May 11 - 20, 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!

May 11, 2006

Eric Burden of The Animals and War is 65.
Drummer Butch Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band is 59.

On this day 1970, The Who unleashed their "Live at Leeds" album and The Beatles released their "The Long and Winding Road" single.

On this day 1981, reggae legend Bob Marley died of a brain tumor at the age of 36.

On this day in 2003, Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding died in Ireland at the age of 57.

This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of The Pretenders as well as more of Joe's extensive conversation with Chrissie Hynde.

Sammy Sells Cabo Wabo

As of yesterday, Sammy Hagar has turned over the majority interest and day-to-day operations of his Cabo Wabo businesses to two folks from the wine-and-spirits-marketing and hotel business worlds. Hagar said in a press release: "This company has grown way beyond my ability to run it all by myself." He also said that he looks forward to spending more time in the music business, and "leaving the dirty work up to the professionals." Sounds like he made a pretty decent Cabo Wabo Profit-o!

Petty Stops Scalpers

Tom Petty is fighting back against scalpers who used his fan club to score prime tickets to Tom's shows with Pearl Jam in St. Paul, Minnesota. Last week, Petty fans complained that many of the tickets for the late June shows that were supposed to go to fan club members via a Web site pre-sale, showed up on secondary market sites (including eBay) at prices several times face value. With the help of Ticketmaster and the promoter, Petty's management identified and canceled some 600 tickets purchased at the tompetty.com pre-sale. The voided Petty/Pearl Jam tickets (no issues were reported regarding P.J.'s pre-sale) will be offered once again to fan club members under more strict guidelines. Those who buy the tickets will have to show a photo ID to pick up the tickets on the night of the concert. "We don't claim to have completely eliminated all reselling activity on these or any other shows," Petty manager Tony Dimitriades said in a statement. "But this is definitely a step in the right direction and a major strike on behalf of the good guys." Right so!

Alice In Chains Announcement

You can expect a major announcement about the Alice in Chains reunion tour next Monday afternoon. So far A.I.C.'s only confirmed U.S. dates are a five-city mini-tour beginning next Thursday at the Roxy in Los Angeles and ending May 23rd in New York, plus an appearance in August at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. The boys will be doing European festival dates in June and July. Stay tuned!

Cooper Visits Alice

Alice Cooper will be visiting the small town of Alice, North Dakota on Monday. No doubt the entire population of 60 will be on hand when Mr. Cooper is presented with the keys to the "city." Alice will also meet the famous Kyle McDonald, the guy who's been bartering on the Internet for a free house in exchange for a red paperclip. Kyle's most recent high profile success was to win a year's free rent in Phoenix in exchange for an afternoon spent with Alice (Cooper) in Alice (North Dakota). About the whole escapade, Cooper said: "Kyle is out-Trumping Donald Trump. I can't believe he's getting me to trade myself for him to get a house, but it's just crazy enough that I couldn't resist." That, my friends, is Rock & Roll!

Wyman's Photos

Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman is finally gaining some recognition for his photography passion. Bill's first career gallery exhibit, "Wyman Shoots," will go on display next month at the San Francisco Art Exchange. It'll feature nearly 100 original photos spanning the roughly 40 years the famed collector has used a camera to document the people and places he's encountered in life. Some of Wyman's earliest snapshots date back to the early Sixties, showcasing pictures of his former band mates as well as legends like Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and The Who. "Wyman Shoots" will open on June 9th, while special receptions are slated for June 16th and 17th. Wyman will participate in the event on the 17th, appearing via satellite because he doesn't fly anymore (30 years of flying with The Stones was enough!).

Pearl Jam Sells Albums

Pearl Jam's self-titled eighth studio album will debut at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart, but it's #1 on the digital download chart. According to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, the album sold almost 280,000 copies.

Quote Of The Week

It was Lawrence Clark Powell (after whom UCLA's Powell Library is named) who said, "Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow."

