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7/31/08

BLACK CROWES SUE COUNTRY STAR GRETCHEN WILSON FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

The Black Crowes are suing country star Gretchen Wilson for copyright infringement, accusing her of ripping parts of their 1991 hit "Jealous Again" and using them on her new single, "Work Hard, Play Harder." Wilson's track has started popping up in TV ads for the TNT series Saving Grace, and will appear on her upcoming album due out later this year. According to Billboard.com, Black Crowes manager Pete Angelus said, "We find the musical verses of Wilson's song to be such an obvious example of copyright infringement that I expect all parties to reach a relatively quick resolution to avoid litigation." Wilson's spokesperson had no comment.

• The Black Crowes are on tour and will perform in Bridgeport, Connecticut tomorrow (Friday, August 1st).

THURSDAY IS MOTLEY CRUE DAY IN LOS ANGELES

Thursday (July 31st) will be declared "Motley Crue Saints of Los Angeles Day" by a representative of the city at a press conference taking place at Guitar Center in Hollywood, according to a statement from the group's publicist. The declaration will be part of an event announcing a new partnership between Guitar Center and Motley Crue that will include the launch of "Guitar Center Onstage," a chance for an up-and-coming band to win a record and management deal with the same organization that handles Motley Crue itself.

Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx told us he's proud of being known as a Los Angeles band: "You know, I used to say we were from Hollywood because we started in Hollywood, but we're from Los Angeles. You know, of course, being the 'Saints of Los Angeles' is a little...tongue in cheek? Just doesn't have the same ring as the 'Sinners of Los Angeles,' you know."

• Members of Motley Crue will appear at the event, along with Trapt singer Chris Brown and representatives from Guitar Center and the Crue's label, Eleven Seven Music.
• Guitar Center is located at 7425 Hollywood Boulevard. The event kicks off at noon PT.
• The Crue's inaugural Crue Fest tour, which also features Trapt, Buckcherry, Papa Roach and Sixx: A.M., stops in Phoenix on Thursday night.
• Motley Crue issued its first album of all-new material in eight years, Saints of Los Angeles, in June.

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL TO REISSUE ALBUMS WITH BONUS TRACKS

Classic Creedence Clearwater Revival albums will soon be reissued with bonus tracks and new liner notes. According to Reuters, the band's first six sets will arrive digitally remastered and with additional material on September 30th. The albums, which all came out between 1968 and 1970, include the group's debut self-titled release, along with Bayou Country, Green River, Willy & the Poor Boys, Cosmo's Factory and Pendulum. Among the extra tracks are unreleased studio versions of "Down on the Corner" and "Born on the Bayou," which were recorded with Booker T & the MGs.

• Creedence singer/songwriter John Fogerty is out on tour this summer backing his latest solo album, Revival. He released the set on Concord's Fantasy Records, the same label Creedence recorded for in the late '60s and early '70s.

FILM ON THE EDGE, JACK WHITE, JIMMY PAGE PREMIERING IN TORONTO

A new documentary focusing on U2 guitarist The Edge, White Stripes axeman Jack White and Led Zeppelin guitar player Jimmy Page will premiere this September at the Toronto International Film Festival, according to Variety. The film, titled It Might Get Loud, first screened in May at the Cannes Film Festival in France while searching for distribution. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, who won an Oscar for making the Al Gore documentary An Inconvenient Truth, the film looks at the history of the guitar through the eyes of the three musicians profiled.

• According to The Playlist film music blog, Page, White and The Edge were each picked for their contributions to guitar playing in three separate eras -- Page in the '70s, The Edge in the '80s and '90s, and White in the early years of the 21st century.
• The movie was shot in London, Dublin, Nashville and Los Angeles.
• There's no word on when or if the film will get a theatrical release.

OZZY IMPERSONATOR IMPRESSES SHARON OSBOURNE

An Ozzy Osbourne impersonator named Randy Hanson performed on this week's edition of the NBC-TV talent search show America's Got Talent, which features Ozzy's wife, Sharon Osbourne, as one of the judges. According to Blabbermouth.net, the 47-year-old Hanson, a carpenter, was so convincing with his rendition of the Black Sabbath song "Paranoid" that Sharon asked him to lower his pants so she could make sure he wasn't her husband, saying, "That's the only way I can tell." Hanson was the second Ozzy impersonator to appear on the program, with the first, called The Ozzman, performing earlier in the season.

• America's Got Talent spotlights amateur singers, dancers, magicians, comedians and other aspiring stars.
• The real Ozzy will co-headline the one-day Ozzfest with Metallica on August 9th in Dallas. There's always a chance he'll drop his drawers onstage whether Sharon is there or not.

PHIL SPECTOR'S LEGAL DEFENSE TEAM LOSES A BATCH OF PRE-TRIAL MOTIONS

Phil Spector's lawyers lost a few pre-trial motions this week in the case involving the 2003 shooting of actress Lana Clarkson. The "Wall of Sound" producer is accused of shooting Clarkson at his mansion in February 2003, and is about to face a retrial following last year's jury deadlock. The defense team alleges that Clarkson shot herself -- either intentionally or accidentally. And the latest update in the case involves motions requested by Spencer's defense team.

According to the Associated Press, on Tuesday (July 29th), Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler rejected a defense bid to leave out a videotape of testimony from the late Dianne Ogden, one of Spector's former love interests, who claimed he had threatened her with a gun. Also rejected was a defense claim that Spector will be in double jeopardy if the jury considers the lesser included offenses of voluntary or involuntary manslaughter.

• Fidler said, "I don't believe this is a double jeopardy matter." He added that the recent rulings could be reconsidered once the trial begins this fall.
• Another motions hearing is slated for August 14th. Spector's retrial is scheduled to begin on September 29th.

LOU GRAMM HAS FOND MEMORIES OF FOREIGNER

Foreigner recently returned with a career-spanning collection, titled No End In Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner, which features all of the band's hits -- "Feels Like the First Time," "Hot Blooded," "Urgent" and others. There's also a new track with vocals done by the group's latest frontman, Kelly Hansen.

