December 11 - 20, 2008
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!
December 11, 2008
Drummer Chester Thompson of Genesis is 60.
Bassist Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue is 50.
On this day in 1957, 22-year-old rock pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis married the daughter of his bass player. The bride, 13-year-old Myra Gale Brown, was also Jerry Lee's second cousin. And, to be perfectly honest, Jerry was still married to his second wife at the time. Oh, those were the days!
On this day in 1965, The Yardbirds' groundbreaking cover of Bo Diddley's "I'm A Man" peaked at #17 on the charts.
On this day in 1972, Genesis made their American concert debut at Boston's Brandeis University.
On this day in 1973, a film crew shot footage of Jimmy Page climbing a mountain for the Led Zeppelin film "The Song Remains the Same" behind his home on Loch Ness, Scotland. Page explained, "I wanted to get a full moon in the shot and it came up in December." Truly art for art's sake.
On this day in 1977, Bob Seger's song "Night Moves" entered the charts.
On this day in 1982, the Pretenders released the song "Back On The Chain Gang" as Pat Benatar's "Shadows Of The Night" peaked at #13 on the charts.
This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young as well as more of Joe's conversation with Graham Nash and Stephen Stills.
John On TV Tonight
John Mellencamp's documentary is premiering on the Biography Channel tonight. The 90-minute "Homeward Bound: John Mellencamp" offers an excellent look at the Indiana native's career, and includes footage from the special concert he performed in October at the Crump Theatre in Columbus, Indiana. And yes, John is on good behavior throughout the show.
Lennon's Still Feeding People
John Lennon is helping feed people in Florida. Over 31,000 "Imagine" license plates sold over the past four years have generated $786,125 for the Florida Association of Food Banks, Inc. The specialty plate features the late Beatle's doodled self-portrait against a background of clouds. Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, is pleased with the success of the license plate program, noting "Imagine is a great word to spread around and I was happy to do this because it is helping a very important charity." Right so!
Macca's Boorish Boars
The Brit tabloids are reporting that Paul McCartney has angered his neighbors by refusing to let authorities reduce the number of wild boars on his 1,500 acre East Sussex estate. His neighbor say that the animals, which can weigh up to 900 pounds each, "are breeding like rabbits and his estate is completely overrun." While the official boar count on the former Beatle's property is 200, boar experts reportedly believe the actual population is twice that. Macca's neighbors profess to be less concerned for their safety than they are concerned about the boars destruction of crops, gardens and other plant life. While a spokesperson for the singer refused to comment, you can figure on Sir Paulie's ex, Heather Mills, pontificating any day now.
Boss vs. Peter
Bruce Springsteen and Peter Gabriel will each be competing for the Best Song honor at the 14th annual Critics' Choice Awards on January 8th in Santa Monica. The Boss received his nomination for the title track to the film "The Wrestler," while Gabriel was recognized for "Down to Earth" from the animated flick "Wall-E."
Fogerty's Rangers
Former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty is finishing work on an exciting new album. "John Fogerty: The Return of the Blue Ridge Rangers" is actually a sequel of sorts to his 1973 solo set of vintage country and roots covers, "Blue Ridge Rangers." John says that he's long hoped to return to the Blue Ridge Rangers concept, but not as the one-man band he was on the original. "I've known for years that if I ever did a Blue Ridge Rangers album again I sure didn't want to play all the instruments," he said. "I had long felt that was probably something that was wrong with the first album." Fogerty recorded 15 songs for the new album in a 10-day session at Village Recorders in Santa Monica, with T-Bone Burnett and Lenny Waronker co-producing. The players included multi-instrumentalist Greg Leisz and bassist Dennis Crouch (of the Robert Plant/Alison Kraus T-Bone Burnett band), and guitarist Buddy Miller as well as drummers Jay Bellerose and Kenny Aronoff. No word if John will tour behind the album next year, but it's pretty hard to keep him down when he's on a roll!
Quotes Of The Day
It 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."
It was Steven Wright who said: "I played a blank cassette at full volume and drove the mime next door totally crazy."
Eight Lessons Of Maturity
1. Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.
2. No matter how much you care, some people are just jackasses.
3. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
4. It is not what you wear, it is how you take it off.
5. Do not sweat the petty things, and do not pet the sweaty things.
6. We are responsible for what we do, unless we are celebrities.
7. There is a fine line between genius and insanity.
8. The people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon and all the less important ones just never go away. The real pains-in-the-ass are permanent.
