Tori Amos Announces US Dates For The ?Night Of Hunters? Tour

Back in May Tori Amos announced the forthcoming release of a new album titled Night of Hunters and a European tour that will kick off when then album is released in September. Today, she announces the dates for the US leg of her Night of Hunters Tour. Mark your calendars, y’all … Tori is touring [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/hcDDYANkctQ/

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Lil Wayne 'Really, Really Surprised' By Shanell's 'How To Love' Remix

'I was mad that it wasn't mine,' Shanell tells Mixtape Daily of why she remixed Wayne single.
By Rob Markman


Shanell
Photo: Vallery Jean/ FilmMagic

Celebrity Favorites: Shanell

And the battle of the sexes continues: Just as Lil Wayne's Tha Carter IV single "How to Love" begins to heat up for the summer, Young Money's Shanell comes along and adds a woman's touch to the acoustic single.

"I guess when I first heard the song, I was mad that it wasn't mine, because I really liked it," Shanell told Mixtape Daily of her motivation to remake the tune.

On the Wayne version, he sings with the aid of Auto-Tune about a woman who is unable to love because of all the wrong done to her in past relationships. "You had a lot of crooks try to steal your heart, never really had luck, couldn't never figure out how to love," Lil Tunechi sings on the original track's chorus.

Shanell, who delivers her version of the love song without computer effects, changes the lyrics up slightly but keeps a similar feel. She sings of a man who has been damaged in the past, but instead of blaming him, Shanell excuses his adulterous behavior.

"It's really stuff that I've dealt with in relationships that I've been in," Shanell said. "Instead of getting upset with the guy, kind of feeling bad for him. Like, 'You're cheating and I feel bad for you,' rather than, 'I'm mad at you because you just don't know or appreciate what you have. You're too busy trying to be like your favorite rapper.'

"I think my version wouldn't be as great as it was if it there wasn't [Wayne's] version for people to hear that side of the story," she added.

After hearing Shanell's rendition, Wayne is mulling over the idea of the two performing the song live as a duet during the second leg of his I Am Still Music Tour. "He was really, really surprised that I did it, and he thought it sounded really, really good," she said of the YM boss' reaction. "We're talking about maybe even doing some sort of back and forth thing on the road, on the upcoming tour."

Whether or not that pans out, fans can still see Shanell perform some of her own songs on the road with Wayne. She estimates that she'll be able to showcase about two songs on her own, but no plans are finalized just yet.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666882/lil-wayne-shanell-how-to-love.jhtml

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Chelsy Davy and Prince Harry: Back Together?


The love life of Prince Harry seems to be in flux these days.

Last month, William's younger brother reportedly said that he's 100 percent single. It was a quote that seemingly left little room for interpretation.

Then, last week, he and lingerie/swimwear model Florence Brudenell-Bruce were linked romantically. Was there any truth to either rumor?

Not according to a new report linking him to ... Chelsy Davy.

Chelsy Davy SmilesWilliam's Younger Brother

A royal source suggests that not only are Harry and longtime love Chelsy Davy still an item, they're about to spend some serious time together.

"Chelsy & Harry are going on holiday in S. Africa later this year," the insider says.

"Harry has been planning on meeting up with her in Cape Town and they want to spend a good couple of weeks together traveling, alone."

If this rumor is true, that sounds like more than a friendly trip, wouldn't you say? Perhaps the time apart did wonders for the lovebirds.

Who do you think Prince Harry should be together with?

[Photos: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/07/chelsy-davy-and-prince-harry-back-together/

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Lady Gaga, Adele And More: Best Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

Foo Fighters, Bon Iver, the Beastie Boys also make Bigger Than the Sound's midyear list.
By James Montgomery


Bigger Than The Sound's Best Albums of 2011 (so far)
Photo: MTV News

Well, we've reached the halfway point of 2011, and if you're a fan of unfortunately named politicians tweeting photos of their bulges, terrorists getting shot in the eye and Austrian strongmen who have a thing for the help, well, congratulations on having the best six months of your entire life.

Of course, for the rest of us, there's been plenty to help pass the time in 2011 — namely, a whole bunch of really excellent albums, from folks you probably know (Eminem, Lady Gaga) and some you more than likely don't (the Weeknd, F---ed Up). But whether they're household names or not, they've all helped make the first 180-or-so days of the year practically fly by — a feat that's pretty amazing considering all the crap that's happened up to this point.

Vote for your favorite album of 2011 in our Newsroom poll!

