Category

Music

Popstars who were born rich

By | Featured, Music

While many popstars started at the bottom and worked their way up, others were born with silver spoons in their mouths. Whether it was handed to them or not these stars have made big names for themselves. Following in the footsteps of their successful parents, they’re now the ones in charge of staying in the limelight.

Tap any video title to open it in Creation 5.

Redfoo

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Redfoo (née Stefan Kendal Gordy), the LMFAO front man and our favourite Speedo wearing shuffler, was born into the Gordy family in LA. Coming from a very long line of musicians in the R&B and Jazz world, Redfoo’s father, Berry Gordy, made his mark as the founder of Motown, making him the first African-American to own a record label. Redfoo’s fame and fortune has a very different style to that of his father, but tracks like Party Rockers and I’m Sexy and I Know It have earned him and the band worldwide recognition.

Redfoo – New Thang


Taylor Swift

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Taylor Swift, the youngest songwriter ever hired by Sony at the sweet age of 14 (!) did not come from humble beginnings. Taylor was born in Pennsylvania and her father Scott, a financial adviser for Merryl Lynch, has a history of bank presidency going back three generations. This, plus her mother’s financial background, did not manage to sway Taylor’s musical tendencies, she felt certain that a move to Nashville Tennessee was necessary to develop her career in country music. The family put their trust in her and Miss Swift has been pounding out hit after hit ever since proving her idea to be a good one as her fan base continues to flourish while her music continues to encapsulate the experiences of the girl next-door. Her biography is already extensive and über-impressive with Grammy Awards coming out of her ears and a fifth album coming out very soon.

Taylor Swift – Shake It Off


Willow & Jaden Smith

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Willow & Jaden Smith, siblings born to superstar parents Will & Jada Pinket Smith, have been raised with more like diamond spoons in their mouths. These two have had fruitful careers acting in blockbuster movies and launching their own music careers whilst still in their early teens. Their parents provided an alternative attitude to raising them whereby being ‘told off’ was not something they did. Perhaps this assisted in their early successes or maybe it’s just that mummy and daddy knows everyone in the business? Either way, their careers are already booming and they’re both constantly noted in the press for their recent tweets, restaurant choices, appearance, friends and dates (as well as their acting and singing of course).

AcE ft. Jaden & Willow Smith


Miley Cyrus

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Miley Cyrus (née Destiny Hope Cyrus), fortunate daughter of the famous country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, became famous as a teen actor on the Disney channel as Miley Stewart. The sweet, sickly Hannah Montana alter ego has long been drowned in the media attention Miley has deliberately developed over the past few years. She has worked, twerked and jerked the media into a frenzy with her vulgarities, promiscuity and down-right disregard for the eyes of the general public to rid herself of her Disney persona and create a new career path. Whatever her goal she has reached superstardom with her most recent creation of herself, it will be interesting to see what she morphs into in the future.

Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball


Robin Thicke

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Robin Thicke was born into a showbiz family with famous actor, TV host & songwriter father Alan Thicke and mother, American singer and actress Gloria Loring for parents he was destined to be in the limelight. He has collaborated with many of the big names in music but attained worldwide fame with the hit Blurred Lines in 2013. For which we owe Miley’s twerking development a lot of credit. Thanks Robin.

Robin Thicke – Lost Without U


Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga or Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, as her family once knew her, was brought up in an affluent situation on Manhattan’s Upper West Side but claims that her family worked hard to get where they did and originally came from lower class families. Due to their hard work, and her fortunate upbringing, Gaga was given every opportunity to develop her talents going to all the best performing arts schools and mixing with the “right” people to find her path to success. And didn’t she just waltz up that path in a meat dress? Her crazy outfits and appearances sometimes seem to cloud the fact that Gaga is a very talented lady and has achieved a lot in her career to date becoming one of the world’s biggest and, despite her ever-changing appearance, most recognizable stars.

Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett – But Beautiful


Jordin Sparks

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This 6th season winner of American Idol was not unused to fame and fortune growing up as her father, Phillippi Sparks, played defensive back for the New York Giants. Sparks had the luxury of homeschooling in order to focus on her singing. Her privileged upbringing and money spent on her voice training has done her proud with numerous awards behind her; an NAACP Image Award, a BET Award, an American Music Award, a People’s Choice Award and two Teen Choice awards. This, and her record sales, made her not only the youngest winner of American Idol, aged 17, but one of the most successful to date.

Jordin Sparks – Battlefield


Adam Levine

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Lead singer of Maroon 5 had a well healed start to life with wealthy father, Fred Levine, being the founder of US chain store giant M. Frederic. Levine attributes his musical path choice to his mother playing him music from Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel from a young age. After a failed band experience Levine moved to New York and shed his sheltered upbringing for an eye opening street view of Manhattan and got to grips with the R&B and Hip Hop scene. Following some major successes Maroon 5 re-hit and conquered the big time when they released Moves like Jagger which became a monster hit and launched them into major stardom. Levine touched base with his roots recently when launching a fashion line 222 (named after a guitar he designed alongside First Act) in partnership with his father.

