Posts Tagged ‘Eric Clapton’
10 Saddest Songs of All Time? Readers’ Poll by Rolling Stone magazine
Posted by: adonis49 on: March 14, 2017
Readers’ Poll: The 10 Saddest Songs of All Time
Your picks include ‘Cat’s in the Cradle and ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-the-10-saddest-songs-of-all-time-20131002/1-eric-clapton-tears-in-heaven-0645811#ixzz2geJcgibT Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
1. Eric Clapton – ‘Tears in Heaven’
Eric Clapton‘s son Conor was just four years old when he fell to his death from the 53th floor of a New York building in 1991.
Not long after the tragedy, Clapton and songwriter Will Jennings penned “Tears in Heaven” as a tribute to the child. They never imagined it would become a huge hit, but within months, it was Number Two on the Hot 100 and swept the Grammys.
The song first appeared on the soundtrack to the widely forgotten Jason Patric movie Rush, but the version most people remember comes from Clapton’s 1992 Unplugged special.
By 2004, Clapton could no longer bear to perform the song at his shows and he dropped it; it returned earlier this year.
Carla Bruni: After modelling, the Music second career? (Current French First Lady)
Posted by: adonis49 on: August 6, 2011
After modelling: Music second career for Carla Bruni (current wife of French President Sarkozy)
At the age of 19, Carla Bruni’s career as a model took off. At the age of 29, Carla quit modeling for other horizons. She learned to play guitar at age 9 and her mother was a professional pianist. Carla was a big fan of the Rolling Stones and was the main girl friend of Mick Jagger for 8 years. Carla also was the girlfriend of Eric Clapton before Mick stole her from her Eric.
As usual, Carla did her due diligence in comprehending the music business, from the main professionals in the music industry by charming them and becoming their girl friend for a period.
In 2002, at the age of 35, Carla had a hit with “Quelqu’un m’a dit“, an album that sold 2 million copies in France and outside boundaries. “Carla arrived very discreetly and in small steps: The universe of the music industry in France is hard and closed to newcomers. Many French models tried to transfer career to music and failed miserably” said the journalist reporter to L’Express Gilles Medioni.
Actually, Carla kept taking courses in vocalism twice a week, and doing it even today.
Carla had declared 16 years ago on TV: “I am an average singer and don’t intend of making it a career in music.” At the age of 18, Carla managed to find the address of French guitarist Louis Bertignac , of the group Telephone, and became his girlfriend for a year before she jumped ship with Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger. Later, Bertignac did the arrangement for Clara’s first two albums. The door to the other renowned musicians and singers was wide open.
There is this Goldman who is in charge of organizing the very restrictive musical evenings of the “Enfoires”, (the crazies), and Carla made sure that Goldman introduces her into this privileged club. From 1995 to 1997, Carla participated and sang for the exclusive “Restos du coeur“, which opened the doors to show-biz and popular singers.
In 1999, Carla charmed Julien Clerc (Femmes, je vous aime…) who presented her to his agent Bertrand de Labbey. Carla, the song writer, sent Julien 5 anonymous songs by fax, among them “Si j’etais elle“.
Carla admitted that she got her inspiration when she was in love with philosopher Raphael Enthoven, ten years younger and for 10 years her boyfriend, and with whom she had a son Aurelien. Enthoven introduced Carla to the circles of the French intellectuals and journalists who promoted Carla’s image extensively.
Music critics for the magazine “Les Inrockuptibles“, Pierre Siankowski reported:”Carla knew the right button to press in the music industry: She knew exactly who to seduce”
Carla opted for the independent music house Naive to produce her albums. Naive was very honored and Carla was treated as Queen instead of another singer. The third album “Comme si de rien...” was not a success, but receive worldwide coverage as current First Lady. Jean-Louis Murat wrote a song for Carla and let her add her voice to three songs of his album “Mockba” in 2005.
In 2009, Carla wanted to try an actress career in movies, but this time around she was not as patient and thorough as in her two previous career. She asked Woody Allen, as he was receiving la “Legion d’honneur” in the Elysee, that she wanted to be in his next movie. In fact, Woody kept his word in 2010, but Carla had to re-shoot 35 times a scene that didn’t involve any talk: She kept looking at the camera, as she learned to do in modeling, but acting is a different story and techniques.
Note: Article extracted from a chapter in the French book “Carla: A secret life” by Besmat Lahouri
“Mick Jagger and I”: Who is Carla Bruni?
Posted by: adonis49 on: August 3, 2011
“Mick Jagger and I”: Who is Carla Bruni?
