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| 4/30/04 |
Lance's company coproducing
'Lovewrecked'
"Lovewrecked is an incredibly fresh and fun script. It's a delightful, family-oriented project that we expect will have very wide audience appeal," stated Sammy Lee, Vice Chairman of the Board for M8 Entertainment. "This project is a great vehicle for a teen star, and the concept and comedy will appeal to all ages. This project is a wonderful addition to our current slate of high profile feature films," further added Lee. "Lovewrecked is the only script out of literally hundreds I have read this year that made me laugh out loud, perhaps because I know firsthand how passionate fans can be!" said Lance Bass. "We are very excited to be working with M8 Entertainment to bring this story to life." Lovewrecked tells the story of Jenny, an eighteen year-old girl who is ecstatic when she finds that her favorite rock star, Jason, is a guest at the tropical resort where she is working for the summer. When they are both thrown overboard during a cruise, Jenny is even more thrilled to find herself stranded on a remote beach, alone with Jason. Jenny soon learns that they are actually just down the beach from the resort - but Jenny keeps the truth from Jason so that she will have a chance to win him over. Things get even more complicated when Jenny's rival Brittany pretends to be shipwrecked too, and they must compete for Jason's affections...
JC starting at the bottom After watching his band mate and best pal become "the biggest pop star on the planet", JC Chasez knew he had to do summat very special. And he has. Forget Justin, JC's solo slb, Schizophrenic, is more creative (it mixes rock, dance and funk), more consistent and, well, almost as sexy! When we meet him, the man himself turns out to be laid back and friendly, and shuts his own hotel room windows. *NSYNC never matched their US profile in the UK, but Justin Timberlake emerged as a superstar...and JC Chasez might do the same. He even got Basement Jaxx involved on one track. "We just did it for fun", he smiles. "The record is me expressing myself. Making toons I think are cool. It was a learning provess. I've always written songs, but before, I was writing them with the group in mind." From the Prince-like groovy of Mercy to the gentle pop flow of Something Special or Sting-esque Everything You Want, JC's alb is hot. "I didn't feel like I had any barriers - I just did what I liked. I had a blast in the studio. Whatever mood I was in that day that's how I did it. I was being honest with myself." JC's Schizophrenic album is released as he supports Britney Spears on tour, ironic considering Brit started as support for *NSYNC. "Nobody's ever heard a JC record before so I'm all about earning people's trust in the music and performance." JC says. "I have to start from the bottom. I'm thankful Britney gave me the opportunity. It's exciting for me to be opposed to a whole new scene." Thumping electro beats and a jumping bassline make JC's next single All Day Long I Dream About Sex an awesome track. "It's loud and in your face but really very simple," he reflects "I shot the video a week and a half ago and get to see the first edit today. The director said it was some of the best stuff he's ever shot - that's pretty good." To help launch his solo career, JC Chasez has gone for a new look - chopping off his hair for a smart new crop. "I got bored", he laughs, "I had long hair for three or four years and was shooting the video for All Day Long and said, 'you know what, I'm going to cut this stuff off and see what happens.' Friends aren't used to seeing me with short hair but they think it's cool." Obviously proud of breaking the boyband mould and doing something credible, JC favours his ballads on Schizophrenic. "The ballads I've done on this record are not very generic at all - they really stood out on their own," He says. "I feel like I put this puzzle together and that a lot of people wouldn't have done what I did." Now they're both solo acts, the media's been trying to build a big rivalry between the two ex - *NSYNC guys Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez. "It's pretty funny" JC laughs "Everybody knows we're not rivals - they just said it to see what reaction it gets. Justin did a great job with his record and became the biggest pop star in the world - I couldn't be happier for him."
