nina simone
Ed Sheeran Sings In London Court to Defend His Authorship of ‘Shape Of You’
LONDON — Ed Sheeran sang a brief burst of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” in London’s High Court on Tuesday (March 8), while giving evidence in a copyright trial over one of his biggest hits. Sheeran is in a legal dispute with songwriters Sami Chokri, who performs under the name Sami Switch, and Ross O’Donoghue over Sheeran’s 2017 hit single “Shape of You.” Chokri and O’Donoghue argue that the global hit lifts “particular lines and phrases” from their 2015 single “Oh Why” – allegations denied by Sheeran and “Shape of You” co-writers Steven McCutcheon, better known as Steve Mac, and John McDaid. Giving evidence for a second day in a trial expected to last up to three weeks, Sheeran sang parts of “Feeling Good” and his 2013 single “I See Fire,” as well as the “Oh I, Oh I, Oh I” chorus hook from...
The Reissue Section: Summer 2021
From deep jazz spiritualism to big dumb rock, Summer 2021 has been chockfull of archival releases of old favorites, obscure discoveries and newly unearthed recordings that will appeal to a vast array of music fans with ice cream money to burn. I keep hearing about how the CD era is dead and all that stuff. But this current cache of archival titles continues to prove the compact disc is very much a format that continues to bring joy and happiness to a large swath of the music-buying public. So yes, CD players still belong in cars, you savages! Stone Temple PilotsTiny Music…Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop Deluxe Edition (Atlantic/Rhino) Third albums are the ones that tend to cement an act’s career in a way that either helps them ascend to new heights or sink like a stone. For Stone Temple P...
Zoe Saldana Apologizes For Playing Nina Simone in Biopic
In a new interview, Zoe Saldana says she’s “sorry” for playing Nina Simone in the 2016 biopic, Nina. The actress opened up about the experience during a Bese interview with Steven Canals, co-creator of FX’s Pose, saying, “Nina had a life and a journey that should be honored to the specific detail.” Saldana’s comment comes years after she was criticized for playing the legendary singer, ultimately wearing dark makeup, a prosthetic nose, and false teeth for the film. “I should have done everything in my power with the leverage that I had 10 years ago — which was a different leverage, but it was leverage nonetheless — I should have tried everything in my power to cast a Black woman to play an exceptionally perfect Black woman,” Saldana tol...
Nick Cave Praises Nina Simone in Latest Red Hand Files Essay
While Nick Cave has admitted that he’ll likely not be coming out with protest or politically-driven music anytime soon, that doesn’t mean he won’t celebrate who does. In his latest entry for The Red Hand Files, Cave celebrates Nina Simone and her live recording of “My Sweet Lord.” Originally written and performed by George Harrison, the track was part of Simone’s 1972 live LP, Emergency Ward!, which showed her opposition to the Vietnam War. “Nina Simone’s interpretation of George Harrison’s gentle cosmic entreaty ends up, in her hands, as a howl of spiritual abandonment and accusation,” he wrote before doing an analysis of the song. Starting with the cheers for Simone at the beginning of the recording, Cave carefully points out the nuances and layers. “This rendition is a gospel thrill rid...
