The Vault – TrueBlood-Online.com

From KCRW DJ Gary Calamar who also happens to be the Music Supervisor on True Blood we learn below how he got Iggy Pop and Bethany Cosentino to collaborate on the song he co-wrote for True Blood’s episode 5, titled “Let’s boot and Rally Ally.”

Bethany and Gary

How did Iggy Pop and Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino come to collaborate on a track for HBO’s True Blood?

Well, it’s a bit of a long story so read it below and check out the track “Let’s Boot and Rally“, written by me (!) and James Combs. It will air on the episode of True Blood airing this Sunday, July 8. (available on iTunes now)

I am the luckiest guy in the world to work as music supervisor on HBO’s True Blood.

Alan Ball has created this creepy sexy, fun world and I get to add songs to it. For the most part I am picking existing songs, and sometimes I commission a new song from an artist…but in this case I co-wrote the song….and Iggy Pop and Bethany Cosentino are singing it. CRAZY !

Each episode is named after a song that is used in that show. We had a situation where we had an episode called “Boot and Rally” but we really didn’t have a song that was True Bloody enough to use. What to do. Should we change the title of the episode ?

I suggested that maybe we can have someone write a new song called “Boot and Rally“…..Everyone agreed to give it a try and I started brainstorming.

Now, I have always been a weekend songwriter. I can bang out a handful of chords and I must say I’ve written a few stone classics over the years….in my mind anyway. Back at my office I break out my trusty rhyming dictionary and I start thumbing through it….mmm, one thing leads to another and I started getting, how you say, inspired. At this point I called my very talented friend and brilliant songwriter, James Combs and asked him to collaborate. We got down to business and came up with a song “Let’s Boot and Rally“. As many songwriters say, “the song just wrote itself”, “I was just a vessel”. That’s what happened, kinda.

Meanwhile, to backtrack a little….Iggy Pop, or should I say Iggy’s people, had reached out to me saying he was a True Blood fan and if any opportunities come up, to please keep Iggy in mind. What ? Music to my ears. We sent Iggy the demo of “LB&R”. He loved it and said sign me up.

So, as I was listening to my favorite song this summer, “The Only Place” by Best Coast, and I thought maybe Bethany might like to join in the fun of “Let’s Boot and Rally”. Nah, she’s too busy with her fabulous new album her great fashion line and being the cover girl for all the hip mags. What the heck (I don’t talk dirty) I said. Why not give her a call. “Hullo Bethany” ….She dug the song the most and jumped at the chance to sing with Mr. Pop.

The rest, as they say, might be history….

Gary Calamar

source: blogs.kcrw.com

Just launched is the section in our Episode Guide devoted to the music for each episode of Season 5. To see it, go to the Season 5 Episode Guide: Music. This guide will be updated weekly with the songs featured in each episode after it airs. Below are the songs from the third episode, “Whatever I Am You Made Me,” which aired last Sunday, June 24, 2012.

Again this week, our music speculation about the title song for Episode 5.03 was correct  as we had speculated and it was from 1969  “Whatever I Am, You Made Me” written and performed by Koko Taylor:

The songs featured in this episode were:

	“Blood for Poppies”" by Garbage
	“Run Like Hell” by Cydney Robinson
	“Piece of Heaven” by Susie Boehrn
	“Mopus Dopus”by Chili Karonkas & The Infidels
	“I’m With You”by We are Leo
	“Transister Man“by Mark Slace
	“Get Lucky“by Troubadour Kings
	“Lonely“by Sheala Miller
	“Whatever I am, You Made Me“by Koko Taylor

The title for True Blood Season 5 episode 12 is “Save Yourself” and our best guess as to which songs might be chosen by True Blood’s creator and Executive Producer, Allan Ball and his Music Supervisor, Gary Calamar.

There are lots of possibilities, so get prepared to watch all of these videos.

Personally, my guess for each episode is for episode 12 – is Stabbing Westward.

What is your choice? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Stabbing Westward-”Save Yourself” (Album Cover)

Sense Field - Save Yourself

My Chemical Romance - Save yourself, I’ll hold them back

James Morrison – Save yourself

Civil Twilight - Save Yourself

McAuley Schenker Group - Save Yourself [Exclusive Version] -

source: YouTube

The titles for True Blood Season 5 episodes 6 and 7 are finally out.  They are:

* Episode 5.06 = “Hopeless”

* Episode 5.07 = “In The Beginning.”

Since we now know the titles for these two episodes, below is our best guess as to which songs might be chosen by True Blood’s creator and Executive Producer, Allan Ball and his Music Supervisor, Gary Calamar.

There are lots of possibilities, so get prepared to watch all of these videos. Because there are so many potential songs for episode 6, we didn’t include any lyrics this time.

Personally, my guess for each episode is for episode 6 – Breaking Benjamin (although I’d love it to be Train) and for Episode 7, I’d choose K’naan.

