Rock Style Music

Sandra One of the Best

2010-10-29T02:03:00.001+02:00

Sandra Ann Lauer (born 18 May 1962 in Saarbrücken), professionally known as Sandra, is a German Euro disco singer who became popular in the 1980s with the help of Michael Cretu whom she had married in 1988. The two met when Sandra was part of a group named Arabesque which saw little success, and he was a musician. She is currently living in Ibiza, Spain with her husband and two children, Nikol and Sebastian.

After enjoying a little success as a lead singer of the disco trio Arabesque, Sandra began performing solo , with Michael Cretu as manager, producer and composer for her first international #1 hit-single "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena" in 1985. Sandra has topped the charts from as far afield as Sweden, Egypt, France, South Africa, Israel, Japan and Brazil with even more singles in the '80s. She still remains very popular in Europe, being considered one of the most popular singers of the 1980s in the mainland Europe, and had performed in Romania in the spring of 2010.
Beside "Maria Magdalena", her greatest hits are "In the Heat of the Night" (1985), "Everlasting Love" (1987), "Hi! Hi! Hi! (1986)" and "Hiroshima" (1990). Her top-rated albums are 1988's Into a Secret Land and 1992's Close to Seven. All her major hits are on the 18 Greatest Hits CD compilation.
Her latest singing projects include Enigma, after she decided to end her solo career in the '90s.

Sandra Ann Lauer was born in the German town of Saarbrücken, close to the French border. Sandra’s father, Robert Lauer is French and her mother, Karin Lauer is German. Sandra also had an older brother, Gaston (died in 1995), who was a paraplegic. Her father owned a wine shop in Saarbrücken and her mother worked in a shoe shop. Sandra showed an early interest in music and dancing. She started to learn classical ballet at the age of 5 and had continued lessons for 10 years. When she was 10 years old, she received a guitar and took lessons from a school teacher.
In 1975, at the age of thirteen, Sandra visited a competition in Saarbrücken, called Young Star Festival, where new talents for the music industry were scouted. She was not actually taking part in it, but sitting in the audience. When all the nominees finished their parts and the jury was discussing the results, she told her mother that she had to go to the public toilet, stood up, walked onto the stage, persuaded the DJ to put on the German cover version of a song from Olivia Newton-John, grabbed the microphone and started singing. Aided by newfound recognition, she released the single "Andy Mein Freund", a song about a pet dog. The single, however, performed poorly on the charts dominated by disco mania and she withdrew from the music scene for a few years.

In 1979 Sandra joined Arabesque, a disco group consisting of Michaela Rose and Jasmine Vetter. Soon after that they recorded their second album with Sandra on lead vocals at Europasound Studios in Offenbach. The studio was owned by famous producer Frank Farian, the creator of Boney M, and later Milli Vanilli. One of the musicians there was a keyboardist named Michael Cretu. Sandra and Michael found that they shared the same birthday, albeit five years apart, and became good friends.
With Arabesque a new period in Sandra’s life began. For the first time, she was away from her family, appearing on stage and TV in foreign countries, giving interviews, photo shoots and singing at concerts. Arabesque became successful, and by Sandra's nineteenth birthday she was a star. Arabesque were particularly popular in Japan dominating the charts, and their outrageous, sometimes daring costumes, dance routines and cheerful music suggested a fun alternative to ABBA and Boney M. They enjoyed success in several other countries and scored a Top 10 hit in Germany with "Marigot Bay" in 1981. After nine albums, differences in musical interests and the end of disco's popularity signalled the group's final break-up.
Sandra and Michael Cretu, romantically involved, moved to Munich, where Michael soon created his own studio, called Data-Alpha, after a song from his solo album Legionäre. Their first single together was 1984's "Japan ist weit", a German cover of the Alphaville song "Big in Japan", an appropriate way to describe Sandra's fame up to that point. However, the song failed to enter any of the charts and only 125 copies of the singe were sold.

Sandra achieved a palpable international success in 1985, owing to her chart-hitting single "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena". This song topped the charts in 21 countries worldwide, and reached the Top 10 in a further five countries. Her first album, The Long Play (1985), reached number 12 in her home country of Germany. It remained in the German Top 20 for 16 weeks, while in Sweden "Maria Magdalena" spent four weeks at number one. The follow-up single "In the Heat of the Night" continued her success all over Europe and internationally, reaching number two in Germany and the Top 5 in France. At that time Sandra was acclaimed the "pop princess". The song also earned Sandra second place at the Tokyo Music Festival in Japan, later in 1986. "Little Girl" became the third single with the music video being filmed in Venice.
Shortly after the release of The Long Play, Sandra moved to London for six months. Helena Shelen, a singing instructor, who had previously worked with artists like George Michael and Paul Young took Sandra under her wings. Sandra also joined the London Berlitz School for Languages, where she improved her English abilities and took drumming lessons to get a better feeling for rhythm and timing. Over weekends she went back to Munich to work on her new album.
Sandra's second studio album Mirrors (released in October 1986) reflected the continuous musical development of Michael Cretu. On this album, he used more of the writing and singing talents of Hubert Kemmler (who was already a popular singer in Germany under the name Hubert Kah). "Don't Cry (The Breakup of the World)" was a non-single track on the album, written in reaction to the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. "Innocent Love" was the first of four successful singles from the album, entering the Top 10 in France whereas the second single "Hi! Hi! Hi!" was another Top 10 hit in her native country of Germany. The ballad "Loreen" was the third single released from the album, while the electro-pop "Midnight Man" (with Michael Cretu singing in the chorus and appearing in the music video) became the fourth and final single from the album. The second album continued the same success all over Europe.

Two years after her spectacular debut, in 1987, Sandra released the greatest hits compilation Ten on One, a testimony to her quick rise to stardom. Accompanied with it was the video collection of the album giving fans a glimpse inside her private life and day-to-day routine. Her version of "Everlasting Love", a favorite song since her childhood, went to number five on German charts, becoming one of her biggest hits. The music video showed Sandra and a male model depicting scenes of various lovers through the ages, with Adam and Eve, Bonnie and Clyde, Cleopatra and Mark Antony, and a colorful 1980s punk couple, amongst others. The second single from the album, "Stop for a Minute", became another German Top 10 hit and was written especially for the German TV crime series Tatort, where she is found singing the song during a club scene in one of the episodes.
On 7 January 1988, Sandra married Michael Cretu and relocated from Munich to the Spanish island of Ibiza. In the same year they worked on Sandra's new material.
In 1988 Sandra and Michael released Into a Secret Land, moving away somewhat from electro-pop to a more mysterious and seductive sound. Four hit singles were delivered from this album. The first single "Heaven Can Wait" became another Top 10 smash hit in France and number 12 hit in Germany, accompanied by a video featuring Sandra dancing and singing on a Mediterranean beach. The title track, "Secret Land", a cover version of the track "Trenchcoat Man" by the short-lived German synth pop project Fabrique, became the second single, entering the German Top 10. The third single "We'll Be Together" was another German Top 10 hit. ("We'll Be Together" along with "When the Rain Doesn't Come" (from 1992's Close to Seven album) are the only songs written or co-written by Sandra prior to the release of her album The Wheel of Time in 2002.) "Around My Heart", the fourth single released, peaked at number 11 in Germany.

The British team, Stock Aitken Waterman tried to cash in on the success of "Everlasting Love" by releasing a remix of the song in 1988 for the British market. The remixed version was a moderate hit on the UK charts (reaching #45), but did well in Sweden, The Philippines and South Africa. With animal rights and nature conservation high on her personal agenda, she took part in the project Artists United for Nature in 1989. The song "Yes We Can" featured, amongst others, the vocals of Brian May, Harold Faltermeyer and Chaka Khan.
Sandra ended the 1980s as one of the most popular female performers in Europe. At that stage she was also already known as the European queen of pop and rivaled Madonna in terms of her popularity and Top 10 hits.
Sandra's album Paintings in Yellow (released in March 1990) gave her another Top 10 hit with a surprising cover version of Wishful Thinking's "Hiroshima". Elements of the five-part album track "The Journey" foreshadowed the Enigma sound, which was particularly evident on some of the album's tracks. Frank Peterson, who was the co-producer (alias F. Gregorian) on the Enigma project, took up the role of writing and producing some of the tracks with Michael Cretu. His influence was clearly audible.
In the same year, Enigma's song "Sadeness" became a huge hit in many countries all over the world. At first nobody knew who was hiding behind the alias Enigma, but Sandra fans quickly identified her voice. When the song became a Top 10 hit in the United States, it marked Sandra's first successful venture into the US market. Sandra performed the second single off her solo album "(Life May Be) A Big Insanity" at the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo when she accepted the prize for Best Selling German Artist at the end of 1990. "One More Night" was the third and final single released from Paintings in Yellow.

Because of the overwhelming success of Enigma, and an almost two-year break after Paintings in Yellow, there was a gap in Sandra's career, which was finally closed, with the album Close to Seven. The album continued a development towards a more meditative, less dance-oriented musical style. Sandra wanted to get rid of her teen idol image and perform for a more mature audience. This was her first album produced almost completely by Michael Cretu. Close to Seven became another German Top 10 album. The male vocals were sung by Andy Jonas, also known as Andy "Angel" Hart.
Although the first single "Don't Be Aggressive" (with the music video being directed by Howard Greenhalgh) entered the European Top 20, subsequent singles failed to achieve the same success. The second single "I Need Love" was the first single after "Japan ist weit" for Sandra to flop and to not reach any of the charts. Nevertheless, Sandra and Michael were recognized as the most successful married couple and were awarded with the Golden Europe Award in 1992.
In the fall of 1992 a new compilation was released, entitled 18 Greatest Hits. Sandra recorded a new version of the song "Johnny Wanna Live", which was previously released on her Paintings in Yellow album. The song, co-written by Frank Peterson and later redone by his then-girlfriend Sarah Brightman for her album Dive, was an anthem against cruelty towards animals. The music video was once again directed by Howard Greenhalgh and showed shocking scenes of cruelty to animals. In an interview in Sweden, Sandra explained the origins of the song citing her disapproval of people wearing fur coats. The compilation reached the Top 10 in both Germany and France and was awarded gold. The release of 18 Greatest Hits marked the end of Sandra's most successful period of her solo career.

In 1993 Sandra released a new techno version of "Maria Magdalena" with a futuristic music video, which wasn't a success. However, it reached number 8 on the charts in Finland.
In 1995, while pregnant with twins, Sandra recorded and released Fading Shades. The album saw a new writer/producer Jens Gad working alongside Michael. The album featured a powerful cover version of "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues. The song went to number one in Israel and entered the Top 20 in Finland and Australia. The music video showed only close ups of Sandra's face as she was heavily pregnant at the time. She even had to sit during the recording sessions of the album. Again Andy "Angel" Hart performed all the male vocals on the album. The second single release was "Won't Run Away" which made no impact on the music charts.
On 6 July 1995, she gave birth to twin sons Nikita and Sebastian in a Munich hospital through Caesarean section. Sandra decided to put her career on hold to raise her children.
1999 saw the release of a double disc album. As the trend began with artists like Modern Talking to remix old material, My Favourites was released featuring remixes of her hits by long-time band companion Peter Ries, featuring also some of Sandra's personal favourite ballads. It quickly made its way into the Top 20 of the German album charts. "Secret Land '99" was taken as the single and showed Sandra sporting a short hairstyle in the music video. In 2000, Sandra did background vocals on Andru Donalds' single release "Precious Little Diamond".
Sandra's first studio album in seven years came with The Wheel of Time in 2002, reaching number eight on the German album charts. The first single "Forever", released in 2001, had a moderate success and showed a new mature, more natural-looking Sandra, still sporting short hair. Although some criticised The Wheel of Time for containing no less than five cover versions of 1980s songs, including the second single release "Such a Shame" (originally performed by Talk Talk), the album, however, was well received by her fans. Prior to this album's release, Sandra had only done three cover versions in English: "Everlasting Love" (1987), "Hiroshima" (1990), and "Nights in White Satin" (1995). Michael Cretu even convinced Sandra to cover "Freelove", a Depeche Mode song, which she did in just one take. The third single to be released was the ballad "I Close My Eyes". "Forgive Me" was also issued, but only as a promo single. In 2003, the DVD The Complete History was released, featuring all of her music videos.

Sandra's public appearances were few and far between when word got out in 2005 that the Swiss star DJ BoBo was planning a duet with her. She met DJ BoBo during the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo in 2002, when her husband accepted the prize for best-selling German artist. That meeting led to the single "Secrets of Love" in 2006. The dance anthem reached number five in Switzerland and number 13 in Germany. The music video was shot at Disneyland Park in Paris with Sandra and DJ Bobo being the only artists ever allowed to film inside the Cinderella castle. During this time Sandra took up performing live again and signs of her retro 1980s look, with the signature long hair, were seen again.
Virgin Records suggested that vocal recordings of Sandra's biggest hits be sent to different teams of producers/remixers so that they could produce entirely new music. Sandra hesitated at first because she had already put out a remix collection in 1999 and did not want to promote all of her former hits once again. She had already finished her eighth studio album and wished to move forward in a new musical direction. Nevertheless, Christian Geller, Schallbau, Felix J. Gauder, Matthias Menck, Ivo Moring and Mirko on Schlieffen delivered a successful result. In late 2006, Reflections was issued. Sandra's 1987 dance hit "Everlasting Love" even got a new vocal and was redone as a powerful ballad and distributed to the radio stations in Germany as a promotional single. Although the album reached the Top 10 of many online stores worldwide, no commercial single was released and not much more was done to promote this album. However, the radio single "Around My Heart 2006" became a huge hit in Poland, where the record company decided to promote it on the radio stations. In 2007 Virgin Music France decided to release a special version of Reflections, containing three new remixes made by French DJs. "In the Heat of the Night" was released online as a digital single containing four new versions of the song.

The highly anticipated studio album, The Art of Love was released in February 2007, entering the 16th position on the German charts. For the first time, Michael Cretu did not work as a producer for the album, as he was reportedly busy producing his new Enigma album A Posteriori. Sandra's management first tried to find producers from the United Kingdom, but Sandra didn't like the idea of leaving her family for a long period of time. Finally, Sandra contacted Michael Cretu's "right hand", Jens Gad, who produced the entire album. Sandra, for the first time during her career, now participated actively in composing and writing the album. Therefore, the lyrics of the songs are more personal, with Sandra revisiting her childhood and all her sad experiences in them. She worked at Gad's studio at nights, returning home to prepare breakfast for her twins, and then sleeping until they would come home from school. Also, for the first time, Sandra revealed her new, sexier look in the promotional pictures shot in New York by Bärbel Miebach.
The first single taken from the album, "The Way I Am", was released in January 2007, and it gained the 50th chart position in Germany, hardly having any promotion. The second single, "What Is It About Me", was released in May 2007 but failed to chart. The album also included a duet with DJ BoBo, and both sons of Sandra, Nikita and Sebastian, sang choirs in three songs. EMI Music in Poland decided to release her cover version of The Hooters' "All You Zombies" as a radio single instead of "What Is It About Me", and it became a big hit in Poland. Fans were campaigning to get the song released as a commercial single, while Sandra revealed in an interview that "Put Your Arms Around Me" (written by Sinéad O'Connor) was planned as a single, with an unreleased duet with DJ BoBo as a B-side. However, in a subsequent interview Sandra said that there would be no more singles released from the album.
In November 2007 it was announced that Sandra and Michael got divorced, citing "personal and professional differences". Both Sandra and Michael have since been reported to be in new relationships.
During all of 2007 and early 2008 Sandra has been busy touring around Eastern Europe and Germany. She decided to return to the busy schedule of concerts from the past, and even gave a performance in the spectacular Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia. Sandra also visited countries such as Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Lithuania for the very first time. On 23 July 2008, she performed in Athens, Greece. On 24 August 2008, Sandra performed in Poland during a concert dedicated to 1980s music, together with Kim Wilde, Samantha Fox, Sabrina, Modern Talking, Limahl and Shakin' Stevens. The concert was a part of Sopot International Song Festival 2008 and was broadcast live on Polish channel TVN. Sandra performed three songs: "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena", "In the Heat of the Night" and "Hiroshima".
A new Sandra album, entitled Back to Life, was released on 27 March 2009. Sandra revealed it was going to be an up-tempo, pop album, with influences of Latin pop, dance and R&B. The first single, "In a Heartbeat" was released on 6 March 2009. The album was recorded in New York with the help of Jens Gad, and his brother Toby Gad (famous for his work with Beyoncé Knowles and Fergie). The second single, released on 8 May 2009, was "The Night Is Still Young", a duet with Thomas Anders, former member of Modern Talking. Also included on the album is the duet, "I Want You" sung by Sandra and her husband-to-be, Olaf Menges. Another standout track is "Tête à tête", written and composed by Sandra and sung in French language.
On 1 August 2009, Sandra was one of the main acts on the DJ BoBo & Friends festival, held in Engelberg, Switzerland. Sandra rocked fans with a superb live performance featuring her own band, a onstage DJ, plus complete new interpretations of her songs.
On 6 November 2009, a 3-disc greatest hits compilation album entitled The Platinum Collection was released, featuring 51 song including all of her hit singles from "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena" to "The Night Is Still Young", as well as some non-released tracks from her albums Into a Secret Land, Paintings in Yellow, Close to Seven, The Art of Love and Back to Life. The third disc includes eleven extended versions of her greatest hits.

Sandra was married to Michael Cretu on 7 January 1988 with whom she had two sons (twins), Nikita and Sebastian, born in July 1995. Sandra and Michael divorced in November 2007, citing "personal and professional differences". Currently she resides in their old house in Ibiza, and Michael was reported to live in Germany since May 2009. In 2010, Sandra married her boyfriend, Olaf Menges.

Sandra is a health food lover and is a vegetarian. She likes sport and lives an active lifestyle. She's also known for her involvement in animal rights and nature protection. Both Sandra and her former husband Michael Cretu have always been gay rights supporters.

Sharon den Adel

2010-10-29T01:40:00.000+02:00

Sharon Janny den Adel (born 12 July 1974, in Waddinxveen, South Holland, Netherlands) is a Dutch singer and composer, best known as the lead vocalist and one of the main songwriters in the Dutch symphonic metal/rock band Within Temptation. She has performed with various bands since she was 13, including a blues rock band called Kashiro, and joined Robert Westerholt in Within Temptation in 1996.

Together with her boyfriend, Robert Westerholt, den Adel is one of the founding members of Within Temptation. She has defined their work as epic and cinematic. Her vocals play a major role in the band's sound, despite having never received formal vocal training.Sharon has sings in the mezzo-soprano range but her vocal quality is light and lyric despite her range.Before Within Temptation became famous, Sharon worked for a fashion company. As the band became more successful with their hit single Ice Queen, Sharon left the fashion industry to focus on music. She utilises her fashion expertise by designing her stage costumes and the band's merchandise.

Sharon den Adel has performed on-stage and in the studio with several notable bands, including Armin van Buuren, After Forever, De Heideroosjes, and Delain. She sang the part of Anna Held in Tobias Sammet's Avantasia projects, and the part of the Indian on Ayreon's rock opera Into the Electric Castle. She sang the vocals of one Timo Tolkki song, "Are You The One?", co-wrote and provided the vocals for the track "In And Out Of Love" from Armin van Buuren's 2008 album Imagine, and sang on the track "No Compliance" for Delain's album Lucidity, as well as working with the band Voyage on the track "Frozen" (not to be confused with the Within Temptation song of the same title).

Sharon den Adel and long-term partner Robert Westerholt have a daughter, Eva Luna, who was born on 7 December 2005. She was pregnant with Luna during the band's The Silent Force tour. They currently live near Hilversum, in the Netherlands and they have two cats, Haplo and Lola. On 22 February 2009, Sharon announced that she was pregnant with her second child.The band's website subsequently announced that, on 1 June 2009, Robin Aiden Westerholt was born. Going by the name of Aiden, he was born premature at 32 weeks and 6 days.

Alice Cooper part 2

2009-09-21T01:40:00.001+02:00

Cooper's albums from the beginning of the 1980s, Flush the Fashion, Special Forces, Zipper Catches Skin, and DaDa, were not as commercially successful as his past releases, and Cooper has claimed that, suffering from acute alcoholic amnesia, he has no recollection of recording the latter two of these albums.Flush the Fashion, produced by Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker, had a thick, edgy New Wave musical sound that baffled even long-time fans, though it still yielded the US Top 40 hit "(We're All) Clones". The album Special Forces featured a more aggressive but consistent form of New Wave style, and included a new version of "Generation Landslide". The following album, Zipper Catches Skin was a more power pop-oriented recording, with lots of quirky high-energy guitar-driven songs. While those three albums engaged the experimental New Wave sound with energetic results, 1983 marked the return collaboration of producer Bob Ezrin and guitarist Dick Wagner with the haunting epic DaDa, the final album in his Warner Bros. contract.
In 1983, after the recording of DaDa, Cooper was re-hospitalized for alcoholism. In a deathly state of health, he relocated back to Phoenix, Arizona, in order to try and save his marriage from collapse and so that he could receive the support of family and friends. Cooper was finally clean and sober by the time DaDa and The Nightmare home video (of his 1975 TV Special) were released in the fall of that year; however, both releases performed below expectations. Even with The Nightmare scoring a nomination for 1984's Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video (he lost to Duran Duran), it wasn't enough for Warner Bros. to keep Cooper on their books, and in 1984 Alice Cooper became, for the first time in his career, a free agent.
After over a year on hiatus, during which time he spent being a full-time dad, perfecting his golf swing everyday on the course, and also finding time to star in the Spanish B-grade horror movie production Monster Dog, Cooper sought to pick up the pieces of his musical career, and in 1985 he met and began writing songs with guitarist Kane Roberts. Cooper was subsequently signed to MCA Records, and appeared as guest vocalist on Twisted Sister's song "Be Chrool To Your Scuel". A video was made for the song, featuring Cooper donning his black snake-eyes make-up for the first time since 1979, but any publicity it may have given to Cooper's return to the music scene was cut short as the video was promptly banned due to its graphically gory make-up (by Tom Savini) of the innumerable zombies in the video and their insatiable appetite for gorging on human flesh.

In 1986, Alice Cooper officially returned to the music industry with the album Constrictor. The album spawned the hits "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" (the theme song for the movie Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives; in the video of the song Cooper was given a cameo role as a deranged psychiatrist) and the fan favorite "Teenage Frankenstein". The Constrictor album was a catalyst for Cooper to make (for the first time since the 1982 Special Forces tour) a triumphant return to the road, on a tour appropriately entitled The Nightmare Returns. The Detroit leg of this tour, which took place at the end of October 1986 during Halloween,was captured on film as The Nightmare Returns, and is viewed by some as being the definitive Alice Cooper concert film.The concert, which received rave reviews in the rock music press,and which was also described as bringing "Cooper’s violent, twisted onstage fantasies to a new generation"sees a reborn and sober Cooper who is leaner, meaner, fitter and in imperious form, and demonstrating a complete mastery over the stage and his music, in a series of meticulously choreographed and flawlessly executed songs that span his career up to that point, and which feature his full repertoire of stunts, special effects, darkly black humour, horror and gore. The Constrictor album was followed by Raise Your Fist and Yell in 1987, which had an even rougher sound than its predecessor, as well the Cooper classic "Freedom". The subsequent tour of Raise Your Fist and Yell, which was heavily inspired by the slasher horror movies of the time such as the Friday the 13th series and Nightmare on Elm Street, served up a similar shocking spectacle as its predecessor, and courted the kind of controversy, especially in Europe, that recalled the public outrage caused by Cooper’s public performances in America in the early 70s. In Britain, the Labour member of parliament David Blunkett called for the show to be banned, saying "I'm horrified by his behaviour – it goes beyond the bounds of entertainment".The controversy spilled over into the German segment of the tour, with the German government actually succeeding in having some of the gorier segments of the performance removed.It was also during the London leg of the tour that Cooper met with a near fatal accident during the hanging execution sequence at the end of the show.Needless to say the attendant publicity served only to increase public interest and ensure that the tour was completely sold out.

Constrictor and Raise Your Fist and Yell were recorded with lead guitarist Kane Roberts and bassist Kip Winger, both of whom would leave the band by the end of 1988 (although Kane Roberts played guitar on "Bed Of Nails" on 1989's album Trash). Roberts would continue as a solo artist while Kip Winger would go on to form Winger.
In 1987, Cooper made a brief appearance as a vagrant in the horror movie Prince of Darkness, directed by John Carpenter. His role had no lines and consisted of generally menacing the protagonists before eventually impaling one of them with a bicycle frame. Cooper also appeared at WrestleMania III, escorting wrestler Jake 'The Snake' Roberts to the ring. After the match was over, Cooper got involved and threw Jake's snake Damien at The Honky Tonk Man's manager Jimmy Hart. Jake considered the involvement of Cooper to be an honor, as he had idolized Cooper in his youth and was still a huge fan.
In 1988 Cooper's contract with MCA Records expired and he signed with Epic Records. Then, in 1989, his career finally experienced a real revival with the Desmond Child produced album Trash, which spawned a hit single "Poison", which reached #2 in the UK and #7 in the US, and a worldwide arena tour.

1991 saw the release of Cooper's 19th studio album Hey Stoopid, however, amidst the grunge rock explosion, it failed to have the same commercial impact as its predecessor, Trash, though several of rock music’s glitterati again guested on the record. The same year also saw the release of the video Alice Cooper: Prime Cuts which chronicled his entire career using in depth interviews with Cooper himself, Bob Ezrin, and Shep Gordon. One critic has noted how Prime Cuts demonstrates how Cooper had used (in contrast to similar artists who succeeded him) themes of satire and moralisation to such good effect throughout his career.It was in the Prime Cuts video that Bob Ezrin delivered his own summation of the Alice Cooper persona: "He is the psycho killer in all of us. He's the axe murderer, he's the spoiled child, he's the abuser, he's the abused; he's the perpratrator, he's the victim, he's the gun slinger, and he's the guy lying dead in the middle of the street".
By the early 1990s Cooper had become a genuine cultural icon, guesting on records by the most successful bands of the time, such as the Guns N' Roses album Use Your Illusion I, (on which he shared vocal duties with Axl on the track "The Garden"); making a brief appearance as the abusive stepfather of Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare On Elm Street film Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991); and making a famous cameo appearance in the 1992 comedy film Wayne's World, in which he and his band intellectually discuss (after a performance of the song "Feed My Frankenstein" from Hey Stoopid) the history of Milwaukee in surprising depth. In a now famous scene, the movie's main characters Wayne and Garth, on seeing Cooper, kneel and bow reverently before him while chanting "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"
Cooper released in 1994 The Last Temptation, his first concept album since DaDa, which dealt with issues of faith, temptation, alienation, and the frustrations of modern life, and which has been described as "a young man's struggle to see the truth through the distractions of the 'Sideshow' of the modern world".Concurrent with the release of The Last Temptation was a three-part comic book series written by Neil Gaiman, fleshing out the album's story. This was to be Cooper’s last album with Epic Records, and his last studio release for six years, though during this period the live album A Fistful of Alice was released, and in 1997 he lent his voice to the first track of Insane Clown Posse's The Great Milenko. In 1999, the four-disc box set The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper appeared, which contained an authorized biography of Cooper, Alcohol and Razor Blades, Poison and Needles: The Glorious Wretched Excess of Alice Cooper, All-American, written by longtime Creem magazine Canadian editor Jeffrey Morgan.

During his absence from the recording studio, Cooper toured extensively every year throughout the latter part of the 1990s, including, in 1996, through South America, which he had not visited since 1974. Also in 1996, Cooper sang the role of Herod on the London cast recording of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

The 2000s has seen a sustained period of activity from Cooper, in which, in the decade that he turned sixty, he has toured extensively and released (after a significant break) a steady stream of studio albums to favorable critical acclaim. During this period Cooper has also been recognized and awarded in various ways: he received a Rock Immortal award at the 2007 Scream Awards;was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003;he received (in May 2004) an honorary doctoral degree from Grand Canyon University;was given (in May 2006) the key to the city of Alice, North Dakota;he scooped the living legend award at the 2006 Classic Rock Roll of Honour event;he won the 2007 Mojo music magazine Hero Award;and fans have twice tried to induct him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The lengthy break between studio albums ended in 2000 with Brutal Planet, which was a return to horror-lined heavy metal, with a vicious injection of industrial rock, and with subject matter thematically inspired by the brutality of the modern world, set in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future, and also inspired by a number of news stories that had recently appeared on the news channel CNN.The album was produced by Bob Marlett, with longtime Cooper production collaborator Bob Ezrin returning as Executive Producer. The accompanying world tour, which included Cooper’s first concert in Russia, was a resounding success, introducing Alice Cooper to a new audience and producing the live home video, Brutally Live, in 2001. During one memorable episode in Brutally Live, Britney Spears (being played by Alice Cooper’s real life daughter, Calico), and representing "everything that my audience hates - the softening of rock and roll...the sweetness of it"is executed by Cooper.
Brutal Planet was succeeded by the sonically similar and widely acclaimed sequel Dragontown, which saw Bob Marlett back at the helm as Producer. The album has been described as leading the listener down "a nightmarish path into the mind of rock's original conceptual storyteller"and by Cooper himself as being "the worst town on Brutal Planet".Like The Last Temptation, both Brutal Planet and Dragontown are albums which explore Cooper's personal faith perspective (born again Christianity). It is commonly perceived in the music media that Dragontown forms the third chapter in a trilogy begun with The Last Temptation;however, Cooper has himself indicated that this is in fact not the case.
Cooper again adopted a leaner, cleaner sound for his critically acclaimed 2003 release The Eyes Of Alice Cooper. Recognizing that many contemporary bands were having great success with his former sounds and styles, Cooper worked with a somewhat younger group of road and studio musicians who were very familiar with his oeuvre of old. However, instead of rehashing the old sounds, they updated them, often with surprisingly effective results. The resulting Bare Bones tour adopted a less-orchestrated performance style that had fewer theatrical flourishes and a greater emphasis on musicality. The success of this tour helped support the growing recognition that the classic Cooper songs were exceptionally clever, tuneful, and unique.

Cooper's radio show, Nights with Alice Cooper, began airing on January 26, 2004 in several US cities. The program showcases classic rock, Cooper's personal stories about his life as a rock icon, and interviews with prominent rock artists. The show appears on nearly 100 stations in the US and Canada, and has also been sold all over the world.
A continuation of the songwriting approach adopted on The Eyes of Alice Cooper was again adopted by Cooper for his 24th studio album, Dirty Diamonds, released in 2005. Dirty Diamonds became Cooper's highest charting album since 1994's The Last Temptation.The Dirty Diamonds tour launched in America in August 2005 after several European concerts, including a performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland on July 12. Cooper and his band, including Kiss drummer Eric Singer, were filmed for a DVD released as Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005. One critic, in a review of the Montreux release, commented that Cooper was to be applauded for "still mining pretty much the same territory of teenage angst and rebellion" as he had done more than thirty years previously.
In December 2006, the original Alice Cooper band reunited to perform six classic Alice Cooper songs at Cooper's annual charity event in Phoenix, entitled "Christmas Pudding".
On July 1, 2007 Cooper performed a duet with Marilyn Manson at the B'Estival event in Bucharest, Romania.The performance represented a reconciliation between the two artists; Cooper had previously taken issue with Manson over his overtly anti-Christian onstage antics, which included tearing up bibles, and he had sarcastically made reference to the originality of Manson’s choosing a female name and dressing in women's clothing.Cooper and Manson have been the subject of an academic paper on the significance of adolescent antiheroes.
In January 2008 he was one of the guest singers on the new Avantasia album The Scarecrow, singing the 7th track, "The Toy Master".
In July 2008, after lengthy delays, Cooper released Along Came a Spider, his 25th studio album. It was Cooper's highest charting album since 1991's Hey Stoopid, reaching #53 in the US and #31 in the UK. The album, visiting similar territory explored in 1987's Raise Your Fist and Yell, deals with the nefarious antics of a deranged serial killer named "Spider" who is on a quest to use the limbs of his victims to create a human spider. The album generally received positive reviews from music critics, though Rolling Stone magazine opined that the music on the record sorely missed Bob Ezrin's production values.

