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1/31/07
THE
POLICE TO REUNITE FOR GRAMMY AWARDS
The Police will reunite this year, for at least one
performance. Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart
Copeland will take the stage at the Staples Center in Los
Angeles on February 11th to open the Grammy Awards telecast.
There's no word yet on what the band will play, but
speculation has it down to one of three likely choices --
"Every Breath You Take," which won the Best Pop
Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal Grammy in 1983;
"Message In A Bottle"; or "Roxanne," which
was their first Top 40 hit single in the U.S. This will be the
first public performance by the Police since their induction
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in March 2003.
- The Police are rehearsing for
the Grammy show in Vancouver, British Columbia. There's
been a lot of talk about the band marking their 30th
anniversary with a tour this year, and some people are
saying there could be 80 shows, but nothing's been
confirmed, and we probably won't know for sure until after
the Grammys.
The Police have won five Grammys:
- Best Rock Instrumental
Performance in 1980 for the song "Reggatta De
Blanc"
- Best Rock Instrumental
Performance in 1981 for the song "Behind My
Camel"
- Best Rock Performance By A Duo
Or Group With Vocal in 1981 for the song "Don't Stand
So Close To Me"
- Best Pop Performance By A Duo
Or Group With Vocal in 1983 for the song "Every
Breath You Take"
- Best Rock Performance By A Duo
Or Group With Vocal in 1983 for the album Synchronicity
AEROSMITH FRONTMAN TO SPEAK
AT PEACE MOVEMENT RALLY
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has signed on
for a pro-peace event next week in Washington, D.C. Tyler will
speak at a rally held by The Peace Alliance, a group whose aim
is the establishment of a United States Department Of Peace.
The Peace Alliance, which describes itself as "a
nonpartisan citizen organization advocating for legislation
that supports a culture of peace," hopes that a
Department Of Peace would draft legislation to help end
poverty, violence, and abuse in America. The event will take
place Monday (February 5th) at George Washington University.
- Aerosmith is mapping out a
world tour for this year, and they also plan to release a
new album.
- Tyler's son Taj Tallarico
turns 16 today (Wednesday, January 31st).
VAN HALEN REPORTEDLY WORKING
ON DAVID LEE ROTH-ERA BEST-OF
Along with a possible tour, a new anthology could be in the
works from Van Halen, now that David Lee Roth is
said to be back in the fold. According to melodicrock.com,
plans are in motion for a greatest-hits package that would
only feature material from Roth's tenure in the band between
1978 and 1984. The story adds that there are no plans at this
point for any new material, and there's no indication that the
songs Roth recorded with the band in 1996 for the album Best
Of Van Halen, Volume 1 -- "Me Wise Magic" and
"Can't Get This Stuff No More" -- will be included.
- Van Halen is rumored to hit
the road beginning in late April at the Pearl, which is a
new venue opening up at the Palms hotel and casino complex
in Las Vegas.
STYX & REO SPEEDWAGON
SET FOR PRE-SUPER BOWL GIG IN MIAMI
Illinois natives Styx and REO Speedwagon are set
for a pre-Super Bowl gig in South Florida this weekend. The
bands will perform on Saturday (February 3rd), on the eve of
seeing their home state Chicago Bears go up against the
Indianapolis Colts for the NFL championship, at the Greater
Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Fort
Lauderdale as part of the 16th annual Taste Of The NFL. The
showcase features NFL greats and top chefs raising money to
battle hunger in America, and a portion of the money raised at
the event goes to outposts of America's Second Harvest -- The
Nation's Food Bank Network in NFL cities, as well as other
hunger relief programs.
- REO was formed in the
Champaign-Urbana area, which is about two hours from
Chicago, while Styx actually hails from the Windy City.
THE EAGLES CLOSE TO
FINISHING NEW ALBUM
It's only been 28 years since the Eagles put out a new record,
but the drought could be ending soon. Singer-drummer Don
Henley performed at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las
Vegas on Saturday (January 27th), and he told the crowd that
the band was close to finishing the project. Some reports have
him saying the album would be done in the next two or three
months, while others quote him as saying, "It's coming
out in 60 to 90 days." Of course, Henley also said the
record would get finished "if we don't kill each other
first."
Henley also told the crowd that he'd see them again over
the summer, which some people think means an Eagles tour.
- There's been no definitive
word on the status of the album, which they've been making
for years, or whether a tour is in the works.
- The last set of all-new
material from the Eagles was The Long Run, which
came out in 1979. But the band did include some new songs
late last year on a version of their Farewell I Tour --
Live From Melbourne DVD that's only available through
Wal-Mart.
HIPPIEFEST MAKING A RETURN
THIS YEAR
The Hippiefest package tour that debuted last summer will be
back again this year. The details are still being worked out,
but acts including Mountain, former Grand Funk
Railroad singer-guitarist Mark Farner, and Badfinger
have already agreed to take part again. Also booked are Felix
Cavaliere's Rascals, Iron Butterfly, Denny Laine
from the Moody Blues and Paul McCartney & Wings,
and Mitch Ryder. More information about the tour and
the artists should be announced soon, but one date has been
confirmed so far -- March 15th at the New Jersey Performing
Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey.
- Last year's tour had a
revolving set of musicians which included Mountain, Farner,
Laine, Ryder, Cavaliere, Badfinger, Iron Butterfly, Country
Joe McDonald, Canned Heat, Blood, Sweat
& Tears, Vanilla Fudge, Rare Earth,
the Lovin' Spoonful, Terry Sylvester from
the Hollies, Dr. Hook, Melanie, and Janis
Ian. The shows were hosted by Woodstock veteran and
counterculture icon Wavy Gravy.
NEW SOLO PETE TOWNSHEND
COLLECTION OUT NOW
Pete Townshend has just released a solo career-spanning
greatest hits set. The new album, titled The Definitive
Collection, features 17 key tracks from Townshend's main
studio albums, including such classics as "Pure And
Easy," "Let My Love Open The Door," "Rough
Boys," "Slit Skirts," "Give Blood,"
and "A Friend Is A Friend." The cover features a
1978 black and white performance shot of Townshend taken
during the Who's The Kids Are Alright movie.
The complete tracklisting for Pete Townshend's The
Definitive Collection is:
- "Pure And Easy,"
"Sheraton Gibson," and "Time Is
Passing" from 1972's Who Came First.
- "Street In The
City," "My Baby Gives It Away," and
"Misunderstood" from 1977's Rough Mix
with Ronnie Lane.
- "A Little Is
Enough," "Let My Love Open The Door," and
"Rough Boys" from 1980's Empty Glass.
- "The Sea Refuses No
River" and "Slit Skirts" from 1982's All
The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes.
- "Mary," a 1970 Lifehouse
demo included on 1983's Scoop.
- "Give Blood" and
"Face The Face" from 1985's White City - A
Novel.
- "A Friend Is A
Friend" from 1989's The Iron Man - The Musical By
Pete Townshend.
