Song: Cool
Album: A Place For Us - A Tribute to 50 Years of West Side Story
Artist: Eldar
Selected by: Jeremy Meyers
Okay, so this first pick is from a Sony BMG title, but I can’t help it. Eldar’s version of “Cool” is so intense and extraordinary it would be a shame for people not to hear it. Plus it was my idea to have him record it. Enjoy!
Cool by Eldar
As you may have heard, we are all huge music geeks here at CMG. Part of the job of a music geek (it’s true, you can look it up) is to spread the gospel of great music whenever we can.
To this end, the Soundboard blog will occasionally contain a feature called What We’re Listening To, where we will rave about whatever music happens to be crossing our desk/iPod/Radio Raheem-style boombox. It will not be limited to music we are working on, or even music released via SONY BMG (take that, corporate culture!).
So sit back, relax and enjoy.
Warning: You may have to be a Facebook user to fully appreciate this.
About a month ago, the fine folks at iLike added “Song Dedications” to their iLike application within Facebook. According to their website, “Whether it’s a love-song for your girlfriend or boyfriend, any old favorite for your BFF, or some eighties song that somebody is still listening to, send a dedication, and it will show up automatically on your friend’s Facebook profile!”
I am now certifiably obsessed. I’ve dedicated songs to everyone I know. I dedicated “Round And Round” by Ratt to a friend in the office who loves 80’s metal, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson to my old roommate who used to play the song on Saturday nights, right be he went out on the town, “Old Deuteronomy” by Andrew Lloyd Webber to my friend’s cat, and “Welcome Back” (the theme to “Welcome Back, Kotter”) by John Sebastian to a friend who has been out of the office for a few weeks.
I know this makes me sound like a total weirdo, but if you are a Facebook user, send a dedication and see if you don’t become obsessed, also.
Titles newly available at digital partners of note this week include:
MFSB - MFSB
The Blow Monkeys - Atomic Lullabies: The Very Best Of
Samantha Fox - Best Of
Billie Holiday - The Billie Holiday Collection Volume 4
Artie Shaw - Begin the Beguine (with Mel Torme)
Enjoy!
Hey everyone,
My name is Jeremy Meyers and I’m the guy in charge of Editorial here at SONY BMG Commercial Music Group. Basically what this means is, in addition to creating and running all the fine blogs on this site, I’m also responsible for our various podcasts, album reviews, etc. I’m also the head of all online for SONY BMG Masterworks, our home for Classical music, film scores and the deepest collection of Broadway and showtunes ever compiled.
I’m so happy that we finally have a forum to converse directly with everyone interested in what we are doing here in our little corner of the music world. We are all so passionate about bringing out both expanded versions of everyone’s favorite albums as well as some of the rarities that haven’t been heard in years and years. It is an exciting place to be, and we definitely need everyone reading to be a larger part of the conversation!
We have been working on getting our entire catalog of in-print titles available on all of the digital providers for some time now, and I will be checking in here from time to time to let everyone know about some key records that maybe you couldn’t find previously that are now available for streaming and purchase.
As always, if you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to reply to this or any of the posts on our blog.
Thanks for listening!
-Jeremy
Today we present an item from advertisements past: this promotional item from the fall of 1970 proclaims Bob Dylan’s new album, “New Morning,” a masterpiece. They were right: “New Morning” is our favorite unsung Dylan album and we recommend you give it a new spin if it’s been a while.
Play New Morning by Bob Dylan for free on Rhapsody
Listening to Razorlight’s “In The City” today reminded me of Patti Smith. Some people hear Bob Dylan in this track - all I hear is “Gloria.” The pacing, the tempo, the crescendo - I think, I hope, it is an homage to Patti.
There are two times I have “lost it” with an artist. And by “lost it” I mean I went from my normal level of artist-admiration to a bright red, tongue-tied girl. Actually, three times if I count running into Robert Plant in “Antique Boutique” on Broadway back in the ‘80s and nearly going into cardiogenic shock, but I am only counting the work-related times.
The first time was when Mick Jones and Paul Simonon came up to our floor when we released The Essential Clash. But that is for another time.
The second time was with Patti Smith. Patti still scares the crap out of me and I don’t know why. She has been nothing short of charming whenever I have met her, which is exactly three times. Actually, the second time I met her she was very pissed off at the security detail of a midtown radio station, but she took a few moments out of her mega-sulk to look at me and say “Nice coat.” (This coat will always be my “Patti Smith Coat.”) Moments later she was sitting next to me gushing over early production samples of the Legacy Edition of Horses. I thought she might even cry.
She has a small but warm voice with a reassuring everyman accent. She has a smile that lights up her face. She is very funny. But she is a legend, a great living artist, “like freakin’ Picasso” as my old boss once said, so at the outset I worried about saying something incredibly stupid, or showing her a layout that she thought sucked.
A lot of artists are described as “electric,” but I believe she really is. I saw her once, years ago, on a rainy day with her shopping, and even in that most mundane and civilian environment, she had that look of unknown current, like a familiar appliance with an exposed wire.
And despite being virtually monochrome, a black and white halftone in signature blazer, boots and jeans, with long gray hair that drifts down her shoulders, the vibrancy of her performance really is electrifying. She is not afraid, nor embarrassed, to sing loud, shout, spit, recite poetry, be moved to tears, be contradictory and, in the case of her New York show back in April, read a bad record review to the audience. In short - to be exactly who she wants to be. Self-consciousness is for the lame hipster. She makes me want to quit my job and be an “artist.” That is her electricity, her “legendary-ness.” When I watch her perform I think she is the freest person on earth.
My in-laws are visiting this weekend. Last night I sat down and showed my father-in-law how to use iTunes. He is now officially obsessed. He was still on the computer when I went to bed. Earlier this morning, I heard him typing away again in the other room. I am not totally sure he ever went to sleep. Right now he’s sitting in front of the computer in his PJ’s, singing along to all the 30 sec clips (”Mony, Mony,” “I’m Into Something Good,” “I Think We’re Alone Now,” “Joy To The World,” “Free Ride,” “Midnight Rider,” “Respect” etc.) This should be an infomercial: “Not Your Kid’s Download Store!”
Just wait til I show him how to download a ringtone! I can just hear “Your Mama Don’t Dance” as his ringtone.
Update:
My wife and mother-in-law have now joined in the singing. My neighbors must think we’re having some sort of abbreviated karaoke breakfast.
Ok, ok… In an act of shameless self-promotion, we thought it’d be kinda neat to let you know what our most popular songs are each week. Check it out, let us know what you think. Each song link goes to iTunes so you can explore more! And Don’t Stop Believin’! 
That’s the Top 10 for this week, June 28th, 2007 folks. Enjoy the hot summer tunes!
Summer is here. Here’s another terrific drawing from the pen of Jim Flora, the legendary art designer for Columbia and RCA in the 40s and 50s. From summer 1953, this is a cover for “Coda,” Columbia’s classical music publication.
Copyright © 2007 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. All rights reserved.
