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NASA Needs Your Helping Picking Songs for the Last Shuttle Mission
NASA is asking your help in choosing which songs will wake up the astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle during its last mission in November. Head to SongContest.NASA.gov to see a list of all the songs played during previous missions -- the top two vote-getters will be used. Among the choices are songs by The Beatles, John Lennon, U2, Tom Petty, Rush, Jimmy Buffett, Dire Straits and Bruce Springsteen. Voting ends on November 1st. --Sal Cirrincione

A selection of the classic rock songs NASA is asking you to choose from:

Beautiful Day - U2
Homeward Bound - Simon and Garfunkel
Roll With It - Steve Winwood
Bright Side of the Road - Van Morrison
Imagine - John Lennon
She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
Countdown - Rush
Learning to Fly - Tom Petty
Should I Stay or Should I Go? - The Clash
Enter Sandman - Metallica
Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf
So Far Away - Dire Straits
Free Fallin' - Tom Petty
Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
Start Me Up - Rolling Stones
Good Day Sunshine - The Beatles
Rendezvous - Bruce Springsteen
Time for Me to Fly - REO Speedwagon
Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
Rocket Man - Elton John
Window on the World - Jimmy Buffett

Rolling Stones Get Their Own Version of Monopoly

The venerable board game Monopoly has introduced a special edition based on The Rolling Stones. Instead of playing with the traditional thimble or shoe, the band's lips logo and a posse of wild horses will move along the board. Some addresses have been replaced by album names. Instead of houses and hotels, there are gold and platinum records. No more water works or electric company -- drums and guitars take their place. And the train stations have been renamed for some of the Stones' most famous tours. The Rolling Stones Collector’s Edition will be available for the holiday season. It’s not the first rocking version of the game. A Beatles edition was released in 2008.

Aerosmith - American Idol Update

Though Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton has said that Steven Tyler will indeed be a judge on American Idol this coming season, guitarist Joe Perry isn't certain it's a done deal. Perry says, "From what I hear, they haven't signed him yet... I really don't know." Perry's more focused on Aerosmith's future. He says, "We just want to get one more record out and get a good tour going behind it... But, you know, we really don't know what's going on."

Rolling Stone Magazine's Greatest Beatles Songs

Quick, name the best Beatles songs of all time. It's a tough task, but the editors of Rolling Stone magazine narrowed down the Fab Four's catalog to an essential top 100. Number one on that list? "A Day in the Life," which is described as "the ultimate Lennon-McCartney collaboration." The list was released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Fab Four's 12th and final studio album, Let It Be. --David Sprague

The top 10 Beatles songs -- as chosen by Rolling Stone.
1. "A Day in the Life"
2. "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
3. "Strawberry Fields Forever"
4. "Yesterday"
5. "In My Life"
6. "Something"
7. "Hey Jude"
8. "Let It Be"
9. "Come Together"
10. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

VH-1 Greatest Artists of All Time Revised

The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and Bob Dylan will hold the top five spots on VH1's upcoming documentary countdown of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. The fun will be guessing the order of the stars in the multi-part prime-time special that begins September 6th.

To promote the documentary-countdown, the cable channel also leaked to USA Today the order of those ranking from numbers six through 20:
• 20. Marvin Gaye
• 19. U2
• 18. Pink Floyd
• 17. Queen
• 16. Madonna
• 15. The Beach Boys
• 14. Nirvana
• 13. The Who
• 12. David Bowie
• 11. Bob Marley
• 10. Stevie Wonder
• 9. James Brown
• 8. Elvis Presley
• 7. Prince
• 6. Jimi Hendrix

A who's who of rock and R&B talent, including Ray Davies, Ozzy Osbourne, Daryl Hall, John Oates, Whitney Houston and Sheryl Crow were among those whose votes determined this 100 Greatest list. --Mike McCann

Stevie Nicks Not A Fan of Cyberspace
Stevie Nicks is no fan of how the online revolution has changed music -- and society. She tells The New York Daily News, "The Internet has destroyed rock. Children no longer develop social graces. They don't hang out anymore."

While financially set thanks to Fleetwood Mac's mega-success, Nicks says today's aspiring rockers have their work cut out for them. "If you're not an established band, if you don't have a hit single, they're gonna drop you. There are a lot of people out there as talented as we were, but they can't sustain being in a rock and roll band for long without success. We were able to, but we're going to die out."-Mike McCann

Phil Collins Not A Fan of Zeppelin
Phil Collins had quite a full plate when he performed at Live Aid 25 years ago. Not only did he sit in with Sting in London -- he also flew to Philadelphia, where he did his own set and sat in for a song with Led Zeppelin. Playing with Zeppelin was not a highlight for Collins, as he tells Spin magazine, "It wasn't amazing to be there. I have to say, they weren't very good and I was made to feel uncomfortable by the dribbling Jimmy Page. If I could have walked off, I would have -- but then we'd be talking about why Phil Collins walked off from Led Zeppelin. So I just stayed there and bit my tongue

Doobie Bros Reunion...of sorts
The Doobie Brothers are bringing another of their "siblings" back into the fold on their upcoming album. Ted Templeman, who produced the band's first 10 albums, is at the controls again for World Gone Crazy. Co-founder Patrick Simmons tells The Vancouver Sun the reunion began when Templeman stopped by a studio where the band was rehearsing and asked if they had any new material. Simmons says, "We started off doing some demos and got serious about it a year later. It took us awhile because we were on and off the road."
Yet despite creating almost album's worth of new material, Templeman suggested "Nobody," first included on the band's 1971 debut LP, would make a great 2010 single. "He thought it would be fun to go back and do something from the first album. To recreate it using today's technology put the song in a whole new category." The Doobie Bros will be in Tulsa at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's new venue "The Joint" on September 30th--Mike McCann

New Eric Clapton Album Coming As we reported, Eric Clapton will release his new album, Clapton, on September 28th. Five songs will hit radio on Tuesday, including the first single, "Run Back to Your Side." The BBC premiered "Diamonds Made From Rain," a ballad with Sheryl Crow on background vocals, yesterday. --Sal Cirrincione

Neil Young Meets Guitar Hero
Add Neil Young to the list of artists featured on the new Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. Gene Simmons of KISS narrates the video game, which contains "Rockin' in the Free World" alongside tracks by Rush, Jethro Tull, Queen, Deep Purple, Styx, Dire Straits, ZZ Top and The Rolling Stones. It will be in stores September 28th. --Sal Cirrincione
More Beatles: Remastered
The Beatles' greatest hits collections -- 1962-1966 and 1967-1970, also known as the Red and Blue albums -- have been re-mastered for re-release in October. Originally released in 1973, they'll come with an expanded booklet with original liner notes and rare pictures of the Fab Four.

