The David Lee Roth Awesomeness Meter

Wednesday, 1 June 2011

From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Molded by rock
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

More than 20 years later, there’s very little that I don’t remember about my first rock concert – Van Halen on the “5150″ tour at the Cow Palace in Daly City.
I was 15 years old, and drank cans of Budweiser in the parking lot while listening to “Led Zeppelin II” on the stereo in my friend’s two-toned beige and brown Dodge conversion van. Some older dude with a black beard walked up and said, “I’m going to have to give you a citation … for not partying hard enough!” I was so relieved that he wasn’t going to send us to jail, I paid him $10 for a bumper sticker.
Once inside, I stopped some guy trying to pick my front right pocket, and later went to the bathroom during Michael Anthony’s bass solo – which still hadn’t ended by the time I got back, and may be continuing to this day. I even remember the encores that the opening act played. (Bachman-Turner Overdrive: “And when we come to San Francisco, California, we take … care … of … business!”)
Next to the birth of a child, loss of virginity and maybe getting married, a first concert has to be the most indelible moment in a music lover’s life – especially if paired with one of the three previously mentioned events. Forget genetic histories, influence from peers and your relationship with your mother: As much as any other single factor, a person’s life is shaped by their initial exposure to live music.
Did you go with a parental chaperone, or sneak out the bedroom window and hitchhike? How many encores did the band play? Did people boo the opening act? Did anyone in the band wear spandex? Did you wear spandex? Chances are that you can answer all these questions, even if the event happened 30 years ago.
Whenever I meet someone who is super awesome, inevitably their first concert was something cool like Miles Davis at the Blackhawk in San Francisco, or Prince while he was touring for his “Sign O’ the Times” album. And if you run across someone who is kind of annoying or wussy, nine times out of 10 their first concert will be Kenny Loggins on the “Danger Zone” tour.
I’m not a scientist, but I’m pretty sure that the details of everyone’s first big concert somehow get embedded in their DNA. If I were an employer, I would require every potential job applicant to include this information on his or her resume. It should also be mandatory in all online dating forms, newspaper feature profiles and voter information guides. Because I’m pretty sure that Barack Obama’s first concert was something really great, like UB40 at the Circle Star Theater with Fishbone opening. And I’m equally convinced that Rudy Giuliani’s parents drove him to see Ray Stevens.
Your first concert also shapes the rest of your life. My initial live-music experience was nearly Rush on the “Grace Under Pressure” tour, but I didn’t go at the last minute because of the flu. And a day doesn’t go by where I don’t thank God, because while I continue to love the band, I would almost certainly be single and writing bad science-fiction novels.
That said, Van Halen on the “5150″ tour wasn’t the perfect scenario, either. If I was born a few years earlier, I might have caught them on the “Diver Down” or “1984″ tours – and God only know how awesome I would be.
Still, I have some good stories to tell. While Van Halen kind of sucked that day, I witnessed the most epic beat-down I’ll ever see in my life: a scuffle involving maybe eight young teens, which was quickly and mercilessly extinguished by four huge guys in black “Security” T-shirts. One rule to follow if you ever time travel back to 1985: Don’t screw with the Cow Palace security staff.
I was also at the concert where Sammy Hagar, angry at Chronicle senior pop music critic Joel Selvin’s accurately negative review, read the critic’s phone number to the audience – the one part of the evening that I only vaguely remember. No big surprise, Joel remembers that event pretty vividly. There’s no way I can do the story justice, so we’ll just have to hope he writes it himself some day.
The David Lee Roth Awesomeness Meter:

Working on the theory that your first concert determines how awesome you are, we’ve constructed a quiz, which accompanies this article, to quantify your awesomeness into a number. This is for entertainment purposes only. If you score 325 points, that doesn’t mean you should divorce your spouse.

(Unless htheir first concert was Winger with opening act Ugly Kid Joe at the Solano County Fair. Then maybe …)

Take the quiz and Tally The Points To Find Out Your Awesomeness rating:

Eddie Van Halen’s Guitars Through The Years

Friday, 3 June 2011

From GuitarWorld.com:
In the July 2011 issue of Guitar, we tell the story behind Eddie Van Halen’s Ibanez Destroyer. In honor of King Edward, GuitarWorld.com brings you this gallery of Van Halen’s guitars through the years, from the famous to the obscure, and everything in between.
Click the photo to view all 11 guitars:

Filed under: Eddie Van Halen, Van Halen   •   35 Comments

Search and Destroy

Thursday, 2 June 2011

From the July 2011 edition of Guitar World:
Search and Destroy
Lost Photos Tell The Story Behind Eddie Van Halen’s Ibanez Destroyer. By Chris Gill
Guitarists attempting to duplicate Eddie Van Halen’s elusive brown sound on Van Halen’s debut album have gone to great lengths to build replicas of his trademark black-and-white Frankenstein guitar, but many overlook the fact that Eddie recorded about half of the album with an Ibanez Destroyer. The fat, ballsy tone of this mid-Seventies Gibson Explorer copy is heard on “Runnin’ with the Devil,” “You Really Got Me,” “Jamie’s Cryin’,” Feel Your Love Tonight” and “On Fire.”
The Destroyer allowed Ed to create sound effects that he couldn’t produce on the Frankenstein, such as the high-pitched metallic scrape on the “Runnin’ with the Devil” intro (performed by swiping the strings between the bridge and stop tailpiece) and the stuttering effect on the solo to “You Really Got Me” (produced by setting the neck pickup volume at “0″ and flicking the pickup selector switch).
Eddie drastically modified his Destroyer shortly after recording Van Halen by cutting a large V-shaped chunk out of the body below the bridge. While Ed loved the guitar’s new look (nicknamed “the Shark”), the experiment adversely affected the guitar’s tone.
Recently unearthed color photos of Van Halen performing at the Starwood Night Club in Hollywood in January 1977- taken by noted rock photographer Marvin Rinnig- reveal that Ed had made minor modifications to the guitar before recording Van Halen. While the Destroyer shipped with a clear, light-amber finish that made its Sen (Japanese ash) body look like Korina, Ed had the body, neck and headstock painted white. He also replaced the Gibson-style “top hat” knobs with knobs from a Stratocaster and swapped the original chrome-plated bridge for a gold-plated unit. The chrome-covered pickups appear to be stock, which suggests that the secret to Van Halen’s sound was more about his fingers and not some magical Gibson PAF humbucker.

Memories Of Opening For Van Halen In The Early Years

Saturday, 4 June 2011

Here’s an interesting story written about a band called the Granati Brothers and their experiences on tour with Van Halen. They were Van Halen’s opening act for many concerts in 1979 and 1981.

