By Ab Zagt 15 minutes ago

BERLIN (Hollywood Reporter) - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has offered troubled singer Amy Winehouse some free advice on kicking the drug habit.

"She should get her act together," the former junkie said during a round-table interview at the Berlin International Film Festival on Friday to promote Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones documentary "Shine a Light."

The often-addled rocker paused, then added: "Apart from that, I have got nothing to say to the b****."

Winehouse, 24, entered a London rehab clinic last month in hopes of kicking a destructive habit that has overshadowed her promising career.

Stones frontman Mick Jagger, himself no stranger to pharmaceutical experimentation and resulting legal troubles, compared the drug problems of the present generation of Brit rock stars, such as Winehouse and Pete Doherty, to his early days when drugs became an integral part of the pop music scene.

"When we were experimenting with drugs, little was known about the effects," Jagger said. "In our time there were no rehab centers like today. Anyway, I did not know about them."

Sounding a bit like the 64-year-old grandfather that he is, the fitness fanatic said he couldn't understand how the younger generation, knowing the dangers of drug use, could still be users.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

57 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Too much, too soon? MySpace success story Colbie Caillat might have played to a full house Thursday at the House of Blues, but as an artist and performer, the likable California singer-songwriter isn't quite ready to graduate from the coffeehouse scene.

The daughter of Ken Caillat, engineer/co-producer of Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" and "Tusk," the 22-year-old's soft-rock style recalls female artists of the same late-'70s era, such as Karla Bonoff and Nicolette Larson.

Most of all, though, she came off as Sheryl Crow lite; in fact Caillat has a similar timbre and tone to her voice. She also has a sweet, girl-next-door small-townish, appeal — even if that small town is Malibu.

The largely female, 20s-30s audience (with boyfriends or husbands in tow) did sing along with several songs, and Caillat seemed genuinely happy about that, flashing some big smiles. And while the midtempo-or-slower songs from her debut album "Coco" (Republic/Universal) were all warm and fuzzy, it eventually made for a sleepy one-hour set.

Her five-man backing band was skilled enough with lyrical fills here and there as she semi-danced and swayed about, not having much to do when not singing. Too often, her writing is underwhelming and generic, like the current ballad single "Realize," typical of a lot of MySpace singer-songwriters out there, really.

That's not to say she didn't have several good songs, including the gliding, bittersweet "Midnight Bottle" and hummable, skip-with-a-smile "Tailor Made," written for her sister and future brother-in-law. She was almost lively for the muted reggae styling of "Tied Down," with her songwriting partner, guitarist Justin Young, playing ukulele.

She was most comfortable strapping on an acoustic guitar to strum her breakout hit, the summertime-breezy "Bubbly," which has made her a female Jack Johnson of sorts.

An encore featured a slow take on the Rolling Stones' "Beast of Burden" that missed all the irony of the original. This variety of Caillat certainly is earnest and not cheesy in the least but does need to age.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

By Melinda Newman 53 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Among the many awards and honors she's received, songwriter Diane Warren has six best-song Oscar nominations to her credit. Her composition "Do You Feel Me" was the only original song featured in Universal's "American Gangster" and was performed by Anthony Hamilton.

Q: How does a girl from the San Fernando Valley get herself in the frame of mind to write a soul-drenched '70s-style ballad like "Do You Feel Me" for "American Gangster?"

Diane Warren: "I grew up with the music. I'm lucky — I'm a sponge. I was alive and was listening to the radio during that whole Otis Redding, Al Green period. I grew up loving that kind of soul music, that pure soul music, so I tapped into that."

Q: Did you meet with director Ridley Scott to discuss what he wanted?

Warren: "I never met Ridley. I kind of knew what the movie was about, and (Universal president of film music) Kathy (Nelson) and I have worked on so many movies together — we've done so many huge movie songs — she just tells me what she wants. We have a kind of shorthand together."

Q: You've been nominated six times for an Oscar and had countless other songs used in films. How do you deal with movie politics?

Warren: "It's not my favorite thing to do. That's why I like to work with Kathy. She makes it easy. She deals with all the politics; she knows how to navigate all those rough seas. It's hard for me to do because there are so many opinions: the studio, the producer, the director, the marketing (executives), the gardener, who knows? I just don't like that; it's not worth it to me. I try to do stuff that I think is going to be as painless as possible that I really want to do. Without a Kathy Nelson in there to protect me, I have to really love it. I have so many nightmares, c'mon."

Q: What was your worst nightmare?

Warren: "They're all nightmares, even ones that turn out good. 'Pearl Harbor' (2001) was a nightmare until it worked out. I had to jump through so many hoops. … (There's other cases) when you think they're going to only you for a song, but they're going to 10 others. I don't like stuff like that. Not only does that hurt my feelings, but it pisses me off. I'm like, 'Don't waste my time."'

