EAGLE 969 - Classic Rock News

Classic Rock News

Neil Young has announced a new series of dates, that will take him near us in Reno at the Events Center on November 1st. Death Cab For Cutie will open for him.

You'll be hearing a lot of Foreigner's "Feels Like the First Time," but not their version. Daughtry has covered the song, and it will be included on the upcoming deluxe edition of their self-titled debut, as well as featured in CNN's League of First Time Voters campaign. Chris Daughtry says, "Getting to re-record a classic song like this was a real honor for us, and we hope it helps inspire people to vote." Foreigner's Mick Jones says, "Daughtry's version is very cool and has more than captured the essence of the original. I am delighted that the song will be used in this critical initiative." The deluxe edition of Daughtry hits stores September 9th. The original version of the song is from Foreigner's self-titled 1977 debut album.

The third time was certainly not the charm for Phil Collins, who's facing yet another pricey divorce.

After six years of marriage and two children, the musician's former wife, Swiss-born Orianne Cevey, 35, has received a $46.76 million cash payout from Collins, 57, reports Britain's Daily Mirror.

The record settlement – Britain's biggest ever in a celebrity divorce – tops by some $2 million what Paul McCartney gave Heather Mills earlier this year.

Collins is no stranger to expensive breakups. Second wife Jill Tavelman received $34 million after he ended their relationship by fax in 1994.

In all, according to a Daily Telegraph tally, Collins's divorces have cost him $84 million – nearly a third of his estimated $280 fortune.

Starting today, AC/DC's new album Black Ice is available for pre-order at a trio of websites. ACDC.com, Walmart.com and Samsclub.com are all stocking the album, currently being offered at the “special price” of $11.88. The Brendan O’Brien-produced LP, the band’s first in eight years, isn’t due in Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores until October 20th, and first single “Rock ‘N’ Roll Train” comes out August 28th. AC/DC also revealed the album’s cover art (above) and track listing, below.

Black Ice track list:

1. “Rock ‘N Roll Train”
2. “Skies On Fire”
3. “Big Jack”
4. “Anything Goes”
5. “War Machine”
6. “Smash ‘N Grab”
7. “Spoilin’ For a Fight”
8. “Wheels”
9. “Decibel”
10. “Stormy May Day”
11. “She Likes Rock ‘N Roll”
12. “Money Made”
13. “Rock N Roll Dream”
14. “Rocking All the Way”
15. “Black Ice”

The rumor mill regarding the next U2 album is heating up. A tentative release date is set for November 18th, which is right around the time the band's last two albums -- 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind and 2004's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb -- were released. The Irish Evening Herald reports that the first single is called "Sexy Boots" and should be released in mid-September. And many U2 sites are speculating that the album's title is No Line on the Horizon," which is known as one of the songs Bono and The Edge played for reporters at the Sundance Film Festival this year. Adding to that speculation is that Universal Music has registered the domain name NoLineontheHorizon-dot-com, but has not yet constructed a site at the name. A spokesman for the band was unavailable for comment.

George Harrison and Eric Clapton's ex-wife Pattie Boyd, who was also romantically linked to Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, says his recent alcohol-abuse relapse and his taking up with a teenage model are linked. She tells Britain's Independent, "I think Ronnie is a very romantic person and I'm sure he wanted to draw this girl and paint her because she's quite cute. But the reality is, he wants a drinking partner. So that's number-one. And number-two is that he wants to draw her -- she has a cute little body, face, whatever... I don't think that he wanted a lover. No. It's the alcohol talking."

Pattie is no stranger to addiction, having been married to Clapton, and she's been trying to help her younger sister Paula, a heroin addict and alcoholic.

There have been more Paul McCartney sightings as he makes his way across Route 66 with his girlfriend, Nancy Shevell, in a 1989 Ford Bronco. In Amarillo, Texas, he played his harmonica for a four-month-old boy named Jude after "Hey Jude." Also in Amarillo, the couple visited a TGI-Fridays (they ate a vegetarian meal); hit a Mexican restaurant for margaritas, chips and salsa; an antique shop; and reportedly the famous Cadillac Ranch outside of town. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, it was art museums and galleries; and in Gallup, the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial. In Flagstaff, Arizona, they ate at a hotel restaurant, which was closed for them. There are reports that while in Arizona they will stop by his ranch, where his first wife Linda died in 1998. He has reportedly not been there since then.

Former KISS drummer Peter Criss says he is 15 songs into a new album in addition to working on his autobiography. Talking to 40-Degrees 74-Degrees, a New Jersey shore magazine, Criss, who has lived in the shore town of Spring Lake for 10 years, says, "People who see me go, 'God, you look great. You look really at peace with yourself.' So I guess it shows... For me, I'm finally in a place where I belong now. I feel like I'm a senior rock star.'' As for KISS continuing without him and original guitarist Ace Frehley, Criss says, "No matter who they get to put stuff on their face, it ain't us. You can take the mask off the Lone Ranger and put it on someone else, but it ain't the Lone Ranger."

