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San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland '90s R&B group teases future biopic
En Vogue may be the next music legends to get the biopic treatment. The Oakland R&B group — currently made up of members Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones and Rhona Bennett — celebrated the 35th anniversary of its first album during an appearance on 'The Jennifer Hudson Show' last week and hinted at the possibility of a film adaptation of its career journey. 'Do you think there's a world where there would be an En Vogue biopic?' Hudson asked the singers during a rapid fire question segment of the episode, which aired Thursday, May 15. 'Yes,' Herron immediately responded, prompting the studio audience to erupt into cheers. 'That's a good question,' Ellis said with a laugh as the other members of the group flashed knowing smiles. Hudson then asked if there would be a role for her to act in the hypothetical film, to which Jones replied, 'Yes,' while her bandmates continued to giggle. En Vogue was formed in 1989 by songwriters Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy. Ellis, Herron and Jones were founding members, and Bennett joined in 2003, replacing Dawn Robinson. Robinson departed the quartet in 1997, later joining the supergroup Lucy Pearl, led by Tony! Toni! Toné! frontman Raphael Saadiq, who also grew up in Oakland. She eventually launched a short-lived solo career. En Vogue rose to widespread fame in the 1990s with hit singles such as 'Free Your Mind,' 'My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)' and 'Hold On,' which the group performed on the show. After gathering around a piano for an acoustic rendition of 'Hold On,' which was En Vogue's first-ever single, Herron revealed that the song almost didn't get a release by Atlantic Records. 'The label didn't love it. They didn't think it was a radio song, but our producers fought for it to get released as a single. So the label decided to service radio without the a cappella,' she told Hudson, referring to the soulful intro of the song. Herron went on to explain that radio hosts somehow discovered the version with the a cappella intro portion that most fans know and love today, and it skyrocketed to success. Before the '90s R&B group sat down with Hudson, the four singers did a on-camera strut down the Spirit Tunnel as part of the talk show's pre-interview hallway tradition. These filmed hallway dances, shared to the show's social media accounts, are a signature feature where all guests make their entrance, greeted by staff members who line the walls and serenade them with various songs. This time, 'The Jennifer Hudson Show' team chose to sing 'En Vogue is here in the Spirit Tunnel' to the tune of the group's 1992 hit 'My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It).' The clip has since gone viral. All four members began grooving down the hallway, each in lightly colored pantsuits, before stunning the team by whipping out silver fans and striking a pose. They were met with cheers as they continued to shimmy along, waving their fans. In February, En Vogue was back in the national spotlight during the NBA All-Star Game, hosted at San Francisco's Chase Center. The singers performed alongside rappers E-40, Too Short and Saweetie as part of a tribute to the Bay Area. Saadiq was also in attendance, and delivered a pregame performance.
Leader Live
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Alex Warren claims longest-running number one by US male solo artist in 70 years
His single Ordinary has logged nine consecutive weeks at the top, making it the longest-running single since Florida-born Slim Whitman's Rose Marie – which managed an 11-week stint way back in 1955, according to the Official Charts Company. He has also eclipsed Elvis Presley, whose single It's Now Or Never logged eight weeks at number one in 1960. Ordinary was released on February 7 via Atlantic Records following the launch of his debut studio album – You'll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1). Warren, 24, helped to create collaborative TikTok group the Hype House, a Los Angeles-based collective of young social media personalities. He began to make music independently in 2021 before being signed. Ordinary is his only number one single in the UK chart, and his second track to have made it into the top 10. Elsewhere in the singles chart this week, Love Me Not by US singer Ravyn Lenae is in at number two while Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club sits at number three. The rest of the top five is comprised of Show Me Love by South African-German singer WizTheMc, and Undressed by US singer Sombr. Over in the albums chart, Even In Arcadia by English rock band Sleep Token debuts at number one, with Sabrina Carpenter's Short N' Sweet in at number two. New at number three is Fancy That by alternative pop singer PinkPantheress, and this is followed by Ed Sheeran's Mathematics Tour Collection at number four and Never/Know by The Kooks at five.
