Kalapana: Still Going

The band that helped define a generation of local music is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an upcoming concert beneath the moon and stars at Tom Moffatt Waikīkī Shell.

Few bands helped inspire a generation of local artists and shape contemporary Hawaiian music more than the outfit known as Kalapana, which brought pleasing harmonies along with a pop-rock-jazz-funk sensibility to listeners’ ears.

Particularly in the 1970s, the band churned out timeless songs like nobody’s business — from the soaring, ethereal majesty of Naturally and the romantic bossa-pop feel of Nightbird to the lively chord progression and easily singable chorus of The Hurt.

Yet despite its immense popularity, Kalapana was once surprisingly unaware of just how revered it was beyond Hawaiʻi’s shores.  ...

The Greatest Song of All Time

Pythagoras, one of the major figures of Ancient Greece, claimed that music was the language of maths — that there was a science to making sequenced sounds appealing to the human ear. He effectively discovered that harmonics are a feature of physics, and ever since, scholars have been delving into the science of songs. In essence, there is theoretical correctness to perfectly composed music.

Within this, there are various knowns and unknowns. We know what notes are harmonious on musical scales. But then there are the unknowns that we might not be able to pin down, but we can still study the effects. You don’t have to think too much about Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’ to know that you’re listening to the cry of a lovelorn fellow—even a babbling baby could somehow tell you that. The sounds simply invoke a weepiness from our psyche, and given we can monitor things like dopamine releases, this too can be scientifically mused (even if tribes are now throwing curveballs into our understanding of this).

So, with science able to analyse the various facets of music, both in terms of mathematical musicology and the emotive side of it that makes us ‘feel’, what song has been deemed the greatest? Well, Gizmondo gathered a team of neuroscientists and music experts to get to the bottom of this, and, naturally, ‘Africa’ by Toto came out on top. Genuinely. In an age whereby science has increasingly borne the scorn of society’s troubling conspiratorial revolution, you have to wonder whether this verdict is a helpful one.

“Toto turns out to be remarkably good and sophisticated according to musicians,” Dave Poepell, the Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University, explains. “Toto was a group of hardcore, highly respected studio musicians. They crafted those songs pretty carefully and were incredibly successful with those four albums. And musicians actually really love Toto.”

Largely, this is determined through very natural means. “The best way to test a song is still a human,” Neuroscientist Daniel Glaser explains. “We can measure how people respond to songs in a bunch of ways, including brain scans, measures of chemicals in the brain, including dopamine (which is associated with the internal reward system reward perhaps you give yourself a pat on the back for selecting a great playlist). Actually measuring foot tapping or the smile muscles is probably just as good as most more ‘scientific methods’.”

However, while ‘Africa’ may well have been declared the winner as a bit of fun. Ultimately, despite music’s mathematical grounding, it is so much about response; aural beauty is still very much in the ear of the eloper. As Amy Belfi, who studies the brain’s reaction to music, explains: “The challenge in psychology, but especially when we’re looking at music, is the fact that there’s individual differences. Taste is so varied in terms of music. In several studies about musical chills or really positive responses to music, they have the participants in the study bring in their own music to listen to. So you would have to have a comparison of highly pleasing music versus non-pleasing music. So the highly pleasing music is totally different from one person to another.”

Now and Then

The day has finally arrived: The Beatles' final song "Now and Then" is here, and it's 46 years in the making. The song made history by having its radio debut across iHeartRadio stations nationwide across multiple formats.

In 1977, John Lennon recorded a demo with vocals and piano at his home at the Dakota in New York City. In 1994, his wife Yoko Ono gave the recording to the band's surviving members Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, along with “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love.” The latter two were completed as new Beatles songs and respectively released as singles in 1995 and 1996, as part of The Beatles Anthology project. The trio also worked on parts for "Now and Then" but technology at the time restricted them from separating Lennon's vocals from the piano, and they were unable to achieve the clear mix they needed to release it.

Fast forward to 2021, and Peter Jackson's team behind The Beatles: Get Back docuseries found a way to de-mix the film's mono soundtrack. They applied the same technology to "Now and Then" and were able to isolate Lennon's vocals. The next year, McCartney and Starr set out to complete the track, which includes electric and acoustic guitar recorded in 1995 by Harrison, who passed away in 2001; Starr’s new drum part; and bass, guitar and piano from McCartney that matches Lennon’s original playing. McCartney also added a slide guitar solo inspired by Harrison, and he and Starr contributed backing vocals to the chorus.

“There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional," McCartney said in a statement. "And we all play on it, it’s a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s an exciting thing.”

