#drama OFF THE CHARTS in the beatles. every day

[moptopper]

There's too much Beatles lore, I don't think I'm capable of containing it all, it's spilling all over the place. just remembered that John and Yoko moved into Paul's place literally right after getting together.

Imagine being Paul. Your best friend just left his family after announcing he's in love with his stalker (peace and love to Yoko but girl you did stalk him for like a year-and-a-half) and now they're both living in your house! Your secret girlfriend who hates you really digs their vibe!

[mrepstein]

The Beatles Book Monthly (No. 5, December 1963)

‘A TALE OF FOUR BEATLES’ by Billy Shepherd

PART IV (PART I // PART II // PART III)

Part IV opens in June, 1961 and charts Brian Epstein's early involvement with the Beatles.

And so the Beatles, with two experience-garnering trips to Germany behind them, got back to Liverpool. A swingin’ scene... and they were very much a part of it. It was the end of June, 1961.

But though they liked having more money to spend, they hadn’t the foggiest idea of just how much they were worth. The offers came in. Anything between £6 and £14 was the pay-packet, to be shared between Messrs. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and drummer Pete Best.

“We just didn’t know,” admits George. “We loved the work, the excitement. We didn’t realise we were often being exploited. But it was hard work and somehow we didn’t seem to have much money in the kitty after we’d kept our equipment up to scratch...”

July, 1961, could go down as a summit meeting in Merseybeat history. A steamy, summery, shimmery night at Litherland Town Hall. A young promoter named Brian Kelly announced his attraction: The Beatmakers.

George Harrison was on lead guitar. Paul McCartney on rhythm. John Lennon on piano. Drummers were Pete Best and Freddie Marsden. Les Maguire operated on saxophone, Les Chadwick on bass guitar - and Gerry Marsden nipped on and off behind a big grin to take the vocals.

Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Beatles had linked up. For one night only and for a fee which is the smallest fraction of what they’d command for such a show now.

It led to friendships between the group members... but it didn’t seem to be leading to that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for the Beatles.

Says John: “We went on knocking ourselves out night after night but somehow there was a bit of frustration creeping in to it all. It didn’t seem to be leading anywhere.”

But the audiences were greatly appreciative.

Says Paul: “We started accepting dates further south. We got pretty near London on some of them. No change of material for us - still the stuff that went down so well in Germany. But we were veering away from the leather gear. Don’t make this sound big-headed, but the fact is that a lot of other groups were copying the way we looked on stage. So we changed to more ordinary clothes for a while.”

But in September, depression set in. Paul and John took themselves off to Paris for a holiday. They remember being flat broke. Remember having to search through every pocket to rake up enough francs for a Coke. Now, of course, they can go where they please and not count the cost.

And George and Pete stayed on in Liverpool, virtually lost to the Beat scene. Ray McFall, owner of the Cavern Club remembers seeing Messrs. Harrison and Best around the lunch-time sessions but they seemed dispirited. They took a lot of persuading even to join in on the impromptu roar-ups.

Let well-known Liverpool show compere Bob Wooler fill in the background to this black spot in the Beatles’ history.

“I’ve known the boys since the early days. I’ve been a long-time admirer. What they really needed was a manager in those far-off days. They seemed content not to argue about the fees they were offered. And they didn’t seem to realise that they were pulling in crowds on the strength of their own name and performance.

“After all, they had to live. They had to look after their equipment - and they often had travelling expenses to pay. It’s all very well being popular and enjoying your work, but you should be paid what you’re worth as well.

“Ray McFall at the Cavern was different. If the crowd was good, he upped the fee. That’s why the boys have always been so loyal to the Cavern. But you can understand them being puzzled at the lack of hard cash from their other venues where they were so often doubling the attendances.”

Paul and John were meanwhile spending a lot of time on their song-writing. You’ll see how much they’d already achieved in this direction as the story pushes on to the first recording days.

John and Paul could never sit down and simply write a song to order. They admit: “We have to wait for the ideas to arrive. It can happen anywhere. On a bus, or a train, or backstage at a dance-hall or theatre. Sometimes the title suggests itself first. Then we get going on the words and music. Sometimes we’ve finished a very successful seller in less than an hour.”

But their most pressing need was for a manager. Paul has told me “When we first started on paid jobs, we honestly thought we weren’t manageable. We thought nobody would want to bother with us. We were a pretty off-beat bunch of characters, to say the least. And we had a sense of humour which somehow involved us all and which was hardly in the interests of discipline. So, for a long time, we just didn’t take any notice of the advice that we should be properly handled. ‘Who’d WANT US,’ was the way we thought...

“And that’s where we were wrong...”

A MANAGER. Liverpool man Allan Williams took on the chore for a while... he now runs the Blue Angel Club on Merseyside.

But the man who was to make show business history with the Beatles knew nothing about the group in that September of 1961. That man, of course, was Brian Epstein, one-time drama student, member of a family which owned a chain of furniture and radio-TV stores in Liverpool.

He was not exactly WITH the beat scene. But he WAS in touch with the public taste through his work in the record department of the stores. He’d been there for five years, building up the business, enlarging the staff roster and increasing the turnover.

And in September, 1961, he was a puzzled man. Fans kept approaching him with: “Have you any records by the Beatles?” Brian mused. Pondered. Wondered. One young lad was particularly persistent in his demands. Brian dug deep into the record-lists. And found reference to that “My Bonnie” single, recorded in Germany, on which the Beatles played a strictly supporting role to guitar-star Tony Sheridan.

“I became Beatle-conscious for a while,” he says. “I always tried to work on the theory that the customer was right - and if they wanted the Beatles, well... I’d do my best to supply the Beatles. Eventually I traced the source and ordered some 200 copies for the record-stores. They sold quickly...

“Then out of the blue I heard they were Liverpool boys, had a rapidly-growing following - and were actually playing in a club near the store. It was a place that I’m sure I’d visited before, a sort of teenage gathering-place, but I really didn’t know much about it.

“After a while, I thought I’d better pop down there and see what all the fuss was about.”

Brian Epstein went to the Cavern. Met the Beatles. And things really started happening for the ambitious but not-too-sure group.

There are two ways of looking at this near-historic meeting. Brian Epstein’s. And the Beatles’ viewpoint.

Beatles first. Said George: “He started talking to us about the record that had created the demand. We didn’t know much about him but he seemed very interested in us and also a little bit baffled.

“He came back several times and talked to us. It seemed there was something he wanted to say, but he wouldn’t come out with it. He just kind of watched us and studied what we were doing. One day, he took us to the store and introduced us. We thought he looked rather red and embarrassed about it all.

“Eventually, he started talking about becoming our manager. Well, we hadn’t really had anybody actually VOLUNTEER in that sense. At the same time, he was very honest about it all - you know, like saying he didn’t really know anything about managing a group like us. He sort of hinted that he was keen if we’d go along with him...”

Brian, quite honestly, thought that the Beatles looked a mess. He wondered what exactly they thought they were trying to be. Their strange jackets, the rather scruffy jeans, the hair-styles, which could only have been styled on something called “chaos.”

“But there was something enormously attractive about them,” he recalls. “I liked the way they worked and the obvious enthusiasm they put into their numbers. People talk about the Liverpool sound but I sometimes wonder what exactly they mean. These boys put everything into their routines but they didn’t use echo. That struck me as being a very good thing.

“It was the boys themselves, though, who really swung it. Each had something which I could see would be highly commercial if only someone could push it to the top. They were DIFFERENT characters but they were so obviously part of the whole. Quite frankly, I was excited about their prospects, provided some things could be changed.”

And Brian told his friends: “This could easily turn out to be the biggest show business attraction since Elvis Presley.” It’s a tribute to his foresight and intuition that that is precisely what has happened.

Brian decided to get the boys together at a round-table conference at his store. A time was fixed and the boys agreed. But Beatles are not always the easiest of people to organise. Brian sat waiting... and waiting... and waiting. He was trying to cope with the vastly complex figures of Christmas orders for the store and minutes were precious to him.

Eventually THREE Beatles arrived. George, John and Pete. No Paul. Story goes that Brian got George to ring through and see what had happened to the left-handed guitar-star. And that Paul admitted he was still in the bath... but wouldn’t be long!

Brian was rather on his high-horse. He felt it was not the right thing for someone who wanted to talk business to be kept waiting. He pointed out that Paul, the cherubic one of the four, would be extremely late. “Yes,” said George, forcing back a grin. “But he’ll also be extremely clean.”

Says Brian: “That sense of humour is invaluable. You could hardly feel annoyed at their lack of business ability. They were just four individual and off-beat characters.”

Prior to Brian taking such an interest, there was great concern among Cavern people that there was a chance of the Beatles packing in all thoughts of show business careers. Bob Wooler had tried hard to get BBC television producer Jack Good interested in the group. Jack had produced beat shows, like “Six-Five Special” which had been the stepping-stone to success for artistes like Cliff Richard. But Jack was also in demand in the States... and he’d gone there to further his own career long before Bob could get any decision from the telly-folk.

Brian, having eventually assembled all four Beatles in the same room, put his propositions to them. He went through a process of brain-washing, though he did it all very tactfully. He didn’t like their manner of dress. Wasn’t knocked out by the unruly hair-cuts. Was singularly unimpressed by the way they casually drank tea on stage while in the middle of shows.

He pleaded with them rather than ordered them. He knew they were a valuable property and he was knocked out at the way their personal following was growing through the Merseyside area.

Said John: “He’d tell us that jeans were not particularity smart and could we possibly manage to wear PROPER trousers. But he didn’t want us suddenly looking square. He let us have our own sense of individuality.”

He added: “We respected his views. We stopped champing at cheese rolls and jam butties on stage. We paid a lot more attention to what we were doing. Did our best to be on time. And we smartened up, in the sense that we wore suits instead of any sloppy old clothes.”

It was a master-plan. A long-term plan if necessary but it was aimed at making the most of four young men who clearly had that star quality in them... even though a recording contract was still more than nine months away.

Obviously, Brian Epstein’s main job was to get the group on record. He knew the strength of their popularity in Liverpool and he felt it wouldn’t be a hard job to interest some of the London companies. But that was where Brian was wrong.

He even delayed any sort of action until the results of the 1961 “Mersey Beat Poll” were announced. That came up at the end of the year. And the Beatles were high and dry in top place in this important survey of how the public felt about the myriad groups operating in the scene. Said Brian: “I thought this was the ‘Open Sesame’ to the recording scene. I felt that Liverpool was important enough to have London executives falling about to sign the boys. I was wrong...”

Brian, though technically still in charge of important parts of the family business, threw himself into the job of getting the Beatles known nationally. He had the backing of the Beatles’ parents and it was to be no holds barred for the major break through.

He started visiting London. Hopefully. Optimistically. But record executives showed an alarming tendency to register non-committal gloom. Brian had to keep reporting apparent failure to the boys - by now riding higher than ever in popular acclaim in Liverpool.

Cont’d next month in No. 6

[loyolahcmass]

Homily on I’m Still Standing by Elton John

Here is the preview of Fr. Rossi’s homily about the song I’m Still Standing by Elton John:

"Still Standing": How Elton John Survived Fame, Addiction and Suicide Attempts — and Learned to Love Others and Care for Himself

 “Come to the feast.”

Gospel of Matthew

 It was Oct. 25, 1975. 

 Elton John seemed on top of the world as he commanded a crowd of 50,000 fans at LA’s Dodger Stadium 

 The weather, like seemingly everything else in the 28-year old’s life, was perfect.

He vaulted across the stage, managing handstands on his keyboard while belting out hits like “Bennie and the Jets,” “Philadelphia Freedom,” and “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.” 

 The sunshine danced off his spangled custom-made Dodgers jersey, emblazoned with an appropriate team number: “1.” 

__________

 Earlier that week, his new album Rock of the Westies topped the charts, just like his last six.

 2% of all records sold on the planet bore his name. 

 Officials had declared it “Elton John Week” in Hollywood and honored him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

 Now movie stars watched as John became the first person to rock the arena since the Beatles nine years earlier.

__________

 His mother, stepfather and neighbors were also in the crowd, ferried over by John on his private jet for the occasion. 

 They were among the few who knew that just two days before, he had swallowed a bottle of tranquilizers. 

 “I shall die within the hour,” he announced to a crowd of friends and family, including his grandmother. 

 Then he hurled himself into a swimming pool and waited for the end to come, or for someone to save him — whichever occurred first. 

__________

 “It was stress,” John now says. 

 “I’d been working nonstop for five years. 

 “But it was typical me. 

 “There was no way I was going to kill myself doing that. 

 And, of course, my grandmother came out with the perfect line: ‘I suppose we’ve all got to go home now.”

__________

 Paramedics fished him from the water and pumped the poison out of his stomach. 

 The show went on, as it always did, but the cost was becoming increasingly apparent to those around him. 

 “I was at the height of my ‘can’t do anything wrong’ thing, and yet my personal life was a total wreck.” 

__________

 He would characterize the act as a cry for help. 

 It was like, ‘Look at me, I’m really unhappy. 

 "Can you do something about it? 

 "Because if you don’t, I’m going to be dead.’”

__________

 The jarring incident forms an emotional pillar of Rocketman, the biopic starring 29-year-old Taron Egerton as the music legend. 

 The “based on a true fantasy” film blends flamboyant musical numbers with gritty drama, evoking both the public and private sides of rock’s greatest showman. 

 The unique blend underscores the turmoil behind the glitter, particularly at the moment of what should have been his greatest triumph. 

__________

 “That iconic Dodger Stadium performance is a part of rock history,” says Egerton. 

 "Elton wasn’t well at that point. 

 "I think it’s such an incredible thing for someone to survive such a low ebb."

__________

 Elton was increasingly alone, because his friends didn’t want to see him destroy himself.

 He spent most of the ‘80s in the grip of his cocaine addiction, recalling only a “complete and utter blur.” 

 He began to suffer seizures as a result of his drug use. 

__________

 Associates would find him blue on the floor and help him to bed — only to discover him snorting lines a short while later. 

 At one point, he was using it every four minutes. 

 “I would only know how to be the myth ‘Elton.’ 

 "I wouldn’t know how to live off stage. 

 "There was no balance in my life. 

__________

 “The self-loathing I had was awful.

 “I would walk around the house, not bathing for three or four days, staying up watching pornography all the time, drinking a bottle of scotch a day. 

 “And I was bulimic as well.

 "So, I wouldn’t eat for three days, then gorge on six bacon sandwiches and a pint of ice cream and throw it up. 

 "And then have a shower and start the whole procedure over again.” 

__________

 Flying across Europe on his private jet, he’d look down at the snow-white peaks of the Alps and think, “That’s like all the cocaine I’d ever sniffed.”

 And this was during the time that the star Elton John sang his greatest anthem, “I’m Still Standing”.

 It’s a brave song, but unfortunately, it wasn’t true for him as a human being at that time.

__________

 In the Gospel today, Jesus tells a parable of a king (God) who invites a bunch of fortunate people to his royal feast. (A good and fulfilling life with God).

 But they all say, “No thanks!”

 Why would people ignore an invitation to an incredible party?

 Why would some react with violence to the bearers of such an amazing offer?

__________

 Why not ask Elton John?

 He’d tell you himself that such behavior, his behavior, exemplifies an irrational spirit and self-destruction.

 It’s a symptom of a false understanding of freedom.

 It's the refusal to let ourselves be loved by God and other people who care about us.

__________

 When Elton John made the video of “I’m Still Standing,” his behavior had just broken up a long- standing relationship.

 And he was blaming the other person.

 Even though he had been up until 4:00AM that night and had six martinis and a lot of cocaine.

 He was fooling only himself.

__________

 It would take him many years to realize that true happiness comes when we learn that we've got to take care of ourselves and let others, including God, love and care for us as well.

 Elton can now sing with honesty the lyrics of the song:

 “I’ve finally got a taste of love.”

 Thank God it wasn’t too late!

[citizenscreen]

‘Tis the season to spread cheer and I’m doing my part by recommending classic movies, paying them forward in hopes that these memorable distractions take people’s minds off negative goings on. I’m asking that you join me, recommend your favorites and #PayClassicsForward on your blogs, by noting your recommendations in the comments or sharing across social media.

Let’s give the gift of movies.

Here’s the challenge…pick movie recommendations to the “12 Days of Christmas” theme as I’ve done below. Keep in mind that movie choices should be those you think would appeal to non-classics fans. Let’s grow our community and #PayClassicsForward

Have fun!

On the first day of Christmas, etc. etc…

One hat

The “one” listing is always a difficult one due to the fact that classics lend themselves to plenty of choices. That said, I came up with a category that encompasses important decades and several genre of film – the fedora. By following the history of the fedora in film you’ll be made privy to the best gangsters, greatest funny men, and most memorable lovers of Hollywood’s golden age. So here it is, a signature fedora:

Note that in researching my favorite fedora portrait I learned that trilbys are often mistaken for fedoras. Since experts seem to be confused between the two types of classic men’s hats that leaves little hope for me. I can’t say for sure whether Bogart is wearing a trilby in the above image, but he may well be. Descriptions of this type of hat explain the rims are shorter than your average fedoras. Either way, it’s a cool, suave look and Bogie rocks it.

From GQ: What’s the difference between a fedora and a trilby?

Answer: Traditionally a fedora has a wide brim and in the UK a wide ribbon band and bow. A trilby has a narrow brim and narrow ribbon, although there are some American trilbies that still have the wide ribbon.

