Nineties hits in the Dutch chart

I've just found out that 'King of my castle 2009' has entered the Dutch chart at number 29. 'Infinity 2008' is at number 2 and 'Show me love' is still number 1. Bring back the nineties!

Wamdue project, King of my castle 2009

Another club classic gets the remake. This time it's the old Stricly Rythm smash, 'King of my castle' by 'Wamdue project'.

DJ/Producer Rowald Steyn has done his magic on the track this time. It was, of course, brilliant to begin with and sounds great in it's 2009 jacket. Could it follow in the footsteps of Robin S. and become another number one hit?

Some silly trivia for you...King of my castle was in the UK charts in 1999 and- in that year- was the track with the longest name in which none of the letters were repeated (unbelievable what people keep track off)

Thanks to Eurodance blog for pointing me towards the Armada Music site. I looked it up after seeing the clip of Dobenbeck on there (nice summery tune...fits my tropical lifestyle)

Anyway, here's 'King of my castle 2009'

Take That starting a fight with Oasis?

Clever boys! Take That have said that 'Oasis just stand around and sing', telling people that their gigs will be way more exciting than those of the old rockers. Regardless of whether they mean it or not, it's a good tactic of the old boyband.

It shouldn't be too hard to ruffle Noel and Liam's feathers, so let's wait for the retaliation. It should give Take That tons of press right before the release of their new album 'Circus' (1/12/08). And I assume press coverage is exactly what they were after when they made those comments.

Howard Donald said: 'There’s a totally different energy to the two shows. We’re all about the spectacle, putting on an amazing show for the fans, with lots of high energy and dancing. 'Oasis are great - if you just want to see a band stand still and sing. They have a different kind of energy.'

Mark Owen added that, if finances were an issue for people and if they had to pick one gig over the other, they should go and see Take that play live and not Oasis.

Of course, these are silly comments. If Oasis did a dance routine the crowd would die laughing & if Take That stood onstage looking moody and playing guitar, there would be a lot of angy punters as well.

It's just provocation, isn't it? And who better to provoke then the Oasis boys.

I can just imagine the brainstorming session of their press department: 'We need to get the guys a ton of press for their new album, how shall we go about it? Are there any saucy secrets we can spill? Any of the Take that boys breaking up with their partner? Any of them sleeping with someone else famous? Are they in a fight with anyone? What can we do?'

After some silence in the room, a genius shouts: 'Just let them insult Oasis and we will have an instant celebrity deathmatch with some great moronic soundbites from Noel and Liam'

Brilliant idea!

So, let's wait and see what Noel will say about Take that now. It should be entertaining! Watch this space....

Robin S, number 1

Unbelievable! Robin S is at the top of the charts again in Holland with 'Show me love', the track that topped the UK dance charts in '93.

She re-released it '97, when it got to number 9 in the UK's pop chart. She then released it again in '99 & once more in 2002, without much luck (It only reached number 61 in the UK)

But Robin S has proven that perseverence pays off in the end. Because now there is the 2008 version of the track and she has finally reached a number 1 spot again. And this time not even in the dance chart, but in the general (pop) charts. Good on her!

And it just seems to show again that people are getting nostalgic about the nineties and nineties dance music. In the Dutch top 10 right now there is also the the track 'Infinity (2008)' of the Guru Josh Project. A track that was a huge hit at the end of the eighties/early nineties.

I am, of course, all for this. All these old tunes bring back so many great memories. And it's good to see that people are still appreciating the (dance) music from those days.

The fake 'hotel names' of superstars.

Ever wondered what fake names the stars use when they check into hotels? These, apparently, are some of them (keep in mind that these get updated regularly)

• Britney Spears: Alotta Warmheart


• Jennifer Aniston: Mrs. Smith


• Johnny Depp: Mr. Donkey Ass


• Brad & Angelina: Bruce and Jasminde Pilaf


• Angelina (when traveling alone): Mrs. Lollipop

Doing this may be handy, but sometimes it can cause problems too.

Like what happened to me after another MTV Award show. As usual I had ended up partying in a hotel room with the Prodigy and 3D from Massive Attack. The sun was starting to come up and I really needed to sleep. I was done!

So I asked John, the Prodigy's tour manager, to get me a cab and get me back to my hotel. When he asked me which hotel I was in I realized that I had no idea whatsoever. He named every hotel in town to me, but still I had no idea. He then started to call every hotel and found out that everybody at the Award show had been checked in under fake names, including myself & I just didn't know what my fake name was. He must have tried for about an hour (bless him) before he gave up. I had no mobile on me and no other numbers to call, so I was stranded.

As usual, the Prodigy crew rescued me (they saved me once before when I was lost in some lava fields in Iceland. Back then, the boys all bumped up rooms and gave me one of theirs. They even bought me a new flight ticket back to the UK)

Anyway, this time their manager, Mike Champion, gave me his suite and he shared a room with John.

Later on that day when I walked out of the hotel I was lucky enough to bump into some other MTV people who brought me back to my own hotel.

So there you go. It's good if people can't figure out where you are, but when you can't even figure out where you are, this fake name business gets rather annoying.

