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12/31/07

BILLY JOEL TEAMS WITH PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA FOR SPECIAL CONCERT

Billy Joel will headline a special performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra on January 26th to celebrate the 151st anniversary of the Academy of Music concert hall. The event marks Joel's first appearance with a major orchestra, and will feature MSNBC’s Chris Matthews as host, as well as performances by the Blue Man Group. Joel will sing selections from his career, all backed by the orchestra, including the premiere of his classical composition "Waltz No. 2."

• A portion of event proceeds will support The Philadelphia Orchestra's Billy Joel Endowment Fund for Education. For more information, go to philorch.org/academyofmusic.
• Joel recently made headlines for his new song "Christmas In Fallujah," which was inspired by letters he received from U.S. soldiers in Iraq and is sung by emerging artist Cass Dillon. Net proceeds from the single go to the charity Homes For Our Troops.
• Joel has three concerts lined up for 2008, beginning with a February 26th gig in Sacramento, California.

CSNY DOCUMENTARY TO DEBUT AT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

A documentary about Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 2006 Freedom Of Speech tour will close this year's Sundance Film Festival. Neil Young, under the alias Bernard Shakey, directed CSNY Deja Vu, which not only features live performances but also reports from "embedded" correspondent Mike Cerre, a war journalism veteran who interviewed fans at the shows about the group and its highly politicized music as well as their feelings about America and the "war on terror."

• The Sundance Film Festival runs January 17th to 27th in Park City, Utah. It's unlikely CSNY will perform there, because Stephen Stills will be recovering from prostate cancer surgery.
• CSNY Deja Vu is expected to be shown in theaters in 2008 before being released on DVD.
• Graham Nash previously told us that CSNY is planning to play live this year, but no dates have yet been announced.

POLITICIANS SEEK OUT JON BON JOVI

It's hard to tell who Jon Bon Jovi might be backing in the 2008 presidential election -- but signs are pointing to Senator Hillary Clinton, his pal of ten years. According to the New York Times, he donated $2,300 to her this year, as much as he's allowed to under the law. Bon Jovi said, "I have no issue with a woman in power. My life has always been run by women. If it wasn't my mother, it was my wife. And if it wasn't my wife it was my daughter."

At the same time, the New Jersey native has been friendly with several of the other White House hopefuls. He's done dinner with John Edwards in the Hamptons. Senator Barack Obama asked Bon Jovi to hear him speak in Manhattan. And when it comes to his native state, the 45-year-old rocker almost always seems to be lending a hand. You'll often find a high-ranking politician at one of the band's local shows. And former Republican Governor Christie Whitman asked for his advice when deciding whether to build a sports arena in Camden, New Jersey.

• Bon Jovi backed Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election, and was behind John Kerry in 2004.
• Bon Jovi kicks off a U.S. tour on February 18th in Omaha, Nebraska. The band will be out behind its latest release, Lost Highway.

MAN CALLING HIMSELF OZZY OSBOURNE HOLDS UP CONVENIENCE STORE

A man calling himself Ozzy Osbourne was accused of pulling out a gun in a Vancouver, Washington convenience store and threatening to shoot a clerk on Christmas Eve (December 24th), according to Portland, Oregon's KPTV. The clerk told police that the man had been harassing customers in the store and other nearby establishments for several hours before revealing that he was carrying a weapon. The man, who was not officially identified, was subdued by police and taken by paramedics to a nearby hospital.

• There was no comment from the real Ozzy Osbourne.
• This was the third crime-related incident indirectly involving Ozzy in recent months. Last month, a fan was Tasered and arrested after allegedly fighting with police officers at an Ozzy concert in Sioux City, Iowa. Meanwhile, an "Ozzy pre-concert" party in Fargo, North Dakota in late October turned out to be a front for a police sting operation. Ozzy demanded an apology from the local sheriff for using his name.
• Ozzy is currently on a North American arena tour with support from Rob Zombie. The trek is on a week-long holiday break but resumes on January 3rd in Portland, Maine.

FLASHBACK: PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS PLAY FINAL SHOW

It was 28 years ago Saturday (December 29th, 1979) that Paul McCartney & Wings gave their final live performance. McCartney, who had formed the band in 1971, had seen the group go through several incarnations -- running through three guitarists and four drummers in only seven years. The main nucleus of the band, McCartney, wife Linda and Denny Laine, were the group's only constant members. The final 1979 line-up featured guitarist Lawrence Juber and drummer Steve Holley.

Their final show, which was the closing spot on the three-night Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea UNICEF benefits at London's Hammersmith Odeon, featured Wings' normal two hour set, before being joined by the Who's Pete Townshend and Kenny Jones, Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones, along with Ronnie Lane, James Honeyman-Scott of the Pretenders, Bruce Thomas of the Attractions, Procol Harum's Gary Brooker, and Dave Edmunds, for a three-song "Rockestra" performance.

The mini-set, which featured all the musicians in gold lame tails and top hats, included nearly 40 musicians tearing through Little Richard's "Lucille," the Beatles' "Let It Be," and two run-throughs of McCartney's "Rockestra Theme," which was released earlier that year, featuring many of the same musicians, on Wings' Back To The Egg album. The tune went on to snag the Grammy for that year's Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

• The Kampuchea benefit, which McCartney organized, came on the heels of Wings' recent UK tour -- which was to be the first leg of a world tour that was due to hit Japan in January. McCartney's subsequent pot bust upon landing in Tokyo on January 16th, 1980 and eventual ten-day incarceration forced McCartney to not only cancel the Japan dates, but scrap the entire tour due to visa problems, losing millions of dollars.
• Wings re-grouped twice in 1980 -- in July and again in October -- to work on new McCartney material for his Tug Of War album. When McCartney reunited with George Martin, the Beatles' legendary producer informed him, in no uncertain terms, he wouldn't produce anything but a solo McCartney effort. After John Lennon's murder on December 8th, 1980, McCartney decided to put any live appearances on hold indefinitely. In March 1981, selections from Wings' final show were included on the live Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea album. Wings was quietly disbanded a month later, in April 1981.
• Earlier this month, McCartney and Denny Laine, who have been estranged since Wings' split, were photographed backstage at a UB40 concert in London.