Lance Bass Reenlists to Launch World Space Week 2004 LOS ANGELES, April 13, 2004 – Spaceweek International Association (SIA) today announced that *NSYNC member and certified cosmonaut Lance Bass will again lead the educational outreach efforts of SIA as youth spokesman for World Space Week, the largest international space event held annually. Meeting today to award last year’s World Space Week youth competition winners, Bass and SIA President Dennis Stone made the announcement at the California Science Center’s new Air & Space Gallery. Standing before an audience of students, teachers and space professionals, Bass recognized the outstanding achievements of K-12 students from across the country, tasked with designing a hypothetical module for the International Space Station as part of World Space Week’s Lance’s Lab competition. “When we asked kids to come up with ideas that could one day become working components of a space station, we fully expected to receive some outstanding projects, “ said Bass, who spent several days meeting with students last October in Houston. “But I was amazed at the level of complexity and detail they came back to us with. Many of these proposals had concepts I had never even heard of and a few sounded like they came directly from a NASA engineer’s drawing board. This ingenuity and creativity is why I’m excited to return to World Space Week this year.” Declared by the United Nations in 1999, World Space Week is held October 4 - 10 each year and is marked by celebrations in more than 50 nations around the world. Events in the United States focus on the vital role math and science education play in creating tomorrow’s space leaders and pioneers. In keeping with the educational mission of World Space Week, special instructional materials will again be available to schools at no charge, featuring space-related math and science activities for teachers to use during World Space Week. Materials are available in several languages with activities for all grade levels and require little or no teacher preparation. By participating in World Space Week, teachers can excite students about learning and receive cash grants. Additional details will be released later this year, and can also be viewed by visiting: www.spaceweek.org/education.html # # # Declared in 1999 by the UN General Assembly, World Space Week marks
the anniversary of two great milestones of humanity's expansion
into space: Founded in 1981, Spaceweek International Association (SIA) is non-profit
organization that proudly supports the United Nations in the global
coordination of World Space Week. SIA works to strengthen the link
between space and society through public education, participation,
and dialogue on the future of space.
Chasez wins fans in Glasgow ...Supporting Britney on the European leg of her tour is singer JC Chasez, a member of United States boyband N-Sync, which also featured Spears’ ex, Justin Timberlake. Chasez, whose latest single Blowin’ Me Up (With Her Love) is at number 18 in the UK charts, was the main attraction for many fans - and will have won many more with his polished performance...
Fans Warned To Ignore Justin Timberlake Tickets on eBay Fans in Australia are being warned against bidding for Justin Timberlake tickets on eBay because there is no guarantee that the tickets are authentic. Promoter Michael Gudinski in a statement today said "there is no guarantee of the authenticity of the tickets purchased from anywhere other than the authorised ticketing agents and on major tours unfortunately it is not uncommon for attempts to be made to forge tickets". Timberlake tickets for both Sydney and Melbourne shows were quick to go up on eBay with a pair of Sydney tickets starting at $360. "The price some people are asking on eBay is ridiculous" he said. "In some cases, people are asking for twice the actual ticket price". Gudinski warned forged tickets may look real. "While some may look real to an inexperienced eye, a forged ticket can always be identified on the night and the ticket holder will be refused entry - even if they thought they were purchasing a legitimate ticket" he said. Tickets for the first show in both Sydney and Melbourne sold out within 10 minutes of going on sale on Wednesday and by the end of the day, three shows in Sydney and three in Melbourne had gone on sale. MELBOURNE - JUNE 2004 SYDNEY - JUNE 2004