Guy Ritchie & Madonna, this divorce is getting nasty now

I do feel for Guy Ritchie. Who wants want to fight a dominating control freak like Madonna? Guy's mum was right though in saying that he knew what he got into when he married her. It's not like she became an impossible person overnight. Still, it's all so sad. For him and for their kids.

I'm not surprised by how she is using the kids in their fights either. Again, this is something she has done from day one. Early on in their relationship they went through a short break-up and Madonna was getting her little girl Lourdes to phone him and saying stuff like 'You have to come back. You made my mommy cry'. I happen to know this as Guy was hanging out at a friend of mine at that time.

Now she is using their son Rocco as a pawn in their fight. She got him wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan of the New York Yankees baseball team, who Madonna’s rumoured lover Alex 'A-Rod’ Rodriguez plays for.

A real kick in the teeth for Guy obviously and a friend of his has said 'He has actually been crying over it. He's in a terrible state but is doing his best to be on form at work (filming Sherlock Holmes) 'He said she is the 'lowest of the low' for letting Rocco wear that top and is even more determined to fight for his side now.'

It has been claimed that Madonna has offered Guy an extra £5 million in their divorce settlement if he lets her have control over his access rights to their eight-year-old son Rocco, two-year-old adopted son David Banda and Madonna’s 12-year-old daughter Lourdes.

But Guy Ritchie has said recently that he doesn't want her money & that all he cares about is the welfare of the children.

Oh boy, it's all getting ugly. Good luck to Guy fighting this one out, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now.

Chase & Status ft. plan B, Pieces

I know I am late with this one as it is number one in the UK dance chart. But I gathered that many readers of this blog are from outside of the UK, so I'd like to share it anyhow. This track already blows my mind when I listen to it at home, so I can imagine the impact it would have when you hear it booming out in a club. F*****g brilliant!

Eminem's new album

Eminem has confirmed that title of his sixth album will be `Relapse’ and that it may be out before the end of the year.

The rapper announced this on Sirius radio and debuted the title track 'I’m Having A Relapse’.

According to 50 Cent- who has already heard several tracks- Eminem's latest material is 'his best yet'.

I can't wait, as I think that Eminem is a true genius. I love the way he plays around with the English language & I love his sense of humor (as long as you can take it with a pinch of salt)

So, bring it on! Give us the relapse!

Katy Perry slipping, sliding, falling

I didn't bother posting the clips of Madonna or Beyonce falling onstage recently (we all make a tumble sometimes), but this slipping, sliding mess of Katy Perry is too funny to keep from you.

Unbelievable!

What a week for pop news. Madonna getting divorced after all, Britney being back on top (for the time being), Sugababes splitting up (also for the time being), Leona Lewis being boo-ed at the Mobo Awards, Michael Jackson and his migraines...

Wow! That would have been a lot to cover. And have I blogged about any of it? No. Instead, we have been battling extreme weather here in Aruba (the tail-end of tropical storm Omar), with roads turned into rivers, power outages and other chaos.

I'll try and catch up in the coming week.

Peace, love & sunshine (finally),
Simone

Katy Perry to host the MTV Europe Music Awards

She was invited to snog Lindsey Lohan at the (US) MTV Awards recently, which she declined. But now she has accepted something much better (for her). Hosting the MTV Europe Music Award.

A huge honour for someone who has only had one hit. And, I think, quite a risk for MTV Europe. But there you go. This is what MTV does nowadays. Unpredictable, crazy stunts around the Award Shows. Like getting the unknown (in the US) British comedian Russell Brand to host the (US) MTV Awards. Rick Astley being nominated 17 years after his last hit, Britney making a 'comeback' without even doing anything...

And now this, getting the girl who 'kissed a girl' to host one of the biggest Award shows of the year.

Will she do a good job? That's anyone's guess. Will she still be famous in two years time? Again...anyone's guess. My personal guess is no. I don't think Katy Perry will enjoy a long-lasting career, because starting out with a novelty record is normally the best way to begining and ending a career faster than you can say 'one-hit wonder'. I mean, does anyone expect that -in a few years time- she will be remembered for anything more than kissing a girl? Judging by her follow-up, the odds of her becoming a one-hit wonder are even greater.

So, would I choose a possible one-hit wonder to host the Awards? No. But then, I disagree with many of the decisions that MTV makes these days. Does it get them good press coverage? You bet. So in that way, MTV has already won. Who cares what people say after the Awards? As long as you wet the audience's appetites before each up-coming show, they will watch. And in the end, it's all about those precious viewing figures.

Beyonce's new single 'Single ladies' (Put a ring on it)

There doesn't seem to be an official promo for this one yet (it's just been released today) nor is there one for the double A-side 'If I were a boy'. I know the vids have been shot, I just haven't seen the final versions. But will post them asap.

