Taj Mahal, still rocking, "feels" the blues

By Jeremy Gaunt

LONDON | Thu Jul 12, 2012 6:53am EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Maybe it's the panama hat. Or the diamond earring. Or perhaps it is the eight-stringed ukulele on which he does constant little runs. Taj Mahal looks every bit the part of the U.S. music legend he is.

Chatting over a beer the day before a recent concert at the Africa Utopia Festival at London's Southbank Centre, the Grammy award-winning bluesman is also remarkably laid back. He has no idea what he is going to play.

"I never have a set list," Mahal told Reuters in the deep, gravelly baritone that, along with superb musicianship, has been his trademark for around 50 years in the business. "It's all by feel".

The feel must have been good. The concert a day later was a rollicking affair of wailing classic- and twangy country-blues and a smattering of world-inspired music including a banjo romp Mahal called, tongue-in-cheek, Afro-Celtic.

Seeming at times to be almost pulling the strings off the guitar rather than picking them, Mahal bashed out old standards through "Natch'l Blues" and a sashaying "John Henry" to a "Corrina, Corrina" encore that left the audience hollering for even more.

"There's a couple of things that people can't do without," he said. "Food and music."

His presence in a festival dedicated to all things Africa (it includes a lecture on adoption entitled "Quick Hide Madonna's coming") may seem strange to those who know Mahal mainly from his U.S. blues.

But Mahal has spent many years investigating and enjoying the links between African, Caribbean and American music, an interest he partially puts down to a West Indian heritage on his father's side.

He thinks of world music as connecting him to his cousins. "It's what was always connected to me and what connects me to it," he said.

AFRICA ROOTS

Not that Mahal plays world music per se -- rather, he uses the rhythms and sounds of various regions as a basis for his own style of Americana.

An example was his funky rendition of "Zanzibar", performed with Senegalese singer Baaba Maal, who has also been performing at the festival.

While Maal's African chants and lyrics dipped and soared, Mahal managed to turn his guitar into a cross between a kora and a mbira -- a twang from Austin by way of Lagos, if you like.

This is not surprising, given Mahal's view of the global links between instruments and music.

"The finger-picking style the world came to use began in West Africa," he said. "I'm of the opinion that it moved north through Morocco to Spain."

The audience loved it -- and his imposing yet friendly presence on stage, laced with humor and a love of what he does for a living.

He has been at this for a long time, ever since the 1950s when his Springfield, Massachusetts, home had a welcome invasion of musical émigrés from the South that got him into music.

But at 70, he gives no hint of calling it quits. Indeed, he opened his concert with a warning that anyone expecting an aged, venerable bluesman to come on stage was in for a disappointment.

This was going to be "a party", he said. And it was.

(Reporting by Jeremy Gaunt, editing by Paul Casciato)

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'American Idol' Judges: 10 Picks to Replace Steven & Jennifer

by M. Tye Comer, Sarah Maloy & Perri Tomkiewicz  |   July 14, 2012 12:00 EDT

The news that Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez were both leaving their "American Idol" posts rocked the reality-TV set to its core this week, forcing fans to speculate about who might replace the two popular judges. Considering "Idol's" disappointing season 11 ratings, "The Voice's" ever-growing popularity, and "The X Factor's" ability to bring pop powerhouses like Britney Spears to their table, we're sure the show's producers are checking their rolodexes twice for big names they can call to fill the panel.

'Idol' Exodus: What Now for Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler?

With that said, we thought we'd give Ryan, Randy (if he remains) and the rest of the "Idol" team a little help. Here's who we think would make great judges for the Fox reality show's 12th season. Agree with our suggestions? Vote in the poll below. Got a better one? Let us know in the comments section.

Mariah Carey 

Rumor has it Mariah is already in talks to take over J. Lo's spot, and we think she's an excellent choice. The record-setting diva has spent decades perfecting her platinum-powered pipes, so we're sure she knows "pitchy" when she hears it.  She's sweet enough to be nurturing to burgeoning talents, but feisty enough to keep it real when need be. "Idol" producers, make this so.

Adam Lambert

The "Idol" season eight runner-up is another name rumored to be in talks about sitting on the panel. It makes perfect sense. Having been through "Idol" bootcamp himself, Adam knows exactly what it takes to go from the a cappella audition room to the top of the charts. Plus, Glambert's one-of-a kind flair might give the show the fabulous dash of sass it desperately needs.

Shania Twain

Shania once reigned as one of country music's biggest crossover stars, but the Canadian icon hasn't released an album of new material in more than 10 years. "Idol" would be a great platform for her to get back in the public eye and restart her music career. Might be difficult for Twain to juggle reality TV and her upcoming Las Vegas residency though.

Justin Timberlake

Talk about a no-brainer. JT has the success, charisma, experience and positive attitude to be one of "Idol's" all-time best judges. But lately, Timberlake has given his full attention to making a mark on the big screen. Despite the show's juggernaut status, the "Idol" platform may be too small for Justin's huge career aspirations.

Kelly Clarkson

Who better to sit on the judges' panel than the original "Idol" herself? Clarkson remains the show's biggest success story, and the million-dollar diva can certainly help guide hopefuls through the twists and turns of the rigorous competition. But wise men say you can never go home again -- returning to "Idol" could actually stunt Kelly's career growth.

Marc Anthony

Having J. Lo's ex-husband take over one of the vacant "Idol" seats would definitely be a headline generator. Beyond the tabloid chatter that would instantly erupt, Marc would be a good fit -- not only is the Latin legend an accomplished superstar in his own right, he was also a quiet mentor to the season 10 contestants. It's fun to think about, though we seriously doubt that Marc wants J. Lo's sloppy seconds. 

Nelly Furtado

Nelly has had the kind of success most musicians only dream of. But in pop music, you're only as hot as your last single, and Furtado's 2012 "comeback" track "Big Hoops" didn't exactly set the world on fire. She's got a new album to push this fall, so a spot at the "Idol" table might help this Canadian songstress soar like a bird back to the top of the charts. But we wonder if Nelly bold enough to bring the tough criticism when need be.

P!nk

Over the past decade, P!nk has demonstrated undeniable staying power, sprinkling the charts with numerous top 40 anthems. Not only does this triple-threat singer, songwriter and actress know a thing or two about multitasking her way to success (and staying there), but her celebrated outspoken attitude may just provide "Idol" with a good dose of that deliciously harsh commentary that left with Simon Cowell.

Bon Jovi

With 30 years in the music biz, Jon Bon Jovi knows how to play the game. He's intelligent, friendly and poised in TV interviews, and we bet the New Jersey native could give constructive criticism without making the contestants cry (á la Simon). He may be too busy working on a new album with his band, and the price tag could be a little high -- he was recently ranked second on Forbes magazine's list of the world's highest paid musicians -- but Bon Jovi is a solid choice to replace Steven Tyler as "Idol's" token rock 'n' roll icon.

Queen Latifah

The charismatic rapper-turned-actress is no stranger to the small screen, and she could bring a lot of fun -- not to mention attitude -- to a show that has grown a bit bland over the past few seasons. Queen Latifah has been treading the comeback waters in the past few years -- teasing a new album and recording duets with Missy Elliott and Tony Bennett -- so a gig on "Idol" could be just the push she needs to dive headfirst into the music industry again.

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Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber highest paid young celebrities

Singer Justin Bieber (R) performs during the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto June 17, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Mike Cassese

NEW YORK | Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:19pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer Taylor Swift edged out teen heart-throb Justin Bieber as the highest-earning celebrity under 30, taking in $57 million, as women dominated the top spots on a list released by Forbes.com on Thursday.

Bieber, who brought in an estimated $55 million, was the only male among the top five earners, who included Rihanna at No. 3 with $53 million, followed by Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

"We are seeing a convergence of these talented women who know how to work the system," said Dorothy Pomerantz, the Los Angeles bureau chief for Forbes.

"The things they have in common, obviously they write great hits, are strong personalities. That really helps them from a publicity point of view. They connect with their fans," she added.

