M Is FOR MASHUP - March 9th, 2016
Tomorrows Mashups Today With AtoZ
By DJ Useo
I am truly blessed to have some fine pals on the internet. I interact with them in many satisfying ways about mashups, & the rest of life mysteries, as well. My very best friend among them is
AtoZ
( hearthis.at/p2bt8kdr/ )
, & we speak often. That he is in my life is the best part, but right up there among reasons to like him are his incredible bootleg mix skills. He consistently creates clever, & appealing works, often with accompanying videos. I know, I know, some people have no interest in mashups, ( let alone music ) but I recognize the awesome thrills of music, & can also appreciate personalized re-creations of the tunes I love.
AtoZ relates great on a personal level, with me, & we enjoy a detailed daily discourse on the mixing subject. With quite a lot of mix experience shared between the two of us we find a rare bond that those who are accomplished in their field are blessed to experience. Sorry to go on, but that's the subject. Lol. Allow me to mention some of the fine newer audio tracks from AtoZ that you can stream, & download now. Comments lifted from the writings of AtoZ by way of the Church of Kopimi. ;)
01 - AtoZ - Gonna' Be Rich (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Titus Andromedon vs The Four Karaoke Tops)
For "Gonna' Be Rich", this video is fine . . . I worked on it like any other and it's ok, it's great . . but it's a completely different, almost separate experience, even more then most. And this one seems much more like "know the song awhile, then see the video" . . . yeah, like That'll swing y'all over to my little plan !
( hearthis.at/p2bt8kdr/atoz-gonna-be-rich-when-she-was-famous-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidts-titus-andromedon-vs-the-four-karaoke-tops/ )
( www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bemi61cjepg&feature=youtu.be )
02 - AtoZ - Fly Like A Beatles ( The Beatles vs Steve Miller Band )
"Fly Like a Beatle" originally came out in early summer 2012.
And it's the next "hey, join your younger brothers here" cuz it's essentially a companion piece to "Swing Like an Eagle", uploaded just a few weeks ago.
( hearthis.at/p2bt8kdr/atoz-fly-like-a-beatle-the-beatles-vs-steve-miller/ )
( www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWww_SMNo3Q )
03 - AtoZ - Gamblin' Truckin' Touch ( Grateful Dead vs Allman Bros vs Chronic Crew )
It's my best big damn hit ! . . well, it ought'a be.
One of those gifts that came to me in the first moments of still-dreamy awakening.
Seemingly separate ingredients my mind mixed together, and as I woke it was like "ding ! . . your cake is baked and ready for audio-icing !"
( hearthis.at/p2bt8kdr/atoz-ramblin-truckin-touch-the-grateful-dead-the-allman-brothers-vs-chronic-crew/ )
( www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EeFCAHfndY )
04 - AtoZ - Burning Hammer ( Talking Heads vs Peter Gabriel )
Yeah, I'm always sayin' "audio is primary -- video is secondary", and it's true too . . . but I dunno' if I ever put together a vid that was as much a mash of the respective videos -- as the track was of the songs !
So dig it . . but damn it . . . download the mpthree and enjoy it on a nice drive . . . or a skydive !
. . are yer' eyes dry ? . . . have a good cry !
( hearthis.at/p2bt8kdr/atoz-burning-hammer-talking-heads-vs-peter-gabriel/ )
( www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JkBgidviA0&feature=youtu.be )
05 - AtoZ - ( Steve Miller Band vs Beatle Paul vs YELLo )
Twas back in March of 2013 that Konrad Useo shared with me his newly new "Swing Like An Eagle", and I felt almost immediately "Hey, that needs me !"
It was obviously inspiring and cool enuff that it engaged me.
So why ever why did it enrage me ??
Well, it did not. . . why would think such a thing ?!
I did feel, however, that more work would only make it better, and it called out to me, you see.
The collaborative union of AtoZeo had already been established over a year before, and has continued to this day ---- with This !!
( hearthis.at/p2bt8kdr/atozeo-swing-like-an-eagle-the-steve-miller-band-beatle-paul-vs-yello/ )
( www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvZD-7LC45k&feature=youtu.be )
06 - AtoZ - Fame On My Radio ( Bowie on Bowie )
David Bowie was big in my life . . big as a Beatle !
And his "mortal ascension" 6 days ago ( as of this writing ) effected me much the way John's did:
For the 1st couple daze, I was gutted and stunned . . reeling and weeping . . and I had the urge to wear all black.
