Platinum Weird Stevie Hoax

[Nixxxed]

Dave Stewart of Eurythmics has formed a new band, Platinum Weird, and they're using a fake marketing campaign to promote themselves, including a new video that is airing on VH1-Classics with a date stamp of 1974.

My friend Larry told me about this, after seeing the video on VH1-C. He's nearly as big a Stevie fan as I am, and he was so taken aback at the "Stevieness" of the video and song that he looked them up and found the page below with fake quotes and other Stevie references. I did more searching, and it only got worse...

http://www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/platinum_weird/untold.htm

“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.”

Livia posted an article about them in the Rumours forum a while back in which they referenced themselves as "Fleetwood Mac of 2005". I thought it was cute, until I saw the rest of this.

Is it just me, or is this all rather shitty? Is it too much to ask artists to just make good music and promote it respectably? I wonder what Elton John and Mick Jagger think? Does Stevie's team know about this?

And why has this made me so sensitive? :laugh:

[Johnny Stew]

Actually, I think it's kind of clever to create this whole marketing campaign as if they're an obscure band from the '70s.

I also think it's cool that they name-dropped Stevie alongside Elton and Mick.

[Nixxxed]

Actually, I think it's kind of clever to create this whole marketing campaign as if they're an obscure band from the '70s.

I also think it's cool that they name-dropped Stevie alongside Elton and Mick.
Really? And in doing so claim that legendary artists were actually ripping *you* off to become famous? The namechecking doesn't bother me, just to be clear - if that's all there was to it.

If this were a bunch of complete unknowns, I might go with it - say like the Blair Witch Project guys did for their movie. But it's Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. Does he really need fake hype?

Not to mention that this band was created with Jimmy Iovine's blessing and is signed to his label. I can't imagine this would go on without his approval. So maybe Stevie does know about it. Either that or Jimmy's finally getting some payback. ;)

[Johnny Stew]

Really? And in doing so claim that legendary artists were actually ripping *you* off to become famous?But, Chuck, it's all so obviously tongue-in-cheek. The mock Stevie quote says, "I kind of copied her look" -- they didn't make it sound like Stevie ripped them off or something. Heck, Stevie herself says she "kind of copied" her look from a girl she saw at one of Buckingham & Nicks' or Fritz's concerts... maybe it was Erin Grace! ;)

Besides, given Stevie's friendship with Jimmy Iovine (and I believe she's friends with Dave Stewart as well these days), I'm sure there wasn't any kind of malicious intent meant towards Stevie.

[Livia]

Did you click on the official site link and watch the video???

http://www.platinumweird.com/

I think Stevie's okay with it!! :thumbsup:

Listen to the "rare interview" as well.

Then there's this:

DAVE STEWART TO LAUNCH NEW DUO... While there's no word on what else Lennox might be up to, Rolling Stone reports that the Eurythmics' Dave Stewart is teaming up with a hit songwriter, Kara DioGuardi -- who has composed several dance hits, including Kylie Minogue's ''Spinning Around,'' plus hits for Ashlee Simpson -- to form a new duo, Platinum Weird. The duo, with DioGuardi on vocals, will sound like a contemporary version of Fleetwood Mac and other '70s bands, Stewart told the magazine. An album is expected early next year from the duo, and it will be produced by John Shanks. Meanwhile, Stewart has branched out to television, developing series for both Nickelodeon and HBO....

http://www.metroweekly.com/nightlife/soundwaves/?ak=1852

I think this marketing campaign is brilliant!! It's emulating the history of FM, Buckingham Nicks...hilarious!

[Livia]

Another article:

Eurythmics principal Dave Stewart and songwriter Kara DioGuardi are up to something. The two hosted a screening June 12 in New York of "Platinum Weird," a documentary film (sort of) about a band by that name, which Stewart formed (supposedly) in 1974 with Erin Grace, a fictional (we think) singer who disappeared before achieving stardom.

The psychedelically inspired 40-minute film includes perfectly deadpan interviews with the real Mick Jagger, Elton John, Stevie Nicks, Ringo Starr, Bob Geldof, Christina Aguilera, Lindsay Lohan and others, each sharing recollection of the "original" Platinum Weird.

All of this sets up the launch of the actual Platinum Weird, Stewart and DioGuardi's new rock band. The act's self-titled album is due Aug. 22 on Interscope, while the film debuts July 5 on VH1.

In recent years, DioGuardi has emerged as an in-demand songwriter for hitmakers such as Kelly Clarkson, Ashlee Simpson and Gwen Stefani.


-- Ken Schlager, N.Y.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002689846

[Sahara]

If this were a bunch of complete unknowns, I might go with it - say like the Blair Witch Project guys did for their movie. But it's Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. Does he really need fake hype?


Very true.
But I kinda like it ... :rolleyes:

[DashingDan]

Stevie's on the promo video.