Showing posts with label ARTISTS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ARTISTS. Show all posts
Friday, March 2, 2018
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Demi Lovato Best Of (18 Videos)
The success of the film and its soundtrack resulted in a recording contract with Hollywood Records. Her debut album, Don't Forget (2008), debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200. Lovato was cast as the titular character in the television series Sonny with a Chance (2009–2011), and released her second album, Here We Go Again, which became her first to top the Billboard 200 chart.
Friday, February 23, 2018
Camila Cabello Best Of (14 Videos)
Cabello began to establish herself as a solo artist with the release of several collaborations, including "Bad Things" with Machine Gun Kelly, which entered at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. After leaving Fifth Harmony in December 2016, she released the solo single "Crying in the Club" to a modest performance. Refocusing her sound to Latin-influenced music, her eponymous debut studio album Camila (2018) debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, supported by its lead single "Havana", which reached number one in a number of countries including the UK and the US.
Camila Cabello performs "Havana" (LIVE Graham Norton)
Camila Cabello performs "Havana" (LIVE Graham Norton)
Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello has released one studio album and nine singles, including four singles as a featured artist. Cabello began to establish herself as a solo artist with the release of several collaborations, including "Bad Things" with Machine Gun Kelly, which entered at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100.
After leaving Fifth Harmony in December 2016, she released the solo single "Crying in the Club" to a modest performance. Refocusing her sound to Latin-influenced music, her eponymous debut studio album Camila (2018) debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, supported by its lead single "Havana", which reached number one in a number of countries including the UK and the US.
Dua Lipa Best Of (24 Videos)
In January 2017, she won the EBBA Public Choice Award. Her self-titled debut studio album was released on 2 June 2017. The album spawned seven singles, including two UK top-10 singles "Be the One" and "IDGAF" and the UK number-one single "New Rules," which also peaked at six in the United States. In 2018, Lipa won two Brit Awards for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Snoop Dogg Biography
Snoop's debut album, Doggystyle, produced by Dr. Dre and released in 1993 through Death Row Records, debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including "What's My Name?" and "Gin & Juice". In 1994 Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was the Case, starring himself. His second album Tha Doggfather (1996), also debuted at number one on both charts with "Snoop's Upside Ya Head", as the lead single. The album was certified double platinum in 1997.
In 2012, after a trip to Jamaica, Snoop announced a conversion to Rastafari and a new alias, Snoop Lion. Under the new moniker, he released a reggae album, Reincarnated, and a documentary film of the same name, of his Jamaican experience, in early 2013. His thirteenth studio album, Bush, was released in May 2015 and marked a return of the Snoop Dogg name. His fourteenth solo studio album, Coolaid, was released in July 2016. Snoop holds the dubious distinction of having 17 Grammy nominations without a win. In March 2016, the night before WrestleMania 32 in Arlington, Texas, Snoop was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame, having made several appearances for the company, including as Master of Ceremonies during a match at WrestleMania XXIV.
Studio albums
Doggystyle (1993)
Tha Doggfather (1996)
Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998)
No Limit Top Dogg (1999)
Tha Last Meal (2000)
Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss (2002)
R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004)
Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006)
Ego Trippin' (2008)
Malice n Wonderland (2009)
Doggumentary (2011)
Reincarnated (2013)
Bush (2015)
Coolaid (2016)
Neva Left (2017)
Bible of Love (2018)[158]
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Red Hot Chili Peppers Biography
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American funk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk rock and psychedelic rock. When played live, their music incorporates elements of jam band due to the improvised nature of many of their performances.
Currently, the band consists of founding members vocalist/rhythm guitarist Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea, longtime drummer Chad Smith, and former touring guitarist Josh Klinghoffer.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the best-selling bands of all time with over 80 million records sold worldwide, have been nominated for sixteen Grammy Awards, of which they have won six, and are the most successful band in alternative rock radio history, currently holding the records for most number-one singles, most cumulative weeks at number one (85) and most top-ten songs (25) on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. In 2012, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The band's original lineup, originally named Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem, featured guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons, alongside Kiedis and Flea. Because of commitments to other bands, Slovak and Irons did not play on the band's self-titled debut album (1984). Slovak performed on the second and third albums, Freaky Styley (1985) and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987), but he died from a heroin overdose in 1988.
As a result of his friend's death, Irons chose to leave the group. After short-lived replacements at guitar and drums, John Frusciante and Chad Smith joined in 1988. The lineup of Flea, Kiedis, Frusciante, and Smith was the longest-lasting and recorded five studio albums beginning with Mother's Milk (1989). In 1990, the group signed with Warner Bros.
Records and recorded the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) under producer Rick Rubin. This album became the band's first commercial success, but Frusciante grew uncomfortable with the band's popularity and left abruptly in 1992 in the middle of the Blood Sugar Sex Magik Tour.
After two temporary guitarists, Dave Navarro joined the group in 1993 and played on their subsequent album, One Hot Minute (1995). Although commercially successful, the album failed to match the critical or popular acclaim of Blood Sugar Sex Magik, selling less than half as much as its predecessor. Navarro was fired from the band in 1998. Frusciante, fresh out of drug rehabilitation, rejoined the band that same year at Flea's request. The reunited quartet returned to the studio to record Californication (1999), which became the band's biggest commercial success with 16 million copies worldwide. That album was followed three years later by By the Way (2002), and then four years later by the double album Stadium Arcadium (2006), their first number-one album in America. After a world tour, the group went on an extended hiatus.
Frusciante announced he was amicably leaving the band in 2009 to focus on his solo career. Klinghoffer, who had worked both as a sideman for the band on their Stadium Arcadium tour and on Frusciante's solo projects, replaced him. The band's tenth studio album, I'm with You, was released in 2011 and topped the charts in 18 different countries. The band released their eleventh studio album, The Getaway, in 2016. The album was produced by Danger Mouse, marking the first time since 1989's Mother's Milk that the Red Hot Chili Peppers had not worked with Rubin, and topped the charts in ten different countries.
The band's mix of hard rock, funk and hip hop has been recognized as being influential to genres such as funk metal, rap metal, rap rock and nu metal. In a 2002 interview with Penthouse, Anthony Kiedis stated "We were early in creating the combination of hardcore funk with hip-hop-style vocals. We became, maybe, an inspiration to Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, Linkin Park – all these other bands that are doing that now."
