Face '83: 23 Skidoo

They called it a coup. The track sampled from Apocalypse Now; it would go on to be sampled by The Chemical Brothers in its turn. Oh, and they pulled in Aswad's horn section. In fact, if 23 Skidoo had bothered to stick out a seven-inch version, they might even have had a hit with this.

So were the Face right to applaud this?



Yes. Indeed, they chose it as a recording of the year despite the official release not even coming until February 1984.

The Face 16; History 11.

[Part of The Face's best recordings of 1983]

Beth Orton weekend: Where Do I Begin?

Beth Orton joins The Chemical Brothers for Where Do I Begin at the Electric Proms:



[Part of the Beth Orton weekend]

Winehouse grabs the Grammys

That'd be quite a successful night for Amy Winehouse then - not so much that she won five Grammys, but more that she turned in two performances for prime-time US TV without screwing up.

Watching the performances, though (they're on the DailyMotion) there is a rather nagging question: where did that audience come from? Who were they? Did they have to pay $300 a head to be there?

Winehouse took five of the awards she'd been nominated for, but didn't get album of the year. Herbie Hancock did, to an audible intake of breath round the world. A jazz album? Surely some mistake?

USA Today suggests that the prize for Hancock might have been an attempt to tick Winehouse off. A little:

Hancock's win may have been a case of the Recording Academy's older voters picking a venerated veteran over a troubled newcomer and a brash hip-hop star [Kanye West].

Yeah, that'd be it - "you can have five prizes, and an expensive high-profile satellite linkup, young Winehouse, but there's no album of the year for you, that'll show you."

Anyway, isn't it a bit spiteful of the paper to assume that Hancock got the prize because the academy was choosing to not give the thing to someone else? Couldn't it be they gave Herbie Hancock the prize because, you know, they liked his record?

USA Today quotes Entertainment Weekly's Chris Willman to bolster its case:

"Evidently, the most conservative voters — and there are a lot of them — got too distracted by her image problems to see that she created a classic."

Aha. Only she did win five prizes, didn't she, Chris?

"Who knew the voters would be this brave?" Willman says. "(The Recording Academy) makes a big deal out of social responsibility, particularly in regard to their anti-drug programs. I figured they'd be too scared to reward someone who looked to all the world like an unwilling candidate for one of those programs — since voting closed before she went into rehab. But with these wins, they said art comes first, which is as it should be."

Except, erm, for the album category, then.

Thank god they got Amy onboard, though, otherwise the event would have been hanging on Alicia Keys playing piano with a back projection of an out of proportion Frank Sinatra and someone winning a competition to have her violin drowned out by the Foo Fighters.

There's an enormous number of live Grammy Blogs slewing about the internet this year - proving that quantity and quality aren't actually the same thing. Which could be scrawled across the tickets for the Grammy supper. There are, however, some very good ones - Stereogum's, for example.

And who'd have thought that Madonna would win something in 2007? Some sort of made-up best DVD of a tour prize or something, but, hey, she's still got it. Just. Clinging on with the claws.

Almost unmentioned, so we'll mention them: The White Stripes managed two awards; and The Chemical Brothers picked up a prize, too.

Winners in full:

Record Of The Year
(Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s), if other than the artist.)

* Rehab
Amy Winehouse
Mark Ronson, producer; Tom Elmhirst, Vaughan Merrick, Dom Morley, Mark Ronson & Gabriel Roth, engineers/mixers
Track from: Back To Black
[Universal Republic Records]


Album Of The Year
(Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s)/Mixer(s) & Mastering Engineer(s), if other than the artist.)

* River: The Joni Letters
Herbie Hancock
Leonard Cohen, Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell, Corinne Bailey Rae, Luciana Souza & Tina Turner, featured artists; Herbie Hancock & Larry Klein, producers; Helik Hadar, engineer/mixer; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer
[Verve]


Song Of The Year
(A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* Rehab
Amy Winehouse, songwriter (Amy Winehouse)
Track from: Back To Black
[Universal Republic Records; Publisher: EMI Music Publishing]

Best New Artist
(For a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that artist.)

