More than four decades after the Abbey Road sessions came to an end, an alternate version of the solo used in the final mix of Here Comes The Sun has been found.  The discovery came while producer George Martin, his son Giles and George Harrison's son, Dhani, were visiting the famous studio. The master tape of the song, which was recorded while John Lennon was absent, included a guitar solo by George Harrison that was different from the one that was used in the final version of the 1969 landmark album. See the video of Harrison and the two Martins as they listen to the track in the control room here.
NME.com

MORE GEORGE HARRISON INSIGHTS

Mitt Romney isn't the only one taking shots at Newt Gingrich.  The band Survivor has filed a suit against the Republican presidential candidate contesting his campaign's unauthorized use of Eye Of The Tiger, the early 80's song that became a big hit for the group and featured in the movie Rocky III.  Survivor is the latest of many artists to take legal action against candidates - nearly all of them Republican - that look to gain political capital through the use of songs voters identify with.  Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Don Henley and David Byrne of the Talking Heads top the list of acts that have taken legal action against campaigns for using songs without permission. Most cases end with an apology, although a few have led to settlements.
TMZ.com

Roger Hodgson has announced plans for select concerts in the US starting in February.  The long time voice of Supertramp got left behind the last time his former group toured North America, a decision that Hodgson resented quite a bit at the time (story). He says his plan to mount a tour of his own featuring the songs he helped make universally known comes out of his own love for the songs and the fact they, '...come from a very personal place inside of me and carry my beliefs and my dreams and my philosophy of life.'  Hodgson's Breakfast In America tour will open Feb. 24 with two already sold-out dates in Temecula, California and work its way east.  The 10 date booked to this point will be added to in the coming weeks. More info is available here.
BraveWords.com

Eric Clapton's recording and touring income alone would provide for a very comfortable lifestyle, but the guitar great has another source of revenue that helps boost his earnings even higher.  Account filings for his business entity, Marshbrook, shows that rental of his mega-yacht generated a ship load of money.  The 6 cabin luxury yacht with a crew of 13 brings in about $280,000 per week that it is booked, helping push the total earnings for Marshbrook into the range of $18 million.  Clapton himself managed to make do on a relatively modest salary of around $6 million.
Independent.co.uk

MORE ERIC CLAPTON ROCK INSIGHTS

A man spotted in frigid waters off Hove, Sussex in the UK will live to see another day thanks in part to Polly Samson, the wife of Pink Floyd veteran David Gilmour.  Samson spotted the man from the shore on Wednesday (1/25) and alerted others, one of whom stripped down and went in after the man. She may not get much thanks from the rescued man. Police believe he had entered the water intending to die.  In a tweet on her Twitter account, Samson wrote she had helped pull '...a drowning man from sea who didn't want to be saved.' Police transported the man to a hospital for treatment and observation. 
It will be interesting to see whether a song on her husband's next album solo alludes to the episode. It's just the kind of dark circumstance that inspired so many Floyd songs and Samson has writing credits on some latter era material by the band.
Mirror.co.uk

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Alice Cooper will drop the honorary puck before the NHL Phoenix Coyotes face off against the Dallas Stars on Feb. 18.  The first 10k fans through the doors of the arena on Coop's Troops Military Appreciation Night will go home with a Alice bobblehad doll.  The long time Phoenix resident Rocker is a regular supporter of good causes at home and on the road.  The Coyotes have set out to treat 17,125 local members of the armed forces, police and fire departments and regular citizens that have done a brave deed to a attend a game for free during the season (17,125 is the capacity of the arena).
 AliceCooper.com
 
 MORE ALICE COOPER ROCK INSIGHTS

His rendition of the National Anthem before the AFC Championship Game in Foxboro was a bit off, but backed by Joe Perry on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Steven Tyler was in much better form.  The two Aerosmith members dug deep into the band's catalog to pull out Chip Away At The Stone (video), a track that was featured on the group's 1978 Live! Bootleg album.  They were joined on the show and the song by Tyler's fellow American Idol judge Randy Jackson.  Perry went back-to-back on the late night talk show, appearing the following Monday to play Man Of Peace, the Bob Dylan song he does on Chimes Of Freedom, an album commemorating the 50th anniversary of Amnesty international.
HenneMusic.com

MORE AEROSMITH ROCK INSIGHTS

Mountain Jam, the annual festival at the base of Hunter Mountain in New York's Hudson Valley, has announced the lineup for its 8th year.  The four day music fest that Warren Haynes helps stage welcomes Steve Winwood for the first time and welcomes back a number of favorites of past Mountain Jams.  Joining the Spencer Davis Group. Traffic and Blind Faith veteran  and the guitarist from the Allman Brothers Band at the 8th Jam will be Ben Folds Five, The Roots, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Word, a group that includes Robert Randolph, John Medeski of Medeski, Martin & Wood and North Mississippi Allstars members, Dawes, Guy Clark Jr. and more than two dozen other acts.  Mountain Jam 8 takes place May 31-June 3.
MountainJam.com

