Shania name-droppings... [Archive] - Page 5

FinnFreak

10-02-2006, 5:04am

The London Free Press - Monday, 2 October, 2006

Sexiest celebrities

By KEVIN WILLIAMSON, SUN MEDIA

With apologies to pop wuss Justin Timberlake, he never had to bring sexy back. Sexy, if you look anywhere around you, never went away.

Today, Sun Media begins a three-part series looking at the 50 greatest sex symbols to ever hold the popular culture sway -- from movie stars and singers to athletes and models.

They are the individuals who, thanks to good genes and more than a little of that elusive ingredient we call charisma, really are too sexy for themselves -- and everyone else.

50. JACQUELINE BISSET: In 1977's The Deep, this English rose did for wet T-shirts what Bo Derek did for cornrows two years later in 10.

49. PRINCE: With the purple one's fusion of funk, pop and raunch, he strutted and slithered to superstardom as both a musician and a sex object, thanks largely to his embrace of early '80s androgynous fashions.

48. SOPHIE MARCEAU: Convincingly royal as Princess Isabelle opposite mad Scotsman Mel Gibson in the Oscar-winning epic Braveheart, this French beauty joined the elite and cursed ranks of Bond girls in 1999's The World Is Not Enough.

47. TYRA BANKS: In recent years, the sumptuous Banks has broadened her career horizons -- she hosts the reality hit America's Next Top Model -- but for many, she'll be remembered best as one of the original Victoria's Secret Angels.

46. LEONARDO DiCAPRIO: DiCaprio sparked Beatles-scale hysteria in 1997 with his turn as the perfectly coiffed hero of Titanic, still the top-grossing film in history. And ever since DiCaprio -- the King of the World as far as teenage girls were concerned -- has been trying to escape "Leomania" by taking his inner Jack Dawson and pummeling the pretty out of him. Still, no matter how many gritty roles he takes on, he will probably go to his grave eulogized as, in the words of Titanic co-star Kate Winslet, the "most beautiful man on Earth."

45. TOM CRUISE: Cruise was once the dominant heartthrob after his hip-swiveling lip synch to Bob Seger in Risky Business. Now, he's creeped out fans, who followed his blinding smile loyally from superfluous fizz like Cocktail to ambitious Oscar contenders like Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July. The question is, will Cruise become his generation's Paul Newman or their Marlon Brando?

44. SCARLETT JOHANSSON: Is Johansson, as the hype would have us believe, really the curvaceous second coming of the screen goddesses of Hollywood's yesteryear? Time will tell, although in this age of eating-disorder-as-accessory, Johansson at least seems a sweater-snug fit.

43. EVA GREEN: From fearless and full frontal in The Dreamers to tough and tender as Daniel Craig's Bond girl in next month's Casino Royale, this gorgeous, green-eyed Parisian stands poised on the cusp of international stardom.

42. TWIGGY: This English waif was arguably the modern era's first supermodel. Her signature slim physique is credited for changing the shape of the female sex symbol -- from the plumper proportions of Monroe to thinner dimensions on display since.

41. HALLE BERRY: The producers of Swordfish reportedly paid Berry a US$500,000 bonus to bare her breasts. Berry, who had never appeared without her clothes before, did. Then she wouldn't put them back on. Suddenly at ease with her own sexuality, she bared all for Monster's Ball (and won an Oscar), donned Ursula Andress's famed bikini from Dr. No for Die Another Day, then got down on all fours for Catwoman.

40. JACK NICHOLSON: Any woman will tell you, sex is never better than when it's dangerous. This explains why Nicholson can confidently date a much younger woman in Something's Gotta Give without appearing absurd.

39. AUDREY HEPBURN: Hepburn, the personification of grace, was an icon of cinema and fashion whose influence continues to resonate.

38. SHANIA TWAIN: The tantalizing gravity of Twain's midriff-baring, come-hither twang almost made country music arousing. Of course, Twain is country like Jim Carrey is Canadian -- a realization that irks Nashville to this day.

37. CATHERINE BACH: If you don't know her, you know her alter-ego, Daisy Duke. Long before Jessica Simpson, Bach made cut-off jeans the signature fashion statement of the 1970s hillbilly farce about a coupla good ol' boys.

36. MARLON BRANDO: Before he morphed into a beluga whale, Brando was a thunderstorm of talent, screaming "Stella!" in A Streetcar Named Desire and pondering his fate never to be a contender in On The Waterfront.

35. MICHELLE PFEIFFER: Slathering herself across a piano in 1989's The Fabulous Baker Boys, Pfeiffer almost made you wish you were a lounge lizard. She remains as sensuous today as she did then.

34. TOM JONES: All the women who threw knickers at the crooner can't be wrong. What's New Pussycat! is timeless, as is Jones's place in pop music iconography.

33. BROOKE SHIELDS: Shields was jailbait for a generation in The Blue Lagoon. The 1980 ad in which Shields announced nothing gets between her and her Calvin Klein jeans was predictably vilified. It also sold a lot of jeans.

32. DEBORAH HARRY: Serving as a bridge between the rock goddesses of the 1970s and the pop tarts of the 80s in Blondie, Harry was a melodic morsel.

31. MONICA BELLUCCI: Bellucci made her English-language debut as one of Dracula's brides in Bram Stoker's Dracula. The count should be so lucky.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/International/2006/10/02/1935438-sun.html

John - :)

canoilers

10-02-2006, 5:40am

38. SHANIA TWAIN: The tantalizing gravity of Twain's midriff-baring, come-hither twang almost made country music arousing. Of course, Twain is country like Jim Carrey is Canadian -- a realization that irks Nashville to this day.

John - :)Now thats what I'm talking about! Theres nothing wrong with that......well she could've been heigher but whatever, good enough. :D

Troll

10-02-2006, 9:15am

Thanks for the aritcle.

Troll

10-02-2006, 9:16am

SHANIA. Country singer Shania Twain is responsible for the growing popularity of this name, pronounced Shan-eye-a. SHANIYA is another spelling. The less familiar and more interesting SHANI is a Hebrew name meaning "scarlet," referring to the theme of a story.

http://www.parenting.com/parenting/pregnancy/tools/babynamer/results/0,20081,SHANIA__F,00.html

Aurore

10-02-2006, 9:50am

thank you so much for the news and article!!!! :D

FinnFreak

10-03-2006, 3:55am

East Valley Tribune, AZ - October 2, 2006

Mesa hypnotist will put a spell on you

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/images/photos/dzm6cb3.jpg
Three ladies are putty in Mesa hypnotist Bob Faith’s
hand as he puts them to sleep during his weekly
Hypnozone show.

By Kelly Wilson

Caitlin Guthrie thinks she’s Shania Twain. Guthrie, a 22-year-old Mesa woman wearing a white mesh top and jeans with her blond hair in a ponytail, is belting out Twain’s 1995 hit “Any Man of Mine” — surprisingly well — in front of 30 amused onlookers at downtown Scottsdale’s Upper Deck Sports Grill.

But Guthrie isn’t at karaoke. She’s under the trance of Mesa hypnotist Bob Faith, who hosts the Hypnozone, a weekly hypnosis show on Tuesdays at Upper Deck.

Faith — a certified hypnotherapist and registered nurse who holds private sessions to help people deal with issues such as weight loss, snoring and smoking — kicked off Hypnozone this summer.

Guthrie and two other female participants are the stars of the hour-plus show at Upper Deck. The 60-year-old Faith leads them to believe the audience is naked — to which they giggle like schoolgirls — and that their shoes are on the wrong feet.

He convinces the ladies they’re race car drivers, and then tells them that they just woke up with the worst hangover they’ve ever had. The ladies throw back their heads as a look of sickness washes over their faces.

When the show is over, Guthrie admits she is a little embarrassed. ‘‘I felt really tingly, and I remember singing and not caring — which is really weird, because I would care,’’ says Guthrie, a server at Mimi’s Cafe. And to ensure she won’t forget, her friends encourage the ASU junior to buy a DVD recorded that night, which Faith sells for $25. Guthrie’s friend Megan Swiatkowski says she thought the show was pretty funny — especially since her friend was one of the stars.

‘‘She has an awesome voice but never sings in public like that,’’ says Swiatkowski, 21, of Mesa. Everyone falls prey to hypnosis at some point in their life, Faith says.

‘‘If you’re driving down the highway and you miss your turn-off, that’s a form of hypnosis,’’ he says. ‘‘When you’re zoned in on your computer, that’s a form of hypnosis. . . . Everybody can be hypnotized, but they have to be willing to be hypnotized.’’ Faith says it’s the participants who make each show.

‘‘I’m like the manager,’’ he says. ‘‘You guys are the team. When you have a good team, you hit a home run.’’

>> Bob Faith’s Hypnozone is 8 p.m. Tuesdays at Upper Deck Sports Grill, 4224 N. Craftsman Court, Scottsdale. $20 for dinner and show, $10 show only. (480) 941-9333 or bobfaith.com.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=75605

:p

New Zealand Herald - Tuesday October 3, 2006

Final quartet in NZ Idol

And then there were four...

Last night's NZ Idol elimination saw the final South Island contestant exit the competition when Kali Kopae was voted off.

The 21-year-old Christchurch singer, known for her husky voice and soulful song choices, sung the Sheryl Crow hit Soak up the Sun for Sunday's pop special.

Kali was joined in the bottom two by Mt Maunganui contestant Aroha Robinson, who sung Shania Twain's That Don't Impress Me Much.

Fans' reactions today indicated they were not impressed by the final outcome. Chat rooms were flooded with messages of disbelief and disappointment that Kali had been sent home, leaving Aroha in the running to be NZ Idol.

"Aroha has no personality, no stage presence," said one blogger at the offical Idol website.

Matt Saunoa, Ben Hazelwood and Indira Moala join Aroha in the final four, performing New Zealand songs on this Sunday's show.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&ObjectID=10404056

...so, there you have it: you just can't lose with a Shania tune...

John - ;)

canoilers

10-03-2006, 8:32am

Thanks for the articles there. :D

Troll

10-03-2006, 9:32am

Thanks for the articles John.

Troll

10-03-2006, 4:09pm

You're Still The One - 6 million air certificate!!!(BMI Awards)

Kinks Frontman Ray Davies Takes Top Honor at BMI London Awards
LONDON -- (MARKET WIRE) -- October 03, 2006 -- American performing right organization Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) saluted the top European songwriters, composers and publishers at its 2006 London Awards, staged Oct. 3 in the Ballroom of London's Dorchester Hotel. In addition to honoring the past year's most-played songs on U.S. radio and television, the gala dinner and awards ceremony also recognized Kinks frontman and legendary songwriter Ray Davies (PRS) as a BMI Icon for his "enduring influence on generations of music makers."

"Listen to Your Heart," written by Per Gessle and Mats Persson, and published by Jimmy Fun Music (all STIM), was named Song of the Year and received one of the organization's highest accolades, the Robert S. Musel Award. Recorded by Belgium-based duo D.H.T., the song was originally a No. 1 hit for Roxette in 1989.

"Feel Good Inc.," co-written by Gorillaz members Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett (both PRS), along with De La Soul's David Jolicoeur, was named BMI's College Song of the Year for tallying the most performances on American college radio. The Grammy Award-winning hit is from the Gorillaz' "Demon Days" CD, which went double platinum in the U.S. and triple platinum in the U.K.

The BMI Dance Award went to "Everytime We Touch," written by Stuart MacKillop, Maggie Reilly (both PRS) and Peter Risavy (GEMA), and published by Mambo/Sony/ATV Music Publishing Germany (GEMA). The infectious tune by Euro-dance trio Cascada was a worldwide smash, including in America, where it topped the dance charts and made it into the Top Ten of the pop charts.

"Million-Air" certificates were also presented throughout the evening in recognition of those songs that have achieved over three million U.S. radio and television performances -- or the equivalent of more than 17 years of continuous airplay. Topping the list was the theme to "Mondo Cane," "More," which earned a seven million performance award for songwriters Marcello Ciorciolini (SIAE), Norman Newell (PRS), Nino Oliviero (SIAE) and Riz Ortolani (SIAE). "You're Still the One," written and recorded by Shania Twain (PRS), reached the six million performance plateau. Other "Million-Air" recipients included Sir Elton John, Eric Clapton, the Bee Gees, Sting, Seal, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, Peter Gabriel and Paul Rodgers of Free (all PRS).

Now celebrating more than 65 years in business, BMI is an American performing right organization that represents more than 300,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in all genres of music. With a repertoire of more than 6.5 million musical works from around the world, the non-profit-making corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.

For a complete list of 2006 BMI London Award winners, please go to bmi.com/london.

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=168639

dreamer

10-03-2006, 6:33pm

great stuff!:)

Troll

10-03-2006, 9:33pm

Also,

3million air-performances
...
Whose Bed Had Your Boots Been Under
....

Country Awards

Party For Two

http://www.bmi.com/news/200610/london_songs.asp

Troll

10-03-2006, 9:33pm

After exporting Shania Twain and Celine Dion, Michael J. Fox and Mike Myers, Peter Jennings and Lorne Greene to us, at what point did somebody in Canada decide, "Hey, let's get NASCAR?"

That's like trading Tim Horton's for Krispy Kreme.

http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/opinion/10/03/aumann.canada.dry/

canoilers

10-03-2006, 11:40pm

All good stuff, thanks for posting these. Gotta love the good stuff eh, NO I mean great. :D

FinnFreak

10-04-2006, 7:32am

Canada NewsWire (Press Release) - October 4, 2006

Scratch, Win and Raise Money for Breast Cancer

Divine.ca launches Scratch for the Cure II, a fun way to help raise money and awareness for breast cancer!

MONTREAL, Oct. 4 /CNW Telbec/ - In honour of October Breast Cancer Awareness Month, divine.ca, the online destination for young Canadian women, has launched its second annual special breast cancer issue. This event also marks the return of last year's hugely popular instant scratch and win fundraising contest; Scratch for the Cure.

Scratch for the Cure II will randomly and instantly award prizes (products from companies(*) committed to the breast cancer cause) to participants by way of an interactive online scratch card and guarantees that every participant will be a winner!

Furthermore, for each person that enters Scratch for the Cure II, divine.ca will donate 5 cents towards the fight against breast cancer. This year's goal is to raise $10,000; with a guaranteed minimum donation of $5,000.

Divine.ca will further show its commitment to the cause by dedicating most of its content to raising breast cancer awareness and promoting early detection through an original and innovative approach. "Our aim is to encourage our readers to be proactive towards breast cancer by addressing them in a fun and fresh way. We believe that this approach will contribute to raising awareness among a younger crowd who is more difficult to reach," said Maya Meyouhas, Editor in Chief of divine.ca.

In addition to raising funds for Canadian breast cancer organizations, Scratch for the Cure II hopes to increase awareness for the cause by inviting all participants to navigate through divine.ca's Breast Cancer Corner; which will include articles, tools and various sources of information about breast cancer.

Scratch for the Cure II runs from October 1st to the 31st and is open to all Canadian residents. Participants can access the contest by visiting divine.ca's Breast Cancer Corner (http://www.divine.ca/en/hw/bc/) or through the contest link: www.scratchforthecure.ca.

About divine.ca

divine.ca is a free, bilingual online destination for Canadian women seeking a comprehensive, fun and informative site addressing the many issues of daily life. Established in February 2005, divine.ca now has over 240,000 subscribers across the country with various profiles, aged 25 to 45.

(*)Companies involved in Scratch for the Cure II are: Airplus, Birdiegirl, Goody, Hot Diamonds, Tommy Hillfiger, Holt Renfrew, Rogers/Motorola, KitchenAid, Roots, Microsoft/CompuSmart, La Senza, Schwarzkopf Professional, Nutra Nail, Two blonds & A Brunette, Yves Rocher, Crabtree & Evelyn, Shania by Stetson and Felt/Spaso.

For further information: Marie-Christine Sivière, Marketing Manager/divine.ca, (514) 875-1500 ext.24, mchristine@divine.ca

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2006/04/c4851.html

John - :)

Troll

10-04-2006, 9:14am

Thanks for the article.

FinnFreak

10-04-2006, 9:26am

ic Solihull.co.uk - Wednesday 4th October 2006

KÁ crazy

With Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco visiting Birmingham, CityLiving travels to Las Vegas to check out the company's newest blockbuster - KÁ - and speaks to British set designer Mark Fisher

Mark Fisher looks in remarkably good shape considering he's had more late nights with Mick, Keith and the rest of the Rolling Stones than many of us could handle.

The British set designer has earned an international reputation for his spectacular rock concert designs, spending time on the road with the biggest names in stadium tours, including Pink Floyd, U2, Elton John and Shania Twain.

CityLiving meets the London-based designer in Las Vegas, just hours before the gala premiere of KÁ, the latest Cirque du Soleil production for which Fisher designed the awesome sets.

KÁ tells the story of childhood twins and martial arts sparring partners who embark on a Lord of the Rings-style journey of self discovery through a variety of landscapes and performances as they're hunted by archers and spearmen.

Two giant hydraulic platforms rotate, spin and move from horizontal to vertical to enable Cirque's artists to perform their trademark perfectly choreographed routines.

In a jaw-dropping finale the stage slowly moves into a vertical position to resemble a rock-face, from which the performers must avoid falling into the smoky abyss 150 feet beneath them.

Cirque du Soleil is famed for its distinct brand of theatre with several permanent shows in Las Vegas and touring shows across the world. The Canadian company is currently in Birmingham for the first time with Saltimbanco at Star City.

Fisher says the biggest difference between designing a rock show and a Cirque du Soleil show is that Cirque's artists interact much more with the set.

"In a rock show the scenery is very much part of the background. In KÁ it forms part of the landscape in which the performers move to create their show," he explains.

He started working with KÁ creator Robert Lepage - who describes the story as 'the coming of age of a young man and woman through their encounters with love and conflict' - back in 2002.

"Robert came to me with a neat little squiggly line diagram. It started in the sea, went on to a beach, up and over a mountain, through forests and finally into a city. My job was to bring this to life," he says.

The 1,950-seat KÁ theatre at the MGM Grand Hotel is unique as the audience sits facing what looks like a bottomless void filled with smoke. Artists perform without treading the boards of a conventional stage. Instead they fly Matrix-style through the air, or perform on the two moving platforms that operate independently.

A post and beam structure extends from the stage area into and above the audience to create an interactive space that defies the conventions of traditional theatres - concepts created by Fisher.

"The entertainment business has always been in search of new ideas," he says.

"You could go right back to the Romans and the Colosseum which was the first building to use lifts to bring people to the stage. But even the great 19th century engineers like Brunel could visit this theatre and understand the principles involved."

The 57-year-old's work with Pink Floyd in the early Eighties for their ground-breaking The Wall concerts at Earls Court still ranks as one of the most talked-about live tours ever.

"I did The Wall and thought 'where do I go from here?' but I've been very lucky in my career and interesting things have come along.

"I also work on small shows. I work with a circus show in London for no money at all and in the end that's as interesting as the massive projects. It's all about what you do with your time," he adds.

The highly respected architect still gets a buzz from his many achievements.

"I work on a rock show with the band months before its opening night but will attend the first two or three shows to make sure everybody is happy. Then I go away and might go back six months later when it's still touring and I'll be asking myself 'did I really do this? It's amazing'.

"It will be the same here at KÁ because my initial creative work was done almost three years ago."

According to Fisher, the most important thing is the memory the audience takes away with them afterwards.

"In the digital age of movies and DVDs you can virtually 'own' every image you see," he says.

"The unique thing about going to see a live show like The Rolling Stones or Cirque du Soleil is that it only exists in your memory. That's its true value, the fact you have to go and see it to experience it."

Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco is at Star City until March 27. Call the ticketline on 0870 0109026 for information.

For more information on KÁ visit www.ka.com

http://icsolihull.icnetwork.co.uk/lifestyle/cityliving/profile/tm_headline=k--crazy&method=full&objectid=15265483&siteid=50002-name_page.html

John - :)

canoilers

10-04-2006, 12:47pm

Thanks for the articles John.

Troll

10-04-2006, 1:03pm

Another great article.

captainCorr

10-05-2006, 3:02am

MORE MONEY MATTERS: Breast cancer awareness month is upon us and so is a mountain of pink fashion and beauty products, all boasting a portion of the proceeds to breast cancer research. But how much of a portion? In the case of Shania Twain's limited edition pink bottle for Shania by Stetson eau de toilette, $1 of the $27 retail price goes to Rethink Breast Cancer. That's less than 5 per cent.

Holt Renfrew appears to fare far better with 100 per cent of net proceeds from a limited edition cashmere T-shirt going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The short sleeve turtleneck from the store's private brand sells for $98.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation will receive 100 per cent of net sales of HBC's Think Toque, a black, pink and grey acrylic knit cap priced at $9.99. The Bay's historic point blanket has been recoloured with a soothing candy pink stripe. The limited edition of 800 blankets are each numbered and priced at $350 with 10 per cent going to the foundation. Blanket #1, which normally goes into the HBC archives, will be auctioned on eBay. See hbc.com/thinkpink. [source (http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1159998616632&call_pageid=991479973472&col=991929131147)]

canoilers

10-05-2006, 4:26am

Good stuff thanks for the post.

FinnFreak

10-05-2006, 5:48am

Press & Sun-Bulletin, NY - Thursday October 5, 2006

Born and bred artists return

By Sarah D'Esti Miller

Also opening tonight is Holly Anne Scott's exhibit "Animal Portraits Personified" at Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts, 186 State St., Binghamton. Scott, who was born in Windsor, uses the classical tradition of portraiture to create whimsical and often humorous explorations of the animal world.

Scott has exhibited extensively throughout the United States. Her work can be found in many public and private collections including that of Shania Twain, the Busch family, and the city of Prato, Italy, as well as in local collections such as the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park and the City of Binghamton.

Scott now resides in Susquehanna, Pa. The opening reception for her show will be 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the gallery

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061005/ENT/610050303/1017

John - :)

canoilers

10-05-2006, 5:58am

Thanks for the article john. :D

FinnFreak

10-05-2006, 8:08am

National Post - Thursday, October 05, 2006

Always check the label

Good things come from small record companies for Canadian singer Naomi Striemer

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/idl/ntnp/20061005/51132-19910.jpg
Naomi Striemer's career renaissance began when she found her natural fan
base among Canada's book-buying public.

By Vanessa Farquharson

How a young girl from Malagash Point, N.S. -- population 774 -- who grew up homeschooled and with no radio or television, ended up with Carlos Santana on her debut album and touted by Billboard magazine as the new Celine Dion by age 23 is a story of immense talent and determination. But it also involves a whole lot of coincidence.

Naomi Striemer is blond, pretty and bubbly -- smiles and giggles come bursting out at the end of all her sentences, but she's not naive and she makes it clear that this is her public persona. There is a different Naomi underneath, one who's made desperate phone calls to her dad asking how fast they could move out of the country, one who went into hiding for a year before shopping her own homemade CDs and scheduling shows at Indigo bookstores.

Now, of course, she can claim 4,182 friends on her MySpace page, including Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Alanis Morrissette, Michael Buble and Shania Twain. Chuck Taylor's review in Billboard declared her -- albeit somewhat awkwardly -- "the year's most promising melodic debut. A standing ovation of an endorsement."

Striemer's album Images and her single Cars, a song that she wrote in her living room after she thought the record was done, will launch tomorrow under the label S Records. The "S" is for Steven Nowack, a Toronto entrepreneur who hooked Striemer up with Narada Michael Walden, the producer most famous for launching the careers of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

It may seem odd that Striemer is not working under a major label. But there's a reason behind this decision -- it goes back to when she was with Sony a couple years ago and the company decided to restructure, leaving her to fend for herself. But in a way, it goes even further back to her indie upbringing.

Growing up on her family's secluded farm in Malagash Point, which she says is "nearish Truro, northeast of Halifax, pointing towards P.E.I.," Striemer spent most of her time biking, horseback riding and singing in the local choir, which just so happened to be directed by Anne Murray's aunt, Dr. Betty Murray.

"When I was eight or nine, I sang something solo," Striemer recalls, "and she said to me, 'Oh, when you get older, you're going to be like Whitney Houston,' and I was like, 'That's great!' but I didn't even know who she was."

Eventually, however, Striemer began listening to more popular music on her record player and, like most girls her age, would belt out the songs in her bedroom.

"I'd think, 'Oh, I want to sing like them so bad,' " she says. "I remember, when I was little, I'd always say I was going to be a singer or a lawyer -- but the lawyer part would always switch. I think at one point it was either I'm going to be a singer or a CIA agent."

Thankfully, she chose the former. But it was a decision she'd have to reconsider. After meeting a lawyer in New York who got her into another meeting at Sony, it seemed as though her career was only going forward. Striemer was soon travelling around the world, meeting other artists and learning all that she could before writing her own album.

"We were in the last stages of preparing to release it," she says. "We were all ready to shoot the video and we'd done the artwork and then, two months before my record was set to come out, my entire team had either been fired or quit, and I was left with no one. I had the option to leave but they got to keep all my music."

It was a devastating blow.

"I couldn't take anything, and I had been so focused since the age of 13 on getting a major deal and releasing a record, and I was on that path," she says. "But I suddenly got knocked off and had a very difficult time dealing with it. It just stripped me of all my material."

At this point, she called up her father, who was also in New York.

"I said, 'How fast can we move to Canada?' I didn't want to answer questions about the album coming out, I just wanted to hide, and if I was going to focus I was going to do it alone," she says. "It ended up being a darker period for me, but it was also one of discovery. I started writing therapeutically, and instead of writing for a label, I was writing what I wanted to. ... Eventually I thought, 'OK, either I'm out of the game or I need to pull my socks up and get back in it.' "

Striemer got back in it, with all she had. After she'd written down enough material, she sent it over to an old friend of hers, who put it together for her to record. She did it in just over a day, and the CD she affectionately called The Demos was created in about six weeks -- three of the tracks on it would later be reincarnated for Images.

"I decided the only way to ever have control in a label situation again was if I established myself more as an artist," she says, "so I went out and toured and sold the CDs on my own. It was almost for my own courage again -- to say 'OK, this is what I'm supposed to be doing.' I love bookstores, so I wondered if Indigo would book me instead of a reading, and I got 30 bookings and within five minutes of those shows people were buying my CD.

"It gave me a backbone again," she adds, "and made me realize that, even if I'm only playing for one or two people, that's what I want to do. To connect with anybody is well worth it."

Striemer's last performance on her bookstore tour, which was at the Indigo at John and Richmond Streets in Toronto, got cancelled three times because of the winter weather. It finally happened, and when she finished the audience wouldn't stop clapping, so her dad convinced her to go up and play one more song.

"So I did, and right then Steven Nowack happened to walk in to buy a book," Striemer says. "Then he heard me, and he waited for everyone to leave, and then came up to me. His first words were, 'What are you doing for the rest of your life?' "

Striemer was stunned and admits to recoiling at the mere mention of the words "record label." She decided to give Nowack her e-mail but not her phone number and leave it at that. But Nowack wouldn't be left -- he wrote to her over and over again until she was convinced he was as driven about her career as she was. Striemer agreed to sign up and boarded a flight to Los Angeles, her current home, where she began working on the Images album.

"One night," Striemer recalls, "when we were in the middle of recording, we went to dinner at this restaurant and ran into Carlos Santana. Narada has a history with Carlos so we invited him to sit and eat with us. ... Then a few months later, when we were doing Cars, we went back to dinner at the same restaurant and ran into Carlos again -- so that time, we were like, 'Is someone trying to tell us something?' I wouldn't have asked him to play with me but Steven proposed the idea and he went for it."

Nowack also happened to have a video camera with him, and despite the fact that Santana rarely allows anyone to tape him while he's recording, he made an exception this time. The video footage has never been released, other than to Striemer and Santana themselves, but is now available exclusively on the Post's Web site.

"It's still one of those moments where it hasn't really sunk in that he's on my record," Striemer says of Santana. "Maybe if I did focus on it, I'd spin like a little top and disintegrate. It's very humbling. I went to see his show last week, and was still at that point where I didn't think he would even know who I am."

But he did, of course, and surely many more people will come to know who Naomi Striemer is in the months ahead. And as humble as she may still be, there are moments when the singer stops to acknowledge the fact that her spotlight is about to shine much brighter.

"I think because of my history in the business I'll always be reserved with my emotions, but I'll get excited internally," she says. "It's almost like a detached thing, like, 'Wow, they really like her!' Then I remember it's me.

"At one point on this record we were driving to dinner and playing the song we'd just recorded that day," she adds, "and I was sitting there and it just hit me: I was like, 'This sounds just like those records I used to love when I was a little girl.' It was strange; time stopped and it all just caught up with me."

vfarquharson@nationalpost.com

EXCLUSIVE!

See the video of Naomi Striemer recording with Santana, and a photo gallery, on our Web site.; www.nationalpost.com

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=a86f3166-2cff-437b-9d40-172c17bd97b0&k=5223

John - ;)

canoilers

10-05-2006, 8:12am

Good stuff there, thanks for the article John.

Troll

10-05-2006, 9:21am

More great articles.

canoilers

10-06-2006, 7:56am

Why the U.S. must invade Canada -- now
It didn't support the war, it's soft on pot and gays, its economy is rolling and U.S. troops are bored. Anyway, reasons to invade countries are no longer needed!

By Steve Burgess

Page 1June 30, 2003 | There's nothing like the deep, satisfying belch that follows a good meal. But hey America, what about dessert? Iran and Syria have both been offered up as succulent dishes to follow the Iraqi main course. May I suggest a simpler alternative, right next door? Invade Canada. Hell, we're asking for it.

Canada -- a ripe plum ready for the taking. And the plum was probably imported from Florida, which will make it all the easier. It's not like it hasn't been considered before -- Michael Moore's one stab at a fictional film (unless you count his documentaries) -- was "Canadian Bacon," in which President Alan Alda takes on Canada. The mere convenience of it is enough to justify it -- a regiment in Detroit could blitz Toronto from 9 to 5 and still go home to watch the CNN highlights with the kids every night.

There are plenty of reasons to invade your passive-aggressive northern neighbor. (Or "neighbour," as we spitefully choose to spell it. Doesn't that just **** you off?) But never mind -- thanks to the lessons learned in Iraq, reasons are no longer necessary. The Bush administration's labored justifications for the Iraq invasion, served up as convincingly as a chocolate-smeared 6-year-old's explanation of where the cookies went, proved to be utterly irrelevant. Most Americans, it turned out, were only too happy to kick some non-American *** and didn't really require an explanation. As a prelude to the invasion of Canada, Bush could merely produce satellite photos proving conclusively that American troops are bored. Good enough for most.

So why bother? An excellent question. The United States owns most of Canada already and, unless you're unusually fond of thick socks and earnest magazines, there's not much worth plundering. But the invasion of Afghanistan proves that when sufficiently provoked America will invade and conquer the most God-forsaken acreage imaginable. You might live in an Oklahoma trailer park in tornado season but if you flip America the bird, the troops will come.

Lately, Canada has been flipping America the bird with suicidal abandon. For those who haven't noticed (roughly everyone except Vegas bookies during hockey season), Canada has been acting rather snotty of late. After failing to support the invasion of Iraq, the Canadian government has been embarking on policies that threaten to turn our shared continent into a giant cesspool of sin.

Canadian Prime Minister Alex Trebek (trust me, it's easier this way -- at least you'll be able to picture somebody) has also been profligate in his criticism of America, and President Bush in particular. On his way to the recent G8 summit, with Canada-U.S. relations already severely strained, the prime minister treated reporters to hearty criticisms of Bush's economic and social policies. This after his director of communications had referred to Bush as "a moron" last fall and one of his party members was caught by a reporter's microphone saying: "Damn Americans -- I hate the *******s." Bush's planned visit to Canada, already postponed once in a fit of pique, has now been delayed again until after a new prime minister takes office. (Shania Twain, perhaps?)

Canceled visits are small beer of course, unless they presage a full-scale attack. Justifications are plentiful, if you want to be gentlemanly about it. Consider the moral issues.

