 April 21 - 30, 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! April 21, 2006
Iggy Pop, rock icon emeritus, is 59. 
On this day in 1956, Elvis Presley scored his first #1 single with "Heartbreak Hotel." On this day in 1973, The Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Runnin'" — their first Top 10 hit — entered the charts.  This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Warren Zevon and Fleetwood Mac, as well as Joe's in-depth conversation with producer Greg Ladanyi. 
On StageVan Morrison is playing the Hollywood Bowl tonight (Friday) and Jimmy Buffett with gather the Parrotheads around him at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Saturday night! Gilmour!Pink Floyd guitarist/singer David Gilmour finished his U.S. mini-tour at the Gibson Amphitheatre last night. If anybody asks you how it went, just tell them he is truly a guitar god — and the Pink Floyd light show rocked! Here Comes The DanSteely Dan have announced the first dates of a major U.S. tour with former Doobie Brothers/Steely Dan singer/keyboardist Michael McDonald. The Summer jaunt (with Michael and his band opening each night) will start in Chicago on July 8th, stop at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine on July 19th and wrap-up with a Detroit gig on September 2nd. No, you've never seen Michael on stage with the Dan — yet! Tapping Mick's Comedic SkillsMick Jagger is in talks to take part in a proposed new ABC-TV comedy series revolving around a group of guys who are plotting to rob someone famous. While Jagger would play a key role in the series — as the proposed target of the would-be robbers — his actual screen time would be quite limited. If the series gets picked up, The Rolling Stones frontman would continue to crop up with occasional appearances on various episodes. In addition, Sir Mick is said to be considering taking part in Elton John's upcoming ABC series, "Him and Us," which offers a comical look at the life of an aging rock star and his entourage. Talk about a stretch! T.P./NBAStaring this weekend, Tom Petty's music will be featured throughout the NBA playoff games airing on ABC and ESPN. The game telecasts will feature songs like "Runnin' Down A Dream," "I Won't Back Down," "Learning to Fly," "Makin' Some Noise," and "You Wreck Me." They'll also premiere two new songs — "Saving Grace" and "Big Weekend" — from T.P. & The Heartbreakers' forthcoming album, "Highway Companion." Lennon's School Book SellsA notebook containing some of John Lennon's childhood writings and drawings fetched about $225,000 on Wednesday at a London memorabilia auction. The 10-page notebook features a doodle of a walrus that the late Beatle made when he was 12. In addition, a silver christening bracelet that had belonged to Lennon brought in approximately $48,000, while a log book he wrote in during a 1980 boat trip to Bermuda sold for around $21,000. Kudos To U2's McGuinnessLongtime U2 manager Paul McGuinness received the Peter Grant Lifetime Achievement /Manager of the Year Award in London Wednesday evening. The annual U.K. Music Managers Forum Roll of Honours Awards also honored U2 friend/producer Garrett "Jack Knife" Lee as the Producer of the Year. Bono and bass player Adam Clayton were on hand at the ceremony, and a good time was had by all. Jovi Keeps PlayingBon Jovi will perform at a July 23rd concert as part of a celebration commemorating the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl XL win. That show will also include a set by Nickelback, who will be joining Bon Jovi on a series of North American concerts this Summer. April 22, 2006
Jack Nicholson is 69.
On this day in 1969, Paul McCartney and John Lennon recorded The Beatles song "The Ballad of John and Yoko" all by themselves (the other two Fabs just weren't around). On this day in 1969, The Who performed their rock opera "Tommy" live for the first time at a private concert in England. The invited audience was stunned (and that had nothing to do with the fact that it was 1969). On this day in 1971, Pink Floyd premiered their song "Return of the Son of Nothing" in concert. By the time they finally recorded and released it a few months later, it was called "Echoes." On this day in 1978, Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street" entered the U.S. singles charts. On this day in 1990, Sammy Hagar opened his first Cabo Wabo Cantina restaurant and nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. April 23, 2006
Singing legend Roy Orbison would have been 70.
On this day in 1960, 19-year-old John Lennon and 17-year-old Paul McCartney performed together as the Nerk Twins in Caversham, England. On this day in 1974, Bad Company became the first to sign with Led Zeppelin's "Swan Song" record label. On this day in 1975, singer Pete Ham of Badfinger took his own life at the age of 27. April 24, 2006
Drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford of Creedence Clearwater Revival is 61.
