Music Roundup

Some people you just can’t count out. It seems Robin Gibb is one such person. He awoke from a coma this week, singing his old tunes and asking for ice cream.
While he’s conscious, doctors say that he has a long road ahead of him as he fights and receives more treatment for pneumonia, liver failure and bowel cancer.
“Two days before that they said they’d thrown the kitchen sink at him, that it was time to make plans because he was in God’s hands and such but he beats the odds again and they gave him an under 10 percent survival chance .. He really is something else,” said his son, Robin-John Gibb told ITV news in an interview.
Gibb, 62, has been fighting cancer and pneumonia and slipped into a coma earlier this month. But Monday, Gibb’s son said the family had been playing Bee Gees music in Gibb’s hospital room when he started trying to mouth words to songs he’d sung hundreds of times over the years. When the recently released “The Titanic Requiem” (Gibb’s recent symphonic music effort) started playing, Gibb came around, his son said.
Robin-John Gibb said the elder Gibb asked that he tell the nurse his back hurt. Within hours, family and doctor said, Gibb was asking for ice cream and laughing and joking. While he family is excited that Gibb is again with them, doctors said his outlook remains uncertain and tenuous at best.
For now, Gibb is “Stayin’ Alive” and beating the odds.

I am not totally of the “American Bandstand” age, but I am fond of saying, “It has a nice beat and I can dance to it”, often completely confusing whoever is near me at the time.
And that’s a strange way to introduce the idea that, like many Americans, I am sad to hear today that Dick Clark has passed away at the age of 82.
“American Bandstand” went off the air when I was a teenager, but I watched it religiously and remember quite well Madonna’s slightly off-color appearance on that show to sing “Like a Virgin” when she was still a newbie to the music world. I remember that no matter who he talked to or what their music was about, Clark was respectful, interested and the consummate entertainer.
But he was more than “American Bandstand”. Many don’t know the real influence and power that Clark held. We all know about Dick Clark’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”, an annual tradition for many of us. Though Clark had only appeared briefly on the show each year after his 1994 stroke, the show still carries his name.
He was the founder of Dick Clark Productions, a company responsible for a host of movies and music and game shows, including “TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes” and “The $25,000 Pyramid”.
In recent years, it’s been obvious that the heir apparent to Clark’s throne is Ryan Seacrest, who tweeted this afternoon, “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend Dick Clark. He has truly been one of the greatest influences in my life.”
Sometimes it’s easy to mourn and remember the influence that performers have had, but it’s easier to overlook the game makers, those who help bring our attention to performers, those whose opinion and promotion helps to make stars. Clark was one of those people and his influence shouldn’t soon be forgotten.

It seems LMFAO can officially claim the pumped up, fun title. The group’s No. 1 hit, “Party Rock Anthem” was named the most “rockin’” song in the gym after Gold’s Gym and Men’s Health Magazine came together to conduct a nationwide vote.
The annual event is called March Music Madness; brackets are created and gym-goers vote on which songs get their hearts pumping and bodies moving during their workouts. Last year Kanye West’s “Stronger” took the crown.
Songs nominations were sent from all over America with gym rats suggesting the songs and trainers and fitness experts creating brackets. Fitness celebrities could “nominate” songs; the nominator who chooses the winning song receives money for a charity.
“Party Rock Anthem” was nominated by New York Knicks forward Steve Novak. His charity, the Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation, is a non-profit organization dedicated to education, diagnosis and treatment of Loeys-Dietz Syndrome; it will receive a $5,000 donation from Gold’s Gym.
“I was excited to hear that ‘Party Rock Anthem’ came out on top during March Music Madness this year,” Novak said. “The song has always helped push me through some of my most difficult workouts, helping me up my game on the court. More importantly, I’m glad for the opportunity to give back to the Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation, a cause that’s really close to my heart.”
For their part, Gold’s Gym officials said the many votes cast for the various songs shows how important music is to fitness.
“March Music Madness proves that year after year, music is a powerful part of the fitness experience, and we’re thrilled that consumers continue to show support for this initiative, all while allowing us to give back to the greater community.”
And for their part, LMFAO is probably thrilled that their song, the video of which captures all their ridiculousness, is again placed at the forefront of current music.

Health problems have plagued him for years and now former Bee Gee Robin Gibb is in a coma. According to a statement on his website today, family and friends are “hoping and praying that he will pull through.”
Rumors of Gibb’s grave illness were reported after the singer contracted pneumonia recently. Last year, Gibb was hospitalized for colon and stomach problems; he never identified the exact problem he has – though it’s been widely reported he has cancer – but he did tell the BBC last year that he had a growth on his colon which was later removed.
Earlier this year, Gibb said he was doing well and recovering nicely, but last month, Gibb had intestinal surgery. It’s thought the pneumonia was connected to his recovery from that surgery. Gibb missed the London premiere this week of his classical show “Titanic Requiem”.
The Gibb family has been plagued by early deaths. Maurice Gibb, Robin’s twin brother, died in 2003 at the age of 53; he died from complicates of a twisted intestine. Andy, the Bee Gees’ younger brother, died in 1988 of a heart ailment at the age of 30.
The Bee Gees – brothers Robin, Barry and Maurice – were British born, but Australian raised; they achieved great success in the 1970s due to a string of Disco hits, including “How Deep is Your Love” and “Stayin’ Alive”. Their “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack was one of the best-selling albums of the 1970s and one of the biggest-selling soundtracks.