  Two Fairbanks

Things were not simple between Douglas Fairbanks and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. as it is for many families, but the son wore his father’s name proudly. I chose this father and son combination because if you watch their films you’ll get a healthy helping of everything from silent adventure to pre-code delicacies through some terrific television work. These are careers worth following.

  Three Trios

There are quite a few choices for memorable trios in film including Cattle rustlers Robert Hightower (John Wayne), Pedro “Pete” Rocafuerte (Pedro Armendáriz), and William Kearney (Harry Carey, Jr.) in John Ford’s 3 Godfathers. That one is definitely difficult to pass up. That said, I think the following trios are likely to be looked at less by casual fans and they all deserve attention. These are my choices of trios in movies:

They are such a joy to behold. I remember them fondly from my days as a child watching them on TV. It seemed then that they appeared in a million movies, but that wasn’t the case. Still, these siblings are a joy in films like Buck Pirates with Abbott and Costello and their film debut in Albert S. Rogell’s Argentine Nights (1940). The Andrews Sisters made 17 films, more than any other singing group and all are a terrific way to be introduced to the movies. If that record does not impress you, then maybe this one will: LaVerne, Maxene, and Patty garnered 113 charted Billboard hits with 46 of those reaching the top 10. That’s more than Elvis Presley or The Beatles.

  I have nothing against Disney. In fact, I enjoy their classic animated films immensely. Due to that I’m less than enthusiastic about their constant remakes, which – in my opinion – disrespects those wonderful, older film accomplishments. Today I pay tribute to one of them by way of a trio of glorious characters made in the memorable Disney vein we’ve all come to know and love, that combination of warmth and delightful comedy that permeate those wonderful films. These characters are Princess Aurora’s three good fairy godmothers Flora, Fauna and Merryweather in Disney’s 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty. They alone pay tribute to an enchanting legacy.

“Each of us the child may bless, with a single gift no more, no less.”

  The final mention here goes to three Russian envoys who have arrived in Paris to sell a fortune in jewelry, imperial jewelry, the money of which is to go to the Russian government, which is in need of cash. The three, Iranoff, Buljanoff and Kopalski (played hilariously by Sig Ruman, Felix Bressart and Alexander Granach, respectively) who are supposed to be doing work for the Russian government, immediately get caught up in the excesses of capitalism and fail to sell the jewelry.  Moscow then sends a special envoy to Paris to investigate what’s going on with the trio and the jewelry. The envoy is the rigid and humorless, Comrade Yakushova – Ninotchka (Greta Garbo). The charming Melvyn Douglas plays Ninotchka’s love interest in Ernst Lubitsch’s delightful comedy, but it’s the three envoys in the hands of Ruman, Bressart and Granach that make this movie among the greats in the annals of comedy. I just want to get to know them better and so should you.

Ninotchka with Iranoff, Buljanoff, and Kopalski

  Four Skippy Performances

It’s no wonder this wire-haired terrier was the highest paid canine star of his day. Often referred to as “Asta,” thanks to his successful appearances in The Thin Man movies, his real name was Skippy – and we love him to tears. Although I’m choosing only four of his film performances, Skippy never made a bad movie and starred opposite some of Hollywood’s biggest names. If you keep an eye out for Skippy’s filmography on TCM, you will no doubt be introduced to an astounding talent as well as a terrific movie. It’s guaranteed. My Skippy suggestions are:

Skippy as Asta in The Thin Man movies opposite William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. I can’t imagine you haven’t seen The Thin Man (1934), but may not have given any of the sequels a try. If that’s the case you will be delighted by Skippy in any one of his key performances:

in ANOTHER THIN MAN

in AFTER THE THIN MAN

  Skippy is wonderful as Mr. Smith in The Awful Truth. Worth a custody dispute between Warriner and Warriner played by Cary Grant and Irene Dunne, this time Skippy is required to add straight drama to his repertoire as he is required to choose between his two humans right off the bat. There’s also plenty for him to do on the comedy front, however, so this one is a must-see.

forced to choose between the Warriners in court

front and center in the awful truth

  Skippy as George in Howard Hawks’ Bringing Up Baby opposite Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Another terrific outing for our favorite pooch as he is central to action thanks to his burying abilities.

Holding his own in Hawks’ beloved screwball

  This sequel to Norman Z. McLeod’s 1937 hit Topper lacks some of the charm of its predecessor, but the talents of Constance Bennett, Roland Young, Billie Burke, Alan Mowbry, and Skippy make it well worth your time. Here, Skippy matched Bennett’s ghostly wit by ghostly wit in a role that stretches his talents to matters beyond this world and he approaches it with signature enthusiasm.

so famous he made it into this spectacular publicity photo with Constance Bennett

  Five Lords-a-leaping

No explanation needed.

Cagney

Nicholas Brothers

Kelly

Astaire

Six Vivien Leigh GWTW Tests

Gone With the Wind is celebrating its 80th anniversary on December 15 and, as the biggest, most famous movie ever made, it deserves at least a mention here.

On that day in 1939, Atlanta’s Loew’s Grand Theater was buzzing with Hollywood’s biggest names. It was such an occasion for Atlanta that the film’s opening was a 3-day event as Governor Eurith Dickinson Rivers declared a three-day holiday. Other politicians asked that Georgians dress in period clothing. A lot had happened in Hollywood leading up to that premiere though including the famous search for the film’s leading lady, the protagonist of Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 blockbuster novel, Scarlett O’Hara. Every female star it seems auditioned for the part. Among them were Bette Davis, Jean Arthur, Tallulah Bankhead, Joan Bennett, Claudette Colbert, Frances Dee, and Paulette Goddard who, as stories go, was close to being chosen. As we all know, however, Scarlett went to the lovely, British Vivien Leigh who possessed an outstanding talent. Leigh made the part her own and, along with the film, became tantamount to Hollywood royalty. To honor Vivien Leigh and her memorable Scarlett O’Hara here are six make-up and wardrobe test stills:

  Seven Justices

Judge James K. Hardy in the Andy Hardy movie series

Judge Margaret Turner in The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer

Judge Taylor in To Kill a Mockingbird

Judge Weaver in Anatomy of a Murder

Judge Henry X. Harper in Miracle on 34th Street

Judge Dan Haywood in Judgment at Nuremberg

Judge Chamberlain Haller in My Cousin Vinny

Eight Serials

Follow the links to watch episodes of these dramatically exciting serials. It might take a few chapters for you to get hooked, but you’ll get hooked.

The Perils of Pauline (1914) starring Pearl White

The Vanishing Legion (1931) starring Harry Carey and Edwina Booth

The Green Hornet (1940) starring Gordon Jones

Zorro Rides Again (1937) starring John Carroll

The Master Mystery (1918) starring Harry Houdini

Flash Gordon (1936) starring Buster Crabbe

The Phantom Creeps (1939) starring Bela Lugosi

Holt of the Secret Service (1941) starring Jack Holt

  Nine Ladies Dancing

Ann Miller

Ruby Keeler

Eleanor Powell

Lena Horne

Betty Grable

Vera-Ellen

Cyd Charisse

Ginger Rogers

Dorothy Dandridge

  Ten Directors

Watch their movies… live, love, learn, and laugh.

Michael Curtiz

Akira Kurosawa

William Wyler

Fritz Lang

Ernst Lubitsch

John Ford

Alfred Hitchcock

Mervyn LeRoy

Ida Lupino

Lois Weber

  Eleven Movies about Millionaires

Since I recommended movies about hobos in a previous year, I thought the time came for millionaires. There are many wonderful movies about the super rich, particularly during the Great Depression when audiences loved seeing the plight of these people play out for laughs. That theme made for some of film history’s best screwball comedies. The super rich, however, have lent themselves for entertaining movie fare ever since the movies began and in every genre. Check out this terrific list from Forbes spotlighting millionaires in movies.

As for me, I have quite a few favorites with millionaire themes that appeal to most others as well. These include such popular titles as The Philadelphia Story, the shenanigans of the Charleses in The Thin Man movies, My Man Godfrey, The Lady Eve, How to Marry a Millionaire, and movies featuring recognizable names like Charles Foster Kane and Bruce Wayne. For this purpose, however, I recommend lesser known, but worthy millionaire movie stories I’ve watched through the years – some in terrible condition, a few greats, and some for plain ole fun. Here are the 11 rich and classic…

Phil Rosen’s Extravagance (1930)

John G. Adolfi’s The Millionaire (1931)

Clarence G. Badger’s Miss Brewster’s Millions (1926)

Frank Tuttle’s Love Among the Millionaires (1930)

Mitchell Leisen’s Easy Living (1937)

Anthony Asquith’s The Millionairess (1960)

Robert Moore’s Murder by Death (1976)

William Asher’s Bikini Beach (1964)

Walter Lang’s I’ll Give a Million (1938)

George Marshall’s A Millionaire for Christy (1951)

Roy Del Ruth’s Kid Millions (1934)

EXTRAVAGANCE (1930_

THE MILLIONAIRE (1931)

LOVE AMONG THE MILLIONAIRES (1930)

MISS BREWSTER’S MILLIONS (1926)

MURDER BY DEATH (1976)

I’LL GIVE A MILLION (1938)

A MILLIONAIRE FOR CHRISTY (1951)

THE MILLIONAIRESS (1960)

KID MILLIONS (1934)

BIKINI BEACH (1964)

EASY LIVING (1937)

    Twelve Feature Acting Debuts

Some of my favorite and/or most memorable film debuts…

Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween – effective after all these years.

Orson Welles in Citizen Kane – although Welles’ performance is what I find hardest to like in Kane, I cannot deny its impact and status among characters in film.

Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday – appropriate introduction for royalty in film and in life. She charms you from the first moment.

Eva Marie Saint in On the Waterfront – exclamation point to begin a stellar movie career.

Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl – a tour de force and a phenomenon

Peter Lorre in M – brilliant, nightmarish, heartbreaking. Described by director Fritz Lang as “one of the best in film history.” I agree.

Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins – Her debut should have been as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, but we’ll take this and so did she. Not only did Andrews win the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of the magical nanny, but she won the hearts of the world in the process.

Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People – ordinarily superb.

Angela Lansbury in Gaslight – small part, big impact. Undeniable screen presence.

Edward Norton in Primal Fear – convincing and chilling.

Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips – She wanted a worthy role as her screen introduction. She got it. She killed it – as she did from that moment on.

Eddie Murphy in 48 Hours – I love this performance highlighting the scope of Murphy’s talent.

I gave this final topic a lot of thought as there are many worthy contenders. For instance, I’m sure many would choose James Dean’s turn in East of Eden, as big a legend-ensuring performance as there ever was, but it’s not a favorite of mine. Tatum O’Neill’s performance in Paper Moon is another one I considered as were Marlee Matlin’s in Children of a Lesser God and Lupita Nyong’o heartbreaking Patsey in 12 Years a Slave. Finally, I adore Robert Duvall’s debut appearance in To Kill a Mockingbird. And I could go on and on. We just have an embarrassment of riches.

♥

Phew! There you have this year’s movie recommendations. I hope you enjoyed the list and that – in the spirit of Christmas – you take this challenge and…

#PayClassicsForward

Visit previous year’s lists as shown:

2015

2016

2017

2018

The Challenge: #PayClassicsForward for Christmas ‘Tis the season to spread cheer and I’m doing my part by recommending classic movies, paying them forward in hopes that these memorable distractions take people’s minds off negative goings on.

[speakingmyself]

“BTS Paved the Way”

As a lifelong boy band fan, it didn’t surprise me when I got into BTS. Soon after joining the ARMY, I realized that I had finally found the boy band I had been wanting and missing all along.  A group of guys who are all incredibly talented performers and artists, who create their own music with a unique sound and style, including powerful messages, all while being a group who all actually really love each other.  They checked every box.

The fandom has been saying for a while now that “BTS Paved the Way” and I have to agree.  Because in order for something new to hit pop culture in a big way, someone has to do it first.

I’m not here to deny any level impact of other Korean artists over the past decades, but you also can’t deny that the records and achievements of BTS, both domestically and abroad, are unlike anything the world has seen before.  This post recently made on twitter highlights this, especially in regards to “firsts.” But that’s not to say that they don’t still have more to do.

It’s baffling to me to think that BTS have only won 1 music related award in the US. But they have their first which has opened the door for the 2nd, 3rd, and so on. There always has to be a first.

As an American ARMY, It’s also funny to me how others, especially in the US, say “BTS are everywhere” because I really actually don’t agree. Yes, BTS are everywhere when you are looking at K-Pop related things and pop music charts but are they all over the radio? No. Are they continuously on magazine covers? No. Are they constantly making acceptance speech after acceptance speech at awards shows? Not yet.

People ask if BTS are the modern day Beatles? Maybe. They definitely do have similar fan followings and The Beatles were, in fact, a boy band. But it’s important to remember that there actually will never be another Beatles. Another Queen. Another Nirvana. Another BTS. Because it takes a very special group of people to come together and create music that culminates into so many firsts while truly changing the face of popular music. They pave the way.

BTS have worked their asses off for nearly a decade, they are so passionate about their music, and we’ve seen incredible growth in their work that has allowed them to achieve what they have. But it would be naive for me, them, or any of us to to say that the fandom hasn’t helped make these things happen.

Along with loving BTS, I love fandom. I love the idea of people from all over the world coming together to share a common passion that makes them happy. Fandoms are incredibly powerful in many ways and the ARMY is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

No fandom is perfect, there will always be drama, attitudes, ship wars, etc, but the BTS ARMY is a diverse worldwide group that truly wants to play a part in the success of the artist they love. We buy, stream, vote, watch, attend, create. We support the band and we support each other. We help them pave the way.

And now, if other groups want to walk the path that they created, great! More power to them and their fans. Another group doing things second will not discredit that BTS did them first. But BTS is not obligated to step aside and just let that happen. Just because BTS did it first does not mean it is their job or responsibility to ensure that the second happens soon. And it isn’t ARMY’s responsibility as well.

If you’re an ARMY that stans other groups and want to see them succeed, that’s awesome! If you’re an ARMY who really just likes BTS when it comes to music from Korea, that’s great too! Obviously I won’t say anyone should just bash another artist to try to prevent them from achieving anything, I definitely don’t believe in bullying and sabotage, but what I am stressing here is that no one, not BigHit, not BTS, not the ARMY, are obligated to create success for anyone else if they don’t want to.

BTS paved the way and that means it’s the responsibility of whatever group, whatever, company, and whatever fans, to then follow that path.  I wish them luck.

[blackkudos]

Ashanti

Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas (born October 13, 1980), known simply as Ashanti, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer and actress. Ashanti is known for her eponymous debut album, which featured the hit song "Foolish", and sold over 503,000 copies in its first week of release throughout the U.S. in April 2002. In 2003, the self-titled debut album won Ashanti her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B album. Her second release achieved a platinum certification and others top 10 singles.

Ashanti wrote and sang background on Jennifer Lopez's "Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)", which reached number one on Billboard Hot 100, which was also in the top 10 chart at the same time as "Foolish", "Always on Time" (with Ja Rule), and "What's Luv?" (with Fat Joe). Later that year, she was acclaimed as the "Princess Of Hip-Hop & R&B" by her label and capped off her successful debut by winning eight Billboard awards and two American Music Awards.

Ashanti cites Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Tupac Shakur, Mary J. Blige, Ella Fitzgerald, Smokey Robinson, Donna Summer, and Blue Magic as her musical influences. She is currently working on her own publishing company titled Written Entertainment.

Early life

Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas was born on October 13, 1980, in Glen Cove, New York. Her mother, Tina Douglas, is a former dance teacher, and her father, Ken-Kaide Thomas Douglas, is a former singer. Her mother named her after the Ashanti Empire in Ghana; in this nation, women have power and influence, and Tina wanted her daughter to follow that model. Her grandfather, James, was a civil rights activist who associated with Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s. Growing up, Ashanti took dance lessons and joined the church choir. Ashanti went to Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center, where she studied different dance styles, including tap, jazz, ballet, African, modern, and hip hop. She danced with the Senior Pro Ensemble at Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Avery Fisher Hall, and the Black Spectrum Theater. She also performed at the 1994 Caribbean Awards and dancing with Judith Jamison of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. With actress and choreographer Debbie Allen at the helm, Ashanti also performed in the Disney television film Polly alongside stars Keshia Knight Pulliam, Jomecia Moore and Phylicia Rashad.

When she was three years old, Ashanti sang in a gospel choir called "Having Some Fun and the Handsome Pigeons," but her mother discovered her full singing potential when she overheard Ashanti singing Mary J. Blige's "Reminisce" at age 12. By the time Ashanti hit puberty, her mother was sending out demo tapes of her singing and dancing. The family could not afford to go to a studio and record a formal demo, so when labels called, Ashanti would have to sing 'I'm a little teapot' in front of the record company executives. While attending high school, she began to write songs. As a teenager, she performed in a local talent show and at the Soul Cafe, China Club, Madison Square Garden, Caroline's Comedy Club, and Greek Fest 2000. In her first major singing performance, Ashanti performed Yolanda Adams's "More Than a Melody". She also appeared in a number of big-name music videos, in addition to other dance work.

Ashanti got her first taste of acting as a child extra in Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992) and in Who's the Man?. She also started as a dancer in the Disney TV film Polly. She was also one of the students in the 3-2-1 Contact Extra, What Kids Want To Know About Sex and Growing Up. She also had a couple of minor appearances in music videos, such as KRS-One's "MC's Act Like They Don't Know" as well as 8-Off's "Ghetto Girl".

