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A new version of The Beatles' album "Let It Be" will be released in November, the group's company Apple Corps announced Thursday (Click here for the official site). "Let It Be...Naked" strips the 1969 album of Phil Spector's lavish production effects, returning to Sir Paul McCartney's original idea for the recording. "This is the noise we made in the studio," McCartney said of the new version. "It's exactly as it was in the room. You're right there now." "Let It Be ... Naked" mostly keeps the same track listing as the original album, which featured songs Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road, Get Back and Across the Universe. Background dialogue, Dig It and Maggie Mae have been taken off the album, and Don't Let Me Down has been added, Apple Corps said. Most of "Let It Be" was recorded in 1969 for an album which was to have been called "Get Back," showing The Beatles returning to their roots as a four-piece rock-and-roll band. But the group was splitting up and the album was abandoned. Spector was later brought in to convert hundreds of hours of tape into an album, renamed "Let It Be." Ringo Starr told Rolling Stone magazine earlier this year: "Paul was always totally opposed to Phil. I told him on the phone (recently), 'You're bloody right again. It sounds great without Phil.' Which it does." "Let It Be ... Naked" is to be released by EMI Records on Nov. 17 (Nov. 18 in the U.S.)...
More Details on John's "Lennon Legend" DVD - the DVD contains
20 music videos and 15 of these are new videos: Imagine, Instant Karma! (We
All Shine On), Mother (album version), Jealous Guy, Power To The People, Cold
Turkey, Love, Mind Games, Whatever Gets You Thru The Night, #9 Dream, Stand
By Me, (Just Like) Starting Over, Woman, Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy), Watching
The Wheels, Nobody Told Me, Borrowed Time, Working Class Hero, Happy Xmas (War
Is Over), Give Peace A Chance. The DVD also includes "Extra Features"
of 5 videos: "Working Class Hero (Anthology version)", "Slippin'
And Slidin'", "Imagine (live at the “Salute to Lew Grade”
concert)", "Hair Peace" and "Everybody Had A Hard Year".
"Everybody Had A Hard Year" is an excerpt from John and Yoko’s
Film #6 that features a never before released performance by John and Yoko from
December 1968...
Since 1987 South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference and Festival has been bringing musicians, record company executives, club owners, radio programmers, journalists, publicists and countless other people working in the music industry together. Over one thousand showcasing artists and solo acts from around the globe perform on 50 stages over the course of five nights, March 17 - 21, 2004 in Austin, Texas. Applications to perform at this extraordinary event are now being accepted. To apply to perform at the SXSW Music Festival, please access the website and fill out the application online (the following information is also available there). Then enclose in one package a CD or cassette of original materials (at least 3 songs), a photo, biography, and a press kit. Mail the packet to SXSW Music Festival, P. O. Box 4999, Austin, TX 78765. The early application deadline is October 6, 2003 (postmark date) and the late application deadline is November 7, 2003. Acts will be notified no later than February 6, 2004. Some of the musical genres featured at the SXSW Music Festival include alternative country, bluegrass, blues, country, DJ, electronic, experimental, hip-hop, jazz, latin, metal, pop/rock, punk, r&b, singer/songwriter, and world/reggae. In addition to the music festival, the conference will gather music business professionals to participate in panel discussions, workshops, one-on-one interviews and the Trade Show... Austin's Asylum Street Spankers have lost people before, but after sold-out tours in the U.S. and Japan, great reviews for the last album, a new album recorded and a concert film shot, and nearly 9 years with the band they have announced that they are losing member Stanley Smith. He's leaving to pursue his songwriting and solo recording. Also leaving are drummer Paul Schlichting and multi-instrumentalist Korey Simeone... Simon & Garfunkel will soon tour! According to their web site, dates for Simon & Garfunkel's Old Friends: The 2003 Concert Tour will be announced shortly, with some tickets already on sale... Gerry might get a pacemaker! Merseybeat superstar Gerry Marsden, the former lead singer of Gerry and the Pacemakers, underwent a triple heart by-pass operation on Monday, September 15 in Liverpool. Gerry, who was recently awarded the MBE for his charity work, wrote the famous hits I Like It, How Do You Do It?, and Ferry Cross the Mersey. The railway clerk's son from Menzies Street, Dingle, enjoyed fame with the Pacemakers before their split in 1968 when Gerry was cast in the West End show, Charlie Girl. His agent, Derek Franks, said: "He hasn't been ill or anything. He just had some routine tests. "It's a serious operation but hopefully he will be back on stage during the early part of next year. "We have had to cancel 60-odd gigs"...
