Really Randoms: Chrissie Hynde, Ricky Martin, Jimmy Page

The standoff between CHRISSIE HYNDE and radio right-winger RUSH LIMBAUGH is finally over. Since 1984, Limbaugh had been using the "My City Was Gone," the Pretenders lament about the mall-ification of America, without Hynde's consent. According to Hynde's manager, Limbaugh had not licensed the song for his nationally syndicated radio show, nor had he even asked for permission to use it -- something that didn't seem to bother Hynde all that much until Limbaugh told a pair of reporters in 1997 that "it was icing on the cake that it was [written by] an environmentalist, animal rights wacko and was an anti-conservative song. It is anti-development, anti-capitalist, and here I am going to take a liberal song and make fun of [liberals] at the same time." Last month, Hynde finally got Limbaugh to pull the song but then did an about face on Aug. 18, telling him that he could use the song if he donated all the royalties to the animal right's organization PETA, after PETA campaign manager Dan Mathews told her Limbaugh had a soft-spot for animals. She fired off the following missive to PETA to let them know of the recent developments. "In light of Rush Limbaugh's vocal support of PETA's campaign against the Environmental Protection Agency's foolish plan to test some 3,000 chemicals on animals, I have decided to allow him to keep my song, 'My City Was Gone,' as his signature tune and to donate all proceeds from the deal to further PETA's efforts in that regard" ...

What goes great with turkey and cranberry sauce? Why Celine, Shania and Ricky, of course! The three mega-stars will perform on their own CBS-televised music specials during Thanksgiving weekend. CELINE DION and SHANIA TWAIN's specials (airing on Nov. 24 and 25, respectively) represent each woman's second for CBS. RICKY MARTIN, meanwhile, will make his network entertainment special debut when his showcase airs on Nov. 26. Each hour-long show begins at 8 p.m. EDT on its designated air date ...

Former LED ZEPPELIN guitarist JIMMY PAGE will join the BLACK CROWES for four U.S. dates this fall. The seminal guitarist, who invited the southern rockers to participate in a benefit for Action For Brazil's Children Trust in London last July, is returning the favor by appearing with the band on October 12-13 at New York's Roseland Ballroom and at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre on October 18-19 . . .

The latest band to prove its Web savvy is EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL, who will make their new album, Temperamental available over the Internet, prior to its release in traditional stores. By linking to the album's official Web site, www.temperamental.co.uk., EBTG fans will be able to hop around to ten different sites carrying what the Temperamental site bills as "extensive audio" from the album. The British dance duo promises that those who hit every site in the exclusive EBTG Web ring will hear the entire album. The Web ring goes up on Sept. 13; the album hits record store shelves on Sept. 27...

Motown Live is kicking off its sophomore season on Sept. 27. Smooth R&B singer MONTELL JORDAN, who scored a No. 1 hit with 1995's "This Is How We Do It," will serve as this year's host. SNOOP DOGG, K-CI & JO JO, JAMES BROWN and the TEMPTATIONS are among the season's scheduled performers...

No man is an island, but Sixties psychedelic-folkie DONOVAN owns one, and he's selling it for a cool 40,000 pounds. "Cool" is the operative word, because the Sunshine Superman's island of Mingay is off the northwest coast Scotland, and the sun only makes brief cameos during the winter...

Move over, Felix and Oscar: The always-original minds in Hollywood have come up with another variation on The Odd Couple, this one pairing WU-TANG CLAN rapper RZA with Buddhist monk SHI YAN MI, a member of the Shao-lin sect that tagged onto the Lollapalooza tour a few years back. The flick, provisionally titled Cosmic Funk and the Temple of Groove, will be directed by Kevin Kerslake, who's already proved his ability to point a camera for three minutes while musicians jump around miming to songs. We can hear the opening voice-over already: "In 1992, Shi fled his Chinese homeland, vowing to seek a better place on earth. Around the same time, RZA vowed he would never be in the same room with the Ol' Dirty Bastard if there was any chance the police were in the vicinity..." . . .

