 February 1 - 10, 2006These are the scripts Joe Benson used on the air at 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles. They all received final editing by Jan Benson, without whom the task would have been far too daunting. Remember to give credit where credit is due, and enjoy! February 1, 2006
Guitarist Mike Campbell of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers is 56. 
On this day in 1963, Neil Young, at age 17, performed his first professional date at a country club in Winnipeg, Canada. On this day in 1964, the British Invasion of America officially began as The Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand" hit #1. On this day in 1964, Bob Dylan released his classic "The Times They Are A Changin'" album. On this day in 1965, The Rolling Stones released their legendary "The Rolling Stones Now" album. On this day in 1967, The Beatles began their official sessions for "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," laying down the rhythm tracks for the title cut. On this day in 1969, The Beatles soundtrack album "Yellow Submarine" was released. On this day in 1970, Van Morrison released his "Moondance" album. On this day in 1986, John Mellencamp's "R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A." entered the Top 40. On this day in 1988, The Cars officially broke up. 
Felder's Benefit TonightTonight's the night! Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder has organized an all star benefit concert to help with the continuing recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina. "Don Felder and Friends Rock Cerritos for Katrina" happens tonight at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. Alice Cooper, Stephen Stills, Styx guitarist Tommy Shaw, former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, Green Day drummer Tre Cool, No Doubt drummer Adrian Young and former Night Ranger frontman Jack Blades are just some of the artists on the bill. Actor Dennis Quaid and comedian D.L. Hughley are also booked, and Cheech Marin (of Cheech & Chong fame) will emcee the event. Proceeds will support the relief funds established by the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Seger/Super Bowl?We all know what masters of marketing The Rolling Stones are (just check out their Super Bowl merchandise!), but what about Kid Rock? He's playing a couple of big time parties with some special guests in his hometown of Detroit this weekend. Hank Williams Jr. will no doubt be on stage with Mr. Rock, and what about the guy Kid inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame — Bob Seger? Same management, same base of operations, same mutual admiration society... stay tuned! Petty To BonnarooTom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Radiohead, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Beck and Buddy Guy are among the major acts signed to play the fifth annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival June 16th through the 18th in Manchester, Tennessee. Bonnaroo's more traditional jam-band roots will be represented by groups like Blues Traveler, Robert Randolph & The Family Band and G. Love & Special Sauce. Of course, you can count on more bands being announced over the next few weeks. A Priestly CompilationThe double-CD compilation "The Essential Judas Priest" will be unleashed on April 4th. The 34-song collection will span the iconic metal band's career from 1976's "Sad Wings of Destiny" through 2005's "Angel of Retribution." Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton also says that the band will begin working on new material for its next studio effort next month. "We are talking about some summer festivals [in Europe]," he says, "but our main priority is to write the next Judas Priest album." Strummer DocumentaryDirector Julien Temple, best known for his Sex Pistols documentary "The Filth & the Fury," is working on a new movie about the life and career of the late Clash guitarist, Joe Strummer. Via a slew of archival audio and video footage, interviews donated by journalists and recordings of Strummer's BBC Radio show, the Clash legend will essentially narrate the film. The project will also include new interviews with producer Rick Rubin, the Clash's Mick Jones and Paul Simonon. Temple was a longtime friend of Strummer, and is making the film with the blessing of Strummer's widow, Lucinda. "We didn't have a memorial concert or anything for him," Temple says. "So this is something that I wanted to do. Three years on, it's easier for me and all the people involved to deal with it actually." Strummer died of a congenital heart defect in December 2002, just three months before the Clash was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Plea Bargain In Rhode IslandThe tour manager for Great White is facing 10 years in prison for his role in The Station nightclub fire almost three years ago in Rhode Island. Dan Biechele has agreed to plead guilty to 100 of the 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter filed against him in the criminal case arising from the deadly fire. The remaining counts will be dropped. The February 20th, 2003 fire at the West Warwick nightclub killed 100 people and injured 200 others. The case against the other two defendants, club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, remains in the pretrial process. They also face 200 counts each of involuntary manslaughter.  The World Is ChangingIt was Chris Rock who said, "You know the world is changing when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U. S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are named 'Bush', 'Dick', and 'Colon'." Right so, brother Chris, right so Top 10 Mid-Winter Factoids1. 75% of Americans want to change their bodies in some way, while only 13% say they'd want to change their intelligence. 2. Americans eat almost one million tons of potato chips each year. 3. The can opener was invented 44 years after canned food. In fact, until they came along, the thick-walled metal storage canisters had to be busted open with a hammer and chisel or bayonet. 4. If you pour a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death. 5. The 'spot' on 7UP comes from its inventor who had red eyes. He was albino. 6. A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top. 7. The 57 on Heinz ketchup bottles represents the varieties of pickles the company once had. 8. Coffee is the world's second largest item of international commerce. Petroleum is the first. 9. M&Ms are named after Frank Mars, the candy maker, and his business associate, Bruce Murrie. 10. The original lollypop (lollipop) was named after a racehorse, Lolly Pop, in the early 1900's. February 2, 2006
Singer extraordinaire Graham Nash is 64.
