Guitar goddess Orianthi’s debut single “According to You” is now streaming on MySpace!

“According to You” is an anthem about moving on from a bad relationship to a great one, and – in true Orianthi style – features an impressive guitar solo. Head on over to her official page to give the song a listen.

Orianthi began playing guitar at the age of 11, and since then has performed with an impressive roster of musicians. She was discovered by Carlos Santana and has played with legends like Steve Vai, ZZ Top, and Prince, and stole the show from Carrie Underwood at the most recent Grammys.

While recording her debut album, Believe, Orianthi was chosen as the lead guitarist for Michael Jackson’s comeback tour.

She will be featured prominently in the upcoming documentary about the icon’s final days, This Is It, out October 28th.

Believe will hit stores the day before, on October 27, 2009.

Buy Music:

Orianthi on amazon.com

Orianthi on amazon.co.uk

For the latest music and information, go to:

Orianthi MySpace

Orianthi Official Website

Introducing Orianthi, the guitar phenomenon who is featured prominently in the upcoming Michael Jackson concert documentary, This Is It.

Already a renowned musician, Orianthi has been playing guitar since the age of eleven and was discovered by legend Carlos Santana. After playing with artists like Carrie Underwood, ZZ Top, and Prince, she received a MySpace message from Michael Jackson’s musical director asking her to audition for his comeback tour. Following a test run with the King of Pop himself, she was selected as his lead guitarist for his O2 arena dates in London – a crowning achievement for the 24 year old from Adelaide, Australia.

Now Orianthi is preparing to release her solo debut album, ‘Believe’, on October 27, 2009.

In addition to her talent at guitar, Orianthi has a gorgeous voice and even sang at Michael Jackson’s Staples Center memorial service. Even before starting rehearsals for his tour though, she was hard at work writing and recording the album with her band.

‘Believe’ is full of anthemic rock tracks with a sound reminiscent of Paramore or Evanescence, but entirely Orianthi thanks to her signature shreds and thunderous hooks.

Her first single, “According to You” is a catchy tale of an ungrateful boyfriend, featuring a killer guitar solo.

To hear the story in her own words, watch Orianthi in this segment from Australia’s Today show.

Watch Today Show video:

Be sure to check her out in This Is It out on October 28th.

Buy Music:

Orianthi on amazon.com

Orianthi on amazon.co.uk

For the latest music and information, go to:

Orianthi Official Website

Human Nature “Reach Out” with a Little Help from Smokey Robinson

Human Nature is Australia’s most popular and successful vocal group with 17 Top 40 hits and 5 top ten hits since 1996 and 23 platinum awards.

They have toured the world with artists like Michael Jackson and Celine Dion and their largest audience to date was a crowd of over nearly 4 billion when they performed at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic games.

Their album ‘Reach Out’ is a collection of Motown hits and was released exclusively this week at Barnes and Noble and is available worldwide digitally.

On this album they have collaborated with some Motown greats, including the Temptations and their friend and mentor Smokey Robinson, who is currently presenting their Las Vegas show at the Imperial Palace “The Ultimate Celebration of the Motown Sound” (which will run until May). Sometimes the initial reaction to cover albums tends to not be a positive one but the album is done to perfection (hence why Smokey decided to get involved) and how can anyone not help but to smile when hearing these timeless tracks?

They have worked with some of the most legendary Motown artists that their Vegas show continues to get rave reviews. They have a handful of TV slots slated for the fall and will be doing some exclusive performances (in between their Vegas dates in LA and NY).

Buy Music:

Human Nature on amazon.com

Human Nature on amazon.co.uk

Videos

Baby I Need Your Loving:

Dancing in the Streets

Audio Streams

Get Ready (w/ Smokey Robinson)

My Girl

Ooo Baby Baby

Additional info:

Human Nature – Reach Out

“Human Nature are amazing!” – Michael Jackson

“Wonderful vocalists who really know how to entertain a crowd.” – Celine Dion

Australia’s most popular and successful vocal group, Human Nature released their first album – ‘Reach Out’ in the U.S. on September 1st. ‘Reach Out’ was released exclusively via Barnes & Noble physically and will be available widely digitally. The album will be released to all retailers physically on February 2, 2010.

Since they signed with Sony in 1994, Human Nature have earned 23 Platinum Awards in their native Australia and have toured throughout the world. Their largest audience was at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 where they performed before 4 billion viewers worldwide. The band has had 17 Top 40 Hits and Five Top Ten Hits since 1996, has opened tours of Asia and Europe for both Michael Jackson and Celine Dion, and have won several Arias (Australia’s version of the Grammy’s) and virtually every other major entertainment award that country has to offer. Their last four releases in Australia have reached #1 on the charts there!

