| CMU Daily - on the inside 24 Sep 2002 |
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What artists hid behind the pseudonyms Larry Lurex, Joey Coco and Bonni Jo Mason?
Answer tomorrow
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BURNING GUITAR FOR SALE (JUST TWO LEGENDARY OWNERS)
Hendrix's Fender Stratocaster Sunburst, thought to be guitar he famously set fire to at the London Astoria in 1967, is expected to sell for at least £400,000 when it goes under the hammer today, making it the most valuable guitar of all time. Word is that Hendrix also burned the instrument at the 1968 Miami Pop Festival and it was there that one Frank Zappa acquired it. He restored it and used it on his 1976 album ‘Zoot’. More recently Zappa’s son Dweezil rediscovered the guitar, had it restored again, and is now putting it up for auction. "It's a very inspiring guitar because it has such a unique history, one that can never be recreated," Dweezil told the BBC. "When I found it taken apart, in 1991, I told my dad I'd found the Hendrix guitar, and he said I should have it. Now I think it's time it should pass on to a new owner."
Ted Owen, of Cooper Owen Auctioneers, confirms that it is the genuine burning guitar. "All of the Hendrix archivists and all of the books are pointing to the fact that it was originally burnt in '67 at the Astoria and was restored and burnt again in Miami. It's particularly burnt where the electrics were and the plastic scratch-plate area. The neck is completely burnt." Today’s auction at the Cooper Owen Auction Gallery also sees a handwritten poem written by Doors front man Jim Morrison and a Colt 45 Pistol charm from the jacket of Sex Pistol Sid Vicious up for grabs.
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NIRVANA RARITY ON THE INTERNET
A previously unreleased Nirvana track which is set to appear on a forthcoming best of album has surfaced on the internet. ‘You Know You're Right’ is believed to have been recorded in January 1994, less than three months before frontman Cobain commited suicide. Portions of the song appeared online in May and a live version has been around on bootlegs for some time, but now the full track is floating round cyberspace. Courtney Love yesterday told the Howard Stern Show that she had settled her differences with other ex-Nirvana members and as a result a Nirvana best of album would be out in time for Christmas. But the band's record label, while admitting a release was now likely, couldn’t confirm when the record would hit the shops, or if it would be out in time for Christmas.
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BATTY LEGAL WRANGLINGS SOLVED OUT OF COURT
Mike Batt, best known as the man behind the music of the Wombles, has paid a six-figure sum to the estate of the late composer John Cage in a dispute over who owns the copyright to a track of complete silence. Batt was accused of plagiarism by the publishers of the US composer’s music after he included a silent track on his latest album ‘Classical Graffiti’ which he credited to himself and Cage. Cage ‘composed’ a silent track in the fifties called ‘4’33’. After various wranglings Batt has agreed to pay an undisclosed six-figure sum to the John Cage Trust, but insists it’s a good will gesture.
"I am relieved we have been able to settle this one out of court," Batt told the BBC. "This has been albeit a gentlemanly dispute, a most serious matter. I am pleased to say that Cage's publishers have finally been persuaded their case was, to say the least, optimistic. We are, however, making this gesture of a payment to the John Cage Trust in recognition of my personal respect for John Cage." Explaining the motivation behind the silent piece he said: "The idea of the track was to separate some acoustic arrangements from rockier material on ‘Classical Graffiti’. I thought for my own amusement it would be funny to call it something so I called it ‘A Minute's Silence’ and credited it as track 13 and put my name as Batt/Cage, as a tongue-in-cheek dig at the John Cage piece," he said.
A spokesman for Peters Edition, Cage's publishers, said they felt "honour had been settled. We do feel that the concept of a silent piece - particularly as it was credited by Mr Batt as being co-written by 'Cage' - is a valuable artistic concept in which there is a copyright. We are nevertheless very pleased to have reached agreement with Mr Batt and accept his donation in good spirit."
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ARTIST PAY TRIBUTE TO MACCOLL
Comedienne Tracey Ullman sang live for the first time in almost two decades last night as part of a tribute concert to her former musical collaborator, the late Kirsty MacColl. Ullman had a number two hit with MacColl's song ‘They Don't Know About Love’ back in 1983 – the track helped launch Ullman’s hugely successful TV career in the US. "All I added to it was a short pink lurex skirt," Ullman joked last night, "Thank you Kirsty for giving me that song." The concert was part of a season called 'The Song's The Thing', celebrating the work of well known songwriters and sponsored by the Performing Rights Society.
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FELIX WOULD PERFORM WITH MANSON
Felix da Housecat, whose single 'Silver Shower Scene' was released yesterday, has told Radio 1 that he would like to work with Marilyn Manson – even though the producer, who comes from a religious background, turned down the chance to remix a track by Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes side project because the band was called ‘The Devils’. "I wouldn't mind working with him as long as he isn't talking about the Antichrist!,” Felix said. “You know, I come from a spiritual family. If my mom saw me on the Antichrist record she would flip it. You know, just me telling her that I might work with Manson, she just looked at me like I was crazy."
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THE JAXX ON THEIR NEW ALBUM
Basement Jaxx have been talking to Rolling Stone magazine about their forthcoming album: "We've been in the studio just a couple of months," the duo said. "We've been relaxing, spending time at home kind of racing around, not really DJing, just kind of becoming human beings again to hopefully kind of realize our new message.”
They currently have about thirty songs on the go which they will whittle down to an album’s worth of material by the end of the year. Work is currently underway to find suitable vocalists. "We're speaking to a couple of people at the moment. We've got loads of people coming into the studio - singers and various people, mostly underground people. We're not against using a name, but we'll see."
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ONO IN COURT
Yoko Ono's lawsuit against her late husband John Lennon's personal assistant went to court in New York yesterday. Ono is suing Frederic Seaman claiming he exploited the ex-Beatle's death by stealing priceless family photos and mementos, then selling them to collectors, and that he defamed Yoko’s name by falsely portraying himself as Lennon's only true confidante. The lawsuit has been awaiting a court hearing since the late nineties – Ono wants Seaman to surrender the rights to 374 photos he took of Lennon and turn over about $75,000 in profits from the sale of manuscripts and letters. Ono's attorney, Paul LiCalsi told the BBC: "We're delighted that we're finally bringing this case to trial and are quite confident about the outcome.” Seaman’s defense attorney Glenn Wolther said his client denies any wrongdoing: "We have serious concerns about any attempt to restrict Mr. Seaman's right to free speech.”
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Answer to Monday’s pop quiz:
Courtney Love is back in the news today – who said of the Hole star: “She never bothered to say “hi” to me until I sold a million records”
Mr Marilyn Manson