Audio Beaverhausen: Introducing Darlene Love

Darlene Love is smokin' hot at 74. We should all look this good at her age. Her powerful alto puts today's divas who require auto-tuning to shame.

The irony of Introducing Darlene Love's very title is that she should require no introduction at this stage of her career. Working for Phil Spector in the '60s, she was anonymously presented as The Crystals, Bob B Sox & the Bluejeans, etc.

But, after her large focus in the Oscar-winning documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom, she achieved the public attention she deserves.

I grew up listening to Darlene's voice. I learned who she was when I was a teen. She's been one of my top idols ever since.

With songs written by Bruce Springsteen, Steve van Zandt, Elvis Costello and more, Love is in great company. The album launches with the gospel rouser "Among the Believers" before the album's first proposed single, the Spector-influenced "Forbidden Nights." "Night Closing In" by Bruce Springsteen is another strong contender as a single,

But Love doesn't stay within that comfort zone as she successfully tackles hard rock, sings a duet, power ballads, blues, spirituals. songs of world peace, all with much drama and full-throttle orchestra and back-up vocals.throughout.

Darlene's one cover is of "River Deep, Mountain High" and she makes it her own, knocking it out of the park. Spector originally wrote the song with Darlene in mind but replaced her vocals with Tina Turner's at the last minute.

Beautifully produced, executed, sung. Kudos all around. Very highly recommended. The cd version has a great pamphlet of liner notes, credits and pictures. Available on Amazon.com on both MP3 and cd formats.

By the way, Rolling Stone did a piss-poor job reviewing this album. Most responders to that review felt its author had dismissed this without even listening to it and I have to agree.

Dj Buddy B's Weekly Diva Report 3/8/14

Sheila McRae, 1960s

Although our President obviously meant nothing but respect for legendary diva Aretha Franklin, he had a spelling malfunction while introducing her at the White House.

"'What a lineup!' Mr. Obama declared at the outset of a concert that featured a generations-spanning array of soul singers stretching from musical legends Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle to 20-year-old Ariana Grande," said CBS News.

"Mr. Obama paid tribute to Franklin for turning her signature song 'Respect' into 'a rallying cry for African-Americans, women and then everyone who felt marginalized.'

"The pumped-up audience gave a hearty laugh but was more than willing to forgive the president for spelling it 'R-S-P-E-C-T.'"

Hey, at least he didn't refer to her as Adele Azeem! Of course, the conservative press and, especially, Fox News, jumped on this immediately. "Aretha Franklin may spell out the word 'Respect' several times throughout her synonymous song, but that doesn’t mean Harvard-educated President Obama knows how to spell it," Fox barked. Come on, give the President some rspect. And by the way, you misused the word "synonymous," Foxies.

The President's blunder was nothing compared to John Travolta's Oscars gaff, introducing Broadway diva headliner Idina Menzel as "Adele Azeem." I saw Ms Mendel in her new Broadway musical, If/Then, that started in previews Wedneday evening. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2014/03/broadway-beaverhausen-ifthen-notgood.html  Her rendition of the theme song from Frozen, which snagged an Academy Award, was definitely one of the many high points of the Awards ceremony last Sunday evening.

Sheila MacRae (nee Stephens) passed away of natural causes two days ago in Elmwood, NJ at the age of 92. The British-born Ms MacRae was married to tall, dark and handsome singer George MacRae (not to be confused with George McCrae who sang the disco hit, "Rock Your Baby"). Sheila and George performed professionally as a vocal duo. The couple divorced in 1967. She co-starred in feature films like Caged and Sex & the Single Girl. She appeared as herself in an episode of I Love Lucy, and replaced Audrey Meadows as Alice Kramden for The Honeymooners episodes on The Jackie Gleason Show. Her daughter, Meredith McRae, played Billie Jo on tv's Petticoat Junction.

One of my dance diva faves, Amber Dirks http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/07/exclusive-q-with-dance-diva-amber-dirks.html, is charging up the Billboard dance chart, currently in the Top 50 at # 47 with Bouvier & Barona's "Dominate My Love." Spice Girl Mel B holds onto the top of the Billboard club/dance chart at # 12 with the ebullient "For Once in My Life." The song has now occupied the chart for three months! http://queens.ourcityradio.com/music-news/dj-pornstar-mel-beautiful-music

Kylie Minogue's gone into the blue with "Into the Blue" at # 11 in a scant 3 weeks. And jet-propelled to # 14 this week, the 2014 remix of "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper. It reached its current position in just 3 weeks, up from #27 on the last chart.