South Wales Guardian
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Alex Warren claims longest-running number one by US male solo artist in 70 years
His single Ordinary has logged nine consecutive weeks at the top, making it the longest-running single since Florida-born Slim Whitman's Rose Marie – which managed an 11-week stint way back in 1955, according to the Official Charts Company. He has also eclipsed Elvis Presley, whose single It's Now Or Never logged eight weeks at number one in 1960. Ordinary was released on February 7 via Atlantic Records following the launch of his debut studio album – You'll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1). Warren, 24, helped to create collaborative TikTok group the Hype House, a Los Angeles-based collective of young social media personalities. He began to make music independently in 2021 before being signed. Ordinary is his only number one single in the UK chart, and his second track to have made it into the top 10. Elsewhere in the singles chart this week, Love Me Not by US singer Ravyn Lenae is in at number two while Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club sits at number three. The rest of the top five is comprised of Show Me Love by South African-German singer WizTheMc, and Undressed by US singer Sombr. Over in the albums chart, Even In Arcadia by English rock band Sleep Token debuts at number one, with Sabrina Carpenter's Short N' Sweet in at number two. New at number three is Fancy That by alternative pop singer PinkPantheress, and this is followed by Ed Sheeran's Mathematics Tour Collection at number four and Never/Know by The Kooks at five.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, Burna Boy, Rosé, and More Feature on ‘F1' Soundtrack
The spectacle of Formula 1 does not exist without the noise: the sound of rubber zipping over the track at 200 mph, the clatter of gravel as a car skids over a corner, the collective gasp of a crowd as a chassis crumples into a barrier — or another car — at unfathomable speed, and the pop of a champagne cork over a trophy. Now, following its success with the Oscar-, Golden Globe-, and Grammy-winning life-in-plastic soundtrack for Greta Gerwig's Barbie, Atlantic Records is looking to bring the energy of the racetrack to the big screen with a star-studded companion to Apple Original Films' F1. More from Rolling Stone Ed Sheeran Presses 'Play' on Upcoming Album With Nostalgic Single 'Old Phone' Don Toliver, Doja Cat Rev Up 'F1 the Movie' Soundtrack With 'Lose My Mind' Ed Sheeran Dumps Photos From Old Phone Before Dropping New Song 'Old Phone' Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, Burna Boy, Raye, Tate McRae, Don Toliver, Madison Beer, Rosé, Tiësto, and Chris Stapleton are just some of the artists on F1 the Album. The soundtrack's 17 original songs will buttress Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, and Javier Bardem's high-speed international podium chase in theaters this summer. See the full lineup below. The album is produced and overseen by Grammy Award winner and Atlantic Records West Coast President Kevin Weaver, the producer of Barbie the Album, Twisters: The Album, and other soundtracks. The F1 companion LP will be available in full on June 27, the same day as the film's premiere. Atlantic Records and F1 will be counting down the film's release with weekly single drops — beginning with Wednesday's release of 'Lose My Mind,' a synth-heavy collaboration between Toliver and Doja that feels like cruising down a neon-illuminated avenue on a late-night drive. Which is exactly where we find Toliver in the single's accompanying music video. Directed by Christian Breslauer — of Lil Nas X's 'Industry Baby' fame — the video is a study in the anatomy of a Formula 1 car, a race suit, and Doja's engine grease-slicked body. Detail shots showcase the gold and black livery of the fictional car that Pitt and Idris will pilot in F1 — one that any real team on the track wouldn't hesitate to adopt. From Dom Dolla's moody electronica to Stapleton's roaring country to Peggy Gou's meditative Eurodance and Myke Towers' lowrider-worthy reggaeton, the F1 soundtrack charts a path that mirrors the seasonal race calendar's journey across the globe. Directed and produced by Joseph Kosinski alongside co-executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the film stars Pitt as washed-up 'greatest that never was' driver Sonny Hayes, who agrees to come out of retirement to help his friend and former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Bardem) save his struggling racing team, Apex Grand Prix. His new teammate, Joshua 'Noah' Pearce (Idris), is a rookie upstart with all the raw talent and none of the experience, and the two will battle for the checkered flag in a cutthroat sport where no one shares a podium — much less a championship. Formula 1 devotees will almost inevitably be aware of the film's development, given that major portions of it were filmed on site at major race tracks over the course of the 2023 and 2024 season. Formula 1's biggest names will also feature in the film. All 20 drivers of 2023, including six-time champion Lewis Hamilton (who is also a producer on the project), four-time champion Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, George Russell, Fernando Alonso, and Sergio 'Checo' Perez, will make appearances. Fan-favorite, former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner is also set to have a cameo. The first full trailer for F1, released in March, promises visual thrills that will put viewers who haven't had the pleasure of testing out a simulator closer to the track and the cars than ever before. High-speed overtakes, brutal collisions, and paddock drama combine for what is poised to be the blockbuster of the summer. 