Kansas Coming To Oklahoma For Fundraiser
Kansas will tour college campuses this fall, playing with each school's symphony orchestra. Drummer Phil Ehart says, "We immediately discovered that most schools have no money for their music programs. We then thought of performing the shows as fundraisers, helping to raise funding for the school's music programs."
The Collegiate Symphony Tour was inspired by the success of their 2009 DVD/CD There's Know Place Like Home, on which they performed with the Washburn University Orchestra. The tour starts September 9th with the first of two shows at the University of Alabama and runs through October 9th at Truman State University in St. Charles, Missouri, with more dates to follow.
A concert in Stillwater at OSU is planned for September 23rd & 24th.

Bryan Adams Coming Out With Another Hits Collection
Bryan Adams has put together a new hits collection that will be released on August 31st. Icon contains 12 songs, including "Summer of '69," "Cuts Like a Knife" and "Run to You."
Adams is touring his native Canada with a show in Edmonton on Friday.
Other Icon albums include KISS, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rod Stewart, Rush, Styx and Nirvana. --Sal Cirrincione

Rod Stewart and Wife Expecting
Rod Stewart and his third wife, Penny Lancaster, are expecting their second child. In a statement the couple says, "We were thrilled and delighted to be able to tell Alastair that he was going to be the big brother to a little baby, expected just before Mummy's 40th birthday," which means the child is due sometime early next year. Her birthday is March 15th. In addition to Alistair, Stewart has five other children. --Sal Cirrincione

Roth & Van Halen Together Again
Van Halen is indeed working on a new album with singer David Lee Roth. The announcement was made by Warner/Chappell Music, which has extended its administration agreements for the band's catalog with Eddie and Alex Van Halen. The press release says the album will be out next year. The brothers' last studio album with Roth was 1984's 1984. --Sal Cirrincione

Henley Lawsuit Settled
Don Henley and two of his songwriting partners -- Mike Campbell and Danny Kortchmar -- have settled their lawsuit against California politician Chuck DeVore and his campaign worker Justin Hart for an undisclosed amount. The U.S. senatorial candidate used two of Henley's songs -- "The Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" -- in campaign ads without permission. In addition to the settlement, DeVore and Hart issued an apology. "The court's ruling in this case confirms that political candidates, regardless of affiliation, should seek appropriate license authority before they use copyrighted works." Henley says, "My colleagues and I brought this lawsuit to protect our music from being taken and used, without permission, to promote someone else's agenda. It was not a question of political ideology, but the right of artists to control the use of the works they create, and protect their livelihoods." --Sal Cirrincione

Steven Tyler - American Idol News
Joe Perry isn't happy with Steven Tyler's interest in becoming an American Idol judge. The Aerosmith guitarist tells the Boston Herald, "I found out on the Internet like the rest of the world." He says he asked Tyler about it, but the singer told him he couldn't discuss it. "I mean, after working with me for 40 years, he couldn't tell me about this? Why so secretive? We're told it's a done deal. If Steven is committed to a TV show, that kind of affects the rest of us. We'd like to plan our lives, ya know?" There's still no confirmation from Tyler or FOX about whether he got the job. Aerosmith are in The Woodlands, Texas tonight. --Sal Cirrincione

Elton John/Leon Russell Album Track Listing
Elton John's songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, has revealed the track listing for the album Elton has made with Leon Russell. Among the 14 song titles on The Union are:

"If It Wasn't for Bad"
"$800 Shoes"
"Hey Ahab"
"Gone to Shiloh"
"Jimmie Rodger's Dream"
"There's No Tomorrow"
"Monkey Suit"
A deluxe CD and vinyl version will contain two additional tracks -- "Mandalay Again" and "My Kind of Hell." It will be out on October 19th. --Sal Cirrincione

Kinks Member Has Mixed Feelings About Van Halen Cover
Kinks guitarist Dave Davies has mixed feelings about Van Halen's cover of his band's most famous song, "You Really Got Me." He tells Classic Rock magazine, "Van Halen's version was very middle America. It was like, 'Hey man, look at me with my tight trousers! Here's our version of You Really Got Me!'... I shouldn't encourage him, but I'm sure Eddie Van Halen played better when he was drunk. But it must be a good record if people like it."

Billy Joel Concert Movie Coming to a Real Big Screen
Billy Joel's Last Play at Shea concert film and documentary -- filmed at New York's Shea Stadium on July 16th and 18th, 2008 -- will be shown at the Mets' new digs, Citi Field, on August 21st. Over the two nights, Joel welcomed such guests as Paul McCartney, Don Henley, Roger Daltrey, Steven Tyler, Garth Brooks and Tony Bennett.

It's expected to be the biggest outdoor movie presentation since Motion Picture Day, starring Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, on July 4th, 1919 in Columbus, Ohio. Tickets are $10 and go on sale tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. [ET] at 507TIXX.com and by phone at (718) 507-TIXX. --Sal Cirrincione

Aerosmith Hit The Tour Grind Again
Aerosmith will attempt their second North American tour in less than a year when their Cocked, Locked and Ready to Rock tour gets under way tonight (Friday) in Oakland, California. Of course, last year's tour ended after just a few shows when Steven Tyler fell off the stage and injured himself in South Dakota. Then came a falling out with Tyler, which has since been resolved. Not surprisingly, bassist Tom Hamilton tells us this tour is a bit out of the ordinary. "We're having one of those moments in gratefulness. It's just been an absolute blast." The tour, with special guest Sammy Hagar on 11 dates including the opener, runs through September 16th in Vancouver. --Sal Cirrincione

Rush Included on Guitar Hero Again
Rush's 1976 album 2112 will be featured in the new Guitar Hero game Warriors of Rock, which will be out in September. There will be a story based on the epic piece with narration by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. Lee says, "In our story, the caves of 2112 are where our hero finds the lost guitar. This re-discovery of music is much like the Guitar Hero warriors' journey to find the Demi-God of Rock's legendary guitar, which has been trapped in a cavern."
Rush are on the road with their Time Machine tour. Their Tulsa stop is September 21st at the BOK Center. --Sal Cirrincione

