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Rick James: "Mary Jane" live Video

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Rick James:
Created: 08/19/2005
Video description: R&B legend Rick James was one of the most influential black musicians of all time. As an artist, songwriter and producer, James provided the funky hits that resuscitated Motown Records in the late '70s. His Punk Funk sound updated the label's style and saw it through the mid-'80s. By 1981, Rick was at the peak of his commercial success with the platinum selling Street Songs album and the hit singles "Super Freak" and "Give It to Me Baby." The following year, Rick James & the Stone City Band took the stage in Essen, Germany to open the 10th Rockpalast-Festival. This 1982 performance was the first time James played in Europe, bringing his brand of American Punk Funk to a whole new audience. Together with the Stone City Band, James did not disappoint, burning up the stage with his trademark sound and special effects. Now for the first-time, this classic performance is available on DVD. Featuring classic hits like "You and I," "Mary Jane," and of course, "Super Freak," this is Rick James at his very best. Super Freak 1982 is not only a must-have collectors item but also a fitting tribute to an R&B legend. Track Listing: 1. Intro 2. Ghetto Life 3. Big Time 4. All Day All Night 5. Freaky 6. Fire It Up 7. Love Gun 8. Guitar Solo 9. Harp Bolo (Call Me Up) 10. Big Day 11. Standing On The Top 12. Mary Jane 13. Mary Jane March 14. You and I 15. Give It To Me Baby 16. Super Freak

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Rick James: "Superfreak" live

R&B legend Rick James was one of the most influential black musicians of all time. As an artist, songwriter and producer, James provided the funky hits that resuscitated Motown Records in the late '70s. His Punk Funk sound updated the label's style and saw it through the mid-'80s. By 1981, Rick was at the peak of his commercial success with the platinum selling Street Songs album and the hit singles "Super Freak" and "Give It to Me Baby." The following year, Rick James & the Stone City Band took the stage in Essen, Germany to open the 10th Rockpalast-Festival. This 1982 performance was the first time James played in Europe, bringing his brand of American Punk Funk to a whole new audience. Together with the Stone City Band, James did not disappoint, burning up the stage with his trademark sound and special effects. Now for the first-time, this classic performance is available on DVD. Featuring classic hits like "You and I," "Mary Jane," and of course, "Super Freak," this is Rick James at his very best. Super Freak 1982 is not only a must-have collectors item but also a fitting tribute to an R&B legend. Track Listing: 1. Intro 2. Ghetto Life 3. Big Time 4. All Day All Night 5. Freaky 6. Fire It Up 7. Love Gun 8. Guitar Solo 9. Harp Bolo (Call Me Up) 10. Big Day 11. Standing On The Top 12. Mary Jane 13. Mary Jane March 14. You and I 15. Give It To Me Baby 16. Super Freak

Bacardi B-Live event in Miami

The star-studded talent set to take the BACARDI B-LIVE stage includes world renowned DJ Paul Oakenfold, accompanied by members of the Florida Classical Orchestra; and Camp Freddy, a rock superstar band including Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney of Jane's Addiction, Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, Matt Sorum of Guns and Roses, Donovan Leitch and Billy Morrison of The Cult, who will be joined by special guests Mark McGrath, Jerry Cantrell, Duff McKagen and Billy Duffy. Fans will also be able to watch the celebrity spinner DJ AM collaborating with punk rock drummer Travis Barker. Miami's own DJ Le Spam and The Spam Allstars will open the show, playing their innovative blend of improvisational electronic mix of Latin, funk, hip hop and dub.

Bacardi B-Live event in Miami

The star-studded talent set to take the BACARDI B-LIVE stage includes world renowned DJ Paul Oakenfold, accompanied by members of the Florida Classical Orchestra; and Camp Freddy, a rock superstar band including Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney of Jane's Addiction, Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, Matt Sorum of Guns and Roses, Donovan Leitch and Billy Morrison of The Cult, who will be joined by special guests Mark McGrath, Jerry Cantrell, Duff McKagen and Billy Duffy. Fans will also be able to watch the celebrity spinner DJ AM collaborating with punk rock drummer Travis Barker. Miami's own DJ Le Spam and The Spam Allstars will open the show, playing their innovative blend of improvisational electronic mix of Latin, funk, hip hop and dub.

