Posts By Mark Graham

June 27th, 2011 | 3:00 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Song Of The Summer Countdown: Will Katy Perry Claim Her Third S.O.T.S In Four Years?

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For the first time since we started counting down this year’s Song Of The Summer, someone other than Adele is sitting in the proverbial cat bird’s seat. Weirdly enough, though, “Rolling In The Deep” has been usurped by another song that audiences first heard back in 2010.

While we’re plenty excited that Katy Perry‘s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” knocked Adele out of the top spot, we can’t help but lament the fact that Katy Perry is still ruling the airwaves with songs from her Teenage Dream album. If you’ll recall, that record came out way back on August 24, 2010, but last year’s Song Of The Summer, “California Gurls,” was released even further back (May 11, 2010, to be exact). And if you flip the calendar back to the summer of 2008, Perry’s first smash single, “I Kissed A Girl,” was that summer’s biggest party jam.

So, folks, you tell us: What exactly is it about the summertime that makes you want to listen to Katy Perry? Why does her particular blend of breezy pop music make you want to roll your windows down and turn the singles from Teenage Dream up? Let us know in the comments, and check back here next week to see if Katy can fend off the likes of Britney Spears, Pitbull and Lady Gaga to keep the top spot in VH1′s Song Of The Summer countdown!

June 24th, 2011 | 1:24 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Gavin DeGraw Set To Debut His New Video For “Not Over You” Monday on Big Morning Buzz Live

Tags: Not Over You by Gavin Degraw, Gavin Degraw, Gavin Degraw Lyrics

Exciting news to share with you guys. We just got word that the talented singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw will be making an appearance at our offices here in Times Square this coming Monday, June 27. He’ll be stopping by the set of Big Morning Buzz Live, which airs every weekday starting at 9:30 a.m., to present the world premiere debut of the music video for his new song, “Not Over You.” And to mark this occasion, Gavin himself sent us this exclusive clip earlier this morning as a way to help get the word out to his fans.

If you can’t catch the Monday morning debut on Big Morning Buzz Live, don’t fret: We’ll have it here for you on the VH1 Blog as soon as it airs, and it will also appear on next week’s Top 20 Video Countdown show as well.

June 23rd, 2011 | 6:30 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

A Handy Guide To Which Of The Four Finalists On The Voice You Should Root For

From L to R: Javier Colon, Dia Frampton, Vicci Martinez and Beverly McClellan.

Thanks to a combination of high wattage star power and a weakened roster of American Idol candidates, NBC’s The Voice was able to capture the fancy of American television audiences this springtime and delivered huge viewership numbers to its network. Last night, the judges and audience voted to select the show’s four finalists. If you haven’t been watching (or even if you have!), we put together a quick primer for you on who the remaining candidates are and why you should root for them, which you can use to prepare for next week’s finale, airing on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

WHO: Javier Colon (Top Left)
COACH: Adam Levine
SOUNDS LIKE: Brian McKnight
WHY YOU SHOULD ROOT FOR HIM: Funny, the reason you should root for him is the same as why some are rooting against him. You see, Javier Colon released two albums —he was simply called Javier at that time— on Capitol Records in the mid-aughts. Some would argue that he never really got a fair shake from his label during those tumultuous years for the industry, while others would say that he’s already got his shot and doesn’t deserve another one.

WHO: Dia Frampton (Top Right)
COACH: Blake Shelton
SOUNDS LIKE: Vanessa Carlton
WHY YOU SHOULD ROOT FOR HER: Much like her competitor Javier Colon, Frampton has a major label background; along with her sister Meg, the two released the album Here, Here, and Here on Sire Records in 2009. They were later dropped by Warner Bros., Sire’s parent company, in July of 2010. Will America give her another chance to make it big?

June 23rd, 2011 | 5:30 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Voting For Your Favorite Videos Is Easier Than Ever With Our New VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown Site!

Good news, VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown fans! Earlier this afternoon, we launched a brand new site which makes both watching and voting for your favorite videos easier than ever. Just head over to top20.vh1.com and check it out our new digs.

