Rock News Two: The week in pop music

AEROSMITH

Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton said Kid Rock, Shakira, Pink, Nelly, Nas, Papa Roach and Sum 41 have all signed on to participate in next month's second annual "mtvICON" tribute to the veteran rock band. RollingStone.com reports Janet Jackson, the recipient of last year's honors, will introduce the band at the April 14 event, which will air April 17 on MTV.

Aerosmith is currently working on a fourth, still-untitled greatest hits set for release in June or July. "We've got our Columbia era, we've got our Geffen era and we've got our neo-Columbia era, and we want to cover all that," said Hamilton. "Really from 'Toys in the Attic' until now."

The upcoming compilation will include a couple new tracks -- one of which may or may not be "Bad Enough," a song the band wrote for the upcoming "Spider-Man" movie, scheduled to open in May.

Hamilton also said the band, which only recently wrapped up a world tour, is planning a North American road trip for August or September.

'AMERICAN BANDSTAND'

"American Bandstand" turns 50 this year and to celebrate, ABC-TV on May 3 will air a tribute to the music show that was hosted for so many years by perennial teenager Dick Clark.

Billboard.com reports "American Bandstand's 50th ... A Celebration!" will be taped over the course of three days, according to a spokesman for dick clark productions, who added that the two-hour special will include performances by at least 10 artists -- Michael Jackson, Cher, Alanis Morissette, Kiss and Stevie Wonder among them -- as well as clips from the series. Clark will host.

"Bandstand" began in 1952 as a local Philadelphia TV show. Clark took over as host in the year before it broke nationally on Aug. 5, 1957. During its time, the series received five Emmys and presented more than 10,000 musical performances in more than 6,000 hours of airtime.

R.E.M.'S PETER BUCK

R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe was in a London courtroom Wednesday defending his bandmate Peter Buck against air rage charges.

BBC Radio reports Stipe testified that Buck was "like a big brother" and said the allegations against him didn't make sense.

Buck is accused of being drunk and assaulting the cabin crew on a flight from Seattle to London last April. He denies the charges and has said one of the last things he remembers before waking up in a Heathrow Airport jail cell was taking a sleeping pill with a glass of wine.

Earlier in the week, U2 lead singer Bono testified that he couldn't believe his eyes when he read about Buck's arrest. "I don't know what must have happened to him," MTV News quoted him as saying. "It is certainly a bizarre event and unusual. He is a very quiet man. It is hard to get him to go on tour because he loves his kids so much. I had to twist his arm to get him to a boxing match once because he thought it was too aggressive a sport."

Buck was en route from Seattle to London to perform at the South Africa Freedom Day Concert in Trafalgar Square April 29 when the alleged incident took place. The other members of R.E.M. were on a different flight.

LED ZEPPELIN

The surviving members of Led Zeppelin are suing their former label, Atlantic Records.

In the lawsuit filed last week, vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones claim they've only been paid one-quarter of the royalties owned them for 42 of their most famous songs, including "Whole Lotta Love" and "Stairway to Heaven," the London Observer reports.

Jones' manager confirmed the suit to MTV News but couldn't provide more detail, and Page's and Plant's management refused comment.

In a statement Tuesday, Atlantic said they were "in the process of working this out."

Led Zeppelin released eight studio albums and one live record between 1969 and 1979. On Sept. 25, 1980, drummer John Bonham was found dead after choking on his vomit following a heavy night of drinking. That December the band decided to break up. In 1982, the posthumous B-sides record "Coda" was released.

OASIS

BBC Radio reports police are investigating Liam Gallagher about a disturbance outside a London bar last week.

The Oasis singer had been drinking at the Met Bar with his girlfriend, Nicole Appleton, and was pictured in the tabloids leaving the place. Police are looking into allegations he assaulted someone. They wouldn't say who filed the complaint.

Oasis's first single in nearly two years, "The Hindu Times," is due out next month. NME.com reports the video for the song contains a hidden message about the state of the world in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks -- including brief flashes of the slogans "Pills" and "Bombs." The director said it's a comment on hedonism and escapism in the current post-9/11 climate and the fact that the rockers have been well-known hedonists in the past.

OZZFEST 2002

The organizers of Ozzfest 2002 are giving fans a say in deciding who'll replace Chris Cornell's band in the main stage slot.

MTV News reports a ballot has been posted on the Ozzfest Web site (ozzfest.com) asking for suggestions to fill the void, which opened when Cornell quit the new, unnamed group that also included Rage Against the Machine members guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk. The choices include such Ozzfest vets as Slayer, Soulfly, Sevendust and Static-X as well as bands who've yet to make the annual metal trek -- such as Foo Fighters, Nickelback and Tenacious D.

