Short Takes - Pete Seeger, Dire Straits, Neil Young

Pete Seeger may be 88, but that hasn't stopped him from continuing to write. His latest is The Big Joe Blues, a criticism of Josef Stalin. Seeger was a member of the communist party until about 1950 and has realized since that the Stalin he once admired was actually a "very cruel misleader."

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Dire Straits has won a cyber-squatting case in the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization. WIPO ruled that the domain www.direstraits.com should be returned to the group as the owner, Alberta Hot Rods of Canada, had no intellectual claim on the name and did not offer any reply to the case. The company has been involved in other disputes, including one in Tom Cruise's name.

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Neil Young's Chrome Dreams II will be bundled in some outlets with a bonus CD containing a track from the upcoming 2008 Archives release. The CD will contain one track from Live at the Riverboat which contains music from a week of concerts performed by Young in Toronto after the breakup of Buffalo Springfield.

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A four disc Luther Vandross career retrospective will be released by Epic/J/Legacy on October 16. Love, Luther will contain the singers hits plus a number of rare and unreleased tracks, covering his time with the groups Luther and Charme up to his final hit, 2001's Take You Out. 1981's There's Only You will be released to Urban AC and Smooth Jazz stations in the next couple of weeks.

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R&B singer and songwriter Kip Anderson passed away on Wednesday at the age of 69. Anderson recorded for some of the genres great labels, including Savoy, Chess, Excello and Fury, but was never able to reach chart success. He is still admired by purists for his great southern R&B voice.

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Composer, producer, arranger and pianist Doug Riley passed away last Monday from heart failure at the age of 62.

Riley was involved with many different artists, starting in 1969 as the producer for the Motherlode hit When I Die. Over the years he performed or arranged for artists like Bob Seger, Ringo Starr, Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray and David Clayton-Thomas.

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Cher reportedly broke the three middle toes on her left foot after falling down concrete stairs at her Malibu home. The fall took place on August 15.

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Wayne Newton and Marie Osmond will be two of the contestants on the upcoming season of ABC's Dancing With the Stars.

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As we get to report about every four months or so, Gary Glitter is hoping to get released early from a Vietnam prison this Sunday. It is Independence Day and, as on most major Vietnamese holidays, the country announces the names of prisoners whose sentences have been shortened due to good behavior.

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Arthur Brown Brings You Fire

I am the God of Hellfire, and I bring you...a really bad night. Arthur Brown set his hair and shirt on fire, along with another performer and the stage backdrop, during a Lewes, East Sussex, U.K. performance.

As he has done so many times since 1968, the singer set his hat on fire while doing his number one song Fire. Unfortuately, he was using a new lighter fluid and it spilled down his back where it set set fire to his clothes.

Another performer quickly put everything out and said that a lot of the crowd didn't even realize that anything had gone wrong. The two performers received minor burns.

Brown will continue to do his regular stunt, but he's going back to the original lighter fluid.

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Levon Helm Releasing First Album in 25 Years

Dirt Farmer, the first new album from former Band member Levon Helm in twenty-five years, will be released on October 30 via Vanguard Records.

Helm has kept a low profile since his 1998 battle with throat cancer and the 28 related radiation treatments, along with the destruction of his Woodstock recording studio in a fire and the death of bandmate Rick Danko. The cancer treatments severely hurt his voice and it took a number of years of practice to bring it back.

The practice was in the form of late-night concert sessions in his new Woodstock studio. Known as the Midnight Rambles, he had help from guests like Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris and Nick Lowe. Songs were bantered about, including many traditional pieces which form the basis for the new album.

Help plays mandolin, drums and acoustic guitar on the album along with all lead vocals.

The track list for The Dirt Farmer:

• False Hearted Lover Blues
• Poor Old Dirt Farmer
• The Mountain
• Little Birds
• The Girl I Left Behind
• Calvary
• Anna Lee
• Got Me A Woman
• A Train Robbery
• Single Girl, Married Girl
• The Blind Child
• Feelin Good
• Wide River To Cross

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Short Takes - Bob Marley, Black Sabbath, Who

The family of Bob Marley is suing Universal Music Group and Verizon Wireless over the unauthorized use of Marley's name, likeness and image.

Tuesday, UMG (owner of Island Records where Marley recorded most of his work) announced an agreement with Verizon to offer Marley's music in the form of ringtones. The Marley family said that it was an unauthorized use but UMG says it is within the long-term agreement they have with Marley's family.

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The possibility of a Black Sabbath tour with Ozzy Osbourne back on lead vocals has been expressed by guitarist Tommy Iommi. Sharon Osbourne has said that negotiations continue to take place. Per Iommi, if it occurs, there will most likely also be a new album, their first together since 1978's Never Say Die!

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The Who will be release two new DVDs on November 6.

The first, Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who, premiers at the Toronto Film Festival on September 12 and tells the story of the group through new interviews and archive footage.

