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Taylor Swift is smarter than all of us. She released her “Midnights” album at midnight last night, then a bunch more songs at 3am.
The result is that she has the number 1 album on iTunes, and the top 14 — fourteen! — singles on the iTunes top 100. Another dozen or so are scattered through the rest of the top 100.
The top single of all these is called “Bigger than the Whole Sky.” I listened on one pass last night to “Midnights.” It’s a little more percussive but basically the same as Swift’s other albums: lots of confessional lyrics and Jack Antonoff’s rich production. There’s also a collaboration with Lana del Rey.
The Midnights Merchandise Madness is what this is all about. There are plenty of things to buy on Swift’s website, many version of the album and a $200 clock. God bless. Plus Swift is all over social media, dropping clues to the songs’ meaning or who the lyrics are about. I am in deep admiration of her business skills. Carole, Carly, and Joni all missed the boat back in the 70s. They just made records that have last 50 years.
PS You can read all about Swift’s song, Lavender Haze, here.
I wrote overnight that Lucy Simon, Carly Simon’s composer/singer sister, passed away yesterday at age 82.
Sadly I must also report that the day before, Carly’s eldest sister, Joanna Simon, died from thyroid cancer. She’d been ill for some time. Joanna was an opera singer, a mezzo soprano who made her debut in 1962 and performed regularly until 1986. She was 84 years old.
Joanna’s nickname was “Joey,” as Carly related in her memoir and has been noted in the many TV documentaries about the Simon sisters. (Sadly, they lost their brother, photographer Peter Simon, the youngest of the four children, a few years ago.)
Joanna was married for many years until his death to New York Times editor Gerald Walker. Later she and Walter Cronkite, who’d been widowed, became companions and had a late in life romance that was especially sweet. They had a lot of fun together (people don’t realize Walter Cronkite was also pretty lively and had a great sense of humor.)
The Simons: What an extraordinary family. Their mother, Andrea, was a spark plug, Their father, of course, founded Simon & Schuster These were vibrant people who will never be forgotten.
Here’s a link to Joanna’s Wikipedia page which details her own amazing accomplishments. May their memories be a blessing.
Don’t ever bet against Dwayne Johnson. He’s solid as a…Rock!
Last night Johnson’s “Black Adam,” his DC Comics super hero movie, scored a whopping $7.6 million in previews. Even with poor reviews, fans didn’t care. “Black Adam” will be a hit.
The prediction now is between $50-$60 million weekend. So “Black Adam” has come to save Warner Bros., which will get a big bump for the DC Universe.
Plus SPOILER ALERT Superman makes a cameo in this film in the person of Henry Cavill. “Black Adam” may revive the Cavill- Superman world. Amazing.
So stay tuned for tomorrow morning. But with good weather, and Johnson’s track record, Warner’s should be pretty happy this weekend.
Alec Baldwin settled his civil case with the family of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. But Hutchins’ death is still under investigation one year later. No decision has been made by the District Attorney about criminal liability in the case.
This morning the D.A.’s made a statement on the 1st anniversary of the tragedy. Heather Brewer, spokesperson, Office of the First Judicial District Attorney, State of New Mexico, sent this out a short time ago:
“On the anniversary of the tragedy on the Rust film set in Santa Fe County, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis remains committed to pursuing justice for the victims, and getting answers for the community. As soon as the District Attorney receives the full report from the Santa Fe County Sheriff, she and her team of professional attorneys and investigators will thoroughly review all the evidence and make a thoughtful decision about whether to bring charges against those involved. No one is above the law and every victim deserves justice.”
I’m very sad to report the death of Lucy Simon, Broadway composer of “The Secret Garden” and “Dr. Zhivago.” She was also the older sister of Carly Simon, with whom she performed when they were young as the Simon Sisters.
I knew Lucy a long time and she was such a fine, exceptional person I am very sorry that she had to fight metastatic breast cancer. So talented and elegant, Lucy received a Tony nomination, Grammy and Drama Desk Awards and in 2018 Samuel French Award for Sustained Excellence in American Theater.
Lucy Simon was born in New York on May 5, 1940 to publishing giant Richard Simon and his wife Andrea. She was the second oldest of four children Joanna, Lucy, Carly, and Peter. She grew up in a musical household where her parents entertained the era’s leading lights of literature and music like James Thurber, Richard Rodgers, Benny Goodman, and Oscar Hammerstein.
A school assignment to memorize and recite a poem prompted 14-year-old Lucy to write her first music. Because she was dyslexic, she could only memorize Eugene Field’s poem, “Wynken, Blynken & Nod,” by setting it to music. In their early college years, she and her sister, Carly, began their short-lived career performing as the Simon Sisters in Provincetown, followed by opening for acts like the Tarriers in Greenwich Village folk clubs. Their recording of “Wynken, Blynken & Nod” hit number 73 on the Billboard charts in 1964.
