12.17.04 (AP) A classic Gibson guitar played by GEORGE HARRISON on THE BEATLES' "Revolver" album and by John Lennon during the recording of "The White Album" sold today to an anonymous bidder for $567,500, Christie's auction house has announced. The cherry red SG Standard belonged to Harrison from 1966 through 1969, and holds a special place in Beatles history. Harrison used the guitar in recording sessions and in several of the band's increasingly rare public appearances, and loaned the guitar to Lennon during sessions for the "White Album," according to Darren Julien, whose Julien Entertainment co-sponsored the auction. The 40-year-old guitar comes with a star-crossed history, however. GEORGE HARRISON presented the instrument to a friend, guitarist Pete Ham of the band BADFINGER, as a gift in 1969. Ham committed suicide five years later, and the guitar passed on to Ham's brother John. Since then, John Ham had stored the guitar beneath a bed in his London home, where it sat until he was contacted in 2002 by Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame representatives putting together a BADFINGER retrospective. Ham discovered the guitar in the same spot then where he had placed it a quarter-century earlier. GEORGE HARRISON died of cancer in November of 2001. Among the other items purchased in the auction at Christie's Rockefeller Center location were: $19,120 for a two-page letter sent by a hallucinating Kurt Cobain to Courtney Love. The 1991 letter was faxed to her from the NIRVANA front man's Sheffield, England, hotel. Written on lined notebook paper in black ink, it contains a passage from Cobain about his life while touring: "I really do care but I'm not very convincing. He's sad. I'm sad. My throat is a swollen tumor, Blood sausage - colon. I puke air after coughing."
[WATCH]

12.15.04 (MusicPortal.com) For the past 30 years, vocalist ROGER DALTREY has pursued a solo career alongside his primary role as lead singer for THE WHO. To commemorate those three decades, the album "Moonlighting - The Anthology" will be issued worldwide at the end of January. The double chronological anthology album highlights the varied musical paths Daltrey has chosen over the years, compiling all his hits and near-misses plus a brand new track, 'A Second Out,' recorded in Los Angeles this Fall. From the ballad 'Giving It All Away' to the classic 'Mack The Knife' with the added bonus of previously unreleased tracks, "Moonlighting - The Anthology" amply illustrates ROGER DALTREY's willingness in adapting to unexpected styles away from his more popular "day job" with THE WHO. Considered to be one of the most powerful vocalists in Rock 'N' Roll, "Moonlighting" documents the solo career Daltrey forged in 1973 with the tracks 'One Man Band,' 'The Way Of The World,' 'Thinking' and 'Giving It All Away,' taken from his debut album, "Daltrey." The 2-disc set continues on with three tracks from ROGER DALTREY's 1975 second solo album, "Ride A Rock Horse," in '(Come And) Get Your Love,' 'World Over' and 'Proud,' moving on to the tracks 'Avenging Annie' and the title track from 1976's "One Of The Boys." After singing on the soundtrack to the movie "McVicar" (which yielded the popular single 'Without Your Love'), ROGER DALTREY picked up the pace of his solo career and released three albums between 1984 and 1987 after the first 'official' breakup of THE WHO in 1982. The album "Rocks In The Head" followed in 1992.

12.14.04 (MusicPortal.com) After taking himself out of the music business "to regenerate, get free of myself and make an album for the right reasons," BILLY IDOL has completed his first album featuring new songs in over 10 years, entitled "Devil's Playground." The album is scheduled for release on March 22nd, and is the veteran British rocker's first effort for Sanctuary Records. "Devil's Playground" features the single 'Scream,' a down and dirty love romp featuring the sinister signature guitar of Steve Stevens and Idol's rock and roll holla in the familiar vein of 'Rebel Yell.' The song will be released to radio on January 3rd, with an impact date set for January 24th. Widely credited as one of the critical artists responsible for the golden age of MTV, and an early disciple of the art of controversy on the small screen, Idol will attempt to reinvent the video art form by making one for 'Scream,' which will be completed early next year. "Devil's Playground" is a journey through the musical mind, influences and taste of BILLY IDOL. The trip begins with the visceral thrust of the album's opener, 'Super Overdrive,' followed by the punk anthem 'World Coming Down,' which borrows from his own history in The Bromley Contingent, the crew that included Siouxsie Sioux, Steve Severin, THE CLASH's Mick Jones and others who followed THE SEX PISTOLS, as well as his own early groups, CHELSEA and GENERATION X. In total, there are 13 tracks on the new album. In the last few years, Idol and his band, which once again includes long-time guitarist Stevens, as well as new drummer Brian Tichy, bassist Stephen McGrath and keyboardist Derek Sherinian, have been... [full story]
[WATCH]