Alice Cooper part 1

2009-09-21T00:51:00.005+02:00

Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier; February 4, 1948)is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades. With a stage show that features guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, boa constrictors and baby dolls, Cooper has drawn equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock to pioneer a grandly theatrical and violent brand of heavy metal that was designed to shock.
Alice Cooper was originally a band consisting of Furnier on vocals and harmonica, lead guitarist Glen Buxton, Michael Bruce on rhythm guitar, Dennis Dunaway on bass guitar, and drummer Neal Smith. The original Alice Cooper band broke into the international music mainstream with the 1971 hit "I'm Eighteen" from the album Love it to Death, which was followed by the even bigger single "School's Out" in 1972. The band reached their commercial peak with the 1973 album Billion Dollar Babies.
Furnier's solo career as Alice Cooper, adopting the band's name as his own name, began with the 1975 concept album Welcome to My Nightmare. In 2008 he released Along Came a Spider, his 18th solo album. Expanding from his original Detroit rock roots, over the years Cooper has experimented with many different musical styles, including conceptual rock, art rock, hard rock, new wave, pop rock, experimental rock and industrial rock.In recent times he has returned more to his garage rock roots.

Alice Cooper is known for his social and witty persona offstage, The Rolling Stone Album Guide going so far as to refer to him as the world's most "beloved heavy metal entertainer".He helped to shape the sound and look of heavy metal, and is seen as being the person who "first introduced horror imagery to rock'n'roll, and whose stagecraft and showmanship have permanently transformed the genre".Away from music, Cooper is a film actor, a golfing celebrity, a restaurateur and, since 2004, a popular radio DJ with his classic rock show Nights with Alice Cooper.

On VH1's "100 Greatest artists of Hard Rock", Cooper was ranked #20.

Childhood and early life

Alice Cooper was born Vincent Damon Furnier in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Ella Mae (née McCart) and Ether Moroni Furnier. He was named after one of his uncles and the writer Damon Runyon.While in Detroit, Furnier attended Nankin Mills Middle School, which is now Lutheran High School Westland. His grandfather, Thurman Sylvester Furnier, was an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ based in Monongahela, Pennsylvania. Vincent Furnier's father was an Elder in The Church of Jesus Christ. Furnier has some distant French Huguenot ancestry; the remainder of his ancestry is English and Scottish.The young Vincent was very active in the Church of Jesus Christ at the ages of 11 and 12.
After a series of childhood illnesses, Furnier and his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona. After Washington Elementary School, Furnier attended Cortez High School in northern Phoenix. He was also a member of the Order of DeMolay.

n 1964, at the age of 16, Furnier was eager to take part in the local annual Letterman's talent show and gathered fellow cross-country teammates from the school to form a group for the show.[12] They named themselves The Earwigs, and since they didn't know how to play any instruments at the time, they dressed up like The Beatles and mimed their performance to Beatles songs. As a result of winning the talent show and loving the experience of being onstage, the group immediately proceeded to learn how to play instruments they acquired from a local pawn shop and soon renamed themselves The Spiders, featuring Furnier on vocals and harmonica, Glen Buxton on lead guitar, John Tatum on rhythm guitar, Dennis Dunaway on bass guitar, and John Speer on drums.[13] Musically, the group were inspired by artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, and The Yardbirds. For the next year the band performed regularly around the Phoenix area with a huge black spider's web as their backdrop, the group's first stage prop. In 1965, they also recorded their first single "Why Don't You Love Me" (originally performed by The Blackwells), with Furnier learning the harmonica for the song.
In 1966, the members of The Spiders graduated from Cortez High School. After North High School footballer Michael Bruce replaced John Tatum on rhythm guitar, the band scored a local #1 radio hit with "Don't Blow Your Mind", an original composition from their second single release. By 1967, the band had begun to make regular roadtrips to Los Angeles, California to play shows. They soon renamed themselves The Nazz and released the single "Wonder Who's Lovin' Her Now", backed with future Alice Cooper track "Lay Down And Die, Goodbye". It was around this time that drummer John Speer was replaced by Neal Smith, and by the end of the year the band had relocated to Los Angeles permanently.
In 1968, upon learning that Todd Rundgren also had a band called Nazz, the band were again in need of another stage name. Furnier recognized that the group needed a gimmick to succeed, and that other bands were not exploiting the showmanship potential of the stage. He subsequently chose Alice Cooper as the band's name and adopted this stage name as his own.
Early press releases claimed that the name was agreed upon after a session with a Ouija board, during which it was revealed that Furnier was the reincarnation of a 17th century witch named Alice Cooper. However, it is now widely accepted that this story was in fact a publicity stunt—Cooper in later interviews confirmed that the name actually came out of thin air, conjuring an image of "a cute and sweet little girl with a hatchet behind her back". (The name was also once said to be an inside joke associated with a character in the television show Mayberry R.F.D.; Alice Cooper is also the name of Betty Cooper's mother in the Archie comic strips).
In later interviews, Cooper admitted that "Alice Cooper" was only intended to be the name of the band, as Cooper himself used his birth name (Vincent Furnier) during the band's early days. However, as the band played more shows, numerous fans were coming up to Cooper and saying, "Hey, Alice!" Cooper was unaware that the fans were addressing him, and was taken aback by the notion that the fans were mistaking the band's name for his own.
Nonetheless, at the time Cooper and the band realized that the concept of a male playing the role of an androgynous witch, in tattered women's clothing and wearing make-up, would definitely have the potential to cause considerable social controversy and grab headlines. Furnier would later admit that the name change was one of his most important and brilliant career moves.
The classic Alice Cooper group line-up consisted of singer Alice Cooper (Vincent Furnier), lead guitarist Glen Buxton, rhythm guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith. With the exception of Smith, who graduated from Camelback High School (which is referred to in the song "Alma Mater" on the School's Out album), all of the band members were on the Cortez High School cross-country team, and many of Alice Cooper's stage 'effects' were inspired by their cross-country coach, Emmett Smith(one of Smith's class projects was to build a working guillotine for slicing watermelons). Cooper, Buxton and Dunaway were also art students, and their admiration for the works of surrealist artists such as Salvador Dalí would further inspire their future stage antics.
One night, after an unsuccessful gig at a club in Venice, California called The Cheetah, where the band emptied the entire room of patrons after playing just ten minutes, they were approached and enlisted by music manager Shep Gordon, who ironically saw the band's seemingly negative impact that night as a force that could be directed in a more positive direction. Shep then managed to arrange an audition for the band with composer and renowned record producer Frank Zappa, who was looking to sign bizarre music acts to his new record label, Straight Records. For the audition, Zappa told them to come to his house "at 7 o'clock", however, the band mistakenly assumed he meant 7 o'clock in the morning. Being woken up by a band willing to play that particular brand of psychedelic rock at seven in the morning (a time unbeknownst to most in the rock music world) impressed Zappa enough to sign them on a three-album deal. It was another Zappa signed act, the all-female GTOs, who liked to "dress the Cooper boys up like full size barbie dolls", that played a major role in developing the band's early onstage look.Alice Cooper's first album Pretties for You was released in 1969 and, though it touched the US charts for one week at #193, ultimately met with critical and commercial failure.
After an unrehearsed stage routine involving Cooper and a live chicken garnered attention from the press, the band decided to capitalize on tabloid sensationalism, creating in the process a new subgenre, shock rock. Cooper claims that the infamous 'Chicken Incident', which took place at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival concert in September 1969, was in fact an accident. A chicken somehow made its way on stage during Alice Cooper's performance; not having any experience around farm animals, Cooper presumed that, since the chicken had wings, it would be able to fly.He picked it up and threw it out over the crowd, expecting it to fly away; the bird instead plummeted into the first few rows of the crowd occupied by disabled people in wheelchairs, who reportedly proceeded to tear the animal to pieces.
The next day, the incident made the front page of many national newspapers, and Zappa phoned him to ask if the story, which reported that Cooper had bit the head off the chicken and drunk its blood on stage, was true. Cooper denied the rumor, whereupon Zappa told him, "Well, whatever you do, don't tell anyone you didn't do it",obviously recognising that such kind of publicity would be priceless for the band.
Despite the publicity the band received from the Chicken Incident, their stronger second album, Easy Action, released in 1970, met with the same fate as its predecessor. Music label Warner Bros. Records then purchased Straight Records from Frank Zappa, and the Alice Cooper group was set to receive a higher level of promotion from the more major label. It was around this time that the band, fed up with Californians' indifference to their act, relocated to Cooper's birthplace, Detroit, where their bizarre stage act was much better received. Detroit would remain their steady home base until 1972. "LA just didn’t get it. They were all on the wrong drug for us. They were on acid and we were basically drinking beer. We fit much more in Detroit than we did anywhere else..."

In 1970, after two failed albums, the Alice Cooper group was teamed up with fledgling producer Bob Ezrin for their third album, the last in their contract with Straight Records, and the band's last chance to create a hit. That hit soon came with the single "I'm Eighteen", released in November 1970, which reached number 21 in the Billboard Hot 100. The album that followed, Love it to Death, released in February 1971, proved to be their breakthrough record, reaching number 35 in the US Billboard 200 album charts. It would be the first of eleven Alice Cooper group and solo albums produced by Ezrin, who is widely seen as being instrumental in helping to create and develop the band's definitive sound.The band's trailblazing mix of glam and increasingly violent stage theatrics stood out in stark contrast to the bearded, denim-clad hippie bands of the time.As Cooper himself has stated: "We were into fun, sex, death and money when everybody was into peace and love. We wanted to see what was next. It turned out we were next, and we drove a stake through the heart of the Love Generation".
Sporting tight sequined costumes by the prominent rock fashion designer Cindy Dunaway (sister to band member Neal, and wife to band member Dennis) and stage shows that involved mock fights and Gothic torture modes being imposed on Cooper, the androgynous stage role now presented a villainous side which posed a potential threat to modern society. With Cooper needing to be punished for his immoral ways, the first of a number of methods of execution were incorporated into the show: the Electric Chair.
The success of the band's single, the album, and their tour of 1971, which saw their first and hugely successful tour of Europe (audience members reportedly included Elton John and David Bowie), provided enough encouragement for Warner Bros. to offer the band a new multi-album contract.
Their follow-up album Killer, released in late 1971, continued the commercial success of Love It To Death and included further single success with "Under My Wheels" and "Be My Lover" in early 1972, and "Halo Of Flies", which became a Top 10 hit in the Netherlands. Thematically, Killer expanded on the villainous side of Cooper's androgynous stage role, with its music becoming the soundtrack to the group's morality-based stage show, which by then featured a boa constrictor hugging Cooper onstage and the murderous axe chopping of bloodied dead baby dolls. In addition, the method of execution had developed into death by hanging: The Gallows. By mid-1972, the Alice Cooper show had become infamous, but what the band really needed was a big hit single.

That summer saw the release of the appropriately titled single "School's Out". It went Top 10 in the US, was a #1 single in the UK, and remains a staple on classic rock radio to this day. School's Out the album reached #2 on the US charts and sold over a million copies. The band now relocated to their new mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut.[30] With Cooper's on-stage androgynous persona completely replaced with brattiness and machismo, the band's traveling carnival of filth and terror cemented their success with subsequent tours in the US and Europe, and won over devoted fans in droves while at the same time horrifying parents and outraging the social establishment. In England, Mary Whitehouse, a well known campaigner for values of morality and decency, succeeded in having the BBC ban the video for "School’s Out"[31] and Member of Parliament Leo Abse petitioned Home Secretary Reginald Maudling to have the group banned altogether from performing in the country.[32] However, this seemed to have little effect on the band's popularity, as they were selected to be the first band to appear on the television series ABC In Concert in September 1972, and in February 1973 Billion Dollar Babies appeared, which was the band's most commercially successful album. It reached #1 in both the US and UK, and is also viewed by many critics as representing the band's creative peak.[citation needed] "Elected", a 1972 Top 10 UK hit from the album, which inspired one of the first MTV-style story-line promo videos ever made for a song (three years before Queen's promotional video for "Bohemian Rhapsody"), was followed by two more UK Top 10 singles, "Hello Hooray" and "No More Mr. Nice Guy", the latter of which was the last UK single from the album; it reached #25 in the US. The title track, featuring guest vocals by Donovan, was also a US hit single. Due to Glen Buxton's health problems[33] around this time, Mick Mashbir was added to the band (who also played, without credit, on Muscle of Love).
With a string of successful concept albums and several hit singles, the band continued their grueling schedule and toured the US once again. Continued attempts by politicians and pressure groups to ban their shocking act only served to fuel the myth of Alice Cooper further and generate even greater public interest. Their 1973 US tour broke box office records previously set by The Rolling Stones and raised rock theatrics to new heights; the multi-level stage show by then featured numerous special effects, including Billion Dollar Bills, decapitated baby dolls and mannequins, a dental psychosis scene complete with dancing teeth, and the ultimate execution prop and highlight of the show: the guillotine. The guillotine and other stage effects were designed for the band by magician James Randi, who appeared on stage during some of the shows as executioner. The Alice Cooper group had now reached its peak and it was among the most visible and successful acts in the industry. (Cooper's stage antics would influence a host of later bands, including, among others, Kiss, Blue Öyster Cult, GWAR, W.A.S.P. and, later, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie.) Beneath the surface, however, the repetitive schedule of recording and touring had begun to take its toll on the band, and Cooper, who was under the constant pressure of getting into character for that night's show, was consistently sighted nursing a can of beer.
Muscle of Love, released at the end of 1973, was to be the last studio album from the classic line-up, and marked Alice Cooper's last UK Top 20 single of the 1970s with "Teenage Lament '74". A theme song was recorded for the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun, but a different song of the same name by Lulu was chosen instead. By 1974, the Muscle of Love album had not matched the top-charting success of its predecessor, and the band began to have constant disagreements. Cooper wanted to retain the theatrics in the show that had brought them so much attention, while the rest of the group thought they should be toned down so that they could concentrate more on the music which had given them credibility. Largely as a result of this difference of opinion, the band decided to take a much-needed hiatus.
During this time, Cooper relocated back to Los Angeles and started appearing regularly on TV shows such as Hollywood Squares, and Warner Bros. released the Alice Cooper's Greatest Hits compilation album which featured classic artwork and which performed better than Muscle of Love, reaching the US Top 10. However, the band's feature film Good To See You Again, Alice Cooper (mainly concert footage with a faint storyline and 'comedic' sketches woven throughout), released on a minor theatrical run mostly to drive-in theaters, saw little box office success.
As some of the Alice Cooper band's members had commenced recording solo albums Cooper decided to do the same himself, and 1975 saw the release of his first solo album Welcome To My Nightmare. Its success marked the final break with the original members of the band, with Cooper collaborating with their producer Bob Ezrin who recruited Lou Reed's backing band, including guitarist Dick Wagner to play on the album. Spearheaded by the US Top 20 hit "Only Women Bleed", a ballad, the album was released by Atlantic Records in March of that year and became a Top 10 hit for Cooper. It was a concept album, based on the nightmare of a child named Steven, featuring narration by classic horror movie film star Vincent Price (several years before he guested on Michael Jackson's "Thriller"), and serving as the soundtrack to Cooper's new stage show, which now included more theatrics than ever (including an eight foot tall furry Cyclops which Cooper decapitates and kills).
However, by this time alcohol was clearly affecting Cooper's performances. During the Welcome to My Nightmare tour in Vancouver, and only a few songs into the routine, Cooper tripped over a footlight, staggered a few paces, lost his bearings and plunged head first off the stage and onto the concrete floor of the Pacific Colosseum. Some fans, thinking it was all part of the act, reached through the barriers to pull at his blood-matted hair before bouncers could pull him away for help. He was taken to a local hospital, where medical staff stitched his head wound and provided him with a skullcap. Cooper returned to the venue a couple of hours later and tried to perform a couple of more songs, but within minutes he had to call it a night. The opening act, Suzi Quatro, had already left the building and the remainder of the concert was cancelled.
Accompanying the album and stage show was the TV special The Nightmare, starring Cooper and Vincent Price in person, which aired on US prime-time TV in April 1975. The Nightmare, the first rock music video album ever made (it was later released on home video in 1983 and gained a Grammy Awards nomination for Best Long Form Music Video), was regarded as another groundbreaking moment in rock history. Adding to all that, a concert film, also called Welcome to My Nightmare and filmed live at London's Wembley Arena in September 1975, was released to theaters in 1976. Though it failed at the box office, it later became a midnight movie favorite and a cult classic. Such was the immense success of this solo project that Cooper decided to continue alone as a solo artist, and the original band became officially defunct. It was also during this time that Cooper co-founded the legendary drinking club The Hollywood Vampires, which gave him yet another reason to indulge his continued ample appetite for alcohol.
Following the 1976 US #12 hit "I Never Cry",another ballad, two albums, Alice Cooper Goes to Hell and Lace and Whiskey, and another ballad hit, the US #9 "You and Me", it became clear from his performances during his 1977 US tour that he was in dire need of help with his alcoholism (at his alcoholic peak it was rumoured that Cooper was consuming up to two cases of Budweiser and a bottle of whiskey a day). Following the tour, Cooper had himself hospitalized in a New York sanitarium for treatment, during which time the live album The Alice Cooper Show was released. His experience in the sanitarium was the inspiration for his 1978 semi-autobiographical album From The Inside, which Cooper co-wrote with Bernie Taupin. The release spawned another US Top 20 hit "How You Gonna See Me Now", which peaked at #12, and was yet another ballad, based on his fear of how his wife would react to him after his spell in hospital. The subsequent tour's stage show was based inside an asylum, and was filmed for Cooper's first home video release, The Strange Case of Alice Cooper, in 1979.Around this time, Cooper performed "Welcome To My Nightmare", "You and Me", and "School's Out" on The Muppet Show (episode # 3.7) on March 28, 1978 (he played one of the devil's henchmen trying to dupe Kermit the Frog and Gonzo into selling their souls). He also appeared in an against-type casting in the campy role of a piano playing, disco bellboy in Mae West's final film, Sextette. Cooper also led celebrities in raising money to remodel the famous Hollywood Sign in California. Cooper himself contributed over $27,000 to the project, buying an O in the sign in memory of friend and comedian Groucho Marx.

Avril Lavigne Take me away

2009-08-17T14:44:00.001+02:00

I cannot find a way to describe it
It's there inside; all I do is hide
I wish that it would just go away
What would you do, you do, if you knew
What would you do

[Chorus:]
All the pain I thought I knew
All the thoughts lead back to you
Back to what was never said
Back and forth inside my head
I can't handle this confusion
I'm unable; come and take me away

I feel like I am all alone
All by myself I need to get around this
My words are cold, I don't want them to hurt you
If I show you, I don't think you'd understand
Cause no one understands

[Chorus]

I'm going nowhere (on and on and)
I'm getting nowhere (on and on and on)
Take me away
I'm going nowhere (on and off and off and on)
(and off and on)

[Chorus]

Take me away
Break me away
Take me away

Skillet

2009-08-15T14:31:00.003+02:00

Skillet is an American Christian Metal band, formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1996. The band consists of John Cooper (lead vocalist, bassist), his wife Korey Cooper (guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist), Ben Kasica (guitarist), and the newest member Jen Ledger (drummer). Skillet has released seven studio albums, the latest two receiving Grammy nominations: Collide and Comatose.Over the past 13 years, Skillet has spanned many different genres, including hard rock, industrial rock, and symphonic rock.

Early years (1996–1999)
Skillet formed in 1996 with two members: John Cooper, former vocalist for Tennessee progressive rock band Seraph, and Ken Steorts, former guitarist for Urgent Cry. The two bands met through touring together, but those bands disbanded soon after, so John and Ken's pastor encouraged them to form their own band as a side-project.Coming from different styles of rock music, they decided to name the experiment Skillet. Soon afterwards Trey McClurkin joined the band as a temporary drummer. Skillet was only together for a month when they received interest from major Christian record label ForeFront Records. In 1996 they released a self-titled debut Skillet. It was well-received, and the trio continued to write new material as they toured the United States.
Skillet recorded their follow-up album throughout 1997, entitled Hey You, I Love Your Soul, which was released in April 1998. Their second effort was a change in style from the band's first release. With this release, Skillet would abandon their post-grunge approach for a lighter alternative rock that was more dependent on John's keyboard playing. His wife Korey was enlisted soon after to play keyboards live in order to alleviate John's live performance duties.

Invincible, Ardent Worship and Alien Youth (2000–2002)
Shortly before the band began recording for their third album, Invincible, Steorts left the band to be with his family, and Kevin Haaland joined the band as their new guitarist. Korey Cooper joined the band permanently and played keyboards for the recording of Invincible. Because of this change, the musical style on Invincible changed to a more electronic sound.Soon after the release of Invincible in early 2000, Trey McClurkin parted ways with Skillet, and Lori Peters filled the drummer's position. Invincible would be Skillet's best selling record thus far.
The band released their first worship album, and fourth album overall, Ardent Worship in fall of 2000. The band kept much of their sound from Invincible on their next album Alien Youth.With little time between touring and recording, Skillet released Alien Youth in 2001, which was the first album that John Cooper took on production duties. Before the release of Alien Youth, Haaland left the band, and Ben Kasica took over on guitar. The first single, the title track, was a major hit in the Christian market and drove Skillet into their first headlining shows.

Collide (2003–2005)
In 2003, Collide was released by Ardent Records. It caught the attention of Andy Karp, the Head of A&R of Lava Records, and in 2004 the rights to Collide were bought by Lava Records, a division of Atlantic Records. On May 25, 2004, Collide was re-released under Lava Records, with an added track, "Open Wounds". Collide was yet another musical shift for the band. Citing Linkin Park and P.O.D. as inspiration for the musical shift on Collide, Cooper said "Well I’m one of these song writers, everything I hear goes through my John Cooper filter of what I like and what I don’t like... all these things... have been an influence on me."

Comatose (2006–2008)
Skillet's album Comatose was released on October 3, 2006. It features the singles "Rebirthing," "Whispers In the Dark," "Comatose," "The Older I Get," "Those Nights," and "The Last Night". Skillet also released a B-side ("Live Free or Let Me Die") as a single, off their follow-up album Comatose: Deluxe Edition, which includes five acoustic tracks.
In January 2008, Skillet announced that their drummer, Lori Peters, was retiring from the band, feeling that "it's time for her to come off of the road and start a new chapter in her life."Peters' last concert with Skillet was on December 31, 2007.However, during the 2007 Christmas season, she took the time to train Skillet's next drummer, Jen Ledger.
On October 21, 2008, Comatose Comes Alive was released; a CD/DVD combo featuring live recordings of the band's May 9, 2008 concert in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was shown on the Gospel Music Channel on December 5, 2008.

Awake (2009)
Skillet announced that they went into the studio January 12 to finalize the new record with Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson. They added two songs ("Hero" and "Monster") from the new record to their setlist on April 2, 2009 in Evansville, Indiana as part of their Comatose Tour 2009.
The title of Skillet's next studio album, Awake, was announced on April 17, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana.The album will contain 12 songs and will release on August 25, 2009."Hero" was released to radio on May 19, 2009 as the album's first single, and "Monster" was released on July 14, 2009. They are also releasing a deluxe version with two extra songs "Dead Inside" and "Would It Matter", along with the original, radio edit of "Monster" that does not have the distorted growl like in the single and in the CD.

Band members

Current members
John Cooper – lead vocals, bass (1996–present)
Korey Cooper – guitar, keyboard, backing vocals (1999–present)
Ben Kasica – guitar (2001–present)
Jen Ledger – drums, vocals (2008–present)

Former members
Ken Steorts – guitar (1996–1999, founder of Visible School in Memphis, TN, a music and worship arts college)
Trey McClurkin – drums (1996–2000)
Kevin Haaland – guitar (1999–2001)
Lori Peters – drums (2000–2007)

Touring members
Faith Stern – keyboards, backing vocals (2002–2003)
Chris Marvin – guitar, backing vocals (2002–2003, 2005–2006)
Drea Winchell – keyboard (2005–2006)
Tate Olsen – cello (2008–present)
Jonathan Chu – violin (2008–present)

Altaria

2009-08-15T14:05:00.002+02:00

Altaria is a power metal band from Finland. They have released four full-length albums on the record label Metal Heaven.
In January 2008, the band decided to part ways with their record label Metal Heaven for undisclosed reasons. They are currently searching for a new record deal. Songs for a new album have been written which had originally been planned for release in late 2007; as soon a new contract with a record company is signed, work on the planned release will continue.

In the same month, bass player Marko Pukkila parted ways with the band after a disagreement concerning the split with Metal Heaven. His replacement is Ex-Terrorwheel bass player and current Altaria vocalist Marco Lupenero. This means that the only original member still active with Altaria is Tony Smedjebacka.
Towards the later part of 2008 the band announced on their website that they were in the process of writing songs for their fifth (fourth full) studio album. In March 2009, they stated that they had finished recording 12 tracks for their upcoming release. The title has yet to be confirmed, but one track has already been completed which is entitled "Pride and Desire".

Members:

Current
Marco Lupenero - Vocals, Bass (2006-Present)
Juha Pekka Alanen – Guitar (2005–present) (formerly Celesty)
Petri Aho – Guitar (2004 (live), 2006–present) (formerly Terrorwheel)
Tony Smedjebacka – Drums (2000–present)

Former:

Johan Mattjus – Vocals (2000–2001)
Jouni Nikula – Vocals (2002–2003) (also Requiem)
Erno "Emppu" Vuorinen – Guitars (2002–2004) (also Nightwish)
Jani Liimatainen – Guitars, keyboards (2000–2005) (also Sonata Arctica)
Taage Laiho – Vocals (2003–2006) (also Kilpi)
Marko Pukkila – Bass guitar (2000–2008)

Discography:

Sleeping Visions (2001 demo)
Feed The Fire (2002 demo)
Invitation (Metal Heaven, 2003)
Divinity (Metal Heaven, 2004)
The Fallen Empire (Metal Heaven, 2006)
Divine Invitation (2007)
Unholy ([Escape Music], 2009)

Delain biography

2007-04-29T05:00:00.001+02:00

Delain was founded by Martijn Westerholt, the ex-pianist and brother of one the founders of Within Temptation, Robert Westerholt. He left Within Temptation in 2001 when he suffered from Pfeiffer's disease. He started Delain in 2002. The band started recording the debut album in July 2005, after they had signed a contract with Roadrunner Records.

The band consists of Martijn Westerholt (keyboard) and Charlotte Wessels (vocals). Furthermore, the live band consists of Ronald Landa (grunts and guitar), Ray van Lente (guitar), Rob van der Loo (bass) and Sander Zoer (drums).

For their first album Lucidity they invited several well known musicians: Jan Yrlund from Lacrimosa (guitar), Ariën van Weesenbeek from God Dethroned (drums), Ad Sluijter from Epica (guitar), George Oosterhoek (grunts) and Guus Eikens, both formers member of Orphanage, Sharon Den Adel from Within Temptation (vocals), Marco Hietala from Nightwish (bass, vocals) and Liv Kristine from Leaves' Eyes (vocals).

Delain recorded a demo in 2002 which was called Amenity. It is very rare, even Martijn himself has no copy of it.

Delain's first album Lucidity was to be released April 2006, but was first postponed to the end May and after that to 21 August before it was finally released on 4 September. Samples of their music have been released on their website, and a full versions of the songs Sleepwalker's Dream and The Gathering, as well as the music video for the song Frozen.

Within Temptation

2007-04-07T03:58:00.001+02:00

Within Temptation is a band from the Netherlands. Founded by guitarist Robert Westerholt and vocalist Sharon den Adel, their music is variously described as symphonic metal and sometimes by the media as gothic metal, from which they take influence.

Formation
Long-term partners Robert Westerholt (on guitar) and Sharon den Adel (vocals) began the band in 1996, quickly adding Jeroen van Veen on bass guitar, Martijn Westerholt at the keyboard and (following a succession of short-lived drummers), Ivar de Graaf. They were quickly offered a recording contract and signed to DSFA Records later that year, beginning work on their first release.

Enter (1997)
Enter, the debut album, was released in 1997. The album was well received and the band embarked on a four gig tour across the country, after which they were asked to perform at the Dynamo Open Air festival in Eindhoven, one of the Netherlands' largest heavy metal festivals. The band rounded out 1997 by embarking on their first international tour, of Germany and Austria.

The Dance (1998-1999)
In 1998 the band continued to tour actively - their profile had elevated them to the main stage at Dynamo for the 1998 event. However, Within Temptation had released no new material (and did not have plans for a second album at this point), to which end they elected to release an EP, The Dance.

Finally taking a break from touring, 1999 was largely a sabbatical year for the band. They took the opportunity to construct their own studio, as well as returning to personal pursuits, with plans to return to the fold the next year.

Mother Earth (2000-2003)
2000 was an eventful year for the band as they returned to touring, playing three Dutch festivals; Waterpop, Bospop and Lowlands. In addition they went to work on their second album, releasing Mother Earth in the Low Countries on December 1st. The album was a hit, receiving positive reviews across the board and rooted itself in the Dutch charts.

The band first released the single Our Farewell, which never entered the charts. The second single from Mother Earth, Ice Queen, was regarded as the breakthrough release for the band; in 2001 it climbed to number 4 in the Netherlands but was their first number one single when it climbed to the top in Belgium. The success rebounded to Mother Earth, which continued to climb in the Dutch album chart, ending the year at number 3.

2001 also saw a number of changes in personnel; Ruud Adrianus Jolie was added as a second guitarist, drummer de Graaf was replaced by Stephen van Haestregt, and Martijn Westerholt (suffering from infectious mononucleosis) was replaced by Martijn Spierenburg. Westerholt later started the band Delain.

The band achieved still wider appeal in 2002 with their first concert in France and even a headline gig in Mexico City. They attained their first major award, the Dutch Silver Harp. They bolstered this by embarking on a major international tour supporting Paradise Lost in 2003 and re-releasing Mother Earth on the GUN Records label across more European countries; it was a particularly large success in Germany, where it went platinum and reached number 7 in the charts; the re-release of Ice Queen also charted well in the top 30. In turn the Benelux regions got a different release, a cover of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill. The band highlighted music festivals across the Netherlands and their Mother Earth tour DVD claimed the prestigious Edison Award.