Klaxons: "Magick"

Fresh from the U.K cult success of their debut single 'Gravity's Rainbow' earlier this year, Klaxons (that's Jamie, Simon and James to their local Vicar) are now venturing Stateside with their offerings of post punk sensibilities with their deep love of Rave music described by Jaime as the most short lived genre of all time. It never even existed and classic Pop culture that sticks like knives out of their every chord change. Resulting in an instant mind bending, shoe stomping hit hailed as The most worthy indie dancefloor filler of the year NME Touching down in 2006 from a place undetermined to wrestle the hearts and minds of the nations music lovers from last year's seemingly all-pervading po-faced, post-punk moroseness. The band describes their sound as Josef K-meets-Baby D, with a twinkle in their eye, surely the first to mention those names in the same sentence. American audiences will immediately see the nod towards influential 90's bands such as Happy Mondays and Altern8. Definitions aside, what you hear is post punk psychedelic pop that meets pill popping dance music and it sure works. A trio with heads jam packed with ideas, ideas that layer influences and an imagination with genuine talent. Dazed & Confused Xan Valleys E.P lurches out demonically from a world of distortion and drummatic? madness, stuffing the peaks and breakdowns into moments of a sheer pop meltdown. If ever a band were all about the moment, all about Myspace as a progression of rave cultures underground communication, and all about creating a live experience every bit as exhilarating as their singles, this is the Klaxons signature sound. The opening track Gravity's Rainbow doesn't mess around as it welcomes and steers the listener into an eerie world of pumping psychedelia combined with melodic and romantic vocals blissfully taking you on a pleasantly trippy ride through their wondrous world and another dimension that is Xan Valleys. One listen to Atlantis To Interzone and the several miles of dots between those influences are quickly joined, where screaming sirens and samples straight out of a field in '89 give way to the punked out half-falsetto, half melodic breakneck vocals and drums. Klaxon, a French verb meaning to too certainly alludes to the raving mania of their audiences who frantically get down to the sounds with horns and whistles intact. But also the word's origin is actually a form of tribal drumming, Simon says used to communicate over long distances, pre amplification and telephones. Therefore, these London lads really are practicing the art of channelling a much loved yet equally forgotten musical era now reinvented and given back to us in the form of Klaxons.

LCD Soundsystem: "North American Scum"

'Sound Of Silver' is the second album from New York's king of cool, James Murphy and his LCD Soundsystem. A consummate punk-funk workout that expands on the sound of their eponymous debut without losing any of that record's inherent coolness, this is dance music for people to think to, and will appeal to fans of The Rapture and Radio 4. Includes the single 'North American Scum'.

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Dri: "You Know I Tried"

Dri has spent her music career lending her vocal and keyboard chops to bands like the much missed first wave emo-band The Anniversary, and Saddle Creek's Art In Manila. Her sultry debut "Smoke Rings" is a collection of kisses (and kiss-offs) blown to past and present loves; a swirl of stoned immediacy with feelings and melodies coming to life in loose perfection. A departure in sound from her previous work "Smoke Rings" is a diverse soulful affair taking influence from the classic sounds of Motown and Stax as well as modern R&B.

