Exclusives Blog » Music

The Freddie Mercury Debate

Cerys — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 09:10:58 +0000

Freddie Mercury, undoubtedly the best known name in the entertainment industry. Freddie was a global icon, and to this day is still considered to be one of the greatest musicians of all time.

During a discussion in the office today we got onto the topic of the highly anticipated biopic of Freddie Mercury’s life. Sacha Baron Cohen (of Borat and The Dictator fame) has been chosen to play the part of Freddie Mercury and there has been much speculation and discussion over whether or not he is the best choice for the role. The film has been approved by Freddie’s surviving band members (Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon) and so too has the choice to cast Sacha Baron Cohen.

There are two singers who have been getting a lot of attention in social media lately for “channeling” Freddie Mercury, they are Matthew Bellamy of Muse and Eric Sean Nally of Foxy Shazam.

What we would like to know is who you, our loyal Fanatics and Bookworms, think would be the best choice to play the part of Freddie Mercury? Post your choice of best Freddie in the comments section below

Here is our selection of the Top 5 Freddie Mercury/Queen covers:

5. The Muppets – Bohemian Rhapsody

4. Thomas Crane – The Great Pretender

3. Pink – Bohemian Rhapsody

2. George Michael – Somebody to Love

1. Marc Martel – Somebody to Love

Exclusive Books: Top 10 Bestsellers of 2005

shaun — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:33:14 +0000

Remember this? Fanatics celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2007. Fanatics celebrated every fanatical year of their first decade by going back in time, through the Top 10 books from each and every year.

We picked our favourites from the bestselling titles from 1998 to 2007 (We’ve extended this to include the last five years). In these lists Fanatics also included the VIBs (Very Important Books), the cult classics of books as chosen by the Exclusive Books store managers.

What you see below is a combination of books that hit the top sales charts in 2005, and books that captured the imaginations of many, and remain close to our hearts.

Click here to view the full list of top 10′s for 15 years (1998 – 2012)

10. The Tipping Point

The Tipping Point is an intellectual adventure story written with an infectious enthusiasm for the power and joy of new idea. Most of all, it is a road map to change, with a profoundly hopeful message, that one imaginative person applying a well-placed lever can move the world.

9. Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

This is the true story of how one moment changed the course of a small boy’s life. One day he would dance with some of the greatest ballet companies of the world. One day he would be a friend to a president, movie stars and the most influential people in America. One day he would become a star.

8. The Number by Jonny Steinberg

A tale of modern South Africa seen though the eyes of the country’s underclass. The book is an account of memory and identity, of Magadien Wentzel’s project to make some sense of his bewildering past and something worthy of his future.

7. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

The only treason Anna was born was to donate her spinal cord blood cells to her older sister. Anna has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions and shots so that her sister, Kate can fight the leukemia that has plagued her since she was a child. Now Anna wants control over her own body and life.

6. He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo

An entertaining to interpreting men, from a writer and a consultant to ‘Sex and the City’. A no-holds-barred decoder of male behaviour, this book isn’t just about eliminating the bad apples – it’s also about holding onto the good ones.

5. The 8th Habit by Stephen R. Covey

That the world has changed and is continuing to change at a rapid pace is not news. The Consumer revolution has accelerated dramatically. But something vital is missing in all of this. Leadership has not kept up with the changes going on in the world.

4. Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC by William Mervin Gumede

As a spokesman for a country, a continent and the developing world, Thabo Mbeki plays a crucial role in world politics, but to many people he is an enigma. This book explores the complex position that Mbeki occupies, following in Nelson Mandela’s footsteps, heading a party with roots as liberation movement, and ruling a divided country.

3. The World According to Clarkson by Jeremy Clarkson

The world is an exciting and confusing place for Jeremy Clarkson – a man who can find the overgrown school boy in us all. Exposing absurdity and celebrating eccentricity, this book offers a hilarious snapshot of life in the 21st century that will have readers wincing with embarrassed recognition and crying with laughter. It’s not about the cars!