12.13.04 (AP) Irish Rockers U2, R&B vocalists The O'Jays and Soul balladeer Percy Sledge are among five acts to be inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame during the foundation's 20th annual induction ceremony next year, the organization has announced. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation will hold its induction ceremony on March 14th at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. U2, which became one of the planet's most popular bands in the 1980s with their megahit album "The Joshua Tree," are still making the charts: Their November release, "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb," is currently the No. 2 album, according to Billboard. The O'Jays had eight No. 1 R&B hits during the 1970s and '80s, including 'Love Train' and 'Use Ta Be My Girl,' while Sledge will forever be associated with the song 'When A Man Loves A Woman,' one of the songs that made him a figure in deep Southern Soul in the late 1960s. The Pretenders and Blues guitarist Buddy Guy will also join the organization's Class of 2005. The artists beat out an impressive list of nominees including Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, which would have been the first rap group to be inducted; The J. Geils Band, and late Country singer Conway Twitty. Also, Frank Barsalona and Seymour Stein will be inducted in the non-performer category. Barsalona is credited with creating the first legitimate rock and roll booking agency. His roster included acts like Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and The Who. Stein, who is chairman and co-founder of Sire Records, is noted as one of the most successful executives in the modern recording industry.

12.03.04 (MusicPortal.com) Artemis Records has announced the signing of Alternative Rock veterans BETTER THAN EZRA to an exclusive contract for North America. An album of all-new material, as of yet untitled, is slated for a Spring 2005 release. Formed in 1988 in New Orleans, Louisiana, BETTER THAN EZRA began their career by playing college bars and fraternity houses at Louisiana State University. After independently releasing the cassette-only album "Surprise" in 1990, the band went on to make their major label debut in 1995 with "Deluxe." Fueled by the #1 Modern Rock smash 'Good,' "Deluxe" quickly earned platinum status. In 1996 the band's follow-up album "Friction Baby" went gold, and contained two Top Ten Modern Rock tracks. BETTER THAN EZRA have released two subsequent albums, 1998's "How Does Your Garden Grow?" and 2001's "Closer." In addition to his role as the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for BETTER THAN EZRA, Kevin Griffin has recently begun writing and producing other artists. He has worked with artists ranging from BLONDIE to HOWIE DAY. Griffin's work with Day includes the single 'Perfect Time Of Day,' which hit #1 at Triple A radio and Top Ten at Hot Adult Contemporary, and Day's current single, 'Collide,' which is in the Top 15 at Hot Adult Contemporary and climbing. Griffin also co-wrote the biggest radio single of the year in Australia, 'Scar,' with MISSY HIGGINS. BETTER THAN EZRA are Griffin (vocals, guitar), bassist Tom Drummond and drummer Travis McNabb.
[FREE MP3]

12.02.04 (MusicPortal.com) On the heels of his sold out U.S. tour, MORRISSEY will release a "deluxe edition" of his critically acclaimed current album, "You Are The Quarry," on December 7th via Attack/Sanctuary Records. The CD/DVD combo set will contain all of "You Are the Quarry" and an additional nine B-side songs, only six of which have been previously released in the U.S. The DVD will showcase MORRISSEY's three live performances on "The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn" in July of this year, the promotional videos for the songs 'Irish Blood, English Heart' and 'First Of The Gang To Die,' and a 29 picture tour photo gallery. An unprecedented success, "You Are The Quarry" is MORRISSEY's most successful album of his career, either solo or with THE SMITHS. With the support of radio and MTV, VH1 and Fuse, the album debuted at #11 in the U.S. and #2 in the UK, and has sold over 1 million copies worldwide. Sold out tours in Europe and the U.S. followed, along with rave live reviews from critics around the world. Having already produced three Top Ten hits in the UK, MORRISSEY's next single for America, "I Like You," will be released in early 2005. "You Are The Quarry" Deluxe Edition B-Sides: Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice • It's Hard To Walk Tall When You're Small • Teenage Dad On His Estate • Munich Air Disaster 1958 • Friday Mourning • The Never-Played Symphonies • My Life Is A Succession Of People Saying Goodbye • I Am Two People • Mexico
[WATCH]

12.01.04 (MusicPortal.com) THE MUSIC are set to release a new single, 'Breakin',' on January 10th through Virgin Records and not 'Bleed From Within' as previously announced by the band. 'Breakin'' is taken from THE MUSIC's second top ten album, "Welcome To The North," which was released in late September to high acclaim. Problems with the production of the video for 'Bleed From Within' has forced the change of plans, as band member Robert Harvey explains: "'Bleed From Within' is the one of the most important songs on the album. Lyrically it means a lot to me, and we put a lot of thought in to the making of the video. It's really important the video puts across what the song is about and what it means to all of us. There's still work to do on it, and it's not going to be ready in time for the single, but we think it will be special when it's done. We're just not prepared to compromise with this video." THE MUSIC, who finished a sell out UK tour in early October have announced a trio of dates there come late December. THE MUSIC are also consolidating their strong position in the U.S. following a clutch of sell out American shows in August. THE MUSIC are currently on tour in the U.S. with INCUBUS, having previously played a sell-out headline show in New York City with HOPE OF THE STATES and DUKE SPIRIT in mid October. Additionally, "Freedom Fighters" has already topped the International chart in Japan, where the album went in at number #2, making it one of the fastest selling albums by a UK band in Japan in recent history.
[WATCH]

[Pop News: November 2004]
[Top]