Top Pop Catalog for the 4/10/2010 issue

Now Last Weeks Peak

1 1 6 1 See The Morning – Chris Tomlin (/Sparrow)

2 153 1 The Sickness – Disturbed (/Warner Bros.)

3 2 124 1 Number Ones – Michael Jackson (/Sony Music)

4 3 763 1 Journey’s Greatest Hits – Journey (/Sony Music)

5 30 17 5 Oracular Spectacular – MGMT (/Sony Music)

6 4 3 4 Taylor Swift – Taylor Swift ()

7 8 922 1 Legend: The Best Of Bob Marley And The Wailers – Bob Marley And The Wailers (/UMe)

8 6 675 1 Chronicle The 20 Greatest Hits – Creedence Clearwater Revival (/Concord)

9 7 47 1 The Essential Michael Jackson – Michael Jackson (/Sony Music)

10 9 172 1 Greatest Hits – Guns N’ Roses (/IGA)

Tom Jones performs in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, March 20 (ANI): Legendary singer Tom Jones performed at a concert in Kuala Lumpur, as part of his world tour.

The 69-year-old Welshman sang his greatest hits in front of 2,000 people at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

He sported a shimmering blue jacket and plaid gray pants in the show that lasted 90 minutes, reports the Star Online.

A 10-piece band supported Jones, as he belted out hits such as ‘It’s Not Unusual’, ‘What’s New Pussycat’ and ‘Green Green Grass of Home’.

Jones is currently promoting his latest album 24 Hours. (ANI)

US folk singer Mary Travers passes away at 72

London, Sept 17 (ANI): Mary Travers, a member of the hugely popular 1960s US folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, has died in the US. She was 72.

Heather Lylis, the band’s publicist, said Travers passed away yesterday at the Danbury Hospital in Connecticut. She had battled leukemia for several years, reports The Times.

Travers joined forces with Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey in the early 1960s. The trio formed the folk band Peter, Paul and Mary, mingling their music with liberal politics, both onstage and off.

Peter, Paul and Mary had hits including If I Had a Hammer, Lemon Tree and Puff, The Magic Dragon.

They won five Grammies and released a five-disc box set of their greatest hits, Carry It On.

They were strong supporters of the civil rights movement and opponents of the Vietnam War. (ANI)

Bon Jovi ‘to go for world tour next year’

Washington, Aug 22 (ANI): Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora has revealed that the band may go for a world tour next year to promote their upcoming album ‘The Circle.’

“Next year. 2010, probably spring time we’ll get going. And we’re going to go for a long time. It’s going to be a big one,” Contactmusic quoted him as telling Rolling Stone magazine.

The rocker said that Jon Bon Jovi and him were planning to first release greatest hits collection before working on a new album, but as they started they couldn’t stop themselves from making new music.

He said: “We started having so much fun making this record, that we decided we would do a studio album first. It sounds fresh – I think we reinvented ourselves again.

“Jon and I had a wonderful time making it. We’re very proud of it – just getting down to mixing it right now. We hit a very prolific period in our songwriting.”

The long-awaited album will be out in November. (ANI)

Madonna honours Jackson during London O2 concert

London, July 5 (ANI): Madonna honoured Michael Jackson during her London concert at the O2 Arena, where the late singer was due to stage his much-awaited comeback.

The Queen of Pop hailed the late King of Pop, describing him as one of the greatest performers the world has seen.

A huge picture of Jackson as a child was displayed above the stage as the ‘Material Girl’ hitmaker carried out a short dance melody dedicated to the late star.

One of her dancers, clothed in Jackson’s trademark black hat, wooed fans with a moonwalk across the stage.

Jackson’s greatest hits, Billie Jean and Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin, were also performed in short versions.

“To one of the greatest performers the world has ever known – Michael Jackson,” the Daily Star quoted Madonna as saying.

Jackson had been due to kick-start his This Is It tour at the same venue this month.

He died aged 50 on June 25 after suffering an apparent cardiac arrest allegedly triggered by an overdose of prescription drugs. (ANI)

Jacko’s sensational O2 rehearsal video shows him in good form

London, Jul 3 (ANI): Late King of Pop Michael Jackson’s final rehearsal video for his O2 gigs shows that he was in a very highly energetic form.

Jacko could be seen doing a sensational routine, leaping across the stage as he performed his hit ‘They Don’t Care About Us’.

“I watched in awe. From what I saw, Michael was back – and in real style,” the Sun quoted photographer Kevin Mazur, 48, who watched the final show, as saying.

“He was amazing, happy and energetic. He performed virtually non-stop for two hours and ran through about a dozen greatest hits. He stopped just a couple of times to tweak arrangements and work on moves with dancers.

“Every track he sang sounded terrific. I honestly could not wait to see the show,” the photographer added.

Mazur also said that Jackson seemed excited about his London residency, and even checked out props backstage in LA.

“He loved going through all the props and was excited about performing Thriller with these zombie puppets,” he said.

“I’m very sad people won’t be able to see it,” he added. (ANI)

Michael Jackson Songwriters to Receive Higher Royalty Paychecks

Michael Jackson Songwriters to Receive Higher Royalty Paychecks Michael Jackson’s sudden death last week will lead to a “phenomenal” increase in royalty payments as his greatest hits including “Beat It” and “Billy Jean” dominate the airwaves.