Heat Affects Tom Petty Tour
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers postponed their show last night in suburban Cleveland in order to give guitarist Mike Campbell more time to recover from heat exhaustion. Campbell fainted on stage Sunday night in suburban St. Louis and has been advised by doctors to rest for a few days. Last night's show will be rescheduled. Petty and company's next show is scheduled for tomorrow night in Auburn Hills, Michigan, indoors at The Palace. Petty along with ZZ Top will be in Tulsa at the BOK Center on September 23rd. --Sal Cirrincione

Top Classic Rock Tours of 2010...so far
Billboard Boxscore pegs AC/DC as the top tour at the halfway point of 2010. In figures compiled between the trade publication's November 28th, 2009 and June 19th, 2010 issues, the Australian band grossed $118 million to go along with the $135 million they grossed last year. Bon Jovi is second with $52 million over 35 shows. Other classic rock acts to make the Top 25:

8. Eagles: $28 million
17. Guns n' Roses: $21 million
20. Elton John and Billy Joel $20 million
21. KISS $19 million
22. James Taylor and Carole King $18 million
--Sal Cirrincione

Is Aerosmith Cursed?
The Aerosmith injury wheel continues to go 'round. Guitarist Joe Perry suffered minor injuries when he was rear ended on his motorcycle near his Massachusetts home on Thursday. His 2009 Ducati Monster 696 was struck by a car driven by 62-year Linda O'Brien. Perry was taken to the hospital with minor undisclosed injuries and released, and O'Brien was ticketed for following too closely. A spokeswoman for Perry tells us he's "home and doing fine."

Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton threw out the first pitch at Boston's Fenway Park Friday night as the Red Sox hosted the Texas Rangers. Prior to his pitch, Hamilton said, "I think all of this bass guitar playing is going to work in my favor when it comes to chucking that thing. I think the real pitchers have it easy. They get to throw for hours, but I have to do it all in one pitch."

Aerosmith are scheduled to start the North American leg of their tour on Friday in Oakland, California. --Sal Cirrincione

Pink Floyd: Another Reunion on the Way
Roger Waters says his Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour will join him for one of his Wall shows when that tour gets under way in September. They set it up when Waters joined Gilmour at a U.K. benefit last weekend. Gilmour wanted to duet on "To Know Him Is to Love Him," but Waters didn't think he would do a good job. Then Gilmour said, "If you do 'To Know Him Is to Love Him' for the Hoping Foundation gig, I'll come and do 'Comfortably Numb' on one of your Wall shows." Waters says he was "blown away" and "couldn't" refuse his offer. They haven't set a date for Gilmour to perform. Waters says, "He will decide in due course which gig he wants to do. It will be a surprise." --Sal Cirrincione

Doobie Brothers: Two on the Disabled List
The Doobie Brothers are without the services of bass player Skylark and drummer Mike Hossack. Skylark has broken his silence, saying he suffered a stroke. He writes on DoobieBros.com, "Every day has been a good day, filled with signs of recovery. I've been working hard, doing all kinds of exercises, feeling real good about my progress, and I'm really looking forward to the day I can join my brothers onstage." Hossack is once again hampered by injuries suffered in a 2008 auto accident. He says, "I needed to take some time off to address these issues and get my health back on track. Things are improving, but it may be several months before I'm able to get back to touring." --Sal Cirrincione

Bon Jovi: Halfway Leaders in 2010 Concerts
Bon Jovi is the country's top concert draw halfway through the year, according to Pollstar. They played 38 shows in 28 markets and sold more than a half-million tickets for a total gross of $52.8 million. At number-two are James Taylor and Carole King with a gross of $41-million. Taylor Swift is third with $34.2-million, followed by Paul McCartney at number-four with $31.6-million. But Macca played just seven shows in five markets with an average ticket price of $130 -- the three acts above him played more than 30 concerts. Overall, Pollstar says concert business is off about 15 percent from 2009. According to the Eagles' office, though they're down at number-33, they should be at number-two. Their spokeswoman says, "[Pollstar's] chart only includes grosses for six of the band's 28 concert dates during the reporting period... Had all the Eagles concert dates been reported, the band would have scored number-two...grossing more than $48.7 million with 441,000 tickets sold. Other notables in the Top 100 include Elton John and Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Buffett, Foreigner and Styx, AC/DC, Peter Gabriel, Santana, The Moody Blues, Van Morrison and Jeff Beck. Ironically, Bon Jovi apparently injured himself during his show Friday night in New Jersey. --Sal Cirrincione

Apple Records Finally Going to Reissue Non Beatles Albums
The "other" artists who recorded for Apple Records are getting the spotlight this fall. On October 26th, EMI will reissue 15 albums from stars such as Badfinger, James Taylor, Mary Hopkin and Billy Preston as CDs with bonus material and digital downloads. Also included are albums from Doris Troy, the U.S. soul star who enjoyed a second career as a British backup vocalist, The Modern Jazz Quartet, John Taverner and Jackie Lomax, the George Harrison protege whose 1968 debut album also featured contribution from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Keith Richards and Eric Clapton. --Mike McCann

Eric Clapton Living Like A Rock Star!

Eric Clapton has ordered a custom-made Ferrari, according to the Italian auto magazine Quattroroute. He wants the 458 Italia model outfitted with the higher end V-12 engine used in the company's 599 GTB Fiorano, giving it an additional 40 horsepower for a total of 620.

A few years ago, Clapton was ticketed by French police for driving his Ferrari Enzo at 145 miles per hour. --Sal Cirrincione

Aerosmith Back In The Saddle

Steven Tyler says Aerosmith has "never been better." In an interview with the Associated Press, the singer says, "It's been beautiful and I realized when I was taking care of my problems that the band is all I really care about." Just a few months ago, Aerosmith was looking to continue with another singer while Tyler was in rehab, but they were able to iron out their differences. Tyler says, "You know it's a little hard for me. Being in Aerosmith is like living on the tail of a comet... A lot of things came to play that made it easy for me to abuse some things. Even though some of the people in the band were going public with some of the stuff which turned very ugly, I managed to pull it all back together again and say, 'Look, let's just get out there and be the band that we know we are and not argue about this crap anymore.'" Tyler also says he has 12 songs written for a solo album. Aerosmith is in Paris tonight. --Sal Cirrincione

Elton John Releasing 2 Albums
Not only is Elton John releasing the new studio album he cut with Leon Russell called The Union, but he also has a new live album coming. At the Verona Arena is a two-CD set recorded last summer in Verona, Italy. It will be out in August. The Union will out on October 19th.

