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John Legend and Kelly Clarkson Record a New Version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” with Updated PC #MeToo Lyrics

Roger Friedman
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John Legend and Kelly Clarkson Record a New Version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” with Updated PC #MeToo Lyrics

Everyone’s favorite couple, John Legend and Chrissie Teigen, are on the cover of Good Housekeeping, Parade, Family Cirlce with their children– whoops, no that’s Vanity Fair. Yes, Vanity Fair. Okay, it’s not like the Vanity Fair of old. But we love John and Chrissie, and the story is cute and they announce their choice of presidential candidate. (It’s Elizabeth Warren.)

They each have lots of projects. John has a Christmas album coming out with a new version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” made famous originally by Dean Martin. But now that song is considered predatory (please) so he’s changed the lyrics and added Kelly Clarkson. I don’t know what the estate of the great Frank Loesser, who wrote the song in 1944, feels about this.

The new version reads:

“I really can’t stay (BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE)
I’ve gotta go away (I CAN CALL YOU A RIDE.)
This evening has been (SO GLAD THAT YOU DROPPED IN)
So very nice (TIME SPENT WITH YOU IS PARADISE)
My mother will start to worry (I’LL CALL A CAR AND TELL ‘EM TO HURRY)”

 

The original dangerous lyrics:

I really can’t stay (Baby it’s cold outside)
I gotta go away (Baby it’s cold outside)
This evening has been (Been hoping that you’d dropped in)
So very nice (I’ll hold your hands they’re just like ice)
My mother will start to worry (Beautiful what’s your hurry?)
My father will be pacing the floor (Listen to the fireplace roar)
So really I’d better scurry (Beautiful please don’t hurry)
Well maybe just a half a drink more (I’ll put some records on while I pour)
The neighbors might think (Baby it’s bad out there)
Say what’s in this drink? (No cabs to be had out there)
I wish I knew how (Your eyes are like starlight now)
To break this spell (I’ll take your hat, your hair looks swell) (Why thank you)
I ought to say no, no, no sir (Mind if move in closer?)
At least I’m gonna say that I tried (What’s the sense of hurtin’ my pride?)
I really can’t stay (Baby don’t hold out)
Baby it’s cold outside
Ah, you’re very pushy you know?
I like to think of it as opportunistic
I simply must go (Baby it’s cold outside)
The answer is no (But baby it’s cold outside)
The welcome has been (How lucky that you dropped in)
So nice and warm (Look out the window at that storm)
My sister will be suspicious (Gosh your lips look delicious!)
My brother will be there at the door (Waves upon a tropical shore)
My maiden aunt’s mind is vicious (Gosh your lips are delicious!)
Well maybe just a cigarette more (Never such a blizzard before) (And I don’t even smoke)
I’ve got to get home (Baby you’ll freeze out there)
Say lend me a coat? (It’s up to your knees out there!)
You’ve really been grand, (I feel when I touch your hand)
But don’t you see? (How can you do this thing to me?)
There’s bound to be talk tomorrow (Think of my life long sorrow!)
At least there will be plenty implied (If you caught pneumonia and died!)
I really can’t stay (Get over that old out)
Baby it’s cold
Baby it’s cold outside
Okay fine, just another drink then
That took a lot of convincing!
Personally I prefer John Legend’s song from his first album:

 

Apple Comes Out Swinging Big with Jennifer Aniston-Reese Witherspoon “Morning Show,” A Delectable Soap Opera with Top Notch Performances

Roger Friedman
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Apple Comes Out Swinging Big with Jennifer Aniston-Reese Witherspoon “Morning Show,” A Delectable Soap Opera with Top Notch Performances

Apple TV joins HBO, Netflix, and all the other non-broadcast platforms with “The Morning Show,” and it’s a major hit. A delectable soap opera, “The Morning Show” — with faint echoes of “Veep” — is the what/if re-telling of Matt Lauer’s #MeToo expulsion from the “Today” show. Reviewers have the first three episodes, with expected plot twists coming: it could be the Lauer character, Mitch Kessler, played by Steve Carell, is heading for redemption.

But first:

“The Morning Show” co-stars and is co-produced by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. It’s written and developed by the terrific Kerry Ehrin. They appear to know what they’re doing. Two big, big stars means the show costs a lot. Who would have the money to produce 10 full hours of cinematic-like TV with them, and Carell? Only Apple, I guess. You’re a little skeptical at first. But as “The Morning Show” unfurled, I was absorbed by it. The main trio is as good as it gets but there’s a nice surprise– well, not a surprise, but a fantastic extra I didn’t see coming: Billy Crudup steals the show as the new news chief at the TV Network. He will win every supporting actor award there is in TV once this show is up and running.

