Former Beatle Paul McCartney has announced that he wants to release a 14-minute "experimental" song recorded in 1967, called "Carnival of Light."
McCartney said the composition (if it may be called that) reflects his (unhealthy) interest in musique concrete,and that he told the band members, "just wander round all of the stuff and bang it, shout, play it. It doesn’t need to make any sense," according to a BBC Radio interview to be broadcast tomorrow.
One suspects that it is entirely successful at that last goal. AP reports.
Fantasy novel and graphic novel master Neal Gaiman (Sandman) has been engaged by DC Comics to write a two-part installment of the Batman comic book series in which Bruce Wayne (Batman’s real identity) will die or at least give up the cape to another.
Tentatively titled "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader," the book is scheduled for release next February. "Working with artist Andy Kubert, Gaiman will try to reconcile the various versions of Batman, some wisecracking, others brooding, over the Dark Knight’s 69-year history," USA Today reports.
Continuing the creative destruction of the print media business, advertising revenues among U.S. monthly magazines crashed in the past year, with the worst drop other than after the 9/11 attacks. Magazines are laying off staff at alarming rates. Media Bistro reports.
CBS-TV’s interview with President-elect Barack Obama on the network’s 60 Minutes newsmagazine achieved the program’s highest rating in nine years, with 24.9 million people having seen at least some part of the show. The show’s rating was actually slightly lower than NBC’s Sunday Night Football game, however. The Hollywood Reporter reports.
Once again they’re killing of comic book legends.
Thanks, Joe. You’re right about the song having been considered for the Anthology CDs and being rejected by the others in the group and Mrs. Lennon–the AP story to which I linked mentioned that, in fact. I agree that Sir Paul’s desire to be seen as having been just as avant-garde and cool as John (and George, for that matter) is rather sad. The wish to please snobby (and wrong) critics when you’re sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars shows just how powerful humans’ desire for social approval really is.
S.T., this whole “Carnival of Light” thing is a bit of old news, as it was actually considered for inclusion in the Beatles Anthology CDs, but was left out. It actually was played once @ a “happening” at the Roundhouse in London in ’67. It was specifically “composed” for that purpose. It seems that Sir Paul has been bent in proving that he was just as “avant-guard” & “cool” as John in those days. Personally, I’d rather see the Shea Stadium concert out on DVD instead.