Where were you when Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video made its debut on television 25 years ago?

In 1983 Thriller was unleashed on to television screens thrilling audiences with its special effects and thrilling dance moves. Veteran movie director John Landis directed it, he had been specially chosen by Jackson because of the work he did in “An American Werewolf in Paris”. Michael wanted Landis to change him into a horrific werewolf like what he had seen in that movie.

Thriller started a phenomenon that exists up to now. You would have seen its influence in Madd’s effective 2004 stage presentation “Hard Ears” which featured dancing ghouls.

Click below and take a look at the perennial music video which has with stood the test of time and continues to be effective up to now. Happy 25th Birthday to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”!

Michael Jackson-Thriller

Ancient Al amazed that pictures can now be taken in colour 

My Name feature prominently in Al Gilkes Nation newspaper column last weekend,
Al wrote that Peter Boyce was one of the first people to publicly state he had to be close to be 100 years old based on the length of time he had been around.
Al is so amazing I dedicated a whole post to him last year entitled “Al Gilkes eats Conch”.
At Al’s age to be using a computer and still having the alacrity of mind to write a weekly column is pretty amazing. He should be in Ripley’s Believe It or Not…

One of the things that is amazing about Al is he still continues to be a significant player in the entertainment business as a promoter.
He is partner in F.A.S Entertainment which produces the phenomenally successful “Barbados Reggae Festival” which comes off here later this month.
This festival features a series of events with some of the biggest Jamaican acts which people pack venues at phenomenal prices to see.

Big names like Taurus Riley, Capelton, Jah Cure, Sizzla Kololji, TOK, Baby Sham and more.
Quite an impressive line up being put together by a man who also promoted shows with Jackie Opel and buddy boy Vic Brewster, I am surprised Al doesn’t think a “Jah Cure” is some sort of bush tea.

Even in his column last week Al gave a list of his favorite movies that he actually saw in the cinema when they first came out, and they were a list of ancient ones we now see on Turner Classics TV channel…
Al does not let the challenges of age deter him as he continues to set a set a positive example for current promoters like my self, Richard Haynes, Phil Philips and others to follow.
I hope I can be just as active when I get to Al’s age, in fact I would settle just to GET to his age…

P.S; I am not forgetting the role Freddie Hill plays in organizing the Reggae Festival, Al needs some one to remind him to take his pills…

Comment by Dude;”I support them but I also wonder how persons not involved in the music creation stage can earn an equal amount the artists. A CD is sold to records stores between $20 and $25 and then they retail $45… this huge markup policy needs addressing”

Dude made a very pertinent comment to my Music shop article below and I wish to address the “huge mark up policy” as he has requested.

Dude’s comment is reflective of a line of thought which also exists in the entertainment industry, music shops take their cds make so much money off them while they get paltry scraps in return.

Of the $45 selling price which was correctly quoted, 15% of that is Value Added Tax, VAT that goes to the government. Lets also consider that apart from VAT shops also pay regular taxes on revenue generated which means out of the remaining balance more still goes to the government, that why I could never understand it when our previous PM Arthur complained we sold cds so high when what helps to contributes to that is duties and taxes, that would be something PM David needs to address.

The normal practice is for shops to add on a 50% mark up on any thing they sell; Do you think that is too much?
Well I don’t think so and I will tell you why.
From 1993 to 1998 Madd operated retail shop “Rue Rue” upstairs Mall 34 for “Music fashion and U”.
Between the high rents, NIS payments, advertising costs, staff costs, utility costs, theifing etc IT WAS FINANCIAL HELL.
My challenge to any entertainer who thinks music shops make SO MUCH money, well you open an outlet and make the money then,.
There’s a reason why they don’t and there is a reason why I HAD a music store and don’t have it any more.
When you look at the proliferation of operating expenses a shop incurs that must be recouped from a cd sale it more than justifies the mark up.

Thanks for making your comment Dude….

Boyce left the computer….

Well it has made a significant change in the way music can now be acquired by collectors. Music is now absolutely free and especially to the young demographic, purchasing music is no longer in their spending patterns.

In the 90’s when Madd operated a music store in Bridgetown called “Rue Rue”, it was the usual practice that every Saturday morning we had teenagers who would faithfully come and buy cds to their favorite artistes. Beres Hammond, Garnet Silk, Boyz to Men and Krosfyah sold like hot sugar cakes.
There were no cd burners in computers facilitating pirate activity and nothing called ADSL, so if you wanted music on cd you had to get it from a store.

Now the young people of today just stay home punch the name of their favorite song into the computer download it into their mp3 collection and enjoy it on their ipods and phones with out paying a cent. Damn wunnah internet people then, you should be shame!
There are teenagers out there who don’t know what a music shop looks like furtherless why you would take $50 to buy a cd

So that’s why we should take your hat off and admire the following; John Edwards of Power Station, Valerie Greaves of Number One Record Shop and Norman Barrow of A& B Music, for continuing to survive against overwhelming technological theifing odds and continual support of the music industry.
If you are not going to take your hat off, at least cut your hair…

Boyce is leaving the “theifing music” computer

Theifing blank cd

Heres one of the hardest Barbadian videos you will ever see, directed by Selwyne ‘Get Bizi’ Browne of Zotikos Studio.

This is a music video to Keisha Christain’s song “Totally Unacceptable” which tells the story of a woman who comes home unexpectedly and finds her man in bed with another female, her reaction becomes the basis of the storyline.

I find the video effective because it uses “real” looking people to portray the characters, the man looks like the “guy from next door”. The acting is superb and really brings you into the action, the editing and camera angles also enhance the on screen violatile situation.