On this day in 1978, after four years of playing virtually every club and backyard in Southern California, Van Halen signed their first recording contract. It was at that time that publicists subtracted a couple years from each member's age to make them seem even more astounding. On this day in 1979, 21-year-old Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious died in New York of a heroin overdose. He was not a hero. On this day in 1980, the Eagles' song "The Long Run" peaked at #8 on the charts.  This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of Bad Company and more of Joe's conversation with singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke.
Real WhoMaybe it's true this time around. The Who's Pete Townshend says his band's long-awaited new album will finally be released in early Summer. The Pete-ster says, "I know I've cried wolf a few times, but this time I have committed because I have about enough music for a new CD." Townshend also says that the North American segment of The Who's upcoming tour will include three or four legs and will run "from September to December." Now that's Rock & Roll! Tyler's VoiceIt was Steven Tyler's "raw throat" that forced Aerosmith to postpone Monday's show in Denver. Despite the illness, Tyler still found time to speak with the press about everything from being a grandpa to his early recollections of the Bay Area, and mingling with Sly Stone and Janis Joplin. Steven also said that a new Aerosmith album is coming this year, and, since their record label contract expires after this record, they're open to the idea of selling it via the internet. Just imagine what he would have said if he didn't have a sore throat! Pretenders BoxedEven before The Pretenders were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, they were long overdue for a career retrospective. That problem will be solved on March 14th with the release of the "Pirate Radio" box set featuring four CDs and a DVD filled with album cuts, rarities and 15 previously unreleased songs from singer/guitarist Chrissie Hynde's band. The rarities include cover versions of Neil Young's "The Needle and the Damage Down" and Jimi Hendrix's "Bold As Love," among others. Hynde and the band will begin an eight-date West Coast turn with a four-night run (March 21st through 24th) in Los Angeles and Anaheim. Gigs in New York and London are also planned. Crowes ShuffleGuess the reunion wasn't that good for everyone. Although no official announcement has been made yet, word is that keyboardist Eddie Hawrysch has left the Black Crowes. Don't know who is replacing him, but the Crowes have added three more March dates to their meandering itinerary. Knopfler & Emmy LouMark Knopfler's long-awaited album with the incredible Emmylou Harris, called "All the Road Running," will finally be released on April 25th. The former Dire Straits frontman and Emmylou will do a brief Spring tour of both Europe and the United States. Let's hope the Southland makes the schedule! Entwistle/Tipton MusicThe near-legendary collaborative work of Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton, late Who bassist John Entwistle and late Hard Rock drummer Cozy Powell will finally be released. The album "Edge of the World" was recorded in the mid-Nineties, but not released. Now it's officially set for a March 7th release along with another Tipton album, "Baptizm of Fire," featuring former David Lee Roth bassist Billy Sheehan and Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo. Groundhog HeavenThis is Groundhog Day, and more than 30,000 spectators gathered at "Gobbler's Knob" this morning to see the large rodent named Punxsutawney Phil emerge from his/her lair to see his shadow. Legend has it that if P-Phil can see its own shadow on February 2nd, winter will last another six weeks. In the past 119 years, the rodent and its ancestors have seen a shadow 96 times and haven't seen it 14 times (there are no records for nine years). The last time Phil failed to see his shadow was in 1999. The whole event, as well as Punxsutawney (a rural community 90 miles northwest of Pittsburgh), were made even more famous worldwide in the movie "Groundhog Day," which starred Bill Murray. Sorry fans, it's much more likely that P-Phil will see his shadow than that Murray will make the scene. February 3, 2006
Dave Davies, the fist swinging, guitar playing younger brother in The Kinks, is 59.
