News
June 19, 2002
LULU MEANS A DUAL THING
Lulu has a glorious musical past. She's been here since the '60s and never let her fans down. Now, not only her fans, as with the release of Lulu's newest album, "Together, her music will surely attract many more. Reason? That's a collection of duets with stars of various calibre - up to three knights, Sir Elton, Sir Cliff and Sir Paul. Who else made onto it? Look and see:
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1. Teardrops - with Elton John |
8. With You I'm Born Again - with Marti Pellow |
GET BOXED!
June 9th is date when Mick Box, Cheshire-cat grinner of URIAH HEEP, was born. With due congratulations to this one hell of DME's friend, it should be said that the best present Mick received this year is a website of his own: http://www.mick-box.com. Lovely thing is exactly what this lovely guitarist deserves - there's a lot to be added but what is on now looks great and exactly reflects Mick's nature. Drop by, that is, and drop Mr Box a line.
THERE BE BEARS
"The Country Bears" is a title of the newest Disney film that's based loosely on the Disney attraction Country Bear Jamboree. The movie will be premiered on July 26th but the soundtrack is due to hit the shelves three days earlier and feature some great singers. Alongside Willie Nelson and John Hiatt there'll be such mighty animals as Don Henley, who performs a duet with Bonnie Raitt on "Can Love Stand The Test." and Elton John doing "Friends."
BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE
This autumn will see the release of the new TOTO album "Through The Looking Glass", unique for two reasons. First, it was recorded independently and it's only now that the contract is being secured. Second, the album is a collection of perennial classics done TOTO-style. Here are those gems and their original performers:
1. Bodhisattva - STEELY DAN
2. Could You Be Loved - Bob Marley
3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - THE BEATLES
4. Maiden Voyage / Butterfly - Herbie Hancock
5. Burn Down The Mission - Elton John (featuring Davey Johnstone and Nigel Olsen off Elton's band)
6. Sunshine Of Your Love - CREAM
7. House Of The Rising Sun - THE ANIMALS
8. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry - Bob Dylan
9. Watching The Detectives - Elvis Costello
10. Cant Get Next To You - Al Green
11. Livin For The City - Stevie Wonder (featuring Stevie Wonder)
June 12, 2002
WIDENING FRONTIERS
Frontiers Records and Now & Then Productions have some curious news to share.
With MR. BIG having grind to a halt, the band's singer Eric Martin joins the Frontiers' roster for more than one album, but the one that kickstarts the deal is "I’m Goin’ Sane" - recently out in Japan, it will be released in Europe this August and feature two exclusive tracks, original called "Only A Moment Away" and THE CARS' cover "Just What I Needed" instead of "Fly" and "Carnival Of Souls".
Another singer of the same stable is Jeff Scott Soto who's been teasing fans for a long time and is continuing that now, having changed his forthcoming album's title to "Prism". With the street date still not announced, whether we'll hear "I Want To Take You Higher", Jeff's duet with Glenn Hughes, by the end of 2002 is questionable. Meanwhile, videos for songs "Holdin’ On" and "Eyes Of Love" are to be shot soon, and one of them will make it to an EP, to be out before the full album. Another bonus will be Soto's "Love Parade" album available at budget price.
JAGGER'S TAKEN UPSTAIRS FOR A RIDE
Next week, on her birthday, Queen Elizabeth of England will be awarding the most worthy persons with a knighthood. One of those beautiful people turns out to be Mick Jagger. In the '60s the public enemy of the first degree, now THE ROLLING STONES primadonna was nominated by Prime Minister Tony Blair. If that's a joke, the intent's good anyway. Who's next? Pete Townshend, anyone?
MORE FAB COVERS
THE BEATLES have one of their tunes covered every now and then but rarely by a big name nowadays. Rarely doesn't mean never, and there's two more. First comes from Joan Jett, who has recorded "The Word" as a bonus for a compilation CD benefitting breast cancer charities. Titled "It's About Eve (Music For The Cure)", it features songs by female indie artists. The second one is "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" which will make it unto the first Peter Frampton's album in nine years, to be out shortly. More of those!
June 10, 2002
DO THE HARLEM SHUFFLE
A very timely thing. While THE ROLLING STONES are getting ready to hit the road, Ronnie Wood has checked into a certain American clinic for an alcoholism rehab. Old nosey seems to be in need to clean his act because the band's 40th Anniversary tour is likely to be heavy on booze.
PROUD WORDS
Keeping his silence on promised acoustic album, Ken Hensley is getting loud with an announcement of the new live version of his perennial "Lady in Black" to be out as well as a "totally new CD that will feature an explosive new version of "The Magician's Birthday" amongst a number of other things. Together with a full length DVD, all of this will provide a perfect bridge for the FREE SPIRIT train to roll over on its way to the first CD in early 2003". FREE SPIRIT is the name of the veteran's current band, which's concert in Vienna, Austria on June 18th will be recorded and released on a later date.