From PittsburghLive.com:
Van Halen’s devotion to music reaches far and wide

By Regis Behe, TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Spandex. Brown M&Ms. A revolving door of lead singers.These are some of the things that come to mind when Van Halen is mentioned.
But Rick Granati of the Granati Brothers has a different, more atypical view. He and his siblings — Dave, Hermie and Joey — toured with Van Halen in 1979 and 1981, and stay in touch with brothers Alex and Eddie.
“They’re actually just wonderful people,” Rick Granati says. “Eddie is a sensitive, deep person who is totally devoted to music.”
The Van Halens and the Granatis — by name alone sounding like a couple of Shakespearean street gangs — met in 1979. The Beaver County siblings were in Los Angeles, opening for the New Wave Brit band the Fabulous Poodles at the Whiskey A Go-Go when they were tabbed to open Van Halen shows in Pocatello, Idaho, and Logan, Utah.
The Granatis showed up in a van. The Van Halens had two large tour buses. The Granatis were experts at pitch-perfect pop and rock harmonies. Van Halen made music that seared the flesh of weaker human beings.
The Granatis collectively thought they were in over their heads. But the first night in Pocatello, the crowd demanded an encore. Being the opening act, they were reluctant to go back onstage. Noel Monk, then Van Halen’s production coordinator and later manager, told them to go back on, and made sure Eddie Van Halen was aware of what was happening. Intrigued, Eddie invited the Granatis on the rest of the tour.
“They treated us as equals, like we were their brothers,” Rick Granati says. “They made sure we had a sound check and never shorted us with the amount of stage available to us.”
The Granatis would meet up with Van Halen again in 1981 when the Fair Warning Tour came to Pittsburgh at the then-Civic Arena. They assumed the Van Halens would ignore them.
“But when Eddie saw us, he said, ‘Hey,’ grabbed us and gave us a big group hug,” Rick Granati says. “After the show, we ended up hanging out until five in the morning.”
Eddie Van Halen also promised he would do something for the band, which had just lost its recording contract. Thinking Van Halen would help them get another deal, the Granatis were stunned when, a few days later, they were asked to join the Fair Warning Tour in Philadelphia for the remaining 48 dates.
The Granatis ended up being confidantes (and yes, partners in mayhem) with the Van Halen crew. Rick Granati remembers visiting Eddie in the ’90s at his lavish home in Los Angeles during recording sessions.
“He puts so much pressure on himself,” Granati says. “He told me, ‘I’m a prisoner of my success. I can’t walk down the street, I can’t take my son to McDonald’s or Disneyland. I’m thrilled everyone likes my music, but everybody wants something from (me).’”
In 1985, the Granatis were among the first to learn that the Van Halens were replacing lead singer David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar. They protested, telling Eddie, “you can’t do that; you’re the Led Zeppelin of our generation.” But the Van Halens were fed up with Roth’s antics and side projects and wanted to move ahead with the band.
Shortly after, Roth came to Pittsburgh with a new band that included guitarist Steve Vai. He hooked up with the Granatis and made a startling confession.
“He said he’d made the biggest mistake of his life,” Rick Granati recalls. “He said, ‘You guys get along with Eddie and Alex. You gotta tell them I want back in the band.’”
But when the Granatis relayed the message a few weeks later, the Van Halens were not amused, happy or inclined to say anything favorable about Roth.
“They erupted,” Rick Granati says, saying they went on for 20 minutes about their displeasure with Roth.
“And now, they’re finally back together,” Granati adds with a laugh. “It only took 22, 23 years.”
While those days are in the past, the Granatis still have the rock ‘n’ roll bug. They are currently working with Peter Bennett, a promoter who worked with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, on a Beatles tribute show scheduled for October at the Lincoln Park Performance Arts Center in Midland.
It’s like the debate in the old Miller Lite commercials. But instead of “tastes great” or “less filling,” Van Halen fans often are divided among which lead singer was better, David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar. But no matter which Van Halen singer is at the mic, the group did exert an influence on musicians who bought into Roth’s theory that “there’s a little Van Halen in all of us.”
Here is their take on the band:
• Mark Scheer, Five Star Dive
“The first time I saw Van Halen, I was 16. I went to see them with Black Sabbath at the Civic Arena. Van Halen had that first album, and they opened the show. … I was there to see Black Sabbath, but they were just heads and tails above Black Sabbath at that time (in 1978). They were just the epitome of fun. I saw them a couple of times after that, and they were still a fun band.”
• Chip DiMonick, Chip DiMonick Band
“Van Halen was one of the first bands that I discovered that made me want to play music. In this town with all the classic-rock stations, you couldn’t escape them. … Looking back through my eyes today, what I always liked about them was that they weren’t afraid to be over the top, from David Lee’s bottom-less pants to Eddie flying on a harness playing guitar. They wanted to be larger than life; they weren’t scared to take chances or look ridiculous. They always made it fun for fans. … In the ’80s, when you thought of guitar, you thought of Eddie Van Halen. He defined a decade of how you play guitar. People did it faster and cleaner than he did, but it was based on him and the big shift he brought to music.
• Mike Oncea, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Five Star Dive
“They are staples, required learning, when you decide you want to pick up an instrument. If you’re going to go out and get in front of people and play, you’re going to be doing ‘You Really Got Me’ and all the other staples of Van Halen. That’s just so much a part of everyday life. And they continue to reinvent themselves. They’re still playing today. And they’re still current. And they still have problems.”
• Dave Wheeler, guitarist, Magic Wolf
“They’re probably one of my favorite bands; they do everything I like, and I’ve always liked David Lee Roth. … A lot of the early albums were almost like punk rock. They were half an hour long, nine or 10 songs, two or three minutes long. They have a direct influence on my playing, although I’m nowhere near the guitarist Eddie Van Halen is. … Eddie has really good taste; he can play pretty much anything he wants to play. A lot of their songs don’t have guitar solos, but they have really good rhythm parts. There’s a really good tone to his playing, and you know it’s a Van Halen song when you hear the opening notes. … What I’ve learned from him is that, because I can’t play like him, I have to be a lot more creative; I have to try harder. And even though he can do anything he wants, he’s still creative. Sometime you go stale if you’re a genius; you turn into a stupid metal guitar player, but not Eddie.”

Steven Adler: ‘GN’R Owes It to the Fans to Do a Reunion Tour’

06.06.2011

According to Blabbermouth, former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler recently appeared on the Matt Kissane Show, discussing the possibility of a reunion of the classic Appetite for Destruction-era lineup of Guns N’ Roses.
"I always say, as long as the five of us are alive, it could happen,” Adler said. “But now I'm gonna turn that around and say, as long as God is alive, I think it will happen. And the most important thing is GN'R owes it to the fans to do a reunion tour.”
In a separate interview with The Jewish Chronicle, Adler said that he hopes frontman Axl Rose and guitarist Slash can put their differences behind them.
“Why do you think we were so successful?” he mused. “Because it was the five of us. We had something special. We had a bond. No matter how much (expletive) there's been all these years, there's one thing that Axl and his lawyers can never take away, and that's that we were five brothers who achieved the goals we had since before we were teenagers. And what do brothers do best? They fight with each other! I don't hate them now. My wounds are healed. It's a shame that Axl and Slash won't talk. Every day they don't talk is a day that magic isn't being created. Even if we just did one tour, one record, one song together—the gods want to hear it.”

Sebastian Bach: "I just signed my divorce papers!"

Friday, 03 June 2011

I am not a number, I am a free man.   Looks like Baz is a free man. A free man now residing in Los Angeles. Word on the street is that Baz is out and about. Everywhere. He's at the Rainbow, he's at House of Blues jamming with Steel Panther, and even eating at El Compadre! He's giving fans a virtual day by day, play by play on his new life.  Check him out on TWITTER and see what he tweeted yestersay about being divorced & his new CD. Sebastian Bach: I love Mastering! Tom Baker is making th CD sound amazing! Figures on the last day of the record i just signed my divorce papers. #DoneDeal

Bret Michaels doesn't understand "Negative stuff" from Nikki Sixx:

Bret & Nikki back in the day hanging as buddies!

Bret Michaels says that he doesn't understand why MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx continues to say "negative stuff" about the POISON singer and insists that the two bands could have "a great tour" if Sixx and his bandmates would just "put [their personal] feelings aside."

When asked by The Birmingham News if MÖTLEY CRÜE and POISON even like each other considering everything that has been said between the two camps in the past, Michaels said, "I want to make it very clear. I'm not a grudge guy, ever. They have said a lot of negative stuff about POISON. [MÖTLEY CRÜE singer] Vince [Neil] has toured with me and we've ridden motorcycles together. Nikki and [drummer] Tommy [Lee] have said a lot of negative things about a lot of people, and I was one of them.

"I don't know what the rhyme or reason is," Michaels continued. "I like some of their music. Fans want the [upcoming MÖTLEY CRÜE and POISON] tour [which is scheduled to kick off on June 7]. I think it could be a great tour for fans if we could just put our feelings aside. I think we can have a great time.

Michaels recently responded to Sixx's "trash-talking," insisting that the MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist did, in fact, apologize to the POISON singer for saying "a lot of bad crap" about Bret's band.

In an interview with The Arizona Republic, Michaels claimed that Sixx said he was "really sorry" about some negative comments his MÖTLEY CRÜE bandmates made about POISON. A few days later, Sixx took to his personal Twitter page in order to "clarify" that he never apologized to Bret for derogatory statements that MÖTLEY made about POISON, explaining that what he did say was "I personally never had anything against you guys as a people but MÖTLEY just sorta thought you sucked as band but let's give the fans what they want and go out and have a good time."

Germany: Sprouts likely cause of E. coli outbreak

Germany: Sprouts likely cause of E. coli outbreak

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER and TOMISLAV SKARO
Associated Press

AP Photo/Focke Strangmann

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HAMBURG, Germany (AP) -- German health authorities say locally-grown beansprouts have been identified as the likely cause of an outbreak of E. coli that has killed 18 people and sickened hundreds in Europe.

Lower Saxony agriculture ministry spokesman Gert Hahne has told The Associated Press an alert will be sent out later Sunday warning people to stay away from eating the sprouts, which are often used in mixed salads.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) - Germany's health minister is defending his country's handling of the E. coli outbreak that has killed 18 people and sickened hundreds as he tours a hospital in Hamburg.

Minister Daniel Bahr has admitted that hospitals in northern Germany were struggling to provide enough beds and medical care for patients stricken by the outbreak. But on Sunday he visited the University Medical Center in Hamburg-Eppendorf and defended the efforts of German medical workers.

Bahr told reporters that hospitals have done "everything necessary" to help their patients.

One E. coli survivor told The Associated Press, however, that sanitary conditions at that hospital were horrendous when she arrived with cramps and bloody diarrhea.

German researchers have been unable to pinpoint exactly where or what food was responsible for the deadly outbreak.

Journey On Tour

Journey Adds Funk To Summer Set List 6/4/2011 10:43 PM ET Journey are currently on their summer tour and are in the process of figuring out how to slip in some of their new songs during their upcoming tour dates. Guitarist Neal Schon recently told ultimateclassicrock.com what songs they chose for their summer set list. "We have the greatest hits - we have to play that every night," he said. "Where do we find room to stick more of this new stuff in our set, when we have an hour-and-a-half to play?"

COSBY SHOW GRANDMOTHER DIES

(RTTNews) - Clarice Taylor, who was best known for her role as the grandmother Anna Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," has passed away at her home in Englewood, New Jersey at the age of 93. Her spokesperson Ulysses Carter tells nytimes.com that she succumbed to congestive heart failure.

Taylor joined the cast of "The Cosby Show" in 1984 and received an Emmy nomination for her role in the show in 1986. While speaking with the Times, Taylor remembers auditioning for the role of a much older woman.
"I put on a gray wig, a bandana over that, flat-heeled shoes and a long dress with no shape to it. Bill saw through my act. I read five lines, and he said, 'If you're going to go through all of this, you've got the part.'"
Cosby remembered Taylor's performance saying: "Clarice was a hip mother, fearless." He adds that she was a perfect fit for the role even though "she looked young enough to play my sister."

Plaxico Burress Out Of Prison Monday!

NEW YORK -- Wide receiver Plaxico Burress becomes a free man on Monday when he is released from prison.
And according to good friend and former teammate Brandon Jacobs, Burress will not be returning to the New York Giants once the lockout ends.

Burress

"There is no chance Plaxico Burress is a New York Giant after he comes home," Jacobs said while attending teammate Justin Tuck's celebrity billiards event in Manhattan.
"He isn't coming to the Giants," Jacobs added. "He's got options. I would love for him to be a part of the Giants. I don't think that is even on his plate."
Jacobs has placed the Philadelphia Eagles as the leading candidate to land Burress once football resumes because of Burress' friendship with Michael Vick and the fact that the Eagles are loaded with talent offensively.
Both Vick and Burress grew up in the Virginia Beach area.
"I would hate to see him go to where I think he is going to go, that is from talking to him," Jacobs said of the Eagles when asked if he was talking about Philadelphia. "It is pretty tough to deal with all those different combinations. Plax is a Virginia guy, Vick is a Virginia guy. They went through sort of the same things and they got a lot of dynamic players down there. It wouldn't be a bad thing, he thinks, to go down there. He wants to win."

Plaxico Burress deserves a chance to resume his NFL career, but teams should know what they're getting into with this monument to insubordination. 

Jacobs is one of Burress' best friends and has remained in constant contact with the wide receiver, who accidentally shot himself in the thigh in November 2008. Burress pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. He's eligible for time off for good behavior, so his prison time will end Monday after serving 21 months of his two-year sentence.
Jacobs said he is "so sure" of Burress' thinking "because I talk to him once a week."
"He doesn't think there is anything wrong with the organization," Jacobs said of the Giants. "He just wants a new start."
"I'm way excited for (him)," Jacobs added of Burress' pending release. "He will get his opportunity. I am super happy for him and his family. His kids were over at my house a couple days ago. His wife seems super happy. It is a great thing for him to be coming home."
Tuck, who hosted a celebrity billiards tournament to raise money for his R.U.S.H. for Literacy foundation, is one of several Giants who want Burress back. When asked if he will talk to general manager Jerry Reese and ownership about a Burress reunion once the lockout ends, Tuck said he will continue what he started before the lockout began.
"I'm already campaigning," Tuck said prior to Jacobs' comments about Burress being unlikely to return to the Giants. "I was campaigning before the lockout started. I will say this much, go back and see what our record was when he shot himself and how devastating our offense was. You had to take a safety out of the box (against him). With our O-line and our running game, that opens up a lot of stuff. I'm excited. I hope we can get No. 17 back to Giants Stadium."

“ Plax is a Virginia guy, Vick is a Virginia guy. They went through sort of the same things and (the Eagles) got a lot of dynamic players down there. It wouldn't be a bad thing, he thinks, to go (to Philadelphia). He wants to win."
” -- Brandon Jacobs, pictured

The Giants were 10-1 in 2008 before Burress shot himself that Nov. 28. The Giants made the postseason that year but have not been back since.
Tuck thinks the Giants and Burress make a lot of sense in 2011.
"I would think it is somewhere he would be comfortable, he knows everybody there and he knows the system," said Tuck, who also is friends with Burress. "He had great chemistry with Eli (Manning) and he has a lot of friends on this team and a team that wants him here. I am sure there are going to be a lot of teams that will want him."
"I can't speak for Plaxico," Tuck added. "He has a mind of his own and he knows what he wants to do. Coming from the captain of the New York Giants, I would love to have Plaxico back here in Giants blue."
Jacobs would love to convince Burress to return to the Giants but the running back mentioned his own uncertain future. Jacobs is under contract for two more seasons and will earn $4.65 million in 2011 and $4.9 million in 2012.
The Giants also want to re-sign starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who will either be a restricted or unrestricted free agent. Keeping both running backs could be difficult if the Giants have to give Bradshaw a big contract.
"If I knew where I would be next year, if I knew for a fact that I would be around -- no one knows anything now -- I would be trying to talk (Burress) into it," said Jacobs, who wants to return to the Giants and play with Bradshaw and Burress. "He wants to explore his options."
Ohm Youngmisuk covers the Giants for ESPNNewYork.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Pink Gives Birth To Baby Girl

 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

Pink now has a little one to swaddle in pink!
The singer, whose real name is Alecia Beth Moore, gave birth to a daughter on Thursday and announced the news via Twitter.
“We are ecstatic to welcome our new beautiful healthy happy baby girl, Willow Sage Hart. She’s gorgeous, just like her daddy. #beyondblessed,” Pink Tweeted referring to husband Carey Hart.
On Wednesday she sent a vague message to her Twitter followers, writing, “New Moon in Gemini today :) a good time to start something new…. Also called the Honey Moon. #intoit,”
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Pink believes her husband will make an excellent father.
“[Carey] is so excited,” Pink told Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush in a November 2010 interview. “He’s wanted to be a dad since – I mean, we’ve been together nine years on and off, and he brought it up two weeks after we met. So, he’s wonderful.
“He’s going to be a really, really cute daddy,” she added.
Pink confirmed her pregnancy on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on November 15, telling the talk show host, “I’m eating for two these days.”
Baby Willow is the couple’s first child. Pink and Carey first met in 2001 and wed in 2006. They separated in 2008 and in February 2010 announced they were together again.

Two-time Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards indicted

View Photo Gallery —  Former Sen. John Edwards launched his second bid for the presidency in Dec. 2006. In launching his 2008 bid, Edwards returned to the issue of poverty in America, using New Orleans as a backdrop to underscore his message that the prosperity of the 1990s did not reach every citizen or community.

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By Jerry Markon, Updated: Friday, June 3, 10:50 AM

Former vice presidential nominee John Edwards was indicted Friday on federal campaign finance charges for allegedly using campaign donations to conceal an extramarital affair while he was running for president in 2008.
The case of USA v. Johnny Reid Edwards contains six counts, including conspiracy, four counts of illegal campaign contributions and one count of false statements.

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The indictment was returned in the Middle District of North Carolina Friday, after plea negotiations between lawyers for Edwards and the Justice Department did not produce an agreement, people familiar with the talks said.
A federal grand jury had been examining Edwards’s role in funneling money from political donors to a former campaign aide, Rielle Hunter, allegedly to cover up an extramarital affair the two had while Edwards was a campaigning for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
Edwards’s Washington-based attorney, Gregory Craig, flew to North Carolina on Thursday as the indictment loomed, to consult with Edwards, a former North Carolina senator.
Justice Department officials declined to comment.
People familiar with the probe have said that Edwards, whose once-promising career was destroyed by the exposure of his affair with Hunter, had considered negotiating a plea agreement because, as a single father, he wanted to put the matter behind him. His estranged wife, Elizabeth Edwards, died of breast cancer in December, leaving behind a grown daughter and two middle-school-age children.
The federal investigation has been underway since at least early 2009, when Edwards confirmed that political groups linked to him were among the potential targets of a probe into his finances.
Individuals familiar with the probe have said that investigators are focusing on whether money paid to Hunter and former Edwards campaign aide Andrew Young constituted campaign donations, since the funds helped Edwards’s presidential campaign by keeping the affair secret.
Asked why no plea agreement had been reached, one of the people familiar with the discussions indicated that Edward, the Democratic Party’s 2004 vice presidential nominee, was not willing to go as far as prosecutors were insisting he should in accepting criminal culpability.
Lawyers for Edwards have indicated that they will vigorously fight any charges. Craig, a former White House counsel for President Obama, issued a statement last week strongly denying any illegal activity by Edwards and accusing prosecutors of exaggerating the strength of the allegations.
“John Edwards has done wrong in his life — and he knows it better than anyone — but he did not break the law,” Craig wrote. “The Justice Department has wasted millions of dollars and thousands of hours on a matter more appropriately a topic for the Federal Election Commission to consider, not a criminal court.”
A criminal trial for Edwards — a one-time trial lawyer legendary in North Carolina for his courtroom skills — would mark an extraordinary step in the downfall of a politician once seen as brimming with potential.
Hunter was a videographer for Edwards’s 2008 presidential campaign. He initially denied that he had fathered a child with her. In January 2010, Edwards admitted to being the father of Hunter’s daughter, Quinn. Shortly afterward, he separated from his wife, also a prominent Democratic activist.
A trial would feature a high-stakes legal showdown between Craig, President Obama’s former White House counsel, and the Obama Justice Department. Some experts on campaign finance law have said this week that the government’s case may be difficult to prove.

Martin Scorsese Possibly Directing Taylor-Burton Love Affair Film

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martin Scorsese Possibly Directing Taylor-Burton Love Affair Film

6/2/2011 3:29 PM ET

Martin Scorsese is tipped to direct a movie about the Elizabeth Taylor-Richard Burton love story. The film is set to be based on the book "Furious Love," scripted by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger. Paramount Pictures is currently finalizing a development deal, with Julie Yorn, Gary Foster and Russ Krasnoff, who are expected to co-produce. The film would focus on the tempestuous love story between Taylor and Burton, who married and divorced each other twice.

Sebastian Bach gatecrashes Steel Panther show

Steel Panther recruit Sebastian Bach for metal karaoke at Hollywood HOB **VIDEO**

Reported by Cameron Pirie

Published: June 2, 2011. © Rock AAA.

Panther

Panther who have a residency at the House of Blues on Sunset invited the ex-Skid Row frontman on stage for a rendition of Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ before bringing members of Asking Alexandra and Black Veil Brides up to join in on a rendition of Bach’s own ‘Youth Gone Wild’ on a rather crowded stage.
The show continued in the same vein with covers of Guns N’ Roses and Zeppelin
Make up your own mind! Video is up on youtube.com!

Behind The Song: Prince's Kiss

06/03/2011
. One of our most popular features on antiMusic is our Singled Out series where musicians tell us the story behind their new songs. Today we doing something a little different, presenting the story behind a classic song. The tale of Prince's hit "Kiss" comes to us from the new book 'Prince: Chaos, Disorder, and Revolution?' by Jason Draper. We'll have a review of the book next week but today, Jason shares the story behind "Kiss": Prince took over the three studios at Sunset Sound while working on the [Parade] album. He used one for Parade, another for his side project The Family, and a third for an album by the Minneapolis band Mazarati, which was being produced by David Rivkin and Revolution bassist Mark Brown. Legend has it that he had cut the first four songs for Parade on the spot, in sequence: that he sat down behind the drums, asked Susan Rogers to roll the tape, and played through all of the drum tracks, using only his handwritten lyrics as guidance, then added the bass, keyboards, guitars, and vocals to each of the songs, one after another.
For most listeners, the highlight of Prince's 1986 album Parade was "Kiss," a song Prince almost didn't record. His cavalier attitude to giving away new songs (see "Manic Monday," reclaimed from Apollonia 6 during the Purple Rain/Apollonia 6 sessions, but unreleased until Prince gave it to The Bangles) made him believe that he could write hit tracks for just about anybody, even if he hadn't masterminded the band's image and sound.
Next door to where Prince was recording Parade, Revolution bassist Mark Brown and engineer Bobby Rivkin were working on a self-titled album by a group known as Mazarati. Brown had started playing with the group on the Minneapolis club scene during a break from touring with The Revolution. Not wanting to end up the same way as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (who were fired by Prince for moonlighting with another band), he wore a mask on stage and called himself The Shadow. After a while, however, Brown knew that he would have to come clean to Prince or face serious consequences. But when he did, Prince surprised him by deciding to take Mazarati under his wing.
Prince was too busy to produce the group himself, but donated one song to the project, "100 MPH." Then, as the sessions continued, he offered them another unused track: a bluesy acoustic number called "Kiss." Rivkin and Brown sat up all night wondering what to do with the song before opting to give it a strident funk backing. When Prince returned to Sunset Sound the following day, he quickly changed his mind about the song's worth. "It's too good for you guys," he told them. "I'm taking it back." He had originally suggested that he would reward Rivkin for his efforts by giving him a co-production credit, but eventually listed him only as the song's arranger, even though the main elements of the song originated from Rivkin and Brown's version. ("Terence Trent D'Arby asked me where "Kiss" came from," Prince later boasted. "I have no idea. Nothing in it makes sense. Nothing! The hi-hat doesn't make sense.")
Before long, Prince had completed the minimal final version of "Kiss," stripping away a lot of the detail Rivkin and Brown had added, and chose it to be the first single from Parade. Warner Bros. felt that it sounded like a demo, but Prince was determined to release it without any changes, and he was right to. A taut, sparse blend of funk and R&B, sung in a falsetto Curtis Mayfield would have envied, "Kiss" would become Prince's first transatlantic Number One hit since "Let's Go Crazy." (The other song he had written for Mazarati fared rather less well. "100 MPH" stalled at Number 19 on the R&B chart, and didn't even register on the Hot 100.)
"I remember the first time that I heard the song 'Kiss'" guitarist Dez Dickerson later recalled, "really feeling that he had managed to recapture some of that raw R&B emotion from some of his earlier music." The promo video is equally stripped-down. It features just Prince, Wendy Melvoin, and an unidentified female dancer, proving just how valuable Melvoin was to Prince at the time.
From Prince: Chaos, Disorder and Revolution, (c) 2011 by Jason Draper. Published by Backbeat Books, an imprint of Hal Leonard. ISBN: 978-0-87930-961-9. $19.99. Reprinted with permission. www.backbeatbooks.com

Puddle of Mudd Discuss Their re:(disc)overed Album As Billy Squire Comments on His Cover

06/03/2011
. Puddle of Mudd are releasing an album of covers of songs that have inspired them. That album, called re:(disc)overed is set to hit stores on August 2nd.One of the songs on the effort is Billy Squier's "Everybody Wants You." Billy Squier himself has already heard the track and remarked, "Sounds like these guys have got the right idea."

The new album includes such classics as AC/DC's "TNT," Steve Miller's "The Joker," Elton John's "Rocket Man," the Stevie Nicks/Tom Petty duet "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" (which Puddle Of Mudd recorded with BC Jean), Neil Young's "Old Man," and the first single, The Rolling Stones classic "Gimmie Shelter."
"This record was a lot of fun to make," commented lead guitarist Paul Phillips. "They were all songs and bands that we have been a fan or fans of forever. When choosing these songs, we really looked for ones that were both inspiring and challenging. We chose some that may be unexpected to some just so we could push the Puddle envelope a bit. We really wanted to stretch our legs on this one. It gave a chance to try some things that we have never really done on our records."
"We all collaborated over three months or so and compiled a huge list of songs that we eventually weeded down to 14 tracks," commented lead singer Wes Scantlin. "For me, it was very important that I could identify with all of them lyrically. A lot of them really struck a nerve. Old Man by Neil Young and Rocket Man by Elton John definitely hit close to home. As I've become an adult, I've realized that I have become my old man. I seem to have inherited the same traits as him, whether they are good or bad. I've been listening to that one forever and now I'm living it. As for Rocket Man, I feel it is a beautiful metaphor for living life on the road. We are spacemen so to speak. No one knows what it's like out on the road. The fame, travelling, fans, etc...It's like outer space to most until you've lived it.""Our goal in interpreting these songs was to pay more tribute rather than reinvent," says Phillips. "These are all classics that are perfect in every sense, so who are we to mess with that? We just wanted to represent them in their true form and add a little of our sound to them. We cut everything with very few takes and tried to keep it very live like those old seventies records. We didn't want to Pro Tool the hell out of it."

Beginning July 23rd, Puddle Of Mudd have scheduled five shows where for the first half of the show they will perform songs from re:(disc)overed followed by a run of Puddle Of Mudd hits.

Track Listing
1. Gimmie Shelter
2. Old Man
3. T.N.T.
4. Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
5. The Joker
6. Everybody Wants You
7. Rocket Man
8. All Right Now
9. Shooting Star
10. Funk
11. D'yer Maker

Puddle Of Mudd re:(disc)overed Tour
July 23 – Webster Theater, Hartford CT
July 24 – Northern Lights, Clifton Park NY
July 26 – Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton Beach NH
July 28 – Starland Ballroom, Sayreville NJ
July 30 – House of Blues, Cleveland OH

Meat Loaf: Critics Like U2 Better Than Me

06.03.2011

Fresh off being a cast member on The Celebrity Apprentice, Meat Loaf has announced a handful of summer tour dates. The concerts will promote the singer’s most recent album, Hang Cool Teddy Bear, which features guest spots from Brian May, Steve Vai and Jack Black.
In a recent interview, Meat Loaf spoke about his frustrations with rock critics and their reaction to his latest album, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.
“Critics tend to want to dismiss me,” he said. “And you can tell them; the people that have given this album a good review and the people that have given it a bad – who’s heard it and who hadn’t.
“The people that have heard it have generally given it a pretty fair, decent review. The people that only skimmed it – there’s very few critics that have listened to the entire version of ‘Peace on Earth.’ And my comment is that if U2 had have done ‘Peace on Earth,’ it woulda been the second coming – and it would’ve been.”
Meat Loaf tour dates:
June 29 – Milwaukee, WI
July 2 – Charlottetown, Canada
July 16 – Atlantic City, N.J.
July 18 – Red Bank, N.J.
July 21 – Belleville, Ontario
July 22 – London, Ontario
July 28 – Pittsburgh, PA
July 30 – Columbus, OH
July 31 – Readington, N.J.
August 3 – Big Flats, N.Y.
August 5 – Clarkston, MI
August 6 – Mears, MI
August 26 – Grand Junction, CO
September 1 – Joliet, IL

Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan Tweets Long-Awaited New Album Details

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06.02.2011

Smashing Pumpkins have announced the tracklisting for their ninth studio album, Oceania, which drops later this year. Always-enigmatic frontman Billy Corgan took to Twitter to make the announcement: “I'm assuming those that are Smashing Pumpkins fans in the crowd wouldn't mind me putting up a tentative tracklisting of the 'Oceania' album?” He then scribbled the list, which you can view below.
The tracks have been issued as part of the alternative rock band’s ongoing Teargarden by Kaleidyscope project, which has camp Corgan releasing original songs online in sets and then making them available for download.
Billy Corgan recently ruled out a reunion with the founding members of Smashing Pumpkins because “things that have happened between us in the interim haven't been good.”
When asked if the original lineup would reunite, Corgan told Rolling Stone, "No. That's just one of those things that are never going to happen...”
Corgan added that he and original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin “aren't enemies. He's just off doing what he wants to do, as he should. There's not super bad blood between me and Jimmy that we'd never get on stage again…”
The tracklisting for Oceania:
“O/”
“Pale Horse”
“Panopticon”
“The Chimera”
“Four Winds Chime”
“Glissandra”
“Inkless”
“My Love Is Winter”
“Special K”
“Pinwheels”
“Oceania”
“Violet Rays”
“Quasar”

Puddle of Mudd to Headline Tour

Posted on Jun 02, 2011

Puddle Of Mudd has announced the first handful of dates on its upcoming headlining tour in support of its new covers album, re:(disc)covered. According to Rock Access, the trek will kick off on July 23rd in Hartford, Connecticut, with four more East Coast dates confirmed so far. Rev Theory will be the support act for the road trip. Re:(disc)covered, which features 11 covers of songs from artists like AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Bad Company, the Steve Miller Band and more, will arrive in stores on August 2nd.
Frontman Wes Scantlin told us that the band has come up with an unusual format for the live show this time out: "We are gonna do a whole entire tour where we do like an hour-long set of the entire album of the covers, then we take like a five or 10-minute intermission, and then we come back out and we do every single Puddle Of Mudd hit song ever. So the whole entire show will just be hit, hit, hit, hit, hit, hit, hit, and then a little break, everybody can get a drink, go take a pee, whatever they've got to do, and then we come back and we just kick it back into the Puddle Of Mudd."
Re:(disc)overed follows up Puddle Of Mudd's 2009 effort, Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate.
The first single, a cover of the Stones' "Gimme Shelter," will arrive at radio stations in mid-June.
Newly announced Puddle Of Mudd tour dates (subject to change):
July 23 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theater
July 24 - Clifton Park, NY - Northern Lights
July 26 - Hampton Beach, NY - Hampton Beach Casino
July 28 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
July 30 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues

Def Leppard's Joe Elliot Talking About Latest Success

Joe Elliott: "Eddie Vedder replaced Bret Michaels!"

Wednesday, 01 June 2011

Is Joe a shit talking bloke? Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott has a lot to be proud of. On the eve of a sold-out headlining tour with Heart and the release of the band’s first live album, Mirrorball, the raspy singer has added the dawn of alternative to the band’s mantle. “Nirvana and Pearl Jam happened because of Def Leppard. Alternative happened because of Def Leppard. I don’t think there’s any question about that fact. Because of Def Leppard you had your Winger, Cinderella, Warrant and Slaughter doing exactly what we did just not as well. That in turn diluted what we did and people got sick of it. And so people needed something new to turn to and Eddie Vedder replaced Bret Michaels”. And nearly two decades later is the frontman still bitter? He says no. “What is there to be bitter about?” he quips. “Our latest single just went in at No. 1 on rock radio in America, we’re headlining Donnington for the second time in four years and of course there’s the Heart tour and a live album. We’re still competitive.” Indeed they are. Def Leppard will launch their latest jaunt on June 15 in West Palm Beach and play more than 40 dates before wrapping things up on September 15 in Washington. And the band are not content to rest on their laurels once things wind down. Elliott adds that the band have loftier goals in mind beyond their 2011 work. “I don’t see why Def Leppard shouldn’t tour again next year and hopefully have a new record or even an EP out for release. This is a band that is trying to get up there with your Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Queen leagues. You don’t get there by sitting at home during the summer.”