Founding singer Lou Gramm, who has become a born-again Christian, isn't fronting Foreigner these days, but says he's proud of what he accomplished with the band. He's been out on the road doing solo shows that consist of both his own material and Foreigner songs, and tells us he has fond memories of being in the group: "I can look back on it with a lot of pride and I can see how my path has led me to where I am now."

• Gramm also squashes any rumors that Foreigner was put together by a corporation: "I don't even know how that story got started. That a corporation picked the members of the band? That's the farthest thing from the truth. We had auditions just like every other band -- and people who quit and people who decided to stand. But a corporate band? I don't think the music was corporate. How could you call 'Dirty White Boy' corporate?"
• Gramm has dates scheduled through the fall.
• Foreigner plays tonight (Thursday, July 31st) in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

LIV TYLER'S EX-HUSBAND FRONTRUNNER FOR VELVET REVOLVER GIG?

Ex-Spacehog vocalist Royston Langdon could be in the lead for the frontman job in Velvet Revolver, according to a report at EW.com. Langdon, who is the estranged husband of actress and Steven Tyler offspring Liv Tyler, has apparently had several successful rehearsal sessions with the band, with an insider saying, "They all got along great. It was really a refreshing change for the band." Although Velvet Revolver's management say that auditions were still going on with various singers, a source at the group's label, RCA, said Langdon is "definitely in the mix."

• Langdon performed earlier this month with Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash at a charity event in Las Vegas.
• Tyler and Langdon split this past spring after five years of marriage. They have a four-year-old son named Milo.
• Langdon's previous band, Spacehog, released three albums before breaking up in 2002. Their gold-selling 1995 debut, Resident Alien, featured the hit "In The Meantime."
• Velvet Revolver has been looking for a new frontman since dismissing Scott Weiland back in April. Rumored candidates have included ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach and former MTV VJ Steve Isaacs.
• Weiland reunited with his previous act, Stone Temple Pilots, and is currently on the road with them.

7/30/08

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN PULLS OUT RARITIES FOR HOMETOWN SHOW

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band surprised the audience at Monday's (July 29th) show at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, performing a few rare tracks during the three-hour gig. According to Backstreets.com, during "Summertime Blues" the Boss started collecting song sign requests from fans and chose to play the rare track "Held Up Without a Gun," which was the b-side on the "Hungry Heart" single. He said, "I'm gonna dedicate this to what it cost you guys to drive here! We're getting screwed somehow... This song was written in 1980 -- and it was prophetic." The song has only been performed live two other times in Springsteen's career.

Also in the set list was "Drive All Night," which hasn't been played in the U.S. since the 1981 tour in support of The River.

Other highlights of the show:

• Guitarist Nils Lofgren did a somersault in the middle of his solo on "Because the Night."
• Springsteen's encore included "Glory Days," "Detroit Medley," and "Twist and Shout," which included vocals by Jesse Malin and Marah's Dave Bielanko.
• Springsteen sang "Happy Birthday" to his wife Patti Scialfa.
• Drummer Max Weinberg's son took over on drums during "Born To Run."
• Springsteen danced with his daughter Jessica during "Girls in Their Summer Clothes."
• He dedicated "It's Hard To Be a Saint in the City" to late E Street Band member Danny Federici.

Springsteen says that he's comfortable at how his career has evolved, and the freedom of having a lot of music outlets at his disposal, and being able to play whatever material interests him: "The nice place about where we're at, at this point, is, is we're pretty free to do whatever we want, you know? We can go out and play a little bit if we wanted to, we don't have to have a record out -- sort of not being central is, gives you a lot of freedom to just make your music."

• Springsteen's three-night stand at Giants Stadium wraps tomorrow (Thursday, July 31st).

BOB DYLAN PUTS TOGETHER THREE-DISC RARITIES SET

Bob Dylan has put together a three-disc rarities set, called Tell Tale Signs, which will be released on October 7th. According to Billboard.com, the collection spans the past two decades of Dylan's career, featuring bonus tracks from sessions for Time Out of Mind, Modern Times, Oh Mercy and World Gone Wrong. One track, called "Dreamin' of You," is already available as a free download on Dylan's website. This will mark the eighth volume of Dylan's ongoing Bootleg Series. Previous volumes have included classic concerts as well as studio outtakes.

Also on the set are songs Dylan recorded for soundtracks, including "Huck's Tune" from Lucky You, "Cross the Green Mountain" from Gods and Generals, and the "The Lonesome River" from Clinch Mountain Country. The set will feature live selections from 2004's Bonnaroo festival, as well as an intimate performance at New York's Supper Club and a gig from London.

• Dylan is out on the road this summer. His next show is slated for August 8th in Philadelphia.

JACK BRUCE, DENNIS DeYOUNG, JEFFERSON STARSHIP, DAVE MASON AND OTHERS TO PLAY ROCK HALL BENEFIT

Cream's Jack Bruce, Traffic co-founder Dave Mason, Jefferson Starship members and Styx's Dennis DeYoung are among the artists lined up to play a benefit to raise money for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the John Entwistle Foundation. The two-day festival is slated to take place September 19th and 20th at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, North Carolina.

According to LiveDaily.com, the first night will be headlined by Mason, and the second night will feature Jefferson Starship with original Jefferson Airplane founders Marty Balin and Paul Kantner, along with Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten. Also set to perform are members of the former John Entwistle Band, ex-Deep Purple and Rainbow lead vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, Blue Oyster Cult lead singer Buck Dharma, and former Grand Funk Railroad frontman Mark Farner. Bruce is expected to close his set with some Cream hits. Then the headlining artists will do an encore tribute to the late Who bassist John Entwistle.

• Proceeds will go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's educational outreach program , as well as the John Entwistle Foundation, which provides musical instruments and music lessons to disadvantaged kids.

