Well you think you have your post all planned out for the day and then a rather exciting mp3 arrives in your inbox that makes you rearrange everything. But isn't that what is great about blogs - they are so spontaneous, even more so than newspapers and you can gauge people's reactions to things within minutes of an mp3 leaking or some news snippet report. By the way has anyone else been watching telenovela Desire that airs on MyN in the states and just started on Trouble over here. It is corny, ridiculous, cheesy, is on a quality level with the late lamented (by me) Sunset Beach and thus i am totally addicted already. Expect something more on that soon!! Anyway on with the post for today, kicking off with that surprise mp3...
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THE ONE THAT CAN DO NO WRONG:
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Major Le Sigh. It's true - and it's certainly no secret that my favourite female singer of all time by quite a long shot is the artist formerly known as Debbie - Deborah Gibson. Heck, this blog was even originally named after a line in her Electric Youth single. At the turn of the millenium, fans were treated to the amazing pop album MYOB (2001) and then an album of lesser known broadway standards Coloured Lights (2003). Things went a bit quiet then, with non music based projects moving to the foreground (Playboy; Skating with Celebrities) - although we got the classic Naked single and a so so duet with Jordan Knight. Luckily, it seems a new album is on the horizon and lead off track Famous has been sent to fans. A funky jaunt taking a dig at those famous for being famous, the song is rich with guitar licks, driving beats and an of course impeccable vocal from my fave lady. And just because Deborah must know I love my ballads from her, she has posted a gorgeous track called Sounds Like Love from her new movie Coffee Date. More on that later in the week. For now, sit back, relax and let fame wash over you...
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LINK: Deborah Gibson official site
LINK: Deborah Gibson myspace page
MP3: Deborah Gibson - Famous
MP3: Deborah Gibson - Sounds Like Love