Cage the elephant, the re-leased version of 'In one ear'

Jees, can you imagine living in a place called Bowling Green? Well, it really exists. It's in Kentucky and it's where the band Cage the Eelphant are from. After the modest success they had 'Aint no rest for the wicked', they have decided to re-release their first single 'In one ear' and have added a very 'Basket case' promo to it. (Greenday)

Global markets plunge, but Sugarbabe was able to spend £20,000 on a holiday

The financial world has gone even more insane today. Strangely enough, I woke up in a panic about 2 or 3 months ago and thought 'I need to take my savings out of the stock market, something really bad is going to happen' (I had bought some stocks for the first time in my life a while ago and they had done amazingly well up to that point). But I didn't act on my gut feeling, as I should have done. Dumb, dumb, dumb! Now I'm on the losing end, like everybody else.

Anyway, some people will feel much less of whatever financial crisis we might be facing. People like popstars. Take Keisha Buchanan from the Sugarbabes, for instance. She has just told the press that she took a bunch of friends on a £20,000 holiday.


The generous Sugababes singer wanted to treat her closest pals to an unforgettable trip, but admits the amount she splashed out was excessive.



She said: "I took eight friends to Atlanta. We travelled first class and stayed in a big hotel. I spent £20,000 easily. My accountant had to call me when I landed to find out where the money had gone."



I just wanted to treat my friends. They wanted to go to Spain but I thought, 'I'm taking you guys to Atlanta.' It didn't look too good when I got the bill."

Oxjam has started

Oxjam is billed as 'the biggest music festival in the world'. It basically is a ton of different events all over the UK that are in support of the charity Oxfam (and anyone can get involved)

From their website:

Oxjam is a music festival with a difference. Each year thousands of music-lovers like you get involved, all across the UK, to raise money for Oxfam. The next Oxjam kicks off in October 2008. We're asking musicians, promoters - in fact, everyone - to get together to make music, raise money and help end poverty. You don't need a big venue - the beauty of Oxjam is that hundreds of small events make one huge party. And you make it happen. Sound good? Sign-up to get involved where you live and your local Oxjam volunteer team will be in touch pronto with support and advice.

Oxjam is about raising money for Oxfam to tackle poverty all over the world. Supporting Oxjam helps people to earn a living; to get an education; health care; fresh water; and to grow more food. Every pound you raise counts.

My first LP33 playlist

Here is my current pick of favorite LP33 artists and tracks (I've made a few slight changes)

More to come. Big up to all these great new artists!



By the way, after several days of first hearing all these tracks for the first time, I have decided that my favorite is 'Bastard' by 'Tough love'. The reason being that I can't get the damn track out of my head. Especially the first two lines 'Life's a bastard & so am I. Life's a bastard and then you die'. The melody is so bloody catchy...I'm sure it would work well if it got the right backing, radio airplay, etc. On top of that, 'Tough love' are an interesting looking band. Kinda steampunk in a way. Has anyone heard of them? (outside of London?) Have they had a general release?

I also do love 'Daddy's gun' and the band 'Fin'. Although for some reason my favorite track of Fin, called 'Broken circuits' has been taken off the PL33 site. I hope they put it back on soon (it's very Radiohead, I'll post it if it comes back on)

Rick Astley gets surprise MTV Europe Music Video Awards nomination.

How funny, it looks like MTV has been 'Rickrolled', less than a year after 25 million people were tricked into watching the video of Rick's biggest single 'Never Gonna Give You Up' (which reached number one in 16 countries in 1987). The promo was posted under the title of several other popular music artists on video sharing website YouTube, and the prank became known as 'Rickrolling'.

And now it has happened to MTV Europe. The public had been asked to nominate artists for the category 'Best act ever' & they have voted Rick Astley onto the shortlist alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Green Day, Tokio Hotel and U2.

This is his first ever nomination, 17 years after his last chart success! He must be in total shock!

By the way, I had a bit of an embarrassing Rick Astley moment a few years ago. I was having dinner with a friend who is record company executive and he told me that we were going to be joined by someone else, 'my friend Rick'.

Well, 'my friend Rick' turned out to be Rick Astley, together with his wife. He was about to be singed to the guy's label, I believe.

Anyway, I was rather surprised to see Rick Astley. Of course I remember seeing him on TV when I was a little girl, so it was weird to suddenly be sitting at a table with him. I was playing it cool (as you do) until-at one point during the dinner- there was an (uncomfortable) silence. Without realizing that I did it, I started humming to myself 'Never gonna give you up'.

Immediately, Rick's wife turned to me and said: 'Did you just...?'
'No, I didn't'
'Yes you did, I heard you'
'No I didn't'

At that point I went bright red and she just cracked up. How embarrassing! From that moment on, every time she looked at me she started laughing.
So there you go. How stupid can one be?

Please tell me that this is not (the full extend of) Obama's musical taste!

Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel are set to play a gig on the 16th of October in New York in support of Barack Obama, with the senator himself attending the show. Bruce Springsteen will also be performing this saturday for Obama at a rally in Philadelphia.

But how boring is that? Couldn't the line-up be spiced up a tat with someone younger, more current, more exciting?

Come on! I always thaught Barack Obamam was so (in Eddy Izzard's words) 'groovy'. Well, there's nothing groovy about Springsteen or Joel.

And it's not like Barack is not being supporting by tons of really cool acts. So, sort it out Barack! Get a better line-up. Your VP is already dull as hell, don't allow the music at your rallies to be that too.