Studio albums
The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)
Freaky Styley (1985)
The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987)
Mother's Milk (1989)
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
One Hot Minute (1995)
Californication (1999)
By the Way (2002)
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
I'm with You (2011)
The Getaway (2016)
Monday, February 19, 2018
The Black Eyed Peas Biography
Although the group was founded in Los Angeles in 1995, it was not until the release of their third album, Elephunk, in 2003, that they achieved high record sales. Since that time, the group has sold an estimated 76 million records (35 million albums and 41 million singles), making them one of the world's best-selling groups of all time. As of 2011, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the Black Eyed Peas were the second-best-selling artist/group of all time for downloaded tracks, behind Rihanna, with over 42 million sales.
Their first major hit was the 2003 single "Where Is the Love?" from Elephunk, which topped the charts in 13 countries, including the United Kingdom, where it spent seven weeks at number one and went on to become Britain's biggest selling single of 2003.
Another European hit single from the album was "Shut Up". Their fourth album, Monkey Business, was an even bigger worldwide success, certified 4× Platinum in the U.S., and spawning four singles, "Don't Phunk with My Heart", "Don't Lie", "My Humps", and "Pump It". In 2009, the group became one of only 11 artists to have simultaneously held the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, with their singles "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling", which topped the chart for an unprecedented 26 consecutive weeks.
This album The E.N.D later produced a third Hot 100 number-one placement with "Imma Be", making the group one of few to ever place three number one singles on the chart from the same album, before being followed with "Rock That Body" and "Meet Me Halfway", which peaked in the Top 10 of the Hot 100. "I Gotta Feeling" became the first single to sell more than one million downloads in the United Kingdom.
The Black Eyed Peas were ranked 12th on Billboard's Decade-End Chart Artist of the Decade, and 7th in the Hot 100 Artists of the Decade. At the 52nd Grammy Awards ceremony, held in January 2010, they won three awards out of six nominations. In November 2010, they released the album The Beginning. In February 2011, the group performed at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show.
Studio albums
Behind the Front (1998)
Bridging the Gap (2000)
Elephunk (2003)
Monkey Business (2005)
The E.N.D. (2009)
The Beginning (2010)
Sérgio Mendes Biography
Mendes is married to Gracinha Leporace, who has performed with him since the early 1970s. Mendes has also collaborated with many artists through the years, including The Black Eyed Peas, with whom he re-recorded in 2006 a version of his breakthrough hit "Mas Que Nada".
Early career
Mendes was born in Niterói, Brazil, the son of a physician. He attended the local conservatory with hopes of becoming a classical pianist. As his interest in jazz grew, he started playing in nightclubs in the late 1950s just as bossa nova, a jazz-inflected derivative of samba, was emerging. Mendes played with Antônio Carlos Jobim (regarded as a mentor) and many U.S. jazz musicians who toured Brazil.
Mendes formed the Sexteto Bossa Rio and recorded Dance Moderno in 1961. Touring Europe and the United States, Mendes recorded albums with Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Mann and played Carnegie Hall. Mendes moved to the U.S. in 1964 and cut two albums under the Sergio Mendes & Brasil '65 group name with Capitol Records and Atlantic Records.
Sergio became full partners with Richard Adler, a Brooklyn-born American who had previously brought Bossa Trés plus two dancers, Joe Bennett and a Brazilian partner, to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1963. He was also accompanied by Jobim; Flavio Ramos, and Aloisio Olivera, a record and TV producer from Rio. The Musicians Union only allowed this group to appear on one TV show and one club appearance (Basin Street East) before ordering them to leave the U.S. When the new group, Brasil '65 was formed, Shelly Manne, Bud Shank and other West Coast musicians got Sergio and the others into the local musicians union. Adler and Mendes formed Brasil '65, which consisted of Wanda Sá and Rosinha de Valença, as well as the Sergio Mendes Trio. The group recorded albums for Atlantic and Capitol.
Brasil '66
All of Mendes' jazz albums for Atlantic Records, through Nesuhi and Ahmet Ertegun, had low sales. Richard Adler suggested that Mendes and the group sing in English, as well as Portuguese that Mendes had demanded, and Adler sought new English-based material such as "Going Out of My Head" by Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein. In order to sing these songs properly in English, Adler suggested that the group find two American girl singers who would sing in both English and Portuguese. Adler called his friend Jerry Dennon, and A&M Records founders Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, and arranged for an audition for Mendes' new group, which was dubbed "Brasil '66.'" Alpert and Moss signed Mendes and his group to A&M Records. Adler then went to the Ertegun Brothers at Atlantic Records and sought to have them release Mendes from his Atlantic Jazz contract. Ahmet agreed to allow him to record albums under name "Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66" with A&M. Mendes was not at this meeting, only Adler and Ahmet Ertegun. Alpert took over as producer for the A&M albums, and the group became a huge success with their first single, "Mas Que Nada", by writer Jorge Ben.
The first album on A&M was Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, an album that went platinum based largely on the success of the single "Mas Que Nada" (a Jorge Ben cover) and the personal support of Alpert, with whom Mendes toured.
The original lineup of Brasil '66 was Mendes (piano), vocalists Lani Hall and Bibi Vogel (later replaced by Janis Hansen), Bob Matthews (bass), José Soares (percussion) and João Palma (drums). John Pisano played guitar. This new line-up including Hansen then recorded two more albums between 1966–1968 (including the best-selling Look Around LP), before there was a major personnel change for their fourth album Fool on the Hill.
Karen Philipp replaced Hansen as the second female vocalist, while veteran drummer Dom Um Romão teamed with Rubens Bassini to assume percussionist duties. Claudio Slon joined the group as drummer in 1969, and played with Mendes for nearly a decade. Sebastião Neto was the new bassist and Oscar Castro-Neves, the guitarist. This line-up had a more orchestrated sound than its predecessors. Most significantly, in the early 1970s, lead singer Hall pursued a solo career and became Alpert's second wife. Some accounts claim that Mendes was upset with Alpert for years for "stealing" Hall away from his group.
Though his early singles with Brasil '66 (most notably "Mas Que Nada") met with some success, Mendes really burst into mainstream prominence when he performed the Oscar-nominated "The Look of Love" on the Academy Awards telecast in April 1968. Brasil '66's version of the song quickly shot into the top 10, peaking at No. 4[2] and eclipsing Dusty Springfield's version from the soundtrack of the movie, Casino Royale. Mendes spent the rest of 1968 enjoying consecutive top 10 and top 20 hits with his follow-up singles, "The Fool on the Hill" and "Scarborough Fair." From 1968 on, Mendes was arguably the biggest Brazilian star in the world[1] and enjoyed immense popularity worldwide, performing in venues as varied as stadium arenas and the White House, where he gave concerts for both presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.
The Brasil '66 group appeared at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan in June 1970.