The Silent Force (2004-2006)
Plans for the band's third album came to fruition in 2004, with the release of The Silent Force on November 15th, 2004 across Europe. Daniel Gibson's production was an instant number 1 in the band's heartland and charted well in many European countries. In support of the release they embarked on another large international tour in 2005, with dates across the continent (including their first major UK concert in London) and a one-off show in Dubai. Stand My Ground and Memories, the first singles from the new album, continued the band's run of chart success, culminating in a second Edison Award. Stand My Ground was promoted on the trailer for the film Blood and Chocolate.

In January 2006, Within Temptation won the Dutch Pop Prize (best Dutch pop contribution) and Dutch Export Prize (best-selling Dutch artist outside The Netherlands), the latter given to them for the third time in a row. The band also reported that they were busy working on their next album, due to be released during the fall, and that they would start playing at festivals starting in April, in addition to going on an international tour at the end of the year.

The Heart of Everything (2007-present)
The new album The Heart of Everything from Within Temptation has been released on the 9th of March in the Netherlands and 24th of July in the United States. The release dates for multiple countries are found on their official Myspace page. Two more tracks, "The Howling" and "The Sound of Freedom", have been recorded as promotion material for the video game The Chronicles of Spellborn, and the first of these will be included on the album. The full track listing was revealed on the 10th of January.The band will embark on their first North American tour with Lacuna Coil in May.The album debuted at #1 in the Dutch Alnum 100, making it their second number-one album. It's also the first any Dutch act ever charted within the United World Chart. It peaked at #38 selling 50,000 copies in their first week. It reached top 10 in eight countries and top 100 in eleven countries. As of March 30, 2007 the album has sold 90,300 copies.

The song "What Have You Done" will be the first single from the new album. Its music video was recorded on the 12th, 13th, and 14th of December in 2006 in London, Windsor and a studio for CGI, and features Keith Caputo's guest vocals. Fans were allowed to participate in the making of the video, and will appear in it. Shortly after, a completely new video for the song was made, and it is this version that can currently be seen on their MySpace page. The song peaked at #7 in the Netherlands and #4 in Finland.

Alanis Morissette 2004-present

2007-04-07T02:33:00.001+02:00

Morissette released her fourth international studio album, So-Called Chaos, in May 2004. She wrote the songs on her own again and co-produced the album with Tim Thorney and John Shanks. Selling over 115,000 copies in its first week of U.S. release, the album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 chart to generally mixed critical reviews. The album's lead single, "Everything", achieved major success on Adult Top 40 radio but failed to reach the top forty on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Because executives at Maverick Records wanted to avoid a censor "bleep" in the first line of the song,[citation needed] the radio and music video versions of the single include the word "nightmare" instead of "asshole"; several verses from the album version were also edited out. Two other singles, "Out Is Through" and "Eight Easy Steps", fared worse commercially than "Everything", although a dance mix of "Eight Easy Steps" was a top ten hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

In June 2004, Morissette announced her engagement to actor, and fellow Canadian, Ryan Reynolds.During that time, she also gave an interview to British newspaper The Mirror in which she declared having had homosexual flings in the past, having dated a man thirty years her senior at age fourteen and, in a brief way, her experiences with drugs. In the article she says: "My addictions were work and food. I smoked pot once in a while, but I'm too much of a control freak to be a drug person."She expanded her own acting credentials with the July release of the Cole Porter biographical film De-Lovely, in which she performed the song "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)" and had a brief role as an anonymous stage performer. Morissette hosted the 2004 Juno Awards and embarked on a successful U.S. summer tour with long-time friends and fellow Canadians, the Barenaked Ladies.

In February 2005, Morissette became a naturalized citizen of the United States while still maintaining her Canadian citizenship. Morissette refers to herself as a Canadian–American. That same month, she made a guest appearance on the Canadian television show Degrassi: The Next Generation along with Dogma co-star Jason Mewes and director Kevin Smith.

To commemorate the tenth anniversary of Jagged Little Pill, Morissette released a studio acoustic version in June 2005 entitled Jagged Little Pill Acoustic. The album was exclusively released through Starbucks' Hear Music retail concept through their coffee shops for a six-week run, much like Ray Charles' successful album Genius Loves Company. This move caused much controversy, with companies such as HMV in Canada removing their entire Morissette catalog for the duration of the deal in protest. The version that went into wide release included enhanced features not included on the Starbucks release version. Jagged Little Pill Acoustic sold about 330,000 copies in the U.S. and one million worldwide; its first single was "Hand in My Pocket". The accompanying tour ran for two months in the summer of 2005, with Morissette playing small, intimate theatre venues. During this period, Morissette was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.

Morissette released the greatest hits album Alanis Morissette: The Collection in late 2005, with a cover of the 1991 Seal song "Crazy" as the first single. The song reached the top ten on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart. A limited edition of The Collection features a DVD including a documentary with videos of two unreleased songs from Morissette's 1996 Can't Not Tour: "King of Intimation" and "Can't Not" (the latter appeared in a reworked version on Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie). The DVD also includes a ninety-second clip of the unreleased video for the single "Joining You". Morissette contributed a song entitled "Wunderkind" to the soundtrack of the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and it was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Original Song".
In April 2006, MTV.com reported that Morissette would reprise her role in The Exonerated in London from May 23 through the May 28.

Rolling Stone reported in January 2006 that Morissette was in between "intense" writing sessions for her upcoming 2007 studio album, which was to be co-produced by Mike Elizondo, and that she was going to spend 2006 working on a memoir. She said of her book, "it will be all the wisdom I've accrued in the thirty-one years of my life (...) A lot about relationships, fame, travel, body-image issues, spirit — with a lot of self-deprecating humor peppered throughout, 'cause I just can't help it."More recently, she has been delving back into acting, guest starring in an episode of Lifetime's Lovespring International and three episodes of FX's Nip/Tuck, playing a lesbian. In October 2006 Morissette said in an interview with TV Guide that she was going to start writing new material over the next few weeks, saying "I usually fill two journals for each record and at the present, I have seven journals full. I have a lot within me ready to burst out."

In July 2006, People magazine reported that Morissette had split from her fiancé, Ryan Reynolds, but neither party confirmed this report.Later that month, a source said that they were indeed together,and Contact Music reported that their split was a "rumor".Morissette and Reynolds were pictured holding hands in Los Angeles,sinking the rumors. However, in February 2007, Morissette and Ryan Reynolds mutually decided to end their engagement.

On April 1, 2007, Morissette released a cover of The Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps"., a spoof sung in a slow, mournful voice. The video of the single, in which she dances provocatively with a group of men and hits the ones who attempt to touch her "lady lumps," became an internet sensation, getting over 2.5 million hits in only three days and spurring parodies of her parody.She is currently rumored to be working on her next album with producer Guy Sigsworth.

Alanis Morissette 1998-2003

2007-04-07T02:29:00.002+02:00

Morissette recorded the song "Uninvited" for the soundtrack to the 1998 film City of Angels. Although the track was never commercially released as a single, it received widespread radio airplay in the U.S. At the 1999 Grammy Awards, it won in the categories of "Best Rock Song" and "Best Female Rock Vocal Performance", and was nominated for "Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture". Later in 1998, Morissette released Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, on which she again collaborated with Ballard. Fans and critics alike were unprepared for Morissette's new songwriting approach: most of the tracks, including "Would Not Come" and "Unsent", challenged traditional song formulas. They included one-chord drone melodies and Morissette singing over letter-like prose texts; some songs lacked choruses or took a long time to reach them.

Privately,[citation needed] the label hoped to sell a million copies of the album on initial release, but it sold about half of that. Nonetheless, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 470,000 copies — a record, at the time, for the highest first-week sales of an album by a female artist. As a follow-up to Jagged Little Pill, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie had very little staying power: its wordy, personal lyrics alienated many fans. After twenty-eight weeks it left the Billboard 200 with sales of 2.6 million, a huge decline from Jagged Little Pill. Worldwide, it sold about seven million copies. However, it received positive reviews, including a four-star review from Rolling Stone. "Thank U", the album's only hit single, and "So Pure" were nominated for the 2000 Grammy Awards for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" and "Best Female Rock Vocal Performance", respectively. The "Thank U" music video, which featured Morissette nude, generated mild controversy.

In 1999, Morissette released the live acoustic album, Alanis Unplugged, which was recorded during her appearance on the television show MTV Unplugged. It included three new songs, including one she wrote with her main guitar player, Nick Lashley, called "No Pressure over Cappuccino". She contributed vocals to the songs "Don't Drink the Water" and "Spoon" on the Dave Matthews Band album Before These Crowded Streets, as well as "Mercy" and "Innocence", two tracks from Jonathan Elias's project The Prayer Cycle. That same year, Morissette released a live version of her song "Are You Still Mad" on the charity album Live in the X Lounge II.

Morissette delved into acting again, for the first time since her childhood role on You Can't Do That on Television, appearing as God in the Kevin Smith film Dogma. Smith, a fan of Morissette's, asked her to be in the film several times.She had to turn down the female lead and by the time her schedule allowed her to participate in the film, only the role of God, which involves virtually no dialogue and only an appearance at the very end of the film, was left. She also appeared on the hit HBO comedies Sex and the City and Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred in the play The Vagina Monologues.

After a four year absence, Morissette released her third international studio album, Under Rug Swept, in February 2002. For the first time in her recording career, Morissette took on the role of sole writer and producer. Her band, comprising Joel Shearer, Nick Lashley, Chris Chaney and Gary Novak, played the majority of the instruments. Me'shell Ndegeocello played bass on the tracks "You Owe Me Nothing in Return" and "So Unsexy". Shortly after recording the album, Morissette hired an entirely new band, featuring Jason Orme, Zac Rae, David Levita, and Blair Sinta, who have been with her since.

Under Rug Swept produced the hit single, "Hands Clean" and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 215,000 in the first week. Under Rug Swept eventually sold a million copies in the U.S. alone, but only "Hands Clean" received any substantial radio airplay. Morissette won a Juno Award for "Producer of the Year".

The CD/DVD combination package, Feast on Scraps, which included live concert footage and eight previously unreleased songs from the Under Rug Swept recording sessions, was released in December. The album was nominated for a Juno Award for "DVD of the Year". In November 2003, Morissette appeared in the off-Broadway play The Exonerated as Sunny Jacobs, a death row inmate freed after proof surfaced that she was innocent.

Alanis Morissette 1993-1998

2007-04-07T02:22:00.002+02:00

In 1993, Morissette moved from Ottawa to Toronto. Living alone for the first time in her life, she met with a bevy of songwriters, but the results frustrated her.A visit to Nashville a few months later also proved fruitless. Morissette began making trips to Los Angeles and working with as many musicians as possible, in the hopes of meeting a collaborator. During this time, she met producer and songwriter Glen Ballard.

According to Ballard,the connection was "instant", and within thirty minutes of meeting each other they had begun experimenting with different sounds in Ballard's home studio. Ballard and Morissette penned their first song together, called "The Bottom Line". The turning point in their sessions was the song "Perfect", written and recorded in twenty minutes. Morissette improvised the lyrics on the spot, while Ballard played guitar. The version that appeared on Jagged Little Pill, Morissette's next album, was the only take the pair recorded. Ballard and Morissette recorded the songs on Jagged Little Pill literally as they wrote the tunes. According to Morissette, Ballard was the first collaborator who encouraged her to express her emotions. By the spring of 1995, Morissette had signed a deal with Maverick Records.

As she later revealed, during her stay in L.A., a man with a gun confronted and robbed her on a deserted street, although the thief did not take the writing and brainstorming notes in her purse: the scribblings that soon made up Jagged Little Pill. Morissette subsequently developed an intense and general angst, which manifested in random daily panic attacks, even on planes. She checked herself into a hospital and attended psychotherapy sessions, but with no improvement. She focused all her inner problems on the soul-baring lyrics of the album for her own health.

Maverick Records released Morissette's first international album, Jagged Little Pill, in 1995. Scott Welsh, Morissette's manager and long-time friend, and executives at Maverick expected the album to sell at very best around 250,000 copies.The album debuted at number 118 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart, but the situation changed quickly when a Los Angeles DJ from an influential radio station began playing "You Oughta Know", the album's first single.The song instantly garnered attention and a subsequent music video went into heavy rotation on MTV and MuchMusic. Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers plays bass on the track, along with then-bandmate Dave Navarro on guitar.

After the success of "You Oughta Know", the album's other hit singles helped send Jagged Little Pill to the top of the charts. "All I Really Want" and "Hand in My Pocket" followed, but the fourth U.S. single, "Ironic", became Morissette's biggest hit. "You Learn" and "Head over Feet", the fifth and sixth singles, respectively, kept Jagged Little Pill in the top twenty on the Billboard 200 for over a year.

According to the RIAA, Jagged Little Pill is the best-selling debut album of all time by a female artist, with over fourteen million copies sold in the U.S. As of 2005, it had sold thirty million worldwide.In Ireland, when the album Under Rug Swept was released in 2002, Jagged Little Pill re-entered the album chart on February 21 at number seventy-two and reached nineteen on March 7.It took nine weeks for it to depart the chart again.

Morissette was attacked for collaborating with producer and supposed image-maker Ballard,although she was responsible for all of Jagged Little Pill's lyrics and much of the album's music.[citation needed] The album was nominated for six Grammy Awards in 1996, and Morissette won "Best Female Rock Vocal Performance" and "Best Rock Song" for "You Oughta Know", and "Best Rock Album" and "Album of the Year" for Jagged Little Pill (she lost "Best New Artist" and "Song of the Year").

Later in 1996, Morissette embarked on an eighteen-month world tour in support of Jagged Little Pill, beginning in small clubs and ending in large venues. Taylor Hawkins, currently with the Foo Fighters, was the tour's drummer. "Ironic" was nominated for two 1997 Grammy Awards: "Record of the Year" and "Best Music Video, Short Form". The video Jagged Little Pill, Live, which chronicled the bulk of the tour, won a 1998 Grammy Award for "Best Music Video, Long Form".

During the tour, Morissette became disillusioned with the music industry and declared being tired of constant travelling, quick and superficial relationships and parties full of drugs – subjects which made her think of ditching her career. She started practicing Iyengar Yoga for balancing, and after the last December 1996 show in Hawaii, she headed to India for six weeks, accompanied by her mother, two aunts and two female friends.

Alanis Morissette 1974-1993

2007-04-07T01:44:00.002+02:00

Alanis Morissette was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to Alan and Georgia Morissette. Alanis had a twin brother Wade, and an older brother, Chad.

In 1986, Morissette had her first stint as an actress: five episodes of the children's television show You Can't Do That on Television. Using money she saved from that role, she released an independent single "Fate Stay with Me" with the B-side, "Find the Right Man". She appeared onstage with the Orpheus Musical Theatre Society in 1985 and 1988.
During her high school years, Morissette attended Glebe Collegiate Institute in Ottawa.

At a New York City audition, Morissette landed a spot on Star Search, a popular American talent competition on which she used her stage name, Alanis Nadine.
Morissette flew to Los Angeles to appear on the show, but lost after one round.

In 1990, Morissette signed with MCA Records Canada and was an opening act on rapper Vanilla Ice's tour. Leslie Howe produced her full-length debut album, Alanis, which was released in 1991. At the time, Morissette dropped her stage name and was credited simply as Alanis. The dance-pop album, which was only released in Canada, went double platinum, and its first single, "Too Hot", reached the top twenty on the Canadian singles chart. Subsequent singles included "Walk Away", "Feel Your Love" and "Plastic".

During the ages 14 to 18, Morissette suffered from anorexia and bulimia nervosa, catalysed by "hardcore" professional pressure and managerial demands from her work towards making her first album. She recalled returning to the studio to re-record some vocals, only to be told "I actually wanted to talk to you about your weight. You can't be successful if you're fat." She lived on a diet of carrots, black coffee, and Melba toast, and her weight fluctuated by 15 to 20 pounds. She subsequently began therapy, which she called "a long process to un-program [my brain]. I try to remember, whatever my body is, it's perfect the way it is."

In 1992, Morissette was nominated for three Juno Awards: "Single of the Year", "Best Dance Recording" (for "Too Hot"), and "Most Promising Vocalist (Female)" (which she won). In the same year, she released her second album, Now Is the Time; this featured the top forty single "An Emotion Away", and attempted to move away from her first album's dance-pop sound, aptly named Barabas. Now Is the Time sold less than half the number of copies of her first album, and, with her two-album deal with MCA Canada complete, she was left without a major label contract.During this period, Morissette dated Dave Coulier of television's Full House fame.In 1993, she appeared in the film Just One of the Girls starring Corey Haim.

Call Me When You're Sober lyrics & video

2007-03-23T04:23:00.001+02:00

Don't cry to me.
If you loved me,
You would be here with me.
You want me,
Come find me.
Make up your mind.

Should I let you fall?
Lose it all?
So maybe you can remember yourself.
Can't keep believing,
We're only deceiving ourselves .
And I'm sick of the lie,
And you're too late.

Don't cry to me.
If you loved me,
You would be here with me.
You want me,
Come find me.
Make up your mind.

Couldn't take the blame.
Sick with shame.
Must be exhausting to lose your own game.
Selfishly hated,
No wonder you're jaded.
You can't play the victim this time,
And you're too late.

Don't cry to me.
If you loved me,
You would be here with me.
You want me,
Come find me.
Make up your mind.

You never call me when you're sober.
You only want it cause it's over,
It's over.

How could I have burned paradise?
How could I - you were never mine.

So don't cry to me.
If you loved me,
You would be here with me.
Don't lie to me,
Just get your things.
I've made up your mind.

Everything Back But You lyrics & video

2007-03-23T04:19:00.001+02:00

Today was the worst day I went through hell
I wish I could remove it from my mind
Two months away from you but I couldn't tell
I thought everything was gonna be just fine

The post card that you wrote with the stupid little note
Something wasn't quite right about it
It smelt like cheap perfume
and it didn't smell like you
There's no way you can get around it
Because you wrote

[Chorus:]
I wish you were her
You left without me
You left without me
And now you're somehwere out there
With some bitch slut psycho babe
I hate you, why are guys so lame
[...]
Everything back but you

You first tried to tell me all along
That you werent the right one for me
My friends tried to tell me to be strong
I bet you didnt think that I would see

The postcard that you wrote
With the stupid little note
There wasn't something quite right about it
I wanna to see you cry
Like I did a thousand times
Now you're losing me you're losing me now

[Chorus]

Keep Holding On lyrics & video

2007-03-23T04:15:00.000+02:00

Your sad eyes never told me
No paradise, here for the lonely
But I hold on, half a heart here in my hands
Been so long, would you know me
Who's holding you, who's gonna hold me
If you want me, then I'll be your man
And I keep holding on
Holding on till you come back to me
And I keep holding on
Holding on till you run to me
Can you take me to heaven
Show me the way cause I'm no angel
I'm lost and
Can I hold you one more time
I guess me holding you was holding you down
WIll I have your memory
Or will your memory have me
I don't know, only time
Knows if I'll ever know peace of mind
Only time knows if you're mine, if you're mine
And I keep holding on
Holding on till you come back to me
And I keep holding on
Holding on till you run to me
All I can hold is a shadow of a heart that's gone
And left me shattered
I'm lost and
Can I hold you one more time
I guess me holding you
Was holding you down
I guess me holding you
Was holding you down
I guess me holding you
Was holding you down

Girlfriend lyrics & video

2007-03-23T03:53:00.001+02:00

Hey Hey You You
I don’t like your girlfriend
No way No way
I think you need a new one
Hey Hey You You
I could be your girlfriend

Hey Hey You You
I know that you like me
No way No way
No, it’s not a secret
Hey Hey You You
I want to be your girlfriend

You’re so fine
I want you mine
You’re so delicious
I think about you all the time
You’re so addictive
Don’t you know
What I can do
To make you feel alright

Don’t pretend
I think you know
I’m damn precious
And hell yeah
I’m the mother (fucking) princess
I can tell you like me too
And you know I’m right

She’s like so whatever
You can do so much better
I think we should get together now
And that’s what everyone’s talking about

Hey Hey You You
I don’t like your girlfriend
No way No way
I think you need a new one
Hey Hey You You
I could be your girlfriend

Hey Hey You You
I know that you like me
No way No way
No, it’s not a secret
Hey Hey You You
I want to be your girlfriend

I can see the way
I see the way
You look at me
And even when you look away
I know you think of me
I know you talk about me all the time
again and again

So come over here
and tell me what I wanna hear
Better, yet, make your girlfriend disappear
I don’t wanna hear you say her name
ever again

Because…

She’s like so whatever

And you can do so much better
I think we should get together now
And that’s what everyone’s talking about

Hey Hey You You
I don’t like your girlfriend
No way No way
I think you need a new one
Hey Hey You You
I could be your girlfriend

Hey Hey You You
I know that you like me
No way No way
No, it’s not a secret
Hey Hey You You
I want to be your girlfriend

(Oh)

In a second you’ll be wrapped around my

finger
‘Cause I can, ’cause I can do it better
There’s no other, so when’s it gonna sink in
She’s so stupid, what the hell were you

thinking?

(Oh)

In a second you’ll be wrapped around my

finger
‘Cause I can, ’cause I can do it better
There’s no other, so when’s it gonna sink in
She’s so stupid, what the hell were you

thinking?

Hey Hey You You
I don’t like your girlfriend
No way No way
I think you need a new one
Hey Hey You You
I could be your girlfriend

(No Way) (no way)

Hey Hey You You
I know that you like me
No way No way
No, it’s not a secret
Hey Hey You You
I want to be your girlfriend

(No way,no way)

Hey Hey You You
I don’t like your girlfriend ( No Way!)
No way No way
I think you need a new one (Hey!)
Hey Hey You You
I could be your girlfriend (No Way!)

Hey Hey You You
I know that you like me (No Way!)
No way No way
No, it’s not a secret (Hey!)
Hey Hey You You
I want to be your girlfriend (No Way!)

No Way!
Hey Hey!

ROXETTE biography

2007-03-14T04:25:00.001+02:00

Roxette is a Swedish pop double act, sometimes rock influenced, that consists of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle.

For a significant period of time in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Roxette stood among the top bands in worldwide sales and fame, brandishing a simple yet effective blend of pop with a slight edge and occasional hints of dance. The group claims influences ranging from The Beatles to Blondie to new wave music to Joni Mitchell and Aretha Franklin.

There was a time in 1991 when Roxette could command an arena filled with tens of thousands of fans in places as diverse as Stockholm, Mexico City, Paris, Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires, Frankfurt, Rome and Sydney. The 1992 release Tourism: Songs from Studios, Stages, Hotelrooms & Other Strange Places - with a recording of audience members singing along to the tune of the group's biggest hit, "It Must Have Been Love" - exemplifies this temporary but impressive hold Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson had.

Though there is no firm figure, Roxette is said to have worldwide sales of 75 million copies of its albums and singles. The group's success in the United States was arguable. While seemingly not interested in doing so, even by default Roxette could not associate its image with the now-iconic ABBA, another Swedish pop group that struggled for recognition in America while still intact in the late 1970s, but that managed, through revisionism beginning in the early 1990s, to grow into something more intriguing as a legacy.

ABBA did have some Billboard Top 10 singles and one No. 1 in the 1970s. Even though Roxette couldn't ultimately leave behind the same legacy, the group did outperform ABBA on the singles chart, achieving four No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1989 and 1991. Roxette also had two No. 2 singles and a few other Top 40 peaks until falling out of sight of the Hot 100 in 1994. Even so, by that token, Roxette can be considered a highly successful singles act. The group has been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with two platinum albums - 1988's Look Sharp! (released in the U.S. in 1989) and 1991's Joyride - and two gold singles - "The Look" and "It Must Have Been Love."

In Sweden the group has had 17 Top 10 hits, and Roxette has developed a large following throughout South America, South Africa and Europe.

Roxette's music is best summed up by the title of its 1995 greatest-hits album: Don't Bore Us - Get to the Chorus! Mostly written by Gessle and produced by Clarence Öfwerman, the songs were melodic pop, what Stephen Thomas Erlewine, senior editor of the All Music Guide, called "extremely catchy and simple hooks and melodies that are sweet but not saccharine." Jon Pareles of The New York Times, however, thought that "Roxette's music is a matter of efficiency and control, not fun...and won't be accused of too much originality". Single releases tend to oscillate between lead vocals by Gessle - whose light, almost sunshiny voice fronts hits such as "The Look" and "Joyride" -- and Fredriksson - whose grainy, throatier delivery can be heard on "Listen to Your Heart" and "It Must Have Been Love," among others.

Though they have claimed that the original aim of Roxette was to apply Gessle's pop compositions to Fredriksson's vocals, they also claim that the spontaneously-written and -recorded "The Look," the group's worldwide breakthrough hit, came as a surprise with Gessle taking lead. Perhaps the claim can be questioned in light of the fact that the first single Gessle and Fredriksson released in Sweden in late 1985, "Neverending Love," was a full-on duet (similar to "Dangerous"), as were several other single releases before the group's reach expanded beyond its home country.

HIM biography

2007-03-12T01:08:00.001+02:00

HIM is a band from Finland formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Valo, guitarist Linde, and bassist Mige Amour. They have released five full length albums to date.

As of 2006, they are the first and only Finnish rock band to sell Gold in the United States. The band was originally called His Infernal Majesty, but they soon changed this to simply HIM.Also for a short time they were know as either "HER" or "HIM and HER", in the United States and Europe, respectively.

HIM started out as a cover band, covering songs of artists such as KISS, Type O Negative, Danzig, Black Sabbath and Depeche Mode. After many lineup changes and a hiatus from 1991 to 1995 caused by the members' military services, the band now consists of the three founding members plus keyboardist Janne Johannes "Burton" Puurtinen and drummer Mika Kristian "Gas" Karppinen.

666 Ways to love: Prologue

Released in 1996, solely in Finland, only 1000 copies of this album were sold. It was produced by Hiili Hiilesmaa, and was recorded at Finnvox Studios, MD and Peacemakers, Helsinki.

Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666

The band released their first full-length studio album, Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666, on November 20, 1997. It features covers of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" and Blue Öyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". Four singles were released from the album. The album was produced by Hiili Hiilesmaa, who also produced their EP 666 Ways to Love: Prologue. Like the EP, the album was recorded at Finnvox, MD and Peacemakers in Helsinki, Finland. Guest vocals were provided by Sanna-June Hyde and Asta Hannula on "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and "For You", respectively. A special Digipak version was also released with "For You" moved to the first track. Another special edition was released in Germany with the bonus track "Stigmata Diaboli", taken from 666 Ways to Love: Prologue. In keeping with the theme of 666, the album's length is 66 minutes and 6 seconds. This album is also the only HIM album so far, to have hidden bonus tracks.

Razorblade Romance

After gaining popularity in Europe, particularly their homeland, HIM released their second album in 1999, titled Razorblade Romance. This is when the band's popularity began to rise, their single "Join Me in Death" from the album reached #1 on the German music charts, selling over 500,000 of this single in two months.

Following this German success they released two more Germany only singles from this album; "Right Here in My Arms" and "Gone With the Sin", which reached #20 and #19 on the charts respectively. Around this time they were also becoming more well known in other parts of Europe, such as the United Kingdom. The album itself reached #1 in both Germany and their native Finland.

Razorblade Romance in the United States

In 2002, Razorblade Romance was re-released and put into stores in the United States. HIM was not allowed to use their name for sales because of the American band, HiM, owned the rights to that name. Therefore, they changed the name to HER in the United States, and to HIM and HER in Europe, for this release. Eventually, full rights to the name HIM were bought, and copies of the album bearing the name HER were discontinued and replaced by the correctly titled HIM version. Of the alternatively titled album, only 1000 copies exist.

Daniel Lioneye

During 2001, before the group's third release, the members of HIM formed a new band, Daniel Lioneye, it was aimed to be a solo project of guitarist Linde, who took on the vocal spot and the stage name Daniel Lioneye for it.

The style of music played on the album falls between bluesy-hard rock, with sleaze rock themed such as sex and alcohol and rock 'n' roll. Migé Amour played bass, Ville Valo was on drums, with Hiili on keyboards, and Ike on sound effects. They released one album, The King of Rock'n Roll, in September of 2001. Although it was not a commercial success, it retains a cult following.

Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights

After the Daniel Lioneye project, HIM released Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights in August 2001. This was the band's first album with new keyboarder Emerson Burton, the final addition to the current line-up. Once again the album shot to #1 in their Finnish homeland, making them the most dominant homegrown band in their country since Hanoi Rocks in the 1980s, it also reached #2 in Germany. Three singles were released from it "Pretending" (which reached #10 in Germany), "In Joy and Sorrow" and a double single featuring both "Heartache Every Moment" and "Close to the Flame". Such success further facilitated their gradual emergence into the mainstream.

Love Metal

On April 14, 2003, HIM released Love Metal. This was the first album that did not feature singer/songwriter Ville Valo on the cover. Instead, it featured a gold heartagram, the band's well-known logo. The singles also featured sigils. "The Funeral of Hearts" was the first single and their first high appearance on the United Kingdom charts at #15, it also hit #3 in Germany. It was followed by "Buried Alive By Love" and "The Sacrament".

Around the time of the Love Metal album the group became more well-known in America and internationally when professional skateboarder and TV personality Bam Margera began using the band's heartagram logo and promoting them extensively on his MTV series Viva La Bam. Margera produced their video for "Buried Alive By Love", which featured a guest appearance from Natural Born Killers actress Juliette Lewis. They played at Download Festival in 2003 on the second stage with The Hellacopters, the following year they would go on to headline the same stage.

And Love Said No-The Greatest Hits 1997-2004

And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997-2004 is HIM's first greatest hits album. It contains two unreleased songs: "And Love Said No" and "Solitary Man", the latter of which is a Neil Diamond cover. It also had a rerecorded version of "When Love And Death Embrace" and the British version also had a rerecorded version of "It's All Tears (Drown In This Love)". The digipak version of this album came with a DVD with six songs live at Semifinal Club in Helsinki.

Dark Light

HIM's fifth studio album, 2005's Dark Light, became their full breakout in the United States, debuting in the top 20 of the Billboard Top 200 and spawning two major rock hits, "Wings of a Butterfly" and "Killing Loneliness", both of which have accompanying videos. In the summer of 2005 they played the mainstage of Download Festival with Black Sabbath and Velvet Revolver.

The success of Dark Light has also allowed a number of HIM's previous albums (including Love Metal) to chart in the United States. It was announced in October 2006 on their official website that Dark Light had been certified Gold by the RIAA in America. This made HIM the first band from Finland to sell over 500,000 records in the US. Some of the success of the Dark Light album was due to professional skateboarder and Jackass star, Bam Margera, who is an avid supporter of the band.

In addition to their studio albums, HIM has released several compilations. These include the Love Metal Archives DVD, the multi-disc Singles Collection, a greatest hits entitled, And Love Said No, and a DVD collection of their videos through 2003.

Uneasy Listening Vol.1

Uneasy Listening Vol. 1 is HIM's third compilation album. It contains special versions of various songs from their albums Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666, Razorblade Romance, Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights,Love Metal, and Dark Light.Most of which has already been released on various special limited editions of the maxi-singles.

Uneasy Listening Vol. 2

Uneasy Listening Vol. 2 will be released in Germany at 20th April 2007, in Finland and in the rest of Europe at 24th/25th April 2007

the Rasmus

2007-03-11T08:35:00.001+02:00

The Rasmus are a Finnish band that formed in 1994 in Helsinki, while the band members were still in high school. Before releasing their album Into (2001), they were simply known as Rasmus, but changed their name to The Rasmus in order to avoid being confused with a Swedish DJ of the same name. Their 2003 hit "In The Shadows" made them famous outside Scandinavia and received worldwide press attention.