So, like I've done in previous years, I've compiled my favorite albums of the first half of 2011 — a traditional top 10, followed by some honorable mentions too. If there's something you haven't heard, well, you've still got six months to rectify that. And the same goes for me: If there's an album that I've missed (a definite possibility), I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. So, let's get right to it. Here's my list of the Best Albums of 2011 (So Far):

The Top 10
10. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Mirror Traffic: The elder statesman of erudite rock and good diction has been heading in a jammier direction for years now (on songs like "1% of One," "No More Shoes" and, more recently, the Pavement reunion tour), but thanks to the production work of Beck, he's finally honed those tendencies into an album that's every bit as elastic as his previous efforts, yet oddly focused too. Songs like "Tigers" and "Senator" prove he's still not averse to an angular verse (or in-depth investigations into the sexual proclivities of elected officials), but it's on "28 Forever" — when he warbles, "There's no parade/ I cannot rain on with my poison eyes" — where he finally seems to be coming to terms with his past as an oft-noted sourpuss. Call it clarity, call it maturity, call it whatever: It all makes for the best Malk record in years.

9. Foo Fighters, Wasting Light: The year's best major-label rock record was born out of risk: Dave Grohl eschewed the sanitary confines of the big-bucks studio to record an album in his own garage, on tape, warts-and-all. And then he brought in Nevermind producer Butch Vig to oversee the proceedings. The end result is an effort that positively rips, one equally packed with crackling rockers ("Rope," "White Limo") and muscle-y, medium-rare mopers ("I Should Have Known"). In the process, he not only reinvigorated his band, but set the bar impossibly high for any of his contemporaries. As if they'd have the balls to try something like this.

8. The Weeknd, House of Balloons: Mysterious, majestically paced R&B courtesy of 20-year-old Canadian Abel Tesfaye, whose sensibilities (gorgeously layered atmospherics, keenly placed Siouxsie and the Banshees samples) belie his years. The trope of the troubled loverman isn't exactly new, but rarely are matters of the heart played out as honestly as they are here. A constant cycle of druggy nights, desperate flings and depressing dawns, Balloons makes no apologies, and, really, it doesn't need to. Not when the scenery is this engrossing, this sumptuous. Mood music for increasingly moody times. And, best of all, it's free.

7. Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two: Really, this one could have gone either way. Especially after MCA's battle with cancer forced the Beasties to scrap the first record (and, of course, To the Five Boroughs). But, somewhat shockingly, they delivered an album that's a total blast, a mishmash of boom-bap rattle and pop-culture flotsam that, like all the best Beastie albums, manages to tread the line between highbrow rap and lowbrow entertainment. So even if Mike D did open up a restaurant with Ted Danson, you still believe he's got enough swagger to go toe-to-toe with Nas. And on Hot Sauce, he does both.

6. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues: The folks over at Spin called it "the year's most beautiful album," and they're probably right. Swooning, wide-screen vocal harmonies ebb and expand into the warm, finger-picked acoustics, creating atmospheres that are summery one minute, wintery the next. But it's not all ethereal. In fact, frontman Robin Pecknold spends the majority of the album rooting through problems that are, in fact, very real: finding his place in the world and coming to terms with his disappearing youth. That balance is key to the album's strength. Because for a band that indulges so much in the space of the studio, Helplessness Blues is rarely, if ever, self-indulgent.

5. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes: Psychoanalytic, somnambulant pop from the prodigiously talented 25-year-old Swede, Wounded Rhymes expands on the themes that she laid out in her stunning debut (2008's Youth Novel) and imbues them with an otherworldly spirit. Not to mention the torchy leanings of the greatest of girl groups (the Ronettes, the Crystals, etc.). So while Li is still preternaturally somber (like on "Sadness Is a Blessing," on which she keens, "Sadness is my boyfriend"), she's also not afraid to get dirty, either, and it's when she's doing the latter — like on the aptly titled "Get Some" — that she truly shines.

4. Lady Gaga, Born This Way: It's not a stretch to call BTW the year's most-anticipated album, and perhaps in a nod to those expectations, Lady Gaga delivered an effort that doesn't leave anything on the cutting-room floor. From the piston-pumping electronics of "Marry the Night" and the tarantula tango of "Americano" to the twitching, "Transformers"-huge techno of "Heavy Metal Lover" and the epic balladry of "You and I" and "The Edge of Glory," this truly is an effort that tries very hard to be everything to everyone. And sure, it's probably too long, but that's sort of the point, isn't it? And if she didn't please everyone, well, she came pretty darn close, didn't she?

