In 1951, at the age of 12, Paul Mawhinney bought his first record, Frankie Lane’s Jezebel. His collection has grown quite a bit since: Mawhinney has dedicated his life to acquiring every recording issued in the U.S. His now 3 million-strong archive is organized alphabetically and cataloged in his Pittsburgh warehouse. It is the world’s largest record collection, and growing every day.

24387059-24387060-slarge

Mawhinney, who ran the RecordRama store for 40 years until it closed in February, has recently put the $50 million dollar collection up for grabs at a mere $3 million because the economy scares him — he’s got bills to pay, and three kids to help out. “My goal is to find a home for the history of music,” the 69-year old Pittsburgh native says.

He opened his 16,400 square foot warehouse, the RecordRama Archive, in 1968, when he had 160,000 records. In the mid-’70s, he started cataloguing the music on his computer, making him not only a vinyl connoisseur, but a pioneer. “I created the Music Master database, which is the largest database in the field of popular music,” he explains. Custom built shelves, temperature and humidity control keep his 6 million-plus song titles secure and organized — search for a track (or any keyword) in the electronic database, and it will direct you to the record on the shelves.

A study conducted by the Library of Congress determined that 87 percent of the music in Mawhinney’s vault is not available on the Internet. The collection’s most valuable record is a rare Rolling Stones album that was never commercially released — only 300 promotional copies were produced by London Records, and it’s valued at approximately $8,000. Mawhinney is also the owner of the first flat record ever made (an 1881 recording of Teddy Roosevelt), a copy of the most released non-hit record in history (”Let Me Love You,” by George Goodman), 15 promotional copies of an unreleased Elvis record called Joshua and hundreds of rare singles from Bob Dylan and the Beatles.

Over the years, Mawhinney and his massive collection have actually changed rock history. He helped out David Bowie’s career by pressuring RCA to send a reissue of the self-titled record featuring “Space Oddity” out to radio stations after it had been locked up in their vault for three years. “The manufacturers still don’t even understand what I did,” he says. “They don’t even have their own records. RCA, Columbia, Rhino — when they want to reissue a CD, they’ve come to me to get a master. Nobody was organized like I was.” And he’s not a fan of big-box stores dominating the record-sales biz today. In his opinion, music distributors have killed the business by cutting breaks to places like Best Buy and Wal-Mart, making it impossible for independent stores to be competitive.

Mawhinney dropped out on current rock scene post-2002, after which he says that music became nasty. He opposes CDs and MP3s, which is why he is adamant about preserving recorded history on vinyl. “When you take a record and put it on CD or tape, you’re compressing the whole thing from top to bottom, taking the highs and the lows,” he explains. “You’re only hearing half the song,” he says. “Believe me, you will never hear a song the way your hear it on a vinyl record with a good needle.”

Prospective buyers and the curious look at the collection almost every day, and Mawhinney gets inquiries from museums worldwide regularly. He’s had a few serious bidders, including the Library of Congress. “Every curator has wanted my collection there for the last 25 years,” he says. “But they don’t want to pay.”

Aside from the archive, Mawhinney owns seven record labels and a publishing company, “the best record washing company in the world.” But the vault is truly his life’s work. “I think that saving my collection is going to have a real wonderfulness in 20 or 30 years,” he says. “If this collection gets broken up and sold as crap, everybody loses big time.”

rollingstone.com

With their new song ‘Promise’ Girls Aloud promise you supreme dose of style, sexiness and pure fun.

The #2 hottest pop girls band (here I mean Pussycat Dolls as #1) decided to pick out the best guys from UK reality show The X Factor to make cameo appearance in the ‘Promise’ music video. In order to win the co-starring chance guys were supposed to name as many Girls Aloud tracks as possible.

Girls-aloud-promise-video

Girls Aloud step back in time in their latest video which sees them don a series of sexy sixties-style looks.Sarah Harding resembles a young legendary model Twiggy with her scraped-back hair.

Nicole Roberts looks so hip with a huge bouffant do.

MORE >>

NAS might not rule the world but NAS definitely ruled the City of Angels on Friday, July 18th, as he performed live at the world famous Roxy on Sunset to celebrate the RELEASE of his latest untitled album.

NAS

A diverse crowd (including Rock N’ Jock legend Michael Rappaport) flooded The Strip as they all waited for a Radio Disney Show to let out and for doors to THE REAL show to open. Those that got there early, and were fortunate enough to get in, were warmed up by DJ JAY-P on the 1’s and 2’s as he showed off his collection of hip hop classics.

At about 10:48pm, the velvety curtains of the Roxy slowly rose to unveil the five piece band, The Jones Experience, that occupied the main stage along with DJ GREEN LANTERN.

NAS entered the stage representin' with a crisp, bright blue, New York Mets cap that stayed on for about half a second as he quickly got the crowd rocking. Performing a mix of songs new and old including “Hip Hop is Dead,” “One Mic,” “Black President,” “Hero” and his own rendition of “F&%k the Police,” NAS put on one of the most memorable show of this program’s brief history.

