Sunday, December 20, 2009

Music News & Notes

VENOM ON VINYL

Venom have their first three albums reissued next month on vinyl, by Back On Black Records. 'Welcome To Hell' , 'Black Metal' and 'At War With Satan' will be available on the Back On Black label. Each will come on 180g coloured vinyl and have deluxe gatefold sleeve.

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Einherjer Rising Reveals New Album, "Berserk," Artwork

The cover artwork for Einherjer Rising's upcoming album, "Berserk," has been revealed. The artwork was done by artist Craig Granato (USA) exclusively for Einherjer Rising.

Einherjer Rising comments, "I would like to thank Mr. Craig Granato for his great and sincere effort in making the illustration. It is a perfectly executed representation of my image for the album cover. This artwork will definitely strengthen the whole album atmosphere yet more"

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Lil Wayne LP Leaked
After six different release date changes, Rebirth, Lil Wayne's forthcoming rock album, isn't due in stores until February 1. But the album is now out there in the world, thanks to Amazon.com.

Billboard reports that the online retail giant mistakenly sent 500 copies of the CD to customers who had pre-ordered it. A "shipping mishap" was the reason for the early leak, which caused Rebirth to show up in mailboxes this past Monday.

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Elliott Smith LPs to be reissued on KRS

Kill Rock Stars record label has announced that on April 6 it will add the late Elliott Smith's "Roman Candle" and "From a Basement on the Hill" records to its catalog.

“Roman Candle” is Smith’s first solo album and was originally released by Portland’s Cavity Search Records in 1994. It has been remastered for the re-release by Larry Crane, editor of Tape Op Magazine and archivist for Smith’s family, although Crane reassures that none of the album is “remixed” from the master tapes. It is still composed of the mixes Smith created himself, he said.
Kill Rock Stars also will release “Roman Candle” on vinyl for the first time in the United States.

“From a Basement on the Hill” was released posthumously in 2004 on ANTI-records.

With the addition of these two records, Kill Rock Stars is now the home for all of Smith’s independent releases: “Roman Candle,” “Elliott Smith,” “Either/Or,” “From a Basement on the Hill” and “New Moon.”

This Date In Music History-December 20

Birthdays:

Bobby Colombo - Blood Sweat & Tears (1944)

Peter Criss - Kiss (1947)

Stevie Wright - Easybeats (1948)

Alan Parsons (1949)

Billy Bragg - UK singer, songwriter (1957)

Chris Robinson - Black Crowes (1966)


They Are Missed:

Singer Bobby Darin died in 1973 (age 37). One of the first teen idols, he had the 1959 #1 with "Dream Lover" plus 20 other US Top 40 hits during the 60's including "Mack the Knife," (Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1960) and #1 for nine weeks in 1959.



American blues singer and guitarist, Albert King died from a heart attack in Memphis, Tennessee in 1992. He recorded dozens of influential songs, such as "Crosscut Saw" and "As The Years Go Passing By," and the 1967 album, "Born Under a Bad Sign."

Canadian Country singer Hank Snow died in 1999. 'The Singing Ranger' released over 100 albums and scored more than seventy singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980. A regular at the Grand Ole Opry, in 1954 Snow persuaded the directors to allow a new singer by the name of Elvis Presley to appear at the Grand Ole Opry.


History:

Elvis Presley received his draft notice in 1957.

In 1958, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison appeared as The Quarry Men at the wedding reception of George's older brother, Harry. The event was held at the Harrison family home at 25 Upton Green, Speke, Liverpool.

The Osmond Brothers (minus Donny, who was only five years old) make their first appearance on the "Andy Williams Show" on NBC-TV in 1962.

Capitol Records released “Meet The Beatles” in the US in 1963 and Beatlemania officially gets underway in the states.

In 1967, folk singer Joan Baez was sentenced to 45 days in prison after being arrested during an anti-war demonstration.

In Blackpool, England, in 1967, two recently departed members of the John Evans Blues Band, vocalist Ian Anderson and bassist Glenn Cornick, form Jethro Tull, naming their group after the 18th century inventor of a number of farm implements, Evan will later rejoin them as Jethro Tull's keyboard player.

The Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy (He's My Brother)" was released in 1967.



Glen Campbell went to #1 on the US album chart in 1968 with "Wichita Lineman."

In 1968, the Beatles sixth Christmas record "The Beatles' 1968 Christmas Record", was sent to fan club members in the UK and the US. It included the song "Nowhere Man" sung by Tiny Tim.

Peter Paul and Mary went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1969 with "Leavin' On A Jet Plane."

The Main Ingredient recorded "Everybody Plays The Fool" in 1971.

Eric Carmen's "All By Myself" and Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" were released in 1975.

Guitarist Joe Walsh joined forces with the Eagles in 1975, replacing original member Bernie Leadon, who leaves for a solo career.

In 1982, Ozzy Osbourne was hospitalized and treated for rabies after biting the head off a bat during a concert.

The Bangles started a four week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1986 with "Walk Like An Egyptian."



The Beatles and the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. However, the Beach Boys’ Mike Love was totally ungracious and insulted just about everybody in the music business, adding much needed, if stupid, edge to the affair.

Figures from the RIAA of America in 2000 showed that Teen Pop was alive and doing very well. Pop accounted for most of the record sales in America with Jive records, home to Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC selling 31m records

In 2006, nearly forty years after it was recorded, Procol Harum organist Matthew Fisher was awarded part of the songwriting credit for "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" by a London court (the award was overturned, then reinstated during appeals).

Britney Spears went to #1 on the US album chart in 2008 with ‘Circus’, the singer’s sixth studio album.

In 2008, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry offered a free download of his version of "Run Rudolph Run" on the band's fan site Aero Force One. "This is my favorite Christmas song and one I've always wanted to cover," says Perry of the classic popularized by Chuck Berry (written by Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie). "I hope everyone enjoys it and this makes the holidays a little happier this year."