 December 1 - 10, 2007These 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!   This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of The Who and Joe's brand new conversation with Roger Daltrey! 
Friday's Zeppelin UpdateNo dirt from the Brit tabloids today, but Led Zeppelin are on the cover of the latest issue of "Rolling Stone." In the magazine that 100% trashed them in their early days, the Zep boys talked about the first rehearsal for their upcoming reunion show. The first song the band played was "No Quarter," and according to Jason Bonham (son of late Zep drummer John Bonham), "When the riff came in, there was this look that went around. It was brilliant." Then, after "Kashmir," Bonham recalls, "We stopped. Jimmy (Page) said, 'Can you give me a hug?' And Robert (Plant) shouted, 'Yeah, sons of thunder!'" The enthusiastic reunited Zeppelin take the stage at London's O2 Arena on December 10th at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert. As for touring, "Raising Sand," Plant and bluegrass star Alison Krauss' recent collaborative album, has been certified gold and those two will tour the States after the first of the year. Selling It For A Good CauseJust as Ozzy Osbourne rolls back into the Southland with his band, he and his family are launching a two-day charity auction of a huge collection of clothing, jewelry, furnishings and other items from their homes in L.A. and England. Roughly 200 of the 600 lots contain material seen on the hit MTV series "The Osbournes." Some of the money generated by the auction at the Gibson Guitar Showroom in Beverly Hills Friday and Saturday is earmarked for the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation. The Ozz-Man is also donating all of his profits from Friday night's concert at the Staples Center, as well as the proceeds of a silent auction of rock and sports memorabilia at that gig, to Sharon's Foundation. Musicians Help World AIDS DayQueen + Paul Rodgers have recorded a new song, "Say It's Not True," to commemorate World AIDS Day on Saturday. The track, Queen's first studio collaboration with Rodgers, is available as a free download from the band's Web site. Meanwhile Peter Gabriel will join Annie Lennox, the Goo Goo Dolls and Ludacris as headliners at tomorrow's 46664 AIDS awareness concert in Johannesburg. Gabriel and Lennox are among the longtime supporters of the 46664 campaign, and took part — along with Queen — in the initiative's first international concert in Cape Town, South Africa four years ago. ZZ & Rick ConfirmedThe rumors are true! ZZ Top will record a new album with super producer Rick Rubin next year. The Texas trio plans to begin working on new material over the next few weeks. Also in the works are a deluxe 25th anniversary edition of Top's "Eliminator" album due out early next year and new a live DVD/CD of a recent show in Grand Prairie, Texas that will be released next Summer. Jail That Drummer (Again & Again)So what the hell is wrong with Lynyrd Skynyrd's original drummer, Artimus Pyle? Pyle, who must register as a sex-offender, has been arrested for failing to do so the second time in two weeks! In 1993, he was sentenced to eight years probation and ordered to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to charges of attempted capital sexual battery by an adult with a victim under the age of 12, and principal to lewd and lascivious acts on a child under the age of 16. He apparently splits his time between North Carolina and Florida, but hasn't disclosed a proper address to authorities in either state. The St. John's County Sheriff's Department had reportedly asked Artimus to register his exact address with the DMV in early November. When he failed to do so, they nabbed him last week. When he still hadn't registered as of Wednesday night, officers arrested him again. Pyle can apparently be arrested every 48 hours until he registers. How much do you want to bet that he still hasn't figured out why Skynyrd won't let him back in the band. 
A Thought For The WeekendIt was William Shakespeare who said: "Love all, trust few, do wrong to none."  Toys for KidsThis Sunday, 10am - 2pm: Unc will return as the Grand Marshall for the 19th Annual Pomona Valley Harley Owners Group Toy Run at the Elks Lodge at 1150 W. 4th Street in Ontario. (Take Mountain Ave. south off the 10 – right on 4th – go one block to the Lodge.) The line-up will include the KLOS Cool Patrol, bike games, raffles, food, music and – of course – a motorcycle show and toy donations to help kids at Christmas! Here's a glimpse of what it looked like last year. December 2, 2007
Doobie Brothers/Steely Dan alum Michael McDonald is 55. 
On this day in 1967, The Beatles' "Hello Goodbye" entered the charts. December 3, 2007
Lovable, heavy metal clown Ozzy Osbourne is 59.
On this day in 1965, Keith Richards' guitar accidentally touched his microphone while The Stones performed "The Last Time" in Sacramento. The resulting electric shock knocked Keef unconscious for seven minutes. Of course, the show went on and he never knew the difference. On this day in 1965, The Beatles began their last U.K. tour in Glasgow, Scotland, supported by The Moody Blues. The Fab Four were promoting the release of the single "We Can Work It Out" backed with "Day Tripper." Wow! On this day in 1968, NBC-TV aired the famed Elvis Presley comeback special. After years of making horrible movies, Presley proved he could still rock, improvising a set with his old rhythm section in a boxing ring, looking great in black leather and bringing the house down with his performance. Sadly, Las Vegas purgatory was right around the bend. On this day in 1971, a fire burned down the Montreux Casino in Switzerland during a Frank Zappa concert. Deep Purple witnessed the conflagration and immediately wrote "Smoke on the Water" about the catastrophe. Rock on! On this day in 1976, a giant inflatable pig was spotted floating over London's Battersea Power Station. It was only a prop being used for the album cover of Pink Floyd's "Animals" album. However, the balloon broke free of its moorings and drifted away, prompting the Civil Aviation Authority to issue a warning to pilots flying over London. No one really knows what happened to the big pig, but crop circles began showing up soon afterward! On this day in 1976, the Sex Pistols released "Anarchy in the U.K." — perhaps another reason for the existence of crop circles. On this day in 1979, a stampede of fans trying to get into a Who concert in Cincinnati left 11 people crushed to death. Regrettably, the band wasn't told of the incident until after the show. Although newsman Walter Cronkite blamed the incident on "a drug-crazed mob of kids," the venue's general (no reserved) seating policy was later identified as the cause of the problem.
Just Call Him Tom "Super Bowl" PettyTom Petty & The Heartbreakers — long hailed as one of America's greatest live bands — have been tapped to play the 2008 Super Bowl XLII halftime show on February 3rd in Phoenix. Since Janet Jackson's nipple made it's surprising appearance during the 2004 show, the NFL has taken over the staging of the show, formerly farmed out to MTV and other producers. Considering that the halftime shows since that naughty bit scandalized America have featured performances by Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and Prince, Tom and his band should fit right in. So... what do you think he'll play besides "American Girl"? Zep Update #839Word is squeaking out that Led Zeppelin will play a 100+ minute set at the tribute to Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun on December 10th at London's O2 Arena. Word is that the band will cover their classics like "Whole Lotta Love," "Dazed And Confused" and "No Quarter" as well as many rarities. The boys have even been rehearsing "For Your Life," a track from their 1976 "Presence" album that they have never played live. Meanwhile, the most consistent rumor regarding a Zep reunion tour says that Robert Plant is waiting to see how well the band performs at the London gig before committing to any future concerts. We all know he is also going to do a series of shows with Alison Krauss to support their new album "Raising Sand." Stay tuned! Ozzy's Junk Sold LargeSharon and Ozzy Osbourne's big ass garage sale this past Friday and Saturday brought in over $800,000 for charity after they sold off some of their possessions. Most of the money raised will go towards Sharon's foundation for colon cancer. With typical understatement, Darren Julien, whose company ran the event, said: "For a celebrity garage sale, it was pretty spectacular. We had Ozzy fans bidding against these sophisticated fine art buyers, which you don't see every day. For the most part the metalheads were outbidding the art crowd." When it comes to Ozzy, same as it ever was. New Queen + Paul ReleaseI hope you heard me debut Queen + Paul Rodgers' new song on Friday. The track is drummer Roger Taylor's "Say It's Not True," which he first performed at the launch of the Nelson Mandela's 46664 campaign back in November 2003. Taylor, guitarist Brian May and Paul Rodgers share the lead vocals. Having played the two previous 46664 concerts but unable to make this year's gig, the trio decided to redo the song for this year's 46664 World Aids Day benefit this past Saturday. In offering the song for free downloading, Taylor says, "we hope to help Madiba (as Mandella is also known) with his campaign to get across the message that no one is safe from infection. We have to be aware, we have to protect ourselves and those we love. The song follows the line of Mandella's personal message: it's in our own hands to bring a stop to this." Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died of AIDS in 1991. Neil, U2 & Patti Doing The Sundance DanceNeil Young's new Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young documentary "CSNY Déjà Vu" will premiere on January 26th at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The flick, which Neil co-wrote and directed under his Bernard Shakey alias, focuses on CSNY's 2006 Freedom Of Speech tour and the group's opposition to the current Iraq war. U2's highly anticipated "U2 3D" concert film and the "Patti Smith: Dream Of Life" documentary are also among the movies that will receive debut screenings during the festival. New/Old Van MorrisonSomeone working for Van Morrison ('cause Van wouldn't be talking about this himself!) has announced the details about the reissue of his back catalog. It will all start on January 28th when the remastered versions of 1971's "Tupelo Honey" and the 1974 live set ""It's Too Late To Stop Now" will be re-released with five more (yet to be named) of Van's albums. At least 22 more Morrison albums will be issued in three more batches further down the road. Thank you for your attention. You may now return to your regularly scheduled life.
