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howaminotinthestrokesyet · 3 years ago

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Radio Friendly Unit Shifter: The Complete Nirvana Videography

Heart-Shaped Box

Nirvana had originally wanted Kevin Kerslake to direct this video, who had written the initial treatment in July 1992. By the summer of 1993, he had written at least five treatments, which included a shot of Kurt Cobain kissing William Burroughs and another of the entire band hanging by their necks from trees. Yet by the end of August, the band decided to go with Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn. The director seemed initially apprehensive about agreeing to do the video as he had heard Kurt Cobain could act overly detailed in production. He would say, “But then I looked at it and I thought that actually it was pretty good. I was very amazed by somebody writing a song and having those ideas as precise as he did." The video begins with the band standing in a hospital room around an old man receiving an IV drip, then moves to a surreal Wizard of Oz type of outdoor setting. The same old man in a Santa and later Pope hat climbs on a crow infested cross as they sing the song. The video also includes a young girl reaching for fetuses in a tree, while at the same time an overweight woman appears with human organs painted on her chest with a pair of wings. Many of these ideas were actually conceived by Corbijn, not the band as he always came up with the ideas on his own for any of his videos. Upon the promotion’s release, Kevin Kerslake sued the band for copyright infringement, as the case would be settled out of court. Upon its release, the clip became the most played video on MTV eventually garnering two video music awards for Best Alternative Video and Art Direction. Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear accepted the awards as Kurt Cobain had already passed. New Musical Express named it as the 11th best music video of all time, while Time magazine called it the number 10 music video ever saying it was both “beautiful and terrible.” In 2016, Dave Grohl reunited with the young girl from the video, who had this to say about the reunion. “Today reminded me that I peaked at 6 years old but I was the most badass kid on the playground. Today was the absolute coolest. Or in Dave's words seeing each other today was a 'historic moment'! What a legend!”

Sliver

A music video for the song was released in 1993 to promote the compilation album, Incesticide. The video would be directed by longtime collaborator Kevin Kerslake. The clip begins with Kurt Cobain holding his young daughter up behind some cardboard as she dances along to the first few seconds of the track. The video moves to Cobain’s garage, where it shows the band performing the song. Dave Grohl is playing on the drums, even though he never played on the original song. Cobain only sings into a microphone, but he's never seen playing guitar. He is wearing a red mohair sweater that Courtney Love had purchased for him from a fan at a Nirvana show in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His whole garage is filled with toys and decorations the singer had placed in storage just before the release of Nevermind that he had collected over the years. The collection included a Chim Chim toy monkey that was given to him from the Japanese band Shonen Knife.

Come As You Are

This video would actually be the first one directed by Kevin Kerslake, who was hired after such a negative experience with the director on Smells Like Teen Spirit. The concept would be developed by Kerslake as Cobain could not come up with any ideas, so he let the director develop the video. The singer’s only requirement was that some kind of reference be made to the cover of the Nevermind album. The clip shows the band in a dark room as water falls around them obscuring their form. Other images include Cobain swinging from a chandelier, a dog wandering around the room, a baby swimming in a pool, and a pistol falling underwater. The end of the video shows the entire group lying on the ground as Cobain kisses the camera.

Lithium

This video originally had a concept of doing a short animated story about a female girl named Prego. This girl lives in a forest, when she finds some eggs and takes them to a king in a nearby castle. Unfortunately, both Kevin Kerslake and Cobain discovered that it would take four months to produce the video, so they abandoned the idea. Kerslake instead created a collage of concert footage for the video made up of their 1991 Paramount Theater concert and other footage from the 1992 film, The Year Punk Broke. Biographer Michael Azerrad would make this critical comment about the clip. "Although [the video] was enlivened by Kerslake's neat trick of using more violent footage during the quiet parts of the song and vice versa, it was something of a disappointment from a band and a song that promised so much."

You Know You’re Right

Chris Hafner directed this video released in October 2002 to coincide with the single of the same name. The clip shows a montage of The band in either concerts or interviews, but giving the impression that they are actually performing the song. The video would reach number two on Billboard’s music videos chart. New Musical Express would go on to nominate it for Best Music Video in 2002.

In Bloom

Two versions of this video exist. The first one showed clips of the band walking around New York City and performing at Maxwells in New Jersey. In the clip, one can see Krist Novoselic in some shots has hair and others a shaved head. The reason for that comes from the fact that he had to shave it as punishment for a mediocre performance during a show at the Pyramid Club. They made this alternate version for a compilation dvd on the Sub Pop label, Sub Pop Video Network Volume One. The second version, which most people remember is called the Nevermind version. This promotional clip would be directed once again by Kevin Kerslake and released in November 1992. Kurt Cobain’s original concept for it was to tell the story of a young girl born into a Ku Klux Klan family until she realizes the evil nature of her parents, but the concept seemed much too difficult to work out. He then switched it into a parody of 1960’s television shows like the Ed Sullivan Show. The entire video was shot in original cameras of the period in Kinescope, while the band did the entire song without a script. The actor playing the host was Doug Llewellyn, who had worked as the reporter interviewing people after their case on the People’s Court. Cobain wanted to make a funny parody video to show that there was another side to Nirvana. He felt “so tired for the last year of people taking us so seriously . . . I wanted to fuck off and show them that we have a humorous side to us.” The entire band would wear suits during their performance, while the Nirvana frontman had glasses that eventually made him quite dizzy. He would later say in a Melody Maker interview that they wanted to parody groups like the Dave Clark Five, but not the Beatles. He would never mock the Fab Four due to their influence on his songwriting. In the clip, Novoselic is wearing short hair, which he liked so much that he never changed it. They eventually destroy all of their instruments and the stage by the end of the song. In Bloom would go on to win the 1993 MTV Music Video Award for Best Alternative Video.

Smells Like Teen Spirit

This video would be directed by first timer Sam Bayer. The director believed that he actually got hired because the work on his résumé seemed so below average that Nirvana thought that it would represent the opposite of anything remotely corporate. The concept developed by the band was to stage a school concert that ended in a riot. The idea had been based on the films Rock ‘n’ Roll High School starring the Ramones and The 1979 film, Over the Edge. The clip begins with the band playing the song during a pep rally in a high school gym as cheerleaders wearing sweaters with the anarchy symbol on them cheer along. Every so often, the camera cuts to a janitor dancing alongside his broom. The video ends with the apathetic students going from the bleachers to the gym floor in a full-scale riot. The apathy from the students was actually real as they had been sitting on the bleachers all day. Cobain was finally able to convince Bayer that the students should be allowed to mosh at the end of the video. The singer said, “Once the kids came out dancing they just said 'fuck you', because they were so tired of his shit throughout the day.” The Nirvana frontman hated the directors final edit of the video so much that he went in himself creating what became the final version. Upon its release, Rolling Stone’s David Fricke would say that it was “the greatest gig that you could ever imagine.” The video would go on the win MTV Video Music Awards for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Video. In 1999, the video was named the number three music video of all time on a list put out by MTV. VH1 named it number 18 in the greatest television moments in the history of music as alternative music now became a “commercial and cultural force.” At the end of 2019, the video had been viewed 1 billion times on YouTube.

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mouthtrashworld · 4 years ago

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HEAR ME OUT: PARIS HILTON INSPIRED ME TO GO TO ART SCHOOL

HEAR ME OUT: PARIS HILTON INSPIRED ME TO GO TO ART SCHOOL AND BECOME A FILMMAKER.

My sister and I played it cool until my parents dark purple grand caravan left the driveway. We knew we had to conceal our excitement of being home alone for a few hours in order to not seem suspicious. It was our chance to watch whatever trash was on television that day without the normal censorship our parents had set on us. My mother strived to win the gold medal for being a helicopter parent and my dad just agreed with whatever she said. Somehow we were always a step ahead of them. There was a vast lack of communication within my household which lead me to crave answers and sneak around to get them.

We really made a day of it. We pulled our big fluffy comforters off our beds and brought them to the couch, gathered every unhealthy snack from our cabinet (which was difficult as my mother kept a strict, low carb, low sodium, no sugar menu to chose from in our house) and hung heavy blankets over the windows to block out the glare on the 30 inch Panasonic VHS combo unit. My older sister, Cate, had control over the remote, she knew which channel number MTV played on and she memorized the Parental Control Password that was set on various channels that aired the exact rubbish it was to protect us from, but quickly became our favorite shows. At the time I didn’t even really know how Cate found out these shows existed. Our amount of media consumption was little to none. Living in a tiny town in Pennsylvania, attending private Christian school and hardly having a social life; our only connection to whats out there

would be the local blockbuster that my mother skirted us in and then quickly out of after renting wholesome family movies. I remember slipping away from my moms watch just long enough to find the “1 Night in Paris” sex tape DVD that was made in 2004 with Rick Salomon (who by the way has been married to Pamela Anderson TWICE!) and Paris Hilton as the star. A few years later, The Simple Life, featuring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie became a huge success for Fox and was later taken over by E! network. The glimpse of the DVD cover was so scandalous I felt guilty just for looking at it. We were a few years late, really just catching the reruns of the show that E!, MTV or VH1 would play during the middle of the day, but we ate it up nonetheless.