Here Comes Mom's Day

In honor of Mother's Day Sunday, "Elegant Bride" magazine conducted a poll that revealed some interesting conclusions. Thirty-five percent of respondents said their mother most closely resembles TV mom Marion Cunningham (Marion Ross on "Happy Days"), followed by Carol Brady (Florence Henderson on "The Brady Bunch") with 27%. Here are other highlights of the poll:

* Coming in after Marion Cunningham and Carol Brady, 22% chose Sharon Osbourne ("The Osbournes) as the fictional mom that most closely resembles their mother, followed by Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon on "Sex and The City"). Hard to believe no one chose Courtney Love as resembling their mom.

* 72% said they were going to be a different kind of wife than their own mother in "some aspects, but not all," while 15% said their mother "was perfect and I want to be just like her." Thirteen percent said they were going to be a different kind of wife because their mother wasn't a great role model.

* Asked to describe the relationship between their mother and their fiancé, 54% said best friends, 44% said they tolerate each other and 2% said they don't get along.

May 12, 2006

Multi-instrumentalist/singer extraordinaire Stevie Winwood is 57.
Guitarist Billy Squier is 56.

On this day in 1965, The Rolling Stones recorded "Satisfaction" in a 30-minute session at RCA Studios in Hollywood. Two days earlier, they had attempted to record the song at Chess Studios in Chicago.

On this day in 1967, Pink Floyd played one of their first concerts which experimented with quadraphonic sound at the "Games for May" event at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall.

On this day in 1971, Mick Jagger married his first wife, Bianca, at the St. Tropez Town Hall. The large Roman Catholic service was attended by the other Rolling Stones, as well as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and Steven Stills. Think any of that group caught a buzz?

On this day in 1972, The Rolling Stones released their classic "Exile on Main Street" album.

On this day in 1973, Steely Dan's "Reeling In The Years" peaked at #11 on the singles chart.

On this day in 1979, singer Mickey Thomas made his debut with the Jefferson Starship at a free concert in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

Hetfield Tribute

Metallica frontman James Hetfield will be honored at the second annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert tonight in Hollywood. Hetfield will receive the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for "his dedication and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund and his devotion to helping other addicts with the recovery process." Right so, James!

Roddy's South Bay Soccer Match

The annual England versus Scotland soccer match will take place at 2pm on Nansen Field in Rolling Hills Estates tomorrow (Saturday). At some point, famed kilt-wearing soccer fan Rod Stewart will be on hand to kick some balls, cheer his team on and walk around holding the Bob Stewart Caledonian Trophy. The fundraising raffle and silent auction will include several Rod Stewart items, and — because it is an International Charity Soccer Double Header — you can expect the German and American teams to also take the field. Check out http://www.britsatnansen.com for more details — and tell them your Uncle Joe sent you!

Billy's TV Show

Elton John and Mick Jagger aren't the only classic rockers with TV projects in the works. Billy Joel's life story is coming to the small screen. The Showtime channel is developing a one-hour drama series called "Big Shot." The first season will explore his life during the mid-Seventies, including his marriage to his first wife, Elizabeth Weber, who also served as his business manager. Wonder if they'll use a laugh track when it comes to the part where she was in charge when Billy's millions completely disappeared?

The Biggest Givers

Paul McCartney is among the stars being recognized for their philanthropy. The former Beatle is on Forbes.com's list of the Top 10 most generous celebrities. Other stars on the list, which doesn't give any sort of ranking, include U2 frontman Bono and torch singer Celine Dion; Oprah Winfrey; director Steven Spielberg; actors Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Nicolas Cage and Sandra Bullock along with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Keef's Quote

We all knew that Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was released from a New Zealand hospital last Wednesday, two days after undergoing brain surgery following a reported fall while on vacation in Fiji. Now we've found out what Keef said in his personal note to the hospital's staff: "[Thanks to] the doctors and the beautiful ladies who make painful nights less painful. I'm pretty much at a loss for words to express my deep gratitude. I hope I wasn't too much of a pain in the arse – after all, it was my head that was fixed." Fortunately for the staff, Keith's statement was written out — not that they couldn't have understood every word he said!

Iconic CSN

Crosby, Stills & Nash will be honored as Icons by the BMI performing rights organization Tuesday night. The black-tie, invitation-only dinner and ceremony at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel will naturally feature a musical tribute to CSN that should be historic. The Icon award is given to BMI songwriters and artists who have had an influence on generations of musicians. Past Icons include Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton.

Heart Tribute DVD

Word is that a DVD/CD box set is being assembled from performances for the recent "Decades Rock Live!" tribute show to Heart. In addition to behind-the-scenes material and interviews, the set may actually focus on performances by Alice In Chains and other participants that didn't air on the VH1 special. Stay tuned!

Mom's Day History

Mother's Day celebrations date back at least as far as ancient Greece, where worshipers observed a spring day in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the gods. In 17th century England, Christians celebrated "Mothering Sunday," the fourth Sunday in Lent, to honor the Virgin Mary and other faithful Moms. In the United States, Julia Ward Howe, (who wrote the lyrics to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic"), suggested the idea of Mother's Day in 1872. It wasn't until 1908 that a state (West Virginia) declared an official Mother's Day celebration, then the idea took off from there. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday of May to be the official Mother's Day.

May 13, 2006

Rock & Roll pioneer Ritchie Valens would have been 65 today.
Magic Dick, trumpet and harmonica player with the J. Geils Band, is 61.
Stevie Wonder is 55.
Danny Kirwan, guitarist and vocalist in the first successful incarnation of Fleetwood Mac, is 56.

On this day in 1966, The Kinks recorded "Sunny Afternoon."

On this day in 1970, The Beatles' pseudo-documentary "Let It Be" premiered in New York.

On this day in 1989, Tom Petty's classic "Full Moon Fever" album entered the charts.

May 14, 2006

Cream bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce is 63.
The head Talking Head, David Byrne, is 54.

On this day in 1955, "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & the Comets entered the Top 40 on its way to becoming the first #1 record of the rock era.

On this day in 1966, The Rolling Stones' cryptic "Paint It Black" entered the American singles charts.

On this day in 1966, The Yardbirds' "Shapes Of Things," driven by Jeff Beck's mind blowing guitar work, peaked at #11 on the charts.

On this day in 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released the song "Ohio," only 10 days after the fatal Kent State University shootings.

On this day in 1976, former Yardbirds vocalist Keith Relf electrocuted himself while tuning his guitar in the bathtub.

On this day in 1988, Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary celebration at New York's Madison Square Garden saw the surviving members of Led Zeppelin reunite with John Bonham's son Jason on drums.

On this day in 1998, Frank Sinatra died at the age of 82.

May 15, 2006

Former Roxy Music keyboardist Brian Eno (Uber-producer for David Bowie, Talking Heads and U2) is 58.

On this day in 1965, The Byrds made their first entry into the charts with their cover version of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." Three months later, the song peaked at #1, and was a strong factor in Dylan's decision to switch from acoustic to electric music.

On this day in 1965, "For Your Love" by The Yardbirds entered the charts. The song featured Eric Clapton on all the guitar parts except the solo, which was recorded by his replacement, Jeff Beck.

On this day in 1967, Paul McCartney met Linda Eastman for the first time at the Bag O' Nails nightclub in London. They clicked big time and married on March 12th, 1969.

On this day in 1970, Pink Floyd played a concert in front of a large lake at the Crystal Palace Bowl in South London. Not only were a great number of fish in the lake killed by the loud music, a full one-third of the audience blew their minds!

On this day in 1970, Black Sabbath released its self-titled album.

On this day in 1971, The Doors' "Love Her Madly" peaked at #11 on the singles chart.

On this day in 1971, two classic albums, The Rolling Stones' "Sticky Fingers" and Jethro Tull's classic rock masterpiece "Aqualung," both entered the charts on their way to #1.

On this day in 1975, the most famous Fleetwood Mac line-up (Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, and John & Christine McVie) made their live debut in El Paso, Texas.

On this day in 1976, Steve Miller released his "Fly Like An Eagle" album.

On this day in 1976, Thin Lizzy's classic "The Boys Are Back In Town" entered the singles charts.

On this day in 1984, guitarist Nils Lofgren was drafted into The E Street Band by Bruce Springsteen to replace "Little Steven" Van Zandt.