The Rasmus formed at the end of 1994 when the band members were still in high school, and were initially known as Sputnik, then Antilla, and then simply Rasmus (a Scandinavian man's name that has no particular meaning). They recorded their first single, '"1st" (released independently through Teja G. Records in late 1995) before signing with Warner Music Finland to release their first album, Peep, when the band members were only aged 16. It went Gold as the band played over 100 shows in Finland and Estonia.

Rasmus released their second album, Playboys, in 1997. This record also went gold in Finland, with the single "Blue". Rasmus' gruelling live schedule included supporting Rancid and Dog Eat Dog and appearing at a Festival on the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. The band would also win a Finnish Grammy Award for "Best New Artist" in 1996.

The band's third album, Hell of a Tester, was released in 1998 with a video for the single "Liquid". It made regular appearances on Nordic MTV. This song was voted Song of the Year by Finnish music critics. The band achieved further recognition supporting Garbage and Red Hot Chili Peppers when they toured Finland.

Rasmus became The Rasmus in 2000, after replacing drummer Janne Heiskanen with drumming merchandise-seller Aki Hakala. In 2001, they released the album Into, which went double platinum in Finland, debuting at #1. The first single "F-F-F-Falling" was #1 in Finland for three months in early 2001. The second single, "Chill", was released in Scandinavia and reached #2 in Finland. The Rasmus toured throughout Scandinavia and Europe, promoting the album, and being the supporting acts to bands HIM and Roxette.

The band in a concert at the Arena VFG, in Guadaljara, MexicoThe band recorded Dead Letters in 2003 at Nord Studios in Sweden, reuniting with Mikael Nord Andersson and Martin Hansen who had produced Into. It was released in Europe in early 2003, reaching the top of the album charts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as in Finland. Its European success led to the release of the album in other parts of the world. Dead Letters went Top 10 in the UK, and its first single, "In the Shadows", went Top 3. Both also went Top 50 in the Australian ARIA charts in 2004, as well as topping the New Zealand singles chart. The single also reached the top 20 of the American Billboard Heatseeker charts. "Guilty" was the band's second single for the American market. Recently, iTunes Music Store offered the second track on Dead Letters, "In the Shadows", as one of its free singles.The Rasmus tend to provoke strong opinions in people. They made a notable appearance at the Reading Festival in 2004, where they were a victim of bottling, being pelted with plastic bottles and mud until they eventually walked offstage, immediate medical attention being required for bassist Eero's eye.The Rasmus also are a part of a three-band community called Dynasty, alongside modern rockers Killer and hip-hop band Kwan. Dynasty also have a studio in Helsinki, where they recruit new Finnish talent.
Band members Pauli and Lauri flaunt their loyalty to Dynasty by sporting identical tattoos on their arms.Their newest album is Hide From The Sun, which was released in 2005. Three singles have been released from it: "No Fear", "Sail Away" and "Shot".

On April 28, 2006 they received an exclusive statue at the ESKA Music Awards in Poland (it is their second ESKA statue, the first being in 2004) for the category Best World Rock Group. Their most famous song is "In The Shadows".Hide From The Sun was released in the U.S. on October 10, 2006 from their new U.S. label, DRT Entertainment

Aerosmith & The 2000s

2007-03-10T02:46:00.001+02:00

The band entered its next decade by performing at the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXV, in January 2001, along with pop stars 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly. All of the stars collaborated with Aerosmith at the end for a much-celebrated performance of the group's legendary song "Walk This Way".

In March of 2001, the band released their 13th studio album Just Push Play. The album was a large success and quickly went platinum, fueled by the #7 single "Jaded" and the appearance of the title track in Dodge commercials. They were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame soon after their album was released, in late March of 2001, after having been nominated in 2000 without getting in. Later that year, the band performed as part of the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert in Washington D.C. for 9/11 victims and their families. The band flew back to Indianapolis for a show the same night, as part of their grueling yet highly successful Just Push Play Tour.

The band kicked off 2002 by winding up the Just Push Play tour, and simultaneously recording segments for their Behind the Music special on VH1, which not only chronicled the band's history but also the band's current activities and touring. The special was one of the only Behind the Musics to run two hours in length. In July 2002, Aerosmith released the 2-disc career-spanning compilation O, Yeah! The Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, which featured the new single "Girls of Summer", and embarked on the Girls of Summer Tour with Kid Rock and Run-D.M.C. opening. That same year, the band were inducted as MTV Icons, the 2nd act overall to receive the honor.

In 2003, Aerosmith co-headlined with Kiss on the Rocksimus Maximus Tour, in preparation for release of their blues album.

Their long-promised blues album Honkin' on Bobo was released in 2004. Honkin' on Bobo continued to be a success for the resurgence of blues and roots music across the US and Europe. The album was a return to roots for the band, including recording the album in live sessions, working with former producer Jack Douglas, and laying down their blues-rock grit. It was followed by a live DVD, You Gotta Move in December 2004, culled from the first performance on the Honkin' on Bobo Tour. "Dream On" was also featured in an advertising campaign for Buick in 2004, targeting that marque's audience which is now composed largely of people who were teenagers when the song first charted. As the band no longer owned the rights to that song or much of its back catalog, it is unclear whether they authorized the use of the song.

2005 saw Steven Tyler appear in the film Be Cool. Joe Perry released his eponymous solo album that same year. At the 2006 Grammy Awards, he was nominated for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" for the track "Mercy", but lost to Les Paul. In October 2005, Aerosmith released a CD/DVD Rockin' the Joint. The band hit the road for the Rockin' the Joint Tour on October 30 with Lenny Kravitz for a fall/winter tour hitting arenas in the largest U.S. markets. The band planned to tour with Cheap Trick in the spring, hitting secondary markets in the U.S. Rumors of a tour started when Cheap Trick frontman Robin Zander joined the band onstage for "Come Together" during a concert in Tampa, Florida a week before the announcement. Almost all of this leg of the tour was canceled, however, due to "an illness of a member of the band". On March 22, 2006, it was publicly announced that lead singer Steven Tyler needed throat surgery, and the remaining dates on the tour were subsequently canceled.

Aerosmith commenced recording of a new album on Armed Forces Day 2006.Tyler and Perry performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra for their annual July 4 concert on the Esplanade in 2006, a milestone as it was the first major event or performance since Steven Tyler's throat surgery. During this time, the band also announced that they would embark on the Route of All Evil Tour, with Mötley Crüe in fall of 2006.

On August 24, 2006 it was announced that Tom Hamilton was undergoing treatment for throat cancer. In order to make a full recovery, he sat out much of the Route of All Evil Tour until he was well again. Former Joe Perry Project bassist David Hull substituted for Hamilton until his return.

On September 5, 2006, Aerosmith kicked off the Route of All Evil Tour with Mötley Crüe in Columbus, Ohio. The co-headlining tour took both bands to amphitheaters across North America through November 24. After that, a select few arena dates were added, some of which were with Motley Crue, some without. Tom Hamilton returned to the fold officially on December 1st. The tour ended December 17th.

On October 17, 2006,the compilation album Devil's Got a New Disguise - The Very Best of Aerosmith was released. A new song, the title track, peaked at #15 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The album was intended to fulfill Aerosmith's contract with Sony and tide fans over until the band's new studio album is finished and released in fall 2007.

The band is currently working on new material for their next album, their 15th studio album, which is most likely to be released in fall of 2007. Additionally, it was confirmed in early 2007 that the band will be touring Latin America and Europe in spring and summer of 2007, respectively. This will be the band's first touring venture outside North America and Japan in eight years. On Monday, February 19th, the band performed at London's Hard Rock Cafe to promote their upcoming European tour which includes a night in Hyde Park as part of the Hyde Park Calling festival sponsored by Hard Rock Cafe. In addition to their European and South American tours, the band plans to perform in the United Arab Emirates and India for the first time ever.

Aerosmith & The 1990s

2007-03-10T02:39:00.001+02:00

The band finished up the Pump tour in 1990. On February 21, 1990, the band appeared in an infamous "Wayne's World" sketch on Saturday Night Live and performed their recent hits "Janie's Got a Gun" and "Monkey On My Back". On September 18, 1990, the band's performance on MTV's Unplugged aired. That same year, the band was also inducted to the Hollywood Rock Walk. In 1991, the band appeared on The Simpsons episode "Flaming Moe's" and released a box set entitled Pandora's Box.

The band took a brief break and began recording their follow-up to Pump in 1992. Despite significant shifts in mainstream music at the beginning of the 1990s, the band's 1993 follow-up to Pump, Get a Grip, was just as successful commercially, becoming their first album to debut at #1 and racking up sales of 7 million copies in a two-year timespan. The first singles were the hard rocking "Livin' on the Edge" and "Eat the Rich". Though many critics were unimpressed by the focus on the subsequent interchangeable power-ballads in promoting the album, all three ("Cryin'", "Crazy" and "Amazing") proved to be huge successes on radio and MTV. The music videos featured then up-and-coming actress Alicia Silverstone; her provocative performances earned her the title of "the Aerosmith chick" for the first half of the decade. Steven Tyler's daughter Liv Tyler was also featured in the "Crazy" video. Get a Grip would go on to sell more than 7 million copies in the U.S. alone with over 20 million copies worldwide.

Much of the mainstream success of Get a Grip involves how the band changed their sound and made it more commercially accessible. This was partly achieved when the management and record company brought in a variety of professional songwriting collaborators to come in and help make nearly all the songs on Get a Grip have a more commercial appeal, a trend which would continue until the early 2000s. However, this led to constant accusations of selling out that would continue throughout the 90s. In addition to Aerosmith's grueling 18 month world tour in support of Get a Grip, the band also did a number of things to help promote themselves and their album and appeal to youth culture, including the appearance of the band in the movie Wayne's World 2 where they performed two songs, the appearance of the band and their music in the arcade game and video game Revolution X, performing at Woodstock '94, using their song "Deuces Are Wild" in The Beavis & Butt-Head Experience, and opening their own club, The Mama Kin, in Boston, MA in 1994.

1994 also saw the release of the band's compilation for Geffen Records, entitled Big Ones featuring all of their biggest hits from Permanent Vacation, Pump, and Get a Grip, as well as three new songs, "Deuces Are Wild", "Blind Man", and "Walk on Water", all of which experienced great success on the rock charts.

Aerosmith signed to Columbia Records again in the mid-1990s, but they still had to complete two contractual albums for Geffen before recording for the new label...this was later achieved by the label releasing numerous compilations. The band took time off with their families before working on their next album, Nine Lives, which was plagued with personnel problems, including the firing of manager Tim Collins, who according to band members nearly caused the band to break up. The producer of the album was also changed from Glen Ballard to Kevin Shirley. Nine Lives was released in March of 1997. Reviews were generally mixed, and Nine Lives initially fell down the charts, although it had a long chart life and sold double platinum in the United States alone, fueled by the singles, "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)", the ballad "Hole in My Soul", and the crossover-pop smash "Pink". It was followed by another massive tour (the 2+ year-long Nine Lives Tour), which was plagued by problems including lead singer Steven Tyler injuring his leg at a concert, and Joey Kramer suffering second degree burns when his car caught fire at a gas station. However, the band also experienced a major up in the biggest hit of their career, and their only #1 single to date: "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", the love theme from the 1998 film Armageddon, in which Steven Tyler's daughter Liv starred. The song stayed on top of the charts for four weeks and was nominated for an Academy Award. The song helped open Aerosmith up to a new generation and forever solidifed the band's song as a slow-dance staple. 1998 also saw the release of the double-live album, A Little South of Sanity, which was culled from performances on the Get a Grip and Nine Lives tours. The album went platinum shortly after its release. The band continued with their seemingly-neverending world tours promoting Nine Lives and the "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" single well into 1999.

In 1999, they were featured in the Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World (and later in 2001 at Euro Disney in the Walt Disney Studios Park) ride, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, providing the soundtrack and theme of the ride. On September 9, 1999, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry reunited with Run-D.M.C. and were also joined by Kid Rock for a collaborative live performance of "Walk This Way" at the MTV Video Music Awards, a precursor to the Girls of Summer Tour. The band celebrated the new millennium with a brief tour of Japan in 2000.

Aerosmith & The 1980s

2007-03-10T02:37:00.000+02:00

Aerosmith released its mammoth-selling Greatest Hits album in 1980 and in 1981 the band suffered another loss with the departure of Brad Whitford. After recording guitar parts for the song "Lightning Strikes", Whitford was replaced by Rick Dufay and the band recorded their seventh album Rock in a Hard Place in 1982. The album was considered a commercial failure, only going gold, and failing to produce a hit single. The tour for Rock in a Hard Place is notable for Steven Tyler collapsing onstage during a 1983 performance.

On Valentine's Day 1984, Perry and Whitford saw Aerosmith perform. They were officially re-inducted into the ranks of Aerosmith once more in April of that year. Steven Tyler recalls, "You should have felt the buzz the moment all five of us got together in the same room for the first time again. We all started laughin'—it was like the five years had never passed. We knew we'd made the right move."

Aerosmith embarked on a lucrative reunion tour entitled "Back in the Saddle" in 1984, which produced the live album Classics Live II. Their problems still not behind them, the group was signed to Geffen Records and began working on a comeback.

Despite the band signing on to a new record company, Columbia continued to reap the benefits of Aerosmith's comeback, releasing the live companion albums Classics Live I and II and the B-sides collection Gems throughout the 1980s.

1985 saw the release of Done with Mirrors, their first studio album with Geffen and their first album since the much-publicized reunion. While the album did receive some positive reviews, it tanked commercially, only going gold and failing to produce a hit single or generate much buzz outside the immediate confines of rock radio. The album's most notable track, "Let the Music Do the Talking," was in fact a cover of a song originally recorded by the Joe Perry Project and released on that band's album of the same name. Nevertheless, the band became a popular concert attraction once again. In 1986, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry appeared on Run D.M.C.'s massively successful cover of "Walk This Way", a track blending rock and roll and hip hop that not only cemented rap into the mainstream of American popular music, but also began Aerosmith's true comeback.

Still standing in the way, however, were the drug problems of the band members. In 1986, lead singer Steven Tyler completed a successful drug rehabilitation program, at the discretion of the band and manager Tim Collins, knowing that the band's future would not be bright if Tyler did not get treated. The rest of the band members completed drug rehab programs over the course of the next couple years. According to the band's tell-all autobiography, Collins pledged he could make the band the biggest band in the world by 1990 if they all completed drug rehab. Their next album was make-it-or-break-it due to the commercial disappointment of Done With Mirrors, and as the band members became clean, they worked hard to make their comeback album.

Permanent Vacation was released in August of 1987. Permanent Vacation was a major hit for the band, becoming their bestselling album in over a decade (selling 5 million copies in the U.S.), and having all three singles ("Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", "Rag Doll", and "Angel") reach the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. The group went on a subsequent tour with Guns N' Roses, which was intense at times due to Aerosmith's new struggle to stay clean amidst GN'Rs well-publicized, rampant drug use.

Their next album was received even better. Pump, released in October of 1989, featured three Top Ten singles: "Janie's Got a Gun", "What it Takes", and "Love in an Elevator", as well as "The Other Side", reestablishing Aerosmith as a serious musical force. Pump was a critical and commercial success, selling 7 million copies, and earning the band their first Grammy win ever, for "Janie's Got a Gun". The recording process for Pump was documented in the video the The Making of Pump, which has since been re-released as a DVD. Despite certain elements of their sound and style being fashioned at this time with the hair metal genre, the band was able to maintain their own musical innovation and gritty style and outlast and outsell almost every other rock act.

Aerosmith & The 1970s

2007-03-10T02:31:00.001+02:00

After forming the band and finalizing the lineup in 1971, the band started to garner some local success doing live shows. Originally booked through The Ed Malhoit Agency of Claremont NH, Aerosmith signed with Columbia Records in 1972 and issued their debut album, Aerosmith, in 1973. The album was straightforward rock and roll with well-defined blues influences, laying the groundwork for Aerosmith's signature blues-rock sound. Although the highest charting single from the album was "Dream On" at #59, several tracks (such as "Mama Kin" and "Walkin' the Dog") would become staples of the band's live shows and receive heavy rotation on rock radio. The album eventually went on to sell two million copies. After constant touring, the band released their sophomore effort Get Your Wings in 1974, the first of a string of multi-platinum albums produced by Jack Douglas. This did better in the charts and produced the rock radio hits "Same Old Song and Dance" and "Train Kept A-Rollin'", a cover originally done by The Yardbirds. The album also produced several fan favorites including "Lord of the Thighs", "Seasons of Wither", and "S.O.S. (Too Bad)", darker songs which have become staples in the band's live shows. To date, Get Your Wings has sold three million copies.

It was 1975's Toys in the Attic, however, that established Aerosmith as international stars competing with the likes of Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. Originally derided as Rolling Stones knockoffs, Toys in the Attic showed that Aerosmith was a talented band in their own right, incorporating elements of blues, glam rock, heavy metal, punk music, psychedelia, and pop. Toys in the Attic was an immediate success, starting with the single "Sweet Emotion", which became the band's first Top 40 hit. This was followed by a successful re-release of "Dream On" which hit #6, becoming their best charting single of the 1970s. The 2nd song from the album, "Walk This Way", reached the Top 10 in early 1977. "Toys in the Attic" and "Big Ten Inch Record" were also rock radio staples. As a result of this success, both of the band's previous albums re-charted. Toys in the Attic has gone on to become the band's bestselling studio album in the States, with certified U.S. sales of eight million copies. Aerosmith's next album, 1976's Rocks was one of the grittiest and hardest rocking albums the band has made. It went platinum swiftly and featured two FM hits, "Last Child" and "Back in the Saddle", as well as the ballad "Home Tonight". Rocks has sold four million copies to date. Both Toys in the Attic and Rocks are highly regarded, especially in the hard rock genre, and appear on such lists as Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums, and are cited by members of Guns N' Roses, Metallica, and Mötley Crüe as having large influences on their music.

Soon after Rocks was released, the band continued to tour heavily, this time headlining their own shows and playing to several large stadiums and rock festivals, and becoming kingpins of American arena rock. The next album, 1977's Draw the Line, was not as successful or as critically acclaimed as their two previous efforts, although the title track proved to be a minor hit (and is still a live staple), and "Kings and Queens" also experienced some success. The album went on to sell 2 million copies. While continuing to tour and record into the late 1970s, Aerosmith acted in the movie version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Their cover of the Beatles hit "Come Together" was included in the album's soundtrack and would be the band's last Top 40 hit for nearly 10 years. The live release Live! Bootleg, originally released as a double album, was put out in 1978 and captured the band's rawness during the heyday of the Draw the Line tour; however, as the 1970s came to a close, the band's popularity waned and drug abuse and the fast-paced life of touring and recording began affecting their output. Lead singer Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry became known as "The Toxic Twins" due to their notorious abuse of drugs on and off the stage. Just after the recording of their sixth studio album, 1979's Night in the Ruts, Joe Perry left the band, citing differences with Steven Tyler, and formed The Joe Perry Project. Perry was replaced first by longtime band friend and songwriter Richie Supa and then by guitarist Jimmy Crespo (formerly of the band Flame). Night in the Ruts quickly fell off the charts, its only single being the cover of The Shangri-Las' "Remember (Walking in the Sand)", which topped out at #67.

Formation of Aerosmith

2007-03-10T02:30:00.001+02:00

The formation of Aerosmith began in the late 1960s in Sunapee, New Hampshire. Steven Tyler was a drummer/vocalist originally from Yonkers, New York who had been in a series of relatively unsuccessful bands in the mid-late 1960s such as the Vic Tallarico Orchestra, the Strangeurs/Chain Reaction, The Chain, Fox Chase, and William Proud. In 1969, while vacationing in Sunapee, New Hampshire, Tyler met Joe Perry, who was at the time playing in a band called the Jam Band with bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer David "Pudge" Scott, while Perry was washing dishes at the Anchorage in Sunapee Harbor, New Hampshire. This meeting would eventually lead to the formation of Aerosmith.

Perry and Hamilton moved to Boston, Massachusetts in September of 1970. There they met Joey Kramer, a drummer from Yonkers, New York who had also known Steven Tyler, whom he had always hoped to perform in a band with. Kramer, a Berklee College of Music student, decided to quit school to join the band. In October of 1970, they met up once again with Steven Tyler, who was originally a drummer and backup singer, but adamantly refused to play drums in this band, insisting he would only be in the band if he could be the frontman and lead vocalist. The band agreed and thus Aerosmith was born. The band added Ray Tabano, a childhood friend of Tyler, as rhythm guitarist and began playing local shows. In 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford, an educated and highly skilled guitarist, who also attended the Berklee School of Music and was formerly of the band Earth Inc. Other than a period from July 1979 to April 1984, the line-up of Tyler, Perry, Hamilton, Kramer, and Whitford has stayed the same.

Aerosmith biography

2007-03-10T02:20:00.000+02:00

Aerosmith are a prominent American rock band, sometimes regarded as "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band".

Although they are known as "the bad boys from Boston", none of the members are actually from the city. Three of the members, Steven Tallarico (Tyler), Joe Perry, and Tom Hamilton had originally met in Sunapee, New Hampshire in the late '60s, but had not yet formed a band together. Tyler was from Yonkers, New York, Perry from Hopedale, Massachusetts, and Hamilton from New London, New Hampshire. In 1970, the three decided to form a band and decided that Boston, Massachusetts would be the ideal home base. Guitarist Brad Whitford and drummer Joey Kramer rounded out the lineup, and the band released their eponymous debut album in 1973. The band produced a string of ground-breaking hard rock albums and enjoyed major popularity throughout the 1970s, but their serious substance abuse and drug addictions contributed to their decline (The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia reportedly said they were "the druggiest bunch of guys I've ever seen"), and almost relegated them to the annals of history. Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left the group, and the period from 1979-1984 was a dark one for the band, which carried on with replacements. However, in 1984, chiefly due to the tireless efforts of Joe Perry's then manager, Tim Collins, to reform the original band, Aerosmith was born again. Despite the insistence of his own client Perry that it was unthinkable, Collins succeeded in helping the band resolve old differences and ultimately overcome their addictions. Since then, Aerosmith have remained sober for over 20 years, and have achieved a level of sustained success that has well eclipsed their 1970s heyday.

Aerosmith, who have been performing as the original lineup for the past 23 years, have sold 140 million albums worldwide, 66.5 million albums in the United States alone, making them the bestselling American hard rock band of all time. They also hold the record for the most gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums by an American group. The band has scored twenty-one Top 40 hits, nine #1 Mainstream Rock hits, and four Grammy awards. They continue to tour and average one million dollars a show. Their musical evolution over the years has made them major innovators in American hard rock, heavy metal, pop, glam metal, blues, and rap, and has inspired legions of rock artists that came after them. Their numerous contributions to other forms of media have further solidified their status as pop culture icons. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Aerosmith #57 on their list of The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.The band has a loyal fanbase numbering over a million worldwide, known as the Blue Army,that has equally spanned the last three generations. Aerosmith's longevity,durability, and adaptability have allowed them to sustain high levels of popularity,acclaim, and success for the better part of the 37 years they have been active.

System of a Down biography

2007-03-09T06:37:00.001+02:00

System of a Down (also referred to as SOAD or System) is a four-piece Grammy-award winning Alternative metal band, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles, California. All four members are Armenian-Americans, grandsons of Armenian Genocide survivors, and are widely known for their outspoken views found in many of their songs.

System of a Down has achieved commercial success over five albums, with singles such as "Chop Suey!" and "B.Y.O.B.". System of a Down is a part of the Axis of Justice, a non-profit organization formed by band member Serj Tankian (along with Tom Morello) that is dedicated to bringing together musicians, music fans and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice.

Music style and influences:

System of a Down’s main influence is mostly from early alternative rock bands, as well as from heavy metal, punk rock, jazz, fusion, Armenian folk music (Harout, Paul, Armik), classic rock, blues, industrial genres, and Middle Eastern music. The band has used a wide range of instruments, including electric mandolins, sitars, 12-string guitars and Middle Eastern ouds. Daron has stated on several accounts that his songwriting is inspired heavily by The Beatles. Shavo's and Daron's first influences were Kiss. Shavo has also stated in a video interview at Big Day Out that he would not like to do any collaborations, because they don't want to use other people to make themselves famous. Then he quickly changed his answer and said "Mike Patton" and that they would love to do anything with him.

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2007-03-09T05:38:00.001+02:00

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New Years Day lyrics & video

2007-03-04T04:55:00.001+02:00

All is quiet on New Year's Day,
A world in white gets underway,
And I want to be with you,
Be with you night and day.
Nothing changes on New Year's Day.
I will be with you again.
I will be with you again.

Under a blood-red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white.
Arms entwined, the chosen few,
Newspapers say, it says it's true.
And we can break through,
though torn in two we can be one.
I will begin again, I will begin again.
Oh and maybe the time is right,
Oh maybe tonight.
I will be with you again.
I will be with you again.

And so we are told this is the golden age
And gold is the reason for the wars we
wage.
Though I want to be with you,
To be with you night and day.
Nothing changes on New Year's day.

first time played live: 1982-12-01: Tiffany's, Glasgow, Scotland
last time played live: 2006-11-30: Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan

This song has been played at least 666 times live (either as full song or snippet).

U2 biography

2007-03-04T04:42:00.000+02:00

U2 are a rock band from Dublin, Ireland. Formed in 1976, U2 have consistently been one of the most popular acts in the world since the mid-1980s. The band has sold upwards of 170 million albums worldwide.With six #1 albums in the U.S. and nine #1 albums in the UK, U2 are one of the most successful acts of all time. They have won 22 Grammy awards; no recording artist has been awarded more.

The band was formed when Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards and vocals) and Adam Clayton (bass guitar) answered an advert placed by Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion); they were teenagers at the time with limited musical proficiency. By the mid 1980s, however, they had released four albums and developed a devoted international following, largely from extensive touring and from forging a trademark sound based upon The Edge's distinctively innovative and echoing guitar and Bono's impassioned vocals and deeply introspective lyrics. They reached a level of mega-stardom with their highly praised 1987 release The Joshua Tree. In the early 1990s, they replied to the dance and alternative music revolutions, criticism of their image, and their own sense of musical stagnation, with the critically-acclaimed Achtung Baby and the groundbreaking Zoo TV Tour. Although U2 had already developed a reputation for pursuing new musical paths with each new album, this time the band had ostensibly re-invented themselves; this experimentation was to continue for the rest of the 1990s.

In the early years of the 21st century, U2 have pursued a more traditional sound while maintaining some influence of their previous musical explorations, and continue to enjoy the highest level of commercial and critical success. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked U2 number 22 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.In 2005, U2 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the first year they were eligible. The band is known for being politically active in human rights and social justice causes, such as Amnesty International, Make Poverty History, the ONE Campaign, Live Aid, Live 8, Bono's DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa) campaign, and The Edge's Music Rising.

Nirvana

2007-02-27T05:18:00.001+02:00

Nirvana was a popular American rock band originating from Aberdeen, Washington. With the lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from their 1991 album Nevermind, Nirvana exploded into the mainstream, bringing along with it a subgenre of alternative rock called grunge. Other Seattle grunge bands such as Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden also gained in popularity, and, as a result, alternative rock became a dominant genre on radio and music television in the United States during the early-to-middle 1990s.

As Nirvana's frontman, Kurt Cobain found himself referred to in the media as the "spokesman of a generation", with Nirvana the "flagship band" of "Generation X".Cobain was uncomfortable with the attention and placed his focus on the band's music, challenging the band's audience with their third studio album In Utero. While Nirvana's mainstream popularity waned somewhat in the months following its release, their core audience cherished the band's dark interior, particularly after their 1993 performance on MTV Unplugged.

Nirvana's brief run ended with the death of Cobain in 1994, but the band's popularity expanded in the years that followed. Eight years after Cobain's death, "You Know You're Right", an unfinished demo that the band recorded two months prior to Cobain's death, topped radio playlists around the world. Since their debut, the band has sold more than sixty million albums worldwide (see also Best selling music artists), including more than ten million copies of Nevermind in the US alone. Nirvana remains a consistent presence on radio stations worldwide.

Tokio Hotel biography

2007-02-27T03:47:00.000+02:00

Tokio Hotel is a highly successful German rock band, formed in 2001 in Magdeburg, Germany.Identical twin brothers, Bill Kaulitz (b. September 1, 1989) and Tom Kaulitz (born 10 minutes before his brother) performed in small shows and talent shows as children. They later met schoolmates, Gustav Sch?fer and Georg Listing and their similar tastes in music led them to create a band called Devilish. They played small shows since 2001 and by 2003, were approached by a music executive, Peter Hoffman. They were signed to the Universal music label in Hamburg, Germany and changed their name to Tokio Hotel (Tokio for the lively engaging city of Tokyo, and "Hotel" because they toured and slept in hotels a lot).

Their first single "Durch den Monsun" (Through the Monsoon) quickly gained popularity after its release, appearing on the German music charts at #15 on August 20th and reaching #1 on August 26th 2005; it reached #1 on the Austrian music charts as well. Their second single was "Schrei" (Scream), which climbed to #5 of the german charts. They released their debut album Schrei on the 19th September of 2005; lead singer Bill Kaulitz, with the assistance of professional songwriters, wrote the majority of the songs. In early 2006, their third single "Rette mich" (Rescue Me) was released, and it reached #1 as well. Their first single from "Zimmer 483" (their second album) called "Ubers Ende Der Welt" (Beyond the End of the World) was released January 26th, 2007. It has also reached #1. "Zimmer 483" was released on February 23rd, 2007. The "Zimmer 483" tour was supposed to start in March, but it was delayed by two weeks, because the band members wished to have the new stage instead of the old stage in order to make the tour as awsome as possible. However, all of the tickets bought for the tour are still valid.

Der letzte Tag / The Last Day

2007-02-27T03:35:00.001+02:00

Now we are here again
Up here on your roof
The whole world down there can for all i care
Go under tonight
Are we for the last time together
It has just started recently

In case this day is the last one
Please do not tell me yet
In case this is the end for us
Don't tell
Not yet

Is it already the day after
Where all the clocks stand still
Where it's finished at horizon
And all the dreams go to sleep
Are we for the last time together
It has just started recently

In case this day is the last one
Please do not tell me yet
In case this is the end for us
Don't tell
Not yet

This is the last day
This is the last day
Is this the last rain up here on your roof
Is this the last blessing and our last night
Has our end yet began, whatever we are still together

In case this day is the last one
Please do not tell me yet
In case this is the end for us
Don't tell

In case this day is the last one
Please do not tell me yet
And in case you stay then I will die
Not yet
Not yet

Is this the last rain up here on your roof
Is this the last blessing
Don't tell
Not yet
This is the last day

Later days (1991-present)

2007-02-27T03:19:00.001+02:00

After the release of Crazy World Francis Buchholz, the band's long-serving bassist, left the group. Replacing him was Ralph Rieckermann who handled bass duties until 2002. There were also rumours that Scorpions were upset by the heavy taxes they paid from royalties of Crazy World. As a result, they fired their manager, feeling that they might have been cheated.