December 12, 2008
Former Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts is 65.
KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick is 56.
Singer Cy Curnin of The Fixx is 51.
On this day in 1964, "She's Not There" by the Zombies peaked at #2.
On this day in 1966, Pink Floyd played their first major concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. The show, like most of their early concerts, was for charity. In this particular instance the charity was a famine relief organization.
On this day in 1970, Steven Stills released the song "Love The One You're With" just as Eric Clapton's cover of "After Midnight" peaked at #18 on the charts.
On this day in 1974, The Rolling Stones began sessions in Munich for what eventually became their 1976 "Black And Blue" album. On this same day, the band announced the departure of guitarist Mick Taylor, who had replaced founding member Brian Jones five years earlier. When asked of Taylor's replacement, Mick Jagger quipped, "No doubt we can find a brilliant six-foot-three blonde guitarist who can do his own make-up." The "Black And Blue" album was eventually recorded with several guitarists, including Wayne Perkins, Harvey Mandel and one Ron Wood (late of the Faces). Woody, who was neither blonde nor even close to six-foot-three, eventually replaced Taylor.
On this day in 1985, keyboardist Ian Stewart died of a heart attack in his doctor's London office at the age of 47. Stewart was a founding member of The Rolling Stones, but their manager Andrew Loog Oldham fired him because he didn't have "the right look." Stewart instead became the band's road manager, their indispensable sideman, best friend and, as Keith Richards has since described him, "the very soul of The Rolling Stones."
On this day in 1987, Aerosmith's "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" peaked at #14 on the charts.
This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young as well as more of Joe's conversation with Graham Nash and Stephen Stills.
On Stage Tonight
Metallica will be pounding the stage at the brand new Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario tonight.
2008's Biggest (Tours)
According to "Billboard" magazine's Boxscore list, Bon Jovi's hard work really paid off well. The New Jersey band scored the past year's highest-grossing tour, pulling in $210.5 million. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (another Jersey outfit) had the second most profitable trek, raking in $204.5 mil on their "Magic" tour. Other folks making the cash included The Police, who pulled in $150 million on the second leg of their reunion tour and the Eagles, whose ongoing "Farewell" tour pulled in $56.6 million.
It's Bruce & Peter Again
Nothing like two nominations in two days for two heavyweight songwriters! Bruce Springsteen's title track from "The Wrestler" and Peter Gabriel's song "Down to Earth" from the animated flick "Wall-E" were already in the running for the 2009 Critics' Choice Awards, and now both are up for the Best Original Song – Motion Picture Golden Globe Award. The Golden Globe Awards ceremony will air on NBC live from Los Angeles on January 11th.
U2 Go Full Circle
It was 21 years ago that Harry Crosbie began to transform a derelict old railway yard on Dublin's deserted docks into The Point Depot — one of the city's great music venues. The first people to use the space, surrounded by trains and freight, was U2, who shot the "Desire" performance scene that opened their 1988 film "Rattle & Hum" on their first day in the venue. Now the old depot has been replaced by the soon-to-open state of the art 02 Arena, and once again — at their old friend Harry Crosbie's invitation — Bono and The Edge were the first to perform there late last week. A video of one of the "Rattle & Hum" songs they performed, "Van Diemen's Land", is now set to air on Ireland's RTE on December 16th. This week the boys were shooting a video of a brand new song in London. When they finally return home for the holidays, they're expected to continue putting the finishing touches on their 12th studio album, which is due out next year.
Rockin' Off Broadway/On Screen
A movie adaptation of the off-Broadway musical "Rock of Ages" is officially in the works. Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire's company, Maguire Entertainment, will help produce the film, which will feature music by Eighties stalwarts Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar and Whitesnake. If nothing else, this project will use a lot of hair spray!
Thought For The Weekend
It was Mark Twain who said: "All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure."
Curious Factoids For Curious Minds
The animal responsible for the most human deaths worldwide is the mosquito.
The four taste zones on your tongue are bitter (back), sour (back sides), salty (front sides) and sweet (front).
The name for Oz in "The Wizard of Oz" was thought up when the creator, Frank Baum, looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N, and O-Z, hence "Oz."
December 13, 2008
Guitarist/bow hunter/yahoo Ted Nugent is 60.
Guitarist/defense expert Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan fame is 60.
