Search Results for: christmas

Just like in professional wrestling, a band’s entrance music provides a pretty good forecast of what’s to follow. When Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” filled an arena, Hulk Hogan’s irrepressible fortitude wasn’t far behind. The sound of glass shattering typically prefaced a Stone Cold-style beat-down. And this past summer, when Joe Esposito’s “You’re the Best,” off “The Karate Kid” soundtrack, rained down upon an unsuspecting rock club, it meant that one of the most immodest bands around was about to deliver its musical equivalent of a jump-front kick to the head. “We thought it was the funniest thing,” explained Fall… Read more »

London – It was No. 1 in 1984, and it’s No. 1 again in 2004. The star-studded re-recording of the hit charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” hit the top of the British music charts Sunday after a strong first week of sales. The single, featuring such artists as Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Paul McCartney, U2’s Bono and Dido, will raise money for victims of violence in Sudan, where fighting has killed thousands of people and created 1.8 million refugees. The United Nations has called the situation there the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Retailers are selling the song for $7.70,… Read more »

New York – The Thanksgiving weekend kicked off with a bang for U.S. music retailers, turned into a whimper and rebounded nicely. “Friday exceeded our expectations, and then Saturday was softer than expected,” reports Bob Higgins, chairman/CEO of Trans World Entertainment in Albany, N.Y. “Overall, the weekend was good and we are still positive that it will be a good holiday season.” Likewise, Jim Urie, president of Universal Music & Video Distribution, reports: “We are getting a pretty consistent story from retail; overall, it was not great, but not horrible. Friday was great – in fact, better than great –… Read more »

Do they know it’s Christmas? Maybe, maybe not. The bigger question is: Do we care? Band Aid 20’s new version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” is selling at a record pace-in England, anyway. The story, though, is different on this side of the Pond. The updated take on the 1984 Christmas charity smash features some of Britain’s biggest names, including Dido, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Joss Stone, Paul McCartney and, for good measure, one Irish megastar in the form of U2’s Bono. The performers, checking their egos at the door (in theory, anyway), gathered together to help victims in… Read more »

London – The new Band Aid charity single will be sold on Apple’s popular iTunes online music service, with the company subsidizing the retail cost of the track. Apple had initially turned down the idea of charging more than its standard 99-cents-per-song cost for the new version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” The single features artists including Coldplay’s Chris Martin, former Beatle Paul McCartney, U2’s Bono, and Dido, and will raise money for victims of the ongoing strife in the Sudan, where fighting has killed thousands of people and created 1.8 million refugees. But the Cupertino, Calif.-based company reversed… Read more »

Finger Eleven don’t remember where they come from. The band have enjoyed their most successful year ever – making huge headway into the U.S. modern rock market – but rather than focusing on fancy U.S. radio promo shows, the band will spend some time this holiday season giving back to their hometown of Burlington, Ontario. On December 16, F11 will play a special charity show at Big Buck’s Burlington. The show will be open to any Burlingtonian with $5 in their pocket and a non-perishable food item or unwrapped toy. Finger Eleven will be joined on the bill by three… Read more »

It’s finally happened. After putting up with Celine Dion, Rod Stewart and Shania Twain, someone representing the kids has made it to the top. It only took Eminem five days to sell over 79,000 CDs, last week, so imagine what a full week of sales could do? After a full seven days, Em took over the top spot selling 82,300 CDs, blowing away Twain, who was #1 last week. The controversial rapper has gone more than platinum in both Canada and the U.S..in just under two weeks, which isn’t much of a surprise as he is one of the most… Read more »

That’s the word from Ruben Studdard’s rep after the second-season American Idol champ otherwise known as the Velvet Teddy Bear checked himself into a Birmingham, Alabama, hospital Monday night. Studdard’s Los Angeles-based publicist, Liz Morentin, says the silky-voiced 26-year-old is suffering from exhaustion. Per doctors’ orders, Studdard is expected to remain hospitalized for the remainder of the week, forcing him to cancel several gigs in support of his new gospel-flavored disc, I Need an Angel, which hit stores Tuesday. “All promotion for his new album this week has been canceled along with his concert dates in Atlantic City on November… Read more »

Brandon Boyd admits he wasn’t too sharp when he packed a knife in his luggage before attempting to board an airplane. The Incubus frontman pleaded guilty in New York’s Queens County Court on Monday to criminal possession of a weapon, according to a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office. Boyd was ordered to pay a fine of $250. The charge stems from Boyd’s arrest on October 6, when a screener at LaGuardia Airport found a switchblade knife in Boyd’s carry-on bag as he tried to catch a flight to Raleigh, North Carolina. From the beginning, Boyd has insisted that he… Read more »

Los Angeles – Some of Elvis Presley’s first RCA recordings from nearly 50 years ago, including never-before-heard takes of “All Shook Up” and “Jailhouse Rock,” will be put up for bid on Sunday at an auction of show business memorabilia. The six unedited reel-to-reel tapes – “pre-master” originals from the private collection of the studio engineer who recorded them, are valued at between $30,000 and $50,000, according to international auction house Bonhams & Butterfields. Highlights will be played on Saturday for potential bidders at the Bonhams gallery in Los Angeles, marking their first public exhibition, auction spokesman Erik Simon told… Read more »