Enjoy this beautiful instrumental song, The Shimmer of Sindhu, composed by award-winning musical director A.R. Rahman for the movie Mohenjo Daro. Visit his website to learn more: www.arrahman.com.
Music and Social: Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Twitter, Instagram.
— Written and compiled (citing sources) by Ken Chawkin for The Uncarved Blog.
What Carlos Santana said to The New York Pops
Rob Thomas filmed and posted on Instagram what Carlos Santana said to The New York Pops Orchestra during a rehearsal at Carnegie Hall for The New York Pops 41st Birthday Gala titled, The Soundtrack of Our Lives: A Tribute to the Legendary Clive Davis (Monday, April 29, 2024). Carlos Santana and “Smooth” (official) collaborator Rob Thomas were among the 22 guest artists who performed with 78 musicians of The New York Pops. They also celebrated Clive Davis’s birthday. He turned 92 April 4th.
As musicians we are given the gift to help humans feel the totality of themselves. Because a lot of people feel like they’re not worthy. They walk around… Most people are not happy unless they’re miserable. You know. And it’s our duty as musicians to open them up and help them feel their totality. You know. It’s not ego. It’s just that people forget that we are spirit first. And then chromosomes and molecules and blood, and bones, and all that stuff later. But as musicians, with each note, we compel people to: claim back your divinity, claim back your light. We’re not wretched sinners. And we’re not a mistake. We are grand, because we are made from the Grand Design. Thank you for sharing your light and your music. And you will see, you will see that when people start dancing, they get chills and they start crying and laughing. It’s church. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Anything else is show business. I don’t know anything about that. (He blows them a kiss. They laugh and applaud.) — Carlos Santana
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song (2022)
This inspiring biographical documentary examines the life and influence of singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen through the lens of his most famous song, “Hallelujah.” It’s available on Digital, Blu-ray, and DVD: https://bit.ly/GetHallelujah. It’s also included in a Netflix subscription. Sony Pictures Entertainment posted the First 7 Minutes.
Directors Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine, and head of the Cohen estate/Executive Producer Robert Kory discuss HALLELUJAH: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This was the first RRHF screening and discussion since the covid pandemic had shut them down for a year. See the 42-minute video.
Why Leonard Cohen came out of retirement to tour again
After leaving the Mount Baldy Zen Center where he had spent several years in retirement meditating and serving his Roshi, Cohen soon discovered that his manager had siphoned off all of his money leaving him penniless. He had to get back to work. He put a band together and after rehearsing for 3 months, Leonard Cohen, his backup singers, and the band performed their first concert in a small Canadian Maritime venue. Word spread and they kept performing at sold out venues and shows. The demand became so great they played sold-out concerts all over the world for 5 years! It more than made up for his loses and blessed those thousands of lucky attendees. Not bad for an old retiree!
Musical collaborator Sharon Robinson said: “Leonard really honored his audiences. He said every night before the show: ‘We’re gonna give you everything we’ve got.’” And Leonard concluded each show saying: “Thanks so much friends, it’s been a real privilege and an honor to play for you tonight.”
What Leonard Cohen said here gets to the essence of what makes for a memorable concert.
The only way you can sell a concert is to put yourself at risk. And if you don’t do that, people know, and they go home with a feeling that they liked the songs, but you know, they prefer to listen to them at home. But if you can really stand at the center of your song, if you can inhabit that space and really stand for the complexity of your own emotions, then everybody feels good. The musicians feel good, and you feel good, and the people who’ve come feel good. — Leonard Cohen
What some musicians said after hearing a Leonard Cohen concert
New York writer Larry “Ratso” Sloman said Leonard Cohen “was always a spiritual seeker, and that gave him a dimension that most rock stars couldn’t even fathom.”
John Lissauer, who produced Leonard’s 1984 album, “Various Positions”, which includes “Hallelujah”, commented, “When people hear ‘Hallelujah’, it must be something so universal. It’s really, really powerful. And that’s a big deal. We don’t get to be involved in very many things that hit people as strongly as that does.”
Towards the end of the film various artists commented on how they felt seeing Leonard Cohen in concert.
I was doing my first-ever solo show at Coachella, and I remember looking at the lineup and going: “Oh my God! Leonard Cohen.” Seeing Leonard Cohen felt like a beautiful, holy moment, to be outside with all of those people watching him. It was a church moment.” (2009 Coachella Music Festival, Indio, California) — Amanda Palmer
You get this feeling of having a modern prayer. I think that’s why people were coming to the shows so much because they were getting that feeling. Even how he thanked everybody, everybody in the crew, and all the different jobs that people did to put together the show. It was like an instruction manual on how to be in the world. It’s like you can be this good, you really can. — Regina Spektor
When Judy Collins first met Leonard Cohen and heard him sing “Suzanne” for her, she told him she was going to record his song the next day. It was included on her 1966 landmark album, In My Life. She later forcefully invited him to sing “Suzanne” at a town hall charity event attended by many well-known musicians. He was so nervous he couldn’t complete the song, apologized, and walked off stage, which endeared him to the audience. Judy convinced him to return and finish the song. Judy Collins sang “Suzanne” with Leonard Cohen on her PBS TV “Soundstage” concert performance in January 1976. That episode helped launch his career as a special singer-songwriter. In this documentary film she summarized:
People who respond to him in the way they do—and they respond to him all over the world, of course—are responding to something that is different. You’re getting things that are so deep and so resonant in your own spiritual journey, that you are benefitting from his. And that’s of course the highest compliment to a poet or a songwriter. — Judy Collins
There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.
