Music news

• The Best Fan Reactions to Taylor Swift’s ‘Evermore’ Hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200

  20-12-2020 23:35
  
  Taylor Swift’s Evermore is sitting comfortably atop the Billboard 200 albums chart, and long story short: fans are having a good time.
  Evermore is Swift’s eighth No. 1 album. It follows Folklore topping the chart in August, which makes Swift the first woman to see two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 in 2020. And with Swift at Nos. 1 (Evermore) and 3 (Folklore) on the Billboard 200 this week, she’s the first woman to have two albums concurrently in the top three dati
  
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• Here Are All the Livestreams & Virtual Concerts to Watch: Week of December 21

  20-12-2020 23:26
  
  It may be the week of Christmas, and while the number of livestreams and virtual concerts is lower than usual,  some musicians are continuing to entertain.
  Among them are Dua Lipa, who’s performing for the final show in Pandora’s Live series; Dave Matthews and Diplo, among others, who are participating in HeadCount’s Georgia Comes Alive concert to encourage viewers to vote in the state’s Senate run-off election; and The Boss Bruce Springsteen himself as well as Eddie
  
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• Roxette’s drummer Pelle Alsing has died, aged 60

  20-12-2020 22:48 via nme.com
  
  Roxette drummer Pelle Alsing has died at the age of 60, it has been confirmed.
  Guitarist and singer Per Gessle shared the news of Alsing’s death on the band’s official Twitter account earlier today (December 20).
  “It is with sadness I inform u that our beloved Pelle Alsing has passed away,” Gessle wrote. “P was not only an amazing+inventive drummer helping us to create the Rox sound since Day 1, he was also the best friend u can imagine, a kind+generous man with the
  
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• Fans Pick Paul McCartney’s ‘McCartney III’ As This Week’s Favorite New Music

  20-12-2020 22:37
  Sir Paul McCartney has another hit album on his hands, as far as fans are concerned. The legendary Beatles’ latest release, McCartney III, has topped the week’s new music poll.
  Fans voted in a poll published on Billboard on Friday (Dec. 18), selecting the 78-year-old’s 18th studio album, which he self-produced while in isolation during the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, as their favorite new release in the past week. The new offering snagged nearly 60% of the vote, triump
  
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• Demi Lovato, Hailey Bieber & More Congratulate Ariana Grande on Her Engagement to Dalton Gomez

  20-12-2020 21:57
  
  The congratulatory messages are rolling in for Ariana Grande, who announced her engagement to Dalton Gomez on Sunday (Dec. 20).
  Among the first to express their joy in the comments section of Grande’s Instagram post were fellow celebrities such as Demi Lovato, Hailey Bieber, Kim Kardashian, Tinashe, Victoria Justice and Ashley Tisdale.
  “This ring is everything!!!!” Lovato wrote alongside pink heart emojis. “I love ypu [sic].”Grande revealed the exciting news on
  
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• Taylor Swift’s ‘Evermore’ Arrives at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

  20-12-2020 21:00
  
  Taylor Swift notches her eighth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 — and second of 2020 — as her surprise release Evermore arrives atop the list. Her latest studio album earned 329,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 17, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data, marking the fifth-largest week of the year for any album.
  Evermore was released on Dec. 11 via Republic Records with little warning, and was only available as a standard digital download album (across trad
  
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• Ed Sheeran to make his return with “a Christmas present” tomorrow

  20-12-2020 20:42 via nme.com
  
  Ed Sheeran has announced that he will return with a new single tomorrow (December 21) – his first release in nearly 18 months.
  The star last shared new music with 2019’s star-studded ‘No.6 Collaborations Project’ album, which saw him team up with the likes of Stormzy, Justin Bieber, Camila Cabello, Cardi B and more.Read more: Songs you probably didn’t know were written by Ed SheeranIn a new Instagram post shared earlier today (20), Sheeran wrote: “11am GM
  
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• Miley Cyrus to Perform on ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’

  20-12-2020 20:39
  
  Miley Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts isn’t the only thing she’s rocking this holiday season. ABC announced on Sunday (Dec. 20) that the star will be performing for its Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2021.
  “Can’t get @MileyCyrus off my mind, off my mind because she’s performing on #RockinEve!” the annual program’s Twitter account shared along with a teaser video of the artist.
  Ready for @MileyCyrus to put the ro
  
