Dolly's Parton's Time

Dolly Parton is one amazing woman! This 20 minute interview with People magazine gives a small glimpse of the woman behind such hits as Jolene, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You. Make sure when you have a bit of down time in between all the holiday stuff that you take time to watch this. Find it here.

 

The Soundtrack of My Life: Clive Davis' Victory Lap

How can a decade old book be such a fascinating read for a hardcore music fan? Easy! Fill it with behind the scenes stories are great pop artists from the 1960s forward. Clive Davis' The Soundtrack of My Life reads like it was written for my life, and probably yours too. From the expected stories around Whitney Houston to the unexpected ones about Bruce Springsteen and Aretha Franklin, the book's a joy to read. A totally fascinating look at the excesses and successes of the music industry. Find a copy. You'll be glad you did!

An Evening with Whitney Houston

Leave it to Las Vegas to push the boundaries! Is this a really good idea to honor Whitney Houston with a holograph concert or is this a pure and simple money grab? I just can't decide. The music of Whitney certainly holds up! I mean between her early hits like How Will I Know, and the blockbuster songs I Will Always Love You and I Have Nothing from The Bodyguard and beyond, there's certainly enough music for a full evening. It leads to an interesting question many of us should ask ourselves- "Just because we can, does it mean we should?"

Aretha Franklin Still Gets Respect

The legendary Aretha Franklin. One year after her death, the woman is still often imitated, but no one comes close to her power, her passion, and her sass! 

The 1960's and 1970's were her strongest years, producing mega hits like Respect, Chain of Fools, Rock Steady, Spanish Harlem, A Natural Woman, and more. Of all these hits, it's the charming and warm Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) that still gets to me after all these years. It's a Stevie Wonder composed gem.

Aretha still had many chart hits after those glory years. Freeway of Love comes immediately to mind, although she had many songs on the R&B charts that ranked significantly higher there than on the Billboard Hot 100. (Is it just me, or does Billboard now seem to be less about the music and more about politics these days?) 

In many ways, the music of the 80's and early 90's was instantly dated- and this song may be one of them- but I totally groove on her duet, "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me". He may be somewhat of a cliche by now, but George Michael (may he rest in peace as well) is great on the song- and even though he can't hold his own with Aretha, he brings in a strong performance.

With a family rooted in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and a strong commitment to the authority of the Bible, Aretha may be gone from this earth, but her enduring love for and faith in Jesus means she's rocking the heavenly realms as we speak. Glory Hallelujah!

Whitney Houston Under Cover

My Whitney Houston T-Shirt, a sweet and funny gift from my daughter and son-in-law. So I wore it proudly on our flight to Walt Disney World (under my shirt of course)! 

Whitney at Her Best

Whitney Houston in her heyday. The still amazing soundtrack to The Bodyguard may not be a full ten selection set, but it represents the incredible vocalist in her finest moments. From the iconic I Will Always Love You to the finest ballad she ever recorded, I Have Nothing, Whitney shows pure star power and why, at her zenith, no one could stop her. The hit film with Kevin Costner once proposed for Diana Ross and Ryan O'Neal. Imagine how different the soundtrack would have sounded.

If you think in her early days that Whitney's vocals were a trick of the studio magicians, think again- and watch the video below.

Barry Manilow's Epic Fail

This has crossed the line. I tend to like some of Barry Manilow's 90's stuff, Swing Street comes to mind, but his recent Dream Duets is actually a nightmare.

The artists involved- everyone from Whitney Houston to John Denver to Marilyn Monroe are mere pawns in a corporate decision. The family members or companies that "manage" these departed artists need to give it up. The artists themselves may have varied in their decisions to participate or not. I hope for most, the answer was "No!" This project reeks of bad taste.

At least most all of Barbra Streisand's duets partners are still alive! And for as much as we fans of the Carpenters would like to hear more, be thankful that brother Richard Carpenter would never stoop to this type of exploitation of sister Karen Carpenter.

Whitney Houston Live

November 10, 2014 Arista Records once again mines the Whitney Houston vault. This time, it's a live album. Still mostly greatest hits with an important exception- Whitney's stunning performance on the 1994 American Music Awards. Clive Davis has given us one real gift here. A truly spellbinding medley of the classic I Loves You, Porgy with the Dreamgirls classic And I Tell You I'm Not Going. Toss in an incredible version of her own I Have Nothing from The Bodyguard. 

                     

Check out this medley on YouTube. It will have you buying the song and video on i-tunes. The rest of the album? Possible but not probable.