Maybe a post-Presidential recording career isn't altogether out of the question for sax-toting Bill Clinton, who might prove to be a perfect foil for JORGE ESTRADA, who's added the title "chart-topping pop singer" to his resume, where it sits right next to "President of the Philippines." Estrada didn't even bother waiting for his term to expire before releasing a single called "Endure I Will," which he originally wrote some thirty years ago. The tune scaled the top of the Phili-Pops, earning a pretty penny for the charities to which Estrada intends to distribute his royalties. Now if only Boris Yeltsin played the balalaika ...

If you're among the right-wing thinking folks who believe we've let our neighbors to the north get away with too much for too long, we've got another argument to add to your list of reasons to stage a military invasion of Canada. Just the other day, the sweet-tempered, kitty-petting popsters in GODSMACK were headed up to Toronto to serenade the music-starved masses when the much-feared Canadian border patrol stepped in and refused to allow the band to enter their country. While Canuck officials insist that Godsmack were sent packing due to issues with a band member's criminal record -- a drunk driving offense, to be precise -- we think it's all some sort of secret plan to insure the success of that Guess Who reunion that's brewing somewhere in the far reaches of the Great White North...

While nothing could possibly warp a child's mind as much as repeated exposure to BRITNEY SPEARS, a few alt-rock veterans do their best to do just that on The Slippery Ballerina, an audio book cum singalong CD that's due out in a few weeks. The crafty tale, narrated by Brit stalwarts IAN DURY and WRECKLESS ERIC, follows the title character through adventures both Grimm and goofy-with guest appearances by MOE TUCKER, COL. BRUCE HAMPTON and Southern rock standard-bearers RICK RICHARDS (formerly a GEORGIA SATELLITE) and KEVN KINNEY (the now-and-then leader of DRIVIN' 'N' CRYIN')...

BUSTA RHYMES isn't letting SEAN "PUFFY" COMBS or MASTER P get a leg up on him with their apparel and footwear lines. The workaholic rapper has developed his own line of clothes called Bushi Sport Line, which he'll launch at the Venetian Hotel and Spa in Las Vegas during the Magic Convention, which runs from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1. What do the threads look like? Busta was wearing the golf shirt from Bushi when he performed at the Source Hip-Hop Music Awards in Los Angeles last week...

After their headlining gig on this fall's Family Values tour LIMP BIZKIT will take a short break and then head into a Los Angeles studio in January to begin work on the follow-up to the already multi-platinum Significant Other. According to a source close to the band, the group has already begun checking out prospective producers, including BRENDAN O'BRIEN (Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam) and Terry Date (White Zombie, Buckcherry)...

Platinum-selling R&B artist D'ANGELO gathered quite a crew to support him on his upcoming platter, Voodoo. For the album, which was recorded at Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios, the Virginia crooner teamed up with jazz trumpeter ROY HARGROVE, guitarist CHARLIE HUNTER, ROOTS drummer ?uestlove, inseparable rappers METHOD MAN and REDMAN and hip-hop's reigning queen, LAURYN HILL. D'Angelo duets with Hill on an as-yet-untitled track, reprising a role they enacted when D sang on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill's "Nothing Even Matters." Voodoo comes out on Nov. 23...

Next month the dean of gangsta rap is reuniting on stage with his most famous pupil. DR. DRE and SNOOP DOGG, who was introduced to the world on Dre's 1992 landmark album The Chronic, are hooking up for a Sept. 24 show on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. Snoop will also guest on Dre's upcoming Chronic 2000 album, which hits all fifty states Oct. 12. . .

U2 singer BONO's wife Ali Hewitt gave birth to the couple's first son in Dublin, Ireland's Mount Carmel Hospital on Wednesday, Aug. 18. The boy, whose name has not yet been released, weighed in at 7 lbs. 2 oz. Bono and Hewitt already have two girls, Jordan and Memphis Eve...

