Afternoon Update - Labelle, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, more

The first Labelle album in 32 years is set for release on September 23 via Verve. See our May 27 article for full details.

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Peter Gabriel may be returning a favor given by the group Vampire Weekend who mentioned Gabriel in their song Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa. Gabriel told BBC6 that he likes the song and is looking into recording his own version.

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Sirius Satellite Radio will broadcast Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band's concert form Goteborg, Sweden on July 4. Coverage beings at 1 PM EDT.

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Sir George Martin will narrate a multimedia presentation on the making of Sgt. Pepper on Friday, July 11 at the University of Southern California. The legendary producer will be joined via video by Phil Collins, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

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Is it the truth or just protecting the family name. The Mother-in-Law of Madonna (and, obviously, mother of Guy Ritchie) says that the pair "are not getting divorced. The speculation is TT...that's total tosh."

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Bon Jovi will be playing a free concert in New York's Central Park on July 12. It's part of the celebration around baseball's July 15 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

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Country Music Hall of Fame Inducts Two More

Sunday night was the second induction ceremony of the year for the Country Music Hall of Fame (the ceremony for Emmylou Harris and Ernest "Pop" Stoneman was held nine weeks ago). This time around, the honorees were the Statler Brothers and Tom T. Hall.

The night started with Kyle Young, Vince Gill, Amy Grant and the Jordanaires singing Rock of Ages.

The Statler Brothers were honored for bringing gospel quartet harmonies to the country charts and their on-going commitment to the genre. Their medallion was presented by Brenda Lee.

Reba McEntire spoke about how their belief in her talent was a turning point in her career in the early-80's when she was trying to move from smokey honky-tonks to the concert circuit. McEntire sang a version of the Statler's biggest hit, Flowers on the Wall, with harmonies by Vince Gill.

Other performances for the Statlers included Dailey & Vincent on Do You Know You Are My Sunshine, and Grandstaff (duo made up of the sons of Statler members Harold Reid & Don Reid on The Statler Brother's Song.

In accepting, group member Don Reid talked about his first visit to the hall. "I felt like an old Amish boy who had wandered into a Circuit City. I was overwhelmed."

He added, "I look at Emmylou and I look at myself and I think maybe you've got to be really good-looking. Then I look at the other Statlers and Tom T. and . . . . "

The group also sang their song I’ll Go To My Grave Loving You.

Tom T. Hall was honored for his songwriting and storytelling abilities and for his devotion to bluegrass music. Ralph Emery presented the award to Hall.

Among the performers for Hall were Michelle Nixon on Harper Valley P.T.A., Toby Mabe and Heather Barry on Can You Hear Me Now and Bobby Bare on How I Got To Memphis.

Bare spoke a bit about Hall's songwriting talents, noting his "uncanny ability to capture the spirit of the people he’s writing about."

Hall accepted, saying "They asked me if I had a prepared speech. I said, 'No. Why should I have a speech? I'm in the Country Music Hall of Fame.'" He also said that he secretly hoped Bobby Bare didn't attend because he was embarrassed that he was going in before him.

Hall then went on to sing his hit (Old Dogs, Children And) Watermelon Wine, introducing it by saying "If this doesn’t sound like the guy you remember, you have to remember this is the guy you’re lookin’ at, and not the guy you remember."

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Mamma Mia! Soundtrack Mixes Old and New

The soundtrack to the movie Mamma Mia! will be released next Tuesday (July 8) with new versions of seventeen ABBA songs.

Mamma Mia! has been a long running musical hit in many of the major theater capitols around the world including New York and London. "Inspired by the storytelling arcs of ABBA's songs from Dancing Queen to Money, Money, Money and Take a Chance on Me, Mamma Mia! is a celebration of mothers and daughters, old friends and new family found."

More specifically, it's the story of a girl about to get married who wants her real father to walk her down the isle. Unfortunately, she doesn't know which of three men who were in her mother's past is her true father, so she invites all three to the wedding. She must discern her which is her Dad over the twenty-four hours before the ceremony.

Of course, the vocals on the album are by the movie's stars Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski and others, but the musicians behind them are the original backing players for the group who last played together during ABBA's final tour 25-years ago. Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus produced.

