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2/29/08

VAN HALEN PUTTING FUTURE TOUR DATES ON HOLD?

Van Halen has put all future tour dates beyond the end of its current run on hold, a source at Buffalo radio station WGRF-FM has told Blabbermouth.net. According to the source, the promoters announced that a Van Halen concert scheduled for May 17th in Buffalo is one of a group of new shows that have had their on-sale dates held back. The group's latest leg is slated to end on April 25th in Sacramento, California.

• Van Halen postponed two concerts last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia and Duluth, Georgia. No reason was given for the postponements, but both were rescheduled for mid-March.
• According to numerous unsubstantiated reports online, internal band tensions have been flaring up again as the tour has gone forward. The group hit the road last fall with original singer David Lee Roth for the first time in 22 years.
• An inquiry to Van Halen's publicist was not returned at press time.

ROD STEWART ANNOUNCES NORTH AMERICAN SUMMER TOUR

Rod Stewart will kick off an 18-city North American tour on July 30th in Paso Robles, California. Pollstar.com reported that Bryan Adams will appear as Stewart's special guest and open the first seven shows of the tour.

• Rod Stewart North American tour dates (subject to change):
  July 30 - Paso Robles, CA - California Mid-State Fair
  August 2 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
  August 5 - Hoffman Estates, IL - Sears Centre Arena
  August 6 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
  August 8 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
  August 9 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center
  August 12 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
  August 13 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
  August 15 - Mansfield, MA - Tweeter Center For The Performing Arts
  August 16 - Toronto, ON - The Molson Amphitheatre
  August 18 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon At Jones Beach Theater
  August 20 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
  August 22, 23 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center
  August 24 - Bristow, VA - Nissan Pavilion At Stone Ridge
  August 27 - Alpharetta, GA- Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre At Encore Park
  August 28 - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre at State Fairgrounds
• Stewart says that he recognized early on that it was his voice above anything else that drew fans to his music, both with the Faces and on his own: "I know that's what got people's attention. With my first couple albums, it wasn't necessarily my songwriting. It was my style of singing, and the odd cover versions I did on my first two albums -- the covers and the wide range of material that my voice would allow me to cover."
• Rod Stewart is currently on tour overseas and will perform tomorrow night (March 1st) in Yarra Valley, Australia.

KEITH RICHARDS KNOCKS MICK JAGGER AND LED ZEPPELIN IN NEW INTERVIEW

Keith Richards knocked partner Mick Jagger in a new interview in Uncut, calling him a "power freak," according to AFP.

Richards, who is promoting the Rolling Stones' latest concert documentary Shine A Light, which is directed by Martin Scorsese, described the difference between him and Jagger, explaining, "Mick's a maniac. He can't get up in the morning without knowing immediately who he's going to call. Meanwhile, I just go 'Thank God I'm awake' and wait for three or four hours before I do anything. He is a power freak and there's nothing we can do about it. I don't want to do anything about it. Let him bugger about. It doesn't make any difference to what we do."

Richards went on to joke about Jagger's legendary onstage antics, adding: "Excuse me while I laugh. He's a bit vain, let's put it like that. (But) we want a vain bloke up there, don't we? Meanwhile, the band can go to work. Vanity will not carry a band. But a band can carry vanity."

Richards also took time to knock Led Zeppelin's recent reunion concert in London, pretending that he was unaware that the band had reunited: "They had one? Well, well done Jimmy (Page) and Robert (Plant). F*** off. 'Stairway To Heaven' don't make it for me, baby... I know the fascination, but it ain't worth it, pal."

• He was asked what, if any, advice he would offer to his younger self: "I'd have said 'Lay off the dope.' That's my advice now to all younger members who are into this sort of thing -- oh, give it up, it ain't really worth it."
• Shine A Light was filmed and recorded on October 29th and November 1st, 2006 at New York City's Beacon Theatre.
• The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on February 7th, and the Stones are set to attend the UK premiere on April 2nd at London's Leicester Square.
• The soundtrack album to Shine A Light will be released on April 1st, in both single and double disc editions.
• Shine A Light will open in select U.S. theaters on April 4th.

BOB DYLAN AND DAVID BOWIE BECOME 'HEROES'

Bob Dylan and David Bowie will both appear on the soundtrack of the hit NBC series Heroes, which arrives March 18th. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Bowie has fittingly contributed his song "Heroes," while Dylan's "Man in the Long Black Coat," off his 1989 album Oh Mercy, will also appear on the set. Producers of the show were happy that Dylan agreed because they say he's usually "very choosy" with lending out songs. The release will feature songs from Panic At the Disco, Imogen Heap, Wilco and Brighton Port Authority featuring Iggy Pop.

• There will also be five music video montage podcasts featuring Heroes footage set to songs from the album, which will be available for free download beginning February 29th.
• The CD will be sold at Best Buy stores. A digital version will be available at Zune and other providers.
• Heroes will return for a third season in the fall.

NIKKI SIXX FIRES BACK AT MOTLEY CRUE PRODUCER

Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx has fired back at producer Tom Werman, who called Sixx's memoir, The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, "totally deluded" and "stunningly inaccurate" in a letter to the New York Times. Werman took issue with Sixx's claims that the bassist did all the work in the studio on the Crue albums Theatre of Pain, Shout at the Devil and Girls, Girls, Girls while Werman chatted on the phone.