Rush Now on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
A throng of more than 500 fans watched Rush get its star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday. The band's singer-bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson were on hand, but drummer-lyricist Neal Peart skipped the ceremony because he was on his motorcycle heading towards Albuquerque, New Mexico. It's the first stop on the band's U.S. tour, which kicks off tomorrow.

The 20-minute ceremony featured a heartfelt introduction by longtime Rush fan Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins that Lifeson later called "eloquent." Corgan spoke of Rush's integrity and honesty and recalled that the first group he ever played in was a Rush cover band. "From the suburbs of Toronto, Canada to the streets of Hollywood, that's quite a trip," Lee told the crowd. Afterwards he called the fans' support on Friday "overwhelming" and "mind-blowing." --Dave Schulps

Tom Petty's new album "MOJO" debuts at #2
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Mojo album has bowed at number two on the Billboard chart, with 125,000 copies sold last week. Those figures were helped by fans who got a free download of the album after buying tickets to the band's tour, but it's still significant milestone in Petty's career:

The 125,000 copies sold is Petty's best debut sales week since SoundScan started tracking sales in 1991.
The number-two spot matches the peak of Damn the Torpedoes, which spent seven weeks at number-two in 1980. (It was stuck behind Pink Floyd's The Wall that entire time.)
It's Petty and the Heartbreakers ninth Top 10 album.
It's Petty's 15th Top 10 album overall, which includes his three solo albums, two Traveling Wilburys albums and the debut album from his pre-Heartbreakers band Mudcrutch. Petty comes to Tulsa on September 23rd at the BOK Center.

Elton John Album Coming in October
Elton John's next album, which he recorded with Leon Russell, is being mixed and will be released in October. Elton says, "I can't stress enough how significant an influence Leon Russell was on the music of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. In 1970, when we first went to America and I played the Troubadour, we were obsessed by Leon's music, and looked up to him as some kind of musical god. On the second night of the Troubadour concerts he was there in the front row, but luckily I didn't spot him until near the end of the show, otherwise I would have been a nervous wreck." The album's 16 tracks are being produced by T Bone Burnett. Guests on the disc include Neil Young, Brian Wilson and Booker T. Jones. --Sal Cirrincione

Brian Wilson Rejoining Beach Boys?
Mike Love delivered a bombshell when he told Robin Leach of The Las Vegas Sun that Brian Wilson will rejoin The Beach Boys next year when the iconic band celebrates its 50th anniversary. Love is the band's primary lead singer since its 1961 start and continues to front its tour version, while Wilson in viewed by long-time fans of the heart and soul of the Beach Boys. Love's claim runs counter to numerous comments Wilson has made in the past decade about separating himself from the Beach Boys, who re-create their classics of the '60s, 70s and 80s, but rarely create new work.

We asked Wilson's management for a comment yesterday and received none. His next solo project, a collection of a dozen "reimagined" George Gershwin classics and a pair of new collaborations, will be released August 17th.

Al Jardine, the other surviving Beach Boys co-founder, said in an e-mail to us, "I don't know what Mike and Brian have agreed to, but we are going to do a big outdoor concert for the anniversary. I have not been approached to do any touring in 2011, however. As you know, Mike Love controls the license." Mike Love has issued a clarification to the widely circulated comments regarding Brian Wilson. With his spokesman telling us, "I know what Mike meant to say," the Beach Boys front-man issued a statement yesterday that pulled back from published comments seen earlier in The Las Vegas Sun. There, veteran entertainment reporter Robin Leach quoted Love confidently expecting Wilson to tour wit him next year to mark the Beach Boys' 50th anniversary. The statement, posted on both Brian Wilson's and The Beach Boys Band websites, began, "At this time there are no plans for my cousin Brian to rejoin the tour." --Mike McCann

John Lennon Lyrics Sell For Big Money
John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to The Beatles' "A Day in the Life" off the Sgt. Pepper album sold for $1.2 million at a New York auction on Friday. The winning bid was placed by phone to Sotheby's auction house, which hasn't identified the collector. Appraisers had estimated that the double-sided sheet of paper would sell for $500,000 to $800,000.
The lyrics to Lennon's "All You Need Is Love" sold for $1.25 million in 2005. --Sal Cirrincione

New Steve Miller album "Bingo" Is Out
In stores today is Steve Miller's Bingo, his first studio album in 17 years. A few years back, he hired a couple of teenagers to archive his music collection. His rhythm and blues file contained more than 6000 songs, and over four days, he settled on 70 he wanted to record. Bingo contains 10 of them, including B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby," Jimmy Reed's "You Got Me Dizzy," Lowell Fulsom's "Tramp" and three songs by Jimmie Vaughan. The cover art was done by Storm Thorgerson, who came up with many of the Pink Floyd album covers.

Miller, a longtime Capitol recording artist, is releasing Bingo and its follow-up next year on his own label, Space Cowboy, in a deal through Roadrunner Records.

Miller resumes his summer tour on June 30th in Toronto. --Sal Cirrincione

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Aerosmith Going Back To The Studio?
After abandoning their recording sessions with producer Brendan O'Brien last spring, Aerosmith hopes to resume recording a new album after their tour. Speaking to Rolling Stone, guitarist Joe Perry says, "Looking at the calendar we'll probably be going into the studio sometime around the holidays or maybe in the beginning of next year. We'll have to take time off from touring to make the best record we can make. We owe it to ourselves to make the best record we can make." Aerosmith's last studio album of original material was Just Push Play in 2001. --Sal Cirrincione

Rush Objects to use of "Spirit of Radio"
Add Rush to the list of artists who object to their music being used in a political campaign -- although their lawyer says it's "not a political issue" but a "copyright issue." Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul from Kentucky has been using "The Spirit of Radio" at campaign stops, and Rush's lawyer has fired off a letter asking him to cease and desist. The attorney says, "We would do this no matter who it is." Rush will be at the BOK Center on September 21st.