Kristen Stewart, who was the highest paid actress last year with an estimated $34.5 million in earnings, captured the No. 7 spot and was the only actress in the top 10.

Stewart, a lead player in the "The Twilight Saga" films, also had a hit with "Snow White and the Huntsman" and is considered one of Hollywood's up-and-coming stars.

Her co-star in the "Twilight" films and real-life boyfriend, Robert Pattinson, came in at No. 10 with earnings of $26.5 million.

"'Twilight' has done wonderful things for these kids' bank accounts," said Pomerantz, adding that they are now making $12 million per film in the franchise. "What will be telling is how they do post-'Twilight.'"

To compile the list Forbes analyzed album and concert sales, movies earnings, profit participation, advertising work and endorsements between May 2011 and May 2012. Managers, lawyers, agents and other insiders were also consulted.

The full list can be found at tinyurl.com/6sdbeoy.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Christine Kearney and Steve Orlofsky)

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Coheed and Cambria Singer's 'Amory Wars' on Movie Path

by Marc Schneider, New York  |   July 14, 2012 8:00 EDT

Coheed and Cambria lead singer Claudio Sanchez has partnered with Mark Wahlberg and Leverage, the production company behind "Entourage" and "Boardwalk Empire," to develop and produce a live-action feature film based on his sci-fi comic book series "The Amory Wars."

Sanchez, who publishes the "Amory" series through his Evil Ink Comics along with Boom! Studios, announced the movie plans during San Diego Comic-Con. Leverage (helmed by Stephen Levinson) produced Wahlberg's latest film, "Contraband."

PHOTO GALLERY: 25 Pop Star Comic Books

Further details about the big-screen project have not been released.

Based in Heaven's Fence, a fantasy universe run by a tyrannical dictator named Wilhelm Ryan, "The Amory Wars" was inspired by Sanchez's mythical concepts surrounding the albums of Coheed and Cambria, a post-hardcore band from New York.

Sanchez recently collaborated with comic book writer Peter David ("The Incredible Hulk," "Star Trek") to write the novel "Year of the Black Rainbow," also the name of the band's most recent album, which debuted at No. 5 on Billboard 200 in April 2010.

The band will embark on a North American tour with Iron Maiden on July 24 in preparation of the release of their sixth studio album this fall.

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Springsteen Breaks London Curfew, Gets Silenced After McCartney Jam

by The Associated Press  |   July 15, 2012 1:25 EDT

Concert organizers pulled the plug on rock stars Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney after the pair defied the sound curfew at London's Hyde Park, silencing their microphones at the tail end of the show.

Springsteen had already exceeded the 10:30 p.m. curfew by half an hour Saturday night when he welcomed McCartney on stage and the pair sang the Beatles hits "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Twist and Shout." But the microphones were turned off before they could thank the crowd, forcing them to leave the stage in silence.

A statement from concert organizer Live Nation said it was unfortunate that Springsteen's three-hour-plus performance was stopped "right at the very end," but it said that the curfew had been laid down by the authorities "in the interest of the public's health and safety."

Huge concerts in Hyde Park, a 350-acre (140-hectare) expanse of landscaped garden and parkland that abuts some of London's wealthiest neighborhoods, have increasingly caused friction between fans and the area's well-heeled residents, many of whom gripe about the late-night noise and nuisance.

With complaints on the rise, local officials have decided that as of next year, the number of concerts will be slashed from 13 to nine. Also in 2013, they plan to reduce crowd limits from 80,000 to 65,000.

Steven Van Zandt, who plays guitar in Springsteen's E-Street Band, criticized Saturday's decision as heavy-handed.

"English cops may be the only individuals left on earth that wouldn't want to hear one more from Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney!" he wrote on Twitter. "On a Saturday night! Who were we disturbing?" Finally he added: "There's no grudges to be held. Just feel bad for our great fans. ... It's some City Council stupid rule."

London's flamboyant mayor, Boris Johnson, said Sunday that the singers should have been allowed to keep going.

"It sounds to me like an excessively efficacious decision," he told London radio. "You won't get that during the Olympics. If they'd have called me, my answer would have been for them to jam in the name of the Lord!"

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Rolling Stones celebrate 50th, hint about tour

The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts (L-R) pose in front of The Marquee Club in London in this handout photograph received by Reuters on July 11, 2012. The picture was taken by photographer Rankin to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Rolling Stones' first ever live performance on July 12, 1962 at the iconic venue on London's Oxford Street. An exhibition of photos from Rolling Stones 50 will be held at London's Somerset House from July 13 to August 27.

Credit: Reuters/Rankin/Handout

By Josie Cox

LONDON | Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:27pm EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Half a century after their first live gig on London's Oxford Street, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the rest of the Rolling Stones marked the band's 50th anniversary by launching a new book, a photographic exhibition and hinting about a tour.

As part of the festivities guitarist Ronnie Wood told Reuters in an exclusive interview that the Stones are set to reveal their plans for future live gigs this week.

"What we do is live in hope and hopefully this week we'll unfold some plans," Wood said, adding that the band had recently spent a number of days rehearsing in a studio in New York and that getting together was like "being back at school".

Richards said this week that the Stones have met up for "a couple of rehearsals", but would not go so far as to say when the quartet comprising himself, Jagger, Charlie Watts and Wood would be performing in public again.

"We're playing around with the idea and had a couple of rehearsals - we've got together and it feels so good," Richards told Britain's publicly funded broadcaster the BBC.

The 65-year-old Wood, who joined the Stones in 1975 to replace Mick Taylor, also refused to rule out the possibility of a return appearance by Bill Wyman -- bass guitarist for the band from 1962 until 1993.

"I saw him last week and he was in top form, rocking," Wood said. "We also did a rehearsal with him a few weeks ago. It's like he'd never been away."

The exhibition of photos at London's Somerset House and the accompanying book track the rise of a group of fresh-faced British boys who played their first gig at Oxford Street's Marquee Club in 1962, became the scourge of the establishment in the 1960s, the titans of 70s music and finally the elder statesmen of rock and roll in the 21st century.

"There was no sort of master plan," Richards says on the band's official website rollingstones.com. "We were flying by the seat of our pants. That is what amazes me, that the whole thing was improvised."

The relationship at the heart of the Stones' success remains the working friendship of singer Jagger and Richards, whose long musical partnership goes back to the days when they roomed with the late guitarist and former Stones founding member Brian Jones, hustling gigs wherever they could find them.

"You have to put yourself back into that time," Jagger says on rollingstones.com. "Popular music wasn't talked about on any kind of intellectual level. There was no such term as ‘popular culture.' None of those things existed."

RIFT AND RECONCILIATION

But the Jagger/Richards partnership has also had its chillier moments.

Earlier this year, Richards apologized to Jagger for derogatory comments he made about the lead singer in his 2010 memoir "Life", which caused a rift within the band.

In comments reported by Rolling Stone magazine, the two agreed it was time to settle their differences, leaving fans keen for another world tour breathing a sigh of relief.

"I got very involved with the business side of the Stones, mainly because I felt no one else was interested, but it's plain now from the book that Keith felt excluded, which is a pity," Jagger was quoted as saying. "Time I reckon to move on."

Richards added: "Mick's right. He and I have had conversations over the last year of a kind we have not had for an extremely long time and that has been incredibly important to me."

Some industry sources had put a tour delay down to the argument, but Rolling Stone said it may be more closely linked to concerns over Richards' health.

"The quality of the guitarist's performances declined after he suffered a head injury on vacation in Fiji in April 2006, midway through the Bigger Bang tour," the magazine said.

A Bigger Bang, the Stones' last tour, played to 4.5 million people in 32 countries over two years before it finished in London in 2007.

"The Rolling Stones: 50" picture book also hit the shelves on Thursday to correspond with the golden anniversary and were showcased at a Champagne-fuelled London party on Thursday attended by the Stones and other celebrities.

