The Roots are now in Trouble

Fallon's House Band Welcomes Rep. Bachmann with Offensive Song

Dear Mr. Fallon and Questlove,

How could you allow a song such as Fishbone's "Lyin' Ass Bitch" to be played when Rep. Michelle Bachmann came on the show? In short: WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!!!!!!!!

Signed,
Callie

Three Amigos on Blu-Ray

Three Amigos released on Blu-Ray today.

SNL Live Show Schedule: 12/3/11-12/17/11

11/05/11: Charlie Day/ Maroon 5
11/12/11: Emma Stone/ Coldplay
11/19/11: Jason Segal/ Florence + The Machine 

12/03/11: Steve Buscemi/ The Black Keys
12/10/11: Katy Perry/ Robyn
12/17/11: Jimmy Fallon/ TBA

SNL's Big Kahuna Lorne Michaels turns 67 today

Lorne Michaels does in fact turn 67 this year, but I've decided to repost an earlier one from two years ago, with minor changes.

http://calliesnlfan.blogspot.com/2009/11/happy-65th-birthday-lorne-michaels.html

Lorne, if you're reading this: You're not getting older, you getting younger every year. ;)

Darrell Hammond Opens Up on NPR

SNL's 14 year veteran,Darrell Hammond, recently went on the NPR show, Fresh Air, to talk about his new book, God, If You're Not Up There, I'm F——-: Tales of Stand-Up, 'Saturday Night Live' and Other Mind-Altering Mayhem.

In the book, Hammond reveals his dark past from enduring child abuse from his mother to leaving Studio 8H in a straitjacket after cutting himself during one show.He was also on CNN's Piers Morgan tonight last week talking about the book and his dark past.

Oscar News: Eddie Out, Billy In

After filmmaker Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X-Men 3) made an offensive comment, he not only was fired but his Tower Heist leading man, Eddie Murphy, announced that he's calling it quits as the host for the forthcoming 2012 Oscar telecast.

The good news to come from that controversial even is that there has been a replacement to fill Eddie's place: Billy Crystal. 2012 will mark Crystal's 9th time as host for Hollywood's annual event.

SNL News for 10/26/11

Will Ferrell Honored in Washington, D.C..

Darrell Hammond's Dark Past Revealed in New Memoir

Eddie Murphy's Grudge Against SNL "Over", Or Has It?

Live Show Schedule: 11/5-11/19

11/05/11: Charlie Day/ Maroon 5
11/12/11: Emma Stone/ Coldplay
11/19/11: Jason Segal/ Florence + The Machine

Ben Stiller Hosts SNL for the Second Time, Rumored Eddie Murphy Cameo

Despite the fact/rumor that Eddie Murphy would return to Studio 8H this week, unfortunately he didn't show up.

On the bright side, Ben Stiller second turn as SNL host was pretty okay, but that didn't stop Kenny G from performing alongside musical guest, Foster the People, and Hugh Jackman who played Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe in the skit, The Best of Both Worlds, from stopping by.

Something tells me that wasn't the real Hank Williams, Jr. who performed alongside the SNL Band before a commerical break.

Give the SNL Band More Camera Time Twitter Petition

One catch, though: You must have a Twitter account to participate.

http://twitition.com/dhc52

Ben and Jerry's Schweddy Balls Ice Cream: Where's the Love?

Two New Hosts for Oct. 8th and Oct. 15

09/24/2011: Alec Baldwin / Radiohead

10/01/2011: Megan McCarthy / Lady Antebellum

10/08/2011: Ben Stiller / Foster the People

10/15/2011: Anna Faris/ Drake

Schweddy Balls Ice Cream, or You've Got to be Kidding Me?

In homage to 'Saturday Night Live' skit, Ben & Jerry's unveils Schweddy Balls ice cream By: John Curran, The Associated Press MONTPELIER, Vt. - Ben & Jerry's is unveiling a new flavour, and it doesn't sound too tasty. "Schweddy Balls" is an homage to an old "Saturday Night Live" skit featuring Alec Baldwin as bakery owner Pete Schweddy, whose unique holiday offerings included something called "Schweddy Balls." Sean Greenwood, a spokesman for the Vermont ice-cream maker, said Thursday that the company isn't worried about offending people with the name. He says one of the company's principles is to do fun things and that it fits in with that, just as it did with previous flavours like Karamel Sutra and Half Baked. The new flavour is available at scoop shops and supermarkets. It consists of vanilla ice cream, rum, fudge-covered rum balls and milk chocolate malt balls.