AC/DC STORES OPENING IN NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES?

AC/DC is tentatively planning to open two stores, one in New York and one in Los Angeles, that will exclusively sell AC/DC music and merchandise, according to Harddrive Radio. The shops will open their doors at the same time that the group's new album, Black Ice, hits the streets and will close after the holidays. No other details on the exact locations have been announced. Black Ice, meanwhile, has had its release date pushed up one week, from October 28th to October 21st. The record, AC/DC's first in eight years, will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, whose stores will also host their own special AC/DC display areas.

• The first single from Black Ice, titled "Rock 'n' Roll Train," will arrive at radio stations in late August. Our source at Harddrive Radio described it as "smoking hot."
• The legendary rockers are slated to begin an 18-month world tour in October, with the trek reportedly kicking off on Halloween in Chicago.

BEATLES NEWS ROUNDUP

A rare autographed Beatles postcard is heading to the auction block in August. According to the Liverpool Daily Post, the Parlophone Records postcard was autographed by all four Beatles after they played a concert at Liverpool Empire on May 26, 1963. Also on the postcard are sets of kisses by the Fab Four. It's expected to fetch up to $4,000.

7/29/08

AC/DC STARTING TOUR ON HALLOWEEN

AC/DC will kick off its first world tour in seven years on Halloween (October 31st) in Chicago, a source close to the band has told Harddrive Radio. No other details on the trek have been confirmed yet. The tour will come in support of the group's new album, Black Ice, which is due out on October 28th. A single titled "Rock and Roll Train" will arrive at radio stations around August 28th.

• Black Ice, which will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, is AC/DC's first new studio effort since 2000's Stiff Upper Lip.
• The 1977 AC/DC song "Let There Be Rock" will be featured in the new Rock Band 2 video game, due out in September. This will mark the band's first and so far only contribution to a video game soundtrack.

PAUL McCARTNEY ALMOST MISSED BILLY JOEL CONCERT

Paul McCartney almost missed Billy Joel's last performance at New York's Shea Stadium earlier this month. The Beatle really wanted to perform on stage with Joel, but up until the last minute, things weren't working in his favor. According to RollingStone.com, Joel had invited him to play a while back, but McCartney had a show in Quebec City the same weekend. McCartney said, "With all the rehearsing and traveling it didn't look logistically possible." At the last minute, McCartney decided to make it happen, but faced some timing issues during his flight to New York's JFK airport -- so much so that Joel was actually surprised when McCartney popped on stage at 11:20 p.m. McCartney said, "I'd been on a plane for hours and had no idea how far into the show Billy was. The pilot had been keeping us informed of how we were doing time-wise and we found out later that air traffic control had worked hard to ensure we landed on time, but then there was still going to be the traffic to negotiate in order to make it for the show."

Once they landed, McCartney was met by a police fleet, which got him to Shea in 11 minutes. McCartney said, "I didn't have a chance to soundcheck or warm up in any way and Billy had no idea I was there. We had just about enough time to find me a guitar strap as I walked on to the stage. I heard the band count the song in and bang there I was, in front of thousands of people playing away. I just about managed to get to the microphone for the opening line of the song."

• McCartney performed "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Let It Be."
• McCartney said playing the baseball park brought back a lot of memories from when the Beatles played there in 1965. He said, "Standing out there on stage and hearing the crowd, all the memories came flooding back of being there all that time ago with the band when we first toured the U.S. It was mad the first time round because we didn't really know what to expect, as no one had ever played a stadium show before." He added, "This stadium is such a special place to us. We'll never forget it and its memory will live on."

TOMMY LEE WANTS JOHNNY DEPP TO PLAY HIM IN MOTLEY CRUE MOVIE

Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee wants Pirates of the Caribbean and Sweeney Todd star Johnny Depp to play him in the film version of the band's 2001 memoir, The Dirt, according to Undercover News. Lee said, "Johnny Depp would be my choice to play me. He's the best ever." The film was announced a couple of years ago by MTV Films and Paramount Pictures, but the Crue is now looking for a new studio to develop it after bassist Nikki Sixx said MTV had gotten "bogged down" and was "not the right partner."

• The Crue released its first new album in eight years, Saints of Los Angeles, last month.
• The band is currently headlining the first Crue Fest tour, which also features Buckcherry, Papa Roach and others. The tour comes to Salt Lake City on Tuesday (July 29th).
• Tommy Lee, meanwhile, recently told an Australian radio station that he's become a part-time vegetarian, possibly due to the influence of ex-wife Pamela Anderson, with whom he recently reconciled.
• Lee explained, "It's something that I haven't done before and, you know, I wanna check it out and see what it's like, and I feel lighter...I don't know, it's just different."
• Motley Crue will perform a free online concert from the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas on Friday, August 1st. The live event will be available to anyone with broadband Internet access from DeepRockDrive.com.

NEIL YOUNG CALLS 'LIVING WITH WAR' TOUR 'NERVE-WRACKING'

Neil Young's Living With War tour is documented in the new politically-charged concert documentary, CSNY: Deja Vu. The film, which Young directed, was shot in 2006 as Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young toured behind Young's heavily anti-Bush album Living With War. Young tells us what it was like to be out on the road singing those songs: "It was very intense. It was the most nerve-wracking tour that I have ever done. I was glad when it was over. We sang these songs maybe 40 nights. It was very intense for us. And I can remember many times thinking how intense it must be for the people who are really living with war and are out there riding around in those Hummers."

• Last week, Young criticized Apple's technology, saying it has decreased the sound quality of music -- to "Fisher-Price toy" levels. He told Time magazine, "Apple has taken a detour down the convenience highway. Quality has taken a complete backseat -- if it even gets in the car at all." As for music, Young said it's becoming more "like wallpaper." He explained, "We have beautiful computers now but high-resolution music is one of the missing elements. The ears are the windows to the soul."
• Young has a batch of European dates lined up for next month.