The second, Amazing Journey: Six Quick Ones, has four segments on each of the original members of the group; Who Are You, which covers the Mod scene and Who's Back which tells of the making of the album Real Good Looking Boy.

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David Bowie is stretching his acting chops again as he appears on two future episodes of Dr. Who. He'll play an alien attempting to kidnap mystery writer Agatha Christie.

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Johnny Cash Teams With Musical Greats on The Best of the Johnny Cash Show

Sometimes you read about a new DVD release and you start to immediately drool. That was the case here with today's announcement of the The Best of the Johnny Cash Show. The two-DVD set is coming September 18 from Sony Legacy.

Cash's show ran on ABC from the summer of 1969 to March 1971. While popular, the show left ABC baffled as it featured a wide array of singers-songwriters, some of which could not be classified as mainstream, along with Cash performing occasional religious songs.

The set contains 66 performances, some with a solo artist and a number with Cash and his guest in duets. One of the most famous, Cash and Bob Dylan on Girl from the North Country, is included along with a lesser seen performance of the song Matchbox by Cash, Carl Perkins and Eric Clapton with Derek & the Dominoes.

A single-CD set will also be released the same day with highlights from the show.

Purists may quibble as, like the recent Tom Jones Show set, these are not complete programs, but the wealth of talent on these individual performances far outweighs the need for completeness. Perhaps a Best of, Volume 2 is in the cards.

The track list:

• Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash
• I Threw It All Away - Bob Dylan
• Girl From the North Country - Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan
• Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again) - Kris Kristofferson
• Blue Yodel #9 - Louis Armstrong and Johnny Cash
• Heaven Help Us All - Stevie Wonder
• Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival
• I Will Never Marry - Linda Ronstadt and Johnny Cash
• White Lightning - George Jones and Johnny Cash
• Medley: She Thinks I Still Care / The Love Bug / The Race Is On - George Jones
• Hey Porter - Johnny Cash
• Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line - Waylon Jennings
• The Singing Star's Queen - Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash
• Brown Eyed Handsome Man - Waylon Jennings
• Stand by Your Man - Tammy Wynette
• Medley: Big Iron / Running Gun / El Paso - Marty Robbins
• Ride This Train - Johnny Cash
• As Long as the Grass Shall Grow - Johnny Cash
• Man in Black - Johnny Cash
• Sweet Baby James - James Taylor
• Cripple Creek - Pete Seeger
• Worried Man Blues - Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash
• Sunday Morning Coming Down - Johnny Cash
• Old Time Religion - Johnny Cash
• A Wonderful Time Up There - Johnny Cash
• Daddy Sang Bass - Johnny Cash, the Carter Family, the Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins, and the Tennessee Three
• Wildwood Flower - Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters
• The Needle and the Damage Done - Neil Young
• Tennessee Flat Top Box - Johnny Cash
• Long Black Veil - Joni Mitchell and Johnny Cash
• Big River - Johnny Cash
• I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash
• A Good Man - June Carter Cash
• It's Too Late - Derek and the Dominoes
• Matchbox - Derek and the Dominoes With Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins
• Able Bodied Man - Charley Pride
• Blue Moon of Kentucky - Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys
• I Know How - Loretta Lynn
• Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On - Jerry Lee Lewis
• Ride This Train (America the Beautiful, This Land Is Your Land) - Johnny Cash
• Silver Haired Daddy of Mine - The Everly Brothers With Ike Everly and Johnny Cash
• Ring of Fire - Ray Charles
• A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash
• Hello Darlin' - Conway Twitty
• Black Mountain Rag - Mother Maybelle Carter
• Cracklin' Rosie - Neil Diamond
• For the Good Times - Ray Price
• Crying - Roy Orbison
• Oh, Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash
• Wanted Man - Johnny Cash
• Medley: Country Gentleman / Mister Sandman / Wildwood Flower / Freight Train - Chet Atkins
• Baby It's Cold Outside - June Carter Cash With Homer and Jethro
• No Hard Time Blues - Merle Haggard
• Sing Me Back Home - Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash
• Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins
• The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago - Johnny Cash, the Carter Family and Carl Perkins
• Flowers on the Wall - The Statler Brothers
• Medley: In the Summertime / 12th Street Rag - Roy Clark
• Working Man Blues - Johnny Cash
• Jackson - Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash
• Turn Around - Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash
• I Love You Because - Johnny Cash
• Medley: You Win Again / Cold Cold Heart / I Can't Help It If I'm Still in Love With You / Half As Much - Hank Williams, Jr.
• Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash

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Jimi Hendrix at Monterey Coming to Vinyl, CD and DVD

Jimi Hendrix' star-making performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival will be released on vinyl LP, CD and DVD on October 16 by Universal Music.

All of the footage shot by D.A. Pennebaker of the U.S. debut of the Jimi Hendrix Experience the night of June 18, 1967 will be released on the DVD. The LP and CD will include the additional song Can You See Me. Pennebaker's crew shut off their cameras during the performance of the song and there is no known footage.