Songwriters such as the U.K.’s Rod Temperton, who wrote “Thriller,” and the U.S.’s Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett, who co-wrote “Man in the Mirror,” and Bill Bottrell, who co- wrote “Black or White” with Jackson, stand to receive “a substantial increase” in payments, U.K. royalty collection agency PRS for Music said in an e-mailed statement today.

“We have witnessed an unprecedented 1,735 percent rise in the amount of airplay, let alone sales and downloads of Michael Jackson’s songs since his death, which will provide a royalty boost for his estate and his songwriters,” PRS said.

“Jackson wrote many of the 100 songs he recorded,” and they will continue to earn money for his estate long after his death, PRS said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kristen Schweizerkschweizer1@bloomberg.net

Soruce By – http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aLdRO33apo3g

Michael Jackson’s Last Tour Rehearsals Filmed For Possible Release

Michael Jackson's Last Tour Rehearsals Filmed For Possible Release Following Michael Jackson’s death on Thursday, 750,000 people who bought tickets to see him perform at the O2 in London will never get the chance to experience the stunning visual and musical spectacle the singer had in store for them. But, according to reports, AEG Live, the promoter of the “This Is It” 50-date residency, recorded enough of Jackson’s rehearsal material to release at least one live CD/DVD. Entertainment industry Web site The Wrap reports that Jackson’s final rehearsal at the Staples Center on Wednesday was recorded in multi-camera, high-definition video and multi-track audio. The recording could be released as the singer’s final album, according to unnamed sources close to the now scuttled tour, which was reportedly due to go around the globe following the O2 residency. The recordings were made as part of a deal cut by AEG Live with Jackson, which included plans to produce a live album and DVD of the singer performing his greatest hits. If the reports are true, the recording could help AEG Live recoup some of the estimated tens of millions of dollars it is expected to lose as a result of Jackson’s untimely death. A spokesperson for AEG Live could not be reached for comment at press time.

The Wrap reported that Jackson had failed to appear at “many” of the scheduled rehearsals over the past two months, but he did appear at the full run-through on Wednesday in anticipation of the July 13 kick-off of the London shows. The final rehearsal reportedly included dancers, musicians and aerial performers, as well as Jackson suspended from a crane at one point and a 3-D view of a “Thriller”-inspired haunted mansion.

On Monday (June 29), USA Today pulled back the curtain on the closely guarded rehearsals, describing an over-the-top Jackson extravaganza that was to feature floating orbs, a flaming bed, lots of pyrotechnics, 20-foot-tall puppets, giant spiders and Jackson breaking out all his signature dance moves.

“He was trying, and succeeding, in structuring the biggest, most spectacular live production ever seen,” said Johnny Caswell, co-owner of CenterStaging in Burbank, California, where Jackson worked on the show from late March to early June before shifting rehearsals to larger venues, according to the paper.

“By the time he left my facility, he had graduated through several studios and was on a soundstage taking up 10,000 square feet,” Caswell said. “They moved to The Forum, outgrew that and needed the height at Staples. The show was getting so damn big, they couldn’t finish it in time. That’s why they had to delay.” Caswell said reports that Jackson had delayed the start of the engagement due to health problems were “nonsense,” explaining that the ballooning size of the production caused the push back.

While it has been reported that Jackson had been taking a number of powerful prescription medications prior to his death and that he died following cardiac arrest, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has deferred determining his cause of death pending further toxicology tests.

Despite some suggestions that the frail singer with a history of medical problems might not have been strong enough to complete his first full-fledged tour in 12 years, according to USA Today, he was very engaged during Wednesday’s final rehearsal at the Staples Center, where he worked with a crew of more than 80 dancers, choreographers, band members and crew to polish the show.

Jackson began what would be his final rehearsal by putting on a headset and walking to an elevated platform to sing the song “Dangerous,” at first a cappella, then joined by his band.

“Misfits of Magic” founder Ed Alonzo, who worked on illusions for Britney Spears’ Circus tour, joined the Jackson show six weeks ago. He said he designed a number of stunning effects for the King of Pop, including a glowing glass sphere that would float around Jackson and then into the crowd during the opening song, 1982′s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” A version of “Dirty Diana” was to feature a flaming bed with a pole-dancing aerialist “playing the part of the fire,” Alonzo said. After the fire woman pursued Jackson around the bed, she would tie him to the bed posts with gold rope, and a sheet of red fabric would spring up in front of him as he struggled in silhouette. When the sheet fell, it would be revealed that it was the woman struggling, not Jackson, and he would then materialize on a stage in the middle of the arena.

“It was an amazing show,” Alonzo said. “The thing was just days away from being perfected. It was incredible. Even though it was just a walk-through with the dancers, his moves were dead-on — the same Michael Jackson we (saw) through the years in music videos.” Alonzo said that while Jackson seemed underweight, he appeared to be in good health and was energetic during the rehearsal. Jackson’s manager, Frank DiLeo, told the Hollywood Reporter that after finishing the final run-through around midnight on Wednesday, Jackson was feeling good about the show. “He found me and said, ‘Frank, I am so happy. … This is really our time.’ He put his arm around me,” DiLeo said.