FORMER GUNS N' ROSES DRUMMER SPEAKS OUT ON ARREST

Ex-Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler spoke with X17Online.com outside a Los Angeles courthouse on Friday (July 25th), where he was scheduled to attend a hearing about his recent arrest for possession of drugs. Adler said he was nervous about the court date but anxious to move on with his life, explaining, "I'm feeling much better. I made a recent mistake. I had a relapse after 37 days. I just wanna take care of this and move on. I'm back to seven days sober, so I wanna keep that going -- seven days, seven weeks, seven months, seven years. It's the first day of the rest of my life right now."

• Adler hinted that he had heard from all his former bandmates, adding, "I'm just glad I've got my friends behind me. I've got Slash behind me, Duff (McKagan), Izzy (Stradlin), Axl (Rose)...(they're) all behind me. I've got their prayers."
• Following the hearing, Adler's lawyer said his court date was moved to August 20th and he had not been charged with a crime.
• Los Angeles police said that the 43-year-old Adler was arrested earlier this month after officers were called to a home where a man reportedly was creating a disturbance and refusing to leave.
• Adler recently participated in the second season of the VH1 reality series Celebrity Rehab, in which various so-called celebrities struggle to beat their addictions. The new season will premiere this fall.
• He is also part of the cast for a follow-up program called Sober Living, which tracks the lives of cast members after they leave rehab. Production personnel from the show reportedly called the police on Adler after they became convinced he was doing drugs again.

Meanwhile, another Celebrity Rehab alumnus also appearing in Sober Living has fled the house where the reality series is being filmed. Former Crazytown frontman Seth "Shifty Shellshock" Binzer disappeared while shooting took place at a nightclub on Friday night (July 25th) and has reportedly not been seen since. He posted a message on Saturday (July 27th) saying that he was checking back into rehab, but that has not yet happened. A producer for Sober Living said that Binzer will be fired from the show this week if he does turn up.

JACK BRUCE: CREAM COULD PLAY TOGETHER AGAIN

Cream might be up for doing a few more reunion shows. Bassist Jack Bruce told Billboard.com that he's expected to "chat" with Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker about future concerts. Baker said, "I think there might be a chance of some more. I would like to do some more, 'cause I enjoyed it. It was very emotional. I would like another shot at it." But getting together is a bit tricky these days. Baker added, "Ginger's living in South Africa. Eric's this mega-star, and it's difficult for us to keep in communication. But as soon as we do it's wonderful."

One thing is for sure -- the trio is expected to link up on October 3rd when Baker receives a Drummers Achievement Award at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Baker said they might even perform at the event, saying, "I know there's a good chance we may play at that event ... but I don't want to overstate it and make it into something it isn't."

• Bruce is currently on the Hippie Fest tour, which wraps August 10th. He's set to perform September 20th at a tribute concert for the late Who bassist John Entwistle in Cary, North Carolina.
• In May 2005, Cream did a reunion show in London, which led to another show in New York that fall and a live DVD/CD set.

ALICE COOPER RELEASES 'ALONG CAME A SPIDER' TODAY

Alice Cooper's 25th studio album, Along Came A Spider, out today (July 29th), is described as "a dark and menacing album for dark and menacing times." A conceptual thread runs through the songs, which are told through the voice of a serial killer named Spider -- whom Alice describes as "an arachnophobic psychopath."

Joining Alice on the album are members of his touring band, in addition to Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash, who guests on "Vengeance Is Mine," and Rolling Stones backing vocalist Bernard Fowler.

Alice Cooper is touring behind Along Came A Spider, which includes the emphasis track "Vengeance Is Mine." In concert, fans can expect material from the new CD, plus classic hits including 'School's Out," "Only Women Bleed," "I'm Eighteen" and more. The tour begins this Thursday (July 31st) in Redmond, Oregon.

• In addition to his recording career and as host of the syndicated radio show Nights with Alice Cooper, Cooper is a renowned golfer, and his latest book, Alice Cooper, Golf Monster (A Rock 'n' Roller's 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict), was recently released in paperback by Random House.
• Alice Cooper tour dates (subject to change):
  July 31 - Redmond, OR - Deschutes County Fair
  August 1 - Kalispell, MT - Montana Raceway Park
  August 2 - Great Falls, MT - Expo Park
  August 3 - Sturgis, SD - The Legendary Buffalo Chip
  August 5 - Bismarck, ND - Bismarck Civic Ctr. Arena
  August 7 - Saint Louis, MO - The Pageant
  August 8 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theatre
  August 9 - Sparta, WI -F ort McCoy Army Base
  August 10 -Sioux City, IA - Orpheum Theatre
  August 12 - Casper, WY - Casper Events Center
  August 13 - Idaho Falls, ID - Sandy Downs
  August 15 - Imperial, NE - Chase County Fair
  August 16 - Council Bluffs, IA - Harrah's Casino-Stir Concert Cove
  August 17 - Tower, MN - Fortune Bay Resort Casino
  August 19 - Hammond, IN - The Venue at Horseshoe Casino
  August 21 - Bloomington, IL - U.S. Cellular Coliseum
  August 22 - Indianapolis, IN - White River Park
  August 23 - Florence, IN - Belterra Casino Resort
  August 24 - Columbus, OH - Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
  August 27 - Detroit, MI - Michigan State Fair Bandshell
  August 28 - Oshkosh, WI - Waterfest / Riverside Park
  August 29 - Waukegan, IL - Genesee Theatre
  August 31 - Houston, TX - Bayou Grounds
  September 5, 6, 7 - Las Vegas, NV - The Orleans Hotel & Casino
  September 12 - Hutchinson, KS - Kansas State Fair Grandstand

PINK FLOYD'S DAVID GILMOUR GETS A 'BLACK STRAT'

Pink Floyd's David Gilmour now has a Fender guitar named in his honor. According to NME.com, his own signature model Stratocaster guitar, dubbed "Black Strat," will be available starting September 22nd. The guitar is based on the one Gilmour used to help shape Floyd's sound. He said, "I told Fender that it was just an ordinary Strat that I bought, but I must say they've done a great job of recreating it."