- "I Am Afraid" and
"English Boy" from 1993's Psychoderelict.
Although the Who's current road trek marks the first time
that Townshend and Roger Daltrey have toured behind a
new album since 1982, Townshend revealed that Daltrey almost
took part as a guest vocalist on his 1993 Psychoderelict
tour: "When Psychoderelict came out Roger called
me and said, 'You know, this would've made a great Who
record.' And I said, 'Well, yeah, you're always going to say
that. It's my record and you know if we'd have been doing it
with the Who you probably wouldn't have liked it.' And he
said, 'No, this is a part that I could play. If you're ever
going to do it as a theater piece, think of me.' So when I
took it out on the road, I did call him, but he'd just taken
another job. But we would've gone out together with Psychoderelict."
- Pete Townshend will next
perform on February 20th with his girlfriend Rachel
Fuller and other yet-to-be-named guest artists, at
Joe's Pub in New York City.
- The Who kick off their next
series of dates on February 23rd in Reno, Nevada at the
Reno Events Center.
ROBBIE ROBERTSON OPEN TO
FUTURE PROJECTS WITH LEVON HELM
Robbie Robertson says that although he'd never take
part in an official Band reunion, he wouldn't rule out
further projects with co-founder and drummer Levon Helm.
Robertson told The Canadian Press that the prospect of
reforming the group holds no appeal for him, explaining that,
"Reunion, it's an exhausting-sounding word. I wrote that
off a long time ago when bassist Rick Danko and
keyboardist Richard Manuel were no longer with us and I
don't know. How do you have a reunion when two of the guys
aren't even there? It's unimaginable to me. And I love
(keyboardist) Garth Hudson's work and abilities and Levon
Helm's tremendous talent and everything." Richard
Manuel hanged himself in 1986, and Rick Danko died of natural
causes in 1999.
Robertson, who is now hard at work on a Native American
stage musical, said that despite the personal and professional
difficulties that have plagued him and Helm over the years,
he's open to work with him once again: "If something came
up that made sense for both of us, of course. I don't have any
issues with anybody."
- One person Robertson says he
has no problem reuniting with is The Last Waltz
director Martin Scorsese. The two, who have gone on
to work together on such films as Carny, The
King Of Comedy, and The Color of Money, touch
base every Thanksgiving, which was when the Band's
legendary live swan song The Last Waltz was filmed
in 1976: "It's kind of a ritual, you know, that we
would talk on Thanksgiving, ever since then. Just kind of
like, for old times sake."
- Out now is a new tribute
album celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Band's The
Last Waltz, titled Endless Highway: The Music Of
The Band. The disc features covers by such
contemporary artists as My Morning Jacket, Gomez
and Death Cab For Cutie. Although Robertson
admits that he's not a fan of tribute albums, he's honored
by the thought: "As a rule, I don't like these
tribute albums, they usually just sound kind of like, I
don't know, 'Was this really necessary?'"
FLASHBACK: THE BEATLES
RECORD 'LET IT BE' AND 'THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD'
It was on this date 38 years ago (January 31st, 1969) that the
Beatles recorded "Let It Be," "Two Of
Us," and "The Long And Winding Road," which
capped off the principle recording and photography of their
album and film Let It Be. The previous day, the group
and keyboardist Billy Preston had performed for over 40
minutes on the roof of their Apple headquarters, and saved one
last day for the "Apple Studio Performance" to be
taped in their basement studio for the quieter songs not
suitable for the roof.
The group, with Paul McCartney and John Lennon
on acoustic guitars, George Harrison on electric lead
guitar, and Ringo Starr on drums, recorded three takes
of "Two Of Us," which eventually opened the Let
It Be album. After that, McCartney moved over to the grand
piano, Lennon onto the six-string bass, and Preston onto the
organ to record the Beatles' final two Number One hits,
"Let It Be" and "The Long And Winding
Road." It took the band seven takes to nail down a master
take for "The Long And Winding Road," and nine takes
to finish "Let It Be."
Underground tapes reveal that the band was in good spirits
that day, with impromptu versions being filmed of the Beatles
jamming on their own "Lady Madonna," and Lennon and
McCartney, whose relationship was already strained, launching
into an acoustic duet of Cole Porter's
"Friendship."
Although "Let It Be" and "The Long And
Winding Road" received additional overdubbing in the
coming months, most notably additional orchestral overdubs
under the direction of producer Phil Spector, the
January 31st session ended the group's intense three-week film
shoot which ended up documenting the slow demise of the band.
- Beatlefan magazine's
executive editor Al Sussman said that, despite some
definite highlights, the Let It Be album pales in
comparison with the group's later material on the Abbey
Road album: "'Two Of Us' I thought was great. Too
much of the rest of it though was, I just felt not up to
the quality -- certainly not up to the quality of Abbey
Road. And I'm in the minority that didn't have a
problem with the strings on 'The Long And Winding
Road.'"
In less than a month after the final Let It Be
sessions, the Beatles regrouped to kick off their Abbey
Road project.
1/30/07
BOB
SEGER SAYS REHEARSALS MAKING CURRENT TOUR GREAT, WONDERS IF IT
MIGHT BE HIS LAST
Bob Seger is having a lot of fun playing live, and he
credits that to all the work he and the Silver Bullet Band
did to get ready for the shows. Seger and company began
rehearsing in September for the tour in support of his new
album Face The Promise, which started in November, and
he said that putting in the early effort has really been worth
it: "The confidence that all of the rehearsal, and the
preparedness, that we did for five-and-a-half weeks is really
paying off. And it's really fun because, I guess, we're just
ready."
Even though he's enjoying himself, Seger is also wondering
whether he'll ever tour again. He told the Boston Herald
that the drag of being on the road has him thinking this might
be the last one. Seger said, "I just don't know. I wanna
stop when people still like us... Also, at my age, it takes a
lot of work to put this together. We were rehearsing six hours
a day for weeks. I was singing all the time. (Sax player) Alto
(Reed) was playing all the time. (Bassist) Chris
(Campbell) and (keyboardist) Craig (Frost)
and everyone was working so hard to bring the sound up to tour
level. I don't know if that's something I wanna do
again."
- Seger previously told LAUNCH
the tour ends in mid-March, and he's not sure he'll want
to play without drummer Don Brewer, who will return
to his regular gig in Grand Funk Railroad.
- Seger and company hit the DCU
Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, tonight (Tuesday,
January 30th).
REUNITED POLICE RUMORED TO
PLAY BIG FESTIVALS
Speculation continues to run rampant about the Police
and their reunion plans. The latest rumors have the band
possibly hitting three of the biggest music festivals --
Coachella in California in April, and Bonnaroo in Tennessee
and Glastonbury in England during the month of June. There's
been no official word from the group or any of the festivals,
though Roger Friedman of Fox News says the Coachella
and Glastonbury rumors are untrue, without mentioning Bonnaroo.
The Coachella rumor was sparked by the festival using the
code word "Roxanne" for its ticket pre-sale.
