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FYI

Music Biz Headlines, Aug. 24, 2018

A lost tape of a Carly Simon (pictured) and Mick Jagger duet has surfaced, Drake offers his hometown some love, and the VMAs are panned. Also in the headlines are ageing rock stars, queer artists, Latino feminists, Aerosmith, Manifesto, Jermaine Jackson, a PNE veteran, Azealia Banks, and the Rock the River and Wavelength fests.

Music Biz Headlines, Aug. 24, 2018

By Kerry Doole

Lost Jagger-Simon duet from 1972 found

Carly Simon and Mick Jagger worked together in 1972 when the Rolling Stones frontman supposedly sang backup vocals on Simon’s hit “You’re So Vain.” A love ballad duet from that time termed "Fragile" has just surfaced.  – Chris Lehourites, AP


Drake bigs up 'diverse' city of Toronto at homecoming show

Drake paid tribute to the diversity of Toronto at the first of two homecoming shows at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night. Speaking onstage at the arena, the 31-year-old took an indirect swipe at America's current unsettled and undivided climate.  – musicnews.com

And the band played on: how to grow old gracefully in pop

Madonna may have hit a birthday milestone but, from Johnny Cash’s stark admission of age to Paul McCartney’s embrace of hip young things, there’s ways to keep your music fresh.  – Alexis Petridis, The Guardian

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Review: MTV VMAs was a shocking event, for the wrong reasons

With most of music industry’s top acts absent — from Beyonce to Bruno Mars — the MTV Video Music Awards lacked star power and felt flat, and some of the winners turned heads — for the wrong reasons.   – Mesfin Fekadu, AP

The 20 best queer albums of the decade (so far)

This decade has introduced us to more out-and-proud queer artists than ever before. Here are our favourite queer albums of the decade, from the chart-topping electro bangers of Years & Years to the experimental sounds of Anohni, and the critically-acclaimed celebration of queerness from Janelle Monae.  – Gaytimes

Steven Tyler demands Trump stop playing Aerosmith songs at rallies

By broadcasting the 1993 hit "Livin' on the Edge" at a West Virginia arena, the President infringed on the singer's copyright, says his attorney.  – Shirley Halperin, Variety

Somos Ruidosas: Meet the Feminists Fighting for Gender Equality in the Latin American Music Industry

The feminist collective is earning its stripes by ringing the alarm about sexism in the Latinx music scene.  – Mariela Santos, Ms

Review: Manifesto 2018 felt fresh as ever

The local hip-hop culture festival presented art, comedy, a well-curated Discovery Series and a stellar free outdoor show headlined by Charlotte Day Wilson.   – Chaka V. Grier, NOW

After 55 years, Coliseum staffer is retiring, sort of

Vern Frick, who was born before rock 'n' roll and admits he didn’t care for it, has probably been to more rock concerts than you have, including the Beatles and The Rolling Stones shows.  – Vancouver Sun

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American judge Liam O’Grady just ruled that it’s OK for BMG to refer to copyright infringement as “stealing” in the upcoming re-run of its legal battle with US internet service provider Cox Communications.  – Chris Cooke, cmu

Michael Jackson’s brother Jermaine, 63, getting married to woman, 23

The original lead singer of the legendary Jackson 5 musical group, Jermaine Jackson, was one of the country’s first teenage sex symbols back in the late 1960s.  – Terry Shropshire, rollingout.com

Let rapper Azealia Banks’ blast remind Elon Musk he has no room for passengers

Elon Musk is now in the crosshairs of investors, stockholders, short-sellers, market regulators and, most terrifying of all, Azealia Banks.  – Vinay Menon, Toronto Star

New Music 2018: Jody Upshaw & Shay Pitts 

Two best friends, support systems and pop stars in waiting.  –  Morgan Mullin, The Coast

There's now a Drake version of Monopoly

Drake fans are, as you say, "shook" over the news that an OVO-themed version of the classic board game Monopoly exists. The rumours are true, as evidenced by a series of photos circulating right now — though it's not very likely that we the people will ever get a chance to play.   – BlogTO

Classic trivia: Can you name the songs at Rock the River?

The StarPhoenix ran classic rock trivia quiz to coincide with the recent Rock the River Fest. See how you fare.   – Cam Fuller, Star-Phoenix

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The Australian Music Vault has welcomed its 500,000th visitor.

 Since opening last December, music fans from all over Australia — and the world — have checked out the free exhibition at the Melbourne Arts Centre. One visitor has been local rock hero Ross Wilson, of Daddy Cool.  –   news.com

Camp Wavelength 2018 was an easy-going good time in an uneasy year

Acts like Tops, Maylee Todd and Zaki Ibrahim shone in the new venue, and the DIY festival maintained its identity after its artistic director's removal.  –  Michael Rancic, NOW

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Kendrick Lamar
Dave Free

Kendrick Lamar

Chart Beat

Kendrick Lamar’s ‘GNX’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200

Plus: the "Wicked" movie soundtrack arrives at No. 2.

Kendrick Lamar’s surprise album GNX debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated Dec. 7), marking his fifth chart-topper, all earned consecutively. It launches with 319,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 28, according to Luminate — the year’s sixth-largest debut frame. The set’s opening week was largely driven by streaming activity, and the 12-song effort launches with 2024’s third-biggest streaming week for any album. GNXarrived with no warning on Nov. 22 around noon ET.

Also in the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200, the Wicked film soundtrack enters at No. 2, notching the highest debut for a big-screen adaptation of a stage musical ever. The new Wicked film, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, is based on the long-running stage musical of the same name, which has played on Broadway in New York since 2003.

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