In 1993 Scorpions released Face the Heat. For the recording process, Scorpions brought in producer Bruce Fairbairn. The album's sound was more metallic than melodic and divided the band's fan base somewhat. Many "headbangers" responded positively to the album while many long time fans were put off.Neither the hard-rock single "Alien Nation" nor the ballad "Under The Same Sun" came close to matching the success of "Wind Of Change". Face the Heat was a moderate success.

In 1995, a new live album, Live Bites, was produced. The disc documented live performances from their Savage Amusement Tour in 1988, all the way through the Face the Heat Tour in 1994. While the album had a much cleaner sound in comparison to their best-selling live album, World Wide Live, it was not as successful.

Prior to recording their 13th studio album, 1996's Pure Instinct, drummer Herman Rarebell left the band to set up a recording company. Curt Cress took charge of the drumsticks for the album before James Kottak took over permanently. Many feel Pure Instinct is a response to the complaints levied against Face the Heat.The album had many ballads. Still, the album's singles "Wild Child" and the soothing ballad "You and I" both enjoyed moderate success.

1999 saw the release of Eye II Eye and a significant change in the band's style, mixing in elements of pop and techno. While the album was slickly produced, fans were unsure what to make of the band, responding negatively to almost everything from pop-soul backup singers to the electronic drums present on several songs. The video to the album's first European single, "To Be No. 1", featured a Monica Lewinsky lookalike which did little to improve its popularity.

The following year Scorpions had a fairly successful collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic that resulted in a 10-song album named Moment of Glory. The album went a long way towards rebuilding the band's reputation after the harsh criticism of Eye II Eye. Still, critics accused them of following on the coattails of Metallica's similar collaboration (S&M) with the San Francisco Symphony which had been released the previous year. Scorpions can't be completely accused of being copycats as the orchestra had first approached Scorpions with the idea back in 1995 and bands such as Kiss had been performing similar concerts years before.

In 2001, Scorpions released Acoustica, a live unplugged album featuring acoustic reworkings of the band's biggest hits, plus new tracks. While appreciated by fans, the lack of a new studio album was frustrating to some, and Acoustica did little to return the band to the spotlight.

In 2004, the band released Unbreakable, an album that was hailed by critics as a long awaited return to form. The album was the heaviest the band had released since Face the Heat, and fans responded well to tracks such as "New Generation", "Love 'em or Leave 'em" and "Deep and Dark". Whether a result of poor promotion by the band's label or the long time between studio releases, Unbreakable received little airplay and did not chart. Scorpions toured extensively behind the album, and played as special guests with Judas Priest during the British tour.

In early 2006, Scorpions released the DVD "1 Night in Vienna" that included 14 live tracks and a complete rockumentary. In LA, the band is currently in the studio with producers James Michael and Desmond Child working on a new album titled "Humanity - Hour 1", to be released May 14th of 2007 via BMG.

Commercial success (1979-1990)

2007-02-27T03:15:00.000+02:00

Following the addition of Jabs, Scorpions left RCA for Mercury Records to record their next album. Just weeks after being evicted from UFO for his alcohol abuse, Michael Schenker also returned to the group for a short period, giving the band three guitarists (though Schenker's contributions to the final release was limited to only three songs). The result was Lovedrive, an album which some critics consider to be the pinnacle of their career.Containing such fan favorites as "Loving You Sunday Morning","Holiday" and the instrumental "Coast to Coast",the "Scorpions formula" of hard rock songs mixed in with melodic ballads was firmly cemented. The album's provocative artwork was named "Best album sleeve of 1979" by Playboy magazine but was ultimately changed for American release. Lovedrive peaked at #55 on the US charts proving that Scorpions were gathering an international following. Michael, still coping with alcoholism, left during the following tour when Matthias Jabs was hired to fill in for him on those occasions when he couldn't perform.In 1980, the band released Animal Magnetism, again with a provocative cover showing a girl kneeling in front of a man's crotch. While Animal Magnetism contained classics such as "The Zoo" and "Make It Real",it was a critical disappointment when compared with Lovedrive. Soon after the album's release, Meine began experiencing throat problems. He required surgery on his vocal chords and there were doubts as to
whether he would ever sing again with Scorpions.While Meine made a full recovery, the band began working on their next album, Blackout. Don Dokken was brought in to provide guide and backing vocals so that Meine could let his vocal chords completely heal.Meine eventually healed completely and was able to finish the album. Blackout was released in 1982 and quickly became the band's best selling to date, eventually going platinum. Meine's voice showed no signs of weakness and critical response to the album was good. Blackout spawned three hit singles: "Dynamite","Blackout" and "No One Like You".It was not until 1984 and the release of Love At First Sting that the band finally cemented their status as rock superstars. Propelled by the single "Rock You Like A Hurricane", Love At First Sting went up the charts and went double platinum. However, Scorpions did manage to stir up controversy once again with their provocative album cover. This time it was a boy kissing a girl and at the same time planting a tattoo on her naked thigh. Some shops refused to sell the album, mimicking a gag from the satire movie This Is Spinal Tap that came out the same year. MTV gave the album's videos "Rock You Like A Hurricane," "Bad Boys Running Wild," "Big City Nights," and the power ballad "Still Loving You" significant airtime, greatly contributing to the album's success. The channel even supplied Scorpions with the nickname "The Ambassadors of Rock."The band toured extensively behind Love At First Sting and decided to record and release their second live album, World Wide Live. Recorded over a year long period and released at the height of their popularity, the album was another success for the band, peaking at #17 on the charts.After their extensive world tours, the band finally returned to the studio to record Savage Amusement.Released in 1988, four years after their previous studio album, Savage Amusement represented a more polished pop sound similar to the style Def Leppard had found success with. The album sold well, but was considered somewhat of a critical disappointment. British heavy rock magazine Kerrang! did award the album 5 K's out of 5 though.On the Savage Amusement tour in '88, Scorpions became the first Western group to play in the former Soviet Union with a performance in Leningrad. The following year the band returned to perform at the Moscow Music Peace Festival. As a result, Scorpions developed a strong Russian fan base and still return regularly to perform throughout the area.Wishing to distance themselves from the Savage Amusement style, the band separated from their long-time producer and "Sixth Scorpion," Dieter Dierks, ultimately replacing him with Keith Olsen when they returned to the studio in 1990. Crazy World was released that same year and displayed a less polished sound. The album was a hit, propelled in large part by the massive success of the ballad "Wind of Change". The song muses on the socio-political changes that were occurring in Eastern Europe and in other parts of the world at the end of the Cold War. On July 21, 1990 they joined many other guests for Roger Waters' massive performance of The Wall in Berlin. Scorpions performed both versions of "In the Flesh" from The Wall.

Rise to popularity (1974-1978)

2007-02-27T03:13:00.001+02:00

In 1974 the new line-up of Scorpions released Fly to the Rainbow. The album proved to be more successful than Lonesome Crow and songs such as "Speedy's Coming" and the title track began to establish the band's sound. It wasn't until the following year that the band hit their stride with the release of In Trance.In Trance marked the beginning of Scorpions long collaboration with German producer Dieter Dierks. The
album was a huge step forward for Scorpions and firmly established their hard rock formula, while at the same time garnering a substantial fan base, both at home and abroad. Cuts such as "Dark Lady", "Robot Man" and the title track are still considered classics by fans today.In 1976, Scorpions released Virgin Killer.The album's cover, which featured a fully nude prepubescent girl,brought the band considerable criticism and was ultimately pulled or replaced in several countries. Inspite of the controversy, the album garnered significant praise from critics and fans alike.The follow-up to Virgin Killer, Taken by Force, was the first Scorpions record to be aggressively promoted in the United States. RCA Records, The band's label, made numerous efforts to promote the album in stores and on the radio. The album's single, "Steamrock Fever", was added to some of RCA's radio promotional
records. RCA also supervised the album cover design avoiding any controversy by including introduction-type photographs that included the names of each member under individual photos. Roth was not happy with the label's efforts and the commercial direction the band was taking. Although he performed on the band's Japan tour, he departed prior to the release of the resultant double live album Tokyo Tapes.Tokyo
Tapes was released in the US and Europe six months after its Japanese release.By that time,Scorpions were already moving forward with new guitarist Matthias Jabs.

Scorpions Formation and early history (1965-1973)

2007-02-27T03:08:00.001+02:00

Rudolf Schenker, the band's rhythm guitarist, set out to find a band in 1965. At first, the band was school-kind with beat influences and Schenker himself on vocals. Things began to come together in 1969 when Schenker's younger brother Michael and vocalist Klaus Meine joined the band. In 1972 the group recorded and released their debut album Lonesome Crow with Lothar Heimberg on bass and Wolfgang Dziony on drums. During the Lonesome Crow tour, Scorpions opened for upcoming British band UFO. At the end of the tour the members of UFO offered guitarist Michael Schenker the lead guitar job; an offer which he soon accepted.

The departure of Michael Schenker led to the break up of the Scorpions. In 1973, guitarist Uli Roth, a friend of the Schenker brothers, was in a band called Dawn Road. He had been offered the role as lead guitarist in Scorpions after Michael Schenker's departure (and even performed a gig with them) but turned the band down. Rudolf decided that he wanted to work with Roth but did not want to resurrect the last Scorpions lineup.

Rudolf Schenker attended some of Dawn Road's rehearsals and ultimately decided to join the band, which consisted of Roth, Francis Buchholz (bass), and Juergen Rosenthal (drums). Roth persuaded Rudolf Schenker to invite Klaus Meine to join, which he did soon after. While there were more members of Dawn Road than Scorpions in the band, they decided to use the Scorpions name because they had released an album and were known in the German hard rock scene.

Kelly Clarkson & Breakaway

2007-02-26T04:44:00.001+02:00

"Because of You" At the age of sixteen, Clarkson wrote the lyrics to this song to cope with her emotions.The later composition would result in the use of the piano and a full orchestral arrangement.During the promotional tour of Breakaway (2004), Clarkson appeared on Saturday Night Live on February 12, 2005.Distancing herself from her American Idol image, Clarkson took more creative control with her second studio album Breakaway, and through considerable experimentation, developed a rock-oriented image. Her second album (2004), yielded four U.S. top ten singles and won two Grammy Awards. The album released by RCA Records on November 30, 2004.[16] Unlike her previous effort, it debuted within the U.S. top five and Canadian top ten, and sales were initially low in comparison to Thankful.However, the single releases from Breakaway proved very successful, and allowed it to become only the fourth album in history to stay in the Billboard 200 Top 20 for a consecutive year, as well as, being certified five-times platinum in the U.S. on January 18, 2006 and 5x platinum in Canada in May, 2006. With Clarkson's wins at the American Music Awards, RCA announced Breakaway was certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA.[20] In Australia, the album reached number two and spent 52 weeks in the top 10 and was certified 6x Platinum;however, it experienced a delayed release in the UK. Clarkson co-wrote six of the songs with several songwriters, such as former Evanescence band members Ben Moody and David Hodges, and producer Max Martin. Breakaway received different responses from critics; Rolling Stone commented that "on Kelly Clarkson's second album,she embraces her rock side rather than the pop pageantry that put her on top of the American Idol heap".TeenInk noted the strength of her vocals on Breakaway, and praised the change from pop music to contemporary rock: "[Clarkson] retains the incredible power and beauty of her voice while switching to rock".Stylus magazine also enjoyed Clarkson's foray into rock music, however, she was called out because of her American Idol image, which reviewer Charles Merwin believed she had yet to lose. He praised the non-singles and wrote that they "maintain a quality high".All Music Guide called the album "a nice, low-key relief".

Clarkson appeared on numerous television programs during the promotional tour for Breakaway, some of which included Saturday Night Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show and The View; she performed the first two singles "Breakaway" and "Since U Been Gone" on Saturday Night Live, which became her first major telecast appearance in order to support the album. Clarkson received added publicity when, during the chest-waxing scene in the movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin, her name is screamed out by the title character (played by Steve Carell).

"Breakaway," written by Avril Lavigne, served as the original song for The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004) and achieved considerable success across the world; it became Clarkson's third top-ten single in the U.S. and fourth top-ten single in Canada. It reached number ten in Australia, and number 22 in the UK. The song's contemporary pop-rock ambience was one of the several tracks including a stronger rock-influenced sound that had not been heard on Thankful. The second single "Since U Been Gone", which was 'produced' by Max Martin, became the most successful release from the album. Its music video presented Clarkson singing to an underground audience with a full band; cutscenes of Clarkson destroying a former boyfriend's apartment were incorporated. The song's strong rock ambiance allowed it to reach number two in the U.S. and the top five across the world. It also earned Clarkson her first Grammy Award for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance"; she won a second award for "Best Pop Vocal Album".
"Since U Been Gone" (2005) presented Clarkson with a rock music-influenced sound that had not been heard on her previous efforts.

The third and fourth single releases, "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and "Because of You", also followed with chart success. The video for "Behind These Hazel Eyes" broke the record for days at #1 for a female artist with 33 out of 50 days #1 on TRL. "Because Of You" became Clarkson's biggest worldwide hit, her first to reach the number one position on the world chart show, where it held for two consecutive weeks (a rare event) in 2006. The video for "Because of You" won the 2006 MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video, her second consecutive win in that category (The first being from "Since U Been Gone"). The fifth single from Breakaway, "Walk Away", was a top 20 hit in the U.S. and a top five hit in Canada. Breakaway spent 103 weeks on the Billboard 200. It fell out of the Billboard 200 in late November and was moved to Billboard's Pop Catalog. Breakaway was the tenth best selling album of 2006 in the US, adding nearly 2 million additional sales to the 2005 and 2004 sales. As a testament to Clarkson's continuing popularity, she was the most-played artist of 2006 on American radio, despite releasing only one single in the entire year, Walk Away. On December 23, 2006, American Top 40 radio show host Ryan Seacrest announced during a countdown of 2006's most popular songs that Clarkson had had a song in the American Top 40 for 111 weeks, making her "the most successful female artist in AT40 history." She was also the most broadcast artist of 2006 in Australia and Because Of You was the third most broadcast song of the same year, despite being released in 2005.

In the summer of 2006, Clarkson lent Ford Motor Co. a song titled "Go," written by Clarkson and Rhett Lawrence (Miss Independent). The song is being used in the company's new advertising campaign, "Bold Moves."

While on tour in Europe in 2006, Clarkson began writing and composing songs for her third album. Three possible new songs from her upcoming CD were performed during the Addicted Tour, including "Maybe," "Anymore," and "Yeah". It is possible that it also may include the hit Ford Commercial song, "Go". Recording commenced on the album in the summer of 2006; Clarkson will likely release the new album in early 2007. One of the guest musicians on the album will be punk rock legend Mike Watt (Minutemen, Firehose, Iggy Pop & The Stooges), who contributes his bass skills to six tracks on the disc. According to Music Week and HMV, Clarkson's third album will be released in 2007, however, the actual release date, track list, and album title have not yet been confirmed by management.

In addition to her roles as spokeswoman for for the acne treatment Proactiv and Vitamin Water, Clarkson has partnered with NASCAR for the 2007 season. She will appear in televised advertising spots, perform at pre-race concerts, promote NASCAR Day and appear at the Champions' Banquet in December.

kelly clarkson(2003–2004: Thankful)

2007-02-26T04:09:00.001+02:00

Following the successful release of "A Moment Like This", Clarkson's full-length debut album Thankful was released in North America by RCA Records on April 15, 2003.It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. Eventually, the album was certified double platinum by the RIAA for sales of two million copies on December 8, 2003 and platinum by the CRIA for sales of 100,000 copies on February 10, 2004. Reviews for the album were generally favorable. However, several critics noted that her early success was established due to her performances on American Idol. All Music Guide critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album for its vocal ability: "throughout this record, [Clarkson] makes it seem effortless and charming. She can croon, she can belt out a song, she can be sexy and sassy while still being graceful and as wholesome as the girl next door". Rachel Kipp of JS Online criticized Clarkson for not having the same personality on Thankful that she had on American Idol, and wrote: "on American Idol, Clarkson showcased a great voice and an endearing, 'aw-shucks' personality. That personality is missing on Thankful, and there lies the album's greatest fault". Kipp blamed the producers behind the album for not allowing Clarkson to be herself.
"Miss Independent" became a success when released as the second single from Thankful. It reached the top ten of the U.S. and Canadian singles charts, and earned Clarkson a 2004 Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance". When the single was released in the United Kingdom and Australia, it reached the top ten of the charts, however, Thankful received less attention. It peaked at number forty-one on the UK albums chart and at number thirty-three on the Australian albums chart. Further singles released outside North America would appear even less successful.
"Low", the third single from Thankful, reached number two in Canada, but it was unable to make the Top 40 of the U.S. chart. The final single "The Trouble with Love Is" was not released in Canada, and it peaked at #101 on the U.S. Charts. Clarkson attributed the underperformance of both releases to poor management and relieved her manager Simon Fuller, who she felt was not completely focused on her career.

Metallica & Recent events, ninth studio album:

2007-02-24T06:53:00.001+02:00

On February 16, 2006, Metallica announced on their official website that after their 15+ year relationship, longtime producer Bob Rock was stepping down and would not be recording Metallica's next studio album. Rock had produced every Metallica album since 1991. Metallica is currently working on a studio album with producer Rick Rubin who has produced albums for other prominent metal bands such as System Of A Down, Slipknot, Slayer, and Rage Against the Machine.

Metallica debuted an untitled song nicknamed "The New Song" in Berlin, Germany on June 6th, 2006 on the European leg of the Escape from the Studio '06 mini tour. On August 12th, 2006, Metallica debuted another song in Tokyo, Japan on the Asian leg of the tour, nicknamed "The Other New Song". They have also supported the Summer Sonic tour in Tokyo and Osaka, along with Linkin Park.

The band has previously unveiled new songs prior to their release: Four songs from Ride the Lightning ("Fight Fire with Fire", "Ride The Lightning", "Creeping Death", and "The Call Of Ktulu") were performed before the release of the album; Master of Puppets' "Disposable Heroes" was debuted on September 14th of 1985; ...And Justice for All's "Harvester of Sorrow" received its live debut in 1987, Load's "2x4" was played during the Escape from the Studio '95 mini-tour; and Reload's "Fuel" and "Devil's Dance" were played at various points during the Load tour 1996-97 and again during the 3 shows European mini-tour in August 1997 ("The Memory Remains" and "Bad Seed" were teased numerous times at shows throughout 1996 and 1997).

It was during this time on tour that the band finally bowed to fan pressure decided to make each of their albums available at the iTunes Store - though strictly only in the U.S. and Canada until issues with their European label are resolved - allowing individual tracks to be legally downloaded for the first time. Exclusive tracks from the Seattle '89 shows were added to the band's first four albums.

On October 13, 2006 Metallica announced that they would release a DVD containing all their videos from 1989 to 2004. The DVD is called The Videos 1989-2004, and was released on December 4, 2006 worldwide and on December 5 in North America.Metallica also released a cover of "The Ecstasy of Gold", a song by Ennio Morricone in an album entitled We All Love Ennio Morricone released on Febraury 20, 2007, in which other artists honor the composer. The Ecstasy of Gold has been the opener of Metallica live shows for over 20 years - but it has always been the original instrumentation and arrangement, played from a recording. This new version features the band itself performing it, giving a new guitar-based interpretation to the song.

On February 9, 2007 Metallica confirmed that pre-production on the new studio album had been completed, and recording of the new album will begin on March 12, 2007. The band also announced that a summer tour (SICK OF THE STUDIO '07) was in the early planning stages.Three dates of this tour have been announced so far: 7/1/07, at the Rock Werchter Festival in Belgium, 7/3/07 at the Rockwave Festival in Greece, 7/5/07 in Vienna, Austria, 7/10/07 in Oslo, Norway, 7/12/07 in Stockholm, Sweden, 7/13/07 in Arhus, Denmark, 7/15/07 in Helsinki, Finland, 7/18/07 in Moscow, Russia.

Metallica Newsted's departure, St. Anger:

2007-02-24T06:47:00.001+02:00

As plans were being made to go into the recording studio in 2001, Newsted left the band,due to as he put it, "the physical damage I have done to myself over the years while playing the music that I love." However, subsequent interviews with Newsted and the remaining members revealed that Newsted's desire to release a CD and tour with his Echobrain side project - and Hetfield's intense resistance to such an idea - was the primary cause of Newsted's departure. Additionally, a Playboy interview revealed that the "hazing" that Newsted received since joining the band had not lessened over time. Finally, Newsted had never shared the songwriting partner status that Burton had enjoyed (in 15 years with the group, Newsted only co-wrote credit on three songs: "Blackened" from ...And Justice For All,"My Friend of Misery" from Metallica and "Where The Wild Things Are" from Re-Load).The 2004 documentary, Some Kind of Monster provided more insight into the reasons for Newsted's departure. In the film he says he felt his former bandmates decision to hire a therapist to help solve their problems was "really fucking lame. And weak."

In July, 2001, Hetfield entered rehab due to "alcoholism and other addictions". For nearly a year, Metallica ceased to function in any meaningful way. Ulrich and Hammett, for the first time, seriously considered the possibility that Metallica might be finished. Hetfield eventually returned to the band following his rehab hiatus and was required to work only four hours a day and spend the rest of his time with his family. Metallica continued slowly as a three-piece throughout the writing and recording of their next album. Longtime producer Bob Rock handled bass duties for the sessions. The making of the album was documented for the movie, "Some Kind of Monster". The film also exposed to fans that Metallica had sought the guidance of a therapist, Phil Towle, to deal with a vast amount of the band's inner turmoil.

Following the album's recording, Metallica held auditions for Newsted's permanent replacement in early 2003. Robert Trujillo formerly of Suicidal Tendencies, and Ozzy Osbourne's band, was chosen as the new bassist. Robert's resume also included Infectious Grooves as well as a stint with Black Label Society on their Boozed, Broozed, and Broken-Boned DVD. As Metallica moved on, Jason Newsted also found a new musical home joining Canadian thrash metal legends Voivod in 2002. In an interesting turn of events, Jason also became Robert's replacement in Ozzy's band during the 2003 Ozzfest tour (which included Voivod as part of the touring bill).

In June 2003, Metallica's eighth full-length recording, St. Anger, debuted at number one on the album charts. Being an intentionally raw and unpolished album, harsh criticism from fans followed. The record's under-produced sound, Hetfield's "flexible" sense of pitch, Ulrich's steely sounding snare, and the absence of any guitar solos received particular criticism. Despite this, the album won the best metal performance at the 2004 Grammys.

Having toured extensively for two years in support of St. Anger on the Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003 in festivals featuring Mudvayne, Deftones, Linkin Park, and Limp Bizkit and then the lengthy Madly in Anger with the World tour with Godsmack (in which nearly every performance was professionally recorded and sold on LiveMetallica.com) Metallica took a break from performing and spent most of 2005 with friends and family, however for two historic shows on November 13, 2005 and November 15, 2005, the band opened for the Rolling Stones at AT&T park in San Francisco.

Metallica & Napster controversy:

2007-02-24T06:45:00.001+02:00

In 2000, Metallica discovered that a demo of their song "I Disappear" was being distributed via the Napster P2P file-sharing network. Not only was the song unfinished, it was supposed to be released in combination with the Mission: Impossible II soundtrack.

They soon discovered that in addition to the demo, their entire catalogue was freely available. The band initiated legal action against Napster, demanded that 300,000 Napster users found to be trading Metallica songs be banned from the network. Legal actions were also filed against Yale University, University of Southern California, and Indiana University for not blocking Napster from their campuses. In 2001, Metallica and Napster agreed to an out-of-court settlement which led to Napster user accounts being locked out (the band did not take legal action against any individuals for copyright infringement). This led to Lars Ulrich providing a statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding copyright infringement on July 11, 2000.

The lawsuit created a public relations nightmare. Throughout the controversy, websites hosted cartoon parodies of band members, portraying them as selfish rock stars who were out of touch with their fans. The most popular of these was a cartoon parody entitled Napster Bad!, by Camp Chaos, which spawned an entire series. Critics mocked Ulrich by spelling his name as "Lar$". In retaliation to the controversy, Ulrich appeared during the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, in a skit with that year's host Marlon Wayans, that blasted the idea of using Napster to share music. Marlon played a college student sitting in his dorm room, listening to Metallica's "I Disappear". Ulrich, playing himself, walked in and asked for an explanation. Upon receiving Wayans' excuse that using Napster was just "sharing", Lars retorted that Marlon's idea of sharing was simply borrowing things that were not yours without asking. He called in the Metallica road crew, who proceeded to confiscate all Wayans' belongings, leaving him almost nude in an empty room. Napster creator Shawn Fanning responded later in the ceremony by presenting an award wearing a Metallica shirt, saying "I borrowed this shirt from a friend. Maybe, if I like it, I'll buy one of my own".

Public ridicule was widespread as Metallica had gotten their start via underground trading of bootleg recordings of their performances.Metallica's defense was that Napster was allowing free access to their back catalogue and not live bootleg recordings, which the band had always encouraged. In 2006, years after the controversy, Metallica was still subject to ridicule for its actions, even being named #17 on Blender magazine's list of "biggest wusses in rock" for its "anti-Napster crusade".

Since 2003, however, the band, Lars in particular, has warmed up to the digital media age, and has since withdrawn itself from any further actions against any P2P sites.

Metallica Load, ReLoad, Garage Inc., S&M:

2007-02-24T06:41:00.000+02:00

After almost three years of touring to support The Black Album, including a headlining performance at Woodstock 1994, Metallica went straight back into the studio to write and record their Sixth studio album Load. They took a break in the summer of 1995 and played 3 outdoor shows which included Metallica organizing and headlining Donington Park UK supported by Slayer, Skid Row, Slash's Snakepit, Therapy? and Corrosion of Conformity The Short Tour was entitled Escape from The studio Tour 1995. On December 13 of that year, they recorded their rehearsal for Lemmy's 50th birthday party; four Motorhead covers which was entitled 'Motorhead'achemess when it was release as part of the Hero of the Day singles collection. The band spent around a year writing and recording new songs, resulting in 1996's Load. During early production, Load was intended to be a double album. Ultimately, it was decided that it would be best to release half of the songs first, and continue to work on the remaining songs, and release them the following year. This resulted in the follow up album, ReLoad.

By 1996, with the release of Load, all band members had cut their hair (although Hammett eventually grew it back), which was ridiculed by fans,including band friends Alice in Chains, whose edition of MTV's Unplugged featured, on Mike Inez's bass, the words "friends don't let friends get Friends haircuts."

These albums represented a significant musical change for Metallica. The band's breakneck metal tempos and layered guitar compositions had largely been replaced by bluesy guitar tones and slide guitar. Several songs include the use of new instruments including the use of the hurdy-gurdy and violin in "Low Man's Lyric". The changes on Load and ReLoad had been anticipated by earlier experiments (especially on The Black Album).

Sales of these albums were lower than sales of the previous three albums. Hetfield noted later in the documentary film Some Kind of Monster that the songs on these two albums were initially thought by the band to be of only average quality, and polished and reworked repeatedly until judged to be releasable.

In 1998, Metallica compiled a double CD called Garage Inc.. The first CD contained newly recorded covers ranging from Killing Joke, The Misfits, Thin Lizzy, Mercyful Fate, and Black Sabbath to more unexpected choices like Nick Cave and Bob Seger (the band's cover of Seger's "Turn the Page" garnered extensive radio airplay). The second CD gathered together previously released covers, including the original The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited, which had become a scarce collector's item. The CD also included B-side covers going as far back as 1984.

On March 7, 1999, Metallica was inducted into the San Francisco Walk of Fame. The mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown, proclaimed the day "Official Metallica Day" in San Francisco. A month later, on April 21-22, 1999, Metallica recorded two performances with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, then conducted by Michael Kamen. Kamen, who had previously worked with Bob Rock on "Nothing Else Matters", approached the band with the idea of pairing Metallica's music with a symphony orchestra. Kamen and his staff composed additional orchestral material for a number of Metallica songs and the concerts featured broad selection of songs dating as far back as Ride the Lightning. Metallica also wrote two brand new Kamen-scored songs for the event, "No Leaf Clover" and "Minus Human." The audio recording and concert footage were released later that year as the album/concert film S&M, in November 1999, on CD, VHS, VCD, and DVD.

Metallica Breakthrough success:

2007-02-24T06:22:00.000+02:00

When Ride The Lightning caught the attention of major labels, Metallica signed with Elektra Records. Their first release with Elektra was 1986's Master of Puppets, which would serve as their breakthrough album. Despite the fact that no singles were released from the album,the band received minor airplay from album tracks "Master of Puppets" and "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)." The band gained even more exposure when they were asked to open for Ozzy Osbourne, and Master of Puppets climbed to number 29 on the Billboard Top Album Charts.Critics consider the album to be one of the "greatest heavy metal albums of all time".

On September 27, 1986, during the European leg, Cliff Burton was killed near Ljungby,
Sweden when Metallica's tour bus skidded off an allegedly icy road and flipped over.Burton was thrown out of the window and the bus landed on top of him. It is debatable whether Burton was dead at this point or not, although he would certainly have been critically injured.A winch that was lifting the bus off him snapped, causing the bus to crush him a second time.

Burton's death left the band's future in doubt.The three remaining members decided that the bassist would want them to carry on; with the Burton family's blessings the band sought a replacement and began auditions almost immediately. Among the auditions was Les Claypool, a childhood friend of Hammett's.The band liked Claypool but felt his style was "too funky." In the band's Behind the Music episode, Hetfield explains that Claypool was "too good" and "out there" for Metallica. Ultimately Claypool was not offered the job, and Jason Newsted, formerly of Arizona's Flotsam and Jetsam was asked to join. Newsted officially joined Metallica on October 28, 1986 three weeks after Burton's funeral.The band finished their tour in the early months of 1987. Following the tour, the band recorded The $5.98 EP:Garage Days Re-Revisited in July 1987 as a way to test a new studio they had constructed and to test the talents of Newsted....And Justice for All, the first studio album since Burton's death, was released in 1988.On the album very little of Newsted's bass is audible and some fans have speculated this was done intentionally as a reaction to Burton's death or as a way of hazing Newsted. The most likely reason, as mentioned by Hetfield and Ulrich in subsequent interviews, was that because Newsted was not at the mixing sessions he was not able to affect the final mixing process. Ulrich has also stated his opinion that the lack of perceived bass resulted from Newsted exclusively mirroring Hetfield's
rhythm tracks.Although the song-writing was praised, the production of this album was heavily criticized as Lars Ulrich's drums clicked more than thudded and the guitars had a thin sound.The Damaged Justice tour followed to promote the
new album.

Despite criticism, in 1989, Metallica received its first Grammy nomination for the album. The nomination was for the newly created Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrument categories. However, the award was given to Jethro Tull for the album Crest of a Knave. The result generated much controversy, as Metallica was widely expected to take home the award and was standing off-stage waiting to receive it after performing the song "One" for the telecast. Jethro Tull (who was considered by most to not even be a HardRock/Metal group) had not even bothered to attend the ceremony, assuming that their chance of winning would be a long-shot. Lars Ulrich even referenced the snub in accepting a Grammy for "Enter Sandman" three years later, stating,"We gotta thank Jethro Tull for not putting out an album this year."