* Amy Winehouse


Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Rehab
Amy Winehouse
Track from: Back To Black
[Universal Republic Records]


Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* What Goes Around...Comes Around
Justin Timberlake
[Jive]


Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
(For established duos or groups, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Makes Me Wonder
Maroon 5
Track from: It Won't Be Soon Before Long
[Octone/A&M Records]



Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
(For a collaborative performance, with vocals, by artists who do not normally perform together. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
[Rounder Records]

Best Pop Instrumental Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* One Week Last Summer
Joni Mitchell
Track from: Shine
[Hear Music]


Best Pop Instrumental Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

* The Mix-Up
Beastie Boys
[Capitol Records]


Best Pop Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
[Universal Republic Records]

Best Dance Recording
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.)

* LoveStoned/I Think She Knows
Justin Timberlake
Nate (Danja) Hills, Timbaland & Justin Timberlake, producers; Jimmy Douglass & Timbaland, mixers
Track from: FutureSex/LoveSounds
[Jive/Zomba]


Best Electronic/Dance Album
(For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.)

* We Are The Night
The Chemical Brothers
[Astralwerks]

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Call Me Irresponsible
Michael Bublé
[143 Records/Reprise]

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Radio Nowhere
Bruce Springsteen
Track from: Magic
[Columbia]

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
(For duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Icky Thump
The White Stripes
Track from: Icky Thump
[Third Man/Warner Bros.]

Best Hard Rock Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* The Pretender
Foo Fighters
[Roswell/RCA Records]


Best Metal Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Final Six
Slayer
Track from: Christ Illusion
[American Recording/Columbia]

Best Rock Instrumental Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Once Upon A Time In The West
Bruce Springsteen
Track from: We All Love Ennio Morricone
[Sony Classical]


Best Rock Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock & Metal songs. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* Radio Nowhere
Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)
Track from: Magic
[Columbia; Publisher: Bruce Springsteen]


Best Rock Album
(Vocal or Instrumental. Includes Hard Rock and Metal.)

* Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Foo Fighters
[Roswell/RCA Records]


Best Alternative Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Icky Thump
The White Stripes
[Third Man/Warner Bros.]

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* No One
Alicia Keys
[J Records/MBK Entertainment]

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Future Baby Mama
Prince
Track from: Planet Earth
[Columbia/NPG Records]




Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
(For duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Disrespectful
Chaka Khan Featuring Mary J. Blige
[Burgundy/Sony/BMG]

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* In My Songs
Gerald Levert
Track from: In My Songs
[Atlantic]


Best Urban/Alternative Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Daydreamin'
Lupe Fiasco Featuring Jill Scott
Track from: Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
[1st & 15th/Atlantic]

Best R&B Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* No One
Dirty Harry, Kerry Brothers & Alicia Keys, songwriters (Alicia Keys)
[J Records/MBK Entertainment; Publishers: Lellow Productions/EMI April Music, Book Of Daniel Music/EMI Music Publishing, D. Harry Productions]

Best R&B Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Funk This
Chaka Khan
[Burgundy Records]

Best Contemporary R&B Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Because Of You
Ne-Yo
[Def Jam Recordings]


Best Rap Solo Performance
(For a solo Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Stronger
Kanye West
Track from: Graduation
[Roc-A-Fella Records]


Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group
(For duo, group or collaborative performances of Rap only. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Southside
Common Featuring Kanye West
Track from: Finding Forever
[Geffen]


Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
(For a Rap/Sung collaborative performance by artists who do not normally perform together. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Umbrella
Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
Track from: Good Girl Gone Bad
[Def Jam Recordings]

Best Rap Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* Good Life
Aldrin Davis, Mike Dean, Faheem Najm & Kanye West, songwriters (J. Ingram & Q. Jones, songwriters)(Kanye West Featuring T-Pain)
Track from: Graduation
[Roc-A-Fella; Publishers: Yellow Brick Road Music/Eiseman Music/EMI Blackwood Music/Please Gimme My Publishing/Careers BMG Music Publishing, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing]

