Really Randoms: Clapton, No Doubt

Eric Clapton is writing songs for his next album. "He had some ideas that he was working on before he did the album with B.B. [King] and now he wants to get in the studio and start working on it," said a source at Reprise Records. The guitar god will enter a Los Angeles studio in July, and will most likely produce the album himself. So far, the record is not on Reprise's release schedule. The new album is Clapton's second project this year; in February he collaborated with King on Riding With the King, which is due on June 13 . . .

NO DOUBT will be all over the Web in April, making three cyber appearances in support of their new album, Return of Saturn. On April 10, the band can be found on a Transworld chat at www.twec.com at 7 p.m. EST. The following day the group offers an acoustic performance at a fan conference at www.artistdirect.com/events/nodoubt. Then on April 26, AOL's "Artist of the Month" will take part in an AOL chat at 6 p.m. PST. To find the chat, fans should go through AOL keyword: No Doubt. The group has made "Under Construction," a non-album track, available for download on www.nodoubt.com . . .

CYPRESS HILL are set perform at the fourth annual Online Hip-Hop Awards, hosted by LL COOL J, on April 12 in New York City. The program, sponsored by SOHH.com and Urban Box Office Network, will "pay tribute to Web site developers, artists and others who have made contributions to hip-hop culture online and worldwide." Other artists scheduled to perform include JAY-Z, LIL' KIM, COMMON, MISSY ELLIOT and BUSTA RHYMES. The Online Hip-Hop Awards will be Webcast at www.onlinehiphopawards.com . . .

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS cancelled their Thursday night appearance at the taping for TNT's JONI MITCHELL tribute. SCOTT WEILAND suffered throat problems resulting from the band's show at New York's Irving Plaza the previous night. RICHARD THOMPSON stepped in for STP to play Mitchell's "Woodstock." The special airs April 16 . . .

In the wake of Monday night's violent outbreak at the CASH MONEY/RUFF RYDERS show in Boston, Tampa's USF Sun Dome cancelled Thursday night's show and Miami's American Airlines Arena nixed a Friday night performance. Apparently statement and apology from the Ruff Ryder camp on Wednesday did little to assuage fears about concert safety. "We feel that we have not gotten enough information about what happened [in Boston] to put the show on safely," said Charlene Beverly, representative for the USF Sun Dome. Cash Money's next performance in Seattle on April 13 will proceed as scheduled . . .

Since her starring role in the 1987 movie Light of Day, JOAN JETT has concentrated on her recording career. Now it seems the classic riot grrrl has the acting bug again, as she'll play a hit woman in the season finale of Walker, Texas Ranger and will do a fight scene with Chuck Norris. Jett also played herself in the pilot for The Number One Show in America, a new show from the producers of The Sopranos and Larry Sanders scheduled to debut next fall on Fox. Jett "corrupts" three thirteen-year-old Julliard School prodigies, turning them into punk rockers who end up performing "Bad Reputation" with her . . .

DURAN DURAN are set to redefine themselves for yet another decade. Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and Warren Cuccurullo will drop Pop Trash, their first album in three years, on June 6. The release is said to follow "in the vein of The Wedding Album, but puts a very current spin on it" . . .

ROLLING STONES drummer CHARLIE WATTS has joined forces with legendary session drummer JIM KELTNER for a new album titled The Charlie Watt/Jim Keltner Project. The album -- due out on May 23 on CyberOctave/High Octave Music -- will be a tribute to jazz drummers who have influenced the pair. Each track will be a titled after one of the duo's heroes, including such jazz luminaries as "Max Roach," "Tony Williams, "Kenny Clarke" and "Art Blakey." The album is Watts' fifth excursion from the Stones, but this time he will record without his quintet. Instead he has enlisted the help of fellow Stones KEITH RICHARDS and MICK JAGGER, who make vocal appearances on two tracks . . .

