Ronnie Wood: Jeff Beck wouldn’t have coped being in The Rolling Stones

OHMYGOSSIP — Ronnie Wood admits the late Jeff Beck wouldn’t have coped with The Rolling Stones’ schedule.
There was a rumour that the former Yardbirds member – who died aged 78 in January after a battle with bacterial meningitis – was invited to join the ‘Gimme Shelter’ group at one point, but the bassist and guitarist has insisted Jeff wouldn’t have managed with their crazy “timetable”.
Speaking to MOJO magazine, Ronnie said: “He wouldn’t have kept up with the timetable! Eric Clapton once said to me, ‘I could have joined that band.’ I said, ‘Yeah, but you gotta live with them, Eric!'”
Jeff also didn’t like the spotlight and wasn’t keen on the “simple blues and rock ‘n’ roll” the Stones are famous for, according to 75-year-old Ronnie.
He added: “Anything to do with the spotlight, he’d be like, ‘You can take care of this,’ and he would be gone. And Jeff was not satisfied with the simple blues and rock’n’roll approach – much as he loved Buddy Guy. When he hooked up with Jan Hammer, the experimental jazz stuff, that was where I got off, although we’d already gone our different ways.”
Fellow guitar legend Eric, 77, was also a member of the Yardbirds.
Upon Jeff’s death, Ronnie shared a touching tribute, which read: “Now Jeff has gone, I feel like one of my band of brothers has left this world, and I’m going to dearly miss him.
“I’m sending much sympathy to Sandra, his family, and all who loved him. I want to thank him for all our early days together in The Jeff Beck Group, conquering America.
“Musically, we were breaking all the rules, it was fantastic, groundbreaking rock ‘n’ roll! Listen to the incredible track ‘Plynth’ in his honour.
“Jeff, I will always love you. God bless.”

Source: IconInsider.com

Rita Ora inspired by Prince to take control

OHMYGOSSIP — Rita Ora was inspired to take control of her music by Prince.
The ‘Hot Right Now’ hitmaker signed a deal with record label BMG last year and as part of the contract, she was given control of her own masters, something which the late ‘Purple Rain’ hitmaker – who she worked with in 2013 – had advised her was important to do.
In a preview of her upcoming interview with Wonderland magazine, she reflected on Prince famously once saying: “If you don’t own your masters, your master owns you.”
Rita said: “He said it to me when I was with him but I never thought that was a possibility for me. I was like, ‘There’s no way. I’m not going to get on anyone’s bad side’. I’m now in a position where I own my own masters – I can control where we’re going, what we’re publishing.”
The 32-year-old star began her career with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation but she ultimately sued the label over their “unenforceable” contact and, after they counter-sued, she eventually settled out of court.
And Rita admitted she was “taught” not to rock the boat in the early days.
She said: “I was a huge, huge pleaser back then. I was taught to do what everyone else wanted.”
The ‘I Will Never Let You Down’ singer has also been inspired by Taylor Swift and her dispute over the rights to her early master recordings, which resulted in her re-recording the songs herself.
She said: “Taylor really did inspire me. It was a big leap to do this deal… it wasn’t smooth sailing.
Rita has now offered to give advice to new artists who are unsure how to protect their own work.
She said: “I’m always here to talk. Up and coming artists that really want to ask me about it, I’m here for it.”