Quote Of The DayIt was Erma Bombeck who asked: "How come anything you buy will go on sale next week?" Strange But Deadly* In 453, AD Attila the Hun bled to death from a nosebleed on his wedding night. * In 1923, jockey Frank Hayes had a heart attack during a race. His horse, Sweet Kiss, won the event, making Hayes the only deceased jockey ever to win a race. * In 1927, actress Isadora Duncan was killed by accidental strangulation when her scarf got caught in a car wheel. * In 1983, 71-year-old author/playwright Tennessee Williams choked to death on a nose spray bottle cap that accidentally dropped into his mouth while he was using the spray. Now, have a nice day! December 4, 2007
Byrds bassist Chris Hillman is 65.
On this day in 1965, The Byrds hit #1 with the song "Turn! Turn! Turn!" as Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sounds Of Silence" entered the charts. On this day in 1971, Sly & The Family Stone hit #1 with the song "Family Affair" as Santana's "Everybody's Everything" peaked at #12 and Van Morrison's "Wild Night" topped out at #28 on the charts. On this day in 1971, Badfinger released the song "Day After Day." On this day in 1973, Paul McCartney released his classic "Band on the Run" album in the States. It would go on to hit #1 four different times. On this day in 1976, Tommy Bolin, a brilliant guitarist with James Gang and Deep Purple, died of an overdose in Miami at the age of 25. On this day in 1980, two months after the death of drummer John Bonham, the surviving members of Led Zeppelin released a statement announcing their intent to break up. It read in part, "We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend and the deep respect we have for his family, together with the sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were." On this day in 1993, Frank Zappa died in L.A. of pancreatic cancer at age 52.
Goofy Zep Rumor #840
Tell us what's wrong with this statement from "Billboard" magazine: U2 LP UpdateU2's Bono has told the Irish press that his band will release a follow-up to 2004's GRAMMY winning "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" album next year. The singer says, "We have enough material for two albums, but it has to be extraordinary... and I think we've got that. It's not like anything we've ever done before, and we don't think it sounds like anything anyone else has done either." Right so! Now get back to work! Scorp's Schenker Breaks Foot (Sort Of)Last Friday, as the Scorpions played in France, guitarist Rudolf Schenker tore a muscle in his foot during the group's third song. Rudolf, who finished the show while standing at the back of the stage, later said, "To cancel that concert or to cancel any upcoming performances would disappoint the fans so that was out of the question. I hope that all the fans will understand that I will not be able to exhibit my full stage energy until my injury heals." The Scorps play in Lisbon tonight, and you can be sure that — even though he won't be jumping around like a crazed weasel — Rudolf will be playing at full volume! Zep SchoolWith the Led Zeppelin reunion show taking place next week, of course some clever Brit would come up with a clever way to make a buck off the gig. Ladies and gentlemen, we present you with the "Zep School"! According to the Brit tabloid "The Sun," the "Zep School" will offer fans a chance to learn the band's musical secrets and how to live like them. The training takes place in England from December 7th to the 9th, just days before the group's December 10th performance at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert. Organizers promise an array of activities for the $1,500-per-head school, including courses on flinging televisions out of windows and other bad-boy behaviors (no word if depraved groupies will be included). For more info, head (so to speak) to RockMasters.net... then carefully wash up afterwards! Simmons Does UglyKISS' Gene Simmons will be making a guest appearance on an upcoming episode of ABC's "Ugly Betty." The wildman/entrepreneur /bassist says, "Can't tell you just yet who I'm playing or what it's about. But it might give you a chuckle." Simmons is currently taping the third season of his A&E show "Gene Simmons Family Jewels." No word yet when the "Ugly Betty" episode will air. Ozzy & Sharon Will HostOzzy Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, have signed on to host the Brit Awards 2008 on February 20th in London. "We are both incredibly honored to have been asked to help celebrate the best in British music at the biggest music awards show in Europe," says Sharon. If Ozzy actually commented on the gig, no one understood what he was saying well enough to write it down.
