From the Punmaster today:
Motown Head Gordy Sues Songwriter Holland
Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. has sued songwriter Edward
Holland Jr. of the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team for
malicious prosecution in a complaint filed Tuesday in Los Angeles
Superior Court. Lawsuits between Gordy and the Rock And Roll Hall Of
Fame songwriters - whose hits include "Stop! In The Name Of Love,"
"Baby, I Need Your Loving" and "This Old Heart Of Mine" - date back
more than 30 years. To date, 64 of their claims have been dismissed.
According to the complaint filed by Gordy this week,
Holland-Dozier-Holland claimed in a 1968 lawsuit that Gordy coerced
into giving up the rights to their songs, forged their signatures on
various documents and cheated them out of royalties. The 1968
litigation, which took place in Michigan, was ultimately settled. In
1987, Motown paid an IRS levy on Holland's songwriting royalties. In
1988, Holland filed another lawsuit against Gordy, making the same
claims as cited in the 1968 lawsuit. After 12 years, that case was
dismissed by the Michigan Supreme Court. In 1992, Holland filed yet
another lawsuit against Gordy, again with the same claims. A
spokesperson for Gordy said, "For Mr. Gordy, this isn't about money,
it's about setting the record straight. Mr. Gordy feels he has an
obligation to the countless people who together created the Motown
legacy, and this action is part of that responsibility."
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Fogerty Solo Albums Reissued
Upgraded versions of the John Fogerty solo albums "Centerfield"
(1985) and "Eye Of The Zombie" (1986) were released this week. The
music on both collections has been remastered to make it sound as
fresh and up-to-date as possible, and all the original artwork has
been included. However, there are no bonus tracks, which is fine by
Fogerty, who says: "I look at albums as complete documents of a
particular period." Originally released by Warner Bros., the reissues
are now on DreamWorks Records.
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Bee Gees To Get Intimate on 'Live By Request'
NEW YORK - The Bee Gees will continue celebrating their 35th
anniversary on Friday with an appearance on cable network A&E's
intimate concert series "Live By Request." The show will be broadcast
live from New York's Hammerstein Ballroom beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6
p.m. PT. Fans can make requests via the series' official Web site.
The show will be cybercast via the group's newly redesigned Web site,
beegeesonline.com, and will be broadcast by select U.S. radio
stations. Check the "Live By Request" site for the list of
participating stations. Hailed as a return to their musical roots,
the Bee Gees' latest studio album, "This is Where I Came In," was
released Tuesday in North America by Universal.
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Blue Oyster Cult Gets Reissued
A generous selection of bonus tracks will grace reissues of Blue
Oyster Cult's first four studio albums, which are due from
Columbia/Legacy on June 26. Four or five tracks will be added to each
of the albums - the Long Island group's self-titled 1972 debut,
1973's "Tyranny And Mutation," 1974's "Secret Treaties" and 1976's
"Agents Of Fortune," which was a commercial breakthrough thanks to
the hit "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." The albums also feature new liner
notes penned by Lenny Kaye, guitarist for the Patti Smith Group.
Smith, who once dated BOC guitarist-keyboardist Allen Lanier,
co-wrote and guested on some the group's songs as well. Blue Oyster
Cult has finished work on a new studio album, "Curse Of The Hidden
Mirror," which is due out June 5. The band kicks off a tour on May 5
in Las Vegas.
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Plant Will Include Zeppelin Tunes in Live Repertoire
Robert Plant has put together an interesting setlist with his new
band, His Strange Sensations. Early reports of the group's
Scandinavian swing have them mixing in versions of Led Zeppelin
classics like "Misty Mountain Hop," "Four Sticks" and "In The Light"
with new interpretations of Donovan's "Season of The Witch" and the
Jimi Hendrix standard "Hey Joe," which Plant did with his last band,
the folk-blues act known as the Priory of Brion, according to a
report on Led-Zeppelin.com. Plant finishes up the current tour in
Stockholm, Sweden, Sunday, then starts a North American run in Boston
on May 25.
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AP Corrects Paul McCartney House Story
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Associated Press erroneously reported April 2
that Paul McCartney had purchased a Hollywood Hills home he had been
leasing. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's office lists the
purchaser as Mike Walley. McCartney's publicists did not return
messages left by The Associated Press seeking comment about whether
McCartney would continue to use the house.
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ELTON JOHN SAYS EARL SCRUGGS IS THE BEST
Before a recent concert with Billy Joel in Nashville, Sir Elton John
took time out to chat with another music legend. It wasn't Garth
Brooks or Faith Hill, it was bluegrass superstar Earl Scruggs. The
Tennessean says that Scruggs is one of Sir Elton's all-time music
heroes. By the way, John has already cut a song for an upcoming
Scruggs compilation, produced by Earl's singer-songwriter son, Randy
Scruggs. His contribution to the album is his song "Country Comfort,"
which was covered some years ago by the elder Scruggs.
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This Summer's Fleadh Music Festival in London
Neil Young & Crazy Horse, the Waterboys and Teenage Fanclub are set
to headline this summer's Fleadh music festival in London. It will be
Young's first outdoor concert in Britain since the Phoeniz Festival
in 1996. Billy Bragg, the Gypsy Kings, Evan Dando and guitarist Gary
Moore are among other performers scheduled for the event, which is
now in its 12th year.
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