Parrotheads with iPads and Facebook accounts can now waste away day and night in a virtual Margaritaville with the release of a Jimmy Buffett themed freemium social game. Margaritaville Online presents gamers with the means to collect incentives as they navigate between palms and umbrella drinks in a world conjured by geeks in a Key West state of mind. If the the video trailer for the game is any indication, the avatars and settings in this particular Margaritaville are totally tame in appearance and behavior. Even the pirate depicted briefly doesn't appear to have a single sinister or disheveled pixel in his body, so it looks like it is designed for the mild rather than the wild Parrotheads.  Maybe a future spin-off will come along for people hoping to hang out all night with characters like Hemmingway and Jack Sparrow.
PocketGamer.com
 
 MORE JIMMY BUFFETT ROCK INSIGHTS

Bruce Springsteen has announced the opening round of US dates for his next tour.  Bruce and the E Street Band are expected to add more North American dates after wrapping up a series of European concerts and festival appearances during the summer months.  The pre-European tour concerts in the US will kick-off March 18 with an appearance at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, GA on March 18 (tickets on sale 2/4), and run through a May 2 appearance at Newark's Prudential Center in his home state (on sale Friday, 1/27).  Other cities in the opening round of US dates include Greensboro, NC (3/19), Tampa, FL (3/23), Boston (3/26), Philadelphia (3/28 & 29) Washington, DC (4/1), East Rutherford, NJ (4/3 & 4), New York City (Madison Square Garden 4/4,6 & 9), Detroit (4/12), Buffalo (4/13), Albany, NY (4/16), Cleveland (4/17), San Jose, CA (4/24) and  the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (4/29)
RollingStone.com

MORE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ROCK INSIGHTS

Neil Young, who is reportedly close to ready to put out album with his semi-regular backing band Crazy Horse, apparently plans to get right to work on another album with the group.  ThrashersWheat.org, a site that keeps close tabs on Young, verified rumors that Neil intends to do more work with the band he first hooked-up with at about the time he was parting company with the Buffalo Springfield.  In the decades since, Young has recorded some or all of several projects with Crazy Horse, including After The Goldrush, Tonight's The Night and Rust Never Sleeps.
NME.com   Music-News.com

MORE NEIL YOUNG ROCK INSIGHTS

It's a good thing Steven Tyler had forgiving hometown fans on his side when he launched into a version of the Star Spangled Banner that would probably have not gotten an American Idol contestant past the preliminary talent screening.  Yeah, it was cold, none of his band mates were backing him and the song is a struggle for even the best of singers, but Tyler's stab at the song before kick-off of the Ravens - Patriots AFC title game Sunday (1/22) had plenty of Aerosmith fans wincing and wondering.  One went so far as to suggest on Twitter that John Madden could have done it better on harmonica - even if he played it through an orifice other than his mouth!
You be the judge. (Video)
UltimateClassicRock.com

MORE STEVEN TYLER ROCK INSIGHTS

Janis Joplin did not live to see the release of Pearl, the studio album that featured the former Big Brother & The Holding Company leader with her new group the Full Tilit Boogie Band that was released at the start of 1971.  The album lead off with Move Over and included her definitive version of the Kris Kristofferson song Me And Bobby Mcgee as well as the irreverent Mercedes Benz and the songs Cry Baby, Get It While You Can and Half Moon, a song co-penned by John Hall of Orleans.  On April 17 Legacy will introduce a double disc that includes studio outtakes, alternate versions of some songs included on the original release, a live version of Tell Mama and segments of dialog between Joplin, band members and producer Paul Rothschild.  Nine of the songs on the collection have never been released before.
AntiMusic.com

MORE JANIS JOPLIN ROCK INSIGHTS

Steven Tyler has reportedly added a Maui retreat to his real estate portfolio.  The Aerosmith front man and American Idol judge, who recently confirmed plans to marry his long-term girlfriend, Erin Brady (story), is getting the 3k sq. ft. 2 bedroom home a million and a half less than what it was listed for.  The secluded home nestled in a hillside overlooking the Pacific near Wailea includes an infinity pool and a wall within the home that is an aquarium.
Tyler will be performing with country star Carrie Underwood for the filming of a CMT Crossroads special that will be televised the day before the Super Bowl.
WSJ.com  TheBoot.com

MORE STEVEN TYLER ROCK INSIGHTS

LincVolt. LLC, the outfit Neil Young created for his electric/biodiesel hybrid conversion of a 1959 Lincoln Continental, is being sued by Unigard Insurance over a 2010 fire in the warehouse the car was stored in (story).  The $500,000 claim seeks compensation for the owner of the building in San Carlos, California.  The suit contends negligence on the part of LicVolt, LLC for what it describes as '...an extreme departure from what a reasonably careful person would do'.  The 3 alarm fire in the early morning hours of Nov. 9 damaged the experimental car and destroyed a considerable amount of Young memorabilia along with several of his guitars and amps.
MercuryNews.com