The first episode I ever watched was on Season 5. The two girls become camp counselors and every week a different theme and set of campers come in to encounter their shenanigans. This episode was “Fat Camp” and the first order of business was for Paris and Nicole to give the campers enema’s before they start their week of dieting and exercise. It was absolutely ridiculous. I felt bad that these campers who fell victim to their bratty comments, yet my sister and I couldn’t take our eyes off it. Reality TV works in that way you know, where you feel bad, but not bad enough because its not your life.

Soon Cate and I started adding other reality shows to our pallet of rebellion. The Girls Next Door, a reality show about Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends living in the Playboy Mansion. Real World Cancun, AKA Jersey Shore before there was Jersey Shore. And of course The Hills where Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag live it up in Orange County, a place I

thought was made up until I visited there in 2014. But the Simple Life remained my favorite of them all. But Paris Hilton was my first glimpse of glamour, so she always remained my favorite. Granted, Kim Kardashian has seemed to surpass her on many levels after starting out as her intern. And sure maybe Paris is an heiress who will never run out of money or resources and people behind her, producing her, but Miss Hilton found a savvy way to brand herself right at the pinnicale of the internet and she still had to work for it. As a filmmaker I am hyper aware of the way we consume media, which is why I’ve taken such an interest to Paris and this manipulation she had turned into an art form.

Before we go on, in case you don’t know how Paris got famous, I’m here to give you a brief backstory. Paris Hilton, heiress to the Hilton Hotels empire, was actually raised a lot like me. Her parents were strict. She wasn’t allowed to wear makeup or have much of a social life. I believe her parents knew what kind of name she bared and the harsh reality that could come with it, so they kept her on a tight leash. Despite their efforts to keep her tame she slipped away, out into the world long enough to meet famous photographer David LaChapelle, who became enamored with Paris and her sister Nicky, and insisting he take their photo. She knew it was highly against her parents rules to engage in that kind of activity but she went for it. He designed an elaborate set and costumes for them and they went ahead naively thinking the photos would be just for them to admire in private but were later were published in a 2001 Vanity Fair issue, getting her in a whole lot of trouble. She later had to turn down and offer to do Playboy because her parents would disinherit her. By the time she was 18 her career as a model

and professional partier could really take off. Paris became absolutely obsessed with fame. She came up with a formulated routine on how to grab the paparazzi’s attention. She would find all the places photographers would be hanging out that day and go to every single location just to be seen and her plan really seemed to work. She was the bright and shining star of every tabloid in America. She describes in the documentary film, “American Meme” how desperate she was, spending hours searching for a place with someone, anyone to take her picture no matter what it took. Her paparazzi access seemed responsible for Paris to become a household name. — add on?

We have to remember that this time, 2007-2009, was a turning point, as smart phones and blackberries were now in almost every American’s pocket and we were craving the tea more than ever. Tabloids started working around the clock to deliver us the latest scoop at the now possible all hours of the day; i.e. the tragedies of Amy Whinehouse, LiLo and her drug escapades, Britney Spears and her hairless melt down, the list goes on. We asked for it, we got it and kept asking for more. After Paris sought out these outlets, the offers poured in. Her own show, movie roles, modeling for brand name designers, she became a DJ, became an author, a business woman, a fashion designer she owns hotels in Dubai and is currently carrying a hefty 10.5 million instagram follower count.

I know what you’re thinking, like okay so who cares about this rich “bimbo” (dubbed courtesy of a New York Post article circa 2007) but just hear me out. Most of us can relate to her story and if not, at least to some of her tactics. What I grew to realize after becoming social media obsessed (possibly because I was deprived as a child) is that

no matter how information changes or what new technology comes to pass it along to us, we will always be doing it in the same way. I watched Myspace come and pass, seeing thousands of singers, bands and actresses get discovered through that site, even some playmates in Playboy magazine. I saw Facebook allow us to put every single thing about our lives on blast at any minute of the day. Twitter allows us to barf our thoughts up in once 180, now 280 characters, Vine stars made 6 seconds videos and now make 6 figures from their fame and last but not least Instagram, and trust me when I say I cringe having to say this, “influencers” sell to us with every photo or video they post. Whether that be a lifestyle, a product or just themselves as a person. A vast majority of us have to admit that we are drinking the juice. We ourselves are partaking in marketing our “best life” being lived via Instagram. So ask yourself, what is the difference between what we are doing on the Gram versus what Paris was doing in 2006, showcasing her persona to the media in the only way it was accessible at the time? Why not manipulate it the same way it manipulates us? Find out where the quote on quote Paparazzi are and market yourself the same way reality stars did.

Not that I have the intention to come up in the same way some of these heiresses who’s names are already famous or these vine stars or twitter comedians did but I have the power to show a portion of the world who I am and what I can do to earn my career as a filmmaker and communicator via social media.

I realized that what I was doing as a little kid, waiting for my parents to leave to seek a world outside my own is exactly what Paris did. She took the risk and got the answers.

Her obsession with fame coincided with my obsession with social media, to communicate and or get my work out there. I’m just trying to work system to brand myself. My research shows that the reality show we down load from an app store and place in our pockets has led me to some big wins. Upon getting hired for shoots or my work recognized in some way, I see there is a formula to the entire thing. When to post, how to post, who to follow, etc. I have no producers behind me to curate my Instagram, I have no connection to someone with a big name. All I have is myself to show for what I can do and if I keep going back to the place with the most access to the loudest voices , like Paris did I may have a shot at getting my own voice out there and I will say more important things than “thats hot” I promise you.

In the end I think that the reason I clung to Paris and her story so deeply was because it was virtually first and foremost example I had and to as impressionable young woman, that kind of thing sticks. The definition of success and how to obtain it was taught to me was by sneaking her show on a Saturday afternoon while my parents when to Shop Rite without me. I’ve just stayed observing all the ways fame has developed via internet and can lead to success. But the beauty of the defying gravity factor is that this blond “bimbo” and many other “bimbos” like her have done the same thing, most without the Hilton name. All I did was think twice before I believed that reality television was just a trashy phase. Instead I realized that I, like many others, am still consuming similar content in 2009 now in 2019, the difference is its in the palm of my hand and I’m deciding to take advantage of it.

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dearly · 5 years ago

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music docs for the industry curious

avicii: true stories [netflix] (2017) profiles the rise of avicii up to and including his decision to stop performing. captures the coercive and damaging part of the industry well.

30 seconds to mars: artifact (2013) covers the band’s struggle with virgin/emi, the doc with the most concise explanation of how the industry/labels work/’own’ the artists.

metallica: some kind of monster [netflix] (2004) many insights on band dynamics. when setting out to record XX metallica hired a therapist to work through their issues. many insights on band dynamics, including dave mustaine who returns to confront them years after leaving the band.

robyn: don’t fucking tell me what to do (2011) discusses the difficulties of growing up in the spotlight; getting dropped and held back and getting back into the swing of things.

backstreet boys: show 'em what you're made of (2012) the rise and struggles of a boyband including all the dirty tricks they were subjected to, and some of the legal battles they fought to remain together as well as the band’s internal frictions are covered.

the boyband con [youtube] (2019) lou pearlman’s methods and deeds exposed by his former clients.

no room for rockstars (2012) warped tour 2010 behind the scenes, chronicling the rise and stalling of various artists.

kate nash: underestimate the girl (2019) starting after kate nash was dropped from her label, nash attempted to regain ground on her own in the US. unfortunately her manager seemed more intent on stealing money from her.

vh1 behind the music: boy george/culture club insight into the friction of having a closeted couple in the band, and the repercussions that followed from drugs and interpersonal issues.

chasing happiness (2019) documents the jonas brothers career up to their reunion. mostly about them personally but features some interesting tidbits about career dynamics, expectations and radio leveraging airplay.

the punk singer (2013) this film is about kathleen hanna, the front woman of bikini kill and le tigre but it covers the whole riot grrrl movement pretty well, with a dash of courtney love drama and all that. good for history.

take that for the record (2005) & take that look back don’t stare (2012) lots of ups and downs; interpersonal dynamics including members leaving and intense feuds that are overcome, overbearing managers, regaining controls of their careers.

dixie chicks: shut up and sing (2006) covers the fallout from the onstage comments they made about president bush. lots of industry politics.

rip!: a remix manifesto (2008) - on the history of file sharing and the laws surrounding copyright and remixes.

wilco: i am trying to break your heart (2002) profiles the recording of ‘tango foxtrot hotel’ and the band being dropped from their label after submitting their album.

the decline of western civilization part ii: the metal years (1988) an incisive look at the boom of the metal years. wannabes, fans and stars feature heavily.

whitney (2018) closeting, pr stunts, greed and drugs. an incisive and heartbreaking look at how everyone around whitney houston let her down or wanted something from her.

