| Metallica take the Symphonic
approach
Rockers Metallica and Symphony? Sounds strange, but it is true. The band
and composer/conductor Michael Kamen are joining forces with the San Francisco
Symphony for two nights of music. The rock act will team up with a 104-piece
segment of the orchestra for shows on April 21 and April 22 at Berkeley,
California. Kamen will conduct and tickets are priced at $40.
Kamen has collaborated with Metallica before, providing orchestration for
the group's 1991 track Nothing Else Matters; he has also worked with David
Bowie, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton.
Metallica, which said in 1996 that it would put out an album per year, is
still discussing whether it will release the project on audio and video.
OBEs
for Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones
More than 30 years after hitting their commercial peaks, two U.K. pop music
greats are being honored by their Queen. London-born Dusty Springfield and
Welshman Tom Jones are among those on the U.K.'s prestigious New Year Honours
list.
Springfield, whose '60s hits include Wishin' And Hopin', You Don't Have To
Say You Love Me, and Son-Of-A Preacher Man, is awarded the Order of the British
Empire (OBE) for service to popular music.
The OBE also goes to Jones, who broke onto the international music scene
in 1965 with It's Not Unusual and What's New Pussycat, both of which went
top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100.
Also receiving OBEs are opera singer Margaret Anne Marshall and popster David
Essex, who is honored for his charitable services, notably to the organisation,
Voluntary Service Overseas.
Accordion player Jimmy Shand is made a Knight Bachelor for service to Scottish
culture, as is conductor Andrew Davis for service to music. The music business
is recognized with Ted Perry, founder and managing director of classical
label, Hyperion, named a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
The honors are nominally awarded by Queen Elizabeth II but are decided by
politicians and advisers. Previous recipients include Sir Elton John, Sir
Paul McCartney, Sir George Martin, and Sir Colin Southgate.
Hill
garners 10 Grammy
nominations
Girl power is alive and well - or so it could be inferred from the list of
nominees for the 41st annual Grammy Awards, announced in Manhattan.
Female artists dominated the key categories, with Lauryn Hill leading the
pack with 10 nods, including album of the year and best R&B album (The
Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill); best new artist; and producer of the year.
The Ruffhouse/Columbia rapper/singer also received two nominations in the
best R&B song category, for Doo Wop (That Thing) and A Rose Is Still
A Rose.
Rocker Sheryl Crow, whose The Globe Sessions (A&M) was tapped in the
album of the year and best rock album categories, received six nominations,
as did vocalist Shania Twain, whose pop-country crossover track, You're Still
The One (Mercury Nashville), garnered mentions in the song and record of
the year lists.
In addition, the always inventive Madonna received five nominations, and
Celine Dion and Brandy netted four each.
Of course, men didn't go unrecognized for their contributions. Several received
multiple nominations, including Shania Twain producer/co-writer Robert John
"Mutt" Lange (5); artists Vince Gill (4) and Kirk Franklin (4); recording
engineers Jeff Balding (5) and Pat McCarthy (4); and producer William Orbit,
who guided Madonna's Ray Of Light set (4).
Rock
acts topline soundtrack album
New songs from Third Eye Blind, Days Of The New, and Collective Soul kick
off the soundtrack to football comedy, Varsity Blues. The set, due Jan. 12
from Hollywood Records, also features contributions from Green Day (Nice
Guys Finish Last), Foo Fighters (My Hero), and Redd Kross (Teen Competition),
as well as a handful of covers, including Monster Magnet's take on the MC5's
Kick Out The Jams and Sprung Monkey's version of AC/DC's Thunderstruck.
A Paramount Pictures/MTV Films production, Varsity Blues stars James Van
Der Beek, better known as the blond heartthrob Dawson in WB! TV series Dawson's
Creek. Varsity Blues will open Jan. 15 in theaters across the U.S. |
