Search Results for: Bad Company

Will Smith may not have come up a winner at the Academy Awards, but the actor/rapper can revel in a victory elsewhere in Hollywood. He and his production company, Overbrook Entertainment, have just secured the rights to produce the remakes of the ’70s films “Uptown Saturday Night,” “Let’s Do It Again” and “A Piece of the Action,” according to a spokesperson for the company. All three motion pictures starred Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, who was honored at the Oscars on Sunday. The Overbrook spokesperson said it’s too early to tell when the films will come out or if Smith… Read more »

No disses, no DJs and no drama – just rock. The Los Angeles band Puddle of Mudd, whose current single “Blurry” is a #1 modern rock hit, tore through an hour-long headlining set of blue-collar rock Thursday night at a sold-out Electric Factory. Puddle of Mudd – Wes Scantlin (vocals and guitar), Paul Phillips (guitar), Doug Ardito (bass) and Greg Upchurchperformed on a stage devoid of props or ornate backdrop. Frontman Scantlin wore everyguy clothes: jeans, T-shirt, windbreaker jacket and a reverse baseball cap. But what the band lacked in show-business dazzle they made up for in verve and intensity.… Read more »

Sure, his much hyped comeback album Invincible proved anything but-that’s not stopping Michael Jackson from dusting off his moonwalking shoes and gearing up to launch what will be his first North American trek since 1993’s Dangerous tour. Jackson-who has done one-off shows in recent months, including a two-night tribute to himself at Madison Square Garden last fall and a September 11 benefit concert-apparently hopes the tour will goose his flagging album sales, according to the New York Post. The singer has not publicly announced any tour, although the music world has been abuzz for months with the prospect. In January,… Read more »

Pop stars, led by Courtney Love and Don Henley, have been talking to members of the California state legislature about probing music industry accounting practices, lawmakers and artists said this week. Henley, frontman for veteran rock band the Eagles, has been leading a group of recording artists lobbying for repeal of a loophole in state labor law they claim gives record companies unfair commercial control over performers’ careers. More recently, Democratic members of both the California Assembly and Senate have spoken to Henley and his supporters about launching a legislative probe into the broader issues of record company accounting practices,… Read more »

A week after paying Mariah Carey nearly $30 million to walk away from her contract, EMI Recorded Music CEO Alain Levy took the wraps off a massive restructuring at the top of the company’s North American unit, marking his most aggressive moves yet to yank the British music major out of a persistent financial slump. Levy’s plan infuses EMI’s U.S. executive suite with new blood: His longtime deputy David Munns becomes chairman and chief executive of EMI North America, overseeing the flagship Capitol Records and Virgin Records America imprints. Veteran producer Matt Serletic has been named chairman and CEO of… Read more »

For any young band, the idea of performing before thousands on their first arena tour is a daunting proposal. When the heroically titled Saves the Day were tapped as openers for Weezer’s North American tour, which begins February 5, however, they pushed the butterflies aside and focused instead on rising to the occasion. “Every tour that we go on, we hope to be more comfortable as a live band,” bassist Eben D’Amico said. “Just being able to do our thing onstage that much better. We’re always honing and perfecting what we do.” While the Princeton, New Jersey-rooted quintet may come… Read more »

For soul singer Angie Stone, working in the studio, touring and shooting videos with the likes of Alicia Keys, Will Smith, Maxwell, Moby, ‘NSYNC’s Justin Timberlake and Eve doesn’t necessarily make her a star, but it’s a heck of a start. “I’m trying to get to the next level,” said Stone, who has been getting love lately with her second LP, Mahogany Soul. “Justin [Timberlake] and I hit it off,” she said, smiling. “Justin loves the Mahogany Soul album. While we were doing the Billboard Music Awards, he was singing ‘More Than a Woman’ and ‘Pissed Off’ during the soundcheck.… Read more »

Though Michael Jackson won’t perform at the American Music Awards in early January after all, he’ll still be performing on television that same night – on another network. CBS plans to re-broadcast the singer’s concert special, “Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration,” with previously unseen footage of Britney Spears and Lil’ Romeo, to air against the AMAs on ABC January 9th. Jackson’s two-hour concert special, which originally aired November 13th, gave CBS some of its highest ratings this year – it was the network’s biggest Tuesday night, excluding sports programming, since 1994. According to Nielsen Media Research estimates, an estimated 45… Read more »

Fresh from his blockbuster performance before U.S. military forces stationed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, Lava/Atlantic recording artist Kid Rock has just scored RIAA platinum with his new album, “COCKY.” The announcement comes less than one month after the release of the Kid Rock-produced collection, which includes the current hit single, “Forever.” Recent weeks have seen Kid Rock continuing to demonstrate his support of American military personnel, including a very special appearance at San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado, where he signed autographs and posed for pictures with thousands of U.S. sailors. In early December, Kid Rock and his Twisted… Read more »

EMI’s glittering roster of recording artists, from Mariah Carey to the Rolling Stones, failed to save the music giant from a dismal year, but investors are pinning hopes on new recruit Alain Levy to bring sparkle back to the balance sheet. In an industry facing its worst ever year, EMI is reeling from two failed mergers and a lack of big hits. Jaded investors are eager to hear Levy’s plans as the new head of recorded music when the group reports an expected sharp fall in first half profits Monday. EMI warned in September that full-year profits would slide 20… Read more »