Now Human Nature has set their sites on America.

Human Nature are launching their assault via a headlining run at The Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, in a show presented by their mentor and friend Smokey Robinson.

The show, billed as “The Ultimate Celebration of the Motown Sound” is running now through May, 2010. During their run, the boys will also be performing select dates in key US markets around national media and promotional activities.

‘Reach Out’ is a collection of songs from their last three studio themed recordings in tribute to some of the best songwriters and performers in Motor City – it is a tribute to the renown recording studio and record company that brought the sound of young America to the world.

In ‘Reach Out’, Human Nature – Toby Allen, Phil Burton, Andrew Tierney,and Michael Tierney – pay loving tribute to the sounds that influenced their global success, and bring an infectious energy and their amazing vocal talents to the proceedings.

THE SONGS:

Reach Out I’ll be There*
You Keep Me Hangin’ On
Baby I Need Your Loving*
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Get Ready w/Smokey Robinson
The Way You Do The Things You Do w/The Temptations
My Girl
Stop! In The Name Of Love
ABC
You Are The Everything
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Uptight (Everything’s Alright)*
Twenty-Five Miles
Dancing In The Street*
Ooo Baby Baby

Barnes & Noble Bonus Track:
River Deep Mountain High w/ Mary Wilson of The Supremes

* denotes there is a video of this track available on youtube.
The videos are also viewable on the sites below.

Buy Music:

Human Nature on amazon.com

Human Nature on amazon.co.uk

Human Nature Las Vegas
MySpace
Human Nature Official Website

Film Drawn From Legendary Entertainer’s Last Rehearsals and Behind-The-Scenes Footage

Will Be Released October 30th in High Definition with Digital Sound

Beginning October 30, 2009, the world will have a front-row seat for Michael Jackson’s final concert, as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment release Michael Jackson’s This Is It.

This Is It is being produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and will be drawn from hundreds of hours of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage, captured in high definition with state of the art digital sound as the late singer was preparing for his concert series in London. The film, which will also offer select sequences in 3-D, will provide a unique career retrospective and feature interviews with some of Jackson’s closest friends and creative collaborators.

The announcement was made by Michael Lynton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman of the studio, Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Entertainment, and Rob Stringer, Chairman of Columbia/Epic Label Group, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. The companies serve as the principal entertainment divisions of Sony Corporation.

Joining Sony in the announcement was The Estate of Michael Jackson, administered by his longtime attorney John Branca and veteran music executive John McClain, a Jackson family friend for more than 40 years. Proceeds the Estate earns from the film’s release will benefit the Michael Jackson Family Trust, the entity that Mr. Jackson specified in his will is to receive all of his assets.

The rights to the exclusive footage were acquired from AEG Live and The Estate of Michael Jackson. Sony Pictures and Sony Music will co-produce with AEG Live and the Estate, and Sony Pictures will distribute the film worldwide. Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware of AEG Live will serve as producers of the film.

The majority of the film’s footage was shot in June, 2009 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California, and The Forum in Inglewood, California, as Jackson prepared for “This Is It,” the series of fifty concerts Jackson planned to present at the O2 Arena in London.

This Is It will offer Michael Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer, his career, and the stage spectacular that would have been. The film will provide moviegoers with an unforgettable front row experience compiled from extensive footage that shows Jackson’s meticulous preparation for his 2009 London shows.

Said Branca, “Our goal is to work with partners who treat Michael’s legacy with dignity and respect, while allowing us to substantially build the value of his estate for the benefit of Mrs. Katherine Jackson, Michael’s three children and the charitable causes that meant so much to him during his life. We are confident we found the right partners for this project in Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment. Sony and Michael enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial history together, and it’s only fitting that the relationship continues.”

Said McClain, “This film is not only a tribute to an artist who created excitement every moment he was on stage, but also is a fitting gift to the millions of fans worldwide who loved him and who he devoted his professional life to entertaining. John and I are thrilled to be working with Sony to build on Michael’s musical legacy in a way that will generate significant proceeds for his family and for children in need.”

