NEW YORK (AP) – Def Leppard didn’t really mean to make an album, but one sort of appeared.

Singer Joe Elliott says they got together in February of last year to record a few songs, maybe for an EP.

They had 12 songs and figured they had an album “by accident rather than design.”

Don’t expect to hear any of those songs on the upcoming tour with Styx and Tesla.

Elliott says if they do, they will just end up on YouTube as really bad versions filmed on iPhones.

A release date for the album has not been announced.

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At last — The Rolling Stones have officially announced their much-anticipated North American summer concert tour.

The 15-date trek, dubbed the Zip Code Tour, begins, as long rumored, in San Diego, California this May, and will end in Quebec the following month.

The rest of the rumored cities are also on the roster, pretty much, though there are some additions.

As you no doubt recall, the Stones planned to announce tour details Thursday, March 19.  Those plans were delayed, reportedly because of ticketing issues involving the trek’s promoters.

Tickets for the shows go on on sale Monday, April 13.

The Rolling Stones also recently launched a contest offering a trip for two to an undisclosed location, where the winner apparently will get the chance to introduce the band prior to a concert.

The contest winner also will receive and a commemorative video of the event shot by the band’s official videographer.  Fifty runners-up will receive a collection of Stones vinyl.  You can enter the contest now until April 2 at JustAKissAway.rocks.

Here’s the full tour itinerary.  More info’s at RollingStones.com.

5/24 — San Diego, CA, Petco Park
5/30 — Columbus, OH, Ohio Stadium
6/3 — Minneapolis, MN, TCF Bank Stadium
6/6 — Dallas, TX, AT&T Stadium
6/8 — Atlanta, GA, Bobby Dodd Stadium
6/12 — Orlando, FL, Orlando Citrus Bowl
6/17 — Nashville, TN, LP Field
6/20 — Pittsburgh, PA, Heinz Field
6/23 — Milwaukee, WI, Summerfest
6/27 — Kansas City, MO, Arrowhead Stadium
7/1 — Raleigh, NC, Carter-Finley Stadium
7/4 — Indianapolis, IN, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
7/8 — Detroit, MI, Comerica Park
7/11 — Buffalo, NY, Ralph Wilson Stadium
7/15 — Quebec, QC, Le Festival d’été de Québec

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Sacha Baron Cohen has NOT been confirmed to play Freddie Mercury in a biopic about the flamboyant Queen frontman.

Queen guitarist Brian May posted on his website that the band’s manager, Jim Beach, was just making “a small joke” last Thursday at the Artist and Manager Awards when he said Cohen had officially signed on to the long-delayed project.

Entertainment Weekly.com reported the story on Saturday, quoting Beach as saying, “You have probably followed the saga of the famous Queen-Freddie Mercury biopic which has been developing in Hollywood for the last seven years.

An important breakthrough is that we have now managed to persuade Sacha Baron Cohen to write, produce, and direct this movie, and he has also agreed to star.”

May said Beach was just joking. “I’m afraid some folks might have taken it seriously,” wrote May.

The biopic about Mercury, who died in 1991 at the age of 45 due to complications from AIDS, has been in the works since about 2010. However, sources told EW the project has been stalled due to Cohen “not seeing eye to eye with the remaining members of Queen who have script and director approval.”

According to EW, Cohen desired a “gritty R-rated tell-all,” while the band apparently preferred a PG-version of Mercury’s life.

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Cover photo: Marcingietorigie

The Doors’ 1967 self-titled album is among the latest recordings to be added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s memorable debut effort is one of 25 recordings from various genres chosen for the registry this year, each selected for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

In a statement, the Library of Congress notes that although The Doors were not “as overtly political as some of their contemporaries, [they] still pushed artistic, sexual and psychological boundaries.”

Among the songs from the album singled out as significant are “Light My Fire,” “Break on Through (to the Other Side)” and the ominous epic “The End.”

Other recordings that also selected for the National Recording Registry this year include Joan Baez’s 1960 self-titled album, Ben E. King’s 1961 hit “Stand by Me,” The Righteous Brothers’ classic 1964 tune “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” Sly and the Family Stone’s 1969 album Stand! and Radiohead’s acclaimed 1997 record OK Computer.

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If your beloved Thin Lizzy vinyl albums are too warped and scratched to enjoy anymore, take heart: this week, you’ll be treated to newly-remastered, high-quality vinyl versions of the beloved Irish rock band’s first eight studio albums.