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• Mr Eazi and J Balvin Team Up for Continent-Crossing ‘Lento’ Video: Watch

  20-12-2020 20:29
  
  Mr Eazi and J Balvin have dropped a continent-spanning music video for their new collaboration, “Lento.”
  Trading verses in Spanish, English and Yoruba, the clip finds the Nigerian afrobeat star lounging on a comfy bed with an oversized teddy bear while the Colombian reggaeton icon shows off his gold grill and casual dance moves.
  The Meji Alabi-directed video was filmed in London, Eazi’s home for much of 2020, and Balvin’s native Colombia.“We always wanted to do a vi
  
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• Ariana Grande Is Engaged to Dalton Gomez: ‘Forever N Then Some’

  20-12-2020 19:42
  
  Ariana Grande is engaged! The popstar shared the news on Sunday (Dec. 20) with a mini gallery on Instagram.
  “Forever n then some,” the “Positions” singer captioned the post.
  The five photos show the two embracing, and two shots of the ring on her ring finger. One close-up of her new bling reveals that the ring features an oval-shaped diamond with what appears to be a pearl to its left.Gomez, a luxury real estate agent, appeared in 27-year-old Grande’s video for &ldq
  
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• Paul McCartney says he still struggles with John Lennon’s death: “It was just so senseless”

  20-12-2020 19:41 via nme.com
  
  Paul McCartney has reflected on the death of his Beatles bandmate John Lennon, 40 years on from his killing.
  Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment building in New York on December 8, 1980 by Mark Chapman.Read more: Every John Lennon solo album ranked in order of greatnessDuring a new interview with CBS, McCartney was asked how he was processing Lennon’s murder 40 years on. “I’m not sure I am,” he replied. “It’s very difficult for me, and I occasiona
  
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• Paul McCartney Again Questions Whether The Beatles Would’ve Reunited If John Lennon Had Lived

  20-12-2020 19:07
  
  Forty years after John Lennon was shot and killed, the late icon’s friend and former bandmate Paul McCartney still ponders what could’ve been had Lennon not been murdered.
  During an interview with CBS Sunday Morning on Dec. 20, McCartney — who recently dropped his new trilogy-completing McCartney III album — reminisced about the lasting legacy of The Beatles and once again addressed whether the Fab Four might’ve eventually set aside their differences and reunited.
  &
  
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• Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ mysteriously appears on County Durham road sign

  20-12-2020 19:02 via nme.com
  
  A County Durham road sign has gained a new addition in the form of a tribute to Wham! and the duo’s single ‘Last Christmas’.
  The band – which was comprised of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley – released the festive hit in 1984.Read more: Seasonably Rich: How much are musicians making from our favourite Christmas songs?Now, an anonymous person has paid tribute to it by adding the song’s name to a sign directing drivers to the area of Low Wham in Butterkn
  
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• Pharrell Williams Says Justin Timberlake Got ‘Justified’ Songs After Michael Jackson Rejected Them

  20-12-2020 18:40
  
  It all worked out in the end! Pharrell Williams revealed in a the latest episode of N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN’s “Drink Champs,” which was released Dec. 19, that the majority of tunes on Justin Timberlake’s hit solo debut record, Justified, were originally meant for Michael Jackson.
  “You hit me and said, ‘Yo, I just sent Michael Jackson some beats!’,” N.O.R.E. recalled while chatting with Pharrell. “You said to me, ‘He told me, “NOPE! I
  
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• 21 Latin Music Movies & Series to Binge-Watch During the Holidays

  20-12-2020 17:30
  
  With hopes of having time to unwind and just kick back and relax during this festive time of the year, Billboard has compiled a list of Latin music biopics, documentaries, reality shows or series that you can stream during the holidays.
  The list includes Netflix’s newly released Selena: The Series, which follows the unfolding of Selena Quintanilla’s life and career portrayed by Christian Serratos as the late Mexican-American singer, to the 2016 series Until I Met
  
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• Dua Lipa Plays a Nazi-Fighting Homewrecker in ‘SNL’ WWII Musical Sketch: Watch