- The Police have said they will
do something this year to mark the 30th anniversary of the
band's formation, but no details have been announced.
- The group is strongly rumored
to be taking part in the Grammy awards telecast from the
Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 11th, possibly
by opening the show. No one's gone on the record to
confirm or deny that story.
·
Radio station CFMI in Vancouver reported last
week that the Police were using Lions Gate Studios in the city
for their tour rehearsals, and that the band would also shoot
a video while there.
THE DOORS TO REISSUE STUDIO
ALBUMS WITH BONUS TRACKS
The Doors will re-issue their six original studio
albums this spring, each one featuring several bonus tracks.
The six discs -- The Doors, Strange Days, Waiting
For The Sun, The Soft Parade, Morrison Hotel,
and L.A. Woman -- will have the same extras that were
included on the recent Doors box set called Perception,
including unreleased versions of songs including "People
Are Strange," "Love Me Two Times," "Touch
Me," and "Roadhouse Blues." The new versions of
the albums will be available at retail and online March 27th.
- The Doors will get a Lifetime
Achievement Award at the Grammys on February 11th, and
they'll follow that up with a star on the Hollywood Walk
Of Fame on February 28th.
- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
will open a Doors exhibit in May.
GRATEFUL DEAD DRUMMER HOPES
PEOPLE GET PEACE FROM NEW LIVE ALBUM
There's a new Grateful Dead live album out now, and
drummer Bill Kreutzmann hopes people really get off on
the vibes. The three-disc Live At The Cow Palace, New
Year's Eve, 1976 features the band's complete 22-song
performance, which stretched over three hours, and Kreutzmann
said that he hopes the music helps bring people together:
"I want people to really be able to look and be in each
other's hearts, and not have this horrible war -- but I don't
mean just the war in Iraq, I mean war in our country, people
not getting along, you know? And so, that's what I want people
to get. I always want people to get happy and be with each
other. That was the most fun about Grateful Dead concerts, is
that you could really see people relating to each other. They
really had heart for each other. It was truly an extended
family."
- While there will be more
releases from the Grateful Dead vaults, there are no plans
for Kreutzmann, bassist Phil Lesh, singer-guitarist
Bob Weir, and drummer Mickey Hart to work
together again.
CROSBY, STILLS & NASH
AUTHORIZE SIGNATURE GUITAR IN LATE MANAGER'S MEMORY
David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash
have introduced a signature guitar to honor their late manager
Gerry Tolman, who died in a car accident on New Year's
Eve 2005. They teamed up with the C.F. Martin guitar company
to make the acoustic instrument, which features the
interlocking CSN logo on the headstock. The guitar was
designed with personalized logos -- Crosby's schooner,
Stills's "Southern Cross" constellation, and Nash's
winged heart -- used as position markers on the neck, and the
finished version also has Neil Young's broken arrow
symbol. Tolman wasn't Young's manager, and Young rarely
endorses commercial products, but he joined in because he
wanted to support his friends, and also because a portion of
the proceeds from the guitar will go to a college fund for
Tolman's two children. The Crosby, Stills & Nash Martin
guitar is available for orders now, and the retail price is
$4,999.
- Crosby, Stills & Nash will
play in Australia and New Zealand next month, after which
Crosby and Nash will do North American shows in the
spring.
NEW STEVIE NICKS GREATEST
HITS COLLECTION SET FOR MARCH
Stevie Nicks will release a new solo greatest hits
collection, titled The Very Best of Stevie Nicks on
March 27th. Billboard reported that the new set will
feature live versions of solo hits including "Edge Of
Seventeen" and such Fleetwood Mac classics as
"Landslide" and "Rhiannon." The set,
Nicks' second hits collection, after 1991's Timespace: The
Best Of Stevie Nicks, will also include Nicks' 2005 remake
of Fleetwood Mac's Number One hit "Dreams" featuring
the dance act Deep Dish. A bonus DVD will feature
several live performances, and commentary on the songs by
Nicks.
- Stevie Nicks will next
perform on Sunday (February 4th) as part of CBS' Super
Bowl pre-game show. She has two additional Florida shows
set for later that week on February 6th in Hollywood, at
the Seminole Hard Rock Live, and on February 9th in Tampa
at the Ford Amphitheatre at the State Fairgrounds.
- After that, Nicks has a
four-night stand at Las Vegas' Caesar's Palace, set for
March 20th, 21st, 23rd, 24th. Concert dates are expected
to be announced soon for a spring tour with Chris Isaak,
kicking off in May.
TED NUGENT WANTS CRITICS TO GET
OVER IT
Ted Nugent says a recent performance that made the news
was decidedly not controversial, and he wants his
critics to get over it. Nugent caught some grief after
appearing in Austin, Texas, at the inaugural festivities for
Texas Governor Rick Perry, when the Associated Press
reported that he had unkind words about people in America who
don't speak English.
In a guest column for the Tribune-Herald newspaper
in Waco, Texas, where he now lives, Nugent wrote, "My
recent fire-breathing rock-out for the good Governor Rick
Perry at his joyous inaugural bash was certainly yet another
installment in primal scream musical upgrade, and hence,
left-wing hysteria. The entire event was undeniably and
overwhelmingly fun, positive, cheery, intense, and exciting...
My inaugural crowd of uppity (black tie notwithstanding) was
about to implode with frenzied laughter, smiling faces,
clenched fists, and buoyancy off the charts... On this fine
night of jubilation and revelry, I even censored myself
accordingly to keep the attendant bluehairs from hurting
themselves. I am so very kind. No political fires were
started. None."
- Nugent added, "In total
defiance to the vicious lies and hateful allegations of
'racism' leveled at me by irresponsible, unprofessional,
and downright goofy media punks, I never said a word about
immigration or language, specifically not the alleged slam
against 'illegal immigrants' or 'non-English-speaking'
anyone. Those are pure, unadulterated lies created by a
hyper-liberal media which have failed forever to take me
on regarding any quality-of-life issues in America."
- Nugent's comments about
English-language speakers got him in trouble in Texas back
in April 2000, when he opened for Kiss. Local
groups in and around Houston spoke out against Nugent for
saying "If you're not gonna speak English, get the
f*** out of America." Nugent never denied the
statement, and said it wasn't directed at a particular
ethnic group. Instead, he thinks the language barrier
keeps people separated and keeps America from being the
best country it can be.
FLASHBACK: THE BEATLES
PERFORM ON THE APPLE ROOFTOP
It was 38 years ago today (January 30th, 1969) that the Beatles
performed for the last time in public, on top of their Apple
headquarters building in London. For the better part of that
January, the group had been filming their rehearsals for a
planned comeback concert, before band politics forced them to
abort the plan and concentrate on recording a new album,
tentatively titled Get Back.
