Author Archives : Dana

DEF LEPPARD FRONTMAN SAYS “BETWEEN US AND BON JOVI” UNIVERSAL WOULDN’T BE A MAJOR COMPANY

Frontman Joe Elliott says Def Leppard’s former record label, Universal, should treat the band with more respect because “we built their penthouse sushi bar.”

Def Leppard are re-recording as much of their back catalogue as possible after failing to reach an agreement with Universal over digital releases. And last month the band cut five acoustic songs performed during their Rock Of Ages Tour for a medley released to iTunes.

“We’re trying to wrestle back our career and ownership of these songs,” said Elliott in an interview in the latest issue of Classic Rock. “They [Universal] own the originals, we’re at loggerheads with them over the digital rights. And as long as they’re playing silly buggers we’ll just keep recording them again.”

The singer continued, “Until we can come to some kind of humane conclusion to this ridiculous stand-off, we’re going to say, ‘Fuck you!’ We were offered a great deal two years ago and shook hands on it. And then some other twat at the label put a stop to it. It’s our life and our music and we’re not going to let them exploit us to the extent that they’re trying to.”

Elliott said Universal wouldn’t be the major player it is today without the help of Leppard’s multi-million-selling releases.

“Between us and Bon Jovi we fucking built that company,” he insisted. “We built their penthouse sushi bar, wherever it may be, and they just treated us like shit. We can either roll over like little dandelions or we can stand up and punch them in the bollocks. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Read the full interview with Joe Elliott in the new issue of Classic Rock, on sale now.

source: classicrockmagazine.com

RANDY RHOADS FAMILY DROPS LEGAL BOMB ON DOCUMENTARY PRODUCERS

In late 2012 Randy Rhoads mother, Delores Rhoads, siblings Kathryn Rhoads D’Argenzio and Kelle Rhoads, learned that a coffee table book titled Randy Rhoads had been released, co-authored by Andrew Klein and rock writer Steven Rosen with the assistance of Peter Margolis and Denny Anderson. The family obtained a copy of the book. They were both astonished and horrified to see that Klein and Margolis are holding themselves out as “experts” on the life of Randy Rhoads, implying that they had the approval and cooperation of the Rhoads family, which they did not.

On April 1st, 2007, Margolis entered into an agreement with the Rhoads family to produce a single documentary film on the life of Randy Rhoads. Margolis assured the family that the film would be completed within three years. From that point on, however, Margolis himself did not own any of the ideas and materials obtained or created in the production of the documentary, or any of the photos, videos or sound recordings collected for use in it, having assigned all of that to Dakota Films, the company financing and producing the documentary. Over the next several years, Margolis, Klein and others, working for Dakota Films, went forward with the project. Although Margolis reportedly claimed, as of early 2012, that the documentary was completed – “in the can”—it has never been released. Individuals who saw portions of it during production have reported that it was “edited poorly and unprofessionally,” and that the quality of the film was “abysmal.” The Rhoads family was frustrated by what they considered the mediocre quality of Margolis’s film, and by the fact that the “official documentary” they had so long hoped for had never come to fruition. This has been especially painful for Randy’s mother, Delores Rhoads, who is now in her nineties, and has spent the last three decades carefully preserving and advancing the legacy of her son.

The family contends that Margolis and Klein have stolen the materials; they have no rights or ownership of, from the failed documentary. They used them in the book, in order to try to exploit Randy and the family for their own profit, while trying to establish themselves as “authorities” on Randy Rhoads. They have falsely implied that they have the Rhoads family’s support and cooperation for the unauthorized book. The family emphasizes that in no way did they authorize or participate in publication of the book, nor have they had anything more to do with either Margolis or Klein since the production of the unreleased documentary ended.

Moreover, according to the family’s complaint, the book contained more than fifty instances in which Klein and Margolis had used without permission photos, excerpts from interviews and other personal information that had been provided to them by the Rhoads family solely and exclusively for use in the authorized documentary film and for no other purpose.

