bbnews
Page: 198
Hozier is headed for his first U.K. chart crown as Unreal Unearth (via Island) establishes a solid lead.
The third album from the Irish singer and songwriter, Unreal Unearth starts at No. 1 on the Official Chart Update, and is set to eclipse his 2014 self-titled debut, which peaked at No. 3 and featured his trans-Atlantic hit single “Take Me to Church.” Hozier’s followup, 2019’s Wasteland, Baby, peaked at No 6.
Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Scottish indie-rockers the View is set for a No. 2 start with Exorcism Of Youth (Cooking Vinyl), their sixth album. Exorcism should give the band their fourth U.K. top 10 album, and highest peak since their 2007 debut, Hats Off to the Buskers, led the chart. Hats Off to the Buskers contained the band’s first and only top 10 single, “Same Jeans,” which reached No. 3 in the year of release.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
British pop singer and songwriter Birdy could snag a career best on the Official Albums Chart with Portraits (Warner Music U.K.), her fifth album. It’s new at No. 3 on the chart blast. Completing an all-new top four on the midweek tally is U.S. artist Renee Rapp, who is set to open her U.K. chart account with Snow Angel (Interscope), her debut LP. It’s new at No. 4 on the chart blast.
Further down the list, post punk favorites Talking Heads is eyeing a new peak for Stop Making Sense (Parlophone), their live album which returns with an expanded edition to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The set could reeenter at No. 13, bettering its previous peak of No. 24 back in 2000.
As previously reported, Talking Heads members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison will appear together publicly next month for the first time since their 2002 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction at an upcoming 40th anniversary celebration of the live concert film, from which the album is cut.
Finally, English boyband Here At Last’s EP 1 (Halo Army) is set to make a top 40 splash, new at No. 22, while BTS member J-Hope could snag his own top 40 with Jack In The Box (Polydor), following the release of an expanded physical version. It’s set to reenter at No. 28 on the midweek survey.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Aug. 25.
Tones And I has traveled a long way from her days busking on the streets of Australia’s east coast.
Further proof was presented Sunday (Aug. 20) when the Australian singer and songwriter (real name: Toni Watson) performed a mini-set ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup final, a matchup between soccer powerhouses Spain and England.
Singing in front of a full house of more than 75,000 spectators at Sydney’s Stadium Australia, Tones powered through four songs, “I Am Free,” “I Made It,” “Fly Away,” and, of course, “Dance Monkey,” her global hit which led the charts in at least 30 countries.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Released in 2019, “Dance Monkey” went all the way in Australia, where it set the all-time record with 24 weeks at No. 1, and the U.K., where it reigned for 11 weeks, a record for a solo female artist.
Her catalog recently swung past 10 billion streams combined, and now includes World Cup tie-in “The Greatest,” and “Bring It On,” a collaboration with American rapper BIA and French-Senegalese singer-songwriter Diarra Sylla, which featured as the official walkout track to all 64 tournament games.
Produced and co-written by multi-Grammy Award winning producer RedOne, “Bring It On” will be played at future FIFA tournaments.
Tones’ sophomore album, the followup to Welcome to the Madhouse, which led the ARIA Albums Chart following its release in 2021, is expected to arrive in 2024.
Watch Tones’ World Cup Final performance below. For the record, Spain prevailed over England, 1-0, for La Roja’s first title.
[embedded content]
Tones didn’t have the only musical moment at the tourney’s close. As the Matildas campaign came to an end, former child star Nikki Webster was a surprise guest on stage when the home team was unveiled to fans in Brisbane.
Webster, who enjoyed a breakout moment when, aged 13, she performed at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics opening ceremony, interacted with the Aussie soccer stars as she sang her signature song “Strawberry Kisses” – a dressing room regular for the Matildas.
After finishing a best-ever fourth in the World Cup, and igniting a frenzy for the roundball game never seen before in these parts, the Matildas were presented with the keys to the city of Brisbane, the 2032 Olympic Games host city, with the promise of a statue to come.
Watch the performance at Brisbane’s Riverstage below.
[embedded content]
Fat bottomed girls might make the rockin’ world go round, but Queen‘s racy song is nowhere to be found on a new release of Greatest Hits.
Recognized as the U.K.’s all-time best-selling album, Queen’s early career compilation is now available on kids’ audio platform Yoto, where listeners can “rock out to” 16 classic tracks, reads a statement.
“Fat Bottomed Girls,” one of the Rock And Roll Hall of Famers’ naughtier songs, is missing from the published tracklist.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The blurb accompanying the album points out that “the lyrics in some of these songs contain adult themes, including occasional references to violence and drugs.” The songs are the original and unedited recordings, and that “parental discretion is advised” when playing the songs around younger children.