Legend has it that Hendrix and the Who's Pete Townshend fought backstage over who would appear first on the bill. After Hendrix lost a coin toss, he vowed to "blow everybody away." He succeeded by putting on a brilliant forty-minute set that included Hendrix playing his guitar behind his back, setting it on fire, smashing it on the stage and throwing the pieces into the crowd.

The DVD will not only include the concert film with 5.1 sound, but also a new documentary, American Landing, unreleased footage from February 1967 of the group in England and interviews with Hendrix and Experience members Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding.

The track list for The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live at Monterey:

• Introduction by Brian Jones
• Killing Floor
• Foxy Lady
• Like a Rolling Stone
• Rock Me Baby
• Hey Joe
• Can You See Me (LP and CD only)
  
• The Wind Cries Mary
• Purple Haze
• Wild Thing

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Straitt, Gill, McEntire, Anderson, Buffett All Get CMA Nods

The nominations were announced today for the 41st Country Music Association Awards with George Strait tieing Brad Paisley for the lead with five nods.

The awards, to be presented on Wednesday, November 7 (ABC), are one of the two major country music awards presented each year (the other being the Academy of Country Music Awards which were presented earlier in the year).

The eligibility period for this year's awards is July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007. Nominations are determined over two rounds of voting by members of the the association. In the first round, each member nominates one act in each category. Any artist/record/video that receives ten or more votes moves on to round two.

In the second round, members vote for five nominees in each category with the five highest vote getters being nominated.

George Strait is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, Album (It Just Comes Naturally), Musical Event (Hey Good Lookin' with Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson) and Single (Wrapped). His name also appears as producer for both the single and the album. The five nominations gives him a career total of 70, just short of leader Alan Jackson who has 75.

Reba McEntire is nominated in two categories, Female Vocalist of the Year (She and Martina McBride have both won four times) and Musical Event (Because of You with Kelly Clarkson). She now has the record for the most nominations by any female vocalist with 45.

Vince Gill adds to his totals with nominations for Album of the Year (These Days) and Musical Event (The Reason Why with Alison Krauss). That gives him a total of 51 nominations.

Other classic artists nominated include Jerry Douglas, Bill Anderson, Mac MacAnally, Randy Scruggs and rocker John Waite who is nominated for the remake of his own hit, Missing You, with Alison Krauss.

The complete list of nominees with classic artists (those whose recording career started before 1986) in bold:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• Rascal Flatts
• George Strait
• Keith Urban

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

• Alison Krauss
• Miranda Lambert
• Martina McBride
• Reba McEntire
• Carrie Underwood

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• George Strait
• Josh Turner
• Keith Urban

HORIZON AWARD

• Jason Aldean
• Rodney Atkins
• Little Big Town
• Kellie Pickler
• Taylor Swift

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

• Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
• Dixie Chicks
• Emerson Drive
• Little Big Town
• Rascal Flatts

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

• Big & Rich
• Brooks & Dunn
• Montgomery Gentry
• Sugarland
• The Wreckers

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

• Anyway - Martina McBride
• Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood
• Lost In This Moment - Big & Rich
• Ticks - Brad Paisley
• Wrapped - George Strait

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• 5th Gear - Brad Paisley
• It Just Comes Natural - George Strait
• Long Trip Alone - Dierks Bentley
• Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing - Keith Urban
• These Days - Vince Gill

SONG OF THE YEAR

• Anyway - Martina McBride/Brad Warren/Brett Warren
• Before He Cheats - Josh Kear/Chris Tompkins
• Give It Away - Bill Anderson/Buddy Cannon/Jamey Johnson
• Lost In This Moment - John Rich/Keith Anderson/Rodney Clawson
• Stupid Boy - Dave Berg/Deanna Bryant/Sarah Buxton

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR

• Because of You - Reba McEntire with Kelly Clarkson
• Find Out Who Your Friends Are - Tracy Lawrence featuring Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
• Hey Good Lookin’ - Jimmy Buffett with George Strait and Alan Jackson
• Missing You - Alison Krauss and John Waite
• The Reason Why - Vince Gill with Guest Vocalist Alison Krauss

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• Anyway - Martina McBride
• Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood
• Moments - Emerson Drive
• Online - Brad Paisley
• You Save Me - Kenny Chesney

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

• Eddie Bayers, Jr. – Drums
• Jerry Douglas – Dobro
• Dann Huff – Guitar
• Mac McAnally – Guitar
• Randy Scruggs – Guitar

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Short Takes - DeBarge, Meat Loaf, Grateful Dead

El DeBarge, who had hits in the 80's with his family group, DeBarge, and as a solo artist, was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of domestic violence. Details are not known on the charges, but he was being held without bail on two warrants for narcotics cases.

DeBarge was made up of El and three of his brothers and one sister. Two other brothers were members of the R&B group Switch. Those two, Robert and Thomas and another of the brothers, Chico, have all previously been in jail on cocaine charges.