The new book features 700 illustrations, 300 of them in color and many taken from the archive of the Daily Mirror tabloid, which contains the largest newspaper collection of Rolling Stones photography.

"This is our story of 50 fantastic years," Jagger, Richards, guitarist/bass player Wood and drummer Watts said in a joint statement.

"We started out as a blues band playing the clubs and more recently we've filled the largest stadiums in the world with the kind of show that none of us could have imagined all those years ago."

The photographic autobiography, which also features words from the band, includes images taken by Philip Townsend, the photographer for the band's first ever shoot.

The 352-page hardback edition published by Thames & Hudson in Britain, will retail at 29.95 pounds ($48).

The Stones have said they also plan to release a documentary film in November chronicling their history.

The last studio album by the group was in 2005. They have released two live albums, 'Hampton Coliseum (Live 1981)' and 'L.A. Friday (Live 1975),' so far this year.

Richards said on rollingstones.com that he is grateful for the hallowed place that he and the band have carved into the hearts of their fans and in rock history, but was still striving to improve, half a century into his career.

"If you say I'm great, thank you very much, but I know what I am. I could be better, man, you know?"

(Reporting By Josie Cox, writing by Paul Casciato, editing by Steve Addison)

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100 years after singer Guthrie's birth, this land is his

Arlo Guthrie stands outside Okemah's refurbished movie theater that hosts Woodyfest, the annual folk festival that honors his father, Woody Guthrie in Okemah, Oklahoma July 11, 2012. For a man who has been dead since 1967, it has been a good year for folk singer Guthrie, who would have turned 100 on July 14, 2012. New books have been published, more Guthrie songs have been released and in the small Oklahoma town where he was born, nobody wants to burn him in effigy for his politics. Photo taken July 11, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Steve Olafson

By Steve Olafson

OKEMAH, Oklahoma | Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:20pm EDT

OKEMAH, Oklahoma (Reuters) - For a man who has been dead since 1967, it has been a good year for folk singer Woody Guthrie, who would have turned 100 on Saturday.

New books on Guthrie have been published, more Guthrie songs have been released and in the small Oklahoma town of Okemah, where he was born, nobody wants to burn him in effigy for his politics.

"It's a new world," said Arlo Guthrie, 65, standing outside the town's refurbished movie theater that hosts Woodyfest, the annual folk festival that honors his father. It continues through Sunday.

This year, from California and New York to Germany and Italy, the man dubbed the "Dust Bowl troubadour" is being analyzed and fondly remembered at Guthrie centennial gatherings great and small.

Not bad for a singer and songwriter who was a commercial flop, despite writing the iconic American song "This Land is Your Land."

Guthrie first caught the public's attention for his songs about the 1930s Dust Bowl and the migration west of a half-million out-of-work poor folk. In California, and later in New York City, he became an advocate for migrant farm workers and the trade union movement, a promoter and fund-raiser for socialist causes and a columnist for a communist newspaper.

He sang and joked and philosophized on major network radio shows that commanded a huge audience, but his commercial career was short-lived. He died of the degenerative nervous system disorder Huntington's Disease after spending most of his last 15 years in a hospital.

Guthrie, not formally educated but a well-read bookworm, used a hillbilly sense of humor patterned after a fellow Oklahoman he admired, said Guy Logsdon, who began researching Guthrie in 1957.

"He used extremely poor grammar deliberately," said Logsdon, a retired University of Tulsa professor. "He wanted to communicate with the common person the same way Will Rogers did," he said of the great humorist of the 1920s and '30s.

In a span of about 15 years, Guthrie wrote more than 3,000 songs, essays and stories, Logsdon said.

"I know of no one in this nation who has even come close to that type of production," he said.

Guthrie was, by all accounts, a peripatetic wanderer who hitchhiked and hopped freight trains even after he became well-known.

Arlo Guthrie said he figured out quickly that his dad was "not normal" about things like money.

SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR

"If you gave him some new clothes or something, as soon as it got warm he'd take ‘em off and give it to somebody," Arlo Guthrie said. "He didn't collect things. That's kinda rare."

He said he remembered coming home once and seeing his father sleeping on the floor and asking him why he wasn't in a bed.

"He said, 'Cause the bed will make me soft and if I get soft, I won't be able to sleep outdoors anymore,'" Arlo Guthrie said. "So I began to get an inkling of what he was about. He didn't want to get so comfortable that he couldn't be himself. He wanted to be able to leave on a whim, on a moment's notice and be free that way."

For years, Okemah and much of Oklahoma were appalled at Woody Guthrie's politics.

When Logsdon first began going to Okemah for research, few people would talk to him.

"There was a great deal of anger and in some cases hatred toward Woody Guthrie," Logsdon said. "But that's all changed."

In time, Okemah put his name on a water tower, named a street after him and placed his statue in a downtown park.

Thousands come to the town's annual folk music festival, now in its 15th year.

Gerry Mochan has been traveling there for 12 years from Scotland. "It's just the music," he explained of his yearly pilgrimage.

The majority of Woody Guthrie's songs were never recorded, and his daughter Nora Guthrie began sorting through his letters, journals and artwork in 1992.

She unearthed some surprises. Her father wrote songs about flying saucers and Albert Einstein during his New York years, she said.

"It was so stunning to me," Nora Guthrie said. "I was in the same box everybody else was - `Oh, yeah, he wrote about the Dust Bowl.'"

She has worked with 75 different recording artists, allowing them to create melodies to the words her father left behind, since he could neither write nor read music.

"We didn't know whether people would throw rocks at us or not," she said of the first collection, a collaborative effort between the American band Wilco and the British singer Billy Bragg.

The George Kaiser Family Foundation, based in Tulsa, bought the archives and is building a museum there to house them.

The decision made sense to Nora Guthrie, a lifelong New Yorker who said she has always wanted to return her father to "his people."

(Editing by Corrie MacLaggan, Greg McCune and Vicki Allen)

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Ronnie Wood says stay tuned for Rolling Stones gigs

Ronnie Wood plays as the band The Small Faces are inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio April 14, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Matt Sullivan

By Josie Cox

LONDON | Thu Jul 12, 2012 1:54pm EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones are set this week to reveal plans regarding upcoming live gigs, guitarist Ronnie Wood told Reuters in an exclusive interview on Thursday as part of celebrations marking the band's 50th anniversary.

"What we do is live in hope and hopefully this week we'll unfold some plans," Wood said, adding that the band had recently spent a number of days rehearsing in a studio in New York and that being back with the band was like "being back at school".

The 65-year-old Wood, who joined the Stones in 1975 to replace Mick Taylor, also refused to rule out the possibility of a Stones collaboration with Bill Wyman -- bass guitarist for the band from 1962 until 1993.

"I saw him last week and he was in top form, rocking," Wood said. "We also did a rehearsal with him a few weeks ago." "It's like he'd never been away."

Speaking at Somerset house, near an exhibition of photographs celebrating the band's 50th anniversary, Wood reminisced about the good old days and remembers admiring his future bandmates as an outsider.

"When I was at college I used to listen to the early Stones," he said, adding that he always told himself that one day he would be one of them.

Recounting his personal standout moments from the last half a century, Wood - clad in his trademark black suit, bright red socks and silver-spiked shoes -- reeled off a long list, at the top of which was his first encounters with singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, who collaborated with him on his 1974 solo album, "I've Got My Own Album to Do."

"It was just a fantastic experience of getting to know each other and then being asked to join them and making (his first Stones album) 'Black and Blue'".

Another highlight, he said, was his time spent working with artist Andy Warhol.

Asked about the Rolling Stones' reputation as the bad boys of music, Wood remained unruffled.

"It's just one of those things," he said nonchalantly. "Just don't give me a knife when I'm going through customs."

He joked that appearances in court were almost as frequent as those at concerts during the heydays of the 1970s and 80s, but maintains that that was just part of the rock and roll life.

"Everyone was doing it at the time."

Wood has also had stints playing with the Birds, the Jeff Beck Group as well as with Rod Stewart and the Faces.