2. Capitalist Nigger by Chika A. Onyeani

Capitalist Nigger excels as an explosive and jarring indictment of the black race, as naturally endowed as any other, but culpably a non-productive race. Only as ‘Economic Warriors’, employing the ‘Spider Web Economic Doctrine’ can the black Race escape form their victim mentality

1. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

When a scientist is found brutally murdered, Harvard professor Robert Langdon is asked to identify the mysterious symbol seared onto the dead man’s chest. He realises it must be the work of the Illuminati, a secret brotherhood sworn to fight against Catholicism, and the race is on to prevent a further tragedy.

Oppikoppi 18: Sweet Thing 9+10+11 Aug 2012Bullet for My Valentine, Eagles of Death Metal, Diplo & Full List of All Performing Acts

shaun — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 11:54:29 +0000

OppiKoppi is very proud and happy to announce that we will probably have 7 different stages in operation this year. Some stages are being broken down, new ones built, moved or expanded. We are hoping to feature more tunes, more genres but still keep a nice comfortable feel. Expect a few nice surprises… -Oppikoppi 18

Bullet For My Valentine Official Press Release From Oppikoppi.co.za:

You asked them and the Hilltop Live crew have heeded your call. Welsh Metal-core band, Bullet For My Valentine is making their South African debut at OppiKoppi 18 SweetThing!

Bullet for My Valentine comprises lead singer & rhythm guitarist Matthew Tuck, drummer Michael ‘Moose’ Thomas, lead guitarist & backing vocalist Michael ‘Padge’ Paget and bassist & backing vocalist Jason ‘Jay’ James. The group, named Best British Band in 2008, 2009 and 2010 by metal magazine Kerrang!, formed 10 years ago in their hometown of Bridgend as Jeff Killed John, covering Metallica and Nirvana songs. Citing Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slayer as influences they found their niche in 2002 on signing a five album deal with Sony BMG dropping The Poison in 2005, Scream Aim Fire in 2007 and Fever in 2010. With over one million albums in the United States and exceeding 2 500 000 worldwide sales, Bullet For My Valentine‘s debut for their South African fans has been a long time coming. Additional South African tour dates will be announced shortly.

Festival Safety tips from Oppikoppi.co.za:

- Is you is, or is you ain’t my baby: OppiKoppi is there for friends. Bring your own, or we will supply. Come hungry.

- He’s my dog and I love him: And if you want to see Stompie again after the festival we recommend leaving him at home. People braai almost anything marginally smaller than a Coleske brother at Oppikoppi. (One or two Lord of the Ring character doubling actors has had scary run-ins with the outer lying campsites at the festival in 2009.).

- Roekeloos: love that word. Tattoo it on your forehead or chest to win more friends at the festival.

- Blessed is he who travels with wet wipes, and warmly will he be received at any camp site. Especially with warm wet wipes.

Your Stickers Questions Answered (Plus: Stickers Stats!)

Ben — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 06:36:27 +0000

We’ve had a terrific response since launching Exclus1ves Stickers last week – thanks to everyone who’s sent in feedback so far!

If you’re not familiar with Stickers yet, watch our short demonstration video:

Since the launch last Thursday 21 June, we’ve seen phenomenal levels of activity on our site. Here are some key stats:

104 159 total Smileys earned by our users
4 145 new star ratings on Exclusives.co.za products
1 256 Personal Discount Stickers earned
300 new shares via social media
21 Group Discounts unlocked

We’ve also received a number of questions, which were neatly summed up in an email that arrived yesterday from Ahmed, who’s really got stuck into Stickers. Here are the three most common Stickers questions so far, as posed to us by Ahmed, and our answers:

~ ~ ~

1. Are Smileys a virtual currency? For example, if I have a certain number of Smileys, I should qualify for certain Personal Discount Stickers – I get that. But how does the “Group Discount” thing work? Do I need to “spend” Smileys?

Correct! You can tag any product with a maximum of 10 Smileys. If others also tag that product with Smileys, it will eventually reach a bigger discount faster than any individual can earn.

2. Lets say I get to 300 smileys and qualify for a 20% Personal Discount Sticker. What would happen if I then dragged 10 Smileys on to a product to try and unlock a Group Discount? Do I lose 10 Smileys and thereby my 20% Personal Discount Sticker?