On this day in 1965, The Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" hit #1 on the U.K. chart, and the world was shocked to find out that Paul McCartney was playing the lead guitar. On this day in 1965, The Kinks' "Tired of Waiting For You" peaked at #6 on the U.S. singles chart. On this day in 1976, Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" peaked at #9 on the U.S. singles charts.
Concert Announcements This AfternoonYou can count on Yer Uncle Joe to make two or three major concert announcements this afternoon between 2pm and 6pm! On Stage TonightCheap Trick is playing the first of two nights at the House Of Blues in Anaheim tonight as Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes play their first of two special nights at The Roxy. Bruce On TV Today/TomorrowYou can see Bruce Springsteen plugging his new album, "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions" on ABC's Good Morning America today (an interview) and tomorrow (when he'll perform). Neil's Not AfraidNeil Young says he isn't afraid of any backlash he might receive over his upcoming protest album, "Living With War." "I feel like I'm exercising my right of free speech," the iconic rocker told CNN. "[That] is what our boys are fighting for the Iraqi people to have." Meanwhile, starting this Friday, "Living With War" will be posted for free Internet streaming at http://www.neilyoung.com. Following Friday's free download, "Living With War" will be available commercially as a digital download on May 2nd. Reprise Records is expected to begin shipping the album to retail outlets between May 5th and May 15th. Here Comes WatersFormer Pink Floyd bassist/singer Roger Waters has unveiled a series of Stateside concerts that will follow his Summer European tour. So far, the U.S. tour starts in New Jersey on September 6th, hits the Hollywood Bowl on October 5th and ends one week later in Seattle. Just like with his European gigs, Waters will be performing the Floyd's epic "Dark Side Of The Moon" album in its entirety. His backing band will include his son Harry on organ. Nice Jammys!Last Thursday night, Grateful Dead drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann performed and co-hosted the 6th Annual Jammy Awards in New York City. The night consisted of performances from Blues Traveler, Peter Frampton, Joe Satriani and Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, among others. Well past midnight, a Jammy sponsor offered to pay the $20,000 fine for breaking the 12 o'clock curfew, and the jams rocked on. The show eventually came to a close with an extended power jam around Bob Marley's "One Love." More T.P.Still no new Southland shows, but Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have announced more of their 30th anniversary tour. They have confirmed 15 dates in June and early July, including three two-night stands with Pearl Jam. Then T.P. and the boys will share the bill for the second leg of the tour (late July through August) with The Allman Brothers Band. The final portion of the road trip is to run in September and October, with dates to be announced real soon. Finally Frampton.Peter Frampton's long-awaited all-star instrumental album, "Fingerprint," is set for a September 12th release. Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready and drummer Matt Cameron are featured on a song called "Blowing Smoke" as well as on an as-yet unnamed cover of "a well-known Nineties rock hit." Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes recorded a track with Peter, as did Rolling Stone drummer Charlie Watts and former Stones bassist Bill Wyman. We'll have our chance to see Mr. Frampton rock the Cerritos Center For Performing Arts on November 4th!  Knowledge Vs. WisdomKnowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. Quote Of The WeekIt was Vice President Dan Quayle who said, "I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."  Uncle Joe Benson has been part of the 32nd Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach every April since 1986. This year he kicked things off with a Friday broadcast from Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company on Turn Two of the race course. On Saturday & Sunday mornings, he rolled through lengthy "20th Anniversary" Uncle Joe Meet & Greets at the KLOS Cool Patrol booth, where the Uncle Joe's Nissan 300ZX race car was on display all three days. Here are a few photos! April 25, 2006
Vocalist Ella Fitzgerald would have been 88.
On this day in 1964, The Beatles had 14 singles on the American charts! On this day in 1967, The Beatles performed "All You Need Is Love" in the first global satellite broadcast. On this day in 1974, Pamela Morrison, the common law wife of the late Jim Morrison, died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27. On this day in 1974, Gregg Allman performed the last date of a solo concert, and to reassure fans that the Allman Brothers Band wasn't breaking up, he brought the whole group onstage for an encore. They finished playing the encore 90 minutes later!