On this day in 1959, Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens were killed when their small plane crashed in bad weather shortly after take-off from the Mason City, Iowa airfield. They had decided to pay for plane tickets rather than travel by bus to Fargo, North Dakota. At the last minute, Holly's bass player, Waylon Jennings, gave up his seat so that the Big Bopper could make the flight. On this day in 1968, The Beatles recorded "Lady Madonna" in three takes at Abbey Road Studios in London. On this day in 2004, saxophonist Cornelius Bumpus, who played with the The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan among many others, died from a heart attack on a commercial flight from New York to California. He was 58. This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of Bad Company and more of Joe's conversation with singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke.
On Stage SaturdayThe latest version of Foreigner (the same that headlined the 2005 Mark & Brian Christmas Show) will be playing the Canyon Club in Aguora Hills. Super Bowl!The mighty masters of merchandising, The Rolling Stones will be the only performers during halftime at Sunday's Super Bowl 40. Super Bowl entertainment producer Don Mischer said that The Stones performance would be ''100 percent live'' — no tape — and that band would perform on a 5,800 square foot stage shaped like their famous lips logo. The stage incorporates two miles of aircraft cable and 67 tons of lighting equipment. Its 35 pieces will be assembled and disassembled in five-and-a-half minutes by a crew of 350 volunteers. The Rock & Roll icons, who have been together four years longer than the annual football championship, rehearsed at Ford Field on Thursday and Friday. Other veteran artists taking part in this year's event includes Stevie Wonder, who heads up the pre-game festivities, as well as Aretha Franklin, Aaron Neville and Dr. John, who will give a collaborative performance of the national anthem just before kick off. So no matter if you took the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Seattle Seahawks in the office pool, you can count on Ford Field in Detroit to be rocking! Macca Will PlayDon't know how much arm twisting it took, but Sir Paul McCartney has finally agreed to perform at the 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Despite his long career and 13 past GRAMMY wins, this will mark the former Beatle's first performance at the awards show. Macca is nominated for three big awards this year: Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard," as well as Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the album track "Fine Line." In a fortuitous bit of casting, comedian/talk show host Ellen DeGeneres will introduce Sir Paulie's performance — and you know the crowd will go wild! Praying Among The SnakesThursday's National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. featured the usual group of lawmakers and heads of state, but U2's Bono stole the show. In a wide-ranging speech in which he called televangelists "God's secondhand car salesmen," he challenged the U.S. government to devote another one-percent of the federal budget to effective foreign assistance for the world's poor. Stressing that it would help buy vital medicine, fund educational programs and boost the continent's economy, he said that the money would not only transform millions of lives but also change how those millions see the U.S. A powerful message — but do politicians/snakes have ears? Really Big GuitarsTen-foot-tall guitar sculptures designed by Stevie Nicks, Alice Cooper and Eddie Van Halen with his son Wolfgang are among the decorated oversized axes set to go under the hammer Saturday in Phoenix at the GuitarMania Auction (http://www.azcentral.com/guitarmania/gmania_index.html). The event will benefit the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central Arizona charity. The giant guitar sculptures have been on display since September in a variety of locations in Phoenix and neighboring cities. Richie/Heather No MasSad to report that actress Heather Locklear has filed for divorce from her Bon Jovi guitarist husband, Richie Sambora. Rumors that the 11 year marriage was on the rocks surfaced several months ago, but were denied by the couple. The 44-year-old Locklear and 46-year-old Sambora have an 8-year-old daughter, Ava . While it was Sambora's first marriage, Locklear was previously married to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. Moms/Super Bowl
