April 1 - 10, 2006

These 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!

April 3, 2006

Dee Murray, Elton John's long time bassist, would have been 60.
Grand Funk bassist Mel Schacher is 55.
KLOS' own Cynthia Fox is 29.

On this day in 1965, Bob Dylan appeared on the music charts for the first time with the song "Subterranean Homesick Blues."

On this day in 1971, "Oye Como Va" by Santana peaked at #13 on the charts.

On this day in 1976, David Bowie's "Golden Years" peaked at #10 on the charts.

On this day in 1982, "Juke Box Hero" by Foreigner peaked at #26 on the charts.

On this day in 1991, Paul McCartney did an acoustic performance for "MTV Unplugged," and then became the first artist to release an "Unplugged" performance as an album.

On Stage Tonight

Queen + Paul Rodgers is playing the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim tonight.

Wembley Bounces Stones/Jovi

Construction delays at the massively renovated Wembley Stadium — the most famous stadium in the United Kingdom — have forced some large shows of note to bounce to other venues. Bon Jovi's June gigs (which were to have opened the new facility) have been moved to the famous Milton Keynes Bowl, and The Rolling Stones' August shows have been moved to the Twickenham rugby stadium. Only six months behind schedule in a six year long project — must not be a government job!

A Canadian Comp

Songs by Rush, Heart, The Guess Who, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Bryan Adams and many others have been gathered for the Canadian "Oh What a Feeling 3" compilation, due out tomorrow. The four-CD box set gathers songs by artists who have won or been nominated for Juno Awards during the past 35 years. Proceeds from the release will benefit several Canadian charities.

Metallica 3-D Collectable

The cover of Metallica's classic 1986 album, "Master Of Puppets," will be reproduced as an "unique" 3D sculpture by McFarlane Toys. The 7-inch tall by 7-inch wide sculpture is due for release in August. "Master Of Puppets" was released in March of 1986 and has sold over six million copies in the States. McFarlane Toys previously issued a Metallica figurine set featuring the stage set and musical equipment that the band used on its 1988-89 "...And Justice For All" tour. Rawk on in 3-D!

Foreigner's Wine

Foreigner has teamed with Wente Vineyards of California for The Legends of Wine & Rock promotion. The promotion offers pre-concert wine tastings where fans can meet the band while sipping on select wines from the Vineyard. There is also a sweepstakes to win a trip to see Foreigner perform at the Wente Vineyards next year. Invites can be found at: http://ForeignerOnline.com.

Quote Of The Week

It was skating superstar/cancer survivor Scott Hamilton who said: "The only disability in life is a bad attitude."

The Tao of Spam

Several people have asked about the "Tao of Spam" that I mentioned last week. It originally was a Roy Rivenburg column in the "Los Angeles Times" that (very humorously) covered some of the knowledge one can learn from Spam e-mails. Included were these three gems:

"If thine enemy offends thee, give his child a drum."

"If you can't be happy where you are, it's a cinch you won't be happy where you ain't."

"I am a Marxist — of the Groucho tendency.

April 4, 2006

Blues great Muddy Waters would have been 91.
Original Allman Brothers bassist Berry Oakley would have been 58.

On this day in 1964, The Beatles held the Top 5 slots on the American singles charts with "Can't Buy Me Love," "Twist and Shout," "She Loves You," "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "Please, Please Me." Pretty good for a boy band from Liverpool.

On this day in 1964, The Rolling Stones released their first, self-titled album. It initially sold dozens.

On this day in 1981, Styx's "Paradise Theater" album hit #1.

On this day in 1987, Genesis' "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" peaked at #3 on the U.S. singles chart.

On this day in 1987, U2's incredible "The Joshua Tree" album entered the U.S. album chart at #7, the highest new entry on the chart since 1980.

On this day in 1996, Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia's ashes were spread over the river Ganges in India by his widow and bandmate Bob Weir. However, Jerry's ex-wife and four daughters said he actually wanted to be sprinkled over the Pacific. Don't you just hate when that happens?

Jerry's Stolen Loo

This would be a hard one to make up. A salmon colored toilet from Jerry Garcia's master bathroom was stolen from a California driveway as it awaited shipment to a Canadian casino. Henry Koltys purchased Garcia's Marin County home in 1997, and had tagged the purloined loo for sale at goldenpalace.com to raise money for charity. The Canadian gambling site, which has bought and sold everything from William Shatner's kidney stones to a grilled cheese sandwich with the image of the Virgin Mary on it, has graciously offered a $250 reward for the potty's return. (No word on the odds of flushing out the thief.) Garcia died in 1995 at the age of 53. If he were alive today, The Grateful Dead's leader would die laughing at the age of 63.