“People who have seen this footage are astounded by the amazing quality of Michael Jackson’s performance,” said Lynton. “This historic recording of the last time he sang and danced on stage shows the legendary artist in an incredibly powerful way, with crystal clear images and sound. We understand the importance of producing a film that pays tribute to Michael as an artist, and are honored to work with the Estate of Michael Jackson to give audiences the gift of his final performances. I know this film will serve as further proof that Michael Jackson is one of the greatest entertainers who ever graced a stage.”

“Michael lives on through his songs, his creative genius, his body of work and his passion for his art,” said Rob Stringer. “He was a perfectionist on stage and through this unique film, audiences will be able to see, many for the first time, how much Michael poured into making his performances as special as they were perfect.”

Said Kenny Ortega, director of and Jackson’s creative partner on the This Is It concert, “The world will see what our team was so fortunate to experience, which was the full commitment, passion and creativity that Michael put into this project. He was the architect of This Is It, and we were his builders. The footage that was captured from the early stages of the production to our technical rehearsals at the STAPLES Center in L.A. will show Michael as he truly was, creatively involved with every aspect of the production, from the staging and choreography, to the music, lighting, production design and conception of the original short films and video backdrops. It will also show Michael as one of the greatest entertainers in the world and one of the industry’s most creative minds. This Is It was Michael’s last theatrical work and although it was still a work in progress, I think the footage will show that the process was something that Michael deeply enjoyed and that it was clear that he was on his way to another theatrical triumph.”

In the coming weeks, additional information about the film will be available at www.michaeljackson.com.

Buy Music:

Michael Jackson on amazon.com

Michael Jackson on amazon.co.uk

Peter Schlessel, President of Worldwide Affairs, negotiated for the footage on behalf of Sony Pictures. Branca represented The Estate of Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson, one of the most widely beloved entertainers and profoundly influential artists of all-time, leaves an indelible imprint on popular music and culture.

Five of Jackson’s solo albums – ‘Off the Wall,’ ‘Thriller,’ ‘Bad,’ ‘Dangerous’ and ‘HIStory,’ all with Epic Records, a Sony Music label – are among the top-sellers of all time and “Thriller” holds the distinction as the largest selling album worldwide in the history of the recording industry with more than 70 million units sold. Additionally, singles released from the Thriller album sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, another all time record.

During his extraordinary career, he sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Jackson as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and ‘Thriller’ as the Biggest Selling Album of All Time. Jackson won 13 Grammy Awards and received the American Music Award’s Artist of the Century Award.

Michael Jackson started in the music business at the age of 11 with his brothers as a member of the Jackson 5. In the early 1980s, he defined the art form of music video with such ground-breaking videos as “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and the epic “Thriller.” Jackson’s sound, style and dance moves inspired subsequent generations of pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 130 countries.

Sony Pictures Entertainment

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. For more information, visit:

Sony Music Entertainment Official Website

For the latest news about This Is It and more, go to:

Michael Jackson Official Website

In fact, this was a Ben archetypal idea after Director Patrik Anderson suggested morphing in the initial planning of the video which had started before MJ’s death.

Watch “Wicked Way” video:

Director: Patrik Andersson

Buy Music:

Ben Taylor on amazon.com

Ben Taylor on amazon.co.uk

Read Patrik’s blog entry about the shoot with the New York Models!

Patrik Andersson Official Website

Benjamin Taylor review on Band Weblogs

Ben Taylor Official Website
MySpace
Ben Taylor on Twitter

Lots of stuff happening around A-ha this week, with a big signing and performance at HMV / Westfield shopping centre in London.

Photos from the day:

Read More:

A-Ha Blog

More signing and performance pictures from the day on Flickr:

A-ha photos

A-ha Official Community Website
A-ha on Twitter

LeToya Performs Top 10 Urban Smash “Not Anymore,” first single off ‘Lady Love’ album, dropping August 25th

LeToya. A single name ringing a whole lot of bells. Though one month remains before her album hits stores, LeToya Luckett has already piled up a year’s worth of accomplishments. The video for the Top 10 national Urban radio hit “Not Anymore” continues its steady climb up BET’s 106 & Park countdown, perched at #3 as of recent weeks. She co-hosted this popular video show yesterday.

At a moment of emotional gravity for music fans everywhere, LeToya took her place twice, first, as a performer; then, as a presenter, at the recent 2009 BET Awards, which by coincidence was the first celebrity gathering following the passing of Michael Jackson and unexpectedly became a public memorial.

LeToya appeared on the awards’ pre-show, singing the sweeping “Not Anymore,” the first single off forthcoming album ‘Lady Love’, due out August 25, 2009. She presented an award during the primetime portion, which was viewed on 10% of all televisions nationally that night.