( hearthis.at/p2bt8kdr/atoz-fame-on-my-radio-bowie-on-bowie/ )
( www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSNFnoeevTQ )
Even as we read this now, I am certain AtoZ is crafting another cool creation certain to captivate. More AtoZ links soon.
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Andrew Tobias: Success v. New York Times
You know I'm a fan of Success Academy charter schools (here and here, etc.) - astounding results that break the cycle of poverty for thousands of kids in New York's toughest neighborhoods. It is a big, big deal that should be replicated nationwide. The New York Times doesn't think so. Most recently, it focused
Zoe Williams: "Goodnight and good Nook: farewell to a beloved e-reader" (The Guardian)
Barnes & Noble has shut down its [British] ebook store. It may have been overshadowed and outsold by the Kindle, but for some readers, it was briefly a revelation.
Arwa Mahdawi: Lost for words? A new app writes witty texts so you don't have to (The Guardian)
Now you can crowdsource the funniest possible responses to messages you've received. It's basically Cyrano de Bergerapp.
SOPHIA A. MCCLENNEN: David Letterman would finish off Donald Trump: Yes, we miss Jon Stewart, but no one deflated demagogues like Dave (Salon)
Dave shut down Limbaugh and O'Reilly, and ended John McCain's hopes. He's the no-BS satirist who'd silence Trump.
Willie VerSteeg: Everyone Should Be Watching the Reality Show Cops Right Now. Seriously. (Slate)
An at-home exercise: Turn on Spike and wait for an episode of Cops to come on. As you watch, consider the possibility that the suspect-or bystander or victim-might be the protagonist of this story, and not our blue-clad hero. Perhaps the officer is just a catalyst. Perhaps he is the antagonist. Most likely, the roles are not so easily assigned. At the very least, it doesn't take much to shake the narrative that the cops are the heroes and the civilians are the ne'er-do-wells.
Hunter Davies: "Decoding 'Eleanor Rigby'" (Slate)
The Beatles' most enigmatic, operatic song.
Helaine Olen: The Difference Between Good and Bad Debt (Slate)
More and more of us believe all debt is a curse. A new study shows how wrong we are.
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
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David Bruce has over 80 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
"Doug's Most Shared Facebook Post" Today
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
David E Suggests
Incredible Women
David
Thanks, Dave!
from Marc Perkel
Patriot Act
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
HIS GREATEST FAILURE.
ALL TRUMPED UP!
"WHEN FALLACIES COLLIDE."
ZIKA, DINKA, DO!
A GATHERING STORM!
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and seasonal.
Destroyed the GOP's Toxic Masculinity
Samantha Bee
In the few weeks since launching onto the late night talk show scene, Full Frontalhost Samantha Bee has led the way in eviscerating the Republican Party's many blunders. Monday night's episode was no exception, as Bee tore into Donald Trump and other candidates' ridiculous performances of masculinity.
"This week, our country mourns the loss of a great institution, gone before its time," Bee said facetiously about the GOP.
Bee pinned the beginning of the party's end to the GOP's response to Thursday's debate, where the GOP apparently "woke up and realized Donald Trump was doing to his brand what his asshole son does to real elephants," Bee said, referencing Trump's son's proclivity for killing for sport.
Mitt Romney on Thursday publicly "staged a Mitt-ervention so condescending it served as a donation in kind to the Trump campaign," Bee said, adding that the thought of a "broken convention" likely caused Romney to soil "his temple garments."
"With all due respect, sir, the last time you tried to stand between a charismatic guy and the White House, you got beat like a Muslim girl at a Trump rally," she said, to audience groans.
Samantha Bee
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee/YouTube
Library Offered Cake
J.K. Rowling
Just because she's one of the best selling authors in the world, it doesn't mean that she'll say "no" to free food.
When Orkney Library in Scotland announced that they will be having a discussion of 'The Cuckoo's Calling' by Robert Galbraith (Rowling's pseudonym), the author tweeted them, saying that it sounded like a fun event.
After a long Twitter discussion where the two sides have a little fun with referring to Rowling and her pseudonym as two separate people, the library lets Rowling in on a game changing secret: there will be cake at the event.
After informing the library that her favourite cake is lemon drizzle (although her pseudonym Robert likes fruitcake), they sent out a picture of her desired cake to let her know that they have it on standby in case she decides to show up.
"It was really unbelievable," senior library assistant Stewart Bain told the Press and Journal. "We had heard a rumour earlier that she had arrived in Orkney and then all of a sudden she was there."
