Eminem replacing 'Relapse' sequel with 'Refill'

Eminem is rebooting plans for the successor to his first studio album in five years, “Relapse,” which brought the Detroit rapper back to the top of the national sales chart when it was released in May.

He had announced his intention to release “Relapse 2” in December, but now comes word that on Dec. 21,  he and his label, Interscope Records, are putting out “Relapse: Refill,” an expanded version of the first “Relapse” that includes seven bonus tracks. He said he and producer Dr. Dre had to rethink what they had come up with for the follow-up.

“I got back in with Dre and then a few more producers, including Just Blaze, and went in a completely different direction which made me start from scratch,” Eminem states in post on his website. “The new tracks started to sound very different than the tracks I originally intended to be on ‘Relapse 2,’ but I still want the other stuff to be heard."

The bonus material includes “Forever” from the “More Than a Game” soundtrack; “Taking My Ball,” which appeared first in the DJ Hero video game; and five previously unreleased recordings.

"Hopefully, these tracks on 'The Refill' will tide the fans over until we put out 'Relapse 2' next year," Eminem said.

-- Randy Lewis

Photo: Getty Images

'I feel like I'm in a dream' -- Taylor Swift, CMA 2009 entertainer of the year

Taylor Swift was understandably flummoxed when I got her on the phone a few minutes after she became the youngest person ever, and the first female in nearly a decade, to be named entertainer of the year by the Country Music Assn.

"I am absolutely at a loss for words," she said, the sounds of celebration clattering in the background. "I feel like I’m in a dream. It honestly was one of those moments where my second-grade music teacher, my crew who puts that stage together and takes it down every night, all the fans in the meet-and-greet lines, all these faces came flashing through my mind.

"All I could think about was the fact that all my life, the entertainer of the year award was always such an unattainable thing, an unattainable dream. Then there I was walking up to the stage and it was happening. It took a while for it to sink in."

Because she won all four categories in which she had been nominated, I asked whether her win as female vocalist surprised her as much as it had the many who expected Carrie Underwood to repeat, or such widely lauded singers as Reba McEntire or Martina McBride to take the award.

"Absolutely," she said. "I was blown away by that. I cannot believe I have four CMA awards that I didn’t have before tonight. I was lucky to win the Horizon award two years ago, but this ... it's so overwhelming to me. Reba and Faith Hill were there, and after they announced the entertainer award we were all just hugging and crying; it was such a wonderful moment. I can’t even believe that this is happening. I’m stuttering."

I also was curious about what the reigning entertainer of the year, Kenny Chesney, told her as she went up to collect the entertainer award that had gone to him for four of the previous five years.

"He gives the most amazing amount of love out, and that's why everyone in country music loves him so much. He and I were texting earlier, and saying, 'I love you no matter what happens' to each other. It’s such a wonderful thing to be part of an industry where everyone genuinely roots for each other. Getting a hug from Kenny just before I went on stage was just so amazing."

Taylor Swift wins BMI's country song award for 'Love Story'; Kristofferson named 'icon'

Taylor Swift added another honor to her growing list at Tuesday night's BMI Country Awards in Nashville. Her hit single "Love Story" was recognized as song of the year by the publishing rights society, and it might be an indicator of how things will go tonight for her at the Country Music Assn. Awards, where she's going in with four nominations, including the top honor, entertainer of the year.

Having interviewed Taylor several times since she put out her debut album in 2006, I'm certain the BMI award was especially meaningful for her, because every time we've spoken she's made it clear that of all the facets of her still-unfolding career in music, songwriting is the thing she prizes the most.

You could hear it in her comment upon being handed the award: "I just want to say thank you to every songwriter and every loved one of a songwriter, thank you, because you are the reason I wanted to try Nashville," she said. "You are all my heroes."

As for songwriting heroes, there was a big one there with Swift in the house Tuesday night: Kris Kristofferson. The 73-year-old writer of "Sunday Morning Coming Down," "Me and Bobby McGee," "For the Good Times," "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and so many others was given BMI's icon award.

The ever-humble singer, songwriter and actor said that the whole thing made him squirm, and that his longtime pal Willie Nelson, who paid tribute to him along with Vince Gill and Patty Griffin, told him beforehand how much he was going to relish making Kristofferson uncomfortable. Nonetheless, he said "I'm awfully grateful that what I love to do means enough to other people that I'm able to do it."  