What is your choice? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Episode 6 – “Hopeless”

The Wrens – Hopeless from album The Meadowlands (2003) Absolutely Kosher Records

Dionne Farris – Hopeless

Hopeless – The Trews

Hopeless – Train Drops of Jupiter (C) 2001 Columbia Records

Hopeless – Even Death Rejects Me from the “Elements (Knife,Poision,Rope,Gun)” album.

Hopeless - Breaking Benjamin, , off their new album Dear Agony.

Episode 7 – “In The Beginning”

In The Beginning - K’naan

“In The Beginning”/”Lovely To See You” – The Moody Blues

 
source: HBO.com

True Blood’s Music Supervisor, Gary Calamar is “down under” attending the 2012 Song Summit and in the video below, he appears “In Conversation” interview with Marc Fennell yesterday.  They talk specifically about how television is doing a good job of highlighting new music.  True Blood certainly is a good example of this. Gary goes on to discuss how he finds the music he uses in his shows, like True Blood, Dexter, House, etc.

He also talks about the amazing final scene in Six Feet Under which of course, uses the song by “Sia.”

source: YouTube.com

True Blood’s Music Supervisor, Gary Calamar will be DJing a Free summer Concert this July in Culver City, CA. The Annenberg Space for Photography and Los Angeles public radio station KCRW (89.9FM and KCRW.com) are proud to announce a series of free live summer concerts to accompany the Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present exhibit.

Staged on the outdoor plaza adjacent to the Photography Space, these shows present an opportunity to experience live music in a unique location with a vista of architectural delight. The Photography Space will offer extended evening hours and feature KCRW DJ sets and more in addition to incredible performances.

Saturday, July 21

T. REX’s “THE SLIDER” 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION featuring PORTUGAL. THE MAN and KCRW VS. T. REX SOUNDCLASH Remix EP Release Party with KCRW DJs Dan Wilcox & Gary Calamar

To learn more about the music concert series go to: marketwatch.com

We all love the music on our favorite TV show, True Blood and it’s all because of the wonderful choices made by it’s Music Supervisor Gary Calamar.  Below is part of an interview with Gary where he talks about his career and also what it’s like to pick music for TV shows like True Blood, Six Feet Under, etc.

Gary Calamar made his mark on television as music supervisor for Alan Ball’s True Blood, and Six Feet Under, being nominated for five Grammy awards along the way. A lifelong music fan, Calamar hosts a Sunday night radio show on Santa Monica station KCRW, has interviewed luminaries such as Brian Wilson, Wilco, Lucinda Williams and The Flaming Lips, and even received a Gold accreditation for the very-excellent Varsity Blues soundtrack. Calamar is heading out to Song Summit to talk about the process and challenges of writing music for film and television.

Your placement of Breathe Me by Sia in the finale of Six Feet Under was responsible for her breaking in America. Is that kind of career-making sync commonplace?
I would say it’s rare-especially on that level. Not that she’s selling out stadiums or anything, but the impact of that song was – I won’t say it’s unprecedented but people tell me that’s the best music scene they’ve ever seen. I think it’s a combination of the finale of a great show, and a fantastic episode in itself. That last scene was very moving. That is a special case, the stars aligning. Obviously it’s a very beautiful song, it was not even being released here in America. I’m sure there have been other instances, but in my experience, that has been a singular situation.

Is it important for you to select songs that aren’t already widely known in the pop culture pantheon? Is that a consideration at all?
I think it depends on the personality of the project. Sometimes we need a familiar song as a nice warm thing. Sometimes being exposed to a new song is fantastic. For me, it’s a nice challenge to discover something new and make it a recognisable song in the future. As always, it depends on the scene: if you want something playing from a jukebox or something to really help illustrate the mood, then maybe you want a Lou Reed song or something.

Do you approach television and film in the same way?
It’s kinda the same approach, even if it’s overall a different feeling. TV is very immediate, you’re on a schedule, you have to do twelve or more episodes, and you have to have each one done by the Friday of next week, then you move onto the next episode, so there’s not a ton of time to second guess and triple guess, you need to be decisive and then go with your decision. In film, they take so much time, and everyone allows time to second guess themselves and change their minds. – it seems like it’s a much slower process.

Which do you prefer?
I prefer working on great projects – these days there are so many great programs on television. I would much rather work on a great television show then a mediocre film.

With shows like True Blood or Six Feet Under where there is a very heavily stylised world, are you given heavy notes?
The show itself as it progress kinda gets to have its own little world, so we try to fit the music into the world as it is created. True Blood, which takes place in the South, in Louisiana, with vampires and shape-shifters running around, it does have a certain personality to it, which is different to the more serious vibe of Six Feet Under. It’s all a collaboration, we will look at a scene, myself and Alan Ball or one of the producers, we will discuss it then I will go away and come back with three or four ideas and we take it from there. So, there’s a certain amount of leeway, but the show kinda dictates what it needs.

Obviously as someone who started on radio, managed acts and has been in the industry you’re entire life, you’re a huge music fan. Did you plan to get into this line of work?