According to a new survey by the Marketing to Moms Coalition, Super Bowl advertisers may be losing out on a huge audience — moms. Not only do they watch the Super Bowl, but they do most of the shopping in the household. Among the findings: 61% of moms say they will tune in to the game with their husband, while 13% will view the game with friends and 11% will watch with their kids. 46% of moms say they are most interested in the game, while 53% say the ads are what they are most interested in. Food companies, cars, household cleaning products, toys, tech products and baby products are the type of products moms would like to see advertised during the game. 36% of mothers would like to see more humor in the ads. Seven More Mid-Winter Factoids315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled. The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper. The Liberty Bell was not made in the United States and it was not rung on the first Independence Day. It was cast in London in 1752, cracked in 1835, and was not named "Liberty" until the 1830s in memory of slaves seeking their freedom. It took Leonardo da Vinci 10 years to paint Mona Lisa's lips. It was the custom among men in Rome, when swearing to tell the truth, to place one's right hand on one's testicles. The English word "testimony" is related to this custom. The distance between an alligator's eyes in inches, is directly proportional to the length of the alligator in feet. The opening to the cave in which a bear hibernates is always on the North Slope. February 4, 2006
Alice Cooper is a shocking 58.
On this day in 1970, John Lennon and Yoko Ono traded a bag of their cut hair in return for a pair of genuine Muhammad Ali boxing shorts. And you thought the Seventies were boring! On this day in 1974, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began an ill-fated trial separation. The two eventually reunited, perhaps because of Muhammad Ali's boxing shorts. Then again, maybe not. On this day in 1978, Queen's "We Are The Champions" peaked at #4, E.L.O.'s "Turn To Stone" hit #13 and Heart's "Crazy On You" topped out at #62. On this day in 2001, Jimmy Buffett was kicked out of his courtside seats at a Miami Heat/New York Knicks game due to his use of profanity. Unfortunately for Jimmy, that burst of rebellious Rock & Roll-ish behavior didn't help his record sales in the least. February 5, 2006
Legendary session drummer Hal Blaine is 77. As the top Los Angeles studio drummer in the Sixties and early Seventies, he played on more than 8,000 different tracks for hundreds and hundreds of different musicians including the Beach Boys, Byrds and Simon & Garfunkle. It's almost impossible to listen to an oldies radio station for more than 10 minutes without hearing a song with Hal Blaine's drumming.
Cory Wells of Three Dog Night is 64.
On this day in 1972, Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold" entered the charts. February 6, 2006
Reggae god Bob Marley would have been 61.
On this day in 1965, legendary concert promoter Bill Graham presented his first show when he rented out the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco for $60. The show, a benefit concert for the city's mime troupe, featured the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, who were anything but mimes. On this day in 1965, "All Day And All Of The Night" by The Kinks peaked at #7 on the charts. On this day in 1968, The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" album hit number #1. On this day in 1982, Van Halen's cover of Roy Orbison's classic "Pretty Woman" entered the charts as The Rolling Stones' "Waiting on a Friend" peaked at #13 and the J. Geils Band hit #1 with the song "Centerfold." On this day in 1988, Bruce Springsteen's "Tunnel Of Love" peaked at #9 on the singles chart. On this day in 1998, Beach Boy Carl Wilson died of cancer in Los Angeles at the age of 51.