Sixx responded in a statement posted at Blabbermouth.net, "Tom Werman being worried about what I said in my book about him is just so narcissistic and self-centered. I'm sorry if he got his feelings hurt but I feel that I was kind to Mr. Werman by withholding things from the book that would have jeopardized his marriage and his job security with Elektra at the time...if Mr. Werman wants me to publish a complete accounting of the facts, I'll gladly write a nice short story in the form of a blog that will expose his actions during all the Motley Crue sessions that would make very interesting reading for his wife."

• Sixx interviewed others for his book, including members of his own band and Guns N' Roses, to back up his accounts of that period because he was too high at the time to be sure of his own memories. Sixx told us that he was not quite himself in those days: "I mean, it was a different person. Even though it was the same person in flesh, you know, in spirit it was a person that was on a kamikaze mission. And now I have a different mission."
• Werman apparently plans to issue a rebuttal to Sixx sometime in the next few days. The producer retired from music in 2002 and opened a bed and breakfast in Massachusetts.
• In other news, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee posted a message online that the band will begin a new world tour on July 4th. The trek will coincide with the release of the Crue's first all-new studio album in eight years, The Dirt, which is tentatively arriving on July 8th.

RAY DAVIES LINES UP SELECT THEATER SHOWS

Ray Davies of the Kinks will go out on a brief solo tour, beginning March 28th at the Warfield in San Francisco. The outing, which will pass through select historic theaters, wraps on April 8th at New York's Beacon Theater. He'll be out behind his second solo album, Working Man's Cafe, which was recorded in Nashville and mixed in London. It's currently available as CD or deluxe CD/DVD set.

• Davies recently said that he's considering reuniting with the original Kinks for the band's first new album since 1996.
• Davies released his first solo album, Other Peoples' Lives, in 2006.
• Ray Davies tour dates (subject to change):
  March 28 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
  March 29 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theater
  April 1 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theater
  April 3 - Toronto, ON - Music Hall Theater
  April 5 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theater
  April 6 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theater
  April 8 - New York, NY - Beacon Theater

MAGAZINE REVEALS LIST OF SONGS USED DURING TORTURE

Mother Jones magazine has compiled a playlist of tracks that have been used during torture sessions in American military prisons, including songs by Metallica, Eminem, Christina Aguilera, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, David Gray, Rage Against the Machine and others. The tracks have all been played by guards and interrogators in inducing sleep deprivation, "prolonging capture shock," disorienting detainees during interrogations, and/or drowning out screams. The "Torture Playlist" is based on a leaked interrogation log, news reports, and on info from soldiers and detainees.

• Here's the list (in no particular order):
  "F*** Your God" - Deicide
  "Die MF Die" - Dope
  "Take Your Best Shot" - Dope
  "White America" - Eminem
  "Kim" - Eminem
  "Barney Theme Song" - Barney
  "Bodies" - Drowning Pool
  "Enter Sandman" - Metallica
  Meow Mix TV commercial
  Sesame Street theme song
  "Babylon" - David Gray
  "Born in the USA" - Bruce Springsteen
  "Shoot to Thrill" - AC/DC
  "Stayin' Alive" - Bee Gees
  "All Eyes on Me" - Tupac
  "Dirrty" - Christina Aguilera
  "America" - Neil Diamond
  "Bulls on Parade" - Rage Against the Machine
  "American Pie" - Don McLean
  "Click Click Boom" - Saliva
  "Cold" - Matchbox Twenty
  "Swan Dive" - Head P.E.
  "Raspberry Beret" - Prince

BRIAN WILSON HEADING BACK ON THE ROAD

Brian Wilson has announced several upcoming UK dates, as well as a three-night stand in September at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl.

Wilson has postponed the recording sessions for an upcoming album which would include his latest song cycle "That Lucky Old Sun." There has been no official word as to whether the sessions have been scrapped or merely postponed. Wilson premiered the 30-minute piece last fall in London to critical acclaim.

• Brian Wilson tour dates (subject to change):
  June 28 - London, UK - Kenwood
  June 29 - Ipswich, UK - Ipswich Regent Theatre
  July 1 - London, UK - Royal Albert Hall
  September 12, 13, 14 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
• Additional dates are expected to be announced.
• The UK dates are being billed as being a "greatest hits" show. It's still unknown whether Wilson will be premiering "That Lucky Old Sun" for U.S. fans at the Los Angeles concerts.
• Brian Wilson, who co-wrote the Beach Boys' "Sail On Sailor," and has been performing it live during his solo shows for the past few years, says that despite it being a highlight of all the shows, he's never actually liked the song's lyrics: "You know what that song is? That song is a bunch of gibberish. That song is filled of lyrics that I don't like to sing. 'Persevering, always fearing, never clearing, all my dying, all my sighing...' I mean it's such a negative song. I don't like singing those lyrics at all."
• On May 8th, Brian Wilson will join James Taylor, Sting, Billy Joel and others at the I (Heart) The Rainforest benefit concert at New York's Carnegie Hall.

DAVE CLARK FIVE'S MIKE SMITH DEAD AT 64

Dave Clark Five singer Mike Smith died Thursday (February 28th) of pneumonia at Stoke Mandeville Hospital outside London at age 64, his publicist announced. His death comes less than two weeks before the band was set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Tom Hanks in New York City. According to his web site, Smith was planning to attend the March 10th ceremony, honoring the band and their 1960s hits "Glad All Over," "Catch Us If You Can," and "Over and Over."

Smith served as keyboardist, lead singer, and primary songwriter of the Dave Clark Five -- the second British Invasion band to follow the Beatles over to the United States.