The newly married FATBOY SLIM will be working his remix magic on a single by U.K. house outfit Groove Armada. Fatboy's version of the cut "I See You Baby" will appear as a B-side once that single is released, which could happen as early as October. The original version of that song appears on the band's debut album, Vertigo, which was released in the U.K. in June and will come out in the States on Jive Electro in early 2000. Fatboy's remix of Underworld's "King of Snake," meanwhile, came out in the U.K. last week, and his hit song "Rockafeller Skank" is slated to appear in a Kodak commercial, come September...

EMMYLOU HARRIS and LINDA RONSTADT performed at Los Angeles' famed Troubadour club Monday, Aug. 23, to preview their new album Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions and national tour, which begins Friday in Reno, Nev. While Harris had performed at the intimate Troubadour as recently as three years ago, it had been more than thirty years since Ronstadt had played an official gig there. During the set, in which the two femmes performed every song from the new album, Ronstadt explained that her first performance at the Troubadour was with her band the Cadillacs, which segued into the Stone Poneys, who then turned into a somewhat better known band called the EAGLES. An original member of all three of those groups, multi-instrumentalist BERNIE LEADON, was part of the all-star band, which also included session guru GREG LEISZ and multi-instrumentalist ETHAN JOHNS, backing up Harris and Ronstadt...

RAKIM is due to release the follow-up to The 18th Letter with an as-yet-untitled album in November. According to his publicist, one track was produced by DJ PREMIER. It is rumored LAURYN HILL has a guest spot on this track, but Rakim's publicist would not confirm that...

Concord, Calif., will not necessarily always love WHITNEY HOUSTON. The city wants Houston to pick up a $100,000 tab for her cancelled Aug. 1 show at the Concord Pavilion. Houston cited illness as the reason for her last-minute no-show. Houston's publicist had no comment on whether or not the singer plans to pay . . .

"You woke up my neighborhood," BILLY BRAGG sang in 1991. Now, people in Bragg's neighborhood will wake up on a street named after him. The town of Barking, England -- where Bragg and many of his ancestors grew up and where he still lives -- dedicated Bragg Close on Tuesday in honor of the folk-rocker. Bragg will release Reaching to the Converted, a collection of his B-sides, on Aug. 31 and follow it with a small U.S. tour . . .

What else could the Sony Playstation game being billed as "the ultimate, high-speed, adrenaline-pumping, anti-gravity racing series" possibly need? Well, high-speed, adrenaline-pumping, anti-gravity music, of course. Under the watchful eye of England's DJ SASHA, the CHEMICAL BROTHERS, PROPELLERHEADS, ORBITAL and PAUL VAN DYK are contributing tracks to Psygnosis' upcoming Wipeout 3 game, which debuts Sept. 24 . . .

British electronica vixen DJ RAP has a spate of U.S. club gigs coming up in support of her recently released debut album, Learning Curve. The dates are: (9/7) Los Angeles, Viper Room; (9/8) Portland, Ore., Ohm; (9/9) Seattle, Aro Space; (9/10) San Francisco, Nikita; (9/11) Colorado Springs, Colo., City Auditorium; (9/14) Boston, Bill's Bar & Lounge; (9/15) Detroit, Motor; (9/16) New York, Kit Kat Klub; (9/17) Washington, D.C., Sting; (9/18) New Orleans, State Palace Theatre; (9/19) Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., (10/9) Indio, Calif., Empire Polo Field ...