..."Lead Us Not Into Temptation" is the soundtrack to the film Young Adam - and it is written and recorded by the one and only David Byrne. The film adapts a 1954 Scottish novel and Byrne - who is of Scottish descent - has enlisted fellow members of his homeland like Mogwai and Belle & Sebastian to participate in this new CD... Expect a definitive new DVD covering the life of John Lee Hooker, as well as two volumes of previously unreleased material recorded toward the end of his life, as well as unheard music from his vaults - all part of The Hooker Estate's new worldwide deal with Eagle Rock Entertainment...
The Bangles first release since 1988 - "Doll Revolution" is out, as well as new CDs by Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright, Emmylou Harris and The Mavericks amongst others... Lyle Lovett's "My Baby Don't Tolerate" is out as is Sting's "Sacred Love"... "Farm Fresh Onions" is the name of Robert Earl Keen's October 7 release, produced by his guitarist, Austinite Rich Brotherton. Fellow hometowners Ian McLagan and Shawn Colvin make musical contributions to the disc.. October 7 is also when you'll find Rickie Lee Jones' new one in stores ("Evening Of My Day") as well as Van Morrison's "What's Wrong With This Picture"... David Bowie begins a sold-out European tour October 7 in Copenhagen and wraps it up November 28 in Glasgow. His latest is now out, entitled "Reality"... Expect a Greatest Hits collection from Counting Crows by the year's
end. The set will cover the group's first ten years... Ian McLagan and the Bump Band celebrate a record deal with Gaff Music in the US, and Sanctuary Records UK in Europe for his new CD, "Rise & Shine!" The album features the Bump Band--Gurf Morlix, ‘Scrappy’ Jud Newcomb, Don Harvey and George Reiff, with Patty Griffin on backing vocals. Gaff Music President Scott Beal is a huge fan of Mac’s. "I’m honored and excited to be working with Mac ... his music is like Scotch, it’s getting even better with age." The North Carolina label is also home to Henry Kaiser and Glenn Phillips. "Rise & Shine!" is a good fit for Sanctuary UK, following their release of the Small Faces "Ultimate Collection" box set this past June...
Austin's Alejandro Escovedo has been suffering from Hepatitis C, which has kept him off of the road and from earning a living. Like many musicians Escovedo does not have health insurance - but many musicians around the country have rallied to perform benefits for him. To find out about making a contribution go to the Alejandro Fund website... A CD and DVD honoring the life and work of Jim Croce will be released on October 14, a month after the 30th anniversary of the promising singer-songwriter's death in a plane crash. "Jim Croce Home Recordings: Americana," a CD featuring previously unreleased material recorded in 1967, and the DVD, "Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live," will be issued by Shout! Factory Records. The tracks on "Home Recordings" were recorded by Croce in his kitchen on a reel-to-reel tape recorder in 1967. The songs mostly comprise American folk/roots classics and the collection was compiled by Croce's widow and his son... Ed Townsend, who wrote hit songs including 1958's "For Your
Love" and Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," has died.
Townsend, who wrote more than 200 songs, died of heart failure at age 74. Nat
King Cole and Etta James were among the stars who recorded Townsend's songs.
"Let's Get It On," released in 1973, had an overt sexual theme
that generated criticism. But Townsend insisted the song was actually about
getting on with life. Townsend also wrote and produced the Impressions' 1974
No. 1 R&B hit "Finally Got Myself Together (I'm A Changed Man)."
Townsend, a Fayetteville, Tennessee, native, grew up singing in the choir
at the church where his minister father preached. He moved to Los Angeles in
the mid-1950s...