Stones Rocked!The ABC censors only had to use their five-second tape delay twice during The Rolling Stones' Super Bowl halftime show last night. The only song to avoid the editor was "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," a 41-year-old song about frustration (sexual and otherwise). ABC's editors silenced one word in "Start Me Up," a reference to a woman's effect on a dead man. The lyrics for "Rough Justice" that used a synonym for "rooster" was also deemed worthy of cutting out. The Stones probably didn't mind — it brought a little Rock & Roll danger to the ultimate "safe" gig, and they are the masters of media manipulation. Many reporters seemed shocked that 62-year-old Mick Jagger really is a force of nature! His best line came when introducing "Satisfaction": "Here's one we could have done at Super Bowl I." As for some idiots criticism, of course the band's performance was a bit ragged — for God's sake, they're The Rolling Stones, not the Eagles! And yes, the National Anthem performance was a bit odd in pairing Aaron Neville and Dr. John (paying tribute to hurricane-ravaged New Orleans) with the almighty Aretha Franklin. Neville sang half of the song in his feathery-soft voice, then was never heard from again when Franklin blew the dome's roof off. God bless Aretha! Hail James!James Taylor will be honored tonight as the Recording Academy's 2006 MusiCares Person of the Year. Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and David Crosby are just a few of the stars taking part in the salute to Taylor for his career achievements and humanitarian efforts. Tonight's salute/gala in Beverly Hills is part of the Recording Academy's pre-GRAMMY festivities leading up to Wednesday night's awards show. How cool would it be if all those folks actually sang their praises!? Three For U2U2 was awarded the 2006 Best Irish Band, Best Live Performance and Best Irish Album Meteor Ireland Music Awards last Thursday in the band's hometown of Dublin. Bassist Adam Clayton was on hand to accept the prizes, which he promised to share with the rest of the band — eventually. More Mula for Jerry's HeirsFollowing a foray into wine, the estate of the late Jerry Garcia has licensed the late Grateful Dead guitarist's name to a limited edition line of tea. Five blends of J. Garcia Artisan Teas will be available beginning March 1st from premium tea company the Republic of Tea. Like the wines marketed by Clos du Bois, each J. Garcia Artisan Teas package will feature original artwork by the artist created before his death in 1995. A portion of the proceeds from the teas will be donated to Draw Bridge, a non-profit organization that provides art programs for children in homeless shelters. The first set of teas — available on March 1st — will include Morning Brew, Jerry Cherry, Shady Grown, Magic Herb Blend (caffeine-free!) and Spirit of Sage. Wonder why there's no "Stash Tea"? Even More SabYou didn't think Sharon Osbourne would let this opportunity slip by, did you? Black Sabbath will celebrate their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by releasing their "Greatest Hits 1970-1978" on March 14th, the day after the ceremony. The 16-track set is drawn exclusively from the eight studio albums recorded by the original line-up of vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward in part because the other members (like Ronnie James Dio) insisted on getting paid if they were included in the set. Zippy Language Tips for Doo-Dah PeopleThe word "tip," as in a gratuity, is actually an acronym for "To Insure Promptness." The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language. The letters "YKK" on zippers stand for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushibibaisha, the largest zipper manufacturer in the world. The only English word that contains a triple letter is "goddessship." In English pubs, drinks are served in pints and quarts. In old England, bartenders would advise unruly customers to mind their own pints and quarts. It's the origin of "mind your P's and Q's." Why do golfers yell "Fore!"? British infantry once fired volleys from two ranks, rear rank standing behind front rank kneeling, to double the firepower. Rear rankers about to fire warned front rankers to keep heads down by calling out, "Beware before!" Then, "'Ware before!" Then just, "'Fore!" "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" is commonly believed to be the only English sentence devised to include all the letters of the alphabet. However, for years typesetters have had another such sentence: "Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs." Once word of this gets out, typing classes may never be the same. February 7, 2006
KISS fan Garth Brooks is 44 and very rich.
