Wednesday October 1, 2008

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
· Janet Jackson had to be hospitalized Monday night, which meant cancelling her Montreal concert.

· Spice Girl and former "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown, aka Mel B, will pose nude for Playboy after turning down two previous offers.

· Former Britney Spears boyfriend Adnan Ghalib, the bad influence right before she got her life back on track, says he has a sex video he made with the singer that he'll sell, once the price is right.

· Members of the McCain campaign have their fingers crossed for a pre-election wedding in Alaska between Bristol Palin, 17, and Levi Johnston, 18, the father of her baby.

· Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel are teaming up for their first joint concert to benefit Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama in New York City on October 16.

· Heather Ledger's 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, will inherit his entire $16 million estate.

· The talk about Janet Jackson's recent birthday party was how her boyfriend, Jermaine Dupri, drank so much... he got sick... in her lap.

· Billy Joel is helping with the funeral expenses for a clam-digger whose body was found not far from the singer's mansion.

· Ravensburg, Germany, claims to have assembled the world's largest jigsaw puzzle: 1,141,800 pieces that, put together, covered 6500 square feet.

· A company founded by Merv Griffin is suing Ed McMahon for a $100,000 loan it claims has gone unpaid. Griffin claims it loaned the money to McMahon in 2005 and hasn't seen a penny repaid.

· Kenny Chesney is going to come out with his own brand of rum.

· Next month, Kevin Costner is going to come out with his own country music album.

· Joely Fisher and her husband, Christopher Duddy, have adopted a baby girl and named her Olivia Luna Fisher-Dudd.

· Mindy McCready returned to jail on Tuesday to serve 60 days in a Tennessee jail, after violating her parole.

· Are Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman back together? They were spotted over the weekend holding hands at a karaoke bar in Hollywood.

· J-Lo introduced her new Deseo for Men fragrance at Macy's in New York.

· Scientists from the University of Milan in Italy say an ancient Chinese herbal remedy called horny goat weed is a promising alternative to Viagra for impotent men.

· Flea, the bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, has enrolled as a freshman at USC.

· The Rolling Stones' Ron Wood is heading for a divorce and an expensive one at that.

· 2007 American Idol contestant LaKisha Jones will marry fiance Larry Davis this Sunday in Beverly Hills, California.


Take Those Unwanted Kids Straight To Nebraska! There's a new "Safe Haven" law in effect for Nebraska which is puzzling. The legislature passed a law designed to protect unwanted babies by making it legal for them to be dropped off anonymously at hospitals to discourage abortions and possible neglect by unfit parents. Actually other states have similar laws but what makes Nebraska's unique is their law doesn't apply just to infants but all minors up to age 19! This is because Sen. Tom White said, "All children deserve our protection." Well this month the state got their first two non-infant drop offs as exasperated parents gave up on their rebellious sons aged 11 and 15. (Lincoln Journal Star)


Naked Barbie Pictures Will Teach 'Em! In Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 43-year-old Christopher Sullivan was arrested as the person who allegedly sent his upstairs neighbors threatening packages. Those packages included a Polaroid photo of three naked Barbie dolls with their heads cut off. So why'd he do it? Sullivan later told police that he was angry that the couple was too loud when they had sex. (The Northwestern)


Criminal Stupidity At Its Finest Not to make light of a very tragic situation, but 25-year-old Michael Mahoney of Somerville, Massachusetts may be the very dumbest criminal that ever lived. According to police, Mahoney thought he was such hot stuff that he actually gave his phone number to the female victim he just raped -- feeling positive his performance had charmed her into wanting more. So it was pretty easy for police to track the phone number to Mahoney's parent's house -- where he was living -- and arrest him. (Boston Herald)


Death By Hot Sauce 33-year-old Andrew Lee was an aspiring chef in Edlington, England. We say "was" because Andrew is no longer with us. He died after eating super-hot chili sauce as part of an endurance challenge with a friend. He was challenged by his girlfriend's brother to see who could eat the spiciest sauce that he could prepare. He made the sauce from tomatoes and red chilies grown in his father's garden. At first he complained of itching and severe discomfort. He was later found dead by his girlfriend and believed to have died of heart attack during sleep. (Ananova)


The Most Interesting Jail Cell in the World Here's one reality prison show we'd actually love to see. In Romania, Judge Ioan Lazar was convicted of corruption and taking bribes. So the judge in his case gave him the ultimate sentence -- to serve out his time in the same cell as the man Judge Lazar sent to prison for armed robbery. A prison source said, "He had no recollection of his cell-mate when he met him in jail but the convict certainly remembered him. He took great delight in telling the judge who he was and that it was the judge who put him away for an armed robbery." We don't have too many more details except that Judge Lazar keeps begging for solitary confinement. We can't imagine why. (Ananova)

TOP FIVE SIGNS YOUR BANK IS FAILING
1. You're robbed at the drive through window by the teller
2. New slogan is "We could go at any minute"
3. The word 'safe' is crossed out at the safe deposit boxes
4. Bank president arrives at work with suitcase
5. Deposit slips everywhere, not one withdrawal slip


Now, on to Rock News -


SLASH ENDORSES BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT …Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash expressed his support for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, in a new interview with England's NME Radio. Slash remarked, "I think Obama's great. It's the first time in eight years (since George W. Bush came into power) I've heard somebody speak English. I think it's refreshing to see someone who's reasonably intelligent come in. I agree with a lot of (Obama's) stuff. There are a couple of things I'm concerned with, but all things considered I think he's the best candidate for the job."

