No one likes receiving large messages – it clogs up your device and slows things down. But everyone likes to have high quality images – they look great on the big screen and you can print them out and they still look gorgeous. By linking your Creation 5 app to Flickr you can share large images with anyone, even if they don’t have a Flickr account. #ShareTheLove
It’s really easy to connect to Flickr, even if you don’t have a clue. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide:
1. In Creation 5 Photos, tap and hold the image you want to share. You get three options – Add to Album, Add to Selfies or Share. Tap Share.
2. If you don’t have a Flickr account, or haven’t linked your Flickr account to Creation 5, a message will appear giving you the option to link C5 to Flickr – you can choose “Yes, Please” or “NO!”
3. Once you tap “Yes, Please” you just have to type in your Flickr (Yahoo) username and password, tap ‘Sign In’ and then give Creation 5 authorisation to link to your account. That’s it, you’re set! (At this point, if you don’t yet have a Flickr account you can create one and then sign in using the same process.)
4. The person who receives your image will simply get a link and a thumbnail. It doesn’t matter whether they have a Flickr account or not. Once they click the link they can choose to download the image in ‘Small, Medium or Original’ quality.
Creation 5 simply uploads the image you want to share to your Flickr account, thus enabling sharing without having to send hefty messages.
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February is drawing to a close, so here’s our list of the best new music videos released this month that you need to see – there’s something for everyone from pop to rap to disco to funk. #CatchUp
To watch any video in Creation 5, just tap the title.
Calvin Harris – Pray to God ft. HAIM Calvin Harris teamed up with Haim to produce something deeper than just another EDM pop song. It has a luxurious fullness to the beat. Pray To God is from Harris’ new album Motion.
Madonna – Living For Love
Madonna is the Queen of the Big Top in her lush, arresting video for Living for Love. It’s her best work in 10 years!
Imagine Dragons – Shots
Imagine Dragons released an awesome music video for their new track Shots. Inspired by the paintings of Tim Cantor this is a stunning visual.
Giorgio Moroder – Right Here, Right Now ft. Kylie Minogue
Check out the stunning new music video from dance music legend Giorgio Moroder and Pop Princess Kylie Minogue for their latest single Right Here, Right Now. It’s disco heaven!
Cheryl – Only Human
Ever felt that you could hold the universe in the palm of your hand? Well, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini does exactly that in her new video for Only Human – her best ballad ever!
Avril Lavigne – Give You What You Like
Avril Lavigne is back and has premiered the full music video for Give You What You Like. The track is lifted from the forthcoming movie Babysitter’s Black Book.
Taylor Swift – Style
Taylor Swift’s new music video for Style is stunning! Splendidly cinematic! A story about a red-lipped girl and a James Dean guy…
Ariana Grande – One Last Time
Ariana Grande has released an apocalyptic new music video for One Last Time. It’s catastrophic! Literally.
Maná – “Mi Verdad” a dueto con Shakira
Shakira’s beautiful duet with Maná, Mi Verdad, debuted at Nº1 on Billboard’s Latin airplay charts. This fantastic collab is Maná’s 3rd Nº1 debut and Shakira’s first.
Sevyn Streeter – Don’t Kill The Fun ft. Chris Brown
Sevyn Streeter keeps the party rocking in the undeniably fun music video for Don’t Kill The Fun, featuring and directed by Chris Brown. It’s all Lamborghinis, underground parties & fancy footwork.
Trey Songz – Slow Motion
Trey Songz has released a steamy hot video for his smooth and sexy song Slow Motion. It’s directed by Dre Films and it’s hot!
Omarion Ft. Chris Brown & Jhene Aiko – Post To Be Post To Be, the winter jam that sounds like a summer vacation, has finally got a music video! Omarion, Chris Brown and Jhene Aiko have a dance-off and it also stars a white Ferrari.
Florence + The Machine – What Kind Of Man
Classic rock firepower, searing guitar riffs and high-flying vocals – Florence and the Machine is back! What Kind Of Man – the first single from their new album – now has a cinematic visual.
Jess Glynne – Hold My Hand
The new song and video from Jess Glynne – Hold My Hand – will make you feel so goooood! This uplifting house-pop track is packed with positivity. Take a ride with Jess!
Enrique Iglesias – Let Me Be Your Lover ft. Pitbull
Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull have teamed up for the infectious Let Me Be Your Lover and the video is such a laugh! You’ll be tapping your toes to this and smiling (unless you’re in a coma).
Paloma Faith – Beauty Remains
Paloma Faith has premiered a video for her new single Beauty Remains. Laden with disco and Motown influences this is an uplifting, emotive track. Don’t watch it if your partner rides a motorbike!
Sam Smith – Lay Me Down
Sam Smith’s beautiful new visual for Lay Me Down will slay you with it’s emotion. The video certainly brings the lyrics to life.
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The Award season rolls on! Last night the prestigious BRIT Awards took place at the O2 in London. As a quick summary, Ed Sheeran & Sam Smith were the big winners, Madonna fell off the stage and Kanye West was so explicit that ITV practically muted his whole performance. The O2 arena looked stunning, neon signs all around the arena carried the same quotes that Tracy Emin wrote on the trophy, “Congratulations on your talent, on your life. On everything you give to others. Thank you.”
