? (Yes)
You can bet that the Grammys will stage one hell of a tribute to the memory of Tom Petty at Madison Square Garden on January 28th, 2018.
Think of the line up: in addition to Petty’s group, The Heartbreakers, the ensemble would include Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne of the Traveling Wilburys, plus the sons of the fallen Wilburys– Dhani Harrison and Roy Kelton Orbison.
And what about Sam Smith? It turned out last year that Smith’s hit “Stand by Me,” was inadvertently lifted from Petty’s hit, “I Won’t Back Down,” co-written with Lynne. The lawyers wouldn’t back down, so Smith had to give writing credit to Petty and Lynne. Smith will no doubt be jockeying for a place on the Grammys to promote his new album. Why not have him sing “I Won’t Back Down”?
That’s called karma.
Others who could join in: Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Robbie Robertson.
There won’t be a dry eye in the house.
(Watch) Tom Petty Mudcrutch Video Starring Anthony Hopkins, Co-Directed by Sean Penn and Sam Bayer
This not well known video was directed by Sean Penn and Samuel Bayer, starring Anthony Hopkins. It was for Tom Petty’s Mudcrunch song, “I Forgive it All.” Hopkins tweeted:
RIP Tom Petty. Memorable day recording this video, thank you.
Tom Petty’s Albums, Singles Soar Up the Charts Taking Most of the Top Positions
While we wait for final news of Tom Petty, his fans are buying up his music at an astonishing rate.
On iTunes, Petty has the number 1 spot plus seven other albums on the top 100. He also has seven singles on the singles chart.
On Amazon, Petty has four of the top 5 albums, and another six or seven albums on the top 100 as well as the Traveling Wilburys’ first album. Petty’s anticipated death leave just Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne the only living Wilburys. George Harrison and Roy Orbison are also gone.
By tomorrow Spotify will have numbers on how many Petty songs are being streamed. That number has to be in the millions.
It’s hard to believe that Petty, who has been a straight arrow for years, didn’t outlive some of the rockers whose pasts are far more life-endangering. But he leaves a great legacy of music.
Box Office: Weekend Reports Were All Wrong, “Kingsman” Beat “It,” Tom Cruise Movie a Bust
So all the box office reports on Sunday were wrong. They were probably affected by the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, which knocked out a lot of moviegoing Friday night and all day Saturday,
Whatever the cause, here’s what really happened: “Kingsman 2” beat “It” and finished in first place. Their numbers respectively were $16,935,565 and $16,902,444.
The Tom Cruise movie came in third. “American Made” failed to cross $17 million, limping in with $16,776,330. This didn’t change the fact that this was Cruise’s worst showing in five years, and one of his worst of his career. “Flatliners” also did worse than thought, with $6.5 million.
Among potential Oscar flicks, “Victoria and Abdul” expanded into wider release and did very well. “Stronger” also expanded and skittered a bit. “Battle of the Sexes” is holding its own. “Wind River” continues to be a crowd please.
Coming this Friday and surely a hit: “Blade Runner 2049” from Warners and Columbia.
UPDATE Famed and Beloved Rocker Tom Petty Near Death at Age 66 in Los Angeles After Cardiac Arrest
UPDATE Tom Petty is near death. A few news agencies reported his death. it’s a technical thing. He’s brain dead. He’s been taken off life support. It’s a matter of time. It’s a cruel ending. Condolences to his family and friends. Such a great guy, great musician. He will be sorely missed. Petty just completed his 40th anniversary tour with his group The Heartbreakers. Earlier this year he was honored by the Grammys and MusiCares with the Person of the Year Award. I was a huge fan of his Sirius Radio show, as I’m sure many were.
EARLIER Tom Petty — I can’t believe I’m writing this– is on life support at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles after suffering a massive cardiac arrest Sunday night. The great rocker, a genial guy beloved by everyone, sounds like he’s not going to make it. Petty is 66. TMZ reported the story this afternoon.
Petty had a long, tremendously successful career beginning in 1979 with the hits “Breakdown” and “American Girl.” He was also part of the Traveling Wilburys with the late George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and the still very much alive Bob Dylan.
We’re sending love and the best wishes to Tom’s family. Losing him would be such a tragedy.
Review: Dustin Hoffman Shines in “The Meyerowitz Stories,” Featuring Nuanced Ben Stiller and…Adam Sandler? (Yes)
Woody Allen often complains that no filmmakers are influenced by him. But Noah Baumach– who’s written and/or directed several wonderful New York dramedies– definitely has Woody in his head for “The Meyerowitz Stories.” Baumback– praised for “The Squid and the Whale,” “Frances Ha,” for his writing work on Wes Anderson’s “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” and for a film I loved called “Mr. Jealousy”– has made his “Hannah and Her Sisters” with “Meyerowitz.” It’s a cut above.