When Ashanti was 16, she was discovered by P.Diddy's Bad Boy Records. Initially, she went to Bad Boy Records and sang one of Mary J. Blige's songs in front of P. Diddy and Biggie Smalls. After being impressed by her singing ability, Diddy had her sign to a development deal. In the end, due to a bad contract, Ashanti did not sign with Diddy. This ultimately led to a record deal with Jive Records in 1997. This relationship soured when Jive tried to make Ashanti into a pop singer. Ashanti subsequently involved herself in schoolwork, cheerleading, and running on her school's track team. She belonged to the English club where she began writing poetry. She was also in the Drama club and performed in a few plays. She put college pursuits aside when Epic Records approached her with a contract in 1998. However, the label's management changes quickly made Ashanti a low priority. She continued to perform at local New York clubs and began hanging out at the Murder Inc. recording studio, hoping for another big break.

Career

2001–03: 

Ashanti, Chapter II and Ashanti's Christmas

Ashanti was first noticed by Irv Gotti because of her vocal skills. Ashanti initially asked him to produce a few demo songs for her to record so she could say she had some strong tracks by the big time producer but Gotti had a different idea. He asked her to pen hooks for his rap artists and to perform with them in duets. Ashanti provided the melodic response to their call. Ashanti was first featured as a background vocalist on rapper Big Pun's song "How We Roll". In the same year, Ashanti was featured on fellow labelmate Cadillac Tah's singles "Pov City Anthem" and "Just Like a Thug". She also appeared on the 2001 The Fast and the Furioussoundtrack as a featured artist on Vita's 2001 hip hop remake of Madonna's "Justify My Love" and on the solo track "When a Man Does Wrong". She was featured on Fat Joe's "What's Luv?" and Ja Rule's "Always on Time". "What's Luv?" and "Always on Time" were released simultaneously and became two of the biggest hit songs of 2002. Ashanti became the first female to occupy the top two positions on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously when "Always on Time" and "What's Luv?" were at numbers one and two, respectively.

Following the success of her collaborations with Ja Rule and Fat Joe, Ashanti released her debut single, "Foolish", which contains a sample of the 1983 song "Stay with Me" by DeBarge (also utilized by The Notorious B.I.G. in his 1995 single "One More Chance", and by Big L in "MVP"). This is her biggest song to date, spending ten weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. She became the second artist (after The Beatles) to have their first three chart entries in the top ten of the Hot 100 simultaneously. Ashanti's self-titled debut album,Ashanti, was released on Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. record label in April 2002. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart. The album has been certified triple platinum in the United States and sold six million copies worldwide. Ashanti wrote the album's twelve tracks, most of which were written on the spot in the studio. 2002 saw the birth of the careers of many new R&B artists and 'rivals' against Ashanti including Amerie, Tweet, and Nivea. Ashanti's dominance of the R&B world was certified as she had a song in the top ten of the R&B/hip-hop charts every week from January to November 2002. Ashanti's follow-up singles, "Happy" and "Baby", were not as successful as her debut single but peaked inside the top ten and top twenty in the U.S., respectively. During mid-2002, Ashanti appeared on Ja Rule's "Down 4 U" with labelmates, female rappers Vita and Charli Baltimore. The song appeared on a Murder Inc. compilation titled Irv Gotti Presents The Inc. Ashanti's debut album earned her many awards, including eight BillboardMusic Awards, two American Music Awards, and a Grammy Award in 2003 for Best Contemporary R&B Album. She was nominated as Best New Artist and "Foolish" was nominated in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category. FHM credited her as the "Sexiest Woman in Music" in 2002. She also received a Comet Award and two Soul Train Music Awards that same year.

Ashanti became the subject of controversy when it was announced that she would receive the Soul Train Aretha Franklin Award for "Entertainer of the Year", a high school student took offense and started an on-line petition against her, explaining to The Seattle Times that she was too new to deserve the award. Nearly 30,000 people agreed with him, signing the petition. Many said that established artists such as Mary J. Blige and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott or critically acclaimed singers like Alicia Keys and India.Arie were more deserving of an award that carries the name of a musical legend. Despite the petition, the Soul Train committee and Don Cornelius stuck by their decision and Ashanti. Ashanti was applauded by her musical peers as she entered the Pasadena Civic Auditorium to accept her award and she was supported onstage by legendary singer Patti LaBelle, who stated "she's a baby and we have to support our babies." In September 2002, Ashanti and her sister Kenashia appeared on the first DisneyMania CD, which was released under Walt Disney Records and features contemporary Disney songs. Ashanti and her sister sang "Colors of the Wind" from the Disney film Pocahontas. By early 2003, Ashanti had performed at every major award show there was: Soul Train Awards, Grammy's, BET Awards, MTV Awards and the American Music Awards. In 2003, Ja Rule and Ashanti collaborated on another hit song, "Mesmerize", the music video for which was a parody of a scene from the film Grease. In February 2003, the self-titled debut album had her win her first Grammy award for Best Contemporary R&B album. On May 2, 2002 Ashanti received the key to the city of Glen Cove, New York (her hometown), and the day was named Ashanti Day; Ashanti also received a key to the city of Atlantic City, New Jersey (she was crowned princess of hip hop and R&B).

In July 2003, Ashanti released her second album, Chapter II, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 326,000 copies in the U.S.. The album went Platinum, selling over 1.5 million copies in U.S. The album's success was somewhat eclipsed, however, by all the negative drama surrounding the Murder Inc. camp at the time (i.e., the FBI investigation and the G-Unit feuding). Chapter II's first single, "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)", became a hit, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Its video, which showed Ashanti in a bikini frolicking on a beach and riding an elephant named Bubbles, was nominated for two 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. A remix of the song contains interpolations of Michael Jackson's "Rock with You". The second single, "Rain on Me", reached the number-seven spot on the Hot 100 and number two on the Hot 100 R&B Songs chart. Chapter II was nominated for a 2004 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, and "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)" and "Rain on Me" were nominated in the categories of Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, respectively. At the end of 2003 in November, Ashanti performed at The American Music Awards and was nominated in two categories. In the "Rain on Me" mini-movie music video—directed by Hype Williams and co-starring Larenz Tate—Ashanti portrays a troubled young woman in an abusive relationship. Her song and lyrics combined with William's visuals to impart the power and horror of the cycle of domestic violence. Ashanti partnered with LidRock to distribute this mini-movie using LidRock's unique platform. This promotion, in conjunction with heavy rotation on MTV, BET and other music video programs, brought the film and her cause to the attention of millions of fans. It also helped to raise money for the cause, with proceeds from the $5 mini-disc going toward helping to stop domestic violence. She received a Lifetime Channel Achievement Award for her message speaking out against domestic violence. Ashanti was scheduled to join Mariah Carey on the U.S. leg of her Charmbracelet World Tour, but due to scheduling issues, she, instead, became the opening act for R. Kelly's five-date tour in mid-2003 instead. In May 2003, Ashanti appeared on VH1 Divas and performed her single "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)". She also participated in duets with Stevie Wonder (who later gave her the nickname Little Libra) on "Do I Do", and the Isley Brothers on "That Lady". That same year, she began dating rapper Nelly.

In November 2003, Ashanti's Christmas album, Ashanti's Christmas. The album containing 10 Christmas songs, six classic covers and four she wrote herself. To coincide with the release Ashanti premiered a "Christmas Medley" video for the album. While on BET's 106 & Park, Ashanti said the concept of the Christmas Album came from a guest spot she did on Steve Harvey's radio show. While playing a game with Stevie Wonder, he began playing Christmas medleys on the piano and Ashanti began singing them, giving her label head the idea to push for a Christmas album. Ashanti went into the studio to record the album during the summer of 2003. Ashanti's Christmas was released that October and sold just around 100,000 units in the U.S.

2004–07: 

Concrete Rose, Collectibles by Ashanti and acting

Before Concrete Rose was released, Ashanti did some major promotion for her single "Only U", when she premiered it at the 2004 Vibe Music Awards. In 2004, Ashanti was invited back to perform at VH1's Divas 2004. She appeared on stage with Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Jessica Simpson, and others. She performed Diana Ross' single "I'm Coming Out", and she performed a soul-influenced rendition of Chaka Khan's funk driven "Ain't Nobody". Later that year Ashanti collaborated with male R&B newcomer and labelmate Lloyd on the song "Southside", which was released as his debut single and was a moderate hit. "Wonderful"—with Ja Rule and R. Kelly—peaked at number five in the U.S. and at number one in the UK, and "Jimmy Choo" with rapper Shyne reached number fifty-five on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. Alongside artist such as Wyclef Jean, Mary J. Blige, Eve, Brandy, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Missy Elliott, and many others, Ashanti participated in a cover of "Wake Up Everybody" in support of ACT, the left-leaning political action committee.

In December 2004, Ashanti released her third studio album, Concrete Rose, the title of which took on Tupac Shakur's pseudonym "The Rose That Grew from Concrete". The album debuted at number seven in the U.S with first week sales of 254,000 copies, and eventually became her third platinum certified album. The first single, the gold-certified "Only U", reached number thirteen on theBillboard Hot 100 and became her biggest hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number two. A second single, the ballad "Don't Let Them", garnered little chart success after Def Jam refused to fund a music video due to Irv Gotti's legal troubles during his money laundering trial. Ashanti used her own money to deliver the second video to her fans, with Gotti acting as director. The single was released only in the U.S., where it failed to chart, and the UK, where it reached the lower end of the top forty. In 2005, Ashanti graced the stage at the MTV Japan Music Awards, where she performed her hit single, Only U. She also won a Style award during the show. She performed alongside huge acts like Mariah Carey and Korean star Rain. After the release of Concrete Rose, Ashanti released the DVD Ashanti: The Making of a Star, which was available only for a limited time. The deluxe DVD includes exclusive photo and video shoot footage, music from the albums Ashanti, Chapter II and Concrete Rose, special concert footage, unreleased childhood school performances and behind-the-scenes interviews with family, friends, and fans. The DVD was also repackaged along with the filmCoach Carter. Later in 2005, Ashanti was invited to Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball, which honored some of the most influential and legendary African American women of the twentieth century in the fields of art, entertainment, and civil rights. In December 2005, Ashanti released a remix album of Concrete Rose titled Collectables by Ashanti. It features six remixes of previously released tracks and four newly recorded songs, including the single "Still on It", which features rappers Paul Wall and Method Man. The album was an opportunity for her to fulfill her contract with Def Jam (and have the option of working with another label), and did not fare well on the charts.

In January 2005, she made her feature film acting debut in the film Coach Carter alongside Samuel L. Jackson, which debuted at number one opening weekend. She played a pregnant teenager named Kyra who has to decide whether or not to abort her unborn child. The movie opened at number-one at the U.S. box office, eventually grossing $67 million in the U.S. Later in 2005, Ashanti beat out Hilary Duff and Jessica Simpson to star as Dorothy Gale in the made-for-television film The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, which pulled in nearly 8 million viewers. In 2006, she starred in the teen comedy John Tucker Must Die, which opened and peaked at number three at the U.S. box office (competing with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Miami Vice) and grossed $68,818,076 worldwide. Ashanti played Heather, the head cheerleader who participates in a vengeful scheme against John Tucker, her unfaithful boyfriend and the school's biggest heartthrob. Ashanti can also be found on Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7 episode 14: "First Date" and onSabrina the Teenage Witch season 7 episode 3: "Call Me Crazy". In 2007, Ashanti appeared in the sci-fi horror action Resident Evil: Extinction as a nurse named Betty. The film entered at number one at the box office grossing $53,678,580 in its opening week. To date the movie has grossed $83,648,679 at the US box office and around $197,713,442 worldwide. This was Ashanti's second number one movie, the other being Coach Carter. In 2006, Ashanti announced that she would release a book titled Ashanti Style withJump at the Sun, an imprint of Disney's Hyperion Books for Children. The book, which was being touted as Ashanti's "life and style guide", was a behind-the-scenes look into her style, both in her personal and professional life. The book was originally planned for a late-2007 release, but as of April 2008 no release date had been announced. Another venture Ashanti has enlisted in is her own handbags and pocketbook, revealed in 2007.

2008–10: 

The Declaration, departure from The Inc. and The Wiz

Her fourth studio album, The Declaration, was released on June 3, 2008 and sold 86,000 units its first week of release, which were the lowest first week sales for any of Ashanti's studio albums. In mid-2007, MTV News reported that the first single from The Declarationwas "Switch", which was produced by Shy Carter and released digitally in the United States on July 24, 2007. It was later reported that "Switch" may not be included on the album's track listing, and that the first single would be "Hey Baby (After the Club)" it was released to radio and digital outlets on October 16. The song, which does not appear on the U.S. editions of the album, peaked at number eighty-seven on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "The Way That I Love You", was released to radio and digital outlets in January 2008, was referred to as the "first single" in press material and media reports. It reached number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Ashanti's first song to reach the top forty since "Only U" in 2004. "Body On Me" was recorded not only for Ashanti's The Declaration, but also for Nelly's fifth studio album Brass Knuckles. The track is produced by Akon and Giorgio Tuinfort. It went to number one on Billboard's Hot Videoclip Tracks chart in its first week, becoming the first number one single from Nelly's album."Good Good" was released to urban radio stations on July 16, 2008. The song contains elements of Elton John's 1974 single "Bennie and the Jets", and has the same melody arrangement as Michael Jackson's "The Girl Is Mine". In July 2008, Ashanti was named an ambassador of tourism for Nassau County, Long Island.

In May 2009, Irv Gotti announced that he was officially releasing Ashanti from The Inc. Records, stating that "The relationship has run its course. The chemistry of what's needed — we're in two totally different places. You're talking to somebody that took her and shaped and molded her and put her out there for the world, and it blew up. We [hold the record] for the [fastest] selling debut by a female R&B artist — 503 [thousand]. We did it! My views and philosophies and her views and philosophies are not meeting up." Gotti also admitted that he and Ashanti have not spoken to each other in a long time. A rep for Ashanti did not respond. On September 24, 2009, Ashanti announced her fifth studio album would be released from her new label, Written Entertainment.

Ashanti headlined the cast of The Wiz in the New York City Center Encores! Summer Stars staging from June 12 to July 5, 2009. Ashanti's role as Dorothy has since received mixed reviews from critics as most praised her vocals but was less pleased with her acting ability. BET and Entertainment Weekly both praised the singer's performance as The New York Post and New York Times gave lukewarm reviews. Though the first night was sold out, some of the other shows were unable to follow its success. On October 27, 2008, Ashanti took part in The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken, a one night only concert to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Wicked, featuring songs written by Stephen Schwartz, that were cut from the show.

2011–present: 

Braveheart, and sixth album

Ashanti confirmed via Twitter that she was currently in the studio working on her fifth album, that is being released through her own record label Written Entertainment. Ashanti was rumored to be working with a slew of producers and artist, thus far this is all that has been verified... LT Hutton, Dr. Dre, Game, Theron Feemster aka Neff-U, Cool & Dre, Warryn Campbell, Carvin & Ivan, Common, Darkchild and Tank who co-wrote and co-produced with her the song Paradise. The release date was initially April 17, 2012, however, the release date got pushed back to June 19, 2012. It was later pushed back yet again, with a new release date of August 28, 2012. The album then got pushed back again to January 29, 2013. In July 2011 a promo picture was released, rap-up revealed she had been in the studio with big names including Dr. Dre, Game, and Lil Wayne, and Ashanti had said that a single was coming "very soon". Single titles include "Paradise" and "She Can't." R. Kelly joins the singer on a track titled "That's What We Do", whilst Keyshia Cole appears on "Woman to Woman". Ashanti released her first song in four years, "Never Too Far Away", which was featured in Morgan Creek's film Dream House starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz with Naomi Watts. Ashanti also confirmed via her Twitter account that the song will be on her upcoming fifth album but is not her first single. Ashanti announced the title of the first single from her fifth studio album, BraveHeart, via NBC Today Show, revealing it to be called 'No Good', however the title was later changed to "The Woman You Love". The lead single from her fifth studio album, "The Woman You Love" featuring American rapper Busta Rhymes, was released online on December 15, 2011. Ashanti said on her official Twitter account that the song would be released onto iTunes on 16 December with a new promo picture. Ashanti released via UStream snippets of some songs from her upcoming 5th studio album which included "The Woman You Love", "Never Too Far Away", "She Can't", "Paradise", "Blow" and "Get Lost Together". Ashanti teamed up with Meek Mill and French Montana for the anticipated second single "No One Greater", which was produced by 7 Aurelius, Irv Gotti and Chink Santana. The track was leaked in June 2012. On October 2, the song "That's What We Do" with R. Kelly was released to iTunes for download. In April 2013 she released another single called "Never Should Have". An music video for the track was also released the same month. In November 2012, it was reported that she had landed her first series regular role in the seventh season of Army Wives in which she played Latasha Montclair. The series was cancelled on September 24, 2013. In the fall of 2013, she appeared in a guest spot on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit alongside Clay Aiken and Taylor Hicks. Additionally, her single "Never Should Have" won "Best Independent R&B/Soul Performance" at the 2013 Soul Train Awards and has also earned an additional nod at the 2013 MCP Music Awards. She starred in the Lifetime film Christmas in the City which premiered on December 7, 2013. Additionally, she released a holiday EP titled A Wonderful Christmas with Ashanti on digital services.

In August 2013, Ashanti announced her plans to work with Ja Rule again, who'd been released from prison in July of that year after a six-year sentence stemming from a gun charge. On January 8, 2014, she revealed the official cover art and release date for Braveheart, which was released March 4, 2014. In January 2014, Ashanti shot the video for the official first single from Bravehearttitled "I Got It" featuring Rick Ross. The video was shot in Miami, Florida and was directed by Eif Rivera. In July, Ashanti announced that the second official single from BraveHeart would be "Early in the Morning" featuring French Montana. The video was shot in August 2014 and directed by Elf Rivera. She released a full-length (deluxe) version of her holiday album A Wonderful Christmas with Ashanti in October 2014. The following month, she starred in the SyFy film Mutant World.