#music industry #music industry: resources #documentary

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didnt-hear-cold-as-you-live · 5 years ago

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You already had a job at 19? Did you graduate early?

oof i actually have never explained this lmao buckle up this is another How The Fuck Is My Life Like This ride

i dropped out of college a semester in because a) i originally intended to transfer to a uni in Australia and b) i realized how much of a scam a private, $60K/year NYC art school in the current conditions of the USA were dfhjgkshgj. when i didn’t end up moving to Aus, i realized i wasn’t fully out of my college’s computer system yet, and thus was still able to swipe into my college’s dorm building and get into their job / internship datebase. I spent 8 months homeless in NYC, going between a couple tours, couch surfing, and mostly living in the lobby of that college dorm and just telling security “my roommate sexiled me” if they asked. i kept my clothes in the dryer in a laundromat in the basement (so they just looked like freshly washed clothes somebody left but they were really just. my clothes), and they had communal showers on every floor so that wasn’t an issue to me. using their job database, i got internships doing visual marketing for Diane Von Furstenberg (a HUGE fashion designer), TIDAL, and the company that manages Def Leppard. i did that for a good chunk of the year i was 18, and then after having to quit those jobs because i took on a huge tour, I applied to temp for actual 9-5 jobs at ad agencies. i put down that I was in college for a year and a half, because technically, by that point, i had been in their computer system for a year and a half, and the assumption every job made was that i had an associate’s degree….. and they never explicitly asked so i never had to confirm or deny it. and they were so impressed w the caliber of internships i had + what my portfolio looked like that they all hired me on the spot, not caring how young i was, and i got to choose which one i wanted. i ended up at an ad agency that made social media graphics for companies like VH1, Nickelodeon, etc.

I worked there for about 4 months and saved up a literal shitload of money and they liked me SO much that they wanted to swap me from being a freelancer there to a contracted employee with like. a dental plan and vacation days and shit and i turned them down because i knew staying there would mean i’d never have a touring career and i used the money to support myself while my career was getting started (and drive around the perimeter of the US and go to Australia twice hjfdgskhjg) and tada, that’s how i am here.

tldr; lying, cheating and stealing but it all worked out flawlessly for me so like, it’s fine, fuck private art schools

#asked #anon

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simsonphiya · 5 years ago

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“Tales of The Pink Pwussy”

We knew starting an at home strip club wouldn’t be easy but I never expected the shit we’ve been through the last couple of days.I swear VH1 needs to give us a reality show. You would never know that I was a virgin up until a couple of days ago unless I told you. When I tell you I’ve ran the miles up on this pwussy just tryna get this place up and running bitch i might need to trade it in for a new one. This shit cost so much more than we budgeted for. Can you believe that ONE sign out front cost $1000!? The first night we opened I left Mari on the deck stripping while i turned a trick in the house and she must’ve been slipped something because next thing i knew the bitch was dead! but, thankfully we were able to resuscitate that hoe. The next night we attempted to host a house warming. I called myself tryna get some action ($$) from this ol’ suga daddy nigga named Pretty Ricky but before I knew it he was somewhere fucking the young boy Duane Talla! I couldn’t believe it there is no way hes finer than me tf. The final straw was tonight. Mari and I wanted to show ya’ll some of the new pole tricks we’ve learned earlier but before i knew it neither one of us could move and our whole world went black.I dont know whats going on have we been drugged? I guess we gon need to hire some of those top flight security niggas like Day Day and Craig. I’m telling you these first few days have been beyond me but shit we can get knocked down nine times and we’d still get up a tenth. -Kash

Hair- @antosims

Tattoos- @indisim

Shirt/Money Thong- @nitropanic

Shoes- @simstefani

Nails- @redheadsims-cc

#sims 4 simblr #Black Simmer #thesims4 #TS4 #ts4roleplay #ts4 gameplay #simstagram #the sims 4 gameplay #the sims 4 roleplay #blacksims #MariandKash

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sugarwaterradio · 6 years ago

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The Untold Truth Of Diddy's Ex Who Died At Just 47

Model and actress Kim Porter was found dead at her home on November 15, 2018, after suffering flu-like symptoms. She entered the spotlight thanks partly to some high-profile relationships, including a romance with Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, but don't sell her story short. The good-natured mother of four was a star in her own right, too. This is her untold truth. Self-made success Born in Columbus, Georgia in 1971, Kim Porter's dreams proved too big for small-town life. After graduating from high school in 1988, she moved to Atlanta to pursue work as a model. She found work in fashion shows, on the covers of magazines, and worked major campaigns for brands like Revlon and Tommy Hilfiger. Porter also got TV work on shows such as Law & Order, Wicked Wicked Games, and VH1's Single Ladies, which featured Stacey Dash and LisaRaye McCoy.Hollywood romance Songwriter and producer Dallas Austin, known for working with singers such as Gwen Stefani and Duran Duran, mourned Porter's death on social media, memorializing her as a childhood friend. He also revealed a surprising bit of movie history that sprung from their relationship. In a post shared to Instagram of Austin and Porter at prom, Austin wrote, "I have never known a life without Kim Porter From kindergarten through all of our lifelong experiences in high school Having matching BMWs Or her being the biggest believer in me making it as a producer, and us getting out of Columbus, to be somebody." Over their years together, the two formed a romantic relationship. According to Austin, their romance inspired the love story at the center of the 2002 film Drumline, which Austin worked on as an executive producer. As Austin put it, quote, "Most people don't know that Zoe Saldana played the role of Kim in Drumline Nick Cannon played my character." History of love With her star rising in the early 90s, Porter caught the eye of "Al B. Sure", AKA Albert Brown, a Grammy-nominated singer and producer who had a hand in the success of artists such as Jodeci, Faith Evans, and Usher.Porter and Brown seemingly hit it off instantly, and soon after, two became three. In 1991, they welcomed a son, Quincy Jones – named after the legendary music producer. Their love, Brown later said, is what inspired him to write Jodeci's massively successful 1991 hit "Forever My Lady." Brown posted his own tribute on Instagram after Porter's death, suggesting that she would, indeed, forever be his lady. Girl meets bad boy Porter met Diddy in the early 1990s while he was an A&R executive at Uptown Records. As Combs told Essence in 2006, "The first time I saw her, she was at the studio with her ex-boyfriend. I wasn't trying to holler at her or anything, but I was admiring her." Soon after, Porter was hired on as a receptionist at Uptown Records, and the two became a couple by 1994. The couple reportedly became inseparable. Diddy adopted Porter's son, Quincy Jones, when he was 3 years old. In 1998, the couple welcomed another baby boy, Christian Combs, into their family. Everything was seemingly perfect, until 1999. Three's company In 1999, Diddy started a relationship with pop sensation Jennifer Lopez, with the two dating for roughly two years. In court papers filed for child support in 2001, Porter signaled that she and the Bad Boy producer were still in an intimate relationship with each other when he started romancing Lopez.But she later changed her tune, claiming there was "no overlap," according to the New York Post. Years later, Porter revisited this phase of her life in an interview with Essence, explaining that she'd been putting on an act during Diddy's dalliance with J. Lo. As Porter put it, "I had just had a baby. I couldn't be somewhere in a corner heartbroken." She also said she'd known that Diddy would be back, saying, quote, "He was still in love with me." Apparently, she was right, for a little while, at least.The couple reconciled after Diddy's split from Lopez, and welcomed twins in 2006, before ending their 13-year relationship for good the following year. That final breakup came shortly after Porter learned Diddy was expecting a baby with another woman. Her kids came first Throughout her turbulent relationship with Combs, Porter always made it clear that her children were her number one priority.When Diddy was caught up in legal drama connected to a 1999 shooting, she whisked their children away to Georgia to keep them away from the madness. Although she'd previously taken Diddy back after his stepping out on her, their 2007 breakup was different. Porter told Essence, quote, "At this point in my life, I have girls now, it's a different program." Making it work Despite all the drama, Porter and Diddy remained close friends over the years, committed to maintaining a healthy relationship for the sake of their children. Months after their dramatic split, Porter told Essence that they remained friends, and that Diddy still called her every day. She said of the relationship, "There's no ill feeling … We're committed to our children even if we couldn't commit to each other." Although the romance didn't work out, the exes still openly supported each other. Just days before her death, Porter posted a photo of their blended family to Instagram, captioning the shot simply: "LOVE." GET YOUR MUSIC PLAYED IN FULL ROTATION ON SWR RIGHT NOW... http://sugarwaterradio.com/submit-your-music/ Read the full article

#TheUntoldTruthOfDiddy'sExWhoDiedAtJust47

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marrythesequins · 6 years ago

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WOW/VH1/LOGO/RuPaul pls hire me

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greysportable · 2 years ago

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Sky black ink net worth

Sky black ink net worth update#

Who stole Caesars painting?Īfter Cease returns to 113 from visiting the Brooklyn shop, he discovers that the painting of himself is missing. As a result, Alex is no longer able to make a living from being a tattoo artist. Later in the season Ceasar revealed he hired a private investigator to research the injuries, which were valid. What happened to Alex on black ink?Īlex was left with a visible injury to his head as he was led away from the dinner’s venue. Sky Days’ salary is on par with Miller’s, meaning that she’s also supposedly earning $7,000 per episode, which works out to about $91,000 for a 13-episode season. He’s reportedly banking $7,000 for every episode. Walter Miller was a recurring part of the cast before becoming a main member of the crew. It’s been rough, so she’s needed support from her mother and close friends. So Bae was trying to adjust to being a single mother. And he hasn’t made any attempt to help out with their son Niko since. Why did Rob and BAE break up?Īccording to Bae, Rob just up and left her after a disagreement. Ceaser Black Ink is based in Harlem, New York, where he is the owner of Black Ink, a tattoo studio. You might be interested: FAQ: Ancient India Empire? Who is the real owner of Black Ink?Ĭeaser Black Ink net worth: Ceaser Black Ink is an American tattoo artist and reality television star who has a net worth of $2.5 million dollars. The revelation inspired the rest of the tattoo shop employees to divulge the monikers they were given at birth. What is Sky’s real name?Ī few years ago on VH1’s Black Ink Crew, cast member Jakeita “Sky” Days found out that her real name is actually Jo Keita. Donna says that she overheard that Melody owes $30,000 in back taxes, so she is probably the one who took the money. She tells them that $10,000 has been taken from the shop. Sky comes in the shop and tells Jada she has some tough shoes to fill. Fly Tatted’s death was confirmed by an Instagram post on Black Ink Crew’s social media page. The reality show, Black Ink Crew’s contestant, Fly Tatted has passed away.