“It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out,” Starr added.

George's wife Olivia Harrison spoke about his contributions, saying: "Back in 1995, after several days in the studio working on the track, George felt the technical issues with the demo were insurmountable and concluded that it was not possible to finish the track to a high enough standard. If he were here today, Dhani and I know he would have whole-heartedly joined Paul and Ringo in completing the recording of ‘Now And Then.'"

John's son Sean Ono Lennon also spoke about the track, saying: “It was incredibly touching to hear them working together after all the years that Dad had been gone. It’s the last song my dad, Paul, George and Ringo got to make together. It’s like a time capsule and all feels very meant to be.”

"Now and Then" will be released as a double A-side single along with The Beatles' very first single, "Love Me Do," making it a truly full circle moment. It will also be the final track on a new version of The Beatles' anthologies 1962-1966 and 1967-1970, also known as the Red and Blue albums. The latest edition of the anthologies, featuring 75 tracks, will be released on November 10.

Listen to "Now and Then" below.

***

The Beatles are ready to tell the story of "Now And Then," the final song to feature all four members of the band, ahead of its iHeartRadio World Premiere on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday afternoon, the band released a short film explaining the genesis of John Lennon's "Now And Then" as a potential Beatles song, the technical hangup that forced George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to abandon work on it in 1994, and the recent breakthrough that made it possible to finish the song and produce it with a quality befitting the Fab Four.

You can watch the film via the player above!

The documentary includes exclusive footage, as well as commentary from Harrison, McCartney and Starr, as well as Sean Ono Lennon and filmmaker Peter Jackson.

cruel and unusual

Three former jail employees in Oklahoma are facing criminal charges after they forced inmates to listen repeatedly to “Baby Shark,” the wildly popular song beloved by children and despised by parents around the globe, according to court records.

Christian Miles and Gregory Butler, both 21 and former Oklahoma County Jail detention officers, as well as their former supervisor, Christopher Hendershott, 50, were charged on Monday with cruelty to prisoners, corporal punishment to an inmate and conspiracy, Oklahoma County District Court records show.

On at least five occasions in November and December involving five inmates, each separately, Mr. Miles and Mr. Butler placed the inmate into an empty attorney visitation room, according to affidavits. The two then handcuffed the inmate against the wall, forcing him to stand for as long as two hours, an internal investigation preceding the charges found.

“Baby Shark” was played on repeat, through a computer, while the inmate was forced to listen to it.

Oklahoma City attorney Casey Davis compared the allegations to Guantanamo Bay torture tactics.

Lennon and McCartney double take

Fans of The Beatles did a double take on Monday when Sean Ono Lennon, the only son of the late John Lennon and Yoko Ono, posted a selfie with James McCartney, the son of Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney, to Instagram.

The two famous offspring certainly have some striking similarities to their famous fathers, not least of which is their love of music.

In the shot, which is simply captioned, “Peekaboo,” James is holding his acoustic guitar, and giving a smile just like his dad.

Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell -- legendary country music singer best known for his 1975 hit, "Rhinestone Cowboy" -- has died after a long battle with Alzheimer's ... TMZ has learned.

Campbell died Tuesday around 10 AM in a Nashville facility for Alzheimer's patients ... according to a source close to his family.

The musician released more than 70 albums over a 50-year career, and had a series of hits in the '60s and '70s including "Gentle on My Mind," "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston," "Country Boy" and his best-selling single, "Rhinestone Cowboy."

Glen made history in 1967 by winning 4 Grammys in the country and pop categories, and took home CMA's Entertainer of the Year award in 1968.

Campbell was also an actor and TV host who starred in the variety show, "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" on CBS from 1969-1972. The 2014 documentary "I'll Be Me" documented Glen's farewell tour and struggle with his Alzheimer's diagnosis.

He's survived by his wife, Kim Campbell, and 8 children. Kim's scheduled to speak at The Alzheimer's Alliance of Smith County luncheon in Tyler, Texas in November about the challenges faced by people living with the disease and their families.

Glen was 81.

RIP

Beatles for free

ACT NATURALLY IF you can. The Beatles catalog will be available for streaming any time at all as of midnight tonight local time wherever you are, even back in the USSR. Christmas time (is here again)!

While Beatles music has previously made sporadic appearances on Pandora, this will be the first time it’s been available for streaming across the universe of on-demand music apps. Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify, Amazon Prime, Rhapsody, Slacker, Tidal, Deezer, and Microsoft Groove have come together, all together now, to offer Beatles tracks, whereas before you could find them practically nowhere, man.