MORE NEIL YOUNG INSIGHTS

Blues man Hubert Sumlin passed away in early December.  While the name might not be widely recognized outside of Blues circles, Sumlin was revered by a lot of household name guitar greats and band members. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger stepped-up to insist that the Rolling Stones cover the expense of providing first class funeral for Sumlin (story). On February 24, the Apollo Theater in New York will host a tribute to Sumlin that is attracting plenty of six string masters, among them Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Derek Trucks, Doyle Bramhall and Guy Clark Jr.  They will be joined by Dr. John, Levon Helm Ivan Neville, with many more expected to be announced soon.
WheresEric.com

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A seven + year engagement finally moved to the next level Saturday (1/14) when Roger Waters married long term partner Laurie Durning in a small ceremony on Long Island.  The Pink Floyd bass player revealed the news during an interview with Howard Stern on Wednesday (1/18).  The marriage is the fourth for the Floyd veteran.  Waters also revealed that he is considering a musical based on the 1979 Wall album - something he says requires a good deal of thought because of the complexity of staging something so large scale in the relatively tight confines of the average musical theater.  As for prospects that the remaining members of Floyd will perform together again, Waters said, 'I don't think David (Gilmour) is interested in doing anything', and added 'It's not acrimony that prevents us from getting together and doing it... we've got some cash , we don't have to do it. And so it's like 'Is this what you really want to spend your time doing? And the answer certainly from my point of view is no'.
Spinner.com

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The Rock Hall Of Fame inductions are actually slated to take place in Cleveland this year and the museum announced that the induction week will also feature the opening of its latest special exhibit - Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip. The Hall's Jim Henke says the exhibit will convey a sense of why the Dead transcended the limitations of being just a band and '...wrote their own rules and created a community unlike any band before or sense' - (Phish and NIN fans may take issue).
The exhibit will include original album cover and poster art, manuscripts from classic songs, a portion of the group's famous 'Wall Of Sound' PA system, unusual artifacts including notes written by audience tape guru Dick Latvala, GD items from the collection of the late Owsley 'Bear' Stanley, drums and keyboards used on tour and 5 Jerry Garcia guitars and two belonging to Bob Weir.
The Mickey Hart Band will perform at the exhibit opening event on Wednesday, April 11.  The exhibit opens to the public the following day.
PRNewswire

MORE GRATEFUL DEAD ROCK INSIGHTS

New album expected out March 5.

Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark has managed to become a SRO Broadway success story despite the unprecedented technical and financial problems it encountered during its long slog to an opening.  While the musical still has to run for years before turning a profit for investors, the extravagant musical has been drawing packed houses, even though many critics had little good to say about it.  Even if investors fail to recoup their investment dollars, lawyers look to make plenty of money over the jousting going on between the producers and the production's former director, Julie Taymour. Taymour, who is credited with much of the success of The Lion King, was dismissed from the project months before its opening.  She later filed suit claiming those responsible for her dismissal had fabricated allegations about her in order to oust her from the production and that they violated her creative rights by using many of her ideas in the final production without compensating her.  Now, producers of the musical featuring music composed by Bono and The Edge of U2 have initiated a counter suit against Taymour, claiming that she 'Refused to develop a musical that followed the original, family-friendly Spider-Man story' and calling Taymour's story line 'hallucinogenic'.
BBC.com

MORE U2 INSIGHTS

The only lasting impression Tattoo, the new song from Van Halen, seems to have made on former lead singer Sammy Hagar is a negative one.  Asked about the advance song from the new Van Halen album A Different Kind Of Truth (2/7), The Red Rocker remarked 'I personally don't think that what they have just released, what I have seen and heard, is that great at all', and goes on to tell Cack Blabbath, 'It should be better than it is... God bless them but I was expecting a lot more.'  Hagar, currently on a brief tour of Europe promoting his band Chickenfoot, also promised not to ever perform any of the songs he recorded with VH with his current group.
HenneMusic.com

MORE SAMMY HAGAR INSIGHTS

The image of Mohammad Ali in his prime is indelibly etched in the mind of anyone who saw him in the ring in his prime.  His devastating combination of speed, power and cunning will likely never be seen in the ring again.  His outspokenness on discrimination, Vietnam War and other issues on the front burner of society at the time he was heavy weight champion of the world also made him a figure whose influence gained him attention from supporters and detractors with little or no interest in the sport he dominated.  John Mellencamp qualifies as someone who appreciated Ali for what he accomplished both in and out of the ring.  Mellencamp's son, Huck, is an accomplished and ranked boxer (story), and John himself has never flinched about speaking out and performing on behalf of causes he believes in.  So it was fitting that Mellencamp would be invited to entertain the great boxer and the 350 invited guests at the center named in the fighter's honor in Louisville, KY over the weekend.  We haven't found anyone spilling details about what John played or had to say, but will pass it along if we come across it.
IrishTimes.com