Members of Austin's Del Castillo make several appearances in Robert Rodriguez's film "Once Upon A Time In Mexico" which opened September 12. The movie is the latest installment of Robert's "Desperado" series, featuring Antonio Banderas as well as Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke and Willem Dafoe. Music from the band is featured in the film and on its soundtrack... Speaking of Austinites and motion pictures, 13th Floor Elevator Roky Erickson
may be portrayed on the big screen - by none other than Jack Black (of
the band Tenacious D and one of the highlights of the movie version of
"Hi Fidelity". Roky's life story has been optioned by an L.A. based
film production company, a script is in the works, and than we'll see if Black
becomes, um, psychedelicized... "Songcatchers" is the name of a book that explores global music and those who record it and study it. The author knows a great deal about the subject: he is the globe-trotting drummer for The Dead, Mickey Hart... Look for "The Best of Bonnie Raitt" - an 18-song collection culled from her six releases for Capitol Records - in stores with plenty of time for it to be a prime Austin stocking stuffer... Two Canadian labels are combining forces to release "Beautiful: A Tribute
to Gordon Lightfoot." The disc features some of North America’s
most popular artists interpretations of Lightfoot’s biggest hits. Due October
7, the 15-track disc will be available in Canada, United States, and several
overseas markets. Highlights include "The Way I Feel," performed
by Cowboy Junkies. Bruce Cockburn's take on "Ribbon of
Darkness," and contributions from The Tragically Hip, Ron
Sexsmith and Jesse Winchester... "Want" is the name of Rufus Wainwright's new CD on DreamWorks. Look for it in stores now. Meanwhile, Rufus's dad, Loudon Wainwright III, also has a new album; look for "So Damn Happy" on Sanctuary in stores now... The lead guitarist for the '60s rock band Iron Butterfly - Erik Braunn
- has died at 52. The Los Angeles Times reports Bruann died of cardiac arrest.
Braunn was 16 wheh he joind Iron Butterfly. He was the lead guitarist on the
band's 1968 17-minute anthem In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Braunn occasionally
reunited with the band for performances, and worked as a songwriter, musician
and producer...
Carlos Santana is already working on his next recording project - an album called "Hymns" with Santana band bassist Benny Rietveld, keyboardist Chester Thompson, and drummer Dennis Chambers, which he describes as an instrumental album. Santana says the album is almost finished and could come out before the end of this year or in early 2004... From the Los Angeles Times, July 10: Skip Battin, 69, a bass guitarist,
singer and songwriter, died July 6th of Martin Scorsese is planning a documentary on the voice of a generation
(or four): "Bob Dylan Anthology Project" is due in theaters
for a limited run in 2005. In the meanwhile the director is preparing a seven-part
film series on the blues for PBS ... A quick message from Neil Finn in the middle of packing and planning
for the trip to the USA to record the second Finn Bros CD:
Mickie Most, a leading British pop record producer of the 1960's and 70's who recorded the Animals, Donovan, Herman's Hermits and others, died of cancer on May 30th at his home in London. He was 64. Mr. Most emerged as an impresario in the days of the early British rock 'n' roll scene, a time when a producer's role commonly exceeded just supervising records. Born Michael Peter Hayes in Aldershot, England, Mr. Most took his nickname when he was a singer in the group the Most Brothers in the late 50's. His business acumen and knack for promotion soon led him to producing and when he discovered the Newcastle group called the Animals he recorded them at his own expense, licensing the finished recordings to EMI. It was a highly unusual arrangement for the time and a gamble for Mr. Most, but paid off as the group's second single, "House of the Rising Sun," became one of the biggest hits of 1964, reaching No. 1 in both Britain and the United States, surpassing the Beatles. He found similar success with Herman's Hermits ("I'm Into Something Good"), the Nashville Teens ("Tobacco Road"), Donovan ("Sunshine Superman," "Mellow Yellow,") and others, and in 1969 he founded his own label, RAK. In the 70's, Mr. Most recorded the glam group the Sweet, as well as Mud, Suzi Quatro and Hot Chocolate ("You Sexy Thing"), and made millions of pounds when he sold his back catalog to EMI in the late 1980's. His RAK studios has remained active. Mr. Most is survived by his wife, Christina, a son and two daughters, all of London... Austinites Patty Griffin and Joe Ely join Elvis Costello, Pete Yorn, Billy Bragg and others for the double disc set "Light Of Day: A Tribute To Bruce Spingsteen" to benefit the Kristen Ann Carr Fund (a cancer charity)... From the darkness to the light: The Monkees first season of 32 episodes
has been released as a six-DVD box set called "Monkees Season One"
... Rock musician Dave Rowberry, keyboard player for the top 1960s band The Animals, was found dead June 6th in his London apartment, a fellow band member said. He was 62. Drummer John Steel said Rowberry, who suffered from heart problems, was found dead by Animals bassist Jim Rodford. The original band, featuring Eric Burdon on vocals, formed in 1964 and had hits including "House of the Rising Sun,""Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place." Rowberry joined the band in 1965, replacing original keyboard player Alan Price. The group continued shifting members and eventually split up toward the end of the decade, but the members got together sporadically and recently regrouped as Animals and Friends... Thirty-seven years after aborting his most ambitious project
midway through recording, former Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson,
plans to resurrect the long-lost "Smile" album in U.K. concerts next
year. Wilson has set four dates at London's Royal Festival Hall for February
2004 as well as five additional shows throughout the U.K. the following month.