Maroon 5 – Maps


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Momo Khani – Smooth like butter

By | Featured, Music

The up-and-coming deep house producer/songwriter Momo Khani was introduced to music at a young age whilst singing in a church choir. Since then, he knew that music would always be a big part of his life. His passion continued to develop as he begun taking an interest in various instruments, mainly piano and guitar, and in 1990 he joined a punk rock band in Vienna, as lead drummer for two years.

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In 2008 Momo moved his roots to Marbella, in southern Spain, where he created Dirty House Studio, composing and remixing different sounds in collaboration with other artists. His use of a wide range of instruments and production techniques help him to create a fresh and innovative style. He has an army of fans on SoundCloud and Facebook and his single Drop Your Love, released in 2013, put him on the deep house music map. 

Interview by Sarah Gatward

In 2008 you created your own company ‘Dirty House Studio’, what made you to get back into music after such a long break?
I have always been ready to make music, it has always been there and when the circumstances were correct, the idea to make a production studio actually came to me in my sleep.

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‘Dirty House Studio’ is a great name, how did it come about?
It actually happened by coincidence, whilst construction of the studio was in process my house was full of plaster and dirt, and it was just a dirty house studio.

Who are your main musical influences? 
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Daft Punk, Moby, Quincy Jones, etc… too many to name, the world is full of influences.

Your first big single ‘Drop Your Love’ was released in 2013 and has been widely praised for its lyrical dexterity, did you write it yourself?
90% of the lyrics I wrote myself, the other 10% I finalized with the help of the singer of the track, Adam Graham.

Momo Khani – Drop Your Love ft. Adam Graham (Tap on video title to open in Creation 5)

Likewise with your newest single ‘Again’, the instrumental side is delicious. Do you play/compose it yourself?
Absolutely. Originally it only existed as an instrumental, that I composed myself. When I started to collaborate with Blackmouth, he came up with the lyrics to the song, and of course then sang them.

Momo Khani – Again ft. Blackmouth

All your singles seem very different from each other, is there a reason for that? 
I wouldn’t say they are that different from each other, deep house has a lot different styles whilst keeping within it’s category. It also has a lot to do with my mood and the artist I’m working with at the time.

Could you give us a summary of what the process of creating a single is like?
It constantly differs. Belle Epoque took me 2 weeks to write, whereas Again took me 2 years. I get a melody in my head, I play it. Another idea comes, I write it down. I’m in a certain mood, I get inspired by songs I hear and things around me. Normally 90% of production happens in the first few days! The last 10%, the perfecting of a song is what takes the longest. I also don’t finalize the song, I use the help of professional studios for the mix down and polishing of the tracks, as my studio is only equipped for production.

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In 3 words, how would you describe your sound?
Smooth like butter.

You’ve collaborated with a wide range of artists, local and international, it must be a fantastic experience.
Yes – a great experience. Each one of them has inspired me with their style. However, I don’t marry artists, I’m always on the lookout for new artists and I know there’s so many out there, so I try not to work with the same artist twice.

Momo Khani – Belle Epoque

Being a songwriter/producer is clearly your passion, is it your livelihood as well?
No it isn’t and that’s where I get lucky. I’m financially unattached from music production, which makes it a real passion and in a way I think that’s what makes the music so special.

What’s the reaction to your music been like so far? Have you received a lot of positive feedback from fans?
Yes, 99% positive feedback! Since I’m not completely mainstream people only listen to the songs and comment if they are into this kind of music, they give the music a chance and most of the time they end up loving it.

Momo Khani & Jay Saccone – Infinity ft. Phill Kullnig

You’re a producer and songwriter, do you also like to Dj?
No. Although in this digital age, it’s sometimes the only way to break even with all the outgoing costs you have in production. I have had some great offers recently but my record label won’t allow me – for at least the next two years anyway.

Changing topic, something we always like to know, what’s playing on your iTunes right now?
My music! Most of my inspiration comes straight from my head, I’m not listening to a lot of other music right now.

Both your latest singles have been chart toppers on the iTunes Electronic charts, what does the future hold for Dirty House Studio?
I’m actually in the process of moving to a new studio and by January 2015 I will start production again. For now, I have a few summer songs on my mind and maybe even an EP….

Follow Momo Khani on:
Soundcloud
Facebook
Dirty House Studio’s Facebook

Momo Khani chose our Sunday Sessions this week. Click here for the playlist.

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In Performance at the White House:
Burt Bacharach and Hal David

By | Featured, Music

SHOWTIME! We continue our series of ‘In Performance at the White House’ – a series of concerts created to showcase the rich fabric of American culture in the exclusive setting of the nation’s most famous home. To see last week’s post, Fiesta Latina, click here.