More diva dish next week. Until then, rspect, y'all!

Buddy Beaverhausen's Weekly Diva Report 2/27/14

Greetings, diva worshippers! And what is a diva, exactly, by my standards? Well, I like Urban Dictionary's definition best: adj. pronounced (DEE-VAH)- 1. to describe a person who exudes great style and personality with confidence and expresses their own style and not letting others influence who they are or want to be. 2. A person whose character makes them stands out from the rest. 3. Noun; a person's title in a group of friends or in society that is popular or famous and who many people try to copy. 4. A person who tries to achieve what they want and who do not let people get in their way, and doing so with style and class. Ex. 1. Yeah girl my friend is such a diva. 2. That boy can sure act like a diva sometimes.

Get it? Got it? Good. Because here we go with our divalicious update for the week.

First off, I just want to say Happy Birthday to the late, great Elizabeth Taylor. Accepting a GLAAD Award in 2000, she told the audience, "There is no gay agenda. It's a human agenda!" We love and salute the divine Liz, one of our favorite divas of the silver screen.

Rumor is rife that Liza might be involved in the upcoming (Sunday, Feb. 2) Oscar tribute to The Wizard of Oz. I hope this is true. Bette and Liza on the same Academy Awards ceremony? How fabulous would that be!

Talking about the Oscars, Yahoo blabbed last week:

If [the] engraved nameplate is any indication, this year's Oscar winner for Best Actor will be Leonardo DiCaprio for "The Wolf of Wall Street." Yes, Twitter is currently abuzz with the release of a CNN screencap that reveals the nameplate, that supposedly reveals a great big Oscar spoiler a full 20 days before the actual ceremony.

However, Yahoo goes on further to explain: If true, this would be a gaffe of, um, titanic proportions for the ultra-secretive Academy. And it would give everyone a freebie on their Oscar pools. But no, this is not a supreme spoiler. In fact, final voting for the Oscars hasn't even started yet. Balloting commences on Friday and closes on Feb. 25. So while Leo might indeed be a frontrunner (don't tell Chiwetel Ejiofor), it doesn't mean he's already locked up the prize. So how to explain the nameplate? As of 2010, the Academy creates engraved nameplates for every Oscar nominee, with the winners being given their nameplates at the Governor's Ball on Oscar night.

Kylie Minogue's new album, Kiss Me Once, doesn't drop until April Fool's Day in the US but her single,  "Into the Blue" (with club remixes) is out now. Fabulous! 

Is Jan Brewer a diva? Not, in my opinion described above. The craggy-faced Governor of AZ fits more into an alternative definition provided by Urban Dictionary, witch ~ I mean, which ~ is:

a bitchy woman that must have her way exactly, or no way at all. often rude and belittles people, believes that everyone is beneath her and thinks that she is so much more loved than what she really is. selfish, spoiled, and overly dramatic.

About an hour after reading my post at Queens Our City Radio, Jan vetoed the state's proposed anti-gay legislature. http://queens.ourcityradio.com/stations/americana-news/view-ny-current-az-problem Coincidence? Or not? Consequently but typically, the Teabaggers went ballistic after Brewer's decision. Famed gay blogger Perez Hilton posted on his blog: "Thankfully, mercifully, Governor Jan Brewer has come to her senses." Meanwhile, Jon Stewart said, on The Daily Show, "This is where you are now, Arizona. You've made yourselves too homophobic and dickish for professional football." Ouch!

And that wraps up our diva dish for the week. More blab and gab next time and, meanwhile, cultivate your inner divas in case you haven't already.

In closing, I leave you with the divas' theme song:

Thankfully, mercifully, Governor Jan Brewer has come to her senses — just moments ago she VETOED that horrible, hateful bill instead of signing it into law! - See more at: http://perezhilton.com/2014-02-26-arizona-governor-jan-brewer-vetoes-anti-gay-bill-senate-bill-1062#sthash.tMaVbAw6.dpuf

Thankfully, mercifully, Governor Jan Brewer has come to her senses — just moments ago she VETOED that horrible, hateful bill instead of signing it into law! - See more at: http://perezhilton.com/2014-02-26-arizona-governor-jan-brewer-vetoes-anti-gay-bill-senate-bill-1062#sthash.tMaVbAw6.dpuf

Thankfully, mercifully, Governor Jan Brewer has come to her senses — just moments ago she VETOED that horrible, hateful bill instead of signing it into law! - See more at: http://perezhilton.com/2014-02-26-arizona-governor-jan-brewer-vetoes-anti-gay-bill-senate-bill-1062#sthash.tMaVbAw6.dpuf