Not quite . If you earn 300 Smileys, you receive a 20% Personal Discount Sticker. If you then use some of the Smileys to tag a product, you lose those Smileys, but you keep your Personal Discount Sticker. It just takes you a little bit longer to reach the next Personal Discount milestone, which is 450 Smileys.

3. Finally, what are the levels of Smileys required in order to qualify for the various discounts?

In brief, you earn Personal Discount Stickers every multiple of 150. Working in groups, you unlock Group Discounts every multiple of 100 and 250.

The complete earning and spending milestone tables are available at our FAQ:

http://blog.exclus1ves.co.za/meet-exclus1ves-stickers-how-it-works-faq-and-ts-cs/

To get you started:

150 Smileys earned = 1 x 10% Personal Discount Sticker
300 Smileys earned = 1 x 20% Personal Discount Sticker

Product tagged with 100 Smileys = 15% Group Discount for 24 hours (available to all visitors to the site)
Product tagged with 200 Smileys = 15% Group Discount for 24 hours (available to all visitors to the site)
Product tagged with 250 Smileys = 25% Group Discount for 24 hours (available to all visitors to the site)

And so on!

~ ~ ~

Please write to us with your further queries and comments:

stickers@exclusives.co.za

And don’t forget to visit these key Stickers info links:

Stickers infographic
Complete Stickers FAQ and Ts & Cs

Go on, get stuck in!

Little Dragon to Perform in South Africa in August/September 2012

shaun — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 10:56:43 +0000

South Africans all over the country have been more than delighted to receive the series of announcements of performances to come our way this year. In the last month alone we found out that the Eagles of Death Metal and Diplo will be performing at Oppikoppi 18, Sweet Thing. Moreover, tickets for Lady Gaga have sold out within the first week of the notification that her tour will include Jo’burg and Cape Town.

The Swedish pop and electronic act Little Dragon will also be touring South Africa in August/September 2012.

Tour dates:

31 August in Cape Town at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock

1 September in Johannesburg at MAOD in the Maboneng Precinct

Tickets can be bought online from Webtickets.co.za

From TimesLive:

Little Dragon have released three albums since 2007 – their self-titled debut, 2009′s Machine Dreams and 2011′s Ritual Union. They collaborated with Gorillaz for two tracks on 2010′s Plastic Beach album and with TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek on his Maximum Balloon project. Lead singer Yukimi Nagano has contributed vocals to tracks by SBTRKT and DJ Shadow.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia.org

Big Announcement: Lady Gaga is Coming to South Africa

shaun — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 06:15:56 +0000

From TimesLive:

In what has been the worst-kept secret of the week, Big Concerts announced on Monday that Lady Gaga is coming to South Africa later this year.

The rumours had been swirling around social media for a while now, reaching fever pitch over the past few days after the concert promoter said they would be making a big announcement on 18 June.

On Sunday, a Twitter account of Lady Gaga news called @gagatodaycom tweeted: “Lady Gaga will be bringing her BTW Ball to Africa in Cape Town on the 3d of Dec & Johannesburg on 30th Nov 2012. #SouthAfricaGoesGaga”. The tweet has been retweeted 154 times.

Big Concerts confirmed the news on Monday morning, saying the Born This Way singer would perform in Johannesburg (30 November at Soccer City) and Cape Town (3 December at Cape Town Stadium).

Tickets go on sale at 9am tomorrow on Computicket’s website. Computicket outlets will start selling tickets from Thursday June 21.

Seated tickets start at R315 and all standing tickets R715. Exclusive Tour packages including Early Entry ‘Government Hooker’ and Hot Tickets ‘Highway Unicorn’ will also be available for sale from www.computicket.com.

Big Concerts had written on its Facebook page on Friday: “Big Announcement – and we mean REALLY BIG. Unveiled Monday 18 June.” 333 users commented on the post, with many guessing that Gaga would be the artist coming to the country.

Radio station 5FM were also in on the secret, building up the hype with clues on their website by giving us Gaga in numbers: “5 Grammy awards, 13 MTV awards, 23 million records sold, 64 million singles sold, 5 top 40 number 1 hits on 5FM.”