Ozzy Backs Off

Good for him! Ozzy Osbourne has decided to cut back on his Ozzfest appearances — he'll only do 10 of the 27 shows and he won't be the headlining act. At the July 8th Ozzfest stop at the Hyundai Pavilion in Devore, the Ozz-man will top the bill on the second stage — the first time he's performed anywhere other than the main stage for an Ozzfest gig. He says, "I haven't had a chance to play this close to an audience in years and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it." Right so!

Bono Returns To Africa

  U2 frontman/human rights activist Bono will leave tomorrow on a 10-day tour of various African nations to see how they are progressing and where they still need help. Fresh off his successful campaign for African debt relief, the Irish icon will visit Lesotho, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Mali and Ghana to figure out how to help combat poverty and disease. Four years have passed since Bono's last visit to Africa. Since then, Africa has the best growth rates in 30 years, vast improvements in government economic policies and fewer conflicts. He should be hailed as a hero!

L.V. Hard Rock Sold

In a deal announced Thursday, Peter Morton — the owner and co-founder of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas — announced the sale of the resort to Morgans Hotel Group for $770 million. The deal also includes most of the club's priceless collection of pop memorabilia and the Hard Rock Hotel brand name, which Morton created with Isaac Tigrett when they launched their Hard Rock Cafe empire in London in 1971. Not included in the deal is the Hard Rock's Pink Taco Mexican restaurant brand. Morton's oldest son, 25-year-old Harry, is taking that restaurant to Los Angeles and Scottsdale, with plans to expand elsewhere. Morton also says his two boys wanted Jimi Hendrix's floral print jacket and his flying V guitar, so he held those back. That a full retirement fund right there!

Hetfield Tribute

  Metallica frontman James Hetfield was honored at a Friday night fundraiser for the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides access to addiction recovery for members of the music community. The 42-year-old recovered drug addict, a longtime supporter of the organization, emotionally condemned the "horrible myth" of the sex, drugs and rock'n'roll lifestyle. The event featured a three-song set performed by Hetfield, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, and two members of Alice in Chains — guitarist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney. The quartet played two A.I.C. songs, "Would?" and "Them Bones," plus the Metallica tune "Nothing Else Matters." Other performers included Tom Waits and Velvet Revolver, and the evening's guests included Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Motörhead frontman Lemmy, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist Kirk Hammett, and Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis. The Henry Fonda Theater was rocking!

May Writes Of Biggest Bang

Chalk up another accomplishment for the curly-headed guitar god! Queen guitarist Brian May is one of the authors of an upcoming book about the cosmos. "BANG! The Complete History of the Universe" is due to be published this October in the United Kingdom. The work promises to be the "first book to make all the very latest leading-edge research on the subject accessible enough for a complete novice to understand." May studied astronomy in college, and received an honorary doctor of science degree from England's University of Hertfordshire.

Surf City USA

It's righteously official! The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded Huntington Beach three official registration numbers that permit it to use the designation "Surf City USA" in ads and on beach bags, hats and other beachwear, despite challenges from the city of Santa Cruz. For years, both towns have called themselves Surf City after the 1963 hit song by Jan & Dean that boasts of a place where there are "two girls for every boy." Since 2004, the cities have been trading legal challenges and taunts, and even spoke of a surfing contest for the title. Dean Torrence, who co-wrote the song, lives in Huntington Beach and has said he backs his hometown's claim. Huntington Beach holds world-class surfing competitions and houses the International Surfing Museum. The name "Surf City" - minus the "USA" - is not trademarked, and is legally used by dozens of businesses in both cities. It also is the actual name of cities in New Jersey and North Carolina, as if anyone cared about them.

Quote Of The Week

It was Oscar Wilde who said, "When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers."

May 16, 2006

Foghat drummer Roger Earl is 60.
Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic is 41.

On this day in 1970, Randy Bachman left The Guess Who.

On this day in 1987, U2 topped the charts for the first of three weeks with their song "With Or Without You."

Mick TV

The Rolling Stones frontman has been picked up! Debuting this Fall on ABC-TV, Sir Mick Jagger will appear in a comedy about a group of knuckleheads who plan to rob him. Jagger is expected to appear in the pilot and several other episodes of the as-yet-untitled show. Yes, some other celebrity will eventually be targeted by the "scam artists" because you can't expect a show called "Let's Rob Mick Jagger" to last more than the first six episodes. Unless the characters work for a governmental agency like FEMA...

Guns N' Roses Finally Show Up

Last Friday night, Guns N' Roses returned to the stage for the first time since December 2002. Confounding critics, they also showed up Sunday and Monday nights as scheduled. The group is filming a four-night stand at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom for a possible documentary, after which they'll head to Europe to headline major festivals as well as open for The Rolling Stones. Singer Axl Rose is leading his band through two-and-a-half hour sets of old favorites and half a dozen numbers from the yet-to-be-released "Chinese Democracy" album. The lineup consists of guitarists Robin Finck and Richard Fortus, bassist Tommy Stinson, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pittman, and drummer Brian "Brain" Mantia. Replacing famed guitarist Buckethead — who replaced original lead guitarist Slash and then left the group two years ago — was Ron Thal of the New York group Bumblefoot. (No, I'm not making this up.) As the New York newspapers pointed out, while G&R's return has been long awaited by some, Rose and company have been long forgotten by many. You can't stay away forever if you want to keep your audience engaged plus attract new listeners. Many are asking: Will Axl find he has the jungle all to himself?

Aerosmith Is Really Ready

Aerosmith is alive and ready to rock again! Steven Tyler says the band will return to the studio this Saturday to resume work on their next album. You know he was smiling when he explained the appropriateness of the date, pointing out that May 20th is Armed Forces Day and, "we're going in with guns a blazing!" Aerosmith pulled off of a tour earlier this year when Tyler ruptured a blood vessel in his voice box, for which he underwent throat surgery in late March. Now, he's ready and raring to go — Katy bar the door!

Elty's Tutu

Elton John donned a white tutu to celebrate the first anniversary of his "Billy Elliot" musical at London's Victoria Palace Theatre. During curtain call, Sir Elty appeared onstage in ballerina garb to thundering applause. "They just told me [about the tutu] when I got here," said John, who composed the production's music. "There was no fitting — they just had it ready." Imagine that!

Billy Told 'Em What To Do

Roughly 5,000 new Syracuse University graduates gave Billy Joel a standing ovation after he told them to "do what they love" at the school's commencement ceremony on Sunday. Billy told the graduates not to do anything for "security or status, prestige or money, or... for somebody else." Joel, who isn't even a high school graduate, has received several honorary degrees from colleges, including a new doctorate of fine arts from Syracuse. Now don't be thinking that his donation of $320,000 to Syracuse's college of visual and performing arts had anything to do with that!

Iconic CSN

Crosby, Stills & Nash will be honored as Icons by the BMI performing rights organization tonight. The black-tie, invitation-only dinner and ceremony at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel will naturally feature a musical tribute to CSN that should be historic. The Icon award is given to BMI songwriters and artists who have had an influence on generations of musicians. Past Icons include Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton.

Frogs with Bigger Longer Chucks

Every species of frog has its own special mating call. The call has two parts: a "whine" which the whole species uses, and a "chuck" which is the individual frog's calling card. Females listen to the chuck carefully — the larger, more desirable frogs make longer, deeper chucks. Yeah, baby!

Lack of Sleep/Gain of Stupidity

According to new research, cutting back on sleep impairs your mental skills as much as not sleeping for a few days. Researchers measured response times and memorization skills in subjects who had slept either 4, 6 or 8 hours per day for two weeks against those of a group who stayed awake for three days. Participants who slept for 8 hours performed normally, while those sleeping 6 hours or less scored just as poorly by the end of the week as the group who hadn't slept at all. Wonder how many radio executives are using that as an excuse?

May 17, 2006

Drummer Bill Bruford, who rose to fame with Yes and King Crimson, is 58.

On this day in 1846, Antoine Sax patented the first Rock & Roll instrument: the saxophone.