J.K. Rowling
New Cast Revealed
'Dancing with the Stars'
"Fuller House" actress Jodie Sweetin, talk show host Geraldo Rivera and former teen sensation Mischa Barton are among some of the celebrities who will lace up their dancing shoes in the new season of "Dancing With the Stars."
Returning to judge the couples are Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Len Goodman, as well as co-hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews.
Here are all of this season's competing couples:
1. Actress and Donald Trump's ex-wife #2 Marla Maples partnered with Tony Dovolani
2. Actress Mischa Barton ("The O.C.") partnered with Artem Chigvintsev
3. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown partnered with Sharna Burgess
4. Former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie partnered with Karina Smirnoff
5. Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris partnered with Lindsay Arnold
6. American mixed martial artist Paige VanZant partnered with Mark Ballas
7. Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller partnered with Witney Carson
8. Talk show host and reporter Geraldo Rivera partnered with Edyta Sliwinska
9. Real Housewives of Atlanta's Kim Fields partnered with Sasha Farber
10. ABC News' chief meteorologist Ginger Zee partnered with Val Chmerkovskiy
11. Actress Jodie Sweetin ("Full House" and "Fuller House") partnered with Keo Motsepe
12. America's Next Top Model winner Nyle DiMarco partnered with Peta Murgatroyd
'Dancing with the Stars'
Second Filmmaker Comes Out
Wachowski Sisters
"The Matrix" filmmaker Lilly Wachowski, formerly known as Andy, came out as a transgender woman on Tuesday in a candid post entitled "Sex change shocker - Wachowski brothers now sisters!!!," four years after her sister Lana Wachowski revealed she was a transgender woman.
Lilly Wachowski, 48, said in a statement in Chicago's Windy City Times that she decided to make her gender reassignment public after a journalist from Britain's Daily Mail attempted to coerce her to do an interview about her transition.
"I knew at some point I would have to come out publicly. You know, when you're living as an out transgender person it's … kind of difficult to hide. I just wanted - needed some time to get my head right, to feel comfortable. But apparently I don't get to decide this," Lilly Wachowski wrote.
Her sister Lana, 50, formerly known as Larry, came out publicly as a transgender woman in 2012.
Wachowski Sisters
GOP Tweet
Tammy Duckworth
The National Republican Senatorial Committee briefly posted a tweet Tuesday that said a Democratic candidate from Illinois who lost both legs as an Army helicopter pilot "has a sad record of not standing up" for veterans.
NRSC spokeswoman Andrea Bozek acknowledged the tweet about U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth was a mistake that was deleted "within minutes."
The tweet was recirculated on social media and appeared on political blogs. Duckworth's campaign noted it as a "disgraceful attack" in an afternoon email soliciting campaign donations.
"Tammy has made fighting for veterans her life's work, and will continue to do so in the Senate," said Duckworth campaign spokesman Matt McGrath, who called the tweet "tasteless and dishonest."
Duckworth, who held state and federal veterans affairs positions, lost her legs and part of an arm after a Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting in 2004 was shot down in Iraq.
Tammy Duckworth
Better Business Bureau Clarifies
T-rump University
Consumer watchdog the Better Business Bureau has clarified its position on now-defunct Trump University after the agency's score became a political football in a recent Republican presidential debate.
The school named after and founded by bombastic candidate Donald Trump (R-Pinche Pendejo) came up in last week's debate, with the GOP frontrunner shaking off claims the school provided no value to its students, saying at one point: "We have an A from the Better Business Bureau."
His rival, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, quickly interjected with a claim the bureau had in fact given Trump's eponymous school a rating of D-.
It turns out, both claims are true - sort of.
The bureau says contrary to Trump's claims, the school "does not currently have an A rating with BBB. The BBB Business Review for this company has continually been "No Rating" since September 2015. Prior to that, it fluctuated between D- and A+."
T-rump University
Mysterious Landing Strip in Nevada Desert
'Area 6'
A mysterious, mile-long landing strip in the remote Nevada desert could be the home base for testing sensors on a top-secret fleet of drones, security experts speculate.
The asphalt landing strip is in Area 6 of the Yucca Flat test site, about 12 miles (19 kilometers) northeast of the infamous Area 51 that has long been the subject of conspiracy theories. In Area 6, a handful of hangars with clamshell doors are clustered at one end of the airstrip, images from Google Earth reveal.
The area, which does not have a name, is fenced off and can be seen from the road by those touring the pockmarked Nevada National Security Site of Yucca Flat, where the military conducted hundreds of nuclear tests over several decades.