On Stage TonightCheap Trick is playing the second of two nights at the House Of Blues in Anaheim tonight as Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes finish their special limited run at The Roxy. Bruce On TV TodayYou can see Bruce Springsteen plugging his new album, "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions" on ABC's Good Morning America today when he (and his 17-piece band) perform at least one song live. CSN&Y AgainAs the buzz grows around Neil Young's forthcoming solo album, "Living With War," we're awaiting official word that Young will re-team with David Crosby, Graham Nash and Stephen Stills for another Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young tour. The 35-date "Freedom of Speech" tour will kick off July 6th near Philadelphia, stop at least once in the Southland and wrap up September 10th in Pennsylvania. The last time CSN&Y toured was in 2002. Tyler Fine (Except For His Voice)Although he is still recovering from a throat operation, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, says the band will be back on the road by the end of this year. For now, Mr. Tyler is silent. In an e-mail to "Rolling Stone" magazine, Steven says: "[Doctors] zapped a broken blood vessel in my voice box and it's healed. But no talking for a month. Help! That's impossible! Don't they know I'm Italian?!" Watch Gilmour Over & OverA film of Pink Floyd guitarist/singer David Gilmour's March 7th London concert will be screened in select U.S. movie theaters on May 16th. While the flick originally aired on a BBC webcast, it was shot in High Definition and should transfer to the big screen just fine. Doors Be DownloadingAlways on the cutting edge on the Internet, The Doors are making more than a dozen of their concerts available for downloading on their web site. Fans will also have the option to pick and choose from songs from the various shows — all performed between 1967 and 1970 — including a concert at the San Francisco Matrix club just a few months after the release of the group's first album. Then this Fall, brace yourself for a special 40th anniversary 12-disc box set featuring remastered versions of The Doors' first six studio albums and six DVDs featuring remixes of the albums and bonus material. Rock & Roll! New/Old JettJoan Jett & The Blackhearts will release "Sinner," their first new studio album in almost 12 years, on June 6th. In addition, Jett is planning to issue expanded versions of her entire back catalog, starting with her 1981 solo debut, "Bad Reputation." You may now return to your regularly scheduled lives. Walden R.I.P.Phil Walden, the man who helped launch the Southern Rock movement, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. He was 66 years of age. After managing a number of R&B acts such as Otis Redding, Al Green, Percy Sledge and Sam & Dave in the Sixties, Walden launched Capricorn Records in Macon, Georgia in 1969 with The Allman Brothers as his main act. The Marshall Tucker Band and the Charlie Daniels Band soon followed. April 26, 2006
Keyboardist Gary Wright is 63.
On this day in 1975, Aerosmith's "Toys in the Attic," one of the top hard rock albums of all time, blasted onto the charts. On this day in 1980, Journey's "Any Way You Want It" peaked at #23 on the singles chart. On this day in 1982, Joe Strummer had a change of heart on his way to rehearse with the Clash in their West London studio. Instead, he went to France and disappeared, forcing the Clash to cancel their tour. When he resurfaced on May 18th, Joe claimed he was suffering from exhaustion and had suddenly doubted his "punk purpose." On this day in 1984, bandleader Count Basie died in Hollywood, Florida at age 79. On this day in 1986, Van Halen's "5150" album, their first with new vocalist Sammy Hagar, hit #1. On this day in 1986, Dire Straits' "So Far Away" peaked at #19 on the singles chart.
CSN&Y AgainThey finally made it official. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young will start their first tour in four years on July 6th. The 35-date "Freedom of Speech" tour will kick off July 6th near Philadelphia, stop at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine on July 30th and the Hollywood Bowl on July 31st. The tour will wrap up on September 10th in Pennsylvania. Stay tuned for ticketing details! A Hendrix Movie With Leon?Quentin Tarantino has reportedly signed on to direct the long-in-gestation Jimi Hendrix biopic. The weird part is that Quentin is supposed to team up with Hendrix's brother Leon to tell the story of the guitar great's life — the same Leon who lost a huge lawsuit against Jimi's estate last year. If the press release is to be believed, Tarantino will have full access to Hendrix's music and likeness when he starts shooting later this year in Seattle, Washington, New York, Toronto, Canada, and London. The Hendrix estate has also granted access to interviews and live footage of the late guitar god, all of which is to be incorporated into the film. New ThorogoodAs anyone listening to the Jim Ladd show would know, George Thorogood & The Destroyers will release a new studio album called "The Hard Stuff" on May 30th. The 15-tracks include a few songs co-written by Thorogood, Destroyers guitarist Jim Suhler and singer/songwriter Tom Hambridge, as well as a variety of excellent vintage blues tunes. You can see George and his band rocking the House Of Blues in Anaheim on September 26th. Steve Perry's RemasteringSteve Perry and famed record company A&R guru John Kalodner are in the midst of updating the entire Journey catalog and Steve's solo records. The project involves repackaging (with original packaging and artwork) and bringing the masters up to the state of the art CD standards. The catalog should be released this Summer and Fall. And no, Steve won't be touring. The Kid StretchesIn describing his guest star role in tonight's episode of CSI: New York, Kid Rock says, "They gave me this big stretch of a role. I play an arrogant rock star." Actually, Rock plays himself as a suspect in the murder of his limo driver. No word on how many hot babes will be in the show, but you know how casting works! April 27, 2006
Badfinger's tragic songwriter Peter Ham would have been 59.