He has also made stabs at several solo projects, most notably I've Got My Own Album to Do.

Born in Middlesex, southern England as Ronald David Wood, he has four children and has also worked with artists including Prince, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Ringo Starr and Aretha Franklin throughout a rollercoaster career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

During 2001 and 2002, Wood toured England with his band The Ronnie Wood Band -- which featured artists like Slash and Andrea Corr -- before touring with the Rolling Stones again.

In 2005 the Stones released their "A Bigger Bang" album and Wood launched his own record company, Wooden Record, which has released recordings of his daughter, Leah.

Beyond music, Wood is an acclaimed artist, and co-owns London's Scream art gallery.

The exhibition of photos at London's Somerset House and an accompanying picture book about the Rolling Stones track the rise of a group of fresh-faced British boys who played their first gig at Oxford Street's Marquee Club in 1962, became the scourge of the establishment in the 1960s, the titans of 70s music and finally the elder statesmen of rock and roll in the 21st century.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

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Steven Tyler votes self off "American Idol"

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith perfoms during the 11th season finale of ''American Idol'' in Los Angeles, California, May 23, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES | Thu Jul 12, 2012 7:32pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rocker Steven Tyler on Thursday bowed out of his job as a judge on top-rated television singing contest "American Idol" for the coming season, saying he wants to dedicate himself to his band, Aerosmith.

Tyler's departure comes as his fellow judge, Jennifer Lopez, also weighs whether to return to the program that once reigned supreme atop U.S. TV ratings but has seen its audience shrink in recent years. Third panelist Randy Jackson seems a likely bet to return this fall for the program's 12th season as either a judge or in a mentoring role.

"I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I'm back," the band's lead singer said in a statement.

"I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress ‘American Idol' before she boils my rabbit," Tyler added, in a reference to the thriller movie, "Fatal Attraction." "I got two fists in the air, and I'm kicking the door open with my band."

Tyler, 64, and Aerosmith had amassed numerous hits like "Walk This Way" and "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" since gaining fame in the 1970s, but the group had reached a lull a few years back when the singer decided to join "American Idol" as a judge.

The addition of Tyler and Lopez to the judging panel in the season that began in January 2011 sparked great interest in the Fox TV network's hit show.

But the most recent season that ended in May had the lowest-rated finale in 11 years with just 21.5 million Americans tuning in to watch Phillip Phillips win the title and recording contract that comes with it. More than 30 million viewers watched the show's finale in its heyday in 2006 and 2007.

Mark Darnell, president of alternative entertainment for Fox, called Tyler "a terrific judge, a true friend, and great mentor" on the show.

"We are very sad that Steven has chosen to focus more on his music, but we always knew when we hired a rock 'n roll legend, he would go back to music," Darnell said in a statement.

Indeed, Tyler's return to performing seemed foremost on his mind in March when Aerosmith announced it would go on a North American tour that began June 16, and release their first album in eight years, "Music From Another Dimension," on November 6.

The flamboyant rocker's departure leaves a big hole on the "American Idol" judges panel as he has been a fan favorite. He helped create one of this past season's dramatic moments when young Jessica Sanchez was voted off by fans, then saved from elimination after Tyler and fellow judge Jackson stormed the stage in her defense. Sanchez went on to the finals.

Still in doubt is the fate of Lopez, another music superstar, who just this morning on NBC's "Today" show seemed still undecided about her next move.

"It's been on my mind a lot, as you can imagine," she said. "You know, I signed on to 'American Idol' to do one year, and ... I wound up doing the two years. And now it's like, 'OK, do we continue on this journey?'"

(Additional reporting by Courtney Garcia; Editing by Jan Paschal)

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Chris Brown's "Fortune" tops Billboard album chart

1 of 2. Chris Brown performs at the 2012 BET Awards in Los Angeles on July 1, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Phil McCarten

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Wed Jul 11, 2012 2:10pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Chris Brown scored his second No. 1 debut with new album "Fortune" topping the Billboard 200 chart on Wednesday, despite failing to impress critics in early reviews last week.

"Fortune" sold 134,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a considerably lower debut than the singer's previous album "F.A.M.E.," which also reached No. 1 with 270,000 copies in its debut week last year.

Brown's was the only new album in the top 10 this week.

A surprise entry from pop star Katy Perry took the No. 2 slot on the album chart. Her "Teenage Dream" record, released almost two years ago in August 2010, notched 80,000 unit sales last week, fueled by her new movie "Katy Perry: Part Of Me" and Amazon.com's offer of the album for 99 cents on July 3.

The Amazon.com offer, which saw several albums priced at 99 cents for one day only, also pushed Gotye's "Making Mirrors," Fun.'s "Some Nights" and the Black Keys' "El Camino" albums back into the top 10 of the Billboard 200, at No. 6, No. 7 and No. 10 respectively.

Justin Bieber's "Believe" held steady at No. 3, Maroon 5's "Overexposed" notched No. 4, and Linkin Park's "Living Things" fell from the top spot last week to No. 5.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and M.D. Golan)

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A$AP Rocky Talks 'LongLiveA$AP' Album, Discovers The Dirty Projectors

by Jason Lipshutz, Chicago  |   July 14, 2012 11:05 EDT

"Who's that?" A$AP Rocky asks when the Dirty Projectors begin their set and start emitting their pitch-perfect vocal harmonies at the 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival. When informed of the Brooklyn indie rock group's handle, Rocky stands up to get a better view of the group. When he sits back down a minute later, he asks an ASAP Mob member to write the name 'Dirty Projectors' down and asks, "What do they make? Reggae?"

So it goes at Chicago's Pitchfork Music Festival, where genres awkwardly bump against each other and tastemaker-approved artists unwittingly discover each other's mass appeal. An hour before speaking with Billboard.com, Rocky had wrapped up an unrelenting, brilliantly vacuous set alongside his A$AP Mob cohorts, stomping through "LiveLoveA$AP" cuts while threatening the audience to put their hands up. When the rain started and quickly intensified, no one in the crowd moved a muscle; instead, they bounced along with the bass of "Hands on the Wheel" and supported crowd-surfers during "Wassup."

2012's Brightest New Stars (So Far)

For Rocky, a 23-year-old Harlem native who inked a deal with Polo Grounds/RCA late last year, performing at 5:30 PM to a crowd of indie rock fans is nothing new; in fact, it's sometimes preferred. "I got supporters from all demographics," says the rapper. "There are people that don't fuck with rap but fuck with A$AP, just because I give them a feeling that they can't explain. I'm used to this happening - even when it's not at one of these festivals, my crowd is real diverse. If you've ever been to one of my shows, you'd be like, 'What the fuck did I just step into?'"

"LongLiveA$AP," Rocky's major label debut, is slated for a Sept. 11 release date, but the MC says that a record featuring his entire A$AP Mob hip-hop crew -- which includes A$AP Twelvy, A$AP Yams and A$AP Ferg, among others -- will be out before that. Rocky won't give an exact date, but says that fans will have it "in two weeks." A$AP Ferg chimes in that, on the Mob album, "Everybody has their own unique sound. Rocky set the tone."

One week after Friday's performance at Pitchfork Fest, A$AP Rocky will make his network TV debut on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," with a song scheduled for Friday, July 20. But when asked about a radio single from "LongLiveA$AP" that could provide a strong hook on "Fallon," Rocky insists that he's not going through the standard tropes of a major label artist.

"I'd put out some whack, slow shit, straight up. I'll just put out a song saying nothing - call me Pootie Tang," Rocky says with a laugh. "Putting out that motherfucking tastemaker music that we do, we change the sound of mainstream. The mainstream isn't gonna be that bullshit that you hear on the radio all day. The mainstream's gonna be that A$AP -- we're gonna change the whole world with this shit. I have a dream! I'm the trill Martin Luther King, straight up."

