Norah's not such a nice girl now...- her new album takes a dark turn

When she swept the board by scooping eight gongs at the 2003 Grammy Awards, a nonplussed Norah Jones confessed that she felt as if she had ‘gatecrashed someone else’s birthday party and eaten all the cake’.

A shy singer-songwriter from a small town in Texas, she had just turned 23 and was unprepared for the whirlwind that engulfed her following the release of her first album, Come Away With Me.

That debut, made while she was still working part-time as a waitress, was a mellow mix of jazz, blues and country. To her amazement, and everybody else’s, it sold 20 million copies and helped Jones become the best-selling female artist of the Noughties.

Fresh approach: Norah Jones' new album is unlike her previous records

Even her mother, Sue, was taken aback at the success. Having advised her daughter not to sign a record deal, she took to affectionately calling her ‘Snorah’ because her music was on the radio so much.

‘Come Away With Me has coloured everything I’ve done since,’ says Jones, now 33 and rather more worldly-wise. ‘It exceeded everything I expected. I’d moved to New York and signed to Blue Note, which is a prestigious jazz label, but not one known for selling millions of records.

‘It was a stressful time. When you become that huge, you can’t go and hide in the woods. You’re constantly on show. I was working 15-hour days, and life was a rollercoaster.

‘In the end, I was fine, but I wouldn’t want to go back to those days.’ 
Jones is charming company. Her public image is as a doe-eyed singer of sad, slow jazz numbers, but, in person, she is bright, talkative and endearingly goofy — cagy only when it comes to her private life.

Her career, too, has often confounded expectations. She has worked with rock god Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, and fronts a bar band called The Little Willies (named after Willie Nelson, in case you’re wondering).

Jones first shot to prominence with her Grammy-winning album Come Away With Me

Her latest musical venture is her most ambitious yet. Shunning the jazzy tendencies of all four of her solo albums to date, she has hooked up with dance producer Brian Burton — aka Danger Mouse — for the fifth effort, Little Broken Hearts.

Burton is most famous for being a member of Gnarls Barkley alongside Cee Lo Green. His partnership with Jones — like that of Rufus Wainwright and Mark Ronson — follows the trend of pairing traditional singer-songwriters with modern dance masters.

Not that Little Broken Hearts is a dance record. Fuelled by twangy guitars, it is an experimental album that takes Jones out of her comfort zone. Her fans need not fret too much, however. The songs are still concise and tuneful, while Norah’s voice retains the languid, soulful qualities that made her a star.

The unlikely couple met last year when they collaborated on an album called Rome, a tribute to Italian film music. ‘Brian is all over the map musically, but I trust him,’ says Norah. ‘The album was like building a papier-mâché house — we kept on adding bits until it took shape.’ 

Jones' new album is a dance record

Like her last album, The Fall, inspired by the end of her relationship with long-term boyfriend (and bassist) Lee Alexander, Little Broken Hearts is also based on a failed romance.

And, while Jones refuses to name the man behind the new songs, the themes of guilt, bitterness and revenge seem much sharper the second time around. Tracks such as Miriam, about murdering a love rival, are certainly darker than anything she has previously sung.

‘I went through another break-up about 18 months ago,’ she says. ‘So I took my feelings and wrote about them. Whether the breakup was traumatic or not is nobody’s business.

As the daughter of Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and a mother who was a concert promoter, Norah has a rich musical heritage. But she has never traded on family ties.

Raised by her mum in the Dallas suburb of Grapevine after her parents separated, she didn’t see her father, now 92, for ten years, though the two have since become friends.

‘I had a happy childhood, but I had issues,’ she admits. ‘Not seeing my dad when I was a child was hard, but we have a great relationship now. He has such a wealth of experience, although we don’t really talk about music — maybe I should ask him for advice.’ 

On the evidence of Little Broken Hearts, any parental pointers can wait. The happy girl who makes a living singing sad songs is doing fine.

‘I’m not a sad person, but I’ve always been attracted to melancholy music,’ she says. ‘I find the quiet, intimate songs more powerful.’ 

Little Broken Hearts is out on Blue Note on Monday. Norah Jones plays the Royal Festival Hall on June 1 and 2 (gigsandtours.com).

Greg Ham "Men At Work" found dead

Men At Work. Greg Ham has been found dead at his Melbourne home.

The 58-year-old will be remembered for playing the famous flute riff from the band's biggest hit, Down Under.