• Smith's illness stemmed from a complication from a spinal cord injury he suffered in September 2003 when he fell from his roof in Spain. The accident left him paralyzed below the ribs. Smith had been hospitalized since the fall and was just released this past December. Since then, he had been experiencing some health issues, including developing colic.
• Surviving Dave Clark Five members now include drummer Dave Clark, guitarist Lenny Davidson and bassist Rick Huxley. The group's saxophonist, Denis Payton, died of cancer at age 63 in December 2006.
• The Dave Clark Five originated from North London and had 17 records on Billboard's Top 40 between 1964 and 1967. The band was the second group of the "British Invasion" to have a chart hit in United States, with "Glad All Over" in 1964. They broke up in 1970.
• The Dave Clark Five made a total of 18 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. However, all of the U.S. television performances were reportedly lip-synced
• Smith recently posted a note on his web site, expressing his excitement about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. He wrote, "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!"
• 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, whom sources said had more votes.
• Smith said a few years ago that it didn't bother him that the band hadn't yet been inducted into the Rock hall: ["Oh, not at all. I mean, when the powers that be decide we should be in, that the Dave Clark 5 should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, then, you know, I hope it's before I depart from this earth. That's the only wish I have."
• In 2003, when the Dave Clark Five was playing a special show at the Rock Hall in Cleveland, Smith explained how much of an honor it was to perform there: "I think that's like the crowning glory to be asked to play there. I think it's every musician's dream to be asked to play at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It certainly is one of mine."
• Smith said that with age comes a greater appreciation for music: "I think as you get older you appreciate things more and I still love playing rock 'n roll. It is such fun. It is such energy. There were people in the aisles dancing and I thought, 'Yes, now that is what rock 'n roll's about -- having fun, joining in, clapping, dancing, singing.'"

FLASHBACK: JOHN LENNON AND YOKO ONO PERFORM LIVE CONCERT DEBUT

It was on this day 39 years ago Sunday (March 2nd, 1969) that John Lennon and Yoko Ono made their first live public concert performance. Although the couple had first performed together the previous December for the Rolling Stones' Rock And Roll Circus TV special, Lennon's appearance at Ono's concert at Cambridge University's Lady Mitchell Hall marked the first time the couple performed to the open public.

Lennon and Ono, along with a saxophonist and percussionist, performed the cacophonous experimental piece "Cambridge 1969," which featured a bearded, denim-clad Lennon creating a wall of feedback guitar under Ono's avant-garde singing.

• The song was eventually released later that year, and made up the entire second side of the couple's second album, Unfinished Music No. 2: Life With The Lions.
• Yoko Ono says that she has mixed emotions about her and Lennon's performance that day: "It was an iconic moment, because when I did that in Cambridge with John, I was, like, thinking, 'This is it!' I really sent a message to the world, saying 'This is the thing!' But then, when that was on lacquer, people attacked it so much. And John was the only one who was in love with it. John would say -- in the car when we were going somewhere, cross country or something -- he would say, "Okay, let's play 'Cambridge 1969.' I said, 'Please don't do that John (laughs),' because by then it was attacked so much that I was like, ugh, I don't want to hear it."

2/28/08

JOHN MELLENCAMP AND STEPHEN KING TEAM UP FOR MUSICAL

John Mellencamp and famous horror writer Stephen King are teaming up for a musical, set to debut in April 2009 at Atlanta's Alliance Theater. According to the Associated Press, King wrote the script and Mellencamp did the music for the new production, called Ghost Brothers of Darkland County. It takes place in the fictional town of Lake Belle Reve, Mississippi in 1957, and involves the deaths of two brothers and a young girl. The play is being described as "a sultry Southern gothic mystery with a blues-tinged, guitar-driven score."

• Mellencamp came up with the idea for the story.
• The Indiana native will enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10th. He'll be inducted by Billy Joel.
• Mellencamp is also planning a summer tour.
• Mellencamp will release his upcoming album, Life, Death, Love And Freedom, later this year. There's been no release date set for the album yet.

DECISION ON PAUL McCARTNEY-HEATHER MILLS DIVORCE SET FOR MARCH 17th

The High Court judge ruling on Paul McCartney's divorce settlement with estranged wife Heather Mills will hand down his decision on March 17th, according to The Associated Press.

McCartney made news easier this month when, on the final day of closed door hearings in the couple's case, he failed to turn up to sign a settlement with Mills. Sources reported at the time that McCartney had been advised that he stood a better chance for a lower payout if Justice Hugh Bennett should end up ruling on the case rather than privately settling with Mills.

The settlement, which will cover both finances for Mills and custodial and financial issues regarding the couple's four-year-old daughter Beatrice, will be announced in private. The terms of the settlement will only be made public should McCartney or Mills contest the decision. Should one of the parties appeal the decision, the case will be argued in open court.

• McCartney and Mills met in 1999 and were married in 2002. They announced their separation in May 2006.

In other Beatles-related news:

Beatles producer George Martin offered an apology to the group's first drummer Pete Best for playing a role in having him replaced in 1962.

Martin spoke to the group's Across The Universe fan website (webweaverdesign.ca/beatles) and recalled his impressions of the group after their EMI audition on June 6th, 1962: "After that first test, I decided that the drums, which are really the backbone of a good rock group, didn't give the boys enough support. They needed a good solid beat and I said to (their manager) Brian (Epstein), 'Look, it doesn't matter what you do with the boys, but on record, nobody need know. I'm gonna use a hot drummer,' and I used the guy who was the best session drummer of the period. Brian said, 'Okay, fine.' Now it was pretty tough for (Pete) and I felt guilty because I felt maybe, I was the catalyst that had changed his life, so I'm sorry about that, Pete."