Other artists who've recently objected to having their music used by politicians include Don Henley, Jackson Browne, John Mellencamp, Heart, Steve Miller, Tom Petty and Bon Jovi. --Sal Cirrincione

Don Henley Lawsuit Updated
After a hearing earlier this week, there's no word when a federal judge will rule on Don Henley's suit against a U.S. Senate candidate in California. Henley says Republican Chuck DeVore has infringed his copyrights by recording parody versions of "The Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" in political ads. He also believes that the use of his songs is a false advertisement implying that he's endorsed DeVore, even though he's backing incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer.
Last week, Judge James Selna issued a temporary judgment agreeing with the copyright-infringement claim but rejecting the false-advertising claim. --Sal Cirrincione

Joe Walsh Gets A Death Threat
Joe Walsh has filed papers in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming is life has been threatened by a man in his 70s, TMZ reports. In the papers Walsh says his personal assistant approached the man, Nassar Adhoot, who owns land by Walsh, after he trespassed on Walsh's property. Adhoot attacked the assistant and shouted, "You tell Joe Walsh I'm going to kill him. I'm going to shoot him." Walsh has asked for an order of protection against himself, his wife, his assistant, his maid and his gardener. --Sal Cirrincione

LA DA Drops Suit Against Simmons

The Los Angeles County D.A. has decided not to prosecute KISS's Gene Simmons for an alleged assault last December. Nathan Marlowe and his wife Cynthia Manzo said Simmons attacked them, threatened them and took their video camera at a mall in Los Angeles on December 19th, but the D.A. says there's not enough evidence to proceed. Barry Mallen, Simmons' attorney, calls the decision "completely expected."

However, Marlowe has also filed a civil suit, claiming, "The stress of the incident has impaired his ability to work in a tattoo parlor and to have sex with Cynthia Manzo."

Meanwhile, a separate civil lawsuit was filed against Simmons on Thursday by L.A. makeup artist Victoria Jackson, who alleges that Simmons committed sexual assault and battery on her when she was working on ESPN's Sports Center on November 24th, 2009. --Sal Cirrincione

Boston Lawsuit Update

Lawyers for the Boston Herald have asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Tom Scholz of the band Boston. Scholz claimed in 2007 that the paper implied that he'd driven Boston singer Brad Delp to commit suicide. But lawyers for the paper say, "The articles do not state that Scholz is to blame for Delp's decision to take his life...nor do they suggest any such thing." They argue that Scholz took small phrases out of context to build his argument -- and even created some of his own and attributed them to the Herald.

Fogerty Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame

John Fogerty's Centerfield is being celebrated twice. A 25th anniversary edition is due June 29th and on July 25th the title track and Fogerty will be honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame's induction ceremony in Cooperstown. Fogerty says, "I'm happy that baseball fans have embraced it as their anthem for a sport that I've always loved... I'm overwhelmed and truly humbled to be a part of the hallowed halls of the Baseball Hall of Fame and to have been asked to share the same stage with some of the greatest players to have ever lived." Fogerty will perform the song that day, which marks the first time the Baseball Hall of Fame has immortalized a musician or a song as part of the Induction Ceremony. --Sal Cirrincione

Charlie Watts Leaving The Stones?

For the second time in eight months, there are reports out of Australia that has Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts hanging up his sticks, this time being replaced by Steve Jordan, who has played with Keith Richards. The Stones' office denies the report. Earlier this month, Watts was asked when the Stones would tour again. And while there are no definite plans, he spoke as if he planned to be with them when they did. "I look forward to playing... It's hard work but it's fun." Watts and the Stones last toured in 2007. The Stones' re-release of Exile on Main Street is number one in the U.K. and is reportedly battling for the top spot on the U.S. chart. --Sal Cirrincione

Remastered "Band On The Run" Coming in August

In August, Paul McCartney will release a 35th anniversary edition of Band on the Run. During an online chat last week, Macca recently heard the re-mastered tapes of the album at Abbey Road Studios, saying, "The clarity is so good." In addition to the album, this new collection will come with bonus material including a DVD.

Steve Miller Latest To Say No To Use of Songs

Steve Miller is the latest artist to have one of his songs used in a political campaign without his permission. Miller has asked U.S. Senate Republican candidate Marco Rubio from Florida to stop using "Take the Money and Run," saying, "The Steve Miller Band and Steve Miller do not endorse Marco Rubio's campaign or any political candidates and respectfully request that Mr. Rubio learn more about publishing law and intellectual property rights. I also ask that in the future he extends me the courtesy of asking permission before using my songs." Other artists who have objected to candidates using their songs over the past few years include Jackson Browne, John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Van Halen, Bon Jovi and Heart. --Sal Cirrincione

New Heart Album Coming

We'd known for a while Heart was working on a new album. But we didn't have details until now -- the title is Red Velvet Car, the label will be Sony's Legacy division and it goes on sale August 31st. For their first new album in six years, Heart takes an acoustic direction, emphasizing on strings such as guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo, fiddle, viola, cello and autoharp, all played by Nancy Wilson and the album's producer, Grammy-winner Ben Mink. The songs are newly written; the exception being a new version of "Sand," which Ann and Nancy Wilson recorded for their Lovemongers album in 1990.

Heart will perform songs from Red Velvet Car, as well as their past classics, at selected Lilith Fair dates and concerts they headline in both the U.S. and Canada from July through September. --Mike McCann

McCartney...Beatles Would Have Won Reality Series
Paul McCartney thinks The Beatles would have won a talent-based reality show like Britain's X Factor had they existed in the early-'60s. But he tells the London tabloid The Sun that they probably would have needed a stronger song than "Love Me Do." He explains, "If you're talking of the Beatles on 'Love Me Do' -- there's doubt. But if you're talking of when we'd developed some of our better songs ...we'd cream 'em."

He adds, "Seriously, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh [judges on the British program] would have been all over us like a wet washcloth."

McCartney Gets Another Award

Paul McCartney will receive the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, a lifetime-achievement award. The ceremony will air on PBS on July 28th. The two previous recipients are Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder.

Macca blames EMI for The Beatles' music not being available on I-Tunes. He tells the BBC, "To tell you the truth, I don't actually understand how it's got so crazy. I know I-Tunes would like to do it, so one day it's going to happen."

