David Byrne on Imelda Marcus

Looks like David Byrne's next album will be about former Phillippine First Lady Imelda Marcus and the woman who raiseed her. Here's what's written in a mailing list update that arrived today:

I have, after many years, finished the Here Lies Love CD project - at least this iteration of it. It will come out in late February on Nonesuch. It's a collaboration with Fatboy Slim , an upbeat series of songs sung each one by a different singer. The songs are about Imelda Marcos and Estrella Cumpas, the woman who raised her. The package includes 2 CDs (22 songs), a DVD with videos of 6 of those songs, and a 100-page book that explains it all. Singers include Florence Welch (of Florence + The Machine), Sia, Santigold, Nellie McKay, Sharon Jones, St. Vincent, Róisín Murphy and many more (even me on 1 and 1/2)... I am pretty excited about this, but who knows, it might just make people crazy.

OK. Looking forward to it.

Secret Steely Dan message revealed!

A sensational find over on steelydan.com by your ever-inquisitive Radio Dupree!

What usually happens on the official homepage once a Steely Dan tour is over is that the tour listings are replaced with a non-tour page while waiting for the next thrilling news.
Not so this time.


While the final show of the 2009 tour took place in Montreal on November 28 there's been no apparent change to the front page listing the tour dates. It's been the same for the past couple of weeks.
But wait!

If you scroll way down to the very bottom of the page you can find the odd looking letter ß.
A typo? An error by the webmaster? Maybe, but we don't think so.


Now, in German the letter ß is used to replace the double s in a word. However, ezsett or scharfes s, as it is called, does carry some extra, hidden meaning this time around. It is a fact a message to all the curious Steely Dan fans wondering what will happen next. A new album? A live recording on CD, DVD or whatever? A new tour? The final break up? Producing/guesting on other artists recordings/tours? Solo recordings? Absolutely nothing at all?


Back in the beginning of November Donald Fagen was quoted in an article saying that he had a bunch of new songs and was going to record a solo album in the spring of 2010.
Now, saying and doing are two different things, but this ß at the bottom of the homepage is a clear sign that a solo album from Donald Fagen is what's in store next.
How can we be so sure? Easy:

The way to write the letter ß in unicode is U+00DF... That's "DF" as in "Donald Fagen".

See this hidden message as an early Christmas gift from Donald and Walter.

:: This has been the first post in a series of stunning revelations. Your life will never be the same again ::

Fact checked and cleared for Radio Dupree by Doktor Tore Fullständigt-Trams

Eric Woolfson (The Alan Parsons Project) dead at 64

The Telegraph obituary here.

ericwoolfsonmusic.com

Radio Dupree Top 20 - December 2009

1. Joe Jackson - Chinatown - Night And Day

2. The Beatles - Hold Me Tight - With The Beatles

3. The Doors - Break On Through - The Doors

4. Egba - On Don Den - Amigos Latinos

5. The Beatles - Within You Without You - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

6. David Bowie - Silly Boy Blue - Bowie At The Beeb

7. Steely Dan - Sign In Stranger - The Royal Scam

8. Klaatu - Mrs Toad's Cookies - Magentalane

9. Frank Zappa - Bognor Regis - 1970 promo single B-side

10. Genesis - Dusk - Trespass

11. Frank Zappa - Sharleena - 1970 promo single edit
12. Steely Dan - Reelin' In The Years - Can't Buy A Thrill
13. The Beatles - Love Me Do - Live At The BBC
14. Talking Heads - The Big Country - More Songs About Buildings and Food
15. Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Holiday In Berlin, Full Blown - Burnt Weeny Sandwich
16. Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' - Live At Woodstock
17. Steely Dan - Doctor Wu - Katy Lied
18. The Beatles - Think For Yourself - Rubber Soul (2009 Remaster)
19. Santana - Evil Ways - Santana
20. Frank Zappa - Plastic People - You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1

-------------------------------------------------------
Chart compiled by listeners voting
on the songs they hear on Radio Dupree

The final chart of the year topped by Joe Jackson with a sprinkling of The Beatles, Steely Dan and Zappa making up the main part of the rest. Our Album of the Month; Talking Heads More Songs About Buildings And Food made number 14 with one song. And a bit of a surprise to find Swedish prog/jazz band Egba making it all the way to number 4!

