Latest news with #RobertPalmer
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Can it get any weirder?' Live Aid's last-minute headliner recalls offer to play for 2 billion people
There are many, many ways that pop-culture fans have discovered shapeshifting rocker/actor Michael Des Barres over the decades. Some may know him from his big-screen debut at age 17 in the 1967 Sidney Poitier film To Sir, With Love; or as the frontman of the Deep Purple- and Led Zeppelin-associated bands Silverhead and Detective; or as the cowriter of Animotion's 1983 hit 'Obsession'; or as the longtime host of the Little Steven's Underground Garage morning show on SiriusXM; or as iconic MacGyver villain Murdoc; or for his many other television appearances on shows like Roseanne, Seinfeld, Melrose Place, Northern Exposure, Frasier, and Nip/Tuck. But if you're one of the Gen X kids among the estimated 1.9 billion people (nearly 40 percent of the world population at the time) who watched the global Live Aid concert broadcast 40 years ago, on July 13, 1985, then you might best know Des Barres as the lead singer of the Power Station. More from Gold Derby The Supermen that never were: Here are 5 scrapped Man of Steel movies ranked by their Oscar potential 'Ghost' at 35: How Jerry Zucker pivoted from 'Airplane!' and 'Naked Gun' spoof comedy to an unlikely Best Picture nominee Live Aid was, incredibly, only Des Barres's second public appearance with the Duran Duran-spinoff supergroup — as an extremely last-minute replacement, after original frontman Robert Palmer unceremoniously bowed out. And the Power Station were part of an absolutely stacked Philadelphia bill that included everyone from Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and the surviving Zeppelin members; to Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; to Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood; to comeback queen Tina Turner and rising pop princess Madonna. And yet, it seems Des Barres was the only performer at JFK Stadium who wasn't nervous that day. 'I'd been in many, many movies. I'd done 120 hours of television by that time. So, getting nervous is not something I do,' chuckles Des Barres, who was a decade older than the Power Station's John and Andy Taylor, and (definitely unlike John and Andy) had already been clean and sober for four years when Live Aid took place. Des Barres's young bandmates, however, were 'very nervous and very frightened about what could happen,' he recalls. The surprise success of the Power Station's self-titled debut album (a success so surprising, in fact, that Palmer, whose only U.S. performance with the group was on Saturday Night Live, quickly decided that it was more of a commitment than he'd bargained for) had impressed all the rockist snobs who'd once wrongly dismissed the Taylors' main band, Duran Duran, as mere pretty-boy teen-pop. And so, Live Aid, which was set to be followed by an international Power Station tour, was a massive opportunity. 'They had prayed for something like this — and now it's happening, but Palmer has split. It was not cool, really, to do that to them,' says Des Barres. 'I mean, God bless him, but a week away from a six-month tour — and he quits? That's kind of heavy.' So, how exactly did Des Barres end up at Live Aid, playing right after Neil Young, in front of a live Philly audience of 100,000 people and a TV audience about 20,000 times that size? 'I was with Don Johnson — in Miami, of course — and we were just gallivanting around. We were doing a record together, me and him,' recalls Des Barres, who was longtime pals with the Miami Vice star and later used that connection to land the Power Station a cameo on an October 1985 episode on the slick NBC cop drama. 'And I get a call: 'Come to New York!'' At first, the talent agent on the other end of the line, Wayne Forte, would only tell Des Barres that he represented a mystery band in desperate need of a new lead singer. But eventually Forte revealed that the meeting in New York City would be with John and Andy Taylor, who'd been impressed by Des Barres's stage presence when another supergroup that Des Barres had fronted — Chequered Past, featuring the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones and several members of Blondie — had opened for Duran Duran the year before. 'It was like saying Rudolf Nureyev wanted to dance with me,' Des Barres laughingly says of the out-of-the-blue offer. Des Barres took a whirlwind flight to meet with John and the Power Station's drummer, Tony Thompson of Chic, in New York, where they were 'looking very nervous, because this was millions of dollars at stake.' He recalls that John was actually holding a list of other possible replacement frontmen. 'I look down and I read all these names … I won't tell you who!' he chuckles, although it's known that before Robert Palmer originally signed on, other singers that were considered included Mick Jagger, Billy Idol, and the Psychedelic Furs' Richard Butler. But regardless, after the New York meeting, Des Barres moved to the top of John's list, and he was then flown to London that same night, to meet with Andy. 'I hadn't slept for 24 hours,' Des Barres recalls. 