Category: Television

Michael Stipe’s Tribute to David Bowie

Stipe Bowie

This week, Michael Stipe appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to pay tribute to the late David Bowie. It was a rare recent public performance by the former lead singer of R.E.M. and a moving way to honor Bowie with a performance of “The Man Who Sold the World.”

Accompanied only by piano, a bearded Stipe sang a haunting version of Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World.” Check it out. [2018 Update: The video of the performance is no longer available, but the video below contains the audio of Stipe’s appearance.]

Stipe is also taking part in two New York City David Bowie tribute concerts this week. One will be at Carnegie Hall on Thursday, March 31 and the other will be at Radio City Music Hall on Friday, April 1. You may watch a live stream of the April 1 tribute concert at musicofdavidbowie.com with a small donation that goes to the Melodic Caring Project, a non-profit that helps bring streaming music performances to kids in hospitals.

Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Movie Tributes on “The Simpsons”

    Simpsons Movie Montage

    Celia Gómez recently put together a video supercut that compiles many of the movie tributes that have appeared on The Simpsons. The tributes include Mr. Burns as the title character out of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) and Bart Simpsons as Indiana Jones from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

    Although most of the tributes are ones most people would catch, some of the best references are ones you may have missed while watching The Simpsons. The cuts showing both the movie scenes and the scenes from The Simpsons highlights the animators’ attention to detail. Check it out.

    The music accompanying the video is “Sing Sing Sing With a Swing” by the Benny Goodman Orchestra.

    What is your favorite Simpsons movie tribute? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Elton John Joins James Corden for “Carpool Karaoke”

    Elton John Carpool

    On The Late Late Show with James Corden, the host often brings us “Carpool Karaoke,” where Corden drives around with a famous singer (or singers) in the car while Corden and his guest sing together. In the most recent segment of “Carpool Karaoke,” the great Elton John jumped in the passenger seat.

    During the segment, Corden and John belt out classics like “Your Song,” “I’m Still Standing,” “Crocodile Rock,” “Tiny Dancer,” “The Circle of Life,” and ending with a rainy day “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” John also answers some questions about topics such as his outfits and why he has four copies of every record he purchases. Check it out.



    What song would you like to sing with Elton John? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    The Star Wars Holiday Special 1978

    Star Wars TV Special With all the buzz about the new film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which continues to break box-office records, one is bound to think back to another holiday season affected by the Star Wars franchise. After the successful release of the original Star Wars film in 1977, the following November gave television viewers The Star Wars Holiday Special.

    The Special

    CBS broadcast the 97-minute television show on Friday, November 17, 1978 at 8:00-10:00 p.m.  The Star Wars Holiday Special centered around Chewbacca and his family celebrating Life Day, a holiday that happens to be a lot like Christmas.

    The musical-variety show featured many of the characters from Star Wars, even though many of the stars did not really want to be involved in the show. As Harrison Ford explained during a 2011 press tour: “It was in my contract. There was no known way to get out of it.” In the special, the movie stars were helped out by TV stars of the era like Bea Arthur, Diahann Carroll, Art Carney, and Harvey Korman.

    The Star Wars Holiday Special included an animated segment that is notable for showing Luke, Han, and Leia having their first encounter with bounty hunter Boba Fett.  The bounty hunter, of course, would later appear in The Empire Strikes Back.

    Below is the special.

    Reception

    Fans of the movie had high expectations for anything related to Star Wars.  So, they were disappointed with the Star Wars Holiday Special, including its low budget and its motivation to sell toys to kids. The special became pretty much universally reviled by everyone including George Lucas.

    Still, through the years, some fans have grown more fond of the show for its kitschy and nostalgic appeal. There is an entire website devoted to the TV show. And Mental Floss recently posted “An Oral History of The Star Wars Holiday Special.”

    Below is a 15-minute “best of” compilation from the special.

    If you still want more, you may watch the entirety of The Star Wars Holiday Special on YouTube. May the Force be with you through this holiday season.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Paul McCartney Joins Springsteen for “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”

    SNL Springsteen
    After it was announced that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band would appear on NBC’s Saturday Night Live during the week of Christmas, it was a safe bet to predict that the band would be busting out its Christmas classic “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.” But who would have known that they would be joined onstage by Paul McCartney?

    After performing “Meet Me in the City” and “The Ties That Bind” earlier in the evening to promote the new box-set release of The Ties That Bind: The River Collection, Springsteen and the E Street Band appeared at the end of the show for the goodbyes from the show’s hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Then, the whole cast danced while Springsteen sang “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” capturing the joy of what Christmas music should be, with a little help from Paul McCartney.

    Although McCartney stays in the background on the singing, it is great to see two rock legends on stage together having fun. Check it out.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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