• Gilmour's upcoming concert CD and DVD set, called Live in Gdansk, will arrive September 16th.

FOO FIGHTERS WEMBLEY SHOWS FEATURING LED ZEPPELIN MEMBERS COMING TO DVD

Foo Fighters' two June gigs at London's Wembley Stadium, the largest shows the band has ever played, will be chronicled on DVD later this summer, according to NME.com. An 18-song disc called Foo Fighters: Live at Wembley Stadium, culled from the June 6th and 7th concerts, arrives in the U.K. on August 23rd. The set will include the second night's guest appearance by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones, who jammed with the Foos on the Zeppelin classics "Rock and Roll" and "Ramble On."

• The shows sold a total of 165,000 tickets to become both the biggest performances of the band's 13-year career and the largest shows yet staged at the historic stadium.
• It is not yet clear if the package will be issued in the U.S.
• A Foo Fighters greatest hits album containing two new tracks is due out in North America on November 11th, with a special two-disc edition slated to include a bonus DVD. It is possible that the Wembley footage could appear on this disc.
• The band is in the midst of a summer North American tour that will wrap up in late September with two shows in Las Vegas.

POISON'S 'LIVE, RAW & UNCUT' DVD DEBUTS IN TOP 10

Poison's new live concert DVD, Poison: Live, Raw & Uncut, has debuted at Number Eight on Billboard's Top Music Video Chart. The hi-def DVD/CD collection, available only at Best Buy, was recorded during the band's 2007 concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in St. Louis, Missouri. Using state-of-the-art lights and cameras to capture the group's live performance, Poison: Live, Raw & Uncut includes such hits as "Talk Dirty To Me," "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," "Something To Believe In," "Look What the Cat Dragged In" and more. The set also includes a bonus CD of many of their greatest hits performed live.

• Poison is currently in the midst of their 50-city Live, Raw & Uncut Summer Tour 2008 in the U.S. For more information, go to poisonweb.com.
• In other Poison news, drummer Rikki Rockett has been exonerated of a felony rape charge filed in Mississippi, stemming from claims from a Neshoba County woman who alleged that he forcibly raped her on September 23rd, 2007. Upon learning that Rockett was not in Mississippi at that time, the Neshoba County District Attorney refused to prosecute the case.

7/28/08

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND KICK OFF FINAL LEG OF 'MAGIC' TOUR IN NEW JERSEY

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off the final leg of their Magic tour on last night (July 27th) with the first of a three-night stand at New Jersey's Giants Stadium. Springsteen opened the show with the Born To Run classic "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," and wrapped the concert three hours and 14-minutes later with the final chords of "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)."

According to fan reports, during the show, Springsteen performed a cover of the Eddie Cochrane classic "Summertime Blues" and began collecting signs from audience stating their requests. Before launching into "Growing Up" he read a request by a 10-year-old fan named Rosie. Springsteen joked to her, "If you're 10, that means this song was written a quarter of a century before you were born! 'Must be a good song!"

Other rarities included, "Brilliant Disguise," "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart," "I'll Work For Your Love," "Youngstown," and "Tunnel Of Love."

Nils Lofgren talked about Springsteen's ever increasing tendency of taking request from fans who write them on poster boards and then calling "audibles" -- which are songs that are not on the setlist prepared for the band just prior to every show: "Oh man, he's calling a lot of 'em that are kind of surprising, but I mean it's just very unusual seat of your pants stuff that bands just do not do. I think when you mix that with the caliber of the songs and the quality of the playing, it makes for an extraordinary show."

• Lofgren has no problem with the fan requests stretching the shows to just over the three hour-mark, which is just like it was for the band back in the '80s: "Well, the last few weeks we just got up to three hours-plus and stayed there. You know, hey -- he's doing a lot harder work than I am, so if he wants to play three hours; let's do it."
• Max Weinberg told nj.com that the fan requests have breathed new life into the shows, explaining, "It's something we've never done before, and it seems to make the stadium experience -- as intimate as Bruce has always been able to make it -- even more intimate. 'Cause that's what you do in a club. You take requests."
• Clarence Clemmons agreed, adding, "I like this new thing he's doing (by) going out to the audience and picking up a sign, and showing it to the band. Sometimes it's a song we haven't played in 20 years, so we have to go back over the hundreds of songs that the band has on file, in their memories, and grab one of them."
• Weinberg says that hometown gigs are always special, mainly for personal reasons: "It always has a definite New Jersey energy... there. It's something that you definitely look forward to. I think half the audience will be relatives and friends of ours."
• He went on to talk about how the band has weathered the loss of keyboardist Danny Federici, who confounded the E Street Band with Springsteen, Gary Tallent and Clarence Clemons in 1972. Weinberg says that Federici's death from melanoma in April has crushed the band: "It's been devastating. We have a beautiful picture of Danny that we set up in the band dressing room, and... it's hard to articulate the loss. Danny was one of a kind. It really encompasses losing a colleague, which is hard, a friend, which is deeper, and, really, a member of your family."
• Last night's show marked the band's first New Jersey show with Federici's replacement Charlie Giordano.
• Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's setlist from last night (July 27th) at Giants Stadium:
  "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"
  "Radio Nowhere"
  "Lonesome Day"
  "No Surrender"
  "Adam Raised A Cain"
  "Spirit In The Night"
  "Summertime Blues"
  "Brilliant Disguise"
  "Atlantic City"
  "Growin' Up"
  "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart"
  "I'll Work For Your Love"
  "Youngstown"
  "Murder Incorporated"
  "The Promised Land"
  "Living In The Future"
  "Mary's Place"
  "Working On The Highway"
  "Tunnel Of Love"
  "The Rising"
  "Last To Die"
  "Long Walk Home"
  "Badlands"
  ENCORES
  "Girls In Their Summer Clothes"
  "Jungleland"
  "Born To Run"
  "Bobby Jean"
  "Dancing In The Dark"
  "American Land"
  "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform again tonight (July 28th) and Thursday (July 31st) at Giants Stadium.