Even A Wet Mellencamp Rocks

Nothing could keep Hoosiers from seeing their native son for free — not even torrential rain. A crowd of about 80,000 stood shoulder to shoulder through a 45-minute downpour in Indianapolis Sunday night to catch John Mellencamp performing his greatest hits along with his new song "This is Our Country." The concert, which was part of the NCAA Final Four Weekend, also included a performance from American Idol-winner Carrie Underwood. No offense to John, but there really was no contest on who looked better singing wet.

Rodgers Does It Right

Paul Rodgers did his part last night to help music education. Before his show with Queen at the Arrowhead Pond, Rodgers made a monetary donation to Kids Rock Free, a non-profit program that teaches guitar, bass, piano, drums and vocals to kids age 7 to 17 at little or no cost. Rodgers previously donated to the program when he played at the Fender Museum Of Music And The Arts in Corona back in 2004. Right so, Paul!

Bono Burned By Politician

Bono has charged Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with exploiting the U2 singer's image in his re-election campaign. In an editorial in Sunday's edition of the Italian "Corriere della Sera" newspaper, the singer took exception to his picture being used in a brochure promoting Berlusconi's work on behalf of the world's poorest countries. He said, "Italy has [fallen behind] in terms of per capita spending on behalf of the Third World." The only reply he's received so far has been Italian double-talk.

Another Allman Bike Accident

Let's review for a moment. Original Allman Brothers Band bassist Berry Oakley was killed in a motorcycle accident about a year after guitarist Duane Allman was killed on his motorcycle. So what did current Allman Bros. bassist Oteil Burbridge do last Wednesday? He rode his motorcycle into a car in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. The ace musician received minor leg wounds and reportedly "is recovering fine." Let's just hope he sticks with four-wheeled machines for a while.

David Starts Tonight

After finishing a run in Europe, Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour starts his North American solo tour tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Gilmour has been winning rave reviews from fans and critics for the show, which is supporting his latest solo album, "On An Island." In addition to performing the entire new album, David is also playing Pink Floyd's "Echoes," "Wish You Were Here," "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," "Comfortably Numb," "High Hopes," and "Wot's...Uh The Deal," among others. Pink Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright, who's part of the band, is singing his own "Wearing The Inside Out." The boys will be playing the Kodak Theatre on April 19th and the Gibson Amphitheater on April 20th.

One Time Only

On Wednesday of this week, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06. That won't ever happen again.

Grand Prix Party!

This weekend: It's another giant party in Long Beach — and you're invited! Yer Uncle Joe has been part of the action every April for the past 20 years. He'll kick off his portion of the 32nd Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach this Friday with a broadcast from Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company on Turn Six of the race course during Champ Car qualifying. On Saturday & Sunday mornings, he'll be doing "20th Anniversary" Uncle Joe Meet & Greets at the KLOS Cool Patrol booth. Of course the Uncle Joe's Nissan 300ZX race car (with its bitchin' new paint scheme) will be on display with the Cool Patrol all three days, and there are brand new collectable autograph cards to be had. Wonder if anyone's thought about a cake?

April 5, 2006

Mike McCready, Pearl Jam's lead guitarist, is 40.

On this day in 1969, The Who's "Pinball Wizard" entered the singles charts.

On this day in 1980, R.E.M. played their first public gig at a private party in an old Athens, Georgia church.

On this day in 1986, John Mellencamp's "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." peaked at #2 on the singles chart.

On this day in 1994, Kurt Cobain, the guitarist behind the groundbreaking band Nirvana, committed suicide at the age of 27 in his Seattle home.

On this day in 1998, legendary drummer Cozy Powell died at the age of 50 in a high-speed car crash near Bristol, England. Cozy had played with Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Jeff Beck and Whitesnake, among others.

Queen On Idol

Queen will be the guest of honor next week on "American Idol." The boys were busy taping something for the show on Monday, but you might also expect them to make a live appearance (ala Barry Manilow) along the way. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, the eight Idol contestants will sing Queen music. It will be interesting to see if they can duplicate last year's performance by contestant Constantine Maroulis, who did a wildly popular version of "Bohemian Rhapsody." Meanwhile, Queen + Paul Rodgers close out their mini-tour in Vancouver next Thursday.

Gabriel Does The Senate

Former Genesis singer/long time human rights activist Peter Gabriel made a personal appearance before the U.S. Senate yesterday. He went as a representative of the human rights group Witness, which he co-founded. Following a screening of "Always On The Run: Internally Displaced People In Karen State, Burma," he took part in a discussion about the human rights abuses that continue in Burma. The public session will be hosted by Senators Dianne Feinstein and Mitch McConnell, who've authored the Burmese Freedom And Democracy Act.