Meanwhile, driven by the single and video, LeToya’s MySpace numbers astound: her page has been visited over four million times, and “Not Anymore” has registered a whopping 7.6 million plays.

Buy Music:

LeToya on amazon.com

The smash success “Not Anymore,” written and co-produced by Ne-Yo, paves the way perfectly for second single “She Ain’t Got…” The thrashing, throbbing anthem, written by Chris Brown, is a hit in more ways than one.

LeToya is teaming up with Major League Baseball in rolling out “She Ain’t Got…”; check MLB.com for a LeToya interview and music video tie-in. Or keep your ears open the next time you attend a baseball game, as song snippets will be resonating throughout stadiums across the country. Better still, watch for the song’s music video, featuring current Los Angeles Dodger stars Matt Kemp and Orlando Hudson, as well as Hall of Fame player Dave Winfield.

The prominent TV show ABC News Now ran footage of the new videos with an exclusive interview with LeToya last week Friday. Additionally, CNN filmed a mini-biopic piece on LeToya during the shoot. The prominent TV show Access Hollywood is set to run footage of the video shoot, as will AOL and EssenceMagazine.com. It continues to played on VH1 Soul, MTV Jams, Music Choice and BETJ. Additionally, CNN filmed a mini-biopic piece on LeToya during the shoot. And lastly, expect a dance remix of “She Ain’t Got…” hereafter. LeToya Luckett is definitely in the swing of things.

LeToya’s visibility doesn’t end there. Find her in a slew of print and online publications, which started with a feature in the June issue of Rap Up magazine, their first-ever photo issue. She’s also on the cover of Sister2Sister magazine, and has a spread in the August fashion issue of VIBE magazine’s final issue.

Other features past, present and future include: Billboard magazine, Complex online, Jet Magazine, Rides magazine, and Lipstickalley.com. Major newspapers such as the Houston Chronicle and Atlanta Journal-Constitution continue to document her progress and promise further coverage the week of Lady Love’s release.

LeToya. What else need be said? Absolute success has always been her destiny.

MySpace
LeToya on Twitter
LeToya Official Website

A large part of mourning the loss of a music industry legend is remembering and memorializing their career.

Michael Jackson was an idol, the king of pop, and a talent who easily surpassed his peers.

His songs are timeless and his memory will not fade with his passing.

I wasn’t going to send this out until next week but in light of the events of this week here is a cover of “Billie Jean” done by The Lost Fingers. I hope you enjoy.

Download Link: Billie Jean – Michael Jackson (The Lost Fingers Cover)

More on The Lost Fingers coming soon…

The Lost Fingers Official Website

Words could not begin to express the collective sorrow experienced yesterday at the news of the passing of Michael Jackson.

In this clip of Warner Bros. Records recording artist Eric Hutchinson performing “OK, Its Alright With Me” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Hutchinson pays homage with a single sequined glove atop his piano:

Watch “OK, It’s Alright with Me” video:

Eric Hutchinson Official Website

Chris Cornell’s Twitter: Driving from Poland to Berlin. Just Heard Michael Jackson died. Makes me sad. I remember the Jackson 5 on a black and white tv. He had magic!
18 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Watch Chris Cornell – cover of “Billie Jean” video:

www.chriscornell.com

Best,

Chris

Chris Cornell Official Website
Chris Cornell on Twitter

Michael Jackson has died.

RIP Michael Joseph Jackson – August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009

Michael Jackson – Earth Song video:

Following the recent series of adverts featuring the 118 118 men, Ray Parker Jr. and the ‘Ghostbusters’ theme tune, 118 118 are giving you the chance to become one of them!

This simple game allows you to upload a picture of you and a friend to the hair, moustache and body of the 118 118 men, then sit back and watch yourselves dance to the ‘Ghostbusters’ theme tune with Ray Parker Jr:

whoyougonnacall.tv Official Website

See a video of this game in action featuring Britney Spears and Michael Jackson:

Watch video:

Dancers from Thriller LIVE perform Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance in front of unsuspecting members of the public to celebrate 25th year anniversary of Thriller.

The biggest selling album of all time went underground when London commuters were taken by storm with a filmed performance of the famous Thriller Dance on the London district line tube.

Already an instant hit on YouTube, the video shows passengers looking flabbergasted as the impromptu performance by fellow commuters kicks off. One viewer said: “This is amazing!!! Slick as hell. I love the people who pretend they’re not interested.” Another Internet watcher said: “The polite applause at the end is the best bit – very British.”