THE ROLLING STONES SIGN LONG-TERM RECORD DEAL WITH UNIVERSAL

The Rolling Stones have signed a long-term recording deal with Universal Music Group (UMG) to release their future albums, as well as their post-1970 back catalogue, through UMG's Polydor label worldwide, according to Billboard.

In a joint statement between the Stones and Universal, the Stones said, "Universal are forward thinking, creative and hands-on music people. We really look forward to working with them."

Doug Morris, the Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group said: "There is no question that the Rolling Stones are one of the most important bands in music history.... Their musical style and off-stage swagger have been emulated by countless others. Having worked closely with them during my days at Atlantic Records, I am thrilled to be reunited with these seminal musicians who have set the bar for all rock bands in their paths."

• The monetary details of the deal and the number of albums the Stones have signed for has yet to be announced.
• The Stones' former home, EMI Records, which acquired the Stones during a merger between the label and Virgin Records, wished the band well and added that they were looking forward to "a continuing relationship with the band through our long-term publishing agreement. EMI Music will only ever conclude mutually beneficial agreements with its artists."
• The Rolling Stones own all of their post-1970 masters, which includes all of their albums from 1971's Sticky Fingers through their recently-released live album Shine A Light.
• As with their previous multimillion dollar contracts with Atlantic, CBS, and Virgin/EMI, the Stones will take such legendary albums as Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main St., Goat's Head Soup, It's Only Rock 'N' Roll, Black And Blue, Love You Live, Some Girls, Emotional Rescue, Tattoo You, Still Life, Undercover, Steel Wheels, Voodoo Lounge, and others with them in the move to Universal.
• Earlier this year, the Stones signed a one-album deal with Universal for the soundtrack of their Martin Scorsese-directed concert film Shine A Light. The album, which was released in April, has so far sold 106,000 copies, according to Nielson-Soundscan.
• Universal currently administers the Stones' 1963 to 1970 catalog, including such classic albums as 25 x 5, Out Of Our Heads, Aftermath, Their Satanic Majesties Request, Beggar's Banquet, Let It Bleed, and Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out. The new deal is the first time that the band's entire catalogue is under one label.

REPORT SAYS 'SOBER LIVING' STAFF BEHIND FORMER GUNS 'N' ROSES DRUMMER'S ARREST

A new TMZ.com report claims that a staff member involved in the upcoming reality TV show Sober Living may have been behind the arrest of former Guns 'N' Roses drummer Steven Adler. He was arrested earlier this month in Hollywood and charged with possession of narcotics and being under the influence. But now, according to TMZ.com, it was a member of the Sober staff who called the cops after finding out that Adler was doing drugs in the house. Adler signed on to appear in Sober Living, a reality show tracking the lives of celebrities after they leave rehab.

• Los Angeles police told the Associated Press that the 43-year-old drummer was arrested after officers were called to a home where a man was reportedly creating a disturbance and refusing to leave. Meanwhile, Adler's manager, David Weintraub, told TMZ.com, "Steven Adler's arrest was an unfortunate situation that didn't have to occur in the context of him starring in a television show."
• Adler recently took part in the second season of the VH1 reality series Celebrity Rehab, in which various stars struggle to beat their addictions. The new season will premiere this fall.

HEAVEN & HELL START WORK ON NEW ALBUM

Black Sabbath offshoot Heaven & Hell are working on a new album -- their first since 1992's Dehumanizer. The group -- featuring Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, singer Ronnie James Dio and bassist Geezer Butler have been in Los Angeles writing new songs. Iommi told Billboard.com they already have six or seven new tracks, which he describes as "really good, pretty powerful." Heaven & Hell have signed a deal with Rhino and hope to release the set next year.

Iommi said it's best to keep the new project with Heaven & Hell separate from Black Sabbath, explaining, "It does get confusing that way. It really is Black Sabbath, whatever we do. We just choose to go out as Heaven & Hell so everyone knows what they're getting (and) so people won't expect to hear 'Iron Man' and all those songs. We've done them for so many years, it's nice to do just all the stuff with did with Ronnie again."

• Meanwhile, last week saw the release of a new boxed set featuring three Dio-era Black Sabbath albums -- 1980's Heaven and Hell, 1981's The Mob Rules and Dehumanizer. Also included is 1983's Live Evil concert album.

AC/DC PLAN TO SHOOT NEW VIDEO

AC/DC will head to London next month to shoot a video for the first single off their upcoming album, Black Ice. According to Blabbermouth.net, the lead track will either be called "Runaway Train" or "Rock & Roll Train" and will officially arrive in late August. Black Ice is set to be released in October and will come on the heels of 2000's Stiff Upper Lip. The set, which will be available at Wal-Mart, is being produced by Brendan O'Brien, who's worked with Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam.

• AC/DC is also eyeing a world tour, which will start later this year.