In December 1966, Wilson delivered to Capitol a tentative track list for the
album, including such songs as "Good Vibrations," "Do You Like
Worms?," "Heroes and Villains," "Surf's Up," "Cabinessence,"
"Wonderful," "I'm In Great Shape," "Vegetables,"
and "Wind Chimes." The album was also to include a musical suite titled
"The Elements," with themes relating to fire, earth, and water. But
in early summer 1967, with recording sessions already having lasted far longer
than for any previous Beach Boys album, the group scrapped "Smile."
A separate album, "Smiley Smile," was hastily assembled and featured
"Good Vibrations," a handful of intended "Smile" cuts, and
newly written material. The 2004 U.K. shows will see "Smile" performed
in its intended entirety alongside other Beach Boys and Wilson solo hits, plus
new material Wilson is writing for a forthcoming solo album. Here are Brian
Wilson's 2004 tour dates: Founding members of The Zombies - Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent
- have reteamed for a new CD called "Out Of The Shadows," three decades
since their former group disbanded...
Earl King, the prolific songwriter and guitarist responsible for some of the most enduring and idiosyncratic compositions in the history of R&B, died April 17th from diabetes-related complications, he was 69. Over his 50-year career, King wrote and recorded hundreds of songs. His best-known compositions include the Mardi Gras standards "Big Chief" and "Street Parade"; the rollicking "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)," which both Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan recorded; and "Trick Bag," the quintessential New Orleans R&B story-song. "'Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)' might be the one that people know, but I wish the world would hear more of his songs," said Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack, a longtime friend, fan and collaborator of King. "He approached songs from different angles, from different places in life." In his prime, he was an explosive performer, tearing sinewy solos from his Stratocaster guitar and wearing his hair in an elaborate, upraised coif. King's songwriting was informed by syncopated New Orleans beats and his interest in a broad range of subjects, from medieval history to the vagaries of the human heart and his own so-called "love syndromes." "Most people say, 'Well, Earl, you sing the blues,' or however they want to categorize it," King said in a 1993 interview. "I just sing songs. I'm a writer, so whatever gymnastics jump through my head, I write about it." Born Earl Silas Johnson IV, King described himself as a "nervous energy person" who constantly needed to be engaged in some creative pursuit... Ben Harper, offers an "online jukebox" through his website - check it out!..
John Lennon's boyhood home at Mendips was purchased by Yoko Ono and donated to the National trust. Check it out at this "Mendips and 20 Forthlin Road/ The National Trust" link. Paul McCartney's music publishing company has obtained rights to 23 classic
rock 'n' roll songs composed by the late Carl Perkins, including "Blue
Suede Shoes," "Honey Don't" and "Matchbox." Under the
long-term music publishing deal announced Friday, McCartney's MPL Communications
Inc. will be responsible for worldwide administration of the Perkins catalog.