It’s a New York story, an Upper West Side story, and let’s face it, a Jewish story although I don’t think there’s much mention of religion. Respected art professor and sculptor Harold Meyerowitz (Dustin Hoffman, in an Oscar performance) has been married to Candice Bergen and they have one son, Matthew. played by Ben Stiller. Harry’s first wife brought him two older children, in the form of Jean (Elizabeth Marvel) and Danny (Adam Sandler). Danny has a college freshman daughter (Grace van Patten). Now Harry’s married to Maureen (Emma Thompson),a genial dipsomaniac.
Cut to the chase: “Meyerowitz Stories” is about family and success and approbation. Matthew lives in LA, is a business manager and very successful. Danny and Jean are oddballs, make no money. Both sons’ marriages have broken up, Jean has no life to speak of. All of their lives revolve around Harold, who’s around 80, is completely self involved. He’s jealous of the success of his longest friend, L.J. (Judd Hirsch) who’s really a nicer guy than you think.
So what happens? With Harold as the sun and the rest of these people as planets orbiting Harold, we learn their past relationships, their current ones, and how they will have to live with each other as adults. There are no car crashes (although Danny certainly seems like he might get into one, given his Manhattan style road rage). On the face of it, there isn’t much plot but there really is, and Baumbach weaves it all together with tremendous satisfaction. You’re unlikely to find a better written script this Oscar season, that’s how rich and textured Baumbach’s work is. He drills down into each character– even minor ones, like the one played by Candice Bergen, who has a disarming moment of beautiful dialogue and pathos.
Sandler — look, we make fun of his weird movies where he acts like a handicapped child. But here it’s like he was in “Spanglish” or “Punch Drunk Love.” He carries a third of the movie with Hoffman and Stiller, with such grace and authority you want to shake his hand. Stiller — coming off “Brad’s Status”– continues to show his wide range. Thompson is a hoot, van Patten is just lovely. But it’s Dustin Hoffman who commands the screen. He’s kind of the older version of Jeff Daniels’ father from Baumbach’s “Squid and the Whale,” only more talented, less successful, and more deeply screwed into the psyches of the other characters.
Yes, “The Meyerowitz Stories” seem like a throwback. They are not multicultural on their face. But I think you could make this screenplay with families of any persuasion and it would resonate. These are universal themes, and that’s what makes them so heartbreaking and funny.
PS Nice supporting work from Adam Driver, Mickey Sumner, Rebecca Miller, Sakina Jaffrey.
“The Simpsons” Will End Tonight’s Show with a Last Minute Dedication to Puerto Rico
“The Simpsons” will end tonight’s show with a tribute to Puerto Rico. Exec producer James L. Brooks tweeted that they commissioned the PR flag with donation information from Burning Man artist David Silverman. The artist “beat an impossible deadline. Burning man’s best did again.” The frame shows all the people of Springfield in the background, with the Simpson family surrounding the flag. Marge Simpson holds up a sign that reads “UNIDO.”
S.I. Newhouse, Owner of Conde Nast and the Man Who Made Anna Wintour, Dead at 89
S.I. Newhouse, known as “Si,” has died at 89. His family bought Conde Nast magazine publishers in 1959, and he ran it the rest of his life. Under Newhouse, Conde Nast — named for the original publisher whose name was actually Conde Nast — flourished as a powerhouse. In recent years Newhouse had been out of commission. He last photographed in public in June 2016, but before that in 2011.
If you wondered where Anna Wintour came from, it was Newhouse who sort of invented her. He brought her to the company from New York magazine, where she was a writer, and commissioned her with saving House & Garden. The opposite happened, but Newhouse eventually toppled long time Vogue editor in chief Grace Mirabella, and voila! the rein of Wintour began.
In the 80s and 90s, when media reporting reached a fever pitch in places like Spy magazine and the New York Observer, the diminutive Si became a legendary character. He bought and sold magazines, created and killed careers, and basked in a limelight that is all but gone now in the print world. It was Newhouse’s idea to bring Tina Brown from London to edit Vanity Fair after a failed relaunch in 1983. He also bought The New Yorker, which everyone thought would kill the venerated literary magazine. Instead, it thrived.
The Newhouse era of publishing was so go-go that in 1980 Newhouse and its family company, Advance Publications, bought Random House. They held onto it for 18 years and that built a powerhouse of editors and writers who went back and forth between the companies. At Conde Nast Newhouse was famous for having favorite editors– like Wintour, Brown, Alexandra Penney, and so forth. The Observer and the New York Post spent a lot of time reading “tea leaves” about where editors sat at company lunches, and who was in favor and who wasn’t.