Following a recent court decision, the Canadian province of Ontario has begun performing gay marriages. The Canadian government has indicated it will not fight the ruling, but will instead prepare legislation legalizing gay marriage nationally. The resulting influx of gay couples into Toronto is almost certain to spill over into Buffalo, N.Y. This could doom President Bush's chances of carrying the state of New York in 2004. Or, even worse, that giant sucking sound of gay Americans pouring over the northern border could lead to economic catastrophe. Broadway will go dark.

Drug laws sound another alarm for American policymakers. Just last week, local authorities announced that they would open a legal "safe-injection" site for drug users in Vancouver, the first shooting gallery of its kind in North America. The U.S. response? "A lie," said Bush drug czar John Walters. "Immoral."

Recent moves to decriminalize pot in Canada may have disappointed Canadians who had been promised more drastic action (under pending Canadian legislation, possession of over 15 grams will still be criminal, less than that a misdemeanor), but they are still worrisome enough to have drawn dire warnings from Washington. During a Canadian speaking tour, Walters said Ottawa's push toward decriminalizing marijuana could "complicate" border security. "Frankly, I'm worried about Canada beginning to look like Mexico as a major supplier of drugs into the United States," he told one Canadian news program. Indeed, there are tremendous dangers here for the U.S. -- a potential Cheech & Chong revival is only the beginning. But never mind the smuggling issue -- that's merely a smokescreen.

Bush's real concern will be the state of the Canadian economy. It's currently outpacing the U.S. quite nicely. Canada's budget deficits are under control while America's soar; the once-pathetic Canadian dollar is climbing steadily against the U.S. buck. Once Americans realize that even a dope-addled nation enveloped in a giggling fog can do a better job of running its economy than the Republicans are doing, it will be curtains for Bush. America's next president will be Dr. Dre. An invasion must begin now.

Or how about a protective invasion for health reasons? A prophylactic invasion, a complete Canadian quarantine to prevent the spread of SARS and mad cow disease. Currently Canada is a festering cauldron of plague, our streets strewn with bloated dead. That's pretty much an accepted fact. Summer tourist traffic is down in Vancouver, B.C., due to fear of SARS. That the only reported SARS deaths (about 30 so far, none recently) have been recorded in Toronto, Ontario -- roughly as close to Vancouver as Los Angeles is to Panama City -- is apparently not important to the American traveler. (Nor does it seem to matter that even in Toronto, SARS poses less risk to visitors than the flying spittle of Mayor Mel Lastman.) The fear of SARS is real, as real as was Saddam's threat to the American way of life. Americans will cheer decisive action.

Mad cow disease could provide another pretext for invasion. So far, mad cow has been a singular Canadian experience -- it has been found in a single cow. (Even that cow may only have been disgruntled.) Still, one dangerous cow is something - tough to sneak old Bessie past Hans Blix.

It's not as if the fever for war would be entirely manufactured, either - certainly not for Canadians. Northerners express a litany of grievances against the U.S. -- for example, the annoying tendency of Bu****es to make pious pronouncements about the sanctity of free trade while slapping specious duties on Canadian lumber and grain.

Mostly though, Canadians are galled by the fact that we can get as angry as we want and nobody cares. Our refusal to participate in Iraq drew a few of the usual protests. A Chicago competition for school choirs refused to accept a Canadian group on account of our nation's treachery. (Thank God you can always count on a few dedicated wingnuts.) But for the most part, no one noticed. Why would they? France was snubbing America too, and they have the bomb. Canada's ancient helicopters are more dangerous to their pilots than to enemy combatants; Canada's underpaid soldiers are mostly a threat to default on loans. Hold the "freedom bacon" -- nobody missed our help anyway.

It is this sense of our irrelevance that drives Canada's incessant whining about the States. We're better than you, goes the Canadian refrain -- nobler, more caring, more tolerant, given to smiles and hugs where Americans opt for assault weapons. And yet no one notices. What's the point of being good if Mom's not even watching? So we sit in a passive-aggressive funk and vote for leaders who exact our revenge by pissing in the Rose Garden and running away.

Damn it, we're obnoxious little pests. Squash us like bugs, America! We'll probably apologize afterwards.

FinnFreak

10-06-2006, 8:20am

I remember that article.

:huh: - Shania for Canada's Prime Minister..? - do you guys really need an election for that..? :funny:

John - ;)

canoilers

10-06-2006, 8:26am

Nah! I'd support her coup, heck lets make her Queen. Queen Shania the 1st would look good on the money, how often is Elizebeth in Canada anyways. :p Maybe the Prime Minister could name her Govener General, that way she could give herself awards. :p Although if she was Queen we wouldn't need a Govener General anymore.

Troll

10-06-2006, 9:14am

Thanks for the article.

Troll

10-06-2006, 9:15am

I have never before seen the striking photo of Shania Twain in a skin-tight (and equally skin-revealing) black-and-silver Empress Ming or Catwoman outfit -- with a diamond choker and dangling cowboy-boot diamond earrings. That is some real country history.

http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1542486/20061005/nelson_willie.jhtml?headlines=true

canoilers

10-06-2006, 9:19am

I don't think I've seen that one either, my mind draws a blank on that one. Thanks for the name drop there Andrew. Would that be the one with her wearing the blue jacket?

FinnFreak

10-06-2006, 9:32am

According to Chris @ the Boards, it's this one:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/FinnFreak/GQ.jpg

The reporter probably merged a few pictures together in his mind...

John - :p

Jamie88

10-06-2006, 9:45am

According to Chris @ the Boards, it's this one:

Didn't he say that it's not that one? And that's not a very skin-revealing pic.

I think this book features a new old Shania pic that has until now been unpublished.

Somebody go scan it, quick! :p

canoilers

10-06-2006, 9:49am

I don't know about that, that alot of stuff to be merging together. Theres no silver, theres no earings and no choker. Thats alot of stuff to be confusing this picture with. :p

canoilers

10-06-2006, 9:52am

canoilers

10-06-2006, 10:01am

I believe the writer described one of her Awards outifts. I can't remeber which one though, but to me that sounds like on of the outfits.

Jamie88

10-06-2006, 11:02am

I don't know about that, that alot of stuff to be merging together. Theres no silver, theres no earings and no choker.

And no skin!

That pic is sexy, but it definitley is not "skin revealing".

FinnFreak

10-06-2006, 11:22am

Didn't he say that it's not that one? And that's not a very skin-revealing pic.

I think this book features a new old Shania pic that has until now been unpublished.

Somebody go scan it, quick! :p:really:

hmm... I took a 5 second glimpse of his reply & looks like you are right... :huh:

Now, everybody: RUN TO THE BOOKSTORE TO GET YOUR OWN COPY..!!!

(no, I don't get a percentage from the sales)

John - :p

canoilers

10-06-2006, 11:55am

So you get all the sales from the book then, is that what your saying. :p

Jamie88

10-06-2006, 12:02pm

:really:

hmm... I took a 5 second glimpse of his reply & looks like you are right... :huh:

Now, everybody: RUN TO THE BOOKSTORE TO GET YOUR OWN COPY..!!!

(no, I don't get a percentage from the sales)

John - :p

Can we give this subject its own thread?

"Possible new Shania pic in new country music book", or something like that? :)

With no new album in the near future, we need all the new stuff we can find! And a new thread would draw more attention, eh?

FinnFreak

10-06-2006, 3:52pm

No.

Old news, IMO.

John - ;)

EilleenTwain88

10-06-2006, 3:55pm

"Possible new Shania pic in new country music book"
"Perhaps (maybe) a new Shania pic in possible new country music book- Speculations and rumours"

SHANIANUTS!

10-06-2006, 4:13pm

canoilers

10-06-2006, 4:32pm

Thanks for the Link Bob. :D

Jamie88

10-06-2006, 4:37pm

No.

Old news, IMO.

So are half the posts on the General forum.

;)

FinnFreak

10-06-2006, 4:43pm

...let's see what you guys come up with...

John - ;)

canoilers

10-06-2006, 4:44pm

I can come up with lots of stuff, your not helping there. :p

FinnFreak

10-06-2006, 4:49pm

Buahaha... no.

Guys, you can manage better than that..?

John - :p

Jamie88

10-06-2006, 5:23pm

Over at the Shania Boards chris now says that he saw the book and the outift in question is the Superbowl outfit. So no need for a new thread after all!

FinnFreak

10-06-2006, 6:54pm

Man!

Everybody knows what that looks like..!

Do it..!

(I don't understand the earring-thing, though... etc. but hey.,. it happens....)

John - :)

SHANIANUTS!

10-06-2006, 7:07pm

Over at the Shania Boards chris now says that he saw the book and the outift in question is the Superbowl outfit. So no need for a new thread after all!...ah fond memories..

http://www.new-dream.de/image/wallpaper/musik/shania-twain/shania-twain-06.jpghttp://www.new-dream.de/image/wallpaper/musik/shania-twain/shania-twain-05.jpg

canoilers

10-07-2006, 2:34am

Man!

Everybody knows what that looks like..!

Do it..!

(I don't understand the earring-thing, though... etc. but hey.,. it happens....)

John - :)That through me off too, no wonder we didn't get it. Turns out you were right the first time, the guy confussed some of her other pictures.

tower

10-07-2006, 8:33am

Why the U.S. must invade Canada -- now
It didn't support the war, it's soft on pot and gays, its economy is rolling and U.S. troops are bored. Anyway, reasons to invade countries are no longer needed!

By Steve Burgess

As a prelude to the invasion of Canada, Bush could merely produce satellite photos proving conclusively that American troops are bored. Good enough for most.

But the invasion of Afghanistan proves that when sufficiently provoked America will invade and conquer the most God-forsaken acreage imaginable. You might live in an Oklahoma trailer park in tornado season but if you flip America the bird, the troops will come.

It is this sense of our irrelevance that drives Canada's incessant whining about the States. We're better than you, goes the Canadian refrain -- nobler, more caring, more tolerant, given to smiles and hugs where Americans opt for assault weapons. And yet no one notices. What's the point of being good if Mom's not even watching? So we sit in a passive-aggressive funk and vote for leaders who exact our revenge by pissing in the Rose Garden and running away.

Damn it, we're obnoxious little pests. Squash us like bugs, America! We'll probably apologize afterwards.

I laughed my head of at that one, I just love Canadian humour and the ability to poke fun at there next door neighbour... YES spelled correctly... Tonight not Tonite, Neighbour not Neighbor... Queen Shania, now that makes sense... Hell YES> ;)

Troll

10-07-2006, 9:09am

...ah fond memories..

http://www.new-dream.de/image/wallpaper/musik/shania-twain/shania-twain-06.jpghttp://www.new-dream.de/image/wallpaper/musik/shania-twain/shania-twain-05.jpg

Awesome outfit.

Jamie88

10-08-2006, 7:14pm

canoilers

10-08-2006, 9:37pm

I saw this book today. This is the exact pic that's in it.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l252/myshania/sbxxxvii-performing10.jpg
Well now I undertand the cowboy boot thing, I guess in that picture it does look like a cowboy boot.

I never did understand that tonight thing be that night is spelled night and not nite. :p Another one is Night lite when light is spelled light. :p

FinnFreak

10-09-2006, 1:50am

Is a person that works for CMT required to live in a bubble - NOT to have seen that outfit before..?

John - :p

FinnFreak

10-10-2006, 1:55am

Bendigo Weekly, Australia - Issue #472

Music served sunny-side up

WELL, the girls may have grown up slightly, but that doesn’t mean the fun has stopped for these sunny sisters.

Sophie and Celeste Clabburn recently released their second album, Long Five Days, at Gympie.

The sisters are still only in their infancy as far as a career goes, but they’ve come a long way in a short time.

It was attending the CMAA College of Country Music that changed the girls’ lives.

Adam Brand was conducting a seminar there, with his manager Graham Thompson in tow, and the girls gave them the CD Little Bit Rusty, which they had recorded independently.

It made an impression on Compass Records.

“We got signed within a week of meeting them, which was amazing,” Celeste said.

“It was a big week for us.”

Their first album, Little Bit Rusty, was released in April, 2005, and was a great success.

For Long Five Days, the girls kept the same producer and line up of musicians.
“It’s still got the same sort of vibe as the last album,” Celeste said. “We’ve still got all the drinking songs, party songs, but we’ve got a few love songs and it’s probably a bit more grown up than the last one, but still very light-hearted and a fun album.

“Soph and I are country girls so we write about what we know.

“We’ve got a few songs on the album about working on a farm and blowing all your money at the pub on the weekend.

“We’ve also got a few songs that mention we’re on the road a lot and we don’t get home much, so it’s all about life experience ... we didn’t make too much up on this album.”

The girls seem to be handling their fame and workload well, considering they were quite young when discovered.

Celeste was 17 and Sophie was 21 when the first album was released, and it’s only natural the girls would have grown up.

However, they didn’t make a conscious decision to go from teensville to adulthood in their songwriting.

“Now I’m 20 and Soph’s 24 so I suppose it was pretty natural (to mature).* It’s not like we’re trying to be older or be wiser or better, it’s just a natural thing that happens as time goes by.”

But they’ll always be Aussie chicks through and through.

“We grew up with Slim Dusty and John Williamson, when we were about 10 we got into Shania Twain and the more American country,” Celeste said.
“We’ve gone back to the Australian stuff now. We really like the traditional stuff – that’s where we get loads of our inspiration from.”

The Clabburn sisters grew up on Sunninghill, the family farm at Dunkeld, near Hamilton in Victoria, before the family moved to Perth. However, the duo’s name is derived from their old family farm.

It’s an appropriate title given the nature of the sisters who love working together.

“We’re pretty much best mates, which is just as well because we spend so much time together.”

And given the reception to their early material, it’s no doubt the success of the Clabburn sisters will see them continue to spend plenty of time together in the future.

http://www.bendigoweekly.com/articles/1550/1/Music-served-sunny-side-up/Page1.html

John - :)

canoilers

10-10-2006, 6:53am

Is a person that works for CMT required to live in a bubble - NOT to have seen that outfit before..?

John - :p
I don't even think you could say that, cause you can see out of a bubble. I thinking this person was in a different dimension cause I'm thinking thats the only way you could've missed that.

Thanks for the article too. :D

Troll

10-10-2006, 9:12am

Thanks for the article.

FinnFreak

10-11-2006, 5:30am

Toronto Sun - Wed, October 11, 2006

The perfect mix

Love of music opens door to career in audio engineering

By LINDA WHITE, SPECIAL TO THE SUN

After discovering a love of classical music in high school, Emilie Bilodeau knew she had the foundation for a career. She went on to study sound and music recording at Recording Arts Canada (RAC) and has landed a job with the country's international broadcaster.

"For me, audio engineering represents the perfect mix between computer, electronics and music," Bilodeau says. "I enrolled at RAC with absolutely zero recording studio experience and no real knowledge of the process of recording of the technology."

She had studied classical music at Cegep de Drummondville in Quebec, where she majored in flute and voice, participated in several concerts and recorded a music demo. She chose to study at RAC in Montreal to learn more about the technical aspects of music.

RAC's Dolby-certified surround mixing theatres and Foley studio have hosted such film clients as The Matrix Reloaded, Skulls III and Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees . Its facilities have also been used by such artists as Shania Twain, Michael Bolton, Sarah MacLachlan and Le Cirque du Soleil.

Its digital sound and music recording program teaches students skills in digital sound production, music recording, computer-assisted sound design, electro-acoustics, musical instrument digital interface, music for film and TV, post-audio and surround sound mixing and recording.

Immediately after graduating last December, Bilodeau landed a job as an audio engineer at Radio Canada International (RCI). Her job involves recording, producing and mixing various features, such as round table panels, live broadcasts and telephone interviews to be aired.

"I deal with audio transfers and prep for program producers. I adore this type of work because, for me, it is the perfect mix between audio work, where you have a second chance to get it right, and live work, where you only have one shot to get it right," Bilodeau says.

"Most of the time, I'm alone in my studio at RCI, but during broadcasts, it becomes a real team effort and I love that part. I find my work very stimulating, since I mix a lot and anything can happen, so it's very exciting."

RCI broadcasts a full range of daily and weekly programs in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic and Portuguese. Down the road, Bilodeau hopes to do live remotes and recordings across the country, and possibly abroad.

"I would also like to work again inmusic creation, since I particularly adore classical music," Bilodeau says. "My dream is to have my own small concert venue."

In addition to digital sound and music recording, RAC offers a digital media program at its colleges in Toronto and Montreal. Students learn to create digital graphic designs using the latest 3D, interactivity and simulation tools.

QUICK FACTS

- Recording Arts Canada's Digital Sound & Music Recording graduates work in the music industry, as well as in computer and digital media, film and TV, radio, theatre, live sound, and retail sales.

- Jobs held by RAC grads include: recording engineer, mixer, sound designer, composer,multi-media sound technician, broadcast engineer, live sound mixer, sound effects editor,mastering engineer,music editor, dialogue editor and post-production audio.

To learn more, visit www.recordingarts.com.

http://torontosun.com/Money/2006/10/11/1999971-sun.html

John - :)

countrylatina

10-11-2006, 6:22am

thanks for the articles.it was a good read.

Troll

10-11-2006, 9:04am

Thanks for the article.

Troll

10-11-2006, 9:04am

10 chuckles to shiver your timbers

... that Shania Twain covered her midriff.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/91718,6_1_NA11_COLD_S2.article

canoilers

10-11-2006, 4:57pm

Thanks for the addition Andrew and John. :D

countrylatina

10-11-2006, 6:03pm

those were funny!!!

Troll

10-11-2006, 11:24pm

Shania by Stetson, Shania Twain (http://www.shaniabystetson.com)

Company Line: "Shania by Stetson is a bright and beautiful fragrance with an original 'Western Heart Accord' of wild prairie rose, vivid freesia and country honeysuckle with a hunt of vine-ripe raspberries and fresh pomegranate."

Looks Like: A remote control.

Perfume Blogger Says: "You know how when you go to the dentist's office, and while waiting you pick up a magazine to leaf through from the coffee table?" wonders Katrina Voll-Taylor of Scentzilla (http://scentzilla.com). "And how inevitably folks have already pulled open all of the adhesive scent strips? That's Shania. It smells like a stale two-week-old magazine. ... Shania won't offend anyone by virtue of the fact that no one will remember what you wore."

http://www.dl-online.com/asap/index.cfm?page=asap_view&id=D8KMJ5TG1&forumcomm_check_return

Troll

10-12-2006, 9:11am

Even Shania has downsized

Shania Twain has moved from her palatial chateau in Switzerland to a small condo on Music Row. Well, just kidding about that last part, but she has sold her massive home and moved to a smaller palatial Switzerland chateau so she'll have more acreage for her horses. But her home is still her castle

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061012/COLUMNIST0501/610120366

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20061012&Category=COLUMNIST0501&ArtNo=610120366&Ref=V2&Profile=1121&MaxW=525&MaxH=390&title=1

The pic is from Rehearsal for 1996 CMA, when she sang GBTC?

Pic from the performance

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v378/JGJdeWilde/HQ/Awards%20Shows/1996/CMA/1.jpg

Troll

10-12-2006, 9:12am

Shania and Mutt compared to Beauty and the Beast....

http://torontosun.com/News/OtherNews/2006/10/12/2007979-sun.html

captainCorr

10-12-2006, 9:26am

Shania and Mutt compared to Beauty and the Beast....

http://torontosun.com/News/OtherNews/2006/10/12/2007979-sun.html

As long as they're madly in love with each other.. who cares..:love:

canoilers

10-13-2006, 4:17pm

Alex

10-13-2006, 8:54pm

Great pic that one, never seen b4, thanks for posting them:D

Troll

10-13-2006, 9:27pm

Thank you Andrew for the link! I'm using that screen saver right now, too bad you couldn't download the video.

Thanks for the other name droppings as well. :D

Good choice.

Troll

10-14-2006, 9:32am

Sex sells? Obviously, but Currington says he's not averse to doing what it takes to get his music heard. "It's hard to get noticed out of the gate, so you've got to do something."

The secret to Currington's quick success: A duet with Shania Twain. "Standing next to Shania is a good thing," he says. "Before that I had two singles that had both made the Top 10. But 'Party for Two' really changed things."

People talk of a rematch with Shania; Currington would love it. "The thing about opportunity is you just have jump on it."

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2006/10/13/entertainment/local/63a96cf0c0b1ef7086257205006f5456.txt

dreamer

10-14-2006, 7:44pm

that makes me mad i love the sent and even if you don't no one should be that rude:rolleyes:

FinnFreak

10-17-2006, 2:02am

SaskatoonHomepage.ca - Monday, 16 October 2006

Superstars Work To Raise Money

Written by Linsay Rabyj

The release of a new song is hoping to raise money for Saskatoon's less fortunate.

Superstar artists from across Saskatchewan are supporting the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre.

Artists like Brad Johner, Andrea Menard, Theresa Sokyrka, Jessica Robinson, Melanie Lane and Josh Palmer among others are lending their voice to the track.
Cory Churko who plays the fiddle for Shania Twain is lending his talent to the song.

The song called "Across the Nation" written by musician Ovide Pilon will be released with a country and rock version.

The cd will likely be sold in stores within the month.

http://www.saskatoonhomepage.ca/index.php?option=com_d4j_ezine&task=read&page=9&category=21&article=1721&Itemid=86

John - ;)

Troll

10-17-2006, 9:04am

Thanks for the article.

EilleenTwain88

10-18-2006, 6:37am

Shania and Mutt compared to Beauty and the Beast....

http://torontosun.com/News/OtherNews/2006/10/12/2007979-sun.html
:funny: :funny: :funny:
The fact that nobody's has seen him, doesn't mean that he is ugly?!? And c'mon... are Mick Jagger, Bob Geldof, Rod Steward, Bruce Springsteen (with their modeling wifes) something else then?

It is more of a rule that beatiful people have ordinary looking partners, than have two extra beatiful people married to another (for long anyway)?

that makes me mad i love the sent and even if you don't no one should be that rude:rolleyes:
It only means that it is becoming rather popular (when it starts to annoy people)?

In any case that whole sentence is absurd: if the perfurme is so unnoticeable, how come the writer knew what it was??? It is like saying Shut Up And Sing, Sit Down And Dance, etc. :p

FinnFreak

10-18-2006, 7:15am

Saskatoon StarPhoenix - Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Women overlooked in history

By Pam Cradock

Canadian women have been largely forgotten by history, a fact circled,
stamped and underlined by the CBC's Greatest Canadian miniseries, says
the author of a new history book.

In the 2004 television series, the top 10 Greatest Canadians voted on by fans
of the show were all men, Merna Forster told the small crowd gathered at
the Sheraton Cavalier Tuesday.

While many of the men deserved to be on the list, she said people like Don
Cherry should never have been nominated when there were so many
talented and infl uential women to consider.

Forster, the featured speaker for the Canadian Club, had no trouble capturing
the imagination of the audience as she weaved the stories of extraordinary
women whose accomplishments, for whatever reason, have been undervalued
over time.

"I believe it's important for us to tell our story," Forster said.

There were some relatively familiar names, such as Agnes McPhail, the first
woman politician elected to the House of Commons, and Emily Carr, who
struggled to be taken seriously as an author and a painter.

But the unknowns were also fascinating, such as Dr. Leonora Howard King,
who was the first Canadian doctor to practise medicine in China, 60 years
before the famous Norman Bethune.

Or Mary Ann Shadd, the leader of the black refugee movement and the first
woman to publish a Canadian newspaper.

Forster's book, 100 Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten Faces, which
she was promoting, is her attempt to bring the accomplishments of these
women to the forefront.

"I'm trying popularize these women," she said.

Many of these stories have been lost, Forster said, because women's roles in
historical events were undervalued and records never kept. She said some
are only known because of their famous husbands.

Forster said Canadians are ignorant of their history, reiterating the example of
the Greatest Canadian show, in which people ranked Shania Twain among
the top candidates.

Name recognition played a huge part in the contest for both the male and
female nominees, Forster noted.

"The general public are not familiar with the diversity of all these figures,"
she said.

The Canadian Club's older members seemed receptive to Forster's talk, gasping
in surprise and delight as the stories were read out.

Member Helen Logan said there were so many names mentioned that she didn't
recognize.

"As she was going on, I was thinking of others who might also have been
included if she had 200 people," she said, laughing.

Logan said women's stories "just haven't been picked up.

"So many of these women did their things in an era before women became a
little more vocal about themselves," she said.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/third_page/story.html?id=988333ed-3d05-4dc3-a32c-706dd8ef1984

hmmm... just examining the lyrics to "She's Not Just A Pretty Face",
gives us a hint of how Shania herself perhaps might think about what
female achievements are worth mentioning... and who deserves to be
on such a list.

She's Not Just A Pretty Face
Written by: Shania Twain/ R. J. Lange

(Oh na, na, na)

She hosts a T.V. show -she rides the rodeo
She plays the bass in a band
She's an astronaut - a valet at the parking lot
A farmer working the land
She is a champion - she gets the gold
She's a ballerina - the star of the show

She's - not- just a pretty face
She's - got - everything it takes

She has a fashion line - a journalist for "Time"
Coaches a football team
She's a geologist - a romance novelist
She is a mother of three
She is a soldier - she is a wife
She is a surgeon - she'll save your life

She's - not - just a pretty face
She's - got - everything it takes
She's - mother of the human race
She's - not - just a pretty face

Oh, oh, yeah
Oh na, na, na, na....
She is your waitress - she is your judge - she is your teacher
She is every woman in the world

Oh, la, la, la
She flies an airplane - she drives a subway train
At night she pumps gasoline
She's on the council - she's on the board
She's a politician - she praises the lord

No, she's (she's) not (not) - just a pretty face
She's (she's) got (got) - everything it takes
She's - not - just a pretty face
She's got everything it takes
She's not just a pretty face

Shania - you're *definitely* ON the list.

John - ;)

EilleenTwain88

10-18-2006, 7:24am

Shania - you're *definitely* ON the list.
For having such a famous (and ugly :p ) husband, eh?!?

Geez. Don't these people EVER get tired of their own hypocrisy and selling things short??? I mean this article would have been JUST swell without any down-grading remarks about her; it served absolutely NO purpose for the writer of this book to say something like that. Just because she herself doesn't think highly of her or entertainment in general.

:cry: :sad case:

FinnFreak

10-18-2006, 7:49am

For having such a famous (and ugly :p ) husband, eh?!?

Hah. No. :p

...and Mutt's NOT ugly: I've never heared him to say or do anything that would rank him in that department.

"Beauty's only skin deep, but ugliness goes right through to the bone"

Geez. Don't these people EVER get tired of their own hypocrisy and selling things short??? I mean this article would have been JUST swell without any down-grading remarks about her; it served absolutely NO purpose for the writer of this book to say something like that. Just because she herself doesn't think highly of her or entertainment in general.

:cry: :sad case:

Unfortunately that's the power in the use of a name - it underlines your statement. :smirk:

Perkele.

John - :p

EilleenTwain88

10-18-2006, 8:02am

Unfortunately that's the power in the use of a name - it underlines your statement. :smirk:
On the other hand it can cause her some readers. It sounded quite an interesting book to me at first.

FinnFreak

10-18-2006, 8:08am

Well, they did mention Don Cherry too. :p

Better not judge the book by the cover, right..?

John - ;)

Troll

10-18-2006, 9:07am

Thanks for the article.

FinnFreak

10-19-2006, 3:50am

Toronto Star - Wed. Oct. 18, 2006

Green Gables star shows there's life after Anne

JOHN MCKAY, CANADIAN PRESS

Although she will likely forever be linked in the public's mind to TV's Anne of Green Gables,
Megan Follows is stubbornly reluctant to be defined by her performance as the plucky,
iconic Anne Shirley.

She has slid comfortably into diverse adult roles in recent years — in both Canada and
Hollywood. And yet there are inescapable echoes of the Anne experience in much of
her new work.

Follows has been nominated for a Gemini for her role as the mother of another spunky
youngster in the recent Shania Twain TV movie, Shania: A Life in Eight Albums.
And in her latest project, Booky Makes Her Mark, she is once again a mom, this time
dispensing parental wisdom to a teenage daughter who aspires to be a writer in Depression-
era Toronto.

The film, airing Sunday night on CBC-TV, is based on a trilogy of popular novels by renowned
children's fiction writer Bernice Thurman Hunter that feature young Booky Thomson, a
character based largely on Hunter's own childhood.

Follows says it hasn't been difficult for her to make the transition from playing young heroines
to playing their mothers, partly because she has a teenage daughter of her own.

Surprisingly, though, 14-year-old Lyla is not especially enamoured with Anne Shirley.

Her mother isn't sure Lyla has read the books and didn't show her the videos. Instead it
was friends from school that first played them for her.

"It wasn't one that I was pulling out," explains Follows. "I'd certainly been saturated with it."

And she says it was purely coincidental that Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud
Montgomery makes an appearance in the middle of Booky Makes Her Mark in a scene in
which the author is seen offering some advice to would-be author Booky.

"It's in the book," Follows says defensively. "Trust me, do you think I would have put
that in there?"

And then there's the fact that both Anne of Green Gables and Booky Makes Her Mark had
the same screenwriter, Joe Wiesenfeld.

Follows says, though, that there's been no need to offer advice to the aspiring young actresses
she's worked with lately, especially Tatiana Maslany (of the TV show RenegadePress.com)
who delivers a remarkably endearing performance as Booky.

"She's wonderful, I was really impressed, " says Follows. "Just the professionalism and the
work ethic. And those are certainly things that when I was growing up were extremely
important to me and I think also to my parents in the way one behaved.

"This was something that you felt privileged to be having a chance to do as a young performer
and you showed up prepared and you did your work."

In the story, set in a squalid industrial area of Toronto circa 1936, young Booky wins a newspaper
essay contest and is quickly swept away with her initial success as a writer. While her parents
struggle to make ends meet, even to put food on the table, Booky's self-centred attitude begins
to alienate friends and family, until her mother tries to navigate the difficult course between
bringing her daughter down to earth and not squelching her dreams of success as a creative talent.

"Believe in yourself but know your faults," Booky is told. Naturally it proves emotionally devastating
for her, at first.

Again, having an adolescent daughter of her own helped Follows appreciate the situation.

"Everything impacts them hugely and everything is taken terribly personally. I mean that is the fun thing,
the journey of Booky, because she loses sight of something.

"There's definitely the element with the mother, the pragmatist, that part that wants to protect the
daughter from how big that fall's going to be when she falls. But at the same time recognizing that
spirit in the kid."

Follows also get to play opposite to her real-life partner Stuart Hughes, as Booky's parents. The
actress says it was director Peter Moss who wanted an actual couple in the roles. Did it work?

"It was great," says Follows. "There's definitely a shorthand."

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&pubid=968163964505&cid=1161167288757&col=968705925735&call_page=TS_Entertainment&call_pageid=968867495754&call_pagepath=A&E/News

* * *

L.A. Daily news - 10/19/2006

Couple creates store with sole

BY TONY CASTRO, Staff Writer

SHERMAN OAKS - If Cinderella can be found in the near-midnight hour of a glitzy night club in
Sao Paulo, Brazil, Mark Willingham believed he had done it.

So would anyone fortunate enough to have Leticia Quintela look their way. For Willingham,
then in his perfect Prince Charming age of 30, a marketing specialist who grew up in Westlake
Village, it was love at first sight.

He loved Quintela's sun-bleached caramel hair, her perfect olive skin, her brownish eyes with
the tiniest pupils God ever gave anyone, and the way she dressed her 5-foot-4, size 2 frame.

"She was exotically beautiful," he recalls. "She was a fashionista."

Within a year, Quintela had given up her flight attendant job with a Brazilian airline and joined
Willingham in Westlake Village, and they soon married.

Ah, but the stilettos. If only Willingham had paid closer attention to Quintela's perfectly
pedicured size 6 1/2 feet, and especially to the to-die-for Carmen Steffens evening stilettos
that enveloped them.

Not your local shoe

Nothing in any U.S. stores - not even the high-end designer boutiques on Rodeo Drive in
Beverly Hills - could compare in the mind of the fashionista Leticia. So every few months,
she would pack up and make the 13-hour flight from LAX to Rio de Janeiro to go shopping,
with Willingham in tow.