MORE JOHN MELLENCAMP INSIGHTS

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno gets American Idol judges Stephen Tyler and Randy Jackson backed by Tyler's Aerosmith band mate Joe Perry on Friday night (1/20).  The unlikely combination comes on the week Idol launches its new season and suggests that Perry has gotten over his resentment about Tyler letting the TV talent show trump his commitment to Aerosmith.  Guess the 200+% spike in Aerosmith album and digital download sales since Tyler landed a judging seat on the show made forgiving him a lot easier for Perry.  Joe will be back in the late night musical guest slot with the NBC comedian on Monday, Jan. 30 to perform Man Of Peace in support of Amnesty International.
Blabbermouth.net

MORE JOE PERRY INSIGHTS

Bruce Springsteen continued to be a reliable artist for the Light Of Day cause when he appeared at the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park, NJ Saturday night (1/14), making it the ninth time he has performed in the twelve years the event to raise money to fight Parkinson's Disease has been held.  The concerts, which began in smaller clubs but shifted to the theater after Springsteen's regular appearances drove ticket demand through the roof, have been nearly instant sell-outs.  Last night's was no exception. The official lineup included Southside Johnny, Garland Jeffreys and David Bromberg, but the clamor for tickets based on expectations that Bruce would perform left hundreds of fans willing to pay hundreds for tickets out in the cold. Those lucky enough to get in got quite an evening of music even before The Boss came out during Willie Nile's set to join him on the song One Guitar.  Nile was followed by Southside Johnny And The Poor Fools, an outfit that included  E Street Band violinist Soozie Tyrell.  Springsteen took the stage on his own for an acoustic version of Incident On 57th Street and then turned things over to Joe Gruschecky and David Bromberg before reappearing to join Grushecky and his Houserockers on Darkness On The Edge Of Town. A dozen more songs followed, including Adam Raised A Cain, Johnny 99, Because The Night, The Promised Land,  Thunder Road and Light Of Day (with E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg) in a set that did not wrap up until after 2am. (Videos)
WickedLocal.com  RollingStone.com

MORE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN INSIGHTS

Styx is gearing up to make 2012 a busy year.  A Grand Illusion/Pieces Of Eight live DVD is due out Jan 31.  The first month of the new year also finds the Mid West arena rock veterans featured in a pair of TV specials.  The one that airs Sunday (1/15) features figure skaters including Johnny Weir and Nancy Kerrigan doing their thing on ice to the music of Styx.  The following Sunday (1/22), HDNet channel will broadcast a 2006 concert the band recorded in a performance with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland in 2006.  The first leg of the band's 2012 road schedule opens Saturday (1/14) in Ft. Worth, Texas for a 13 date run that concludes in Silver Springs, Florida on March 10.
UltimateClassicRock.com

MORE STYX INSIGHTS

The growing disparity in opportunity and income in the US is weighing on Bruce Springsteen according to a source that claims to have heard some of the new material on what will be Bruce's next album.  A Hollywood Reporter account on the as yet untitled album says it will make an angry statement about corporate greed and governmental indifference to the plight increasing numbers of Americans confront.  Describing the songs on the album as including, 'unexpected textures - loops, electronic percussion' and a range of influences involving everything from hip-hop to traditional Irish folk, the album sounds to be a departure that many Springsteen and E Street Band fans may find challenging to warm to.  There is a good chance that we'll learn more about the album and possibly hear it around the time that The Boss delivers the keynote address to musicians and industry types at the SXSW music conference in Austin, TX on March 15.
Billboard.com

MORE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN INSIGHTS

Tommy Iommi, the guitar wizard behind so many legendary licks in the Black Sabbath catalog, announced this week that he has lymphoma, a cancer that attacks a cell that is critical in the body's immune system.  The revelation triggered an outpouring of support from Sabbath fans worldwide, something Iommi was very touched by. A message on his web site reads, 'I just want to say how overwhelmed I am with all of your messages', and adds, 'Well it's not what I wanted for Christmas, that's for sure, but now I can't wait for the test results to come in and get going with the treatment.' 
The core of Black Sabbath, including Ozzy Osbourne, has been in the studio working-up a new album and preparing for a 2012 tour, work that Iommi says has been 'going great'.  Fans looking to send an encouraging note to the guitar great can do it by e-mailing getwelltony@black-sabbath.com.
HenneMusic.com