In 2015, she announced that she has been working on new music for her sixth album to be released in 2016. Ashanti also teamed with Michelle Obama and her Let's Move campaign to spread awareness of drinking water with her new video and song "Let's Go". The song and video go from dehydrated to hydrated the more #DrinkUpAshanti is tweeted on Twitter. On December 2, Ashanti released her newly hydrated single "Let's Go" on iTunes. The video is also available at www.drinkupashanti.com.

Artistry

Ashanti is known for her lyric soprano voice type. People magazine referred to her voice as "pretty" and her soprano as "sultry" and "sweet but slight." her unique styling of hip-hop soul earned her the title of The Princess of Hip-Hop and R&B, as stated in her song, "Happy." Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic noted her reputation for using her "swooning voice" in duets with Big Pun, Fat Joe and most notably Ja Rule. As a young girl Ashanti was influenced by legendary artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Prince and Tupac Shakur but she cites Mary J. Blige as the main reason she wanted to pursue a singing career. "I didn't want to sing only slow songs and I didn't want to be spittin' rhymes. But Mary [J. Blige] put those concepts together. She cleared the way, and now I'm following my own path."

Philanthropy

In 2003, Ashanti partnered with LidRock and the San Francisco-based Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) to raise awareness about the issue of domestic violence during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to distribute the "Rain On Me" mini-movie using LidRock's unique platform. Proceeds from the $5 mini-disc went towards helping to stop domestic violence. Ashanti also recorded a public service announcement that appeared in more than 4,000 film screens and reached millions of people. Ashanti also gives back by raising money for sickle cell research and she is active in helping the Make-A-Wish Foundation stating, "I'll go and do just about anything for them." In 2005, Ashanti helped by recording public service announcement and raising money for the Southeast Asia tsunami disaster. Later that year she helped raise money for the Hurricane Katrina victims and storm evacuees. In 2008, Ashanti, along with others celebrities, taped a PSA to help stop violence and discrimination towards the LGBT community in response to the death of Lawrence King, an eighth-grader at E.O. Green Junior High School who was shot because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. That same year, she launched a special on-line campaign called "I Declare Me..." with Wal-Mart. The campaign's core is a very personal focus on the self-definition and empowerment of women across the United States, with its home base at Ashanti's official website. The campaign creates a safe and inclusive on-line space to for women to share testimonies on the site. Participants are able to openly declare their own breakthroughs, revelations, struggles and victories in every life area they choose: career, birth, death, relationships, and personal situations. "I Declare Me..." also invites women to a virtual discussion with Ashanti on such issues as voter registration, teen obesity, and other concerns facing women today.

In September 2009, Ashanti, along with other artists Mariah Carey, Beyoncé Knowles, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes, Busta Rhymes, Cheri Oteri, Flavor Flav, Queen Elizabeth and Carrie Underwood, teamed up for the song "Just Stand Up!". The charity tune for cancer was conceived by Antonio "L.A." Reid, who produced it with longtime creative colleague Babyface. All 15 singers (along with Nicole Scherzinger) shared the stage to perform the song live on Sept. 5 2008 during the "Stand Up to Cancer" television special, which aired simultaneously on ABC, NBC and CBS, and helped raise $100 million for cancer research. As a result of SU2C fund raising endeavors, the SU2C scientific advisory committee, overseen by the American Association for Cancer Research was able to award 73.6 million dollars towards novel, groundbreaking cancer research in 2009.

In November 2009, Ashanti joined the crew of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The singer assisted in the rebuilding of the Powell Family home in Buffalo, New York. The efforts from the show expanded significantly to include not just the family home but the entire neighborhood surrounding it. The episode aired January 24, 2010.

Ashanti is featured on the 19-track compilation album "Songs For a Healthier America", a collaborative project by the Partnership for a Healthier America, whose honorary chair First Lady Michelle Obama, and Hip Hop Public Health. Her song "Just Believe" also features Artie Green, Gerry Gunn, Robbie Nova and Chauncey Hawkins.

Ashanti has greatly given back to the community. She has a history of supporting good causes. She is affiliated with the Jumpstart reading program, Tupperware Brand and Boys and Girls Club of America.

Personal life

Ashanti met rapper Nelly at a press conference for the 2003 Grammy Awards on January 1, 2003. Ashanti and Nelly ended their nine-year relationship in December 2012.

Discography

Ashanti (2002)

Chapter II (2003)

Concrete Rose (2004)

The Declaration (2008)

Braveheart (2014)

Chapter VI (2016)

Filmography

Films

Bride and Prejudice (2004)

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005)

Coach Carter (2005)

John Tucker Must Die (2006)

Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

Christmas in the City (2013)

Mutant World (2014)

Stuck (2015)

Mothers and Daughters (2016)

Television

What Kids Want To Know About Sex and Growing Up (1992)

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (2002)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2003)

WrestleMania XIX (Opening: America the Beautiful) (2003)

The Proud Family (voice) (2003)

Pepsi Smash (Commercial) (2003)

Punk'd (2004)

Oxygen: Custom Concert (2004)

Las Vegas (TV series) (2005)

2007 World Series (Opening: 'God Bless America') (2007)

NFL Thanksgiving Day game CBS (Opening: 'National Anthem') (2007)

BET Awards Nomination Special "I Wanna Thank My Mama" (host) (2008)

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (2010)

Army Wives (2013)

Law & Order: SVU (2013)

Unforgettable (2015)

Theater

The Wiz (2009)

http://wikipedia.thetimetube.com/?lang=en&q=Ashanti%20(singer)

[secretradiobrooklyn]

New York State Tax Edition | 3.20 & 3.27.21

Secret Radio | 3.20 & 3.27.21 | Hear it here.

Liner notes by Evan (except * for Paige), Art by Paige

1. Antoine Dougbé - “Towe Nin” 

There was a while during which I tried to listen to every single T.P. Orchestre song that could be heard via discogs.com. They’ve released dozens of albums, probably close to a hundred if you count all of the albums attributed to various members, so that was a very daunting task… though really what it highlighted was the sheer volume of songs that just are not available to be heard in digital form. Those songs take on a sort of mythic quality as we listen to the huge variety of styles and periods that this band passed through in their prolific and very obscure career. But the ones that loom in the imagination the largest, for Paige and me, are the songs attributed to Antoine Dougbé. He writes for the band but doesn’t record with them, and in most cases Melomé Clement arranges the songs — and these are some of Melomé’s finest arrangements, in my opinion. “Towe Nin” isn’t a propulsive powerhouse like the Dougbé tracks on “Legends of Benin,” but it does have tons of style, and the band sounds extremely confident. My favorite detail of many — like, listen to the shaker solo in the middle! — on this track is the final passage, where three voices suddenly meld into an extremely Western, Beatle-y harmonic finale (with an unresolved final chord). Where did that come from?! It blows my mind to think about how these guys were hearing music and writing music in Benin in the ’70s…

2. Hürel - “Ve Ölüm” - “Tip Top” soundtrack

The other night we watched a DVD that was part of our Non-Classic French Cinema Program that Paige has been drafting for us, featuring movies she figures French people would know but that didn’t get exposed to American audiences. This one was… baffling — the problems were French cultural ones that we really didn’t grok at all. Which was kind of cool. An odd detail was that this song featured prominently throughout the trailer and the film, though we couldn’t figure out, like, why. But we knew immediately that it was awesome.

And… this track sent us down the rabbit hole of Anatolian rock, which turns out to be Turkish psych music from the ’60s & ’70s. We’ve played Erkin Koray’s “Cemalim” and thought that was cool, but had no idea it was a burgeoning scene with tons of creative writers and amazing songs. We’ve spent a lot of time checking out Anatolian music since, and I can tell we’re just getting started. So: thank you to a giant French crowdpleaser movie for the Anatolian clue-in!

3. They Might Be Giants - “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Clothes” 

I was not expecting to experience a They Might Be Giants renaissance at this point in my life, but this is just further proof that time has a lot of tricks up its sleeve. This song tells me a lot about what I like now by re-presenting what I liked then, showing off completely new facets I hadn’t yet appreciated. This song is lousy with insights… including that super Slanted Malkmus-y scream at the very end!)

4. Jacqueline Taïeb - “La fac de lettres”

Jacqueline Taïeb is probably my single favorite French pop artist, even though her body of work is way smaller than most of the runners-up. (I would say the closest contender is Jacque Dutronc.) She’s so full of irrepressible character, it just bubbles up out of the vocal performances. Her biggest hit was “7 heures du matin,” in the character of a bored, rock-obsessed teenager trying to figure out what to wear to school that morning, and “La fac du lettres” kind of picks up the thread: now she’s in the auditorium at school, learning about British history — the invasion of Normandy, the Hundred Years’ War — and pining to get back to the recording studio. 

5. La Card - “Jedno zbogom za tebe”

I didn’t know what circumstance would call for Yugoslavian synth pop warped by endless cassette plays, but it turns out that driving a thousand miles west in one fell swoop requires a certain amount of ’80s vibes. Turns out Yugoslavia had a pretty rich punk/new wave scene in the ’80s, and even though the songs were often critical of the Communist government, they were not only allowed to be played but, to a certain extent, supported by the government, and there were also several magazines covering punk, new wave, ska (!), and rock music in Yugoslavia.

6. Suicide - “Shadazz” 

Maybe it’s the band name, but I was never able to find a place for myself in the music of Suicide, despite how many bands I dig who cite them. But Paige pulled this track, and now I’m starting to get it. I also really like how the kick drum fits against the cymbal-ish sound loop that leads the percussion. 

7. Girma Beyene - “Ene Negn Bay Manesh”

Man, Ethiopia was swingin so hard in the ’60s and ’70s! This track combines the organ-driven band dynamic with a smooth Western vocal croon that I’ve never quite heard before. 

8. Os Mutantes - “Trem Fantasma” 

I still can’t believe that I haven’t been listening to this album my whole life — it’s so freaking amazing from beginning to end. Every song feels like its own complete cinematic experience, with narrative twists and turns, a high-drama dynamic, and each voice taking on a host of characters, independently and together. “Trem Fantasma” is an entire album contained in a single song — and that’s what it’s like with every song on their debut album. PLUS it’s got the coolest possible cover. Truly, I’m still in awe at this album. It makes me wonder: what did the Beatles think of this record?! 

9. The Beatles - “Think for Yourself” 

This is one of those songs that I feel like established whole new harmony relationships in Western pop… and this likely isn’t even one of their top 50 songs for most Beatles fans. Apparently, they had the main tracks recorded already — this is one of George’s first songs, it’s just 1965 — and they threw the harmonies on in “a light-hearted session” between two other things they were in the middle of, because they were under pressure to get this album finished. That’s amazing! Also, this song is the first one to use a fuzzbox on a bass: Paul played one (excellent) part on clean bass, and another one one all fuzzed out, which became the lead guitar — in fact, John had a guitar part but scrapped it to play an organ instead. What a righteous song to kick off the concept of lead bass guitar! That was Harvey Danger’s big compositional secret: Aaron wrote and played most of the lead guitar parts on bass, and had a fantastic sense of what he could do with the tone of his instrument. 

10. Erkin Koray - “Öksürük” 

Anatolian rock! It has its own note scale, that gives it this Eastern tonality while working in Western rock shapes and with what feels like a very relatably wry sense of humor. Erkin Koray is right up there in the firmament for us — the whole genre is full of welcome discoveries, but Koray is a really unique guitarist and composer beyond any particular genre. This track plays up his lead guitar passages while maintaining a pretty undeniable disco downbeat, and his vocal delivery strikes me as more French than anything. And yet the whole thing is so deeply and fully Turkish.

11. Vaudou Game - “Pas Contente”

We’ve been so head-over-heels for Beninese funk and rock from the ’60s and ’70s that our fantasies about that music are completely separated from any music happening today. But Vaudou Game is led by Peter Solo, a Togolese musician who grew up on the sound of T.P. Orchestre and decided to work with it himself. His band is handpicked and mostly I think French — the sound is I think a really impressive take on classic Beninese style but with very modern feel. This track is from 2014. I’m looking forward to digging in some more, because it’s a thrill to find a live wire in this music style. 

12. Cut Off Your Hands - “Higher Lows and Lower Highs”

This is one of my favorite tracks from the last 5 years. I get so absorbed in the way the bass part relates to all of the other pieces. The bass is absolutely the reason this song works — just tune into it and check out how the whole world of the song bends to accommodate it.

The Gang of Roesli - “Don’t Talk about Freedom”

Years ago, when I took over Eleven magazine, there was a giant stack of mailed-in CDs in the editor’s office. I didn’t hang onto many of them, but there was a set from Now-Again Records that just looked like something we should spend more time with. Turns out that one of them was “Those Shocking Shaking Days,” a collection of trippy, heavy Indonesian rock. I didn’t get it at the time, but lately I’ve certainly been picking up what they were laying down. The baroque keys, the vocal la’s, the hitched-up bass and guitar, that little bass lick, the harmonica… I would love to have been around for the session this came from. 

13. Warm Gun - “Broken Windows” - “PAINK”

More paink from France, in the mode of Richard Hell, short sweet and rowdy.

14. Duo Kribo - “Uang” - “Those Shocking Shaking Days”

This is another amazing Indonesian track — amazing for a completely different reason than The Gang of Roesli. Such a note-perfect rendition of chart-topping American (and German — what’s up, Scorps?) rock, but their own song nonetheless! This song attracts me, repels me, attracts me, repels me, on and on in equal measure. To me the kicker is the outro section, which sounds like something Eko Roosevelt came up with… thousands of miles and many genres away from Duo Kribo.

15. The Real Kids - “All Kindsa Girls”

Even as the theoretical pleasures of Facebook overall continue to recede, I find myself glad of a FB group somebody let me in on: Now Playing. The only stipulation about posts is that you have to include a photo of the actual record that you are actually playing — beyond that, it could be any genre, any period, whatever. People post interesting albums all the time, and will often write up their thoughts or memories about the band when they do. Boston’s The Real Kids just sounded like something I should know about, so I hunted it down and man, they were not wrong. Not everything on the album was for us, but right from the African-sounding guitar intro, “All Kindsa Girls” certainly was. Lead guitar/vocal guy John Felice was an early member of the Modern Lovers and a fellow VU devotee with his neighbor Jonathan Richman — he also spent time as a Ramones roadie. I’m tickled by how much the penultimate guitar riff sounds like something off the first Vampire Weekend album, and the final riff was destined to become a punk classic.

16. De Frank Professionals - “Afe Ato Yen Bio” 

We broadcast the first part of this episode from the cockpit of the van rocketing between New York and Illinois. Not long after we got here to the woods, a package showed up from Analog Africa with our new “Afro-Beat Airways” reissue, as well as their first indispensable T.P. Orchestre collection, “The Skeletal Essences of Afro-Funk 1969-1980.” We’re celebrating that record with this absolutely killer song by De Frank Professionals, a band about whom very little is known. I am in love with every part of this song, from the sixth-beat hi-hat accent to those tandem vocal parts and that beautiful guitar tone. This track has quickly risen to being one of our all-time faves. Bless Samy Ben Redjeb and everyone at AA for doing the work to find these amazing recordings, track down the musicians, pay them for rights to release, and making these miraculous finds available!

17. Ros Serey Sothea - “Shave Your Beard” 

Concurrent to our African fascination has been the gorgeous and thoroughly tragic revelation of Cambodia’s richly talented and expressive rock scene that was utterly destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. There were so many amazing musicians in the scene, but certainly the most flat-out amazing voice was Ros Serey Sothea’s, as this track makes clear. I also love just how sophsticated and innovative these Cambodian song arrangements are — they really take Western ’60s pop into a new world, with intricate guitar parts and really solidly satisfying instrumental structures.

18. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - “O.N.E.”

This is a hard band to keep up with, for a variety of reasons — they can be so intense, and their guitar-rock prog virtuosity can get a bit off-putting if you’re not ready for it. This track, though, reminds me of a host of favorite reference points from the last twenty years of rock. This recording makes me wish that they could have played with Bailiff in Chicago in 2012 — I think everyone would have gained a lot from that connection.

Also, the video is so beautiful!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkZd2lBQb2c

19. Ettika - “Ettika” - “Chebran: French Boogie Vol. 2”

French culture is shot through with African references. Ettika was an early ’80s hit with musicians besotted by synths and American rap styles. This band was produced by a noted French composer who was married to a Cameroonian and very much into African groove. This “French Boogie” collection is full of African-style gems heavily refracted through the decade’s new technology.

20. Spice Girls - “Wannabe”

I yield the floor.

*As I mention in the “broadcast” it just felt right. That confident opening line. What are guilty pleasures? How do you feel listening to this song? And y’all already have our phone numbers, so that’s no surprise!

- The Gang of Roesli - “Don’t Talk about Freedom”

21. Steely Dan - “Reelin’ in the Years”

Gut reaction: do you actually love this song? Do you actually hate this song? Do you find that your reaction changes moment by moment within the experience of listening to the song, where your personal experience clashes with your cultural memory associations? Me too.

