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| James Blunt bans Pitiful parody |
by MICHAEL LEONARD |
Veteran comedy singer 'Weird' Al Yankovic has had a run-in with UK singer-songwriter James Blunt.
You're Pitiful, a reworking of Blunt's mega-hit You're Beautiful, was due to appear on Yankovic's forthcoming Essentials compilation album.
But now it won't appear, as Blunt won't allow it.
Yankovic Tweeted to his followers: "In case you were hoping for You're Pitiful to be included on my Essentials collection, sorry, this just in from Blunt's manager: 'Thanks for your email, but both James and I will never approve this parody to be released on any label'".
Oh dear. Still, as Yankovic adds: "Guess you'll still just have to continue downloading You're Pitiful for FREE... http://tinyurl.com/28z7et
Source music-radar |
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| Blur have no plans to record again |
by MICHAEL LEONARD |
Blur's triumphant summer gigs could be the end of the band. Alex James says there are no plans for the quartet to get back into the studio.
Despite encouraging comments recently made by guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist James said they have not talked about "doing anything else whatsoever".
Over recent weeks, Blur played a series of concerts including ones at London's Hyde Park and Glastonbury Festival.
"That was what we said we'd do and we did it and it was great," said James. "It hasn't been mentioned the idea of doing anything else but hey, it was great."
"I've spent the last week staring at a bonfire muttering to myself. I haven't been able to contain the joy that it brought to all of us. [Glastonbury] was very, very emotional. Everything we hoped it would be and more.
"What was amazing was the band's and the audiences' connection. Best gig we've ever done. Amazing."
Graham Coxon is currently touring his solo album The Spinning Top. Damon Albarn is playing with Africa Express in Paris in August, while James - now a farmer - has recently signed a deal to produce cheese for the Prince Of Wales' estate.
"It will be the poshest cheese in the world," claims James.
Watch Blur's The Universal video from music-radar
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| Tom Jones pulls US dates |
Tom Jones has been forced to cancel a series of US dates after falling ill with bronchitis.
The veteran singer had tried to play through a number of concerts to fulfil his tour commitments, but doctors have ordered the singer to rest his vocals.
A statement posted on his official website read: "Sir Tom contracted viral bronchitis whilst on tour. He continued to perform with the infection, which has affected the function of his voice.
"His specialist doctors have now ordered complete vocal rest for a prescribed period of time.
"There are no underlying health problems and Sir Tom is looking forward to a full recovery very soon.
"He is deeply sorry for any inconvenience caused and very much regrets disappointing his fans. An announcement will be made soon regarding the rescheduling of the dates."
Jones has cancelled seven concerts right up to July 31.
Tom Jones tickets:
.Source NME |
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| Metallica, U2, Bruce Springsteen To Perform At Rock Hall Anniversary |
by GIL KAUFMAN |
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will celebrate its 25th anniversary in style on October 29 and 30 with a pair of all-star shows at Madison Square Garden.
On the bill for the first night are Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band; Simon & Garfunkel; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Friends; Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder. The next night will feature sets from Metallica, U2, Eric Clapton and Aretha Franklin, plus more performers to be announced in the coming weeks.
All the acts on the bill are Rock Hall inductees, and the announcement of the show promises that the "music legends and their special guests will be your guides through 60 years of rock and roll history."
Net proceeds from the show will go to create a permanent endowment for the Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland. A highlight special from the two-night show will be screened on HBO. General-public tickets will go on sale August 3, but title sponsor American Express is offering cardholders a presale from July 27 to August 2 that features VIP packages priced from $750 to $100,000.
Rolling Stone magazine reported that the shows will feature a number of collaborations, including CSN sharing the stage with other California-based artists, Metallica leading a hard-rock jam, and Wonder and Franklin fronting a soul revue backed by Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra.
As noted in The New York Times, the math on the anniversary date is a bit fuzzy, as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was founded in 1983 and the first induction ceremony was in January 1986. Among the creative consultants on the show are actor Tom Hanks, filmmaker Cameron Crowe, rock icon Robbie Robertson and Rolling Stone magazine boss and Hall chairman Jann Wenner.
