Classic Rock Videos

Alice Cooper - School's Out

Music News & Notes

Alice Cooper's Film Collection Found, But He Loses a Friend and Assistant

Alice Cooper has recovered his bag containing a 300+ collection of rare horror movies was turned in to the lost-and-found at London's Heathrow Airport.

Unfortunately, his archivist and personal assistant, Brian "Renfield" Nelson, has passed away suddenly. Nelson had been with Cooper since the early-80's and had been a collector of memorabilia since 1972. A statement on Cooper's website said:

It is with extreme sadness that we need to inform the community of Alice Cooper fans of the passing of Brian "Renfield" Nelson, Alice's long-time archivist and personal assistant. It was a sudden, completely unexpected, and untimely passing. We would appreciate it if you would keep him in your thoughts, appreciate his many contributions to Alice's life and career over the years, and respect Brian's privacy and the privacy of Alice and his extended family (at home and on tour) at this time.

Alice is currently on tour in Russia, because the show must go on, which is as Brian would have wanted it.

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New Zeppelin Book

A new book is scheduled for release in August that chronicles Led Zeppelin's final performances in the U.K. back in 1979. Then As It Was: Led Zeppelin At Knebworth 1979: 30 Years Gone has previously unpublished photos along with fan recollections of the August 4 and 11 shows. Look for it August 8.

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Pixies Put On A Show

The seminal band the Pixies took the stage at the Isle of Wight festivalon Sunday night, marking their first gig since wrapping up their 2004 reunion tour and its subsequent festival gigs in 2007.

Frank Black, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering treated the crowd to a nearly hour-and-a-half greatest-hits set that kicked off with “U-Mass” and featured “Debaser,” “Gouge Away” and “Gigantic” along with their cover of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Head On” and their version of Neil Young’s “Winterlong."

According to the NME, the show went off without a hitch, save for a moment when Black and Deal laughed off a mistake that ended “In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)” early. After Deal told Black he was supposed to scream on the track, he replied, “I haven’t screamed since about 1989″ and the band cracked up. The set ended with an aptly named song: B side “Into the White.”

In other news, all of the Pixies‘ studio records are being reissued in Limited Edition and Deluxe Edition box sets titled "Minotaur" that are scehduled for release on today. The sets — include the Come on Pilgrim EP (1987), Surfer Rosa (1988), Doolittle (1989), Bossanova (1990) and Trompe Le Monde (1991) — are being repackaged with the assistance of the two men responsible for art directing and shooting the photographs for the original albums, from Surfer Rosa’s iconic flamenco dancer to Trompe’s popping eyeballs: Vaughan Oliver and Simon Larbalestier.

For $175, the Deluxe Edition gives fans the five albums on a 24k layered CD and a Blu-ray for a total of five discs, plus a DVD of the band’s 1991 Brixton Academy gig (a year before their split) that also includes all their videos. The Deluxe Edition features additional artwork by Oliver and a 54-page book. The Limited Edition costs $450 and includes the entire Deluxe Edition plus all five albums on 180 gram vinyl, a Giclée print of Oliver’s artwork and a 72-page hardcover book. The Limited Edition comes with a slipcase, the Deluxe in a custom clamshell.

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Monsters Of Folk Release Debut September 22nd

Monsters of Folk - comprised of Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, My Morning Jacket's Jim James and singer/songwriter M.Ward - will be releasing their first collaborative album on September 22nd. The self-titled effort was recorded in Malibu, CA, and Omaha, NE, and produced by Mike Mogis. Although these critically acclaimed artists have shared the stage before, this album marks their first recorded output as a band. The record will be released in North America on Shangri-La Music, and internationally on Rough Trade (UK/Europe), Spunk Records (Australia/New Zealand) and P-Vine Records (Japan).

This Date In Music History-June 15

Birthdays:

Billy Martin - Good Charlotte (1981)

Gary Lightbody - Snow Patrol (1976)

Dryden Vera Mitchell - Alien Ant Farm (1976)

Michael Britt – Lonestar (1966)

Steve Walsh – Kansas (1951)

Russell Hitchcock - Air Supply (1949)

Noddy Holder – Slade (1946)

Scott Rockenfield - Queensryche (1963)

Born on this day in 1943, Johnny Halliday, 'the French Elvis', major star in Europe. Jimmy Page, Peter Frampton and Foreigner's Mick Jones have played on his records.

Muff Winwood - Spencer Davis Group (1943) Became a producer and A&R man for Sony Records.

Nigel Pickering - Spanky And Our Gang (1929)

Ice Cube (1969)


They Are Missed:

Born today in 1941, Harry Nilsson, good friend of John Lennon. The Monkees, Three Dog Night & Ronettes all covered his songs. He died on January 15, 1994.

Jazz master Erroll Garner was born in 1921.

Born on this day in 1933, Country rebel Waylon Jennings. Jennings died on February 13, 2002.

In 1996, iconic jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald died in Beverly Hills, California at age 79. Winner of 13 Grammy Awards, the 1956 “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook” was the first of eight "Songbook" sets. Appeared in the TV commercial for Memorex, where she sang a note that shattered a glass while being recorded on a Memorex cassette tape. The tape was played back and the recording also broke the glass, asking "Is it live, or is it Memorex?"


History:

It was on this day in 1956 that John Lennon first met Paul McCartney at a church dinner in Liverpool, England. He invited McCartney to join his group the Quarrymen, and pop music was never the same again.

In 1966, the Beatles released their album Yesterday & Today, featuring the band wearing butcher's aprons on the front cover surrounded by decapitated baby dolls. Capitol Records quickly withdrew the sleeve, making it one of the most prized Beatles collectibles.

In 1963, Kyu Sakamoto started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart with “Sukiyaki,” the first-ever Japanese song to do so.

In 1965, Bob Dylan recorded what would be his first ‘electric' hit, “Like A Rolling Stone” which peaked at #2 in the US and #4 in the UK.

In 1970, Jimi Hendrix spent his first day recording at Electric Ladyland in New York. Named after his 1968 album, the studio was designed according to his exact specifications.

Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1974 with the insipid “Billy Don't Be A Hero.” The song was a UK #1 for Paper Lace.

Hawkwind fired bassist Lemmy Kilmister in 1975 after he was mistakenly arrested for drug possession at the US/Canada border. Lemmy returned to the UK and formed Motorhead.

In 1976, the Sex Pistols recorded their first demos in Clapham's Majestic studios followed by a gig that night at The 100 club, London.

Dire Straits started a nine-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1985 with “Brothers In Arms.”

Nirvana's debut album “Bleach” was released in 1989. The title for the album came from a poster 'Bleach Your Works' urging drug users to bleach their needles.

In 1987, Hipgnosis designer Storm Thorgerson photographed the cover of Pink Floyd's A Momentary Lapse of Reason in Saunton Sands, England. He had 30 helpers move 800 rented beds onto the beach to shoot the album cover.

In 2002, a rare autographed copy of The Beatles’ album Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band sold at auction for $57,800, more than five times the estimated price.