PODCASTS TRACE BOB DYLAN'S CAREER

Bob Dylan's career history is the subject of a new series of podcasts made availably by his label, Sony Music. Fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Patti Smith narrates the first 10 episodes, which explore Dylan's career chronologically. The podcasts also include Dylan recordings, excerpts from his interviews, and comments from musical collaborators such as the Byrds' Roger McGuinn and the Band's Garth Hudson, as well as author Greil Marcus.

• The series is expected to grow to 20 episodes, and eventually be united as a two-hour documentary.
• The podcasts can be found at blogs.legacyrecordings.com/podcast/category/bob-dylan.

NEIL YOUNG'S 'GREENDALE' BECOMING MUSICAL, GRAPHIC NOVEL

Neil Young's 2003 album Greendale is getting a couple of second lives in the new year. The Undermain Theatre company in Dallas is adapting Greendale into a full-scale stage musical, which will run from March 29th to May 3rd. While staying mostly faithful to Young's original "musical novel" and accompanying movie, the group is planning to expand the script a bit to flesh out characters and further explore the themes of waning small town life, environmentalism, media and corruption that were part of Young's story.

• Young's Greendale tour also featured set pieces, with actors and crew members acting out the narrative. Young has not commented on the Undermain's plans, he's given his approval and is even promoting the production at his web site.

12/19/07

STEPHEN STILLS DIAGNOSED WITH PROSTATE CANCER

Graham Nash revealed on CNN's Larry King Live on Monday (December 17th) that his longtime bandmate Stephen Stills has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Nash, who appeared on the program via phone along with Joe Walsh, was on the show to pay tribute to singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, who died on Sunday (December 16th) following a three-year battle with prostate cancer.

Nash said that, unlike in Fogelberg's case, Stills' doctors have caught the disease early, and said he is scheduled for surgery on January 3rd, which is Stills' 62nd birthday.

• Stills says he hopes that his musical legacy isn't solely based on the work he did during his days in the Buffalo Springfield and the early portion of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's career: "I hate to think that I'm one of those people that peaked in their '20s and it's been hanging on ever since, you know, 'cause I only got good at the guitar when I was 50. You know, playing lead guitar is decent. Now every tour is an adventure because I can basically make up a new solo every night."

ROGER DALTREY SAYS SOME WHO SONGS SHOULDN'T BE PERFORMED

Roger Daltrey says that some Who songs shouldn't be performed live. Daltrey has gone on record saying that during the Who's upcoming shows next year he and Pete Townsend are going to try to incorporate some of the band's deep catalogue cuts into their stage show -- but some songs are best left alone: "We are trying to do obscure stuff. But there is sometimes a good reason why those numbers are obscure -- they're just not quite as good as the other ones (laughs)! It doesn't mean that the songs aren't as good, I'm wrong there. What it means is that some songs exist much better in the studio, and when you try and put them on the stage they become a clumsy thing. Other songs just get on the stage and they just take a life."

• Throughout their career the Who have attempted new material onstage and often dropped songs after only a few performances. Such songs as "Is It In My Head?," "The Dirty Jobs," and "I've Had Enough" from Quadrophenia and The Who By Numbers' "Slip Kid" and "However Much I Booze" were included in the early shows of the band's 1973 and 1975 tours, and pulled after only playing them a small number of times.
• "Athena," which was the Who's first single from their It's Hard album, was only performed at 10 of the band's 43 shows on their 1982 "farewell" tour. Despite the fact that it's the band's last Top 40 hit to date, it has not been performed in 25 years.
• Over the past decade, several rare Who favorites, such as "Getting In Tune," "Relay," "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere," "Bargain," and "Cry If You Want," have made their way into the band's setlists.

MICHAEL STIPE HINTS AT NEW R.E.M. ALBUM

R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe has hinted that the band might release a new album in 2008. According to RollingStone.com, he revealed at a recent New York charity event that R.E.M. is eyeing an April 1st release for the set. Stipe said the band has been in the studio, recording new material, and that fans can expect "a big change." R.E.M.'s last studio album was 2004's Around the Sun.

In the past, R.E.M. has written and recorded tracks abroad. The band recorded 2001's Reveal in Dublin, Ireland. Guitarist Peter Buck tells us it helps to get out of their comfort zone: "I think that just getting out of your daily routine affects the way you work on things. I don't know if you can tell that we recorded in Vancouver or Dublin, but just the fact that you're packing a suitcase and heading somewhere different kind helps us anyway, inspirationally."

• R.E.M. recently released its first-ever live album.

RAY DAVIES HAS IDEAS BREWING FOR KINKS REUNION ALBUM

Ray Davies says that he's considering reuniting with the original Kinks for the band's first new album since 1996. Davies told The Word magazine, "I really would like to get together if we had new music. Otherwise it's just a nostalgia evening -- 'Karaoke Kinks.' The chemistry is still important. I wrote for those characters and they all had an influence on what I did... They were my muse... I really hate being a solo artist, but there's no other way to get my songs sung."

Davies, who has had a tumultuous relationship over the years with his younger brother, lead guitarist Dave Davies, says that a reunion of the band's classic lineup is possible: "I still talk to Mick (Avory). Whenever I've got a big issue, I always talk to Mick; we grew up together and he's a wise old bird. And (Peter) Quaife too... I haven't spoken to Dave since February. That was not a happy confrontation."

He said that although he and Dave are at odds as usual over "family problems," they still have a close connection: "We understand each other more, because we're brothers. And I've got a really clever idea for us. I'm not going to tell him what it is yet until he says he'll do it... I know I can plan a great project -- as long as they'll do as I ask!"

• Ray Davies says that when performing his Kinks classics during his solo shows, he makes no attempt to try and duplicate the Kinks' arrangements: "The old stuff, when we do play it, I take great care to actually, where possible, not copy the originals but bring out the songs as I originally heard it in my head. If we play 'You Really Got Me' it'll be slightly different form the way the Kinks did it because it will be more from the song, starting the song from scratch with a new band interpreting it, but we'll see."
• Ray Davies has recently released the critically acclaimed solo album Working Man's Cafe.

JACKSON BROWNE REMEMBERS DAN FOGELBERG

Jackson Browne spoke to Rolling Stone about his good friend Dan Fogelberg, who died on Sunday (December 16th) of prostate cancer at the age of 56.

Brown and Fogelberg had been friends since the early '70s and were both part of the Southern California singer-songwriter scene, which also included the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, J.D. Souther and others.

Browne recalled Fogelberg's contributions to his 1974 album Late For The Sky, saying "He was beautiful, an angel. People either don't know it or don't remember it, but he had the highest harmonies. He sang above Don Henley and J.D. Souther on those tracks. My favorite song of his ("Same Old Lang Syne") was about running into an old lover in a supermarket on New Years -- I shouldn't admit it, but it made me cry. It encapsulated the passing of time and the revisiting of former hopes and dreams. He was a really emotional songwriter and a beautiful singer."

• Fogelberg is best remembered for his early '80s Top Ten hits "Longer," "Leader Of The Band," and "Same Old Lang Syne."
• Fans can leave their condolences to the Fogelberg family at thelivinglegacy.net.

12/18/07

LED ZEPPELIN FANS PAY $250 FOR TICKET STUBS

Tickets to Led Zeppelin's reunion show at London's 02 Arena earlier this month were a hot commodity, priced at 125 British pounds (roughly $250 US). Now that the concert is over, the stubs from those used tickets are also going for about $250, as are the wristbands associated with those tickets.

The items have been turning up on eBay and other auction sites, with one seller who attending the show saying, "I was one of the lucky ones. This is the ticket from the show 20 million people wanted to go to." Reports abound that only numbered ticket holders can purchase T-shirts commemorating the one-off concert, which could explain the rush to acquire the stubs.

• Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has confirmed that he will be touring with Alison Krauss in May to promote their new album, Raising Sand. However, the Belfast Telegraph says negotiations are under way to bring Zeppelin to Belfast, where the band performed "Stairway To Heaven" live for the first time, 36 years ago.

ROGER DALTREY SAYS LED ZEPPELIN REVITALIZED LATE SIXTIES ROCK

Roger Daltrey spoke about the importance of Robert Plant and Led Zeppelin in the current issue of Classic Rock magazine.

Daltrey recalled, "When Zeppelin first came out I thought they were fantastic. They supported us on one of their first gigs in the States in Maryland. I stood on the side of the stage and watched their set and I thought they were brilliant... They were Cream derivative but with a lot more weight. Robert was a rock 'n' roll singer. Jack Bruce was really a jazz and blues singer. But Robert knew how to rock."

He went on to explain how Zeppelin came to define the changes in rock which began in the late '60s: "Zeppelin took it to another level. There was a power there. All of a sudden this was a new form of music. The music scene was beginning to get a little bit tired. Even (Jimi) Hendrix... was moving into jazz. Zeppelin regenerated it."

• On December 14th, Daltrey sat in with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Uniondale, New York at the Nassau Coliseum. Thewho.com reported that Daltrey was on stage for about 15 minutes and performed the Who classics "Behind Blue Eyes," "Pinball Wizard," and "See Me, Feel Me."
• The Who are expected to hit the road at some point in 2008, although no dates or venues have been announced. According to conflicting reports from both Daltrey and Pete Townshend, the band may perform a string of dates in Japan and Australia. Townshend has gone on record as saying that he's hopeful that the band will play some UK dates as well.
• Townshend is currently in the U.K. writing the followup to the Who's 2006 album Endless Wire.

RINGO STARR STILL MISSES JOHN LENNON AND GEORGE HARRISON, MIGHT PERFORM WITH PAUL McCARTNEY

Ringo Starr says that he misses both John Lennon and George Harrison, and that it's not out of the question that he will take the stage with Paul McCartney sometime in the future. Starr's promoting his upcoming album Liverpool 8, the title track of which name checks all three of his former Beatles bandmates.

When asked what he missed about Lennon and Harrison, he said: "Friendship. Hanging out. Working together. The love -- I miss that. We were brothers. It was like losing brothers."

Starr was asked what the chances were for he and McCartney to take the stage together, to which Starr responded: "Eh, fifty-fifty."

• When asked if he thought he would have carried on being a musician even if the Beatles hadn't come along, and answered: "I truly believe that I would have still been a musician, because it was such a love. I probably would have been drumming in some club somewhere, but who knows?"
• Starr and McCartney have only performed live together on two occasions since the Beatles' 1970 split. On June 23rd, 1982 during the filming of McCartney's "Take It Away" video at London's Elstree Studios, McCartney, Starr, Linda McCartney, 10cc's Eric Stewart and George Martin entertained 600 McCartney fan club members with rendition's of such '50's classics as "Searchin'," "Peggy Sue," "Cut Across Shorty," "Bo Diddley," "Hallelujah, I Love Her So," "Send Me Some Lovin'," "Twenty Flight Rock" and "Reelin' And Rockin'."
• On April 16th, 1993 Starr joined McCartney onstage during an Earth Day concert at the Hollywood Bowl for a sing-along of "Hey Jude."
• Starr says that he and his peers are lucky to still have an audience to play to: "Well, we're blessed we're still alive, and we're blessed that people would like to come and see us, you know? And it's a privilege to be able to do what for me was a dream at 13, and I'm still doing it."
• Ringo Starr's new album Liverpool 8 is co-produced by the Eurythmics' Dave Stewart and will be released on January 15th.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KEITH RICHARDS!!!

Happy Birthday to Rolling Stones co-founder Keith Richards, who turns 64 today (December 18th). Richards, along with Mick Jagger, has written some of the most enduring and important songs of the rock era, including "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Gimme Shelter," "You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Brown Sugar," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Honky Tonk Women." "Tumbling Dice," "Waiting On A Friend," "Wild Horses" "Start Me Up," and literally hundreds of others.

Although many songs that were primarily written by Richards were sung by Jagger, over the years several of Richards vocal turns have become classics of their own, including "You've Got The Silver," "Happy," "Before They Make Me Run," "All About You," "Little T&A," and "The Worst," which was featured on The Sopranos.

Last year the Stones had to delay a portion of their European tour after Richards fell out of a tree while vacationing in Fiji, which resulted in two operations to relieve and drain the swelling from his brain. Earlier this year, Richards, whose drug use is legendary in the rock world, again shocked readers when he told the New Musical Express that, following his father Burt's 2002 death, he had snorted his father's ashes mixed with cocaine. After the story became front page headlines, Richards recanted the story and said that he was joking.

• Richards says that for the Stones' last album, 2005's A Bigger Bang, writing the songs nose-to-nose with Jagger made a substantial difference in the quality of the material: "Those songs have always been there. They pass through our whole career. Certainly to me, and I think to Mick, too, that the closer we work the better it gets. And we'd gotten so used to, after Exile (On Main Street), of having to get used to writing songs 3,000 miles apart that we sorta figured that was the modus operandi from now on. But this one once again proved us wrong. We don't know everything, man!"
• Charlie Watts says that 45 years after the band forming, it's still Richards who is still the band's leader on stage: "Keith is the groove that you follow. It's something I've always done -- it comes from the days of playing in clubs, where his amp was right by my left foot. It was the only thing I could ever hear."
• Last summer, Richards announced that he will write his long-awaited memoirs, which will be published in 2010.

METALLICA ADDING TO SUMMER SCHEDULE

Metallica continues to add dates to its spring and summer schedule, fueling speculation that the band's ninth studio album will be released around the same time. The quartet is now slated to headline the Netherlands' Pinkpop Festival on May 30th, and will also appear two days earlier on May 28th at Slaski Stadium in Chorzow, Poland. These shows join two previously announced German festival appearances in early June on the group's itinerary. There's no word yet on any North American tour plans or a release date for the new album.

• Drummer Lars Ulrich recently told RollingStone.com that as of Thanksgiving, everything but lead vocals and overdubs was recorded, with mixing still to follow.

12/17/07

THE POLICE SCORE TOP GROSSING TOUR OF 2007

The Police have scored the top grossing tour of 2007, according to Billboard. The tour, which is the band's first extended trek since the final dates of their 1983-1984 Synchronicity tour, sold more than 1.8 million tickets and grossed $212 million prior to the Billboard Boxscore cutoff date of November 13th.

In second place was Genesis' Turn It On Again tour which racked up $129 million for its 46 shows in Europe and the U.S.

• Following slightly behind that was Justin Timberlake's FutureSex LoveShow tour which earned $126.8 million and played for more than 1.6 million people worldwide.
• At Number four is Kenny Cheney with $71.2 million, Rod Stewart with $70 million, Cirque Du Soleil's Delirium at $59.4 million, Roger Waters with $53.2 million, the joint Tim McGraw/Faith Hill Soul II Soul tour with $52.3 million, Christina Aguilera with $48.1 million, and Rascal Flatts with $41.6 million.
• Honorable mention goes to Prince, whose 21 sellout concerts at London's O2 earned more than $22 million.
• Sting says that he's finally come to terms with the fact that he just can't seem to compose while on the road: "I used to try and I used to get very frustrated and worried that the music left me. But I need to -- I need to be in one place and I need to start thinking. Touring is just the opposite. Touring's like sport."
• The Police kick off their first dates of 2008 on January 17th in Wellington, New Zealand at Westpac Trust Stadium.

SLASH TO GO UP AGAINST BILL GATES IN 'GUITAR HERO III'

Slash already has some plans for 2008. The Velvet Revolver member is going to battle against Microsoft founder Bill Gates in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The veteran guitarist tells us that he's actually had to practice the video game: "They sent me the Guitar Hero III, the completed game, and I plugged it in and could not coordinate to play it to save my life, because I've been playing real guitar for the last seven, eight months. And so I just took it out to actually practice it, last night, because I got invited to play Bill Gates in Las Vegas, coming up in January. And I figured, regardless of whether he can play or not, I have to be able play this thing. It's sort of embarrassing that I can't play it now. Anyway, I'm working on it. I suck at this point."

Slash also spoke out about Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland's recent drug issues. The former Stone Temple Pilots singer has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs, and prosecutors allege he also refused a chemical test. Slash tells us what he thinks went down: "I think Scott's fighting it, because I think that, the way that I heard it when it first went down was that he got pulled over because he had some sort of a fender bender. And then they said he was under the influence and he said no he wasn't, and then he wouldn't take a breathalyzer test, so they threw it at him. So if he's gonna fight it, it's gonna be on that precedent. So we'll see what happens, you know?"

• Weiland's DUI case will be continued on January 17th, according to TMZ.com.
• Velvet Revolver is set to play next year's Dubai Desert Rock Fest, taking place March 7th and 8th in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA STAGE SHOW KEEPS GROWING

Trans Siberian Orchestra prides itself on keeping its elaborate live shows fresh and new each year. This year's edition of the concerts, which are performed by two different companies criss-crossing different parts of the country, feature even more lighting and special effects, including pyrotechnics and lasers. TSO founder Paul O'Neill tells us that at this point audiences expect the shows to be bigger and better each year: "We keep building the show bigger and bigger and bigger and pushing the limits. And again, I think one of the reasons the fans keep coming back year after year after year is just to see, you know, what the new toys are. And we just don't want to let 'em down."

An incident at the Meadowlands sports complex outside New York City last year showed one of the hazards of a show this size: "Last year we hit a new milestone that I was really proud of, I mean in a wacky kind of way. You know, we were playing the Meadowlands, and about a quarter of the way through the show the whole stage goes black, and I like, you know, have a heart attack and freak out, like inside, because it kills me when something goes wrong And then my stage manager comes running up and he goes, 'Paul, you're not gonna believe this. We just blew the main power grid at the Meadowlands.' And I'm like, 'cool.'"

• This year's TSO holiday tour continues through January 6th. After it wraps, O'Neill and company will work on finishing their latest non-Christmas project, another rock opera called The Night Castle.