Not only can you now cast up to 20 votes for your favorite videos per week, you can also share your votes with your followers on Twitter and your Facebook friends. This makes it easier than ever to rally support for your fave videos and, hopefully, propel them up our weekly chart.

Don’t forget to tune in to VH1 each and every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. ET/PT to catch host Jim Shearer count down what’s topping the chart that week.

June 22nd, 2011 | 7:00 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Last Lap: Wednesday’s Odds And Ends In Music News

KATY PERRY‘S NEXT RECORD, THE BALLAD OF BROOKSLEY BORN, SET TO BE A ROCK OPERA ABOUT OTC DERIVATIVES
We kid, we kid. However, in the new issue of Rolling Stone, which hit newsstands today, the California Gurl talks at length about her newfound awareness of what makes this great land of ours tick. “It just feels like the thing running our country is a bank, money,” she tells RS contributing editor Erik Hedegaard. “I know it sounds like an intense viewpoint, but I’m only slowly but surely getting the wool taken off my eyes. When I was a kid, I asked questions about my faith. Now I’m asking questions about the world.” Lest you think she’s totally lost her way and turned into a stuffy economics obsessive, she then goes on to talk about her boobs. [Rolling Stone]

BEYONCÉ RUMOR MILL CONTINUES TO CHURN
Hot on the heels of last week’s rumors that Beyoncé‘s new album, 4, was going to be pushed back to September, this morning’s New York Post contained a juicy item planted by someone who clearly isn’t on Team Bey. According to the ~~snitch~~ source, Columbia Records execs are “very nervous about Beyonc?’s new record” because “it doesn’t have the hit songs that her fans are used to. They asked her to make changes, but she said no.” The last time we remember this much behind-the-scenes drama playing out in the gossip rags before a record came out was when Kelly Clarkson and Clive Davis got into a very public beef before My December hit shelves. [Page Six]

June 22nd, 2011 | 5:00 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

VH1 To Broadcast Coldplay – Live From Glastonbury On Saturday Night

After the massive worldwide success of Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends and its ensuing 21-month world tour, Coldplay had clearly earned the right to take a little time off. However, the band did exactly the opposite of that: While they were in the midst of the Viva La Vida tour, they began writing and recording a brand new album, one that Chris Martin described to BBC’s Radio 1 as dealing with universal themes like “love, addiction, OCD, escape and working for someone you don’t like.”

While this album, Coldplay’s fifth, does not yet have a name nor a release date, the band is already out on the road and debuting new tracks. The first single from the album, “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall,” is in contention for the Song Of The Summer crown, and this weekend, the band will be headlining the Glastonbury Music Festival in England.

If you’re bummed that you can’t make it to England, we’ve got some great news to share: On Saturday night, June 25, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, VH1 and our sister station Palladia will be broadcasting Coldplay – Live From Glastonbury in its entirety, marking the first time in the festival?s 41-year history that a full concert will be broadcast to television audiences in the United States.

For the complete press release, read on…

June 22nd, 2011 | 1:15 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

We Tip Our Caps To The Suddenly Hatless Javier Colon’s Performance Of “Fix You”

We’re nearing the end of the first season of NBC’s The Voice, the show that has revitalized the entire genre of ~~glorified karaoke~~ singing competition programming. The show has been a massive ratings success for the struggling Peacock Network; so much so, in fact, that NBC has the confidence to air a 1-hour special of The Voice in the plum post-Super Bowl slot come February (that is, if an NFL season actually happens) and program it against the reigning champ of the genre, American Idol.

While it remains to be seen whether or not American audiences will be able to stomach two high-profile singing competitions on network television at the same time, The Voice has proven itself to be just what the doctor ordered for the summer network TV viewing season, which is ordinarily filled with either reruns or new shows that network execs have very little faith in. Big name talent like Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Maroon 5‘s Adam Levine have all upped their profile considerably, Carson Daly seems to be having the most fun he’s had since his TRL heyday, and heck, the competitors themselves have turned out to be fairly engaging, too.