The Awards were hosted by English comedy and TV presenting duo Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, otherwise known as Ant and Dec. At the beginning of the proceedings they gave a ‘Kanye’ warning, reminding the winners that “Kanye West is in the house, So if he thinks Beyonce deserves your award, just give it to him!”
Taylor Swift opened the show with a fantastic performance of Blank Space. The monochrome set with dancers in white suits and bowler hats was very dramatic. Swift owned the stage with her slick, professional performance. Later on in the ceremony she won Best International Female, beating Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey, Sia and St Vincent. It is Swift’s first BRIT award and she dedicated it to Ed Sheeran who started her love affair with the UK by “taking me to pubs and showing me how to make a proper cup of tea.” Both Swift and Sheeran referenced their slow-building success in the UK. “Oh my god, wow,” said Swift. “I’ve been coming to England and playing shows for eight years and this is my first Brit Award, I’m so happy.”
(Tap on any video title to play the video in Creation 5.)
British Male Solo Artist went to Ed Sheeran plus he scooped the main prize of the night Album of the Year for his best-selling record of 2014 X. Accepting his trophy from Russell Crowe, Sheeran said “I was really worried abut this album, it took a long time to make.” He also stated how he felt that this year had been a “very, very good year for British music.” he continued “I don’t think a statue gives justification of people’s success.”
One huge surprise of the evening was Best British Group winners Royal Blood. “This is a huge surprise for us, probably more of a surprise for everyone here as you may not even know who we are. This is huge, so thank you.” This statement was met by a huge roar of approval from the balcony, suggesting that plenty of people knew who the band were. The reaction on Twitter was also huge with many applauding the choice: “Royal Blood just won an award over One Direction, finally British music is going somewhere #BRITawards.” and “That is incredible! Go royal blood! #BRITAwards.”
Sam Smith took home two awards, Best Breakthrough Actand the Global Success Award, recognising his sales achievements outside the UK. Smith, who won 4 Grammys earlier this month, gave a lovely acceptance speech thanking his fans. “Since I was a little kid I dreamed of people all over the world singing my songs and although I’ve got a long way to go, this shows that I’m stepping in the right direction.” Smith’s performance of Lay Me Down caused a flurry of appreciation not only in the audience but around the world too as Twitter went into overdrive. Ant and Dec just commented, “He’s got a lovely set of pipes…”
We’re very pleased to report that Best Female Solo Artist went to Paloma Faith. About time as well, this was her third nomination. Naturally, she was very emotional and was fighting back the tears whilst thanking everyone. “I’m so moved! It’s been a long time coming. It’s taken me 14 years to stand up here and accept this award and it means so much to me.” Her speech wasn’t short, which she apologised for and ended with a rather nice dedication: “I want to dedicate this to all the underdogs and all the grafters.” Faith’s third album, A Perfect Contradiction, was the biggest-selling female record in the last year, shifting more than 725,000 copies. Her performance of Only Love Can Hurt LikeThis was probably the most elaborate of the entire evening as she belted her heart out under a streaming waterfall.
After presenting Sam Smith with his award Kim Kardashian announced: “I want everyone to get on their feet and welcome my husband, Kanye West.” The rapper made his first live performance of a new track All Day. Viewers who were watching on ITV only heard about 3 words as virtually the entire performance was muted due to its explicit content. “Genuinely thought there was an audio feed glitch on @ITV. Seriously, what was the point of that?! #BRITAwards.” Whether the BRITS was the right place to premiere such a dark track is another question – but this is Kanye West we’re talking about, compromise is not in his vocabulary.
Best British Single was won by Uptown Funk – “This is incredible,” said producer Mark Ronson. “I wouldn’t be holding this without the world’s most talented Hawaiian, Mr Bruno Mars, and I’m going to share this with him for sure.” He also thanked “people like Lionel Richie and The Commodores and Earth Wind and Fire and James Brown – the people that invented this genre of funk.”
The performance that got everyone talking was the closing performance from Madonna who took rather a nasty tumble down some stairs when her cape got stuck and she was pulled backwards. As a true professional, she carried on, stating after the show that she was fine and the cape had been “tied too tight”. Referencing the lyrics to her song she said on Instagram “Nothing can stop me and love really lifted me up. Thanks for your good wishes!” Many wondered why they was no audible gasp of shock coming from the audience, but if you were sitting in the balcony you could easily have seen it as some kind of clever dance move. Plus it came at the exact moment in the song when the lyrics say “I let down my guard, I fell into your arms” and she was back on her feet to sing “now that it’s over, I’m going to carry on”.