7 How much do black ink make per episode?.

What do you think of this latest post from One Punch Man? Are you looking forward to the third season? Share your thoughts in the comments section below or follow me on Twitter Megan Peters CB. However, this average-looking guy is He has an unusual problem – he can’t seem to find an opponent strong enough to face him! Every time a promising villain appears, Saitama beats snot with one punch! Can he go with him to toe and give his life some meaning? Or is he doomed to a life of superhuman boredom?” Want to know more about One-Punch Man? Check out the series’ official synopsis here for all the details: “Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his mediocre physique. So, if you want to get caught up in One-Punch Man before season three, you might want to find time for season one and two marathons ASAP. We know character designer Chikashi Kubota is back to sign the official portrait for Season 3, but that’s all fans have for now. At this time, very little is known about the anime’s comeback including studio or executives.

Sky black ink net worth update#

One-Punch Man fans have been waiting years for an update in Season 3, so their patience has been rewarded. Of course, the excitement of Saitama here is very global at the moment. Read more: One-Punch Man Season 3: Which studio will be in charge? And if we’re to guess, the Genos are right behind Saitama in this debris field with a furrow on their forehead. He’s too busy waving three fingers in honor of the new season arrangement. A flood of debris appears falling over the bald superhero, but Saitama can barely think. The black and white piece is simple enough that it shows Saitama in a costume that explodes through a wall. The web comic designer decided to ink his artwork in honor of Saitama’s return, and the graphic is absolutely gorgeous. Of course, few were more excited than the series’ creator, and ONE is now teasing the comeback with a special poster.Īs you can see below, ONE took to Twitter recently to share her excitement for One-Punch Man’s third season. Last week, it was reported that One-Punch Man was working on Season 3 to please fans. One-Punch Man has kept his cards a secret since the conclusion of Season 2, but that will all change soon enough thanks to the anime’s executives.

#Sky black ink net worth

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scotianostra · 3 years ago

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Happy 51st Birthday to the beautiful Gail Porter born in Edinburgh March 23rd 1971.

Porter attended Portobello High School and was always studious while in school, Gail was even considered a snob because her head was always in the books. With excellent grades and ambition, Gail went on to study media in Film School.

After graduation, Gail was hired as a runner for a Video Production Company, where she was treated like just another number. She was put to work in menial jobs such as making coffee and providing food, to cleaning the office. After working as coffee maker and office scrubber for 4 years, Gail finally produced her own show reel, which consisted of interviews with random people on the streets of Edinburgh. This eventually led to her work in children’s television, although failing to land a job on Blue Peter she got by presenting cartoons on TV, which led to her Fully Booked a Scottish produced show previously hosted by Zoe Ball and another Edinburgh presenter Grant Stott. Gail got tired of her career in children’s television, and opted for more a grown-up image. She became an “Electric Circus” presenter on Live and Kicking, a guest host of the television series Melinda’s Big Night In, and host of The Movie Chart Show.

An occasional presenter on Top of the Pops, Gail then moved to the big leagues with her own show, Gail’s Big Nineties, on VH1.

Gail has appeared in men’s magazines like FHM, where posing semi nude she attracted a whole new fan base. Her sexy bad-girl image was further underscored with a nipple piercing and a romance with Keith Flint, of Prodigy. With her star factor on the rise in the UK, Gail made guest appearances on TFI Friday, All Over the Shop, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show, and was a presenter on Kids Passport to the World.

In 2005 Gail started losing her hair and was diagnosed as having alopecia totalis, she took the brave step of not hiding away or wearing wigs and faced up to life without her locks to raise awareness of the condition. She became ambassador for the Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides wigs to children with hair loss. The hair loss did take it’s toll though and she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has insomnia, she was sectioned in 2007 after feeling suicidal, After the death of her mother in 2009 she went through an extreme period of depression which culminated in a spell in rehab two years later after a suicide attempt.

Since then she has run several marathons and spent time helping children’s charities, on being bald she says “What’s so brave about being bald? I’ve not fought for my country or found the cure for cancer - I’ve just gone out without my hat on!"

She also says she want to break down some of the stigma associated with mental illness. In September 2016 she is quoted as saying "‘I’m the happiest I’ve ever been”

Gail has a great sense of humour in an interview she told the Guardian about one of the unusual upsides of having no hair: “Babies look at me and suddenly stop crying. It’s like they’re thinking, ‘Ahaaa, you’re one of us! But why are you so big?’.”

And when asked by the Daily Record in 2019 if she would ever go on a dating app, she said: “I’m getting a bit lonely but who’s going to want to go out with a bald 48-year-old woman who lives with a cat called Pickles?”

Porter has used her Instagram account to spread positivity during the pandemic, using her experience of tough times to encourage others to stay strong. With her favourite slogan, ‘be kind’, the 50-year-old is all for compassion – for yourself and others.

Gail is a vice-president of The Children's Trust, a UK charity for children with brain injuries, she is also an ambassador for the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA)

#Scotland #scottish #tv presenter #radio presenter #Edinburgh #happy birhtday

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swift-klossy · 7 years ago

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“Look, I'm not pushing a gay agenda because I'm addicted to the drama, I'm pushing a gay agenda because I know love when I see it. Who are we to put Taylor in a box just because our parents raised us in some sick, heteronormative society, where we'd rather see her with bread boy Joe Alwyn or fucking Tom Hiddleston? Are you fucking KIDDING me? But it doesn't matter anymore.

Taylor Allison Swift it totally gay and I have evidence for days:

Let's go all the way back to Emily

With the release of her first album, Taylor spent most of her time on the road with her fiddle player, Emily Poe. Swift mentioned Poe in a ton of MySpace blogs at the time, and the two even went on a vacation to the Grand Canyon together. That's not necessarily gay (except for maybe the hiking in the Grand Canyon part), but what followed was suspect.

Emily was randomly kicked off of Swift's tour

In 2008, Emily and Taylor performed together for the last time before Tay released her second studio album, Fearless. Emily says she was booted from Swift's tour without an explanation, but there were rumors it was because Swift's managers were afraid of their relationship ruining the singer's fast-growing reputation (Reputation trademark Taylor Allison Swift 2017 all rights reserved.)

Clips from VH1's popup video for Our Song talk about it

"They fired her."

"No reason was given to Emily and a new fiddle player was hired immediately."

"Taylor never talked to her again."

The song 'Breathe' is about their relationship

"I see your face in my mind as I drive away / Cause none of us thought it was gonna end that way"

Swift says the song doesn’t talk about why or whose fault the breakup was: "It's a song about having to say goodbye to somebody, but it never blames anybody. Sometimes that's the most difficult part. When it's nobody's fault."

Sounds like she was still in love, perhaps?

Love Story is also about Emily

Love Story, the second album's lead single, is the only song where Swift still hasn't given us a single clue as to who it could be about. Usually she drops a name here or discernible reference there, but nothing.

After Emily, Swift was forced to date Joe Jonas

Think about it: when Tay and Joe dated, the Jo Bros were at the peak of their fame. They needed something (or someone), to keep their buzz up, and Taylor would've benefited from the extra publicity surrounding her new album.

Look how awkward they are!!!

You think Zanessa was real? Or Selena and Nick Jonas? You think they actually liked each other? My sweet, naive children. No.

Almost all of the pics of Taylor and Joe together are at events. The JoBros needed a name like Swift, and she needed a "boyfriend."

Have you ever seen a person look less enthused?

Fast forward to Kaylor: Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss

The whole Kaylor rumor started after a number of photos, allegedly showing Kloss and Swift making out at a 1975 concert emerged, spawning the largest political scandal in the US since the early 1970s: Kissgate.

'Gorgeous' isn't about Joe Alwyn

It's about Taylor Swift lusting after Karlie but feeling guilty about it because she's already in a relationship with a man: You make me so happy, it turns back to sad / There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have.

Besides, there's basically nobody more "Gorgeous" than Karlie Kloss, and even if there is, it certainly isn't Joe. You've ruined my life, by not being mine — I'm in love with you, but I have to date him instead.

Dancing With Our Hands Tied is also about Kaylor

First sight, yeah, we love without reason. Even though they only met at the VSFS in November 2013 they were attached at the hip for the following year and taking a road trip together after three months.

The was too much pressure on the two of them

People started talking, putting us through our paces . Of course, once the media got ahold of Kissgate photos, their relationship was blown up in front of the entire world and put immense pressure on the two.