Best Rap Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Graduation
Kanye West
[Roc-A-Fella Records]

Best Female Country Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Before He Cheats
Carrie Underwood
Track from: Some Hearts
[19 Recordings/Arista Nashville]

Best Male Country Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Stupid Boy
Keith Urban
Track from: Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing
[Capitol Records Nashville]


Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
(For established duos or groups with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* How Long
Eagles
[Eagles Recording Co. II]

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
(For a collaborative performance, with vocals, by artists who do not normally perform together. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Lost Highway
Willie Nelson & Ray Price
Track from: Last Of The Breed
[Lost Highway Records]

Best Country Instrumental Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Throttleneck
Brad Paisley
Track from: 5th Gear
[Arista Nashville]


Best Country Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* Before He Cheats
Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)
Track from: Some Hearts
[19 Recordings/Arista Nashville; Publishers: Big Loud Shirt Industries, Mighty Underdog Music/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing]

Best Country Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* These Days
Vince Gill
[MCA Nashville]

Best Bluegrass Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* The Bluegrass Diaries
Jim Lauderdale
[Yep Roc Records]


Best New Age Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Crestone
Paul Winter Consort
[Living Music]

Best Contemporary Jazz Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

* River: The Joni Letters
Herbie Hancock
[Verve]

Best Jazz Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Avant Gershwin
Patti Austin
[Rendezvous Entertainment]

Best Jazz Instrumental Solo
(For an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter's name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Anagram
Michael Brecker, soloist
Track from: Pilgrimage
[Heads Up International]


Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

* Pilgrimage
Michael Brecker
[Heads Up International]

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
(For large jazz ensembles, including big band sounds. Albums must contain 51% or more INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

* A Tale Of God's Will (A Requiem For Katrina)
Terence Blanchard
[Blue Note]


Best Latin Jazz Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Funk Tango
Paquito D'Rivera Quintet?
[Paquito Records]

Best Gospel Performance
(For solo, duo, group as collaborative performances. Singles or tracks with vocal containing Gospel lyrics. All genres of Gospel music are eligible.)(Tie)

* Blessed & Highly Favored
The Clark Sisters
Track from: Live - One Last Time
[EMI Gospel]

* Never Gonna Break My Faith
Aretha Franklin & Mary J. Blige (Featuring The Harlem Boys Choir)
Track from: Bobby: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
[Island Def Jam]

Best Gospel Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* Blessed & Highly Favored
Karen Clark-Sheard, songwriter (The Clark Sisters)
Track from: Live - One Last Time
[EMI Gospel; Publisher: K. Sheard's Melody]

Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Before The Daylight's Shot
Ashley Cleveland
[204 Records]


Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* A Deeper Level
Israel And New Breed
[Integrity Music]

Best Southern, Country, Or Bluegrass Gospel Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Salt Of The Earth
Ricky Skaggs & The Whites
[Skaggs Family Records]

Best Traditional Gospel Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Live - One Last Time
The Clark Sisters
[EMI Gospel]

Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Free To Worship
Fred Hammond
[Verity]

Best Latin Pop Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* El Tren De Los Momentos
Alejandro Sanz
[Warner Music Latina]

Best Latin Rock Or Alternative Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* No Hay Espacio
Black:Guayaba
[Machete Music]

Best Latin Urban Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Residente O Visitante
Calle 13
[Norte]

Best Tropical Latin Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* La Llave De Mi Corazón
Juan Luis Guerra
[EMI Televisa]

Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* 100% Mexicano
Pepe Aguilar
[EMI Televisa]


Best Tejano Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Before The Next Teardrop Falls
Little Joe & La Familia
[TDI Records]

Best Norteño Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Detalles Y Emociones
Los Tigres Del Norte
[Fonovisa Records]


Best Banda Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Te Va A Gustar
El Chapo
[Disa]

Best Traditional Blues Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Last Of The Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas
Henry James Townsend, Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins, Robert Lockwood, Jr. & David "Honeyboy" Edwards
[The Blue Shoe Project]

Best Contemporary Blues Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* The Road To Escondido
JJ Cale & Eric Clapton
[Reprise Records/Warner Music Group]