The video has been picked up across the world with the Metro paper running a huge feature together with TV coverage on ITV London Tonight. This has clearly captured the imagination of the London commuters with a serious debate across blogs, websites and YouTube about this dance extravaganza.

The dance was performed by professional dancers from Thriller LIVE which is a full budget mega-show celebrating the music of the World’s Greatest Entertainer.

Kicking off its UK tour on March 27th, 2008 the dance crew got together with Sony BMG to plan the 25th anniversary of the release of Thriller and thought it would be fun to perform the Thriller dance in various locations around London.

The first “tube” video has been hugely popular…where might they appear next?

Watch video – Thriller Dance on the London Tube:

Upcoming:

Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller – 25th Anniversary Edition’ – Release Date 11th February, 2008 (UK)

“The Girl Is Mine” – Physical Release date – 4th February 2008

Thriller LIVE UK Tour 27th March – 25th May 2008

Michael Jackson Official Website UK

Thriller Live Official Website

Flying Music presents a brand new production of Thriller LIVE as the show tours the UK for the third time this spring celebrating the 25th anniversary year of the Michael Jackson’s – and the world’s – biggest selling album: THRILLER. The new UK tour starts March 27th, 2008.

Created by renowned Michael Jackson biographer Adrian Grant, Thriller LIVE is a full budget mega-show that takes the audience on a journey through the music of the World’s Greatest Entertainer.

“What a Thriller” – Heat

In 2008 the critical and commercial hit production sees not only a brand new 43-date tour with even more amazing choreography, dancers, an amazing band and production but also a swathe of other Thriller related activity including:

* 28th January single “The Girl Is Mine” remix by Will.i.am

* 10th February Grammy Award for Thriller (details tbc)

With choreography from Michael Jackson’s own live show team (LaVelle Smith Jnr.) the mix of dancing, lights and sound is nothing short of spectacular.

Since it’s launch last year Thriller LIVE has toured the UK twice and has been featured on TV and press ranging from Blue Peter to Heat magazine. It is now fully endorsed by Michael Jackson’s record company SonyBMG as a part of the Thriller album 25th Anniversary.

“A visually and vocally spectacular show” – Daily Express

Thriller Live Tour dates

Thriller Live Official Website

Flying Music

“The Girl Is Mine” is one of the best known tracks from Thriller (who of a certain age doesn’t know the Paul McCartney / Michael Jackson exchange by heart?) and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the world’s best-selling album, Black Eyed Peas maestro Will.i.am gives the single a brand new super fresh feel.

Taking over duetting duties from Sir Paul, on the “The Girl Is Mine 2008″, will.i.am mixes in a funky, updated sound to the track which will appeal to younger fans approaching the song with fresh ears, as well as keep the original Michael Jackson crowd mighty pleased.

A couple of sneak previews from the ever-supportive MJ News Online (Michael Jackson Fan Club) and Michael Jackson News Network have drawn highly positive reactions:

“This track is much more than a classic remix – Will and Michael have made it a song in its own right” – MJ News Online

“The Girl Is Mine 2008 (with Will.i.am)”:

Digital release date, UK (1 track) – 14th January 2008

Physical CD Single / 12″ and Digital (3 tracks) UK Release Date – 28th January 2008

Track listing:

1.The Girl Is Mine 2008 (with will.i.am)
2. The Girl Is Mine 2008 club remix featuring will.i.am
3. The Girl Is Mine (original demo)

Upcoming Events:

25th Anniversary Year: There are all sorts of activities lined up for the 25th anniversary year of Thriller. This single will be followed with…

11th February 2008 – Thriller – 25th Anniversary Edition, a newly expanded deluxe edition of multi-platinum Grammy-winning album with new & previously unreleased bonus tracks including remixes by Akon, Will.i.am & Kanye West plus a bonus DVD featuring digitally restored short films & Michael Jackson’s historic breakout performance from “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever” television broadcast.

27th March 2008 – Thriller LIVE is a full budget mega-show that takes the audience on a journey through the music of the World’s Greatest Entertainer. With choreography from Michael Jackson’s own live show team (LaVelle Smith Jnr.) the production starts its 3-month UK tour on March 27th and is nothing short of spectacular. Thriller Live

More events and fan activities to be announced.

Michael Jackson – The Girl Is Mine 2008 (Featuring Will.I.Am) on Amazon.com

The Girl Is Mine: 2008 on Amazon.co.uk

Michael Jackson Official Website