  20-12-2020 17:23
  
  Dua Lipa made a cameo during Saturday Night Live on Dec. 19, appearing in a hilarious World War II-era musical sketch featuring a lovers’ quarrel between host Kristen Wiig and the cast’s Bowen Yang.
  Set as a Christmas Eve USO performance in 1944, the four-minute sketch finds Wiig portraying a U.S. Army nurse who chooses an eager young private (played by Bowen) to step on stage for a gender-swapping duet of an R&B song called “Love Fight.”
  During their passionate perfo
  
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• Dua Lipa Rings in the Holidays With ‘Saturday Night Live’ Performance

  20-12-2020 17:00
  
  Dua Lipa finally made it back to the Saturday Night Live stage on Dec. 19, 2020, to help close out the year on NBC’s long-running sketch comedy show. Billboard’s 2020 Powerhouse Award winner had originally been scheduled for a performance in March to promote her new album Future Nostalgia, but her appearance was canceled as the show went on hiatus as much of the country went into lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
  The singer-songwriter — who made her first SNL appea
  
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• Young Knives share animated video for ‘Jenny Haniver’

  20-12-2020 16:01 via nme.com
  
  Young Knives have unveiled a psychedelic video for their single ‘Jenny Haniver’.
  The track is taken from ‘Barbarians’, the fifth album from the band and their first since 2013’s ‘Sick Octave’.
  The animated clip was created by Iman Mahdy, a member of the London-based BLKbrd Collective whom the brothers met through the Women’s Music Project in Oxford.
  “We were struggling when it came to the concept for the video because we make quite grotesque
  
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• Teachers confiscate equipment from 12-year-old who hosted rave in school toilets

  20-12-2020 15:08 via nme.com
  
  A 12-year-old boy has found fame after hosting a 30-minute rave in his Manchester school’s bathroom during the lunch break.
  Cael Bell’s set lasted for 30 minutes before teachers at St. Antony’s Catholic College in Manchester broke up the party and confiscated his DJ equipment.
  Speaking to The Mirror on Friday (December 18), Bell’s mother Fiona said that the boy’s speaker and lights had been seized. In a Facebook post shedding more light on the juvenile DJ set, howev
  
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• Good Charlotte share first new material in two years with ‘Last December’

  20-12-2020 14:45 via nme.com
  
  Good Charlotte have shared a new Christmas song – listen to ‘Last December’ below.
  The track is the band’s first new material since the release of their 2018 album ‘Generation Rx’.READ MORE: 11 things you only know if you loved pop punk in the early noughtiesSpeaking of the new track, which celebrates the band’s 20th anniversary, frontman Benji Madden said: “2020 being the 20th anniversary of our self-titled debut album really made us feel lik
  
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• Lil Wayne shares ‘B Side’ deluxe edition of ‘No Ceilings 3’ mixtape

  20-12-2020 14:01 via nme.com
  
  Lil Wayne has shared a deluxe edition of his new ‘No Ceilings 3’ mixtape.
  The rapper shared the mixtape, hosted by DJ Khaled and featuring a verse from Drake, at the end of November, and has now added 14 new tracks to the mixtape with the expanded edition.READ MORE: Lil Wayne – ‘No Ceilings 2’ reviewAs with ‘No Ceilings 3’, the ‘B Side’ effort is also hosted by DJ Khaled, and sees Wayne interpolating and sampling a host of tracks from others,
  
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• Watch U2’s Bono and The Edge cover ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ on Irish TV

  20-12-2020 13:54 via nme.com
  
  U2‘s Bono and The Edge dusted off their rendition of ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ on a special edition of the Irish Late Late Show.
  The pair shared their cover of the song, playing alongside Irish musician Glen Hansard and others, as well as a stripped-down version of their 2000 hit ‘Walk On’.READ MORE: The best (and worst) new Christmas songs of 2020In an annual tradition to raise money for homeless charities, Hansard typically recruits a number of musicians
  
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• Michael Stipe to write all the music on his upcoming solo album

  20-12-2020 12:55 via music-news.com
  
  Michael Stipe has given himself the “challenge” of writing all the music on his upcoming solo album.
  