On this day in 1969, the Chicago Transit Authority's debut album entered the charts — the first time a group ever debuted with a double album. In short order, they were sued by the real C.T.A. and were forced to shorten their name to Chicago.

On this day in 1987, Tom Petty's Encino home was torched by arsonists. That directly inspired Tom to write "I Won't Back Down."

On this day in 1999, producer Bruce Fairbairn (who had worked with Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and Yes, among others) died at the age of 49.

Macca Splitsville

Former Beatle Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills McCartney, are separating after four years of marriage. A joint statement issued on behalf of the couple Wednesday, blamed media attention for the split, "Having tried exceptionally hard to make our relationship work given the daily pressures surrounding us, it is with sadness that we have decided to go our separate ways," it said. Macca's 1969 marriage to his first wife, photographer Linda Eastman, was seen as one of the most successful in show business. The couple performed together in the band Wings and famously spent only a handful of days apart until her death in 1998. Sir Paul and Mills, a former model who had her left leg amputated below the knee after she was hit by a motorcycle in 1993, were married in June 2002 and had a daughter, Beatrice, one year later. McCartney, who was knighted by the British queen in 1997, is one of the world's richest rock stars, with a personal fortune put at $1.4 billion in 2004.

Bono Really Edits

"No News Today", screamed the front page headline, adding: "Just 6,500 Africans died today as a result of a preventable, treatable disease. (HIV/Aids)." No, really. Bono was the guest editor for yesterday's edition of London's "The Independent" newspaper. The celebrity-packed issue included Bono's interview of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, U2 guitarist The Edge's analysis of the revival of New Orleans' music scene, and U.S. Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice's Top 10 music selections. (Believe it or not, Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" was second on her list, right behind Mozart's "Piano Concerto in D minor"!) The publication donated half of the day's profits to the U2 singer's RED initiative to fight HIV/AIDS in impoverished nations. Right so!

Chrissie Returns

She wasn't interested in touring, but when they offered her a video show... Chrissie Hynde is bringing her band The Pretenders back Stateside to film an August 11th concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The show will be part of VH1 Classic's Decades Rock Live! series and will also feature a variety of special guests reworking Pretenders tunes. Meanwhile, Lynyrd Skynyrd has signed on for a June 23rd taping at the same venue for another upcoming episode of "Decades." Wonder how long the turnaround to DVD will take?

Knopfler Finally Sues

Former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler has finally filed a suit against the woman who drove her mini-car into his motorcycle in London three years ago. Mark broke his collarbone, his shoulder and seven ribs in the collision, and he was forced to cancel a European tour while he recovered. Knopfler is seeking about $566,000 in damages. By the way, the woman was convicted of careless driving and deported to Ecuador. What do you suppose the odds are that she's got a half-million in the bank there?

New Who LP Is Close

Guitarist Pete Townshend says The Who's new album is just about finished. Now he's waiting for singer Roger Daltrey to get the new project finished before their world tour starts next month. Pete says, "We start rehearsals in a week from now, by which time Roger must complete six vocals on tracks I've prepared. He called me yesterday very positive about three new songs I just sent him... I am certain of one thing: the Who have a new record in the can — almost finished, and it will be a good one." The Who tour starts on June 18th in Brighton, England. There will be a "mini-opera" called "Wire & Glass" released in conjunction with the European dates, but no North American distribution deal is in place — yet. The legendary band will tour Europe through July 29th, then hit North American later this year. Sorry, the U.S. dates haven't been announced — yet.

Still No AC/DC

So it's been over six years since AC/DC put out an album. Just over a year ago, vocalist Brian Johnson said that guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young were "ensconced" in a studio in the U.K., and that they were writing a lot of new material: "I think, and I might be speaking out of turn, but I think they're doing a double, with the amount of songs — I've been over a couple of times with the boys and added ideas on 46 tunes we had, and they've been working since then!" Now an executive with the band's Australian record company says the Hall Of Fame band hasn't even entered the studio yet to work on the new project. She says, "There's no scheduling. They're ready to go and ready to record, but there's no plan for it... no release date has been scheduled." Hmmm...