Source: IconInsider.com

Van Morrison has a ‘mountain of material’ he wants to release

OHMYGOSSIP — Van Morrison has had to research “alternative outlets” to release his albums.
The 77-year-old music legend admits he’s going to need to stop himself from writing more tunes because he has so much piled up it makes his “head spin”, but he’s hoping to find another way of releasing the material instead of the traditional route of a record label because they can only put so many records out each year.
Speaking to fellow musician and activist Billy Bragg for the April issue of MOJO magazine, Van said: “It’s been a problem getting records out, so I’ve been looking at other alternative outlets.”
He explained: “Well the big companies can only do one or two big records a year. This one has taken five months to get it out from its delivery. So there’s no way they can cope with two a year even. But I’ve always been prolific. Even now I’m working on stuff I recorded in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, compiling stuff I did that they just couldn’t get out. People laugh when I tell them this but back in the day Warner Brothers only wanted 22 minutes a side for their albums. They were saying to me that it can’t be over 22 minutes a side because the levels drop and all this. So I was recording maybe 40 songs but only 10 ended up on the album. So my plan is now to find an alternative outlet to get all that stuff out.
Asked if he’s still penning more songs, he replied: “Oh yeah, in fact, I have to curb the writing, because once I write stuff, I want to go in and record it, so I have to curb it – I have so much stuff it makes my head spin. Original stuff, covers, it’s a mountain of material.”
Van is releasing his 44th studio album, ‘Moving on Skiffle’, next month, a record inspired by his childhood love of the folk music genre, which was popularised by Lonnie Donegan in the 60s.

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Lorde confirmed as final headliner for Boardmasters 2023

OHMYGOSSIP — Lorde is headlining Boardmasters 2023.
The ‘Green Light’ hitmaker is the third headliner confirmed for the music and surf festival in Newquay, Cornwall, which returns to Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach from August 9 to 13.
Liam Gallagher and Florence and The Machine were previously confirmed to top the bill on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
More than 100 more names have also been added to the stacked bill, including Ben Howard, Cypress Hill, RAYE, Dermot Kennedy, SG Lewis, Yard Act, Confidence Man, Everything Everything, Dylan, and Nova Twins.
Day tickets go on sale at 10am GMT today (23.02.23). Head to Boardmasters.com for all remaining tickets and to see the full line-up.
The 26-year-old star’s addition to the festival’s bill comes after Lorde and Sting both called off shows in New Zealand following Cyclone Gabrielle.
The pair cancelled their respective concerts after the destruction caused by the Category 3 cyclone, which hit the northern region of the country’s North Island on February 12 and tracked down the east coast, with New Zealand declaring a state of emergency for only the third time in its history.
So far, 11 people have been confirmed dead with thousands of people still uncontactable across the country.
Lorde was set to perform two back-to-back shows in Hawke’s Bay – the hardest-hit area – from March 1.
She said in a statement on her Instagram Story: “Over the past week, I’ve been following the ongoing devastation in Hawke’s Bay.
“In line with advice from the venue, the police, and our promoter, I think the right thing to do is to postpone our Hawke’s Bay shows.
“This is a postponement, not a cancellation at this stage – I’m working on something, and you’ll hear from me soon.”
She added: “I would love to be there with you right now, but I can also read the room, and taking precious resources away from those who need them right now is not it.”
Sting has been forced to cancel his upcoming show at The Mission Estate Winery, which is in Hawke Bay’s wine region.
In a statement from concerned organisers, it was revealed the decision was made out of “respect to those affected by the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand native Lorde will join artists including Marlon Williams, L.A.B. and Neil Finn at a special relief concert on Friday (24.02.23) at The Christchurch Town Hall.
All proceeds from the ‘ŌTAUTAHI 4 AOTEAROA’ show will go to the Red Cross New Zealand Disaster Fund.

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De La Soul’s surviving members pay tribute to the late Trugoy the Dove

