Sony BMG Music Entertainment lost $49 million on sales in its first fiscal quarter. Over the same period last year, the company had a net income of $21 million. Sony is reportedly seeking to buy out the remaining 50% stake it doesn’t own in the company from German company Bertelsmann. The buy out could be complete by early August, as Bertelsmann has come down on their price from $1.2-1.5 billion to roughly $920 million. That would leave Sony, Warner, EMI and Universal as the only major record labels. Pretty soon there will just be one giant record label, called “The Record Label” How sad, Rollerball here we come….
On October 7th Bob Dylan will release the eighth installment of his Bootleg Series titled “Tell Tale Signs” This edition features unreleased recordings and alternate versions of studio sessions from the last two decades, sessions that ultimately resulted in albums like Time Out of Mind, Love and Theft and Modern Times. The two-disc set will also feature rare live performances.
At a touring panel yesterday, their management announced that AC/DC are planning on embarking on a massive 18-month world tour starting in October in support of their first new album, since 2000’s Stiff Upper Lip. The new album will be sold exclusively in the States at Wal-Mart, Expect the first single to be out some time next month.
Mick Jagger celebrated his 65th birthday on Saturday. But when most people at his age start collecting pensions or Medicare, there seems to be nothing retiring about the Rolling Stones frontman.
In an AP interview last October, Jagger said he looked forward to doing more work with the Stones. In his words, “We’re not stopping anytime that I know about.” Mick also added, “Plus i have 2 more children to father and four crap albums to release.” Happy B-Day Mick, from RockHeap.
Remember when The Who were The Who? Not the pathetic shell of a once mighty rock behemoth. The VH1 Rock Honors gave us a real bad taste in our mouths. So we’re gonna wash it out with this classic clip of My Generation from Woodstock. Enjoy.
The Rolling Stones have signed a long term deal with the world’s largest record label, Universal Music. They left their longtime home at EMI due to the subsequent unrest following the label’s sale to Terra Firma. The new deal includes all of their post 1971 records, which unfortunately for Universal also includes Dirty Work, Steel Wheels and Bridges To Babylon to name a few of the stinkers the stones have laid over the past 25 years. The deal includes new records (can’t wait) as well as digital rights to the Stones catalog. The Stones records will be released on Polydor Records, a label actually older then the Stones themselves.
VH-1 honored The Who at the latest incarnation of Rock Honors. This show makes as much sense as MTV’s VMAs, considering both channels have forsaken music for lame ass reality shows. The basic idea behind this garbage is to have some contemporary bands who are Who fans play a few songs, while a couple of douchebag actor’s introduce the acts, and then The Who performs.
While Foo Fighters captured the fierceness of The Who with their set and the Flaming Lips set personified The Who’s theatricality, but let’s be real, the only reason to show up to this party was Pearl Jam. Paying tribute to Quadrophenia, PJ ripped throw Love Reign o’er Me and The Real Me. They proved yet again why they are the heir apparent to The Who and why they are the greatest rock band out today.
For those of you who couldn’t make it out to Shea for one of Billy’s shows, kick back and check out this clip from his 1978 appearance on Saturday Night Live.
On September 4th The Fame Bureau and Idea Generation will conduct an auction featuring Jimi Hendrix’s legendary guitar that he lit on fire while performing on stage in London in 1967. Experts are predicting the guitar may fetch as much as $1 million. Looking to make a name for himself, while living and playing in London, Hendrix lit the Fender Strat on fire, only to burn himself while performing the stunt. Hendrix was taken to the hospital, but not before he told the venue’s roadies to retrieve the guitar. The rest is rock history. The guitar was initially given to both Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding and press officer Tony Garland, who held onto it for 40 years before his nephew put it up in this auction. Some other items up for sale include John Bonham’s last-surviving drum-kit, Jim Morrison’s final book of poetry and a “We Are the World” song sheet autographed by Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan.
Local boy Billy Joel got together with 63,000 of his closet friends to play the first of 2 final concerts ever at NY’s historic Shea Stadium. The Historically dumpy home of The NY Mets will be torn down at the end of the season. Billy was on fire, rocking for 3 hours with plenty of guests including Tony Benett, John Mayer, Don Henley and John Mellencamp. In homage to the Beatles most famous concert ever, Joel loaded the set list with plenty of Beatles music. Joel also becomes the first performer to ever play every major sporting facility in New York City.
Check out the setlist after the jump.
Prog Rock Gods, Rush, were guests on The Colbert report last night. Check out the hilarious interview below followed by a ripping Tom Sawyer. Also posted below is the intro. to the show with some Rush-themed hilarity.
The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood has reportedly entered rehab for a drinking problem. Wood’s spokeswoman said “Following Ronnie’s continued battle with alcohol he has entered a period of rehab”. “His close family and friends say he is seeking help and look forward to his recovery.” This is only the 78th time Ronnie has entered rehab, when you make Keith Richards look like the sober one, things have got to be bad. Ronnie, Rockheap is begging you, cut this shit out, you’re gonna die, no joke. Straight up die. I mean you are one of the greatest living rock guitar players in the world. Don’t go out like this.
Ice Cream hippies Ben & Jerry have created an ice cream flavor to celebrate the first time Elton John has ever played the state of Vermont. The flavor is called “Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road,” and all proceeds will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Ben & Jerry described it as “an outrageous symphony of decadent chocolate ice cream, peanut butter cookie dough, butter brickle and white chocolate chunks.” We assumed “brickle” was just a made-up word to make a punny tie between the ice cream and John’s hit “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” but butter brickle is actually the stuff that Heath Bars are made of. The flavor is a limited edition, only available at Ben & Jerry’s Vermont Scoop Shops from July 18-25. Well thanks Ben and Jerry for giving the rest of the world a taste and I’m sure you’ll raise a lot of money making it available where cows out populate the people and for a whopping 8 days.
Bon Jovi played to 50,000 screaming fans in New York’s famed Central Park on Monday. The free concert was part of All-Star Week which will conclude Tonight at Yankee Stadium with MLB’s All Star game. In other news the 20,000 fans who paid too see Bon Jovi tonight at Madison Square Garden are super pissed.
This weekend’s Heavy Metal Pow Wow, Rocklahoma, survived some brutal weather. 11 people were injured in weather related accidents, but the show went on. Acts like Tesla, Triumph, Ratt and many others performed in the rain to some very happy, acid jeans wearing, teased hair rejects from the 80’s. Bret Michaels performed the strangest song, covering Skynyrd’s anthem Sweet Home Alabama. Apparently nobody told Bret he was in Oklahoma.
According to The Who’s website, Pete & Roger and the 67 other musicians who accompany them on stage will be launching a fall tour. The tour kicks off at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit on Oct. 21st. More dates to follow, providing Pete & Roger don’t kick the crap out of each other first. The Who were recently honored by VH-1 during their annual “Rock Honors” award show. Look for commentary on Rockheap after the show airs on July 17th on VH-1 and M-HD at 9pm.
Famed Beatles producer George Martin was honored with the Grammy Foundation Leadership award by the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison at a ceremony Saturday night in Los Angeles. Both Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison chaired the event, which honored Martin’s humanitarian and charitable efforts. While Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were both listed as “event chairs,” neither was in attendance. Apparently Paul is to busy chasing ass all over the globe and Ringo was busy cleaning his closet. I mean c’mon guys, this is the guy who made you, who produced every record you ever did and the one he didn’t was your suckiest record. That’s just lame, considering he’s 82 years old. However several other artists whom George Martin produced did come out to honor the “Guinness World Records’ most successful producer ever,” including Michael McDonald, Tom Jones, Jeff Beck, America and Burt Bacharach. After the event Martin was quoted as saying “Awards don’t come much better than this” and “I’ve been so lucky to work with so many wonderful people, and great talent all my life.” and of course “FU Paul and Ringo”(not really, but I bet he was thinking it).
The upscale department store has made a deal with Apple Corp. to produce T-Shirts, Jackets and accessories of the Beatles iconic images this holiday season. They will also produce 100 limited edition iPods featuring every Beatle song in their catalog. Since the Beatles are still not available on iTunes, it’s expected these ipods will be going for a small fortune. I have a better idea, just buy an iPod, spend $150 on all The Beatles CD’s and put them on your iPod. In other news, on hearing of the deal between the Beatles and Bloomingdales John Lennon and George Harrison are spinning in their graves.