Sam's Delayed

The release of legendary soul man Sam Moore's upcoming album, "Overnight Sensational," has been delayed until August 29th. Why should you care? Because Sam's guests on the album include Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Eric Clapton, Jon Bon Jovi, Paul Rodgers and Steve Winwood, among others.

Guitarmageddon!

Tonight, 7p - 9p: Unc will host the Regional Finals of Guitarmageddon at the Guitar Center on Sunset in Hollywood. Do you suppose he'll be telling drummer jokes?

A Troubling SoCal Factoid

There are more cars in Southern California than there are cows in India, which is just another reason that traffic on the 91 smells the way it does.

May 18, 2006

Keyboard whiz Rick Wakeman of Yes is 57.

On this day in 1963, The Kingsmen recorded their classic "Louie Louie" in a small room with one microphone.

On this day in 1974, Bachman Turner Overdrive released the "Taking Care of Business" single.

On this day in 1985, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Don't Come Around Here No More" peaked at #13 on the singles chart.

On this day in 1992, Ozzy Osbourne announced another in a long series of retirements from touring.

This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of Deep Purple as well as Joe's new in-depth conversation with singer Ian Gillan.

U2 Plays Soccer (Sort Of)

Remember the story on Bono doing a commercial to promote the World Cup? Well, four different ads have been cut featuring U2 and their music, including another voiced by Bono, one by The Edge and another by Adam Clayton. They all feature the tag line "One Game Changes Everything," and include a nod to Bono's One campaign. You can see all four spots by logging on to SoccerNet.com/OneGame. The 2006 World Cup begins June 9th in Germany, with the U.S. team playing its first game on June 12th. All 64 of the tournament's games will be broadcast live on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. That's a fact, not a plug.

Don Definitely Dedicates

Occasional Eagle Don Henley led a dedication ceremony Monday for the Thoreau's Path nature trail at Massachusetts' historic Walden Pond. "Walden has come to represent a powerful way of thinking," the rocking activist said. "Walden is symbolic of all the other environmental struggles taking place across the world." In 1990, Henley founded the Walden Woods Project to help conserve the area where 19th century author Henry David Thoreau wrote his classic treatise. The trail Don dedicated is lined with granite strips inscribed with quotations from Thoreau. Bronze-topped columns illustrate some of the issues Thoreau studied, and a reflection circle is ringed with granite columns bearing quotations from Martin Luther King Jr., Chief Luther Standing Bear and other thinkers influenced by Thoreau's writings on nature and civil disobedience.

A Smarter Stinger

Sting recently received an honorary doctor of music degree from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Accepting the honor, Mr. Sting said, "It is very exciting to see the diversity of music being studied at Newcastle University, with developments like the folk and traditional music degree now being taught alongside classical and popular music." Yeah, yeah — but did he get a sweatshirt with the entire "University of Newcastle upon Tyne" logo embroidered on it?

Fogerty's DVD

John Fogerty's upcoming "The Long Road Home: In Concert" DVD, due out on June 13th, features the veteran rocker performing 26 tunes, both from his solo catalog and from his old band Creedence Clearwater Revival. The disc, which documents a September 2005 show at the Wiltern LG in Los Angeles, also boasts a bonus video for the song "Deja Vu All Over Again."

Original Asia Redux

Asia's original line-up has announced initial dates for its 25th anniversary reunion tour. The original group features Yes guitarist Steve Howe, one-time King Crimson singer/bassist John Wetton, former Yes/Buggles keyboardist Geoffrey Downes and former Emerson, Lake & Palmer drummer Carl Palmer. The early Eighties supergroup first hits the stage on September 1st in Pennsylvania and is currently scheduled through a September 24th show at the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert. You may now return to your regularly scheduled life.

May 19, 2006

Guitarist Pete Townshend of The Who is 61.
ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill is 57.
Singer Joey Ramone would have been 55.
Longtime AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd is 52.

On this day in 1969, The Who released the classic "Tommy" album.

On this day in 1979, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr reunited for an impromptu jam at a wedding reception for Eric Clapton and his new wife, Patti (George's ex). The couple got married in March, while Clapton was touring, so the reception doubled as an end-of-tour party as well.