Burt Bacharach & Hal David
“In Performance at the White House: Burt Bacharach & Hal David, The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song” was a concert hosted by President and Mrs. Obama in the East Room of the White House. The concert included performances from Sheryl Crow, Michael Feinstein, Diana Krall, Lyle Lovett, Mike Myers, Rumer, Arturo Sandoval, Sheléa and Stevie Wonder. President Obama presents the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song to Bacharach during the event.

This legendary concert was the first time that the Gershwin Prize honor has been awarded to a songwriting team. Just like the siblings for whom the Gershwin Prize is named, Bacharach and David are a pianist and lyricist respectively. The Grammy- and Academy Award-winning pair have collaborated for more than a half-century, since their first hit together, “The Story of My Life” in 1957, both have been nominated and honored with every major award bestowed by the music industry. Today, their songs continue to be recorded by such artists as Diana Krall, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Cyndi Lauper and the cast of the television show Glee.

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Burt Bacharach has been for six decades one of the most-honored and successful composers of our times with three Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, 48 Top Ten hits and nine number one songs including Alfie, Arthur’s Theme, Close To You, Do You Know The Way To San Jose, I Say A Little Prayer, Walk On By, What The World Needs Now Is Love and Wishin’ And Hopin’.

Hal David was one of the greatest American songwriters of the postwar era. Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, This Guy’s in Love With You and I’ll Never Fall in Love Again are just three of the hits in a string of standards written by this Academy Award and Grammy Award winner.

Download these shows and add them to your music library
This is part of a 10-week series that we will be running on our blog, with the music videos conveniently separated into individual performances so that you can save and download your favourite artists, or the whole show if your prefer. Creation 5’s YouTube feature lets you download videos so you can watch offline when you’re travelling and enjoy great music on-the-go. Don’t forget that you can download Creation 5’s YouTube In-app purchase absolutely FREE, which normally costs €4.49 ($4.99), as we currently have a promotion running in celebration of hitting 450,000 downloads on the App Store!

In Performance at the White House: Burt Bacharach & Hal David: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song (2012)
01. Sheryl Crow and Lyle Lovett – I’ll Never Fall In Love Again
02. Arturo Sandoval and Stevie Wonder – Make It Easy on Yourself
03. Diana Krall – The Look of Love
04. Sheléa and Arturo Sandoval – Anyone Who Had a Heart
05. Mike Myers – What’s New Pussy Cat
06. Rumer – A House is Not a Home
07. Lyle Lovett – Always Something There to Remind Me
08. Sheryl Crow – Walk On By
09. Michael Feinstein – Close to You
10. Stevie Wonder – Alfie
11. President Obama awards the Gershwin Prize to Burt Bacharach and Hal David
12. Burt Bacharach and All Performers – What the World Needs Now is Love

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Tap on any video title to view in Creation 5.

Full concert

Sheryl Crow and Lyle Lovett – I’ll Never Fall In Love Again

Arturo Sandoval and Stevie Wonder – Make It Easy on Yourself

Diana Krall – The Look of Love

Sheléa and Arturo Sandoval – Anyone Who Had a Heart

Mike Myers – What’s New Pussy Cat

Rumer – A House is Not a Home

Lyle Lovett – Always Something There to Remind Me

Sheryl Crow – Walk On By

Michael Feinstein – Close to You

Stevie Wonder – Alfie

President Obama awards the Gershwin Prize to Burt Bacharach and Hal David

Burt Bacharach and All Performers – What the World Needs Now is Love

Behind the Scenes


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Top 5 Music Clubs in the US

By | Featured, Music

Despite the fact that we live in an increasingly on-demand entertainment culture of streaming and DVRs, the live music business continues to thrive. Fans dream of their once-in-a-lifetime experience to see one of their favourite artists bestow the world with their magic in an intimate venue in front of a small but precious crowd. Those of you who have experienced it first hand can concur that it’s the ultimate fulfillment, magical and unexplainable, it leaves you on a massive high.

Although investors refer to live shows as a “perishable experience”, they also know that the experience is a high yielding one too. In 2013, Live Nation reported $2 billion in revenue. In 2014, House of Blues Entertainment CEO Ron Bension admitted “overall for our portfolio, we’re up in show and ticket sales… it’s a good business if you can withstand the cycles, and we’ve been able to do that”.

More than just doubling their portfolio in the last three years, Live Nation has “made a huge commitment to artist development”, Bension continues. “We’re starting to help [developing acts], and we’re seeing evidence of that as we see bands work with us from 300-capacity rooms to 3,000-seat rooms”.

The Live Nation portfolio includes about 80 clubs and theatres, including House of Blues, Fillmore, Tabernacle, Palladium and Irving Plaza. According to Billboard, Live Nation clubs’ annual ticket sales amount to an approximate $300 million. Two words: Holy Moly!

