Pop Culture Review by Patrick Roland

Model T Ford
Former adult film star Colton Ford ready to go Under the Covers on second solo album

Colton Ford may have achieved notoriety for the 10 months he starred in adult films like Aftershock and Conquered, but he has decided to use his name-brand recognition to his advantage by taking the pop music world by storm.

His second album, a follow-up to the successful Tug of War, titled Under the Covers comes out in August. The album features Ford’s unique take on classics by Alicia Keys, Britney Spears, R.E.M. and Stardust, among others.

“I’m simultaneously working on a follow-up of original songs, but we thought it might be powerful to put out an album of songs that people know and put out a representation of things that people may not have heard from before,” said Ford, whose real name is Glenn Soukesian.

Though synonymous with porn, Ford has actually been seeking a music career for the better part of 27 years. He had two different deals with Virgin Records in the ’90s, but as is the case with many talented musicians, they fell through.

“Music is what I’ve always done,” Ford said. “Anyone in the music business knows it is difficult to get in to. I don’t necessarily think the porn thing caused me to be disrespected in any other way than most musicians are. That part of my story created an interest that might not have been there. Curiosity is a really strong magnet. As long as I get them to the music, I think it will unfold as it should.”

Ford also acts. He will next be seen as Sheriff Trout on here! TV’s The Lair on Sept. 4 and has people looking at projects specifically designed for his talents.

“There are other things that I have the ability to do,” he said. “It’s a brutal business. You better love it if you’re gonna do it, otherwise don’t.

“Music has always been my number one passion for as long as I can remember. The acting experience came to me when I was in high school and I just took to it. It was another way for me to express my creativity.”

Ford’s first mainstream film appearance was in the 2005 documentary Naked Fame, which followed his struggles to transition from the world of porn to becoming a dance musician. He has since appeared in Another Gay Sequel.

Ford said that although he likes to push the envelope sexually (his videos in particular ooze with sex appeal and near nakedness), he said he would never make another adult film.

“I got everything out of that experience that I was going to get, so I really have no need to do it again. It’s interesting how it polarizes people and how venomous people respond to (someone) being able to do something else. It’s really a reflection on their limitations. There are gonna be haters out there no matter what you do.

“I’m a provocative person by nature. I like to push the envelope.”

As for the future, Ford says he is working on a third album of songs that will be all originals.

“I just want to continue doing what I love to do,” he said. “The reason I have done music so long is because I love it. I love to perform.

“I’d love to take it to the next level, but I can only control what I can, and that is making music that represents me that I feel proud of and doing what I can to promote it. I’m really trying to detach expectations, stay in the moment and do what I do best.

“I open myself to whatever the universe wants to throw my way. There are a lot of variables involved in this career that you can’t anticipate and you don’t have control over. Everything above this is icing on the cake.”

For more information on Colton Ford, visit www.coltonfordmusic.com.

Let It All Out
Tears For Fears to mine emotional classics at July 21 Phoenix show

Question: Do you know how the hugely successful ’80s pop phenom duo Tears For Fears got their name?

Answer: From the 1980 book Prisoners of Pain by American psychologist, psychotherapist and the creator of Primal Therapy, Arthur Janov. Janov is the author of many books, most notably The Primal Scream, in which he claimed that mental illness can be eliminated by a therapy that involves repeatedly descending into feeling and expressing supposedly long-repressed childhood pain.

With song and album titles like “Watch Me Bleed,” “Mad World” — famously performed on this year’s American Idol season by openly-gay Adam Lambert — and The Hurting, Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal’s predilection for haunting melodies and emotionally-driven lyrics belie musicians whose draw to psychology helped fans around the world with their honesty and openness.

“We were heavily influenced by psychology at that age, though our viewpoint has changed over the years,” said singer Curt Smith, who has lived in L.A. for the past 20 years.

