More Top Stories: Michael Jackson, 'American Idol'

Nigel Lythgoe is officially returning to American Idol after a two-year absence to take on the role of executive producer. Lythgoe, who signed a two-year deal, mentioned he'd love to bring back Paula Abdul to the overhauled judges table for Season 10, even though she's signed on for a dance competition reality show with CBS. "I'd recommend we have her in a heartbeat," he said. [Variety]

The Los Angeles mansion that Michael Jackson was renting at the time of his death has been put on the market for $28.9 million. Jackson die-hards take note: the realtors will put all prospective buyers through an "extensive pre-qualifying check" before giving tours of the home. [The Real Estalker]

While the U.S. concert and record industries are in slow decline, the U.K. industry has seen album sales stabilize from their downtrend and sales of concert tickets has increased nine percent, resulting in a five percent growth across the board. [BBC]

Lily Allen revealed that she is pregnant with her first child. "It goes without saying we are both absolutely delighted," Allen told The Sun of her and boyfriend Sam Cooper's news. This is Allen's second pregnancy: in January, 2008, the singer suffered a miscarriage with her then-boyfriend Ed Simmons of the Chemical Brothers. [The Sun]

Sirius XM is working hard to lock Howard Stern into a contract extension before thhe satellite radio company has its next earnings call in three months. Stern, who earns a reported $100 million a year from Sirius, will see his contract expire on December 31st. [Billboard.biz]

Having already covered the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on 8 Diagrams, the Wu-Tang Clan unleashed a cover of the Fab Four's Abbey Road opener "Come Together" at a concert in London last night. [NME]

Listen to the Devendra Banhart and Beck collaboration "Life During Wartime," the theme song — and not a cover of the Talking Heads track — from the new Todd Solondz movie. [Twenty Four Bit]

Barbra Streisand is the 2011 recipient of the MusiCares Person of the Year. Previous winners include Neil Young and Neil Diamond. [The Hollywood Reporter]

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Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

More Song Stories entries »

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