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WEEKEND, JULY 22-24, 2011
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A very Bublé Christmas Michael Bublé recording Christmas album, including duet with Shania Twain
Michael Bublé says that he wanted to make “the quintessential Christmas record.”
All Michael Bublé wants for Christmas is Shania Twain — and it looks like his wish has been granted. In a live video chat with fans this week, Bublé revealed that he’s been recording a Christmas album and he’s already done a splashy duet with his fellow Canuck pop star. “There’s a couple duets that I really like, one with Shania Twain, which is really fantastic,” Bublé said in a video streamed from the historic Capitol Studios in Los Angeles. “White Christmas, we did. We did it bouncy. I was inspired by Home Alone, the Drifters.” The Burnaby, B.C., native said that the record would be helmed by Canadian producers David Foster and Bob Rock. And while he hasn’t finalized the track list yet, he says he’s also recorded Jingle Bells with the U.K. swing trio the Puppini Sisters, as well as versions of Blue Christmas, Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You and an original track co-penned with musical director Alan Chang. Though Bublé didn’t indicate
“I know this is going to sound weird, but I think you guys can expect probably the best album I’ve made so far.” MICHAEL BUBLÉ
me. He introduced me to the world of jazz and melody. “And I didn’t want to be hip or edgy. I just wanted to make a really sweet Christmas record that kids can grow up with.” Although the 35-year-old issued a Christmas EP in 2003 called Let it Snow, he dismissed that project now and said this was the holiday-themed record he had been waiting to make. “I wanted to record this album from the start. The truth is, the only reason I didn’t do it is because I felt like I had to establish myself more as an artist before I gave myself the THE ENVIRONMENT CIGARETTE BUTTS FOR opportuniFOR WILDLIFE FOR OUR WATER ty to put FOR YOUR WALLET – THE FINE FOR out a LITTERING IS $250 Christmas record,” he said. “We did an EP www.edmonton.ca/capitalcitycleanup years and WANT TO QUIT? Smokers’ Help Line years ago, Lignes d’aide 1-866-332-2322 it was six www.albertaquits.ca songs, but Putting Litter that in its Place! wasn’t
when the Christmas record would be released, his enthusiasm for the project was obvious. “I wanted to make the quintessential Christmas record,” said the three-time Grammy winner. “I wanted to make a record that would outlive me, and I wanted to do for people what Bing Crosby did for
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Ready for kids? Aside from discussing his Christmas album, Bublé eagerly entertained wideranging questions from the 2,000-plus fans who tuned in to the chat. The irreverent crooner held court on his wine of choice, whether he would ever head to Broadway (he’s been offered to do a “bunch of musicals,” he responded, but isn’t interested in staying in one place that long) and even how he would assemble his dream dinner party, including guests living or dead. “I would have my wife, I’d have Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Claudia Schiffer and David Copperfield — because I think that David could trick them into doing it with me. Magic,” he said, smiling. But the newlywed — who married Argentine actress Luisana Lopilato in the spring — got serious when asked about where he saw himself in five years. “You know what, I want to have kids,” said Bublé. “I’m pretty ready in my life and I think my wife is too.”
mine. I was just a kid, and I sort of just sang on it. And even the arrangements weren’t mine. ... I didn’t have my imprint on it except for the voice.”
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A MISCELLANY OF USELESS INFORMATION SOUND CHECK ALAN CROSS SCENE @METRONEWS.CA
As you may have heard elsewhere, I, er, have some extra time on my hands.
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or the first time since Grade 9, I find myself with a summer off. Which is fine, actually. The dog is being thoroughly walked, the garage is immaculately powerwashed and I’m nearing the mythical state known as Inbox Zero. Most importantly, though, I’m finally going through that massive pile of unread books and magazines on the floor of my
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home office. Here are a few of the (mostly) useless things I’ve learned over the last couple of weeks: • Dolly Parton has released a staggering 94 albums in her career and thanks to songs like Whitney Houston’s cover of her I Will Always Love You for The Bodyguard soundtrack (which has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide) has a personal worth of about $900 million. • Remember EMF and their No. 1 one-hit-wonder, Unbelievable from 1990? Keyboardist Ian Dench is
Dolly Parton
rolling in cash after years of writing hits for Beyoncé and Shakira. • Comedian Ricky Ger-
vais was of a techno-pop duo called Seona Dancing (correctly pronounced as “Shawna Dancing”) in the early 80s. They were a miserable failure except for a song called More to Lose, which became a substantial hit in the Philippines. • Chris Martin of Coldplay has an honours degree in Greek and Latin. • Buzz band Foster the People was originally called Foster & the People after singer Mark Foster, but when audiences kept mishearing the name as “Foster the People,” they
made the switch. • Adele says she was inspired to get into music by the Spice Girls. Her earliest gigs featured her singing songs like Wannabe. • For this final stage of U2’s 360 Tour, the band flies in around 5 p.m., plays the gig and is back on their private plane by midnight. • Sales of CDs are now so weak it’s possible to make it onto the Canadian Top 200 album chart by selling fewer than 200 copies.