3. Bon Iver, Bon Iver: Justin Vernon has done the impossible: follow up a beloved, much-mythologized debut album (you know, the one that was recorded in a cabin) with a record that's just as good — if not better. He's always been one for atmospheres, but never before have those atmospheres been so dense. Or so compelling. Here, he creates a singular, breathless world, building it with layers of echoing instrumentation and his own ghostly falsetto. There are moments where the sun shines through the cracks — a horn crescendo, a silvery sliver of bell — but for the most part, Bon Iver is a mesmerizing trip through a dewy dreamscape. And, in that regard, it's a momentous achievement — even if the last song does sound like Bruce Hornsby.

2. Adele, 21: It's nice when the year's best-selling album also ends up being one of the flat-out best, but, in the case of Adele's 21, we should've seen it coming. After all, she's got the Grammy-winning pedigree. But this time out, she's grown, and become a singer capable of both tremendous power (like on the smash "Rolling in the Deep") and terrifying tenderness too (like on the smashing "Someone Like You"). A roiling collection of breakup ballads and revenge fantasies, there truly is no album quite like 21, and not only is its success justified, but it probably guarantees Adele will only add to her Grammy collection come February. Some things are inevitable.

1. F---ed Up, David Comes to Life: A wrecking-ball sorta rock opera courtesy of Toronto's hardest-working (and, most likely only) six-piece punk collective, David Comes to Life tells the story of a downtrodden factory worker who may or may not have killed his true love. I think. Because, along the way, there's also betrayal, heartache, bomb blasts, fisticuffs and a whole lot of plot-twisting shifts in narration too. Of course, the story behind the album is largely unimportant (if you want to keep score at home, here's a handy guide) especially when the album itself hits so hard. The (multi-multi-multi-)tracked guitars squeal and chug for days, and frontman Pink Eyes' screams are so visceral you can practically feel his blood welling up in your headphones. It's an ambitious, ringing, raging success, the kind of record you'll listen to over and over again, either to try and follow the plotline or just get pummeled by the sheer might of the thing. Either way, you'll enjoy yourself.

Honorable Mentions
Bad Meets Evil, Hell: The Sequel: Reunited with (and recharged by) Royce Da 5'9", Em reminds us that he's still capable of littering the scene with lyrical shell casings, and Nickel Nine matches him shot for shot. Their friendly competition makes for a thrilling listen, and basically everything here burns with varying degrees of intensity — even the track with Bruno Mars.

Bright Eyes, The People's Key: Unjustly overlooked for reasons not apparent to me, Conor Oberst's seventh studio album is a latticework of sonic strips, wide-eyed (yet sorta hazy) ponderances of faith and science and, on "Ladder Song," raw, positively aching ruminations on death. Not as great as some of his earlier works, but close. And that's still better than 95 percent of everything else.

Curren$y, Covert Coup: One of approximately 750 albums he plans to release this year (and not the one that syncs up with "Weekend at Bernie's" either), Coup bubbles along on producer the Alchemist's hazy beats and Curren$y's laconic, chronic delivery. If you couldn't tell, this is the weed-iest album of 2011, by a smoky mile.

Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys: Ben Gibbard finally gets happy, only, y'know, within reason. Because even the sunniest moments are dotted with dark clouds, and ultimately, this is an album that's as much about alienation as anything else. After all, falling in love doesn't fill the emptiness inside; it only makes it more pronounced.

PJ Harvey, Let England Shake: The iconic Brit shape-shifts with seemingly every record she releases, and on Shake, she's reborn as an old-fashioned protest singer. The sad thing is, the subjects she's singing about (conflict, bloodshed, man's unending cycle of self-immolation) are just as timely now as they were 50 years ago.

Portugal. The Man, In the Mountain, In the Cloud: Guys from the same town that put Sarah Palin on the map (Wasilla, Alaska: Population 7,831) more than atone for that fact with an album that's sprawling, psychedelic and crawling with ambition — the latter of which is also a pretty apt description for Ms. You-Betcha's machinations too.

Radiohead, The King of Limbs: Maybe the most divisive Radiohead album of all time (or at least since Hail to the Thief), it may not necessarily rock, but that's because it's not supposed to. Instead, its main focus is creating a world that's atmospheric and amniotic, and even if it doesn't contain guitar solos like "Lucky" or "Just," there's still plenty to give you chills. Just not the chills you're probably used to.