Quote Of The DayIt was Steven Wright who said: "I played a blank cassette at full volume and drove the mime next door totally crazy." December 5, 2007
Walt Disney would be 106 and not allowed to work at his own company.
On this day in 1964, The Beatles' "I Feel Fine" and "She's A Woman" entered the charts as "Time Is On My Side" by The Rolling Stones peaked at #6. On this day in 1968, Graham Nash officially left The Hollies to form Crosby, Stills & Nash. On this day in 1970, Badfinger's "No Matter What" peaked at #8 on the singles chart as "Share The Land" by the Guess Who topped out at #10. On this day in 1973, Paul McCartney released his classic "Band On The Run" album. On this day in 1981, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police peaked at #3 on the charts. On this day in 1987, R.E.M.'s song "The One I Love" peaked at #9 on the charts. On this day in 2003, Mick Jagger, famed frontman for The Rolling Stones, was officially knighted by Prince Charles. Instead of a top hat and tails, Sir Michael wore a long leather coat, a purplish scarf and running shoes.
Just Forget Zep Rumor #840I honestly thought I did a pretty good job yesterday of debunking the rumor that Led Zeppelin and Metallica would headline the 2008 Bonnaroo festival, but leave it to the event's promoters to officially declare the rumor a lie. In their official statement, Superfly Presents and A.C. Entertainment said: "The rumors that are out there about the Bonnaroo 2008 headliners are inaccurate. We're very excited about the line-up that we're putting together for this year's festival. We'll be announcing the confirmed line-up toward the end of January/beginning of February." The source of the B.S. Zeppelin/Metallica rumor was industry commentator Bob Lefsetz's newsletter. If you'd like to subscribe to it, or perhaps buy Zeppelin Bonnaroo tickets from him, just google the fool. Still Can't Keep A SecretLeave it to John Mellencamp to jump the shark and announce that he's been accepted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame weeks before any official news is due. John was nominated (for the third time) along with eight other artists in September. An official announcement about the Hall's five-member class of 2008 is not expected until January. Of course the singing/songwriting Hoosier has criticized the Hall in the past, so maybe it's not surprising that he'd be talking out of turn. Back in 2005, John was just speaking the truth when he said that many in the music industry consider Midwestern artists to be "just a bunch of hillrods. And that's why you've got [Michigan native] Bob Seger going through nine years of being passed over before he gets elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And they put the Fuzzy Snakes in because they had one hit 25 years ago that some New York critic loved." Our brother's just speaking the truth! V.H. Holding Tickets For Big BucksNo, it's not illegal for an artist to hold tickets back from sale to the general public. In fact, it is commonplace for bands, promoters or venues to hold some tickets for complimentary or other purposes. But TicketNews.com reports that Van Halen is actually secretly auctioning off premium seats for their upcoming shows. It seems that seats for the band's March 17th show at Madison Square Garden were on Ticketmaster's TicketExchange site less than 10 minutes after they went on sale to the public, something that would be impossible unless tickets were withheld from the public and posted separately on the auction site. Regardless of who posted them, those premium seats are already going for nearly $3,000! Three Petty Super Bowl QuickiesApparently "Rolling Stone" magazine was the first to talk with Tom Petty about his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. Here are the three most relevant questions and answers. #1. What will they play? "You don't have a great deal of time... I think that whatever you do you probably have to edit yourself a bit. I doubt we'd do a medley. We've never done a medley and I can't picture us doing one. It's not the kind of band that can remember a medley." #2. How about fireworks and dancers with the band? "We won't have any dancers, I'm sure of that. You want to give them a halftime show, maybe not in the traditional sense — but I'm sure there are a lot of people there who enjoy the fireworks and stuff. I'm just approaching it as a pretty high-energy rock & roll show — maybe like it used to be in the Sixties where you come on, do four or five of your best numbers and get off." #3. And what about playing to pre-recorded tracks? "No, we're a live group." And one of America's best, says we! Awarding The PlayersBruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, The Police and Van Halen are three of the biggest acts competing for the Major Tour Of The Year honor at the 19th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards to be given out at the February 7th ceremony/party held in Los Angeles during GRAMMY week. Other big names in the game include Genesis and former Pink Floyd bassist/singer Roger Waters who are both up for the Most Creative Stage Production award.