THE ONE THAT NEARLY GOT AWAY:
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In preparation for tomorrow's post on what books i am totally feeling right now, i thought i would link this little preview in to music. I just finished Gary Barlow from Take That's autobiography "my Take" and I have to say it was a pretty amiable read. It's always interesting to me to see people's take on their most famous years and Gary is refreshingly honest about his own ego and flaws that lead to his fall from grace hitting him heavy and hard. For those of you that don't know, when Take That split it was Gary who was meant to be the huge solo star. And indeed he took his first two singles to number one. Then Angels happened for Robbie Williams and as much as I love the guy, he treated Gary abominally in the press, stating that it was he that had been the talent in Take That, not Gary. In effect, Robbie sabotaged Gary's career by using his own popularity to verbally abuse and pour scorn. If that was a "real" workplace, there certainly would have been a case for bullying and harrassment. But the damage was done and Gary's career lasted two short albums. Which is a shame, because while those albums were in no way perfect, they certainly had glimpses of Gary's songwriting ability. Forever Love and Open Road from the first album were natural progressions from Take That and are great little pop gems. Superstar and Lies from the second album continue to showcase what Take That would have sounded like if they had continued. Gary then turned his attention to writing and wrote songs for Delta Goodrem, Blue, Atomic Kitten, Lara Fabian and many others. The closest we got to a 3rd Gary Barlow album was his collaboration with Donny Osmond on What I Meant To Say. Gary wrote and produced the majority of the tracks and it's hard not to imagine him singing them. Breeze is a super little ditty and there are numerous others on the set - not groundbreaking, but timeless classic pop. They say what is past is also prologue and Gary's influence is all over the new Take That songs, yet there is a certain something that suggests the group is more collaborative than ever. Let's just hope they are back for good...
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LINK: Informative Gary Barlow fansite
LINK: Purchase Gary's autobiography
MP3: Gary Barlow - Forever Love
MP3: Gary Barlow - Open Road
MP3: Gary Barlow - Superhero
MP3: Gary Barlow - Lie To Me
MP3: Donny Osmond - Breeze On By
MP3: Donny Osmond - What I Meant To Say
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THE ONES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN MANAGED BETTER:
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It started off so well. Lead off single Thinking It Over was fairly fresh and original for a pop band at the time, with a garage influenced beats over a smooth R'n'B jaunt. Sure Doin It was a slight blip, but everything was back on track when Liberty X's Just A Little hit the top spot for four weeks in May 2002. Hit after hit followed including gorgeous ballad Holding On For You and Richard X classic Being Nobody... but as soon as Everybody Cries from sophomore set failed to make the top ten, fear and doubt set in at Liberty X camp and their career has been mismanaged since. Only 3 singles into the second album, it was abandoned when tracks like Whatcha Doing Tonight and The Poet could easily have been singles. After an extended break, the group came back with the gospelly Song 4 Lovers and an album laden with potential singles. But once again, the opportunity was lost. Instead a dodgy disco cover was released as the Children in Need single and tracks like Then There Was You, Dirty Cash and X (although touted as a potential single) all went unnoticed. So below is what i present to you as my ultimate Liberty X greatest hits - they should have left the dodgy cover versions for a christmas release greatest hits. People are so much more forgiving then - how else do you explain the Girls Aloud/Tiffany monstrosity...???
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Thinking It Over
Doing It
Just A Little
Got To Have Your Love
Holding On For You
Being Nobody
Jumpin
Everybody Cries
Watcha Doing Tonight (mp3)
The Poet
Song 4 Lovers
Then There Was You
Dirty Cash (mp3)
X
Divine Intervention
A Night To Remember
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THE ONE THAT GOT STRIPPED:
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I kinda forgot about John Mayer. There he was, making me sing a long all summer to a song about running through the halls of your high school (which i used to do, usually followed by a bunch of guys yelling "get him - its homopaul!" Aah memories...) and then i didn't remember to check out what he was doing next and got into Teddy Geiger instead. Oops. My bad. I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of John, but his music can be a pleasant diversion even though he gets less hot with each album he releases. But after listening to his stripped performance (see link), it sounds like his new music brings together all his influences - Waiting for the World has some gorgeous guitar in it and socially conscious lyrics while Jimi Hendrix cover Bold As Love shows he still has magnetism and power as a performer. I may have to check out his new disc after all... .
LINK: John Mayer's Stripped Performance
MP3: John Mayer - Waiting For The World (Stripped)
MP3: John Mayer - Bold As Love (stripped)

QUICK BITZ/BLOGWATCH:

~ 7 to watch in 2007 mini update: New pics of Pacific Avenue over at their official photographers blog. Check them out - we love this band. A lot. Thanks for the heads up azzy :) Plus Justin Lanning has a new video diary up on his site - i've tried out what he suggests in the video and it's quite delish. Check out ep 2 of Justin's World...

~ Last Thursday's Greys Anatomy was a classic - half the hospital staff (male) on a camping trip was inspired. The chief's uncomfortableness with Joe and Walter's relationship was too hilarious as he tried to be cool with the gays :) "I have a gay cousin. Brokeback mountain. I'm hip!" Genius!! But the baby storyline ~ get me a tissue :(

~ OOOooo - finally - some Dangerous Muse news over at Arjanwrites. It seems they will be continuing with sporadically releasing EPs every now and then for the forseeable future. Just hurry with an album boys...

~ haven't effused over Nick's blog for a while, but it's still as brilliant as ever. check out the frankly quite weird b-side to the frankly quite good Lovelight from Robbie Williams...

Coming soon: A walk down the Avenue(s); Definitely something v soon on Jean and THEM; most probably something on Jack's Mannequin and some other "alternative bands"; A fresh wave of fresh faced myspace singers; more info on TheZapping Record Company project; a fashion feature; gay singers (blame Observer Music Monthly); the 24 days of Christmas; Zapping guest writers during my holiday; that lengthy Lois and Clark piece; Books; and no doubt lots more inbetween the moon and new york city...