Fishbone: "Date Rape"

Fishbone lives up to their legend as "THE" group to bridge the gap between the funk of George Clinton and the blare of Rush; a hybrid fusion where Led Zeppelin and Sly Stone dance to a frenetic ska beat that fuel's the alternative thrust of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction and the cast of Lollapalooza. From their childhood together in the hardcore South Central Los Angeles wasteland to years of forced school-bused integration, Fishbone's influences were kaleidoscopic and never-ending. The band was formed in 1979 in the ghettos of South Central Los Angeles. The group came from the same Los Angeles scene that spawned the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction. Fishbone first gained attention with their unique live concerts, earning a reputation as one of the most original bands in the alternative genre. Their unique stew of different styles, mixed with hectic energy and pounding rhythms, were a huge influence on the funk/rock/metal/rap genre that would become popular in the 1990s. Live audiences around the world have been surrendering to the band's stage flash and magical rhythms with uninterrupted regularity. Such passionate devotion is not lost on Fishbone, who refer to their friends on the road as "The Familyhood."

Moby: "Beautiful"

In his words.... Born September 11, 1965 in Harlem, New York City. Given the legal name Richard Melville Hall. Given the nickname 'Moby' at birth due to having Herman Melville as an ancestor. Lived in a basement apartment in New York City with James Hall and Elizabeth Hall and 3 pet lab rats, a dog named Jamie, and a cat. In 1967, James Hall was killed in a car crash. In 1967,moved with Elizabeth Hall (mom) to Danbury, Connecticut to an apartment in a strange house by the Danbury prison. In 1968, first fell in love with a song, 'Proud Mary' by CCR. Refused to leave car when aforementioned song was on crappy sounding AM radio in beat up old Plymouth. Summer of 1969, moved to San Francisco for the Summer of Love. Vague memory of meeting John Wayne. Autumn of 1969, moved to Darien, Connecticut to live in a big suburban house with grandparents, Myron Warner and Jeanette McBride Warner. Attended Royle Grammar School from 1970-1975. Strange fact: best friend in 1973 was Robert Downey Jr. Parents used to smoke pot together, haven't seen him since. In 1975, moved to a haunted house populated with hippies in Stratford, Connecticut. In 1977, moved back to Darien, Connecticut. In 1978, began taking guitar lessons from a cute suburban girl who was in love with James Taylor. In 1978, learned how to play first song on guitar, 'Crocodile Rock'. Disappointed that cute guitar teacher had no amorous interest in me? oops, in Moby. Sorry, trying to maintain objectivity. In 1979, started first band. We knew 2 songs, 'Money' by Pink Floyd and 'Birthday' by the Beatles. In 1980, started first new wave/punk rock band called 'The Banned', then 'Uxb', then 'DD", and finally settling on 'Vatican Commandoes'. We started out covering Clash and Sex Pistols songs and then writing our own punk rock ditties, such as 'Housewives on Valium' and 'Wonder Bread'. In 1982, started darker new wave band called AWOL.. In 1981, to break the timeline a little bit, went to first New York City nightclub. the Mudd Club, to see 'Fear'?it was awesome. In 1983, released first record, 'Hit Squad for God' with Vatican Commandos. In 1983, I also got my first 4-track recorder. It was a brown, Tascam 4 track cassette recorder and I set it up in the basement of my mother's house. This is when I realized that I could finish songs by myself and that I didn't need to be so reliant upon other musicians. In 1984, released second record, 'AWOL' by AWOL. Oops, graduated from Darien High School in 1983 and started Attending University of Connecticut, but that didn't last long. Dropped out of UConn in 1984. In 1984, started DJ'ing at the Beat in Port Chester, New York. Early DJ'ing experiences there consisted of playing records at 3 in the morning in the middle of the week to 4 or 5 passed out drunks. It got better, and I had some really wonderful moments there. Ah, memories...Continued to live in Darien, Connecticut until 1985. Moved to Greenwich, Connecticut in 1986. Lived next door to George Bush's mom. Very strange. Lived in the woods in a carriage house that a friend of mine was sort of squatting in. Moved to Stamford, Connecticut in 1988. Lived in a semi-abandoned factory with no running water in my space. It was illegal to live there, but I loved it. Had cockroaches the size of Chihuahuas. Could hear them running around. They were disgusting. But I loved living in that old, semi-abandoned factory. In 1987, I started taking demo tapes around NYC trying to get a record deal. 2 years of very fruitless labor, being rejected by every label that I spoke to. In 1989, I finally received some interest from a new label in NYC called Instinct Records. And in 1989 I moved to New York to a very dark and dirty apartment on 14th Street and 3rd avenue that was next to a Mexican restaurant with deep-fried everything and a 24 hour sex shop/brothel. New York sure has changed...Released first single, 'Time's Up' as the Brotherhood. This record sold all of, I don't know, 8 copies? Began DJ'ing around New York at defunct clubs such as Mars, the Palladium, MK, Palace de Beaute, etc. First ever live electronic performance at MK in the summer of 1990. 1990. I wore a suit. I was very nervous. Second ever live electronic performance at the Palladium in Autumn of 1990. 