Rock News: Music's high and low notes

DANIEL ASH

Former Bauhaus and Love & Rockets lead singer Daniel Ash has extended his U.S. tour to make up for the seven dates that were canceled at the beginning of the road trip, Virginmega.com reports.

Ash's tour, in support of his self-titled latest CD, got off to a bad start when bassist Patina Crème was seriously injured in a car accident as the band headed to their first gig in Southern California. Mike Peoples of 16 Volt is standing in for Crème as she recovers at home.

Tour dates:

Apr 1, Tallahaasse, FL (TBA)

Apr 3, Tampa, FL Masquerade

Apr 4, Jacksonville, FL, Marque Theater w/ Trik Turner

Apr 5, Atlanta, GA, The Chamber

Apr 6, New Orleans, LA, Shim Sham Club

Apr 8, Dallas, TX, Trees

Apr 9, Austin, TX, Steamboat w/ Endochine

Apr 11, Phoenix, AZ, Tempe Bash on Ash

Apr 12, Tucson, AZ Backstage

Apr 13, San Diego, CA, Cain's

Apr 15, Santa Barbara, CA, Velvet Jones

Apr 16, Santa Ana, CA, Galaxy Theater

Apr 18, San Francisco, CA, Slim's

Apr 20, Portland, OR, Aladdin Theater

Apr 22, Seattle, WA, Crocodile Café

Apr 26, Los Angeles, CA, Roxy Theater

BEATLES

According to Peter Jackson -- the producer-director of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" -- it was J.R.R. Tolkien who spiked the idea of the Beatles making a movie version of his classic literary trilogy.

Jackson told the Wellington Evening Post that Paul McCartney himself said the lads from Liverpool had even talked to legendary director Stanley Kubrick about the possibility. Jackson said McCartney told him so in the lobby of the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, at the Academy Awards.

"It was something John (Lennon) was driving," said Jackson, "and J.R.R. Tolkien still had the film rights at that stage but he didn't like the idea of the Beatles doing it. So he killed it."

Jackson said McCartney was to have played Frodo, with Lennon as Gollum, George Harrison as the wizard Gandalf and Ringo Starr as Frodo's pal Sam.

"There probably would've been some good songs coming off the album," said Jackson.

As it turned out, Howard Shore won the Oscar for his original music score -- one of four Oscars awarded to Jackson's movie. By the way, Jackson also told the paper the second installment of his movie trilogy, "The Two Towers," will have a "smoother flowing story" than "The Fellowship Of The Ring."

MOS DEF

Hip-hop superstar Mos Def is taking his acting chops to Broadway, as one of the stars of the new play "Top Dog/Underdog" by Suzan-Lori Parks.

The play is about two brothers -- one named after President Lincoln, the other named after his assassin, John Wilkes Booth -- and their struggle with issues of class, poverty and identity. Mos Def -- variously known as Dante Terrell Smith, Dante Beze, Smith Dante -- will play Booth.

Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle played the role when the show ran off-Broadway.

Mos Def has appeared in such feature films as "Bamboozled" and "Monster's Ball." This will be his first time on Broadway. The show, now in previews, is scheduled to open April 7.

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

'THE BEST OF TRL POP'

The full range of the pop spectrum is covered on "The Best of TRL Pop," featuring the most popular artists and their original studio versions of songs from MTV's "Total Request Live."

The album is now in stores. It includes 15 tracks from such artists as 'N Sync, Backstreet Boys, Smashmouth, Mandy Moore and Enrique Inglesias.

"Total Request Live," MTV's daily music video countdown show, is programmed exclusively by viewers via phone and e-mail. It's hosted by Carson Daly.

MEAT LOAF

Nine years after its release, Meat Loaf's "Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell" has been expanded into a 2-CD edition featuring three versions of "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)."

The double album -- now in stores -- also includes radio edits of "Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are," "Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through" and "Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back." There's also a 1998 remix of "Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back," an acoustic "Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are" and its Wild Car Mix, and three live tracks recorded in July 1993 -- including flashbacks to the original "Bat Out of Hell" ("Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" plus the previously unreleased "All Revved Up With No Place To Go" and "Heaven Can Wait").