Best Traditional Folk Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Dirt Farmer
Levon Helm
[Dirt Farmer Music/Vanguard Records]

Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Washington Square Serenade
Steve Earle
[New West Records]

Best Native American Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Totemic Flute Chants
Johnny Whitehorse
[Silver Wave Records]

Best Hawaiian Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Treasures Of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar
Various Artists
Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku, Jr., Paul Konwiser & Wayne Wong, producers
[Daniel Ho Creations]




Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Live! Worldwide
Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience
[AIM Trading Group P/L]


Best Reggae Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Mind Control
Stephen Marley
[Tuff Gong/Ghetto Youths/Universal Republic]

Best Traditional World Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* African Spirit
Soweto Gospel Choir
[Shanachie Entertainment]

Best Contemporary World Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Djin Djin
Angelique Kidjo
[Razor & Tie Direct/Starbucks Entertainment]


Best Polka Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* Come Share The Wine
Jimmy Sturr And His Orchestra
[Rounder]



Best Musical Album For Children
(For albums consisting of predominantly music or song vs. spoken word.)

* A Green And Red Christmas
The Muppets
Ted Kryczko & Ed Mitchell, producers
[Walt Disney Records]


Best Spoken Word Album For Children
(For albums consisting of predominantly spoken word vs. music or song.)

* Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
Jim Dale
[Listening Library]

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling)

* The Audacity Of Hope: Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream
Barack Obama
[Random House Audio]


Best Comedy Album
(For comedy recordings, spoken or musical)

* The Distant Future
Flight Of The Conchords
[Sub Pop]


Best Musical Show Album

(Award to the Album Producer(s), and to the Lyricist(s) & Composer(s) of 51% or more of a new score. (Artist, Lyricist & Composer names appear in parentheses.))

* Spring Awakening
Duncan Sheik, producer; Duncan Sheik, composer; Steven Sater, lyricist (Original Broadway Cast With Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele & Others)
[Decca Broadway]

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
(Award to the Artist(s) and/or Producer(s) of a majority of the tracks on the album, or to the individual(s) actively responsible for the concept and musical direction and for the selection of artists, songs and producers, as applicable.)

* Love
(The Beatles)
George Martin & Giles Martin, producers
[Apple Records/Capitol Records]

Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
(Award to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current legitimate motion picture, television show or series or other visual media.)

* Ratatouille
Michael Giacchino, composer
[Walt Disney Records]


Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
(A Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

* Love You I Do (From Dreamgirls)
Siedah Garrett & Henry Krieger, songwriters (Jennifer Hudson)
Track from: Dreamgirls
[Music World Music/Sony Urban Music/Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax; Publishers: Miroku Music/Williamson Music/Black Chick Music Publishing, SKG Songs]

Best Instrumental Composition
(A Composer's Award for an original composition (not an adaptation) first released during the Eligibility Year. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Cerulean Skies
Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider Orchestra)
Track from: Sky Blue
[ArtistShare]

Best Instrumental Arrangement
(An Arranger's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* In A Silent Way
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Joe Zawinul)
Track from: Brown Street
[Heads Up International]

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
(An Arranger's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* I'm Gonna Live Till I Die
John Clayton, arranger (Queen Latifah)
Track from: Trav'lin' Light
[Verve]


Best Recording Package

* Cassadaga
Zachary Nipper, art director (Bright Eyes)
[Saddle Creek]


Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

* What It Is!: Funky Soul And Rare Grooves (1967-1977)
Masaki Koike, art director (Various Artists)
[Rhino]

Best Album Notes

* John Work, III: Recording Black Culture
Bruce Nemerov, album notes writer (Various Artists)
[Spring Fed Records]


Best Historical Album

* The Live Wire - Woody Guthrie In Performance 1949
Nora Guthrie & Jorge Arévalo Mateus, compilation producers; Jamie Howarth, Steve Rosenthal, Warren Russell-Smith & Dr. Kevin Short, mastering engineers (Woody Guthrie)
[Woody Guthrie Publications]

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
(An Engineer's Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses.))