While who exactly is performing in the opening and closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics is a bit of a mystery, one thing is controversially for sure: The performances won’t be authentically live.
In a move that has both angered and perplexed watchers, the London Olympic Organizing Committee (Locog) has made a decision that the bands performing will pre-record vocal and musical tracks in a studio and perform, somewhat karaoke style, their songs during the broadcasts.
“Due to the complexity involved, it’s just not possible for the music in all shows to be live,” a Locog spokesperson said in a statement. “There will be live musical elements but many of the songs will be recorded in advance. This is standard practice for an event of this scale.”
But various groups, including the Musicians’ Union, have called the decision “shameful”. Horace Trubridge, assistant general secretary of the Musicians’ Union reportedly said, “Coming from the UK, which is the home of live music, it is very poor.”
It’s rumored that the opening ceremonies might include a performance by the Spice Girls and others (but not the Rolling Stones, as has been reported), and that the closing ceremonies will include an homage to British music, featuring New Order, Blur and The Specials. Many have wondered if those three groups – while having nothing inherently wrong with their music – really represent the best of British music.
Organizers often use the opening and closing ceremonies as a way to introduce the rest of the world to their region. As Britain is a proud birthplace of many styles of music, many have assumed that organizers would highlight and celebrate that. We will see what happens.

If being sued is a sign that you have arrived as an artist, then One Direction should know the bitter taste of success.
The U.K. band is being sued by an American group that says it calls itself One Direction and it’s been around longer than the U.K.. version.
One Direction (U.K.) was formed by Simon Cowell after its members did well on the U.K.’s “The X Factor”. The boy band is being hailed as part of a new “British Invasion”; the band recently performed on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and its debut album “Up All Night” hit No. 1 on the Billboard 100 last month.
But the U.S. One Direction has slapped Cowell’s record label, Syco Entertainment, as well as Sony Music with a $1 million lawsuit. It says that when the U.K. group moves further into U.S. territory, consumers will be confused. It pointed to a recent segment on NBC’s “Today Show” where photos and video of the U.K. group were shown with accompanying music from the American band.
The American band, however, does not have a record label, but has sold its album “The Light” on iTunes since February 2011.
The group’s attorney says that the U.K. promoters should have known that there was an American band of the same name before they named the band. The attorney, Peter Ross, says the band was made aware of the American band when it filed an application with the U.S. Trademark Office.
“Rather than change their name or do anything to create confusion or avoid damage to our goodwill, they chose to press ahead and come on tour,” Ross said in a statement.
It’s not uncommon for bands to confront this problem. According to Billboard, some bands have agreed to change their names. Pink Floyd, for example, was originally called The Tea Set before it found out there was a band with the same name. The Grateful Dead was originally called The Warlocks.
It seems, however, that Cowell and the band are resistant to the idea of changing the band’s name now that the group has already become quite famous.

Cleveland is gearing up for the big Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this week. The city, which gets to host the event once every three years, is gearing up for a large crowd and an influx of economic benefit.
The event is generally held in New York City, but several years ago it was decided that Cleveland – home to the actual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum – could host the event every three years.
The big induction ceremony itself is sold out, but the city is hosting a variety of concerts and events to celebrate the induction. Cleveland was hard hit during the recession and city leaders hope that the thousands of people who stream into the city for the events – many of them well-to-do – will be opening their wallets.
There’s an eclectic mix of artists being inducted this year. They include:
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Guns N’ Roses
• Donovan
• The Comets
• The Blue Caps
• The Miracles
• The Crickets
• The Famous Flames
• The Beastie Boys
• The Small Faces/Faces
• The Midnighters
• Laura Nyro
Sidemen Don Kirschner, Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd, and Glyn Johns will also be honored.
Over the years, 681 people have been inducted into the hall of fame over a total of 26 ceremonies. They include huge rock artists like Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney and lesser known artists, sidemen and influencers.
The event will take place on April 14. The ceremony will air on HBO on May 5.