The film crew continued filming the recording sessions for
what eventually became the Let It Be album and movie,
and on January 30th, the Beatles finally gave in to director Michael
Lindsay-Hogg's request for a live concert finale for the
film. Rather than the various exotic locations that had been
tossed around for the group's first public appearance in
nearly two-and-a-half years, such as a cruise ship, a mental
asylum, or a Roman amphitheatre, the group had their equipment
set up on top of their business offices at 3 Saville Row for a
brief lunchtime set -- similar to the ones they had used to do
years earlier in Liverpool's Cavern Club.
The Beatles and keyboardist Billy Preston, who were
decked out in winter coats, played for about 42 minutes for a
handful of fans, their wives, office workers and their
personal staff. They performed a total of nine full songs:
three versions of "Get Back," two versions of
"Don't Let Me Down," two versions of "I've Got
A Feeling," "Dig A Pony," and "One After
909," which was one of John Lennon and Paul
McCartney's earliest compositions, dating back to the
1950s.
- In between songs, while the
film crew was busy setting up, the Beatles briefly ran
through a few standards, including a few bars of
"Danny Boy," "A Pretty Girl Is Like A
Melody," and "God Save The Queen."
- George Harrison had
made it clear prior to the impromptu concert that none of
his songs would be played on the roof. Towards the end of
the Beatles' set, the police were called and politely
demanded that the group quit disturbing the peace, as
dozens of office workers had begun crowding around in the
streets near the Beatles' headquarters to hear the band
play.
- At the end of the final
performance of "Get Back," Lennon uttered the
immortal line, "I'd like to thank you on behalf of
the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the
audition." It was the last time that the Beatles
would ever perform in public.
- Although never released in its
entirety, most of the Beatles' "Rooftop Concert"
has been widely bootlegged over the years. The Beatles
themselves have also issued a lot of the rooftop concert
over various releases. 1970's Let It Be album
featured an edited live performance of "Dig A
Pony," "I've Got A Feeling," and "One
After 909." The group's final performance of
"Get Back" was included on 1996's The Beatles
Anthology 3 album, and the 2003 Let It Be... Naked
collection included new composite takes from different
versions of "Don't Let Me Down," and "I've
Got A Feeling." In one form or another, at least one
version of all the songs from the group's final
performance has been officially released.
- The version of "Get
Back" that closes the Let It Be album, which
was long thought to be a live take, is actually a cheat --
Lennon and McCartney's pre and post-song comments were
tagged by producer Phil Spector onto an abbreviated
version of the studio-recorded single version.
ROCK DVD ROUNDUP
Out now on DVD is The Rolling Stones: Truth And Lies.
The unofficial disc chronicles the band's history from their
early days in London in the early '60s, up through their most
recent worldwide tours. Although the film features no original
Stones music, the DVD includes rarely seen newsreel footage
from the band's early tours, court appearances, and press
conferences.
- Among the highlights is
pristine color footage the band's June 1969 press
conference announcing guitarist Mick Taylor as the
replacement for co-founder Brian Jones. The footage
was shot only days before Jones' death and the Stones'
legendary free concert in London's Hyde Park which served
as a tribute for Jones.
Also newly released is the critically acclaimed Classic
Albums series that premiered on VH1 in the late '90s,
featuring such seminal albums as Fleetwood Mac's Rumours,
Phil Collins' Face Value, Paul Simon's Graceland,
and the Who's Who's Next. Each of the albums
feature the artists, guest musicians, engineers, and producers
giving the backstory as to how the music was written and how
the performances took shape for the legendary albums.
- Out now in the U.S. is the
critically acclaimed BBC documentary production on the Faces'
Ronnie Lane. The DVD, titled The Passing Show:
The Life & Music Of Ronnie Lane, chronicles Lane's
early days as part of the Small Faces, his stint
alongside Rod Stewart and Ron Wood in the
Faces, his traveling minstrel solo career, and eventual
death due to multiple sclerosis.
- In addition to numerous
rarely seen performances, The Passing Show features
in-depth insight into Lane's personal life and music from
his Small Faces and Faces bandmates Ian McLagan and
Kenney Jones, and frequent collaborators and close
friends including producer Glyn Johns, Eric
Clapton, and Pete Townshend.
LITTLE BIG TOWN LEND TALENTS
TO JOHN MELLENCAMP RECORD
Little Big Town lent their harmonies to eight tracks on
John Mellencamp's new album, Freedom's Road. In
addition to recording the song with him, the group performed
Mellencamp's current single, "Our Country," at Game
Two of the World Series last year. The song is also featured
in Chevy's current national ad campaign.
- Mellencamp had Little Big
Town on the road as his opening act for his Spring 2006
tour, and he became a fan of the band's sound. Following
the tour, he invited them to work with him on his new
record.
- Jimi Westbrook said,
"John Mellencamp has long been an influence on us. To
actually be in the studio with him, working on his CD was
an amazing experience. We were so inspired by John's
writing and the work he put into the making of this
record. We are honored that he asked us to be a part of
it."
JONI MITCHELL ENTERS
CANADIAN SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME
Joni Mitchell was inducted into the Canadian
Songwriters Hall of Fame on Sunday night (January 28th). The
Toronto Sun reported that Mitchell spoke about her early
days as a singer-songwriter, and told the crowd at the Metro
Toronto Convention Centre that she had friends in the crowd
that she's known since the fourth grade, explaining that,
"It's very powerful to reminisce and to be in the company
of such terrific friends. I'm overwhelmed at their loyalty to
me over the years and how much fun we still have together.
This is a great honor for all musicians. Anyone who receives
this honor should be very, very proud... We are building a
heritage here in this country."
Mitchell's old friend James Taylor performed her
1969 song "Woodstock," one of five of her songs that
were also inducted into the Hall, along with tunes by other
Canadian writers. Taylor recalled first becoming a fan of her
music: "I first heard Joni Mitchell's music in Paul
McCartney's office at Apple Records in London in
1968." Taylor went on to joke that, "We met actually
here at the Mariposa festival, I think it was '70, maybe '71,
I can't quite remember. Things are hazy from those days."
- Chaka Khan and Herbie
Hancock teamed up to pay tribute to Mitchell by
performing her 1974 hit "Help Me."
- David Clayton-Thomas of
Blood, Sweat & Tears was thrilled that the
group's "Spinning Wheel" was inducted alongside
Mitchell's songs: "I'm doubly honored because my song
is actually being inducted alongside of five Joni Mitchell
songs."
- He remembered having an early
crush on Mitchell during her early folk days back in the
mid-'60s, recalling that, "I adored her. I had an
enormous crush on her. I played around the corner at a
club called The Devil's Den. And so I used to be able to
go out the back door between my sets... and watch Joni
Mitchell from the back. But she never paid me no
mind."
- Clayton-Thomas remembered her
as "This ethereal, flaxen-haired, goddess from the
West Coast and I was a greasy-haired, leather-jacketed,
rock-'n'-roll punk from Toronto with a real loud
rock-'n'-roll band, which played two doors away and still,
I'm sure, disturbed some of her shows."