'There was a limo waiting for me at Heathrow Airport. I went to the studio. Five hours, I waited, exhausted. And Andy shows up with two bodyguards, big guys, and he says, 'Go in and sing something.'' Des Barres, who'd been part of Britain's early-'70s glam scene, got in the studio booth and banged out the first verse and chorus of T. Rex's 'Bang a Gong' (the Power Station's cover, released as 'Get It On,' had just cracked the top 10 in America). Andy's reaction was to just say, 'Let's go shopping,' and the two took off to Vivienne Westwood's store for the rest of the afternoon. Des Barres got the job. For a moment, though, it seemed like Des Barres's Power Station stint was going to be the shortest listing on his illustrious résumé, when, after returning to the U.S. via the Concorde, he got a call from his manager, informing him that Palmer had decided to do Live Aid after all. But the very next day, Palmer changed his mind again, this time for good, because 'young girls were not his audience. It's as simple as that. He did not want to play to young, teenage [Duran Duran fans],' shrugs Des Barres. 'Meanwhile, me? I'm in a bikini and eyeliner.' Des Barres was officially back in the band. And so, after just three days of rehearsals and one warm-up gig at New York City's 1,500-capacity Ritz club, the Des Barres-fronted Power Station, introduced by Don Johnson, played Live Aid, performing without a net and literally without any teleprompters. Not everything went smoothly. Andy's amplifier blew up right before their set, and notorious concert promoter Bill Graham was being 'an asshole up there … shouting at us all. I was laughing my ass off, thinking, 'Can it get any weirder?'' Des Barres also recalls being the target of 'a lot of anger from young men' in the JFK Stadium crowd, who were apparently upset that Palmer was a no-show. 'One guy, I'm out onstage and this bucket of water is literally like in slow motion, coming towards me. I was going to be splashed in front of 2 billion people. I dodged it, and it went all over John Taylor,' he laughs. It was also a risk that of the only two songs the Power Station played at Live Aid, they opened with a deep cut of sorts, the non-single 'Murderess.' Des Barres says that decision was made to showcase Andy's little-known and under-appreciated guitar chops. 'It's an Andy song. I thought it was a great song. He was so talented, but he was a rock 'n' roll guitar player, and I think that's why he left [Duran Duran],' Des Barres explains. 'He wanted to play rock 'n' roll, and they're not a rock 'n' roll band. … Andy wanted to be Eric Clapton, essentially, a bluesy rock 'n' roll guitar player. That's why he left.' Duran Duran also played JFK Stadium that day, and notably, this turned out to be the last time that Duran's original 'Fab Five' — guitarist Andy Taylor, bassist John Taylor, drummer Roger Taylor, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, and singer Simon Le Bon — would perform together until 2003. Le Bon, Rhodes, and Roger were already fracturing off with their own very different side-project, Arcadia, and when Le Bon hit that infamous, unfortunate 'bum note heard around the world' during Duran Duran's Live Aid performance of their James Bond theme 'A View to a Kill,' the annoyed, exasperated look on Andy's face made it obvious that tensions were running high within Duran's ranks. Des Barres didn't witness much acrimony between the Duran members that day, as he was too busy enjoying the rest of the show from the stage wings (his favorite Philly Live Aid performers were Neil Young, Patti LaBelle, Tom Petty, and Mick Jagger with Tina Turner). But once he went out on the road with the Power Station, he 'could see it splitting apart. [John and Andy] weren't even talking to each other much, and I was there, singing away. And that was that. … I would arrive, I would sing, I would leave. Then they could do their coke.' (Incidentally, Des Barres later helped both Taylors get sober. 'So, I brought more than music to that experience,' he says proudly.) As for the other snafus that took place at JFK Stadium that day, Des Barres may have kept his cool despite the daunting circumstances that led him to Live Aid, but he says, 'Everybody [else] was in a different state of mind than I've ever seen from any artist, ever. It was fascinating. … It was very hard for a lot of people to come on and do 20 minutes, and [promoter] Bill Graham is screaming because the snare drum isn't there for someone. It got them on their feet, really. … They were all scared shitless, every one of them.' Des Barres recalled that 'Madonna was a wreck; she was shaking,' and that 'Bob Dylan, Ronnie Wood, and Keith Richards were all playing in a different key; that was a trainwreck, but it was a fabulous trainwreck, I suppose.' His old Swan Song Records cronies Led Zeppelin, with Phil Collins on drums, were 'not cohesive and didn't have that brotherly Zeppelin vibe. It was almost like a rehearsal or something. And then it probably was a rehearsal! It wasn't as powerful as I think people expected. … And nobody spoke about it [afterwards]. That's the only way to deal with shit like that." Des Barres adds, "The most interesting person there was Joan [Baez], because she hated it and was riffing on how everybody was awful and that only her songs really meant something to the audience. It was the weirdest thing. There was that kind of irrational behavior,' Des Barres continues. 'But I think that was her way of being scared.' After Live Aid, the Power Station recorded one song with the unflappable Des Barres — 'We Fight for Love,' which Des Barres wrote, for the Commando soundtrack — and it was all over by 1986, with John returning to Duran Duran and Andy going solo. But Des Barres will always consider his brief time with the band 'a major chapter in my life,' and he will always be thankful for the opportunity to play for 'the biggest audience ever,' which boosted his career in ways he could have never imagined. 'I love them to this day,' he says. 'I was very grateful to them for getting me on that stage.' Watch Michael Des Barres's full interview about his bizarre Live Aid experience: Best of Gold Derby Billboard 200: Chart-topping albums of 2025 Billboard Hot 100: Every No. 1 song of 2025 The B-52s' Kate Pierson talks Rock Hall snub, influencing John Lennon, and fears a solo album would be a 'betrayal' to her band Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Quadient Advances AI Capabilities to Help Organizations Power Better Customer Interactions and Revenue Growth