So the story: Aniston’s Alex Levy and Carell’s Kessler are co-hosts of “The Morning Show” for 15 years on the UBA Network. They are Lauer and Savannah/Katie/Meredith. They’re called “America’s mom and dad.” But it turns out Dad has been cheating a lot. Two years after the #MeToo scandals break, Kessler is abruptly fired for sexual impropriety– not rape, but for sleeping with employees.

Overnight, “The Morning Show” loses a famous co-host. Alex must go on and explain it to the viewers. Alone. There’s no Hoda to help her. She’s 50, semi-divorced, and mother of a college age daughter. Her whole life has been devoted to the show. She’s rich as Croeses because of it, with an East River apartment we’d all die for. Mitch is, too, with a Park Avenue apartment, Hamptons house, ski chalet in Aspen, etc.

Meanwhile, Reese’s Bradley Jackson is single, a local reporter in Virginia with a self-destructive streak, a brother in rehab, and a mother played by Brett Butler. She’s had lots of jobs, can’t catch a break, always covering local disasters. At a rally to close a coal mine she loses it during a break. The resulting video goes viral on Twitter and catches the eye of “The Morning Show” producers. She’s brought to New York for an interview just as Crudup’s new news chief has to replace Mitch. And there you go.

No one takes umbrage like Aniston. Even though Witherspoon is equally billed, so far this is Alex’s–Jennifer’s– show. With just a bit Selina Meyer in the air, Alex is a tough cookie. Unlike Selina, she is not off center. She’s smart, a survivor, and determined to overcome this latest speed bump. Aniston is on fire. This is her best work since “Friends,” excluding maybe “The Good Girl.” I could watch her play Alex all day. Don’t get me wrong– Reese is just as good as Bradley. And we still have a lot to learn about her character. When the 3rd episode ends, Bradley is just starting a new job at UBA.

What works about “The Morning Show” is that it’s built like a classic TV drama/soap. It takes its time. “Desperate Housewives,” “Empire,” most of the shows like this over the last decade have burned off story with no pacing. “The Morning Show” feels like Steve Bochco and Michael Filerman (each sadly in heaven now) wrote this together. Unlike “The Newsroom,” it’s also not pedantic. There’s talk about the importance of journalism, and journalist ethics, etc, but Jeff Daniels isn’t stuffing it down our throats in Sorkinesque rhythms. We are not learning a lesson.

Crudup, as I said, is beyond sublime. His line, “Chaos is the new cocaine!” is a T shirt I want. There’s a strong supporting cast starting with Mark Duplass as the show’s EP, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Adina Porter, and a few more (it’s a huge freaking cast). Some excellent guest stars in the first three episodes: Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden, Mindy Kaling, Martin Short, Oscar nominee Embeth Davidtz, and Fred Melamed. Director Mimi Leder’s daughter plays Lizzy, Aniston’s kid, she’s a natural. Jennifer’s real life BFF Andrea Bendewald is the make up lady, Ian Gomez (from Cougar Town) is a producer. Let me tell you, this show cost a fortune. It’s like a Dream Team.

PS Starting with Episode 2 we get a theme song, “Nemesis,” sung by Benjamin Clementine, a UK Pop guy who hasn’t broken through. He will now. Big time.

Joni Mitchell Releases “Morning Glory on the Vine,” Previously Private 1971 Book of Sensational Paintings, Drawings, Lyrics

Roger Friedman
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0
Joni Mitchell Releases “Morning Glory on the Vine,” Previously Private 1971 Book of Sensational Paintings, Drawings, Lyrics

The depth and breadth of Joni Mitchell’s work extends far beyond her music, which is something in itself. But Joni is also a visual artist, who began painting at least around 1960. Her watercolors were always known to her fans and to followers of her music cohorts like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and James Taylor.

Now she’s released a coffee table book called “Morning Glory on the Vine,” which for the first time collects these watercolors and joins them with poems, songs, and drawings. They are just sensational. If she released them as prints, Joni would make a fortune.

The book is like a companion to David Browne’s recent book on “Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.” Joni’s portraits include all of them, as well as James Taylor, Judy Collins, their manager and friend Elliot Roberts. There’s also a portrait of George O’Keefe that is stunning. (No Stills, however. I can only imagine why.)

Joni includes self-portraits, and across from a poem called “Tapwater,” a magnificent still life. Her pictures here, made during her folkier earlier “Blue” era, etc actually breathe with the soul and jazz that was to come just a couple of years later starting with “Court and Spark,” including “Mingus” and “Hejira,” and my favorite, “The Hissing of Summer Lawns.”

We are really lucky to get this collection. Joni says in her foreword that for Christmas 1971, David Geffen and Elliot Roberts bound up all these drawings in a ring binder accompanied by handwritten lyrics. Joni says her friends then were “kind of nouveau riche,” so buying gifts for them would be difficult. Instead, they got this limited edition. “People really liked them,” she says, which is an understatement. ‘

A treasure.