Smash Hits interview with JC Welcome to the UK, JC! What do you make of our traditional British brekkie? "It's cool – except for the black pudding. What's it made from? Oh my Gon. There's no way I'm eating that! It's been a while since we saw you with 'N Sync – what have you been up to? I tool a whole year off. I have my own boat, so I went wakeboarding a lot (waterskiing on a surfboard." Then about a year ago, I started working on my solo album, Schizophrenic. What does JC stand for? Joshua Chasez – but the only person who calls me Joshua is my mum. You were a Mousketeer with Justin, Britney and Christina. Did you all plot to take over the world together? Not really, but we all knew we'd make it. Like when Christina was 11, we heard her belt out motown songs and everyone just knew she'd be a star. You must know Justin really well. Tell us a secret about him … He's got a golf course in his own back yard – cool huh? What about Britney? Is she as batty as she seems? Um … I don’t know if getting married and divourced within 24 hours is a normal part of growing up, but I guess everyone goes through their ups and downs. What about your love life – do you have a girlfriend? No. I'm just dating at the moment, but I do have a thing for British girls. Liz Hurley is really hot – I love any girl with a British accent. Would you snog the Queen for a bet? Of course. I'd do it for free! I love your royal family. We don’t have anything like them in the US. Is America very different to England? Oh yeah. I'm from Florida and so much weird stuff happens there. I was on the beach once and some guy asked to take a photo of my foot. Next thing I knew, there were all these posters of my feet in shoe stores near where I lived. Have you had a go at Cockney rhyming slang whilst you've been in London? No, I'm useless. I can speak Geordie though. Way-are, man! [1] That's, er, amazing! So who's your favourite ever Englishman? Paddington Bear! I liked the way he just hung out and ate marmalade sandwiches. I'd like to do that. Oh, and I'm a Harry Potter junkie, too. Finally, can you tell us why it always rains in the UK? Er, I think it's because you guys drink a lot of tea. The steam must rise every time you boil a kettle creating clouds. Or something! Bandwatch JC *hearts* the UK! JC's fave things about Blighty:
Variety review: JC at HOB LA J.C. Chasez Presented by House of Blues. Opened, reviewed April 22, 2004; Closed April 23. Band: Chasez, Errol Cooley, Andy Abad, George Johnson, Eric Smith, David Cook. Like his 'N Sync buddy Justin Timberlake, J.C. Chasez just wants to be taken seriously. It's clear from his solo debut, "Schizophrenic" (Jive), with songs about sex and masturbation that often don't fall into typical boyband rhythms. And it's definitely clear from his live show, which opens with a stripper removing everything but her bra and panties before Chasez emerges to sing "All Day Long I Dream About Sex," a faux-electroclash workout that Chasez obviously feels represents him as an adult. When Timberlake performs, there's a sense of history and musicianship; with Chasez, he's just repeating the boyband maxim: entertain, entertain, entertain. Though his material is strictly B list (with the notable exception of last year's drum-bumping single "Blowing Me Up," a guilty pleasure if ever there was one) Chasez does his best to overcome it in syncopated dance moves and a show choreographed to make the audience forget it's in a club rather than an arena. The stage is covered with padded walls and the band draped in hospital scrubs (Schizophrenic -- get it?). Chasez's female dancers are toned and leggy, while his male dancers are perfectly chiseled. It's all designed to gloss over Chasez himself, who's barely comfortable as the center of attention, stumbling over words in between songs ("I can't talk today," he said, at one point.) It makes sense, then, that the show is at its best when embracing boyband cliches, both in the music and the dance steps, and at its weakest when Chasez lets loose his inner Gahan as sole frontman for the show's '80s rock-type songs. There's barely a hint of his former self as an 'N Syncer (a 30-second tease of "The Game Is Over" is all that's there for the group's longtime fans), but Chasez hasn't quite grown up yet. He got giddy after performing a cover of Prince's "Let's Go Crazy," but it doesn't mean he's anywhere near Prince's level. For that, he'd still have to talk to his old pal Timberlake.
Scotsman Schizo review SCHIZOPHRENIC The second ex-member of NSYNC to go into the solo arena is more of a multi-musical personality than the title of this record suggests – working with different styles and producers. As a result, it is much less coherent than the Neptunes-driven Justified, by his former compadre Justin Timberlake, but sounds less forced and a lot more fun. Listen to J C’s tongue-in-cheek tribute to Robert Plant’s orgasmic squeals from ‘Whole Lotta Love’ on the bridge of ‘If You Were My Girl’ for a prime example. Pete Burns’ trout pout will get even more twisted when he hears ‘All Day Long I Dream About Sex’, because it is the best electro-disco record that Dead Or Alive never made. The theme does get hackneyed in the Donna Summer-tinged ‘One Night Stand’, but you have to forgive J C after hearing the line about a girl making him feel dizzy like he’s got his cap on too tight. This is a 20-something paying affectionate tribute to the music he heard growing up – unabashed, joyous and with barely a trace of the self-conscious, but a hefty dash of the downright naughty. So farewell then NSYNC, and welcome JC and Justin. Few boy bands generate one successful solo career, never mind two.