No financial terms of the deal were disclosed. "Carl Perkins was one
of my earliest influences; I am quite simply a fan of his," McCartney
said in a statement. Perkins, the "Rockabilly King" died in 1998 at
age 65. Three songs in the newly acquired catalog were recorded by the Beatles
-- "Honey Don't" and "Matchbox" with Ringo Starr on lead
vocals, and "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby" with George Harrison
singing lead. McCartney also recorded "Matchbox" as a bonus track
on his DVD release of "Back in the U.S." MPL, founded by McCartney
in 1971, boasts one of the largest privately owned collections of music publishing
rights, which includes the catalogs of such composers as McCartney himself,
Buddy Holly, Jerry Herman, Frank Loesser and Meredith Wilson...
Austin's Los Lonely Boys, who proved to be a big hit at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. They also just completed a taping of the Austin City Limits program, and are scheduled to tour with Willie Nelson. The Boys return to Austin to play La Zona Rosa on October 25th, and are on the bill for KGSR's 13th Anniversary Party - broadcast live on KGSR on December 5th. In stores is the band's self titled first release on the New York based label Or Music...
Felice Bryant died Tuesday, April 22, 2003, at her home in Gatlinburg, Tenn. She was 77. The couple wrote hits for the Everly Brothers such as 'Bye Bye Love' and 'Wake Up Little Susie.' The Bryants also wrote the song 'Rocky Top,' which has become a Tennessee state song as well as the fight song for the University of Tennessee. Boudleaux Bryant died in 1987. It has been estimated the 800 recorded titles written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant sold more than half a billion copies worldwide, they were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1991. Former pop star Cat Stevens, a convert to Islam, has released his first song in 25 years to raise money for children affected by the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Stevens, who now uses the name Yusuf Islam, re-recorded his 1971 hit song "Peace Train" at studios in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is among tracks on "Hope," an album produced for the War Child charity that helps children in war-torn countries. Other contributors include former Beatle Paul McCartney, David Bowie and George Michael. " 'Peace Train' is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to breeze thunderously through the hearts of millions of human beings, and there is a powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again," Islam wrote in a statement posted on his Web site... For notable musical deaths reported on KGSR's Music News Page since its inception go to our "IN MEMORIAM PAGE"
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MESSAGE
FROM OLIVIA HARRISON - 31.07.2003
The Who has
agreed upon a work plan for the coming year and beyond. At present Pete is involved
in setting up a team to do a 5.1 remix of Quadrophenia, which will be
released along similar lines to the upcoming Tommy release. An extended
version is also planned for the same release, opening the story up for future
theatrical and DVD versions. His main creative work will be songs for a new
Who album. These will be based on his story, now complete, "The Boy Who
Heard Music." He and Roger plan to demo the new material before the end
of the year prior to going into record the album in March 04. This of course
will be the band's first studio album since 1982's It's Hard. The proposed
release date for the album is the early Summer and the idea is to follow it
up with a US and UK tour, taking in other regions in 2005. Both Pete and Roger
wanted to share this information with you at an early stage. It is hoped that
the recording sessions will be filmed for webcasting and that some live, interactive
sessions, via the website, will also take place. To tie in with this period
of activity the 
Johnny
Cash 
died
May 15. Perhaps the most widely recognized voice in country music, Cash recorded
more than 1,500 songs. His career spanned more than four decades with trademark
hits like "A Boy Named Sue," "Folsom Prison Blues, "Ring
of Fire" and "I Walk the Line." His success crossed
well over onto the pop scene. He had 48 singles on Billboard's pop charts, rivaling
both the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys. His 11 Grammys included a lifetime
achievement award and the 1998 Grammy for country album of the year ("Unchained").
"I am deeply saddened by the loss of my children's grandfather and my very
dear friend," added singer and songwriter Rodney Crowell, who was
once married to Cash's daughter Rosanne, in a statement. "I loved
big John with all my heart. ... Johnny Cash will, like Will Rogers, stand forever
as a symbol of intelligence, creativity, compassion and common sense."