Mick Jagger (lead singer of the Rolling Stones?)wanted a perfect woman, from head to toe and wearing Armany attire. Mick was the true power in 1966: At the snap of his fingers he could move mountains. Mick was recognized in the remotest regions of earth.
Carla Bruni, current wife of twice divorced French President Nicholas Sarkozy, was a big fan of Jagger since she was 15 of age. She was a groupie who adored her idol. At 18 Carla declared: “I will ultimately date Mick”. The band of groupie laughed at Carla lucubration.
In 1988, the band Dire Straits were having a concert in Paris. Carla is 21 of age and made sure to reach front row and attract the attention of guitarist Mark Knopfler, who is a friend of the famous guitarist Eric Clapton of the piece “Layla” and on tour with Dire Straits. Mark Knopfler invites Carla to join him backstage. Carla invites her groupie of three girlfriends to join her such as Joanna, Rapha, Alexia.
Quickly, Carla is the girlfriend of Eric, 23 years older than she. Eric is a close friend of Mick Jagger who was married to Texan model Jerry Hall and have two kids. Foolishly, Eric presents Carla to Mick who is immediately smitten by Carla. Clapton is reduced to beg: “Mick, please, in the name of our friendship, leave Carla to me…” Yes, right!
Carla keeps recounting her affairs of week-ends with Mick to her entourage of models and professionals in the business. Jagger has a castle in the Val de Loire called “Fourchette” and is sending his limousine to wait for Carla after her modeling show. Chantal Thomass recalls that Carla would say: “He may wait. I am not over yet. I am young and beautiful and Mick can patient outside.”
In 1994, photographer Max Vadukul was waiting with Carla in the airport. A Concorde landed and Carla said: “It is mick coming to pick me up. He keeps calling me from New York desiring to see me…” The stylists and personnel would often hear this request from Mick on the phone: “Hello, It’s Mick, may I speak to Carla?” Every half an hour, Mick would call back and get the same message “Carla is busy and didn’t finish her work” Carla would never return the call when at work.
Photographer Jean-Marie Perier said: “Mick was crazily in love with Carla and was ready to divorce from Jerry Hall. Carla would not marry Mick. And Jerry was constantly trying to locate the whereabouts of her husband…”
Carla is a possessive character: She rented a house in Moustique Island where Jagger spent his vacation with his wife Jerry and his three kids by now. Jerry Hall is the last to get wind of her husband’s affair with Carla and calls Carla who coolly denies the rumors and detaches the phone away from her ear to minimize the rage in Jerry’s voice and hangs up.
During Carla’s 8 years affair with Jagger, not a single paparazzi published a picture of this couple who toured every capital in the world. Once, Carla retorted to her husband President Sarkozy: “In matter of public discretion you are an amateur”. You may read of Carla’s 8 years career as a famous model in link provided in note #2.
The funny part is that Carla was searching for a luxury apartment in Paris to meet with her new boyfriend Sarkozy. It turned out that Mick Jagger had a flat there too. Mick barely used his flat in Paris, but Sarkozy didn’t appreciate this choice and declined.
Carla had also a singing career in the last 6 years. This is another story, to be continued.
Note 1: Article is extracted from the French book “Carla: A secret life” by Besma Lahouri
Note 2: You may read of Carla’s career as model in this link https://adonis49.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/carla-bruni-current-wife-of-president-sarkozy-whos-that/
Nude dancers: Introspection
Posted by: adonis49 on: June 25, 2010
Nude dancers
I had my first experience with nude bars, where beauties danced completely naked on stage, at the age of 26.
The dancers got entirely naked in phases, on the second or third song (sort of strip teasing further after each song). Walter Mitty bar was around the corner of my dorm that was reserved mostly for foreign students. My friend Ramez was the RA of the dorm and he was studying History of Sciences, simply because the university library possessed a few very ancient manuscripts on Arabic sciences.
There was this lovely brunette of Maria. I sent a letter to my cousin Jihad telling him that Maria looked like his wife Nada. I am not sure how Jihad took it. Nada should have appreciated it; shouldn’t she? I know that many years later, Jihad reminded me of receiving this letter. Eight years later, I returned to Norman for a PhD and Maria was still living in Norman. She was working at the university Power Plant and wearing regulation yellow helmet. Nude dancing is far harder than even fashion modelling: In no time you are put to pasture.
I told Maria that I liked her when she used to dance totally naked; she appreciated that I still recalled her. We had a date and she showed up wearing high-healed, long boots, and very tight Jeans. She took my arm when strolling and she didn’t attempt to fool around with men in the bars we made the round of.
Maria showed me her apartment a few days later, and I met her sister (maybe half sister who didn’t resemble Maria at all). I also visited Maria at the hospital after her surgery for infected uterus; she was wearing regulation hospital long shirt showing her buttocks.
