Wednesday, November 4, 2009

This Date In Music History-November 4

Birthdays:

Harry Elson - Friends Of Distinction (1938)
Chuck Mangione (1940)
Mike Smith - Amen Corner (1947)
Delbert McClinton (country star who taught John Lennon how to play harmonica) (1940)
Yanni (1954)
Chris Difford - Squeeze (1954)
Jordan Rudess - Dream Theater (1956)
Sean John Combs, (aka, Puff Daddy & P Diddy) (1970)


They Are Missed:

Born on this day in 1951, Dan Hartman, multi- instrumentalist, producer, worked with Edgar Winter (died on March 22, 1994). Collaborated with Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young, James Brown, Holly Johnson and Steve Winwood, among others.

Born today in 1957, James Honeyman-Scott, Pretenders (died on June 16, 1982).

Founder member of The Ink Spots, Ivory Watson died in 1969 (age 60).

Nashville session guitarist Phil Baugh die in 1990. He had a unique sound courtesy of a series of six pedals he developed that allowed him to bend the strings of the guitar together or separately.

Fred "Sonic" Smith, guitarist with agit-rockers the MC5 and husband of Patti Smith, died of a heart attack in Detroit in 1994. He was 45.

Drummer Mana "China" Nishiura of Shonen Knife and DMBQ died in 2005 when the latter band's van flips over on Delaware's I-95.


History:

In 1957, the top six songs on the pop and R&B charts are identical: Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock," the Everly Brothers' "Wake Up Little Susie," Sam Cooke's "You Send Me," the Rays' "Silhouettes," Rickie Nelson's "Be-Bop Baby" and Jimmie Rodgers' "Honeycomb."

Bob Dylan made his concert-hall debut at the Carnegie Chapter Hall in New York City in 1961. Fifty people, most of the friends of the singer, pay two bucks to attend. Dylan earns twenty dollars for the night.

In 1963, The Beatles topped the bill at The Royal Variety Show at The Prince Of Wales Theatre, London. With the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret in the audience, this was the night when John Lennon made his famous remark “In the cheaper seats you clap your hands. The rest of you, just rattle your jewellery." The show was broadcast on UK television on the Nov 10, 1963.



The Rolling Stones were at #1 on the US singles chart in 1965 with "Get Off Of My Cloud" (also a #1 in the UK).

A 1967 New York Times article described the new electric six-string sitar introduced by Danelectro Guitar Company, which was being used by many rock bands.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "I Second That Emotion" was released in 1967.

Cream played their final US show in Long Island in 1968.

Also in 1968, at Abbey Road Studios, Pink Floyd recorded "Point Me at the Sky" and "Careful With That Axe, Eugene."

In 1970, Bob Dylan, long under pressure to return to his political stance of the Sixties recorded "George Jackson," a pagean to the black militant killed in a California prison shootout.

Johnny Nash started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1972 with "I Can See Clearly Now."

Paul McCartney & Wings released "Junior's Farm," in 1974, it became their fourth Top Ten hit of the past year. The song goes to number three.

The Band's Martin Scorcese-directed concert film-documentary, "The Last Waltz" premiered in New York in 1977.

In 1978, Boston, the rock band from the city of the same name, played their hometown for the first time since becoming major stars. They open a two night, sold out stand at the Boston Garden.

Canadian singer Anne Murray went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1978 with "You Needed Me," her only US #1 hit.

In 1978, Greg Reeves, former bass player for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, sued the group for $1 million in unpaid back royalties.

The Talking Heads' "Take Me To The River" was released in 1978.



Also in 1978, Linda Ronstadt went to #1 on the US album chart with "Living In The USA."

In 1981, Daryl Hall and John Oates' "Private Eyes" was certified both gold and platinum. The album, now peaking at #5 on the pop LP's chart, contained two #1 pop singles, "Private Eyes" [which will top the pop chart for two weeks starting in three days] and "I Can't Go For That" which hits #1 on both the pop and soul charts early next year.

In 1984, Prince played the first of seven nights at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan at the start of his 87-date North American Purple Rain tour. The outing marked the live debut of his new band The Revolution.

