Aug. 7, 2002
All publications Front Page Nightspots Blacklines En La Vida Out! Resource Guide Current WCT Issue	Now Hear This!   Compiled by Tony Peregrin   Those racy comments made by George Michael to British journalist Piers Morgan (The Daily Mirror, U.K.) were no "careless whisper," but rather a thunderous declaration of his "open relationship" with his longtime boyfriend. "I've lived with Kenny (Goss) for six years, we have a great relationship, and love each other dearly. But like a lot of gay couples in long-term relationships, we are not monogamous. Either of us. And we're both comfortable with that fact, thank-you." "This is not an uncommon state of affairs in long-term relationships," continues Michael. "It's not open at all in any emotional sense, just purely physical. And that's the way we choose to live and if people don't like it then, for want of a better phrase, they can stick it up their..." Michael reportedly disclosed the nature of their relationship in an effort to thwart the possibility of ugly rumors surfacing as a result of his controversial new song "Shoot the Dog." For those of you living under a rock, the song skewers President Bush' s politics, specifically his War on Terrorism campaign. The song's cartoon video portrays Bush and Tony Blair as gay lovers, natch. In a separate statement released to the media, Michael defends the song and the video, stating, "I am definitely not anti-American, how could I be? I have been in love with a Texan for six years." According to a story that ran in the July 7 issue of The Sun (U.K.), Radio 1, Britain's largest radio station, has decided not to include the single among its play list, and both Heart FM and London's Capital Radio have followed suit, prompting industry insiders to predict the single will be a flop. Michael has said that he could no longer remain silent on issues that he believes are affecting the world. "I know this is dangerous territory. This is the most political thing I've ever done and it's a massive and totally unnecessary risk for me." As for Michael's much anticipated new album, it's set to hit store shelves around Christmas. "[The new album] is not going to be an extension of Freeek. It's going to be much more standard George Michael fare, but I'm excited by it. I know everyone says this...but I really think it's some of my best work for a long time." Those Wild Boys are back. ALL of them: Duran Duran has recorded 15 new songs for its reunion album, the first time all five members of the original Duran Duran lineup have been in the studio together since 1985's single, "A View to a Kill." The still-untitled project is being produced by Chic founder Nile Rodgers, who told Billboard.com in an exclusive interview that the band is "very close" to announcing a new label home. Rodgers claims the album will feature a return to the band's "modern rock-meets-dance music roots." Look for a track titled "Taste of Summer" as the album's first single. Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys are the newest members of the Mutual Admiration Society, as each performer has been stumbling over themselves to dole out musical kudos to each other in front of the press. It seems that Keys [who also feels the need to declare she's not gay] has co-produced a song titled "Impossible," which has been described as a "big piano ballad," for Aguilera 's upcoming album. Aguilera, always the most articulate of performers, issued these earth-shattering remarks about Keys to MTV.com "I like the piano. Now I gotta learn how to play. You inspire [me]." For her part, Keys responded with this somewhat cryptic statement, "I like them vocals. We're smashing. Official killer. Killer Chris[tina]!" Now for someone known to have a much more authoritative command of the English language: Sia Michel. Pause. Who is that? Well, I'm glad you asked. Michel is the new editor-in-chief of Spin magazine, making her the FIRST WOMAN ever to edit a major rock magazine. Discovered during her tenure at SF Weekly, a West Coast alt-weekly, she began freelancing for Spin until they brought her in-house full time where she rose through the ranks to the coveted position of editor-in-chief. Can you believe that it's been 10 years since Madonna released her naughty picture book, Sex? According to Peoplenews.com, Warner Books has asked the 42-year-old singer to issue a special tenth-anniversary edition of the book, complete with some previously unseen pictures. Her response was reportedly less than enthusiastic. According to columnist Liz Smith, one of the most captivating moments in Madonna's upcoming film Swept Away, shows the singer/actress "dressed in a gold evening gown, dancing while lip-synching to Della Reese's hot version of "Come on-a-My House." As Della sings about giving you "figs and grapes and a pomegranates, too," Madonna catches and discards the various fruits with lightning precision. She camps it up like there's no tomorrow." Cyndi Lauper is keeping a detailed, online diary of her experiences while on tour with Cher this summer: "OK, one last thing...dish on the tour. Last night Ms. Cher rented out a theater and treated us all to Spiderman. OK? How sweet is that? See what I mean: She's a good egg, that one." www.cyndilauper.com to read the rest, and to get more information on the long, long awaited release of Shine, which is finally available for sale. When Junior Vasquez vanished from his $4-million customized DJ booth at New York City's Exit before completing his set July 7, both the Village Voice and The New York Post reported that the DJ had been rushed to the hospital after experiencing chest pains. The Post claims Vasquez was hospitalized "after being up for three days straight," and that the rumor circulating around clubland was that the DJ, (who is either 52 or 56, depending on which story you read), "had caught nary a wink since his Gay Pride deejay duties, and suffered a heart attack." Jerome Farley, Vasquez's manager, denied the rumored medical emergency, claiming the DJ "had to go to the hospital because he was going to Paris the next day and had run out of blood pressure medication. Junior is fine." The Voice cites a Versace spokesman, who claims that while Vasquez provided the music for the label's Paris couture show that day, he was not a physical presence at the show. Danny Tenaglia, a former rival of Vasquez's, issued a posting about the rumors on his site DTourism: "[They are] untrue and not factual. He suffered an anxiety attack and was brought in for observation for safety precautions." Whether Junior actually suffered a heart attack or not remains to be seen, but you're likely to experience chest pains of your own when you hear what very well may be the first single off Whitney Houston's new album: A remake of the 1977 Debbie Boone classic "You Light Up My Life." And while it's tempting to make a joke about the song's title and it's ironic connection to Houston's marijuana-possession charge two years ago, an industry insider told New York magazine's Marc S. Malkin that the singer's producers have very high hopes for the single.
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