Middle career
Mendes' career in the U.S. stalled in the mid-1970s, but he remained very popular in South America and Japan. His two albums with Bell Records in 1973 and 1974 followed by several for Elektra from 1975 on, found Mendes continuing to mine the best in American pop music and post-Bossa writers of his native Brazil, while forging new directions in soul with collaborators like Stevie Wonder, who wrote Mendes' R&B-inflected minor hit, "The Real Thing."
In 1983, he rejoined Alpert's A&M records and enjoyed huge success with a self-titled album and several follow-up albums, all of which received considerable adult contemporary airplay with charting singles. "Never Gonna Let You Go", featuring vocals by Joe Pizzulo and Leza Miller, equalled the success of his 1968 single "The Look of Love" by reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it also spent four weeks atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart. In 1984 he recorded the Confetti album, which had the hit songs "Olympia", which was also used as a theme song for the Olympic games that year and "Alibis". The '80s also found Mendes working with singer Lani Hall again on the song "No Place to Hide" from the Brasil '86 album, and as producer of her vocals on the title song for the James Bond film Never Say Never Again.
By the time Mendes released his Grammy-winning Elektra album Brasileiro in 1992, he was the undisputed master of pop-inflected Brazilian jazz. The late-1990s lounge music revival brought retrospection and respect to Mendes' oeuvre, particularly the classic Brasil '66 albums.
Sérgio Mendes 2008
Timeless features a wide array of neo-soul and alternative hip hop guest artists, including The Black Eyed Peas, Erykah Badu, Black Thought, Jill Scott, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, India.Arie, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Q-Tip, Stevie Wonder and Pharoahe Monch. It was released February 14, 2006 by Concord Records.
The 2006 re-recorded version of "Mas Que Nada" with The Black Eyed Peas had additional vocals by Gracinha Leporace (Mendes' wife); this version is included on Timeless. In Brazil, the song is also well known for being the theme song for the local television channel Globo's Estrelas. The Black Eyed Peas' version contains a sample of their 2004 hit "Hey Mama". The re-recorded song became popular on many European charts. On the UK Singles Chart, the song entered at No. 29 and rose to and peaked at No. 6 on its second week on the chart.
He makes an appearance dancing along for one of the segments Pharrell Williams' 24 hour of happy.
Mendes served as co-producer on the soundtrack albums for two animated films about his homeland: 2011's Rio and its 2014 sequel.
Sérgio Mendes discography
Gracinha Leporace and Mendes, 1971
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
1960: Dance Moderno (Philips)
1962: Cannonball's Bossa Nova (Riverside/Capitol Records)
1963: Você Ainda Não Ouviu Nada! (a.k.a., The Beat of Brazil) (Philips)
1964: The Swinger from Rio (a.k.a., Bossa Nova York) (Atlantic)
1965: In Person at El Matador (Atlantic)
1965: Brasil '65 (a.k.a. In The Brazilian Bag) (Capitol)
1966: The Great Arrival (Atlantic)
1966: Herb Alpert Presents: Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (A&M)
1967: Equinox (A&M)
1967: Quiet Nights (Philips)
1967: The Beat of Brazil (Atlantic)
1968: Look Around (A&M)
1968: Fool on the Hill (A&M)
1968: Sergio Mendes' Favorite Things (Atlantic)
1969: Crystal Illusions (A&M)
1969: Ye-Me-Lê (A&M)
1970: Live at the Expo (A&M)
1970: Stillness (A&M)
1971: País Tropical (A&M)
1972: Four Sider (A&M)
1972: Primal Roots (a.k.a., Raízes - Brazil) (A&M)
1973: In Concert (A&M)
1973: Love Music (Bell)
1974: Vintage 74 (Bell)
1975: Sérgio Mendes (a.k.a., I Believe - Brazil) (Elektra)
1976: Homecooking (Elektra)
1977: Sergio Mendes and the New Brasil '77 (Elektra)
1977: Pelé (Atlantic)
1978: Brasil '88 (Elektra)
1979: Alegria (a.k.a., Horizonte Aberto - Brazil) (WEA)
1979: Magic Lady (Elektra)
1983: Sérgio Mendes (A&M)
1984: Confetti (A&M)
1986: Brasil '86 (A&M)
1989: Arara (A&M)
1992: Brasileiro (Elektra)
1996: Oceano'' (Verve)
2006: Timeless (Concord)
2008: Encanto (Concord)
2010: Bom Tempo (Concord)
2014: Magic (Okeh)
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Britney's Jean Spears Biography
Spears performing at The Circus Starring in April 2009
Birth name Britney Jean Spears
Born December 2, 1981 (age 29)
McComb, Mississippi, U.S.
Genres Pop, dance-pop
Occupations Singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, record producer, author, fashion designer, video director
Instruments Vocals, piano
Years active 1992–present
Labels Jive
Associated acts The New Mickey Mouse Club, Madonna
Website britneyspears.com
britney.com
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album ...Baby One More Time in 1999. During her first decade within the music industry, she became a prominent figure in mainstream popular music and popular culture, followed by a much-publicized personal life. Her first two albums established her as a pop icon and broke sales records, while title tracks "...Baby One More Time" and "Oops!... I Did It Again" became international number-one hits. Spears was credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s.
In 2001, she released her third studio album Britney and expanded her brand, playing the starring role in the film Crossroads. She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album, In the Zone released in 2003, which yielded chart-topping singles "Me Against the Music", "Toxic" and "Everytime". After the release of two compilation albums, Spears experienced personal struggles and her career went under hiatus. Her fifth studio album, Blackout, was released in 2007 and despite receiving little promotion, it spawned hits "Gimme More" and "Piece of Me". In 2008, her erratic behaviour and hospitalizations caused her to be placed in a conservatorship. The same year, her sixth studio album Circus was released, with the global chart-topping lead single "Womanizer". After embarking on The Circus Starring Britney Spears, she released greatest hits The Singles Collection, which featured U.S. and Canadian number-one single "3". In 2011, Spears returned with her seventh studio album, titled Femme Fatale, which was released on March 29, 2011, including the lead single "Hold It Against Me" which has become Spears' fourth U.S. number-one single. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. This made Spears the only female artist ever to have six number one debut albums, and have seven albums debut in the top two spots.
Spears has sold over 100 million records worldwide. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the eighth top-selling female artist in the United States, with 33 million certified albums. Spears is also recognized as the best-selling female artist of the first decade of the 21st century, as well as the fifth overall. She was ranked the 8th Artist of the 2000s by Billboard. In June 2010, Spears was ranked sixth on Forbes list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world; she is also the third most mentioned musician on the internet, according to Forbes.