Q: Your first big hit that you wrote by yourself was "Rhythm of the Night" more than 20 years ago. Are you a better songwriter now than you were then?

Warren: "Yeah. I hope so. Nothing's changed in what I do: I just show up and work. I hope I'll be better this time next year than I am now. It's just time and experience and learning better what you do."

Q: You've said you rarely spend more than a week on a song. How do you know when a song is finished?

Warren: "I don't go back and rewrite stuff; I'm rewriting as I'm writing. When it's done, it's done. The song tells you. Then I have to come up with something else. Knock on wood — I always come up with something else."

Q: Another one of your Oscar-nominated songs, "Because You Loved Me," is considered one of your most romantic songs, but it's actually about your dad and his support. Same with "How Do I Live" from 1997's "Con Air." People think it's a love song, but it's about how you'd feel if you couldn't write another song.

Warren: "It's about how I feel about music. But the best songs can be about anything. I could write these loving things to my dad, but people get married to it, they dedicate it to their kids. Those are the best songs in the world because they have lives of their own. They become whatever they're supposed to become to people. People make their own story."

Q: There's the famous story that you had to beg Cher to record "If I Could Turn Back Time," which turned into one of her biggest hits. When else has that happened?

Warren: "I think Kathy had to beg Aerosmith to do (Oscar-nominated) 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing'; the band didn't want to do it. Steven (Tyler) was into it because his daughter (Liv) was in the movie (1998's 'Armageddon'). It's just weird. I don't think Toni Braxton liked 'Un-break My Heart.' You just kind of go, 'Huh?"'

Q: When you were on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" a few months ago, she said you're the top female songwriter, with more than 90 Top 10 hits. Do you wonder why people have to qualify it as "female?"

Warren: "I could never get mad at Oprah, but I think, 'Don't ghettoize me.' Yeah, I think that to myself a lot. How many guys have done what I've done? Not to be meant in an egotistical way. How many people? Why not just say 'songwriter'? But I can't get mad at Oprah. She didn't mean it in a bad way."

Q: You own your music catalog. Because of recent changes in tax laws, a lot of songwriters have found it advantageous to sell their catalogs.

Warren: "I'm not. I can't do it. I have enough money. I hear the numbers people say to me (that her catalog is worth more than $200 million). Who would have thought? This girl from Van Nuys." (laughs)

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer 24 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES - Jordin Sparks didn’t just get designer clothes when she went to the Grammys’ official gifting suite — she also found a musical partner.

The “American Idol” champ performed an impromptu duet with Grammy-nominated R&B singer Tank on Friday while the pair took a break from selecting potential outfits at the Grammy Style Studio.

“He’s so amazing!” the 18-year-old singer gushed as she saw Tank playing a melody on a piano in the room. Moments later, he coaxed Sparks to join him in a performance. They put their heads together for a moment, then improvised to come up with a song with the chorus “I don’t ever want to lose you.” They sang it for a couple of minutes as a crowd gathered and broke out into applause.

“We just made it up,” said Tank, who is nominated for best R&B album for his disc “Sex, Pain and Love” and best R&B male performance for the hit “Don’t Go.”

Even though the collaboration was brief, it was successful: Tank said Sparks would now be on his upcoming album.

“She’s been recruited,” he said with a smile.

The Grammy Style Studio was available to celebrities who wanted to get designer jewelry and clothes for Sunday’s Grammy awards. While some items were free, and makeup and hair stylists are available to tend to the stars, many of the expensive items were available for loan only. Singer T-Pain and rapper Lupe Fiasco strolled through, and Paula Abdul tried on jackets while an assistant followed with a Chihuahua in tow.

Sparks said she didn’t have her Grammy outfit yet, but was admiring a purple beaded gown and some other glamorous dresses.

“I’m kind of going for very pretty dresses, nice dresses that are cut very well and stuff that sort of flatters the figure — you gotta flatter it,” Sparks said. “(But) I could always use new clothes!”

By SOLVEJ SCHOU, Associated Press Writer 41 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES - People’s all-star, pre-Grammy concert with Timbaland ended with a resounding crash when the superproducer and rapper delivered a foul-mouthed tirade against the magazine because some of his friends were apparently left outside the venue.

With a blinged-out cross dangling from his neck, a sweaty Timbaland addressed the crowd at the Avalon Club just after finishing a high energy set with longtime muse Missy Elliott, capping a night of performances from acts such as Chris Cornell, Grammy-nominated band Paramore and One Republic in front of a crowd that included Paris Hilton, Linsday Lohan and Ludacris.

“Next time I have one of my homeboys in line, let that (expletive) in!” Timbaland shouted as the event winded down after 2 a.m. Saturday, adding that he was a “peoples person.”