22. Zia - “Kofriom” - “Helel Yos”

I don’t remember how I got to this track, but holy smokes am I glad we did! It’s pretty freakin hard to find out anything about Zia. The cover of this album portrays an older man with dyed hair and a white blazer over a black collar… but I did actually find a video of Zia performing this song on Iranian public television, and he looks considerably younger and less flash than that. In fact, he’s sporting a tan three-piece suit with a wide tie, all alone on a heavily mirrored stage, and he kind of looks like he might be running for a senate seat in his spare time. It’s a very weird effect. But meanwhile: this whole album is super cool, very expressive of an emotional state I definitely don’t understand. The handclaps are absolutely top notch in the rhythm — they remind me of Ayalew Mesfin’s awesome “Gedawo.”

23. Jo LeMaire & Flouze - “Je Suis Venue te Dire Que je M’en Vais”

Doesn’t this sound like something you could have had intense adolescent feelings to? 

*I first heard this song in the trailer for Boy Meets Girl  and then later in the film. (Not my personal favorite Carax but definitely great, and the music and sound design is top notch.) Then my French teacher suggested I check out a song, and it was this song. So that’s neat!

24. Rung Petchburi - “Pai Joi” - “Thai? Dai!: The Heavier Side of the Lukthung Underground”

We’re still just getting to know Lukthung music, but for the last couple weeks we’ve been getting deeper and deeper into Thai rock, psych, surf and funk. It’s a rich vein, and it shares some really interesting characteristics with seemingly unrelated regions, like Turkey and Ethiopia.

Black Brothers - “Saman Doye”

I’m telling you, “Those Shocking Shaking Days” will improve your life immediately.

25. Nahid Akhtar - “Dil de Guitar” - from “Good Listener Vol 1,” 

This collection just came out this month, which was a surprise because we just stumbled across this track by reading about Nahid Akhtar elsewhere. What an AMAZING track! This was recorded and released in Pakistan in 1977, and I can’t even imagine how they wrote it, much less recorded it. The drum loops seem like they hadn’t been invented yet… but there they are, cranked up to their highest speed. It’s a collage of ideas and hooks, all just crammed together into a single song. the main hook reminds me a bit of “Jogi Jogi,” our favorite Pakistani song on WBFF thus far. I feel like I could listen to this song a hundred times and hear something new each time. Akhtar’s voice is so expressive and confident in those long held notes — and who is that ogre doing call and response with her? So weird. So cool.

[goftor-blog]

memories of 1965

One moment that captures how much Britain has changed in the past 50 years was the death on Sunday, January 24, 1965, of perhaps the finest leader in our history.

‘Tonight, our nation mourns the loss of the greatest man any of us have ever known,’ the then Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, told the British people that evening.

He was referring, of course, to Sir Winston Churchill, the man who had led Britain through the darkest hour in our history and onwards to victory.

And in the days that followed, more than 300,000 people waited patiently in the cold to pay their respects to their fallen hero.

President, Lyndon Johnson, failed to attend Churchill’s funeral.

Johnson was widely criticized—here and abroad—for his failure to make the trip. Many in the British government saw it as a slight. And in some ways it represented a minor setback in American/Anglo relations at a crucial time in the Cold War.

For when you look back at Britain in 1965, it seems in so many ways an utterly different country, not just in its skylines, fashions and faces, but in its moral and cultural attitudes.

It was a country in which older men still wore hats and carried umbrellas; in which millions of children sat the 11-plus exam to decide whether they went to grammar school or to a secondary modern; in which pornography was almost unknown, most people did not even have a telephone, and thousands of working-class families still had outside toilets.

At the end of 1964, Wilson’s Labour government had come to power, promising to build a new Britain in the ‘white heat of the scientific revolution’.

But the technological gadgets so familiar today would have struck the vast majority as the stuff of fantasy. Most had never even been on an aeroplane.

Indeed, if you want a symbol of how much Britain has changed in the past five decades, then just think about the difference between today’s Premier League football stars – often foreign-born, living in gated communities and earning as much as £300,000 a week – and by far the most feted player of the day, who hung up his boots on February 6, 1965.

Almost incredibly, Stanley Matthews was still turning out for Stoke City at the age of 50. He played not for money or attention, but for sheer love of the game.

As one friend put it, he remained ‘for all his fame, as down-to-earth as the folk who once adorned the terraces in the hope of seeing him sparkle gold dust onto their harsh working lives’.

To Matthews, who interrupted his career to serve in the RAF during World War II, the antics of today’s spoiled Premier League superstars would have seemed inconceivable.

But he belonged to a generation that has vanished completely: reticent, dutiful and quietly conservative.

Like the death of Churchill, the retirement of Matthews – who was knighted in January 1965 as a reward for his extraordinary career – seemed to represent a threshold between old and new.

In sport, in culture, even in architecture, all the talk was of change.

Modernisation was all the rage, not least in the great cities of the North, where councils were competing to tear down the old Victorian streets and erect great high-rise monstrosities instead.

"On 19 April 1965, when Reggie Kray married Frances Elsie Shea… he had the event photographed by none other than the country’s most famous snapper, David Bailey, who arrived at the church in a blue velvet suit with matching blue Rolls-Royce, for all the world like Cecil Beaton recording the Queen’s Coronation of 12 years earlier."

It was indeed a year when class structures crumbled, a new aristocracy came to the fore with working class lads like Bailey, The Beatles and Michael Caine at the forefront.

But it was in the cultural sphere that change was really accelerating. The Beatles with the LSD-influenced Rubber Soul were swapping straightforward love songs for an imaginative introspection and existentialism, Dylan was stretching the boundaries of the pop song with his bile-splattered narrative "Like A Rolling Stone", Bridget Riley was conquering New York with her pre-psychedelia psychedelic paintings, John Fowles produced his astonishing The Magus, Dennis Potter and Ken Loach took television drama to a new level, Edward Bond’s Saved, in which a baby is stoned, shocked the censors and the theatre-going public.

Above all it was the first year that the words pop and culture could be used together without attracting ridicule – except perhaps from the self-appointed champion of the old order, Mary Whitehouse.

The Ford Transit is a range of light commercial vehicles produced by Ford since 1965. Sold primarily as a cargo van, the Transit is also built as a passenger van (marketed as the Tourneo since 1995), minibus, cutaway van chassis, and as a pickup truck. Over 8,000,000 Transit vans have been sold, making it the third best-selling van of all time and have been produced across four basic platform generations (debuting in 1965, 1986, 2000, and 2013 respectively), with various "facelift" versions of each.

1965 Timeline

17 January – The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts’ book, Ode to a High Flying Bird, a tribute to jazz great Charlie Parker, is published.

www.amazon.com/Ode-Highflying-Bird-Charlie-WATTS/dp/B0026…

21 January – The Animals’ show at New York’s Apollo Theater is canceled after the U.S. Immigration Department forces the group to leave the theater.

The Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison travel to Sydney to begin their Australian tour.

23 January – "Downtown" hits #1 in the US singles chart, making Petula Clark the first British female vocalist to reach the coveted position since the arrival of The Beatles.

24 January – The Animals appear a second time on The Ed Sullivan Show.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygJoV4FaAfQ

27 January – Paul Simon broadcasts on BBC radio for the first time, on the Five to Ten show, discussing and playing thirteen songs, twelve of which would appear on his May-recorded and August-released UK-only solo album, The Paul Simon Song Book.

6 February – Donovan gets his widest audience so far when he makes the first of three appearances on "Ready, Steady, Go!".

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKqoKDsOuHE

12 February – NME reports that the Beatles will star in a film adaptation of Richard Condon’s novel A Talent for Loving. The story is about a 2,253-kilometer (1,400 mi) horse race that takes place in the old west. The film is never made.

24 February – The Beatles begin filming their second film, Help!

Richard Rodney Bennett’s opera The Mines of Sulphur is premièred at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London.

20 March – Kathy Kirby, singing the UK entry "I Belong", finishes second in the 10th Eurovision Song Contest in Naples, Italy, behind France Gall, representing Luxembourg.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3aD6MD6gew

23 March – Benjamin Britten is appointed to the Order of Merit (OM).

April – Michael Tippett is invited as guest composer to the music festival in Aspen, Colorado. The visit leads to major changes in his style.

11 April – The New Musical Express poll winners’ concert takes place featuring performances by The Beatles, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Freddie and the Dreamers, the Kinks, the Searchers, Herman’s Hermits, The Moody Blues, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, Donovan, Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield and Tom Jones.

24 April – It took 30 years to organise a walk from one pub to another. But then the walk is The Pennine Way , and the distance between the pubs is 268 miles. The walk involves crossing more than 400 stiles, 200 bridges, and enough peat bogs and steep slopes to break an infrequent walker’s weary heart. And for those who negotiated the passage over many private properties it also involved tricky talks with a multitude of sometimes less than keen landowners.

The traditional starting point for The Pennine Way is the Nag’s Head in Derbyshire’s Edale , the end point The Border Hotel in Kirk Yetholm just over the border into Scotland. The trail, Britain’s first National Trail, was the brainchild of writer and long time Ramblers’ Association secretary Tom Stephenson, first mooted to the general public in an article in The Daily Herald in 1935.

After much parliamentary lobbying, innumerable negotiations, and great preparations of signage and information, the official opening of the Pennine Way came on April 24 1965, witnessed by an estimated 2,000 enthusiasts gathered at the beautiful Malham Moor in Yorkshire . Between 3,000 and 4,000 walkers now complete the trail every year, no easy task given the tough terrain and unpredictable weather conditions at some of the stages even in summer – the walk even defeated the great Wainwright. Those who tramp all 268 miles certainly deserve their celebratory drink in the well chosen finishing point.

5 May – Alan Price leaves The Animals, to be replaced temporarily by Mick Gallagher and permanently by Dave Rowberry.

6 May – Keith Richards and Mick Jagger begin work on "Satisfaction" in their Clearwater, Florida hotel room. Richards came up with the classic guitar riff while playing around with his brand new Gibson "Fuzz box".

8 May – The British Commonwealth comes closer than it ever had, or would, to a clean sweep of the US Hot 100’s top 10, lacking only the #2 slot.

30 May – The Animals appear for a third time on The Ed Sullivan Show.

12 June – The Beatles are appointed Members of the British Empire (MBE) by the Queen. With no tradition of awarding popular entertainers such honours, a number of previous recipients complain and protest.

July – John Cale, with his new collaborators Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison, makes a demo tape which he tries to pass on to Marianne Faithfull. These are the beginnings of the Velvet Underground.

5 July – Maria Callas gives her last operatic performance, in the title role of Tosca, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

8 July – A minor figure in the Great Train Robbery of 1963, Ronnie Biggs has nevertheless become the most famous name among those criminals who pulled off the most audacious robbery of the sixties .

There is a tendency to glamorize the Great Train Robbers, to turn them into Robin Hood figures. They carried out a robbery that cost the country £2.6 million, the equivalent of maybe £45 million today – most of the money was never recovered. The assistant train driver was thrown down a railway embankment, and the train driver coshed with an iron bar, never being fit to return to work before his premature death in 1970.

Biggs had been detailed to look after the train driver brought to move the hijacked engine and carriage to the place where the gang had left their vehicles. The driver could not work the train, so Biggs and he were sent to load money sacks. In spite of this Biggs received a 30-year sentence.

On July 8 1965 Biggs and three other men escaped from Wandsworth Prison in a carefully planned and well financed operation. A ladder was thrown over the prison wall at just after 3pm as the men exercised. A furniture van with a platform on top was outside the wall, to hold the ladder in place and make the descent from the top rapid and safe. Prison officers who tried to intervene as the men fled were held back by other prisoners in the yard.

Three cars were waiting for them (and as a shotgun was found afterwards in one of the cars it is reasonable to assume they were prepared to use violence).

Biggs along with his wife and sons managed to slip out of Britain to Paris, where he underwent plastic surgery to alter his appearance, and where he obtained false papers that allowed him in 1970 to move to Australia after spending some time in Spain.

In Australia, however, he was recognized, and forced to move before fleeing the country when the chase threatened him again.

Biggs spent more than three decades in Brazil, cocking a snook at the British authorities who were unable to extradite him. He was kidnapped in 1981 and taken out of Brazil, but had to be let go on a technicality.

Biggs returned to the UK in 2001, a sick man, partly to receive health treatment, partly because it seems he hoped to be allowed to go free. He was, however, arrested and returned to begin serving the remaining 28 years of his sentence.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEbQbHZURZ8

13 July – The Beatles receive a record five Ivor Novello Awards.

4 August – Iain Hamilton’s Cantos receives its world première at The Proms, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Norman Del Mar.

6 August – The Small Faces release "Whatcha Gonna Do About It", their first single.

The Beatles release the soundtrack to their second movie Help!

15 August – Just a couple of years earlier The Beatles were playing to audiences of a few dozen at some of their Cavern gigs in Liverpool ; on August 15 1965 55,600 fans crowded in to Shea Stadium, the home of baseball team the New York Mets, to hear the group play the first concert of their American tour. Or rather not hear them: with Beatlemania at its scariest (there were 2000 security personnel on hand, and the Fab Four arrived in an armoured truck), the band took the stage in the centre of the field to deafening screams; twelve songs later they left, the screams having drowned out what they had been playing. For the record the songs that night included: Act Naturally; She’s a Woman; and Twist and Shout. It mattered little to an army of women and girls determined to scream, cry, faint and worse.

With the band members unable to hear themselves in spite of using the massive stadium PA, the concert descended to the absurd, John Lennon at the end playing the keyboard with his elbows to demonstrate the futility of the exercise. Futile, but profitable: the concert grossed more than $300,000, and is seen as the genesis of Stadium Rock.

26 Aug – They were only four among a total of 189 receiving honours that day, but it was obvious who the photographers at the gates of Buckingham Palace wanted to capture arriving, and who the 4,000 or more screaming fans were there to see – The Beatles . They duly arrived in John Lennon’s Rolls in plenty of time for the 11am investiture, in spite of the fact that, according to John Lennon , they didn’t believe in the institution of the royal family. Even inside the Palace they couldn’t escape the fans, or parents of fans at any rate, having to sign autographs for others there on the day.

It was something of a shock in the sixties for pop stars to be so honoured, though now it is becoming commonplace – politicians love rubbing shoulders with their rock heroes, even if some of those shoulders must be decidedly arthritic by now. Harold Wilson knew a popular band wagon when he saw one, and jumped on, awarding The Fab Four MBEs – Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Years later John Lennon, who returned his MBE in 1969 as a protest against Britain’s stance on Biafra and Vietnam, claimed they had smoked cannabis in the toilet at the palace, though George denied it. But when Lord Cobbold, the Lord Chamberlain, called out their names they stepped forward as instructed, bowed politely in the right places, exchanged a few words, and walked away backwards so as not to turn their backs to the Queen .

27 August – The Beatles visit Elvis Presley at his home in Bel-Air. It is the only time the band and the singer meet.

11 September – The Last Night of The Proms is conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent, with Josephine Veasey as soloist for the traditional rendition of "Rule, Britannia.

30 September – Donovan appears on Shindig! in the U.S. and plays Buffy Sainte-Marie’s "Universal Soldier".

Much mimicked, but much loved too, Thunderbirds like Gerry Anderson’s other Supermarionation series (Stingray, Captain Scarlet et al) struck a chord with children as however brilliant the pupeteering it still seemed like toys saving the world. When you are eight you have little reason to think they can’t.

Filmed somewhat incongruously in Slough , the series featured the American Tracy family of all-action heroes, led by father Jeff, one of the first men on the moon (as the series was set in 2065 not the best prediction ever). Every boy wanted to be Scott or Virgil; and hoped for a Thunderbird 1 Dinky Toy at Christmas.

The very first episode, for the record, was Trapped in the Sky, written by Gerry Anderson and his then wife Sylvia, who also voiced Lady Penelope. In the show the Hood sabotages a new super-aircraft, forcing the International Rescue team to come to its aid so he can steal their secrets. It was only kids in the ATV Midlands region who got to enjoy that first September 30 broadcast; London only joined the jerky-armed party on Christmas Day that year.

Mock the occasionally-visible strings as we do, the production values on the series were very high, various techies later poached to work on Star Wars for example. And each of the early episodes ran to 50 minutes, effectively a mini-movie.

Do we still love them? Y-y-y-yes M-Mr Tracy.

17 October – The Animals appear for a fourth time on The Ed Sullivan Show.

5 November – The Who release their iconic single "My Generation" in the UK. This song contains the famous line: "I hope I die before I get old"

8 Nov – In the mid- Sixties Britain was becoming more racially diverse. New arrivals to Britain and immigrants long established in the country shamefully often faced discrimination: signs on lodgings stating: “no blacks”; people refused entry to certain pubs and shops because of their race; discourtesies and even assault in public places by those who resented the changing face of the nation. The 1965 Race Relations Act was an attempt by the Labour government, albeit a very weak attempt, to address this situation.

Discrimination, however, was made a civil not a criminal offence, partly because of arguments put forward by the Conservatives that race relations would be soured further were the legislation to be given teeth. And though discrimination “in places of public resort” was outlawed, inexplicably shops and private boarding houses were excluded; so was discrimination in employment, and even local authority policy on renting property. The act, then, was very superficial. There are times when British compromise can be laudable; this was not one of them. The legislation was given greater range in 1968 and 1976.

The 1965 act did, however, set up the Race Relations Board, which came into operation the following year. It initially had very limited scope and powers, its remit monitoring and persuasion; but a seed had been sown.

3 December – The Beatles release their album Rubber Soul, along with the double A-sided single "Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out". George Harrison’s performance on the sitar on the track "Norwegian Wood" leads to his becoming a pupil of Ravi Shankar.