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Hank Williams, Jr.'s new music takes on Obama

Musician Hank Williams Jr. is pictured in this publicity photo released to Reuters July 12, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Blaster Entertainment/Handout

By Vernell Hackett

NASHVILLE | Thu Jul 12, 2012 6:13pm EDT

NASHVILLE (Reuters) - Hank Williams, Jr. is a country singer, record executive and political pundit, and he wears all those hats on his new CD, "Old School, New Rules". He picks up on politics where he left off last year with some more fighting words for President Barack Obama.

Williams calls himself "an executive hillbilly," but he's more than that. The second son in a line of country stars - legend Hank Williams is his dad and country/punk/metal singer Hank III his son - Williams is known for such standards as "Family Tradition" and "A Country Boy Can Survive." He runs his own label and scouts for up-and-coming talent.

He speaks his mind, too, and has become a voice for some Americans who are discontent with Obama. Last year, cable TV network ESPN pulled his song from its "Monday Night Football" telecast after he publicly compared Obama to Adolf Hitler.

But the singer turned the backlash to his advantage by gaining some new fans for his outspokenness, and he continues to voice his political with the new CD released this week.

The opening track, "Take Back Our Country," includes lyrics like "...I'll go find a network wants to treat me right, y'all can take the change and stick it out of sight" and "Hey Barack pack your bags, head to Chicago, take your teleprompter with you so you'll know where to go..."

Love him or not, Williams and his music always bears his unique take on life, whether he's mixing country with southern rock or throwing in the blues. He writes most of his songs, and those on "Old School, New Rules" are no exception.

"I got pretty motivated on this," Williams told Reuters. "The people, the fans, have inspired me and I guess that's why I wrote 10 and a half songs for the album. We have sold several hundred thousand dollars-worth of t-shirts that say ‘Take Back Our Country.' It's snowballing."

"Who knew Mickey Mouse and ESPN would put me in the forefront? I'm the mouthpiece for grandmothers who lost everything," he said, referring to the cable TV network's parent, The Walt Disney Co.

"I had an 11-year-old write me, ‘My parents said you were a good role model for me, could you send me a picture?' We're also hearing from military personnel, saying, ‘We're behind you 100 percent.' It's all good; it's really special," he said.

Other politically-charged songs on the album include, "We Don't Apologize for America" and "Who's Taking Care of Number One?" but there are many other songs that avoid the subject.

FAMILY TRADITION

Williams' family tradition calls for a few drinkin' songs, and there are those, too. He partners with Brad Paisley on "I'm Gonna Get Drunk and Play Hank Williams" and with Merle Haggard on his classic "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink."

The tune "Old School" is a song that seems it could only have been written by a member of a country dynasty. The opening lyric is "I remember a young Johnny Cash waiting in the wings, ‘cause he'd hand me his cigarette when he'd go out to sing..."

The singer talks about first meeting Dolly Parton as a teenager - and watching industry folk fall over themselves to meet her - and about hearing Jerry Lee Lewis play rock ‘n roll at his home.

"I never knew who would be there when I woke up," said Williams of his life growing up in Nashville with his mother, Audrey Williams, who promoted the young Hank as a singer of his father's songs. Williams took banjo lessons from Earl Scruggs and learned boogie woogie piano from Lewis.

Williams said he was very passionate about making the new album and agrees that he leaves no room for people to wonder where he stands when it comes to his beliefs about the direction in which the United States is headed.

"I've always been that way. If you like it, fine; if you don't, great ... People everywhere from New York to California can't take it anymore, and they are ready for a change."

"Old School, New Rules" was produced by Williams' company, Bocephus Records.

(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Andrew Hay)

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French far right to sue Madonna over swastika images

U.S. pop singer Madonna performs during a concert for her MDNA world tour at the Stade de France Stadium in Saint-Denis, near Paris, July 14, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Benoit Tessier

PARIS | Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:15am EDT

PARIS (Reuters) - France's far right National Front will sue Madonna after she screened footage of party leader Marine Le Pen with a swastika superimposed on her face at a concert in Paris on Saturday, a party official said.

The video shown on a huge screen has already been used on other legs of the U.S. singer's tour and shows the singer's face merging with other public figures, such as Pope Benedict and former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled by popular protests last year.

The face of the National Front leader appears for a few seconds, with the Fascist symbol briefly imposed on it, and is followed by the features of a man resembling Adolf Hitler.

"A private plaintiff's case for insult will be presented next week," Florian Philippot, vice-president of the National Front, told Reuters.

He called the images an "unacceptable" provocation for attempting to associate Le Pen, who won 18 percent of the vote in April's first-round presidential election in France, with fascism.

Since taking the reins of the National Front last year from her ex-paratrooper father Jean-Marie, Le Pen has tried to widen her party's appeal by expelling extremists and cracking down on racist talk and anti-Semitism.

"It is our duty to bring a complaint to defend our voters and our supporters," Philippot said.

Although Le Pen's calls for protectionism and for France's to exit the euro currency have won sympathy with some parts of the electorate, the party won only two seats in the 577-member National Assembly in last month's legislative elections, partly due to France's first-past-the-post electoral system.

(Reporting by Patrick Vignal; Editing by Alison Williams)

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Springsteen storms through London marathon

U.S. singer Bruce Springsteen performs with the E. Street Band during their European tour to promote their latest album ''Wrecking Ball'' in Frankfurt May 25, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Alex Domanski

By Angus MacSwan

LONDON | Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:02am EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - An epic Bruce Springsteen concert in London's Hyde Park ended on Saturday with organisers pulling the plug with the singer and ex-Beatle Paul McCartney still on stage and playing at full throttle after more than three hours of music.

Springsteen had danced and worked the crowd with the energy of a man of half his 62 years, running through most of his classics before being joined by McCartney to rip through the Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Twist and Shout".

The pair were still singing for 65,000 rained-soaked but rapturous fans when the organisers turned off the microphones in line with an agreed 10.30 p.m. curfew.

The Hard Rock Calling festival was the New Jersey native's 45th show in a 67-date tour of North America and Europe tied to "Wrecking Ball", a new album full of angry songs about corporate greed and the plight of ordinary working men and women.

Unlike on other dates, when he has introduced new songs such as "Jack of All Trades" and "Shackled and Drawn" with commentaries on the economic crisis, he avoided political polemics for the most part in a city that has been rocked by a new round of banking scandals in the past month. The focus was on having a giant street party.

Springsteen opened with "Thunder Road", standing alone at the microphone accompanied only by pianist Roy Bittan. It was, he noted, the first song he had played in his debut appearance in London at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1975.

He followed that with "Badlands", the crowd singing along word for word and its apt refrain of "poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king, and a king ain't satisfied 'til he rules everything". With "City of Ruins", he paid tribute to lost friends, notably Clarence Clemons, his longtime comrade in arms, saxophone player and stage foil, who died last year.

This was the E Street Band's first tour since then but Clarence's nephew Jake has stepped into his big shoes admirably.

A BEATLE AND THE BOSS

With a repetoire of the depth of Springsteen's, the hits are not necessarily the highlights. The relatively obscure "Johnny 99" became a rollicking romp with New Orleans style horns.

Several of the new songs are raucous Irish jigs with stinging lyics - "send the robber barons straight to hell, the greedy thieves who came around and ate the flesh of everything they found" he sang on "Death to my Hometown".

He also paid tribute to folk singer Woody Guthrie on the 100th anniversary of his birth, with "the Ghost of Tom Joad", a dustbowl ballad named for John Steinbeck's hero. Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine added searing guitar.

Another star guest, former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty joined him for "Promised Land". The crowd, standing ankle-deep in mud as the rain lashed down, sang along to "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" then listened in hushed mood to a mournful "The River", his ballad of youth's crushed dreams.

The show climaxed with "Born in the USA" - the title track of the 1984 album that catapaulted him to superstardom, his anthem "Born to Run", and "Dancing in the Dark" before McCartney walked on.

"I've waited 50 years for this," Springsteen shouted.