Quote Of The DayIt was W. Edwards Deming who said: "If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing." Dog Gone Dog Names
According to the Veterinary Pet Insurance database of over 450,000 pets, Max is tops when it comes to dog names. Once again, Bowser and Barky didn't make the Top 10 list of dog names because the Top 10 are always the names of people! December 6, 2007
Guitarist Peter Buck of R.E.M. is 51.
On this day in 1949, legendary blues balladeer Leadbelly (Huddy Ledbetter) died from Huntington's disease at the age of 61. On this day in 1965, The Rolling Stones recorded "Mother's Little Helper" and "19th Nervous Breakdown" in RCA's Hollywood studios. On this day in 1965, The Beatles released their "Rubber Soul" album and the single "Day Tripper." On this day in 1966, The Beatles recorded two takes of "When I'm 64," marking the first Abbey Road session for "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." On this day in 1969, The Rolling Stones put on a poorly organized free concert at California's Altamont Speedway supported by the Jefferson Airplane. While The Stones performed "Under My Thumb," a Hell's Angel killed a concert goer by stabbing him in the back. The era of Peace & Love was over. On this day in 1977, Jackson Browne released his classic "Running On Empty" album. On this day in 1986, practicing alcoholic and occasional drummer Ringo Starr agreed to be a pitchman for a wine cooler company, thus becoming the first Beatle to get into advertising. On this day in 1988, Rock & Roll icon Roy Orbison died from cardiac arrest at the age of 52.
GRAMMY NominationsThere were some very interesting nominations among those announced for the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards this morning. Sure, Kanye West and Amy Winehouse led all artists in nominations (Kanye with eight), but check this list out! Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance nominations included Paul McCartney for "Only Mama Knows," John Mellencamp for "Our Country" and Bruce Springsteen for "Radio Nowhere." John Fogerty's "Revival" and Bruce Springsteen's "Magic" were both nominated for Best Rock Album. Bruce Springsteen received a Best Rock Song nomination for his "Radio Nowhere." Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals nominations included U2 for their cover of "Instant Karma." Best Rock Instrumental Performance nominations included Metallica for "The Ecstasy of Gold," Rush for "Malignant Narcissism" and Bruce Springsteen for "Once Upon a Time in the West." Best Male Pop Vocal Performance nominations included Paul McCartney for "Dance Tonight." Robert Plant & Alison Kraus received a nomination for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for their version of "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)." Ozzy Osbourne received a Best Hard Rock Performance nomination for his "I Won't Wanna Stop." Best Pop Vocal Album nominations included Bon Jovi for "Lost Highway" and Paul McCartney for "Memory Almost Full." Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals nominations included Bon Jovi for "(You Want To) Make a Memory" and U2 for "Window in the Skies." The nominees for Best Original Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media included" Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder for "Guaranteed" from "Into the Wild." The 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place on February 10th at the Staples Center. Nominated artists need not still be alive to receive an award. Ertegun Tribute DVD ConfirmedEveryone involved with Monday's Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert at London's O2 Arena is trying to raise as much money as possible for the Atlantic Records co-founder's charity. So it should come as no surprise that they've confirmed that the event will be recorded for a DVD release. The show will feature performances from Foreigner, Paul Rodgers of Bad Company fame, Rolling Stones veterans Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts as well as a reunited Led Zeppelin performing for the first time in two decades. No word on when the DVD will be out, but you know they're going to sell millions! Someone Please Tell Stewart To Shut The Hell UpGood Lord, you'd think drummer Stewart Copeland of The Police would have learned his lesson earlier in the band's reunion tour, if not years ago! In a recent interview, Copeland implied that Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is less attractive than Argentinean President elect Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Chile's "Mercurio" newspaper quoted him as saying: "Look, the future President of Argentina would be good for one beer; yours (would be good) for four." An apologetic Copeland wrote to Bachelet, saying, "I was mortified to learn this remark reached you and you were asked to comment on such a trivial matter." He then invited Bachelet to see the band perform in Santiago. Do you think she said yes just to meet Sting? Another In A Continuing Series Of Replacement SingersEven if this weren't true, it would be one hell of a story. Journey guitarist Neal Schon was trolling YouTube when he ran across a video of Filipino singer Arnel Pineda (pronounced "pin-EH-da") performing Journey covers with his band. Schon was impressed enough to get in touch with Pineda who has now been named the band's latest frontman, replacing Steve Perry's first replacement, Steve Augeri, as well as the second singer to give it a try, Jeff Scott Soto. Neal has proudly proclaimed, "He's the real deal and so tremendously talented... Arnel doesn't sound synthetic and he's not emulating anyone." The revamped Journey line-up already is working on a new studio album that should be released next Spring or Summer right about the time their next tour launches.
Quote Of The DayIt was Abraham Lincoln who said: "People are just about as happy as they are willing to be." December 7, 2007
Song meister Harry Chapin would have been 65.
On this day in 1962, The Rolling Stones auditioned bass players at the World's End pub in Chelsea, London. Bill Wyman later said he got the job, in part, because he had real, functioning amplifiers that the band could use. On this day in 1981, The Rolling Stones released their song "Waiting On A Friend" nine full years after they recorded the initial basic tracks. On this day in 1985, the song "My Hometown" by Bruce Springsteen entered the charts as Heart's "Heart" album hit #1. On this day in 1991, Nirvana's classic "Smells Like Teen Spirit" single was released. This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of David Bowie as well as conversation with Bowie, drummer Aynsley Dunbar and producer Ken Scott.
On Stage SundayThe Cult will be blasting the House Of Blues in Anaheim. Lennon's AnniversaryTomorrow (Saturday) marks the 27th anniversary of the death of John Lennon, and fans around the world will be taking part in a variety of events to pay tribute to the slain Beatle. At 1pm Saturday, Southern California fans will gather in front of Capitol Records in Hollywood for a tribute hosted in part by our own Chris Carter, who will be featuring the words and music of Lennon on Sunday's Breakfast With The Beatles on KLOS. As has become custom, people will also gather on Saturday in a Lennon tribute at Strawberry Fields in New York City's Central Park. Saturday will also mark the end of the Imagine Peace Tower's first illumination cycle. The light sculpture that Yoko Ono developed in Lennon's honor in Reykjavik, Iceland was dedicated and first lit on October 9th, which would have been his 67th birthday. It's been shining through the night sky for the past two months, and is scheduled to go dark on Saturday. It'll remain off until the end of the month when it's re-lit to usher in the new year. Ono is expected to be in Japan Saturday for the Dream Power John Lennon Super Live 2007 concert. That fundraising event will celebrate Lennon's life and work with proceeds going to the Spirit Foundation to build schools across Asia and Africa. Zep Does NFL & ESPNSure, they've got that reunion thing happening on Monday, but Led Zeppelin is also in the midst of a major promotional deal with ESPN and the NFL. Word is that the Zep's songs and video footage will be mixed with programming from both the NFL and ESPN in live, highlight and preview segments. The short-term partnership will continue until mid-December to raise awareness of the band's recently released greatest hits album, "Mothership," and the premium DVD version of "The Song Remains the Same." A Brit Zep FestPeople in England not fortunate enough to see Led Zeppelin's reunion show at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert on Monday can still see live Zep performances at their local theaters. Zep gigs from the past will be screened at theaters across the country at the same time the tribute concert is taking place at London's O2 Arena. The screenings will include films of Seventies concerts including the band's five night residency in 1975 at Earl's Court. All images will be restored and the screenings will be in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound — which means DVD should be