Guitarist Berton Averre of The Knack is 54.
On this day in 1961, The Beatles signed their first management contract with Brian Epstein. Neither he nor they knew what they were doing, but together they changed the world.
On this day in 1966, Jimi Hendrix recorded "Foxey Lady." And the world was never the same again.
On this day in 1974, former Beatle George Harrison met President Gerald Ford at the White House after the president's son Jack invited George to Washington. Soon after, Peter Frampton stopped by for lunch with George, Jack and the President. No one seemed to know who invited Peter, but all had a good time telling road stories.
On this day in 1987, Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer" entered the charts.
December 14, 2008
Nostradamus (physician, astrologer, clairvoyant) would have been 505 and still full of it.
Cliff Williams, AC/DC's longtime bassist, is 59.
On this day in 1974, the song "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" by The Rolling Stones peaked at #17 on the charts.
On this day in 1975, the classic "Lady" by Styx entered the singles charts.
On this day in 1999, Paul McCartney, along with David Gilmour guitarist of Pink Floyd and drummer Ian Paice of Deep Purple, performed at the Cavern Club for the first time since his days with The Beatles. The concert was broadcast live over the Internet and beat all previous audience records. Trust me, The Beatles songs were the highlight.
On this day in 2006, Ahmet Ertegun, who helped define American music as the founder of Atlantic Records while nurturing talent like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, John Coltrane, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, died at the age of 83. Ertegun suffered a head injury when he fell at the October 29th Rolling Stones Beacon Theater concert in New York. He spent weeks comatose in a hospital before finally succumbing.
December 15, 2008
Drummer Dave Clark of the Dave Clark 5 is 66 and no longer drumming.
Drummer Carmine Appice, who most notably performed with Vanilla Fudge as well as Beck, Bogert, Appice and Rod Stewart, is 62.
Paul Simonon, bassist with The Clash, is 53.
On this day in 1962, bassist Bill Wyman made his live debut with The Rolling Stones at Putney's Church Hall in London.
On this day in 1966, The Beatles recorded the trumpets and cellos for "Strawberry Fields Forever" at Abbey Road studios.
On this day in 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono and their Plastic Ono Band — including special guests Eric Clapton, Keith Moon and George Harrison — performed at a benefit for UNICEF at London's Lyceum Theater.
On this day in 1970, George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" album was released.
On this day in 1971, the first of The Rolling Stones' "Hot Rocks" compilations was released.
On this day in 1973, Genesis made their first appearance on the U.S. charts with the album "Selling England By The Pound." It was the band's fourth release, but their first in America. Led by Peter Gabriel, they set the standard for "art rock/progressive rock" groups of the time.
On this day in 1979, Fleetwood Mac's song "Sara" entered the charts as "Take The Long Way Home" by Supertramp peaked at #10 and John Cougar's "I Need A Lover" topped out at #28.
On this day in 1984, "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" by U2 peaked at #33 on the charts.
13 Stoned Streets
Sure, anybody can get a street or an alley named after them... but The Rolling Stones are about to have 13 named in their honor! This week the Town Council of Dartford, England — where Mick Jagger and Keith Richards grew up — is expected to approve using Stones songs for the names of streets in a new subdivision. The more obvious include Satisfaction Street, Ruby Tuesday Drive, and Angie Mews ("mews" is a British term describing a row of stables, usually with carriage houses below and living quarters above) as well as Sympathy Street (as in "Sympathy For The Devil"), Black Boulevard (from "Paint It Black") and Start Street (from "Start Me Up"). But the local police are worried that the signs will have to be replaced frequently, noting Beatles fans have stolen every street sign in Liverpool and London relating to the Fab Four, including Penny Lane and Abbey Road. The leader of the council, the Honorable Jeremy Kite, said the signs were "well designed" to deter thieves, and that "I think there is more chance of people coming to have their photographs taken there." Note to trivia freaks: "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" was a Beatles song, not a Stones tune.
Johnson/Williams/Entwistle For Kids
AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson will be on hand next Monday for the dedication of a music therapy room named in his honor at Florida's Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Equipment in the room was donated by the John Entwistle Foundation, a charity named for the late Who bassist that provides instruments and musical education to sick children. Johnson's bandmate Cliff Williams has a similar facility named after him at The Children's Cancer Hospital in Fort Myers, Florida. Right so!