Taking a Second Look

The last few weeks have been a rather difficult one for the Insights blog. Due to absolutely no fault at all of the Disney News Central site- and certainly all the fault of my own, my blog posts would not show up on the list. My friend Alain Littaye and I worked very hard to fix the problem. Thankfully, he figured it out, so I am back up to date! (Update: Problem is happening again!)

Here's a direct link to each post you may have missed, and there's some gems: concept art for unbuilt Epcot pavilions, the lost mountain of the Magic Kingdom, art for Disneyland's unbuilt Haunted Mansion on Main Street(!) and the most extensive history of Disney's Hollywood Studios I have ever seen- concept art, trip report (over the 25 years) and more.

Enjoy! And thanks for your patience!

Walt Disney World's Unbuilt Fire Mountain

Children in the Grass

The Problem with the Magic Kingdom

Seven Dwarf's Mine Train Game

Kodak Map of Disneyland

Shag-a-delic Fantasyland

Thank You Veterans!

Disneyland's Rocket Rods

Missing Whitney Houston

Somebody That I Used to Know

Disappointment Again

C'est Magnifique

Main Street's Haunted Mansion

Sizing Up The Voice

Odds and Ends: Disney and More

Tim Delaney and Shanghai Disneyland

America Sings Once Again

Brazil Showcase at Epcot

The United Kingdom Showcase That Never Was

The Story of the Teal Shoes

Rivers of Light to Flow at Animal Kingdom

25 Years of Disney's Hollywood Studios

Missing Miss Whitney

Wrapping up this season's reality vocal competitions makes me think of what a tremendous loss it is to no longer have Whitney Houston with us. Sure, her life ended poorly, but I find when I watch shows like The Voice and American Idol, I find myself looking for the next version of her. And that will never be.

Mariah Carey sings wonderfully, and Christina Aguilera is a powerhouse, but something is missing when I compare both of them to a young and talented Whitney. There's a charm and wit that she had that cannot be duplicated. And when you put Whitney in front of the camera, she sparkled without having to be blatantly sexual. It had a mesmerizing effect on me... and it still does.

Whether it was I Will Always Love You, I Believe in You and Me or I have Nothing, (three of my favorites), Whitney was believable. If she was just a very good actress, well, she convinced me. Her latter years were filled with mostly mediocre material and relatively poor vocal abilities, yet nonetheless, Whitney will always be firmly implanted in my mind as she was at her peak. Rest in peace, Miss Whitney.

Sizing Up The Voice Performances

I continue to be impressed by the talent on The Voice. In fact, this could be one of the television show's most impressive line-up of singers, even rivaling the talent of judges Usher, Adam Levine, Shakira, and Blake Shelton. 

The true test of the appeal of the talent will be if the cash registers ring with sales. Aside from a few i-tunes purchases, I just haven't found an artist whose album I would buy.

This may change with Josh Kaufman. His blend of soul and rock hit the spot. I'd even go out on a limb and say Monday night's performance of the new tune by One Republic is even better than the group's version. That's saying quite a bit.

On that same vibe, Tuesday night's debut of singles by Will Champlin and Jacquie Lee left me cold. Their producers don't seem to know who these artists are, and the singers themselves seemed disconnected from the songs. Tessanne Chin, however, really rocked with a number that felt like a modern Whitney Houston tune without Whitney's unfortunate gruffer edges that she attained after years of abuse.

So back to Josh. And a plea of him. Please find the right producer who understands who you are and brings the best out. You may have found him in Usher. Just ask him- you never know.

Michael Jackson's Xscape

Captain Eo himself couldn't have seen this coming- but his record label sure did once the famously talented and odd superstar passed away.

On May 13th, Michael Jackson's posthumous disc Xscape will be released. The disc will hold eight previously unreleased performances with new production by superstar producers- the likes who pulled together Whitney Houston's excellent comeback disc, My Love is Your Love. A deluxe version of Xscape will contain the eight songs as they originally sounded when first recorded.

Most Disney fans know of Michael's attraction Captain Eo and his love for Disney parks. But did you know he also planned his own Neverland themed park? Go here to find out more!

Waxy Whitney

Whitney Houston's wax likeness hits New York City on loan from Madame Tussaud's in London. From looking at the image above, I'd say it's a pretty incredible representation of the singer, isn't it?

What a tragic ending...

Missing Two Old School Divas- Donna and Whitney

Sure, both American Idol and The Voice provide viewers and listeners with some new and great talent- and actually, Idol is far more successful at this than The Voice. 