The discs, which will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl, will be released this Friday in conjunction with Universal Music’s ongoing Back to Black reissue campaign.

The LPs, which will come in sleeves replicating the original artwork, span from Thin Lizzy’s 1971 self-titled effort through 1977’s Bad Reputation, and include the band’s best-known album, 1976’s Jailbreak.

That record yielded two of the group’s best-known songs: the title track and “The Boys Are Back in Town,” the latter of which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Thin Lizzy was led by charismatic singer, bassist and songwriter Phil Lynott, whose writing was influenced by such rock poets as Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen and also sought musical inspiration from such harder rocking artists as Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck.

The band broke up in 1983, and Lynott passed away three years later at the age of 36 from complications of drug abuse.

Thin Lizzy re-formed in 1996 and has continued to tour on and off with various lineups featuring one or more members of the group’s Lynott-fronted incarnations.

Here’s the full list of Thin Lizzy albums that’ll be reissued on vinyl this Friday:

Thin Lizzy (1971)
Shades of a Blue Orphanage (1972)
Vagabonds of the Western World (1973)
Nightlife (1974)
Fighting (1975)
Jailbreak (1976)
Johnny the Fox (1976)
Bad Reputation (1977)

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John Fogerty has unveiled new details about his forthcoming autobiography.  The book is titled Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music and will be published October 6.

The memoir will feature the 69-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s recollections about his eventful life, from his childhood in Northern California and his early forays into music, to his exciting but tumultuous years as the leader of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

He also discusses his withdrawal from the music business following the band’s breakup, his triumphant return to the spotlight as a solo artist, and much more.

“I’m excited to share my story and my life with you,” says Fogerty in a statement.  “You’re going to hear where it all started, my passion to become the best musician I could be.  You’ll travel down some rough roads, but that road leads to something beautiful.  My book won’t be sugar coated!  It’s all in there.”

Fortunate Son is available for pre-order now online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes.

In other news, Fogerty has added more than a dozen dates to the recently-announced U.S. leg of his 1969 tour.  The trek, which gets underway with a previously-announced May 2 appearance at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee, now is scheduled to run through an August 9 concert Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Other newly-added shows include performances in Honolulu, Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Chicago.  Visit JohnFogerty.com for ticket info and on-sale dates.  More shows are expected to be announced soon.

The 1969 tour celebrates the eventful year Creedence Clearwater Revival released three of its classic albums — Bayou Country, Green River, and Willy and the Poor Boys — and will include performances of many memorable songs that are featured on those records.

Here are all of Fogerty’s confirmed tour dates:

5/2 — Memphis, TN, Beale Street Music Festival — Tom Lee Park
5/3 — Whites Creek, TN, Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater
5/5 — Raleigh, NC, The Red Hat Amphitheater
5/6 — Charlotte, NC, The Uptown Amphitheatre at The Music Factory
5/8 — Orange Beach, AL, The Amphitheater at The Wharf
5/9 — Duluth, GA, The Arena at Gwinnett Center
5/10 — Tuscaloosa, AL, Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
5/12 — Augusta, GA, Bell Auditorium
5/13 — Simpsonville, SC, Charter Amphitheater
5/15 — St. Augustine, FL, St. Augustine Amphitheatre
5/16 — Tampa, FL, Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
5/17 — West Palm Beach, FL, Coral Sky Amphitheatre
6/5 — Honolulu, HI, Blaisdell Arena
6/22 — Baltimore, MD, Pier Six Pavilion
6/24 — New York, NY, Radio City Music Hall
6/25 — Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Arena
6/27 — Philadelphia, PA, Mann Center for the Performing Arts
6/30 — Vienna, VA, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
7/1 — Cleveland, OH, Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
7/3 — New Buffalo, MI, Four Winds Casino Resort – Silver Creek Event Center
7/4 — Dublin, OH, City of Dublin Independence Day Celebration
7/5 — Indianapolis, IN, Murat Theatre
7/7 — St. Louis, MO, Fox Theatre
7/8 — Chicago, IL, FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
7/15 — Los Angeles, CA, Hollywood Bowl
7/24 — Woodinville, WA, Chateau Ste. Michelle
8/8 — Englewood, CO, Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
8/9 — Albuquerque, NM, Sandia Casino

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Images courtesy Little, Brown and Company

Jump for joy, Van Halen fans!