It's Official: Eddie Murphy agrees to host 2012 Oscars

In case you haven't heard, rumors about Eddie Murphy to host next year's Oscars telecast has been confirmed. The 50 year-old funnyman who was on SNL from 1980 to 1984 and star of hit films such as 48 Hrs, Beverly Hills Cop, and The Golden Child to be the second SNL alumni to host the telecast with the first being Billy Crystal who has hosted multiple times with the most recent being in 2004.

Eddie Murphy, From Oscar nominee to Oscar host

Among the few (IIRC) SNL alumni who got a chance to host the Oscars such as Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, and multi-host Billy Crystal, rumors have been swirling around that another of the show's alumnus, Eddie Murphy, has been picked as a front runner to host next year's Oscars telecast on Feb. 26th on ABC.

Is Eddie Murphy the Next Oscars Host?
Sep 5, 2011 07:04 PM ET
by Kate Stanhope
Will Eddie Murphy's next role be Oscars host? It will be if ceremony producer Brett Ratner gets his way, Deadline reports.
Ratner is set to inform the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences on Tuesday that Murphy is his top choice for the gig, according to the report.
Murphy, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2006 for Dreamgirls, is reportedly interested in hosting. But he probably will not get the gig alone. Eight-time Oscars host Billy Crystal is likely to be involved with the show in some capacity after he expressed interest in returning to host at a Los Angeles film screening last month. Crystal has previously hosted the show in 1990-1993, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2004.
This would be Murphy and Ratner's second collaboration. Murphy stars in Ratner's next film, Tower Heist, which hits theaters on Nov. 4.
The 84th Academy Awards telecast is set to air live on Sunday, Feb. 26 on ABC. Do you think Murphy would make a good Oscars host? Do you want Crystal to return?

Will There Will Be A Ghostbusters 3 in Our Lifetime?

Dan Aykroyd seems optimistic about a possible Ghostbusters 3 that should go on ahead whether or not Bill Murray will reprise his role as Dr. Peter Venkman.

At this point it’s getting kind of tiring to even write about Ghostbusters 3 - what with all the back-and-forth rumors and talk from the former cast members (Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray in particular) and director Ivan Reitman. No matter what has been said about the status of the film, who will or will not be coming back, and what the plot will be, it’s all summated to one glaring truth: lot of talk, very little action.

But now, according (yet again) to Dan Aykroyd, the Ghostbusters threequel is about to stop spinning its wheels in development limbo and start moving full-speed ahead – perhaps without Bill Murray​.

The latest word from Aykroyd came during the actor’s conversation with comedian Dennis Miller during a segment of Miller’s radio show, The Dennis Miller Show (fitting name). Here’s what Aykroyd had to say, in response to the question of whether they were going to start making Ghostbusters 3:

Ah yes, we will be doing the movie, and hopefully with Mr. Murray – that is our hope. We have an excellent script, and what we have to remember is that Ghostbusters is kind of bigger than any one component. Although Billy was absolutely the lead and was contributive to it in a massive way – as was the director [Ivan Reitman] and [Harold Ramis], myself, and all of us, Sigourney – the concept is bigger than an individual role. The promise of ‘Ghostbusters 3′ is that we get to hand the equipment and the franchise down to new blood -because my character, Ray, is now blind in one eye, can’t drive the Cadillac, has a bad hip, a bad knee, can’t pick up the [proton pack] – Egon is too large to get into the harness – so we need young blood. And that’s the promise: we’re going to hand it to a new generation. So yes, we will begin production in the Spring, I hope.

When asked by Miller if there were any specific actors they were considering as “new blood,” Aykroyd responded:

I like this guy Matthew Gray Gubler​ from the Criminal Minds show – but it’s going to be a casting, we’re going to see everyone who wants to do it…we need three guys and a young woman.

Now, there are a few important things that need to be extrapolated from those statements Aykroyd made:

1. There’s the whole “hopefully with Mr. Murray – that is our hope” bit. The way Aykroyd conveyed that information makes it sound like they will move ahead with Ghostbusters 3 with or without Bill Murray. Of course, Murray is one of the rights holders of the franchise, and needs to approve any new films before they can be made; but then, he could give his blessing to make the threequel without ever having to become involved in it himself. Nothing easier than sitting back and collecting money.
2. It sounded pretty certain that they will start making the movie in spring of 2012, which would put it on track for either late 2012 or early 2013.
3. By now it’s common knowledge that The Office writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky were working with Aykroyd and Ramis to craft a “passing the torch” storyline for the film, but Aykroyd has now confirmed that they are going for a new team of young Ghostbusters – one that will be three-quarters male and one-quarter female.
4. Matthew Gray Gubler? I’m not familiar with his work on Criminal Minds, so I wonder if he has the comedic chops of a true Ghostbuster. Let us know in the comments.