Tyler, the Creator, Goblin: Terrifying meta-commentary or simply the angry rantings of a 20-year-old kid who doesn't know any better? Probably both. Homophobic? Sexist? Clever? Irritating? How about all of the above. It's also visceral, wince-inducing, frightening and sorta funny too. But perhaps nobody does a better job of summing it all up than Tyler himself, when, on the (sorta) hook to "Radicals," he growls, "Kill people, burn sh--, f--- school." Now that's a mission statement.

YACHT, Shangri-La: The new-age dance duo ponder the existence of the hereafter and discover that it may very well exist on earth (or within our own minds). Too bad we're busy destroying both. A postapocalyptic party as foreseen by the Talking Heads and Giorgio Moroder, Shangri-La is as heavy on subject matter as it is on lithe, limber rhythms, so even when things get too heady, you can still let your hips do all the thinking.

Yuck, Yuck: The year's best debut, one that channels the stray slack and sonic stumblings of Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. And considering it all comes from a quartet of kids too young to remember prime-era indie rock, it's all the more noteworthy. Maybe the stuff can make a comeback.

What did we miss? Share your favorites in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666572/bigger-than-the-sound-best-albums-of-2011.jhtml

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Lady Gaga's 'Edge Of Glory': A Pop-Culture Cheat Sheet

In her newest video, Gaga pays homage to classic clips of the 1980s.
By James Montgomery


Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images

The first thing that strikes you about Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory" video is the fact that it's steeped in the rich, gauzy traditions of classic pop clips and noticeably missing any of the allegories, agendas or, uh, afterbirth of her previous work.

Simply put, "Edge" is an homage to an entire genre of videos that has since gone by the wayside — namely, the eternally soft-focused, ethereal mini-movies of the 1980s, (mostly) pop productions that reimagined cityscapes as dream-like fantasy worlds, where the just-wet streets shone like mirrors, the manholes frothed with steam and no piece of fabric was left un-billowed. These were decidedly big-budget, unapologetically Hollywood things, shot on studio backlots, glowing with million-dollar lighting budgets and given extra grandeur thanks to sweeping, soaring crane shots. They made no attempt to portray reality as anything of the sort — because, much like the songs they accompanied, there was rebellion in that fantasy — or of hiding their excesses. And, not surprisingly, as the decade came to a close, and earnestness began to reign supreme, they slowly disappeared (surely, their big budgets didn't help their fate either).

But with her new clip, Gaga resurrects the epic videos of the '80s once again. And, seemingly, all at once. There truly are too many nods to the classics to list individually, and really, that's beside the point. With "The Edge of Glory," LG is paying tribute not to individual artists, but to an entire genre. Still, there are some whose influence stands above the rest, and we've combined them into one handy cheat sheet. Of course, in keeping with her tradition, not all of them come from the 1980s. Because if there's anything Lady Gaga has proven, it's that she refuses to be fenced in. Here's our list:

Bonnie Tyler: Welsh-born belter whose better-known videos (like "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out for a Hero") practically set the standard for the fantastical pop videos of the 1980s. Soft focus, arching crane shots, achingly staged lighting — they're all there, and they're all on display in "Edge of Glory" too.

Blondie, "Rapture": One of the earliest examples of the ethereal '80s (it was released in 1981), the video follows Debbie Harry on a dream-like traipse through the streets of New York City, complete with guest appearances by Fab Five Freddy and a shuffling Uncle Sam (to name just a few). It makes no sense, because it's not supposed to.

Cyndi Lauper: Gaga's good friend and, along with Madonna, perhaps the premier '80s video star, Lauper's classics — be they the good-natured rebellion of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" or the moody, arty "True Colors" — both seem like spiritual successors to "Edge."

"Fame": Epochal tale of performing-arts students living and loving in NYC during the early '80s, it's spirit and style have long influenced Gaga's work. With its dance moves and dreamy, freedom-in-the-streets scenes, "Edge" is perhaps the best example of that.

"Flashdance": Prototypical "girl finds escape in dance" film from 1983, it stars Jennifer Beals as a steelworker/dancer who dreams of a better life. Not only are the same sentiments echoed in "Edge," but Gaga pays tribute to the film's most memorable scene — where Beals reclines in a chair and is doused in water — by striking a similar pose outside her apartment building.

George Michael: Before he became known for his various, uh, exploits, Michael was the biggest British pop star of the 1980s, and as such, he churned out some appropriately huge music videos. Two of his biggest — "Father Figure" and "Careless Whisper" — seem to have influenced Gaga with their gauzy, steamy portrayals of late-night life in the big city and, in the case of "Whisper," that balls-out sax wailing.