On this day in 1894, Antoine Sax, inventor of the saxophone, died in Paris at the age of 79. On this day in 1964, The Beatles landed at New York's Kennedy Airport to make their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was already #1 on the charts, and thousands of screaming fans greeted them at the airport as the first wave of Beatlemania swept across America. Life as we knew it would never be the same. On this day in 1967, Badfinger's song "Come and Get It" entered the U.S. charts. On this day in 1970, Joe Cocker's cover of "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" peaked at #30. On this day in 1980, Pink Floyd played the first live performance ever of their "Wall" album at the Los Angeles Sport Arena. The extremely ambitious multi-media production actually featured a wall built between the band and audience during the first half. The debut performance was stopped briefly near the halfway point when fireworks set fire to the stage curtains. The entire presentation proved so expensive to stage, it was only performed 29 times in L.A., New York and Europe. On this day in 1981, The Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me" entered the U.S. Top 40. On this day in 2000, Foghat singer/guitarist "Lonesome" Dave Peverett succumbed to cancer at the age of 57 — far too young.
Les Can't Make ItA bout with pneumonia will force guitar/recording innovator Les Paul to miss his all-star 90th birthday celebration concert tonight at the Gibson Amphitheatre and tomorrow night's GRAMMY Awards. Les, who is up for two GRAMMYS, was hospitalized Friday after X-rays revealed fluid in his lungs. He is expected to be released in the next few days from Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Tonight's amphitheatre tribute will feature a dazzling line-up, including Buddy Guy, Slash, Neal Schon, Edgar Winter, Steve Lukather and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Skynyrd's BookingWith their most recent round of health problems apparently under control, Lynyrd Skynyrd is booking gigs. Their latest tour itinerary runs through a September 10th gig in Kansas, and includes an August 27th show at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula as well as an August 29th gig at the Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster. Dylan's WorkingWord is that Bob Dylan has been rehearsing "experimental" material for his first album of new songs since 2001's "Love & Theft." Bob's rehearsals with his five-piece band last week took place behind closed doors at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie, New York. Sources say the recording could begin in a Manhattan studio this week. Then again, maybe not. Elty's Really Really WorkingOn March 5th, Sir Elton John and his partner, David Furnish will host another Academy Awards party to benefit the Elton John's AIDS Foundation. Meanwhile, the Broadway debut of Sir Elty's musical "Lestat" has been pushed back 12 days to April 25th, thanks to the God-awful reviews it got in its San Francisco trial run. Substantial changes to the show are expected. In the midst of all that activity, Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin are reported to be working in an Atlanta studio on the sequel to their 1975 album "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy." The forthcoming disc is tentatively titled "The Captain and the Kid." Finally, Anthony Stewart Head has won the lead role in "Him & Us," the sitcom pilot based on John's life. Seriously... I wouldn't make that up. Inside The Beatles' StudioFamed Beatles recording engineer Geoff Emerick is offering his recollections in the new book "Here, There, and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles" due out on March 20th. The tome supposedly reveals some of the tricks and techniques Geoff, producer George Martin and the band members dreamed up to generate the sounds they sought to capture on tape. Emerick, who continued working with Paul McCartney in his post-Beatle days, also offers tales of some of the Wings sessions. Wonder what Macca has to say about it? Stones Movie (Sort Of) To Debut"Stoned," the film based on the 1969 death of original Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones, will get its U.S. premiere on March 24th at select theaters in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Berkeley. Songs by Jefferson Airplane, Traffic and the Small Faces, as well as cover versions of Stones tunes, are featured in the movie, which will debut at other stateside locations in subsequent weeks. Office Pools
Were you part of the 22% of the U.S. workforce that participated in Super Bowl office pools this year? In addition to those football betting pools, a recent survey indicated some of the most unusual pools American workers participated in at the office: February 8, 2006
James Dean would have been 75.
On this day in 1958, the Quarrymen, with John Lennon and Paul McCartney, performed at Wilson Hall in Garston, England. It was there that Paul introduced John to a young guitarist named George Harrison. On this day in 1975, Queen released the single "Killer Queen." On this day in 1986, Robert Palmer released his song "Addicted To Love." On this day in 2005, drummer Keith Knudsen of the Doobie Brothers died of pneumonia at the age of 56.