A child of the Depression, J.R. Cash was born February 26, 1932, in Kingsland,
Arkansas. After high school, he enlisted in the Air Force. The military wouldn't
accept initials, so Cash chose John as his new first name. While stationed in
Germany, Cash bought his first guitar and started a band. When his hitch was
over, Cash moved to Memphis where he sold appliances door-to-door while trying
to break into the music business. In 1954, he auditioned for Sam Phillips at
Sun Records, hoping to record some simple gospel songs. Instead, Phillips --
who had discovered Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis -- pushed Cash toward a
more commercial sound. Cash's first single, "Hey Porter," had a disappointing
debut. But his follow-up, the 1955 "Cry, Cry, Cry," drew national
attention. "Folsom Prison Blues" went into the Top Five in country
singles in 1956, and "I Walk the Line" became Cash's first No. 1 country
hit. In 1957, he made his first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. And by 1958,
he'd published 50 songs, sold more than 6 million records and moved to the Columbia
label. It was at the Opry that Cash became known as "The Man in Black."
"Everybody was wearing rhinestones, all those sparkle clothes and cowboy
boots," he said in 1986. "I decided to wear a black shirt and pants
and see if I could get by with it. I did and I've worn black clothes ever since..."
Columbia's
reissue arm, Legacy, has begun a double-CD series commemorating landmark releases.
The first three to get the expanded treatment - The Byrds' "Sweetheart
Of The Rodeo", Muddy "Mississippi" Waters "Live"
and Jeff Buckley's "Live AT Sin-E". All include a slew of material
recorded for these original historic sessions that is previously unavailable,
amazing packaging and in the case of the Buckley set a bonus DVD...
Sam
Salsa's inimitable
queen Celia Cruz, she of the towering vocals and wigs to match, has died
of brain cancer. Cruz, who had been in declining health since being diagnosed
with a brain tumor late last year, was 77. Cruz popularized the Salsa genre
and remained a vital force up to her death, "My life is singing,"
she told reporters in 2002. "I don't plan on retiring. I plan to die on
stage." Born in poverty in Havana, Cruz grudgingly came to her career,
giving up her dream of schoolteaching and turning to music to help put food
on the table. As a teen, her cousin talked her into entering a radio contest
and she won. "I really loved to sing," she recalled, "But I also
did it because if you won, you would get a cake or a bag with chocolate, condensed
milk, ham. We were very poor. All that came in very handy at home." In
1950, she joined her trumpet-playing husband in an Afro-Cuban group and came
to the United States ten years later. Cruz became a fixture on New York's Latin-jazz
scene, often performing and recording with fellow music heavyweight Tito
Puente, aka the Mambo King. Her musical legacy includes a catalog of more
than 70 albums, two Grammys and three Latin Grammys. She was awarded the National
Medal of the Arts by President Clinton and a lifetime achievement award by the
Smithsonian Institution. She picked up an honorary doctorate from Yale and received
a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Her success was bittersweet, though - she
was barred from returning to her native land for her mother's funeral, her records
were banned (but were widely available on the black market), and her name was
expunged from music reference books. She is survived by her husband, Pedro
Knight. The couple, who marked their 41st wedding anniversary on Monday,
never had any children... 
Cruz's
death comes just days after that of another Cuban music legend, Compay Segundo,
a once-forgotten Cuban musician who gained worldwide fame with the Buena
Vista Social Club. He was 95. Born Maximo Francisco Repilado Munoz, the
wiry, cigar-smoking musician carried traditional Cuban music to the world. He
was honored with a Grammy as part of the "Buena Vista Social Club"
in his 90th year and helped draw attention to other aging but talented Cuban
musicians. Compay set audiences dancing from Havana to Paris with hits like
"Chan Chan," which brought modern appeal to a musical genre that had
largely been forgotten even at home in Cuba. Cuban state television said he
died Sunday night of kidney failure, two days after attending a tribute concert
hosted by his sons at Havana's Hotel Nacional, where a concert room is dedicated
to him. For the 
In
June 1943, Frank Sinatra stepped away from the big-band stage to make
his first solo recordings for Columbia Records - a decision that catapulted
him to worldwide fame. To commemorate Frank Sinatra's 60th Anniversary as Columbia
artist, their Legacy division is releasing three new compilations. "Sinatra
Sings Gershwin" and "Sinatra Sings Cole Porter" collect Sinatra's
classic covers as well as rare, previously unreleased radio performances. "The
Voice of Frank Sinatra," the singer's first concept album is re-released
with an additional 10 tracks, historic liner notes, and an assortment of photos
and memorabilia. All arrived in stores July 22nd...
