"The Name's White. Jack White."

The new James Bond theme has made it's way online, about 2 months before the latest film "Quantum of Solace" hits theaters. This tune is a first, as it is the first ever duet used in a Bond film, pretty hard to believe in nearly 50 years of being on the silver screen. White Stripes/Raconteurs front man and music producer extraordinaire Jack White, wrote and produced the tune, which he performs with Alicia Keys.

The song has a very vintage, Paul McCartney "Live and Let Die" feel to it. I like to think that Jack White, had he been a Beatle, would never have let himself get outbid by Michael Jackson for publishing rights to the fab four's music, thus preventing the use of anthemic masterpieces like "Revolution" from being used in a sneaker commercial in the 1980's. Anyway, that's neither here nor there.

White's self started record label, Third Man Records, is streaming the song for free on their website. I'm not sure how long it will be up there, since the single is being released this coming Tuesday, September 23rd, digitally, on CD, and in the form of a limited edition 7" record. If this film is a sign of what's to come with the film, I'm very excited. The last theme song from "Casino Royale," by Chris Cornell was another great one, much better than the ones of the past decade or so that had been lacking in the Pierce Brosnan Bond films. If great collaborations like this are still to come as long as Daniel Craig is playing the martini drinking British ladies man super agent, then he should keep the role until he's 60.

Originally, Amy Whine(Crack)house was supposed to do it, with Mark Ronson producing, but she likely took the advance they gave her and bought meth with it. Amy came back to the studio Monday morning and said, “Crikey! I got the most extraordinary song of all the Bond films!” She proceeded to sing her rendition of Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger,” and the producers told her that it was a 40 year old Bond song (see clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSc1n8ByDiE , still the greatest Bond song of all time). She then said, “Oh bloody hell! That’s bollocks!!! That old curmudgeon stole the bloody song from me!” She ran out of the studio, not before taking someone’s wallet, and for obvious reasons, lost the gig.

By the looks of it, she can play some sort of ghoul-zombie in the next "Harry Potter" movie.

Here's the link to the website you can stream the song at:

http://www.thirdmanrecords.com/

"My Super Obscure List of: Great, Yet Often Unnoticed or Overlooked Duets"

I've promised another super obscure list, and here it is:
Here is my list of the best duets that often go unnoticed or overlooked. Granted, half of them are cover songs, but the ones that are, were not duets in their original versions. Again, like my last list of notable beards on film, these are in no particular order, as they all bring something to the table, and make the list more complete. Each entry also includes a link to hear the song, while some are music videos, live videos, or just those weird YouTube videos that have pictures on them so you can just listen to the song. Either way, it gets the job done.

Tupac Shakur and Elton John- Ghetto Gospel: Don't adjust your monitor, you are reading this correctly; a collaboration between Elton John and Tupac Shakur does exist. Where is the connection between these two prolific artists from two very different genres, you ask? Slim Shady himself, Eminem. One of Tupac's many posthumous albums released using the hordes of unreleased material he left behind was produced entirely by Eminem. The album, "Loyal to the Game," is in my opinion one of his best posthumous records; "Makaveli," probably being the best (also, the first one to come out immediately after his murder). Eminem, a couple years after his legendary performance of "Stan" at the Grammys with Elton John, took a sample from the song "Indian Sunset," off John's fourth studio album from 1971, "Madman Across the Water." It is one of the few hip hop tunes out there that can give me the music chills when I hear it, and is a perfect blending of two artists among the best at their respective genres. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxR4AweLeXE The official music video for the song starring that guy from "The Wire" and "Oz."

Cream- Sunshine of Your Love: Labeled the first supergroup, made up of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker, Bruce and Clapton shared vocals on this classic rock masterpiece. With one of the most distinctive guitar/bass riffs in rock n' roll history, this song has remained a staple in Clapton's set lists for 40 years. It's probably the most popular or widely known song on the list, but definitely one that's also not traditionally considered a duet; that's why it made the cut. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zga4_09nWzY -this is some random YouTube video I'm copying here for the sole purpose of listening to the song, I don't know of what meth lab this makeshift video was produced in.

