Gary Glitter (a.k.a. Paul Gadd) may be heading back to court if he is released to his native Britain from a
Vietnam prison due to health issues. 32 year-old U.K. aristocrat Vanessa Grey has broken her 17-year silence and
has accused the singer of raping her when she was just 15. Grey claims that she remained quiet about the abuse
because she was ashamed but has started talking now in an effort to convince authorities that Glitter should be
banned from returning.
Of the dozens of people and companies sued over The Station nightclub fire in 2003, the largest settlement (a tentative
$30 million) has been reached with WPRI-TV and cameraman Brian Butler. Butler was at the club gathering footage
for a segment on safety in public places. His footage of the event was the most complete record of the early moments
of the fire. Lawyers for the survivors and victims' relatives accused Butler of impeding the crowd's exit through
the front door although the claim was denied by his lawyer. As part of the settlement, the defendants do not admit
responsibility and the settlement requires a judge's approval.
Peter Gabriel started the new year with a limp. The former Genesis vocalist broke his leg while skiing in Switzerland
on holiday with family.
The BBC has reported that Sir Paul McCartney has denied reports that he underwent heart surgery last year. "There
was a minor irregularity which I needed to have tests for and which I have now been assured is completely fine."
Garth Brooks' The Ultimate Hits climbed 5 places on the Billboard 200 album chart to #9 with sales of 30,000 copies.
The Eagles' Long Road Out Of Eden fell a spot to #16. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss' Raising Sand climbed a
place to #21. Led Zeppelin's Mothership slid 8 slots to #35.
Santana featuring Chad Kroeger's single "Into The Night" retains the #26 spot on the Billboard 100 singles
chart after 17 weeks. The song is also #3 on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart and #13 on the World Singles chart.
Celine Dion's "Taking Chances" has fallen from the top spot on the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart
to #8.
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss' Raising Sand fell two places to #4 on the U.K. Albums chart. Garth Brooks' The
Ultimate Hits has climbed one spot to #10.
Anne Murray's Duets, Friends & Legends retains the #6 spot on the Canadian Album chart. Garth Brooks' The Ultimate
Hits climbed 8 to #8. Celine Dion's Taking Chances fell a place to #12 and Led Zeppelin's Mothership dropped 6
slots to #19.
Dolly Parton has been named Tennessean Of The Year by Nashville's largest daily newspaper The Tennessean. She was
recognized for her work with the Imagination Library (the organization founded in 1996 to provide free books to
preschool children until they enter kindergarten) which last year sent out 7 million books.
A new species of beetle has been found by an Arizona State University entomologist that "almost looks like
it's wearing a tuxedo." During a Roy Orbison tribute concert on Jan. 25th, it was announced that the species
will be named orectochilus orbisonorum.
Representatives for John Mellencamp have been trying to urge Republican presidential candidate John McCain to stop
playing Mellencamp's "Our Country" and "Pink Houses" during his rallies. Mellencamp, a staunch
Democrat, until recently was endorsing John Edwards.
Paul Young has co-founded Etopia Music, which launched on Jan. 31st. The etopiamusic.com Web site is a download
store that "offers any new or unsigned acts the chance to promote and sell their work alongside some of the
music industry's biggest names." According to Young, "The music business is all about getting your talent
noticed, so Etopia Music sells new and unsigned acts alongside the biggest names. We are using the power of the
Internet to make it easier for bands to connect with new fans and hopefully earn some money from their music."
According to Entertainment Weekly, Pat Benatar and husband Neil Giraldo will be performing their original song
"Every Time I Fall Back" during an episode of CBS' The Young And The Restless airing Feb. 14th and 15th.
Filmed on Jan. 24th, Benatar also shows her acting chops when trying to help actress Nia Peeples' character Karen
overcome her stage fright so she can also sing in front of the nightclub crowd.