YOKO ONO'S CHAUFFEUR DENIED
BAIL AGAIN, TRIAL SET FOR FEBRUARY 12th
Yoko Ono's former chauffeur Koral Karsan, who is
currently behind bars for allegedly attempting to blackmail
Ono for $2 million, has been denied bail for a third time.
Karsan was arrested on December 13th after blackmailing Ono
and threatening her life in exchange for keeping her and son Sean
Lennon's personal secrets under wraps.
Eonline.com reported that the New York State Supreme
Court reviewed the case on Friday (January 26th) and ruled
that "there have been no new developments in the
case," and that Karsan must remain behind bars.
Prosecutors have claimed that the Turkish-born Karsan is a
flight risk, and believe that if granted bail he would flee
the country.
- Karsan's attorney Robert
Gottlieb claims that a tape recording from an
interview between Ono's lawyers and Karsan exonerates his
client. Gottlieb said that Karsan was so overworked by Ono
that "eight of his teeth fell out, requiring medical
attention" and that Karsan's note to Ono, which was
perceived by authorities to be a blackmail letter, was
actually Karsan "pleading for compensation for pain
and suffering, not threatening death." Karsan
delivered the note demanding $2 million on December 8th of
last year, the 26th anniversary of John Lennon's
murder.
- Following Karsan's attorney's
request for a speedy trial, a preliminary court date was
set for February 12th.
1/29/07
VAN
HALEN COMEBACK TO BEGIN IN LAS VEGAS?
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on Friday
(January 26th) that it's "looking good" that the
increasingly likely Van Halen reunion tour will launch
with an intimate show at the Pearl, a new venue opening up at
the Palms hotel and casino complex. A source told the
newspaper that the show, which would feature the return of
original vocalist David Lee Roth after 22 years, is
"99 percent" likely for late April. The 2,500-seat
venue will open for business in mid-March with concerts by Tool,
Evanescence and Gwen Stefani already booked.
- Billboard.com reported
on Wednesday (January 24th) that a deal was nearly done
for Van Halen to embark on a summer tour that would
include 40 amphitheatre shows.
- Guitarist Eddie Van Halen
recently told Rolling Stone, "Everything is up
in the air. We don't want to say anything
prematurely," hinting that Van Halen would tour this
summer whether Roth was the singer or not.
- The band now includes Eddie's
son Wolfgang on bass, replacing original bass
player Michael Anthony.
- Van Halen will be inducted
into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in March.
RINGO STARR RECORDING NEW
ALBUM WITH EURYTHMICS' DAVE STEWART
Ringo Starr is currently working on his latest album,
with Eurythmics' Dave Stewart producing. The Beatles'
fan website Abbey Road Best (abbeyrd.best.vwh.net)
reported that the pair is recording the album at an unnamed
location and that no release date has been announced yet.
Stewart has worked within all four of the solo Beatles
camps throughout the years:
- Last year, the late George
Harrison's re-recording of his 1975 song "This
Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)" was used as part of
Stewart's fictional band project, Platinum Weird.
The track featured a demo of Harrison on lead vocals and
acoustic guitar taped shortly before his 2001 death, with
Stewart overdubbing guitars with Harrison's son Dhani,
and Starr adding drums. Starr also played drums on two
additional Platinum Weird tracks.
- In 2005 Stewart collaborated
with Paul McCartney on the song "Whole
Life" for the four-track 46664 - One Year On
CD EP, which featured songs specially recorded for Nelson
Mandela's global 46664 initiative.
- In 2001, Stewart performed John
Lennon's "Instant Karma" with Nelly
Furtado at the Come Together: A Night For John
Lennon's Words And Music concert at New York's Radio
City Music Hall.
- In 1988, George Harrison and
the other Traveling Wilburys -- Bob Dylan, Roy
Orbison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty --
recorded the basic tracks of their Vol. 1 album in
Stewart's Los Angeles studio.
- Starr's new album sessions
mark the first time that Starr has recorded a project in
nearly a decade without longtime collaborator Mark
Hudson, who has produced Starr's last four studio
albums.
- Starr and Hudson reportedly
had a falling out before last Summer's All Starr Band
tour, when Hudson backed out of playing bass on the tour
at the last minute to take a job on a British TV talent
show. Hamish Stuart, former Average White Band
guitarist and longtime McCartney sideman, stepped in at
the last minute.
In other Beatles related news:
Yoko Ono will appear at Austin's South By Southwest
music conference which is scheduled to run between March 9th
to 18th. Austin360.com reported that Ono will be on
hand to promote her new album, Yes, I'm A Witch, which
features modern alternative bands remixing and overdubbing
older Ono tracks. Yes, I'm A Witch will be released on
February 20th, two days after Ono's 74th birthday.
Among the other acts appearing at the South By Southwest
music conference will be keynote speaker Pete Townshend,
Rickie Lee Jones, and Iggy and the Stooges.
ERIC CLAPTON MAY BE PLANNING
SECOND CROSSROADS FESTIVAL
Eric Clapton my be planning a second Crossroads
Festival this year, taking place in July in Chicago. An
Italian web site dedicated to former Mahavishnu Orchestra
leader John McLaughlin (italway.it) reports that the
guitarist -- who was part of the first Crossroads Festival
in 2004 in Dallas -- would be part of the sequel on July 28th
in the Windy City. No official announcement has been made, and
Clapton's representatives were not available for comment about
the report.
- Clapton held the 2004 Crossroads
Festival to raise funds for the Crossroads Centre, a
substance abuse rehabilitation facility he opened in 1998
in Antigua.
- John Mayer, ZZ Top, Joe
Walsh, Jimmie Vaughan, Robert Randolph, Robert Cray, James
Taylor, and J.J. Cale were among those who
performed at the 2004 Crossroads Festival. The
event was filmed and a DVD was subsequently released.
Clapton returns to the road today (Monday, January 29th)
in Sydney, Australia. He begins a North American tour on
February 28th in Dallas, Texas.
DAVID CROSBY DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT
HOW TELL-ALL BOOK WOULD AFFECT YOUNGEST SON
David Crosby recently published the second volume of
his memoirs, titled Since Then: How I Survived Everything
And Lived To Tell About It. This volume chronicles his
life from his mid-1980s drug rehab through to the present day,
and doesn't hold back from discussing his medical, financial,
and legal problems over the years, as well as his
less-than-exemplary parenting skills earlier in his life.
Crosby and his wife Jan Dance have an 11-year-old
son named Django, who is now old enough to read all
about his father's infamous past. Crosby says he's not worried
about discussing things with Django, however: "He hasn't
specifically questioned me about the book -- there's nothing
in it that he doesn't know, though. I have found that it works
best to relate to him the way I would to an adult. He's too
smart not to do that. You really can't tone it down for him,
at all, or he'll catch you right away. He's got a bulls**t
detector a mile wide, and you really sort of have to treat him
as an equal."