As Maria returned home she invited me to her apartment and asked me if I liked to share a joint of marijuana. I never learn from my experiences or anything from life: I told her how marijuana affects me after just two puffs. Maria told me that it would be pointless to get any further dates.
There was this tall, skinny, and blond girl dancing nude in 1976. She used to set fire to her shaved cunt every night. Obviously, she had no pubis hair and I would never be able to confirm if her white blond hair was original.
I once asked her to leave together after work. I think that she said “Yes”. I waited till the bar closed and she had left. I was a very shy guy and I wished that the rules would be that she would sit by my side, take my arm and drag me out. I still don’t know the rule of asking a nude dancer to actually leave with me: if you truelly do know, please forward it.
Worst of all, patronizing this nude dancing bar exposed me to my first cigarette smoking. I was 26 of age and had never smoked before. I am now nicotine addicted.
I recall the first time I smoked a joint.
I was in a convertible Alfa Romeo with two Lebanese university students. We were heading toward the lake on a lovely, moonlit summer night (do you recall Shakespear of mid-summer night?) . My friends were having a great time, speeding and listening to “Leila”, a guitar song played by Eric Clapton. On the way back, we had a bite and coffee at a diner; they laughed a lot at my expense because I had a hell of problems keeping the lids of my red eyes open.
I twice experienced smoking a joint in groups, never alone, to “train myself for a better fit among marijuana smokers”.
Once, we were in our apartment and half a dozen friends left to see a movie and dance; they decided to leave me behind, since I was “stoned all right” on the couch. When they returned 4 hours later, I was still lying on the sofa, my eyes closed shut, listening to music, trying to differentiate the timbers among the different musical instruments: I had no idea about instruments anyway, but I thought this might be my chance or never to appreciating tones and half tones.
The third instance was in a park, close by my apartment; I was enjoying an afternoon of open concert in a beautiful summer day. I woke up and the park was empty and dark already. I walked my bike home.
Walter Mitty was still around the corner when I returned in 1985 for still a higher degree.
I patronized it with my friend Boubker. Boubker was already a professor teaching operations research. Girls have changed, but the system never changed. We mostly had a pitcher during happy hours, between 4 to 6pm.
It is swell to have these kinds of quiet and cool businesses. I wish it was possible just to touching those sweaty firm flesh!
Introspection: Marijuana (continue 23)
I recall the first time I smoked a joint. I was in a convertible Alfa Romeo with two Lebanese university students. We were heading toward the lake in a mid summer night. My friends were having a great time, speeding and listening to “Leila”, a guitar tune played by Eric Clapton. Later, we had a bite and coffee at a diner.
My friends laughed a lot at my expense: I had a hell of problems keeping the lids of my red eyes open.
I twice experienced smoking a joint in groups, never alone, in my stubborn attempts to “train” myself for a better fit among smokers. Once, my friends had to leave me home to see a movie and dance.
When they returned 4 hours later, I was still lying on the sofa, my eyes closed shut, listening to music, trying in my ignorance of music to differentiate the timbers among the different musical instruments.
The third instance was in a park during a summer festival, close by my apartment. I was enjoying an afternoon open concert in a beautiful summer day. I woke up and the park was empty and dark already. I walked my bike home.
The University of Columbia, Columbus
My friend Boubeker (from Algeria and studying Operations Research) and I drove up north in 1976 during the spring vacation. It was my first long trip by roads and we visited the University of Columbia in Ohio because my cousin Nassif had asked me to relay to him my impressions about this university: Nassif, living in Paris, was to teach mathematics at this university next year.
We had a quick tour of the bars around the university and walked the university park.I have a picture of the main lawn of the university and Boubker and I sprawled on the grass and wearing our OU caps.
Boubeker often reminded me that I never kept my head straight when walking; he claimed that my head and eyes were roving, constantly on the lookout for beautiful girls, those southern blonde student beauties.
In 1977, I flew to visit Nassif during Christmas vacation and I learned that my young cousin Mireille (Nassif’s married sister) had died a year ago. Nobody informed me in order not to disturb my state of mind because I was very fond of Mireille who was a year younger than me and we spent lots of time together. It looked pretty odd to me as I stepped into Nassif apartment to see Mireille’s framed photo in the living room, and I got suspicious, and Nassif didn’t wait for me to comment.
I met two of Nassif’s girl friends; one was the head secretary of the math department and a married lady that Nassif visited her during lunch breaks at her home. Well, the city was covered in snow and I splashed in the dirty streets.
Adonis Diaries 