Released in 1978, “Fat Bottomed Girls” was a double-a side with “Bicycle Race,” a relatively harmless song that includes a cheeky reference to those bike-riding “fat bottomed girls,” and appears in the Yoto version of Queen’s Greatest Hits.
The song doesn’t make the cut on Yoto, most likely due its lyrical content. On it, the late Freddie Mercury sings, “Left alone with big fat Fanny/ She was such a naughty nanny/ Big woman, you made a bad boy out of me.”
“Fat Bottomed Girls” has helped Queen‘s Greatest Hits to ride on for several major chart records.
Released in 1981, the set last year passed 1,000 weeks on the Official Albums Chart Top 100, becoming just the third album to do so, and the first by a British act or a rock band; and became the first album to shift seven million chart sales in the U.K. The hits compilation crossed the six million threshold back in 2014.
Ray Hildebrand, the “Paul” in ‘60s pop duo Paul & Paula, died Friday (Aug. 18) in Kansas City, Missouri, at the age of 82.
Hildebrand passed away “peacefully,” and was surrounded by his family, according to a statement from his publicist.
Born December 21, 1940, in Joshua, Texas, Hildebrand met his singing partner Jill Jackson (Paula) while attending Howard Payne College (now called Howard Payne University) in Brownwood the Lone Star State.
Though never romantically involved, Paul & Paula landed a string of songs on Billboard’s charts, including “Young Lovers,” “First Quarrel,” “First Day Back at School,” and “Something Old, Something New,” and their best-known hit, the multi-million-seller from 1963 “Hey Paula,” which Hildebrand penned. The single logged three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
[embedded content]
Mercury Records chief Shelby Singleton signed the pair, and reissued “Hey Paula” on its Phillips subsidiary. It was also Singleton who renamed the pair as Paul & Paula, apparently concerned that an act named Ray and Jill singing about “hey, hey Paula” and “hey, hey Paul” was a bridge too far.
Paul & Paula released two albums and a Christmas-themed set, before disbanding in 1965, Hildebrand keen to complete his college education and pursue a different musical direction.
The pair would remain friends, and occasionally reunited for special gigs.
A devout Christian, Hildebrand’s post- Paul & Paula solo recordings were largely a reflection of his faith. “Say I Do” is said to be a trailblazing record of the contemporary Christian genre. Later, he would team up with Paul Land, performing Christian music under the name of Land & Hildebrand.
Hildebrand traveled the country sharing his music and faith, and worked with The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, reps say.
The late singer and songwriter is preceded in death by his wife, Judy Hendricks, and survived by his daughter, Heidi Sterling, and son Mike Hildebrand, both of Kansas City.
Billie Eilish leads an historic chart in the U.K. as “What Was I Made For?” (via Interscope) logs its first week at No. 1.
In a battle of theBarbie tunes, “What Was I Made For?” beats Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night” (Atlantic Records) to the tape, for Eilish’s second leader after 2020’s “No Time To Die,” the theme song for the James Bond film of the same name.
In doing so, the U.S. pop phenomenon ends the 10-week unbroken reign of Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (Live Yours/Neighbourhood), which tumbles 1-10.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
A closer look at the chart’s upper ranks reveals a “major record,” in the words of the Official Charts Company, as female solo artists account for the entire top 6 — a feat never seen before in the chart’s 70-year history.
Those history-makers include Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” (up 4-3 via Geffen), Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” (up 7-4 via EMI), Peggy Gou’s “(It Goes Like) Nanana” (up 6-5 via XL Recordings) and Rodrigo’s “Bad Idea Right” (No. 6), which gives the U.S. pop star her sixth top 10 appearance and the week’s highest debut.
Indeed, the top 8 on the latest Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Aug. 18, is led by female artists, with “Barbie World” (Atlantic) by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua, down 5-7, and “Disconnect” (Polydor) by Becky Hill and Chase & Status lifting 9-8, for a new peak.
Of the top 40 on the latest chart, 24 feature, or are led by, female artists, the OCC reports.
“It’s great to see solo women artists make up the top six positions on the U.K. Official Singles Chart for the first time,” comments Dr Jo Twist OBE, chief executive of the BPI. “This increased representation is something we hope becomes commonplace rather than exceptional. For now it’s a milestone that we should celebrate, reflecting a year when the market has been dominated by women artists from the U.K. and globally representing multiple genres.”
The OCC has flicked through the history books to identify several Girl Power milestones. The Official Singles Chart of Nov. 9 1986 marked the first time female vocalists featured on each of the Top 5 singles: Berlin (No. 1), Kim Wilde (No. 2), The Bangles (No. 3), Mel & Kim (No. 4) and Swing Out Sister (No. 5).