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The documentary, Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise, will premier at the Montreal Film Festival on August 30. The movie follow the artist through rehearsals and the early shows of his Bat Out of Hell III tour.

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Sirius Satellite Radio will finally premier its Grateful Dead channel on September 7. The channel, first announced last May, will also include music from other artists associated with the band. Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman will all have a hand in the programming and will host their own programs.

Weir says, "This is gonna be one fun channel. We, the guys in the band, get to be involved as much as we can and we'll make sure it's fun. We want the fans to be involved as well."

The station will kick off with with a rare recording of a 1974 Dead appearance at the Hollywood Bowl.

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The next Music for Youth Foundation tribute will be on October 10 at New York's Carnegie Hall. This time around the honoree will be Elton John. Previously, concerts have been held for Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan.

Performers include Joss Stone, Roger McGuinn, Shawn Colvin, Aimee Mann, Page McConnell (Phish), Phoebe Snow, Jill Sobule and Raul Malo.

Producer Michael Dorf said in a statement, "Elton and Bernie have such a large catalog of hits, and the great number of musicians interested in performing this tribute is staggering," says Dorf. "By show time, the lineup will include an amazing array of talent, from the very young to old, from an upcoming songwriter to a legend in their own right."

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Keith Richards is demanding an apology from two Swedish newspapers after they published bad reviews of the Rolling Stones' shows in Gothenburg. The papers focused on Richards, who they say appeared to be "very drunk." He had also fallen during a performance in Helsinki, but those close to the band say it is the result of medication he is taking after his fall last year.

In a statement, Richards said, "Never before have I risen to the bait of a bad review, but this time ... I have to stand up for our incredible Gothenburg audience and for our fans all over Sweden ... to say that you owe them, and us, an apology."

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Hilly Kristal, Founder of CBGB, Passes Away

CBGB closed down last year after the founder and owner, Hilly Kristal, lost a long-term battle to save the club that helped start the careers of so many punk music greats. Word came today that Kristal has lost his final battle as he has succumbed to cancer at the age 75.

Kristal was involved in music for most of his life, starting as a concert violinist at age 9 and later being a member of the Radio City Music Hall men's choir.

He was also a singer and songwriter who loved all types of music. In the 60's, he managed the Village Vanguard that presented shows by artists from Miles Davis to Joan Baez. He later opened a bar that would eventually become CBGB.

Kristal officially opened the club in 1973 in hopes of bringing country music to the Big Apple. The original name was CBGB & OMFUG for Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Other Music for Uplifting Gourmandizers.

Unfortunately, the country angle didn't play out well and Kristal started hiring local musicians, leaning towards the burgeoning punk sound. Throughout the 70's, the club would host such up and comers as Blondie, the Ramones, the Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Television and Living Colour. It became a favorite spot for record company agents to scope out the latest that the city had to offer.

David Byrne of the Talking Heads summed up why CBGB's was so important to the music. "Other clubs were all about models and beautiful people, and he was about letting the musicians in for free, to hear music and get cheap beers. It automatically created a scene, and we'd just hang out all night."
Marky Ramone of the Ramones issued a statement earlier today, saying "Hilly was an integral part of the punk scene from 1974 until his death. He was always supportive of the genre. In an era when disco was the mainstream, Hilly took a chance and gambled. The gamble paid off for both him and for us. We are all grateful to him and will miss him."

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Mamma Mia! (the Movie) in Full Production

Hairspray, the musical for the summer of 2007, is just about to go over the $100,000,000 mark, so why not aim another musical full of catchy melodies at the summer of 2008.

Mamma Mia!, the musical based on the songs of ABBA, is set for a July 18, 2008 release. Production started back in June at Pinewood studios in London and has now moved to Greece.

The show has been a huge hit around the world, playing to more than thirty million people, and has been on Broadway for six years, now ranking as the 19th longest running show in New York history. For the movie, though, original ABBA members Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (who composed the music with Stig Anderson) have re-orchestrated all of the songs with the help of many members of the orginal group's band.

The big question is, can the cast members sing and put across these great pop standards. Lead Meryl Streep should have no problem as she has sung in movies like Postcards From the Edge, but what about Pierce Brosnan? Show creator Judy Craymer says, "He sings brilliantly. He does a sexy Springsteen-style thing."

Amanda Seyfried (Mean Girls, Big Love) is playing Sophia, the young-girl getting married and the daughter of Streep's Donna. Unfortunately, Sophia is not sure which of the former suitors of her mother's is actually her father. This sets up the basis of the show, as Sophia gathers three men, played by Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellen Skarsgard, to try to put an end to the mystery. As with Brosnan, the other two actors are also an unknown quantity as far as singing ability.

Streep, though, gets support from a couple of actresses who have had just a bit of exposure to song. Julie Walters (academy award nominee for Educating Rita and Billy Elliot) has appeared in at least one musical adapted to TV and Christine Baranski has done a number of musicals on Broadway.

Phyllida Lloyd, who directed the original Broadway production is helming the film with Catherine Johnson writing the book.