OHMYGOSSIP — De La Soul’s surviving members, Posdnuos and Maseo, have paid touching tributes to their late bandmate Trugoy the Dove.
The hip-hop legend – whose real name was David Jolicoeur – sadly passed away aged 54 on February 12, and his bandmates have shared individual tributes to Dove, with Posdnuos, 53, thanking him for helping them become a trio that will forever “remain etched in the timeline of hip hop culture” and the “fabric of music”.
Posdnuos – whose real name is Kelvin Mercer – penned on Instagram: “You were the heart of our group. You brought so much creativity, energy, and passion to our music, and your influence will be felt for years to come.”
He also revealed the sweet way they will honour Dove’s memory during their shows.
Referring to their 1991 track ‘Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)’, he continued: “Thank you for helping us become a group that will remain etched in the timeline of hip hop culture as well as the fabric of music and for now on when we perform “Ring Ring Ring Ha Ha Hey” we will say ‘2-2-2-2-222 we got an angel in heaven who can talk to you.'”
Maseo – who was born Vincent Lamont Mason Jr. – admitted that while he and Dove didn’t always see eye to eye, their love for each other was always stronger.
He wrote: “Dave – thank you so much for being in my life. Although you and I would argue like hell, we would both admit when we were wrong and totally come full circle and say, “I Love You.”
On the origins of his nickname, he added: “I remember your mom calling you Dove, so you’ve always had wings, so go on and fly into the light, Merce and I will make sure your legacy is well preserved.”
Dove had suffered from congestive heart failure in recent years, but no cause of death is known at this time.
De La Soul’s tributes come after Damon Albarn posted a piano tribute in his collaborator’s memory.
The Blur and Gorillaz star – who co-wrote 90s classic ‘Feel Good Inc.’ with Dove – captioned the 55-second clip of him playing the moving piece: “A loop for Dave. I love you.”
The sad news of David’s death came just over a week after the highly influential group were honoured during a segment celebrating the genre at the Grammys on February 5.
What’s more, on March 3, the trio’s first six albums will be available to stream for the first time.
De La Soul faced a number of lengthy licensing issues due to the sheer number of samples they had used in the music, which stopped them from having their tunes reach new ears online.
Their hits include 1989’s ‘The Magic Number’ and ‘Me, Myself and I’.

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Quavo remembers Takeoff with new memorial song

OHMYGOSSIP — Quavo has shared a new song in memory of his late Migos bandmate and nephew Takeoff.
After releasing the moving tribute track ‘Without You’ – which he performed during the ‘In Memoriam’ segment at the Grammys earlier this month – Quavo has made the new song ‘Greatness’ available along with a music video containing footage of Takeoff, who was shot and killed at a bowling alley in Houston, aged 28, in November.
Police arrested Patrick Xavier Clark, 33, in December as a suspect in the murder.
Officers also arrested Cameron Joshua, 22, who was charged with the unlawful carrying of a weapon in connection to the shooting.
Patrick was released from jail in early January on a $1 million bond, and as part of the terms of his release is under house arrest, must wear a GPS tracking device and avoid contact with anyone involved in the shooting investigation.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on March 9.
The pair of songs come after Quavo penned a letter to Takeoff.
He wrote: “It’s so hard to tell you Ima miss you because you always with me and we did everything together.
“Since we were kids you been by my side lookin up at me, them eyes waiting on me to make the next move.. then you followed up right behind me. You always made sure I did it first so you can do it right with me. You never competed with me, we were always on the same team. (sic)”
Meanwhile, Offset recently denied he brawled with Quavo at the Grammys.
The Migos rapper responded to reports of an alleged physical fight between the pair in a tweet, which read: “What tf look like fighting my brother yal n***** is crazy. (sic)”

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JLS announce huge arena tour