The man of the hour put it best, “They don’t do this on Facebook!” but I’m sure you already knew that. ;)
 

New albums from Beck, Maroon 5, Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis, the "Mamma Mia!" Soundtrack and others were among the new releases Tuesday.

Alternative rock singer-songwriter Beck released Modern Guilt. The record marks the artist's eighth studio album. It features two contributions from indie singer-songwriter Cat Power.

Maroon 5 reiussed their hit album It Won't Be Soon Before Long this week. The package includes a DVD featuring full concert footage shot in Montreal last year and four music videos. It also features five B-sides.

A live album that features the collaborative efforts of country and jazz icons Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis is also among the new releases. The album, Two Men with the Blues, features 10 tracks.

Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack was also released. The soundtrack for the upcoming film features performances by cast members Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan and others. The soundtrack for the musical film is made up of entirely of the cast singing hits originally by Swedish pop group ABBA, including songs like "Dancing Queen," "Take a Chance on Me," "Super Trouper," and of course, "Mamma Mia!"

Other album releases:

April Wine - I Like to Rock: Live in London 1981

Beck - Modern Guilt

Jaydee Bixby - Cowboys and Cadillacs

Blind Guardian - Twist in the Myth

Brooklyn Zu - Chamber No. 9 Verse 32

Maria Callas - La Traviata

Maria Callas - Norma

Chromeo - Fancy Footwork/Fancier Footwork

Neil Diamond - The Thank You Australia Concert

Dirty Pretty Things - Romance at Short Notice

Dutchess and the Duke - She's the Dutchess He's the Duke

Bob Dylan - The Best of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour Vol. 2

Bob Dylan - 1978-1989: Both Ends of the Rainbow

The Fall - I Never Felt Better in My Life 1979-1982

G.Love and Special Sauce - Superhero Brother

Jean Grae - Jeanius

Steve Howe - Motif

Billy Joel - The Stranger (30th Anniversary Edition)

Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long (Deluxe Edition)

Matt Mays and El Torpedo - Terminal Romance

Del McCoury Band - Moneyland

The Melvins - Nude with Boots

Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis - Two Men with the Blues

Night Ranger - Hole in the Sun

Rikki Rocket - Glitter for the Soul

Various Artists - Country Sings Disney

We the Kings - We the Kings

Yaz - In Your Room (4CD boxed set)

Young Jeezy - Down South Slangin'

Claude Francois

1. French pop star Claude François - who penned My Way - was accidentally electrocuted when he tried to fix a broken light bulb while standing in a filled bathtub.

2. Ozzy Osbourne’s much acclaimed guitarist Randy Rhodes was killed when the light aeroplane he was a passenger in attempted a risky fly-past of Osbourne's tour bus but crashed into the back of it.

Randy Rhodes

3. Mamas and Papas star Cass Elliot is rumoured to have met an untimely end after choking to death on a sandwich in 1974.

Cass Elliot

The original article that appeared in The Times which kick-started the rumour.

4. Blues and R&B legend Johnny Ace went out in spectacular style playing Russian Roulette back stage at a concert in Houston, Texas on Christmas Day, 1954.

Johnny Ace

Below: Johnny performing his most famous song, Pledging My Love

5. Taking a lead from Ace, Terry Kath, the original guitarist of jazz pop act Chicago accidentally killed himself while jokingly playing the same game in 1978. His last words were, 'Don't worry, it's not loaded'.

Terry Kath

7. Keith Relf, guitarist for The Yardbirds, died four years later in similar circumstances while practicing his electric guitar. He sustained a fatal electric shock due to the fact that his axe wasn’t properly grounded.
Below: Rare footage of Keith playing with the Yardbirds in 1968

 8. Legendary Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro suffered a fatal heart attack in 1992, after suffering an allergic reaction to pesticide in his garden.

9. Cher’s other half Sonny Bono died after striking a tree while skiing in Nevada in 1998.

And finally...

10. After dying of a drug overdose, country rock pioneer Gram Parsons’ body disappeared from the Los Angeles International Airport.

Gram Parsons

Maintaining his alleged promise, Parsons’ road manager Phil Kaufman and a friend managed to steal the star’s body from the airport and, in a borrowed hearse, drove Parsons' body to Joshua Tree national park in California where he attempted to cremate it.

The pair were arrested several days later but got away with a $700 fine for burning the coffin, as stealing a body was not recognised as a crime in the state.

Mirror.co.uk

Chesney Upset

Country star Kenny Chesney fired off at the organizers of the Academy of Country Music Awards - just minutes after picking up his fourth Entertainer of the Year prize at Sunday's event.
The singer thanks fans for voting for him online during his acceptance speech from the stage, but behind the scenes he was far from happy the night's big award was decided by an Internet vote.
Chesney growled, "They took it (award) from what the award really represents into a sweepstakes to see who can push people's buttons the hardest on the Internet. It's complete disrespect for the artist... It really diminishes the integrity of the music that we're making. And I can say that because I won."