Some Red Carpet magic
And the winners are:
British Male Solo Artist
Damon Albarn Ed Sheeran – WINNER
George Ezra
Paolo Nutini
Sam Smith
British Female Solo Artist
Ella Henderson
FKA twigs
Jessie Ware
Lily Allen Paloma Faith – WINNER
British Group
alt-J
Clean Bandit
Coldplay
One Direction Royal Blood – WINNER
British Breakthrough Act
CHVRCHES
FKA twigs
George Ezra
Royal Blood Sam Smith – WINNER
Critics’ Choice
George The Poet James Bay – WINNER
Years & Years
British Single
Calvin Harris – Summer
Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne – Rather Be
Duke Dumont featuring Jax Jones – I Got U
Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
Ella Henderson – Ghost
George Ezra – Budapest Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk – WINNER
Route 94 featuring Jess Glynne – My Love
Sam Smith – Stay with Me
Sigma – Nobody to Love
British Video
Calvin Harris – Summer
Charli XCX – Boom Clap
Duke Dumont featuring Jax Jones – I Got U
Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk One Direction – You and I – WINNER
Rita Ora – I Will Never Let You Down
Route 94 featuring Jess Glynne – My Love
Sam Smith – Stay with Me
Sigma – Nobody to Love
MasterCard British Album of the Year
alt-J – This Is All Yours Ed Sheeran – x – WINNER
George Ezra – Wanted on Voyage
Royal Blood – Royal Blood
Sam Smith – In the Lonely Hour
British Producer of the Year
Flood
Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory
Jake Gosling Paul Epworth – WINNER
International Male Solo Artist
Beck
Hozier
Jack White
John Legend Pharrell Williams – WINNER
International Female Solo Artist
Beyoncé
Lana Del Rey
Sia
St Vincent Taylor Swift – WINNER
International Group
5 Seconds of Summer
The Black Keys
First Aid Kit Foo Fighters – WINNER
The War on Drugs
Brits Global Success Sam Smith – WINNER
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Today would have been Steve Jobs’ 60th birthday and in his honour we have collected together our favourite quotes, videos and images. It’s been 4 years since he passed away, but he remains a role model and an inspiration to many.
The “Father of the Digital revolution” and the “greatest marketer of all time” was indeed a visionary and pivotal to many industries. He has been credited with revolutionising not just the computer industry but the phone, tablet and music industries and even film through another company he co-founded, Pixar.
A world without Steve Jobs
It’s almost impossible to imagine what the world would be like without Steve Jobs. To start with, there would be no Apple. That’s a big void. Without Jobs’ constant pushing the company would never have got off the ground. If you follow that thought through to the end, no Apple means no Mactintosh, iPod, iPhone, iPad, iMac, iTunes. Whoa.
Without Apple the mouse-driven computer with it’s gorgeous graphical interface would never have entered the mainstream and personal computers would have been very different animals. They might even still be beige! yuk! Jobs was an obsessive perfectionist and the creation of icons and his attention to typography made the interface of the personal computer a completely different world. Jobs said “It is in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough. It is technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities that yields the result that makes our hearts sing..”
The iTunes music store is certainly responsible for the music download revolution that has seen digital sales soaring way ahead of physical ones. When iTunes first appeared we suddenly didn’t need the CD anymore – we could listen to thousands of songs remotely.
In 2007 Steve Jobs was on stage in California and he removed the iPhone from his pocket and called it a “a phone, an iPod, and an internet communicator”. The iPhone was the first phone to do away with number buttons – it was all touchscreen. Jobs declared the keyboard dead and all the other phone companies laughed. They soon followed suit when consumers bought the iPhone in its millions.
The same revolution happened with the iPad in 2010. It might not have been a new product but it was certainly an innovation. It wasn’t greeted with the same reverence as the iPhone with many seeing it as pointless. But 258 million units later Jobs’ words ring truer than ever: “I don’t believe in market research. People don’t know what they want until we show it to them.”
You may well argue that other innovators and inventors would have eventually come round to being as creative as Jobs was. Would they though? All the app icons and smart gestures in use today come from the minimal design inspired by Jobs. The devices would probably be around but covered in buttons and looking like a PC.
Former Apple CEO John Sculley has written a book called Moonshot and he looks at the amazing effect created by Jobs. “Steve was not an engineer — he just saw different things that people were working on and connected the dots between them,” Sculley says in his book.
In an interview with Business Insider Sculley said, “Steve always had an extraordinary talent. He was always a genius. He always saw things ahead of the rest of the world. He had a brilliance that was every bit as apparent back in the era when I worked with him as when we saw him when he was incredibly successful 15 years later.”
Jobs left us with more than a technological and digital revolution. His quotes and speeches have inspired many. Here are our favourites.
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”
“Sometimes life’s going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did.”
“The greatest artists like Dylan, Picasso and Newton risked failure. And if we want to be great, we’ve got to risk it too.”
“Taking LSD was a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life. LSD shows you that there’s another side to the coin, and you can’t remember it when it wears off, but you know it. It reinforced my sense of what was important—creating great things instead of making money, putting things back into the stream of history and of human consciousness as much as I could.”
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently…they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.”
“I’m not dismissing the value of higher education; I’m simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.”
“It [what you choose to do] has got to be something that you’re passionate about because otherwise you won’t have the perseverance to see it through.”
“Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.”
“We’ve got to make the small things unforgettable.”
Steve Jobs brainstorms with the NeXT team (1985)
This fascinating documentary was filmed from December 1985 to March 1986 at NeXT’s team retreat in Pebble Beach. It offers a rare glimpse of Steve’s vision, aspirations and managerial approach.