Until Congress passes a law forbidding more than two reunions, the WHO -- or at least three-quarters of the Who -- will continue to indulge. The next episode in the continuing saga of PETE TOWNSHEND, ROGER DALTREY and JOHN ENTWISTLE may be Nov. 19 at Chicago's House of Blues. According to a source close to a Who member, Townshend and Daltrey will meet tomorrow to discuss the one-off show, proceeds of which will benefit the Windy City's Maryville Academy for abused and neglected children. Originally, the latest reunion was to take place on Sept. 9, but the logistics couldn't be worked out in time. For the previous two years, Townshend staged the benefit show sans fellow Who members. A Pete Townshend live benefit album, culled from those performances, is due out Sept. 21. The Who last reunited in 1996 in support of the Quadrophenia rock opera. Prior to that, the band regrouped in 1989 to record one song for Townshend's The Iron Man concept album and subsequent The Kids Are Alright reunion tour...

Anyone who saw FIONA APPLE's rambling acceptance speech at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards knows she is not a woman of few words. On Nov. 9, Apple will release the follow-up to her multi-platinum-selling debut album Tidal. The new album will be called When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He'll Win the Whole Thing 'Fore He Enters the Ring There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won't Matter, 'Cuz You'll Know That You're Right. Not surprisingly, Apple came up with the title herself. The album is produced by Los Angeles popster Jon Brion and the first single is called "Fast As You Can." If When the Pawn Hits... (yes, you'll see lots of abbreviated versions) is half as successful as its predecessor, plan to be up late watching next year's award shows...

If MARIAH CAREY's duet with rapper JAY-Z for "Heartbreaker," the first single from her upcoming album, Rainbow, didn't give the diva some hip-hop cred, the remix version that appears on the "Heartbreaker" single certainly will. On the alternate take, Carey is joined by MISSY "MISDEMEANOR" ELLIOTT, DA BRAT and New York City mix tape guru DJ CLUE. What's more, the song is based around samples from SNOOP DOGG's "Ain't No Fun." And, for Mariah purists, the single, which was released over the Internet on Aug. 16 and will hit traditional stores on Sept. 21, will also feature a "No rap" version. Rainbow comes out on Nov. 2...

Farm Aid just got a little more aid. The twelfth annual concert, held each year to raise money for America's struggling family farmers, just nabbed the Barenaked Ladies, the SUPERSUCKERS, LARRY GATLIN and DEANA CARTER. The show, which takes place Sept. 12 at the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Va., includes Farm-Aid founders NEIL YOUNG, WILLIE NELSON and JOHN MELLENCAMP as well as the DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, STEVE EARLE, the MAVERICKS, SAWYER BROWN, SUSAN TEDESCHI and TRISHA YEARWOOD...

Speaking of Neil, the CROSBY, STILLS, NASH AND YOUNG "Heartland" album has been officially re-christened Looking Forward after one of Young's contributions to the disc. Two weeks ago, the reconfigured group expressed reservations that that name had too many prior associations to retain it (they explained to intimates it sounded like a Chevy commercial). Barring any natural disasters, Looking Forward is slated to be in racks on Oct. 26. David Crosby seemed upbeat about the impending release when he spoke to the Pittsburgh Post last Friday. "It was fantastic [getting back together]," he enthused. "Neil Young is so much fun to play music with I can't even begin to tell you. He's a wonderful cat and CSN is a great band. And put them together...CSNY is like seven pounds of stuff in a three-pound bag. It's a wonderfully inventive event." . . .

METHOD MAN and REDMAN are set to star in a film called How High. According to Variety, the rappers came up with the idea for the film -- the story of two friends who smoke so much green they become brilliant and enroll at Harvard -- themselves, then sold the rights to Jersey Shore/Universal. When contacted, the production company would not confirm or comment on any details of the project due to its developmental stage. Meth and Redman, who are about to embark on the Family Values Tour with DMX, and Limp Bizkit among others, will release their next album, Blackout, on Sept. 28 ...

Far from the madding crowd, GARBAGE reconvened at Vancouver's Armoury Studio last week to put the final frills on "The World Is Not Enough," the theme for the new James Bond movie that they had begun recording last July when they were in the U.K. performing at the opening ceremonies of the Scottish Parliament. The song was not penned by the band, but instead co-written by David Arnold and Don Black, the team that was responsible for earlier Bond themes. To further insure the proper Bond feel, Garbage recorded the track with an eighty-three-piece orchestra . . .