BEATLES NEWS ROUNDUP

• A tape up for auction, reportedly featuring John Lennon and Paul McCartney laughing during the official recording session for the Beatles' "I'll Follow The Sun," probably comes from one of the group's BBC tapings rather than their Beatles For Sale sessions. The London Telegraph reported that the 30-minute reel features numerous Beatles songs, including, "I Feel Fine," "She's A Woman," "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby," "Honey Don't," "I'll Follow The Sun," "I'm A Loser," and "Too Much Monkey Business."
• Beatles experts on the fan website Abbey Road Best (abbeyrd.best.vwh.net) pointed out that that the date and song selection suggest that the recording is an outtake from one of the Beatles' many BBC radio tapings.
• Of particular note is the mention of the group performing Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business," which was not featured in the Beatles repertoire past 1963.
• The half-hour reel-to-reel tape is being auctioned on August 5th by Cameo Auctioneers in Midgham, Berkshire and is expected to fetch as high as $23,850.
• On Friday (July 25th) Paul McCartney was one of the guest speakers at the graduation ceremony of the Liverpool Institute Of Performing Arts. The Liverpool Echo reported that McCartney said that what set the Beatles apart from their peers was embracing new and unusual things both in the recording studio and their lives.
• McCartney explained, "We caught hold of the accident when it happened," and urged graduates to do the same in their lives.
• The will of the Beatles' longtime right-hand man and Apple managing director Neil Aspinall has been made public, according to Britain's Daily Mail. Aspinall left his nearly $14 million fortune in trust, with the income going to his wife of 40 years Suzy Ornstein-Aspinall. Following her death, it will be inherited by his children, Vincent Roag Best, and Gayla, Dhara, Julian and Mandy Aspinall.
• Aspinall died in March, of cancer at age 66.
• New Jersey rockers the Smithereens will release their second set of Beatles covers, called B-Sides The Beatles, on September 2nd. The album follows their 2007 release Meet The Smithereens, which featured the band covering songs from the "Fab Four's" Meet The Beatles album.
• The new collection includes songs that were featured as B-sides to the band's American singles, featuring such classics as "Thank You Girl," "P.S. I Love You," "There's A Place," "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You," "I'll Get You," "If I Fell," "You Can't Do That," "Slow Down," "Ask Me Why," "I Don't Want to Spoil The Party," "Cry For A Shadow," and a bonus version of the Beatles' Cavern Club classic "Some Other Guy," which has long been a Smithereens live staple.
• The band is joined by on the album by legendary session drummer Andy White for "P.S. I Love You." White played on the album version of "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You," while Ringo Starr played tambourine and maracas, respectively. For more information, go to officialsmithereens.com.

PROSCECUTORS OPPOSING PHIL SPECTOR DEFENSE MOTIONS

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has opposed several motions brought forth by Phil Spector's defense team, which hopes to exclude evidence from his first trial which ended last year in a deadlocked jury.

The Associated Press reported that Spector's team seeks to bar evidence from his first murder trial, which included three forensic experts who favored the theory that Spector allegedly shot Lana Clarkson. The experts include Dr. Louis Pena, who conducted an autopsy on Clarkson and ruled her death a homicide.

Spector's lawyers have also filed a motion which argued that jurors in the upcoming Spector trial shouldn't be advised by the judge that they could possibly convict Spector on lesser charges. During Spector's first trial, Superior Court judge Larry Fidler refused to tell jurors that they could find Spector guilty of voluntary or involuntary manslaughter.

• The defense claims that "the judge's decision amounted to acquitting Spector on those charges and that the Constitutional ban on double jeopardy means he cannot face them again."
• The prosecution countered with a court filing which stated: "The court never impliedly or otherwise factually acquitted (the) defendant of voluntary or involuntary manslaughter."
• A Los Angeles judge set a September 4th trial date for Spector's breach of contract suit against his initial attorney Robert Shapiro. Spector is seeking the $1 million retainer he paid Shapiro, claiming that he failed to properly represent him.

7/25/08

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND KICK OFF FINAL LEG OF 'MAGIC' TOUR SUNDAY NIGHT

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kick off the final leg of their Magic tour on Sunday night (July 27th) at New Jersey's Giants Stadium.

Nils Lofgren says that the band's recently wrapped European leg finds the band at the peak of their abilities: "Europe was incredible. We probably did the best run we've ever done. I mean, the audiences over there kind of have a zeal and passion for Bruce that we haven't seen anywhere else. There's a whole new generation of young people discovering his entire body of music as we're doing the Magic tour, and it's just pretty remarkable. So, it was a great run. You know six weeks is a long time, and did some great shows, and the band musically is in the best shape we've ever been, I think."

Lofgren went on to add that new keyboardist Charlie Giordano has done his best to fill the late Danny Federici's shoes, following him stepping down from the tour early on, and seeking treatment while battling melanoma: "It's been brutal navigating Danny's loss, and we couldn't have asked for a better guy offstage and onstage. You know, to step in and pick up that musical challenge. But nevertheless, I'm glad that we have these shows to work through the grief, 'cause I've stood in front of Danny's riser for 24 years, and would regularly run up and visit him and play with him. You know, that's one of the reasons the band is great -- they're not interchangeable parts really. So we couldn't have asked for a better guy to step in to those shoes."

• Springsteen and the band included numerous rarities in their nightly setlists during their recent European leg, featuring covers of Eddie Cochrane's "Summertime Blues," the Isley Brothers' "Twist And Shout," and Moon Mullican's "Seven Nights To Rock." Other songs the band has played overseas include "Born In The U.S.A.," "Independence Day," and "For You" on piano, as well as "This Hard Land," "Something In The Night," "Drive All Night," "Roulette," "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart," "I'll Work For Your Love," "Cover Me," "Sherry Darling," "Hungry Heart," "Stand On It," "I'm On Fire," "Jackson Cage," "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)," "Point Blank," and "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City," "I'm Goin' Down," "Light of Day," "Youngstown," "I'm a Rocker," "Tunnel Of Love," and "Murder Incorporated."

Out now is Springsteen's new digital EP called Magic Tour Highlights. The four-track digital EP features both audio and video tracks recorded live in concert during the E Street Band's current Magic tour. The collection will be available at all digital download outlets including the iTunes store.