Roxette scored their second US #1 single with "Listen To Your Heart."

Bobby "Blue" Bland, Booker T. & The M.G.'s, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, The Isley Brothers, Sam & Dave and The Yardbirds are elected to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1991.

Elton John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin signed a $39 million publishing contract with Warner-Chappell music in 1992.

In 1993, Depeche Mode's Martin Gore was arrested at the Denver Westin Hotel after refusing to turn down the volume of his music in his room. Slow news day.

DMX went to #1 on the US album chart in 2000 with "The Great Depression."

In 2002, Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin received the Music Industry Trusts Award for one of the greatest songwriting partnerships of all time.

The book "Journals" was released in 2002. The book, about Kurt Cobain, contained letters and diary entries from the 1980s until 1994.

Diddy was at No.1 on the US album chart in 2006 with his fifth album ‘Press Play.’

The Eagles went to #1 on the UK album chart in 2007 for the first time ever - 33 years after their debut album On the Border. This was the group's first full studio album since The Long Run in 1979.

The soundtrack to Twlight was released in 2008 containing “Go All The Way” written by Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell. "The song conjures up that adolescent feeling when a young man, who has been pursuing a girl he really likes, finally gets her," says Farrell. The vampire flick based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer.

Ask Mr. Music with Jerry Osborne


Let's continue our feature: Ask "Mr. Music." Now in its 23rd year of syndication (1986-2008), Jerry Osborne's weekly Q&A feature will be a regular post every Wednesday from now on. Be sure to stop by Jerry's site (www.jerryosborne.com) for more Mr. Music archives, record price guides, anything Elvis, buy & sell collectibles, record appraisals and much more. I thank Jerry for allowing the reprints.


FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2, 2009


DEAR JERRY: As a teen living in New York in the '50s and '60s, I was exposed to a lot of regional hits that I learned in later years are unknown to the rest of the country.

This seems especially evident with doo-wop and group harmony records.

For example, everyone knows “16 Candles,” by Johnny Maestro and the Crests, but does anyone outside New York recall the sequel one year later? After 50 years, I can't remember the exact title. I do know it is not “17 Candles.” Did it make the national charts at all?
—Harold Lorring, Scottsdale, Ariz.


DEAR HAROLD: You're right about the Big Apple being a doo-wop hotbed in those days, though several other areas of the country also made significant contributions to that genre.

The success of the Crests, however, was not restricted to any one region. Following the huge success of “16 Candles,” the next dozen releases by the Crests, featuring Johnny Maestro, became hits from sea to shining sea.

The sixth of those is your sweet 16 birthday sequel: “A Year Ago Tonight” (Coed 521). This tune made the Top 50 on both Billboard and Cash Box, and did so exactly one year after “16 Candles.”

As you suspect, no mention is made of 17 candles, though Johnny doo-wopingly reflects fondly on the previous year's party: “A year ago tonight you were 16, the sweetest teenage queen I've ever seen. A year ago tonight I let you know, that 16 candles in my heart would glow.”

In 1964, three years after Johnny Maestro left to focus on a solo career, another group of Crests released “You Blew Out the Candles” (Coral 62403).

A cha-cha-cha rather than a ballad, this song has nothing whatsoever to do with “16 Candles,” though it's easy to think it does because of the birthday party theme and the group name.


DEAR JERRY: In the days when cover records were common, their release would at times be very close to the original, making it difficult to know which is which. Such is the case with “Baby Elephant Walk.” I know Henry Mancini wrote it for the movie “Hatari,” but apparently Mancini didn't have a single with it. I know it's on the soundtrack album.

We are then left with two versions, one by Lawrence Welk and the other by the Miniature Men. Both were hits at the same time, but which is the original and which is the cover?
—Gloria Esterfield, Hanover, Pa.


DEAR GLORIA: Even looking at the charts offers no solution. Both came out in May and both debuted on Billboard the week of June 3, 1962, with Lawrence Welk (Dot 16364) at No. 96 and the Miniature Men (Dolton 57) at No. 98.