Dan Quayle's bid for the presidency is revving up, and, fittingly, the Family Values Tour is not far behind. So far, LIMP BIZKIT CRYSTAL METHOD, FILTER, DMX (for the first leg) and METHOD MAN and REDMAN (for the second leg) have joined the family, with more acts to be announced. The Family Values Tour dates are:

9/21: Pittsburgh, Civic Center
9/22: Detroit, Palace of Auburn Hills
9/24: Penn State, Pa., Bryce Jordan Center
9/26: Virginia Beach, Vir., Hampton Coliseum
9/28: Worcester, Mass., Centrum
9/29: Albany, N.Y., Pepsi Arena
10/1: Hartford, Conn., Civic Center
10/2: Uniondale, N.Y., Nassau Coliseum
10/3: Philadelphia, First Union Center
10/5: Grand Rapids, Mich., Van Ardel Arena
10/6: Indianapolis, Market Square Arena
10/8: Columbus, Ohio, Schottenstein Center
10/9: Chicago, Allstate Arena
10/10: St. Louis, Kiel Center
10/12: Kansas City, Mo., Kemper Arena
10/13: Minneapolis, Target Center
10/16: Portland, Ore., Rose Garden
10/17: Tacoma, Wash., Tacoma Dome
10/19: San Francisco, Cow Palace
10/20: Sacramento, Calif., Arco Arena
10/22: Phoenix, America West Arena
10/23: Anaheim, Calif., Arrowhead Pond
10/24-25: TBA
10/27: Dallas, Reunion Arena
10/28: Houston, Compaq Center
10/30: San Antonio, Alamo Dome
10/31: Biloxi, Miss., Mississippi Coast Coliseum

British quintet GOMEZ, whose '98 debut album, Bring It On won England's coveted Mercury Music Prize for "Album of the Year," have just announced the following tour dates in support of their upcoming release, Liquid Skin: 9/21: New York, Irving Plaza; 9/22: Boston, Paradise Rock Club; 9/27: Chicago, Metro; 10/1: Los Angeles, John Anson Ford Theater; 10/2: San Francisco, Calif., The Fillmore...

YES are celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of their first album with a new album and a tour. Though the band has had more lineup changes than Menudo, The Ladder, due Sept. 28, will feature Yes fixtures Jon Anderson, STEVE HOWE, CHRIS SQUIRE and ALAN WHITE. The prog-rock gods go roundabout the U.S. in the fall. The tour dates are as follows:

10/15: Myrtle Beach, S.C., House of Blues
10/16: Atlanta, The Tabernacle
10/18-19: Tampa, TPAC
10/21: Miami, Gleason Theater
10/22: Orlando, House of Blues
10/23: Jacksonville, Fla., Florida Theater
10/25: Houston, Aerial Theater
10/26: Austin, Backyard
10/29: Phoenix, Union Hall
10/30: San Diego, 4th & B
10/31: Las Vegas, House of Blues
11/2-4: Los Angeles, House of Blues
11/6-7: San Francisco, Warfield
11/9: Seattle, Paramount
11/12: Minneapolis, Orpheum
11/13: Milwaukee, Auditorium
11/15-17: Chicago, House of Blues
11/19: Cincinnati, Taft Theater
11/20: Detroit, Royal Oak Theater

Lookout! Records, the Berkeley, Calif., pop-punk label that introduced GREEN DAY, OPERATION IVY and, more recently, the DONNAS, is hosting the Lookout! Freakout! Labor Day weekend (Sept. 3-6) in clubs (and a miniature golf course!) around the Bay Area. The Donnas, the Mr. T Experience, the GROOVIE GHOULIES, the HI-FIVES and PANSY DIVISION are among the performing freaks. . .