"Every time we would go out here in L.A., there would be women who come up to Leticia
to compliment her on her shoes or to ask, `Where did you buy those shoes?' or `Where
did you get that handbag?" says Willingham.

This went on only so long before the marketing light went off for Willingham.

"When the market starts talking about it," he says, "you know it's time to do something."

Through Leticia and the growing interest he was seeing in the shoes she wore, Willingham
had slowly come to understand something few men ever do - the obsession of many women
with what they wear on their feet.

According to a survey by Harpers Bazaar magazine, one out of every four women say they
would buy another pair of shoes instead of pay the bills. In the wardrobe of one of two women,
there are more than 30 pairs of shoes, while 8 percent own more than 100 pairs each.

All Willingham had to do to know that was true was to look in Leticia's closet off the second-
floor master bedroom of their home.

There, perfectly arranged by color and style, you'll find a shoe-lover's dream: Rows of beautifully
kept Carmen Steffens shoes and boots. Willingham estimates there to be at least 100. Sure.
Alone, Leticia admits that the number is higher and always changing.

A well-heeled plan

Marketing-whiz Willingham rounded up some business partners, including Leticia, and decided
to bring Brazil to the U.S. They bought into Carmen Steffens, the company making the shoes
and leather goods Leticia couldn't live without, and last month opened a Carmen Steffens
American-flagship store at the Westfield Fashion Square Mall in Sherman Oaks.

"Even when we were planning the store," says Willingham, "I was getting signals that this was
what we needed to do."

Once, when he met with partners at the Cheesecake Factory, their waitress drooled over
publicity photos that Willingham was showing of some Carmen Steffens boots.

"She wanted to know where she could get these boots," says Willingham, "then she went
and got two other waitresses who also loved them. They kept talking about how these
boots were beautiful and different than anything they'd ever seen, and they gave me
their e-mail addresses because they wanted to be notified as soon as we opened the store."

Shoe glue

Today, their store has become as much of an obsession for the Willinghams, who have now
been married 10 years, as the Carmen Steffens shoes have always been for Leticia.

Walk inside the store, and the first thing you'll be asked is how you would like your espresso.

Then there's the shoes, the boots and the leather goods, which start around $100, although
more intricate styles are pricier.

Some have the most unique, wafer-thin leather distressed to look like the ancient maps
Columbus must have used to sail to the New World. Others appear so uniquely one-of-
a-kind, and they almost are.

"They are all hand-made in very limited numbers," says Leticia, whose Sonia Braga accent
makes you understand why Willingham couldn't resist her, "and once they're sold, they're
all gone.

"There is no back-stock in inventory because there is no inventory."

Most of the boots, high heels and sandals you see in the store have the "look" of celebrity
shoes - but without the price tag of Prada and Manolo Blahnik - the kind you see in People
magazine on the feet of J.Lo, Shania or Jessica.

Hollywood stylist Art Conn agrees, which is one of the reasons he's putting clients from
CBS' "Rock Star: Supernova" in Carmen Steffens and thinking of using the shoes on
contestants of Fox Network's "American Idol" new season.

"What's the best about Carmen Steffens," says Conn, "is that they cover all aspects -
dressy evening shoes, going out boots, everything you could want in one store - and
that's not always the case."

It's all good news to the Willinghams, who wake up and go to bed every day and night
thinking about just two things - each other and Carmen Steffens.

"I've always loved Carmen Steffens shoes," says Leticia. "They're my life. They're me."

tony.castro@dailynews.com

(818) 713-3761

Carmen Steffens is open at Westfield

Fashion Square, 14006 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks. Call (818) 784-8408 or see www.carmensteffens.com.

http://www.dailynews.com/business/ci_4513738

* * *

MediaPost Publications - Marketing Daily - Thursday, Oct 19, 2006

Ambitious Coty Growth Plans May Require Acquisition

by Christine Bittar

COTY CEO BERND BEETZ'S AMBITION to double the beauty company's revenues and
achieve global sales of more than $5 billion by 2010 is likely to require an acquisition.

That's the opinion of Raymond Nadeau, past vice president of new ideas for Coty and
author of the book Living Brands, which is due out from McGraw-Hill on Nov. 1. It's
hard to see how Coty could grow so quickly into a top-five beauty company "organically,"
says Nadeau, who still consults to the company.

In his remarks earlier this month, Beetz said he sees most of the growth potential coming
from color cosmetics and skin care, but at the present time most of Coty's global revenues
come from fragrance. While Coty's color cosmetics brand Rimmel is the No. 2 color brand
in Europe, Coty has seen much of its recent growth from celebrity-licensed fragrances.
Most notable is Coty's license with singer/entertainer Jennifer Lopez on Still, and her first
fragrance, Glow by JLo, which brought in $80 million in sales its first year.

Coty's other licensed fragrances include Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely, Celine Dion Parfums,
Shania Twain's Shania by Stetson, and David Beckham's Instinct for men.

While more licensed brands are forthcoming, Nadeau (who was responsible for many of Coty's
current licenses), says at this point it could be dangerous for the company to rely heavily on
licenses, since he believes their time may have peaked. Where celebrities are concerned, he
says, he'd rather see Coty and other companies shift to endorsements or licenses with
"abbreviated life cycles."

Because of the aging population and the category's higher profit margins, Nadeau's bet is on
skin care, with a possible acquisition by Coty in that area--possibly abroad.

Indeed, Beetz said skin care offers the best growth potential for Coty, and he's looking to
expand that market, especially in Asia. Coty's Lancaster skin care brand was restricted to
Europe, but the company recently introduced the brand in some Bath & Body Works stores
in the U.S., and also plans to introduce it in China.

Of Coty's total $2.9 billion in revenue, the privately held company says half its sales come
from Europe, a third from North and South America, 4 percent from Asia, and 13 percent
from the rest of the world. Beetz said by 2010 he expects Asia to account for 15 percent
of the company's sales.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=49805

hmmm... I'd like to see them finally release Shania by Stetson in Europe... "organically" :p

John - :)

Troll

10-19-2006, 8:11am

Thanks for the articles.

FinnFreak

10-19-2006, 8:51am

San Diego Union Tribune - October 19, 2006

Who made you God?

Secret Machines opts for full exposure for a good cause

Because of steep production costs, concerts held on in-the-round stages are
usually the domain of such superstars as Prince, Shania Twain and the
Dixie Chicks, or of such prog-rock-bred legends as Yes and Peter Gabriel.
But don't tell that to Secret Machines.

The New York-by-way-of-Dallas trio is now on a national tour that includes a
Saturday stop here at SOMA, where the band will do the first in-the-round
concert in the venue's history. (To accommodate the circular stage, SOMA's
capacity will be cut in half.) The gig is part of Saturday's national “Rock for
Darfur” series of benefit concerts to raise funds and awareness for the
humanitarian crisis in Somalia.

Inspired equally by Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, My Bloody Valentine and such
Kraut-rock pioneers as Neu! and Can, Secret Machines blends its prog-tinged
inspirations through a musical filter that is equal parts punk, psychedelia and
metal.

Usually, bands this young that draw from so many sources are unable to rise
above the collision of styles that can result. But Secret Machines – drummer
Josh Garza, guitarist-singer Ben Curtis and bassist-keyboardist-singer
Brandon Curtis – does a good job of remaining focused even in their most
ambitious moments. And the group so impressed Bono when it opened for U2
in Mexico City in February that he had the trio record a version of The
Beatles' “I Am the Walrus” with him for the upcoming feature film “Across the
Universe.”

Secret Machine's new album, “Ten Silver Drops,” cuts back a bit on the in-
your-face wallop and extended compositional approach of its 2004 debut,
“Now Here Is Nowhere.” This may reflect artistic growth, pressure to become
more “commercially accessible” from the group's record company, or both.

Regardless, it's on stage (circular or otherwise) that Secret Machines must
prove itself. The last gig I caught here indicated it would take time for the
band to duplicate its textured studio sound in concert – and to take the
major risks that separate a daring act from a truly groundbreaking one. Here's
hoping.

Quote of the Week

“I wouldn't buy a Diddy album.
I mean, if I just heard he was
coming out with an album
– I'm serious – I wouldn't
go buy a Diddy album.
And I'm Diddy!”

– Diddy gives the best review of his new album we've heard yet

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20061019-9999-lz1w19god.html

John - :p

george

10-19-2006, 8:56am

Thanks for the post from the newbie here! :) BTW--Richard, great pics and avatars site!
Steve, enjoyed your pics as well. Also the Sara evans ones. her and shania are my favorites. Also very much enjoy Miranda Lambert and carrie Underwood is coming along as well. Can't beat Sara and Shania though! :)

george

10-19-2006, 9:00am

Just playing around with the avatars. :)

FinnFreak

10-19-2006, 9:17am

:D - Welcome aboard..!

FYI - I've copied your above posts to the Meet and Greet (http://www.shaniaforums.com/showthread.php?t=43442) Forum - so, that you can be properly greeted.

John - ;)

Troll

10-19-2006, 9:26am

Thanks for the article.

RKSTFan

10-19-2006, 5:45pm

FinnFreak

10-20-2006, 5:18am

;)

Red Herring - October 19, 2006

Music Takes Digital Control

Battle-weary music industry bypasses Napster and YouTube and channels directly to fans

The music industry will attempt to rehabilitate its rocky relationship with the Internet by bypassing troublesome middlemen, such as Napster and YouTube, and communicating directly with its legion of music and music-video fans.

Universal Music U.K. said Thursday it will test a set of branded Internet broadcast channels through which the company and its artists will deliver music, video, concert footage, and behind-the-scenes chats directly to PCs, PDAs, cell phones, and other digital media devices.

The move is a significant departure for a music content owner like Universal Music, which intends to roll out the broadcast network beyond just the United Kingdom.

Music companies have traditionally communicated with consumers through radio and TV. Music content owners have participated in an ongoing, mutually beneficial relationship with the radio industry for more than 50 years. That relationship has been enhanced by the emergence of satellite radio.

The industry has also developed close and profitable relationships with music-oriented TV networks such as MTV and VH1, and popular music-based TV shows such as American Idol. Performers and TV hosts move seamlessly across a nonexistent music-TV divide.

Combative Digital Relationship

But no such seamless relationship exists in the digital world. The industry’s relationship with Internet-based middlemen such as the P2P file-sharing firms and the online video companies such as YouTube has been problematic and adversarial, to say the least.

The industry has also had a combative relationship with Apple, which has been criticized for its pricing inflexibility.

“The software and hardware industries have used the music industry’s content to accumulate billions in market cap on the backs of everybody from Shania Twain to Mariah Carey,” said Robert Kelly, chief executive of WWEBNET (World Wide Electronic Broadcast Network), the company behind the broadcast channels.

Five-year-old WWEBNET has more than 70 contracts with entertainment companies, including all of the major music labels.

“The music industry understands that if they don’t get control of their consumer networks and their digital distribution, they can get gobbled up by the likes of Google, Apple, and Microsoft,” he added.

Feeding at the Revenue Trough

The music-Internet relationship has played out in U.S. courts for the most part, although Google’s recent acquisition of YouTube is shifting the focus of the relationship from copyright infringement to the potential windfall available from advertising.

Radio and TV provide the music industry with an avalanche of free publicity without feeding from the industry’s revenue trough. The industry claims that music file-sharing firms such as Napster compete with them directly.

The music industry continues to wallpaper the landscape with lawsuits in an effort to deter fans from illegally downloading its music, and online video enthusiasts from using its video content without permission.

But the industry is also casting about for technological accommodations on the web through which it can better protect its content from pilferage, and Universal Music’s latest direct-to-consumer broadcast channels are the latest vehicles.

Taking Control

The technology behind the broadcast channels comes from New York City-based WWEBNET. It is a hosted service that delivers multimedia content directly to the fans’ PCs or other devices.

The users download and install the channel application on their digital devices, and a resident desktop icon alerts them when new content is added.

WWEBNET operates the system, but it appears to the consumer as a Universal Music-branded product. The system has e-commerce, content management, and advertising capability built in.

“Entertainment companies can distribute content or advertising on a worldwide basis,” said Mr. Kelly. “This is a sea change for entertainment companies. This gives them the ownership of their distribution network and direct access to advertising revenue generated around content distribution.”

http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=19261&hed=Music+Takes+Digital+Control&sector=Industries&subsector=EntertainmentAndMedia

* * *

Soul Shine, Canada - 2006-10-19

Universal Sues Video Sites

Though Universal Music has made nice with online video giant YouTube after threatening to sue them earlier this year, it seems they don't' feel the same about other video websites.

Universal Music Group, the largest group of record labels in the world, has announced plans to sue two video websites—Grouper and Bolt.com for copyright infringement. The two sites have been accused of allowing their users to swap music videos of bands on Universal's massive roster of musicians, which includes artists like Jay-Z, Shania Twain and U2.

Universal is suing for as much as $150, 000 for each incident of copyright infringement. "Grouper and Bolt ... cannot reasonably expect to build their business on the backs of our content and the hard work of our artists and songwriters without permission and without compensating the content creators," a Universal spokesman said according to Reuters.

"There's no question that people upload copyrighted content from time to time and occasionally we receive official notices to remove content and we do," Bolt CEO and co-founder Aaron Cohen told Reuters.

Grouper, who did not comment on the lawsuit, was agreed to be bought by Sony Pictures Entertainment earlier this year.

http://www.soulshine.ca/news/newsarticle.php?nid=3824

* * *

Dayton Daily News - October 19, 2006

Rascal Flatts' mainstream path leads to Nutter

By Don Thrasher

Don't let the Southern accents fool you.

Rascal Flatts may work within the Nashville system, but the group is more VH1 than Grand Ole Opry ... not that there's anything wrong with that.

Rascal Flatts — led by Columbus natives Gary Levox and Jay Demarcus, and Joe Don Rooney, from Picher, Okla. — is one of the most successful of the new wave of country music acts. The group has scored four consecutive hit albums since its self-titled debut tore up the charts in 2000 fueled by the top 10 hits Prayin' for Daylight, This Everyday Love and While You Loved Me.

Like Shania Twain, these guys are pop singers passing as country stars, but in today's conservative Nashville these performers are regarded as Music City insiders while true country artists such as Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams are relegated to the fringes.

The photogenic trio, performing Saturday at the Nutter Center, has as much in common musically with Sheryl Crow and John Mayer as it does with George Strait or Randy Travis, but Rascal Flatts was included in the current issue of People magazine as one of "Country's 25 Hottest Stars." These are indeed strange times.

Sure, the group's songs get spins on country radio and air time on CMT, but the gripping harmonies of Levox, Demarcus and Rooney, the slick studio production and calculatedly scruffy look also have endeared this handsome crossover act to the female fans who also worship groups such as Death Cab for Cutie and Angels and Airwaves.

Rascal Flatt's latest LP, Me and My Gang, is the group's most mature album to date. What Hurts Most, Ellsworth and other songs are firmly ensconced in the realm of adult contemporary with heartland Americana overtones and lyrics exploring death, senility, heartbreak and other adult concerns. The trio is enjoying success with a buoyant version of Tom Cochrane's Life Is a Highway from the soundtrack to the animated Pixar film, Cars.

How to go

WHO: Rascal Flatts with Gary Allan and Taylor Swift.

WHERE: Nutter Center, Fairborn.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday.

COST: $61 (all seats).

MORE INFO: (937) 228-2323 or www.ticketmaster.com.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/l/content/oh/story/entertainment/music/2006/10/19/ddn102006gorascalflatts.html

* * *

Sydney Morning Herald - October 20, 2006

Dwight Yoakam

A man of few words rides back into town

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/10/20/DY_061020101833131_wideweb__300x375.jpg

By Bruce Elder

Twenty years ago, when urban cowboys and mechanical bulls were still fashionable, Dwight Yoakam roared onto the country scene with Guitars, Cadillacs Etc Etc. It was unapologetically hard-edged, finding its roots in the harsh rock-orientated, honky tonk sounds of California. It sold more than 2 million copies, establishing Yoakam as a key alternative country figure.

Then, at least in Australia, the wheels fell off his wagon. Subsequent albums, although good, failed to capture the early excitement. A tour in 1996 revealed him to be an old-style country performer who stood flat-footed on stage, head down and face covered by his large white cowboy hat, hoping his songs somehow made up for the charisma he so obviously lacked. He also started an acting career and garnered polite approval for his roles in Sling Blade, The Newton Boys and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.

Last year, Yoakam took the radical step of producing himself on his Blame the Vain album. Yoakam was never going to change his basic approach but what he brought to the album was a sense of freshness and a reminder that he was committed to old-style country music of his childhood. His integrity remained intact and his style of music remained remarkably honest.

Yoakam is in the middle of a US tour. He answers my questions very slowly, with long pauses. That could be because he speaks like he's "eating a dirt sandwich" (as his former lover, Sharon Stone, once infamously said of his kissing technique). Or it could be because he hates mindlessly blathering on. It's hard to work out which because when he starts talking about a new music project, it comes out like this: "1986. Twenty years. The fact is Warner and Rhino are releasing a ... um ... a ... um."

"A compilation?" I suggest.

"A 20th anniversary edition of the Guitars, Cadillacs album," he finally says.

I ask about the way country music seems to have periods of great popularity (the mid- to late-1990s with Garth Brooks and Shania Twain was a time of unprecedented success), followed by times when it is reviled and dismissed. I point out that Yoakam, having lasted for 20 years, found a way to avoid the genre's highs and lows. His reply is a kind of stumbling dissertation on the changing nature of media and music. "I don't really ... [long pause] let it become ... [another long pause] something I'm obsessed with. Years ago ... when it was booming ... I was talking to the head of my label in Nashville and he said, 'Do you listen to country radio?' I said, 'My honest answer will probably terrify you, but no.' I explained that I grew up listening to country music so I don't have to listen to country radio to have an understanding of what I was born into."

He's off now, talking about "paradigms" and "playlists" and radio figures ("I have had 18 top 20 hits and 12 of my songs have been aired on American radio more than a million times, three or four have been aired 2 million times and Guitars, Cadillacs has been aired 3 million times"), until our 20 minutes are exhausted - and I am totally bewildered.

Genre: Country/Blue Grass
Location: Capitol Theatre
Address: 13 Campbell St, Haymarket
Date: 31 October 2006
Tickets: $102 plus booking fees.
Phone Bookings: 136 100
Online Bookings: www.capitoltheatre.com.au

http://www.smh.com.au/news/gig-reviews/dwight-yoakam/2006/10/20/1160851117307.html

John - :)

Troll

10-20-2006, 9:10am

Thanks for the articles.

shania megafan

10-20-2006, 9:26am

Thanks for posting :up:

canoilers

10-21-2006, 5:12am

Saskatoon StarPhoenix - Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Women overlooked in history

By Pam Cradock

Canadian women have been largely forgotten by history, a fact circled,
stamped and underlined by the CBC's Greatest Canadian miniseries, says
the author of a new history book.

Thanks for the other articles too, I appreciate them very much.

In the 2004 television series, the top 10 Greatest Canadians voted on by fans
of the show were all men, Merna Forster told the small crowd gathered at
the Sheraton Cavalier Tuesday.

While many of the men deserved to be on the list, she said people like Don
Cherry should never have been nominated when there were so many
talented and infl uential women to consider.

Forster, the featured speaker for the Canadian Club, had no trouble capturing
the imagination of the audience as she weaved the stories of extraordinary
women whose accomplishments, for whatever reason, have been undervalued
over time.

"I believe it's important for us to tell our story," Forster said.

There were some relatively familiar names, such as Agnes McPhail, the first
woman politician elected to the House of Commons, and Emily Carr, who
struggled to be taken seriously as an author and a painter.

But the unknowns were also fascinating, such as Dr. Leonora Howard King,
who was the first Canadian doctor to practise medicine in China, 60 years
before the famous Norman Bethune.

Or Mary Ann Shadd, the leader of the black refugee movement and the first
woman to publish a Canadian newspaper.

Forster's book, 100 Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten Faces, which
she was promoting, is her attempt to bring the accomplishments of these
women to the forefront.

"I'm trying popularize these women," she said.

Many of these stories have been lost, Forster said, because women's roles in
historical events were undervalued and records never kept. She said some
are only known because of their famous husbands.

Forster said Canadians are ignorant of their history, reiterating the example of
the Greatest Canadian show, in which people ranked Shania Twain among
the top candidates.

Name recognition played a huge part in the contest for both the male and
female nominees, Forster noted.

"The general public are not familiar with the diversity of all these figures,"
she said.

The Canadian Club's older members seemed receptive to Forster's talk, gasping
in surprise and delight as the stories were read out.

Member Helen Logan said there were so many names mentioned that she didn't
recognize.

"As she was going on, I was thinking of others who might also have been
included if she had 200 people," she said, laughing.

Logan said women's stories "just haven't been picked up.

"So many of these women did their things in an era before women became a
little more vocal about themselves," she said.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/third_page/story.html?id=988333ed-3d05-4dc3-a32c-706dd8ef1984

hmmm... just examining the lyrics to "She's Not Just A Pretty Face",
gives us a hint of how Shania herself perhaps might think about what
female achievements are worth mentioning... and who deserves to be
on such a list.

She's Not Just A Pretty Face
Written by: Shania Twain/ R. J. Lange

(Oh na, na, na)

She hosts a T.V. show -she rides the rodeo
She plays the bass in a band
She's an astronaut - a valet at the parking lot
A farmer working the land
She is a champion - she gets the gold
She's a ballerina - the star of the show

She's - not- just a pretty face
She's - got - everything it takes

She has a fashion line - a journalist for "Time"
Coaches a football team
She's a geologist - a romance novelist
She is a mother of three
She is a soldier - she is a wife
She is a surgeon - she'll save your life

She's - not - just a pretty face
She's - got - everything it takes
She's - mother of the human race
She's - not - just a pretty face

Oh, oh, yeah
Oh na, na, na, na....
She is your waitress - she is your judge - she is your teacher
She is every woman in the world

Oh, la, la, la
She flies an airplane - she drives a subway train
At night she pumps gasoline
She's on the council - she's on the board
She's a politician - she praises the lord

No, she's (she's) not (not) - just a pretty face
She's (she's) got (got) - everything it takes
She's - not - just a pretty face
She's got everything it takes
She's not just a pretty face

Shania - you're *definitely* ON the list.

John - ;)I would agree to that and some notable women are missing from that list. Women like the famous five who worked tiresly for the sufrage movement in this country.

http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do;jsessionid=61C48048A641C9FCA09D2A2EA7297 A10.tomcat1?id=10205

http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10643

Personally I think Shania should be knocked up a couple as well. I don't think Cherry should be as high and the same goes for Sir John A MacDonald. He may have been the back bone of this country but still he hung Louis Real.

canoilers

10-21-2006, 5:21am

Heres one for Laura Secord she did more than make chocolates. :p

http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10118

tower

10-21-2006, 5:51pm

This post was deleted by myself

FinnFreak

10-23-2006, 4:25am

Sportsnet.ca - October 20, 2006

Grey Cup getting 'Promiscuous'

http://www.sportsnet.ca/images/misc/furtado_nelly_hor.jpg

TORONTO (CP) -- Nelly Furtado will perform at next month's Grey Cup in Winnipeg.

Furtado will perform during the halftime show while Canadian Idol winner Eva Avila will sing the national anthem, the CFL announced Friday.

Furtado follows such previous Grey Cup halftime performers The Black Eyed Peas, Bryan Adams, Sam Roberts, Shania Twain and The Tragically Hip.

"The Grey Cup is a national treasure and I'm thrilled to be performing," Furtado said in a statement.

Avila is a 19-year-old from Gatineau, Que., who won the fourth and most recent season of Canadian Idol.

Said Avila: "I know how much this game means to the country, and I can't wait to get to Winnipeg."

The Grey Cup will be played Nov. 19 at Canad Inns Stadium.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/article.jsp?content=20061020_142948_5824

John - :)

canoilers

10-23-2006, 7:41am

Awesome stuff there, thanks John. Gotta like the girl from Beautiful British Columbia, I may be biased there too. We got some beautiful scenery in B.C. as you can see by the picture there and I'm not just talking about me........ okay maybe alittle. :D

FinnFreak

10-23-2006, 7:55am

She's cute alright - one would have to be completely blind not to admit that.

John - :cool:

canoilers

10-23-2006, 8:13am

The blind could even probably see that.

She kinda reminds me of Courtney Cox don't ya think?

FinnFreak

10-23-2006, 8:23am

heh. ok: she might remind you of Courtney Cox. :p

John - ;)

Troll

10-23-2006, 8:27am

Great pic of Nelly.

FinnFreak

10-24-2006, 4:07am

The Hartford Courant - LIFESTYLE - October 24, 2006

The Stars Were Out And About At The Sun

There was the Saturday afternoon shopping expedition to the Westbrook outlet stores for party gals Carmen Electra and Drea de Matteo. A variety of flavored Twizzler licorice sticks, a comb, a toothbrush and small-statured bodyguards were the special requests from headliner Jerry Seinfeld before his "private" dinner and show Saturday. A jasmine-scented bath at the spa for wise guy Neil Patrick Harris and an all-star after-after party that prompted a 5 a.m. security visit Sunday were all part of the high-rolling action at the Mohegan Sun's 10th anniversary.

Java is still recovering from the stiff neck that resulted from craning her neck, trying to take it all in ... from an up-close and personal interview with Kevin Costner about his new band, chatting with Seinfeld about the joys of fatherhood and getting makeup tips from Electra.

Here are some of the celebrity sightings:

Brass at the casino scrambled until the wee hours of the morning Friday after learning that country crooner Keith Urban (with some rumored coaxing from wife Nicole Kidman) decided to ditch his sold-out performance at the casino arena to instead check himself into the Betty Ford Clinic.

Among the celebrities casino brass tried to get as last-minute replacements were Shania Twain, Tim McGraw and Tina McBride. But no luck. Which meant that ...

Kevin Costner's band - called, of course, "The Kevin Costner Band" - became the headliners Friday night. And while the debut performance at the Wolf Den may have been a bit lame for the music elite, a herd of frenzied fans circled the venue to catch a glimpse of the rugged Costner in jeans, boots and a Coast Guard cap as he rocked out and introduced celebrities in the audience that included his former co-star, Joan Allen, and his wife, Christine Baumgartner.

"It was fun, I did have a good time," Costner told Java after the performance. Very open about his distaste for the media, Costner relented a bit - explaining that performing in a band was better than putting his head down to sign autographs while interacting with fans.

The red carpet on both Friday and Saturday nights were filled with stars, including several from the former "Laugh-In" television show.

That group included Ruth Buzzi, program creator George Schlatter, announcer Gary Owens , and cast mates including Chelsea Brown, Alan Sues, Lily Tomlin, Johnny Brown, Barbara Feldon and Jo Anne Worley, who chatted with media and eagerly posed for pictures. Worley in dress slacks and a silk top carried a wad of aluminum foil under her arm, prompting Java to question the accessory, which didn't seem to quite fit in as part of a red carpet walk.

"It's the leftover chicken from my dinner," she whispered. "It's for my dog, Harmony, a Yorkshire terrier. I sneaked her into my room."

Lucky Harmony. Saturday's leftovers were filet mignon from the Seinfeld dinner and show!

Seinfeld, who was promoting his upcoming animated film "Bee Movie," which also stars Matthew Broderick who arrived at the casino with the comedian in a private helicopter, was as funny as ever but did get serious when asked about getting married at 45 and then being a father to three youngsters at the age of 52.

"You know, I used to look at my friends who were married with kids and think, `Who would want to do that?'" he told Java. "Now I look at friends who aren't married and ask, `How could they live without a wife and kids?'"

The former "Doogie Howser M.D.," Neil Patrick Harris, who now stars in the weekly sitcom "How I Met Your Mother," was eager to party after his red-carpet walk Saturday night but was as eager to accommodate fans who crowded around a private VIP area in the casino's Ultra 88 club, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sequestered stars.

"Sure, you can have a picture," Harris assured two women who shyly asked if he would accommodate them. He helped hoist one up the barrier so the photo could be taken and then did the same for the other.

When asked what she was doing at the celebration, de Matteo pointed at her grandmother, Rae, who accompanied the former "Sopranos" star on the red carpet.

"She loves to gamble," de Matteo said.

Dress was casual on the carpet with most of the younger stars wearing jeans, boots and tunics, while men opted for jeans and long-sleeve T-shirts.

Electra turned the red carpet into a girl party by offering makeup tips.

"I only use Max Factor," she insisted as she explained how she creates her dark eyeliner-lined look. The former "Baywatch" beauty and ex-wife of Dennis Rodman and soon-to-be ex-wife of rocker Dave Navarro is the controversial spokeswoman for the cosmetic giant.

The rock band Barenaked Ladies, "Scooby Doo" movie star Matthew Lilliard, Lance Bass and partner Reichen Lehmkuhl, comedian Craig Ferguson, History Channel hunk Josh Bernstein, "The View" co-host Joy Behar and assorted basketball players from the Knicks-Celtics exhibition basketball game that was also scheduled as part of the festivities rounded out the weekend that also included some minor celebrities as well.

Renee Falcone, broadcasting for WHCN-FM (105.9) was dolled-up in black velvet when the skirt of her new dress got caught in the escalator mechanism, prompting the stairs to stop and security running to untangle the mess.

"I didn't want to make it a big deal so I asked them to get me a glass of wine," said the unperturbed Falcone after being quietly extricated with no injuries except to the dress. "I made it look like I was just standing there enjoying a glass of wine. People thought I was the welcome hostess."

http://www.courant.com/features/lifestyle/hc-nujavatop1024.artoct24,0,157820.story?coll=hc-headlines-life

John - :)

canoilers

10-24-2006, 8:07am

Thanks for the article there John.

Troll

10-24-2006, 9:09am

That is interesting that they would ask her.

FinnFreak

10-24-2006, 9:31am

That is interesting that they would ask her.

...and also the fact, that she wasn't available... (someone's busy with work, perhaps..?)

John - ;)

FinnFreak

10-26-2006, 7:42am

RIC The Anchor, RI - Tuesday, 24 October 2006

The New Skinny on Skin and Bones

Written by Stephanie Slezsak

What is our world coming to? I apologize if this article may sound directed towards women at this time, but this matter is getting out of hand. The recent updates on the new sizes for women (girls, suck your bellies in and prepare yourselves) are scary enough for me to go hide and take cover in the nearest Burger King. Banana Republic and the uber fashion designer hordes are scraping together the new trend in size which soon can compete with the diameter of the fabric’s thickness themselves.

I am scared to introduce to you the new size of negative zero. That’s negative for all you who didn’t read this right. This beautiful new size is the real genius formula behind the new scientific invisibility technology they are trying to make today. Yes, we have finally found a way to apply invisibility to our lives! Gee-whiz, we should have known that one…guys, how come we couldn’t come up with this before? Starvation and negative zero sizes will do the trick.

One of the great throne rooms of fashion rule in Madrid, Spain held a runway show of models that were just a little bit away from looking like Egyptians hieroglyphics, as if you had just lifted them off the papyrus.

The organizers of the new show had put a ban after watching the ridiculous “could-they-still-be-alive?” newly-starved diameter-defying corpses from Auschwitz. Spain had declared a new rule for fashion designers of refusing to let any model under a certain Body Mass Index to enter the runway and model. Of course the designers were furious, but then every average, real-sized girl and woman all over the world who could read the news probably had the last straw.

Gone are the days when we would eat a bowl of chips and still feel like a woman. But these days, Shania Twain, we can’t feel like a woman if we cannot fit in a size two, let alone size negative zero. Gone are the days when our media and magazines showed girls who were healthy and strong, cheerful and intelligent. I’m not giving an excuse for obesity, but there must a healthy middle. The women that are shown in fashion magazines, the actresses in Hollywood and all over the spotlighted limelight world show a standard that the real average Jane cannot hold up to. We don’t have personal trainers or dieticians hovering over us, ready to parrot every small psychological endeavor for us to choose a celery stick over a cinnamon bun.

