Over 8,000 guitarists rock out to Jimi Hendrix's 'Hey Joe' in Poland, breaking world record
Market Square in Wrocław, Poland hosted a Guinness World record-breaking gathering of 8,122 guitarists simultaneously playing Jimi Hendrix's hit 'Hey Joe' on May 4. The annual Thanks Jimi Festival was renamed to Gitarowy Rekord Guinnessa to reflect each record-breaking gathering, with the previous event in May 2022 attracting 7,676 guitarists.
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News24
2 days ago
- News24
Weekender playlist: From Hendrix to Nirvana, Whitney to Winehouse... some iconic song covers
In this edition of The Weekender's playlist, Joel Ontong has you covered. He takes a look at some of the best and most iconic covers of all time. When Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor first heard country legend Johnny Cash cover his song, Hurt, he said it was like 'someone kissing your girlfriend'. 'I knew where I was when I wrote it. I know what I was thinking about. I know how I felt,' Reznor told The Sun in 2008. 'It felt invasive.' But, after watching Cash's music video, Reznor was floored: 'It really, really made sense, and I thought, what a powerful piece of art.' 'I never got to meet Johnny, but I'm happy I contributed the way I did. It felt like a warm hug. I have goosebumps right now thinking about it.' Cash's version of Hurt is hailed as one of the best covers of all time. What made it great was that he sang as if he meant every word, like it was coming straight from his heart. This raises the question: What makes a great cover? It's not better or more theatrical vocals or upscaled production, but rather the ability to make a song one's own and find ways to reinterpret, not just redo. News24's Weekender playlist looks at some great or notable covers. Another iconic cover is Jimi Hendrix's take on Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower. Hendrix's recording is the stuff of guitar legend. Midway through the song, he delivers arguably the greatest guitar solo put to wax. The song showcases what happens when cutting-edge guitar technology falls into the hands of a visionary. Plenty of Hendrix's peers had access to wah-wah pedals, reverb, and delay effects, but none of them could play like him. If Hendrix hadn't covered All Along the Watchtower, and Dylan hadn't written it, rock music wouldn't be the same. Dylan was also so impressed by Hendrix's version that he even changed the way he played the song live. READ | Weekender playlist: From Oklou, Internet Girl and Weed420... to prog rock by Pope Francis Sometimes, a bit of theatricality can help make an iconic cover – case in point, I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, written by Dolly Parton. Parton's original is lovely, but Houston's version is monumental. Though the 1992 version is backed by a dated adult contemporary instrumental, Houston gives a vocal performance for the books. In the song's coda, Houston lets it rip, but not at the expense of emotional rawness. A similar case is Aretha Franklin's cover of Respect, originally by Otis Redding. In an era where everyone was covering each other's songs without really adding much, Franklin's performance defined the Southern Soul sound of the 1960s. Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson's cover of The Zutons' Valerie is, to many, the definitive version of the song. The Zutons might not have known it at the time, but Valerie was made for Winehouse. A great cover can also simply highlight great songwriting, especially when it's overlooked. When Nirvana decided to add David Bowie's The Man Who Sold the World to their MTV Unplugged setlist, they probably didn't put that much thought into it. Their raw and rugged rendition is simple but brilliantly highlights Bowie's compelling songwriting, much better than the original ever did. Mainstream jazz music has also been noted for artists frequently doing covers, and there are many great ones by the likes of Miles Davis, Bill Evans and Abdullah Ibrahim. For our playlist, we included John Coltrane's take on Sound of Music's My Favourite Things. It's a significant departure from the original, but it is one of the best cool jazz recordings ever. We also included two songs you might not have known were covers: I'm a Believer by Smash Mouth (used in Shrek) and Red Red Wine by UB40. Both songs were written by Neil Diamond and appear on his debut album.
Indianapolis Star
4 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
Jim Irsay left behind 'greatest guitar collection on Earth.' What happens to it now?