Out of sync and into diversity JC Chasez talks of Britney, Justin, his new album and coming to Scotland. By Beth Pearson WHILE Britney went bowling to mark her arrival in Scotland this week, her support act, JC Chasez, was holed up in the hotel bar in Glasgow city centre. It may explain why he appears a little sleepy. His eyes are barely opening behind his low-slung Playboy baseball cap and he slouches, then sits up, then slouches, trying to resist waves of tiredness but not quite pulling it off. Such is the exertion of promoting a debut solo album. Joshua Scott Chasez is one-fifth of *NSync and, like his good friend and bandmate Justin Timberlake before him, he's chasing a solo career. His album, Schizophrenic, has been praised even by reluctant critics ("Everybody wants to hate a boyband, let's be honest," acknowledges Chasez) for his assured vocal performance and bold ventures into R'n'B, New Wave, Latin and soul. Safe to say, he's heard the word "diverse" one too many times. "Yeah," he sighs. "In my mind, I just wanted to make a cool record and a cool record to me is just a record full of great songs. It doesn't matter what style they are. Whenever I was inspired, I went with it and I went with it all the way. I didn't care that one song didn't sound like another song. My favourite songs are not from the same genre, and that's how my brain works." While his music is undeniably diverse, it does appear lyrically unified. "People think I'm sex-crazed," says the 27-year-old. He thinks it's a misinterpretation of some of the songs, specifically those titled All Day Long (I Think About Sex) and One Night Stand, plus the line "when I'm all alone, I lie awake and masturbate". "Some of them are just jokes, some of them are just fun and some of them were just written when I was in the mood," he says. "The song One Night Stand, that song is a total joke. It has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with comedy in my mind. All Day Long is about being obnoxious and loud. Even though there's sex in it, sex isn't the driving idea behind some of these things." Like Timberlake, Spears and Christina Aguilera, Chasez began his
career at the Mouse Club (that's the alumni term for the Disney
Channel's Mickey Mouse Club), where he says Timberlake was in with
the older, cool crowd. Chasez was 13 years old when he joined and
although the children's variety show wasn't known for pushing the
boundaries of music, it exerted a huge influence on the way he approaches
it. "I had one kid showing me a Tupac record and another kid showing me a Billy Joel record, so my CD collection from the beginning looked like a mish-mash. I'd have a Led Zeppelin record beside an MC Hammer record, which is probably blasphemy." The Mickey Mouse Club finished when he was 17, after which he joined a troupe that toured US bases throughout Europe. When he returned to America, he planned to go to college, but kept writing material until one day he was reunited with Timberlake in Nashville, where they were working with the same voice coach. Timberlake invited him to his place in Memphis, where they spent a month writing and recording. It wasn't long before *NSync was formed, along with Chris Kirkpatrick, Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, and their debut album sold 10 million. Since then, his relationship with Timberlake has survived some testing times, including Timberlake's break-up with Britney Spears. "For a while, I was stuck in the middle because I'm friends with both of them," he says. "I'm great friends with Justin and she's a great girl. Things were strained because they weren't in a happy place. In some ways, they didn't handle it grown-up and in some ways they did. They would never talk about each other to me during that time, which I respected them for." He says that Timberlake and Spears are now friends again and were excited about the prospect of Chasez touring with Spears. "Justin was excited about it for me; I was excited to go out in front of a new crowd; and she was excited because she thought I would add to the show. It's a win-win-win situation." As for the controversy generated by Spears's show, which involves a fair bit of not-quite nudity and suggestive dance routines, Chasez passionately defends her right to artistic expression. "She's a sexy girl," he says. "You going to be mad at her because she's fine? Get over it. I'm going to watch it because she's dope."
Go crazy for JC Chasez AFTER Take That, *Nsync were the first boyband to get truly excited about. When Justin finally grabbed the mechanical bull by the horns and went his own way with Justified, it looked like his sparring partners were set to *Nsync without a trace. Not so for JC Chasez (pronounced ‘Sh’say’) whose debut solo album Schizophrenic is out on Monday. Wildly eclectic, its title has already incurred the ire of the medical fraternity (that’s the problem with schizophrenics - they can never just write one letter). It’s as diverse and adventurous as you’d expect from someone whose last karaoke venture was “singing Bohemian Rhapsody with my brother in a bar”. Lounging back in a suite in the Rossetti Hotel and decked out in a condom-like Beenie hat and bling-bling jewellery, JC-Not-Justin is enthusing about his firstborn: ”I just made a record for fun. It took me a year to figure out I wanted to do one. ”It wasn’t really Justin did a record and it did well,
so maybe mine will do well. It was just a matter of in my heart
and mind, it was what I wanted to do at the time.” ”I think the organisers over-reacted,” he says, “Justin called me up and was like, ‘Yo man, I’m sorry. I never thought anything I did on stage would reflect on you.’” And his views on the sex amnesty in the US that some critics are calling cultural McCarthyism? “All of the classic songs have some reference to sex in them. To be honest, I think a lot of this is down to it being an election year.” Lyrically, JC’s groin groans throughout Schizophrenic. It sounds like coma victims spend less time on their back. He laughs: “Out of the songs I recorded, the ones that people gravitated towards were about sex. ”It doesn’t bother me, it’s a part of life, including mine. I made these records and they’re fun.” ”The first thing my mom said was, ‘Honey, I love your music. You know I do. I just don’t always agree with what you say.” At 15, Washington-born Joshua Scott Chasez had a pair of Mickey Mouse ears soldered onto his head, and joined The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met a coltish Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. “We’re all supportive of each other’s careers,” he maintains. “That’s why it’s funny whenever you see like, people saying ‘Well, it’s Britney versus Christina’. ”These people are so stupid. They don’t realise these girls have been friends since they were eleven years old. That’s why we have a laugh at it.” JC is due to support Britney on her rather refined sounding Onyx Hotel Tour. “Dude, it’s gonna be fun,” he enthuses. “I believe in this record, and I want as many people to hear it and form their own opinions, instead of just saying ‘Oh he’s the guy from *Nsync and it’s just going to be only *Nsync fans showing up. I want everybody to give this record a fair shake.” And he isn’t making a Hollyoaks drama out of the fact Queen B is the ex of his best mate, either. “You know, obviously Justin and Britney were dating; they were dating for years off and on. ”They dated for a minute when they were on the Club and then they took a break and decided to grow up and then they got back together, then they broke up again. ”Maybe they’re not supposed to be together, but they’re definitely friends at this point.”