OHMYGOSSIP — JLS are embarking on a huge UK and Ireland arena tour – with a twist.
The ‘Beat Again’ hitmakers – comprising Marvin Humes, Aston Merrygold, J.B. Gill, and Oritsé Williams – have announced the ‘Everybody Say JLS: The Hits Tour’, which will kick off on October 20 in Dublin, Ireland, and wrap in Sheffield on November 11.
And they’ve revealed there will be DJ battles between Marvin and Aston during the live shows.
Marvin told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “There is going to be an element that audiences have never seen before from us.
“People know that I DJ and the fans have asked for me to do some sort of DJing in the show. But that would mean the other three getting a rest, which I’m not up for.
“Aston is DJing now, so there will be a part of the show where Aston and I will be playing tunes and JB and Oritsé will be hyping the crowd.
“We’re not just talking about JLS songs, we’ll be playing big records that represent the era that people know us the most from.”
Aston admitted they always intend to set new trends with their unique shows.
He added: “You’ve seen flying cars from us and you’ve seen us come down from the ceiling.
“We’ve set trends by doing outlandish stuff on tour so I’m not sure what else we can do to shock people.
“But everyone’s always expecting greatness from a JLS show, which we will try and provide.”
The quartet split in 2013 but reunited in February 2020, with a comeback concert series originally scheduled for November that year, but it was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
And Marvin previously admitted it was a bold move eventually going ahead with the dates in October 2021 because there was no guarantee further restrictions would be put in place.
He said: “We were the first major tour back on the road last October and November and we took a massive risk by doing those dates because it may not have happened and we would have had to move it for the fourth time.”
The former ‘X Factor’ contestants didn’t get to socialise much outside of the concerts because of the pandemic.
Marvin continued: “The rules were so strict, so we were in a bubble and after the show, we would just go back to our hotel.
“We’d have a communal room for the four of us and our management and security where we’d have a drink and play poker or computer games.
“It was actually quite nice. I missed a lot of DJing on the tour but in hindsight, we were so knackered, there’s no way I could have gone out after a show to do the DJ set.”
General sale tickets go on sale on March 3 at 9am GMT. Head to gigst.rs/JLSSignUp to sign-up for pre-sale access before February 28 at 5pm GMT and for the full tour dates.

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Louis Tomlinson couldn’t envision doing ‘anything musically’ after One Direction split

OHMYGOSSIP — Louis Tomlinson didn’t think he’d be able to do anything “musically” again after One Direction split.
The 31-year-old singer shot to fame in the chart-topping boy band alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik in 2010, and in his upcoming tell-all documentary, ‘All Of Those Voices’, he has opened up about the devastation of the ‘History’ group going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016 and how he thought it was the end of his career.
He confessed in the trailer for the film: “I thought for me, it was the band or nothing.
“It was hard for me to imagine myself on my own. I didn’t see a way back — not even musically, but just to do anything.”
Fortunately, each member has gone on to have solo success, with Louis releasing his debut single ‘Just Hold On’ in December of that year.
He released his second solo album ‘Faith in the Future’ in November last year.
Viewers can expect an “intimate and unvarnished view of Louis’ life and career. Through never-before-seen home movie footage and behind-the-scenes access to Louis’ sell-out 2022 World Tour, All Of Those Voices offers a unique perspective on what it’s like to be a musician in today’s fast-paced world.”
The description continues: “From the highs of superstardom to the lows of personal tragedy, Louis’ story is one of resilience and determination. The film explores his journey from a member of One Direction to a solo artist, capturing the challenges and triumphs that defined his path. Since the acclaimed release of his debut album ‘Walls’ and documenting the creation of his chart-topping 2022 album ‘Faith In The Future’, the film shows a side of Louis that fans have never seen before, as he grapples with the pressures of fame and the weight of his own voice.”
The ‘Kill My Mind’ singer commented: “This has been something I’ve been working on for years, I’m really excited to finally put it out into the world. I’ve said it a million times but I’m lucky enough to have the greatest fans an artist could wish for, and as they always go above and beyond for me, I wanted to share my story ‘in my own words’.”
The documentary will be shown in cinemas for a limited time only from March 22.
Tickets are on sale now. Head to www.allofthosevoices.com for the most up-to-date information about participating cinemas globally.

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BLACKPINK fan Usher left inspired by the K-Pop girl group’s live show

