INTERVIEWSGrammys: Inside Clive Davis' Annual Gala

In case you missed it, here are some notes from record mogul Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA, where booze got drunk, chicken got ate, songs got performed, and tushes got kissed.

--After a rousingly robotic "Boom Boom Pow" with her usual crew, Fergie Blackeyedpea (with guest guitarist Slash) acquitted herself nicely on "Sweet Child o' Mine." Really. Girl can sing.

--For someone who makes a very good living as broadcaster, Ryan Seacrest inspired a chorus of crickets with his awkward, rambling intro of veteran record man Davis. Looking shinier than a newly minted dime, Seacrest dropped a "Pants on the Ground" reference that was musty two weeks ago, mentioned Bing (not Crosby, but he did get mentioned by someone else), and belabored a "riff" about the possibility of Davis being his real father.

--When Davis himself made a joke about this night being different from all other nights (twice!), I couldn't help but wonder if Jay-Z, who had a nice table up front, has ever attended a Passover seder.

--Some other random words and phrases uttered from the stage at various moments throughout the evening: Dr. Luke, copyrights live on, St. Barts, Haiti, Sam Goody, Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas (who, after we all hopped into a Wayback Machine, duetted on that song they duetted on in, what, 1972?).

--Savior of the Record Industry Ke$ha launched her performance of "Tik Tok" from atop a table where folks were presumably scrambling to shield their dinner plates. Girl can't sing. Or dance.

--The night's most thrilling moment: Mary J. Blige admonishing her band after a false start but recovering beautifully with a rendition of "No More Drama" that was filled with so much of it.

--Adam and Kris were here. So were Katy and Russell. And Wyclef. Those Kings of Leon. Even Barbra! Here's who else earned a shout-out at a music industry event held in the year 2010: Brian Grazer, Jane Fonda, Kelsey Grammer, Penny Marshall, and Joan and Jackie Collins.