Move over Marilyn Manson -- rock & roll diehards now have a guide with an even quicker path to Hell. His name is Ron English, and he looks innocent enough, but as they say, ol' Beelzebub can take many forms, and this time he's turned all gushy and power-poppy for a breezy-yet-blasphemous romp called Revelations Book II. English, who doubles as a serious artist with a penchant for crafting such devilish images as a Last Supper with Disney characters and a Jesus figure chowing down on a Big Mac, is joined on the nineteen-song disc by like-minded heretics such as MOJO NIXON (who rants through "Iscariot the Patriot") and PATTI ROTHBERG (who suggests "Jesus never walked on water, but he was always on thin ice"). Get the ice water ready, it's gonna be a long, hot ride...

In order to bolster its sagging rock music sales, Virgin Records has signed a five-year pact with heavyweight A&R guy Happy Walters, who's credited with KORN's success. . .

Interscope Records confirms that BECK has rounded the final corner on his follow-up to Mutations and will release the album Nov. 16. Beck still does not have an official title for the album, which he produced with Mickey P., Anthony Hoffer and, on one or two tracks, the Dust Brothers. They are still working on tracks, but insiders say they expect to be finish this weekend . . .

JAMES TAYLOR will be ubiquitous this fall, when his second symphonic tour (his first was in 1995) coincides with the release of six remastered albums and a biography called Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story, according to Taylor's official Web site. The albums (JT, Flag, Dad Loves His Work, That's Why I'm Here, Never Die Young and New Moon Shine) will be released Oct. 19; the book, sometime in November. The Web site (www.james-taylor.com) also reports that JT will have a song on Sting's new album, Brand New Day. The currently scheduled tour dates are:

9/29: Rochester, NY, Eastman Theater
10/1-2: Toronto, Roy Thompson Hall
10/6, 8-9: Baltimore, Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
10/11: Washington, D.C., Kennedy Center
10/13, 15-16: Pittsburgh, Penn., Heinz Hall
10/18-19: Columbus, Ohio, TBA
10/21, 23-24: Detroit, TBA
10/26: Grand Rapids, Mich., DeVos Hall
10/27: Toledo, Ohio, Stranahan Theater
10/29-30: Chicago, Orchestra Hall
11/8-9, 11: Dallas, Meyerson Symphony Center
11/13: Fort Worth, Texas, Fort Worth Convention Center Theater
11/14: Phoenix, TBA
11/17-18: Houston, Texas, Jones Hall
11/20-21: San Antonio, Texas, Majestic Theater
11/23-24: Atlanta, Ga., Fox Theater ...

The release date for BUSH's long-delayed third album, The Science of Things, has been moved up a week. It is now scheduled to arrive on Oct. 26. Meanwhile, the band will be working with director Stephan Sedanoui (Alanis Morissette, Bjork, Fiona Apple) on the video for Science's first single, "Chemicals Between Us," rather than Paul Hunter, as originally planned. The band will be shooting the video next weekend in Los Angeles...

And while Bush will drop their album a week early, GAVIN ROSSDALE's girlfriend GWEN STEFANI won't have her band's album ready until next year. NO DOUBT had planned to release the follow-up to 1995's Tragic Kingdom in November, but decided to work on it a bit longer and release it next year. No concrete release date has been set...

Less than a month after DAVID BOWIE signed on to build the Baltimore Orioles Web site, the Thin White Sports Maven has announced that UltraStar Internet Services LLC, the online sports and entertainment company co-founded by the musician, has signed a multi-year partnership with the New York Yankees. Ultra Star will redesign the World Championship team's Web site to incorporate player stats, chat and Yankees Xtreme, a new premium on-line fan club. "We couldn't be more pleased to be working with the premier team in all of sorts," said Bowie. "We hope to build the same sense of community we did with Bowie Net, utilizing proprietary content and cutting-edge technology. But more importantly we hope to deal with one of the most profound unanswered question in all of sports. Paul O' Neill can play drums, Bernie Williams can play guitar, but who's on bass?". . .