More than any other single artist, Britney Spears was the driving force behind the return of teen pop in the late '90s. The blockbuster success of the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys certainly paved the way for her own commercial breakthrough, but Spears didn't just become a star -- she was a bona fide pop phenomenon. Not only did she sell millions of records, she was a media fixture regardless of what she was (or wasn't) doing; among female singers of the era (many of whom followed in her footsteps), her celebrity star power was rivaled only by Jennifer Lopez. From the outset, Spears' sex appeal was an important part of her image. The video for her debut single, "...Baby One More Time," outfitted her in full Catholic-school regalia and sent her well on the way to becoming an international sex symbol. Yet Spears' handlers seemed to be trying to have it both ways -- there was a definite tension between the wholesome innocence Spears tried to project for her female audience, and the titillating sexuality that enticed so many male fans. Those marketing tactics made Spears a somewhat controversial figure, the subject of endless debates concerning appropriate role models for teenage girls.
Early on, Spears tried to defuse the controversy by preaching abstinence until marriage, and even denied that she was consciously cultivating such a sexualized image. Of course, the more provocative and revealing her on-stage wardrobe became, the less plausible that claim seemed. But apart from her ability to tiptoe the line between virginal coquette and brazen tart, Spears had a secret weapon in Swedish pop mastermind Max Martin, who had a hand in the vast majority of her hits as a writer and/or producer. With Martin crafting the sort of contemporary dance-pop and sentimental ballads that made stars of the Backstreet Boys, Spears kept on delivering the goods commercially, as her first three albums all topped the charts.
Katy's Perry Biography
25 October 1984, Santa Barbara, California, USA
Birth Name
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
Height
5' 8" (1.73 m)
Spouse
Russell Brand (23 October 2010 - present)
Trade Mark
Contralto vocal range
Black hair and blue eyes
Colorful outfits
Trivia
Perry is her mother's maiden name.
Former Christian folk singer turned pop singer.
Released an album in 2001 as "Katy Hudson".
Parents Keith Hudson and wife Mary Perry are both pastors. She's their middle child and has one older sister and one younger brother.
Got engaged to Russell Brand during the Christmas holidays in 2009. They were dating since September 2009.
Her hit song "I Kissed a Girl" was inspired by Scarlett Johansson.
Is close friends with Rihanna.
Is friends with Perez Hilton and Adam Lambert.
Niece of director Frank Perry.
Was ranked #1 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 of 2010 list.
Is a natural blonde. She dyes her hair black.
Married Russell Brand in India.
Was voted Number 8 on Askmen most desirable women of 2011.
When growing up she wasn't allowed to watch MTV.
Has a cat named Kitty Purry.
Studio albums
A digital EP, Ur So Gay, was released in November 2007 which garnered attention but did not chart. One of the Boys' lead single "I Kissed a Girl" was released in May 2008 and topped the charts around the world, including the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, as well as the charts in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The album was released in June and debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200, going on to be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Hot n Cold" was released as the next single and it also topped the charts in Canada, Germany and the Netherlands. Both "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold" were certified triple platinum by the RIAA. Subsequent singles from the album include "Thinking of You" and "Waking Up in Vegas": the latter reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2009, Perry was featured on two singles: a remix of Colorado-based band 3OH!3's song "Starstrukk" in August, and "If We Ever Meet Again", the fourth single off Timbaland's Shock 
Value II in December. Both singles reached the top ten in Australia, Ireland, and the UK. In the same year, Perry performed for MTV Unplugged and a live album of the performance was released in November. Teenage Dream, Perry's third studio album, was released in August 2010 and debuted at number one in the US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Lead single "California Gurls" features rapper Snoop Dogg and peaked at number one in the US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK. Additionally, the following singles—"Teenage Dream", "Firework", and "E.T." (featuring rapper Kanye West)—have all reached number one in the US and the top ten in the other six countries.
Notorious B.I.G. Biography
Birth name Christopher George Latore Wallace
Also known as Biggie Smalls, The Notorious B.I.G., Big Poppa
Born May 21, 1972
New York City, New York, U.S.
Died March 9, 1997 (aged 24)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Hip hop
Occupations Rapper, songwriter
Years active 1992–1997
Labels Uptown Records
Bad Boy
Associated acts Lil' Kim, Sean Combs, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Total, 112, The Commission
Website atlanticrecords.com/notoriousbig
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997) was an American rapper. He was popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a character in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again), Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White (after the main character of the 1990 film King of New York),[1] but primarily by his stage name The Notorious B.I.G..
Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. When Wallace released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, he became a central figure in the East Coast hip-hop scene and increased New York's visibility at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream.[2] The following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A.. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop feud, dominating the scene at the time.
On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 15 days later, hit #1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification).[3] Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow",[4] dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his death, a further two albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs (Rappers) of All Time.[5] He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States.[6]
Discography
- 1994: Ready to Die
- 1997: Life after Death
- 1999: Born Again
- 2005: Biggie Duets
- 2007: Greatest Hits
Jean Michel Jarre Biography
Biography
Jean-Michel André Jarre (born 24 August 1948, Lyon) is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is regarded as a pioneer in the electronic, synthpop and New Age genres, as well as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music which feature lights, laser displays and fireworks including the 1997 New Guinness Book of Records entry for the biggest concert ever with 3.5 million watching at Moscow's 850th anniversary. Jarre has sold an estimated 80 million albums and singles.
Jean-Michel André Jarre (born 24 August 1948, Lyon) is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is regarded as a pioneer in the electronic, synthpop and New Age genres, as well as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music which feature lights, laser displays and fireworks including the 1997 New Guinness Book of Records entry for the biggest concert ever with 3.5 million watching at Moscow's 850th anniversary. Jarre has sold an estimated 80 million albums and singles.
Jarre was born in Lyon on August 24, 1948, the son of Maurice Jarre, a composer of film music, and France Pejot, a member of the French resistance during World War II. His grandfather, André Jarre, was one of the inventors of the first audio mixing consoles used by Radio Lyon, and he was also involved, after World War II, with one of the first portable phonographs (the Tepazz), which he gave to his grandson as a present.
When Jean-Michel was five, his father departed for Hollywood, and Jarre would not have much contact with him from then on. It was at this time that Jarre began studying classical piano. His interest in music was not yet passionate, and he had to change piano teachers several times. It was only when he discovered a strange trumpet or violin instrument in a local flea market that his interest took off. On his tenth birthday, his mother took him to a Paris jazz club, "Le chat qui pêche" (The Fishing Cat), where he was introduced to saxophonists Archie Shepp and John Coltrane, and trumpet players Don Cherry and Chet Baker. Jarre stated in the 1997 documentary, Making The Steamroller Fly that this event triggered his passion for music. Jarre started courses in harmony and counterpoint at the Conservatoire of Paris under Jeanine Rueff. He was studying for a degree in law and economic science at the same time. Eventually he quit the classical studies and turned to modern music theory.