For more on L. Cohen, see an earlier post, which opens with his song, “Anthem”, where Leonard Cohen said, There is a crack in everything / That’s how the light gets in. There’s more on “Hallelujah”, “Suzanne”, links to articles, interviews, posthumous publications (books & albums) and celebrations of his life.
Another film worth watching is Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love (2019)—a sensitive in-depth look at the relationship between Leonard Cohen and his Norwegian muse Marianne Ihlen. More relevant content has been added in the previous post about it.
To see other inspiring artists featured on The Uncarved Blog, scroll through the Archive of the ‘Music’ Category.
— Written and compiled (citing sources) by Ken Chawkin for The Uncarved Blog.
Postscript: Speaking of creating a church moment, on May 31, 2024, Angelina Jordan premiered her own powerful rendition, with Toby Gad, of the hit song he co-wrote with BC Jean for Beyonce, If I Were A Boy (Piano Diaries), recorded in a London church.
I first listened to Canadian harpist Kristan Toczko when she performed Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune. She recently posted a video on Instagram plucking harp strings to Walking in the Air, a song featured in the 1982 animated film, The Snowman. Both are played beautifully!!
Kristan played a sample of it on lever harp. She also played Für Elise.
Here is that scene, Walking in the Air, from the animated film, The Snowman, Opus 310, September 1982. Howard Blake’s original soundtrack features the voice of Peter Auty. This is the only section of The Snowman movie to feature any kind of human voice, the remainder of the film being carried purely by music and visuals, a highly unique and bold approach at the time. © Channel 4 Films www.howardblake.com
I loved it so much I bought myself these three Christmas gifts in 2012: the Picture Book, CD, and DVD.
Here is a new edit (1080p) of Channel 4’s classic The Snowman with the original introduction by author Raymond Briggs (26:34). Another version has an introduction by David Bowie. Music by Howard Blake.
— Written and compiled (citing sources) by Ken Chawkin for The Uncarved Blog.
On June 1st, Netflix launched an exciting new film — A Beautiful Life (2023). Danish pop star Christopher showcases his musical talent as he makes his leading role debut in this emotional romantic drama about music’s healing powers. He wrote and sang all the songs for A Beautiful Life, which was directed by Mehdi Avaz and written by Stefan Jaworski.
When Elliott (Christopher), a young fisherman with a hidden talent and an extraordinary voice gets discovered at a party by Suzanne, a high-profile music producer who is willing to give him the chance of a lifetime, he must decide if he is ready to open himself up to stardom — and love.
The film’s Official Teaser shows Christopher as Elliott singing his first song, Hope This Song Is For You, followed by the Official Trailer in Danish with English subtitles. That same trailer, and the film, are now available in English on Netflix.
It doesn’t matter who you are. What really does is who you become.
One of the main messages of the film comes out when Suzanne responds to her business partner’s doubts about Elliott. She sees his raw talent, his great potential, and assures Patrick: “It doesn’t matter who you are. The important thing is who you can become.”
“Who do you sing for when you sing?”
Suzanne asks her estranged daughter Lilly, who also heard Elliott sing, to collaborate with him, to produce his music. Their personalities clash and they get off to a rocky start. One of the first things Lilly asks him is, “Who do you sing for when you sing?” Puzzled, Elliott offers no answer.
She explains what makes a song significant, how to communicate it to an audience for it to resonate with them. This insider information is new to Elliott who listens without responding, taking it all in. This is the creative core that will powerfully manifest in the final scene and song of the film. Here is that explanation.
Imagine there’s someone you’re singing to. Someone you’re singing for.
“A song doesn’t just exist. It comes to life. Between two people. One who sings and one who listens. Whether you’re here in the studio or in a big, packed stadium with thousands of fans. You’re not performing for nothing. You have to choose a person, or you have to imagine there’s someone you’re singing to. Someone you’re singing for. If you’re not singing for anyone, then it’s all the same. Then, the song doesn’t exist. Then you don’t exist.”
The song is powerful because it personalizes the universal cycle of life, love, and loss into a story, expressing feelings an audience can relate to.
This is songwriting at its best. One of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. It put a lump in my throat and moved me to tears. It is so good it deserves a Grammy award and at least an Oscar nod if not a win!