Brit's May Solve Copyright Dilemma
While copyright protection in America lasts 95 years, the current British copyright laws only give protection for 50 years — bad news for the artists who wrote and recorded the songs of the Sixties British Invasion. That means, for example, copyrights on the The Beatles’ catalog will start expiring in 2013. After several years of campaigning to bring the Brit laws up to date, the musicians who would lose out on their royalties finally got some good news last Friday. Word is that the British government is finally planning to extend the law to cover artists for 70 years. As one unnamed official officially noted on the BBC, “It’s only right that someone who created or contributed to something of real value gets to benefit for the full course of their life.” I'm sure The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and many others would agree!
Eat With Viv
Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell is auctioning off dinner with him and a few friends at a fancy L.A. eatery on March 7th. The 10 highest bidding fans will join Viv with all the evening's proceeds benefiting Create Now, which provides creative arts mentoring to troubled youths. You can check out the auction on eBay.
Quotes Of The Day
It was Coach John Wooden who said: "Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character."
It was Arthur Baer who said: "Alimony is like buying oats for a dead horse."
Mid-December Factoids
Buying carnations or roses is a prerequisite for a first date in Russia, but they must be given in odd numbers. Flowers given in even numbers are reserved for funerals.
An old English tradition dictates that a bride stands to the groom's left at their wedding so that his sword hand is free. Apparently Anglo-Saxon brides were often kidnapped before a wedding and brawls were common at the ceremonies. That's also why the best man stands with the groom; the tribe's best warrior was there to help the groom defend the bride.
December 16, 2008
Singer/guitarist Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top is 59.
On this day in 1966, the Jimi Hendrix Experience released their first single, "Hey Joe," in England.
On this day in 1972, the song "And You And I (Part II)" by Yes peaked at #42 on the charts.
On this day in 1984, ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill was accidentally shot in the stomach when a gun he carried in his boot went off as his girlfriend helped him remove his foot wear. He recovered after surgery.
On this day in 1989, Bon Jovi's "Living In Sin" peaked at #9 on the singles chart.
The Tyler-Siberian Orchestra
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler made surprise appearances at three recent Trans-Siberian Orchestra concerts. Tyler performed "Dream On" and "Sweet Emotion" at TSO's Friday night show in Uniondale, New York, and both Saturday concerts in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Warren Whacked It Good
This year’s star-studded, 20th anniversary edition of guitarist Warren Haynes’ annual Christmas Jam hit it bigger than usual. Held on December 12th and 13th in Haynes’ hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, Warren was joined on stage on the first night by multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. The duet of the Zep classic “Going to California” came about three-quarters of the way into the Friday night show, which began with a performance by Haynes’ band Gov’t Mule and didn’t end until more than nine hours later, at 4:20 a.m. Saturday morning, when Haynes’ other group, the Allman Brothers Band, hit the last note of “One Way Out.” Sandwiched in between were performances from the Derek Trucks Band, Joan Osborne, Travis Tritt and others. Wonder if Jonesy is considering touring with Warren?
All Hail Bono
Although he's been nominated multiple times, Bono has never won the Nobel Peace Prize. And that didn't seem to bother him when he received the Man Of Peace award at a gathering of Nobel peace laureates last Friday in Paris. The U2 frontman was honored for his efforts to combat global poverty and the HIV/AIDS crisis. When asked for his reaction to the award, he quipped, "I am an over-awarded, over-rewarded rock star... We all know this is as close as I'm going to get to the real thing." Actors George Clooney and Don Cheadle are among those who have won the Man Of Peace award in past years.
Beck Weighs In
Ever since the two played together in The Yardbirds in the mid-Sixties, legendary guitar god Jeff Beck has never held back on voicing his opinions about his old friend/fellow guitar god Jimmy Page's band Led Zeppelin. So when he was asked about the rumored Zep tour without lead singer Robert Plant, Beck let it rip. "I really don't think it's a good idea, not if Robert doesn't want to. I was there at the one-off show at the O2 Arena and it was fantastic. But I think they should just leave it there... They will have been offered loads of money and it'll be tempting but that's not a good enough reason to me. It would be different if they all wanted to do it and record new material but that's not the case." This past September Plant declared he has "no intention whatsoever of touring with anyone for at least the next two years." It should also be noted that Robert's first collaboration with bluegrass superstar Alison Krauss scored five GRAMMY Award nominations including Record Of The Year.