MORE BLACK SABBATH INSIGHTS

A group calling itself the Rolling Stones Liberation Front is calling for disruptive actions at Rolling Stones concerts unless they play smaller venues, lower ticket prices, revamped set lists and meet other demands, all things everyone would love, that the band is probably wealthy enough to realistically afford to do and no one that could pass a random drug test believes could happen.  One provision would actually save Mick & Co. some money - the RSLF wants the band to hit the road without a horn section, background vocalists or opening acts.  No 50th anniversary tour plans are set in stone and if this campaign gains any traction (or turns out just to be an Onion spoof), the idea of bothering to do one could become more problematic than it's worth.
ClassicRockMagazine.com

MORE ROLLING STONES ROCK INSIGHTS

Calling her mother one that, '...supported me and all of my dreams' and adding, 'She was the one that made it all possible', Stevie Nicks may be considering an album in her honor.  Barbara Nicks passed away at age 84 in Phoenix, AZ on December 28, reportedly with her daughter at her bedside.  Knowing what we do about Stevie, it's easy to imagine that she was quite the handful to raise.
ContactMusic.COM via National Enquirer

MORE STEVIE NICKS INSIGHTS

75 guitars out of the private collection Eddie Van Halen has amassed have been donated to the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation in support of the organization's effort to provide instruments to public school students in the LA area.  We don't imagine that announcement of the donation coming during the the week Van Halen releases its first new song in years is a coincidence, but the generous gesture is sure to inspire some Little Dreamers to dream big. Van Halen hopes so, saying, If I can help a kid discover a liking, or even a passion for music in their life, then that's a wonderful thing. Music has provided a good life for me and hopefully it can help make life better for others with this donation.' 
HPM  AntiMusic.com

MORE EDDIE VAN HALEN ROCK INSIGHTS

Rod Stewart's big bid during a charity auction to support a program that provides college scholarship opportunities for the sons and daughters of Palm Beach, Florida police officers won him the honorary title of Sheriff Of The Day in the South Florida community.  The event, staged at Mar-a-Lago, one of the posh resorts operated by Donald Trump, pitted the Rocker against a couple of other high rollers.  After Stewart out bid the others with an offer of $18,000, the three agreed to share the honor in exchange for each of them contributing 11k.  The hefty sum entitles each to a visit to the local slammer, the chance to hang out with detectives and SWAT team members, a ride in a law enforcement helicopter and lunch with the man that holds the official title every day of the year.
TheScottishSun.co.uk

MORE ROD STEWART ROCK INSIGHTS

Former Creedence Clearwater Revival leader John Fogerty makes an appearance in the debut episode of The Finder, Thursday (1/12). Fogerty portrays a musician that hires the lead player in the show to track down a missing guitar.  John will remain connected to the show throughout its run, as the show's creator explained to Hollywood Reporter: '...somehow we dragooned John to write The Finder opening credits theme.' How much did the cast and crew like it? Enough that Hart Hanson said, '...we just all stood in awed silence and grinned at each other. If just the smallest skritch of John's magic rubs off on us, then we'll be forever grateful.'  Fogerty fans can be grateful for his association with the program, too.  The version of Fortunate Son he plays in the episode will be available as a free download during the week following the episode's airing on Fogerty's web site.
VintageVinylNews.com

MORE JOHN FOGERTY INSIGHTS

Southern Rock and high octane go together like, well,  Southern and Comfort, so it makes perfect sense that Lynyrd Skynyrd has been booked to headline Carb Day, the Friday party leading into the Indianapolis 500.  The May 25 concert will be a no extra charge bonus for fans paying $20 to get-up-close to the machines that will be running in the high speed classic Sunday (5/27).  In addition to a thundering set from Skynyrd, fans will be able to take in the final practice laps from the field of 33 scheduled to duel in the American open wheel classic.
 WhoWon.com
 
 MORE LYNYRD SKYNYRD INSIGHTS

The prized Gibson guitar Peter Frampton is pictured with on the career defining album Framptom Comes Alive has come back to Peter.  For three decades the guitarist believed the axe had been destroyed in a plane crash in South America.  Frampton was on tour in 1980 when the instrument was put aboard a cargo plane bound from Venezuela to Panama.  The plane crashed shortly after taking off.  Presuming the guitar and the rest of his equipment aboard the ill-fated flight could not have survived a crash that killed the plane's pilot and crew, Frampton set about replacing things.  What he would not find out until recently was that the guitar came out of the crash largely intact.  It ended up being owned by a musician on the Caribbean island of Curacao.  A guitar collector recognized the instrument and got in touch with Frampton, who arranged for negotiations that led to the return of the instrument in December.  Frampton says that, after some TLC, the somewhat battered instrument should be ready to go back out on the road with him.
NPR.org

MORE PETER FRAMPTON ROCK INSIGHTS

Fans fond of David Bowie turned the eclectic singer's 65th birthday into an online campaign to get the enigmatic man to step back into the spotlight.  Bowie's official Twitter account included a barrage of well-wishers that added their hope that Bowie would emerge from his self-imposed exile and reactivate his music career.  Bowie, who has sold nearly 150 million albums, hasn't put one out in nearly a decade (Reality, 2003) and last performed live in 2006.  His final tour was cut short when he experienced chest pain and underwent surgery for a blocked artery in 2004.
Telegraph.co.uk

