Archive for October 13th, 2009
Carly Simon Sues Starbucks Over Failure of “This Kind of Love” LP
October 13th, 2009
Photo: Corrigan/Getty
Carly Simon has hired legal heavyweight David Boies and is suing coffee giant Starbucks, who released the singer’s 2007 album This Kind of Love on their Hear Music label, for failing to properly promote the LP as promised, the New York Times reports. In the lawsuit, Simon blames Starbucks’ mismanagement for the record’s weak sales (which total 124,000 copies), claiming the company reneged on promises to prominently feature the record in stores and stock ...
Obituaries: Dickie Peterson, Brendan Mullen, Stephen Gately
October 13th, 2009
Photo: Ochs Archives/Getty
Blue Cheer bassist-singer Dickie Peterson died yesterday in Germany after developing an infection following surgery to treat prostate and liver cancer, Blabbermouth reports. Peterson, 61 (pictured above) was a founding member of the hard-rock trio whose debut Vincebus Eruptum remains a heavy-metal landmark.
Brendan Mullen, a pioneer behind the scenes of the Los Angeles punk scene, passed away from a sudden stroke Monday in L.A., Variety reports. Mullen founded legendary club the Masque in ...
Fricke’s Picks: Rockin’ the Casbah
October 13th, 2009
Sharif wouldn’t like it: Raks Raks Raks — 27 Golden Garage Psych Nuggets From the Iranian 60s Scene (Raks Discos) is a magnetically weird a-go-go of Middle Eastern rhythms, guitars acting like ouds and oddly translated R&B (see Googoosh’s harem-Aretha shot at “Respect”). This was a brief party for bands like the Rebels and Moha Jamin, who aspired to Beatlemania under the shah’s repressive modernism. That copies of these rare singles and EPs also survived ...
Adam Lambert Wants to “Grab People By the Heart” in “2012″ Song “Time for Miracles”
October 13th, 2009
Photo: Vasquez/Getty
A 30-second clip of Adam Lambert’s upcoming single “Time for Miracles” from the soundtrack of apocalypse flick 2012 was released this weekend. After previewing the track, it’s safe to say the end of the world never sounded so uplifting, as Lambert’s vocals soar over a bed of strings and arena-rock guitars. “We wanted to match how epic the film is,” Lambert said in a behind-the-scenes video at AOL Moviefone. “We wanted to reach out ...
Paul Anka Strikes Deal With Michael Jackson’s Estate Over “This Is It” Rights
October 13th, 2009
Paul Anka will reportedly receive 50 percent of the publishing rights from the “new” Michael Jackson song “This Is It” after it was discovered that the track — which debuted online Monday at midnight — was in fact a song Jackson and Anka co-wrote in 1983. The Jackson estate worked quickly to rectify their error after being informed that “This Is It” was an early take of the song that was later recorded as “I ...
News Ticker: Kanye West, Julian Lennon, Carrie Underwood, Tom Waits
October 13th, 2009
In the wake of his poorly received onstage protest at the VMAs, Kanye West said he needed to take time off — then announced (and promptly canceled) his Fame Kills tour with Lady Gaga. Now MSNBC’s Scoop is reporting the MC has escaped to India to rehabilitate himself.
Julian Lennon has recorded a song in honor of the “Lucy” who inspired the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” (a schoolmate named Lucy Vodden who died ...