The first single from the B-52s' new studio album, Funplex, will be the title track. The song has been made available
at iTunes. The album is due out via Astralwerks Records on Mar. 25th. An album track, "Juliet Of The Spirits,"
will be featured on the Feb. 10th episode of Showtime's The L Word.
Legendary punk rock band D.O.A. start recording their new studio album, Northern Avenger, this month with producer
Bob Rock. The album will mark their 30th anniversary and Sudden Death Records expects to announce a release date
in August (May for Canada) and tour schedule shortly.
VH1.com has posted the entire Lenny Kravitz album, It Is Time For A Love Revolution, as streaming audio via The
Leak. The set heads to stores this week.
Bernadette Cooper and Joyce "Fenderella" Irby have been working in the studio on material for a new Klymaxx
album due out soon. Meanwhile, the group's original guitarist Cheryl Cooley has formed a band named Unruley Cooley.
Loved the musical We Will Rock You? Well, the surviving members of Queen are reportedly teaming up with the same
writer for a sequel.
Recoil's Alan Wilder has announced plans to release a limited edition CD of "Prey"/"Allelujah"
on Feb. 25th. "Prey" comes from his 2007 album, subHuman.
A new movie, Sexual Healing, about the life of late singer Marvin Gaye is in the works based loosely on Steven
Turner's book Trouble Man. Gaye, 44, was shot and killed by his father following an argument one day before his
birthday in April 1984. Law & Order's Jesse L. Martin has signed on to play Gaye in the film.
A video for "One Dozen Monkeys" from They Might Be Giants' new album Here Come The 123s has been released.
The disc heads to stores this week in a super-deluxe DVD & CD set. The song has recently been placed on their
MySpace page.
Def Leppard's new studio album, Songs From The Sparkle Lounge, has had its release date pushed back to a tentative
May 6th.
Marie Osmond will be returning to television with her own show, Marie, launching in fall 2009. According to Osmond,
"I've always wanted to do a show for women that would offer them a safe place to have some fun and get vital
information. Marie will truly reflect my personality--funny, sometimes serious and never predictable."
Dennis DeYoung has signed a deal with Rounder Records that will finally see the U.S. release of his latest album,
100 Years From Now. The release will include two new tracks ("There Was A Time" and "Private Jones")
as well as an English version of the title track duet.
Forbes has named Madonna #1 on their first-ever Cash Queens of Music list. The magazine states that she made roughly
$72 million from June 2006 to June 2007. Of course, then she signed the Live Nation deal in October netting her
a reported $120 million. (Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion took second and third, respectively.) Sources told E!
Online that Madonna was paid $10 million for her appearance in a new ad campaign for Sunsilk hair products (one
of the commercials premiered during the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl.) The commercial is already up at YouTube.
Meanwhile, Madonna has been busy filming a video for "4 Minutes To Save The World" which features a guest
vocal by Justin Timberlake.
Billy Bragg's first new solo studio album in 6 years will be Mr. Love & Justice. The 12-track debut on Epitaph's
Anti- imprint will feature the new single and lead track "I Keep The Faith" which features Robert Wyatt.
Original Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler and former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee have recorded tracks
with Enuff Z'nuff. The songs are among the tracks that will make up the group's 12th studio album (tentatively
titled Lost In Vegas) due out later this year.
The film Kurt Cobain About A Son will be released on DVD via Shout! Factory on Feb. 19th (a day before Cobain's
41st birthday.)
Former Smiths/current Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr went into the recording studio with The Cribs last month.
Although the band thought the sessions were more productive than they expected, they haven't made a full decision
as to releasing what they recorded.
Despite the promotion of some upcoming event at NKOTB.com, former New Kids On The Block member Danny Wood has stated
on his MySpace page, "I wanted to address the rumors of the NKOTB Reunion Tour. There has been no talk of
this and you are getting it from source directly." Yet, a previously unreleased ballad by the group is played
during the video on the site.