It is time real woman are portrayed in fashion magazines and Hollywood. Do those celebrities even care about their young fans at all? Just to mention celebrities and models in the fashion industry, we could talk of the great responsibility one has in front of 300 million views in America, and that’s not including the rest of the world. They should stop talking about changing the world, wishing to change the government when so many influential buttons are laid right before them like a Star Trek command station.

I am sorry if I disturb someone with a Whopper and fries in my hands, but when I’m hungry, I’m hungry. That’s what makes me human. Who am I trying to make myself ugly for, anyway? Can’t people understand that most people don’t consider uber-thin women pretty. Now, naturally skinny girls, don’t take this personal, but I’m talking about a fashion industry and media that puts out a collection of bones and clavicles as an excuse for fashion instead of the personality of the dress or the model’s face.

What next? Next, fashion model recruiters new qualifications will look something like this:

Wanted: Bring in the new and improved negative 20, heck, lose the 20; we can use the corpse, because we’ll supply the clothes and strings to move the hands and legs around. Don’t need live humans. We want the new “dead” look.

Y’all I’m feelin’ for some Kentucky Fried Chicken just about now. As they say in Rhode Island, “’Am staavd.”

http://anchorweb.org/content/view/1112/

:funny:

Toronto Sun - Thu, October 26, 2006

Forget about southern drawl. Country songbird Dani Strong's betting her Newmarket twang will win over the Nashville Star judges

By MICHELE MANDEL

Dani Strong knew right away that she didn't quite fit in.

"Definitely my accent," she chuckles. "Everybody was so Southern. I figured I'm going to get tossed out for not having a Southern drawl."

Instead, the singer-songwriter from Newmarket has just learned that out of 20,000 contestants, she is one of 56 finalists and the only Canadian to make it to next week's regional finals for Nashville Star, country music's equivalent of American Idol.

Which is all pretty exciting for a 24-year-old songbird who hates reality TV and calls the Idol shows little more than "karaoke contests."

"I've always been against these," the outspoken Strong admits sheepishly over lunch, "but I always said that if I did one of them, I'd do Nashville Star -- they actually encourage you to play music and they encourage you to write your own songs."

It was on a whim that she went down to Indiana last month to line up with hundreds of other hopefuls and try her luck. She had just 30 seconds to impress the producers but it was enough to get her a call back the next day. She was then sent home to Newmarket to wait by the phone.

'LUCKY 56'

The call came a very long six weeks later -- Strong had beaten out thousands of contestants to become one of the "lucky 56" finalists. Next Friday, she will perform in front of a live audience in Nashville in a bid to become one of the final 10. The five men and five women chosen will appear on the fifth season of the show which begins Jan. 11 on USA Network with Jewel as co-host.

"I just want to get there so bad. I've never been to Nashville, I've never been out of Canada until last winter," she says, her voice a ripple of excitement. "I'm not scared, though. I don't know why."

Perhaps because Strong has been singing "forever" and writing songs since she was 13. When she is not teaching guitar to kids, she is performing gigs around the GTA. She says she loves all genres of music -- she even started out as a rocker -- but her heart is in country.

At the regional finals, she plans to sing What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts and Pumpkin, a touching song she wrote for her dad when she was a struggling York University music student without enough money to buy him a Father's Day gift.

Now the Lake Simcoe boat salesman will be in the Nashville audience next week cheering her on. "I just know I can't look at my dad," she says, "because if I see him crying, I'll lose it."

She promised him that she was going to be a star when she decided to drop out of university in 2002. But there was another reason why she had to leave school -- she was reeling from the sudden death of her best friend from meningitis. "I kept saying I was okay, but I wasn't," she recalls.

Since then, Strong has been pursuing her dream -- in her friend's memory. People tell her she sounds like a young Sheryl Crow while others wonder whether she'll be the next Shania Twain -- all of which makes her laugh once again. "I think Shania Twain is unbelievable and a massive inspiration but I don't think of her as a country artist.

"I don't want to be the next anybody," she adds. "That's what I try and avoid."

She knows the industry well enough to understand that it doesn't hurt that she's an attractive blond. But she is also adamant about being true to herself. That's why she's not willing to get rid of her lip ring -- or enhance parts of her body.

She was just 18 when a few shady men in suits offered her a record deal. It sounded great, until they got to the fine print. "They told me I needed a boob job. I turned it down."

Now she has a real chance at making it big. Other Canadians have done well on these American talent contests -- from Lukas Rossi of Rock star: Supernova to J.D. Fortune of Rock Star: INXS. Canadian George Canyon, a 2004 Nashville Star finalist, went on to win Male Artist of the Year and Single of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards.

'I HAVE WHAT IT TAKES'

"I just want to get on that stage," Strong says. "I know I have what it takes."

She certainly has talent, looks and a great sense of humour. And then there's her Canadian edge. Nashville Star asked her to film a typical day in her life -- so she naturally took her video camera to a hockey game.

"I'm a hardcore Leaf fan," she says.

And there are certainly not too many of those among her fellow contestants.

Strong has also spent these last frenzied days before she heads to Nashville filling out pages of background checks for the show, including listing every possible traffic citation she's ever had. "They want to make sure we don't have any skeletons in our closet."

The final question on the multitude of forms asks if there's anything in her background that would be an embarrassment to her, the producers or the talent show.

And actually, Strong smiles, there is.

"I wrote that I was the best belcher in my high school," she says with pride. "I can do anything in a burp."

http://torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2006/10/26/2134643-sun.html

John - ;)

FinnFreak

10-26-2006, 9:00am

Hall Of Fame Magazine

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

http://www.hofmag.com/images/stories/09282006/willie_nelson/1159428018_280p.jpg
In sync: Willie Nelson and Shania Twain bridge
two generations of country music.

The following is an excerpt from: Will The Circle Be Unbroken: Country Music in America

edited by Paul Kingsbury & Alana Nash

Produced by DK Publishing and the Country Music Hall of Fame

Red Headed Stranger

In 1973 [Willie] Nelson left RCA for the more progressive Atlantic Records – the label that launched Ray Charles and Led Zeppelin – after A&R chief Jerry Wexler decided that Atlantic should have a country division.

"It was 1973," Wexler recalled in his autobiography, "when Willie was looked down on by Nashville's assembly-line producers as eccentric. But his eccentricity was exactly what attracted me. I suggested he use his own band, something he'd always been denied, since I wanted him to be comfortable…

"Other than Willie, we never broke any [country] artists. Given time, I'm sure we would have pulled it off, but as Atlantic's chief financial officer, Ahmet [Ertegun] made the call: it's in the red, so close it down."

Running a country music division was an interesting idea that could have further changed country if Atlantic had not too easily abandoned the idea, as Wexler, one of the most accomplished producers in pop and R&B (after successes with the likes of Aretha Franklin) could have wrought unimaginable wonders in country. As it was, Nelson's two Atlantic albums, Shotgun Willie (1973) and Phases and Stages (1974) were well-thought-out aural sagas that have stood up remarkably well over the years. Phases and Stages actually was something of a hit for Willie, selling nearly half a million copies. More significantly, though, at Atlantic, Nelson learned who he was as a recording artist.

His next record, Red Headed Stranger, was a natural outgrowth of where Nelson was headed after his brief but fruitful stint at Atlantic. When Columbia Records signed Nelson he was suddenly a hot property, and after a small bidding was with Warner Bros. Records, Nelson got what he had wanted all along: total artistic control. So he headed down to tiny Garland, Texas (near Dallas), to a studio that had been used mostly for recording advertising jingles. There, in three days and for only $20,000 of studio costs, he cut Red Headed Stranger. When he brought the album to Columbia Records in Nashville, head A&R man Billy Sherrill argued against releasing the album. It was unfinished, he said, It sounded like a demo. Other execs agreed with him. But Nelson stuck to his guns and noted that his contract gave him final say. "They thought it was under produced, too sparse, all those things," Nelson wrote in his autobiography. "Even though they didn't like it, they had already paid me a bunch of money for it, so they had to release it under my contract. And since they had money in it, they had to promote it."

It is impossible now to overstate the impact of this seminal 1975 album. It legitimized and intellectualized country, and immediately made country a mainstream popular phenomenon. A concept album about a mysterious hombre who rides into town from nowhere, kills a saloon girl who tries to steal one of his horses, and then rides off, Red Headed Stranger had mythic resonance. It is a brilliant saga-song western epic album, a very minimalist work, but one that plucks every heartstring, wrings every emotion, subtly explores eerie aspects of the human condition. And it just plain sounded good. Buoyed by the album's first single, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," – Nelson's first No. 1 – Red Headed Stranger built into a massive seller and proved the worth of country-music concept albums. Above all, though, it turned Willie Nelson into a star.

http://www.hofmag.com/content/view/216/29/

John - :)

Troll

10-26-2006, 9:06am

Thanks for the articles.

AdorableEilleen

10-26-2006, 9:01pm

Good read.

FinnFreak

10-27-2006, 5:36am

CNW Telbec (Communiqués de presse), Canada - Oct. 26, 2006

Who is Gregory Charles?

Canada's biggest selling debut of the year takes the music industry by surprise

QUEBEC-BASED SUPERSTAR GREGORY CHARLES' NEW ALBUM I THINK OF YOU
DEBUTS AT No. 1 ACROSS CANADA

TORONTO, Oct. 26 /CNW/ - Quebec-based superstar Gregory Charles was
barely known outside of his home province until today when his songwriting
debut album, I Think Of You, toppled the debut sales record for 2006 with a
staggering 109,278 copies sold across Canada. Gregory Charles surpasses
first-week sales by Madonna, Eminem, U2, Coldplay and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Not since Shania Twain's Up! album, released in 2002, has a Canadian artist
reached sales of this magnitude in their debut week. This statistic is even
more impressive considering that I Think Of You has not yet been launched
outside of Quebec.

In Quebec, Gregory Charles is a renowned performer, singer, songwriter,
actor and pianist. Over the years, Charles has been host to many radio and
television shows, receiving accolades for his work and has been awarded
numerous Gemini and Felix Awards. It was not until Charles launched his
critically acclaimed Black and White theatre show in 2002 that he established
himself as a Quebec superstar. This show was seen by over 300,000 fans and
still holds the record at the Bell Centre Theatre for most performances by an
artist.

Following the closing of Black and White, Gregory Charles began writing
and recording I Think Of You. The first single and title track from Charles'
new album has already enjoyed great success at Quebec radio stations,
holding the No. 1 spot for eleven consecutive weeks. SOCAN recognized
the track "I Think Of You" as one of the most played songs from this past
year. This single is currently being made available to radio stations outside
of Quebec.

Gregory Charles' I Think Of You will be released outside of Quebec in the
Spring of 2007.

For further information: Erin Smyth, SONY BMG MUSIC (CANADA) INC.,
Tel: (416) 589-3208, erin.smyth@sonybmg.com

http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/October2006/26/c4790.html

John - :)

canoilers

10-27-2006, 8:44am

Thanks for the articles John.

Troll

10-27-2006, 9:15am

Thanks for the article.

Troll

10-28-2006, 9:04am

Elvis and Shania

Two sky-crane helicopters are due to arrive in Sydney tomorrow to help fight bush-fires over the summer.

The water bombers, "Elvis" and "Shania", are being brought from the US and will be sent to their bases later in the week after fine-tuning.

Mr Kelly says the helicopters are only needed for four months over summer.

"We're leasing four in the fire season when we need them ... so what we're doing is concentrating it in one part of the year," he said.

"And that's a more economic bid.

"Also there's been a parliamentary inquiry, that's concluded that it's a far more economic and rational approach to lease them."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1775771.htm

dreamer

10-28-2006, 5:47pm

this may not make sense or it may whenever i see any article on appearances (physical) no matter what kind i want to scream and cry " HOW DARE YOU YOU DON'T KNOW I HAVE FELT IT AND FEEL IT BREATHING DOWN MY NECK ALL THE TIME AND PART OF ME MISSES BEING SICK! HOW CAN YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE JUST SHUT UP IT HURTS MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW JUST SHUT UP!" sorry i just hate when people talk like that and they can't REALLY understand i feel better for now:love:

canoilers

10-29-2006, 7:33am

FinnFreak

10-30-2006, 4:41am

Biloxi Sun Herald - Mon, Oct. 30, 2006

Country star Adkins rocks Coast crowd

By KATE MAGANDY

BILOXI - You know how you expect people to be a certain way based on your perceptions? And in the case of musical artists, we base our perceptions on their songs and music videos.

So when CMT brought Trace Adkins to town Saturday night - along with Jason Aldean and Billy Currington - the image was of a good-time guy with a raucous sense of humor and a fierce loyalty to God, country and Mama.

Turns out, we were right.

Adkins put on a show of just over an hour that rocked, rolled and rollicked through 18 songs that pretty much said, "This is Trace Adkins." And if that wasn't enough to convince you, some of his comments should have.

The long, tall singer from Louisiana started off with "Songs About Me" and ripped through two more before taking a cut at his new single, "Swing."

"A lot of people thought this song was about baseball, but it's not about baseball," he said with his trademark half-grin. "It's about how women control the whole thing and we're just sitting on the bench saying 'Take me out to the ballgame.'

He followed that with one of his first hits, "Every Light in the House is On," which he dedicated to South Mississippi: "This is for all the folks in Biloxi who kept the lights on."

His patriotic side came out with the poignant "Arlington," about a soldier laid to rest in the National Cemetery.

"I sing a lot of songs that are irreverent, but when I do this, I always approach it with reverence," he said, pausing to thank the military after finishing the song.

Then he added his two cents about the upcoming elections, saying celebrity endorsements should not be a factor in decisions on Election Day.

"Do your own research; don't leave it to idiots like me," he said.

He ran through some R&B-flavored tunes and a couple from his new album, "Dangerous Man," including the title track, before finishing up with three of his best-known cuts, "Rough and Ready," "One Hot Mama," "Honkeytonk Badonkadonk."

All in all, the audience responded with fevered enthusiasm to all three artists. Aldean, a relative newcomer, played a 40-minute, seven-song set that included his hits "Why" and "Hicktown."

Currington strutted and swayed through his set, appealing to the women in the audience with his ballad, "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" and Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," before finishing up with his Shania Twain duet, "We're Having A Party," with the audience singing Twain's part.

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/local/15882924.htm

John - :cool:

canoilers

10-30-2006, 8:04am

Awesome stuff thanks for the article John.

Troll

10-30-2006, 9:20am

Thanks for the article.

FinnFreak

10-31-2006, 2:56am

Business Wire (press release) - October 30, 2006

''I Am Coming Home'' Inspires the Hearts of Patriotic Heroes

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GrandVista Music, the newest label on Nashville’s Music Row, released an inspiring heartfelt commemorative Veteran’s Day project, “I Am Coming Home,” which is dedicated to the U.S. soldiers past and present.

Vietnam Veteran and West Point graduate, David Mastran writes this tribute song inspired by his own experience in Vietnam missing his wife and yearning to come home. “As I started writing songs, I felt the need to write one that we would have wanted to sing back then and make it general so troops overseas today could relate to it for years to come,” explains Mastran.

“I Am Coming Home” is a love song of courage, devotion and promise written as only a soldier could write with so much heart and passion. It is proven to capture the joy, patriotism, pride, and gratification that only a welcomed home warrior can know as it is actively being incorporated in veteran celebrations nationwide.

The song is sung by a top Nashville artist, Perry Danos, who opened for several artists including Eddie Rabbitt, Charlie Daniels, Leon Russell, among others. Danos is a dynamic vocalist, songwriter and entertainer who first debuted “I Am Coming Home” for soldiers and their families at “God Bless Fort Benning Day 2005” in Columbus, Georgia. “The enthusiasm in this song is both a tribute to this moving, timely matter and dedicated to our courageous veterans.”

ABC Radio Network is featuring a special promotional giveaway to 137 “Timeless” format stations nationwide in honor of Veteran’s Day. This proves to be a great testament to the quality and poignancy of the song and to the importance of honoring our veterans as the format consists of oldies and no new material. The “Music of Your Life” format is also airing the song nationwide to 206 stations.

Perry Danos has also appeared in Shania Twain’s video “No One Needs To Know” and Gretchen Wilson’s “When I Think About Cheatin’.”

“I Am Coming Home” features exclusive timeless footage of combat incorporated with footage of soldiers being reunited with their families.

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061030005148&newsLang=en

* * *

Richmond.com, VA - Monday, October 30, 2006

Remote Patrol - Our can't miss TV picks for Oct. 30 - Nov. 5

Family pick: "40 Days That Shaped Country Music," airing Saturday at 8 p.m. on the Country Music Television.

This two-hour special promises to highlight the "big breaks, breakups, hook-ups and more" that shaped country music. Complete with special appearances by Reba McEntire, Big & Rich, Shania Twain and Garth Brooks - no word whether or not Chris Gaines will make an appearance.

http://www.richmond.com/ae/output.aspx?Article_ID=4467203&Vertical_ID=127&tier=1&position=2

John - ;)

canoilers

10-31-2006, 8:37am

Awesome stuff thanks for the postings there Mr. Post Master.

Troll

10-31-2006, 9:10am

Thanks for the articles.

Troll

10-31-2006, 9:24am

Today in 1998, Shania Twain notches her seventh No. 1 country single with "Honey I'm Home."

AdorableEilleen

11-01-2006, 3:14pm

I do like seeing all these Shania mentions.

FinnFreak

11-02-2006, 2:06am

The Brandon Sun - Wednesday, November 1st, 2006

Quebec performer Gregory Charles sets sights on English Canada with new CD

TORONTO (CP) - Quebec personality Gregory Charles is out to bridge the cultural divide between English Canada and his home province with a CD that has already clobbered two of the country's most cherished icons in sales.

In its first two weeks of release, his debut English-language collection of love songs, "I Think of You," has topped the album chart with more than triple the sales of new CDs by the Tragically Hip and Sarah McLachlan in the same period, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan Canada.

Roughly 90 per cent of his disc's sales were in Quebec, but the chart success bodes well for his chances to conquer the rest of Canada, the versatile performer suggested by phone from his home in Montreal.

"I'm maybe one of those people that can bridge that great divide," Charles says of the fact that many Quebec sensations - even the English-speaking ones - are practically invisible in the rest of Canada.

Despite his fame in Quebec as a TV host and interpreter of classic songs, Charles is little known outside the province. But he says he's well-prepared to change that, just as international superstar Celine Dion did before him.

"It is a hurdle, but I'm willing to start over," says Charles, whose biographical musical show "Black and White" packed Montreal's Bell Centre for four years and toured New York and Toronto.

"I'm willing to be the person that in Quebec has been really well-known for the past 20 years and go to Ontario or to Manitoba or to British Columbia and be asked, 'OK, so who are you exactly?' "

Charles seemed to come out of nowhere when he debuted at the top of the album charts three weeks ago with his new disc, selling nearly 93,000 copies of "I Think of You" compared to the Hip's 27,000 copies of "World Container" and McLachlan's 19,000 copies of "Wintersong."

He held onto the top spot in his second week with 44,000 copies in sales, while the Hip slipped to third place with 11,000 and McLachlan dropped to sixth place with 9,000.

Even though sales were heavily weighted towards Quebec, they are still remarkable figures, says Vanessa Thomas, general manager of Nielsen SoundScan.

Sales figures that high are typically reserved for established international stars such as Coldplay - the last act to achieve such heights when they came out with 2005's "X&Y."

"It's very high, especially for a Canadian artist," says Thomas, also noting that Quebec music fans tend to be known for their boosterism.

"That's usually reserved for a Celine (Dion) or a Shania (Twain) or somebody like that."

Charles credits the big sales to francophone enthusiasm, noting that even though "I Think of You" is an English-language disc, it occasionally gets filed in the "French" section of Quebec record stores.

The 38-year-old classically trained pianist says he hopes to soon win sales in the rest of Canada, describing himself as the "perfect Canadian."

His father is an English-speaking, black immigrant from Trinidad, while his mother is a white, French-speaking Quebecer.

He's also travelled the country extensively throughout his varied career, which included hosting the RDI/Newsworld show "Culture Shock" and various TV galas.

"While people are arguing about politics and Constitution and arguing about other stuff, there are people like me who are the results of the process, and people like (Canadian Idol winner and fellow Quebecer Eva) Avila, who are the result of this great mosaic of cultures," says Charles, whose cousin is Toronto hip-hop star k-os.

Despite his grand plans, he says there is one cultural hurdle too great to tackle: a truly bilingual, French/English disc.

Charles says he initially toyed with the idea of including both French and English songs on his album, but abandoned the thought following advice from supporters Dion and her husband and manager Rene Angelil.

They thought it would be too difficult to mesh such divergent cultures, and Charles ultimately agreed.

"Writing in English and writing in French is not the same thing," explains Charles, who toured with Dion years ago as a backup singer.

"Because a lot of the words are short, it's very easy to rhyme words in English and rhymes do not sound tacky in English. In French, when you start rhyming sentences, they sound really weird. ... For some reason ... a rock 'n' roll song will sound dirty in French."

http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=31003

John - ;)

FinnFreak

11-02-2006, 5:32am

The Wessex Scene - Thursday, 2 November, 2006

Roaring fashion: leopard print

http://www.shania.net/photogallery/tvvideos/141.jpg

By Antonia Peuleve

I couldn’t blame you for being particularly dubious of this current trend. After all we’ve seen the downright disturbing consequences of leopard print played out in our favourite soaps: the one and only Kat Slater, Frankie mutton-dressed-as-lamb Dean, Corrie’s Bette Lynch and I’m sure Pat Butcher has dabbled in a few extravaganzas - need I say more? But fear not!

This season’s feline print has been more impacted by a distinct punk influence than by a trashy one. Think pencil skirts, cute cropped jackets, quirky tees, scarves and shoes, or if you’re feeling especially brave why not indulge in a baggy mini dress? If on another hand you have a secret aspiration to achieve Shania Twain’s look in her song That Don’t Impress Me Much where she commits heinous crimes against fashion, your dreams have all come true at once: you too could soon sport one of the floor length leopard print coats (coming to a high street near you soon!). This season’s catwalks showed leopard print in a variety of colours: black and white, brown, red and purple, big and bold as well as delicate and subtle.

So, take a little walk on the wild side and team some black leggings or tights with a cute pair of killer platforms from Office (£65.99) or some gorgeous and ultra feminine flats from Dune (from £50). Match the look with a plain tank or black dress, striking panda eyes and top it all off with this season’s leather biker jacket, or perhaps a hot trilby hat. If you fancy being a little more adventurous why not invest in a pair of leopard print leggings (£10) or t-shirt from H&M (£9.99). Louis Vuitton has launched the ‘Leopard’ Scarf, seen on all the usuals; pick up a cheaper version from Primark or most of the other high street brands to add a little edge to an outfit.

Unless you’re Kate Moss avoid the top-to-toe Leopard look for the very real threat of being taken down by a poacher when enjoying a stroll in the Swaythling countryside. Fashion victim indeed. Instead, less is most definitely more here, keeping it loose rather than fitted. And if you still have your reservations, go for the darker coloured prints of purple or red to tone down the garishness enormously.

Leopard print offers a wholly quirky look, but approach with caution: go for subtle, funky and young.

http://www.wessexscene.co.uk/article.php?sid=1783

miaow

John - :p

FinnFreak

11-02-2006, 7:08am

PopMatters - 2 November 2006

The secret to country music’s growing success is young fans

by Jon Bream

Keri Dallman of Eagan, Minn., switches back and forth between her two favorite radio stations. But lately her loyalty has been lopsided—70 percent to the local country station and the rest to the local Top 40 station.

“Country lyrics hit closer to home,” said the 23-year-old hairstylist. “They’re a little more down-to-earth.”

Most Americans agree with her: Country ranks as the nation’s hottest musical genre. Check the numbers:

* Sales of country CDs are up 11 percent over last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan, while all other genres have declined and overall sales are down 5 percent. The bestselling album of 2006 is country trio Rascal Flatts’ “Me and My Gang.”

* The year’s bestselling concert tour is by the country’s first couple, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill; three other country acts are in the Top 10. The Upper Midwest’s top country festival, We Fest, sold out for the first time in its 24 years.

* Experts say Monday’s Country Music Association (CMA) Awards will draw more viewers than the Grammy show, as did last year’s CMAs, staged in New York City for the first time. New Yorkers certainly noticed the hillbillies—Vanity Fair, that arbiter of style, just ran a 33-page spread on country stars.

Why is country hotter than it’s been since the peak of Garth Brooks a decade ago?

A young audience is attracted to country’s fresh new faces—Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood and Sugarland, each of whom has had a 3-million-selling album this year.

Another reason is a void in other genres: There is no dominant pop, rock or rap artist, as 50 Cent, Norah Jones and OutKast were in recent years. Aside from classic rockers, the only musician playing stadiums this year is Kenny Chesney, one of country’s hottest figures of the past five years.

Still, Chesney, who attracts truckloads of high school and college students, is no Garth. This is not an explosion centered on one supernova. As Rascal Flatts’ album suggests, this is about the whole gang.

“It’s a really diverse, rich patchwork of characters,” said Country Music Television general manager Brian Phillips.

Rascal Flatts, a cuddly, unthreatening trio of married guys in their 30s, have become America’s biggest band without crossing over to pop.

“They haven’t made the Rolling Stone cover yet—and may not,” Phillips said.

The other hot stars are of various stripes.

There are the girls next door: “American Idol” Underwood, 23; Sugarland’s twangy-voiced Jennifer Nettles, 32, and the Wreckers, the duo of ex-pop star Michelle Branch, 23, and Jessica Harp, 24.

Then there are the newer guys on the block: curly-haired, roguish Dierks Bentley, 30, high-energy mavericks Big & Rich, and playful Brad Paisley, 34, the token traditionalist among today’s newer male stars.

Established acts include Chesney, 38, and studly, rock-leaning Keith Urban, 39, who both married Hollywood movie stars, and the hunky McGraw, 39, who is trying to become a movie star.

Then there are some surprises: Bon Jovi, the veteran New Jersey rockers, had a No.1 country duet this year with Nettles. And craggy-voiced country giant Johnny Cash, whose posthumous income recently moved into fourth place behind rock legends Kurt Cobain, Elvis Presley and John Lennon, has proved that something old can be new again.

Don’t discount the Dixie Chicks, either. Even though they’ve thumbed their noses at country fans and radio programmers, their new CD, “Taking the Long Way,” ranks among the year’s bestsellers, at about 2 million copies.

The Chicks, like McGraw and Hill, have broad followings—from preteens to grandparents.

So does Alan Jackson, a star since Garth’s heyday who packed the Minnesota State Fair’s grandstand this year. “Look at my crowd: there’s young kids, teenagers, old people,” he said at the fair. “Some people look like a lawyer, some like a farmer. Just all kinds.”

Indeed, country seems to be the only safe family-friendly choice.

“There’s nothing else for them to listen to,” argues Jackson, 48. “Some of the teenage stuff is a little rough for younger kids, like rap and that kind of stuff. And people my age and older—unless you want to listen to oldies, I don’t know what other format you’d find some music on.”

For many fans, it comes down to the message of the music. And whether people are concerned about the Iraq war, the U.S. economy or their own love life, country seems to speak to them.

“I believe our country is in unfamiliar territory,” Chesney said in an interview. “There are a lot of heartstrings being pulled, a lot of things going on emotionally. When that happens, maybe people are gravitating to more lyrically driven songs.”

That is definitely the case for Marissa Chryst, 26, a manufacturing manager from Bloomington, Minn. Eclectic in her musical tastes, she has the current Nickelback and Rascal Flatts albums as well as everything that McGraw, Hill and Shania Twain have released. She downloads pop singles but she stopped listening to new rap music a couple of years ago.

“Rap, rock and pop sing about the same stuff with just different words,” she said. “Country seems more real than a lot of music. Country is about everything you go through (in life). More people can relate to it.”

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/news/article/7114/the-secret-to-country-musics-growing-success-is-young-fans/

John - :)

Troll

11-02-2006, 9:06am

Thanks for the articles.

FinnFreak

11-03-2006, 3:48am

Canada NewsWire (press release) - Nov. 2, 2006

THE GLOBE AND MAIL

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Canadians pick friends & family, Trudeau, Oprah, Einstein, & Gretzky
among most desired party guests

Saturday's GlobeStyle Reports on the Secrets of Hosting a Great Party

TORONTO, Nov. 2 /CNW/ - If Canadians could invite anyone (living or dead)
to a dinner party, their first choices would be friends and family, followed
by Pierre Trudeau, Oprah Winfrey, Albert Einstein, and Wayne Gretzky,
according to research commissioned by The Globe and Mail. In this Saturday's
newspaper, the GlobeStyle section is devoted to the art of hosting great
parties.

"The holiday party season is gearing up," said The Globe and Mail's Karen
von Hahn, "so we dropped in on a dinner given by one of Toronto's hottest
hostesses to see what turns a good party into a great party."

Von Hahn joined a dinner held by Toronto art curator Judith Tatar and
reports on all aspects of the planning, including guest selection, theme,
décor, the menu and the music.

"Good parties are a lot like magic," von Hahn explains. "It's as if the
hostess lights a certain spark, and then they have a life of their own."

The Globe and Mail's guide to a great party is designed to help Canadian
party hosts find that magic spark for their own event and includes advice on
organization and planning, recipes from Globe food writer Lucy Waverman, wine
recommendations from wine writer Beppi Crosariol, and fashion advice from The
Globe's Russell Smith and Leanne Delap.

Dream Dinner Guests

In a national poll, The Globe and Mail asked what person, living or dead,
Canadians would like to invite to a dinner party. The results were intriguing
and diverse:

- Nationally, the most popular choices were friends and family
including mother/father/parents (17 per cent), friends (8 per cent),
grandparents (7 per cent), spouse (4 per cent), children and
grandchildren (3 per cent);

- 3 per cent of respondents said Jesus or God;

- Among celebrities, the most popular names (garnering 2-4 per cent
each) were: Pierre Trudeau, Oprah Winfrey, Albert Einstein, and Wayne
Gretzky;

- The next most frequent selections were: Mahatma Gandhi, Winston
Churchill, John Lennon, Mother Teresa, Elvis Presley, the Dalai Lama,
Madonna and Princess Diana;

- In addition to Gretzky, sports figures named included: Michael
Jordan, Gordie Howe, Tiger Woods, and Maurice Richard;

- Political figures selected included: Trudeau, Churchill, Stephen
Harper, Tommy Douglas, Brian Mulroney, and Rene Levesque;

- Celebrity choices included: Oprah, Elvis, Madonna, Shania Twain,
James Dean, Kurt Cobain, Donald Trump, Johnny Cash, Elton John, and
Mick Jagger;

- Poll respondents from Ontario were more likely to name parents
(15 per cent), friends (9 per cent), grandparents (8 per cent); Jesus
or God (4 per cent), or spouse (4 per cent). Other selections
included Trudeau, Einstein, children and grandchildren, Oprah,
siblings, and Churchill (all at 2 per cent);

- Popular choices from B.C. included parents (10 percent), friends
(7 per cent), Jesus/God (5 per cent), grandparents (5 per cent),
Trudeau (4 per cent), Oprah, and the Dalai Lama (each 3 per cent);

- Albertans' top choices included friends and family, Jesus/God
(5 per cent), Einstein (3 per cent), Churchill, Gandhi, Elvis
Presley, and Oprah (each 2 per cent);

- Among their selections, Maritimers named mother/father/parents most
often (19 per cent), followed my grandparents (9 per cent), then
Trudeau (6 per cent), Oprah (5 per cent) and their spouse
(5 per cent);

- Respondents from Manitoba and Saskatchewan named family members first
(collectively 35 per cent), followed by Trudeau (3 per cent), Gretzky
(3 per cent), Shania Twain, Mother Teresa, and Tommy Douglas
(each 2 per cent);

- In Quebec, family and friends overwhelmingly came first (collectively
67 per cent), followed by Madonna (2 per cent) and Gandhi
(2 per cent). Pierre Trudeau, Rene Levesque and Maurice Richard were
also named;

- Among other individual answers given nationally (each less than
1 per cent): Stephen Harper, Bill Gates, Martin Luther King, Abraham
Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Brian Mulroney, the Pope, Bill Clinton, the
Queen, Plato, Terry Fox, Katharine Hepburn, Jimi Hendrix, Nellie
McClung, John F. Kennedy, and Leonardo da Vinci.

The Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper, is a division of Bell
Globemedia, a dynamic multi-media company, which also owns CTV Inc., Canada's
number-one private broadcaster.

About the poll: the poll was conducted between October 26 - October 30,
2006 via a national omnibus telephone survey conducted by Decima Research
among a representative sample of 1000 adult Canadians. The margin of error is
+/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2006/02/c7685.html

John - :)

FinnFreak

11-03-2006, 7:41am

Toronto Sun - Fri, November 3, 2006

If you've ever suffered from back pain
-- and 80% of you have -- laying off
sex is the easy part. Finding relief is
something else entirely

By MIKE STROBEL

Look how she moves! It's like Jell-O on springs -- Jack Lemmon eyes Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot.

Hot. Cold. Heat or ice. Which works best?

This is just one of the mysteries of LBP. Lower back pain.

Odds are very high you know what I mean.

More than 80% of you have suffered LBP. The number rises as we baby boomers age and fall to pieces.

Backache is second only to cold-and-flu as the reason North Americans see their doctor.

Part of a columnist's job is to experience bad things on your behalf, to spare you the trouble and pain.

So, a week ago, I pretended to be 20 again on my home gym and purposely wrecked my back. Now, I list 20 degrees to port.

My pleasure. Glad to help. Here is what I have learned:

First of all, you might as well crawl into a hole and die in agony. Ask 10 health pros and you will get 10 different causes and cures for backache.

Use hot, one pharmacist tells me. Use cold, says a sports therapist.

You can even buy wraps that start cold and finish hot. Covers all bases, I suppose. Cuts down on lawsuits.

Better, I think, to fly down to the rain forests of Latin America and dig up an herb called Strong Back.

In Belize, they soak it in rum. Nothing like it after a hard day of casting for bonefish or adzing your dugout canoe.

Beware. The herb is also an aphrodisiac. Careful you don't throw your back out again.

In South Africa, some sufferers grind up aloe in Aspirin-sized balls and mix with honey.

Not so common now is this practice: Cut your toenails and a tuft of hair. Wrap them in cloth and hide them in a tree.

Works great on your back, unless you fall out of the tree.

Native North Americans have long used horsemint and other plants to soothe aching backs.

The Catawba Indians of Carolina use a rub of arnica root.

No arnica root in your pantry? You have vinegar, surely. Try two cups in a hot bath.

Garlic is supposed to be a daily backache preventive.

Use both and, even if your back is no better, at least you will smell like salad dressing.

Lavender flowers and vodka, steeped for three days, is said to work. As a rub, you lush. DO NOT DRINK.

Tabasco Sauce? Apparently, its chili pepper extracts soothe back nerves. Then, cool with toothpaste.

No? Well, music may soothe your savage back. The Men's Health magazine in my bathroom says LBP sufferers feel 20% better after an hour of music a day for a week.

Researchers in Cleveland figure the music distracts you from the pain, or it relaxes muscles.

Results are best if you choose your own songs, though I would steer clear of Shania Twain.

You gotta shimmy shake

Make the earth quake

Kick, turn, stomp, stomp, then you jump

Heel to toe, Do Si Do

'Til your feet and your back ache

Try Johnny Cash. No one did hurtin' songs better.

Still can't walk the line?

You are in good company. JFK had back problems. Katherine Hepburn. Paul Newman. Mario Lemieux. Jennifer Aniston has back pain to match her broken heart.

Athletes like Charles Barkley, Fred Couples and Seve Ballesteros are prone. Even 007, Sean Connery.

And Michelangelo's David, of all people, that icon of the human form. Warns one expert:

"Standing like that weakens the right side. He will have a weakness in the right hip and suffer from lower back weakness and pain. His pelvis is wrong; it is thrust forward and pushing into the right hip."

Younger stars are even worse. The slouchy, hip-thrusting "who cares" walk of Paris Hilton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kirsten Dunst and the like, is a surefire route to back woes.

High heels and hip-hugging jeans are hell on posture, too.

No, a bad back is no laughing matter.

In a U.S. study more than half of LBP sufferers said they would give up sex for six months if it meant relief.

So, break out the vinegar and garlic. Or do what makes sense. Ask your GP (I must call Doctor G), or naturopath or acupuncturist or Feldenkrais teacher or whoever you trust. Search the Internet. "Backache" gets 1.8 million Google hits.

Remember, diagnosis is iffy. X-rays won't see muscle strain and even MRIs are not foolproof.

Could be a pull, a tear, a bulging disk, arthritis, or a host of other ills. Nearly 85% of backaches are never figured out. It just hurts.

Pass me the horse liniment. Make it hot. Or cold.

http://torontosun.com/News/OtherNews/2006/11/03/2219827-sun.html

* * *

Philadelphia Daily News - Fri, Nov. 03, 2006

Tattbits

• The December Playboy not only features the first nude shots of Internet pin-up Cindy Margolis, but an interview with the Dixie Chicks. Our fave quote:

"We never felt cool by any means," says Natalie Maines, "and we were never talked about as being hot or pretty. Shania was the hot one, and Faith was the beautiful one. And we were like, 'Well, we have talent.' "

Also Chick Martie Maguire talks about her struggles with infertility. "I did the gynecological world tour," she says. "I can't tell you how many people have seen me naked. When I went to a doctor in Sweden, I found out he was a trainer for the Klitschko brothers, the boxers...

(Only in Playboy are the boxers named Klitschko.)

"... And I was like, 'I'm going to see a sports trainer? I'm really going to spread them for a sports trainer?' The office had books stacked everywhere, and papers and files and the table right in the middle. It felt as though I was in a backstreet abortion clinic. It was horrible. But he was so nice. And he was the one who told me I was pregnant."

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/living/15917720.htm

...that's it. I'm off. Time to go home & sink my teeth in the latest Meat Loaf - I've had the thing for over a week now & still haven't had time to listen to it. That's gonna change. Now. Play nice.

John - ;)

Troll

11-03-2006, 8:55am

Great articles.

canoilers

11-04-2006, 6:40am

More great add ons John, thanks again for posting these.

Troll

11-04-2006, 9:45am

The John Labatt Centre has had many sold-out shows, but nobody bought all the tickets as fast as Elton John's fans on the morning of Sept. 15, 2006. Exact figures aren't available, but the downtown London arena sold about 9,000 tickets that morning at a record rate.

The champ: Elton John, Nov. 5, 2006, five minutes.

Second place (tie): Shania Twain, 2004; Avril Lavigne, 2003, six minutes.

Fourth place: Cher, 2002, nine minutes.

Fifth place (tie): A Royal Christmas, 2002; Metallica, 2004, 11 minutes

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/Music/2006/11/04/2230976-sun.html

shania megafan

11-04-2006, 4:04pm

Thanks for posting! and wow.. sold-out in 6 minutes :p

canoilers

11-05-2006, 6:09am

That kinda makes me sad, but thanks for the article. For the next album Shania will sell out in 4. I'll buy every ticket if I have too.

FinnFreak

11-07-2006, 2:06am

Business Wire (press release), CA - November 06, 2006

Canadian Star Patricia Conroy Brings New Emotion
to Upcoming CD "Talking to Myself"

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Everyone's talking about Patricia Conroy and her soon to be released CD Talking To Myself. Despite a release date still months away, her latest project is already creating a buzz.

Her first album in six years marks a new chapter for the accomplished artist. Known for number one hits such as “Bad Day for Trains” and “Keep Me Rockin’,” the Canadian star wrote or co-wrote all 11 tracks of what insiders claim to be a milestone in her already impressive career.

Strong songwriting is evident throughout the CD which explores many emotional themes – from infatuation in “Everything You Do” to maturation in “Wild Card” to a gutsy determination such as the resilience displayed in “Save Your Breath.”

“Talking to Myself” speaks about the struggles to reach elusive goals and the futility of those efforts at times.

“I didn’t write the song as an anthem,” commented Conroy. “I was simply expressing what I was going through. From the strong response, I must have touched an emotional nerve.”

From an early age, Conroy has felt music’s power to connect people and move them emotionally. Born in multicultural Montreal, Patricia was raised in an environment influenced by the French culture, her father’s strong Irish roots, and her mother’s love of country music. She speaks fondly of the songs that flowed through her home as a little girl, which ultimately led to the pursuit of a music career years later.

With eight number one singles and five number one videos, that career has proven to be very fruitful. Recently Conroy added yet another award to her collection at this year’s Canadian Country Music Awards for “Independent Female Vocalist.”

Talking to Myself was produced by husband Bob Funk and co-produced by Kevin Churko of Shania Twain and The Corrs fame. It’s an innovative album with a fresh sound and an emotional depth fans will find hard to resist.

The recently released single and video for “Talking to Myself” hit the airwaves in Canada in October.

The official release date for the album is January 30, 2007 on Fontana North/Universal Music Canada.

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061106006140&newsLang=en

John - :)

FinnFreak

11-07-2006, 4:03am

The Tennessean - Tuesday, 11/07/06

Red carpet fashions? Men just don't get it

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/FinnFreak/MarcBouwer.jpg
Marc Bouwer

New York designer Marc Bouwer’s ultra-glam couture
line has dressed stars such as Angelina Jolie, Whitney
Houston, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Marcia Cross, Heidi
Klum, Paris Hilton, Shania Twain and Toni Braxton.

Last year, fashion designer Marc Bouwer dressed Shania Twain for the CMA awards show in New York. This year, Bouwer watched the red carpet and awards show from afar as it traveled back to Nashville. Monday night, he offered The Tennessean these comments about this year's fashions.

In general, "The men seem to be way behind the women in the fashion department. I would like to see more diversity with the men and a little less leather.

Leather and suede has become such a cliché with country. I think it's time to let it go, especially with the men."

The specifics:

• Sheryl Crow, red carpet: "Black lace one shoulder gown — beautiful and tasteful. She looks very healthy and happy."

• Eva Longoria "is always well-dressed and has proved to be a major fashion plate. This dress is cute and flirty but I always prefer to see her in more body-conscious clothes."

• Gretchen Wilson: "White jacket and jeans — last year really upped the ante, and this look didn't quite measure up, and was more appropriate for a sporting event."

• The Wreckers: "Dresses are very of-the-moment with their voluminous shape. These girls are beautiful, however the red dress seemed a little mature and heavy handed in the shoulder detail."

• Jennifer Nettles, red carpet: "I love this dress! She looks absolutely stunning. The dress is draped beautifully and I love the low back. It's a great exit dress. My favorite so far."

• Jennifer Nettles, performance: "This is the casual look done right. She is very fashionable, with the sleek lines, skinny jeans, ruoched high-neck top, ballet flats, and the belt to the side. She just looks sexy!"

• Ronnie Dunn: "Typical cowboy garb."

• Jon Bon Jovi: "We get the biker chic but I think we are ready for a new look. He is such a great-looking guy."

• Kenny Chesney: "Not much to this look, very country."

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061107/ENTERTAINMENT0105/611070369/1419/ENTERTAINMENT50

John - ;)

canoilers

11-07-2006, 6:42am

Troll

11-07-2006, 8:37am

Thanks for the articles.

dreamer

11-07-2006, 5:49pm

quite the learning experience

FinnFreak

11-09-2006, 6:49am

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - November 9, 2006

Get Crazy With The Cheez Whiz

http://blogs.theage.com.au/music/archives/shania.jpg

Nothing says 'I love you' like cheesy pop music

By Clem Bastow

When I finally tired of 5am bedtimes and having my eyeballs marinaded in third-hand cigarette smoke, I gave up the "rock DJing" game (i.e. turning CD players/turntables on and off with a beer in one hand) for something a little more civilised: DJing at a wedding.

Mercifully for both the guests and myself the Chicken Dance didn't feature in my reception set, and the happy couple had a penchant for Motown. But as the night wore on, booze flowed and the bride nearly suffered a wardrobe malfunction mid-waltz, I did what (I assumed) any respectable wedding DJ would do.

I cracked out the solid gold cheese.

We're talking the kind of stuff that populates the playlists of AM radio stations in the American Midwest; plenty of emotive synthesised strings and drums, multiple key-changes and excessive use of the word "love".

Really, it was just an excuse to delve into the section of my record collection I rarely aired out at smoky rock bars, where any excursion into pop - let alone the kind of Love Songs & Dedications pop a wedding calls for - had to be coated thickly in perceived irony lest you risk a bottling.

But irony is the death of true emotion, and I hated the idea that people would think I was playing Eddie Money's Two Tickets To Paradise because I thought it was hilarious or embarrassing, and not because the way he sings the line "I've got a surprise especially for you" actually makes me a bit teary.

I've long been a supporter of cheesy pop and its power to move and delight; freed of the constraints of "cool", these songs - despite their chintzy arrangements and occasional lyrical clunkiness - tap directly into the giddiness of falling in love.

Let's face it: we live in a time when wholeheartedly engaging with our feelings isn't exactly encouraged. We worry about saying 'I love you' "too early", are concerned about "smothering" people with affection, shy away from rushing things, wait two-to-five months to consider a relationship 'official'.

Most music - if we're talking love songs - has come to reflect this. There's not a lot of unbridled passion around. There are songs of smouldering attraction, simmering jealousy, the resignation of love lost and the slow-burn of a growing relationship, but there's not much of the dumbstruck happiness you get with those first precious kisses, or the unfashionable music of devotion.

That's when I turn to the music that hipness forgot.

I feel no shame as I holler Taylor Dayne's cover of Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Baby out the window of a car or slow-dance in the dairy aisle to Shania Twain's You're Still The One .

Because for all the moments in my life when Leonard Cohen, Ry Cooder, Marianne Faithful, Bjork, Brian Wilson and/or any number of more "serious" artists will fit the bill, there are times when I just want to twirl around like an idiot and indulge in the tinniest drum sound imaginable - because love shouldn't be cool or self-conscious, just vivid and open and, yes, fun.

And when someone eventually DJs at my wedding, I'll make sure that Taylor Dayne isn't left out of the crate.

http://blogs.smh.com.au/entertainment/archives/noise_pollution/007561.html

* * *

Malay Mail, Malaysia - November 9, 2006

Music Review: shiny set

diamonds are indeed forever with this compilation

by terrina hussein

This double disc collection of 36 love songs and ballads fi rst disc starts off strong with the hauntingly romantic Sting classic Shape Of My Heart then immediately hits a low with Bryan Adams’ Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?.

But that’s just me.

The song’s okay, if you like that kind of mush.

Sir Elton John’s tribute to Princess Diana, Candle In The Wind, is up next, while Ronan Keating’s cover track, She Believes (In Me), provides the modern pop front.

It’s time to get sentimental with the most popular Karaoke band of all time – Chicago – with their popular hit, Hard To Say I’m Sorry.

One of the most famous (and over-rated) love songs ever is up next, Chris De Burgh’s Lady In Red, and it’s followed by one of the most popular R&B combinations of the late ’90’s, K-Ci and Jojo with their track All My Life.

There’s no room to complain with the next singer, Stevie Wonder, whose hit My Cherie Amour provides the beautiful breeze before Phil Collin’s One More Night brings us back to mush land.

Three classic tracks back to back follow beginning with Tears For Fears’ Sowing The Seeds Of Love, The Cardigans’s Lovefool, and kd Lang’s Constant Craving.

It’s time for the singer / songwriter cover rounds with Rufus Wainwright’s cover of the classic Beatles track Across The Universe, and Jamie Cullum’s cover of Everlasting Love.

Sir Elton John returns with a little help from his friend Patti LaBelle on the track Your Song before Disc One ends on a high note with another three in a row worth listening to – Spandau Ballet’s True, Shania Twain’s You’re Still The One and Boyz II Men’s I’ll Make Love To You.

Disc Two continues that romantic ride with Simply Red’s If You Don’t Know Me By Now, while smooth operator Sade does her sensual best with No Ordinary Love.

Karaoke hit of the ’90s I Swear by All-4-One makes an appearance, then it’s time to press the skip button on your CD player, or suffer the wrath of a pre-haircut Michael Bolton on How Am I Suppose To Live Without You.

Every rock fans favourite late night ballad, Linger by The Cranberries, is next, and another jem – Tori Amos’s Silent All These Years – supercedes another rare track, Suzanne Vega’s Caramel.

Cutesy dance group Aqua’s Turn Back Time is next, leading up to the most over played suicidal-tendencies track, Lionel Ritchie’s Hello.

Faded rock stars Scorpions barely make it with Winds Of Change, while Daniel Beddingfi eld continues to wonder: If You’re Not The One, then who is? Original girlband The Bangles’s Eternal Flame is followed by another original artiste, Joe Cocker, and our all time favourite love ballad You Are So Beautiful.

Even Swedish pop sensations ABBA make a show of it with Winner Takes It All, while 98 Degrees keep the modern pop coming with I Do (Cherish You).

The disc ends well enough with Brian McKnight’s Back At One and Vanessa Williams’s Save The Best For Last.

http://www.mmail.com.my/Current_News/mm/Buzz/BFeature/20061109104727/Article/index_html

* * *

International Herald Tribune, France - November 9, 2006

Microsoft strikes deal with Universal
Music Group for Zune music service

LOS ANGELES: Microsoft and Universal Music Group say they have struck a licensing deal for the software company's new Zune portable music player and digital music store that calls for the recording company to get paid a cut of the sales of the device.

Executives at both companies declined to disclose the financial terms of the deal, which is expected to be officially announced early Thursday.

Redmond-based Microsoft Corp. is pursuing similar agreements with other major record labels, Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Microsoft Entertainment, said late Wednesday.

Zune, which is scheduled to be released Nov. 14, is Microsoft's attempt to compete with Apple Computer Inc.'s market-leading iPod player and iTunes music service. The device, which will sell for $249.99 (€195), lets people share songs, playlists or pictures over a wireless connection with nearby Zune users.

By paying record labels a portion of Zune player sales, Microsoft hopes to have more freedom to allow song-sharing or other promotions, Stephenson said.

"There's certain marketing elements that we're looking at going forward, all based around the sharing and wireless scenarios," he said. He declined to provide specifics.

But in an interview late Wednesday, Universal Music Group Chairman and CEO Doug Morris told The Associated Press that the wireless song-sharing feature of the Zune was not a major factor behind the company seeking a revenue sharing deal on the player.

"The only factor was that we feel that there's a great deal of music that's (stored) on these devices that was never legitimately obtained, and we wanted to get some sort of compensation for what we thought we're losing," Morris said. "I want our artists to be paid for the music that makes these devices popular."

While sales of digital tracks have increased in recent years amid lagging sales of CDs, record labels lament that much of the music that winds up on iPods and other digital players comes from either CDs fans already own or tracks culled from online file-sharing services.

Earlier this year, Universal and other major recording companies settled a dispute with Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. over its Sirius S50 portable music player by reaching a deal that called for Sirius to pay the record companies a fee for every S50 it sells.

Universal sought a similar approach when Microsoft came calling Universal to hash out a licensing deal for its Zune online music store.

Absent a deal with Universal, Microsoft faced the prospect of unveiling Zune without content from the world's biggest recording company, home to artists such as U2, Eminem and Shania Twain.

Morris said the agreement with Microsoft marks a turning point in how the company will approach similar deals in the future.

"I don't want any business built on our music without getting paid a part of the business," he said.

Morris declined to say what percentage of each Zune sold will be paid to Universal Music, but said "it's good."

Under the terms of the deal, Universal will split the money it gets from Zune player sales with its artists. Morris declined to say how much artists will be paid.

AP Business Writer Allison Linn in Seattle contributed to this report.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/09/business/NA_FIN_US_Microsoft_Zune.php

* * *

St. Petersburg Times, FL - November 9, 2006

Secret is out: This kid rocks

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/11/09/images/FLO_newhannah110906.jpg
Miley Cyrus stars in Hannah Montana with her dad,
country crooner Billy Ray Cyrus.

By SEAN DALY

Hannah Montana, a perky teen with, like, the craziest double life evvver, had the No. 1 album in the country last week, selling 281,000 copies.

By taking the top spot, Miss Montana reminded music biz stuffies that young teens and tweens have become savvy music fans. Recent youth-targeted pap by Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton flopped. Hannah trounced 'em all by being smart, catchy and cool (but not too cool).

She also shocked insiders by selling more than last week's other major debut: My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade, a powerfully political rock album about youthful disillusionment. It's also targeted to a younger audience, but My Chem's probably not the best thing to get a slumber party started.

Don't worry if you have no idea who Hannah Montana is. I was equally clueless until I saw it hit No. 1 and got curious. I popped my promo copy into the car player . . . and immediately started bopping my giant head to her fiendishly sunny, slyly postpunk pop songs about pubescent empowerment.

Think Shania Twain leading the Cars. Or maybe Hilary Duff if she were, you know, cool.

Hannah Montana is an entirely fictional creation, the titular hero of a wildly popular Disney Channel sitcom about a 14-year-old pop star who keeps her Britney-esque identity hidden from schoolmates. She just wants to be a regular dorky kid - until she doesn't. Then she puts on a wig and sells out arenas.

The show's overall success - that No. 1 soundtrack album included - is even more impressive seeing as how Hannah Montana is played (and sung) with great charm by Miley Cyrus. She's the 13-year-old daughter of country punch line Billy Ray Cyrus, hack purveyor of the Achy Breaky Heart. In this case, the apple didn't just fall far from the tree - it practically landed in Guam.

While record labels try to figure out how to reach young people with expendable cash, Disney - for so long about as hip as smooching your sister - is flat-out dazzling the little dearies.

The Hannah Montana album is the fourth Disney-related disc to make the Top 10 this year, and that includes the High School Musical soundtrack, by far the year's biggest-selling album at more than 3-million copies sold. A made-for-TV throwaway that turned into a DVD/CD phenomenon, High School Musical was short on good acting and good writing.

But the music? Just try not singing along. Same goes for the Cheetah Girls, a.k.a. Destiny's Child for the Froot Loops set.

Give Disney credit for not underestimating 8- to 14-year-olds. In these plugged-in times, tweens are assaulted by pop music in commercials, on video games, on iTunes, on MySpace. They know what's good and what's Jessica Simpson.

Sure, Disney has the money to market the heck out of Hannah and her pals. But if you want the kids to sing along, you better make it catchy. And that's exactly what Hannah Montana is. Opening song The Best of Both Worlds starts out with big Joan Jett-style drums and crunchy guitar before unleashing a multilayered harmony on the chorus. The incandescent Who Said relies on a twangy, rockabilly hook and silly yeow! growls from our girl.

And it should be noted that while Hannah Montana references all manner of pop culture, the album remains a strictly G-rated affair. Cool and family-friendly? That's not easy.

Maybe that's the secret to Hannah Montana's musical success: When Mom and Dad are singing along and approving, they're more than happy to buy Dick and Jane the music of their choice. If my kid grows up to be a Hannah fan, I'll be a happy man.

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/11/09/Floridian/Secret_is_out__This_k.shtml

* * *

Malta Independent Online, Malta - Thursday, November 09, 2006

Crackers: ‘Saghtar’

This month’s issue of Saghtar is packed to the brim with interesting articles and contributions from the readers themselves.

Kilin writes about Il-Wasla ta’ l-UFO, an entertaining story about Kolina, a 14-year-old girl who does not believe in UFOs. Sergio Grech reminds us that the Book Fair this year is going to be held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre between 15 and 19 November. Jane Cilia continues with her travels through the mysterious country of Uganda.

For all music enthusiasts read about what Shania Twain, Girls Abroad and Franz Ferdinand have planned for next year. This month’s poster is of the all-female English group Girls Abroad.

Do not miss the November issue – out now in all newsagents.

http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=41640

* * *

York Press, UK - November 9, 2006

Heartbroken family’s tribute to mum who lost her cancer battle

By Gavin Aitchison

A HEARTBROKEN family has paid tribute to a loving mum and daughter, saying her death from lung cancer was "like a bad dream".

Helen Robinson, 39, lost her fight against the illness last week, after battling it bravely for the past year.

The single mum leaves an 11-year-old daughter, Sian, who will now be cared for by her grandparents.

Speaking at the family's home, in Barstow Avenue, York, Helen's father, John, 60, said: "She was an outgoing, bubbly, lovely person and just a lovely daughter - bright, and happy and happy-go-lucky."

He said he and Helen's mum, Val, would now care for Sian.

He said: "We will look after her now. It will be the three of us."

Val, 63, described Helen as a "loving, friendly and caring" person who had faced up to the illness with great bravery.

Helen, who had smoked when she was younger but then given up, was diagnosed after struggling with blocked sinuses and a cough. She visited her GP, who referred her to York Hospital to be x-rayed.

"The x-ray came back, and showed it was lung cancer," said Val. "It was a big shock to everybody."

She underwent an initial course of chemotherapy, but the cancer spread to her liver. She was undergoing a second course when she suffered a stroke on Friday, October 13.

Val said: "We will never forget that. She did not really recover from that. But she fought it bravely to the end. She did not give up."

Brave Sian described Helen as a daring mum who never shirked a challenge, and a music-lover with a penchant for karaoke.

"She did not like sitting still," said Sian. "She hated it when she had to. She was always up for a challenge. She was daring - if you dared her to do something, she would do it."

As a youngster, Helen was a keen singer and was in a local band called Catch 22.

Sian said, up until a year or so ago, she had also enjoyed karaoke, specialising in Shania Twain hits and sixties numbers.

John paid tribute to the bravery of Sian, Helen's only child. He said: "She has been a rock, she really has. She has kept us going. I do not know how she has been so strong.

"You expect to see them outlive you - 39 is no age. She will be missed terribly.

"Thank goodness we have been blessed with Sian for the rest of our lives. She's lovely.

"This is just like a bad dream, all this. She was well liked and she had a lot of friends."

Helen was born and brought up in Barstow Avenue, where she still had many friends.

She attended St Lawrence's CE Primary School and then Derwent Secondary, before becoming a waitress, working at the Black Bull Hotel, in Hull Road.

But she always wanted to work with children, and attended a series of night classes at Burnholme Community College to realise her dreams.

She returned to her old school St Lawrence's as a teaching assistant, then also became a dinner lady, before latterly working in the crche.

"She loved working with kids," said Val. "It's what she always wanted to do."

Karen Thompson, office manager at St Lawrence's, said: "Helen Robinson loved children, and she devoted all her working life working with children.

"She was always willing to do anything to support the school, and was a governor here as well. But mainly, her whole life revolved around her family and her daughter. She was a very loving and giving person."

She said Helen's former colleagues had been left deeply shocked and devastated by her death.

Helen is also survived by three younger siblings, Andrew, 36, Joanne, 34, and Robert, 32.

http://www.thisisyork.co.uk/display.var.1012105.0.heartbroken_familys_tribute_ to_mum_who_lost_her_cancer_battle.php

So, there's today's mentions from around the world... the one from Malta was interesting, don't you think..?

John - :)

captainCorr

11-09-2006, 7:11am

Malta Independent Online, Malta - Thursday, November 09, 2006

Crackers: ‘Saghtar’

For all music enthusiasts read about what Shania Twain, Girls Abroad and Franz Ferdinand have planned for next year. This month’s poster is of the all-female English group Girls Abroad.

Do not miss the November issue – out now in all newsagents.

Yes, that is very interesting..

Myyde

11-09-2006, 7:29am

So, there's today's mentions from around the world... the one from Malta was interesting, don't you think..?

John - :)

Well, it depends. If she(Shania) doesn`t have any plans for the next year, not very interesting.:p

captainCorr

11-09-2006, 7:33am

If she didn't have any plans, she wouldn't be mentioned..;)

FinnFreak

11-09-2006, 7:50am

sooo... anybody know anyone in Malta..? ;)

:uhh: - ...or willing to make a quick dash to that direction..?

:D - I hear the weather's quite nice over there, at the moment...

John - :p

Myyde

11-09-2006, 8:34am

If she didn't have any plans, she wouldn't be mentioned..;)

:shocked: Not so sure about that.:uhh:

Well, if that would be finnish magazine, headline would be something like this, Shania is coming to Finland and inside text would be something like this, few desperate fans would like to see Shania in Finland.

Like here was big headlines last week that Tarja Turunen and HIM would take part to our Eurovision song contest qualifiers. But that wasn`t quite correct information as anyone can see. They took that info from some german discussion board. Sound quite stupid, but that`s what they did.:funny: Magazines write whatever they want, whenever they want. Well, interesting to see if Shania is coming to Finland...:p

Well, hopefully her plan is not something like that she doesn`t make any plans for next year, just staying at home and relax. Well, that`s the plan, but not very interesting or something i`d like to hear.:p

FinnFreak

11-09-2006, 8:57am

Shania is coming to Finland

heh. That should mess up the search engines for awhile... :p

hmmm... how about:

Shania is buying Finland :D

I'd have NOTHING against that. We NEED a queen. Seriously. And we're a bargain. Right now.
Call now & you'll get the Swedish speaking population as a bonus. And Savo. heh.

John - :p

Troll

11-09-2006, 9:10am

Thanks for the articles.

Myyde

11-09-2006, 9:24am

heh. That should mess up the search engines for awhile... :p
Well, job well done.:]

hmmm... how about:

Shania is buying Finland :D

I'd have NOTHING against that. We NEED a queen. Seriously. And we're a bargain. Right now.
Call now & you'll get the Swedish speaking population as a bonus. And Savo. heh.

John - :p
:funny:

Sounded like a good idea, but why did you had to mention that Swedish speaking population? Now we have to pay, that she would be our queen.:p

FinnFreak

11-09-2006, 9:33am

Sounded like a good idea, but why did you had to mention that Swedish speaking population? Now we have to pay, that she would be our queen.:p

Varför inte..? Det är kul att prata Svenska - ganska ofta, varje dag... jösses joo... kaara ittelles vaa... niinkus meilläpäin sanottaas...

sooo... :really: - we don't have any Maltese members..? :huh:

...this so our typical luck...

John - :smirk:

dreamer

11-09-2006, 6:30pm

do you thik she'll buy ME?:huh:

FinnFreak

11-10-2006, 2:24am

The London Free Press, Canada - Thu, November 9, 2006

Search goes on for name of new twin apartment towers

By NORMAN DE BONO

Suggestions have ranged from the offbeat to the funny to the regal — but Tricar Group is still searching for a name for its twin downtown apartment towers.

“We want to see more names, we haven’t decided on anything yet but we’re glad some people are having a good time with this,” said Joe Carapella, Tricar owner.

But let’s face it, William and Harry just aren’t going to cut it and the Two Towers, is well, not very original, he said.

Still, you gotta love London’s Fawlty Towers and the Shania Twin Towers.

Tricar has received more than 4,000 suggestions and many of them have tried to tie in the location of the towers at King and Ridout streets, with names like Tricar Towers, Thames Towers, Market Square, City View and The Coventry.

You gotta love the city spirit that had people suggest the London Knights Towers, or Memorial Cup Towers, or even — the Hunter Brothers Towers.

“The Memorial Cup theme has come up a lot,” said Brenda Trineer, director of property management for Tricar. “But we want people to put on their thinking caps and come up with some other names.”

Then there are those that just having some fun, suggesting, the BB (Baby Boomers) Towers, The Duke and Duchess, Romeo and Juliet Towers, or how about Tricar Twin Tornadoes, Tricar Twin Thunders, London Tower, Big Ben, The Lord Simcoe and Lady Simcoe and Sky-High Estates.

Some suggestions have also ranged to the classic: Elysium Towers, Ancile Towers (for the Greek sacred shield that fell from the heavens), or Heavenly Heights.

Carapella, however, wants something special, encouraging people to log onto websites featuring apartment developments in large, metropolitan cities around the world for inspiration for “sophisticated” titles, he said.

“This will be a world-class building so maybe we should look at some world-class cities. It is a spectacular project,” he said.

To make a suggestion, log on to www.tricar.com.

The two 28-storey apartment towers across from the John Labatt Centre will cost about $100 million to build and will have 600 units, which may bring more than 1,000 residents to the core.