MORE DAVID BOWIE ROCK INSIGHTS

Anything concerning a Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary world tour remains only conjecture but as far as the venerable drummer for the band is concerned, it oughtta happen. Speaking with BBC6, Charlie Watts said it would be a shame if the band doesn't stage one more big global extravaganza, but he admits that getting his band mates on the same page on the subject is '...such a bloody performance' itself that it might not happen.  As to what has kept the current lineup of the group together so long, Watts says, "I think no one wants to quit because the other will say 'you quit'".  If the band does go out, the tour could include former members Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor (story)
BBC.co.uk

MORE ROLLING STONES ROCK INSIGHTS

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul can thank Joe Perry for at least some of his success in the New Hampshire primary.  The Aerosmith guitarist was a persistent tweeter in support of Paul during the ramp up to the Live Free Or Die state's day in the political spotlight. Somehow the idea of Aerosmith being on good enough behavior for a Republican nominee to take a chance on inviting the group to play at an inaugural ball seems unlikely... unless Ron is down with Lord Of The Thighs and Big 10".

MORE AEROSMITH ROCK INSIGHTS

Alice Cooper plans to release a double live CD next month.  The CD collection titled No More Mr. Nice Guy Live, was recorded live during the veteran shock rock artist's tour last fall and will include I'm Eighteen, Under My Wheels, Billion Dollar Babies, No More Mr. Nice Guy, Only Women Bleed, Schools Out, Elected and tracks from more recent releases.  The closing song will feature Alice doing Fire, the 1968 FM hit by The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown with Brown the front man of what was unquestionably one of the wildest groups of one mighty wild decade.
ClassicRockMagazine.com

MORE ALICE COOPER ROCK INSIGHTS

To plenty of Rock fans, crossing the threshold of Abbey Road Studios rises to the level walking on sacred ground. Some will get the chance to enter the space where hundreds of the greatest songs in Rock history were recorded.  The doors of the fabled London building where the Beatles recorded the vast majority of their catalog and Pink Floyd laid down the songs on Dark Side Of The Moon and several other albums will open to the public for 80th anniversary presentations March 10.  Tickets to the rare events sold out immediately, prompting officials to add two additional presentations the following day.   The authors of Recording The Beatles have prepared a retrospective on the studio, and will be joined by Alan Parsons and other alums of the control room for the studio that also captured seminal work of other UK artists including the Zombies and Hollies and served as the recording site for movie scores including Lord Of The Rings, as well as films in the Harry Potter and Star Wars series.
Music-News.com

A June, 1968 recording of Big Brother & The Holding Company at the Carousel Ballroom in San Francisco will be the first Legacy release of 2012.  Remastering the 14 song collection was one of the last projects of another legend, Owsley 'Bear' Stanley, before he lost his life in a car accident in March of last year.  Recorded by Owsley when Janis Joplin was on the verge of leaving Big Brother, the set is said to fully capture the unbridled energy of Janis as well as the rough abandon of her backing band. Stanley's wife, Sheilah, calls the recording as it is presented fully representative of  '...Bear's vision - how he heard the band live, and how he wanted to transmit... this phenomenal and inspirational music.'
UltimateClassicRock.com

MORE JANIS JOPLIN ROCK INSIGHTS

Despite a series of catastrophic complications, multiple delays, enormous cost over runs and less than enthusiastic reviews from critics (story), Spider-Man, Turn Of The Dark has turned into a Broadway sensation.  The show will still need a long run to actually turn a profit but if current ticket demand is any indication, the production should have no problem finishing in the black.
The most recent milestone for the musical was shattering the record weekly draw of $2,228,235 set by Wicked last January.  During its final 9 performances of 2011, Spider-Man raked in $2,941.790.
Bono and The Edge of U2 are elated that the production the pair provided most of the music for has overcome all of the obstacles. The Edge says, 'It goes to show that you can't keep a good superhero down. This is a proud day for everyone who has been a part of this show', and added, 'The Broadway public have voted with their feet.'
PockingtonPost.co.uk

MORE U2 ROCK INSIGHTS

Anyone seeing Keith Richards sporting an eye patch in recent days might have figured the Rolling Stones guitarist was just prepping for another Pirates of the Caribbean role, but it turns out he had laser eye surgery shortly before Christmas.  Rolling Stone mag quotes a close source as saying Keith is, '...music's ultimate survivorbut not even the seemingly immortal Keith Richards can stop the march of time. It was a harmless, quick procedure and he's very happy with the results.'