After watching people come and go, the latest blow to Conde Nast is the departure of Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair for 25 years. He could see the writing on the wall. Si Newhouse hasn’t run the company for years, advertising is way down, and revenue is not what it was. Big layoffs are coming. Carter’s successor will not have the town cars and the perks that he did, or even Tina Brown.
On a side note, last week also brought the passing of Mary Louise Masi, who was 95. Mrs. Masi had been Conde Nast photographer Irving Penn’s hand re-toucher from the late 1940s to his death to his later years when computer retouching came in. Penn, who was the premier photographer at Vogue and a legend, depended on her so much that when Mrs. Masi got married and moved to Long Island, Penn built a room onto her house in North Bellmore, Long Island so she could get his work done. She worked for Penn, and Cecil Beaton, and Alexander Liberman, the long time editorial director of Conde Nast whom Si Newhouse gave free rein until the mid 1990s.
Clive Davis Has Nothing to Apologize For, He Literally Created “The Soundtrack of Our Lives”
I read this morning’s assassination attempt on Clive Davis by Jacob Bernstein in the New York Times Style Section with sadness and bemusement. Listen, Clive Davis has nothing to apologize for. To Melissa Manchester, or anyone else.
Bernstein has tried to find a lot of gripes among Davis’s stars as the documentary “Soundtrack of Our Lives” readies for a launch on Apple Music this Tuesday. Right now it’s playing at the IFC Center in Manhattan and at a theater in Los Angeles. Chris Perkel’s movie is nothing if not entertaining. And pretty much of all it ‘tracks’ and is verifiable, so I don’t know what Bernstein is trying to prove.
He tried to use Melissa Manchester as an example of someone who’s unhappy with Davis. Listen, when Clive found Melissa Manchester, she was a back up singer for Bette Midler. Carole Bayer Sager wrote her songs. In short time, Clive promoted Manchester singing Sager songs and got two really big hits– “Midnight Blue” and “Don’t Cry Out Loud.” A third huge hit, “You Should Hear How She Talks About You” won her a Grammy. What more does this woman want? Her whole career came from Clive Davis and Carole Bayer Sager.
Barry Manilow? His vast fortune and international stardom comes from Davis picking songs for him to sing, including “I Write the Songs”– which he didn’t write– and “Mandy.” Manilow wrote plenty of his own hits. And Davis released album after album even when Manilow was way out of fashion.
As for Whitney Houston: her struggles with sexual identity and drugs were not Clive Davis’s problem. Robyn Crawford was around for years. No one pushed Whitney into marriage to Bobby Brown and no one tried to get rid of Robyn except maybe Whitney’s own family, not Clive Davis. Regarding drugs — since I wrote about all this for years and Bernstein didn’t — Davis did everything to help Whitney, got her into rehab, got her sober coaches, etc. He wrote her an impassioned plea after the 20o1 Michael Jackson concert begging her to accept help.
Bernstein’s article just shows a huge lack of knowledge of that story. If you want to buy what’s put forward in Nick Broomfield’s “Whitney: Can I Be Me?” then go ahead. But that documentary is incomplete, it’s a theory that lacks facts. When Davis left Arista and started J Records, he couldn’t take her with him contractually. Bernstein doesn’t mention the huge amount of cash Arista paid Whitney as incentive to record with LA Reid. Or how Davis, when he could finally work with her again, brought in Alicia Keys to write what he hoped would be a hit single, and struggled to give Whitney a success.
As for this idea that Whitney sounded “too white”– really? “The Greatest Love of All” was written by two of the greatest songwriters of all time, Linda Creed and Thom Bell. Bell is black, Creed, sadly, who is gone, was white and Jewish. They wrote a lot of classic R&B songs*.) Davis put Whitney with Wyclef Jean for “My Love is Your Love,” which was a big return hit for Houston. On the album of the same name, Whitney sang with Faith Evans and Kelly Price, Missy Elliott, and Mariah Carey. Even her second album was produced by Narada Michael Walden, and had a mix of songs including one co-written by R&B great Chuck Jackson, and a cover of the Isley Brothers’ “For the Love of You.”
The point is not valid. Whitney’s music reflected radio and the kind of R&B that was popular in the 80s. So did the songs Aretha Franklin made for Davis in the 80s. And in Aretha’s case, she wasn’t going to keep making Jerry Wexler records. That era ended. Her career was totally revived, as was Dionne Warwick’s, by making contemporary records that allowed classy productions to showcase their unique voices. And the public loved them.
*updated and corrected 12/6/17