To listen, all you need is love of classic Lennon and McCartney tunes. Well, okay, it’s not free as a bird; you do need a ticket to ride, but who doesn’t subscribe to at least one of those services by this point?

Actually, in fairness, access to the Beatles catalog might prompt a new sign-up revolution. After all, there hasn’t been a rock and roll music band this popular in my life—not even that lady, Madonna. If you need help! deciding whether you should enlist, go ahead and ask me why. I want to hold your hand through a day in the life of streaming the Beatles.

“Good day sunshine,” I’ll shout after a hard day’s night of dreaming about the vibrant harmonies of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. I’ll fire up Spotify or Google Music, type in the name of my favorite Beatles album, and get back some of the best music of the last century. From there I’ll let it be; putting the Beatles on shuffle seems wrong somehow. All things must pass in the order they intended. If I had Android Auto or CarPlay, I could drive my car and listen, too.

The Beatles back catalog is extensive enough that it could fill eight days a week, so you’ll have to be selective. But we can work it out! In fact, forget “we,” you know what to do: design your own magical mystery tour of music classics.

The timing’s also auspicious for those in search of a last-minute Christmas gift; you can’t buy me love, but you can buy me a Spotify subscription (or at least let me borrow your password). I mean, that’ll be the day—we don’t even know each other.

The only open question is whether a launch this prominent will cause any services to falter under the weight of streamers (hello, goodbye!). Don’t let me down, Spotify; I’ve been burned by HBO Go one too many times.

It’ll probably be fine. Besides, the important thing is that yesterday, you couldn’t stream Beatles songs on-demand. Tonight, I am the walrus you can.

old-time funk

When Michael Binder saw the mega viral hit that featured a bunch of dance scenes from popular movies matched up to the incredibly popular song, “Uptown Funk,” he was instantly inspired to do a similar mashup, only he wanted to use dance scenes from movies that only came out of the Golden Age of cinema.

It’s pretty amazing to watch legends like, Gene Kelly, Shirley Temple, Judy Garland, and Fred Astaire dance to one of the catchiest songs ever!

The amount of time it must have taken to edit this whole piece together is truly astounding. Not only did Binder have to be aware of the dance sequence in his head, but he had to time it properly with the music without speeding up or slowing down the original footage.

In the end he created a video that is really fun to watch. He really put a lot of thought into this whole project, and just about everyone loves the final result!

Columbia House

The mail-order music company that once tantalized countless broke teenagers by offering popular CDs for pocket change no longer exists.

Filmed Entertainment Inc., the parent company of Columbia House, on Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and is seeking to sell off the last vestiges of what was once a billion-dollar business.

The Columbia House music club combined with formal rival BMG Direct in 2005. It shuttered its music club entirely in 2010 and began selling only movies. FEI acquired the company two years later.

By earlier this year, a third-party service was handling all of Columbia House's operations, and the company had no employees.

Famous for its eight-CDs-for-a-penny deals, Columbia House was at the height of its popularity in the mid-'90s, when it accounted for 15 percent of all CD sales, according to The Boston Phoenix's 2011 profile of the company. Columbia House reached its peak revenue in 1996, raking in roughly $1.4 billion that year. But the company's fortunes have been in a steady two-decade decline, netting just $17 million last year.

"This decline is directly attributable to a confluence of market factors that substantially altered the manner in which consumers purchase and listen to music, as well as the way consumers purchase and watch movies and television series at home," FEI Director Glenn Langberg said in court papers, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Despite its popularity and seemingly irresistible deals, Columbia House eventually became reviled for the terms concealed in its fine print: Though members could nab a stack of albums for 1 cent, they had to buy additional albums over time -- at a high markup and with exorbitant shipping rates -- to fulfill the membership agreement.

vinyl lives

Nearly 8 million old-fashioned vinyl records have been sold this year, up 49% from the same period last year, industry data show. Younger people, especially indie-rock fans, are buying records in greater numbers, attracted to the perceived superior sound quality of vinyl and the ritual of putting needle to groove.

But while new LPs hit stores each week, the creaky machines that make them haven’t been manufactured for decades, and just one company supplies an estimated 90% of the raw vinyl that the industry needs. As such, the nation’s 15 or so still-running factories that press records face daily challenges with breakdowns and supply shortages.

Their efforts point to a problem now bedeviling a curious corner of the music industry. The record-making business is stirring to life — but it’s still on its last legs.