The winner will get a prize package valued at $5,000, including a luxury vacation to a Mayan Riviera resort, a $1,000 downtown shopping spree, a night in a private box at the John Labatt Centre - as well as gift certificates from merchants.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2006/11/09/2290004.html

* * *

Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand - Friday, 10 November 2006

A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Jazz

Frontseat, 10.45pm this Sunday 12th November on TV ONE after “Under The Tuscan Sun”.

THAT’S COUNTRY:

A fan of country music, but not so keen on the traditional stuff? Wondering who’s hot in Kiwi country right now, but can’t tell the difference between alt.country, new folk and country’n’western? Josie McNaught chats to a few aficionados, and meets New Zealand’s answer to Shania Twain.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0611/S00112.htm

* * *

The Delaware County Times, PA - 11/09/2006

Rock Music Menu: Is Britney reclaiming diva stature?

By MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER

K-Fed, to those in the know, has been unsuccessfully trying to launch a career as a rapper, with skills that make Vanilla Ice look like Chuck D. Britney, you may recall, showed just how far she had slipped into trailer trash dementia in an interview with Matt Lauer this summer.

Slathered in sloppy make-up that made her look like a truck stop hooker, she dropped revelations about how she looks up to Shania Twain "because her music is fun" to defending driving with her five-month old on her lap down the Pacific Coast Highway with reasoning that she's "country" and "that's what we do."

Apparently, the handlers have been put back on Brit's payroll, and image repair is now in full effect.

Citing the Hollywood standard "irreconcilable differences" in her petition for divorce Tuesday, Spears had just come off a mildly jaw-dropping appearance on David Letterman the evening before, where she showed up in a slinky black dress, looking less Courtney Love and more like an extra in "Chicago." It was fascinating how quickly she dropped the weight after popping out her second child with Fed-Ex less than eight weeks prior.

These recent events may make declarations by naysayers that Spears' career was over seem a bit premature. Rebounding from a troubled and over-scrutinized marriage is something that only the most supreme divas are able to do. Case in point would be Madonna, who dealt with similar criticisms under the media microscope in her marriage to bad-boy actor Sean Penn throughout the late-eighties. She managed to reinvent herself many times since, leaving the relationship a mere blip on her career looking in the rearview, but at the time, it was covered just as much as Spears and Federline.

Currently, Whitney Houston is in the midst of mending her own image which began with filing for divorce from Bobby Brown last month, a marriage that was a constant source of tabloid fodder. Last year's "Being Bobby Brown" was a ratings bonanza, but painted Houston in the poorest light imaginable. Nestling tightly under the wing of A&R maestro Clive Davis has already done wonders for the singer, who last week appeared at the 17th Carousel of Hope Ball charity event looking radiant as ever.

Will Spears follow suit? It's possible, because the damage control has succeeded so far; dropping a dead weight, no talent husband is the first step in a long road, one sure to be filled with glamorous and well-hyped interviews, a tell all by Federline, and a new record by Britney where she'll pour her heart out and let the world know just how hard it can be.

America loves a comeback story - let's see if it gets one this time around.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17446982&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18179&rfi=6

John - :)

FinnFreak

11-10-2006, 2:41am

Sagћtar

Sagћtar is a Maltese magazine. It is published monthly, but only during the scholastic year, and it is intended mainly for use within Maltese secondary schools. Its content ranges from information regarding current local and international topics, to Maltese literature segments.

The majority of Maltese secondary schools use Sagћtar as part of a Maltese lesson. Indeed it is used both to encourage students to read Maltese, and to teach students about certain topics which may be featured in that particular edition of Sagћtar.

Sagћtar was first published in 1970, and as of 2006 it continues to be published, in full colour, by the Malta Union Of Teachers.

Malta Union Of Teachers' Sagћtar Webpage (http://www.mut.org.mt/saghtar.htm)

I can see you in the morning when you go to school
Don't forget your books, you know you've got to learn the golden rule,
Teacher tells you stop your play and get on with your work
And be like Johnnie - too-good, well don't you know he never shirks
- he's coming along!

After School is over you're playing in the park
Don't be out too late, don't let it get too dark
They tell you not to hang around and learn what life's about
And grow up just like them - won't you let it work it out
- and you're full of doubt

Don't do this and don't do that
What are they trying to do?- Make a good boy of you
Do they know where it's at?
Don't criticize, they're old and wise
Do as they tell you to
Don't want the devil to
Come out and put your eyes

Maybe I'm mistaken expecting you to fight
Or maybe I'm just crazy, I don't know wrong from right
But while I am still living, I've just got this to say
It's always up to you if you want to be that
want to see that
want to see that way
- you're coming along!

School - Supertramp: Crime Of The Century (1974)

John - ;)

Troll

11-10-2006, 9:05am

Thanks for the articles.

Troll

11-10-2006, 9:06am

Underwood Mass Appeal

I love to listen to country music, but since most married couples are opposites, my wife doesn’t like it at all. However, she does like Carrie Underwood and her music is acceptable to her even though she won’t listen to most country music radio stations. The main reason my wife likes Underwood is because she got to know her on American Idol, which is one of her favorite shows. A little known secret about country music is that new talent like Carrie Underwood helps the entire industry continue to grow as people age and some folks move away from the format for other types of music. I think it was great when a young woman like Carrie decide to go on a national television program like American Idol and stand up and say she is proud to be a country singer.

As we all know, most young people who try out for Idol are more likely than not to prefer pop, rock or rap music over a country blend. However, Carrie Underwood took on those big odds and proudly stood up for the type of music she loved to listen to and in the end she was the winner on a television show which prides itself on a young audience. It wasn’t that many years ago when country superstars like Merle Haggard, George Jones and Conway Twitty carried the banner of country music. However, over time their careers started to fade as newer talent and sounds started coming out by new artist like Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, George Strait and Garth Brooks.

Then not too many years ago Shania Twain turned the Nashville music scene upside down with her cutting edge sound that easily crossed over between country music and pop radio. I remember when Shania was breaking all the rules in country music and there were many folks who were long time CMA veterans who didn’t like the way she sang her brand of country music and they really didn’t like the fact she spent more time in Hollywood than in Nashville. Over time the Nashville establishment warmed up to Twain and her sound and it most certainly didn’t hurt matters when she had two CD’s go into diamond status, which means they sold over 10 million copies.

I remember how shocked I was when Shania Twain’s “Come on Over” CD sold over 10 million copies because when I was a country music DJ about 20 years ago, no country music artist every sold that many albums, no matter how long they had been in the business. I believe there is a good chance that new artist like Carrie Underwood will be able to eventually compete with the CD sales of people who lead the way, like Shania Twain. For country music to continue to grow and expand, sometimes it must break out of the cliquish sociality of Nashville Tennessee so country music will continue to grow in the decades to come.

Carrie Underwood should to go to bed at night and think about all the bad things, which were said about Twain when she was getting all that bad attention from country music insiders. Everyone should have role models and Carrie Underwood should put a picture of Shania Twain up in her home so she can see what wonderful things can happen, in her career, when following her own path in country music.

http://mhutch.blogspot.com/2006/11/underwood-mass-appeal.html

dreamer

11-11-2006, 2:14pm

interesting of course but she will always be the beswt!

canoilers

11-11-2006, 2:58pm

heh. That should mess up the search engines for awhile... :p

hmmm... how about:

Shania is buying Finland :D

I'd have NOTHING against that. We NEED a queen. Seriously. And we're a bargain. Right now.
Call now & you'll get the Swedish speaking population as a bonus. And Savo. heh.

John - :pWe need a queen too and having one made in Canada would be nice too. Not that theres anything wrong with the one we got, but stil Charles is next in line. :p We can start a new commonwealth, the commonwealth of Shania. :D

do you thik she'll buy ME?:huh:She doesn't have to buy me, I come free with the car wash. :p

Troll

11-11-2006, 6:00pm

She doesn't have to buy me, I come free with the car wash. :p

That is a good deal. :p

Troll

11-12-2006, 3:31pm

But Rich feels that Wilson took those hardships and made them into something. "Her image is where she came from," said Rich. "Those rough edges make her Gretchen Wilson."

Some might think that having it rough comes with the territory, so why chronicle the obvious? Merle Haggard lived in an old boxcar during the Depression. Shania Twain's family couldn't pay the electric bill. Tim McGraw had an cruel stepfather. But even McGraw's aunt, Gina Raney, can see the value in Wilson's book. "Everyone has a story," said Raney. "And hers has the potential to touch someone's life in a positive way."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0611120292nov12,1,966827.story?track=rss&ctrack=1&cset=true

Alex

11-12-2006, 11:23pm

Thanks for the infos.

FinnFreak

11-13-2006, 2:56am

Stoney Creek News, Canada - Nov 10, 2006

Local singer wants to step out of Shania's shadow

http://www.stoneycreeknews.com/scn/graphics/news/ston655859_1.jpg
Winona resident Carla Sacco has a chance
to become Canada's next country music
star if fans vote her as their favourite on
CMT's Plucked Nov. 13.

By Abigail Cukier, Stoney Creek

Carla Sacco has performed for more than one million people all over the world, but most of them didn't even know her name.

Ms. Sacco has been rated a No. 1 tribute act internationally, performing more than 1,000 concerts in the last four years as Shania Twin.

But on Monday, Nov. 13, Canadians hold the power to help her become the next country music star on CMT's reality show Plucked. The six-part CMT series has featured six acts hoping to impress music executives and win $35,000 for their next music video.

Each episode profiled one act, following them through their lives and then to music industry boot camp in Toronto for management consultation, a style makeover and production of a music video.

Industry experts included Ron Kitchener of the management company RGK Entertainment Group Inc., Alan Frew of the band Glass Tiger and Bonnie Fedrau of the artist development company So Star Struck.

Viewers decide which act has the most star potential through text message voting in a two-hour live special Nov. 13.

Ms. Sacco says she's the underdog on the show, as the only one of six contestants without a dedicated fan base.

During taping, one panelist dwelled on her physical resemblance to Shania Twain and questioned her ability to break out as an original artist.

"But I have so many ideas for a makeover, songwriting and original concepts to add to Canadian country music if given the chance," Ms. Sacco says. "I trust Canadians not to judge book by its cover. Music should be about music and what comes from the inside."

On the CMT message board, some writers couldn't get beyond Ms. Sacco's good looks, but many others said she had showed her true talent in her episode.

The Orchard Park and McMaster University graduate performed from age three but then was discouraged from pursuing a music career.

In private, she wrote more than 70 songs. She also wrote 14 radio jingles for charities, modeled with Elite Models and trained in dance and piano.

In February 2002, a Britney Spears impersonator scouted Ms. Sacco and set up an interview with a manager. The interview never happened, but at an event in Toronto, that same manager asked Ms. Sacco if she wanted to perform as a Shania Twain tribute act.

"I decided I could do office jobs while trying to break in or I could be out there and develop performance skills. I've gotten to see what it's like to perform. It's been really incredible," she said.

Ms. Sacco has performed all over Canada and the United States and in countries, including Italy and Lebanon.

But Ms. Sacco says touring can be grueling, doing six shows in 26 hours, for example.

At the Calgary Stampede each year, she performs 30 shows in 10 days.

With the van as home, she has had to ration 75 cents per meal and lug around a garbage bag, as she didn't own a suitcase until recently. But she says her hard work has paid off with the chance to gain a solo career through Plucked.

"I want the chance to do something original. I have so many ideas if given half a chance," she says. "This has shown me you have to follow your heart and it's important to give it a try.

"This is an honour no matter what happens."

The Plucked season finale will air Nov. 13 on CMT. To watch previous episodes, including Ms. Sacco's profile, visit www.cmt.ca and choose "watch contestants videos." Also check the Web site to learn how to text message your vote.

http://www.stoneycreeknews.com/scn/news/news_655859.html

John - :)

Myyde

11-13-2006, 6:22am

Oh my my my!!! Great voice.:] Definitely best new voice i`ve heard this year. Thanks for introducing her.:great:

If someone in the music business doesn`t give her at least a half a chance, becauce some thinks that she looks too much like Shania, then whole music business can go to...errr...somewhere.:uhh:

Ms. Sacco has performed all over Canada and the United States and in countries, including Italy and Lebanon.

Finland would look good on that list, come here please.;)

FinnFreak

11-13-2006, 8:11am

...you liked that..? ;)

She's been mentioned here before...

There are dozens of Shania tribute acts - and Carla's pretty darn good... the 'Strong Enough' video on CMT.ca would show that she doesn't necessarily need to be a tribute act only... but, can the audience get pass the resemblance factor..?

Shania's Twin - Tribute to Shania Twain

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/FinnFreak/CarlaSacco1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/FinnFreak/CarlaSacco2.jpg

Carla was born in 1977 in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. From age three she began performing for weddings, barmitzvahs and high school events at various venues throughout Southern Ontario. After being told over and over again that she looked so much like Shania, she decided to venture into the tribute business. Now Carla takes her energetic performance worldwide.

Why book a tribute to Shania Twain?

After bursting onto the international music scene in 1995, Shania Twain has become a household name at every corner of the globe. Her second album, Come On Over, the most successful female solo artist album of all time, sold over 34 million copies worldwide.

Now SHANIA’S BACK with her new hit album, Up, which has already sold over 10 million in just 30 weeks.

Look what people are saying about Carla:

“I had the best weekend ever. Shania packed the house all three days. She looked and sounded like her. She was absolutely wonderful. So was her band. I had a great time with all of them. They were fun, professional and great to work with. I had great feedback from everyone. I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful star you have on your hands there. Thanks so much!”
- Laura C. Danks, Little River Casino, Manistee, MI

“Carla was the most amazing, sweetest thing! I couldn’t be more pleased! The whole band was incredibly awesome and I wouldn’t think twice about hiring them again!”
- April Heitman, Leisure Services Coordinator, Town of Parry Sound.

“Carla did such a wonderful job that we had people returning the second night to see her show again!”
- Red’s Place, Drumheller Chuckwagon Races - May 2002

“I’ve seen all three Shania Impersonators and thought Carla was the best”
- Coca Cola, New Orleans, LA

“Loved it! The packed crowd couldn’t tell the difference between Carla and the real Shania.”
- Rhythm City Casino, Davenport, Iowa

“The audience loved her so much that she stayed for over two hours taking pictures and signing autographs.”
- Club Animation, Quebec City, Quebec

Video sample (http://www.bookinghouse.com/sections/tributes/a_z_acts/shania_twain-carla/media/shania3_4.mov) (QuickTime)

http://www.bookinghouse.com/sections/tributes/a_z_acts/shania_twain-carla.html

John - ;)

Troll

11-13-2006, 8:57am

Thanks for the articles.

Myyde

11-13-2006, 9:20am

...you liked that..? ;)

Err...yes:hide:

She's been mentioned here before...
Well, you might very well be right about that, but if there was any voice clips i must have missed those somehow. Shania Twin and these pics rings a bell, but didn`t know earlier that she is so good singer also.:)

There are dozens of Shania tribute acts - and Carla's pretty darn good... the 'Strong Enough' video on CMT.ca would show that she doesn't necessarily need to be a tribute act only... but, can the audience get pass the resemblance factor..?

Shania's Twin - Tribute to Shania Twain

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/FinnFreak/CarlaSacco1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/FinnFreak/CarlaSacco2.jpg

Yes, that`s a tough question, can i really get over that?:uhh:
Hmmm....Yes, i guess...:p

Video sample (http://www.bookinghouse.com/sections/tributes/a_z_acts/shania_twain-carla/media/shania3_4.mov) (QuickTime)

http://www.bookinghouse.com/sections/tributes/a_z_acts/shania_twain-carla.html

John - ;)
Thanks for that clip too. But i guess that Video sample doesn`t do any rights for her, (quality could be better), something like live concert, front row quality would be better.:p

Troll

11-13-2006, 10:51am

Thanks for the clip.

Alex

11-13-2006, 5:04pm

It's really cool.. thanks for sharing.

FinnFreak

11-14-2006, 8:37am

The Register-Guard, Oregon - Monday, November 13, 2006

Each race I finish is personal victory

By Michelle Spresser

As I belt out a country song by Shania Twain, "Whose bed have your boots been under ...," I can't seem to stop jumping up and down and laughing like a sugar-fueled 3-year-old, and simply get my skis on.

With the small victory of snapping my boots to my skis, I'm startled out of my jittery banter by the starter yelling, "Number 81 ... 10, 9, 8 ..." Tossing Shania to the side, I focus on getting my poles on before I have to start.

This is how I prepare for all of my cross-country ski races. Frantically, nerves wracking my mind and body, experiencing both extremes of ecstatic joy and stomach-knotting fear. Joy for my absolute love of the nordic ski team, and fear of the pain I know I will endure in the next 20 minutes.

Only a year earlier, the scene was much different.

After arriving at Diamond Lake (with no lake in sight, just an endless expanse of snow and trees), I pulled my boots on and clipped my bindings shut, praying for some degree of natural talent to get me through my first race.

Only one slight problem, I couldn't move. My skis were glued to the snow, and my feeble attempts to move were a waste of energy. As I floundered about at the encouraging words of Coach Charlie with only 30 minutes until race time, I wondered why I had cluelessly agreed to become the third member of the Sheldon relay team at 10 o'clock the night before.

I spent my first race saying "howdy-do" to all of the race monitors standing along the course, and laughing every 30 seconds as I either crashed into an unsuspecting snow bank or toppled over in an awkward tangle of arms and legs.

After finishing dead last, I made a decision to come back the next week and become a member of the team, embarking on a journey that would affect my life so much more than I could ever imagine.

During the season, I get together with other students from South Eugene, Churchill and Sheldon to practice at Hendricks Park during the week. On Fridays, we gather for waxing parties (for our skis).

Then the fun begins. We drag ourselves out of bed unbearably early Saturday morning, meet at South Eugene High School and tumble into the warm vehicles to get to the race at Mount Bachelor, Willamette Pass, Diamond Lake or Chemult. These drives are filled with sleep, poppyseed bagels with string cheese, laughs, intriguing but sometimes pointless stories, and James Taylor.

Everyone has different ways of preparing for a race. Some wax their skis with furrowed brows, convinced the wrong wax will certainly lead to a tragic accident. Others wander aimlessly, asking everyone what wax to use, what the course is like, where the start is, unconsciously doing absolutely nothing productive.

Others, like myself and my skiing buddy Elizabeth, choose to avoid the nervous frenzy. We borrow a sled and rush away to the nearest hill, spending our pre-race warm-up time gliding down the hill and rolling over each other in laughter.

No matter how they prepare for the race, I know each individual is passionate about this unique sport. We all share each other's victories, and provide support when someone falls short of their potential.

The fact that most people don't know we exist further connects us as we truly understand what each other goes through in a race, and what it feels like to cross the finish line amid clanging cow bells and wild cheers.
advertisement

This sport, more than any others I've delved into, has taught me the importance of never giving up and pushing through until the end.

Every race, I clash with my nemesis: asthma. I wage a battle as each breath is a struggle, my mind yelling at me to stop and my body shutting down without my consent. Encouraging words from my teammates and coaches push me up each hill; without them, I would probably give in and collapse.

Every time I cross the finish line, it's another victory. I've proved to myself that nothing is too overwhelming or unattainable. I've experienced the sweet feeling of accomplishment, even against all odds, and know each prickle of pain and discouraged tear is worth it in the end.

I've also learned to take each obstacle one chapter at a time. When I'm skiing, I see the next hill and say to myself, "Alright Michelle, just get up that next hill, don't worry about anything else, just focus on that hill." So when college deadlines are approaching and commitments pile up like an endless stack of pancakes, I try to relax as if I were singing along with Shania before a big race. I just take it one personal essay at a time, one hill at a time.

Michelle Spresser is a senior at Sheldon High. Submit a comment for her column at www.registerguard.com/20Below

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/11/13/pl.20bspresser.1113.p1.php?section=personallife

* * *

DigitalJournal.com, Canada

We're not boring, we're just nice...Come to Canada, people!

By Sweetkat1975

So, I relax after a long day and turn on the news to hear this 'Travel to Canada down 4.1 percent this year, people think Canada is boring'...This REALLY is news to me.

Now, I can certainly understand where the perception is coming from. Canada is a neighbour to a country that has witnessed terrorist attacks, doesn't go a week without some politician being caught in some sex scandal, is known for its religious extremism as much as for its failing middle east strategy. And lest we forget, the dubious war in Iraq was initiated by the US. Then there is the saliciousness of celebrity gossip, hookups, and breakups.

But wait....

Canada has its own form of saliciousness. We have a former Prime Minister's wife who ran off with the Rolling Stones. We have a current female politician who made a play for a married hockey player and it paid off. And Canada is home to many celebrity hookups and breakups. Who could forget Ethan Hawke's affair with a Canadian while still married to Uma Thurman? What about Tori Spelling's homewrecking with a Canadian? And not that its been proven, but rumour has it Britney Spears informed KFed of their pending divorce via text during a taping on Muchmusic.

But Canada has a lot of reasons to come here. There are beautiful mountains, gorgeous lakes, amazing trails for hiking. We have some of the most beautiful cities including but not limited to Victoria, Montreal, Quebec City and Halifax. We're not just Niagara Falls and maple syrup. Unlike our neighbours, we ask that you explore our beauty, we don't brag about them.

We also have great musicians. Great Big Sea, Sarah Maclaughlin, Tragically Hip, and Shania Twain are few on a list of many outstanding musicians we have produced.

Canada is or has been the home to the Great one, Michael J Fox, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Alanis Morrisette, among many others..

Come explore our land!!!!

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/51058/We_re_not_boring_we_re_just_nice_Come_to_Canada_pe ople_

:D - Sure thing: been there.

Actually, it was so nice... we've visited it twice.

John - ;)

FinnFreak

11-15-2006, 7:01am

Canada NewsWire (press release)

Who would make the best Canadian James Bond?

Who would make the best Canadian Bond Girl?

Olympic champion Donovan Bailey selected as top Canadian choice to play 007 according to national survey by PokerRoom.com, a leading online gaming site;

Shania Twain and Nelly Furtado top list as best Canadian "Bond girls"

TORONTO, Nov. 15 /CNW/ - When Canadians think of the James Bond franchise, certain names come to mind: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and...Donovan Bailey? The former world sprinting champion was selected as the top Canadian choice to play the dashing 007, according to a national survey commissioned by the online gaming site PokerRoom.com.

Casino Royale, the latest Bond thriller set to premier November 17, stars Daniel Craig, the first blond actor to play the never-say-die British agent.

Asked which Canadian would make the best James Bond, 24 per cent selected Bailey, 100-metre Olympic gold medallist and once the world's fastest man.

Canadian Bond Girls

Canadians also made their choice for the best Canadian Bond "girl", traditionally the secret agent's love interest. Country music superstar Shania Twain topped the list, chosen by nearly half of Canadians surveyed (49 per cent), followed by hip hop singer Nelly Furtado at 19 per cent, who recently lead the music charts with "Promiscuous Girl". Despite a series of high-profile romances, only eight per cent of Canadians thought federal MP Belinda Stronach would make the best Bond girl, just slightly more than 61-year-old Grammy award-winning songstress Anne Murray (five per cent).

"Casino Royale and PokerRoom.com offer Canadians a similar experience: great entertainment in a gaming environment," comments Karin Klein, bwin spokesperson for PokerRoom.com. "If the way Canadians play and win with panache at PokerRoom.com is any indication, the producers should consider some Canadian choices for Bond roles."

Following Bailey as top choice for Canadian James Bond was a tie between two more mature Canadians who reflect the more sophisticated Bond persona. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, known for his quick-fire approach to politics, and respected CBC News anchor Peter Mansbridge were selected by 13 per cent of Canadians each as the best James Bond. Straight-talking hockey analyst Don Cherry, an unlikely candidate to star in the remake of From Russia with Love, was selected by 12 per cent. Bailey was top choice in each region in Canada, except Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where 23 per cent thought Cherry best suited for Her Majesty's Secret Service.

About the Survey

The survey was conducted on behalf of PokerRoom.com using the Decima teleVox, a national weekly telephone omnibus. Results are based on 1,007 randomly selected adult Canadians and are accurate to within +/ 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

About PokerRoom.com

PokerRoom.com is a proprietary brand of the bwin Group, which has over 10 million registered customers (including 7 million "play money" customers) in over 20 core target markets. Operating under international and regional licenses in countries like Gibraltar, Kahnawake (Canada), Belize and Germany, Italy, Mexico, Austria and the United Kingdom, the Group has set itself the goal of becoming the number one address for sports betting, games and entertainment via digital distribution channels. The Group offers sports betting, poker, casino games and soft games, as well as audio and video streams on top sporting events like, for example, the German Bundesliga. The parent company bwin Interactive Entertainment AG has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since March 2000 (ID code "BWIN", Reuters ID code "BWIN.VI"). Further information about the Company can be found on its investor relations website at www.bwin.ag.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2006/15/c4367.html

"Bond Girl"..? - Nah... Shania should be 007:

http://shaniasplace.com/Dax_Gallery/jpgs/Dax0070.jpg

...am I right, or am I right..?

John - ;)

dreamer

11-15-2006, 6:56pm

i don't like the idea of people looking/acting like another person especialy when they act like Shania it makes me uncomfortable:hide::mad: Carla is Carla and if people don't look at her for her then they can go "... somewhere..."

Troll

11-15-2006, 8:36pm

Thanks for the articles John.

canoilers

11-15-2006, 11:20pm

I agree with ya John, she should be Jamie Bond. :p I don't think she should be a bond girl, but I wouldn't say no to a Sean girl. :p That goes with Carla too.

Thanks for all the great articles.

FinnFreak

11-16-2006, 2:45am

Young readers will welcome information about Shania Twain, the Canadian singer, Franz Ferdinand, the Scottish rock group and the famous Irish actor Colin Farrell..

The English Girls Aloud also features in the center-page poster.

:shocked: - Paul..? :funny:

John - :p

FinnFreak

11-16-2006, 3:22am

The Daily Mail - 15.11.06

Queen top new greatest albums list based on cash register sales

http://img.dailymail.co.uk//i/pix/2006/11/queen151106PA_228x185.jpg
Queen: We are the champions

It has been the subject of fierce debate in pubs and living rooms around the country.

What are the greatest albums of all time? The answer is likely to provoke even fiercer debate.

Queen's Greatest Hits has nudged out perennial favourites like the Beatles Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Definitely Maybe, by Oasis to claim the number one spot.

But it is the presence of Robson and Jerome, Jason Donovan, Shania Twain and Avril Lavigne that is likely to cause the most consternation among music buffs.

That's not to mention the soundtracks to Dirty Dancing and The Sound Of Music.

Music lists are usually compiled by critics, or on a voting system where participants are asked to name their favourite album.

It has meant that popular albums with little credibility among 'serious music' buffs have rated little mention.

Queen usually garner a mention for A Night At The Opera, but for the band to have two greatest hits album in the top 10 would have been unheard of.

But the latest list has done away with votes and esteemed opinion in favour of looking to the cash register and seeing how many albums have been sold.

The chart of the top 100 best selling albums was compiled by music channel VH1, along with the Official UK Charts Company.

A team of researchers spent six months trawling through handwritten till receipts from the 1950s, through to the most current sales figures, to come up with the chart.

Astonishingly musical giants such as the Rolling Stones, Sting, The Sex Pistols and Bob Dylan do not have a single album in the top 100.

Meanwhile relative newcomers such as James Blunt, Eminem and Justin Timberlake make up a substantial chunk of the list, despite releasing just a tiny fraction of the work that some of their more enduring rivals.

James Blunt's first album Back to Bedlam ranks at 19. selling 2,895,874 copies - more than the Beatles Abbey Road, Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells and U2 The Joshua Tree.

While some might be able to think of 10 tracks by the Beatles, Madonna or Michael Jackson, others would struggle to remember the name of a Jason Donovan single.

But his album, 10 Good Reasons for those who have forgotten, sold 1,680,651 copies and takes the last position in the poll - one place below his fellow Neighbours star Kylie Minogue with Fever.

The accolade of most entries in the chart also goes to a more recent star. Robbie Williams has six top 100 albums, followed by Brit pop legends Oasis, Canadian warbler Celine Dion and Michael Jackson with three each.

It is the enduring appeal of Queen, formed in 1970, which is most evident from the list.

Their Greatest Hits album has sold 5,407,587 copies, more than half a million more than the second placed act The Bealles.

Only last year The Guinness Book of World Records found that Queen had spent more time in the UK album charts than any other act.

John Kearns, VH1 executive producer, said he didn't doubt the list would provoke comment.

'I think the music buffs will have fun talking about it. There will be many conversations echoing across the land, but they can't argue with the public.

'The beauty of this is it's pure hard fact, it's totally based on sales.

'Obviously there are some surprises there. I think it's brilliant because it is so varied, no-one is trying to be cool.'

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23374679-details/Queen%20top%20new%20greatest%20albums%20list%20bas ed%20on%20cash%20register%20sales/article.do

* * *

The Daily Mirror - 16 November 2006

QUEEN'S ALBUM IS BEST EVER

By Emily Nash

QUEEN'S Greatest Hits is the biggest-selling album of all time.

The rock classic sold 5.4million copies in Britain. The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was second.

The Official UK Charts Company spent six months trawling records including 1950s handwritten till receipts to compile their top 100. Surprise entries include Robson and Jerome at No 43 and Jason Donovan at 100.