- Since Then: How I Survived
Everything And Lived To Tell About It was co-written
with Carl Gottlieb, who also co-authored Crosby's
first memoir, 1988's Long Time Gone.
- Last year Crosby released a
three-CD career-spanning box set, titled Voyage,
which includes tracks from his early days with the Byrds,
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby-Nash,
his solo work, and his more recent work with side band CPR,
which he co-founded with another son, keyboardist James
Raymond.
PETE TOWNSHEND SAYS LATEST
WHO TOUR HOLDS 'BEST MEMORIES'
Pete Townshend says that he's more comfortable playing
in the Who now than he was during their 1970s heyday.
Townshend, who is heading back on the road with the Who next
month, revealed to jambase.com that, "I felt
uncomfortable most of the time. I was unhappy a lot of the
time. When I was confronted with the 'excesses' of touring I
was rather ashamed by it. When I became decadent myself (in
the late '70s) I briefly enjoyed my new role. But, I am
happiest today. I enjoy performing now. I have fun, and I am
genuinely pleased to see the people in the audience where once
I felt they were a burden to me. The best memories are the
most recent, playing on tour in the U.S. in November
(2006)."
- When asked to compare the
latest incarnation of the Who with the original lineup,
featuring the late Keith Moon on drums and John
Entwistle on bass, who died in 1978 and 2002,
respectively, Townshend said that, "There is little
point analyzing it. It is different. Roger (Daltrey)
and I would have preferred Keith Moon and John Entwistle
didn't die. The band that we have now is not pretending to
be better. It is different."
- Pete Townshend will next
perform on February 20th with his girlfriend Rachel
Fuller, and other yet-to-be-named guest artists, at
Joe's Pub in New York City.
- The Who kick off their next
series of dates on February 23rd in Reno, Nevada at the
Reno Events Center.
PAUL STANLEY TAKING SOLO
SHOW TO AUSTRALIA
Kiss frontman Paul Stanley is taking his solo
show to Australia. Stanley, who toured North America last year
in support of his second solo album, Live To Win, goes
Down Under starting April 11th in Gold Coast and finishing six
shows later in Adelaide. He'll also play theaters in
Wollongong, Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, backed by the
house band from CBS's Rock Star: Supernova.
In addition to songs from Live To Win, Stanley's
2006 shows included songs from his self-titled 1978 solo
debut, as well as a selection of Kiss songs, including
favorites ("Love Gun," "Detroit Rock
City," "Strutter," "Do You Love Me?")
and obscurities such as "Got To Choose," "Magic
Touch," "I Still Love You," and "A Million
To One."
- In a statement announcing the
Australian shows, Stanley said: "The U.S. shows were
incredible and reconnected me to the reasons I loved live
music growing up. Between all the Kiss classics, songs
we've never played and songs from my two solo albums, it's
an ultimate night that's as good or better than anything
else around. I want to continue this sweat fest as long as
I can and my first question was 'Can I get to Australia?'
Night after night the fans across the U.S. were blown
away. I can't wait."
- Kiss recorded its 2003 concert
album Kiss Symphony: Alive IV in Australia.
- Kiss is reportedly considering
some symphonic dates for North America in 2007, but no
details have yet been announced.
WARREN ZEVON REISSUES COMING
IN MARCH
Three albums by the late Warren Zevon will be reissued
on March 27th, one of which is making its CD debut. The studio
albums Excitable Boy and The Envoy and the live
set Stand in the Fire will all feature remastered sound
and bonus tracks.
- Excitable Boy was
Zevon's best-selling album, hitting the Top 10 after it
was released in 1978 thanks to the hit "Werewolves Of
London." The album's four bonus tracks include an
alternate version of "Werewolves...," a solo
piano rendition of "Tule's Blues," a version of
"Frozen Notes" with strings, and the outtake
"I Need A Truck."
- The Envoy, from 1982,
was a critical success but not a commercial one. It
features guest appearances by Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey
Buckingham, the Eagles' Don Henley, Graham Nash,
and Zevon's son Jordan. The reissue's bonus tracks
include a cover of the Troggs' "Wild
Thing," an alternate take of "Let Nothing Come
Between You," the instrumental "Word Of
Mouth," and the outtake "The Risk."
- This is the first time Stand
In The Fire appears on CD. It was recorded in 1981 at
the Roxy in Los Angeles during Zevon's The Dog At The
Part We Didn't Like Tour and originally released the
following year, and the reissue will feature four
additional tracks -- "Johnny Strikes Up The
Band," "Play It All Night Long,"
"Hasten Down The Wind," and "Frank And
Jessie James."
- Zevon died on September 7th,
2003, from lung cancer. He won his only two Grammy Awards
for The Wind, which was recorded after his
diagnosis and released about two weeks before his death.
STONES GUITARIST'S ALL-STAR
BAND RESURFACES ON LIVE ALBUM
Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood's
often-bootlegged 1979 tour with the all-star band New
Barbarians finally has an official release. Buried
Alive -- Live In Maryland is out in Europe and is readily
available as a retail import or online. The two-CD set hails
from a May 5th, 1977 show at the Capital Center Arena in
Largo, Maryland, and features songs from Wood's then-new solo
album Gimme Some Neck, as well as Stones favorites such
as "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Honky Tonk
Women," plus covers of Chuck Berry's "Sweet
Little Rock 'n' Roller" and Robert Johnson's "Love
In Vain."
- New Barbarians included fellow
Stones guitarist Keith Richards, Faces
keyboardist Ian McLagan, jazz bassist Stanley
Clarke, Meters drummer Ziggy Modeliste, and
Stones saxophonist Bobby Keys.
- The group's first North
American performances had been several weeks earlier, a
pair of benefit shows for the Canadian National Institute
For The Blind in Oshawa, Ontario, to fulfill Richards'
drug possession sentence two years earlier in Toronto. The
New Barbarians opened for the Stones at both shows.
1/26/07
REPORT:
THE POLICE AT WORK IN VANCOUVER
The Police are reported to already be at work on their
reunion. A caller to radio station CFMI in Vancouver said
they’re shooting at video at Lions Gate Studios in the city,
and the group is also supposed to be using the facility for
tour rehearsals. There have been a lot of stories about Sting,
Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland reuniting to
celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band’s
first single release, which it’s rumored will start with an
appearance at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles next month.
A spokesperson told LAUNCH, “At this time, it is
premature to say there will be a reunion tour,” then
referred to the previous statement from the record company
that said, “As the 30th anniversary of the first
Police single approaches, discussions have been underway as to
how this will be commemorated. While we can confirm that there
will indeed be something special done to mark the occasion,
the depth of the band’s involvement still remains
undetermined.”
THE WHO TO PLAY GLASTONBURY
FESTIVAL
The Who are booked to play this year’s Glastonbury
Festival, the U.K. operation that usually focuses on younger,
hipper bands. Guitarist Pete Townshend made the
announcement during an interview on British radio station XFM,
and festival organizer Michael Eavis told the BBC the
deal was pretty much finalized. Glastonbury will be held June
22nd, 23rd, and 24th, and the
Who will play the last night.
