Mary J. Blige Dishes On Her 'Crazy' Led Zeppelin Covers

'I've listened to their music since I was a child,' says the R&B diva, who recorded 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love.'
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Larry Carroll


Mary J. Blige
Photo: MTV News

You wouldn't peg Mary J Blige as the black-light-and-tapestry sort, but, as has become readily apparent in recent weeks, she absolutely loves Led Zeppelin.

In early February, reports began circulating that Blige had re-recorded Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven," working with Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and guitarist Steve Vai on the track, which is slated to appear on the international reissue of her Stronger With Each Tear album, due Monday.

But after she had recorded "Stairway," Blige continued to get the Led out, covering another Zeppelin classic — the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love" — for the album too. And when MTV News caught up with her on the Essence Black Women in Hollywood red carpet, she told us all about channeling her inner Robert Plant for the tracks, a process that came much easier than you'd probably imagine.

"I did Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' — it's crazy," she said. "I am a Led Zeppelin fan. I'm not going to say I've been to their concerts, but I've listened to their music since I was a child, and it's always moved me, especially 'Stairway to Heaven,' and 'Whole Lotta Love' is just fun."

Blige also said she recorded another new song — a "club record" called "I Can't Wait" — for the re-release. And while it's only slated to hit shelves outside the U.S., she hopes her fans will get a chance to hear all the new songs pretty soon.

"I want y'all to hear it," she laughed.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1633563/mary-j-blige-dishes-on-her-crazy-led-zeppelin-covers.jhtml

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Olivia Wilde Glams Up Marie Claire August 2011

As part of her "Cowboys & Aliens" movie promotions, Olivia Wilde lined up the cover gig for the August 2011 issue of Marie Claire magazine.

Coming ahead of her film's July 29th release date, the "House" hottie posed for a glamorous spread taken by Tesh while chatting about topics including as her passion to help others.

Of her desire to get people involved in giving back as early as possible, Miss Wilde said, "I'm really interested in making philanthropy accessible to younger people. The idea of volunteering and participating is not reserved for rich, older people or a luxurious position in life. I worked really hard for Obama, but when the campaign ended, people stopped participating. My passion is getting younger generations to participate - which is selfish, in a way, because giving is the path to happiness. Every time I come back from Haiti, I'm really happy. If we can make giving cool, can make volunteering cool, we can start some kind of revolution."

The 27-year-old actress continued to voice her hope that people's interest will shift from the tabloid world to more important matters, as she explained, "I'd like to refocus everyone's attention away from the Kardashians and onto Doctors Without Borders or aid workers." She added, "Let's redefine scandal. Scandal is not who so-and-so is dating. Scandal is 1.2 million people living in tents in Haiti."

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/olivia-wilde/olivia-wilde-glams-marie-claire-august-2011-522494

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'The Smurfs' Clip: Exclusive

'The Smurfs' Clip: Exclusive

It's time to see the world turn blue. The film version of the beloved television series The Smurfs hits theaters on July 29, and iVillage has a smurfy new exclusive clip from the movie to whet your appetite. Watch it below!

 

 

In case you hadn't guessed, that's Clumsy Smurf (voiced by Anton Yelchin) in the clip, learning firsthand how dangerous a modern bathroom can be when you're all of three crab apples tall (yep, that's how Smurfs measure themselves) and used to bathrooms in the Middle Ages (which, basically, were holes in the ground). We only hope Clumsy can figure a way out of the toilet before somebody uses it.

Based on the French comic-strip and the popular 1980s U.S. animated-TV-show offshoot, the new 'Smurfs' movie is a hybrid of live action and CGI animation -- and is hitting theaters in eye-popping 3-D. It follows the wee blue ones as they're chased from their homes by human nemesis Gargamel (Hank Azaria) and jump through a portal that transports them from the Middle Ages to -- where else? -- present-day New York City. They manage to avoid being trampled long enough to take shelter with unsuspecting couple Patrick and Grace Winslow (How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris and Glee's OCD-suffering guidance counselor Jayma Mays). But although the Smurfs begin to enjoy the joys of modern-day life -- such as playing Guitar Hero with NPH -- the ill-intentioned Gargamel is never far behind.

