Props to Eurythmic Dave Stewart for putting so much goddamn effort into launching his latest band Platinum Weird. The press release is a fictitious story about the group’s origin:
In 1974, Dave Stewart formed a band called Platinum Weird in North London with his female songwriting partner, muse and soul mate, Erin Grace. The pair originally met a few months earlier and formed a creative and spiritual bond. Their debut gig was at Mick Jagger’s birthday party where they quickly enjoyed a cult-like status performing at intimate gigs in London’s rock club circuit. Elton John’s Rocket label signed the band, putting down an advance to send them into studio and lay down tracks.Erin’s behavior during the making of the album was unpredictable and eccentric. Prone to mood swings and emotional insecurity, she would often disappear for days, and then reappear as if nothing was unusual with a smile and couple of new songs. Perhaps because of her unconventional persona, men desired her and women emulated her. “She was wispy and elusive,” Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks, once said. “I wasn’t quite sure what she was about, but I kind of copied her look.”
With artwork finalized and a release date penciled in, Erin vanished again, leaving Dave nothing but a demo of a song called “Will You Be Around” and a closet of metal hangers where she used to keep her clothes. As suddenly as she had appeared in Daves life, she was gone. “In a strange way,” reflects Mick Jagger, “I think Dave was the least surprised by what happened. Knowing her nature, I think he found it kind of appropriate.”
The highly anticipated eponymous album of Platinum Weird was never released and its name disappeared from public consciousness as quickly as the elusive songstress herself. Dave went into a deep depression, a period he later referred to as his lost years.
The Platinum Weird being unleashed on us this summer is Dave and singer Kara DioGuardi, who has written songs for Kelly Clarkson, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton. So that’s why the starlets agreed to cameo in a painfully authentic looking rockumentary premiering on VH1 7/5. Watch a clip at YouTube. Sir Mick, Sir Elton, and Sir Bob appear as well. What a cast! This is totally gonna improve my Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon game.
Platinum Weird’s self-titled debut is out 8/22 on Interscope. But of course you can listen to two songs on MySpace. Or one of the dozen fake fansites created for the project.
Watch the old-school music video for “Will You Be Around” here. R.I.Y.L. Stevie Nicks. We assume a modern day treatment’s on the way ’cause here are some storyboards. Unless, of course, that’s a hoax too.
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2gether the sequel?
more here:
http://scenestars.net/2006/06/platinum-weird.php
why chase past glories? give it up chief, turn off the lights.
you’re not tv on the radio, so why bother?
fake fansites? Accusing of not being real fans? Well, who can blame them…
And after all that, the music is just by-the-numbers singer-songwriter pablum. It’s not terrible, I guess… but it hardly seems worthy of such an inventive promotional effort. Next time they should spend a little more creative energy on the product and a little less on the marketing.
So much work for such average songs. Hmmm. It just makes me wish KLF had invented Pete Doherty. I loved that idea.
Wow, I wonder how much $ the label is shelling out for this? It sounds more like a handjob to Dave to keep “his friends” closer as it looks like he’s got some decent friends in the entertainment biz. The trailer looks pretty cheesy if you ask me.
Those songs stink, guys. Really overproduced for supposedly 70s stuff. Go to myspace.com/explorersclub to hear a band that knows from “old” sounding.
I mean…come on! This girl could just disappear (obviously permanently this time, since she did this before so nobody worried about her at first) and her parents, friends left it at that!? Was she murdered, reappeared with another name somewhere?! I loved all the groups of the 70′s and I don’t even remember this one. But even so, it seems that nothing was done to find her……I hope she is alive and well…but I am not hopefull after all this time..
im erin grace number 1 and greatest unconditonal and ultimete sincere dedicated eternal number 1 ranked greatest dieheart fan on this earth of a lifetime and forever!i have always loved erin grace from platinum weird she will always be my soulmate and number 1 in my heart forever!i will always love her truly dedicated and lifetime and forever sincere eternal and number 1 dieheart in my heart forever!i wish her the greatest sucess and happiness of a lifetime and forever!
i will always love erin grace sincere aqnd truly dedicated and unconditonal number 1 dieheart greatest ultimete love in my heart for a lifetime and forever!im your eternal sincere true dieheart fan on this earth for a lifetime and forever.
Kay dude? I understnad that u LOVE erin grace, I do too, shes amazing, but seems like u are a little obsessed, if you ae THAT obsessed, then go look for her. anyways, platinum weird has good music (in my opinion) and i think it is TOTALLY worth putting out another record, but not with that poser brunette, find erin damn you! it sux she ran away, they sould have made it big….. I am SO watching the VH1 special today.
Hilarious! Whomever was in charge of this fiasco can’t even find fake fans that can spell & use proper grammar!
PW rock. Love the concept and the music is amazing. Nice work, Dave. Can’t wait for the ’74 album on October 16th. BEATLES!
PW rock. Love the concept and the music is amazing. Nice work, Dave. Can’t wait for the ’74 album on October 16th. BEATLES!
Just found this info on the 17 album Make Believe – http://www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/platinum_weird/make_believe.htm
I think its a tragic story and I am so glad that Dave is continuing such awesome music. The message of their hit song is sort of ironic though “Will you be around” and Erin left, and she sang it first and perhaps wrote it. does anyone know who wrote it?
I love platinum weird but I honestly don’t like that new brunette they have as a lead singer. She’s great as a singer and she’s pretty but I think erin just makes the band. I hate when bands break up and when one person from that band decides to bring that same band back together they don’t even use the same people. I think they shouldn’t use the same name “platinum weird” if they dont have erin. Instead they should create a new name, stop trying to use the same songs as before, and just be different.
I love platinum weird but I honestly don’t like that new brunette they have as a lead singer. She’s great as a singer and she’s pretty but I think erin just makes the band. I hate when bands break up and when one person from that band decides to bring that same band back together they don’t even use the same people. I think they shouldn’t use the same name “platinum weird” if they dont have erin. Instead they should create a new name, stop trying to use the same songs as before, and just be different.
I don’t like the fact that Kara DioGuardi is the new lead singer. Erin is the reason that Platinum Weird has a unique sound. Kara doesn’t have that etherial voice and ultra-bohemian persona that Erin did.