The track list and vocalists:

• Honey, Honey (Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Lilley & Rachel McDowall)
• Money, Money, Money (Meryl Streep, Julie Walters & Christine Baranski)
• Mamma Mia (Meryl Streep)
• Dancing Queen (Meryl Streep, Julie Walters & Christine Baranski)
• Our Last Summer (Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, Amanda Seyfried & Meryl Streep)
• Lay All Your Love on Me (Dominic Cooper & Amanda Seyfried)
• Super Trouper (Meryl Streep, Julie Walters & Christine Baranski)
• Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) (Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Lilley & Rachel McDowall)
• The Name of the Game (Amanda Seyfried)
• Voulez-Vous (Full cast, Philip Michael, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters & Stellan Skarsgard)
• SOS (Pierce Brosnan & Meryl Streep)
• Does Your Mother Know (Christine Baranski & Philip Michael)
• Slipping Through My Fingers (Meryl Streep & Amanda Seyfried)
• The Winner Takes It All (Meryl Streep)
• When All is Said and Done (Pierce Brosnan & Meryl Streep)
• Take a Chance on Me (Julie Walters, Stellan Skarsgard, Colin Firth, Philip Michael & Christine Baranski)
• I Have a Dream (Amanda Seyfried)

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Evening Update - Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Tom Waits

A concert scheduled for Saturday night by Bob Dylan is coming under attack from environmentalists.

Dylan is scheduled to play at the Sierra de Gredos park area of the Castilla y Leon region of Spain, but critics are concerned that concertgoers could damage the heavily wooded area. Promoters have taken procautions by not allowing cars into the park and donating $16 from each ticket to environmental groups.

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Will she or won't she? The British press is flip-flopping on the rumors that Dolly Parton will do a surprise set at the Glastonbury festival. The latest has the site Gigwise saying it it 99% certain.

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Tom Waits is recording a new album with British rapper Tricky. The rapper's music mixes rock, hip-hip and pop.

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Chart Watch - June 27, 2008

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

• Journey is replaced (just slightly) by Judas Priest and their Nostradamus. The set premiers at number eleven on the comprehensive, five on the rock , two on the hard rock and 30 on the British album charts.
• Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue: Legacy Edition starts at number eight on the catalog album chart in the U.S. and 16 on the British album chart.
  
• Donna Summer has her twelfth number one record on the Dance Club Play charts with Stamp Your Feet.
  
• Also new in Britain are best ofs from Petula Clark and Dolly Parton along with the last album by UB40 with original lead singer Ali Campbell.
  

Previous week position noted in parenthesis.

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Comprehensive

Top 100 Albums

• #11 (-) - Nostradamus - Judas Priest
  
• #12 (6) - Revelation - Journey
  
• #30 (22) - All I Intend To Be - Emmylou Harris
  
• #34 (17) - Nothing But the Best - Frank Sinatra
• #36 (31) - Hard Candy - Madonna
• #50 (26) - Home Before Dark - Neil Diamond
  
• #60 (61) - Encanto - Sergio Mendes
  
• #62 (36) - Troubadour - George Strait
• #64 (59) - Raising Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
• #67 (34) - Now That's What I Call Classic Rock - Various Artists (Queen, Heart, Who, more)
  
• #69 (42) - Lay It Down - Al Green

Top 50 Singles

• #22 (15) - 4 Minutes - Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake

Top 25 Digital Songs

• #17 (10) - 4 Minutes - Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake

Top 25 Pop Catalog Albums

• #2 (3) - Legend - Bob Marley & the Wailers
• #6 (1) - Greatest Hits - Journey
• #8 (-) - Pacific Ocean Blue: Legacy Edition - Dennis Wilson
  
• #9 (6) - Thriller 25 - Michael Jackson
  
• #12 (9) - Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits - Creedence Clearwater Revival
• #13 (14) - Number Ones - Michael Jackson
• #17 (16) - Greatest Hits - Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
• #18 (12) - Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix - Jimi Hendrix
• #20 (19) - Greatest Hits - Queen
• #21 (20) - Cross Road - Bon Jovi
• #23 (18) - Back in Black - AC/DC
• #24 (23) - Love - Beatles
• #25 (22) - Vault: Greatest Hits - Def Leppard

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R&B

Top 50 R&B Albums

• #19 (12) - Lay It Down - Al Green
• #43 (-) - Live in Washington, D.C. - Patti Labelle
  

Top 50 R&B Songs

• None

Top 10 R&B Catalog Albums

• #1 (4) - Legend - Bob Marley & the Wailers
• #2 (3) - Thriller 25 - Michael Jackson
• #4 (-) - Essential - O'Jays
• #5 (8) - The Ultimate - Luther Vandross
• #7 (17) - Best of - Sade
  
• #8 (7) - Number Ones - Michael Jackson
  

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Country

Top 25 Country Albums

• #4 (4) - All I Intend To Be - Emmylou Harris
• #12 (7) - Troubadour - George Strait
• #13 (16) - Raising Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
• #22 (14) - Long Road Out of Eden - Eagles
• #24 (22) - Duets - Reba McEntire

Top 25 Country Singles

• #13 (11) - I Saw God Today - George Strait
• #18 (18) - Every Other Weekend - Reba McEntire
• #25 (32) - Troubedour - George Strait

Top 10 Country Catalog Albums

• #2 (2) - 30 #1 Hits - Elvis Presley
• #10 (5) - 16 Biggest Hits - Johnny Cash

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Rock

Top 10 Rock Albums

• #5 (-) - Nostradamus - Judas Priest
  
• #6 (2) - Revelation - Journey

Top 10 Hard Rock Albums

• #2 (-) - Nostradamus - Judas Priest

Top 20 Mainstream Rock Tracks

• #7 (7) - Saints of Los Angeles - Motley Crue
  
• #13 (14) - Life is Beautiful - Sixx: A.M.