However, it was pop anthems like “Everybody Wants to Rule The World,” “Shout” and “Head Over Heals” that made the duo a mid-’80s MTV and radio mainstay, helping them sell more than 22 million albums worldwide (including more than eight million in the United States alone).

Though the duo broke up for about nine years, they returned four years ago with the album Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, and go out on the road for at least a few weeks a year to keep their material fresh in the minds of their fans. They will make a stop in Phoenix July 21 at the Celebrity Theatre (www.celebritytheatre.com).

Smith said fans could expect all the classics they love — with some twists — and a heavy selection of songs from their first album, 1983’s The Hurting.

“We wanted to get back to something a little more inspiring … good music one would hope,” Smith said, promising a “mixture of older stuff done in a contemporary way.”

“We configure old tracks to something that means something to us now and we do new tracks,” he said. “We find this to be inspiring.”

Last year, the duo performed in Europe with a full chorus and choir. Those shows were all recorded for a future live album, the group’s first.

“We’ve never recorded a live album before,” Smith said. “We are mixing that now.”

Smith said he and Orzabal would definitely perform “Mad World,” which surged in popularity after Lambert’s critically lauded performance on Idol this year.

“It seems to keep coming back — it’s one of those timeless songs,” Smith said, joking that Lambert’s performance made him a “hit” with his kids.

“I wasn’t necessarily surprised (by Lambert’s performance), I was gratified by it. It got my kids and me into American Idol!”

Smith’s favorite Tears for Fears songs remain “Mad World” and “Sowing the Seeds of Love.”

“Those are the two I relate to most, or maybe they are the two that are most timeless,” he said.

Smith is looking forward to hitting the road again and hopes to give fans a night to remember.

“Just enjoy the show,” he said. “All you can hope is that you entertain people. Your intent is to make people enjoy music. It might not be a life-changing experience, but hopefully, they will leave happy.”

RIP King of Pop
Michael Jackson’s sudden, unfortunate death may just be the day the music died

It’s all Michael Jackson’s fault. I can officially blame the King of Pop for my obsession with all things pop culture. It was 1983, and the first record I ever bought was Thriller (still the biggest-selling album of all time). Because of MJ, I would soon discover MTV and spend hours upon hours waiting for certain videos to air (I recorded them!).

This might explain why I became such a geek, but there was magic in Michael Jackson’s moves and music that transfixed me as a young child. I would later fixate my obsession on Madonna, Whitney Houston, Debbie Gibson, Mariah Carey, back to Whitney, the Spice Girls, Britney Spears, back to Madonna, and now, of course, Miley Cyrus (and sometimes Kelly Clarkson, depending on the day).

Though Jackson’s star shone brightest in the ’80s and early ’90s, his eccentric behavior, multiple plastic surgeries, strange marriages (Lisa Marie Presley?!?), baby-dangling balcony episodes and child molestation charges in 1993 and 2004/05 mired the megastar in scandal during the last 15 years, causing his amazing music and legacy to almost become an afterthought.

We may not know for weeks what actually killed Michael Jackson at the young age of 50 (reports now circulate about him having a severe prescription drug problem), but the good news is, at least for now, the focus has returned to the music that made him a legend.

Following his June 25 death, Jackson’s album sales soared. On iTunes alone, he had nine out of the top ten most downloaded albums. I myself searched my iPod and could find no MJ! So I went with The Essential Michael Jackson, a collection of 38 songs that features several Jackson 5 chestnuts, all the greats from his mega-successful Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad and Dangerous albums, and his last hit, 2001’s “You Rock My World” from the Invincible album.

It’s amazing how timeless his music is and how undated it sounds all these years later. He was a true musical genius, both sonically and visually.

Sadly, Jackson was expected to take the stage in London this summer for a series of 50 sold-out shows at the O2 Arena, and we will never know what the King of Pop had up his (gloved) sleeve. But for now, we have the music, the videos and the memories of a 40-plus year career to keep us going. Thank you for the music and memories, Michael. You will be missed.

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