The 58-year-old star believes he’s currently taking more drugs than ever and according to his wife Joanne Ryder, it’s helping to improve their love life.
Shaun shared: “I’m probably on more drugs today than in the Happy Mondays heyday.
“I’m on thyroxine, which is for my under-active thyroid. I’m on blood pressure pills. I’m on testosterone replacement. “The thyroid affects everything – allergies and all sorts. I mean, if I don’t take these pills for the allergies, I can’t breathe. It’d be like an anaphylactic shock. Me throat goes tight and everything. I’m riddled with arthritis, too.
“But my wife is well satisfied with the testosterone treatment as all that went at the end of me 40s, so I’ve been on it for about 12 years now.
“So, yeah, it was like being 21, but without all the headaches of what goes with being 21.”
Despite this, Shaun insisted he’s happier now than he was during his Happy Mondays pomp.
He told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre TV column: “You could say it’s a case of pills and bellyaches with not so much of the thrills any more.
“But I’ve got the thrill of life. I know it sounds a bit monkey hippyish, but I just do get a buzz off having a good life with people round me.
“I don’t miss the drugs because I missed my children growing up. I mean, when I first had children, I was out – I never saw them. I was going around the world making a career, I was out and didn’t see them grow up.”
Olivia Rodrigo’s Drivers License makes it seven weeks at Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart.
The most streamed song of the week with 5.6 million plays, Drivers License extends its reign at the summit, fending off competition from Lil Tjay & 6LACK’s Calling My Phone (2) and Nathan Evans’ Wellerman remix with 220 Kid and Billen Ted (3).
Seven consecutive weeks at the top marks the longest stint at Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart since Tones & I’s Dance Monkey, which spent 11 weeks at Number 1 between October and December 2019.
Tiesto climbs two places to Number 4 with The Business, his third Top 5 single, while Riton & Nightcrawlers continue to climb with Friday ft. Mufasa & Hypeman, up three to Number 7.
In the Top 20, The Weeknd’s Save Your Tears is up two places to Number 11, while Latest Trends by A1 & J1 climbs five to Number 12. ATB, Topic & A7S’s Your Love (9pm) rises six places to 15, Cardi B’s Up jumps five to 17 – her eighth Top 20 hit – and Central Cee’s Commitment Issues is also up five at Number 18.
Further down, new peaks come from Glass Animals’ Heat Waves (23), My Head & My Heart by Ava Max (25) and Duncan Laurence’s Arcade (29).
This week’s highest new entry comes from Ella Henderson & Tom Grennan with Let’s Go Home Together at Number 28. This marks Ella’s seventh Top 40 hit and Tom Grennan’s first – though Tom also simultaneously lands his second with Little Bit Of Love after it climbs 13 places to Number 32.
Other hits climbing into the Top 40 for the first time come from Liverpudlian DJ Navos with Believe Me at Number 33, and Australian rapper Masked Wolf, whose breakout hit Astronaut In The Ocean rises nine to Number 35.
Finally, there are two further brand-new Top 40 entries: Toxic by West London rapper Digga D, which becomes his fifth Top 40 single at Number 36, and Ariana Grande’s Test Drive from the deluxe version of her Positions album debuts at 38, her 30th UK Top 40 hit.
ANDREA GANIS, DANNY COOPER, KO-FUNG SHIH, PAT PAXTON, JOE HAZE, RICH DAVIS, MIKE KAPLAN, SCOTT BURTON, IAN CAMFIELD, TRACY BROWN, ANGELO SCROBE, ROSS MAHONEY, JEFF TYLER, KELSEY SCHULER, MAREN MORRIS, CHRIS STAPLETON, MIRANDA LAMBERT, AMANDA MEY, CAT THOMAS, SCOTTY TAVLIN, LESLIE JORDAN, WILLIE NELSON, HENRY EVANS, STEVE GRUNWALD, JOE GALANTE, DAN WAITE, NICK NORMAN, CHRIS WILLIAMS, KRIS ROLLINS, CHRIS EDGE, RON SORENSON, CHARLES CHAVEZ, BETHANY KENT, DJ EVER, MERCEDES HOWARD, SAM HERNANDEZ, TONY TECATE, CATHY HUGHES, JAY ALAN, TONY GRAY, ANGELA WATSON, RICHARD NASH, CHAZ SAUNDERS, ELLIOTT MURPHY, SPARKY, SARA PARKER, KIRBY RAY, MARK GORLICK.
Mogwai triumph on this week’s Official Albums Chart, scoring their first Number 1 with their tenth studio record As The Love Continues.