• Pete Best was fired from the Beatles on August 16th, 1962, just prior to the group recording their debut single "Love Me Do" on September 4th, 1962.
• Best, who says that he has had no substantial contact with any of the Beatles since the night before he was fired, says that Ringo Starr walked into a much cushier job than he did upon joining the Beatles: "You know, when you think about it, the first trip out to Hamburg, (Germany), we were playing six, seven hours a night. And I think actually, when (laughs) Ringo joined they were playing 20 minutes, half an hour sessions, or something like that. So, I did a lot of the spade work, put the long hours in and he was the one who picked up the glory."
• In 2005 Best released his Best Of The Beatles DVD. The documentary features Best's first hand recollections of the Beatles' formative days in Liverpool and Hamburg.
• The Pete Best Band will kick off their next North American dates on May 8th in Burlington, Ontario at Club 54.

CANADIAN CITY OFFICIALS EMBARRASSED INTO RETURNING ELTON JOHN TICKETS

Following a recent fan uproar over Sudbury, Ontario city officials receiving first choice of Elton John concert tickets, many tickets have been returned, according to The Canadian Press.

Sudbury mayor John Rodriguez said that, due to the local protests, city councilors have so far returned 71 of the 120 tickets that were pre-sold to the officials. Rodriguez said that he's not sure if he'll be attending John's show on Sunday (March 2nd) at the Sudbury Arena, and that the ticket policy for city officials that led to the outcry has been suspended.

• Elton John performs tonight (February 28th) in Portland, Maine at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

GREAT WHITE TOUR MANAGER TO LEAVE PRISON NEXT MONTH

Daniel Biechele, Great White's former tour manager, will be released from prison on March 19th. He's been serving time since May 2006 after setting off the pyrotechnics that started a 2003 nightclub fire, which killed 100 people in West Warwick, Rhode Island. He pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Great White guitarist Ty Longley was among those killed.

• Biechele was sentenced to four years in prison, but last fall the parole board decided to release him in March, though it didn't set a specific date.
• Sparks from Biechele's pyrotechnics ignited flammable soundproofing foam, which caused the tragic blaze.

BUDDY MILES, DRUMMER FOR JIMI HENDRIX, DIES AT 60

Drummer Buddy Miles, who played with Jimi Hendrix in Band of Gypsys, died Tuesday (February 26th) in Austin, Texas at age 60. According to his web site, Miles was surrounded by his family when he died. A cause of death hasn't been announced yet.

• Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Miles lived for many years in Chicago, where he co-founded the band Electric Flag in 1967. He played drums on Hendrix's classic Electric Ladyland set. The two friends soon decided to form their own group, and Band of Gypsys was born.
• Known for his powerful drumming, Miles became better known for his soulful vocals when he was highlighted on tour with Santana and on their 1972 concert album Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!.
• He later headed his own Buddy Miles Express band, and had a hit with the hard-driving soul tune "Them Changes" in 1971.
• Miles toured with a number of rock and soul bands over the years, and sang a cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," for the 1980s "California Raisins" TV commercials.
• Miles also worked with other music heavyweights in his career, including Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, Barry White, David Bowie and George Clinton.
• He moved to Austin in 2005 after suffering a stroke, but was back at the drumkit for the Austin City Limits Music Festival in September 2006. He also played at La Zona Rosa in October with an all-star Austin blues band.
• Miles is survived by spouse Sherrilae Chambers-Miles.
• According to his Web site, Miles' family is planning a tribute show with details to be announced.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN OPENS U.S. LEG IN HARTFORD TONIGHT

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kick off their latest U.S. tour leg tonight (February 28th) in Hartford, Connecticut.

The band rehearsed for about two hours each day on Monday and Tuesday (February 25th and 26th) at New Jersey's Asbury Park Convention Hall. During the rehearsals, Charles Giordano filled in for keyboardist Danny Federici, who is currently receiving cancer treatment.

Springsteentracker.com reported that on Monday the band ran through the basic setlist for the upcoming leg, with only one rarity, "Tougher Than The Rest" from Springsteen's 1987 album Tunnel Of Love.

On Tuesday the band played a series of songs first released on Springsteen's 1998 outtakes collection Tracks: "Take 'Em As They Come," "Loose Ends," "So Young And In Love," and "Rendezvous." The songs were played semi-regularly on the 1999-2000 E Street Band reunion tour, and were last played at various points on the band's 2002-2003 The Rising tour.

• Springsteen most recently performed "Rendezvous," an outtake from 1978's Darkness On The Edge Of Town, this summer at a charity show at Asbury Park's Stone Pony.
• Patti Scialfa says that the band's slightly shortened setlists this time around don't lack the band's usual intensity: "Sometimes we'll have an unbelievably energetic show, we'll go, 'Okay, what was the time?' -- (laughs) you know, we'll get in the vans on the way out -- 'Oh, it was two-ten.' And you're shocked because you played a lot of music and you played really intensely. I don't think it's the time factor. I remember Bono one time saying that when they were playing and they finally got it down to no more than two-twenty, 'cause you're exhausting the audience and yourself at that point. If you can fit your intent in under two-twenty, then you have a very compact show."
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform tonight (February 28th) in Hartford, Connecticut at the XL Center. After that the band will play on Sunday (March 2nd) in Montreal at the Bell Centre.

EDDIE MONEY TEAMING UP WITH VINCE GILL AND JOHN FORD COLEY FOR FIRST COUNTRY ALBUM

Eddie Money has enlisted the help of Vince Gill and John Ford Coley on his upcoming country album, called The Other Side Of Money.