Watch for the effective use of a “Matrix” effect in the video, it is to die for…

When you see the impressive work done by Selwyne Browne in this video you are left wondering “How can Barbadians be doing creative video work to this level and it is not being seen on our local CBC TV?
That is a question which begs to be answered….

Time for a Boyce Voice flashback!
Click to see the now defunct band Square One featuring Alison Hinds in their first music video back in the 1992. I just spoke to Alison to get the year this one came out and she told me she does not even remember the lyrics to this song.

Attention All Square One Fans, you can wipe your tears away, have you heard about the big Square One reunion show which is happening on 26th July this year?
Thats right, Andy, George, Mexican, Cecil, Alison all the original members reunite for one big massive concert.
Remember you heard it on Boyce Voice first, unless you heard it already which means you heard it here third.
Click to enjoy a young Square One featuring Alison with “This One for the Road”
(check out the fancy editing you dont see this in music videos any more)

The Plymouth Jazz festival is coming up on 25th April in Tobago, looks like an event not to be missed.

Featuring major acts like Rod Stewart, Shakira, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Peabo Bryson, En Vouge, James Ingram and Steel Pulse.
Whoa, that’s quite a line up!
My first question, what do any of those above mentioned artistes have to do with Jazz?

Rod Stewart with his “if you want my body and you think I am sexy” no jazz there…

I love to see Shakira shaking those hips of hers while she is singing but she don’t do Jazz.

Whitney Houston belting out how I am all the man she will ever need, but no freaking jazz there either.
I challenge you to identify one of those acts that are even remotely connected to Jazz.
Is it that promoters are “selling out” by not booking jazz purists in order to attract more patrons?
At least when Chris Harper of Notes to Note puts on his Jazz events at the Plantations, he features “real” Jazz acts, and so does Gilbert Rowe with our Barbados Jazz Festival.

The next question I would ask is why do they call an event such as this a “Jazz Festival”?
When you to come to Bacchanal Time calypso tent don’t you expect to hear calypso? So when you go to a jazz festival should you not hear jazz?
If you will not be hearing Jazz not even once, why not change the name to more accurately reflect the musical fare offered,So it should be the “Tobago International Music Festival” then every thing would be covered, including Shakira shaking those hips!

Guyanese Timeka and our Rihanna in Jamaica

Here is a bio on Timeka Marshall hailing from Guyana, she is one on the artistes represented by Pyramid Entertainment which is managed by the irresistible Santia Bradshaw. With the coming of CSME we need to know about our regional neighbours, so read on, you are not busy ..

Who would have thought that a simple jingle for a local company would be the start of a music career that seems destined for success? Well that is exactly how young Guyanese singer Timeka Marshall got her break. In 2006
a local telecommunications company staged a competition for their new jingle. Timeka entered and won. This became the springboard for recording her first R&B Single “We Should Separate”, which was released and quickly followed by the music video. Produced by Muzikmedia and shot on location in Jamaica both the track and the video gained popularity on the Caribbean music scene and held their own in heavy rotation on radio and television stations across the region.

Yet there was much more to unearth in the way of Timeka’s talents. Timeka After performing “We Should Celebrate” on the Guyanese entertainment circuit to appreciative audiences,Timeka was keen to cultivate her songwriting talents and attended the Barbados Music seminar and Showcase in February 2007. There she blew regional and international music executives away with her obvious talent and enticing sensuality. With just one performance of the gritty dancehall track “Nothing At All”, Timeka was immediately signed to a developmental deal which would see her working with some of Jamaica’s top producers.Timeka’s commitment and hard work in the months she spent in Jamaica has paid off, with the release of two singles – “Free” and “Ice-cream Boy” (a fresh taste on a classic) produced by international reggae producer
Clive Hunt and his team of talented musicians. Her relationship with Jamaica and the treasure trove of musicians, directors and producers there continues to grow. As soon as the two singles were in heavy rotation on Guyana’s airwaves, Timeka returned to Jamaica to continue recording. This dedication is a clear indication of her intention
to take her music throughout the region and beyond and add to the growing list of Caribbean artistes who now rank among the international superstars of the entertainment industry.

Hello People, Today we will take a break from cussing and check out this new CD that has recently been released, Ronnie Morris sent me this photo and media write up which I will now publish for your entertainment edification.

My comments on above picture; what’s with the shirt off thing Ronnie? do you realise you do not have any muscles? It might help that when you go for a shirtless look like this that you have some muscularity within the vicinity, example look at this picture of 50 cents…

See the difference? This is how you should look when you take your shirt off Ronnie, so as it relates to muscles if we were comparing you to 50 cents, we would have to call you 8 cents Ronnie!

While he might be 8 cents in muscularity, Ronnie is rich as it relates to talent, here is his overview of his CD Album which is now out, watch for an audio release on Boyce Voice soon..

“Ronnie Morris’ self-titled 6-track album is officially in stores islandwide! The album boasts new material from the young singer, including the Deepu-Panjwani-produced “More”, a lush remake of the DeBarge classic “In A Special Way” which he performed at the 2008 Barbados Music Awards, and the Brad Griffith and Sebastian Llegall-produced reggae scorcher “Send Me A Love”, which is sure to ignite regional radio. Also featured on the album are Deception, More Than Words and Remember When It Rained, all high-quality tracks in keeping with the output of this award-winning recording and performing artiste. The album is available islandwide for just $25! Go get your copy today!

And that’s the end of the release from 8 cent Ronnie…..

What can I say about the dynamic young singer/song writer Philip 7? “Nothing Left to Say” is the name of this brand new track from Philip 7. This is a follow up to his Barbados Music Award winner “Beautiful Surprise” well this should be no surprise to you Philip has another hit. So theres nothing left to say than to click and play “Nothing Left to Say”

 

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