Listen to A Beautiful Life here along with the lyrics below.
A Beautiful Life "Baby, I'm pregnant" she said And I saw my whole life Flash before my eyes So much for planning ahead We gon' be all right There won't be a right time Oh, I said, "I am way too young" I'm just a kid, I can't raise one It feels like my life is over Feels like my future's crushed And I'm gonna miss the times when It was just the two of us I don't ever want to let go Of everything that I love It sure feels like dying Saying goodbye To my beautiful life "Daddy, I can't sleep," she said Can you leave the light on? And please sing me my song And I can't help but think to myself Those green eyes and brown curls Turned into my whole world She's growing up so fast If only I could make it last It feels like my life is over Feels like my future's crushed 'Cause my baby's getting older Tomorrow she'd be all grown up I don't ever want to let go Of everything that I love I turn off the light And say goodnight To my beautiful life Pack the bags and ready to go We look at each other She looks like her mother Off to chase dreams of her own She cries in the backseat As we wave at the taxi Oh, our baby's moving out Leaving this home an empty house Feels like my life is over Feels like my future's crushed And I'm gonna miss the times when It was just the three of us I don't ever want to let go Of everything that I love It sure feels like dying Saying goodbye To my beautiful life To my beautiful life "Baby, I'm pregnant" she said And I saw my whole life Flash before my eyes You can listen to the other songs in the film's Soundtrack on Spotify. Or choose your own music service at https://christopher.lnk.to/ABeautifulLife. And visit Christopher's YouTube channel for excerpts of songs from the film. A Beautiful Life Official Music Video Today, on June 8th, Christopher premiered a new Official Music Video for the film on his YouTube channel with A Beautiful Life. He also posted a short video of the making of the music video: Christopher - A Beautiful Life Music Video (Behind The Scenes). Warner Music Canada posted: Christopher - A Beautiful Life (Full Album From Netflix Film).
“The essence of the movie”
The next day I found this June 5th video on Netflix Nordic — A Beautiful Life: Get to Know Christopher & Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. This is one of the questions they were asked, “Which scene are you most proud of?”
Christopher mentions his favorite scene with Inga to her. “It’s when you tell Elliott that a song doesn’t exist on its own. You don’t exist if you don’t have anybody to sing to. To me that’s the essence of the movie. The film is first and foremost a music movie. And you’re the one teaching Elliott to have someone to sing to. And that’s important, because if you don’t, no one can relate to it, and making music doesn’t matter. And he doesn’t have anyone. Not until the moment he looks at her and decides to write it for her. I think that’s very special. And I just sit quietly throughout the entire scene. It’s just you doing a monologue.”
Beautifully encapsulated! Christopher confirms what I mentioned under “Who do you sing for when you sing?” This is one of the most crucial and pivotal scenes in the film. It is, as he says, “the essence of the movie.”
The first time Christopher performed ‘A Beautiful Life’ at a concert
It turns out Christopher had performed ‘A Beautiful Life’ at the Seoul Jazz Festival 2023 in Korea. It was the first encore of the evening. He introduced the song, telling the audience it was the title track for an upcoming Netflix film. Seated at the piano, he confessed that he had never played it live before, then proceeded to sing it for them. Once the audience settled down, you could hear a pin drop. When the song was over they roared their approval, a welcome relief to a smiling Christopher. Everyone had a great time, especially Christopher and his band. He posted the whole May 27, 2023 concert on his channel.
Acoustic versions from ‘A Beautiful Life’ in Christopher’s tiny boat
Christopher posted three videos of him singing acoustic versions of the songs from the film with Gustav Wolter also on guitar: Led Me To You, Hope This Song Is For You, A Beautiful Life. He wrote: Busking around in the canals of beautiful Copenhagen ✨ Had to do the acoustic versions on the water in my tiny boat, as a tribute to Elliott 😉🙏🏼 Hope you enjoy ❤️🔥
Christopher later released a fourth acoustic version from his tiny boat: Honey I’m So High.
Dingo Music produce video of film’s 3 songs sung for Sound Lounge
Dingo Music produced a video of Christopher and his 2 bandmates performing the same 3 songs from the film for Sound Lounge. They played 2 songs together: ‘Hope This Song Is For You’ and ‘Led Me To You’. Then Christopher soloed on piano and sang ‘A Beautiful Life’.