GRAMMY Tribute To New OrleansAn all-star collection of musicians will bring a touch of New Orleans to tonight's GRAMMY Awards ceremony at the Staples Center. Allen Toussaint, Dr. John and Irma Thomas will be joined by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, U2 guitarist The Edge and veteran soul man Sam Moore for a special segment. You may recall that The Edge and veteran producer Bob Ezrin created the Music Rising project to provide instruments to musicians affected by the disaster. The Recording Academy's non-profit MusiCares Foundation is in charge of managing that organization's grants process. Cream To L.A.?Cream bassist Jack Bruce says the trio will be active again this year, but don't look for a formal tour. Sounds like the reunited power trio will play concert clusters in a few select cities, just as they did last year. Jack can be seen in tonight's GRAMMY Awards, accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award for himself, guitar god Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker. The Lifetime Achievement Awards were handed out last night, and among the others receiving them were David Bowie, the late blues legend Robert Johnson and Merle Haggard. Bon Jovi Does DaytonaAs Bon Jovi's "Have A Nice Day" tour continues, the band will headline the "Sprint Tribute to America" prior to the first race of the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season on February 19th. Coverage of the concert will be included in NBC's Daytona 500 pre-race show airing live from Daytona International Speedway. No Live Macca In '06Paul McCartney is saying that he won't tour this year. Among other projects, the former Beatle is hoping to complete a classical choral piece this year. Stewart's MovieAfter a successful debut at the Sundance Festival, former Police drummer Stewart Copeland's documentary, "Everyone Stares," will be released on DVD on March 28th. The first-person account of The Police's ascent from obscurity to worldwide fame was culled from over 50 hours of Super 8 movies Stewart shot during the acclaimed trio's heyday. Sorry, no physical altercations with Sting made the final cut.  NHRA WinternationalsThis weekend (February 11 - 12): The first big drag meet of the year, the NHRA CARQUEST Winternationals Drag Races at the Fairplex in Pomona! There will be Uncle Joe Meet & Greet sessions Saturday and Sunday morning, and Unc's giving away a Harley Sunday afternoon (he's a giver!). NHRA Division 7 Super Gas Champion Randy Balough, driver of the Uncle Joe's Racing Super Gas Corvette, came within 2/100 of a second of winning last year, so you know it's going to be good! Here are photos of the most recent Uncle Joe NHRA Meet & Greet sessions. February 9, 2006
On this day in 1964, in a defining TV moment, The Beatles appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show." A record audience of 73 million people tuned in to watch the Fab Four's debut American performance. The band performed "All My Loving," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There," and their current #1 single, "I Want to Hold Your Hand." George Harrison played despite suffering from a bad case of the flu. Also on that night's show were singer Georgia Brown and the cast of "Oliver!," which included future-Monkee Davy Jones. On this day in 1974, Paul McCartney's "Jet" broke into the Top 40 singles chart. This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of Yes as well as conversation with Jon Anderson, Chris Squire and Rick Wakeman.
Shock: GRAMMYS Rock!U2 took home five trophies at last night's 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards, including Album Of The Year ("How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb"), Song Of The Year ("Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own"), Best Rock Album ("How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb"). The Album Of The Year award is U2's second — they also won for 1987's "The Joshua Tree." The Irish group now has 20 GRAMMYS, among the Top 10 award winners of all time. Asked backstage if U2 truly are the best Rock & Roll band in the world, guitarist The Edge replied, "We are tonight," to which Bono retorted, "You can't ask me to be humble at a moment like this." Among the other winners at last night's 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards were Bruce Springsteen (Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance), Bob Dylan (Best Long Form Music Video), Mark Knopfler/Dire Straits (Best Surround Sound Album) and Les Paul (Rock Instrumental Performance and Pop Instrumental Performance). Paul McCartney didn't win, but kicked butt in his first ever GRAMMY performance and then as a surprise contributor to a collaboration between Jay-Z and Linkin Park. The rapper and rock group launched into their GRAMMY-winning mash-up "Numb/Encore," which then became a three-way with the addition of McCartney's vocals and The Beatles' classic "Yesterday." Very special indeed! Defying expectations, Sly Stone actually showed up (briefly) for his own tribute and certainly blew everybody away with his "look" — especially the blonde mohawk! The "Hollywood Reporter" said it best: "It was almost as if he accidentally had wandered into the wrong restroom, discovered his mistake and beat a retreat." Ray's Confession (Sort Of)Although his upcoming solo album is titled "Other People's Lives," Kinks frontman Ray Davies says the tracks were based on his own experiences. "If you listen to the characters, I've been through all of it myself," he maintains. No matter Ray's inspiration, the album's release has been pushed back to February 21st. Asia ReunionAsia's original lineup will reunite for a world tour to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the band's formation. Former King Crimson singer/bassist John Wetton, Yes guitarist Steve Howe, former Yes/Buggles keyboardist Geoffrey Downes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer drummer Carl Palmer also plan to record a CD and DVD to mark the milestone. Coffee Time!1. Coffee is the most popular beverage worldwide with over 400 billion cups consumed each year. 2. Coffee, as a world commodity, is second only to oil. 3. Coffee is graded according to three criteria: bean quality, quality of preparation and size of bean. Kind of like radio personalities. February 10, 2006
Psychedelic folk singer Donovan is 60.