UK'S top 100 selling albums

The UK'S 100 Best-selling albums, compiled by The Official UK Charts Company in conjunction with VH1:

1) GREATEST HITS, Queen, with 5,407,587 sales

2) SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND, The Beatles, 4,811,996

3) WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY, Oasis, 4,314,715

4) BROTHERS IN ARMS, Dire Straits, 3,956,704

5) GOLD - GREATEST HITS, Abba, 3,943,950

6) THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, Pink Floyd, 3,781,993

7) GREATEST HITS II, Queen, 3,644,619

8) THRILLER, Michael Jackson, 3,578,107

9) BAD, Michael Jackson, 3,554,301

10) THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION, Madonna, 3,402,160

11) STARS, Simply Red, 3,361,115

12) COME ON OVER, Shania Twain, 3,344,280

13) RUMOURS, Fleetwood Mac, 3,135,844

14) URBAN HYMNS, The Verve, 3,054,374

15) NO ANGEL, Dido, 3,002,194

16) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER, Simon & Garfunkel, 3,001,062

17) TALK ON CORNERS, The Corrs, 2,944,547

18) SPICE, Spice Girls, 2,920,669

19) BACK TO BEDLAM, James Blunt, 2,895,874

20) WHITE LADDER, David Gray, 2,851,429

21) BAT OUT OF HELL, Meat Loaf, 2,837,285

22) LIFE FOR RENT, Dido, 2,789,719

23) BUT SERIOUSLY, Phil Collins, 2,737,932

24)1 (Anthology), The Beatles, 2,690,318

25) THE MAN WHO, Travis, 2,669,825

26) THE JOSHUA TREE, U2, 2,665,553

27) GREATEST HITS, Abba, 2,598,576

28) TUBULAR BELLS, Mike Oldfield, 2,575,099

29) A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD, Coldplay, 2,574,249

30) I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU, Robbie Williams, 2,556,042

31) JAGGED LITTLE PILL, Alanis Morissette, 2,551,238

32) SCISSOR SISTERS, Scissor Sisters, 2,535,983

33) LEGEND, Bob Marley & the Wailers, 2,520,486

34) HOPES AND FEARS, Keane, 2,498,950

35) WAR OF THE WORLDS, Jeff Wayne's Musical Version, 2,452,236

36) THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Original Soundtrack, 2,438,695

37) DIRTY DANCING, Original Soundtrack, 2,435,109

38) LADIES & GENTLEMEN - THE BEST OF, George Michael, 2,408,810

39) GREASE, Original Soundtrack, 2,373,621

40) COME AWAY WITH ME, Norah Jones, 2,369,847

41) X&Y, Coldplay, 2,345,126

42) TRACY CHAPMAN, Tracy Chapman, 2,342,506

43) ROBSON & JEROME, Robson & Jerome, 2,336,086

44) TANGO IN THE NIGHT, Fleetwood Mac, 2,333,819

45) PARACHUTES, Coldplay, 2,324,783

46) AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE, REM, 2,270,332

47) WHITNEY, Whitney Houston, 2,237,603

48) THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP, Eminem, 2,233,158

49) SWING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING, Robbie Williams, 2,205,028

50) GRACELAND, Paul Simon, 2,203,381

51) SING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING, Robbie Williams, 2,182,097

52) SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, Original Soundtrack, 2,151,142

53) THE BODYGUARD, Original Soundtrack, 2,138,030

54) THE VERY BEST OF, elton John, 2,134,524

55) SIMPLY THE BEST, Tina Turner, 2,121,000

56) KYLIE - THE ALBUM, Kylie Minogue, 2,105,698

57) FALLING INTO YOU, Celine Dion, 2,093,363

58) LIFE THRU A LENS, Robbie Williams, 2,074,860

59) GREATEST HITS, Eurythmics, 2,055,996

60) ESCAPOLOGY, Robbie Williams, 2,037,380

61) GREATEST HITS, Robbie Williams, 1,998,668

62) LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE, Celine Dion, 1,984,152

63) DANGEROUS, Michael Jackson, 1,983,954

64) TRUE BLUE, Madonna, 1,961,164

65) APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION, Guns N' Roses, 1,945,240

66) NO JACKET REQUIRED, Phil Collins, 1,934,912

67) ABBEY ROAD, The Beatles, 1,925,783

68) A NEW FLAME, Simply Red, 1,923,366

69) BY THE WAY, Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1,915,008

70) CAN'T SLOW DOWN, Lionel Richie, 1,891,896

71) SONGS ABOUT JANE, Maroon 5, 1,868,548

72) CROSS ROAD - THE BEST OF, Bon Jovi, 1,867,427

73) STRIPPED, Christina Aguilera, 1,850,852

74) GREATEST HITS, Simon & Garfunkel, 1,840,454

75) CARRY ON UP THE CHARTS - THE BEST OF, Beautiful South, 1,828,890

76) PLAY, Moby, 1,819,938

77) THE COLOUR OF MY LOVE, Celine Dion, 1,816,915

78) BORN TO DO IT, Craig David, 1,816,781

79) THE GREATEST HITS, Texas, 1,809,480

80) NEVERMIND, Nirvana, 1,807,142

810 SOUTH PACIFIC, Original Soundtrack, 1,803,681

82) JUSTIFIED, Justin Timberlake, 1,802,172

83) AMERICAN IDIOT, Green Day, 1,800,144

84) BE HERE NOW, Oasis, 1,799,784

85) BACK TO FRONT, Lionel Richie, 1,793,978

86) OUT OF TIME, REM, 1,786,954

87) CALL OFF THE SEARCH, Katie Melua, 1,780,817

88) EMPLOYMENT, Kaiser Chiefs, 1,772,936

89) BY REQUEST, Boyzone, 1,770,728

90) BAT OUT OF HELL II, Meat Loaf, 1,745,974

91) DEFINITELY MAYBE, Oasis, 1,740,386

92) JUST ENOUGH EDUCATION TO PERFORM, Stereophonics, 1,731,863

93) INTRODUCING THE HARDLINE ACCORDING TO…, Terence Trent D'Arby, 1,721,685

94) MISSUNDAZTOOD, Pink, 1,712,173

95) LET GO, Avril Lavigne, 1,711,088

96) PERFORMANCE AND COCKTAILS, Stereophonics, 1,710,522

97) OLDER, George Michael, 1,708,555

98) PARALLEL LINES, Blondie, 1,694,353

99) FEVER, Kylie Minogue, 1,682,387

100) 10 GOOD REASONS, Jason Donovan, 1,680,651

16 November 2006

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_headline=queen-s-album-is-best-ever-&method=full&objectid=18103246&siteid=94762-name_page.html

John - :)

Troll

11-16-2006, 9:23am

Thanks for the articles.

canoilers

11-16-2006, 10:06pm

Thanks again for posting the articles John.

FinnFreak

11-17-2006, 2:57am

Sports Illustrated - Thursday November 16, 2006

Cheerleader of the Week

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/sioncampus/11/15/cheer.washstate/p1_cheer.jpg
The five people Danielle would like to have dinner with:
Jesus Christ, Barbra Walters, Oprah Winfrey,
Garth Brooks, and Dane Cook.

20 Questions with Washington State's Danielle Falas

Name: Danielle Fales
Birth Date: June 3, 1988
Hometown: Ephrata, WA
School: Washington State University
Year: Freshman
Major: Undecided

1. In 10 years, I'll likely be: Married, have a job, and possibly a child!

2. Why I love Washington State University: It's not too far away from home and my sister Dalari is also a student here. I'm a big family person so being close to them is important to me.

3. Movies I can't live without: Save the Last Dance, Honey, Talladega Nights, and Click.

4. Music I can't live without: Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Shania Twain, and any Country music

5. TV shows I can't live without: Desperate Housewives!!!!

6. One misconception about cheerleaders: That we don't work hard. Our team practices twice a week, works out in the gym three times a week, and we have games on weekends. We all work very hard to look the best we can when we are out on the field.

7. My favorite sport is: Baseball

8. My favorite teams are: The Mariners and of course the WSU team!!!

9. I like to spend my weekends: Cheering, relaxing, and spending quality time with my boyfriend.

10. Strange and unusual fact about me: I am terrified of spiders.

11. My friends would be surprised to know that I: Showed goats at the fair when I was little.

12. If I Had More Time I Would: Travel as much as possible.

13. Favorite Foods: Italian food, Mexican food, fruit, and Hawaiian bread.

14. Five People I'd like To Have Dinner with (Living or Dead): Jesus Christ, Barbra Walters, Oprah Winfrey, Garth Brooks, and Dane Cook.

15. Favorite Activity: Boating

16. Next Risk I Want To Take: Hang-gliding

17. Every Woman Should Have: A strong sense of who she is, and the ability to hold onto that no matter what.

18. Places I Want To Visit And Why: I want to go to New York to watch the ball drop on New Year's.

19. Typical Day: I wake up at 7:30 and start class by 9. I finish classes at 3, have a couple of hours to do homework, and then I head off to either practice or workout. Then I get some dinner, finish working on my homework and head off to bed.

20. Perfect Date: A romantic dinner with dessert, and then a nice movie.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/sioncampus/11/15/cheer.washstate/

John - ;)

Troll

11-17-2006, 9:10am

Thanks for the info.

Paul

11-17-2006, 10:14am

Queen top all time UK album chart

Queen's Greatest Hits LP has been named the UK's best selling album of all time.

http://www.tilo2300.de/memoriam/Queen89_big.jpg

The disc has sold a staggering 5,407,587 copies since its release in 1981.

In second place is The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which managed 4.8 million sales.

Also in the top ten are Oasis, Abba and Pink Floyd. Conspicuous by their absence are The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan - who don't feature in the top 100.

The top ten - compiled by the Official Charts company - is as follows:

1. Queen, Greatest Hits

2. The Beatles, Sgt Pepper

3. Oasis, What's The Story Morning Glory

4. Dire Straits, Brothers In Arms

5. Abba, Gold Greatest Hits

6. Pink Floyd, The Dark Side Of The Moon

7. Queen, Greatest Hits II

8. Michael Jackson, Thriller

9. Michael Jackson, Bad

10. Madonna, The Immaculate Collection

Troll

11-17-2006, 1:30pm

Today in 1997, the Shania Twain album "The Woman In Me" is certified for sales of ten-million,

-Countrynation.com

RKSTFan

11-17-2006, 7:13pm

The following information is provided by Jud of the Shania Boards (http://www.shaniafans.com/mb/showthread.php?t=20228).

16 November 2006

QUEEN'S ALBUM IS BEST EVER

By Emily Nash

QUEEN'S Greatest Hits is the biggest-selling album of all time.

The rock classic sold 5.4 million copies in Britain. The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was second.

The Official UK Charts Company spent six months trawling records including 1950s handwritten till receipts to compile their top 100. Surprise entries include Robson and Jerome at No 43 and Jason Donovan at 100.

TOP 20:

1. Greatest Hits, Queen - 5.4 million
2. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Beatles - 4.8 million
3. (What's The Story) Morning Glory?, Oasis - 4.3 million
4. Brothers In Arms, Dire Straits - 3.9 million
5. Gold: Greatest Hits, Abba - 3.9 million
6. The Dark Side Of The Moon, Pink Floyd - 3.7 million
7. Greatest Hits II, Queen - 3.6 million
8. Thriller, Michael Jackson - 3.5 million
9. Bad, Michael Jackson - 3.5 million
10. Immaculate Collection, Madonna - 3.4 million
11. Stars, Simply Red - 3.4 million
12. Come On Over, Shania Twain - 3.3 million (http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=105&ArticleID=1878698)
13. Rumours, Fleetwood Mac - 3.1 million
14. Urban Hymns, Verve - 3 million
15. No Angel, Dido - 3 million
16. Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel - 3 million
17. Talk On Corners, The Corrs - 2.9 million
18. Spice, Spice Girls - 2.9 million
19. Back To Bedlam, James Blunt - 2.9 million
20. White Ladder, David Gray - 2.9 million

:D

RKSTFan

11-17-2006, 7:15pm

Another honours list for Britain's best-selling rock stars

A 'definitive' list of the top 100 best-selling albums of all time has been compiled.
Chris Bond reports.

WE are in danger of developing a fetish about lists.

You only have to turn on your TV at a weekend to find The 100 Greatest Cartoons or The 100 Greatest War Films, or some other programme based on a few so-called expert opinions, or that rather shadowy group commonly known as "you the public".

There are reasons these programmes have invaded our screens – they are relatively cheap and easy to make and offer a foolproof way of guaranteeing an audience will sit through the three hours it takes to reach the end.

As with all lists, they cause controversy – The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are better than the Wacky Races? I think not.

And nowhere are lists more contentious than when it comes to music.

Even the most placid of people can be transformed into kamikaze zealots at the mere suggestion that Razorlight are mediocre, or that Mark Knopfler is one of the world's greatest guitarists.

Lists have been appearing in magazines and on radio shows for donkeys' years, but music channel VH1 and The Official UK Charts Company have joined forces to come up with, what they claim is, the definitive list of the UK's Top 100 Best Selling Albums ever.

A team of researchers have spent the past six months trawling through hand- written till receipts, some of which date back to the 1950s, in order to compile an official list for the first time since the charts began.

It does beggar the question that if this is the "definitive" list then surely there won't be a need for any more in the future?

Those who commissioned the list, being broadcast on VH1 on Saturday night, claim it will "send shock waves through the music industry".

That's over-stating it somewhat, but what it does reveal is popularity is not necessarily an arbiter of good taste.

How else can we explain Robson and Jerome and Jason Donovan outselling Led Zeppelin and The Who?

What is perhaps surprising is that not a single album by Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones or David Bowie features in the top 100.

This contrasts with six entries for Robbie Williams and three each for Oasis, Michael Jackson and Canadian warbler Celine Dion.

For the record, Queen's Greatest Hits is ranked as the best-selling album of all time, having sold some 5,407,587 copies.

The Beatles, with Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (4,803,292 copies), come in second, followed by Oasis with What's The Story Morning Glory, which has shifted 4,304,504 copies.

There are four "greatest hits" collections in the top 10, something that doesn't surprise rock music publisher and journalist Chris Charlesworth.

"The records most appreciated by critics often don't sell the most copies. Albums tend to be bought by people under the age of 30 and it is the middle of the road stuff that sells the most," he says.

"I'm surprised Shania Twain is on the list, butI'm not surprised Abba are there because Abba Gold has been out for a long time now."

"Dark Side of the Moon is massive because people would buy it to test their new stereo system."

Mr Charlesworth isn't convinced that the list is quite as definitive as its authors would have us believe. "I would like to know where they got their figures from because over a long period of time it is difficult to accurately assess record sales."

The omission of many music legends shouldn't come as a surprise, he says.

"I don't know if Bob Dylan ever really appealed to the masses and it's the masses who buy albums.

"People aren't interested in buying a new Paul McCartney album or a new Rolling Stones album, but they will go and see them in concert because it may be their last chance."

Lists like this, he says, should be taken with a pinch of salt.

"You can't pick up a music magazine these days without a list appearing every other month or so; greatest guitarists, greatest songwriters and so on."

"It's clever because it gets free publicity for the magazine, all they have to do is dress it up as a news story and it ends up in the newspapers and you can't buy that kind of publicity."

Although he thinks this could eventually prove self-defeating.

"They end up being like awards and the more lists that get published, the more meaningless they become."

chris.bond@ypn.co.uk

What do you think about the ratings? Are sales a better measure of success for artists than critical acclaim? Have your say on our Culture forum online at www.yorkshireposttoday.co.uk

UK'S top 100 selling albums

The UK'S 100 Best-selling albums, compiled by The Official UK Charts Company in conjunction with VH1:

1) GREATEST HITS, Queen, with 5,407,587 sales

2) SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND, The Beatles - 4,811,996

3) WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY, Oasis - 4,314,715

4) BROTHERS IN ARMS, Dire Straits - 3,956,704

5) GOLD - GREATEST HITS, Abba - 3,943,950

6) THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, Pink Floyd - 3,781,993

7) GREATEST HITS II, Queen - 3,644,619

8) THRILLER, Michael Jackson - 3,578,107

9) BAD, Michael Jackson - 3,554,301

10) THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION, Madonna - 3,402,160

11) STARS, Simply Red - 3,361,115

12) COME ON OVER, Shania Twain - 3,344,280

13) RUMOURS, Fleetwood Mac - 3,135,844

14) URBAN HYMNS, The Verve - 3,054,374

15) NO ANGEL, Dido - 3,002,194

16) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER, Simon & Garfunkel - 3,001,062

17) TALK ON CORNERS, The Corrs - 2,944,547

18) SPICE, Spice Girls - 2,920,669

19) BACK TO BEDLAM, James Blunt - 2,895,874

20) WHITE LADDER, David Gray - 2,851,429

21) BAT OUT OF HELL, Meat Loaf - 2,837,285

22) LIFE FOR RENT, Dido - 2,789,719

23) BUT SERIOUSLY, Phil Collins - 2,737,932

24) 1 (Anthology), The Beatles - 2,690,318

25) THE MAN WHO, Travis - 2,669,825

26) THE JOSHUA TREE, U2 - 2,665,553

27) GREATEST HITS, Abba - 2,598,576

28) TUBULAR BELLS, Mike Oldfield - 2,575,099

29) A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD, Coldplay - 2,574,249

30) I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU, Robbie Williams - 2,556,042

31) JAGGED LITTLE PILL, Alanis Morissette - 2,551,238

32) SCISSOR SISTERS, Scissor Sisters - 2,535,983

33) LEGEND, Bob Marley & the Wailers - 2,520,486

34) HOPES AND FEARS, Keane - 2,498,950

35) WAR OF THE WORLDS, Jeff Wayne's Musical Version - 2,452,236

36) THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Original Soundtrack - 2,438,695

37) DIRTY DANCING, Original Soundtrack - 2,435,109

38) LADIES & GENTLEMEN - THE BEST OF, George Michael - 2,408,810

39) GREASE, Original Soundtrack - 2,373,621

40) COME AWAY WITH ME, Norah Jones - 2,369,847

41) X&Y, Coldplay - 2,345,126

42) TRACY CHAPMAN, Tracy Chapman - 2,342,506

43) ROBSON & JEROME, Robson & Jerome - 2,336,086

44) TANGO IN THE NIGHT, Fleetwood Mac - 2,333,819

45) PARACHUTES, Coldplay - 2,324,783

46) AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE, REM - 2,270,332

47) WHITNEY, Whitney Houston - 2,237,603

48) THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP, Eminem - 2,233,158

49) SWING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING, Robbie Williams - 2,205,028

50) GRACELAND, Paul Simon - 2,203,381

51) SING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING, Robbie Williams - 2,182,097

52) SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, Original Soundtrack - 2,151,142

53) THE BODYGUARD, Original Soundtrack - 2,138,030

54) THE VERY BEST OF, elton John - 2,134,524

55) SIMPLY THE BEST, Tina Turner - 2,121,000

56) KYLIE - THE ALBUM, Kylie Minogue - 2,105,698

57) FALLING INTO YOU, Celine Dion - 2,093,363

58) LIFE THRU A LENS, Robbie Williams - 2,074,860

59) GREATEST HITS, Eurythmics - 2,055,996

60) ESCAPOLOGY, Robbie Williams - 2,037,380

61) GREATEST HITS, Robbie Williams - 1,998,668

62) LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE, Celine Dion - 1,984,152

63) DANGEROUS, Michael Jackson - 1,983,954

64) TRUE BLUE, Madonna - 1,961,164

65) APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION, Guns N' Roses - 1,945,240

66) NO JACKET REQUIRED, Phil Collins - 1,934,912

67) ABBEY ROAD, The Beatles - 1,925,783

68) A NEW FLAME, Simply Red - 1,923,366

69) BY THE WAY, Red Hot Chili Peppers - 1,915,008

70) CAN'T SLOW DOWN, Lionel Richie - 1,891,896

71) SONGS ABOUT JANE, Maroon 5 - 1,868,548

72) CROSS ROAD - THE BEST OF, Bon Jovi - 1,867,427

73) STRIPPED, Christina Aguilera - 1,850,852

74) GREATEST HITS, Simon & Garfunkel - 1,840,454

75) CARRY ON UP THE CHARTS - THE BEST OF, Beautiful South - 1,828,890

76) PLAY, Moby - 1,819,938

77) THE COLOUR OF MY LOVE, Celine Dion - 1,816,915

78) BORN TO DO IT, Craig David - 1,816,781

79) THE GREATEST HITS, Texas - 1,809,480

80) NEVERMIND, Nirvana - 1,807,142

81) SOUTH PACIFIC, Original Soundtrack - 1,803,681

82) JUSTIFIED, Justin Timberlake - 1,802,172

83) AMERICAN IDIOT, Green Day - 1,800,144

84) BE HERE NOW, Oasis - 1,799,784

85) BACK TO FRONT, Lionel Richie - 1,793,978

86) OUT OF TIME, REM - 1,786,954

87) CALL OFF THE SEARCH, Katie Melua - 1,780,817

88) EMPLOYMENT, Kaiser Chiefs - 1,772,936

89) BY REQUEST, Boyzone - 1,770,728

90) BAT OUT OF HELL II, Meat Loaf - 1,745,974

91) DEFINITELY MAYBE, Oasis - 1,740,386

92) JUST ENOUGH EDUCATION TO PERFORM, Stereophonics - 1,731,863

93) INTRODUCING THE HARDLINE ACCORDING TO…, Terence Trent D'Arby - 1,721,685

94) MISSUNDAZTOOD, Pink - 1,712,173

95) LET GO, Avril Lavigne - 1,711,088

96) PERFORMANCE AND COCKTAILS, Stereophonics - 1,710,522

97) OLDER, George Michael - 1,708,555

98) PARALLEL LINES, Blondie - 1,694,353

99) FEVER, Kylie Minogue - 1,682,387

100) 10 GOOD REASONS, Jason Donovan - 1,680,651

16 November 2006

Yorkshire Post Today (http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=105&ArticleID=1878698)

RKSTFan

11-17-2006, 7:17pm

Hot in the UK

http://www.countrynation.com/shania.jpg

-- Shania Twain's album, "Come On Over," shows up at Number 12 on the list of the UK's top 100 best-selling albums of all time, logging 3,344,280 copies.

Queen's "Greatest Hits" tops the list (5,407,587), with the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," named the 2nd best selling album in the UK (4,811,996).

Countrynation (http://www.countrynation.com/)

Paul

11-17-2006, 7:21pm

Merged the two threads - I had already posted the story. But, I didn't know about COO being there, that's great news!

RKSTFan

11-17-2006, 7:23pm

The Daily Mail - 15.11.06

Queen top new greatest albums list based on cash register sales

:eek:

Once again, I wasn't paying attention to this thread. :o

I just started a new thread (http://www.shaniaforums.com/showthread.php?t=43639) for the UK sales news.

I'm sorry. :(

The moderators can delete my thread if they want to.

RKSTFan

11-17-2006, 7:31pm

Merged the two threads - I had already posted the story. But, I didn't know about COO being there, that's great news!

:)

There are actually three threads now with the UK sales information.

I didn't realize it until after I started this thread that there was already info. about the UK sales news in the Shania name-droppings (http://www.shaniaforums.com/showthread.php?t=39572&page=48) thread. :o

Well...at least it's good Shania news being repeated in various threads. :funny:

Troll

11-17-2006, 9:17pm

Thanks for the articles.

Troll

11-21-2006, 1:02pm

From the heart

By Bruce Mason
Nov 21 2006

If you play, sing and live on Gabriola it is highly likely you have taken lessons from Lou Gradanti.

Regardless of age, musical level, or style, he's got something to teach everyone, culled from 50 years of making music.

But the chances are even greater that you won't succeed like his most famous protege.

"Lou, thanks for all the lessons. Best wishes from an old friend, Shania Twain," reads an autographed photo on the wall of the Octave Studio, where he writes music in his home-based studio.

He doesn't talk about Twain much, he's too busy playing, writing, and teaching 85 students. But he's staging 24 of his original songs at the Gabriola Community Hall, Saturday (Nov. 25), including one he wrote for her that she hasn't heard yet.

"Years ago when I was playing with my band in Sudbury, Ont., I was approached by a couple during a break," he recalled. "They asked me if their little girl Eileen could sing something with us.

"I said sure and wow, she had a lot of power and emotion," Gradanti said. "They were poor and didn't know what to do with her talent and determination, so they asked me if they could visit me in Toronto."

At 11 years of age, the young Eileen Twain began staying with Gradanti and his wife in the big city, on and off, for about five years. He taught her how to sing, especially harmony and how to play the guitar.

"I brought her onstage with my band and I was playing piano on the TV show Opry North, so I got her on TV for the first time, drove her around to radio stations for interviews and to gigs, got her started," Gradanti said.

He lost touch until she called with bad news: her folks had been killed in a car accident. That's when he wrote You Made It All Right, a song that a grateful young woman sings to her fiercely dedicated mother.

http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=51&cat=47&id=775826&more=

Alex

11-21-2006, 3:52pm

Thanks for the articles.

AdorableEilleen

11-21-2006, 4:19pm

Thanks for all the great articles. That cheerleader chick is got good taste leading it off by say Shania Twain and any country music. Make sure to say Shania, hehe.

I also agree Shania would make the perfect Bond girl but of course not to be taken by James... oh no... not our sweet Shania. :D

Shania could easily be the first ever female to play Bond! :great:

She's got the real life skills and trats to handle the job. :love:

FinnFreak

11-22-2006, 3:34am

The Examiner - Nov 22, 2006

Will Hillary Clinton ever eat ice cream at Donnelly’s?

By Richard Stukey

WASHINGTON - Tom Cruise has eaten there. Shania Twain and her husband, music producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, were regulars before moving to Switzerland. Cartoonist and political satirist Garry Trudeau eats there “all the time” along with his wife, television journalist Jane Pauley.

Even New York Gov. George Pataki made a fact-finding mission to Donnelly’s Soft Ice Cream last summer to learn if the tiny roadside stand’s “twist cones” were as good as his constituents said they were.

But one notable New Yorker who has never been to Donnelly’s, located at the intersection of routes 86 and 186 in upstate Saranac Lake, is New York’s Sen. Hillary R. Clinton.

Not that she hasn’t had occasion to stop there. Locals say that Clinton and her husband on several occasions have forsaken their preferred vacation spot on Nantucket Island for the Adirondacks Mountains, but never took time to visit Donnelly’s. They cite one incident in particular, when the Clinton motorcade drove past Donnelly’s on its way from the airport in Lake Clear to the nearby resort village of Lake Placid.

The next day, Clinton and her husband were spotted eating New York Super Fudge Chunk and Cherry Garcia cones at the Ben & Jerry’s in Lake Placid.

Years later, the incident still has local residents bristling and wondering whether Clinton is familiar enough with the Adirondack North Country to earn their grassroots support.

Shana Dugan, a Donnelly’s employee and lifelong resident of Saranac Lake, was working at the ice cream stand the summer the Clinton motorcade “zipped right by here.”

She agrees with other Adirondack North Country residents who feel Clinton will have a tough time winning the White House without first gaining back local support by visiting Donnelly’s next time she and her husband visit the Adirondacks.

“It would also be a great idea if Clinton made Donnelly’s the official ice cream of the White House,” Shana suggested, noting that a campaign promise to do so would go a long way toward helping Clinton shore up local support for her presidential bid.

But Trudeau, who first visited Donnelly’s with his father as a boy growing up in Saranac Lake, said such a campaign promise could backfire.

“If she did promise to make Donnelly’s the official White House ice cream, she would lose the Mountain Mist vote,” Trudeau noted, referring to another local favorite ice cream stand.

Since “all politics is local,” is an appearance at Donnelly’s by Clinton essential for gaining the White House? “I’m not sure how you would measure public sentiment, since Donnelly’s usually only has one flavor (each day) other than vanilla,” Trudeau said. “If you’re a chocolate person, say, but you happen to show up on a raspberry day, you might be disappointed with Donnelly’s.”

Such disappointment could make it even more important for Clinton to secure support from Mountain Mist voters, or those who prefer Ben & Jerry’s.

Ben & Jerry’s spokesman Sean Greenwood suggested that Clinton could straddle the issue of ice cream choice. “Our recommendation is for Sen. Clinton to get a cone of Donnelly’s in one hand, and a cone of Ben & Jerry’s in the other, and for her husband to do the same,” he said.

Owner Peter Donnelly, whose two aunts started the ice cream stand at the 500-acre family farm in 1953, refused to comment on whether Clinton should stop at his ice cream stand to win back local support.

“Oh, no, I’m not going to get into talking about politics,” he said, stepping down off his tractor and gazing thoughtfully out at Whiteface Mountain. “If Sen. Clinton wants to come here and try us out, we’d welcome her just the way we would anybody else.”

But Trudeau said a Clinton visit to Donnelly’s would be worthwhile regardless of its effect on her political base. “Sen. Clinton wouldn’t regret experiencing Donnelly’s rich creamy product, which has been cheerfully served up by comely local milkmaids for two generations,” he said.

Richard Stukey lives in Martinsburg, W.Va., and has visited Donnelly’s each summer since he shared a twist cone with his college girlfriend in 1976.

http://www.examiner.com/a-413911~Richard_Stukey__Will_Hillary_Clinton_ever_e at_ice_cream_at_Donnelly_s_.html

John - :p

canoilers

11-22-2006, 3:42am

THanks for the articles there. :D

By the way the best Ice Cream place is in Pouce Coupe B.C. Me and my grandmother used to drive there all the time for a cone.

FinnFreak

11-22-2006, 4:40am

Tonight, South Africa - November 22, 2006

Divas Divine - Inside Out!

Last chance to hear these divine divas

By Peter van der Merwe

Starring: Helena Hettema
Pianist: Andre Wessels
Venue: Liberty Theatre on the Square
Dates: tomorrow, 8pm (Centurion Theatre), Sunday, 7pm (Liberty Theatre)

The term "diva" is bandied about as freely as junk mail at an intersection these days, being used to describe everyone from Shania Twain to Celine Dion. Thankfully, this show is the real McCoy.

Helena Hettema has created a compelling one-woman show that mixes monologues and songs as she pays homage to some of the great female singers of the last century.

Her passion is evident as she slips under the skin of legendary performers like Billie Holiday, Patsy Cline, Joan Baez, Nina Simone, Edith Piaf and Janis Joplin.

It is a daunting collection of material to tackle. Although most of the songs are now considered standards, each has been carefully chosen for its association with the icons who first sang them: Cline's Crazy, Simone's Sugar in My Bowl, Holiday's Summertime and Miriam Makeba's Click Song.

Most of the divas were dark and troubled souls, using music as a counterpoint to their dramatic lives . Holiday was a drug addict who saddled herself with a succession of miserable men.

Piaf spent her life trying to erase the pain of a childhood spent growing up in a brothel. Baez and Simone fought racism for much of their careers.

Hettema successfully hints at this darkness without ever getting maudlin. She doesn't try to mimic the singers so much as evoke their spirit, moving easily from the raunch and verve of Joplin to a blistering version of Marianne Faithfull's Ballad of Lucy Jordan.

And boy, can she sing. Hettema has a voice that ranges from crushed silk to wet gravel, and she uses it with sensitivity and skill.

The audience loved her interpretations of Brel and Piaf at the end of the show, but one of the highlights was her own composition, Divided Heart, which was worth every second of the ovation she received. It was a stirring performance.

It is a great opportunity to see one of South Africa's finest performers in action.

Bookings at Computicket or from the theatre.

http://www.tonight.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3556061&fSectionId=352&fSetId=251

John - ;)

FinnFreak

11-22-2006, 7:53am

Monterey County Herald, CA - Wed, Nov. 22, 2006

Actor Jeremy Slate dies

The off-and-on Big Sur resident is remembered as a man who lived his dreams

By DANIA AKKAD

Actor Jeremy Slate, who had roles in nearly 100 TV shows over five decades and spent many of his last years in Big Sur and Carmel, died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 80.

Slate died at UCLA Medical Center of complications following surgery for esophageal cancer, said his agent, Bonnie Black.

While best known for his work in the movie and television industries, Slate lived a full life -- including a stint as a disc jokey in Lima, Peru; traveling the country for several years in an RV and living on beaches with a famous archaeologist; and writing two songs that were eventually recorded.

"The guy had an amazing life," his son, Jeremy Slate of Carmel, said Tuesday. "I think that has a lot to do with the way he treated all the people around him. He pulled off a lot of his fantasies."

One fantasy was becoming an actor.

In the 1950s, Slate -- then known by his real name, Robert Perham -- left his job as a public relations executive with a shipping company in New York City, determined to make it on the silver screen.

"He said, 'I'm off to Hollywood and I'll call you when I get a job,'" said 50-year-old Jeremy Slate this week.

A couple of weeks later, Slate landed a role in the TV series "The Aquanauts," and soon Robert Perham became Jeremy Slate.

"He took my name and made up Slate out of a Western book," Jeremy Slate said.

He appeared with Elvis Presley in ''Girls! Girls! Girls!'' Through the years, he guest-starred in many television shows, including ''Gunsmoke,'' ''Mission: Impossible,'' ''Bewitched'' and ''Police Story.''

From 1979 to 1987, he was a regular on the ABC soap ''One Life to Live'' as Chuck Wilson, his longest-running role.

Most recently, he was seen in the NBC sitcom ''My Name is Earl.''

Often cast as a tough guy, Slate appeared during the late 1960s in a string of biker films, including ''The Born Losers'' and ''Hell's Angels '69,'' which he co-wrote.

During the filming of "The Born Losers," Slate said his father first experienced Big Sur. He first learned about the place by reading Robinson Jeffers' poetry as a student at St. Lawrence College.

"He was reading this stuff in New York, and he's talking about this place 'Big Sur,'" he said. "He and his roommates decide it's a fantasy world. It doesn't exist."

But at the end of the semester, Slate's roommate ran into their room with a revelation: He'd seen a map.

"'Jeremy, it's real. It's real. It's real,'" the roommate told his father.

Slate ended up moving into a cabin above Esalen Hot Springs for a couple of years and was a guest bartender of sorts at the Fernwood Resort, said another son, Jason Slate of Marina, 47.

He left the area as he was getting more into the motorcycle scene, but eventually returned after his run on ''One Life to Live.'' For a decade, he lived in Palo Colorado. For a while, he was married. But then he divorced and lived alone.

One day, he called up Jeremy.

"You don't know any woman my age that would want to go out with me, do you?" he said.

In true fashion, his son said, a week later an old friend, actress Joan Benedict-Steiger, called, looking for his father. She had been watching television and saw Slate and wondered how he was doing.

Two weeks later, Slate took a train to visit Benedict-Steiger in Southern California and, aside from a couple of visits to see family, he never came back.