HIGHLIGHTS: The show was opened and hosted by the comic host Neil Patrick Harris (of Doogie Howser MD, Smurfs and How I Met Your Mother fame) who produced some entertaining moments including him stripping down to his “tighty-whiteys” (a reenactment from a scene in Birdman). The stand out big winners of the night were Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel each receiving four awards. The highly acclaimed Selma was largely outside of the major Oscar running, as was the much-talked-about American Sniper. There were performances by the likes of Lady Gaga, John Legend & Common and Tegan and Sara. It was not one of the most exciting ceremonies the Oscars have ever produced, the host struggled with some of the scripted jokes falling flat, there was controversy over the nominee list containing mostly ‘white folk’, but on the whole there were some typically prestigious Oscar moments, some fantastic performances and the dresses did not disappoint.
TOP SPEECHES The award ceremony has always been a stage for those wanting to deliver a poignant message during their acceptance speeches…here is the pick of the power speeches that came from last night’s show. Patricia Arquette wins best supporting actress for Boyhood. The film was shot intermittently over the course of a 12-year period, from 2002 to 2013, and depicts the adolescence of a young boy in Texas growing up with divorced parents. Big things were expected for this movie at this year’s Oscars but Arquette received its only award. Patricia took to the stage and began to accept the award in the usual fashion but ended up urging all of the minority groups of the world to fight for women and pay equality in today’s society. “It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all!” she roars. The camera pans to Meryl Streep, wildly pumping her fist, and J-Lo sitting next to her, just as riled up.
Best Song winner John Legend for Selma (based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by James Bevel, Hosea Williams, and Martin Luther King, Jr. of SCLC and John Lewis of SNCC) insisted that “Selma is now, because the struggle for justice is right now. “We know that the voting rights that they fought for 50 years ago are being compromised in this country today.” He went on to say the U.S. is the most incarcerated country in the world, as “there are more black men under correctional control today than were under slavery in 1850. People are marching with our song — we see you, we love you,” he said. “March on.” Backstage Common said: “I feel like to whom much is given much is required. The fact we have an opportunity to get to a stage like the Oscars. How could you not say anything? Beyond what we have done on this song, John has always made music about love; he’s been doing things about education for a long time. I feel it’s our duty to do it.” John Legend discussed process: “Common called me. He describes what they were looking for and gave me ideas for the title of the song. ‘Glory.’ That word really inspired me. My thoughts were that the song should sound triumphant but realize there is more work to do.”
Best Adapted Screenplay winner Graham Moore — for The Imitation Game, about British cryptography genius Alan Turing who was persecuted for being gay — started things off pretty light, saying, “thank you so much to the Academy…and to Oprah!” But went on to say that he thought it was an injustice that the subject of his film, Alan Turing, “never got to stand on a stage like this with all these disconcertingly attractive faces.” He recalled considering suicide at age 16 because he felt different and like he didn’t belong, and offered hope to young people feeling the same way. “Stay weird,” he said. “Stay different and when it’s your turn and you are standing on this stage, please pass the same message to the next person who comes along.”
With plenty of political issues surrounding the evening, none were perhaps as contentious as those raised by Alejandro González Iñárritu during his third acceptance speech of the night. He dedicated the best picture win for Birdman to his fellow Mexicans and called on his country to “find and build a government that we deserve”. He ends with a plea on behalf of Mexicans newly arrived in the United States, asking they be treated with the same respect as the others who came before “to help build this incredible immigrant nation”.
Julianne Moore gives a gracious and touching speech having been given the award for Best Actress for Still Alice, a film approaching the difficulties of Alzheimer’s disease. After 17 years and five nominations, it finally happened. She talks about the importance of visibility for people with Alzheimer’s, and mentions that Still Alice‘s co-writers and directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland couldn’t be there, because of Glatzer’s illness. He has ALS. The honour goes to Moore for the culmination both of her hard work playing an Alzheimer’s patient in the past year and a long career in which she’d been nominated for four previous Oscars. She also talked about shining a light on Alzheimer’s disease: “So many people with this disease feel isolated and marginalized,” she said, adding that movies make people feel seen and not alone. “And people with Alzheimer’s deserve to be seen so we can find a cure.”
It was hard not to be elated for TV veteran J.K. Simmons (The Closer, Oz, Law & Order) as he picked up the Best Supporting Actor award for Whiplash – the film stars Miles Teller as a student jazz drummer who seeks the respect of an abusive teacher played by Simmons. Things got even more feel-good when rather than reel off the standard list of “thank you” messages; he instead focused on smaller, simpler advice: “Call your mom, call your dad. If you’re lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call ’em. Don’t text, don’t email, call them on the phone. Tell them you love them. Thank them and listen to them for as long as they wanna talk to you.”
PERFORMANCES The music always makes the show in show business ceremonies and this year’s Oscars was no exception.
Tegan and Sara with Andy Samberg’s Lonely Island trio (dressed in powder blue tuxedos) delivered a fast-paced, energetic, almost hallucinatory Everything Is Awesome the ridiculously catchy song that kicked off The Lego Movie. They get some help from actual lego characters along with a giant chorus including Will Arnett dressed as Batman and Questlove. That definitely woke up and shook up the audience.
