JON LORD's Family Warns Against Pirate T-Shirts Exploiting DEEP PURPLE Legend's Passing

 

According to a posting on late DEEP PURLE keyboardist Jon Lord's official web site, Jon's family has been informed that someone has been selling unofficial T-shirts at gigs and online regarding Jon's passing.

They would like to make it very clear that this has nothing to do with the family or DEEP PURPLE, and they are upset that anyone should profit from this tacky endeavour — unless the money is given to charity, which seems very unlikely.

They ask that you respect their feelings and not encourage this behavior.

Jon Lord died on July 16 at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run
from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on
through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked
primarily in the classical field.

Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.

RUSH And DEEP PURPLE Nominated For ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME Induction

 

RUSH and DEEP PURPLE are among 15 finalists for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's Class Of 2013.

For the first time, the public gets to vote alongside the artists, historians and music industry insiders of the Rock Hall voting body. From now until December 5, fans can vote on RollingStone.com for the nominees they'd like to see inducted. The top five acts will
comprise a "fan's ballot" that will count as one of the more than 600
ballots that determine the Class Of 2013. The results will be announced
in mid-December.

The April 18, 2013 event is set for Nokia
Theater in Los Angeles, marking the first time the ceremony will be held
in the city since 1993. HBO will tape the show for broadcast at a later date.

"The
definition of 'rock and roll' means different things to different
people, but as broad as the classifications may be, they all share a
common love of the music," stated Joel Peresman, President and CEO of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation. "This year we again proudly put forth a fantastic array of groups and
artists that span the entire genre that is 'rock and roll.'"

In an official statement, RUSH said: "We are honored to be among the nominees for this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. We are especially thrilled for the many, many dedicated fans to whom this nomination is so very important."

Artists are considered for inclusion in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first recording.

Nominees for the 2013 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame:

* ALBERT KING
* CHIC
* DEEP PURPLE
* DONNA SUMMER
* HEART
* JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS
* KRAFTWERK
* THE MARVELETTES
* THE METERS
* N.W.A.
* PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND
* PROCOL HARUM
* PUBLIC ENEMY
* RANDY NEWMAN
* RUSH

Important note: Only five of the artists will make the final cut and be inducted into the Hall.

In a June 2012 interview with RollingStone.com, RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson was asked how he felt about having yet to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. "Honestly, we really, really don't care about it," he replied. "It's
someone's thing, and they can do whatever they want with it. They can
have whomever they like. It's their thing." He added, "It's a little bit different here in Canada. We've received awards that mean an awful lot
more to us than being in the Hall Of Fame. We got the Governor General's Performing Arts Award a couple weeks ago. That's really the highest accolade you can get in
this country for the performing arts, and it's recognized nationally,
and I felt so proud as a Canadian to be in this esteemed group of
artists that have been there for the last 20 years."

When asked if he and his bandmates would show up at the ceremony if they were eventually chosen to be inducted into the Rock Hall, Lifeson said, "I think we'd consider it at the time and just see where we're
at. I mean, you don't want to be rude, and we're Canadians, and we find
it very difficult to be rude as much as we'd really like to. [laughs] So we'd probably have to look at that one, if it ever came. I know
there must be pressure from their end. We keep going on and getting
more popular…"

He continued, "Look, there are a lot of other bands that should be in there before we should be in there... If the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame doesn't want us in there, that's fine. I don't care. It really, really
doesn't matter at the end of the day. It's probably better left the way
it is. There's more controversy for them and for us."

Speaking to VintageRock.com, DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan recently stated about the possibility of one day being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, "You've got to take this with great respect. We don't have anything
like that where we come from, over in Europe or anywhere else. It's an
American thing. It's so completely different. In America, you're great
and really do support and show appreciation for your artists, musicians, film stars, whatever it may be. And you give them visible signs in
accolades and all that sort of thing. And you cheer and…you're very
supportive. It's the completely opposite in the U.K. They want to kill
you. [laughs] The moment you get up to any form of success, they
just want to wipe you out and deride you. It's part of the culture. At
the same time, we've just focused on the music."

