Velvet Revolver's McKagan Denies Band Hired Langdon as Frontman

Velvet Revolver's Duff McKagan has denied reports that Spacehog's Royston Langdon is set to become the band's new singer: "He's fucking awesome, at this point I'd have to say no." McKagan added, "We just have to make sure it's the right guy," saying the band has grown closer since they parted ways with Scott Weiland in April. While they wait on their decision for a new singer, the band continues to work on new music. "We have a bunch of stuff finished. It's great. It's killer," McKagan said. And here's a fun fact: Slash listened to those leaked Chinese Democracy tracks, but McKagan hasn't, saying "I wouldn't even know where to look."

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Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

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