If this all pans out, I know a lot of fans will be happy that all the talk is over and something is actually happening with this flick. Of course, they’ll be less happy if they then find out that Bill Murray isn’t a part of the project – and they’ll be wishing this Pandora’s Box never got opened at all if Ghostbusters 3 ends up being like the last film that Ramis, Eisenberg and Stupnitsky worked on together – the reprehensible Year One. Remember: concern about how badly that film turned out is the reason why Bill Murray hasn’t been enthused about the prospects of this new Ghostbusters flick.

Mark Your Calendars, Folks

Because Jimmy Fallon will host the 12/17/2011 holiday show with Michael Buble as musical guest.

There are only 126 shopping days until Christmas, and eight fewer until Jimmy Fallon returns to his old stomping grounds to host the Dec. 17 episode of Saturday Night Live.

“I’ve never forgotten where I came from,” Fallon said in a release. “That’s why I’m so incredibly honored to be hosting the Saturday Night Times program December 17th on HGTV.”

Fallon, who spent six years as an SNL cast member, now serves as host of NBC’s Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, which received three 2011 Emmy nominations, including its first in the best variety, music or comedy series category. Michael Buble will be SNL‘s musical guest on the night of Fallon’s return.

SNL previously announced its first two guest hosts for its upcoming 37th Season: Alec Baldwin (with musical guest Radiohead) on Sept. 24 and Melissa McCarthy (joined by Lady Antebellum) on Oct. 1.

Sarah Silverman Returns to NBC

But, not to re-join SNL, folks. Because her own sitcom was picked up by the peacock network.

Welcome to Must-See TV, Sarah. Hope you survive the experience. :P

It's Another Girl for Tina Fey

Tina Fey, who is best known for her roles in “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock” on NBC, delivered baby girl Penelope Athena Richmond on Wednesday, as reported by several entertainment news sites, August 12, 2011.

Relatedly, Jeffrey Richmond, her composer husband, was happy to welcome a new addition to the family.

As reports reveal, Tina Fey, already a mom to 5-year-old Alice, initially publicized her second pregnancy during an interview she had with Oprah in early April.

She discussed about agonizing over having a second kid and apparently explained how she and her husband decided that it was time to expand their family.

Fey was reportedly quoted during the discussion saying, “My husband and I really decided that we felt rather than risk having 30 Rock end in several years and feeling like part of our family is missing that we were going to prioritize our family.”

Congrats to both Tina and Jeff.

SNL 37th season's First two Hosts and Musical Guests confirmed

Sep. 24, 2011: Alec Baldwin/ Radiohead
Oct. 1, 2011: Megan McCarthy/ Lady Antebellum

BTW, in case you're wondering who Megan McCarthy is, she's the scene-stealer from the hit film, Bridesmaids, co-starring Kirstin Wiig. Plus, she's an Emmy nominee for her co-starring role in CBS's hit sitcom, Mike & Molly.

Jason Sudeikis hosts MTV Movie Awards, and wins

Jason Sudeikis passes the test at MTV Movie Awards

Jason Sudeikis passes the test at MTV Movie Awards

By AARON BARNHART
The Kansas City Star

Local-boy-makes-good Jason Sudeikis hosted the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday night, doing no injury to any hopes he might have someday of hosting an actual awards program.

The strangest, most overhyped and least spontaneous awards show on television has become something of a magnet for “Saturday Night Live” cast members, who have hosted or co-hosted the awards show for half of its 20-year run on MTV. I guess that’s fitting, since “SNL” is the least spontaneous live show on TV, but Sudeikis could have made much more of the moment, if only someone had let him.

For all the talk about how boring the Oscars are, could there be anything more predictable than the opening minutes of the MTV Movie Awards? Sudeikis, like hosts before him, was inserted into clips of the movies MTV’s voters think are the year’s awesomest (“Black Swan,” “127 Hours,” “The Social Network,” “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” and, inevitably, “The Hangover”).

That was followed by a monologue heavy on the Governator jokes — “The entire balcony has been fathered by Arnold Schwarzenegger!” — and mentions of movie idols in the audience, although instead of Colin Firth and Julia Roberts, the MTV crowd prefers punchlines about Emma Stone and Kristin Stewart.

