WEEKLY MUSIC NEWS

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STONE TEMPLE PILOTS: DELEO Brothers Confirm Split - Nov. 16, 2003

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS guitarist Dean DeLeo and bassist Robert DeLeo have confirmed in a brand-new interview with Guitar One magazine that they have officially closed the book on the band with the recent release of their "greatest hits" package, "Thank You".

"It was time to move on to other things," Dean said. "Life and personalities and brotherhood took its course. Everybody's got cool stuff going on. [Singer] Scott [Weiland] is about to embark on a new experience [referring to VELVET REVOLVER]. [Drummer] Eric [Kretz] built a nice home studio. It just ran its course, I suppose."

Added Robert, "Dean and Eric and myself, I think, all feel a sense of sadness, relief, anger, melancholy about it... But to try and go on and accomplish something with this band after we've already peaked is a bit cheesy. There's a cheese factor with guys hitting 40 trying to recapture glory. There's no way to go but out. If you're driving a car and it goes off the road, it's hard to steer that car back on the road. I'm proud to look back at our career. I feel we've made a valid contribution to music. I guess putting out a greatest hits set is cheesy, but the strength of the songs is there.

"I hope for Scott and Eric that STP is something to move on from, so that everyone can find something better. Dean and I are thrilled about what's going on, and I want to see those guys go on and better what we've already accomplished."

When asked about his feelings for Scott right now, Dean said, "I ran into Scott just recently for the first time in a year. VELVET REVOLVER was working at the same studio as we were with the band MONTEREY. When we left the last tour, we wanted to kill one another. But now it was like looking at someone with totally different eyes. Without being involved with one another professionally, we were able to look at each other with an entirely different view. If he and I had been affiliated now, the state of mind he was in the other night when I saw him would have really affected me in a bad way. But it didn't. It's over."

"When I think back about Scott, I remember that we almost didn't get through [recording] 'Purple'," Robert added. "We should never had started that third record either, with the state Scott was in. We only toured it for two months. All I can say is, man, drugs ain't a good thing. I'm not trying to be square. They just ain't a good thing. It got in the way... It got in the way. Denial's a strong thing. We all got very frustrated."

Dean: "Will Scott ever get his life together? You know, I don't know. I love making music with the guy. There's no one better. But it just got really hard to do. Something so easy and beautiful as making music — what we all dreamed and aspired to do — became really hard. Now, I don't take a single day for granted, what I've been able to do in my life. What's the odds, like one in 20,000 people who actually do what they want to do for a living? I just felt like there were people taking STP for granted."

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IRON MAIDEN Singer: 'We Will Stop Touring In Five Years' - Nov. 16, 2003

In an interview with the Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet conducted prior to the band's gig in Stockholm on Friday (Nov. 14), IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson revealed that the long-running heavy metal group will cease all touring activities in five years and will concentrate solely on recording and releasing studio albums.

"That will have to do," Dickinson said. "[At that point] we will be too old [to continue touring], and we will have to settle for just making albums.

"I still love the musical side of [being in IRON MAIDEN], but I don't appreciate being away from my family [for long periods of time]," he continued. "It goes up and down — there is no set formula for how to stay motivated."

In other news, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Dave Murray revealed during an online chat with the readers of Aftonbladet that plans exist for the band to issue a new live album or DVD prior to the release of the next studio album. No further information is available at this time.

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METALLICA's HETFIELD Says 'St. Anger' Sales Are A 'Bummer' - Nov. 18, 2003

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield has told Reuters that the U.S. sales of the group's latest album, which fell off the pop charts earlier this month, are a "bummer."

But the band are not giving up on its U.S. fans, and plan to launch a six-month tour of indoor arenas on March 2, they announced backstage at the American Music Awards on Sunday.

"St. Anger" has sold about 1.5 million copies in the United States since it debuted at No. 1 in June.

"It's a bummer," Hetfield said. "In Europe it's doing really good, and some other places ... It is what it is. We can't change that. We do our best and that's all we can do."

Drummer Lars Ulrich said "St. Anger" is METALLICA's best seller in Europe since its 1991 self-titled release, the so-called "black album," and the band are preparing to launch their third "St. Anger" tour there in December.

"It's a very challenging record," Ulrich said of "St. Anger", which was features no guitar solos and was widely panned for its "unconventional" production approach. He added that U.S. rock radio programmers seemed more interested in playing bands like NICKELBACK.