"She's been magical to him," said Jeremy Slate. "She brought him back down there and got him into the whole Hollywood scene again.... We're just going, 'God****, man. This guy just had such good kharma.'"

Slate started hanging out with actors again, got an agent and landed a part in "My Name is Earl."

Slate was going blind from macular degeneration, so Benedict-Steiger helped him learn his lines. The couple spent two years together in Malibu.

He was scheduled next to play a rodeo clown in a film with Kris Kristofferson and Shania Twain, Jeremy Slate said.

Slate is survived by his sons Jeremy and Jason; his daughters Jamie Perham and Reba Wilson; and five grandchildren. A third son, Jeff Slate, died earlier at 44.

A gathering to celebrate Slate's life will be held in Malibu on Sunday. Another memorial will be held somewhere in Monterey County in the spring.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

montereyherald.com.

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/local/16073490.htm

:sad:

Buttermilk Sky (2007)

Plot Outline: Loner ex-rodeo Wild West show performer befriends a displaced orphan girl and learns to love again.

Production Notes/Status:

Status: Pre-production
Comments: Scheduled to shoot spring 2007.
Status Updated: 24 October 2006
Note: Since this project is categorized as being in production, the data is subject to change; some data could be removed completely.

Writing credits: Charles Leinenweber

Cast (in alphabetical order)

Tim Abell .... Bruce
Kyle Chavarria .... Jennie
DJ Perry .... Flint
Francesco Quinn .... Rafael
Jeremy Slate .... Plug
Thadd Turner .... Manny

Produced by

Patrick R. Connor .... co-producer
Michael Madsen .... producer
Lawrence Steinberg .... producer
Thadd Turner .... producer

Film Editing by Corky Ehlers

Production Design by
Christine Schuman

Costume Design by Cathy Smith

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Terry Leonard .... second unit director

Stunts
Terry Leonard .... stunt coordinator

Other crew

Janette Anderson .... casting consultant
Tommy Dippel .... assistant to production
Aram Nigoghossian .... first assistant editor
Tanya Turner .... assistant to producer

John - :shocked:

Troll

11-22-2006, 8:43am

Thanks for the articles.

AdorableEilleen

11-22-2006, 10:31am

Great tidbits of Shania. :D

Was she really suppose to do a movie with Kris Kristofferson? Wow!

Raphael Twain

11-22-2006, 3:54pm

It was published in the montereyherald.com that Shania will go to participate of a film called “Buttermilk Sky” to the side Kris Kristofferson and Jeremy Slate. It does not have more information beyond these, this is what it is known of concrete. The original notice if relates the Jeremy Slate and in it it has a citation on its new film and Shania is enclosed. To see it has access:

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/local/16073490.ht

We go to wait more news! :)

Bye...

angwags

11-22-2006, 4:12pm

Thanks to Lavazza/Nina at the OFC for the info! :smirk:

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/local/16073490.ht

"He was scheduled next to play a rodeo clown in a film with Kris Kristofferson and Shania Twain, Jeremy Slate said."

VERY interesting..............:D

Steve F

11-22-2006, 5:20pm

Interesting!

Steve

captainCorr

11-22-2006, 5:23pm

Very interesting..thanks! :D

SHANIANUTS!

11-22-2006, 6:38pm

This is a cameo role apparently like with the I LUV Huckabeeees?

SHANIANUTS!

11-22-2006, 6:40pm

....I think they both were to have walkon roles...btw we now have a whole thread on this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!;)

Troll

11-22-2006, 9:27pm

Thanks for the info.

countrylatina

11-22-2006, 10:09pm

awsome!
thanks for the info.

nds76

11-22-2006, 10:16pm

Need a leading role, cameo's aren't good enough.

FinnFreak

11-22-2006, 10:19pm

....I think they both were to have walkon roles...btw we now have a whole thread on this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!;)

...which is now merged into this one, as at this point, it can hardly be regarded as "a fact"...

John - ;)

FinnFreak

11-23-2006, 6:15am

...here's info from www.talmarcproductions.com :

Scheduled to shoot in Santa Fe, New Mexico winter/spring 2007 is the fast-paced action Western The Hard Ride, Thadd Turner and Terry Leonard will co-direct; the contemporary Disney-style drama Buttermilk Sky, with producers Lawrence Steinberg and Michael Madsen; and the action-drama The Rez is shaping up for summer 2007, along with the horror feature Taxidermist co-written with J.H. Kimbrell.

Buttermilk Sky

Talmarc Productions and Lost Horses Inc.

Producers

Thadd Turner
Lawrence Steinberg
Michael Madsen
Patrick Connor

Scheduled to shoot spring 2007.

Buttermilk Sky is a wonderful family drama about the unconventional relationship between a loner ex-rodeo rider turned Wild West show performer, who befriends a street smart orphan girl that steals passage with him and his menagerie of animals, including a buffalo, mustang horse, and timber wolf. The story follows the friendship that develops between the two unlikely pair, as they struggle to overcome their past lives and become a loving family.

Original Screenplay by Charles Lienenweber

Cast List

Michael Madsen......Ace
Kris Kristofferson....Banta
Tim Abell.................Bruce
Kyle Chavarria.........Jennie
Fancisco Quinn........Rafael
Jeremy Slate............Plug
Thadd Turner...........Manny
DJ Perry...................Flint

Other talent to be announced!

Key Crew

Terry Leonard.........2nd Unit Director/
Stunt Coordinator
Janette Anderson....Casting Consultant/
Packaging
Corky Ehlers............Film Editor
Aram Nigoghossian...Assist Film Editor
Anthony Hornus......Associate Producer
Christine Schuman..Production Designer
Cathy Smith.............Costumer
Allison Whitmer.......Key Art
Ron Berkley.............Key Makeup
Fred Lackey.............Key Hair
Phil Spangenberger..Technical Advisor
Tommy Dippel.........Special Effects
Al Frisch..................Property Master
Kim Harmon.............Stunt Double

...still, no Shania mentioned. She could be doing a song for the film as well... we'll see...

John - ;)

canoilers

11-23-2006, 6:17am

That could very well be true too. It could be a another case of Huckabee's where she was in the movie but not in it... if you catch my drift.

I hope she does get onto it, maybe this will be a stepping stone to something big. :D

FinnFreak

11-23-2006, 6:36am

I have nothing against her exploring other areas of arts, if that inspires her further to release more wonderful songs.

It's a process of constant learning, and it's all valuable.

John - :D

canoilers

11-23-2006, 6:42am

FinnFreak

11-23-2006, 6:45am

Regina Leader-Post, Canada - Thursday, November 23, 2006

Canadian game little-known at home

OTTAWA -- It's a sad, but true, cliche: To find success in their homeland, Canadians have to first find approval elsewhere. Just look at the careers of pop culture icons like Avril Lavigne, Shania Twain and Jim Carrey.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=74823f29-6126-42f5-a02f-5359802dd0a9

:uhh: ...and what is that game they are talking about..? :huh:

:dunno: - beats me.

John - :p

FinnFreak

11-23-2006, 6:49am

Besides that an Oscar would go good with them Grammy's. :D

More great songs isn't too shaby if you ask me, I like it too.

Besides who doesn't want to see what she'd wear when she goes to pick up her Oscar. :D:D

I like your thinking.

Shania should've got an Oscar for Don't in An Unfinished Life.

Maybe next time.

John - ;)

canoilers

11-23-2006, 8:00am

Regina Leader-Post, Canada - Thursday, November 23, 2006

OTTAWA -- It's a sad, but true, cliche: To find success in their homeland, Canadians have to first find approval elsewhere. Just look at the careers of pop culture icons like Avril Lavigne, Shania Twain and Jim Carrey.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=74823f29-6126-42f5-a02f-5359802dd0a9

:uhh: ...and what is that game they are talking about..? :huh:

:dunno: - beats me.

John - :pCanadian game little-known at homeGood question cause I have no clue. I don't think I've seen an article thats been more vague.

I don't agree with that success thing either, I find Canadians support Canadians just because they are Canadian. I think the real problem with it is getting information on whatever it is, you can't get success if no ones ever heard of you. The problem with that is Canada is a small market overall, its not until now that Canadian's can readially get information on new Canadian stuff. For the most part we get our information from the States, so by that its harder for Canadians to get support unless they go too the States. They have all that money to spend on advertising.

:D

I like your thinking.

Shania should've got an Oscar for Don't in An Unfinished Life.

Maybe next time.

John - ;)I agree with that, how could they don't not give her an Oscar, instead do.

Yeah but next time she could write, direct, produce, act and do the music herself. Which means she's got more of a chance of bringing one home. She couldn't possibly lose next time. :p

FinnFreak

11-23-2006, 8:17am

I think the real problem with it is getting information on whatever it is, you can't get success if no ones ever heard of you. The problem with that is Canada is a small market overall, its not until now that Canadian's can readially get information on new Canadian stuff. For the most part we get our information from the States, so by that its harder for Canadians to get support unless they go too the States. They have all that money to spend on advertising.

I can see that problem with lots of Canadian bands in the past.

Like: many know Rush - but how many know Saga..? :D

I agree with that, how could they don't not give her an Oscar, instead do.

With An Unfinished Life & Don't, the problem was probably, that the production company for the film was purchased, and in the end the film's release was pushed back and back... until it didn't qualify no longer. Too bad. I like the film a lot - very good acting from the team of R. Redford - M. Freeman - J. Lopez. :)

Yeah but next time she could write, direct, produce, act and do the music herself. Which means she's got more of a chance of bringing one home. She couldn't possibly lose next time. :p

Make a movie like Elvis used to do..? - Yikes. :p

John - ;)

captainCorr

11-23-2006, 8:27am

...which is now merged into this one, as at this point, it can hardly be regarded as "a fact"...

John - ;)
No, but IMHO I think it deserves its own topic.. maybe not in this forum, then in the GD forum. This is more than just a "name-dropping"..

FinnFreak

11-23-2006, 8:43am

No, but IMHO I think it deserves its own topic.. maybe not in this forum, then in the GD forum. This is more than just a "name-dropping"..

hmm... it could also be a complete misunderstanding by Mr. Slate, but I can see the benefits in collecting all the rumours into one thread, instead of an explosion of topics all over the place...

Yep.

I've got just the name for it too.

Check the General Discussion Forum soon.

John - ;)

captainCorr

11-23-2006, 8:54am

instead of an explosion of topics all over the place...

Well that's hardly the case is it..in this time of having minimal Shania news..;)
[/QUOTE]

FinnFreak

11-23-2006, 8:57am

Remember what happened with "I'm So Happy Not To Shoot The Moose"..?

John - ;)

FinnFreak

11-23-2006, 9:24am

Discussion about the movie at:

- The Rumour Mill - (http://www.shaniaforums.com/showthread.php?t=43691)

John - :)

FinnFreak

11-23-2006, 9:35am

;)

Skagit Valley Herald, WA - Thursday, November 23, 2006

When Betty Desire looks into your eyes,
it’s as if she’s singing just for you

http://www.skagitvalleyherald.com/content/articles/2006/11/23/applause/applause01.jpg
Betty Desire performs her drag show at
Althea’s in downtown Mount Vernon
every Monday night

Betty takes the stage at Althea’s in Mount Vernon every Monday night in an auburn flip wig, sparkling false eyelashes, pink lipstick and dramatic, dark eye makeup. For one recent performance, Betty sported a leopard print dress.

As she belts out each tune, she wanders through the audience, stopping at tables to look into each person’s eyes. Sometimes she’ll give someone a pat on the back as she passes; sometimes a fan will put an arm around her when she comes to their table.

Between songs, Betty interviews audience members, drawing them out and getting them to relate to each other. Betty’s like a favorite eccentric aunt who always asks you embarrassing questions about your life. Are you single? Are you looking for a boy or a girl?

Or she’ll lead a few audience members to the stage for games like “Betty Says,” in which contestants have to accurately respond to a rapid fire of instructions, such as “Betty says get into the music.”

Underneath the sparkle and the glamour, the lipstick and the leopard print, is a 52-year-old man.

Betty’s creator is a 1973 graduate of Mount Vernon High School, a father of two and a former minister who came out as a gay man later in life. He says his parents, who still live in Skagit County, are supportive and accepting. But he asked not to be identified by his real name to shield them.

Some people in Skagit County aren’t that tolerant, he said.

Every Monday, Betty Desire comes to Althea’s on a mission to fight social isolation and encourage people to feel comfortable about themselves through songs, conversation and fun. The show has been at Althea’s every other week for about a year and became a weekly event this winter.

With a “Hit it!” to the DJ, Betty launches into soulful renditions of songs including “Black Velvet,” “I Love Rock and Roll” and Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”

But this isn’t your typical drag queen lip-sync show. As fans like to point out, Betty actually sings.

Betty is never content to just stand up on stage belting out tunes, preferring to saunter to the bar and from table to table, gazing into the eyes of the audience, with a personal serenade for each person.

“The first time I saw her, I thought ‘this is different,’ ” said Eric Santos of Burlington. “She’s really intimate.”

http://www.skagitvalleyherald.com/content/articles/2006/11/23/applause/applause01-2.jpg
Drag performer Betty Desire asks
Lyman resident Ron Lake some
intimate questions during a show
in September.

At first, being interviewed by a microphone-wielding Betty or urged on stage for a game can be uncomfortable, Santos said. In the end, though, it’s a lot of fun.

“Everyone’s involved,” Santos said.

The Betty Desire Show kicked off more than a decade ago in Bellingham, where it continues every Wednesday night at Rumors Cabaret.

Betty Desire, the character, is her creator’s way of making people feel at home — an antidote to the loneliness of not knowing anyone in a new place or in a new phase of life.

When he first came out, Betty’s creator went to Rumors Cabaret.

The gay-friendly venue, which also attracts lots of college students, is known for dancing and a raucous crowd. In those early days at Rumors, he found himself, in the middle of a bustling social scene, feeling utterly alone and lonely.

Now Betty Desire never lets anyone in a crowd feel alone. In between songs, Betty takes tabs on who has never been to the show before and asks them questions about their lives, introducing them to the rest of the audience.

“Betty for me is a vehicle to make sure no one has to feel isolated,” her creator said.

Betty has become a mom or grandma figure to many fans, he said. They tell Betty things they would never tell a stranger. And he’s happy to play that family role.

“I’ve been fortunate,” he said. “My family’s very accepting.”

In fact, his 25-year-old son has been attending the show in Bellingham for four years and was Betty’s DJ at a recent Althea’s show. “But I know people who haven’t been so fortunate,” he said.

Fans like Jonathan of Mount Vernon, who asked not to be identified by his last name, say the Betty Desire show provides an accepting environment in a place and time when being openly gay can still be uncomfortable.

“It’s a melting pot of everybody,” he said. “Nobody cares who you are, what you are, what your preference is.

“It’s all about having a good time and enjoying the moment.”

Betty’s creator said part of what drove him to bring the show to Mount Vernon was the need to create a welcoming place for gay people and their friends to gather without having to drive half an hour to Everett or Bellingham.

“It’s about creating safe zones,” he said.

Althea’s owner Kacey Rimmer said that’s the kind of welcoming atmosphere she wants to create at her business, too. “It’s not a gay bar,” she said. “It’s not a straight bar. It’s for everybody.”

Carl Nyblade of Bellingham said he comes to the Betty Desire show at Althea’s with his boyfriend after going to church on Monday night.

“Church is community, and this is an alternative community for us,” he said.

It’s an analogy that makes sense to Betty’s creator, who studied ministry and graduated from Western Bible College. The show is really a logical outgrowth of his previous career, he said.

“The training was right,” he said. “The congregation is different.”

He said Betty’s high profile role in Bellingham and Mount Vernon can also help make it easier for people to be themselves. Visibility leads to acceptance, he said. That’s why he publishes The Betty Pages, an alternative newspaper in Bellingham. And that’s why he makes a point of walking in drag from his Bellingham apartment to Rumors for the show every week. Sometimes people on the street make remarks, but he doesn’t let it concern him.

“I can take it as a compliment or as an insult,” he said. “I choose a compliment. I say, ‘thank you very much.’ ”

He’s just getting the people who make remarks used to the idea of seeing people who are different, he said. And by doing so, he hopes he’ll make it easier for others not to hide who they are.

If the Betty Desire show can help the audience feel part of a community and less concerned about living up to other people’s standards, “then I’ve done my job,” he said.

http://www.skagitvalleyherald.com/articles/2006/11/23/applause/applause01.txt

John - :p

Troll

11-23-2006, 1:16pm

Thanks for the article.

canoilers

11-24-2006, 4:58am

Remember what happened with "I'm So Happy Not To Shoot The Moose"..?

John - ;):huh: Now why on gods green earth would Shania want to shoot Mark Messier.

Thanks for the article there John. :D

Troll

11-24-2006, 8:55am

:huh: Now why on gods green earth would Shania want to shoot Mark Messier.

Thanks for the article there John. :D

Yeah why would Shania want to shoot Mark Messier? :dunno:

AdorableEilleen

11-24-2006, 10:36am

I have nothing against her exploring other areas of arts, if that inspires her further to release more wonderful songs.

It's a process of constant learning, and it's all valuable.

John - :D

I agree. I know Shania has said she's been offered movie roles since 1996. She always said it was music first and maybe later on down the road she'd try movies but that it wasn't a desire. Just maybe something on the side. I always said if she wants to try that's fine but as long as it doesn't interfere with the music. She's explored in to the perfume biz and now possibly movies and hopefully she'll be inspired to write more wonderful songs as you said.

AdorableEilleen

11-24-2006, 10:37am

:huh: Now why on gods green earth would Shania want to shoot Mark Messier.

Thanks for the article there John. :D

:funny: Now that's fresh.

dreamer

11-24-2006, 1:33pm

we are all so crazy

FinnFreak

11-25-2006, 3:12am

Glasgow Daily Record, UK - 25 November 2006

HIT THE JACKPOT

As David Sneddon makes his first million, we look at songwriters who have made their fortunes

By John Dingwall

THIS week, David Sneddon joined the ranks of the people who write songs to make the world sing, then coin in the royalties while they sleep.

Sneddon has just become a millionaire thanks to a behind-the scenes songwriting career to relatively unknown acts, Nate James and Van Velsen, who have been successful across Europe and Asia.

And the original Fame Academy winner from Paisley, who bagged a £1million contract from the show then quit because he didn't like being famous, is part of a growing breed of people whose earnings accumulate as they write lucrative songs.

Scots songwriter John McLaughlin says many make today's pop stars look like paupers in comparison, even when the songs are flops in Britain.

He said: "Some of my biggest records have been by people the UK public haven't heard of, such as David Charvet from Baywatch. We sold nearly two million singles with him in Europe.

"It wasn't released here, but the song called Leap Of Faith was a massive hit.

"Another band we have is D-Side who only release records in Japan. We expect to sell 100,000 copies of their album over there and it has already sold 40,000 in Japan in one week.

"If you consider I won a BMI award for a million airplays in America for the 5ive song When The Lights Go Out, that gives you an indication of what it means to have a hit in the US.

"If you just have one massive hit you can live off it forever. Somewhere in the world it will be played on radio, and a No.1 song appears on compilations and on music TV. When a band perform the songs on tour, the writer gets a share of that too.

"There was a power cut in New York a couple of years ago and my royalties went through the roof for When The Lights Go Out. Every news item had needed a song and they all picked that one."

John has written hits for Westlife, Busted, Blue and also tutored Sneddon on songwriting.

He added: "David struck me as someone who was going to do well as a song writer.

"He wasn't comfortable being in the limelight and he knew coming from reality TV that the industry would be unforgiving.

"He used Fame Academy to open some doors and he had the talent to deliver. I'm delighted for him."

Every time a song is played on a radio station, an organisation called the PRS adds a payment to the songwriter's royalty cheque.

It's no wonder bands such as Orson are realising that writing songs for other people can be lucrative.

The recent Sugababes hit Easy was written by Orson's Jason Pebworth, who explained: "Sugababes are looking for new stuff all the time. We went into the studio and gave them a couple of ideas and they liked them."

John also believes producer and songwriter Mutt Lange could be one of the richest people on the planet.

Lange wrote Bryan Adam's 'Everything I Do, I Do It For You', the longest running No.1 in the UK at 16 weeks, and 'The Woman In Me (Needs The Man In You)' and 'Man! I Feel Like A Woman!' for his wife Shania Twain, as well as dozens of other hits.

John said: "I wouldn't be surprised if Mutt Lange was a billionaire. Shania's records account for over 50 million albums sales."

It seems the Swedes are among the best when it comes to writing worldwide pop hits and have their own hit factory in Max Martin. You might not have heard of him, but he's written songs for Kelly Clarkson, The Backstreet Boys, N'Sync and Bon Jovi.

"Historically, the Swedes have come up with brilliant songwriters, going back to ABBA," John explained.

"Max Martin was in a hard rock band but saw the potential of writing pop songs."

Others, such as Paul Anka and Lucie Silvas, sometimes opted to give some of their own songs to others despite being singers themselves.

Lucie was the brains behind Will Young's recent chart-topper Who Am I? as well as writing tracks for ex-S Club member Rachel Stevens, Liberty X, Michelle McManus and Gareth Gates.

And having written My Way for Frank Sinatra all those years ago, Paul Anka has no regrets.

"That song has penetrated so deeply," Paul explained. "I understand that and it is really hard to write anything like that again.

"To have that in my arsenal, I'm just glad it's one of those songs I was lucky enough to write.

"The song was tailor-made for Sinatra, but the record company were annoyed that I didn't want to record it myself.

"But it wouldn't have been as successful if I had released it."

John added: "My Way is a song that means Paul would never need to work again.

"It is played in every country around the world all the time."

Deacon Blue's Ricky Ross has also enjoyed a recent windfall running into millions thanks to having songs recorded by James Blunt, KT Tunstall and ex-Spice Girl Emma Bunton.

Referring to Blunt's Stateside success, Ricky admitted: "It's gratifying for my bank manager I have to tell you.

"He couldn't be happier. It's great for me and it's great for James because he is a wonderful person."

While Rob Davis, 59, is just as successful as the woman he helped achieve a comeback - Kylie Minogue.

Rob, formerly guitarist with Seventies pop group Mud, co-wrote Kylie's Can't Get You Out Of My Head with Cathy Dennis.

John said: "Rob Davis was one of the first people I co-wrote with. He is a multi-millionaire mainly because of Kylie Minogue."

Michael Bolton, who has made a career out of singing other people's songs and has a new album of Sinatra classics coming out next week, added: "The songwriters of some of the great songs love it when asinger keeps their legacy alive with avariation or version of a song created by the writer.
"Sammy Cahn has a body of work that will be recorded until the end of time and was a first port of call for Frank Sinatra.

"They love it when artists like myself reinterpret their songs."

'David struck me as someone who would do well, I'm delighted for him'

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_headline=hit-the-jackpot-&method=full&objectid=18156032&siteid=66633-name_page.html

John - ;)

Troll

11-25-2006, 8:52am

A great article.

Troll

11-26-2006, 5:11pm

The upbeat life of a downhiller
Unplugged | Erik Guay Canuck skier loves heavy metal, hates skin-tight suits. By Randy Starkman

Nov. 26, 2006. 08:48 AM
RANDY STARKMAN

Canadian downhiller Erik Guay was standing in the finish area in Val d'Isere, France, last season when someone identifying himself as Shania Twain's agent came up and told him the mega superstar wanted to meet him.

"I was like, `Good one, buddy,'" recalled Guay. "I thought it was one of those lookalike Shania Twains, you know, that sing."

It turned out to be the genuine article, flustering the normally cool and collected Guay.

"I spaced it because I wanted her to sign my bib but I forgot to ask her," he said. "Anyway, next time."

There isn't much that fazes this 25-year-old from Mont Tremblant, Que., who finished in 23rd place in yesterday's World Cup downhill at Lake Louise and figures to be one of Canada's stars heading toward the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He never flinched during an entertaining visit with Unplugged as he talked about snow bunnies, strange thoughts in the start gate and what he never leaves home without.

If you could have any three people in history to dinner, who would they be?

Michael Schumacher, probably Lance Armstrong and Bode Miller to liven the party.

Complete this sentence: I'd never be caught dead without ...

My skis.

Is Kitzbuehel as intimidating as everyone makes it out to be?

Absolutely. You get to the top of the course and it's steep and it's icy and you've never seen anything like it. The first thing that goes through your mind is, "Omigod, I have to go down this?" It doesn't get any easier from there. You slide down the course and it's all bumps and rolls and speed. The finish line, when you see the 100,000 that are standing there, it's a little nerve-wracking but I'd say it's the greatest World Cup you could ever race.

The worst ski crash you've ever witnessed?

I'd say that would be myself. I've had a couple of them. In 2003, I got close to 90 to 100 metres of air before I crashed into the compression in Val Gardena, Italy (suffering a knee injury). I've witnessed a lot of broken legs and those aren't fun, either.

Do skiers have groupies?

Yes. My girlfriend won't like to hear this but there are groupies, mostly in Europe but a little bit everywhere. They usually hang out in the finish line and try to find out what you're doing later and what's going on. But I have a girlfriend and I'm happy with her.

What's your go-to song to get cranked up for a race?

"Thunderstruck" by AC/DC. There's a lot of them. Anything by Metallica pumps you up.

What did Shania Twain say to you when you met her?

She just said, "Great result. Great race. Have a good season." She told me she was Canadian, like I didn't know. That was it.

What's something you'd be embarrassed to let people know about you?

(Laughs) I don't know. Okay, I have one. My girlfriend always puts her underwear in my bag sort of as good luck when I travel. The guys always find it in there and say, "What are you doing with this?" So they think that I wear women's undergarments.

What's the worst thing about the skin-tight racing suits you wear?

Being in skin-tight racing suits in front of everybody, in front of all the fans and the people that watch.

Do you get the sense the women are trying to size you up?

Oh, they definitely do, sure. Wouldn't you look if there was a girl in a skin-tight suit? I would.

So do guys try to enhance ...

No, I don't think so. I don't think it would be so comfortable on the way down to have a sock up there.

Does your mind ever wander when you're racing down the hill?

Never when I'm going down the hill. Then, it's really 100 per cent focus and determination. But it does wander sometimes before you go out of the start and you think of random things that don't add up.

What's the strangest thought you ever had in the start gate?

I remember thinking once about my mom cooking apple pies. It was really weird. Sometimes your mind just jumps to different things.

What's the biggest extravagance in your life?

My GMC truck that I couldn't afford otherwise. (He gets a free one for a year from a team sponsor.)

Life's most underrated pleasure?

I can't say that (laughs). Life's most underrated pleasure ... poutine.

Best thing about being a ski racer?

The travelling.

Worst thing about being a ski racer?

The travelling.

Greatest fear?

Crashing and hurting yourself when you're going really fast. It's not a fear that you have on the way down, but it's a fear I would say probably plays in every ski racer's mind before.

Favourite Internet site?

Wreckedexotics.com. It's about wrecked exotic cars. It's pretty cool. They show you all the new Enzos that have been crashed.

Your most annoying habit?

My girlfriend would go down the list for hours and hours. My most annoying habit is probably, I don't know, delaying what I have to do now, putting things off. I don't return many phone calls, either.

What would you like to come back as in your next life?

A hockey player. Less travelling. Get to stay home, make more money than a skier. I think it'd be fun.

What's your most treasured possession?

My ski technician.

Any superstitions?

Nope. It's bad luck to be superstitious.

How would you describe yourself in one word?

Calm.

Which performer would spend the most money to get a chance to see?

Probably Metallica.

Is there a movie you watch over and over on the road that you never get tired of?

I watch The Matrix over and over. ... It's awesome. Scarface is the best movie of all-time, hands down.

Did you take much abuse about your last name as a kid?

Not too much. I got in a fight once in high school about it. That was about it. ... All the Europeans pronounce it as Gway, anyway. I don't really correct them. I just let them do it. Even in the States, they say Gway.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1164496213689&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064&t=TS_Home

theTWAINfan

11-26-2006, 5:33pm

As you might be aware German leader Angeal Merkel (our first ever female chancellor and currently most influential woman in the world) finished her first year in office this week. My favourite radio station did a review on her first days in office and guess what music they played in the background... Shania's "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" They played it until Shania says "Let's go girls", then cut and pasted the guitar solos together very smoothly and as to have Shania sing "Man! I feel like a woman!" after every extract from Merkel's speeches.

Troll

11-26-2006, 9:29pm

AdorableEilleen

11-28-2006, 10:42am

Wow, must be nice when Shania wants to meet someone like that lucky skier from Canada. :)

FinnFreak

11-29-2006, 5:29am

Dallas Morning News - Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Singing a new school's praises

Plano: Students love new campus designed for those with special needs

By ANNETTE NEVINS

Ten-year-old Maudie Valk of Balch Springs has autism and doesn't talk much, but she knows the lyrics to almost every country western song.

"Don't Waste My Time" by Garth Brooks used to roll easily off her tongue as she cried on the way to school. She hated going to class.

Her tunes are much more upbeat now thanks to a new school that she attends in Plano designed for children with special needs.

"I Ain't No Quitter" by Shania Twain is the song of choice these days for the fifth-grader who can't wait to go to school at the Focus on the Future Training Center in Plano.

The key is communication, according to teachers at the new school, who have tapped into her passion for country music.

Maudie carries around pictures of the celebrity singers as models for her behavior at home and school. When her teacher asks her to stand next to her classmate she goes into a rendition of "Stand By Your Man."

Once while waiting for her mother at a cellphone outlet store, she had programmed every phone in the display racks to play different country music tunes.

"Focus on the Future found Maudie's love and let her run with it," said Melinda Valk, who drives almost an hour each way to bring her daughter to and from the Plano school. "It's amazing to see how far she has come from a child who could hardly speak to a child who is connecting with her world."

Brenda Batts, the school's director who opened Focus on the Future in August, said she designed most of her curriculum around communication to help children who are mostly nonverbal – using pictures, sign language, songs and words.

"We believe every child can learn," Ms. Batts said. "Every child can communicate one way or another."

She should know. Ms. Batts, who has a degree in special education, has a 15-year-old son, Alex, who is autistic. He is in the ninth grade at her school.

"I was told the best thing was to put him in an institution because he would never talk," she said. "But I have proven that's not the case. He does everything by himself but cook. And he'd do that if I'd let him."

Ms. Batts is the author of Road to Independence, a book about developing skills for special needs children. She speaks several languages and gives workshops around the world about setting up environments to help children with autism and other conditions communicate and thrive.

A tour of the Plano school located in a strip shopping center at the northwest intersection of Parker and Custer roads provides a glimpse of such an environment.

In a sensory lab, students learn new words and phrases as they work individually with a speech or music therapist with the help of computers, earphones and picture cards.

Students make their own sandwiches in the school kitchen. They learn to brush their teeth, put on their clothes and put a letter in an envelope. In the cafeteria, they don't get milk unless they ask for it by name or identify it in a picture.

The school has 10 students and Ms. Batts said she would like the school of kindergarten through 12th-graders to be no larger than 20 students to maintain special attention for each child.

In the vocational room, occupational therapists help students put flashlights together, fold washcloths, place CDs in their cases or turn plastic nuts and bolts. Maudie is learning to ride a bike at the school.

The tasks may seem routine, but they are important to children with special needs.

Every day, the students are taken out into the nearby shopping center to learn how to receive change and make a purchase at a store, how to read from a menu and order at a restaurant, or how to sit and watch a movie in a theater.

"We are preparing these students for life, to live and work and be involved in their community," said Darelle Edwards, a former Plano school district special education specialist who now is the lead teacher for the primary department at Focus on the Future.

Parents and the community also are part of the education process at the new school. Each classroom has a viewing room where parents may watch their children. Parents are given homework to help their child outside the classroom. Community volunteers come after school to read to the children.

Ms. Edwards recently spent some time in a hospital emergency room comforting one of her students when he broke his leg at home.

"We are family-oriented and community-based," she said. "That's the key to making our students successful."

Annette Nevins is a Plano-based freelance writer.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/plano/stories/DN-plfocus_29cco.ART.North.Edition1.3e3e2ac.html

John - :)