If one types in the clues in a Google search (all except the last), the top result is for Lady Gaga.

Speculation was rife that Lady Gaga would only make her way in 2014, after a leaked document of unconfirmed dates popped up on the internet.

The document included dates going as far as the middle of 2014- with two shows at the Bellville Velodrome in Cape Town and one at the Coca Cola Dome in Johannesburg- all in February.

But that has proven untrue, as Mother Monster will be seeing her little South African Monsters earlier than anticipated.

Local performer Lindiwe Suttle has already rallied her own passionate fans to vote for her as the opener for Gaga. Suttle is a self-confessed Little Monster, and has been known to adopt similar daring outfits and dancing for her own live performances.

Lady Gaga has also announced that her record label has heard her new album, and told her millions of Twitter fans that she would be releasing the name of the album in September.

Before reaching South Africa, Gaga will go past Australia, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, France, Spain, Sweden, Germany and the UK.

Gaga will be joined by DJ and early collaborator Lady Starlight and British rockers The Darkness.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia.org

Competition: Win one of Five Copies of ‘Belieber’

Zoe — Thu, 31 May 2012 06:58:16 +0000

Justin Bieber’s rise from “regular kid” to one of the most famous people on the planet has captivated a nation of devoted fans called ‘Beliebers.’ With hit records, 8 million followers on Twitter and the third-largest grossing documentary film of all time, the 17-year-old Canadian pop star dubbed ‘Super Boy’ on Rolling Stone’s recent cover has countless fans who hang on his every word. But is there more to this pop idol’s startling success than his legendary haircut and unusual talent? ‘The success I’ve achieved comes … from God,’ Bieber says “I feel I have an obligation to plant little seeds with my fans. I’m not going to tell them, ‘You need Jesus,’ but I will say at the end of my show, ‘God loves you.” The bold yet humble faith that grounds Bieber’s worldview may just be the key to his extraordinary appeal. Recognizing that music and film are the language of this new generation, author and religion journalist Cathleen Falsani’s hope is that this book will encourage faith leaders as well as parents to engage with popular culture in a different way so they can better talk to their kids about what matters most.

Win! We have five copies to give away, courtesy of Christian Art Publishers. To stand a chance to win a copy of Belieber, simply name one of his chart-topping songs.

Competition closes on Monday 4th June, winners will be drawn at random.

Roxette Live in South Africa

shaun — Thu, 31 May 2012 05:40:19 +0000

From Timeslive:

A seductive mix of romantic ballads and smart pop with tongue-in-cheek lyrics, Roxette began in the late `80s, and their mission was to conquer the world with chart-bursting singles by merging their creative forces.

Per had the songs, Marie had the killer voice.

Together they would go places, see people and win the cheers of millions of fans throughout the world.

Dates: Sunday, 3 June- The Coca-Cola Dome, Johannesburg
Tuesday, 5 June – I C C Durban Arena, Durban
Friday, 8 June – Grand Arena, Grand West, Cape Town

Music Accessories: Recommended Earphones for your Cellphone, MP3 Player and Other Devices

shaun — Wed, 30 May 2012 08:13:55 +0000

Finally, earphones that look as good as they sound (with Crystal inlays)

High-performance 11mm drivers deliver exceptional clarity and depth, while the sound isolating design limits unwanted ambient noise. With built-in Expansive Bass technology you feel every beat, for a truly immersive experience.

Specifications:
Driver unit: 11mm Expansive Bass
Impedance: 32 ohms
Sensitivity: 105dB +/- 2dB at 1 KHz
Freq response: 20 – 20,000Hz
Extra: Inline Volume Control
Jack: 3.5mm Stereo

Colourful headphones to suit your look. Mix and match to create your own style.

Specifications:
Driver unit: 30mm
Impedance: 32 ohms +/- 10%
Sensitivity: 89dB +/- 2dB at 1 KHz
Freq response: 20 – 20,000Hz
Jack: 3.5mm Stereo

“Volume-reduced headphones for kids.”