LED ZEPPELIN COULD MAKE A KILLING IF MEMBERS DECIDED TO TOUR

If Led Zeppelin decided to tour, the band could rake in more than $200 million. That's according to the Times Online, which reports that Zeppelin is being sought after by rival concert promoters Live Nation and AEG. Each outlet is coming up with a bid and a large payment to lure Led Zeppelin in after its successful one-off gig last week in London. One source reportedly said that "AEG put a bid in on the night." Insiders say singer Robert Plant is a bit reluctant to go on a full-scaled tour, but that Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham are all for it.

• When Page and Plant went out in the mid-1990s with a back band, the duo grossed $31.4 million from a 63-date tour.
• Proceeds from last week's reunion show went to late Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun's education fund.
• Plant is set to tour with Allison Krauss, with whom he recorded Raising Sand. The European tour starts May 5th in Birmingham, England. U.S. dates have not yet been announced.

BON JOVI GUITARIST SHOCKED BY FAN INJURY AT CONCERT

Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora says he was "really, really sorry" to hear a fan was paralyzed following an incident at the group's July 12th show in Edmonton. Sambora was informed about the injury to Canadian fan Dennis Shulz on December 6th, by a reporter from the CanWest News Service. "Oh, God -- we're really, really sorry," Sambora responded, adding that "our concerts have been notoriously safe throughout the years and our record (for safety) is very, very good, so this is news to me...Obviously, our record, fortunately, in our career has been that we've gone without incident like that, so that's a real shocker to me. Oh, man, I'm really, really sorry about that."

Shulz and his common-law spouse, Hailey Brinn Hartman did not name Bon Jovi in the $13.5 million lawsuit he's filed against Rexall Place and its staff, Panhandle Productions, the concert's promoters, and four fans. Schulz suffered a dislocated spinal cord and was left a quadriplegic when a man fell on him after being pushed during a fight that began two rows away. The couple is alleging that there was inadequate security and lighting at the show.

• Bon Jovi is on holiday break but resumes touring on January 11th in Nagoya, Japan, with a North American tour starting February 18th in Omaha, Nebraska.

RINGO STARR HOPES FOR THE BEST FOR AMY WINEHOUSE

Ringo Starr says he's concerned for troubled British singer Amy Winehouse, who is seemingly struggling with a public substance abuse problem. Starr spoke of the multiple Grammy-nominee telling Time, "God bless Amy. She's a great talent. And she's going through a situation right now. It's a very public destruction... The good news is that there's a lot more help around now than there was."

• Starr's good friend and former Paul Revere and the Raiders guitarist Keith Allison spoke about Starr's own sobriety, which next year marks 20 years since Starr and his wife Barbara Bach entered rehab and became clean and sober: "We spent so many years in the dark, during what I refer to as 'the medicine years.' The blinds were drawn and when the sun started coming up everybody was like a bunch of Draculas running for cover. Not any more. We both love the light... Rehab unlocked Ringo's emotions, Now it can't get real enough for him. We talk about everything imaginable."
• Starr's 15th solo album Liverpool 8 will be released on January 15th.

In other Beatles related news:

Paul McCartney and estranged Wings bandmate Denny Laine were photographed together backstage on December 8th at UB40's concert with Maxi Priest at Wembley Arena. The meeting marked the first time that the pair had seen each other in over 26 years.

• Laine posted the photo on his myspace.com-dennylane site underneath the lyrics to a recent song of his called "Below The Waterline" which deals with his relationship with McCartney.
• The new photo marks the first time McCartney and Laine have been photographed since the March 1981 sessions for George Harrison's "All Those Years Ago." The pair parted ways before McCartney released his 1982 solo album Tug Of War, on which Laine is featured heavily.

Also:

Yoko Ono has donated a pair of her famous black wraparound glasses for a Liverpool exhibition for Holocaust awareness. The Liverpool Echo reported that Ono also donated over $20,000 to help fund several events surrounding next month's National Holocaust Memorial Day.

Liverpool is hosting the 2008 National Holocaust Commemoration. Ono's glasses, among others, will be on display at the Liverpool Town Hall.

• Ono said, "It is an honor to be part of such a symbolic piece of artwork which will help people to learn how important it is never to forget the horrors of the Holocaust and to challenge hatred and prejudice wherever it arises. That is why I am supporting this project and I'm very pleased and very proud that Liverpool is the focal point for National Holocaust Memorial Day."

PAUL RODGERS TO WEBCAST NEW YEAR'S SHOW

Paul Rodgers is inviting fans to usher in 2008 with him -- virtually. Rogers' New Year's Eve concert at the El Dorada Casino in Reno, Nevada, will be webcast beginning at 6 p.m. ET via the Equilibrium Project, at eq.tv. The 10-hour production includes interviews and backstage footage, as well as the show itself. Rogers is expected to play hits from his years with Free and Bad Company as well as newer solo material such as "Warboys (A Prayer For Peace)" and "Far Distant Shore".

• Rodgers was one of the performers preceding Led Zeppelin at last week's Ahmet Ertegun memorial concert. He's currently finishing the first Queen + Paul Rodgers studio album, which the group hopes to release in 2008, with a tour to follow.

ALICE COOPER, JORDIN SPARKS DEDICATE LAND FOR TEEN CENTER

Alice Cooper and this year's American Idol champ, Jordin Sparks, joined forces Friday (December 14th) to dedicate the site for The Rock, a new teen center that the veteran shock rocker is spearheading at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. Cooper made his entrance on a backhoe, which broke ground for the $7 million, 29,000-square-foot center, while Sparks rode in a Corvette convertible. The Silent Cry, a local teen garage band, performed.

• Cooper is a long-time contributor to Grand Canyon, a Christian university founded in 1949. He's received an honorary doctorate from the school. Sparks' grandmother is a GCU alumnus, and she donated some of her Idol winnings to the college.
• The Rock, which is being funded partly by Cooper's Solid Rock Foundation and is slated to open in 2009, will offer after-school programs and special events for area youth, including a full music program -- complete with a recording studio -- sports and study facilities, computers, and a coffee house.
• In a statement, Cooper said, "With Grand Canyon University's support, we are fulfilling a vision we've had for several years -- to provide teens and children with a central place to learn, have fun, and explore their creativity in a supportive environment. I hope that in years to come, The Rock will be the first of many such teen centers in Arizona and around the country."