Lady Gaga performed a medley from The Sound of Music to celebrate its 50th anniversary. She hit the high notes, belting out The Hills Are Alive, before launching into a rendition of My Favorite Things and slowing things down for Edelweiss and Climb Every Mountain. It may seem like a madcap idea but Gaga is no stranger to the strange and actually delivered the classic musical tunes perfectly and managed to exclude her personal oddities from the stage for a change. Julie Andrews also came onstage to say a few words, “It’s hard to believe that 50 years have gone by,” she said. “How lucky can a girl get?”
John Legend’s performance of Glory with Common was one of those extremely rare Oscar musical numbers that managed to reproduce the emotion of the movie (Selma) onstage. With the power of the music and a recreation of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge the audience was reduced to complete silence (and some tears) in this emotional and powerful production.
Rita Ora gave Beyond The Lights, one of many under-appreciated movies this year, its moment of the night when she belted out the ballad Grateful from the film.
RED CARPET Here’s our top ten best dressed Oscar attendees from the big night…these lovely ladies were the pick of the bunch from the glittering glamour of the evening.
Cate Blanchett in Maison Margiela Reese Witherspoon in Tom Ford Rita Ora in Marchesa
Scarlett Johansson in Versace Jennifer Lopez in Elie Saab Gwyneth Paltrow in Ralph and Russo
Rosamund Pike in Givenchy Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior Couture Lupita Nyong’o in Calvin Klein Emma Stone in Elie Saab
WINNERS LIST
Best Picture Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole, Producers.
Best Actor Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything
Best Actress Julianne Moore in Still Alice
Best Director Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Supporting Actor J.K. Simmons in Whiplash
Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
Adapted Screenplay The Imitation Game Written by Graham Moore
Original Screenplay Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo
Animated Feature Big Hero 6 Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli
Documentary Feature CitizenFour Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky
Original Song Glory from Selma Music and Lyrics by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn
Foreign Language Film Ida Poland
Original Score The Grand Budapest Hotel Alexandre Desplat
Film Editing Whiplash Tom Cross
Visual Effects Interstellar Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
Cinematography Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Emmanuel Lubezki
Costume Design The Grand Budapest Hotel Milena Canonero
Makeup and Hairstyling The Grand Budapest Hotel Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier
Production Design The Grand Budapest Hotel Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
Animated Short Film Feast Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed
Live Action Short Film The Phone Call Mat Kirkby and James Lucas
Documentary Short Subject Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry
Sound Mixing Whiplash Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley
Sound Editing American Sniper Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
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Last week the stars of the music industry gathered to pay tribute to the legendary Stevie Wonder. Beyoncé’s performance with Ed Sheeran and guitar wizard Gary Clark Jr. was absolutely mind blowing! It was 9 minutes of sheer brilliance – a video worth keeping in your collection, which is why we have chosen it for this weeks Showtime! Many other stars also performed on the night – Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Annie Lennox, Ne-Yo, Pharrell, Ryan Tender and many more – but Beyoncé set the bar really high and it was difficult to top it.
Many are saying that the tribute was better than the Grammy’s. “Songs in the Key of Life: An All-Star Grammy Salute” aired Monday February 16 CBS, and some of music’s biggest stars turned out for the legendary Stevie Wonder.
Queen Bee opened the show with a soulful call-and-response rendition of Fingertips, an early hit of Wonder’s when he was just ‘Little Stevie Wonder’, not even a teenager! The back up dancers left the stage after this number and Beyoncé brought out Ed Sheeran to join her in singing Master Blaster (Jammin’) – fast forwarding nearly 20 years in the Wonder catalogue.
For the last song of the medley – Higher Ground – Beyoncé brought out another surprise guest, the great guitar maestro Gary Clark, Jr. They all killed the performance, it was simply stunning. We’ve never seen Beyoncé feel the music like she did in this show. Sheeran and Clark made a formidable duo as the Queen literally brought the house down in the closing moments of the song.
Of all Wonder’s celebrated works, none has received more praise than 1976’s Songs in the Key of Life. Regarded as the visionary musician’s magnum opus, it has been ranked atop the Greatest Albums of VH1, Rolling Stone, TIME and many others. Elton John takes a copy wherever he goes, and the BBC’s Chris Jones proclaimed that “life, literally, isn’t complete without it.”
The Inquisitor have written a wonderful piece about the album, saying: “Musically, Songs is an expansive and eccentric odyssey straddling R&B, jazz, pop, funk, afrobeat and salsa, replete with brilliantly awkward chord progressions and curve-ball key changes. Lyrically, it laments the social ills of racism and poverty, urges equality and compassion, and condemns suicide and corruption, all with a pervasive optimism that is almost mocking in its lightheartedness.”
Songs in the Key of Life – Track listing
1. Love’s in Need of Love Today
2. Have a Talk with God
3. Village Ghetto Land
4. Contusion
5. Sir Duke
6. I Wish
7. Knocks Me off My Feet
8. Pastime Paradise
9. Summer Soft
10. Ordinary Pain
11. Isn’t She Lovely
12. Joy Inside My Tears
13. Black Man
14. Ngiculela — Es Una Historia — I Am Singing
15. If It’s Magic
16. As
17. Another Star
18. Saturn
19. Ebony Eyes
20. All Day Sucker
21. Easy Goin’ Evening (My Mama’s Call)
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Album covers have often been used as attention seeking shock tactics to get a public reaction, but the following are an example of where statement marketing can go really wrong. Be warned these images may well be quite disturbing or explicit…which, in turn serves for the title of this article. The covers chosen for the following albums are ones that were banned from the shelves due to certain factors being inappropriate or, let’s face it, harmful to the eyes, morals or feelings. Warning; the images get worse as the list goes on!