I loved you in spite of deep fears that the world would divide us. Following the media blow up, the two took a four-month break where neither was seen with the other.

Taylor knew she was being careless the night of Kissgate, hanging all over Karlie in public, but it's the mess that she wanted.

So is Call It What You Want

"I recall late November, holdin' my breath / Slowly I said, 'You don't need to save me / But would you run away with me?'"

Run away, runway. As in fashion runway. More specifically, the Victoria Secret Fashion Show in November where the two met.

And Dress

Why would any man Taylor's ever met need assurance that she "don't want you like a best friend?" That's kind of implied in our heteronormative society. I mean, she literally sings the words "best friend." There's couldn't be a more obvious clue if she spelled out I HAD SEX WITH KARLIE KLOSS in candles on her front lawn.

Now Kloss is hanging out with Katy Perry instead

On Wednesday, Kloss was photographed getting sushi in LA with Katy Perry, Swift's long time nemsis, which means the rift that people were talking about earlier this month between the two may be permanent.

On January 1st, Kloss posted a photo from her Love magazine advent video with the caption "Swish swish," an allusion to the Katy Perry response track to Swift's "Bad Blood," and fans lost it.

But their relationship had been strained since summer. In August, Swift left Kloss's name off her T-shirt in the "Look What You Made Me Do" video, listing every other member of her squad instead.

Sadly, these dating "rumors" have been shut down by Swift. But think about it — Swift built her entire empire around being a girl who sings love songs about impossible to pin down men. And if she suddenly changes the narrative, people might start digging for other signs of deception. She's too calculating for that.

Plus, her music says it for her: "You can want who you want — Boys and boys and girls and girls."”

#taylor swift #karliekloss #kaylorisreal #Kaylor

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blackkudos · 6 years ago

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Grace Jones

Grace Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, lyricist, supermodel, record producer, and actress. Born in Jamaica, at age 13 she moved with her siblings to their parents' home in Syracuse, New York. Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for fashion houses such as Yves St. Laurent and Kenzo, and appearing on the covers of Elle and Vogue. She worked with photographers such as Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and Hans Feurer, and became known for her distinctive androgynous appearance and bold features.

In 1977 Jones secured a record deal with Island Records, initially becoming a star of New York City's Studio 54-centered disco scene. In the early 1980s she moved toward a new wave style that drew on reggae, funk, post-punk, and pop music, frequently collaborating with both the graphic designer Jean-Paul Goude and the musical duo Sly & Robbie. Her most popular albums include Warm Leatherette (1980), Nightclubbing (1981), and Slave to the Rhythm (1985). She scored Top 40 entries on the UK Singles Chart with "Pull Up to the Bumper", "I've Seen That Face Before", "Private Life", and "Slave to the Rhythm". In 1982, she released the music video collection A One Man Show, directed by Goude.

Jones appeared in some low-budget films in the US during the 1970s and early 1980s. In 1984 she made her first mainstream appearance as Zula in the fantasy-action film Conan the Destroyer alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sarah Douglas, and subsequently appeared in the 1985 James Bond movie A View to a Kill as May Day. In 1986 she played a vampire in Vamp, and acted in and contributed a song to the 1992 Eddie Murphy film Boomerang. She appeared alongside Tim Curry in the 2001 film Wolf Girl. For her work in Conan the Destroyer, A View to a Kill, and Vamp, she was nominated for Saturn Awards for Best Supporting Actress.

In 1999, Jones ranked 82nd on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll, and in 2008, she was honored with a Q Idol Award. Jones influenced the cross-dressing movement of the 1980s and has been an inspiration for artists including Annie Lennox, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Lorde, Róisín Murphy, Brazilian Girls, Nile Rodgers, Santigold, Basement Jaxx and Stanka Brljevic. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 40th most successful dance artist of all-time.

Biography and career

1948–73: Early life, and modeling career

Grace Jones was born in 1948 (though most sources say 1952) in Spanish Town, Jamaica, the daughter of Marjorie (née Williams) and Robert W. Jones, who was a local politician and Apostolic clergyman. The couple already had two children, and would go on to have four more. Robert and Marjorie moved to the East Coast of the United States, where Robert worked as an agricultural labourer until a spiritual experience during a failed suicide attempt inspired him to become a Pentecostal minister. While they were in the US, they left their children with Marjorie's mother and her new husband, Peart. Jones knew him as "Mas P" ('Master P') and later noted that she "absolutely hated him"; as a strict disciplinarian he regularly beat the children in his care, representing what Jones described as "serious abuse". She was raised into the family's Pentecostal faith, having to take part in prayer meetings and Bible readings every night. She initially attended the Pentecostal All Saints School, before being sent to a nearby public school. As a child, shy Jones had only one schoolfriend and was teased by classmates for her "skinny frame", but she excelled at sports and found solace in the nature of Jamaica.

Marjorie and Robert eventually brought their children – including the 13 year old Grace – to live with them in the US, where they had settled in Lyncourt, Salina, NY, near Syracuse. It was in the city that her father had established his own ministry, the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ, in 1956. Jones continued her schooling and after she graduated, enrolled at Onondaga Community College majoring in Spanish. Jones began to rebel against her parents and their religion; she began wearing makeup, drinking alcohol, and visiting gay clubs with her brother. At college, she also took a theatre class, with her drama teacher convincing her to join him on a summer stock tour in Philadelphia. Arriving in the city, she decided to stay there, immersing herself in the Counterculture of the 1960s by living in hippie communes, earning money as a go-go dancer, and using LSD and other drugs. She later praised the use of LSD as "a very important part of my emotional growth... The mental exercise was good for me".

She moved back to New York at 18 and signed on as a model with Wilhelmina Modelling agency. She moved to Paris in 1970. The Parisian fashion scene was receptive to Jones' unusual, androgynous, bold, dark-skinned appearance. Yves St. Laurent, Claude Montana, and Kenzo Takada hired her for runway modelling, and she appeared on the covers of Elle, Vogue, and Stern working with Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and Hans Feurer. Jones also modelled for Azzedine Alaia, and was frequently photographed promoting his line. While modelling in Paris, she shared an apartment with Jerry Hall and Jessica Lange. Hall and Jones frequented Le Sept, one of Paris's most popular gay clubs of the 1970s and '80s, and socialised with Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld. In 1973, Jones appeared on the cover of a reissue of Billy Paul's 1970 album Ebony Woman.

1974–79: Transition to music, and early releases

Jones was signed by Island Records, who put her in the studio with disco record producer, Tom Moulton. Moulton worked at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, and Portfolio, was released in 1977. The album featured three songs from Broadway musicals, "Send in the Clowns" by Stephen Sondheim from A Little Night Music, "What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line and "Tomorrow" from Annie. The second side of the album opens up with a seven-minute reinterpretation of Édith Piaf's "La Vie en rose" followed by three new recordings, two of which were co-written by Jones, "Sorry", and "That's the Trouble". The album finished with "I Need a Man", Jones' first club hit. The artwork to the album was designed by Richard Bernstein, an artist for Interview.

In 1978, Jones and Moulton made Fame, an immediate follow-up to Portfolio, also recorded at Sigma Sound Studios. The album featured another reinterpretation of a French classic, "Autumn Leaves" by Jacques Prévert. The Canadian edition of the vinyl album included another French language track, "Comme un oiseau qui s'envole", which replaced "All on a Summers Night"; in most locations this song served as the B-side of the single "Do or Die". In the North American club scene, Fame was a hit album and the "Do or Die"/"Pride"/"Fame" side reached top 10 on both the US Hot Dance Club Play and Canadian Dance/Urban charts. The album was released on compact disc in the early 1990s, but soon went out of print. In 2011, it was released and remastered by Gold Legion, a record company that specialises in reissuing classic disco albums on CD. Jones' live shows were highly sexualized and flamboyant, leading her to be called "Queen of the Gay Discos."

Muse was the last of Jones' disco albums. The album features a re-recorded version "I'll Find My Way to You", which Jones released three years prior to Muse. Originally appearing in the 1976 Italian film, Colt 38 Special Squad in which Jones had a role as a club singer, Jones also recorded a song called "Again and Again" that was featured in the film. Both songs were produced by composer Stelvio Cipriani. Icelandic keyboardist Thor Baldursson arranged most of the album and also sang duet with Jones on the track "Suffer". Like the last two albums, the cover art is by Richard Bernstein. Like Fame, Muse was later released by Gold Legion.

1980–85: Breakthrough, Nightclubbing, and acting

With anti-disco sentiment spreading, and with the aid of the Compass Point All Stars, Jones transitioned into new wave music with the 1980 release of Warm Leatherette. The album included covers of songs by The Normal ("Warm Leatherette"), The Pretenders ("Private Life"), Roxy Music ("Love Is the Drug"), Smokey Robinson ("The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game"), Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ("Breakdown") and Jacques Higelin ("Pars"). Sly Dunbar revealed that the title track was also the first to be recorded with Jones. Tom Petty wrote the lyrics to "Breakdown", and he also wrote the third verse of Jones' reinterpretation. The album included one song co-written by Jones, "A Rolling Stone". Originally, "Pull Up to the Bumper" was to be included on the album, but its R&B sound did not fit with the rest of the material. By 1981, she had begun collaborating with photographer and graphic designer Jean-Paul Goude, with whom she also had a relationship.