The Associated Press reported that the album is being recorded in Nashville and features Money revisiting several of his best known hits, including "Two Tickets To Paradise" and "Hard Life." Gill and Foley perform on the album's first single, a remake of "Give Me Some Water," scheduled to hit radio this weekend.

• There has been no official release date set for The Other Side Of Money.
• Last year Money released Wanna Go Back, which featured his takes on his favorite 1960s hits, including the Foundations' "Baby Now That I Found You" and "Build Me Up Buttercup"; the Rascals' "Good Lovin'"; and Wilson Pickett's "Land Of A Thousand Dances."
• Eddie Money performs tonight and tomorrow (February 28th and 29th) in Houston, Texas at the Reliant Astrodome at Reliant Park. He has dates booked through September.

MICHAEL McDONALD ON MUSIC OF BURT BACHARACH

Singer Michael McDonald is preparing to release his new album, Soul Speak, in March. The album features McDonald's versions of mostly favorite soul and pop tunes as well as a handful of originals.

• McDonald says that he chose most of the tunes for the set because of the way they affected him when he first heard them. His first single from the collection was a cover of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Walk On By." McDonald says he is a big Bacharach fan, and says that his music was unusual then and now.
• McDonald explained: "Burt Bacharach was a writer that probably, if you asked most A&;R people before his great success, they would say, oh, this guy is way too sophisticated for the pop radio audience. His music verges on jazz and pulls on so many worldly elements that people in America don't understand: bossa nova, odd time signatures, you know, things like that."
• McDonald continued: "Basically he rewrote the whole book on what makes a pop record, you know. because some of his songs have lasted the test of time. Every one of them had some complex structure or arrangement or rhythm of the song that people have no trouble understanding or gravitating towards. you know."
• McDonald is also on the smooth jazz charts with his version of "Higher And Higher" from the Soul Speaks album, which arrives March 4th.

FLASHBACK: THE BEATLES BEGIN SESSIONS FOR 'LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS'

It was 41 years ago tonight (February 28th, 1967) that the Beatles began sessions for "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds." As opposed to their first album in 1963, in which the majority of the album was recorded in one marathon 11-hour session, the Beatles were now afforded the luxury of open-ended studio time, and spent the night's session only rehearsing the song without the tapes rolling.

The session, which took place at Abbey Road's Studio Number Two between 7:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m., featured numerous unnumbered run-throughs of the song as the group worked out its arrangement. Session tapes for "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" show that the song, which was mainly written by John Lennon, was greatly enhanced by Paul McCartney's instrumentation and guidance as he helped Lennon nail the spacey lead vocal.

Among the instruments featured on the eventual track, the 11th song recorded for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, were McCartney's unique mellotron introduction and bouncing bass line, Lennon's acoustic guitar and lead vocal, George Harrison's electric guitar echoing Lennon's vocal line, and Ringo Starr's legendary thumping drum part. The song also featured maracas, a piano, a Hammond organ, and a tamboura, an Indian instrument which provided a distinctive droning sound. Lennon, McCartney and Harrison all contributed backing vocals.

• It was the lyrics to the initials to the song, which allegedly stood for the hallucinogenic drug LSD, that caused the most controversy and led the song to be banned from British airwaves. Lennon, who wrote the majority of the lyrics, always insisted that the song was written after his then-three-year-old son Julian came home from school with a crayon drawing of a schoolmate. When Lennon asked him what the picture was of, Julian answered, "Lucy in the sky with diamonds."
• The Beatles had permanently stopped touring in 1966, and when Sgt. Pepper's was released in June 1967, much was made of the fact that they had deliberately created an album that could not be reproduced live.

2/27/08

ERIC CLAPTON INVITED TO PLAY NORTH KOREA

Eric Clapton has been invited to perform in North Korea next year. The Korea Times reported that, following Tuesday's (February 26th) performance of the New York Philharmonic in Pyongyang, a Korean official said that the Communist nation is open to more western musicians performing in the country, and specifically mentioned Clapton.

North Korea hopes to share a cultural exchange, with Clapton playing in their country while the North Korean State Symphony Orchestra travels this summer to London.

A North Korean state official explained, "These cultural exchanges are a way of promoting understanding between countries. We want our music to be understood by the western world and we want our people to understand western music."

• Clapton has yet to formally accept the North Korean's invitation to perform in Pyongyang and book a date for the show, but has reportedly "agreed in principle to accept the invitation, suggesting the concert be held next year."
• Rock and pop music is still officially banned in North Korea, although western classical music is allowed.
• Clapton has added an upcoming Toronto date for May 27th at the Molson Amphitheatre.
• Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood perform tomorrow night (February 28th) for the last of three shows at New York City's Madison Square Garden Arena.

MAXIM MAGAZINE APOLOGIZES FOR FAKE BLACK CROWES REVIEW

Maxim magazine has apologized for publishing a negative review of the new album from the Black Crowes without the writer having heard the entire CD, according to the Associated Press. Maxim editorial director James Kaminsky issued a statement on Tuesday (February 26th) in which he said, "It is Maxim's editorial policy to assign star ratings only to those albums that have been heard in their entirety. Unfortunately, that policy was not followed in the March 2008 issue of our magazine and we apologize to our readers." It was not known whether the writer would face any sort of disciplinary action.

• The Crowes claimed last week that although the writer gave their new disc Warpaint two and a half stars and said that it "hasn't left (singer) Chris Robinson and the gang much room for growth," there was no way he could have heard anything except the first single since advance CDs were not issued.
• The magazine did not deny the allegation, calling the piece "an educated guess preview," while Crowes manager Pete Angelus called it "a disgrace to the arts, journalism, critics, the publication itself and the public."
• Warpaint is due out on March 4th. The Black Crowes will kick off a series of eight concerts, titled One Night Only, on March 2nd in Sayreville, New Jersey. The group will perform Warpaint in its entirety during the shows.