That said, after last week's shows, it's hard not to miss a couple of old school divas- Whitney Houston and Donna Summer. (Read my review about her landmark album by the same name here.) Contestants on the competitions tend to fail miserably when that choose to undertake songs from either ladies. That says a lot, doesn't it?

Candice Glover Sparkles on American Idol

Hardly seems right, but many are already predicting that Candice Glover will be passed over when American Idol crowns its next champion. It's a shame!

Here is a beautiful soul with a warm and amazing voice. Elegant, classy, and every bit as marketable as Amber Holcomb, Angie Miller and Kree Harrison. When Candice slides into her sophisticated version of Billie Holiday's "You've Changed", time seems to stand still. Just stunning. Harry Connick Jr. rightly praised her, and judges Keith Urban, Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson did as well. (Am I forgetting someone? Oh yes, Nicki Minaj, the most annoying judge to ever dis-grace the panel. Get rid of her and watch the show's ratings rise again.)

Candice is consistent week after week, yet sometimes she chooses just the right combination of song and arrangement to show that she is an artist and not just a contestant. A great artist at that. There's a hint of early Whitney Houston's gorgeous higher notes,  the "money's in the basement" lower tones of ADELE, (love that quote by Karen Carpenter!), and at times, the breezy delivery of old school jazz singers. Quite the combination.

Will I be buying her album? We'll see who produces her! But I want to. Will you?

Whitney's Prayer

It's been a year since the death of Whitney Houston.

Here's the lyrics to "I Look to You" one of her last songs. Chilling.

As I lay me down
Heaven hear me now
I’m lost without a cause
After giving it my all

Winter storms have come
And darkened my sun
After all that I’ve been through
Who on earth can I turn to?

I look to you,
I look to you
After all my strength is gone
In you I can be strong
aI look to you,
I look to you
And when melodies are gone In you I hear a song
I look to you

'bout to lose my breath
There's no more fighting left
Sinking to rise no more
Searching for that open door

And every road that I've taken
Led to my regret
And I don't know if I'm go'n make it
Nothing to do but lift my head

My levees are broken
My walls are coming down on me
My rain is falling
Defeat is calling
I need you to set me free
Take me far away from the battle
I need you
Shine on me!

Oz Soundtrack to Feature New Mariah Carey Song

While fans debate the pending success of Disney's "Oz the Great and Powerful", sounds like Disney is planning for Mariah Carey to record a new song, "Almost Home", for the soundtrack. It's the first time she's featured on a soundtrack since "Prince of Egypt" with Whitney Houston. Will James Franco make a great Oz as he works with Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz? Beats me. But the odds are getting more interesting for the film to be a hit. Hopefully, the pending Tony Baxter-less project for Disneyland will not be a botched job, full of the video screens Tom Fitzgerald loves so much!

End of the Year Wrap Up: Changes, Changes, Changes

End of the year lists and facts and insights are just some of the things I cannot resist. It's been such a year of change for us. And the world has changed around us, too. Let me fill you in...

You might have sensed my time was being spent in new places as the blog posts came with less frequency. Starting right off in January, my world changed quite a bit! I gave up my full-time paying job for separate non-paying jobs with two non-profit service agencies. Not one job, but two. My wonderful wife and I spent a large chunk of time praying about this potential change as we knew the impact would be huge. What would it be like for her to carry the financial burden? Could we do it? How would we survive? 

Well, in some ways it did not matter. We felt God was giving us the "Go" signal, so we were obedient. My hands shook turning in my resignation. That was almost a year ago.

Two days later, the news came that one of my oldest and best friends had died of diabetes in his sleep. Shocking as he was externally very fit and healthy, but I knew inside he had been fighting this battle for 40 years. I found myself mourning and also having to put together his funeral services. Not the first time I've had to perform services for a friend, but I hope it will be the last. Yet, deep down, I know this will just keep going on.

(And speaking of folks moving into eternity, goodbye Whitney Houston and Donna Summer- two women with amazing voices and very interesting lives... )

March and April brought more (joyous) change as each of our daughters gave birth to a son. My youngest daughter and her husband's first child; and my oldest daughter's and husband's second. At four months along in her pregnancy, the doctors said he had no cerebellum and they should abort. They refused, and we all prayed.  Three days before delivery, there was the slightest amount of brain tissue there. Upon delivery, 100% normal and healthy. The doctors smugly wrote it off to "misdiagnosis", but we knew better. God doesn't always heal or do miracles, but He does do what He pleases to do- and we are thankful.