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Experience Hendrix Tour Plans Five East Coast Stops

The 2007 edition of the Experience Hendrix Tour will make stops in five east coast cities during the month of October.

The tour, presented by the Hendrix-owned Experience Hendrix, LLC, brings a number of classic and modern musicians together to pay tribute to Jimi Hendrix through his music and other songs associated with him. This year's tour includes Buddy Guy, Robert Randolph, Johnny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robby Krieger (Doors), Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones) and Hubert Sumlin (Howlin' Wolf). Former Hendrix band members Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox will also play, along with Double Trouble members Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon.

A 2004 edition of the tour played to sold-out audiences on the West Coast. The producers hope that future dates will bring the show to other parts of the country.

Experience Hendrix CEO Janie Hendrix said, "Every day, we see how Jimi's musical legacy continues to transcend generational and cultural boundaries. This tour is our way to give live audiences a concert experience that reflects the genius of his unifying spirit."

The current itinerary:

• 10/16 - Constitution Hall - Washington, DC
• 10/17 - Beacon Theater - New York, NY
• 10/18 - Casino Ballroom - Hampton Beach, NH
• 10/19 - Etess Arena/Trump Taj Mahal - Atlantic City, NJ
• 10/20 - Palace Theater - Waterbury, CT

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New Eagles Album to be Two-CD Set

The new Eagles album, Long Road out of Eden, will be a two-CD set according to information obtained by Billboard. The album will be released October 30 exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores and through the Eagles website.

The group is also pricing the album low (as compared to their concert tickets), with the physical copy priced at $11.88 and the digital version at $10.88.

The twenty-song set includes a number of long cuts, forcing the double CD. The title cut is over ten minutes while Waiting in the Weeds and Last Good Time in Town both clock in at seven minutes.

Disc One

• No More Walks in the Wood
• How Long (First single...see below)
• Busy Being Fabulous
• What Do I Do With My Heart
• Guilty of the Crime
• I Don't Want To Hear Anymore
• Waiting in the Weeds
• No More Cloudy Days (Previously heard on Farewell 1 Tour: Live From Melbourne)
• Fast Company
• Do Something
• You Are Not Alone

Disc Two

• Long Road Out of Eden
• I Dreamed There Was No War
• Somebody
• Frail Grasp on the Big Picture
• Last Good Time in Town
• I Love To Watch a Woman Dance
• Business As Usual
• Center of the Universe
• It's Your World Now

For those who haven't heard the new single, here it is along with the video:

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Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band Tour Announcement

Bruce Sprinsteen and the E-Street Band will be hitting the road on October 2 (the same day the album Magic is released) for, what is now, a two-month/31-date tour of North America and Europe. It will be the first full blown tour for the group since 2003.

In an interview with Backstreets, Springsteen says that the new album is built for touring. "I wrote with a lot of melody, and with a lot of hooks, and there's a lot of band power behind the stuff that I wrote this time out. So I'm excited to hear that come straight off the band."

The new album was recorded by the full band, but not with the musicians together. The group's September rehearsals will give them a chance to get back in the groove and to work up the new material.

As usual, though, the tour will be a wide mix of old and new. Springsteen tells Backstreets, "We leave the door very open, because over the course of a long tour, we end up playing so many songs.... obviously, we try to make the shows unique. I've got a lot of songs that I'm carrying around at this point, and it's fun to get to them as the tour goes along."

The tour (so far):

• 10/2 - Hartford Civic Center - Hartford, CT
• 10/5 - Wachovia Center - Philadelphia, PA
• 10/9-10 - Continental Airlines Arena - East Rutherford, NJ
• 10/14 - Civic Centre - Ottawa, Ontario
• 10/15 - Air Canada Centre - Toronto, Ontario
• 10/17-18 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
• 10/21 - United Center - Chicago, IL
• 10/26 - Oracle Arena - Oakland, CA
• 10/28 - TBD - Los Angeles, CA
• 11/2 - Xcel Energy Center - St. Paul, MN
• 11/4 - Quicken Loans Arena - Cleveland, OH
• 11/5 - Palace of Auburn Hills - Auburn Hills, MI
• 11/11 - Verizon Arena - Washington, DC
• 11/14 - Mellon Arena - Pittsburgh, PA
• 11/15 - Times Union Center - Albany, NY
• 11/18 - TD Banknorth Garden - Boston, MA
• 11/25 - Palacio De Deportes - Madrid, Spain
• 11/26 - Exhibition Centre - Bilbao, Spain
• 11/28 - Datchforum - Milan, Italy
• 11/30 - Geldredome - Arnhem, Holland
• 12/2 - Sap Arena - Mannheim, Germany
• 12/4 - Spektrum - Oslo, Norway
• 12/8 - Forum - Copenhagen, Denmark
• 12/10 - Globe - Stockholm, Sweden
• 12/12 - Sportspaleis - Antwerp, Belgium
• 12/13 - Koln Arena - Cologne, Germany
• 12/15 - Odyssey Arena - Belfast, Ireland
• 12/17 - Palais Omnsiports De Bercy - Paris
• 12/19 - O2 Arena - London, U.K.