Fuzzphones are your soft and snuggly friends, specially designed for little heads and ears.

Most adult headphones are not meant for children. They are either too big or too loud and can potentially damage their hearing.

Fuzzphones have been designed with higher impedance than regular headphones, which means lower and safer volume levels for sensitive ears. When used with a range of common portable audio devices, Fuzzphones lower the maximum volume to within a safer range for children*. That means much less risk of hearing damage and no more begging to turn the volume down!

A Fuzzphone friend is the perfect listening companion for little ears.

Features:
- soft and cuddly character covers
- automatic volume reduction*
- adjustable headband to fit little heads

Specifications:
Driver unit: 30mm
Impedance: 100 ohms +/- 10%
Sensitivity: 82 dB +/- 3 dB S.P.L. at 1 KHz
Freq response: 20 -20,000Hz
Jack: 3.5mm Stereo

* Maximum audio output will vary by source device – while the maximum volume will be reduced, the upper volume limit cannot be established by the manufacturer for every model. Please supervise the use of all audio products by children.

Flashpoint headphones are designed with flair and a unique style to deliver exceptional audio performance. Powerful 40mm drivers turn every beat or note into a rich and immersive experience for professionals and discerning home users alike. Soft ear cushions and rotating speaker enclosures ensure a comfortable and tailored fit.

Specifications:
Driver unit: 40mm
Impedance: 32 ohms
Sensitivity: 115dB +/- 2dB at 1 KHz
Freq response: 20 – 20,000Hz
Jack: 3.5mm Stereo

An Interview with Louise Carver

shaun — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:24:36 +0000

Exclusives.co.za interviews Louise Carver who talks about music as a calling, her influences and what she is reading at the moment. The South African singer and songwriter has just released her new single titled “How You Gonna Do it” and will be releasing her fifth studio album in July.

Interview Conducted via email.

Exclusives: On your website you compare some of the sounds from your new single to Alfred Hitchcock’s feature film Psycho. Where do you find inspiration for creating new music?

LC: I really don’t know to be honest – I believe most of it must happen subconsciously. I trust my gut on which producer to use and also which sound to go for, but what I write about happens without any great strategy – my song writing is motivated by what I need to express at that point in time.

Exclusives: I read that you have a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. Have you had any involvement in any of these areas after graduating?

LC: I use all three subjects every day in the music industry – it requires all these skills to stay in the game.

Exclusives: While music has a lot of meaning to a lot of people, its meaning is different from person to person. What does music mean to you?

LC: It means so many different things to me. It can be like poetry or it can be like a well honed craft – I admire both. Classic songs like ‘Bridge over troubled water’ are eternally beautiful but I also admire the actual craft of song writing and a good pop song should be acknowledged.

Exclusives: What music are you listening to on your MP3 player at the moment?

LC: I am constantly downloading new tracks – I have just downloaded the new Lira single.

Exclusives: Since 1998, you have been releasing an album every 2-3 years. How do you approach music and what do you find is the most challenging aspect of creating a new album?

LC: I approach music always with good songs being the foundation to an album – without strong songs, you do not have an album. Then I choose the musical direction which I would like to explore and then I choose the producer who will be the best at creating that sound. We then get to work on each song which takes months and months of hard work to get it just right.

Exclusives: As far as I understand you have been playing piano since the age of 11? Who were your biggest musical influences while you were growing up?

LC: I actually started piano at 5 years old and started writing my own music by eleven. My influences were what my parents played so Classical, Folk, Pop were all in the mix. My favourites are still Tracy Chapman, Simon and Garfunkel, Queen and John Williams classical guitar.

Exclusives: You signed your first music contract at a very young age. What drew you to the act of making music?

LC: It was a vocation for me…all roads led to music without me even knowing it. I was performing, writing and singing from a very young age and already getting a lot of special treatment. There was never any question that I would be in this crazy industry. All my parents wanted though, was for me to have a back up plan and go to University.

Exclusives: Do you have any advice for aspiring singer/songwriters?

LC: Yes – get a degree or tertiary education in Business studies or Law, as you will need it.

Exclusives: Are you reading anything at the moment?

LC: Yes, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini