The Clash’s Mick Jones And Topper Headon Work Together For First Time In 27 Years

Mick Jones and Topper Headon, formerly of The Clash (pictured above in the early 1980s), have recorded together for the first time since the 1982 sessions for The Clash’s Combat Rock album when they were part of a session to record a remake of The Clash’s “Jail Guitar Doors.” The session also included Billy Bragg and four former prison inmates. The song will be released to benefit Bragg’s charity, also called Jail Guitar Doors. The charity provides prisoners with musical instruments to help them in their rehabilitation.

Jones told NME.com about how the charity had helped the former prisoners who participated in the recording session:

“The guys were telling us how much this scheme had helped them move on from their previous lives before prison. It was really touching to think we’ve helped, even if it’s in a small way.”

Headon, who was famously kicked out of The Clash in 1982 for his drug use and later did prison time on drug-supplying charges, said to NME.com:

“To see it all come to fruition is absolutely beautiful. It was great to meet these guys. When I was in prison myself, many years ago, I was lucky enough to have access to a guitar, which belonged to the prison vicar! I know how much it helped me get through it.”

The recording session was filmed for a documentary titled Breaking Rocks, which is about the Jail Guitar Doors initiative. The film will premiere on October 1st as part of the Raindance Film Festival at Proud Galleries in Camden, London. For more about the Breaking Rocks film and to view the trailer, see the film’s official Web site.

For more on this story, see the article from NME.com.

To hear The Clash’s original version of “Jail Guitar Doors,” click below:

For more on the Jail Guitar Doors initiative, see:
http://www.jailguitardoors.org.uk/

VINTAGE VIDEO: “Blowin’ In The Wind” By Peter, Paul, And Mary

The video below is from 1966 and features Peter, Paul, and Mary (pictured above top in a Robert Corwin photo from the 1960s) performing their stirring cover of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind.” To watch the video, click below:

Peter, Paul, and Mary emerged from the folk scene in New York City’s Greenwich Village in the early 1960s. They were early champions of Bob Dylan’s work, and their cover of “Blowin’ In The Wind” helped bring Dylan into prominence. Peter, Paul, and Mary very memorably performed “Blowin’ In The Wind” at the August 1963 March on Washington. Their other hits included “Leaving on a Jet Plane” and “Puff (The Magic Dragon).” They ended their partnership in 1971 to focus on solo work. They had reunited off and on since then.

Sadly, Mary Travers (pictured above bottom in the 1960s) passed away earlier this week at age 72. She had been battling leukemia for several years. (For more information, see the article from The Times of London.) I always admired Mary Travers and her bandmates for standing up and speaking out against injustice in America. Given today’s poisonous political climate in America, we could use more artists who have the guts to talk about things that are wrong in this country.

Growing up in the 1970s, I was quite familiar with Peter, Paul, and Mary’s music because it still received quite a bit of play on the radio then and we sang some of their songs in music class at my elementary school. Mary Travers had such a beautiful voice. She will be missed.

Mary Travers’ bandmates Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey have issued statements about her death. You can read them on the home page of the official Peter, Paul, and Mary Web site.

For more on Peter, Paul, and Mary, see:
http://www.peterpaulandmary.com/

R.I.P. Mary Travers 1936-2009.

Michael Sweet of Stryper Worried His Band May Be Forever Pigeonholed as an “80s band”

“Now we have to contend not only with being a Christian band, but also being an 80s band,” says vocalist Michael Sweet in an interview with the Village Voice this week. However, Stryper once fully embraced the hairspray and garish glam that became synonymous with the 80s, namely hair metal. I mean, what do you expect from people?

And…

Stryper now has soulpatches, beards, and flatter hair to comprise their look. But for someone concerned about being tagged an 80s band, they are about to bring back the Yellow and Black Attack bumble-bee suits and aero-bibles. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m getting mixed messages here. Sounds like Stryper is capitalizing on some of their 80s schtick.