'The Hangover Part II' Smashes Through Box Office

5/31/2011 11:26 AM ET

(RTTNews) - With a three-day intake of $86 million, "The Hangover Part II" became the second biggest R-rated opening of all-time and ended up with a phenomenal $105 million for the four-day holiday weekend. Also posting strong overall numbers was "Kung Fu Panda 2," though it didn't do as well as distributor Paramount/Dreamworks had hoped considering the commercial success of the original. "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" also posted another big weekend, bringing its 11-day worldwide total to a year-best $634 million.

After "The Hangover" became the highest grossing R-rated comedy ever in 2009, a sequel was all but guaranteed. With its $86 million three-day opening, "Part II" trailed only the $91 million that "Matrix: Reloaded" hauled in back in 2003 to make it the second biggest R-rated opening in history. Backed by a per theater average of $23,799 for "Part II," it looks like the audience has grown considerably since the opening of the original and it will likely continue to do big-time business at the box office throughout the rest of June. Some of the audience for "The Hangover" will end up at "X-Men: First Class" next weekend, though there isn't any substantial comedy competition until late June.
Unlike most comedies, "The Hangover Part II" also has significant worldwide appeal, helping to bring its worldwide total to $196 million already. Even though it has mostly negative critical reviews, which could hamper other releases, "Part II" has so much momentum that it's not going to matter. "Part II" should continue to dominate with adult audiences and end up with easily enough revenue to encourage a third entry in the series.
Aimed at a much different demographic was "Kung Fu Panda 2," an animated release that took aim at the enormously lucrative family demographic. While it still managed a nice domestic opening total of $64 million for the four-day holiday weekend, "Kung Fu Panda 2" had just enough audience overlap with "Pirates of the Caribbean" to prevent it from posting the huge opening that Paramount/Dreamworks would liked to have seen.
But even though the domestic numbers for the weekend were less than spectacular, "Kung Fu Panda 2" also has a tremendous amount of appeal outside of the U.S. The original grossed an eye-popping $631 million worldwide, a great total for a non-sequel or remake. "Kung Fu Panda 2" should continue to do very well with the family demographic until "Cars 2" opens a few weeks from now, which should be enough time for it to post another big worldwide total.
Meanwhile, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" continues to have significant appeal to the broad mainstream action audience. At the end of the Memorial Day weekend, "On Stranger Tides" pushed its domestic total to $163 million and worldwide total to $634 million, making it the top overall earner of the year so far. "Pirates" will have some significant competition from "X-Men: First Class" next weekend, though it's already a substantial commercial success for distributor Buena Vista/Disney.
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Tesla, Cinderella And Kix To Headline Monsters Of Rock Cruise

June 1, 2011

Tesla, Cinderella and Kix have been named as the headliners on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise taking place in February 2012. Tickets for the cruise will be going on-sale on Monday, June 13 at 12 Noon, Pacific. If you register at www.monstersofrockcruise.com any time before the on-sale date you will receive a special promotional code redeemable for a $75 bar credit per cabin.

Joining the headliners of the Monsters Of Rocl Cruise will be Y&T, Firehouse, Stryper, Black N' Blue, Lynch Mob, Keel, Eric Martin, John Corabi, Faster Pussycat, Bang Tango, Eddie Trunk and Big John. Some of the other cool events taking place on the cruise are Monsters of Rock Showroom Performances, Artist Meet & Greets, Back-Alley Showcase Series, Poolside Concerts, Charity Memorabilia Auction, Monsters White Trash Cantina, Monsters Book Signings, Monsters Mass Wedding Vow Renewal, Monsters Amateur Jam, Games, Activities and more!

The most expensive cabin (non VIP) on the Monsters of Rock Cruise is $999 per person (price good until 7/15/2011 or while supply lasts) and that is for the largest Superior Balcony cabin on the ship! In addition, cabins will only be available in the following categories -- Inside, Ocean View, Balcony and Superior Balcony, and the early bookers will get the best available cabin... you snooze, you lose. Finally, you will be able to reserve for only $150 per person deposit with the balance spread out over 3 payments.

Courtesy of www.sleazeroxx.com and www.themonstersofrock.com

Wylde Slates Rehab Addicts

Axeman Zakk has no time for victims and says: “It’s a one-step programme: you shut up and you stop drinking”

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No more beers: Zakk Wylde

Black Label Society mainman Zakk Wylde says he has no time for musicians who attend rehab to deal with their drink or drugs problems.
When he was told to stop using alcohol last year as a result of suffering serious blood clots in his legs, that’s just what he did: he stopped. And he says that’s the approach he expects from his band.
Wylde tells the Press of Atlantic City: “The complaint department is closed. You don’t go to rehab, you just stop drinking. That’s Black Label rehab: it’s a one-step programme. Shut up and stop drinking.
“I don’t have time for ‘I have a heroin problem,’ I don’t fucking care. I don’t care what you did yesterday or six months ago – I got shit to get done.
“We don’t dwell on the past, we get on with what has to be done – it’s a mindset all the guys in the band have.”
The former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist says he expects a strong work ethic from members of his band.
“Lions hang out with lions, dude, and they know what’s expected of them,” he explains. “They don’t need to be told to act like a lion. You either have a work ethic or you’re a lazy piece of shit.
“When I started playing guitar I was playing for ten hours a day. I still play every day and I don’t look at it like it’s a pain in the ass – I enjoy doing it.”

EVH Frankenstein Striped Flip Flops Available For Summer!

EVH Frankenstein Striped Flip Flops Available For Summer

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

These EVH Frankenstein Striped Flip Flops sport the iconic Eddie Van Halen stripes and are sure to impress! Offered in all 3 classic EVH stripe color combinations–Red, Yellow, or White, or grab the Complete Set!
These ultra comfortable, premium quality Flip Flops are the perfect fit for summer. Make a stylish statement and keep your feet cool and comfortable all season long.
“Play Fast, Wear Stripes”





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Choose between Red, Yellow, or White, or grab the Complete Set of all three!
View All EVH Flip Flops.