Metallica/Pearl Jam
While they've never competed in a battle of the bands, Metallica and Pearl Jam will be "virtually" going head-to-head next Spring. Tied in with the reissue of Pearl Jam’s debut album "Ten" on March 24th, the Seattle quintet's classic 1991 album will be playable in its entirety on Rock Band 2. Right about that same time, Guitar Hero: Metallica will hit the streets boasting 28 still-to-be-announced Metallica tracks.
Sammy Pulls A License
Well that exercise in franchising sure didn't work out. After several embarrassing issues arose involving unpaid workers, Sammy Hagar has revoked the Cabo Wabo Cantina license he sold to a Fresno restaurant in August. He stated in a press release, "I have always stood for providing an exceptional experience for my fans and associating myself with like-minded business partners."
Quotes Of The Day
It was Steven Wright who said: "Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time."
It was British diplomat Benjamin Disraeli who said: "Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth."
December 17, 2008
Vocalist Paul Rodgers of Free and Bad Company is 59.
R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills (born in Orange, CA!) is 50.
On this day in 1973, Fleetwood Mac's manager, Clifford Davis, took advantage of the group's first break from touring and recording by stealing their name and sending the fake Fleetwood Mac out on tour. When Mick Fleetwood found out what was happening, he sued Davis and assumed management of the band himself.
On this day in 1977, Fleetwood Mac's "You Make Loving Fun" peaked at #9 on the charts.
On this day in 1982, The Who performed one of their first farewell concerts at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. Worried about never seeing one of the greatest rock band's in history again, many of us gullible fans purchased the concert on pay-per-view. Of course, 26 years later The Who still tour on a regular basis.
On this day in 1983, The Pretenders released the song "Middle of the Road." It eventually topped out at #19 on the charts.
On this day in 1986, The Doobie Brothers reunited for the first time. They got along so well during the benefit concert in Palo Alto, they've been rockin' down the highway ever since.
This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature a special Christmas show with rockin' Holiday music and interviews with Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, John Lennon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Moody Blues, REO Speedwagon, Rush, Brian Setzer, Styx and the Trans Siberian Orchestra.
Metallica On Stage
Metallica will be blasting the walls out at The Forum tonight and again tomorrow.
Iconic Studio To Close
It looks like the legendary Olympic Studios in London will soon be closing due to cash flow problems. The 42-year-old facility — where U2 are currently recording in the big room — has played host over the years to The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. The private equity firm that bought the EMI music empire (owners of both Olympic and Abbey Road studios) have fired over 2,000 staff since taking over last year. Now they've reportedly warned U2 that if they don't hurry up, they won't be able to finish their album in the famed studios. If that's how you treat the world's biggest group, no wonder your company is going under!
Kids Are Alright Again
The Who's excellent 1979 documentary "The Kids Are Alright" will be reissued in two different DVD forms on January 20th. Both will feature digital remastering and 5.1 surround sound and the single-disc version will include commentary by director Jeff Stein. The double-disc version boasts interviews with Who vocalist Roger Daltrey and Stein, a behind-the-scenes look at the film's restoration and closer looks at the live performances of "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again." These boys have a pretty good track record for this type of project: The Who documentary "Amazing Journey" is up for the 2008 Best Longform Music Video GRAMMY Award.
Elty Does It Right
Leave it to Elton John to give us a great Holiday story. Sir Elty donated more than 1,000 tickets for his concert last night in Birmingham, England to the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. The organization then sold the seats to doctors, nurses and other hospital workers at a big discount to thank them for their contributions to health care. In the process, the sale raised more than $15,000 for the Trust's charitable pursuits. Right so!
More Twisted Brit Justice
So when you think of the British band The Animals, do you think of singer Eric Burdon or John Steel the drummer? A U.K. Intellectual Property Office adjudicator has ruled in favor of the drummer, giving him the legal rights to the name in Britain. Burdon's lawyer described the vocalist as, "the charismatic lead singer and songwriter who has captivated the hearts and imagination of generation upon generation of teenagers the world over," and claimed "no one remembers the drummer." But the adjudicator said Burdon's attorney didn't provide sufficient evidence to support her praise of the former Animals frontman, and regarding her assessment of drummers added, "I trust that she does not encounter Ringo." The fact that Ringo played with the biggest band in the history of rock & roll — The Beatles — and not for The Animals seems a moot point at best in jolly old England.