Berry With R.E.M.

For the second time in less than six months, original R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry has played on stage with a member of the group in their Athens, Georgia home base. Last Saturday night, at the end of a performance by the Minus 5 with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, Berry stepped up to play bass on a version of "Country Feedback" from R.E.M.'s 1991 album "Out of Time." The stunned crowd went wild. You may recall that last October, Berry joined Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe for a performance at the wedding of longtime R.E.M. guitar tech Dewitt Burton. That marked just the second time the original foursome had played together since Berry left the band in 1997 after suffering a brain aneurysm.

James Gang Is Official

I told you about it last week, and now it's official! The James Gang's classic lineup of guitarist Joe Walsh, drummer Jim Fox and bassist Dale Peters have booked a 14-date tour for late Summer — the first trek by this incarnation of the group in 35 years! After Walsh left the Gang to pursue a solo career in 1971, the band's lineup never stabilized before they called it quits in 1976. Over the past decade, the trio started getting back together for one-off performances and special events. Now the Ohio boys will begin their mini-tour at Red Rocks outside of Denver on August 9th. After a September 6th gig at the Gibson Amphitheatre, they'll finish the tour in San Diego. For more details, go to: http://JamesGangRidesAgain.com.

Wilsons Join T.P.

Tom Petty and Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson are among the veteran songwriters slated to take part in the upcoming I Create Music Expo. The three-day event will feature a variety of workshops, panel discussions, and performances. Petty will be the featured guest for the showcase interview and Q&A session, during which he'll discuss songwriting along with his experiences in the music business. The Wilson sisters will take part in a multi-genre acoustic concert offering renditions of Heart hits. The I Create Music Expo will run at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel from April 20th through the 22nd.

Jovi Does More Good

Jon Bon Jovi is expanding a home-building initiative he started in partnership with Habitat for Humanity last year by assisting with the construction of a third two-family home in Philadelphia. The Sprint company pledged $200,000 to put toward the new project, which will break ground in September. "These good works with Habitat for Humanity have already made a difference to families in the city," the singer said Sunday during a game by the Philadelphia Soul (the Arena Football League team he co-owns). Right so, Jon!

April 6, 2006

Allman Brothers/Govt. Mule guitarist Warren Haynes is 46.

On this day in 1974, the Eagles, Deep Purple, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Black Sabbath played at the first Cal Jam at the Ontario Motor Speedway (about where you'll find the Ontario Mills outlet mall today). If you have any friends born in January '75... well, that Cal Jam parking lot was a wild, wild place!

On this day in 1984, guitarist "Little" Steven Van Zandt announced that he was leaving The E Street Band to pursue solo projects.

On this day in 1991, R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" entered the singles charts.

Crosby/Nash Join Gilmour

David Gilmour was joined by David Crosby and Graham Nash on the opening date of his North American tour Tuesday night at New York's Radio City Music Hall. Crosby and Nash reprised their harmonies on "On an Island" (the title cut of Gilmour's new album) and stuck around for "The Blue," Pink Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" and the Stephen Stills-penned "Find the Cost of Freedom." As usual, the first portion of the show featured a complete performance of "On an Island" and, besides his trademark guitar work, Gilmour also played banjo and saxophone in the set. The second set opened with Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett ode "Crazy Diamond" and also featured the Barrett solo track "Dominoes." "Wish You Were Here" and "Comfortably Numb" closed the show. April 19th and 20th are his Southland dates.

Hamilton As Barbara

Aerosmith were forced to cancel the most recent leg of their tour after Steven Tyler fell ill, but bassist Tom Hamilton will be back on stage tomorrow night. Tom will hit the boards as part of Banned in Boston, a charity event that raises money for a Boston-based anti-violence program. Hamilton won't actually be playing music, he'll be dressed as former first lady Barbara Bush. It's the fourth time he's appeared at the event, in previous years impersonating Camilla Parker Bowles, Laura Bush and Martha Stewart. With his usual wit, the man who wrote the riff to "Sweet Emotion" said, "I always seem to find myself cast in drag. I seem to be getting kind of good at it, which worries me."

Elty's Closet

Once again, Sir Elton John is cleaning out his closet in the name of charity. The pop star and his partner, David Furnish, have donated nearly 10,000 items (including clothing and accessories) to a sale that will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The event, called Elton's Closet, will be held in New York's Rockefeller Center next Tuesday through Saturday.