They are also hamming it up for the cameras again. In the photo that ran with the Village Voice article, Stryper are posing in a church — Robert Sweet arms spread out to obviously represent the crucifixion, the others solemnly casting their gazes down as if in the presence of God Himself. If that’s not hamming up your religious “theme,” I don’t know what is.

It reminds me of when Powerline Magazine was in print and we ran a photo to accompany an interview — Styper were doing the See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil thing in it. It was over-the-top so we loved printing it. But I’m sure there were those who rolled their eyes at it.

Michael Sweet also goes on about how Stryper is direct in their Christian message. They don’t need to secularize it like other bands do. Well, as a non-religious person, I rather have it be a little ambiguous, to tell you the truth. Or else, I’m not gonna listen to it. Whether it’s about God or Satan, it’s all part of the same package to me: the Christian religion. And I usually don’t want to hear it. I listen to U2 when they get spiritual, but the message is subtle and mature enough for me to tolerate it. I listen to Slayer. Some of their lyrics have good critiques on religion (i.e., just listen to the song “Jihad”). However, they often ruin it when they throw up a snide “Hail, Satan” in there. In other words, I prefer no God nor Satan in my lyrics, thank you. And I certainly don’t want it shoved down my throat.

If I were to go to a Stryper show, and they threw one of their aero-bibles my way, I would have to throw Nietzsche’s <em>Thus Spoke Zarathustra</em> back at them. The hardcover edition. I could throw a more contemporary treatise like Richard Dawkins’ <em>The God Delusion</em> at them instead but why not a classic?

According to some of my friends, though, I did have a large Stryper poster on my bedroom wall when I was a metalhead kid. Go figure. Then again, all four walls were covered with metal images, so maybe I slipped Stryper in there one day, in a moment of weakness. Ha!

Sorry, Joe Satriani. Your Coldplay Lawsuit Has Been Dismissed

Unfortunately, the California court dismissed it “upon stipulation,” meaning there was probably a settlement between Coldplay and Satch. Too bad, if that’s the case. IMHO, Satriani was an ambulance chaser here. And it might give others the temptation to sue bands over musical similarities. (And there are just too many out there in this day-and-age where originality is becoming extinct in rock music’s evolutionary pattern)

Remember, in December, Satriani sued Coldplay for plagiarism, claiming that the band’s recent bombast “Viva La Vida” ripped off poor Joe’s 2004 song “If I Could Fly.”

One song shittier than the next.

Hey, wait til someone sues ubergroup Chickenhead, Chickenshit, Chickenfoot, or whatever they’re called (Ha!), and  Satch can get a taste of his own bitter tasting medicine.

Then again, let me think about this… too bad Satriani didn’t sue Coldplay before the song “Viva La Vida” was released. That would have served a greater purpose. The worst Coldplay song on record could have been dismissed, too.

Dame Vera Lynn Tops The British Album Chart At Age 92

In Pink Floyd’s song “Vera” from the band’s landmark 1979 album The Wall, Roger Waters poses the question, “Does anyone remember Vera Lynn?” The answer to Waters’ query is apparently a resounding yes, as the 92-year-old Dame Vera Lynn (pictured above) became the oldest artist ever to top the UK album chart. Dame Vera’s best-of album We’ll Meet Again – The Very Best of Vera Lynn came close to knocking Arctic Monkeys’ Humbug album off the top of the chart recently. This time, the “Sweetheart of the Forces,” as she was known during the Second World War, staved off challenges from The Beatles’ remastered CDs to stand alone atop the album chart. Prior to Dame Vera’s chart victory, Bob Dylan had been the oldest artist to top the UK album chart.

Dame Vera’s album began its climb up the album chart during the recent 70th anniversary of the start of World War II. After receiving the news of her unlikely placement in the album chart, Dame Vera issued a statement that read:

“I am extremely surprised and delighted, and a big thank you to all my fans for putting me there.”