·
Glastonbury has featured Paul McCartney and
R.E.M. in recent years, but the bill tends more toward the
current scene, with acts like Arcade Fire, the Arctic
Monkeys, and Red Hot Chili Peppers already
confirmed or strongly rumored.
·
The Who’s world tour resumes February 23rd
in Reno, Nevada.
ZZ TOP, STEELY DAN, ALLMAN
BROTHERS & GEORGE THOROGOOD BOOKED FOR NEW ORLEANS JAZZ
FEST
Classic rockers will be well represented at the 38th
annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The event
takes place over two weekends, April 27 to the 29th
and May 4th to the 6th, and groups
including ZZ Top, Steely Dan, George
Thorogood & the Destroyers, and the Allman Brothers
Band will be there. Tickets went on sale yesterday
(Thursday, January 25th) for Jazz Fest, which draws
tens of thousands of music lovers every year to New Orleans.
This year’s headliner is native son Harry Connick, Jr.,
and he’ll close the festival on May 6th.
·
Producer-Director Quint Davis said,
“Jazz Fest is an invitation to move your body and your soul.
New Orleans is the best place in the world to listen to music
and to sing and dance in an open and loving atmosphere, and
this year we’re presenting more music than ever. As always,
Jazz Fest is going to give Festivalgoers the best opportunity
to participate in this city’s powerful and joyful
integration of culture and community.”
·
Shows will take place simultaneously on 10
stages at the Fair Grounds Race Course from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
each day.
Classic rockers at the first weekend at Jazz Fest, April 27
to the 29th, will include (subject to change):
·
Dr. John, Rod Stewart, Van Morrison, Bonnie
Raitt, Richie Havens, Johnny Rivers, and George Thorogood
& the Destroyers.
Classic rockers at the second weekend at Jazz Fest, May 4th
to the 6th, will include (subject to change):
·
Steely Dan, ZZ Top, the Allman Brothers Band,
the Radiators, and Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck
Leavell.
JOHN MELLENCAMP WANTS LITTLE
BIG TOWN FOR ‘FREEDOM ROADSHOW’ TOUR
John Mellencamp has designs on taking Little Big
Town on the road with him in the fall when he heads out to
promote his new album, Freedom’s Road. The singer
told Billboard that he would like to put together a
“package-style tour” called the Freedom’s Roadshow.
·
Little Big Town appears on Freedom’s Road,
as does Joan Baez, another artist he’d like to add to
the tour.
·
Mellencamp said, “I haven’t talked to
anybody yet, but everything will be based around my band. My
band will be on stage all night. There’s be no
stage-changing, no equipment-changing and all that crap. My
band will just play with everybody.”
PETER GABRIEL TO RELEASE NEW
ALBUM WITHOUT A LABEL
Peter Gabriel will release his next album
without being on a label. According to the London newspaper The
Times, Gabriel has formed High Level Recordings with a
venture capital firm, which has put up nearly $4 million to
pay for recording and distribution. Gabriel doesn’t have a
record contract in North America, and this will allow him to
keep the majority of the money from the new project. The
director of the venture capital firm said, “If you’re
paying a small distribution fee and covering your own
marketing costs, you enjoy the lion’s share of the proceeds
of the album.” There’s no word yet on when Gabriel might
release the album, or whether he’ll tour once it comes out.
JEFFERSON STARSHIP TO HELP
MICROSOFT LAUNCH VISTA OPERATING SYSTEM
Microsoft has hired Jefferson Starship to help launch
their new Vista operating system. The Starship will play on
the back of a special Microsoft flatbed truck in four cities
in the coming weeks—Los Angeles on Tuesday (January 30th);
San Francisco on February 7th; New Orleans on
February 13th; and Austin, Texas, on March 14th.
All shows will be on the Microsoft/T-Mobile “Airship”
Stage, and according to a message from the band’s manager on
the official Jefferson Starship website, “They are providing
a revolutionary, dynamic portable stage that opens like a
lotus from a flatbed. The truck itself is decorated with our
name and the dates and can be seen cruising around the streets
of the cities we are to perform in, several days in advance of
the concerts.” There’s also a website for the
Starship/Microsoft/T-Mobile project at skysurprise.com.
Microsoft’s new Vista software goes on sale to consumers
on Tuesday (January 30th).
·
Microsoft has a bit of history with new
operating systems and classic rock bands—the company
reportedly gave the Rolling Stones several million dollars for
the rights to use “Start Me Up” in the ad campaign for
Windows 95.
ART GARFUNKEL MIXES
STANDARDS WITH REVAMPED SIMON & GARFUNKEL HITS IN CONCERT
Art Garfunkel has just wrapped up his first dates of
the year, performing songs from his soon-to-be released
standards album alongside many of Simon & Garfunkel’s
greatest hits. Garfunkel’s new album, Some Enchanted
Evening, will be released on Tuesday (January 30th).
Garfunkel is also testing out new arrangements to some Simon
& Garfunkel classics, according to the Albany Times
Union, including “a cajun-tinged ‘Cecilia’... and an
interesting new age-ish rendition of ‘El Condor Pasa.’”
Among the other Simon & Garfunkel songs in
Garfunkel’s 90-minute show are “Homeward Bound,”
“Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Kathy’s Song,” “For
Emily, Wherever I May Find Her,” and “Mrs. Robinson.” He
also tackled solo favorites such as “A Heart In New York”
and “Bright Eyes,” and has been opening his shows with Paul
Simon’s “American Tune.”
·
Garfunkel said that being a performing
entertainer has always been a risky situation: “Show
business is a lot about, ‘Here I am! You’ll either applaud
or throw rotten eggs at me.’ You never know, they seem to
applaud. But it’s a vulnerable, exposed game I play.”
·
Art Garfunkel will kick off his next set of
dates on March 1st in Columbus, Georgia at the
River Center Performing Arts.
JOHN LENNON’S FIRST BAND
TO APPEAR AT NEW JERSEY’S FEST FOR BEATLES FANS
The New York Metro Fest For Beatles Fans will be held
on March 16th through 18th in Secaucus,
New Jersey at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The fan convention,
previously known as Beatlefest, will feature members of John
Lennon’s original band the Quarrymen, the
Beatles’ original recording engineer Norman “Hurricane”
Smith, the Hollies’ Terry Sylvester, Ringo
Starr’s longtime producer and songwriting partner Mark
Hudson, and ‘80s rockers the Smithereens, who
have just released their new Meet The Smithereens!
album, which is a track-for-track cover of the Fab Four’s
1964 American release, Meet The Beatles!
·
Also appearing will be legendary rock
photographer Bob Gruen who took most of the iconic New
York City shots of John Lennon in the ‘70s. Also on hand
will be filmmaker Albert Maysles, who with his late
brother David directed the documentary What’s
Happening: The Beatles In The U.S.A., which was later
incorporated into the DVD of The Beatles First U.S. Visit.