According to the New York Post, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will provide the halftime entertainment at Super Bowl 43 on February 1st in Tampa, Florida. A spokesman for Springsteen was unavailable for comment. If true, Springsteen will be the fourth classic rock act to perform since Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 game. Since then, the halftime show has featured such "safe acts" as Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

John Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, is up for parole this week for the fifth time, but was just denied according to reports. Meanwhile, there comes news that Chapman has been having conjugal visits with his wife for at least 16 years, according to New York's Daily News. Under the "family reunion" program at the Attica Correctional Facility in New York State, Chapman is allowed to spend 44 hours straight with his wife in a special modular "private homelike setting," says Correctional Services Department spokesman Erik Kriss. The wife, Gloria Hiroko Chapman, who was married to Chapman when he killed Lennon on December 8th, 1980, visits roughly once a year from her home in Hawaii.

After re-releasing their first three albums last month, U2 will now re-issue their first video, Live at Red Rocks, and the live album Under a Blood Red Sky on September 30th. Recorded at the Red Rocks Amphitheater outside Denver on June 5th, 1983, Live at Red Rocks will be available for the first time on DVD and will include five previously unreleased songs, a director's commentary, digitally re-graded pictures and surround-sound mix. Under a Blood Red Sky, released in November 1983 and recorded at three shows during the band's 1983 tour, has been re-mastered and will also be available on vinyl. A deluxe edition will contain both CD and DVD.

Bad Company reunited Friday night for a one-off show at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. It was the first time since 1999 that all the living original members -- singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs and drummer Simon Kirke -- performed together. Bassist Boz Burrell died in 2006. The one-hour-40-minute show, which was documented for a CD and DVD, featured a smattering of their radio staples -- "Bad Company," "Can't Get Enough," "Rock n' Roll Fantasy," "Ready for Love," "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Good Lovin' Gone Bad."

The band did the show primarily to protect its trademark. Ralphs had put together a version of the group that his manager suggested he call Bad Company 2008. It included a number of former Bad Co replacements, but the use of the Bad Co name was a no-no. As for the future, Kirke tells us, "Judging by how everyone felt, I think there'll certainly be more shows." Rodgers is now off to tour the world with Queen, while Ralphs and his band of Bad Co refugees have scattered dates in England later this month through November. Kirke is working on numerous projects, including possibly recording with John Waite.

Paul McCartney is on the run from fans as he and girlfriend Nancy Shevell make their way across Route 66 in his 1989 Ford Bronco. When word got out earlier this month about the road trip, fans have been on the lookout for the green S-U-V with New York plates. One TV station in Amarillo, Texas staked out the hotel the couple was staying in, and when Paul and Nancy checked out they were tailed. When a reporter held up a sign asking for an interview, Macca pulled over. But he sped off when the TV crew slowed down. The couple has also camped out and hiked in Bennett Springs State Park in Missouri.

Could Nancy become the third Mrs. Macca? Britain's The News of the World quotes a source as saying, "Paul's utterly enchanted with Nancy, and he's already rolling the idea of marriage around in his head. He adores everything about her. He thinks she's 'The One' and told [his daughter] Stella as much. He said, 'What would you say if I asked Nancy to be the next Mrs. McCartney?' And she joked back, 'At least she's financially independent.' Paul's not about to rush into anything, but he's happier than he's been for years." McCartney's spokesmen doesn't comment on his personal affairs.

The Rolling Stones' classic "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is responsible for waking a 60-year-old UK man out of 10-week coma, according to London's Daily Telegraph. Sam Carter lost consciousness after contracting severe anemia and was given a 30-perecent chance of survival. But the doctor told his wife to put headphones on him, and when he heard "Satisfaction," the very first record he'd ever bought, he opened his eyes. Carter says, "I can't remember much from being in a coma, but I do remember that when that song came on it took me right back to when I was a youngster. I could remember how excited I was to get it down at the record shop. I suddenly had a burst of energy and knew I had a lot more life left in me, and that's when I woke up -- to the sound of the first song I ever bought... I would love to thank Mick and the rest of the Stones personally -- I feel they really did help wake me from my coma." A spokeswoman for the Stones was unavailable for comment.

You have a whole year to save your money for yet another Woodstock collection. To mark the 40th anniversary, Warner Home Video will release Woodstock - The Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD on July 28th of next year. The restored and re-mastered release will contain more than an hour of newly discovered performances from the historic 1969 festival in Bethel, New York. Among the performers in this new footage are The Who, Joe Cocker, Canned Heat and Joan Baez, with more to be announced. This anniversary release will also contain filmmaker commentary, interviews with many of the performers, a documentary and other souvenir collectibles.

