Coming June 3: Chuck Taylor's 'TIme Zone" On FMG Radio Network

P.S. I miss The Smoking Nun... Hopefully we'll be relaunching this summer!

Sheena Easton: I Love The '80s

Oh, youth... Sheena Easton's Japanese territory singles covers. How I love the 80s! *

Sheena Easton's 'For Your Eyes Only': Anatomy Of A Bond Hit

OCanada.com recently posted a fab story about the anatomy of Sheena Easton's 1981 Oscar-nominated James Bond theme "For Your Eyes Only." I've heard my own version of this story face to face from producer Chris Neil, but here, Sheena shares her memories of the recording, which I've streamlined and edited from its (horribly written) original version here...

Sheena Easton was 3 years old when first James Bond film, 1962’s Dr. No, came out, but the singer can still recall the anticipation for each successive film in the storied franchise. "Like anybody else, if you were alive around the time they made Bond movies, you had to be aware of them," the Scottish-bred singer says (in Toronto). "The Bonds were always gorgeous and the beautiful women with the long fabulous hair and the dresses and the glamor; you knew when a new Bond movie came out, you were definitely going to go see it on a Saturday night."

Twenty-two years later, Easton remembers the moment she found out she would follow in the legendary footsteps of Shirley Bassey, who sang 1979's Moonraker: "The producers of the movie had asked if I'd like to sing the next Bond theme. I was very young. I was new to the scene but I did have "Morning Train" that had gone to No. 1 around the world. That brought me to the attention of [Bond producer] Cubby Broccoli and the whole Bond team."

Originally written by Bill Conti & Mike Leeson with either Donna Summer or Dusty Springfield in mind, the young Easton was given the opportunity to sing the theme after an initially hesitant Conti met her in person: "The production of the song was done to be evocative of the sound of underwater—the submarine pinging, the depth charge—it was done to have that link to the film because it was an underwater-themed movie."

Though still in production, Easton and Conti were allowed to view some of the unfinished film, with Roger Moore in the starring role: "It was in post-production at the time we were putting the theme down. So there were bits of it that I got to see and my music producer got to see, so that we could get the feel of it. I didn't see the actual movie until we went to a premiere."

With recording done, legendary Bond credit sequence artist Maurice Binder decided he liked Easton's appearance so much he would break his own rules by inserting her in the title sequence. An appearance that, despite some discomfort on Easton’s part, Moore would later describe as sexier than any of the Bond girls.

"The filming of the title sequence may look glamorous, but it was a long process because the most important element was to get the visuals to work with the graphics, and because they were coming in on a slow close up on the lips and the eyes at certain points, I had to have my head clamped so it wouldn’t go a millimeter either way; that’s not the most comfortable thing to do," Easton admits. "But it was well worth it."

Upon its release in 1981, Easton’s "For Your Eyes Only" became an international hit, climbing to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 in the U.K., as well as being nominated for Best Song at the 1982 Academy Awards.

With the benefit of hindsight, the now 53-year-old Easton cracks a sly smile when asked about the song's significance to her. "It was not the song or the hit record that opened doors for me—the doors had already been opened or I wouldn't have been offered the gig— but it solidified in a lot of people's minds that I was not a fly-by-night one-hit-wonder.

"The fact that I had been chosen to be part of that group, somebody must have seen that there was some lasting talent there. After all the hits and productions, in any context when people are discussing your career and discography, that's the song that is often people’s favorite."

Say Hello To Wendy's New Logo

For the first time since 1983, Wendy's Hamburgers is updating its logo—as a move to signal its "ongoing transformation into a higher-end hamburger chain." Wait, is that a good thing? The new look features the chain's name in a more casual red font against a white backdrop. In addition, Wendy has grown up a bit. Gone are the vintage-looking font & antiqued logo.

It's only the fifth logo update since founder Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy's in 1969. The chain is said to be trying to distinguish itself from burgeoning chains like Panera Bread Co. and Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Odd to me, since Five Guys offers the best next-step-up among burger franchises. And compared to McDonald's and Burger King, Wendy's has always had a leg up in terms of quality. Careful, guys, not to push the scale up too much. Fast food is still... fast food. *

Sheena Easton: 'When He Shines,' 1981

How is it possible that there are still live performances from Sheena Easton that I've never discovered? "When He Shines," her top 30 hit from 1982, is one tough song to nail, and here a sweet young Sheena drives it home from a U.K. TV performance in 1981.