On this day in 1964, John Lennon's book "In His Own Write" was published in America. In its review, "Newsweek" magazine declared that the acerbic Beatle was "an unlikely heir to the English tradition of literary nonsense." On this day in 1974, Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Let It Ride" peaked at #23 on the singles chart.
On Stage TonightKid Rock is playing the Gibson Amphitheatre tonight. On TV TonightFormer Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler and his duets album partner Emmylou Harris will perform together tonight on CBS' Late Show With David Letterman. Skynyrd At SeaIt worked for Sammy Hagar, so why not for Lynyrd Skynyrd? The Hall Of Fame rock band will take to the seas for a special Gimme Three Days cruise event from January 5th through the 8th. The Southern rock legends will perform two shows during the trip, which will embark from Miami and make a stop in the Bahamas. There's a pre-sale for Skynyrd's fan club members on Monday, while the general public will be able to buy tickets starting May 8th. Yo-ho-ho! A Real Lizzy MomentFormer Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore says that while the "Gary Moore and Friends: One Night in Dublin: A Tribute to Phil Lynott" DVD shows a group of musicians enjoying their performance on stage, behind the scenes things weren't quite as rosy. As expected, the Thin Lizzy reunion was: "...completely dysfunctional. One guy turned up drunk, one of the other guys didn't want to play with one of the other guys, one of them didn't want to talk to the other guy, and one guy was moaning the whole time — it was just like being back in the band!" Gary ended up playing the same role in the band that night that he had previously: keeping the group together and moving along. The tribute concert took place last August 19th, on the eve of what would have been Lynott's 56th birthday. The DVD rocks, and is well worth checking out! Neil Wins OneA New York bankruptcy court ruled Tuesday that Creative Trains, a company owned by Neil Young, may proceed in establishing a joint business entity with the cash strapped model train manufacturer Lionel. The new venture, which will be known as Liontech Trains, will help develop an upgraded control system for Lionel. Some of Lionel's creditors had opposed the partnership because Young also owns a stake in Lionel, but a judge decreed that the venture could move forward because it likely would benefit the bankruptcy estate. Hall Of Fame FundraiserFormer Eagles guitarist Don Felder, the Romantics, Eddie Money and War are among the artists set to perform in Cleveland at a May 12th fundraiser for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Proceeds from the No Speeches, No Tuxes... It's Only Rock & Roll event will benefit the facility's education programs. Billy's New ConcertoBilly Joel's new concerto will be unveiled on June 24th in Greensboro, North Carolina. There's no word yet on whether Joel will attend the Eastern Music Festival, which showcases some of the world's finest musicians. Go ahead — you can supply your own punchline! Knowledge Vs. WisdomKnowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. Quote Of The WeekIt was Vice President Dan Quayle who said, "I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."  AMA SuperbikesThis weekend: J.B. will again be announcing the Suzuki AMA Superbike 100K at the California Speedway. As Dave Koenig calls the play-by-play, you can expect Unc to do some color commentating and analysis as well as pre-race and Victory Lane interviews for all five races. Here's what last year looked like! April 28, 2006
On this day in 1963, crafty publicist Andrew Oldham saw a young band called The Rollin' Stones for the first time at London's Crawdaddy Club. By the next day, he was their manager. On this day in 1973, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" hit #1 on the albums chart. It then set a record by remaining on the chart for more than 300 weeks. On this day in 1974, the Eagles released their "On The Border" album. On this day in 1980, 30-year-old guitarist/songwriter Tommy Caldwell of The Marshall Tucker Band died of head injuries sustained in a car crash. Many feel the band never recovered. This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of The Beatles as well as Joe's exclusive conversation with producer/engineer Geoff Emerick.