The list of stars voicing the Smurfs themselves is endless: Katy Perry as Smurfette, Alan Cumming as the never-before-seen Gutsy Smurf, George Lopez as Grouchy Smurf, Kenan Thompson as Greedy Smurf, Jeff Foxworthy as Handy Smurf, Paul Reubens (a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman) as Jokey Smurf and chef Wolfgang Puck as -- you guessed it -- Chef Smurf.

Trying to navigate New York City is a familiar issue for any tourist, but for tiny blue creatures it should be highly entertaining. Watch the trailer now, and head to theaters on July 29 to see if the little blue guys and gals can elude Gargamel and live smurfilly ever after!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/smurfs-clip-exclusive/1-a-363461

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Photos | 2010 American Music Awards Presenter, Nominee And Performer Highlights

Heidi Klum & Miranda Kerr: AOL Summer Run Fun

They became good friends during their time together as Victoria's Secret models, and Miranda Kerr and Heidi Klum teamed up once again for an exercise session in New York City on Saturday (July 9).

The two beauties joined forces as part of Heidi's AOL Summer Run, with fellow model Coco Rocha also partaking in the day-beginning Big Apple jog.

Miss Klum's Summer Run comes as she recently launched her very own AOL website - which is packed with healthy tips to help visitors get into tip-top shape.

The 38-year-old's most recent post features fitness expert Andrea Orbeck - who offered up three "simple, delicious recipes to fulfill your nutritional needs on the go."

With an instructional video included, Miss Orbeck's recipes are as follows:

Famous Protein Pancakes
Pour six egg whites (or an equal amount of egg substitute) into a mixing bowl. Add ½ cup of oatmeal. For color and sweetness, add ¼ cup of blueberries. Mix in a blender to achieve pancake batter consistency. Pour blended mix onto preheated griddle in four- to five-inch diameter circles. Cook each side for 30 seconds. Add a small scoop of vanilla yogurt for sweetness.

Homemade Trail Mix
Combine one tablespoon each of:
Almonds
Cashews
Walnuts
Raisins
Dried cranberries
2-3 unsalted pretzels

Lean, Mean Pita
Add a ½ cup of turkey, beef or chicken leftovers to a mixing bowl. Add ¼ cup of brown rice (much healthier than white rice). Scoop in a few spoons of sautéed vegetables for moisture. Add in a few spoons of chopped onions for sweetness. Stuff ingredients into a pita pocket

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/heidi-klum/heidi-klum-miranda-kerr-aol-summer-run-fun-522563

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Rebecca Gayheart & Eric Dane Expecting Baby No. 2!

After weeks of speculation, it seems official congratulations are in order for Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane!

The happy couple are expecting their second child together, Life & Style reports. "She's glowing -- and so happy," a friend tells the magazine. "They wanted to add another child to their family, and now they've got that! They're in a real good place."

Special Headline: 
Breaking News
Top Story? (feature beneath menu): 
Upper Slideshow?

Source: http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2011/07/08/rebecca-gayheart-eric-dane-expecting-baby-no-2

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Justin Bieber Does Top Ten List For David Letterman (Video)

Justin Bieber appeared on ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ last night and presented the night’s top ten list. It was Top Ten Little Known Facts about Justin Bieber: fitting! I thought this was pretty funny . What did you think?

Source: http://www.imnotobsessed.com/2011/06/23/justin-bieber-david-letterman-top-ten-list/

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Sarah Palin's "The Undefeated" Trailer: Watch Now!

Just one week away from her film's limited release, the trailer for the Sarah Palin movie "The Undefeated" has just been released.

The nearly two-minute clip gives a glimpse as to what theatergoers can expect from the documentary focusing on the Alaskan politician's life.

Directed by Stephen K. Bannon, the website for "The Undefeated" tells that the picture "is structured in three Acts and chronicles Palin?s early days in Wasilla; her achievements as Governor of Alaska, which yielded her an astonishing 80 percent approval rating; and her meteoric rise to the national stage as John McCain?s running mate."

As for its July 15th release, Palin's flick will be shown in the following locations with possible plans for expansion based on response:

Orange, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Houston, TX
Grapevine, TX
Highlands Ranch, CO
Indianapolis, IN
Independence, MO
Kennesaw, GA

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/sarah-palin/sarah-palins-undefeated-trailer-watch-now-522505

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