Despite being a multi-millionaire, Springsteen has stuck to his image as champion of the underdog as well as master of ceremonies at the most exuberant of rock'n' roll parties. He never fails to give value for money - his show in Madrid on June 17 was the longest he has ever played, clocking in at 3 hours and 48 minutes. And he is still winning new fans.

"I'm a new convert," said Anna, a 25-year-old nurse from High Wycombe, as the crowd streamed away. "My dad was into him so I used to think he was uncool. I came with my dad tonight and now I see what all the fuss is about it."

(Reporting by Angus MacSwan; Editing by Patrick Graham)

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Chris Brown Injured in Club Brawl, Drake Denies Involvement

by Billboard Staff  |   June 14, 2012 2:20 EDT

The camps tied to Chris Brown, Drake and Meek Mill made a scene at a downtown NYC nightclub early Thursday, allegedly throwing bottles and blows over an argument about Rihanna. The brawl went down at SoHo club W.I.P. between 4-5 a.m. and left five people injured, police confirmed.

Brown tweeted several messages after the fight, including a photo that appears to show a gash on his chin. "Ni**as throwing bottles! Y'all ni**az weak!" he wrote in posts that have since been taken down.

According to GlobalGrind.com, a fight broke out after Brown sent Drake a bottle, which the Canadian rapper apparently saw as a provocation. He reportedly began arguing with the singer about his ex-girlfriend Rihanna and then "punched Chris Brown in the face, and hit him in the mouth with a bottle before he could retaliate from the punch."

However, Drake has denied involvement in the fight, explaining he was actually heading to the exits during the tussle. "Drake did not participate in any wrongdoing of any kind last night at W.I.P. He was on his way out of the club when the altercation began," a rep told TMZ. "[Drake] did not engage in any activity which resulted in injury to person or damage to property."

One of Brown's deleted tweets asked, "How u party with rich n---- that hate? Lol.... Throwing bottles like girls?#shameonya!"

Witnesses told the New York Post that "all hell broke loose" at the club and Global Grind has published an image purportedly showing the aftermath after the venue was cleared of partiers.

Rapper Meek Mill, a friend of Drake's, who was at the club at the time and was reportedly involved in the fight, later wrote on Twitter, "It wasn't me… (shaggy voice) lol."

Drake and Meek Mill, who are on tour together, arrived at W.I.P. after attending a listening party for Maybach Music Group's compilation album "Self Made Vol. 2" at Sin City, a strip club in The Bronx.

Two weeks ago, Drake, Meek and Brown went back and forth on Twitter, throwing subliminals as to each dating Rih Rih, according to MissInfo.tv.

No arrests were made and it's unclear if any charges will be filed. The NYPD declined to comment when reached by Billboard.

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Fun. to Headline Trevor Project Event: Exclusive

by Sarah Maloy, N.Y.  |   June 14, 2012 10:30 EDT

Indie pop trio Fun. will be the musical performer for this year's "Trevor Live" event, hosted by LGBTQ organization the Trevor Project in New York City.

"We are honored to be supporting the Trevor Project in every way we can," said Fun.'s Jack Antonoff in a statement to Billboard.com. "In the current state in which LGBTQ citizens are denied basic rights, it's absolutely vital to have resources like the Trevor Project available to kids as a support system to help them understand that there is nothing wrong with them."

The group has long advocated LGBTQ rights, previously teaming up with Revel & Riot to design a T-shirt that reads, "It's all Fun. and gay 'til someone loses their rights." In May of this year, the three heterosexual members of Fun. told the Washington Post that they hope to establish a nonprofit organization to support same-sex marriage.

Abbe Land, executive director and CEO of the Trevor Project, said that Fun. is "a perfect fit" for the event, as they've been actively promoting LGBTQ awareness for months. "We are looking forward to their performance, as well as their continued work in the LGBTQ community," she said.

Antonoff, who will perform with frontman Nate Ruess, added, "As a band of allies who are doing everything in our power to help ensure LGBTQ rights, aligning with the Trevor Project is thrilling and inspiring for us." Andrew Dost will not be joining his bandmates for the show.

The "Trevor Live" event, presented by Audi of America and Wells Fargo, will take place at NYC's Pier 60 on June 25, with a wide range of celebrities expected to appear. "Smash" director Michael Mayer will guest direct the show, which has previously honored stars like Lady Gaga, Neil Patrick Harris and Daniel Radcliffe.

"Smash's" Debra Messing will also appear at "Trevor Live," alongside her former "Will and Grace" costar Eric McCormack. Tony Award winner Steven Kazee will be featured in the show, and MTV president Stephen Friedman will be on hand to accept the Trevor 2020 Award.

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The 10 Best 'Call Me Maybe' Covers

After months of covers, flashmobs and radio play, Carly Rae Jepsen has finally dethroned Gotye to take the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her hit single is as catchy as it is popular, and even celebs have gotten in on the "Call Me Maybe" action, recording covers and viral video interpretations of the song.

Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Call Me Maybe' Hits No. 1 on the Hot 100

In honor of Jepsen reaching the No. 1 spot, we bring you the 10 best YouTube versions of her hit songs, from Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez's video -- the one that launched "Call Me Maybe" mania -- to clips by Katy Perry, Donald Trump, the Harvard baseball team, and even President Barack Obama.

Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez & Ashley Tisdale

Few cover videos ever beat the original, that is until Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez get involved. Carly Rae Jepsen might not have climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 if it weren't for The Biebs and Co. endorsing her catchy single. Their video, which sparked the "Call Me" craze, raked in a million views during the first 24 hours. The power couple of pop danced with fake mustaches and banana telephones alongside pals Ashley Tisdale, Big Time Rush, Boys Like Girls and more.

Katy Perry & Friends

Inflatable monkeys, iPhones and mixed drinks are all heavily featured in Katy Perry and friends' version of "Call Me Maybe." No stranger to being goofy, a purple-haired Perry bounces across the screen while lip-syncing, then plays director, shouting out stage directions to her pals. Shot during Coachella weekend, the video was a response to the Biebs' version, with Perry giving him a shout-out at the end.

Jimmy Fallon, the Roots & Carly Rae

Jimmy Fallon and the Roots can do no wrong, and when the Carly Rae herself is thrown into the mix -- with a rainbow-bright xylophone -- the "Late Night" crew gets even better. Plus, Carly plays the triangle, while Jimmy tackles the tambourine and lends some impressive background vocals. And the icing on the catchy pop tune cake: Questlove brought out a kazoo at the end. What's not to love?

The Harvard Baseball Team

Harvard guys can have fun too, as evidenced by the baseball team's choreographed, back-of-the-van lip sync. How's that for a curveball? They could spice up their dance moves a bit -- especially the napping player out in left field -- but all in all we'd say this one was a home run. The entertaining video spawned dozens of replies from university sports teams across the country. Road trip, anyone?

Fun.

If you want a little indie in your "Call Me Maybe," look no further than Fun. These guys slowed their cover down a teeny bit, focusing on the acoustic guitar and orchestral sounds from the keyboards. Lead singer Nate Ruess' vocals seem to catch a desperation in the lyrics not found in the poppy, catchy original. It's hard to beat Jepsen's version, but these guys sure come close.

NEXT: Donald Trump, Cheerleaders, 'Chocolate Rain' and More

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Aerosmith 'Still Firing on All Cylinders' as Tour Lifts Off

by Gary Graff, Detroit  |   June 14, 2012 5:00 EDT

A erosmith fans can expect an album that "really pays attention to all the different eras of the band" when "Music From Another Dimension!" -- the Boston bad boys' first new release in eight years -- comes out on Aug. 28 according to bassist Tom Hamilton.

"It's gonna be, like, a 14-song album, so it's got a lot of range," Hamilton tells Billboard.com about the set, which was co-produced by the band's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry along with longtime cohort Jack Douglas, with additional work by Marti Frederiksen. "I think it just kind of reflects all the eras of our career, everything we've learned over the centuries -- the 70s era, just all-out riff rock songs, and then the later stuff that's more melodic, ballady stuff so that we can have girls in our audience. It's all there."