Quotes Of The Day
It was Martin Luther King Jr. who said: "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
It was Mark Twain who said: "The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop."
December 18, 2008
Chas Chandler, bassist for the Animals and Jimi Hendrix's original manager would have been 70.
Bassist Sam Andrew of Big Brother & the Holding Company is 67.
Defying the odds, the one and only Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones is 65.
Bobby Keys, longtime sax player with The Rolling Stones, has survived hanging with Keef to also become 65.
Guitarist Elliot Easton of The Cars is 55.
On this day in 1971, 36-year-old rock icon/hellraiser Jerry Lee Lewis divorced his 27-year-old second cousin, Myra Gale Brown after 14 years of marriage. At least they were still family.
On this day in 1975, Rod Stewart announced that he was leaving the Faces for a solo career.
On this day in 1976, Steve Miller's song "Fly Like An Eagle" entered the charts.
On this day in 1976, the Eagles' soon-to-be #1 hit "New Kid in Town" entered the charts as their classic "Hotel California" album was released.
On this day in 1978, Led Zeppelin finished recording their last studio album, "In Through the Out Door."
This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature a special Christmas show with rockin' Holiday music and interviews with Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, John Lennon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Moody Blues, REO Speedwagon, Rush, Brian Setzer, Styx and the Trans Siberian Orchestra.
Metallica On Stage
Metallica will finish blasting the walls out at The Forum tonight.
Eagles Keep Selling 'Em
The Eagles have one of the best-selling records of the year for the second consecutive year — with the same album! The group's "The Long Road Out of Eden" from 2007 came in fourth on Neilsen and "Billboard" magazine's Top 10 Albums of 2008 list. It initially hit stores on October 30th, 2007, and it sold 711,000 copies in its first week alone. By the end of '07, the album had sold over two million, making it the best-selling country album and the fifth best-seller of the year overall. And that, my friends, is a lesson in how it's supposed to be done!
Life Is But A Fantasy
Former Grand Funk Railroad frontman Mark Farner, Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan, Yes drummer Alan White and KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick will be among the counselors at next year's Hollywood edition of the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp. Activities for the April 29th - May 3rd event will include the campers organizing into bands to record an original song at Capitol Studios with famed producer Eddie Kramer, then playing a showcase at the Whisky A Go Go. No word on if there'll be an audition for groupies, but anything is possible in the world of Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy.
Ripping Off The Sab
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has sued giant concert promoter Live Nation for selling merchandise using his band’s logo. It seems that Black Sabbath’s contract with the Signatures merchandise company expired a full year before Live Nation bought Signatures in 2007. So when Live Nation and Signatures ignored Iommi's cease & desist letter this past April and continued to sell over 100 items featuring the band’s likeness, name and logo, the guitarist decided to take them to court. Sure sounds like ticket sales for the next Black Sabbath tour will be handled through Ticketmaster instead of Live Nation, doesn't it?
50 Winters Later
It's a safe bet that Graham Nash has never been to Clear Lake, Iowa — especially in February. But he's going to give it a shot when he joins the line-up of the 50 Winters Later tribute concert commemorating the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that killed the legendary Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. Buddy Holly's band The Crickets, Los Lobos and several others are taking part in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame sponsored concert on February 2nd. The tribute will take place at the site of the three rock & roll legends' final show, the 2,100 seat, 1947-era Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. Let's just hope Graham stays away from small planes while he's there.
Mick & Ben To Help
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and actor Ben Affleck launched an initiative yesterday to raise $23 million to aid displaced citizens of the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo. In conjunction with the United Nations campaign, Affleck co-directed a short movie called "Gimme Shelter," to which The Stones donated their song of the same name. Money raised by the project will go toward buying humanitarian supplies for the refugees, including mosquito nets, blankets and utensils. Right so!
Quotes Of The Day
It was Jay Leno, the extremely successful talk show host and avid car collector, who said: "Race-car driving is a little like sex. All men think they're good at it... and when you are out there by yourself, you actually are good at it — until somebody else comes on the track."
It was W. Edwards Deming who said: "It is not enough to do your best; you must know what to do, and then do your best."
Unc's annual Holiday music festival is going to rock Christmas Eve on KLOS! Three hours of your favorite Classic Rock & Roll Christmas songs, conversations, stories and rare Nuggets — along with songs from John Lennon, Boston, Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles, U2, Camp Freddy, The Black Crowes and Stevie Nicks, among many others. Check out the playlist!