5,000 people. It went surprisingly well even though I was a nervous wreck. Released 2nd single 'Mobility' in winter of 1990. It sold around 2,000 copies. I was thrilled. Really. For I expected it to fare as well as 'The Brotherhood' single, so selling anything over 100 copies was, for me, a great success. Released 3rd single 'Voodoo Child' in early Winter of 1991. It sold around 4,000 copies and I actually heard it played in a nightclub. Life was good. Released 4th single, 'Go' in spring of 1991. I was hoping that it would sell 4,000 copies. It has since gone on to sell around 1,000,000 copies and was even listed as one of Rolling Stone's best records of all time. Imagine my surprise. And that's when things started to get a little bit crazy. The Rave scene was exploding and I was putting out records that were actually selling well and I was traveling back and forth to Europe and performing for thousands of kids slathered in Vick's Vapo-Rub and out of their minds on ecstasy. Needless to say it was very exciting. In 1992, I did my first-ever American tour with the Shamen. It was fun at times, but I was very unhappy being away from home for 6 weeks. In 1992, I also left Instinct and signed with Elektra records and Mute Records. In 1993, I did my second ever American tour with the Prodigy and Richie Hawtin (and the plus 8 sound system). This was a lot more fun and I even had my first ever tour-related one-night stand! Which, of course, I felt very guilty about. In 1993, I released a single called 'Move' that became my 3rd UK Top 40 Single ('Go' went to #10, and some other singles, 'uhf' and 'Next is the E' Also went top 40. All very surprising for a little wiener like me from Connecticut). In 1994, I did my third-ever American tour with Orbital and Aphex Twin. It was kind of a sad tour, cos' everyone hated me. Really. Which is too bad, cos' I liked them. Ah well. In 1995, I released my first real album, 'Everything is Wrong' which was named Spin's 'Album of the Year'. That year I also toured with Lollapalooza and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Spin also named the single 'Everytime You Touch Me' their favorite single of 1995. It was a very good year, and then it all went dark... In 1996, I began suffering from acute panic attacks and I was working on "Animal Rights', which I loved but which no one else seemed to like very much. After the relative success of 'Everything is Wrong', the bad reviews and poor sales of 'Animal Rights' were kind of depressing, but I still love 'Animal Rights' and I'm thrilled the record companies let me release it. To compound the darkness of this period, my mother was diagnosed and ended up dying of lung cancer. In some ways, I see 'Animal Rights' as being my strange and pained reaction to her illness (even though it was written before she was diagnosed. I think on some level I knew that something was wrong. There's even a song on 'Animal Rights' called 'Love Song for My Mom' that was written and recorded right before she was diagnosed with cancer.) In 1997, I stopped touring for a while and worked on some film music, including the 'James Bond Theme', which became my 8th(?) UK Top 40 single (it charted at #8, which made me feel good after "Animal Rights' tanked). And did you know that when I went to the UK to do press for `Animal Rights` they could only find 2 journalists who wanted to talk to me? Yup. That's why I refuse to complain when I find myself doing a lot of interviews. The alternative to doing a lot of interviews, doing none because no one is interested, is grim. So if you ever hear me complaining about the arduous life of a traveling musician just hit me (but gently, I'm little and I bruise easily...). In 1997, I released 'I Like to Score', which was a collection of music that I'd made that had appeared in different films. It did ok compared to 'Animal Rights', which isn't saying much. And around this time was when I believe that most people had pretty much completely written me off, which, thankfully, I wasn't aware of at the time. So in 1997, I began working on my next record, which was released in? May of 1999, and ended up being called 'Play''. When I made 'Play' we spent a few months looking for a new American record label (cos i had parted ways Elektra in 1998), but no one was particularly interested, but luckily V2 Records liked the music and were willing to take a chance on 'Play', and when we released 'Play' we had very high hopes. Our great ambition was for "Play' to sell 250,000 copies worldwide, so imagine our joy and surprise as it's since gone on to sell almost 10,000,000 copies and around 3,000,000 singles. 'Play' was a #1 record in a lot of countries, and it ended up becoming a platinum record in 25? 26? countries. I'm still kind of shocked at how well it did. What am I saying? I'm still completely shocked at how well it did. A little record made in the bedroom of a musician that most people had completely dismissed that goes on to sell almost 10 million copies? I'm sure you understand my surprise at its success. And because of the strange and long-developing success of 'Play' I ended up being on tour for over 2 years, which was great, for in the beginning of the tour we were playing tiny little venues and by the end of the tour we were playing arenas?that's crazy, isn't it? Our first show in New York City after the release of 'Play' was in the basement of a record store. Our last show in New York was for 15,000 people. Our first show in London after the release of 'Play' was for around 500 people. The last show was for 20,000 (over 2 nights). Crazy, but fun, and exceptionally gratifying given the surprising and unexpected nature of the success. Other kind of strange and surprising tid-bits of success were being nominated for Grammy's 3 years in a row, winning an MTV Europe and an MTV U.S.A award, winning a VH-1 award, and so on. Oh boy, all of this shameless bragging makes me feel kind of dirty...So the tour for 'Play' ended in February of 2001, and I came home to New York to begin work on my next record, which, as I write this, is finished and is entitled '"18". Not to be too arrogant, I love it. It worries me how much I love this record, cos normally when I make a record I have very mixed feelings about it, but there's something about this record that I really love. Ah well, maybe I'll listen to it tomorrow and think that I'm a complete failure and that no one will like it or buy it. Because I make my records by myself, I do tend to lose perspective and objectivity, but right now I love '18', and I genuinely hope that you like it, too. Thanks for reading and listening - MOBY