Michael Jackson: You can't write anything about videos from the 1980s without mentioning MJ, who took the art form to rarely duplicated heights. Usually, his clips were fantastical things, but occasionally, he also got gritty, and it's those moments (videos like "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Billie Jean") that seem to have stuck in Gaga's mind.

"Newsies": The 1992 Disney musical is most notable for its initial "flop" status and its subsequent rebirth as a cult classic. It tells the story of newsboys on strike in New York City, and in classic scenes like Christian Bale's performance of the song "Santa Fe," it takes that struggle to the twisting fire escapes of the city. Sort of like "Edge of Glory," really.

"Rent": Broadway retelling of Puccini's "La bohème," set in the Lower East Side in the early 1990s. As some have noted, Lady Gaga seems to be paying tribute to the choreography of one particular number ("Out Tonight") as she dances on the fire escape.

"West Side Story": One of the best-loved Broadway musicals of all time, "Story" was remade as a film in 1961 and went on to win a whopping 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. As you can expect, there are plenty of street scenes and fire escapes in both the film and the stage show, but perhaps the most famous is "Tonight," where the story's star-crossed lovers profess their love for one another high above the city. Sure, Maria never tears off her Versace silk, but you seemingly cannot film a scene on a fire escape without recalling this classic, and, in "Edge," there's certainly a lot of the former.

Did we miss any influences? Let us know in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1665991/lady-gaga-edge-of-glory.jhtml

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Justin Bieber Vintage Video: His First Meeting With Usher

Justin Timberlake also wanted to sign Bieber, 'Never Say Never' star said in 2009.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber
Photo: Brian Phares/MTV News

Just as the world was learning who Justin Bieber was, MTV News caught up with the shaggy-haired singer in September 2009. He was gearing up to release his debut album, My World, and plotting his pop-world domination. In the year and a half since that interview, Bieber has done the nearly impossible, launching himself into the pop mega-sphere.

In the chat, Bieber recalled how he and his manager, Scooter Braun, met and eventually got big names interested in signing the teen.

"My manager found me on YouTube. He flew me out to Atlanta for the first time — I'd never actually been on a plane before. He flew me to Atlanta where i was going to the studio to meet some people," he recalled.

"And Usher happened to roll up in his Range Rover. I ran up to him, and I was like, 'Usher, I love your songs. Want me to sing you one?' The politest possible way he could say no, he did. ... I took the hint. I didn't get to sing for him: He had to run into a studio session."

But later, Usher was beckoning the teen back to the ATL. "He actually watched my videos — after my manager got to talking to him — and was like, 'I should have let this kid sing,' and flew me back to Atlanta where I got to sing for him in a proper setting. A week later, I had a meeting with Justin Timberlake, who also wanted to sign me, so they both kind of wanted me."

As the story goes, Bieber went with Usher, and the two never looked back.

"As far as Usher being my mentor, he's definitely given me words of wisdom. I hear it from everybody, but definitely to hear it from Usher is great, just to stay humble and grounded is very important," he explained.

"There's a lot of people, especially young stars, that have gone down the wrong path, and I definitely plan to stay humble and stay grounded and keep my family first, because that stuff really is important in life."

On Friday, Justin Bieber's 3-D documentary, "Never Say Never," opens. The film takes a look at how the teen star worked to hit it big. MTV News has been chatting with him along the way, from the time he first burst on the scene in 2009 until now, as he embarks on a huge 2011 that will include a tour and more new music.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1657425/justin-bieber-usher-video.jhtml

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Michael Rapaport Eyes Roots, De La Soul For Next Docs

A Tribe Called Quest doc director says he'd do another hip-hop film 'if things lined up.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Kara Warner


Michael Rapaport
Photo: MTV News

The controversy surrounding the documentary "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest" has not killed director Michael Rapaport's hip-hop jones. The film has received rave reviews, and if given the chance, Rapaport told MTV News that he has his eye on a few other rap acts that he'd like to turn his lens on.

"I would love to document De La Soul," he said looking directly in the camera making his best pitch.

Another group which Rapaport has interest in is Philadelphia hip-hop band the Roots. While the group has had a rotating cast since their 1993 debut, Organix, band leader and drummer ?uestlove, along with MC Black Thought and keyboardist Kamal have been mainstays. Multi-platinum producer Scott Storch was a one-time member, as was rapper Malik B. The Roots have released 10 studio LPs since the early 1990s, and of course, the Grammy-winning group are enjoying success as the in-house band for "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon."