Live – A Beautiful Life (AFTER PARTY)
That was followed on June 15 with Live – A Beautiful Life (AFTER PARTY) where Christopher talked about and played songs from the movie with Gustav (guitar) and Matias (keyboard) (31:10). I was lucky to see it on Replay, but it was later taken down since it was only for Premium members. YouTube had offered it as a free trial, so I guess you still have to sign up to see it. If they later release it, at 18:52 the guys leave Christopher who then shares a personal story of how he came to write ‘A Beautiful Life’ and the pivotal role it would play in the film when he sang it to Mehdi, the director. It was over 2 1/2 years ago when his wife told him she was pregnant, and his whole life flashed before him. He wrote the song that night. He performs it on the piano and then takes questions. At 27:42 he’s asked what was his favorite track from the movie and answers ‘A Beautiful Life’. But he then tells the story of how he wrote and recorded ‘Ready To Go‘ one night on the tour bus. It was too late to make it into the movie, but it’s on the soundtrack.
That same day, Netflix Nordic posted All the songs from A Beautiful Life.
A New Lyric Video for ‘A Beautiful Life’
On July 6, 2023, Christopher posted the Lyric Video for A Beautiful Life from the Netflix film, which contains clips from the film, the official music video, and a live concert singing this beautiful song.
September 27, 2023: Christopher – A Beautiful Life (From the Netflix Film ‘A Beautiful Life’) Radio Edit [Lyric Video].
More inspiring musicians and movies worth watching
To see other inspiring artists featured on The Uncarved Blog, scroll through the Archive of the ‘Music’ Category. Also see this growing list of some of my favorite romantic movies.
— Written and compiled by Ken Chawkin for The Uncarved Blog.
This is real cool! Using simple, illuminative paper-cut puppetry, this enchanting video imagines the moment of witness that inspired Gwendolyn Brooks to write her landmark poem, “We Real Cool.” It was created by Manual Cinema in association with Crescendo Literary, with story by Eve L. Ewing and Nate Marshall, and music by Jamila Woods and Ayanna Woods. Poetry Foundation posted We Real Cool on June 6, 2017 as part of the upcoming centennial celebration of her birth that year.
Everything about this video is excellent—the background story, Brooks’ dialogue, the poem read by her and sung by the chorus, the lifelike facial expressions, outlines and movements of the paper-cut puppetry, the jazzy driving music—all make for a lively and enjoyable realization.
The 6-minute video is a companion to a live staged production of No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks. It premiered November 2017 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Brooks’s birth. See the trailer for that show when it played in Vancouver at the Chan Centre. “We Real Cool” starts at 26 minutes into the 68-minute performance.
Gwendolyn Brooks (June 7, 1917-December 3, 2000) won the Pulitzer Prize at 32, and at 68, was the first black woman to become a consultant in poetry for the Library of Congress, aka the 29th Poet Laureate, 1985–86. A prolific poet, author, and teacher, she received a lifetime achievement award in 1989 from the National Endowment for the Arts.
It’s interesting how some poets are only remembered for one special poem. In this 1986 HoCoPoLitSo interview with Gwendolyn Brooks for The Writing Life series (remastered in 2005), she was asked how she felt about being remembered for only this one poem (18:38). She said that the poem was published in many anthologies and that children always ask her to read “We Real Cool” and respond enthusiastically.
But in the short video she says she “would prefer it if the textbook compilers and the anthologists would assume that I’ve written a few other poems,” and then the camera pans over many of her books.
At 19:45 she tells the story behind how she came to write “We Real Cool,” which forms the basis for the storyline of the short video. In the lead up to the poem, she happens to see seven students shooting pool at the Golden Shovel. But instead of asking myself, “Why aren’t they in school?” I asked myself, “I wonder how they feel about themselves?”
But instead of asking myself, “Why aren’t they in school?” I asked myself, “I wonder how they feel about themselves?”
Gwendolyn Brooks’ thoughts on seeing The Pool Players, Seven at the Golden Shovel, which became her poem, “We Real Cool.”
Instead of judging the students, her curiosity and compassion cause her to look deeper. She shares her thoughts about the boys’ situation, and is then asked to recite the poem, which she does at 21:05.
Gwendolyn Brooks, “We Real Cool,” was recorded on May 3, 1983, as part of the Academy of American Poets reading series, held at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. It first appeared in print in the September 1959 issue of Poetry magazine. You can see the poem and hear Gwendolyn Brooks read “We Real Cool” from Selected Poems on the Poetry Foundation website. Copyright © 1963 by Gwendolyn Brooks.
— Written and compiled (citing sources) by Ken Chawkin for The Uncarved Blog.
Martin Scorsese recently interviewed Steven Spielberg following an NYC screening of The Fabelmans at the Directors Guild of America Theater.
Deadline posted this article about it: Steven Spielberg Tells Martin Scorsese Why A Very Private Director Made ‘The Fabelmans’ & How Laura Dern Convinced David Lynch To Play John Ford.
In it, Spielberg mentions how he and his wife had learned TM, Transcendental Meditation, 3 years ago through the David Lynch Foundation. He also revealed how the idea came up to ask David Lynch to play the role of John Ford in the film, how he pulled it off, and how David Lynch prepared for his cameo role. Apparently, David was unrecognizable as he took on the persona of the late, great filmmaker.