Then, on Feb. 14, 1988, the top 3 was led by solo female artists for the first time — Kylie Minogue’s “I Should Be So Lucky,” Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” and Taylor Dayne’s “Tell It To My Heart,” respectively.
A decade later, in 1998, saw the first all-female top 5, led by B*Witched’s “To You I Belong”.
Further reinforcing the year of Girl Power on the U.K. charts, the top 5 singles for 2023 is dominated by women, according to the charts compiler, a joint venture of the labels body BPI and retail association ERA. Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers,” which led the chart for 10 weeks between January and March, is the U.K.’s biggest single of the year so far.
Liam Gallagher is king of the U.K. Albums Chart with Knebworth 22 (via Warner Records).
Recorded live last year at the scene of one of Oasis’s most iconic events, Knebworth 22 keeps the streak alive for Gallagher, who now boasts five solo chart leaders, including As You Were (2017), Why Me? Why Not (2019), MTV Unplugged (2020) and C’mon You Know (2022).
As a member of Oasis, Gallagher claimed eight No. 1s, including all seven of the Britpop legends’ studio albums. Gallagher’s post-Oasis project Beady Eye released two albums, 2011’s Different Gear, Still Speeding (peaking at No. 3) and 2013’s BE (No. 2).
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
By securing top spot on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Aug. 18, Liam goes one better than his brother Noel Gallagher, whose own post-Oasis career has yielded four No. 1s and a narrow miss with Council Skies, which came in at No. 2 on the national chart earlier in the year behind Foo Fighters’ But Here We Are.
The leader at the halfway mark, Knebworth 22 is the biggest selling album of the week on vinyl and downloads, according to the Official Charts Company.
Coming in at No. 2 on the national chart is the Hives’ sixth album The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons (Disques Hives). That’s the Swedish rockers’ highest charting LP in the U.K., besting the No. 7 for their 2002 collection Your New Favourite Band, released through Alan McGee’s Poptones label, and its followup from 2004, Tyrannosaurus Hives (Polydor).
Completing an all-new top three is Jungle’s Volcano (Caiola), which erupts at No. 3. All four of the British electronic music pair’s albums have cracked the U.K. top 10.
Also new to the top 10 is London rapper Fredo with Unfinished Business (PG Records) arriving at No. 9, for his fifth top tier appearance, while new releases from Lucy Spraggan (Balance at No. 24 via CTRL) and John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd (End of World at No. 33 via PIL Official) impact the U.K. top 40.
Finally, Taylor Swift makes her presence felt on the top 40 with eight titles, including three in the top 10. Leading the way is 1989 at No. 5, which reenters the top 5 for the first time since 2015, the OCC notes, powered by the announcement that her re-recorded 1989 (Taylor’s Version) will arrive Oct. 27.
Legendary singer-songwriter and producer Babyface scores his first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as a producer in 23 years, thanks to his work on SZA’s “Snooze.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The song, released in December on SZA’s 10-week Billboard 200 No. 1 album SOS, jumps 15-10 on the Hot 100 (dated Aug. 19). Babyface, who co-produced the track with BLK (real name: Blair Ferguson) and The Rascals (the production duo comprising Khristopher Riddick-Tynes and Leon Thomas III), last appeared in the top 10 as a producer in December 2000, with P!nk’s “Most Girls.” The song climbed to No. 4 the prior month, becoming P!nk’s first career top five hit (of an eventual eight to date).
Babyface is also one of five credited co-writers on “Snooze” (however SZA solely wrote the lyrics).
[embedded content]
While “Snooze” marks Babyface’s return to the Hot 100’s top 10 as a producer, he’s tallied three additional top 10s on the Hot 100 this century as a writer, thanks to samples and interpolations of his older hits. (When a song is sampled on another track, credited writers of the original typically receive writing credits on the new song.)
Babyface is credited as a co-writer of Mariah Carey’s 2005 14-week No. 1 “We Belong Together,” thanks to its interpolation of “Two Occasions” by The Deele, in which he was a member; the latter song hit No. 10 on the Hot 100 in 1988. He even gets a shoutout in the lyrics of Carey’s lost-love song: “I gotta change the station / So I turn the dial, tryin’ to catch a break / And then I hear Babyface, ‘I only think of you’ / And it’s breaking my heart.”