* Beauty & Crime
Tchad Blake, Cameron Craig, Emery Dobyns & Jimmy Hogarth, engineers (Suzanne Vega)
[Blue Note]

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
(A Producer's Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses.))

* Mark Ronson
• Back To Black (Amy Winehouse) (T)
• Littlest Things (Lily Allen) (T)
• Rehab (Amy Winehouse) (T)
• Version (Mark Ronson) (A)
• You Know I'm No Good (Amy Winehouse) (T)


Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
(A Remixer's Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses for identification.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* Bring The Noise (Benny Benassi Sfaction Remix)
Benny Benassi, remixer (Public Enemy)
Track from: Bring The Noise/Give It Up EP
[Ultra Records]

Best Surround Sound Album
(For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.

* Love
Paul Hicks, surround mix engineer; Tim Young, surround mastering engineer; George Martin & Giles Martin, surround producers (The Beatles)
[Apple/Capitol Records]


Best Engineered Album, Classical
(An Engineer's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.))

* Grechaninov: Passion Week
John Newton, engineer (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Bach Choir & Kansas City Chorale)
[Chandos]


Producer Of The Year, Classical
(A Producer's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.))

* Judith Sherman
• American Virtuosa: Tribute To Maud Powell (Rachel Barton Pine & Matthew Hagle)
• From Barrelhouse To Broadway: The Musical Odyssey Of Joe Jordan (Rick Benjamin & The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra)
• Górecki: String Quartet No. 3 '...Songs Are Sung' (Kronos Quartet)
• Strange Imaginary Animals (Eighth Blackbird)
• Tchaikovsky: Three String Quartets, Souvenir De Florence (Ying Quartet)

Best Classical Album
(Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s) if other than the Artist.

* Tower: Made In America
Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Tim Handley, producer; Tim Handley, engineer/mixer (Nashville Symphony)
[Naxos]




Best Orchestral Performance
(Award to the Conductor and to the Orchestra.)

* Tower: Made In America
Leonard Slatkin, conductor (Nashville Symphony)
[Naxos]

Best Opera Recording
(Award to the Conductor, Album Producer(s) and Principal Soloists.)

* Humperdinck: Hansel & Gretel
Sir Charles Mackerras, conductor; Rebecca Evans, Jane Henschel & Jennifer Larmore; Brian Couzens, producer (Sarah Coppen, Diana Montague & Sarah Tynan; New London Children's Choir; Philharmonia Orchestra)
[Chandos Opera In English]


Best Choral Performance
(Award to the Choral Conductor, and to the Orchestra Conductor if an Orchestra is on the recording, and to the Choral Director or Chorus Master if applicable.)

* Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem
Simon Rattle, conductor; Simon Halsey, chorus master (Thomas Quasthoff & Dorothea Röschmann; Rundfunkchor Berlin; Berliner Philharmoniker)
[EMI Classics]

Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra)
(Award to the Instrumental Soloist(s) and to the Conductor.)

* Barber/Korngold/Walton: Violin Concertos
Bramwell Tovey, conductor; James Ehnes (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra)
[CBC Records]


Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra)
(Award to the Instrumental Soloist.)

* Beethoven Sonatas, Vol. 3
Garrick Ohlsson
[Bridge Records, Inc.]




Best Chamber Music Performance
(Award to the Artists.)

* Strange Imaginary Animals
Eighth Blackbird
[Cedille Records]



Best Small Ensemble Performance
(Award to the Ensemble (and to the Conductor.))

* Stravinsky: Apollo, Concerto In D; Prokofiev: 20 Visions Fugitives
Yuri Bashmet, conductor; Moscow Soloists
[Onyx Classics]


Best Classical Vocal Performance
(Award to the Vocal Soloist(s).

* Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (James Levine; Boston Symphony Orchestra)
[Nonesuch Records]



Best Classical Contemporary Composition
(A Composer's Award. (For a contemporary classical composition composed within the last 25 years, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year.))