Entertainment writer Tomris Laffly was at the Q&A and posted several video clips of that conversation on Twitter, for which we are grateful.
And here is a part of that movie clip they talked about, especially the cigar-lighting scene, which Amanda Dugan just tweeted of David Lynch as John Ford in The Fabelmans. She later sent me the full YouTube clip of David Lynch as John Ford, which I’ve embedded here.
Later added: On Jan 5, 2023, Jimmy Kimmel asked Laura Dern to share the story of how Steven Spielberg asked her to get David Lynch to play the role of John Ford in his film. She was the catalyst in bringing both of these master film directors together to “pay homage” to the master filmmaker they both admired. It’s from 4:36-6:40 and is cued up below.
These articles are worth reading: ScreenRant: David Lynch’s Cameo In Spielberg’s The Fabelmans Explained, Vulture: The Fabelmans’ Brilliant David Lynch Cameo Is All About Perspective, and The Film Stage: Watch Steven Spielberg Talk to Martin Scorsese About How David Lynch Became John Ford.
At the bottom of The Film Stage article, they embed a video from 11 years ago — Spielberg/Grazer/Howard – “John Ford” — of Spielberg recounting in detail the real-life story, when he was 15, of meeting John Ford, which, decades later, would became the ending for The Fabelmans.
In this later video by The Back Focus: David Lynch’s Strange & Surprising Acting Career, Brandon Hardesty quotes Spielberg at 21:23 saying: “I got to know David when he played John Ford in The Fabelmans. Here was one of my heroes — David Lynch — playing one of my heroes. It was surreal and seemed like a scene out of one of David’s own movies.”
Interestingly, Bob Roth @meditationbob had taught TM to both the Scorseses and the Spielbergs. CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, Bob is one of the most sought-after TM teachers around. He has taught thousands of people from all walks of life, including many of today’s top celebrities, like Lady Gaga and Oprah, Ellen, Katy Perry, Sheryl Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Liv Tyler, among others.
— Written and compiled (citing sources) by Ken Chawkin for The Uncarved Blog.
Many of us have been isolated during the pandemic lockdown and ended up watching a lot of movies. I particularly enjoyed revisiting a few popular romantic comedies. Having seen them when they first came out in theaters years ago, I was pleasantly reminded that these four award-winning box-office hits were all made by Richard Curtis.
Universal Pictures UK had posted a video on YouTube of memorable moments from four wonderful romcoms: Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, and About Time.
The video was used to launch his latest film at that time, About Time, promoting it with the beautiful theme song, How Long Will I Love You?, movingly sung by Ellie Goulding from her new album, Halcyon Days.
I’d seen these films again, most recently About Time. It’s a sweet story about using time travel to improve romantic outcomes, with an edifying conclusion. The theme song was relevant and touching. While searching for it online I discovered this video using it to highlight all four films.
Ellie Goulding’s cover of a Waterboys song used in the About Time official soundtrack reminded me of Dan Fogelberg‘s beautiful song, Longer. Both songs profess loving someone forever. Watch her music video of the song intermixed with visuals from the film.
Another cover of the song in the film’s OST is by Jon Boden, Sam Sweeney & Ben Coleman. The Waterboys original 1990 song on their Room to Roam album was remastered in 2008.
Richard Curtis also wrote the screenplay to the musical romantic comedy, Yesterday. I loved it and created this post: Can you imagine a world without the Beatles? Watch the new film “Yesterday” to find out.
See this earlier post on some of my favorite romantic films. I later added: Writing, literature, life and love intersect in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The spring rains renew life and the promise of love in this film, A Good Rain Knows, inspired by the poetry of Du Fu. And much later on: Christopher sings ‘A Beautiful Life’ for this Netflix film—a song about life, loss, becoming, and love.
If you like, please leave a comment with your favorite films.
Later added: Speaking of time travel, romance, and Rachel McAdams, she starred in the 2009 film, The Time Traveler’s Wife, directed by Robert Schwentke, where a Chicago librarian has a gene that causes him to involuntarily time travel, creating complications in his marriage.
The Time Traveler’s Wife was made into a 6-part HBO series in 2022, based on the 2003 novel by Audrey Niffenegger, and starred Rose Leslie as Clare. Developed and written by Steven Moffat, the TV series was cancelled after one season.
Female First published an article about Penelope Cruz and how meditation (TM) has been helping her forget the stresses and struggles in her life. I checked and received verification that she was recently taught Transcendental Meditation in Spain. The article has been picked up by many media outlets.
Meditation is Penelope Cruz’s escape
Penelope Cruz uses transcendental meditation to ease any stress in her life.
5 September 2021
The Oscar-winning actress – who has two children, 10-year-old son Leo and eight-year-old daughter Luna, with her actor husband Javier Bardem – first experimented with meditation when she was a teenager but she started taking the practice seriously to decompress from her film sets and to ease any worries she may have.