In 1964, he formed a band called Mystère IV ("Mystery 4"). He spent so much time in the group that his mother confiscated his instruments. In 1967 Jarre played guitar in the band "The Dustbins". They played the hits of The Shadows and The Spotnicks. The group appeared on stage in a party scene in the movie "Des garçons et des filles", the soundtrack for which featured two of the band's songs. A single was released, but only ten copies were made.
In 1968, he started experimenting with tape loops, radios and other electronic devices, and in January 1969, he joined the Groupe de Recherche Musicale (GRM), under the direction of Pierre Schaeffer, the "father" of musique concrète. Here he was introduced to the first synthesizers in Europe: the EMS VCS 3 and the Moog modular synthesizer. In GRM, Jarre was taught to think about music in terms of sounds instead of notes, and this had a huge influence upon him. He also studied foreign musical styles (African, Indian, Chinese and other oriental music) from which he learned a lot. For a period of two-three months, Jarre studied with Karlheinz Stockhausen in Cologne.
In his GRM period, Jarre had his own flat in Paris at rue de la Trémoille, not far from the Champs-Elysees, and it was here that he was able set up his first studio in a converted kitchen: an EMS VCS 3 and EMS Synthi AKS synthesizer, and two linked Revox tape machines. To fund the studio's equipment and himself he painted pictures which he sold locally. For an exposition at the "Maison De Culture" (Cultural House) in Reims he wrote a five minute song called "Happiness is a sad song" (unreleased).
Jarre released his first solo single "La Cage/Erosmachine" in (1971), but it was a failure. This was likely due to its experimental or futuristic sound. Only 117 singles were sold, and Pathé Marconi destroyed the remaining stock. Jarre became the youngest composer to see one of his works played at the Paris Opera, at its reopening in 1971. It was the first time that electronic music had been allowed to be used, and Jarre even had to paint his speakers gold to match the decor of the opera house. There he performed with the Paris Opera Ballet and choreographer Norbert Schmucki. He created the first electro-acoustic opera called "AOR". This music is still unreleased as of 2008, with the exception of AOR Bleu, which was released on Live Printemps de Bourges 2002. Jarre composed the music for two additional operas: Le Labyrinthe (1972) and Dorian Gray (1973). He also wrote music for commercials and started to collaborate with artists like Dominique Webb, Samuel Hobo, Bill and Buster, Blue Vamp, and the group Triangle. Jarre also wrote lyrics for artists like Patrick Juvet and Christophe.
In 1972, Jarre added a modified Farfisa organ and an ARP 2600 to his collection. He released several singles under aliases: 1906 - Cartolina/Helza, Jamie Jefferson - Black Bird/ Pop Corn (contrary to some reports, Jarre did not write Pop Corn, the original version was by Gershon Kingsley). One of his first successes, the song Zig Zag Dance, was released in numerous guises, under various aliases, and differing slightly each time. His first solo album Deserted Palace (Sam Fox Productions/Dreyfus Records) was released at this time.
Jarre composed the soundtrack for the film Les Granges Brûlées (Dreyfus Records, not released on CD until 2003) in the following year. In 1974 he met Michel Geiss, an wizard and musician. A friendship was struck between them that has lasted ever since.
In 1975, Jarre wrote some music and lyrics for Françoise Hardy and Gérard Lenorman. Two of these songs were later to be re-used: La belle et la bête (which later became the basis for "Rendez-vous 2"), and La mort du cygne (which eventually evolved into "Rendez-vous 3"). He also acted as director for Christophe's Olympiashow that year, which featured a flying piano.
In 1976, Jarre secured a recording contract with Polydor, signed thanks to Michael Hoppé (after the initial first release on Disques Motors) with his first major multi-million selling album, Oxygène (although it wasn't until 1977 when the album was released internationally after the initial release in France that Oxygène became world renowned). Oxygène is considered by some to be the most important and influential electronic music album ever. Contrasted with his contemporaries, such as the rather clinical, hard, futuristic sound of Kraftwerk, or the more 'cosmic' and murky Tangerine Dream, Oxygène had a lush, spacey and strongly melodic sound reminiscent of the sound of Wendy Carlos on the soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange released a few years earlier, and was a big commercial success worldwide. The track "Oxygène Part IV" was released as a single and became one of the best-known pieces of electronic music ever. Key components of Jarre's sound included his use of the Dutch organ Eminent (strings), Electroharmonix Small Stone phaser on the Eminent's string pads, and liberal use of echo on various sound effects generated by the VCS3 synthesizer. He also manipulated a Korg Minipops drum machine to create totally unique rhythms and drum sounds.
In 1978, his second album Equinoxe was released. Jarre developed his sound, employing more dynamic and rhythmic elements, particularly a greater use of sequencing on basslines. Much of this was achieved using custom equipment developed by his collaborator Michel Geiss. A concert on the Place de la Concorde in Paris in 1979 followed the release. This concert attracted one million people, which was Jarre's first entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the largest crowd at an outdoor concert.
In October 1981, Jarre was the first Western pop-artist to be invited to give concerts in the People's Republic of China. These concerts were the first to feature the Laser harp, one of Jarre's signature electronic instruments. Also during this year, Les Chants Magnétiques (Magnetic Fields - note that the French title is a pun - the literal translations of Magnetic Fields is "Champs Magnetiques", "Chants" meaning "songs") was released to much acclaim, and was followed by the release of Les Concerts En Chine (The Concerts in China) album in 1982 and is marked as his first live album release, comprising of recordings from his tour of China during 1981. The sounds of the Magnetic Fields album are primarily based in the Fairlight CMI sampler, and the album was a huge leap forward in both technical complexity and fidelity.
In 1983, he created the album Musique pour Supermarché (Music for Supermarkets), which had a print run of one single copy. The music was intended to play at the "Supermarche" art exhibition, with Jarre suggesting that, as each artwork would be auctioned after the exhibition, so too should the music in the same way. Jarre destroyed all the master records from his studio work, allowed a radio station (Radio Luxembourg) to broadcast the album once and auctioned it, raising £10,000 for French artists. People recorded the album using their tape recorders while it was broadcast on the radio, so they can listen to that album, at a very poor quality though (the radio station was an AM station). Despite claiming to have destroyed all recordings of the album, songs from this album were later reworked into future albums in almost identical form.