It was during this time the band embraced the mainstream music world with their debut music video for the song "One." The band performed the song in an abandoned warehouse, and was then extensively "remixed" with footage of the film version of Johnny Got His Gun. Rather than organize an ongoing licensing deal, Metallica simply bought the rights to the film outright. This is why the film has not had a subsequent DVD pressing. The end result featured a coherent but shortened "mini-movie" version of "Johnny Got His Gun" with an intricate level of synchronization between the song and the film's dialogue, creating a singular narrative between the two.

The "remix" video was submitted to MTV, with the alternate "performance only" version held back in the event that MTV would ban the remix version. MTV accepted the remix version despite its length (the video ran for nearly ten minutes). The video would be viewers' first exposure to Metallica and was voted #25 in the fall of 1999 when MTV aired its last "Top 100 Videos of All Time" countdown. The video was also prominently featured during MTV's 25th Anniversary edition of "ADD Video," which showcased the top videos to air on MTV in the last 25 years.In 1991, Metallica released their self-titled album,Metallica (popularly known as The Black Album by fans). The record was co-produced with Bob Rock, whose resume included work with hard rock acts The Cult, Bon Jovi and Motley Crüe, The album featured a black cover that had a very pale image of a snake in one of the corners, with the band's name in the opposite corner. The album evoked humorous comparisons to Spinal Tap. The majority of the making of the Metallica album and the following tour was documented in A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica. The recording sessions were a long and arduous process, lasting over a year due to infighting among the band's members and endless arguments with Rock about the album's direction, scope, and sound. The cost of recording the album was over $1 million (as stated on Behind the Music:Metallica). However, despite the battle to finish the album, it quickly became the band's most successful release, charting at number one on the Billboard charts.The album's first single was, "Enter Sandman",which showed off the new album's slowed-down style of music compared to Metallica's previous work. The Black Album is currently tied for the 26th spot of highest selling album of all time in America.

Due to the albums new style of sound, more charges of selling out would be aimed at Metallica throughout the 1990s, to which the band often joked that they did indeed sell out-each and every date of the tour. In 1992 during a hugely financially successful co-headlining tour with Guns N' Roses, Hetfield suffered severe second and third degree burns to his left arm due to pyrotechnics during the opening of "Fade To Black," leaving him unable to play guitar for a portion of the tour. Former Metallica roadie and Metal Church guitarist John Marshall filled in for the rest of the tour on guitar while Hetfield continued to sing.

Metallica

2007-02-24T06:21:00.001+02:00

Metallica is an American heavy metal band, formed on October 28, 1981.They have become one of the most commercially successful musical acts of the recent decades, with more than 90 million albums sold worldwide,including 57 million albums sold in the United States.Metallica is also credited as one of the "big four" thrash metal bands, along with Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.

Metallica`s Early days:

Metallica was formed in Los Angeles, California, in October 1981 by guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, after both placing classified advertisements in the publication The Recycler about forming a band.The duo recruited bassist Ron McGovney, and the early incarnation of the band went through a number of lead guitarists, such as Lloyd Grant, Brad Parker, and Jeff Warner. Metallica got its name when San Francisco-area metal promoter Ron Quintana asked Ulrich to help pick out a name for his new magazine to promote U.S. and British metal bands. Quintana came up with a list that included "Metallica," with Lars suggested "Metal Mania," or "Hesse", but decided to use "Metallica" for the band name.

The band's music was inspired by bands such as Black Sabbath, Mot?rhead, Diamond Head, Saxon, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, and other British metal bands. They also took inspiration from punk bands like the Misfits, Zeroption, Discharge, and The Ramones.

In early 1982, Ulrich convinced Metal Blade's Brian Slagel to include the song "Hit the Lights" on the first Metal Massacre compilation. Desperate for a full time lead guitarist, Ulrich posted an ad in a local newspaper. Dave Mustaine from Huntington Beach, California, who at the time was playing in the band Panic responded and met for an audition. Ulrich and Hetfield were so impressed with Mustaine's warm-up and equipment, they asked him to join before the audition even began.

In March and April of 1982, several minor demos were recorded with this line up including Hit The Lights, Ron's Garage which was recorded in McGoveney's garage and the Power Metal demo. A few months later the band recorded a full demo, No Life 'Til Leather, which quickly drew attention on the underground tape trading circuit. They then went on to release a live demo titled Metal Up Your Ass.

Later that year, after Dave Mustaine poured beer on his bass, Ron McGovney left the band. After seeing a band named Trauma play, Metallica asked Trauma bassist Cliff Burton to become their bassist. Burton agreed under the condition that the band relocate to his hometown of San Francisco. With Burton the band recorded the Megaforce Demo. After establishing themselves in the Bay Area thrash metal scene, Metallica traveled to the New York Tri-State Region in 1983 at the urging of promoters Jon and Marsha Zazula. After a few gigs the band signed with the Zazulas' new label, Megaforce Records. Shortly after being signed, Ulrich and Hetfield decided Mustaine's aggressive and disruptive behavior relating to his alcohol and drug problems was becoming too much to handle. Mustaine was told to leave the band, and Kirk Hammett was brought in from the band Exodus. After leaving Metallica, Mustaine would go on to create the hugely-successful Megadeth.

In late spring 1983, the band travelled to Rochester, New York to record their first album, Kill 'Em All. The album was not an initial success financially, but it earned them a growing fanbase in the underground metal scene. A year later, Metallica released Ride the Lightning. The album's inclusion of a slower, more introspective song, Fade To Black, set Metallica apart from most other thrash bands.

Durch den Monsun/Through the Monsoon

2007-02-24T02:54:00.001+02:00

Das Fenster öffnet sich nicht mehr
hier drin ist es voll von dir und leer
und vor mir geht die letzte Kerze aus

Ich warte schon ne Ewigkeit
endlich ist es jetzt soweit
da draussen ziehn die schwarzen Wolken auf

Ich muss durch den Monsun
hinter die Welt bis ans Ende der Zeit
bis kein Regen mehr fällt
gegen den Sturm
am Abgrund entlang
und wenn ich nicht mehr kann denk ich daran
irgendwann laufen wir zusammen
durch den Monsun
dann wird alles gut

nmen halber Mond versinkt vor mir
war er eben noch bei dir?
und hält er wirklich was er mir verspricht

Ich weiß das ich dich finden kann
hör deinen Namen im Orkan (im Orkan)
ich kann noch mehr dran glauben
kann ich nicht

Ich muss durch den Monsun
hinter die Welt ans Ende der Zeit
bis kein Regen mehr fällt
gegen den Sturm
am Abgrund entlang
und wenn ich nicht mehr kann denk ich daran
irgendwann laufen wir zusammen
weil uns einfach nichts mehr halten kann
durch den Monsun
Heeeyyyy (uhhhuuuuhhhh) heyyyy(uhhhuuhhhh)

Ich kämpf mich durch die Nächte
hinter dieser Tür
Ich muss durch den Monsun ......Fertig hab keine lust mehr

Her window doesn't open anymore
In here it is full of you and blank
And in front of me the last candle runs out
I'm yet wait'n for eternity
Finally the time has come
Out there the black clouds are rising

I've gotta go through the monsoon
Behind the world
To the end of time
'til the rain falls no more
Against the storm
Alongside the abyss
And when I'm on the ropes I remember
Sometime we will run together
Through the monsoon
Then everything'll be alright

Half a moon's sink'n in front of me
Has it just been near you?
And does it really keep what it promises?
I know that I can find you
Hear'n your name in the hurrican
I think I can't believe in it any stronger

I've gotta go through the monsoon
Behind the world
To the end of time
'til the rain falls no more
Against the storm
Alongside the abyss
And when I'm on the ropes I remember
Sometime we will run together
'cause simply none can hold us anymore
Through the monsoon
Hey!
Hey!

I battle my wayThrough the powers behind that door
Going to defeat them
And then they'll lead me to you
Then everything'll be alright
Then everything'll be alright
will be alright
alright

I've gotta go through the monsoon
Behind the world
To the end of time
'til the rain falls no more
Against the storm
Alongside the abyss
And when I'm on the ropes I remember
Sometime we will run together
'cause simply none can hold us anymore
Through the monsoon
Through the monsoon
Then everything'll be alright
Through the monsoon
Then everything'll be alright

Have A Nice Day lyrics & video

2007-02-19T04:46:00.001+02:00

Why, you wanna tell me how to live my life?
Who, are you to tell me if it's black or white?
Mama, can you hear me? try to understand.
Is innocence the difference between a boy and a man.
My daddy lived a lie, it's just the price that he paid.
Sacrificed his life, just slaving away.

Oh,if there is one thing I hang onto,
That gets me through the night.
I ain't gonna do what I don't want to,
I'm gonna live my life.
Shining like a diamond, rolling with the dice,
Standing on the ledge and
show the wind how to fly.
When the world gets in my face,
I say, Have A Nice Day.
Have A Nice Day-ay-ay-ay

Take a look around you, nothingÂ´s what it seems
We're living in a broken home of hopes and dreams,
Let me be the first to shake a helping hand.
Anybody, brave enough to take a stand,
I've knocked on every door, on every dead-end street,
Looking for forgiveness and what's left to believe

Oh, if there is one thing I hang onto,
That gets me through the night.
I ain't gonna do what I don't want to,
I'm gonna live my life.
Shining like a diamond, rolling with the dice,
Standing on the ledge, and show the wind how to fly.
When the world gets in my face,
I say, Have A Nice Day.
Have A Nice Day.

(Guitar Solo)

Oh oh , if there is one thing I hang onto,
That gets me through the night.
I ain't gonna do what I don't want to,
I'm gonna live my life.
Shining like a diamond, rolling with the dice,
Standing on the ledge,and show the wind how to fly.
When the world gets in my face,
I say, Have A Nice Day.
Have A Nice Day-ay-ay-ay.
Have A Nice Day.
Have A Nice Day.

When The world keeps trying to drag me down,
Gotta raise my hands, gonna stand my ground.
I say, hey, Have A Nice Day-ay-ay.
Have A Nice Day!

2000s

2007-02-19T04:42:00.001+02:00

After a nearly three-year hiatus, during which several band members worked on independent projects, Bon Jovi regrouped in 1999 to begin work on their next studio album. Their 2000 release, Crush, enjoyed overwhelming success both in the US and overseas, thanks in part to the smash-hit single "It's My Life", co-written by famous Swedish producer Max Martin. Crush, which also produced such hits as "Say It Isn't So" and "Thank You for Loving Me", soon became the band's most successful studio album since Keep the Faith, and helped introduce Bon Jovi to a new, younger fan base. The Crush Tour, which began that summer, originally encompassed only 60 or so shows and was extended due to Bon Jovi's newfound popularity, with the band remaining on tour through mid-2001. While on tour, Bon Jovi released a collection of live performances from throughout their career in an album entitled, One Wild Night: Live 1985-2001. The crush tour was notable in that the European 2000 leg included the band headlining two nights at Wembley Stadium, these would be the final shows ever at the venue before it was demolished.

Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the band performed as part of the historic star-studded The Concert for New York City benefit concert for victims and their families. They performed an acoustic medley of "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" with a stirring finale of "It's My Life".

In late 2002, Bounce, the band's follow-up to Crush, hit stores. Though Bounce did not enjoy quite the level of success of its predecessor, the album did produce the hit singles, "Everyday" and "Misunderstood". The band went on a U.S. tour for this album, during which they made history as the last band to play Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia before it was torn down. The band also released a promotional album through Target. The album featured eight demo and live tracks.

Following the Bounce Tour, which wrapped up in August 2003, Bon Jovi embarked on what would become a unique and ambitious project. Originally intending to produce an album consisting of live acoustic performances of various songs, the band ended up rewriting, re-recording and reinventing 12 of their biggest hits in a new and much different light. This Left Feels Right was released in November 2003, with the title referring to the "left turn" of sorts that the band took in redoing the songs heard on this record.

The following year the band released a box set entitled 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong, the title an homage to Elvis Presley's 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong. The set consisted of four CDs packed with 38 unreleased and 12 rare tracks, as well as a DVD. The box set marked the sales of 100 million Bon Jovi albums and also commemorated the 20th anniversary of the release of the band's first record in 1984. In November 2004, Bon Jovi was honored with the award for Merit at the American Music Awards, where they performed a sneak preview of an unfinished song, "Have a Nice Day".

Bon Jovi participated in Live 8 on July 2, 2005. The full, final version of "Have a Nice Day" was debuted at the event, alongside the classics, "Livin' on a Prayer" and "It's My Life".

On August 20th, 2005, Bon Jovi headlined Miller Brewing Co.'s Big Brew-Ha, celebrating its 150th anniversary. The free stadium concert at Miller Park in Milwaukee included one preview song from the band's forthcoming album.

In September 2005, Bon Jovi was honored with the Diamond Award at the World Music Awards for selling 100 million albums. To date, they have sold 120 million albums (excluding singles) worldwide.

Bon Jovi's long-awaited new album, Have a Nice Day, was released on September 20th, 2005 (U.S.), followed by an international tour which kicked off in early November. The album topped the charts around the world, landing on the number two spot on the U.S Billboards during the first week of sales. Bon Jovi had a career-best first week, selling over 202,000 albums. "Have A Nice Day" was the first single off the new album, and debuted at radio worldwide on July 18, 2005. The second single, "Who Says You Can't Go Home", has since debuted as well, including a duet version with country singer Jennifer Nettles of the band Sugarland. In May of 2006, Bon Jovi made history by becoming the first Rock & Roll Band to have a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Chart. The third single in the album is entitled "Welcome to Wherever You Are".

Soon after the release of Have A Nice Day, the band started gearing up for a new 2005/2006-world tour. This tour, being shorter than previous ones with only seventy-five shows planned - brings the band to numerous stages and arenas throughout the world. Originally it was planned for them to be the first act to perform at the new Wembley Stadium, however, the construction company Multiplex who are behind the stadium's rebuilding project have said that the stadium will not be ready until 2007. The concert was therefore moved to the Milton Keynes National Bowl with the same performance dates. 1 2 Following dates in Japan and Europe, Bon Jovi extended the tour and returned to the US in the summer of 2006 for a few stadium shows, including 3 shows in the band's native New Jersey at Giants Stadium as well as in Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Chicago.

On January 21, 2006, in Hamilton, Ontario, Bon Jovi's plane overshot and skidded off the runway after a show in Buffalo; the band members were unharmed.

On February 7, 2006, a promotional album, Live from the Have a Nice Day Tour, was released through Wal-Mart. It contains six live tracks recorded in December 2005 in Boston.

On February 19, 2006, Bon Jovi performed as the headlining act prior to Nascar's Daytona 500. The band performed "It's My Life" and their two new singles "Have a Nice Day" and "Who Says You Can't Go Home", the latter with Jennifer Nettles. The country version of this song would hit #1 on the Country Billboard Charts on May 6, 2006.

On May 13, 2006, Bon Jovi kicked off their European leg of the "Have A Nice Day" tour in Dusseldorf, Germany. During the encore, they played the 10 minute epic "Dry County", from 1992's Keep The Faith, for the first time in ten years, to the delight of their fans.

On July 29, 2006, the band played their final show of their Have A Nice Day Tour to a sold out crowd of 55,000 at Giants Stadium. Jon Bon Jovi thanked the crowd for their support because it was the 8th time the group had sold out Giants Stadium.

On September 7, 2006, Bon Jovi, along with other top recording artists, participated in Fashion Rocks. The red carpet event, held at Radio City Music Hall, kicked off New York's Fashion Week. The concert, curated by Elton John, raised money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Bon Jovi began with an acoustic rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer," then jumped into a spectacular full electric performance of their latest single "Who Says You Can't Go Home."

Also on September 20, 2006, a Hurricane Katrina-based episode of Oprah was broadcast. At the end of the program, Bon Jovi performed "Who Says You Can't Go Home" to suit the Hurricane Katrina theme.

On October 13, 2006, it was announced that Bon Jovi were to be inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, joining music legends such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna and Elvis Presley. At the awards ceremony on November 14, 2006, Bon Jovi performed acoustic versions of "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive", along with "It's My Life".

On February 11, 2007, Bon Jovi finally won the elusive Grammy Award for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" for "Who Says You Can't Go Home".

1990s

2007-02-19T04:35:00.001+02:00

Between 1990 and 1992, the band members went their separate ways for a while to refocus before writing and recording their next album. This time off also helped them determine where Bon Jovi would fit within the rapidly changing music scene upon their return. Jon Bon Jovi recorded a solo album, a soundtrack to the movie "Young Guns II" (in which he also appeared for less than a second), more commonly known as Blaze of Glory. Released in 1990, the album featured high profile guests such as: Elton John, Aldo Nova, Little Richard, and Jeff Beck, among others. The album fared well commercially and received very positive reviews and quickly achieved platinum status. The title track, "Blaze of Glory", hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Jon an Academy Award nomination for Best Song, but he did not win the award. That same year, however, "Blaze of Glory" was awarded a Golden Globe.

Sambora, with the help of Tico Torres and David Bryan, also released a solo album entitled Stranger In This Town, in 1991. The album had a predominant blues influence to it and featured a performance by Eric Clapton on the song "Mr. Bluesman". David Bryan also recorded a soundtrack for the horror movie The Netherworld, which was the brighter part of that year after he was hospitalized with an illness due to a South American parasite. Such took a fall off of his motorcycle which injured his bass-playing hand, forcing him to develop a whole new way to hold and play his instrument.

The band returned with the album Keep the Faith in 1992. The album, which was produced by Bob Rock, featured a more mature sound and lyrical content than any of their previous efforts. Their fans were pleasantly surprised and the album became a moderate hit amidst the rise of grunge. Its most recognizable tunes were the hit singles "Bed of Roses", "Keep the Faith" and "In These Arms", which all hit the Top 40 in the U.S. Some other songs on the album were released as singles in other parts of the world, mainly the fan favorite epic, "Dry County" the hooky "I Believe", and the crowd favorite "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead." This album is also notable for being the first in a string of subsequent albums for Bon Jovi which proved more popular worldwide than in the U.S. The album went double platinum in the U.S., but has sold much more worldwide.

In 1994, Bon Jovi released a "greatest hits" album entitled Cross Road, which also contained two new tracks: the hit singles "Always" and "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night", as well as a new, updated rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer" entitled "Prayer '94" available only on the U.S. version. The diction of 'prayer' in the new version was altered due to a mixing error, and is heard as "'rayer" on some pressings. The song "Always" was originally written for a soundtrack to the film Romeo Is Bleeding, but after seeing (and disliking) the movie, the band decided not to lend the song to the producers, and instead released it on "Cross Road". The video for "Always" featured Keri Russell, popular American actress known for her role in the TV show Felicity and actor Jack Noseworthy, best known for his role in the 2000 film U-571.Always," spent thirty-two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of BON JOVI's all-time hugest hits.The song peaked at #4 on the US charts and at #1 in countries across Europe, Asia and in Australia. The single sold very well, going platinum in the U.S.

That same year, bassist Alec John Such left the band, causing the first and only lineup change since Bon Jovi began. Hugh McDonald, who was the bassist on "Runaway", unofficially replaced Such as bassist. Although, to this day, there is still speculation on if Alec was fired or left on his own accord. Jon has claimed that due to being intoxicated on stage, too many mistakes were being made by the bass player. Mistakes could be covered up whilst in the studio, but were harder to cover live on stage. Such denied many of these claims in an interview soon after his departure, but later admitted there was some truth to them. Jon has made it public that there has been contact between him and other band members recently. Alec even rejoined the band on stage for one song ("Wanted Dead or Alive") during their "homecoming" show at Giants Stadium in 2001. While he has not been officially replaced, Hugh McDonald has handled studio and live bass duties since then, with rumours he recorded bass on previous albums. Jon Bon Jovi said, regarding the departure of Such: "Of course it hurts. But I learned to accept and respect it. The fact that I'm a workaholic, studio in, studio out, stage on, stage off, want to be dealing with music day and night, doesn't mean everyone else has to adjust to that pace. Alec wanted to quit for a while now so it didn't come as a complete surprise."

With the 1995 album These Days, Bon Jovi took the mature rock sound they had developed on Keep the Faith further. The record as a whole was darker and more downbeat than the usual Bon Jovi fare, with some songs showing R&B influences. As a result, despite critical kudos[citation needed], it spun off only one hit single in the US, "This Ain't A Love Song" and it sold "only" a little over a million records. Nevertheless, the other tracks proved sufficiently popular to garner various successful European singles, including "Hey God", "Something for the Pain", "Lie to Me", and the title track. In 1996, Bon Jovi claimed in an interview with the German Bravo magazine that, due to the overwhelming success of the These Days Tour, the album had sold in excess of 20 million copies worldwide.

It was on the These Days Tour, that Bon Jovi played at Wembley Stadium in 1995 on a sell-out three night running concert. It is widely considered to be their best rock concert, featuring such hits as "Livin' On A Prayer", "Keep the Faith", "Bad Medicine", an excellent, heart-felt rendition of "Always", and showcasing new songs from These Days. It is particularly memorable because it is the same weekend that the album climbed to #1 on the UK charts. This tour date can be viewed on video, and has been re-issued on DVD, both titled Live From London. Jon Bon Jovi makes note of this achievement in the video, thanking their fans saying "It was just announced today that These Days kicked Michael Jackson off the top of the charts." Jon also says in the video that the concerts in London in 1995 were not only some of the best days of their careers, but quite possibly the best days of their lives.

By 1996, Bon Jovi had established themselves as a "force" in the music industry, proving much more durable (and successful) than most of their 80s glam peers. At the end of the These Days Tour, the band once again decided to take a break and pursue other interests. Tico used the opportunity further pursue his passion for painting while David started writing and composing various musicals. In 1998, Richie released his second solo outing called Undiscovered Soul.

Jon had also been bitten by the acting bug. He landed lead roles in movies Little City and The Leading Man, and supporting roles in Moonlight and Valentino, Homegrown and U-571, among others. While he was free between filming different movies, Jon wrote what would become his second solo album, 1997's Destination Anywhere. The album received very positive reviews and was a success across Europe. It was rumored that the record company was pursuing Jon to name the record "These Days, Part 2", since the album was somewhat of a moody progression from These Days. However, most fans will agree that "Destination Anywhere" was a departure from the signature Bon Jovi brand of rock music. A short movie of the same name was recorded right around the record's release, based entirely on the songs from the record and starring Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon and Whoopi Goldberg. Dave Stewart of Eurythmics played guitar on the record, as well as producing some of the tracks.

Bon Jovi reunited in 1999 to record the song "Real Life" for the movie EdTV. David Bryan didn't make it to the filming of the video for the song due to a recent hand injury sustained in a home improvement mishap, so the band used a cardboard cutout of him for the shoot.

1980s

2007-02-19T04:17:00.001+02:00

Atlantic and Mercury came calling. Once Bon Jovi had put together his band and began playing showcases

and opening for local talent, they caught the attention of record executive Derek Shulman, who signed John

to Mercury Records, part of the PolyGram company. John Bongiovi then de-ethnicized his last name,

changing the gi in Bongiovi to a j to make it Bon Jovi, and then removed the h in his first name to make it

Jon. He re-emerged as Jon Bon Jovi.

With the help of their new manager Doc McGhee, the band's debut album, Bon Jovi, was released on

January 21, 1984. The album went gold in the US (sales of over 500,000) and was also released in the UK.

The group found themselves opening for ZZ Top at the Madison Square Garden (before their first album

had been released), and for Scorpions and Kiss in Europe. They also made an appearance on American

Bandstand.

In 1985, Bon Jovi's second album 7800° Fahrenheit was released, but the response was poor. The leading

British metal magazine Kerrang!, who had been very positive about the debut record, called the album "a

pale imitation of the Bon Jovi we have got to know and learned to love." Jon Bon Jovi himself later said it

could have and should have been better. The band members, in interviews, have said they will not perform

live any song off that album anymore.

The turning point came when they brought in songwriter Desmond Child for their third album, Slippery

When Wet. With Child co-writing many of their hits on this and future albums the band shot to super-

stardom around the world with songs such as "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' On A Prayer", and

"Wanted Dead or Alive". Bon Jovi has said the album was named after the ubiquitous highway warning

signs, but Bryan has said the following about the album's title: "During the recording of the record we

frequently wound up in a striptease club where incredibly good looking girls were putting water and soap

on each other. They became so slippery because of that, that you couldn't hold on to them even if you

wanted to really bad. 'Slippery when wet!' one of us yelled out and the rest of us immediately knew: that had

to be the title of the new album! Originally we were going to put a picture of some huge breasts, the really

big ones, on the cover; but when the PMRC (a moral board under command of Tipper Gore, wife of former

Vice President of the United States Al Gore) found out we were in big trouble. So we made it into a very

decent cover."

The album has sold in excess of 26 million copies worldwide since its release in late 1986. On the tour that

followed, singer Bon Jovi began having vocal difficulties. The extremely high notes and unrelenting

schedule threatened to damage his voice permanently. With the help of a vocal coach, he made it through

the tour. Bon Jovi has tended to sing slightly lower pitches since then.

The next album from Bon Jovi was New Jersey released in 1988. The album was recorded very shortly after

the tour for Slippery, because the band wanted to prove that they were not just a one hit wonder. The

resulting album is a fan favorite, a pop-rock masterpiece, and a mammoth commercial success, with hit

songs such as "Bad Medicine", "Lay Your Hands On Me" and "I'll Be There For You", which are still nightly

stalwarts in their live repertoire. New Jersey was a commercial smash and became the first hard rock album

to spawn five Top Ten singles. "Bad Medicine" and "I'll Be There For You" both hit number one, and "Born

to Be My Baby" (#3), "Lay Your Hands On Me (#7), and "Living in Sin" (#9) rounded out the list. "Blood on

Blood" was also popular among fans. New Jersey was supported by video releases such as New Jersey:

The Videos and Access All Areas, as well as a massive 18-month tour, originally billed "The Jersey

Syndicate Tour". In 1989, the band headlined the Moscow Music Peace Festival. Despite the band achieving

massive success, New Jersey almost led to the end of the band as they went straight back out on the road

so soon after the heavy touring for their previous album. This constant living on the road almost destroyed

the strong bond between Jon Bon Jovi and Sambora. As mentioned in Behind the Music, the band

members note that at the end of the tour, each band member went their separate way and departed in

separate jets. It was during this time that Sambora offered the lead singer position to Billy Rogers, known

for his hit single with Ike Turner, I'm Blue. However, the band made it through and took a healthy break

before their next studio effort. To date, the album has sold 18 million copies worldwide.

The History

2007-02-19T04:12:00.000+02:00

Formation:

Jon Bon Jovi began to play piano and guitar at thirteen, taking lessons from his neighbour, Al Perinello. At that same age, Bon Jovi founded his first band, called Raze. Jon enrolled in an all-boys Catholic school St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey but left after pleading his case to his parents; he wanted to attend public school. He went on to attend Sayreville War Memorial High School. At sixteen, Bon Jovi met David Bryan (born David Bryan Rashbaum) and founded a 12-piece cover band with him named Atlantic City Expressway. They played at New Jersey clubs, even though they were minors. Still in his teens, Bon Jovi played in the band John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones, playing New Jersey clubs like "The Fast Lane" and opening for known acts in the area.

By the summer of 1982, out of school and working part-time, one of his jobs being in a shoestore, Jon took a job at the Power Station Studios, a Manhattan recording facility where his cousin, Tony Bon Jovi, was the co-owner. Bon Jovi made several demos (including one produced by Billy Squier) and sent them out to many record companies, but failed to make an impact.

In 1983, Bon Jovi visited the local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" in Lake Success, New York. He spoke directly to the D.J., Chip Hobart, who suggested Bon Jovi let WAPP include the song "Runaway" on a compilation album of local homegrown talent. Bon Jovi was reluctant but eventually gave them the song on which Bon Jovi had used studio musicians to play on the track "Runaway" (which was written in 1980). The studio musicians who helped record "Runaway" were known as "The All Star Review." They were:

* Dave Sabo (guitar)
* Tim Pierce (guitar)
* Roy Bittan (keyboards)
* Frankie LaRocka (drums)
* Hugh McDonald (bass)
* [Billy Witch Doctor (musician/chicken raiser) (conga drums)

The song began to get airplay in the New York metro area, and then other sister stations in major markets began to play the song. Suddenly, all the record label A&R execs who had passed on the demo they had heard were scrambling to find out who this unsigned artist was. WAPP was doing showcases -- Bon Jovi now desperately needed a band. The soon-to-be-members of the band had crossed paths in their earlier days, but the current lineup didn't come together until March of 1983. Bon Jovi gave David Bryan a call, who in turn called bassist Alec John Such and experienced drummer Tico Torres.

Tapped to play lead guitar was Bon Jovi's neighbor, Dave Sabo (a.k.a. The Snake), who would later form the group Skid Row. One night after a show, Richie Sambora found Bon Jovi backstage and told him that he should be the guitarist. Bon Jovi wrote him off and didn't think much of it but told him to learn the material and show up for rehearsal. Sambora was early and knew the material and Bon Jovi was impressed; in that moment, Sambora became the band's lead guitarist and a musical dynamic duo was born.

Before joining the group, Sambora had toured with Joe Cocker, played with a group called Mercy and had just been called up to audition for Kiss. He also played on the album Lessons with the band Message, which was re-released on CD through Long Island Records in 1995. Message was originally signed to Led Zeppelin's Swan Song Records label, although the album was never released.

Tico Torres was also an experienced musician, having recorded with Miles Davis and playing live with Phantom's Opera, The Marvelettes, and Chuck Berry. He had played on 26 records and had recently recorded with Frankie and the Knockouts (a Jersey band with hit singles in the early 1980s).

David Bryan was a natural recruit. He had quit the band he and Bon Jovi founded and went to college for pre-med studies. While in college, he realized he wanted to pursue music full-time, eventually being accepted to Juilliard School, the prestigious New York music school. When Bon Jovi called his friend and said he was putting together a band and a record deal looked like it was about to become a reality, Bryan followed Bon Jovi's lead.

The Bon Jovi lineup, which would not change for a decade, was:

* Jon Bon Jovi (lead vocals, rhythm guitar)
* Richie Sambora (lead guitar, backing vocals)
* David Bryan (keyboard, backing vocals)
* Tico Torres (drums, percussion)
* Alec John Such (bass guitar, backing vocals)

Bon Jovi biography

2007-02-19T04:08:00.000+02:00

Bon Jovi is a Grammy-winning American hard rock band originating from New Jersey. Fronted by lead
singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi, the group originally achieved large-scale success in the 1980s as a hair band. The band has continued their success as one of the world's biggest rock bands throughout the90s and 2000s. They won their first Grammy in 2007 for "Best Country Collaboration" for "Who Says You Can't Go Home".
Bon Jovi has sold more than 35 million albums in the United States, and over 120 million albums worldwide,and has played live concerts in major cities in Asia, Europe, Australia, Canada, South Africa, and SouthAmerica, in addition to a large number of cities in the U.S.

Bon Jovi have released nine studio albums, 2 best of albums, a live album, and a box set.Bon Jovi's biggest selling album is Slippery When Wet. The band has had seven number one albums on the European charts, six number ones on the World Charts, two number one albums in the USA and five number one albums in the UK. As well as many number one albums throughout Australia, Japan, Canada and Germany.