Just a few months later, the Aurora theater shooting hit us pretty hard. It was so eerie to be just a mile or two away from the location, and having the tragedy right in our city keeps things in perspective. Our church was able to give gift boxes of cards, food and coffee certificates and such to the first responders as a sign of support. Can you imagine showing up to that as part of your job?

Things began to pick up speed for us as we adjusted to our new life. As I adjusted, I still kept track on all the latest Disney projects: Cars Land and Buena Vista Street at California Adventure; the New Fantasyland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, and the ongoing "will they or won't they" build Avatar at the long neglected and now falling apart Disney's Animal Kingdom.  No reason to write another piece in that last series- at least not now. And not a strong enough reason to go back to the World either- even if all the nets are removed from the Tree of Life. 

After one trip overseas for job #1, we eventually got to take a long deserved vacation to California and get some rest. Time for some beloved ocean, family, and sightseeing. Celebrating the 80th birthday's of my wife's parents was great fun- and it gave me a chance to see the reconstructed California Adventure 2.0. In a word- Stunning! Makes me think I will have to continue my series on Bargain Basement Engineering- and bring that happy ending. Now, let's hope Phase Two at California Adventure really happens. 

Not such a happy ending for Disneyland's poorly planned out and fragmented Tomorrowland, however. Never saw this place in such disarray and disregard for the theme. A sloppy excuse for lack of imagination. Maybe my Attraction Poster series should end with Tomorrowland, so I can move on to those at Walt Disney World.

Now that I think about it, I'm not all the convinced that Phase Two will really happen. I mean, the suits have got to be thrilled with the bump in attendance since Cars Land, and it's probably a big enough increase to may them think, "Why remodel more?" It's that kind of shortsightedness that let Harry Potter get away from them, right into the hands of Universal. 

Let's be honest, Universal Orlando and Islands of Adventure are rewriting their history as we speak. The years 2014/15 will be banner years once more. Disney had better watch out. Universal is passing them by in Florida. It's already changing what I will be doing next trip. And tat doesn't even include what's happening at Sea World. Big landmarks coming.

There's been lots of Disney landmarks this year. 45 Years of Pirates of the Caribbean. 20 Years of Disneyland Paris. 30 Years of Epcot. Whoa. Time flies. Speaking of...

This brings us around to December. Who would have guessed? Things have worked out. I am thrilled with my two jobs, and we have survived living on one salary! God is SO good!

What will the future hold? No idea. Change is a constant of life I guess- and my goal is not to control it but to let God direct my life as He chooses. I hope He was blessed by our obedience this year. And I hope your year was filled with good things in the midst of it all. Here's to 2013!

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Time to Celebrate with Whitney

Looking around the internet last night, I found the new Whitney Houston song, "Celebrate". No, the movie Sparkle with Jordin Sparks is not out yet. Someone just leaked the song. No link here. Find it if you want it, but you might be pleasantly surprised.

Another White Guy With Guitar

Yes, Phillip Phillips has won season eleven of American Idol. Before another person shouts "White Guy With Guitar", I'd like to toss in some thoughts that should cause folks to stop and think.

The guys has talent. Real talent. At times, his voice reminds me of a young Sting, at other times, Jack Johnson. For once, his "star" match in the finale was spot on: John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame sounded great, but it was Phillip's strong but subtle voice that showed he was on par with the superstars before him. Both their duets revealed Phillip could add his own flare and still honor the original artist and style. 

He's 21 and has a lot of growing to do, but he seems to know who he is. Solid style. Honest approach to music. Phillip's humility will serve him well as he learns from those around him. (Was this the unintended by-product of living with his double name? And does it really matter? Not in the least. Grow up, Jim Carrey.) His guitar playing skills will strengthen. Phillip has a camera ready smile that will make photographers happy when they cover his concerts. All in all, it's pure and real music from a real, authentic artist. He'll be around longer than some hope.

This is all much better than a million other Rihanna wannabes or Lady Gaga followers or flash in the pan carnival acts like LMFAO. Take away the light show and raunchy poses and lyrics from these "artists", and what do you have? Nothing that appealing. They pander to the lowest common denominator.

Jessica Sanchez may be the real deal as well. Her voice is amazing. I am a big fan, and I cannot wait to see what she turns out on her first album. Comparisons to Whitney Houston may be too early, and Jessica needs to reveal whether she wants to be great or settle for trendiness like the above mentioned women. Hopefully, she and her producers will realize the gift of her voice and let it soar above instantly dated arrangements and material. Handled correctly, Jessica will also mature into a timeless artist.

So, give Phillip Phillips a break (Jessica, too). Enough with the beefs about American Idol being a white artists man's show. It's a cheap and easy cop out.