ROAD TO RUIN
That's how it is for RAMONES. Only one year since Joey Ramone's untimely death of cancer, Douglas Glenn Colvin, universally known as Dee Dee Ramone, was found dead by his wife in their Hollywood home on June 5th. Presumably worn-out by life as a punk rocker, rapper and artist, 50 years-old bassist's demise is said to be caused by drug overdose.
LIFE OF A BLUES SINGER
Great late Phil Lynott's life will be a subject of a movie based on Philo's mum Philomena's book "My Boy". There's no official announcements still but the rumours have it that the main role is to be played by Gary Dourdan, a star of the American TV show "Crime Scene Investigation".
What's official is that Lynnott's portrait is to make it onto one of four stamps of Irish rock stars to be released on October 9th.
ORCHESTRAL SOUNDSCAPES IN THE DARK
June 29th will see Robert Fripp's soundscapes performed live by The Metropole Orchestra of Amsetrdam at the Concertgebow alongside avant garde classics by the likes of Bernstein and Gurjieff. Great combination! Two Mr. Crimson's pieces underwent Bert Lams' transcriptions and Andrew Keeling's arrangements - "Pie Jesu" for string orchestra and "Being And Becoming" for a full one. Six more will follow next June, but the band called VIRELAI's forthcoming album will include Keeling's arrangement of CRIMSON's "Trio" for Renaissance flute, treble viol and bass lute.
As for KING CRIMSON, who set to work on the new album, there's an archive recording "Live At The Zoom Club, 1972" being released by DGM as a part of Collectors Club. Committed to tape on October 13th, 1972 in Frankfurt, Germany, it presents the first ever live performance by the "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" line-up of Robert Fripp, John Wetton, Bill Bruford, David Cross and Jamie Muir. The tracks are:
Disc 1:
1. Larks' Tongues in Aspic (Part I) |
Disc 2:
1. Easy Money |
June 5, 2002
HOUSE WILL BE FULL
Now it definitely will be, the Frankie Miller Tribute Night will take place on September 7th, the very same day when the tribute album, "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed but Most Definitely Blues!" is to be out. The latest addition to the artists contributing a song for the CD is Fish, who chose to sing "Caledonia" featuring Brian Robertson of THIN LIZZY fame, but the list may still grow beyond 51 confirmed acts.
And there are those confirmed to perform on the September evening alongside a bunch of young Scottish band, Mary Kiani Sunshine Choir and THE FRANKIE MILLER BAND & FULL HOUSE consisting of Robbo Robertson on guitar, Chrissie Stewart on bass, Ted McKenna on drums and, if he's available, Paul Carrack on keyboards:
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Joe Walsh |
Bonnie Tyler |
LOOK THERE, OVER HORIZON
Hard to believe but it's only now that RAINBOW recieves a book on it. It was reported before yet now Helter Skelter Publishing announce the release date: June 24th.
Entitled "Rainbow Rising: The Story of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow", the book by Roy Davies will be out as a limited edition hardback and a regular soft cover item. Description isn't so teasing, going like,
"Blackmore led rock behemoths Deep Purple
to international, multi-platinum, mega-stardom. He quite in ’75, to form Rainbow, one of
the great live bands, with Ronnie James Dio and enjoyed a string of acclaimed albums and
hit singles, including "All Night Long" and "Since You’ve Been Gone" before the egos of
the key players caused the whole thing to implode.
More important fact is that interviewed for the book was everybody involved - minus, sure, great late Cozy Powell, who, nevertheless, made it to the photo section of this marvellous 256-page thing.
Check the review in soon-to-be-launched Books Reviews section of the site.
June 4, 2002
UNDER THEIR THUMB
After the long wait, THE ROLLING STONES start their reissue programme - with a new trick in. August 20th will see the release of 22 STONES' titles from ABKCO Records, each album being in a Super Audio CD to be listened to on an SACD player as well as standard one.
The remastered series span the band's catalogue from 1963 to 1970, including infamous "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!" live album, 3CD "Singles Collection: The London Years" set and a couple of popular compilations. The remainder of the STONES' output, starting with 1971's "Sticky Fingers", are in the hands of Virgin Records, owned now by Sony, and whether it will see re-shaping any day soon is questionable.
DEAR DIARY, HE'S HERE TO STAY
Rockdetector have released a book on ever popular Ozzy Osbourne, and that should be a treat. You can have a taste of it here, where a single chapter is posted, but there's much more to it, as among the key figures interviewed for the book are Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake, Bernie Torme and Carmine Appice, Steve Vai and Pete Way, Phil Soussan and Tommy Aldridge, Don Airey and Lita Ford, with each of the musicians given a solo discography. No Madman or family, that is. Maybe, that's better and makes for more true story. Therein are tales of songs writing, recording and other details sheding another light on the legend surrounding the man and his band.