The 1981 release of Nightclubbing included Jones' covers of songs by Flash and the Pan ("Walking in the Rain"), Bill Withers ("Use Me"), Iggy Pop/David Bowie ("Nightclubbing") and Ástor Piazzolla ("I've Seen That Face Before"). Three songs were co-written by Jones: "Feel Up", "Art Groupie" and "Pull Up to the Bumper". Sting wrote "Demolition Man"; he later recorded it with The Police on the album Ghost in the Machine. "I've Done It Again" was written by Marianne Faithfull. The strong rhythm featured on Nightclubbing was produced by Compass Point All Stars, including Sly and Robbie, Wally Badarou, Mikey Chung, Uziah "Sticky" Thompson and Barry Reynolds. The album entered in the Top 5 in four countries, and became Jones' highest-ranking record on the US Billboard mainstream albums and R&B charts.

Nightclubbing claimed the number 1 slot on NME's Album of the Year list. Slant Magazine listed the album at No. 40 on its list of Best Albums of the 1980s. Nightclubbing is now widely considered Jones' best studio album. The album's cover art is a painting of Jones by Jean-Paul Goude. Jones is presented as a man wearing an Armani suit jacket, with a cigarette in her mouth and a flattop haircut. While promoting the album, Jones slapped chat-show host Russell Harty live on air after he had turned to interview other guests, making Jones feel she was being ignored.

Having already recorded two reggae-oriented albums under the production of Compass Point All Stars, Jones went to Nassau, Bahamas in 1982 and recorded Living My Life; the album resulted in Jones' final contribution to the Compass Point trilogy, with only one cover, Melvin Van Peebles's "The Apple Stretching". The rest were original songs; "Nipple to the Bottle" was co-written with Sly Dunbar, and, apart from "My Jamaican Guy", the other tracks were collaborations with Barry Reynolds. Despite receiving a limited single release, the title track was left off the album. Further session outtakes included "Man Around the House" (Jones, Reynolds) and a cover of "Ring of Fire", written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore and popularized by Johnny Cash, both of which were included on the 1998 compilation Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions. The album's cover art resulted from another Jones/Goude collaboration; the artwork has been described as being as famous as the music on the record. It features Jones' disembodied head cut out from a photograph and pasted onto a white background. Jones' head is sharpened, giving her head and face an angular shape. A piece of plaster is pasted over her left eyebrow, and her forehead is covered with drops of sweat.

Jones' three albums under the production of the Compass Point All Stars resulted in Jones' One Man Show, a performance art/pop theatre presentation devised by Goude and Jones in which she also performed tracks from the albums Portfolio ("La Vie en rose"), Warm Leatherette, ("Private Life", "Warm Leatherette"), Nightclubbing ("Walking in the Rain", "Feel Up", "Demolition Man", "Pull Up to the Bumper" and "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)") and from Living My Life, "My Jamaican Guy" and the album's title track. Jones dressed in elaborate costumes and masks (in the opening sequence as a gorilla) and alongside a series of Grace Jones lookalikes. A video version, filmed live in London and New York City and completed with some studio footage, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Long-Form Music Video the following year.

After the release of Living My Life, Jones took on the role of Zula the Amazonian in Conan the Destroyer (1984) and was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1985, Jones starred as May Day, henchman to main antagonist Max Zorin in the 14th James Bond film A View to a Kill; Jones was also nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. That same year, she was featured on the Arcadia song "Election Day". Jones was among the many stars to promote the Honda Scooter; other artists included Lou Reed, Adam Ant, and Miles Davis. Jones also, with her boyfriend Dolph Lundgren posed nude for Playboy.

After Jones' success as a mainstream actress, she returned to the studio to work on Slave to the Rhythm, the last of her recordings for Island. Bruce Woolley, Simon Darlow, Stephen Lipson and Trevor Horn wrote the material, and it was produced by Horn and Lipson. It was a concept album that featured several interpretations of the title track. The project was originally intended for Frankie Goes to Hollywood as a follow-up to "Relax", but was given to Jones. All eight tracks on the album featured excerpts from a conversation with Jones, speaking about many aspects of her life. The interview was conducted by journalist Paul Morley. The album features voice-overs from actor Ian McShane reciting passages from Jean-Paul Goude's biography Jungle Fever. Slave to the Rhythm was successful in German-speaking countries and in the Netherlands, where it secured Top 10 placings. It reached number 12 on the UK Albums Chart in November 1985 and became the second-highest-ranking album released by Jones. Jones earned an MTV Video Music Award nomination for the title track's music video.

After her success with Slave to the Rhythm, Island released Island Life, Jones' first best-of compilation, which featured songs from most of her releases with Island (Portfolio, Fame, Warm Leatherette, Nightclubbing, Living My Life and Slave to the Rhythm). American writer and journalist Glenn O'Brien wrote the essay for the inlay booklet. The compilation charted in the UK, New Zealand and the United States. The artwork on the cover of the compilation was of another Jones/Goude collaboration; it featured Jones' celestial body in a montage of separate images, following Goude's ideas on creating credible illusions with his cut-and-paint technique. The body position is anatomically impossible.

The artwork, a piece called "Nigger Arabesque" was originally published in the New York magazine in 1978, and was used as a backdrop for the music video of Jones' hit single "La Vie en rose". The artwork has been described as "one of pop culture's most famous photographs". The image was also parodied in Nicki Minaj's 2011 music video for "Stupid Hoe", in which Minaj mimicked the pose.

1986–89: Slave to the Rhythm, Island Life, further films

After Slave to the Rhythm and Island Life, Jones started to record again under a new contract with Manhattan Records, which resulted in Inside Story, Jones teamed up with music producer Nile Rodgers of Chic, whom Jones had previously tried to work with during the disco era. The album was recorded at Skyline Studios in New York and post-produced at Atlantic Studios and Sterling Sound. Inside Story was the first album Jones produced, which resulted in heated disputes with Rodgers. Musically, the album was more accessible than her previous albums with the Compass Point All Stars, and explored different styles of pop music, with undertones of jazz, gospel, and Caribbean sounds. All songs on the album were written by Jones and Bruce Woolley. Richard Bernstein teamed up with Jones again to provide the album's artwork. Inside Story made the top 40 in several European countries. The album was Jones' last entry to date on US Billboard 200 albums chart. The same year, Jones starred as Katrina, an Egyptian queen vampire in the vampire film Vamp. For her work in the film, Jones was awarded a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. The following year, Jones appeared in two films, Straight to Hell, and Mary Lambert's Siesta, for which Jones was nominated for Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress. Bulletproof Heart was released in 1989, produced by Chris Stanley, who co-wrote, and co-produced the majority of the songs, and was featured as a guest vocalist on "Don't Cry Freedom". Robert Clivillés and David Cole of C+C Music Factory produced some tracks on the album.

1990–2004: Boomerang, soundtracks, and collaborations

In 1990, Jones appeared as herself in the documentary, Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol. 1992 saw Jones starring as Helen Strangé, in the Eddie Murphy film Boomerang, for which she also contributed the song "7 Day Weekend" to its soundtrack. Jones released two more soundtrack songs in 1992; "Evilmainya", recorded for the film Freddie as F.R.O.7, and "Let Joy and Innocence Prevail" for the film Toys. In 1994, she was due to release an electro album titled Black Marilyn with artwork featuring the singer as Marilyn Monroe. "Sex Drive" was released as the first single in September 1993, but due to unknown reasons the record was eventually shelved. The track "Volunteer", recorded during the same sessions, leaked in 2009.

1996 Saw Jones releasing "Love Bites", an up-tempo electronic track to promote the Sci-Fi Channel's Vampire Week, which consisted of a series of vampire-themed films aired on the channel in early November 1996. The track features Jones singing from the perspective of a vampire. The track was released as a non-label promo-only single. To this day, it has not been made commercially available. In June 1998, she was scheduled to release an album entitled Force of Nature, on which she worked with trip hop musician Tricky. The release of Force of Nature was cancelled due to a disagreement between the two, and only a white label 12" single featuring two dance mixes of "Hurricane" was issued at the time; a slowed-down version of this song became the title track of her comeback album released ten years later while another unreleased track from the album, "Clandestine Affair" (recycling the chorus from her unreleased 1993 track "Volunteer"), appeared on a bootleg 12" in 2004. Jones recorded the track "Storm" in 1998 for the movie The Avengers, and in 1999, appeared in an episode of the Beastmaster television series as the Umpatra Warrior.

The same year, Jones recorded "The Perfect Crime", an up-tempo song for Danish TV written by the composer duo Floppy M. aka Jacob Duus and Kåre Jacobsen. Jones was also ranked 82nd place on VH1's "100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll". In 2000, Jones collaborated with rapper Lil' Kim, appearing on the song "Revolution" from her album The Notorious K.I.M.. In 2001, Jones starred in the made-for-television film, Wolf Girl (also known as Blood Moon), as an intersex circus performer named Christoph/Christine. In 2002, Jones joined Luciano Pavarotti on stage for his annual Pavarotti and Friends fundraiser concert to support the United Nations refugee agency's programs for Angolan refugees in Zambia. In November 2004, Jones sang "Slave to the Rhythm" at a tribute concert for record producer Trevor Horn at London's Wembley Arena.