On the subject of Dame Vera topping The Beatles on the chart, Gennaro Castaldo, spokesman for UK music retailer HMV, told The Times of London:

“It’s a really lovely surprise, that nobody could have imagined a few weeks ago, and it’s ironic that it’s taken one revered British icon to block the historic return of another to the top of the charts.”

According to NME.com, the current top ten UK albums are:

1. Vera Lynn – We’ll Meet Again – The Very Best Of
2. Jamie T – Kings & Queens
3. David Guetta – One Love
4. Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
5. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
6. The Beatles – Abbey Road
7. Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
8. The Cribs – Ignore The Ignorant
9. The Beatles – Revolver
10. The Beatles – Rubber Soul

For more on this story, see the articles from The Times of London and NME.com. 

To mark the 7oth anniversary of the Second World War, Dame Vera recently sat for an interview with Andrew Castle of the ITV morning show GMTV. Dame Vera talked about how she heard that Britain was at war, the origin of her “Sweetheart of the Forces” title, and her thoughts on the current overseas conflicts involving Britain. She asked, sadly, “For what purpose are our boys being killed?” At the end of the interview, Dame Vera even sang a bit of her hit song “We’ll Meet Again” at the end of the interview. It was a great interview and well worth watching. You can see it by clicking below:

Pixie Lott’s Second Single, “Boys And Girls,” Hits Number One In The UK Singles Chart

“Boys and Girls,” the second single from Pixie Lott’s debut album, Turn It Up, topped the UK singles chart this week. To watch Pixie perform the song live at a recent show at Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom that was done for BBC Radio 2, click below:

According to NME.com, the current UK top ten singles are:

1. Pixie Lott – ‘Boys And Girls’
2. David Guetta ft Akon – ‘Sexy Chick’
3. Jay-Z ft Rihanna & Kanye West – ‘Run This Town’
4. Mika – ‘We Are Golden’
5. Black Eyed Peas – ‘I Gotta Feeling’
6. Dizzee Rascal – ‘Holiday’
7. Mini Viva – ‘Left My Heart In Tokyo’
8. Sugababes – ‘Get Sexy’
9. Muse – ‘Uprising’
10. Little Boots – ‘Remedy’

Although “Boys and Girls” is only Pixie’s second single, it is also her second to go to number one in the UK singles chart. Her debut single, “Mama Do,” also topped the chart straight out of the box upon its release in June. To watch Pixie perform “Mama Do” live at Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom for BBC Radio 2, click below:

Pixie’s Turn It Up album was released on Monday, September 14th. It will be interesting to see if the album follows the lead of the singles and tops the UK album chart. Given Pixie’s stellar track record, it looks likely.

A US release date for Pixie’s album has not been announced yet.

Be sure to check out Powerline A.D.’s exclusive Q&A with Pixie Lott from April of this year.

For more on Pixie Lott, see:
http://www.pixielott.com
http://www.myspace.com/pixiesongs
http://www.youtube.com/pixieofficial

Was Kanye West’s MTV VMAs Stage Invasion Staged?

A blogger on NME.com believes that Kanye West’s much-talked-about stage invasion during last night’s MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City was staged. I don’t doubt it. West’s enormous ego knows no bounds.

The clip of West interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance is all over the Web today. Of course, there are already “remixes” of the incident, like the one below featuring West “interrupting” President Obama’s address to Congress on health care:

It would be nice if, for once, West made news for his music and not for being an arrogant, egotistical asshole. At another MTV Video Music Awards in Europe a few years ago, he complained that his video should’ve won because it cost over a million dollars to make and had helicopters in it. My answer to that is: So what? If the video sucks, it sucks. West should really start concentrating on writing songs that are good and/or memorable. The fact that he is better known for being a tool than for being a musical talent at this point of his career is definitely not a good thing for him.

I close with a question: Would you like some cheese with that whine, Kanye?