Guns n' Roses guitarist Ron Thal, also known as Bumblefoot when he joined the band two years ago, says people really don't have the right image of frontman Axl Rose. He tells Classic Rock Magazine, "The Axl I know is a thoughtful, caring, fun person. He really is." Thal adds that all the rumors about Rose on the Internet "make me laugh. But people don't want the truth. They want to be entertained. They invent things, or they embellish. Anything to feed the fire. Some of them are definitely trying to live vicariously." Thal is coy, however, about the release of the long-delayed Chinese Democracy. "The album will come out when all the pieces are in place, when it's best for the fans, the band...everybody. I have complete faith in our new management making all those pieces fit."

Can't make it to the final Police show tomorrow night at New York's MadisonSquareGarden? Fear not. The band's three-song encore will be streamed live at Best Buy- at 7:45 pm our time. If you miss that, on October 7th, Best Buy will start selling an exclusive DVD and CD set, The Police: Certifiable, which contains the band's show from Buenos Aires as well as bonus footage.

The Police are in New York today to tape their appearance on Elvis Costello's talk show Spectacle. The episode will air as part of Spectacle's debut season, which begins later this year on the Sundance Channel.

That recently discovered tape of The Beatles laughing and chatting during a 1964 recording session sold for 23-thousand dollars yesterday at an auction in England. On the tape, John Lennon and Paul McCartney giggle as they try to finish "I'll Follow the Sun." Also on the tape are versions of "I Feel Fine," "I'm a Loser" and "Don't Put Me Down Like This."

Paul McCartney is on vacation in the Midwest. On Saturday, he pulled a 1989 Ford Bronco into the lot of a Circle K gas station in Springfield, Illinois, where he was spotted and posed for a photo, which you can see at this website. Macca and his girlfriend, Nancy Shevell, were reportedly on their way to St. Louis.

Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler has landed a publishing deal for his autobiography. Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins, has won an auction to publish the book, but terms of the deal were not disclosed. Tyler once told us he held back stories from the band's autobiography, 1997's Walk This Way, so he could put them in his own book. No word yet on when Tyler's autobiography will be published.

Tyler has been added to jazz trumpeter Chris Botti's September 19th show with the Boston Pops in Boston. Also performing at the show, which will be filmed for a DVD and PBS special, are Sting, Josh Groban and Yo-Yo Ma.

A post on the Doobie Brothers website says drummer Michael Hossack has been "seriously injured in a taxi cab accident while on tour with the band. He is currently in stable condition in the hospital. More information will follow as soon as we have it." This is the second time in the last eight years that Hossack has been involved in a vehicular accident. In 2000 he was in a very serious motorcycle wreck that left him sidelined for 14 months. And earlier this year, someone was going around Las Vegas impersonating Hossack. That person has since been arrested. A spokesperson for the Doobies was unavailable for comment. The Doobies, along with their other drummer, Ed Toth, perform in Roseburg, Oregon tomorrow night.

Heather Mills is reportedly upset that Beatrice, her daughter with Paul McCartney, will vacation with her father and his new girlfriend, Nancy Shevell, during his annual August getaway at his home in the Hamptons section of Long Island, New York. A source tells London's Mirror, "This is a significant trip. If [Paul and Nancy] enjoy the month, they might start living together. And although Heather does not want Bea spending any time around Nancy, she has been told by Paul she has no say in it -- which did not go down well at all."

Meanwhile, the UK's edition of People magazine is reporting that Heather has a boyfriend, Jamie Walker, and that Beatrice refers to him as "Daddy." A source says, "Paul is feeling pangs of jealousy and frustration... He has to accept Bea will spend time with any partners of Heather's choice. But it's hard for him to accept because he has no control over who Heather dates. He's just feeling like any dad would in this situation -- slightly displaced."

Don Henley and the Eagles performed in eastern Canada on Saturday night, but that didn't stop him from going to see country legend Merle Haggard Sunday in Texas. Henley flew from Canada to Boston, where he arrived at two o'clock Sunday morning. He then caught a flight to Dallas and drove 150 miles to his hometown of Linden, Texas to see Haggard on Sunday night. "That's how much I wanted to see Merle Haggard," Henley tells The Dallas Morning News. It was the first time Henley had seen Haggard and he says he "loved it... That guy's music has meant a lot to me." Henley and the Eagles are now off until September 6th in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Last Friday was a big day for Queen and Paul Rodgers -- they mastered their first studio album, The Cosmos Rocks. Guitarist Brian May writes on his website, "After many months, and much mountain climbing, and a degree of pain, we have an album! Do they still call them 'albums'? I don't even know. But this is really, after a huge amount of chiseling, we believe, an album in the old sense of the word -- something you can put on and listen to all the way through, and it takes you on a journey. No, not a prog-rock 'concept album' -- the subjects and moods in it are much too widely spaced -- but nevertheless a challenge to the listener to put his day on hold for an hour or so, be drawn in, make connections and experience something new." The first single, "C-lebrity," hits British airwaves today. The album, which contains 13 songs, will be released on October 14th.