Hamilton says all five band members wrote for the album, although the Tyler-Perry team dominated, of course. Aerosmith also drew from "songs that have been written over the course of our lifetimes" -- including the first single, "Legendary Child."

"We've had these songs that we've been really enthusiastic about," Hamilton explains, "but never have felt we had a producer or support from the record company for some of these more off-the-wall tracks that are very similar to what we were doing in the 70s. Jack Douglas was our producer back then, and he has an ear for the weird stuff and how the weird stuff turns into great Aerosmith songs. So that's the process that happened on this record."

A surprise inclusion is a cover of "Shakey Ground," which was a 1975 hit for the Temptations though Aerosmith based its version on Etta James' rendition. "We needed extra songs for Japan and Europe," Hamilton recalls, "and we thought, 'OK, we're struggling to get all our own songs written. Maybe we should cover a couple of songs.' I forget who brought ('Shakey Ground') in, and we tried it out and in the course of recording we just had so much fun with it that we wanted to put it on the album. We like to show off our funk roots and show we can get people's butts shaking."

The album may also include some guests, Hamilton adds, but "everything is not 100 percent definite at this point. There's still decisions to be made, so it's just a little early to talk about that."

Hamilton says the best part of "Music From Another Dimension!" is having new music to play on the road when Aerosmith begins its Global Warming Tour with Cheap Trick on June 16 in Minneapolis. The group plans to play "Legendary Child," and even though it's leery of exposing the rest of the new songs to fans' cell phone cameras "we're probably going to say 'To hell with it' and play 'em because they're fun. We're chomping at the bit to play a bunch of these live. We haven't had an album of new material in a long time, so it really makes you feel like you're walking out there with a loaded weapon. I want us to be known as a band that is still firing on all cylinders."

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Slipknot unveils songs, art, on new "best-of" album

The cover of heavy metal band Slipknot's new album ''Antennas to Hell'' is shown in this publcity photo released to Reuters June 11, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Handout

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Mon Jun 11, 2012 5:15pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Grammy-winning heavy metal band Slipknot unveiled the artwork and tracklist for their upcoming "best-of" album on Monday, their first release since the 2010 death of bassist Paul Gray.

"Antennas To Hell," due out on July 24 in the United States, will encompass some of the band's best-known singles from their last four studio albums, including "Spit It Out," "Left Behind" and "Vermilion."

"I think every song Slipknot has ever written is a greatest hit, so it was hard (to narrow it down), but at the same time there's only four records, so we did stick a couple of live songs on," band member Shawn "Clown" Crahan told Reuters.

"It all falls together the way it needs to."

Slipknot, founded by Gray and Crahan in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995, has eight members -- Crahan and Chris Fehn on percussion, lead singer Corey Taylor, Sid Wilson on turntables, guitarists Jim Root and Mick Thomson, Craig "133" Jones on sampling and drummer Joey Jordison.

Following Gray's death from an accidental overdose in 2010, the band's future has been hotly debated in the world of music with media outlets posting conflicting reports on the end of Slipknot, something Crahan said has amused him.

"We as a band have never decided to go away. We've never even talked about it; it's not even a question. The only question was how long it was going to take each individual member to accept what's happened and feel comfortable with moving on in the record area," said Crahan.

"Paul was the major part of writing records. It's not only my brother that I'm not seeing, but it's also what he brought to the table," added the percussionist.

Crahan said the band will be stepping away from the spotlight after playing a series of summer festivals, so that band members can go through "the healing process" and work on a new record. He said the lyrics were already being written for the next album and the artwork would be "severely involved."

The band released four studio albums over the years, 1999's self-titled debut, 2001's "Iowa," 2004's "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)" and 2008's "All Hope Is Gone," selling more than 20 million records worldwide.

"Antennas To Hell" packages notes on their career with a DVD of a live show at 2009's Download Festival, video montages of Slipknot and its members, and the 19-song compilation.

Along with the album, the band is headlining festivals over the U.S. summer before taking the helm of their very own, the first annual Knotfest, taking place in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on August 17 and in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 18.

"Now is the best time to exercise the philosophy of this beautiful art thing that we're going to make known as Knotfest," said Crahan. "The community is what we want to bring back, I want to bring back the intimacy of concerts."

The tracklist for "Antennas To Hell" is as follows:

1. (sic)

2. Eyeless

3. Wait And Bleed

4. Spit It Out

5. Surfacing

6. People = Shit

7. Disasterpiece

8. Left Behind

9. My Plague (New Abuse Mix)

10. The Heretic Anthem (live)

11. Purity (live)

12. Pulse Of The Maggots

13. Duality

14. Before I Forget

15. Vermilion

16. Sulfur

17. Psychosocial

18. Dead Memories

19. Snuff

(This version of the story has been corrected to fix a typo in second paragraph)

(Editing by David Brunnstrom)

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Justin Bieber Releasing 2nd Fragrance: 'Girlfriend'

by Gregory DelliCarpini Jr.  |   June 14, 2012 9:15 EDT

Justin Bieber's debut fragrance "Someday" had such stunning success the singer is releasing a second. The Canadian star's new scent, dubbed "Girlfriend," scheduled to breeze through Macy's stores the week of June 18.

Justin Bieber, 'Believe': Track-By-Track Review

The hot new fragrance is contained in a pink and purple spray bottle masked in a structural criss-crossed cage contraption, slightly resembling the bottle of his real life girlfriend, Selena Gomez's, perfume.

The Biebs is promoting the new scent with a sing-off competition where fans can send in videos of themselves covering Justin's single "Boyfriend" substituted with the word "Girlfriend." A few chosen participants will get their video aired during his June 21st NBC Special and a very special select will find their creations on a 60-second international commercial for the perfume.

Will you be Justin's Girlfriend this summer? Or at least will be smelling like her?

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Lady Gaga Reveals New Perfume Bottle

by Gregory DelliCarpini Jr.  |   June 14, 2012 1:10 EDT

Lady Gaga was forced to unveil the bottle for her first perfume after images leaked online yesterday (June 13). "Looks like photos of my perfume are being leaked," she tweeted. "Oh you fashion editors I could just crinkle my hands at you!"

The singer also tweeted images of the bottle, which is as outrageous and fabulous as she is. Crowned with an edgy and alien-like gold cap, the bottle beneath is simple and unfussy. But the truly bizarre part is inside the bottle, where the scent takes the form of a "black fluid."

She had previously said that her fragrance, which was going to be called "Monster," would smell of "semen and blood." However, the fragrance's box says that it contains notes of "belladonna, crushed heart of tiger orchidea with a black veil of incense, pulverized apricot and the combinative essences of saffron and honey drops."

"My perfume was designed for women, but a lot of my gay friends wear it," Gaga explained after a fan asked if she would be making a perfume for men. Mother Monster's "Fame" perfume will hit stores later this summer for Little Monsters of every gender. She will also cover the September issue of Vogue to promote the launch of her first scent.

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Carly Rae Jepsen, Scooter Braun Talk Hot 100 Coronation

by Gary Trust, N.Y.  |   June 13, 2012 4:25 EDT

(Update: Jepsen's manager was previously misidentified. She is managed Jonathan Simkin.)
Carly Rae Jepsen and Scooter Braun, founder of her imprint Schoolboy Records, are basking in the afterglow of her bouncy Interscope Records single "Call Me Maybe" bounding to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
"I feel so blessed," the singer said upon learning that the song, her first Hot 100 entry, had dethroned Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," featuring Kimbra, after an eight-week domination. "Thank you to everyone who made this happen.
"Life keeps surprising me lately and it's a wonderful feeling."

Carly Rae Jepsen Hits No. 1: 'Call' Connects Atop Hot 100

Braun likewise shared his elation over the chart-topping news.
"To see Carly hit No. 1 is an amazing achievement, but what is even better is seeing it happen to someone as kind and as warm a person as Carly Rae Jepsen," he says. "No one is more deserving.
"And, I know from hearing her music that this is just the beginning for her."