And, if John Lennon and George Harrison were still alive, McCartney's convinced The Beatles would have reunited, despite having recently said he's glad they never did. He tells the Sunday Mail, "We were asked to do reunion gigs shortly after we broke up. There wasn't any point. It was like, 'We've just split!' I also had Wings, so I was a bit busy doing other things. It wasn't really a good idea then, but I think if this much time had elapsed, I could easily see it happening." --Sal Cirrincione

Ronnie James Dio Dies

Ronnie James Dio, one of the distinctive voices of hard rock, is dead at the age of 67. Dio died Sunday morning after suffering stomach cancer. Dio's wife and manager Wendy posted a note on his website Sunday afternoon saying, "Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us."

The diminutive singer, whose height was given as five-foot-four, was born Ronald James Padavona in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His family moved to Cortland, New York early in his life. As a teenager he played in various rockabilly bands and took his stage name in 1961 for Ronnie Dio and the Prophets. When that band broke up in 1967, he and Prophets guitarist Nick Pantas started a new band called the Electric Elves, which became Elf in 1969 and went on to do shows opening for Deep Purple. Dio's vocals caught the ear of Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who later formed Rainbow with Dio and other members of Elf. Dio sang on three Rainbow albums and is heard on tracks like "Man on the Silver Mountain" and "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll."

Dio left Rainbow in 1978 and became Ozzy Osbourne's replacement in Black Sabbath the following year. This version of Sabbath released two albums -- Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules -- before Dio and drummer Vinny Appice quit in 1982 to form the band Dio. That band's first album, Holy Diver, was their most popular and contained the hit "Rainbow in the Dark." Dio was the band's only constant member over a 10-album career.

Dio rejoined Black Sabbath for the Dehumanizer album and tour in 1992, but quit again when the group agreed to open for Ozzy Osbourne at the end of his No More Tours Tour in November 1992. Dio worked with his Sabbath bandmates in 2006 to record three songs for a compilation called The Dio Years and followed it up with a tour in 2007, but for legal reasons they called themselves Heaven and Hell. The quartet released a studio album last year called The Devil You Know. Heaven and Hell had planned on touring this summer, but those plans were canceled earlier this month because of Dio's health issues.

A visibly frail Dio made his last known public appearance at last month's taping of the Revolver Golden Gods Awards at L.A.'s Club Nokia, where he won Best Vocalist for The Devil You Know. Accepting the award, he told the crowd, "It's great to be back among people again. It's been awhile, and I can't wait to get back on stage again." Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. The Revolver Golden Gods Awards will air for the first time this Saturday on VH1 Classic.

Dio's other lasting contribution to hard rock culture is that he is credited for popularizing the "devil's horn" hand symbol.

Dio is survived by Wendy (his second wife) and his adopted son Dan from his first marriage. --Steve Reynolds

Jackson Browne's New Live Album
Jackson Browne has a new live album out this week. Love Is Strange was recorded with his longtime friend and collaborator David Lindley while they toured Spain in 2006. That tour saw them play in grand concert halls, rock venues and intimate clubs. In the liner notes Browne writes, "It was a flash, as we sometimes used to say in California. A flash in time that went by so effortlessly, and with such pleasure, that I must ask myself if it really happened. But here it is -- a CD of some recorded moments, or perhaps a bridge, or a small door, between a life lived mostly in America and time spent with some really good friends in Spain."

Browne and Lindley will play the Brady Theater in Tulsa, Wednesday August 11th. You could win tickets here.

Eagles Calling It Quits?
Is this tour by the Eagles their last? Could be, if you believe Don Henley. He tells the Vancouver Sun, "I had hoped that we could go for two more years and reach the 40-year milestone. But it's looking more and more like the end of the trail is imminent."

Of course, as the paper points out, "Henley has eaten his words in the past," once saying after their 1980 break-up that they would re-form "when hell freezes over."

A spokesman for the band had no comment, but friend and fan Jackson Browne tells us he's "heard [Don] say that in interviews before." The Eagles will be in Seattle on Thursday night. --Sal Cirrincione

Another Beatles Movie In The Works?

Continuing a connection that goes back to Oasis covering "I Am the Walrus," that band's former frontman, Liam Gallagher, is hoping to bring The Beatles' last chapter to the big screen. He has obtained rights to The Longest Cocktail Party, the 1972 book by Apple Corps employee Richard DiLello that chronicles the Fab Four's final days together. There's one potential obstacle to actually making the movie, though -- the rights to use actual Beatles music could cost tens of millions of dollars. --David Sprague

Nashville Floods Damage Touring Equipment

Peter Frampton still cannot gain access to his equipment, which is stored in Soundcheck, a storage facility in Nashville that's under four feet of water. A source close to him tells us they won't be able to get in there until tomorrow, and at that point the equipment will have to dry out before they can test it, which means they won't know until next week.

Many artists store their gear at Soundcheck, including John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and country artists such as Vince Gill and Brad Paisley. Gill reportedly suffered the greatest loss with most of his guitar collection, including one-of-a-kind vintage instruments, believed to be destroyed in the flood. --Sal Cirrincione

Plant & Krauss Finished?
Robert Plant was supposed to be working on a follow-up to his Grammy-winning album with Alison Krauss, Raising Sand, but that seems to have been put on the backburner. In an interview on a U.K. T.V. show, Plant says, "We go dancing together, but she's gone back to her old band, back to the bluegrass stuff, and I'm with another band now in Nashville. I may have been jilted at least, but I'm working on me catechism."