Van Morrison has posted videos of 20 performances on his website. 14 are taken from his tour this year, including his version of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb," as well as "Wavelength," "Cypress Avenue," "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Astral Weeks." Three performances come from last year, and one each comes from 1996, 1978 and 1973. Morrison has sporadic U-K dates scheduled through October.

Some guy has started an online petition to get Bono to give up his "misguided counter-productive philanthropy efforts." The petition's backers argue that campaigns such as Red have actually caused more harm than good. The petition reads, "The grassroots leaders of the global fight against AIDS didn't ask for Bono to be their frontman. It's time for Bono to step down." Organizers of the petition are also asking for money, which they'll donate to AIDS charities if they achieve their goal.

Creedence Clearwater Revival's first six albums have been re-mastered and will be re-released on September 30th. Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bayou Country, Green River, Willy & the Poor Boys, Cosmo's Factory and Pendulum will each contain bonus tracks -- both studio and live -- and new liner notes. Included among the bonus tracks are unreleased versions of "Born on the Bayou" and "Down on the Corner" both recorded with Booker T and the MG's for a TV show.

Paul McCartney's ex-wife, Heather Mills, hasn't been in the news much since the couple's divorce was finalized in the spring. But now her former publicist is claiming the tapes Heather said she had of McCartney being "abusive" never existed. Michele Elyzabeth tells Access Hollywood, "I really don't believe she did (have the video). I was close enough and I heard a couple of conversations. Now that I know what I know, I don't really think that Paul really went after her for anything. She had basically nothing -- she had tapes of her being in the studio with him, her being on the road with him, private moments. She told me a bunch of stuff...(but) I don't see him being a violent person." Michele, who resigned as Heather's representative earlier this month, says Heather owes her 100-thousand dollars.

The Black Crowes have filed suit against country singer Gretchen Wilson for copyright infringement. The band claims that the verses of Wilson's song "Work Hard, Play Harder" copy their own "Jealous Again." The suit also names cable network TNT, her publishing company and Sony B-M-G as defendants, as the song was licensed for the network's promos for the show Saving Grace. "Work Hard, Play Harder" has not yet been released, but it's scheduled to be on Wilson's upcoming album due this fall. Crowes manager Pete Angelus says, "We find the musical verses of Wilson's song to be such an obvious example of copyright infringement that I expect all parties to reach a relatively quick resolution to avoid litigation."

Bob Dylan has revisited his archive to compile Tell Tale Signs -- volume eight in his ever-expanding Bootleg Series. The two-disc set, which is due for release on October 9th, consists of 27 rarities, demos and live tracks recorded between 1989 and 2006 -- including outtakes from Time Out of Mind, Love and Theft, Modern Times and Oh Mercy. Tell Tale Signs will also be available in a limited-edition three-C-D version with 12 additional songs and a hardcover book compiling the artwork from singles spanning Dylan's entire career. Fans can get a taste of the set at BobDylan-dot-com, where a version of the previously unreleased "Dreamin' of You" is available as a free download.

Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon is still a strong seller. Earlier this month, it reached its one-thousand-615th week (31 years) on the charts. The album now appears on Billboard's Catalog chart, which angers Roger Waters, who says, "Billboard introduced a rule which said no album that's been out for more than 10 years is allowed to appear in the 200 because the business decided that the chart is a selling tool and they don't need that tool to sell Dark Side of the Moon or Hotel California or the other classic albums." Dark Side was released in 1973.

Paul McCartney has written about his last two performances -- with Billy Joel at New York's Shea Stadium and a free show in Quebec -- on his website. He says, "Shea was a blast! I can't tell you what it felt like to be back there onstage after all these years..." Macca and The Beatles were the first act to play the stadium, in 1965. But, as we've reported, he almost didn't make it, because his flight from England was delayed. "It was crazy. I'd been on a plane for hours and had no idea how far into the show Billy was. The pilot had been keeping us informed of how we were doing time-wise, and we found out later that air-traffic control had worked hard to ensure we landed on time, but then there was still going to be the traffic to negotiate in order to make it for the show. When the plane doors opened, I was met by the police and airport security who rushed me straight through all the arrival procedures and then got me out as quickly as possible." He and Joel did two songs -- "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Let It Be."

McCartney says, "It was incredible looking back to have a weekend with two such major events. Even looking back now it's all a bit dreamlike. Just thinking about the rush to make it to Shea Stadium and just about getting there on time for the show and then performing such a big show in Quebec, it doesn't seem all real. I had such a great time. Shea brought back some magical memories of the guys and when we were starting out. Quebec was just really special and unforgettable. It also gave me a good excuse to brush up on my French."