10. The Black Crowes – Amorica (1994) The major superstores in the States were unified in their reaction to the third album release by the Crowes back in 1994. Their album cover; previously featured on the cover of Hustler in July, 1976, featured a close up of a female’s crotch wearing Star Spangled Banner underwear and pubic hair spilling over the top. This shock tactic may have backfired on them as the momentum surrounding their release was somewhat diminished by the time they managed to replace the artwork, but they still achieved success as Amorica eventually reached Gold status in the United States, shipping 500,000 copies.
BANNED
APPROVED
9. The Beatles – Yesterday and Today (1966) There was so much controversy over the picture on the cover of this 1970’s album that it was even given the name “The butcher cover”. Its fame put The Beatles squeaky clean image in jeopardy for the first time and questioned their judgement towards the media. The members of the band claimed that it was a breath of fresh air to be able to do a photo shoot that was a little off the wall and different to their usual requirements. They were tired of being the model citizens and this arty shoot let them loose for a few hours. They should’ve stuck with the lego hair cuts and matching good boy suits as the conceptual art piece was removed from circulation, 750,000 copies being recalled and costing Capitol Records $250,000. Despite the profit loss the album went to number one anyway and made up for the losses, and then some.
BANNED
APPROVED
8. Guns N Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987) Labelled as the best metal record of the late 80’s, Appetite for Destruction was the debut album by Guns N’ Roses. There was many an anthem born of this album; Sweet Child O’ Mine, Paradise City, Welcome to the Jungle to name a few. The original album cover was considered even darker than the tone of the music itself depicting a robotic rapist about to be punished by a metal avenger. After being refused by several big retailers it was later replaced with some more light hearted skulls visuals. They did however manage to slip the original artwork (based on a painting by Robert Williams) on the inside of the cover.
BANNED
APPROVED
7. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland (1968) When it was released in 1968 this album didn’t make the biggest waves but has since been considered some of Jimi’s best work, joining the top 500 albums of all time on the Rolling Stone list and Q Magazine’s top 100 list. It includes one of his most famous songs All Along The Watchtower, a Bob Dylan cover, but this isn’t all its famous for; the initial album cover was rejected by retailers and Hendrix himself for being pornographic and disrespectful. Some sold it with the cover inside out, but the cover was replaced with a red, blurry picture of Jimi’s head.
BANNED
APPROVED
6. John Lennon & Yoko Ono – Unfinished Music No. 1. : Two Virgins (1968) This one didn’t even make it to the eyes of any public since the record company EMI refused to put it out due to the full on nudity of Lennon and Ono. The album didn’t receive much critical acclaim but it did come in a brown paper bag so all the naughty bits were covered up! The origin of the album itself was made under a cloud as Lennon had invited Ono to visit him while his wife was away on a holiday in Greece; they ended up recording this album and sleeping together which in turn ended his previous relationship. The content of the album reflects their avant-garde attitude at the time, it was an experimental project as was their decision to appear nude on the cover which evidently backfired. The album did not achieve major success but to this day remains famous for its story and their brazenness!
BANNED
APPROVED
5. Roxy Music – Country Life (1974) This album did pretty well; it got to the top ten in the UK and it is the first that cracked the US for the band. However, the risqué album cover they initially released is another story. It featured two beautiful young women wearing extremely revealing, well, let’s face it see through, underwear in front of some trees. The position of the models is nothing short of provocative and thus the reaction in the US, Spain and The Netherlands was to reject the original cover. The models were consequently removed and, rather unimpressively, only the trees remained leaving what could actually have been the cover of the namesake of the record Country Life Magazine.
BANNED
APPROVED
4. Hurricane – Slave to The Thrill (1990) In 1990 the 80’s heavy metal band Hurricane released their second album Slave To The Thrill. The original artwork for the album cover was banned due to the explicit portrayal of a woman lying straddled on a machine that looks as though she is about to be mechanically drilled by. It was swiftly disapproved of and replaced by the same picture minus the female form. Not quite as high-impact but much more socially acceptable.
BANNED
APPROVED
3. Marilyn Manson – Holy Wood in the Shadow of the Valley of Death (2000) The press had brutally attacked Manson for directly influencing the killers of the April 1999 Columbine High School massacre, accusations which were later revoked entirely but the damage was done. To follow up the barrage of unfair accusations Manson wrote Holy Wood in the Shadow of the Valley of Death where he explored American hypocrisy, culture and values up against the national acceptance of violence. Due to the nature of the songs on the album many retail stores already had a problem stocking the album, some only agreeing if the album cover was changed. “The irony is that my point of the photo on the album was to show people that the crucifixion of Christ is, indeed, a violent image. In fact, the picture itself is composed of a statue of Jesus taken from a place of worship. My jaw is missing as a symbol of this very kind of censorship. This doesn’t piss me off as much as it pleases me, because those offended by my album cover have successfully proven my point.”