Two friends found the body. They became concerned about Ham's well-being having not heard from him for some time.

"Because of the early stages of our investigation, we're not prepared to go into the exact details of what has occurred,' Detective Senior Sergeant Shane O'Connell told reporters.

Ham joined Men At Work in 1979 playing flute, harmonica, saxophone and keyboards.

The band achieved international fame in the 1980s with the 1983 hit Down Under, while their album, Business As Usual, topped the Australian, US and British charts.

However, their fame was overshadowed in recent years by a copyright dispute over the Down Under flute riff.

In 2010 Australia's Federal Court ruled band members partly copied the children's folk tune Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree, penned more than 75 years ago.

Last year, EMI lost an appeal against the ruling and, along with songwriters Colin Hay and Ron Strykert, were ordered to pay 5% of the song's royalties since 2002 - as well as future earnings - to the folk song's copyright owners.

Ham said at the time that he was shattered by the ruling, telling Fairfax Media: "It will be the way the song is remembered and I hate that.

"I'm terribly disappointed that that's the way I'm going to be remembered - for copying something."

Men At Work won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1983 before disbanding in 1985.

Azealia Banks Signs With Lady Gaga's Manager

Troy Carter adds the much-hyped newcomer rapper to his client roster; "Broke With Expensive Taste," her debut album for Interscope, is due out in September.

Newcomer Azealia Banks, who signed to Universal Music in January, is being represented by Lady Gaga's manager Troy Carter.

The rapper's debut album for Interscope, Broke With Expensive Taste, is slated for release in September. The 20-year-old Harlem native was previously signed to XL Recordings, home to Adele, and famously parted ways with the label citing conflicting creative visions.

After the split, Banks self-released the highly hyped track "212" in December and momentum has only built since then.

To wit: Her first proper U.S. gig was at the massive Coachella Music and Arts Festival last Saturday, where she performed a 20-minute set that included several covers, among them Prodigy's "Firestarter" and The Zutons' "Valerie," made famous by Amy Winehouse, which she sang a capella.

The L.A. Times described Banks' style as "unapologetically street" and warned fellow female pop-rapperNicki Minaj to "be on the lookout."

Carter is CEO of Atom Factory, which counts Mindless Behavior and Greyson Chance as clients. He is also an active investor in tech startups including digital billboard creation service Bread Labs and the much buzzed about Turntable.fm.

Watch a video of Banks performing at Coachella below:

Simon Cowell’s secret affair with colleague

SIMON Cowell had a sensational secret affair with X Factor judge colleague

Dannii Minogue.

The TV mogul, 52, confessed they were lovers when they worked on the show. He admitted: “I had a crush. It was genuine love.”

And he reveals he lusted after Cheryl Cole and wanted to bed her too, when his feelings for Dannii cooled.

The astonishing revelations are made in a book published next month called Sweet Revenge — The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell, by acclaimed biographer Tom Bower.

The blockbuster, exclusively serialised in The Sun this week, also tells how Cowell planned to seduce Dannii’s friend, singer Natalie Imbruglia, just last year after inviting her on to his yacht.

It reveals how Cowell “fell in love” with Dannii, now 40 and a mum of one.

This month Dannii — on The X Factor from 2007 to 2010 — split from Kris Smith, 33, the father of her 21-month-old son Ethan, after four years.

Then Cowell became obsessed with Cheryl, 28, when she joined the show. He was “mesmerised” by her many visits to his dressing room and moved her to sit next to him on the panel.

Q-Tip signs to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label ‎

Veteran rapper-producer Q-Tip has signed a deal with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint, the label announced Wednesday.

Best known as the frontman of iconic rap group A Tribe Called Quest, the Grammy Award-winner is currently working on his fourth solo album, “The Last Zulu,” which will be released through West’s imprint and Def Jam Recordings, according to Universal Republic chairman and Chief Executive Barry Weiss, who handled the hip-hop group’s catalog on Jive Records during the 1990s.

“I am thrilled to be working with Q-Tip once again,” Weiss said in a statement. “He is a respected voice in the music community as shown by his acclaimed solo albums and countless contributions to the work of other artists. His creativity continues to surpass all boundaries of hip-hop, R&B, pop, and jazz. We welcome Q-Tip to the G.O.O.D. Music / Island Def Jam family.”

Q-Tip lent a hand in producing West's critically heralded "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," as well as the "Watch the Throne" collaboration between West and Jay-Z. He has also been in the studio with Marsha Ambrosius, Kendrick Lamar and Fiona Apple and produced tracks on Esperanza Spalding’s latest album.

“I’m excited to be a part of the great iconic Def Jam label,” Q-Tip said in the statement. “I’m humbled to be a part of such a storied history. To reconnect with Barry Weiss is a great thing. As far as G.O.O.D. Music, I'm excited to solidify my working relationship with Kanye, and I look forward to all the opportunities that lie ahead in our partnership. I will do my best to present the most cutting edge music I can.”

His last release was “Kamaal/The Abstract,” which was released in 2009 after being shelved in 2001. Further details for “The Last Zulu" will be announced in coming months.

Previously independent, West's imprint signed a “long-term, worldwide label agreement” with the Island Def Jam Music Group last year that would see any new signings to G.O.O.D. Music, like rapper Big Sean, released through Def Jam.

R&B crooner John Legend, experimental rapper Kid Cudi, Clipse member Pusha T and English singer Mr Hudson are also part of the G.O.O.D. Music imprint but are distributed through other labels. Fellow veteran Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) is also signed to the label.

Robin Gibb in Coma - Family at brave star's bedside

(The Sun) BEE Gees pop legend Robin Gibb was in a coma last night, amid fears he has only days to live.

The 62-year-old star’s family were keeping a bedside vigil.

Robin has been battling colon and liver cancer and now has pneumonia.

Family and fans of the Bee Gee were last night praying for his survival.

The singer, whose many hits include How Deep Is Your Love, recently appeared to have made a miracle recovery.

But doctors now believe a secondary tumour is present — and he has worryingly developed pneumonia.

Robin’s wife Dwina, brother Barry, 65, daughter Melissa, 37, and sons Spencer, 39, and Robin-John, 29, were at his bedside in a private hospital in Chelsea, West London.

A family friend said: “Our prayers are with Robin. He has kept so positive and always believed he could beat this.

“Sadly, it looks like he has developed pneumonia, which is very bad in his situation.

“If there is anyone you would put money on pulling through such a dire situation, it would be Robin because he is a fighter. But this is a battle he will struggle to win.”

Robin’s health problems began in October 2010, when he had emergency surgery to treat a blocked bowel.

He then had further surgery to treat a twisted bowel — the condition that killed his twin brother Maurice nine years ago at the age of 53.

Colon cancer was diagnosed and it spread to his liver.

Star bruvs ... Bee Gees Maurice, Barry and Robin in 1990

As he battled to recover, the star launched into composing a requiem for The Titanic, the doomed ship for which he has had a lifelong fascination.

The music, co-written with his son Robin-John — dubbed RJ — was premiered in central London on Thursday. Sadly, Robin was too ill to attend.

RJ said his dad — whose career has stretched from the 1960s to the present — was heartbroken to miss the live performance.

He said: “It was the one place he really wanted to be and he couldn’t be.”

Robin’s frail condition became apparent last October, when he appeared on The Alan Titchmarsh Show on ITV1 looking thin and gaunt.

Hours earlier he cancelled a meeting with David Cameron because he felt unwell and that month was rushed to hospital.

He had to cancel an appearance at the Soldiering Awards charity event last month after he was rushed to hospital for emergency stomach treatment.

His agent said it was a cause “extremely close to his heart” and he still hoped to unveil a memorial to RAF Bomber Command on June 28.

Growing crisis ... ambulance takes Robin Gibb to hospital last year

Robin, who lives in a 12th-century abbey in Thame, Oxfordshire, fears his cancer and the deaths of two of his brothers is fate paying him back for his successful career.

He told The Sun last month: “I sometimes wonder if all the tragedies my family has suffered — like Andy and Maurice dying so young and everything that’s happened to me recently — is a kind of karmic price we are paying for all the fame and fortune we’ve had.”

Praising poet wife Dwina for aiding his cancer fight, he said: “She gave me health foods and brewed herb teas for me, alongside conventional treatment.”

The Bee Gees — Robin, Barry and Maurice — sold more than 200million records with hits including Gotta Get A Message To You, Massachusetts, Stayin’ Alive and Night Fever.

Robin said last month he was in remission from cancer, adding: “I can’t wait to carry on with my work. I want all my fans to know their love helps me so much.”

A spokesman declined to comment last night.