forthcoming! Tom Books A Rare GigBoston guitarist Tom Scholz will play an extremely rare gig at a February 25th benefit concert in Providence, Rhode Island. The show will raise money for the victims of — and family members affected by — the tragic 2003 Great White nightclub fire that claimed about 100 lives. While Boston singer Brad Delp used to do benefits on a regular basis, this is one of the first (that I'm aware of) for Tom. Keef Unleashed (Sort Of)Time for a Keith Richards surprise. The iconic Rolling Stones guitarist is releasing a Christmas-themed download on iTunes next Tuesday. He's including his extremely rare 1979 cover of Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run" — a song that had been released as a limited edition seven-inch that Christmas, but hasn't been available since. Also included in the forthcoming download package is Keith's 2003 cover of the Toots and the Maytals song "Pressure Drop."
Five Of Steven Wright's Best1. "Cross country skiing is great if you live in a small country." 2. "A friend of mine once sent me a postcard with a picture of the entire planet earth taken from space. On the back it said, 'Wish you were here.'" 3. "All those who believe in psychokinesis, raise my hand." 4. "Do you think that when they asked George Washington for ID that he just whipped out a quarter?" 5. "Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time." December 8, 2007
Singer/iconic bad boy Jim Morrison of The Doors would have been 64.
On this day in 1979, the Eagles' "The Long Run" entered the singles chart as AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" peaked at #47. On this day in 1980, John Lennon was murdered at the age of 40 in New York City. On this day in 1995, four months after the death of the iconic Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead officially called it quits. On this day in 1998, Bruce Springsteen announced that he would tour with The E Street Band for the first time in nearly a decade. December 9, 2007
The Band's bassist and co-lead singer, Rick Danko, would have been 64.
On this day in 1967, Cream's classic "Disraeli Gears" album entered the charts. On this day in 1972, Elton John released his "Crocodile Rock" single. On this day in 1974, John Lennon stopped by the broadcast booth during the "Monday Night Football" game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Redskins. While he was there, another guest, Ronald Reagan, explained the rules of football to him. On this day in 1992, bassist Bill Wyman formally announced he was leaving The Rolling Stones. Since then, he has flown on airplanes only three times. On this day in 1995, The Beatles "Anthology Vol. 1" became the group's 16th #1 charting album — 24 years after they broke up! December 10, 2007
Yer Uncle Joe is looking for a cake with a whole lotta candles on it today!!
On this day in 1965, the Warlocks played their first gig under the name Grateful Dead at the second San Francisco Mime Troupe Appeal Party at the Fillmore Auditorium. On this day in 1966, the Beach Boys hit #1 with the song "Good Vibrations." On this day in 1967, guitarist/song meister Steve Miller shocked the music industry when his hitherto unknown Blues Band signed with Capitol Records for a (then) whopping $750,000. Steve soon dropped the "Blues" portion of his group's name and eventually returned Capitol's investment with hits like "The Joker" and "Fly Like An Eagle." On this day in 1967, soul singing legend Otis Redding and four members of the R&B group the Bar-Kays were killed when their tour plane crashed into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. Redding was just 26, and his posthumous single "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" hit #1 soon after his death. On this day in 1976, the live, triple-album set "Wings Over America" by Paul McCartney & Wings was released. On this day in 1983, Pat Benatar's "Love Is A Battlefield" peaked at #5 as John Mellencamp released his fourth Top 10 hit, "Pink Houses." On this day in 1984, the single "Do They Know It's Christmas" entered the U.K. charts at #1. It had been recorded by Band Aid, a group of musicians gathered by Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof to raise funds for the starving people in Ethiopia. The success of the effort lead directly to the huge Live Aid concerts and "We Are The World" single. On this day in 1988, Van Halen's song "Finish What Ya Started" peaked at #13 on the charts. On this day in 1999, bassist Rick Danko of The Band, died in his sleep in Woodstock, New York after celebrating his 56th birthday.