On this day in 1984, "Legs" by ZZ Top entered the charts on its way to becoming their first Top 10 hit.

On this day in 1986, Peter Gabriel released his landmark "So" album.

On this day in 2000, The Allman Brothers Band fired founding guitarist Dickey Betts over "creative differences."

On Stage Tonight

Eddie Money will be rocking the Canyon Club in Augora Hills tonight.

On Stage Saturday

The New Cars and Blondie will play the Gibson Amphitheatre Saturday night.

G&R Follow-up

Original Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin joined his former band onstage Wednesday at the last of four shows the group had scheduled at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom. Izzy played three songs with frontman Axl Rose — "Think About You," "Patience" and "Night Train." Guess we'll just have to wait and see if he'll play with them again.

Skynyrd Expands (Again)

Lynyrd Skynyrd has finally added a third guitarist to its lineup. Mark "Sparky" Matejka, who's also worked with the Charlie Daniels Band, has joined Rickey Medlocke and founding member Gary Rossington on the six-string. Matejka also plays banjo and has a jazz degree from the University Of North Texas. Skynyrd's original three-guitar lineup included Rossington, Allen Collins and Ed King. After King left, Steve Gaines was brought in to fill out the sound. Steve died in the band's 1977 plane crash. Collins was paralyzed from the waist down in a car wreck in 1986, and then died in January 1990.

Allmans Are Booking

The Allman Brothers Band have announced a 26-date Summer tour that somehow skips every venue West of Denver. They'll be sharing the stage on five of those nights with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, who have also neglected to book any West Coast gigs. Do you suppose they're all holding out for more money, or did someone tick 'em off?

ZZ's Billy Salutes Buck

ZZ Top singer/guitarist Billy Gibbons will take part in a musical tribute to late country legend Buck Owens during next Tuesday's Academy of Country Music Awards. The ceremony will air live from Las Vegas on CBS-TV. Among the evening's nominees are Bon Jovi, who will compete for the Vocal Event of the Year honor, and Van Zant, the Lynyrd Skynyrd kin who will vie for the Top Vocal Duo trophy.

Sturgis Line-Up Grows

The 66th Annual Sturgis Bike Week in Sturgis, South Dakota sure will be rocking this year! The Steve Miller Band, Cheap Trick, Fabulous Thunderbirds and former Santana/Journey singer/keyboardist Gregg Rolie will play the Rock 'N The Rally Music Festival on Monday August 7th. Nickleback and the Black Crowes will headline the Tuesday night set. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Joe Cocker will top Wednesday's bill. Sammy Hagar (with Van Halen's Michael Anthony) will wrap-up the Thursday night show, which will also feature REO Speedwagon, John Kay & Steppenwolf and .38 Special. All that and tens of thousands of Harley Davidsons — what a week!

Floyd Tribute Finally Out

An album paying tribute to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" finally hit stores this past Tuesday. "Return to the Dark Side of the Moon" is the brainchild of former Yes member Billy Sherwood, who also helped mastermind the 2005 Floyd tribute disc "Back Against the Wall." Musicians featured on the "Return to the Dark Side of the Moon" include The Doors' Robby Krieger, Styx's Tommy Shaw, Yes' Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe, Asia/King Crimson singer/bassist John Wetton.

Because You Asked

A hamlet is a village without a church while a town is not a city until it has a cathedral. Outlet malls don't play into the equation in any way whatsoever.

May 20, 2006

Croaker Joe Cocker is 62.
Diva Suprema Cher is 60.

On this day in 1965, The Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" hit #1. It was the first Beatles single to feature Paul McCartney on lead guitar.

On this day in 1960, Johnny & The Moondogs changed their name to The Silver Beetles for their first tour of Scotland, backing pop singer Johnny Gentle. The Silver Beetles were made up of John Lennon, Paul Ramon, Carl Harrison, and Stuart de Stael. The last three were actually pseudonyms for Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Stuart Sutcliffe.

On this day in 1970, The Beatles released the movie "Let It Be" in London and Liverpool. None of them attended the premieres.