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Adult Contemporary

Top 20 Adult Contemporary Tracks

• #14 (14) - Busy Being Fabulous - Eagles

Top 20 Adult Top 40 Tracks

• None

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Dance

Top 25 Dance Club Play

• #1 (3) - Stamp Your Feet - Donna Summer
  
• #3 (1) - Same Old Fucking Story - Cyndi Lauper
  
• #16 (23) - Give Piece a Chance - (Yoko) Ono
• #21 (14) - Funplex - B-52's
• #22 (20) - This is Not Real Love - George Michael & Mutya

Top 10 Dance Singles Sales

• #2 (3) - 4 Minutes - Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake

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Jazz

Top 15 Jazz Albums

• #8 (7) - Sings The Ultimate American Songbook, Vol. 1 - Tony Bennett

Top 15 Contemporary Jazz Albums

• #1 (1) - Encanto - Sergio Mendes
• #2 (3) - River: The Joni Letters - Herbie Hancock
• #8 (8) - The Anthology - Return to Forever

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Americana

Music Association Top 40 Airplay

• #3 (3) - Same Old Man - John Hiatt
• #10 (8) From the Reach - Sonny Landreth
  
• #11 (14) - Mudcrutch - Mudcrutch
• #12 (11) - Keep it Simple - Van Morrison
• #15 (21) - Like a Fire - Solomon Burke
  
• #17 (36) - Life, Death, Love & Freedom - John Mellencamp
• #21 (31) - City That Care Forgot - Dr. John & the Lower 911
• #26 (33) - New Songs of Freedom - Chip Taylor
  
• #27 (-) - All I Intend To Be - Emmylou Harris
• #32 (28) - Peace, Love & BBQ - Marcia Ball
• #34 (25) - Coal - Kathy Mattea

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International

Top 100 British Albums

• #3 (2) - Home Before Dark - Neil Diamond
• #5 (4) - 22 Dreams - Paul Weller
  
• #13 (7) - Best of - Neil Diamond
• #16 (-) - Pacific Ocean Blue: Legacy Edition - Dennis Wilson
  
• #17 (-) - Then and Now: The Very Best of - Petula Clark
  
• #23 (-) - Very Best of - Dolly Parton
  
• #24 (26) - Hard Candy - Madonna
• #30 (-) - Nostradamus - Judas Priest
  
• #31 (11) - Essential - Neil Diamond
• #34 (15) - Very Best of - Platters
• #38 (12) - Essential - Paul Simon
  
• #42 (47) - Raising Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
• #45 (21) - Legend: Best of - Willie Nelson
  
• #48 (22) - Very Best of - Bobby Vee
  
• #52 (35) - Backwoods Barbie - Dolly Parton
• #59 (53) - Legend - Bob Marley & the Wailers
• #61 (29) - Singles - Hall & Oates
• #66 (28) - Very Best of - Searchers
  
• #67 (60) - Hitstory - Elvis Presley
  
• #68 (91) - Cross Road - Bon Jovi
• #72 (38) - 30th Anniversary Collection - Whitesnake
• #76 (40) - All I Intend To Be - Emmylou Harris
• #79 (31) - Very Best of - Eddie Cochran
  
• #81 (-) - Twentyfourseven - UB40
  
• #82 (37) - Greatest Hits - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• #84 (77) - Gold: Greatest Hits - ABBA
• #87 (71) - Thriller 25 - Michael Jackson
• #96 (76) - In Time: The Best of: 1988-2003 - R.E.M.

Top 100 British Singles

• #13 (11) - 4 Minutes - Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake
• #25 (36) - Give it 2 Me - Madonna
  
• #68 (91) - Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
  
• #72 (64) - Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
• #85 (78) - Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
• #89 (108) - Freakshow - Cure
  
• #90 (75) - Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
  
• #93 (107) - Paint It Black - Rolling Stones

Top 100 Canadian Singles

• #5 (4) - 4 Minutes - Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake
• #63 (66) - Saints of Los Angeles - Motley Crue
• #78 (88) - Give it to Me - Madonna
• #83 (74) - I Thought I'd Seen Everything - Bryan Adams

Top 50 Australian Singles

• #7 (5) - 4 Minutes - Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake

Top 100 Japanese Singles

• #27 (14) - Miles Away - Madonna
• #62 (R) - Stay With Me - Al Green

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