The Scottish rock group have been facing off with Ghetts for this week’s top spot, with the British rapper taking to the streets of central London in an armoured tank hoping to blast his third album Conflict Of Interest to the summit.
Mogwai finish the week 2,900 chart sales ahead of Ghetts, resulting in a landmark moment for the band, claiming their first Number 1 some 25 years after the release of their debut single.
Released independently through the band’s own label Rock Action, As The Love Continues is also this week’s best-seller on vinyl and the top seller in UK independent record shops. View Mogwai’s Official Chart history in full here.
Celebrating the news, Mogwai told OfficialCharts.com:
“We’re unbelievably happy to have the number 1 album in the UK. We want to thank everyone at Rock Action Records – both of you – and mostly to thank everyone who has bought, downloaded and streamed the album, and supported us over the last week, and the last 25 years. It’s something we’re amazed by. We’re taken aback by everyone’s support, kindness and generosity.
“It is 25 years this week since the release of our first single Tuner/Lower, the first release on our own label Rock Action Records. We didn’t start the band or the label to get into the charts. None of us ever envisaged either the band or the label being in a position where having a Number 1 record would be a possibility.
“We started the label with a loan of £400 from my now-brother in law. Martin’s folks generously helped us out by paying for the studio to record the songs. We were just kids that wanted to make an amazing noise and get our record played on John Peel. Amazingly John did play the record, and one thing led to another to get us to the point we’re at now. It’s been an incredible journey making music together over the last quarter century, taking us to places we never dreamed of and getting to play our music to more people than we ever imagined.”
Meanwhile, Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia continues its boost back up the chart, up one place to Number 3 and the UK’s most streamed album of the week following the release of its extended Moonlight Edition including new single We’re Good, and Ariana Grande’s former chart-topper Positions rebounds 28 places to Number 5 following a deluxe edition release.
Further down, Yorkshire indie band The Reytons make their Official Chart debut at Number 27 with their new EP May Seriously Harm You And Others Around.
The 26-year-old singer took to Instagram on Friday (26.02.21) to share the album cover for his upcoming sixth studio record, which he told fans will be titled ‘Justice’ and will be available in just three weeks’ time.
Writing alongside the cover art, he said: “JUSTICE the album March 19th.
“In a time when there’s so much wrong with this broken planet we all crave healing and justice for humanity. In creating this album my goal is to make music that will provide comfort, to make songs that people can relate to and connect to so they feel less alone. Suffering, injustice and pain can leave people feeling helpless.
“Music is a great way of reminding each other that we aren’t alone. Music can be a way to relate to one another and connect with one another. I know that I cannot simply solve injustice by making music but I do know that if we all do our part by using our gifts to serve this planet and each other that we are that much closer to being united. This is me doing a small part. My part. I want to continue the conversation of what justice looks like so we can continue to heal (sic)”
‘Justice’ will follow the ‘Love Yourself’ hitmaker’s 2020 record ‘Changes’, which was his first full album in five years, following 2015’s ‘Purpose’.
Meanwhile, Justin recently gave an update on the progress of his upcoming album.
The ‘Lonely’ singer shared snaps from the studio across Instagram and teased fans that he’s got to the stage of picking the track-listing for the LP.
Alongside one picture of him staring at sheets of paper, he wrote: “going over track listing for the album. (sic)’ He also captioned a black and white shot of him with his mouth wide open: “how this album makes me feel (sic).”
Ne-Yo still can’t believe a pal’s high school reunion moment led to his big break.
The So Sick singer was working with producer and engineer Curtis ‘Sauce’ Wilson, when he agreed to join him for a quick meeting with an old pal, who turned out to be Def Jam’s A&R guru Tina Davis.
“We’re headed back to the hotel and it was on the way to the Def Jam building,” the singer tells Billboard. “We didn’t go in ’cause we had already been there trying to shop songs a few days earlier, but he was like, ‘Let me run back up because I learned that a friend of mine from high school works here and I haven’t seen her in years…’
“His friend was Tina Davis, who at the time was head of A&R for Def Jam records… I’m in the corner of the room, twiddling thumbs and waiting on them to do the whole ‘reunited and it feels so good’ type thing. Then she says to him, ‘So what have you been up to?’ (and he responds), ‘I’m working with writers just like this one.'”
Wilson then played Davis some of Ne-Yos music and she told the unknown star to perform for her, which he did.
The A&R woman didn’t seem that impressed, but then she picked up a phone and called her boss, L.A. Reid.
“So we go up to his office… and he goes, ‘So you’re the next big thing…?'” Ne-yo recalled.