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Bo Diddley Suffers Heart Attack

Rock legend Bo Diddley suffered a heart attack on Friday according to his publicist.

The singer/guitarist was complaining of nausea and dizziness during a normal medical checkup on Friday. He was taken to North Florida Regional Medical Center where he later had the attack. He spent the weekend in intensive care and has now been transferred to the cardiac care unit. Per the publicist, "He is conscious. The situation is very serious."

Back in May, Diddley suffered a stroke during a performance in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He stayed in the hospital there for a few weeks to start rehabilitation for the ability to recognize language and speak. Since then, he has been treated in his hometown of Archer, Florida.

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Short Takes - Rolling Stones, Phil Spector, Michael Anthony

Two years after it's "humble" beginning, the Rolling Stones' Bigger Bang tour finished on Sunday night at the 02 Arena in London. In total, the tour lasted 146 performances in 31 different countries. In North America, alone, the tour $300 million and was seen by 2.2 million people.

Of course, the normal rumors of Sunday's show being the last for the group are circulating throughout the world, but that is nothing new. What is known is that the boys aren't getting any younger and, eventually, they may have to hang up their shoes. Foremost in fan's minds is Keith Richards, who continues to take anti-seizure medication after his fall from a tree in 2006.

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Lead lawyer for Phil Spector, Phil Cutler, has left the producer's legal team on what is expected to be the last day of testimony in the trial. While Cutler has often been absent, he had originally agreed to return for closing arguments. Now, reflecting the many disagreements between Cutler and Spector, he says, "There's nothing I can do for Mr. Spector. I can no longer effectively represent him." Defense attorney Roger Rosen will take Cutler's place.

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Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony wrote about the Van Halen situation in his blog:

"It's not that I’m not touring with Van Halen because I'm going out with Sammy, I’m going out with Sammy because I was not invited to do the VH tour. Sammy told me that if I was asked to be part of the VH tour and decided to do it, it would be totally cool, and it would not tarnish our friendship in the least! Well, it's not to be, and life goes on. I'll still be out there with Sam, and I can't wait to do some partying with all of you."

He also asked that Van Halen fans be nice to his replacement. "Wolfgang is a great kid, so don’t judge him too harshly. I'm sure he'll do just fine!"

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Vintage Clip - Ramones - California Sun

To salute the impending release of the Ramones' live DVD set, here's a little taste of the group performing the Rivieras' California Sun.

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Ramones' DVD Set Chronicles Over Twenty Years of Live Performances

Rhino has set October 2 for the release of the two-DVD set It's Alive 1974-1996 by the Ramones.

Tommy Ramone supervised the music selection for this four hour journey with highlights from the 2,263 shows the group played. The set presents over one hundred songs in its over four hour span from a 1974 appearance at CBGB to a 1996 show in Buenos Aires, Argentina which would be their last international appearance. Highlights include fourteen songs from their December 31, 1977 appearance at the Rainbow Theatre in London (which became the It's Alive album) and nine songs from the 1982 Us Festival.

The track list:

Disc 1

• CBGB – New York, NY (9/15/74)
• Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue
• I Don't Wanna Go Down To The Basement
• Judy Is A Punk
• Max's Kansas City – New York, NY (4/18/76)
• I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
• 53rd & 3rd
• The Club – Cambridge, MA (5/12/76)
• Chain Saw
• Max's Kansas City – New York, NY (10/8/76)
• Havana Affair
• Listen To My Heart
• My Father's Place – Roslyn, NY (4/13/77)
• I Remember You
• Carbona Not Glue
• CBGB – New York, NY (6/11/77)
• Blitzkrieg Bop
• Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
• Beat On The Brat
• Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue
• Rockaway Beach
• Cretin Hop
• Oh Oh I Love Her So
• Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World
• The Second Chance – Ann Arbor, MI (6/26/77)
• Rockaway Beach
• Carbona Not Glue
• The Ivanhoe Theater – Chicago, IL (7/6/77)
• Pinhead
• Suzy Is A Headbanger
• The Armadillo – Austin, TX (7/14/77) Early Show
• Commando
• I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
• The Armadillo – Austin, TX (7/14/77) Late Show
• Now I Wanna Be A Good Boy
• 53rd & 3rd
• Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World
• Liberty Hall – Houston, TX (7/15/77)
• Loudmouth
• I Remember You
• Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment
• Liberty Hall – Houston, TX (7/16/77)
• Oh Oh I Love Her So
• Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World
• Don Kirshner's Rock Concert – L.A., CA (8/9/77)
• Loudmouth
• Judy Is A Punk
• Glad To See You Go
• Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment
• The Camera Mart Stages – New York, NY (9/3/77)
• Swallow My Pride
• Pinhead
• Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
• It's Alive, The Rainbow Theatre – London (12/31/77)
• Blitzkrieg Bop
• I Wanna Be Well
• Glad To See You Go
• You're Gonna Kill That Girl
• Commando
• Havana Affair
• Cretin Hop
• Listen To My Heart
• I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You
• Pinhead
• Do You Wanna Dance?
• Now I Wanna Be A Good Boy
• Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue
• We're A Happy Family