While little is known about Area 6, the Yucca Airstrip is used by both the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, Darwin Morgan, a spokesperson for the National Nuclear Security Administration, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Though officials with the government have been extremely reticent to reveal any details about the site, a few details have leaked out.
'Area 6'
Scooby-Doo Like Van Escapes Police
"Mystery Machine"
A driver of a mini-van painted to resemble the "Mystery Machine" from the Scooby Doo cartoon series led Redding police on a high-speed chase reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph Sunday afternoon before giving her pursuers the slip.
Redding Police are now searching for 51-year-old Sharon Kay Turman, who was wanted for alleged probation violations.
KRCR reports Monday that Turman's 1994 Chrysler Town and Country minivan was painted to resemble the van of cartoon fame.
Police say Turman blew through several red lights, showing disregard for the safety of other motorists, prompting an end to the pursuit.
A California Highway Patrol helicopter pilot watched her abandon the vehicle.
"Mystery Machine"
Hitler's Personal Copy
'Mein Kampf'
A Maryland auction house says it is selling a copy of "Mein Kampf" that once belonged to Adolf Hitler and was taken from his Munich apartment at the end of World War II.
News outlets report that Chesapeake City-based Alexander Historical Auctions LLC will offer Hitler's Nazi manifesto during its March 17 and 18 auction of more than 1,000 other WWII historical items.
The red leather-bound book bears an inscription signed by 11 officers from an American field artillery unit. It was kept by a soldier's daughter until a few years ago.
The book has an estimated value of between $12,000 and $15,000, but company auctioneer Bill Panagopulos said he expects the price to go higher.
According to the auction house's online catalog, a 2015 letter of provenance from the daughter of Capt. Daniel B. Allen of the 45th Infantry Division says he brought the book home with him after the war. The current seller is identified only as an East Coast collector.
'Mein Kampf'
United States Delivers First Payment
Green Climate Fund
The United States has paid $500 million into the United Nations' Green Climate Fund, the first tranche of the $3 billion it pledged as part of the commitments it made in the December Paris Climate Agreement, the State Department confirmed Monday.
The United States in 2014 pledged $3 billion for the GCF, to be used by poor and climate-vulnerable countries for transformational projects to adopt cleaner energy technologies and build their resistance against the impact of climate change.
But the ability of the United States to deliver the funds had been in doubt because Republican members of Congress had threatened to block federal funds for climate aid as part of their efforts to undermine U.S. participation in the Paris agreement. They said Congress first needs to scrutinize details of the accord before it releases funds.
But lawmakers did not block the funds in December after they wrapped up a sprawling budget deal to keep the U.S. government operating through next September.
Green Climate Fund
Prime-Time Nielsens
Ratings
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Feb. 29-March 6. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership.
1. Republican Presidential Debate, Fox News, 16.83 million.
2. "NCIS," CBS, 15.45 million.
3. "The Voice" (Monday), NBC, 13.33 million.
4. "The Walking Dead," AMC, 12.82 million.
5. "The Voice" (Tuesday), NBC, 12.29 million.
6. "NCIS: New Orleans," CBS, 11.73 million.
7. "60 Minutes," CBS, 11.44 million.
8. "Madam Secretary," CBS, 10.19 million.
9. "The Big Bang Theory," CBS, 10.08 million.
10. "Criminal Minds," CBS, 9.32 million.
11. "Survivor," CBS, 9.24 million.
12. "Scorpion," CBS, 9.23 million.
13. "American Idol" (Thursday), Fox, 8.74 million.
14. "Life in Pieces," CBS, 8.4 million.
15. "Modern Family," ABC, 8.22 million.
16. "The Bachelor," ABC, 8.17 million.
17. "Mom," CBS, 7.98 million.
18. "NCIS: Los Angeles," CBS, 7.94 million.
19. "Grey's Anatomy," ABC, 7.67 million.
20. "Mysteries of Laura," NBC, 7.44 million
Ratings
In Memory
George Martin
George Martin, the "Fifth Beatle" and British treasure who signed the Fab Four to a label contract when no one else would, produced virtually all their songs and introduced lavish arrangements into "Yesterday" and "A Day in the Life," has died. He was 90.
Beatles drummer Ringo Starr shared the news on Twitter, writing "Peace and love... George will be missed." A Universal Music Group spokesperson confirmed Martin's death, though details are not yet clear.