“I performed for them and they all gave me deadpan faces, no emotion, no feedback whatsoever. Then when I was done, he was like, ‘Thank you very much. Can you guys step outside? Let me talk to my people right quick’.” Ne-Yo admits that after waiting in the lobby for an hour, he was about to give up and go home.
“I turned to Sauce (and said), ‘Bro, let’s go. It don’t take this long for them to decide if they want to do something or not (sic)’,” he smiled. “So we get up and as we’re leaving, the assistant pops their head and says, ‘Mr. Reid would like to know your lawyer’s information. He wants to give you a deal’.”
Charlie Puth will treat fans to old favourites and unexpected tunes during his first-ever live interactive global eConcert on 31 March.
The How Long star, who will perform live from the Yoop eSpace at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, said in a statement: “It’s been really fun getting to know my fans even better through social media this past year, and I am excited to perform live for them in this interactive virtual concert experience.”
During the gig, Puth will be able to see and hear fans, and will even be inviting a select few to join him on the virtual stage.
He will also be attending a virtual afterparty, which organisers teased is a “secret of its own” – and one that will “push the creative envelope”.
“I’ve missed performing for you guys so I’m excited to announce my live virtual concert with Yoop on March 31st!” Charlie said in a post on his Instagram page.
Keith Urban had to use “a lot of restraint” not to lash out at a man who hit his wife Nicole Kidman with a programme at the Sydney Opera House last month.
It was reported at the time that the pair were watching The Merry Widow when the alleged incident took place.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Nicole and Keith – along with most of the audience – were giving a standing ovation at the end of the show when the man sat behind them asked them to sit down. The man then “swatted” Nicole with his programme, before Keith accused him of “assaulting his wife”.
During an interview on KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O show on Friday, Keith explained what had happened as he told the hosts: “I looked around and I see a few people standing and a few more and I thought ‘oh I’m getting up’. And then this guy behind me just whacked Nic, like really hit her, with the programme.
“It’s a bit of a pickle I was in because I’m a husband and you want to defend your wife but it took a lot of restraint. I was pretty upset.”
Keith added that as the performance was the first time he’d been to the opera, he was unaware of the “etiquette” involved.
“We did not know you are not supposed to stand in the opera. Having not been to the opera before ever in my life, I am sensitive to the etiquette,” he added.
EVANS BROADCAST COMPANY has upped LSM HENRY EVANS to Market Manager for the company’s RENO cluster, Alternative KRAT (ALT 92.1), News-Talk KKFT-KSVL (99.1 FM TALK), AC KRFN (FUN 100.9), Country KCMY-A-K273AF (FM 102.5 COWBOY COUNTRY), abd Country KRFN-KD2-K236CN (95.1 THE WOLF). EVANS joined the family company in 2017 after serving in the IRAQ war and attending college on the G.I. Bill.
EVANS said, “Our Vets see a challenge as an opportunity and 2020 was just that. Despite the shutdown of many of our advertisers, we simply worked harder, smarter, and outperformed the huge conglomerates in this industry. Net sales increased by 5% over 2019.”
The 74-year-old singer has created a new album of poetry and music with the help of Warren Ellis, and Marianne admitted her love of poetry dates back to her teenage years.
She shared: “When I was 13 or 14, I bought myself a book, ‘Palgrave’s Golden Treasury’, and that really turned me on to poetry, lots of different poetry.
“And then there was my English teacher at the convent, Mrs Simpson. I was studying for my A Levels in the year before I got discovered. Very happy. Then I was discovered and never finished them, but I learnt a lot and it never left me, so I had this idea all my life, really, that I wanted to make the most beautiful poetry record with music.”
‘She Walks In Beauty’ was a lyrical poem by Lord Byron and Marianne thinks that Byron’s work is “sublime”.
She said: “It’s very romantic, not like you imagine Byron to be. It’s so beautiful, and that’s why I like it.
“I love the other side of Byron too, but this is really amazing, sublime. And I was very drawn to the ability to do really beautiful rhymes. I think that’s from being a songwriter. It’s incredibly nice. Not what I connect with Lord Byron at all.”
Meanwhile, Marianne previously suggested she may never sing again after battling coronavirus.
The singer was hospitalised for three weeks with the virus in April and subsequently suggested she may never make a full recovery.
She explained: “I may not be able to sing ever again. Maybe that’s over.
“I would be incredibly upset if that was the case, but, on the other hand, I am 74.
“I don’t feel cursed and I don’t feel invincible. I just feel f****** human.”