Disc 2

• Musikladen – Bremen, Germany (9/13/78)
• Rockaway Beach
• Teenage Lobotomy
• Blitzkrieg Bop
• Don't Come Close
• I Don't Care
• She's The One
• Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
• Cretin Hop
• Listen To My Heart
• I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You
• Pinhead
• The Old Grey Whistle Test – London (9/19/78)
• Don't Come Close
• She's The One
• Go Mental
• Top of the Pops – London (9/28/78)
• Don't Come Close
• Oakland, CA (12/28/78)
• I'm Against It
• Needles And Pins
• San Francisco Civic Center, S.F., CA (6/9/79)
• I Want You Around
• I'm Affected
• California Sun
• The Old Grey Whistle Test – London (1/15/78)
• Rock 'N' Roll High School
• Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio?
• Top of the Pops – London (1/31/80)
• Baby I Love You
• Sha Na Na – L.A., CA (5/19/80)
• Rock 'N' Roll High School
• Mandagsborsen – Stockholm, Sweden (10/26/81)
• We Want The Airwaves
• TVE Musical Express – Madrid, Spain (11/17/81)
• This Business Is Killing Me
• All Quiet On The Eastern Front
• US Festival – San Bernardino, CA (9/3/82)
• Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio?
• Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment
• Rock 'N' Roll High School
• I Wanna Be Sedated
• Beat On The Brat
• The KKK Took My Baby Away
• Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
• Chinese Rocks
• Teenage Lobotomy
• The Old Grey Whistle Test – London (2/26/85)
• Wart Hog
• Chasing The Night
• Obras Sanitarias, Buenos Aires, Argentina (2/3/87)
• Blitzkrieg Bop
• Freak Of Nature
• Crummy Stuff
• Love Kills
• I Don't Care
• Too Tough To Die
• Mama's Boy
• Provinssirock Festival, Seinäjoki, Finland (6/4/88)
• I Don't Want You Anymore
• Weasel Face
• Garden Of Serenity
• I Just Want To Have Something To Do
• Surfin' Bird
• Cretin Hop
• Somebody Put Something In My Drink
• We're A Happy Family
• R.I.T., Rochester, NY (10/8/88)
• Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio
• Wart Hog
• Rolling Stone Club – Milan, Italy (3/16/92)
• Psycho Therapy
• I Believe In Miracles
• I Wanna Live
• My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes To Bitburg)
• Pet Sematary
• Animal Boy
• Pinhead
• Top of the Pops – London (6/29/95)
• I Don't Wanna Grow Up
• River Plate Stadium – Estadio Antonio V. Liverti – Buenos Aires, Argentina (3/16/96)
• I Wanna Be Sedated
• R.A.M.O.N.E.S.

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Rolling Stone's Take on the Best of Stevie Wonder

This weekend's Rolling Stone list revolves around the best of Stevie Wonder, who just started his first U.S. tour in more than a decade. As happens every week, the editors ask for submissions from the readers and then decide on a list combining the submissions with their own views.

There really aren't a lot of artists of the rock era where you could assemble a list of twenty "essentials" and still leave out great classics. While the Rolling Stone list is well done, there just wasn't room for A Place in the Sun, Heaven Help Us All, If You Really Love Me, As, Ribbon in the Sky, Overjoyed and many, many more.

1. Superstition
2. I Wish
3. Living for the City
4. Sir Duke
5. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours
6. Higher Ground
7. Boogie On Reggae Woman
8. You Are the Sunshine of My Life
9. Do I Do
10. That Girl
11. Don’t You Worry About a Thing
12. Master Blaster (Jammin’)
13. I Was Made to Love Her
14. Fingertips Pt. 2
15. You Haven’t Done Nothin’
16. Uptight (Everything’s Alright)
17. My Cherie Amour
18. Isn’t She Lovely
19. For Once In My Life
20. Pastime Paradise

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Chart Watch - August 24, 2007 - The Resurgence of Elvis

Our weekly recap of classic artists on the current music charts. Chart highlights:

• The charts from the week of the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death are filled with Presley new and old. On the U.S. album charts, his Viva Las Vegas disc, which had only been in the Top 100 for one week before dropping out, jumped back in at number 54. On the Pop Catalog Album chart, his 30 #1 Hits jumps from 41 to 4 and the Ultimate Gospel album returns at 41. In the U.K., the number one album is the newly released The King while the reissue of the single Suspicious Minds enters the chart at number 11.
  
• Dean Martin enters the U.S. album charts for the first time since 2004 with his "duets" album Forever Cool.
  
• Chaka Khan makes her return to the R&B singles chart with Angel coming in at number 50. It's her first charting record in ten years, since 1997's Never Miss the Water.
  