In 1984, Zoolook was released, relying heavily on the sampler capabilities of the Fairlight CMI (which Jarre had been using, albeit on a smaller role, since Magnetic Fields). The album featured many different words and speech, recorded in different languages around the world, to create different sounds and effects. Laurie Anderson provided the vocals for the track "Diva". With its rock music underpinnings, Zoolook resides nicely amongst a handful of pop and rock albums (notably Kate Bush's 1982 album The Dreaming, Yello's 1985 Stella, 1984's Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise? by Art of Noise, 1982's Naked Eyes by Naked Eyes, and 1985's How To Be a Zillionaire by ABC and others, such as Peter Gabriel's fourth album) that made intensive and sometimes exhaustive use of the Fairlight. It is perhaps too easy to overlook the lengthy list of live (and much-sought) musicians that also made contributions to Zoolook, giving the album a cinematic scope and breadth, courtesy of Mark A. Fuller.
Jarre recorded the album Rendez-Vous after being inspired by the sounds of the Elka synthesizer, which he employed on the record liberally. It also features his first heavy use of the Moog synthesizer on a studio album. In 1986, NASA and the city of Houston asked him to do a concert to celebrate NASA's 25th anniversary and the city of Houston's 150th anniversary. During that concert, astronaut Ronald McNair was to play the saxophone part of Jarre's piece "Rendez-Vous VI" while in orbit on board the Space Shuttle Challenger. It was to have been the first piece of music recorded in space, for the album. After the Challenger disaster of January 28, 1986 which killed McNair, the piece was recorded with a different saxophonist, retitled "Ron's piece" and the album dedicated to the seven Challenger astronauts. The Houston concert entered the Guinness Book of Records for the audience of over 1.3 million. During the concert, Houston native Kirk Whalum performed Ron McNair's saxophone part on "Ron's Piece". The concert featured giant projections of photographic images and laser patterns onto the buildings of downtown Houston, including a gigantic white screen on the front face of the Texaco Heritage Plaza building, which was under construction at the time. Due to vehicles stopping on the freeway passing the concert venue the freeways had to be closed down for the duration of the concert.
Later in 1986, Jarre performed in his birth city of Lyon as part of the celebrations for Pope John Paul II's visit to the city. The Pope was in attendance and introduced the concert with a good-night blessing (a recording of which forms part of the album Cities In Concert - Houston/Lyon).
In 1988, the album Revolutions was released. Jarre, along with guests such as Hank Marvin, the legendary guitarist from The Shadows, performed this album and selected highlights from his discography at an event entitled Destination Docklands in front of 200,000 people (not including the thousands of observers who witnessed the event from outside the official concert gates) in two concerts on October 8 and October 9 1988. The event utilized the industrial backdrop of London's Royal Victoria Dock in the East End. The original show was supposed to be scheduled as a one off on the 24 September 1988, but due to safety issues with both Newham local council and London Fire brigade the licence was turned down for the larger event. After Jarre's crews failing to maintain crowd safety, and after several vigorous meetings and negotiations (and Jarre potentially looking for other sites including Tilbury docks and Edinburgh castle to host the event), the application for the licence was finally granted, but for two smaller audience capacity shows. Although the shows went ahead, they were not without hiccups. Bad weather had threatened to break Jarre's "Battleship" floating stage from its moorings, risking safety to the crew and also musicians and choirists. Although the original plan was to have Jarre float across the Royal docks it was deemed too unsafe due to the weather and hence was chained to the dockside. Despite this the concerts were well received, although the audience was soaked due to pouring rain and biting winds, but it was deemed a success and many of the British public attending will recall it as a very special and unique experience, including Diana, Princess of Wales who attended the concert and became a friend and fan of Jarre's music over his career.
One aspect of the show was during the transportation of several large mirror balls (some 4m diameter), which Jarre had commissioned for the show to be hung from the large dockside cranes. Whilst en route to the docks, one of the lorries had lost one of the balls on the roadside. On the same night a satellite was due to enter the Earth's atmosphere from space. A member of the public reported the sighting of a sphere like spacecraft rolling on the road, and hence caused major panic as police feared it was the satellite.
On July 14, 1990 Jarre broke his own record in the Guinness Book of Records again with a concert at La Defense, Paris where 2.5 million people watched Jarre light up the Parisian business district. The album En Attendant Cousteau (Waiting for Cousteau) was also released in this year, and was dedicated to the French sea explorer, Jacques Cousteau.
During early 1991, Jarre started promotion for a concert to take place in the Pyramids of Teotihuacan, Mexico during the great solar eclipse of July 11, 1991. Some sources mention problems with several sponsors and local authorities as the reasons that halted the project.
However, in the documentary Making the Steamroller Fly included in the Oxygène Moscow , Jarre and other collaborators mention that the concert was cancelled due to the fact that one cargo ship containing a specially built, pyramidal stage and other technical equipment sunk during the trip to Mexico, making it impossible for the crew to replace it in time for the concert. Jarre says that his disappointment was such that "he could not cope with Mexican food for two years".
In 1993, Jarre released his first work to be largely influenced by the techno-music scene that had been developing since about 1989. Entitled Chronologie, the album was, from a technical standpoint, a revision to a concept employed by Jarre in his Oxygène/Equinoxe period, where a grandiose overture provides the emotional feel and sonic timbre for the rest of the following, more rhythmic pieces.
This time, however, the tracks would feature newer state-of-the-art synthesizers, swooshing sampled clocks (fitting the theme of the album) and contemporary rhythms driving the tempo – a style that became threaded throughout most of the work that followed. In inspiring a generation of electronic musicians with his work from the 1970s and '80s, Jarre in turn found himself drawn to the trance genre which followed him in the '90s. He enlisted several artists of that generation, including Praga Khan, to remix tracks for the B sides of the singles.
Jarre followed through the promotion of the Chronologie album with a tour, the first large scale tour Jarre had undertaken since the mini tour of China back in 1981. The tour entitled Europe In Concert was a series of concerts on a smaller scale than that of previous one-offs, but heavily featured a backdrop of makeshift skyscrapers and also skytrackers, laser imaging, and fireworks. This took Jarre across several European cities, including Lausanne, the Mont St Michel, London, Manchester, Barcelona, Sevilla and the Versailles Palace near Paris. Jarre did one final concert in Hong Kong in 1994, unfortunately due to laws, fireworks were omitted from the show. Jarre released a double live album of Hong Kong, which featured many of the same renditions of the Europe In Concert tracks, with some reworkings of the older album versions.