INDIANAPOLIS -- As Jim Irsay immersed himself in professional football for the past four decades, first as general manager of the Indianapolis Colts and then as owner, he always had a side gig -- rock 'n' roll relic collector extraordinaire. Especially guitars. Irsay amassed a colossal collection of guitars (199 to be exact) and other musical instruments, spending tens of millions of dollars on what Guitar Magazine once called "the greatest guitar collection on Earth." When Irsay died last week, many of the instruments in the collection were on loan throughout the country, including at the "Amped at IU" exhibit at Indiana University and at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle for "Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music." The items in those exhibits will remain at those locations until the displays are scheduled to end. The long-term plan for The Jim Irsay Collection, which also includes artifacts of American history and pop culture, has not been determined. The team told IndyStar on Wednesday it would be "getting more info on the collection in the coming weeks." Irsay had a penchant for obtaining rare musical instruments and items that were used by some of the greatest artists in history. Among them: Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Prince, Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, David Gilmour, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, The Edge, Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain. But Irsay's collection goes beyond music and includes eclectic items like an Apple II manual signed by Steve Jobs, Hunter S. Thompson's Red Shark convertible and Jack Kerouac's original typewritten manuscript of "On The Road." Experts have valued the collection at close to $1 billion, should it ever be sold in its entirety. 'My purpose in building this collection," Irsay wrote on his collection's website, "is to preserve, protect and share items that tell inspiring stories about dreaming big, overcoming obstacles and accomplishing great things in life." The "Amped at IU" exhibit includes pieces from Irsay's collection that help illustrate the instrument's history, including an 1850s CF Martin, a 1910 Gibson U Harp, 1939 Rickenbacker Silver Hawaiian Lap Steel and more. The display also feature artifacts from The Beatles, their manager Brian Epstein, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Johnny Cash and others. Details: "Amped at IU" runs through September at University Collections at McCalla, 525 E. 9th St. in Bloomington. McCalla's galleries are open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The "Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music" includes three items Irsay loaned to the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle -- James Brown's stage-worn, red sequined cape from the 1960s and 1970s, John Coltrane's 1966 Yamaha alto saxophone and Miles Davis' 1980 Martin Committee trumpet. The exhibit explores "the rich legacy of African American music, tracing the deep cultural roots of gospel, blues, jazz and soul. Through evocative photography, rare concert flyers, instruments and costumes, the exhibit showcases the profound influence of Black communities on the evolution of these genres." Details: Runs through early 2027 at the Museum of Pop Culture, 325 5th Ave N, Seattle, WA. Info and tickets
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
James Franco-Starrer ‘Hey Joe' Acquired for U.S. Release by Glass House Distribution
'Hey Joe,' an Italian drama in which James Franco plays a U.S. Navy sailor stationed in post-World War II Naples, has been picked up by Glass House Distribution which is planning a North American release via both theatrical and digital platforms. The gritty film, directed by Claudio Giovannesi ('Gomorrah' TV series, 'Piranhas'), was sold to Glass House by Italy's Vision Distribution during the Marché du Film in Cannes. More from Variety 'I Only Rest in the Storm' Review: A Sprawling Narrative That Demands Patience and Attention 'Girl on Edge' Review: A Mother and Daughter Hit Thin Ice in Zhou Jinghao's Alluring but Unsatisfactory Skating Drama 'Mama' Review: A Housemaid Abroad Gets an Unpleasant Homecoming in an Intriguing Character Study That Veers Into Melodrama Franco, who has been struggling to fully reenter Hollywood after facing sexual misconduct allegations that he discussed with Variety when 'Hey Joe' premiered in Italy, recently attended the amfAR Cannes gala and donated a painting to the auction. In 'Hey Joe,' Franco plays Dean Barry, an American sailor who in 1944, at age 23, disembarks in war-torn Naples. He falls in love with a young, very poor, local woman named Lucia. A couple of years later, Dean is forced to leave Lucia, alone and pregnant, to go back to New Jersey. He eventually returns to Naples to find the woman and her son, Enzo — but the city has changed a lot and Dean must navigate these challenges leading up to a surprise finale. Franco speaks both English and Italian in the film. 'We were captivated by 'Hey Joe' from the first screening,' said Tom Malloy, president of Glass House Distribution in a statement. 'It's a rare blend of American and Italian storytelling, grounded by an emotionally resonant performance from James Franco. We believe this film will resonate strongly with audiences and critics alike during awards season,' he added. The statement noted that Glass House plans to release 'Hey Joe' in late 2025 'during the heart of awards season' targeting both theatrical and digital platforms. 'Hey Joe' is produced by Italy's Palomar in tandem with RAI Cinema and Vision Distribution which released the film in Italy to meager box office results following its Rome Film Festival launch last year. Screen International was first to report this news Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