-- Randy Lewis

Top photo: Taylor Swift at Staples Center in May. Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

Bottom photo: Kris Kristofferson in a recording studio in West Los Angeles in March. Credit: Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

Beatles catalog pulled from download site BlueBeat

A music website that recently has been offering the entire Beatles catalog for downloading at 25 cents per song halted the sale Thursday after being hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit by Capitol Records, the group's U.S. label.

Bluebeat.com as of late Thursday still showed five Beatles albums, down from the entire catalog it had offered earlier in the week in its online store. The site still listed three Capitol collections and two others with material from the band's pre-fame days, but none of the tracks were accessible for downloading.

Bluebeat had argued in court filings that its downloads were legal because the company had created new versions that were exempt under the Copyright Act from Capitol's claim that they were pirated versions of protected recordings.

After Capitol filed suit on Wednesday, Bluebeat responded with a claim that it had the right to continue selling its downloads because they are excluded from copyright protection.

Lawyers for Bluebeat.com argued in papers filed in U.S. Central District Court in Los Angeles that the company’s website “markets and sells an entirely different sound recording than that copyrighted by Plaintiffs.” It does not specify what distinguishes its downloads from the authorized Beatles recordings.

No Doubt sues Activision over Band Hero [Updated]

Rock band No Doubt has filed a real-world lawsuit over its virtual role in the just-released Band Hero edition of the Guitar Hero video game series, claiming that the game has “transformed No Doubt band members into a virtual karaoke circus act,” singing dozens of songs the group neither wrote, popularized nor approved for use in the game.

In a suit filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court, the band alleges that Santa Monica-based Activision, the maker of the game, has far exceeded the contractually approved use of likenesses, or avatars, of band members Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young.

[Updated at 1:04 p.m.: “The band [members] are bitterly disappointed that their name and likeness was taken and used without their permission,” manager Jim Guerinot said today. “They agreed to play three No Doubt songs as a band.... Activision then went and put them in 62 other songs and broke the band up [and] never even asked.”]

[Updated at 2:25 p.m.: In a statement issued this afternoon, the company said: “Activision believes it is within its legal rights with respect to the use and portrayal of the band members in the game and that this lawsuit is without merit.”]

The suit also charges that the game allows users to manipulate their characters to sing songs popularized by other pop music acts. No Doubt’s contract with Activision allowed the company to use the band’s music and likenesses in no more than three of the band’s own songs, the suit states. The game, which was released Tuesday, puts the group members’ images, collectively and individually, into more than 60 songs, “many of which include lyrics, contained in iconic songs, which are not appropriate for No Doubt and have not been and would not have been chosen by No Doubt for recordings or public performances.”

40th anniversary 'Give Peace a Chance' benefits U.N. Peacebuilding Fund

Yoko Ono and Sean and Julian Lennon have authorized a 40th anniversary digital single of the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band track “Give Peace a Chance” to generate funds for the U.N. Peacebuilding Fund.  It’s available for download for $1.29 starting today at iTunes, and EMI Music and Sony/ATV Publishing have agreed to donate net proceeds to the fund through the end of this year.

“It is indeed a time when we are all getting more aware of the necessity of doing something to achieve world peace, no matter how small,” Ono said in a statement. “I feel deeply that we are all one, regardless of where we stand."

The recording was made during Lennon and Ono’s famous bed-in for peace in 1969, when they spent a week conducting interviews from their hotel bed in Montreal.

Intriguingly, iTunes customers who download the track are offered four other recommendations: George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” (makes sense — it would keep the spiritual feeling going), Ringo Starr’s “It Don’t Come Easy” (OK, it includes the line “peace, remember peace is how we make it”), Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” (recommended because, er, it’s another Lennon song?) and, finally, Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction” (a grim reminder in case the peace message doesn’t get through?).

-- Randy Lewis

Photo of John Lennon & Yoko Ono by Ivor Sharp/©Yoko Ono

Dave Alvin headlines Amy Farris memorial concert

Dave Alvin, Peter Case, Stan Ridgway and other members of the Southern California roots music community will play Nov. 8 at McCabe’s in Santa Monica in a memorial concert for Austin-bred, L.A.-based musician Amy Farris, who died Sept. 29 at age 40.

A multi-instrumentalist accomplished on several instruments in the violin family, Farris had most recently been on tour as a member of Alvin’s Guilty Women band. In Texas she had played alongside country veteran Ray Price as well as Kelly Willis, Alejandro Escovedo, Bruce and Charlie Robison and many others. After relocating to Los Angeles to pursue her solo career,  Farris also performed with a wide range of musicians, including Brian Wilson, Ridgway and I See Hawks in L.A. 