Colossus: "The Tribute"

It all started after Charlie Tate graduated from the London School of Furniture. He was approached by the infamous Paris-based Big Cheese Records to form a funk bank, and Big Cheese All Stars were born! 2 singles, an album, and several extensive stints of touring, supporting the likes of Don Blackman, Roy Ayers, Gil Scott-Heron, Fred Wesley and James Brown put an end to a career in bespoke cabinet making. A future immersed in the funk, the soul and the jazz seemed assured. While still with the All Stars, an opportunity to play base in Neneh Cherry's band arose and the best part of the year was spent on the road touring her "Woman" album. A lot of fun was had. A lot of drinking was done. But the love of the funk, the soul, and the jazz prevailed. Unfortunately the sheer size of what the All Stars had become essentially caused its demise. Just about then, the idea of forming a record company began to take shape. King Kooba had been in existence for some time now, the first release having been on a subsidiary of the aforementioned Big Cheese Records. But the thought of an autonomous vessel for representing the Kooba and several other projects seemed too good to resist. Enter Second Skin Records, and what a productve lot they turned out to be! Roughly 30 singles and 12 albums, not a bad output from a hybrid label offering all manner of styles from drum and bass, beats, ambient, bizniss, electronica and breaks. Pretty much most of what was going on at the time, perhaps the varied style of the label, but particualrly what the Kooba were up to, appealed to San Francisco's Om Records. Several licenses, then an album, and a relationship with Om had been cemented. With the release of "Indian Summer" in the fall of 2002, a man like Charlie decided his fate lay in the Bay area...The rest as they say is history!