The Beatles- Two of Us: For anyone who said McCartney and Lennon hated eachother toward the end of the Beatles' run, songs like this are a testament to what they were still able to create musically, even if their friendship was declining. This is a great song, and still one of my favorite Beatles tunes, and shows that they were still the best of friends when they got into the studio and created some of the greatest music ever heard. This song could be about friendship, it could be about love, it could be about two old friends running into each other at a bar, having a few drinks, reminiscing about old times, and sharing a cab home. Either way, it's a great piece of music that two legends make complete. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ztr8j_-gD4 I don't know where this video came from or who made it, but it's spectacular and is probably one of the best unofficial Beatles music videos out there.

Queen and David Bowie- Under Pressure: Known as the riff Vanilla Ice stole so many years later to create the abomination to hip hop that is "Ice Ice Baby," this is a great song spearheaded by two legendary frontmen, Freddie Mercury and David Bowie. That part in the middle of the song where Mercury belts out "Why don't we give love, give love, give love," still gives me chills every time. Everyone knows "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Will Rock You," and "We Are the Champions," but "Under Pressure," was ahead of its time, and is unlike anything else you've ever heard, or will ever hear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPoE7hVDJY4&feature=related -There's no video here, just a high quality version of the song, take a listen if you've never heard it.

Dave Matthews Band and Warren Haynes- Cortez the Killer: When the Dave Matthews Band took the stage in Central Park for a sold out crowd of 100,000 people a few years back, Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers Band came out to lay his guitar down and share vocals on this old Neil Young tune. I was at the concert that night, and it was the first time I heard the song in general; a few years later, it's still the only version I'll listen to. Haynes's vocals are chilling and his guitar solos were highlights of the night for me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCiLCo-LoUg A live video of the performance from the show. They sell the concert in stores on CD or DVD, I have both, definitely one of the best live DMB concerts out there.

The Strokes feat. Eddie Vedder- Mercy Mercy Me: What happens when one of the most talented rock n' roll bands of the past decade gets together with one of the best frontmen of the past 20 years to record a cover of a classic Marvin Gaye tune? Some ridiculously insane funkdified rock infused musicality is what happens! They turn the soulful Motown staple into a funky guitar blazing tune that is all its own. Also, listen closely for Josh Homme's drumming along with the Strokes' Fab Moretti; in the second verse the beats start to overlap and it's a magical music moment, presto. It's hard to find this song on CD, I think it's on iTunes though, as it was originally released as the B-Side to the Strokes single of "You Only Live Once," from their last album, "First Impressions of Earth." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyZ0E8c2c-A&feature=related - the recorded version of the song, supplemented by a "Captain Planet" episode; very fitting for the subject matter.

Outkast feat. Norah Jones- Take Off Your Cool: Included on Andre 3000's disc of the Outkast album, "Speakerboxx/Love Below," this is just a damn sexy tune that sounds like Barry White could have written it with Jack Johnson. It's one of the shortest songs on the album, but still one of my favorites from it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUQHFqO6HvY The recorded song, over a photo collage video of Andre 3000 and Norah Jones.

The Raconteurs- Rich Kid Blues: I'm a huge fan of the White Stripes, but I must admit, some of Jack White's best work has been with his recently formed other band, The Raconteurs. Adding another singer/songwriter/guitarist in Brendan Benson, and an extended rhythm section serves White's musical talent well and adds another dynamic to his craft. The band's second album, "Consolers of the Lonely," is one of, if not the best album I've heard in 2008. This Terry Reid cover has Benson's soft melodic voice perfectly shared with White's hard rock howl that introduces the world to rock n' roll's newest powerhouse in fitting fashion. The song combines the organ, thundering drums, and a high squeeling guitar that makes me wish the album had 14 more songs on it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjT6DGlWyBs This is straight up audio of the song, with just a picture of the band displayed. Listen, but be warned, this will blow you away.

The Corrs feat. Bono- When the Stars Go Blue: U2 is U2, plain and simple; so anything Bono involves himself in, people will pay attention to. However, when he joined the Corrs onstage in his hometown of Dublin a few years back, very few remembered this great live version of this Ryan Adams original. I've heard Adams and Tim McGraw sing it, but this remains the definitive version, a song about despair, loneliness, and sadness, the song is sung by the perfect pair, and even if it's a girly song, I admit defeat; it's legit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdSpDrczo7w Live performance from VH-1.