In 2020, Babyface notched another top 10 as a writer, via Lil Mosey’s “Blueberry Faygo” (No. 8 peak). The track samples Johnny Gill’s 1990 No. 10 hit “My, My, My,” which he co-wrote with Daryl Simmons. In 2021, Babyface tallied another top 10, thanks to a writing credit on Drake’s “Fair Trade,” featuring Travis Scott (No. 3). The collab samples Charlotte Day Wilson’s 2019 song “Mountains.”
Of Babyface’s top 10 Hot 100 hits in any role (producer, writer or recording artist), seven have hit No. 1. They’ve combined to spend just shy of a year at the summit: 51 weeks.
Here’s a recap:
Artist Billing, Title (Peak Year; Role)Whitney Houston, “I’m Your Baby Tonight” (1990, one week at No. 1; producer, songwriter)Boyz II Men, “End of the Road” (1992, 13 weeks; producer, songwriter)Boyz II Men, “I’ll Make Love to You” (1994, 14 weeks; producer, songwriter)Madonna, “Take a Bow” (1995, seven weeks; producer, songwriter)Whitney Houston, “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” (1995, one week; producer, songwriter)Toni Braxton, “You’re Makin’ Me High”/”Let It Flow” (1996, one week; producer, songwriter)Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together” (2005, 14 weeks; songwriter)
Babyface praised SZA in an interview on Billboard’s Pop Shop Podcast in January. ““I think SZA is amazing,” he said. “She’s so unique and I’m amazed by her talent, to be honest, and very happy for her success. I think it’s very well-deserved.”
Of his own versatility, and longevity, he said, “I think as a musician, I’ve always tried to not be one particular thing and be able to cross different genres. I always kind of look at it [as], if you’re a full musician, then you should be able to do more than one thing. And what allows you to do that is to not have an ego, to the point to where you think what you do is the best thing and always the best. So, it’s always great to collaborate and get into a room and learn.”
Jon Batiste’s talents as a bandleader are on show once again with World Music Radio, the U.S. musician’s collaboration-jammed new album.
The multi-hyphenate, Grammy Award-winning artist dropped World Music Radio at the stroke of midnight, an LP that clocks-in at more than one hour and features assists from Lana Del Rey, Lil Wayne, Kenny G and others.
“World Music Radio is a concept album that takes place in the interstellar regions of the universe,” Batiste explained earlier in June, with the announcement of the new studio effort. “The listener is led through the album by an interstellar traveling griot named Billy Bob Bo Bob, who takes you sonically all around the world at the speed of light.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
In addition to Del Rey, Lil Wayne, and Kenny G, the album boasts guest spots with Jon Bellion, Fireboy DML, J.I.D., NewJeans, and is executive produced by Batiste, Bellion and Ryan Lynn.
“I couldn’t be prouder of this project. I’m so grateful to all my collaborators,” he says in a new piece-to-camera, posted at launch.
World Music Radio arrives two years after Batiste made history as the first Black artist to win the Grammy for album of the year in 14 years, when he triumphed in the category for his genre-spanning We Are.
He was nominated for 11 awards at the 2022 Grammys, more than any other artist, winning a total of five on the night, adding to a collection that already boasts an Academy Award for best original score thanks to his work on 2020’s Soul alongside Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails.
Batiste is familiar to millions of night-owls as the former bandleader on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, which he exited last year after seven seasons to focus on his work.
The jazz master has landed two titles on the Billboard 200: 2014’s Social Music (No. 134, as Jon Batiste & Stay Human) and 2021’s We Are (No. 25).
Stream World Music Radio below.
G Flip makes a noise with Drummer (via Future Classic/Universal), as the Australian artist bows at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
It’s the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s first leader, after their debut About Us peaked at No. 6 in 2019.
The homegrown hero has been on a roll in recent years, landing 11 tracks in the triple j Hottest 100 countdown, earning three ARIA Award nominations, bagging three platinum-certified singles (“About You,” “Drink Too Much,” and “Killing My Time”), and one gold (for “Lover”), and performing at the nationally televised Logie Awards, and AFL and AFLW Grand Finals.
A talented drummer, G Flip co-produced and co-wrote every song on the new album, alongside the likes of Tommy English and Colin Brittain.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Finally, we can celebrate another Aussie at No. 1 on the Albums Chart,” comments ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd. “Congratulations to G Flip and their team on this absolute triumph. As an artist and personality, G Flip has done so much for pushing the narrative of Australian music forward, and truly represents the next wave of homegrown success here and overseas. We couldn’t be happier to celebrate their first ARIA No. 1.”
G-Flip is supporting the new LP with a national tour this month and next, spanning 13 dates in Brisbane, Cairns, Adelaide, Perth, Torquay, Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle, with North America dates kicking off Sept. 18 at The Catalyst Atrium, Santa Cruz, CA.