DON HENLEY filed suit against Paramount Pictures Corp. Monday claiming the studio reneged on a contract regarding the use of a song called "Taking You Home" that the singer co-wrote for the forthcoming Ashley Judd-Tommy Lee Jones film Double Jeopardy. Henley is seeking a minimum of $1.1 million plus compensatory damages to be determined at trial. Paramount could not be reached for comment by press time . . .

Tired of lugging your iMac around town everyday just to hear your Liquid Audio collection? Relief is on the way: Sanyo is developing an SDMI-compliant portable digital music player which will play Liquid Audio tracks downloaded from the Web and MP3s. Look for the gizmos in mid 2000 . . .

U.K. house music master WILLIAM ORBIT, the producer/remixer who gave Madonna a techno-makeover on her Ray of Light, will release a solo album, titled Pieces in a Modern Style early next year. For the album, Orbit has re-imagined classical opuses by Vivaldi, Beethoven, Handel and Ravel. And guess who's releasing it? Why, Ms. Ciccone's Maverick label, of course. After all, she does owe Orbit a favor...

ROB ZOMBIE's Hellbilly Deluxe remix album is due out on Nov. 2, and according to the big guy, he's just "waiting for a few people to finish." Those who have already completed their remixing tasks are Nine Inch Nail's Charlie Clouser, who did "Dragula," Living Dead Girl," and "Superbeast"; God Lives Underwater, who have been missing in action as of late, but resurfaced to do "How to Make a Monster"; Rammstein whipped out "Spookshow Baby"; while Nine Incher Chris Vrenna did "Return of the Phantom Stranger." While Zombie has them all in his possession, he won't say which we'll hear come November. "They're not all confirmed because some of them I haven't heard yet," Zombie said on his Web site. "I heard the Charlie Clouser ones. They're f---ing awesome."

Former POSIES guitarist/vocalist KEN STRINGFELLOW has a new record label. The Seattle-based Casa Recording Co. will bow in September with a seven-inch from Stringfellow's own band Saltine. The label also plans to release a seven-inch from VELOCITY GIRL vocalist SARAH SHANNON and a full-length from Saltine. . .

A spokesperson for BRIAN MAY said it is "highly improbable" that the QUEEN guitarist will join Guns n' Roses in any capacity. That notion was echoed by G n' R manager Doug Goldstein, who said, "there haven't been any conversations like that." Phil Symes, Queen's U.K.-based publicist, was unaware of an Internet report that suggested May would be one in a series of celebrity guitarists joining G n' R on the road when and if they ever tour. "I was just with Brian last week, so I think we would know," Symes says. "I think he very much enjoys what he does, doing his own music and working with other members of [Queen]." Goldstein joked that the idea of using a rotating set of celebrity guitarists "sounds like a cool idea" and added that "[guitarist] ROBIN [FINCK] is doing his NINE INCH NAILS thing and we have no idea how long that's gonna last." Goldstein said that AXL ROSE is currently laying down vocals for the long-awaited album and there's no tentative release date planned . . .

"Lies, lies, lies, lies," MICHAEL JACKSON told ABC's Diane Sawyer in 1996, referring to the allegations that he had molested a thirteen-year-old boy. Three years later, he's won a settlement defending his public denial. A California court has ruled that Jackson's words were not in violation of the terms of his 1994 out-of-court settlement with the boy's father. This is Jackson's third legal triumph is just over two years. In 1997 he won a suit against Neverland employees who claimed they were fired for complying with authorities during the molestation investigation, and last year he won a suit against a videographer who claimed to have incriminating footage of Jackson and the boy. . .

BILL CRANDALL, JENNY ELISCU, BLAIR R. FISCHER, KATHLEEN LINGO, RICHARD SKANSE, ROGER LEN SMITH, DAVID SPRAGUE, JAAN UHELSZKI
(August 27, 1999)