Ladd/Young TonightJim Ladd will be playing Neil Young's new album, "Living With War," in its entirety tonight at 10 on KLOS. "Living With War" will be available commercially as a digital download on Tuesday. Page/Plant ReduxNow this could be interesting. Singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page are both confirmed for a star-studded tribute to Ahmet Ertegun, the legendary head of Atlantic Records, at the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival on June 30th. Yes, there are unconfirmed reports that Plant and Page "are scheduled to perform together" at the event. Jeff Beck will also participate in the tribute show, which will kick off the annual Swiss Festival. In addition, the two-week event will include performances by Santana, Van Morrison, Sting and Bryan Adams, as well as a festival-closing set by Deep Purple. But wait — there's more! Unconfirmed rumors are circulating about a one-off Led Zeppelin performance in Europe this Summer — Plant, Page and bassist John Paul Jones joined by drummer Jason Bonham, son of the Zep's late drummer, John Bonham. Jason Bonham currently plays with Foreigner, and they have a show booked in London on June 30th. Representatives for Jones and Bonham say they are unaware of any possible Led Zeppelin work, which is exactly what publicists do — either take credit or deny it all! Ambassador SlowhandEric Clapton has been selected as the ambassador for the Entertainment Industry Foundation's National Arts and Music Education Initiative (kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?). Slowhand will be featured in an upcoming public service announcement promoting a joint campaign with Mercedes-Benz USA to help fund arts and music programs for young people nationwide. The automaker has agreed to donate $1 million to the initiative that it will raise through sales of one of its luxury model cars. Wonder if E.C. will give up his Ferrari for that? Jazz Festival Starts This WeekendBruce Springsteen & The Seeger Sessions Band will make their official concert debut Sunday at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Bob Dylan and Dr. John will take the stage today to launch the event. Paul Simon, Jimmy Buffett and Little Feat will join local legends Fats Domino and Irma Thomas on next weekend's bill. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will run today through Sunday, then resume next Friday and wrap up on Sunday May 7th. Mick WrapsMick Jagger has finished filming scenes for an upcoming ABC comedy pilot with the tentative title of "Let's Rob Mick Jagger." The rock icon appears as himself, the target of a scheme by some blue collar pals to steal from a celebrity. Sir Mick shot his scenes in Auckland, New Zealand while The Rolling Stones were on tour there earlier this month. "He did a lot of ad-libbing," says Rob Burnett, one of the show's writers. "Some of the funniest stuff in the pilot came from him." If the series gets picked up by ABC, he'll make regular appearances, though not in every episode. More For RainforestBilly Joel and James Taylor have joined the line-up for the upcoming 2006 Rainforest Foundation Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall on May 19th. Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, established the organization in 1989 to help protect the rights of the people who live in the rainforest as well as to preserve the forests themselves. Sheryl Crow and Lenny Kravitz are also on tap for the event, which will be hosted by the Stinger himself. April 29, 2006
Duke Ellington, generally considered the greatest American composer and bandleader of the 20th century, would have been 107 today. Tommy James, who recorded the classic "Hanky Panky" before forming the Shondells, is 59. Unfortunately, "Hanky Panky" pretty much ruined Tommy's chances to be considered the greatest American composer and bandleader of the 20th century. Comedian/icon Jerry Seinfeld is 52 (not that there's anything wrong with that).
On this day in 1976, Elvis fan Bruce Springsteen tried to scale the fence around Graceland in an attempt to meet his idol. Instead, he was escorted off by Presley's security. On this day in 1988, Eric Clapton and Patti Boyd, his inspiration for "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight," filed for divorce. On this day in 1993, Mick Ronson, genius guitarist and arranger for David Bowie during his "Ziggy Stardust" phase, died of cancer in England at the age of 47. April 30, 2006
Neil Young's buddy, the multi-talented Willie Nelson, is 73 today.
On this day in 1965, Bob Dylan began his British tour immortalized in the movie "Don't Look Back." At the same time, The Kinks began their first British tour, supported by The Yardbirds. Wow! Did anybody realize what was happening?!? On this day in 1977, Steve Miller's "Jet Airliner" entered the charts on its way to #8. On this day in 1983, blues legend Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield) died in his sleep at home in Westmont, Illinois at the age of 68. Just An ObservationIsn't it interesting how proudly some enjoy their freedom of speech, but object to it for people who disagree with them. |
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