Not all the bands are available to tour with Ozzy Osbourne this summer, an Ozzfest spokesman said, and other replacements are being considered. Voting is expected to continue through next week.

There's been no word on why Cornell decided to leave the band, which recently completed work on what would've been its debut album. That CD reportedly will be released as scheduled this summer.

ALANIS MORISSETTE

Alanis Morissette cut short a visit "down under" after falling ill with an undisclosed virus.

The 27-year-old singer arrived in Australia Monday on a promotional tour for her new album "Under Rug Swept." She performed Monday night at an invitation-only event in East Sydney and was to have appeared on pay-TV Tuesday night. But Jam Music News reports Morissette canned those plans, as well as visits to Melbourne and New Zealand, for health reasons. She flew back to Los Angeles Tuesday.

Morissette's label, Warner Music, said the singer had caught a virus while visiting Japan.

Meanwhile, it was announced that Morissette has picked Ryan Adams as her opening act on her upcoming tour.

Confirmed tour dates:

May 1, San Diego, Cox Arena

May 3-4, Los Angeles, Universal Amphitheater

May 5, San Jose, Calif., Compaq Center

May 7, Phoenix, Ariz., Dodge Theater

May 9, Las Vegas, The Joint

May 10, West Valley City, Utah, E Center

May 11, Denver, Magnuss Arena

May 13, Kansas City, Mo., Starlight Theatre

May 14, St. Louis, Mo., Fox Theatre

May 16, Grand Prairie, Texas, Next Stage at Grand Prairie

May 17, Austin, Texas, the Backyard

May 18, The Woodlands, Texas, C.W. Mitchell Pavilion

May 20, Daytona Beach, Fla., Ocean Center

May 21, Tampa, Fla., Ice Palace

May 22, West Palm Beach, Fla., Mars Music Amphitheatre

May 24, Pelham, Ala., Oak Mountain Amphitheatre

May 25, Atlanta, Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS

Stone Temple Pilots have added more dates and festivals to their upcoming tour, which kicks off April 12 in Austin, Texas, according to Allstar News.

Tour dates:

April 12, Austin, Texas, Auditorium Shores (Rock for the Roses benefit with Cake)

April 13, Miami, Bicentennial Park (Beyond 2002 with Busta Rhymes, Less Than Jake, and others)

April 16, Norfolk, Va., The Norva

April 18, Long Island, N.Y., TBA

April 19, Atlantic City, N.J., Trump Marina

April 20, Wallingford, Conn., TBA (most likely Oakdale Theater)

April 21, Ithaca, N.Y., Cornell University

April 23, New York, Hammerstein Ballroom

April 25, Gainesville, Fla., O'Connell Center

April 26, Jacksonville, Fla., TBA

April 27, Charlotte, N.C., Uptown Charlotte (Cityfest Live with No Doubt, Leftover Salmon, the Disco Biscuits and others)

April 28, Zephyr Hills, Fla., Zephyr Hills Festival Park (Livestock 12 with Adema, Gravity Kills, Kid Rock, Puddle of Mudd, Rob Zombie, Sevendust and more)

April 30, Huntsville, Ala., Von Braun Center Arena

May 3, Birmingham, Ala., TBA

May 4, Atlanta, Midtown Atlanta (Music Midtown Festival with dozens of bands, including Kid Rock, Joan Jett, Counting Crows and more)

May 5, Memphis, Tom Lee Park (Beale Street Music Festival)

'N SYNC, SMASHMOUTH

Rockers Smashmouth are planning to hit the road with the boy band 'N Sync.

"At first we were like 'No way, uh-uh, forget it.' Then we were like, 'OK, let's wait a minute and think about this,"' Smash Mouth's guitarist and chief songwriter Greg Camp told Jam Showbiz News.

"We're sort of known as the band that'll kinda do anything," the Rocky Mountain News quoted Camp saying. "We're up for anything that comes along."

The two groups met a couple of months ago at the People's Choice Awards. "I think they just liked the fact that we walked up and said 'Hi' to them," said Camp.

Meanwhile, 'N Sync's Joey Fatone makes his directorial debut on the video version of Latin heartthrob Luis Fonsi's English-language debut single, "Secret." The song is from Fonsi's first-ever English language CD, "Fight the Feeling," which is due in stores July 2. Fatone and Fonsi have been friends since high school, and they were members of an a capella pop group called Big Guys.

BLINK 182'S TOM DELONGE

Boxcar Racer -- Blink 182 guitarist Tom DeLonge's side project -- shot the video for its first single last week in Burbank, Calif.

MTV News reports the song, "I Feel So," is from Boxcar Racer's self-titled debut album, which is due out May 14. The band will promote the album with a few California shows before Blink-182 launch the Pop Disaster Tour with Green Day and Jimmy Eat World on April 17 in Bakersfield, Calif.