'The F1 movie is as authentic a racing movie as has ever been,' Hamilton said in a behind-the-scenes video released earlier this year. The film will be back on the real-world paddock this weekend at the Miami Grand Prix, where Atlantic Records and F1 will host a takeover featuring a replica of the film's Apex Grand Prix team, album previews, race simulators, and appearances by some of the stars and artists collaborating on the film. In F1's soundtrack, Atlantic Records promises a high-rpm joyride for the ages, and they have yet to build a car that can get us to premiere day fast enough. Track List 1. Don Toliver, 'Lose My Mind (feat. Doja Cat)'2. Dom Dolla, 'No Room for a Saint (feat. Nathan Nicholson)'3. Ed Sheeran, 'Drive'4. Tate McRae, 'Just Keep Watching'5. Rosé, 'Messy'6. Burna Boy, 'Don't Let Me Drown'7. Roddy Ricch, 'Underdog'8. Ray, 'Grandma Calls the Boys Bad News'9. Chris Stapleto, 'Bad as I Used to Be'10. Myke Towers, 'Baja California'11. Tiësto and Sexyy Red, 'OMG!'12. Madison Beer, 'All at Once'13. Peggy Gou, 'D.A.N.C.E '14. PAWSA, 'Double C'15. Mr Eazi, 'Attention'16. Darkoo, 'Give Me Love'17. 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The Herald Scotland
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Anything but Average: Why AWB were a simply great Scottish band
Scoppa went on to say that the group went beyond merely sounding like a soul band. It was a soul band. "There's no question about that, although there's the obvious question about how in the world the sextet got to this level of proficiency and emotional involvement in a culturally alien idiom". Read more: The band attracted lots of critical praise for their exemplary musicianship and songwriting skills – the same qualities that appealed to the Atlantic Records label, one of the biggest and most influential labels ever. Atlantic released the AWB album and saw it be certified gold and top both the pop and the R&B charts in the States. Its single, Pick Up the Pieces, did the same. Some critics alighted upon the 'Average' in the band's name. "Average White Band is rubbish!!!", exclaimed one writer on the UK magazine, Beat Instrumental, in 1973. "They should be called Extraordinary White Band. Why? Simply because these six, white, dedicated musicians have something unique – the ability to play black soul music that not only sounds right, dammit, but FEELS right, too!" Then there was this, from a Rolling Stone writer in December 1974: "Their name has a nice sense of irony and confidence, because the Average White Band plays music that is anything but white; despite their pale faces and soft Scottish accents, they play, sing and write as if to the ghetto born. "Make no mistake", added Judith Sims. "This band isn't 'good for a white soul band' - they're just plain good, with high-intensity rhythm, strong, ungimmicked vocals, and a wealth of original material that ranks with the best R&B songs". Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Ben E King were all said to have admired the band. And, famously, when they became one of the first white groups to appear on the venerable US music show, Soul Train, the host Don Cornelius told the audience: 'It's something that has to be seen to be believed. They play and sing like they were raised on cornbread and black-eyed peas.' One of the very first Scottish bands to make it big in the States, the Average Whites deserved all the critical and commercial success that came their way. It was not doffocukt to see why they had such a successful crossover into the US music market. As the Scottish music historian Brian Hogg has put it, the AWB album continued the group's "intuitive and rhythmic understanding of black music, but infused with a great sense of discipline [than on their debut album, Show Your Hand]". Pick Up the Pieces, that great instrumental, was their calling card. On YouTube there's a video, shot in 1977 at the Montreaux International Festival. It's all there: that great opening sax riff, the driving drumbeat and rhythm guitar chords, that energetic funk groove. The band were much, much more than one song, however. Others come to mind: Let's Go Round Again, Person to Person, Cut the Cake, You Got It, Nothing You Can Do, and a brilliant cover of the Isley Brothers' Work to Do. Plus, they were great live - even until the very end, when the original line-up from the glorious days of the Seventies had been whittled down to just the remaining original founding members, Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre. Anthony Baxter's new documentary should be worth watching.