Quadient (Euronext Paris: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, announces the release of advanced AI capabilities designed for crafting and orchestrating highly personalized, omnichannel customer interactions. The extended AI is part of the latest release of Quadient Inspire, an industry-leading customer communications management (CCM) solution, and represents Quadient's continued investment in transforming the way businesses dynamically communicate with customers. New AI-driven capabilities include real-time sentiment analysis and scoring, language translation and personally identifiable information (PII) detection. The new advancements enable businesses to deliver seamless, effective and meaningful interactions to their customers while empowering employees to create and improve communications effortlessly. With the integration of advanced AI assistance, Quadient Inspire now empowers organizations to achieve up to 50% faster content creation and double communication output without increasing headcount. By guiding authors with real-time suggestions, Inspire dramatically accelerates time-to-market while improving consistency, quality and regulatory alignment across all customer communications. 'Quadient Inspire has evolved significantly, leveraging AI capabilities for faster content creation and refinement, high-level personalization, language translation and automation of sophisticated workflows,' said Robert Palmer, research VP with IDC's imaging, printing, and document solutions group. 'The latest Inspire release includes expanded cloud environment options, supporting Quadient's AnyPrem promise. Quadient continues to innovate, setting a high standard for customer communication management in an increasingly dynamic digital environment.' 'Quadient is always striving for new heights in CCM leadership, and we're excited to be reshaping the industry with the new opportunities AI and automation provide," said Chris Hartigan, chief solution officer, digital, Quadient. 'Our strategy for driving innovation is focused on elevating customer interactions, streamlining and automating workflows, discovering actionable insights, ensuring regulatory adherence and driving better business outcomes. Quadient's intelligent platform is helping businesses tackle some of the biggest mountains they face today – measuring, optimizing and driving value with intelligent, personalized customer communications.' The latest release of Quadient Inspire (R17) includes more than 300 enhancements, offering advanced content management like importing the latest InDesign and Quark files, leveraging PDF Forms support and utilizing track changes to enhance collaboration and compliance. To strengthen regulatory compliance, Inspire includes a variety of features to simplify the design of accessible communications, with an automated PDF accessibility tool that remediates legacy documents on-demand or in high-volume batches by applying accessibility templates. Additionally, the latest Quadient Inspire release supports even more cloud environments for seamless deployment. For more information on Quadient Inspire, visit: About Quadient®Quadient is a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections through digital and physical channels. Quadient supports businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation and growth journey, unlocking operational efficiency and creating meaningful customer experiences. Listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (QDT) and part of the CAC® Mid & Small and EnterNext® Tech 40 indices, Quadient shares are eligible for PEA-PME investing. For more information about Quadient, visit ContactsJoe Scolaro, Quadient Global Press Relations Manager +1 203-301-3673 jscolaro@ Kiley Ribordy, Walker Sands Senior PR Director quadientpr@ Attachment PR Quadient Inspire R17 and AI_EN_v1Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Quadient Advances AI Capabilities to Help Organizations Power Better Customer Interactions and Revenue Growth