Slash also talked about the progress of his new solo album, saying he's got demos recorded of 14 songs. He plans to enlist a number of different singers to appear on the CD, although he has not yet revealed any names.

Velvet Revolver is still looking for a new vocalist to replace Scott Weiland before beginning work on its third studio effort. Slash said he wasn't sure if his album would arrive before the next Velvet Revolver disc.

Slash will also release a series of new guitars, the Gibson and Epiphone Les Paul Goldtop range, on October 7th.


METALLICA DRUMMER SPEAKS OUT ON SOUND QUALITY CONTROVERSY…Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has spoken out in an interview with Blender magazine about the controversy over the audio quality of the band's new album, Death Magnetic. Some fans and publications have accused the group and producer Rick Rubin of mixing the album at such a loud volume that the music is distorted and difficult to listen to. Meanwhile, a number of fans have said online that they prefer the versions of the CD's tracks prepared for the Guitar Hero video game, which are mixed differently.

Ulrich told Blender, "Listen, there's nothing up with the audio quality. It's 2008, and that's how we make records. Rick Rubin's whole thing is to try and get it to sound lively, to get it to sound loud, to get it to sound exciting, to get it to jump out of the speakers. Of course, I've heard that there are a few people complaining. But I've been listening to it the last couple of days in my car, and it sounds f***in' smokin.'"

Much of the actual recording and mixing was handled by engineer Greg Fidelman, who also worked with Rubin on Slipknot's 2004 album, Vol. 3:(The Subliminal Verses). Ulrich explained Fidelman's part in the process to us: "You know, Rick has a bunch of guys, like one does, and he's kinda... you know, when we sat down with Rick to talk about what we wanted the record to sound like, we said our favorite record was the Slipknot record, in terms of the sounds. So we worked with Greg Fidelman and he's been the -- he's the engineer, he's the constant. He's the nuts and bolts of the project and has really, I mean, he's there every minute."

Ulrich also told Blender, "The Internet gives everybody a voice, and the Internet has a tendency to give the complainers a louder voice... Part of being in Metallica is that there's always somebody who's got a problem with something that you're doing: '(Frontman) James Hetfield had something for breakfast that I don't like.' That's part of the ride."

The drummer also said that the overall positive response to the album has "exceeded even our expectations," but said he and Hetfield deliberately gave Rubin room to produce the record his way. Ulrich added, "That's not to put it on him -- it's our record, I'll take the hit, but we wanted to roll with Rick's vision of how Metallica would sound."

Audio clips comparing the CD and Guitar Hero versions of Death Magnetic have surfaced online, and the Wall Street Journal even did an article on the controversy recently.

A petition asking the band to remix the album has gathered 12,000 signatures, although that is a relatively small number compared to the nearly one million copies the CD has sold in the U.S. alone since its release on September 12th.


AC/DC EXPANDS TOUR, UNVEILS OWN 'ROCK BAND' GAME …AC/DC's first world tour in eight years has already sold out in 18 cities, with the band adding second shows in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Oakland, according to FMQB.com. A first gig at Chicago's Allstate Arena, two at New York City's Madison Square Garden and one at Vancouver's General Motors Place all sold out within minutes, while tickets for a date at Rogers Centre in Toronto went faster than any other concert in the history of the venue. The trek, which opens on October 28th in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, has already added an entire second leg, beginning on December 20th in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and extending well into January.

AC/DC will be on the road behind Black Ice, its first album since 2000's Stiff Upper Lip. The album arrives on October 21st and will be sold in the U.S. exclusively through Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and ACDC.com.

Tickets for the newly announced leg go on sale Saturday (October 4th).

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that Wal-Mart will also be the exclusive retailer for AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack, a special edition of the Rock Band video game centered around the band.

This is the first version of Rock Band that's specific to one artist. Rival game Guitar Hero recently issued an Aerosmith-based edition and also has a Metallica game in the works.

Since Wal-Mart does not have any outlets in Los Angeles or Manhattan, special "AC/DC stores" may be set up in those cities to sell the new album, the game and other merchandise. The game will be out in early November.

Newly announced AC/DC tour dates (subject to change):
December 20 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Bank Atlantic Center
December 21 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
January 5 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
January 7 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
January 9 - Toronto, ON - Rogers Centre
January 11 - Cincinnati, OH - U.S. Bank Arena
January 13 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
January 15 - Omaha, NE - Qwest Center
January 17 - Fargo, ND - Fargodome
January 19 - Minneapolis, MN - Xcel Energy Center
January 21 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
January 23 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
January 26 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
January 28 - Little Rock, AR - Alltel Arena
January 30 - Memphis, TN - FedEx Forum
January 31 - Nashville, TN - Sommet Center


BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND BILLY JOEL TO ROCK FOR BARACK OBAMA IN NYC …In what may be the hottest ticket of the year, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel will play a double bill fundraiser for presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom on October 14th. The show is titled "Change Rocks" and will benefit the Obama Victory Fund.