BILLY JOEL, JOHN FOGERTY, LOU REED, AND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE TO BE PRESENTERS AT ROCK HALL INDUCTION

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced the artists to present this year's inductees on March 10th at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria hotel.

Pollstar.com reported that Madonna will be inducted by Justin Timberlake; John Mellencamp by Billy Joel; Leonard Cohen by Lou Reed; the Dave Clark Five by Tom Hanks; songwriter-producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff by Jerry Butler; the Ventures by John Fogerty; and Little Walter by Ben Harper.

• Among the artists slated to perform are John Mellencamp and the Ventures. Additional performers will be announced soon.
• Ventures cofounder Don Wilson is especially proud of the band's signature hit "Walk, Don't Run": "They called this the band that launched 2,000 garage bands. People heard 'Walk Don't Run' and they said 'Wow! That's a different sound!' And the melody is wonderful and it's a challenge to play when you're first learning because there are minor chords. And that's a song that starts in A and ends in C, which is really different."
• The 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air live on VH1 Classic.

PAUL McCARTNEY RELEASES LIVE CLASSICAL DVD

Paul McCartney has released a live DVD of his latest classical piece Ecce Cor Meum. The disc features the entire performance from November 3rd, 2007, filmed at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Ecce Cor Meum, which in Latin means "behold my heart," was written in tribute to his late first wife Linda McCartney, shortly after her death in 1998 of cancer.

The Royal Albert Hall performance of Ecce Cor Meum includes the same lineup as the studio recording, which featured the Academy of St. Martin-In-The-Fields Orchestra, London Voices, the Boys of Magdalen College Choir of Oxford, and Boys of King's College Choir of Cambridge.

• In 2001 a working version of it was first performed live by the choir of Magdalen College in Oxford.
• The new DVD features a documentary of exclusive interviews with McCartney during the making of the studio album and during the rehearsals leading up to its live premiere.
• Last year, the album of Ecce Cor Meum won the Album of the Year Award at Britain's Classical Brits honors.
• Ecce Cor Meum is McCartney's fourth full-length classical collection, after 1991's critically acclaimed Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio, 1997's Standing Stone, and 1999's Working Classical, which featured newer, shorter compositions, mixed with orchestral versions of some of his solo songs, such as "My Love," "Maybe I'm Amazed," "Junk," and "The Lovely Linda."
• McCartney is currently working on a guitar concerto, which will be premiered later this year.

PETE TOWNSHEND AUCTIONING HIS VOLKSWAGEN CAMPER ON eBAY

Pete Townshend and girlfriend Rachel Fuller have put their 2005 Volkswagen camper up for auction on eBay.

The description on the seller page reads: "Totally unique. VW camper owned and loved by Pete Townshend and partner Rachel Fuller. Perfect condition. Less than 4,500 miles. Made in Brazil in 2005 -- same design and style as original bay camper. All of the fun with none of the headache. Air cooled. It has a raising roof, main line hook up, cooker, grill, sink, JVC CD/radio player with five speakers, roof vent, DVD player and TV screen. It has lowered suspension and a spare wheel with matching painted cover. Perfect to drive, this will not break down for another 100,000 miles!! (at least). Many a sausage sandwich has been cooked and eaten by Pete in this camper. We will be sad to see it go. It has been sooooo much fun."

• The flesh-and-white-colored camper is right-hand drive and also has auxiliary heating.
• As of last night (February 26th) the top bid was at $24,143.57.
• The auction ends on March 3rd at 8:23 GMT.
• Fans can check out the van, as well as recent photos of Townshend posing in and outside of it, by going to ebay.co.uk and searching on the keywords "Pete Townshend, camper."

FORMER MOTLEY CRUE PRODUCER CALLS NIKKI SIXX MEMOIR 'INACCURATE'

Former Motley Crue producer Tom Werman has called bassist Nikki Sixx's recently published memoir, The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, "totally deluded" and "stunningly inaccurate," according to Blabbermouth.net. Werman leveled his criticisms in a letter to the New York Times, taking issue with Sixx's claims that the bassist did all the work in the studio on the Crue albums Theatre of Pain, Shout at the Devil and Girls, Girls, Girls while Werman chatted on the phone.

The producer wrote in his letter, "(New York Times writer) Alan Light's description in his review of The Heroin Diaries of the heroin-besotted Nikki Sixx as 'bratty and self-destructive' is on the money, but having been there and having read the book, I would go with 'totally deluded' or perhaps 'stunningly inaccurate.' As the producer of three Motley Crue albums over a four-year period, I found Sixx's allegation that in the recording studio he did 'all the work' with Vince Neil's vocals while I chatted idly on the phone not only humorous but pure fiction.

• Werman added, "If this distortion of reality is the result of Sixx's past heroin habit, then his diary is truly nothing more than a pipe dream, and the events to which this book refers may simply be the needle-induced fantasies of an attention-starved junkie."
• Werman also lashed out in 2004 at Twisted Sister over comments the band made regarding his contributions to their breakthrough 1984 album, Stay Hungry.
• The producer retired from music in 2002 and opened a bed and breakfast in Massachusetts.
• Sixx recorded an album under the name Sixx A.M. with longtime friends James Michael and D.J. Ashba as a "soundtrack" to The Heroin Diaries.
• Sixx A.M. is planning a short tour and is letting fans vote at votesixxam.com on which cities the group should play in. The date on which the winning cities and tour schedule will be unveiled is February 28th.