1. The House of Blues, Orlando, Florida

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The House of Blues grew out of Isaac Tigrett’s (founder of The House of Blues) deep love for “the Blues”. Isaac’s goal was to make the music of the rural south, including Blues, Rhythm and Blues, Gospel, Jazz and Roots-based Rock & Roll, known to the world. The very first House of Blues opened in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1992. Dedicated to “education and celebrating the history of Southern Culture and African American artistic contribution to music and art”, today, The House of Blues is located across the US, with venues in Orlando, Washington, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and more.

http://www.houseofblues.com/

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House of Blues

2. Tabernacle, Atlanta

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The Tabby, first established in 1996 as a music venue, was originally a Baptist Church. The 106-year-old historical building was converted into one of the most popular music concert halls in the US and is known today for having showcased some of the hottest acts of our time, including Guns N’ Roses, Bob Dylan, Prince, Robbie Williams and Adele amongst many more.

http://www.tabernacleatl.com/

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3. The Fillmore, Silver Spring, Maryland

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In the mid 1960s, The Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco became the centre point for psychedelic music and counterculture in general. “For more than 40 years, the legendary Fillmore name has stood as the link between some of the most influential artists in music and their fans”. Pink Floyd, Santana, Cream, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and Miles Davis. The Silver Springs, Maryland, venue opened in 2010 as part of a campaign to extend the original San Francisco Fillmore Auditorium’s brand across the US – You can now find a Fillmore venue in San Francisco, North Carolina, Detroit, and Denver.

http://www.fillmoresilverspring.com/

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4. The Hollywood Palladium, California

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The Hollywood Palladium is located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard, famous worldwide for being the epitome of a place where dream comes true. First opened in 1940, the killer venue has housed the most legendary acts around. Today, the venue continues to be a major pop reference in TV and film and a place where you can enjoy live music every night of the week.

http://www.thehollywoodpalladium.com/

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5. Irving Plaza, New York

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The world famous ballroom-style music venue, Irving Plaza, has served as a Polish Army veterans’ headquarters, a swing music ballroom, a rock venue, and has also hosted church services. It was in 1978 that the hall was converted into a rock music venue and saw the likes of B-52, Ramones, Talking Heads, U2, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band and Red Hot Chili Peppers rock the club, establishing the venue as a premium location for punk and new wave in the US.

http://www.irvingplaza.com/

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For the Love of Music

By | Featured, Music

BBC Music launched last night and 27 global stars came together to cover ‘God Only Knows’.

The ensemble – named ‘The Impossible Orchestra’ – were revealed last night (October 7) at 8pm when all of the BBC – television, radio and online sites – premiered the track.

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Pharrell Williams, Sir Elton John, Stevie Wonder, One Direction and Sam Smith were among the iconic artists that came together to perform a a cover of the Beach Boys’ classic 1966 hit ‘God Only Knows’.

BBC Music – God Only Knows

Brian Wilson – Beach Boys star and writer of the song said: “I just feel so incredibly humbled that the BBC would choose ‘God Only Knows’ to promote their new music initiative. All of the artists did such a beautiful job I can’t thank them enough. I’m just honoured that ‘God Only Knows’ was chosen. ‘God Only Knows’ is a very special song. An extremely spiritual song and one of the best I’ve ever written.”

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The launch of ‘God Only Knows’ is a very significant moment for the BBC, and BBC Music is their strongest commitment to music in 30 years. Bob Shennan, Director of BBC Music said of the song: “God Only Knows showcases the power and potential of music – a modern masterpiece which inspired musicians and music fans nearly 50 years ago, but which continues to inspire today with its timeless beauty and quality…What’s more, the recording will be sold to raise funds for Children in Need, which makes this project even more worthwhile.”

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The performance was brilliantly led by my music producer Ethan Johns and performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra. All the artists involved performed free of charge. Bob Shennan commented, “This ‘impossible’ orchestra is a celebration of all the talent, diversity and musical passion found every single day throughout the BBC. Our audiences are very clear in their passion for music and that’s why BBC Music exists: to create, curate and celebrate music – for the love of it.”

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We can look forward to the BBC Music Awards on December 11 which is a return of landmark music content on BBC One. The BBC already churns out over 41,000 hours of music a year across TV, Radio and Online, spanning all genres, but this moment is still a very special one and confirms the BBC’s supportive role in the UK music industry.

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Who stars in the video?
Brian Wilson, Beach Boys star, composer and producer of original song, is joined by:
Sir Elton John, One Direction, Pharrell Williams, Stevie Wonder, Jake Bugg, Lorde, Emeli Sandé, Chris Martin, Kylie Minogue, Paloma Faith, Sam Smith, Florence Welch, Chrissie Hynde, Brian May, Dave Grohl; classical musicians Alison Balsom, Martin James Bartlett, Danielle de Niese and Nicola Benedetti; folk performer Eliza Carthy; Senegalese singer Baaba Maal; jazz performer Jamie Cullum; British Asian Music star Jaz Dhami; the BBC’s Zane Lowe, Lauren Laverne, Katie Derham, Gareth Malone and Jools Holland; and the wonderful vocals of the Tees Valley Youth Choir and of course, the BBC Concert Orchestra.

