EricMontreal22

You did. I'll try to find, ut you were surprised she was such a huge star thru the 90s and seemed to not realize why the Madonna comparisons--internationally few other women have sold even close. Sylph--I pay a lot of attention to your posts (that sounds kinda stalkerish lol) so trust me... I love Helene, I only know some of her singles though. Pausini I only know two songs--I like them. When it comes to franco ladies for me it does tend to be Mylene/Zazie centric.

I'm surprised cuz a while back you admitted you had no idea Kylie Minogue was a big star outside of the US, so I just kinda assumed these pop darlings called minor Kylie's wouldn't even make a blip on the Sylph screen You're spot on though. And one thing that sold her first album was her deadpan humour--how funny Won't Change You and Murder's videos were--with her new TINY label they can't afford that in videos. Still, her album reads like a brilliant mix of collaborators--if it was Kylie and 2001. But I'll no doubt love it. My all time fave Mariah ballad. Gorgeous.

Stop talking about Knots I really wanna see seasons 3+ I think, reading about Dallas, a lot of the quality of the show is due to David Jacobs.

Right. (Among Donna Summer fans that's a hot issue--Donna would be near tied with Strisand as top selling female vocalist of the 70s, but we don't know Diana's sales and I'm sure she sold more. Donna was, until Madonna, the only female to have four double albums go gold though.). But yeah sales peaked in general in the late 80s, early 90s. I can agree there, though many of her musical influences were from that genre. (She did come right at the right time, as Sasha Frere Johns from New Yorker pointed out even rap music now is stealing from dance music--which suits me fine.)

Are you a fan? I had no idea. I kinda agree--I guess that's oddly one reason I like it though--it reminds me of the music I liked when I started going clubbing ten years back. I do love the modulation between verse and chorus though which is classic Biffco. Still the best single release she's had in some time.

Which I'd argue... As mixed as obviously the Shapiros were credibility wise, they wrote so many top tv movies, etc, in the mid and late 70s, and seem so willing to give credit where due (even to the Pollocks' re Dynasty--Esther gives them full credit for the switch in tone even to naming Alexis) I doubt they even folowed the daytime shows much at all--enough to see and crib from relationships, etc.

That's my all time fave Police song (though Tea in the Sahara from the same album comes close) When I had my 30th bday bash the other week a bunch of people I didn't know ended up at the party--who weren't really feeling the Kylie, etc lol Anyway someone put on a bunch of my Police CDs on shuffle--and they went over way better than I'd expect. I have 6000+ cds and about 500 vinyls, and they're not all cheezy synth based dance or disco. Glad I'm not alone--I never get why people are so stagnant with musical taste. no one would be surprised to see a movie obsessed person have a section for horror, for arthouse, dramas, weepies, etc. But with music, you're always meant to liek the same genre no matter the mood or purpose...

Well a lot of that is cuz Madonna broke into New York as a dancer--that's what brought hero the city. Gaga broke into clubs as a singer/songwriter. It's a very different foundation really I agree about her message, etc, though I think it was never quite as clear as some fans (and don't get me wrong--I'm a fan--I have like 80 cds lol) claim. I know Madonna was one of the first mega selling chicas, but not the first--I mean Diana Ross' sales in the 70s were through the roof, Donna Summer's bad Girls double LP sold over 2.5 mill, etc.

Well yeah but to be fair to the lady (and I admit all this press comparing her to Madonna hasn't helped) Madonna certainly didn't stand for anything much till at least mid way thru her third album, the True Blue era, and didn't radically change her image or anything between her first three either--certainly not between her first two. Everything now of course happens MUCH faster, it's the nature of the age we live in and people have to make an impression faster. I do agree with many of your points, but... I mean before Gaga, people used to think Britney was the new Madonna (people=the media). Gaga at least is a better fit there...

Yes I just checked my dvds--I think I need to go to bed. It's three hours... lol

What I don't get is they go on about how the pilot was 3 hours, un heard of... But on the DVD it's in 2 48 minute segments...