MORE KEITH RICHARDS ROCK INSIGHTS

After months of empty promises, Van Halen made good on one - a big one involving a small space when the band roared to life in a tiny basement in lower Manhattan Thursday night (1/5). The setting was the Cafe Wha?, a legendary 250 capacity basement venue in Greenwich Village once managed by David Lee Roth's uncle.  The club was something of a musical Mecca in the 60's, attracting Hendrix, Dylan and dozens of other stars.  92 year-old Manny Roth was in the house when his nephew and the band took the stage, the younger Roth exclaiming, 'Last time I stood on a stage this low, we had to have the car back by midnight!'.  The group then unleashed an hour long set of VH classics along with the new song She's A Woman from the album we now know will be titled A Different Kind Of Truth (Feb. 7).  The 11 song performance started with the Kink's You Really Got Me and included a brief interlude with Roth doing his impression of what Stairway To Heaven would have sounded like with Jim Morrison in Robert Plant's place.  Roth, reassuming the position he lost when the band fired him in 1985, was in good form and full of his usual bravado, and the band seemed in full stride and ready to take it to much bigger stages, starting Feb. 18 in Louisville, KY.
NYTimes.com

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She Smells So Nice, a bluesy Doors song recorded during the sessions that produced the songs on the 1971 LA Woman album, will get released on Monday (1/9) through the seminal SoCal group's Facebook page.  The track was reportedly discovered by producer Bruce Botnick while rummaging around for material from the period that might rise to the level of something worth releasing.  The 40th Anniversary reissue of the album on Rhino Records coincides with the release of 8 alternate takes on songs from the sessions an Eagle Rock Entertainment  DVD that includes behind-the-scenes footage filmed as members of the Doors recorded the album most consider to be the last great release by the group.
JamBands.com

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Norfolk is a buzz over the possibility that The Boss may show up to play during the city's birthday weekend tribute to the late Big Man of the E Street Band, Clarence Clemons, but the promoter is staying low-key about that prospect.  A Friday (1/6) concert will take place at the Attucks Theatre, followed by a larger event Saturday night at the NorVa arena.  Bill Reid says Bruce Springsteen showing up to play is, '...certainly not anything that we're counting on.' One former E Street member is a lock to perform - drummer Vinny 'Mad Dog' Lopez. His take on the possibility Bruce will make an appearance was not any more convincing: 'He certainly knows about the shows in Norfolk.  Whether he's in town or in the United States of America, I don't know.' Bruce and the current lineup of the E Streeters are scheduled to perform in Spain next week.  Other performers paying tribute to the late sax man in VA this weekend include Southside Johnny and Gary US Bonds.  The temptation to resist performing Quarter To Three with Bonds while paying tribute to the bond he and Clarence had just might be too strong for Springsteen to resist.
HamptonRoads.com

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After opponents made it clear they would fight Phil Lesh's plan to establish a muti-purpose music venue in Fairfax, California the former Grateful Dead bass player elected to withdraw his proposal rather than do battle  over it (story), but also vowed to find a site in a community that would recognize the benefits of such a venue.  That decision paid off when Lesh and his wife Jill purchased a property in nearby San Rafael, the town that the Grateful Dead offices were in.  Lesh has bought the Seafood Peddler restaurant in the small city north of the Golden Gate Bridge. His plan is to convert the building next door into a performance space for 400 he has dubbed the Grate Room.  In addition to the concert venue, the complex will include a restaurant and spaces that can be used for a variety of cultural and community events.  Speaking with the Marin Independent Journal, Lesh said he looks forward to having Terrapin Crossroads operational within a couple of months and reviving '...the various lineups I've put together over the past 10 years.'
MarinIJ.com

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A 3 month experiment to test Eddie Money as the morning radio host of an Atlanta, Georgia FM station came to and end with the arrival of the new year. Morning ratings on the Classic Hits station in the Peach Tree State's largest city apparently indicated that listeners were more interested in waking up to Money's music than the man himself.  The Rocker had been hosting shows from his home in LA, meaning the ones he'd done live he had to be up at 3am for west coast time. Little wonder it wasn't working out.
AJC.com

As we suspected (story), the London tabloid that claimed Pink Floyd would reunite for an appearance during the London Olympics has proven wrong. Guitarist David Gilmour wasted no time shooting down the report through a spokesperson that contacted NME.  The simple, straightforward statement read 'There is no truth in recent media speculation about Pink Floyd reuniting to perform for the 2012 London Olympics.'  Gilmour has begun work on a new album and may mount a solo tour in support of it before the year is out.
UltimateClassicRock.com

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Bonnie Raitt has always been backed by a first rate band on the road.  Her next album, Slipstream (April 10, Redwing Records) will feature those players along with Al Anderson of NRBQ. Raitt's release will include a reggae cover of the late Gerry Rafferty's song Right Down The Line and two tracks Bob Dylan released on his 1997 album Time Out Of Mind - Standing In The Doorway and Million Miles.  Raitt says the title was inspired by the thought that, 'I'm in the slipstream of those who came before me, and I'm leaving one for those behind me.'
Slipstream is the first studio album from the 9 time Grammy winner since Souls Alike (2005).
AmericanSongwriter.com