DISABLED DAVE CLARK FIVE FRONTMAN PLANNING TO APPEAR AT ROCK HALL INDUCTION

Mike Smith, the disabled front man for the Dave Clark Five, says that he's already making plans to attend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York City in March. Smith, who was the keyboardist, lead singer, and primary songwriter of the group, was paralyzed in 2003 after falling from his roof in Spain.

Smith is paralyzed from under his shoulders and has been recently come home after four years of being hospitalized.

Smith posted on his official website (2.rpa.net/~theboltons/MSRE.htm) saying that despite some health setbacks since his release from the hospital this month, including developing colic, he's planning on attending the Dave Clark Five's induction.

• Smith posted, "This is something I have worked for all of my life, and to put it mildly, I am absolutely thrilled to death!!!!! (My wife) Charlie and I are definitely already making plans for crossing the pond in March to receive my award, and we can't wait to see all of you again. David is coming over for dinner... and we will all celebrate the good news!!! I haven't spoken to the other boys yet but I can tell you that David and I are really honored, and thank everybody that voted for us. WOW WOW WOW!"
• He went on to write that he'll be attending his first live show since his accident: "Next week we have another huge event coming up!!! Our very dear friends Bruce Springsteen and Steve Van Zandt are coming over to England, and we have been personally invited to the (E Street Band) concert. I haven't seen the guys since 2003, when they invited us to their concert at Wembley, so I'm really looking forward to it. It will be my first big outing in 4 years!!!! What a December this is turning out to be!"
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band wrap up their European tour on Wednesday (December 19th) at London's O2 Arena.
• There is no official word if the surviving members of the band Lenny Davidson and Rick Huxley will join Smith and Clark at the induction ceremony on March 10th at New York City's Waldorf Astoria. Co-founder Denis Payton died last year at the age of 63.
• Beatlefan magazine's executive editor Al Sussman says that most people don't realize that although the Dave Clark Five are synonymous with the British Invasion, they were always far more popular in the U.S. than they were in their native Britain: "What happened was, it became apparent very quickly to Dave Clark that they were much bigger here than they were in England. Because after 'Glad All Over' and 'Bits And Pieces,' they didn't have another big hit until 'Catch Us If You Can.' They appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show more than any other band at that time."
• The Dave Clark Five, who were the second British band to follow the Beatles to the U.S., were best known for their string of '60s hits including "Glad All Over," "Bits And Pieces," "Because," "Any Way You Want It," "Catch Us If You Can," "Over And Over," and "Having A Wild Weekend." All told, the group racked up a total of 18 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.

GERMAN GATHERING OF GUITARISTS BREAKS GUINNESS RECORD

It took almost six months, but the Guinness Book of World Records has certified that the new record for Largest Guitar Ensemble was a gathering of 1,802 players on June 23rd for a rendition of Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" in Leinfelden, Germany. The show came less than three weeks after 1,721 guitarists gathered in Kansas City, Kansas. The Guinness organization has not yet said whether the achievement will appear in the next edition of the Guinness Book Of World Records.

• A CD and DVD of the record-setting performance will be released overseas on January 25th. The discs will also feature "Smoke On The Water" covers by Pat Boone, Mungo Jerry and others.
• A certificate commemorating the world record will be presented today (December 17th) at the Palm Beach Club in Stuttgart.

STARS TURN OUT TO JAM AT TOM MORELLO SHOW IN HOLLYWOOD

Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello closed his performing year in the wee hours of Friday (December 14th) in Los Angeles with a selection of some of his closest music-making friends. Performing as his protest-singing alter ego, The Nightwatchman, at Hollywood's Hotel Cafe, Morello and company played for more then four hours, including appearances by System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian, who is Morello's partner in the social action group Axis Of Justice; Motley Crue's Mick Mars; Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash; Jane's Addiction/Satellite Party leader Perry Farrell; Alice In Chains' Jerry Cantrell and Will DuVall; the MC5's Wayne Kramer; Switchfoot's Jon Foreman; Filter's Richard Patrick; and Academy Award-winning actor Tim Robbins.

Among the songs in the show were the holiday hymn "Silent Night," renditions of Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town," the MC5's "Kick Out The Jams," Jane's Addiction's "Jane Says," the Who's "Squeeze Box," Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood" and "Girls, Girls, Girls," and the Phil Ochs protest song "State Of Mississippi." The show closed with the entire company playing the full version of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land."

• A little more than 100 people were at the club to watch the spectacle.
  Morello returns to work with Rage Against The Machine on January 18th, when it kicks off the Big Day Out festival tour in Auckland, New Zealand. Rage has shows scheduled in Australia and Japan as well, but nothing set for the U.S. yet.

BILLBOARD COMES UP WITH BIGGEST ACTS OF 2007

According to Billboard, rock group Daughtry is the biggest-selling act of 2007, with the band's self-titled debut beating out Akon's Konvicted and Fergie's The Dutchess. RollingStone.com reports that the "seven best-selling albums of 2007 were all released in 2006, with the top-selling 2007 release being the High School Musical 2 soundtrack in the eighth spot." Billboard only includes album sales from December 2006 to November 2007, which is why Alicia Keys' newly-released hit album As I Am didn't make the cut.

12/14/07

ROCK HALL INDUCTEES INCLUDE MADONNA, JOHN MELLENCAMP, LEONARD COHEN, VENTURES, DAVE CLARK FIVE

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its latest class of inductees, who include Madonna, John Mellencamp, songwriter Leonard Cohen, surf-rock pioneers the Ventures, and British Invasion act the Dave Clark Five, rollingstone.com reported Thursday (December 13th). Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the influential Philly Soul songwriter/producer team, will be presented with  the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which was previously known as the non-performer category, and is now named after the late Rock Hall founder and Atlantic Records chief. Blues harmonica player Little Walter will be inducted in the sideman category.