OHMYGOSSIP — Usher was left inspired after seeing BLACKPINK live.
The ‘Love in This Club’ hitmaker was so blown away by the K-Pop girl group’s Atlanta show in November that he was “taking notes” for his ‘My Way’ Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at the Park MGM resort in Sin City.
He told GQ magazine: “I literally went to a BLACKPINK concert in Atlanta, and I was like, man! I’m goofy! I’m looking like, ‘Wow, this is amazing.’”
Usher added: “They were putting on a show. Wardrobe, great sequencing, with the lighting and everything working in sync – there’s no detail spared. I loved that.”
The 44-year-old R’n’B legend says his residency is all about pleasing the ladies.
He said: “I really wanted to give women something to look forward to, something to come here to Las Vegas with their friends for.
“They’ve been saving up all year and were able to manage to get away from their kids or get away from their problems.”
Meanwhile, Usher recently admitted he’s enjoyed “indulging” in Vegas.
The ‘My Boo’ hitmaker loves Sin City life so much, he extended his residency at Park MGM, adding another 25 shows between March and July 2023, and he admitted he loves being based in the party capital because there are so many opportunities to have fun, though he insisted he doesn’t overdo it because of his professional commitments.
He said: “I’m doing everything in Vegas. Unfortunately, I must say that it does accommodate all of the lifestyle of who I am and what I enjoy. It’s sitting at the crap table or playing a little blackjack, going out to the club a little bit, but I still have the ability to do all the other things that I love as well. [Like] eating some good food.
“It’s hot as hell out here, that’s the one thing that I’ve had to get used to, it’s extremely dry. But I do, I do indulge and have fun in Sin City. OK. Not too much. Because I still have the obligation of making sure that I show up and enjoy myself on stage.”
The ‘OMG’ singer has enjoyed seeing a diverse crowd at his shows and admitted the appeal of being based in Vegas is that it helps him strike a great balance with his personal and professional lives.
He told the ‘People Every Day’ podcast: “Having an audience come to you is always great. I love the fact that I’ve been able to really celebrate all of the years of my music and see a very mixed, eclectic crowd of people. But I think more than anything, the fact that it fits my lifestyle.
“I’ve been able to still focus on the things that I love, that are creative, that are kind of ancillary to what I do in music. Whether it’s in film or rather in production or working with other artists and still have family time, but yet still do what I love, which is performing.”

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Jake Bugg announces Teenage Cancer Trust gig

OHMYGOSSIP — Jake Bugg has been added to the line-up for Teenage Cancer Trust at The Royal Albert Hall.
The ‘Trouble Town’ hitmaker will headline the legendary venue in London as part of the fundraising concert series on March 23.
He said: “I have always been a supporter of Teenage Cancer Trust. It’s an honour to represent TCT at the Albert Hall and I look forward to playing songs from the last decade to celebrate their great work.”
Kasabian, Wet Leg, Courteeners, and Underworld are also headlining their own nights for TCT.
Acid house icons Underworld – comprising Karl Hyde and Rick Smith – will play on March 20, with a special guest.
The duo said: “It’s such an honour and a delight and it’s just really f****** great to be performing for the wonderful Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall on March 20th.”
Indie sensations Wet Leg – Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chamber – will be joined by rising singer-songwriter CMAT at the hall on March 22.
Manchester rockers Courteeners are set for March 24, and Kasabian will be joined by The Snuts on March 25.
The ‘Club Foot’ rockers first played the TCT stage in 2007, before returning in 2009, 2013 then again in 2018.
They will play their first TCT show with Serge Pizzorno as frontman.
The charity shows made a triumphant return in 2022, post-COVID, with performances from The Who, Ed Sheeran, Liam Gallagher, YUNGBLUD, Madness and more.
Roger Daltrey CBE, Teenage Cancer Trust Honorary Patron and mastermind behind the gigs, said:”The generosity of the people who work in the music and comedy industries never ceases to amaze me. In this, our 21st year, after two years of artists having no shows at all, at a time where the only certain paydays are from live performances, artists are willing to give up their earnings from a London show.
“It shows us that miracles are everywhere, but if you cough or sneeze you’d miss them!
“I’m happy to announce the Royal Albert Hall week for Teenage Cancer Trust!”
Head to www.teenagecancertrust.org/gigs for tickets.