Well, the sad news is in. According to the final autopsy report released today, police detectives found a white powdery substance and a spoon with white residue in Whitney Houston’s hotel room.
It was initially a surprise to many when officials released part of the autopsy report in which it was reported that Houston had cocaine throughout her system when she died. Toxicology reports showed that the drug was found in Houston’s heart and extremities.
According to the autopsy report, detectives reported finding “a spoon with a white crystal like substance in it, a rolled up piece of white paper from off the top of a counter along the east wall of the bathroom” where Houston was found dead.
While cocaine was found in Houston’s system, assistant chief coroner Ed Winter said he couldn’t discuss how soon before she died Houston might have used the drug.
According to the report, the night she died Houston complained of a sore throat and her assistant suggested she take a bath before a pre-Grammy party. Houston died in the bathtub when she drowned and while her death has been ruled accidental, the autopsy report cited heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors to her death.
Houston was getting ready to attend an annual Grammy gala hosted by good friend and mentor Clive Davis that night; Houston was staging a career comeback by starring in a remake of the movie “Sparkle”. That trailer was released on Monday and featured Houston’s role prominently.
Houston had a cocktail of things in her body, according to the report. In addition to cocaine, Houston had marijuana, Xanax, Flexeril (a muscle relaxant) and Benadryl in her system. Houston had famously battled drug problems for years but friends and family have said she was committed to making a comeback and living a healthy life.

Aging rockers often have a hard time giving up. Take Aerosmith, for example. They are older citizens of rock, but they keep going. They have announced a summer tour lineup that’s fairly ambitious for older (if not geriatric) rockers.
The 2012 Global Warming North American Tour will kick off June 16 in Minneapolis at the Target Center. It wraps Aug. 8 in Tacoma, Washington. According to the tour promoters, more dates could be added to those already announced. For dates already announced, Cheap Trick will open the shows. This will be the first time in 2 years that Aerosmith has toured North America.
In a statement, Steven Tyler reminded fans that Aerosmith hasn’t lost its rock sensibilities.
“The old Aerosmith is back with a new vengeance and we will kick your ass and make out with your mothers,” Tyler said.
Um, ok.
Bassist Tom Hamilton was a bit more circumspect in his statement, reminding fans of the music.
“After touring Japan and South America last year we’re psyched about bringing it all back for the hometown fans,” he said in his statement. “We’re going to break out the classics, the hits and maybe even some of the new ones we’ve been banging out in the studio. Can’t wait to get to Minneapolis.”
The band’s new LP will reportedly be produced by Jack Douglas and is slated to be released in May. If it does come out, many expect that the band will debut the first single on “American Idol”, where Tyler sits as a resident judge.
The tour dates so far announced are:
• June 16 – Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn.
• June 19 – Quicken Loans Center, Cleveland, Ohio
• June 22 – United Center, Chicago, Ill.
• June 27 – Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
• July 1 – Nassau Coliseum, Uniondate, NY
• July 3 – Jiffy Lube, Bristow, Va.
• July 5 – The Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, Mich.
• July 7 – Marcus Amphitheater, Summerfest, Milwaukee, Wis.
• July 17 — TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
• July 21 – Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
• July 24 – IZOD Center, East Rutherford, NJ
• July 26 – Philips Arena, Atlanta, Ga.
• July 28 – American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
• July 30 – Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
• Aug. 1 – Pepsi Center, Denver, Colo.
• Aug. 4 – Oracle Arena, Oakland, Calif.
• Aug. 6 – Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Aug. 8 – Tacoma Do, Tacoma, Wash.

I’m a Pandora user.
Sometimes I turn on the regular radio and see what comes, but I do like working with Pandora running in the background. Trouble is I often spend far too much time trying to figure out how Pandora has programmed my stations.
I will admit with a guilty face that one of my favorite stations is Abba (mostly for the “Mamma Mia” soundtracks) but I also have the following stations:
• Eminem
• Madonna
• Lady Gaga
• Billy Joel
• Supertramp
• Nickelback
• Green Day
• Coldplay
• Ludacris
• Pitbull
• Tears for Fears
• Pink
• Jonas Brothers
• Katy Perry
I could add more, but I find when I put these on shuffle, I get a good mix of music. You can tell I am a child of the 70s (hence, Abba and Supertramp) and came of age in the ‘80s (with the help of Tears for Fears and Madonna) and that today, I like a variety of music sans country. Please, no country.
Anyway, I sometimes am intrigued to see who will show up when I am not shuffling. For example, the Abba channel brings me a lot of Jack Johnson, Blondie and even sometimes Billy Joel. I don’t quite get the connection here. Especially Jack Johnson; this is a connection I just don’t get.
I added Ludacris because I do like a few songs he raps on; these are mostly pop songs that feature his rap. But this station brings me a load of dirty-mouthed rapping that makes me laugh. It’s not a problem save for when the kids are on my office. That’s when Pandora gets a big ole “pause” from me!
You might have noticed the Jonas Brothers addition there; I recognize this is an odd one. I am a bit older than their demographic. But I have young kids, remember, and this station brings me Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, who I think is a great talent.
Pandora is fun and does provide a bit of mystery for me. What will come next? Will I give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down or will I skip it? Even in the context of a dry work day, we all need a little levity.