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– Find out more about BBC Music by visiting their website.
– You can also find out more on the BBC Media Centre website.
– Follow @BBCMusic on Twitter – the hashtag is #LoveBBCMusic
See how ‘God Only Knows’ was made.

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In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina

By | Featured, Music

SHOWTIME! We continue our series of ‘In Performance at the White House’ – a series of concerts created to showcase the rich fabric of American culture in the exclusive setting of the nation’s most famous home. To see last weeks post, Country Music, click here.

Tap any video title to play it in Creation 5.

Fiesta Latina

“In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina” is a concert hosted by the President and Mrs. Obama on the South Lawn of the White House. The concert includes performances from Marc Anthony, Jimmy Smits, Pete Escovedo, Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, George Lopez, Thalía, Tito “El Bambino”, the Bachata music group Aventura, and the Chicano rock band Los Lobos, with Sheila E. leading the house band.

In his opening address President Obama talked about the music that helped define a nation:
“During Hispanic Heritage Month we are honored to be joined by this country’s most successful and innovative performers of Latin music. Like our own latino community, Latin music is not easy to define. Although it takes many forms its spirit of diversity also unifies us. At its heart are the West African rhythms brought by slaves in the Caribbean, the guitars first carried to the new world by the Spanish conquistadors, it incorporates the accordians played by German immigrants, the flutes and drums used by indigenous peoples and the beats born in cities like New York and Miami. And even though it’s constantly evolving and changing, Latin music speaks to us in a language we can all understand – about hope and joy, sorrow and pain, friendship and love. It moves us and tends to make us move a little bit ourselves. In the end, what makes Latin music great is the same thing that makes America great – the unique ability to celebrate our differences while creating something new.”

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“In the words of Gloria Estefan “the most beautiful things in this country have the flavour of other places.” So to all of you who are watching please enjoy some truly global music from some of the most talented artists in the world. I can tell you that the West wing, the East wing and whatever other wings we have here at The White House, have been looking forward to this evening for quite sometime. Enjoy! Thank you!”

Download these shows and add them to your music library

This is part of a 10-week series that we will be running on our blog, with the music videos conveniently separated into individual performances so that you can save and download your favourite artists, or the whole show if your prefer. Creation 5’s YouTube feature lets you download videos so you can watch offline when you’re travelling and enjoy great music on-the-go. Don’t forget that you can download Creation 5’s YouTube In-app purchase absolutely FREE, which normally costs €4.49 ($4.99), as we currently have a promotion running in celebration of hitting 450,000 downloads on the App Store!

In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina (October 2009)

01. Gloria Estefan – No Llores
02. Marc Anthony – Valio La Pena
03. Thailía – Amor a la Mexicana
04. Los Lobos – Medley
05. Shiela E and Pete Escovedo – Oye Como Va
06. Tito el Bambino – El Amor
07. José Feliciano – En Aranjuez con tu Amor
08. Marc Anthony – I Need to Know
09. Gloria Estefan and All Performers – Mi Tierra

Gloria Estefan – No Llores

Marc Anthony – Valio La Pena

Thailía – Amor a la Mexicana

Los Lobos – Medley

Shiela E and Pete Escovedo – Oye Como Va

Tito el Bambino – El Amor

José Feliciano – En Aranjuez con tu Amor

Marc Anthony – I Need to Know

Gloria Estefan and All Performers – Mi Tierra


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Top 10 Movie Soundtracks of All Time

By | Featured, Films, Music

“To me, movies and music go hand in hand. When I’m writing a script, one of the first things I do is find the music I’m going to play for the opening sequence.” – Quentin Tarantino.

Indeed, music and film are very close art forms that naturally fit together to produce great emotional effect in the movie theatre room. Music adds to the overall atmosphere and tone of a sequence, gives it its special touch and renders a scene unforgettable; music can transport a film’s audience to whole other dimensions. That’s something that’s quite amazing. Here we honor these unique moments and have compiled some all-time classic tunes that have and will always be associated to a particular scene in a particular film.

Tap any video title to open it in Creation 5.

“Music is a big factor in helping the illusion of the film come to life. The same way music brings back different periods to our lives.” – Francis Ford Coppola.

1. The Graduate – Sound of Silence & Mrs Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel)



The “Sound of Silence” is, hands down, “one of folk pop’s most beautiful moments” – nobody in their right mind could contest that. Simon & Garfunkel made “The Graduate” the iconic film that it is today, but in 1967, it was director Mike Nichols that made Simon & Garfunkel the timeless duo that will always be remembered. Nichols brilliantly used several of their songs as the soundtrack to his chronicle of post-collegiate alienation. Mrs Robinson and Sound of Silence are two serious all-time hits placed in unprecedented manner in one serious Hollywood blockbuster – the hits come hand-in-hand. Curiously enough, Nichols originally used their most exceptional songs, including “Sound of Silence”, as placeholders to get the pacing right in certain parts of the film. I think we’re all indebted to Nichols for having finally come to his senses by realising that the songs were perfect where they were. “The Graduate” owns Simon & Garfunkel and Simon & Garfunkel own “The Graduate”.