Plant will be in Tulsa on July 16th with the Band of Joy at the Brady and he plans to release a new album, tentatively titled It's Rude to Say No, later this year. --Sal Cirrincione

Def Leppard Not Breaking Up
Def Leppard are not breaking up, despite the rumors that sprang up when they cancelled the remainder of their North American tour last fall. Singer Joe Elliott tells the U.K.'s Star that he needed to be with his pregnant wife and that there were "a lot of things in our private lives that needed attending to."
Now Def Lep are writing new material and working on a live album and box set. They plan to release their catalog on I-Tunes, and they'll be back on the road next year.
On Friday, Elliott and Def Leppard bass player Rick Savage performed at a benefit tribute for a late DJ friend of theirs in their hometown of Sheffield, England. --Sal Cirrincione

Rush: Two for Touring
Rush hopes to have two new songs done and released by the time they start their Time Machine tour in late June. They have been recording in Toronto and singer-bassist Geddy Lee says the two tracks are "pretty hard hitting and pretty musically ambitious." When asked what they sound like, Geddy says one is a cross between "Far Cry" and "The Main Monkey Business" from their last album, 2007's Snakes and Arrows, and the other is a "super energy song." One is called "Caravan." Rush plans to record an album after the tour, which they'll release next spring followed by another tour. --Sal Cirrincione

Peter Frampton is Thankful on New CD
Peter Frampton is back in stores this week with his 14th studio album, Thank You Mr. Churchill. He says what started the album "being more along the introspective autobiographical lines" was when he started thinking about what would have happened has the Allies now won World War Two. "I'm really thanking the Allies for my existence," says Frampton. There are 11 tracks on the set, including a collaboration with his son Julian on "Road to the Sun." Frampton will support the album with a summer tour on a bill with Yes starting June 8th in Florida. --Sal Cirrincione

Mellencamp Box Set is Done
John Mellencamp has set June 15th as the release date for his four-CD, 54-track career-spanning box set, On the Rural Route 7609. Unlike typical box sets that tend to be presented in chronological order, this one is laid out as if each of the discs were a freestanding album. 17 of the songs are unreleased, including the demos of "Jack and Diane" and "Authority Song." The set also contains a 72-page book in which Mellencamp tells the story behind each song. As for the title of the set, Mellencamp says, "I started making records in '76, and the most recent track on the collection was done in '09. So Rural Route 7609; it's like an address. I thought it sounded cool." --Sal Cirrincione

Allman Bros Open A Museum

The Allman Brothers now have their own museum. They'll be in Macon, Georgia this afternoon (Friday) to cut the ribbon on The Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House, the home some of the members shared in the band's early days. Gregg Allman tells us he used to live there with his late brother Duane and their late bassist Berry Oakley. He says, "That's where we'd all meet for dinner and everything." He adds that he wrote many songs there, including "Midnight Rider." Following the ceremony, the Allmans will perform tonight at the Macon City Auditorium -- their first show in Macon in 19 years.

Supertramp To Reunite..Sort Of
Supertramp will embark on a 40th anniversary tour, but without founding member Roger Hodgson. In an interview in December, Hodgson said he "would never say never" to a reunion. Well, apparently he wasn't asked to rejoin the band. His management says, "It would seem that you would want to invite the other co-founder and the bass player of the classic line up for the 40th anniversary of the band... Roger thought he could join Supertramp for a few special concerts when he doesn't have any scheduled shows... but (co-founder Rick Davies' agent) told us adamantly that would 'never happen.'" Hodgson left Supertramp in 1982. --Sal Cirrincione

McCartney To Re-Release Solo Albums
Paul McCartney's relationship with Concord Music Group is going so well that the ex-Beatle has inked a deal to reissue his post-Beatle recordings -- both as a solo artist and with his '70s band Wings -- through the independent label.
The announcement, made Tuesday, coincided with the 40th anniversary of the release of his first solo album, simply titled McCartney. Paul said in a statement, "Since the release of Memory Almost Full in 2007, I've had a good working relationship with Concord and enjoyed our mutual love of music." The first reissue to surface via the new deal will be the 1973 chart-topper Band on the Run, accompanied by bonus material, in August. Capitol issued a two-disc 25th anniversary edition of that album in 1999. --Craig Rosen

Jon Anderson Update
While Yes get ready for yet another tour with their Jon Anderson sound-alike, the real Anderson has detailed the health issues that prompted the band to continue on without him. He tells us, "I had a real bad asthma attack [and I] stopped breathing... It affected the pancreas and the liver... They did a series of operations over about five months, and I really didn't sing for about six months at all."
Anderson says he feels great and is working on a new album he hopes to release this year. --Sal Cirrincione

New AC/DC Collection In Stores
AC/DC are back in stores with what could be called their first greatest hits collection. AC/DC: Iron Man Two is available in four formats -- a CD, a CD/DVD Deluxe Combo, a CD/DVD Collector's Edition and a double vinyl set. Each features 15 songs selected from 10 of the band's studio albums recorded between 1976 and 2008, including "Highway to Hell," "Back in Black," "Let There Be Rock" and "Shoot to Thrill." The Collector's and Deluxe editions include more than 50 minutes of video and scenes from the film.

Best and Worst Rock Operas
The Who and KISS top the lists of the Best and Worst Rock Operas as chosen by Spinner. The Who's Tommy was voted the best, followed in the Top 10 by Pink Floyd's The Wall, David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and Green Day's American Idiot. The Who's Quadrophenia also made the list.
The list of the Worst Rock Operas is headed up by KISS's Music From the Elder. Also making the list are Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell, Styx's Kilroy Was Here, Neil Young's Greendale and Pete Townshend's Psychoderelict. --Sal Cirrincione
Best Rock Operas:

1) The Who - Tommy

2) Pink Floyd - The Wall

3) Drive-by Truckers - Southern Rock Opera

4) David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

5) Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice - Jesus Christ Superstar

6) Green Day - American Idiot

7) Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage - Acts 1-3

8) The Who - Quadrophenia

9) Original Cast - Hedwig and the Angry Inch

10) Tom Waits - Franks Wild Years

Worst Rock Operas:

1) KISS - Music From the Elder

2) Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell

3) Styx - Kilroy Was Here

4) Jefferson Airplane - Blows Against the Empire

5) Garth Brooks - The Life of Chris Gaines

6) Vanilla Fudge - The Beat Goes On

7) Alice Cooper - Goes to Hell

8) Tenacious D - The Pick of Destiny

9) Neil Young - Greendale

10) Pete Townshend - Psychoderelict


New Phil Collins Album Coming Phil Collins will release his new album, Going Back, a collection of Motown and soul songs, in September. To celebrate the release, albeit three months earlier, he will play four special shows at the Roseland Ballroom in New York from June 22nd to the 25th. Joining him will be the legendary Motown session group, The Funk Brothers, plus 15 other musicians including guitarist Daryl Stuermer and drummer Chester Thompson from the Genesis touring band. The show, Up Close and personal: Phil Collins Plays '60s Motown and Soul, will be devoted exclusively to the music from Going Back as well as other classic R&B/pop gems. --Sal Cirrincione

Vatican Honors The Beatles...Ringo Starr Not Sure
The war of words between the Vatican and The Beatles is finally over -- at least on one side. Last weekend, the official Vatican newspaper (L'Osservatore Romano) honored the Fab Four with a series of special articles tied to the 40th anniversary of its breaking up. Among the comments, "It's true, they took drugs; swept up by their success, they lived dissolute and uninhibited lives. They even said they were more famous than Jesus... But, listening to their songs, all of this seems distant and meaningless. Their beautiful melodies, which changed forever pop music and still give us emotions, live on like precious jewels."

