Movies

Randy Newman’s iconic ‘I Love L.A.’ opened the Grammys. Here’s how the performance came together

BBG News

Over the past three and a half weeks, Griffin Goldsmith has come to believe that his life might be part of a simulated reality.

On the 8th of January, the drummer from the Los Angeles rock band Dawes, known for their rootsy sound, tragically lost his home in Altadena due to the destructive Eaton fire. However, on the 25th of the same month, Goldsmith’s wife delivered their first child earlier than expected. This week, Dawes, a band that includes Taylor Goldsmith, Goldsmith’s older brother who handles vocals and guitar, performed at the all-star FireAid benefit concert held at Inglewood’s Kia Forum.

To round things up, Dawes kicked off the 2021 Grammy Awards on Sunday night with a lively performance of Randy Newman’s hit “I Love L.A.”, where Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley, John Legend, Brittany Howard, and St. Vincent joined him.

Griffin Goldsmith, who’s also lost his family home, chuckled slightly and remarked the day before the Grammys, “It’s been quite extraordinary, an unusually tough stretch of luck.” Yet, he added, “But when the good times come, they’re so incredible it feels almost surreal.

Music

A recently published biography, penned by a former critic from The Times who specialized in pop music, focuses on the life of an 81-year-old musician, both a songwriter and a composer.

As a movie reviewer, I’ve got an exclusive behind-the-scenes scoop on the Grammys opening number! The Times had insightful chats with the Goldsmiths, Newman, and Ben Winston, one of the Grammys telecast’s executive producers. They shared that they invested a significant amount of time deliberating over the perfect opening performance given the devastation brought about by the fires.

“It was important for us to find the right tone,” Winston said.

1983 saw the birth of “I Love L.A.”, a song that emerged from a conversation between Don Henley and me, a fellow Angeleno who’d made a name for himself in the ’70s with a collection of albums cherished by music aficionados. The title might suggest a simple love ballad, but this city, my hometown, is anything but straightforward.

As a music enthusiast, I couldn’t help but express my awe for this tune. It was masterfully crafted in the studio by Newman alongside Toto band members, with the magical touch of backing vocals by Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac. The song defies many pop-songwriting norms yet manages to be so familiar, even to those who don’t realize they recognize it. The key shift after the first chorus, the interlude, the solo introducing a fresh progression, and that iconic intro riff – none of which ever reappear – are just some of the elements that make this song truly remarkable.

In a similar vein, “I Love L.A.” showcases Newman’s knack for cultural satire within the realm of pop music. In the original rendition, he sings about the city’s scenic beauty as if penning a travel brochure, only to juxtapose it with lines like, “See that homeless man over yonder, fella / He’s down on his knees.

Music

Prior to this coming Sunday’s 67th Grammy Awards, let me share with you a list of every winning song in the Record of the Year category, ranked, dating back to the first Grammy Awards by the Recording Academy in 1959.

Newman expressed that when you’re singing the song, cruising with someone who has red hair in the car, it simply feels right,” he explained, putting it another way from his lyric about “driving down Imperial Highway with a big, rough-edged redhead beside me.” “Moreover, if this character makes a move at specific things,” Newman noted, “that’s just part of being recklessly assertive, which is what he represents.

Surprisingly, or maybe even due to its complexity, “I Love L.A.” has become a triumphant song for numerous professional sports teams in the city, such as the Lakers and Dodgers, who always play it following their home victories.

Griffin Goldsmith expresses that he was heavily influenced by the music of Randy Newman as it significantly shaped his life. Additionally, he is a die-hard fan of both the Los Angeles Lakers and Dodgers. In fact, he attended approximately eight Dodgers games in the previous year. Therefore, when we win, hearing the triumphant cheers feels like an exhilarating exclamation of “Yes! That’s awesome!

Hailing from Malibu since their childhood, the Goldsmith siblings established Dawes shortly following their high school graduation. Their band’s first album dropped in 2009, and they swiftly found themselves touring and recording alongside artists such as Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, and Robbie Robertson.

Griffin and his wife, Kit Goldsmith, relocated to Altadena approximately in 2017, describing it as a paradise. Eventually, they persuaded Griffin’s parents and Taylor (married to Mandy Moore’s actor-singer spouse) to join them in this community nestled within the San Gabriel Mountains’ foothills. Unfortunately, Taylor’s home studio was damaged by the Eaton fire; combined, the brothers estimate they lost around two decades’ worth of musical equipment.

Music

The eclectic, English musician earns a nod for his unexpected second album of the year titled “Djesse Vol. 4.” in a genre leap.

Midway through January, Taylor and Griffin played a simplified version of Dawes’ song “Time Spent in Los Angeles” on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night program as a charity event for the Recording Academy’s MusiCares organization. This group has given over $4 million to more than 2,000 musicians who have been impacted by the fires.

As a passionate moviegoer, I learned about Dawes’ ordeal and delved into some of their albums, discovering their tale to be deeply moving. My friend Brandi Carlile had highly recommended them too. It’s heartbreaking to think of what they lost in the fires, but their unwavering commitment to giving back to their community is truly inspiring. They embody the resilient spirit that seems to be thriving in L.A., making them a perfect choice for such a prominent music platform like the Grammys, which has previously welcomed artists like Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, and Harry Styles.

On Friday, Griffin mentioned that Dawes had practiced the song with the rest of the musicians. In more recent times, Paisley has grown quite close to the brothers, and they commented that “with a few hours of practice, we felt like a band.

At Griffin’s compliance with the producers’ demand, the band made minor adjustments to some of Newman’s lyrics – for example, the line about the homeless person. Newman himself understands the nuances in his work, and this particular line might be misconstrued more blatantly than he intended. “We aim to avoid causing offense,” Griffin stated, although he initially resisted one suggested alteration.

In Newman’s recording, he sings, “The Santa Ana winds blow fiercely from the north, / And we were made for this ride,” which resonated deeply with Griffin when she lost her home. After two days of feeling aimless, she said, “You know what? I have a family to take care of, and they need a home. I’ll take up the challenge and keep moving forward.

Music

According to The Recording Academy, over $4 million has already been given to musicians impacted by the fires. The goal of this Sunday’s Grammy Awards ceremony is to collect even more funds.

Winston and his group aimed to swap “We were destined to journey” with “We will adapt effortlessly”, as Griffin noted, “It’s quite profound, but I was the only one in that call who had lost my home. I jokingly said, ‘I don’t want to play the trump card, but…'”. He chuckled. “The new phrase seems to convey the same message, but ‘born to ride’ has a casual charm. It truly embodies Newman’s style.

According to Newman, he found the alterations acceptable. “They were satisfactory,” he remarked. “In fact, I’ve witnessed far worse transformations.

Essentially, for him, the crucial aspect was taking action to aid fire victims. Reaching him at his Pacific Palisades residence not long after he returned from an extended evacuation, Newman, aged 81, described the effects as extraordinary.

The images of certain events will be etched into people’s memories for many years to come, particularly children who witnessed entire neighborhoods being destroyed. I have resided in the Palisades throughout my life. I got married and spent a few years in the Valley until I could return. I can still recall the Bel Air fire of 1961, and it was nothing like this tragedy we’re facing now. This is a major American catastrophe.

After the occurrence of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Newman’s ’60s hit “Louisiana 1927”, which describes a Southern city being submerged, gained popularity and essentially served as a rallying song for those affected by the storm in New Orleans.

“Now I’ve got a song for this too,” he said.

Read More

2025-02-03 04:32

Previous post WILLOW SMITH’s CRAZY RED CARPET LOOK
Next post NASCAR driver sneaks into the race he was favored to win