The producer, executive, arranger, musician and British knight was behind a whopping 23 No. 1 singles in the U.S. and 30 in the U.K.
As head of EMI's Parlophone Records, which then concentrated on jazz and comedy, Martin was on the lookout for a rock act when he met Beatles manager Brian Epstein in February 1962. Every other British label had passed on signing the foursome - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best.
Martin chose not to promote one of them as the frontman, suggested they replace Best (studio drummer Starr came on board) and allowed them to record their own material. Their first single, "Love Me Do," peaked at No. 17 on the British charts.
For The Beatles' first U.S. single, "Please Please Me," in November 1962, he convinced the boys to speed up the tempo. It proved to be a smash hit. "Gentlemen, you have just made your first No. 1 record," he memorably told them from the control room.
Martin also served as The Beatles' arranger. He suggested strings be added to "Yesterday," which would become one of the most covered songs of all time, and conducted the string section for "Eleanor Rigby." He played piano on "In My Life" and composed its harpsichord section; was responsible for the breathtaking orchestral windup in "A Day in the Life;" and used backward tapes to help shape the psychedelic elements of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Martin received an Academy Award nomination for best music, scoring of music, adaptation or treatment for The Beatles' 1964 classic film A Hard Day's Night, directed by Richard Lester; arranged the score for their 1968 animated movie Yellow Submarine; and scored, with Paul and Linda McCartney, the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die.
In 2006, Martin remixed, along with his son Giles Martin, the music for Love, the Cirque du Soleil production that celebrated Beatles music in conjunction with Apple Corps. It included a new orchestral song, written by Martin, for a solo version of Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."
Martin also produced for Cilla Black (for her hit song "Alfie"), Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Mahavishnu Orchestra, America, Jeff Beck, Cheap Trick, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Kenny Rogers, Neil Sedaka, Jimmy Webb, Dire Straits, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Meat Loaf, Carly Simon, Celine Dion and Kate Bush, among others.
Martin was knighted in 1996 (a year before McCartney received the honor) and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
Martin was born on Jan. 3, 1926, in Highbury, London. He received a few piano lessons as a child but mostly learned to play by himself and had "fantasies about being the next Rachmaninoff."
Martin entered the Royal Navy, and after leaving the service in 1947, he received a government grant to study music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, a London college, where he learned composition, orchestration and how to play the oboe.
Martin said he decided to pick up the oboe because he figured it could help him earn a living, and indeed, it helped him score a job producing classical baroque recordings at Parlophone, run by Oscar Preuss.
Martin became the head of A&R in 1955 when Preuss retired and found success with such comedy records as Peter Ustinov's 1952 novelty record "Mock Mozart" (Anthony Hopkins played harpsichord on one song) and worked with Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. Lennon, a big comedy fan, surely was impressed by this facet of Martin's career.
In 1962, under the pseudonym Ray Cathode, Martin put out an electronic dance single, "Time Beat," recorded at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, which fueled his desire to find a rock 'n' roll group with whom to work.
He left EMI in 1965 but continued to work in a freelance capacity, producing The Beatles' final album release, Abbey Road. (Phil Spector took over, for the most part, on the Let It Be album and documentary.) He opened the AIR recording studios in London and the Caribbean and attracted such artists as The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder and The Police to record.
In 1997, Martin rerecorded Elton John's "Candle in the Wind," originally written by John and Bernie Taupin about Marilyn Monroe but retooled as a tribute to Princess Diana. The song became the second best-selling single in history, and Martin called it "probably my last single. It's not a bad one to go out on."
Martin married Sheena Chisholm, whom he had met in the service, on his 22nd birthday in 1948, and after they divorced, wed Judy Lockhart-Smith, a Parlophone secretary, in 1966.
In addition to his son Giles, survivors include his other children Alexis, Gregory and Lucy.
George Martin
In Memory
Michael White
Michael White, the British film and theater producer best known for his work on "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," has died. He was 80.
White passed away Monday night in Ojai, California, at the home of ex-wife Louise White. However, his death was confirmed to Reuters by his former girlfriend, filmmaker Lyndall Hobbs.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, White began his work in the entertainment industry producing West End musicals such as "Oh! Calcutta," "Annie" and "The Rocky Horror Show" - both on stage and on the screen.
He also produced the 1975 cult classic film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and the popular TV show "The Comic Strip Presents… with Peter Richardson."
More recently, White's life story was the subject of the 2013 documentary film "The Last Impresario," directed by Gracie Otto.
He is survived by three children.
Michael White
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