Overseas, the track appeared on her debut album, while in the States, it was the second single from sophomore LP You Could Have Been With Me. Simply luscious. Be sure to check out the gold Spandex, too! *

For The Record: Sheena Easton Album Collages

Utterly awesome collective of Sheena Easton album & matched singles collages from one of my fave new Facebook groups, Cherry Pop! Cheers to Miguel Hidalgo. (More below the jump)

Flashback: Alison Moyet's 1985 'Invisible'

Despite her brilliant voice, songwriting savvy and overseas success, Alison Moyet achieved just onetop 40 hit in the U.S. Ah, but what a classic: 1984's "Invisible," which peaked at a paltry No. 31 in the States. Boo!

Meanwhile, Moyet's U.K. album sales total 2+ million, with a million-plus singles sold. All 10 of her studio and compilation albums charted in the Top 30 there, while two of her solo albums hit No. 1. She also logged nine top 30 singles and five top 10s. Not surprisingly: In much of that era, the U.S. charts were consumed with dribble from the likes of Bruce Springsteen rather than the creative music coming from overseas. Thank god for the Brit invasion that started with Human League in 1981 that remains responsible for much of the indelible music of the decade. Hello Duran Duran!

Over time, Moyet has placed more than a dozen major hits on my Taylor Top 40, from "This House," "Wishing You Were Here" and "It Won't Be Long" to "Weak In the Presence of Beauty," "Hoodoo," "Getting Into Something" and "For You Only." The list goes on. And now, it's an Alison iTunes playlist Monday!

Below, pal Pook and meese in 2008 in NYC, when Alison Moyey and Vince Clarke reunited for a Yazoo tour. Backstage, Alison invited us to party hardy... and my god, did we. *

Sheena Easton: When She Shines

At 53, Sheena Easton shines as bright as ever! *

A Star Is Born: Meet Brenton Thwaites From 'Blue Lagoon' Remake

I'm not convinced that Blue Lagoon, the 1980 film starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins (where he teaches himself to yank on his winkie, in a career-defining scene) ever needed to be remade, but if there's a net to handle it, why not Lifetime, the ultimate in cheese whiz flicks.

This Saturday, June 16, the channel premieres Blue Lagoon: The Awakening, starring precious Aussie newcomer Brenton Thwaites as the dude and Indiana Evans as the gal. Denise Richards plays her mamer, while (a weathered) Chris Atkins makes a cameo. (I sure hope he'll sing a chorus or two of his almost-hit "How Can I Live Without You" from The Pirate Movie.

Unlike the original, where Brooke and Chris are little tykes when they are shipwrecked on a deserted isle, Emma and Dean are high school students on a class trip to Trinidad. They don't like each other a bit. Blah blah and they end up on the island all alone. Eventually they learn to like each other... a lot. Scenes from filming and publicity shots reveal that a star is born: Thwaites has the goods to be a new-generation teen idol, for sure.

Next up, he's hitting the big time, playing the Young Prince in 2014 film Maleficient, starring Angelina Jolie. The Blue Lagoon trailer is right 'chere for your convenience, cool cats. *

Wowsah: The Sheena Easton Collage Of My Dreams

Genius! Not one word is necessary... via Sheena's Facebook group here.

The Week In Music: “Idol” Tanks On TV, But Charges The Charts

On the tube, at least, “American Idol” appears to have slunk into wearisome “yesterday’s news” territory for much of America. The Season 11 finale this week posted its lowest ratings ever—down 29% from last year—as blues troubadour Phillip Phillips was crowned the winner, possessing about as much personal panache as 2011’s victor, dreary country crooner Scotty McCreery. Yawn!

However, where there’s real talent, consumers are still prepared to rally. On this week’s album chart, for the first time, one “American Idol” supplants another at No. 1—a notable feat for the franchise.

Adam Lambert powers to the top of the Billboard 200 with his new “Trespassing,” moving 77,000 copies. That pushes out last week’s chart-topper, Season 4 “AI” winner Carrie Underwood, whose “Blown Away” dips to No. 3. The latter holds at No. 1 on Country Albums for a third week.