"I would love to document the Roots; I think they have an interesting story," Rapaport said. "I have a curiosity about them. Their musicality and their live performances I think would be great, and I have a feeling that there are stories behind each one of them."

After filming A Tribe Called Quest for his current work, Rapaport has went back and forth with group member Q-Tip. In light of the experience, when he visited "RapFix Live" in March, Q-Tip urged other rappers to tell their "own stories," a concept that confused Rapaport. "I don't know if he meant, 'We're from hip-hop, it should be a hip-hop director,' " the actor-director admitted to MTV News. "I don't know who would go under the auspices of being a hip-hop director. Or if it was a racial thing like, 'We're black and shouldn't have a white director.' It was confusing to me."

As of now, Rapaport isn't looking to do another rap film in the near future, but he wouldn't turn it down if the opportunity presented itself.

"Right now I'm taking a break from hip-hop documentaries," he said. "But I would do it if things lined up."

Would you support a Michael Rapaport-directed Roots documentary? Tell us in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666705/michael-rapaport-roots-de-la-soul-documentary.jhtml

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Clarence Clemons, In Memoriam: The Big Man, In More Ways Than One

The iconic sax man for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band (and Lady Gaga) towered over contemporary music for nearly five decades.
By James Montgomery


Clarence Clemons
Photo: Getty Images

Clarence Clemons was affectionately known as "The Big Man," probably because, well, he was a big man. Standing six-feet, four-inches tall -- and nearly just as wide -- he towered over Bruce Springsteen, the E Street Band, and whomever else he shared the stage with during his five-decade career, casting a shadow as formidable as it was striking (it's no wonder Bruce decided to lean on him, like some sort of lamppost, on the cover of 1975's Born To Run).

But his physical size only told part of the story. Because Clemons was also a massive talent, a saxophonist as adept at filing an arena with his booming solos as he was providing a rock-solid backbone to Springsteen's churning, yearning rock. He was the Big Man because everything ran through him, because he was capable of both taking the lead (like on "Jungleland") and laying back in the cut (like on "10th Avenue Freeze Out," where his presence definitely shapes the song, but at no point overshadows its other components), and because of the tones he charmed from his sax ... crisp and clear-eyed, grandiose yet gritty, big yet decidedly blue-collar (just like he was), no one played like Clarence did. And when he died on Saturday at the age of 69 after complications from a stroke he suffered last week, not only did we lose a mountain of a man, but an icon as well.

See photos of Clemons throughout his career.

Simply put, Clemons was the most prominent sax player in popular music. And as proof, I'll ask you to name any of his contemporaries. Chances are, you can't; not because they don't exist, but because they couldn't begin to approach his stature. He was the go-to guy when the stars needed a session hand (recording with the likes of Aretha Franklin and Twisted Sister, and performing live with everyone from the Grateful Dead to Ringo Starr,) and, more recently, Lady Gaga tapped him to perform on her Born This Way album -- he appears in her new "The Edge Of Glory" video, a move that no doubt introduced his sublime playing to a whole new generation of fans. Shoot, he even appeared on "The Simpsons," "The Wire" and "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," where he played, fittingly enough, one of the Three Most Important People in the World.

Remember Clemons with us on Facebook.

In passing, he leaves behind a catalog that's nearly as massive as his frame: not only his notable guest appearances, but several solo albums (and records he cut with backing bands like the Temple of Soul and the Red Bank Rockers) and, of course, the myriad of albums he cut with Springsteen and the E Street Band. And it's on those recordings -- starting with 1973's Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. and continuing right on through 2009's Working on a Dream and last year's reissue The Promise -- where Clemons not only shone the brightest, but also showcased the reason why he earned his "Big Man" nickname. Sure, he burns on songs like "Badlands" and "Born To Run," but listen to his work on songs like "Prove It All Night" and "Dancing in the Dark" (to name six dozen) ... the times where he proves to be the Bigger Man, letting his fellow bandmates get their share, too.

Rarely has there been a player so soulful and selfless ... one so secure in his own status that he was willing to let others shine. It's why Clarence Clemons will forever be known as "The Big Man," and why, even in death, he still casts a formidable shadow over popular music and popular culture. He was the sax man's sax man. To paraphrase Springsteen on "Freeze Out," not only was the change was made uptown when the Big Man joined the band, but the mould was broken, too.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666007/clarence-clemons-career-dead-dies-69.jhtml

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