METALLICA recently scrapped their South American tour because of exhaustion, and Hetfield expressed mixed emotions about their busy tour itinerary. The band just returned from Japan and will also play New Zealand and Australia early next year.

"We've been a live band, get out there and play, play, play. It's kinda tough, because nowadays that was the area we wanted to lay back on a little bit, and enjoy our families."

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EVANESCENCE Singer: We Are Better Off Without BEN MOODY - Nov. 17, 2003

EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee has revealed to MTV.com that guitarist Ben Moody's departure from the group appears to be permanent.

"I actually haven't had any contact with him at all," she said of Moody, who walked out on the band October 24 in Berlin without an explanation. "But I hear he's way happier, and I know we all are, so it's for the best.

"It was just kind of an unhealthy situation for everybody," Lee said. "Everyone was really unhappy. I think it was just time to evolve."

COLD guitarist Terry Balsamo, who performed with the band at the American Music Awards ceremony Sunday night, will replace Moody at least through February.

Balsamo will join EVANESCENCE on a North American tour through mid-December and on stints through Australia and Japan in January. He may also stick around when writing starts for the next album.

"I'm really looking forward to it," Lee said. "We're writing a little this week and next week, and then starting in February we're really just gonna concentrate on writing, and I'm so excited. [Writing is] my favorite [part]."

"We've all grown so much as musicians and as artists and as performers that I think [the next album] can do nothing but be better," she added.

Among the collaborators EVANESCENCE are considering working with are former LIMP BIZKIT guitarist Wes Borland and Lee's current boyfriend, SEETHER singer/guitarist Shaun Morgan.

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KORN To Release 'Take A Look In The Mirror' Early Due To Leak - Nov. 17, 2003

KORN have pushed up the release date of their "Take a Look in the Mirror" CD due to an online leak, according to MTV.com.

The band's sixth album will now drop on Friday, November 21 instead of Tuesday, November 25.

"We really wanted to put it out [early] because we want the kids to hear it the right way," frontman Jonathan Davis said. "Because when you get the album on the Internet, it's all screwed up. We produced it ourselves and we want them to hear it the way that we did it."

Davis said the decision to bump up the release was made late last week after the webmaster for www.korn.com noticed songs "Break Some Off", "Deep Inside", "Ya'll Want a Single" and "Right Now" online.

"From our end it was cool, but once it goes out to the plant ... When you make a million records, you have boxes of them lying around, and I'm sure someone just picked one up and took it," Davis said.

"The hardcore people might buy the album anyway," he added, "but if people could get it for free, they'll get it. Why would they go out and buy it? They don't care about the artwork. I think kids who are downloading music are basically killing our industry."

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Former GUNS N' ROSES Members Cover THE ROLLING STONES: Video Available - Nov. 17, 2003

A video of former GUNS N' ROSES members Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum (accompanied by former THE CULT touring bassist Billy Morrison on guitar) performing a version of THE ROLLING STONES classic "Jumpin' Jack Flash" at the "Vanity Fair In Concert" charity event last Saturday (November 15) at the Avalon in Hollywood, California has been posted online at this location (Windows Media).

The ex-Gunners performed at the concert as part of the CAMP FREDDY jam that included additional appearances by such musicians as ex-BUCKCHERRY frontman Joshua Todd, SUGAR RAY singer Mark McGrath, Billy Idol, BILLY IDOL guitarist Steve Stevens, and actress Gina Gershon.

CAMP FREDDY is the Los Angeles-based "jam" band consisting of Morrison, Sorum, JANE'S ADDICTION guitarist Dave Navarro, bassist Scott Ford, and vocalist Donovan Leitch (the son of 1960s U.K. folk-rock icon Donovan).

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KURT COBAIN's 'Journals' Paperback Edition Released With Never-Before-Seen Material - Nov. 18, 2003

All new, never-before-seen material, including lyrics to early NIRVANA songs and lyrics to a song that was never recorded, has been included in the new paperback edition of Kurt Cobain's "Journals".

The book faithfully reproduces Cobain's writings, letters, sketches, production notes and lyrics. Beginning with an invitation to "Look through my things, and figure me out," it spans from Cobain's days as a struggling musician to his life as the iconic lead singer of NIRVANA, and traces the life and demons of a supreme talent. "Journals" ($19.95, Riverhead Trade Paperbacks) is available in bookstores or online.