Rolling Stones Heading to Studio to ‘Get the Feel Again’

With the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Rolling Stones fast approaching, speculation about what the band might or might not do to commemorate the date continues. The guitarist Ronnie Wood offered some tantalizing hints on Monday, saying that the group would go into a recording studio later this month “to just bat some ideas around” and “get the feel again.”

Mr. Wood, who joined the Stones in 1975 after the departure of Mick Taylor, spoke to reporters at a news conference in New York at the opening of an exhibition of his paintings, “Faces, Time and Places.” Mr. Wood is the junior member of the band, and his opinions carry less weight than those of Mick Jagger or Keith Richards, who have traditionally supplied the group’s material and direction, but in the context of the Stones’ complicated internal politics Mr. Wood is close to Mr. Richards and often shares his views.

Whether or not the 50th anniversary might be accompanied by a recording of new studio material, which would be the first since “A Bigger Bang” in 2005, was not clear from Mr. Wood’s remarks. But he suggested that a tour might be in the offing, its date yet to be determined.

“It’s like working out for the Olympics or something,” he said of preparations for going on the road, according to The Associated Press. “You’ve got to go into training. So we’re going to go into training.”

Exactly when the 50th anniversary actually occurs is a matter of some debate. The band first played together as the Rollin’ Stones on July 12, 1962, according to two books written by its former bass player Bill Wyman. But that configuration featured only three members of the ensemble that would record the first single, Chuck Berry’s “Come On,” backed by Willie Dixon’s “I Want to Be Loved,” in May 1963: Mr. Wyman joined the band in December 1962, and the drummer Charlie Watts signed on a month later.

Theoretically then, the Stones could, if they so desired, milk any 50th-anniversary commemoration well into 2013; sometime this fall, a documentary tracing the band’s history is scheduled to be released. But in separate interviews with Rolling Stone published last month, Mr. Jagger and Mr. Richards suggested that a tour this year was unlikely because the band is rusty; 2013 would be “more realistic,” Mr. Richards said.

That article also noted that the Stones gathered in a studio in London in December to play together for the first time since August 2007. Among those taking part was Mr. Wyman, who left the band in 1992 with an acrimonious blast at Mr. Jagger and Mr. Richards that was amplified in his autobiography, “Stone Alone.”

Both Mr. Jagger and Mr. Richards, who suffered a head injury while on vacation in Fiji in 2006, have performed in public recently, as if whetting their appetite for more live shows. Mr. Jagger sang at the White House in February alongside B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Jeff Beck at a celebration of the blues, and Mr. Richards, who has also been working on a solo record, joined Eric Clapton at the Apollo Theater that month in a memorial concert for the influential blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin.

So something appears to be up. As definitive proof there’s a message the Stones posted on their Web site on March 29, titled “The Rolling Stones need your help”: “Dear Rolling Stones fans, We’re gearing up to celebrate our 50th anniversary with a lot of exciting plans, and we’d appreciate your help with some of them. Have you got any interesting photos, videos or audio of the band or band members?” The post ended by saying that “it’s been a wild ride, and there’s plenty more to come.”

Guitar amp pioneer Jim Marshall dies aged 88

Guitar amp innovator Jim Marshall, dubbed "the Father of Loud" for creating kit used by some of rock's biggest names, has died aged 88.

Mr Marshall, who originally owned a music shop in London, founded Marshall Amplification 50 years ago. He had suffered several strokes in recent years, and developed cancer at the end of 2011, his son said.

A statement posted on the company's website called him a "legendary man" who led a "truly remarkable life". Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain are among the musicians who used Marshall amps.

Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash tweeted: "The news of Jim Marshall passing is deeply saddening. R & R will never be the same w/out him. But, his amps will live on FOREVER!"

Motley Crue bass player Nikki Sixx also paid tribute on Twitter, saying Marshall was "responsible for some of the greatest audio moments in music's history - and 50% responsible of all our hearing loss."

Speaking to Radio Four's Front Row programme on Thursday, musician Paul Weller said he used a Marshall amp that was "at least 40 years old and still sounds fantastic".

"For me it's the exactly right amp for the job," said the former Jam and Style Council frontman. "I don't know if anyone's particularly improved on it, to be honest."

Jim Marshall began building amplifiers in the early 1960s, using the Fender Bassman amp as a model, creating what later became known as "the Marshall sound".