FLASHBACK: KEITH RICHARDS GETS BUSTED IN TORONTO

It was 31 years ago today (February 27th, 1977) that Keith Richards was arrested in Toronto for possession of heroin. Richards, who was in town to perform with the Rolling Stones at the El Mocambo Club for an upcoming live album, was awakened by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who found five grams of cocaine and 22 grams of heroin in his room, among other substances. Richards was charged with "possession of cocaine and heroin with intent to traffic."

Although Richards was eventually released on $25,000 bail, due to the trafficking charge he faced a minimum seven-year prison term if found guilty. Richards, who due to his growing and public drug use had been on the wrong side of the law since 1967, was now facing the most serious criminal charge of his life.

• He eventually received a suspended sentence after the court concluded that Richards did not bring the drugs into the country, but rather purchased them while in Canada.
• During the trial later that year, a blind woman and die-hard Stones fan privately appealed to the judge and explained how Richards had always looked out for her when the band was on the road in Canada, making sure she was safe and cared for, and often helping find her a ride home after the shows.
• Part of Richards' sentence involved playing a local charity concert for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind in 1979 with his and fellow Stones guitarist Ron Wood's side band the New Barbarians. By that time, Richards had been heroin free for two years, having quit the drug cold turkey.

2/26/08

ERIC CLAPTON AND STEVE WINWOOD OPEN THREE-NIGHT STAND IN NEW YORK CITY

Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood opened their joint three-night stand at New York City's Madison Square Garden Monday night (February 25th) with a blend of hits and lesser-known tracks by Blind Faith, Cream, Traffic, Derek and the Dominoes, blues greats, and their respective solo careers.

• Clapton played a range of guitars and Winwood played guitar, grand piano, and a Hammond B-3 organ, in front of a five-piece band. They traded off some lead vocals, including on some songs normally just sung by Clapton.
• The setlist was as follows:
  "Had To Cry Today" (Blind Faith)
  "Lowdown Dirty Shame"
  "Forever Man" (Clapton) (trading vocals)
  "Them Changes" (after Buddy Miles)
  "Sleeping In The Ground" (archival Blind Faith track)
  "Presence of the Lord" (Blind Faith) (trading vocals)
  "Glad" (Traffic)
  "Well Alright" (Blind Faith after Buddy Holly)
  "Double Trouble" (Clapton, after Otis Rush)
  "Pearly Queen" (Traffic)
  "Tell the Truth" (Derek and the Dominoes)
  "No Face, No Name, No Number" (Traffic)
  "After Midnight" (Clapton)
  "Split Decision" (Steve Winwood)
  Solo acoustic Clapton: "Rambling On My Mind" (Robert Johnson)
  Solo Winwood on organ: "Georgia (on my mind)"
  "Little Wing" (Derek and the Dominoes) (trading vocals)
  "Voodoo Chile" (long, slow version) (Jimi Hendrix)
  "Can't Find My Way Home" (Blind Faith )
  "Dear Mr Fantasy" (Traffic)
  Encore:
  "Crossroads" (Cream)

PAUL McCARTNEY RECORDING NEW ALBUM

Paul McCartney is back in the studio recording a new album, reports Rolling Stone. The album is being produced by Youth, who has previously collaborated with McCartney on his two experimental side projects as the Fireman, which included the 1993 album Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest and the 1998 album Rushes.

According to McCartney's publicist, "Paul started recording last week, but he has been writing for a while. It should be ready by the summer."

• The still-untitled album marks the pair's first mainstream album release.

In other McCartney news:

As McCartney and estranged wife Heather Mills await the High Court decision regarding their divorce settlement, the pair are facing yet another battle regarding their four-year-old daughter Beatrice.

According to various reports, Mills is outraged that McCartney is naming his daughter Stella McCartney as one of the trustees to supervise Beatrice's money from his estate, should he die before her 18th birthday.

• A source close to Mills told the British tabloid The News Of The World, "Heather wants none of it and has told Paul in no uncertain terms that she will fight any role Stella has in Bea's life to the bitter end, even if that means taking it to court."
• Mills and Stella McCartney have been publicly at odds since her father and Mills began dating in 1999.

In other Beatles-related news:

John Lennon's former girlfriend May Pang will release her photo book of her candid shots of Lennon on March 4th. Instamatic Lennon features numerous shots of Lennon and his then-11-year-old son Julian Lennon during his visits to New York and Florida.

Pang says that she's grateful to Cynthia and Julian for their friendship and support of the book: "When Cynthia wrote that inscription for me for that book, it was such a strong forward, that I had to put it on the back so that people could read this. I even got a message from Julian saying he wished me all the best for the launch of my book."

• Instamatic Karma features Pang's personal photos taken during her 18-month relationship with Lennon in the mid-'70s while he was separated from Yoko Ono.
• The book features shots of Lennon with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson, and others.
• According to Pang, Cynthia Lennon will be on hand next month for Instamatic Karma's official book launch in New York City.

RUSH RELEASING LIVE 'SNAKES' IN APRIL

Rush will release a two-CD concert set, called Snakes & Arrows Live, on April 8th. The package was recorded last October at the Ahoy Rotterdam arena in the Netherlands while the group was touring behind Snakes & Arrows, its first new studio album in five years. The arrival of the live set will coincide with the beginning of a new round of North American tour dates for the Canadian trio, beginning on April 13th in Sunrise, Florida and extending well into July.