Weiland: I’ve fought off drugs… I’ll fight off drink too

Substance Survivor 1: Scott spent four years completely clean – until year from hell sent him back into the bottle

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Obstacle course: Scott Weiland

Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland vows he’ll fight off alcohol the way he fought off addiction to harder drugs.
He says he was completely clean for four years until a nightmare year saw him seeking refuge in the bottle – but he’s convinced he can defeat the demon drink.
Weiland tells KROQ-FM: “I’ve been clean for nine years. There are some people who can go back to drinking, very few, and some people who can’t. It doesn’t mean my relationship with it is a healthy one. It’s an extra obstacle I plan to get rid of.
“When I joined Velvet Revolver I’d been completely sober all the way, drugs and alcohol, for four years. Then I had marriage problems. My brother died. My mum almost died of cancer.
“It was too much – I tried to put band-aids wherever the pain was leaking from. Booze is everywhere. I’m a sports fan and all the ads are either car commercials or beer commercials. And it worked originally, but it doesn’t really work.”
Weiland recently admitted his heart was never fully in Velvet Revolver and he’s glad to be back with his STP bandmates. He’s also established a working relationship with ex-wife Mary, who he still describes as “the love of my life.”
He says: “We’ve taken the kids on vacation camping. I’ll go over for dinner. There’s times we don’t see eye-to-eye, but that’s only natural. For the most part we get on really well. She talks to me about her love life, and I talk to her about my minimal love life.”
And Weiland suggests the split was more drug-fuelled than related to any failure of feelings between the couple: “No one can beat Mary in an argument – it’s impossible. When I was in therapy I knew I needed time out for myself, but some people just need to win an argument.
“There’s no winning when tempers are flared. You say things you don’t mean.”
Weiland’s book, Not Dead and Not For Sale, is available now.

Schon: I Was A Functioning F-Up

Substance Survivor 2: Journey axeman Neal managed to keep operating – but had to refuse Clapton invitation over health fears

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Big decision: Neal Schon

Journey guitarist Neal Schon says he’s managed to get over his drug addiction issues – but admits he was once a “functioning fuck-up”.
And the axeman says fears over living a drug-fuelled lifestyle drove him to refuse an invitation to join Eric Clapton’s band when he was 15, opting instead to play with Carlos Santana.
Schon tells MusicRadar: “I got the offer from Eric to join Derek and the Dominoes before I got asked to join the Santana band. What a choice, you know?
” I was in the studio with Carlos and we were jamming, when Eric walked in. I was blown away, of course, and I didn’t say too much. But we ended up jamming, it was a fun time, and the next day I went back to the studio and there was a note from Eric’s people requesting that I go and play with him that night.
“I arrived about 15 minutes before the band were supposed to go on – and they were all sleeping, nodded out in the back. I knew something was up, and it wasn’t healthy.
“I love Eric. He’s a great guy; it’s just, I think that was a period when there were drug issues. Not that there weren’t drugs in the Santana band – but it didn’t seem as radical.”
Schon returned to work with Santana but regrets: “I was more from the school of Eric than I was of Carlos or Latin music. It was a heavy thing.”
Drugs and alcohol have affected his life, but Schon says he managed to keep working throughout his addiction issues before finally conquering them in 2008.
“I was a functioning fuck-up, a functioning alcoholic,” the guitarist states. “I did coke and drugs for many, many years, but I just never went down. I never got so sick where I couldn’t play and I never missed a gig in my life.
“I felt that gave me the right to do anything I wanted; but you get older and your body starts talking to you, and you’d better listen.
“Three years ago I finally said, ‘I’m done.’ I never went to an AA meeting or anything – I just stopped everything. I never had an addictive personality but I just couldn’t put the brakes on. I didn’t have a shot of tequila, I’d had the whole bottle. You can’t keep doing that.”

Osbournes Keep Rewriting History, Says Original Bassist

Daisley reveals he has stacks of unheard Randy Rhoads material, but won’t let Ozzy and Sharon cheat him over it

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Deleted: Daisley, left, with Blizzard of Ozz

Original Ozzy Osbourne bassist Bob Daisley has a hoard of unheard recordings featuring tragic guitarist Randy Rhoads – but he refuses to allow the Osbournes to badger him into a cut-price deal for releasing them.
Daisley accuses the celebrity couple of “rewriting history” and cites the example of his own removal from re-releases of the first two Ozzy solo albums. Manager Sharon Osbourne had his parts and those of drummer Lee Kerslake replaced with new recordings when Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman were republished in 2002.
The bassist tells BraveWords: “When Sharon and Ozzy tell the story, they both try to rewrite history. It’s inaccurate and it’s not how it happened.
“To start, Ozzy said Sharon used to come to the pub with us when we were doing the first record. But she wasn’t even there – it’s a long way to come from LA, as that’s where she was living. She had nothing to do with the first record; Ozzy was still married to Thelma at the time, and she used to come to the pub.”
But Daisley says fans will have to wait to hear the whole story: “Lee and I were not consulted – you’re not going to get us in it as the Osbournes are involved.
“There were four people in that band and it was the chemistry of those four people that made it what it was.
“Ozzy’s career would have been washed up because he’d lost a lot of credibility for being unreliable with Black Sabbath. Randy couldn’t get arrested in America with his band at the time. Lee couldn’t get his band off the ground and I was worried my career was over. So the four of us came together and helped each other.
“All this crap about Randy Rhoads single-handedly saving Ozzy’s career – he didn’t. All due respect and credit to Randy, who was nothing short of amazing, but it took four people to make those albums. A band recorded those albums and that band was called the Blizzard of Ozz.”
Rhoads died in a plane crash on tour with the band in 1982, and Daisley says he has rehearsal and performance tapes from the time the band were together which fans would love to hear.
He believes the 30th anniversary of the albums would have been a perfect time to make them public. But he couldn’t reach a deal with the Osbournes – although the original Daisley and Kerslake tracks were returned for the anniversary releases.
“I have Ozzy singing and Randy playing,” the bassist explains. “The quality is not bad, but not studio quality. But it’s a legal issue with somebody’s performance – you have to get them to sign off.
“All Sharon wanted to do was to buy everything for a measly sum then release it. I said, ‘No way, this stuff’s gold. Do it my way, meaning I get a royalty this time.’ I should have always got a royalty.
“They would’t do it. So I said, ‘I’m not handing it over to you to make a fortune.’ The main reason was they could have edited it and taken us out again – go about rewriting history again.
“Fans would love this stuff – it’s too bad. But they want you to believe Ozzy and Randy did everything.”
Former Black Sabbath singer Osbourne has insisted he had no knowledge of the 2002 re-releases without the original rhythm section tracks, saying his wife had done it without consulting him and he wouldn’t have allowed it if he’d known.