Composer Henry Mancini did not have a single of “Baby Elephant Walk,” leaving the field open for Welk, the Miniature Men, and three other non-charted versions: the Parisian Sextet (Challenge 9151); Carl Stevens (Mercury 71996); and Kai Winding (Verve 10258).

Henry Mancini's is clearly the original recording, but the Miniature Men got their record out first, about three days ahead of all the others. In this quirky situation, the Dolton single is both a cover and an original.

Not surprisingly, Lawrence Welk, with an established name and a popular TV show, outsold all the others combined, though no one made the Top 40 with this tune.

Rather than “Baby Elephant Walk,” the ill-fated Mancini single chosen from the “Hatari” soundtrack turned out to be “Theme from Hatari” (RCA Victor 8037), issued in July '62. This selection pretty much bombed.

IZ ZAT SO? Perhaps because Dolton was in such a rush to get the Miniature Men to dee jays and stores ahead of the herd of baby elephant records that they didn't have time for proof-reading. First pressings mistakenly credit the group as #Minature Men,” and are valued at about $20. Subsequent pressings with the correct spelling fetch about half that.

The Miniature Men are really Dolton arranger Hank Levine and a studio band gathered for just this purpose.


Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column. Write Jerry at Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368, e-mail: jpo@olympus.net, or visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com. All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.

Copyright 2009 Osbourne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission

Beatles News


Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon & Julian Lennon Release Give Peace a Chance 40th Anniversary Single

Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon and Julian Lennon have partnered with EMI Music and Sony/ATV Music Publishing to release a 40th anniversary digital single of the Plastic Ono Band's historic recording of Give Peace a Chance. Proceeds from the sales go to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). The single became available today on iTunes and will be offered through the end of the year.

Ono commented, "I am thrilled that so many in the music business are readily supporting Give Peace a Chance on its 40th anniversary. It is indeed a time when we are all getting more aware of the necessity of doing something to achieve world peace, no matter how small. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I feel deeply that we are all one, regardless of where we stand."

The song was written during John and Yoko's March 1969 "Bed-In" after Lennon told a reporter "All we are saying is give peace a chance" in response to being asked what they were doing. The recording was made using a 4-track recorder on June 1, 1969 in Montreal's Queen Elizabeth Hotel. Those that joined in and sang on the chorus included Tommy Smothers, Timothy Leary, Petula Clark, Dick Gregory, Allen Ginsberg, Murray the K, and Al Capp.



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USB Drive of Beatles Music Available


Though you can play Beatles songs on Rock Band and enjoy the band’s epic catalog on remastered CDs, you still can’t legally buy the music of John, Paul, George and Ringo on the iTunes store or other digital shops — yet. In a move that may represent Apple Corps. softening its traditionally inflexible view of selling the Fab Four’s music digitally, the company and EMI Music will release a limited-edition USB drive featuring the entire Beatles in Stereo remastered set as 320 Kbps MP3s on December 8th. All 14 albums and 13 “mini-documentaries” will be included on the 16GB USB drive, which will be shaped like the iconic Apple logo with “The Beatles” written on it. Only 30,000 of these USBs will be produced; onsale information is available at the Beatles Website. www.thebeatles.com

Following the 9.9.09 debut of the digitally re-mastered catalogue on CD, Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI Music are pleased to announce the worldwide release of a limited edition Beatles Stereo USB on December 8th.

This unique, apple-shaped USB drive is loaded with the re-mastered audio for The Bealtes' 14 stereo titles, as well as all of the re-mastered CDs' visual elements, including 13 mini-documentary films about the studio albums, replicated original UK art, rare photos and expanded liner notes. A specially designed Flash interface has been installed, and the 16GB USB's audio and visual contents will be provided in FLAC 44.1 Khz 24 bit and MP3 320 Kbps formats, fully compatible with PC and Mac.

In addition, EMI is going after a digital-music Website called BlueBeat.com for offering up the Beatles catalog as a digital download without permission. According to Variety, a copyright-infringement lawsuit was filed yesterday by EMI, which controls the digital rights of the Beatles music through an agreement with Apple Corps.

Doors Live in New York!