On this day in 1973, Steely Dan's "Do It Again" peaked at #6 on the pop singles chart. On this day in 1978, Van Halen released their self-titled debut album, which eventually sold over 6 million copies. On this day in 1979, Dire Straits released the single "Sultans of Swing." On this day in 1987, Roger Waters dropped his lawsuit against his former Pink Floyd bandmates over the use of the band's name. In return, they agreed to pay him some heavy royalties. On this day in 1990, Aerosmith's "Janie's Got A Gun" peaked at #4 on the pop singles chart. On this day in 1997, Sweet's singer, Brian Connolly, died in England of kidney failure at the age of 52.
Neil's Movie Out TodayWith his new movie hitting theaters today, Neil Young says his film isn't "...a rock-u-doc, or docu-rock, or whatever it's called." Director Jonathan Demme filmed "Neil Young: Heart of Gold" at Neil's Nashville concerts last Summer, but Young insists it's not a "concert film." The performance showcases Young's latest album, "Prairie Wind," and also features tracks from his earlier discs "Harvest" and "Harvest Moon." But between the song selection, costuming, atmosphere, and cinematography, Young and Demme aren't presenting a concert as much as they are a slice of Americana. Demme says that there's "a complete absence of cynicism" in the movie and that the film "makes you feel good to be human." Stones' Top ForbesThe Rolling Stones have topped "Forbes" magazine's list of Music's Top Money Makers for 2005. Last year, the iconic band generated $168 million in music and concert-ticket sales in the United States alone. U2, who sold tickets at half The Stones prices, finished a close second by grossing $150 million. The Top 10 also included the Eagles at #5 ($84 million), Paul McCartney at #6 ($83 million) and Elton John at #10 ($66 million). Heart For Valentine's DayHeart's Ann and Nancy Wilson will serve as hosts for VH1 Classic's special Valentine's Day programming next Tuesday. Throughout the day, the sisters will read romantic dedications sent in by viewers. You gotta wonder how many letters Gary Moore submitted? New One From The Money ManEddie Money has issued his new album "Wanna Go Back!" through his own website. Eddie's daughter Jessica makes her recording debut on the disc, which is his first studio effort since 1999's "Ready Eddie." You can see Eddie in person in mid-May at the Canyon Theater in Agoura Hills — but will Jessica be there?!? Dave's New StuffFormer Kinks guitarist Dave Davies says his new song called "God In My Brain" was inspired by the thoughts and feelings he had when he suffered a stroke 18 months ago. He says the religious reference isn't "God as in the gray-haired old man sitting in the sky, but the person in my head who while the stroke was happening was sitting back and observing." Davies suffered the stroke in June 2004, but was back to playing guitar within a week. The melodies and rhythms he created in those first days after the stroke became the music for "God In My Brain," but the lyrics were only finished a couple months ago. The song will be included in the upcoming compilation "Kinked," which is due in stores on March 7th. |
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