Luke Combs started his own tour of Australia this week, and he’s already making his presence felt on the national albums survey, published Friday, Aug. 18, with two titles lifting into the top 10. This One’s For You rises 14-9 in its 283rd week on the tally, and former leader Gettin’ Old gains 17-10 in its 21nd week. Further down the list, another former No. 1, Combs’ What You See Ain’t Always What You Get (all via Columbia/Sony), improves 21-14 in its 197th week on the survey.
Also new to the ARIA Chart is Volcano (AWAL), the fourth studio album from U.K. electronic pairing Jungle. Volcano erupts at No. 22.
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, also published Friday, Billie Eilish’s “What I Was Made For?” (Interscope/Universal) extends its rule into a third week. Lifted from the Barbie soundtrack, “What I Was Made For?” becomes Eilish’s longest-reigning leader, eclipsing the two-week streak for “Bad Guy back in 2019. It leads an unchanged top three, ahead of Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (Virgin Music Australia/Universal) and Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night” (Atlantic/Warner), respectively.
Finally, Olivia Rodrigo bags two top 10s on the national chart, as former champion “Vampire” holds at No. 5 and her new release “Bad Idea Right” enters at No. 10, for the week’s highest debut. Both tracks will appear on the U.S. pop star’s sophomore album GUTS (Geffen/Universal), due out Sept. 8.
Tributes are flowing for Michael Parkinson, the legendary British chat show host who died Wednesday (Aug. 16) at the age of 88.
Parky, as he was affectionately known in his homeland, championed countless musicians across his career on TV, during which time his talk show was a “must-see” staple on British TV.
The broadcaster’s seemingly endless conveyor belt of top celebrities ensured high ratings and, over time, included almost every big name in the music scene, from members of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, to Elton John, Tina Turner, David Bowie, George Michael and Robbie Williams.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
With his predilection for adult-leaning, often jazz-oriented performers, Parkinson’s program gave a platform for the likes of Jamie Cullum, Katie Melua and Michael Bublé, among many others.
Starting out as a print journalist, Parkinson became a producer at the commercial British TV channel Granada in the late 1960s. He became the archetypal chat show presenter via a weekly program for BBC1 which began in 1971 and ran on Saturday nights for 361 editions until 1982. His “Parkinson” show continued from 1998 until his retirement in December 2007, with a star-studded finale which included such guests as David Beckham, Michael Caine, David Attenborough, Judi Dench, Billy Connolly and Cullum.
Parkinson was saluted on numerous occasions for his work. In 1998, he became a Gold Badge recipient – an award that pays tribute to people judged to have made a special and lasting contribution to the U.K.’s entertainment industry.
In 2000, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to broadcasting. And in 2005, Parkinson was honored with the Music Industry Trusts’ Award, otherwise known as the “person of the year,” presented annually to an individual who has made a distinctive and lasting contribution to the U.K. music industry. On the night, Parkinson was declared as “the musicians’ champion.”
In 2008, he was Knighted for services to broadcasting.
A proud Yorkshireman and lifelong cricket fan, the broadcaster passes a decade after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which he batted with radiotherapy.
Many of those celebrities who appeared on Parkinson’s popular show have paid tribute to the broadcasting legend.
“Michael Parkinson was a TV legend who was one of the greats,” writes Elton John on Instagram. “I loved his company and his incredible knowledge of cricket and Barnsley Football Club. A real icon who brought out the very best in his guests. Condolences and love to Mary and his family.”
Parkinson “was irreplaceable,” recounts veteran actor Michael Caine, “he was charming, always wanted to have a good laugh. He brought the best of everyone he met. Always looked forward to be interviewed by him.”
Michael Parkinson was irreplaceable, he was charming, always wanted to have a good laugh. He brought the best of everyone he met.Always looked forward to be interviewed by him.— Michael Caine (@themichaelcaine) August 17, 2023
Adds retired England soccer great David Beckham: ‘I was so lucky to not just be interviewed by Michael but to be able to spend precious time talking about football and family our 2 passions plus the GoldenBalls moment.”
The NFSA marks the passing of the veteran British broadcaster Michael Parkinson. Parky interviewed a number of famous Australians, including @kylieminogue, as shown in this 2002 clip, in which he discusses her career and elicits some candid reflections. #MichaelParkinson pic.twitter.com/6mONJwnARs— NFSA National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (@NFSAonline) August 18, 2023
Writes actor Stephen Fry, “Having grown up watching him interview greats, my first appearance was impossibly thrilling for me. The genius of Parky was that unlike most people (and most of his guests, me included) he was always 100% himself. On camera and off.”