TCT line-up:
Monday 20 March – Underworld
Tuesday 21 March – An Evening Of Comedy
Wednesday 22 March – Wet Leg
Thursday 23 March – Jake Bugg
Friday 24 March – Courteeners
Saturday 25 March – Kasabian

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Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones’ side project to make festival debut at Black Deer 2023

OHMYGOSSIP — Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones’ side project Far From Saints will make their festival debut at Black Deer Festival 2023.
The ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ hitmaker and The Wind and The Wave’s Patty Lynn and Dwight Baker will debut tracks from their upcoming debut album during their set at the festival of Americana, which takes place between June 16 and June 18 at Eridge Park in Kent, South East England.
The trio posted on Twitter: Pleased to announce that @farfromsaints will be performing at the @blackdeerfest in Kent! The festival takes place 16th-18th June 2023. For tickets and further info please go to: https://blackdeerfestival.com. Hope to see you there!”
Other new additions to the stacked bill include The Pretenders, Midlake, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Bear’s Den, Midlake, Steve Earle.
Previously confirmed acts include Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, Lucinda Williams, The Teskey Brothers, Calexico, Allison Russell, and Bonnie Raitt.
The Black Deer show will follow their debut live show at London’s EartH Theatre in Hackney on June 5.
Kelly shared in a recent statement: “Like starting over … our first show at EartH Theatre will be a brand new and exciting experience that we can’t wait to share with you all.
“We’ve got a great band, half Welsh and half American, revving up to play the new album in its entirety with some extras here n’ there!”
Kelly recently reassured Stereophonics fans that he’s just on a “little holiday” from the band.
The Welsh rocker was commenting after Far From Saints debuted their lead single, ‘Let’s Turn This Back Around’, and announced an album, but he insisted Stereophonics are “stronger than ever” and have not split up.
Speaking on Radio X, Kelly said: “There’s no breaking up with the band or anything.
“For me, after 25 years of doing all our work, it’s like, I wanna show other sides of what I would like to try creatively.”
Fans can also expect a new solo LP from the 48-year-old musician.
He added: “But, there’s no fear that [Stereophonics are] not going to come back and do what we do.
“You know, I’ve got a bunch of songs I’ve got for that but I’m keeping them in the back pocket until we’re ready to do it again.
“And what’s good about the band is we’re still forward-thinking, we’re still making records that are doing really well. We’re still playing arenas, we’re still playing stadiums, and the songs are still on the radio. I’ve been back to songs we wrote in the ’90s, you know.
“So I’ve written new Stereophonics songs, but that time is not for now and the band are all doing their bits and pieces.”
Asked if Stereophonics will ever part ways, he replied: “No, no, no.”
He added: “I think Stereophonics is the type of band and the type of music with a catalogue that’s set in stone plus the new stuff that’s happening. It’s like a revolving door. There’s 12/14-year-old kids in the front row.
“The band is stronger than it’s ever been in many ways.”
Head to blackdeerfestival.com/tickets to grab remaining tickets.

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Mark Lanegan ‘missed out on cash’ for his silent co-write of this Nirvana track

OHMYGOSSIP — The late Mark Lanegan allegedly missed out on a ton of cash for his silent co-write of Nirvana’s ‘Something In The Way’.
According to the new tome, ‘Lanegan’, the Screaming Trees frontman was “kicking himself in the butt” that he didn’t get any publishing royalties from the Grunge icon’s 1991 track from their seminal album ‘Nevermind’ after he let late frontman Kurt Cobain use some of his lyrics for free in return for his work on his solo record ‘The Winding Sheet’.
Mark’s former Queens of the Stone Age bandmate, Nick Oliveri, told author Greg Prato: “Mark said he wrote some lyrics on ‘Something In The Way’ with Kurt on ‘Nevermind’.
“But Kurt had played on some of Mark’s solo stuff, ‘The Winding Sheet’.
“So, instead of getting paid, they just did this thing where, ‘Hey man, I added a lyric on your song and you added a lyric on my song. Let’s just call it even. Whatever happens, happens.’ Little did Mark know, if he would have had publishing on ‘Something In The Way’ on ‘Nevermind’, he would have had a lot of money. I remember him kicking himself in the butt a little bit about that – ‘If I had that ‘Something In The Way’ publishing…’”
The book also features a claim by Mark’s bandmate Gary Lee Conner that Kurt’s widow, Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, offered Screaming Trees the Nirvana classic ‘You Know You’re Right’ after her husband’s death by suicide in April 1994.
It’s the final song by Nirvana and was released eight years after it was recorded on the band’s self-titled 2002 greatest hits collection.
Gary recalled: “When we were working on songwriting for [1996 album] ‘Dust’, during that time, Mark is like, ‘Courtney wants us to do a song.’
“And it was that song – ‘You Know You’re Right’ [a then-unreleased Nirvana song]. So, I got a tape of it and we learned it. We never recorded it. But we learned it without Mark, and Mark came down to sing it … and he couldn’t. He changed his mind. And that was the end of it.”
He added: “But who knows? We could have had a big hit with Kurt’s song. [Laughs] I’d imagine it would have been a pretty big deal – in ’95 or ’96 to release a cover of an unknown Nirvana song. I don’t know. That was the idea. But I don’t know if it was the idea of capitalising on Kurt … although we could have used the money.”
Mark died in February last year at the age of 57. His bandmate and brother to Gary, Van Conner, passed away last month, aged 55, following a battle with pneumonia.