This is “Idol” Season 8 runner-up Lambert’s first No. 1 album, following “For Your Entertainment,” which debuted and peaked at No. 3 during the 2009 holiday season—blocked by Susan Boyle’s “I Dreamed a Dream” and Andrea Bocelli’s “My Christmas.” “Entertainment” delivered the 2010 top 10 hit “Whataya Want From Me,” which was nominated for a Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Grammy. So far, the only action “Trespassing” has fostered is a murmur on Hot Digital Songs with the title track, which enters at a tepid No. 178.

Billboard columnist Gary Trust notes that Lambert is the seventh “AI” finalist to reach No. 1, alongside Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Underwood, Chris Daughtry and McCreery. And next week we’ll see how Kris Allen fares; he defeated Lambert on “Idol” in 2009, and sophomore album, “Thank You Camellia” will chart a week from now. Like McCreery before him, Allen has hardly become a household name: Following two medium-sized hits in 2009, he’s delivered three consecutive flops, including 2012’s (current) “The Vision of Love” from the new album. It’s safe to say that Lambert is runner-up in title only.

Moving along… At No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in its 65th chart week is “21” from Adele, who has grown as comfortable in the runner-up spot as she has at No. 1. By far, she is in the lead of 2012’s best-selling albums to date (followed by Lionel Richie’s “Tuskegee” and Whitney Houston’s Whitney: The Greatest Hits.”)

Comedy rock duo Tenacious D—actors Jack Black and Kyle Glass—launches at No. 4 on the album chart with “Rize of the Fenix.” They reached No. 8 in 2006 with “The Pick of Destiny.” Norah Jones’ “Little Broken Hearts” holds at 5; “Now 42” is down 2 to 6; and debuting at No. 7 is indie duo Beach Houses with “Bloom,” its first top 40 entry among three charted albums. Also new is No. 8, “Glee, the Music: Season Three, The Graduation Album,” the 14th top album for the Fox TV series. At No. 9, down 6, is Lionel Richie’s “Tuskegee”; while One Direction’s “Up All Night” dips 3 to No. 10.

On the singles side, Gotye’s delectable “Somebody That I Used to Know,” featuring Kimbra, spends a luxurious sixth week at No. 1 on the Hot 100. (Remember I taught you how to say his name a couple weeks ago: “Got-ee-aye.” Good for you…) The alt-meets-dance-meets-pop song tops Radio Songs, at last, up 2-1, while it’s No. 1 on Pop Songs, Adult Pop Songs, Alternative Songs (its 12th week) and Dance/Mix Show Airplay (3 weeks). It now ties Fun.’s “We Are Young” for most weeks at No. 1 in 2012.

Canadian songbird Carly Jepsen’s perky “Call Me Maybe,” No. 2 on the Hot 100, continues to knock on heaven’s door as a potential singles chart-topper. It rises to No. 1 on Digital Songs in its 13th week, also claiming top Digital and Airplay Gainer honors. It rises 9-7 on Pop Songs airplay and 12-9 on Radio Songs, according to NielsenBDS. “Maybe” holds at No. 3 on On-Demand Songs.
 
Maroon 5’s “Payphone,” featuring Wiz Khalifa, surprisingly slips 2-3 on the Hot 100, although it moves up 4 to No. 10 on Radio Songs. Fun.’s anthemic “We Are Young,” featuring Janelle Monae—which spent six weeks at No. 1 in March and April—eases 3 to 4; as Nicki Minaj’s sing-songy “Starships” returns to No. 5, up 1.

Flo Rida’s “Wild Ones,” featuring Sia, dips 5-6, while 7-10 remain locked in place: One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful,” the Wanted’s “Glad You Came,” Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” and Train’s “Drive By.”

Coming Up: John Mayer and his new hippie haircut will likely make a robust debut next week with “Born And Raised.”

Finally, the week wouldn’t be complete without a look at the love expressed for Donna Summer in the wake of her untimely death last week, at age 63. Paul Grein from Yahoo! Music was kind enough to do the legwork, and reports that nine Summer songs enter the Hot Digital Songs chart. The Oscar-winning “Last Dance,” arguably her signature hit, leads the way, with sales of 38,000.

Following are “On The Radio,” “Hot Stuff,” “She Works Hard For The Money,” “Bad Girls,” “Love To Love You Baby,” “MacArthur Park,” “Dim All The Lights” and “Heaven Knows.” In addition, four Donna Summer compilations re-enter The Billboard 200, led by “On The Radio—Greatest Hits—Volumes I & II.”