December 19, 2008
Alvin Lee, speed guitarist and vocalist for Ten Years After, is 64.
On this day in 1955, Carl Perkins recorded his signature hit "Blue Suede Shoes" at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.
On this day in 1964, the Fab Four's "Beatles for Sale" album spent its first week at #1 on the U.K. charts. To accomplish that, it knocked The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" off the top spot, where that album had spent the prior 21 weeks.
On this day in 1970, the much-praised "All Things Must Pass" from George Harrison entered the charts. The triple album is still considered by many to be his best solo work.
On this day in 1974, during his only solo world tour, former Beatle George Harrison performed the first of two nights at Madison Square Garden.
On this day in 1975, guitarist Ron Wood officially joined The Rolling Stones.
On this day in 1981, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" peaked at #9 on the charts.
On this day in 1993, Michael Clarke, The Byrds' original drummer, died of liver failure at the age of 49.
This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature a special Christmas show with rockin' Holiday music and interviews with Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, John Lennon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Moody Blues, REO Speedwagon, Rush, Brian Setzer, Styx and the Trans Siberian Orchestra.
U2 Set Release Date/Cash In Stocks
It's official! The new U2 album, "No Line On The Horizon," will be released on March 3rd. Their 12th studio album will be their first since 2004's "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb," which sold over nine million copies. In other U2 news, when concert promoter Live Nation agreed to pay the band $25 million for a 12-year contract, they never anticipated the big ass recession of 2008. So with Live Nation's stock prices plummeting to $3.91 a share this week, the Irish band sold their 1.6 million shares, forcing the promoter to cover the additional $19 million that was promised to the boys. Wonder how that will affect ticket prices on the forthcoming U2 world tour?
Whining, Whining, Whining
Seriously, if Axl Rose really publicized his new Guns N' Roses album instead of constantly complaining that everyone's screwing him, he might sell more than 12 copies of the damn thing. His latest slam is on Guitar Hero, saying they used GN'R songs without his permission. And the beat goes on.
More Pretenders
Suddenly prolific, The Pretenders will issue a new digital album Tuesday as part of the iTunes Originals series, available exclusively via iTunes. The nine-song collection will include new performances of songs from the group's six-month-old album, "Break Up The Concrete," as well as older material recorded by the current Pretenders line-up and interviews with frontwoman Chrissie Hynde.
Rush Cameo
Sounds like you might catch a glimpse of the guys from Rush in Paul Rudd's new movie, "I Love You Man." Word is that the trio filmed a "secret" cameo for the flick during a break from their Snakes & Arrows tour earlier this year. Guess we'll all just have to wait until March 20th when the movie, co-starring Jason Segel, is finally released.
Kansas & The Orchestra
Kansas will play a special show in Topeka with the 50-member Washburn University Orchestra on February 7th. The gig in the school's White Concert Hall will later be released on DVD and hopefully no W.U. coeds will be hurt in the post-show partying.
Thought For The Weekend
It was English humorist P.G. Wodehouse who observed: "The trouble with cats is that they've got no tact."
December 20, 2008
Former KISS drummer Peter Criss is 63.
Singer Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes is 42.
On this day in 1957, Elvis Presley was drafted into the U.S. Army.
On this day in 1967, singer Ian Anderson and bassist Glen Cornick left the John Evan Band to join up with guitarist Mick Abraham and drummer Clive Bunker. At first the band changed their name at every gig because they played so poorly they weren't being asked back. Later, Anderson was at the home of their manager, Terry Ellis, when he spotted a book by the 18th century agriculturist/author Jethro Tull. The band has been using that name ever since.
On this day in 1969, The Rolling Stones' classic album "Let It Bleed" knocked The Beatles' "Abbey Road" off the top of the British album charts. "Abbey Road" returned to the #1 position the following week.
On this day in 1973, singer/songwriter Bobby Darin died of heart failure while having his second open-heart surgery in two years. He was only 37.
On this day in 1975, guitarist Joe Walsh replaced Bernie Leadon in the Eagles. Walsh's songwriting, musicality and guitar technique were a boost to the band's sound, and his weird-ass sense of humor added a welcome new wrinkle to the Eagles' hip Southern California countenance.
On this day in 1980, Pat Benatar's song "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" peaked at #9 on the charts.