There's no shortage of sad songs about rainy days and lovers who don't bring flowers. And then there are songs that truly bring the pain -- songs so despairing they can make us wonder why we even bother.

№5

The Smiths (1986)
The Breakdown: For Morrissey, the world's loneliest singer, life isn't just over -- it never really began.
The Waterworks: "As I climb into an empty bed/Oh, well, enough said."
Casualty Count: One lonely soul ... any minute now.

№4

'Hurt'
Johnny Cash (2002)
The Breakdown: In failing health, the great American singer tolls a death knell for the rest of us with this brutal Nine Inch Nails song about addiction and self-destruction.
The Waterworks: "And you could have it all/My empire of dirt/I will let you down/I will make you hurt."
Casualty Count: Everyone he knows ("goes away in the end").

№3

The Breakdown: The cute Beatle writes a timeless, devastating ode to the futility of life, set to a grieving string octet.

The Waterworks: "Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name/Nobody came."

Casualty Count: One spinster, one pair of socks.

№2

The Breakdown: The Queen of Soul-Sapping is haunted about losing a loved one.

The Waterworks: "Angels have no thought of returning you/Would they be angry if I thought of joining you?"

Casualty Count: One woman's will to live.

№1

The Breakdown: Breathy Massachusetts sad sacks offer a lovely ballad about a woman choking to death on exhaust fumes ... and a cloud of minor chords.

The Waterworks: "They found her car/Still running/In the garage."

Casualty Count: One woman, and the drink she was holding.

http://www.spinner.com
 

'The way he came into the store, the mood he was in, I knew this was very serious,' celeb blingmaster Jacob the Jeweler reportedly said of Nick's ring-shopping trip.

Mariah

While there was no official word at press time whether Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon have actually gotten married, People magazine reported on Friday (May 2) that Bishop Clifford Petty of the National Church of God in Governor's Harbour in the Caribbean island of Eleuthera confirmed that he presided over their wedding. Petty provided no details except to say that he did not give a sermon.

Earlier on Friday, the magazine reported that Jacob the Jeweler, who reportedly made Carey's ring, confirmed the wedding. The magazine also cited an unnamed source as saying that the singer obtained a marriage license in Eleuthera, although a representative at the island's register's office told MTV News on Friday that she has no record of a license in Carey's or Cannon's names. However, Monique Gomez, a Bahamian attorney in Nassau who specializes in family law. told People.com, "The minister would make sure [the license] goes into the registry. It's still a valid marriage even if it's not filed. Anywhere in the world."

Eleuthera is located next to the island of Windermere, where Carey reportedly owns a home. The Web site of the island's register's office states that couples wishing to get married there need only spend one day in the Bahamas before submitting an application for a marriage license; they also must fill out the application together at the register's office, pay a fee of $40, and in Mariah's case, a certification of her divorce (from her ex-label head Tommy Mottola) must be produced. The license is valid for three months. People's report states that Carey herself obtained the license.

Some have speculated that Carey actually may have married or be marrying Mark Sudack (a member of her management team whom she has long been rumored to be dating), but TMZ.com claimed on Friday that those reports are untrue. Also on Friday, a rep for "The View" confirmed that Carey had been scheduled to tape the show on Monday (for a segment scheduled to air Friday, May 9) but had canceled.

Neither Cannon's nor Carey's spokespeople have returned calls for comment from MTV News, and Cannon evaded a series of questions from MTV News on the matter Monday.

However, a relative of Cannon's, Linda Cannon (her relationship to the singer was not detailed), reportedly told E! News on Thursday, "Yes, we know. He called us and told us all about it. We are happy for him. If that is what he wants then we are happy for him. I'm not going to give you any details, but we are happy for him."

Carey, 38 and Cannon, 27, reportedly have been dating for less than two months, which is half as long as Cannon was going out with Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks when he proposed to her with a 15-carat stone via a JumboTron in New York's Times Square. Cannon and Ebanks broke up in October.

Last week, Carey was spotted wearing a large diamond ring that began the speculation that she and Cannon were an item. According to The Associated Press, Jacob quickly put out a press release about the ring Cannon reportedly gave Carey, which described it as "crafted from platinum and features a square emerald cut fancy light pink diamond as the center stone surrounded by 58 intense pink diamonds and two half moon diamonds on each side. ... The total carat weight of the ring — center stone is 10 carats — is a jaw-dropping 17 carats with a value of $2.5 million."

On Friday, People.com reported that Jacob (whose last name is Arabo) told them, "The way he came into the store, the mood he was in, I knew this was very serious. He said 'Jacob, I'm in love. This is what I want to do.' He said he wanted something in pink, so he picked something in a light purple-ish pink. He was very involved and he trusted me to design the ring."

Arabo reportedly added, "He loves her. That's all I know."

A number of media outlets have speculated that this episode is a publicity stunt, though the couple have been seen in public numerous times since Cannon filmed a cameo in the video for Carey's new single, "Bye Bye," several months ago.

Celebrity weddings