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Damon Albarn plans to ‘pass on’ Gorillaz to someone else

OHMYGOSSIP — Damon Albarn wants to “pass on” Gorillaz to someone else one day.
The Blur frontman and artist Jamie Hewlett launched the animated band in 1998 and the 54-year-old musician thinks it would be “amazing” if the group kept going for years as they would be able to hand over the project to someone else to keep it going.
He said: “I’d like to pass it on to another guy who’s a cartoonist and a musician. That would be amazing.”
Damon is currently busy promoting Gorillaz’ eighth studio album, ‘Cracker Island’, which, like their previous efforts features an array of special guests.
But the ‘Feel Good Inc.’ hitmaker admitted he had originally wanted The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas to sing on ‘Oil’ until producer Greg Kurstin suggested Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks.
Asked how Stevie came to feature on the record, he told The Sun newspaper: “Greg Kurstin instigated it.
“I originally had that tune down — believe it or not — for Julian Casablancas.
“But Greg asked, ‘Why don’t you try Stevie? I know her and I’m going to see her next week’.
“I said, ‘Be my guest, play it to her’. I didn’t think she would agree in a million years but she liked the subject matter.”
Bad Bunny features on another track, ‘Tormenta’, and he was on Damon’s radar because of his daughter Missy and her friend Salima.
He said: “They grew up together and went to the Spanish school at the top of our road. So they’re attuned to Latin music and into reggaeton.”
The ‘Song 2’ rocker admitted he is in awe of the Puerto Rican musician’s talent.
He gushed: “Bad Bunny’s the real deal. He’s got one of those annoying voices which is exactly right every time. So accurate and so consistent, it’s amazing.
“When I hear people like him, I think, ‘If I could sing like that, I would be the biggest artist in the world, but I can’t, so I’m not!’

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Becky Hill vows to return to ‘raver roots’ with new music and rules out collaborations

OHMYGOSSIP — Becky Hill is returning to her “raver roots” with her new music.
The 29-year-old singer has told fans her new tunes will be “more dance led”, and she is “so proud” of the music she and her fellow writers have penned.
She shared some clips of her new tunes, and added in an Instagram caption: “i’m so excited about this year of music! thought i’d share some clips with you, it’s defo more dance led and back to my raver roots. i’ve written these with some of my favourite people and im so proud of what we’ve done. i’m currently writing a bit more, doing vocal productions with @ryanashleymusic generally jumping around my house blasting this stuff! time to take this s*** global man, this is the year i’m gonna do it (sic)”
But Becky admitted she won’t be doing any upcoming collaborations as part of her new tunes, because she wants to “step out as my own artist”.
She added: “u know what also, i ent gonna have features on my tunes this year, time to actually step out as my own artist, not me feat. f****** anyone, done with that now!!!! the confidence these comments have given me! (sic)”
Earlier this month, Becky admitted she is “so happy” with her new music.
She said: “The music that is coming out this year, I am so happy with it because I wanted to take it in more of a dance direction.
Because I kind of feel like with album one and the singles before it was almost like I was trying to please people.”