Sudeikis’ best line, though, came at his own expense: “I feel qualified to host the Movie Awards,” he said, “because I starred in the major motion picture ‘Hall Pass,’ which was the highest-grossing movie in America on Feb. 26 from 1 to 4 p.m.”

Later, he passed several other future-hosting-gig examinations. He pretended to play the piano while singing rejected theme songs from other alleged major motion pictures (and, in the evening’s low point, praising the breasts of Brooklyn Decker, the aspiring femme fatale of the Adam Sandler movie “Just Go With It”). He also wandered into the audience for the requisite chats with stars real (Bryce Dallas Howard) and fake (Bob the Boulder from “127 Hours”).

The interview segment almost went off the rails when Sudeikis was unable to find a prop behind him while interviewing Bob the Boulder. A crew member’s hand finally appeared in the frame, pointing out the prop.

There were the semi-scripted bits of MTV-style outrageousness, which seemed to have all been pre-approved by the censor. Justin Timberlake, presenting an award with “Black Swan’s” Mila Kunis, grabbed and held onto her breasts, while Kunis retaliated by grabbing his crotch. Whether this was a nod to sexual harassment issues in the news, a shout-out to those of us old enough to remember the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident, or just something that sprang out of an MTV writer’s fertile imagination, is hard to say.

Speaking of Timberlake and the Super Bowl, social media went wild at about 9:09 local time when Robert Pattinson, during the presentation a lifetime achievement award for Reese Witherspoon (only on MTV), let loose with an F-bomb. Unlike several other F-bombs dropped in the first hour, this one was not properly bleeped, and many on Twitter wondered whether the Federal Communications Commission would step in. Don’t bet on it — the Supreme Court has limited the FCC’s power to enforce the indecency code on cable TV.

MTV MOVIE AWARD WINNERS
•Best Male Performance: Robert Pattinson, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”

•Best Female Performance: Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”

•Best Villain: Tom Felton, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I”

•Best Jaw-Dropping Moment: “Justin Bieber, Never Say Never”

•Best Fight: Robert Pattinson, Xavier Samuel and Bryce Dallas Howard, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”

•Biggest Badass Star: Chloë Grace Moretz, “Kick-Ass”

•Best Scared Performance: Ellen Page, “Inception”

•Best Line: Alexys Nycole Sanchez in “Grown Ups” (“I want to get chocolate wasted!”)

•Best Kiss: Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”

•Best Breakout Star: Chloë Grace Moretz, “Kick-Ass”

•Best Comedic Performance: Emma Stone, “Easy A”

•Best Movie: “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”

Special thanks to Aaron Barnhart of the Kansas City Star and TV Barn, the Kansas City Star's TV website with a free weekly mailing list subscription.

Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, 1951-2010: One Year Later.

See previous link for more details.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the death of former SNL Band bassist and longtime member of Hall & Oates, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk. In honor of him, I have enclosed a YouTube video featuring the late musician.

An update on Chris Parker and his band, Toph-E & The Pussycats

Image copyrighted 2010-2011 Modern Drummer magazine.

Hi, MD readers! The making of Toph-E & the Pussycats’ new CD, No Ordinary Day, featuring Clifford Carter on piano, Will Lee on bass, Ralph MacDonald on percussion, David Mann on tenor and soprano saxes, and me on drums, was a long project, stretching over a year and a half. It was recorded at the now shuttered Clinton Recording Studios in New York City—probably one of the last projects to be done there after years of great albums and movie soundtracks being recorded there by chief engineer and owner Ed Rak.

We did twelve tracks during that period—some brand-new compositions by Will Lee and David Mann, Clifford Carter, Ray Chew, and myself, along with re-arranged covers of tunes by Angelique Kidjo, Herbie Hancock, and Schubert. We re-cut our anthem, “Tee,” by the late, great Richard Tee, Will, and I—which also appeared on our last album, Live In Detroit. This song holds so much meaning for all of us. Richard and I were in the band Stuff, and we played on numerous record dates, TV shows, and jingles together, which is where Ralph, Clifford, Will, and David also got to know him. This was Richard’s last recording at home, and we transcribed and arranged it for the band to stretch out on. Check out Clifford’s piano solo followed by Dave’s tenor.

Clifford is in Latin territory with his “Un Nuevo Mundo” and our recasting of Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage.” It was really fun playing a cascara and drumset hybrid approach. Our great friends pianist/composer Rob Mounsey and jazz guitarist Steve Khan consulted on these two tunes, to give us authentic parts and the correct mix images. “Opus De Tophe” is something Ray Chew and I wrote while fooling around with Horace Silver’s “Opus De Funk,” which, along with “Filthy McNasty,” “Song For My Father,” and “Doodlin’,” is one of my favorite tunes of his. Lots of room for my drum fills between sections, and really fun to play live. Check out Clifford and David’s “fours” leading to Will’s funky bass solo, one of two on this record—and both first takes!