Bon Jovi has had many smash hits around the world including "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' on a Prayer", "Wanted Dead or Alive", "Bad Medicine', "I'll Be There for You", "Keep the Faith", "Bed of Roses","Always", "It's My Life", "Have a Nice Day", "Everyday" and "Who Says You Can't Go Home".

far away lyrics & video

2007-02-13T06:29:00.001+02:00

Something keeps on pulling me down
And I feel like I'm losing ground
Trying just to find my reasons
And losing sense of what is real

Willing to believe in something
Forgetting to believe in me
Will I find my place in your mind
Or will I fall away in time

[Chorus:]
Now I'm feeling so far away
And now I'm hating you every day

Waiting just to see the image
You follow down my road again
Trying just to find your purpose
You're fading faster every day

Willing to believe in something
Forgetting to believe in me
Will I find my place in your mind
Or will I fall away in time

[Chorus]

Now I feel I'm losing time
Yesterday slipped away
When you didn't know
Time and time again you wanted more than I had to give
To leave me with nothing
I'm waiting and dreaming
Yesterday slipped away
When you didn't know
And no more waiting
Let me back

[Chorus x2]

(Now I'm feeling)
So far away [x3]

broken lyrics & video

2007-02-13T06:23:00.001+02:00

Alone again again alone
Patiently waiting by the phone
Hoping that you will call me home
The pain inside my love denied
Hopes and dreams swallowed by pride
Everything I need it lies in you

'Cause I'm broken
I know I need you now
'Cause deep inside I'm broken
You see the way I live
I know I know your heart is broken
When I turn away
I need to be broken Take the pain away

I question why you chose to die
When you knew your truth I would deny
You look at me
The tears begin to fall
And all in all faith is blind
But I fail time after time
Daily in my sin I take your life

All the hate deep inside
Slowly covering my eyes
All these things I hide
Away from you again
All this fear holding me
My heart is cold and I believe
Nothing's gonna change
Until I'm broken

12 Stones

2007-02-13T06:21:00.000+02:00

12 Stones is an American post-grunge rock band that, as of October 2006, has released two albums. The first was a self-titled release in 2002. Their second, Potter's Field, was released in 2004. 12 Stones also recorded the song "Let Go" exclusively for the Daredevil movie soundtrack. Lead singer Paul McCoy was
also featured in the successful Evanescence single "Bring Me to Life".

History:

The four band members met in Mandeville, Louisiana, a small suburb north of New Orleans, and within 15 months were signed to a record deal with Wind-Up Records. The name of the band is a reflection of their strong Christian values. As stated on their official website, "12 Stones" is taken metaphorically from the twelve stones in the Hoshen, a breastplate worn by the high priest of Levitical order in the Old Testament. In an interview on the national television special Broken TV, McCoy explained that the band's name reflects a reference to the twelve stones that the Israelites erected after they crossed the Jordan River. McCoy also stated in an interview with Christian Music Review that their name is also a reference to the twelve disciples that followed Jesus. 12 Stones are working now on their third album. Although categorized as Christian Rock, their hard-edged sound and distinctive vocals have helped the band reach a broader audience. "Shadows" from Potters Field was used in a trailer for the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. "Photograph" (also from Potters Field) appeared on the Elektra movie soundtrack 2005. "My Life" from their self-titled album was featured on the The Scorpion King soundtrack in 2002. "Broken" (also from the self-titled album) served as the official theme song for WWE's Judgment Day pay-per-view in May 2002 and "Home" (also from the self-titled album) was the song used for the WWE Desire video for Kurt Angle. Songs "Running out of Pain" and "Back Up" were used on Cheating Death, Stealing Life - The Eddie Guerrero Story.

My Happy Ending lyrics & video

2007-02-10T03:19:00.001+02:00

So much for my happy ending
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...

Let's talk this over
It's not like we're dead
Was it something I did?
Was it something You said?
Don't leave me hanging
In a city so dead
Caught up so high
On such a breakable thread

You were all the things I thought of you
And I thought we could be

[chorus]

You were everything, everything that I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it
And all the memories, so close to me, just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...

You've got your dumb friends
I know what they say
They tell you I'm difficult
But so are they
But they don't know me
Do they even know you?
All that they talk about
All the shit that you do

You were all the things I thought of you
And I thought we could be

[chorus]

It's nice to know you were there
Thanks for acting like you cared
And making me feel like I was the only one
It's nice to know we had it all
Thanks for watching at the phone
And making me feel we were done

[chorus X2]

oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...

Nobody's Home lyrics & video

2007-02-10T02:51:00.002+02:00

I couldn't tell you why she felt that way,
She felt it everyday.
And I couldn't help her,
I just watched her make the same mistakes again.

What's wrong, what's wrong now?
Too many, too many problems.
Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs.
She wants to go home, but nobody's home.
I's where she lies, broken inside.
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.
Broken inside.

Open your eyes and look outside, find a reasons why.
You've been rejected, and now you can't find what you left behind.
Be strong, be strong now.
Too many, too many problems.
Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs.
She wants to go home, but nobody's home.
It's where she lies, broken inside.
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.
Broken inside.

Her feelings she hides.
Her dreams she can't find.
She's losing her mind.
She's fallen behind.
She can't find her place.
She's losing her faith.
She's fallen from grace.
She's all over the place.
Yeah,oh

She wants to go home, but nobody's home.
It's where she lies, broken inside.
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.
Broken inside.

She's lost inside, lost inside...oh oh yeah
She's lost inside, lost inside...oh oh yeah

Avril Lavigne

2007-02-10T02:13:00.000+02:00

Avril Ramona Lavigne-Whibley(born September27, 1984) is a Juno Award-winning, Grammy-
nominated Canadian pop/rock singer,songwriter, model, and occasional actress. She
was originally known for her "skater" persona,but has since shed that image in favour of a more sophisticated and feminine style since about 2005, although she has stated she is still a "rock chick" at heart. And she has also stated that the stage was for the camera, it was only for the photo shoots."I'm not punk", she claimed about her music genre as well. Her first two albums, Let Go (2002) and Under My Skin (2004), have topped charts in several countries. Her third album The Best Damn Thing(2007) is to be released in April 2007.Although her surname is of French origin, her name is usually pronounced in an anglicised way, somewhat as ("La-veen"),rather than.Lavigne, or rather la vigne, which in French means the vine or the vineyard. Her first name, Avril, is French for April,but is also pronounced in an anglicised way as("Av-ril"), rather than ("A-vreel").Lavigne is featured in Maxim magazine's Girls of Maxim gallery.In 2006, she was included in Canadian Business Magazine's ranking of the most powerful Canadians in Hollywood,grabbing the seventh position. She has sold over 25 million albums worldwide.

Biography:

Avril Ramona Lavigne was born in Belleville,Ontario to a French-born father,John,
and a Franco-Ontarian mother, Judy. Both parents are Catholic. Avril's musical talent was first spotted at the age of two when her mother says Avril began singing along with her on church songs. At age five she moved with her family to Napanee, Ontario, where she sang in a church choir and taught herself to play the guitar.In 1998, Lavigne won a competition to sing with fellow Canadian singer Shania Twain on her first major concert tour. She appeared alongside Twain at her concert in Ottawa,
appearing on stage to sing.She was discovered by her first professional manager, Cliff Fabri, while singing country covers at a Chapters bookstore in Kingston, Ontario.During a performance with the Lennox Community Theatre, Avril was spotted by local folk singer Steve Medd (a relation of the influential Canadian journalist, Ben Medd), who invited her to sing on his song "Touch The Sky" for his 1999 album Quinte Spirit. She also sang on "Temple Of Life" and "Two Rivers" for his follow up album, My Window To You, in 2000.

At the age of sixteen she was signed by Ken Krongard, the artists-and-repertoire A&R
representative of Arista Records, who invited the head of Arista, Antonio "L.A." Reid, to hear her sing in a New York City studio.She then completed work on her first album. Avril is extremely close to her younger sister Michelle Lavigne and her older brother Matthew Lavigne. Michelle is two years younger than Avril while Matt (Matthew) is three years older than Avril. On July 15, 2006, Avril married Deryck Whibley, the lead singer of Canadian punk band Sum 41.

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

2007-02-05T02:00:00.001+02:00

I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's only me and I walk alone

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
and I'm the only one and I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone

Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah,
Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah

I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line
Of the edge and where I walk alone

Read between the lines
What's fucked up and everything's alright
Check my vital signs
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me

Green Day

2007-02-05T01:58:00.001+02:00

Green Day is an American rock band consisting of three core members: Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, lead vocals),Mike Dirnt (bass) and Tré Cool (drums).Green Day were originally part of the punk rock scene at 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley, California. Their early releases for independent label Lookout! Records earned them a grassroots fanbase, some of whom felt alienated when the band signed to a major label. Nevertheless, their major label debut Dookie became a breakout success in 1994 and eventually sold over 10 million copies worldwide.As a result, Green Day was widely credited, along with fellow California punk bands The Offspring and Rancid, with reviving mainstream interest in and popularizing punk music in the United States.Green Day's immediate follow-up albums didn't achieve the massive success of Dookie, but they were still successful. Their 2004 "punk rock opera" American Idiot reignited the band's popularity, selling 15 million copies worldwide.
The band has sold over 50 million records worldwide,Their success has influenced prominent pop punk bands such as Sum 41 and Good Charlotte.Green Day currently have three Grammy Awards under their belt for Best Alternative Album for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot, and Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".

History:

Formation and Lookout years (1986–1993)

In 1986, childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt (both 14 years old) formed a two person band called Sweet Children. The first Sweet Children show took place on October 17, 1989, at Rod's Hickory Pit in Vallejo,California where Armstrong's mother was working. In late 1989, Armstrong, Dirnt and John Kiffmeyer (aka Al Sobrante)formed Green Day, allegedly choosing the name in reference to an entire day they had spent smoking marijuana.Green Day performed its first show in the courtyard of Contra Costa College, a junior college in San Pablo, California that Sobrante attended.Larry Livermore, who played guitar for The Lookouts and ran the Berkeley, California independent label Lookout!
Records, offered the band a record deal after hearing them play. The band, he said, played the show like "The Beatles at Shea Stadium" In late 1989 they released their first EP, 1,000 Hours, and quickly followed it up with their first LP,39/Smooth in early 1990.Green Day printed a fictional letter purporting to be from I.R.S. Records that claimed the label had made an attempt to sign them. In a mock reply to the fictional letter, the band made it clear that they were loyal to Lookout! Records, saying that I.R.S. was a cheesy and washed-up label.They recorded two more EPs later that year: Slappy and Sweet Children,the latter of which included some older songs for the Minneapolis, Minnesota indie label Skene! Records. In 1991,Lookout! Records released 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, a compilation of the 39/Smooth, Slappy, and 1,000 Hours EPs. In late 1990, shortly after the band's first nationwide tour, Sobrante moved to Arcata, California to attend college. Lookouts drummer Tré Cool began filling in as a temporary replacement, and when it became clear that Sobrante did not plan on committing to the band full time, Tré Cool's position as Green Day's drummer became fixed.The band went on tour for most of 1992 and 1993, and played a stretch of shows overseas in Europe. They headlined a gig at the Hollywood Palamino club in 1992 with Jughead's Revenge and Strung Out, a show that would become legendary among the band's following. Kerplunk sold about 50,000 copies in the U.S.,which was considered quite a large amount for the independent punk scene in 1992. It eventually sold over 2 million albums worldwide.

Breakthrough success (1994–1996)

Kerplunk!'s underground success led to a wave of interest coming from major record labels, and eventually they left Lookout! on friendly terms and signed with Reprise Records after attracting the attention of producer Rob Cavallo. Signing to Reprise caused many punk rock fans to regard Green Day as sellouts.Reflecting on the period, Armstrong told SPIN magazine in 1999, "I couldn't go back to the punk scene, whether we were the biggest success in the world or the biggest failure ... The only thing I could do was get on my bike and go forward."They then went to work on recording their major label debut, Dookie.

Released in February of 1994, and recorded in a mere 3 weeks, Dookie became a commercial sensation, helped by extensive MTV airplay for the videos "Longview", "Basket Case", and "When I Come Around", all of which sat in the #1 position on the Modern Rock Tracks charts. That year, Green Day embarked on a nationwide tour with queercore band Pansy Division as their opening act. The band also joined the lineups of both the Lollapalooza festival and Woodstock 1994, where they started an infamous mud fight. During the concert, a security guard mistook bassist Mike Dirnt for a stage-invading fan and punched out some of his teeth. Viewed by millions via pay-per-view television, the Woodstock 1994 performance further aided Green Day's growing publicity and recognition,and helped push their album to eventual diamond status. In 1995, Dookie won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and the band was nominated for 9 MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year.

In 1995, a new single for the Angus soundtrack was released, titled "J.A.R.". The single went straight to #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song was followed by their new album, Insomniac, which was released in the fall of 1995. Insomniac was a much darker response by the band, compared to the poppy, more melodic Dookie. Insomniac opened to a warm critical reception, earning 4 out of 5 stars from Rolling Stone Magazine, raving "In punk, the good stuff actually unfolds and gains meaning as you listen without sacrificing any of its electric, haywire immediacy. And Green Day are as good as this stuff gets." Insomniac used a piece of art by Winston Smith entitled God told Me To Skin You Alive for its album cover. Smith said to drummer Tré Cool that if he ever needed album artwork, that he should call him. Singles released from Insomniac were "Geek Stink Breath", the radio-favorite double single "Brain Stew/Jaded", "Walking Contradiction", and "Stuck With Me". One track, "86," was a reference to the Gilman Street club refusing them entry after the release of Dookie, claiming that they had "gone too commercial." Though the album didn't approach the success of Dookie, it still sold seven million copies in the United States. Insomniac won the band award nominations for Favorite Artist, Favorite Hard Rock Artist, and Favorite Alternative Artist at the 1996 American Music Awards, and the video for "Walking Contradiction" got the band a Grammy nomination for Best Video, Short Form, in addition to a Best Special Effects nomination at the MTV Video Music Awards.After that, the band abruptly cancelled a European tour, claiming exhaustion.

The New Age

2007-02-05T01:48:00.000+02:00

Nimrod and Warning: (1997–2002)

After taking a break in 1996, Green Day began work on a new album in 1997. From the outset, both the band and Cavallo agreed that the album had to be different from their previous records.The result was nimrod., an experimental deviation from the band's standard pop-punk brand of music. The new album was released in October 1997. It provided a variety of music, with everything from upbeat pop-punk, laid-back surfer rock, and peppy, silly ska, to an acoustic ballad. nimrod. entered the charts at number 10, thanks to the surprise hit "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", an acoustic ballad that singer Billie Joe almost did not place on the album for fear of it being too different from the band's usual style. The success of "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" won the band an MTV Video Award for Best Alternative Video for the song's video, which depicted people undergoing major changes in their lives while Billie Joe Armstrong strummed his acoustic guitar.Other singles released from nimrod. were Nice Guys Finish
Last, Hitchin' a Ride and Redundant. Nimrod. also featured one of the band's live staples, "King for a Day", which, when played live, is accompanied by Billie Joe wearing a crown and/or cape. After the release of nimrod., Green Day took a two-year break, deciding to step back from the spotlight and spend some time with their new families.

In 2000, Green Day released Warning:, a step further in the style that they had hinted at with nimrod. Changes in their personal lives were reflected in the more mature and straightforward approach they took to their music, replacing nearly adolescent mantras of masturbation with more introspective statements. Critics' reviews of the album were fairly positive, although the album was greeted with mixed reviews within their fan base, who had grown accustomed to their 1990s pop punk sound. Though it produced the hit "Minority" and a smaller hit with "Warning", some observers were coming to the conclusion that the band was losing relevance, and a decline in popularity followed. While all of Green Day's past albums had reached a status of at least double platinum, Warning: was only certified gold. Although the band felt this was some of their strongest work to date, the decline of sales fueled questions regarding the band's future.

At the 2001 California Music Awards, Green Day won all eight awards that they were nominated for. They won the awards for Outstanding Album (Warning:), Outstanding Punk Rock/Ska Album (Warning:), Outstanding Group, Outstanding Male Vocalist, Outstanding Bassist, Outstanding Drummer, Outstanding Songwriter and Outstanding Artist.

The release of a Greatest Hits compilation, International Superhits!, and the token complementary assemblage of B-sides, Shenanigans, only fueled the theory that Green Day's career was on the rocks. International Superhits and its companion collection of music videos, titled International Supervideos! sold reasonably well, going platinum in the U.S. Shenanigans sported the band's b-sides, including "Espionage" which was featured in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. "Ha Ha You're Dead", recorded specifically for Shenanigans, is seen as the highlight of the album.

In 2002, Green Day co-headlined the Pop Disaster Tour with blink-182 helped to resurrect some of the band's popularity, and earned the group many positive concert reviews. The band decided to take some more time off after the Pop Disaster Tour closed, to spend time with their families.

American Idiot and renewed popularity (2003–present)

In the summer of 2003 the band went into a studio to write and record new material for a new album, tentatively titled Cigarettes and Valentines.After completing 20 tracks, the master tapes were stolen from the studio. The band, understandably upset, chose not to try to re-create the stolen album, but instead started over with a vow to be even better than before. In addition, they underwent serious "band therapy," engaging in several long talks to work out the members' differences after accusations from Dirnt and Cool that Armstrong was "the band's Nazi" and a show-off bent on taking the limelight from the other band members.

The resulting 2004 album, American Idiot, debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, the band's first ever album to reach #1, backed by the success of the album's first single, "American Idiot." The album was billed as a "punk rock opera" which follows the journey of the fictitious "Jesus Of Suburbia". Also the album marked a significant growth in the band as musicians. American Idiot won the 2005 Grammy for "Best Rock Album" and the band swept the 2005 MTV music awards, winning a total of seven of the eight awards they were nominated for, including the coveted Viewer's Choice Award.

Through 2005, the band toured in support of the album with about 150 dates — their longest tour in their career — visiting Japan, Australia, South America and the UK, where they drew a crowd of 130,000 people over a span of two days - one of the largest crowds ever drawn for a rock concert. While touring for American Idiot, they filmed and recorded the two concerts at the Milton Keynes National Bowl in England, which was voted 'The Best Show On Earth' in a Kerrang! Magazine Poll. These recordings were released as a live CD and DVD called Bullet in a Bible on November 15, 2005. This CD/DVD featured hits from American Idiot as well as a few songs from all their previous albums, except "Kerplunk!" and "1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours". The DVD featured behind-the-scenes footage of the band, and showed how the band prepared to put on the show. The final shows of their 2005 world tour were in Sydney, Australia, and Melbourne, Australia, on December 14 and 17 respectively. On January 10, 2006 the band was awarded with a People's Choice Award for favorite group.

On August 1, 2005, it was announced that Green Day had rescinded the master rights to their pre-Dookie material from Lookout! Records, citing breach of contract regarding unpaid royalties that had been ongoing for some time, and with other Lookout! bands as well. The pre-Dookie material was reissued by their label, Reprise, on January 9, 2007.

In 2006 Green Day won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" which spent 16 weeks at the number one position of Billbsoard's Modern Rock Tracks, a record it shares along with Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Scar Tissue" and Staind's "It`s Been Awhile". Green Day was also nominated for Best Rock Video for "Wake Me Up When September Ends" at the 2006 MTV Video Music awards, but lost to AFI's "Miss Murder". Both the music videos "Wake Me Up When September Ends", "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" retired showing on TRL after being on the top ten for 50 days each.

In September 2006, Green Day teamed up with U2 and producer Rick Rubin to record a cover of the song "The Saints Are Coming" with an accompanying video, originally recorded by The Skids. The song is to benefit Music Rising, an organization to help raise money for musicians' instruments lost during Hurricane Katrina, and to bring awareness on the eve of the one year anniversary of the disaster.

In December 2006, Green Day and NRDC opened a web site in partnership to raise awareness on America's dependency on Oil.

Numb video

2007-02-03T05:17:00.001+02:00

Meteora:

The band headed back to the studio in mid-2002 to record their follow-up to Hybrid Theory. The name of the album was kept a secret until December, where it was revealed to be named after Meteora, a series of monasteries high atop rock formations in Greece, which they learned about from looking at pictures in a travel magazine. "It's this really spiritual, mythical place," Delson said, "Just looking at those pictures was inspirational to us in terms of how epic it felt. I think some of the guys hadn't even seen the pictures when they heard the name Meteora, and they just really responded to the energy of the name. We think that suitably matches the spirit we tried to create with the record." The album's first single, "Somewhere I Belong", was released in February of 2003 to critical acclaim. On March 25, 2003, Meteora was released and debuted at number one on Billboard's music chart after selling 810,000 copies in its first week. It has sold nearly 11 million copies worldwide, more than half of that in the US alone.

Following the release of the album, the band embarked on its second Projekt Revolution tour with Blindside, Mudvayne and Xzibit. "Faint" was released as a single toward the end of the tour. Following the second Projekt Revolution, the band joined Metallica on their Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003 with Limp Bizkit, Deftones and, once again, Mudvayne. The band also headlined on Friday of the 2003 Reading Festival in the UK with co-headliner blink-182, playing a highly energetic set to some 65000 fans (other headliners included Metallica, System of a Down, Blur and AFI.)

Shortly after the Sanitarium tour came to a close, the band released "Numb" as a single. They shot a video for the single in Prague, Czech Republic while simultaneously shooting a video for the song "From the Inside". Bennington became ill before the video for "Numb" could be completed, so the remainder was filmed in a church in Los Angeles.

On November 18, 2003, Linkin Park released a brand-new DVD/CD live set entitled Live in Texas. The footage was shot while on the Summer Sanitarium tour in Dallas and Houston, Texas. The DVD combined two live shows together; the video and audio from both shows were edited together. Because of this, the band had to wear the same clothing for both shows on consecutive days. The DVD featured seventeen songs and the CD featured a selection of twelve of those.

In November, the third edition of the LPU launched. The package's CD contained the five tracks that were cut from the Live in Texas DVD for its CD. This did not sit well with many fan club members, who claimed that the band should have placed rare songs on the CD (as with year two) instead of the live tracks.

At the end of 2003, the band performed at its third KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas concert. They headlined night one and played a seventeen-song set. At the end of Linkin Park's set, they played "One Step Closer" and were joined on stage by P.O.D.'s frontman, Sonny Sandoval.

At the beginning of 2004, the band set off on its "Meteora World Tour" with P.O.D., Hoobastank and Story of the Year. The band claimed that this was the final leg of the world-wide tour that the band had been on since Meteora was released.

During the tour, the band's video for "From the Inside" was released internationally. Following the "Meteora World Tour", the band began work on their most ambitious music video to date. The video, which was to be based around the song "Breaking the Habit", featured Japanese-style animation by the same studio that created the animated scenes in Kill Bill, Production I.G., and was directed by Kazuto Nakazawa and Hahn. The video featured Bennington's soul travelling through an old apartment building visiting various people struggling with various habits that they were trying to break. Prior to the release of "Breaking the Habit" as a single, "Lying From You" was released to radios to serve as a radio-only single.

Crawling video

2007-02-03T05:15:00.001+02:00

Hybrid Theory:

On October 24, 2000, Linkin Park's debut album, Hybrid Theory, was released in the United States. The only track cut from the album was the remake of "High Voltage", a hip hop/rapcore song that appeared on the Hybrid Theory EP. Several songs from the EP were re-recorded as demos for Hybrid Theory, but it is unknown whether the tracks will ever appear as official B-sides or not. The record's first single was "One Step Closer".

The band performed in its first nationally-recognized concert on December 17, 2000 as a part of KROQ Radio's Almost Acoustic Christmas concert special. Shinoda wrote a new song entitled "My December" for the occasion. The song was released as a B-side on the single for One Step Closer and on several versions of Hybrid Theory released internationally. It was later featured on a Christmas album released by KROQ DJs Kevin and Bean.
Music sample:

In early 2001, Farrell joined Linkin Park once again and the band's second single, "Crawling", was released and won the band a Grammy Award for "Best Hard Rock Performance" in 2002. The band embarked on its first ever national festival tour, the Ozzfest, with other acts such as Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, and Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society. In mid-2001, the band released its third single, "In the End". The song would prove to be the band's biggest hit and was one of the most-spun songs of 2001. The video for the song was directed by Nathan "Karma" Cox and Hahn, and featured the band playing atop a massive statue in the rain. The video had a massive amount of CGI compared to most music videos at the time.

On November 21, 2001, the band released its first DVD humorously titled Frat Party at the Pankake Festival. The DVD featured all of the band's videos up to this point in their career and featured a documentary of the band touring in support of Hybrid Theory. There are also a lot of hidden Easter eggs allowing viewers to access hidden videos on the DVD, including a 1999 garage-like performance of a demo of "Esaul" later redone and renamed "A Place For My Head".

In the same month, a friend of the band, Jessica Bardas, suggested forming a fan club. The band thought that it was a good idea, and the Linkin Park Underground (LPU) was born. Members of the fan club receive a package every year (assuming that they renew their membership) containing a T-shirt, a CD and several odds and ends, including guitar picks, stickers and posters. The first CD featured was a re-issue of Hybrid Theory EP, with new artwork.

In early 2002, the band put together its first headlining tour called Projekt Revolution. The first leg of the tour featured Adema, Cypress Hill, the Apex Theory, and DJ Z-Trip. During the course of the tour, Shinoda and Hahn collaborated with The X-Ecutioners on the song "It's Goin' Down". Shortly after the tour ended, the band headed back to the studio for the first time since early 2000. After being sent several remixes of Linkin Park songs, Shinoda decided to release a remix album. Initially, Shinoda only wanted to remix a couple of songs and release an EP. However, thanks to encouragement from his bandmates (Delson and Hahn especially), Shinoda decided to take the project a step further.

The project, which would take on the name Reanimation, featured one remix for each song from Hybrid Theory, as well as remixes of the songs "My December" and "High Voltage". Each song was remixed by a different artist and there were rumors that there were over fifty remixes that Shinoda received during the course of the project. Shinoda went through and listened to each remix, hand-picking the best ones. Only two of the remixes that didn't make the album were ever released, those being the Crystal Method's remix of "Points of Authority" (featured on the second CD issued to the LPU) and Marilyn Manson's remix of "By Myself". The only other confirmed remix was of "My December" by Team Sleep. The remix was turned away because it made the song even darker; Shinoda went with the version on the CD because it made the song seem more up-beat and happier. Artists featured on the album include Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, Stephen Richards of Taproot, Kelli Ali of Sneaker Pimps, Aaron Lewis of Staind, the Humble Brothers, Jonathan Davis of Korn, Aceyalone, Pharaohe Monch, The X-Ecutioners, Black Thought and Jay Gordon of Orgy. The project was released on July 30, 2002, and its first and only single was "Pts.Of.Athrty" ("Points of Authority") remixed by Jay Gordon.

In November, the second edition of the LPU launched as "Underground 2.0" and the second package was revealed. The new fan club-only EP features the Crystal Method's remix of "Points of Authority" and a song called "Dedicated", which is thought to have been cut from the Hybrid Theory EP. Also included is a fifty-second instrumental track entitled "A.06".

linkin park

2007-02-03T05:03:00.000+02:00

Linkin Park is a two-time Grammy Award-winning band from Los Angeles, California.
They are often considered the most famous and most commercially successful exponents of the nu metal genre. This is mainly due to their first studio album Hybrid Theory (2000), which has sold 20 million copies worldwide to date.

Early history:

In 1996, MC Mike Shinoda and guitarist Brad Delson graduated from Agoura High School in the Los Angeles suburb of Agoura Hills, California. Upon graduation, they formed a side band with their friend, drummer Rob Bourdon, under the moniker "SuperXero". Previously, Delson and Bourdon were in a band together for about a year called Relative Degree. Delson had also been part of a band called The Pricks.

The three members of SuperXero played archaic forms of their music together while at college. Delson attended the University of California, Los Angeles. Shinoda went to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. While at UCLA, Delson met bassist Dave Farrell. Delson and Farrell were roommates and often practiced and played together. Previously, Farrell used to play in a band called Tasty Snax with Mark Fiore, who later changed their name to "The Snax". Fiore later became Linkin Park's cinematographer. While at the Art Center College of Design, Shinoda met Joe Hahn. Farrell and Hahn later joined SuperXero, and the name was shortened to "Xero". Farrel began cutting himself recreationally. The five men were later joined by lead vocalist Mark Wakefield and, together, they recorded their first, self-titled demo tape. The tape was sent out to various record labels but it was never considered and the band was never signed. Shortly thereafter, Wakefield left the band.

Wakefield left, Shinoda began auditioning for a new vocalist and at the same time Delson began interning for a Warner Bros. Records A&R representative named Jeff Blue as part of his communications degree. Blue alerted Delson and Shinoda to Chester Bennington, a young vocalist from Phoenix, Arizona who was looking to join another band, after being the vocalist for Grey Daze (formerly known as Sean Dowdell and His Friends) from 1993 to 1997.

Shinoda and Delson sent Bennington a tape containing instrumentation for a song and he recorded vocals for it. He then called Shinoda and played the song over the phone. This was the start of things to come as the band was instantly impressed by the vocal abilities of Bennington and it did not take long to realize the advantages of his voice and his ability to mould it to be both soft and thought-provoking as well as hard and attention-grabbing.

Once Bennington had joined the group, they attempted to have the band signed. Unfortunately, the name was already taken by a 70s and 80s band from Australia so they changed their name to Hybrid Theory and the band's line-up solidified — almost. Farrell temporarily left the band due to previous commitments with The Snax/Tasty Snax and, as such, wasn't able to record bass for their first, self-titled EP. Instead, Delson and a bassist named Kyle Christner played bass. Released in mid-1999, only one thousand copies of Hybrid Theory EP were pressed. Several copies were sent to various record labels, including Warner Bros. Records. The rest of the copies were given to early members of the band's newly formed street team. Farrell was temporarily replaced by Scott Koziol. Scott appears in the video for "One Step Closer" from the Hybrid Theory album.

The band was subsequently signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1999 thanks to Blue. However, they were forced to change their name again due to a trademark issue with a British electronic group called Hybrid.There were several suggestions for the bands new name, including Clear, Probing Lagers, Ten P.M. Stocker (an inside joke for the band since they were always recording and practicing material late at night). When the band was creating Hybrid Theory they used to park their cars outside and there was a time limit, 1 am, until which they could park. As Bennington said, "We've probably spent more money on parking tickets than Warner Bros. makes annually!"

Bennington eventually suggested the use of the name "Lincoln Park" because he would drive by it in Santa Monica, California (now known as Christine Reed Park). He drove past the park on his way to the recording studio every day when the band was recording demos for its debut album. Bennington thought that since there are Lincoln Parks all over the country, the band would be recognized as a local band no matter where they went. He also liked the name because it had no meaning, allowing the music to describe itself. The group bore the name Lincoln Park for a few months, but when they decided to register a domain name, they found that "lincolnpark.com" was already taken. Because the band couldn't afford to purchase it, they simply changed the spelling from "Lincoln" to "Linkin" and purchased the domain name "linkinpark.com".

Recent events:

In December of 2005, Mike Shinoda (who also produced Hybrid Theory EP, Reanimation and Collision Course) was confirmed as the co-producer for the next Linkin Park album. On February 8, 2006, the band announced the producer for their third studio album would be Rick Rubin and who has worked with such bands as The Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, System of a Down and many others.