Quadient (Euronext Paris: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, announces the release of advanced AI capabilities designed for crafting and orchestrating highly personalized, omnichannel customer interactions. The extended AI is part of the latest release of Quadient Inspire, an industry-leading customer communications management (CCM) solution, and represents Quadient's continued investment in transforming the way businesses dynamically communicate with customers. New AI-driven capabilities include real-time sentiment analysis and scoring, language translation and personally identifiable information (PII) detection. The new advancements enable businesses to deliver seamless, effective and meaningful interactions to their customers while empowering employees to create and improve communications effortlessly. With the integration of advanced AI assistance, Quadient Inspire now empowers organizations to achieve up to 50% faster content creation and double communication output without increasing headcount. By guiding authors with real-time suggestions, Inspire dramatically accelerates time-to-market while improving consistency, quality and regulatory alignment across all customer communications. 'Quadient Inspire has evolved significantly, leveraging AI capabilities for faster content creation and refinement, high-level personalization, language translation and automation of sophisticated workflows,' said Robert Palmer, research VP with IDC's imaging, printing, and document solutions group. 'The latest Inspire release includes expanded cloud environment options, supporting Quadient's AnyPrem promise. Quadient continues to innovate, setting a high standard for customer communication management in an increasingly dynamic digital environment.' 'Quadient is always striving for new heights in CCM leadership, and we're excited to be reshaping the industry with the new opportunities AI and automation provide," said Chris Hartigan, chief solution officer, digital, Quadient. 'Our strategy for driving innovation is focused on elevating customer interactions, streamlining and automating workflows, discovering actionable insights, ensuring regulatory adherence and driving better business outcomes. Quadient's intelligent platform is helping businesses tackle some of the biggest mountains they face today – measuring, optimizing and driving value with intelligent, personalized customer communications.' The latest release of Quadient Inspire (R17) includes more than 300 enhancements, offering advanced content management like importing the latest InDesign and Quark files, leveraging PDF Forms support and utilizing track changes to enhance collaboration and compliance. To strengthen regulatory compliance, Inspire includes a variety of features to simplify the design of accessible communications, with an automated PDF accessibility tool that remediates legacy documents on-demand or in high-volume batches by applying accessibility templates. Additionally, the latest Quadient Inspire release supports even more cloud environments for seamless deployment. For more information on Quadient Inspire, visit: About Quadient®Quadient is a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections through digital and physical channels. Quadient supports businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation and growth journey, unlocking operational efficiency and creating meaningful customer experiences. Listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (QDT) and part of the CAC® Mid & Small and EnterNext® Tech 40 indices, Quadient shares are eligible for PEA-PME investing. For more information about Quadient, visit ContactsJoe Scolaro, Quadient Global Press Relations Manager +1 203-301-3673 jscolaro@ Kiley Ribordy, Walker Sands Senior PR Director quadientpr@ Attachment PR Quadient Inspire R17 and AI_EN_v1Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
National Post
08-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Fastest-Growing U.S. Real Estate Firm Launches Aperture Global, a New International Luxury Brokerage
Article content Article content LAKE MARY, Fla. — LPT Holdings is proud to announce its new global luxury real estate brand, Aperture Global Real Estate, has launched today. As the first independent luxury brokerage to debut with a global launch at inception, Aperture enters the market with a groundbreaking international footprint. The brand is launching in 15 U.S. states and four international cities, including key markets such as Miami, London, New York, Toronto, and Lisbon — with nearly 20 more global locations coming soon. Article content Following the success of LPT Realty, recognized as the fastest-growing real estate firm in the U.S., founder and CEO Robert Palmer now expands the company's vision into the global luxury market. Aperture has attracted top industry leaders to its management team, such as Michael Valdes, former Global Vice President of Sotheby's for 15 years, who joins as Global President of Aperture and CEO of LPT International, and Mercedes Saewitz, former Principal Broker and founding agent at Compass, now Senior Vice President of Operations at Aperture. Article content 'Aperture was born from a clear gap in the global luxury space,' said Palmer. 'We are creating a brand that delivers world-class marketing, exceptional client experiences, and personalized service on a global scale.' Article content Aperture offers an exclusive portfolio of premier homes, estates, and penthouses in the most desirable locations. Its agents deliver bespoke services to meet the needs of discerning buyers and sellers worldwide. Article content 'This is the future of luxury real estate,' said Valdes. 'We combine tailored marketing, exclusive media access, and cutting-edge technology to offer a seamless global solution never before available in this space.' Article content At launch, Aperture already boasts commitments from more than 100 elite brokers representing over $1 billion in annual sales. These industry leaders join from renowned firms like Sotheby's, Brown Harris Stevens, Douglas Elliman, eXp, Compass, and Keller Williams. Article content 'Our agents are drawn by the opportunity to be part of a bold, global network,' said Saewitz. 