RUFF RYDERS Entertainment issued a statement Wednesday regarding Monday night's CASH MONEY concert brawl at the FleetCenter in Boston, which left six people injured. "We trust that this isolated incident serves as a reminder that we must be vigilant in keeping the peace when and where we gather," read a statement by Ruff Ryders execs Joaquin Darren and Chivon Dean. "The very premise of this tour is to foster a sense of unity within the hip-hop community." Police are still investigating the incident . . .

MARIAH CAREY has been discharged from a Boston hospital after a bout of food poisoning. The singer checked into the hospital after nabbing a bad oyster in Atlanta over the weekend. Carey was forced to cancel and reschedule her Boston performance as well as a Toronto show, but the tour behind her ninth album Rainbow is back set to resume without any additional cancellations . . .

Avant-garde jazz trio MEDESKI MARTIN AND WOOD will tour for two months behind their first ever live album, Tonic, an acoustic album culled from nine performances in New York in March 1999. The group will play twenty-five cities starting with a five-night stand in New York City's Angel Orensanz Center. With the exception of two performances, the tour will find the groove-laden ensemble playing as an acoustic piano trio. For a full listing of tour dates go to the group's official Web site www.mmw.net . . .

Is evening wear required for a punk rock prom? That'll be for the winners of the L.A. radio station KROQ-sponsored Punk Rock Prom contest to decide. Beginning April 10, The station will hold a scavenger hunt beginning April 10; the winner will have the honor of having BLINK 182 coming to their high school on May 6 to play a twenty-five-minute set. Ten runners-up will be given gold and platinum record certification plaques for Enema of the State. In the event of a tie, contestants will face off in a spelling bee. For more information on the contest go to www.krock.com . . .

Epitaph Records has added two vastly different artists to its roster. The predominantly punk label has confirmed that it will release MERLE HAGGARD's next recording. Hag is planning to enter his home studio in Northern California with his band, the Strangers, to record an album for release this fall. Haggard will serve as the producer for the as-yet-untitled project. Meanwhile, Epitaph's international arm, Eurotaph, has signed up TRICKY following the sparse sales of Juxtapose, his last album for Island. A new EP is due from the trip-hop artist in the near future with a longer release later this year . . .

Some unreleased BEN HARPER tracks are available as digital downloads courtesy of a landmark agreement between Virgin Records and Liquid Audio. The two companies are offering seven live Harper tracks for purchase through more than 150 music retailers in North America. The songs are available for $1.99 each or the entire package can be picked up for $9.99; each track features a previously unpublished live photo of Harper as well as liner notes penned by the singer. By purchasing the tracks, fans will be able to burn the songs onto a physical copy. The offer extends through July 4 and is offered online by a number of music retailers as well as through www.benharperdownload.com . . .

Move over, Dennis Miller. The veteran comedian will now split entertainment duties at Monday night's Project A.L.S. benefit gala with rocker SHERYL CROW. Crow has just been confirmed as the musical portion of the evening at the Hollywood Palladium, which will feature hosts Ben Stiller and Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock From the Sun) fronting a celebrity-heavy crowd gathered to raise money for research for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the neuromuscular condition better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Unlike Crow's last high-profile gig in Central Park, this show won't be free -- tickets cost $500 and $1,000. But as the saying goes, it's for a good cause. For more information, call 1-800-603-0270 . . .

The FOO FIGHTERS and SMASHING PUMPKINS have been tapped to traverse the Great White North on OUR LADY PEACE's Summersault 2000 tour, which will make stops throughout Canada this summer. Other bands are expected to be announced in the next few weeks. "With the Pumpkins and Foo Fighters signed up, it's going to be a great day of music," said OLP singer Raine Maida. For updates on details for Summersault 2000 check out www.ourladypeace.com . . .

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE frontman ZACH DE LA ROCHA will begin recording his solo debut in New York City next month. According to EL-P of Brooklyn-based hip-hop outfit COMPANY FLOW, De La Rocha recruited him to produce at least four tracks on the album. "Zach and I are mutual fans of each other's music," says El-P. "He wants a gritty, raw, angry, slightly dirty production that I can bring to the table." No word yet from Rage's label, Epic Records, on any release plans for the album . . .