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss- Killing the Blues: A bluegrass crooner with the voice of an angel and the screaming maniac lead singer of Led Zepplin get together to record an album of country/bluegrass/blues standards...Still waiting for the punchline? Well, there isn't one; this album is great, and the two very different voices blend unnaturally to make a perfect pairing. This song has been seen on commercials lately (for JC Penny's Home section, I believe), but it's still got a great sound, with two legendary vocalists from 2 very different genres showing the world that they still have it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHPrLifRhX4 This is a video of a live performance, I'm not sure where it's from though. They capture the same magic live that they do on the album.

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova- Falling Slowly: This one is from the film "Once," about two musicians who meet in Dublin and forge a friendship through music over a week. The film was really moving and authentic, as it was filmed with a documentary look, and the two stars are actually musicians, not actors. The soundtrack is a great pairing of the two and their alternate vocal styles invokes the same effect as the Robert Plant-Allison Krauss pairing. They went on to win an Oscar for "Best Original Song" this past year for it; rightfully so, since "Enchanted" got nominated for 3 songs in that category http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPbC2YrUUsI This is a clip of them performing the song on David Letterman.

Roger Waters feat. Van Morrison- Comfortably Numb: This performance was part of Roger Waters 1990 concert in Berlin, Germany, where he performed Pink Floyd's "The Wall," in its entirety shortly after the Berlin Wall came down. Members of the Band and the legendary Van Morrison joined him for this tune, but the most prevalent voices are Waters and Morrison, which contrast each other nicely. Morrison hasn't aged so gracefully, but he's still got the vocal chops to bring the house down, and as blasphemous as it sounds, I prefer this version to Pink Floyd's original. I was reintroduced to this song last year when it was featured in "The Departed," which like every Martin Scorsese film, has a phenomenal soundtrack to accompany it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLx3uSwv6VM - This is a video of the live performance from Berlin.

Temple of the Dog- Hunger Strike: When eventual members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden got together to record an album as a tribute to their friend Andy Wood who died of a heroin overdose in 1990, a modern rock masterpiece was made. Forming the group Temple of the Dog, Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, Eddie Vedder, Matt McCready, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament, recorded one of the best non-traditional duets I have ever heard. After Soundgarden broke up in 1998, Cameron would join Pearl Jam permanently (as they've gone through a revolving door of drummers their whole career until Cameron came along), and Temple of the Dog had their only unofficial reunion in 2003, when Cornell joined Pearl Jam on stage for "Hunger Strike" and another Temple of the Dog number, "Reach Down." This is one of those songs that is as close to perfect as a song can get, so you tend to take notice when something like it comes along. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lln5i1N3J8g The official music video for the song with all the band members. Take notice of the vintage MTV music video tag in the bottom left corner of the screen at the beginning and end the clip, from the days when Music Television actually played music, who'd have thought?

Babyface feat. Eric Clapton- Change the World: Now, I know what you may be thinking, this was Eric Clapton’s song from that John Travolta movie, not Babyface’s. Babyface produced the track, appeared in the music video, and sang backup vocals on the album version of this tune, but the definitive version of this song has seldom been heard. While Babyface taped his MTV Unplugged special back in 1997, he opened the show with this number, and surprise guest Clapton joined him onstage for a blistering performance. The altered, acoustic blues guitar heavy live version was reminiscent of Clapton’s own Unplugged show which netted him several Grammy Awards several years earlier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmsLQFqdiQE- The live clip from the MTV Unplugged special. Even sitting down, Clapton tears the guitar to shreds.

The Rolling Stones and Dave Matthews- Wild Horses: This performance came together in 1998 I believe, when Dave Matthews Band was opening for the Stones on their tour. Dave Matthews joined the Stones on stage for a duet of the classic song that got some new life into it. Dave's high pitched crooning is a stark contrast to Mick Jagger's historic howl, but the song is seen in a different light, and still as great as it ever was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kAl5cUtxAc This is a video clip of the performance from the concert, wherever it was. A couple funny things to notice: Dave Matthews looking about 20 years old, also looking like he might nervously crap himself as he realizes he's on stage with the Rolling Stones, and Dave not knowing what to do with his hands without a guitar in them (he looks similar to Ricky Bobby in "Talladega Nights").