She said: “I practiced meditation as a teenager, I stopped for a while, then I took the transcendental meditation courses and I chose to dedicate myself to it.”
I practiced meditation as a teenager, I stopped for a while, then I took the Transcendental Meditation courses and I chose to dedicate myself to it.
Penelope Cruz
Penelope is always busy with her career and her family and wants to devote herself as much as she can to her children, although her own mother Encarna keeps telling her to take more time for herself, despite never taking that advice herself when she was raising the ‘Nine’ star and her siblings.
Speaking to Italian publication IO Donna, she said: “I have a trait that I inherited from my mother, who was equally demanding with herself: she was very busy and yet – very generous – she managed to give everything to her three children. Now she says to me: you have to relax, you have to rest, you have to find time for yourself…”
Penelope – who won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 2008 for her performance in Woody Allen’s ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ – will have spent 30 years working as an actress and she has to pinch herself each day that her childhood dream came true.
She said: “Acting was my dream since I was – maybe – two years old. A dream that does not bore: with each role you start from scratch.
“So I think: thank you!”
# # #
It is interesting that Penelope Cruz had dreamed of becoming an actor from such an early age. She’s had an amazing career winning many awards. According to Wikipedia she is the first and only Spanish actress to both be nominated for and win an Academy Award as well as receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Another talented young artist who had a similar dream at a very young age is Angelina Jordan. From around 3 years old she knew she wanted to sing for the world and become a superstar. She has been inspiring millions with her voice. Discover and enjoy the amazing soulful voice of young Angelina Jordan. It is jaw-dropping great!
To find a Transcendental Meditation center in your country, visit www.tm.org/choose-your-country.
This week, Nov 9-13, 2020, is ‘Jerry Fest’, a 5-Day free, Sneak-Peak Screening and Virtual Celebration of Veteran’s Day, honoring the life of Jerry Yellin with the release of a new documentary film, ‘Jerry’s Last Mission’.
Here is a press release that was sent out announcing this week’s activities: Ed Cunningham Announces David Lynch Foundation and Regnery History to Host ‘Jerry Fest’. 5-Day Virtual Festival Celebration of Veteran’s Day and WW2 Fighter Pilot will include free screenings of the Feature Documentary ‘Jerry’s Last Mission’ and Q&A sessions with the filmmakers.
The two virtual Q&A sessions take place on Veteran’s Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 8 pm ET hosted by Regnery Publishing, and on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 8 pm ET hosted by the David Lynch Foundation. Both will include Yellin’s family, producers Ed Cunningham and Melissa Hibbard, and director Louisa Merino. Check the film’s website for zoom links.
The film’s website is www.jerryslastmission.com and the social media addresses are facebook.com/jerryslastmission, @jerrys_last_mission_film on Instagram and @jerrylastmiss1 on Twitter. The film’s distribution rights are represented by Scott Kaplan of Domino Content (www.dominocontent.com).
The NJArts wrote a great article about the film in time for Veteran’s Day: War and inner peace: Moving documentary ‘Jerry’s Last Mission’ available for free viewing. [PDF] Here’s the film’s trailer.
When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, a young Jerry Yellin signed up to become a fighter pilot. He flew P-51 missions over Iwo Jima, including the last official bombing raid of the war over Japan. He was the only one left in his squadron to survive. He returned home a hero, but suffered for decades from what is now known as PTSD. Thanks to his wife, Helene, Jerry learned the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, which transformed his life.
Decades later, when Jerry heard about the high rate of suicides among today’s veterans, he inspired the David Lynch Foundation to start Operation Warrior Wellness, which provided scholarships for veterans and their families to learn Transcendental Meditation.
So Jerry’s last mission was not only at the end of WW2, but also decades later during the latter part of his life, when he made it possible for American veterans of foreign wars to heal their PTSD by learning TM.
Last year The Fairfield Ledger published this 2-page cover story: Jerry Yellin laid to rest with full military honors. See more stories on this blog.
Just found another great report on the film, this one by News 12 The Bronx: Hate turns to love: ‘Jerry’s Last Mission’ tells the story of WWII veteran coping with horrors of war. The story of a World War II fighter pilot from New Jersey who flew the last combat mission over Japan is now the subject of a new documentary film – “Jerry’s Last Mission.”
I cropped a photo of Merino and Yellin from this excellent TV news story.
Additional news coverage
In addition to the NJArts and Bronx News 12 reports, these new articles came out: Baristanet: Limited Pre-Screening of ‘Jerry’s Last Mission’ Will Honor New Jersey WWII Veteran, and this comprehensive article by Claire Barrett, who interviewed Louisa Merino and Michael and Steven Yellin for The Army Times, Observation Post: ‘Jerry’s Last Mission’: How WWII’s last combat pilot became a lifelong testament of the human spirit. Steven Yellin was also interviewed by KTVO-TV3’s Beth Waldon: New film helps Fairfield man understand father’s fighter pilot experiences in WWII. Click the title to see a video of the full report with the news anchor’s introduction and conclusion to Beth’s report embedded here.