Source: IconInsider.com

Noel Gallagher channels heartbreak into new music

OHMYGOSSIP — Noel Gallagher has seemingly channelled his heartbreak from the end of his marriage to Sara MacDonald into new music.
The ‘Easy Now’ singer has started work on an acoustic album, which he says is “very sombre”, and appears to have been inspired by his split from his wife of 12 years and mother to his sons Donovan, 15, and Sonny, 12.
Noel – who also has 23-year-old daughter Anais with first wife Meg Mathews – told BBC Radio 2’s Jo Whiley: “It [the acoustic album] will be all new material, I’ve already started it. I’ve done about four or five tunes.”
He continued: “It’s very sombre, as you can imagine. It’s not uplifting. It’s all written anyway, it’s just a case of whether I record it now or sit on it for another three years.
“One is really, really, really fantastic.”
Asked if it’s about heartbreak, he replied: “I’ll let you decide that.”
The former Oasis rocker also revealed that the track ‘Dead To The World’ on his upcoming High Flying Birds album ‘Council Skies’ is about arguing with your significant other – and it’s his “favourite” tune he’s “ever” penned.
The man behind 90s classics ‘Wonderwall’, ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ and ‘Live Forever’ said: “It’s one of my favourite songs I’ve ever written.
“It’s quite a personal song. I guess when people hear it they will kind of understand why. But it’s about being too tired to argue.”
The 55-year-old Britpop legend also revealed he was in the studio working on a Burt Bacharach project before the legendary composer’s death on February 8, aged 94.
Noel spilled: “I did a couple of things with him just before he died and I’m not sure if they’ll see the light of day.
“I got invited down to some place in North London where they were re-recording all of his greats and he wanted me to sing ‘This Guy’s In Love With You’ with an orchestra.
“He was meant to turn up but his flight was getting in late or something.
“I haven’t heard the finished version, but what a dude.”
Oasis famously paid homage to the ‘I’ll Never Fall in Love Again’ composer with the inclusion of a Bacharach poster on the iconic album cover for their acclaimed 1994 LP ‘Definitely Maybe’.

Source: IconInsider.com

Lana Del Rey quips her dad’s foray into music could ‘take us all down’

OHMYGOSSIP — Lana Del Rey has quipped that her dad’s foray into music will either be the “beginning of something beautiful or take us all down.”
Rob Grant announced this week that he will release his debut piano album ‘Lost at Sea’ on June 9, while he shared the lead single ‘Setting Sail On A Distant Horizon’.
He said of the track in a statement: “‘Setting Sail’ is a piano piece that I composed about the happiness and freedom I felt as I would set sail out of Newport, RI in my 25 foot sloop ‘Erewhon’, heading out to the islands of Nantucket and Marthas Vineyard. The piano begins slowly and then builds as the sails fill with wind, and the boat begins to heal, leaning into the heavy Atlantic swells. The piano carries you forward as the sloop gains speed, catching more wind, bound for the distant horizon.”
Lana – who added her vocals to the album’s title track and the closing song ‘Hollywood Bowl’ – commented on Instagram: “This is either gonna be the beginning of something beautiful or take us all down… May the force be w all of us. I mean let’s get real – he’s always been the star.”
The ‘Video Games’ hitmaker, 37 – whose mother is Patricia Grant – also lent her dad her superstar producer Jack Antonoff for the project.
The 68-year-old copywriter – who has inked a record deal with Decca Records – has become an “accidental musician”.
A press release notes: “He can’t read sheet music. But when he sits down at a piano, notes flow from him. Melodies come unbidden.
“He can play for hours. Emotion overwhelms thought, and out pours composition after composition.”
The announcement also saw pop star Kesha’s mom, songwriter Pebe Sebert, ask if Rob’s single.
She re-shared Pop Crave’s article about the album news and tweeted: “Is he single?”

Source: IconInsider.com