During the Grammy Award Ceremony 2006 Linkin Park joined with Jay-Z and Paul McCartney, where they performed the song "Numb/Encore/Yesterday". The band went on to win a Grammy award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

The official website recently was closed down for remodeling. However, fans were treated to being able to watch "Making of..." videos, the whole Live in Texas concert and all the music videos (excluding all of the rare Reanimation videos except for Pts.Of.Athrty) that the band has produced to date, as well as use the message boards and read news about recent events concerning the band.

Linkin Park performed live in August 2006 at Summer Sonic, hosted by Metallica in Japan. A new song, tentatively codenamed Qwerty and also referred in various websites as Behind Your Lies, leaked on numerous websites after being played at the concert. They also performed "Reading My Eyes", a song from their Xero demo tape. Qwerty (live and studio version), Reading My Eyes (live) and other exclusive live and studio tracks are available on Linkin Park Underground V6.0 Limited Edition Fan Club CD.

On August 29, 2006, the entire catalog of Linkin Park, including their collaborative work, was added to the iTunes music store. Linkin Park had been one of the few remaining major-label bands not selling digital versions of their music.

Mike Shinoda said recently in an interview with KROQ that the band expects their new album to be released towards the beginning of 2007. This was reconfirmed in an interview with MTV.com. For more information, see Linkin Park's third studio album.

Linkin Park appeared on MTV's Total Request Live (TRL) on Wednesday, September 27, 2006. Chester Bennington was recently interviewed by MTV. It was stated Linkin Park's new album will not be the same nu-metal style they have produced in the past. "We're straying away from a lot of the predictable sounds we've had in the past, but there's no question in your mind when you hear it that it's Linkin Park," Bennington said. "We've always said we write the music we write so that we can spread our wings as far as we want and try new things and go anywhere. I think we're really going to prove that with this new record." The new album is said to be a mixture of punk, classic rock and vintage hip-hop.

In October, Phoenix and Mike Shinoda appeared at the Fuse Fangoria Chainsaw Awards show and stated "As of maybe a week and a half, two weeks ago, we went from 30 down to 17ish song wise, and that's an exciting point for us. The album is starting to take a little bit more of a shape." When talking about co-producer Rick Rubin, Mike Shinoda stated, "Rick is one of those guys where you can go through any door you want to go through. We're trying everything, just messing around with it until it sounds good."

In a November interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the band stated that they have narrowed their songs down from 120 to 17. Mike also described one of the songs that they are working on, titled Accident, and how it sounds different from other material that they have released, "The guitar sounds like Metallica, the beat sounds like Motown, and there's a Stones-like groove to it. But it's got rapping and Clash-style vocals - so if that's not fucked up enough for people to stop calling us rap rock, then I don't know what else to do."

Linkin Park's official website has confirmed that they will be headlining with My Chemical Romance for the Bamboozle Festival, taking place on May 5 and May 6 2007 in New Jersey. The concert will be in East Rutherford, at Giants Stadium parking lot. Mike said that we can expect to hear many of the new songs off of their upcoming 2007 release.

In a recent interview with Blender Magazine, the December 2006 issue, the band almost revealed the name of the new album. Chester said it will be titled T... and T..., a fill in the blank puzzle. The interviewer guessed that it might be Trials and Tribulations. However, in a more recent interview Phoenix stated that the album title hasn't been chosen yet.

The band also revealed that the studio they are recording in what was the home of the famous old time gangster Benjamin Bugsy Siegel, and also the home of Harry Houdini's mistress. The band revealed also that they are using vintage guitar, and drums out of wood. The album has been said by Blender to be due by February of 2007.

On December 12th, Phoenix was interviewed by the Linkin Park Association where he cleared up some things about the new album.

According to the Linkin Park Association, the new edition of Blender Magazine states currently that Linkin Park's new album will be out in March 2007. However, other sources indicate the album will be released February 20th 2007. This has caused quite some debate and frustration amongst fans on various Linkin Park message boards.

On January 26, 2007, the band confirmed that they will headline the annual German festivals Rock am Ring and Rock im Park on June 1st-3rd 2007, along with rock band Smashing Pumpkins.

On January 30, 2007, they were announced as one of the headliners of the Download Festival in the UK alongside My Chemical Romance and Iron Maiden. The festival commences on the 8th of June.

G-Unit member Young Buck has a track with Mike Shinoda on his new album "Buck the World" due out March 20th. The track is called "Wrong Man" and is produced by DJ Paul and Juicy J.

Farrell has confirmed on the Linkin Park Underground that after a year of writing and recording, the first single of their highly anticipated third album will be released in March 2007.

Animal Instinct lyrics & video

2007-01-31T05:36:00.001+02:00

Suddenly something has happened to me
As I was having my cup of tea
Suddenly I was feeling depressed
I was utterly and totally stressed
Do you know you made me cry
Do you know you made me die

And the thing that gets to me
Is you'll never really see
And the thing that freaks me out
Is I'll always be in doubt
It is a lovely thing that we have
It is a lovely thing that we
It is a lovely thing, the animal
The animal instinct

So take my hands and come with me
We will change reality
So take my hands and we will pray
They won't take you away
They will never make me cry, no
They will never make me die

And the thing that gets to me
Is you'll never really see
And the thing that freaks me out
Is I'll always be in doubt

The animal, the animal, the animal instinct in me
It's the animal, the animal, the animal instinct in me
It's the animal, it's the animal, it's the animal instinct in me x2

The Cranberries

2007-01-31T05:34:00.000+02:00

Noel and Mike Hogan, two brothers from Limerick, formed the band with drummer Fergal Lawler in 1990. The band was originally named The Cranberry Saw Us, a pun on cranberry sauce. The lead singer at that time was a friend of theirs named Niall Quinn, who had an extravagant taste for composing and song names, such as "My Grandma drowned in a fountain in Lourdes", "I was always all ways" and "Throw Me Down A Big Stairs". When he left the band, Dolores O'Riordan, who was a friend of Niall's girlfriend at the time, auditioned and won the role of lead singer. She quickly demonstrated her lyrical ability when the band handed her a demo of a melody they had been working on. She took the demo home and returned with a full set of lyrics for it the next day, the song (which later became one of the band's biggest hits) was then given the name "Linger".

Their homemade demo tape did well locally and the band soon recorded a demo tape which they sold in record stores throughout Ireland. After the original run of 300 copies sold out, the group truncated their name to the Cranberries and sent another demo tape, which featured early versions of both "Linger" and "Dreams," to record companies throughout the UK. The tape was made at Xeric studios, which was run by Pearse Gilmore, who would later become their manager. At the time the tape was made, all of the members were still in their late teens.
The demo tape earned the attention of both the UK press and record industry and there soon was a bidding war between major British record labels. Eventually, the group signed with Island Records whose other famous Irish contract is with U2. The Cranberries headed into the studio with Gilmore as their producer to record their first single, "Uncertain." The title proved to be prophetic, as the band did indeed sound ill at ease on the single, leading to poor reviews in the press, in addition to tensions between the group and Gilmore. Before they were scheduled to record their debut in 1992, the Cranberries discovered that Gilmore had signed a secret deal with Island to improve his studios. The tensions within the band became so great they nearly broke up. Instead, the band severed all relations with Gilmore, hired Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records as their new manager, and hired Stephen Street, who had previously worked with The Smiths, as their new producer.
The Cranberries' debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, was released in the spring of 1993, followed by a single of "Dreams." Neither the album or the single gained much attention, nor did a second single, "Linger". In the summer and fall of 1993, the band toured the United States, opening for The The and Suede, respectively; frequently, the Cranberries were given a friendlier reception than either of the headliners. The strong live shows led to MTV putting "Linger" into heavy rotation. By the end of the year, the single was on its way to becoming a crossover hit. Eventually, the single reached number eight on the US charts, while the album went double platinum. Everybody Else and "Linger" began to take off in Britain in early 1994; the album eventually peaked at number one during the summer.

In 1999, the group released Bury the Hatchet. The first single "Promises" was released in February, backed by a video made by French Director Oliver Dahn (who previously worked with them on "Salvation").
The album went on sale in April 1999 and reached #7 in the UK and #13 in the US, where it went gold. The album's most successful single was "Promises", which peaked in the UK at #12, and in the United States at #34. The second single was "Animal Instinct", which didn't reach the Top 40 in UK. The third and fourth singles were "Just My Imagination" and "You & Me", respectively. The group started a world tour in April 1999 and it finished in July 2000. It was the biggest and most successful tour of the Cranberries' career. The album has sold over 3,500,000 copies to date (their fourth-best selling album), with impressive sales in countries like France, Italy, Spain and Taiwan.
The tour brought them back to Ireland for their first date in four years, when they performed at Millstreet in County Cork. As the tour rolled on, the band released "Bury The Hatchet - The Complete Sessions", a double CD featuring B-sides as well as live tracks taken from a live show in Paris.

2000s:

In October 2001, the album Wake Up and Smell the Coffee was released. One of the band's longtime fans, producer Stephen Street, had returned. The album debuted at #46 in the U.S. charts and #61 in the UK (the band's least successful album) but helped them to revive their career in the U.S. The first single was "Analyse", which didn't reach the Top 75 in the UK, becoming one of their least successful singles. In January 2002, they released the second single "Time Is Ticking Out", and some months later another one, "This Is The Day". Neither song reached the UK singles charts. The album has sold over 1,500,000 copies to date. They completed a world tour from February to October 2002.
The following year a greatest-hits compilation entitled Stars - The Best of 1992 - 2002 was released, along with a DVD of music videos.
The three non-single tracks appearing on Stars are "Daffodil Lament" (voted by the fans as the top non-single from the band's five albums), "New New York", and "Stars", the latter two tracks both previously unreleased. "New New York" is, as would be expected, a reaction to September 11th. It reached #20 in the U.K albums charts. The song "Stars" was released as a single from that album. They won an award in Taiwan, in 2002, for best selling international band with the album "Stars". In that country, they have been successful with every album they have released to date. They started a tour in late October 2002, which ended in December of the same year. It was their shortest tour; they went only to Europe and Asia. In mid 2003, the band played a few tour dates, some with the Rolling Stones (The Cranberries were the opening act), and some alone. They performed new songs during those dates ("Astral Projection" and "In It Together").

Time for a break:

In 2004, The Cranberries announced they were taking some time to pursue individual careers. Earlier that year, O'Riordan had sung the title track to the movie The Passion of the Christ, "Ave Maria" and composed a song for the movie Evilenko (with Malcolm McDowell). Her solo album "Are You Listening?" is planned for release on May 8, 2007. Noel Hogan's new project is Mono Band.
The Cranberries have decided to put the next album on hold after more than a dozen years of relentless touring and promotion, which saw them rack up album sales in excess of 38 million and play to hundreds of thousands of fans around the globe.

Behind These Hazel Eyes lyrics & video

2007-01-30T05:33:00.001+02:00

Seems like just yesterday
You were a part of me
I used to stand so tall
I used to be so strong
Your arms around me tight
Everything, it felt so right
Unbreakable, like nothin' could go wrong
Now I can't breathe
No, I can't sleep
I'm barely hanging on

Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

I told you everything
Opened up and let you in
You made me feel alright
For once in my life
Now all that's left of me
Is what I pretend to be
So together, but so broken up inside
'Cause I can't breathe
No, I can't sleep
I'm barely hangin' on

Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

Swallow me then spit me out
For hating you, I blame myself
Seeing you it kills me now
No, I don't cry on the outside
Anymore...

Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

kelly clarkson biography

2007-01-30T05:15:00.000+02:00

Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is a Grammy Award-winning American singer and actress who has enjoyed success in the pop and rock music genres. Clarkson made her debut under RCA Records after she won the highly-publicized first season of the television series American Idol in 2002. She was originally marketed as a pop musician with her debut album Thankful (2003). With the release of her multi-platinum sophomore album Breakaway (2004), Clarkson moved to a more rock-oriented style of music.

Biography and music career

Early life

Clarkson was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and grew up in the small town of Burleson, Texas. She is the third and youngest child of Jeanne Ann Rose, a first grade teacher who is of Greek and Irish descent, and Stephen Michael Clarkson, a former engineer who is of Welsh extraction. Clarkson's siblings include her brother Jason, and her sister Alyssa. When Clarkson was six years old, her parents split up after seventeen years of marriage. As a result, her brother went to live with her father, her sister went to live with an aunt, and Clarkson remained with her mother. Clarkson frequently moved around Texas while her mother managed several professions in order to support the family. Clarkson has since stated that, being six years old at the time, she did not understand why her family had been constantly moving.Eventually, the family settled in Burleson, where Clarkson's mother married her second husband, Jimmy Taylor.

Clarkson attended Fulton Middle School and Burleson High School. She originally wanted to become a marine biologist. In seventh grade, a teacher overheard her singing in a hallway and asked her to audition for the school choir. Clarkson told the teacher that she had never received professional vocal training before. In high school, Clarkson performed in musicals such as Brigadoon.

Upon graduation in 2000, Clarkson worked several occupations to finance her demo CD that she hoped to market toward record labels. She received few responses, and eventually decided to move to Hollywood to seek out other opportunities in music, one of which was a mentorship under songwriter Gerry Goffin. However, Goffin fell ill, and to make ends meet, Clarkson appeared as an extra on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and That '70s Show among others. She played a small role in the 2002 film Issues 101. Following four months in Hollywood, Clarkson was discouraged when her apartment burnt down and decided to return to Texas, where she worked at a cinema, and as a cocktail waitress, Six Flags performer, telemarketer, Kirby Vacuum salesperson, and a Red Bull promoter.

American Idol

Once Clarkson returned to Burleson, several of her friends encouraged her to audition for the 2002 debut of the reality television program American Idol. She entered the competition with 10,000 others, and the judges Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson were impressed with her voice. She earned a position in the Top 30 finalists and week-by-week performed a song on live television to North America. When American Idol concluded each week, the viewers would vote based on the performance they enjoyed the most. Clarkson sang a rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" which garnered her a top 10 position. Other songs Clarkson performed on American Idol include Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", Badfinger's "Without You", and Céline Dion's "I Surrender".

Song Performances on American Idol:

* Original Audition: "Express Yourself" (Madonna) and "At Last" (Glenn Miller) (original Dallas audition)
* Top 121: "Respect" (Aretha Franklin) (Hollywood round 1)
* Top 65: "I Say a Little Prayer" (Dionne Warwick) (Hollywood round 2)
* Top 45: "Save The Best For Last" (Vanessa Williams) (Hollywood 3)
* Top 30: "Respect" (Aretha Franklin) (semi-final group 2)
* Top 10: "All I Need" (Diana Ross) (Motown week)
* Top 8: "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin, Carole King)(1960's week)
* Top 7: "Don't Play That Song" (Aretha Franklin) (1970's week)
* Top 6: "Stuff Like That There" (Betty Hutton) (Big Band week)
* Top 5: "Walk on By" (Dionne Warwick) (Love song week)
* Top 4: "It's Raining Men" (Weather Girls) (1980's & 1990's week) (top 2)
* Top 4: "I Surrender" (Celine Dion) (1980's & 1990's week) (top 2)
* Top 3: "Think Twice" (Celine Dion) (Judge's week) (top 2)
* Top 3: "Without You" (Badfinger) (Judge's week) (top 2)
* Top 2: "Respect" (Aretha Franklin) (Finale week) (winner)
* Top 2: "Before Your Love" (Kelly Clarkson) (Finale week) (winner's single) (Crowned as American Idol) (winner)
* Top 2: "A Moment Like This" (Kelly Clarkson) (Finale week) (winner's single) (Crowned as American Idol) (winner)

Finale: "A Moment Like This" (Kelly Clarkson) (Crowned as American Idol)
Kelly Clarkson performed at the Washington D.C. Lincoln Memorial on September 11, 2002 following her win on American Idol.

Clarkson had made it to the final two contestants on American Idol, and on September 4, 2002, she won the competition and earned 58% of the audience vote over Justin Guarini. Choking back tears, Clarkson performed the ballad "A Moment Like This", the song written for the winner of American Idol, which would subsequently appear on her debut album Thankful. The song's music video was filmed in an abandoned theatre and incorporated short scenes of Clarkson performing on Idol. When released as a single in October 2002, it set a still-standing record on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart when it rose from number fifty-two to number one.This achievement was largely due to the impact from Idol as the CD single managed to sell 236,000 copies in its first week of sales in the U.S.;it spent five weeks at number one in Canada, and remains Clarkson's only #1 there.

Shortly following the completion of the first season of American Idol, Clarkson was accused of working with a record company. American Idol's rules stated that a contestant was not allowed to compete on the program if they had been linked to a record company. However, she was cleared of all allegations, as she had only had a contract in order to conduct demonstration work.

Soon after winning American Idol, Clarkson starred with Idol runner-up Justin Guarini in the movie From Justin to Kelly. The film was poorly received by critics and grossed only $5 million at the North American box office, less than half its reported budget. Clarkson has not taken any acting roles since, and says she is shocked when people send her scripts after From Justin to Kelly, often citing contractual obligation as her sole reason for involvement in the film.

Clarkson is the only American Idol winner so far who has not held the title for an entire year, since season 2 started the following spring.

In December 2003, a competition titled World Idol was held in London, England, gathering the winners of the first seasons of Idol from across the globe. Clarkson placed second behind Norwegian Idol Kurt Nilsen. She performed Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman". Because she left immediately after the competition, she was chided by some in the media for what they saw as poor sportsmanship. Clarkson later explained to fans that she was suffering from illness.

Here without you lyrics & video

2007-01-28T04:24:00.002+02:00

A hundred days had made me older since the last time that I saw your pretty face
A thousand lights had made me colder and I don’t think I can look at this the same
But all the miles had separate
They disappeared now when I’m dreaming of your face

I’m here without you baby but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby but your still with me in my dreams
And tonight it’s only you and me

The miles just keep rolling as the people either way to say hello
I hear this life is overrated but I hope it gets better as we go

I’m here without you baby but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby but your still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl it’s only you and me

Everything I know, and anywhere I go
it gets hard but it won’t take away my love
And when the last one falls, when it’s all said and done
it get hard but it won’t take away my love

I’m here without you baby but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby but your still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl it’s only you and me

I’m here without you baby but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby but your still with me in my dreams
but tonight girl it’s only you and me

3 DOORS DOWN

2007-01-28T04:18:00.000+02:00

After selling 12 million albums since their debut in 2000, 3 Doors Down are releasing their third studio album entitled Seventeen Days (Republic/Universal) on February 8, 2005. The album, recorded at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, Tennessee and produced by Johnny K (Finger 11, Disturbed) features twelve original songs including the road weary ballad "Landing In London" which features Bob Seeger.

The record's first single "Let Me Go" was released to rock radio in December 2004 and is already Top 10 on most rock stations nationwide and climbing the Top Twenty of Billboard's various rock charts, including #9 Mainstream Rock (1/29/05) and #16 Modern Rock (1/29/05). The corresponding video for "Let Me Go" was added to national formats (Jan 28) and features young actors Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (Boston Legal) and Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives).

No stranger to hit singles, 3 Doors Down have had six #1 singles-"Kryptonite," "Duck & Run," "Loser," "Be Like That," "When I'm Gone" and "Here Without You," making them one of the most popular and consistently successful rock bands in recent history. According to Billboard Magazine, they were the first debut act to ever have had a #1 single at four different radio formats simultaneously with "Kryptonite" and the quintet went on to win the 2003 Billboard Music Awards for "Best Pop/Rock Group" and "Best Hot 100 Single," as well as earning the distinction of seeing "When I'm Gone" become the most played song in 2003 according to the Nielson Vegas for Artist of the Year: Modern AC Radio. In the past four years, 3 Doors Down have moved from accomplishment to accomplishment, clearly establishing themselves as an exceptional band, both in the studio and on stage.

Seventeen Days promises to continue the high standards set by its successful forbears. It is the band's first studio album since 2002's multi-platinum Away from The Sun and the first new material since 2003's RIAA Gold certified live EP Another 700 Miles. Seventeen Days shows growth and maturity in both musicianship and songwriting. talents over the course of the disc, easily transitioning from aggro rockers like "Live For Today" to plaintive ballads such as the album closing "Here By Me."

An exceptional live band, 3 Doors Down stands among the top concert draws in North America, performing over 300 sold-out live shows a year. The band plan to tour extensively for Seventeen Days and have some special events lined up for fans including a live concert at the Daytona International for 200,000 people on February 12th. A portion of the concert will air live on Fox-TV. In addition to the Daytona event, the band will be part of the Lynyrd Skynyrd's Super Bowl Saturday Night Special, airing live on CMT, 9pm EST February 5th from Jacksonville, Fl. They will perform their new single "Let Me Go" on The Late Show with David Letterman, February 8.

From Escatawpa, Mississippi, 3 Doors Down is Brad Arnold, lead vocals; Matt Roberts, guitar; Todd Harrell, bass and Chris Henderson, guitar.

"Hanging On" lyrics & video

2007-01-27T05:36:00.000+02:00

hanging on

I've had a bad day
And nothing ever seems to go my way
I've got a heartache
Don't wanna think about it

And everytime I try to smile, I cry, so
I'll just hide my face
Get out of my way
Don't wanna talk about it

And I'll be fine
I just need some time

[Chorus]
I'm hanging on today
And nothing's gonna stop me, anyway
I'm holding on, I'm strong
I'm the only one who can make it change
I don't wanna fight
Gotta live my life
I'm gonna make it right
I'm hanging on and nothing's gonna stop me, anyway

I went the wrong way
But I'm not lost, it's a good mistake
I saw the day break
I'm gonna shout about it

Oh, and everytime I turn around
I find that, I'm alone again
I've had a bad day
I'm gonna laugh about it

And I'll be fine
I'm gonna be all right

[Chorus]
I'm hanging on today (today, yeah)
And nothing's gonna stop me, anyway
I'm holding on, I'm strong (I'm strong)
I'm the only one who can make it change
I don't wanna fight
Gotta live my life
I'm gonna make it right
I'm hanging on and nothing's gonna stop me,
Nothing's gonna stop me

When I feel lonely
I feel like I'm floating
Nothing is real
I'm above it all
I'm above it
I'm above it all

[Chorus]
I'm hanging on today
And nothing's gonna stop me, anyway
I'm holding on, I'm strong
I'm the only one who can make it change
I don't wanna fight
Gotta live my life
I'm gonna make it right
I'm hanging on and nothing's gonna stop me, anyway

I've had a bad day

Cheyenne Kimball

2007-01-27T05:30:00.000+02:00

Cheyenne Nichole Kimball (born July 27, 1990 in Frisco, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter/guitarist. When her parents bought her a guitar, at age seven, she taught herself to play. She is signed to the Epic Records roster. She appeared on and won the TV show America's Most Talented Kid at the age of twelve. She released her Epic Records debut album, The Day Has Come, on July 11, 2006, with her first single and video, "Hanging On", sent to Top 40 mainstream radio and video outlets (VH1 and MTV) in early April 2006. She began her first cross-country tour on April 17 to promote her single and album. To further promote her music, she has an MTV television show called "Cheyenne", which premiered May 31 at 10:30 PM EST in the United States. The show later premiered on June 21 on the same day and time in Canada. She also appeared on the Aquamarine movie soundtrack with the song One Original Thing. She released her second single, One Original Thing, in October 2006. She has also released the iTunes exclusive single Drift Away. On December 5, 2006 Cheyenne's reality show DVD was released. Cheyenne's song Four Walls will be the third single in January. She will record a second album in Nashville with her band. Cheyenne performed in the 2006 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade singing "Four Walls". She will be making a video for her next single "Four Walls" in 2007.....

Backing Band:

* Ethan Roberts - Guitar, Backing vocals

* Joey Clemente - Bass guitar, Backing vocals

* Kevin Hastings - Keyboards, Backing vocals

* Dave Krusen - Drums

Photograph lyrics & video

2007-01-27T04:03:00.001+02:00

Photograph

Look at this photograph
Everytime I do it makes me laugh
How did our eyes get so red
And what the hell is on Joey's head

And this is where I grew up
I think the present owner fixed it up
I never knew we'd ever went without
The second floor is hard for sneakin' out

And this is where I went to school
Most of the time I had better things to do
Criminal records says I've broke in twice
I must have done it half a dozen times

I wonder if it's too late
Should I go back and try to graduate
Life's better now than it was back then
If I was them I wouldn't let me in

Oh oh oh oh god I....I

Every memory of looking out the back door
I have a photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
It's hard to say, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Remember the old arcade
Blew every dollar that we ever made
The cops seeing us hanging out
They said somebody went and burned it down

We used to listen to the radio
And sing along with every song we know
We said someday we'd find out how it feels
To sing to more than just the steering wheel

Kim's the first girl I kissed
I was so nervous that I nearly missed
She's had a couple of kids since then
I haven't seen her since god knows when

Oh oh oh oh god I...I

Every memory of looking out the back door
I have a photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
It's hard to say, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

I miss that town
I miss the faces
You can't erase it
you can't replace it
I miss it now
I can't believe it
So hard to stay
So hard to leave it

If I could I relive those days
I know the one thing that would never change......

Every memory of looking out the back door
I have a photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
Its hard to say, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Look at this photograph
Everytime I do it makes me laugh
Everytime I do it makes me......

Nickelback

2007-01-26T04:18:00.000+02:00

Nickelbackis a Canadian rock band formed in Hanna, Alberta, in 1995 by Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger and Ryan Vikedal. Their hit single "How You Remind Me" from their third album, Silver Side Up reached the top on the Canadian Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, making them the second Canadian band to accomplish this, the first being The Guess Who with "American Woman".

Ever since their smash hit "How You Remind Me" in 2001 the band enjoyed major commercial (although not critical) success. Nickelback sold over 13.5 million albums in the United States and over 1.7 million albums in Canada, their worldwide albums sales counted near to 20 million.

The band has won 9 Juno Awards, 1 American Music Award, 1 MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film (Hero), and a World Music Award for World's Best-Selling Rock Artist. The band was also nominated for 7 Grammy Awards, 4 American Music Awards and 10 Juno Awards. On December 4, 2006, Nickelback won 3 Billboard Music Awards out of five nominations.

Nickelback's latest release, All the Right Reasons has already sold more than 4.7 million albums in the United States and over 6 million albums worldwide.

NHL goalie Cam Ward, wears a goalie mask that has a Nickelback theme featuring the bandmembers playing.

History:

Although the core of the band hails from Hanna, Alberta, a small town east of Calgary, they are now based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The name derived from the nickel in change Mike Kroeger's brother frequently had to give customers back in his job at a coffee shop in which he would say, "Here's your nickel back".

Nickelback was helped early on by Cancon, the Canadian law requiring a certain percentage of music played on Canadian radio to be from Canadian musical artists. Their second full length album, The State, propelled them to the mainstream with two Top 10 hits (one being "Leader of Men") and the follow up album Silver Side Up, with 2002's most-played single "How You Remind Me", gave them superstar status, scoring multi-format smashes on every album since.

Silver Side Up was released on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. On that morning, they were on their tour bus traveling across Pennsylvania less than 10 miles from where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed.

They have received six Juno Awards and were nominated for five more in 2006. Their single "Photograph" was nominated for best single.

In May and June 2006, Nickelback supported Bon Jovi on the European leg of their Have A Nice Day Tour, playing in Germany, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and finishing in the UK.

Nickelback with their latest album, topped the nominees with three, the nominations including Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group, Favorite Pop/Rock Album (All the Right Reasons) and Favorite Alternative Artist, for the 34th American Music Awards which were held on Tuesday, November 21, 2006 and winning for Favorite Pop/Rock Album (All the Right Reasons). Also Nickelback won a World Music Award for best rock group on November 15 2006, which happened to be Chad's 32nd birthday.

Nickelback will begin writing and recording new material for their sixth full-length album, which is expected to be released around late 2007/early 2008. Currently, no further details about the new release are known.

Amy Lee

2007-01-23T07:11:00.000+02:00

Amy Lynn Lee (born December 13,1981 in Riverside, California)is an American singer,songwriter and pianist.She is a founding member and lead singer of the Grammy Award winning rock band Evanescence. Her influences range from classical musicians such as Mozart to modern artists like Björk, Tori Amos, Danny Elfman, Radiohead,and Plumb.

Biography:

Early life and the founding of Evanescence:

Amy Lee was born to parents John Lee,a disc jockey and TV personality, and Sara Cargill.She has one brother, Robby, and two sisters,Carrie and Lori. Lee had a third sister, who died in 1987 at the age of three from an unidentified illness.The song "Hello" from the Fallen album was written in her memory. Amy has stated previously that she will never sing "Hello" live, but on a home video has said that she has not sung it live "yet", which leaves a possibility of her doing so in the future."Like You" from The Open Door was also about her sister; the lyrics are: 'I long to be like you, sis.' She took classical piano lessons for nine years. Her family moved to many places, including Florida and Illinois,but finally settled in Little Rock, Arkansas, where Evanescence started. She graduated from Pulaski Academy in 2000 and also briefly attended Middle Tennessee State University.

She founded the band with Ben Moody. The two met at a youth camp when Lee was playing Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)" on the piano.Within a month, the pair were playing acoustic sets at Arkansas book stores and coffee houses before recording two EPs, Evanescence EP (in 1998) and then the Sound Asleep EP (in 1999). Another song, "You", was written by Amy Lee, but was never intended to be released. Rumors, though unsubstantiated, circulated that when "You" was leaked, she asked people to stop distributing the song and its lyrics.Many, but not all, lyrics websites took down their content for "You". In 2000, Evanescence recorded the longer EP Origin. This demo contains three songs which were used on the debut album Fallen and was written by Lee and Moody: "Whisper", "Imaginary", and "My Immortal". Whereas "Whisper" and "Imaginary" underwent further modifications before being included on Fallen, "My Immortal" is virtually identical. A later "band version" of "My Immortal" was made available for download for those who had bought an official version of Fallen through their official web site, but required that a CD checker program also be downloaded for verification before it would play. The "band version" was included on later versions of Fallen, notably the Brazilian and Argentinian Editions.

Fallen and lawsuit:

Her first major album with Evanescence, Fallen, has been certified 6x Platinum, spent 52 weeks in the Billboard Top 10 and has sold over 14 million copies worldwide.

Then on October 22, 2003, guitarist Ben left the band stating the reasons for his departure were "creative differences." In an interview several months later, Amy said: "We'd gotten to a point that if something didn't change, we wouldn't have been able to make a second record." She also said "We're finally a real band, not just Ben and I and a few others thrown together."

On December 1, 2005, former Evanescence manager Dennis Rider filed a lawsuit against Lee for breach of contract. The suit claims Rider was prematurely and unjustly terminated from his position as manager of Evanescence.

In return, Lee filed a counter-suit against Rider for "breach of fiduciary duty, sexual assault and battery, professional negligence, currency conversion, and other charges". The suit also claims Rider "neglected Lee's career and business and has focused his efforts on having extramarital affairs, hiding them from his wife, becoming intoxicated during business meetings, physically abusing women and boasting about it, making repeated unwelcome sexual advances toward Lee, receiving fees in excess of what was provided for in his management agreement and using Lee's corporate credit card to purchase gifts for his mistress."

Rider's attorney, Bert Deixler, claimed in a statement that Rider had fully performed all of the duties and obligations owed by the firm under the management agreement, and that he had always conducted himself by the highest professional standards

Engagement:

Lee revealed on January 9, 2007 during MuchMusic's Live @ Much that she was engaged the previous night, January 8. She later confirmed on EvThreads.com that she was asked the question.