In 1991 Lucy Simon would become only the third female composer to have a show on Broadway. “The Secret Garden” ran for 709 performances on Broadway, won two Tony awards, and has been performed all over the world. Secret Garden’s playwright Marsha Norman, who wrote both the book and lyrics and Heidi Landesman, the producer, brought in Lucy as the composer after loving a demo melody she wrote for the lyrics of “I Heard Someone Crying.” The Center Theater Group in Los Angeles will present a new production directed by Warren Carlyle at the Ahmanson Theater from February 19, 2023 through March 26, 2023.
Lucy is survived by her husband Dr. David Y. Levine, her children, Julie Simon Levine and James Levine, and sister Carly Simon. Condolences to them. Just a huge loss.
Musicares has announced its choices for Person of the Year, and it’s Motown founder Berry Gordy and legendary performer Smokey Robinson.
If this doesn’t sell tickets, I don’t know what will. Everyone in Los Angeles will want to be at this dinner on February 3rd at the L.A. Convention Center.
There will be dancing in the streets because you know Stevie wonder will be there. Diana Ross? Maybe! Martha Reeves should also be invited. What a night!
“Wow! How honored I am to be named the MusiCares Persons of the Year, and together with my best friend of over 65 years, the great Smokey Robinson. How special is that!” said Berry Gordy, songwriter, producer and founder of Motown Records. “I am grateful to be included in MusiCares’ remarkable history of music icons. The work they do is so critical to the well-being of our music community, and I look forward to a most exciting evening.”
Adds Smokey Robinson: “I have supported MusiCares for many years and know what great work they do for our creative community who need our help. Recently, when no one could tour, they were a lifeline to those in the touring industry for monetary help and mental health services. I am honored that they have chosen me and my best friend and Motown founder Berry Gordy to share this beautiful honor and celebrate with you all together.”
So it’s hot news from the Critics Choice Awards. Chelsea Handler has agreed to host the show on the CW Network set for January 15th, 2023.
Handler is a big ‘get’ for the CCAs, which are on the upswing in the last couple of years as one of the few awards shows with integrity. There are about 500 members of the CCA, all vetted professionals and multicultural to say the least.
“We are thrilled to have Chelsea Handler joining us at the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards,” said CCA CEO Joey Berlin. “We all know and love her work as a standup comedian, a best-selling author, a podcast host, and actress – and now as host of the Critics Choice Awards! I know this will be the best year yet and can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store.”
More and more the CCAs have grown to be an Oscar predictor, as well. Also, this year, the Critics Choice Association will also hold the 5th annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television on December 5, 2022 at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel, the 2nd annual Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television on November 13, 2022 at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel and the inaugural Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema & Television on November 4, 2022 at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel.
“The Crown” is getting real. After seasons of adoration because the shows were set in the distant past, Peter Morgan’s acclaimed series is now under fire.
Dame Judi Dench is demanding that Netflix label the new seasons as fiction because they’re going to undermine the royal family. (It’s a little unclear why she’s even involved in this argument as most of her friends are in the series.)
But the 90s were a bad time for the Royals. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles were unpopular figures as Princess Diana publicly suffered. Every day provided a revelation. By the time Diana died, the Queen was at an all time low. So it’s going to be a nasty season for “The Crown” just as the world mourns the Queen in real time and has forgotten this miserable period.
The good news is that once Diana is gone, the Queen regained her status. Also, when “The Crown” first started with Claire Foy, it helped set the stage for her return. Ironic, no?
According to reports, a $1 billion Christian foundation called Signatry is spending a fortune promoting Jesus on the Super Bowl next Friday. Signatry will be running thirty and sixty second commercials hyping Jesus, rebranding him and promoting him.
Many viewers may be dismayed by being hit over the head by ads for something they either have no interest in or may be offended by. I say, keep religion out of professional sports.
Earlier this year Signatry, which is headquartered in Kansas, announced a $100 media campaign to promote Jesus. The campaign is called “He Gets Me,” and will pitch conservative values to anyone dumb enough to listen.
But no one mentioned that Signatry aka The Servant Foundation, according to its Form 990 for 2021, has astonishing net assets of $975 million. Yes, you read that right. There is no delineation of where this money has come from.
Some of Signatry/Servant’s big donations in 2021 — from their total of $400 millon — included $48 million to one Christian group called Every Home for Christ and several in the $16-$20 million area. Yes, religion is a big, big business and now it’s funding the National Football League.
Of course, the only thing worse than this are the Scientology ads that run every year during the Super Bowl, pissing off all normal people who immediately complain on Twitter. Trust me, the NFL doesn’t care as long as the check clears.
I thought when Queen Latifah started playing “The Equalizer” on CBS, that would be the end of “Equalizer” movies.
Guess again. Denzel Washington is in Italy, on the Amalfi coast, shooting “The Equalizer 3.” This is despite the Queen now in season 3 of the hit TV series.
Well, maybe you don’t watch one or the other, the movies or the series. Or maybe it doesn’t matter and soon there will be lots of people playing “The Equalizer” on different platforms.
“The Equalizer 3” also stars Dakota Fanning and Gaia Scodellaro. Antoine Fuqua is directing, of course. There will be guns and pizza.
PS Hey — here’s an idea. A cross over, with Denzel and Latifah playing brother and sister. We’d all pay to see that!