However, to fans reminiscing for the subtle tonal quality and phased sounds of Jarre's early work, 1997 would not be a disappointing year. Oxygène 7–13 was released to reveal that a coherent sonic story over the course of an album was something that Jarre could still achieve in the sequel-of-sorts to his 1976 landmark release. This album brought back the VCS 3 synthesizer, Eminent 310U, and Mellotron, among others. One can hear inspiration from "Oxygène (Part IV)" and "Equinoxe (Part II)" in the two-movement piece "Oxygène 7", while many of the other techno-based tracks on the album suggest a combination of Jarre's inspiration from both the Oxygène and Chronologie periods. "Oxygène 10" would also be the first piece composed by Jarre to feature him playing a theremin. Jarre once again toured Europe to support the album, this time focusing on smaller, indoor venues with a stripped down version of his large outdoor extravaganzas. Jarre visited several countries he had never played before.
On September 6, 1997, Jarre played in Moscow to celebrate the 850th anniversary of the city. The Moscow State University was used as the backdrop for a spectacular display of image projections, skytrackers and fireworks, with an audience of 3.5 million. "Jarre breathes again with Oxygène". Retrieved on 2008-05-06. This was Jarre's fourth record and entry into the Guinness record book for the largest free concert audience ever. The concert was also the same day that the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales took place. Jarre spoke of his friendship with her and requested a moment of silence and then dedicated a song in her memory called "Souvenirs" (aka "Souvenir of China").
This period around year 2000 was marked by big changes in Jarre's personal and professional life. Starting with his separation of his former wife, a dispute for unknown causes with his record label (Disques Dreyfus) and a change in his musical style.
This period around year 2000 was marked by big changes in Jarre's personal and professional life. Starting with his separation of his former wife, a dispute for unknown causes with his record label (Disques Dreyfus) and a change in his musical style.
On 31 December 1999, Jarre held a spectacular music and light show in the Egyptian desert, near Giza. The show, called The Twelve Dreams of the Sun, celebrated the new millennium and 5,000 years of civilization in Egypt. It also offered a preview of his new album, Metamorphoses. The concert —which started on New Year's Eve and followed all the way through to the dawn of the new millennium, in a 12-hour spectacular show which featured many performances from local artists and musicians— used the backdrop of the great pyramids to project images onto, but fog during the evening concert by Jarre caused the projections on the facades of the pyramids to be blocked from view. Jarre played for around two hours during the build up to the new millennium with a countdown at midnight and spectacular firework display and then returned on stage in the early morning to perform a second slot to see in the first sunrise of the new millennium.
Jarre released Metamorphoses, his first fully-vocal album, in 2000. The compositions and their arrangement on this techno-based album co-produced with Joachim Garraud are considered imaginative, and marked a departure from Jarre's previous style. He began integrating sound effects, including the radio interference from mobile phones (used on the track "Tout est Bleu") and also sampled his coffee making machine and also from Apple computers, including an implementation of Macintalk, a Macintosh program that allowed Jarre to have a computer generated voice speak his strange lyrics on the song "Love, Love, Love". Laurie Anderson made her second guest appearance in the Jarre discography on the opening track. The listener was also treated to collaborations with Natacha Atlas on vocals, and Sharon Corr of Irish pop group The Corrs on violin. Metamorphoses was not released in the USA until a couple of years later.
In 2001, Jarre performed a concert in collaboration with Arthur C. Clarke and Tetsuya "TK" Komuro in the Okinawa beaches, to celebrate the "real" beginning of the new millennium. The concert was called Rendez-vous in Space and the short-lived group called itself The ViZitors. Later that year, Jarre played at the Acropolis in Greece a charity concert for the Elpida Foundation.
In 2002, Jarre performed a concert called AERO at Gammel Vrå Enge wind farm, just outside Aalborg in Denmark, to a rain soaked audience of approximately 50,000. AERO, a studio-album of mostly retooled Jarre classics, was later released in 2004 in combined DVD and CD forms. The DVD featured 5.1 sound, with DTS and Dolby Digital tracks. Jarre affirmed that this was the first musical work ever conceived for 5.1 sound. The video to accompany the musical tracks was a fixed very close-up shot of Anne Parillaud's eyes reacting in real time to the music. Inside the sleeve, the album also featured notes and a collection of various pictures and artwork of Jarre's fans from around the world.
This concert marked a change in direction in Jarre's live concerts. Since Jarre's first large scale concerts in 1986, he had always been accompanied on stage by a full compliment of live musicians. This had included several fellow musicians on keyboard, live drums, live percussion, live bass guitar and live lead guitar. The different styles employed by drummers Joe Hammer, Chris Deschamps, Laurent Fauchex and Gary Wallis over the years, made every concert and performance a unique one. The different eras in Jarre’s live performances can be marked by the band of musicians he had on stage. The combination of Laurent Fauchex on drums, Dominic Mahut on percussion, Guy Delacroix on bass guitar and Patrick Rondat on lead guitar during the 1993-1995 live period is one such era defining compliment in Jarre’s live performances.
From Aero onwards the number of musicians appearing on stage had decreased. His concerts from 2002 onwards only feature himself and a few others with guest appearances or the compliment of an orchestra or choir on certain tracks. Some would argue that the increasing absence of live drums, percussion and bass has diminished the live feel of the concerts. Anyone watching the opening track from the Aero concert for example will see Jarre messing with various sound effects and Francis Rimbert hitting a cymbal, with no one apparently actually playing the tune. This is one of many occasions where fans have noted that the music appeared to be mimed on keyboard by Jarre for at least some tracks.
Many observe that many of the tracks from the Aero concert, along with the concert in China that followed in 2004, sound no different from the Aero album. It could be stated that from 2002 onwards Jarre’s concerts became more of a ‘show’ than a ‘live’ concert.
2002 would also mark the release of Sessions 2000, a set of experimental synth-jazz pieces that were stylistically distinct from anything Jarre had previously released. The work on this album is decidedly less rhythm oriented than Jarre's previous work from Equinoxe on. It is also rumoured to have been a quick ditch effort album for Jarre to get out of his contractual terms with Francis Dreyfus.
In 2003, Jarre released the album Geometry of Love for dance club VIP Lounge, in Paris. While Jarre's contemporary albums found themselves drawn to the pulsing rhythms of the dancefloor, Geometry of Love had its spiritual home in the chill-out room at the back, with lush, sprawling, sublime works washing over the listener.
On October 10, 2004, Jarre performed two consecutive concerts, first in the Forbidden City, followed immediately by a smaller concert in Tiananmen Square in China, to commemorate open China’s "Year of France" cultural exchange season. Choosing a picturesque location at Wumen Gate in the Forbidden City, Jarre performed with both modern and traditional Chinese orchestras, choir, opera singers, and several guest musicians including Chen Lin, and guitarist Patrick Rondat. Jarre was prevented from performing with China’s Cui Jian whose songs were sung by student demonstrators in 1989. The theme of the first half of the concert tied into the history of the surroundings and was performed before an audience of 15,000 spectators. The second half had a more muted stage arrangement, providing the closest Jarre had ever had to an 'after-gig' show with an audience of 9,000. This concert was broadcast in with 5.1 sound by some satellite channels. 5.1 sound was also used on the stage. A combined DVD/CD of these concerts, Jarre In China was released in 2005 with THX-mastered sound.