It's funny, when we had that actor who had graded from my school return for an acting workshop, Roark Critchlow who had just stopped playing Mike Brady on DAYS I think he basically said the same thing--he said that unlike other soaps he knew about, they were instructed to do very static acting which he found almost unbearable to do. It sounds like the Shapiros never should have had so much power--even their much regarded 70s tv ovie work they point out they didn't get to be producers or anything on. Funny in th einterview I just got Esther Shapiro mentioning that Peppard "hit on young girls", and then she waves to the camera "we'll cut this part out". I guess they forgot.

What all did they do? I saw that tv movie but really didn't know Dynasty at the time and didn't pay much attention. They seem like such nice, smart people in this interview. SFK about her happily changing form I Claudius to fantasy--I guess she realized what works, and the ratings just simply weren't there before Collins and the Pollocks came in. Chgris having recently watched, and enjoyed seasons 1 and 2 back to back (and about to order Season 3 actually), I'd agree. I had always heard, and parotted back that Dynasty Season 1 was dull, bla bla, but actually I think it's really good at the social stuff, and in general--some very strong stuff and in its way IMHO better than early Dallas (but I've yet to really fall for Dallas, so...)

And Dynasty was named via a contest! I wonder why they hated George Pepard (sp?) I always was a fan.. Hrmm

I always tend to agree with Schemering--that Dynasty didn't really take off till the Pollocks took over in season 2 as main story editors and turned the show into almost a high speed satire of daytime soaps, but listening to their interview they've done a lot of well regarded stuff--and have very thoughtful things to say. I love hearing them talk about writing for daytime and Love of Life and what they gained form it, and I had heard of the very famous and well regarded tv movie The Minstral Show before but didn't know it was their concept and creation--same with the famous Sally Struthers spousal abuse tv movie Intimate Strangers. It's funny, I've read some reviews of that TV East of Eden and it was hated by critics--who saw it as a Dallas take on the Steiknbeck novel. Yet the Shapiros say it won a bunch of Writers Guild Awards etc (though they mention they were disappointed on how the script was produced on screen). Had never even heard of The Colony again... Isn't it funny how they say they created Dynasty, wanting to put on tv everything you weren't meant to see on Dynasty. Aside for their use of "older women" as they say--much of it like the wealthy, opulence, etc, seem like TV cliches now...

I had no idea they wrote for Love of Life

Oh cool I had no idea they did an interview for the Archives

I was disappointed that she did seem to be trying in Telephone--one thing I liked about her past videos and especially her tour was she was so over the top, but never seemed to be trying to be SEXY really...

I admit, I think Gaga videos are so over the top anyway that parody is kinda useless, but I found this pretty amusing:

So the Shapiros weren't involved after the pilot?

Pitbull had a second video that got a tiny bit of play here in Canada, but you could tell it wouldn't take off. Yeah I used to be a huge Stock/Aitken/Waterman fan--still have at least 24 albums they've produced (they did do one for my fave Donna Summer of course) even if after a while I realized that there's only so much SAW you can listen to without your ears bleeding I still pull them out sometimes though (and some of their later moments for Kylie--Better the Devil You Know, What Do I Have to Do, etc, are still brilliant as well as their early Dead or Alive stuff, etc). The problem is--I've heard contrary things--some say Mike Stock WILL be working with Waterman on the Eurovision entry, others say it's just Waterman. If it's just Waterman, we're in trouble. He's an arrogant ass who doesn't have a musical bone in his body (which is why his company PWL had zero hits when Stock and Aitken left to form their own company in the 90s--until he found a new songwriting team, Topham/Twigg who gave him Steps). He would come up with catchy song titles, gimmicky band concepts, etc, but that's pretty much it--he was the showman. Anyway I know him and Mike Stock (who was the main songwriter of the team) are friends again now, so maybe they'll come up with a retro piece of camp fun. But if it's just Waterman, don't expect much (Topham/Twigg were tired of his showboating as well and no longer will work with him). The way he has the press still wrapped around his little finger though is amusing--when they mentioned that about eurovision and him they did make it sound like all these classic UK hit songs were his doing LOL. I agree about Eurovision--which is one reason I'm always surprised Alcazar never make it past the Swedish finals (their entry last year, Stay the Night was frankly even more camptastic, and probably would have done very well). The problem is Sweden usually has a bunch of decent (or better than most) entries at their preliminary "Melodifestivalen" contest (last year Alcazar, BWo, AND Agnes Carlsson with Love Love Love all had entries that probably woulda have been at the top of the Eurovision finals) that the stuff that's more cheezetastic, and would make it far at Eurovision, gets ironically weeded out... But yeah, largely the so bad it's good/fun stuff is sadly lacking from the contest...