E.C. Will Take Red Square

Eric Clapton will finish his upcoming European tour with a concert in Moscow's Red Square on August 3rd. Once host to Soviet-era military parades, Red Square has in recent years featured performances by Paul McCartney, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. Eric's historic gig will mark the end of his three-month long, 14 country European tour, allowing him to finally concentrate on the Stateside concerts we've all been craving. In other news, an eBay store offering official Clapton merchandise has been launched to raise money for the Crossroads Centre at Antigua, the substance-abuse rehabilitation facility he founded in 1997. Clothing and concert memorabilia are among the items up for bid.

Vintage Rush Video

Three vintage Rush home videos will make their DVD debut as part of the "Rush Replay X 3" boxed set due out on June 13th. The collection will include 1982's "Exit ... Stage Left," 1985's "Grace Under Pressure" and 1991's "A Show of Hands," plus a previously unreleased audio CD version of the "Grace Under Pressure" concert. Guitarist Alex Lifeson created new stereo mixes for the releases, which are presented in 5.1 Surround Sound. Tour booklets from the three concerts have also been reprinted for the set. On the home front, Rush is in the early stages of work on its first studio album since 2002's "Vapor Trails."

Wyman Releases

A two-CD collection featuring former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman's star-studded Eighties side project, Willie & The Poor Boys, is due out on May 9th. "Poor Boy Boogie: The Willie and the Poor Boys Anthology" includes both the supergroup's 1985 self-titled studio set and its 1994 live album, "Tear It Up." Meanwhile, the oft-delayed double-disc Wyman retrospective "A Stone Alone: The Solo Anthology 1974-2002" will be out on April 25th.

April 7, 2006

Drummer Spencer Dryden, who most notably played with the Jefferson Airplane, would have been 68.
Original Jethro Tull guitarist Mick Abrahams is 63.
Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann is 60.
John Oates, of Hall & Oates, is 57.
Bruce Gary, the original drummer for The Knack and an ace session man, is 55.

On this day in 1962, at London's Ealing Blues Club, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards first met Brian Jones. Within the year, they formed The Rolling Stones.

On this day in 1973, Led Zeppelin released their classic "Houses Of The Holy" album.

On this day in 1973, David Bowie's "Space Oddity" peaked at #15 on the U.S. singles chart.

On this day in 1979, "Sultans Of Swing" by Dire Straits peaked at #4 on the charts.

On this day in 1987, after preacher Oral Roberts told his TV congregation that God would kill him if he didn't raise $1 million in donations, Ozzy Osbourne sent him a dollar to be put toward psychiatric treatment.

On this day in 1998, pop star George Michael was arrested for lewd conduct in a public restroom in a Beverly Hills park.

This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of The Rolling Stones as well as conversation with Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Ronnie Wood and Mick Jagger.

Tyler OK

We were all wondering why there wasn't any word on Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler's recent throat surgery, but — planned or not — bassist Tom Hamilton gave us an update on Wednesday. He says that Steven's surgery "went really well" and described the procedure as "minor, minor, minor" for an "overuse injury" — something like tendonitis of the throat. The group is looking forward to returning to the road before the end of the year, and, in the meantime, they are using their time off the road to continue work on their next studio album.

All Hail The TV Special!

Queen, Def Leppard, KISS and Judas Priest will be recognized for their contributions to Hard Rock during the inaugural VH1 Rock Honors, which will be taped at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on May 26th for airing on May 31st. The show will feature performances by the four honorees and a host of other artists, wannabes and presenters yet to be announced.

Big Honors To Scorsese/Dylan

"No Direction Home," the Martin Scorsese directed documentary on Bob Dylan, is among the winners of the 65th Annual Peabody Awards. The trophies will be handed out during a June 5th luncheon in New York. The prestigious Peabody Awards honor accomplishments in TV and radio broadcasting.

April 10, 2006

"Lonesome Dave" Peveret of Foghat would have been 56.
Brian Setzer of Stray Cats fame is 47.

On this day in 1956, Leo Fender patented the Stratocaster guitar — THE Rock & Roll guitar!

On this day in 1962, Stu Sutcliffe — The Beatles' original bass player — died of a brain hemorrhage at the age of 22. He had actually left the group several months earlier, suffering from chronic headaches. He also originated the "Beatles haircut," pioneering the look of shaggy, brushed forward hair.

On this day in 1968, Mickey Hart joined the Grateful Dead at the invitation of drummer Bill Kreutzmann.