As previously reported, "Call" was first a hit in Jepsen's home country of Canada, as the Mission, British Columbia, native took the song to No. 1 for four weeks on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 beginning in February. After fellow Canadian Justin Bieber Tweeted his affinity for the song to his more than 20 million Twitter followers, and produced a video in which he, Selena Gomez and Ashley Tisdale sang it, the U.S. success of "Call" surged.
Jepsen, like Bieber, is signed to Braun's Schoolboy imprint. (She's managed by Jonathan Simkin.) Braun also manages rookie British/Irish boy band the Wanted. Ironically, given his support, Jepsen reaches the Hot 100 apex before Bieber (and on her first try). While Bieber has placed 25 songs on the chart dating to his arrival in 2009, he's so far peaked as high as No. 2 with "Boyfriend." He previously placed as high as No. 5 with "Baby" in 2010.
The Wanted reached No. 3 with its debut single "Glad You Came," which this week drops 10-11. Follow-up single "Chasing the Sun" rises 93-91 in its second week on the Hot 100.
Jepsen is set to open for Bieber for 47 dates on his North American "Believe" tour, which begins Sept. 29  in Glendale, Ariz., and runs through Jan. 26, 2013, in Miami.
Her as-yet-untitled debut U.S. album is due this fall.

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Bret Michaels Enlists Lil Jon, Jimmy Buffet for Solo Album

by Nicole Pajer, L.A.  |   June 14, 2012 12:45 EDT

B ret Michaels plans to release a new solo album this summer, which includes songs he recorded with a little help from his A-list rocker friends.

The album, due sometime in late July, is titled "Bret Michaels and Friends: Get Your Rock On" and features collaborations with Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Michael Anthony (ex-Van Halen), Ace Frehley (ex-KISS), Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Buffet, Bobby Capps (.38 Special), Lil Jon and Rickey Medlocke and Peter Keys (both, Lynyrd Skynyrd) and more.

VIDEO: 'Rock of Ages' Premiere | Soundtrack Debuts at No. 1

"I have either jammed with, partied with, or hung out with every friend that joined me on this album. There is such an awesome and diverse mix of talent on this record -- from rock to country to rap to blues to pop to hip hop to alt rock to Jimmy Buffett. It was truly one of the highlights of my career," Michaels tells Billboard of the forthcoming disc.

The notorious Poison frontman/VH1 reality star recently released a video for his latest single, "Get Your Rock On," which includes footage of him riling up crowds, tooling around on a motorcycle, and entertaining females backstage on his current solo tour. The track features Def Leppard's Phil Collen and Sal Costa of My Darkest Days.

Michaels is currently on the road on his Get Your Rock On tour and will be continuing with solo gigs in between dates on the upcoming Poison/Def Leppard/Lita Ford Rock of Ages tour kicking off on June 20th in Salt Lake City.

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A Minute With: Singer Colbie Caillat and dad, Ken

Singer and songwriter Colbie Caillat arrives with her father Ken Caillat at the 59th Annual BMI Pop Awards in Beverly Hills, California May 17, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Fred Prouser

By Sue Zeidler

LOS ANGELES | Wed Jun 13, 2012 5:06am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In his book "Making Rumours," record producer Ken Caillat recounts with humor and detail the tumultuous year of betrayal, drama and rock ‘n' roll excess behind recording Fleetwood Mac's 1977 "Rumours" album, which has sold over 40 million copies.

Caillat, who counts Billy Idol, The Beach Boys and Alice Cooper among his many producing credits along with Fleetwood Mac, has more recently been instrumental in the career of his singer-songwriter daughter Colbie Caillat, who has sold over 6 million albums worldwide and scored a major hit with "Bubbly."

Ahead of Father's Day on June 17, Reuters spoke with the talented dad-daughter team that is currently working on a Christmas album, and they spoke of collaborating and how the music industry has changed since "Rumours."

Q: What made you decide to write the book, Ken?

Ken: "I couldn't listen to the album. I heard it as all work. I knew that I spent 14 hours a day on it. Up until a few years ago, I still had dreams, rather nightmares, about being in that studio. I thought it would help to write the book. I decided to in 2009. First, I did extensive research and got access to Warner Bros. Records' vaults of the recording sessions. Then I started writing. I got up at 7 a.m. and wrote it by the fireplace every day for about 90 days."

Colbie: "I love the book because it's about the band's personalities and what it takes to make a record like that. It's really cool for people who are fans of Fleetwood Mac to get the inside look. I was reading it on the plane and after each chapter, I'd listen to the song the chapter was discussing."

Q: How does working with Colbie compare with your experience with Fleetwood Mac?

Ken: "Fleetwood Mac was always pushy, cantankerous, opinionated and inebriated. Fast forward 30 years, and the whole situation is clean. Nobody smokes in the studio night or day. With Colbie, we just focus on the music. You can do things faster and cheaper now. We had 365 days to make 'Rumours.' When I talked with (former Fleetwood Mac singer) Stevie Nicks recently, she was about to make a record and told me she had only 13 days to record."

Q: Do you two ever clash over the work?

Colbie: "We argue creatively all the time. There are two songs I wanted to do for this Christmas record, and I don't want to do them anymore -- 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' and 'Winter Wonderland.' I'm not feeling it. But he wants it. We did this with my song, 'Rainbow.' He wanted people to do background ‘oohs' and I was annoyed and didn't want it. But then I realized it was a good idea. You have to be nudged and open-minded."

Q: Colbie, you grew up in what many would consider to be a cool, rock ‘n' roll home around artists all the time. But did you ever have the typical, "I can't stand my parents," stage?

Ken: "She doesn't have a problem calling me a dork."

Colbie: "Everyone can't stand their parents at times. He can't stand his parents sometimes. It's just when, maybe, you're around each other too much. Then, you step away from it. My parents influenced me to become a songwriter and learn how to play an instrument. I can appreciate that now, but at the time I was annoyed. They wanted me to take lessons and write songs. I just wanted to sing. I thought it was annoying but now, OK. (Turns to Ken). You were totally right and thank you."

Q: Clearly Colbie was born with an incredible voice. But how would you know she had the potential to write songs?

Ken: "I think everyone has the potential to be a songwriter. If they can make their hands play music, their mouth will correspond and jump in and join the party."

Q: What's the biggest lesson you can teach Colbie in terms of your years of experience in the business?

Ken: "It's a totally different game. I don't try to teach her anything. The only thing I've said in the past is to slow down and listen. She sometimes gets so booked up on things. She does vocals with me and races over to do a new vocal. I say ‘you never get the chance to sit and listen to what we're doing.' That's what I tell most musicians these days. Slow down. Enjoy listening more, because it's all about the listening experience. I don't know if that's old fashioned, but it works for me.

"On her first record, I fought with her producer because Colbie was really co-producing the record. She knows what she wants. She says 'I like that and not that,' every step of the way. I was trying to encourage her to be involved in producing."

Q: Colbie, you recently guest-starred on TV show "The Playboy Club." Do you plan on acting, too?

Colbie: "He wants me to!"

Ken: "Sure, why not! She thinks it's going to be difficult, and I keep promising her that they're going to write scripts and all she'll have to do is be herself."

Q: He was right about your songwriting. Maybe you should listen to your dad.

Colbie: "He'd been telling me for years to take lessons and write songs. I didn't. Finally, when I was 19, I said, 'Fine. I'll take a guitar lesson.' I went to my first guitar lesson and I came home that evening. I had learned the basic four chords and I wrote a song in my parents' bathroom that night where nobody could hear me. I started singing when I was playing the chords and was impressed by what he had said.

"If you just sing whatever you're feeling and learn a simple instrument, you can write a song. It was fast and easy, and I fell in love with the experience of writing. I was lucky that I had parents in the business who helped me find a great manager."

Ken: "She opens her mouth and golden rainbows come out. She's the luckiest girl in the world."

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Dale Hudson)

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