PS It’s a good year for coffee table books about or by rock stars. Linda Solomon’s book of Aretha Franklin photos is out, and David Browne’s work with the Jeff Buckley estate has been put in a handsome volume. More about them next!

Box Office: Kanye West’s 35 Minute “Jesus is King” Drew Huge Crowds Friday Night, Followed by a Huge Fall Off

Roger Friedman
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0
Box Office: Kanye West’s 35 Minute “Jesus is King” Drew Huge Crowds Friday Night, Followed by a Huge Fall Off

On the face of it, you’d say Kanye West’s 35 minute movie, “Jesus is King,” had a great weekend. Its three day total from IMAX is $830,000.

Alas, almost all of that came on Friday. “King” earned a whopping $570,000 on that single day. Audiences were jazzed from all the hype of the film and of the album that was supposed to be released, wasn’t, and then was.

But the movie is 35 minutes, and the tickets cost the same as a feature film. When that news broke, the Friday people communicated it to whoever was interested in seeing a gospel choir filmed in a crater-art project.

Saturday and Sunday are guesstimated at $150,000 and $110,000 respectively. So that party is over. “Jesus is King” was playing at 372 screens, but that number should come down significantly, and fast.

Of the money that has been made, it would be interesting to know the actual cost of “King,” and who got paid including singers, musicians, and the owner of the crater.

The Roden Crater, in Arizona, has a big list of multi-millionaire supporters including the Guggenheim Foundation, the DIA Art Foundation, the NEA, and the MacArthur Foundation.

Weekend numbers aren’t in yet for the “Jesus is King” album, but it’s been number 1 on iTunes all weekend.  And no, it’s not true you must be wearing a pair of $400 Yeezy sneakers to see it, but merchandise is what this is all about. Those Jesus is King shirts are the ugliest, cheapest looking things imaginable. $40.

 

Bruce Springsteen’s “Western Stars” Box Office Bomb: Highly Praised Documentary May Have Been Hurt by Boss’s Anti-Trump Rhetoric

Roger Friedman
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0
Bruce Springsteen’s “Western Stars” Box Office Bomb: Highly Praised Documentary May Have Been Hurt by Boss’s Anti-Trump Rhetoric

Warner Bros. lavished attention and money on Bruce Springsteen’s “Western Stars,” that’s for sure. The Boss’s first directorial effort, with Thom Zimny, was brought to the Toronto Film Festival, shown in Asbury Park, and given many premieres.

But the Springsteen audience may have been a little drained after the long and incredibly successful run of Bruce’s “Springsteen on Broadway.” After all, there’s just so much money to spend on any artist, even our favorite.

“Western Stars” was a bust in movie theaters over the weekend. It brought in just $530,000, or $1,000 per screen. You could see it on Fandango: just apathy from fans in New Jersey and New York. That’s even with releasing “Rhinestone Cowboy” as an extra, non sequitir track.

Was it over-saturation? Or was it Bruce’s Trump bashing? I like it, but this could be a real sign that audiences–whether they hate Trump or tolerate him– don’t want their rock stars’ invective ruining their cultural appreciations.

Ironically, Springsteen’s interview with CBS Sunday Morning was knocked out by Trump’s crazy rant this morning about the killing of ISIS leader Baghdadi.  The press went out for it anyway, with Springsteen criticizing Trump. A lot of his fans don’t even realize how liberal and anti-Trump Bruce is, which is weird, but there it is.

Conversely, “Western Stars” and its new soundtrack are a hit on amazon as CDs. I think that album deserves a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year, and “There Goes My Miracle” should get a Best Song nomination. It’s a tremendous piece of work.

 

Box Office: “Joker” Prevails at Number 1, Angelina’s “Maleficient” Hangs Tough, Springsteen Doc Popular with His Fans

Roger Friedman
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0
Box Office: “Joker” Prevails at Number 1, Angelina’s “Maleficient” Hangs Tough, Springsteen Doc Popular with His Fans

Friday box office:

Bruce Springsteen’s “Western Stars,” is popular with his fans but maybe even they are waiting for a Netflix showing. In 535 theaters on Friday night, “Western Stars” made $185,000. That’s just $345 per screen. In New York and New Jersey, where Bruce’s fan base lives, Fandango didn’t show much in the way of reservations. Maybe there was a big walk up audience at the last minute. After this weekend, “Western Stars” will likely find a better home on streaming services and DVD.

Meanwhile, “Joker” continues to get the last laugh. Still number 1 after 22 days, Todd Phillips’s exegesis on loneliness and violence has racked up $755 million around the world. Joaquin Phoenix will get his Best Actor nomination and life is sweet on the steps of the Grand Concourse in the Bronx. Warner Bros. can celebrate a huge win to offset some other disappointments.