2. Purple Rain – When Doves Cry & Purple Rain (Prince and the Revolutions)

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The film “Purple Rain” is “an epic celebration of everything Rock & Roll.” Picture Prince in a film, surrounded by sex, religion, motorcycles, guitars, Lake Minnetonka and, oh yes, he’s wearing eyeliner. Set when Prince is on his historic creative streak while his heart aches with girl troubles, he’s bound to write a couple of hits like “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry” because, you know, that’s just another day in the life of the Prince of pop. The two silver screen anthems frame the film in all their glory and, today, are recognised as all-time greats. The film’s grand finale blasts “Purple Rain” through the speakers as Prince rides off into the purple sunset – It’s a historic moment accompanied by one of the moodiest and most beautiful songs ever made. “When Doves Cry”, on the other hand, was the album’s first No1 single and is what propelled the album to sell 20 million copies.

3. Saturday Night Fever – Night Fever & Staying Alive (The Bee Gees)



Although a huge chunk of the music to the soundtrack to “Saturday Night Fever” came from Frank Stallone, it’s The Bee Gees that killed it! Oh, The Bee Gees – From “Staying Alive” to “Night Fever” to “More Than A Woman”, “Boogie Shoes” and to “How Deep Is Your Love”, the tunes on the “Saturday Night Fever” album can still turn a room upside down with disco fever. “Staying Alive” was a smash hit, mainly due to its “driving beat, funky guitar riff and falsetto” and, of course, its awesomness. When the Bee Gees were engaged to write some songs for the film’s soundtrack, they refused to call their song “Saturday Fever” to match the title of the movie because too many song titles contained the word “Saturday”. Producer Robert Stigwood eventually gave in and decided to rename the film “Saturday Night Fever” – I think the Bee Gee’s stubbornness did Stigwood a huge favour (it rings better!).

The double LP was the best-selling soundtrack in music history, selling over 15 million copies, before “The Bodyguard” stole the title. These songs defined an era, turned disco fever into an all-night occurrence, and left a legacy in the late 70’s disco ball culture. What’s more, the soundtrack to this film turned our beloved John Travolta into a hearthrobbing mega film star. Who can shake the image of the young and gorgeous Travolta suited-and-booted all in white whilst boogying the legendary dance move with one hand on one hip and the other pointing to the sky.

4. The Bodyguard – I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston)


Did you know that Dolly Parton originally wrote Whitney Houston’s outstanding song “I Will Always Love You”, released in 1992 on the soundtrack of “The Bodyguard”, in 1973? Houston’s smash hit cover reigned on Billboard Hot 100 for fourteen weeks and became her signature song – the vocal queen owned it!

5. Ghostbusters – Ghostbusters (Ray Parker Jr.)


“Who you gonna call?… “GHOSTBUTERS!” – It’s almost impossible to find someone who doesn’t know who they’re gonna call when strange things are happening in their neighbourhood. Although Ray Parker Jr.’s Academy-nominated them songs “Ghostbusters” isn’t the best song out there, it continues to haunt us and will always remain a classic, if not for its cultural relevance with film-nerds than for it’s ceaseless appearance at Halloween parties year after year. Its repetitive and really, really, really hard to forget.

6. Pulp Fiction – You Never Can Tell (Chuck Berry)


“No one reframes oldies so indelibly” like Quentin Tarantino. Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” has become a cult-like ritual. Nobody can think of “Pulp Fiction” without Chuck Berry luring in the background.

7. 8 Mile – Lose Yourself (Eminem)


Eminem’s signature track “8 Mile” is a great song that almost everyone under the age of 25 knows 70% of the lyrics to (or at least they pretend they do). It’s one of those songs we kids used to rap to in the school playground, pretending we were hip (which we were, ehemm). Inspired by true events in Eminem’s (Marshal Mathers) personal life and written on the “8 Mile” movie set about his fictional character B-Rabbit, the song ended up winning the Best Original Song Oscar and two Grammy Awards. Indeed, everyone loved the track – it’s powerful and hard-hitting lyrics, energised and aggressive instrumentation and Eminem’s anger fully encased the emotion of the movie. Perhaps the lyrics “mom’s spaghetti” also had something to do with the song’s great success. “8 Mile” is raw and carries a huge emotional load – it’s refreshing, I think that’s why we love it.

8. Batman Forever – Kiss From A Rose (Seal)


The “Batman Forever” soundtrack is filled with great songs. However, Seal’s “Kiss From A Rose” is on a whole other level. The “haunting ballad” is soft, beautiful and touching – it’s by far Seal’s greatest.