The paper's editor-in-chief Giovanni Maria Vian has even come to terms with John Lennon's infamous remarks. He notes, "In reality it wasn't that scandalous, because the fascination with Jesus was so great that it attracted these new heroes of the time."

However, Ringo Starr isn't buying it. Ringo tells CNN, "Didn't the Vatican say we were satanic or possibly satanic -- and they've still forgiven us? I think the Vatican, they've got more to talk about than The Beatles."

Is Jagger Going to Join Depp & Richards In The Movies?
Is Mick Jagger about to trade in his microphone for an eye patch and sword? The U.K.'s Daily Express is reporting that Johnny Depp wants Jagger to make an appearance alongside Keith Richards, who plays Depp's father, in the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. A source tells the paper, "Johnny is working closely with Disney on the next chapter and has put a lot of ideas forward. Some of the more fun ideas include getting Mick in with Keith as pirate elders. He thinks they would be perfect." Jagger's spokeswoman was unavailable for comment. --Sal Cirrincione

National Record Store Day, April 17th
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones have added their names to the list of artists participating in this year's Record Store Day on April 17th. The Beatles will release a limited-edition single of their 1966 hit "Paperback Writer" backed with "Rain."
The Stones limited edition seven-inch single release will be the previously unreleased "Plundered My Soul" from next month's re-release of Exile on Main Street. The B-side features the newly re-mastered version of "All Down the Line" and each single is individually numbered.
Record Store Day will take place in 1,000 independent record stores across 18 countries.
Other artists participating include Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, Queen and Them Crooked Vultures. --Sal Cirrincione

Mellencamp Box Set In The Works
Although a firm release date has not been announced, indications are that the long anticipated retrospective box set John Melencamp has been working on should be out by summer. A post on his web site promises On The Rural Route 7609 will be out before Father's Day. Unlike most career spanning collections, the song sequence on it will not have a chronological order. Instead, Mellencamp is said to have opted to group them according to the context of each, and to sequence them as he would a new album. Included in the collection are alternate takes of several songs, a few relatively recent compositions and several previously unreleased titles.

What Is More Important To Eric Clapton Than His Music?
Amazingly, music is not the most important thing in Eric Clapton's life. In an interview with the Guitar Center webpage, the guitar god says his Crossroads Center on the Caribbean island of Antigua is the most "important thing" he's ever been involved with. "As much as music and my experience with music has been a significant part of my life, this was a much deeper experience. It really is a matter of life and death, and to be involved with that gives my life meaning." Clapton will hold his third Crossroads Guitar Festival on June 26th in Bridgeview, Illinois with the proceeds going to the Center. --Sal Cirrincione

Henley Suing California Senate Candidate

Don Henley is suing California Senate candidate Charles DeVore for the unauthorized use of "All She Wants To Do Is Dance". DeVore has altered the lyrics to "All She Wants To Do Is Tax" in reference to California Senator Barbara Boxer. While Henley is clearly not pleased, DeVore contends he is within the realm of free speech and has not indicated he will stop. Devore has used his parody song on on-line videos including You Tube. You Tube has taken some of the videos off of their site using copyright issues as the reason.

Elton John's Mexico Concert Runs Into Problems
A portion of a stage being assembled for Elton John's weekend concert at Mexico's Chichen Itza ruins collapsed, injuring three workers, the Associated Press reported Thursday. Elton was not present when the accident occurred Wednesday night. Two of the workers were treated for minor injuries and released. A third was hospitalized with a broken leg. The concert, scheduled for Saturday, is expected to go on as planned.

New Steve Miller Band CD Coming
Steve Miller has set June 15th as the release date for his first studio album in 17 years, Bingo!, with a companion album to hit stores next year. In 2008 he recorded more than 40 of his favorite blues and R-and-B songs, and this first album will include B-B King's "Rock Me Baby," Jimmie Reed's "You Got Me Dizzy," Lowell Fulsom's "Tramp," plus three songs by Jimmie Vaughan. Miller tells Billboard, "This is a party record... It's about getting up and getting ready to dance... I wanted to make this record forever; it started off as just kind of a goof, and then it got real serious."

Woman Charged With Playing Music Too Loud
A British woman has been fined more than a thousand dollars for playing Bon Jovi songs too loud late at night. Amanda Durkin of Withernsea, East Yorks, also had her stereo confiscated twice before being fined after annoying neighbors with non-stop playing of tracks like "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Bad Medicine" after 11:00 p-m many nights. Durkin started the Bon Jovi barrage last April in the wake of her divorce. Bon Jovi will be in Tulsa at the BOK Center on April 13th.

Largest Gathering of Guitar Players Coming?
Canada is taking a stab at getting into the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest gathering of guitar players. Organizers hope that 18-hundred-and-three guitarists show up on May 27th in Oshawa, Ontario to play B-T-O's "Takin' Care of Business."
18-hundred-and-two guitarists played Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" in Germany a few years ago. Canada made an attempt last year, but fell short when a little over 16-hundred showed up to play Neil Young's "Helpless." --Sal Cirrincione

No Zeppelin Reunion
Even though they have no plans to reunite, the offers still keep pouring in for Led Zeppelin to perform. Andy Copping, the promoter of England's Download Festival, recently asked them to headline this year's show in June. He tells England's X-F-M radio, "It's not what they want to do at the moment and that's fine. They probably never will, but everyone has a stab at it." The members of Led Zeppelin are busy with their own projects: Robert Plant is working on a new album (will be in Tulsa on July 16th) Jimmy Page says he'll tackle new music this year John Paul Jones is on tour with Them Crooked Vultures.

New DVD Set about Free Free Forever, a two-disc collection of performances by the bluesy British rockers best known for "All Right Now," is released today by Eagle Rock Ente