After talking to Pete Townshend and Ritchie Blackmore, who were customers at the shop, he realised there was a gap in the market to make a cheaper alternative to the other models available at the time.

It took him six attempts to create an amp he was happy with.

As the company grew, Mr Marshall expanded his product range, unveiling the Master Volume Marshall amps and the classic JCM800 split channel amps.

"Jim rose to become one of the forefathers responsible for creating the tools that allowed rock guitar, as we know and love it today, to be born," the statement said.

"In addition to the creation of the amps, chosen by countless guitar heroes and game changing bands, Jim was also an incredibly humble and generous man who, over the past several decades, has quietly donated many millions of pounds to worthy causes."

Marshall amplifiers were such a fixture of the rock scene that they featured prominently in the spoof documentary This is Spinal Tap.

In a famous scene from the film, guitarist Nigel Tufnel proudly showed off his Marshall stack which went up to 11. He explained it was "one louder" than usual amplifiers.

In 2003, Marshall he was given the OBE for his services to music and charity. He was a regular supporter of Macmillan and the Willen Hospice.

He also donated money to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, where he was treated for tuberculosis as a child.

The Marshall Amps company, which is now based in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a tribute concert at Wembley Arena.

Lemmy, from the rock band Motorhead, also owns Marshall equipment

Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Whitesnake and The Cult are among the bands who have been lined up to play at the September event.

Mr Marshall will be remembered alongside guitarmakers Leo Fender and Les Paul for shaping the sound of the modern electric guitar.

He is survived by his children Terry and Victoria and step-children Paul and Dawn.

Guitar amp pioneer Jim Marshall dies aged 88

Guitar amp innovator Jim Marshall, dubbed "the Father of Loud" for creating kit used by some of rock's biggest names, has died aged 88.

Mr Marshall, who originally owned a music shop in London, founded Marshall Amplification 50 years ago.

He had suffered several strokes in recent years, and developed cancer at the end of 2011, his son said.

A statement posted on the company's website called him a "legendary man" who led a "truly remarkable life".

Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain are among the musicians who used Marshall amps.

Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash tweeted: "The news of Jim Marshall passing is deeply saddening. R & R will never be the same w/out him. But, his amps will live on FOREVER!"

Jim Marshall talking about his invention to the BBC in 1989

Motley Crue bass player Nikki Sixx also paid tribute on Twitter, saying Marshall was "responsible for some of the greatest audio moments in music's history - and 50% responsible of all our hearing loss."

Speaking to Radio Four's Front Row programme on Thursday, musician Paul Weller said he used a Marshall amp that was "at least 40 years old and still sounds fantastic".

"For me it's the exactly right amp for the job," said the former Jam and Style Council frontman. "I don't know if anyone's particularly improved on it, to be honest."

Jim Marshall began building amplifiers in the early 1960s, using the Fender Bassman amp as a model, creating what later became known as "the Marshall sound".

After talking to Pete Townshend and Ritchie Blackmore, who were customers at the shop, he realised there was a gap in the market to make a cheaper alternative to the other models available at the time.

It took him six attempts to create an amp he was happy with.

As the company grew, Mr Marshall expanded his product range, unveiling the Master Volume Marshall amps and the classic JCM800 split channel amps.

"Jim rose to become one of the forefathers responsible for creating the tools that allowed rock guitar, as we know and love it today, to be born," the statement said.

"In addition to the creation of the amps, chosen by countless guitar heroes and game changing bands, Jim was also an incredibly humble and generous man who, over the past several decades, has quietly donated many millions of pounds to worthy causes."

Marshall amplifiers were such a fixture of the rock scene that they featured prominently in the spoof documentary This is Spinal Tap.

In a famous scene from the film, guitarist Nigel Tufnel proudly showed off his Marshall stack which went up to 11. He explained it was "one louder" than usual amplifiers.

In 2003, Marshall he was given the OBE for his services to music and charity. He was a regular supporter of Macmillan and the Willen Hospice.

He also donated money to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, where he was treated for tuberculosis as a child.

The Marshall Amps company, which is now based in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a tribute concert at Wembley Arena.

Lemmy, from the rock band Motorhead, also owns Marshall equipment

Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Whitesnake and The Cult are among the bands who have been lined up to play at the September event.

Mr Marshall will be remembered alongside guitarmakers Leo Fender and Les Paul for shaping the sound of the modern electric guitar.

He is survived by his children Terry and Victoria and step-children Paul and Dawn.