I am particularly happy with my take on a Schubert Ab melody, which we played as a “Caribbean Waltz.” I had been listening to my son Russell practice this piece on piano upstairs while I was practicing drums downstairs, and I kept hearing the changes in a different way. I thought this would make an interesting vehicle for the band and add something ballad-like to the set—calm and somber. Preceding that track is “Tatchedogbe” by Angelique Kidjo, which I transcribed and arranged for the “cats in the jungle.” It’s a dense track, but everything is in its place and builds the groove in layers of insistent percussion, bass drum, bass, and hi-hat. I took things that Clifford played on the original take and made some effected loops out of his cool Rhodes and B-3 parts.

The final track and the one we recorded last was Herbie’s “Maiden Voyage.” Clifford’s cool arrangement spotlights himself, then David, then Will—who rips another great, thoughtful bass solo—and then me, stretching the limits of my technique (such as it is), trying to be musical.

It’s a cliché to say, but this album was a “labor of love” from start to finish, with all the Pussycats contributing in significant ways throughout. We all wanted to do the material that grooved us in our live performances—our first CD, Live In Detroit, documents one of those—so this time it was especially sweet to get in our familiar comfortable studio environment and make the best-feeling and best-sounding record we could. A lot of the labor involved just coordinating schedules of four super busy cats; Ralph’s touring with Jimmy Buffett, Clifford is with Art Garfunkel, David is producing artists and touring with Christopher Cross, Will’s with the Fab Faux and The Late Show, making for a delicate balancing act. Studio time and rehearsal time at Euphoria was booked months in advance, with the hope that something that couldn’t be turned down would not eclipse our sessions, making each one precious.

The drums I used on this record include my Yamaha custom HipGig toms (10", 12" , 13", and 15"), a 20" Recording Custom bass drum from my first trip to Japan in the ’70s, my Roy Haynes signature Yamaha snare, and assorted K and A cymbals from Zildjian, including 15" hi-hats I bought in 1961 at Manny’s in NYC and Armand Zildjian’s 18" “Beautiful Baby” sizzle cymbal. Love them, ’til death do us part! I also had my 12" HipGig snare beside the hi-hat for special cross-stick and smacked sounds. And on “Impromptoph” I played an antique Ludwig parade drum that Will gave me for my birthday. Hope you all have a chance to check out the record. Enjoy! And yes, we are serious.

SNL Review: Dana Carvey/ Linkin Park (2/5/11)

This review contains spoilers, so reader discretion advised.

And they say the classics never die. With Dana Carvey hosting last night's (2/5/11) SNL, the saying proved true.

The cold open have Dana and Mike Myers doing Wayne's World where Wayne and Garth do their Oscar predictions and they put the spotlight on a European thriller called 'Winter's Bone', which, ironically, wasn't nominated for an Oscar this year.

During the monologue, Dana begins to sing on how his 86-93 tenure on SNL was the best with his former cast mates mention such as Phil Hartman and Jan Hooks. Even fellow alumni, Jon Lovitz, stopped by to finish up the song with Dana.

The remaining skits (and I had to watch the entire show because Dana's too good to miss out) include the Church Lady as she takes on the Kardashian sisters (Kim, Kourtney and Khole) and Jersey Shore's Snooki and her "demonic" hair pouf before having Justin Bieber show up and his dreamboat status challenging CL's purity before she came to her senses, a parody of the recently released 'The Roommate' with Carvey and Bieber in the main roles, and a Regis and Kelly send-up with Carvey as Philbin who's going to leave the show among rumors of his replacement.
Musical guest Linkin Park didn't catch my interest, with no offense to the band themselves, but I was hoping that Lorne Michaels would get another band instead.

That's all for my review. Next week's show will have British comic Russell Brand, a.k.a., Mr. Katy Perry, and musical guest Chris Brown. I'm hoping that Brand will be promoting his latest film, the remake of the classic 'Arthur', which will be out during Spring, 2011.

Happy Birthday, G.E. Smith

Today happens to be the birthday of one of the SNL Band's well-known guitarists/band leaders/musical directors, G.E. Smith.

Not too long ago, I've stumbled onto a vintage music video 'Instant Replay' performed by Dan Hartman with G.E. playing bass guitar in it. After I saw it, I was blown away.