The inductees will officially enter the hall at the annual ceremony, to be held March 10th at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

• Acts on this year's ballot but not receiving enough votes from members to be inducted include the Beastie Boys, Chic, Donna Summer, and Afrika Bambaata.
• To be eligible, acts must have released their first single no later than 25 years ago, in this case 1982.
• The Rock Hall came under fire last year when it was reported that Hall exec and Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner rigged the results to induct Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five instead of the Dave Clark Five, who allegedly had more votes.

JOHN MELLENCAMP GETS BUSY WITH NEW ALBUM AND ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION

John Mellencamp is among the acts getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next year, along with Madonna, the Ventures, Leonard Cohen and the Dave Clark Five. Although Mellencamp is honored by the recognition, his longtime guitarist Mike Wanchic says the focus has always been on making good music for fans: "Yes, it is an honor. Thank you very much, you know but we've never been one much for patting ourselves on the back. It really is an honor, and we really are pleased. But I think ultimately and finally you just gotta continue to make the music you make and not pay attention to the outside stuff -- the outside influences. And I think that's why we have managed to survive this long."

Wanchic says although Mellencamp won't be throwing a huge celebration about the upcoming honor, he and his band feel good about being recognized by the Rock Hall: "When we started this in '76, I can't say that we ever really had this as an end goal. I mean, obviously, everyone wants to be successful. Everyone wants to be recognized. We've always been sort of on the outside in this business. Never really been critics' darling. And I think for us ultimately, it's a bona fide recognition of John's art."

• Meanwhile, Mellencamp is setting his sights on his next album, The Company We Keep, which is expected out in 2008. He recorded the set earlier this year with producer T-Bone Burnett.
• Mellencamp's song, "Our Country," is up for a Grammy award in the Best solo Rock Vocal Performance category.

THIRD PARTY APOLOGIZES FOR REMOVING LED ZEPPELIN VIDEOS FROM YOUTUBE

In the continuing story of the removal of Led Zeppelin reunion concert footage from YouTube earlier this week, a third party company has taken responsibility for the removal of the videos. Sources had originally said that the takedown orders had come from the band and its management, but now the company Grayzone has issued a statement taking responsibility and apologizing for the mistake, blabbermouth.com reports.

• It's unknown if the material will reappear on YouTube.
• Less than 24 hours after the band performed "Stairway to Heaven" on Monday night (December 10th), the clip of it had been seen over 500,000 times on YouTube. A clip of "Good Times Bad Times" had been viewed over 250,000 times.

In other Led Zeppelin news, a new unofficial biography of singer Robert Plant, titled Robert Plant: Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page & The Solo Years, by Neil Daniels, will be released February 28.

EDDIE VAN HALEN SAVES FAN FROM SECURITY BEATING

When an overexuberant fan raced onstage as Van Halen were taking their final bow after their December 5th show at Vancouver's GM Place, security guards were in hot pursuit as he approached the side of the stage. Blabbermouth.net reports that Eddie Van Halen attempted to warn the fan not to go in that direction, as there was a sheer drop-off, but the fan paid no heed and ultimately fell face-first when the curtained floor collapsed beneath him.

Edward can be seen on YouTube footage as he races down the steps on the side of the stage to comfort the injured fan and save him from a potential beating at the hands of security. The unnamed fan told The Rock n' Roll Breakfast Show's Reverend Donnie Black, via email, "After I bailed, I noticed security all around me and I accepted my fate. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and I thought it was another guard, but I turned and (lo and) behold, it was the mighty Eddie Van Halen. Right away, he asked me if I was alright and told the security to back off and not beat me to a pulp."

RUSH'S SNAKES & ARROWS WORLD TOUR TO BE EXTENDED

Rush has announced plans to extend its Snakes & Arrows World Tour into 2008, after rehearsals in March to consolidate the set. The band will kick off the 40 new U.S. and Canadian dates with its first-ever appearance in San Juan, Puerto Rico in April. The Snakes & Arrows World Tour was the Canadian trio's highest grossing tour ever.

• For additional tour news, go to rush.com.
• Snakes & Arrows, their first album of original material in almost five years, debuted at Number Three on the Billboard 200 chart. "Malignant Narcissism," a track from the album, has been nominated for a Grammy Award as Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

PAUL McCARTNEY PARIS CONCERT COMING TO A&E THIS MONTH

Portions of Paul McCartney's recent concert at Paris' Olympia Theatre will air on the A&E channel on December 23rd, as Paul McCartney Live At The Olympia.

Among the songs featured during the October 22nd concert were selections from McCartney's latest album Memory Almost Full, including the Grammy nominated "Dance Tonight," and "Only Mama Knows," alongside such Beatles classics as "Hey Jude," "I Saw Her Standing There," "Lady Madonna," "Get Back," "Blackbird," "Got To Get You Into My Life," "The Long And Winding Road," "Eleanor Rigby," "Michelle," and others.

• The Olympia show was McCartney's first concert at the venue as a solo act. Between January 16th and February 4th, 1964, McCartney and the Beatles performed an 18-night stand at Olympia Theatre, playing two shows per night. The concerts were the group's final European dates before their debut American tour.
• McCartney returned to the Olympia Theatre with Wings on July 16th, 1972.

In other McCartney news:

McCartney was allegedly spotted smoking pot earlier this week, in the VIP section of London's O2 Arena during Led Zeppelin's reunion show. London's Daily Mirror reported that according to a worker at the gig, prior to the opening number McCartney also ordered two pints of beer.

In Beatles related news:

The 27th annual tribute to John Lennon will be held tonight (December 14th) in New York City at the Alley Citigroup Theatre. The show has been a New York theater tradition since Lennon's death in 1980, premiering as an off-Broadway memorial to the former Beatle in early 1981. The tribute, which is co-written and directed by Joe Raiola, a senior editor at MAD magazine, will be headlined by Marshall Crenshaw and Steve Forbert, with all proceeds benefiting World Hunger Year.