Another Cream reunion may be in the offing. In an exclusive conversation, Jack Bruce tells us that he'll meet later this year with his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bandmates Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker -- and "thinks [they] might" discuss another set of shows. The vocalist and bassist admits he was just coming off a bout of ill health when the 2005 reunion was held -- and is anxious for the chance to "do it again" when he is "firing on all cylinders." While not sure how eager Clapton is to raise the Cream banner again, Bruce says the biggest obstacle could be drummer Baker. "He's living in South Africa and he's very happy with his polo ponies. I think we're going to have drag him off those ponies once again." Last year Clapton said Cream was done, explaining that he's got "lots of other things I would much rather do."

Bruce is spending the summer touring with the Hippie Fest package show. It resumes tomorrow night along with The Turtles, Melanie, Eric Burdon and the Animals (with original guitarist Hilton Valentine), and others at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia.

Bruce has been added to the line-up of the benefit concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the John Entwistle Foundation on September 19th and 20th in Cary, North Carolina. He joins a line-up that includes Dave Mason, the Jefferson Starship, former Styx singer-keyboard player Dennis DeYoung, former Deep Purple and Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, Blue Oyster Cult singer and guitarist Buck Dharma, and former Grand Funk Railroad singer-guitarist Mark Farner.

Mick Jagger, who celebrated his 65th birthday on Saturday, is still sexy -- according to a U-K poll. The Rolling Stones singer came in seventh in a poll of Britain's sexiest older men. M-S-N Entertainment polled more than two-thousand people in the U-K, asking their opinions on the country's favorite sexy older men. Actor Pierce Brosnan topped the list. Rod Stewart (number-five), Paul McCartney (number-six), Tom Jones (number-eight) and Ozzy Osbourne (number-nine) also made the Top 10. In a U-K style poll, Jagger placed sixth.

Rush finally wrap up their year-long Snakes and Arrows tour tonight in suburban Indianapolis. The tour started in June 2007 in North America before heading over to Europe in the fall. It went so well that they added a second North American leg for this spring and summer. As for a particular highlight, Geddy Lee says playing in Finland for the first time stands out. "I was shocked, to be honest. The show sold out in about an hour... It was kind of like the shock we had when we went to Brazil for the first time. We get there and there are like legions of fans. Who knew?" As for what's next, Geddy says he'll have to "remember how to be a member of my community. That takes some adjustment from road life." A DVD of the Snakes and Arrows tour is planned for the fall.

Gregg Allman has been given a clean bill of health after undergoing two months of treatment for hepatitis-C. He is now disease-free and says he feels "great. The treatment really kicks you in the ass, but I came out stronger. I'm ready to play." Hepatitis-C is a blood-borne disease that affects approximately four-million people in the US and can cause liver cancer or necessitate a transplant. Due to the side effects of the aggressive Interferon treatment, the Allman Brothers Band had to postpone their annual run of dates at New York's Beacon Theater this year as well as a few festival dates. They will resume their tour August 12th in Bethel, New York on the grounds of the original Woodstock festival.

John Mellencamp has notched the ninth Top 10 album of his career with Life, Death, Love and Freedom. It bows at number-seven on the Billboard album chart with 56-thousand copies sold. It's the second year in a row Mellencamp has scored a Top 10 album, as last year's Freedom's Road bowed at number-five. Mellencamp last had back-to-back Top 10 albums with 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee and 1989's Big Daddy. Mellencamp performs in Oklahoma City tomorrow night.

The Pretenders have recorded their ninth album and will release it on September 23rd. Recorded in 10 days, Break Up the Concrete is the band's first disc in six years and features Chrissie Hynde backed by a new group of musicians, including legendary session drummer Jim Keltner. Each week until the album's release, a new song will be available for free download through a different media partner. This week's song, "Boots of Chinese Plastic," is available through AOL's Spinner and many other sites.

Earlier this month Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott had some not-so-nice things to say about Poison. Now he has lashed out against Ronnie James Dio. Asked in an interview in Bulgaria if he feels he's in competition with other artists, Elliott said, "I don't feel any competition with any of these bands. The only time that I will say something negative about a band is when I'm just being pissy, because they say something negative about me. If Ronnie James Dio -- as he did -- on that YouTube piece when somebody mentioned [Def Leppard guitarist] Vivian [Campbell and Dio said] 'I hope he [bleepin'] dies,' I would just say, 'Ronnie James Dio, go [bleep] yourself!'" Campbell used to play in Dio and obviously had a falling out with Ronnie, who in 2005 while signing autographs had a few choice words for Campbell, which was posted on YouTube. Reached for a comment about what Elliott said, Dio says, "I admire his loyalty to his guitar player, but I think that's Vivian's problem and not Joe's... I don't apologize for what I said about Vivian and I think that's Vivian's place to deal with it, not mine.