Take Javier Colon, for example. The amiable 34 year-old father of two (and former Capitol records signee) seems to be the consensus favorite at this stage of the competition, and his performance of Coldplay‘s “Fix You” last night was such a knockout that it briefly clawed its way into the iTunes Top 10 singles chart. Not to take anything away from Colon, but everyone knows that it’s the majestic, shimmery guitar crescendo that gives “Fix You” its rousing power, not its lyrics or Colon’s (or, for that matter, Chris Martin‘s) voice. That said, Colon made sure to seize the moment by tossing his trademark cap into the audience and showing America his gleaming pate for the first time. Now, if we were coaching Colon, we would have advised him to save that move for the finals but, as such, it looks like his path to the next round is secure.

June 20th, 2011 | 1:45 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Song Of The Summer Countdown: Is The Summer Of Pitbull Nearly Upon Us?

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Now that we’re four weeks into this year’s race to determine the Song Of The Summer, the race is finally starting to heat up. Adele still has a firm grasp on the #1 spot, but closer analysis reveals that the gap between her and those who would gladly take her position is closing (thanks to minor slips in iTunes sales and the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown this week).

While Adele isn’t giving up her throne anytime soon, it looks pretty clear at this point that Miami rapper Pitbull is shaping up to have his Best Summer Ever. He’s currently got three songs resting comfortably in the S.O.T.S. Top 20: He contributes guest vocals to both Jennifer Lopez‘s “On The Floor” and Shakira‘s new chart entry, “Rabiosa,” and he’s also the lead artist on the club-friendly “Give Me Everything.” Not only that, his new single with Marc Anthony, “Rain Over Me,” is just starting to bubble up and could make a strong run itself after his new album, Planet Pit, drops tomorrow.

Also, while we’re talking about potential songs that could dethrone “Rolling In The Deep,” keep an eye on Lady Gaga’s “The Edge Of Glory” next week. The video just debuted on Thursday night, and even though it underwhelmed many upon its release, the song should benefit greatly from increased exposure in the wake of Clarence Clemons’ tragic passing this week.

Got any thoughts on the Song Of The Summer? Tweet us @vh1 or leave your comments below!

June 18th, 2011 | 11:35 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

R.I.P. Clarence Clemons (1942-2011)

Sad news to pass along this evening: Clarence “Big Man” Clemons, the renowned saxophone player in Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band, passed away earlier this evening as a result of complications from the stroke he suffered earlier this week.

We’d like to pay our respects to The Big Man by programming 24 hours of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band on VH1 Classic. Starting at 7 p.m. on Sunday night, we’ll be airing the concert films Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in New York City (2000) and Live In Barcelona (2002) back-to-back for 24 consecutive hours.

Clemons first rose to prominence in 1971 after agreeing to team up with fellow Asbury Park, NJ musician Bruce Springsteen. The Bruce Springsteen Band, as they were called back then, didn’t make it very far, but Bruce reconstituted the group a few years later under the moniker of the E Street Band and, as they say, the rest is history. Clemons became an instrumental part of Springsteen’s band, contributing some of the most famous sax solos in music history on songs like “Born To Run” and “Jungleland,” and was such an integral part of Springsteen’s creative process that The Boss wrote the song “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and included their origin story as part of one of the verses.

Earlier this evening, Springsteen released the following statement about Clemons:
Read more…

June 17th, 2011 | 6:19 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Rumors Of On-Set Creative Clashes Mar The Release Of Lady Gaga’s Video For “The Edge Of Glory”

When word first broke last month that Lady Gaga was prepping a video for her Song Of The Summer contender “The Edge Of Glory,” acclaimed music video director Joseph Kahn was attached to the project. However, before Gaga’s new Rent-tastic video debuted on So You Think You Can Dance last night, Kahn tweeted the following:

Which was followed up by this:

Naturally, this apparent Gaga diss by Kahn infuriated the Little Monsters, who barraged Kahn so relentlessly on Twitter that his name became a trending topic “for all the wrong reasons.” After Gaga refused to come to his aid on Twitter, anonymous insiders close to production talked to the New York Post’s PopWrap blog and detailed the “disagreements” that occured on set between Gaga and Kahn, disagreements that led to Kahn disavowing the project entirely (the finished video for “The Edge Of Glory” is now listed as being directed by Haus of Gaga).