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• Pharrell says songs on Justin Timberlake’s ‘Justified’ were written for Michael Jackson

  20-12-2020 12:41 via nme.com
  
  Pharrell Williams has claimed that “all but one” of the tracks on Justin Timberlake‘s debut album, ‘Justified’, were originally written for Michael Jackson.
  Speaking on Revolt TV podcast Drink Champs, Pharrell revealed that he was regularly sending beats to both Jackson and Prince, apparently without success.
  “John McClain was his manager at the time,” the Neptunes producer explained. “We sent him pretty much all the stuff y’all are hearing o
  
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• Shawn Mendes: 'Justin Bieber and I were never enemies'

  20-12-2020 12:00 via music-news.com
  
  The pair recently collaborated on the track Monster.
  
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• Pink hospitalised with fractured ankle

  20-12-2020 12:00 via music-news.com
  
  The singer shared a selfie from her hospital bed.
  
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• Christina Aguilera celebrates 40th birthday with empowering note to herself

  20-12-2020 12:00 via music-news.com
  
  She also thanked her children – 12-year-old Max and six-year-old daughter Rain – for bringing her joy.
  
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• London’s iconic Café de Paris venue set to close after 96 years

  20-12-2020 11:11 via nme.com
  
  Café de Paris, one of the oldest nightclubs in London, is set to close after it emerged that the venue’s owning company are going into liquidation.
  Maxwell’s Restaurants, which owns Café de Paris and Tropicana Beach Club in the city’s West End, announced the news this weekend (December 19), which will result in around 400 job losses.READ MORE: The beat goes on: how the UK dance scene’s DJs, clubs and festivals are fighting for survivalThe appointed liqu
  
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• Watch Dua Lipa perform ‘Don’t Start Now’ and ‘Levitating’ on ‘SNL’

  20-12-2020 10:09 via nme.com
  
  Dua Lipa performed as Saturday Night Live‘s final musical guest of the year, more than two years after her first appearance on the show.READ MORE: Dua Lipa live at Studio 2054: a big night in with a pop great who excels at escapismThe singer was originally set to appear back in March, supporting her latest album Future Nostalgia, before recording halted due to the deepening coronavirus pandemic.
  Lipa made up for lost time on the long-running entertainment show last night (December 19)
  
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• The Cure’s comeback album is 'heavy and dark'

  20-12-2020 09:59 via music-news.com
  
  The ‘Close To Me’ hitmakers are expected to release their long-awaited new LP next year – their first since 2008’s ‘4:13 Dream’
  
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• Matt Healy hints that a Drive Like I Do album could be released next year

  20-12-2020 09:47 via music-news.com
  
  The 1975 frontman has been teasing a release of more material under The 1975's old name - after the EP 'Scary Monsters' was dropped
  
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• E-40 vs. Too Short in ‘Verzuz’ Battle of Bay Area Icons: See Billboard’s Scorecard & Winner For the Showdown

  20-12-2020 08:01
  
  The Verzuz battle between two legends of the Bay Area on Saturday night (December 19) was a party like no other, as E-40 and Too $hort faced off to close out the year in spectacular fashion. Apple Music, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland pulled out all the stops as the unique stage set up had the two rappers pay homage to the Bay’s hip-hop history with two lowriders, and a street sign representing the crossing of Oakland and Vallejo. 
  Over 250,000 fans logged into their Instagram accounts to
  
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• Listen to Toro y Moi’s new remix of Haim’s ‘3am’

  20-12-2020 03:35 via nme.com
  
  Haim have shared a new remix of their ‘Women in Music Pt. III’ track ‘3am’ by chillwave producer Toro y Moi.
  While the siblings’ original version was a spacious cut anchored by its subdued bass and airy synths, Toro y Moi’s electrified rework is filled with lush, distorted guitars.
  It’s Toro’s second remix this month – he recently teamed up with Deftones frontman Chino Moreno to remix Caroline Polachek‘s ‘Hit Me Where It Hurts&rsq
  
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• Tori Kelly & JoJo Soar Through ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’ Duet at Global Citizen Prize 2020

  20-12-2020 03:19
  
  Tori Kelly and JoJo unleashed a powerful cover of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” for Global Citizen Prize 2020.
  The pair fed off of one another’s vocal talent as they brought their rendition of the classic, originally recorded by soul legend Aretha Franklin, to the stage together at the event hosted by John Legend. Global Citizen Prize 2020 was broadcast on NBC on Saturday night (Dec. 19).
  Kelly and JoJo’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman&rdq
  