The Who release their debut album My Generation.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN5zw04WxCc

Not bad for a debut album – presaging punk in songs like My Generation; heavy metal in The Ox; and blending blues and pop in I’m a Man and The Kids Are Alright to create a sound that would stir a million Mods. Throw in a wonderful version of James Brown’s classic Please, Please, Please and it was definitely worth a listen. Pop-rock quickly followed some enjoyably energetic detours thanks to The Who. You can almost forgive them for Tommy later in their career.

Originally recorded in mono My Generation has been remixed in Stereo several times, but probably loses more than it gains in the process which seems about as logical as redoing the famous artwork with pictures of the band in later years (though Moon didn’t have all that many).

Many critics would consider the album, at one time dismissed by the band as a bit of a rush job, as one of the most seminal in British rock history: Townshend ’s raw guitar; Keith Moon’s manic drumming; John Entwistle’s backseat driving bass; and Roger Daltrey ’s chameleon vocals all models for their generation and more besides – The Jam very indebted to their forerunners. After the LP was released every band probably still yearned for the success of the Beatles ; but most wanted to sound like the gods of Shepherd’s Bush , The Who.

13 Dec – The original format for Jackanory was elegant in its simplicity: an actor or occasionally a TV personality like Clement Freud or a figure from an entirely different world like Prince Charles reading a book out loud to children, with occasional illustrations shown on screen (often by Quentin Blake ). Magical.

It captivated children from toddlers through to their primary school years, becoming a fixed element of every weekday for millions of families, quarter of an hour of almost guaranteed peace for any adult looking after them: the insistent theme-tune – Jackanory Jackanory – acted like an off-switch for play, a signpost pointing towards bedtime.

Over the years – the original series came to an end in 1996 – some great names appeared as readers: Kenneth Williams perhaps the most frequent; Spike Milligan ; Bernard Cribbins; the genius that was Arthur Lowe ; Michael Hordern and Joyce Grenfell to list but a few of the finest.

The very first programme on December 13 1965 featured Lee Montague, an actor better known for his hard-man roles on TV and in films.

Naturally when the BBC revived the idea in 2006 it had to be tampered with – animation used, and multiple actors; and no fixed slot to give that blessed routine that makes life with children so much easier. Perhaps it takes imagination to believe in the power of imagination.

22 Dec – The day that must be etched on Jeremy Clarkson ’s heart.

Just before Christmas 1965 Transport Minister Tom Fraser (not Barbara Castle, as many seem to think) introduced a 70mph limit for drivers on motorways, following several pile-ups in the foggy autumn and winter of that year, though another cause is sometimes cited – the era’s super-cars being seen on motorways in legal-speak: “Travelling at speeds in excess of 150mph”.

Like Income Tax in 1799 this was to be a temporary measure. In the sixties many car drivers were the first in their family to own a vehicle, so with fewer points of reference as regards driving than is the case today. The engineering on some cars (especially in those days brakes) was not great, with many struggling to reach 70mph. At the time then few voices were raised against the measure.

Barbara Castle confirmed the limit as a permanent fixture when she was transport minister in 1967. The genie was out of the bottle to stay.

As driving experience has become ingrained, cars have radically improved, and road building likewise, voices are now starting to be heard about raising the limit, comparing things with France where the top speed is 130kph (80mph), for example. But the chances of this happening are roughly equivalent to those of proportional representation and free beer for all. Indeed it should be recalled that in a period of energy crisis in 1973 the limit was dropped to 50mph for a time, so the smart money would be on a decrease before any increase.

By way of interest, if you feel the need, the need for speed, try the Isle of Man , where rural roads are still de-restricted. Or Germany where much of the autobahn network has no limit. Or if you fancy going a bit further afield, Nepal is another option, though you might want to watch out for a few of those mountain bends.

The first Ford Transit produced by Ford Motor Company in 1965

BillBoard Hot 100 Number One Hits 1965

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwIOFjIwF8Y

Events

1 January – Introduction of new "Worboys Committee" road signs.

6 Jan – Geoff Boycott takes 3-47 against South Africa, his best Test bowling.

7 January – Identical twin brothers Ronnie and Reggie Kray, are arrested on suspicion of running a protection racket in London.

14 January – The Prime Ministers of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.

15 January – Sir Winston Churchill is reported to be seriously ill after suffering a stroke.

24 January – Sir Winston Churchill dies aged 90 at Chartwell, his Kent home of more than 40 years.

30 January – Thousands attend Winston Churchill’s state funeral in London. During the three days of lying-in-state, 321,000 people file past the catafalque, and the funeral procession travels from Westminster Hall to the service at St Paul’s Cathedral, attended by the Queen, Prime Minister Harold Wilson, and representatives of 112 countries.

31 January – National Health prescription charges end.

1 February – The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrive in Ethiopia on a state visit.

4 February – Confederation of British Industry founded.

6 February – Sir Stanley Matthews plays his final First Division game, at the record age of 50 years and 5 days.

16 February – The British Railways Board (chairman: Richard Beeching) publishes The Development of the Major Trunk Routes proposing which lines should receive investment (and, by implication, which should not).

18 February – The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.

3 March – The remains of Roger Casement, from Pentonville Prison, are reburied in Dublin.

10 March – Goldie, a London Zoo golden eagle, is recaptured after 13 days of freedom.

19 March – A record price of 760,000 guineas is paid at Christie’s for Rembrandt’s Titus

23 March – Dr Dorothy Hodgkin is awarded the Order of Merit.

1 April – The Greater London Council comes into its powers, replacing the London County Council and greatly expanding the metropolitan area of the city.

Finance Act introduces corporation tax, replacing income tax for corporate institutions.

6 April – Government publicly announces cancellation of the BAC TSR-2 nuclear bomber aircraft project.

23 April – Red velvet minidress.

26 April – Manchester United win the Football League First Division title.

1 May – Liverpool win the FA Cup for the first time in their history, beating Leeds United 2-1 at Wembley Stadium. Roger Hunt and Ian St John score for Liverpool, while Billy Bremner scores the consolation goal for Leeds.

7 May – The Rhodesian Front under Prime Minister Ian Smith win a landslide election victory in Rhodesia.

11 May – The National Trust officially launches its long-term Enterprise Neptune project to acquire or put under covenant a substantial part of the Welsh, English and Northern Irish coastline. Whiteford Burrows on the Gower Peninsula is considered the first property to be acquired under the campaign although its purchase was announced on 1 January.

13 May – The Conservatives make big gains in the UK local government elections.

17 May – An underground explosion at Cambrian Colliery in Clydach Vale kills 31.

18 May – The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh begin a 10-day state visit to the Federal German Republic.

19 May – West Ham United become the second British club to win a European trophy, defeating West German 1860 Munich 2-0 at Wembley Stadium.

3 June – The bank rate is reduced to 6 per cent.

18 June – The government announces plans for the introduction of a blood alcohol limit for drivers in its clampdown on drink-driving.

22 June – The 700th anniversary of Parliament is celebrated.

8 July – Great Train Robber Ronald Biggs escapes from Wandsworth Prison.

12 July – The Secretary of State for Education and Science, Tony Crosland, issues Circular 10/65 requesting local authorities to convert their schools to the Comprehensive system.

22 July – Sir Alec Douglas-Home suddenly resigns as a head of the British Conservative Party.

24 July – Freddie Mills, former British boxing champion, is found shot in his car in Soho.

27 July – Edward Heath becomes leader of the British Conservative Party following its first leadership election by secret ballot.

29 July – The Beatles film Help! debuts in London.

August – Elizabeth Lane appointed as the first female High Court judge, assigned to the Family Division.

1 August – Cigarette advertising is banned on British television.

Radio and television licence fees are increased.

3 August – Release of the film Darling starring Julie Christie. "The Queen’s Award to Industry" for export and technological advancements is created.

6 August – Peter Watkins’ The War Game, a television drama-documentary depicting the aftermath of a nuclear attack on the UK, is pulled from its planned transmission as BBC1’s The Wednesday Play for political reasons. It will go on to win the 1966 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

The first female High Court judge is appointed.

21 August – Charlton Athletic F.C. player Keith Peacock becomes the first substitute to appear in a Football League match.

2 September – Sir Harry Hylton-Foster, Speaker of the House of Commons, dies.

21 September – British Petroleum strikes oil in the North Sea.

24 September – The British governor of Aden cancels the Aden constitution and takes direct control of the protectorate, due to the bad security situation.

30 September – First episode of ATV ‘Supermarionation’ series Thunderbirds airs.

7 October – Ian Brady, a 27-year-old stock clerk from Hyde in Cheshire, is charged with the murder of 17-year-old apprentice electrician Edward Evans to death at a house on the Hattersley housing estate last night.

8 October – The Post Office Tower opens in London.

16 October – Police find a girl’s body on Saddleworth Moor near Oldham in Lancashire. The body is quickly identified as that of Lesley Ann Downey, who disappeared on Boxing Day last year from a fairground in the Ancoats area of Manchester, at the age of 10. Ian Brady, arrested last week for the murder of a 17-year-old man in nearby Hattersley, is suspected of murdering Lesley, as is his 23-year-old girlfriend Myra Hindley, who on 11 October was also charged with the murder of Edward Evans. Police suspect that other missing people from the Manchester area, including 12-year-old John Kilbride (who was last seen alive nearly three years ago) could be also be buried there; some reports state that as many as 11 murder victims may have been buried in the area.

20 October – It is reported that suspected mass murderer Ian Brady tortured his victims and tape-recorded the attacks on them. Detectives in Brady’s native Scotland are also reportedly investigating the disappearance of 12-year-old Moira Anderson in Lanarkshire eight years ago as a possible link to Brady.

21 October – Ian Brady and Myra Hindley are charged with the murder of Lesley Ann Downey and remanded in custody.

22 October – African countries demand that the United Kingdom use force to prevent Rhodesia from declaring unilateral independence.

24 October – Prime Minister Harold Wilson and Arthur Bottomley travel to Rhodesia for negotiations.

Police find the decomposed body of a boy on Saddleworth Moor. The body is identified as that of John Kilbride, a 12-year-old boy who disappeared from Ashton-Under-Lyne in November 1963.

29 October – Ian Brady and Myra Hindley appear in court, charged with the murders of Edward Evans (17), Lesley Ann Downey (10) and John Kilbride (12).

October – Corgi Toys introduce the all-time best selling model car, James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 from the film Goldfinger.

1 November – Three cooling towers at the uncompleted Ferrybridge C electricity generating station in West Yorkshire collapse in high winds.

5 November – Martial law is announced in Rhodesia. The UN General Assembly accepts British intent to use force against Rhodesia if necessary by a vote of 82-9.

8 November – The British Indian Ocean Territory is created, consisting of Chagos Archipelago, Aldabra, Farquhar and Des Roches islands (on 23 June 1976 Aldabra, Farquhar and Des Roches are returned to Seychelles).

The Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act suspends capital punishment for murder in England, Scotland and Wales, for five years in the first instance, replacing it with a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.

The Race Relations Act outlaws public racial discrimination.

11 November – In Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe), the white minority regime of Ian Smith unilaterally declares independence.

13 November – The word "fuck" is spoken for the first time on British television by the theatre critic Kenneth Tynan.

20 November – The UN Security Council recommends that all states stop trading with Rhodesia.

29 November – Mary Whitehouse founds the National Viewers’ and Listeners’ Association.

December – EMI release Jacqueline du Pré’s recording of Elgar’s Cello Concerto with John Barbirolli and the London Symphony Orchestra.

National Coal Board closes the last deep coal mine in the Forest of Dean (Northern United at Cinderford).

3 December – The first British aid flight arrives in Lusaka; Zambia had asked for British help against Rhodesia.

12 December – The Beatles’ last live U.K. tour concludes with two performances at the Capitol, Cardiff.

15 December – Tanzania and Guinea sever diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom.

17 December – The British government begins an oil embargo against Rhodesia; the United States joins the effort.

22 December – A 70 mph speed limit is imposed on British roads.

A reorganisation of the cabinet sees Roy Jenkins appointed Home Secretary and Barbara Castle as Minister of Transport.

24 December – A meteorite shower falls on Barwell, Leicestershire.

27 December – The British oil platform Sea Gem collapses in the North Sea, killing 13 of the 32 men on it.

30 December – President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia announces that Zambia and the United Kingdom have agreed to a deadline before which the Rhodesian white government should be ousted.

U.S. Events

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and more than 2,600 others arrested in Selma, Ala., during demonstrations against voter-registration rules (Feb. 1). Background: Civil Rights.

Malcolm X, black-nationalist leader, shot to death at Harlem rally (Feb. 21).

Blacks riot for six days in Watts section of Los Angeles: 34 dead, over 1,000 injured, nearly 4,000 arrested (Aug. 11-16).

1965: US orders 50,000 troops to Vietnam

President Johnson has commited a further 50,000 US troops to the conflict in Vietnam.

Monthly draft calls will increase from 17,000 to 35,000 – the highest level since the Korean War, when between 50,000 and 80,000 men were called up each month.

It will take the US force in Vietnam up to 125,000 but officials say at this stage demands should be met by conscription, without calling upon the reserves.

Muhammad Ali defeated Sonny Liston.

During the Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965, Ed White became the first American to conduct a spacewalk.

1965 Swedish engineer Sten Gustav Thulin was issued U.S. patent No. 3,180,557 (assigned to Celloplast company) for the modern disposable plastic grocery bag.

1965 Astronaut John Young smuggled a corned beef sandwich aboard the first Gemini spacecraft flight.

1965 ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ premiered on CBS TV.

1965 Cool Whip, a whipped cream substitute, was introduced by General Foods. Within 3 months it is the top selling whipped topping product.

1965 Ellen Church died on Aug 22 (born Sept 22, 1904). The first airline stewardess.

1965 Canada adopted its new red & white flag with a red maple leaf in the center.

1965 The first Subway sandwich shop opens in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

1965 ‘Pepper’ Martin, baseball player died.

1965 Discovered that addition of vitamins C and E reduced levels of nitrosamines in fried bacon and nitrite-cured products; industry changed processing to minimize consumer exposure to cancer-causing nitrosamines.

1965 The entire cast of the comic strip ‘Peanuts’ was featured on the cover of TIME magazine.

1965 R. C. Duncan was granted a patent for ‘Pampers’ disposable diapers.

1965 Campbell Soup Company introduces Franco-American Spaghetti-O’s.

1965 Jimmy Chamberlain of the music group ‘The Smashing Pumpkins’ was born.

1965 The Rolling Stones recorded the frustrated diners lament, "(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction."

1965 Norwood Fisher of the music group ‘Fishbone’ was born.

1965 Green Acres TV show debuted.

1965 Paul Hermann Muller died. A Swiss chemist who discovered that DDT was a potent insecticide. It was the most widely used insecticide for more than 20 years, and helped to increase food production around the world. Due mainly to its accumulation in animals that eat insects, and its toxic effects on them and those further up the food chain, it has been banned in the U.S. since 1972. However its residue is still found in some foods grown in the U.S. in 2005.

1965 The Pillsbury Doughboy, ‘Poppin’ Fresh,’ was born. He made his debut in a commercial for crescent rolls.

1965 At 5:15 pm on November 9, a 13 hour blackout of the northeastern U.S. and parts of Canada began when the electric grid failed.

1965 British author, W. Somerset Maugham died. Among the titles of his novels and short stories are: ‘Cakes and Ale’, ‘The Alien Corn’ and ‘The Breadwinner.’

1965 ‘Taste Of Honey’ by Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass hit #1 on the charts.

Almost 50 years ago, a small team at the Italian company Olivetti managed to do what no one had done before them; they created a computer small enough to fit on a desk, and could be used by regular people. It was the Programma 101, what many consider to be the world’s first personal computer.

To understand just how revolutionary the Programma 101 was when it was unveiled back in 1965, you first have to know what computers looked like at the time. Remember, this was almost 50 years ago. It was the era of huge mainframes, big as fridges, sometimes filling up entire rooms. Only a small elite had access to them.

1965 in British television

2 January – World of Sport premieres on ITV with Eamonn Andrews as its first presenter.

January – The BBC collaborates with Ireland’s RTÉ on an historic television broadcast as Irish Taoiseach Seán Lemass and Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Terence O’Neill meet for the first time in Belfast.

30 May – A televised tribute to the late British bandleader and impresario Jack Hylton called The Stars Shine for Jack is held in London at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

1 August – Cigarette adverts are banned from UK television. Pipe tobacco and cigar adverts continue until 1991.

6 August – The War Game, a drama-documentary by director Peter Watkins depicting the events of a fictional nuclear attack on the United Kingdom, is controversially pulled from its planned transmission in BBC1’s The Wednesday Play anthology strand. The BBC was pressured into this move by the British government, which did not want much of the play’s content to become public. It was eventually released to cinemas, and won the 1966 Academy Award for Documentary Feature. The BBC finally screened the play in 1985.

4 October – United! premieres on BBC1.

4 October – The BBC announces plans to introduce a new service for Asian immigrants starting the following week.

13 November – The word "fuck" is spoken for the first time on British television by the theatre critic Kenneth Tynan.

BBC 1

9 January – Not Only… But Also (1965–1970) 31 March – Going for a Song (1965–1977) 13 April – The Bed-Sit Girl (1965–1966) 7 July – Tomorrow’s World (1965–2003) 22 July – Till Death Us Do Part (1965–1975) 2 October – BBC-3 (1965–1966) 4 October – United! (1965–1967) 18 October – The Magic Roundabout (1965–1977) 19 October – The Newcomers (1965–1969) 13 December – Jackanory (1965–1996, 2006–present)

BBC2

24 March – The Airbase (1965) 17 October – Call My Bluff (1965–1988, 1994, 1996–2005)

ITV

2 January – World of Sport (1965–1985) 23 January – Public Eye (1965–1975) 30 September – Thunderbirds (1965–1966)

Posted by brizzle born and bred on 2017-10-01 09:07:50

Tagged: , memories of 1965 , 1965 , van

The post memories of 1965 appeared first on Good Info.