On this day in 1970, newspapers around the world carried Paul McCartney's statement that he was quitting The Beatles and that the group would never work together again. He cited personal differences with John Lennon and disapproval of John's wife, Yoko, and the Beatles' financial advisor, Allen Klein, as his reason for the split. The next week, he released his debut solo album. But 30 years later, this week in 2000, the story came out that McCartney was the most reluctant at seeing the group dissolve. It was actually John Lennon who had walked away a couple of months earlier.

On this day in 1971, The Doors' "Love Her Madly" entered the singles charts.

On this day in 1974, Eric Clapton began the recording sessions for what became his "461 Ocean Boulevard" album. Although the album was named for the home in which he was staying in, the music was actually recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami.

On this day in 1976, Aerosmith's "Dream On" peaked at #6 on the singles chart.

On this day in 1976, Peter Frampton's "Comes Alive" album began 10 weeks at #1 on the charts.

On this day in 1982, The J. Geils Band's song "Freeze-Frame" topped out at #4 on the singles chart.

Tommy's Lucky Replacement

A Canadian Starbucks manager/drummer in a Mötley Crüe cover band got the chance of a lifetime last Wednesday night. It all started when Crüe drummer Tommy Lee was told by his doctor to take a break. Lee has been performing while wearing a brace and taking anti-inflammatory injections for tendonitis. When his doctor finally said stop, the band opted to go with a local replacement rather than cancel the gig. The promoter immediately recommended Harvey Warren, who thought the call to sit in was a joke. But after being convinced it was real, he was sworn to secrecy and actually played with the Crüe on stage in Alberta. That, my friends, is real Rock & Roll!

Stones Make History

The Rolling Stones played a legend making concert in Shanghai Saturday night. The 44-year-old band took the stage before a crowd of 8,000, marking the group's first concert on mainland China. Frontman Mick Jagger even offered greetings and expressed his appreciation to the fans in Chinese. In addition, band members invited a local rock legend to join them for a performance of "Wild Horses." Regarding the Chinese government's requirement to drop "Honky Tonk Woman," "Brown Sugar," "Beast of Burden," "Rough Justice" and "Let's Spend the Night Together" from their set, Mick told the press: "It's not really an issue, but I'm pleased that the Ministry of Culture is protecting the morals of the ex-pat (i.e. patriot) bankers and their girlfriends."

Messed Up Beatles CDs

Initial copies of The Beatles' "The Capitol Albums, Vol. 2" four-CD box set do not include the original mono masters of "The Beatles VI" and "Rubber Soul" albums. However, the proper versions were substituted on a subsequent pressing. The fully remastered collection, which also features the "Early Beatles" and the "Help!" soundtrack, will hit stores tomorrow. No word if the person who goofed up the initial production run was fired or received a big promotion for moving more units.

(Some Of) Ozzy's Plans

He may be pulling back on his involvement with OzzFest, but that hasn't stopped Ozzy Osbourne from unveiling nine of his 10 planned headlining dates for this year's tour. As of now, The Prince of Darkness will perform on the first date of the tour on June 29th, and at select stops through an August 6th show in Virginia.

Def Lep's Bootleg DVD

In a change of plans, Def Leppard will issue their "Bootleg Backstage" DVD later this year. The disc was going to be packaged as a DualDisc with their upcoming "Yeah!" covers album on May 23rd, but the boys have been rethinking the whole deal. The "Bootleg Backstage" DVD will still feature three live performances and interviews with the band. As for the "Yeah!" album, which will be released, singer Joe Elliott says the band "wanted to put it out, tour it and make it a legitimate record rather than just some throwaway thing." Hmm... still sounds like someone's working on maximizing profits.

Arthur Lee Ill

Former Love frontman Arthur Lee is battling leukemia. Word is that the legendary Los Angeles singer/songwriter/guitarist has already undergone three weeks of "aggressive chemotherapy." While doctors are optimistic about his recovery, Arthur has no health insurance and already run up medical bills into six-figures. A benefit concert is being organized, and should happen in late May or early June. Good luck Arthur, and stay tuned!

Naked vs. Nude

With this year's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in the history books, I thought we should clear this up once and for all. The words "naked" and "nude" are not the same. Naked implies unprotected. Nude means unclothed. Any questions? Try Googling it.

Quote Of The Week

It was French President Charles de Gaulle who said: "The graveyards are full of indispensable men."

How to Blow a Resume

According to an "Accountemps" survey of employers, resumes are getting worse and worse. Here are the Top 5 responses when execs were asked: "Which of the following is the single most common mistake that job seekers make on their resumes?"

#1. Typos or grammatical errors – 34%

#2. Including too much information – 22%

#3. Not listing achievements in former roles – 17%

#4. Poor layout and/or design – 17%

#5. Including too little info – 7%