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• Gwen Stefani Lights Up the Room With ‘Let Me Reintroduce Myself’ at Global Citizen Prize

  20-12-2020 03:13
  
  Gwen Stefani, introduced by host John Legend as “my good friend,” brought her bright new single to the stage at Global Citizen Prize 2020.
  Backed by dancers, a live band and a colorfully lit winter wonderland set, Stefani strutted confidently as she sang “Let Me Reintroduce Myself” on the special, which aired on NBC on Saturday night (Dec. 19).
  Global Citizen Prize 2020 honored various incredible leaders. In the music world, Elton John was recognized as the Glob
  
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• John Legend Delivers ‘Hallelujah’ With Carrie Underwood, ‘Glory’ With Common for Global Citizen Prize

  20-12-2020 03:05
  
  John Legend showed off his many talents at Global Citizen Prize 2020, appearing as host and performing twice.
  Legend joined Carrie Underwood for the beautiful holiday duet “Hallelujah,” the closing performance of the night, “in honor of the better days to come.” In an earlier segment, he was joined by Common for an inspiring live take of “Glory,” a moving tribute to Black Lives Matter that was accompanied by a choir coming in via a screen.
  Global Citizen
  
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• A.G. Cook’s PC Music releases Christmas album, ‘Pop Caroler’s Songbook’

  20-12-2020 03:00 via nme.com
  
  A.G. Cook’s label PC Music has released a Christmas-themed album, featuring tracks from the label’s roster.
  The Pop Caroler’s Songbook features contributions from Cook, Hannah Diamond, Banoffee, umru, Aaron Cartier and more.
  Pop Caroler’s Songbook by PC Music
  The compilation album arrived alongside an accompanying livestream on Twitch, which featured performances from artists on the tracklist. The record was made available to download in its entirety on Bandcamp following
  
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• Teyana Taylor's PrettyLittleThing collection was designed virtually

  20-12-2020 02:15 via music-news.com
  
  Teyana Taylor said she wanted to design clothing that looked good and fit in a range of sizes.
  
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• Kelsea Ballerini will find it hard to readjust when the Covid-19 pandemic is over

  20-12-2020 02:15 via music-news.com
  
  Kelsea Ballerini hopes that people retain the positive things learned during COVID-19 lockdowns.
  
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• Taylor Swift & Paul McCartney Show Support for Each Other’s New Albums in an Adorable Way

  20-12-2020 00:51
  
  Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift coordinated the release dates for their new albums to avoid overlap, and now they’ve offered fans another glimpse at their sweet friendship.
  “Congratulations to my friend @TaylorSwift13 (and her boots) on her wonderful ‘#evermore’ album charting at #1 in the UK this week and no doubt US on Sunday,” the Beatles legend tweeted on Saturday (Dec. 19), predicting a good week for Swift. He shared a clip of himself helping Swift pull off one
  
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• The Jaded Hearts Clubs share cover of Patti Smith’s ‘Gloria’

  20-12-2020 00:14 via nme.com
  
  Supergroup The Jaded Hearts Club‘s have shared a cover of Patti Smith‘s ‘Gloria’ – listen below.Read more: The Jaded Hearts Club on egos, the label of “supergroup” and plans for more new musicThe band’s version of the 1975 song – which itself was a reworking of a record by Van Morrison’s early group Them mixed with one of Smith’s poems – was recorded live at London’s 100 Club.
  Made up of frontmen Nic Cester (Jet)
  
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• The Jaded Hearts Club share cover of Patti Smith’s ‘Gloria’

  20-12-2020 00:14 via nme.com
  
  Supergroup The Jaded Hearts Club have shared a cover of Patti Smith‘s ‘Gloria’ – listen below.Read more: The Jaded Hearts Club on egos, the label of “supergroup” and plans for more new musicThe band’s version of the 1975 song – which itself was a reworking of a record by Van Morrison’s early group Them mixed with one of Smith’s poems – was recorded live at London’s 100 Club.
  Made up of frontmen Nic Cester (Jet) and
  
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