[peckhampeculiar]

Meet the guv’nor

Mark Baxter has produced a documentary on jazz great Tubby Hayes and written books on football fashion, mod culture and more. His novel The Mumper, based on his life growing up in south-east London, was even made into a film starring Bob Hoskins

Words by Garth Cartwright; Photos © Alexander McBride Wilson

Mark Baxter might well be called “the guvnor”, so strong is his presence and sense of authority. Born, raised and still resident in the Camberwell and Peckham area, he’s a sharply dressed big man, who speaks of his home turf with great affection.

I first came across the Walworth Road magus via Tubby Hayes – A Man In A Hurry, a superb documentary about the late, great London jazz saxophonist. It’s narrated by actor and Tubby fan Martin Freeman.

Mark wrote and produced the film and a quick Google demonstrates how he is also a PR, band manager and one of south London’s most prolific authors. He has penned all manner of books on topics such as local history, mods and footballer fashion, as well as three novels.

“It all comes out of my background in the mod world,” he says, when I ask him where his creativity stems from. “I was 16 or 17 in 1979, when Quadrophenia came out, and that connected me to the mod revival which was then underway.

“My uncle was an original mod who gave me a box of records – the Small Faces, The Animals, The Kinks – and my father was a pub singer around here, who loved Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

“Through that I got a great grounding and then I thought, ‘There must be a bit more to all this than just the Carnaby Street thing’, so I went off to find out about the original jazz guys.

“I found a compilation album that featured Tubby Hayes’ A Pint Of Bitter and then boom! I tried to find out about him and years later my obsession led me to making the film. Madness,” he says, and laughs.

Mark began making A Man In A Hurry in 2013 after relentlessly writing books for the previous decade. “I wanted a break from writing,” he explains, “and so decided to make a movie. No one was interested in financing it so I had to self-fund.

“Starting out, I had no idea how expensive it would be to actually make a [feature-length] film. Licensing footage of Tubby costs a fortune and we spent £17,000 on licensing from the BBC. I thought, ‘If this doesn’t succeed then I’m financially f*****.’ Thankfully it did.”

Tubby was a household name in Britain during the 1950s and 60s and had his own shows on television. He played on some of the most iconic recordings of the era, including the film soundtracks for Alfie and The Italian Job.  

He enjoyed a growing reputation overseas too, with Miles Davis attending his first gig in New York. He also played with greats including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie, both on recordings and performing live.

Tragically he passed away aged just 38 in 1973, due to ill health and escalating drug use. “Tubby would have been 80 in 2015 so we had a big day at Ronnie Scott’s, with Martin Freeman and a lot of other good people,” says Mark.  

In addition to the film, the books Mark has written demonstrate the breadth of his huge enthusiasms and energies. What’s more remarkable is that he had worked for Royal Mail for most of his life and had never written anything until he began his first book in 2002.

Born in Camberwell, he went to Oliver Goldsmith primary school then on to Thomas Calton secondary school in Peckham. “I got suspended for being a disruptive pupil,” he says. “I was taken out of school for a year and I spent almost every day in the library, self-educating.

“I left school with no qualifications and became a postie. In 2000 my dad died and my wife lost a baby within three months, and that was a make or break moment. It was like a fire, the grief. It set something off.”

Mark had an idea for a book exploring the fashion of football, from the 1960s to the 1990s. With photography by legendary snapper Terry O’Neill, it looks at how the two subjects are closely intertwined.  

It focuses on players such as George Best, Steve Perryman, Mike Summerbee and David Beckham, along with other well-known names such as tailor to the stars Doug Hayward, who designed Bobby Moore’s suits.  

It also charts the many influential street fashions which have emanated from the terraces, from the skinheads of the late 1960s to the casuals of the mid-1970s. Fan testimonies are provided by the likes of singer Kevin Rowland and writer Irvine Welsh, among others.

“I had no idea how to write,” Mark admits, “so I did all the research and met the music journalist Paolo Hewitt and we worked on it together. It came out in 2004 and did really well.”

Following the book’s success, Mark decided he wanted to write a novel about the south-east London of his youth and – again teaming up with Hewitt – they produced The Mumper.

“It’s a story of me and my dad,” Mark says. “‘Mumper’ is one of those words I used to get called – [it means] a bit of a ponce. We couldn’t get a deal so we self-published and I started selling it.

“I’m essentially a salesman,” he explains, when I ask how he went about shifting copies. “I’ve always been a hustler. If I’ve got a product, I’ll sell it. I used Myspace and the pubs and clubs and sold it.

“The day I knew it was going to work was when I got a call from my cousin who worked on building sites. He said he’d read it and all his mates wanted it. And these are guys who only ever read the paper.

“I then got an agent and sold the book to a real publisher and then the film rights. And that was me out of the nine till five. I received a chunk of money and have been self-employed ever since – peddling like crazy!”

The Mumper was later turned into a film called Outside Bet starring Jenny Agutter, Bob Hoskins and Phil Davis.

“Jenny, who lives in Camberwell, plays my mum,” says Mark. “She was waiting at the bus stop one day and my mum went up to her and said, ‘You’re playing me in a film!’ Jenny thought it was just some mad old lady,” he laughs.

“At the premiere I introduced my mum to her and she said, ‘Remember me?’ It’s amazing to have a film made so I’m very proud of it. Bob Hoskins was a lovely gentleman. It was an incredible thing to hear him speaking the lines I’d written.”

Mark then joined forces with Darren Lock, who collects photos of south-east London. “Once you become self-employed you have to make a wage,” Mark says. “So I thought, ‘What other ideas do I have?’ I met Darren, saw his photos and said to him, ‘That’s a book.’”

The result of their collaboration was Walworth Through Time, which was published in 2010 and was an instant hit. “We sold it in pubs, tailors, clubs and pie and mash shops like Arments on Westmoreland Road,” says Mark.

“A lot of the people who bought it don’t live in the area now – they live in Essex and Kent but come back for Millwall and pie and mash. They loved the book. Then the publisher said, ‘It’s become one of our bestsellers so let’s do another.’ Now we’ve done three.”

Mark again teamed up with Hewitt to produce The A-Z Of Mod, a book that’s sold strongly internationally. “We spoke to lots of original mods and got great stories about the clothes and the tailors and the bands,” he says. “It’s a starting point for kids who are just getting into it.”

In 2011 came his next book, titled Elizabeth, Peter & Me. “That was the first novel I wrote by myself,” he says. “It’s about an older criminal in south-east London. Someone once said to me, ‘Write about what you know’, and I did.

“The book predicts the Hatton Garden heist – an old criminal, a diamond robbery, burying it in the cemetery. I got a film option on it but then the real Hatton Garden robbery [in 2015] killed it.”

Taking a break from writing, Mark produced the Tubby Hayes documentary before going back to books to pen A Hard Day’s Month with writer Ian Snowball, a novel that was published in June this year.

It’s an engaging, coming-of-age story set in 1963, which tells of two teenage Beatles fans who leave London to seek out their heroes. The protagonists are two 16 year old girls, making the book a decided departure from Mark’s other projects. However, as with all he writes, it brims with detail, passion for music, youth culture and the simple pleasures of life.

“Ian’s done lots of music biographies and he had an idea for a novel but was having trouble with the dialogue, so he asked me to come in and I got drawn in,” Mark says. “I always loved The Beatles and can see this book being developed into a TV drama. It’s an end of innocence story.”

In 2016 they published another book together, Ready Steady Girls, a series of photos documenting the female fashion icons of the mod era. “We crowdfunded it, published a thousand and they sold out immediately,” Mark says with evident satisfaction.

When I ask what’s next, it appears there’s no stopping him. He’s currently working on a photo-book on the late 1960s skinhead/suedehead scene and has just signed a contract to write a documentary for Sky Arts. He’s also developing another documentary on 1960s mod fashion retailer John Simons with the same team who worked on A Man In A Hurry.

How, I wonder, does he fit it all in? His answer is straight to the point. “I just get on with things,” he says.

[paulodebargelove]

Happy Birthday to Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas (born October 13, 1980), known simply as Ashanti, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer and actress. Ashanti is known for her eponymous debut album, which featured the hit song “Foolish”, and sold over 503,000 copies in its first week of release throughout the U.S. in April 2002. In 2003, the self-titled debut album won Ashanti her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B album. Her second release achieved a platinum certification and others top 10 singles.

Ashanti wrote and sang background on Jennifer Lopez’s “Ain’t It Funny (Murder Remix)”, which reached number one on Billboard Hot 100, which was also in the top 10 chart at the same time as “Foolish”, “Always on Time” (with Ja Rule), and “What’s Luv?” (with Fat Joe). Later that year, she was acclaimed as the “Princess Of Hip-Hop & R&B” by her label and capped off her successful debut by winning eight Billboard awards and two American Music Awards.

Ashanti cites Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Tupac Shakur, Mary J. Blige, Ella Fitzgerald, Smokey Robinson, Donna Summer, and Blue Magic as her musical influences. She is currently working on her own publishing company titled Written Entertainment.

Early life

Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas was born on October 13, 1980, in Glen Cove, New York. Her mother, Tina Douglas, is a former dance teacher, and her father, Ken-Kaide Thomas Douglas, is a former singer. Her mother named her after the Ashanti Empire in Ghana; in this nation, women have power and influence, and Tina wanted her daughter to follow that model. Her grandfather, James, was a civil rights activist who associated with Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s. Growing up, Ashanti took dance lessons and joined the church choir. Ashanti went to Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center, where she studied different dance styles, including tap, jazz, ballet, African, modern, and hip hop. She danced with the Senior Pro Ensemble at Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Avery Fisher Hall, and the Black Spectrum Theater. She also performed at the 1994 Caribbean Awards and dancing with Judith Jamison of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. With actress and choreographer Debbie Allen at the helm, Ashanti also performed in the Disney television film Polly alongside stars Keshia Knight Pulliam, Jomecia Moore and Phylicia Rashad.

When she was three years old, Ashanti sang in a gospel choir called “Having Some Fun and the Handsome Pigeons,” but her mother discovered her full singing potential when she overheard Ashanti singing Mary J. Blige’s “Reminisce” at age 12. By the time Ashanti hit puberty, her mother was sending out demo tapes of her singing and dancing. The family could not afford to go to a studio and record a formal demo, so when labels called, Ashanti would have to sing ‘I’m a little teapot’ in front of the record company executives. While attending high school, she began to write songs. As a teenager, she performed in a local talent show and at the Soul Cafe, China Club, Madison Square Garden, Caroline’s Comedy Club, and Greek Fest 2000. In her first major singing performance, Ashanti performed Yolanda Adams’s “More Than a Melody”. She also appeared in a number of big-name music videos, in addition to other dance work.

Ashanti got her first taste of acting as a child extra in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X (1992) and in Who’s the Man?. She also started as a dancer in the Disney TV film Polly. She was also one of the students in the 3-2-1 Contact Extra, What Kids Want To Know About Sex and Growing Up. She also had a couple of minor appearances in music videos, such as KRS-One’s “MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know” as well as 8-Off’s “Ghetto Girl”.

When Ashanti was 16, she was discovered by P.Diddy’s Bad Boy Records. Initially, she went to Bad Boy Records and sang one of Mary J. Blige’s songs in front of P. Diddy and Biggie Smalls. After being impressed by her singing ability, Diddy had her sign to a development deal. In the end, due to a bad contract, Ashanti did not sign with Diddy. This ultimately led to a record deal with Jive Records in 1997. This relationship soured when Jive tried to make Ashanti into a pop singer. Ashanti subsequently involved herself in schoolwork, cheerleading, and running on her school’s track team. She belonged to the English club where she began writing poetry. She was also in the Drama club and performed in a few plays. She put college pursuits aside when Epic Records approached her with a contract in 1998. However, the label’s management changes quickly made Ashanti a low priority. She continued to perform at local New York clubs and began hanging out at the Murder Inc. recording studio, hoping for another big break.

Career

2001–03:

Ashanti, Chapter II and Ashanti’s Christmas

Ashanti was first noticed by Irv Gotti because of her vocal skills. Ashanti initially asked him to produce a few demo songs for her to record so she could say she had some strong tracks by the big time producer but Gotti had a different idea. He asked her to pen hooks for his rap artists and to perform with them in duets. Ashanti provided the melodic response to their call. Ashanti was first featured as a background vocalist on rapper Big Pun’s song “How We Roll”. In the same year, Ashanti was featured on fellow labelmate Cadillac Tah’s singles “Pov City Anthem” and “Just Like a Thug”. She also appeared on the 2001 The Fast and the Furioussoundtrack as a featured artist on Vita’s 2001 hip hop remake of Madonna’s “Justify My Love” and on the solo track “When a Man Does Wrong”. She was featured on Fat Joe’s “What’s Luv?” and Ja Rule’s “Always on Time”. “What’s Luv?” and “Always on Time” were released simultaneously and became two of the biggest hit songs of 2002. Ashanti became the first female to occupy the top two positions on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously when “Always on Time” and “What’s Luv?” were at numbers one and two, respectively.

Following the success of her collaborations with Ja Rule and Fat Joe, Ashanti released her debut single, “Foolish”, which contains a sample of the 1983 song “Stay with Me” by DeBarge (also utilized by The Notorious B.I.G. in his 1995 single “One More Chance”, and by Big L in “MVP”). This is her biggest song to date, spending ten weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. She became the second artist (after The Beatles) to have their first three chart entries in the top ten of the Hot 100 simultaneously. Ashanti’s self-titled debut album,Ashanti, was released on Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc. record label in April 2002. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart. The album has been certified triple platinum in the United States and sold six million copies worldwide. Ashanti wrote the album’s twelve tracks, most of which were written on the spot in the studio. 2002 saw the birth of the careers of many new R&B artists and ‘rivals’ against Ashanti including Amerie, Tweet, and Nivea. Ashanti’s dominance of the R&B world was certified as she had a song in the top ten of the R&B/hip-hop charts every week from January to November 2002. Ashanti’s follow-up singles, “Happy” and “Baby”, were not as successful as her debut single but peaked inside the top ten and top twenty in the U.S., respectively. During mid-2002, Ashanti appeared on Ja Rule’s “Down 4 U” with labelmates, female rappers Vita and Charli Baltimore. The song appeared on a Murder Inc. compilation titled Irv Gotti Presents The Inc. Ashanti’s debut album earned her many awards, including eight BillboardMusic Awards, two American Music Awards, and a Grammy Award in 2003 for Best Contemporary R&B Album. She was nominated as Best New Artist and “Foolish” was nominated in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category. FHM credited her as the “Sexiest Woman in Music” in 2002. She also received a Comet Award and two Soul Train Music Awards that same year.

Ashanti became the subject of controversy when it was announced that she would receive the Soul Train Aretha Franklin Award for “Entertainer of the Year”, a high school student took offense and started an on-line petition against her, explaining to The Seattle Times that she was too new to deserve the award. Nearly 30,000 people agreed with him, signing the petition. Many said that established artists such as Mary J. Blige and Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott or critically acclaimed singers like Alicia Keys and India.Arie were more deserving of an award that carries the name of a musical legend. Despite the petition, the Soul Train committee and Don Cornelius stuck by their decision and Ashanti. Ashanti was applauded by her musical peers as she entered the Pasadena Civic Auditorium to accept her award and she was supported onstage by legendary singer Patti LaBelle, who stated “she’s a baby and we have to support our babies.” In September 2002, Ashanti and her sister Kenashia appeared on the first DisneyMania CD, which was released under Walt Disney Records and features contemporary Disney songs. Ashanti and her sister sang “Colors of the Wind” from the Disney film Pocahontas. By early 2003, Ashanti had performed at every major award show there was: Soul Train Awards, Grammy’s, BET Awards, MTV Awards and the American Music Awards. In 2003, Ja Rule and Ashanti collaborated on another hit song, “Mesmerize”, the music video for which was a parody of a scene from the film Grease. In February 2003, the self-titled debut album had her win her first Grammy award for Best Contemporary R&B album. On May 2, 2002 Ashanti received the key to the city of Glen Cove, New York (her hometown), and the day was named Ashanti Day; Ashanti also received a key to the city of Atlantic City, New Jersey (she was crowned princess of hip hop and R&B).