(PR) Rhino and Bright Midnight Archives unleash four inspired performances from The Doors' final tour with Live In New York. The latest addition to the band's acclaimed series of archival concert releases, this six-disc collection contains all four of The Doors' performances – in their entirety – recorded in 1970 at the Felt Forum in New York City.

The collection will be available November 10 at all retail outlets, including www.thedoors.com and www.rhino.com, for suggested list price of $89.98 for the physical boxed set. A digital version featuring select highlights from all four Felt Forum shows will also be available at all digital retail outlets for $9.99. An exclusive stream of "Break On Through (To The Other Side)" from the second show on January 17, 1970 will premiere at spinner.com beginning this Thursday, August 27.

Recorded January 17 and 18, 1970 – just a few weeks before the release of Morrison Hotel – these concerts find Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, and Ray Manzarek locked in tight as they deliver smoking takes on soon-to-be-classics from their forthcoming album, including "Roadhouse Blues," "Peace Frog," "Ship Of Fools," and "Maggie M'Gill." The shows also feature a number of driving blues covers, such as Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love," Howlin' Wolf's "Little Red Rooster," and John Lee Hooker's "Crawling King Snake." "Those were the bluesy songs we always used to do," Krieger says. "We probably hadn't done them in years, but we resurrected them for these shows."

The year prior to these shows, The Doors became one of the first rock bands to play New York City's Madison Square Garden. When they returned in 1970, Densmore says they chose to play the Felt Forum, a smaller venue at the Garden. "It was more intimate, and you could feel the audience more," he says. "There was more interaction, and the acoustics were much better, because it was designed for music."

Manzarek hails these shows as a return to the group's early days, when they used to play a small Los Angeles club called the London Fog. "I mean, talk about going back to basics. We used to do four sets a night at the London Fog, and we only had a small block of songs written up to that time. So we would do other people's material. And in New York, it was like the same thing. We've got four shows to play here, two sets tonight, two sets tomorrow night. Let's play whatever we want! Let's just go!"

And go they did. Along with a mix of then-unheard new songs and old covers, the band also tapped into its 1967, self-titled debut, peppering the set lists with signature songs such as "Break On Through (To The Other Side)," "Soul Kitchen," "The End," and "Light My Fire," The Doors' first #1 hit.

For the final show of the Felt Forum stand, the band was joined onstage by two guests – The Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian (who played harmonica on the studio version of "Roadhouse Blues") and drummer Dallas Taylor, who'd played on Crosby, Stills & Nash's debut. Sebastian sat in for "Rock Me" and was joined by Taylor for "Going To N.Y. Blues" and "Maggie M'Gill."

Fans will be blown away by the crisp sound found on LIVE IN NEW YORK. All four shows were mixed and mastered by the band's longtime engineer, Bruce Botnick, who recorded a number of shows from The Doors' 1970 tour on multi-track tape for the Absolutely Live album. While most of the music contained on LIVE IN NEW YORK is unreleased, a few songs (and portions of songs) surfaced in 1970 on Absolutely Live and in 1997 on The Doors Box Set.

Sadly, these shows represent The Doors' final New York City performances with Morrison, who passed away July 3, 1971.

Rhino released 180-gram vinyl versions of all six Doors studio albums on September 15. Previously available only in 2007's The Doors Vinyl Box, original stereo mixes of The Doors, Strange Days, Waiting For The Sun, The Soft Parade, Morrison Hotel, and L.A. Woman will now be available individually at all vinyl retail outlets for a suggested list price of $24.98 each.

You can buy yours here: www.SoundStageDirect.com

Be sure to add the code CVR to your order to receive 5% off!