Tuesday (1/3) came and went without the anticipated announcement of a Van Halen North American tour.  Van Halen News Desk, the source that generated wide spread expectations that at least a partial itinerary would be unveiled on that date (story), had nothing more to offer than the possibility that the tour will open in Lousiville, KY on a date in February.  VH or the site appear to be giving Guns N Roses and Spinal Tap some competition in the least credible category.  VHND is sticking to the contention that the new album will be out Feb. 7.
VHND.com

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Dave Sewart and Ringo Starr ended up with so many songs and ideas for the former Beatle drummer's new album, Ringo 2012,  that the duo ended up developing a complete musical they hope to bring to a Broadway stage.  Talking with Mojo magazine, Ringo said, 'Me and Dave wrote a musical, a complete thing - characters, story, a lot of songs', but he went on to admit that getting it produced for Broadway is a long shot, adding, '...it will more likely end up a movie'.  As for the story line, Starr is not revealing a thing, other than to say it is not about him or the former Eurthymics member.
ContactMusic.com

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We always keep a salt shaker handy when reading accounts in the British tabloids, so a claim by the Daily Express that Pink Floyd will be performing at the London Olympics closing ceremony falls under the conjecture column until a more credible source steps up but since David Gilmour has indicated a willingness to get Floyd back together for the right occasion, we thought it worth putting out there.  The paper's unidentified 'insider' contends that the Olympics meets the standard in the estimation of group members and says, 'It is hoped everything can be confirmed in the coming weeks.'  Paul McCartney is expected to perform at the opening or closing ceremony.  Mick Jagger has dismissed the idea of the Stones participating.
VintageVinylNews.com

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Prospects for a 2012 reunion involving John Fogerty and the two remaining members of Creedence Clearwater Revival were looking good as 2011 drew to a close.  Fogerty, who had repeatedly rebuffed past overtures from Stu Cook and Doug Clifford and then grew bitter over the pair's decision to tour under the name Creedence Clearwater Revisited, had warmed to the idea of getting CCR back together.  The reunion outlook turned murky in a hurry when Cook, speaking with Uncut magazine said of Fogerty's semi-offer, 'Leopards don't change their spots. This is just an image polishing exercise by John. My phone certainly hasn't rung.'  Doug Clifford added, 'It might have been a nice idea 20 years ago, but it's too late.'
ContactMusic.com

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Van Halen may use an intimate New York City club as the launching pad for an upcoming tour with David Lee Roth as the front man.  Rolling Stone is reporting that the Cafe Wha?, a 250 seat club in Greenwich Village once operated by Manny Roth, an uncle of David Lee Roth, will be the setting for an exclusive Thursday night (1/5) performance.  Details about the 2012 tour reuniting the band with its original lead singer are supposed to be announced Tuesday (1/3), with tickets going on sale a week later.  A club on the opposite coast, the Roxy in LA, has apparently been the rehearsal base for the group since early November.  Video footage featuring the current VH lineup of that surfaced a couple of weeks ago was apparently shot at the Roxy.  A new album is said to be slated for a Feb. 7 release.  As with everything involving Van Halen, nothing is for certain until your ears are bleeding.
RollingStone.com

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The Allman Brothers Band will hold court in the Big Apple during a 10 concert series between March 9 and 25 at the Beacon Theater. The Year Of The Peach concerts will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the group's 1972 double album Eat A Peach.  The ABB recently recreated the album during a concert appearance at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston and will likely repeat that during several of the nights in New York.  Past appearances by the Allmans at the Beacon have included plenty of guest musicians, among them Bob Weir and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and Levon Helm.
RollingStone.com

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The 13 month old son that Van Morrison allegedly fathered with a former business associate passed away after going into a diabetic coma according to reports by sources claiming to have obtained the information from a coroner's report.  The birth and life of the boy as well as the Irish singer's relationship with Gigi Lee, who died of throat cancer last October, was shrouded in mystery after Morrison vehemently denied being the father and claimed through a spokesman that he did not even know the woman.  An associate medical examiner's report reveals that the boy, who was found unresponsive at his suburban Dallas home on January 25, 2011, was suffering from extreme hyperglacaemia and weighed nearly 33 lbs at the time of his death.
His mother, who reportedly moved to Ireland after the baby's death, died last October while in the care of a hospice organization in Belfast.
IrishCentral.com

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Covers of Beatles songs figured in the earliest and latest celebrations of the arrival of 2012 on U.S. soil. In New York, Carlos Santana did his best to salvage an attempt teen heart throb Justin Bieber made performing Let It Be in Times Square. Later, during seaside NYE party at the Wailea Beach Resort in Hawaii, Steven Tyler was joined by Alice Cooper on Abbey Roads lead track, Come Together, a song Aerosmith did a version of on the group's 1978 double album.
UltimateClassicRock.com

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