This article, with photos from Michael Yellin, came out November 24, 2020: Montclairian’s father, Jerry Yellin, a WWII hero.
2021 UPDATE
The film will have an exclusive release through Utopia Distribution’s ALTAVOD on November 11, 2021, Veterans Day, and will be available December 4 on Apple TV and Apple iTunes. Jerry’s autobiography, originally published as Of War And Weddings in 1995, has been re-released as Jerry’s Last Mission by Armin Lear Press to coincide with the release of the documentary film. Find out more in their press release: ARMIN LEAR RELEASES JERRY’S LAST MISSION CONCURRENT WITH DOCUMENTARY.
Jerry’s Last Mission was later made available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
For anyone who’s gone through a breakup, or the traumatic loss of a loved one during these tough times of COVID-19, forest fires, and other natural catastrophes, this nostalgic song by Colin Hay may move you to tears. That kind of cathartic experience, acknowledging and feeling the loss, may help in the healing of it, relieving some of the grief over time.
I first heard I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You in the Garden State soundtrack. A while back a friend posted it on her Instagram. I listened to several YouTube videos of him singing it, along with other great songs, and funny stories he shares with audiences during his shows.
You can see the lyrics and history of the song here. It was re-released on Transcendental Highway and posted on his YouTube channel. It has a softer, quieter feel to it, especially the ending, compared to these more powerful live performances on Paste, and more recently on eTown. I’ll embed it here, but I recommend hearing all 3 selections.
I discovered that Colin Hay had been part of the world-famous Australian musical phenomenon, Men At Work in the early 80’s. Their first massive hit, Down Under, was heard everywhere for months. Hay was their lead singer, guitarist, and main songwriter. After the band broke up, a few members at a time, and their label dropped him, a downward spiral into addiction followed. His wife left him. He would eventually seek help and attempt to launch his musical career as a solo artist with not much luck.
He moved to LA and became the first musician to play at Largo, a new club frequented by people in the entertainment business. He soon gained a following, was discovered and produced. What helped relaunch his career was when Scrubs star Zach Braff encouraged producer Bill Lawrence to see him perform at the club. Bill’s wife, Christa Miller, had already become a fan earlier on and was always raving about him.
After he heard Colin perform, Bill couldn’t understand why his songs were not more successful. He decided to feature some of them in his popular TV show. Colin is seen performing Overkill in one episode, while Waiting For My Real Life To Begin is sung by the cast in another. That song has been featured in eight different popular television series. The song is also heard early on in the soundtrack to the 2010 film Morning Glory and in the 2014 film soundtrack to Words and Pictures.
Zach asked Colin if he could use one of his songs for a movie he was making. The Garden State film and soundtrack would become a huge hit, which included, “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You”. The CD went platinum, which also put Hay’s music out there in a very big way. The TV show, movie and CD introduced him to a much larger, younger audience. It changed everything for him. He had paid his dues and humbly moved into one of the most stable and rewarding phases of his career. He also married singer Cecilia Noël, who often provides backup vocals at his shows. Noël has also helped with production on Hay’s solo albums.
Colin Hay: Waiting For My Real Life
In 2015, an independent documentary film was made about him, appropriately titled: Colin Hay – Waiting For My Real Life. See a comprehensive Summary posted on IMDb. Updated notes below contain links to watch the film on Amazon Prime (2016) and on YouTube (2023).
‘Colin Hay – Waiting For My Real Life’ is the story of singer-songwriter Colin Hay, former front-man of Men At Work. We follow Hay from his earliest days in Scotland, through his family’s emigration to Australia, to the massive, worldwide success of his band, to the depths of addiction and failure, to a slow climb back up the ladder seeking relevance, artistic freedom and ultimately, transcendence. Featuring interviews with Hugh Jackman, Mick Fleetwood, Sia Furler, Guy Pearce and many others, ‘Colin Hay – Waiting For My Real Life’ is the inspiring story of a true artist.
In the film Hay says, “Creativity is my salvation, and going out on the road.” Performing his music in front of appreciative live audiences feeds his soul. “It’s clean, it’s pure,” he says. “It has to do with connecting with people, you know.” He says he keeps touring because, “It makes me feel useful.” It also gives him a natural high, a healthier kind of addiction.
His artistry has staying power. One musician in the film says his music is intergenerational: his millennial fans don’t remember him from Men At Work, and the boomers don’t know him from Scrubs. American actress Wendie Malick says he’s the best living troubadour today. I agree. Plus, he looks like a man at peace with himself. Colin concludes, “Everybody has to find their place in this expanding universe. This is my place.”