It about slayed me that we lost five-time Grammy winner Summer and Bee Gee Robin Gibb within days of one another. I was a teenager in the midst of disco’s joyous revolution in the late 1970s. Too young, perhaps, for entry into Studio 54, but believe me, my friends and I spent many a weekend mastering the Pretzel and spinning in unison to so many indelible dance ditties. R.I.P Donna & Robin.*

Sheena Easton's 'You Never Gave Me The Chance,' W/ Nun Footage

Online buddy Mike Easton, who commandeers a blog and Facebook page about Sheena Easton, put together a pretty fab YouTube video for her album cut "You Never Gave Me A Chance" from the 2000 disco album Fabulous, using collages he collected from The Smoking Nun. This is one of few original tracks on the disc, a ballad, and while certainly no Sheena classic, it's still a wondrous showcase for that perfecto voice. What's not to love? Enjoy, you hear now? *

Happy Birthday SHEENA EASTON!

Our lady Sheena Easton was born today, April 27, 1959. Looking fine for 53. In honor of the late Dick Clark, here are three videos from his iconic American Bandstand, with Sheena appearing. Sweet! *

1981 1983 performance of "Strut," 1984 1985

At Last... Sheena Easton's Live Performance Of 'Still Willing To Try'

In 1987, Sheena Easton appeared on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show, and performed "Strut" live, which has been available on YouTube for years. She also performed the only known live version of "Still Willing To Try," a consummate love ballad that appeared on her 1988 eighth studio album No Sound But A Heart.

Unfortunately, that project spelled the end of her contract with EMI, which released launch single "Eternity," written by Prince, and then... the LP was shelved in the U.S. until many years later. So not only did it take years for me to own the song that enchanted me on Johnny Carson, but it was never released as a single, becoming a deserved hit among Sheena's catalog.

Meanwhile, I've searched long and hard for a video clip of that live performance of "Still Willing To Try" on The Tonight Show and at last... thanks to my buddy "Mike Easton," it appeared on his Sheena blog Wednesday. The quality is horrendous (and you have to let it buffer before playing)... but it's wondrous to see—and to utilize technology to convert it into an MP3. Sweet love! *

'80s Flashback: Debbie Gibson

Nope, never been a huge fan of realty TV. Aside from a few seasons of American Idol, The Real Housewives of New York The Millionaire Matchmaker and this year's Dancing With The Stars, I'd rather floss with my toenails than sit through all the hype and bravado of most of these overblown ego-driven series.

However, (of all folks) my tax man (who knows my love for pop music) told me about Debbie Gibson appearing on this season's Celebrity Apprentice, and how business-minded and smart as a whip she is. That brought Debbie Debs to the front of my iTunes playlist for the 48754674983th time, with my Taylor-Made 26-track best-of, including such timeless nuggets as "Electric Youth," "Lost In Your Eyes," "Foolish Beat," "Silence Speaks A Thousand Words," "Out of the Blue," "No More Rhyme," "Sure," "Anything Is Possible," "Only Words" and "This So-Called Miracle." Ah... yes... the beautiful 1980s (and '90s).

I have a long, wondrous history with Debs, thanks to my years as a writer and columnist at Billboard, during which I sniffed out all things '80s. Her publicist David Salidor is a pal of mine, so I was granted access to Gibson numerous times... including seeing her Broadway turn in Cabaret, watching her rehearse for a club show (and interviewing her, then attending the show) and seeing her at one-off concert stops over more than a decade.

Gibson continues to be mighty relevant today; she's certainly more than a faded teen pop star. In addition to more than a dozen Broadway shows (Les Miserables, Grease, Gypsy, Chicago), in 2011 she starred with "teen pop rival" Tiffany in the tongue-in-cheek SyFy flick Mega Python vs. Gatoroid (featuring a fab catfight) and had a cameo as Katy Perry’s mom(!) in the music video for "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).” She's also a longtime friend of the gays, with five of her nine top 40 hits also crossing to the club chart.

To this day, the 41-year-old Debbie holds the record for being the youngest artist to write, produce and perform a No. 1 single, "Foolish Beat," at the age of 17. And that beat, to this day, makes me oh so happy. (Photo collage: Homorazzi) *