• For the sales of the downloads, the artists, songwriters, and music publishers are waiving all of their royalties, and Columbia Records is donating all of its net profits to the Danny Federici Melanoma Fund. The iTunes Store is donating their first year's net profits as well.
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Magic Tour Highlights features: "Always A Friend" performed with Alejandro Escovedo; "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" performed with Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello; "Turn Turn Turn" performed with Roger McGuinn; and "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" from E Street Band co-founder Danny Federici's final performance with the band, on March 20th in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's U.S. summer dates (subject to change):
  July 27, 28, 31 - East Rutherford, NJ - Giants Stadium
  August 2 - Foxborough, MA - Gillette Stadium
  August 15 - Jacksonville, FL - Veteran's Memorial Coliseum
  August 16 - North Charleston, SC - North Charleston Coliseum
  August 18 - Richmond, VA - Richmond Coliseum
  August 19 - Hershey, PA - Hershey Stadium
  August 21 - Nashville, TN - Sommet Center
  August 23 - Saint Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
  August 24 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
  August 30 - Milwaukee, WI - Harley Davidson Anniversary fest at Roadhouse at the Lakefront

NEIL YOUNG WANTED CSNY DOC TO SHOW BOTH SIDES OF IRAQ WAR ISSUE

Opening in select theatres across the country today (July 25th) is Neil Young's politically-charged concert documentary, CSNY: Deja Vu.

The film, which Young directed, was filmed in 2006 as Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young toured behind Young's heavily anti-Bush album Living With War.

Young says that in the film, he went the extra distance to showcase the fans that don't agree with the band's liberal views concerning the state of the nation following 9/11: "So we actually used a greater percentage of the negatives than we did of the positives that we had on hand, to make it so that it was closer to 50-50. And I think that if you look at it from that perspective, and check out the reviews we used -- the ones we chose to use -- and the interviews that we chose to use, we tried to be balanced. I don't want to use the term 'fair and balanced,' it's a little over-used."

Young went on to say that he wasn't interested in alienating or embarrassing anyone who appeared in the film, which he feels, if nothing else, promotes toleration: "You know, we've got a lot of Democrats and Republicans in our audience, and we don't want to abuse them because of their political beliefs, whether it's one way or the other. We are who we are, but you know, you gotta respect people that disagree with you. That hopefully is what this country is based on."

• Neil Young will be on the road in Europe throughout August. His next U.S. performance will be on September 20th in Mansfield, Massachusetts at the Farm Aid concert.
• Crosby, Stills, & Nash perform tonight (July 25th) at Boston's Bank Of America Pavilion.
• CSNY: Deja Vu will be showing at the following theaters:
  Atlanta, GA - Midtown Art Cinemas 8
  Cambridge, MA - Kendall Square Cinema
  Chicago, IL - Landmark's Century Centre Cinema
  Denver, CO - Mayan Theatre
  Bloomfield Hills, MI - Maple Art Theatre
  Los Angeles, CA - The Landmark
  San Diego, CA - Hillcrest Cinemas
  La Jolla, CA - La Jolla Village Cinemas
  Minneapolis, MN - Uptown Theatre
  New York, NY - Sunshine Cinema
  Philadelphia, PA - Ritz at the Bourse
  San Francisco, CA - Embarcadero Center Cinema
  Santa Cruz, CA - Nickelodeon Theatres
  Berkeley, CA - Shattuck Cinemas
  Seattle, WA - Egyptian Theatre
  Washington, DC - E Street Cinema
• For more information, go to csny-dejavu.com

SHERYL CROW SAYS SHE WON'T BE TEAMING UP WITH FLEETWOOD MAC ANYTIME SOON

Sheryl Crow says she will not be recording with or joining Fleetwood Mac, in spite of a flurry of press that claimed otherwise. "No, that was those Rumours -- to quote the album," she joked to AP Wednesday (July 23rd), in reference to Fleetwood Mac's 1977 hit album.

During a Grammy Foundation event that included a forum with Nashville college students, the 46-year-old singer/songwriter added, "I'm a huge fan and have a great relationship with Stevie (Nicks), and actually with all of them... I think their next album may be while I'm on the road. Hopefully in the future we'll have some kind of collaboration, but not at this time."

• Her announcement last year that they might tour together came as a surprise to Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. He told Billboard.com, "I think we were all surprised (Crow) was announcing to the world with such certainty. We have talked about bringing another woman into the scene to kind of give Stevie a sort of foil and shake it up a little bit. (Crow) was certainly a name that has come up. We'll have to see."
• Original keyboardist/singer Christine McVie left the band about 10 years ago, leaving singer Stevie Nicks as the sole female in the band.
• Crow has performed and recorded with Nicks.
• Fleetwood Mac will be touring early next year.
• Crow is currently on tour behind her Top 10 album Detours.

STEWART COPELAND SAYS THE BUSINESS OF THE POLICE IS BIGGER THAN ITS MEMBERS

Stewart Copeland says that most fans don't realize how tremendous the machine propelling the Police on tour really is. The band is on the final leg of its world tour which wraps on August 7th, at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

Copeland says that when an act as big as the Police hits the road, the band almost becomes yet another thing that needs to be lugged around: "The Police is this huge monster that we can't even control. It's this huge monster, this huge 100, 200-people crew. The trucks, the timing, the coordination, the synchronization of all these resources and people, require that pretty much every hour of my day is controlled to get me on stage for that show. And my body doesn't even belong to me anymore, it belongs to the Police, and I gotta deliver it to the stage in working order. And that's a lot of responsibility."

• Plans are in the works for a live CD and DVD from the tour, which was shot and recorded during the band's stop in Buenos Aries. No release date has been set.
• The Police perform tonight (July 25th) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Marcus Amphitheater.

RUSH FILM CONCERT FOR POSSIBLE DVD FOOTAGE

Rush filmed their July 22nd show in Atlanta for what could end up becoming bonus footage for an upcoming DVD release. According to the Rush fan site Power Windows, a DVD featuring Rush's 2007 Rotterdam, Netherlands appearance is expected out sometime later this year, and it could include footage of the recent Atlanta show. The DVD follows a two-CD set release of the same show, called Snakes & Arrows Live, which arrived earlier this year.

• Rush's current concert leg wrapped last night (July 24th) in Indianapolis, Indiana. The group has been out behind its 18th studio album, Snakes & Arrows, which marked Rush's first set of all-new material since 2002's Vapor Trails.
• Rush's songs "Closer to the Heart" and "Working Man" were recently made available for the Rock Band video game.
• Rush will receive a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame next year.