Soruce By – http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1614882/20090629/jackson_michael.jhtml

‘Thriller’ voted Jacko’s ‘Best Ever Track’

Washington, June 29 (ANI): Fans of King of Pop Michael Jackson have voted ‘Thriller’ his best ever track in a poll after his sudden death.

The 50-year-old singer died at his home in Los Angeles last week on Thursday.

Fans flocked to AOL Radio to listen to the legend’s greatest hits in the hours after his death was confirmed and have made the 1982 hit
their Jackson number one.

‘Billie Jean’ came second while ‘Beat It’ landed the third spot, reports Contactmusic.

‘Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ stood fourth and and ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ rounded off the top five.

The list is as follows:

1. Thriller

2. Billie Jean

3. Beat It

4. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’

5. The Way You Make Me Feel

6. Smooth Criminal

7. Man In The Mirror

8. Bad

9. Rock With You

10. Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (ANI)

Jacko’s hits becoming posthumous toppers on Brit charts

London, June 29 (ANI): While the sudden death of Michael Jackson has left many fans heartbroken, his records have re-entered all charts at top positions in Britain.

The moonwalking superstar has a posthumous chart-topper with album Number Ones.

A mind-boggling 43 Jacko tracks have also popped up in the full 200 singles rundown, reports The Sun.

The King of Pop accounts for an incredible 300,000 record sales in just two days this week.

While his greatest hits sit at the top of the album pile, his 1982 masterpiece Thriller also hurtled into the Top Ten at No7.

His collections ‘King Of Pop’ and ‘The Essential’ as well as 1972 album ‘Off The Wall’ also made the Top 20.

‘Man In The Mirror’ made it to No11, while classics like ‘Thriller’, ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Smooth Criminal’, ‘Beat It’ and ‘Earth Song’ all hit the Top 40. (ANI)

Jacko’s albums seem set to top UK album chart

London, June 28 (ANI): Britain’s official chart compilers have revealed that late King of Pop Michael Jackson is all set to top the country’s album chart six years after his last number one hit.

The Official Charts Company says that the greatest hits album, Number Ones, is on its way to the top spot after a surge in sales in the days since Jackson’s death on Thursday.

The company also expects to see “up to half a dozen” of the singer’s other albums in the Top 75.

It believes that Jackson may also feature in the singles chart as fans download tracks from his back catalogue.

The Man In The Mirror, Billie Jean, and Thriller are said to be the songs that are currently climbing fastest up the charts.

A spokesman for the Official Charts Company, however, said that fans appeared to be stocking up on Jackson’s albums rather than individual songs.

He further said that given that revealed that Jackson’s back catalogue is very extensive, buying trends are likely to be less pronounced, and thus less of an impact is expected on the singles chart.

“All the anecdotal evidence and feedback I am getting from our stores does suggest that there will definitely be some Jackson songs in the top 10,” the Daily Express quoted Gennaro Castaldo, of retailer HMV, as saying.

“We always find that when a great icon dies there is a massive uplift in their music sales as fans want to connect and express their grief through the records,” he added. (ANI)

Spandau Ballet reunites for world tour

London, Mar 26 (ANI): Eighties pop group Spandau Ballet is reuniting for a world tour, band members told reporters at a press conference on the HMS Belfast in London.

The band, which gave hits like ‘Gold’ and ‘True’, will begin a world tour in the autumn, announcing an initial eight dates across Ireland and the UK, starting in Dublin on 13 October.

All five original members of the band got together publicly for the first time since they split in 1989.

“This is my other family really and I just missed them for the last 20 years,” the BBC quoted Gary Kemp, the group’s songwriter and guitarist, as saying.

“I wanted to get together just to have a chat about all those great experiences we had. To be able to make some new experiences is a really great opportunity and that’s what we plan to do,” he added.

Kemp’s bassist brother Martin said: “Families go through terrible times sometimes and they argue. But in the end we’ve got back together – which is the main thing.”

Hadley said they had buried the hatchet after ‘the realisation that time is a great healer’.

The band said that the world tour will focus on greatest hits, but if it goes well they will consider writing new material together. (ANI)

No more Eurythmics reunion, says Annie Lennox

Washington, Mar 6 (ANI): Eurythmics vocalist Annie Lennox has revealed that their fans won’t be able to see the band back together – because she is determined to move on with her life.

The 1980s pop duo, formed with singer Dave Stewart, never officially split but Lennox moved away from her music partner in 1990, to launch a highly successful solo career.

Lennox and Stewart reunited in 1999 to release their Peace album, which was followed by a tour.

After South African tour in 2003, the pair came together for the last time to record two new tracks for their greatest hits album in 2005.

However, Lennox admits that the record marked the end of the band – insisting fans will not see them back again.

“Dave and I talk to each other only rarely these days, and I can’t see another reunion. He lives in America and I’m over here (Britain). We’re both working on our own things,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

“For me it would be like a step backwards and I want to keep moving forward,” she added. (ANI)