Viva La Coldplay!!! More New Music in 2009???

For those of you who are fans of Coldplay here is some interestingly exciting news that I saw on NME's website. Reports are circulating that Coldplay will release another album in 2009 even though they just released "Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends" in June of this year. NME's story cites British newspaper The Sun as the source of this information.

When the band recorded "Viva La Vida" their sessions with legendary producer Brian Eno (who's produced albums for U2, David Bowie, The Talking Heads, and Devo of "Whip It" fame) were apparently so productive that they ended up with much more material than what could fit on one album. A source at their record label EMI stated, "The 'Viva La Vida...' sessions were incredibly fruitful. They gelled brilliantly with Brian and recorded much more music than they could fit on one album." The source continued, "The majority of the follow-up is already in the can, though they will have to go back into the studio at some point to add a few more songs."Though many big acts have left EMI recently since a corporate takeover, most notably Paul McCartney, Radiohead, and the Rolling Stones, Coldplay has a long term deal in place with the legendary label to continue putting out more of their music.

With the Raconteurs' sophomore album "Consolers of the Lonely," Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" is definitely right up there with the albums I've played out ridiculously due to great musicality. The album is a departure from the group's sound from their first two albums, and also much different than their altered sound on the ill received "X&Y," their last album before "Viva." Though the album has gotten mixed reviews, I believe in the years to come it will be looked at as their "Rubber Soul," or "Sgt. Peppers" album, the one where they changed direction and discovered more musically. Ultimately, a defining moment that will shape what they play in the future and what direction they will go in. This is similar to critical thought on "The Joshua Tree," which has been getting compared to this album mostly due to the fact that Brian Eno also produced that as well.

When "Viva La Vida" was coming out a couple months back I remember hearing that the band had recorded so much new material; and one complaint I had with the album is that it is rather brief with only 10 tracks (though a few are doubled up, extensive tracks, so it's more like 12 or 13 tracks). Learning that they may be rushing out a follow up with all that extra material is great to hear since I, along with many other people are eager to see what else they were able to put together. The bootlegged unreleased/b-sides Coldplay album "Castles," would hold up as its own album and I often wonder why some of those songs were left off their albums while others I wasn't too keen on made the cut. The same holds true for the recent Killers b-sides album "Sawdust." With some of this extra material being readied for mass release, it will be great seeing what they have left in the "Viva La Vida" tank.

For those of you who have listened to the album, and aren't a big fan of their new direction, or for those of you who aren't too big on Coldplay to begin with, I urge you to listen again. Dare I say "Lovers in Japan" is as anthemic as "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" or "City of Blinding Lights," well there, I said it. And "Strawberry Swing," is one of the best and unique love songs of the last decade. If Willy Wonka wrote a love song, it would sound like "Strawberry Swing," plain and simple. The last minute and a half is a melody that could have been written by Lennon and McCartney.

Here's a link to the story from NME's website: http://www.nme.com/news/coldplay/39117

If this story holds true, it will be interesting to see if they unveil any of this hidden material on their current world tour. I'll let you know during my concert review when I see the band perform at the Meadowlands in October.

Editor's (My) Note: What is it with British bands recording 10 songs and releasing it as a full album. I'm sorry, but even if the last 2 or 3 tracks are horrendous, at least give fans their money's worth. 10 tracks is not an album to me; it's two E.P.'s on one CD, that's all. I believe Radiohead did the same thing with "In Rainbows," though at least they let fans pay what they wanted for it. I will give Coldplay the benefit of the doubt though, as they at least had 3 songs that were split in 2, in which the tail ends were really completely different songs, so technically

the album had 13 tracks.

I really do think it's a Britain/Europe 10 track thing, because when Albert Hammond, Jr. of the Strokes released his solo album, "Yours to Keep," in Europe, it had 10 tracks. The album was amazing regardless, as every song was great; but when it finally was released in the US, 2 "bonus tracks" were included. There's a guy who knows how to please the stateside fans!

If musicians want to release 10 song albums going forward, they should market them to fans as "An extended E.P." I am fairly confident, these 10 song albums will be much better received by the paying customers; who cares what critics think? They get free copies of the albums they review, and don't have to pay their hard earned money for concert tickets.