Disc 1
January 17, 1970 (First Show)
1. Start Of Show
2. "Roadhouse Blues"
3. "Ship Of Fools"*
4. "Break On Through (To The Other Side)"
5. Tuning
6. "Peace Frog"
7. "Blue Sunday"
8. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)"
9. "Back Door Man"*
10. "Love Hides"*
11. "Five To One"*
12. Tuning/Breather
13. "Who Do You Love"
14. "Little Red Rooster"
15. "Money"
16. Tuning
17. "Light My Fire"*
18. More, More, More
19. "Soul Kitchen"*
20. End Of Show

Disc 2
January 17, 1970 (Second Show)
1. Start Show 2
2. Jim "How Ya Doing?"
3. "Roadhouse Blues"
4. "Break On Through (To The Other Side)"*
5. "Ship Of Fools"
6. "Crawling King Snake"
7. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)"
8. "Back Door Man"*
9. "Five To One"
10. Pretty Neat, Pretty Good
11. "Build Me A Woman"
12. Tuning/Breather
13. "Who Do You Love"*
14. Tuning/Breather
15. "Wild Child"*
16. Cheering/Tuning
17. "When The Music's Over"

Disc 3
January 17, 1970 (Second Show) continued
1. Tuning/Breather
2. "Light My Fire"*
3. Hey, Mr. Light Man!
4. "Soul Kitchen"*
5. Jim's Fish Joke
6. "The End"
7. End Of Show

Disc 4
January 18, 1970 (Third Show)
1. Start Show 3
2. "Roadhouse Blues"*
3. "Ship Of Fools"*
4. "Break On Through (To The Other Side)"*
5. Tuning/Breather
6. "Universal Mind"*
7. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)" – False Start*
8. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)"*
9. "Back Door Man"*
10. "Five To One"
11. Tuning/Breather
12. "Moonlight Drive"
13. "Who Do You Love"*
14. Calling Out For Songs
15. "Money"*
16. Tuning/Breather
17. "Light My Fire"
18. More, More More
19. "When The Music's Over"*
20. Good Night – End Show

Disc 5
January 18, 1970 (Fourth Show)
1. Start Show 4
2. "Roadhouse Blues"*
3. "Peace Frog"*
4. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)"*
5. "Back Door Man"
6. "Five To One"
7. We Have A Special Treat
8. "Celebration Of The Lizard"
9. Alright Let's Boogie
10. "Build Me A Woman"
11. "When The Music's Over"*
12. More, More, More

Disc 6
January 18, 1970 (Fourth Show) continued
1. "Soul Kitchen"*
2. For Fear Of Getting Too Patriotic
3. Petition The Lord With Prayer
4. "Light My Fire"
5. Only When The Moon Comes Out
6. "Close To You"
7. The Encore Begins
8. "Rock Me"*
9. What To Do Next?
10. "Going To N.Y. Blues"*
11. Tuning/Breather
12. "Maggie M'Gill"*
13. Tuning/Breather
14. "Gloria"*/End Of Show

*Previously unreleased

Music News & Notes

Slash to release new solo album

Slash of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver fame, has announced the European release of his debut solo album. The album, entitled 'Slash', will be put out by Roadrunner Records in the spring of 2010.

In keeping with the trend of innovative album releases, 'Slash' will take the form of a 'deluxe fan pack'. The album will be bundled together with a collectible edition of Classic Rock magazine dedicated to Slash's career.

Slash will release a teaser CD of two tracks in Japan on November 11, 2009. The CD will contain the single, 'Sahara', which features singer Koshi Inaba of the Japanese hard rock duo B'Z. The second track will be a version of the GN'R classic, 'Paradise City', which features Cypress Hill and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. Should be interesting.

According to Slash, "the record is in its mixing stage and the mixes to this point sound great. We have recorded 18 songs, with one more I want to track. The record is still slated for a February/March release".

As you might imagine, the personnel Slash used is and all-star cast. Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails, GN'R, etc.) handles drum duties, while professional bass-ace Chris Chaney (Jane's Addiction, The Panic Channel, etc., etc.) holds down the low end. Guest singers include: Ozzy Osbourne, M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold), and Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave). Other notable contributors include: former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler, Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist Flea, and Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters main man Dave Grohl. The producer of the CD is Eric Valentine (Queens Of The Stone Age, Smash Mouth).

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Jack White´s Third Man Records to Release Carl Sagan Remix "A Glorious Dawn" on Vinyl

Third Man Records have announced the upcoming 7-inch vinyl release of “A Glorious Dawn,” an Auto-Tuned remix of Carl Sagan’s dialogue from his “Cosmos” television series; the remix, which features Stephen Hawking, first gained notoriety after composer John Boswell uploaded it to YouTube earlier this fall.