Even though Ozzy Osbourne has signed on to do a new variety show with his family for Fox, that won't take him away from his music career. Osbourne's MySpace page says that after the one-off Ozzfest show on August 9th in Dallas, he plans to start work on his next album. Osbourne's last album, Black Rain, was released just last year, but he had a six-year gap between albums of original material before that.

Neil Young fans won't have to go out and buy Blu-Ray players this fall. Young has heeded most fans' wishes and will be releasing his Archives Volume One as a 10-disc C-D/DVD set as well as in the higher quality Blu-Ray format he unveiled at the Java One conference this spring. However, Young prefers that fans buy the Blu-Ray version. He tells Billboard, "It sounds the best, the navigating system is the best. I've made a lot of CDs and we've made a lot of DVDs, and Blu-Ray technology is so far superior to anything else. The fact there aren't many players out there now doesn't meant that much to me, because it is the future, so I would rather focus on what's next."

Paul McCartney was literally a last-minute guest at Billy Joel's show Friday night at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York, the last show at the home of the New York Mets baseball team. He'd told Joel he would be there, but his plane landed at 11:00 p-m, three hours after the show started, and it took a police escort to get him to the stadium in time to do his two songs -- "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Let It Be." Also joining Joel that night were Steven Tyler, Roger Daltrey, Tony Bennett and Garth Brooks.

While McCartney scrambled to make it to Shea, Steven Tyler had to change his plans so he could see Macca perform. Aerosmith assistant road manager John B. writes, "We were set to leave immediately after Tyler performed. We now got confirmation that Paul McCartney had just landed at a nearby airport and was coming in to close the show. We had a midnight curfew at La Guardia Airport and either had to leave right after [Tyler performed] 'Walk This Way' or get stuck in New York for the night. Our plane was coming back from Boston to pick us up and we diverted it to KennedyAirport, where there is no curfew, in order to see Macca." Like McCartney, Tyler was at the first and last concerts at Shea Stadium. The Beatles were first, in 1965.

After performing with Billy Joel on Friday at Shea Stadium and before 200-thousand in Quebec City on Sunday, what's next for Paul McCartney? Macca tells Quebec's Le Soleil newspaper, "There may be a North American tour next year. That's being talked about. I have a couple of projects I'm writing that I'm very excited about. I'm writing a guitar concerto. I'm well into that. So I've got plenty of things to keep me busy..." There is also talk that he may play Israel in September.

Mick Fleetwood's six-year-old daughter Ruby is in critical but stable condition at Cedars Sinai hospital in Los Angeles after a swimming accident on Friday. Her mother, and Fleetwood's wife, Lynn says Ruby is an extremely strong swimmer, but while doing somersaults in the pool she became disoriented and she must have swallowed a large amount of water. She lost consciousness in the pool, but was revived by CPR before being rushed to the hospital. Doctor Keith Kimble says, "Ruby was the victim of an accident that is potentially extremely serious, but she is doing quite well and the medical staff here at Cedars is optimistic that she will make a full recovery." The Fleetwood family asks that the media respect their privacy during this difficult time.

Billy Joel brought the musical history of New York's Shea Stadium full circle as he welcomed Paul McCartney onstage during the second encore of his set Friday. 43 years after The Beatles played the first concert at Shea Stadium, Paul sang "I Saw Her Standing There" and then wrapped things up, playing "Let It Be" on Joel's piano while Joel sat on top of piano and sang backup. McCartney told Joel and the stadium crowd that, "[We] came here a long time ago. We had a blast that night and we're having another one tonight." McCartney was the last in a series of stars who joined Joel on stage Friday night for the last concert ever at Shea, which will be demolished after the Mets season is over. Tony Bennett repeated his guest shot from the first concert last Wednesday by singing "New York State of Mind" with Joel. Aerosmith's Steven Tyler performed "Walk This Way," country star Garth Brooks joined Joel on a duet of "Shameless" (a Joel song which Brooks took to number-one on the country charts in 1991) and Roger Daltrey of The Who did "My Generation." At the end of "My Generation," Joel smashed a guitar against the stage, breaking it in two. Fans who didn't get to attend the shows can see highlights in a documentary called Last Play at Shea that's due out next year.

First Aerosmith, and now Jimi Hendrix will be in Guitar Hero. Experience Hendrix has approved a deal for Hendrix's likeness to be used in a game for the first time. Guitar Hero World Tour will include "The Wind Cries Mary" and a live version of "Purple Haze" recorded in 1969 at the San Diego Sports Arena. The game is due out October 27th. Other Hendrix songs will be released as downloads for the game in the future.

The Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood checked back into rehab yesterday for alcohol abuse. The guitarist has already served numerous stints in rehab in an attempt to lay off booze, the latest coming in spring 2006 during the Stones' last world tour. Wood's spokesperson did not disclose where Wood is undergoing treatment, but did issue a statement saying, "Following Ronnie's continued battle with alcohol, he has entered a period of rehab. His close family and friends say he is seeking help and look forward to his recovery."

Meanwhile, the mother of the 19-year-old cocktail waitress who ran off with Ron Wood says she believes her daughter had a sexual affair with the 61-year-old Rolling Stone. Irina Ivanova tells London's Daily Mail that her daughter denied bedding Wood, but mother believes differently -- saying, "I know her voice. I know the intonation that she was lying to me." She said Katia believed she was going to get rich modeling for Wood's paintings -- he allegedly promised her 300 pounds a day [600 dollars] -- but after two weeks holed up with him in Ireland, Katia only brought home 900-pounds [18-hundred dollars]. Ivanova said she also believes her daughter is in love with Wood. "She felt everyone would be really proud because he is a legend of the music world. I'm not a fan of the Rolling Stones at all. I prefer the Beatles much more. But that doesn't mean I would like to see her run off with Paul McCartney. I would prefer she wasn't with any old rock stars at all."

A long-lost Jimi Hendrix guitar that he burned in a memorable 1967 performance has been found and will be auctioned off in London on September 4th. The Fame Bureau auction house expects the guitar to bring around one-million dollars. Hendrix used the 1965 Fender Stratocaster at a show in London's Finsbury Astoria in March 1967 and lit it on fire at the end of his performance. He had to be rushed to hospital with minor burns to his hands after the stunt. The guitar, slightly burned along the neck and pickboard, ended up in the hands of his publicist Tony Garland, who stored it in his parents' garage. It remained there until last year, when Garland's nephew discovered it.

Billy Joel brought a bunch of surprise guests to help him out during his three-hour show at New York's Shea Stadium last night. Don Henley came out to sing the baseball-appropriate title "The Boys of Summer," John Mellencamp did his own "Pink Houses," Tony Bennett sang on "New York State of Mind" and John Mayer played guitar on "This Is the Time." Joel paid tribute to the most famous artist to play Shea, The Beatles, by covering "She Loves You" and "Please Please Me," and adding a snippet of "A Hard Day's Night" into his own "River of Dreams." And keeping with the baseball theme, Joel opened the show by singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" and leading fans in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the encore. Fans who didn't get tickets to last night's or tomorrow's show will have a chance to see it on the big screen, as a documentary called Last Play at Shea is being shot during the shows and will be released next year.

Rush will appear on The Colbert Report tonight at 8:30pm on Comedy Central. They will perform "Tom Sawyer," their first US television performance since 1975. Crosby, Stills and Nash will play on the show on July 30th.

Even though they have given thought to recording a new album, Alex Lifeson says Rush is in no rush. "I don't feel any urgency in anything at this stage... We're in a good space. I sort of take every day as it comes." Rush are down to the last five shows of their Snakes and Arrows tour. Next up is Hershey, Pennsylvania tomorrow night, followed by stops in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Indiana, where the tour ends on July 24th.

Elton John is the latest musical luminary to inspire a special flavor of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Next Monday, Elton will perform at the Champlain Valley Expo Center in Vermont -- meaning he can claim distinction of having performed in all 50 states -- and to honor him, Ben and Jerry's, which was established in Vermont, will introduce a new flavor. Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road, a play on his legendary album, is described by company co-founder Jerry Greenfield as "an outrageous symphony of decadent chocolate ice cream, peanut butter cookie dough, butter brickle and white chocolate chunks." He adds that Elton himself suggested a combination of chocolate and peanut butter flavors. In keeping with the company's longstanding involvement with social causes, proceeds from the special flavor will be donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road is the latest in a line of celebrity-linked flavors -- such as Imagine Whirled Peace (for John Lennon), Cherry Garcia (inspired by the Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia), Willie Nelson's Peach Cobbler, and Phish Food (for the rock band Phish).

The Police will release a C-D and DVD from their reunion tour in time for Christmas. They recorded and filmed two shows last year -- December 1st and 2nd in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The DVD also contains a documentary called Better Than Therapy that was directed by drummer Stewart Copeland's son Justin.

The Police and New York Public Television are auctioning off VIP packages for the band's final show, August 7th at MadisonSquareGarden in New York. The packages include meet-and-greet and photo opportunities with the band and autographed memorabilia. There are two auctions on E-Bay -- now through July 24th and August 4th to the 14th. Go here for more information or to place a bid.

AC/DC have confirmed that the title of their long awaited album will be Black Ice, with a release date of October 28th on Columbia. The first single, "Runaway Train," which was also a contender for the album's title, will be released in late August. AC/DC will hit the road in November -- they promise an itinerary soon. They'll also announce details of their inclusion in the next version of the Rock Band video game.