Robert Roczynski ’s dozen employees work overtime at a small factory in Hamden, Conn., to make parts for U.S. record makers struggling to keep abreast of the revived interest in LPs. Roczynski’s firm says orders for steel molds, which give records their flat, round shape, have tripled since 2008.

“They’re trying to bring the industry back, but the era has gone by,” says Roczynski, 67 years old, president of Record Products of America Inc., one of the country’s few suppliers of parts for the industry.

Ryan Raffaelli, an assistant professor at Harvard Business School who studies what he calls “technology re-emergence,” is familiar with this industrial netherworld.

Swiss mechanical watches, fountain pens and independent bookstores all re-emerged from the doldrums by reinventing themselves for consumers and then attracting investment from entrepreneurs, he says.

“The question is whether there’s enough demand for vinyl to make this jump. And it’s too soon to tell,” Raffaelli says.

[via roy, 12/16/14]

Playing for Change

Playing for Change records street musicians from around the world playing the same song and creates videos of the resulting mix. Mark Johnson, the co-founder of the movement, said he started the project “because we wanted to find something that everybody in the world could believe in, that could inspire us to move past the things that might divide us” and this is exactly what music can do. This time, it was the turn of the classic “Sittin’ On The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding.

[via facebook]

Joe Cocker

Singer Joe Cocker, best known for his cover of the Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends, has died aged 70, his agent has confirmed.

The Sheffield born singer-songwriter had a career lasting more than 40 years with hits including You Are So Beautiful and Up Where We Belong.

His agent Barrie Marshall said Cocker, who died after battling lung cancer, was "simply unique".

Sir Paul McCartney said he was a lovely guy who "brought so much to the world".

Known for his gritty voice, Cocker began his singing career in the pubs and clubs of Sheffield in the 1960s before hitting the big time.

He was propelled to pop stardom when his version of The Beatles' With A Little Help from My Friends reached number one in 1968.

He performed the song at the famous Woodstock Festival in New York state a year later.

He was also well-known for his "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" Tour of 1970, which featured over 40 musicians touring 48 cities across the US, resulting in a third gold album of the same name and a concert film.

His duet with Jennifer Warnes, Up Where We Belong - from An Officer And A Gentleman - hit number one and went on to win both a Grammy and an Academy Award in 1983.

The Art of McCartney

Here's a new tribute album honoring the great Paul McCartney. Since you like The Beatles on Pandora, we think you'll enjoy it.

[email from Pandora]

ode to joy

On the 130th anniversary of the founding of Banco Sabadell we wanted to pay homage to our city by means of the campaign "Som Sabadell" (We are Sabadell) . This is the flashmob that we arranged as a final culmination with the participation of 100 people from the Vallès Symphony Orchestra, the Lieder, Amics de l'Òpera and Coral Belles Arts choirs.

-- via petflow

the end of American Idol?

On the season 13 finale, Ryan Seacrest sings! (He has no professional training.)

Michael Jackson returns

Although there were nearly 20 A-list performances at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, it was the late Michael Jackson who garnered the biggest cheer of the evening at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

A computer-generated performance of the King of Pop dancing and singing a new song, Slave to the Rhythm, off his posthumous album Xscape prompted an emotional standing ovation from the crowd.

Xscape, released on May 2, features eight previously unreleased songs from Jackson that were recorded between 1983 and 1999.

***

It certainly wasn’t easy to get Michael back to the stage five years after his passing though. According to Billboard, it took “nearly half a year of planning, choreography and filming,” along with the development of new technology.

Technology that the company, Hologram USA Inc. and Musion Das Hologram Ltd., which is responsible for creating the Tupac hologram, said it was actually theirs.

According to CBS Los Angeles, Hologram USA Inc. and Musion Das Hologram Ltd. sued Jackson’s estate and producers of the awards show Thursday (May 15) in a  Nevada federal court, but the judge ruled there wasn’t enough evidence to show that “the planned 3-D image would violate patents held by Hologram USA Inc. and Musion Das Hologram Ltd.”

(MIchael Jackson VEVO)

Love Never Felt So Good (with Justin Timberlake)

Related: Justin Bieber & Michael Jackson Collaboration Coming, Promises L.A. Reid

Randy leaving American Idol

Jackson out.

Randy Jackson, the lone remaining original "American Idol" judge, won't be returning to the Fox talent competition next season.

"Idol" host Ryan Seacrest only hinted at Jackson's impending departure at the beginning of Thursday's elimination episode.

"A little later on, we'll be revealing who's leaving our show," joked Seacrest as he swiveled Jackson around in his chair toward him. "Maybe a head's up?"