“I don’t like to see my people turned around for some (expletive) magazine … (expletive) y’all!”

After his tirade ended, he walked off-stage with music blasting. The party was effectively over.

A source close to Timbaland who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation said the entertainer had been frustrated at what was described as security and production mishaps, and said he didn’t mean to lash out at the magazine.

People magazine didn’t have an official comment but a source close to celebrity weekly said they were perplexed as to why Timbaland was upset and that they had considered the event a success. The magazine co-sponsored the party with Verizon Wireless to celebrate Timbaland’s deal with the carrier to create a mobile album and content for the network.

Before that, the night was a sea of booze, glitz and lighter vibes, with Elliott wearing a black sweatshirt with “CHING A LING” spelled out in glittering gold letters on the front and a bright gold “MS” ring on her hand.

Elliott led the crowd in singing happy birthday to Timbaland, whose real birthday is in March. Hard-stomping dancers surrounded them. Elliott even joked, “Leave Britney alone! I like Britney,” when the DJ started in with a clip of one of Spears’ songs while Elliott performed.

Timbaland’s discontent, however, could be seen earlier in the evening. As a shaggy-haired Chris Cornell, backed by a full band, rocked out some old hits and a new song in a 1:30 a.m. set, Timbaland stood at the side of the stage with a scowl on his face. But he only had a glowing intro for Cornell, whose upcoming solo album he produced, saying it was “the best” work he had ever done.

Right before he delivered his rant, he threatened to outdo Kanye West, known for his outburst

A bevy of other stars, including Jordin Sparks, will.i.am, Fergie and Mario Lopez, flocked to the party, where attendees guzzled beer and vodka and feasted on tiramisu cups and mini burgers in the darkly lit club.

Hilton, wearing pink heels and a matching pink headband, writhed and danced in an upstairs balcony when the DJ spun Spears’ tune “Gimme More.” Later, Hilton shimmied and stuck her middle fingers into the air as the band One Republic performed onstage below.

“Hanna Montana” teen phenom Miley Cyrus danced barefoot in front of the stage surrounded by a group of friends.

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Eds note: AP Music Writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody contributed to this report.

By Hazel Davis 29 minutes ago

MANCHESTER (Billboard) - When British violinist Tasmin Little announced in January that she would be giving away her "Naked Violin" album as a free download, she tapped into a growing trend: classical music artists and retailers utilizing digital formats and business models.

Since the album features Little performing the works of such little-known composers as Ysaye and Paul Patterson, listeners were unlikely to "buy it on the off-chance," Little says. But the response to the free download, she says, has been "phenomenal."

Thousands of tracks have been downloaded, and monthly page impressions on Little's Web site have increased from 5,000 to 150,000 since the announcement.

"'The Naked Violin' is a snapshot," Little says. "The idea is that people will go and buy (more classical) repertoire."

Classical fans are certainly purchasing more music digitally; in the United States, digital classical album sales surged 47.7 percent in 2007, accounting for 7 percent of the genre's 18 million total album sales, up from 4.4 percent the previous year, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Classical digital album sales burst through the 1 million barrier for the first time with a total of 1.2 million units.

NOTEWORTHY GROWTH

Retailers, however, are taking notice of the growth. Universal-owned classical label Deutsche Grammophon launched its DG Web Shop in November 2007. The site generated more than 50,000 music downloads in its first week, according to DG. According to the site, 80 percent of download sales are for full albums as opposed to individual tracks, and 15 percent of sales have been for titles that are out of print in physical formats.

London-based Jonathan Gruber, vice president of new media at Universal Music Group International's classics and jazz division, acknowledges that the "traditional classical audience have not, to date, fully embraced digital," but says that high-quality audio downloads have drawn in core consumers as well as classical novices.

Digital music service eMusic, which recently expanded the range of classical music available on its site, says its customers have responded to free downloads. Half the customers who downloaded one of two recent free classical samplers from classical labels BIS Records and Harmonia Mundi went on to purchase additional classical music, according to the service. Of those customers, eMusic says nearly one-third had never downloaded a classical track before.

LSO Live, the London Symphony Orchestra's 8-year-old label, which has offered digital versions of its recordings via iTunes since 2005, says it now sells more downloads than CDs in the United States.

"Classical music retail is an intimidating environment," LSO label head Chaz Jenkins says. "With digital, you can experiment and listen to new music in your own time."

Others claim that digital is leveling the playing field for independent labels. Canadian violinist Lara St. John runs her own indie, Ancalagon, and her latest release, "Bach: The Six Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo," made 73 percent of its total sales through digital retailers, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"I adore the fact that it's possible for my little label to be on the same distribution level (in the digital space) as various behemoths," she says. "My label has one and a half folks doing what would likely take 50 folks at a major, and yet we seem to be enjoying heaps of success."

Reuters/Billboard