Clive is one in a million and knows how to pick em. He was very high on Janis and did her career much good. He said publicly that she was most special to him out of those he had worked with. I was pretty interested in the list of female singers and amazed that I did not know who a great deal of them were, not only that but had never heard their names. I would have to put Janis at #1.. Interesting that Brenda mentioned Faith Hill. Her version of Janis' "Piece of My Heart" was dreadful and I read that she had never even heard of Janis when she recorded it. Can you imagine?
Mack > Clive is arguably one of the most powerful record executives when it comes to > media manipulation (probably only second to Tommy Mottola). He has the press > in his pocket. (Witness Whitney Houston's embarrassing and public drug abuse > descent which even the mainstream media started covering after Clive's > departure. Her problem started long before she married Bobby Brown but Clive > kept the wolves at bay for years.) And he has pulled out all the stops for > Alicia. Success breeds success for new artists and he made sure that her album > charted high the first week. She's had all the right magazine covers and > television performances. It's been years since an independent label has pulled > off something like this. Clive is proving that he can not only have success > with immense talents like Whitney & Aretha but also with mediocre talent like > Alicia. > > Alicia's appearance on Oprah undoubtedly helped her with the soccer mom set, > although she sounded like she was at a high school talent contest to me - > nervous vocal cracks and all. (India Arie was on the same show and did only a > little better. Jill Scott, however! Quite simply, she rocked the house.) I > thought Alicia's performance of the Donny Hathaway tune was rife with pitch > problems and not fitting the genius legacy of the man, let alone the fairly > high calibur of performances that evening. (If you want a treat, hear Kenny > Lattimore or Donny's daughter Lalah perform it.) > > If you want the real goods on "new soul" check out the new album from Alicia's > label mate Angie Stone. > > Brenda > > Finally returning from a long absence driven by work - something quite welcomed > given the slow year I was having. You guys sure have been busy lately! I've > still got another 700 posts to read to catch up. > > I'll write more later, particularly answering some of the things addressed to > me specifically and to report on seeing Ryan Adams at the Troubadour (smile!) > and Shelby Lynne at the House of Blues (high as a kite - her not me!). > > n.p. - Eagle Eye Cherry - Promises Made (Does anyone else think that this > sounds alot like a Cat Steven's tune?)
