Music News & Notes

Barry Manilow Music Punishing

A US judge may have found the perfect punishment for people who are in his courtroom for being too noisy- an hour of listening to Barry Manilow or the theme to the children's television show "Barney and Friends."

Judge Paul Sacco said he decided to try this unique approach after determining that violators brought before his Colorado court for playing their steroes too loud or disturbing neighbors with band rehearsals, kept doing it again.

"This is a way, when I look back, of teaching manners to people," Sacco stated.

His method appears to be working, as the number of repeat offenders has been on the decrease.

What's next, punishment by making them listen to Yoko Ono singing?

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Cliff Richard's Shadows to reunite for tour

LONDON (Reuters) – Cliff Richard and The Shadows will reunite next year for the last time with a stadium tour of Britain, tour organizers Live Nation said.

Veteran rocker Richard, most famous for chart-topping singles like "Living Doll," "The Young Ones" and "Summer Holiday," first recorded and performed with The Shadows in 1959. The reunion tour was announced on Thursday.

He and the band enjoyed a series of hits in the early 1960s before he began a successful solo career in 1968. The Shadows have toured regularly since then, but are performing with Richard for the first time in 20 years, Live Nation added.

Richard, Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Brian Bennett will take to the stage from September 2009, visiting cities across Britain including London, Cardiff, Liverpool and Glasgow. The 11-show tour is due to finish on October 17 in Manchester.

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Simmons Confirms New Kiss Album

Gene Simmons has confirmed to Canada's Sun Media that Kiss is writing new music and will record an album in 2009 with production by Paul Stanley. They will follow it with a short tour.

"We'll do a handful of shows just to keep in the game (next) summer, maybe 10, some Canadian shows."

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Kinks to Release First Career Retrospective Box Set

The Kinks will release their first ever box set on December 8 when "Picture Book" becomes available from Sanctuary/Universal.

The 6-CD set contains 130 tracks ranging from their biggest hits to rarities, demos and live tracks. Included are a few tracks from the pre-Kinks band, the Ravens.

Accompanying the discs is a 60-page book with a biography, timeline and numerous previouly unpublished photos. Some of the tracks include:

"You Really Got Me, Stop Your Sobbing, All Day and All of the Night, Tired of Waiting for You, Set Me Free, A Well Respected Man, Dedicated Follower of Fashion (alternate stereo take), Sunny Afternoon, Got to Be Free, Lola (mono single version), Celluloid Heroes, A Rock 'N Roll Fantasy, Low Budget (live) and many more classics."