And just to blow any last shred of credibility I may have on here music wise (ha!), Sylph knows my love for the current Swedish writer/producer Anders Hansson who is just now having sudden international success with the classic pop/dance tracks he's done for Agnes Carlsson (like the Leona Lewis-meets-disco brilliant track Release Me she did). Far more campy (if possible) and shameless are his two recent disco/pop groups for two of the other Swedish acts he does. BWO (Bodies Withour Organs): And absolutely dreadful/great was the latest song he did for Alcazar for the Swedish Eurovision entry--and once again it came in second in their Melodifestivalen elimination round LOL I think this is like the 5th time they've come in second as Sweden's entry to Eurovision. Shocking as it's trash camptastic! (I'm learning the dance routine as we speak) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmaP4G_rze8 And let's not forget that within a month we're meant to get the lead single to what will surely be my album of the Summer--Kylie Minogue's

Besides producing and writing for Kylie, Lily Allen, Little Boots, etc, etc, Greg Kurstin has the odd, kinda 60s cocktail music group Bird and the Bee (he's the Bee, the Bird is his vocalist, Inara George). Their new album is the first in a series dedicated to covering "Guiltless pleasures"--groups and songs that don't get much respect. This album is all dedicated to Hall and Oates (!) and I admit I love it, even if at some points it gets maybe a BIT too precious--I almost wish he'd thrown in a few dancier tracks--this cover of Maneater comes close. Still, great stuff (I never thought they had much mainstream success, but they were just on Ellen this week and apparently have been before). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzmM85wnM8k (Shirley Manson does backing vocals... lol) Another band that works with Kurstin (he does final mix--doesn't help write) is my fave Canadian group, Dragonette who I got to see for the second time this year, just last week (I've seen them so much actually that the lead songwriter/guitarist recognized me before when he was hanging out at the bar lol). Here's their great new single--as usual for flop Canadian acts, ultra low budget video.:

Remedy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McdqerXrwXE Slightly similar, but much more of a 80s Italo throwback, is the new album from Swedish "disco co-operative", Sally Shapiro, which I love... Miracle is the leady single:

The guy I'm seeing recently got into Frankmusik which made me pull back out my cd that I guess I got last year when it came out in the UK--it's really one of the best synth pop debuts in ages... 3 Little Words had lotsa club play (and was a major UK hit) but I'm getting more into some of the album tracks (the version I have has a fun acoustic remix CD as well) Little Boots FINALLY got her album released (to way better reviews than I expected--though it deserves them) in the US--over a year after I got the Uk edition. Fantastic, well crafted collection of perfect electro dance/pop tunes, that I prefered over LaRoux who she's often compared to (simply cuz they're femlae based, synth pop acts from last Summer?) Most of her album was done with my fave younger, current producer, Greg Kurstin who has done everything from jazz, to Sia, to everything with Lily Allen, to great disco Kylie Minogue songs. First two Little Boots singles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUs9YzY7t-8 Oh I guess I have to wait before posting the last two videos