Top 100 Albums

26. Lost Highway - Bon Jovi - Down from 18 (9 weeks)
39. Forever Cool - Dean Martin - Premier (1 week)
    
41. Planet Earth - Prince - Down from 20 (4 weeks)
51. Stand - Michael W. Smith - Down from 48 (11 weeks)
54. Elvis: Viva Las Vegas - Elvis Presley - Up from 105 (3 weeks)
95. Black Rain - Ozzy Osbourne - Down from 87 (13 weeks)

Top 50 Singles

• None

Top 50 R&B Albums

14. Planet Earth - Prince - Down from 7 (4 weeks)
46. Something To Talk About - Eddie Levert, Sr. and Gerald Levert - Down from 38 (10 weeks)
47. In My Songs - Gerald Levert - Down from 42 (27 weeks)

Top 50 R&B Singles

34. Baby - Angie Stone featuring Betty Wright - Up from 50 (4 weeks)
37. DJ Don't - Gerald Levert - Down from 36 (19 weeks)
43. Future Baby Mama - Prince - Down from 42 (6 weeks)
48. In My Songs - Gerald Levert - Down from 44 (33 weeks)
50. Angel - Chaka Khan - Up from 58 (2 weeks)

Top 25 Country Albums

• None
  

Top 25 Country Singles

3. Because of You - Reba McEntire with Kelly Clarkson - Up from 4 (14 weeks)

Top 25 Pop Catalog Albums

4. 30 #1 Hits - Elvis Presley - Up from 41 (153 weeks)
   
5. Greatest Hits - Journey - Down from 4 (720 weeks)
6. Back in Black - AC/DC - Down from 5 (792 weeks)
10. Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd - Down from 9 (1,568 weeks)
11. The Very Best Of - Eagles - Up from 16 (125 weeks)
    
12. Greatest Hits - Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band - Down from 10 (665 weeks)
14. Very Best of: Sounds of Summer - Beach Boys - Up from 15 (213 weeks)
15. Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Down from 11 (552 weeks)
17. Legend - Bob Marley & the Wailers - No Change (908 weeks)
18. Metallica - Metallica - Down from 14 (808 weeks)
12. Cross Road - Bon Jovi - Down from 12 (236 weeks)
18. Greatest Hits - Queen - Down from 18 (696 weeks)
21. Elvis: Ultimate Gospel - Elvis Presley - Re-Entry (10 weeks)

Top 40 British Albums

1. The King - Elvis Presley - Premier (1 week)
9. Ultimate - Prince - No change (5 weeks)
19. The Complete American Songbook 1-4 - Rod Stewart - Down from 17 (7 weeks)
21. Collection - Traveling Wilburys - Down from 12 (10 weeks)
36. Essential - Barbra Streisand - Down from 23 (6 weeks)

Top 40 British Singles

23. Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley - Premier (1 week)
    

Last.FM Top 20 Tracks by Classic Artists

1. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin - No Change - 7,796 listeners
2. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd - No Change - 7,305
3. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd - No Change - 6,204
4. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - Beatles - Up from 5 - 6,033
5. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen - Down from 4 - 6,031
6. Let It Be - Beatles - No Change - 6,007
7. Hey Jude - Beatles - Up from 10 - 5,780
8. Money - Pink Floyd - Down from 7 - 5,779
9. Come Together - Beatles - Down from 8 - 5,768
10. Eleanor Rigby - Beatles - Down from 9 - 5,747
    
11. Yesterday - Beatles - No Change - 5,649
12. Time - Pink Floyd - No Change - 5,536
13. Help! - Beatles - No Change - 5,343
14. Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin - No Change - 5,298
15. London Calling - Clash - Up from 16 - 5,206
16. All You Need is Love - Beatles - Down from 15 - 5,146
17. Paranoid - Black Sabbath - Up from 19 - 4,966
18. Here Comes the Sun - Beatles - Down from 17 - 4,965
19. Something - Beatles - Down from 18 - 4,954
20. Yellow Submarine - Beatles - Premier - 4,920

Last.FM Top 20 Classic Artists

1. Beatles - No change - 61,206 Listeners
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers - No change - 57,806
3. Metallica - No change - 44,255
4. Pink Floyd - No change - 38,834
5. Led Zeppelin - Up from 6 - 33,602
6. Queen - Down from 5 - 33,142
7. U2 - No change - 32,286
8. Cure - No change - 31,416
9. David Bowie - No change - 28,862
10. Rolling Stones - No change - 27,448
11. Depeche Mode - No change - 26,553
12. Bob Dylan - No change - 25,775
13. Johnny Cash - No change - 24,869
14. R.E.M. - No change - 23,799
15. Iron Maiden - No change - 23,487
16. AC/DC - No change - 22,982
17. Doors - No change - 22,605
18. Madonna - No change - 21,489
19. Clash - No change - 21,300
20. Beastie Boys - Down from 18 - 20,789

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