Playing with Ringo Starr
Colin Hay met two Beatles and played with one of them. In 2008 he toured with Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band. Hay performed his classic hit Down Under with the band during a show at the Greek Theatre in LA. Be sure to watch the final 15 seconds where after the show Ringo says to Colin, “I really laid it on you on that song ‘cuz you thought you were doing it all. There’s a solo coming!” He imitates Colin, ‘Okay.'” Colin smiles and says, “I was good though.” Ringo exclaims, “You were great!” He laughs and repeats ‘I was good though’ to one of the musicians next to him. Colin laughs with Ringo who loudly claps his hands twice.
Colin performed on several tours with Ringo and his All Starr Band. Click to see another great performance of Colin Hay singing Down Under with Ringo and a different combination of his All Starr Band, including a flutist, and Sheila E as the other drummer!
Hanging out with Paul McCartney
In addition to being a great guitarist-singer-songwriter, Colin Hay is a very funny storyteller. The most fascinating and hilarious story is meeting his childhood idol, Sir Paul McCartney. He relates occasions when Paul and his then wife Heather came to hear him perform, once just himself, another time with his band. After the concert Paul was backstage at the bar and invited the whole band to join him. He holds court for an hour. Then it’s just Paul and Colin. After an awkward silence, Colin asks him what he’s in LA for, and Paul tells him he’s finishing a record. Colin remarks, “Oh, a bit different from the old days, eh, making a record?” And Paul proceeded to tell him what it was like in the old days. Colin tells the audience: “And I could have stood there all night.”
Paul would pick up John and together they’d finish the new song he played for him as they sat in the upper deck of the bus on the way to the studio. When they arrived, George and Ringo were already there. Paul would show it to them, George would figure out the chords, and Ringo would tap out the rhythm. Then a man in a white lab coat would come in and say, “Right, you’re up lads.” They’d record two songs, break for lunch and a smoke, then record two more, with few takes.
Paul then tells Colin he and Heather would like to come over to Colin’s house for dinner. That part of the story is priceless! The audience loved it, as did I. You will too. It’s the preamble to him singing the title song of his reissued 2001 album, Going Somewhere, which Paul and Heather loved, and added to their rotation of favorite songs. It also contains the bonus track, I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You, which prompted this now ongoing blog post. Enjoy!
Update: The original video was taken down, so I found two others. Part 1 below starts the story when Paul had begun dating Heather, and Part 2 continues it, which starts at 5:50, years later just before he divorced her.
How Colin Hay writes his songs
CNN’s Brooke Baldwin interviewed Colin Hay on the occasion of his 11th solo album, Gathering Mercury, which was partly influenced by the death of his father in 2010. The discussion came around to how Colin writes his songs. I found this part of the interview fascinating.
When writing songs he says he likes to have as empty a mind as possible. Time is important to give himself enough time to fail. He describes a scene where he’s all alone for 3 or 4 hours without any distractions just sitting around with his acoustic guitar doing nothing, just idling, coming up with musical ideas.
He uses the image of a revolving door in a hotel lobby. If a bunch of bags are stacked up and it’s chaotic, there’s all this noise and bustle, any idea that comes in would turn around and go out the door. But if it’s quiet, and there’s a nice fountain, it may stick around for him to discover and turn it into a song.
Brooke asks him where he was when he wrote, Waiting for my Real Life to Begin. She quotes a section of the song: “And you say, just be here now. Forget about the past, your mask is wearing thin. Let me throw one more dice, I know that I can win. I’m waiting for my real life to begin.”
He describes how his song-writing buddy and drummer, Tom Mooney, had come over to his house. He asked him how he was doing, and he mumbled that he was waiting for his real life to begin. Tom left to do something else and Colin said it sparked what he had been thinking about. “It opened up a door.” It was the catalyst. The melody came, then the words. He wrote the song in 30-45 minutes.
Colin had moved to California to leave his old life behind in Melbourne, where he drank a lot, hung out with crazy people, thought about the past, and worried about the future. “Very rarely do we be where we are.” Brooke asks him if he does now and he answers that he’s learning. But when he does, “it can be quite profound; it can be life-changing.”
Coming full circle
I’ll leave you with this beautiful song, A Thousand Million Reasons, from Colin Hay’s 2017 solo release Fierce Mercy, his 13th. On the Track-By-Track Colin explains the song is about not letting fear rule your life and how to find meaning in the fact that although we may be alone, we are all alone together.
I found this cool website with a timeline biography, and an alphabetical listing of the lyrics and songs of Colin Hay and Men at Work posted on http://colinhay.com.br. Visit his new website https://www.colinhay.com.
Updated: You can see Colin Hay – Waiting For My Real Life on Amazon Prime (1hr 24min 2016).
May 2023: Inside The Music posted Colin Hay: Waiting For My Real Life | Full Music Documentary | The Men At Work Story on YouTube.
Related: Don Henley and Lissie use the same approach to writing songs—don’t force it and wash the dishes!
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