BANNED
APPROVED
2. Pantera – Far Beyond Driven (1994) Not renowned for their nice and friendly album covers, the artwork on Far Beyond Driven went far beyond the censors approval and was rapidly replaced – the drill bit impaling an anus (!) was removed and instead a human head stood impaled in its stead which was considered less offensive! All gore aside the album actually struck gold being the first extreme metal album to top the Billboard 200 chart,
BANNED
APPROVED
1. Scorpions – Virgin Killer (1976) And if you thought that one was bad, the next one is seriously disturbing in all manners of…WHY? and HOW COULD YOU? Thankfully this one was changed before many could set their eyes on it but those who did were mortified that anyone could reach a verdict that this was a good decision. The fourth album by heavy metal band Scorpions depicted a prepubescent girl in the nude except for the shattered glass which obscured her genitalia; the title‘s meaning being that time is the killer of innocence. The image was considered to be potentially illegal under the Protection of Children Act 1978.
The band members thought that the lyrics justified the image when they claimed, “We didn’t actually have the idea. It was the record company. The record company guys were like, ‘Even if we have to go to jail, there’s no question that we’ll release that.’ We’re using this only to get attention. That’s what we do.’ The lyrics really say it all. Time is the virgin killer. A kid comes into the world very naive, they lose that naiveness and then go into this life losing all of this getting into trouble. That was the basic idea about all of it.
However in 2008 the same band member stated “Looking at that picture today makes me cringe. It was done in the worst possible taste. Back then I was too immature to see that. Shame on me — I should have done everything in my power to stop it. The song has a totally different meaning from what people would assume at first. Virgin Killer is none other than the demon of our time, the less compassionate side of the societies we live in today — brutally trampling upon the heart and soul of innocence.
The controversy generated around this album cover meant that it was sold sealed in black plastic and in some countries replaced entirely. It has been named “worst album cover of all time” and “most controversial album cover of all time”.
BANNED
APPROVED
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Last week we ran a piece about nudity being the flavour of the month – well it still is, because this week both Selena Gomez and Britney Spears take all their clothes off for the cameras (well almost all). Britney & Selena are both stunning young women – Britney is 33 and Selena 22 years old – and both have a busy musical career. Britney Spears has launched a new collection in her range of lingerie and swimwear and Selena Gomez took her top off for V magazine. Everyone’s doing it…
The Intimate Collection – Britney Spears
Spears has unveiled her Spring/Summer 2015 collection of bras and matching knickers, suspenders, bikinis and swimsuits. All we can say is move over Victoria’s Secret Angels, Spears is the star of the adverts for her new campaign and the 33 year old looks amazing! When the collection first debuted last summer Spears said that the designs were supposed to be both sexy and comfortable.
“Every woman should feel confident and beautiful in everything she puts on,” she said. “My vision for The Intimate Britney Spears is to create pieces that are sexy, luxurious and comfortable at the same time. I am excited to introduce this collection because I feel that we accomplished exactly that.”
The collection features a low-neck black swimsuit with cut-out detail, tie dye-style string bikini, and pink lace bra with matching French knickers.
When launching the collection she had said how she would love to see the Duchess of Cambridge in her range. “I would love to see Kate in my underwear designs. That would be splendid! I want to send her one in every piece so she will have plenty to choose from.”
Selena Gomez poses topless for V magazine
Selena Gomez is slowly but surely shedding her Disney skin. After a raunchy photo shoot for Spring Breakers she’s gone the whole hog and has posed topless for V Magazine. Grab the Spring 2015 issue (available on newsstands February 26) and you will see her in just a pair of tight denim shorts, and not a lot else – oh yes, large hoop earrings and a polka dot bow in her hair.
The images are a bit creepy because they make her look so young. The 22 year-old is undeniably beautiful but the Lolita-esque vibe to them is a bit weird, she looks more like a 13 year old. The images have certainly got everyone talking. Many fans are calling the images “inappropriate” and “disturbing”. One fan on Twitter commented: “Ummm,,.this is beyond creepy. Not only does she look 12, they styled her like a 12 year old. The hat and the little bows on her hair while topless, not okay.”A Twitter feed dedicated to the star called SelenaGomezWatch wrote that the shoot had been unanimously branded as ‘disturbing’ due to her childish appearance.
In the feature Gomez opens up about her relationship with Justin Bieber in a revealing interview by Breakers co-star James Franco. ”I was 18 years old, and it was my first love. The older I get, I’m guarding certain things more. After being put through the scrutiny, I understand what it is.”
“When you’re young and you’re being told so many different things…it almost felt like all we had was each other, like the world was against us, in a way. It was really weird but it was incredible. I would never take it back in a million years. You live and you learn, you know?’
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This could look like a list of Grammy awards winners, including one for lifetime achievement award, but no, its our top ten list of the mega stars of the music industry that are currently rocking the world of advertising…what better way for a brand to create a high impact buzz than to enlist the biggest names in the business as the ‘face’ of their product?
Celebrity casting is not a new phenomenon but with social media so strong the big brands need to stay ahead of the game and one-up man-ship is what they’re playing. Being the ‘face’ of a big brand name used to belong to your everyday model but these days the advertising world need high profile power players to promote their new products. Today’s faces are celebrity A-lister superstars and not only from the modelling and acting worlds but also the famous musicians of the world are turning their hand to posing in front of the camera in order to boost brand images.