• Nearing 30 years after his death, Raiola explains just how important the loss of John Lennon was: "The thing about John's death -- when you talk about Kennedy, JFK, RFK, even (Dr.) Martin Luther King; they had tremendous impact undeniably, however their impact was mostly felt in America. Lennon really was a global citizen. You could say that no one's murder has impacted the world, or been felt around the world, the way John Lennon's murder was."
• John Lennon was murdered on December 8th, 1980 at the age of 40.

NEIL YOUNG CONCERT GETS A DELAYED START

Neil Young's concert got a late start on Wednesday (December 12th) due to a New York Fire Department investigation. According to Billboard.com, about 3,300 fans had to wait nearly 90 minutes in a line that stretched around the block of the 77-year-old United Palace Theatre, which just reopened as a concert venue this year. Fire officials were checking to make sure the venue was up to code. Young said it was a "bull***t excuse," and then joked, "unless I catch on fire or something."

• Young's wife, Pegi, was on the bill as the opener, but her set was cancelled due to the timing issues.
• Young is playing five nights at the United Palace Theatre, which once showed movies, but is now owned by a church.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN CONCERT FILM TO RUN IN A DOZEN THEATERS

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 2003 concert film Live In Barcelona will make its debut on December 18th in Brunswick, Maine at the Frontier Cinema & Gallery. The film, which was shot during Springsteen's The Rising tour and has been available on DVD, is being presented in multiple cities to support America's Historic Theatres.

• The theaters showing Live In Barcelona are:
  December 18 - Brunswick, ME - Frontier Cinema & Gallery
  December 31 - Cape May, NJ - Beach Theatre
  December 31 - Ocala, FL - Marion Theatre
  December 31 - Hunter, NY - Mountain Cinema
  January 4, 5, 6 - Cape May, NJ - Beach Theatre
  January 10 - Tucson, AZ - Fox Tucson Theatre
  January 10 - Memphis, TN - Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
  January 12 - Oklahoma City, OK - Oklahoma City Museum of Art
  January 12 - Lake Worth, FL - Lake Worth Playhouse
  February 15 - Newport, RI - Jane Pickens Theatre
  March 7 - New York, NY - Symphony Space
  TBA - Cleveland Heights, OH - Cedar Lee Theatre

During the final shows of his current European leg, Springsteen has continued to shake up his nightly setlist, recently performing rarities such as "Because The Night." The song received its tour premiere on Wednesday's (December 12th) show in Antwerp, Belgium, and was also included in last night's show in Cologne, Germany.

• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform tomorrow night (December 15th) in Belfast, Ireland at the Odyssey Arena.

BIANCA JAGGER EVICTED FROM MANHATTAN LUXURY APARTMENT

Mick Jagger's ex-wife Bianca Jagger has been evicted from her luxury Park Avenue apartment in New York City.

The Associated Press reported that after a recent appeals court ruling against her, Jagger knew that the eviction from the rent stabilized apartment was imminent, and was informed on Wednesday (December 12th) that a sheriff had entered her apartment and begun removing her possessions into storage.

Jagger and her landlord, Katz Park Avenue Corp., have been at odds for several years over what Jagger has felt were unlivable conditions due to a mold problem that she has claimed made her physically sick. Last year, Jagger was held in contempt of court for continually failing to pay her monthly rent of $4,614.29.

• In October, Jagger's landlord successfully argued in the Supreme Court's Appellate Division that legally the apartment couldn't be her primary residence, which is one of the a prerequisites in residing in a rent stabilized unit, proving that Jagger is "in the U.S. on a tourist visa that required her to show that she intended to leave after a temporary stay."
• Mick and Bianca Jagger were married from 1971 to 1980. The couple has an adult daughter, model-actress Jade Jagger.
• Bianca inspired several of the Rolling Stones '70s classics, most notably "Respectable" from the band's 1978 album Some Girls.

MICHAEL McDONALD TO RELEASE 'SOUL SPEAK' IN MARCH

Singer Michael McDonald will release a new album called Soul Speak on March 11th, mostly made up of covers. However, unlike his two previous bestselling covers collections, which focused on Motown songs, Soul Speak will cover a wider range of material.

• McDonald explains: "I think what we wound up with are the songs that I actually remember along the way, you know, hearing as a kid and going into adulthood, that were records that just really impressed me when I first heard 'em on the radio, and the artists that did them. So you know, so that's largely what the record consists of, it's not so much just a Motown record as much as a wider collection of songs that turned my head around, so to speak."
• The tracklisting for Soul Speak has not yet been revealed. McDonald does say it includes three original songs.
• McDonald currently appears on the new album by Chaka Khan, titled Funk This! on a duet of his composition "You Belong To Me." His most recent CD release was actually the 2005 holiday set Through The Many Winters, which was available exclusively through Hallmark stores.
• McDonald is continuing his fall tour, which concludes next week.
• Michael McDonald tour dates:
  December 14 - Altoona, IA - Prairie Meadows Casino
  December 16 - Prior Lake, MN - Mystic Lake Casino
  December 18 - Kansas City, MO - Ameristar Hotel & Casino
  December 20 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre

GUNS N' ROSES SONG MISTAKEN FOR DEATH THREAT

A teacher at the Booth Free School in Roxbury, Connecticut thought she was being threatened when she heard the words, "You're in the jungle, baby, you're gonna die," screamed over the public address system. Clearly, she wasn't a Guns N' Roses fan or she would have realized these were the lyrics to the song "Welcome to the Jungle." The teacher, who thought she was alone in the building after hours on Wednesday (December 12th), called police and barricaded herself in her classroom.

12/13/07

LED ZEPPELIN TOUR RUMORS CONTINUE, WHILE PERFORMANCE CLIPS ARE REMOVED FROM YOUTUBE

Rumors are flying around the Internet that Led Zeppelin is considering playing three shows at New York City's famed Madison Square Garden, after their successful reunion performance at London's O2 Arena on Monday night (December 10th). The reports are all based on a claim by columnist Gordon Smart in the London newspaper The Sun, who says a source told him that after the concert the members of the band were discussing how the show had gone, and "Then the talk went to, 'What next? Was this it or would there be something else?' One of the guys started talking about their three concerts at the Garden. There was a consensus of, 'Why not?'"