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Today’s Music News: Gap Band get in on the ‘Uptown Funk’ party, with five songwriters added to hit song

by Staff

May 04, 2015

Four musicians and a producer involved with the Gap Band's 1979 hit "Oops Upside Your Head" have been added to the songwriting credits for the Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars hit "Uptown Funk." A chant in "Uptown Funk" closely resembles the sung hook in "Oops." This brings the total number of "Uptown Funk" songwriters to 11: in addition to the five Gap Band songwriters, there are Ronson and Mars and their co-writers Phillip Martin Lawrence and Jeffrey Bhasker, as well as the artist Trinidad James and producer Devon Gallaspy, whose song "All Gold Everything" was sampled in "Uptown Funk." (Billboard)

Montage of Heck, the new documentary about Kurt Cobain, was broadcast Monday night on HBO. Director Brett Morgen says that Cobain's family—who cooperated with the making of the film—were at first taken aback at all the intimate details shared in the documentary. "When I showed the film to Kurt's mom and sister, they were furious. Wouldn't you be?" (Huffington Post)

James Taylor, whose family have been Boston Red Sox fans for generations, appeared at Fenway Park on Sunday night as the park's PA blasted his new song. "Angels of Fenway," a song about the Sox, has been in the works since their 2004 World Series victory, said Taylor. It's the first song to be released from his forthcoming album Before This World, which comes out on June 16. (Rolling Stone)

Eric Clapton celebrated his 70th birthday with a two-night sold-out stand at Madison Square Garden. Clapton's performances included tributes to Riding with the King collaborator B.B. King, who is currently in hospice care; and to the late Joe Cocker, with Clapton keyboardist Paul Carrack covering "You Are So Beautiful." (Billboard)

Author George R.R. Martin has confirmed suspicions by fans of the Grateful Dead that the band influenced Martin's hit Game of Thrones novels. The Game of Thrones "Weirwood" trees, for example, is named for the Dead's Bob Weir. (Billboard)

HBO has commissioned a new show from director David Fincher (Fight ClubThe Social Network). The as-yet-unnamed comedy series will be set in the 1980s music video industry. (Billboard)

Blur have released a half-hour documentary about the making of their new album The Magic Whip. (Rolling Stone)

The Flaming Lips and Miley Cyrus will release a collaborative album of original music. Wayne Coyne says the album reminds him of Pink Floyd and Portishead. Release details have yet to be announced, but Coyne says the album has been in progress for a year and is now being mixed. (Rolling Stone)

Justin Timberlake stars as a lime in a bizarre new ad released by Sauza tequila to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. (Rolling Stone)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtyZMVhBkVk

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