I definitely wanted to get into the music business. I wasn’t quite sure where I would end up. I was very happy to be working the door at a club, and I was very happy to be working in a record store, and I was very happy to be managing bands, so I love many aspects of the music industry. There’s quite a bit of competition between music supervisors- in this day and age everyone is a music supervisor. I’d always hoped to work in the business, so with a radio show and ongoing projects in television, I’m in a good spot.

source: themusicnetwork.com

Since we now know that the title for Season 5, Episode 11 is “Finally.” As is our practice, we like to speculate about what song will be chosen by True Blood’s creator and Executive Producer, Allan Ball and his Music Supervisor, Gary Calamar.  For this episode we provide two possibilities, first the CeCe Peniston song and then, the song with the same name, by Fergie.

Finally is the name of the debut album by American singer CeCe Peniston, released on January 28, 1992 by A&M Records. Prior to that, she recorded the debut single of “Finally”, which topped the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music Club Play chart on October 26, 1991, peaking eventually at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, while at number two in the United Kingdom.

Below is the video of CeCe performing in the music video. (C) 1991 A&M Records

The song was made even more famous when it was performed (well lipsynced) in the cult classic film, “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.”

Below are the lyrics of the song:

CHORUS: Finally it has happened to me
Right in front of my face
My feelin’s can’t describe it
Finally it has happened to me
Right in front of my face
And I just cannot hide it

Meeting Mr. Right, the man of my dreams
The one and only true love or at least it seems
With brown coco skin and curly black hair
It’s just the way he looks at me, that gentle lovin’ stare

Finally you come along
The way I feel about you it just can’t be wrong
If you only knew the way I feel about you
I just can’t describe him oh no no

CHORUS
CHORUS

It seemed so many times he seemed to be the one
But all he ever wanted was to have a little fun
But now you’ve come along and brightened up my world
In my heart I feel it I’m that special kind of girl

Finally you come along
The way I feel about you it just can’t be wrong
If you only knew the way I feel about you
I just can’t describe him oh no no

CHORUS
CHORUS

Finally
Ooooooooh finally yeah yeah
Oh

RAP: True love, a feelin’ I never knew
Until you came into my life and now it’s real
I never knew that I would find the time
Before you I thought love was blind

And my life was coastin’ out my emotion
Too strong for words, you’re set for devotion
A-pushin’ me from mutual attraction
True love, the chemical reaction

Then my actions
Reflect those of a way to makin’ this a better love
A never ending plan like man and wife
Flavourful to my life like a spice

Summon me to death, you’re my big mean of protection
My one and only source of affection
So I’m puttin’ all games behind me
I’ve been lookin’ for the key to love and I’ve found it finally

CHORUS (to fade)

Based on some of the comments below, this song also named “Finally” by Fergie, could also be a contender. Therefore, in respect for those music lovers who want to think of other options, below is Fergie singing “Fergie.” ”Finally” is a song by Fergie, taken from her debut studio album The Dutchess. The song was written by Fergie and Stefanie Ridel, and co-written and produced by John Legend. The R&B ballad features John Legend on the piano. The song was sent to radio on February 26, 2008 and released as the sixth and final single from The Dutchess on March 18.

Here are the lyrics:

“Finally”

source: Wikipedia and YouTube

Since we now know that the title for Season 5, Episode 10 is “Gone, Gone, Gone.” As is our practice, we like to speculate about what song will be chosen by True Blood’s creator and Executive Producer, Allan Ball and his Music Supervisor, Gary Calamar.

Gone, Gone, Gone is the name of an album by The Everly Brothers, originally released in 1964. It was re-released on CD in 2005 on the Collectors’ Choice Music label.

 
Below is the orginal version by The Everly Brothers of Gone, Gone, Gone
 

 
The title track was covered by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss on their 2007 collaboration album Raising Sand and here’s that version of the original – Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)
 

 
However, another possibility might be the song done by Hoobastank – For(N)ever – GONE GONE GONE Song+Lyrics
 

Since we now know that the title for Season 5, Episode 9 is “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” As is our practice, we like to speculate about what song will be chosen by True Blood’s Creator and Executive Producer, Allan Ball and his Music Supervisor, Gary Calamar.

Well, since this upcoming episode has a flashback to the 1980′s the song for it is bound to be Tears for Fear – “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”  

Oh, how this brings back memories.
  
Here’s a live performance from 1985:

and here’s one from 2007:

The lyrics are below. Songwriters: ORZABAL, ROLAND/STANLEY, IAN/HUGHES, CHRIS

Welcome to your life
There’s no turning back
Even while we sleep
We will find you
Acting on your best behaviour
Turn your back on mother nature
Everybody wants to rule the world

It’s my own design
It’s my own remorse
Help me to decide
Help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world

There’s a room where the light won’t find you
Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down
When they do I’ll be right behind you

So glad we’ve almost made it
So sad they had to fade it
Everybody wants to rule the world

I can’t stand this indecision
Married with a lack of vision
Everybody wants to rule the world
Say that you’ll never never never never need it
One headline why believe it ?
Everybody wants to rule the world

All for freedom and for pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world