Number 2 is “Malificent,” which you and I will never see. But through last night Angelina Jolie has brought Disney $51 million US and another $118 million internationally. The party isn’t over yet, although it does seem those abroad are appreciating the “Mistress of Evil” more than those at home.

And “Jojo Rabbit”? Look, I don’t like it, but it has a lot of good reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 77.  Last night it kicked up $340,000 in 55 theaters. People are intrigued. So am I.

Michael Jackson’s Son Hosts Charity Fundraiser in Jackson Family’s Original Home, Hayvenhurst, Once in Foreclosure

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson’s Son Hosts Charity Fundraiser in Jackson Family’s Original Home, Hayvenhurst, Once in Foreclosure

More than a decade ago, I was constantly writing about the Jacksons family home, Hayvenhurst, in Encino, California, being in foreclosure. Michael had abdicated responsibility for paying the mortgage or the staff after his 2005 trial, and it financially it was a big mess. It was only after he died that his Estate shored up the trouble.

Last night, Michael’s unusually seemingly wonderful son, Prince Michael, hosted a charity event there. Wow, has the vibe changed. Prince’s Heal L.A. charity is very different than the old Heal the World Foundation. It’s actually organized under his alma mater, Loyola Marymount University. There’s no funny business. Prince really seems to have his head on straight. I like the fact that he’s always smiling in photos. Good for him.

Guests included his brother, who calls himself Bigi and we think of as Blanket. Once dangled out a hotel window, Bigi (which is ironic because that’s what they call Berry Gordy– BeeGee) is tall and lanky, the opposite of Prince physically. But what’s nice is that Michael’s three kids including Paris stick together and seem to have a loving, close relationship.

Lots of photos on Instagram. Here are a couple:

 

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Oscars: Taylor Swift Throws Her “Cats” in the Ring with Andrew Lloyd Webber for Best Song with “Beautiful Ghosts”

Roger Friedman
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Oscars: Taylor Swift Throws Her “Cats” in the Ring with Andrew Lloyd Webber for Best Song with “Beautiful Ghosts”

Taylor Swift would like an Oscar, too, you know. That’s why she’s in Tom Hooper’s “Cats,” coming in December. It’s not surprising that she sings the song over the end credits, written with Andrew Lloyd Webber, called “Beautiful Ghosts.” You can hear some of it below in the clip they’ve released promoting the collaboration. Swift will be up for all kinds of Grammys in late January for her “Lover” album. Then she could be up for an Oscar two weeks later at the Academy Awards.

There are a lot of great songs this year from different films, including Diane Warren’s “I’m Standing with You” from the movie “Breakthrough,” two Elton John songs (one from “Rocketman” and one from “The Lion King”), Regina Spektor has a very good song from “Bombshell.”

(Listen) Kanye West’s “Jesus is Coming” is Here, With Kenny G, and Chick-Fil-A, and It Was Worth Waiting For After All

Roger Friedman
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0
(Listen) Kanye West’s “Jesus is Coming” is Here, With Kenny G, and Chick-Fil-A, and It Was Worth Waiting For After All

Here it is…”Jesus is Coming.” After weeks of delays and then an overnight of delays. And I ‘ve got to say I’m pleasantly surprised. Kanye is not a singer, musician, or preacher. But when he’s in the zone, he’s an excellent producer and impresario. I’m not particularly interested in modern Christian gospel but Kanye has managed to mix and arrange a kind of gospel scrapbook.

Ye’s also very talented at finding samples, and there are plenty in “Jesus is Coming.” They fit together like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. So the late great James Cleveland has been repurposed for a new version of his own “God Is.” Yoko Ono finds her way into “Water.” An old record called “Can You Lose By Following God” by Whole Truth is the foundation of “Follow God.” And “Use This Gospel” features Kenny G, of all people, perfectly deployed. For what it is, “Jesus is King” should get an A. Plus we get this terrific singer, Ant Clemons.

But why is Chick-Fil-A plugged so much? Even if it is tongue in cheek. No curse words, either. So “Jesus is Coming” at least can be played without flinching.

Here’s Bruce Springsteen Singing Glen Campbell’s 1975 “Rhinestone Cowboy,” A “Secret” Track on His New Album

Roger Friedman
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0
Here’s Bruce Springsteen Singing Glen Campbell’s 1975 “Rhinestone Cowboy,” A “Secret” Track on His New Album

Just as I told you, here’s Bruce Springsteen singing “Rhinestone Cowboy,” the so-called secret track from his new album.The song was written by Larry Weiss, who I told you about on September 26th. Glen Campbell has a massive number 1 hit with this song in 1975. How times have changed. That was the same year as “Born to Run.” In that time I’d never have guessed this would happen. But music and tastes keep changing.

 

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