'Aperture offers access, influence, and innovation that elevate what luxury real estate can be.' Article content Leveraging proprietary advanced technologies like addressable CTV, which enables precision targeting of qualified, high-intent buyers, Aperture connects clients to prestigious properties more seamlessly than its competition while ensuring maximum visibility on local, national, and international levels. Article content As part of LPT's innovative model, Aperture is poised to set a new benchmark in luxury real estate while creating unparalleled opportunities for agents and clients alike. Article content 'Agents are already collaborating across continents, securing exclusive listings, and driving global referrals,' added Palmer. 'The vision is alive — and it's only just beginning.' Article content Aperture is a next-generation luxury brokerage backed by LPT Holdings, redefining elite real estate through innovation, influence, and agent empowerment. Launched in 2025 by Robert Palmer, Aperture operates in the U.S., UK, Canada, Portugal, and beyond—delivering global reach, bespoke marketing, and one of the industry's most lucrative platforms. Learn more at Article content About Robert Palmer Article content Robert Palmer is a visionary entrepreneur and founder of several award-winning companies, including LPT Realty. He is recognized for transforming the real estate business and bringing forward-thinking marketing strategies that have redefined industry norms. His career is marked by leveraging cutting-edge technologies to bridge gaps and solve challenges for consumers, agents, and industry professionals. Robert has revolutionized the real estate industry through technological and marketing excellence. Article content LPT Holdings is a real estate innovation company focused on empowering agents through choice, technology, and opportunity. As the parent company of LPT Realty and Aperture Global Real Estate, LPT Holdings brings together a portfolio of forward-thinking brands redefining how agents grow, operate, and thrive in today's market. Founded by entrepreneur Robert Palmer, LPT Holdings is committed to delivering agent-centric solutions at scale—combining traditional real estate fundamentals with next-generation tools, equity models, and support systems. With a mission to build a brokerage for life, LPT Holdings is shaping the future of the industry. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
The National
29-04-2025
- Business
- The National
BP profits tumble after 'planet-wrecking' shift back to oil and gas
Profits for the oil giant, which earlier this year abandoned its ambitions to be a world leader in green energy, fell 49% year on year to $1.38 billion, short of analyst's forecasts. Its net debt has risen by $4bn to $27bn since the end of last year because of weaknesses in its gas marketing and trading business, the company said. Activist investors Elliott Management, which took a 5% stake in the company this February, have been putting pressure on the company to boost profits by expanding oil and gas production and more than halving its investment in renewable energy. Patrick Galey, of green pressure group Global Witness, said: 'BP has spent the last year flip-flopping on its climate commitments, lurching back towards fossil fuels just as the world needs a clean energy transition. (Image: Ithaca Energy) 'The fact that its returns are now dwindling and investors seem to be losing confidence shows BP's climate U-turn is not only planet-wrecking but financially wrong-headed too.' He added that it was time for investors to 'change direction', saying: 'Continuing to back fossil fuel giants as the world moves towards safer, cleaner, home-grown energy is a decision that could leave them empty-handed in the years ahead, with falling demand and billions' worth of stranded assets.' Robert Palmer, deputy director of campaign group Uplift, said: 'Despite endless claims to be driving the green transition, oil and gas majors have shown their true colours time and time again. BP joins many of its peers in rolling back on renewables of late, many of whom have sought to capitalise on Trump's denial of climate change. READ MORE: More than 1100 jobs saved as major Scottish manufacturing plant acquired 'We know that just seven of the 87 offshore oil and gas companies operating in the North Sea plan to invest anything in renewables by 2030.' He said that the fossil fuel industry 'cannot be trusted to facilitate a fair and rapid energy transition', adding: 'The UK Government should recognise these rollbacks for what they truly are - concrete evidence that fossil fuel majors have no interest in shifting to more affordable clean energy and take responsibility for this task out of their hands.' But BP appeared to be sticking with its focus on fossil fuels at the expense of renewables as the profit hit was announced. Chief executive Murray Auchinloss said: "In February, we announced a fundamental reset of our strategy – to grow the upstream, focus the downstream and invest with discipline in the transition – and we have already made significant progress. 'So far this year we have started up three major projects, made six exploration discoveries and have progressed our divestment programme – all while delivering strong operational performance, with over 95% upstream plant reliability supporting the best operating efficiency on record, and over 96% refining availability. 'We continue to monitor market volatility and changes and remain focused on moving at pace.'
