Apple Music Channels the Trippy for 'Anthem' Commercial

Apple Music has a new promo video out, and I love it. It’s called Apple Music Anthem, and it channels what can only be described as the trippy. What’s even better is that all of the imagery is being taken from rock and pop videos, album covers, and iconic imagery from past and present. And all of that imagery is being repurposed in very different ways. Take Sia’s half white, half black wig. It’s there, but it’s on the iTunes to 1/8-notes icon. Drake’s now-iconic dance is in the video, too, but it’s been composited with the iTunes logo, too. In fact, it’s that logo that’s the unifying feature of the spot, and it’s very reminiscent of the sort of thing MTV did in its heyday. In any event, I love this spot.

Apple to Pay Spielberg More than $5 Million Per Ep for 'Amazing Stories' Reboot

Apple and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and Universal Television have struck a deal for a reboot of Mr. Spielberg’s Amazing Stories. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple will pay “significantly” more than $5 million per episode for the series in a deal for 10 episodes. The show, which was created by Steven Spielberg and originally ran in the 1980s, will include Mr. Spielberg as executive producer. It’s a significant investment for Apple, which is looking to develop a stable of high-end flagship programming that will bring viewers to its Apple Music service. The Wall Street Journal noted that Apple hired Sony Corp.’s top Hollywood television executives Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht earlier this year.

Watch the Apple Music Trailer for 'Bang! The Bert Berns Story'

Apple Music is premiering Bang! The Bert Berns Story on October 24th. Bert Berns is one of the biggest names in music most of us have never heard. He was a record producer and songwriter, writing or cowriting songs such as “Twist and Shout,” “Piece of My Heart,” “Under the Boardwalk,” “I Want Candy,” and one of my 60s favs, “Hang on Sloopy.” There are many more, and he was one of those behind-the-scenes people who had a huge impact on rock and R&B as those musical forms emerged in the 1960s. Oh, and he was apparently involved with the mob, something I didn’t know. The documentary is being narrated by Steven Van Zandt with lots of historical footage and interviews with artists he worked with or recorded his music. Even Dobby has something to say. Or maybe that’s Keith Richards. Hard to tell any more. In any event, I can’t wait to watch it.