complications
from Alzheimer's disease in Silverton, Ore. Battin was a member of the Byrds,
Flying Burrito Brothers and New Riders of the Purple Sage. Clyde
Skip Battin was born in Ohio and attended college in Tucson, Ariz., where he
began his musical partnership with Gary Paxton, who used the nickname
"Flip" when they recorded the pop hits "It Was I" and "Cherry
Pie" as Skip & Flip. Both records peaked at No. 11 on Billboard's Hot
100 chart. None of Battin's three solo albums released from 1971 to 1983 cracked
Billboard's album chart, but his first, titled "Flip," was reissued
recently. During the 1980s and into the '90s, he participated in various Byrds-New
Riders-Burritos reunions. He also worked frequently in Europe and lived for
a time in Italy, recording and performing with other Southern California country-rock
veterans. "He was professional, nice guy," said songwriter-producer
and singer Kim Fowley, who met Battin in 1959 and wrote songs with him for two
decades. "Skip was a diplomat, a real gentleman, a good loyal friend, and
as a musician he was the ultimate sideman and group member." 
Noel
Redding, best known for his stint as the bassist of the Jimi Hendrix
Experience, was found dead May 11th at his home in Ireland of unknown causes,
he was 57. Redding, an accomplished guitarist based in the U.K., joined Hendrix's
band in 1966 and played on the three Jimi Hendrix Experience albums -- writing
two songs as well as playing bass -- before parting ways with the legendary
guitarist in 1969. Redding also made numerous recordings with his bands Fat
Mattress, Road, and the Noel Redding Band. The artist's most recent release
was a live album, "Live From Bunkr. Prague," which came out last year
and included Hendrix songs. His mother reportedly died last week. In an interview
last year with Billboard.com, Redding recounted his trials and tribulations
in attempting to recover unpaid royalties for his work with Hendrix. "I
should have been a plumber. That's a joke. But the thing is, plumbers get paid,"
he said. "But there again, I'm still playing, thank God. That's the main
thing..."On the upcoming From A Window: Lost Songs of Lennon and McCartney,
Graham Parker, Buffalo Tom's Bill Janovitz and The B-52's Kate Pierson
tackle compositions that never made it to Beatles albums. Parker says
that the project, including songs like Badfinger's "No Matter What,"
really intrigued him. From A Window is now in stores...
World music pioneer
Babatunde Olatunji, the Nigerian drummer and bandleader whose groundbreaking
1959 recording "Drums of Passion" brought African music to a wide
American audience, died April 6. He was 76. Olatunji, who was born and raised
in a tiny Nigerian fishing village, died of complications of advanced diabetes.
Olatunji influenced many musicians over his career and at the time of his death
was living at the nearby Esalen Institute in Big Sur as an artist-in-residence.
While he garnered numerous accolades over his career, the landmark "Drums
of Passion" stands out as an album that critics say introduced Americans
to the intricacy and power of African music. It is also considered the first
African album recorded in a modern studio. In 1950 Olatunji came to the United
States to study at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, to prepare for a career
as a diplomat. But while studying public administration at New York University,
he formed an African-style drum ensemble and embarked on a completely different
path. His band appeared at civil rights rallies led by Martin Luther King Jr.,
performed at New York's famed Radio City Music Hall and was eventually signed
by Columbia Records. He eventually opened the Olatunji Center for African Culture
in Harlem with help from jazz great John Coltrane. He gave music and
dance lessons there until 1988. Olatunji also influenced a wave of musicians
who began experimenting in the 1960s with fusing African sounds into their own
music. His song "Jin-Go-Lo-Ba" was later recorded by rock guitarist
Carlos Santana. Years later in 1991 Olatunji received a Grammy Award
for his collaboration with Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart on "Planet
Drum." The musician also wrote a number of scores for Broadway and Hollywood
productions, including the music for Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have
It." 
Olatunji's
most recent album "Love Drum Talk" was released in 1997 and went on
to win a nomination for the 1998 Grammy for Best World Music Album. He is survived
by his wife; two sons, two daughters, a brother, and seven grandchildren...