In July 2003, Ashanti released her second album, Chapter II, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 326,000 copies in the U.S.. The album went Platinum, selling over 1.5 million copies in U.S. The album’s success was somewhat eclipsed, however, by all the negative drama surrounding the Murder Inc. camp at the time (i.e., the FBI investigation and the G-Unit feuding). Chapter II’s first single, “Rock wit U (Awww Baby)”, became a hit, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Its video, which showed Ashanti in a bikini frolicking on a beach and riding an elephant named Bubbles, was nominated for two 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. A remix of the song contains interpolations of Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You”. The second single, “Rain on Me”, reached the number-seven spot on the Hot 100 and number two on the Hot 100 R&B Songs chart. Chapter II was nominated for a 2004 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, and “Rock wit U (Awww Baby)” and “Rain on Me” were nominated in the categories of Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, respectively. At the end of 2003 in November, Ashanti performed at The American Music Awards and was nominated in two categories. In the “Rain on Me” mini-movie music video—directed by Hype Williams and co-starring Larenz Tate—Ashanti portrays a troubled young woman in an abusive relationship. Her song and lyrics combined with William’s visuals to impart the power and horror of the cycle of domestic violence. Ashanti partnered with LidRock to distribute this mini-movie using LidRock’s unique platform. This promotion, in conjunction with heavy rotation on MTV, BET and other music video programs, brought the film and her cause to the attention of millions of fans. It also helped to raise money for the cause, with proceeds from the $5 mini-disc going toward helping to stop domestic violence. She received a Lifetime Channel Achievement Award for her message speaking out against domestic violence. Ashanti was scheduled to join Mariah Carey on the U.S. leg of her Charmbracelet World Tour, but due to scheduling issues, she, instead, became the opening act for R. Kelly’s five-date tour in mid-2003 instead. In May 2003, Ashanti appeared on VH1 Divas and performed her single “Rock wit U (Awww Baby)”. She also participated in duets with Stevie Wonder (who later gave her the nickname Little Libra) on “Do I Do”, and the Isley Brothers on “That Lady”. That same year, she began dating rapper Nelly.

In November 2003, Ashanti’s Christmas album, Ashanti’s Christmas. The album containing 10 Christmas songs, six classic covers and four she wrote herself. To coincide with the release Ashanti premiered a “Christmas Medley” video for the album. While on BET’s 106 & Park, Ashanti said the concept of the Christmas Album came from a guest spot she did on Steve Harvey’s radio show. While playing a game with Stevie Wonder, he began playing Christmas medleys on the piano and Ashanti began singing them, giving her label head the idea to push for a Christmas album. Ashanti went into the studio to record the album during the summer of 2003. Ashanti’s Christmas was released that October and sold just around 100,000 units in the U.S.

2004–07:

Concrete Rose, Collectibles by Ashanti and acting

Before Concrete Rose was released, Ashanti did some major promotion for her single “Only U”, when she premiered it at the 2004 Vibe Music Awards. In 2004, Ashanti was invited back to perform at VH1’s Divas 2004. She appeared on stage with Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Jessica Simpson, and others. She performed Diana Ross’ single “I’m Coming Out”, and she performed a soul-influenced rendition of Chaka Khan’s funk driven “Ain’t Nobody”. Later that year Ashanti collaborated with male R&B newcomer and labelmate Lloyd on the song “Southside”, which was released as his debut single and was a moderate hit. “Wonderful"—with Ja Rule and R. Kelly—peaked at number five in the U.S. and at number one in the UK, and “Jimmy Choo” with rapper Shyne reached number fifty-five on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. Alongside artist such as Wyclef Jean, Mary J. Blige, Eve, Brandy, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Missy Elliott, and many others, Ashanti participated in a cover of “Wake Up Everybody” in support of ACT, the left-leaning political action committee.

In December 2004, Ashanti released her third studio album, Concrete Rose, the title of which took on Tupac Shakur’s pseudonym “The Rose That Grew from Concrete”. The album debuted at number seven in the U.S with first week sales of 254,000 copies, and eventually became her third platinum certified album. The first single, the gold-certified “Only U”, reached number thirteen on theBillboard Hot 100 and became her biggest hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number two. A second single, the ballad “Don’t Let Them”, garnered little chart success after Def Jam refused to fund a music video due to Irv Gotti’s legal troubles during his money laundering trial. Ashanti used her own money to deliver the second video to her fans, with Gotti acting as director. The single was released only in the U.S., where it failed to chart, and the UK, where it reached the lower end of the top forty. In 2005, Ashanti graced the stage at the MTV Japan Music Awards, where she performed her hit single, Only U. She also won a Style award during the show. She performed alongside huge acts like Mariah Carey and Korean star Rain. After the release of Concrete Rose, Ashanti released the DVD Ashanti: The Making of a Star, which was available only for a limited time. The deluxe DVD includes exclusive photo and video shoot footage, music from the albums Ashanti, Chapter II and Concrete Rose, special concert footage, unreleased childhood school performances and behind-the-scenes interviews with family, friends, and fans. The DVD was also repackaged along with the filmCoach Carter. Later in 2005, Ashanti was invited to Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Ball, which honored some of the most influential and legendary African American women of the twentieth century in the fields of art, entertainment, and civil rights. In December 2005, Ashanti released a remix album of Concrete Rose titled Collectables by Ashanti. It features six remixes of previously released tracks and four newly recorded songs, including the single “Still on It”, which features rappers Paul Wall and Method Man. The album was an opportunity for her to fulfill her contract with Def Jam (and have the option of working with another label), and did not fare well on the charts.

In January 2005, she made her feature film acting debut in the film Coach Carter alongside Samuel L. Jackson, which debuted at number one opening weekend. She played a pregnant teenager named Kyra who has to decide whether or not to abort her unborn child. The movie opened at number-one at the U.S. box office, eventually grossing $67 million in the U.S. Later in 2005, Ashanti beat out Hilary Duff and Jessica Simpson to star as Dorothy Gale in the made-for-television film The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz, which pulled in nearly 8 million viewers. In 2006, she starred in the teen comedy John Tucker Must Die, which opened and peaked at number three at the U.S. box office (competing with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Miami Vice) and grossed $68,818,076 worldwide. Ashanti played Heather, the head cheerleader who participates in a vengeful scheme against John Tucker, her unfaithful boyfriend and the school’s biggest heartthrob. Ashanti can also be found on Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7 episode 14: “First Date” and onSabrina the Teenage Witch season 7 episode 3: “Call Me Crazy”. In 2007, Ashanti appeared in the sci-fi horror action Resident Evil: Extinction as a nurse named Betty. The film entered at number one at the box office grossing $53,678,580 in its opening week. To date the movie has grossed $83,648,679 at the US box office and around $197,713,442 worldwide. This was Ashanti’s second number one movie, the other being Coach Carter. In 2006, Ashanti announced that she would release a book titled Ashanti Style withJump at the Sun, an imprint of Disney’s Hyperion Books for Children. The book, which was being touted as Ashanti’s “life and style guide”, was a behind-the-scenes look into her style, both in her personal and professional life. The book was originally planned for a late-2007 release, but as of April 2008 no release date had been announced. Another venture Ashanti has enlisted in is her own handbags and pocketbook, revealed in 2007.

2008–10:

The Declaration, departure from The Inc. and The Wiz

Her fourth studio album, The Declaration, was released on June 3, 2008 and sold 86,000 units its first week of release, which were the lowest first week sales for any of Ashanti’s studio albums. In mid-2007, MTV News reported that the first single from The Declarationwas “Switch”, which was produced by Shy Carter and released digitally in the United States on July 24, 2007. It was later reported that “Switch” may not be included on the album’s track listing, and that the first single would be “Hey Baby (After the Club)” it was released to radio and digital outlets on October 16. The song, which does not appear on the U.S. editions of the album, peaked at number eighty-seven on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. “The Way That I Love You”, was released to radio and digital outlets in January 2008, was referred to as the “first single” in press material and media reports. It reached number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Ashanti’s first song to reach the top forty since “Only U” in 2004. “Body On Me” was recorded not only for Ashanti’s The Declaration, but also for Nelly’s fifth studio album Brass Knuckles. The track is produced by Akon and Giorgio Tuinfort. It went to number one on Billboard’s Hot Videoclip Tracks chart in its first week, becoming the first number one single from Nelly’s album.“Good Good” was released to urban radio stations on July 16, 2008. The song contains elements of Elton John’s 1974 single “Bennie and the Jets”, and has the same melody arrangement as Michael Jackson’s “The Girl Is Mine”. In July 2008, Ashanti was named an ambassador of tourism for Nassau County, Long Island.

In May 2009, Irv Gotti announced that he was officially releasing Ashanti from The Inc. Records, stating that “The relationship has run its course. The chemistry of what’s needed — we’re in two totally different places. You’re talking to somebody that took her and shaped and molded her and put her out there for the world, and it blew up. We [hold the record] for the [fastest] selling debut by a female R&B artist — 503 [thousand]. We did it! My views and philosophies and her views and philosophies are not meeting up.” Gotti also admitted that he and Ashanti have not spoken to each other in a long time. A rep for Ashanti did not respond. On September 24, 2009, Ashanti announced her fifth studio album would be released from her new label, Written Entertainment.

Ashanti headlined the cast of The Wiz in the New York City Center Encores! Summer Stars staging from June 12 to July 5, 2009. Ashanti’s role as Dorothy has since received mixed reviews from critics as most praised her vocals but was less pleased with her acting ability. BET and Entertainment Weekly both praised the singer’s performance as The New York Post and New York Times gave lukewarm reviews. Though the first night was sold out, some of the other shows were unable to follow its success. On October 27, 2008, Ashanti took part in The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken, a one night only concert to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Wicked, featuring songs written by Stephen Schwartz, that were cut from the show.

2011–present:

Braveheart, and sixth album

Ashanti confirmed via Twitter that she was currently in the studio working on her fifth album, that is being released through her own record label Written Entertainment. Ashanti was rumored to be working with a slew of producers and artist, thus far this is all that has been verified… LT Hutton, Dr. Dre, Game, Theron Feemster aka Neff-U, Cool & Dre, Warryn Campbell, Carvin & Ivan, Common, Darkchild and Tank who co-wrote and co-produced with her the song Paradise. The release date was initially April 17, 2012, however, the release date got pushed back to June 19, 2012. It was later pushed back yet again, with a new release date of August 28, 2012. The album then got pushed back again to January 29, 2013. In July 2011 a promo picture was released, rap-up revealed she had been in the studio with big names including Dr. Dre, Game, and Lil Wayne, and Ashanti had said that a single was coming “very soon”. Single titles include “Paradise” and “She Can’t.” R. Kelly joins the singer on a track titled “That’s What We Do”, whilst Keyshia Cole appears on “Woman to Woman”. Ashanti released her first song in four years, “Never Too Far Away”, which was featured in Morgan Creek’s film Dream House starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz with Naomi Watts. Ashanti also confirmed via her Twitter account that the song will be on her upcoming fifth album but is not her first single. Ashanti announced the title of the first single from her fifth studio album, BraveHeart, via NBC Today Show, revealing it to be called 'No Good’, however the title was later changed to “The Woman You Love”. The lead single from her fifth studio album, “The Woman You Love” featuring American rapper Busta Rhymes, was released online on December 15, 2011. Ashanti said on her official Twitter account that the song would be released onto iTunes on 16 December with a new promo picture. Ashanti released via UStream snippets of some songs from her upcoming 5th studio album which included “The Woman You Love”, “Never Too Far Away”, “She Can’t”, “Paradise”, “Blow” and “Get Lost Together”. Ashanti teamed up with Meek Mill and French Montana for the anticipated second single “No One Greater”, which was produced by 7 Aurelius, Irv Gotti and Chink Santana. The track was leaked in June 2012. On October 2, the song “That’s What We Do” with R. Kelly was released to iTunes for download. In April 2013 she released another single called “Never Should Have”. An music video for the track was also released the same month. In November 2012, it was reported that she had landed her first series regular role in the seventh season of Army Wives in which she played Latasha Montclair. The series was cancelled on September 24, 2013. In the fall of 2013, she appeared in a guest spot on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit alongside Clay Aiken and Taylor Hicks. Additionally, her single “Never Should Have” won “Best Independent R&B/Soul Performance” at the 2013 Soul Train Awards and has also earned an additional nod at the 2013 MCP Music Awards. She starred in the Lifetime film Christmas in the City which premiered on December 7, 2013. Additionally, she released a holiday EP titled A Wonderful Christmas with Ashanti on digital services.

In August 2013, Ashanti announced her plans to work with Ja Rule again, who’d been released from prison in July of that year after a six-year sentence stemming from a gun charge. On January 8, 2014, she revealed the official cover art and release date for Braveheart, which was released March 4, 2014. In January 2014, Ashanti shot the video for the official first single from Bravehearttitled “I Got It” featuring Rick Ross. The video was shot in Miami, Florida and was directed by Eif Rivera. In July, Ashanti announced that the second official single from BraveHeart would be “Early in the Morning” featuring French Montana. The video was shot in August 2014 and directed by Elf Rivera. She released a full-length (deluxe) version of her holiday album A Wonderful Christmas with Ashanti in October 2014. The following month, she starred in the SyFy film Mutant World.

In 2015, she announced that she has been working on new music for her sixth album to be released in 2016. Ashanti also teamed with Michelle Obama and her Let’s Move campaign to spread awareness of drinking water with her new video and song “Let’s Go”. The song and video go from dehydrated to hydrated the more #DrinkUpAshanti is tweeted on Twitter. On December 2, Ashanti released her newly hydrated single “Let’s Go” on iTunes. The video is also available at www.drinkupashanti.com.

Artistry

Ashanti is known for her lyric soprano voice type. People magazine referred to her voice as “pretty” and her soprano as “sultry” and “sweet but slight.” her unique styling of hip-hop soul earned her the title of The Princess of Hip-Hop and R&B, as stated in her song, “Happy.” Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic noted her reputation for using her “swooning voice” in duets with Big Pun, Fat Joe and most notably Ja Rule. As a young girl Ashanti was influenced by legendary artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Prince and Tupac Shakur but she cites Mary J. Blige as the main reason she wanted to pursue a singing career. “I didn’t want to sing only slow songs and I didn’t want to be spittin’ rhymes. But Mary [J. Blige] put those concepts together. She cleared the way, and now I’m following my own path.”

Philanthropy

In 2003, Ashanti partnered with LidRock and the San Francisco-based Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) to raise awareness about the issue of domestic violence during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to distribute the “Rain On Me” mini-movie using LidRock’s unique platform. Proceeds from the $5 mini-disc went towards helping to stop domestic violence. Ashanti also recorded a public service announcement that appeared in more than 4,000 film screens and reached millions of people. Ashanti also gives back by raising money for sickle cell research and she is active in helping the Make-A-Wish Foundation stating, “I’ll go and do just about anything for them.” In 2005, Ashanti helped by recording public service announcement and raising money for the Southeast Asia tsunami disaster. Later that year she helped raise money for the Hurricane Katrina victims and storm evacuees. In 2008, Ashanti, along with others celebrities, taped a PSA to help stop violence and discrimination towards the LGBT community in response to the death of Lawrence King, an eighth-grader at E.O. Green Junior High School who was shot because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. That same year, she launched a special on-line campaign called “I Declare Me…” with Wal-Mart. The campaign’s core is a very personal focus on the self-definition and empowerment of women across the United States, with its home base at Ashanti’s official website. The campaign creates a safe and inclusive on-line space to for women to share testimonies on the site. Participants are able to openly declare their own breakthroughs, revelations, struggles and victories in every life area they choose: career, birth, death, relationships, and personal situations. “I Declare Me…” also invites women to a virtual discussion with Ashanti on such issues as voter registration, teen obesity, and other concerns facing women today.

In September 2009, Ashanti, along with other artists Mariah Carey, Beyoncé Knowles, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes, Busta Rhymes, Cheri Oteri, Flavor Flav, Queen Elizabeth and Carrie Underwood, teamed up for the song “Just Stand Up!”. The charity tune for cancer was conceived by Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who produced it with longtime creative colleague Babyface. All 15 singers (along with Nicole Scherzinger) shared the stage to perform the song live on Sept. 5 2008 during the “Stand Up to Cancer” television special, which aired simultaneously on ABC, NBC and CBS, and helped raise $100 million for cancer research. As a result of SU2C fund raising endeavors, the SU2C scientific advisory committee, overseen by the American Association for Cancer Research was able to award 73.6 million dollars towards novel, groundbreaking cancer research in 2009.

In November 2009, Ashanti joined the crew of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The singer assisted in the rebuilding of the Powell Family home in Buffalo, New York. The efforts from the show expanded significantly to include not just the family home but the entire neighborhood surrounding it. The episode aired January 24, 2010.

Ashanti is featured on the 19-track compilation album “Songs For a Healthier America”, a collaborative project by the Partnership for a Healthier America, whose honorary chair First Lady Michelle Obama, and Hip Hop Public Health. Her song “Just Believe” also features Artie Green, Gerry Gunn, Robbie Nova and Chauncey Hawkins.

Ashanti has greatly given back to the community. She has a history of supporting good causes. She is affiliated with the Jumpstart reading program, Tupperware Brand and Boys and Girls Club of America.

Personal life

Ashanti met rapper Nelly at a press conference for the 2003 Grammy Awards on January 1, 2003. Ashanti and Nelly ended their nine-year relationship in December 2012.

Discography

Ashanti (2002) Chapter II (2003) Concrete Rose (2004) The Declaration (2008) Braveheart (2014) Chapter VI (2016) Filmography

Films

Bride and Prejudice (2004) The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005) Coach Carter (2005) John Tucker Must Die (2006) Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) Christmas in the City (2013) Mutant World (2014) Stuck (2015) Mothers and Daughters (2016) Television

What Kids Want To Know About Sex and Growing Up (1992) Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (2002) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2003) WrestleMania XIX (Opening: America the Beautiful) (2003) The Proud Family (voice) (2003) Pepsi Smash (Commercial) (2003) Punk’d (2004) Oxygen: Custom Concert (2004) Las Vegas (TV series) (2005) 2007 World Series (Opening: 'God Bless America’) (2007) NFL Thanksgiving Day game CBS (Opening: 'National Anthem’) (2007) BET Awards Nomination Special “I Wanna Thank My Mama” (host) (2008) Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (2010) Army Wives (2013) Law & Order: SVU (2013) Unforgettable (2015) Theater

The Wiz (2009)