1. RIHANNA: The Barbadian beauty is no stranger to pouting for the camera and has appeared in next to nothing in many an ad. She is currently starring as not only the face of PUMA but has also been made Creative Director of the German sports brand. Puma originally planned to sponsor a female athlete but found “few [female] athletes with global appeal. Market research shows that Rihanna, although she’s not an athlete, is an icon for our main target group,” Puma Chief Executive Bjørn Gulden said during an interview. “She is putting strength to the brand in an era when we need it.”
2. JENNIFER LOPEZ: Another A list superstar that has looked at a lens more times than she’s had hot dinners. Not only does JLo have her own labels to promote but she is currently the face of Kohls for their S/S collection this year. She released a few sneak peak photos on Instagram, the full shoot is not yet out.
3. KATY PERRY: Straight after smashing her performance at the Super Bowl a new Covergirl ad was released with her wearing different coloured wigs and accents. Katy is the face of Covergirl and claims that she considers make-up to be a “powerful creative avenue of self-expression”.
4. LADY GAGA: For Shiseido’s 2015 campaign, Mother Monster is acting as both the photographer and model with the ads featuring 50 of the self-taken beauty shots adorning her Instagram. To kick off the New Year on a stylish note, the brand launched the photos and placed the ads in Japanese newspapers, and released the remaining four shortly after.
5. JUSTIN BIEBER: The naughty pop star has been caught with his pants down many a time but now he is getting paid for it. His penchant for getting down to his Calvins has prompted them to formally make Bieber the face (and the rest) for Calvin Klein. Lucky us we will all be seeing even more of young Justin than ever.
6. RITA ORA: The lovely Rita has flitted and flirted from one designer to another but that ad campaign she did for Cavalli with the Marilyn Monroe style platinum bob proved that music and fashion can deliver matches made in heaven.
7. MILEY CYRUS: MAC Viva Glam has taken on the tongue-poking-twerker for the face of their latest ad campaign. The pop princess brings her massive following and her popsicle coloured lips as the spokesperson for MAC’s annual lipstick campaign.The young pop singer’s creations include a palette of bright pinks with a lipstick in Hot Pink (Amplified) and a Sparkling Pearl lipgloss and the shoot portrays her as scantily clad and sultry. For a change.
8. KANYE WEST: Not averse to taking to the ‘frow’ Kanye West is a dapper rapper and has always had a foot in the fashion door. He and his headliner reality TV wife Kim Kardashian are the faces of Balmain France S/S 2015 collection and their shoot is smoking hot.
9. NICKI MINAJ: The Anaconda star’s first high fashion campaign is here; the S/S collection for Cavalli will incorporate the singer/rapper in their classic animal print. She delivers a touch of curvaceous class as well as a little Minaj edginess.
10. JONI MITCHELL: Saint Laurent are going back to the 70’s and that notion just got more proof when they signed Joni Mitchell to be a face on their ad campaign for S/S 2015. The West Coast icon from back in the day shows that growing older gracefully is something to behold, also holding a guitar and a face that has seen the world from many angles.
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Sunshine, parties and sunsets at Cafe del Mar – we’re dreaming of Ibiza. So whilst we’re waiting for beach days to arrive again, here’s an awesome Ibiza mix by Goldfish with a free download so you can keep dancing wherever you go!
If you don’t know Goldfish this mix is an excellent introduction. Dom Peters and David Poole, are a ridiculously talented electro-jazz duo from Cape Town, known as Goldfish. They have re-invented the DJ by combining traditional live instruments including Double bass, Saxophone, Keyboards, Flute, and Vocals with Samplers, Effects, Synths and a healthy dollop of freeform improvisation.
They’ve performed in countless countries across the world, including festivals such as Ultra and Glastonbury, have reached the top 10 in the US iTunes Dance Charts have been nominated for 8 SAMA awards, and have the likes of Pete Tong and Fedde Le Grand begging to mix one of their tracks… Goldfish have just about proved that they can do it all! With their striking musical DNA, heartfelt and dynamic live performances, and outgoing personalities, they’ve certainly left their fingerprints in our minds and have no doubt given technology a remarkable soul.
Goldfish have a residency in Ibiza to die for; Friday night at super-club Pacha. Their second album, Perceptions of Pacha, captures the carefree vibe of the magical island of Ibiza. Visit their website to find out more.
1. Moonwalk away (Moonlanding mix) by Goldfish
2. Almost home (Sebastian remix) by Moby
3. Wicked Games [Radio Edit] by Parra for Cuva ft. Anna Naklab
4. Blown job (Club mix) by Marcapasos
5. The Sun (Blackbox radio) by Western Disco Feat. Lura
6. Gemini by Marek Hemmann
7. Three second memory (Deep fish mix) by Goldfish
8. Sugarman (Goldfish’s Deep mix) by Rodriques
9. Havana (Original mix) by Ramon Tapia and Stavroz
10. Jade Venus (Original mix) by David K
11. Choose your own adventure (Kyle Watson Remix) by Goldfish
12. Me Roar (Format_B Remix) With Monkey Safari
