Move over, Billy Corgan, and make way for Fatboy Slim. Slim's publicist confirms rumors that Courtney Love recently approached big beat's reigning king (born Norman Cook) about producing Hole's next record. The ever-busy Cook says he doubts he'll have time to hole up in the studio with Courtney and Co. for the months it would take to complete an entire record, but has expressed interest in collaborating on a track or two...
The Eagles will warm up for their New Year's Eve performance at the Staples Center in Los Angeles with two December shows at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas on Dec. 28 and 29. Tickets will cost $95, $250 and $450 and go on sale July 24. Jackson Browne will open . . .
In a shrewd show of business-minded synergy, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, rock's most celebrated flautist and catfish farmer, has titled the forthcoming, fourteen-track Tull album J-Tull Dot Com, after the band's official Web site. The album, Jethro Tull's first for Fuel 2000 records, is due Aug. 24, the day before the band launches a twenty-eight date U.S. tour in New Hampshire . . .
Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst was arrested on Monday night (July 12) at the band's show in St. Paul, Minn., after allegedly kicking event security guard Pat Estes in the head. Durst initially claimed to have mistaken Estes for a rowdy audience member, but, according to a St. Paul Police Department spokesperson, witnesses say he later boasted to the crowd about having kicked the guard's noggin. He was released on $50,000 bond after spending a few hours in jail. Estes, meanwhile, visited a hospital yesterday, complaining of dizziness and blurred vision. No charges have yet been filed against Durst . . .
The ballot box is now open for the Source Hip-Hop Music Awards. E-votes can be cast for artists in twelve categories at www.TheSource.com. The awards show will be broadcast on the UPN on Aug. 20 . . .
Chris Schwartz, the man responsible for launching the careers of some of hip-hop's biggest crossover acts -- Lauryn Hill, the Fugees, Cypress Hill, Kriss Kross -- via his now-defunct Ruffhouse Records label has just inked a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records. Schwartz's new operation, Ruffworld Entertainment Group, will include the imprint RuffNation Records, as well as an indie label called RuffLife...
CDnow, one of the largest retail music companies on the Web, may soon be merging with the Sony/Time Warner-owned Columbia House record club. CDnow shareholders must still approve the deal, but a vote is expected by year's end. U.S. and Canadian regulatory bodies must also approve the merger . . .
For its 19th annual Music Marathon, CMJ has added a one-day event, MusicNet '99, focused on the relationship between new media and the music industry. The conference, which takes place Sept. 18 at the New York Hilton and Towers, will involve keynote addresses and panel discussions featuring leading industry figures. Admission costs $75 (in advance) and can be obtained by visiting CMJ's website at www.cmj.com/Marathon99...
A representative from Columbia Records confirmed Tuesday that seminal New York trash-glam band D Generation has broken up. Wild-haired singer-cum-impresario Jesse Malin has already assembled a new outfit with D Gen bassist Howie Pyro and had dubbed them PCP Highway. According to a source close D Gen, PCP have been demoing tracks in a New York City studio. While they haven't signed on the line with a new label, Malin and pals Joey and CJ Ramone had dinner with Hellcat Records head/Rancid guitarist Tim Armstrong two weeks ago prior to Hellcat artist Joe Strummer's show at Irving Plaza . . .
A pair of opening night, front-row tickets to Bruce Springsteen's July 15 show at the Meadowlands was auctioned off on WNEW 102.7 FM. The $5,000 that high-bidder Marjorie dished out on Tuesday morning will go to the Community FoodBank, New Jersey's largest donated food distributor. Another pair will be auctioned off on Wednesday morning between 8:30 and 10 a.m. EST, with the money donated to the Kristen Ann Carr Fund for cancer research. The Boss personally donated the two pairs of tickets . . .
Tione Watkins (a k a T-Boz of TLC) will be publishing her poems and essays with Harper Collins. Thoughts consists of the rapper's reflections on issues such as her family, the entertainment business (she is the president of Shee Entertainment, which includes music production, children's cartoons and film projects), as well as insights into her fight with sickle cell anemia. An audio version will be available and will include original music by the artist/author. No word yet on when consumers can expect the tome . . .
Next month, Billy Corgan will make his grand entrTe into the world of film score composing with the soundtrack to the MGM motion picture Stigmata. In addition to the orchestral score, Corgan (and his collaborator, pianist Mike Garson) wrote the soundtrack's title song, "identify," which features vocals by Natalie Imbruglia. The album, due out Aug. 24, also boasts a new song by David Bowie, remixes of Bjork and Chumbawamba, and previously released tracks by Massive Attack and Remy Zero . . .
Following in Public Enemy's footsteps, rap star Ice T has entered into a partnership with the Web's first full-service music company, Atomic Pop, which will market, promote and distribute his new record, 7th Deadly Sin. "I feel the Internet is the future and if I am going to get into the record business on the Internet level, I had to get in touch with somebody who was really rollin'," says Ice T. The album will be available in traditional record stores on Sept. 14 . . .
After much ado, the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) released its first set of specifications for how manufacturers of portable electronic devices can be in compliance in the exploding digital download market. The idea is to create a set of standards while avoiding piracy and securing copyright protection for artists' work. Additional information on the specifications can be found at www.sdmi.org . . .
After a some hemming and hawing, Echo and the Bunnymen's What Are You Going to Do With Your Life? tour is head to the U.S. Frontman Ian McCulloch says the European shows were such a spectacle that he was forced to wear his prescription sunglasses on stage to observe the audience reaction. "I love doing these new songs live," he says. "And I wanted to see the people scattered about going, 'Whoa, he really can hit those notes!'" But don't expect McCulloch to finally pick up his old rhythm guitar on stage -- he has different priorities now. "You can't smoke, drink, play guitar and sing and dance all at the same time. Even I can't do that." The tour kicks off Oct. 1 in Toronto and wraps up in Los Angeles on Oct. 25 . . .
As Rolling Stone first predicted in May, the New Radicals have formally disbanded. Weeks after their cancelled U.K. tour, singer Gregg Alexander left the group in pursuit of a career as a freelance producer and songwriter out of the stage's spotlight. Earlier this year, the California band's hit "Get What You Give" was a top twenty single . . .
Bruce Springsteen joined his pal Joe Grushecky for a four-song encore on Friday night (July 12) at Hooligans in Long Branch, N.J. According to New Jersey's Star Ledger, Springsteen sat in with Grushecky and harmonica player Marc Reisman for three Grushecky-penned tunes and a cover of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl." It isn't the first time the two pals have worked together; the Boss has taken the stage with the Pittsburgh native twelve other times in the past four years. Springsteen also collaborated on Grushecky's 1995 album American Babylon and his 1998 disc, Coming Home . . .
Less than two weeks after having been arrested on charges of illegal weapons possession (he's presently free on $50,000 bail), rapper DMX (nee Earl Simmons) is in trouble again -- this time for shooting off his mouth. Simmons was taken into police custody during his concert in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, on Saturday night (July 10), charged with using obscene language. After spending the weekend in jail, he apologized to the court at his Monday's arraignment. His slap-on-the-wrist came in the form of a $24 fine . . .
Former Verve guitarist Nick McCabe is back in the public eye. McCabe, who left the band last summer prior to their split the following spring, is remixing a track for the French band Mellow. Meanwhile, former frontman Richard Ashcroft is ensconced in the studio with Urban Hymns producer Chris Potter working on his solo album . . .
JENNY ELISCU, LIZA GHORBANI, JILL SHERMAN, RICHARD SKANSE and JAAN UHELSZKI
(July 14, 1999)