No need for live songs Former NSync star J C Chasez has leapt to the defence of Britney Spears by insisting fans do not care about her singing. In an attempt to help the embattled pop princess, Chasez said it was unrealistic to expect her to sing live at concerts. Spears sparked a backlash after miming during a performance at London's Wembley Arena, where Chasez was supporting act. But Chasez told the Daily Star: "People point the finger and say she's miming, but she's still entertaining the c*** out of you. "People go to a Stevie Wonder show to listen and really dig what he's doing vibe-wise. "When you go to Britney show you'll see a spectacle." He said fans were given a similar experience when they went to a Michael Jackson concert. Chasez added: "Every performer has their own way of going about things. I don't mime but I have a different type of show."
JC follows in pal JT's footsteps But the 27-year-old pop star insists there is much more to come from him yet as he launches his solo career. Best known as one of the five boys in pop band N*Sync, JC, real name Joshua, has already achieved chart success and lived the celebrity lifestyle. The band are officially still together but are concentrating on their solo efforts and now JC is back with a more mature sound and an album that prom-ises to suit all tastes. Schizophrenic, due out on May 3, has a mix of soul, ballads, Eighties new wave and latin-inspired sounds. He says: "I didn't hold back on this album at all. It's a bit all over the place really. Every song has its own sound and its own life. I just wrote things depending on how I felt and which side of the bed I woke up on. "I didn't want to write music that didn't mean anything to me. This is my record and I did it all my own way." Hot on the heels of bandmate Justin Timber-lake, JC has taken on board advice from the megastar. "The lesson Justin learned was simple and brief. Make sure you do what you want to do. I took that approach from the beginning." JC has co-written every track on the album and has collaborated with British dance stars Basement Jaxx. He says: "Those guys are really cool. We just met by accident really. I was in London and I didn't know where to go so I called a friend of mine who told me to hook up with the guys. They asked me if I wanted to work on some songs and tossed me a demo. It was really good so we went for it. It was great." JC, who lives in California, spent some time in Birmingham last month when he was promoting his single and says he was surprised by the city. "It reminded me of home in some ways. I have a Vespa moped at home and it reminded me of riding around on that. There are some really nice streets here. Hopefully I will get to spend a bit more time next time." JC will be back in the area when he supports pop songstress Britney Spears on her national tour, stopping at the NIA on Wednesday. The pair are already good friends as they both featured on the Mickey Mouse Club, an American TV show that propelled Justin Timber-lake and his ex-girlfriend Britney to fame. He says: "I can't wait to hit it with Britney. It is going to be cool. There will be no holding back there either, we are going to give everyone a face full. There will be me and a live band and it is going to be a lot of fun."
In sync with new music We all know that Justin Timberlake graduated from N SYNC to a solo career, but what about the other former teen boy band members? It seems that JC Chasez has also gone solo. He’ll be coming to the Trocadero in Philly for an all-ages show (he still wants those teenyboppers) at 8 p.m. May 13. Tickets are $25. Chasez is coming to Philadelphia in support of his first solo album, "Schizophrenic," available on Jive Records. "Schizophrenic" demands that JC’s fans forget about everything they know about him. The album marks a strong departure from his past musical catalogue -- the album is packed full of influences from new wave, techno, Latin, soul, R&B, and even reggae. |
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