Tour dates:

4/1 -- San Diego, CA @ Mira Mesa Epicentre

4/2 -- Pomona, CA @ Glass House

4/3 -- West Hollywood, CA @ Whiskey a Go Go

4/11 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Key Club (Vans Warped Tour kickoff party with Good Charlotte and Finch)

ELTON JOHN, BILLY JOEL

Elton John and Billy Joel have made good on their promise to quickly reschedule the final eight dates of their Face To Face tour, Allstar News reports. The shows were postponed last week to give Joel time to recover from laryngitis, inflamed vocal chords and an upper respiratory infection.

Tour dates:

Sept. 13, Tampa, Fla., Ice Palace

Sept. 20, Boston, Fleet Center

Sept. 23, New York, Madison Square Garden

Sept. 25 & 27, Uniondale, N.Y., Nassau Coliseum

Oct. 2, 4, & 8, East Rutherford, N.J., Continental Airlines Arena

Oct. 11 & 13, Uniondale, N.Y., Nassau Coliseum

ELVIS COSTELLO

Elvis Costello is taking to the road in support of his new album "When I Was Cruel." Billboard.com reports the North American tour kicks off May 18 in Portland, Ore., and runs through June 24 in Atlanta.

Costello will also be making a number of promotional appearances surrounding the CD's April 15 U.K. and April 23 U.S. release. Prior to an April 16 show in London, he'll sign copies of the album at the Virgin Megastore's Oxford St. location.

In the United States, Costello plans to perform and sign autographs at Tower Records locations in Philadelphia on April 19, Chicago April 21, and New York April 23. That same day, he'll appear on CBS's "The Late Show With David Letterman," followed two nights later by a performance on NBC's "Last Call With Carson Daly." On April 27, he'll appear on CBS's "Saturday Early Show."

Tour dates:

April 15: Amsterdam (Paradiso)

April 16: London (Astoria)

April 18: New York (Bowery Ballroom; private showcase)

April 21: Chicago (House of Blues; private showcase)

May 18: Portland, Ore. (Roseland Theater)

May 19: Seattle (Paramount Theatre)

May 21: Saratoga, Calif. (Historic Mountain Winery)

May 22: Berkeley, Calif. (Berkeley Community Theatre)

May 24: Las Vegas (the Joint)

May 25: Reno, Nev. (Reno Hilton)

June 2: Denver (Fillmore)

June 7: Clarkston, Mich. (DTE Energy Music Theatre)

June 11: Cleveland (Tower City Amphitheatre)

June 15: Wallingford, Conn. (Careerbuilder.com Oakdale Theatre)

June 22: Upper Darby, Pa. (Tower Theatre)

June 23: Portsmouth, Va. (NTELOS Pavilion @ Harbor Center)

June 24: Atlanta (Chastain Park Amphitheatre)

KYLIE MINOGUE

Ford's new European roadster, the StreetKa, is teaming up with Kylie Minogue. Ford StreetKa is a sponsor of the pop singer's 39-date 2002 European "Fever" Tour, which kicks off April 26.

Tour dates:

4/26-29 -- Cardiff Arena, Wales

5/1-4 -- Manchester Arena, England

5/6-9 -- Birmingham NEC, England

5/11-2 -- Manchester Arena, England

5/14-15 -- Sheffield Arena, England

5/17-19 -- Glasgow SECC, Scotland

5/21-22 -- Newcastle Arena, England

5/24-27 -- Wembley Arena, London

5/30 -- Hoven, Stockholm, Sweden

5/31 -- Spectrum, Oslo, Norway

6/1 -- Forum, Copenhagen, Denmark

6/3 -- Munich Olympiahalle, Germany

6/4 -- Bank Austria Hall, Vienna

6/6 -- Zurich Hellenstadion, Switzerland

6/8 -- Berlin Velodrome, Germany

6/9 -- Hamburg Sportshalle, Germany

6/11 -- Frankfurt Festhalle, Germany

6/12 -- Rotterdam Ahoy, Netherlands

6/13 -- Oberhausen Arena, Netherlands

6/15 -- Paris Zenith, France

6/18 -- Milan Fila Forum, Italy

6/20 -- Barcelona Pavello Olympic Badalona, Spain

DAVID BOWIE

David Bowie has signed a multi-album deal with Columbia Records. Jam Music News reports the first release under the new deal will be "Heathen," which reunites Bowie with producer Tony Visconti, who played an integral role in the artist's remarkable 1970s run of "Diamond Dogs", "Young Americans", and "Heroes."

The album hits stores June 11.