He added, "I
honestly can't tell you whether or not we should be there or not. It
could be because of the fragmented nature of the band that they wouldn't
know how to deal with it.

"To us, with the greatest respect, it
doesn't mean a lot although it's rather like an award in the U.K., if I
were to get one. I probably wouldn't accept it. But then again, after a
week of thinking about it, I would accept it because it would be on
behalf on the family and friends and everyone who supports the band and
who's looked after us after all these years. It's kind of a recognition
of everyone. But whether we deserve it, I don't know. I always get
embarrassed talking about this stuff."

Former PURPLE member Glenn Hughes recently said of the Hall Of Fame: "We know the people in charge and we know how they think. It's become like a joke in a way. Gene Simmons [KISS] will talk to me about it, and go on a rant and all, and he is exactly right. But I'm not gonna hold my breath. DEEP PURPLE, KISS, YES and especially RUSH should obviously all be in."

BLACKMORE'S NIGHT: 'The Beginning' Box Set Detailed

 

"Blackmore's Night - The Beginning" is a documentation about the early period of a musical legend.

In the lavish velvet-box you will find the first two BLACKMORE'S NIGHT albums "Shadow Of The Moon" and "Under A Violet Moon" as well as rare video footage of their early tours "Live In Germany 1997-1998" and "Under A Violet Moon - Castle Tour 2000". Available for the first time on DVD and only in the "The Beginning" box.

The footage from various concerts from the "Shadow Of The Moon" and "Under A Violet Moon" tours is enriched by interviews with Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night, as well as backstage footage, rehearsal footage and medieval fight shows.

"We live the music," says Ritchie Blackmore, confirming the impression that this documentation gives every second — BLACKMORE'S NIGHT is authentic. The enthusiasm of the musicians captivates the audience
and takes them along on a journey through the past. Some of the DVD
tracks go from the living room rehearsals to the stage and are
impressive proof that the compositions function wonderfully as intimate
acoustic versions, as well as with the full band on the big stage.

BLACKMORE'S NIGHT "The Beginning" is a very special release, not only for fans and collectors, for
nostalgic or the medieval curious, but for any lover of beautiful
timeless music. This extraordinary box provides the owner not only two
DVDs with a delightful, interesting and entertaining performances plus
two original studio albums of fantastic music, but rather with it is a
ticket out of the dreary day to day life, a way to leave everything
behind, to relax the soul for a few hours.

Content:

DVD 1: "Blackmore's Night - Shadow Of The Moon - Live In Germany 1997-1998"
DVD 2: "Blackmore's Night - Under A Violet Moon Castle Tour 2000"
CD1: "Shadow Of The Moon" album
CD2: "Under A Violet Moon" album

In stores:

UK: December 10, 2012
Rest Of Europe: December 7, 2012
USA: November 20, 2012

Track listing:

DVD 1

* Shadow Of The Moon
* The Clock Ticks On
* Play Minstrel Play
* Minstrel Hall
* St. Theresa
* Under A Violet Moon
* Magical World
* No Second Chance
* 16th Century Greensleeves
* Renaissance Faire
* Writing On The Wall
* Mond Tanz
* Be Mine Tonight
* Memmingen
* Black Night
* Man On The Silver Mountain
* Still I'm Sad
* Maybe Next Time

DVD 2

* Written In The Stars
* Morning Star
* Renaissance Faire
* Fires At Midnight (Midnight Acoustic Performance)
* Possum Goes To Prague
* Under A Violet Moon
* Spanish Nights
* Past Time With Good Company
* Wind In The Willows
* March The Heroes Home
* Gone With The Wind
* Fires At Midnight (Midnight Acoustic Performance)
* Now & Then
* Durch Den Wald Zum Bachhaus

CD 1

* Shadow Of The Moon
* The Clock Ticks On
* Be Mine Tonight
* Play Minstrel Play
* Ocean Gypsy
* Minstrel Hall
* Magical World
* Writing On The Wall
* Renaissance Faire
* Memmingen
* No Second Chance
* Mond Tanz
* Spirit Of The Sea
* Greensleeves
* Wish You Were Here
* Possum's Last Dance

