Classic Rock Revisited reported that Legendary rock group AMERICA --GERRY BECKLEY and DEWEY BUNNELL-- will celebrate the January 16, 2007 release of their CD HERE & NOW that night with a performance on the “Late Show With David Letterman” featuring special guest Ryan Adams.   

The group will perform “Ride On” from HERE & NOW , produced by Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne) and James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) and featuring guests like Adams, Jim James (My Morning Jacket) and members of Nada Surf.   

BUNNELL says “Ride On” is “the closest thing to a rocker for me on this album.  Ryan Adams plays a real retro guitar on it and Ben Kweller plays a little electric piano ala Ray Manzarek of The Doors. I also do a solo at the end; it's my only electric solo on the record.” He adds: “‘Ride On' is a retro-sounding song that has a Sixties psychedelic feel. Adam [Schlesinger] added some ‘sha la la' vocal pads things to the pre-chorus that drew it into a little more of a pop vein from it being just a jam song. The theme is about pushing on…it's a rallying song.”   

HERE & NOW will be released as a double CD (Sony/BMG Burgundy Records) with one disc of new material and a live CD recorded at XM's studio encompassing their massive hits like “A Horse With No Name,” “Sister Golden Hair,” “Ventura Highway,” “Tin Man” and others.  In addition to Schlesinger and Iha, special guests appearing on the new material include RYAN ADAMS, who plays on “Ride On,” BEN KWELLER who joins JIM JAMES and PATRICK HALLAHAN of My Morning Jacket on a cover of their haunting acoustic tune “Golden,” and IRA ELLIOT and MATTHEW CAWS of Nada Surf join the group on their own rendition of Nada Surf's hit “Always Love.” Elliot also appears with MARK ROZZO of Maplewood on a new song that Rozzo wrote for the band called “Indian Summer.” Fountains of Wayne drummer BRIAN YOUNG lends his skills to a number of tracks including “Chasing The Rainbow” and “One Chance,” both written by Beckley, as well as “Walk In The Woods” which Bunnell wrote.  

My Morning Jacket's Jim James calls America the “…premier architects of harmony. They built temples in my brain as a child and the ruins are still there."  In a recent Spin magazine article, Schlesinger said, “America wrote timeless songs with great harmonies” (September '06).   

AMERICA , best known for their #1 hits “A Horse With No Name” and “Sister Golden Hair,” was the top selling band on Warner Bros. Records in the 70's notching 11 U.S. Top 40 singles and 17 gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums. The group was honored in 1972 by winning that year's Grammy Award for Best New Artist.  The group has recorded and toured regularly ever since, performing about 100 shows a year around the world.  For the latest tour dates, in-studio photos and BECKLEY's ongoing “View From The Hotel” photographic series, check out www.venturahigway.com . 

Source ClassicRockRevisited

Garbage will make their first live appearance for 18 months with an intimate acoustic gig in Calfornia next month.

The band – who have recently been the focus of reports they are set to split – will play the Alex Theatre in Glendale in a benefit for fellow musician Wally Ingram , who is recovering from cancer.

Musicians The Pixies' Dave Lovering, Bonnie Raitt and Joey Santiago are also scheduled to appear.

Garbage are releasing a Greatest Hits collection ‘Absolute Garbage' in March, whilst singer Shirley Manson is working on her debut solo album.

Source Gigwise

BBM has reported that The reactivated SMASHING PUMPKINS likely will return to the stage for the first time since their final December 2000 concert "at some European festivals this summer," according to a post on the band's MySpace page. Meanwhile, the PUMPKINS continue plugging away at their reunion album. "We are four songs deep and about a hundred guitars in," writes drummer Jimmy Chamberlin .

The PUMPKINS ' forthcoming LP, which is being produced by Roy Thomas Baker ( QUEEN , THE CARS ), is slated for release next year.

Source BBM

Pop and disco icon BARRY GIBB is set to try his hand at country music after announcing his next album project will be recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with top honkytonk writers and guests.
The STAYING ALIVE hitmaker insists he's always been a fan of the genre and really got into country music in the past year after buying JOHNNY CASH's former lakeside home near Nashville.
Gibb admits the country retreat offers him great inspiration as he pens songs for his upcoming solo album.
He says, "We'd like to use the place as our second home. I would like to come here and write songs . I am planning on making a country album . That is really who I am.
"I am a country artist, always have been a country artist, and this is my chance to get some self-expression out." Gibb insists he's yet to bump into the ghost of Johnny Cash, but he feels the country great's spirit all around him during writing sessions in his new home , which is situated next to a property that once belonged to another late great ROY ORBISON .
He adds, "The inspiration, being surrounded by the musical atmosphere that has been there for 35 years, we just had to do it.
"You feel like someone is watching, you feel like there is a presence in the house of both Johnny and (his wife) JUNE CARTER CASH . I still haven't seen a tall man wearing black clothes yet (Cash), but I am very much into it and hope that I do."

Source PR-Inside