Cold And Rainy London Will RockAfter a cold, rainy weekend, jolly old London will enjoy a cold, partly cloudy Monday with temperatures dipping to around 40 for tonight's Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert at the 20,000 seat O2 Arena. Led Zeppelin will headline the event with the band's first full concert since the 1980 death of drummer John Bonham. The most anticipated reunion of the past two decades will see the Zeppelin — featuring original members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones with Bonham's son Jason filling in for his dad — performing a two-hour set. This concert has led to numerous rumors that the band's reunion will extend beyond this one event, but there's been nothing official about a possible Zeppelin tour. The charity fundraiser in honor of the late co-founder of Atlantic Records will also include shorter sets from Foreigner, Paul Rodgers, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings as well as a few other artists. KLOS' own Gary Moore will be putting up with bad food, warm beer, low pay and lousy living quarters to give first hand reports from the gig — stay tuned! As a reference: The man who inspired this massive event, Ahmet Ertegun, was a key figure in the careers of numerous rock, pop, jazz and R&B stars besides Led Zeppelin. A few of the bigger names included The Rolling Stones, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. This coming Friday will mark the first anniversary of his death following a fall backstage at a Rolling Stones concert. Mr. Mellencamp's Big WeekThis is a big week for John Mellencamp. First, a series of features called "Mellencamp: Thoughts Shared" begin airing today on HDNet. Taped at his home studio in Bloomington, Indiana, the shows feature live performances as well as John's opinions on things like war, racism, the voting process and farm policy. Then, Wednesday night at the Lincoln Center in Manhattan, Mellencamp will be honored with the ASCAP Foundation's Champion Award for his use of music in the service of humanity. Following that, John will finish up his Fall tour and finally begin his Christmas shopping. Bruce Adds Three BiggiesBruce Springsteen & The E Street Band have booked three Summer shows at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — the very place where Bruce has sold out 66 prior concerts, 51 of which were with The E Street Band. It looks like the Giants Stadium dates — July 27th, 28th and 31st, — will wrap Springsteen's world tour in support of his "Magic" album. Meanwhile, a video for the "Magic" song "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" will be available for purchase at iTunes in a couple of weeks. The clip will come packaged with a remixed version of the song (hopefully clearer) and a new live track. Sir Elty Books 29 MoreTo satisfy Sir Elty's personal rule that you can't live long without an Elton John story in the news, he has booked a new bunch of dates for his Red Piano engagement at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. The 29 new shows are scattered across a three-month span running from March 19th until June 22nd, which conveniently leaves the second half of 2008 open for even more gigs! You may now return to your regularly scheduled life. Motley Suing/Not SuingIn case there was any doubt, Motley Crue has made it clear that they are not suing their drummer, Tommy Lee, but are suing his manager, Carl Stubner, for making threats and demanding more money for himself. Now in court, Stubner's attorneys are arguing that the group should be suing Tommy and not him. To that guitarist Mick Mars says, "Tommy Lee has been my and Nikki (Sixx's) friend for longer than anyone. This band is not going to sue Tommy Lee." The judge in the hearing has asked the Crue to provide more details on the threats Stubner made... and the beat goes on.
Quote Of The DayIt was Arthur Baer who said: "Alimony is like buying oats for a dead horse." Most Dangerously Drunk"Men's Health" magazine has published a list of Most Dangerously Drunk cities in the U.S. based on annual death rates due to alcoholic liver disease, drunken driving arrests, percentage of accidents involving intoxicated motorists and Mother's Against Drunk Driving statistics. The Most Dangerously Drunk metropolis is: Denver, Colorado! A close second is Anchorage, Alaska followed by Colorado Springs, Colorado. Omaha, Nebraska is fourth and Fargo, North Dakota took fifth in the deadly list. Hard to believe, but the Least Drunk city is Jersey City, New Jersey. |
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