John Mellencamp releases his new album, Life, Death, Love and Freedom, today. It's his first for the Starbucks-affiliated Hear Music label. But it will be available both through the coffee chain and at traditional music retailers. Mellencamp says the album, produced by T-Bone Burnett, is a collection of "modern electric folk songs." The disc contains 14 tracks, and among the titles are "Longest Days," "My Sweet Love," "If I Die Sudden," "Troubled Land" and "Young Without Lovers."

Life, Love, Death and Freedom will also be the first-ever release in the CODE format, a proprietary audio technology that creates high-definition audio files that are virtually indistinguishable from the original master tapes. This version is a DVD that will come packaged with a standard CD version of the album. The CODE disc is playable on virtually all D-V-D machines, and its content can be copied into most computer music software, including I-Tunes, and then be downloaded onto personal music players.

Mellencamp, who performs in Boston tonight, will plug the album with an appearance on CBS's Late Night With David Letterman on Thursday and the CBS Early Show in a special remote concert airing from Chicago on July 21st.

While in Boston this afternoon, Mellencamp will make a special announcement about Farm Aid, of which he is a co-founder.

The Who and a handful of special guests taped VH1 Honors: The Who Saturday at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion in LA. The show -- which premieres this Thursday at 9:00 p-m -- was divided into two segments. In the first, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Incubus, The Flaming Lips and Tenacious D performed Who songs in tribute to the British band's long-lasting influence. The Who then played a 10-song set that lasted just under an hour. David Duchovny, Rainn Wilson, Margaret Cho, Sean Penn and Adam Sandler introduced the bands.

The show kicked off with Foo Fighters' doing "Young Man's Blues," Dave Grohl, who had been under the weather, gutted his way through the vocal, but gave way to guest singer Gaz Coombes of Supergrass for the second number, "Bargain." Incubus followed with "I Can See for Miles and "I Can't Explain." The Flaming Lips played a medley from Tommy. Singer Wayne Coyne told us before the show that the band actually used to perform a much longer Tommy medley live in its very early days. Tenacious D played an acoustic version of "Squeeze Box" and after being introduced by Penn, Pearl Jam nailed a pair from Quadrophenia -- "Love Reign O'er Me" and "The Real Me."

Accompanying himself on guitar, Adam Sandler sang his introduction to the Who to the tune of "Magic Bus," rewriting the lyrics to be about each of the band's four original members. The Who then played an inspired set that included three songs from Who's Next and two from their most recent album, Endless Wire. The complete set list -- "Baba O'Riley," "The Seeker," "Who Are You," "Behind Blue Eyes," "2000 Years," "You Better You Bet," "My Generation," "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Tea and Theatre."

Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood and Kenney Jones got together on July 3rd to discuss the possibility of a Faces reunion. Apparently the meeting went well. Keyboard player Ian McLagan tells the BBC, "We're hoping to get together later this year to play and then we may have some news, but I want it to happen, badly. Rod hasn't wanted to do it for a long time. He didn't see the need in it, but I think he really wants to now... It would be great to record new tracks. I have a couple of songs that Rod might like. We'd have to see -- I think that would be the way to go, though, not just to go out on tour. It'd be great to have an album." The Faces came together following the demise of the Small Faces, who broke up in 1969. The Faces disbanded in 1974, and bassist Ronnie Lane passed away in 1997 from multiple sclerosis.

Bon Jovi performed for an audience of 50-thousand plus Saturday night on the Great Lawn of Central Park in New York City. The free show was part of the Big Apple's celebration of baseball's All-Star Game taking place at Yankee Stadium tomorrow. The show was the 97th of the band's Lost Highway tour, which wraps up tonight and tomorrow night with shows 98 and 99 at New York's Madison Square Garden. The tour started last October with 10 shows at the new Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Guitarist Richie Sambora auctioned off two sets of ticket packages, a Bon Jovi autographed guitar, and a meet-and-greet for the Garden shows to help a student from his alma mater, Woodbridge High School in New Jersey. Close to 27-thousand dollars was raised to help defer the medical costs of 17-year-old Kelly Mahon who underwent surgery to remove a large cyst on the front of her brain, which was placing great pressure on her optic nerve.

George Martin will be honored at the Grammy Foundation's annual Starry Night benefit tomorrow (Saturday) night at U-S-C in Los Angeles. Jeff Beck, Michael McDonald, Steven Tyler, Tom Jones, Natalie Cole and America will be among the entertainers paying tribute to the legendary Beatles producer. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison will chair the event, where Martin will receive the Grammy Foundation's Leadership Award. Tonight (Friday), also at USC, Martin will make a special multimedia presentation on "The Making of Sgt. Pepper."