Bowie loudly parted ways with Virgin Music last December, announcing that his future recordings would be released on his own label, ISO Records. The deal with Columbia is, in fact, with ISO.

"I can't think of a better home for the music that will be made for ISO than Columbia," Bowie said in a statement Wednesday. "After my first couple of meetings with the people at Columbia, it was apparent that their enthusiasm for what Tony and I are doing right now borders on boundless."

Bowie is expected to play a series of European and American festival dates this summer.

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL A NO.1 ALBUM

"Now That's What I Call Music! 9" -- the latest in the mega-hits collection series -- debuted atop the Billboard Top-200 album chart this week. The Jay Z-R Kelly collaboration "The Best of Both Worlds" couldn't overcome its sales and bowed in second place, according to E! Online.

The "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack came in third.

R&B newcomer Glenn Lewis opened at No.4 with his "World Outside My Window" album. In fifth was Jimmy Buffett's latest, "Far Side of the World."

Rounding out the top 10 were "Drive," Alan Jackson; "Hybrid Theory," Linkin Park; "Under Rug Swept," Alanis Morissette; "Word of Mouf," Ludacris; "Missundazstood," Pink.

PEARL JAM

Pearl Jam is heading back to the studio in April to finish up work on its next album, according to Allstar News, which quotes the Pearl Jam Rumor Pit Web site. The new CD, which will likely be out in early 2003, is the follow-up to 2000's "Binaural." In addition, Eddie Vedder and company are working on a rarities album that should be finalized in the next month and might be out by the end of this year.

MUSICAL OSCARS

The Susan Lucci of the Oscars, Randy Newman, finally won an Academy Award last Sunday night. It was his first win in 16 nominations.

The singer/songwriter won the best original song statuette for "If I Didn't Have You" from the animated movie "Monsters, Inc." Backstage, he was asked whether he minded breaking a winless streak that had been approaching historic proportions.

"I had mixed feelings," he joked.

Composer Howard Shore took home the original music score Oscar for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." The soundtrack included two songs recorded by Enya, including the Oscar-nominated "May It Be."

Shore was a member of the 1970s band Lighthouse and also has performed at Montereaux Jaxx Festival, according to the Web site Undercover.com.

BRITNEY SPEARS

Britney Spears turned off fans in London Monday when she made just a brief appearance at the British premiere of her starring movie debut, "Crossroads."

She also didn't sign any autographs or get "up close and personal" with the crowd, estimated at 3,000 -- many of whom waited for hours in Leicester Square to see the pop star.

Spears, 20, may have compounded her public relations problem by showing up an hour late. By flashing the crowd with a quick appearance before ducking inside the theater, Spears provoked a chorus of boos -- rather than the adulation that fans had evidently been prepared to shower upon her.

GEORGE HARRISON

The International Society of Krishna Consciousness is planning to place a garden in Bengal, eastern India, to memorialize George Harrison.

The former Beatle, who died of cancer on Nov. 29 at 58, was a longtime practitioner of Eastern philosophy and religion. His first solo hit, "My Sweet Lord," features backup vocalists singing Hare Krishna chants -- to honor the Hindu god Krishna.

The George Harrison Garden will be planted at Mayapur, 60 miles north of Calcutta, where the Gaudiya temple marks the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, an incarnation of Krishna who appeared in Mayapur more than 500 years ago.

(The above two items thanks to UPI Hollywood Reporter Pat Nason)

ELVIS PRESLEY

RCA Records, Elvis Presley's record label, and its parent company, BMG, will mark the upcoming 25th anniversary of the entertainer's death with a massive marketing campaign.

Country.com reports among the new Elvis products being released is "Elvis 30 No.1 Hits," the first such collection of his 30 chart-topping songs, and a four-CD box set with 100 previously unreleased versions of Presley tunes.

Several Elvis songs will appears in a new animated Disney film "Lilo & Stitch" and a children's book based on the movie will be published.

Other Elvis products to be rolled out during the year include three new Elvis books, commissioned by BMG and Elvis Presley Enterprises.

Presley died on Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42.

DRUMMER RANDY CASTILLO DIES

Drummer Randy Castillo -- who played with Ozzy Osbourne for more than a decade -- died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer, RollingStone.com reports. He was 51.

Castillo joined up with Osbourne in 1986 and played on the studio albums "The Ultimate Sin" (1986), "No Rest for the Wicked" (1989), "No More Tears" (1991) as well as the live album "Just Say Ozzy" (1990). He left the band in 1997.

In 1999, Castillo joined Motley Crue, replacing Tommy Lee, who'd left to form Methods of Mayhem. He drummed on the Crue's 1999 CD "New Tattoo" and had planned to tour with the band, but illness forced him to back out.