From the late 1980's until his death in 1994, Kurt Cobain kept a record of his innermost thoughts about his life and career in a series of dime-store notebooks. When Riverhead Books published Kurt Cobain's private journals last year, it became one of the most talked-about cultural events of the year. Readers and critics were drawn in by the promise of an inside look at one of the most important musicians of his time, and the book spent 11 weeks on top of the New York Times bestseller list.

In "Journals", Kurt writes frankly and in detail about his use of marijuana and heroin, and provides a particularly powerful and insightful account of his addiction. Contrary to his public image, Cobain repeatedly and staunchly condemns drug use.

He may have been an icon, but "Journals" shows Cobain as an individual, touching on his contempt for the music business, his love for his wife and reverence for his daughter, as well as his political beliefs, musical influences, and musings on his sexuality.

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Newspaper: KID ROCK Assaults Photographer, Video Footage To Air On TV - Nov. 18, 2003

The New York Daily News is reporting that Kid Rock allegedly sent a photographer away in an ambulance after they tussled outside a Malibu, California club on Friday (Nov. 14).

Word is that his on-and-off fiancee, Pam Anderson, was with the redneck rocker, who had just performed at the Malibu Inn on the Pacific Coast Highway.

The Daily News' snitch says, "Around 10 p.m., the couple was about to leave the club when Kid spotted a group of paparazzi who were milling around in the parking lot."

Dressed in a white wife-beater undershirt, a red trucker cap and smoking a cigarette, Kid is said to have tore after the hapless paparazzo.

The incident was recorded on videotape and will be shown on "Entertainment Tonight" Tuesday evening (Nov. 18).

According to someone who's seen the footage, the Kid "grabs [the paparazzo] by the neck of his sweater, rips off his cap and throws him into oncoming traffic on Pacific Coast Highway."

The lensman avoided being hit by a car, but Rock apparently wasn't finished with him: "Then the Kid runs into the street to throw a punch, but the photographer ducks and runs away," says the source. "He [the photog] was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was treated and later released."

A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department would not comment yesterday, but confirmed that the matter was under investigation.

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MÖTLEY CRÜE: 'Greatest Video Hits' DVD Hidden Features Revealed - Nov. 18, 2003

DVD Review (web site) is reporting that MÖTLEY CRÜE's latest DVD release, "Greatest Video Hits", features few hidden gems for their fans. Here is how to bring them out to shine:

Go to the DVD's Main Menu and highlight the menu entry "Set Up." Now, press the following key sequence using the directional keys on your remote control — up, up down, up, own, left and right. You will now have the change to watch a video to "Shout At The Devil '97".

The second Easter Egg is found on the "Damn Video" page. Go to the second page of the section and highlight the entry that says "1-7." Now press the following key sequence — down, right, up, left, up, right and down. This will allow you to view the "Public Enemy #1" video.

The third hidden video is located in the "Extra Crap" section of the disc. From there go to the "Discography" and select the "Operation Swine" album. Once there, highlight the menu entry that reads "Next" and the hit the "Up" key on your remote control three times. A pentagram appears and if you press "Enter" now you will have the chance to witness the video "Shout '97".

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After taking most of 2003 off, Creed is primed to return with several new releases next year. A special package is in the works for release "before the end of 2004," which will cull hits, previously unreleased material and new songs the band plans to record in the coming months. The album may also feature material "culled from collaborations," according to a statement from Wind-Up Records.

A spokesperson says it has not yet been decided if the album will be a multi-disc set. In addition, both frontman Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti are working on solo albums that are being targeted for release next year.



The band has not set any touring plans, although Stapp and Tremonti may tour behind their respective solo projects.

Creed's last studio album, "Weathered," debuted in December 2001 at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 6.2 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.


-- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

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NIKKI SIXX: MÖTLEY CRÜE Reunion Tour 'Likely' In 2004 - Nov. 20, 2003

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx has told Launch Radio Networks that the band will most likely embark on a reunion tour next year. Sixx said that the bandmembers — including frontman Vince Neil, guitarist Mick Mars, and drummer Tommy Lee — have had their personal issues in the past, but that they seem to be ready for a reunion tour: "I talked to Tommy a couple nights ago, and he's like, 'I've looked forward to going (and) making some new music,' and we talked about that," Nikki said. "Who knows what it'll sound like, what it'll be like, but it'll be us. We've been offered the Ozzfest twice, but it's been hard to get Vince and Tommy on the same page as far as wanting to play together. I think all that water's under the bridge now."