9. Flashdance – What A Feeling (Irene Cara)


“What A Feeling” by Irene Cara became a classic after it featured in the timeless film “Flashdance”. The title track plays as Alex (Jennifer Beal) auditions for a dance conservatory board and dumbfounds them when the song switches from ballad into speedy pop. The song went on to win an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Even those who haven’t seen the film know the very moment in the film that is bound to Irene Cara’s hit, co-written by Giorgio Moroder.

10. Space Jam – I Believe I Can Fly (R. Kelly)


R Kelly’s hit song “I Believe I Can Fly” is a classic (that is not to be argued). No matter what your opinion is on R Kelly, the Looney Tunes soundtrack belongs to a whole generation of kids-now-turned-adults – that cannot be taken away from them. Warner Brothers + Michael Jordan + green screen + cartoons = genius. The film scored a home run at the box office and the soundtrack came in on par, including beats from Jay-Z, Coolio and Busta Rhymes. R Kelly, however, is our leading man.


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Top 10 One Hit Wonders of the Past Decade

By | Featured, Music

The following artists managed to crack Billboard’s Hot 100 Top 10 list with their very first singles and then never really managed to hit the jackpot again – unfortunately, they never even made it to the top 25 again! Despite their subsequent musical write-offs, the one hit wonders of the likes of Daniel Powter, James Blunt and Gnarls Barkley are still known by all and continue to be loved by all (whether they’ve been overplayed or not). We owe it to these one-hit-makers to honour their scarce yet brilliant work.

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Here is a list of the top 10 one-hit wonders of the past decade, based on Billboard’s calculations of “how high their big songs climbed on the chart compared to how far down the tally their subsequent highest-charting effort peaked.”

1. Daniel Powter – Bad Day


Bad Day was used as the roll out song for the 5th season of American Idol and was also used for a Coca-Cola advertising campaign in the U.K. The song became incredibly successful – It went to No.1 in April, remained there for five weeks, and was ranked the most successful single of 2006 by Billboard. Bad Day became the first song to ever sell 2 million digital copies in the U.S. Although the Canadian singer-songwriter’s success didn’t last too long, he did make history!

2. Terror Squad – Lean Back


Terror Squad, the hip-hop collective fronted by Fat Joe, reached the top of the charts with Lean Back in August 2004, gifting the world with one of the most famous dance songs (and catchy choruses) of our time. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and topped the R&B charts for over a month. Terror Squad’s next single Take Me Home, released that same year, got to No.62. The upshot of their four minutes of fame gets almost every party rocking! (That’s if you party right!).

3. Crazy Town – Butterfly


Crazy Town, the L.A. rap-metal-rockers, soared to No1 in March 2001 with their Red Hot Chili Peppers imbued track Butterfly, and hovered there for two weeks. The band never flew sky-high again.

4. MIMS – This Is Why I’m Hot


This Is Why I’m Hot got nice and steamy at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, at No.2 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Charts and at No.1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks charts. The song also debuted at No1 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs Charts, selling 140,874 downloads, and eventually certified Platinum. The song itself is filled with samples of other hip-hop songs, including Kanye West’s Jesus Walks and Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s Nuthin’ But a “G” Thang. Ever heard the saying: “a great chorus lasts forever”? Although the chorus is still out there sizzling somewhere, MIMS never really made a hot track again. His next single Like This, release in 2007, only reached No.32… not so steamy!

5. D4L – Laffy Taffy


In January 2006, D4L’s Laffy Taffy hit the bull’s eye when it peaked at No.1. Most of the song’s success was due to its online sales. The song went on to certify three times Platinum. D4L’s next single Betcha Can’t Do It Like Me, however, only made it to No.72.

6. James Blunt – You’re Beautiful


James Blunt definitely knew how to win a woman’s heart. His stunning ballad You’re Beautiful reached No.1 on Billboard Hot 100 in March 2006. Although the song was ranked No.7 in a poll conducted by Rolling Stone to identify the top 10 most annoying songs, VH1 ranked it No.95 on its list of 100 Greatest Songs of the 2000’s. You’re Beautiful received three Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and certified two times Platinum in the U.S. James Blunt’s fans weren’t too loyal, though. His next single Goodbye My Lover reached No.66.

7. Gnarls Barkley – Crazy


It was crazy just how much Gnarls Barkley’s single Crazy stormed the world. The musical collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green peaked at No2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in the U.K. (where it remained at No1 for nine weeks), Denmark, Canada, New Zealand and many more countries. The track won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2007 and was also nominated for Record of the Year in the U.K. The song also won Best Song at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards and was dubbed Best Song of 2006 by Rolling Stone. The track was certified two times Platinum in the U.S. As for Gnarls Barkley’s subsequent singles well, crazily enough, they didn’t quite make it to the top.

Fun fact: Gnarls Barkley’s band performed a live performance of “Crazy” at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards dressed as Star Wars characters!

8. Blu Cantrell – Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)


Hit ‘Em Up Style climbed to No2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 2001. Blu Cantrell was never really heard of again… Oopsy daisies?