CD 2

* Under A Violet Moon
* Castles And Dreams
* Past Time With Good Company
* Morning Star
* Avalon
* Possum Goes To Prague
* Wind In The Willows
* Gone With The Wind
* Beyond The Sunset
* March The Heroes Home
* Spanish Nights (I Remember It Well)
* Catherine Howard's Fate
* Fool's Gold
* Durch den Wald Zum Bach Haus
* Now And Then
* Self Portrait

MASTODON's BRENT HINDS To Hit The Road With WEST END MOTEL

 

MASTODON guitarist Brent Hinds has just announced a three-week tour with his side project WEST END MOTEL in support of their sophomore release, "Only Time Can Tell" (due out October 30 on Warner Bros). Kicking off November 28 in
Washington, D.C., the trek will make stops in New York, Boston, Chicago, and more, wrapping up December 15 in Hinds' hometown of Atlanta.

The dates are as follows:

Nov 28 - Vienna, VA @ Jammin' Java
Nov 29 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
Nov 30 - West Chester, PA @ The Note
Dec 01 - Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House
Dec 02 - Allston, MA @ Great Scott
Dec 04 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool
Dec 05 - Cleveland, OH @ The Grog Shop
Dec 06 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
Dec 07 - Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
Dec 08 - Chicago, IL @ Double Door
Dec 09 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Dec 11 - Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room
Dec 13 - Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
Dec 14 - Birmingham, AL @ The Nick
Dec 15 - Atlanta, GA @ 529

"Only Time Can Tell" is the highly-anticipated follow-up to Hinds' acclaimed 2011 debut, "Don't Shiver, You're A Winner" which SPIN dubbed "a welcome departure from MASTODON's thrashy, progged-out fare...sounds like Tom Waits and Tim Burton co-hosting the creepiest vaudeville show ever," and Pitchfork lauded for its "playfulness and off-the-cuff amiability."

Rolling Stone is streaming the album's first single "Burn It Down", praising its "brightly shout-out-loud vocals, warm and soulful
textures, swooning funk melodies and a breezy beat that's downright
feel-good music."

WEST END MOTEL began in 1993 under a bridge in Atlanta, where Hinds first met longtime friend Tom Cheshire. Describing themselves as a "conglomerate of losers, poets and
hobo-sexuals," the pair write acoustic-guitar driven songs enriched with horns and keys, with the end result sounding like Nick Cave fronting GOGOL BORDELLO. The project pre-dates MASTODON and offers an important glimpse into Hinds' musical influences.

"I grew up listening to Chet Atkins play guitar, and I grew up listening to Brian Setzer play guitar," explains Hinds. "Jimmy Bryant, Speedy West, all these country-chicken-pickin'-flying-'round-the-guitar-neck guitar
players. I got really inspired by it. I'm from way down in the country.
It was pretty common to have the interests I had when I was that age. MTV had some hair metal on there, but I was more interested in this rockabilly vibe. STRAY CATS were really big at the time, in the '80s. It was epic."
"Only Time Can Tell" track listing:

01. Burn It Down
02. El Myr
03. Witch Is Dead
04. If I Only Had Tomorrow (Second Chances)
05. Forgiveness
06. Only Time Can Tell
07. Valentine
08. Bite

ARJEN LUCASSEN begins work on new AYREON album

ARJEN LUCASSEN begins work on new AYREON album

After releasing his concept solo album, Lost In The New Real, earlier this year, multi-instrumentalist ARJEN LUCASSEN has now begun writing songs for his next project: AYREON's 8th studio album! While no release date is set yet, this currently untitled album is tentatively due out in 2013. For your first preview of the new AYREON, please watch the video below for exclusive in the studio footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D776GI1qYwI ARJEN LUCASSEN online: www.arjenlucassen.com www.facebook.com/ArjenLucassenOfficial www.twitter.com/arjenlucassen