2008–present: Hurricane and recent endeavours

Despite several comeback attempts throughout the 1990s, Jones' next full-length record was released almost twenty years later, after Jones decided "never to do an album again," changing her mind after meeting music producer Ivor Guest through a mutual friend, milliner Philip Treacy. After the two became acquainted, Guest let Jones listen to a track he had been working on, which became "Devil in My Life", once Jones set the lyrics to the song. The lyrics to the song were written after a party in Venice. The two ended up with 23 tracks. The album included autobiographical songs, such as "This Is", "Williams' Blood" and "I'm Crying (Mother's Tears)", an ode to her mother Marjorie. "Love You to Life" was another track based on real events and "Corporate Cannibal" referred to corporate capitalism. "Well Well Well" was recorded in memory of Alex Sadkin, member of Compass Point All Stars who had died in a motor accident 1987. "Sunset Sunrise" was written by Jones' son, Paulo; the song ponders the relationship between mankind and mother nature. Four songs were removed from the album, "The Key to Funky", "Body Phenomenon", "Sister Sister" and "Misery". For the production of the album, Jones teamed up with Sly and Robbie, Wally Badarou, Barry Reynolds, Mikey Chung, and Uziah "Sticky" Thompson, of the Compass Point All Stars, with contributions from trip-hop artist Tricky, and Brian Eno.

The album was released on Wall of Sound on 3 November 2008 in the United Kingdom. PIAS, the umbrella company of Wall of Sound, distributed Hurricane worldwide excluding North America. The album scored 72 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic. Prior to the album's release, Jones performed at Massive Attack's Meltdown festival in London on 19 June 2008, Jones performed four new songs from the album and premiered the music video which Jones and artist Nick Hooker collaborated on, which resulted in "Corporate Cannibal". Jones promoted the album even further by appearing on talk show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, performed at several awards galas, and embarked on The Hurricane Tour. The same year, Jones was honoured with Q Idol Award. In 2009, Chris Cunningham produced a fashion shoot for Dazed & Confused using Jones as a model to create "Nubian versions" of Rubber Johnny. In an interview for BBC's The Culture Show, it was suggested that the collaboration may expand into a video project. Jones also worked with the avant-garde poet Brigitte Fontaine on a duet named "Soufi" from Fontaine's album Prohibition released in 2009, and produced by Ivor Guest. In March 2010 Jones performed for guests at the 18th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Viewing Party. The Elton John AIDS Foundation is one of the world's leading nonprofit organisations supporting HIV prevention programs, and works to eliminate the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. That evening, US$3.7 million was raised. The same year, a budget DVD version of A One Man Show was released, as Grace Jones – Live in Concert. It included three bonus video clips ("Slave to the Rhythm", "Love Is the Drug" and "Crush". 2011 saw Jones again collaborating with Brigitte Fontaine on two tracks from her 2011 release entitled L'un n'empêche pas l'autre and performed at the opening ceremony of the 61st FIFA Congress. Jones released a dub version of the album, Hurricane – Dub, which came out on 5 September 2011. The dub versions were made by Ivor Guest, with contributions from Adam Green, Frank Byng, Robert Logan and Ben Cowan. In April 2012, Jones joined Deborah Harry, Bebel Gilberto, and Sharon Stone at the Inspiration Gala in São Paulo, Brazil, raising $1.3 million for amfAR (the Foundation for AIDS Research). Jones closed the evening with a performance of "La Vie en Rose" and "Pull Up to the Bumper".

Two months later, Jones performed "Slave to the Rhythm" at the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II (whilst keeping a hula hoop spinning in the air throughout), and the Lovebox Festival. On 27 October Jones performed her only North American show of 2012, a performance at New York City's Roseland Ballroom. The same year, Jones presented Sir Tom Jones with not only the GQ Men of the Year award, but her underwear. Tom Jones accepted the gift in good humour, and replied by saying, "I didn't think you wore any".

Jones is currently working on a new album with producer Ivor Guest, but meanwhile Universal Music Group released a deluxe edition of her Nightclubbing album as a two-disc set and Blu-ray audio on 28 April 2014. The set contains most of the 12" mixes of singles from that album, plus two previously unreleased tracks from the Nightclubbing sessions, including a cover of the Gary Numan track "Me! I Disconnect from You".

In October 2014, Jones was announced as having contributed a song, "Original Beast", to the soundtrack of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.

Jones' memoir entitled I'll Never Write My Memoirs was released on 29 September 2015.

In 2017, Jones collaborated with British virtual band Gorillaz, appearing on the song "Charger" from their fifth studio album Humanz.

Artistry and legacy

Image

Jones' work is often discussed for its visual aspect, which was largely the work of French illustrator, photographer, and graphic designer Jean-Paul Goude. According to Jake Hall of i-D, "their collaborative work [went on] to define the visual landscape of the 70s and 80s," and "the artist helped create one of the most intriguing legends in musical history." Goude saw Jones as his muse, declaring she was "beautiful and grotesque at the same time," and dated her from 1977 to 1984. He "[designed her] album covers, [...] directed her music videos, choreographed live performances, and helped develop her image." It has been noted that Jones' ties with high art are important in understanding her visual identity during this period - "her links with pop art were well-documented", and "she was famously close with Andy Warhol, Richard Bernstein and renowned within the art world. Jones' "appearance was equally divisive" as the sonic fluidity of her music - with her "striking visuals [leading] to her becoming a muse for the likes of Issey Miyake and Thierry Mugler. Her image has been described as "neo-cubist".

Jones was featured prominently in Goude's work from that period, "which, over the course of the '80s, became increasingly synonymous with willful distortion" - using a technique he refers to as "French correction". The artist stated in 2012: "chopping up photos and rearranging them in a montage to elongate limbs or exaggerate the size of someone's head or some other aspect appealed to me on a lot of levels — I'm always searching for equilibrium, symmetry, and rhythm in an image." This distortions "have often been used in service of the objectification and eroticization of black women." Goude's work "centers around artistic depictions of race, ethnicity, and global culture", with an "enchantment with the far-away and the exotic". As a result, much of his depictions of black women are considered controversial and exploitative, as Jones was presented as "a white man's rendition of the African feminine." Goude's images depicted her hypersexualized and androgynous, emphasizing her "blackness" and Jamaican heritage. Writer Abigail Gardner felt Jones' body "was presented and manipulated in ways that are clearly congruent with conceiving of that display as artefactual." Essentially, Hall writes, "Goude treated Jones as an artistic vehicle first and foremost - a hyperbole which, despite destroying their personal relationship, allowed Goude to translate his grandiose vision of Jones the phenomenon into a series of imagery which painted her as a surreal, impossible muse.

Jones' distinctive androgynous appearance, square-cut, angular padded clothing, manner, and height of 179 cm (5'10 1/2") influenced the cross-dressing movement of the 1980s. To this day, she is known for her unique look at least as much as she is for her music and has been an inspiration for numerous artists, including Annie Lennox, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Lorde, Brazilian Girls, Grimes, Róisín Murphy, Nile Rodgers, Santigold, and Basement Jaxx. Jones was listed as one of the 50 best-dressed over 50 by the Guardian in March 2013.

Music

Jones' early music was rooted in the disco genre. She opted for a new wave sound in the early 1980s. She recorded a series of albums (1980's Warm Leatherette through 1982's Living My Life) backed by the Jamaica rhythm section duo Sly and Robbie. Her music during this era was described as a new wave hybrid of reggae, funk, pop, and rock. According to John Doran of BBC Music, Warm Leatherette and Nightclubbing were "post-punk pop" albums that, "delved into the worlds of disco, reggae and funk much more successfully than most of her 'alternative' contemporaries, while still retaining a blank-eyed alienation that was more reminiscent of David Bowie or Ian Curtis than most of her peers." This hybrid influenced a variety of alternative music artists, including Massive Attack, Todd Terje, Gorillaz, Hot Chip, and LCD Soundsystem.

Jones has a contralto vocal range. She sings in two modes: either in her monotone speak-sing voice as in songs such as "Private Life", "Walking in the Rain" and "The Apple Stretching", or in an almost-soprano mode in songs such as "La Vie en Rose", "Slave to the Rhythm", and "Victor Should Have Been a Jazz Musician". Jones' voice spans 4 octaves, 1 note and a semitone from the low note of C2 (in "Corporate Cannibal") to the high note of E♭6 (in "Slave to the Rhythm).

Personal life

Jones' father was strict and their relationship was strained. According to his particular denomination's beliefs, one should only use one's singing ability to glorify God. Bishop Robert W. Jones died on 7 May 2008. Her mother, Marjorie, always supported Jones' career (she sings on "Williams' Blood" and "My Jamaican Guy") but could not be publicly associated with her music. Marjorie's father, William, was also a musician, and played with Nat King Cole.

Jones described her childhood as having been "crushed underneath the Bible", and since has refused to enter a Jamaican church due to her bad childhood experiences.