The Maysles brothers also produced the Rolling Stones’
movie Gimme Shelter.
·
The Fest features various video and karaoke
rooms, a Beatles museum, group sing-a-longs, a battle of the
bands competition as well as tremendous flea market boasting
many one-of-a kind posters, books and memorabilia. For more
information, tickets and schedules, log on to
thefestforbeatlesfans.com.
AMERICA BACK ON THE CHARTS
WITH NEW DOUBLE ALBUM
America is back on the charts with their first Top 100
album in nearly 25 years. The group, which includes
co-founders Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, has
just released a double-disc set, Here & Now, which
debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at Number 52 --
making it their highest charting debut in three decades.
The new collection features a dozen new tracks co-produced
by Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha and Fountains
Of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger. The second disc
features a recent live performance of the group performing
their multiplatinum 1975 album History/America’s Greatest
Hits in its entirety. Included are such legendary America
hits as “Sister Golden Hair,” “Ventura Highway,” “A
Horse With No Name,” and others.
·
Gerry Beckley said that although their current
producers come from out of the modern rock scene, they were
very respectful of America’s body of work: “They were
constantly going back to the earlier albums; Homecoming,
and Hearts and things, and referencing those to just
see if it lined up. But the effort was not to make a
‘retro’ sound, but to make a timeless sound. And I
think that they felt that’s what we had captured before and
that’s what we were after this time. So to be honest, we
never went, ‘Whoa, this seems left-field.’ I think we were
really in agreement.”
·
America kick off their next set of dates on
March 9th in Glenside, Pennsylvania at the Keswick
Theatre.
ORIGINAL KISS DRUMMER’S
EX-WIFE PUBLISHES BOOK ABOUT THEIR LIFE
Lydia Criss, ex-wife of original Kiss drummer Peter
Criss, has published a book about their lives together.
It’s titled Sealed With A Kiss, and it traces their
history from when they first met in the mid-‘60s, through
their marriage and the band’s rise to superstardom, to their
divorce in 1979 and the years since. Lydia could have just
focused on her time in and around Kiss, but she said it was
important to show the context in which the band formed: “It
was a really wild time in New York and, well, in America, you
know? It was the ‘60s, and it was Flower Power, and—what
was it, ‘the Summer Of Love,’ and you know, that’s an
exciting part of my life. And it kind of... it’s important
to see how it builds up to why Peter is the way he was in
Kiss, and why I was the way I was, and, you know, even the
band.”
·
Sealed With A Kiss has a huge amount of
rare and unpublished photos Lydia’s personal archives,
including many from when the band first formed.
·
The book is available at the official
lydiacriss.com website, where you can also have her
personalize it by signing it almost any way you can imagine.
FLASHBACK: JOHN LENNON
RECORDS ‘INSTANT KARMA’
It was 37 years ago tomorrow (January 27th, 1970)
that John Lennon recorded “Instant Karma.” Lennon
had recorded several experimental albums and two singles under
the name the Plastic Ono Band. “Instant Karma,”
however, was released under the name John Ono Lennon,
the name he’d created when he legally changed his middle
name from Winston to Ono the previous April.
Although the public didn’t know it, Lennon had quit the Beatles
in September 1969, which is reportedly why he had the
single’s sleeve feature his name in bold, black letters, to
announce himself to the world as a solo artist.
Lennon wrote the song in a single afternoon, recorded it
within a week, and originally hoped to release it the
following week. At the time, Lennon told Britain’s music
paper Melody Maker that he wanted to be able to release
music as easily as issuing newspapers. Lennon talked about
what the song meant, explaining that, “Whenever you do
something, there’s a reaction to it. Even if you cough, you
cough germs out all over the place. If you cough love out, out
goes love. That’s what ‘Instant Karma’ is.”
·
The song was recorded between 7:00 p.m. and 4:00
a.m. the following morning at Abbey Road Studios. At the
suggestion of George Harrison, legendary “Wall
Of Sound” creator Phil Spector produced the song.
Harrison also played guitar and piano on the track. There’s
still some disagreement as to who actually played on the
backing track, with several reports listing Eric Clapton,
Billy Preston, and Badfinger’s Pete Ham
overdubbing parts as well. At the end of the session, the Beatles’
road manager, Mal Evans, rounded up the patrons of
Hatchett’s, a nearby nightclub, to help supply backing
vocals.
·
The song was released to radio on February 22nd,
several weeks ahead of the Beatles’ “Let It Be” single.
The two songs battled each other all the way up the Billboard
Hot 100. On April 10th, 1970, Paul McCartney
issued a press release announcing his split from the Beatles,
effectively ending the group. The next day “Instant Karma”
peaked at Number Three behind the Jackson Five’s
“ABC,” which held the Number Two spot while the Beatles
were on top with “Let It Be.”
METALLICA’S ‘MASTER OF
PUPPETS’ NAMED MOST INFLUENTIAL METAL ALBUM
Metallica’s classic1986 record Master of Puppets
has been selected as the most influential heavy metal album of
all time by pop culture web site IGN Music. The editors
explained their choice by saying that the band’s third
effort “built upon and perfected everything (Metallica) had
experimented with prior. It’s the album where all the pieces
come together in glorious cohesion and it’s the album that
finally woke the general public up to the power and the glory
that Metallica was born to spread.” Two other Metallica
discs also made the Top 10, more than any other act.
The band itself seemed to recognize the status of Master
of Puppets last summer when it played the album in its
entirety on a European tour. Drummer Lars Ulrich said
that playing the entire set live has also influenced the
direction of the next Metallica effort: “It was a great
thing having to revisit Master of Puppets because it
kind of forced us to step it up a little. You know, a lot of
the fans, I think, recognized that we were kind of maybe
firing on more cylinders last summer when we played the
European run and so on, and I think we’ve got some of that
same energy going now. There’s a lot of attitude and it’s
pretty high energy.”
·
Metallica is currently recording its ninth
studio album with producer Rick Rubin for release later
this year.
·
IGN’s Top 10 most influential heavy
metal albums of all time were:
1. Metallica - Master of Puppets
2. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
3. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
4. Megadeth- Rust In Peace
5. Metallica - Ride The Lightning
6. Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz
7. Slayer - Reign In Blood
8. Dio - Holy Diver
9. Metallica - ...And Justice For All
10. Motorhead - Ace of Spades
·
The extended Top 25 included albums from Pantera,
Judas Priest, Motley Crue, Deep Purple, Scorpions
and others.
1/25/07
VAN
HALEN-DAVID LEE ROTH REUNION DRAWING CLOSER
Things are heating up regarding the Van Halen-David Lee
Roth reunion. While it's been rumored for some time,
billboard.com is reporting that a deal may have been signed
yesterday (Wednesday, January 24th) for a summer tour that
would include 40 amphitheatre shows. If it's true, the shows
will be the first with Roth since his departure from the band
in 1985, though in 1996 he did record two songs with them that
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