Backstreets.com broke the news to subscribers, announcing that Obama will be in attendance, along with Springsteen, Joel, and "friends." The show marks both artists' first benefits for Obama. No additional acts have been announced yet.

Tickets run from $500 to $10,000. For ticket information go to donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/Oct16Concert


BILLY JOEL HELPS FISHERMAN'S FAMILY WITH FUNERAL COSTS ..Billy Joel is helping to pay for the funeral of a clam digger who was found dead in n the water of Long Island Sound on Monday (September 29th). According to the Associated Press, Joel's home in Centre Island is near where the body of a drowned local fisherman Edwin Flores was discovered. Joel wanted to help out the family, so he donated an unnamed amount to the North Oyster Bay Baymen's Association to aid with the funeral and other expenses.

Joel has long been a supporter of fisherman in Long Island, and sang about them in his 1989 song "The Downeaster Alexa."

Joel and Bruce Springsteen are teaming up for Barack Obama benefit on October 16th in New York City, to help raise funds for the Democratic presidential candidate's campaign.


EARLY PINK FLOYD MANAGER DIES AFTER TWO YEARS IN A COMA ..The extended Pink Floyd family has weathered another loss with the death of former manager Bryan Morrison, according to NME.com. Morrison, whom also managed mid-'60s British rockers the Pretty Things, died of an infection yesterday (September 29th) after spending two years in a coma following an accident.

Morrison played a pivotal role in Floyd's early career, and according to legend the late Syd Barrett bit his finger after he claimed Morrison hadn't delivered a royalty check to him.

Morrison eventually became a multimillionaire, by publishing songs by Marc Bolan and T. Rex, the Bee Gees, the Jam, and Wham!

Pink Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright died on September 15th of cancer at age 65.

The band's co-founder Syd Barrett died in 2006 at age 60, after spending years as a recluse, and suffering from what was believed to be schizophrenia.


IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE 25 YEARS FOR HALL OF FAME NOMINEES METALLICA …Metallica was nominated for induction into the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame last week in its second year of eligibility, with the band qualifying because it has been recording for 25 years. But drummer Lars Ulrich told us that he doesn't think of Metallica as a "classic rock" band just yet: "The good thing is we started pretty early. I mean, I was 17 when we started this band, so 25 years makes me kind of sound old, but actually I'm not as old as I sometimes feel at 6:45 in the morning, because we got such an early start. So at least we got that going for us (laughs)."

Nominees are eligible on the 25th anniversary of their debut release under their official name. Metallica's debut album, Kill 'Em All, came out in 1983.

The shortlist of nominees also includes Jeff Beck, Run-DMC,the Stooges featuring Iggy Pop, Chic, Wanda Jackson, War, Little Anthony and the Imperials and Bobby Womack. Five artists will be chosen for induction, with the final list to be announced in January.

The ceremony is set for April 4th at Cleveland's Public Hall, with tickets made available to the public.

In other Metallica news, the band has issued a cease and desist order against Fernandes Guitars in Hollywood, according to TMZ.com. The guitar manufacturer used to have a promotional deal with Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo before he joined the group. But even though Trujillo now falls under Metallica's own deal with ESP Guitars, Fernandes has continued using Trujillo's image for marketing and advertising.

The continuing controversy over the audio quality of the band's new album, Death Magnetic, was the subject of a Wall Street Journal article last week. Although some fans have complained that the record is too loud and distorted, Metallica co-manager Cliff Burnstein told the paper that they are in the minority, adding, "There's something exciting about the sound of this record that people are responding to."


NEW GUNS N' ROSES ALBUM SET FOR LATE NOVEMBER ARRIVAL? ..The long-delayed Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy is tentatively set for release on November 25th exclusively through Best Buy, according to RollingStone.com. The unconfirmed report came from a "vendor convention" held by Best Buy last week in Dallas, where Guns manager Andy Gould reportedly told 900 Best Buy employees the news before previewing three songs. Cellphone recordings of the event later surfaced on Guns N' Roses fan message boards.

Gould also told the crowd that a new G N' R song called "If The World" will play under the closing credits of Body of Lies, the new film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe due out on October 10th. That news was confirmed online at film websites whose representatives had attended a press screening of the flick. "If The World" will not appear on the film's soundtrack album.

"If The World" features the guitar work of Robin Finck and Buckethead, who have both since departed Guns N' Roses.

Another new G N' R song, called "Shackler's Revenge," will appear on the upcoming Rock Band 2 video game.

There has been no official confirmation of the new Guns album's release date or Best Buy deal, although Billboard.com has also reported that the latter is nearly finalized.

Chinese Democracy has been more than 13 years in the making, with every original member of Guns N' Roses except for frontman Axl Rose long since gone from the lineup.


That’s it for now, as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught…

Jonathan