On August 26, 2005, Jarre performed a long-form concert called Space of Freedom in Gdańsk, Poland to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Solidarity. Around 170,000 people attended the paid-entry concert. Lech Wałęsa was present on stage.
On September 10, 2005 Jarre made a short-form concert at the LinX Live Show for the official opening of the Eurocam Media Centre, containing Belgian Company Euro1080s new HDTV Studios, in Lint, Belgium.
In September, 2006 Tadlow Music released a special symphonic album, titled "The Symphonic Jean Michel Jarre" with 20 cover versions of Jarre tracks on 2 CDs. Jarre has supported this album, including his voice on one track. There is also a special limited 3-disc set with a bonus DVD containing 5.1 surround mixes of all the tracks.
In his role of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Jarre performed a concert named Water for Life in the Sahara Desert, near Merzouga, Morocco on December 16, 2006, to celebrate the year of desertification in the world.
Jarre released a new original studio album, being his first real studio album since "Metamorphoses". This new studio album, entitled "Téo & Téa", was released by Warner Bros. Records and iTunes on March 26 2007. Jarre has stated that this album comes after a dark period in his private and professional life.
During 2006, Jarre was stated to produce an experimental TV series titled Mort-Mouvance, directed by Ellibert Mozart Fuzzkhan, who also produced a fake website of AeroProd, the company which produces Jarre's projects. The TV series and web sites turned out to be a hoax, and Jarre is pressing legal charges against the owners of those sites.
In 2007, Jarre arranged the soundtrack for a movie directed by Volker Schlöndorff, using old material. The movie is named Strajk - Die Heldin von Danzig, its international English title is Strike.
In August 2007, Jarre switched record companies again, this time signing with EMI France. He released an anniversary package containing a special live recording of his classic work, Oxygène, in 3D DVD, live CD and normal 2D DVD formats in November 2007, named Oxygene: New Master Recording. This is a first in Jarre's career, as it was played totally live, without tape or harddisk playback, by Francis Rimbert, Claude Samard, Dominique Perrier and Jarre himself. Jarre has gone on to state he plans on integrating the original analog synthesizers from Oxygene for his next album and is building a new private recording studio on the outskirts of Paris.
Meanwhile, Jarre's former record company, Disques Dreyfus, has released another package, containing the original versions of Oxygene and Oxygene 7-13, plus a recopilatory of "unreleased" remixes of tracks from Oxygene 7-13.
Jarre performed 10 concerts (Oxygene Live) in Paris, from December 12th 2007 to December 26th 2007. The concerts took place inside the Theatre Marigny, a small, 1000 seats theatre located in the Champs-Élysées. Later in 2008, Jarre performed several concerts to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Oxygene in theaters in Europe (see main article). After the Royal Albert Hall concert, Jarre met Brian May, who proposed he create a concert in Tenerife for the International Year of Astronomy.
An Israeli Internet Paper confirmed that a previously planned Large Outdoor Concert to take place this Summer in Jerusalem to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Israel has now been officially cancelled.
The Oxygene IV piece has been used as part of the soundtrack for the popular videogame Grand Theft Auto 4.
In 2008, The Mail on Sunday newspaper distributed more than 2 million copies of the Oxygene 30th Anniversary CD to its readers in the United Kingdom. Francis Dreyfus Music is starting legal actions against The Mail on Sunday and EMI, as FDM claims the CD does not come from a new re-recorded master, but from the original master the French label owns the rights to.
Jarre toured again during 2009 in smaller venues than his usual large-scale events, and has been selected as artistic director for the "World Sky Race".Currently he has no contract with any major record company.
Personal life
Jarre was married to Flore Guillard from 20 January 1975 until 1977. Later he was married to British actress and photographer Charlotte Rampling from 7 October 1978 until 1997, after Jarre had an affair with the then 31-year-old secretary Odile Froment. In 2002 he became publicly engaged to French actress Isabelle Adjani, but later she ended this relationship. On 12 May 2005 he married French actress Anne Parillaud.Jarre has three children:
Barnaby Southcombe. Son of Charlotte Rampling and Brian Southcombe (previous marriage). Barnaby was born in September 1972. Barnaby is not Jean Michel's son but has often been listed as his step-son.
Emilie Jarre. Daughter of Jean Michel Jarre and Flore Guillard (Jean Michel's first wife). Emilie was born in 1975. She has been working as a model.
David Jarre. Son of Jean Michel and Charlotte Rampling. David was born in 1977 and has today an active carreer as magician. David was also involved as a writer for the movie "The Devil's Own" together with his uncle, Kevin Jarre (Jean Michel's half brother).
Awards and recognition
1976 - Grand Prix du Disque by L'Académie Charles Cros, for Oxygene.
1976 - "Personality of The Year" by People magazine (U.S.).
1979 - Guinness Book of Records entry for the biggest concert ever (La Concorde).
1981 - Honorary member of the Beijing Conservatory of Music.
1984 - Grand Prix du Disque by L'Académie Charles Cros, for Zoolook.
1985 - Instrumental album of the year, at the Victoires de la Musique in France, for Zoolook.
1986 - Instrumental album of the year, at the Victoires de la Musique, for Rendez-vous.
1986 - Musical spectacle of the year, at the Victoires de la Musique, for the Rendez-Vous Houston concert.
1987 - New Guinness Book of Records entry for the biggest concert ever (Rendez-Vous Houston).
1987 - "European musician Person of the Year" by People magazine.
1990 - New Guinness Book of Records entry for the biggest concert ever (Paris La Defense: A City in Concert).
1993 - UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
1994 - Awarded Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur from the French Government.
1997 - New Guinness Book of Records entry for the biggest concert ever with 3.5 million watching at Moscow's 850th anniversary.
1998 - IFPI's Platinum Europe Award.
2005 - HCA Ambassador for the Hans Christian Andersen 2005 Bicentenary Festival.
2006 - Polish Television Academy's "Super Wiktor" award for "Space of Freedom".
2006 - Gdańsk's Man Of The Year 2005 Award.
2007 - Eska Music Awards Special Award.
2008 - Doctor Honoris Causa by the Russian Academy of Sciences.
An asteroid, 4422 Jarre, has been named in honor of him.
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