“The release is timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Sagan’s birth,” Third Man’s news bulletin says. “Also happening that day is a reception in United States’ Congress with speeches by senators, NASA officials and assorted scientists, all hosted by the Planetary Society, which was co-founded by Sagan.”

Ben Blackwell, White, and the rest of Third Man’s musical A-Team aren’t finished yet: A limited edition “Cosmos Colored Vinyl” version will be sold at their Nashville headquarters and randomly included with mail orders of the record. As the “A Glorious Dawn” 7-inch will not have a B-side, an etching on the flipside will be a replica of the Voyager Golden Record, which was launched into space in 1977.

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Red Collar Announce Limited Edition Vinyl Release

(PR) Red Collar will release a limited edition vinyl version of their acclaimed debut album Pilgrim on December 1, 2009 via Loose Charm Records. The 500-copy run will be hand-numbered red vinyl encased by screen-printed sleeves, and the first 100 copies will also be printed with metallic silver ink.

The original album sequencing has been reworked to present more of a Side A/Side B feel and while - due to space - the record will contain only nine of the 11 album tracks, every copy will come with a download card for all 11 tracks in addition to one bonus track, a cover of Jawbreaker's "Jinx Removing."

A pre-order is available now on Red Collar's website and via Vinyl Collective , and will also be at the band's show at the Troika Music Festival in Durham, NC, on November 7th at the Trotter Building (11:30pm set time). Full Pilgrim vinyl track listing is below.

Side A
1. The Commuter
2. Radio On
3. Tools
4. The Astronaut
Side B
1. Pilgrim
2. Rust Belt Heart
3. Used Guitars
4. Tonight
5. Catch A Ride

Additionally, Red Collar has inked a physical distribution deal with Suburban Home Records. Now Pilgrim - which has previously been available only digitally, by mail order through the band's website, and at their shows - will be sold in stores nationwide. "We here at Suburban Home are excited to be distributing Red Collar's album, Pilgrim. The band works hard and their live show is jaw-dropping," said Virgil Dickerson, owner of Suburban Home. "It has always been our idea to help artists who are already doing great things on their own to get records into stores and homes all over the world. We hope to see the band do even bigger and better things, and hope to be there to help them accomplish those milestones."

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Stopping Sublime Abuse

A Los Angeles judge has shut down an effort by former members of the ska-punk band Sublime to perform under the name.

The preliminary injunction was issued Tuesday in a trademark lawsuit brought by the estate of frontman Bradley Nowell, who died of a drug overdose in 1996.

Surviving band members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh have continued to perform. For years they played as the Long Beach Dub Allstars, but recently they revived the Sublime moniker when they recruited newcomer Rome Ramirez as lead vocalist.

"Prior to his untimely passing, both Bud and Eric acknowledged that Brad Nowell was the sole owner of the name Sublime," the Nowell family posted on the band's MySpace page. "It was Brad's expressed intention that no one use the name Sublime in any group that did not include him, and Brad even registered the trademark 'Sublime' under his own name."

Now Judge Howard Matz has agreed with the family, issuing the injunction citing the estate's likelihood of prevailing on its trademark claim. Matz asked the estate's attorneys to draw up a written injunction for him to sign.

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Rush's Peart & The Music World

Neil Peart has taken to his website to discuss to state of Rush. According to the acclaimed drummer, the band will convene in Los Angeles very soon to discuss their next recording, the follow-up to 2007's Snakes & Arrows. "These are parlous times in the music business, so our time-honored pattern of touring, recording and touring is no longer the obvious way to do things.""

"The music world - or at least the business of it - is very different now, even since 2006, when we began work on Snakes & Arrows," he continues. "The importance of 'the album' is not what it was, and there is currently a reversion to a musical climate rather like the 1950s, when only 'the song' matters," he wrote. "Radio, downloads and 'shuffle' settings are inimical to collected works. Because of that reality, record company advances that used to pay for album projects are a thing of the past, so if that was what we wanted to do, we'd be on our own...