Through her relationship with long-time collaborator Jean-Paul Goude, Jones has one son, Paulo. From Paulo, Jones has one granddaughter. Jones married Atila Altaunbay in 1996. She disputes rumors she married Chris Stanley in her 2015 memoir I'll Never Write My Memoirs, saying, "The truth is, I only ever married one of my boyfriends, Atila Altaunbay, a Muslim from Turkey." She spent four years with Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren, her former bodyguard; she was the one who got him a part as a KGB officer in A View to a Kill. Jones started dating Danish actor/stuntman/bodybuilder Sven-Ole Thorsen in 1990, and was in an open relationship as of 2007.

Jones' brother is megachurch preacher Bishop Noel Jones, who starred on the 2013 reality show Preachers of LA.

Jones' real last name is often referred to as "Mendoza", which is actually a name she used in her 20s to fool her parents.

Discography

Studio albums

Portfolio (1977)

Fame (1978)

Muse (1979)

Warm Leatherette (1980)

Nightclubbing (1981)

Living My Life (1982)

Slave to the Rhythm (1985)

Inside Story (1986)

Bulletproof Heart (1989)

Hurricane (2008)

Wikipedia

#Grace Jones #05-19

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howaminotinthestrokesyet · 4 years ago

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The Beatles/Beach Boys/Led Zeppelin: Random Quarantine Thoughts

The Beatles

1. The Beatles Vs. The Rolling Stones... In another article, I spoke about the fact that we’re comparing these two bands as far as legacy is like apples and oranges. The Beatles were together for nine years, while the Rolling Stones have been together for 50 years. The Rolling Stones have released many more albums than the Beatles, which means they had many more opportunities to throw stuff at the wall to see what sticks. The other part of it is the fact that the Rolling Stones in the 1960’s were always chasing the Beatles creatively. I am reminded of when the Stones had a party to celebrate the release of Beggars Banquet, which was the appearance of the Jagger-Richards Collaboration. The Beatles were there and they played the White Album, which had not been released yet. Everyone was blown away by that album, instead of Beggars Banquet.

2. John Lennon Vs. Paul McCartney... An analogy I always make when discussing the dynamic between Paul McCartney and John Lennon is the former was VH1, while the latter was MTV. Now, please note I’m talking about MTV in its early days when the channel actually played music. McCartney symbolized moving towards the mainstream. His music, and for the most part his life, illustrated that fact. In contrast, Lennon was much more rock ‘n’ roll, where he liked to take chances, stir things up, and gradually began to move away from that middle road of popularity.

3. No Deep Cuts... I was thinking that bands are always referring to concerts, where they played deep cuts, but with the Beatles that might be a bit difficult. Their entire catalog has been lionized, analyzed, and covered via pop culture in every way with everything. They are one of the few bands that simply does not have hardly any deep cuts at all. Now, granted there are songs that people do not know, mostly from the early days, but those songs are few and far between.

4. Brian Epstein Was Actually The Fifth Beatle... People are always talking about who was the fifth Beatle. My answer would be the late manager, Brian Epstein, who passed away in 1967. The reason being was that he literally handled everything on the business side, up to that point. The band had absolutely no idea about much of anything on that side of things. After his death, the Beatles decided to start Apple and handle those things themselves, which created a division within the band. Paul started to take the lead on many things causing a rift with the other members. The other aspect to this, which contributed to the failure of Apple was that as time passed their decisions sometimes did not make a lot of sense or they failed to follow through.

5. Yoko Ono Did Not Break Up The Beatles But She Did Not Help... I know you have heard the age old argument that Yoko Ono broke up the Beatles. I do not buy that argument. Yet, her presence in Lennon’s life merely sped up the breakup. The growing rift between Lennon and McCartney over music, celebrity, politics, drugs, and everything else under the sun was happening before she came along. Now, my issue with Ono was that Lennon put her on the same level creatively as McCartney and the others. This is ridiculous to even think about actually. How did an abstract, experimental artist like her earn the ability to influence one of the greatest songwriters ever so much, but she did. Perhaps, he was simply looking for an outlet to reinforce his leanings towards the fringes of culture at that time.

The Beach Boys

1. One Beach Boy You Love to Hate... I am not going to mince words when talking about Mike Love. The dude is a straight up asshole when you get right down to it. As time has passed, his ego has taken over in many fruitless attempts to change the narrative. I do sympathize with him struggling as the lead singer, while Brian Wilson received all the credit as the band’s resident genius. He simply is going about it the wrong way. Now, in interviews and that sorry excuse for an autobiography he wrote, all of it sounds like very sour grapes. One must not forget as well that he was always this way. The reason Smile was never finished among other things was because he fought hard to continue doing surf songs. He argued that Wilson’s album was silly and would never sell.

2. One Beach Boy That Actually Surfed... One of the things I find funny about the Beach Boys, who did all these songs about surfing emerged in that drummer Dennis Wilson was the only one who actually knew how to surf. The other band members were pretty much borderline dorks when they started the band in high school. All of those songs about catching waves, chasing girls, and having fun were all about how Dennis Wilson lived his life.

3. One Beach Boy You Didn’t Know... Carl Wilson has always struck me as the one member of the band that people really do not know that much about at all. Fans know him as the deep voice of “Barbara Ann” and other songs, but not much else. This is why I was fascinated about his death when I learned that he was the glue that held the band together for a long time. Mike Love did not dare declare any sort of war against Brian Wilson until Carl passed away.

4. One Beach Boy Who Was Not Made For Rock and Roll... No single person in rock ‘n’ roll history has had as many triumphs and as much sadness in the course of one career. He is probably the greatest songwriter in the history of modern pop music, but he suffered endlessly for his art. From a childhood filled with abuse from his father to drug addiction and mental issues. On top of all that was the monumental pressure to use his musical gift for others again and again. Wilson was and still is a fragile soul, who seemed in no way prepared for the cruelty of the music business. The worst part of it, as a fan, was the power struggle within the Beach Boys. You had Mike Love, who contributed very little creatively, but always stifling his artistic vision again and again. I just wonder how much great music we missed out on because of him.

5. And Then There’s Murray... Finally, you had his father, Murray. This is always a catch 22 as you discuss his influence on the legacy of the Beach Boys. For one, he was a horrible person. He abused his sons physically, verbally, financially, and emotionally. Yet, the man was a musician, who encouraged his sons in that way. This is the one connection to his father that Brian Wilson can never step away from. Would Brian Wilson have been any different if his father had not been a musician?

Led Zeppelin

1. A Dressed Up Blues Band... Led Zeppelin was essentially a hard blues band for most of their early albums. They took old blues songs that were well known, then rearranged them into psychedelic rock songs. The band took these traditional blues classics and pretty much remixed it into late 60s hard rock blues on steroids. This would have been fine, if they had not tried to take credit for the songs as being completely original. Critics saw right through it, which emerged as probably why the band was immediately looked down upon from music writers. One of the interesting things about their decision to use blues songs was Jimmy Page did not think he had the time to write new original songs before a tour.

2. Robert Plant What If’s... One of the biggest what if’s of Zepplin has always been will Robert Plant ever agree to a tour. What if he had not offered so much resistance since the 1980s for any kind of reunion? For years, Plant never wanted to reunite, with the only exception being a duet with Jimmy Page, but not John Paul Jones. They did eventually reunite for one show in celebration of the founder of Atlantic records. If there was to be any hope of reunion, it should have happened then. Plant finally relented eventually, but by that time, John Paul Jones was working on an opera at the time. I believe it is time to face the blues music that this is never going to happen.

3. The Songwriting and Musicianship of John Paul Jones Saved the Band... One of the things that a lot of fans may not realize how important John Paul Jones was to the overall success of the band. He played multiple instruments including bass guitar keyboards, mellotron, and many others. For this reason, the band never needed to hire any musicians to play on stage with them because Jones would switch to whatever instrument was needed at the time. He was also a top-notch composer and arranger of music. His signature is all over songs like “All My Love,” “Trampled Underfoot,” “Kashmir,” “In the Light,” “Fool in the Rain,” and many more. Beginning with Physical Graffiti in the albums that followed, Jones was able to substantially layer the band’s sound, which resonates with music lovers still today.

4. I Told You Black Magic... Jimmy Page in the 1970’s was a big fan of the occultist Alastair Crowley. This fandom even led him to buy Crowley‘s former house in 1972. Page thought it would be a cool place to possibly write some music and give him inspiration as well. He never really spent any time there. Page hired a gentleman to manage the house for him, which he did and eventually raised his family there. Although, the manager did report some very strange occurrences at the house, which was always rumored to be cursed by Crowley. The guitarist’s decision to even purchase the house is probably a really good illustration on why you should not use heroin.

5. Led Zeppelin Was Not Heavy Metal...An ongoing argument for a long time has always been whether or not Led Zeppelin invented heavy metal. I am here to tell you that they did not do so, but they heavily influenced it. Black Sabbath was the first heavy metal band, but for a long time they distanced themselves from that label. Led Zeppelin was more of a hard rock band or a hard rock blues band, who dabbled in other genres including folk and reggae. Not only was their music a bit softer in places, but the themes were much more positive when compared with heavy metal. Sabbath ushered in themes of darkness, evil, the devil, and for the most part riffs that were fast and loud always. Yet, in later years, the distinction between heavy metal, metal, and hard rock was blurred again and again making it difficult to understand the differences.

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