The Randy Rhoads Estate and family have filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the filmmakers and now authors Peter Margolis and Andrew Klein, the publishing company Velocity Publishing Group, Inc., and co-author Steven Rosen. The suit arises out of a failed documentary film project on the life of Randy Rhoads, and the defendants’ recent publication of a book arising out of their involvement in that film project. The defendants are alleged to having made extensive and, unauthorized use of personal information and photos from that documentary project, and are accused of fraud, breach of contract, invasion of privacy, and misappropriation of rights of publicity.

Randy Rhoads had a relatively short career as a rock guitarist and songwriter, but like James Dean had in the movies, Rhoads blazed like a comet across the music world, particularly in his short time as lead guitarist, first with Quiet Riot and then, most famously, with Ozzy Osbourne in the early Eighties. Rhoads’s guitar work and songwriting are featured on such legendary songs as Crazy Train and Mr. Crowley. While he was alive Rhoads was voted Best New Talent and Best Heavy Metal Guitarist by various music magazines. In March 1982, Rhoads tragically died in a plane crash, at the age of 25, while on tour with Osbourne. Noted for the influence of his classical musical training on his high-speed, heavy metal guitar style, Rhoads reputation and influence has grown exponentially in the years since his death. Rolling Stone and Guitar World list Rhoads high on their lists of Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of all time. Crazy Train, which he co-wrote, place Number 51 on Rolling Stone’s list of the Greatest Songs of All Time. Ozzy Osbourne has been quoted as having said ““He was a saint. . . .He was an angel, and too good for this world. His death’s always on my mind. Every year at the anniversary of his birth and death, fans from all over the world gather at his grave site to honor his passing. We will never forget him. His musical legacy lives on in the minds and music of his many fans.”

TOM KEIFER SET TO RELEASE LONG-AWAITED SOLO ALBUM SPRING 2013

Best known as the singer/songwriter/guitarist of the Philadelphia-based Blues-Rock band Cinderella, Tom Keifer is making his debut as a solo artist with the release of his long-awaited and highly anticipated solo album, The Way Life Goes, April 30th through Merovee Records (through Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group).

 

The collection of 14 new songs ranges from intimate, organic, acoustic tracks to driving hard rock. It embraces the blues, rock and country roots that have always been present in his unique sound that has generated the sale of over 15 million records worldwide for Cinderella. Rolling Stone praised Keifer as “a gritty, bluesy (rocker) with enough genuine swagger to draw comparisons to Mick Jagger.” The Flower Song, the album’s first single, will be serviced to AAA radio stations nationwide on February 4th, while Solid Ground will be serviced to all Rock formats on March 11th.

 

The Way Life Goes is a raw, introspective look at the roller coaster ride that has been Keifer’s life for the past 15 years. From being told that he would never sing again as a result of a partially paralyzed left vocal cord, to the emotional and personal battles that followed, his solo debut is a story of perseverance, a testament to the power of passion and will, when combined with a true love of music.

 

In touring news, Keifer will launch his first-ever solo tour on February 9th in Winston-Salem, NC at Ziggy’s. The 14-city trek of small, intimate rooms is an up-close and personal preview of songs from The Way Life Goes along with some Cinderella classics. Dates beyond February 28th are currently in the works. Tom Keifer recently spoke with HuffingtonPost.com about The Way Life Goes. “The idea for a solo record started in the nineties when the band parted ways and we left Universal,” he said. “There was just a changing of the guard in the industry at that time and I started thinking about a solo record. I wrote for it for many years and the songs just kept going on the pile and I never got around to actually making a record…We started cutting tracks for this record in 2003 and I went to the pile of songs that had been building up and picked some that I liked and I’ve just been working on it ever since. It was produced independently of a label, because the idea from the beginning was to just work and record until I was happy with it. I wrote with a lot of different people–my wife, Savannah, who’s a great writer, co-wrote a lot of the songs on the record and also co-produced the record with me, and a good friend of ours, Chuck Turner who’s a great engineer and producer. So from the beginning, the attitude was, ‘Let’s have fun and just make a great record and it’ll be done when it’s done.’ Little did we know it’d be nine years later…it’s done and we went through some crazy stuff and mixed and remixed and reworked things over and over and probably made a lot of mistakes along the way, but finally got it where we were all happy with it, so here it is.” The Way Life Goestrack listing:

 

2. A Different Light

3. It’s Not Enough

4. Cold Day In Hell

5. Thick And Thin

6. Ask Me Yesterday

7. Fools Paradise

8. The Flower Song

9. Mood Elevator

10. Welcome To My Mind

11. You Showed Me

12. Ain’t That A Bitch

13. The Way Life Goes

14. Babylon

 

Tom Keifer tour dates:

 

February:

 

9 Winston-Salem, NC Ziggy’s

11 New York, NY Highline Ballroom

13 Philadelphia, PA JC Dobbs

15 Pittsburgh, PA Altar Bar

16 Salisbury, MA Blue Ocean

17 Portland, ME Asylum

19 Cleveland, OH Peabody’s

22 Chicago, IL Viper Alley

23 Lexington, KY Buster’s

24 Detroit, MI Magic Bag

26 Grand Rapids, MI The Intersection

27 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century

28 White Marsh, MD House of Rock

 

For more information, please visit tomkeifer.com.

BON JOVI’S NEW SINGLE “BECAUSE WE CAN” AVAILABLE ON ITUNES NOW!

Bon Jovi’s brand new single Because We Can blasts out to worldwide radio today at 7:00 a.m. (EST) and will be available on iTunes. Because We Can is the first single from What About Now, Bon Jovi’s upcoming studio album, set for March 26th release on Island Records.

What About Now will feature an original Jon Bon Jovi song, Not Running Anymorefrom the new Lionsgate motion picture Stand Up Guys. The song has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. This is Jon’s second nomination, after he first won the Golden Globe in 1990, for Blaze of Glory fromYoung Guns II. The Golden Globe Awards ceremony will be telecast live this Sunday, January 13th at 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET on NBC.

Bon Jovi’s return to the road in 2013 will launch the latest chapter in an ongoing blockbuster run which has already secured Bon Jovi’s status as the essential live rock band. Bon Jovi Because We Can – The Tour will make its way across the globe with dates in the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, South Africa, Brazil, and Australia.

Bon Jovi Because We Can – The Tour

February:

9 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena

10 Washington DC Verizon Center

13-14 Montreal, Que. Bell Centre

17-18 Toronto, Ont. Air Canada Centre

20 Kanata, Ont. Scotiabank Place

21 Pittsburgh, PA CONSOL Energy Center

27 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena

March:

1 Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Times Forum

2 Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center

5 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena

6 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena

9 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena

10 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena

13 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center

14 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center

16 Oklahoma City, OK Chesapeake Energy Arena

17 Lubbock, TX United Spirit Arena

April:

2 Calgary, Alb. Scotiabank Saddledome

3 Edmonton, Alb. Rexall Place

5 Winnipeg, Alb. MTS Centre

7 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center

10 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center

11 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center

13 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center

14 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena

16 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

17 Salt Lake City, UT EnergySolutions Arena

19 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center

20 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena

23 Glendale, AZ Jobing.com Arena

25 San Jose, NJ HP Pavilion at San Jose

July:

12 Chicago, IL Soldier Field 18 Detroit, MI Ford Field

20 Foxboro, MA Gillette Stadiumv 24-25 East Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium

The tour will also hit the following cities, with additional details to come:

Memphis, TN

Milwaukee, WI

Philadelphia, PA

Portland, OR

Raleigh, NC

San Antonio, TX

Seattle, WA

State College, PA

Vancouver, BC

For more information, visit bonjovi.com.

ANTHRAX RELEASE A STATEMENT ABOUT ROB CAGGIANO’S DEPARTURE FROM THE BAND

Anthrax have released the following statement about the departure of guitarist Rob Caggiano:

“Rob has been an integral part of Anthrax for so many years, as our lead guitarist, in a production capacity, but most of all, as our close friend. His contributions to the band have been enormous. While we are sad that he is leaving, we wish him nothing but great success going forward, and hope to share the stage with him again sometime down the road.

With the Metal Alliance Tour on the horizon, we have been considering several lead guitarist options, and will be making an announcement on that shortly.”

Anthrax – Charlie Benante, Scott Ian, Frank Bello, Joey Belladonna