Starship starring Mickey Thomas have released a new single, "Get Out Again," which is currently available
at iTunes. The group have an extensive 2008 tour schedule planned starting this week.
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s multi-platinum, multi-award winning album Thriller,
Legacy Recordings is proud to present Thrillercast: a groundbreaking podcast event dedicated to the world's biggest
selling album of all time. The free 40-episode podcast will run throughout 2008 and feature icons of music and
screen starting with "Episode 0", a teaser of what's to come, with a new episode available (roughly)
each week starting on Feb. 12th (with guest Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC.) Guests will discuss their experiences
with the album, the singles, the videos and the influence they had on them personally and professionally. More
information (as well as subscription links) can be found at http://www.michaeljackson.com/podcast
Sananda Maitreya has released Neutered & Spade, the second chapter of Nigor Mortis - A Critical Mass. (Chapter
1 included 5 tracks and this second chapter includes 3 songs recorded in January.)
Kenny G has departed Arista Records after 25 years for Concord Records. About the departure the saxophonist recently
said, "I was with Arista forever, and Clive [Davis, record producer] was like family to me. But I wanted to
do an album of original material, and that wasn't what they wanted me to do." "Also, I think people are
tired of cover records and they are hungry for original music."
Drummer Tommy Lee (of Motley Crue and Rockstar Supernova) has signed on to narrate the documentary Dear Jack. The
film follows the leukemia battle of Something Corporate vocalist Andrew McMahon.
Al Jarreau, who recently released his Love Songs collection, has plans to release a holiday album and a new 'best
of' compilation later this year.
Clan Of Xymox plan to release a live double-DVD entitled Visible on Mar. 21st via Pandaimonium. Part of the set
was filmed during their 2006 performance at the M'era Luna Festival.
Tiffany's recently released compilation, I Think We're Alone Now: '80s Hits And More, has been re-named I Think
We're Alone Now: Best Of Tiffany for release in the U.K. on Feb. 18th.
On Mar. 14th, Frontiers Records will release, Rock The Bones Vol. VI, a sampler disc of songs from upcoming albums
by artists on their roster. The disc will include tracks from Asia, White Lion, Dokken, Steve Lukather, Michael
Kiske, Jimi Jamison, House Of Lords, Glenn Hughes and many more. Hughes has announced that his new album will be
titled First Underground Nuclear Kitchen.
Scritti Politti have plans to release their follow-up to 2006's White Bread Black Beer this summer. Frontman Green
Gartside is also working on a collaborative effort with Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor.
"Tomorrow Never Comes," the new video from Lizzy Borden's new studio album, Appointment With Death, made
its premiere on MTV2's Headbanger's Ball during the weekend. The video can be seen at www.lizzyborden.com/Lizzy-video.htm
Ever heard of the William Morris Agency? Anyhow, the booking and promotion giant has issued a new photo of one
of their clients... Warrant. Worth noting is that former vocalist Jani Lane is in the photo. Although it hasn't
been announced yet (Lane has been talking up a reunion since last year) expect some news soon.
Patty Loveless and Emmylou Harris have recorded guest spots on the new Jim Lauderdale and the Dream Players' album,
Honey Songs, due out Feb. 19th.
Die Krupps have been working on their new studio album. KMFDM's Sascha Konietzko has done a remix for the set.
Backwoods Barbie, Dolly Parton's first mainstream album in 17 years, has been signed to INgrooves for a worldwide
digital distribution deal. The album is due out as early as this month and a physical release will be coming from
Dolly Records.
David Ball of Soft Cell and Richard Norris will bring back their project The Grid for a new album, Doppelganger,
to be released on Mar. 17th via Some Bizarre label.
Fish will release his new album, 13th Star, on Feb. 12th. His new single, "Arc Of The Curve," is due
out on Mar. 3rd.
Kool G Rap has released his new 11-track album, Half A Klip. The digital download of the album includes 4 bonus
tracks not available on the physical release.