R.E.M. are expected to enter the studio in May to begin recording their next album. The band's management confirms that they will be recording in a number of locations, as has become their practice, but no specific sites were given. The band holed up in an Athens studio in early February to write new material for the album with drummer Joey Waronker and musical sidekicks Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows) and Ken Stringfellow (the Posies) lending a hand. Patrick McCarthy, who produced Up is slated to tweak the knobs again . . .

Twenty-seven inaugural inductees including ELVIS PRESLEY, ROBERT JOHNSON, JIMMIE RODGERS and B.B. KING were inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place on April 3 at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson, Miss. The MMHoF has chosen to represent the full spectrum of Mississippi music, thus TAMMY WYNETTE was inducted while Conway Twitty will have to wait another year and Johnson was granted entrance ahead of such later blues-greats as Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. Though there is no actual hall just yet, the MMHoF is working to rectify the situation. "We are raising money to build the Mississippi Music Heritage Museum that will honor our great Mississippi musicians and heritage," said Dr. Jim Brewer, Chair of the MMHoF . . .

A suit filed against MOTLEY CRUE by a North Carolina security guard has been settled. Security guard, John Allen brought the suit against the band after a 1997 concert during which he claimed that bass player NIKKI SIXX directed racial slurs at him and incited the audience to riot. Sixx was arrested last year and pleaded no contest to charges of inciting a riot and drummer TOMMY LEE pled no contest to assault charges. The suit was scheduled for April 3, but was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount . . .

The OFFSPRING will headline a show to benefit the family of a fallen punk rock friend. "When the Angels Sing -- A Benefit for the Family of Dennis Danell" will honor late Social Distortion guitarist Dennis Danell, as well as aid his family. The remaining members of SOCIAL DISTORTION, PENNYWISE, T.S.O.L., PUNK ROCK KARAOKE, STRUNG GURUS and ROCK STAR BARBEQUE will also be on-hand for the event, which will take place May 6 at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater in Irvine, Calif. (More bands are expected to join the bill.) "Doing this benefit show is a way for me to say goodbye to Dennis in my own way," said Social D frontman MIKE NESS. "We were as close as family and it means so much to me to play this benefit for his wife and children." Danell died Feb. 29 of a brain aneurysm; he was thirty-eight . . .

ALICE COOPER will release Brutal Planet, his first album of new material in six years, on June 6. "It's his heaviest album ever," according to a spokesperson for Cooper. "It's a very harsh, aggressive record." Cooper will be tour Europe from June 10 through July 24 before returning to the states. He launches his "Live from the Brutal Planet" tour in August and will stay on the road through October. The tour will reportedly feature the return of the guillotine on stage. According to the spokesperson, the prop hasn't seen use in nearly a decade . . .

MICHAEL HUTCHENCE may be gone, but that doesn't mean INXS is forgotten. According to an Australian news service, the seminal band is marking their twentieth anniversary by making two rare tracks from one of their first Sydney shows available for download. A live version of "Doctor," which was featured on the band's first album, as well as "The Pickled Parrot, a track that was never heard outside of an INXS rehearsal, have both been digitally enhanced, and are currently available at ChaosMusic.com, and INXS.com. . .

Maybe folks finally realized that Guinness and ninety-degree-plus summer heat mix like oil and water. Or maybe the lads at GUINNESS were peeved that last year's FLEADH headliners included the defiantly un-Gaelic Shawn Mullins and Hootie and the Blowfish. The spokesperson for the frothy institution has cited "internal reasons" for the beer's pulled sponsorship from the festival, leaving this year's festival in limbo. The Fleadh, which has played host to such genuine Irish acts as VAN MORRISON, SHANE MacGOWAN, the CHIEFTANS and SINEAD O'CONNOR as well as an assortment of Yanks (WILCO), Brits (RICHARD THOMPSON) and Canucks (BARENAKED LADIES), is being postponed until a new sudsy sponsor steps up to the plate.

ANDREW DANSBY, CHRISTINA SARACENO, GABRIELLE SCHAFER, RICHARD SKANSE, JAAN UHELSZKI
(April 8, 2000)