A donation of $10 is being requested for admission to the Nov. 8 performance, and proceeds will go to Farris’ favorite charity, Hungry for Music, which provides musical instruments to underprivileged children.   A cause of death has still not been determined. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office said it is being investigated as a possible suicide. Information on the memorial concert is available at McCabe’s website.

--Randy Lewis

Photo credit: Loren Minnick
 

Garth Brooks at the Wynn: Ticket brokers cry foul [Updated]

In response to anti-scalping measures that Garth Brooks and the Wynn resort have put in place in connection with Brooks’ forthcoming performances in Las Vegas, a consortium of ticket brokers criticized owner Steve Wynn on Tuesday for warning that any tickets determined to have been sold for more than face value would be subject to cancellation and refund at face value.

“Fans should have the right to buy and sell the tickets they want without having to RSVP their guests or risk cancellation based on new, arbitrary rules,” the National Assn. of Ticket Brokers said in a statement. “They’re changing the rules in the middle of the game, and it’s only going to hurt the fans who can’t find tickets, or are stuck with ones they can’t use.”

In announcing Brooks’ engagement at the 1,500-seat Encore Theatre, marking his return from self-imposed retirement, Wynn said stringent measures would be taken to ensure that the $125 face-value tickets would not be re-sold at inflated prices.

[Updated at  5:25 p.m.: "Steve Wynn and Garth Brooks intend to protect guests and fans from the predatory practice of scalpers who seek to charge hundreds and hundreds of dollars over face value for concert tickets," said Jennifer Dunne, vice-president of public relations and marketing for Wynn/Encore, in response to the association's  statement. "They will not be successful at Wynn Las Vegas, as we will cancel these tickets.  Fans looking for seats should not be misled by these scalpers and should understand that these tickets will not be redeemable at Wynn Las Vegas."]

The brokers' association accused Wynn of trying to block competition. “These actions aren’t meant to address any problems with brokers or the reselling of tickets,” it said. “They are meant to restrict the open market and eliminate any competition for tickets.

“Fans hire brokers to help them find the tickets they want, for the price they can pay, or to resell the tickets they can’t use,” the statement said. “Wynn has no right to tell these fans, ‘Hey, tough luck -- unless you bought them at our box office within two hours of going on sale then you can’t go to the show.’ "

The first batch of about 30,000 tickets for 20 concerts at the Encore sold out within a few hours of being put on sale Saturday morning at the Wynn’s website. The shows begin Dec. 11.

-- Randy Lewis 

Grammy Museum and Michael Jackson: Don't stop, fans can't get enough

In conjunction with the premiere of the Michael Jackson concert film “This Is It,” the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles has expanded the temporary exhibit of Jackson memorabilia installed immediately after the singer died in June.

“Michael Jackson: A Musical Legacy” includes a new interactive exhibit tied to his “Billie Jean” video, as well as his fedora and gloves, six embellished jackets, original song lyrics, a Jackson 5 costume and other items, including some that have never been exhibited in a museum before, according to Grammy Museum officials.

The facility earlier this year had hosted “Michael Jackson: HIStyle,” which was being dismantled on the day he died. Some of the items were quickly moved into a new space to accommodate fans.

“The overwhelming response to our earlier exhibits speaks to Jackson’s unparalleled place in music history and the public’s deep connection to his music,” said Robert Santelli, the museum’s executive director, in a statement issued today. “We’re excited to share even more of Jackson’s life and legacy with his fans and we hope it serves as a fitting tribute to one of the most significant entertainers in music history.”

The new exhibit is scheduled to remain on display through next summer.

--Randy Lewis

Death of Bruce Springsteen's cousin prompts Kansas City concert cancellation

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band called off their show Monday night in Kansas City, Mo., after the death of Springsteen’s cousin and road crew member, Lenny Sullivan.

“Lenny Sullivan, Bruce's cousin and the assistant road manager of the E Street Band for the last ten years, passed away today at the age of 36,” said a note posted on Springsteen’s website. “A warm and sensitive person, he was beloved by Bruce, the Band, the crew, and the entire Thrill Hill family.”

Sullivan was found dead in his room at the Intercontinental Hotel shortly before the show was to start, according to reports from Kansas City. Police are investigating it as a “nonsuspicious” death.  No other details were immediately available.

--Randy Lewis