Beatles 3000

Taking pre-orders for the new Zappa cd

Barfko-Swill is now taking pre-orders for the Philly '76 double cd!
We will not hesitate to get our hands on this hot little item...a live concert recording with one of Frank's coolest bands...featuring Lady Bianca! You can expect to hear this music on Radio Dupree soon.


The band (left to right): Ray White, Patrick O'Hearn, Frank Zappa, Lady Bianca, Eddie Jobson, Terry Bozzio.

http://barfkoswill.shop.musictoday.com/Dept.aspx?cp=971_29039

Songs played: Purple Lagoon intro/Stink-Foot/Poodle Lecture/Dirty Love/Wind Up Workin' In A Gas Station/Tryin' To Grow A Chin/The Torture Never Stops/City Of Tiny Lites (incl. The Sanzini Brothers Pyramid Trick)/You Didn't Try To Call Me/Manx Needs Women/Titties 'N' Beer/Black Napkins/Advance Romance/Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me?/Rudy Wants To Buy Yez A Drink/Would You Go All The Way?/Daddy Daddy Daddy/What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are?/Dinah-Moe Humm/Purple Lagoon reprise/Stranded In The Jungle/Find Her Finer/Camarillo Brillo/Muffin Man/Purple Lagoon outro.

Top albums of the decade according to NME

NME (New Musical Express) is a British music magazine that's been around since 1952.
As we close in on 2010 NME has listed the top albums of the past decade. How many of these have you heard?

1. The Strokes - Is This It

2. The Libertines - Up The Bracket

3. Primal Scream - XTRMNTR

4. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell

6. PJ Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

7. Arcade Fire - Funeral

8. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights

9. The Streets - Original Pirate Material

10. Radiohead - In Rainbows

We do expect more lists like this to follow from other sources of popular music.

Freddie Mercury's mum whips it out

BBC has a nice interview with Jer Bulsara, 87, mother of rock star Freddie Mercury:
"He knew we wanted him to be a lawyer or an accountant or something like that, because most of his cousins were. But he'd say, 'I'm not that clever mum. I'm not that clever'".
Read the interview here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8369895.stm

Photo: http://www.queenonline.com

Steely Dan: Final show of current tour cancelled

The second show in Montreal - also the final date of the long running Rent Party '09 tour that started way back in June - has been cancelled. Quote from steelydan.com:

Nov 29 - Montreal QC - Salle Wilfred-Pelletier | cancelled

Due to unforseen circumstances, the Sunday November 29th show at Montreal’s Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier has been cancelled. Ticket holders for the cancelled performance may exchange their tickets for seats at the November 28th show. Exchanges must be made through the Place Des Arts Box Office at (514) 842-2112 or (866) 842-2112. Alternatively, refunds will be issued through the tickets' original point of purchase. For more info please contact the Place Des Arts Box Office at (514) 842-2112 or (866) 842-2112.

Sunday with Grizzy Bear. Any Steely Dan in there?

As Evan Rytlewski posted on expressmilwaukee.com earier this week, he mentioned the New York group Grizzly Bear while interviewing Walter Becker from Steely Dan recently.
Walter checked out a couple of songs from the group during the interview and found one horrible, one interesting and concluded more study is needed.

Evan sees similarities between the two bands: Both are New York bands with tricky, ornate arrangements and perfectionist studio tendencies.

So what to do on a Sunday? I decided to give Grizzly Bear a listen.

Here's the song Walter found interesting:

Silver wings ... golden wings ... with Donald and Walter

A short but fun interview from the Minneapolis Star Tribune with Steely Dan's Donald Fagen & Walter Becker on tour. Just a couple of quotes:

Q How's the tour going?

Becker: We're at my favorite part -- the break.

Fagen: Yeah, the break's going really well.

Q Donald, how has Walter changed over the years? And Walter, how has Donald changed?

Fagen: He's just about 40 years older than when I met him.

Becker: That is true. We're not quite as tall and willowy as we used to be.

Read the full interview here.

New Donald Fagen album in the works!

Looks like a new solo record from Donald Fagen will be here before we get another Steely Dan album.

According to this short article in The Cleveland Plain Dealer Donald have plans to record some new songs early next year:

“I have a bunch of songs that I’m set to record sometime in the spring,” Fagen said.