Apparently, Seacrest -- who's been with the show as long as Jackson -- found out along with the rest of the world Thursday when the 56-year-old producer and bassist announced his departure.

Jackson said in a statement that he's leaving "Idol" to focus on his record label and other business opportunities.

"To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on `American Idol,' I have decided to leave after this season," he said. "I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry."

Jackson has served as a judge on all 12 seasons of "Idol." He first appeared on the panel alongside Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul when the competition debuted in 2002, becoming famous for his easygoing "yo, dawg" rapport with contestants.

Jackson currently judges the show with pop royalty Mariah Carey, R&B diva Nicki Minaj and country star Keith Urban. His exit comes amid reports the entire panel will be replaced next season. A spokeswoman for Fox and spokesman for "Idol" producer FremantleMedia declined to comment.

Ratings for "Idol," once a TV juggernaut, have plummeted this year. The show has been the most popular entertainment program in prime time for nine years running, but it's likely "Idol" will lose that distinction this season. It's now regularly behind the NBC singing competition "The Voice" in the weekly ratings.

***

Mariah and Nicki too.

*** 11/12/14

Randy leaving again.

wish list

Well, not really a wish list.  But a might-be-interested in.

Looking at an old Midweek, August 22, 2012

Saw this review of Campaign.  The reviewer Georgette Deemer mentions her favorite political film is Bulworth.  Bulworth caught my eye because it stars Warren Beatty and also features Jack Warden.  Both of them were in one of my favorite movies of all time, Heaven Can Wait [made 20 years earlier in 1978, but Beatty still looks pretty good].  Plus it also has Halle Berry.

I probably won't like the ending (where Bulworth gets shot), nor the profanity.  But it has enough qualities that make me want to see it.  So I'll put it on my swapadvd list.  Actually I see 7 copies are currently available.

Not on Netflix or hulu.

***

The other add on my wishlist is from Uncle Tom's Gabbin column.  He mentions he found himself with Jose Feliciano in Memphis for Elvis Week and that Jose's latest release is a compilation of Elvis songs.

The album is The King... by Jose Feliciano.  It's naturally available on amazon.  No song previews though.  Let's see if I can find some freebies on youtube.

1. Don't Be Cruel (live)
2. You Are Always On My Mind
3. I'll Remember You (live)
4. All Shook Up (live 1978)
5. Loving You
6. Are You Lonesome Tonight
7. Can't Help Falling In Love With You
8. Love Me Tender (live)
9. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
10. Teddy Bear
11. It's Midnight
12. In The Ghetto

Bonus: It's Now or Never

OK, maybe not.

Here's some from Raul Malo

Love Me
A Fool Such As I
Can't Help Falling In Love With You

The first song came from Sears presents Elvis the Tribute (seen at the beginning of the video).  But strangely I can't come up with any hits on it on google.

Wait it looks like it was a 1994 show and here's a couple I found

It's Now or Never (Wet,Wet, Wet)
Amazing Grace (Mario)

And more.  But I don't see The Mavericks on the material so I dunno.

Maybe I should put together a Raul Malo playlist.  [I guess I'm kind of repeating myself.  See here.]  Plus there's a bunch a playlists already on youtube.

Hawaiian music

Hey youtube is the new thatsitethateverybodyusedtopiratemusicfrom (napster)

Here's the start of the Hawaiian music playlist

Brown Eyed Girl (Ka'au Crater Boys)

I'm Yours (Ten Feet, Sungha Jung, Jason Mraz)
Islands in the Stream (Ten Feet)

Honey Baby (Three Plus) [grooveshark]
Cool Operator (Three Plus)
Two Person Party (Three Plus)

Undercover Lover (Three Plus)

Stuck on You (Ekolu)
Honestly (Ekolu)

Fish and Poi (Sean Na'auao Trio, solo, studio) / [Hungry Guy, Hungry Girl]

Inspiration: Take 1

Inspiration was William Hung's debut album.  But believe it or not, other people sang those songs too.  Here's some that I found (in progress)

She Bangs (Dario, Sindikatos, Patrick J Reyes, Ricky Martin, William Hung)

Hotel California (Loy, Bim, Joe, Eagles, William Hung)

Can You Feel Love Tonight (The Four Quarters, MA'capella, Vocal Folds 4, Biola King's Men, Landry Cantrell and Brianne Brieno, KiKeCeRv, OfficialRoflcopterz, sebi2205, Helene Fischer, Elton John, William Hung)

***

[2/11/16] William Hung got married