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Harrison, Prince on Rock's Honor Roll
(E! Online, 11/21/2003 2:40:00AM)

By Sarah Hall

The quiet Beatle's voice hasn't been forgotten.

Two years after his death, George Harrison will become the third Beatle inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist at the nineteenth annual ceremony to be held March 15 at New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel.

Harrison joins a roster of honorees heavy on jukebox favorites--pop legend Prince, Motor City rocker Bob Seger, singer-songwriter Jackson Browne , Texas blues rockers ZZ Top, eclectic rock band Traffic and vocal group the Dells.

Harrison's solo career spanned 33 years, beginning promptly after the breakup of the Beatles with the 1968 release of the instrumental soundtrack, Wonderwall Music.

In 1970, Harrison released the Phil Spector-produced, triple record set, All Things Must Pass. The album climbed the charts to number one, and earned Harrison his first number one single, "My Sweet Lord." The musician followed up the album's success with rock's first concert for charity, the Concert for Bangladesh, to benefit the poverty-stricken nation. In the 1980s, Harrison returned to the charts with his Cloud Nine album and later toured with Bob Dylan , Tom Petty , Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison as the Traveling Wilburys. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1988 as a member of the Beatles.

In the early nineties, Harrison toured with Eric Clapton , before reuniting with former bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in 1995 to record two Beatles tracks.

The musician, known for his intense spirituality and quiet fortitude, was diagnosed with cancer in 1997, and died four years later on November 29, 2001.

Prince--the artist who changed his name to a symbol and then back again--will become an inductee to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. For the last 25 years, the funky-pop-soulster has pushed the limits with experimental albums and hit singles that distinguished his signature style.

In 1984, the star scored his most commercial success with the smash hit album Purple Rain, making him one of the most memorable stars of the 1980s. Prince produced the majority of the music on his twenty-plus albums, and has also penned hits for the likes of the Bangles and Sinead O'Connor .

Bob Seger began his hard-hitting rock career in 1961, playing in Detroit garage bands before going solo in 1966. In 1975, Seger formed the Silver Bullet band, and went on to release one hit after another, including classics such as "Night Moves," "Old Time Rock & Roll," and "The Fire Inside."

Seger's skilled guitar twanging combined with his husky vocals made him the embodiment of the working man's rocker. His music has earned him numerous accolades over the years, including a Legend of the Jukebox Award in 1992, a spot on Hollywood's Rockwalk in 1994, and now enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.

Jackson Browne arrived on the music scene in the late 1960s, playing with a series of bands and penning the Eagles' song, "Take it Easy." In 1976, he broke through as a solo success with The Pretender, followed by his pinnacle album, Running on Empty in 1977.

Texas boogie band ZZ Top have long been recognizable as much for their appearance as their distinctive blues-rock rhythms. Bassist Dusty Hill and guitarist Billy Gibbons sport long, flowing beards, while drummer Frank Beard is ironically clean-shaven in contrast.

The band's sound was born in the 1970s and realized its full potential in the eighties with classic singles such as "Legs," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Gimme All Your Lovin'."

British band Traffic, formed in 1967 by Steve Winwood , developed a psychedelic sound, blending a unique lineup of instruments over jazz-influenced, folk rock sensibilities that matched the mood of the decade. Their first album, Mr. Fantasy, birthed the hit singles "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "Paper Moon," and was followed by 1968's Traffic, which contained the much-covered classic "Feelin' Alright."

The band broke up at the end of 1968, but reformed a year later to record the album John Barleycorn Must Die, which contains their signature hit, "Every Mother's Son."

The vocal group the Dells have released hits over the last fifty years, but scored their most recognizable number with 1956's "Oh What a Nite," followed by notable singles such as "Stay in My Corner" and "Thinking About You." The band's lineup has remained constant through the years--not having changed a member since 1960.

Artists become eligible for induction to the Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first record. Considerations for recognition include "the influence and significance of the artist's contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll." The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland, Ohio.

Nominees not getting the nod for the 2004 induction ceremony include John Mellencamp , Black Sabbath, the Stooges and the Sex Pistols.