Event executive producer Wenner said in a statement, "Twenty-five years ago ... Ahmet Ertegun created this foundation to recognize and celebrate the music and careers of artists whose music helped shape and define our generation. These once-in-a-lifetime concerts are designed to celebrate the artists and their music."
Source MTV |
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| America 'Honored' By Michael Jackson's 'A Place With No Name' Sample |
by JAMES MONTGOMERY |
The men behind "A Horse With No Name" — the song Michael Jackson sampled in an unreleased track that surfaced after his death — say they're "honored" that the late King of Pop decided to use their work.
In a statement to MTV News, Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley, two-thirds of folk-rock act America, expressed their gratitude that Jackson chose their song to work into a tune called "A Place With No Name," and their regrets that his fans didn't get to hear the finished version during his lifetime.
"We're honored that Michael Jackson chose to record it and we're impressed with the quality of the track," the statement reads. "We're also hoping it will be released soon so that music listeners around the world can hear the whole song and once again experience the incomparable brilliance of Michael Jackson."
Last week, TMZ obtained a snippet of "A Place With No Name," an unreleased Jackson song that borrowed the strummed guitar from "A Horse With No Name." Jackson shared a manager with American in the late '80s and early '90s, though it's unclear just when he recorded the song.
America — then comprised of Bunnell, Beckley and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Dan Peek — scored a massive hit in 1972 with "Horse," which went to #1 on the Billboard singles chart and propelled their self-titled debut album to multi-platinum sales.
It's not known whether the full version of "Place" will be released, but according to Jackson's one-time boss, former Sony Music chairman and CEO Tommy Mottola, there are "dozens and dozens" of MJ songs in the vaults that could trickle out for years to come.
Source MTV |
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| Leonard Cohen Announces Second Leg of First U.S. Tour in 15 Years |
After completing his first U.S. tour in 15 years, Leonard Cohen will trek across the States again this autumn as the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has announced a second leg of shows, Billboard.biz reports. Cohen’s second U.S. jaunt in 2009 kicks off October 17th in Sunrise, Florida, and concludes nearly a month and 14 shows later in San Jose, California, on November 13th.
As Rock Daily reported in January, Cohen ended his 15-year break from the U.S. stage when he played a concert at New York’s Beacon Theatre. The singer also performed a set at Coachella and toured North America through June before departing for Europe, where he is currently in the midst of a tour to promote Live In London (Watch “Anthem” from the London DVD here).
Last year when Cohen initially announced tour dates, Rolling Stone predicted that the run — seemingly scheduled to help Cohen defray the cost of a dispute with his manager — would be New Yorkers’ only chance to see the Canadian legend onstage this year. But the poet-singer will return to the city, at a larger venue, no less: Madison Square Garden.
Markets that were passed over during Cohen’s last trek — like Florida, Ohio, Missouri and Atlanta — will all get to marvel as the 74-year-old legend serenades them with “Hallelujah” and “The Stranger Song” (that is, if he hasn’t retired “Hallelujah” by then). Tickets for the 15 shows go on sales August 3rd, so scribble the appropriate notes on your calendar.
Oct. 17 - Sunrise, FL @ BankAtlantic Center
Oct. 19 - Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
Oct. 20 – Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
Oct. 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Wachovia Spectrum
Oct. 23 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Oct. 25 – Cleveland, OH @ Allen Theatre
Oct. 27 - Columbus, OH @ Palace Theatre
Oct. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Rosemont Theatre
Nov. 1 - Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
Nov. 3 - Durham, NC @ Durham Performing Arts Center
Nov. 5 – Nashville, TN @ Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Nov. 7 - St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theatre
Nov. 9 - Kansas City, MO @ The Midland by AMC
Nov. 12 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Colosseum at Caesars Palace
Nov. 13 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
Source RollingStone |
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