9. Bo Bice – Inside Your Heaven


Bo Bice was American Idol’s runner up, after Carrie Underwood took home the winning prize. They both released their own versions of this song in 2005. Bice peaked at No2 on the Billboard Hot 100 but, after the Idols craze was over, so was Bice. His subsequent highest-charting song The Real Thing reached No56 in May 2006. Sometimes it’s just not meant to be…

10. Dream – He Loves You Not


Dream, the manufactured American girl band, made it to No2 with He Loves You Not. The song certified Gold – a dream come true. Sadly, though, the dream was over before the girls could say Good Morning. Dream’s next single This Is Me rose to No39 in the summer of 2001.

On the bright side, these artists sure released some unforgettable red-hot tunes!


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In Performance at the White House: Country Music

By | Featured, Music

SHOWTIME! We continue our series of ‘In Performance at the White House’ – a series of concerts created to showcase the rich fabric of American culture in the exclusive setting of the nation’s most famous home. To see last weeks post, Music from the Civil Rights Movement, click here.

Country Music

“In Performance at the White House: Country Music” is a PBS music special taped in the East Room of the White House. President and Mrs. Obama hosted the event in celebration of Country music, whose roots run deep throughout American history. The concert includes performances by Lauren Alaina, The Band Perry, Dierks Bentley, Alison Krauss, Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett, Mickey, Darius Rucker and James Taylor. The show honors the rich history and resilience of this uniquely American musical form with performances tracing the history of Country music.

Harlan Howard, who wrote many Country music songs that are now classics, said, “Country music is three chords and the truth.”

Download these shows and add them to your music library

This is part of a 10-week series that we will be running on our blog, with the music videos conveniently separated into individual performances so that you can save and download your favourite artists, or the whole show if your prefer. Creation 5’s YouTube feature lets you download videos so you can watch offline when you’re travelling and enjoy great music on-the-go. Don’t forget that you can download Creation 5’s YouTube In-app purchase absolutely FREE, which normally costs €4.49 ($4.99), as we currently have a promotion running in celebration of hitting 450,000 downloads on the App Store!

In Performance at the White House: Country Music 2011

01.Intro [President’s speech]
02. Dierks Bentley – Home
03. Lye Lovett – Cowboy Man
04. Kris Kristofferson & Darius Rucker – Pancho & Lefty
05. The Band Perry – If I Die Young
06. Alison Krauss – When You Say Nothing at All
07. James Taylor – Riding on a Railroad
08. Darius Rucker – I Got Nothin’
09. Dierks Bentley & Lauren Alaina – Always on My Mind
10. Mickey – Crazy
11. James Taylor – Wichita Lineman
12. Lauren Alaina – Coal Miner’s Daughter
13. Lyle Lovett – Funny How Time Slips Away
14. The Band Perry – I Will Always Love You
15. Full Cast – Me And Bobby McGee

President’s Introduction

Dierks Bentley – Home

Lye Lovett – Cowboy Man

Kris Kristofferson & Darius Rucker – Pancho & Lefty

The Band Perry – If I Die Young

Alison Krauss – When You Say Nothing at All

James Taylor – Riding on a Railroad

Darius Rucker – I Got Nothin’

Dierks Bentley & Lauren Alaina – Always on My Mind

Mickey – Crazy

James Taylor – Wichita Lineman

Lauren Alaina – Coal Miner’s Daughter

Lyle Lovett – Funny How Time Slips Away

The Band Perry – I Will Always Love You

Full Cast – Me And Bobby McGee

Behind the Scenes of “In Performance at the White House – Country Music”


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Songs for Autumn

By | Music

Today Google marked the first day of Autumn, the September equinox – with a great doodle. We’re marking it with a playlist – a collection of classic songs that give you a sense of the changing seasons.

playlist-autumn-1

There are two equinoxes every year, in September and March – when the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of the day and night are more or less equal. This happens either on September 22, 23, or 24 every year. Of course as we enjoy the first day of Autumn some of you reading this might be on the other side of the world enjoying the first day of Spring, the Vernal Equinox!

It’s true to say that all seasons inspire artists in different ways, but this colourful, poignant time of year has inspired some of the greatest tracks of all time. So grab your pumpkin spiced latte from Starbucks, stick your headphones on and enjoy the year’s last, loveliest smile.

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”

Autumn Playlist

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1. The White Stripes – Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground
2. The Kinks – Autumn Almanac
3. Ed Sheeran – Autumn Leaves
4. The Mamas & The Papas – California Dreamin’
5. Jack Johnson – Constellations
6. Jon Foreman – Southbound Train
7. Guns N’ Roses – November Rain
8. One Direction – Fireproof
9. Ella & Louis – Autumn in New York
10. Mumford & Sons – Reminder
11. Oh No! Oh My! – Walk In The Park
12. The Moody Blues – Forever Autumn
13. The Beatles – Blackbird


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