Music News

[southendmd]

Oh, what part did you play! I would have given a tooth to see Hugh Jackman in that show!

I saw Hugh Jackman play Curly in London.  He looks better than he sings.

[Jeff Wrangler]

I saw Hugh Jackman play Curly in London.  He looks better than he sings.

Years on years ago, "Great Performances" on PBS aired the production of Oklahoma! with HJ as Curly (London cast--I'm not sure). I agree with Paul--better looker than singer.

[brianr]

His success and awards indicate that a lot of people do not agree.

[Jeff Wrangler]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_MacRae

If, as I did, you grew up listening to Gordon MacRae sing Curly, nobody, but nobody, Hugh Jackman or anybody else, can touch him in that role.

[brianr]

We will have to disagree, just compared them. MacRae is too plummy for me.

[southendmd]

Patrick Wilson made a fine Curly. 



I was always partial to John Raitt in the role:

I know people like Hugh Jackman, but I find his voice an unpleasant nasal warble.  He's a fine actor, though. 

[brianr]

I quite like that one.
I was disappointed with Jackman in the movie of Les Miserables. I rushed to see it the day it opened. I have seen the stage version over half a dozen times. However I did not think Jackman made a very good Jean Valjean.
His nasal sound may be his Aussie accent. At the Brokie dinner in NY in 2010, someone told me I reminded them of Hugh Jackman whom they had recently met, i was flattered but am sure it was just the accent, sadly not the looks.

[southendmd]

I quite like that one.
I was disappointed with Jackman in the movie of Les Miserables. I rushed to see it the day it opened. I have seen the stage version over half a dozen times. However I did not think Jackman made a very good Jean Valjean.
His nasal sound may be his Aussie accent. At the Brokie dinner in NY in 2010, someone told me I reminded them of Hugh Jackman whom they had recently met, i was flattered but am sure it was just the accent, sadly not the looks.

Glad you like John Raitt (also known as Bonnie Raitt's father).  He is more famous for playing Billy Bigelow in "Carousel"; his "Soliloquy" is marvelous.

The film of Les Mis was an abomination in many ways.  I, too, have seen it maybe five times in the theatre, where it belongs.  Don't get me started, but you did:

Tom Hooper, the director, was terribly mistaken.  Most of the cast couldn't sing, let alone "live".  And his insistence on hyper-realism--every scrofulous boil, every abscessed tooth--combined with breaking into song(!!!!) made little sense.  Horrrrrible casting.  Jackman was a sad Valjean; he looked like a goldfish who had a stroke.  Don't get me started with Russell Crowe--wrongwrongwrong, please throw yourself into the Seine earlier.  Also, little Eddie Redmayne is NO MARIUS, the romantic hero.  He's a little wimp.  Aaron Tveit was fine as Enjolras (and really rocked his death scene), but he would have made a much better Marius.  Amanda Seyfried made for an insipid Cosette.  Sascha Baron Cohen slayed me as Thenardier when he referred to her as "courgette".  Brilliiant. 

[Jeff Wrangler]

I know people like Hugh Jackman, but I find his voice an unpleasant nasal warble.  He's a fine actor, though.

I thought of John Raitt, too. I don't think I would have described Jackman's voice as a warble, but in that PBS broadcast I did find it nasal and screechy and definitely unpleasant. From what I saw, or heard, of that performance, I have never understood how he got his other Broadway roles, and why he was so lauded for them.

[CellarDweller]

Honey Cone was an American R&B and soul girl group formed by lead singer Edna Wright (sister of Darlene Love) with Carolyn Willis and Shelly Clark in 1968. They are best remembered for their number-one Billboard Hot 100 single, "Want Ads". Honey Cone were the premier female group for Hot Wax Records, operated by Holland–Dozier–Holland after they had departed from Motown Records.

Wright, Willis and Clark first appeared together on an Andy Williams TV special in 1968. Wright's sister Darlene Love was scheduled to appear on the show, but was unable to so she asked Wright to fill in for her.  Wright asked Willis and Clark to join her.  She also contacted Eddie Holland, who recently left Motown Records along with Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier to form HDH Records, to watch the show.

Impressed by what he saw, Holland signed the trio to Hot Wax Records. Initially, he offered Wright a contract, but she preferred to be in a group.  Holland named the act Honey Cone for a favorite flavor of ice cream. At first, group members rejected the name, but Holland prevailed, and the ladies soon embraced its distinctiveness. Although the group was based in Los Angeles, their recordings were recorded in Detroit.   Most of their records were written by General Johnson and Wright's boyfriend at the time Greg Perry.

On September 12, 2020, Wright died suddenly, at age 76 after suffering a heart attack at a hospital in Encino, California. She suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Her sister Darlene Love released a statement on her Facebook page: "I'm in complete shock and so heartbroken by the sudden loss of my beautiful baby sister Edna. Please keep me and my family in your prayers during this very sad time for us."


Here are the Billboard Top 40 Pop hits, and Top 40  R&B hits for The Honey Cone


Year              Song Title                               Top 40 Pop             Top 40 R&B


1969  -  "While You're Out Looking For Sugar"     N/A                          26
1969  -  "Girls It Ain't Easy"                               N/A                           8
1970  -  "Take Me With You"                               N/A                         28
1971  -  "Want Ads"                                            1                            1
1971  -  "Stick Up"                                             11                           1
1971  -  "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show"         15                           5
1972  -  "The Day I Found Myself"                       23                           8
1972  -  "Sittin' On A Time Bomb"                       N/A                         33
1971  -  "Innocent 'Til Proven Guilty"                   N/A                        37