"To this point, the three of us haven't even discussed what we might discuss, so to speak - so our ideas and shared enthusiasm for the entity of Rush will be fresh, spontaneous and quite likely exciting. For myself, I'm open to anything we can all agree on (I've pointed out before that in a three-piece band, we need consensus, not democracy - it's no good having one outvoted and unhappy member)."

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Iron Maiden Takes Band of the Year, Chickenfoot Gets Best New Band at Classic Rock Awards

Britain's Classic Rock magazine held their annual awards last Sunday night at the Park Lane Hotel in London. The audience included award winners Iggy Pop, Ronnie Wood, Tony Iommi, Ginger Baker and Iron Maiden.

Chickenfoot, which is made up of veteran artists Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani and Michael Anthony (Van Halen) ironically took home the Best New Band prize. Album of the year went to AC/DC's Black Ice while the Band of the Year was taken by Iron Maiden.

Below are the nominees from the main six categories with the winner followed by the winners in the other categories.

Best New Band
•Crippled Black Phoenix
•Steadlur
•New Device
•The Parlor Mob
•Chickenfoot ***********
•Diagonal

Album of the Year

•Black Ice - AC/DC *********
•Death Magnetic - Metallica
•Folklore and Superstitions - Black Stone Cherry
•The Ballad of John Henry - Joe Bonamassa
•Everyday Demons - Answers
•Chinese Democracy - Guns N' Roses
•Consolers of the Lonely - Raconteurs
•And You Were a Crow - Parlor Mob
•The Devil You Know - Heaven and Hell
•Black Clouds and Silver Linings - Dream Theater

Band of the Year

•Kings of Leon
•AC/DC
•Faith No More
•Iron Maiden*************
•Metallica

Reissue of the Year

•Eliminator - ZZ Top
•Pyromania - Def Leppard
•No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith - Motorhead
•The Who Sell Out - Who
•Ten - Pearl Jam
•Reissues - Black Sabbath**********
•Picture Book - Kinks
•Stormbringer - Deep Purple
•Anthology - Move

DVD/Film of the Year

•Kissology, The Ultimate Kiss Collection - Kiss
•Shine a Light - Rolling Stones
•Archives - Neil Young
•Flight 666 - Iron Maiden
•Woodstock
•Anvil***********

Event of the Year

•Download Festival***********
•The Resurrection of Anvil
•The Return of Spinal Tap
•Iron Maiden Get a Brit Award
•AC/DC Take Over the World

Other winners:

•Outstanding Contribution - Ronnie Wood
•Tommy Vance Inspiration Award - John Bonham
•Innovator - Ginger Baker
•VIP Award - Don McGhee
•Metal Guru - Biff Byford
•Spirit of Prog - Dream Theater
•Marshall 11 Award - Billy Gibbons
•Childline Rocks Award - Steve Harley
•Classic Songwriter - Paul Rodgers
•Classic Album - Rocks - Aerosmith
•Breakthrough - Joe Bonamassa
•Comeback of the Year - Mott the Hoople
•Living Legend - Iggy Pop

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Brown Album Cover Horrible


Chris Brown is slowly making his musical comeback following his assault on Rihanna and subsequent guilty plea, and he's made a big step by unveiling the cover art to his upcoming album, 'Graffiti.' Generally, I let album covers speak for themselves, but this one is just so awesomely bad I am almost ashamed to post it. Come on, who is he dealing with here and who is he trying to impress?










Ditto this cover by American Idol idiot Adam Lambert, I mean come on, we know you like being a girl, but do we have to see it?

Now, the next post shows you what a little imagination can do with regard to a wonderful and interesting album cover:





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DISARMONIA MUNDI: New Album Details Revealed


Italian melodic death metallers DISARMONIA MUNDI will release their new album, "The Isolation Game", on December 9 via Coroner Records. The CD was recorded, produced, mixed and mastered at The Metal House Studio by Ettore Rigotti and contains 13 brand new tracks of "wall-shaking extreme metal," according to a press release. The cover artwork was created by the French artist Trëz and can be seen below.

"The Isolation Game" features guest appearances by Björn "Speed" Strid (SOILWORK) on vocals and Olof Mörck (NIGHTRAGE) on lead guitar.