Rock News: Music's high and low notes

LIT

Lit's new album "Atomic" hits stores Tuesday.

The CD is the follow-up to Lit's platinum-plus album "A Place In The Sun." During this past summer, fans got a taste of "Atomic" with the song "The Last Time Again" when it was featured on the film soundtrack of "American Pie 2." Another Lit single, "Lipstick and Bruises," is currently No.11 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart.

Lead singer A. Jay Popoff, guitarist Jeremy Popoff, bassist Kevin Baldes and drummer Allen Shellenberger wrapped up their club tour last weel. They'll perform on "The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn" on Halloween.

(Web site: litlounge.com)

PRINCE

Prince's new album "The Rainbow Children" will be available exclusively for download in its entirety to NPG Music Club members this Wednesday.

Last April, Prince gave fans a taste of "The Rainbow Children" when he released the first track, "The Work: Pt. 1," as a cybersingle on Napster.

The NPG Music Club was founded in February 2001. For an annual $100 fee, premium members get preferred seating at all Prince concerts as well as VIP passes to after shows/parties. In addition, premium members and basic monthly members (basic monthly membership is $7.77) receive a minimum of 3 new NPG songs each month accompanied by the corresponding music videos.

(Web site: npgmusicclub.com)

TORI AMOS

Fans of Tori Amos can catch a rare inside look at a dress rehearsal performance online in the "Strange Little Webcast."

This special, Internet-only show -- accessible at warnerbros.com for the next 90 days -- features Amos alone at the keyboards for the first time in seven years. Among the selections she performs are songs from her current (Atlantic Records) album, "Strange Little Girls" -- including "Time" and "Enjoy The Silence."

"Strange Little Girls" was released on Sept. 18 and debuted at No.4 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. All the songs on the album were written by men -- including Neil Young, the Stranglers, Eminem, Depeche Mode, Slayer, Lou Reed and John Lennon/Paul McCartney -- but are performed by Amos from the female perspective.

Amos is currently on tour. The road trip wraps up in San Diego, Calif., on Nov. 20.

BEE GEES

The 2 CD, 40-track collection, "Bee Gees: Their Greatest Hits: The Record" (on Universal Records), hits stores Nov. 20. The set also contains four newly recorded Bee Gees No.1 singles originally written for other artists -- including "Emotion" (Samantha Sang), "Heartbreaker" (Dionne Warwick), "Islands In The Stream" (Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton) and "Immortality" (Celine Dion). The double album also will include the chart-topping duet of "Guilty" with Barbra Streisand, as well as the Bee Gees' biggest-selling singles from the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s.

'N SYNC

A lucky crowd of teens will get to mingle with 'N Sync's Lance Bass and Joey Fatone at an exclusive party this Wednesday in Chicago. The bash, at the White Star Lounge, will mark the official introduction of The Loup's teen phone network in Chicago while also showcasing the upcoming Miramax release "On the Line," which stars both Bass and Fatone.

The Loup is a teen community accessed via the telephone, combining free services such as voicemail and chat rooms with entertainment content, teen-interest news and information.

"On the Line" was filmed in Chicago and opens nationwide Oct. 26.

"Chicago is a tremendous city and it was great to film here," said Bass. "This is our way of saying thanks to the fans and unveiling The Loup in one big bash."

(Web sites: voiceweb.net, theloup.com)

'GLASS AND THE MACHINES OF GOD'

Billy Corgan, former lead singer with the Smashing Pumpkins, is working on an online project that'll debut later this year on Screenblast (screenblast.com).

"Glass and the Machines of God" centers on the lead character Glass, formerly known as Zero and one of the most popular rock stars in history. Bored with the rock 'n' roll game, he's faced with a mysterious event that changes the very foundation upon which he lives his life.

The interactive story -- which unfolds over 16 installments --- will be told in a non-linear, non-traditional fashion inviting the audience to discover and explore the layered world and story arc of "Glass and the Machines of God."

OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN

Olivia Newton-John -- currently promoting her new greatest hits CD -- says she would take part in a proposed sequel to "Grease," but only if everyone from the original cast, including John Travolta, comes along for the ride.

The subject came up last month when ABC-TV announced a deal with Paramount Network Television to produce a musical update of the 1978 feature in which Newton-John starred with Travolta, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway and Didi Conn.

(Of course, there was already a sequel, "Grease 2" in 1982, but it didn't amount to much.)

The new project, which is expected to air sometime in 2002, will be set in 1979 -- 20 years after cool guy Danny Zuko (Travolta) and foreign exchange student Sandy Olsen (Newton-John) found love at Rydell High.

But Newton-John told UPI she would only participate on one condition.

"I would be interested if John (Travolta) does it," she said. "It would have to be everyone or it wouldn't be worthwhile."

Newton-John said talk of a sequel actually began while the original movie was still fresh in the can. "We talked about doing a sequel 20 years ago," she said. "Looks like now maybe is the time."

No one involved with the movie at the time knew that "Grease" would become a classic, but Newton-John said the cast and crew had a good feeling about it.

"We just did it," she said. "We had no comprehension. But it had amazing energy and a great feel to it, so there was no reason why it wouldn't do well."

It did well enough to stand at No. 46 on the all-time list of U.S. blockbusters.

Meanwhile, Newton-John's new CD -- "Magic: The Very Best Of Olivia Newton-John" -- contains 21 digitally remastered selections, 20 of which hit the Top 40. It also contains the 1990's dance club hit, "The Grease Megamix."

(Thanks to UPI Hollywood Reporter Pat Nason)