* Made In America
Joan Tower (Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Nashville Symphony Orchestra)
Track from: Tower: Made In America
[Naxos]


Best Classical Crossover Album
(Award to the Artist(s) and/or to the Conductor.

* A Love Supreme: The Legacy Of John Coltrane
Turtle Island Quartet
[Telarc]

Best Short Form Music Video
(For an individual track or single promotional clip. Award to the Artist and to the Video Director/Producer.)

* God's Gonna Cut You Down
Johnny Cash
Tony Kaye, video director; Rachel Curl, video producer
[American Records/Lost Highway Records]

Best Long Form Music Video

* The Confessions Tour
Madonna
Jonas Akerlund, video director; Sara Martin & David May, video producers
[Warner Bros.]

There is, however, a warning from history for Amy Winehouse. The last time a newcomer did so well at the Grammys, it was Christopher Cross. Indeed, he did a bit better, winning all his categories. It wasn't the start of an especially glittering career.

Keith Allen to be a grandfather

It's going to be busy year for Lily Allen next year, what with the BBC Three series, and the new album, oh, and the baby and all.

Yes, Lily and Ed Simons are to be parents - although it's not immediately obvious that she intends to use this as the trigger for her oft-quoted plans to quit music and raise a family in the country, but we can but hope.

We wonder if Lily has any plans for keeping her energy up during pregnancy?

EMI try something new

Nobody scoffed louder than us when EMI disappeared into the hands of the German motorway network's catering company, but we'll give them this: the new owners are trying to remake their company to fit the 21st century faster than the old labels are.

Latest move: sticking a load of material onto DjDownload, in hi-quality, DRM-free format. Amongst the tracks now added is everything on their sub-label Positiva, the Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack and Radiohead's back catalogues.

Wonder if EMI really wanted to send a signal that they've changed: withdrawing from the RIAA (at least until it stops seeing computers as, at best, an irritant to the core business) would be a bold, year zero move. But one that probably makes economic sense - what does EMI really get from pouring its subs into the organisation?

Bookmarks: Some stuff to read on the internet

Framestore CFC tell Creative Review about making fish dance for the Chemical Brothers - and the fakery:

For Sammy, who is a squirrel fish, we also went to the fishmonger and bought fish that we then scanned for scales and textures. This is because we struggled to find any good reference for squirrel fish. So we scanned a red mullet chosen mainly because of its size and colour.

Trembling Blue Stars post an in-depth interview Bob Wratten gave to Supernova:

I also, think of The Field Mice as being like baby pictures; we were learning and it's not something I really want to look back on.I'd never want to listen to a Field Mice record whereas although I'd rather not I could stand to listen to a TBS record if I had to! If I were to be judged on anything I'd want it to be TBS. I think the songs are better and the records are better produced and more adventurous.The Field Mice was all over so quickly. From the release of our first record to our last gig was three years.It was very concentrated.Now things are much slower; there are three years between each album!

You, You Tube & The Music: Glastonbury 2007

Amongst the live Glastonbury stuff turning up on YouTube at the moment:

Bloc Party: So Here We Are & Helicopter
Arcade Fire: No Cars Go
Arctic Monkeys: Diamonds Are Forever
The Chemical Brothers: Hey Boy Hey Girl
Maximo Park: Apply Some Pressure
The Coral: Dreaming Of You
The Twang: Wide Awake
Manic Street Preachers: La Tristesse Durera
CSS: Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above

BBC World News report
A pan round the site

Glastonbury 2007 in full

Brothers against Punks... sort of

Dance music suddenly looked like it was going to get a bit more interesting, with the Daily Record suggesting a spat between The Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk:

DANCE duo The Chemical Brothers launched an attack on their fellow headliners at Rockness by claiming Daft Punk are spoiled divas.

Blimey. Really?

Erm... no, not really:

Tom said: "I hear Daft Punk got a helicopter. Last night we went for a curry in Inverness.

"We were walking down the banks of Loch Ness with the sun shining. It's beautiful."

... which doesn't quite stack up the idea they were calling DP divas so much as suggesting they might have been missing out on something.