Punk Rock Poet Jim Carroll Dies At 59

Punk rock musician and poet Jim Carroll (pictured above in New York City in 2005) died on Friday at his home in Manhattan of a heart attack, it was announced today. He was 59 years old. Carroll was probably best known for his book The Basketball Diaries, published in 1978, which told about his wild youth in New York City that included basketball, drugs, and poetry. The book was turned into an excellent film in 1995, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio as Carroll.

The singer Patti Smith was a friend of Carroll’s and spoke with The New York Times about his passing. She said:

“I met him in 1970, and already he was pretty much universally recognized as the best poet of his generation. The work was sophisticated and elegant. He had beauty.”

Carroll formed a band, The Jim Carroll Band, after becoming inspired by appearing onstage with Patti Smith. He read his poetry with musical accompaniment from Smith’s band. Keith Richards helped Carroll’s band get a three-album deal with Atlantic Records. Their first album, Catholic Boy, featured the band’s biggest hit, “People Who Died.” You can watch a video for “People Who Died” by The Jim Carroll Band by clicking below:

There is additional information on this story in articles from The New York Times and NME.com. Carroll was 59, not 60 as was stated in The New York Times‘ piece.

R.I.P. Jim Carroll 1950-2009.

Gene Simmons Negative About Obama’s Healthcare Plan

KISS legend Gene Simmons calls Obama’s healthcare plan  a “complete disaster.” And, it figures, it was an interview with the NYPost tabloid — who have alright entertainment and sports sections, but their political coverage is pretty much, IMHO, a shill for the extreme Right (like Faux News, the tab has the same Aussie owner).

I always regarded Gene Simmons as a smart man. Hell, he is a smart man. So, maybe Gene has a better plan to offer the American people. Then again, Gene never had to worry about healthcare. Why should he now?

On that note, you know what, I was going to spend money on an upcoming KISS show, but I really shouldn’t. I’ve got medical bills to pay instead. Sorry Gene.

Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp Discusses His Memoir With BBC London And ITV’s GMTV

Gary Kemp (pictured above in a photo by Charlie Carter) of the famed 1980s UK pop band Spandau Ballet has been making the media rounds of late to discuss his memoir, which is titled I Know This Much: From Soho to Spandau. Spandau Ballet, which split under difficult circumstances in 1990, reunited this year.

Kemp recently stopped by the studios of BBC London to discuss the memoir with Robert Elms. In that appearance, Kemp discussed: that there was no sense of the 1960s counterculture where he lived as a child; that his house had no electricity when he was born and everything in the house was powered by gas; his parents’ first date, which was at a Little Richard concert at the London Palladium; getting interested in the guitar; the Mods who hung out in his neighborhood when he was a child; his guilt over turning his back on his working-class roots for pop stardom; the acrimonious split of Spandau Ballet in 1990; and the reunion of Spandau Ballet this year. To hear this interview, click here and then click the audio link on the page.

Kemp also recently sat for an interview with GMTV, the morning show on UK broadcaster ITV. Kemp was interviewed by GMTV host Lorraine Kelly and discussed: the connection to the war and the past in his childhood vs. modern technology; escaping the grimness of the late 1970s/early 1980s UK by dressing up and playing music; enjoying the current reunion of Spandau Ballet because there is considerably less pressure now than there was during the band’s heyday. In that interview, Kemp also discussed the 1990 film The Krays, in which he starred with his brother and Spandau Ballet bandmate Martin Kemp. In The Krays, the Kemp brothers portrayed Reggie and Ronnie Kray, the twins who were notorious gangsters in London’s East End in the 1960s. Kemp revealed during the interview that Quentin Tarantino told him that he had based the style of Reservoir Dogs on The Krays. To watch Gary Kemp’s GMTV interview, click here.

The Krays is a great movie, by the way. It’s well worth checking out if you come across it. It’s still not out on DVD in America, unfortunately, but can be found on VHS. I hope that a DVD of the film will be released domestically at some point.

Spandau Ballet’s reunion tour starts in Dublin on October 13th and includes three shows at the O2 Arena in London, on October 20th, 21st, and 22nd.