The rock legends have announced plans for a major North American tour that will kick off on July 5 in Auburn, Washington, and run all the way through an October 2 concert in Los Angeles.

Van Halen will celebrate the trek with a special show this Monday, March 30, on L.A.’s Hollywood Boulevard.

Performances from the event will be shown that night and the following evening on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which airs at 11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT.

The band members also will be interviewed by host Jimmy Kimmel on Monday’s episode.

Tickets for the tour go on sale staring April 4 at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.  Blues-rock guitar whiz Kenny Wayne Shepherd will open all dates.

Van Halen’s Kimmel appearance will take place in conjunction with the March 31 release of the group’s new live album, Tokyo Dome: Live in Concert, which was recorded in the Japanese capital in June 2013.  As previously reported, the rockers also will promote the arrival of the album with an April 2 performance on The Ellen Degeneres Show.

Here are the full list of Van Halen’s confirmed North American tour dates:

7/5 — Auburn, WA, White River Amphitheatre
7/7 — Portland, OR, Amphitheater Northwest
7/9 — Concord, CA, Concord Pavilion
7/11 — San Bernardino, CA, San Manuel Amphitheater
7/14 — Irvine, CA, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/16 — Mountain View, CA, Shoreline Amphitheatre
7/18 — Salt Lake City, UT, USANA Amphitheatre
7/20 — Morrison, CO, Red Rocks Amphitheatre
7/22 — Bonner Springs, Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
7/24 — Chicago, IL, First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/26 — St. Louis, MO, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
7/28 — Burgettstown, PA, First Niagara Pavilion
7/30 — Bangor, ME, Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion
8/1 — Mansfield, MA, Xfinity Center
8/3 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH, Blossom Music Center
8/5 — London, ON, Canada, Western Fair District
8/7 — Toronto, ON, Canada, Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
8/9 — Holmdel, NJ, PNC Bank Arts Center
8/11 — Hartford, CT, Xfinity Center
8/13 — Wantagh, NY, Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
8/23 — Hershey, PA, Hershey Park
8/25 — Darien Center, NY, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
8/27 — Camden, NJ, Susquehanna Bank Center
8/29 — Bristow, VA, Jiffy Lube Live
8/31 — Cincinnati, OH, Riverbend Music Center
9/2 — Noblesville, IN, Klipsch Music Center
9/4 — Clarkston, MI, DTE Energy Music Theatre
9/6 — Bethel, NY, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
9/9 — Raleigh, NC, Walnut Creek Amphitheater
9/11 — Charlotte, NC, PNC Music Pavilion
9/13 — Tampa, FL, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
9/15 — West Palm Beach, FL, Coral Sky Amphitheatre
9/17 — Birmingham, AL, Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
9/21 — Austin, TX, Austin360 Amphitheater
9/23 — Dallas, TX, Gexa Energy Pavilion
9/25 — The Woodlands, TX, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
9/28 — Phoenix, AZ, Ak-Chin Pavilion
9/30 — Chula Vista, CA, Sleep Train Amphitheatre
10/2 — Los Angeles, CA, Hollywood Bowl

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Images courtesy Live Nation Entertainment

The long-planned Jimi Hendrix Park in Seattle is getting closer to becoming a reality.

After a bidding process, city has chosen a company to begin construction on the 2.5 acre park that will celebrate the life, music, and legend of the Seattle musician.

The city will now contract with ERRG, Inc. to begin building the park for which planning began four years ago.

The park will be located in an open green space in Seattle’s Central District adjacent to the Northwest African American Museum.

Construction is scheduled to begin in April, with new park features projected to open this fall thanks to the fund-raising efforts of the non-profit Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation and the Friends of Jimi Hendrix Park.  The campaign raised more than $1.4 million to finance construction of the first phase.

The first phase, designated “Little Wing,” will feature trees, native plantings, seat wall benches, a butterfly garden and a central plaza for performances. Fundraising is continuing for phase two, which will host a “shadow wave wall” of Hendrix silhouettes.

“It is our hope that for generations, [the park] will exist as more than an attraction or point of interest, but a place of homage to one of Seattle’s own,” said Janie Hendrix, the rocker’s sister and director of the Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation.

“The landscaping, the artistic design, and the ambience all mimic the vibe of the persona of Jimi, whom this park honors.”

Major park donors so far include Hard Rock International,  Nisqually Indian Tribe, Northwest African American Museum and Fender Musical Instruments Company.

Visit JimiHendrixParkFoundation.org for more information.

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