And as far as a new Steely Dan album go:

"Walter and I keep tossing around ideas for another Steely Dan album, but there’s nothing set yet,” Fagen said during a recent phone interview.

So it might happen. Eventually.

The latest Steely Dan album is Everything Must Go from 2003, while Donald Fagen's Morph The Cat was released in 2006.

Zappa & Berlin current chart topper

On the eve of the 20 anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall it is our privilege to present a special almost-middle-of-the-month chart of listeners favourites.

Here's what the current Top 10 looks like as of today ... and for today. Tomorrow it will have changed:

1. Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention
Holiday In Berlin, Full Blown - Burnt Weeny Sandwich

2. Mahavishnu Orchestra
Open Country Joy - Birds Of Fire

3. Yes
Sweetness - Yes

4. Steely Dan
Show Biz Kids - Countdown To Ecstasy

5. Steely Dan
Reelin' In The Years - Can't Buy A Thrill

6. Steely Dan
Only A Fool Would Say That - Can't Buy A Thrill

7. The Beatles
It Won't Be Long - With The Beatles

8. Genesis
The Fountain Of Salmacis - Nursery Cryme

9. Jean-Luc Ponty
Music For Violin And Low Budget Orchestra (edit) - King Kong

10. Howlin' Wolf
I Asked For Water - Frank Zappa's Jukebox (various artists)

We hope you noticed that Berlin was featured in the title of our number 1 here and now. And it's interesting reflecting on the fact that although we do add stuff from recent years as well as by less familiar artists, the most popular seem to be the older and most well known.

Keep watching this blog for some pre-Christmas news that concerns YOU!

Zappa Plays Zappa touring the US

The dates for the Zappa Plays Zappa fall and winter tours are now set. The fall 2009 tour includes twelve shows and starts in Austin, Texas on November 19 and ends in Santa Cruz, California on December 2.
The winter tour of 2010 starts with a stint on Jam Cruise 2010, Caribbean Ocean, January 3-7. What is that? A ship? Sounds cool anyway! Then gigs on the east coast follow. Last show is in Montclair, New Jersey on January 16.

Oldfield, Duke and Zappa topping our chart

The Radio Dupree monthly chart is here! Some weeks ago we tossed in a couple of excerpts from Mike Oldfield's classic Tubular Bells, and heureka, one of them reached the number one postition. Then George Duke, Frank Zappa and Yes follow.
The top 20 also includes two pieces each by Mahavishnu Orchestra and David Bowie.
What about our Album of the Month then? Did you listeners enjoy Zappa's Hot Rats album to the degree that it even managed to reach the Radio Dupree chart? Well, no...and yes. Willie The Pimp reached number 3, but it is the live version from the Fillmore East album. The original Willie almost made it. Nr 21.
Bognor Regis is another Hot Rats related tune, and this obscure promo single b-side reached position number 6. Bognos what? you might wonder. Well, this instrumental was recorded during the Hot Rats era but did not surface until three decades later. As the story goes it came from a promo single (or test pressing of a single) that Frank gave to a D.J. in the UK. It was a well kept secret for years.

1. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells (excerpt) - Tubular Bells
2. George Duke - The Once Over - My Soul - The Complete MPS Fusion Recordings
3. Frank Zappa & The Mothers - Willie The Pimp - Fillmore East, June 1971
4. Frank Zappa - Zomby Woof - You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1
5. Yes - Sweetness - Yes
6. Frank Zappa - Bognor Regis - 1970 promo single b-side
7. The Bee Gees - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight - All This And World War II (various artists)
8. Donald Fagen - The Night Belongs To Mona - Morph The Cat
9. Supertramp - Goodbye Stranger - Breakfast In America
10. Rhinoceros - You're My Girl - Rhinoceros
11. King Crimson - Exiles - Larks' Tongues In Aspic
12. Mahavishnu Orchestra - Miles Beyond - Birds Of Fire
13. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Lazy Music - Unconditionally Guaranteed
14. Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds Of Fire - Birds Of Fire
15. Paul And Linda McCartney - Eat At Home - Ram
16. David Bowie - Survive - BBC Radio Theatre
17. David Bowie - Lady Grinning Soul - Aladdin Sane
18. Talking Heads - The Great Curve - Remain In Light
19. King Crimson - Cirkus - Lizard
20. David Sancious - East India - Forest Of Feelings