• The band will play its first-ever show in Puerto Rico on April 11th, just before the North American trek kicks off.
• The road trip will include stops in a number of cities that Rush has not visited in more than a decade, including Orlando, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Reno, Moline, Boise, Austin, Jacksonville and Winnipeg.
• Snakes & Arrows was released last May and followed up 2002's Vapor Trails. The new disc debuted at Number Three on the Billboard album chart, Rush's highest debut since 1993.

STEVE WINWOOD TO RETURN WITH 'NINE LIVES'

Steve Winwood's new album, Nine Lives, will arrive on April 29th. The nine-track set marks Winwood's first studio release since 2003's About Time. Winwood's former Blind Faith bandmate, Eric Clapton, plays guitar on the first single, "Dirty City," which is out now on iTunes and SteveWinwood.com. A video for the set can also be viewed on Winwood's web site. The new album will come out on Columbia Records. His previous disc arrived on Winwood's own Wincraft Label.

• Winwood and Clapton reunited last July at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago, and they're teaming up again this week for three shows at New York's Madison Square Garden. The duo will be backed by bassist Willie Weeks, drummer Ian Thomas and keyboardist Chris Stainton, who played at the Crossroads Festival.
• Winwood will open for the upcoming Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tour, which kicks off May 30th in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

QUICK TAKES

• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band held their first rehearsal yesterday (February 25th) at New Jersey's Asbury Park Convention Hall. NJ.com reported that substitute keyboardist Charles Giordano was still filling in for Danny Federici, who is currently receiving cancer treatment.
• Contrary to some online reports stating that Patti Scialfa would be sitting out this leg of the tour, she was on hand for Monday's rehearsal.
• Springsteen lead the band through a standard setlist of their current tour and included a few rarities, including "Tougher Than The Rest" from his 1987 album Tunnel Of Love.
• The band rehearsed for about two hours beginning at around 10 a.m. and afterwards Springsteen, Giordano, and Max Weinberg spoke briefly and signed autographs for fans who had gathered to hear the rehearsals. The band is expected to rehearse again today at the Convention Hall.
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kick off their next set of U.S. dates on Thursday (February 28th) in Hartford, Connecticut.
• The Police have added a second show in Denver, Colorado at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 22nd.
• Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 29th.
• Bob Dylan has asked several artists to contribute music to around 25 sets of lyrics left by country pioneer Hank Williams.
• Jack White told NME.com, "(Bob) came upon, somehow, 20 to 25 unfinished songs by Hank Williams, just the lyrics, no music, and he started to ask people if they would finish these songs. He did one, asked Willie Nelson to do one, asked me to do one, and I think Lucinda Williams and Alan Jackson are on it too. I think it might come out this year. It's a cool record."
• There's been no release date for the still untitled Dylan-Williams project.

2/25/08

VAN HALEN POSTPONES SHOWS OVER WEEKEND

Van Halen postponed two concerts over the weekend, including a Friday night (February 22nd) performance in Charlottesville, Virginia and Monday night's (February 25th) show in Duluth, Georgia. No reason was given for the postponements. According to Blabbermouth, the concerts will be rescheduled and the new dates will be announced shortly, with tickets for the original gigs to be honored on the new dates. Refunds will be available at the original point of purchase.

• The next scheduled Van Halen concert is March 3rd in Dallas, Texas.
• Van Halen kicked off this latest run of tour dates in January and has shows booked well into April. The band hit the road last fall with original singer David Lee Roth on the mic for the first time in 22 years.
• The 39-date 2007 run earned over $56 million, putting it at Number Five on trade magazine Pollstar's year-end list of the top-grossing tours.

NEW DOCUMENTARY SOUNDTRACK FEATURES JOHN LENNON, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, NEIL YOUNG, ROGER WATERS AND OTHERS

Songs by John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Roger Waters, and others are featured on the soundtrack to the new documentary Body Of War: Songs That Inspired An Iraq War Veteran, according to Billboard. The 30-song, two-disc album will be released on March 18th.

The documentary focuses on Tomas Young, an Iraq war Army veteran who was paralyzed upon arriving in Iraq.

• Highlights on Body Of War: Songs That Inspired An Iraq War Veteran include:
  "Gimme Some Truth" by John Lennon; "Devils & Dust" by Bruce Springsteen; "To Kill The Child" by Roger Waters; "Day After Tomorrow" by Tom Waits; "No More" (Live)" by Eddie Vedder and Ben Harper; and a live version of Bob Dylan's 1963 anti-war anthem "Masters Of War" by Pearl Jam.
• Tomas Young handpicked the songs in the documentary and explained that they "were tracks that inspired, motivated, and at times, literally saved me over the past few years."
• Eddie Vedder wrote "No War" specifically for the film and explained his inspiration for the track: "Tomas has taught me a great deal. It has been a mind-expanding experience. I see how he relies on the strength of the songs to help him through each day. It is a true living example of the power of music."

JON BON JOVI CALLS TOUR 'HIGH-TECH'

Bon Jovi is out on the road promoting its latest album, Lost Highway. The outing stops in Chicago tomorrow (Tuesday, February 26th) and stretches into June. But this isn't just any Bon Jovi tour. Frontman Jon Bon Jovi tells us the stage show is very advanced and caters to the audience: "Because we're playing to the back of the house there's a portion of the stage that will rise up in the air. So Richie and I are intending to go up and out behind the drummer behind the stage and we'll perform a song that way. And the floor lights up -- you know the McCartney stage that all lit up on the floor -- so we did that. It's a really high-tech stage. The video screens look like Venetian blinds. It's projected on both sides of them. They open up and they close."